by Peter John
“How is it you aren’t stuttering anymore, Alex? You struggled with your vowels when you found me, but the whole time we have been speaking here you haven’t stuttered even once.”
Alex smiled coyly. “Can you hear that humming sound? The vibration of the server banks?” I listened and heard a barely discernible hum permeating the area. I nodded, and he continued, “Well stuttering is a self-induced condition in most cases, it compounds on itself when you hear your voice making certain sounds, in my case the vowels and sometimes the “S” sound. That hum is exactly the frequency I need to cancel out the internal audit of my speaking process. As long as I hear that hum, I don’t stutter at all.”
“Is that a fact? Is this another of the Absinthe technological advantages?”
“No, not this time. I had a hearing device that used to play the noise canceling frequency directly into my ear before they abducted me; it did the same thing, although not as effectively. Since I arrived in this area of the ship I have felt at home. It’s seldom that I go wandering around for long. I am always drawn to look after the servers. It’s where I belong. Where I am needed. Now, if you don’t mind, I have to get back to work. I believe you would meet your team?”
I realized that our talk time had ended and I wouldn’t get much more from him, but I wanted to know more and Alex’s perspective was certainly different so I left an open invitation for him to join me in the rec room anytime for a couple of drinks. He obviously didn’t get out much and a new friend in the tech department wouldn’t be a bad thing for me. His lackluster response left me wondering if I would see him again. Of one thing I was certain, it was no coincidence that the server humming was exactly the frequency he needed to feel comfortable. It was more and more evident that the Absinthe were manipulators of the highest order.
When I finally made it to the rec’ room, only Major Stone was still there. He greeted me cordially and motioned for me to sit at his table. I had a full plate of food and began chowing down immediately. When I finally came up for air, we began the debriefing.
“Raúl tells me you had quite a time of it” he started. I then relayed what had happened, what I had learned, leaving out the bit about the map spell and Horatio’s suspicions as well as my… ahem… interlude with Garrina.
I ended my narration with “Yes, our foolish plan nearly got us both killed. Where were you guys while we were with the Orcs?” I enquired, as much to deflect from the memory of the trauma and a genuine curiosity of where they had all gone.
“Oh aye, when we touched the orb, we all went to different places on Illuminous. I spent some time in the Grand Library getting my mage class more attuned to what we will face on the Scalar world. Hugo was with the Dwarves increasing his internal strength and upgrading his equipment, and John was with the Plains Elves improving his agility based attributes. Charlie was with me at first but was whisked off to get more Healer skills.”
“Now tell me, Petros, are you ready for this? I have a feeling it will be one of our most difficult missions and a lot is riding on you?”
I could see what he was not saying. He didn’t know me that well, and he was a worried man. As the leader, it was all riding on his shoulders. I wanted to tell him everything else I knew about the mission, but I had to hold my tongue. There were too many people around who could easily overhear our conversation and we were probably being monitored by the Absinthe.
“I have done my best to gain the knowledge we will need and honed my skills as best I can within the time frame,” I said noncommittally “When do we leave for the mission?”
I used an old SAS hand signal for danger close. He kept his face neutral, but there was a spark of interest as he calmly looked around. His corresponding signal of “stand by” let me know he was assessing the situation. Our conversation continued.
“All I need to know is if you are worried that ye can’t handle it?”
To which I replied in the same deadpan way. “I believe we can do it, provided we have ALL the information.” My accent on All let him know there was more to be had, but we needed a secure location to discuss it. He nodded in understanding.
“We leave in 16 hours. You probably need to get a good nap to let your new upgrades take hold and to recover from your ordeal. We can have a more thorough briefing on the ground. I think you know what you have to do, and we all pretty much know the drill. So take your fill, lay off the booze, and I will meet you in about 14 hours to gear up and prepare. You okay with that?”
I nodded, mouth full and chewing again. “Fourteen hours Major. See you then.”
He moved off, and I went to get seconds and then thirds.
A long while later, I went to my quarters. I had been issued a room that was small and functional and allowed me a place to just be alone with my thoughts. The bed was roomy and comfortable, and I just lay there thinking about all that had happened. I was thinking of Earth and about my home where I was abducted from. What my friends would think and whether the government would investigate my disappearance. I then thought about Africa, the cradle that birthed humanity when I finally drifted off to sleep.
I awoke as I felt someone slide into bed with me. Startled I whirled around to see Sarah. She put her hand in front of my face to stall my outburst. Then she whispered to me. “I’m just here for comfort, Petros. A lot has happened and I know you guys are leaving soon. I want to be held. Nothing more. I trust you Petros.”
I looked at her face and saw the strain she held at bay. She wasn’t the only woman amongst the crew, but she and I had history and I was taken aback that she had decided to come to my bed.
Sarah continued, “I need someone I can trust, I don’t really know these others, hell, I don’t even know you, but I do know I can trust you. Please just hold me. I need that human contact. I’m not here for sex, I don’t even want a relationship. I just want to be held. You okay with that?”
I nodded. Speechless. She was naked and I was responding as a young body should, and she looked sternly at me as she noticed my response.
“Put that away Petros. I’m serious. I need a human’s touch, someone who cares. I know you care about people. Don’t let me down. I want to have faith in humanity.”
Chastened, I nodded and moved over so she could get comfortable. Then willed my protruding limb to subside. As Sarah snuggled up to me, I felt contentment seep through me. I understood what she wanted and it was something I ached for as well. Abducted and far away from everything we held dear, the least we could do was remember that we were human first.
Many hours later I awoke to see Sarah slipping away. She turned and gave me a peck on the cheek. “Thank you Petros. Good luck with your mission.” she whispered.
I was left thinking about Orcs and how quickly life can become complicated.
CHAPTER 29
Mission Ready
“One hour to go, are you lads sorted?” said Major Stone.
We gathered in the teleport room and would make for the glowing orb in the center when it was time. There was a crate of equipment that we could take with, each of us taking a fair share of the items. It was mostly food and water, the water in leather gourds and the food was wrapped in leather skins. We could all hunt and scavenge the countryside if needed, but our mission was one of speed. There would be no time for hunting. Charlie had made several gourds of healing potion. He was our designated medic. He had extra, so we were each given some to carry besides the water and food we stored in our various magical devices. My ring seemed a bottomless pit, but someone had told me it had a limit on the number of items I could store in it. It was the weirdest sensation that I was being dropped into a war zone without a single gun, in fact with almost no gear at all.
The cloak had become like a second skin; I wore it at every opportunity and the more I wore it, the more familiar it felt. Sure I looked like a wannabe superhero, but hey I was one. Survival was key, and I wanted to survive. The boots of silence were also a regular feature of whatever I wore. The sensation of we
aring boots was a creature comfort that years of military life had instilled upon me. I wore combat fatigues, as did the others. We would adjust the pattern when we ported into the world to better suit the surroundings. I made an extra set for Hugo, who didn’t have a lot of magical ability.
While we were dealing with all that, Grant made his presence known. “Petros, you will be mission active in a few minutes. I cannot communicate nor monitor you as I have in previous scenarios. You will be on your own. Major Stone is one of the best team leaders, and your mission objectives are clear. Rescue Alfred Malabourne and then exfiltrate with him. The current population on the Scalar planet will see you as enemies rather than friends, so stay away from them. The retrieval orb will appear within three-day cycles at the designated point. Major Stone will show you where. That gives you one day for reconnaissance, one day for infiltration, and then the final day for extraction. If you are not at the extraction point within the allotted time, we will consider you lost. Most of your recent upgrades should be fully functional now. Best of luck, Colonel. Come back safe.”
He sounded sincere. He even seemed fond of me. The information wasn’t new; we had just covered the whole plan with Major Stone. It was the same plan we had been training for all along. I thanked him with mind speak and kept it brief. The mission was on and I could only focus on the goal at hand. Any other thoughts would have to wait until we returned, if we returned.
CHAPTER 30
Scalar World
As the vertigo of the teleportation subsided, we dispersed out like a fan and took cover in the immediate surroundings. I was at the center point next to Hugo. He was all smiles as if this was the best thing ever to be deployed again. I admit I was nervous; it was the culmination of a lot of people's hopes and there was a lot of pressure on me, but seeing Hugo’s huge grin made me feel a little safer. If he was beside me, not only was he a bigger target for an enemy, he was also a mean SOB that any sane person would keep well away from when looking for a fight. I grinned right back.
In training, we had practiced this repeatedly. I had always felt uncomfortable without my familiar weapon of choice. Without a gun, it seemed foolish. But here we were and so it was. Foolish I mean. This was downright foolish. Crack shots all and not a single firing weapon amongst us. I would be doubly glad to get those explosives. I just hoped Shav would come through for us.
After what amounted to thirty minutes of scouting the area and ensuring our arrival had not been witnessed, we gathered together for the first briefing.
“Right lads, take a knee and listen up. Armpit, what's got your knickers in a knot?” said Major Stone.
So I told them. I went into the details of meeting with Shav, and the alternative plan. It didn’t go down well.
“What the fuck! We have to change the plan?” exclaimed Charlie
“It sounds fishy” was John's response
Raúl kept his counsel, but I could see his thoughts were furious. Probably considering why he had been excluded from my meeting with Shav.
Hugo merely grunted. It seemed nothing phased the large Norwegian.
It was Stone’s reaction I was most concerned about.
“God Damn it! I am in charge here. Why didn’t you bring this up sooner? We can’t just change the mission! For fuck's sake Armpit, you know this reeks.”
The expletives and expressions of disapproval were dished out by all. I stepped back, waiting for them to cool down.
I tried again to explain the reasons, and finally Stone began nodding in agreement. We then progressed to adjusting the plan.
I drew the map I had in my head with waypoints on the sand between us and the various locations we could get explosives. Major Stone was slowly coming around and eventually grunted his unhappy approval. Who says the Scottish are stubborn?
“So essentially the plan has changed little, the only extra is you have to collect the explosives and then after getting Mala out, traverse the expanse of the cave complex to find this Princess?” Stone asked at last after I had given more thorough detailing of what Shav and AB had discussed with me.
I wiped the map away in the sand after everyone had absorbed the new route and nodded in agreement and said, “In a nutshell that's about it. I am not happy with this diversion that the Scalar rebels have planned, as it will heighten all those guarding the complex, but if the new Invisibility and Dampen Aura spells are as effective here, as they were on Illuminous, then there won’t be any chance of discovery.”
Stone interjected, “Aye, but ‘IF’ is the one word we never use. It’s got “chance” attached to it and things have a way of going wrong. You know the old adage by the Prussian military commander Helmuth van Moltke, ‘No plan of operations reaches with any certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy’s main force’.” We all nodded sagely at this quote. I had heard many variations of it over the years.
He continued, “I can see they set you on this course Armpit, and we can’t sit here chatting at a tea party. Let’s move out and scout the explosives drop-off points. It will be nice to have something that goes bang again.” A wicked grin had broken through the tangle of his facial hair. “You take point since you seem to know where we are going. I warn ye Armpit, if this goes tits up, I’m holding ye accountable.”
With that the final word, we set out over the hills and valleys into bear country.
CHAPTER 31
Disruption
We made our encampment under a small overhang, protected on three sides from weather and sight. We made no fires and prepared no food besides eating from the few provisions we carried. Hugo was out on the ledge on watch. He had a nice birds eye view of the area we expected to find the explosives delivered. There had been nothing there when we checked earlier and it had me worried. Raúl and Charlie had gone into the next valley over to scout the second location for the second drop point. I was preparing to go out to check the third location when Hugo made two taps with his foot to warn us he had seen someone, well, two people, corresponding with the taps.
We all froze, some mid-mouthful as we waited. The seconds dripped by, like liquid treacle. Slow and sinuous, stretching into minutes. John crawled up beside Hugo, and then after a brief view, slithered back. Using a whisper and hand signals he indicated two individuals running through the area. One carried a pack and a spear; the other was armed with a sling and a sword. Both were Scalar males. We all relaxed at this news, me especially. The explosives were about to be dropped off.
Major Stone indicated that John should follow the two Scalar without being seen to ensure they left the area and then proceeded to leopard crawl himself besides Hugo. “You go scout around, make sure no one else has eyes on this package and make doubly sure. I don’t want this to be a trap we can’t get out of,” he ordered Hugo, who happily got up from his place of concealment and moved out.
Stone then indicated to me I should collect the package once John and Hugo had given the all clear. I moved up beside him and we watched as the other two moved out on their respective missions. I was itching to move. Everything about soldiering is action if you watch the movies, but they always forget to portray the patient waiting and caution involved. More often than not, if there is action involved, then someone has fucked up along the way. We didn’t need any fuck-ups now.
After what seemed like hours, in reality, amounted to minutes, Captain Hugo gave the all clear sign from his position on a nearby crest and I was up and scampering down the hillside to where the bag had been dropped. I didn’t bother looking around because that was Hugo’s job. I just kept an eye on him for any warning.
The area remained clear, and I got to within a few meters of the package at the bottom of the hill. I could see it was a leather satchel of some sort. They hadn’t bothered to put any camouflage on it. It suddenly dawned on me that there was a package, not a few feet from me and it contained explosive of a variety I didn’t know. Our focus had been on getting to this point, but could I just pick up some dynamite and hope for the be
st? What if it was like Nitroglycerine and exploded by just looking at it differently? I grimaced inwardly. This wasn’t who I was nor who we trained to be. So many things were being ignored. I edged ever closer. If this was a trap, I was the one who was going to be blown to kingdom come. I understood why Stone had sent me. No use in risking the others on this hare-brained scheme. It was all my fault and thus deserving that I was the first casualty.
Major Stone was definitely making me pay for the added intel. I began to sweat. Edging closer, I crouched down and began leopard crawling. If the explosives were volatile, they would blast upwards and outwards. The smaller my profile to the explosion, the less chance to be vaporized. Ah, who was I kidding? I would be lucky if I survived. But minimizing risk was what I was trained to do, so I edged ever closer. Eventually, I was next to it. I could hear no ticking. It had a strong smell though. A detergent smell. There was nothing leaking from the bag as I examined it. The leather flap was soft and pliable so I gently, ever so carefully slipped my hand under the flap to see if I could feel any tripwires or traps. It was clean. I sighed in relief. No tripwires that I could discern. Then gingerly I opened the satchel. The smell that was pervading the area intensified, but besides that nothing went bang. I edged closer and looked inside.
