curious. “So you’re... a family man, then?”
“Mmm, well not yet, but I want to be some day, you know?”
Jiang’s voice again. She sounded pleased with that answer. “Heh, that’s... that’s very sweet. I’d probably have... ‘I’m with stupid!’ or something. Nothing deep or philosophical. That’s not me...”
Ling spoke up next, his quiet voice hard to hear. “I have no idea what I’d write. I don’t like to think about death... especially not here, so far away from home.”
There was a general murmur of agreement and Summer’s voice reached her ears. “I want... ‘Han shot first.’”
Liao rolled her eyes. She couldn’t believe Summer sometimes. Making her way further down the ship’s corridors, she left the conversation behind her and focused on her work.
*****
Operations
TFR Beijing
Space near Jupiter
Day 43 of the shakedown cruise
“Radar contact!”
Alarms rang out from the radar section. Twisting around to look at Lieutenant Ling, Liao glanced over her shoulder, her eyes wide.
“Report, Mister Ling!”
Liao’s command was terse, sharp and more energetic than she had intended. Their radar operator, Ling, hesitated a moment before speaking.
“I’ve got a radar contact. Letting the long-range emitter come around again so we can confirm it... confirming... confirmed. Sir, a contact appeared on long-range radar during our last sweep. Distance... approximately fifty seven thousand kilometres off our port side.”
Radar waves moved at the speed of light. Liao knew that at that distance, it would take about half a second for their radar signal to reach the target and an equal time to return. She frowned slightly; why didn’t they see them until they were so close? The contact was practically right on top of them.
The contact (if it was a ship) could see the Beijing almost immediately, of course, but... it was safe to assume that whatever technology the Demons had, it was equal to theirs or greater. So if they could see the Demons, the Demons could see them too. Perhaps they had been watching them for some time and only just now decided to make themselves known...
Liao tapped her fingers on the metal of her command console. “Fifty seven thousand... that would put it…”
Dao, the navigator, finished her sentence. “…smack dead in the L4 Lagrangian point, between Jupiter and the Sun.” Dao’s implication was immediately obvious to everyone in the room. Their proximity to the Lagrangian point explained it all. The ship had appeared there, using a jump drive.
It was them . The Demons were in the solar system.
But what were they doing here, so far from Earth? Liao burned with curiosity. She folded her hands together behind her, straightening her back and turning her whole body to Ling. “What’s that ship’s speed and heading?”
A moment’s pause while Ling examined his monitor. The Ops room was as quiet as a tomb and Liao leaned forward expectantly.
Finally, Ling spoke. “Stationary, holding on the L4 point. Based on the radar reflection it’s weighing in at... approximately fifteen thousand tonnes. Length: sixty metres, the size of a standard patrol boat. Much smaller than the ship that attacked Earth.”
Sheng inclined his head. “A scout?”
“Possibly,” answered Liao, frowning and leaning forward in her chair. “But scouting for what ...? Are the Demons checking up on their handiwork? They’re a hell of a long way from Earth... I’m disinclined to think they travelled who-knows-how-many light years to end up at the wrong planet...”
Sheng didn’t have an answer to that. He merely shrugged. “It isn't given to us to question our good fortune. Let’s report this finding back to Task Force Command and terminate the shakedown cruise early. Helm, prepare to...”
Liao leaned forward over her console, frowning. “Belay that command.” She looked up at Sheng’s shocked face. “I have absolutely no intention of turning tail and running, Commander.
“Mmm, well not yet, but I want to be some day, you know?”
Jiang’s voice again. She sounded pleased with that answer. “Heh, that’s... that’s very sweet. I’d probably have... ‘I’m with stupid!’ or something. Nothing deep or philosophical. That’s not me...”
Ling spoke up next, his quiet voice hard to hear. “I have no idea what I’d write. I don’t like to think about death... especially not here, so far away from home.”
There was a general murmur of agreement and Summer’s voice reached her ears. “I want... ‘Han shot first.’”
Liao rolled her eyes. She couldn’t believe Summer sometimes. Making her way further down the ship’s corridors, she left the conversation behind her and focused on her work.
*****
Operations
TFR Beijing
Space near Jupiter
Day 43 of the shakedown cruise
“Radar contact!”
Alarms rang out from the radar section. Twisting around to look at Lieutenant Ling, Liao glanced over her shoulder, her eyes wide.
“Report, Mister Ling!”
Liao’s command was terse, sharp and more energetic than she had intended. Their radar operator, Ling, hesitated a moment before speaking.
“I’ve got a radar contact. Letting the long-range emitter come around again so we can confirm it... confirming... confirmed. Sir, a contact appeared on long-range radar during our last sweep. Distance... approximately fifty seven thousand kilometres off our port side.”
Radar waves moved at the speed of light. Liao knew that at that distance, it would take about half a second for their radar signal to reach the target and an equal time to return. She frowned slightly; why didn’t they see them until they were so close? The contact was practically right on top of them.
The contact (if it was a ship) could see the Beijing almost immediately, of course, but... it was safe to assume that whatever technology the Demons had, it was equal to theirs or greater. So if they could see the Demons, the Demons could see them too. Perhaps they had been watching them for some time and only just now decided to make themselves known...
Liao tapped her fingers on the metal of her command console. “Fifty seven thousand... that would put it…”
Dao, the navigator, finished her sentence. “…smack dead in the L4 Lagrangian point, between Jupiter and the Sun.” Dao’s implication was immediately obvious to everyone in the room. Their proximity to the Lagrangian point explained it all. The ship had appeared there, using a jump drive.
It was them . The Demons were in the solar system.
But what were they doing here, so far from Earth? Liao burned with curiosity. She folded her hands together behind her, straightening her back and turning her whole body to Ling. “What’s that ship’s speed and heading?”
A moment’s pause while Ling examined his monitor. The Ops room was as quiet as a tomb and Liao leaned forward expectantly.
Finally, Ling spoke. “Stationary, holding on the L4 point. Based on the radar reflection it’s weighing in at... approximately fifteen thousand tonnes. Length: sixty metres, the size of a standard patrol boat. Much smaller than the ship that attacked Earth.”
Sheng inclined his head. “A scout?”
“Possibly,” answered Liao, frowning and leaning forward in her chair. “But scouting for what ...? Are the Demons checking up on their handiwork? They’re a hell of a long way from Earth... I’m disinclined to think they travelled who-knows-how-many light years to end up at the wrong planet...”
Sheng didn’t have an answer to that. He merely shrugged. “It isn't given to us to question our good fortune. Let’s report this finding back to Task Force Command and terminate the shakedown cruise early. Helm, prepare to...”
Liao leaned forward over her console, frowning. “Belay that command.” She looked up at Sheng’s shocked face. “I have absolutely no intention of turning tail and running, Commander.
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