“The damage done to the sphere during Captain Carlin’s attack was grievous indeed, in order to maintain integrity the sphere was forced to reduce its size by a factor of twelve.  Life support will have gone into stasis while the ship made the first time shift, flew the two weeks to complete its course to Mars and shifted back into your time,” Dr Hopewell paused, then continued, “The sphere at present will be dug in on Mars with only one tenth of its surface exposed to absorb energy.  We can expect them to emerge any time after twenty-eight days have passed.  If they followed their traditional battle style the first out of the ship will be the enslaved Denebians with some Panits to command them and perhaps one or two Panor in charge.  ADAM has given us the basic forms of the Denebian altered Panits and will try to aid us in turning them from Vegan control.  We must fight them and capture them to deny the enemy genetic material, we must not be captured either which will prove invaluable in the future, this is the main reason Fomalhaut is still free.” Hopewell concluded.


    “The insects rigged a self-destructive device on all their soldiers and detonated them the moment the battle was over,” ADAM added.  “You may find this disgusting but it has more dignity than being a Vegan experiment animal.”


    “How much time has Captain Carlin gained us?  ADAM can you estimate?” inquired Hopewell.


    “Yes, roughly we will have four of your weeks to prepare ourselves,” ADAM replied.


    “How many are there ADAM?” Jeff asked.


    “There were one thousand eight hundred when I left the sphere, commander Calan, unless some have been processed in which case there will be fewer.” ADAM replied.


    Ted Harmand addressed ADAM next, “What type of weapons or tactics will allow us to stop and capture them, ADAM?”


    “Your stunners should suffice to stop them one on one Sergeant Major, but in massed groups your ancient weapons the grenade and the claymore mine will be necessary.  I have made this known to Production Council, they are being stock piled now.” ADAM replied.  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Russell had also been screening early Earth records for ideas and put his forth now, “I believe gas would be our best bet.”


    “Mars atmosphere is thin as it is Russell, dare we poison it?” asked Professor Sackett.


    “No, not poison it Professor, just sedate it,” Russ replied.  Russell as a space going man knew the colonists on Mars had been heating Mars ice caps and melting ice asteroids for years to create an atmosphere for the red planet.  Most of this work was nearly accomplished.  To date Mars had a twenty percent oxygen, eighty percent nitrogen and carbon dioxide atmosphere, but only about two thirds of a mile thick and pollutants could easily wreck the fragile balance.


    “You wish to try a knock out gas to overwhelm them,” asked Hughes.


    “Yes,” said Russell, “but, mixed with smoke so the Vegans won’t see us removing them,”


    ADAM broke in to agree, “To my knowledge and by their own records no gas weapon has ever been used against the Vegans or their slaves before, this attack has a high probability of success Russell.”


    The next question came from the newcomer Walter Chambers.  “What was the projectile weapon used on the mass drivers defending Mars, ADAM?”


    “Similar to your mass cannon sir but propelled by gas pressure instead of electro magnetic force as yours are,” ADAM answered.


    “If we succeed in saving the Denebian slaves, will they be able to become a civilization again?” asked Chambers.


    “The genetic alterations are reversible, yes I believe they could return home.” ADAM replied.


    “Then ADAM and fellow members I have a proposition for you all,” Chambers said.  “If ADAM will release to us all the Vegan’s genetics information and cloning procedures, I believe we will be able to restore and re-educate your creators race, and to safeguard our own without fear of this renegade sphere or any future Shaper invasions.”


    “That is a noble speech and sentiment Doctor Chambers, but doesn’t it promise a little too much,” Linette Hughes spat.  “Our race hasn’t fought anything in sixteen hundred years, our weapons are few and our enemy is not only warlike but bred to it for twenty five thousand years, we must be cautious and realistic doctor.”


    “And defeated and enslaved Madam Chairman?” asked Chambers quickly.  “If I am right about what ADAM knows, and am allowed to use it, we may be able to defeat all the Shapers in time and free all the conquered races, and I am not boasting Madam Chairman.”