Read Online HAB 12 (Scrapyard Ship) by Mark Wayne McGinnis - Free Book Online
Authors: Mark Wayne McGinnis
Tags: Science-Fiction
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the experiment to be successful, the lasers needed to be perfectly aligned—toward a specific point thousands of miles out into space, and each needed to be energized at precisely the same instant.”
Glenn explained, “In one regard, the experiment didn’t work. It wasn’t a unifying black hole that was created, but a massive wormhole instead.
Jason saw where this was going. “Let me guess, they now had access to a wormhole that literally allowed them travel across the universe. To star systems hundreds, if not thousands, of light years away?”
“Yes. And by changing the power level, even minutely, of any one of the eight lasers, they found that properties of the wormhole also changed,” Ricket added. “Change the properties of the wormhole, change the outpoint. It’s taken time, hundreds of years, to map these outpoints. That is why the Loop is the Craing Empire’s most-guarded secret. With the destruction of one or maybe two of their home-world lasers, the imbalance would be sufficient enough to collapse the wormhole, the Loop itself, and send the Craing back into spatial isolation, and very far from Earth.”
Jason took in the information. If what Glenn was saying was true, this most certainly could be a game changer.
“We hope this information will be of use to you, Captain. With the exception of the Craing high priests and a select few scientists and overlords, few know the technical aspects of the Loop—and how easily it could be disrupted. Captain, if what you say is true, and this Emperor’s Guard, those three highly advanced alien ships, are in fact making preparations to come to Earth, you have little time to take action. I am not sure how you could reach the Craing worlds in time.”
“Who knows where these lasers are physically located?”
“The lasers are huge, out in the open. As far as the populous is concerned, their prime function is for inter-world communications,” Glenn replied. “Their connection to the Loop, that is a tightly held secret.”
“So what do you need?” Jason asked.
“I’ll need access, right now, tonight, to a Craing ship to initiate an FDL communication to the Craing worlds,” Glenn said.
“Why?”
“Once on Halimar, you’ll need help. Revolution is brewing. There is much dissent among the Craing—especially among the youth. I’ll set up a rendezvous with my people there—with luck they’ll have a ship available. I’ll tell you how to contact them, how to provide them your landing coordinates. It will take me a few days to hear back. We’ll need to talk again, Captain. At that point I can give you more specifics.”
* * *
"Twice! I've been thrown in those disgusting damn cages twice now! And don't get me started on the jeopardy Mollie was placed in. Who the hell lives like this?" Nan stopped yelling when she realized she wasn't getting any argument from Jason. He let her get it all out. Hell, he didn't blame her.
They were back in her suite on The Lilly , Mollie put to bed an hour earlier, as Jason sat next to her on the edge of her bed. She'd showered and had her hair wrapped-up in a towel the way women do.
"I'm sorry. It's my fault. If you knew how terrified I was when I saw you and Mollie sitting there at gunpoint ...”
"Oh, just shut up," Nan replied, rolling her eyes. “I'm venting. So you really don't need to say anything. Actually, it’s probably best if you don't. And yes, I signed up for the outpost's damn Envoy position—what was I thinking? And yes, I remember you tried to talk me out of it."
This was classic Nan. Same as when they’d been married—she would get upset and Jason would back off. With her innate ability to debate just about anything, law school had been the perfect choice. And later, as a defense attorney, she rarely, if ever, lost a case. Jason also knew Nan would continue to argue aloud both sides until she came to some kind of resolution. That was her process of dealing with things. Jason
Glenn explained, “In one regard, the experiment didn’t work. It wasn’t a unifying black hole that was created, but a massive wormhole instead.
Jason saw where this was going. “Let me guess, they now had access to a wormhole that literally allowed them travel across the universe. To star systems hundreds, if not thousands, of light years away?”
“Yes. And by changing the power level, even minutely, of any one of the eight lasers, they found that properties of the wormhole also changed,” Ricket added. “Change the properties of the wormhole, change the outpoint. It’s taken time, hundreds of years, to map these outpoints. That is why the Loop is the Craing Empire’s most-guarded secret. With the destruction of one or maybe two of their home-world lasers, the imbalance would be sufficient enough to collapse the wormhole, the Loop itself, and send the Craing back into spatial isolation, and very far from Earth.”
Jason took in the information. If what Glenn was saying was true, this most certainly could be a game changer.
“We hope this information will be of use to you, Captain. With the exception of the Craing high priests and a select few scientists and overlords, few know the technical aspects of the Loop—and how easily it could be disrupted. Captain, if what you say is true, and this Emperor’s Guard, those three highly advanced alien ships, are in fact making preparations to come to Earth, you have little time to take action. I am not sure how you could reach the Craing worlds in time.”
“Who knows where these lasers are physically located?”
“The lasers are huge, out in the open. As far as the populous is concerned, their prime function is for inter-world communications,” Glenn replied. “Their connection to the Loop, that is a tightly held secret.”
“So what do you need?” Jason asked.
“I’ll need access, right now, tonight, to a Craing ship to initiate an FDL communication to the Craing worlds,” Glenn said.
“Why?”
“Once on Halimar, you’ll need help. Revolution is brewing. There is much dissent among the Craing—especially among the youth. I’ll set up a rendezvous with my people there—with luck they’ll have a ship available. I’ll tell you how to contact them, how to provide them your landing coordinates. It will take me a few days to hear back. We’ll need to talk again, Captain. At that point I can give you more specifics.”
* * *
"Twice! I've been thrown in those disgusting damn cages twice now! And don't get me started on the jeopardy Mollie was placed in. Who the hell lives like this?" Nan stopped yelling when she realized she wasn't getting any argument from Jason. He let her get it all out. Hell, he didn't blame her.
They were back in her suite on The Lilly , Mollie put to bed an hour earlier, as Jason sat next to her on the edge of her bed. She'd showered and had her hair wrapped-up in a towel the way women do.
"I'm sorry. It's my fault. If you knew how terrified I was when I saw you and Mollie sitting there at gunpoint ...”
"Oh, just shut up," Nan replied, rolling her eyes. “I'm venting. So you really don't need to say anything. Actually, it’s probably best if you don't. And yes, I signed up for the outpost's damn Envoy position—what was I thinking? And yes, I remember you tried to talk me out of it."
This was classic Nan. Same as when they’d been married—she would get upset and Jason would back off. With her innate ability to debate just about anything, law school had been the perfect choice. And later, as a defense attorney, she rarely, if ever, lost a case. Jason also knew Nan would continue to argue aloud both sides until she came to some kind of resolution. That was her process of dealing with things. Jason
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