Moons of Jupiter

by Dave Lemel

  “No, Mr. Gibson,” replied Lombargnor. “You most certainly are not on Callisto.”

  “Long time no see, Lomby. How you been?”

  Lombargnor ignored Jay’s question and responded with one of his own. “Seeing as his son is present, perhaps you could begin by clarifying something for us. You did not kill Douglas Jordan seven years ago, did you?”

  Jay’s eyes switched their focus from Lombargnor to Todd. He squinted a little. “I knew I recognized you in that subway station. Little Todd Jordan, all grown up. Didn’t quite inherit your pop’s pinpoint accuracy with the wand, though, did ya?” Jay winked as he finished.

  Todd responded in a slightly shaky yet defiant voice, “Answer his question, Unky Jay.”

  Jay Gibson inhaled through his nose deeply. “No, kiddo. I did not kill your dad. I would—”

  Todd interrupted him and spit out, “Is he alive?”

  “Yes,” replied Jay. “At least he was the day before he,” Jay pointed his thumb in Simon’s direction, “stunned me and stuffed me in a pod. How long have I been out anyway?” Jay looked around the room. “Obviously long enough to get back to Earth.”

  Lombargnor again ignored Jay’s question, instead responding with one of his own. “If you did not kill Doug, you have remained in contact with him. You still chose to spend the last seven years on the run. I can only come to one possible conclusion. It is true that you and Douglas Jordan stole the port key you were in possession of and tried to sell it to the Vikards.”

  “We didn’t try. We did sell it to them. They just changed the deal on us after we gave them the key.”

  “What a shocker,” said Sasha.

  Simon added, “How could you?”

  “Don’t you get all sanctimonious on me, kid,” replied Jay. “You guys haven’t been at this job nearly as long as me and his old man were. After a while, some questions start bouncing around in your head. Next thing you know, you’re lying awake all night wondering if some of the whispers you hear out there might not have a little truth to ’em.”

  “What whispers?” asked Todd as he finally seemed to be breathing normally again.

  “Oh, come on. You gonna pretend you’ve never picked up or questioned an alien who told you the Bopecans are using us?” Jay was now talking to Simon, Sasha, and Todd as if Lombargnor were not even in the room. Simon noticed that Lombargnor seemed more than pleased to promote this illusion. He seemed almost to melt away into the background, happy to observe this portion of the conversation.

  “Well, sure, every now and then,” replied Todd. “Come on, though, you’re not telling me you believe that? It’s just typical desperation squawking from suspects and fugitives when they’re panicked and trying anything to get away from us.”

  “Is it? Or is there maybe a little truth to it?”

  “Look what the Bopecans have done for us since they arrived!” replied Todd. “They give and give and give some more. They have advanced our understanding of technology and our galaxy a hundredfold. But you just ignored that all when you had dollar signs dancing in your eyeballs, didn’t you?”

  “No. We didn’t ignore it. How could we? As star marshals we had access to as much of that knowledge as anyone on the planet. Over the years, though, the comments added up, and once in a while, we would talk. Eventually, we started to wonder what they were keeping from us. Clearly, they didn’t trust us completely. They treated us more like children than equals. Like you said, they gave us plenty, but always with rules and restrictions. It seemed like we were constantly being tested, and in case you didn’t notice it, not like they took nothing in return for all their gifts. They were the first to set up their mining colonies throughout the solar system… sorry…our solar system. Only once they had cherry picked the best spots did they allow humans to begin mining operations of our own.”

  Todd leaned back in his chair and seemed to be mulling over Jay’s last statement.

  Simon jumped in to try and pull Todd back onto the track he had been on. “You mean helped.” Jay and Todd turned to look at Simon .

  “Come again?” said Todd in a tone of confusion.

  “Not allow, help. He said, ‘allow us to begin mining operations of our own.’ They did much more than allow us. We were nowhere near capable of mining our solar system and all the resources it provides to the level the Bopecans helped us achieve. On top of that, instead of wiping us out and taking everything for themselves, which they clearly could have done with ease, they protect us. Not just protect us, either. They guide us, teach us, and equip us to protect ourselves.”

  Todd turned back towards Jay. “Yeah…what he said.”

  “I’m not trying to justify our behavior. I actually agree with most of what you’ve said. I’m attempting to explain our state of mind at the time that we committed what we later determined to be an error in judgement. And, if I’m being completely honest with myself, a breakdown of willpower and self-control.”

  “Which conveniently took you getting caught to finally see the light and admit,” said Sasha.

  “No,” replied Jay, this time turning to face Lombargnor before continuing. “We realized almost immediately what a massive mistake we had made allowing the Vikards to get their hands on a Bopecan port key. We also realized we could never fully make up for it, but at least we could try to minimize the damage we had caused.”

  Lombargnor rose and slowly began to walk back and forth behind his chair. “Which must have coincided with the first messages I began receiving from the source. ”

  “Yes. Doug and I set up secret communicators before the transaction so we could stay in touch in a manner that could not be monitored by the marshals. It also ensured that if any funny business occurred on the part of the Vikards, we would have a way to aid in potentially rescuing the other. Well, as you know, the Vikards did indeed engage in funny business. On top of paying us a fraction of the agreed upon price, they took Doug. They said if he cooperated and gave them all the information and help they demanded in their conquest of our solar system, they would release him after they were finished and pay us the rest of the agreed upon price. Doug contacted me the first chance he got to say he would be passing along information to me as often as he could and that I should relay that information to you.” Jay nodded in Lombargnor’s direction.

  Lombargnor rubbed his chin with one of his hands. “And you fed the fake murder story to us to keep Douglas in place with the Vikards without them having to worry about us looking for him.”

  “Exactly. We were fugitives at that point either way. If we fed the murder story, at least you’d only be looking for me, and Doug could stay embedded with the Vikards as long as necessary without them thinking he was a potential liability. It was Doug’s idea.”

  “I’m sure it was,” said Todd. “Better to leave his family thinking he was dead than a filthy traitor to the entire human race.”

  “Look, kid,” started Jay before Todd angrily slammed his palm on the table to interrupt.

  “No, you look! And stop calling me kid. In case you haven’t noticed in the seven years since you and my father sold out your species, I’ve grown up. I’ve heard enough of you trying to explain away and rationalize your abhorrent decision. You nearly destroyed the entire solar system for a few bucks ’cause ‘Waaaaa waaaaa waaaaa, the Bopecans didn’t give me enough. I want more.’ You sound like a spoiled little brat. You’re pathetic, and unless Lombargnor has any more questions for you, I’ve heard enough.”

  The explosion felt good, but after the initial release of pressure, Todd could now feel himself getting warmer as the silence dragged on for a few seconds. Lombargnor walked up behind Todd and placed a hand on his shoulder. Immediately, Todd began to feel calmer. Lombargnor cleared his throat, and along with it some of the tension in the room.

  “I do have just a few more questions for our prisoner.” Lombargnor looked down at Todd. “I truly understand your anger, and if you would like to step out of the room until I am finished, I would be
fine with that. However, if you stay, I think you will be interested in hearing my questions and hopefully Mr. Gibson’s answers.”

  Todd looked up. “Oh, I am not going anywhere until we’re finished. Proceed when ready, sir.”

  Lombargnor removed his hand from Todd’s shoulder and sat back down in his chair. Something about the imposing alien figure switching from standing to sitting had an instant effect on softening the mood in the room. “You mentioned that you had heard from Douglas the day before you were stunned. Did he happen to mention where he was when he sent his message to you?”

  “He did,” Jay responded. “Actually, the message said that he had sensed the Vikards had determined he was no longer useful to them. He thought their next move for him would most likely involve feeding him to one of their pets. He had just snuck away and found what he thought was a good place to hunker down and wait for me to come get him. I was on Callisto attempting to secure transport through the public port just beyond the outer moons of Jupiter you operate for tourists and workers when I ran into these two.” Jay gestured toward Todd and Simon.

  “Where did he say he was exactly? I would like specifics.”

  Jay tilted his head slightly before replying. “Why? I’m most likely going to be spending the rest of my life in the secret prison you built under Lake Michigan. Why should I give up my partner?”

  “Because you seem to care about his well-being. After you were captured, I received a distress signal. It was from Douglas Jordan’s beacon. He either determined that something happened to you or he needed quicker rescue than he thought you could provide, or a third scenario is the Vikards found him and activated his beacon hoping to lure a few unsuspecting marshals into a trap. ”

  Jay raised his bound hands to his face and rubbed his mouth and nose as he considered what he had just heard. He exhaled into his palm. “I was supposed to contact him every other day. Just a ping back and forth to let him know I was still coming and to let me know he was still in the same place. Let me see what he sent, and I’ll tell you if it makes sense based on our last communication.”

  “I do not trust you for obvious reasons. Tell me what you know first.”

  “What’s in it for me? At least promise me I won’t die in prison.”

  “I cannot promise anything about the length of your sentence. Furthermore, you could die of a heart attack tomorrow, and I would have no control over that. I will promise you anything you would like for a meal once a week. Would that be satisfactory?”

  “Twice a week,” replied Jay. “And I want a TV in my cell. With movies…and some kind of gaming system.”

  “Fine,” said Lombargnor. “That can be arranged. Now, what do you know?”

  “He was on the fourth planet of the Montice system. He indicated that there was a mountainous region that wraps the entire planet pole to pole. On either side of the mountains are two oceans covering the rest of the planet. He sent me the name and coordinates of a city they call Jandor in the north along the coast of one of the oceans. In that city he left a map to his hideout in the mountains above. How’s that? Do I get my TV? ”

  Lombargnor turned to look at Todd. “That matches precisely with the message I received from your father’s beacon.” The door clicked and opened. Pritzley walked in with a mop and bucket. Lombargnor redirected him immediately. “Leave the mess for now. Please take the prisoner down to the holding area and wait there with him. I will be down shortly.”

  “Yes, sir,” Pritzley responded. He placed the mop and bucket in the corner, walked over to Jay, and helped him stand up from his seat. Jay’s eyes stayed on the floor as he shuffled out of the room with Pritzley leading the way. The moment the door clicked shut, Todd’s head spun around to look into Lombargnor’s big black eyes again. “I want to go. Please, sir. Let me go get him.”

  “I need to think about it,” replied Lombargnor.

  “Sir, you have to let me. I’m not going to be able to focus on anything else until he’s in custody anyway, so you may as well have me go.”

  “And what happens when you find him? You think you will be able to focus then? To keep your job as your number one priority and ignore the incredible amount of emotional stress you will be under?”

  Todd jumped out of his chair and paced wildly around the room. “I’ll find a way! I know what you’re saying. I do. I can’t promise that I won’t have any reaction when I see him. Of course I will. I will do my job, though, I promise you that. I will find him and bring him back here to answer for his crimes.”

  Lombargnor rose from his seat slowly and walked over to Todd, placing a hand on each of his shoulders. He looked down at him and calmly replied, “I need a little time to think. You will have your answer very shortly. I will not torture you by making you wait for days. I am going downstairs to give instructions for what I would like done with Jay Gibson for now. Go get something to eat. Take a walk and clear your head a little. When I call for you to return, I will have your answer.” Todd nodded. Lombargnor turned and walked out of the room briskly.

  “Want some company?” asked Simon.

  “I’m not hungry,” replied Todd. “Go home and see your baby. I’ll call you later.”

  “Okay,” Simon responded. “But I want you to promise you will call me when you’re heading back in. I want to be here, buddy.”

  “Okay, I will,” said Todd as he nodded.

  Simon tapped Sasha, and they got up and headed for the door. “If you need to talk while you’re walking, call me,” said Simon over his shoulder.

  Todd nodded again as Simon and Sasha walked through the doorway, leaving Todd alone with his thoughts.

  Chapter 34

  The snow crunching beneath Todd’s feet and the waves crashing onto the shore combined for a repetitive, calming sound as Todd walked along the beach behind Star Marshal Base. December in Wisconsin tended to be when the weather began its annual attempt at beating the state’s residents into considering a move south, and this year was no exception. In fact, thought Todd, there was yet another argument for the Bopecans’ positive treatment of humans.

  One of the first things the Bopecans did when they arrived was share the techniques they had developed to help control the climate of a planet and keep it in balance. They had nearly completely erased the effects of human-induced climate change on the planet. There may not even be snow on this beach in December if not for the Bopecans.

  This is all so surreal , Todd thought to himself as he spotted a boulder where the sand of the beach met the tree-covered bluff. He walked over, sat down on it, and stared out at the lake through foggy puffs of his warm breath hitting the frigid air. This was not how any of the dreams had gone.

  For months after he heard of his father’s murder, Todd had similar dreams every night. At least once a night he would wake up from seeing his father alive. They would talk in the dreams, and every time his father would explain that it had all been some kind of mistake or mix up that had occurred, and he had not really been killed. Eventually, the dreams were only happening once or twice a week, and in them his father would not speak. He finally decided the reason he was not speaking anymore in the dreams was that Todd had not heard his actual voice in so long. He found some recordings of his dad where he spoke. He listened to them, thinking maybe it would kick his brain into allowing him to have the conversations in his dreams again. Sure, he knew they weren’t real, and in a way every time he woke up from one of those dreams it felt like hearing about his death for the first time all over again. But it was better than nothing.

  It didn’t work.

  Eventually the dreams with his mute father were happening only monthly, then every few months, then rarely if ever.

  This, though. This was a scenario he had never even concocted in one of his many dreams. Still alive, but now he wasn’t sure if he had preferred him dead. At least he had accepted that part. Sure, there were unresolved revenge issues with Jay Gibson that he had been dealing with, but that was tolerable compared to
wondering if he preferred thinking his dad was dead.

  Maybe he wouldn’t be able to keep his emotions in check if he were on this assignment. “Better keep that thought to myself when Lombargnor calls,” Todd said to the lake.

  Just then his link lit up, indicating an incoming transmission from Lombargnor. “Speak of the devil,” Todd said before answering. “Hey, boss.”

  “Please return when you are ready. I have made my decision. ”

  “Okay,” replied Todd. “I’ll be back up in about fifteen minutes. Went for a walk down on the beach. Where should I look for you?”

  “I will be back in the briefing room. See you soon.”

  Todd remained seated on the boulder and called Simon. He picked up almost immediately, “Hey, buddy. What’s up?”

  “Boss just called. I’m heading back in now. Should be about fifteen minutes.”

  “Right on. I just finished feeding Penny a bottle. I’m going to change her and then I’ll meet you back there. What room?”

  “Same,” replied Todd, “briefing room. I’ll wait for you in the hall if I get there first.” “Sounds good,” said Simon. “See you in a few.”

  Chapter 35

  Todd rounded the corner to the hall that led to his destination. He looked up and saw not only Simon but Sasha as well standing by the door to the briefing room. “You guys should be home with Penny, not here with me for moral support. I’m a big boy. I can handle whatever I hear in there.”

  Simon grinned. “Meh. The kid is so attached to her nanas right now I think she wanted us to leave. We’ve got our whole lives with her. We wanted to be here with you for this.”

  “Well,” said Sasha as she pushed open the door, “after you boys.”

  Todd and Simon entered, followed closely by Sasha. Lombargnor was in his seat and almost appeared to be napping. If he had been, the sound of the door woke him and he turned to greet them. “Ah, good. I was not expecting to have the Cains back for this, but it will be most helpful. Excellent. Please, everyone, have a seat.”