Storming Heaven Read Free Page A

“I am unable to obtain accurate data at this distance.  My current position is not suitable for active observation, but I believe that even if they mine the entire resources of the star system, they would be unable to enclose the star unless they mined material from the star itself.  Their use of wormholes and gravity technology would suggest that they could accomplish that, but it would seem to be pointless.  Even a partial enclosure of the star would give them access to considerable power.”
     
    “Or they might mine other star systems as well,” Chiyo said, flatly.  Unlike a warp bubble, there was no theoretical limit to the size of a wormhole.  She could see the Killers opening up a wormhole in another star system, capturing an entire planet and launching it into their new system.  It would be industrial engineering on a massive scale, but not beyond their technology.  “Do we have any bases near this star system?”
     
    “Unknown,” the AI replied, flatly.  “My data banks do not contain information that might be tactically useful to the enemy.”
     
    Chiyo nodded, ruefully.  The Defence Force was outmatched enough without risking giving the enemy the locations of humanity’s remaining settlements in one disastrous mission.  No list would ever be complete – the Community included hundreds of settlements that preferred to keep their location a secret from the rest of the human race, for various reasons – but a disaster could expose billions of humans to their fire.  It was something she would have to report to higher authority when she returned to the carrier.  If the Killers were mining entire star systems now…they might scoop up and destroy human colonies, quite by accident.  They wouldn’t even know what they had done.  Resistance would be, quite literally, futile.
     
    There was a sudden pause.  “I am picking up a second hexagon,” the AI added, sharply.  “It just came into range.  This one is smaller than the previous one, but definitely growing larger.  They must be using nanotechnology to break down the asteroids and other debris as they are propelled into the hexagons and used as building material.”
     
    “I’d love to get a look at their power field specifications,” Chiyo mused.  Humanity had developed its own form of nanotechnology, but the Killers used it on a scale far beyond anything humanity could accomplish – again.  Her body had thousands of the tiny machines running through her blood, fixing any damage and extending her life as far as they could, but there were very definite limits.  She had never wanted to become a Spacer and give up her gender in exchange for effective immortality, but one day she would have to choose between that or entering the MassMind.  “What about…”
     
    The AI sounded an alarm before she could finish.  “We were just scanned,” it said, flatly.  Chiyo felt her body jolt to full wakefulness again as the implants did their work.  “They just located us.”
     
    “So much for the stealth field,” Chiyo said, grimly.  “How much did they get?”
     
    “Uncertain, but enough to locate us,” the AI said.  “We are unable to take evasive manoeuvres without leaving a trail for them to follow.”
     
    “Compress a full report into the transmitter and prepare to transmit,” Chiyo ordered, tartly.  It was just possible that the Killers would ignore them – a tiny scout ship was hardly a threat – but there was no point in taking chances.  If she had located an alien ship in her system, she would have wanted to ask them a few questions before letting them go – or destroying them.  “Stand by…”
     
    The scout ship rocked suddenly.  Chiyo found herself caught in a field that seemed to tear at her entire body for a second, before the Structural Integrity Field compensated for the sudden change in environment.  Red alarms flashed up in her virtual vision, warning of massive internal damage to her body; she