Free Jesse's Starship 3: Joshua's Walls by Saxon Andrew Page A

Gracken is not working so we believe that species will be allowed to just die out.” Josh looked at Alex, “Sir, what would be the easiest way to attack warriors jumping off the surface?”
    Alex’s eyes narrowed as he ran through several possibilities in his mind. Then he saw it, “They’ll evolve a species that can fly.” Alex stared at Josh, “Do you have anything to support this fear?”
    “I contacted Rumel and asked him if he had any probes at the Weg’s home worlds.”
    “And?”
    “He said he did and I asked him if there were any flying creatures on it. He told me he would get back to me and, an hour after I left the meeting with him, he contacted me and told me that there are. He also said that they were not visible in any recording they had made prior to the Gracken jumping to escape.” Josh paused and said, “I think we know that the Weg are somehow able to communicate with their colonies and if a flying warrior has been evolved on the home world, that piece of information has gone out to the colonies and they are now cooking them up on the invaded planets. Sir, the new carriers will have to have air defenses to hold off any of those flying nightmares.”
    Alex looked at Josh and knew he was blessed to have him. He slowly nodded and said, “Why did you go over my head to the Alliance?”
    Josh stared at Alex for a moment, looked at Mike briefly, and then said, “To save my division from being eaten alive by those monsters. Going through normal channels would delay us too long. Someone had to do it, Sir.”
    Alex smiled as Mike looked at Josh, “You just ruined a great alibi.” Mike looked at Alex, “You have to admit it was a good one.”
    Alex laughed, “Yes it was, Sir. However, I know my Officer would not lie to me. Josh, in the future, do what you think needs doing and just let me know. I won’t slow you down. This was the right thing to do.”
    Josh smiled, “Thank you, Sir. I felt really bad doing it.”
    Mike looked around the table, “We need to come up with a design quickly. The training of Spartan and Earth troops will have to stop until this delivery system is developed.”
    Jek looked at Josh, “Do you have any idea how many of those flying creatures might be attacking the carriers?”
    Josh looked at Alex on the monitor and then turned back to Jek, “It could be in the millions.”
    Jek’s shock was obvious. After a moment he shrugged and looked at the other engineers sitting at the table, “Then we need to design them to escape that number. A carrier will not have the size or power to carry Q ship caliber weapons.”
    Alex said, “How long will it take to develop a working model?”
    Jek looked at the other engineers at the table and watched them hold up fingers or limbs. Alex saw most of them were holding up three or four. He didn’t think the Gracken could wait three of four years for them to join the effort. He was stunned when Jek said, “We should have a working model in about three weeks.”
    “WHAT?”
    “We might do it faster. It all depends on whether or not the new small reactors can produce enough power to operate the magnetic recall system as well as the blasters. I suspect they will do either but not both.”
    Alex shook his head, “Josh, please stay there until the model is ready. When they have it ready you can use your division to trial it on Sparta. Who do you want to command your division in your absence?”
    “Col. Yokawo, Sir.”
    Alex smiled, “That’s a good choice.”
    “She’s ready for her own command, Sir.”
    “I’ll look into it but first the Carrier.”
    “Yes Sir.”
    • • •
    Rumel looked at the recordings from the Weg Home World and said over his shoulder, “Can you bring those flying creatures in closer?”
    “I’ll try, the probe is a long way out, Group Commander.”
    Rumel watched the monitor closely and the image was grainy at best. Suddenly, a clear image appeared of a large flock of the creatures and then it was gone.