Freedom

by Maureen Toonkel

  The Captain smiled as he answered. “Keith, I think you may be perfectly correct. Someone might have intentionally done something to Lieutenant Shasta. What and why, however, we do not know.” He smiled again. “How are you holding up?”

  “Me, sir?” asked Keith, sort of surprised by the Captain’s inquiry. “I am fine.”

  “I take it you had no idea Beverly was engaged?”

  Oh great, thought Keith, this is not a conversation I want to be having with anyone right now, especially not the Captain. He has to think I was a fool not to have known. “No sir. I did not. I probably should have guessed it, but I was either too much in love or too dumb to pick up any clues, if there were any.”

  “Lieutenant, try not to be too hard on yourself. I know that it is easier said than done. I’ve been trying to ease up on myself. I keep wondering how I could have been so taken in by Paul Loring as not to notice that he was an alien. I knew him a lot longer then you knew Beverly, and I trusted him with all my secrets and with my very life.” Josh reached out and patted Keith on the back. “Don’t let this get you down. Hold your head up. You are not the one who was dishonest. You have nothing to be embarrassed about or to blame yourself for.”

  Keith nodded and felt his face getting warm. I wish I could disappear, he thought.

  Then the Captain chuckled as he said. “I need to take my own advice.” That made Keith giggle, and the two officers broke into a much needed laugh.

  “Did you get a glimpse of that diagram spread out on the desk?” Josh asked after they had regained their composure.

  Keith nodded in affirmation. “It looked like a map of the interior of a space station,” continued Josh. “I recognized the general layout for most space stations in the United Galaxy Command’s jurisdiction.”

  “Yes, Captain. I concluded the same thing. In fact I am pretty sure I saw the number seventeen at the top.”

  “Space Station 17,” murmured Josh. “Hmm. I wonder if they know we are planning to take Paul Loring to the prison there. Perhaps they are planning to help him escape.”

  “That certainly makes sense, sir. It could explain why they would be studying that particular map.”

  “Yes, it does.” Josh was pensive for a few moments and then asked, “Keith, did you find it surprising how much information General Platt was revealing?”

  “Yes, sir. I thought that was peculiar. It was very interesting to learn how the Boulder Entrance works, and that they have been experiencing malfunctions.”

  “Very peculiar indeed. Platt is no fool. He was trying to impress us with the functionality of the Boulder Entrance. He wanted us to know that the only reason we escaped was because they happened to be having equipment problems. The most likely explanation, as to why he so openly revealed so much to us, is that he does not expect us to be around to tell anyone what we learned. The Tradians plan to kill us.”

  At that moment the door on the outside of the steel bars opened. As the two Gladiator officers scrambled to their feet, a young man dressed in dirty grey shorts with a number stapled to his shirt entered carrying a cardboard container filled with apples.

  The slave cautiously approached the steel bars.

  “General Platt said that you did not get your mandatory apples this morning.” He removed two apples from the container and rolled them on the floor, aiming them though an opening between the floor and bars. “Please eat these now. If you don’t I will be forced to have a guard come in and use cattle prods and whips to force you to eat.”

  Josh picked up the two apples, which had landed at his feet. He handed one to Keith and nodded. Then he bit into the apple and slowly chewed on the juicy morsel. When the pair had consumed their fruit, the young man turned around and without a word left. The door slammed shut behind him.

  “I’m getting sleep—” Josh Stoner crashed to the floor. Seconds later Keith Hampton was alongside him snoring lightly.

  Wayne Shasta hurried down the dirt path leading to the Cages. He had a smile on his face. His inner self was filled with a sense of joy over the events of the last couple of hours, but there was also some nagging feeling of something that he couldn’t quite describe. Was it sorrow? No it was more like guilt. But what did he have to be guilty about? Everything was going as planned. Soon he would be receiving the promotion that Captain Torgenson promised him. He would be a Lieutenant Commander. Yes, Captain Torgenson sure treated him with more respect than Josh Stoner ever did. Captain Stoner was always expecting him to do more and to do better. Torgenson accepted him just as he was. So why in addition to guilt was he feeling disloyalty?

  Lieutenant Shasta reached Cage B and walked around the rim until he stood outside of where Dave Andrews lie tied to the mesh wall. Using the electric cattle prod that he had taken off a shelf at the entrance to the Cages area, he shoved the stick through a slat and gave Commander Andrews a bolt of electricity.

  Andrews had been napping, and the electric current that sailed through his shoulder made his whole body jerk. He screamed out in pain.

  Wayne laughed out loud in response. “Good afternoon, Commander Andrews,” he said. “Sorry to interrupt your nap, but I have some news that I thought you might be interested in.” He put his hands on his hips and with a big smile on his face, he glared down at the Commander. “Would you like to hear it?”

  Dave stared back at the young officer wondering what could have happened to make him act like this. “Yes, Lieutenant, I would,” he answered.

  “This is really good news,” taunted Wayne, still smiling broadly. “About two hours ago we captured Captain Stoner and Lieutenant Hampton. We have them securely behind bars, and I am happy to report that they are scheduled for execution two hours from now.”

  “How can you be happy about that?” shouted Dave. “Wayne, you have to help them escape.” He looked straight into Wayne’s eyes and thought he saw a flicker of compassion but it quickly passed. “If you won’t help them, at least free Dr. Berg and I so we can help them escape.”

  “And why would I do that?” responded Shasta.

  “Because until very recently Josh Stoner was your commanding officer, and Keith Hampton is your best friend.”

  “I owe nothing to either one of them. Captain Stoner was extremely hard on me, not like Victor Torgenson who treats me very well. As for Keith, I don’t remember him being that good of a friend. I don’t need him. I have made new friends.”

  “Wayne, that bump on the head has seriously affected—”

  Shasta cut him off. “Quiet. I’ve heard enough from you.” He turned his back to Andrews and began walking away.

  A figure in a multicolored uniform was trotting down the lane heading to the Cages. The man stopped and chatted with some guards, then hurried over to talk with Lieutenant Shasta. Dave strained to hear the conversation.

  “I need two strong slaves to work in the Deliveries area moving heavy boxes,” the man in the colorful uniform was saying. “The two people you captured yesterday at my apartment would be excellent. They are fresh and therefore still healthy and strong.”

  Lieutenant Shasta eyed the Colonel suspiciously. “I still don’t understand why you didn’t turn them in yourself. Why did you wait for Mrs. Flax to notify the authorities?”

  “I explained all that to Captain Torgenson. I was going to turn them in after the doctor was done treating the children.”

  “Yes, so I heard,” said Wayne nodding his head. “And you were in the process of bringing the other two to Dispatch when they overtook you and escaped from your custody?”

  “Yes, yes. Now may I take charge of the two slaves? There is much work to be done in Deliveries if outgoing shipments are to be accomplished on time.”

  “One more question, if I may,” said Shasta. “Doesn’t Mox usually choose and purchase the slaves for your work areas?” He again looked skeptically at the older man.

  “You are quite right,” answered Flax. “Well…um…you see, earlier today I kept him waiting quite a long time for a m
eeting, and…well…I thought I owed him a favor so I figured I’d take on the chore of coming down to this wretched dungeon.”

  “Wow, what a nice boss!” chuckled Shasta.

  Wayne walked over to one of the guards at the gate. The guard then opened Cage B, entered, and unlocked the chains binding Dave Andrews and Marlana Berg to the mesh fencing.

  “Move!” ordered the guard.

  Colonel Flax handed Wayne Shasta something that resembled an old-fashioned money order or check. Wayne examined it. He went over to a small desk at the guard’s station then came back with a paper receipt and handed it to Flax.

  “They are all yours.”

  “Thank you.” Flax turned to the two Gladiator officers. They still wore leg-irons and chains around their wrists. “Let’s go. Straight ahead. ” He directed them out of the Cages area and into the earthen tunnel.

  “Where are you taking us?” asked Marlana Berg.

  “Quiet,” said Colonel Flax. “No talking till I say so.”

  They walked silently along the silver passageways for what seemed like miles, but of course Marlana knew it wasn’t that long. She was confused, however, as to where they were headed. She had been able to hear most of the conversation between the Colonel and Wayne Shasta, and she was sure that Flax said he needed them to work in the Deliveries area. But she was sure the Deliveries area was to the east. According to the signs they were passing they were heading northwest. Was he taking them to his apartment? Perhaps the children were ill again.

  Up ahead Dave Andrews was wondering the same thing. What was Flax’s motive in removing them from the cage? Obviously he was not taking them to the Deliveries area. Josh and Keith had trusted the Colonel, but apparently they had been tricked by him. Eventually, Josh and Hampton realized their error and had been able to overcome Flax and escape. Unfortunately they did not get too far. I will need to be more careful, thought Dave. I need to time this right. Marlana and I need to break away from Flax. We need to find out where Josh is being held and free him before the execution. Wayne said it was scheduled to occur in two hours. That doesn’t give us much time. Glancing up, Dave saw a sign swinging slightly from the tunnel roof.

  They continued North.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  June 25, 1430 Hours

  Diane Pearson bit down on the nail of the pinky on her left finger and tore it off with her teeth. It was the last nail left on all her fingers. I will have to start on my toes, she said to herself as she sat at her communications station and tried to make her decision. Should I or shouldn’t I confront Denny?

  She removed her wireless earbud then got up and pressed the elevator button. As she waited nervously for the elevator to arrive, she shouted out to Benjamin Rubin who was seated at the laser technician’s station.

  “Cover for me, Ben.”

  Then she got on the elevator and pushed the controls for Deck Two where Engineering was located. Once there she headed for Dennis Pearson’s office. She found her husband buried deep in electronic gadgets.

  “Denny,” she said quietly.

  “Oh, hi honey. I didn’t hear you come in,” said Pearson. He looked up for a moment from some odd-looking timing device he was fidgeting with and quickly returned to his work.

  “Can I talk to you about something?”

  “Sure, dear. Go ahead. I’m listening.” He continued working on the timer.

  “I need your full attention.”

  “I can work and listen to you at the same time.”

  “No, this is really important.”

  Dennis stopped what he was doing and looked at his wife. He could tell that something was troubling her. Her usual bubbly expression was dour and even her bouncy curls seemed limp.

  “What is it, dear? Is something wrong?” He put down the timing apparatus, walked over to where Diane was standing, and put his hands on her shoulders.

  “Yes,” she murmured “I am very worried.”

  “About what?”

  “About you.”

  “About me? I am fine. A bit tired, that’s all. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  “But there is. You’ve been lying to Admiral Wilcox.”

  This caught Dennis by surprise and he gulped. “Where did you hear that?”

  “I heard you talking to the Admiral.”

  “You what?” exclaimed Dennis. He could not believe what Diane just said. “You listened in on my conversation with Admiral Wilcox?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why, Diane?”

  “I was concerned because your log reports were not completely accurate.”

  “That did not give you the right to eavesdrop on a private conversation. You abused your position as communications officer. That is a serious offense for which you can be brought up on charges.”

  “Are you going to report me? I can report you for lying to Admiral Wilcox. That is an even more serious offense.”

  “I have good reasons for telling the Admiral what I did.”

  “Like what?”

  “I do not have to explain my actions to you.” Dennis stared at his wife and then said. “You give me no choice, Lieutenant Pearson, but to relieve you of duty.”

  “Well then, you give me no choice other than to inform Admiral Wilcox of the lies you have been telling him, such as the fact that we are not orbiting Lexter and that you intentionally disabled the IGPS.”

  “Do you really want to add attempted blackmail to your charges?” asked Dennis. “Look, Lieutenant, there are very good reasons for my giving some misinformation to the Admiral. If you choose at this time to give the Admiral different information than what I gave him, you will be endangering the entire crew of the Gladiator as well as the very lives of the landing party.”

  Diane looked at her husband and realized that no matter how angry she was right now, she could not turn him into the Admiral, nor could she endanger the lives of her fellow crew members.

  “Very well,” she said. “You win.”

  “It’s not a matter of winning. It’s the right thing to do.” He looked at his wife, and for the first time that he could ever remember, he was disappointed with her.

  “Do I need to go to the Brig?” she asked sadly.

  “You are confined to quarters.”

  As Diane turned to leave, Dennis stopped her. “Just a minute,” he said. While she stood waiting for him to say something, Dennis thought to himself, I can see why she did it. She eavesdropped on my conversation out of love and concern for me, not to spy in order to gain private secret information. Yes, it was wrong, and yes she abused her position. And yes, she should be punished, but it was genuinely out of love.

  “Lieutenant Pearson, you are confined to quarters for the next six hours. I will be preparing a document for you to sign. It will be an oath swearing that you will never again eavesdrop on a private conversation unless ordered to do so. Any further punishment will be decided upon by Captain Stoner. Is this understood.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” She ran over, kissed her husband on the cheek, and skipped out of his office. Dennis smiled to himself and picked up the timing mechanism.

  Josh opened his eyes, and for several moments he had no idea where he was. He was lying face down on a bare, cement tiled floor. Rolling over he spotted a body lying alongside himself. It was Lieutenant Hampton. Then he saw the thick steel bars. Oh yes, we were locked in a cell by General Platt.

  He nudged Hampton. “Keith? Are you all right?”

  Keith stirred slightly and slowly came around. He opened his eyes and nodded at the Captain. “Sir,” he said. “Your head is bleeding.”

  Josh reached up and felt his forehead. Then looking at the blood on his hand he said, “That darn cut must have reopened when I hit the ground.” He wiped his hand on his shirt. “Those were some potent apples we bit into.”

  Keith stretched out an arm and picked up one of the apple cores, which was resting near his left foot. “I suppose we should keep this for evidence,” he said. “
It would be interesting to know what drug was used to sedate us.”

  “Yes, excellent suggestion. Now any idea on how to get us out of here?”

  “I am afraid that is quite impossible,” said a voice from a loudspeaker. It was mounted high up on a wall outside of the cell bars. The voice was that of General Platt. “Good afternoon gentleman,” continued the voice through the loudspeaker. “I trust you both had a restful nap.”

  “We could have napped without being drugged,” responded Josh.

  “Ah, but it would have been harder for me to relieve you of your possessions.” A spotlight suddenly appeared and beamed brightly on a small table in the corner of the room. Laid out on the table top were the contents of Keith’s backpack including his bolt cutter, stat phone, and zip gun. The backpack itself was laying under the table.

  As the spotlight dimmed, the wall below the loudspeaker slid open. There stood the General surrounded by a host of electronic technology - computers that were lit up and machines that hummed steadily. The room was literally packed from floor to ceiling with state-of-the-art high-tech equipment at work busy scanning cyberspace for information, analyzing data, crunching numbers, compiling documents, and producing endless reports.

  “What you see before you gentleman is a glimpse into the very heart of the Tradian Empire. With the mere push of a few buttons, we have the power to demolish important facilities across several galaxies. We can blow up office buildings, convention centers, military installations, even space stations.” Platt walked over to one upright computer and pointed to a panel of flat brightly colored buttons. There were at least three hundred glowing tabs.

  “Each of these buttons represents a place that has been targeted for possible demolition.” He waved a finger over a button lit up in red. A computer screen came into view showing a sports stadium. Shaking his finger over a yellowish button, the screen shifted to what appeared to be a space station. Platt turned on another button, and this time a small office building appeared on the monitor.