The Forbidden Wilds III: An Inevitable War

by Saxon Andrew

  “I guess I hoped those days were over.”

  Jingle reached across and put her hand on his arm, “I’ve always known you have a good heart and hearing this confirms it. But I want you to think about what Belle will face in the future if we don’t put a stop to this.”

  Alex stared at her and his eyes tightened, “You’re right. I’m in, all in.”

  “You know we could be kicked out of the service for this?”

  Alex smiled, “So be it. This is worth doing if for no other reason than to prove it’s not true. If it is, then it must be done.”

  Jingle squeezed his arm as Jangle announced, “I have the shuttle.”

  Jingle looked up, “Scan for the feed from the camera in the passenger compartment. When you a have it, send it to my console.”

  • • •

  The twenty passengers on the shuttle sat back as it went into its stardrive and left the planet behind. One of them said loudly, “I’m so looking forward to fighting for humanity! This is exciting. I hope I can pass the tests to join the Union Navy!”

  Jingle said, “Brooks, designate the one that spoke as A.”

  Another passenger in the rear of the shuttle replied, “Amen to that brother!! Mankind is one big family again!”

  “B”, Jingle announced. Jingle stared at two of the passengers and saw them exchange a knowing look as one of them shook his head. Designate the ones in the third row as one and two!”

  Jingle stared at the passengers and watched their faces carefully. After a few minutes, she shook her head, “I’ve seen enough. Brooks take us ahead of the shuttle two light years and connect me with the pilot.” The pilot appeared on the monitor and Jingle smiled, “Good morning. Fleet has asked if we would pick up your shuttle and take it directly to Fort Washington.”

  The pilot smiled, “Admiral Jingle! It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you and your husband.”

  Alex raised a hand, “Thank you, Lieutenant. We’re a short distance in front of you and we’ll have our landing bay door open. Fly the shuttle in and we’ll get your passengers to the Union faster than they can believe.”

  “Why have you been asked to do this, Sir?”

  Jingle smiled, “We’re going to visit our families and Fleet thought we could shorten your trip.”

  “Thank you, Sir. I see your ship on my scanner. I’ll arrive momentarily.”

  The pilot announced over the PA, “We’re going to land on one of our new Terminator Warships and it’s going to get us to your destination in half the time.”

  Jingle stared at the monitor and saw only two of the passengers seemed to be welcoming the good news.

  Chapter Six

  The shuttle landed in the landing bay and Jingle said over her communicator, “Lieutenant, stay on board the shuttle and send your passengers out, I’d like to meet them.”

  The lieutenant opened the exit portal and announced, “You’re in for a real treat, Admiral Jingle Berringer requests that you step out and allow her to meet you.” Two of the passengers leapt out of their chairs and rushed out of the portal. The others all looked at each other and one of them said, “You heard the officer, let’s go meet the Admiral.”

  Alex said, “Designate that one as number three, Brooks.”

  “Done.”

  • • •

  The twenty recruits exited the shuttle and Jingle smiled, “Please follow me to the commissary.” She led them out of the landing bay and arrived in a small room with tables and chairs set up. There were snacks on the tables and Jingle smiled, “You can get your drinks from the machines and please enjoy your snacks. Admiral Berringer and I will be interviewing you two at a time to reduce the time you have to spend being processed. The interview is the first task you’ll have to complete and I’m sure all of you will perform admirably.” Jingle looked at the group and appeared to pick two of them at random, but Jangle pointed out the two designated as one and two over their link. “You and you follow me.” She led them out of the kitchen and into a room where there were two chairs in front of two larger chairs. Alex stood up and smiled, “Welcome aboard the Rapids. Please take a seat and make yourselves comfortable.”

  The two men sat down and put their arms on the chair. Alex pressed a button on his chair and restraints instantly came out of the chair and the door to the room closed. The men struggled against the restraints and one of them demanded, “WHAT’S GOING ON?!”

  Jingle sat down and smiled at him, “We’re just going to have a short conversation. The Kahn has notified us that there is a traitor on the shuttle and has ordered us to uncover who it is.” The two men’s eyes flew wide open and Jingle said, “Don’t act like you’re surprised. The Kahn told me that you would be aware that I will be your controller once you’re in the service!”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about!!”

  Jingle looked at the speaker and turned to Alex, “Kill him.”

  Alex raised a blaster and the man immediately began yammering, “Wait a minute! Just hold on!”

  Jingle’s eyes narrowed, “There’s obviously more than one traitor here. The Kahn insists that you know about me.”

  The second man started shaking his head hard against the restraints, “Nothing was said about you in our briefing! Nothing!!”

  Jingle turned to Alex, “Is it possible the Kahn made a mistake?”

  Alex’s eyes were tight as he replied, “I don’t think so. We should kill them and check the others out.”

  Jingle stared at Alex and then turned to the two men, “You have one chance. Tell me what you were told about your mission and you better not leave anything out.”

  The man seated on the right said quickly, “We were ordered to not to speak to anyone about our mission.”

  Jingle shrugged, “Kill him.” Alex shot the man in his head with a tight blaster beam and his head fell forward against the restraints. The hole in his head was smoking slightly.

  The other man started yelling, “WAIT, WAIT! WE WERE ONLY AUTHORIZED TO SPEAK WITH OUR CONTROLLER.”

  “And just who is that?” Jingle asked.

  “Lieutenant Bartness!!”

  Jingle turned to Alex, “He was the controller we replaced.” She turned back to the man, “Tell me every detail of your mission and if it doesn’t match up with what the Kahn told us, you’ll join your friend.”

  “How can two Union Heroes be working for the Kahn?” Jingle sighed and turned to Alex. The man quickly said, “My mission is to infiltrate the Union Navy and one day take control of a Warship.”

  Jingle smiled and said, “Go on.”

  The man spoke for twenty minutes and at the end, Jingle turned to Alex, “If you please.”

  “But I told you everything!!”

  Alex smiled and shot the man in the head, “Yes, you did.”

  “Brooks, send Malph and Reggie to the room.” A few moments later, the door opened, and Alex released the restraints on the chair, “Take these two to the bridge and lay them against the back wall. I have a couple of gravity sleds in the corner to assist you.”

  Malph snorted and threw one of the men over his shoulder, “I don’t need no stinking gravity sled.” Reggie picked up the other one and Jingle stood up, “Ready for the next two?” Alex nodded and she left the room.

  • • •

  The rest of the day was spent interviewing the recruits. Some of them refused to talk with Alex and Jingle but their refusal confirmed they were part of the plot. The one designated as number three was a tough cookie. He was brought in and immediately demanded, “Where are the ones you interviewed?!”

  Jingle smiled, “They’re on the bridge and my computers are teaching them how a warship functions. Are you refusing the interview? If you are you may return to the shuttle and we’ll send you back to Overland.” The man knew he would be in trouble if he was sent back and he sat down in one of the chairs. The other man was already seated, and he had a grim expression. Alex activated the restraints and he struggled
against them. The other man sat calmly and watched him struggle.

  Jingle stared at the man and said, “Struggle all you want; you aren’t going anywhere.”

  The man stopped and Jingle told him that she was his new controller. The man quit struggling and smiled slightly before saying, “You’re lying, and you know it.”

  “Is that so?” The man’s mouth tightened, and he refused to say anything further. Jingle’s eyes lowered and she said, “So you’re completely unaware of the plot to take control of Union Warships.”

  The man remained silent, but the other man said, “I’m aware of it.”

  The other man jerked his head around and snarled, “YOU WILL BE SILENT!!”

  Alex shook his head, “Enough of this,” and shot the man in the head silencing him. He turned to the other man and asked, “What do you know?”

  “I’ve been tasked to infiltrate the Union Navy and one day take control of a ship like this one.”

  “You don’t seemed to be bothered by it?” Jingle observed.

  The man smiled slightly, “You might say I’m a reluctant participant.”

  “Why is that?”

  The man raised one shoulder against the restraint, “If I didn’t agree to do it, my family will be executed slowly and painfully. I don’t really have a choice.”

  “There’s always a choice,” Alex replied.

  “And I made it when you invited me in here to have an interview. I’d rather die than do what the Kahn is demanding. Even if my family lives they will be little more than slaves under the Kahn.” He nodded toward the man sitting next to him, “The reason he knows you were lying is that he is slated to be in command of all the recruits upon arrival in the Union.”

  Alex stood up and walked over to the slumped over body. He removed the man’s communicator and looked up, “Jangle, can you decipher the encryption on this communicator and see the contents?’

  “Put it on the floor and I’ll start working on it. Between Brooks and I, we should be able to break through.”

  Alex turned back to the man, “What’s your name?”

  “Gerald Barrow.”

  “Are you related to the original Roger Barrow?” Jingle asked.

  “I am one of his descendants.”

  “Why are you against this if you’re a relative of Roger Barrow?”

  “When Roger changed his name to Rage Kahn, he turned his back on his family and exiled most of them into a life of hard labor. My family has always hated him for what he did.”

  “Why would this new Kahn choose you if he knew you weren’t reliable?”

  “I commanded one of Overland’s most powerful warships and he knew I could take control of a Union Warship. He also knows that I love my family and would do anything to prevent their deaths.”

  “You said one of their warships, how many does Overland have to use?” Alex asked.

  “More than eight hundred.”

  “There’s no report of Overland having that many warships.”

  “They’re hidden in the outer planets in Overland’s star system. Most of them are being built on the moons orbiting those planets.”

  What about the others we’ve not interviewed?” Jingle asked.

  “Two of them appear to know nothing about his plan. The others all boarded together.”

  Jingle looked at Alex, “Do we have enough?”

  “Yes, but we should interview the two outsiders.”

  Jingle turned to Gerald, “Would you be willing to participate in an effort to save your family?”

  “It can’t be done. They live in the capital city and have a guard posted to watch them at all times. He can kill them in an instant with his shoulder blaster.”

  “I asked if you’re willing to make the effort!”

  “Yes.”

  Gerald was released and followed Malph to the bridge. The two men designated A and B entered the room and were restrained in their chairs. Jingle confronted them and they were stunned by the accusation. They protested vociferously and Jingle showed them a recording of one of the interviews. Both watched the recording in silence and at the end the man in the left chair said, “THAT SORRY SON OF A SLUG!!”

  The other man lowered his head, “We should die. Everyone on Overland should die.”

  Alex released the restraints and stood up, “We know that neither of you is involved in this plot, but we wanted to make sure. You passed your interview and will be given an opportunity to become a Union Sailor. I’m sorry we had to do this.”

  The men stood up and one of them asked, “What are you going to do about this?”

  “What would you like to see done?” Jingle asked.

  “I want to see that sorry excuse of a human being executed along with everyone involved in this madness!”

  “You don’t think the population of Overland supports this?” Alex asked.

  “No, I don’t. Most of the populations on Overland are ashamed of our history in the Rager Wars.”

  “That’s good to know.” Jingle looked up, “Jangle, stun those remaining in the kitchen and have Malph and Reggie carry the ones on the bridge to the landing bay. Ask Gerald to join us in the interview room.”

  “He’s on the way. I’ve also broken through the communicator’s encryption and have found a list of every Overland recruit involved in the plot. There are also recordings from the Kahn giving the man detailed instructions on what he wanted done.”

  “Transfer that information to a disc along with all the interviews we’ve conducted. Don’t send it to Fleet until Alex orders it.”

  “What do you mean until I order it?!”

  Gerald entered the room and Jingle shrugged, “Alex, Gerald won’t fit in my suit.” Alex’s eyes closed and his head fell back.

  “Suit, what is this about a suit?” Gerald asked.

  “Jingle!!”

  “I’ll be careful.”

  Alex sighed and Jingle said, “Don’t send this information until we get this done?”

  “I know. Just don’t do anything foolish.”

  Jingle smiled, “That’s your thing, not mine.” Jingle looked at Gerald, “Follow me.” She led him to the landing bay and boarded the shuttle with her. Jingle turned to the pilot and ordered, “Lieutenant, you are being placed under a red-priority order to not discuss or reveal anything you’ve seen today. You will remain on your shuttle until ordered otherwise, understand?”

  “Yes Sir.”

  Malph and Reggie walked up with the first two bodies over their shoulder and deposited them on the landing bay’s floor. The Lieutenant’s eyes flew open as Jingle said, “Jangle, keep them stunned and unconscious.”

  “My pleasure Jingle.”

  “They aren’t dead?” Gerald asked.

  “No, Alex shot them with a special handgun that delivers an electric charge to their central nervous system. It causes a red burned spot on their heads but doesn’t kill them.” Jingle looked up, “Ringie, turn off your stealth coating and get down here now!”

  Gerald and the Lieutenant looked up and saw the ship slowly lowering to the deck. Jingle turned to Gerald, “Come with me.” She led him into the ship, and it flew out of the landing bay.

  • • •

  Jingle took the controls and asked, “Ringie, what time is it in the capital city on Overland?”

  “Twenty minutes until midnight.”

  “Go to full speed and go into orbit above the capital. Activate your stealth coating and let me know when we arrive.”

  Jingle went to a cabinet set into the wall and pulled out a grey colored suit. She smiled and said, “Put this on. You’ll have to get undressed first.” Gerald frowned and Jingle turned her back to him. “It stretches and you might have a little difficulty pulling it on.”

  Little difficulty was an understatement. He struggled with it for twenty minutes before he pushed his arms through the sleeves. Getting his legs through was next to impossible but he managed to pull it off, “It’s on.”

  Jingle looked
at him and said, “My turn, turn around.” Gerald turned around and ten minutes later Jingle said, “All done.”

  Gerald’s head went back, and he turned around and stared at Jingle, “How did you do that?”

  “You had to put on Alex’s suit and it’s not a perfect size for you. Now pay attention.” Jingle went to the cabinet and took out a head covering and put it over her head. She put her hand on a small grey colored box on her left hip, “Watch what happens when I depress the button on top of this box.” Jingle pressed it and instantly disappeared. Gerald’s mouth fell open, and he heard Jingle say, “This is a new development and the first two prototypes are here. We’re going in and try to take your family out without being seen.” Jingle suddenly reappeared and went to the cabinet and took out another head covering. “Put this on and tell me what you sense.”

  Gerald put the head covering over his head and replied, “There appears to be numerous tiny holes that I can see out of.”

  “The entire suit is covered with those small holes to allow you to see and to prevent you from overheating. You are going to have to convince your family to board this ship, I’ll handle the guard.”

  “But you aren’t armed.”

  “Leave that up to me. Ringie, how much longer?”

  “We’ll arrive in five minutes.”

  Jingle walked back to the chairs and saw the planet growing at an incredible speed. They arrived in orbit and Jingle turned to Gerald, “Where do we need to go?”

  “My home is located on the north-east side of the city.”

  “Ringie, give me a scan of the city.” An image of the city from orbit appeared and Gerald said, “Move the view in on the city toward the river that flows from the north side of the city.” The view zoomed in and Gerald nodded, “Follow the river down to the fourth bridge and then move in five blocks down the street over the bridge.” Gerald watched the image and said, “Now go south ten blocks and turn right. My house is the fifth house from the corner on the west side of the street.”

  The view zoomed in and Gerald nodded, “That’s my house.”

  “Ringie, is there enough room for you to land next to the house?”

  “Not without crushing the fence.”

  Jingle shook her head and turned to Gerald, “We’re landing in the street. You and I will jump out of the port and I’m going after the guard. Wait until I’ve taken him out and then go to the door and get your wife to open it. Clear?” Gerald nodded. Jingle left the chair and moved back to the exit port. “Call it Ringie!!”