by Marc Stevens
The Operative cracked a small smile that changed to a look of curiosity. “Scholar Burlor’s information indicates you are not in possession of the original power source required to operate the weapon.”
I smiled back like a cat that swallowed her favorite goldfish. “I am sure you have noticed by now, we are very lucky when it comes to finding things no one else seems able to.”
She nodded in agreement. “Yes, I find it very interesting you are able to do so quite frequently. Is there any additional data I should know about?”
I loved the fact Tria’s father had no knowledge of our Guardian transponder. I would let the Chaalt speculate all they wanted to. It was going to be one secret we were not telling anyone.
“Once you get to know me better, I think you will come to realize, humans are the luckiest species in the galaxy.”
She made an unflattering noise with her mouth. “I will only agree that you are indeed lucky I have not killed you yet. I place considerable emphasis on the word, ‘yet.’”
She was such a sweetheart. It was time to lay my cards on the table. “I am willing to give you a Dagger along with fifty missiles and the nanites to make them operational. In exchange, I want access to Oolaran weapons that can be fitted to my starship. I want all information you have on the Daggers, including equipment you have recovered to make them functional. I also want four armor suits like the one you are wearing. They are much lighter than our full combat rigs. Throw in some of those fancy rifles your troops enjoy pointing at me as well.”
I could tell she was keeping a running tally. The changing expressions on her face said I was nearing the end of her patience and goodwill.
“Is there anything else, you thieving beggar?”
“I was only half way through my list. Believe me, you are getting the better end of the stick.”
Her look of bewilderment told me to stop using Earth euphemisms. Her eyes suddenly rolled. “Stop your moronic rewordings.”
She did not say we were done, so I carried on. “I want four of those assault shields you were using when you dropped into our base.”
She held up two of her hands. “The weapons and shields are out of the question. The assault shields are as classified as our transporter technology. The weapons we manufacture would only function in Tria’s hands. Tria still has her weapon ID chip. They are implanted in all military personnel. The DNA identifier encoded into the weapons micro A.I. will not allow use in the hands of another race. I was serious when I said the Chaalt people are not in the business of arming others. If the weapon was to fall into hostile hands, Chaalt military personnel have the ability to detonate their weapons power source. At maximum yield, the discharge could easily down an assault shuttle.”
Oh well, the weapons we currently use have proven to be just as effective as the fancier beam rifles. The energy beam weapon on our combat suits and the recoded Tibor capacitive discharge pistols all had a detectable energy signature. The highly modified Earth-based weapons did not. Justice seemed to enjoy tinkering with the designs, and his knock-offs were much deadlier than the originals. Coonts had recently commented he could not locate the .44 pistol we had modified for him. The evil robot was no doubt fiddling with it. Until whatever he was doing was perfected, he would not unveil the fruit of his machinations.
The Operative must have thought I was thinking too hard. She interrupted my train of thought. “Nathan Myers, my people have been on a high state of alert since the Prule containment vessel was revealed. We are now standing down. The Union thought our preparations were a sign of war. My government has not revealed the nature of our mobilizations. My briefing has relieved anxieties and the Chaalt leadership has called for an immediate return to standard readiness. A statement was issued to all concerned parties. The Chaalt race just exercised our first of what might be many, large scale rapid response drills. That being said, we will not completely stand down until we are in control of the containment vessel.”
I was wondering how many races were soiling their combat armor, trying to determine who was going to be the target of the Chaalt juggernaut. The Operative was now showing more than casual inferences she was getting annoyed.
I needed to make damn sure I was getting better than just a good trade. “I am not going to give away some of the greatest discoveries in the galaxy for a handful of trinkets from your second-hand store.”
Sael Nalen again shook her head and slapped one of her hands over her eyes. She turned away from me and took a couple of steps away. She promptly turned and came back standing very close to me. “What makes you think my people want anything to do with weaponized nanites?”
“Sael Nalen, you may think of me as a primitive primate, which I might just be. But I am far from stupid. It occurred to me your race possesses such weapons. It is also not a leap of faith for me to determine they are not nearly as advanced as the Guardian artifacts.”
The Operative gave me a Cheshire cat smile. She reached up and placed her hands on my cheeks. My eyes bugged out thinking she might be giving me an intimate Chaalt gesture of affection. That thought came to a screeching halt when she reddened my face with several less-than-gentle slaps.
“MY, my, you have excellent perception for a primate.”
“You old witch!”
She laughed again. Were it not for the harsh edge, I would have found it pleasant. “Fine. I grow weary of this brinkmanship. You no longer have to bargain with me. I will take on the responsibility of properly reimbursing you for your discoveries.”
She looped her arms in mine and we headed to the exit chambers. She did not say anything until we were finally outside of the artifacts building. The first thing we both noticed was my hangar queen shuttle being unloaded from the Legacy’s hangar. My crew failed to heed my advice of R&R. It was quite apparent it had been partially disassembled.
The Operative looked at it and then cocked an eye at me. “Not one of your better discoveries.” She saw the disdain on my face and laughed. “Or is it possibly one of your better investments?”
Extra smart-ass aliens had a way of getting under my skin. “Sael Nalen, I find your observations about as refreshing as the Fusra Pus virus.”
She gave me a serious look then burst out in a deep belly laugh that made me do the same. “Yeah, that’s what I got for trusting a Coram warlord to not screw me. I should have killed the Throgg but managed to still the beast inside of me before I did.”
The Operative’s smile instantly disappeared at the mention of my inner devil. She looked at me solemnly and gave me a small nod.
Justice broadcast for all to hear. “Commander, twelve Chaalt military vessels have arrived in our star system.”
Sael Nalen turned to me. “My fleet has arrived and I wish to take control of the Prule containment vessel. Will you allow me to return it to my home worlds?”
“Senior Operative, I like you a hell of a lot better than I did several hours ago. But I do not love you enough to let you walk out of here with my artifacts. We need to make some kind of deal. I need assurances that would make me feel like I wasn’t going to get screwed again.”
“Nathan Myers, you shall receive poera for poera, and it will not involve fornication.”
With that comment the Operative stepped close to me. It was a very awkward attempt to pucker up. She did it anyway and planted a loud smacking kiss on my cheek. She had the strangest look on her face when she stepped back. “I will need Tria to thoroughly explain why I felt the need to do that.”
I did not get it either. A hand full of hours ago she was going to kill me and the feeling was mutual. “How do you want to load the containment vessel?”
The Operative looked like she was momentarily looking at some distant object. She had to be transmitting on a communication device of some kind. I would ask Justice what he thought later.
“I have dispatched three shuttles. They will need access.”
Three shuttles? I was suddenly nervous. Why three when you only need one t
o haul the containment vessel. She was reading my expression.
“Have no fear Nathan Myers, nothing is amiss.”
“I am going to need just a little bit of clarification before I open my base to your shuttles. On my world, trust is not given, it is earned.”
She thought about the Earth saying and shook her head in agreement. “The first shuttle is for the team that will handle and remove the containment vessel. The other two are my tech and science teams. They are to install and set up several pieces of equipment you have acquired while running amok in the galaxy.”
I was mystified by her comment. There was only one way to find out.
“Justice, open the outer doors for our guest.”
“Affirmative, Commander. Entry tunnel doors opening.”
I could see my crew turn and look down the tunnel. The entry lights flashed on after the first shuttle breached the atmospheric retention field. They were like mirrors. They were reflecting the bright lights off the surface of their hulls. The first one set down for a smooth landing. It was difficult to make out the ship’s lines because it reflected its surroundings so perfectly. There was no noise save for the light clunk of the landing pads touching down. The mirrored surface faded to a gloss black. The shuttle was beautiful. It had smooth flowing lines and swept back wings for atmospheric flight. The star drives were integrated into the wings and tucked against the hull. There were no weapons evident, but I knew that was not the case. They were hidden somewhere within the hull and wings. Two of them were larger than the Tibor assault shuttle we once owned. The Tibor shuttle could be described as a truck; these were sports cars. The third was a lot bigger and boxy looking. It had to be a freight hauler of some kind. It spun around and landed with a large rear door facing us. The big door came down, making a ramp. A team of a dozen white-suited Chaalt exited the hauler. They had a fair-sized gravity sled moving between them. They came to a halt in from of us. I waved to my crew and got their attention. I held up a single finger and Xul separated from the group and hurried over to me.
“Xul, I am going to need a team to secure a quantity of nanites. We are going to give our new benefactors fifty missiles and the proper amount of nanites to arm them. Give them some from the weaponized batch. When you have completed that task, have the large atmosphere door opened on the artifact building. The Chaalt will be taking a Dagger with them.”
Xul nodded and set off to assemble a team of scientists for the tasks at hand. The Operative was over by the freight hauler conversing with several of the white-clad Chaalt. She waved me over.
I might as well ham this up a little and eat crow in hopes it might net me something extra. “Yes, Senior Operative, how can I be of service?” I thought she was going to fall over she looked so surprised. I kept my face neutral and waited to hear what she had to say.
She cleared her throat and settled her emotions. “When your crew’s duties permit, they will need to report to my Senior Tech specialist, Mork. He will run a few tests and also measure you and your crew for the recon armor fitting process.”
“I am available now Senior Operative.”
She rolled her eyes at me and told the tech to carry on. The tech’s name seemed vaguely familiar, but I could not place from where. I let the thought pass. I followed the Chaalt inside the freight hauler. He led me to a pressure door, and when it opened, we entered into a lab. He had me stand against a grid on a wall and a beam of light swept me from all directions. Next, he sat me in a large chair and a dome lowered over my head. He started asking me questions.
“I am going to test you for exotic emission sensitivity. If you feel discomfort, inform me immediately.”
I nodded and he started running his finger over a small data pad. A bright light flared inside the dome.
“I see you have implants. I cannot identify the design so if at any time you experience headaches let me know.”
The brightness of the light was apparent even with my eyes closed. This guy was using it to look in my head. I reached down and covered my boys. I started hearing a noise like waves washing up on a beach. It gradually got louder then stopped. Next, I heard a ringing in my ears. It gradually increased until it was a shrill, ear-splitting whistle. I held my hands up and it ceased. I heard him comment to me.
“Excellent, you show no side effects or interference complications. Please remain calm and do not move. You will feel a small amount of discomfort when I install the Backscatter Data device.”
It was always my experience when a doctor said those words, it was a code. When deciphered, it meant “where am I going to put this six-inch needle where it will hurt the most?”
9
I walked off the shuttle grimacing. I rubbed the spot behind my ear between my jaw bone and skull. Pulling my hand back, I was sure I would see blood. There was nothing. I was amazed the tech could drill a hole in the side of my head and not spill a drop of blood. Klutch came up to me.
“Commander, I was nearby and thought I heard you scream out. Is there a problem?”
I looked back at the tech. He had his arms crossed and was shaking his head. Klutch looked at him, then me. I scowled at the tech. “No Klutch, you need to get fitted for our new lightweight armor. Head up the ramp and Doctor Jekyll will fix you right up.”
A baffling look crossed the Tibor’s face. He walked up the ramp. Looking across the parking area I saw the big door on the artifact building open. The science team came out with the containment vessel strapped to the gravity sled. It was slowly moving across the parking area to the big boxy freight hauler. Tria and Coonts were walking in my direction and I met them half way. Taking Tria’s hand, I smiled. I told them they needed to see the tech on the freighter. Tria gave me a peck on the cheek and released my hand. They wandered over and stood by the loading ramp of the freighter. The containment team secured the Prule storage tank and moved back to the artifact building for the Dagger.
There was a loud commotion and the crew of the freight hauler started jumping out of hatches. They were running in all directions. I saw Tech Mork on his hands and knees retching on the deck. Klutch came stomping down the ramp rubbing the side of his wide, bullet-shaped head. The look on his homely face said it all. I knew it was time to find something else to do far away from the Tibor Troop Master.
Giving the Tibor a wide berth, I made it a point to catch some fresh air and get close enough to Mork where he could hear me. “You will clean that up before you leave or the Troop Master will be paying you another visit.”
I quickly moved off to find some atmosphere with a neutral bouquet. Spying the Operative, I moved in her direction. She was talking to Xul.
As I approached she frowned at me. “Your crew member’s theatrics are NOT a welcome distraction and I will tolerate no further delays.”
I looked around to ensure none of her people were within earshot. “Or what? You will attempt to put your potty mouth on my face again and drag me off to fornicate? I will file a formal protest with your superiors if that is your intentions.”
I gave her my best Earth-boy smile. Her face darkened and she shouldered me aside. She stalked off to turn her ire on the crew balking at securing the Dagger.
“Rancid beast!”
I gave her a curt salute. “Old Witch.”
Xul stood with his mouth gaping. I shrugged my shoulders. “Xul, have one of the other scientist finish up here. I want you, Graf and Jaran to report to the Chaalt freight hauler. You will be fitted with a new Chaalt data link. Let me know if there are any complications.”
The little Grawl nodded and hurried to delegate the remainder of his tasks. Justice commed me. “Commander, the Chaalt technicians have delivered several IST units along with a dedicated power source. There are seven Backscatter transceiver units along with a central processor as well. I have reserved a storage area to install the equipment after I have thoroughly examined each device. I have written a new protocol program that will be capable of completely isolating individual pieces, or all of th
e equipment. In the unlikely event the new equipment interferes with shipboard operations, I can disable their capabilities.”
“Thank you, Justice, your foresight is greatly appreciated. I can assume there were several more gifts left of us?”
“Yes Commander, there are four recon armor crates and a single Chaalt assault rifle. There is a huge assortment of Chaalt military supplies and munitions that will have to be cataloged. Because of the immense quantity, I recommend getting a number of Grawl scientists to start doing so as soon as possible. I have ten large crates containing point defense weapons. I have been informed they are reverse engineered replicas of Oolaran designs. I have two very large storage crates designated as the anomaly weapon that was originally installed as the Legacy’s main battery. It lacks the necessary power source to make it functional.”
Wow, Sael Nalen was not bullshitting me when she said I would receive a fair trade. There was an immense machine of some sort being off loaded out of a side door on the freight hauler. Sael Nalen was supervising the work and pointed in my direction.
A tech came running over and stopped in front of me. “Mr. Myers, where would you like your replicator placed?”
My mouth dropped open. I was not up on the latest alien tech but knew a replicator could manufacture most anything. With the right programming and the necessary materials, it had an almost unlimited capability. I pointed to the far wall, away from the tunnel entrance. He nodded and went back to work. I told Justice to fill me in later after he had a chance to survey everything. I saw Tria coming down the back ramp of the hauler. She had a frown on her pretty face and was rubbing the side of her head. I no longer felt the discomfort of the device insertion. It did not take me but a second to think of a way to make Tria forget about the irritation.
I walked up to her and, without saying a word, planted an Earthman kiss on her lips. She smiled and whispered, “Please, I would like another.” I obliged her.
I heard the Operative yell out. “What are you fools staring at? Get back to work!”
