by Jay Cannon
“Okay, but I am growing impatient. It has been several weeks and I have not captured my target. Tomorrow is a long time to wait. We should go to a bar tonight. I need to kill someone.”
“Fine, but I think we should at least wait until it gets dark.”
“I can wait if we must,” replied Uan angrily. They departed the hospital, jumped into their SUV, and headed home.
CHAPTER 33
MERCURY DISAPPEARS
At the Kitt Peak National Observatory, two scientists noticed something out of the ordinary in the night sky.
“Roger, shouldn’t Mercury have shown up by now from around the sun?” asked Paul.
“Sure, but give it another hour. There are always slight variations in positioning and visibility can sometimes be obscured by the sun’s corona.”
“I understand that. But it should have appeared yesterday.”
“Are you serious? How is that possible? Any anomalous sun activity recorded?”
“There was a large solar flare a couple of days ago. Nothing truly extraordinary. It could have been caused by a planet falling into the sun. I think we are getting ahead of ourselves though. Let’s make some calls and see what the other stations are observing.”
“Good idea. I’ll call the observatories in Hawaii, Spain, and Chile and see what they know.”
An hour later, Roger and Paul reconvened to go over their findings.
“This is a really significant event,” said Roger. “Every station has reached the same conclusion with no understanding of what could have happened. All known comets, meteors, and asteroids have been accounted for. Nothing new has been spotted in the skies lately. Mercury has just vanished. Venus, Mars, and Neptune are still in orbit. The others can’t be seen as of yet.”
“I noticed something after performing another evaluation,” said Paul. “The sun seems to have developed a slight variation in its wobble.”
“To what do you attribute that? If Mercury were lost into the sun, that wouldn’t be enough to cause a noticeable shift in the sun’s wobble distance or frequency,” exclaimed Roger.
Roger removed his glasses and tapped them against his thigh. “You’re right. It would take the disappearance of a larger planet for that to happen.”
“You don’t mean…”
“Yes. A planet such as Jupiter or Saturn would have to disappear from orbit for that to happen. It could be that one of them fell from orbit and took Mercury out on its way into the sun. Though if that had happened, the solar flare would have been a lot larger. I would have expected an event of galactic proportions if something that large had hit the sun.”
“That’s just nonsense. Any number of things could have caused Mercury to disappear and simultaneously caused the shift in the sun’s wobble. If we start broadcasting these wild speculations, it will cause a global panic.”
“The tabloids are already reporting on the disappearance of Mercury. The observatories have all agreed not to make any formal announcements or respond to speculation until we’re able to gather more information.”
“I have to tell you, Paul, this one has me baffled and worried, but I’m not ready to go off the deep end just yet.”
CHAPTER 34
PHOEBE RELIEVES SOME STRESS
XO!” shouted Captain Shisal into his communicator. “Give me an update on in-port operations.”
“Captain, the cargo has been delivered to the broker, the crew has been paid, and the reconfiguration is almost complete. We lost about twenty percent of our crew to resignations and I have replaced them. The new crewmembers have been assigned to their departments and are scheduled for training tomorrow.”
“Fine. I’ll relieve you in a few hours and you can come down for shore leave. After this trip, she’s all yours, XO. You’re fully qualified and I’ll have more than enough money to support a comfortable retirement.”
“I’m looking forward to taking command, captain,” the XO replied, ending the communication. But sooner than you think, he mused.
Captain Shisal and Phoebe were in a bar, enjoying a drink and contemplating life after the next mission.
“Phoebe, why don’t you bring your family and others of your planet to colonize my personal planet? There’s a lot of open space for all of you there. You’re never going to assimilate into Euclidian culture, especially with all the Alphas living here. Too many people side with them because of the way they throw their money around. It’s only a matter of time before there are enough of them to take up seats in Parliament.”
“Chaell, stop. I’m not going to think about settling down until I have freed my planet from the grip of those imperialist swine. They launched an unprovoked attack against us based on a fabricated incident. You know it was in retaliation for us helping Euclidia fight them off. Fifty years go by and now people seem to have amnesia. If you weren’t getting Alphas resources and technology, Euclidia would not have stood by and just let them attack us. And even if I wanted to return home, all the decent males were killed in the war or imprisoned as spies, while Euclidia turns a blind eye to it all. Do you expect me to live like a spinster there, or mate with an Alpha? I would rather be eaten by Zaron fleas.”
“Are you including me in your calculations at all?”
“Not really, Chaell. But what are you getting at? A Euclidian and a Delta settling down together? How would that look? We could never have kids together.”
“I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks. And why are kids that important? I didn’t think we were the kid-raising type. But we could always adopt a couple of the orphans left from your war.”
“No, I’m not really thinking about raising kids either. But I thought we were warriors. It seems like you’re going soft on me.”
“I’m not going soft. I just want to enjoy life a bit. I want to enjoy life with you.”
“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. Being with me would not be like any woman you’ve been with before.”
“I know that. You’re pretty intense. I’ve been with lots of women and to be honest I’m tired of chasing galactic poontang. I want to settle down with someone I trust. Someone who is tough and sexy. Someone who can take me to a level of ecstasy that I can’t get from anyone else.”
“That ecstasy could easily turn into an incurable addiction.”
“I’m already addicted. But I’ll survive if you would rather not take me up on my offer. Just give it a thought.”
“Why don’t you come with me and help me take my planet back? I’ve almost raised enough money to build the army I need. There are many people back home waiting to join the resistance. I just need a strong leader to teach them discipline and help us win. You do that for me and I promise I will be yours for as long as you like.”
“Phoebe, that’s quite a tempting offer. It’s just too risky. I could get killed or you could get killed or I could piss off the government here and lose my land and money. They might even throw me in jail. Anyway, we have a peace treaty with the Alphas. I’m supposed to be upholding the peace, not breaking it.”
Shisal settled the bill and stood up. “I’m off to see my brother. I’ll meet you back at the ship in a couple of hours.”
“Fine. I need to pick up some things and relieve a little stress. Ping me when you’re ready to transfer up and I’ll join you in the transmission.”
Phoebe left the bar and headed to a nearby convenience store to purchase some Delta goods that were not provided on the Andrea. In particular she liked the skin cream and starburst fruit. With a couple of bottles of aquamarine glimmer nail polish, she would be ready to go.
Her shopping done, Phoebe had one more thing to do before returning to the ship. She had passed by a poster earlier that advertised open fights at the Tarrant Coliseum. She needed a good fight to help her unwind and keep her fighting skills honed. The advertised event was a day-long series of open fights. Fighters participated to practice their moves, learn from others who were better than they, and of course to make some
money. The seats in the coliseum were always full of people enjoying the spectacle put on by the fighters. Many of them enjoyed betting on fighters, which was a challenge because most of the fighters were unknown. Many came from other planets so it was often difficult to assess a fighter’s abilities. A guide to species could be purchased that provided basic information, but not about a specific fighter’s abilities.
The matches were held in a circular arena surrounded by a four-meter high concrete wall. Doors in the wall admitted people and equipment. Near one door was a large box filled with different types of weapons. The arena floor was covered in dirt. A black circle, one hundred meters across, marked off the fighting area.
The matches typically were not to the death, but accidents happened. In case of a death, the winning fighter was not paid. The winnings went instead to the dead fighter’s next of kin. Matches could be between two or more combatants. An opponent was deemed to be subdued if he or she left the confines of the fighting area or was unable to respond for three seconds. Weapons of wood or rope were allowed as long as they did not have sharp edges. Phoebe signed up for a match and waited for her turn to enter the arena.
“Ladies, gentlemen, hermaphrodites,” said the announcer, “we have a unique challenge before you at this time. A Delta fighter wishes to wage one thousand crowns against four thousand that she can vanquish four fighters single handed. What makes the challenge more extraordinary is that she will do it blindfolded.”
The crowd exploded with excitement. Deltas were known for their extra sensory perception about their surroundings. However, fighting four opponents blindfolded would be quite a feat to see. Time was allotted for bets to be placed. Betting odds changed based on the number of people betting on a particular fighter and how well favored a fighter was.
“The Delta has imposed a condition, that one of her challengers must be an Alpha. Is there an Alpha in the coliseum willing to accept this challenge to fight a Delta along with three other combatants?”
There was a hush in the crowd. Alphas for the most part were personae non grata in most Euclidian cities, even though they were allies. Many people frowned on their colonization of the Delta system and mistrusted them for good reason. Alphas moved about the planet discreetly and for the most part kept to themselves. They had superior weaponry, but had no chance fighting one on one against a Delta without their weapons. However, against a blindfolded opponent, with three others fighting on the same side, how could one resist?
Three challengers quickly jumped into the arena ahead of others who complained about being inappropriately cut off. After a long pause an Alpha stood up and accepted the challenge. He was five foot ten inches tall and muscular. Alphas were humanoid creatures with beige skin covered with brown spots that made them look almost reptilian. Their faces had soft features with small noses and lips, and large eyes with no eyelashes or eyebrows. Their ears were crescent openings on the sides of the head, bordered by a slight ridge. The challenger’s head had a thin covering of bronze hair.
Once the challengers were all in the arena, another flurry of betting occurred. The betting window finally closed and the referee entered the arena with the combatants.
“Ladies, gentlemen, and hermaphrodites,” announced the referee through a handheld microphone, “we have Phoebe the Delta, blindfolded and armed with a two-meter long wooden staff. She is challenged by Ahmed, Arik, and Amit, all local Euclidian fighters. They are joined by Jonas from the Alpha system.” A hiss rolled across the crowd. “Quiet, please. Let’s show a little civility. We shouldn’t behave like Alphas.” A roar of laughter erupted from the crowd. Jonas scoffed with displeasure and decided he would take out his anger on the foolish Delta.
The referee continued. “Each challenger is equipped with similar weapons except Amit, who has chosen a two-meter rope with a forty centimeter club at the end. The fight will continue until Phoebe or the other fighters are vanquished. Fighters, take your places. The fight will commence once everyone is in place and the bell sounds.”
Phoebe stood in the center of the arena, wearing military boots, leather shorts with a matching top, and leather wristbands on each arm. She held her staff in both hands diagonally across her body. Her four opponents positioned themselves around her, about five meters away as instructed by the referee.
Figure 10. Phoebe face challengers in arena (show all 5)
Phoebe slowly turned in place, using her radar-like ability to survey her surroundings. Her special ability would give her an edge, but she would have to rely on her fighting skills to survive. She had been involved in many hand-to-hand fights during the war and later as a bodyguard. Fighting blindfolded was a game she had played with her brothers. She had never done it in a serious contest, but today she needed an extra challenge to relieve her a little of her inner pain. Even if she lost, the fight would be worthwhile.
Phoebe identified each fighter and his weapon, mentally noting how she would proceed once the fight began. The bell rang.
Phoebe pivoted to the left and lunged forward, shoving her staff into Arik’s chest and sending him to the ground. She jumped over his falling body and spun the other end of the shaft into Arik’s skull, taking him out of the fight. Once called out, a fighter couldn’t return to the fight. Two workers dragged Arik from the arena as the fight continued.
Phoebe ducked as the club from Amit’s rope flew past her head. She flipped backward and clamped her calves around Amit’s neck. Continuing her spin, she threw him across the arena where he fell shaken in the dust. She landed on the floor and spun to the right to avoid crushing blows from Ahmed’s and Jonas’ staffs. She tripped Ahmed as she rolled, forcing him to the ground and quickly taking him out with a strike to the head. Ahmed was dragged from the arena.
Amit swung his club at Phoebe’s chest and she knocked it away with her staff then blocked a swing from Jonas’ staff. Amit’s rope wrapped around Phoebe’s ankle and he pulled her down. Jonas attacked with his staff, repeatedly swinging at her, but failed to land a blow of any consequence. Amit came from behind Jonas and shoved him on top of Phoebe to distract her. He stepped on her staff and gave her a kick to the face. Jonas kicked away her staff and slammed her in the gut with his staff. Her head jerked up and Amit came down on it with his body. This time he felt he had her. He flipped to pin her, but Phoebe flipped over him, grabbed the club around her ankle and gave him a quick whack across the head. He shook it off but she landed a harder blow and he was out.
Phoebe shifted to the side to miss a feeble swing of Jonas’ staff. She unwrapped the rope from her ankle and rolled across the ground, picking up her shaft along the way. Amit was dragged away and the only person left to face Phoebe was Jonas the Alpha.
But Jonas, seeing how quickly his companions had been vanquished, made a dash for the edge of the fighting area. Phoebe would have none of that. She ran after him and with a spinning motion threw her staff at his legs as the crowd jeered. Jonas stumbled to the ground. He struggled to stand and attempted to run the few remaining meters to the edge of the arena, but Phoebe was already on him with her staff. She spun it across his shoulder, turning him toward her, and planted one end into his solar plexus, knocking the wind from him as he fell backward onto the ground.
Jonas flailed his arms and shouted “no” to indicate that he was done. Phoebe ignored his pleas and leapt into the air with her staff high above her head, poised to crush the Alpha’s skull. A blast from a stun gun shoved her to the side.
Phoebe shook it off and went back for Jonas. The referee quickly stepped in front of her, cutting her off from Jonas. “This is supposed to be a friendly match,” he stated, “not a fight to the death. Don’t fight your wars in our arena, Delta. Now take your winnings and leave.”
She considered fighting past him, but decided against it. Phoebe removed her mask and raised her staff in the air as the crowd exploded with applause and cheers. The referee shook his head in disgust and worked to prepare the ring for the next fight. Phoebe picked up her
winnings then received a ping from Chaell Shisal, not a moment too soon.
“Phoebe, are you ready? Let’s head up.”
“I’m with you, Chaell,” she replied. “If I spend any more time on this planet I’m liable to cause an international incident.” She pressed a button on her device to sync with Chaell’s transporter signal and prepared for the transfer.
***
Captain Shisal stepped onto the bridge with Phoebe close behind.
The bridge officers stood and shouted, “Captain on the bridge!”
“I have the bridge,” said the captain as Phoebe turned and disappeared from view. “Give me an update, XO.”
“There is going to be at least a day’s delay in departure, captain. The replenishment crew says they are out of material to reconfigure the storage tanks.”
“How is that possible? They knew weeks ago what we needed. Get Central Control on the line.”
Moments later a surly-faced female showed up on the forward viewing screen. “What can I do for you, Captain Shisal? I’m a busy person,” she asked with a scowl.
“What happened to the material for my ship’s reconfiguration?”
“It went to another ship with a higher priority that’s leaving today on a special mission for Parliament.”
“Why is that my problem? I’m on a tight schedule here. This delay is costing me money and could jeopardize the operation. Why don’t you tell Parliament to wait a day and give me my materials!”
“Who do you think pays the bill here, Shisal? If it weren’t for us, you wouldn’t have a mission to go on. You wouldn’t even have a commission. Now that I think about it, I heard that half your crew might have Salarian bowel gout. Maybe I should have your ship quarantined for a month while we validate that rumor and send another ship to finish off your expedition. Of course, by then no one will want to work with you because your ability to deliver will be suspect. Then there are the fines, payment for the inspection, judgments against the ship for failure to deliver, and I doubt you will be able to pay your crew while all this is happening. We might even place them on a watch list and they might never get jobs again. That would certainly place you in their good graces. Should I go on, Shisal?” At this point, spittle was dripping from her lips.
