The Deadly Pact

by Michael Freeport

  “Yes, Captain. Try not to move. We are nearly done.”

  Hanlon waited with growing impatience. Without warning, the restraints were removed from her body and then her arms and legs. Her eyes were still covered. She felt at least two Ulef wrap their tentacles around her and carefully roll her over. She realized she was quite light headed. She wasn’t sure she’d want to try sitting upright at that moment.

  She started to raise her left hand to pull off whatever was covering her eyes, but a tentacle held her hands down. “Tolon, let me go, please. I don’t know what’s happened. Are my people okay?”

  “Your people are safe, Captain. You’ve been the beneficiary of a rather innovative medical procedure.”

  “What? What have you done to me?” Hanlon asked. Her voice rising in panic.

  “Nothing nefarious, Captain. Do you remember the fight one of your officers initiated with two of my subordinates?”

  “Yes. I remember my hand getting chopped off. What’s going on? Tolon, let me go and tell me what’s going on.”

  “I will remove your blindfold. But I must ask you to prepare yourself.”

  Hanlon felt a knot of fear twist in her stomach. She took an apprehensive breath as the blindfold was removed. At first, her eyes squinted at the brilliantly lit room. She looked down into her lap and saw her hands there. Hands. Her eyes widened painfully. The hand that had been cut off was there again, but it looked different. Dark gray skin covered the hand. She raised it in front of her face and slowly flexed her fingers. It felt completely normal. “What did you do to me?”

  Tolon stepped into her field of view, the broad green stripe on his harness was visible. She realized she was in another of the nondescript rooms, but the thing she was lying on was very hard and uncomfortable. “Captain, we’ve done our best to save your life. There are complex reasons we may not be able to fully explain for our doing this. I must ask you to trust me.”

  “We’ll get to that, Tolon. What did you do to my hand?”

  The Ulef bounced in place. She’d seen them do that from time to time, usually when they were thinking something over. “In the simplest terms, we regenerated it.”

  “What? How?”

  “Did you not hear me, Captain?” Tolon asked.

  “Oh, um, no. I meant… well, just tell me how you did it,” Hanlon said, trying not to further confuse the Ulef leader.

  “One of our medically trained crew adapted the procedure we use to regenerate lost appendages for your physiology. Would you care to view the theoretical study we conducted before completing the procedure?”

  “Study? How long was I unconscious?” Hanlon felt alarmed. If she’d been gone for too long, her crew might have tried another escape attempt.

  “Roughly two of your days, Captain,” Tolon replied. “We did tell your second in command that you were being cared for at our medical facility. He gave me a message for you to hear once you were again awake.”

  “Okay, what did he tell you?”

  “He said ‘Kelper is under control.’ What does this mean, Captain?”

  Hanlon felt relief wash over her. “Kelper is the human who attacked one of your crew. She’s angry over how you’ve treated us.” Hanlon realized that she might have killed one of the Ulef. “Were you able to heal the Ulef she attacked?”

  “Sadly, no. She ripped out part of its brain. We are unable to repair that kind of damage.”

  Hanlon stared at Tolon in shock. “She ripped out his brain?”

  “Its,” Tolon corrected. “Ulef do not have gender as you understand it.”

  “Ah,” Hanlon said. “That must make Saturday nights pretty boring around here.”

  “I don’t understand. What is Saturday night?” Tolon asked, His translator must be getting better because he’d managed to sound genuinely confused.

  “Well, among my people, Saturday night, which is a day of the week, is when many humans go out seeking a mate. We have two genders and complicated rituals surrounding the selection of a mate.”

  “I would like to understand more about this at some point,” Tolon said.

  “So would I,” Hanlon interjected ruefully.

  Tolon stopped speaking for a few seconds and then said, “We must discuss how to proceed.”

  “I agree,” Hanlon said. She was thrilled that Tolon was starting to indicate that her crew might be released without a fight. “First, I would like to apologize for the death of your crewman. I did not realize Kelper would attack at that moment.”

  “It is of no consequence. The one she attacked had not distinguished itself among its peers. The loss is very small. Again, you use a word that assigns gender to our kind.”

  “I don’t do it on purpose, Tolon. Our language has many such words that inherently include a gender cue. Referring to someone in a genderless manner is considered quite rude among humans.:

  “I see,” Tolon said. “You may continue to use these gendered words, then.”

  “Thank you,” Hanlon said. She wondered why Tolon was suddenly so agreeable. “Why didn’t you stop Kelper from attacking your crewman?”

  Tolon bounced a couple of times before he answered. “We did not believe a single human could kill one of us under even ideal circumstances. We were curious what would happen. I chose to observe, rather than intervene. When I saw that your Kelper had killed it, I chose to move in and stop her by applying the compliance device.”

  “Thank you for not killing her in response.”

  Tolon took a long moment before he responded. “Unlike most species we’ve encountered, we do not engage in reciprocal violence for the sake of revenge. It is inefficient and usually distracts from the best course of action. You must be introduced to the one who regenerated your hand.”

  Tolon turned away and motioned with his claw. A few seconds later, another Ulef, this one with a narrow red stripe on his harness, stepped into her field of view. It bounced in place and said, “It is an honor to encounter you, human of Lashmere. I am to express gratitude to you for the opportunity to distinguish myself. Because of your injury, I have been granted a name. I am now called Og.”

  Hanlon said, “Nice to meet you, Og. Thank you for regenerating my hand.”

  Og bounced in place for several seconds and then turned to Tolon. Tolon waved one claw, and Og turned to walk away. Hanlon heard a door open and close. “Og is not accustomed to being able to communicate at this level. With familiarity, it will grow more capable of clear expression.”

  Hanlon nodded. “I think he did fine.” She pushed up from the table she was sitting on and got her feet onto the floor. She turned and looked at where she’d been lying. Then she realized why it was so uncomfortable. It was shaped for a Ulef to lie on its back. She touched the surface. The entire thing was very hard. “Next time you put me someplace, try to make it more comfortable. Do you not have the concept of physical comfort?”

  Tolon said, “We do, but our discomfort arises from temperature in most cases. Physical damage to our bodies also causes us discomfort.

  “Well, humans have soft skin that can be injured from being pressed against hard surfaces like this for too long. That’s why we asked for padding for the beds in our cell.”

  “I understand. You are more like the races of the Alliance than we thought. They, too, have this kind of weakness.”

  “I don’t think I would call it a weakness. We’re just built differently. Our skin is a very sensitive organ that relays a lot of information to us. It offers less protection than an exoskeleton, like yours, but there are advantages as well.”

  “Such as?”

  “Well, if I touch your exoskeleton, what do you feel?”

  “Pressure. I can tell where you might touch me.”

  “Human skin relays a lot more than just that. Different kinds of touch can cause both pain and pleasure, depending on how it is done.”

  “Interesting,” Tolon said. “I should call for one of our less distinguished exo-scientists, but not now. At this time,
we have another matter we must discuss.”

  “Okay, Tolon. What do you want to talk about?” Hanlon had been trying to let the conversation develop organically, in the hopes of getting a better understanding of the Ulef. Any insight might make it easier to gain freedom for her crew.

  “You have been able to receive the signal from the artifact. We must explore it as soon as you are able.” Tolon bounced in place for a few seconds while he waited for Hanlon to respond.

  “I’m willing to assist you, but I want my people released first,” Hanlon said. “It’s apparent that this is important to you, and I am curious about the artifact as well, but I must see my people safe and free.”

  Tolon stood motionless for a long moment before he responded. “Wait here. I will consult with our leadership. This is a decision I am unable to make on my own.”

  Tolon turned and left the room. Hanlon took a moment to look around. The room was typical of those she’d seen since being captured by the Ulef. The medical table was at the center, and a tall console sat near one wall. The remainder of the room was a featureless, unrelieved gray. The room was about three meters in all three dimensions. Her head felt clearer now that she’s had some time to wake up from whatever means the Ulef had used to hold her in a state of unconsciousness.

  She looked again at her hand. The dark gray skin flexed and moved just like her original skin had. She traced fingers from her left hand along the back of her right hand. The sensations she felt were identical to the original hand. Other than the pigmentation, it was indistinguishable from the one she’d lost.

  She was still musing on the new hand when the door opened, and Tolon came back into the room. “You must come with me, Captain. We are to meet with the leader of the Ulef. It will decide if we should cooperate with the humans of Lashmere.”

  “I wasn’t actually trying to gain cooperation between our species. I just wanted my crew released.”

  “There is no difference. If humans are our enemy, then we must treat you as enemies. For us to treat you differently, your species must be something other than our enemy.”

  The absolutism of Tolon’s views gave her an insight into the Ulef and how they thought. They clearly thought of humans as a monolithic whole with no variance in ideology between individuals. She watched the Ulef as he led her from the medical chamber. Despite the claim that they were capable of individual thought, it was obvious that they acted only when they had consensus.

  Hanlon followed Tolon for a few minutes until she was taken into the boat bay where she’d originally been captured. Tolon led her onto a small craft and said, “Hold on to one of the restraints. We don’t have a shuttle fitted for transporting humans.”

  “Tolon, before we leave, can I send a message to Watkins, my second in command?”

  “Yes. One moment.” Tolon’s tentacles flickered across the rectangular console. He then pointed to a small yellow dot on the vertical support above the console. “Speak into this point. It has been configured to detect audio and video within the human perception range.”

  Hanlon turned her attention to the dot. “Commander Watkins, I hope this message finds you and the crew in good shape. I understand that I have been absent from you for about two days. They have given me a new hand and I am feeling fine. Tolon and I are departing the vessel we’ve been staying on to negotiate with the Ulef leader. My previous orders stand. Do your utmost to maintain positive diplomatic relations with the Ulef and secure the release of the crew, should the opportunity present itself. Maintain military discipline. I plan to return to you as soon as possible.” Hanlon smiled at the pickup and tried to put as much encouragement in her voice as she could. “I know you can handle this, Mister Watkins. Keep everyone safe.”

  She turned to Tolon and said, “Okay, that’s it. Thank you.”

  “Why do you say these things to your subordinate?” Tolon asked while he tapped out a sequence of commands.

  “I’m trying to keep his morale up. When humans are kept as prisoners, we become psychologically affected.” She pondered how to explain the need for people to continue to hope for release.

  Tolon said, “I see. Your minds rely on a sense of well-being to maintain optimal efficiency. We have observed this reaction in most species we’ve encountered.”

  The shuttle moved quickly. As soon as they steadied on course, Hanlon was able to make out a battleship that was at the center of a large flotilla of ships as their destination. Tolon worked silently as the shuttle docked and sealed its airlock to the battleship.

  “Follow me,” Tolon said before stepping through the airlock. He moved quickly through a series of passageways. Hanlon saw other Ulef, many with different colored stripes on their harnesses. They all stopped and watched as Hanon was escorted past them.

  After about ten minutes of walking through the passageways, Tolon stopped at a door. “Our leader is in this room. I must caution you to avoid any violence. Attacking will result in your immediate death. Address it only as Leader. It has a name, but it is very disrespectful to address it in familiar terms.”

  Hanlon nodded and put her hands firmly at her sides in what she hoped was a non-threatening pose. The door opened, and Tolon escorted Hanlon inside. A trio of Ulef stood at the far end of the oblong room. The room was the first in which she’d seen any adornment. The walls were covered with what looked like colored enamel in a beautiful pattern of contrasting colors. Blues, oranges, yellows, and greens in various interlocking geometric patterns. Her attention was so distracted by the decoration; she was surprised when she saw Tolon had moved forward in the room. He stopped about ten meters from the Ulef leader and said, “Leader, I bring you the human who has responded to the artifact. She has requested her people be released from enemy status.”

  Hanlon moved forward to stand next to Tolon while he was speaking. She glanced at the two Ulef flanking the leader. They wore harnesses similar to what Tolon wore, but both of them had thick red stripes. The Leader had a more complicated harness. There were additional straps, and the straps were adorned with polished metal that looked like silver or platinum, rather than colored stripes. It looked less functional and more ceremonial than the harness she saw the rest of the Ulef wearing.

  The Leader spoke through the same kind of translator box she’d seen attached to Tolon’s harness. “This may be impossible. We’ve received word that the humans of Lashmere have destroyed two thousand of our ships. The damage to the Ulef is great, and we consider exterminating the humans.”

  Tolon was silent. Hanlon’s mind reeled. She tried to figure out how two thousand ships had been destroyed.

  The Leader spoke again. “The humans used the technology of the Woduur. They are allies of the Woduur and the Alliance.”

  Tolon said, “Leader, we know this to be untrue. Captain Hanlon has yielded to scans of her mind while being questioned. We have incontrovertible proof that humans are not allies with the Alliance. Captain Hanlon has responded to the artifact. We know they are the ones who entrusted it to our care. It cannot be otherwise.”

  “We are in possession of conflicting facts,” Leader said. “We must weigh the implications. Return the prisoner to her people. We will decide their fate.”

  Hanlon refused to be dismissed without a word. “Leader, the Alliance lied to us. They hid the fact that they’d nearly destroyed humanity. When we found out, we broke off our cooperation with them. I don’t know what Woduur technology we might be using or how two thousand of your ships were destroyed, but I can tell you that humans would never have initiated such an attack. They must have been defending themselves. Did you attack us in our home system?”

  Leader and Tolon seemed to be engaged in a staring contest for a long pause. Hanlon wondered if there was another layer of communication of which she was unaware. She resisted the urge to pace back and forth. She felt her hands clench at her sides. Finally, Tolon said, “There may be a way for all observed facts to be true. How did your people come into possession of so much Woduur t
echnology? Did you make an agreement with them to use their manufacturing ships?”

  “I’m sorry, Tolon, but I don’t understand. I want to answer your question. I just don’t know.” She was desperate to find a way to win free of the Ulef and discover what was happening on the New Dawn.

  “It is consistent with what you’ve told us already, Captain,” Tolon said. He turned to Leader. “They must have found the technology in the time Captain Hanlon has been away from Lashmere. The Woduur can produce huge numbers of ships very quickly. It is possible an agreement was made after she was separated from the rest of her people.”

  Leader seemed to consider this for a moment. It then said, “Place her in one of the compliance chairs. We will have the truth from her. If she is without deceit, then we can negotiate towards a change in status. If not, the humans can be disposed of.”

  Tolon turned to Hanlon and said, “Follow me. I must place you back in one of the chairs. We will use it to verify you are being honest. It will greatly accelerate our ability make a decision when we know we can trust you.”

  Hanlon shook her head and said, “That’s great for you, Tolon, but how do I know we can trust you? Your leader just told us that two thousand ships of yours attacked my home system.”

  Tolon said, “Your position Is one of weakness. You must cooperate. Perhaps there is a way to increase trust between us. I do tell you now that Ulef are capable of deceit, but it does not come naturally to us. We rarely make the effort.”

  Hanlon was escorted into a room with one of the torture chairs in it. Her heart skipped a beat. Even though she believed Tolon would not have her tortured again, she still hesitated. She shook off her misgivings and walked to the chair. After lowering herself onto it, she put her feet up and rested her legs on the supports. Her head laid back against the cold metal surface of the chair. “Okay, Tolon. I’m in the chair. Ask me what you need to.”

  Leader stepped forward and said, “What is the nature of the Alliance between the humans of Lashmere and the Woduur?”

  “Nonexistent.” Hanlon hoped all of the questions would be that straightforward.