Long Shot

by Christopher Williams

  “I’m sorry,” Michael said looking confused, “come again.”

  “You need to have the computer record the security cameras around the prisoner cells and loop the playback,” Russell answered. “We’ll need a way to turn that on and off.”

  “We need a way to turn off the ship’s drive and cut their communications,” Aaron added.

  Michael was looking stunned. “I don’t know if I can do all that in ten days,” he said.

  “You’d better be able to,” Xim said quietly, “and you only have nine days left.”

  Chapter 17

  The ship touched down on Karbarsh ten days after their meeting with Morgan. Aaron and his group, plus Michael and Xim, were all concealed within special smuggling compartments and had to wait until the customs officials went through the ship. Even though they were traveling under false ID’s, they didn’t want a record of their arrival in the Unionists’ files. They had to wait for nearly an hour as the inspectors poked into every nook and cranny, but finally the Captain removed the covers from the concealed compartments and let them out.

  Captain Franklin looked through the hatch at them. “Everyone alright?”

  “Yeah,” Aaron said. He was just relieved to be getting out of the cramped hole.

  After meeting the Captain on that first day, they had barely seen him during the entire trip. Aaron wasn’t sure if Franklin had been ordered to leave them alone or had just done it on his own, but he and the crew remained out of sight for the voyage. Until, that is, they began landing preparations for Karbarsh.

  “What took so long?” Xim asked, looking irritated.

  “Those damn Unionists are nothing if not thorough. They went through every crate and box of our cargo.”

  The official cargo was a small load of food products. Karbarsh was unable to produce enough food for the population of the planet, so food was a safe freight. It wasn’t likely to draw much attention. In fact, the hour that the officials had spent going through the ship was almost a speed record for the Unionists.

  They took their leave of the good Captain and exited the ship into the spaceport. The Karbarsh port was one of the largest that Aaron had ever seen. There were thousands of outdoor landing bays joined together by moving sidewalks.

  It was mid-summer on Karbarsh and the afternoon heat hit them immediately. They each carried several bags of equipment, and if the Unionists officials ever saw what was in these bags, then Aaron and his group wouldn’t have any problem getting on that prisoner transport. They would each be given their own cell.

  The sky looked overcast but it turned out to be a thick layer of smog. It was rather depressing, and off in the distance, they could see factory chimneys pouring out smoke.

  They climbed on one of the moving sidewalks without sharing a word. Aaron looked around casually, just to make sure that no one was paying them any extra attention. It appeared that no one was. “Where to?” he asked.

  “Once we get out of the port, we’ll catch a tube ride to the city. We have a small rented house that we can use as a base,” Xim answered.

  Aaron nodded agreeably but he could feel a growing sense of nervousness. Locke’s people had gotten them excellent information on the prisoner transport and even managed to tell them the type of shuttles used to transport both the prisoners and supplies up to the ship, but they hadn’t been able to find a way to safely get Aaron’s group aboard the transport. A gnawing fear began to grow within Aaron that they might have to abandon this foolish mission. That was an unpleasant thought. If they decided to run, them Morgan would undoubtedly seek revenge on them. Besides Morgan, there also was the little matter that they had almost no money and were on a Unionist planet.

  They caught the express tube just outside the spaceport and took it to the far side of the city. They exited in an area that looked to be middle class and they quickly walked to a lower-middle class area. There weren’t many people on the streets, and the few that were out all had a beaten-down look about them.

  They entered a tall housing complex that had seen better days. The plaster was peeling off of the walls and years of accumulated graffiti fought for the limited space. The front door was open, without any type of security. The small apartment they entered was on the seventeenth floor and was unbelievably small.

  The door was opened by a dumpy man who looked to be in his fifties. He was bald on the top of his head but had a mass of thick blond hair growing from the sides. He squinted through the crack for a moment before he threw the door open wide and grinned at them. “Glad you could make it. I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.”

  Xim led the way into the room and shook the dumpy man’s hand. “Good to see you, Sean.” He looked back at Aaron’s group and introduced them, Sean already knew Michael. “Where are the others?”

  “Hughes is following someone that I think might fit your requirements. Drew is trying to get his hands on the extra equipment you requested.”

  Without waiting to even be introduced to Sean, Aaron began asking rather pointed questions. “Have you found a way to get us on that transport?”

  Sean seemed rather surprised at the abruptness of the question and then his eyebrows drew down in irritation. “Maybe,” he answered.

  “Maybe?” Aaron repeated, and there was no mistaking the anger in his tone. “That ship leaves in two days and we need a safe way to get onboard. And the best you can do is “maybe”.”

  Sean’s eyebrows drew down even farther and he looked like he was about to snap right back when Xim jumped into the breach. “Wait a moment.” Everyone’s eyes turned towards him and he continued in a slower tone. “We should at least hear what Sean has to say before we begin judging him.”

  Aaron studied Xim for a moment and the bald man’s eyes widened briefly in warning. Sighing, Aaron turned his attention to Sean. If they were going to get on that blasted transport, then they would need this man’s help. “My apologies,” he said in what he hoped was a friendly tone, “it’s been a long trip.”

  After a moment Sean nodded. “Forget it.”

  “Excellent,” Xim said and clapped his hands together. “Let’s have a seat and discuss where we are.”

  “This way,” Sean said and led them into a small room, maybe fifteen feet square. It was the largest room in the apartment and had been intended as a common room for the apartment’s occupants, but Sean had it set up as a type of command center. Two tables rested against the far wall and the tables were bowed under the weight of computers and gear. A small desk sat off to their left and the right-hand side of the room was taken up by a long couch. All-in-all, it wasn’t very impressive. This room, like the rest of the building, looked in desperate need of repair. The walls were missing bits of plaster and were discolored from long years of use. There were two windows in the small room, but they had been boarded up. Another door, besides the one they had entered through, led out of the room, presumably to the bedrooms.

  Xim took a seat on the couch and he was followed quickly by Susan, Jessica, and Russell. Sean sat at the desk and Michael sat at one of the tables with the computers. With nowhere else to sit, Aaron took a seat next to Michael.

  Sean pushed a button on the desk and the lights dimmed to where it was just possible to make the room out. He pushed another button and a 3D picture appeared in the middle of the room. “Okay, here’s what we know. The shuttles are Yanta V250’s. There are a total of three of them. All three are typically used to ferry supplies up to the ship and then, right before the ship leaves orbit, one of the shuttles will take all the prisoners up.”

  “What about the security of the ships?” Russell asked. “I mean how well are they guarded?”

  “Extremely tight security,” Sean answered without hesitation. “They are kept at the prison on the far side of spaceport and that used to be a desert. It’s not a very hospitable area.”

  “How big is this prison?” Susan asked. “Is it just for temporary housing of prisoners, or are there prisoners there all
the time?”

  “It’s huge. There are over four thousand prisoners there full-time. These special prisoners are barely a drop in the bucket.”

  Silence settled around them for a moment and then Aaron spoke. “It sounds like this mission is over before it really began.”

  They could see Sean’s smile in the glow coming from the 3D picture. He pressed another button and the picture of the shuttle disappeared and the picture of a man replaced it. “This is Martin Ross and he may be the man to get you on that transport.”

  “Who is he?” Aaron asked.

  “He’s one of the three shuttle pilots, but he’s also a member of the Children of Truth Sect.”

  This has potential, Aaron thought. The Children of Truth was a scattered and rather insignificant religious sect, but the Miram Union was rather intolerant of most religions.

  “So he’s religious, how does that help?” Jessica asked.

  “Over the last several months the Unionists have been cracking down on various religious groups and it’s only a matter of time until it’s the Children’s turn.”

  Aaron nodded. This Martin Ross was in a bad spot. His religion was about to get slammed by the Miram Union. If he stayed here, then undoubtedly his whole family was about to suffer, but then again he didn’t have many options. The Unionists didn’t allow their citizens to leave. “You think he might help us if we can get him and his family away?”

  “We haven’t approached him,” Sean answered, “but it would make sense.”

  “Where does he live?” Russell asked. He also looked intrigued.

  Sean smiled. “About six blocks away.”

  Aaron returned the smile, starting to like Sean better. “I think it’s time we go and talk to Mr. Ross.”

  Chapter 18

  The sun was just going down as Susan, Aaron, Xim, and Sean left the small apartment complex and began the walk towards Martin Ross’ home. The neighborhood was rather poor and they might could have expected problems from the locals, but after only one look people chose to leave them alone. There was a look about them, like they knew how to take care of themselves.

  The walk to Ross’s apartment went quickly and they were all too happy to enter the apartment building. Even though the sun had gone down, it was still hot out and they were all covered in sweat. When they stepped into the lobby, a wave of cold air flowed over them.

  A man stood to one side of the door. He was large and had the look of a guard. He appeared to size up the newcomers and decided right quick that he didn’t want any trouble. “Something I can help you with?” he asked.

  Sean smiled and shook his head. “No thanks. I have a cousin in the building and we wanted to visit him before our ship leaves in the morning.”

  The guard looked them up and down, and Aaron knew he wasn’t falling for it. However, the guard only shrugged and said, “Luck to you, then.” He promptly sat back down on a small stool that they hadn’t even noticed.

  “Come on,” Sean said as he started farther into the building. “My cousin lives on the third floor.”

  Aaron resisted the urge to look over his shoulder and let himself be led away from the entrance. Sean took them to an elevator, which made Aaron’s opinion of the building go up. They waited in silence until the elevator arrived and then Sean pushed the button for the ninth floor.

  Xim grinned and waited for the elevator doors to close. “Third floor?”

  “Last thing I wanted to do was say the correct floor in front of the guard,” Sean answered.

  They exited the elevator on the ninth floor and Sean led them through several twisting hallways. The plaster of the walls had been patched at various times, but not painted, so the new plaster didn’t match the old plaster. Still, it was better than the building where Sean lived.

  They stopped in front of a door with the numbers 917 hanging on it. Sean reached out to knock, but Xim restrained him with one hand. “Just a moment,” he said. Xim pulled a small metal wand out of his pocket, maybe an inch in diameter and six inches long. He turned it around and pushed a small red button and then put it back into his pocket.

  Surprised, Aaron was pleased to see the small wand. It was an electronic jammer. Anyone trying to listen in on their conversation with Ross would be disappointed.

  “Just in case they’re already watching Ross for some reason,” Xim said. He nodded at Sean, who promptly knocked on the door.

  The door was opened by a young woman who appeared to be in her late twenties. She had shoulder-length brown hair and was carrying a little extra weight through her middle. She regarded them with wariness.

  “Hello,” Sean said, smiling broadly. “We’re looking for Mr. Ross.

  The woman’s eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to speak. Aaron was sure that she was about to say that her husband wasn’t home yet, but a man’s voice called out from farther in the apartment.

  “Helena, who’s at the door?”

  The woman glanced back over her shoulder and then back at the group standing at her door. “I’m not sure, but they want to speak with you.”

  A man hurried into the small entryway, and he, too, regarded the strangers with caution. He was a few years older than the woman, probably in his early thirties. He was slim with short blond hair. “Who are you?” he demanded.

  “Are you Martin Ross?” Sean asked. After a moment, the man nodded. “We need a moment of your time.”

  “What’s this about?” Helena demanded. There was a look of dread about her that Aaron had seen before. She had the look of a woman that might do something drastic.

  “Relax,” Aaron said quietly. “We’re not here to cause any problems for you. In fact, we just might be able to help you.”

  “Help us? How?” Martin asked. His wariness was still there, but the fear was slipping away and being replaced with curiosity.

  Sean cleared his throat and leaned in close. “If you’ll let us in, we’d be happy to explain.”

  For a moment Martin just stood there, studying them, and Aaron thought he might not agree to listen. After several moments passed, though, he nodded and stepped back out of the doorway.

  Helena led the small procession into the family’s common room, and Martin brought up the rear. The apartment was tiny, Aaron’s guess was that it was less than one thousand square feet. The common room had a short couch and one matching chair. The room didn’t have a table, but that was probably to make room for the small playpen that took up half the room. A small girl, who looked to be three or four years old, sat on the floor watching a baby in the playpen.

  “Mrs. Ross, why don’t you take the children to the bedroom?” Xim asked. It was the first thing he had said since Sean knocked on the door.

  Helena looked ready to object but Martin spoke quickly. “That’s a good idea.” His wife opened a mouth to argue but closed it again when he gave her an encouraging nod.

  “Everything will be fine,” Aaron said quietly to Helena. “We don’t want trouble any more than you do.”

  Her eyes flicked to Aaron and then back to her husband. After a moment, she dropped her eyes. Turning away, she called to the little girl and then picked up the baby and carried her from the room.

  Martin gave his wife and kids a moment to reach the bedroom and close the door, then he turned a somewhat angry gaze on the men standing in his home. “Who are you and what do you want?”

  “The Unionists have begun a crackdown on various religious groups and it’s only a matter of time until they get around to the Children of Truth,” Sean said quietly.

  Martin’s face didn’t change but they could see his throat contract as he swallowed. “So?”

  “So it’s only a matter of time before they get around to you,” Aaron said. “Once they do, the best you can hope for is to lose your job as a pilot. More likely they’ll split you and your family up and you’ll never see them again.”

  Martin’s whole body seemed to sag and he collapsed onto the couch. “You’re not from the government?�
�� he asked.

  “If we were, would we have knocked?” Sean answered, “you know better than that. When they come for you, they won’t be nice about it. They’re not going to ask your wife to take the girls from the room, and you know it’s only a matter of time.”

  Martin seemed to shrink in on himself, almost as if collapsing under the pressure. “And? What’s it to you?”

  “What would you say if I told you we could help you and your family?” Aaron said. A cautious hope was running through him; this might just work after all.

  Martin just look confused. “Help us? How?”

  Now it was Xim’s turn. “What if we could smuggle you and your family off this planet, get you out of the Miram Union, and give you new identities?”

  Martin’s eyes widened and he looked from each of them in turn. “And why would you do this?”

  “Because we need something from you.” Aaron replied. He didn’t want to go into too much detail, at least not yet, and he looked sideways at Susan. She gave the most imperceptible of nods.

  Sighing, Aaron began explaining what they needed. “We need access to the prisoner transport ship.” There was no going back now. If they couldn’t come to terms with this man, or if they thought he would betray them, then they would have to kill him before they left his home.

  Martin smiled unexpectedly. “You’re kidding, right? There’s no way you’re getting on that transport, and if you did, then you wouldn’t get back off. Well, I guess you would get back off as a prisoner, but you wouldn’t much like that.”

  No one said anything and the smile gradually slipped from Martin’s face. “You aren’t serious, are you?”

  “Yes, we’re serious,” Aaron answered. He moved over and sat down on the other end of the couch. “You don’t need to worry about what happens to us once we get on the ship. After you land the shuttle and go home, our friends will smuggle you off planet.”