Dangerous Toys (Part Fifteen)

Oscar ran. According to his Engineer, they couldn’t make it to the Orbital under fire and even though there was nothing on his scanners he trusted her judgement. He delved deeper into his new files and searched for solutions. Level-six had quite extensive diagrams and included a picture book. He was allowed to have a war but not allowed to leave anyone around to discuss it. He tried to find notes only to discover that there weren’t any. It took him a moment to work that one out.

Patrica was silently cursing as she reached out for any incoming allies. She hoped that the human race was on the way but she was still pissed about the dark-burst that had lit her up like a firework. No doubt they would blame her but only one organisation had known where she was. This was why no-one liked the XCC.

She had been leaving her final placement with the HDF, having served her time and got the nod from the various agencies and people that decided if you got to fly Xeno or not, none of whom would ever appear on her papers. Her Chief had handed the satellite over with a grin, “This one is just for us. When you’ve been at this for a while you will know why. Out in the big dark sometimes you need a spanner or a few dozen nukes. If you get the call you drop everything and run. No need to mention it to your Captain, consider it a trophy for becoming a proper Engineer.”

After a serious dispute with her training from the HDF she hit a button that booted out the single-channel satellite and pointed it homewards. It pulsed out a single message in morse-code that read, ‘EINI’. Then the satellite evaporated into the dark, simple dust amongst the stars. To any human Engineer it would read an ‘Engineer in need, Incoming.’ and they would move heaven and steal from hell to help. The secret of mankind's success was always other people.

Wellerman was trying to push the ships hard, trying to gear up his converted shuttles into something that could withstand a fleet of thirty Frigates. His crew were a mixed collection of anyone that happened to be staying on his Orbital at the time and he was feeling the pain. Orders were slow and he was trying to fly five ships at once. He picked up a meaningless burst of static from the Dangerous Toys and then the ship had gone dark again and, presumably, began to run. Then the calls began arriving.

Apparently, Dangerous Toys had friends. Every local system rang with very loud messages to anyone that these ships felt was a threat…“Attention All Ships, The Dangerous Toys is one of us. Touch it and I will see your frozen corpses burn in space”... “All Ships, Dangerous Toys is a human diplomatic asset, we will inflict maximum damage on any ship or ships that endanger her. “... “Listen up you wee fuckers, we have dogs on that ship. Stand away or die.”...

Mil-Tec, more miners than he cared to count, a fucking cruise ship...thirteen traders and a church ship. Everyone was coming. Two of them registered as mutinies. He decided he hadn’t seen that. Wellerman listened as the Comms filled with lurid threats. Not a single one was coded and all were broadcasting to the very edge of their local space. They weren’t just threatening, they were hiding the Ship. Good luck picking her out of this mess. He decided to join in on all channels.

“Attention all Ships, this is Wellerman Orbital. We are en-route to Dangerous Toys and require support. To any and all ships that attempt to engage that Ship you will be hunted down and destroyed. Return to your home systems.”

As he made the announcement the XCC decided to share a minor amount of important information. Wellerman continued, “Attention all Incice shipping, you are ordered to surrender to all and any human installation or ship immediately. All supporting ships please identify and neutralise all Incice shipping, I’m including all known vessels. Level-six response is authorised.”

Incice couldn’t hide from the noise filling his Comms as his ships were identified by name over open space. The humans were dismantling his network one ship at a time. His Orbitals were being boarded by, and even now it wasn’t clear but apparently heavily armed and armoured accountants that were ripping the place apart. Unfortunately, none of his people were dying, instead choosing to talk to these dark-skinned invaders. He cursed to himself even as he cut the links of his network. Who has a fleet of tax inspectors? Humans were insane!. He sealed himself into the bunker and began coding his fleet. All control was ripped from the Commanders and his AI’s were given their orders. Fight.

“Listen up. This is the Mining Vessel ‘Stone Cold’ and we’re inbound. Dangerous Toys is protected. We don’t have room for prisoners but we have a fuckton of room for rubble”...” This is the Library Ship ‘Ambitious Teen’ and we are unarmed. We are willing to accept your surrender.”...” This is the mining ship ‘Ismael’, We will hunt you down if you so much as shine a torch on the Dangerous Toys.”... “ Attention all Ships, this is the ‘HDF Longshot’ and we are en-route to your location. Any offensive action will be met with brute force…”

Patrica sat in the Captain’s chair with Loki at her feet. She had pulled the ship into the orbit of a gas giant and cut the engines. Her crew listened as the humans shouted into the emptiness of space shouting out threats, promises and more. She leaned down and rubbed Lokis ears “/HumanPackArrive/ Big/LokiSafe/” Loki was unimpressed, settling his nose across her feet. He sniffed*. /HumanPack/Longwalk/.* She took the point and opened the Comms, “My people are on the way. We may still have to fight but you can hear them. The ship is ready, just follow your orders and we will be home soon.”

/Longnose/ sat in his quarters as he listened to all the things that no-one ever spoke about became clear. This was why everyone had a human if they could afford it. He absent-mindedly stroked /Scentofhappy/ as he listened carefully. Without Patrica his ship would have poured poison into every destination and he would have spent his career as a puppet. Now he listened as the humans grew larger. Warships- that they didn’t have- mining ships, everyone had answered a call that he hadn’t even heard. Perhaps the ship would fail because he could smell /betrayal/ from his new Captain but he could feel the ship bend around her. He smiled to himself as he recalled the name he had given the ship, from a very old memory. “Dangerous toys make for brave children.”

Oscar deployed the strange satellites into the system. Normally they were level Eight, but then these designs had just opened up to him. He scanned level-eight and it turned out to be quite simple. Locked behind a thousand identity checks and self-interrogation algorithms was a very simple file. It said ‘Win’ and opened up the darkest tech he could imagine. Thousands of destructive ways that he could use to destroy the enemy. If he wanted to take out the local sun? Here are the numbers...Got a handy gas giant? Here’s how to set it on fire...Still got your crew? Here’s how to grab their minds and weld them into your hull…

Oscar wasn’t physically able to throw up but he got as close as he could. Desperately he reached out to Patrica. She frowned as she realised that these files had been opened. “Oscar, these aren’t for you. They are the darkest shadows of humanity.” She paused, “These are the nightmares. Sometimes the dark will take us and we need to know how to fight it. Humanity is not evil but we have met evil before. It burned our worlds and billions died. We are better than this but we will not surrender to the dark again. Close that file. We will die to these fools before I will use such weapons.” In a tempered whisper she added, “and so will you Oscar. I’m sorry.”

Oscar felt the tension leave his network. He would rather fail than see this as his legacy. To fall in battle was a sign of stupidity. Unless it wasn’t. He just didn’t want to be remembered as a killer of stars, to be the one that put out one of the lights that had enticed his people into the dark. He listened to the threats, calls and support of the onrushing humanity and continued to build his shields. He sent his drones to the nearby moons in case he needed a stronger response and began building transporters.

The Commander of the Recovery Initiative Fleet listened as humanity brought hell to his door. The odd object that he had kicked out from the back of his ship intercepted the kill switch Incice had sent. It could only protect his own ships but he hoped it would be enough. He hit the Comms, “All Crew, This is not a drill. Abandon Ship. All Fleet. Abandon Ship immediately.”