ALICE, page 29
“Then I presume ALICE was the one who assigned you that position?” Jake asked.
“Pending your approval, of course,” Patti replied, taking a sip from her drink.
“So you’ve talked with ALICE?” Jake asked, being non-committal to the implied question.
“Since the first day I arrived. She has me studying day and night. All the ALICEs feel it’s the unpredictable nature of human beings that will make the difference in the challenges to come. They can process the information far quicker, but in the end, it’s the human element that’s made the difference.”
“We have been reviewing your engagements of the last 6 months. Each demonstrates a deviation from the analytical outcome the ALICEs calculated. Like Bonnie in the canyon with the raiders, the ALICEs would have used the advantage and killed them all. That would have lost us the 13 pilots,” Patti continued.
“Or you, capturing the Cruiser in space. Adding those rail guns was your idea, not theirs. In addition, targeting the bridge was you. Alice says, they would have targeted the engine room, going for the kill instead. That would have lost us the ship. They make us better, but we win the day,” she finished.
“So that’s why they want me to have a combat analyst, they need your human insight to balance their analytical perspective?” Jake asked.
“That, and I’m cute as a button, or so they tell me,” Patti finished with a dimpled smile.
“So what else has ALICE told you about me?” Jake asked, wary as to why ALICE cared how cute she was. That was something a grandparent would say about a grandchild.
“Lots, and some is all my own research. I know you have a bachelor’s and a master’s in technical fields. You’ve completed multiple combat tours, from which you were awarded a bronze and silver star, both for valor and heroism. You were once married to an academic, who divorced you, to pursue a career teaching at a liberal college. Stupid woman, forgive me. You volunteered for the stasis experiments that eventually brought you here. And until recently you had no known children,” she said with a giggle.
“I do understand that that was a manipulation by the ALICEs, much to your disapproval, to insure the continuation of the command structure. Oh, and recently you were elected President of the United States by the registered electorate,” she finished somewhat sarcastically.
“That was not my idea,” Jake retorted, embarrassed by the sound of it, “that was more of a necessary evil that proved timely. Had we bounced the stasis lockers before then, I think we’d all be dead now!”
“I completely agree,” Patti replied, “and my hat’s off to Jessie for actually uncovering the trail leading to the secreted spaceship.”
“You’ve talked to Jessie?” Jake asked.
“Oh yes, she’s delightful and a wonderful resource on both recent history and you specifically.”
“So am I now required reading for all new recruits?” Jake asked sourly.
“Yes, but not to that level of detail,” Patti replied sweetly, “the nature of my proposed assignment requires me to study all the key players. Besides, all great military leaders are analyzed in detail.”
“Too bad all you get is me,” Jake answered glibly.
“So can I take that as a yes Major, I get the job?” Patti asked.
“On two conditions, first you call me Jake,” he answered, “and second, tell me why ALICE cares how cute you are?” he finished in somewhat of a challenging tone.
“OK, Jake” Patti replied, acknowledging the use of his first name, “ask me that again when we know each other better,” she replied as she got up and headed out the door.
RaBok scheduled a rendezvous with the other two Cruisers in the sector. PeTuk still hadn’t reported in and was now outside the acceptable window of absence.
He had missed one tribute collection already and was in danger of missing a second. As the Empire looked poorly on lost income due to non-collection, an action that could cost a command, RaBok had to assume some mishap occurred preventing PeTuk from communicating. Surely no backwater, quarantined primitives bested a NeHaw battle Cruiser. Most likely one of PeTuk’s disrupter bombs pre-detonated, leaving him in a dead orbit until help arrived.
RaBok would have gone alone had regulations not prevented such an action. Better to follow regulations than to be charged with independent actions and lose his command. PeTuk could wait.
----*----
Patti and Jake had several impromptu meetings over the next few days trying to gather as much Intel together as they could find for a workable battle plan. Jake would squeeze her in between his other tasks and duties to try to answer her many questions.
Jake and Sara were finally able to meet with Patti one afternoon to start the beginnings of a battle plan. At Jake’s request, they met in Sara’s quarters. Something about ALICE’s comments on Patti unsettled, Jake or maybe it was Patti herself. There was a strange familiarity there with her looks and mannerisms that left Jake puzzled. Either way, he was not having her alone in his room for now.
They all gathered, and it became quickly apparent that Patti and Sara had spent some time together.
“Hey Sara,” Patti said as she entered the room, giving her a quick hug before sitting in one of the chairs.
“You two know each other?” Jake asked, surprised.
“We’ve spent some time together,” Sara replied casually.
“OK,” Jake replied, realizing he wasn’t getting more than that.
“She just helped me with my research on you,” Patti offered.
Jake figured he best just drop the subject for now, and they started working. Patti showed them the outline she’d put together in the short time she was working on the plan. She projected force strength analysis for both sides, the alien approach direction and formations, and expected ship sizes and weapons.
Jake was happy to see she came to the same conclusions as he had. Three battle Cruisers, identical to the one they now held, minus the upgrades. She also noted the alien preference for energy weapons, but missed the rail gun omission in the captured documentation.
By the time they called it a night, they still hadn’t come up with a solid plan of attack, but they did have 2 or 3 approaches. Jake was impressed with Patti’s preparation and knowledge, he figured with some experience, she would be a first rate tactical planner.
Having eaten while working, they were sitting, chatting, when Patti asked, “Jake why didn’t you and your ex-wife ever have any kids?”
The question caught him flat footed for a moment, and then he replied, “Actually, I wanted children. She wouldn’t consider them while I was in the service. When I got out, we tried, but split up within a few months, so I went back into the service.”
Thinking to change the subject, Jake asked, “So where did you get the interest in military strategy?”
“My great grandfather was a retired Marine before the fall, he taught at the War College in Washington DC. He and my great grandmother met and married in college, while he was in ROTC. My great, great grandmother was also a PHD and had a fit when my great grandmother married him. She didn’t approve of military life. My grandfather was also a Marine and both he and my grandmother had doctorates, one in military history, and the other in engineering.”
Jake noticed Sara and Patti exchanging glances during her explanation, but didn’t comment.
Then Patti offered, “My brother studies engineering, in fact, Seven wants him transferred there, to help with the shipbuilding and repairs.”
“I suppose that makes sense, if the ALICEs ask I usually comply,” Jake replied with a laugh.
“How did you end up in California? I mean, if your great grandfather was teaching at the War College and grandfather a Marine. I mean well, DC got it bad as I recall, and most units were wiped out in the attack,” Jake asked.
“Of all things, my great, great grandmother saved them. She retired in California and they and my grandparents were visiting when the attack came. She was almost 100 and the entire family was there to celebrate, though I’ve been told she was an unpleasant woman in her old age.”
“Wow, that’s quite the linage, and I can’t fault their service choice,” Jake replied with a smile.
“You seem to know a lot about your great, great grandmother,” Sara commented, “what about your great, great grandfather?”
Again, a look passed between the two women, and then after a pause Patti replied, “He disappeared before my great grandmother was born. I’m told great, great grandma didn’t talk about him much, just that he was in the military and he worked on some secret projects. She figured he died on some mission, and the military hushed it up or something.”
“That did happen,” Jake offered, “sometimes the government was into things they didn’t want known, so things were classified as training accidents, or you just disappeared. Did you ask ALICE? She might have the actual record of his death?”
“I did actually,” Patti said subdued, “and she had the answer.”
“And?” Jake asked, curious now.
“Hey, great, great grandpa,” Patti replied cautiously.
“That’s not possible,” Jake replied flatly.
“Great, great grandma was pregnant when you divorced. I was told she was so mad at you when she found out, she wasn’t going to tell you at first. Then, when she finally changed her mind, no one would tell her where you were.”
“Alice, are we sure about this?” Jake asked cautiously.
“DNA confirms they are your descendants Jake,” ALICE replied.
Jake sat dumbfounded for a moment, then got up and hugged Patti for a long time. When they finally sat back down, he asked, “ALICE, you want to expand on this? What are the odds that my descendants are accidentally recruited?”
“You are right Jake. We uncovered some analysis that suggested you had a child from your marriage, and their offspring might reside in the central California basin. As such, we endorsed the militia push north, but there was little expectation we would actually locate anyone related to you. Patti and her brother were a statistical improbability.”
“Why keep it secret once you knew?” Jake asked.
“That was my request,” Patti replied, “I didn’t want to be dropped on you as a long lost relative. I hoped we would spend more time together before you knew so you would like me for who I am and not just because I am your great, great granddaughter.”
“I liked you after our first talk together,” Jake replied, smiling, “I was just worried you were another ALICE plant for future children!”
“Actually Jake, Patti and her brother bring the total of genetic offspring up to 6 now,” ALICE offered.
“Does your brother know yet?” Jake asked.
“Yes, I told him as soon as I found out, but I asked him to wait until you knew before coming to see you.”
“Why?” Jake asked as he was curious now, “and what is his name anyway?”
“Jacob,” Patti replied, “he’s named after our great, great grandfather.”
----*----
RaBok ordered his navigator set a course for the quarantined planet at the far end of the sector, PeTuk’s last known location. He notified his engineering team to prepare for a rescue and ship repair.
He had rendezvoused with the other two Cruisers in this sector. As the senior officer of the three, was required to lead the investigation into the missing cruiser.
It would still require several cycles to reach the outer edge of the sector, which was their goal. Once there, he would have his ships form the standard delta formation, prior to entering the solar system.
Home planet was not happy about the delay in revenue collections and PeTuk was likely to lose his command unless he had a good reason for his absence. RaBok laughed to himself as he considered, that dead was the only acceptable reason, at this point.
----*----
The following day, Jake asked Patti and Jacob to come to his room. Sara, who was there visiting Jake, bowed out to give them some privacy.
He swore he saw a little of his ex-wife in both of them, but considering the number of generations, he figured he was projecting. He guessed he was just trying to create a link to his past.
They talked late into the night, Jake asking for anything they knew about their great grandma, his daughter. From the sounds of it, she had given their mother a right fit! Good for her, he thought. He also learned that Patti and Jacob’s parents were dead, she from sickness and he from a fall. As they wound down for the night, they established one major point, Patti’s brother was Jacob, NOT little Jake.
----*----
The following morning Sara, Linda, and Patti met Jake for breakfast. He, having just completed his morning status reviews, was the last to arrive. There was still no sign of any alien spacecraft, but he knew in his gut they were coming.
Seven relayed that the captured alien ship was not finished, but was almost ready for an unmanned return to orbit. They did plan to leave a crew of bots on-board to continue internal repairs and updates. They were, however, able to complete a full integration of systems so it was ready for human control once it was habitable. Until then, ALICE was in remote control.
As their first true capitol ship, Jake figured they should give it a name before launch, naval tradition and all, so he tossed it out at breakfast.
“Hey, what do you think we should name the Cruiser?” he asked the group as they ate.
“Wow, I hadn’t thought about that,” Sara replied.
Sipping her coffee, Patti paused, then suggested, “There are plenty of names from the past, you know, like Defiance or Invincible.”
“Fond of the British, are we?” Jake asked jokingly.
“Beats the heck outta the USS Ronald Reagan!” she replied.
“Who was that?” Sara asked Linda quietly as she shrugged in return.
“There’s always the Enterprise, Intrepid, Independence, Constitution or Constellation?” Jake suggested.
“How about Queen Anne’s Revenge?” Patti offered in return.
“Only if I grow a beard,” Jake replied.
“Look you two,” Sara spat, clearly frustrated with the conversation, “if you aren’t going to explain, then drop the discussion!”
Jake and Patti quickly apologized and Jake explained.
“Those were names from history, British, and US military and pirate sailing vessels. The USS Ronald Reagan was an aircraft carrier named after a US president.”
As the words came out of his mouth, Jake knew he had said the wrong thing.
“The USS Jacob Thomas!” all three women shouted.
The surrounding tables stopped whatever they were doing, to look at the four as they were laughing uncontrollably.
“Actually, I am leaning toward The Revenge,” Jake said thoughtfully.
“Anne Bonny’s ship?” Patti asked.
“Didn’t you say it was Queen somebody’s revenge?” Linda asked.
“No, that was Queen Anne’s Revenge, Blackbeard’s pirate ship. The Revenge was Anne Bonny and Mary Reeds pirate ship. With as many female pirates as we have around here...” Jake trailed off.
“Hey, I resemble that remark!” Sara said laughingly.
“I am afraid in this condition I barely make saucy wench status,” Linda said sadly.
“Plus, I am hoping for a little payback using that ship,” Jake said.
“Works for me,” Sara said.
“I like it,” Patti offered.
“No objection here,” Linda said.
“The Revenge it is then,” Jake pronounced.
“I suggest we not fly the Jolly Roger just yet though,” Patti quipped.
“Actually, that does give me an idea,” Jake said thoughtfully.
----*----
Placing The Revenge in orbit two days later, maneuvering for a position with its nose down, facing the earth. It was as if she was watching the world below. Any inbound craft would see her stern until she nosed out, or they dropped to a lower orbit. Jake talked to Seven the day they came up with the name and had 12 large containers placed in her hold just before liftoff.
Once she was in a stable orbit, the on-board hangar opened, jettisoning the containers. Small positioning motors affixed to each, allowed maneuvering about the cruiser. There were cables attaching them in groups of three, each positioned so they strung out in opposite directions. She looked like a hub with spokes strung out in four directions, three containers per spoke.
----*----
For the next couple of days, everyone asked Jake about the containers. They all saw the ship in orbit on the monitors, looking a bit like a huge X with a ship in the middle. With a bright background the ship was hardly discernible, mostly an outline. All he would say to anyone is X marks the spot! Only Patti and Sara, excluding the ALICEs, knew what they were, and all sworn to secrecy.
That week Seven provided four more fighters from her manufacturing facilities and Jake kept with the pirate theme by designating them VF-84, the Jolly Roger squadron. Privately he figured the Navy deserved a turn, that being one of their squadrons. Now they just needed pilots for those birds. As it was, they now had five manned squadrons and his fighter for 21-armed fighters. Either they had far more than they needed or not nearly enough, all dependent on how good a guesser he and Patti were.
Jake, Sara and Patti spent quite a bit of time together while they waited for their visitors, Jacob having transferred up to Seven as requested. They reworked the battle plan repeatedly until Sara finally stopped it.
“Jake, please leave it alone! You have gone over it 10 times a day for the last few days and made no significant changes. You’ve even put one squadron in three different locations, only to move them back to where we started,” she cried.
“Yeah, I know, everyone is where I want them now, these are my what if’s,” he replied.
“Sara’s right Jake, this plan is as good as it gets with what data we have. I’ve asked ALICE to go over it and your what if’s and she says she can find no flaws,” Patti added.
