Chronicles of Sol: The Fall

July 2nd 002 SDE:

Misaki leaned over her console as she monitored the sensors. Feeling a bit of excitement. After visiting several barren systems and with very little to do lately, today's task was far more interesting. They had found a mineral-rich system the planet before them was rather bleak but it was rich in valuable minerals. There were several promising nodes near the surface including a massive gold deposit. It was a mind-boggling large deposit. The node extends across an area of nearly seven hundred kilometers. Numerous other minerals were being picked up in the area as the region was very rich. Especially near the various impact craters in the area, which also meant the area had just about every mineral worth money. The gold alone was worth hundreds of billions of credits.

As for the rest of the planet? It was fairly large with a diameter of nearly 17,000 kilometers. Its atmosphere was rather thin, however. It lacked vegetation and surface water was almost non-existent. The surface was pockmarked with impact craters, but it also had vast barren rock faces and numerous mountain ranges. The planet was also rather close to its parent star which led to temperatures ranging from 40 to 70 degrees C on average, which was honestly not that bad but certainly not pleasant. As for life? There was some, but nothing worth considering.

At the moment the Enterprise was deploying shuttles and platforms around the planet. This was all part of Ruri’s modified orbital mining scheme. Based on their previous work with aerial mining, she had been working on extending the range of their tractor beams and mining lasers. Today they were going to test her modified resonant mining lasers, which she was mounting on the orbital platforms they had started deploying. Concentrating the platforms over the largest mineral deposits.

Noting the work she looked up, “First phase deployment is nearly completed sir. Numbers are looking good and we are on track.”

Behind her Countryman commented, “Excellent. Let me know when things are in place.”

She smiled, “Will do, sir!”

As it would turn out it would only take a few more minutes for the shuttles to finish towing the platforms into place. A swarm of orbitals outfitted with a fusion generator, a simple station-keeping thruster assembly, a central control computer, and most importantly a resonant pulse particle beam emplacement. The beam array was the latest in mining laser development designed to break up large sections of a planet's surface to allow for easier mining of key deposits. A rather brutal approach if you asked her, but the planet was a dump anyway. Who would want to live here anyway? It was barren with bleak windswept rockfaces and hot. The air was thin, radiation high and there was little water. Not exactly prime real estate. Yet the planet was a treasure trove of wealth.

Looking up, she reported they were in place. That action was like throwing a match into a some oil and flames erupted on the bridge. Figuratively of course. In moments people were working and coordinating as the shuttles were pulled back and the platforms activated.

Brilliant pulsating beams rippled from the platforms to bombard the areas they identified. Dutifully she took readings and reported their progress. As the beams built to resonance, the surface of the planet started cracking. Ground crumbling to dust as deep trenches were drilled into the surface. Following the preprogrammed paths to expose as much high-value mineral deposits as possible and break them up. So that the shuttles could easily mine them from the air.

It was quite the sight watching solid rock break down like that. As it was bombarded with high-energy particles and resonant pulses. Traveling along the beam, each pulse acted to weaken the targeted matter, I.E the rock.

Then she noted something unusual, “Sir resonance waves are increasing across the planet. I detecting seismic responses.”

Countryman seemed to appear next to her, he blinked, “Shut them down, now!”

She moved to comply, just as a particularly powerful spike was registered. The ground shook and split apart as the planet experienced a level ten earthquake. Quickly followed by a second. “Platforms four, seven and nine not responding. Beam output spiking, they are overloading.”

The beams phase shifted to a brilliant purple and several massive quakes followed. Countryman turned, already barking orders as readings continued to spike on the planet.

Several resonance waves converged just as a section of crust shattered. Flows of lava shooting into the air. The planet was already starting to break apart. As the resonance waves continued to build. She attempted new commands to try and shut down the malfunctioning platforms. A moment later one of them exploded. Not ideal, but a start. She tried the same commands with the other two and they both detonated as well. Reactor containment failure.

Below the crust continued to disintegrate, but resonance waves started falling. But it was perhaps already too late, the planet seemed to be tearing itself apart. Good thing its only value were the massive mineral deposits. So no real loss, here. With nothing to do, she simply took readings as the earthquakes and eruptions continued to wrack the surface. Churning up plenty of valuable minerals. “So I guess this plan was a failure?”

“Perhaps, send the data to Ruri.”

She nodded and watched as Countryman left the bridge. Transferring command to Greyman. Stretching she turned back to her console, but couldn’t help wondering what was between Ruri and Countryman. Having heard the stories, she wondered if there was something more between them? Her face turned a little red with some of the thoughts and then she shook her head. She needed to get out more.

Ruri looked up as Countryman came into the lab. She smiled, “I was just about to go see you.”

“Dressed like that?”

She glanced down, her lab coat was a little torn and a boob was poking out. Nothing serious. “Its fine. Anyway I looked over the data.”

He started rummaging through a locker, “So what happened, planetary crust disintegration shouldn’t have happened so quickly.”

“The planet’s mineral formations acted as amplifiers from the look of it. The resonance pulses from so many beams at once began to bounce back and forth. Growing more powerful with each passing moment.”

He turned around, a new lab coat in hand. She sighed and started to strip out of her own. Wanting to forgo any arguments. This time she didn’t make the mistake of wearing her favorite one anyway. She was still kind of unhappy that he recycled her favorite labcoat and she wasn’t going to let him do it to her new favorite. In moments she was standing there nude, she hadn’t been wearing anything else in the first place.

He just sighed, “You know sometimes I wonder how old you really are and then I remember how long we have been together.”

Recalling a previous conversation, “Yes well about that child. Is now an appropriate time?”

He chuckled, “I think we are going to be a little too busy for that and which of us will raise it?”

She giggled, “Yeah good point, I don’t exactly have the time to be a mother and you are so busy as captain. Still we have good genes.”

He smiled, “Well I do want a child of my own. I’ve always wanted a daughter.” he let out a breath, “I’ve tried before, but you know how life is. Sometimes things just don’t work out as planned.”

As he slipped the new coat around her naked body, “I know. My recent experiment is proof of that. I guess we can finally test out the planet destroying aspects of Resonant Particle beams.”

When he stepped back she turned around, “it would be rather illuminating to monitor the break up of a planet. Not to mention it would allow us access to mineral deposits we otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach.”

“True but the expected yields would have exceeded what we would be able to securely store in our cargoholds. I guess we would be leaving a rather valuable mineral field behind when we are done.”

“Perhaps, but if we stuck around we would certainly have plenty of material to build new ships with. We could enlarge the fleet.”

“Yes, in theory, but we are in the middle of the Lantaro sector. This system is quiet right now, but we already found wrecks from past battles here. I doubt this system will stay quiet long enough for us to produce a fleet and while we are building new ships we will be vulnerable. There is also the training to consider and who we would have man new ships.”

Ruri nodded, “Yes those would be issues to solve. Forget I said anything. In the meantime we should just work on getting what value we can out of the planet.”

Countryman agreed and they started working out a new plan with the problems they found already in mind. With better models they would also be able to more easily mine from orbit useful materials they found. This planet was already a treasure trove with rich deposits of precious metals and useful minerals. Minerals that would help fuel research and replenish reserves.

Then she changed the subject, “On a different note, those wrecks we found. Has the Umikaze finished her survey?”

“Not that I have heard, but she did send a few reports. We did locate a few with functional systems, including a working shield generator.”

“Excellent! That will be perfect for the weapons test.” She blinked, “Oh, I should get those pulsars delivered to the hangers.”

“I already thought of that. They are already loaded and waiting for testing.”

She smiled, “Thanks. I look forward to seeing how they perform.”

“Hopefully as advertised, they would give our fighters a nice edge. Which they could use.”

“More so for any 1208’s in the fleet than the 1204s. As we do have to swap out the standard launchers in favor of pulsar launchers.”

“Perhaps, but if they work as you expect they would be a welcome weapon to use.”

Ruri nodded, she had seen the simulations. The 1208 would benefit the most. It was designed as a heavy bomber to complement the X-1204. It carried both torpedoes and bombs. Switching out two of the four launchers with Pulsar launchers would in simulation be of benefit to the ship. Then she recalled a few proposals she had seen in regards to the X-1208. She brought something up, “Anyway speaking of the weapons, someone recently proposed this. Project Sparrow is meant to finalize and update the X-1208 for use as a heavy bomber.”

“I haven’t really been using the 1208, as I haven’t needed it. Still having the option could be useful, what are they thinking?”

“Honestly nothing major, they proposed a few changes to the engine and armor configuration, along with mounting a miniaturized Electro Cannon. That would involve removing two of the four launchers. I’m thinking of vetoing that in favor of pulsars, but we can test both.”

He looked over the change and nodded, “Hmm not that different. Should be an easy enough alteration and would greatly improve maneuverability without significantly harming protection.”

“If anything there should be slight improvements,” she replied.

He smiled, “Give them the greenlight and get a few prototypes out, if they work well. We can add a squadron to the fleet.

A moment later he left and she turned back to her data. She couldn’t wait to see the next results.