Captivity

by Maureen Toonkel

  “So, it is true? You really are a traitor.”

  “That depends on how you look at it. I was placed here by the Tradian Army to do a job. I am not a traitor to my people.”

  “But you are guilty of betraying all of us on the Gladiator.”

  “If I am guilty of anything, it is of not doing my job well. I made some critical errors. I should never have allowed you to assist me with the autopsies. If I had done them myself, I would not have had to reveal that the bodies were fakes. We would have been on our way, and we would never have returned to Brisula. I would not have had to create those phony transmissions trying to point suspicion on others. That was also a mistake. And my senseless need for neatness and order did me in. I wanted the bodies to be perfect down to the color of their underwear.”

  Amanda giggled. “Yes, you always have been a perfectionist.”

  Paul studied her. He had always enjoyed looking at her curvy hips and her short dirty blonde hair that curled around her ears. It was good to see her smile. Golly gee, I sure am going to miss that smile and those pretty brown eyes. He gave her a smile back and continued talking.

  “My biggest mistake was letting my emotions get in the way. I let myself become friends with Josh. I mean a real friend who I honestly care about. And I let myself fall in love with you. I am so sorry, Amanda.”

  “I love you, too,” Amanda whispered. Tears welled up in her eyes as she ducked out through the curtains.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  June 7

  The Conference Room was crowded and noisy. Josh sat at the head of the table and observed his crew. Jackson Greene was sitting opposite of him, his fingers rapidly moving across several sheets of thick paper. Diane Pearson and Dennis sat alongside him. While Diane fiddled with the controls on a piece of equipment, Dennis was absently watching her and running his fingers through her curly red hair. Dave Andrews sat erect as he reviewed a stack of notes. Amanda Rugan was teary eyed. She sat with her head turned up toward the ceiling in an attempt to hide her feelings. Keith Hampton and Beverly Glenna were holding hands and gazing dreamily into each other’s eyes. Alongside Keith, Wayne Shasta appeared to be deep in thought. Josh shifted his gaze over to the couple sitting on his right. He hardly recognized them. Joban was clean shaven with his hair neatly trimmed. Fabiana looked stunning, her long black hair washed and free of tangles and snarls.

  Turning his attention to a Welcome Home, Captain poster propped up on the table, the United Galaxy Command Milky Way logo embedded in the marble inlay in the center of the table caught Josh’s eye. It glistened brightly, reminding him of the silver walls on the planet below. He shook his head in an attempt to get the image out of his brain. I will probably be haunted forever by the image of long silvery tunnels, he thought.

  Captain Stoner called the meeting to order. He asked Diane to activate the video system. Instantly views of the Conference Room appeared on monitor screens across the ship, and the Captain’s voice could be heard from speakers mounted in hallways and decks. The Messdeck staff, the laundry workers, and the janitorial crew could hear the Captain’s words. Even Dr. Loring in Sick Bay was able to watch on the monitor above his bed.

  “Admiral Wilcox, can you hear me?” asked Josh.

  “Loud and clear,” answered the Admiral, his voice resonating through a large teleconference screen hanging on the wall behind Jackson Greene. The screen flickered and then his face came into view.

  “OK. Let’s get started,” said Josh. “First of all I would like to say that it is great to be back aboard the Gladiator. And I am sure Lieutenant Shasta, Lieutenant Hampton, Ensign Glenna, and Commander Andrews would agree.” There was a round of applause in the Conference Room and cheers around the ship. “Second, I would like to commend everyone for going about their duties and keeping the ship running smoothly while we were gone.” There was another round of applause and cheers.

  “Next, I would like to introduce two very special people that we had the privilege of meeting on Brisula. Without their help, we might still be enslaved under the surface of the planet below. I give you Joban and Fabiana.” Josh motioned for the couple to rise. Joban got to his feet and bowed his head. He pulled Fabiana up, and she smiled sheepishly. There was more applause.

  “As you all know by now, five weeks ago the U.S.S. Gladiator was dispatched to Brisula. This assignment was classified at the highest level of confidentiality. The primary function of our work was to determine if the planet would be suitable for human habitation. Brisula was thought to be uninhabited. In that we now know that Brisula is a vibrant, fully populated planet, the mission has been declassified. At the time of the original directive, Brisula was being considered as a location for an experimental drug laboratory to study the effects of Xanthommatin, which is a mind control pharmaceutical agent. There was however one other purpose that Brisula was being targeted for: it was hoped that the Tradians would be lured to Brisula in hopes of getting their hands on Xanthommatin. U.S. Naval Security Forces would be in place to detain the Tradians thereby turning Brisula into a detention camp.

  “Before landing on Brisula, I informed each member of the landing party, individually, about this top secret, A-15 priority mission. Each was told that our assignment was to explore Brisula for the feasibility of human life residing there. Wayne Shasta and Dave Andrews were told that a drug research center was in the works and that the drug indicated to be studied was Xanthommatin. I was directed to only tell one other member of the landing party about the real plans for Brisula. I needed to choose one person in the landing party to confide in. It had to be someone who I felt could be responsible and trustworthy. Someone who could be entrusted not to divulge this sensitive information. Given all that, the person I chose to put my faith in was—” Josh turned and looked at his young officer, “Keith Hampton.”

  Keith gulped. Holy Toledo! I can’t believe the Captain had that much faith in me. And to think I came so close to spilling the beans.

  “Lieutenant Hampton was placed in a precarious situation by General Platt, the Tradian in charge of the operations on Brisula. He did not betray UGC, and I am quite impressed with the way he handled himself.” Again there was applause.

  Captain Stoner gave Keith a nod and a wink. Then he placed his right index finger on his upper lip and swiped twice. He tapped his nose. Josh swiped and tapped out six more letters, “GOOD JOB.” Keith blushed. He raised his right wrist and swiped it once with his left index finger followed by three quick taps as he coded back, “TXS. “

  “We need to also give a round of applause to Wayne Shasta and Beverly Glenna. They both endured excruciating torture but never wavered in their duty and loyalty to UGC.”

  Josh continued his briefing. He described the actions of the original landing party and the disappearance of Keith Hampton and Beverly Glenna. He told how he had gotten a call from Admiral Wilcox informing him that the information about the purpose of their mission had been leaked out. Following Commander Andrews’ advice he had then ordered autopsies of Hampton and Glenna wondering if one of them was a Tradian. But the bodies were fakes. He ordered the ship to turn around and go back to Brisula. The remaining members of the landing party returned to the planet’s surface, and this time Lieutenant Shasta and himself were captured after they accidentally entered the underground city through a giant boulder. Then Josh told the story of their lives as slaves.

  “Keith and I were able to get ourselves in trouble, so that we were removed from our cage and brought to the Punishment Center. We outsmarted our torturers and managed to escape. Meanwhile, Wayne Shasta, with the assistance of Beverly Glenna, Joban, and Fabiana, rallied the slaves and orchestrated an uprising.”

  Josh reported how they had found Commander Andrews and later Dr. Loring. He recalled their journey to the Lake and their amazing flight from under the water back to the Gladiator.

  “While all of this was going on below the surface of Brisula, the crew aboard the Gladiator worked on trying to determine who leaked th
e information. It turns out that Dr. Loring is a Tradian. He used his rank and privileges to alter the ship’s sensors, hack into the computer system, and block satellite phone reception underground on all but his own phone, He placed incriminating messages on Diane Pearson’s personal computer. He used the medical computer in Sick Bay to send and receive dozens of transmissions to the Tradians, and he was able to convince the rest of the crew that his computer could not be searched due to the confidential medical files. He passed on classified information including the purpose of the Gladiator’s visit to Brisula. He released crew members’ genetic files, so that the Tradians could produce the fake bodies. Dr. Loring conducted a mandatory Bio-Scan for every crew member but lied and said he himself had passed the Bio-Scan. He constantly tried to mislead crew members and place suspicion onto others. As most of you know, Paul Loring was my closest friend and it pains me to now know that he developed a false friendship with me in order to spy on UGC. He betrayed all of us. In the long run it was Dr. Loring’s fixation with order and neatness that did him in. His need to make the fake bodies as perfect as possible, down to the color of the underwear, is what ultimately was his downfall. Or, it could have been his insatiable craving for humor. Perhaps the color of Dave’s underwear was meant to be his farewell joke to us. Whichever the case, Dr. Loring has been placed under arrest, and he will be held accountable for his actions.”

  Josh stopped talking and looked over at Amanda Rugan. The tears were now streaming down her cheeks.

  “I can report that Dr. Loring is cooperating fully with Security,” continued Josh. “We are hoping he will give us the secret to entering the underground city through the Boulder Entrance. We also are trying to get him to reveal the probable whereabouts of General Platt.

  “As most of you now know, the Lake on Brisula has been equipped with electric fences. Unfortunately, we lost a very fine crew member, Diver Second Class Seaman Paula Scott, who was electrocuted while part of a diving expedition. We will be working on de-electrifying the Lake and we will recover Seaman Scott’s body. Let’s have a moment of silence in memory of Paula.” There was total silence in the Conference Room and everywhere else on the ship.

  Josh opened his eyes. “Speaking of turning off the electricity on Brisula, that job is being assigned to Captain Victor Torgenson and his staff. The Captain had been scheduled to depart yesterday for Space Station 16, however those orders have been changed. He is now charged with overseeing the evacuation of the slaves and the restructuring of Brisula. The people of Brisula will need assistance in developing a free civilization both above and below the surface.”

  Wayne Shasta’s arm shot up in the air. Josh nodded for him to speak.

  “Sir,” began Wayne, “I would like to join Captain Torgenson’s crew.” Gasps could be heard around the room. “I told many of the slaves that I would not forget them. I promised to come back for them. I would like to fulfill my promise.”

  “I think that can be arranged,” answered Josh. “Admiral?”

  “Yes, of course. I will see that Lieutenant Shasta is reassigned to the Search and Rescue team.”

  “Very well. We will miss you,” said Josh. He turned again to the couple on his right. “Joban and Fabiana will remain our guests for the next couple of weeks until we reach Space Station 17. There they will be able to obtain transport to their desired destination. For the rest of us it is on to our next assignment on Lexter.”

  Josh then spent the next thirty minutes answering questions until finally there were no more inquiries.

  “I’ve been told that Culinary Specialist Lansky, our head chef has prepared a delicious banquet for all of us in the Messdeck. I for one can use a good meal.”

  The mood in the Messdeck was upbeat. Crew members sat at tables sipping sodas and coffee awaiting the main meal. Josh stood in the doorway observing his joyful crew. Boy does it feel good to be back. He spotted Keith Hampton seated at a table with Wayne Shasta and Beverly Glenna. Joban and Fabiana were also there. He made his way over to the table and pulled up a chair. He reached out his hand toward Keith.

  “Here,” he said and dropped a penny into Keith’s palm. “Don’t ever say that I don’t pay my debts.” Keith laughed.

  “Have you called your parents?” Josh asked.

  “Not yet sir,” answered Keith.

  “You need to do that,” Josh said sternly. “And you too, Ensign.” Beverly nodded.

  “I’m starved,” remarked Josh. “I wonder what’s for dinner.” A few moments later Chef Lansky sauntered up to their table.

  “Captain,” he said, “I have prepared a very special meal for you and the rest of the landing party. It will be a meal to tantalize your palate.” He waved his hand toward the galley door and some waiters marched out carrying large round trays. ”I present a scrumptious array of mouth-watering fish.”

  “UGH!” shouted everyone at the table.

  EPILOGUE

  “What happened to General Platt?” asked Little Josh. “Did Dr. Loring go to jail? Did Keith and Beverly get married?”

  “My, you have a lot of questions,” laughed Great Grandpa.

  “Please. Tell me more.”

  “I would love to answer your questions, but I am afraid it is way past your bedtime. Your mom and dad will be quite angry with me if they find you still up when they get home.” He gently lifted Little Josh off his shoulder and helped him stand up.

  “Please, Great Grandpa. Just tell me, did Wayne Shasta ever return to the Gladiator?”

  “Someday, Little Josh, I will tell you more of the story. But for now, rest assured that Joshua Stoner and the Gladiator crew are alive and flourishing out there beyond the galaxy.” He grabbed Little Josh’s hand, and the two walked off toward the bedrooms with their arms swinging through the air.

  POSTSCRIPT

  I completed this book in June 2013 and distributed it to my five original reviewers in August. For my husband, Dennis, I read the book onto cassette tapes as he was legally blind. He was the first one to finish reading the book and surprised me when he told me who his favorite character was. Dennis was my biggest fan and supporter. He urged me to write a sequel to this novel. Unfortunately Dennis died unexpectedly on December 3, 2013. He left behind some thoughts about my book and one particular request for a plot twist in the sequel for his favorite character. I wrote the first eighty pages of the sequel before Dennis passed on. While I wasn’t sure at that time about incorporating his request into the sequel, I am now positive that I will do so in his honor.

  Coming Soon!

  BEYOND THE GALAXY: FREEDOM — Adventure 2 in the Beyond the Galaxy Saga

  Continue to follow along with the adventures of Captain Joshua Stoner and the rest of the U.S.S. Gladiator crew.

  Here’s a snippet of the adventure that lies ahead:

  “Bleep. Bleep.” A small blue light flashed on the communications panel. Diane pressed the receiver control.

  “U.S.S. Gladiator,” she said into the speaker of her wireless headset.

  “Diane, it’s me.” The voice was crackly and sounded far away.

  “Wayne, is that you? Where are you?”

  “Yes, it’s me. I’m in the Communications Station. I must speak to the Captain.”

  “Hold on, I will transfer you.” Diane pressed the hold button, brought up her phone book, and touched Joshua Stoner’s name.

  “Captain Stoner, here.”

  “Sir, Lieutenant Shasta would like to speak to you. Shall I transfer the call?”

  “Yes, Lieutenant, go ahead.”

  Captain Stoner waited several seconds but heard nothing. “Hello? Hello? Lieutenant Shasta? Wayne, are you there?” He shut the phone. “We must have lost him,” he said to the others in the room. He dialed the Bridge.

  “Lieutenant. I am on my way down to the Bridge. If Shasta calls back keep him on the phone till I get there.”

  The blue light flashed again on the communications panel. Diane answered quickly. It was Wayne Shasta. She tol
d him to stay on the line. The elevator doors opened, and Josh walked out.

  “Put it on audio, Lieutenant.”

  “Captain, you—” Static filled the air, followed by silence. Then the line went dead.

  “Do you know where he was calling from?” asked Josh.

  “He said he was calling from the Communications Station. I believe the call was coming from Brisula,” responded Diane.

  “Did he tell you why he was calling?”

  “No sir. He only said that he needed to talk to you.” Again the blue light flashed. Diane answered and told Shasta to go ahead.

  “Captain, I am concerned about the welfare of the slaves. They are not being treated humanely. Captain Torgenson has kept them all imprisoned while we are waiting for additional rescue teams and transports to arrive.”

  “Are the slaves being cared for?” asked Josh. “Are they being fed?”

  “Yes, they are being fed but many are being locked in their cages twenty four hours a day while others are working long shifts in the shipping and receiving areas or performing janitorial tasks. They are working without food, water or breaks.”

  “At least they are not digging in the gravel pits. It is only temporary, Lieutenant. Help should be there shortly.”

  “But, sir. I promised that I would free them.”

  “And you will. They have waited this long, a few more days will not hurt.”

  “Sir, there is something else. Things do not seem right here.”

  “What things?”

  “I don’t know. Just a feeling. Like when you and I —” The line went dead.

  “I’m worried about him,” Josh commented out loud to Diane.

  * * *