by T. R. Harris
Then releasing Adam’s arm, he turned his attention to Kaylor. “But first things first,” he said as he locked his dark eyes on the pale alien. “You,” he said directly to Kaylor, “You have something of mine – and I want it back.”
Kaylor was trying to look more upset than scared, yet with little success. He sat on the edge of the couch and said, “Who are you to come aboard my ship with weapons upon us? I do not know you, and I’m sure I have nothing that belongs to you.”
Riyad just smiled. “Oh, I’m afraid you do. As a matter of fact, you took it from me a few days ago after my men had spent considerable time and effort to secure it.” Kaylor’s eyes grew wide and Adam could see him begin to visibly shake. “And then to make matters worse, you managed to abscond with the one thing that had more value to me than all the other riches aboard that alien ship – the ship’s computer core.”
What did he just say? Adam turned to Kaylor. “Is that true? You have the computer core? Why didn’t you tell me! That thing can help me get back home.”
“That’s exactly right, my Human brother,” said Riyad. “That one item is more important to the two of us then they could possibly imagine.” Riyad looked over at Adam again. “So he didn’t tell you he hid the computer core somewhere in the asteroid belt while on the way to Nimor?”
“No … no he didn’t,” Adam said between gritted teeth. “And why the hell not?”
“I couldn’t tell you.” Kaylor pleaded in his defense. “We are not allowed to take anything from a derelict until the salvage is awarded. It was for your own protection.”
“That’s a bunch of bullshit! So why did you take it?”
“Because, as I told you, it can take months for the salvage process to go through, and then there can be counter-claims and other disputes. I wanted to make sure we’d get something for risking our lives—”
“So you chased away my captains and took my prize.” Riyad rose from his chair and walked the short distance over to Kaylor. Then in a move almost too swift to see, he lifted Kaylor by his tunic and pinned him against the bulkhead, his feet dangling easily a foot off the floor. “And now with your lie, the damn Juireans think my pirates took the core, and they will not rest until they get it!”
Riyad released him, letting the alien fall unceremoniously to the floor. He then walked casually over to the food counter, pressed a few buttons, and returned to the table with two drinks in hand. He sat down, placing one of the drinks in front of Adam. Kaylor sheepishly returned to the couch.
After taking a long gulp of his drink, Riyad leaned back in the chair and propped his booted feet onto the table. “Neither of you know the significance of that spaceship, do you?” he said to Kaylor and Jym. “Well, let me inform you.” He took another long swig off his drink. “The ship you so brazenly took from my men …” – he paused for effect – “… was a Klin starship.”
The two aliens – and even Adam – were shocked by the revelation.
“Klin! Are you sure?” Jym had found his voice.
“I’m positive, my little friend. And now you understand why the Juireans have interceded – and why your lies have put me and my men in such a dangerous predicament.”
He waited for the full impact of his disclosure to sink in, and then he gave a subtle nod to his guards. All four of them descended on Kaylor and Jym, holding them down on the couch as they locked ankle bracelets on each of them. It only took a few seconds, and then the guards resumed their silent vigil.
“What are you doing?” Kaylor yelled, as he grasped at the foreign object now attached to his leg.
“Each of those bracelets carries a small explosive charge,” Riyad said. “It should be small enough not to cause any widespread structural damage to your ship, but definitely strong enough to blow off both your legs – and undoubtedly bring about your untimely and very agonizingly-painful deaths. I have taken this action to guarantee that you will cooperate with my demands.” He took another gulp of his drink. “Now … the two of you will recover my computer core and hand it over to me. If you do this without any resistance, I will release you and send you on your way unharmed. If not ….” He pulled a small black box out of his pocket, “all I have to do is press in a code … and you will not live to see another day.”
Riyad seemed to revel in watching the look of horror on the faces of the two aliens. Then after finishing off his drink, he asked, “Do I make myself clear?” Both of the terrified aliens nodded emphatically.
“You don’t have to do this,” Kaylor said. “The computer core has caused me enough problems. I just want to get it out of my life.”
“Good,” said Riyad. “Then we have an understanding. I just want to make sure I have your full cooperation for the duration of our time together.”
Adam was somewhat surprised at the drastic action Riyad had taken. He wanted the information from the core as well, but this seemed like an extreme way to go about getting it. Kaylor looked at him. “Adam, is there anything you can do to help us? If you remember, I did save your life on that ship….”
“Yes, but you lied to me, Kaylor. I didn’t want to take the core from you; all I wanted was to learn the location of Earth from it. After that, it was all yours. And as far as you saving my life … I believe I just saved the two of you from having your memories scraped clean by the fucking Juireans. I think we’ll call it even.”
Even as he spoke, Adam couldn’t believe the harshness of the words that were coming from his mouth. He’d never considered himself a particularly cruel person, but right now he was seething with anger and frustration. For the past few days, he had been riding a rollercoaster of emotions; one moment feeling as if he had a real chance of getting home and back to Maria and Cassie, and then the next having his hopes crushed underfoot and replaced with nothing but bottomless despair.
And Kaylor had the computer core all along.
He locked eyes with Kaylor. “Just get the core and everything will be okay—”
Just then, Adam felt something tight grab his ankle, and when he sprung out of the chair and looked around, he saw Riyad bent over under the table. Adam backed away and looked down at his ankle – he now had a bracelet fastened on his ankle as well. “What the fuck, Tarazi!” The guards moved in, weapons pointed at Adam.
Riyad calmly leaned back in the chair, a look of incredibly satisfaction on his face. “Sorry, my friend, but you are an extremely dangerous person. I cannot take the chance that you will not attack me or my men. This is also for your own good.”
“My own good; how do you figure?” He placed his foot on the chair and began to examine the device. It was a simple black metal band with a small box about the size of a cigarette pack welded on it. There didn’t seem to be any access to the box or latch on the band.
“Mr. Cain, we both need the computer core and we both want to get home. I may have to do some pretty nasty things to get the cooperation I need, and I don’t want you to start growing a conscience. Besides … you are a Human, and I could certainly use you in a fight, if it comes down to that. I just want to make sure you’re going to be on my side, if and when that time comes.”
Adam was a trained SEAL and an underwater demolition expert. He knew explosive devices, along with a fair knowledge of how to disarm them. But this was not the time to reveal this information. After all, he certainly wouldn’t be allowed to disarm the device – even if he could – while in the same room with Tarazi and his guards.
What he had to do now was put this Riyad Tarazi character at ease. The pirate definitely thought he had the upper hand, and considering the fact that the ankle bomb was made from some alien technology of which Adam knew nothing about, there was a pretty good chance he was right.
Calmly, Adam sat back down. “Listen Riyad, I don’t want to be any trouble,” Adam said softly. “I just want to get home, just like you. Promise me that once you get the core that you’ll keep your word and take these things off.”
“As one Human to another, you have
my word.”
Regrettably, that statement didn’t make Adam feel any better….
Chapter 18
Feeling as if he no longer had to keep all the players under constant guard, Riyad allowed everyone to return to their routines; to clean up, go to the restroom if needed, and to get something to eat. In five hours they would be at the asteroid belt, so the two Humans departed for Adam’s cabin where they could have a more private conversation.
As they entered, the first thing Riyad did was crank up the gravity to a more respectable level. He said to Adam, “I rarely leave my ship because of the gravity issue. K’ly – the planet where my pirate base is located – is a little more than three-quarters Earth’s gravity. If I spent too much time there, I’d grow weak and lose my edge.”
Adam sat backwards in the chair, resting his arms on the back and facing the bed, which Riyad had already claimed. The pirate leader propped pillows against the bulkhead and leaned back, stretching his legs out in front of him and locking his hands behind his head.
“There, Mr. Cain, now we are both comfortable – so let’s catch up.” He flashed a wide grin. “So where are you from? I take it you are an American.”
“That’s right, and you’re Middle Eastern.”
“Lebanese originally, but I spent most of my adult life in Pakistan, and even some time in your country, Florida to be precise. So please tell me, Adam, what year and day is it back on Earth? I have been out of touch for such a long time.”
Adam was surprised by the question. “I’m not quite sure. I don’t have any idea how long I was asleep on the … on the Klin ship. But the last day I remember was October 23rd, 2011.”
“Ah ha!” Riyad exclaimed. “I was so close! I had no way of telling time – Earth time – that at one point, years ago, I counted one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two and so forth until I estimated how long a minute was. Then set a device to count off the intervals. I figured it was around 2011, but I was off by about four months or so by my calculations. Not bad for an estimate, wouldn’t you say?”
“So how long have you been … out here? And how did you end up being the leader of the space pirates?” This was actually something Adam was anxious to learn.
“I’ve been here for about six years, and I’m sure my story is very similar to yours. One day was in the mountains near the Afghan-Pakistani border when I remember seeing a bright light – and then nothing. I woke up to find I was aboard a spaceship of some kind – but certainly without the fancy accommodations you had onboard the Klin ship.” He flashed his bright smile at Adam again. “I was in a cell – a cage really –with three other Humans and several other creatures. The conditions were horrible; we slept on straw pads and drank filthy water. The food we were given was alien and without the computer testing like you have here. We were all sick with food poisoning for several days. Two of my fellow Humans died during the trip.
“Then we were transferred to another ship – sold, I believe – to a group of pirates. After about a week – I think it was about a week – we landed on a planet and were taken out to be sold again. Not taking too kindly to the idea of becoming a slave, I fought back and started a mini riot right there on the auction block. My one remaining Human companion, a gentleman name Ashbar from India, was killed during the riot.
“Yet I survived, and instead of becoming a slave, I caught the attention of one of the pirate captains. He was impressed with my fighting skills and offered me a place in his crew. Sorry bastard.” Riyad said with a wicked smile, as if sharing an inside joke.
He stopped his story and narrowed his eyes. “You must know by now, my friend, that we Humans have certain advantages over most of the other creatures out here. In fact, I understand you defeated two Rigorians during a duel your first day on Nimor. That is no easy task.”
“I didn’t pick that fight! They challenged me,” Adam said in his defense.
“Oh, don’t get me wrong; I’m not being critical. I’m just pointing out a fact. In the six years I have been out here, I have found creatures who were faster, who were stronger and who were tougher than we are. Some even exhibited remarkable intelligence and coordination. Yet none combine all these traits into one being as we do. Out here, we are the supermen. No, we can’t fly, and we can certainly be killed by the weapons they possess. But none of the creatures I’ve encountered can stand against us in a fair fight.”
“What about the Juireans?”
Riyad pursed his lips. “I’ve never met a Juirean before, but from what I’ve heard, they may be a fair challenge. But I had also heard how tough the Rigorians are, and both of us have made easy work of them. Yet I have to admit it, I have been trained at combat and am considered an accomplished warrior where I come from.”
Adam tensed. His one advantage over his fellow Human was the fact that Riyad didn’t know Adam’s profession or skill-set. In fact, he was beginning to believe Riyad might have been a terrorist in his past life.
“You were in the military?” Adam asked, trying to pull more details out of the conversation.
Riyad laughed. “I guess you could say that. As an American, I’m not sure I should tell you this, but for a while I was a face in a deck of cards that your military carried with them in Iraq.”
Adam couldn’t play ignorant any longer. “You were a terrorist!” Adam tried to display as much shock and outrage as possible.
“I was a freedom fighter,” Riyad corrected without a trace of indignation. “My cause was just, and I have no regrets fighting the infidels who invade our lands and kill our women and children,” he continued, his voice nearly musical in nature. Adam got the sense Riyad was reciting a standard line. It all seemed strange.
“Why do I get the sense that you don’t believe that anymore?” Adam asked.
“Well … look around you, my friend.” Riyad said with a sweeping motion of his hand. “You can’t tell me that your belief in the Christian god has not been shaken over the past few days? It’s hard to maintain your faith in light of the reality we both find ourselves in.”
“You mean with all the alien life in the galaxy? I was never that strong of a believer in the first place,” Adam offered.
“Oh, don’t be mistaken, neither was I. That’s why I was a leader in the movement, and not just one of the foot soldiers. The honor of suicide bomber is reserved for the youngest and most-devout of our faith. The only time you’d see one the senior commanders take his own life – to meet Allah and our seventy-two virgins – was if he had no choice in the matter.”
“By the way … we got Osama,” Adam interjected, just to pick the scab.
“Captured?”
“No, shot dead … and in his pajamas.”
“That’s a shame,” was all Riyad said, with little emotion. “But he was more of a figurehead in the movement rather than our true leader. You do know he was not the one who planned the attack on your country? He was just the money man, and helped supply some of the manpower for the attack.”
“We got Khalid Sheik Mohamed as well.”
Riyad just shrugged. “We all knew the risks we were taking. But that is all in the past now, my friend. We have both been shown a new future for our planet, as well as for our Human race.”
“What do you mean?”
The pirate leaned over onto one elbow. “Mr. Cain, the Klin have plans for us; why else would they be transporting eighty Humans through hostile territory unless we’re important to them. The Juireans have now learned that the Klin still exist, and they certainly will not let the Earth remain unharmed knowing that the Klin find us of value.”
“What do the Klin want with us?”
“My guess is they are aware of our abilities. There is no telling how many of their ships have made it to and from Earth over the years, bringing Humans to some unknown destination.” Then he grew very serious. “I believe the Klin are building an army … of Humans.”
Adam was shocked by the revelation, but he couldn’t dispute it. “Why … so we can fi
ght against the Juireans for them?”
“That would be my guess.” Riyad laughed and leaned back on the pillows. “And they couldn’t have picked a better race for the task. We are pretty proficient killers; just look at what we do to our own kind. Imagine what we could do against an alien enemy.”
Adam shook his head. “You come from a different culture, one that doesn’t value life as much as we do,” Adam countered. “I don’t think we’re as blood-thirsty as you believe.”
“Bullshit, Mr. Cain! We’re as blood-thirsty as they come. You’ve only been out here for a few days … and how many of these aliens have you already killed?”
“This isn’t a god-damn video game; we’re not keeping score!”
“Sure we are,” Riyad shot back. “It’s us against them; it’s always been that way. The only variable is who we determine to be us and who we designate as them. When we’re faced with an enemy, we tend to put aside all of our so-called humanity and treat our enemy as essentially as non-Human, just objects to the eliminated and not deserving of life. It’s all a matter of perspective.”
“I think you’re wrong, Riyad,” Adam said, shaking his head. “We may fight, but the killing is always something normal people feel bad about.”
“On the contrary, let me prove it to you. Let us take a normal person, say someone who works in a convenience store, who later joins the military and is sent out to kill other people – other Humans. When he comes back home, to the so-called real-world, he is celebrated, and can sleep peacefully at night, content in the knowledge that his killing was justified. He may have killed dozens of his fellow Humans, yet no one considers him to be a murderer.
“Now let that same man walk into an office building and indiscriminately kill a dozen people. Now he is the most-vile of creatures, a mass-murderer, to be scorned and ridiculed, the basest of our kind.
