John Ringo: Claws That Catch

“Not that I know of,” Eric said, then paused. “Well, spec ops officers rarely make stars. But those are the guys who marry to it and never get out. Spec ops as a lieutenant or a captain? That’s sort of like a good merit badge. I’m going to have to collect those, anyway.”

“So concentrate on surviving the missions,” Brooke said. “Please. But decide, sometime soon, if where you want to go is stars. Or if you’re going to be a major success in the civilian world. It changes what I do, how I act. If you’re going to go for a civilian career, I need to get a degree I can use to support you while you go back to school.”

“Shiny,” Eric said. “I repeat, you’re amazing.”

“You haven’t learned the half of it,” Brooke said. “Now, what was that you were explaining about positions?”

It had been a seemingly short three hours. The opening of the documentary — most of which was shot from surveillance cameras, external cameras on the ship and Wyvern systems — was definitely designed for the computer generation. Short clips of groups of people would zoom in on one, lay out a statistics and general information screen, then give deeper background about each of the characters. Then Commander Weaver was there, including his background in the Dreen War, which was open-source information. There were also several Marines and sailors as well as the commander of the ship, Captain Steven Blankemeier.

Internal surveillance cameras had caught several of the pre-mission briefings and a description of pre-mission physical, using some very nice computer generated imagery, was revolting enough that the Russian nearly lost his lunch.

Then there were the details of the missions. The more or less useless Dean’s World, Runner’s World with its deadly crabpus, nearly losing the ship and all the Marines. Some of the people the audience had been introduced to were suddenly gone — eaten, mangled, ripped to shreds. But the Blade went on.

The second hour covered the findings in Cheerick and again, people died, people who had been made to live and breathe during the earlier parts of the documentary. The Wyvern video from the fall of the science section was particularly vivid. The amazing biological defenses of the planet were detailed along with their utility to humanity, once they were fully understood. It ended with the return to Earth, startling the mission controllers with a giant crabpus mounted on the hypercavitation activator.

The third hour was the scramble to head to the lost colony. The documentary caught, vividly, the boredom of the long transit. But the viewers quickly got caught up in the battles around the unnamed stars. Captain Blankemeier, one of the central characters, was given a short bit where he referenced “battling on the arms of Orion.” One of the internal cameras on the ship caught a blast of plasma ripping through the crew quarters, fortunately vacant. More caught lasers and mass drivers ripping the ship until she was virtually airless but still fought on. Wyvern video of Eric capturing the flagship was missing, so CGI and overlay techniques were used to simulate it. If anything, they looked better. The Mreee “sentient” controller of the task force brought a cry of surprise from the Russian, who bent forward to look closer.

The last hour closed with video of the shattered Blade I in space, then a discussion of the aid of the Hexosehr and finally a shot of the built-from-scratch Blade II setting down in Area 51, its alternate base.

“Admiral Blankemeier,” the Chinese general said when the videos were finished. “It is amazing you are alive.”

“It’s amazing any of us survived,” Blankemeier replied.

“Yes, but the one that I want to meet is, how is it? Two-Gun Berg,” the Indian said, grinning. “What a warrior! Especially for an enlisted man. I am glad to see that you made him an officer.”

And thus we uncover the weakness of the Indians, Weaver thought with a sigh. They just could not seem to get over the whole caste thing. And if you considered large portions of your population as sub-par, the intellectual value of that portion was lost. Who knew how many Einsteins and Booker T. Washingtons might exist among the Untouchables, who were still relegated to not much more than garbage collection.

“So what is next?” the Chinese delegate asked. “You say that we are going to get access to these Hexosehr? In two years? That is too much time. We need their technology immediately!”

“Actually, the Hexosehr are in the process of colonizing Runner’s World,” the President replied. “We established gates to get them there. Their ships won’t arrive for a bit under two years. But we were able to move some of their fabricators through and, of course, their expertise. We are liaising with them now about how to portion out their personnel. They’ve made a study of our various societies and countries and are making many of their own decisions. They are an independent group, allied but with their own… how was it you put it? Ah, their own ‘sovereignty.’ What technology goes to what groups is up to them. But, yes, you’re going to get access to it.”

“And the Blade ?” the Russian asked.

“No,” the President replied. “We’ve considered the possibility of putting observers onboard or even a mixed crew. Subsequent to mutual defense treaties, we may consider it further. But it is an Alliance ship. The British have, thus far, declined to offer personnel but there is an Adar onboard and shortly Hexosehr. Until things change, politically, however, we’re not going to put in Russian, Chinese or Indian crewpeople or observers. As to studying the drive, it’s always been a toss-up between studying it and using it. For the time being, again, we’re going to use it and study it as we can. Even the Hexosehr, after examining it intensively during the rebuild, admitted that they could not understand it. It violated several of their theories of faster-than-light travel, which were rather mature and now have to be rethought. So if we cannot figure it out, meaning the U.S., and the British cannot figure it out and the Adar cannot figure it out and the Hexosehr cannot figure it out, I strongly doubt that the Chinese or Russians, the ability of their scientists being noted, can do any better. Honestly, do you?”

“We demand observers,” the Russian said. “The ship should be the property of all the world, not just one hegemonic government! It should be an international crew under a commander chosen by the United Nations!”

“Well, let’s see,” the President replied, grinning. “The Adar trusted us, being in contact with all of you, with the black box. We spent twenty billion dollars rebuilding a nuclear submarine and turning it into a spaceship. And we took all the casualties finding the Cheerick, the Hexosehr and the Dreen. So you’ll understand me if I try not to scoff at your demand. And, frankly, we’re going to completely ignore the UN in our preparations for the Dreen. I don’t see what use a bunch of kleptocrats and tyrants are going to be to us.”

“The Hexosehr will be sending a liaison and technical group to each of the countries joining the coalition,” the national security advisor said diplomatically. “They will require appropriate quarters, which means suited to their physiology especially since they use a slightly different atmosphere. They will also require logistical support including food. Some Adar foods are mutually compatible. Most major Earth governments will get a Hexosehr ambassador. Those that join the coalition are the only ones that will be getting technical support. That is the Hexosehr’s position, not ours.”

“And this coalition?” the Russian said furiously. “I suppose that the Americans they will be the top dog, yes?”