He stepped outside into the oppressive Nevada sunshine and strode toward a small parking lot adjacent to the building. He climbed into the closest vehicle, a black Ford SUV, and immediately checked the ignition, the center console, and flipped down the visor. No keys.
“No,” he said. “Course not. That’d be too easy.”
He pressed his index finger against the ignition, his upper lip curling in revulsion as the digit compressed and conformed to the mechanism’s inner workings. One by one, the Replodian’s finger pushed the tumblers aside until he heard a final, soft click. With a turn of his wrist, the engine rumbled to life, and Moe withdrew his finger, returning it to its normal shape and wiping the grime onto his leg.
As he steered the SUV toward the guardhouse at the edge of the base perimeter, Moe could see two sentries inside it. One man stepped out in front of the gate and held up his hand. When the MP saw Moe — or rather General Brinkmann — he snapped to attention and saluted.
“General, is everything all right?” the sentry said. “I heard the alarm.”
Inside the guardhouse, a telephone rang.
“Everything’s fine, Airman.” Moe tried to look indifferent as he watched the sentry inside answer the phone. “In fact, if I were you, I’d forget I ever heard that alarm. Understood?”
“Understood, General!”
As the sentry turned to raise the wooden guard gate, his partner burst from the guardhouse and drew his sidearm. “Hands where I can see them!”
Moe cursed under his breath and took his hands off the wheel slowly.
“Are you out of your mind?” said the first sentry. “That’s General Brinkmann!”
“Negative,” said the second, stepping up to the SUV’s window. “This is an imposter.”
While the other sentry fumbled with his own sidearm, Moe reached out and snatched the pistol from the guard’s hand, then slammed his foot down on the gas. The tires spun on the loose sand littering the pavement for a moment before the SUV surged forward, snapping the gate arm in two. Bullets peppered the rear of the vehicle, and Moe grinned as the SUV sped into the desert.
Chapter Fifteen
TDC Command
Bonaparte, Iowa
September 26th
The TDC command center located beneath the Walker farm was quiet; all of the machinery was silent. The only sound was the soft snoring coming from the chair in front of the large observation monitor. Lamont sat wrapped in his leather jacket, chin tucked to his chest to ward off the morning chill. While he slept, a large red blip on the monitor’s satellite image drew closer and closer to home.
The door leading to the well shaft slid open and the artificial female voice resonated through the room, “Welcome, Alex Walker.”
Alex stepped into the main chamber, his footsteps echoing softly. In the past three years since the aliens came into his life, the boy had grown into a strong young man. He was dressed in blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and a well-worn black leather jacket. After his brush with death outside Delmar’s Barber Shop, he’d sworn off haircuts, leaving his hair long and slightly wavy, ending between his shoulder blades.
He held a box of day-old doughnuts from the gas station in Bonaparte while two Styrofoam coffee cups floated around his head like orbiting satellites. Alex crossed the room and placed the box on the console in front of his sleeping friend. He looked up and breathed a sigh of relief as the red tracking blip drew closer. Moe was coming home, and soon.
Alex plucked one of the steaming cups out of the air and waved it under Lamont’s nose, who snorted and jolted awake. He shook his head to chase away the lingering grogginess and squinted up at the teen.
Alex held out the cup. “Morning.”
“Good morning.” Lamont accepted the cup and eagerly gulped the scalding liquid.
This type of behavior had taken Alex a long time to get used to. Due to Replodia’s harsh climate, his friends were immune to extremely hot temperatures. In fact, they reveled in them. During the cold Iowa winters, the Replodians tended to drink copious amounts of coffee and take long soaks in boiling water inside the infirmary’s rejuvenation tubes. Alex had soon learned never to take a Replodian’s word for it that “the water’s fine.”
The sound of someone clearing their throat rumbled through the chamber.
Alex looked toward the ceiling and smiled. “Morning, Father.”
“Good morning, Alexander,” the computer replied. “Good morning, Lamont.”
Lamont lowered his cup. “Good morning, Father.”
Since the unexpected treason of their science officer three years before, the remaining members of the TDC had come to depend heavily on the base’s central computer, affectionately naming it “Father.” Amaadoss had been very pleased with the designation.
Lamont gestured toward the cup orbiting Alex’s head. “That’s a neat trick.”
“Look, Ma, no hands!” Alex waited for the cup to pass in front of his face and let it float into his waiting hand. “Seriously, you ever try to carry two cups of coffee and a box of doughnuts down a ladder?”
Lamont chuckled.
Alex took a careful sip of his own cappuccino and pointed at the screen. “I see Moe made it out safely.”
Lamont picked a cherry doughnut from the box. “I just hope he left the place standing.”
Alex flicked his wrist and a nearby chair rolled toward him. When it reached him, he rolled it next to Lamont’s and the two enjoyed their breakfast in silence as they watched the blip. It slowed as it passed the Walker farm and turned onto the dirt road leading to the field. Finally the blip stopped moving.
“Here he comes,” said Alex. “Three… Two… One….”
The hall door opened and the female voice rang out again, “Welcome, Moe.”
“Bite me!” the Replodian snapped.
Moe stepped into the chamber, his eyes red and bleary. Clutched in his right hand was a red accordion file labeled “TOP SECRET” in big, white letters. Moe tossed the file and Alex raised his hand, suspending it in mid-air. He made a slow beckoning gesture, and the file glided smoothly into his hand.
“There,” Moe said. “Everything you’ll ever want to know about the American military’s involvement with extra-terrestrials and their little exchange program.”
Alex read the title on the folder. “Operation Sleepover? Are you serious? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Moe scoffed. “I know, right? And to think they actually pay people to come up with this stuff! Where do I apply for that job?”
“Sorry.” Alex smirked as he handed the file to Lamont. “I don’t remember seeing that booth on career day.”
Lamont snapped his fingers. “Let’s focus. Did you have any trouble?”
“Give me that!” Moe snatched Lamont’s coffee cup and downed the remaining half in two quick gulps. “Oh, I don’t know. It was only Area Fifty-freakin’-one. Oh, and let’s not forget the lovely joyride through the desert where I had to ditch six Nevada State Troopers and a gunship. Yeah, Monty, I guess you could say there was some trouble. Which reminds me…” Moe slipped the communicator off his wrist and tossed it onto the console. The device sparked and emitted a short burst of static. “Sorry I didn’t call. Please don’t ground me.”
Alex stood and offered the rest of his cappuccino to Moe. “I need to get to school. I’ll see you guys later. We can go through the file when I get home.”
Moe rolled his eyes. “Can’t wait. Combat training first, Junior.”
“Aww, Mom!” Alex wailed.
Moe pointed a warning finger at Alex, and the teen shot him a mischievous grin as the door slid shut between them.
Moe reached into his jacket and tossed his weapons onto an empty chair. “I’m going to go have a soak.”
“Poached or hard boiled?”
“Hard boiled,” Moe said. “Definitely hard boiled. Don’t wait up.”
“All right. You mind if I look through the file while you simmer?”
&nbs
p; Moe gave the folder a grimace and stripped off his jacket, tossing it onto the back of his chair. “Knock yourself out.”
As the door to the main corridor closed behind Moe with a light hiss, Lamont broke the seal on the file. The tearing echoed through the empty room.
Lamont looked up. “How about some music, Father?”
Pounding electronic music flooded the room, and Lamont winced. This was more Moe’s speed. Lamont’s tastes were more refined. He preferred something a bit more… organic.
“No,” he said. The music immediately ceased. “Give me some blues.”
A moment later, the sound of fingers on strings soothed his aching ears. Lamont grinned and nodded as “All Over You” piped into the room from every corner. While his brother lowered himself into a tube of boiling water down the hall, Lamont settled back in his chair and opened the file.
Chapter Sixteen
Arqo Jump Gate
“Interceptor-class vessel, Saber, this is Arqo Gate Control.”
Rene tapped a holo-key on the display projected in front of his face. “This is Saber. Go ahead, Control.”
“You are cleared for approach to the gate.”
“Acknowledged, Control,” said Rene. “Altering vector now.”
Rene swiped the holographic interface to chest level and entered a series of commands. The maneuvering thrusters kicked in and the ship glided into the marked pathway leading to the immense, circular jump gate. The ring, which dwarfed the Saber, was built to accommodate much larger battle cruisers.
“Hold up, Saber.”
Rene slid a holo-key downward and the ship drifted to a halt.
To his right, Cherry shifted in her seat and rolled her eyes. “What now?”
Rene stabbed the air with his finger, passing through the holo-key. “What’s the hold up, Control?”
“Saber, I’m reading your destination as the Sol System.”
“Affirmative, Control,” said Rene. “And we’re very anxious to get there.”
“Sorry, Saber. Sol is a protected system. I’m afraid I can’t allow you to pass through the—”
Robert flicked his hand in front of him, activating a dormant holo interface. His fingers flew across the keys as he spoke. “Control, we have level seven clearance granting us immediate clearance to the Sol System.”
“I’m sorry, Saber, but without the proper—”
Robert’s fingers grabbed a file and dragged it over to Rene’s display. The controller went silent as the file appeared on his own.
Rene glanced at Robert. “If you listen closely, you can hear them wetting themselves.”
Robert smirked.
“Saber, this is gate control. You are cleared for immediate departure. Have a pleasant journey.”
Rene signed off and restarted the maneuvering thrusters. “Not likely.”
Cherry glanced at him. “You’re not going to barf, are you? Because if you are, I’m getting out right now.”
“Oh?” Rene buckled his safety restraints. “In that case, yes, I am most certainly going to ‘barf’ all over this cockpit.”
“Children,” said Robert, buckling his own restraints, “behave yourselves or no ice cream.”
“Mmmmmm.” Cherry closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip. “Ice cream.”
“Keep your ice cream,” said Rene. “The minute we land, I’m getting me a double order of onion rings. With ketchup! You remember ketchup?”
Robert smiled, indulging in his own Earth fantasies. He’d given up on returning there decades ago, but his companions’ exchange stirred up long-forgotten desires. How much had Earth changed in the time they’d been away? He and Rene had both witnessed the advent of electricity, telephones, and television in their lifetimes; the possibilities seemed limitless — and exciting.
“Take us home, Rene,” he said.
Rene grinned. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
The ship slowed to a stop, her nose pointed at the center of the immense ring. The gate crackled with energy.
Rene looked at his companions. “Everybody strapped in?”
They nodded.
Rene keyed in a sequence and settled back in his chair. “Hold onto your stomachs. Here we go.”
A low hum filled the air and the ship surged forward. As the Saber’s nose passed through the ring, they all exhaled. Reality stretched around them for a brief moment before the universe vanished in a brilliant flash.
*****
Sol Jump Gate
Ceres
Rene’s stomach lurched as the Saber passed through and the stars returned to normal. He gulped air and coughed. Gate travel was no picnic, but it beat the alternative. When the Seignso abducted him, he was placed in cryostasis for the duration of the yearlong journey. He preferred the temporary discomfort of jump gate travel to cryostasis, which always gave him hibernation sickness.
“Where are we?” asked Cherry.
Rene unbuckled his restraints and consulted the navigation computer. “We’re orbiting the—”
A jarring impact rocked the ship and threw the Cajun from his seat. His head struck a console and warm blood dripped from his eyelashes.
Robert grasped the arms of his chair to steady himself. “What the hell was that?”
Rene crawled back to his chair and winced as the gash in his forehead knitted closed, leaving a light scar. He rubbed the new skin with one hand and consulted his holo display with the other. He cursed.
“What is it?” said Cherry.
“We’re on the far side of Ceres,” said Rene. “The damn gate brought us out in the middle of the Asteroid Belt!”
Cherry’s eyes widened. “What?”
“Damage report,” said Robert.
Cherry keyed up her holo-display and breathed a sigh of relief. “No hull breaches. Structural integrity is holding. Looks like the shields took the brunt of the hit. We’re safe… for now. What idiot places a jump gate in the middle of an asteroid field?”
“It was a one-in-a-million shot,” said Robert. “If you think about it, there’s no better place to hide a gate. Lots of flotsam floating around, but not so close together that it can’t be avoided. Just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Rene sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Story of my life.”
Robert watched him. “You all right?”
“He’ll be fine,” said Cherry. “It was only his head. Not like he was using it or anything.”
Rene slammed his fist down on his armrest and let loose an incomprehensible string of Bayou French.
“Enough!” Robert grabbed Rene’s holo-display and swept it into his own, merging the interfaces and taking helm control away from the Cajun. “Rene, you go check the cargo bay and make sure the reserve fuel rods haven’t ruptured.”
“Why me?”
Robert tapped keys, laying in their new course. “Because if I leave the two of you alone, the ship might not be in one piece when I get back.”
Rene stood and cast a venomous glare at Cherry as he left the bridge. “Fine.”
*****
Rene descended the ladder to the ship’s sub level and — hunched to avoid banging his still-pounding head on the low ceiling — walked the short path to the cargo hold. He pounded the access panel with his fist and the door slid open to reveal the darkened hold.
“Lights,” he said.
The room was instantly illuminated and Rene cursed as one of the overturned supply canisters rolled past the open doorway. He touched a comm panel by the door and opened a channel to the bridge. “We’ve got loose cargo.”
Robert’s voice crackled over the channel, “Salvage what you can, just in case. You never know what we might need down there.”
“Roger that.” Rene signed off.
He stepped inside to survey the damage and did a double take when his eyes fell on a pair of legs clad in standard-issue Hunters Union black sticking out from behind a fallen barrel. He ran to the canister and pulled it away. What he sa
w turned the air in his lungs to ice. There, on the floor, with his face covered in blood and his eyes closed, was—
“Quintin!” Rene shouted.
The boy’s eyes snapped open, and he sat up. He gasped, his lungs burning for that first breath of life.
Rene grabbed the boy’s shoulders. “Quintin! Are you all right?”
Quintin coughed and nodded, blinking away the tears welling in his eyes.
“Dying,” the boy gasped, “hurts.”
Despite his concern, Rene smirked. “Now you are a man.”
“I think I’d rather be a kid,” Quintin paused for breath and coughed again, “if this is what it takes to be a man.”
Rene helped the resurrected teen to his feet. “What in God’s name are you doing here? You should be halfway to Glynfyl by now.”
“I heard you and Jiri talking yesterday,” Quintin said, his breathing finally starting to level out.
Rene rolled his eyes.
“And I wanted to come to Earth. I want to meet my brother.”
“Merde!” Rene stamped his foot. “This isn’t some pleasure trip, boy. This is a dangerous mission we’re on. And it’s no place for you.”
Rene turned his back and muttered in Bayou French.
“This is where I belong,” Quintin said.
“No!” Rene turned. “The academy is where you belong.”
At these words, Quintin began to cry. He tried wiping the tears away with his sleeve, but only succeeded in smearing the blood on his face. Rene sighed, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. He reached out to lay a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder.
“Rene?” Robert’s voice resonated from the wall comm. “We’re coming up on Earth. You might want to get up here.”
Quintin looked up and choked back a sob. “Earth?”
“Come on, kid.” Rene grabbed Quintin by the arm and led him out into the corridor. “We’ll discuss this with the others.”
*****
“You’re a bit too hard on him, you know,” Robert said.
Cherry crossed her arms over her chest. “He’s an ass.”
Birthright: Book I of the Temujin Saga Page 12
