{"id":2690,"date":"2024-07-13T15:28:04","date_gmt":"2024-07-13T22:28:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2690"},"modified":"2024-07-13T15:28:04","modified_gmt":"2024-07-13T22:28:04","slug":"one-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2024\/07\/13\/one-way\/","title":{"rendered":"One Way"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt: Write a story that includes the line, “Is nobody going to say it?”.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mood in the room had been smothered to the point that if were to drop any lower, it would wrap around into manic chaos. Thirty-one red markers on the holographic display blinked and drew attention to themselves as they orbited the gas giant in the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf they complete the gate, the frontier worlds are lost. They have to be stopped, now but \u2026 the nearest carrier strike group is the twelfth, and they won\u2019t get here in time.\u201d He looked at his reflection in the darkened screen of his terminal. Where he\u2019d been a young captain only a few months earlier, he was now a commodore, and had aged at least ten years. Lines formed at the corners of his deep brown eyes, a few grey hairs showed at his temples, obvious in the otherwise jet-black hair. Dark circles gathered under his eyes, adding unwanted shadow to his warm brown skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCommodore Singh, all due respect, sir, everything after \u2018but\u2019 is horseshit.\u201d The woman who spoke looked out of place, wearing a track suit and trainers among a room full of dress uniforms and suits. Dull blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, showing a sun-darkened, beige face with dark freckles, and grey eyes. \u201cThe twelfth isn\u2019t the closest or<\/em> fastest resource.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho are you?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She stood and snapped to attention. \u201cMajor Brennan, sir, 48th SBS, Marines. Apologies for the state of my dress, but I was shuttled here directly from the gym on the Dublin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He nodded and she sat back down. \u201cMajor,\u201d he said, \u201cwe may need to utilize the Dublin and Donegal to evacuate civilians. I\u2019d lay good money on an Eire-class fast attack hunter against any two alien ships from anywhere. Still, there\u2019s no way two fast-attack ships can take on a squid battle group.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have to take out the whole group, sir, just the flagship. Our intelligence says that without communication with their higher-ups, the squids are unable to organize and take coordinated action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all fine and well, I\u2019m sure.\u201d Governor Haight wore a rumpled, blue suit that set off her deep brown skin, her Afro uncharacteristically askew. Her pale brown eyes showed the weight of expectation. \u201cHow do we do that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Singh sighed. He gave the major a knowing look and set his jaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brennan took control of the holograph. \u201cMadame Governor, there\u2019s no way for a fast-attack ship to fight through the battle group to the flagship, which is why we have to use stealth.\u201d She entered a command that showed the class of each enemy ship, the flagship marked in purple. It was well within the sphere of other ships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLooking at it like this is misleading,\u201d Brennan said, \u201cas the space between each of those ships is a little over a kilometer. I\u2019m suggesting we launch five, two-person BBs \u2014 that\u2019s breaching and boarding torpedoes \u2014 with the goal of inserting a four-person and six-person team. It\u2019s an hour and forty minutes from launch to attachment if we launch under cover of a patrol maneuver by the Dublin, staying just outside of the squid\u2019s weapons range.\u201d The display showed the Dublin in green moving toward the alien battle group, then turning a slow arc to return to their colony world. Behind the Dublin, five small, green lights continued on toward the alien ships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She changed the display to show the layout of the alien flagship. \u201cWe attach two here,\u201d she made a highlight on the display, \u201cat the comms, and the other three here,\u201d she made another highlight, \u201cbetween engines and weapons, right near the escape pods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As she explained, the green markers representing the SBS squad members moved through the ship. \u201cThe first team cuts all communication. This cripples the rest of the battle group. Then they join forces with the second team here, at the main engine room, after the second team has disabled the escape pods. Once the engines are disabled, the full squad will go deck by deck, blowing or disabling every airlock, after which we detonate the BBs, exposing the entire ship to vacuum.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The governor cleared her throat. \u201cDon\u2019t they breathe methane? Won\u2019t the whole thing blow up, and you with it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTheir ship-board atmosphere is pure methane, no oxygen, so fire\u2019s not a concern, unless we pump the ship full of an oxidizer, like the fluorine missiles. We don\u2019t want to destroy it, though, we want to capture it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe just pulled you here from the gym. How did you come up with this plan?\u201d the governor asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brennan smiled. \u201cWe gamed this out ages ago. We\u2019ve just been waiting for an opportunity to capture a squid flagship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow much oxygen do the BBs hold?\u201d Singh asked. \u201cIs it still just one hour, or have there been improvements?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The major smirked. \u201cOne hour, sir. The upgraded versions aren\u2019t due to be deployed to the fast attack ships for at least another two years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith two hours of oxygen in your armor, that doesn\u2019t leave a lot of time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAye, sir. But we\u2019ll get it done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMadame Governor,\u201d he asked, \u201cwhat\u2019s your decision?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat will you do once you detonate the boarding torpedoes?\u201d the governor asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf some of the other ships will move in closer to assist, we\u2019ll expose the reactor to make it too radioactive for them to approach. If they don\u2019t, we\u2019ll sit tight until the twelfth gets here and they can capture the ship for intel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haight looked between the major and the commodore. \u201cThe fleet won\u2019t be here for a day and a half. Is nobody going to say it? It\u2019s \u2014 you can\u2019t \u2014 you\u2019ll\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brennan looked the governor in the eye. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t need to be said, Madame Governor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVolunteers?\u201d the commodore asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have too many. The entire squadron volunteered. We\u2019ll draw names out of a hat, except for Lacey and Birkram. Lacey\u2019s got a kid on the way, and Birkram has a two-year-old.\u201d Brennan looked at the governor. \u201cMadame Governor, do we have the green light?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are the chances of success?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll get it done, Madame Governor. Like our motto says, \u2018By strength and guile.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt feels wrong to throw away the lives of ten marines,\u201d Haight said. \u201cIs there no other way? Commodore?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIntel says they\u2019ll finish the gate in the next ten to sixteen hours. After that, we have to admit defeat. They can bring thirty battle groups through in as many minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I may, Madame Governor,\u201d Brennan said, \u201cyou aren\u2019t throwing away<\/em> ten marines. Ten marines are willing to pay the price to protect our borders from the squids, and considering the alternative, it\u2019s a bargain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haight took a deep breath. \u201cMajor,\u201d she said, her voice cracking, \u201cyou have the green light.\u201d Tears fell from her eyes, and she slumped in her chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The major stood and saluted. The commodore and governor both rose and returned her salute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGod speed,\u201d Singh said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Haight looked like she was searching for words but not finding any. Brennan nodded at her. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Madame Governor, we\u2019ll make you proud. We knew when we gamed it out it might be a one-way trip.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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