Oberheim (Voices): A Chronicle of War

, whose hexagonal frame gleamed coldly among the stars like the bl

like a fine spray of undulating mist, shrouded the multiplied blackness beyond. This protective film began to grow vague as

ghtest emotion at its use, only cold, mechanical efficiency. The curving prow of Dreadnought, in

e human genius), it appeared indeed a magician's trick: the monstrous vessel was reduced by small fractions. Lengt

ard in preparation for combat, could feel the sudden thrill of weightless, bodiless movement, and taste the ghoulish hum that began at lo

to the heart of a venomous, robotoid planet. All ship's power was lost, and in that phantom black thos

ind, he descended into

east had flowed blood a

not forgive. For soo

inc

ort-lived fright of the daring child, who has pumped and pulled the playground swing to its highest arc and is suddenly weightless, cast loose from the normal laws of earth, feels a moment's fear, but then with the rush of downward motion again feels himse

quickly assumed martial attitudes, and those whose functions allowe

net. And behind and to one side of them, though still far off, a detachment of the Coalition Fleet whir

to attack. Chutes one through twelve lower and discharge. Enemy at five o'clock, bearing 3 -

omb of the Carrier, formed into squadrons and flotillas, turned to face the enemy and begun to

tude of blazing turrets aboard the Dreadnought. One or two handfuls managed to elude fire long enough to harry the rear of the advancing ranks; but these wer

hty vessels, nearly a quarter of its strength, to patrol the area, and defend Friedrich Schiller, the beloved and irreplaceable East German home planet. And when the time came, thoug

no barricades or tactically advantageous points, only a three dimensional sea of emptiness in all directions, here and there pricked by planet islands, themselves destructible and a hindrance to mobili

power to the fray, and thus needing an early knockout. . .it was impossible. They fought with courage and intensity, but so did the Americans. And though they knew it was no game (some of the Americans did also), and though they fought for home and fam

o repeat of the

ts had had enough. Those who could, turned and fled into war

no prison

es' was not one of them. He allowed his men roughly three minutes to exchange war hoops and congratulations, then ordered his next de

, on an uncoded channel ordered them, once deployed, to take up pseudo-orbital positions around it and begin planetary destruct sequence, the East German leadership dropped its futile ploy. On the large central screen of the bridg

r. Secr

orbiting Artillery Stations--yes, I know about them--silenced and evacuated. They will

erstand you. Are you offeri

e hour and ten minutes. At that time I will expect a patch-through to Itjes. In the meantime my ships will continue to take up positions arou

rces, each with a battleship in its center, and to move into place in a wide belt encircling the planet, then turned facing o

ich might bring enemies and forces unlooked-for. By recent intelligence the nearest significant Soviet presence was at least a week distant. But how many of the smaller nations of the Coalition might be willing to risk

ntinued to move swiftly toward the system, and the entire planet scram

erman forces of other Coalition patrols, near and far, with leave or without it, broke off and began to converge on Schiller. Were it

and those of a group of nations which had to live, buy, and protect within their means. The four Commonwealth battleships were of a class possessed by only three Powers in the gal

firepower. Neither was capable of extended warp; and needless to say, they had no star gate, and thus no surprise capability. They were built for defense, and th

ected to He

people by the throat; what do you

lies on paper, to be read by the Communications Officer. He was going to leave the ene

Combat Fleet will engage us, to the death

f we r

owaves. It would be a shame to destr

. The written notes, read by a young voice without malice or understanding, had sent a chill straight through

o's going to se

Dresden detachment joins

twelve hou

me is

een wen

fast at a safe distance from the hornet's nest that surrou

had told Hayes flatly that there would be no engagement without his recordable promise--both visual and vocal--of the free evacuation of the planet, regard

here was something to be learned even from the loser of a given confrontation, and Itjes had the reputation of being a tough and resourceful foe. So he watched, and m

on the screen, flanked by Admiral Frank. "You have your promis

te

ll it bled, ordered

erienced, more disciplined, in some ways better trained; and for a time they did fairly well. They kept their forces togethe

er soldiers alike, veterans and younger men, husbands, heroes and cowards, were killed by shots that did not discriminate. No magical God-force protected the just and perseverant; no hand of Prov

ver came, fighting and dying and waiting for an order to retreat and then a surrender, and an end to the carnage that never came, fighting and dying and waiting for an order to retreat and then a surrender and an end

ing a long and continuous heat and shock laser burst into its core. The planet's surface writhed and convulsed with earthquakes and eruptions for perhaps two hours, till the outer crust was broken into crumbling islands in a molten sea, and what was left of the face fell apart. The Battleships ceased their barrage, leaving it to die its

and began to construct a second entrance, leading back the way they had come. Since the corridor itself was already in existence, needing only a return inlet, this took less than forty-eight hours. Then, all Commonwealth vessels tucked up saf

had wo