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whether or not to destroy them even after they’d surrendered. That might well be the most sensiblecourse of action. If he did that, he would have to order the entire planetary surface destroyed as well to prevent retaliation,and that, too, would be most sensible. Only extenuating circumstances, such as this species proving to be useful in some way,would save them now from planetary bombardment.

“All positions are ready, Lord,” the Tok serving as his combat officer reported. “Course plotted and entered.”

“Accelerate,” 4236 Xavix commanded, and the four largest of the planetoids circling Earth boosted toward the oncoming humanships.

 

Koenig

The Godstream

1620 hours, FST

Koenig, piggybacked into the embrace of Konstantin’s electronic matrix, watched four of the converted planetoids boost outof orbit, vanishing within moments as they accelerated to near-c with an acceleration far higher than was possible for any human vessel. “They’re headed for the America battlegroup,” he said.

“Yes. Their current distance from Earth is approximately two AU—about seventeen light-minutes. I suggest that we attempt to disable the Nungiirtok planetoids still in Earth orbit.”

That made tactical sense. Those orbiting planetoids could wreak terrible damage on the Earth if they weren’t neutralized fast,and the America would be able to maneuver, to stay out of reach of the alien weapons.

He hoped.

“Agreed,” he said. “We have seventeen minutes before the Nungies engage America.”

Unless, he added to himself, they go FTL, in which case they could be engaging the America at this very moment.

“So what can a couple of disembodied ghosts do?” Koenig asked. He could see possibilities—myriads of them—but choosing wasbeyond his reach right now. “I tried to enter one of them a little while ago, but it was like a wall was around it. An invisiblewall.”

“The Nungiirtok virtual network is not connected with ours,” Konstantin explained. “In any case, it’s a different operatingsystem.”

“Then how the hell . . . ah. Omega.”

The information was there, inside their shared minds. Several years before, the star carrier America had acquired an alien computer virus, one used by the highly advanced ergovores inhabiting the Deneb planetary system andsent as a weapon against the Dyson sphere civilization at Tabby’s Star. The virus was, by human standards at least, highlyintelligent, able to come up against an alien computer network and adapt itself to penetrate defenses and hijack both thehardware matrix and the software OS.

Koenig decided that he wasn’t quite firing on all jets yet. He was still way too slow on the uptake.

On the other hand, Konstantin, he noted, was already initiating radio communication with one of the planetoids and readyingthe Omega virus for deployment. If the aliens opened the channel, they were in.

The channel opened . . .

 

USNA CVS America

Flag Bridge

Sol System

1633 hours, FST

“Four targets have broken orbit, Admiral,” Commander Billingsly announced. “They are accelerating for an intercept with us.”

Gray had been expecting this. The aliens had sensors at least as good as those on board the human ships and would have seenthem drop into normal space as soon as the light reached them.

“Very well. Commander Mackey, you may launch fighters.”

“Aye, aye, Admiral. Launching fighters.”

All of America’s fighter squadrons had been readied for immediate launch some minutes ago, as Gray pictured the coming engagement and howthe battlegroup could face such powerful adversaries. Mars HQ had been broadcasting recordings of a recent battle for someminutes now, showing the line of human vessels and the power of the alien gravitic fist.

The key, he thought, was to keep the capital ships outside the 7,000-kilometer range, while sending in fighters in dispersedformation to avoid presenting the aliens with too tempting a massed target. They would take losses, maybe terrible ones, butenough should get through to deliver 100-megaton warheads on target.

He wondered if that would be enough. According to Mars, the defensive line had probably come close to striking a decisiveblow by attacking the maw of the largest planetoid, but then the defending forces had surrendered.

How the hell had that happened?

The threat to Earth, the high-velocity projectiles fired from the planetoid, would have been deadly, an extinction-level event if it had continued. Even so, the defending forces had caved damned quickly. Had that been Walker, micromanaging the battle from Earth? Impossible to guess, but it seemed likely. If that had been the case, Gray didn’t know whether Walker should be hailed as hero or idiot. The Nungiirtok were vicious and obsessive foes, and he doubted that they saw the idea of surrender in the same way as did most humans. Walker should have let the human forces have a chance.

The America, Gray thought with a savage clenching of his fists, would not surrender.

Outside the carrier, her fighters were grouping into squadrons, each in chevron formation and slowly pulling ahead.

“All fighters are in position, Admiral. Awaiting your order.”

“Thank you, Commander Mackey. You may initiate Plan Alfa.”

The order was passed and the fighters began accelerating, swiftly moving past America’s shield cap and swiftly vanishing into the distance.

Gray’s thoughts went once again to his ace in the hole: the twenty-three Nungiirtok prisoners in America’s brig. Might he be able to trade them to the Nungie attackers in exchange for some kind of guarantee of Earth’s safety?

He doubted it. How the hell could they be trusted not to obliterate Earth anyway, after they had the captives safely on board?How did you even reason with a species that had known humans solely as enemies that they’d been fighting for decades?

He wished he could discuss things with Konstantin—the older version of Konstantin that he’d left behind in the solar systemwhen the America battlegroup had boosted for the N’gai Dwarf Galaxy and their rendezvous with the Sh’daar.

Assuming, of course, that Walker hadn’t found a way to switch the super-AI off.

They were still far too distant from Earth’s virtual electronic network for him to have a real-time conversation with theelder Konstantin. He’d have to worry about what Walker might or might not have done later, when they got closer.

“Lieutenant West,” he said. “Pass the word to all ships. Maintain formation and accelerate on our heading.”

“Aye, aye, sir.”

“Captain Mackey . . . ahead one-tenth c, if you please.”

“Ahead one-tenth c, aye,