Frontiers Saga 12: Rise of the Alliance Read Online Free Page A

jump-equipped comm drones that will give us near real-time communications capabilities. Until then, I wish you the best of luck. Just hold on a little longer, Captain. Help is on the way. ”
    The hologram faded away, and the device shut off. Nathan, who had been leaning against the front of his desk during Casimir’s speech, stepped forward and picked up the device and looked at it. He smiled, then moved back behind his desk and activated the intercom. “Comms, get me President Scott at NAU Command.”
    * * *
    “Jump complete,” Mister Bryant reported.
    Commander Dumar looked up at the massive view screen that covered the front bulkhead of the Karuzara’s main control room. The screen had gone black as it waited for new sensor input from which to redraw its map representing the asteroid’s current position.
    “Position report!” Mister Bryant ordered.
    “Arrays are coming up now!” the navigation controller answered.
    “Emitters at zero energy,” the array controller reported.
    “Energy banks also show zero,” the next controller added.
    “Reactors are normal,” the power systems controller followed.
    “All stations appear normal, sir,” Mister Bryant reported. “Sensors are coming online now.”
    Dumar watched as the main view screen began to display computer-generated images as data from the asteroid’s many sensor arrays began to pour into the navigational computers. First, an icon representing the star Palamor, then the super massive gas giant they were rapidly approaching. One by one, symbols for the rest of the planets in the system began to appear.
    “Position verified,” the navigation controller announced. “On course for counter orbit around Palomar Three. Expect gravity assist maneuver to begin in three hours and forty-seven minutes.”
    “We’re right on course,” Mister Bryant said with obvious satisfaction.
    “That was only our fifth jump, Mister Bryant,” Commander Dumar said. “We still have one hundred and eight jumps to go.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “How long until the scout ship is ready to launch?”
    “Two more days, I believe.”
    “We’ll be well beyond Takaran charted space by then,” Dumar said. “I’d feel a lot more comfortable if we had someone clearing our arrival points before we jump into them. I don’t want to discover another budding singularity like the Aurora did.”
    “No sir,” Mister Bryant agreed. “That would definitely ruin our day. Still, you have to admit, it’s starting to look like this crazy plan might actually work.”
    “Perhaps,” Dumar said, “but I’ll be more confident after we get the maneuvering systems installed and working.”
    “Mister Delaney assures me that his crews will complete the task on schedule,” Mister Bryant told the commander, “and his opinion is certainly a well-qualified one.”
    “His experience is in fitting asteroids with single-use deceleration thrusters for the purpose of transferring them to orbits around Corinair. This is quite a different task altogether.”
    “I have faith in the old man,” Mister Bryant stated with confidence.
    “Let’s hope your faith is not misplaced,” Commander Dumar said as he turned to exit the control center.
    * * *
    Loki peered in through the doorway to the starboard pilot’s briefing room prior to entering. The room was like a small auditorium, with progressively elevated rows of comfortable high-backed seats that formed an arc around the room so that all the seats pointed directly at the podium. Behind the primary seating there was another level known as the gallery. It had four rows with ten seats in each row. Normally, it was covered by a retractable wall. Today, the wall was gone and half the gallery was filled with the additional flight crews from the sixteen four zero twos that had arrived the day before.
    “What the hell are you waiting for?” Josh called from behind.
    “We don’t usually attend these briefings,” Loki said under his breath.
    “What are