Dana Cartwright Mission 3: Kal-King

by Joyz W. Riter

  Shalee coaxed him to rest his left hand on her shoulder, re-establishing the telepathic link.

  I’m afraid! August is plotting something, I’m convinced of it. Dana told them. I sensed it empathetically, when the avatar touched him.

  A suspicion? It was only your avatar that…

  No, it’s more than that. March knows… We must separate them. I think I can win March over, but not August.

  Shalee’s laughter stopped their ruminations. Only Princess Micah can do that. She has Shelby’s eyes.

  Macao seemed ready to protest, but Dana beat him to it.

  What’s that got to do with it, Your Highness?

  Shalee chuckled, but offered no response.

  August fumed, his robo-chair tracing circles on the deck of the ship’s rotunda.

  March watched, increasingly annoyed. “Won’t you tell me why you did that?”

  August gave no indication he was even listening, so March answered his own question. “Do you hate so much? I would have liked to visit with Hale and Shepherd and learn more about the procedures and DNA modifications they did.”

  King scoffed, and finally came to a standstill, glaring at his brother. “Go back then, you fool. Are you so easily taken in by liars!”

  When March began to protest, August ran his robo-chair up the ramp and into the main conference room.

  “Computer? Display coordinates just used to return us to Kalis?”

  Numbers appeared on the view screen.

  “Center and locate!”

  The reticle centered over the midship of SS Thresher.

  “They lied. They created a facade, a fake, a fraud,” August taunted, resuming his robo-chair spinning as he plotted.

  “Why?” March shut his mismatched eyes, feeling intensely competing emotions of anger and betrayal.

  “Wrong question, brother! Better to ask, how can we make them pay?” August hissed.

  March shivered.

  “Alert down there!” Captain McHale’s voice called, “We’re detecting an argument between King and Garcia. They know it was a fake!”

  Mackenna groaned. “Damn! How? What could have…”

  Marina Carver stood, Dana and Janz jumped up, too. They all descended to the main deck, inspecting the avatars.

  “How could they detect anything?” Mackenna demanded.

  “Fane!” Macao groaned.

  A man’s form began to materialize beside them.

  “Security alert!” Macao shouted, but it was too late to block the materialization.

  Janz inserted himself between the real Dana Cartwright and March.

  “How did you do it?” March demanded.

  “Do what?”

  He pointed to the frozen avatars with his left hand.

  Dana stopped Mackenna from responding. “We don’t trust you; and we definitely don’t trust August!”

  The doctor produced a hand laser and aimed it at Carver, squeezing the trigger.

  Nothing happened.

  Macao wrestled the weapon from March’s hand and tore the pin from the doctor’s tunic.

  “V-R protocols neutralize all weapons. Consider yourself under arrest for drawing upon a Republic officer,” Macao growled.

  “She’s not Republic! She’s Enturian! Sister! Hah!”

  The venom in his voice troubled Dana.

  “Mackenna, scan him for an implant,” she ordered.

  March backed away a step, but when Mackenna waived a scanner near the doctor’s neck, it registered an implant device.

  “You have a choice, brother. Help us stop him or pay the price.”

  “It’s too late,” March admitted.

  Just as Dana had collapsed, March sank to the deck.

  Janz Macao held Dana back. “Let Mackenna deal with it.”

  Marina Carver ordered, “Computer, end program Mac-One.”

  The V-R sim reverted to four bare walls. All of the avatars vanished.

  Mackenna called for an emergency transfer with March to sickbay, leaving Dana, Janz and Marina behind.

  “Fortunate that the protocols were active,” Carver heaved a sigh. “That caught me unprepared.”

  Dana turned to Macao, “What do we do now?”

  “That’d be up to McHale. You need to warn April, Novem and Dec.”

  “I thought Kieran went to do that.”

  “No, Dana, you need to go and tell them what happened here.”

  Macao escorted her and Carver to the MAT station and oversaw the controls, sending Carver first to the LoStar. That done, he reset the controls for Dana.

  “Do you want this?” he offered the weapon.

  “No, security is tight over there.” Dana stepped up onto the pad, lamenting being barefooted.

  “No time for that!”

  “Stay with me?”

  Macao nodded. “I can be there in a heartbeat,” which wasn’t exactly true, but did wonders to comfort Dana.

  Shalee added, I will be with you, also.

  Security officers escorted Dana Cartwright to Commodore Jai, and then abandoned her. Kieran signaled for silence.

  She complied, watching as he did from the skybox high above the conference hall as a thousand delegations down below met in session, in the bowl-shaped amphitheater.

  Every delegation had a booth shaped like a diamond, each with a center view screen echoing the same image as on the overhead big screens, but with subtitle translations.

  Somewhere down there were April, Novem and Dec, along with Prince Korwin, Princess Micah and Ambassador Solon. Dana scanned the people with her eyes.

  She touched Kieran’s hand and sent him her fears telepathically, recounting silently the situation on the VR-deck and March’s attempt on Marina Carver’s life.

  His eyes widened and he pointed to where the Galaxean Ambassador sat, alone.

  “Solon speaks next,” Kieran told her, “then they vote.”

  Dana scanned to the left and right of Solon.

  “Where is the Alphan delegation?”

  Kieran indicated a location nearly directly across from Solon, but the booth was empty.

  “Why?”

  “The Prince walked out on the Rigelian to protest his verbal attack on interracial marriages.”

  Dana blinked. “Where are the Enturians?”

  Kieran pointed far to the rear behind Solon. She couldn’t identify anyone there from that distance, and due to the lighting, but it was clear the delegation were huddled closely in a heated discussion.

  Overall, nothing seemed amiss.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Ambassador Solon lectured for a long time about history and, mostly, on the meaning of a civilized society; nothing Dana hadn’t already heard the Galaxean Ambassador tout over the many years she had know the wise, old man. It reminded her of the old days, where she would steal away from the medical center, to hear lectures by Ambassador Cray of the Alphan delegation, sitting among the Republic guests, nodding right along with them, offering applause as they did.

  Living out among the stars required tolerance and compassion, applying logic, resisting the temptation to impose upon other worlds and civilizations peevish, social mores, and traditions.

  That said, and in the process, lulling the delegations into a passive agreement, Solon raised his voice and jarred them all awake.

  “No being has the right to forcibly enslave another. This treaty, while of worthy intentions, fails to protect and defend the values of civilization and the dignity of all sentient beings, hence, I urge all delegations to vote, Nay.”

  Solon bowed his head.

  No one applauded. No one spoke.

  As the Galaxean moved away from the podium, and his retreating image filled all the view screens, Kieran Jai let out a sigh. “It is all for naught then. This whole pageant — all for nothing?”

  Dana felt the need to defend the Galaxean position, though she had not read the entire treaty. Solon’s word on the matter was enough. She suspected many of the delegates would f
orm the same conclusion.

  The President of the Republic began the voting instructions. Kieran didn’t hear. His attention focused on the security screen. He tapped his voice-badge.

  “Thresher?” He demanded, “What are you doing?”

  Dana watched the multi-dimensional display as the starship maneuvered into a lower orbit.

  “K! Watch Katana! Their drone system went active,” Dana pointed.

  Kieran’s finger hovered over the ‘Red Alert’ button as he watched. “Do I dare evacuate all the ambassadors? Could it be a false alarm?”

  “Janz says wait,” Dana offered, hearing Macao’s telepathic warning. “He’s on Thresher’s bridge with McHale.” She studied the display.

  “Oh! Kieran, the shields…They’re going to test the shields.”

  “Impenetrable,” Kieran growled in response.

  “Kalis is emitting a disruption signal, just like the ones that caused Stiletto to crash!”

  Without hesitation, Dana forced Kieran’s finger down onto the button.

  The warning klaxons blared.

  Most of the security details for the delegations mobilized immediately, escorting ambassadors to exits in an orderly fashion. The Republic President and his security detail were in the lead.

  April, Novem, and Dec fought the tide, entering the amphitheater, seeking Ambassador Solon, who calmly remained in his designated chair, apparently unconcerned.

  One other delegation remained: the Enturians.

  Solon turned to face them, locking gazes with the Galactic Colonies of Enturize Ambassador, former Master Captain Terrin Hale.

  “Salakarik, Solon,” Hale called to her friend and mentor.

  He returned, lifting his hand to salute, “Trin,” using the Galaxean transliteration of her given name.

  Franklin Shepherd was at the GCE Ambassador’s elbow, backed up by Major Captains Gage and Brandenberg.

  “Just as you predicted,” Solon commented loudly enough to be heard over the alarms.

  “Indeed,” Hale nodded, platinum hair barely fluttering from the movement. The two delegations rose and came together.

  April, Novem and Dec finally reached the Ambassador. Solon calmly introduced them.

  Shepherd offered a genuine, “So good to finally meet you all.” His mismatched eyes twinkled. His sons and daughter stared, wide-eyed. He shook hands with the two men and though April Talon hesitated, he gave her cheek a familial kiss.

  “Should we evacuate too?” Solon asked.

  Terrin Hale shook her head. “Not just yet — LoStar will tell us when. They can MAT us out.”

  “Not with the shields in place,” Talon reminded.

  “If they fail…”

  “Which may be too late,” Novem worried.

  “Captain Carver will not hesitate to transfer us should she detect danger. The status of the shields is not a factor considering our technological advances,” Hale reassured.

  An instant later, however, a MAT pod engulfed them all.

  The real LoStar Main Deck bustled with activity. When the delegations materialized, Captain Carver, Dana Cartwright, and Kieran Jai were waiting for them just outside the MAT station.

  Shepherd took a step forward and spread his arms wide, welcoming Dana January into an embrace, hugging her fiercely, with great love and affection. “January! I’ve waited a long time to be able to thank you.”

  She stayed in the embrace, savoring the feelings of love and safety.

  “I’m sorry to have to interrupt your clan reunion, but we have a situation. I need to get back aboard Thresher,” Kieran interrupted.

  “I’ll see you back to the MAT station, Commodore,” Carver offered.

  Dana looked to him for guidance.

  “Stay with the ambassadors,” Kieran urged, telepathically adding, I love you.

  “Be careful,” Dana cautioned aloud, “August is unpredictable.”

  Kieran nodded, following Carver through the shimmering wall behind them.

  Shepherd whispered in Dana’s ear, “Don’t worry, dear. He’ll be fine. Your love is showing.”

  She smiled, embarrassed more by his affectionate squeeze. Dec held his stare. Dana sensed animosity.

  “Perhaps we should have a family conference,” Terrin Hale suggested. “Shall we join the sokem down in the lounge.”

  That caused Dec and Novem to stiffen.

  “We have Dec to thank for their rescue,” Major Gage reminded.

  “Mac and the cat creature did it,” Dec countered.

  Hale shrugged. “Indeed, Captain Macao and Colonel Xalier played a major part. Come?” She invited them all onto a circular lift and the railing deployed. The section of the deck then descended three levels, stopping in a large lounge area where groups of officers were gathered.

  The four Enturian officers, formerly the prisoners — the sokem — jumped up from their chairs, respectfully bowing to the former Master Captain and to the Majors.

  One locked eyes with Dana. “Doctor Cartwright?”

  “Schaffer?” Dana guessed, though he barely resembled the young lieutenant she’d met years ago aboard Navitor when he served as an exchange officer.

  The former Master pointed them all to seats in an informal semi-circle.

  Terrin Hale commanded respect still; Gage ushered her to the chair of honor.

  “Since six of our children are missing, I won’t go into all the details. Suffice it to say when the assassination attempt was…”

  Dana covered her lips to stifle a gasp. “Assassination? That’s… That’s August’s plan. He wants to kill you.” She turned to their father, Franklin Shepherd. “He blames you!”

  “Me?” Shepherd scowled. “I had nothing to do with this.”

  “On the VR-sim, August blamed you for his being crippled.”

  “Virtual Reality deck?”

  Dana explained how Mackenna and Carver had programmed the scenario, because March and August were not trusted. Dec and Novem had no idea what was being discussed, but April certainly understood. “Fascinating,” Talon commented.

  Solon agreed. “Yet, August deduced it was a fiction?”

  “He is brilliant,” Dana admitted.

  “He is evil,” Dec said with a scowl. “He bought us and made us his slaves.”

  “He bought you from someone. Who?” Dana asked. “He’s also a clone; someone bought him, too.”

  “King! It was King!” Dec insisted.

  Novem nodded.

  “I thought August was the King,” Dana protested.

  “The King — that’s the Crazorian King.” Terrin Hale reminded. “It was Keller King who tried to poison us.”

  “I read Doctor Tracy’s account; no one was ever found to be guilty,” Dana answered.

  “It was the King — Keller King,” Dec cringed and hung his head.

  Novem placed a steadying hand upon his brother’s arm, assuring, “We are free now. We are free men.”

  Dana blinked, sending the name, Keller King, to both Kieran and Janz.

  Fane! Came back from Janz Macao. Keller! That’s the man Shalee killed when he threatened the Shonedren Ambassador. His guardsmen returned fire. Shalee would have lived if I’d been there.

  Shalee countered, You would have died, too, my love.

  “Why would Keller King want to kill a Shonedren Ambassador? Or, for that matter, an Enturian Master?” April Talon asked, looking to Ambassador Solon, her mentor.

  The Galaxean folded his fingers together, “Keller King was…”

  Solon didn’t finish. Throughout LoStar, alerts blared.

  “Tractor beam!” Captain McHale ordered the helmsman, though he wasn’t certain it would actually work.

  Thresher shuddered as the energy beam engaged, tugging on Trident as the Alphan Blade Class Shuttle careened toward the conference wing of the station.

  Coe rattled off the shrinking distance to a collision.

  “Come on people!” McHale demanded.

  “If we reverse…”<
br />
  “Full reverse!” McHale ordered.

  The little ship stopped, motionless for a split second, as Thresher groaned and shuddered and began to back away.

  “Why are we not moving? Gentlemen?” McHale demanded.

  “It’s that disruption field,” Coe offered.

  “Disable it! Counter it! Disrupt it!” McHale edged forward in his command chair. “Weapons lock on and fire at will. Disable their power source!”

  The shuttle disintegrated.

  “They self-destructed!”

  “Disengage! All stop!” McHale shouted.

  Debris slammed both the conference wing of the station and Thresher.

  “Shields holding here. Conference center shields have failed. They’re taking damage.”

  The forward view screen showed it all. They watched in horror as flames and explosions came from the conference wing.

  McHale gritted his teeth. “I hope to hell they got everyone out of there.”

  Kieran Jai stepped out of the lift. “LoStar did.”

  McHale sighed. “Damage report?”

  “Our shields now at eighty percent. No reports of damage, sir.”

  McHale swiveled to watch as Commodore Jai stepped down to the lower bridge level.

  “Permission to apprehend King?”

  The SSID Commodore deliberated less than a nanosecond before responding, “Granted.”

  “Mister Coe, do you have a track?”

  “Aye, sir. Kalis is heading straight back to Arkares at Level 6.”

  “Beat them!”

  “Aye, sir. Course plotted and waiting.”

  McHale raised a fist. “Go to Level 7. Engage!”

  Captain Carver joined the officers and guests. “Thresher prevented a full collision, but the base is reporting many explosions and extensive damage to the conference wing.”

  “Casualties?” Solon queried.

  “None reported,” the Enturian Captain calmly responded.

  “Thanks to your prognostication, Captain Hale.” The Galaxean Ambassador didn’t smile, but he seemed pleased.

  “What now?” Shepherd asked.

  “Thresher is in pursuit of the Dagger Class ship with August King aboard.”