by T. R. Harris
Regarding the Ministry, Kaylor wasn’t kidding. The Ministry, the official government headquarters for this entire planet, was indeed a Compound. It was a vast complex of buildings all behind a massive 12-foot tall stone wall, with one large opening guarded by four gruff-looking creatures about five feet tall, each covered with a black coat of hair or fur and wearing leather-like vests and pants, the same kind of creatures who had come aboard Kaylor’s ship earlier. They carried long-barrel weapons along with sidearms like the one Kaylor wore.
Kaylor told one of them that he was there to register a salvage and was directed to Building Five. He seemed to know where he was going.
Building Five was built of brick and stood four stories tall. They entered through double glass doors and were directed to the second floor, room 12. Inside the room was another black-haired creature - obviously the natives to this world - who directed them both to have a seat in front of his desk.
“I’m Fredic Dess,” he stated. “You are the ones with the class-five salvage”
“That’s right. I’m Kaylor Linn Todd and this is Adam Cain. He was cargo aboard the ship and the only survivor.”
Dess turned his attention to Adam. “Are you a slave”
“Hell no!” Adam spat out, caught completely off guard by the question.
Kaylor placed a hand on Adam’s arm. “There were eighty of his species aboard. You’ll see in the survey that they were in hiberpods. They were being transported in good condition, definitely not as slaves.”
Dess regarded them both for a moment, then just grunted. He wrote something on a form in front of him. “How did you come upon the derelict” he asked without looking up.
Kaylor knew he had to be careful here. “We picked up the gravity signatures in The Void and went to investigate. There were three pirate ships surrounding the derelict and they left as we came on the scene.”
Dess looked up. “They just left You have a cargo hauler, don’t you”
“We, ah, made ourselves out to be more than just a cargo hauler using some satellite drones. We didn’t want to leave the ship to the mercy of the pirates. In The Void, we all have to look out for each other. It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
Again Dess grunted. “And you had nothing to do with the attack that disabled the ship and killed the inhabitants”
“That’s right. Adam here will testify to that.”
Dess looked at Adam. “Is this your testimony”
“All I know is that the ship I was on was attacked and then after a battle aboard, the attackers left in a hurry. Later Kaylor showed up, by himself.” Then Adam looked over at Kaylor. “And he saved my life.”
“How is that”
“I was the only one alive on the ship. If Kaylor had not scared off the pirates, they would have eventually found me and I’d probably be dead by now, just like everyone else. And if not that, then the power would have failed and I would have froze to death. Yeah, I guess he saved my life.”
Then turning his attention to Kaylor again: “What were you doing in The Void”
“We were transporting a string of smokesticks to Rigor.”
Dess nodded, and Adam got the distinct impression that he and Kaylor shared an unstated moment. Then he asked: “Have you removed anything from the derelict prior to registering the salvage” It sounded like an official question.
“Nothing has been removed. I know the law.”
Dess scribbled some more on the form, then punched a button on his desk. A keyboard rotated out of the desk and Dess began to transcribe the information from his paper form into a computer. It took him several minutes to enter the data, during which he didn’t say a word or acknowledge Adam and Kaylor’s existence. Adam followed Kaylor’s lead and just sat there patiently.
Finally, he finished. “The survey will be completed in about an hour. Return here at Day4 and we’ll give you a copy and the registration documentation.”
And that was it. The interview was over. But Adam wasn’t done.
“Wait a minute! What about me I need someone to take me back to Earth.”
The bureaucrat stared back at Adam with a blank stare.
“Kaylor said you could get me back to my planet, to my home—”
“I said he might be able to.” Kaylor interjected.
“Where are you from” Dess asked.
“Earth, I’m from the planet Earth.”
“Dirt What kind of name is that for a planet”
“Yeah, we’ve been through this before. Can you get me there or not”
Dess tapped a few keys on his keypad. “Earth is rumored to be in the Far Arm,” he said after scanning the screen for a moment. “I will stop right there. There is no one, official or not, who can return you to a world in the Far Arm.”
It was as if Adam had been hit with a brick. He broke out into a cold sweat and turned to Kaylor, pleading. “You said—”
“I’m sorry Adam. I told you the Far Arm is mostly unexplored territory. The computer doesn’t even have a location for your home world. It would be impossible to find it.”
“What would it take to get me to the Far Arm”
“First of all, you would need a long-range starship, class 5 or better, and then probably several million credits.” Kaylor answered. “And then you would need to know where you’re going, otherwise you’d spend a thousand years jumping from system to system until you found the right one. How long does your race live”
Adam didn’t like Kaylor’s tone. He stood up, hovering over Kaylor. “Longer than you’re going to if you keep feeding me bullshit!”
“What was I supposed to tell you, that you’re stuck here for the rest of your life with no chance of getting home Would that have made you feel better”
Dess slapped his hand down on his desk, getting both of their attention. “Take this outside. This has nothing to do with the Ministry.”
Kaylor didn’t thank the official, but instead quickly ushered Adam out of the room. Once in the hallway, Kaylor turned to him.
“You better come to terms with your situation! No one is going to take you back to a planet with an unknown location, especially in the Far Arm.”
“But I was abducted, kidnapped. It’s not fair!”
“No it’s not, but this is not my problem.”
“Then you should have left me on that ship—” He stopped suddenly and his eyes grew wide. “The ship!”
“What about it”
“It’s been to Earth.”
“Yes, but the computer core is missing. There’s no way to find where it’s been.”
“But the people who own the ship would know. The people who may come to claim it!”
Kaylor was taken aback. He was right! If the ship is claimed, then Adam could talk with them about where it had been.
“Then you must stay here and wait to see if the ship is claimed,” Kaylor declared.
“You mean you’re not going to wait here yourself”
“No. We’ll come back, if and when the claim is made.”
Adam thought for a while. What would he do here if he stayed How would he survive “You can’t just leave me here. You said it could take a couple of months for the claim to come through. And what if no one ever comes to claim it”
And that was exactly what Kaylor was hoping for. Then the entire ship would be his! He made a quick decision. “This is against my better judgment, but I’ll let you stay with us, at least until the salvage is claimed or not - if you cause us no problems. Two months maximum. But after that, you’re on your own.”
Adam didn’t know whether to be happy or sad. It was obvious he wasn’t getting home anytime soon, and he had no money and no profession in this alien universe. Yet he now found himself grasping for anything even remotely familiar. Staying with Kaylor and Jym would at least give him some time to think, as well as time to acclimate to this strange, new universe. He nodded and said, “Thanks, Kaylor. I’m sorry I keep flying off the handle at you, but I’m pre
tty messed up right about now.”
“I don’t quite understand the phrasing,” Kaylor said, “but I believe I understand what you mean to say. I can only imagine how strange all of this must seem to you. But if you just stay calm, and stop `flying off the handle,’ things will get better. Jym and I will help you get through.”
Jym! How was Kaylor going to explain to him that Adam was going to be his shipmate for the next two months He’s not going to like this, not at all!
Chapter Ten: Challenge
They left the Ministry Compound and headed back into the rustic, Old-West town just as the sun was setting. Kaylor explained that they could take one of the wheeled transports back to the spaceport, but first he wanted to stop by a favorite bar he knew of and have a drink. Never one to pass up the opportunity to throw one back, Adam didn’t resist.
Kaylor stopped at a doorway with a placard hung on a post, written in a scribble Adam couldn’t even begin to read. Then he opened the door and disappeared inside. Like a baby duckling, Adam followed.
The place really had such a foul odor that Adam almost gagged, something he was coming to expect every time he came in contact with aliens. It was as if none of them had a sense of smell! The bar was dark inside, as was to be expected, and populated with a circus of creatures far more exotic and gritty looking than the cantina scene from Star Wars. Also, there were no dancing girls or music playing, just a deafening cacophony of alien voices and the clinking of glasses on wooden tables.
There was also a heavy haze in the room, and to Adam, the smoke smelled vaguely familiar. But combined with alien sweat and breath, its pleasant scent was easily lost in the mix.
They took seats at a table near the center of the room with one of those sampling boxes placed in the center, like the one Kaylor had on his ship. Kaylor poked his finger inside, pulled it out, then rotated the box over to Adam. He let the box take a sample. In a few moments, a waiter came over - another of the burly, hairy creatures - and Kaylor ordered them a couple of drinks.
Adam scanned the room. In a far corner, he noticed a group of the skinny gray creatures like the ones he’d seen in the big ship, about six of them, all huddled together, looking nervous. Not too far way, was another group of four huge lizard-looking beings, dressed all in black leather and sporting bandoliers crossing their chests. Even from across the room, Adam could hear them carrying on, with numerous empty glasses filling the table before them. There’s some in every crowd, Adam thought. The loud-mouths, the arrogant drunks.
Then Adam noticed that Kaylor wasn’t paying attention to any of this. His gaze was fixated on another creature seated at the bar, similar to him, yet smaller and with smoother features. Adam watched as Kaylor’s nostrils flared, sniffing the air.
“Stay here,” Kaylor said as he lifted out of his chair. “I’ll be back.” He then made a beeline for the bar.
Stunned and transfixed, Adam watched as the two creatures of the same species met and began to size each other up. It was kind of creepy, as they first smelled each other up and down then began to rub their necks together, making contact with the inch-long fingers of skin under their ears. Then the weirdest thing happened! Kaylor undid his pants, while the female turned her back to him — and he attempted to mount her, right there in the bar!
Almost immediately, the bartender came over and angrily said something to them. Frantically, the two of lovebirds exited through the front door, leaving Adam sitting there alone, confused and more than a little embarrassed.
Holy crap! What was he supposed to do now, just sit there or follow Trying to look as nonchalant as possible, Adam propped one arm up on the back of his chair and crossed his legs.
When the bartender brought their drinks, Adam quickly snatched up his and took a long gulp. Expecting the cola-tasting drink from the ship, he was caught off guard by the unexpected taste of very strong liquor. Tears came to his eyes, as the potent liquid burned all the way down. Adam tried his best not to start choking; that would have completely destroyed the air of masculinity he was trying to project. Instead, be blinked several times and then casually continued to scan the room.
The lizard creatures in the corner caught his attention again, this time as a frail, rodent-looking thing passed too close to their table. The big lizard in the middle reached out and grabbed the rodent’s tail and pulled, causing the big rat to fall into the group. They slapped at his head several times until the biggest lizard kicked the rodent back into the room, sending him crashing into an unoccupied table nearby. The other lizards laughed hysterically. Penitently, the abused rat rose to his feet, righted the table, then scurried off without comment or a glance back at his tormentors.
It was then that Adam noticed that the big lizard was staring right at him! Their eyes locked for a moment, before Adam looked away quickly. After a moment, he chanced a glance back, just to find the lizard was still staring at him, a slight grin on the creature’s elongated snout. This was getting uncomfortable, especially without Kaylor around to narrate the scene.
So it was with infinite relief that Adam saw Kaylor reenter the tavern a few minutes later. When he was seated, Adam leaned forward, “What was that all about”
The stunned look came over Kaylor’s face again. “You mean the mating Doesn’t your species mate”
“Of course we do, but just not so fast — and in public - at least not all the time. Who was she”
“I don’t know,” Kaylor said nonchalantly, lifting his drink and taking a gulp. “It doesn’t matter. We see so few of our species out here that we need to take advantage of all encounters.”
“So you just jumped each other, just like that”
“I don’t see why you are so shocked. I’m sure that if another of your kind showed up you’d do the same.”
Adam had to think about that for awhile, but then he noticed the lizard was still looking at him, so he changed subjects.
“Who are those lizard-things in the corner One of them keeps looking at me.”
Kaylor didn’t look over as his voiced tensed. “They’re Rigorians. I wouldn’t mess with them if I were you. They’re the meanest, strongest creatures in this part of the Fringe. Their gang is the largest.”
“Yeah, they seem like real assholes.”
“That’s graphic, but accurate. Just be careful around them. They know they’re the top of the food chain here, except, of course, for the Juireans.”
Adam looked over at the lizard and thought he’d try to disarm the situation.
Kaylor was still talking: “Whatever you do.”
Adam flashed a big, toothy grin at the lizard.
“.don’t ever bare your teeth at them. They treat that as a challenge.”
Almost instantly, the big lizard jumped to his feet and stalked over to Adam’s table. Towering a good seven feet tall, the yellow eyes and long snout were truly intimidating. Adam leaned back in his chair, looking up at the creature, as Kaylor nearly fell off his.
“You, creature,” the Rigorian called out. “You challenge me”
“Nah, it was just a misunderstanding,” Adam blurted out.
“Yes, you challenged me. I therefore challenge you!”
The whole tavern fell silent as Adam carefully rose out of his seat, slowly so as to not spook the lizard. “Listen, I don’t want to fight you. Like I said, it was just a misunderstanding.”
The Rigorian placed his hand on the butt of this weapon, then noticing that Adam was unarmed, he turned slightly toward Kaylor, never taking his eyes off of Adam. “Give him your weapon.”
Adam was shocked to see Kaylor immediately start to unbuckle his holster and offer it to Adam. “What are you doing I’m not going to fight this thing!”
“You’ve been challenged,” Kaylor stated. “You will either fight or he has a right to shoot you dead right here.”
So either I fight, or I die. Not much of a choice, Adam thought. Taking a deep breath, Adam reluctantly took the holster and strapped it around his waist. At least
this was something he was familiar with. A weapon and an enemy. This was basic. And this he was good at.
The lizard turned and walked back to his group as a path was cleared between the Rigorian and himself. There was more chatter in the room now, as the reality of the situation began to spread among the patrons. There even appeared to be some betting going on!
Adam moved out from behind the table, giving himself a clear line of sight to the Rigorian. Kaylor moved up beside him and removed the weapon from the holster. “Have you ever fired an MK-17 before”
Adam shook his head.
“Of course you haven’t.” Kaylor showed him the weapon. “How this works, is you draw the weapon, bring it up to level, and when the targeting computer has locked on you will feel a slight vibration, then you can pull the trigger. This is set at level one. It’s the maximum setting. It will produce a concentrated bolt, but you will only have five shots. It was set a level two when I shot you. That was a larger, more diffused bolt, but it gives the shooter ten shots. You will need level one to kill the Rigorian, but you will also need to be very precise with your targeting.”
He returned the weapon to the holster and then stepped away. Then as an afterthought, he stepped forward again and raised his arm. “This is my weapon,” he announced to the room. “I will be reclaiming it after the challenge.”
Adam leaned toward him, “You don’t sound too confident with my chances.”
Kaylor just shrugged, and then put some distance between Adam and himself.
Turning his attention to the Rigorian, Adam was about to ask how this was supposed to go down when he saw the lizard’s hand move toward his gun. He grabbed the butt and began to pull the weapon from the holster.
Oh shit! It’s happening now!
Without thinking, Adam reached down and drew the MK-17. In a single move, he pointed the weapon at the lizard and depressed the trigger. A tiny, brilliant ball of blue light shot out of the business end of the weapon and impacted the left shoulder of the Rigorian, spinning him sideways. Adam fired again; this shot struck the neck, nearly severing the head.
