Throttle Forty-Four
“The targets are associated with a point-cost,” ChaOS said. “Cumulative point gains will be the determining factor in who wins. By this metric, it is possible that a contestant can win without surviving the race itself.”
“That would suck,” Diana said. “I want to win, but I’d prefer to do it while alive.”
“You are unusually keen on self-preservation today, Mistress,” ChaOS said.
“Thanks. Now, the list?” Diana glanced to the side, where a projected screen started to fill with a table that outlined all of their objectives.
| Objective | Points Granted |
| Vehicles and Equipment | |
| Combat Craft | 1 |
| Large Ground Vehicles | 1 |
| Corvettes | 10 |
| Frigates | 20 |
| Destroyers | 25 |
| Cruisers | 50 |
| Carriers and Command Vessels | 100 |
| The Pride of Bolgia | 1000 |
Diana hummed to herself as she inspected the list. Combat craft would barely be worth chasing down. Diana figured the winner would probably have thousands of points, meaning wasting time going after low value targets was a losing strategy. They’d need to take out hundreds of those smaller craft to even start getting anywhere.
Then again, they were well-equipped for taking them out, and if there were as many as she suspected, then smaller ships would become a constant source of new points. Others would definitely be focusing on those, so taking out the small ships they could would also prevent the others in the race from taking those points.
The race was a zero-sum game. Depriving others of methods to win was going to be important, though perhaps not as important as making those points herself.
“What’s the Pride of Bolgia? A warship?” she asked.
“The system’s flagship,” ChaOS said. “It’s a battlecruiser. I have few details to add other than its approximate tonnage.”
She nodded. Likely a well-armed, well-defended ship then. The Yamamoto of the Bolgian fleet, maybe. She’d have to see.
| Objective | Points Granted |
| Orbital Infrastructure | |
| Communication and Weather Satellites | 0.5 |
| Military and Surveillance Satellites | 1 |
| Orbital Stations | 5 |
| Orbital Shipyards | 50 |
| Jump Ring Stations | 100 |
“How tough is the average jump ring station?” Diana asked.
“Relative to a warship? I doubt most are armoured. Nor is it likely that they are armed beyond point-defence and anti-meteor systems.”
Diana hummed to herself. The same value as a carrier. So the point-value was more about how much it would hurt the Bolgians than how difficult it would be to take a target out. “Someone could race around the planet’s orbit and do nothing but hit stations and they’d still make some decent points. I don’t imagine that every station is military though.”
“I know too little about the system and the society to be able to conclusively say whether or not they have much by means of civilian infrastructure. The points table doesn’t seem to differentiate either way.”
That didn’t sit well with her. “Let’s avoid hitting anything that looks civilian. Military targets are one thing, but I’m here to race, not commit war crimes.”
“Gladly noted, mistress.”
Diana snorted. “Okay, what about planet-side?”
| Objective | Points Granted |
| Planetary Infrastructure | |
| Bolgian Statues | 0.5 |
| Communication Towers | 5 |
| Surface-to-Space Guns | 10 |
| Small Military Outposts | 10 |
| Museums | 10 |
| Heritage Sites | 15 |
| Spaceports | 25 |
| Auto-Factories | 25 |
| Power Stations | 25 |
| Shipyards | 50 |
| Surface-to-Orbit Power Transmitters | 50 |
“Note that these targets specify that damaging them is usually sufficient to gain the points associated with the target,” ChaOS said.
“Remove power stations from our targeting priorities,” Diana said. People needed power, regardless of their position. “Museums too. That’s just a bit rude.”
“As you wish,” ChaOS said. The lines were struck from the table a blink later. “There’s one final list of ground-side targets. These are the high-value locations.”
| Objective | Points Granted |
| Unique Targets | |
| New Bolgian Parliament | 250 |
| The System Throne | 250 |
| Military Installation Tonketatsu | 250 |
| The Arc of Victory | 250 |
“So, hit the big important landmarks for all the big points,” Diana said.
“All four of these targets are on the same continent, within a few minute’s flight of each other,” ChaOS said. “From what I’ve seen, most of the planetary infrastructure is limited to one hemisphere on a single large continent. The others are also inhabited, but they seem to have focused most of their population in one large area.”
“One big city, huh?” Diana asked. She looked at the image of the planet ChaOS brought up. It was speckled with little pinprick dots where various targets were located. They were definitely concentrated around one area. “I guess that’s where we’ll be heading.”
“There are some additional tasks that can be accomplished for more points: disrupting propaganda outlets, buzzing past certain buildings, or placing flags upon the tallest buildings or mountainous peaks.”
Diana snorted. “What kind of flags?”
“Non-specified.”
So anyone could plant their own nation’s flag atop the parliament and get one point for it. She laughed at the mental image. How confused would viewers be on seeing a flag that represented the Sol System? They’d probably just assume it was a team flag.
“Is that all?” Diana asked.
“There are ways to lose points,” ChaOS said.
| Targets to Avoid | Points Lost |
| Demerits | |
| Per Ten Civilians Killed | -0.1 |
| Civilian housing Units Destroyed | -1 |
| Farming Units Destroyed | -1 |
| Hospitals, Schools, Centres of Education Damaged | -5 |
“That’s it?” Diana asked.
A racer would need to kill a hundred civilians to lose as many points as they’d gain from a single fighter craft taken out.
The scale was very much tipped in favour of wanton, uncontrolled destruction.
“I suspect that the Federation and race organisers merely want to avoid having racers use means that are too destructive, though the use of weapons of mass destruction and indiscriminate bombing is also forbidden.”
“That’s messed up,” Diana muttered.
“Mistress, we are approaching the end of our transition. We’ll be returning to normal speed momentarily.”
Diana sat up straighter. “Warn Zil Rossi, please. Final check on everything, and get the shields ready to snap up as soon as we arrive.”
“As you please,” ChaOS said.
Diana tensed up, ready for that split-second where they’d just burst into the Bolgian system.
It happened in a millionth of a second. They went from being in the long tunnel of jump space to snapping into normal space, still with some of the momentum pushing them forwards.
Diana scanned the space around them, then grinned.
The Bolgian armada was waiting. A few thousand ships, more appearing as the Cerberus’ sensors came alive.
They weren’t the only ones appearing though. Fighters, small racing ships, a few of the bigger participants. Dozens of vessels were appearing across a vast gulf of space. The Bolgian navy was set to meet them, but it was spread out, a net orbiting around their homeworld and the space where the racers were appearing.
The space between both factions—if the racers could even be called a faction—was still far too great for either side to start opening fire. More ships moved into the system, but most slowed down as soon as they entered.
There was this strange feeling, felt in the waiting, in the tense pause where no captain was quite ready to act. Who would be the first to charge in?
Who would be the first to no doubt die?
It would take a while to reach the planet; it would take a slightly shorter time to reach the stretched out blockade protecting the planet.
And then everyone in the system was hit by a loud burst, a signal squawk, the kind of thing that demanded attention and likely deafened a few communications officers. It came from a little sausage of a ship, covered in bright ads.
“Hellllooooo Bolgia! I am Yu! The only broadcaster with the genitals tough enough to burst over here. We welcome one and all to the start of the Tyrant Cracker! Prepare your mind juices for a straight shot of whatever makes you happy, because we are about to feast our eyes on one of the toughest, meanest, most spectacular races in this quadrant of the galaxy!”
Yu was at his desk, microphone gripped close to his mouth and his entire body shaking with excitement.
“On this side, hailing from every crack and forgotten hole in the galaxy, we have the racers! New and old, veterans and beginners, all fresh out of the fustercluck that was the starting line and here to taste some action.”
He gestured grandly, as if to encapsulate the Bolgian fleet.
“And on this side, led by the confused…” Yu paused and glanced aside. “According to my comms officer, we are getting some polite hails from one Admiral Xiltic of the Grand Bolgian Navy! How daring! Speak up, Admiral! You’re on the waves!”
There was a faint crackle before another voice came on, deep and growly, but speaking what Diana thought was decent Federation common. “This is Admiral Xiltic of the Grand Bolgian Navy to all ships trespassing within Bolgian space. We know why you are here. We have known for some time, and we have prepared. You will find no easy prey here. Turn your ships around, leave our peaceful system be. We have told your Federation that we want nothing to do with it. Respect our wishes. If you do not, then prepare yourselves to see us defend our peace with violence.”
“Thank you, Admiral!” Yu said. “What a rousing speech! Now let’s race!”
Throttle Forty-Four
“The targets are associated with a point-cost,” ChaOS said. “Cumulative point gains will be the determining factor in who wins. By this metric, it is possible that a contestant can win without surviving the race itself.”
“That would suck,” Diana said. “I want to win, but I’d prefer to do it while alive.”
“You are unusually keen on self-preservation today, Mistress,” ChaOS said.
“Thanks. Now, the list?” Diana glanced to the side, where a projected screen started to fill with a table that outlined all of their objectives.
| Objective | Points Granted |
| Vehicles and Equipment | |
| Combat Craft | 1 |
| Large Ground Vehicles | 1 |
| Corvettes | 10 |
| Frigates | 20 |
| Destroyers | 25 |
| Cruisers | 50 |
| Carriers and Command Vessels | 100 |
| The Pride of Bolgia | 1000 |
Diana hummed to herself as she inspected the list. Combat craft would barely be worth chasing down. Diana figured the winner would probably have thousands of points, meaning wasting time going after low value targets was a losing strategy. They’d need to take out hundreds of those smaller craft to even start getting anywhere.
Then again, they were well-equipped for taking them out, and if there were as many as she suspected, then smaller ships would become a constant source of new points. Others would definitely be focusing on those, so taking out the small ships they could would also prevent the others in the race from taking those points.
The race was a zero-sum game. Depriving others of methods to win was going to be important, though perhaps not as important as making those points herself.
“What’s the Pride of Bolgia? A warship?” she asked.
“The system’s flagship,” ChaOS said. “It’s a battlecruiser. I have few details to add other than its approximate tonnage.”
She nodded. Likely a well-armed, well-defended ship then. The Yamamoto of the Bolgian fleet, maybe. She’d have to see.
| Objective | Points Granted |
| Orbital Infrastructure | |
| Communication and Weather Satellites | 0.5 |
| Military and Surveillance Satellites | 1 |
| Orbital Stations | 5 |
| Orbital Shipyards | 50 |
| Jump Ring Stations | 100 |
“How tough is the average jump ring station?” Diana asked.
“Relative to a warship? I doubt most are armoured. Nor is it likely that they are armed beyond point-defence and anti-meteor systems.”
Diana hummed to herself. The same value as a carrier. So the point-value was more about how much it would hurt the Bolgians than how difficult it would be to take a target out. “Someone could race around the planet’s orbit and do nothing but hit stations and they’d still make some decent points. I don’t imagine that every station is military though.”
“I know too little about the system and the society to be able to conclusively say whether or not they have much by means of civilian infrastructure. The points table doesn’t seem to differentiate either way.”
That didn’t sit well with her. “Let’s avoid hitting anything that looks civilian. Military targets are one thing, but I’m here to race, not commit war crimes.”
“Gladly noted, mistress.”
Diana snorted. “Okay, what about planet-side?”
| Objective | Points Granted |
| Planetary Infrastructure | |
| Bolgian Statues | 0.5 |
| Communication Towers | 5 |
| Surface-to-Space Guns | 10 |
| Small Military Outposts | 10 |
| Museums | 10 |
| Heritage Sites | 15 |
| Spaceports | 25 |
| Auto-Factories | 25 |
| Power Stations | 25 |
| Shipyards | 50 |
| Surface-to-Orbit Power Transmitters | 50 |
“Note that these targets specify that damaging them is usually sufficient to gain the points associated with the target,” ChaOS said.
“Remove power stations from our targeting priorities,” Diana said. People needed power, regardless of their position. “Museums too. That’s just a bit rude.”
“As you wish,” ChaOS said. The lines were struck from the table a blink later. “There’s one final list of ground-side targets. These are the high-value locations.”
| Objective | Points Granted |
| Unique Targets | |
| New Bolgian Parliament | 250 |
| The System Throne | 250 |
| Military Installation Tonketatsu | 250 |
| The Arc of Victory | 250 |
“So, hit the big important landmarks for all the big points,” Diana said.
“All four of these targets are on the same continent, within a few minute’s flight of each other,” ChaOS said. “From what I’ve seen, most of the planetary infrastructure is limited to one hemisphere on a single large continent. The others are also inhabited, but they seem to have focused most of their population in one large area.”
“One big city, huh?” Diana asked. She looked at the image of the planet ChaOS brought up. It was speckled with little pinprick dots where various targets were located. They were definitely concentrated around one area. “I guess that’s where we’ll be heading.”
“There are some additional tasks that can be accomplished for more points: disrupting propaganda outlets, buzzing past certain buildings, or placing flags upon the tallest buildings or mountainous peaks.”
Diana snorted. “What kind of flags?”
“Non-specified.”
So anyone could plant their own nation’s flag atop the parliament and get one point for it. She laughed at the mental image. How confused would viewers be on seeing a flag that represented the Sol System? They’d probably just assume it was a team flag.
“Is that all?” Diana asked.
“There are ways to lose points,” ChaOS said.
| Targets to Avoid | Points Lost |
| Demerits | |
| Per Ten Civilians Killed | -0.1 |
| Civilian housing Units Destroyed | -1 |
| Farming Units Destroyed | -1 |
| Hospitals, Schools, Centres of Education Damaged | -5 |
“That’s it?” Diana asked.
A racer would need to kill a hundred civilians to lose as many points as they’d gain from a single fighter craft taken out.
The scale was very much tipped in favour of wanton, uncontrolled destruction.
“I suspect that the Federation and race organisers merely want to avoid having racers use means that are too destructive, though the use of weapons of mass destruction and indiscriminate bombing is also forbidden.”
“That’s messed up,” Diana muttered.
“Mistress, we are approaching the end of our transition. We’ll be returning to normal speed momentarily.”
Diana sat up straighter. “Warn Zil Rossi, please. Final check on everything, and get the shields ready to snap up as soon as we arrive.”
“As you please,” ChaOS said.
Diana tensed up, ready for that split-second where they’d just burst into the Bolgian system.
It happened in a millionth of a second. They went from being in the long tunnel of jump space to snapping into normal space, still with some of the momentum pushing them forwards.
Diana scanned the space around them, then grinned.
The Bolgian armada was waiting. A few thousand ships, more appearing as the Cerberus’ sensors came alive.
They weren’t the only ones appearing though. Fighters, small racing ships, a few of the bigger participants. Dozens of vessels were appearing across a vast gulf of space. The Bolgian navy was set to meet them, but it was spread out, a net orbiting around their homeworld and the space where the racers were appearing.
The space between both factions—if the racers could even be called a faction—was still far too great for either side to start opening fire. More ships moved into the system, but most slowed down as soon as they entered.
There was this strange feeling, felt in the waiting, in the tense pause where no captain was quite ready to act. Who would be the first to charge in?
Who would be the first to no doubt die?
It would take a while to reach the planet; it would take a slightly shorter time to reach the stretched out blockade protecting the planet.
And then everyone in the system was hit by a loud burst, a signal squawk, the kind of thing that demanded attention and likely deafened a few communications officers. It came from a little sausage of a ship, covered in bright ads.
“Hellllooooo Bolgia! I am Yu! The only broadcaster with the genitals tough enough to burst over here. We welcome one and all to the start of the Tyrant Cracker! Prepare your mind juices for a straight shot of whatever makes you happy, because we are about to feast our eyes on one of the toughest, meanest, most spectacular races in this quadrant of the galaxy!”
Yu was at his desk, microphone gripped close to his mouth and his entire body shaking with excitement.
“On this side, hailing from every crack and forgotten hole in the galaxy, we have the racers! New and old, veterans and beginners, all fresh out of the fustercluck that was the starting line and here to taste some action.”
He gestured grandly, as if to encapsulate the Bolgian fleet.
“And on this side, led by the confused…” Yu paused and glanced aside. “According to my comms officer, we are getting some polite hails from one Admiral Xiltic of the Grand Bolgian Navy! How daring! Speak up, Admiral! You’re on the waves!”
There was a faint crackle before another voice came on, deep and growly, but speaking what Diana thought was decent Federation common. “This is Admiral Xiltic of the Grand Bolgian Navy to all ships trespassing within Bolgian space. We know why you are here. We have known for some time, and we have prepared. You will find no easy prey here. Turn your ships around, leave our peaceful system be. We have told your Federation that we want nothing to do with it. Respect our wishes. If you do not, then prepare yourselves to see us defend our peace with violence.”
“Thank you, Admiral!” Yu said. “What a rousing speech! Now let’s race!”
