Furious

58

“The children of Musashi donated their savings to buy you a ship.”

They were on their way up the beanstalk, and Kris’s new best friend was explaining how it was the Mitsubishi Heavy Space Industry, a company with a heart no softer than Grampa Al’s Nuu Enterprises, happened to be building a ship for a homeless waif like Kris.

True, Kris was no longer penniless, but the ship that Rokuro, yes, they were on a first-name basis, was offering Kris was no more within her reach than that of the average homeless street person.

“So the kids held bake sales and collected recyclables,” Kris said dryly.

“Yes, I understand many of them did,” the CEO said, without batting an eyelash. “The comment at your press conference caught a lot of people’s attention. If you had a ship, you would go find out if the newfound alien planet was still safe. It wasn’t just kids who took it to heart. I must tell you that not all the donations to the New Wasp fund were from children, although the children of Musashi have a tradition of offering the Emperor a new ship or interceptor. We feel it brings out civic duty early.”

“You were saying not all the donations were from kids,” Kris said. For a CEO, Rokuro had a tendency to wander.

“Once the ball got rolling, many corporations made rather hefty donations. It became common for them to put that at the bottom of the screen on their advertisements.”

Kris groaned. Did that mean she would be expected to make advertising appearances as payment? She could just see herself doing a beer commercial and quaffing down a brew . . . NOT!

She shared her thought with her enthusiastic friend.

“Oh, no, never! Please do not even think of such a thing. We all fully expect that you will depart on your long voyage to the other side of the galaxy as soon as you can. There will be no time for you to waste before cameras.”

Kris fell silent. Just what was a frigate? Kris had never heard of that class of ships. How big was it? Did it have the range and power for long jumps? This man beside her had to know that fitting out a ship for a long voyage was not done in an afternoon. Kris would need a crew. Supplies. Lots of things.

She glanced back at Jack and Penny. They both looked worried. Even Cara, standing next to Abby, looked frightened. Gunny, who’d continued to accompany them even after Kris’s Imperial Marine detachment was relieved, kept the bland face one would expect of a senior NCO in the presence of officers who were talking downright crazy.

Kris decided to wait and see if this new Wasp was bigger than a bread box and smaller than the mythical telephone booth.

She was glad she kept her mouth shut.

It made being surprised a whole lot easier.

Kris found herself staring at two ships fitting out in space docks. Next to them, two more were growing before her eyes.

“We’re using Smart Metal for the ship’s hull and internal structures,” Mr. Kikuchi said.

Inside Kris cringed. “Have you read the report we did after tests on the Firebolt?”

“Yes, we have a contractual agreement with Alex Longknife to use his original formula, but my son Katsu-san and his team are making some very interesting changes in both the metal and the programming that makes it do what it does. And yes, we have tested it up to five gees. I think, when we are done, it is your grandfather Al who will be paying us, not the other way around.”

Kris suspected many lawyers would be making a lot of money as the fine points of that opinion were worked out. Hopefully, Tsusumu would get a chance at some of the pay.

Kris studied the one with Wasp clearly printed on the bow. It was longer than her old Wasp and carried more containers, making it much wider and taller. The ship beside it was in the standard elongated oval of a warship, its surface reflected back light and seemed ready to do the same to any laser.

Rokuro-san saw where Kris was looking. “That is the Sakura, cherry blossom, for His Imperial Majesty’s Navy. Next to these two are the Kagero and the Akizuki. They are a month or two behind the first two.”

Kris eyed the Wasp, then the Sakura. “They’re quite different.”

“No, they are identical,” he said, then paused. “Oh, I see. You only see the containers of the Wasp. With little more than a push of a button, your Wasp can be as much a fighting ship as the Sakura. All of what look like standard commercial containers are made of Smart Metal. My son has already developed a program. When you order the ship into battle form, the contents of each container will be shrunken down into a box and stored. You will want to gather all the people in safe areas before you do that. I don’t know many people who would want to be boxed up like scientific equipment and stored.”

Kris could think of a few scientists she would have liked to box up, but since most of them were now dead, she felt guilty for the thought.

“Just how much can we finagle with this ship?” Jack asked before Kris could get her mind out of the mental image of boxed scientists and back to business.

Rokuro tapped his wrist computer, and images began to appear in the air before Kris and her crew. First came the container-laden Wasp they were looking at. Then appeared a much smoother warship version, identical to the Sakura. Then the warship divided into two ships.

That brought a whistle.

“I read the report of the problems you had refueling your corvette. This configuration allows you to isolate most of your nonmilitary personnel. You can use the Battle Con backup bridge to guide this Wasp junior and one of the three reactors to propel it.”

“Three reactors?” Kris said.

“The three are the same power as those on a heavy cruiser, and a cruiser only has two. You will be drawing electricity directly from the reactors. No hydrothermodynamic electric generators for the frigates.”

“And we’ll be using all that power for . . . ?” Kris asked.

“The four 18-inch laser cannons up forward.”

That drew a whistle from all the onlookers.

“As in battleship big gun 18-inch laser cannons?” Kris said.

“The same. No short-ranged pulse lasers for the frigates. If you have to slug it out with those alien ships, we want you to pack a wallop and be able to take it.”

“Armor. Is there ice under the skin of the Sakura?” Kris asked.

“It is all Smart Metal and reaction mass, but my son has developed a most interesting defense. Not only does his version of Smart Metal transfer heat quickly from atom to atom, but it also heats the reaction mass that is passed through ducts under the skin.”

The picture before them zoomed in to the skin of the ship as a laser beam appeared. Forward of the strike, pores opened up, and jets of superheated reaction mass shot out into space. “That should cause any laser beam to bloom and lose its strength.”

“It seems that you and your son have taken Smart Metal to the next level,” Kris admitted. “I like that.”

“We will all need small ships with the crew of a corvette and the firepower of a battleship if we are to be ready for what is coming our way.”

“You don’t doubt it.”

“I read your report well before you made it available at the Kyoto University press conference.”

Kris raised a questioning eyebrow.

“Not everyone is afraid to face the future. Maybe if some of us prepare the path, it will be easier for others to walk it. These frigates are just such a stepping-stone.”

“I like what I see,” Kris said.

“Good, because you and I must talk about final payment for the Wasp. Schoolchildren and advertising budgets can only go so far. Half of the Wasp is not paid for.”

“And the other half?” Kris said.

“Ah, here comes my son. Let us sit and reason together.”

Kris eyed the Wasp, new spun and lovely, and turned to take in the young man walking quickly toward her. He looked clear-eyed and eager. Kris began to calculate just what she’d be willing to part with.

An arm?

An arm and a leg?

How high could the bidding go?