by T. R. Harris
The three men were taken to a large suite of rooms, tastefully-appointed and definitely upscale.
“Is this where you and Sherri lived?” Riyad asked, impressed.
“Hardly, these are VIP accommodations. We were in crew quarters. Fortunately we had our own compartment, since the natives weren’t anxious to see a couple of Humans humping all the time.”
“Can you blame them?”
“It’s called the porn industry, buddy, and it’s quite popular, if you hadn’t noticed.”
“Not on alien worlds…and between Humans.”
“Knock it off you two,” Adam commanded. “Our delaying tactic worked, so Jym could arrive at any time. We have to be ready when he does.”
“Unlike the weapons, the room locks are standard. They’ll be a piece of cake,” said Coop.
“You did notice that fleet of warships outside?” Riyad asked. “They could be a problem for Jym.”
“I’ve seen a hundred Juirean cruisers attack a single Colony Ship, and it still got away in one piece,” Adam countered.
“Yeah, but that was a CS manned by experienced Klin. Jym has a bunch of rookie Formilians at the controls.”
“I’m actually counting on the intimidation factor more than any real fighting taking place. But still, we have to help in any way we can.”
“What about Sherri and Kaylor?” Copernicus asked.
“I just hope they stay out of the way. There’s not much they can do on their own.”
Sherri and Kaylor had to do something on their own. They couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. The Klin saucer was in dark status and slowly coasting in closer to the massive research station. Sherri and Coop had spent a lot of time studying the facility and planning the best way to pull off the heist of the DMC. That involved gaining access to the device, stealing a starship and then getting away. As a result, she knew some tricks for getting in and out of the station. Whether or not they would work in this instance remained to be seen.
“Their security can’t be as high as it was when they had the DMC,” Sherri said to a skeptical Kaylor.
“Yet they have the device again,” Kaylor countered.
“As of a couple of hours ago. It takes time to make the adjustments. They can’t possibly be expecting someone to try to steal it again.”
“There will be proximity detectors,” Kaylor pointed out. “We cannot get in very close with the Davion.”
“I’ll go over in a spacesuit. I’ll be too small to notice. I need you to stay here and coordinate with Adam. We’ll be in range of the ATDs by then.”
“And what will you do when you get aboard?”
“Save the day, I imagine. That’s what I usually do.”
Two hours later, Kaylor contacted Adam through his ATD.
Adam, can you hear me?
The answer came back a moment later.
Yes! Where are you?
Two hundred thousand miles out and in dark status. We should be within transfer range in three hours.
It’s too dangerous. Stay back. I assume Jym is on the way.
Yes. The last update was four hours ago. He is close…I am sorry Adam, Sherri is speaking in my ear. She wants to know if you are all right and if you know what the Gracilians plan to do with you?
Tell her we’re fine, for the moment. Volic is anxious to give us the nickel tour. We’ll know more when that’s over.
What do you wish us to do?
Just get in close and stand by. We’ll do what we can to give Jym more time to get here.
Sherri is—
Sherri hit the back of the alien’s head, getting his attention. She put a finger to her lips.
“I do not understand.”
“It means be quiet.”
Are you okay, Kaylor.
Yes, Adam. I will stay in touch.
“He’ll get pissed if he knows what I’m planning,” Sherri explained.
“It is risky.”
She smiled. “It will be a surprise.”
25
Riyad and Copernicus were pissed. Apparently they didn’t rate the same attention from Volic as the famous Adam Cain. They were left in the stateroom while Adam was taken away to meet with the Gracilian leader. They could stay in touch with their ATDs, but still they were pissed.
Atop the large globe that made up the hub of the five-finger station was a smaller dome that served as the facility’s control center. Volic was waiting there for Adam.
Guards shackled him in arm restraints but left his legs free. The cuffs were locked with an electronic device, and Adam had to fight off a smile when he detected the Formilian controller inside the lock. So far, the only things not using Formilian technology were the weapons. That was a pretty big deal and something Adam and his team hadn’t seen in a very long time.
“Mr. Adam,” Volic greeted with enthusiasm. “I apologize for not allowing you time to rest, but I assume you had enough during the journey here, after you set aside all your conniving.”
“No problem.” Adam looked around the room and the three-hundred sixty degree view it afforded. “This is very impressive. You must be proud of your station and the work being done here.”
Adam thought of all the SEAL training he had regarding dealing with captive situations such as this. However, the best lesson he’d ever learned came from the old James Bond movie Dr. No. What it taught was to stroke the bad guy’s ego, prompting a detailed tour of the villain’s secret lair so an escape could be planned. It worked every time—at least for Bond, James Bond.
“Yes it is impressive, and I am anxious to show you more. Please come with me.”
The Gracilian took Adam through a dozen research labs, most located out at the far ends of the five fingers of the station, explaining the work being done in terms Adam could barely grasp. It wasn’t that he wasn’t smart enough; the residual effects of Panur’s brain cells gave him a little boost in that regard. It was that he didn’t care. He was just killing time before Jym arrived in the Colony Ship. As a consequence, he had to turn his head several times to hide the yawns from his host.
“This you may find interesting,” the alien said as they entered another large laboratory. The tour was achieving the desire effect; it was taking a hell of a long time. “This is where we are studying the other artifacts from the Zaniff asteroid field.”
Adam’s attention focused on the two, four-inch diameter light green metallic orbs resting in holders on a nearby counter. Volic stepped over to the station.
“These are the two Aris service modules that were found, similar to the one your daughter now has. We have opened them and studied the dark matter generators inside. Quite fascinating.” The alien smiled at Adam. He picked up one of the globes and held it in front of the Human. “These we will not allow you to steal.”
We’ll see about that.
Adam knew the units possessed a high-grade form of artificial intelligence, essentially making them alive in most regards. They also communicated primarily through telepathy. He attempted contact through his ATD.
Can you hear me? Adam asked the orbs.
He noticed an immediate warming in his head. The beings who built the personal service modules were more advanced than any race in the galaxy, either past or present, and the power the orbs possessed was incredible. The fact that he felt the sensation meant there was a connection, even if he got the impression he’d surprised the orbs. They were seeking understanding of the strange message they had just heard.
English…you are communicating in Human English?
That’s right. So you can hear me?
We can hear you yet do not understand how.
Scan my body. You’ll find a device embedded under the skin below my right arm. It links my mind with other entities, including Aris personal service modules.
You seem very well informed…who are you?
“Come, Mr. Adam,” said Volic, breaking Adam’s train of thought. “Let us continue with the tour. I wish to show you another inte
resting feature of this station.”
My name’s Adam Cain. I will contact you again. Until then, do not let the Gracilians know you can communicate.
That has been our intention as we have studied these primitive lifeforms. We now have another subject to study.
Adam was smiling as Volic led him out of the room, thinking how this changes everything.
26
Volic took Adam to the hanger bay were the Orion was stored. The rear loading ramp was down and the money truck missing. All that was left of the fortune in Juirean credits was the contents of the spilled crate on the deck of the starship.
“Besides the return of the DMC, I wish to thank you, Mr. Adam, for the credits you have donated to our cause. Every amount will help in our coming endeavor.”
Adam felt sick to his stomach. The guys aren’t going to like this….
The tour ended back where it began, in the central control dome.
“I am sure you noticed the fleet of war vessels in the space surrounding the station,” Volic said.
“Isn’t that a little odd for a bunch of scientists to have?”
Volic laughed. His race didn’t subscribe to the whole ‘bared teeth means death challenge’ thing and gave out a hearty chortle.
“We are much more than scientists, Mr. Adam. In fact, we are in the process of expanding our fields of endeavor into multiple fields, as I will demonstrate.” He moved to the encircling viewport and looked out to where three of the mighty battleships reflected distant light off their shiny new hulls. “You mentioned earlier how you worried that someone might acquire dark matter technology with the intention of building weapons. You were quite right to have such fear; however you did not have to look far. The truth of why we did not accept the offers we received for the DMC was because we wished to keep the technology for our own purposes, which includes as weapons of war.”
“That’s no surprise,” Adam said.
“Indeed, your race is very perceptive when it comes to deception, the result of your own nature in this regard. In a way, that makes our two species very similar. And with the return of the DMC, we now have the impetus to put our ambitions into action. For that, I thank you.”
“You’re welcome, I think.”
Volic laughed. “You will not thank me when you learn of our plans.”
“Would your plans happen to include galactic domination? I’m just curious.”
“And what would you do with the power of dark matter…give it to others as an unlimited source of energy? Of course not. Humans would use the destructive power for their own gain, as would all predator species.”
“So you want to take over the galaxy. And why the hell would you want to do that?”
Volic was confused by the question. “Why, you ask? Because…because it is the galaxy! It means leadership and power for my people. It means fulfilling our destiny to rule over all who reside here. Why, Mr. Adam? Because we can.”
“And then what.”
Volic was having trouble answering questions he’d never been asked before. “Then we lead…we control.”
Adam shook his head. “You know how many times I’ve heard the same thing from would-be conquerors?”
“How many times?”
“I don’t know…a lot. But that’s not the point. I wonder why anyone would want to rule the galaxy. Have you seen it? It’s a real shithole in my opinion.”
“I grasp the comparison, but that matters not. The Gracilians will soon be known throughout the galaxy for our scientific genius, as well as for the power we possess. There will be none who will stand against our dark matter weapons. And we will have no need for a large military force to subdue the galaxy, only superior technology. There is no defense against dark matter. Star systems will bow to our will.”
“You sound like something out of a Star Wars movie,” Adam said, receiving the blank look from the alien he was expecting. But it was true. He’d heard the same speech a dozen times. And that was just on the silver screen. In person he’d heard it from Nigel McCarthy, the Klin, the Juireans, the Kracorians, the Sol-Kor, the Nuoreans…and now the Gracilians. He impressed himself that he could recall them all, and in order.
“Well, good luck with your ambitions, Volic. Everyone who’s come before you has failed. You’ll be no different.”
“That may be true, yet we have history on our side.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means we have studied the failures of those in the past and have taken measures to correct those failures. We will succeed where others have not.”
“I’ve heard that one before, too.”
Volic’s dark face turned even darker from his building anger. “I am through having this circular conversation with you, Mr. Adam. It is time I explain fully how you factor into our plans. And it all began with your detonation of a dark matter cube on Woken.”
Adam tensed. He didn’t like that Volic was making him part of the Gracilian’s plan for galactic domination. That has never worked out very well for him in the past.
“Your miniscule annihilation event put the galaxy on notice of a new source of destructive energy. Regrettably, it was much too small for our purposes.”
“So you’re going to blow up something else, something big,” Adam stated.
“That is correct! I said you were perceptive. That is because you would do the same if you were in my place. Now the galaxy must be shown the true power of dark matter, not only to destroy a few grids within a city, but to destroy an entire planet. And you know which planet we have targeted?”
“Vulcan?”
Volic recoiled, his eyes blinking. “Vulcan? No, not Vulcan; I have not even heard of the planet Vulcan.”
“It’s where Mr. Spock comes from.”
Volic took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. “No, Mr. Adam, I am going to destroy your planet Earth.”
Adam contacted Riyad and Copernicus by ATD.
Standby guys, he thought. This suddenly got serious.
What are you talking about? Riyad asked.
I’ve just been told Volic intends to destroy the Earth.
Serves them right, after what they did to us.
Seriously?
Of course not; I still have a car there somewhere. It’s a classic by now.
So what are we going to do? Copernicus asked.
Not sure yet, still getting the details. Whatever he has in mind, he needs the DMC and he just got it back, so we may have some time. Standby.
That’s what we’ve been doing for the past two hours. Coop conveyed, frustration in his thoughts.
Volic was watching Adam, taking his long silence as shock at the news. “That is right, Mr. Adam. I will destroy the homeworld of the Humans, the most savage race in the galaxy.”
“I resemble that remark.”
“Why can Humans not take anything seriously?” Volic barked.
“Because I can’t take you seriously,” Adam barked back. “You’re sitting out here a thousand light-years outside the galaxy, with a handful of warships and one dark matter collector. How do you intend to destroy the homeworld of the Humans?” If Adam’s hands weren’t shackled, he would have put finger quotes around homeworld of the Humans.
Volic calmed down and smiled. Adam didn’t like that. He knew desperate people did desperate things. However, confident people made plans. Volic was looking very confident at the moment.
“How will I do it? It is already done.”
Adam turned pale and all the patience he had for the game he was playing with the alien vanished. “What the fuck are you talking about? You couldn’t…you didn’t.”
“Please, let me explain. We have been tracking the efforts to buy the DMC and came upon a Human who was involved in the bidding with the Gradis Cartel. His name is Brian Parker, and as you were chasing the DMC around the Frontier, I sent Mr. Brian a wondrous new device, a nine-cube configuration that can power the entire planet Earth forever…or at least as long as it survi
ves. I also planted a detonation peg in one of the cubes, designed to trigger an explosive when I send a code. When I do, Earth will implode, to disappear as if it never existed. When that happens, the entire galaxy will take note. Where the Klin merely eliminated populations upon worlds, I will be a destroyer of worlds.”
“Then you haven’t sent the code yet?”
“And why would I do that without an audience? It is much more satisfying having someone who will be gravely impacted by an action to be a witness. You, Mr. Adam, will be my witness.”
The alien moved to a comm console manned by another Gracilian. “Establish the link with Earth,” he commanded. He turned back to a weak-kneed Adam Cain. “I was hoping for a more elaborate ceremony, but I believe now is the best time. I can tell I have your full attention.”
But the alien didn’t. Adam was frantically scanning the circuits to the CW communications station, looking for ways to disrupt the signal. If the connection was made, the signal from the research station would take less than a second to reach Earth.
He followed an active line up and out of the command dome. The circuit continued along the hub of the station to the only CW facility Adam could locate in the station. The line terminated at a large vertical antenna array that was the transmission site. Adam began to sever every power connection he could.
Volic leaned over a keypad and entered a sequence. It was that quick. He stood up, smiled and turned to Adam.
“It is done. Your world is no more.”
“My lord,” said the technician. “The continuous wormhole system has lost power.”
Volic whipped around. “What do you mean?”
“The system is down.”
“Did the signal go out?”
“Not the CW signal.”
Volic glared at Adam. “What have you done, or more precisely, how did you do it? You have been with me continuously.” He turned to the comm tech. “Have the guards report on the location of the other two Humans.”
