The Grand Patriarch now locked eyes with Owens. He said, “I see. By my sovereign right, at this moment I could pass judgment and carry out her execution.”
“You could, but that would be your death warrant as well.”
“She provided you the means to access to our most precious secret. There can be no greater crime, but... ” He suddenly smiled. “But if you give yourself over to me now, I vow by the name of General Golan Berral Light that I will temper her punishment. She will, of course, remain under house arrest, never to leave the Palace, but she will not be physically harmed.”
Owens finally nodded in agreement and loosened his hold on the shocker. As it fell to the floor, the loud boom of an explosion deafened him.
● ● ●
The smoke and powdered debris began to clear. Collins looked at the damage to the bars and door. He turned to the two husky men standing beside him. Although they were still nursing minor injuries from Owens’ surprise attack, they were both fully recovered from the shocker, and ready to atone for their earlier failure. Collins said, “Finish the job, we need to get into that suite now.”
Immediately, they went to work, prying away at the loosened metal bars that had blocked the heavy door as Collins looked on. In less than a minute they should be able to enter. By chance, one of his men had been searching in the unused residential wing and heard a commotion coming from a sealed suite. The man had quickly notified Collins, who was fortunately close by. He called in the others and they met at the entrance to the quarters.
Seeing that the door was sealed with the Grand Patriarch’s coat of arms and secured with three metal bars, they quickly lobbed a concussion grenade at the entryway. It was not an ideal method, but the grenade was all they had on hand. Fortunately, the grenade had worked. Collins now watched as one of the bars was noisily pulled away from its mounting.
● ● ●
Owens quickly recovered and looked at the Grand Patriarch. The Golstar leader seemed to be in a transitory state of shock, struggling to understand what had just happened, the gun now pointing at the floor, momentarily forgotten. Owens immediately reacted and tackled him. The Grand Patriarch, though in surprisingly good physical shape, was no match for Owens’ strength. They fell to the floor with Owens on top. The Grand patriarch’s head hit the floor with a solid thud. Owens wrested the gun from the unconscious man’s loosened grip.
Owens checked for a pulse and verified that the Grand Patriarch was breathing. He looked up at Sharné and was gratified to see that she was alert and already moving toward them. “He’s just unconscious. He hit the floor pretty hard, but I think he’ll be okay.” She nodded once, uncaring of the man who had sired her.
He stood up quickly. Loud rasping noises were coming from the door. It was creaking and shaking as it was being battered from the other side. Sharné was standing close beside him. He said, “We’ve got to get out of here, now.”
She didn’t seem to hear him. She was staring down at the crumpled figure, “He murdered my mother. He should die for that and what he has allowed to continue.”
He grabbed her shoulders, careful not to exert too much pressure, “Sharné, look at me.” When she didn’t respond, he shook her, “Damn it Sharné, I’m sorry, but we don’t have the time for this. We’ve got to go!” His last words were punctuated by a sound of splitting wood.
Her eyes cleared. She looked at Owens and nodded, “Follow me.” She ran back toward the dressing room, heading for the passageway.
“Just like old times,” he muttered to himself as he rushed to follow her.
Just outside the entryway, she stopped and pushed the small lever. With nothing blocking it, the door swung closed and locked in place with a sharp snick. “I doubt our pursuers are aware of the entry to the passage and my father isn’t in any condition to enlighten them. It should buy some additional time.” She looked up at him and asked, “What do we do next?”
“Let put some distance between us and them. If or when they discover the door, I want us to be as far away from them as possible. They’ll have no way to determine where we went.” He saw that Sharné was looking down at the stone floor where they were standing. Scuffled footprints in the thick dust covering the floor were clearly revealed in their lamps. “Okay, scratch that lame idea. But I still think it’s a good idea to get away from here.”
She looked up and nodded. She turned and headed down the passageway without a word. He quickly followed. She turned her head and said, “We will go to the shuttle pad exit. It was sealed over long ago, but perhaps we might find a way to open it. I cannot think of anywhere else. By now, my rooms have likely been searched and someone could be posted there to watch for my return.”
“Good thinking.”
As they jogged down the corridor, Owens was struck with an idea. He remembered that Hec had told him that he could contact the Holmes without fear of being overheard. He hoped that was true for anywhere within the palace. If he could reach Hec, then just maybe… he was getting ready to activate his wrist-comp when he realized he was holding the pistol in one hand, the lamp in the other. He figured his idea could wait until they reached their destination.
They ran on for three or four minutes, pausing only long enough to negotiate a few sharp turns, avoid some empty packing crates and miscellaneous debris they encountered along their path. Finally, Sharné began to slow. Her pace reduced to a brisk stride. As he was about to suggest he carry her once again, she shined her light on a double-wide door, blocking their path. She stepped aside and Owens walked forward now shining his own light, inspecting the doors.
The doors were tall and made of a dull, silver-colored metal. A large, curved lever served as the opening mechanism for each door. Below the lever on the right-hand door, was a triangular hole. He stared at it and said, “Damn. It's another mechanical lock. This opening must be for a key. I guess they wanted something that could still function if the power was cut off.” He tried the levers. Both moved easily, but neither one engaged the latch mechanism.
He looked around, shining the light on all the nearby surfaces. He said, “Thought they might have kept the key hanging on a hook or something.” He shined the light once more, before saying, “I guess not.” He inspected the hinges hoping that they were as archaic as the door locking mechanism. They were, but their massive pins were capped at both ends; he couldn’t remove them. He pushed at the doors, testing their strength. They were solidly set and didn’t budge. He pushed harder to see if there was any slack that he could take advantage of, but they remained silent and immovable, as if welded closed. The only noise came from Owens’ popping joints. “Well forcing the doors isn’t an option either.”
There was a slight note of panic in Sharné’s voice, “We cannot just wait around to be found. Do you have any ideas as to what we should do now?
Owens said, “I think I do. Now let’s just hope it works.”
● ● ●
“What is the meaning of this? Release me, as your Grand Patriarch, I order you to release me at once!” The Grand Patriarch had only recently returned to consciousness. He sat in a chair, securely restrained by padded metal straps across his arms and chest.
The man sitting across from him smiled thinly. “I am sorry, but I am afraid my orders will not allow it. For the time being, you are to remain where you are.”
“No one, no one in all of Golstar transcends my authority. My will is law. You will immediately obey my Founder-given order.”
The other man just shook his head.
The Grand Patriarch took a deep breath and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, the man said, “If you are about to shout for the palace’s automated defense system, it will do you no good. It was disabled. But please, do feel free to try.”
The code words died in the Grand Patriarch’s mouth. “Who are you? Why am I restrained?”
The man cocked his head, as if considering the question. “I am Captain Collins, assigned to the North Regional Secur
ity Command.” He added, “However, I am currently on reassignment. I was ordered to bring you here and make sure you could not escape.”
“Release me, my authority exceeds all others!”
“I am sorry, but here you have no authority. Here, you are just a prisoner, nothing more.”
“Then you have signed your own death warrant.” The Grand Patriarch glowered at Collins. “Tell me, who gave you the order to do this? I think he should join you when you face your executioners.”
“I did,” said the Guardian of the Way entering from an adjoining room. He walked around the Grand Patriarch. Captain Collins nodded sharply, then immediately stood and moved aside, vacating his seat. Talin sat down and looked calmly at the disheveled leader.
The Grand Patriarch complexion paled to parchment white. He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it. He stared at the Guardian of the Way, unable to utter a word. Talin watched as the Grand Patriarch’s expression changed from one of utter shock, to confusion, and then finally settle into a cold, stony visage.
Talin turned to Captain Collins, “I believe you have another, more pressing matter that requires your attention.” Collins nodded and quickly left the room.
Talin turned back and sat in silence, waiting for the Grand Patriarch to speak. Some minutes passed before his patience was rewarded. The Grand Patriarch voiced only a single word, “Why?”
The Guardian of the Way nodded, “Why indeed…” He stood up and looked down at his erstwhile friend and leader. “You cannot even guess?”
The Grand Patriarch said nothing, his eyes reflecting only bitter betrayal. His expression remained set, revealing nothing more.
Talin’s own expression was unreadable. He said, “I can well imagine what is going through your mind.”
The Grand Patriarch’s voice dripped acid, “Can you now? You can imagine I am pondering how my longtime friend and confidante could be guilty of such treasonous acts against the People of Golstar? Can you envision I am considering the vilest of punishments to be meted out before your cowardly soul is finally cast into the darkness?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. You are quite easy to read,” the Guardian responded. “Your emotional reaction is not unexpected.”
“I find you are a traitor, and I am castigated for expressing emotion?”
“I am not guilty of treason. I committed no act against the People.”
“You… you committed the act against me! I am Golstar! I am the People!”
Talin shook his head sadly, “No. You are not. You have not been for some time. Perhaps once you were a great leader, a man of vision, but not now, not for many years. However, even I was surprised by your recent lack of foresight. You and you alone by your insane scheming have brought our great civilization to the very brink of extinction.”
“No, extinction was inevitable had I done nothing. The status quo was leading us into the final darkness. It was the lack of resolve to act over the intervening years that led us to the precipice. And it is only by my bold vision and decisive planning that we may regain our greatness!”
“You are deluded. By your own admission, the very manner in which you brought Janus Owens within Golstar’s boundaries will cause Confederated Planets to reach out and once again test their will against ours. If we cannot regain access to the Primes, instead of our salvation, it will mean our doom.”
“You are wrong! It was only a matter of time before our enemy again ventured into our territory. My plan provided a more certain timeframe, but one that will allow us some time to prepare.”
Talin shook his head sadly, “I cannot agree. You only have hastened their incursion into Golstar. How can you continue to espouse that absurd premise? There was another way.”
“No! It was the only way!”
“No, had you taken my advice and procured a tissue sample from the Outsider, in Confederated Planets territory, by now a clone would be ready for birthing. Instead, you developed this incredibly convoluted scheme.”
“You are a fool. It would have been too complicated, too many factors outside of our control. It would have been impossible to approach him without resources put in place prior to a confrontation. Our agents would have been exposed for an extended length of time. To abduct someone of Janus Owens’ capabilities would require a large team of agents and incremental transportation needs. Why risk discovery when the subject could deliver himself?”
“Yet you readily risked exposure when you sent your guards to break into Confederated Planets’ DNA record centers.”
The Grand Patriarch shook his head, “A surgical strike with minimal exposure. Only two people involved with the resolve to leave no evidence if things went wrong.”
“I see… and what about the two other excursions into enemy space? Your Preservers of the Way not only further risked exposure, their attacks could have put an end to your so-call one last hope for Golstar. The Outsider could have been killed.” Talin shook his head, “Each preemptive action you purport to have taken to assure Golstar’s future, instead only brought it closer to the brink of darkness.”
The Grand Patriarch glared at his one-time friend. “At the risk of repeating myself, Janus Owens was never in any true danger. I made sure there would be no evidence that the Preservers had entered Confederated Planets’ space. That Confederated Planets attributed the attacks with piracy or disgruntled adversaries is proof that my precautions were effective.
“You continue to deny the jeopardy in which you have placed the People,” Talin challenged.
“I deny nothing! Golstar was already experiencing an accelerated rate of decline. The population’s viability to recover has been reduced to mere decades, yet our scientists continued to fail in their search to find the cure for our waning numbers. You know as well as I, the problem grows worse by the year. Only the Controllers have the capability to find a cure, but I, the ruler of Golstar, was denied my rightful access to them. My plan provided the crucial key to again unlock their unlimited power. My intention all along has been to resurrect the birthright of People and regain the alien technology to wage the righteous war. I am the Grand Patriarch and the wisdom of my decisions cannot be questioned, least of all by you!” The Grand Patriarch strained against his restraints. “Release me!”
Talin stood up abruptly and said heatedly, “You are quite insane. You have proven to be no longer fit to be the Grand Patriarch!”
The Grand Patriarch’s mouth hung open in momentary shock. In all of his life, not a single person ever raised a voice against him. A wave of raw hate passed over him.
● ● ●
Owens said in a low voice, “I’m going to try to contact the Holmes.”
“Owens, how is that possible? Your communications link should not be able to operate within the palace. In any event, your communications would be overheard.”
“Hec found a way around the palace’s jammers and monitors. I’ll explain later.” He fumbled at his wrist.
“How… Wait,” she whispered urgently. “I think I hear something.”
Owens froze, listening. Straining, he could just hear the faint sounds of voices coming from the direction they had fled. “They don’t seem to be taking any pains to be quiet,” he whispered. “The acoustics of the passageway allow sound to travel quite a ways, so I think they’re still pretty far away. It will take them more time get here if they search the side passages we passed.” Owens ran down each passage for a few yards to leave false trails in case they were tracking their footprints.
“Here,” he said. “Take this.” He handed her the shocker. He pointed his light on the revolver he had taken from the Grand Patriarch. Being an ex-cop, he was familiar with projectile weapons. He carefully rotated the cylinder and was thankful that all six chambers were loaded.
Sharné whispered, “What are we going to do?”
“First, do you still have the small light?” After she said she did, he withdrew the hardcopy with the numerical code and said, “Turn it on and use your ha
nd to shield the light. I want it to only shine on the code.” She did as he asked and he switched off the larger light.
He activated his wrist-comp, and put his mouth close to the device, “Hec, if you can hear me, don’t respond verbally. Flash the receive lamp once for yes. Owens stared at his wrist for a few tense seconds before the tiny amber indicator flashed once. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, flash twice for no. I assume you’re still in contact with the Controllers and they can monitor my words?” A few more seconds passed before the indicator flashed once.
He felt Sharné tense beside him. “It’s okay. Hec’s been in contact with them. That’s how he’s able to override the palace security systems. I’ll explain when I can.” To Hec, he said, “With the Sharné’s help, I’m free and have most of the code to access the Primes. But since I don’t have all the numbers, I’m going to recite the possible access code sequences. If I hit the right one, will the Controllers obey me, assuming they can take another remote sample of my DNA like they did before on Selane?”
The response took longer this time. He waited as the seconds ticked by. Finally, a single flash winked on his wrist. “Okay, Sharné is with me and you’ve probably already figured out that we’re in a little bit of a bind. I’m about to be recaptured. So when I hit the correct combination, can they immediately transport Sharné and me to the Holmes? The indicator quickly flashed twice.
“Damn it,” He thought a moment, “Then is there any way to transport us to a safer place than where we’re currently located?” Owens was rewarded with a single flash. “Then that’s where we want to go. Here comes my first try.” He recited the string of numbers, inserting zero and one for the missing digits. His wrist flashed twice in response, one down and thirty to go. He recited successive combinations ten more times, and at the end of each sequence received two flashes.
Shadows of Golstar Page 62
