Raks footsteps echoed loudly in the bare steel corridor. Bright florescent lights flooded the small passage with light, rendering the florescent wall panels inert. Rak observed several groups of scientists pass him, uttering regards as they moved on by. The hallway seemed to descend into the pits of hell, as it kept going and going. Finally, after nearly forty minutes of tireless walking, the ending emerged. Two thick steel elevator style doors greeted him, tinted square windows placed in the top center of each. Two heavy turrets silently tracked him, seeming eager to pound him into oblivion and annihilate his remains. As Rak approached the exit, the doors began to groan. As the dual blast doors opened, Alan observed that they were nearly ten feet in depth. The revelation surprised him, despite the fact that he had already reviewed their specifications in depth.
Inside he found a small waiting lounge, replete with auto-tracking turrets and security monitors. Taking a seat, the Chairman jumped at the long bang emitted by the blast doors slamming shut. Quickly retaking his seat with a hint of embarrassment, Alan caught his breath. At that moment, the double doors in the front of the lounge swung open, and the familiar sight of Charles Scalding greeted Rak.
Charles! I was beginning to think that I would never see another human being again in this place. This facility is armed and armored like a military fortress, what could possibly be so important?
I let the doctor explain. Please, come with me Alan. It seems that Atinoda is more technologically advanced than we thought.
Scalding led the CEO of Atinoda Corporation through a maze of offices and hallways, until finally entering a cavernous chamber containing several large machines.
He introduced Rak to Doctor Larry Byrnes, one of the finest physicists alive.
So, Dr. Byrnes, what is your specialty? Alan inquired.
Applied thermodynamics and applied nuclear physics. Byrnes replied.
Indeed. I see you have constructed some interesting things here. Mind explaining them to me?
Of course, Chairman Rak. Byrnes bowed his head respectfully. Exhibit A, he pointed to a rather large power core with a complicated series of machinery hooked up it. This is your standard anti-matter / matter combustion chamber. With a few of my special enhancements, of course. Utilizing my groundbreaking new theories on subatomic interactions and dynamics, I have been able to increase the gross output by nearly fifty percent, and the energy output by nearly thirty percent. Guaranteed to give a huge boost in the speed and acceleration of your vessels. He winked, and then moved on to the next model. Exhibit B. Your standard fusion reactor. This one is highly concentrated, and can produce twenty percent more power. He excitedly moved on. And now to the final exhibits: c and d. These two are my crowning achievements. Both have the ability to drastically alter life as we know it. The first is a combination cold fusion reactor / matter anti-matter reactor. The four-chambered system is capable of producing nearly double the energy required to puncture the space-time continuum. This energy is then funneled, he pointed out a thin pipe leading to another machine, to this device. Now this is the real meat of the project. While reactors capable of producing Plank scale energy have existed for generations, there has never been a power concentrator capable of handling it. This baby can pump out fifty percent more energy than required to tear space-time in a directed energy beam. This energy beam can project a wormhole, which the ship can then travel through. The energy beam could, conceivably, be able to project an inverse wormhole, which could prevent shots from hitting the platform, yet still allowing it to fire unhindered. A comprehensive grid of beams could act as an impenetrable shield.
Most impressive, Mr. Byrnes. When can these units be ready for installation?
We can accelerate the prototype tested with a significant infusion of capital, and begin production in a matter of days.
Very good, Vice President Byrnes. I hope to see continued development in the future.
Rak strode commandingly out of the bay.
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Meanwhile, implementation of the advance defense program was going along well at Atinoda Station.
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Atinoda Fleet:
40 Kestrels C
5 Kestrels
15 Lightnings
10 Rapiers
10 Bulk Freighters
Purchases:
10 Kestrels 30M
15 Integrated Torpedo Banks; 15 Torpedoes per Bank: 15M
20 Integrated Proton Batteries: 5M
Reinforced, phased shielding upgrade (5000 points): 10M
Plank Scale Directed Energy Beam: 30M
Liquid Capital:
0M Credits
Profit:
70M credits (sales of Kestrels, rapid sales of the Kestrel C, due to my extended absence, I felt that double the normal amount would be acceptable)
20M credits (mining for ore)
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General Rak - PowerBroker - (url="http://"mailto:power64@optonline.net")mailto:power64@optonline.net(/url)power64@optonline.net