Some of the dialogue with Charles Decker-Admiral, U.S. Fleet Command.
This is Admiral Charles Decker. Stand by for authentication of your Jasmine transmission. Authentication is alpha-niner-zero, niner-tango-four, eight-hotel-sierra. (A90-9T4-8HS)
Whatever[]
Given the Jasmine coding for this transmission, I assume that this is the Lexington. You've been out of touch for quite some time. Since our last communication with you, we came across a potential threat for the success of the mission. I need to talk to Captain Dayna right away.
Captain Dayna is dead, as the rest of the crew[]
Hell, Lieutenant. The situation couldn't be much worse.
At least the Dharma was destroyed and the Lexington is back in action. There is a chance that I could continue the mission.[]
Well, Dayna did the only thing he could have. Some hope is better than none. But this--this isn't even a longshot. You have no idea what you're up against. I think the best thing you can do is take the Lexington out to a safe place, perhaps a few hundred thousand kilometers away from Persephone, and wait for reinforcements.
Help is on its way?[]
Another expedition is now on its way. With the need for secrecy gone, we can gear up the whole damn fleet for this one. The heavy cruisers Midway, Iwo Jima, Otawa are already departed. They're being escorted by one of the Lexington's sister ships, the Concord and a squadron of destroyers.
There might be more U.N. ships on the way. We may not have four months to wait for another expedition![]
Well, Lieutenant, that's just the problem. We know for a fact that there are more U.N. ships on their way. A battle group of frigates, destroyers, maybe even a cruiser or two. They could show up any time now.
How can I fight back?[]
You can't, really. You have half the normal complement of active battle drones. The Lexington has sustained serious damage. You have no combat experience. There are no other crew members to help you with weapons control, damage control, navigation, engineering, or anything else. Need I go on?
We have to think of a way. The crews of the Lexington and the Jericho died to give me a shot at this. You need to tell me about how to get the weapons systems on line.[]
What I'm going to tell you is how to steer that ship to a point 250,000 kilometers outside the plane of ecliptic, so you can stay out of danger.
I'm not steering the ship anywhere except closer to Persephone.[]
I am giving you a direct order to take the Lexington out of danger!
And I'm respectfully declining to obey. I'm going to stay and fight.[]
Who the hell do you think you are, Lieutenant? Who gave you the authority to disobey a U.S. Navy Fleet Admiral in a time of war?
Captain Dayna did, sir, and his authority and trust are what count right now.[]
Captain Dayna didn't tell you to disobey orders!
He was counting on me to finish the mission. I'm going to do it, or die trying.[]
OK, Lieutenant. If I can't order you to pull out, maybe I can reason with you. You need to understand why playing hero isn't going to help anybody. All you'll do is get yourself killed. You also need to understand why there is no way you can successfully complete the mission. Let's talk about our options here.
You can start by telling me about the mission[]
18 months ago one of our unmanned IX probes was mapping new jump-points around the star Omicron Eridani. The probe found a jump-point that took it 68 light years away from Earth, to an unexplored star system with 7 planets. The probe begun a routine orbital survey of the planets and then abruptly returned to known space, years before its mission was scheduled to end. When the probe got within range with a Tachyon Relay Beacon, it sent home a series of burst transmissions describing an anomaly under the surface of the 6th planet.
The probe scanners had found a huge metal structure that could only be the result of intelligent construction. Now, the Alliance was keenly aware of the implications. This discovery was strong evidence for the existence of alien intelligence. The potential existed for finding advanced technology--or a spacefaring alien civilization--on the site. The results could tell the balance of power in the war with the UN. Preparations for an expedition to the mysterious planet, now called Pandora/Persephone, were started in the utmost secrecy.
Finally, 4 months ago, the Lexington and the USS Jericho departed for Persephone from the Eisenhauer orbital docks around Titan. The only people on the two ships who knew the true nature of the mission was Captain Dayna, Captain McCain, and Lieutenant Commander Tran.
Were any more signs of ET activity discovered?[]
None. The installation on Persephone is it, as far as I know.
So what was the purpose of the expedition? What were the mission objectives?[]
The Jericho was outfitted with an array of sensors and special instruments to be used to gather data on the alien installation. She is also carrying a planetary lander, adapted specifically for the harsh conditions on Persephone. Captain McCain was going to use the lander to go down to the surface of Persephone with a team of scientists.
Now these are the mission goals: To land on Persephone, and see if the builders of the installation are still around. If so, initiate first contact and establish a basis for ongoing communication. If not, explore and gather data on the installation, and attempt to find out if there is any exploitable technology. Gather samples and return to [[Earth] with the information.
How did the UN find about the mission?[]
Darned if I know. Obviously we got a heck of a leak.
Why the Lexington?[]
The Lexington was the logical choice as an escort for a number of reasons. She was a combat tested ship, with perhaps the finest captain and crew in the fleet. She's one of the fastest ships we have. She's also had been outfitted with an experimental new weapons control system.
Tell me about the new weapons system[]
Don't get any ideas, Lieutenant.
Just tell me about the system[]
This system is a prototype, the first of its kind. It's not battle-tested. It also has some serious operational flaws. Th... the purpose of the system is to put humans back in the loop during combat. The system has two components--a neural link from the operator to the ship's main computer, and a drug which/that actually acts on the brain to allow a direct interface with the computer. The drug speeds up certain brain function to allow real-time control of weapons during ship-to-ship combat.
Sounds promising; why is a link needed?[]
As you know, up to now combat is happen much too fast to be managed by human beings. Battles in space have been resolved by unmanned autonomous drones that can accelerate at a 100 gravities, turn on a dime and deliver serious load of ordnance on target. These drones are equipped with smart computer systems capable of assimilating data and executing complicated strategies in the blink of an eye.
The drones being carried aboard starships crewed by people who make the initial decisions about how to arm and deploy the drones. Once released, the drones are pretty much on their own.
For the last 10 years of the war, there's been a race on both sides to improve the battle-management software that runs on the drone computer hardware. A crew of Alliance techies in Singapore decided that if it were at all possible to speed up human reaction times, a human brain in a loop could give one side a tremendous advantage in battle.
You would have to speed up thought processing and reaction time by orders of magnitude.[]
You're correct, Lieutenant. The solution was a drug called Hype. Hype is actually a concoction of neurotransmitter chemicals, micromachines and genetically engineered viruses. This stuff actually rewires your brain to make it faster and more efficient. Well, faster and more efficient for the purposes of managing a ship-to-ship encounter real-time. The drug also creates the nerve pathways to the forebrain needed for a direct neural link to the computer.
Are the changes reversible?[]
Now that is one of the problems of the whole system. No, the changes aren't reversible. But at this point, it doesn't even matter if they aren't reversible.
What do you mean?[]
The drug has a nasty side effect. The modifications Hype makes to the brain begin decaying after a few days. The results are/include loss of faculties, hallucinations, wild emotional swings, dementia, and finally, inevitably, death.
But does the whole system work? For the week that you can function without impairment?[]
Two test subjects volunteered to try it. Both were able to out-think and out-fight the best battle-management algorithms in simulated encounters between equal forces of evenly matched drones. The combination of the human brain, the central computer and the battle management software on the drones seems to convey a significant advantage in combat.
Why did you deploy a prototype before operational testing?[]
As you know, the war isn't really going on our way. At some point, we realized that we might have to deploy the Hype system even if it is still an early prototype. We knew we would have to begin recruiting volunteerts to operate the system in battle... over the objections and many principled Naval officers
I didn't know the war was going badly. What's happening?[]
The conflict has turned into a war of attrition. The U.N. has more resources and more production capacity than we do. They can outproduce us 10-to-1. We have the technological edge, but we are being slowly beaten into the ground.
How bad is it?[]
If things continue at the current pace, we'll lose the war within 5 years.
Are there any other Alliance ships equipped with the Hype system?[]
There are no other Alliance ships equipped with the Hype system.
Does the UN have an equivalent weapon system?[]
The UN doesn't have anything like the Hype system.
The new weapon system sounds like the answer to my problem. If it really provides significant advantage I can take the UN commanders by surprise They won't even be expecting a fight.[]
Don't even think of it. Besides, I have no intention of giving you the release codes you'll need to activate the system.
Would you rather see me die with no chance at all?[]
Goddarn, Lieutenant, you are an irrational, insubordinate, stubborn son of a bitch! I don't know how you got passed the damn psycho files.
I think my irrational, insubordinate, stubborn streak is why Dayna picked me to finish this mission even though I have no combat experience or piloting skills. Let's work on the other seemingly intractable problem for a moment. I'm a thousand meters away from the Jericho and the lander. I need to get to the lander[]
Lieutenant, you are not going anywhere without the intership shuttle. You already told me you barely have enough oxygen to contact an EVA to fix the comm system!
Is there any way to get me from one ship to the other?[]
I don't know of any way to cross between the ships without an EVA maneuvering suit.
Can I dock the ships together?[]
No, I dont think so.
Can I bring the lander to the Lexington?[]
Now/Well, if the Jericho 's computer were slaved to that of the Lexington 's, you might be able to jack into the lander's on-board computer and deploy it automatically/remotely. Then you could fly it over to the Lexington by the uplink.
Well, it's a start. I think you can see a plan forming here. Howe about the release codes?[]
You win Lieutenant. By God, I would court-martial you and have you shot if you actually could make it back. But... good luck and Godspeed, son. If you do manage to pull this off, the Alliance, and potentially all of humanity, will be in your debt. Stand by for a data transmission with the information you'll need about Hype and the weapon systems.
Decker out.