Dai seemed to be just as sensitive to odors as humans, he didn't fare much better.
The inside of the tank was immense and at least 20m in diameter and almost 50m high. With grav boots we walked up the walls and started scraping. The slime was dark green, almost black, and sticky as warm tar.
I lost track of time scraping and gagging, and at one point I only dry heaved –there was nothing left to throw up. The smell was so thick I could taste it, almost feel it on my tongue and the very thought of having that oozing slime in my mouth made me gag even more.
"I wonder why they don't issue breathing gear for this task," I cursed.
"Because it would not be as revolting, there is no need for anyone to do this. Nanites and robots can do it. It's meant as a punishment," Har-Hi answered.
I looked up at the walls and what we had done so far and sighed." We are going to be here for a long time!"
"A long time indeed, I fear this is not the only tank! There are at least 344 more!"
"Do they have tanks like this on Dai ships?"
"Yes, ours are ball-shaped but do the same thing."
"Ever cleaned one?"
"Considering what we Dai eat, I am thankful I never have!"
We hadn't cleaned more than maybe 10% when the Ult stuck his head in. "Hey you two. Captain Harris wants you both on the double! That means right away and no side tours! He is waiting for you at flight control, Hangar deck 12."
We dropped the scrapers and went as fast to the next IST as we could.
A woman officer exited the IST as we entered and she put her hand over her mouth and started gagging as she passed us.
"I bet we stink up that IST car too!" I grinned.
"Perhaps the next users will throw up getting a nose of this!" Har-Hi grinned back.
"I wish we had time to clean up before we face the Captain. It's not a good thing to make the Captain gag."
"We can't, no side tours!"
"We are going to be in trouble for that, no matter what!"
"Well there are 344 more tanks!"
Moments later we reached the flight deck and a Lt. Commander I had not seen before cursed and stepped back. "Are you two insane?"
Harris turned, looked at us and also stepped back. "Oh my Lord, what an awful stench! I ordered them to come on the double. I did not know they were cleaning tanks!"
He put his hand over his mouth. "Both of you get cleaned up and come back as fast as you can!"
The Lt. Commander who was with the Captain said, "There are hygiene facilities and an auto-dresser over there. Dial the dresser for Quasimodos!"
We found the showers and the auto-dressers.
Quasimodo was the slang term for the heavy Destroyer suits. Usually used by Marines during boarding or planet assaults, the Destroyer suits where the pinnacle of Terran Mil Tech. It augmented the wearer’s strength and other abilities by a factor of 200. Wearing a Destroyer suit, a normal human being could lift almost 80 tons at one gravand jump and fly. Destroyer suits were called Quasimodos due to the humpback-shaped appearance.
Both of us returned to the flight control room and reported to the Captain.
He nodded. "That's better. I don't even want to know why you two had been sent to the tanks."
The Captain clasped his hands behind his back. "We found a Dai escape pod or something similar drifting undamaged, and sensors indicate 23 life signs. The pod, we believe, came from the Dai Mother but its propulsion system appears to be damaged. I want you two to take a Rhino out there and make contact. See if you can convince them to surrender. If we board it with Marines they fight to the death or they commit suicide. I was hoping you, Mr. Hi, can provide the cultural knowledge and perhaps get in contact with them. Mr. Olafson, I thought you would be glad to see that there are survivors and I wanted you to have the chance to help in their retrieval."
Har-Hi said, "Sir, I will of course try my best to comply with your command, but I am Okthi-Dai, a traitor to them. My chances to convince them are less than anyone else's."
"They don't know that and you have the cultural knowledge. You can tell them they are not being harmed and we will provide transportation to a neutral planet or some place of exchange."
"Aye, Sir!"
A Rhino was ready for us and we climbed aboard the 60m craft. Rhinos were basically deep space work drones for a host of repair and recovery tasks, not very fast, lightly armed and shielded. The cockpit was designed with crew in space or battlesuits in mind and so we did not have to get out of the suits to operate the craft. Getting out of a Destroyer suit was not all that difficult, but getting in it was another thing. A trained Marine who has drilled for years can do it in 10 minutes without the aid of an auto-dresser; anyone else would probably take hours.
Har-Hi was before me and he sat down behind system operations, so I took the other station, which was flight control.
He turned his head. "Ready, Sir?"
"Give me a sec; I need to get the systems on standby."
After a few moments I had complete the preflight check and said, "Ready, and what's with the Sir?"
"This is a spacecraft, you are in charge and that means you're the Sir!"
I tried to argue and he said, "Someone has to, and if Stahl thinks you're good enough for the Devi that means you're good enough for me. We’ve no time to argue, Sir!"
I punched the Comm. unit active. "This is DEV-Rhino 14 request launch clearance."
"Dev Rhino you are cleared for launch. Good luck out there."
According to the data downloaded from the Devastator, the Dai sphere was already beyond the last planet’s orbit and drifting in the direction of the far distant galactic core.
Our path sensor showed the wreckage left over from the battle, and as we passed a large piece of red metal, Har-Hi sighed. "That was a part of the Dai Mother."
"I am sorry. I know you hate me for killing them, but I …"
He interrupted me. "No I don't hate you for that. If Stahl had chosen me, I would have ordered every weapon to fire just as you did. I am a Union officer and I will fight against any opposition and enemy, including Dai-Than."
"Why are you a Union officer?"
"Once there were over 75,000 clans of Dai-Than and we were proud and fierce people, nothing could stop us! Then Union came with its constantly expanding sphere of influence. A few left to the Downward Sector; Nine tribes left the galaxy, taking the long trip to another one, but the chances they going to make it are slim and after the terrible battle of Thalim and the bloodiest day in Dai history only about 3,500 independent Dai Tribes remain. We are a space-born civilization. We don't have planets and without planets we don't have resources. So we take them whereever we can. The Union and others call it Piracy. Not that we Dai-Than started out on spaceships. It was the Y'All who destroyed our home world 10,000 years ago. Our technology is good, our fighters are the best, but how can we stand against the juggernaut of the Union Fleet?
"My father, a clan patriarch, made a speech to the assembly of the other clan chiefs saying pretty much what I am telling you now and he proposed that we join the Union, give up our pirate ways and thus, survive. He was called a traitor and coward by most of the others, but 1,500 clans left with us and we joined the Union. It was not an easy decision but it will guarantee the survival of our kind.
"I was in the midst of the battle by the Thalim Nebulae and I have seen the might of the Union. I did not like my father's decision, but after that battle, I knew it was the right one.
"It happened only very recently and my father wished that I, his eldest son, make an example and join the Fleet, so other Dai could follow and do what we are born to do, no longer wearing Dai red but Union black, but still in ships and still in space and still warriors."
"So you are the first Dai in the Navy?"
"I was, but many have followed since I joined."
"I imagine it was not easy."
"Being constantly attacked, mistrusted and treated like the enemy, might be fun but I
sure didn't feel it that way."
"I have a very good friend who is Shiss. He had a similar story to yours."
"I can only imagine. The Dai don't like the Shiss either."
"I am truly sorry that I attacked you. I assure you it was not personal."
"You are a warrior born. You have honor and you do not give up. You almost killed me twice, without weapons, and that I can respect. No human at the Academy could do that."
He held up his hand as I wanted to respond and he pointed to his scanner and sensor readout. "I have the sphere clear on the sensors but I am reading a second contact moving towards it and it has no fleet transponder!"
"Run the sensor data through the Computronic," I said. He already had and I pushed Communications. "This DEV-Rhino 14. We detected a non-Navy unit approaching the sphere." I leaned over to see the readout. "According to our sensors it is a Poodle III with a Civilian Union registry."
It was Captain Harris himself responding. "This is a scavenger. They always appear after a battle. If he reaches the sphere he can claim rights to it and deny you access!"
"The sphere is occupied and thus not debris, Sir! I doubt we can make it there in time. This Rhino is not too fast!"
"Try your best. I am sending Wolfcraft fighters, but in any case, cannot open fire on it first."
"Aye, Sir."
I had the engines past red line and the Rhino was going at maximum, but still the Poodle would make it first, by at least three minutes.
"What right do they have to do this?" I cursed.
"It's the law of space. Anything is up for grabs. Spaceships and even Dai ships are made of highly valuable composite alloys and such scrap brings good money at any Union exchange. Dai artifacts sell for good prices on GalNet," Har-Hi said between clenched teeth. I have seen someone selling genuine Dai warrior heads cast in resin."
"That should be illegal," I protested.
"Not when there is no one complaining!"
"Then complain! You are a Union citizen now!"
"I didn't think about that."
"The sphere is occupied and clearly a rescue craft and he cannot take possession of it – that is piracy!"
"If he notices life signs he will double his efforts. Do you know what a live Dai warrior brings on the Slave markets of Sin 4?"
I shook my head. "Any trade in sentient beings is illegal and it is the Union’s highest law! Anyone caught dealing with slaves or sentient beings can be shot on sight, no trial needed."
"You are naïve my friend. Slave trade is still happening and only 25 light years from here begins Free Space, no Union laws, no laws at all, and the battle arenas on Sin 4 pay a hefty sum for suitable combatants, especially Dai!" Har-Hi looked at me. "They even broadcast the fights on GalNet and those are highly-rated shows in the Union. You have never watched those or heard of it?"
"No, I haven't. We don't watch much GalNet on Nilfeheim and I have not had much leisure time since I left. We must do something about that scavenger over there!"
"He is armed, we are not, he is faster and once he takes possession it would take a court order to search it. No Union judge will issue one to the Navy. They say it’s police business, and till they arrive, he's gone!"
I felt frustration and considered blasting the Poodle anyway, even though we only had a cutting laser. Then I had an idea. I activated the comm. unit and broadcasted on all channels. "Poodle III ship approaching the sphere. You are hereby ordered to reverse course and remove yourself from this area!"
"No way, Navy boy! I saw it first," a grumpy voice answered.
"You are in error. I am not of the Navy. I am transmitting Department of Justice ID code right now. This sphere contains extremely dangerous Xeno-biological life forms and unless you are licensed and you are in possession of proper containment gear to handle such, I invoke Federal law, and as representative of the Union Government and the Department of Justice I can and will inspect your ship for the proper containment equipment and you for the proper licenses. Failure to comply will result in Federal charges!"
"All right, I see your badge ID and believe you. With all your laws and regulations you can't stop me. I’ll just blow you out of the sky and salvage you too!"
"You must be very stupid. The Devastator is close by and two Wolfcraft fighters are dispatched. You just threatened an officer of the law! Oh please, please shoot! I will enjoy seeing you hang."
"I was just joking. I am already changing course."
The Poodle did change course and sped away.
Har-Hi laughed. "Well, you sure tricked him. Let's hope he does not check that fake code of yours!"
"The badge code is quite real. The rest I made up, but I would say a Dai is a pretty dangerous Xeno life form, don't you agree?"
"I guess you could say that!"
We approached the sphere and we now had visual contact.
Har-Hi leaned forward. "That is an evacuation sphere from the Dai Mother. It's about 70m in diameter and heavily-armored, well-shielded, neither Paralysators nor tech stop will do much good on it."
"If they are alive, don't they have some sort of emergency beacon or comm. device?"
"They do have both but they witnessed the destruction of their fleet and will not answer to anyone without the proper clan codes."
"Your codes won't work I assume?"
"My codes would make them fight to the last man for sure. I am Okthi Dai, that means something like traitor but the real meaning is much worse."
"So what do you think we should do?"
"Go over there, open the airlock and go in. Use Paralysators and tech stop inside and kill every warrior not affected."
"Well, your plan is as good as any."
He fired the grappling hook and established a physical link between the Rhino and the sphere.
I realized we had to go outside and my stomach cramped together. I hated being outside in deep space.
Har-Hi obviously had no such reservations and closed his helmet. "Ready?"
I pressed my teeth together and growled, "Yes."
The Dai cycled the air from the cockpit and opened the canopy, a thin whiff of ice crystals drifted away from what the vacuum pumps couldn't get. Har-Hi pushed himself out and fired his suit thrusters for a second to gain further speed. He acted as if this was his natural element and perhaps it was. I followed, grabbing the grappling hook line and accelerated as well.
I almost impacted head first into the Dai sphere because I realized I had my eyes closed and only Har-Hi's warning over the radio saved me from an embarrassing collision.
"Are you all right?"
"Not really, but I’ll manage."
My grav boots attached themselves to the greater mass of the sphere and gave me an illusion of up and down and that helped a lot.
Har-Hi knew where he was going and he found a round hatch right away. He pointed at it. "We can't open it with the controls. It is most likely code locked so we need to cut it open."
"I’ll get a pack of Vac-foam ready to seal the hole behind us," I said.
From his suit’s right wrist a 100cm-long blade appeared. It was a molecule-compacted, super-dense blade of Ultronit with an edge only one atom thick. The blade vibrated at 500,000 cycles a second and there was no material, short of molecule-compacted Ultronit, that could not be cut with it. Marines used the blade as a close quarter weapon and it was the armor suit’s equivalent of a combat knife.
The armor of the sphere was tough but could not withstand the blade.
Har-Hi sighed. "This is another reason I am glad we joined, Ultronit! I am cutting the toughest Dai armor with a blade!"
"Devastator here, Captain Harris speaking. Progress report!"
I told him what happened and what we were about to do.
Harris coughed. "I was ordering you to make contact, not board the thing by yourself. I am sending Marines and robots."
Har-Hi responded. "We would not have needed Destroyer suits for calling them on the radio. I am attempting to make con
tact as we speak, Sir."
There was a sigh and Harris said, "All right, proceed with caution."
Har-Hi made the last cut and the piece he had cut was pushed out by whatever atmosphere was behind it and I was shocked to see three dead Dai floating. The three were kids and didn't wear protective suits of any kind.
"I cut into an airlock. The rest of the sphere is intact and has atmosphere. Those kids were dead before! I guess they stored them in the airlock," Har-Hi explained. His voice sounded dry.
I took the TKU blaster and held it into the hole. The gun’s optics relayed into my helmet, the room was empty.
We both went in and I opened the pack of Vac-foam, sprayed it around the corners of the hole and the yellow nanite foam sealed the hole.
Har-Hi knelt next to a control panel and studied it, while I checked with the suit sensors for lifeform readings and got 23 of them!"
"Har-Hi, there are 23 Dai behind that door!"
"I assume they are mostly kids. This is the escape pod of the Phaal side pre-school, but there could be teachers and they will be armed and they know we are here. At least the airlock systems work and we have air now."
"Can you talk to them through that panel?"
"Yes, but that is as futile as talking to them via ship radio. Told you before, I am a traitor in their eyes."
"Don't tell them that. Tell them what you are, a Union officer offering them assistance!"
"I’ll do that!"
Har-Hi pressed a few controls and linked his suit with the panel. I could hear him talk in a different language, but the translator kicked in and I could understand a moment later. "… of the USS Devastator. We are not here to kill or arrest you. We are not taking you prisoner and we are not here to sell you. We are here to offer medical assistance and free passage to an exchange spot we can arrange with another Dai clan."
My sensors picked movement and two of the bio signatures moved towards the door. "Har-Hi!"
I knelt down and shouldered the TKU, switched it to Paralysator and Har-Hi took a combi-grenade from his belt.
The door opened and two bright energy beams lashed past the opening door halves.
Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 7 Page 21
