by T. R. Harris
“Again, my Lord, why would they do that?”
“Because I am the topic of conversation at this meeting, Acus. It is evident they have learned of the death of Kradis and are deciding whether to move against me for this, as well as more of my recent activities.”
Acus knew also of the death of Kradis, although very few on the Kacoran Plain were aware. It looked as though that had changed.
“Find them, Acus. They would not be meeting in the more formal rooms. Start with the sub-chambers.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
As Acus rose to leave, Synnoc casually glanced back at the muted computer screen. To the surprise of his assistant, Synnoc leaned forward and grabbed each side of the monitor, his face only inches from the screen. His breath inhaled sharply.
“My Lord, are you all right?”
Synnoc twisted the screen toward Acus. “Look! What do you see?”
Acus leaned in closer. At first glance there appeared to be more people in the room than before, including two beings in uniform black outfits. Another creature was then exposed as another moved, this one with yellow hair, like that of a Tech, only shorter. It was Sherri Valentine.
“My Lord, how?”
“Look closer!”
Acus focused his attention on those in the black uniforms. A face turned toward the camera.
“Adam Cain!”
“Yes, Adam Cain…and he is here on Juir, and in this building. How could this have happened?”
“My Lord, the last reports only an hour ago had his ship still three hundred light years from Juir.”
“His ship is three hundred light-years away, yet he is here. And not only that, but he has freed Sherri Valentine and is in the process of freeing the Formilian.”
“I will sound the alarm. They will not escape.” Acus rose to race from the room.
“No! Stop!”
“My Lord?”
“This is just the type of event the Elites are discussing at this moment. I would not survive if they learn that I have allowed Adam Cain to reach Juir and gain entry to the pyramid. They will classify this as another example of reckless incompetence.”
“We must do something.”
“Of course. Send Guards to wait outside the room.” In spite of the unfolding crisis, Synnoc smiled. “Now that I have them all together, I will receive satisfaction from their combined deaths.”
“And the Elites?”
“Send out searchers yet be stealthy. I do not want them—or anyone else—to know I am hunting the Council Elite. Once found, report their location to me. I will confront them personally.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
Jarsin ka Loc was a security specialist assigned to the Pinnacle Room; it was he who alerted the Guards to the Human’s attack on the Elder four days prior. He had come to his viewing cell to calibrate camera light and sound in the reverent conference room, since no one at the time was occupying it—at least not officially.
Now he sat in stunned silence having just heard the conversation between the Elder and one of his aides. He quickly turned off the feed and fell back into his chair. As a room monitor, he knew all the major personalities in Juirean politics. He had also been privy to many a secret meeting. Yet nothing compared to this.
What was he to do? The Elder ruled the Expansion, yet only with the Council’s blessing. Jarsin truly believed that. No Juirean, not even the Elder, was above the scrutiny of the Council. And now Elder Synnoc was going to have the Elites hunted—his own word—and then confronted.
He had to tell someone, but who? Who could he trust not to have his identity revealed? They also mentioned the death of Fleet Marshal Kradis. Jarsin had not heard of this. It would have been news by now. If they would do that to Kradis, what would they do to one such as him?
Nadnon! He was Vice-Elder Malens’ personal assistant. He would be able to warn the Master. But would he also be in the secret meeting? No, Acus had said the Guards were still in the Elite’s chambers. They had gone alone, without escort. Possibly Nadnon would still be in Malens’ chambers.
Jarsin’s station was located seventeen floors below the Pinnacle Room. He would have to go higher, to the Elites chambers. As he entered an elevator, his breath came in short gasps. He had to reach Nadnon.
After Acus had left, Synnoc continued to watch with anger and frustration the hidden camera view of the room with the Formilian. He was having trouble concentrating on anything other than the image of Adam Cain, as the real person was located not more than forty-four floors below him. But then he calmed. This was what he wanted, all the players in one place so he could dispatch them at one time.
Yet the situation was becoming dangerous. The Elites were plotting against him, and if he let the Adam Cain situation continue or get worse, they would have more to accuse him of. He would have preferred to execute the Human himself, but the Guards would be his surrogates. Then he could concentrate on other matters….
But something wasn’t right in the image he was viewing. He now counted three females in the room, not two—Sherri Valentine and Arieel Bol. The other female was unmistakably a Formilian, very similar in form to Bol. But then again, all Formilians looked alike. Yet could he have mistaken the female for one of the four males that came to the Pinnacle Room earlier? Considering the stark differences in shape, he could not see how that was possible. There was no mistaking the sex of the alien.
On the screen, the young Formilian female turned suddenly and stared directly at the hidden security camera. Synnoc leaned in closer, as if drawn in by the round, dark eyes. He felt tingles along his spine.
Then the alien pointed her finger at the camera. The image turned blue, moments before the monitor exploded in a spray of sparks and flying glass. Synnoc fell back, covering his eyes with his arms.
When he recovered, he knew instantly the identity of the Formilian female. It was the Lila, the demon associate of the mutant Panur and the perverted offspring of Adam Cain and Arieel Bol.
Now she was also in the building….but how?
Synnoc caught himself. “She is a mutant, that is how,” he spoke aloud into the empty room. He gnashed his teeth. He was frustrated, yet relieved in a strange way. From his recent interview with the traitorous Benefis Na, he had only recently learned how best to combat such beings. Still, the level of threat the invaders created had increased. He may have to drop all pretense and do what he must to preserve his plan…and his position.
He pressed a communicator and located Acus.
“Yes, my Lord, the Guards are in route to the Formilian’s room.”
“Have them arm themselves with canisters of frozen atmosphere.”
“Pardon me, my Lord. I am confused.”
“There is a mutant with them, the one who is with Panur.”
“Is Panur with them?” There was panic in Acus’ voice.
“I have not seen him. I doubt it. This creature has come to save her mother from my vengeance.”
“But the chemical?”
“She must be frozen so she cannot exert her powers. She knows I have seen her—and the others. Have the Guards take caution. She is very dangerous.”
“Yes, my Lord. I will send more and better-prepared Guards.”
“Good. And as you do that, send fifty to the floor below the Pinnacle Room, as well. Let no one approach without notifying me, and that applies to the Elites as well.”
Acus nodded. He understood.
35
“Let me do it, Lila,” said Adam Cain. “I enjoy killing aliens, especially Juireans.”
“As you wish, father.”
Through his ATD, Adam identified two of the flash weapons the Juireans in the corridor were holding, one to each side of the door. He then severed the firing controls and activated the power packs. A faint, yet intensifying whine could be heard outside the room, followed by a pair of loud, rumbling explosions in stereo.
Adam looked to Riyad and smiled. “Now we can go.”
The door slid ope
n on its own and a cloud of white, acrid smoke poured in. The hallway was a mess, with burning furniture and charred carpeting. Dead or dying Juireans lay everywhere, many writhing and moaning from their injuries. As the eight people from the room weaved their way through the carnage, Adam, Riyad—and especially Sherri—made a point to place a single slug from their M-101’s into the heads or chests of the survivors. There were probably a hundred thousand Juireans in the building, but this was a start.
“I have disabled all the video devices on this floor,” said Lila. She took the lead, serving as a shield against any incoming flash bolts. To the mutant, the pure plasma from the weapons was like candy. Being hit by more than a few also made her skin glow hot and bright.
“Look at this,” Riyad said, holding up a canister with a nozzle attached. He had taken it from the hands of a dead Juirean Guard.
“Liquid nitrogen or oxygen,” Adam said. “Looks like they know how to defend against Lila. Wonder how they learned that?”
“Prowably from Benefis,” Sherri said. “They took em away right after we wanded. He saw what we did against J’nae.”
“We have to be careful. Can’t let anything happen to my little girl.”
“I can protect myself,” Lila said defiantly.
“I know, Lila, but my job as a father is to look after you.”
She smiled. “Then I welcome all you can do.”
Adam knew Lila was toying with him. There wasn’t much he could do that Lila couldn’t for herself.
“All right, here’s the plan,” Adam said, stepping into his leadership role. “Lila and I are going after Synnoc. Riyad, you take the rest of them down to the vault room. Get them out through the pod tunnel. We’ll meet up with you as soon as we can.”
To his shock, everyone in the party stopped what they were doing and stared at him.
“No fucking way!” said Sherri.
“Not going to happen, my friend,” said Riyad
“Formilians do not run from a fight,” said Trimen.
Adam raised his hand. “Our mission is to save people, not to get us all killed.”
“So you’re going with Lila and leave the rest of us to fend for ourselves?” said Riyad. “Seems to me we’d have a better chance of surviving if we stuck with her.”
Adam pursed his lips out of frustration. “Fine, then we all get out. Screw Synnoc. He’ll get his in the end.”
“That’s not what we’re saying,” Riyad continued. “We all want Synnoc dead. If anyone goes after him, we go—as a team—and with Lila in the lead.”
Adam looked at the faces around him. Sherri smiled—and then grimaced. She pointed up with her right index finger.
“He wikes to hang out in the Pinwicle Womb,” Sherri said.
Adam’s shoulders slumped. Of course he would. It’s only at the very top of the damn building. A long climb and even a longer one down.
“Fine, have it your way.” He reached into his backpack and handed Trimen and the other three Formilians MK-17 flash weapons and two power packs each—including Arieel. “Set them on level-two, that’ll kill a Juirean.”
He looked at his team. They were anxious enough. “Most of us here, with the exception of Sherri, Arieel and Riyad, have either superpowers or ATDs—interface devices, so stay close and listen to instructions. With fast enough reactions, we can disable MK and Xan-fi weapons, but if there’s too many of them, some may slip by. This is a huge building with a lot of hostiles, although I’m sure the last thing Synnoc expects is that we’re going after him. Lila, we’ll take the stairwell. If you’ll do the honors…”
The Malor-Hydon Building was sixty-four Juirean stories tall. A Juirean story was around fourteen feet. They started on the twentieth.
Juirean gravity was very near that of Formil, so Trimen, Arieel and the other two of their race had no problem climbing the stairs. Adam and Riyad took the steps three at a time, while Lila was already two stories ahead and scouting the way.
It was Sherri who was the problem. She hadn’t taken any hits to the body, but her head was another matter. Adam suspected she had a pretty nasty concussion, and as she exerted herself climbing the stairs, she became dizzier and more disoriented. Adam fell back from the group and helped her along.
“Leave me,” she said. “Pick me up on the bay back.”
Adam smiled. “Hey, you’re talking better.”
“Still berts like hell.”
“C’mon, I’ll help you. I’ve come too far to leave you behind now.”
Her eyes suddenly glassed over. “Thank you, Adam.”
“You’d do the same for me. In fact, you probably have.”
A tap came from above. Adam and Sherri stopped and crouched. Moments later, the puff-puff of an M-101 was heard. Adam helped Sherri scramble up a flight of stairs.
Riyad was standing over a dead Juirean, his weapon still aimed at the creature. “He came through the doorway right in the middle of us.”
Lila came down the stairs. “There are many more ahead, coming down the stairs. A systematic search is being conducted for us.”
“Let’s get out of here,” Adam said. “A building this size has to have more than one set of stairs.” He scanned the room outside the stairwell with his ATD. “Security cameras in the corridor.”
“I will disable them,” said Lila.
“It might be wise to disable those on a number of other floors above and below us,’ said Trimen. “That way the searchers will not be able to isolate the floor we are on.”
“Great idea, buddy,” Adam said. “Lila?”
“Already done.”
“All right, follow me.”
Adam led them out from the stairwell and into a utilitarian corridor lined with doors spaced very far apart. The rooms beyond the doors had to be large, yet no one was on the floor. At least not until an elevator door ten feet away began to open….
36
Sub-conference room six was located near the center of the great pyramid, yet far below the traditional meeting rooms of the Elites. It was for overflow and meetings between staff. Typically, the Elites traveled the building with two loyal Guards. They were there for more than simple protection, but as advisors and communication conduits. To have one of these important leaders journey the corridors unescorted was highly unusual. Thus they traveled to the clandestine meeting by stairwell and deserted passageways. All eight of the remaining Elites made it to the room without alarm, to be joined there by four others, two Overlords of legal expertise and two with military experience—and all loyal to the Council.
“Why have you brought us here, Malens?” asked his distant relative Cyros.
“I wish to play a recording and receive your opinion—all your opinions—on its contents.”
He nodded to one of the Overlords and a screen on an adjoining wall came to life. For several minutes, the Elites sat in silence, watching and listening to the surveillance record of what had taken place at the Military Command Center four days prior, and the subsequent melt-down of Elder Synnoc li Qriss. At the end, there was a long moment of silence before Cyros spoke again.
“Master Malens, I have no knowledge of Fleet Marshal Kradis being arrested, or any appeal to the Council for adjudication.”
There were several murmurs around the table as all the Elites agreed.
“That is because Kradis is either being held in silent confinement, or he is dead.”
Now the murmurs became more vocal and the attendees more agitated.
“He would not do such a thing, and to his friend Kradis,” said another of the Elites.
“It is done, Master Havorn. I have researched it. After a confidant of mine made a copy of this recording, the original was destroyed by order of the Elder. He wishes no record of his actions, including the arrest of Kradis.”
“Pardon me, my Lords,” said one of the non-Elites in the room.
“Please Lord Gasin, your contribution is vital to our proceedings,” said Malens.
“Thank
you, my Lord. The Elder has the right to appoint his own Fleet Marshal. It has become tradition that any such appointment be approved by the full Council, yet that is not required. His demotion of Lord Kradis, and his subsequent confinement—if that is what has happened—is also within his rights. However, to keep this confinement from the Council is not permitted. Ranking Juireans have rights to defense. This has been denied in the case of the former Fleet Marshal.”
“Appreciated,” said Malens. “That is my thinking as well.” He took a moment to scan the faces of those at the table. Most were elderly, yet all of sound mind. There was no shame in Juirean society to relinquish a chair when faculties became impaired. “My fellow Elites, I wish to point out some very troubling facts surrounding our current Elder, of which this recording is only the most recent. First, I go back to the time of the Great Exodus. Immediately upon becoming Elder, he ordered our people to partake in physical mating practices. As we all know, that policy proved to be disastrous. Five years later, and following many protests, he abandoned the policy, yet without a transition period. That also proved to be disruptive. Further, I offer his weak and misguided management of the Sol-Kor conflict, where he allowed the Humans to assume the lead and receive all the glory. Because of that, the Expansion has begun to crumble, as members lose confidence in our strength and leadership. Now I add this baseless and costly war with the Humans and their Union. This was promulgated on the death of a single Overlord by the notorious Adam Cain. This event—although tragic—was cause for protest, not war. Now we have suffered humiliating defeats, both in the Kidis Frontier and now at our very front door. You all know of the defeat of our fleet near Handic-non—”
“My Lord, that battle is being classified as a stalemate by Master Synnoc,” said Havorn.
“That is because the number of remaining vessels has come out to be about even. What he fails to tell us is that we had numerical supremacy going into the battle. We suffered far more loses than did the Union forces. Not only that, but his reckless removal of all defensive units between the battle scene and Juir has placed our homeworld once again in jeopardy.”
