But What Will The Gods Eat Tomorrow?

I was amazed that we survived the first two minutes.

I managed to fire a few shots at the Aardvark, but they did little more than slow it down. Alone, I didn’t stand a chance against that behemoth, and with only one target, the Aardvark could turn its entire arsenal against me.

The first laser bolt slammed into our fields just as Tempest called out, "We’re high enough for nova!"

"Great!" I replied. "Now just figure out how we’re gonna do it!" Another bolt hit us. And another. So far, the fields were holding, but it wouldn’t be too long before they began to weaken. Once they failed, we were toast.

"Tempest, prep the NOVA drive!" I said as three more blasts made the fields glow red. "Get it as hot as you can. When it’s ready, let me know!"

"OK, Jonny!" Tempest said, and I could hear the fusion engine engage and the NOVA drive began to hum. "What are you planning to do?"

"When the drive’s ready, I’m gonna nova out of here."

"Ummm…Jonny," Tempest said, sounding a bit confused. "Have you forgotten that we can’t be moving when we nova?"

"Nope," I replied, banking hard to avoid a missile. The AI on the Aardvark was adapting to my flying, and it was getting harder to outmaneuver its shots.

"Then exactly how are we going to survive long enough for the drive to engage?"

"I don’t know," I admitted. "But we’ll never outrun the Aardvark, and if we wait too much longer the fields won’t be strong enough. We’ve got to try it now!" Another laser blast hit our fields, and I saw their power level beginning to drop. "When I stop the Dragon," I told Tempest, "you have to keep as much power to the fields as possible."

"Uh-huh," he answered. "No problem. I’ll just use my magical ability to create energy from nowhere!" There was a brief pause, and then Tempest angrily demanded, "How can I keep the fields at full power when the NOVA drive needs almost all our energy to function?"

"I don’t know."

"I hate you."

The whine from the NOVA drive was almost deafening. "It’s ready, Jonny!"

I hit the brakes, bringing the Dragon to a stop. "Engage the NOVA," I shouted, bracing myself for the needles which would verify my identity. They jabbed into my hands, and I gritted my teeth. Then I waited for the Aardvark to destroy us.

It must have been the Aardvark’s AI which saved us, though it took me a while to figure out how. The Aardvark’s computer learned to anticipate the moves of its attackers, and the one thing it had never expected was that I would come to a dead stop in the middle of a battle. A few stray shots hit our fields, but the majority of the blasts were directed ahead of us.

The jump window opened in front of us and I almost let out a cry of joy. Then I remembered that it took a minute or so before the window passed over us. I watched the vid screen eagerly. "The Aardvark’s adjusting!" I warned Tempest. "Can’t you hurry this up?"

"Do you really think I have the ability to violate the laws of physics?" Tempest demanded. "What is it you expect me to do, you stupid, primitive, as–" The rest of what he wanted to call me cut off when the Aardvark’s lasers finally locked in on us and Tempest directed all of his attention on maintaining our field strength.

The fields flashed to brilliant color, and I watched as the power level began to fall, slowly at first and then more rapidly. Despite the action, it was eerily quiet. I started to make laser sounds.