Broken Transit, No way home

The warp gates...

"Sir, the warp gates are malfunctioning!" Sarah McCallum said, to her CO.
"What do you mean?" the CO asked.
"They are saying no.... No to the launch..."
"What? The warp gates don't talk"
"THe Smartbomb... dissolves itself..."
"Wait a second, the warp gates don't talk..." General Shephard was a sceptic, believed it when he saw it, could hardly believe mankind had conquered hyperspace to that level, but here they were, 3 stars off Orions belt, with a weaposn test to conduct.
"Sometimes they do..." Sarah said, she remembered the pictures showing her, the truth; war was wrong, so advanced as to bask in the heat of alien suns, yet so stupid as to assume war was right... She was one of the best psychics of the fleet, but lately she'd been labeled sick, sick when she disagreed with high command....
Pictures direct to the mind... Not many believed in those, just used the gates, the utility, never spoke to the deep, the ocean.
"You've been diagnosed as ill, by the ships doctor... The voices you hear aren't the gates... You need sick time."
"Yes they are! And their trying to tell me something, the feel of reality..."
"Reality wants peace... Cactus's don't wage war... Cactus's just grow and flourish..."
"You saw too much last port call? What were you on?"
"Sir, I'm serious, the underlying won't allow the test!" She knew that was true, reality wanted to say "No," to war, reality would hold them, but if reality destroyed Smart-bombs flight apparatus, reality would destroy any way home for their ship.
"Obey me, launch! What underlying?"
The General didn't understand, didn't see why reality would say no to the bomb, would break the walls of black ice prison just to show, that was wrong.
"SIr, we've tried numerous times! The Smartbomb isn't flying anymore..."
"Why not?"
"I'm not sure... The rules have changed... Reality said 'No', I'm certain of it."
Noone really understood, and she felt alone and cold out in the dark. Shephard hadn't realised it yet, but if the warp gates weren't working for the bomb, they wouldn't work for the ship either.
Sarah sighed, at least the stars still shimmered.