Flash Point

Flash Point is a short story from The Road to War, volume two of the Course Books. It mainly focuses around a critical problem on board the Saratoga, the cause of which is hinted at, but not fully disclosed during the story.

Chronologically, this story takes place after Forbidden from The Concourse to Victory, as proven by the ship's Mithril and Adamantium armor, which turns out to be the ultimate cause of the problem.

In the story, Kendrick explains to Rian Wildfire in one scene that he has written a divination program for the ship's computer, that is supposed to help with the Wildfire targeting system. Essentially, he is making the computer do magic. Unbenounced to Kendrick, his little computer program is actually reacting with the new hull armor and causing a magic/electricity conversion that is super-charging the ship's buffer.

The story ends with Hunter and Jason finding a a way to empty the buffer, in the process shutting down Kendrick's program. In the final seconds before they succeed, the near-death experience gives Hunter an important revelation.