Came in handy for this. Used chunks of the original piece too.
Being very careful to keep Ben from actually lying to her.
And maybe give a reason why he might think Maico intends to slander Jet....
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
Being very careful to keep Ben from actually lying to her.
And maybe give a reason why he might think Maico intends to slander Jet....
Quote:-----________________________________
Maico couldn’t help but look at the handcannon. A replica of Gene Starwind’s Caster Gun mounted on a plaque on the wall, among the other memorabilia and photographs. Beneath it was the 20 x 102 mm autocannon shell it was supposed to fire.
“Yup, it’s real” Benjamin Rhodes assured her wit a big hearty straight-outta-Texas smile, “It really shoots too. A friend put it together a few months back for me,”
Maico gave him a nervous smile in return. It wasn’t so much the power of the gun itself, but the strength it’d take to handle it. Or it might’ve been that quirk noted in his file. She liked to think she was beyond that.
He glanced at his computer monitor, his smile broadening just a little bit, “Maico, the Knight Sabers are not under my command, or control. No current member of the Roughriders is involved with the Knight Sabers. You can call that an official statement,”
“Thank you,” said Maico. She specifically saved the soundbite for later use. “But then, how do you explain them using a Lancer type spacecraft?” Just a quick heartbeat to let him compose the obvious answer in his mind. It made it easier that she was reading it off of her headset’s integrated eyepiece. “When every other Lancer is accounted for. I have data pinpointing the locations of surviving spaceframes, and Spacecraft spotters account for the Roughrider’s own craft. When compared with ship registry information, every single one is accounted for.”
Ben’s expression neutralised. Where was she going with this? She place her shot on the desk in front of him. Still grainy, still overcompressed. Still unmistakeable.
“Yet this is clearly a Blackaeronaut Lancer. How do you account for this?”
Ben’s smile returned. “I suggest you talk to the United States Airforce. Magnificent Midnight herself started out as a mundane Sr-71 Blackbird, brought up from below. There’s no reason someone couldn’t have recovered one of the old Bones from the Boneyards.”
Maico nodded. “But of course. Would it also be possible to construct a whole spacecraft, using the wreck of two or more ‘destroyed Lancers,”
“A cut and shut? Well yeah, I guess that’d be possible. Though whoever rebuilt it would never get the full performance out of the engines and I’d be hesitant to fly in the result,”
Again, Maico nodded, “I have been able to account for the fates of all fourteen destroyed Lancer spacecraft. Except for two.”
Ben waited. The metal arm of his seemed to tense up just a little.
“Two almost-complete spaceframes, destroyed in a fire while under construction on 37 Fides. The public report lists them as being ‘recycled’, and no more is mentioned.”
“And you think that the remains of both spacecraft could have been combined to form one black spacecraft, which wouldn’t appear on anyone’s books?”
“Yes,” said Maico, mildly.
Ben’s smile just broadened. “It’s standing policy to recycle raw materials and equipment as much as possible. The spaceframes would have been broken apart, and anything useful recovered.”
He turned his monitor towards Maico, showing a video of the bare metal frame of a single Lancer. The nose of another behind was just in shot. Orange-armed robots were reached out, throwing sparks as they welded seams. They seemed to waltz along to music heard only by themselves. A clock in the corner of the image was counting out the seconds.
Little trickles of smoke rose from behind the engine cowling of the first. It seemed to be nothing at all, a stray welding spark landing somewhere in shouldn’t. A moment later, white sparks began to spray. Maico blinked, and the whole compartment seemed to be ablaze with sparkling white light, mingling with black and orange flames spraying across the frame under pressure. Overhead lights burst open.
"This footage was not doctored in any way, Miss Tange.” Ben said. His tone was flat, but he wore the grin of a fox, “An electrical spark touched off some magnesium, the sparks from which ruptured the hydraulic lines in the assembly machinery and ignited the petroleum-based hydraulic fluid, spreading fire. Needless to say, we no longer use petroleum based fluid in any of our equipment, "
Flames rushed towards the ceiling, being pulled by an unseen force, chased by a thick smog of white vapour that smothered the brilliant magnesium light. It died down to a dim smouldering glow in the core, before finally going pitch black. The lights had been destroyed, or the main breakers had tripped, leaving only darkness. Only the clock still running told Maico the camera was online. Time since first sign of fire, thirty seconds.
"Fortunately, the suppression systems kicked in and saved the rest of the line. The electrical supply inerted, and the area was sealed off. Ventilation shafts opened to vacuum while pressurised liquid Carbon dioxide was sprayed over the fires. This is important for class-delta fires in that it cools the fuel back down below its ignition point, preventing a reflash when normal atmosphere is restored. The damage, grievous as it was, was well contained.”
“I see..” Maico said. This wasn’t going well.
“The thing with metal fires, is that they burn so hot and fast, nearly nothing is salvageable afterwards. The heat flux warped the frames of both spacecraft beyond repair.”
So. That’s the end of that lead. She sank down into the chair. Well, it’s pretty much what she expected.
“Is there anything else?” Ben asked, congenially.
“Yeah... umm.... The United Belt Alliance. They seem to be a target of the Knight Sabers. What is your opinion of the UBA? Why would the Sabers attack them?”
“I told you, the Sabers aren’t under my control,”
“If you had to guess,” Maico clarified, “Based on what you know about them,”
“I don't trust the way the UBA do business, and I wouldn't dare to trust them with a ship out of my yards - even if it had been run all the way through hell and back and was barely worth the scrap. But not liking them is no reason to attack them. They want to live in their own way, independent of the Convention; they have that right so long as they’re not harming anyone.”
It was Maico’s turn to wait.
“As to why the Saber’s themselves are attacking them, I genuinely can’t say.”
Time to try something risky
“Could it be that the Sabers see the UBA as competion? Are they trying to weaken them somehow, while building their own reputations as mercenaries and protectors of the belt, so more colonies will hire them over joining the UBA?”
Ben’s expression darkened. A sunny day had suddenly clouded over. The heat sucked clean out of the room, sending a chill through Maico’s body.
“I strongly doubt it.”
“But it is a possibility?”
“Yes, it is.” Ben seemed reluctant to admit. “Is that all?”
Those metal fingers drummed on the table.
“Yes, thank you Ben,” Maico smiled to hide her dissapointment, “That should be enough,”
It wasn’t until she was reviewing the footage on the shuttle to Mars that she caught Ben’s change in demeanour.
“It’s almost like I insulted a friend of his.... but.....” it died in her throat. Somewhere, a 5 yen coin dropped. “He knows who the Sabers are!”
Everyone in the shuttle stared. Maico blushed, and sheepishly sat back down into her seat.
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?