by Frank Carey
"You and I are sooooo going to talk when this is finished."
"Fine. Gamma, begin..."
"There is a problem, sir."
"What kind of problem?"
"I will need to scavenge one of your power supplies, preferably the one with the fullest charge."
"So, what's the problem?"
"Your active power supply is almost fully depleted. You won't be able to transform to Stryker-1 for at least eight hours."
"Fine, I'll be careful. How long until we have a control unit?"
"Five minutes, perhaps sooner. "
"OK, get to work. Meanwhile, Nat and I are going to talk some more."
"Yes, sir!"
"Gabe, are you sure about this?"
"I'll be fine. So, have you and your fellow Ortas thought about giving up the fuzzy life for a more normal existence?"
"Excuse me?"
"According to Nebulon, the races you hunted don't even remember what happened back in the day. What are you hiding from?'
"That's none of your business!"
"Fine. I won't say another word about how much I would like to have you and your family over for dinner without having to worry about fire extinguishers."
"Gabe!"
"What? I said wasn't going to say anything."
"We've thought about it, but we're afraid we would be shunned."
"You do know I'm considered a twenty-first century Earth Neanderthal by many in the League, yet I've accepted you, and I have built-in weapons. Oh, did I mention my wife is Katalan?"
"I wish it was that easy."
"Come on, girl. Your people formed the League for heaven's sake. You brought order from the chaos."
"What does it matter if we run around undercover?"
"I don't know. Maybe it’s because I was an undercover cop for twenty years. Trust me, it takes a toll. In my case, it was to catch bad guys, but even then, the lies build up. Think about it: what are you going to do with Zoe's people once I get your station back on-line? Hell, what are you going to do with me? Sure, I give you my word that I won't blab, but do you trust me? And if you don't trust me, then how the hell can you trust the doofuses ripping you off as we speak? "
"Shut up! I can't deal with this right now! This was never supposed to happen."
"Why did you form the League?"
"To keep us safe."
"And what if your safety requires you to eliminate people who know your secret?"
"Click!"
"Sir, forgive me for listening in, but I think she hung up on you, as they say in the old vernacular."
"Yeah, I seem to be irritating people lately. So, Gamma, where are we?"
"The controller is finished and ready to form. Sir, the specifications require the installation of an AI to complete the device."
"And all we have is you, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
Gabe started thinking. "Talk me through the installation, if you would old friend."
"There is a panel on the console surrounding the primary crystal, the one that is currently functioning. Underneath this panel is the old unit. All you need to do is remove the old unit, then place the new one inside. The console will connect and activate the control while the AI monitors. Once activated, the AI will stabilize the power flow before reinitializing the system. This should take no more than twenty minutes."
"Twenty minutes in which a stryker can blow the unit to smithereens."
"No, sir. The system erects a class-5 forcefield around the crystal and pedestal for the duration of the reset to protect the building in the event of a malfunction. The forcefield collapses at the end of the reset."
Can League technology reproduce the modified Katalan crystals? "
"No, sir. My analysis of the Orta data suggests the procedure is years beyond our technology."
"OK, let's say we get the reset going. What then? How does this thing actually work?"
"The system converts raw sunlight into a usable form of energy. Assuming I'm reading this data correctly, at sunrise, thick walls raise up from the floor to protect the rest of the building from the harsh external environment. Once they are in place, the roof opens, allowing a lift system to carry the crystal and its pedestal above the roof line, exposing it to the sun's fury..."
"You're very poetic."
"Thank you, sir. Each crystal acts not only as a collector, but a modulator as well."
"I can't subdue Zoe's people in human form, but I can't let them get their hands on you or the crystal either. Even with a force field in place, I can't let them near the two of you."
"The two of us, sir?"
"Yes, AI Officer Gamma, you will transfer into the control unit and use whatever resource available to bring the crystal back on-line before sunrise. Meanwhile, I will do my best to distract Zoe's people."
"Sir, If I may ask, how do you plan to distract them?"
"I will use my wit and charm to dazzle them..."
"Perhaps there's enough power to form another weapon..."
"Gamma, I'll be fine. Show me the control module," Gabe said as he held out his hand, palm upward. A cylindrical object appeared. Gabe gave it a once-over. "Red end points down?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good!" He dropped the unit into a pocket as he got up and headed to the door. "Let's get this party started."
CHAPTER TEN
Athea stopped when she and Rista were within sight of the weapons cache. The demigod looked around while a frown formed on her face.
"Athea, what's wrong?" Rista asked.
"This is too damn easy." She pulled Rista into a doorway. "Whoever planned this must have had access to the station database."
"So, the perps know the cache is here," Rista whispered. "I can use my scanner..."
"I think we can assume they know something's up, so they're probably hiding under stealth cloaks." She looked over at her granddaughter. "How's your hearing?"
"Perfect, why...?"
"Heart beats. Even Tralaskans have hearts."
###
Narst and Fyst hid behind a door while they waited for someone to visit the weapon's cache. "Still clear," Narst said as he quietly closed the door. "Fyst, are you sure about this?"
"Yeah, Narst, I'm sure. Boss Man and Tiny are way overdue. I think they was captured. That's whys we catch anyone who shows up in our trap. Remember: stun only!"
"Aw, Fyst, youse is such a party pooper..."
There was a knock at the door. Fist and Narst looked at each other. "Who's there?" Narst asked.
"Room service."
"Fyst, did you order room service?"
"I don't think so. Hey, what did we order?" he yelled through the door.
"Volcano chicken," was the reply .
Narst shrugged, then reached over and opened the door a crack. He was met by a blaster bolt which knocked him unconscious, then threw his limp body into the far wall. Fyst followed him a moment later.
"Wow, that really worked?" Rista asked as she and Athea entered the room and closed the door behind them.
Athea just shook her head. She walked over and checked the mercs’ vitals before stripping them of weapons and tech.
"Team Five, this is Kreji. Report!"
Athea looked in the stuff she had confiscated and found a comm. "This is Narst, wees haven't heard nothin. Can wees leave now?" she replied in a voice identical to the real Narst's.
"Stay put, you moron. We're about to breach engineering, and we don't want any surprises. Got it?"
"Yes, boss. Got it."
"Kreji out."
"How the hell did you do that?" an amazed Rista asked.
"Hundreds of years of observation and practice. I think we need to give Kreji a hand. Don't you agree?"
"Yes, most definitely."
They quickly tied up the two mercs before heading back out into the corridor.
###
Kreji glared at the door as if it would open by the sheer strength of his will. It remained closed, defying hi
m in silence. "Malc, open the damn door. We need access to the database."
"I'm working on it, Boss. Maybe you shouldn't have pissed off that AI!"
"Can I help it if it wanted cash instead of bank credits? Next time you do the negotiating."
"Have you tried chocolate? Nobody can resist chocolate."
Kreji looked down and saw a young Katalan woman in an EarthSec uniform. "Who the hell are you? "
"Rista Adon at your service." She smiled at the others who had stopped what they were doing to stare at her. "Hi!" she said with a little wave. A weapon appeared in her hand. "Would you mind putting your weapons on the ground and raising your hands? I'd hate to have to shoot you."
"You and what army?" Kreji sneered.
Rista responded by hooking a thumb down the corridor where a dozen heavily armed guests and crewmen stood with her grandfather at the forefront. She pointed down the other side of the hall where another group stood led by her grandmother. Neither group looked happy.
Kreji sized up the groups and their armament before handing his weapons to Rista. He then raised his hands and told his people, "Do what she says. We are outnumbered and outgunned."
Once the mercs were in custody, Athea handed Kreji the comm she'd confiscated from Narst and Fyst, "Call your people and tell them to surrender, or face two very hungry Katalans."
Kreji looked up at Rista's grandparents who looked back with smiles filled with pointed teeth. He took the comm and ordered his people to surrender.
"Excellent. As a consolation prize, you can continue to breathe." She motioned to four heavily-armed crew members. "Get him out of here!"
Pris walked in, obviously feeling better. "All teams have reported in. The station is secure."
"Any word from the surface?" Athea asked.
Pris shook her head. "No, and I'm getting worried."
"Have we gotten anything useful from the mercenaries?"
"Only that they want a lawyer."
"Let me talk to them," the elder Rista said.
Athea looked at Pris. "What do you think?"
Pris shrugged. "Have at it, Mom."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Rista senior examined a claw as she walked out of the interview room. Behind her, two orderlies from Med Bay were trying to pry a merc from where he hid in a corner. Pris shook her head as the merc screamed when Rista got too close as he was dragged by. "Wuss!" the matriarch of the Kitra clan yelled at the retreating back. "You know, Sweetie, I never touched him."
"I know, Mom, and we have the vid recording to prove it. We must tell Gabe that he's a target as much as those processed crystals the Orta are using. Dammit! I knew Zoe's demise was too good to be true." She called up a globe representing the planet they were orbiting. "If that morons got his numbers right, then the ground team has taken control of this power conversion station here," she said while pointing at a flashing dot. "They've got less than an hour before sunrise."
"Is that a problem?" Rista asked.
Pris nodded. "This station maintains a position which keeps the planet between it and the system's star. That ship would need to stay in Orta's shadow long enough to drop into other-space. Only a battle wagon or a heavy cruiser could handle the solar radiation at this distance." She chewed on a claw. "What's the status of the ships in the hangar bay?"
"None of the League ships are capable of planet fall."
"And the Orta ships?"
Rista shook her head. "We can't even get inside. All they do is sit there, inert. Have we contacted the League?"
"Yes, the mercs showed us where the comm jammer was. Unfortunately, the nearest League ship is 24-hours away at maximum velocity."
"How is that possible? "
"Judicious use of false emergency messages sent by non-existent ships. We've all been played, and your dad is dab-smack in the middle of a pile of shit. Dammit!" she added while throwing a pen down on the floor.
"Mom, where’s Saffy?"
"Good question. Computer, location of Saffron Adon."
"Main computer core, console-1."
"What the hell is she doing there?" Pris asked before heading out into the corridor with Rista following close behind.
Moments later found Rista and Pris standing in the computer core surrounded by brightly lit screens filled with quickly shifting data. Saffron sat at the center of the room in front of a nine-screen array, her fingers flying across the keyboard. Next to her sat a wine bottle and a half-filled glass.
"Saffy, you OK?" Rista asked as she approached her younger sister.
"Yep," she replied while continuing to type at an almost impossible speed.
"Sweetie, what'cha doing?" Pris asked.
"Figuring out what that bitch, Zoe, is up to." More typing ensued.
"How?" Rista asked.
"I accessed the reports Dad filed during his search for the keys to the Engine of Creation. In those are records of his encounters with Zoe. As part of the investigation, detailed analysis of her financial records was made by EarthSec forensic accountants. Those records show patterns. If Zoe is alive, then she should be following the same patterns, patterns I have found through a detailed audit of the mercs' finances."
"The mercs?" Pris asked while sitting down next to the young woman.
"Yes, Mom, even mercs have bank accounts. These patterns have led me to a series of purchases which started about twenty years ago, shortly after Dad returned from Destiny... "
"When Zoe supposedly died."
"Yep. It's possible she pulled a 'Josiah' on all of us."
"What's a 'Josiah'?" Rista asked.
"Josiah Muntz--Zoe's evil, mad scientist brother--faked his own death using a super clone and a telepresence device. Damn the Muntzes, one and all. Any idea what she is purchasing?"
Freeing one hand, Saffron handed her mother a folder full of printouts. "That's everything I've found using the good doctor's financial records. Unfortunately, engineering and science are not my strong suits, so I haven't got a clue as to what it all means."
Pris and Rista looked at a few pages before shaking their heads. "It's beyond me," Saffron's mother said. "But I know someone who should be able to shed some light."
"Who, Mom?" Rista asked.
"The Mighty Bob, King of the Immortals."
"You mean the guy who comes over and eats all the cake?" Saffron muttered.
"Yes, that Bob. We need to save your father and get this shit to Bob."
"Done," Saffron said. She got up and stretched. "I need pizza."
"Wait, young lady. What did you just do?"
"I burst-transmitted the entire data record to Bob's sphere at the Cube using the station's hypercomm link. Now, no matter what happens, the immortals have been made aware of the problem. I also cc'd a synopsis to Grandma Athea."
Pris gave her daughter the sideways-screwed-up face popular with cartoon characters. "Any idea how we can help your dad?"
"No, and it's killing me. I know Gamma got into the system, but I've been trying, and I'm stumped. I really hate being stumped."
"Gamma did it. Could another AI do it? "
"Yes, but we're fresh out."
"So, the Orta's database is stored aboard this station, but only the Orta's and an AI can make sense of it?"
Saffron nodded. "As far as I can tell."
"The can of worms grows larger. Zoe has hired AIs. This could rip the League apart. Dammit!"
"Mom, what about dad?" Saffron asked. Pris looked up and saw her daughter's pain-filled eyes. She hurried over and hugged Saffron while Rista joined her. "Sweetie, he will be fine. Your dad has rewritten the book on survival."
Pris only wished she believed what she just told her daughter.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Almost to his destination, Gabe ducked into a storeroom and closed the door behind him. "Nat, this is Gabe, do you copy?"
"Gabe! Where the hell have you been? I've been trying to call you."
"Um, Nat, you hung up on me, remember?"
"
Sorry. I got overwhelmed. Something like this has never happened, at least not in my lifetime."
"Welcome to the new world. I have a plan." He explained his idea.
"You're crazy. You'll either get killed or captured. You know better than anyone how dangerous a stryker can be."
"You have a better idea?"
Silence, then "No."
"OK, then. You need to monitor the power system and make sure you do everything you can to keep the nasty people away from Gamma while he effects repairs."
"What about you?"
"I'm bait. I'm the gazelle that will cause the lion to change direction at the last moment. I will be the distraction."
"Just don't die, Gazelle."
"Copy that. I guess I should go and become the disruptive influence I was destined to be. Adon out."
Gave killed the link, then stood perfectly still while centering himself the way Sensei had taught him so long ago. Finally prepared, he walked outside to begin the game.
###
The sentry stood by the door leading out to the waiting ship with his eyes closed. Music blared in his ear as he ignored the music from his commlink. He never heard Gabe walk up beside him and knock him unconscious. After a quick check of the mercs’ vitals, Gabe took his gun and shot the walls to either side of the door before calling for help over the comm. Satisfied, he ducked down a corridor and headed to the main crystal room.
A security contingent showed up moments later with guns drawn and eyes peeled for danger. Mark ran over to the unconscious merc, grabbed him by the uniform and shook him awake. "What the hell happened? Who shot you?"
The guard could only return a confused look.
Mark threw him back to the floor before barking, "Fan out! Find them and kill them if you have to!" Before anyone could move, the comm squawked with a warning about shots being fired nearby. Mark pointed at a stryker and four mercs. "Find out what the plark is going on."
"Yes, sir," they said before hurrying off. Mark got on the horn. "Silas, where are you with removing the primary crystal?"
"I'll have it before sunrise," he replied.
"You'd better. The other techs think the crystal will exit the building regardless of its operational status. I pity anyone near it when the roof opens."
