probe, one of several dozen stuck randomly about the hull, detached from the side of the Bluefin . It looked like a piece of dirty ice or rock. It remained passive. Its message would be transmitted only in response to a specially coded signal.
***
Cat's finger hovered above the button that would flood the hyperjump nodes scattered about the exterior hull with exotic matter. The influx of these particles would begin a cascade of events that would ultimately result in hyperfold occurring in time-space. Captain Running Stream had instructed her to be ready. As soon as word came from Engineering that two of the modified probes were ready to launch they would jump.
The ship was in no immediate danger. The Dreadnaught had apparently jumped considerably further out and so their beam weapons were far less effective than they had been during their first encounter. In addition, Ricky had used another of the Sandy's to create a dust cloud between the two ships. To be sure, the Bluefin was being hit, but it was nothing that her shields could not handle for a few minutes. The transit shield that had been their main defense earlier was essentially gone... worn away.
Finally the word from engineering came that all was ready and the Captain ordered the jump. As soon as normal space reappeared the sensor officer launched two of the probes.
"Probes away," Cat confirmed.
Sensor data began to stream in. The sensor officer, a young female judging by the color of her fur, whistled. Cat had not heard any of their former captors make that sound so she looked up with a start.
"Sir!" The young officer said perhaps a little too loudly. "If I am reading this correctly I am reading two hyperjump termini forming."
"Two?"
"Yes, Sir... but..."
"But what, Ensign ? ”
"Sir, I can only confirm one ship with optical scanners."
Running Stream stepped out of his command chair and walked over to the sensor station. He ordered the two probes to be recovered now that they had accomplished their intended function. He looked over the Ensign's shoulder at the displays on her station.
"It would indeed appear like there were two hyperfold events but only one ship appeared. Any thoughts, Commander?"
"It's hard to say, Sir," Cat answered. "It's makeshift technology and we don't have a fully working computer to filter anomalies. It is probably an artifact that we can mathematically suppress once we can crunch a few numbers and understand what we are looking at."
"Perhaps you are right," Running Stream said, but to Cat's ears he did not seem convinced. Cat of course knew the second blip on the sensors was the Honey Dipper .
"How far out is the ship that we have a visual confirmation of?"
"Four light minutes," Sassi answered. "Also, I have the primary AI back online, although most of its navigation database is toast."
"I'm not sure I understand the reference. What is 'toast'?"
"I'm sorry, Sir... most of the database was damaged and must be rebuilt from incremental backups. That's going to take several days, I'm afraid."
"So we can jump more quickly as long as we are not picky where we go?"
Sassi fluttered his low frequency antenna. "That is essentially correct, Sir."
"Very good, Lieutenant. Calculate a series of quick jumps. I want to jump in quick succession before that brute out there can track us. If we can lose him for a few days we can get that database rebuilt and jump someplace significantly safer."
"Sir, I already have such a solution set available. We can jump in three minute s… as soon as the ultra-capacitors are charged."
"Jump when ready," Running Stream said with a wink at Cat. This set of officers from the GCP were remarkably capable.
"Sir!" an Ensign at the sensor station yelled. "The Dreadnaught is changing course! They are targeting the dust cloud between us and them with low-yield nukes!"
Cat straightened in her seat.
***
Cat's finger hovered above the button that would flood the hyperjump nodes scattered about the exterior hull with exotic matter. The influx of these particles would begin a cascade of events that would ultimately result in hyperfold occurring in time-space. Captain Running Stream had instructed her to be ready. As soon as word came from Engineering that two of the modified probes were ready to launch they would jump.
The ship was in no immediate danger. The Dreadnaught had apparently jumped considerably further out and so their beam weapons were far less effective than they had been during their first encounter. In addition, Ricky had used another of the Sandy's to create a dust cloud between the two ships. To be sure, the Bluefin was being hit, but it was nothing that her shields could not handle for a few minutes. The transit shield that had been their main defense earlier was essentially gone... worn away.
Finally the word from engineering came that all was ready and the Captain ordered the jump. As soon as normal space reappeared the sensor officer launched two of the probes.
"Probes away," Cat confirmed.
Sensor data began to stream in. The sensor officer, a young female judging by the color of her fur, whistled. Cat had not heard any of their former captors make that sound so she looked up with a start.
"Sir!" The young officer said perhaps a little too loudly. "If I am reading this correctly I am reading two hyperjump termini forming."
"Two?"
"Yes, Sir... but..."
"But what, Ensign ? ”
"Sir, I can only confirm one ship with optical scanners."
Running Stream stepped out of his command chair and walked over to the sensor station. He ordered the two probes to be recovered now that they had accomplished their intended function. He looked over the Ensign's shoulder at the displays on her station.
"It would indeed appear like there were two hyperfold events but only one ship appeared. Any thoughts, Commander?"
"It's hard to say, Sir," Cat answered. "It's makeshift technology and we don't have a fully working computer to filter anomalies. It is probably an artifact that we can mathematically suppress once we can crunch a few numbers and understand what we are looking at."
"Perhaps you are right," Running Stream said, but to Cat's ears he did not seem convinced. Cat of course knew the second blip on the sensors was the Honey Dipper .
"How far out is the ship that we have a visual confirmation of?"
"Four light minutes," Sassi answered. "Also, I have the primary AI back online, although most of its navigation database is toast."
"I'm not sure I understand the reference. What is 'toast'?"
"I'm sorry, Sir... most of the database was damaged and must be rebuilt from incremental backups. That's going to take several days, I'm afraid."
"So we can jump more quickly as long as we are not picky where we go?"
Sassi fluttered his low frequency antenna. "That is essentially correct, Sir."
"Very good, Lieutenant. Calculate a series of quick jumps. I want to jump in quick succession before that brute out there can track us. If we can lose him for a few days we can get that database rebuilt and jump someplace significantly safer."
"Sir, I already have such a solution set available. We can jump in three minute s… as soon as the ultra-capacitors are charged."
"Jump when ready," Running Stream said with a wink at Cat. This set of officers from the GCP were remarkably capable.
"Sir!" an Ensign at the sensor station yelled. "The Dreadnaught is changing course! They are targeting the dust cloud between us and them with low-yield nukes!"
Cat straightened in her seat.
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