Sold into Marriage

Chapter 19: Fleet

Chapter 19: Fleet
Copyright 2021 by John Wells. All Rights Reserved.

On Wednesday, I concentrate on school, until two. I have been doing lessons in the background, finishing four per day, each three weeks’ worth of a class. Today, I handle twenty lessons, finishing my junior year at high school months early. Beyond the normal school requirements and multiple languages, I am learning programming and hardware design. This will let me design the devices myself and program them to make them work, instead of having Debbie do it. These days, even kitchen appliances are computers that require a program to make them work.

I slow down my lesson processing to pay attention to the conversation at breakfast and lunch. Today, Jane made my eggs in a toast for me for breakfast and Mexican pizza for lunch. It was my first time having the pizza. Re-fried beans and hamburger between two tortillas, topped with salsa, onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, and cheese, baked to a crispy cheesy masterpiece. I am definitely wanting this again in the future. Most conversation was trying to get hints out of me for today’s activity. I was vague about my answers. Leaving them knowing asteroids and ship, but not that they would handle a ship on their own. Instead, thinking yesterday’s activity might repeat.

At two, I let Dan bring the others out to our ship. I transport directly to my ship after lunch, and make six more ships for the others. When they show up, I retrain them how to pilot their ships because they did not get to do so yesterday. I point out which ship is theirs and show them the internal structure on the main communication screen so they know where things are. I expect them to transport to their bridge safely so we can play follow the leader as I lead them into a round about chase using sub-light speed near the asteroids. Initially, I stay in a curve near the asteroids before making more complicated patterns like a corkscrew or cube.

After an hour of that, they have proved decent captains, so we use light speed for twenty quick hops inside the solar system, basically in formation around the sun at coordinates selected by Debbie just inside of the asteroid field. She specifies the direction, speed, and time to each person once it is their turn to move from their last position. They inform the internal AI to perform the move. I move once the following ship arrives at my location. They each move after the preceding ship arrives at its next location. Since the coordinates are equal distance around solar system, we circle the sun at light speed with seven different locational pauses.

Once back around our starting point, I place another ship as a target protected by an air shield and retrain everyone how to use their weapon systems via the main communication screens of their ships. I have each person take turns attacking the target ship with both of their weapons simultaneously. Once they seem to have the hang of a stationary target, I cause it to fly and have them attack one at a time, until they do not miss. Next, I have them place an air shield around each of their ships and pair them up to attack one another. I give them their own cube known by Debbie far enough apart that she can stop leaving it and entering another. I arranged them with their center as the points of a triangle, allowing me to watch all three battles once I am far enough above.

Debbie warns on approach to the cube sides. Debbie and I discuss issues needing improvement. I show the improvements to the person involved via my link to them. Mainly, keep moving so you are a harder target to hit and aim at where they will be, not where they are. Once I am happy, I call a stop to the battles.

I reorganize into two, three-person teams and start them off once more in a larger cube. Now, Debbie warns of boundaries and collisions. Initially, they are so focused on the ship they are attacking. They collide with others, at least the air shield prevents damage. They do not organize very well, so I make suggestions. Such as trading targets instead of hitting or going around your teammate. Were play five more times with adjustments before I am happy with their coordination of their teams.