Galactic Vortex: Set in The Human Chronicles Universe (The Adam Cain Saga Book 4)

by T. R. Harris

  “You heard that?” Adam asked.

  “I have excellent hearing, an enhancement of my Gift, as you know.”

  That was something Adam didn’t know. He knew she was referring to her brain-interface device, the one all Speakers of the Formilian people had embedded under the skin below their right armpit. She and her people referred to the device as a Gift, as in Gift from the Gods, a means for the designated leader of the race to speak directly with the twin gods of Mislin and Sufor, the personification of the negative and positive charges of electromagnetism.

  For two thousand years, the single female daughter of the last Speaker within the Bol bloodline would have the device implanted in their bodies at the age of five. They were then trained on its use, with all believing in the miraculous power the Gift held. Through it, the Speaker could control electronic devices, project bolts of energy and produce amazing light shows from an accumulation of static electricity in the air. Although the Gift was an electronic device, the religion that grew up around it convinced the Formilian people that it was more divine than artificial. That was until the truth came out. Once the general population realized the lie that the priests of the temple had perpetrated on them for two millennia, it nearly destroyed the position of Speaker. Arieel suffered the most, and it was only through her intelligence, poise and determination that the Speaker still remained the leader of the race, although in a greatly diminished role.

  “I don’t understand,” Adam said honestly. “Since when does the Gift work on your hearing?”

  “Upgrades,” she said cryptically. There was a good chance the spy chief knew what she was talking about, but she wasn’t taking any chances. “And now that I know of Mr. Brown’s request, I assume I will be accompanying you on your mission.”

  Adam shook his head. “Why would you assume that? You can’t go, Arieel; it’s too dangerous. Besides, I haven’t even said I will go.”

  “Would you be going there to fight?” Arieel asked.

  “No, just to investigate.”

  “Then where is the danger? And you know what I am capable of. I could help with the investigation.”

  “That’s right,” said Jack Brown, piling on to help convince Adam to take on the mission. “Just find out if the sighting is true. If it is, then I’ll send others to locate the rest of the fleet.”

  “That’s fine,” Adam said. “But you can’t go, Arieel,” Adam said firmly. “That’s final.”

  “It is not final!” One did not say no to Arieel Bol. She was the hereditary leader of a race of beings, born into the position and bred to be in charge. If she wanted something, she usually got it.

  “We need time together, Adam, and if you stay here, there will be constant interruptions. How far is it to this planet you mentioned, Mr. Brown?”

  “Five days.”

  “So, five days to the planet and five back, with a little time for investigation. We can enjoy a private vacation for ten of those days, with nothing to do during the journey other than to enjoy each other’s company. And as I said, I can assist with the investigation. I have resources you no longer have.”

  She was right, Adam conceded. For several years he had an ATD of his own—an artificial telepathy device as he called the Gift. The tiny brain-interface device had saved his life on numerous occasions, especially through its ability to interact with the Formilian control modules built into both MK and Xan-fi energy weapons. And apparently upgrades had been made to the standard model, giving Arieel enhanced hearing, among other yet unknown abilities.

  “Just take a look, Adam,” Jack pleaded. “Then leave the rest to me and my people.”

  Adam sighed. It was hard enough saying no to Arieel. It was a losing cause being tag teamed as he was.

  “Okay, fine, I’ll go—and you can come with me,” he said to Arieel.

  The Formilian threw her voluptuous body against his. He struggled to maintain control in front of his guest. Fortunately, Jack Brown knew when to make a timely exit.

  It still took a day-and-a-half before Adam and Arieel left Navarus, heading out in one of the Formilian EAVs, after Adam wrapped up a few pressing matters before they could go. But as Jack Brown predicted, Adam was already exhausted by the time his vacation began.

  Chapter 4

  Adam watched the planet Arret grow in the viewport, a look of desperate salvation on his face. He was careful not to let Arieel see his expression. At this point, any excuse to get dressed was a blessing. Even with his mutant-enhanced strength and stamina, he needed a break from the near-constant lovemaking the Formilian demanded and investigating the rumor of the black starship was just what his cardiologist prescribed.

  Arret was near the end of the vast stretch of space marked as the Dead Zone. On the charts, it was now designated as DZ-89—the 89th world ravaged by the Mad Aris—and was located close to the border of the Kidis Frontier and the Expansion. Kracion began his reign of death and destruction out near the end of the spar of the galaxy that made up the Kidis, coincidently at the planet Gracilia. He only stopped when the galaxy agreed to acquiesce to his demands: that being the unconditional surrender and almost religious devotion from the inhabitants of the Milky Way Galaxy.

  Being one of the last worlds to be irradiated, there was still a fair amount of radiation lingering on the planet. The colonists working the surface took massive doses of potassium iodide to combat some of the effects of the radiation, as well as living in plastic and lead-lined shelters. While at work dismantling the ghostly remains of the Arretean civilization, the workers wore thin protective garments. Even then, the incidents of cancer were rampant in the population. But not wanting to be left behind by their peers, the native refugee group paid wages well above scale to compensate for the risk. Even so, the raping of the planet Arret was going forward, albeit at a slower pace than the other worlds in the Dead Zone.

  Adam had the location of the colony that reported the sighting, and now he guided the sleek, compact starship to a smooth, yet dusty landing on a field north of the settlement. The ground here was beginning to sprout vegetation, thanks to MK’s fertilizer showers, but not as much as on other planets. That left a lot of the pungent mixture gathering in tiny dunes, mixing with the rain and morning frost to form a smelly muck. They couldn’t pay me enough to work here, Adam thought. It’s amazing what some people will do for money.

  Adam changed into a light radiation suit and placed a respirator over his nose and mouth. The mask wasn’t necessary, at least not if he remained outside for less than five or six hours. At least that was what he was told. But that was to protect against the radiation. The ungodly smell was another thing.

  To his relief, it didn’t take much of an argument to convince Arieel to stay aboard the EAV. One whiff of the outside air was enough. Now, Adam made the short trek through the muddy, shit-covered field to the nearest shelter.

  A door cycled open on the dome-shaped structure and Adam stepped inside. The protective garment he wore was made of clear plastic allowing those inside to see his Enforcer uniform.

  The interior was warm, humid and smelled as bad as the outside air. There were four or five families living in a single room, including six children of various ages. Adam grimaced, thinking about what horrid conditions the families must have been living under to consider life on Arret a step up.

  “You are here because of the black ship? I am Uann Loxs, senior colonist. I made the report.” The speaker was an aged, wrinkle-faced alien with an oozing sore on his emaciated neck. It didn’t look like an injury, but rather a growth of some kind.

  “I’m Marshal Adam Cain. What can you tell me about this ship you saw?”

  The alien frowned. “Are you not the leader of the Enforcers? Why has such an elevated personage come for such a simple report?”

  “I had nothing else to do,” Adam lied. “So, what about the ship? Did you see it personally?”

  The alien waved a bony hand at the rest of the people now gathered before Adam. “We all did. I
t came first to Da’sor. Since then we have seen it in the air coming in from various directions. But always it returns to Da’sor.”

  “What is Da’sor?”

  “It is one of the major research facilities on Arret, not far from here; long since abandoned.”

  “What kind of research?”

  The alien looked at the others. “It is on our list, yet we have not begun the salvage. I believe it was involved in medical research.”

  “And you say the ship keeps returning there? Is it there now?”

  “Anticipating your arrival, we have checked. It is there now.”

  Adam took out a datapad and showed Loxs a picture of the dark energy spacecraft Jack Brown had under his care. “Is this what the ship looks like?”

  “Yes, that is it! We first reported the infringement to our employers. Looters can affect our quota deliveries. If this was to happen, we wanted to have a reason.”

  “What did your employers say?”

  “They said they would report the incursion to you—to the Enforcers. They do not want valuable items removed without their approval. Medical equipment has such value.”

  “Can you tell me where this Da’sor facility is?”

  “Yes. You will need either a transport or your starship. It is on the other side of the city, near the shoreline.”

  Adam produced a map of the area on his datapad. Loxs pointed to a spot. The image enlarged. “The black ship is usually near this building.”

  “And how long has this been going on?” Adam asked.

  “We first noticed the ship forty, forty-two days ago.”

  “And you’re just now getting around to reporting it.”

  “As I said, we reported it to our employers. The delay was theirs, not ours.”

  “And the ship has been coming and going to the same place for all this time?”

  “Yes.”

  “And only one ship? Can you be sure it’s the same one?” Adam asked.

  Loxs’ eyes widened. “I had not thought of that. I suppose it could be multiple ships of the same design. We have not seen such a vessel before. That—and the fact that it was trespassing—is why we made the report.”

  Adam nodded and put away his datapad.

  “Okay, I’ll go take a look. Thanks for your help.”

  Adam left the building, finding that he welcomed the cooler air outside the structure to that of inside the dome. Body odor mixed with the smell of the fertilizer was almost too much to bear. He returned to the EAV, where Arieel insisted he take a shower—environment suit and all—before being allowed to come near her.

  He studied more detailed aerial views of the Da’sor facility, while also researching the company in the Galactic Library. Da’sor specialized in reconstructive tissue research, as well as advance prosthetics. It was what the planet Arret was known for, its advanced medical centers and research facilities. In a galaxy of faster-than-light travel, where alien star systems were treated more like neighborhoods than impossible to reach destinations, planets would specialize in the products and services they provided, more than would isolated, self-contained locations that had to provide everything for a population’s wellbeing. Arret’s claim to fame was their medical technology, and before Kracion made his pass through the area, the planet had a vibrant, relatively wealthy population. Their products and technology were known throughout the galaxy. Or at least they had been until Kracion scorched the surface with deadly neutron radiation.

  Adam lifted the EAV off the surface and placed it in orbit above the Da’sor complex. Then using high resolution cameras, he zoomed in on the location. It didn’t take long to confirm Loxs’ account. The black ship was just where he said it would be. Adam recognized the configuration immediately. It was a Gracilian dark-energy warship.

  “Is that it?” Arieel asked over his shoulder. “Are we going to attack?”

  Adam looked back at her. “No, we’re not going to attack. What’s wrong with you? We came here just to confirm the reports. I’ll let Jack Brown take it from here.”

  “But why is it here? What interest do the Gracilians have with the medical technology of Arret?”

  “I don’t know,” Adam answered. “And we’re not even sure if Gracilians are still in control of the ships. Aris service modules—or at least knock-offs of Aris service modules—are probably piloting the ships.”

  “What is a knock-off?”

  “A copy, not the original.”

  “Then what are knock-offs of Aris service modules doing at the facility? I would say it is not the machines who are interested in Da’sor. This is your opportunity to see who has taken the vessels, who is controlling the modules.”

  Arieel’s eyes were bright with excitement.

  “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Adam asked.

  “The tasks of government can be so boring. I have shared adventures with you before, my lover. They have been the most exciting times of my life. I long for more.”

  “Whoever stole the ship and control the modules killed a hundred mercenaries hired by Aric Jroshin. They’re not to be played with. And if you haven’t noticed, there are only two of us and one EAV.”

  “And there is only one of the black ships. Besides, we are Adam Cain and Arieel Bol. It is those aboard the dark-energy ship who should be frightened.”

  Adam smiled. “You know, you’re going to get us both killed.”

  Arieel leaned in and kissed him hard on the lips. “Then we shall die together, as it was meant to be. What could be more romantic?”

  “How about not dying?” Adam offered. “Just a suggestion.”

  “Come, Adam Cain,” Arieel said as she stepped back. “Let us embark on another great adventure, together.”

  Adam shook his head. “If you weren’t so damn sexy…”

  “You would love me just as much.”

  Chapter 5

  Adam brought the EAV back into the atmosphere after swinging around to the other side of the planet. The sensors were on full alert, just in case there were other dark-energy ships in the vicinity. He then steered back toward the city, coming to a landing on the beach about two miles from the facility.

  He told Arieel they were just going to take a look, not attempt to capture anyone. The Gracilian ships could carry a crew of twenty or more, and although Adam was Adam—and Arieel did have an ATD—that was still a lot of hostiles to go up against. But he had to admit, the question of who stole the warships had been bugging him for over eight months. And the fact that those who did it have remained hidden all this time was another mystery. One does not abscond with six hundred of the most powerful warships in the galaxy and then sit on them. There had to be a purpose behind the theft.

  Against his best wishes, Adam allowed Arieel to come along. He knew how helpful an ATD could be in situations such as this, and there was no one better with the device than Arieel Bol. She got her Gift when she was only five years old. She was now over one hundred ten Formilian years old—about forty-five in Human years—so the brain-interface device was a part of her life. She used it as a person would use their hands, naturally and without forethought. If anything, her special talents could help with a quick getaway.

  Dressed in clear plastic environmental suits and masks, the pair set out for the Da’sor medical complex. Adam was armed with an MK-88 flash pistol and a BAR, just in case. They moved along in the evening light, made deeper by a thick cloud cover. The tide had cleared the sand of any excess fertilizer, which made the area a little more tolerable, helped by a strong sea breeze blowing on shore. It wasn’t particularly cold, but there was moisture in the air, and there was a good chance they would hit rain on the way back to the EAV.

  The complex was bordered by a wire fence, and in the five years the facility sat empty, the buildings suffered more than they normally would have in that time. Although Kracion’s bombs weren’t designed to destroy structures, the deadly radiation still affected the long-term integrity of the buildings. Paint had peeled aw
ay and concrete was crumbling, while asphalt roads and driveways buckled and cracked.

  Although suffering in aesthetics, the complex was still structurally sound. Power had been restored to the facility and dim lights lit the scene, triggered automatically. They came upon the black starship, resting in a courtyard outside one of the larger buildings.

  “Are you picking up anything?” Adam asked Arieel.

  She shook her head. “I detect no charged weapons modules inside nor moving communications units. Most systems are shut down. I believe there is no one onboard. However, there is activity taking place inside the building, the operation of various machinery, computers and monitors, and on multiple levels. It is the only building I sense such activity.”

  Adam was missing his ATD more than ever. Having Arieel here and using hers was good, but it also put her at risk. She wasn’t a combat soldier; not in the least. Her courage was more a product of enthusiasm than skill.

  “And no weapons signatures inside the building either?” Adam asked for confirmation.

  “No weapons. Equipment is activated, but no trace of random movement.”

  “That’s good, although strange. Let’s take a look inside.”

  Adam and Arieel approached the front of the building with caution, using the full dark of night for cover. The twin moons of Arret were obscured by the clouds, and the streetlights and security lamps in the complex did a poor job of illuminating the landscape.

  The building was a five-story structure with only a few windows on the ground floor, however, with rows of ventilation and light-gathering panels along the upper level. It was a typical block-shaped manufacturing facility, and according to Arieel and her Gift, someone was busy making something inside the medical research center.

  There was a main entrance, clearly designated by the pavered approach and the double glass doors leading inside. Emergency lighting lit the lobby. Adam knew not to rely on his sight at this point, trusting in Arieel’s reading of energy signals picked up by her ATD. As expected, the front doors were unlocked. Once inside, it wasn’t difficult to find the entrance to the guts of the building. The soft hum of machinery and the whirling of conveyor belts led the way.