The Black Gate (The Messenger #11) - J.N. Chaney Page 0,53
first production versions and were going to be field tested with the Black Watch.
“Good to meet you,” Dash said. “Looking forward to inviting you guys out for a flight so you can show me what your mechs can do.”
As though on cue, Kayley and Dawes exchanged a nervous glance. “You want us to fly with the Archetype, sir?” Kayley said.
Dash gave her a smile. “First of all, yes. Aside from the prototype, I haven’t had a chance to see the Perseids in action. And second, please don’t call me sir. Sir is something you hear after lines like you’re making a scene, or I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Ragsdale laughed and muttered something that sounded like, “You would know.”
Dash shot him a look, then turned back to the two, now-apprehensive Perseid pilots. “This is a friendly flight—not about to critique your flying. I just want to see what your mechs can do.” He glanced at the chrono. “Tell you what. I’ll meet you guys outside in an hour, and we’ll go through the paces.”
“Roger that, sir—” Kayley said, then caught herself with a rueful smile. “Dash.”
When the mech pilots had been dismissed, Dash turned to Ragsdale. “How old are they? Kayley and Dawes? Early twenties, maybe?”
“About that.”
Dash sighed. “So freakin’ young. Too young.”
“War has always been a young person’s burden,” Ragsdale said. “That’s why it’s so important to lead them well.”
“Damned right.”
“Besides, what were you doing when you were that age?” Ragsdale asked. “Whatever it was, I’ll bet it didn’t exactly revolve around things like discreet, or safe—or even hygienic.”
Dash laughed outright. “Add smart and legal to that list, and you’ve pretty much nailed it.”
Ragsdale spent the last bit of Dash’s tour briefing him on recent events around the Gate, which mainly consisted of its clockwork appearance and disappearance. “Guardian hasn’t detected more than a few microseconds of variance in its cycle,” Ragsdale said. “And that seems to be from random, chaotic, and mostly quantum effects.”
Dash tilted his head, agreeing. “Custodian and the other AIs have been working furiously to try to understand it, based on the data you’re collecting. Custodian, you with us?”
“I am. I have just been conferring with Guardian on the most recent variances.”
“We have concluded that the Black Gate is likely a natural phenomenon that has been enhanced in some manner by artificial means.” Guardian’s voice was similar in cadence and general tone to Custodian’s, upon whom she was apparently based.
“So the Deepers are exploiting—what, a natural wormhole?” Dash asked.
“We are not certain the Deepers are responsible,” Guardian replied. “They are the most likely candidates, but the probability is not zero that another party may be partly or wholly involved in exploiting this spatial anomaly.”
Dash held up a hand. “Any signal data that indicates this can be natural?”
“Uncertain at this point, but it does appear that the Deepers are not able to open gates similar to this one at will, or in any location they choose,” Custodian said.
“Well, that’s good news, at least.” Enormous relief flooded over Dash. It was a rare sensation. One of his biggest worries was that the Deepers could open a Black Gate anywhere, meaning there’d be no way to predict an incursion, much less have forces in place to exploit it. He hadn’t made a big deal out of it during planning, wanting to keep everyone focused and not constantly looking over their shoulders. Instead, he’d aimed their attention on the Black Gate they knew about, but he did hedge their bets a bit, and specified to Custodian that Guardian, like the Forge, had to be able to move and translate under its own power.
Not that it could do it very fast, but it was better than not being able to move at all.
“I’m going to grab a bite to eat, then take off for a flight with your two young mech pilots,” Dash said. “Point me to chow?”
Ragsdale pointed at the image of Guardian projected onto one of the CIC screens, at a section of the ring that was still just open girder work. “Right about there. Hell of a view, if you don’t mind the lack of walls.”
Dash examined the view. Or the span of the view. “Where do you eat?”
“There’s always one of the heavy loaders docked with us. We use her facilities.” He waved Dash forward. “Come on. They make a chowder that’s like eating liquid starlight.”
Dash fell into step with Ragsdale. “What does that even mean?”