Johnny Winger and the Europa Quandary

  ***Understood, Captain…intruder bots can be more easily defeated when contained and isolated…these bots operate with effectors of an unknown type…I have no effective defense against their bond disrupters…one on one, we are no match…tactics must evolve….***

  “Okay, I get the picture.” Amirante found a comm station and got on the 1MC. “All hands, listen up. ISAAC’s executing a clampdown inside the mast tunnel. Isolate yourselves on one of the decks. Button up all decks immediately.”

  Amirante slipped into the gangway and made his way up to A deck, the ship’s command center. Simonets was running the ship from there.

  “Okay, ISAAC…proceed.”

  Well aft of them, the ship’s AI executed the clampdown. It was a brute force tactic. Instead of engaging the MARTOP bots individually, ISAAC would slam the enemy with mass, overwhelm the bots with maximum replication, Big Bang the bastards into submission. Inside the mast tunnel between C and B decks, the air soon burned supernova hot as uncountable trillions of mechs replicated, driving MARTOP into every corner and niche. With all decks up and down the gangway sealed, the intruder fought back savagely, but the effect of sheer mass would be felt soon enough. Amirante knew there was a limit to what Bacon could take; the trick was to slam and squeeze and throttle the enemy before the ship’s structure gave way. Up on the command deck, the Captain and Simonets watched sensors and strain gauges closely.

  “As soon as ISAAC has the bastards under control, and we get Frankie and Smithers back onboard, get us the hell away from that swarm.,” Amirante told Simonets.

  The engineer checked on Frankie. “Shuttle is still a kilometer away and stationkeeping, Captain. Gurstens and Pham report they’re just waiting for the all-clear.”

  Just then, ISAAC reported more bad news.

  ***Receiving multiple system failure signals from swarm Winston Smithers…Smithers currently engaged with MARTOP but primary propulsors are now off-line***

  “Do we still have comms, ISAAC?” Somewhere out there, Smithers was in a cat fight with MARTOP and getting his whiskers waxed. “What have you got?”

  ***Distress and overload signals on all bands, Captain…effectors down to ten percent…bond disrupters off line…I will display the current readings from Smithers master bot…***

  A console display in front of Amirante blinked into life. The story it told wasn’t pleasant:

  ***Pyridine probes…FAIL***

  ***Carbene Grabbers…FAIL***

  ***Enzymatic Knife…FAIL***

  ***Photon Lens…FAIL***