by Francis, Ron
“Yes I am,” he replied. “You need my help with something. I will help you with whatever you need. Please continue." His words sounded foreign to him even as he spoke them. He knew something was off, he just couldn't place it.
Suzy excused herself from her new acquaintances with the promise of seeing them again, and made her way straight to Jesse. As she rounded the corner she was struck by how attractive the woman he was sitting with was.
As Cassyanna was about to explain her problem again, an attractive woman wearing the same uniform as Jesse appeared and said, “Colonel, I would like to retire to the ship now.”
Cassyanna stood in greeting. “You must be, Dr. Baker,” she said with a seemingly genuine smile. “If I could just have a few more minutes of the Colonel’s time before you leave, I would really appreciate it.”
The woman seemed genuinely friendly, and Suzy didn’t think she would be the sort to drug a man, nor would she need to be. With her looks and personality, Suzy couldn’t imagine many men refusing a request from her. She looked at the woman with regret and replied, “It appears as though the Colonel isn’t quite himself at the moment. I need to get him to the ship. Please stop by in the morning, and I’ll make sure he speaks with you, but not too early,” She smiled.
Undeterred, Cassyanna sat back down and looked at Jesse with her warmest smile and said, “Please stay here with me for just a few more minutes. It’s really important.”
He slowly stood up and to both Suzy and Cassyanna’s surprise, said. “I’m sorry, Captain Reed, but it is both my duty and my pleasure to see the Doctor back to the ship. Please come by the ship in the morning and I promise I will be happy to be of service to you then. It was a great pleasure meeting you. I hope you do come by,” he added.
With that, he grabbed Suzy’s arm turned and began to leave, although, he did take a long glace back at Cassyanna.
“I think I’m in love,” he whispered to Suzy as they were leaving. He seemed so happy and it broke her heart to break the news to him.
“No, you’re not, Jesse. You’ve been drugged.”
As Suzy was helping him to his quarters, Kiah came out of room and gave him a hug. He smiled down at her and said, “Good night, Kiah.”
“Jesse,” Kiah started in her cutest voice, her arms behind her back and her body swaying from side to side. “Can Commando sleep in my room tonight?”
He looked into her room and noticed Commando’s pillow already in place at the foot of Kiah’s bed. He smiled again and said, “If it’s okay with Commando, it's okay with me.” He patted her on the head as she was rushing into her room with a happy snow wolf alongside her. As the door slid shut, he almost thought he could hear her giggling.
Suzy sat him down on the edge of his bed and took his boots off. She followed by helping him out of his Jacket and dress shirt so she could get at his exposed arm. She quickly took a blood sample and then laid him back down on his pillow.
He looked up at her and asked a little bit sadly. “Do you think she liked me?”
“I don’t know, Jess,” she replied as she was lifting his legs onto the bed. “We’ll try and figure it out tomorrow.” With that, she turned off the light and left the room to check his blood sample. When whatever it was Captain Reed did to him wears off, she knew it was going to bring back some painful memories. She hoped she never saw Captain Cassyanna Reed again, for her sake. Kimi had already been talking about ways in which to torture information out of her as to what her motives were for drugging Jesse.
______
Jesse was in a foul mood when he woke up the following morning. His head hurt his stomach hurt and all he could remember was a beautiful woman and a sense of betrayal. His mood grew only slightly more cheerful when he saw Kiah skipping about, humming, and this time, amazingly enough, she had both wolves in tow.
Josiah came over to him and with a concerned look quietly asked, “How are you doing, buddy, is everything okay?”
He grunted back, “Not really, let’s just get to work.” He knew Josiah well enough to know he wouldn’t be offended by that, but he felt like he should make a note to apologize later.
Josiah smiled and sarcastically commented, “No problem, brother, just hold it all inside. It’s better that way.”
He snorted a laugh as Josiah led him to the storage room he and Kimi had been working out of. As soon as the door slid open, Jesse noticed how busy they had been. Half of the storage room had been cleared out, which was a huge job, because not only did they have to move all the supplies, they also had to register the supplies in their new storage area so SAMMI could tell the crew immediately where they were if necessary. This had been a helpful upgrade, as he remembered being able to get to the space mines quickly.
In the newly cleared area stood two tables and a shelving unit that ran floor to ceiling the length of the wall. It was, however, what was on the shelves that interested him. Various pieces of tech they had confiscated from the pirates during their battle, and valuables of one sort or another. These were all being sorted by SAMMI, who had downloaded an almost infinitely greater database than the one at Outpost Twenty-Three here in the city. SAMMI was even able to download astro-navigation charts, which would be helpful in finding their way around the Kalephi galaxy.
But what really had Josiah excited, was the strange golden key he had picked up off of one of the desks. The Key looked to be made of solid gold with a small jade stone in the center of the key’s head. The key also had an alien inscription that SAMMI, no doubt, was already trying to decipher. There were also maps on the desk. Other sheets of information were spread out on the desk, along with a small metal chest about the size of a handy man’s tool box. The chest was open; and inside were about two dozen large gold coins of unknown origin. The coins looked ancient and incredibly valuable. There were a couple other bits and pieces in the chest, but the coins were the main attraction. There were also three artifacts that looked to be designed by the same person or people that had designed the key. Information indicated that Captain Janus had two more of these artifacts aboard the Pillager. The pirate ships Endeavor destroyed on Kaldor were in the process of bringing the artifacts to Janus when they met their untimely demise.
Jesse noticed one of the two containers they had brought back with them on the speeder was not open. “What’s in that one?” he asked as he pointed to the container.
Kimi's smile lit up the room as she took the lid off a container filled to the brim with Dudichrons. “These will come in most handy as we traverse this galaxy for the next fourteen months.” She said triumphantly, a hint of pride in her eyes.
He couldn’t believe what his eyes were showing him. “Well done, guys,” He remarked noticing that his mood had brightened slightly. “Do we know how much it is?” he asked.
“SAMMI has calculated that it has the equivalent purchasing power of just over nine hundred thousand Earth standard dollars,” Josiah began. “It’ll definitely be enough to keep us going for a while out here,” He concluded.
“Not to mention the gold coins,” Kimi interjected.
“This is fantastic,” he remarked, thrilled at his teams resourcefulness. “But it seems like you wish to discuss something else so….”
“It’s the treasure,” Josiah jumped in. He had been obsessed with finding treasure since he was a boy, and even now he still had that obsession. It’s not that the money or notoriety was important to him, he had just always associated a treasure hunt with some sort of epic adventure. Jesse had even set up an elaborate fake treasure hunt for his thirtieth birthday weekend, but it just wasn't the same. There was no real sense of danger or peril and while everyone had fun, it was most certainly not an epic adventure.
“We have it already, buddy,” Jesse started, knowing what Josiah was thinking. “I’m sorry it wasn’t the journey of a lifetime that you thought it would be.”
“This?” he called out waving his hand at the key and the small chest. “This isn’t the treasure, my friend; this is
n’t even a fraction of the treasure. We have part of the map, we have other clues, and we have the key.” His voice was rising with excitement. “This treasure was meant for us to find.” He concluded, his hands shaking with excitement.
Kimi was also really excited, the two of them must have been up all night working on this and dreaming of some sort of real life quest. “Have you given any thought to the fact that every pirate in the Kalephi galaxy, including the ones that tried to kill us, will be looking for the treasure?”
“The pirates that tried to kill us are dead.” Kimi stated matter-of-factly.
“What about all of the other pirates, the mercenaries, smugglers, cut throats, criminals and assorted other people of ill repute that will be going after the treasure?” Jesse continued. “We would be purposely throwing ourselves in harm’s way. Not for the greater good like we usually do, but for personal gain.” He realized how ironic it must have sounded to Josiah and Kimi to hear him worry about putting themselves in danger. He also noticed that they were beginning to look a bit downcast, so he added “I’m not saying no, but we should get the whole crew in on the discussion.”
As the crew of Endeavor gathered in the common room, reclining on couches and chairs, or in Josiah’s case, standing, he opened the discussion up. “Firstly, I would like to welcome Reece Gavin to the crew of Endeavor. Due to Reece’s unique knowledge of this galaxy and its occupants, he will be our information specialist. Next, I would like to bring up the subject of a treasure hunt. Josiah and Kimi have found map fragments, artifacts, ancient gold coins and a key of some sort when they surveyed the pirate ships before we destroyed them. Indications are that these clues lead to a vast treasure, and they would like to pursue it."
"Ah, the fabled treasure of the ancient ruler Ameteo," Reece offered. "Most people believe it to be just a myth, but then again, most people have never seen any of these clues." He studied one of the artifacts as he spoke. "Treasure hunters have been searching the Lawless Sector for centuries trying to find any clue to the treasure's existence, but have been unable to, until now, apparently. Rumor has it that when he knew he was going to die, Ameteo moved his vast treasure to an unknown location and executed all the people that knew about it. All of the people that moved it, the people that built the facility it now rests in, everyone. He didn't want anyone giving away the treasure's location. He believed he would be able to take it with him to the next life and he wanted all of it. The treasure itself is rumored to hold articles of untold importance to dozens of cultures in the Kalephi galaxy. If anyone were to find it, they would most likely become one of the wealthiest, if not the wealthiest person in the galaxy."
"This could be a great opportunity for us to explore the galaxy while we wait for the matter conduit to appear in fourteen months." Josiah remarked excitedly.
"This could be fun, too." Suzy surmised with a smile that let him know which way she was leaning.
"True, but it could also be very dangerous, and possibly even deadly." As the crew was thinking about his comment, he realized how negative he sounded so he added. "Look, I want us to come to this decision as a team, but in order to make an informed decision we need to look at all of the possibilities, even the unpleasant ones." He knew that the entire crew wanted to do it and even though it could be fun, he really wanted to steer clear of those pirates and searching for the same treasure they were after seemed like a good way to remain in their sights.
As Josiah was preparing to reply, SAMMI broke in, announcing, “Colonel Marcos, we have visitors at the landing bay.”
“On screen,” he called out reflexively.
As they came into view, Jesse noticed it was Captain Cassyanna Reed, along with a Qualoosh male and a Farannsian Female. “Jesse, I really need to talk to you,” she was shouting.
“I’m on my way,” he barked over the ships speaker. He really didn't want to see this woman again, although he did want to find out why she had drugged him. He motioned for Reece and Suzy to join him as they made their way to the landing bay. Suzy also called Shadow to accompany them, a sure sign she did not wish this woman to be around either. As they reached the landing bay, he let out a breath and lowered the hatch.
He looked Cassyanna in the eye and coldly asked, “What do you want, Captain Reed?”
Cassyanna was taken a little bit aback by the chilly reception. She looked to Dr. Baker who had her hand on the head of her wolf, and she noticed the same distrustful look.
“What’s wrong? Why the hostilities? When we last spoke, you were eager to help.”
Suzy noticed she seemed genuinely confused and replied, “Last night, Colonel Marcos wasn’t in full control of his faculties, now was he?”
Cassyanna wasn’t sure what was going on, but she nervously replied, “We need to get off the street, can we come in?”
Jesse motioned them into the landing bay, apparently he had promised to at least hear her out. “Who are your friends?” He asked.
“This is my first mate, Wennagal,” she replied as she pointed to the Qualoosh. “And this is, Kora, my sensors officer.” she continued, as she pointed to the Farannsian.
Reece took one look at Kora, smiled and added with a wink, “I’m Reece.” Suzy smiled, he really never took a moment off, she thought.
Jesse was still all business. “Now that introductions have been made, what is it you would like for us to help you with, Captain Reed?” He asked in the same cool tone he had taken since she arrived.
Cassyanna couldn’t take it, and to Jesse’s surprise blurted out, “Have I done something to offend you, Colonel? Your demeanor towards me is quite different this morning than it was last night.”
“Offend, offend?” Suzy interrupted, “You drugged our commanding officer, and we would like to know why?” She finished, not noticing her voice had risen. She kept her hand on Shadow’s head as Shadow let out a low growl that clearly frightened Kora.
But Cassyanna looked genuinely surprised. She stammered as she tried to find the words “Y…. you think I tried to drug your commanding officer?” She asked in stunned disbelief. “I did not drug Colonel Marcos!” She replied emphatically, “I need his help."
Suzy could sense that she was telling the truth about that, but she continued on a hunch. “But you did do something though, right?” As she said this, Jesse looked at her, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Cassyanna protested. “I came here for your help, and all you’ve done is accuse me of things I didn’t do.”
“I have known Colonel Marcos since we were four years old, and he has never lost control of himself in the manner he did last night. You may not have drugged him, but I have no doubt you did something."
Cassyanna knew she was caught, she knew she had messed up, and now Enso was going to suffer for it. She figured she might as well at least try to tell the truth. “I am the captain of a freighter called the Catamaran,” she began. “Yesterday morning my ship was stolen by pirates, with our engineer, my cousin Enso, aboard. The pirates contacted me and told me they had been dealt a setback in their search for a treasure and they knew I had a reputation as a treasure hunter. They told me if I didn’t lead them to the treasure, they would destroy my ship and kill my cousin. I was in orbit around Kaldor while you were fighting the pirates on the ground, and I know there was at least an opportunity for you to get a look inside their ship. I was hoping you found something that could help me find the treasure.”
“What did you do to the Colonel, then?” Suzy asked, not quite ready to forgive.
“I couldn’t take the chance Colonel Marcos would say no, so I doused myself with synthetic pheromones that I believed would make the Colonel a little more likely to comply with my request. But I swear to you, I didn’t know it would have that kind of effect on him.” she explained, hoping they believed her.
“Do you have a sample of these pheromones with you?” Suzy asked. Cassyanna handed her the vial that contained only minute traces, but S
uzy knew it would be enough as she took out a small device.
“I think there might be a couple drops left,” she explained as she handed the doctor the vial. “I used it all last night.”
“All of it?” Kora gasped. “Are you insane? Do you have any idea how that much pheromone would interact with a man that had been drinking alcohol? The results would be… they would be…”
“Narcotic,” Suzy finished as she put her portable device away. She looked at Jesse, who had been unusually silent through the whole exchange, and said, “It was an accident, Jesse; she didn’t mean to do it. I think we should at least finish hearing her out.”
He shook his head and started saying, “Have you ever looked at yourself, Captain Reed? Have you ever seen the way men look at you? What man in his right mind would have refused your request if it were in his power to help? You didn’t need your stupid pheromones.” As he finished speaking, he slowly turned and began walking away. Cassyanna was about to call out to him, but thought better of it as her one hope of ever seeing her cousin alive again was walking out the door.
Suzy walked over and put her hand on Cassyanna’s shoulder. “This isn’t over,” she whispered, “Give me a little time to talk to him.” She felt a glimmer of hope rise up inside her as Suzy followed Jesse out of the landing bay and she hoped the doctor was right.
As Jesse left the landing bay, he was met by Josiah, Collin, and Kimi, who had heard the whole exchange. “You know we have to help her,” Josiah said.
“Why? Because you really want to hunt for treasure? We can find it without her.”
“No,” Josiah replied patiently. “Because you will never forgive yourself if you don’t.”
“I still think we should torture her,” Kimiko smirked in what Jesse hoped was an attempt to lighten the mood.
