by T. R. Harris
Jiden sat up a little straighter and wiped the moisture from his face. “Thank you, My Lord. I’m telling you the truth.”
“I know you are.” Giodol then lifted the weapon and placed a bolt through Jiden’s chest. Next, he pressed a button on his desk. “Open a link to the Overlord – immediately.”
Chapter 21
Moving quickly throughout the cargo hold, Adam looked for anything he could use to cut the bomb from his ankle. The cargo bay was filled with a plethora of tools, but most of them were robotic. From his brief time with the aliens, he had noticed that they weren’t very coordinated, and this carried over to their use of tools as well. Nearly everything was automated.
And then he found it ... a thin length of wire with a corrugated edge. Taking a length of the wire, he threaded it between his ankle and the strap and then gripped the two ends of the wire with a couple of cloth rags. With determination, Adam began to saw back and forth against the strap.
It wasn’t long before metal dust began to accumulate on the chair. After about a minute he could see the wire making progress, cutting into the edges to the strap. This was going to work!
So he stopped.
It was too early in his captivity to chance having Riyad learn he’d escaped from the ankle bomb. And besides, Kaylor and Jym were still wearing theirs. He’d have to make sure the two aliens were also free of their bracelets before he took any action against Riyad and his pirates. He would pocket the wire for now, and then formulate a plan later.
Adam returned to his room. The journey to the asteroids had taken five hours, so they should be arriving back at Nimor in another three. In the meantime, he had a lot of thinking to do.
Reclining on the bed, Adam began to run the conversation he’d had with Riyad back through his mind. So we’re the Supermen of the galaxy? Funny, he didn’t feel like one. Yet he did have to admit that any preconceived notions he had had about the great alien empire and their vast superiority to Humanity had been completely dashed by now. There was little out here that impressed him. Sure, they could travel between stars and they did have some pretty neat energy weapons, but beyond that, just about everyone and everything he’d encountered had been a big letdown, including the almighty Juireans.
So was it possible that Riyad could return to Earth and conquer the planet using the Juirean technology? Then he decided that conquer probably wasn’t the right word. After all, what good would it do him to inherit a planet ravaged by war?
Tarazi’s plan would be more subtle. All he really had to do was allow the Juireans to learn of Earth’s existence and its importance to the Klin. Then offering himself up as the most-qualified person to defend the planet against the alien threat, he could simply be appointed leader of the world. That would satisfy his ambition, but what of the fate of Earth?
Could one planet really stand up against the combined might of the Juirean Expansion? Not likely, even with the help of the Klin. In fact, Adam had no idea who or what the Klin really were. Were they friend or foe? Would they simply use the Humans as fodder to further their own need for revenge, and if so, were they any better than the Juireans?
These were serious questions for a 26-year-old sailor from California.
Again, Adam let out a laugh. Was he really taking this line of thinking seriously? Could the activities aboard this tiny spaceship over the next day or so really impact the entire future history of the planet Earth, possibly of the entire galaxy?
Damn! This is some heavy shit, Adam thought.
He closed his eyes, and when he did a vision appeared, an image of his wife Maria, her dark eyes filled with tears, her bottom lip trembling. She had tried to remain strong on the day he left for Afghanistan that last time, but it was getting so hard on both of them. No matter how much you prepared mentally and emotionally for a moment like this, it was never as you planned. This time it had been especially hard….
Adam opened his eyes in an effort to make the vision go away; that line of thinking was just too painful to take.
He stared at the ceiling, having no idea how all of this was going to work out, but he did know one thing for certain: He had to get home. If there was any way possible, he would do it. And if Riyad had plans for involving Earth in a galactic war – which could bring harm to Maria and Cassie, as well as to everyone else who was important to him – then he would have to be stopped.
Just then an announcement came over the ship’s intercom, interrupting Adam’s thoughts: “General Tarazi, please come to the pilothouse immediately!” It was one of the terrorist’s guards calling him.
Curious, Adam left his room and went to the pilothouse as well. He arrived the same time as Riyad.
“What is it?” the pirate leader demanded, anger and disgust displayed on his face and in his tone.
“We just received a link from your command ship. The K’ly base has been attacked by the Juirean Fleet!”
Adam saw Riyad’s dark face grow a few shades deeper as veins in his neck began to protrude. Kaylor and Jym entered the room just then and Riyad spun to face them.
“See what your lies have done! The Juireans think we have the core so my base has been attacked. This is all because of you!”
Adam expected to see Riyad draw his weapon and shoot the aliens dead right there on the spot, but instead he turned to the guard. “Any word on the damage?”
The guard was listening on a headset. “So far, only five ships are unaccounted for. Your emergency evacuation plans were successful. The fleet is regrouping at the backup location.”
“Who did we lose?”
“Filor, Caporian, Jiden, Sim and Meldeon,” the guard reported.
“Jiden and Meldeon … good,” Riyad said aloud. Then to the guard: “Send Captain Angar’s ship to the rendezvous point with orders to coordinate all survivors. Backup supplies and weapons are to be distributed, and send out perimeter guards immediately. The Juireans will not rest until they have what they seek – and they did not find it on K’ly.”
He turned to face Adam, fire in his eyes. “If you – or your alien friends – give me even one more problem, I will kill all of you without a second thought.” He then stormed out of the room.
Chapter 22
Adam spent the next couple of hours with Kaylor and Jym in the common room, sipping on carbonated drinks and chewing on some sort of granola-tasting cake. The aliens were scared to the point of incapacity; Jym had even vomited a couple of times, sending such an incredible stench into the air that Adam almost followed suit.
Although Adam could sympathize with them, he was also a little disappointed in their total lack of courage in the face of danger. Were these the same aliens who had scared the pirates away from the Klin starship? He knew a showdown was coming with Riyad and his guards, and he dreaded the thought of having to rely on these two for help of any kind.
A guard appeared at the door and summoned them to the pilothouse.
“Take your seats,” Riyad demanded of Kaylor and Jym. “We’re at Nimor. Now take us to the Klin ship.”
Kaylor seemed to be fighting the urge to say something. Finally he summoned the courage to speak. “The Ministry and the Juireans are probably going to be looking for us here. We haven’t been gone very long,” he said nervously.
“That’s why we can’t waste any more time. Just get us in and out as quickly as possible.”
Kaylor and Jym got very quiet and very serious. Through the open port, Adam could see the planet sweep into view, still impressed by the sight of another planet from space. But then he noticed the aliens begin to frantically work their controls, while repeatedly checking the view screens.
Riyad noticed this, too. “What’s wrong?”
“The Klin ship … it is not there.” There was panic in Kaylor’s voice.
Riyad moved closer, until he was looking over Kaylor’s shoulder. “What do you mean it’s not there?”
“These are the coordinates. It is where we left it in orbit by direction from the Mi
nistry.” Kaylor was near hysterics. “Honest! This is where we left it.”
Riyad straightened up and stared out the viewport. “The Juireans have taken the ship away,” he stated flatly.
Adam spoke up, “Where did they take it?”
“Probably to Melfora Lum,” Riyad answered without turning. “That’s the Juirean headquarters for The Fringe.” Adam could tell that the terrorist was working multiple scenarios through in his head, as was Adam. They had the core, but it would do them no good without the Klin ship. And now that ship was headed for the Juirean stronghold for the region. How difficult would it be to get in and out of there unscathed? Adam was the rookie here; he had no idea.
Riyad turned to one of his guards. “Have the core transferred to my ship.” He then turned to Adam: “I don’t like you, Mr. Cain, and I certainly do not trust you. But I’m also not going to leave you here either. You’re coming with me.”
“What about us?” Jym asked, a little too loudly.
Riyad glared at him with a look that sent Jym recoiling back into his chair. “The two of you are the reason I’m in this mess in the first place. I’m afraid I don’t have very good news for—”
Just then, a brilliant blue light filled the pilothouse. Everyone turned toward the viewport and saw three spacecraft appearing in front of them just as a massive blue bolt of energy deflected off one of their hulls. An elongated craft sweep into view from behind the FS-475 and cut across the bow, just as another bolt of energy erupted from a point just above its pointed tip, targeted at the three approaching warcraft.
Almost simultaneously, three return bolts shot out from the attackers, striking the side of the elongated ship. Adam could see two of the bolts slide off the hull, while the third one scorched a path across the forward third of the ship.
Riyad turned to Kaylor. “Do you have any weapons on this tub?”
At first Kaylor didn’t understand the question, but soon it dawned on him. “Only a 45-ML launcher. It cannot puncture a battle hull.”
Adam knew the fourth ship was Riyad’s ride, and he also knew the ship was doomed. It had sped off to the right and was still barely visible when the three attackers changed course towards it, letting loose with another barrage of blue balls of electricity as they turned. This time all three bolts penetrated the hull, and the ship exploded in a giant ball of yellow and green fire. Adam was astonished by the sudden evaporation of the explosion, as the great fireball flared briefly, and then vanished, as if sucked up by a giant vacuum. Yet even at this distance, Adam could see pieces of the ship flying off in all directions.
Riyad stood stoically watching the scene before him unfold, while the guards in the room appeared visibly shaken. That had been their ship, and now all of their shipmates were dead.
The three attackers changed course again and Adam could see bright flashes erupt from their sterns as they maneuvered closer to Kaylor’s ship. It was apparent from their approach that they did not intend to fire.
A buzz sounded in the pilothouse; Kaylor reached forward on his console and threw a switch.
“This is the Nimorian Ministry Forces,” a voice announced through hidden speakers. “You will cease resistance and prepare to be boarded.”
All eyes turned to Riyad. “Do as they say,” he commanded.
“What about the core?” Adam asked. “Are you going to let the Juireans have it?”
Just then a mischievous expression crossed the pirate’s face. “Don’t worry,” he said, as the corners of his mouth curved upward slightly. “We’ll just have to take this fight to another venue.”
Chapter 23
The FS-475 was soon flooded with a myriad of aliens, all filled with a determined purpose. They quickly placed Riyad and his pirates in one of the extra staterooms under guard, while sequestering Adam, Kaylor and Jym in Kaylor’s stateroom, also under guard. Other pilots were brought in, and they set the ship on a course for Melfora Lum, a trip they were told which would take about two days. After that, everyone settled into a tense routine. Food was brought and bathroom trips supervised. Adam and Riyad had no contact for the duration of the trip.
While in Kaylor’s stateroom, Adam was able to remove all of their ankle bombs, much to their immense relief, especially the aliens. But now the question became: What to do with the bombs? They had not seen the trigger device removed from Riyad, but that could have happened by now. If not, then the bombs could go off at any time Riyad felt doing so would be to his advantage. And if the device had been confiscated, could one of the Nimorians inadvertently trigger the detonations?
So during one of the bathroom runs, Adam hid the bombs in a towel and deposited them in a trash bin in the head. Then asking for permission to dump the trash, Jym jettisoned the bombs out into the vastness of space.
Immediately, there was a profound change in the mood of Adam’s two alien companions – at least up to the point when they remembered they were on the way to meet a Juirean Overlord … a being who would decide the ultimate fate of them all.
The moment soon came when everyone was summoned to the airlock off the ship’s cargo bay, and the four of them – Adam, Riyad, Kaylor and Jym – were transferred to a smaller shuttlecraft for the journey down to the surface of Melfora Lum. Riyad’s fellow pirates appeared to have disappeared somewhere along the journey to the planet….
Through the viewports, Adam could see a sprawling city sweep up from below, complete with skyscrapers, paved roads and abundant traffic. Now this was more like it, Adam thought. This was a lot different from the Old West version of an alien city he’d experienced with the Nimorian city of Gildemont.
They landed in a parade field next to a massive pyramid-shaped building that easily measured a mile on each side. It soared forty stories tall and glowed a golden yellow color as the bronze-glass walls reflected the light from the setting Melforean sun. The prisoners were herded into the building under no fewer than fourteen guards.
The large entourage entered an even larger elevator; Adam once again marveled at the familiarity of it all. It was just a normal-looking elevator, yet he imagined the mechanism for moving the car up and down was probably a lot more high-tech than just cables and pulleys. At least that’s what he hoped.
They entered an extremely large office, easily a hundred-feet-square, and lined with numerous full-size statues of exotic alien creatures, all garbed in bright uniforms and holding a variety of weapons. Oversized plants were scattered throughout the room, and the troop had to wind their way through some of them before coming upon a massive desk, apparently carved from a single stone crystal. The desk was smooth along the front and back sides, but each of the opposing sides featured ornate carvings depicting various animals, all with savage, threatening expressions. The scene was clearly designed to intimidate.
And behind the desk sat the Juirean Counselor Deslor Lin Jul. He wore a slightly amused expression as the four prisoners were placed in chairs before the desk. This time the guards remained in the room, their beady yellow eyes unblinking as they never took them off the prisoners. Adam could tell these guards were of a different caliber than the ones on Nimor. These were real pros.
As he waited for the Counselor to begin speaking, Adam wondered when they would be meeting the Overlord. After all, Adam had already seen this movie….
Then the interview began.
The Juirean informed them that he was now aware of Riyad’s identity, and had also taken note that he was of the same race as Adam. This had piqued his curiosity.
“I see we now have two of you, one a pirate captain and the other proclaiming ignorance as to how he came to be aboard the derelict ship. Does that seem inconsistent to either of you?”
“Let’s cut the bullshit,” Adam said. “We all know it was a Klin ship I was on.”
The Juirean was sincerely taken aback. “So you know?” He seemed visibly upset. It was obvious this with information that was not for public consumption. Someone back on Nimor must have leaked the information, u
nless Adam knew more than he was letting on.
“And this makes it all the more unlikely that you are simply an innocent victim of an abduction, with no knowledge of how or why you came to be aboard a Klin spacecraft.”
He turned to address Riyad. “And you, of the same race, are a pirate leader and apparently quite adapt at our way of life. So which is it? Are you a primitive race, with no knowledge of the existence of The Expansion, or are you skilled warriors, as evidenced by your position with the pirates and your recent escape from the Nimorian jail?”
Neither Adam nor Riyad answered. Instead Riyad tilted his head toward Adam and said, “So this is a Juirean? I’m not impressed.”
“That’s just what I thought!” Adam replied emphatically.
The Juirean bristled. “Play your games as you wish, but I should tell you, we have recovered the Klin computer core.”
Both Riyad and Adam were shocked. Before being boarded, Riyad had hidden the core within Kaylor’s ship. They were hoping the Juireans still believed that the pirates had the core, and then when – not if – they could escape, they could recover the core and match it up with the systems aboard the Klin ship. In fact, Adam and Riyad were both quite ecstatic about getting both the core and the Klin ship back in close proximity to one another. But now….
“That’s right,” the Juirean said smugly, watching the expressions of the two Humans. “Your two captains were quite effective in convincing us that the pirates never did have the core in the first place. That only left the two of you,” he said, addressing Kaylor and Jym. “After that, we didn’t have too much difficulty finding the core aboard your ship during the trip to Melfora Lum.”
Damn it! Now the Juireans are going to learn the location of Earth, Adam thought. Where does that leave me now?
Almost on queue, the Juirean spoke, “All of you are to be transported to the Klin ship to meet the Overlord. He is quite anxious to meet the two of you,” he said addressing the two Humans. He turned to Kaylor and Jym. “As for the two of you, I have no idea what plans he has for you.”
