A couple of dreadnoughts had pulled ahead deliberately. Now they detonated all their cargo at once. The resulting explosions cleared most of the first wave of enemy defenders, allowing the following dreadnoughts a clear path. They flew in, positioned for maximum spread and maximum effect, then all detonated at once.
We hadn’t built high-megatonnage nukes. We had built for tactical strikes, not destruction of entire cities. Still, that many vessels, each with multiple warheads, made for an impressive fireball. The theater didn’t clear for almost half a minute.
We cheered as we finally got a look at the results. Just over a third of the Others fleet was still in operation. And now they were forced to regroup, slowing their advance and attempting to reposition so as not to leave defensive holes.
Our guess was they would make increasing use of zaps, now. Better to take us down, then be able to recharge at their leisure before attacking Earth. Of course, that would have been the best strategy in the first place, but the Others had long since proven they were beyond arrogant. They simply didn’t expect us to mount anything like the same level—
I stared into space, my jaw dropping. Bill noticed and turned to me, a frown on his face. “You okay, Will?”
I cocked my head at him. “Bill, the Jokers are up near light-speed, right?”
“Well, yeah, we wanted them coming in as fast as possible. Not that it’ll do any good now. The Others can still knock the nukes out of the sky before they get close enough.”
I let a slow grin spread across my face. “But we don’t have to get close enough. We know from scans that the Death Asteroids aren’t particularly shielded against zappers…”
“Well, no, they’re more into handing it out. So?”
“At the speed the Jokers are going, radiation from a blast is going to Doppler way up. Way way up. Actually up higher than what the Others are using, I think.”
Now Bill’s eyes opened wide. He spun to face the status board, and spoke rapidly into the Joker’s channel. “Hannibal! Launch all your nukes right now, straight at the Others, and detonate every one of them at the earliest safe moment. Make sure you spray every Others vessel. Try not to hit us, but if you have to make a choice, we’ll take the sacrifice. Confirm!”
“Got it, Bill. Launching now.”
The board showed the Jokers emit a shower of smaller units. Close to a thousand bombs, originally intended to detonate in the middle of the Others fleet. If this didn’t work, we’d have wasted most of our remaining ordnance.
Bill looked at me. Seeming to read my mind, he said, “They’d have gone to waste anyway, Will.”
It was tight. We’d acted just this side of too late. Perhaps two seconds short of engagement with the oncoming Others defenders, every single nuke detonated. And five seconds later, the radiation reached the Others’ fleet.
The Doppler effect from the velocity of the ordnance pushed the radiation frequency from the explosions above even what the death asteroids could produce. We were, in effect, giving them a large taste of their own medicine. Any vessel in the path of that radiation, even if it wasn’t physically damaged, would be sterilized of all life. And there was a good chance that any electronics would be fried as well.
The cone of destruction was wide, wide enough to bathe about fifty of our dreadnaughts as well as the Others’ fleet. We watched their status lights flare red and go out on the board. All action in the battlefield ceased, as if everyone were holding their breath.
We waited. Milliseconds passed, then entire seconds, with no reaction.
“We’ve won, I think.” Bill goggled at the screen, frank disbelief written on his face. “It’s over.”
“Screw that,” Thor exclaimed. “I’m nuking them anyway. Who’s still got munitions?”
A series of responses came back. Too few for comfort—at that moment, we began to truly realize just how close we’d come to losing.
There was a moment of mutual staring, then Bill nodded and said, “Fire at will. Finish it off.”
I sat down heavily. “Looks like the humans will survive, after all.”
“Oh, right.” Bill slapped his forehead. “Herschel and Neil are still running like hell. I guess we should let them know.”
He grinned at me, and I motioned him to go ahead. But first, I sent them a quick text. It’s over.
Ending
Bob
May 2233
Delta Eridani
I set the waterskin down and tied the pergola walls open. Outside, another gorgeous day on Eden was dawning. Bird-like things sang, and squirrel-like things chewed out anyone and everyone for the crime of existing.
I picked up the skin and went over to sit by Archimedes. “Wake up buddy. I brought fresh water.”
He hadn’t woken up yet. I tried to let Archimedes sleep as long as possible, to keep up his strength. I reached over to nudge him, and…
Nothing.
No breathing sounds. No pulse.
I could hear a low whining sound. It took me a second to realize it was coming from me. A hand on my shoulder. Belinda.
“Robert? Robert? You have to move.”
I looked up to see Buster gazing down at me, sadness on his face. I realized I was in the way. I got up, walked stiff-legged to the other end of the tent, lay down and curled into a ball.
*
The funeral for Archimedes was huge. It was not just his family; almost every living Deltan had been affected by him, one way or another. By the time the procession was over, Archimedes was covered in white flowers.
When the family moved in to fill in the grave, I asked them if I could have some time. Everyone looked at Buster, who nodded. Archimedes and I had been inseparable for twenty Earth years—about eighteen years on Eden. It was a reasonable request.
As soon as the others had moved far enough away, I directed one of the small, baseball-sized drones into the grave. With the camouflage systems working overtime, it was almost completely invisible as it snuck along the ground and in. I reached over, moved Archimedes’ arm slightly, and settled the drone into his embrace.
Spy drones didn’t show anyone having noticed anything. I admitted to myself that it was a silly, meaningless act. But it felt, somehow, right. I wanted to leave a piece of me with him.
After an appropriate amount of time, I got up and walked over to Buster and the rest of the family. They turned to me, then wordlessly we proceeded to fill in the grave and cover it with stone slabs.
The drone, with the new Casimir power supply, would probably last centuries. Something would give out eventually, of course, but meanwhile, anything or anyone that disturbed the grave would get a face full of surprise.
When we were done, I knelt at his grave for a while longer. Afterward, I went to his tent, where Belinda and Buster were sitting. Belinda offered me some jerky, and we ate silently.
When we were done, Buster said, “You can have his things, if you want. You’ve been his best friend for years.”
I responded with a brief smile, about all I could manage. “Thanks, Buster, but I think I’ll be going. Archimedes was all that was holding me here.”
Buster gazed at me in a perplexed silence for a few moments. Then he said, diffidently, “Robert? You’re the Bawbe, aren’t you?”
“Yes, Buster, I am.” I shrugged. “And with Archimedes gone, well…”