Ilox Saga 1: Eris Monroe: More Than Human

by Bruce Adams

  Eris had detached her Gauss assault rifle and took aim. She set the selector to single shot. A blue spark angled away from the shield - the target was unharmed and the shield was not penetrated.

  Eli whistled appreciatively. Eris flipped her rifle to automatic fire and took aim once more. She kept firing – blue sparks and the sound of ricocheting flechette rounds filled the space surrounding the target and Professor Ruz’zel’s invention. Just as the magazine was about to be emptied, the shooting target flew back and out of sight. Eris had emptied roughly forty-five rounds into the shield before it finally failed.

  “Color me impressed…do you think you can install that tech into our combat suits?” Eris asked Gelkar politely. He nodded vigorously.

  “Yes, it might take another week or so, but it definitely can be done! I’ll start work on it immediately once we are back on the Sparta… Of course, I may need to stop and acquire some specialized equipment from starports.” Gelkar went and retrieved his portable shield generator and then trotted back to his waiting companions.

  Eris nodded and motioned for the group to continue on. Her people had reached a ridge of snow encrusted rock formations that looked formidable. Beyond the ridge and down a slope was a series of prefabricated structures linked together with short tubes. They were camouflaged and blended in well with the surrounding terrain. Without enhanced vision gear, the buildings would have been difficult to spot, but Ultravision optics showed them clearly silhouetted against the rocky outcroppings.

  Eris pointed at the structures, motioning for the group to descend toward them. Scrambling over the sharp rocks was slow, but not terribly dangerous. The slope was gentle and not steep and could be walked down as long as the jagged knee high rocks that poked up out of the ground every meter or so were avoided. An airlock door was open and waiting for them as the group approached. A voice came over their suits link as they approached.

  “Welcome! Please enter my humble little hideout, Captain Monroe; there is much we must discuss.” The voice cut off and Eris sent a strong thought to T’sell.

  “What can you tell about who or what is waiting for us in there?”

  “I sense only a single being inside.” T’sell T’savri was surprised that Eris had agreed to this method of communicating. She knew that the human distrusted telepathic intrusions into her own mind.

  The group entered the small building and waited as the airlock cycled through. The interior door opened revealing a room mostly filled with electronic equipments but with a folding table in the center with crates placed near it acting as make-shift chairs.

  An Evene was standing at the far side of the table wearing gaudy clothes with a tool belt buckled around his hips but no with no weapons evident.

  “I apologize for the lack of amenities. This structure was never meant to be anything other than a safe house for me. I never anticipated that I would be having guests…” The Evene was covered in white fur and wore stylized ornaments woven into his fur not too dissimilar from that of Kizzara’s. The Evene’s breasts were small but still noticeable. He bowed with his head dipping low and his tail making an intricate pattern. “I am Lluras Serrick Vas Petras…and I have come to defect and be under your protection, Captain Monroe.”

  Eli had noticed an operational computer sitting in the corner of the room and silently began to rummage through its contents. He found that Lluras was a masterful programming engineer of the first class. Suit atmosphere sensors turned green indicating that the air was breathable. Everyone retracted their helmets and Eris was the first to speak.

  “Why did you defect to me?” Eris asked. “What do you hope to gain?”

  “I am well aware of who you are Eris Monroe - Captain of the Sparta, agent of Dominique Gray, CEO of Dynamic Space Development. You are…special…and have the means to defeat Chol Cuxa, my former employer.” He motioned to the makeshift chairs. “Please, sit, I know it isn’t that comfortable, but formalities would put me more at ease.” Eris did as he asked and sat down on an uncomfortable box that doubled as a chair. As the group sat, Lluras eyed Eris with her armor and bristling display of weapons.

  “I feel somewhat insignificant in the presence of such firepower and determined people. Yet…I think I have made the right choice. You see, my former employer was quite ruthless and in charge of a powerful criminal enterprise. These items of intelligence, of course, all of you know quite well I am sure.” He put his hand to his face and coughed. His claws were as sharp as Kizzara’s. “He had plans to eliminate me soon. I contacted Mr. Gray because I want to keep on living. I assume he sent you to meet with me. His other agents were not as intimidating as you are.”

  T’sell T’savri had been trying to read the Evene’s mind, but she was being blocked. She sent a quick thought to Eris, “He has a shield that prevents me from scanning him.”

  Eris thought back to T’sell, “Have Eli look at his implants and the computer systems here to find the information.”

  “Where is Chol Cuxa?” Eris asked. She was becoming impatient.

  “If you move quickly, you will find him on a moon orbiting the fifth planet in a system three jumps distant. I have all of the data here.” He tapped the side of his head.

  “I need more than that…” Eris stated coldly.

  “Ah…well, you see, if I give you all of my valuable information, I have nothing to bargain with.” Lluras was enjoying himself.

  “You won’t have anything to bargain with either if I kill you,” Eris said.

  “I don’t think you know how this process works…” Lluras was no longer smiling as Eris threatened him with death.

  “Time is a commodity I am short on. I don’t have the patience to play your little game. Tell me what you want – right now.” Eris took her gauss pistol out of its holster to emphasize her urgency.

  “Well…if you put it that way.” Lluras shifted on his crate and scratched his ear as if distracted. “I want a substantial number of credits…let’s say ten million…deposited into an account of my choosing. Once I have confirmation the money is there, I will tell you exactly where, when, how and what Chol Cuxa is doing and is planning on doing.”

  “How about taking five million credits instead?” Eris couldn’t believe she was haggling for Dominic Gray.

  “Nine million sounds better to my ears,” Lluras seemed to be enjoying the transaction. Kizzara wasn’t amused by the exchange and seemed to be annoyed with Lluras for some reason.

  “Six million credits will buy you a lot of toys…” Eris said.

  “Eight million will buy me more…” said Lluras showing his fangs. His tail was swishing back and forth furiously.

  “I can see where this is going. Alright, let’s just say seven and a half million credits – deposited into an account of your choice.” Eris said.

  “I would continue to barter with you but I can see you’re a woman that is very determined. Very well, I agree to the amount.”

  “Eli, can you get in touch with Mr. Gray from here?” Eris continued to stare at the Evene.

  “Yep,” Eli answered quickly.

  “Inform him of what Lluras wants and see if he agrees. Tell him we don’t have much time…”

  Kizzara stood up, walked close to Eris and stared at the Vortex traitor. “How did you come to join the Vortex mercenaries?” Kizzara asked with a frown. Lluras seemed somewhat caught off-guard by the question.

  “I was brought from the homeworld, and lifted out of poverty - by a high ranking associate of Chol Cuxa,” Lluras answered immediately.

  “Why would Vortex take a poor Evene from our homeworld into their ranks?” asked Kizzara. She didn’t like Lluras and it showed in her voice and body movements. Lluras flashed a smile at her, showing his sharp teeth as he answered.

  “Someone had obviously learned of my talents with communication systems and wanted me in the organization. I proved very useful to them in the last year and a half.”

  “So they took you in, and now you have betrayed them. Ho
w do we know you won’t do the same to us when you have your money?”

  “If I might be so bold, you are quite beautiful, Kizzara Amara Vis Sala…Yet, as I said before, Chol Cuxa was planning on eliminating me. That is a powerful incentive to ‘betray’ him…and the Vortex organization…don’t you think?” As Kizz’s ears flattened in response, Eli spoke aloud.

  “Mr. Gray agrees to the amount and just needs the account number to proceed.” Eli was frowning. “What is the number, Lluras?” In response, Lluras tapped a device on his right arm and then whispered into it, giving it a verbal command.

  “I’ve sent the twelve digit code and link protocol of my bank account to your comm implant, Mr. Bowman.” Eli nodded, looking at Eris, as he received the data.

  T’sell understood something about Lluras immediately. “You don’t have any implants, do you?” The Zari woman had said nothing but had watched, trying to ascertain if all of this was some type of devious trap. She had detected nothing of the kind from the Evene defector.

  “No, I prefer to live…simply…” Lluras flashed a smile again, but this time aimed at Eris. “Captain, I believe our transaction is finished here. I’ll send the exact coordinates to Mr. Bowman, along with all of the security codes needed to enter the base Chol is currently operating out of, once I’m clear of this planet. You’d best hurry as he won’t be there much longer.” He seemed very pleased with himself. Eris stood up and faced him. The rest of the crew stood as well.

  “Not quite, Lluras. You see, I want assurances that this isn’t just an elaborate trick you’re playing on us. So, you’ll be coming along with me and my crew as we find Chol Cuxa and kill him.” The look on the Evene’s face was one of panic.

  “That’s…that’s not right! We had a deal!”

  “Oh, you’ll get your money…as long as you’ve been honest with me…and gave us the correct data we need to find Chol Cuxa.” Eris smiled at Lluras and put an armored fist over his arm. “Let’s go.”

  CHAPTER 29

  Lluras was very uncomfortable on the bridge of the Sparta. At some point during the last twenty hours he had been on the ship he had developed an infuriating itch on his back. He couldn’t easily scratch it and it wasn’t going away. He had watched as the ship entered the solar system where Chol Cuxa commanded an outpost filled with Vortex mercenaries. He was wearing little in the way of clothing, but had braided parts of his mane with glittering strands of gold and silver thread. It made his white fur stand out even more – his appearance was striking.

  “You’re sure your stealth field makes you completely undetectable?” Lluras asked while scratching his back with his left hand. As a communications expert he didn’t know anything about propulsion technology, but he knew that anything built by sentients could be analyzed and defeated…much as he had penetrated heavily encrypted comm systems over the last year. “I only ask because I know that this particular moon and the installations buried beneath the surface are guarded by some very sophisticated…and lethal…weapons.

  “Sparta has never been detected,” answered Kizzara with a smirk on her face. She had been taunting Lluras for the past two hours. Eli and T’sell T’savri were also on the bridge. T’sell had grown tired of the childish games that Kizzara was playing with Lluras.

  “It better be, or this is going to be a very sad mission that ends in an expanding sphere of superheated plasma and debris…” Lluras said with a twisted grin.

  “Why don’t you leave our guest alone, Kizz?” said T’sell. Kizzara grimaced and was about to speak when Eris turned to her.

  “Kizz, bring the ship down to the surface of the moon where we discussed earlier. We’ll find a way into the Vortex installation from there. The moment we’re clear, I want Sparta out in space and away just in case we’re captured or killed. Eli, make sure the schematics of the base are available on all of our combat suits.

  “They already are…” Eli stated nonchalantly. Eris turned to Lluras with both hands on her hips.

  “Everything you told us best be true, Lluras.” Eris said. She was in no mood for levity. It was deadly serious business she was engaged in and would tolerate no deception.

  “Oh, I assure you, I know exactly what you’d do to me if you found me to be…lacking…in truthfulness…” Lluras scratched at his back, vainly trying to make the itch go away. He had concluded it must be something he was allergic to in the ship, but he didn’t know what.

  “Captain, why don’t I take you down in the Starlifter,” offered Kyle. “I can drop you off and then wait around in case something goes wrong.”

  “Not this time, Kyle. I want this operation to be as simple as possible, so the fewer elements involved, the less risk there is.” Eris guessed how Kyle felt, but she showed no emotion.

  Eris turned to Eli and T’sell and sighed. “You know I wouldn’t ask either of you to risk yourselves in this way if I didn’t have any choice…”

  Eli and T’sell looked at each other with a knowing glance. T’sell spoke before Eli.

  “We understand, Captain. We’re with you on this.” T’sell felt affection for the human, but shuttered the feeling away. She couldn’t allow emotion to cloud her thinking.

  “Very well, let’s get down to the ready room and gear up,” Eris said with finality.

  Eris thought about what she, T’sell and Eli would be up against. Confidant that speed and secrecy were paramount to the success of the mission – she knew that the three of them would be able to handle anything the Vortex mercenaries put in their path. Computer and electronic controlled devices would be a momentary hindrance only as Eli Bowman could override anything electronic in less than fifteen seconds. Living, breathing guards would be the hardest barrier, but T’sell’s ability to control the minds of sentients…if only for brief amounts of time, would be a huge factor in their favor. The ready room was close to the airlock.

  After she had put her combat gear on and checked her seals, Kyle came over her link.

  “Eris…I wanted to wish you luck,” he said. His voice was tender.

  “You always do. It must work too, because I’ve come back from every mission intact so far…” Her attempt at humor made him chuckle. “It’s good to hear you laugh. Things have been pretty grim lately.” She looked at his face, searching for something. She didn’t know what, but she was silent for thirty seconds, just soaking in his presence as he said nothing. Kyle broke the stillness.

  “I’ll see you when you get back to the Sparta,” he said softly. Kizzara’s voice came over their suit links, “We’re at the drop zone…”

  The iris door of the airlock cycled opened and Eris, T’sell and Eli quickly disembarked out of the Sparta and onto the black dust of a dead moon. They had landed in a small crater, roughly half a kilometer in diameter which had jagged edges of volcanic rock along the rim. They began trudging through the soft ground, kicking up trails of black dust that slowly drifted down to the surface in the low gravity. For twenty minutes they moved with a purpose and had cleared the rim of the crater in record time. In the distance was a manufactured complex that appeared to be pre-fabricated and connected to other smaller structures with no obvious function.

  “T’sell, can you pick up any sentients in range of your telepathic powers?” Eris asked over her link. The Zari woman immediately responded.

  “I sense that there are four individuals in the nearby building - two humans…one male, one female, a K’Tosk male and an Orvod male. I need to be closer, and have a direct line of sight on them in order to read their thoughts,” T’sell said stoically. Eris took out her gauss assault rifle and peered through the magnifying scope. She examined the vista before her and looked for possible ways to enter.

  “Eli, have you been able to connect to any data nodes yet?”

  “Nope, but I bet there’s one inside that structure. From the information Lluras gave us on the base it looks like one of the anti-ship missile batteries that Vortex installed in the last month. See those smaller structures? I think t
hey hold missiles – a lot of missiles.”

  “Okay, keep sharp – both of you… If you detect anything that could give us away…sensors, automated defenses…anything, let me know immediately.” Eris motioned for the team to move out. They kept close to rocky outcroppings to obscure their movements. The information they had paid Lluras to give them showed that the moon was newly acquired by the Vortex mercenary group, and the organization had set up defenses against small attack ships. Chol Cuxa moved around often, never staying in one place for more than two weeks - it lessened the chances of assassination. As the trio moved closer to the building, Eli tensed and stopped moving.

  “Eris, there’s a sensor device that is located on the top corner of the building near us. Let me take care of that first…we don’t want them to know we’re here – though I doubt anyone is watching feed from it – no one living anyway.” Eris nodded silently and let him work. After six seconds of silence, Eli spoke again. “Okay, it’s in a looping pattern showing the recordings of the last twenty-four hours. We’re invisible to it now. We can move on.” The map that Lluras had given them showed that this building had an entrance point for a sub-surface tunnel that connected to the main facility on the moon. Unfortunately, they had to enter the building to access the tunnel. There was an airlock that presumably was used to maintain the missile pods and that would be their entry point. They had to get to the main hub in order to gain entrance to Cuxa’s quarters.