by T. R. Harris
“Would the Gracilians know if we called Jym?”
“They should not, the signal is going in the opposite direction,” Kaylor replied.
“Call him.”
Kaylor made the connection and a few moments later, a groggy-looking Jym was wiping sleep from his eyes and squinting at the screen.
“Some consideration for local time would be appreciated,” he growled.
Sherri moved in front of the camera. “Jym, the Orion has been taken over by the Gracilians and is being taken to the research station outside the galaxy.”
“The Orion—what is that?”
“It’s what Adam is calling the Gracilian ship he’s been using.”
“Why have I not been told of this? We have had prior conversations.” Then Sherri’s words began to sink in. “The Gracilians…their research station…and what of the credits!” The tiny alien was suddenly wide awake.
“They’re on the ship, along with the dark matter collector.”
“They have our money?”
Sherri pursed her lips and gave up. “Yes, they have our money and we need to get it back.”
“The Colony Ship is fully operational and crewed by Formilians. I will set course immediately!” He jumped up from his chair and moved off camera. He returned a moment later. “Do you have the coordinates I can set?”
Sherri gave him the location of the research station.
By then, Jym was beginning to think the operation through a little more. “This Klin ship is large, but it is lightly armed for offensive operations. Yet it does have an exceptional defensive capability if attacked, but not much for attacking.”
“I understand,” Sherri said. “We don’t want to fire on the station anyway—it could set off the dark matter. But there are a number of Gracilian warships in the area. I’m telling you; I’d think twice if I saw a twenty-mile wide spacecraft bearing down on me.”
“Think twice about what?” Jym asked. “Thinking once should be sufficient, if you were thinking of…of what? I don’t understand.”
“That is correct,” Kaylor chimed in. “It seldom makes sense what she—or any of the Humans—say. It is all so confusing.”
“And we have had more experience with Humans than most,” Jym added. “We should be acclimated by now.”
Sherri shook her head at the two aliens and moved on. “How long until you get to the station?” she asked Jym.
“I will have to make exact calculations, but I would estimate thirteen days. Will I get there in time to make a difference?”
“It will take us ten, maybe eleven, so I don’t know. It won’t hurt, though. Just get there as fast as you can.”
It had been three long and frustrating days for the three men aboard the Orion. During that time, they had tried everything to either locate the override program or to circumvent it. Copernicus was a top-notch starship mechanic, but even he was at a loss. The Gracilian systems were proprietary, making most unfamiliar to him. He did the best he could, but to no avail. Now the men sat slumped in chairs on the bridge, recycling ideas off each other.
“The dynamic actuation antenna—” Riyad said.
“No, I tried that already.” Coop responded.
“What about the opion filter? I assume they have one onboard,” Adam offered.
“That would work, but I can’t find it. They’re using an alternative and when I tweaked that, nothing happened.”
“The sigma power module? We just shut the whole thing down,” said Riyad.
“I tried that the first thing,” Copernicus countered. “They have backups with special shielding.” He shook his head. “We’ve tried everything and still we’re screwed. Looks like we’re on this train all the way to Baltimore.” He suddenly sat up straight and stretched out a wide grin.
“What is it?” Adam said, noticing the mechanic’s expression.
“We’ve tried everything to regain control of the ship, right? But what we haven’t tried is gaining control of the engines so we can shut them down.”
“What good would that do?” asked Riyad. “We want to get away, not sit dead in the water. Besides, how would we do that? Like you said, we’ve tried everything.”
“We haven’t tried taking the shielding off the DMC.”
Adam and Riyad saw where Coop was going with this.
“The engines start getting finicky and then peter out,” said Adam.
“Still, we’d be just floating in space.”
“It would give Jym more time to get here,” Coop answered. “Assuming he’s on his way.”
“And Sherri and Kaylor could come in and get us, along with the DMC.” Adam added.
“What about the money?” Riyad asked. “We don’t want to leave it aboard the Orion. We could probably get most of in the saucer, but that would take time for the transfer.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. We’re being controlled by a program. There probably isn’t a Gracilian ship around for a hundred light-years.” Adam was seeing the plan come together. They didn’t need the alien ship to get out of the Frontier, at least not this alien ship.
“If we do this, we can contact Sherri by conventional wormhole comm. They’re only two hours behind us, so there shouldn’t be much of a delay. It’s not affected by dark matter. The MK ship made contact with us that way. There’s also the chance the computer program may not be tracking it, since it’s hardly used anymore.” Coop offered.
“I like it! Great idea,” Adam announced. “What about you, Riyad?”
“As long as we get some of the money. It would be a shame to come all this way and have nothing to show for it.”
They had already contacted Sherri and Kaylor with a one-way traditional comm link. It would take fifteen minutes to reach the Klin saucer. Adam didn’t ask for a reply; that could surely alert the Gracilians if they were in the area. He preferred to play it conservatively.
Copernicus and Riyad were ready to pull the shielding from the dark matter collector. As Sherri and Kaylor drew closer, they would see the stationery starship and move in. After that there would be no going back; the sensors aboard the Orion would pick up the approaching spacecraft and report it to Volic. And if there were any Gracilian ships in the area, they would have to hurry making the transfer and grabbing all the Juireans credits they could.
Just as when Copernicus and Sherri first stole the small Gracilian ship and fled the research station, it took two hours for the unshielded dark matter collector to affect space around them enough for the gravity-well to dissolve. Kaylor was still two hours behind when they came to a stop. Now all they had to do was wait.
The vigil ended not two hours later, but only one. That’s when the huge Gracilian battle cruiser showed up near the Orion. It came as a surprise to the Humans when the massive warship arrived; it was even more of a surprise that the aliens would even have a ship this mean and powerful. They were scientists, not warriors. But as Adam was realizing, there was more to the Gracilians than met the eye.
Adam was hoping Kaylor saw it, too. They were still an hour out, so there was a good chance they could stay hidden.
A few moments later a conventional communication link came through on the bridge of the Orion. It wasn’t from Sherri.
Instead, Volic’s tight-lipped face was on the screen.
“Since your actions have caused the CW comms on your ship to go down, I am routing this link through the Gracilian Destructor Class warship nearby,” said the alien. “Those actions, although clever, were fruitless. I warned you about trying any subterfuge. However, if you return the shielding to the DMC we will proceed as before.”
“Sorry, Volic, but we thought you would say that, so we destroyed it.”
They had. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
The alien’s dark face turned rock-hard. “This is only a delay, Mr. Adam. The Destructor will take the ship in tow using magnetic grapples. The journey will take longer, but you will arrive.”
“I don’t suppose you wo
uld consider just letting us go and you keep the DMC?”
“I might have at one point, but now I wish to see you—and your companions—in person once again. I am working on a new project I believe you will find interesting.”
“Would this new project happen to include the words execution and Humans in it?” Riyad asked.
“You are Mr. Riyad, are you not?” asked Volic. “We have not met, not yet. As to your question, I would like to leave that as a surprise. From what I understand—unlike Gracilians—Humans enjoy surprises. I will test this assumption when you arrive.”
80
Adam had a pretty good idea how fast a Colony Ship could travel, and Copernicus had the location of the research station. With that information, they estimated when Jym would reach the station. Killing the engines made their journey longer, but it was still going to be tight.
When they reached the station, Adam and Riyad crowded the forward viewport for a better look. It was truly huge and shaped like a starfish, with five projecting arms around a round central hub.
Coop had seen about as much of the station as he could stand, so he supplied the narration.
“They do most of the research out on the ends of the arms in case of accidents,” Copernicus explained. “Each section can break away and turn into a little spaceship within seconds if necessary to save the rest of the station, if there’s enough warning. They’re not capable of faster-than-light speed, but they can move pretty quickly under chem power. The Gracilians and Incus do other research here other than just dark matter. But when the collector was found, most of the emphasis switched to that. Administration and living quarters are in the central hub.”
From where Adam stood, he could make out five of the huge warships in the space nearby. Coop had said there were usually a dozen or more around to protect the vital research going on at the station. The other ships were out of visual range, but Coop assured him they were there.
The Orion was nudged into a large hangar bay and then brought under localized gravity. The chamber was sealed and pressurized, after which the ship was surrounded by a number of armed Gracilians. The troops were impressive, proving that not all the natives were scientists. Adam also got the impression the armed troops knew what they were doing.
Adam and the others scanned the weapons outside the ship, and that’s when they got their first surprise. The internal workings of the bolt launchers were invisible to their ATDs, since the components weren’t built by the Formilians. In their quest to become major players in the weapons game, the Incus and Gracilians designed their own controllers and batteries, free of any reliance on the Expansion. The team’s ATD’s were built by Formilians to interact only with Formilian controllers. The alien weapons aboard the station would be active and deadly, and there was nothing the team could do about it.
“Well, we can’t stay in here indefinitely,” Adam announced. “Might as well get it over with.”
“You mean our execution?” Riyad asked.
“Hopefully not,” Adam said. “But in any case, you go first.”
Riyad scratched his forehead…with only his middle finger extended.
The moment they stepped outside the starship, a team of dark-skinned Gracilians rushed in and removed the DMC and the satchel with the individual cube containers. They also brought another shielding grid with them.
Volic arrived a few minutes later.
Adam smiled. “Mission accomplished, Volic. You have the DMC back, so when do I get the other half million credits you owe me?”
“Humans are confusing creatures,” the alien said. “I do not know when you are attempting humor or when you are serious.”
“I was hired to return the DMC. I have returned the DMC. We had a contract.”
“Now I know you are attempting humor.” Volic turned to the guards. “Place them in a secure room in area four. Provide food and treat them with care until you receive new instructions.”
He turned back to Adam. “As you have already surmised, all my prior assurances are not to be honored, yet I see no reason why I cannot offer you and your friends courtesy while in my care. Besides, I have much to reveal to you, events and plans which you may find interesting. But first I must tend to my prize. It has been missing for quite some time. And to you Mr. Copernicus, I say welcome home.”
The three men were taken to a large suite of rooms, tastefully appointed and definitely upscale.
“Is this where you and Sherri lived?” Riyad asked, impressed.
“Hardly, these are VIP accommodations. We were in crew quarters. Fortunately, we had our own compartment, since the natives weren’t anxious to see a couple of Humans humping all the time.”
“Can you blame them?”
“It’s called the porn industry, buddy, and it’s quite popular, if you hadn’t noticed.”
“Not on alien worlds…and between Humans.”
“Knock it off you two,” Adam commanded. “Our delaying tactic worked, so Jym could arrive at any time. We have to be ready when he does.”
“Unlike the weapons, the room locks are standard. They’ll be a piece of cake,” said Coop.
“You did notice that fleet of warships outside?” Riyad asked. “They could be a problem for Jym.”
“I’ve seen a hundred Juirean cruisers attack a single Colony Ship, and it still got away in one piece,” Adam countered.
“Yeah, but that was a CS manned by experienced Klin. Jym has a bunch of rookie Formilians at the controls.”
“I’m actually counting on the intimidation factor more than any real fighting taking place. But still, we have to help in any way we can.”
“What about Sherri and Kaylor?” Copernicus asked.
“I just hope they stay out of the way. There’s not much they can do on their own.”
Sherri and Kaylor had to do something on their own. They couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. The Klin saucer was in dark status and slowly coasting in closer to the massive research station. Sherri and Coop had spent a lot of time studying the facility and planning the best way to pull off the heist of the DMC. That involved gaining access to the device, stealing a starship and then getting away. As a result, she knew some tricks for getting in and out of the station. Whether or not they would work in this instance remained to be seen.
“Their security can’t be as high as it was when they had the DMC,” Sherri said to a skeptical Kaylor.
“Yet they have the device again,” Kaylor countered.
“As of a couple of hours ago. It takes time to make the adjustments. They can’t possibly be expecting someone to try to steal it again.”
“There will be proximity detectors,” Kaylor pointed out. “We cannot get in very close with the Davion.”
“I’ll go over in a spacesuit. I’ll be too small to notice. I need you to stay here and coordinate with Adam. We’ll be in range of the ATDs by then.”
“And what will you do when you get aboard?”
“Save the day, I imagine. That’s what I usually do.”
Two hours later, Kaylor contacted Adam through his ATD.
Adam, can you hear me?
The answer came back a moment later.
Yes! Where are you?
Two hundred thousand miles out and in dark status. We should be within transfer range in three hours.
It’s too dangerous. Stay back. I assume Jym is on the way.
Yes. The last update was four hours ago. He is close…I am sorry Adam; Sherri is speaking in my ear. She wants to know if you are all right and if you know what the Gracilians plan to do with you?
Tell her we’re fine, for the moment. Volic is anxious to give us the nickel tour. We’ll know more when that’s over.
What do you wish us to do?
Just get in close and stand by. We’ll do what we can to give Jym more time to get here.
Sherri is—
Sherri hit the back of the alien’s head, getting his attention. She put a finger to her lips.
“I do not understand.”
“It means be quiet.”
Are you okay, Kaylor?
Yes, Adam. I will stay in touch.
“He’ll get pissed if he knows what I’m planning,” Sherri explained.
“It is risky.”
She smiled. “It will be a surprise.”
81
Riyad and Copernicus were pissed. Apparently they didn’t rate the same attention from Volic as the famous Adam Cain. They were left in the stateroom while Adam was taken away to meet with the Gracilian leader. They could stay in touch with their ATDs, but still they were pissed.
Atop the large globe that made up the hub of the five-finger station was a smaller dome that served as the facility’s control center. Volic was waiting there for Adam.
Guards shackled him in arm restraints but left his legs free. The cuffs were locked with an electronic device, and Adam had to fight off a smile when he detected the Formilian controller inside the lock. So far, the only things not using Formilian technology were the weapons. That was a pretty big deal and something Adam and his team hadn’t seen in a very long time.
“Mr. Adam,” Volic greeted with enthusiasm. “I apologize for not allowing you time to rest, but I assume you had enough during the journey here, after you set aside all your conniving.”
“No problem.” Adam looked around the room and the three-hundred sixty degree view it afforded. “This is very impressive. You must be proud of your station and the work being done here.”
Adam thought of all the SEAL training he had regarding dealing with captive situations such as this. However, the best lesson he’d ever learned came from the old James Bond movie Dr. No. What it taught was to stroke the bad guy’s ego, prompting a detailed tour of the villain’s secret lair so an escape could be planned. It worked every time—at least for Bond, James Bond. Volic seemed anxious to get the game started.