by Darrell Pitt
The sooner the better, he thought. The empire must expand. An empire that does not grow is destined to die.
“You’ve come a long way,” a voice called from the darkness.
His men opened fire.
A deafening roar filled the valley as laser blasts struck the shack. Within seconds the windows and walls were demolished and it was possible to see straight through the structure. Several more seconds passed as Graal screamed to make himself heard.
“I gave no order to fire!” he roared.
The weapons fire drew to an untidy halt as Graal strode down the ramp. The Tagaar were born and bred to fight. It had been their way of life for millennia. Unfortunately, it meant they sometimes shot first and asked questions later.
“We were called here for a reason,” he said. “I wanted to discover that reason.”
“I’m pleased to hear that,” the voice spoke again.
Graal and his men looked warily about in confusion.
A woman appeared at Graal’s side. She seemed to appear from thin air. His men raised their weapons, but then cried out in dismay. Graal looked at them in confusion. They were pointing their guns at their own heads.
What in Bruuk’s name was going on?
“I have temporarily taken control of your men,” the woman said.
“Who are you?” Graal asked.
“I am Morgan Le Fay. I wish to speak to you about the future of this planet.” She walked around him as if examining a sculpture. “We both know that change is in the air.”
“What are you? Are you human?”
“What I am is unimportant,” she confirmed. “You may think of me as a hunter; my fellow humans are the hunted.”
That was a concept Graal could appreciate.
Graal introduced himself. “We are the Tagaar. We have come to this world –”
“I know why you have come to this world,” Morgan said. “I have been aware of your species for centuries, as indeed I have known of the Union of Planets.”
“Then you know our intentions are peaceful.”
Morgan’s laughter rang out long and high across the desert sands. Graal felt rage burning within him. He did not like to be laughed at – especially by a human. And a woman at that!
“Peaceful?” Morgan asked. “You must think me a fool. The Tagaar are one of the most warlike races in the galaxy. I know your tactics of disruption and eventual colonisation of worlds. I know your only desire is to conquer this planet.”
“You seem to know a great deal.” Graal cast his eyes across his men, who continued to hold their guns against their heads. “I will ask you to release my men. They will not harm you.”
Morgan made a motion with her hand.
“Your men are free.”
The men lowered their weapons uncertainly.
“We received your signal –” Graal started.
“As I knew you would.”
“– and we have come to its source,” Graal said. “What is it you desire?”
“What makes you think I desire anything?”
“Everyone desires something.” The desert was growing colder by the moment. “Is it gold? Or gems? Or –”
“I do desire something,” Morgan said. “I have lived a long time and I have seen a great many things.”
“And yet?”
“I have outgrown this world. The time has come for me to leave.”
“I see.” Graal considered the woman’s words. “You need a ship.”
“A starship.” She gave him a broad smile. “I like travelling. Visiting distant lands. Meeting new people. Consuming them.”
“Consuming –”
“Never mind.” The smile grew broader. “Let’s make a deal.”
“What do we get in return?”
“This planet.”
“We could conquer this planet if we wished,” Graal said. “We have conquered many worlds. We have expanded our empire to make it the most powerful in the galaxy.”
“That’s a lie and you know it,” Morgan said. “The League is more powerful than you, but they are constrained by their own moral principles. They will attack you if you attack the Earth.”
“We are powerful –”
Morgan cut him off. “You are powerful, but it is easier to be welcomed here as heroes than as enemies. You want this world in so much disarray that the human race will beg for your assistance.”
“And you can achieve this?”
“I can bring this planet to its knees. There will be widespread panic. Governments will collapse. You will arrive at the right time to come to its aid. The Tagaar will be welcomed as heroes.”
“How long will this take?”
“Only a matter of days.” She paused. “But I will need a small component from one of your ships. A quantum resonator.”
“I am not familiar with that piece of equipment.”
She described it to him.
T’bar stirred at his side. “I know the device to which she refers.”
Graal nodded. This campaign was estimated to take months. Now an opportunity had fallen into his lap to bring about the same result in a fraction of that time. And if this woman failed, he still had his other plan in motion.
And all of this for a starship, Graal thought. That’s a small price to pay for a world.
“Is it a deal?” Morgan asked.
The woman held out her hand. Graal stared at it blankly until he realised she wanted to link her hand with his own. He took her hand, expecting it to be warm. Much to his surprise, her skin was icy cold.
“It is a deal,” Graal said.
The night gathered around them.
Chapter Thirteen
“That’s impossible,” Dan said. “How are we going to steal a Flex Fighter?”
“Few things are impossible,” Ferdy said. “Stealing a Flex may be difficult, but it is entirely possible.”
“And then what? We still need to find Brodie and the others.”
“You’ll have to use your mind reading trick,” Ebony said. “We’ll use you like a human metal detector to track down Brodie and the others.”
“I’m not sure –”
“Well, I am,” Ebony interrupted. “Come on.”
One of the many tunnels leading into the compound was a service tunnel filled with Flex aircraft. Whilst they normally did not depart from here, Ebony had noticed the craft were usually parked here when not in use.
“This is a maintenance area,” Ferdy said.
The Flex vessels were in various states of repair. Men were working on a number of them. Ebony led them through the maze of ships until they reached a quiet corner. The back door of one ship lay open and they crept inside. Ferdy positioned himself behind the controls.
“Uh, Ferdy,” Dan said. “Are you sure you should be doing that?”
“Doing what, Dan?” Ferdy asked.
“Shouldn’t we just set the Flex to automatic?”
“That plan will not work,” Ferdy said. He manipulated a few controls before levering part of the console free. “First of all, the automatic controls have been disengaged so that the craft cannot be stolen.”
“Oookaaay,” Ebony said.
“That is a standard Agency procedure.”
“Right.”
“Secondly, Ferdy must disengage the transponder so we cannot be tracked,” Ferdy continued. “This vehicle seems to have suffered from an issue with its navigation system, although its other systems are fully operational.”
“Hmm.”
“Thirdly…”
“Yes, Ferdy.”
“The eighteenth element on the periodic table is argon.”
“Er…”
“That is a joke,” Ferdy said. “Ferdy made a joke.”
“Ha ha ha.” Ebony’s stomach was feeling queasy. “Look, I really have to ask you –”
“Ferdy’s friends must sit down,” Ferdy said. “Security guards are approaching.”
“Oh, great,” Ebony said.
&n
bsp; They sat. Within seconds Ferdy had started the engines of the Flex Fighter. It lifted up and swayed unnervingly from side to side. Ebony gripped her seat in panic as Ferdy accelerated the craft. They veered into a tunnel and Ebony caught a glimpse of a wall whizzing past. She caught a glimpse of Dan’s face. He had gone pale and was desperately trying to fasten his seat belt.
“Ferdy,” Ebony said. “Have you ever flown a Flex before?”
“Ferdy has flown a Flex Fighter many times.”
“Really?”
“There is a flight simulator in Ferdy’s room,” he said. “Ferdy used to crash it sometimes, but now he is a good pilot. He hardly ever crashes.”
“Hardly ever…”
Peering through the front window, Ebony could see the faraway entrance to the tunnel. She could see a patch of darkened sky and part of the desert. She frowned. The exit seemed to be contracting.
“The Agency is trying to stop our departure,” Ferdy said. “They are closing the exit doors.”
“Well, what –”
The Flex Fighter shuddered and Ebony saw the trails of two missiles roar away from them. The projectiles slammed into the doors, blowing them apart. An instant later they flew through the exit and over the darkening desert. Open mouthed, Ebony peered back at the scattered remains of the doors.
“Ferdy is having fun,” Ferdy said. “It is much more fun than throwing the ball.”
“I’m sure it is,” Ebony replied.
“Are Ebony and Dan having fun?”
“Uh, Dan’s fainted.”
“Possibly Dan has had too much fun.”
“Maybe.”
“We must discard our cell phones,” Ferdy said. “The Agency can track us through their transponder signals.”
Ebony nodded. Ferdy was right. She shook Dan into wakefulness, retrieved each of their phones and dropped them through a rear chute in the craft. Ferdy pushed a few more buttons on the display.
“Automatic pilot has not been re-engaged,” the computer said.
Ferdy smiled. “Now we can find Brodie and Axel and Chad.”
Ebony turned to Dan. “Now it’s up to you. You were picking up something from Brodie earlier. Maybe you should try her again.”
Dan nodded. He closed his eyes and concentrated. After a minute he opened his eyes again. “I’m not sure, but…I think I’m getting something.”
“What sort of something?” Ebony asked.
“An impression,” Dan said. “I really do feel like a needle on a compass. I’m getting a sensation as to Brodie’s direction.”
“Which way should we go?”
“You’re going to find this a little hard to believe, but –”
“But what?”
“Up,” Dan said. “We need to go up.”
The three of them peered through the front window.
“Brodie’s either on an airplane,” Dan said. “Or…”
“Or?”
“Or she’s on a spaceship.”
Chapter Fourteen
“A spaceship?” Ebony asked.
“It is possible,” Ferdy said.
“That she’s on a spaceship?”
Ferdy seemed lost in thought.
“Ferdy?” Ebony said.
“The distance from London to Melbourne is –”
“Try to stay focused, Ferdy.” She turned to Dan. “Are you sure she’s above us?”
Dan frowned. “Yes. I’m sure.”
“Then Ferdy and his friends will have to go into space,” Ferdy said.
“Uh, how’re we doing that?” Ebony asked.
“In this Flex.”
“Can one of these things go into space?” Dan asked.
“With the proper modifications.” Ferdy started to punch some buttons on the control panel. “Ferdy will make the necessary adjustments.”
Ebony felt a queasy feeling in her stomach. This plan sounded suspiciously like they were courting disaster. It was one thing to go on a rescue mission to save Axel and the others; it was quite another matter to consider leaving the safety of Earth to go – where?
“I don’t know about this,” she said uncertainly. “I want to find the others, but this sounds like a suicide mission.”
“Friend Ebony,” Ferdy said. “You need not be concerned about the ship’s modifications. Ferdy has read the schematics of the changes and understands them completely.”
“But if something goes wrong –”
“Ferdy has calculated the problems that could arise,” Ferdy said. “The most likely error would be an explosion that would kill us instantly –”
“Oh great.”
“– although we could survive in the vacuum of space for possibly another ninety seconds –”
“Wonderful.”
“– but our friends would do the same for us.” He stared into her eyes. “Ralph Waldo Emerson said that ‘a friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.’ Do Ebony and Dan not agree with this sentiment?”
Dan said nothing. He seemed stunned by the rapid turn of events. Ebony could not think of another plan. She leaned back in the seat. “Lead the way.”
Ferdy nodded. The Flex Fighter rose higher into the atmosphere. Ebony watched as the sky above turned darker until it was indigo and then finally black. The earth spread below them like a blanket. She found herself staring at the awe-inspiring spectacle in astonishment.
“It’s so beautiful,” Ebony said.
“I’m getting an impression.” Dan rubbed his head. “She is somewhere ahead of us.”
“Can Dan be more specific?” Ferdy asked. “Most of the Milky Way galaxy is ahead of us.”
Dan shook his head. “All is know is we’re heading in the right direction.”
Ferdy manipulated the controls on the console. After a moment, Ebony felt the Flex gently accelerate.
“Ferdy has found it,” Ferdy said.
“What has Ferdy –” Ebony stopped. “I mean, what have you found?”
“A spaceship,” he replied. “It is some two miles in length. Ferdy believes that Brodie is aboard the ship.”
Peering through the window, Ebony saw a sharp speck of light above the blue horizon ahead of them. It grew larger with every second. The shape of it reminded her of the body of a cockroach; a smaller section dominated one end. Behind it lay two segmented compartments.
“It sure isn’t the International Space Station,” Ebony said.
“Can’t anyone see that thing from the Earth?” Dan asked.
“The ship is using stealth technology to hide it from ground radar,” Ferdy said. “It is quite advanced, although not as advanced as the alien technology contained within The Agency’s computer systems.”
“Uh,” Ebony said. “Surely that’s top secret.”
“It is.” He smiled. “Ferdy circumvents the security protocols to access the information.”
“You hack The Agency computers?”
“Hacking is another definition for the same process,” Ferdy said. “A zectometer is one of the smallest units of measurement.”
“You’re not changing the subject, are you, Ferdy?”
“Ferdy would not do that.” Ferdy smiled. “The largest mammal on Earth –”
The Flex Fighter shuddered as a high-pitched whine emanated from the engines.
“What’s happening?” Dan asked.
“We are caught in a tractor beam,” Ferdy said. “The alien spaceship is drawing us toward it.”
“They can see us?”
“The alien vessel is cloaked. Our vessel is visible to their systems.”
“Did you know this?” Ebony asked.
“Ferdy knew,” he confirmed. “Should Ferdy have acted on that information?”
“Should Ferdy have –” Ebony fell back speechless in her seat. “It might have been a good idea.”
“We will meet aliens,” Ferdy said. “Possibly we will have fun.”
“Possibly,” Ebony said. “But it’s not likely.”
Chapter
Fifteen
The desert had turned cold by the time I arrived at the rendezvous point to meet Graal. The sky above was inky black broken only by tiny pinpoints of light. It reminded me of a similar evening when Brodie and I had flown out to the desert to enjoy the stars.
A lump gathered in my throat. What if I never saw Brodie again? What if she was already dead? I had the Stonekiller secured in its case in a small pack strapped securely to my back. I would not hand it over until Brodie was safely –
A light split the air behind me. I had been facing a hill, but now I turned around to see the rear of a spaceship opening a few feet above the ground. Obviously the Tagaar vessel had been here the whole time. Cloaked.
Two figures strode down the ramp toward me. The first was Graal. I did not recognise the alien beside him.
“You are here,” Graal said. “Good. I had my doubts whether you would escape The Agency in one piece.”
“Where’s Brodie?”
“All in good time.”
“No! I will give you the weapon, but only if you release her!”
Graal shook his head. “You misunderstand me, my young friend. I do not want the weapon.”
“Then why –”
“You will need the Stonekiller for your next assignment,” Graal said. “We will release your mate once your assignment is completed.”
“But you promised –”
“I gave no such promise.” The alien produced an object from his pouch. “However, as a sign of good faith, I will allow you to speak to the girl.”
He pointed the object into the air. A square panel formed before us. I could see the interior of a cell. People were lying on the floor. They looked up.
“Brodie!” I said.
I stepped forward and my hand intersected with the image. It passed straight through. This was some sort of holographic projection. Brodie leapt to her feet.
“Axel?” she said. “What is this? How are –”
“Are you all right?” I asked.
“I’m on a spaceship,” she said. “I’m in a cell –”
The image faded and I found myself staring at Graal’s face. He looked pleased with himself. I wanted to kill him. I had never felt such rage in my life, yet I was able to force it down deep into my stomach.
“Good,” Graal said. “I see your hatred. A warrior needs such emotions or he will not survive.”
