Temple of S.A.R.A.H. 5: Debug Mode (11 page)

The new armor would employ a completely new outer shell that, by itself was superior to what is currently in use. But, he didn’t stop there. The armor shell was layered and structured in such a way as to support a special energy matrix not unlike the inverted warp field we’d discussed earlier. Each set of armor would have to be built for the trooper because one of the improvements was to make it as formfitting as possible. The less excess room inside the armor, the less it slid around and transferred kinetic energy to the occupant.

The current design had the Marine wearing a special suit to be used as a liner under the armor. The new design incorporated that liner into the inside of the shell. Body wastes would still be recycled and processed by the armor just like the original units do, but in this system it would do so more efficiently.

The current combat armor in use had not been significantly upgraded in over three hundred years and that had been a slightly larger, more powerful power unit. The new system would have a small cobalt reactor built into it. It was a type of cold reactor that did not produce a lot of heavy radiation. It was very powerful, but was not nearly as efficient as other reactors. It would need new fuel cores every two hundred and fifty hours of operation. There was a safe storage area that would hold an extra power core as well as a small unit capable of replicating new cores provided there was available materiel. The old core would be recycled, but because of the radiation it did have, it would have to be recycled by a unit larger than the suit carried.

I shook my head when I saw that. Basically ten and a half days of continuous power before needing replacement. If a Marine had to spend that much time sealed up in their armor, I’d feel very sorry for them. But there were other power options available for the non-combat versions that lasted much longer, but those units were built mostly for long term survival in a non-combat environment, like an ejected pilot, or crewmen that gets caught in a decompression event.

Reading through the specs Ced had drawn up was like reading a science fiction story. However, about two-thirds of the way through it, I realized that everything Ced had outlined so far, could be done with our existing technology. If he could build and incorporate the stuff he was talking about building, I was damn sure going to find a way to write the software to make it all work together.

There was only one tricky part of the whole system; in all the models Ced had worked out, Christy’s biocytes had been included as an emergency trauma treatment function. The only problem was that the ‘cytes were designed for use in the medical bays only. The ‘cytes needed raw material and a lot of external computing power in order to function properly. We’d need to bring Christy and her small team in on this project as soon as we could. Biocyte use in the armor would require them to be redesigned, but this new armor could seriously save Marines lives. Not to mention the lives it could save if the fighter pilots and ship’s personnel could use it. Hell, engineers had to wear special suits when working in the power rooms anyway.

My door chimed announcing a visitor just as Ced and I started to discuss this new project. I saw Sarah smile, so I knew something was up. Christy walked in after I granted entry.

“Hi Ced! Eric, Sarah said you needed to talk to me?”

Sarah had anticipated our need and had asked Christy to come to my office.

“Well, yes, we do need to talk to you. But before we get into that, how is the biocyte project doing?” I asked.

“Remarkably well. We are still working up all the case files and getting the data ready to be sent off to the Alliance Medical Service for final approval. If they approve their use, then my part of the project is over except for the occasional upgrade or software update. Did you know that everything we create that has a marketable value within the Alliance is automatically patented under our names? Once the ‘cytes are released for widespread use, the companies that will handle the production are required to give me a five percent royalty on every sale?” Christy replied smiling happily.

Ced nodded. “Yes, by your Earth standards, I would be considered a very wealthy man. I have nineteen such patents under my name. What you might not have been told was that if the Alliance classifies your work, such as they have done with Eric’s AI work and many of my own inventions, they pay you ten percent of the amount that would have been created if the invention were to be released to the civilian market. It is one of the ways that the Alliance tries to award ability. Even our aides and assistants get a piece of the pie; usually between a half and one percent of the generated income.”

I was floored. I had no idea we even got paid. “So I guess I should check my credit balance one of these days, huh?” I said grinning.

“It would not do you any good at the moment, Eric,” Sarah said. “Because of our situation and the current emergency, you aren’t actually getting paid. However, you are also not being charged for anything either. There is nothing you could order that the Alliance would not cover the price of.”

I was confused. “I just ordered eight kegs of beer from a brewery on Earth for the returning Marines…”

Sarah nodded. “The price for which has already been paid by the Alliance here on the Base. For all intents, your personal account has been frozen. As have those of your entire family. Instead of payment refusal, the credit requests are redirected to another account and paid from there. Basically, the Alliance is picking up the tab for you and your family in gratitude for your contributions. Doctor Sparks is under much the same arrangement while based here.”

“Wow, I had no idea. Thank you Sarah,” I said.

“I know you didn’t bring me here just to ask me how the biocyte project was going, so what do you need?” Christy asked. 

“This is your baby, Ced, you tell her,” I grinned pointing at the displayed hologram.

Ced nodded. “It may be my ‘baby’ Eric, but it was your suggestion. Anyway, we are designing a new generation of armor for our fighting forces. The most pronounced and complex system will be the close combat version.” Ced had Sarah replace the hologram with the appropriate hologram. Ced then began describing the system, but when he got to the part that would concern Christy, he smiled. “Now, one of the most important functions in the new armor system, and this will be for all models not just this version, is the emergency medical response functions. It’s based completely on your biocyte technology.”

Ced paused there in order to let Christy catch up because it was clear that she was working this through her mind. She slowly began to nod. “I think it can be done, Ced. But we’re going to have to rework a few things and expand a few others.” She was silent for a few more moments and nodded firmly. “Yeah, we can do it. It’ll take some time, but it can be done. It’s just too bad we can replicate the ‘cytes!”

Ced nodded. “Yes it is, unfortunately, there is no way around that natural law. The crystals just won’t form. In case you’re wondering, I did actually try it. Everything but that would form, but the replicator said there were too many variables to reproduce the crystal. When I asked how many variables would be needed. It reported that infinitive numbers could not be displayed.” He shrugged. “I quit trying at that point.”

“Well, I think that before we start on this, we should talk to Vance; we have so many high priority projects on the burner right now he might get upset if we try to throw another log on the fire,” I said.

“Normally, Vance wouldn’t bat an eye at something like this, but considering the circumstances, I think you might be right,” Ced agreed. “Sarah, could you schedule an appointment with the Lord Admiral for the three of us?”

“His schedule is full this day, Doctor. Would tomorrow morning be soon enough?” Sarah asked.

“I should think so, this is important, but it’s not an emergency by any stretch,” I replied, and Ced agreed.

“Will that time be acceptable for you as well, Doctor Cowan?” Sarah asked a surprised looking Christy. “Uh, yeah, that should be fine, but why do I need to be there?”

“Because you will be responsible for the development of one third of this project,” Ced replied. “You might think that your part of this project is just a small function of the armor. My dear, that is far from the case I assure you. The biocytes will be a strong foundation upon which all the medical and emergency functions of the armor will be built. You’ll be just as responsible for this as both Eric and I are.”

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O
ffice of the Base Commander

Alliance Apollo Base

Selene, Earth’s moon

Sol System

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W
hen we arrived in Vance’s office the next morning, I knew something wasn’t right. Vance looked like he had aged years, and it was obvious he hadn’t slept at all.

“What’s wrong?” I asked forgetting all protocol in worry for him.

He smiled sadly. “I appreciate it, Eric. The assault on the hive isn’t going well. You don’t need to worry about it. Sarah said you three had come up with something new that might save lives. I’m always willing to hear those kinds of ideas.” He managed to sidestep the explanation, but I told myself to corner him on it later.

“I had an idea to help out the Marines,” I began to which Vance nodded and interrupted me.

“I heard about that. It was a damn good idea that more than the Marines are using. AI Honor used the drones to help locate the hive. It turns out that the entrances are screened from sensors as well as visuals, but the idea was sound. They did remarkably well in mapping the internal structure of the hive though. The only problem with that is that someone has to remain in line of sight. It turns out that there is some kind of… something on the walls of the hive that blocks subspace comms. Even though they didn’t do what you had originally intended for them, it has been a very useful and remarkable tool for the commanders to see, in real time, exactly what the troops are seeing.”

“Damn, I was afraid of that,” Ced replied. “I’ll work on fixing it, those drones are just too handy. But what Eric was trying to tell you Sir, is we have designed a new armor system that will save lives. Not just for the Marines either, although they are our primary concern.”

That got Vance’s attention. “You believe you’ve come up with something that will save Marines? Right now, I could really use news like that. Please continue.”

“Well, like I said Sir, I discovered that the Veranorians had designed the current armor hundreds of years ago, and there hadn’t been any work done to improve it. Since I’d had firsthand knowledge of the armor, I had already made a few mental notes on subtle improvements. But when Captain He’rsree and Sergeant Tul-sa came to see me last night, I guess it all just kinda reached a head. I called in Ced to help with the drones, and it sort spiraled from there. Ced did all the actual hardware design work on this so he should get the credit. However, all three of us will have a hand in designing and building the major components.”

I saw Vance flinch when I mentioned the Captain so I knew something had happened to her, but I waited to ask him about it. I nodded for Ced to pick up the explanation. Ced had Sarah dim the room lights and he increased the hologram to almost life sized. He also had her display all three variants of the armor; Combat, Fighter and Crew. Like he did with the explanation for Christy, he waited until last to introduce it and nodded to a scared looking Christy for her ideas.

“It will take a little bit of work Sir, but I am certain we can redesign a biocyte version for this use. It would require a slight modification to the current design along with software alterations. These biocytes will not have the same capabilities as the ‘cytes in the medical bays. That simply couldn’t be done in this application. However, having ‘cytes that can perform initial treatments and deal with heavy trauma could be priceless. Even if the wounded occupant would need to be placed in stasis, having the ‘cytes already in place would help greatly. As I said, we can do this. It’ll just take time and effort.”

“How much time are we talking about? When can you produce a prototype?” Vance asked. He was very excited about this project, but was trying to control it.

“Not for at least month as far as getting the shells built. I’d call in a couple of the Shallan armorers to make sure I don’t overlook something. Each suit would have a crystal computer system, but those can be grown while we’re working on the shells. Doctor Christy will need to make her design modifications before we can get the biocytes cooking and finally, on top of all of that, Eric and his crew will have to write a completely new operating system as well as the specialized modules for the armor system’s functions.

“So… at a first glance, I’d guess at three months before we could stuff a human in it for testing, and six months before a production plan,” Ced finished. Looking to us for agreement.

“This will be on top of all the priority stuff we’re already doing Sir. Which is actually why we came to you before just doing it. It would take time away from the priorities you’ve already given us,” I explained.

He nodded and tiredly ran his fingers through his hair. “Another excellent idea that we are in dire need of, but we simply don’t have the resources to pull off.”

“Well, with respect Sir I actually can hand this off to other programmers since the armor would not need AI programming. But I’d still like to look it over since it was my idea, and I have a vested interest in getting it done,” I said. Once again I saw his eyes tighten just a little bit as if remembering something painful.

“I actually am finalizing the project I was working on, so this is perfect timing for me and my team,” Christy said. “We need something new to sink our teeth into. This is a very good application we can get behind quickly.”

“I might be able to delegate parts of this out to some of my people, and the Shallans themselves might be interested in taking it over, but I think they will still need me to work them through the new shell composite; it’s a bit different. But, it really won’t take that much of my time,” Ced replied. “I am all fired up about it because it’s a new and exciting idea. You’re right though, we need to manage this one carefully.”