man and Kabel had immediately established a friendship, learning about each other’s race. Morrison pointed to the figure staring at the wall to ceiling viewing screen which showed the way ahead.
Standing in front of Kabel was another imposing man. General Prescott Corder was a soldier through and through with many years of experience mapped into the lines on the craggy face. No one was under the illusion that there was not a hard, tough core behind the amenable manner of the American. Even though Kabel towered over him, the presence General Corder exuded, dominated the room. With him was the equally tough and older Admiral Nikolai Koshkov from the Russian Federation Forces, who commanded the second largest force on the ship with the United Kingdom and China the next two largest contingents.
Admiral Koshkov was an argumentative in your-face man. This was a far cry from his command of the Black Sea Fleet and with General Corder out ranking him as military leader of the Expeditionary Force, he focused on ensuring his forces, numbering some twenty thousand soldiers from air, sea and land forces, delivered their side of the duties.
‘Lord Blackstone, glad you could join me,’ said General Corder, the welcoming smile lighting up his square jaw. ‘We have picked up a cluster of signals approaching us fast.’
‘Asteroids?’
‘Could be, travelling fast. We should know shortly when they pass in range of the afibilator,’ said General Corder, his smile now replaced with a studious look. The afibilator was an ultra-sensitive radar system that was augmented by zinithium. In fact once the Zeinonians had shared the secret of zinithium, the technology of Earth had not just leapt forward but moved into a whole new stratosphere.
This was a subject which worried Kabel. The humans liked to be the aggressor rather than the follower and that was what he saw in the meetings he attended with his fellow Elders. If the humans disagreed with a point their initial reaction was to reject the position put forward rather than talk; eventually they came around to compromise but the whole experience was destabilising the Elders’ way of politicking.
They went across to the young radar operator, Corporal Mike Batten, a soldier from the US Army, until they hovered over the four dimensional radar screens that could see some five light years away. The zinithium-powered radar was extraordinarily detailed and just as magnificent to watch.
‘What are we looking at soldier,’ commanded General Corder.
The unflappable young man did not bat an eyelid, Batten pointed to some small flecks that were on the outskirts of the second layer of the afibilator, at four light years away. ‘These are the unidentified masses,’ he said, ‘Once they pass into the second perimeter we will receive considerable more information on their size, shape and speed.’
‘What is the likelihood of them not being an asteroid belt?’ asked Kabel. He was concerned that they had started waking up those in hyper-sleep only in the lasthour. They bristled with weapons on every floor but had insufficient forces to fire them.
‘Well we have run into five asteroid belts and due to our technology were able to change course or use our deflection shields. It is likely to be another asteroid field, Sir,’ replied Corporal Batten.
Kabel was relieved. His main fear was to enter into a fight too early, harbouring doubts that they just did not know whether the joint force would work effectively together. The relief didn’t last long. The blips on the screen suddenly changed into a recognisable battle formation as they entered into the second perimeter unlike the chaos of an asteroid belt.
‘Sir, I count thirty ships,’ the young radar engineer calmly stated. Good, some action , thought Admiral Koshkov. He itched for a battle. He was bored with the waiting around and endless drills.
‘Sound battle stations!’ General Corder was now all business. The communications officer,
Standing in front of Kabel was another imposing man. General Prescott Corder was a soldier through and through with many years of experience mapped into the lines on the craggy face. No one was under the illusion that there was not a hard, tough core behind the amenable manner of the American. Even though Kabel towered over him, the presence General Corder exuded, dominated the room. With him was the equally tough and older Admiral Nikolai Koshkov from the Russian Federation Forces, who commanded the second largest force on the ship with the United Kingdom and China the next two largest contingents.
Admiral Koshkov was an argumentative in your-face man. This was a far cry from his command of the Black Sea Fleet and with General Corder out ranking him as military leader of the Expeditionary Force, he focused on ensuring his forces, numbering some twenty thousand soldiers from air, sea and land forces, delivered their side of the duties.
‘Lord Blackstone, glad you could join me,’ said General Corder, the welcoming smile lighting up his square jaw. ‘We have picked up a cluster of signals approaching us fast.’
‘Asteroids?’
‘Could be, travelling fast. We should know shortly when they pass in range of the afibilator,’ said General Corder, his smile now replaced with a studious look. The afibilator was an ultra-sensitive radar system that was augmented by zinithium. In fact once the Zeinonians had shared the secret of zinithium, the technology of Earth had not just leapt forward but moved into a whole new stratosphere.
This was a subject which worried Kabel. The humans liked to be the aggressor rather than the follower and that was what he saw in the meetings he attended with his fellow Elders. If the humans disagreed with a point their initial reaction was to reject the position put forward rather than talk; eventually they came around to compromise but the whole experience was destabilising the Elders’ way of politicking.
They went across to the young radar operator, Corporal Mike Batten, a soldier from the US Army, until they hovered over the four dimensional radar screens that could see some five light years away. The zinithium-powered radar was extraordinarily detailed and just as magnificent to watch.
‘What are we looking at soldier,’ commanded General Corder.
The unflappable young man did not bat an eyelid, Batten pointed to some small flecks that were on the outskirts of the second layer of the afibilator, at four light years away. ‘These are the unidentified masses,’ he said, ‘Once they pass into the second perimeter we will receive considerable more information on their size, shape and speed.’
‘What is the likelihood of them not being an asteroid belt?’ asked Kabel. He was concerned that they had started waking up those in hyper-sleep only in the lasthour. They bristled with weapons on every floor but had insufficient forces to fire them.
‘Well we have run into five asteroid belts and due to our technology were able to change course or use our deflection shields. It is likely to be another asteroid field, Sir,’ replied Corporal Batten.
Kabel was relieved. His main fear was to enter into a fight too early, harbouring doubts that they just did not know whether the joint force would work effectively together. The relief didn’t last long. The blips on the screen suddenly changed into a recognisable battle formation as they entered into the second perimeter unlike the chaos of an asteroid belt.
‘Sir, I count thirty ships,’ the young radar engineer calmly stated. Good, some action , thought Admiral Koshkov. He itched for a battle. He was bored with the waiting around and endless drills.
‘Sound battle stations!’ General Corder was now all business. The communications officer,
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