by R. E. Weber
‘Yeah, I know. You don’t trust me.’
‘Well, I’m not convinced, no.’
‘Do you want to meet him?’
‘Paranoemenos?’
‘He prefers to be called Mulha Ran.’
Larissa snarled at Theo’s response.
‘Oh, does he? So what else does he prefer? Would he prefer us not to escape? Would he prefer us not to call the Affinity Navy? I noticed my companion doesn’t work here. Does he prefer us not to use them as well?’
‘All I can say is that I trust my instincts. If he wanted to kill us, we’d be dead by now.’
‘But how do you know he hasn’t sent out a hostage demand? How do you know he hasn’t threatened to kill us in forty-eight hours if his demands haven’t been met?’
‘Well, I don’t. But I...’
‘Yeah, I know – you have a feeling. Well, I’m sorry but I’m not falling for his act. I don’t want to meet him because he’ll try to brainwash me, just like he has you by the looks of things.’
‘Nobody’s brainwashed me, Lari,’ replied Theo, insistently. ‘I’m not convinced of anything yet. But I can tell you one thing; he’s not the person I thought he was.’
‘I am pleased to hear it,’ said a voice from behind the sheet hanging over the doorway.
‘Lari. I’d like you to meet Mulha Ran.’
Larissa stood up and turned to face the doorway, which had turned transparent. Mulha Ran pulled the sheet back and entered the room, keeping his distance from the pair of them.
‘Bastardo!’ yelled Larissa, almost spitting as she spoke.
‘I’m sorry but you are incorrect, Larissa. Since I am genetically reconstructed, I have no parents as such. Therefore, I cannot be deemed illegitimate.’
‘What?’
‘If I have no mother and father, I am not as you described. Now, if you would permit me a moment of your time, I have something that I need to tell you both.’
‘Yeah, well I haven’t finished with you yet. I…’
‘Larissa, I am sorry but we must continue this discussion another time. I must…’
‘Oh, I’m sorry if you want to change the subject. What is it, scared you might hear a few home truths? Scared I might…’ Theo grabbed Larissa’s arm and squeezed tightly – a gesture for her to stop talking. But she yanked it away from Theo and stared angrily at Mulha Ran.
‘I am afraid that a situation has arisen. I have received the distressing news that our deep-space reconnaissance vessel has come under attack from an unknown adversary. It has been destroyed with the loss of all those on board.’
‘How many were killed?’
‘Five.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘You’re sorry? What the hell are you talking about, Theo? They’re the enemy. They’re…’
‘Larissa, for once will you just shut up.’
Larissa stared back at Theo, speechless.
‘We believe,’ continued Mulha Ran, ‘that the attack vessel will soon locate our base. We have therefore initiated fall back.’
‘Fall back? What do you mean?’
‘We must evacuate this base and relocate to a secondary location. Preparations have already begun. Most of the equipment that can be transported has been loaded onto our remaining vessels. Once we have evacuated this base, yourself and Larissa will be placed in transport pods and returned to Polisium Prime.’
‘Is there anything I can do to help?’
‘No, Theo. Most of the work was completed during the night.’
‘You should have woken me.’
‘It was not necessary.’
‘I bet,’ said Larissa angrily. ‘So you can hide all your weapons and torture instruments where we can’t find them. You can’t trust them, Theo, they’re…’
Suddenly, there was a deep, thunderous boom and the ground shook violently. As they struggled to remain upright, dust and rock fragments began falling from the ceiling.
‘What the hell was that?’ yelled Theo.
At that moment, another He’tal entered the room and spoke to Mulha Ran in their own language. Mulha Ran responded quietly and then the other He’tal disappeared. Moments later, a booming voice filled the network of tunnels and chambers.
‘Attention, all who deem themselves Metah Dah. I am Ha’tel’nad of the H’th’hka imperial army, commander of the attack cruiser Pa’tul. My vessel has positioned itself one hundred hotah directly above your current location. We have a network of forty attack drones positioned at strategic locations around this moon, blocking your escape.
This vessel is armed with one hundred concussion missiles, which, as we have already demonstrated, can penetrate to your current location, deep within the moon’s crust. A small number of these missiles will, when fired in sequence, collapse your underground base easily. Additionally, a quantum disruptor is locked onto your defensive shield. Several sustained blasts from this weapon will deplete the shield to the point where it can be penetrated by our forces.
We now demand your complete and unconditional surrender. There will be no negotiation or bargaining. Our terms are non-negotiable. You have twenty seh’nu to comply with our request. If you attempt to escape by any means, you will be attacked without warning. If you refuse to surrender, we will take your base by force.
Confirm your acceptance of our demands within this time period and lower your defensive shield. Armed transports will then be sent to your location to return you to our vessel for transportation to our homeworld, where you will stand trial for attempted genocide. Transmission over.’
Larissa turned to look at Theo, slack-jawed with shock. Theo’s expression was pretty much the same.
Mulha Ran stood in silence for several moments, contemplating what he had heard. Then he turned to Theo.
‘Theo, Larissa, follow me.’
‘Wha… what are you going to do?’
‘We will send a communication to the vessel announcing our intention to surrender, also informing them that we have guests. We will then phase our shields to allow the transport vessels to descend into the tunnel and to our landing pad. When they land, you will be on the pad awaiting their arrival.’
‘We’ll be waiting their arrival? Where will you be?’
‘That is not your concern, Theo.’
‘Hang on, they can’t do this. They’re in the Affinity. They can’t take action alone. They need authority from the Affinity council.’
‘Since they are here and have taken this action, your argument is pointless.’
Theo stood in silence, the possibilities spinning through his mind. ‘OK, let me speak to them,’ he said finally.
‘I am sorry, Theo, this will not help. The H’th’hka will not negotiate with you as they have already stated.’
‘Correction, they won’t negotiate with you. They probably don’t know I’m here, do they? If I speak to them, they might negotiate. It’s got to be worth a try. They can’t attack us because we’re Affinity members.’
‘Your attempts would be pointless since they will assume that you have been threatened and we have forced you to speak.’
‘They won’t if I talk to them through my companion. I’ll tell them that you don’t know I’m speaking to them. I can throw the rule book at them. They can’t attack members of the Affinity. I’ll try and get them to withdraw.’
‘To do this, we will have to disable the companion suppressors we have injected into you both. This will activate your transponder, which will transmit your location to the Affinity. This cannot be allowed.’
‘After my transponder activates, it’ll still take hours for the Affinity to arrive, by which time this’ll all be over. You’ll either have escaped, been captured or be dead. Whatever happens, they’ll be too late. But if you trust me, you’ll have a chance. This way, we’ll both get what we want.’
Mulha Ran turned to the other He’tal and they spoke quietly for a moment. Then he turned back to Theo.
‘Your logic is sound, Theo. Your companion will be rea
ctivated.’
‘What about Larissa’s?’
‘Yours alone will be reactivated.’
‘OK, agreed.’
‘Theo,’ said Larissa angrily. ‘Don’t let them…’
‘Don’t worry, Lari. I know what I’m doing. Trust me, please. Have I ever let you down?’
‘OK,’ she whispered back.
The other He’tal approached Theo, pointed a small rectangular device at him and pressed a button. Moments later, Theo’s companion burst into life and within seconds he had opened a secure channel to the H’th’hka cruiser.
‘Ha’tel’nad. My name is Theopolis James Logan, from Earth. Myself and another human, Larissa Santos, are being held by the Metah Dah, although we have not been harmed in any way. I have been able to short circuit my companion suppressor, and they are unable to intercept this secure channel, hence they do not know we are speaking. This transmission carries with it my encoded Affinity identification, which will verify this transmission source as legitimate. Please confirm receipt and acceptance of this transmission.’
For a few seconds, Theo waited in silence, his heart thumping fast. Then finally, the commander responded with a series of guttural clicks, closely followed by a translation in Affinity Common.
‘Transmission source confirmed, Theopolis James Logan. Speak.’
‘Ha’tel’nad. Your unilateral action in this matter violates section alpha, gamma two of the Affinity accord. Withdraw your attack fleet from this world and return to your home planet. I have sent a distress call to Polisium, and a fleet of Navy vessels has been dispatched to our location and will arrive within three por. Should you wish to prevent sanctions being levied against your homeworld, withdraw at once. The beings you are attempting to apprehend must face justice within the Affinity. Comply. Confirm receipt of this transmission and acceptance of these conditions.’
‘OK, well if that doesn’t work, I don’t know what will,’ said Theo grinning.
‘What did you say to them?’ said Larissa.
‘I simply reminded them of their obligations to the Affinity. They’d be mad to ignore me. They… hang on a sec, I’m getting a reply.’
‘Attention, Theopolis James Logan. The H’th’hka have withdrawn from the Affinity and are no longer bound by the terms of the accord. Hence our unilateral action here is justified and legal. Your presence with the Metah Dah is unfortunate as we cannot compromise our mission by attempting to secure your safety. Therefore, it is with regret that no rescue attempt will be made. Do whatever you can to secure your safety and await rescue by Affinity forces. Transmission over.’
Theo turned and looked at Larissa, his smile forced and weak.
‘Did it work? Were you able to negotiate with them?’
‘Well it might have worked had it not been for one small fact?’
‘Which was?’
‘Well they’re not in the Affinity anymore.’
21 – Fall Back
With a mighty shuddering boom, the cavern shook violently once more, sending its four occupants sprawling to the floor. Several larger chunks of rock tumbled from the ceiling, one falling only centimetres to the right of Theo’s spread-eagled body. Elsewhere, a cable had snapped and was swinging to and fro, sparking with electricity. A loosely hung lighting panel had also fallen to the floor and shattered into dozens of pieces.
‘What the hell?’ coughed Larissa as she pulled herself to her feet.
Theo sat up and wiped the dust from his environment suit. Then he looked at the rather large rock that had almost fallen on his leg.
‘I thought they were giving us twenty seh’nu to surrender.’
‘It appears that they are attempting to expedite the process,’ said Mulha Ran.
‘OK, well we’ve gotta get to safety before they bring this place crashing to the ground all around us. Is there anywhere we can hide?’
‘Unfortunately, there is not. The weapons they are using induce seismic tremors in the crust. Nowhere within this base will be truly safe from their attack.’
Theo stood up and turned towards Mulha Ran, who was lying flat out on the floor, his arm grazed and bleeding.
‘Are you OK? Do you need help?’
‘No, Theo. Just hand me my cane.’
Theo glanced at Larissa, who was scowling back at him. Her thoughts were as plain as day. What the hell are you doing, helping the enemy?
Theo passed the cane to Mulha Ran, then opened one of the compartments on his utility belt and pulled out a tube of paste.
‘Here,’ he said holding out the tube. ‘Squeeze this onto that cut. It’ll seal it up in no time.’
Mulha Ran looked at the tube of paste in Theo’s outstretched hand. He then sat up, planted his cane on the ground and pushed himself to his feet.
‘The wound will heal on its own.’
‘You ungrateful…’
‘Larissa, we don’t have time,’ said Theo gesturing to her with his outstretched palm. ‘We’ve gotta get to safety. There’s gotta be somewhere better than this cavern. If the ceiling collapses, we’ll be crushed.’
‘As I said, Theo, there is nowhere. Our only option, should we wish to live, is to offer our surrender.’
‘So that’s it? You’re gonna give in, just like that?’
‘That is our only option. Had we proceeded to the landing pad, as I originally suggested, you would likely be safe now. It was a strategic error for you to speak to the H’th’hka. Your insistence that the Affinity Navy are on their way has clearly accelerated their plans and confirmed their resolve.’
‘Don’t take it out on him,’ said Larissa angrily. ‘You’re the one who brought us here. It’s your fault we’re under attack, not Theo’s.’
‘Stop it, Larissa. This isn’t gonna help anybody,’ said Theo, the firm authority in his voice surprising even him. ‘We need a new plan, now. What about that landing pad? What’s stopping us following your original plan?’
‘The landing pad sits at the bottom of a long, vertical tunnel. Due to the use of the concussion missiles, the tunnel will be susceptible to falling debris. This could put us at considerable risk.’
‘Then we’ll be careful. One of us can look up at all times and warn the others if there’s any falling rocks. As the tunnel’s long, we should see it coming. The gravity here’s low so we’ll have time to get out of the way. If you stay close to me, my personal shield will protect us from the smaller rocks.’
Mulha Ran stood for a moment, assessing the situation. ‘Theo is correct,’ he said finally. ‘The landing pad does remain the most logical destination, despite the risks. However, we must offer our surrender to halt the attacks. Once we have done this, we will head for the tunnel. This will ensure our safety for the present time.’
‘Yeah, and while we’re doing that we can think of a new plan.’
Mulha Ran spoke to the other He’tal, then gestured towards Larissa. After a faint bleep, her companion sprung into life. Then he left the room.
‘This way,’ said Mulha Ran pointing his cane towards another exit.
As the three of them proceeded through the doorway, another more distant explosion echoed through the cavern walls, causing another much weaker tremor. Mulha Ran stopped briefly and looked around as if confused. Then he continued on through the network of narrow tunnels, down a set of roughly cut rocky steps and out onto the smooth metallic floor of the landing pad. Theo and Larissa were close behind him.
‘OK, we need to look sharp now,’ said Theo. ‘I’ll keep an eye out for any falling rocks. If I see any, I’ll shout and tell you which way to go. Don’t argue with me and don’t even stop to look up. Just do what I say. And remember, stay as close to me as you can.’
‘OK, Theo.’
As Theo watched for falling debris, there was a faint repeating bleep and then Mulha Ran began talking into a primitive looking wrist communicator. After a few seconds, the conversation ended, and he stood for a moment, clearly contemplating whatever he had just heard. Then h
e made his way quickly towards Theo and Larissa, his cane clumping furiously as he walked.
‘Something wrong?’ said Theo.
‘It appears that our communications relays have been damaged.’
‘What, by the concussion missiles? They’re just a blunt force attack weapon. They’re no good for…’
‘No, Theo. You will recall the weak explosion you heard as we left the central cavern. This was not a concussion missile but a precision attack with an energy weapon. Our communications relays to the surface have been cut, and we are unable to contact the H’th’hka vessel or control the shield phasing.’
‘Shield phasing?’ said Larissa.
‘They use a multi phasic shield, Lari. It can be adjusted to allow ships to pass through without all the air rushing out.’
‘So we can’t surrender and we can’t phase the shield to allow them in, is that what you’re saying?’
‘Basically, yeah.’
‘But what about our companions?’ said Larissa. ‘We could surrender on their behalf. Theo, you could talk to them again and explain what’s happened.’
‘I suspect that the H’th’hka will no longer accept communication from you,’ replied Mulha Ran.
‘Why not?’ said Larissa.
‘Because their recent actions suggest that they have no intention of capturing us peacefully. Your presence here was unexpected and an unwelcome complication to their plans. I believe that they will simply disregard your attempts to contact them.’
‘So you’re saying they actually want a fight?’
‘Since we have minimal defences, I do not believe that the term fight would be an accurate description, Larissa. They are heavily armed and any conflict would be quick and decisive. They are merely presenting the appearance of allowing us to surrender in order to demonstrate to their own kind that they are a just and fair people. Their religious leaders will demand this. The energy weapon was clearly targeted to disrupt our communications and shield relays in order to prevent our surrender.’
‘I’m sorry to say but I think he’s right,’ replied Theo. ‘I’ve just been trying to open a channel with them. They’re not responding. They…’
An almost deafening explosion above them shook the gigantic tunnel violently, and within seconds a succession of deep cracking noises could be heard as several huge shards of rock tore away from the tunnel walls and began falling towards them. As the rocks fell, some of them glanced off rocky outcrops, ripping away further chunks of rock, forming a cascade of falling debris.
