The Data Traders

Propagation Delay

Due to speed of light limits, data transfer across guild nodes is always accomplished via Data Ark movement. This also means that data moves across the network at irregular speeds due to the semi-random movement of Data Arks. Thus, a transaction record may move across many light years in as little as a week or it could take months. This means that the complete Guild database will never reach a single consistent state nor does it need to.

Excerpted With Permission

Data Trader’s Handbook

Copyright 3250, Interstellar Data Trader Guild

By the time the Brigadier left the ship, the Theo had gained considerable speed in relationship to the Raeburn system. Of course, the star itself was moving relative to other stars so the idea that the Theo was moving at all was simply a reference to the local star system. The human brain wasn’t wired for stellar navigation, but the computers onboard the Theo were, so they were able to plot their course easily.

Leo made his way to the bridge and was relieved to see Ramona sitting up and issuing orders to the bridge crew. “Feeling better?”

“Yes, I just needed some time and electrolytes.” She held up the large jug she had been drinking from. Modern auto-doc systems were really quite amazing, but nothing changed the fact that the human body needed time to repair and rejuvenate. Ramona pointed to the large system chart on the main viewer. “It looks like Dad is falling back to the inner system. All Guard units are retreating to within the second asteroid belt.”

“Is that significant?”

“Well, he’s usually much more offense minded. When the Combine raiders came, we used what he called ‘boom and zoom’ to establish local firepower superiority.”

“Sorry, what does that mean?”

“It means we went in hot and blasted the hell out of the invaders one ship at a time.”

“Oh, OK. I get that.” Leo examined the system chart again. “I’m not an expert, but it looks like he wants them to come in.”

“Ya, I am Raeburn’s foremost authority on my dad’s thoughts on space warfare. He would lecture me over the dinner table after my mom died.”

“And?”

“And, this is not what he would normally do.”

Leo shrugged. “OK, what does that mean for us?”

“Not much, we are building momentum quickly. The course we are on means a stern chase for the invaders if they decide to chase us. It also means their shortest intercept is THROUGH the heart of the system.”

“And you think your dad wants that?”

“Yes, I think he’s trying to encourage them to enter the inner system for some reason.”

“I wonder why.”

Ramona consulted the system chart again. “I think we’re about to find out.” She pointed. “The lead elements are about to enter into the second belt.”

“What’s there?”

“Mining systems mostly. Those asteroids are very rich in metals. Iron, manganese, copper, things like that.”

“So, automated fabs?”

“Yes, mostly. When Raeburn was banned, there was a concentrated effort to ensure that we were self sufficient. There was a huge investment in automated mining and related technologies. This allowed us to keep developing the system even after we were banned. However, those mines are over fifty years old now, I don’t think many of them are active any longer.”

Suddenly, the system chart lit up and audible alarms went off on the bridge. Leo turned to the watch stander. “What is that alarm?”

“High energy lasers and heat blooms detected.” He pointed. “They’re marked with the red icons on the screen.” The system display had developed a rash of red icons. Dozens, then hundreds of them bloomed on the display.

Leo just stared. “What the hell?”

Ramona laughed. “Dad’s been busy.” She pointed at the icons. “Hard to tell with these sensors, but I would bet you a guilder that there are hundreds if not thousands of automated installations all through the belt. He probably parked massive weapons systems in thousands of those old mines. The asteroids are basically just metallic rocks so attacking them with normal anti-ship weapons won’t do much good. They’ll just absorb most weapons short of a direct hit with a nuke. The Guild ships just walked into a killing field.”

From what they could see, the Guild ships were being decimated. Meteor belts aren’t really dense like some vids portrayed, but space based weapons system ranges are usually measured in light seconds rather than in Kilometers. This means that it would be pretty easy to establish overlapping fields of fire by carefully choosing which meteors had weapons systems installed on them. A few of the ships tried to turn back but within thirty minutes, all of them were drifting, dead in space.

A soft chime sounded on Ramona’s console. “It’s from Dad.” Leo took the presumptuous step of reading over her shoulder, hoping the message was professional, rather than personal.

Ramona,

I am sorry your visit was cut short, but I understand that you’ve got your own life to live. Please come back to Raeburn soon, I would like to make amends for not being there for you when you needed me. Leo seems like a solid young man, be good to him and I think he will be good for you.

Attached, please find replicator files for “Self-replicating anti-shipping weapons platform Mark VII” just in case.

Love,

Dad

Ramona turned to see Leo reading over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow.

Leo stepped back. “Sorry.”

Ramona just shook her head. “It’s just dad being dad. He seems to like you.”

“That’s good, right?”