The Iris (Gravity, Space, and Time: Book 1) by Patkós Csaba - HTML preview

Chapter 12 - Vulnerable

Date: April 18, 2856

Commander Collins followed Peterson into his ready room, the door hissing shut behind them. A grimness settled over his usually stoic features. "Sir," he began, voice low, "this is serious."

Peterson turned, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "A mere glitch, perhaps?"

Collins shook his head. "I took the liberty of reviewing the raw sensor data myself while you were occupied. Cross-referenced it against the ship's systems, even ran a few exploratory algorithms." He paused, the silence in the room growing heavy.

"There should be nothing out there."

The confusion was plain on Peterson's face. "Are you saying Jouvier is incompetent?"

A flash of defensiveness sparked in Collins' eyes. "On the contrary, Captain. I'd stake my career on her ability to read patterns most would miss. Which leads to the troubling possibility…whatever triggered that initial detection, it's actively concealing itself."

Peterson's voice held a note of disbelief tinged with a creeping unease. "You're suggesting…intelligent life? Out there, watching us?"

"A distinct possibility, sir." Collins' tone was grim. "Potentially a very high one."

The two men settled into chairs around the ready room's table, a palpable tension filling the space between them. Collins continued, the usual stoicism cracking to reveal a flicker of anxiety.

"We never anticipated encountering life this close to Sol. Thought ourselves alone out here. Earth's been monitoring the skies for millennia – if there was a civilization lurking, we would've noticed." He shook his head, worry etching deeper lines across his forehead. "The timing…it can't be coincidence. They arrive at the same moment we do, in this vast emptiness?"

Peterson, while sharing the skepticism, remained calmer. "Agreed, the statistical likelihood of that is…negligible. But I still don't understand this urgency. We have zero indication they're even aware of our presence."

Collins leaned forward, hands gripping the table's edge. "That's the terrifying part, Captain! Consider: they must be far more advanced than humanity. Here, likely for ages, yet completely undetected. That alone speaks of a level of sophistication we can barely comprehend. Now, the question of contact looms. Our orders expressly forbid it – if detected, we're to retreat, not engage."

It was clear now; Collins' concern surpassed even the unexpected encounter itself.

Peterson needed to understand the source of this uncharacteristically strong reaction.

Peterson leaned forward, his voice firm but with a hint of warmth. "Charles, cut to the chase. This…unease. It's unlike you. You were privy to far more about ECHO

and this ship than I ever was. Now, lay it out."

Collins sighed, a flicker of resignation crossing his face. "Benjamin, this ship…it was a prototype rushed into service. Secrecy, deadlines…we did our utmost, but the Iris is not a warship. Exploration, yes. Combat…" He trailed off, the unspoken doubt hanging in the air.

Peterson straightened, confusion giving way to a prickle of unease. "But I studied the schematics. The firepower onboard surpasses that of Earth's entire defense fleet!"

Collins's voice was grim. "Schematics are just that – plans. Not every system was ready in time. Some are still in production, even as we speak. We're fabricating parts out here. And since this was intended as a shakedown in safe territory…well, offensive capabilities weren't prioritized."

Peterson's voice tightened, a hint of anger now evident. "Why was I kept in the dark?

I was presented with a complete picture, a ship capable of defending itself!"

A flicker of shame crossed Collins's face. "Direct orders. They feared you might reject the mission if you knew the full truth. A gamble, one I regret now that we're out here…" He paused, then Peterson met his gaze. "XO, let's be blunt. What's the Iris's actual combat readiness?"

Collins let out another sigh, this one laced with a note of resignation. His usual confidence was shaken. "Benjamin, those short-range guns…that's our sum total of offensive weaponry. Theoretically, they might knock an asteroid off course, maybe take down a missile or fighter at close range. But anything substantial? Forget it."

He looked away, as if unable to meet Peterson's gaze. "And given the size of the object - whatever it is - we picked up at twenty light-years…it's safe to assume it's massive. Moon-sized wouldn't be a stretch."

Peterson felt a cold dread settle in his gut. "Shields, then. I read about the DGRS, the Deep Gravitation Repulsion Shield. An adaptation of Earth's ENIGMA defenses, wasn't it? I figured the schematics implied it was functional."

Collins shook his head, the grim set of his jaw mirroring Peterson's rising worry.

"Theoretical only. Never truly implemented. The plan was to prove this prototype, then install the shield here. Thing is…scaling ENIGMA down to a vessel this size, the energy density…it wreaks havoc on other systems. Tricky bit of engineering, that.

My personal estimate? Humanity's a decade or two away from cracking that nut."

The realization hit Peterson like a physical blow. The Iris, this marvel of technology, was effectively naked. A thick hull was hardly enough when faced with a potentially hostile force far beyond anything humanity had ever encountered. He needed options, a plan, but only a single word seemed to echo in his mind: vulnerable.

Peterson's voice rang with a determination laced with frustration. "If we cannot fight, and if we cannot defend ourselves, we will hide! Right now, Commander, I want a comprehensive plan of avoidance. We won't retreat immediately, but any sign of detection, and we vanish. And Earth is out of the question. If we run, it's the other way! Their safety is paramount. If these aliens – if that's what they are – mean us harm, we lure them away from Sol, then find a way back on our own terms.

Forty-eight hours, Commander. Dismissed."