Natural visibility was down to a few hundred kilometres when The Vengeance edged slowly into the nebulae. On the bridge the Commander was waiting to see the gas mine for real. Not just electronic representations. “Comms. Can we enlarge?” On screen was the plan of something that looked like a bicycle wheel.
“Yes Commander.” Joe was at his position on the bridge. But he was already in his suit. He expected to join the Lispers if there was any exploration to do in the mine.
“Can you remind us all again please Comms?”
“Yes Commander. The idea was that the whole structure rotates as it orbits through the gas. Molecules of the noble metals are charged by the movement and cling to the spokes. The atoms get differentiated to different parts of the spoke according to their atomic number. Its like an electrolytic refinery using charged space as the medium instead of acid and electrodes. Tram cars travelled the spokes scraping sheets of metal off and…”
“Sorry Comms.” It was Navvs. “There's a ship at the hub. Maybe two ships. Inside the hub dock. Looks like a freighter…. and a destroyer.”
“All stop” said the Commander “Navvs, Comms. Get everything you can. And check out the other mine, the abandoned one. Could anything hide in there?”
“Yes Commander.” Said Joe. “The scoop could hold a complete fleet…..”
“Lets have the plans.” Said Navvs.
Joe thought them over to Navvs.
“All right people. I am going to get closer. Same course as before. Take us forwards another eight thousand kilometres.”
“The other mine is empty.” Said Navvs “As far as I can tell. The metal is so rotten that I’m getting some really weird images. We need to watch it.”
“We will.” Said the Commander “Can we see if we are close enough for a real image on the screen….Oh…. Well that’s it.”
The nearer rim of the wheel was clearly visible to the naked eye. The spokes stretched back for one hundred kilometres to the hub. The further half of the wheel disappeared into the nebula.
“Comms, is that gold colour actual gold?”
“Yes Commander. Well maybe. A lot of it is probably copper, bornite and chalco pyrites. But some of it will be gold. Only one molecule thick though.”
“Well, I want to fly round the rim Navvs and then spiral in to the hub. Slowly. Five hundred kilometres an hour. Comms, Gunns, I want everything recce swept everyway. If there’s one lone gunman up one of those spokes then I want to see him on the plan. Sergeant of the Marines to the bridge please, and can you get your men watching the screen in the hold? I think they need to see where they may be going.”
“Yeth Commander.”
The Vengeance began the search pattern. Slowly edging round the outside of the giant wheel. Every passive sensor straining for evidence of matter that didn’t quite belong there.
Sometimes Comms or Navvs would ask for confirmation of a stray gravity wave, or a magnetic blip that may not be gas or metal. Otherwise the plan of the mine was filled in with a lot of zero’s.
“Message from Commander Vengeance to Commodore of the Blue.
The rim and spokes are empty. We see no attempt by M forces to build defensive positions. No attempt at setting up fields of fire or anything. Stevedore parties are in the hub unloading the freighter and destroyer. Work parties are preparing the old mine quarters for re-habitation. Full image and recce info is beaming to you. Endit.”
The Commander turned from the comms position and looked round at her officers
“Right everyone. Any ideas about their strategy? It seems extremely slack of them to have no defences set up at all. Anyone? Navvs?”
“Well it was on one of Joe’s intercepts. This guy said we wouldn’t attack Chimbuzi because it had no military value. So maybe they reckon we wont come.”
“Perhapth they’re just louthy at fighting” said the Sergeant
“Maybe they don’t want to fight us. Maybe they hate the Junta and plan to surrender.” Said Engines.
“Maybe it’s a trap.” Said Joe.
“That is what frightens me.” Said the Commander. “But if it is a trap I can’t see it. Any ideas?”
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