A servant wheeling in a cart loaded with everyone’s dinner interrupted Shelly’s story. Shelly reached under the coffee table that the chairs and couch encircled and pressed a hidden button. The table rose on hydraulic legs until it reached eating height. The unspeaking servant set the table and, with small flourishes placed steaming plates in front of each diner.
As promised, the venison verde burned spicy hot. Rice, black beans and salad dampened the traditional Latino dish’s heat, along with large glassed of Latin beer. Flour tortillas rounded out the meal. The only sounds that Krag and Keiko made were ones of eating and complimenting their host. Shelley continued with his tale.
“Where was I? Oh, yes. When his father was gunned down by a rival gang, Larry called me and asked me to run his crew and retaliate. A bloody time. People died on both sides but, with the help of my union workers, we completely wiped out the rival gang. The surviving women and children were absorbed into Larry’s gang and we got more powerful. It worked out well for both of us. Larry drafted me as his first lieutenant while he ran his empire from Novius. I ended up with two of the most powerful organizations in Nuevo Aires. Over the last fifteen years I was able to create a political wing and here I am. I’m the mayor of Nuevo Aires. Life is grand.
By the time Shelly finished his tale, Krag and Jill had finished their meals and sat back to relax and nurse their drinks. Shelly used his last tortilla to wipe up the remnants on his plate then reached under the table to press another concealed button. The servant immediately returned with his cart and began bussing the table. While this occurred, Shelly rose, picking up his drink, returned to his desk and sat.
After the waiter left, Shelly began. “Your next destination is our shipyards. We have some toys for you.”
“You have your own shipyards?” a surprised Keiko asked.
“Nothing big. But big enough. It’s where Captain Marston got all of his modifications done for the Griffin. Very few people know about them. Needless to say, the Federacy would be very upset with us if they found out.”
Pressing an icon on his desk, a projection of a cylinder illuminated on the bare wall that faced Shelly and Krag. A scale across the top and down one side showed dimensions of about two feet tall and nine inches in diameter. Two glowing bands divided the cylinder into thirds. Krag and Jill both shifted forward in their seats and focused on the strange golden object.
Shelly began. “A little background. We all know that the Federacy has gotten way too dictatorial. They’ve gotten over-militarized, over intrusive and overly controlling. And, the way things are going, they are only going to get worse. So far, four planets have been bombed into rubble, with whole economies ruined, millions of people killed.” He looked at Krag. “Krag, I know you got stuck in one of those bombardments. And I know you quit because of it. I can’t imagine what you have to live with.”
Krag looked down in shame. Keiko looked at him with concern.
Clearing his throat, Shelly continued. “The Federacy found something about three months ago. It’s an artifact. That’s it on the screen. The thing has power. It’s operational. No one knows what it is, but it is the first one found that is operational. Federacy scientists found it in a ruin that is thought to have been a military base. So they think that it is tied in some way to weaponry. And there’s something weird about it. According to our inside contact, it doesn’t weigh anything.”
“What do you mean, it doesn’t weight anything?” Krag interrupted.
“Just that. It’s about three feet long, a foot in diameter but it has no weight. And it’s doing something. It’s running.”
“What have they discovered?”
“According to our contact, the Federacy hasn’t started in-depth testing yet. They’ve done initial examination, but nothing substantial. They’re pretty scared of this thing. Like all bureaucracies, they’re spending large amounts of time doing nothing, just talking. They’re still trying to decide on a course of research. So they don’t know what they’ve got. We need to grab it before the Federacy figures out what it is and how to use it. It could be a game changer. Imagine if the Federacy reverse engineers this artifact and figures out a way to create anti-gravity. What would that do to space travel? To cargo or weapons hauling? Imagine an army attacking a world with no weight constraints on the amount of weapons each soldier could carry or the size of battle tanks that didn’t need to worry about weight requirements. That would change everything.”
“Who’s we?” Krag asked.
“I can’t get into that. Let’s just say that there are people, businesses and planets that don’t like the way things are going. Let’s just say that there is a group that is starting to awaken from its slumber and is beginning to push back.”
“And you want us to steal it,” Keiko stated.
“Yes. There hasn’t been any breakthrough technology in a thousand years. If there is a possibility that this artifact could lead the Federacy to something different, something scientifically shattering, we can’t allow them to have it. We need to, at least, keep the Federacy at its current level of viciousness and violence. We just want to get that thing out of their hands.”
Krag could see and hear the passion that Shelly displayed. “I hear what you’re saying. But I don’t get the urgency. Since no one has figured out what this artifact does, why take the risk? It could be nothing but a child’s toy.”
“True. It could be that. But it’s weightless. That’s what’s worrisome. And it’s been running for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years. Our contacts have heard that the Federacy scientists believe that it could be a perpetual energy source. Think about the ramifications of ships that never needed fuel. What strategic dominance would that give the Federacy? What if it is a data base, storing plans for weapons systems? We just don’t know. I agree. It could be harmless. But, what if it’s not? There are some in the group that say that we should leave it alone. But most of us don’t believe that we can take the risk. I think we need to take that risk.
“What happens if we can’t steal it?” Keiko asked.
“Then we destroy it. The Federacy is getting more dictatorial, more abusive. We all know that. The planets are being subjugated and plundered. Right now, we know who the tyrants are and what they’ve got. The majority of us in the group believe that we can’t chance that this artifact, whatever it is, it might be a game changer. That’s where we are. And that is why you are here.”
“Where is it?” Krag asked.
“In a Federacy science lab.” With that answer Shelly tapped another icon on his desk and the wall image changed to a map of the Cencore star system. Using a touch pad, he moved a red cursor to the sixth planet from the system’s sun.
“This gas giant is Titus. Very big, very nasty. Completely uninhabitable. Poison gasses, high gravity, massive storms.” Moving the cursor to one of Titus’s moons, Shelly continued. “This moon, Calius, is a whole different game. It’s about two thirds the size of old Earth. The gravity is light, but enough to hold an atmosphere. The Federacy has been terra-forming it for the past couple of hundred years. So it’s rugged but livable. They have the science lab there.” Shelly tapped an icon and the slide show continued, this time with an aerial view of the lab and its surrounding area. The image showed a group of buildings, one centered and larger than the rest.
“That’s the lab,” Shelly stated while sliding the red cursor to the center structure. “It’s also the main receiving warehouse. The Federacy didn’t want anything seen while being moved around. That’s what you’ll be breaking into.”
Moving the cursor over two of the buildings, he continued. “These are the barracks. There’s a platoon of thirty soldiers stationed there at all times. Since this is a top secret lab, the Federacy doesn’t want to draw too much attention to it by over securing it.” Shelly moved the cursor to another building. “This building houses two military transports and an armored combat vehicle.” Moving the cursor again, Shelley stated, “That’s the mess hall, infirm
ary, workout area and entertainment area. Not important. There is also a gunship with a two person crew.”
Krag pointed at the image. “Could you pull back on the aerial view? I want to see the surrounding terrain.”
“Sure.” The science compound grew smaller as more of the moon’s surface displayed. To the west a small town appeared.
“What’s the town?” Krag asked.
It’s the supply port for the base. Only thing there is a landing port, a fleet of trucks and a small community for the supply personnel and camp followers. Nothing threatening.”
“Huh. How many times do trucks go from there to the base?”
“We hadn’t really timed it, but a couple of times a day. Any other thoughts, questions?”
Krag shook his head. “Not now.”
“Back to the lab.” Shelly brought up another slide. It displayed the floor plan of the science lab and receiving bay. ”The target is in this lab,” he said as the pointer moved to a room on the floor plan. “It’s on the second floor, through security doors down this hallway.” The cursor traced the route that Shelly described. “The lock is an electronic keypad, fairly rudimentary. The door is metal, but not anything elaborate. I think the Federacy has gotten complacent. With no enemies, they don’t seem to be overly concerned about security.”
Shelly paused to take a swallow from his drink. Then he continued. “Under the lab are the vaults. You have to go through double doors to get there. Those doors are always guarded. The lab storage as well as the munitions are also stored there. If you need to blow something up, that would be the place to do it.
“This is some decent intel. Where’d you get it?”
“As I said, a group is forming. It’s starting to reach into a lot of corners. More than a few planets are getting tired of the boot on their necks.”
“I’ll bet Gregor is in your little group of malcontents.”
“No comment. That’s the overview. Any questions?”
“Time frame.” This was the first time that Keiko spoke up. She had been sitting quietly, watching as a cat watches a field, taking in everything and storing for her observations for future dissection.
“We don’t know how long the artifact will be there or when they will get down to really pulling that thing apart. So, the sooner the better.”
“With your group, you must be building a munitions and ordinance stock pile. Why don’t you just blow the place up?” This was from Krag.
“We’re not ready. We’re a year away. So far we’ve been able to hide under the Federacy’s radar. The longer we can do that the better. We can blow it up but then the Federacy would know that there was an organized movement and it would hunt us down. If we had to, we would do it but that would only be as last resort.”
“Ok. What else?”
Shelly stood, tapped an icon and asked, “Krag, could you bring your data pad over?”
Krag stood, walked to Shelly and handed over the pad, the same illicit pad which Gregor had given him so many years ago. Shelly placed it on the desk and pressed a second icon. After a moment Krag’s pad beeped. Picking it back up, Krag looked at the screen.
“That’s a pretty big file. You must have some good people in place.”
“We struggle along,” Shelly replied with a sly grin. Would you like to stay on? Rest?
Krag glanced at Keiko and saw an almost imperceptible headshake. With both he and Keiko rising, he stated, “No. We’re good. We’ll rest back on Griffin.”
“Then, good luck. I’ve put out the word. You shouldn’t have any trouble getting back to your ship.” Coming around from his desk, Shelly put out his hand.
Krag gave it a shake. Keiko held out her hand where Shelly took it. He raised her small hand and brushed it with his lips. “Safe flight,” he finished.
The two left while Shelly stood, watching. “I hope they are as good as Larry says,” He thought. “We’re going to need them if we’re going to get those bastards off our backs.”
Sheldon Moreno, Mayor and crime boss of Nuevo Aires proved true to his word. No thugs, gangs or cops so much as looked at the quad and its two passengers as they left the city, loaded into the shuttle and returned to their ship. After he clamped down the executive shuttle, Krag and Keiko each headed to their perspective cabins, washed off the grime of the criminal city, changed into grav liners and flight suits then met in the galley.
“That was interesting,” Keiko stated after ordering up hot tea and taking it to the table.
“More than interesting,” Krag responded after he pulled a beer and sat across from her. “Shelly was quite the chatterbox. I wonder why he let us know all that stuff about an underground movement.”
Looking into her cup as she slowly stirred it, Keiko began. “When Mr. Gregor first approached me to do some jobs for him, he came at me with a slow-walk soft sell. The jobs started small, with little information. Then, as more jobs were done, he gave me more information and more insight into his businesses. I think that is what just happened to us.”
“I think you’re right. Shelly strikes me as gregarious, but not stupid. He had reasons for letting us know that a movement against the Federacy was forming.” Krag took a swig of beer and continued. “I’ll bet he and Lawrence have decided on a plan for us. I wonder how long they’ve been talking about us. I wonder if those two are the heads of this neophyte rebellion.”
“If those two aren’t running the show, I’ll bet they are part of a larger group that are. Those two like to be in charge.”
“That’s true, Krag answered. “They definitely don’t like being bossed around. I found that out with Gregor when I was in the Force. And, they play everything close to the vest. Shelly wouldn’t have let us into his and Gregor’s game without a plan. And they seem to want us part of it.
“Here we are, two small-timers getting recruited into the coming showdown.”
“Those two must not think of us as small-timers,” Krag responded. “That’s why they sent us for the artifact. They think we can get it. So, let’s prove them right. Next stop, the shipyards.”
“About them,” Keiko said. “They never told me about them before. But you knew about them?”
“That’s where I had Griffin modified. Gregor and Shelly probably didn’t think you needed to know about the shipyards. I’ve known about them for about five years. That makes sense about you not knowing. You don’t have your own ship, why would you need to know.”
“They should have trusted me.”
Krag could hear the pout in her voice. “They do now. So, no more pouting. Or I may need to whup you at our next workout, half-pint.”
That brought a smile to her lips and a glint in her eyes. “Dream on, big guy.”
“I’ve downloaded Shelly’s data pack to Duke’s servers. Let’s take the evening, go over his intel and head out to the shipyards tomorrow. Thoughts?”
“None at the moment. I’m done for the evening.” Keiko rose, bussed her side of the table and paused before heading back to her suite. “See you in the morning.”
“Later.”
Chapter 7
Aboard the Griffin
The next morning Keiko found Krag in the flight control pod, going through pre-flight checks, talking to Duke and checking status lights. She took the co-pilot/navigator pod and watched as Krag plotted the course to the asteroid that concealed the camouflaged shipyards.
“I can see why they work so hard to keep it secret,” she commented. “It doesn’t have any defenses. The Federacy could just stand off and bombard it into oblivion.”
“Don’t even think those thoughts. That ball of rock keeps Gregor’s empire running, not to mention Griffin.”
“Nothing but good vibes from now on, oh Captain.’
“Touchdown in seven hours. I don’t want to show any real speed. So we’ll pull out at a leisurely thirty percent SOL. And, I’m going to loop around the sun to come in through the interior of the asteroid belt. That should keep any snoopers off our tai
l.”
“May I take her out?”
Krag heard the deference in her voice. His first impulse was to refuse, but then, after a small pause, he responded, “Sure. But slow and easy. Call out each step, just like we discussed. Wait for approval before execution. Remember what I taught you. It’s easy.”
Krag was tense as he heard Keiko’s voice take on the air of professionalism. “Thank you, Captain. Exiting orbit, now.”
Krag had to control his impatience, carefully helping Keiko walk through the flight procedures and having to wait on the much slower Duke AI. Keiko’s piloting was perfect. Her communications with the flight tower, commanding Duke and handling the controls were textbook.
“She would have made a hell of a pilot,” Krag thought.
Keiko remained at her station, constantly checking the ship’s status and tracking the plot on the navigation panel. Krag had gotten up and moved around the deck, sometimes standing, staring out the viewing port or watching Keiko.
“You have the helm, Keiko.” There’s not too much space junk and traffic in this system, so you should be alright. Stay alert. I’ll relieve you in two hours.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Exiting the deck, Krag sub-vocalized, “Buster, monitor Keiko’s actions and stay alert for any contingencies.”
“Shall I report on her actions, Captain?”
“That won’t be necessary. Just contact me in case of an emergency. Stay concealed.”
“Yes, Captain.”
For the next two hours, Krag did busy work and thought about Keiko. She confused him. Here was this tiny woman that fought like a banshee, never retreating, never giving up. She was tough and smart. Then she would flash moments of kindness and humor. It took a while, but in the privacy of Griffin she talked, voiced opinions, joked. When it came time for him to take command she became the loyal subordinate, following directions and treating him with respect and honorifics. In public, she was almost subservient, assuming the role of dutiful female, led and protected by the dominant male. But when the time came, she would shed that role and assume the proper role that brought success.
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