Echo-1 The Whale

34: A Defensive Strategy

Two panic-stricken days later in that same communication room was gathered all the key players on board. Uzi, his two guards, Dr. Death, X, and twenty Zero-G commandos; ten elite pilot commandos and ten of the Grunts. They represented the leadership among the ship's defenses. The Save the Whale gang were present. Dixon and I were there, Nidi brought Charlie, and Mox and Zandar Vandar Blunt stood at the front. 

Veronica and Vronsky appeared behind the glass first and both whale pods were with them. The last to show up was Jonas with Henry at his side. Henry was piloting the Banga and had grown two-thirds the size of Jonas. He was going to be big. 

Charlie started by stating that the main computer would be shielded from the Vedma light beam virus, but it would be limited to controlling the propulsion system, navigation, and life support. The passenger sections were crucial, if the Vedma took control of the cryo units, they could easily kill everyone onboard or cause chaos by waking up 7 billion passengers at once. 

It was a gamble to mess with the Vedma and our assumption they would not leave the orbit of the Morning Star comet was clearly misguided. Charlie assured us that we would lose control of every robot on board and every other system including our fighters, vehicles, weapons, and machinery. 

The Brick and the Blue Hand Diamond Scout were the only two ships that we would be able to rely on. X chimed in that her Diamond-a-gogo and Death's Diamond-robo-com suit would also be impervious. Uzi requested the use of the Rust-a-gogo and Mox had no issue. 

Mox and Blunt had come on a flatbed transport vehicle and on it where the two Rust-combat suits, the Rust-a-gogo, the case of 20 odd rust-blade assault rifles and the three handheld rust cannons. Also on board was a mystery box and the big wasp exoskeleton I'd seen stored in the Brick's hallway. The Sentinel droid stood silently at the back of the room. 

Dr. Death couldn't wait. "What's in the box?"

The box was bright green with dark blue metal framing and an archaic-looking padlock. Mox went over to the exotic steamer truck and opened it. He pulled out a bright green scale-covered object. It was about a 25 cm around and about a meter long. Mox shoved his arm up to his elbow into a hole at the back of the device. It was a gun of some sort. 

"This is the most dangerous thing I own."

Mox's lizard eyes looked around the room.

"It's a Veltearrik Acid Blaster. They fire a kind of slimy goo that will eat the flesh off your bones and melt through the hull of most ships. If we boarded the Vedma ship, it would be extremely effective in destroying, well, just about everything. I have two of them. They fire a hundred charges each and take a week to completely recharge. Being mostly organic, they shouldn't be affected by the virus. Inside are millions of microscopic creatures that lay dormant until all their goo is fired, then they spring to life and make more. They were harvested from the belly of a Veltearrik beast. Think an overweight dragon that can't fly, breathes hydrogen, and can eat anything. The acid leaves behind a biohazardous mess that can't really be cleaned up. I suppose you could fly it into a star. Needless to say, these should be a last resort and definitely never fired on the Banga." 

He pulled his hand out of the acid gun and put it back in the case.

"I also have a small surplus of rust lightning swords." He looked at the grunts. "You ten should each take one. You're big enough to wield them." 

The ten grunts walked over to the flatbed and each took one of the large jagged-edged weapons. 

"Oh, not that one." Mox grabbed a thinner rust blade away from one of the grunts. It was very straight and not unlike an oversized samurai sword. He walked over to Nidi with the weapon.