clunky arrangement. Twenty minutes had already been wasted waiting. There were also the military forces of the various nations stationed on Landfall. Of those, the Chinese and the Americans were far and away the most important. They were the only reason he’d waited this long already, since, like Douglas Base, their installations housed missile batteries capable of firing at orbiting ships. Those missile batteries and the fortress the Americans had in orbit, had come online almost as fast as Douglas’s. Still if everyone wasn’t online within the next five minutes, then protocol would be sacrificed and he’d start without them.
Five minutes later they were up to thirteen. The American governor hadn’t turned up but one of his deputies had stepped in. Eulenburg activated the communications circuit and thirteen figures ghosted into view as the hologram projectors switched on.
“ Representatives, ” Eulenburg greeted them before the holograms came completely on, “ I am sorry about the haste, but we do not have time to waste with pleasantries. Less than half an hour ago, Baden Station signalled via FTL that they are under attack. ” There was a collective drawing of breath and several of the Representatives started to speak. Eulenburg continued regardless. “ The situation is unclear but the base and the fleet are under fire. Douglas Base is now at a state of high alert. We have been in contact with Chinese and American military forces and have advised them to activate their missile batteries. I am now formally advising all of you to mobilise any and all military forces and installations. ”
There was a shocked silence in the room.
“ My god …” someone said quietly.
“ Admiral, ” said Governor Gambon of the French colony, “ are you really sure that … that this is real, that it isn’t some kind of drill or practice? ”
“ Yes sir, I am sure, ” Eulenburg replied simply.
“ Who’s attacking? ”
“ Reports state that it is the Nameless and that the base is under direct fire. ”
“ Admiral sir! ” the shout came from behind Eulenburg. It was his staff captain. “ Sir, we’ve received another transmission from Baden, ” Gillum reported. “ The Third Fleet has just been ordered to retreat and scatter! ”
Gillum wasn’t on the pick-up for the hologram conferencing but Representatives certainly heard him. There was no need to spell out what it meant. While Baden and the Third fleet might be nine light hours away, they had provided Landfall with an unspoken and unseen protection from the first days of the planet’s settlement. That protection had now just evaporated. Eulenburg turned back to the conference table. Two more Representatives had come online. They must have caught enough to grasp what was going on though, because neither of them spoke. Ghostly half-formed figures appeared beside or behind several Representatives, aides or advisors only partially caught by the hologram pick-ups. Eulenburg waited for a few moments.
“ Representatives, your attention please, ” he said, and once all were facing him, continued: “ time is now of the essence. If Baden has fallen, then we are quite probably the next target. ”
“ Admiral, ” the Canadian Representative spoke up, “ if the Third Fleet is in retreat, then logically it will come here. ”
Eulenburg looked up from the computer pad he had been reading. It had beeped just as the Canadian started speaking. Gillum had downloaded the last message from Baden. Base lost. Fleet ordered to scatter. Enemy … The last message from Baden cut off.
“ They didn’t say retreat, ” Eulenburg replied. “ They said retreat and scatter. That means it has ceased to be a functioning military force. Whatever is left will be heading for Earth, not here. ”
“ But …”
“ There are no significant orbital facilities here. There is no way Landfall can support a fleet. The ships are not coming here. ”
“ What … what do we do? ”
“
Five minutes later they were up to thirteen. The American governor hadn’t turned up but one of his deputies had stepped in. Eulenburg activated the communications circuit and thirteen figures ghosted into view as the hologram projectors switched on.
“ Representatives, ” Eulenburg greeted them before the holograms came completely on, “ I am sorry about the haste, but we do not have time to waste with pleasantries. Less than half an hour ago, Baden Station signalled via FTL that they are under attack. ” There was a collective drawing of breath and several of the Representatives started to speak. Eulenburg continued regardless. “ The situation is unclear but the base and the fleet are under fire. Douglas Base is now at a state of high alert. We have been in contact with Chinese and American military forces and have advised them to activate their missile batteries. I am now formally advising all of you to mobilise any and all military forces and installations. ”
There was a shocked silence in the room.
“ My god …” someone said quietly.
“ Admiral, ” said Governor Gambon of the French colony, “ are you really sure that … that this is real, that it isn’t some kind of drill or practice? ”
“ Yes sir, I am sure, ” Eulenburg replied simply.
“ Who’s attacking? ”
“ Reports state that it is the Nameless and that the base is under direct fire. ”
“ Admiral sir! ” the shout came from behind Eulenburg. It was his staff captain. “ Sir, we’ve received another transmission from Baden, ” Gillum reported. “ The Third Fleet has just been ordered to retreat and scatter! ”
Gillum wasn’t on the pick-up for the hologram conferencing but Representatives certainly heard him. There was no need to spell out what it meant. While Baden and the Third fleet might be nine light hours away, they had provided Landfall with an unspoken and unseen protection from the first days of the planet’s settlement. That protection had now just evaporated. Eulenburg turned back to the conference table. Two more Representatives had come online. They must have caught enough to grasp what was going on though, because neither of them spoke. Ghostly half-formed figures appeared beside or behind several Representatives, aides or advisors only partially caught by the hologram pick-ups. Eulenburg waited for a few moments.
“ Representatives, your attention please, ” he said, and once all were facing him, continued: “ time is now of the essence. If Baden has fallen, then we are quite probably the next target. ”
“ Admiral, ” the Canadian Representative spoke up, “ if the Third Fleet is in retreat, then logically it will come here. ”
Eulenburg looked up from the computer pad he had been reading. It had beeped just as the Canadian started speaking. Gillum had downloaded the last message from Baden. Base lost. Fleet ordered to scatter. Enemy … The last message from Baden cut off.
“ They didn’t say retreat, ” Eulenburg replied. “ They said retreat and scatter. That means it has ceased to be a functioning military force. Whatever is left will be heading for Earth, not here. ”
“ But …”
“ There are no significant orbital facilities here. There is no way Landfall can support a fleet. The ships are not coming here. ”
“ What … what do we do? ”
“
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