Mace replied, “You already gave me the basic information I was looking for. We know there are fourteen ships up there.”
David shook his head. “No, we know there were fourteen sources up there that are broadcasting using the frequencies we were monitoring. There could easily be another ten thousand ships up there using laser comms or something similar. Heck, they might even have comms we don’t even understand and can’t begin to comprehend. We just don’t know.”
Jasper scowled. “Well, aren’t you just the party pooper.”
David looked back. “I’m just saying, there are too many unknowns at the moment to draw any meaningful conclusions from. Sorry if I’m a skeptic, but in my field, if you come to a conclusion that you can’t support, you’ll get run out of town and won’t be given access to the big-boy equipment again. We have to check, triple-check, ask our colleagues, post data up for peer review, and if there’s a consensus, we can make an announcement. Sometimes that process takes years.”
The night was spent looking over the collected information. A second full scan was performed in the morning, identifying seven sources of RF emission. A third scan was conducted at the same time of day as the first. The original fourteen sources remained as all that were found.
When the third review of data ended, Mace said, “Not sure what else we can conclude other than fourteen ships exist up there. Had we picked up any others I might say different, but I would bet money the fourteen ships and seven channels are it. And with that I think it’s time I took that information back. There are people waiting who want to know.”
David frowned. “You’re leaving?”
Mace nodded. “I’m afraid so. We need to get this info back for evaluation.”
Jasper said, “If you want, you could come back with us. We’re only sixty miles away. You could always make your way back here if you decide not to stay.”
David looked around. “It would be nice to be around people again. I’ve been terrified that any who have come snooping around here would just be looking to cut my throat and steal what little food I have left. What would be expected of me as far as earning my keep?”
Mace crossed his arms. “You’ll have to wash the RV twice a day and darn all Jasper’s holey socks.”
David smiled. “Can I take that as a sarcastic way of saying ‘Just do as you’re asked?’”
Mace held out his hand for a shake. “You passed the first and only intelligence test. Welcome to the colony.”
Jasper huffed. “What about my socks? He’s still on the hook for that, right?”
The building was locked, the power disconnected, and the journey home begun. Ninety minutes later they rolled to a stop in front of the gift shop.
Chapter 19
*
Johnny stood from his chair. “Need a hand with anything?”
Mace stepped down, followed by Jasper and David.
“We picked up a stray. David Yancy, this is Johnny Tretcher. David ran the telescope for us. I have information I’d like to send in if you want to try to contact them.”
Johnny said, “What’d you find out?”
Mace stepped up onto the porch. “We picked up signals from fourteen ships. According to David here, we were able to cover about three quarters of the space surrounding the Earth.”
Johnny hopped off the end of the porch. “I’ll send that along right now.”
Mace pointed to a chair. “Have a seat. When Johnny’s done we’ll catch up on what we missed. After that, I’ll take you up to the house. It has power. You can take a hot shower. And you’re about the same size as the prior homeowner. You can take some of his clothes. He won’t be needing them.”
Johnny returned a minute later. “Message delivered. I was told to check in again in a couple hours. If they have anything else for us, they’ll tell us then.”
Johnny reclaimed his seat in a chair. “So, David, what’s Mace told you about us?”
“Well, you’re married to Jane. You have another PHD in the group. Two of your people are in Ronceverte. And Jasper’s your father.”
Johnny cringed. “What?”
Mace laughed. “Sorry, I had to throw that one in there just to see your reaction.”
“Well, to tell the truth, that old man would probably have been just as good as my old man. I hardly got to see him. Part of the reason I spent so much time at my uncle’s. My dad was in the Navy and spent a lot of years overseas. Took care of us well enough, but he just wasn’t there much when I was a kid.”
Jasper said, “Had you been my kid, I’d have beat you every day.”
Johnny chuckled. “That would have lasted until I was about thirteen. That’s the last time I saw two hundred pounds. I was six-one when I entered ninth grade.”
Mace asked, “Jane over with Jeff? Anything new there?”
“Doc said she might actually be coming out of her funk. That was last night. She even answered a few questions about herself. I think that booze has been good to take the edge off whatever cravings she had for the food bars. All in all, it looks positive. Oh, and he confirmed this module on the back of this exosuit is a tracker. He said the signal is a simple digital code, like an ID or a number or something. That’s all he could detect coming out of it. Said the pulse comes out about once every couple minutes.”
David said, “Here, let me have a look at it.”
Johnny stood and turned about.
David poked and prodded the small rectangular device. It popped free of the suit.
David said, “Simple slide connector to that suit for power.”
Johnny said, “Ah, yeah. Please put that back on. I don’t want the Mawga to come looking for me.”
David smiled as he snapped it back into place. “You know, if we could test what the power is coming out of that suit, we could rig up a supply for it to work on. You could basically leave it here while you moved around with that skeleton on.”
Johnny replied, “Mr. Yancy, I think you may have just solved one of our other problems.”
“What’s that?” David asked.
“We were wanting to swipe enough of these suits for all of us to wear. If the beacon can be removed that easily, that now becomes a real possibility.”
David nodded. “As simple to remove as pressing the two ends together and sliding it off.”
David Yancy was taken to the house. He showered, put on a fresh set of clothes, and returned to the porch of the gift shop.
Mace stood as David sat. “I’m going over to check on Jeff and Jane. I’ll send her back this way. David, why don’t you come with me. It’ll give you a chance to see our current project.”
Jasper let out his usual huff. “You leaving me here with the ape again?”
Johnny laughed. “Yep. You’d have made a fine dad.”
Jane had the Jeep, time was taken to start up the old Plymouth.
David said, “You gotta love the simplicity of the old autos. I’ve only seen three vehicles pass by in the last six months. They were all probably as old as this one.”
They pulled into the drive in front of the house.
Jane was waiting at the door. “Who’s your friend?”
Introductions were made and recent events swapped.
Jeff sat after the three entered the room where the woman was being held. “Nancy, this is Mace Hardy. You met him before, but you might not remember.”
Nancy replied, “I remember. You forced a glass of that moonshine down my throat. Can’t say that was enjoyable.”
Mace half smiled. “Yeah, I was hoping I’d have the opportunity to apologize for that later. Sorry, it had to be done.”
Nancy sighed. “No worries, you’re forgiven. Jeff and Jane have been filling me in as to what’s going on and what I was doing. It’s crazy. I remember every bit of it, but it’s like the memories in my head are from someone else. Had I known the effects of that food, I never would have eaten it.”
Jane said, “Nancy was just telling us what she did for a living
just before you came in. Take a guess.”
Mace shrugged. “I don’t know, school teacher? Doctor? Veterinarian?”
Nancy smiled. “Close. I tended bar at the Tavern.”
Mace laughed. “I spent the last six years before all this behind a bar. That’s where I met Jane and her husband. He was a regular patron.”
Nancy replied, “Well, we all gotta do something, I guess.”
Nancy looked back at Jane. “Say, I’ve been wanting to ask. Why did you pick me for this?”
The corner of Jane’s mouth curled up as she attempted to not smile. “You were a convenient target, going over to that building by yourself.”
Nancy nodded. “I remember an old man confronting me. He pulled out a taser. Where’s he?”
Jane gestured. “Back at our normal hangout. Sorry we have you tied up here. We have to until we’re certain you’re no longer craving the bars.”
Nancy glanced over at a glass on the table. “You just keep feeding me that shine and I’ll be fine. Where’s that stuff come from anyway? Was making a fortune selling it at the tavern before that food zonked me out.”
Mace pointed at Jeff. “Mr. Moskowitz, and our friend who’s stuck back there at the center, brewed it up.”
Nancy shook her head. “Masterful with the taste. That little touch of Tabasco… genius. My regulars at the tavern loved it.”
Jeff replied, “We were using it for trade, so taste was imperative. The recipe came from one of the locals. He and his wife are both in town now. Ran out of food and didn’t have a choice.”
Nancy nodded. “That would be most of us. When they dropped off that first load of those bars, man, I couldn’t get enough of ‘em. Once we saw there was plenty to go around, I kept a bowl of ‘em right up on the bar. Seems like a week or two after that I found myself compelled to help with whatever they wanted.”
Mace looked down, shaking his head. “When they shipped in the second big load, the bars were tainted with some psychotic drug. Within a week, everyone who was eating them had to have their next fix. And since the fix came from the Mawga, you did whatever they suggested. Kind of a bloodless coup they were pulling on us all. The thing is, we still don’t know if their intentions are good or not.”
Jane said, “What about the worker we saw taken behind that wall? Looked like they vaporized him or something. He never came back out.”
Nancy asked, “What worker? I don’t recall anyone being taken away.”
Jane said, “There was a pillar structure that fell over, crushing a man’s leg. They carried him behind a wall, we saw a bright flash, and the person never came back. The rest of you continued on working, seemingly oblivious to what was happening.”
Nancy smirked. “No, they didn’t vaporize anyone. There’s a door going down into what was a basement there. They removed the guy from his worker suit and carried him down for treatment. He was back in a couple days. The flash you saw was probably the fusion reactor pack going off on that suit when they blasted it. I heard them telling someone that if those reactors get damaged they can sometimes run out of control and cause a lot of damage to the surrounding area. They blasted it to shut it down.”
Jane shook her head. “Great. Now we’re back to only having the food issue to suspect them on. Thought we finally had something concrete.”
Nancy said, “They are drugging us. That should be enough.”
Jeff replied, “We think there’s a possibility it’s their way of keeping everyone calm while they get us back on track. It’s not without reason, though I’m sure most wouldn’t do it willingly.”
Nancy glanced over at the night stand beside her bed. “Hey, would it be a reasonable request to have a small portion of one of the drugged bars? I mean, just a little, you know, kind of wean me off of them slowly?”
Jeff glanced at the table and then reached for a glass. “Not a chance. This is where we give you another shot of the alcohol.”
“How long you plan on keeping me tied up like this?”
Jeff put a shot glass of shine up to her lips. “Until you don’t show any desire for that Mawga food.”
Nancy swallowed and rolled onto her side. “Wow, that’s good fire-water. Well, since we’re gonna be such close friends, Jeff, why is it you’re clean shaven while the rest of them have beards? There’s no shortage of razors in what’s left of the stores yet.”
Jeff rubbed his chin. “I don’t know, I just prefer it. I don’t like when the stubble gets to a quarter inch or so. It starts itching, drives me nuts, so I shave. More of a habit than anything now.”
The small talk continued until Nancy dozed off.
Jane asked, “One thing I don’t get: why is it she conks out after you give her a shot of that stuff? I would think a single shot would just get her going.”
Jeff smiled. “Normally it would. That jug, though, I ground some sleeping pills and mixed them in. Not enough to be toxic, but enough to make her drowsy. I figure the more she sleeps over this first week, the easier it will be on her.”
Jane said, “I’ll sit with her for a while. Why don’t you go back and take care of anything that’s needed?”
Mace, Jeff, and David arrived at the cave a few minutes later.
Johnny pointed as they walked in. “Mace, your arm pad has been buzzing since just after you left.”
Mace walked into the gift shop, picking up the device and strapping it to his arm. “Mr. Montak, this is Mace. You in need of something?”
The holo-display on the pad turned to an image of Bontu Montak. “Yes, Mr. Hardy. I have a new proposal I would like to discuss with you. I’m not sure how you would accept it, but I have been asked to discuss something with you. Something the Emperor himself deems to be important. If you are available, I can be there in a few minutes.”
“I’m here. Come on down.”
Bontu’s expression went from serious to a smile. “Excellent. I would like a word with Mr. Tretcher while I am there as well.”
Mace glanced out the door. “He’s right here with me.”
The comm ended. Mace walked back onto the porch.
“What was that about?”
“Bontu wants to talk to both of us. About what, I haven’t a clue. He sounded serious, though. Something the Emperor wants.”
Johnny frowned. “That doesn’t sound good. The leader of the entire Mawga empire has something he wants us to do. At least this should be interesting.”
Jasper said, “If he’s got a mission for you, I want to come along.”
Johnny laughed. “Well, look at you. Mr. Gung-ho all a sudden.”
Jasper replied, “I’m every bit as capable as you now, Tretcher. If not more so.”
Johnny leaned back in his chair. “How do you figure?”
Jasper held up his arm, looking at the exoskeleton link that graced his forearm. “I can carry as much as you, run as fast, jump as high. And I have the wisdom of my years. I also have about half as many pounds to lug around.”
Johnny smirked. “Well, you’ve got me on arrogance, that’s for sure.”
“That’s called confidence, something you’re too young to understand.”
A few minutes later, Bontu’s shuttle topped the trees and settled in the usual field. Mace, Johnny and Jasper walked out to its lowered ramp as Bontu came down to greet them.
“Gentlemen, may I talk with the two of you in private?”
Mace replied, “Whatever you have to propose, Mr. Collins can hear. We’re a tight-knit group here.”
Bontu glanced over at the porch. “You have someone new?”
Mace nodded. “David Yancy. Just joined us over the last couple days. If we deem what you have to say worthwhile, we’ll fill him in. He has yet to see or to meet any of you, so he’s probably feeling a bit intimidated at the moment.”
Bontu gestured toward the ramp. “I see. Well, if you gentlemen would care to join me for a few minutes, I can fill you in on the Emperor’s request.”
After sitting around a table
in the cabin of Bontu’s shuttle, the discussion got underway.
“Mr. Hardy. As you know, we’ve been impressed with your negotiating skills and reasoning. Mr. Tretcher, our people are impressed with your stature. And after your visit to the community center in your capital, we are equally as impressed with your leadership abilities.”
Jasper laughed. “Leadership abilities?”
Bontu nodded. “Yes, Mr. Collins. Mr. Tretcher handled himself well during the tour. A tour which we have given to numerous Humans. He impressed us with his reasoning when answering questions about the current situation. You have two very intelligent Humans in your small group.”
Johnny smacked Jasper on the shoulder. “Very intelligent. Hahaha!”
Bontu continued, “Yes. Well, gentlemen. I have some troubling news. We believe a hostile species might be coming this way. They call themselves the Kaachi. They are a ravenous lot. We have been in a state of war with them for more than three hundred years.”
Mace asked, “So, why are you telling us this?”
Bontu hesitated. “I’m telling you this because the Emperor feels you might be able to help us help you. You see, the Kaachi are conquerors and enslavers. If they come here, it would not end well for your people. We are traders, Mr. Hardy. We benefit through having strong trading partners, allies if you will. While I’m not saying you should join us, I believe it would be in the best interest of all Humans if you do.”
Mace sat back, crossing his arms. “I’m still a bit confused here, Mr. Montak. Exactly what is it you are asking of us?”
Bontu took a moment to reply. “I am asking the two of you to lead a Human army. We can provide ships, crews, weapons, and training. What we need are warriors. And not warriors to fight for us, warriors to fight alongside us in an allied relationship. I am very serious about this proposal, Mr. Hardy. This discussion has been deemed necessary by the Emperor���s own hand.”
Mace looked around the room. “We’ll need time to discuss this.”
Bontu stood. “I will be waiting just outside, gentlemen. Please, take your time.”
HADRON Axiom Page 18
