Less than zero (RN: Book 1) by David Gunner Read Free Book Online Page A

it?”
     
    “It’s required listening for all senior Royal Navy Orbital officers.”
     
    “In the section regarding planetary security, he made efforts to downplay reports of pirate attacks on the shipping lanes, and spoke of how EDP forces will make a concerted effort to quash the bandit menace once and for all. This caused several notable columnists to vocally assert their concerns that EDP forces are stretched too thin, and that bandits are no longer limiting themselves to single traders outside the system. That they have grown sufficiently bold to attack convoys within the solar system itself. Is any of this true? Does pirate activity represent a substantially increased threat?”
     
    “The threat is quite real and it’s even worse than your columnist friends claim. And frankly, there’s not a lot we can do about it. You look a little shocked.”
     
    “I am. I... I just wasn’t expecting you to be so open.”
     
    “You’re here for the truth, I suspect?”
     
    “Of course, yes. But I –“
     
    “Then the truth is all you will hear.”
     
    “Thank you. I ...eh. If you can give me a second to ...”
     
    “Certainly.”
     
    “Yes …okay.  I’m finding it a little difficult to believe that pirates can operate at will within the Sol system. I mean, this is - the home system . Despite, The Koll, I’d always thought of Sol as being impregnable. That any citizen can go anywhere without fear or prejudice.”
     
    “It’s an unfortunate thing for one to hear, but, and despite what the constitution says, Civis romanus sum has never been anything more than platitudes and the words of fine speeches. Do you know how long it takes to travel across the solar system at the speed of light?”
     
    “I’m sorry? I don’t see the relevance. So can we return to the subject of people’s safety?”
     
    “Humour me.”
     
    “Air Marshal, I –“
     
    “Please. You’ll see my point.”
     
    “I’m not really sure. Spatial mechanics was never my strong suit. But, and seeing as you request it, light is pretty fast so ... I’d say about …an hour?”  
     
    “Almost eleven hours.”
     
    “Really!”
     
    “Really.”
     
    “I had no idea.”
     
    “Most people don’t. It’s an unfortunate sign of the current social ignorance regarding what you so freely refer to as - the home system . Since the adoption of hyper-velocity and FTL drives that allow us to travel from one star system to another in weeks or days, most people have come to regard our local system as a little more than an extension of their own backyard. They don’t having any idea of the distances involved, distances which are simply staggering.”
     
    “It pains me to admit that I know very little regarding spatial mechanics. And as my posting does not require me to consider such details, they’re not very relevant to me.”
     
    “My point exactly. Why do I need to know that as I’ll never use it , is an all too common reason for not being aware, these days. If we can return to the eleven hours for the moment, the reason I mentioned it, is this: If a trader on one side of the system called for help and we were on the opposite side, eleven hours is what it would take us to get there if we travelled at the speed of light. However, we don’t travel at the speed of light, and even if we did any raiders would be long gone by the time we arrived.”
     
    “I don’t understand. Why don’t you travel at the speed of light? Are your ships incapable?”
     
    “Our patrol ships are capable of exceeding FTL by many factors. However, and with certain exceptions, all military vessels that operate within the system are limited to sub-light speeds. The Tokyo limitations apply to us just as much as they do to civilian vessels.”
     
    “What! That’s preposterous. You mean to say that if you receive a distress call, you cannot use your maximum capabilities to assist?”
     
    “Only our maximum conventional velocity is available within