The door slid open. She hesitated for the count of five and finally stepped inside. The place was gloomy. She decided to leave it that way.
She wasn’t sure if the PEC would respond positively to her voice commands, or if a simple environment alternation would prompt an unauthorized access entry. Send an alert to Rage’s security division. It would be typical of Dax to set up the PEC that way.
But she’d thought of that too. She placed a small device in the center of the spacious quarters. It would generate a faked and seamless five second loop of an empty room. Sound and vision masking her presence completely.
She moved around, studying everything. A soft, whimpering shadow made her freeze where she stood. She let her eyes adjust to the gloom and smiled.
She stooped and softly called to the shadow. It slowly stood and pushing its nose along the floor, it licked her hand, shook its furry ears from side to side and flopped down on its back before her feet. It rolled onto its back and lifted its four legs in the air.
She recognized it as an old Earth breed of dog. A golden retriever. She stroked its stomach, much to its delight.
So Dax has a soft under belly... who’d have guessed? “What’s your name Mr?”
She ran her fingers along its collar and read the gold tag: Max.
“OK, Max, consider this your interrogation,” she said and tickled under his chin. “Tell me all your master’s secrets.”
Max whimpered and she realized the dog probably hadn’t eaten in days.
She found a dog food dispenser. It was empty.
“You binge eat when you’re lonely, huh, Max?”
Max whimpered again.
She found a cupboard with a tin of dog food. She opened the tin and sniffed its contents. It smelled about the same as Fleet rations. She poured the contents out of the tin into a bowl and set the bowl on the floor. She watched Max gulp it down as she stroked his back.
“How long since you been for a walk, Max?”
Max didn’t answer. Too busy scoffing down the food. Max then squatted awkwardly.
A thin whirring sound emitted from a small dark object. It shot out from the wall and moved across the floor. Blok instinctively reached for her side weapon as a cleaner-bot came into view.
The fast moving object flashed two red glowing eyes and stopped abruptly under Max. It raised a small pair of arms holding a poop scoop. Max missed the target of the poop scoop by a few vital inches and defecated on top of the cleaner-bot’s head.
“Mad at Dax are you Max?”
Max whimpered as the Cleaner-bot wiped its round head and squirted a jet of fluid at Max’s butt.
“Me too. Back to the interrogation,” Blok said. “Where does your master keep his secrets?”
A flickering light caught her attention. She recognized the holograph’s sleep mode.
“Play last sequence,” she said.
The holograph flickered to life. A static ball appeared in the center of the room resolved into a scene she recognized. The saboteur Siorus sat at a table in the vast dining hall. Those sat around him stood up and began to leave.
Moments later, an explosion tore across the dining hall and eviscerated everyone in the immediate blast radius.
Except it didn’t...
Something caught her eye. “Replay.”
The scene began replaying.
“Zoom in on those closet to subject Siorus Smith.”
The footage zoomed in on a tall, muscular man with a scar on one side of his face.
Colonel John Rage.
“How is it possible you survived the blast, Colonel?” she said.
Her skinphone tingled. She shook her hand to end the sensation of a message received. It displayed across her contact lens:
Your Eyes only: Priority decryption competed.
She knew better than to view the decryption over the Q-NET link. She headed for the door.
A whimper made her stop. She glanced at Max as he rolled onto his back and kicked his legs in the air. He then leapt up and raced out of the room to disappear in a room at the back of Dax’s quarters. He returned a moment later with a chewed leather lead dangling from his jaws.
She shook her head. “OK, but just this once. You got me adding dognapping to breaking and entering. If I’m caught you better speak up for me at my court martial.”
Max wagged his tail and she clipped the leash to his collar. They set off for her quarters.
She took a less busy route to her quarters. Unfortunately, Max seemed popular with the crew. Blok hurried on, ignoring various attempts to pat him.
She paused at her front door for the retina scan and noted Max’s disappointment at the short walk.
“Later, OK?”
He whimpered.
With a swish of the door sliding aside, she and Max stepped inside.
“Make yourself at home, Max,” she said and he told her PEC to play the decrypted files.
In the center of the main room a grey static ball resolved into the last sequence of her brother’s eye. She peered at the hidden message. It decrypted and displayed, ready to read:
Valiant in danger.
John Rage.
Trust no one.
“Rage?” she said aloud. “This can’t be a coincidence.”
She heard the swish of her door. Stood in her door way, Colonel John Rage aimed his side weapon at her.
“Come with me, Lieutenant,” he said.
Instinctively, she reached for her own weapon. Before she could aim it, he squeezed his trigger. A ferocious pain spread across her shoulder and forced her onto her knees. The room spun around and she fell face forward into the floor.
CHAPTER 96 - ACCOMPLICE
“You saved my life,” Blaidd said and stopped Dax under a tall arch in the wide central corridor of the Ursu ship.
“Don’t hold it against me,” Dax said.
“A bond of blood exists between us, now, Zen Dax. Unbreakable.”
“I somehow don’t think we’ll be on each other’s Christmas card list, or sharing a Thanksgiving turkey, do you?”
“Turkey?”
“An old Earth thing.”
“I studied your customs. Roast Kraal-hog seems more appropriate.”
“Huh?”
“I’m inviting you to my home world to meet my people as an honored guest.”
“Your people make a habit of rolling out the red carpet to humans?”
“They hate your kind,” Blaidd said and smiled. “It shall be an amusing stinger in the eye for us all.”
“In case you missed the memo, the war ain’t over, it’s barely begun.”
“After the war?”
“Will there be an ‘after’,” Dax said and ran his fingers through the matted thickness of his hair. “You need to know we’re sunk. When I get home to Valiant I’m for the firing squad. I got nothing to mitigate a death sentence.”
“You saved thousands of your people,” Blaidd said. “Does that not count for something?”
“While the Vanguards run this galaxy, no one is safe.”
Blaidd reached inside his chest armor and pulled out a silver disk.
“Don’t be hasty, human.”
“What’s this?”
“On my last assignment I investigated the spy network aboard Valiant.”
“Network? You mean Siorus was not one of yours?”
Blaidd shook his head.
“Then who did Siorus spy for?” Dax asked.
“This disk contains the encrypted identity of Siorus’s accomplice.”
“How did you obtain this?”
“I cannot divulge all my secrets,” Blaidd said. “Even to a blood brother.”
Blaidd held Dax’s arm and swiped the disk over his skinphone.
“I trust,” Blaidd said, “your decryption software will tell us exactly who betrayed you and the USF.”
“How long?”
“Hours, perhaps days.”
Dax blinked hard. “I don’t know what to say.
”
“You should be asking if it is a counter-espionage ploy. Am I taking advantage of your grief and mental exhaustion to plant false intelligence?”
“And are you?”
“It is in the lap of the gods.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I accidentally on purpose let slip to the intelligence community that you and I possess the identity of Siorus’s accomplice. Expect hell to rain death upon us from every dark shadow in the galaxy.”
“You made me spy-bait?” Dax asked.
Dax felt his stomach backflip. He smiled.
“Blood brothers, huh?”
CHAPTER 97 - TRAITOR’S GATE
Dax stood on the observation deck of the Ursu ship. Valiant’s sleek profile sliced through Saturn’s rings. He felt a shadow engulf him. He turned to face Glaw.
“Buddy, just wanted to wish you luck.”
“We need your help, Glaw.”
“I can’t.”
“You can’t help stop another galactic war? Billions are relying on us to get to the bottom of this mystery.”
“My home world is calling me,” Glaw said. “If I don’t answer that calling, it means civil war for my people. I turned my back on them once. Never again.”
“When I get to Mars, I’ll need someone I can trust to watch my back.”
“Dax, don’t you get it?” Glaw said with a bitter laugh. “You can’t trust anyone in this galaxy.”
“I trust you.”
“That’s a mistake, Dax. I’ll sell you out when it suits me. Your people are finished, Dax. One way or another, the Vanguards and their human conspirators will destroy all evidence of their plan. Even if it means destroying Valiant. Why throw away your life over a doomed campaign?”
“My son.”
“Your son is gone, Dax.”
“You don’t understand loyalty.”
“Maybe you’re right, but I can only afford to be loyal to my kingdom and my crew.”
Myf appeared. “It’s time.”
Glaw nodded. “Dax, Myf and I talked it over. We can use someone of your skills. We’ll split everything three ways. Join us.”
“Good luck uniting your people, Glaw.”
Dax turned his back on Glaw.
Glaw nodded and walked away.
As Valiant drew alongside, Dax headed for the airlock. He found Fyre and Valkyrie waiting for him.
The airlock opened into a long wide connection tube. At the far end stood Oksana Blok.
As Dax cautiously approached, not knowing if he would be arrested or hailed a hero, she held out her hand.
“You look like crap,” she said.
Dax hesitantly took her hand and shook it. “Thought I’d be sent directly to the brig,” Dax said.
“You may still,” Blok said, “but first the old man wants to speak with you.”
She led him to the Captain’s quarters. The door slid open and they stepped in.
Hannibal stood at his drinks cabinet, pouring two glasses, he turned to face Dax. He offered him a glass.
Dax took it. “Last drink before the firing squad?”
“Something like that, XO,” Hannibal said. “I’ve just one question for you. Why are you not dead?”
“I’ll try harder next time for you, Captain.”
“Seriously, Doc reported you died with your life-pod.”
“Did he now?” Dax said. “And how certain was he?”
“What do you mean?”
“I should be in the brig. Instead, you apparently needed to see me with your own eyes. Meaning, you think either I’m a ghost, or the Doctor lied.”
“Doc was certain he witnessed your death.”
“And yet here I am. So if doc lied about my death--”
“Careful, XO, I can still send you to the brig.”
“Captain, face facts. If Doc would lie about something that important, then maybe he’s also a --”
“That’s my friend of forty years you’re slandering, XO.”
“And yet I’m the one stood here with a drink in my hand and you’re considering charges of espionage for Doc.”
“Damn it, Dax.”
“There’s one way to clear this up, Captain. Summon the Doctor.”
Hannibal glanced at Blok. “I’ve already summoned him twice,” she said. “No reply.”
“Hannibal drew a sharp breath and thumped down his glass on the cabinet.
“Alert security to sick bay. Detain Doc Ransom. XO, with me.”
Hannibal bounded out through the door and Dax chased after him.
Ten minutes later, Hannibal and Dax ran up to the sick bay doors. Colonel Rage stood with a marine sergeant and two privates.
“What are you doing here, Colonel?” Hannibal asked.
“I’ve had my suspicions about the doctor for a while, Captain.”
“Doc inside?” Hannibal asked.
“Doors are sealed from inside, Captain. He’s going nowhere.”
Hannibal met Dax’s eyes. “That’s what I’m worried about,” Dax said.
Hannibal nodded to the marines. “Proceed.”
The marines fixed a small device on the door seal. A digital countdown from five ran down.
“Stand back,” said the marine sergeant.
A puff of smoke ballooned between the doors. The marines forced the doors open.
“I want him unharmed,” Hannibal said.
The marines drew their side weapons and nodded.
“That’s up to him,” the sergeant said.
“No,” Hannibal growled. “That’s an order, Sergeant.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hannibal rushed in.
Doc stood before a holographic image of Zania Tebrok. He spun around and met Hannibal’s stare.
“What have you done?” Hannibal asked.
Doc glanced up at Hannibal.
“Ignoring my summons now?” Hannibal growled.
“I was busy, Captain,” Doc said and glanced nervously over Hannibal’s shoulder at Dax. He took a sharp scalpel from a set.
“Put that down,” Hannibal said.
“What are you talking about?”
“Surprised to see me Doc?” Dax said. “Alive, that is.”
The marines ran at Doc as he pulled a sharp scalpel on them. He slashed at the air.
Colonel Rage stepped forward. Doc yanked the scalpel back and dug the blade into his own throat. Rage swiftly grabbed Doc’s wrist, pulled the blade away from Doc’s throat and squeezed his wrist.
A sharp crack echoed around sick bay and Doc screamed as he dropped the scalpel. Doc fell to his knees and wept.
“I had no choice,” Doc said.
“There’s always a choice,” Hannibal said. “Why didn’t you come to me?”
Dax stared at the wailing heap on the floor and felt a pang of sadness for the Doc. Zania Tebrok’s laughter evaporated as her hologram turned to grey snow.
“See you soon,” she said as her voice dissippated into a haze of static, “Zen Dax.”
Dax’s stomach backflipped. His eyes locked with Hannibal’s. “We need to talk about what happens next, Captain.”
Hannibal nodded. He glanced at Rage. “Colonel, arrest Doc and take him to the brig.”
“I’ll commence his interrogation, myself,” Rage said, with pleasure.”
The marines lifted Doc off his knees.
Hannibal placed a hand firmly on Doc’s shoulder and forced him to look up at him.
“Pray I give you a chance to redeem yourself doctor!”
CHAPTER 98 - DEBRIEF
“That’s one hell of a story, XO,” Hannibal said and glanced across Valiant’s conference room table. “What do you think Colonel?”
Colonel Rage studied Dax. “I’d like to know what the XO recommends we do with the survivors of Hermes.”
“Come again?”
“If the XO’s story is to believed, it means Sol Morlok and his conspirators must destroy all evidence of their conspiracy.
Including the surviving two thousand passengers and crew of Hermes.”
“Kick the problem upstairs to Finnean?”
Rage shrugged. “The Admiral and I have had our differences, but--”
“Mars!” Dax said.
Hannibal and Rage looked up at Dax.
“What about Mars?” Hannibal asked.
“My source indicated a cure for the stricken is being developed by a science ship orbiting Mars.”
“Your source?” Hannibal asked “Fyre Von Rha?”
“Indeed.”
“Which ship?” Hannibal asked.
Dax fixed Hannibal with a hard stare. “Nexis.”
Hannibal swallowed hard. “Permission denied, XO,” Hannibal growled.
“Captain--”
“I don’t intend to repeat myself, XO, do I?”
“Captain, all I ask is you contact your daughter and--”
“Get out.”
Dax saluted and turned on his heels. Hannibal waited until Dax left the room.
“John?”
Colonel Rage sighed. “Nasty business.”
“Spit it out, John.”
“If you can live with kicking this upstairs to Finnean,” Rage said, “that’s fine with me.”
“You trust Finnean?”
“That’s not what I meant. If it was my daughter, I’d--”
“What?” Hannibal said and felt his grip tighten around a glass of whiskey.
“Somethings are more important than our careers.”
“It’s not about career. It’s our lives in the balance. The lives of twenty thousand crew, and now two thousand survivors of Hermes. All that, set against my daughter’s life.”
Rage nodded and remained silent. Through the observation window they watched Glaw’s Ursu warship undock and slip away.
“John, see what you can get out of Fyre Von Rha. And I don’t suppose that Lupos commander, Blaidd, remained on board?”
Rage shrugged at the Ursu ship. “We just missed Blaidd. The Vanguard woman is on board Valiant. I can be persuasive.”
“Anything else?”
Rage saluted and left.
Hannibal left for his quarters. As he walked, he couldn’t shake off the thought of his daughter being involved in this.
He arrived at his quarters and sat at his desk.
“Call Nia,” he said to his PEC.
Valiant (Jurassic War Universe Book 1) Page 40
