“Because, we are interested in profit, not conflict,” pleaded Stumpf. “Why would we seek to provoke the Kemmar Empire? How would we benefit?”
“Perhaps you believe your propulsion technology gives you an advantage.” Koft smashed a fist onto the table. “Fools! Your technology will not save you. The Empire will lay waste to your planets. Your species will be eliminated.”
Stumpf forced himself to remain seated and not try to run away. “Forgive me, Lord Koft, but what propulsion technology are you referring to?”
“Do not insult me, Mr. Stumpf,” said Koft, pointing a long talon at Stumpf. “You know exactly what I am talking about.”
“No, Sir, I do not,” Stumpf lied. In reality, he had heard about the strange warship and its ability to disappear from one location and reappear in another. He had seen the reports of how it had helped Sallas defeat the coup. Now the same warship had provoked the Kemmar. Something had to be done.
Koft snarled, giving Stumpf a better look at his teeth. “Mr. Stumpf, I am not interested in playing games. This warship and its crew are criminals. We demand the warship, its crew, and the secret of its propulsion technology. Deliver them to the Empire and we can talk about payment of tribute.”
A cold chill ran up Stumpf’s spine. “But Lord Koft, as I’ve already explained, we do not possess this warship, or its technology.”
“That is not my concern. These are our demands. Comply, or face the full wrath of the Kemmar Empire.”
***
The sinister looking ship engaged its engines and steadily accelerated, heading back across the border into the decimated remnant of what had once been Otan space. Franz Stumpf watched it leave from the console in his office, thankful that the encounter had ended. When the Kemmar had responded to his request for a meeting, he did not think he would have to personally travel to the edges of human space to meet them in person. When the Kemmar insisted, he was in no position to decline. Not if he wanted to maintain any hope of putting together some sort of treaty. What he thought would be a simple arrangement, had now turned into an ominous burden. Their only hope for survival lay in appeasement, and that meant the capture of the mysterious ship.
A message flashed on his screen informing him that his conference was about to begin, and requesting his attendance. As he accepted the request, the Kemmar ship disappeared from his display, replaced by the stern faces of the other corporate CEOs.
“Do we have an agreement?” said Linda Wilhelm, CEO of Rainer Corporation. Never one for formalities, she favored the direct approach.
“In principle,” said Stumpf.
“What does that mean?” said Jacob Weiss, CEO of Meisser Corporation.
“It means that we are not finished with New Byzantium.”
Chapter 8
“Why does Sallas want you to release the Diakans?” said Kevin St. Clair, Jon’s burly security chief.
Jon stared at the endless blue water stretching out before him. “He thinks it is a smart move diplomatically. We can’t claim political asylum if we’re holding Diakan prisoners.”
“Shit,” said Kevin.
“Yeah.”
The sound of laughter rang out below them. Jon smiled as he watched Breeah’s daughter, Anki, running around with Seiben’s two girls, Otka and Alina. The three were running through the shallow water splashing each other. The sight cheered him up. This was how childhood should be spent, laughing and playing, not fighting and watching people die. On the beach near the girls sat Breeah and Darla, deep in conversation. Jon could see a few other people in the distance, but other than that the beach was empty.
“Are you going to do it?” said Kevin.
“If we agree to Sallas’s offer we’ll have to. But the Chaanisar and Reivers need to be on board with the idea. That means we wait for the Doctor to put Colonel Bast back together.”
“The sooner that happens, the better.”
“Won’t be long now. Dr. Ellerbeck said she would be reinserting the brain chip tomorrow.”
“Say Bast agrees with Sallas’s proposition, how do we build new jump ships?”
“We don’t build them. We retrofit existing ships.”
“How do we do that?”
“I’ve been thinking about that. I see no way around it. We’re going to need Singh.”
“How did I know you were going to say that? Captain, we can’t trust that traitor.”
“I know, but we might not have a choice. He’s the only jump system expert within a thousand light years.”
“What about the Chaanisar? Don’t they have their own expert?”
“No. The Juttari kept the information to themselves. The Chaanisar killed their jump system expert when they revolted.”
“Damn. First the Diakans, and now Singh. What’s next, a lunch date with the Kemmar?”
“What the hell are you two doing standing over here?” said Seiben, walking over to Jon and Kevin with three beers in his hands. “Have a beer. Loosen up. The food’s almost ready.”
“Thanks,” said Jon, taking one of the beers from Seiben. “We were just admiring your view.”
“It’s a thing of beauty, isn’t it? I don’t think I’ve ever seen Darla so happy,” said Seiben, nodding at his wife on the beach.
“Beats the hell out of that damn space station you were living on,” said Kevin. “I grew up on an island. Nothing better than living by the water.”
“Hey, I’m a convert,” said Seiben, clinking his bottle with Kevin’s. “This is the good life.” He looked at Jon, “What do you think about it?”
“It’s great,” said Jon.
“Yeah right,” said Seiben, smiling. “I bet your wondering how many people you can drown out there.”
“Funny,” said Jon with a smirk.
“Thanks. Now why don’t you two stop being so damn anti-social and come join the rest of us.”
“What’s cooking?” said Kevin.
“Salmon.”
“Salmon? How the hell did you find salmon a thousand light years away from Earth?”
“The ocean is full of them. According to Prime Minister Sallas, the early colonists brought many different species through the jump gate. Fish, seafood, even livestock and pets. Most of the fish and seafood thrived in New Byzantium’s oceans. The other day I tried something called lobster. It was delicious.”
“Lobster? Are you joking?” said Kevin. “Shit, I’d eat lobster every day if I could. I think I could get used to living on this planet.”
“What’s holding you back?” said Seiben. “Didn’t Sallas offer all of you the same deal?”
“Yeah, we’re still sorting all that out,” said Jon.
Seiben nodded. “Well come over here and help me take some food down to the beach. You can sort it out while you eat something. I’m sure that little bugger inside of you is hungry too.”
Returning to the grill, Seiben began piling fish and sides onto platters. The three men took the food down the wooden steps onto the beach. A long table stood near Darla and Breeah, already setup with appetizers, plates and cutlery. They set down their platters and strolled over to where Breeah and Darla were seated. Breeah looked up at Jon and smiled. “I was just telling Darla how beautiful her new home is.”
“It’s very nice, Darla,” said Jon.
“The girls love it,” said Darla. “They’ve been swimming every day since we got here.”
“Is the beach always this quiet?” asked Kevin, glancing around at the serene landscape.
“It’s been that way so far.”
“Amazing. Where I grew up the beaches were always full of people.”
“Try growing up on an asteroid,” said Breeah. “See how much swimming you get to do there.”
“I can’t even imagine,” said Kevin.
Breeah looked over at her daughter, splashing water and laughing. “At least Anki won’t have to do that anymore.”
Jon thought about Sallas’s offer again. He cared for Anki and wanted the best for h
er. Breeah had a tough childhood. It was true that she had been raised on an asteroid colony, just like the rest of the Reivers. Now they lived on a warship. But Anki could have a good childhood on this planet. They could all have good lives here. He looked over at Seiben, who laughed at one of his own jokes again. He looked genuinely happy. Could I ever be that happy? thought Jon. He wasn’t sure, but he wanted to try.
Yet this planet was about to fight for its very survival, and if it failed, all this would disappear. He suddenly knew he had to accept Sallas’s offer. New Byzantium had to be saved.
“I assume you never got to eat any fish on that asteroid of yours,” said Seiben, handing Breeah a plate of grilled salmon and vegetables.
“No,” said Breeah. “We ate the vegetables that we grew ourselves. The rest of the food was engineered with nutrients in mind, similar to what you would find on a spaceship.”
“Well try the salmon. Let me know what you think.”
Breeah broke off a forkful of pink meat from her fillet and tentatively bit into it. She chewed and swallowed it with a perplexed look on her face.
“Well?” said Seiben. “What do you think?”
“It tastes…”
“Fishy?” said Kevin.
“Yes,” said Breeah, to a chorus of laughter. “It tastes fishy.”
Seiben shook his head. “You mean you don’t like it?”
“No, it’s very good. I have just never tasted anything like it before.”
“Don’t worry about hurting this crusty old freighter captain’s feelings, Breeah,” said Jon, with a grin. “Tell him the truth.”
“Tell me the truth?” Seiben scowled. “You want to know the truth? You’re not getting any. Enjoy your spaceship paste.”
“Come on, old man,” said Kevin. “Stop being so grouchy.”
“You’re not getting any either,” said Seiben, pointing his tongs at Kevin. “And stop calling me old man!”
Chapter 9
The holograph of Colonel Bast’s brain provided Doctor Ellerbeck with a real time three dimensional display of her progress, as she maneuvered the microscopic chip deeper within the cerebral cortex. Tiny medical bots, invisible to the naked eye, did the work, but the Doctor still had to guide the process and ensure the chip was embedded in exactly the same position as before. She simply had no way of knowing what would happen if the chip was incorrectly placed. Even as the foremost human expert on alien medicine, much of the Juttari technology was still a mystery to her. Removing a Juttari brain chip from a living human brain alone was unparalleled. Sadly, she knew more about what happened when the chips were in place, than when they were removed. Still, if her findings could be studied, a solution might be found and the Chaanisar could be freed from their bondage.
For now, she needed to focus on the task at hand. Once in place and activated, the chip would essentially hack into Colonel Bast’s neural network. In doing so it would hijack the genetic code inside the billions of neurons found in the brain, thereby controlling the messages each neuron sent to each other, and suppressing any harmful transmissions. On the positive side, the brain chip protected Colonel Bast from psychological trauma. On the negative, it allowed the Juttari to enslave him.
Of course the brain chip was capable of much more. It allowed him to interface with his surroundings. He could control the ship’s equipment and computers with his thoughts. He could access any information from the ship’s systems, and perfectly store it in his memory. If he needed to study a terrain map before an operation, one glance was all that was needed. Indeed, every Chaanisar possessed a photographic memory. The chip also networked him with the other Chaanisar brain chips, allowing them to communicate telepathically, even over great distances. Such a wondrous piece of technology, used for such great evil. Ellerbeck shook her head in disgust.
In the end, for Colonel Bast, removing the chip offered no reprieve. His mind, his past, still enslaved him. He remained lost, like all the Chaanisar, with no way of returning home. She wondered if they weren’t looking for home in the wrong place. Prime Minister Sallas, Michael, had said that New Byzantium could be their home. That offer might be the Chaanisar’s salvation after all. Here they were welcomed. She didn’t think that would be the case back on Earth, even if the brain chips were removed. There, they would always be seen as butchers, not as abducted children. Humanity often had a disappointing capacity for hatred and recrimination. Earth would never embrace a freed Chaanisar. They would demand their pound of flesh.
The thought saddened her. Colonel Bast was a good man. Holding him responsible for what the Juttaari forced him to do would be like putting a kitchen knife on trial for its use in a murder. What counted in her mind was the Chaanisar actions after they were freed from Juttari control. When they acted of their own free will they rescued the Hermes crew, repeatedly risked their lives against the Kemmar, and fought for New Byzantium’s freedom. Of course, it could be argued that they did so in their own self-interest. They wanted the brain chips removed, after all. What would happen once Bast’s chip was reinserted? What would the Chaanisar do now that the chip’s removal was no longer an option? Would they remain a trusted ally? Would they kick all non-Chaanisar off their ship and leave? Or would they turn into the butchers that those back on Earth believed them to be?
As the tiny medical bots neared their destination, she knew she would soon have her answer. New Byzantium desperately needed help. Would the Chaanisar help it survive? Watching the progress on the holograph she marveled at how the fate of so many relied on something as small as this microscopic chip. Reaching their target, the medical bots maneuvered against the blood stream’s tide and held position above the precise location that the chip previously held. Ellerbeck then gently had them lower the chip. Once in place the bots released the alien implant, allowing it to take over. The chip came to life, first securing itself to the surface of the brain, then transmitting its commands. Ellerbeck instantly noticed a physiological response as the chip proceeded to conduct what looked like a body wide systems check.
She watched in amazement as the chip reasserted itself, and Bast’s body responded. Her medical systems were amassing a staggering amount of data that she hoped would help her find a solution and rid the Chaanisar of their brain chips once and for all. Bast’s body became rigid as his muscles contracted. She glanced back at her display when, without warning, a hand shot out and grabbed her arm with unforgiving strength.
Colonel Bast’s eyes opened and looked straight at her. She wanted to speak, but could only whimper at the pain caused by the vice-like grip. He stared at her with cold eyes, and when he spoke, it was in a quiet, even tone. One word. “Why?”
Chapter 10
The noises had returned. So many voices. Colonel Bast heard everyone on the ship again. He knew what systems were available and which he could interface with. His body continued to fight off the effects of the anesthetic, but he knew he was otherwise in perfect health. The brain chip had returned. Looking up at Doctor Ellerbeck, trembling in fear, all he could think was why. Why would she put that chip back into his brain?
“Tell me why,” he demanded. But she didn’t answer. She merely stood there shaking, tears welling up in her eyes. Looking down at her arm, where he held her, he noticed the discoloration, and realized he was hurting her. In reality he could’ve broken her arm if he wished, but he didn’t want that. He didn’t want to hurt her at all, but the anesthetic caused him to misjudge his strength.
Loosening his grip he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was hurting you.”
Relief washed over her face, and she yanked her arm away, rubbing where he had grabbed her. It was already turning purple. He shook his head and sat up. The Doctor took a step back. Bast frowned, but he understood her fear.
Colonel Bast, came Lieutenant Jarvi’s voice over his implant. You’re back. Was the procedure successful?
Was it successful? How should he answer that question? The chip is back, if that is what you are referr
ing to, Bast replied.
Yes, Sir. It was.
Then you have your answer. Bast set his chip to reply to any communication request that he was not to be disturbed, and turned his attention back to Doctor Ellerbeck.
“Do not fear me, Doctor. I mean you no harm. The anesthetic clouded my judgment. I was unaware of the pain I caused you. I apologize.”
Ellerbeck shrugged, wiping a tear from her cheek. “It’s okay. How do you feel?”
“Disappointed, but otherwise healthy. What happened?”
“What do you remember?”
Memories. So many memories. They all suddenly rushed back, except they were now somehow detached. He saw himself from a distance, like an observer rather than a participant. He remembered the power the memories had over him. Thunderous power, full of sadness and rage. Too much power. He remembered how they overwhelmed him. How he drowned. Whereas now they stayed at a safe distance. His brain chip had erected a dam. The torrent was contained.
“I remember my childhood. My mother. Father. I remember being taken. And I remembered being overwhelmed by it all.”
Ellerbeck nodded. “You had suffered a psychotic break. I had no choice but to reinsert the chip. I’m sorry.”
“As am I, Doctor.”
“What will you do now?”
“Now?” Ever since they had rebelled against the Juttari, their overarching goal had been to remove their brain chips. That was the only way to guarantee their freedom. He had never considered what would happen if the removal didn’t work. This was a setback, but was it permanent? “Doctor, would you say that removal of the brain chips is impossible?”
“No, not impossible. There must be a way. But you have to understand. This is the first time any of this has been attempted.”
“Yes, it wouldn’t be like the Juttari to make things easy.”
“The procedure did yield a lot of data, however. We now know much more about how the brain chip works. It brings us one step closer to a solution.”
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