Book 1: Chapter 15: Omega Authentication

Book 1: Chapter 15: Omega Authentication

USD: ~Nine weeks since awakening

Location: Unknown Yellow Dwarf, L4 Lagrange Point, nearby Federation Heavy Cruiser wreckage in Debris Cloud #32

Alex brushed back her hair behind an ear before reading the list of items that Nameless had prioritized for retrieval. The hum of bots flittering about the now extremely crowded cargo hold filled the air.

Are you sure we can store this many missiles safely? Its more than double what we are rated for

[Informative: Protection for additional magazines available. Installation of Cruiser Magazines successful. Please review weapon additions for outer hull.]

Alex glanced. Nameless had somehow found a way to mount all twelve of the 22mm PDC-Ks, six of the 12cm PDC-Ls and two of the 204mm Railguns. That was on top of eight new AMLS missile tubes on the ventral side of the ship. Then to top it off it had added two bow torpedo launchers.

||Shrike Armament *modified*||

|Kinetics|

|12x Single 22mm Point Defense Cannons, AP rounds |

|Range: 29,979km / 0.1ls |

||Configuration: Amidship: 12||

|12x Single 32mm Point Defense Cannons, AP rounds |

|Range: 29,979km / 0.1ls |

||Configuration: Dorsal: 2| Ventral: 2 | Amidship: 4| Bow: 2| Aft: 2||

|2x Double HV 152mm Rail Turrets, 1kg projectile|

||Range: 89,937km LRP | 899,377km / 3ls LRPSGSM (Long Rod Penetrator Self-Guided Smart Munition) ||

||Configuration: Dorsal: 2 ||

|2x Quad HV 204mm Rail Turrets, 2kg projectile|

||Range: 89,937km LRP | 899,377km / 3ls LRPSGSM (Long Rod Penetrator Self-Guided Smart Munition) ||

||Configuration: Amidship: 2 ||



|Directed Energy|

|6x Quad 8cm Point Defense Laser Turrets |

|Range: 299,792km / 1ls |

||Configuration: Dorsal: 1 | Ventral: 1 | Amidship: 2 | Bow: 1 | Aft: 1||

|6x Triple 12cm Point Defense Laser Turrets |

|Range: 299,792km / 1ls |

||Configuration: Dorsal: 1 | Ventral: 1 | Amidship: 2 | Bow: 1 | Aft: 1||



|Missile|

|1 Bow AMLS 4 Tubes, 1066.8mm Light Missiles|

||Bow Missile Magazine: 2x 24 Count, 1066.8mm racks, including autoloader||

||Range: Variable, 299,792km - 1,500Mkm||

|1 Bow HTLS 2 Tubes, 3200.4mm Heavy Torpedoes|

||Bow Torpedo Magazine: 1x 6 Count, 3200.4mm racks, including autoloader||

||Range: Variable, 299,792km - 15,500Mkm||

|1 Ventral AMLS 8 Tubes, 1066.8mm Light Missiles|

||Bow Missile Magazine: 2x 24 Count, 1066.8mm racks, including autoloader||

The schematic on the display updated in real time as Nameless gathered more information from the improving visual on the optical camera. Other than that, nothing moved other than their comm drone. It was like the place was deserted.

Who builds something like this then abandons it. There doesnt seem to be any living Federation activity in the system, just autonomous combat units that managed to survive the fleets destruction.

[Correlative: The thousands of ships could have provided the survivors with enough resources to survive temporarily and build this outpost. It is unknown why transient nanite energy signatures continue to be detected within the asteroid.]

Almost there.

[Notice: Telemetry from comm drone will be lost once it enters the asteroid. Current command list includes regular exit intervals to communicate findings.]

If the asteroid is to be our next destination, we need to be absolutely sure it doesnt wake up and start blasting us.

[Agreement.]

The wait continued, Alexs attention drifting. She wondered what Elis had wanted to ask her, which led to her wondering if she would have liked to watch the operation as well.

Probably not, she concluded. Elis hated just about anything that included interaction with Nameless, and this wasnt something that could be done without the AI.

The drone found a hatch and used a small laser to cut the lock open, then disappeared inside. The camera feed cut out.

Five minutes later Alex was feeling the need to jump out of her seat and pace around the room, but just barely managed to restrain herself.

[Warning: Energy spike detected.]

Ah shit, here we go, Alex told herself.

What is it?

[Correlative: Energy spike possibly related to high powered detection systems, directed EM radiation corresponds to active search sweep.]

That was what missile radars usually did, but the readout on her screen seemed to indicate the power levels being emitted were a thousand times higher than what she would have expected from a similar system on the Shrike. The radiation was strong enough to severely damage unshielded systems for several light seconds.

Luckily, they were far enough away, and the Shrike was shielded enough that it wasnt a problem. Missiles, however, might be depending on how many the base could launch at once. With very low relative velocities, it would take the Shrike some time even with the Linear drive to escape, but Alex hoped that with the additional PDC weaponry and the activation of PDC-Ls that theyd be able to handle a much heavier missile volley than before.

[Warning: Incoming high band transmission.]

Shit, they had tried so hard to avoid using the high band because it was like blasting a foghorn in a small room. If there were any sleeping bots nearby, theyd know about them.

Alex considered for a second, with all the EM radiation the base was suddenly pouring out, they were likely spotted anyway, and she didnt want to be rude to someone with a possible stack of missiles that out massed her entire ship.

Fuck. Go ahead and answer, Nameless. Get the Linear drive warmed up, we might need to bail. If we need to go, set trajectory toward an orbit of the gas giant.

[Affirmation: Orders accepted.]

Alexs overlay suddenly was overridden, and she grunted in surprise.

|INCOMING TRANSMISSION|

|NANITE SYSTEM DETECTED|

|AUTHENTICATE| AUTHENTICATE| AUTHENTICATE| AUTHENTICATE|

|AUTHENTICATE| AUTHENTICATE| AUTHENTICATE| AUTHENTICATE|

|AUTHENTICATE| AUTHENTICATE| AUTHENTICATE| AUTHENTICATE|

|ALPHA COMMAND OVERRIDE| FAILURE|

|REQUEST AUTHENTICATION|

|AUTHENTICATE| AUTHENTICATE| AUTHENTICATE| AUTHENTICATE|

She tried to blink away the text, but it refused.

Nameless?

When the AI didnt answer she felt a bit of panic.

Didnt Elis say that the Monster would take over all other nanites?

Taking a deep breath, Alex did her best to project a thought.

Hello? This is Alex.

|OMEGA AUTHENTICATION ACCEPTED|

Suddenly the red text in her vision disappeared.