The ship glided into the spaceway safety port. It had been a while since Mencari needed to visit one of the intergalactic rest stops that drifted within the spaceways. He recalled the mercenaries and Nukari using them as ad hoc gathering spaces. It only made sense Eden would use them too.
A thin humanoid with a thick black beard and a frantic shrub of hair waited just beyond their docking ring. His skin appeared to have a slight orange tint, and was splattered with thick brown moles.
“That’s Xel. He’s our contact,” Una said from the navigator’s seat.
“Perimeter scans show the area is clear, no additional personal or weapons have been detected,” Bob chimed in.
“What race is he?” Mencari asked.
“Velren,” Una said. “The Be’Inaxi work frequently with them.”
By the time he opened the hatch, Xel was waiting on the other side.
“Hello, Xel,” Una said.
“Una …” Xel gave a slight bow. “And you must be Moyah, Dargoh, and Rygill? Pleasure to meet you.”
Mencari had learned to mimic the many races he came across. He followed Xel’s example and bowed slightly. “Nice to meet you.”
Something about their new names bothered him. Regardless, going by aliases would take getting used to.
Xel waved a hand. “Please follow me.”
“He’s going to take you on from here,” Una said, closing the hatch to her ship.
They snaked through the corridors of the safety port and into another docking ring, where a dulled white transport marked with the words “Berolet Pros” waited.
“Here’s the pride and joy of the fleet,” Xel said, patting the metallic walls. “All our experienced resources get shuttled in with this baby.”
With a wave of his hand, the airlock opened. He brought them to a storage locker where black uniforms and caps hung. “Here, change into these. Our existing resource already at the Forax Dome has additional outfits and equipment for your assignment.”
“What about our things?” Cogeni said.
Xel replied, “Whatever fits on the utility belts, or the side pockets, you keep. The rest stays with me. Whatever you can’t bring I’ll deliver to Eyani.”
* * * * *
“Nearly there,” Xel said from the helm.
On the horizon, the dark, pitted planet loomed large. Gleams orbiting the planet caught Mencari’s eye.
“What are those?”
Xel called up a projection that zoomed in on one of the shining objects. Unfamiliar rotating rings moved rapidly around a gnarled black mass. “Planetary Defenders. Not something I’ll ever mess with. They’re nasty individually, but when they chain together and start channeling energy beams, well, the Xiteb’rn like to advertise just what they can destroy with those.”
A steady stream of spacefaring vessels, all shapes and sizes, moved in organized patterns to and from the planet.
“So many,” Cogeni said in awe.
“There’s a lot going on here. Always seems to be personal, supplies, equipment getting moved in and out. Not to mention offworlding whatever’s been created here,” Xel said.
“Some look like battleships,” Cogeni added.
Xel pointed to the markings on one of the larger ships. “Like those? See the K’pec Labs insignia? They’re more than happy to let you know what they’re here to protect. Even without those ringed things, any one of those Xiteb’rn ships could blow a hole through just about anything. But I get it. This world is one big research facility. All the other races in nearly this entire sector of space have some type of project in the works here. There’s plenty to keep safe.”
“And you guys will be able to get us out of there when we need it?” Mencari said.
“Count on it.”
Mencari looked with doubt across the veritable wall of ships. A vessel twice their size abruptly broke from its orbit around a larger war ship, then headed directly for them.
“Is that coming at us?” Nikko said.
“Yep. Again, nothin’ to worry about,” Xel said. “Happens all the time.”
The ship conducted a flyby, then looped back to its original position.
“See? Just checking our clearance.”
“Now for the easy part,” Xel said a bit later.
The ship descended toward the planet, passing through ringed gateways, each of which verified flight plans and scanned the vessel for contraband. They skimmed through the atmosphere and flew over a number of domed structures. As they approached the Forax Dome, a small hoverbike pulled alongside their ship. The heavily armored rider looked through the cockpit, suspicious. Xel dropped the solar shielding over the forward window and waved.
“That’s Kiyanna. She’s part of the security here,” Xel said, holding his smile.
She waved back then veered her bike away.
“First time I’ve seen a hoverbike, at least one up this high,” Mencari said.
“Yeah? You should see her ride,” Xel said. “Some of the fliers hold races when they’re bored. She’s won them all. Rumor has it she’s headed to the Hoverdome to compete next season.”
A landing strip illuminated ahead. The ship slowed and glided into Forax Dome bay. Mencari noticed concern in Xel’s eyes as they touched down. “What is it?”
“Our contacts aren’t here.” Xel checked his communicator for messages but found none. “Reddic and Tyne are always on time. Early even. We’ll give them another minute.”
As they exited the craft, a loud hiss accompanied the opening of a portal on the far end of the bay. A man staggered through, occasionally glancing over his shoulder while he approached. He looked much like Xel, with the exception of blond hair, and a curlier sprawl of hair.
“Reddic … where’s … what’s wrong?” Xel asked.
“I can’t find Tyne, and the locator isn’t showing anything,” Reddic groaned.
“Some joke. He’s just out in the corridor,” Xel’s neck extended, looking over Reddic’s shoulder.
Mencari read the answer in the clenched jaw and deep stress lines across Reddic’s face. No, Tyne wasn’t in the corridor.
“I found something back in our quarters. Looked like blood …”
“Blood?” Nikko said.
“Do you want me to stay?” Xel said.
Reddic shook his head. “No. I’ll deal with this. I don’t like this though. It’s happening just like the other facilities when people disappeared.”
“Keep the company informed,” Xel said. “Call me back if you need me.”
“I will … I will.”
* * * * *
“Each uniform is chipped with a tracking device. Let me configure your tracker,” Reddic said. With a gesture, a projection appeared before him showing a mash of pixels. A green beam shot out from Mencari’s communicator badge, and scanned the image. It then projected a map of the Forax Dome with four blips displayed in the bay. “There, it’s configured. But see how there’s only four of us? There should be five.”
He pointed to the many rooms in the facility. “This is actually a map of the entire dome. Each area is clearly marked. Some areas require special access, with you accompanied by a lab tech, or with a special access code gained ahead of time from the facility staff.”
“Let’s go look for Tyne,” Mencari said. “It will also be good to help us become more familiar with the facility.”
“What does he look like, Xel?” Nikko asked.
“He’s Velren like me, though, his skin is much darker and he has platinum-blond-colored hair. You can’t miss his long goatee and mutton chop sideburns, and he’s at least a foot taller than me too.”
Cogeni examined the map. “Why don’t we split up? We’ll go clockwise, and meet you on the far end.”
They headed into the corridor and split up. They checked rooms marked on the map as they went. Most held crates overflowing with materials and equipment. They didn’t see a single person, much less Tyne.
“Where is everyone?” Nikko asked.
“Hi,” Nikko said.
“You’re the new crew. You look exactly like your pictures. Very nice to meet you all. I’m Satori Anokata, one of the scientists here.”
Mencari looked at her, surprised. “Word travels fast here.”
She paused for a moment, slightly biting her lip. “It’s a small community, people like to stay informed.” She looked curiously at them. “I hope you don’t mind, but you have the strangest looks on your faces. Do you need help?”
Mencari’s head bobbed. “Actually, we’re looking for Tyne.”
“What do you need him for? Maybe I can be of assistance?”
“Reddic told us that he was missing,” Nikko replied.
“Missing?” Satori said. “Did anyone check the maintenance closet?” She smirked, but her expression faded with the realization they weren’t joking. “He’s really missing?”
Nikko said, “When did you see him last?”
“Last night.”
“We should keep looking,” Cogeni said.
Satori nodded. “I’ll keep my eye out for him.”
“Thank you. It was nice meeting you,” Nikko said.
“Same to you,” Satori replied as the group moved down the hall. Reddic was waiting for them.
“Any luck?” Reddic asked Mencari.
“No. But we ran into Miss Anokata.”
“Satori? Did she see him?”
“Last night.”
Reddic looked frustrated, then said in an ominous tone, “At least you met her before the others—”
Their communicators began to flash and beep. Reddic read the display then fumbled it in his hands, trying to open a channel. It beeped open and he yelled, “Tyne!”
A lower, gritty voice boomed, “Reddic? This is Kiyanna.”
“Kiyanna?” he said, confused. “Did you find Tyne’s communicator?”
“He’s here with me—in your quarters, sir.”
Reddic called up a projection of the Forax Dome. Tyne’s marker now appeared in the workers’ quarters. His brow wrinkled in disbelief. “Is he okay?”
“He’s in bed. Can you meet me here now, sir?”
“Yes, I’ll be right there.”
Mencari barely kept up with Reddic’s dash through the corridors, and he seemed to move faster with each step. As they reached the quarters, a sensor on the door scanned their badges and chirped happily before opening. Reddic rushed in and found Kiyanna towering over Tyne. Even out of her body armor, her figure was muscular and imposing.
“Is he okay?” Reddic asked.
“He’s out cold, sir.”
Mencari was surprised that the voice belonged to a woman. The powerful voice was an octave lower then he’d expect. As Kiyanna looked over the new additions, a creeping familiarity crept over Mencari.
“Rygill, Dargoh, and Moyah, right?” she said.
“Word does travel fast here,” Nikko said.
Kiyanna’s eyes looked over the dancer carefully. “It’s my business to know who’s here.”
“We hear you’re quite the flier,” Mencari said, trying to endear them to her.
“The best, sir. Why? Do you fly?”
Not with machines, he thought, stifling any outward reaction. “No, but my brother loved it. The races were intense!”
“He still fly?”
“He died in an accident, setting up a new civilian colony.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, sir. I’ll let you know when we race again, you can come watch—”
Reddic interrupted in a demanding tone, “Where was he? He couldn’t have been here the whole time, I checked—”
She held her hand out. “He was out cold when I found him—just outside the Forax infirmary.”
“I checked there. I know I did.” Reddic huffed in frustration.
“Well, he’s here now, sir. Since this seems handled, I need to return to my patrol duties.” Before anyone could respond, she turned and headed out.
Tyne groaned, and wriggled in his bed. Confused hazel eyes fluttered open.
“Hey,” Reddic said.
“Where am I?” Tyne’s voice was scratchy and higher-pitched than Mencari expected.
“Your bed,” Reddic said.
“Bed? I was in the infirmary.”
“Kiyanna said she found you in the hall near the infirmary.”
Tyne stretched his leg, then winced in pain. Noticing, Reddic moved the sheet, exposing a gash that ran the length of his right calf muscle. “How did you …”
Tyne motioned to the side of his bed. A metal edge ran along the edge of the bedframe. “It bites.”
“That explains the blood,” Mencari said, and inspected the wound closer. “That looks a lot deeper than a scrape from your bed.”
“I’ll be fine. I feel better already. Whatever they gave me helped.”
Whatever who gave you?
Neck extended, Tyne noticed the others behind Reddic. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I’m usually on time…. Welcome aboard.”
“Eyani said you would tell us more about our assignment once we got here,” Mencari said.
Tyne tried to sit up, but grabbed his head with a groan.
“Easy … not so fast,” Reddic said.
He waved Reddic off. “I’m fine.”
Tyne forced his body to ignore the sensation. He slung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up straight. “We’ve been watching K’pec for some time now. While this world is a great concept, it’s breeding ground for ill-intended studies. So many secrets, so much political posturing, how it’s gotten this far without more espionage is beyond me.”
“It took a while, but between deciphering the information gathered offworld, combined with hopping from facility to facility here—as maintenance workers—we were able to find this one,” Reddic said.
“We know the Nukari are working with someone here, from the tags found on Nukari creatures we killed. But what makes you think they’re here in this dome?” Mencari said.
“Eden reported intercepting a mercenary log,” Tyne said.
“Yes, we recovered it, and handed it over to Eyani,” Mencari added.
Tyne explained, “After being decoded, the log mentioned not only K’pec, but specific code words: ones we’ve come across in materials on desks, on labels on genetic samples here. This is the place.”
“Where do we come in?” Cogeni said.
“We collect everything and anything we can,” Tyne said. “We don’t need to understand what we have—experts back at Eden figure that out. Most of our work is done after the scientists have been to bed. It’s easy to mask collection of items in the trash bins and other things we use to perform our usual cleaning duties. I’ll go into specifics later.”
“Keep an eye out, Mencari,” Reddic added. “Other things keep happening. Accidents, disappearances. Not just in this dome, but others as well. Something’s definitely wrong here.”
“I feel like we’re seeing Kiyanna more than we had, so the local authorities here must be getting a clue,” Tyne added. “We’ve split the responsibilities for services we’re responsible for. Each assignment provides a different opportunity to collect information.”
“The next chance is tonight,” Reddic said.
“We’re cleaning the vents going out of the labs. Organic residue builds up from their experiments. We use special suits to protect us, so don’t worry,” Tyne said, then glanced at his watch. “But before that, you have orientation with the scientists in just a few minutes. They’ll give you their version of what’s happening here. They also make a point of memorizing faces.”
Katen’s warning ran through Mencari’s mind again. Hopefully the disguise would help. With all the technology available, what if the Nukari had somehow collected other biometrics
that could identify him? Maybe that was something Eyani or Kip could also mask?
“They’re not the warmest group either,” Reddic added. “Just keep it professional and everything will be fine.”
“Miss Anokata seemed nice enough,” Nikko said.
“She’s an exception. Nice, even,” Tyne said. “We think she’s hired help. Brilliant, doesn’t act like the others at all.”
Reddic checked his watch again. “Let’s start this off right. Head to the research labs. It’s through the south door, where we met up before. If you get lost, just use your com. I’m going to stay with Tyne.”
Mencari and the others nodded and headed out.
As they made their way, Miss Anokata ran toward them. No longer in her lab coat, she was in a full tracksuit, red faced. “Hello!” she said, huffing. She jogged in place, panting out words. “Did you find … Tyne?”
“Yes, he’s okay,” Nikko said.
“Where was he?”
“He hurt himself,” Mencari said. “Said he went to the infirmary then back to his sleeping quarters.”
“Nothing serious, I hope.” She checked her watch then slowed her jogging in place. “Say, mind if we walk and talk? I’m just about to start my cooldown.”
They walked down the hall together. Mencari said, “We’re headed to our briefing in the main lab. We’re told it’s through a south door.”
She nodded. “Just up this way. Follow me. I go right past it when I jog. Over and over and over in fact.” She laughed as she pulled ahead and led them forward.
“Here you go!” The metal door slid into the wall at her approach. Beyond was a shorter, dimly lit corridor. “Through here. That door …” She jogged in and pointed to metal door embossed with an icon of a humanoid-like body inside three concentric circles. “That’s the infirmary. And here,” she jogged forward to a door toward the end of the corridor, “is our main lab.”
The door hissed open, followed by startled gasps inside. Stunned, a small army of dramatically different-looking aliens in lab coats stared from under workstations and microscopes. A few pushed back from prodding fleshy samples before them. All had pruned expressions.
“Miss Anokata!” one rebuffed in a slobbery grunt. She sighed as the scientist continued his scorn. “We have strict procedures on how to enter this lab. Please use the alert tone. What if a sensitive procedure was being conducted?”
D'mok Revival: The Nukari Invasion Anthology Page 78
