by T. R. Harris
When all the security cameras went dark throughout the complex, it didn’t take a genius—alien or otherwise—to realize something was up. Alarms sounded and armed guards ran for their emergency posts, with several dispatched to check on the prisoners.
Tidus had been resting on his bed, bored and barely able to keep his eyes open. He’d been locked away by himself and in the two days since they’d arrived, he hadn’t spoken with anyone, not even the guards. They fed him, but otherwise he was a non-entity.
But when the alarms sounded, he snapped into action. Which meant he sat up on the too-small bed and looked around the tiny room.
Then the door slid open and Riyad appeared, with Sherri and Copernicus anxiously waiting in the anteroom.
“Grab your gear; we’re leaving,” Riyad called to the bewildered Juirean.
“How…where?” Tidus asked, although he was already on the move. Everything he had with him he was wearing, including his shoes.
“Follow us.”
In the hallway, the three Humans and one Juirean raced down a narrow corridor cut through the rock. At a point, they met a small squad of guards made up of a variety of races. They leveled their flash weapons at the team. Tidus ducked for cover; however, the brazen Humans continued their headlong rush toward the guards, plowing into them a moment later. The Cartel members were perplexed, looking at their faulty weapons with disbelief. With Human strength and quickness, the five guards were laid out on the cold, moist floor from a flurry of fists and kicks. Sherri even squealed once with joy.
Tidus regained his feet and hurried after the others. He stepped around the unconscious pile of sentries, careful not to slip on the small pool of blood already gathering around the bodies.
“Hurry up, Tidus,” Sherri called out. “Or we’ll leave you behind.”
The tall alien quickened his pace.
Adam could sympathize with the guards he and Arieel met. Most soldiers rely heavily upon their weapons in a time of battle. And when those weapons fail to function for no good reason, most other concerns fade away, at least for the briefest of moments. Adam landed a solid right cross to the head of the nearest guard, who didn’t see it coming as he was looking at his quiet flash weapon instead. Adam did most of the fighting along the way, even as Arieel would occasionally throw a shoulder into a confused guard. All this did was tee the alien up for a hit from the Human.
Adam was disappointed when the pair reached the inner airlock door to the complex. It had been a while since he’d felt the joy of his fists meeting pliable alien flesh. He didn’t want it to end.
The door opened and the pair rushed inside, closing the pressure barrier behind them. The chamber was crowded. The rest of the team was there, too.
“Get the damn thing cycling!” Adam ordered.
“We’ve tried,” Sherri yelled back. “It won’t open.”
Then a loud click came through the inner door.
Adam turned and attempted to open it. It wouldn’t budge. He scanned the locking mechanism with his ATD. The circuits were off; it should be free to open.
“Predictable,” said an echoing voice through hidden speakers. It was Frandon G’Bur. “Do not attempt to open the doors. I have placed mechanical locks on them, avoiding the electronic controls you can apparently manipulate.” The voice laughed. “I spent many a standard hour surveying the recordings from when my friend Copernicus and Sherri Valentine stole back the dark matter collector and escaped from the top of my headquarters. I do not know how, but you were able to disarm my guards and negate the electronics within the room. I figured you would try something like that here. Hence, the mechanical devices.”
“Can’t blame us for trying,” Copernicus said to the phantom presence of his old associate.
“I cannot blame you, but I do not have to tolerate such action either. You have killed six of my crew and injured several others. And since you have the ability to turn flash weapons into useless plastic, I cannot even have my guards escort you back to your cells. Instead, I will have to apply the gas and then have you carried to your chambers, after which the same mechanical locks will be placed on the doors. You frighten me,” Frandon continued. “Not only the doors and weapons, but the security systems of the complex. I will have to learn the secrets of these feats. Until then, reflect on the situation you are in. I anticipated your actions and found an effective counter. It will be the same with the mutants…when they arrive.”
“How do you even know they will show up?” Arieel barked out.
“I am aware of the efforts taking place aboard your Klin Colony Ship, your attempts to contact them. I have similarly begun extensive efforts, using the vast network of the Gradis Cartel and our affiliates. If the mutants are within the galaxy, they will learn of your capture and even the location.”
“They’ll know it’s a trap,” Adam said.
“Of course. Yet they are Panur and Lila Bol. Their arrogance will overcome any caution. Now, prepare yourselves. I am applying the gas….”
Well hell, Adam thought. That didn’t work.
He and Arieel were back in their cell. They’d tested the door circuits and found them deactivated, but still the panel wouldn’t budge. What good is having control over electronic equipment when the enemy was using what were essentially Master locks on everything?
This also added credence to Adam’s belief that Frandon might be able to force the mutants to work for him. And afterwards? Both Panur and Lila were immortal, which meant they couldn’t die. But they could be subdued, frozen and then locked away forever. Or thrown into a star, to forever regenerate to keep from turning to ash. But then they’d be preoccupied for the foreseeable future. Frandon could achieve his goal, and then make the mutants a non-issue, at least for the remainder of his natural life.
“Adam, I am worried,” Arieel said aloud. It didn’t make much sense to keep their personal conversations hidden any longer. Frandon was in charge, and he knew it. Let the prisoners whine about their situation all they want. It wouldn’t make a difference.
“All we can hope for now is that Panur and Lila are off in some distant universe and won’t show up…ever,” Adam said.
That didn’t help. He noticed Arieel shiver. That would mean she’d never see her daughter—their daughter—again, even if that was the only thing that could save her life. Still, it was hard for Arieel to accept.
What followed were two weeks of depressing monotony. None of the team members gave up completely; it was just that they were out of ideas. Unless the Cartel guards made some kind of mistake, there was no opportunity for the team to act. And the sentries had been warned about too much—or any—interaction with the prisoners. The opaque window remained a barrier to the outside world. During those fourteen days, they neither saw nor heard another creature, just the occasional appearance of their meals at the small portal in the rock wall.
Adam had just finished a vigorous workout, something he did quite often these days to pass the time. Arieel was genetically pre-disposed to a perfect figure, so she didn’t bother. Instead, she and Sherri spent hours speaking through their ATDs. About what, Adam couldn’t imagine. But she was also doing something constructive, helping all of them learn how to use their interface devices better. Even Coop was coming around. It may all be for naught, but it did occupy their minds.
And then the inevitable happened.
It began with a slight twinge in Adam’s mind. Arieel was alerted at the same time, sitting up on the bed, her eyes wide.
Stay cool, Adam warned mentally. The Cartel may not know they’re here.
They already know, Arieel said.
Hello, father.
Adam was stunned by the intense emotions he felt at the moment Lila made mental contact with him. This was more than a basic link, something that went beyond the fact that she was an immortal mutant of incredible power. This was his daughter; she was part of him and he a part of her.
Lila had the unique ability to communicate with ATD-equipped
entities, even though she did not possess one herself. It was simply a matter of syncing with the signal, she told them when her talent became known. Easy for her, but even Panur wasn’t able to do it.
It’s a trap, Lila, Arieel called out. Please stay away.
We cannot, and knowing it is a trap will give us the advantage. Please trust in me, mother.
I worry for you.
Adam could sense the laugh in Lila’s mind.
Worry not. We are quite capable. I have located you within the complex. Panur and I will be there soon.
The contact broke. Adam had no idea how far away the mutants were, having no concept of the range of Lila’s telepathic abilities. Even so, he sensed they were close. There would be no need to make contact this soon if they were still days away. Lila had alerted them for a reason.
Heads up, Adam called out to the others. Lila and Panur are coming. Whatever’s going to happen, we won’t have to wait much longer.
An hour later alarms sounded once again in the underground complex. But unlike before, no guards came running. The security cameras were working again and Adam and Arieel scanned the various views for any appearance of the mutants.
An external view showed the glowing egg-shape of Panur’s trans-dimensional starship as it set down on the level ground outside the main airlock to the base. Dust swirled in what Adam could now tell was a thin atmosphere. Upon landing, the bright white egg split apart at a centerline and the two familiar figures exited the vehicle. No matter what the atmosphere consisted of, it didn’t affect the them. Their systems didn’t rely on breathable air to survive, although their bodies went through the motions as if they did. They approached the security door and it opened for them in perfect timing to their stride.
It was eerie watching their progress. No opposition showed itself. In Adam’s opinion, it would have made more sense to at least put up the pretense of resistance. Opening the doors and letting the mutants just waltz in was too obvious. It was not as if they would be allowed to free the prisoners without so much as a “Hey, stop!”
When they reached the outer room to Adam and Arieel’s cell, the opaque screen blinked off and the four of them were standing only inches apart, separated by the thick, plastic-infused glass wall.
“I wish you had not come,” Arieel said. There was no feeling of joyous homecoming shared between mother and daughter.
The four-foot tall, grey-skinned Panur eyed Adam with a thin grin on his featureless face. “I see you are doing well.” He surveyed the glass, running his hand along the smooth surface.
“They have knock-out gas and a freezing agent in the ceiling here, in case you may want to break us out. I don’t think that would be a wise decision.”
“As you are probably aware, Lila maintains a psychic link with her daughter; I do not believe that feature extends to you. It is recommended that if you are to continue getting yourself in trouble that you remain close to Arieel.”
“Very funny, as usual.”
“Now, which of you would care to tell us what this is all about?” Panur asked. “The galaxy is abuzz with news of your capture. It was obvious someone wanted us to know.”
“It was I who put out the message,” said a voice through overhead speakers.
“And who are you?”
“I am Frandon G’Bur, the current administrator of the Gradis Cartel.”
“Then I recommend you free my friends immediately,” Panur said ominously. “If you do, I may choose to forgive your actions.”
“I am afraid that will not happen, at least not right away. However, their final disposition will be greatly influence by the decisions you make over the next few minutes.”
Lila looked at the nearest security camera. “You do know who we are?”
“Of course; there are few in the galaxy who do not.”
“Then you know you are putting yourself at great jeopardy with your actions. This is my mother and father. I will not be as forgiving as Panur if any harm should come to them.”
“As I said, that will be up to you.”
“What is it you want?”
“Your help.”
“Our help?” Panur questioned. “In what way?”
“I would be happy to explain…in due time.”
An intense spray of white liquid shot from the ceiling and burst up from the floor outside the cell. Arieel fell against the glass, and then quickly recoiled from the intense cold transferring through the material. The cloud obscured Adam’s view, filling the outer room in its freezing rain. Wisps of gas remained for a few minutes before dissipating on their own. By then, workers in protective gear had entered the anteroom, several armed with additional canisters of the freezing agent, nozzles aimed at the now inert pair of mutants.
Lila and Panur were white with a coating of frost, and their clothing clung to their bodies like strait jackets. The workers wheeled in two large metal containers that split open on the sides. The Cartel soldiers lifted the frozen bodies from the floor and placed them upright in the containers before closing them, leaving only their heads protruding from a round opening on top. Then control panels on the boxes were activated and lights lit up.
Only at this time did Frandon G’Bur reveal himself. He walked up to the two silver boxes, nodding slightly as he surveyed the culmination of this phase of his plan.
“How are you going to get them to work for you when you have them locked in those containers?” Adam asked.
“This is only a precaution,” Frandon answered. “An opportunity for me to provide a full explanation of the situation without them reacting prematurely. Once they see the futility in resisting, then I will release them, or more correctly, one of them. It is my understanding that Panur is quite capable of fixing the trans-dimensional portal on his own. Having Lila with me will provide even more incentive for him to complete his task.”
“You just keep digging the hole deeper and deeper, don’t you, asshole?”
Frandon frowned. “I do not understand the comment.”
“It means you’re getting yourself into more and more trouble,” Adam explained. “Panur and Lila are the two most powerful beings in the galaxy, and you keep making them madder. You may think you have all the answers, but it’s what you can’t think of that’s going to come back and bite you.”
Frandon stepped up to the glass. “You seem to not realize, but I am a fairly intelligent creature myself. I welcome the challenge, the challenge of subduing these powerful beings and making them do as I wish. This adds excitement to my life. It is the ultimate contest against the ultimate opponents. And then when I include you Humans in the equation, it becomes even more challenging. Just think, in one operation I will have beaten all of you. It is a stimulating experience, and one I do not regret. And the fear I have…that only inspires me more.”
Adam didn’t have much to say after that. Taunting the alien would only give him more of a thrill. And reminding him of the danger, well that was like sex to him.
Frandon turned back to the silver boxes. Panur and Lila’s frozen heads were steaming now as they slowly thawed. Adam could see what the Cartel boss was doing. The bodies would remain in a near frozen state within the containers and able to be refrozen at a moment’s notice. From past experience, Adam knew they were still conscious within their frozen shells. At some point they would regain the ability to communicate. That would be when Frandon would explain the task Panur was to accomplish if he was to save his friends and Lila.
For an alien—as well as a mere mortal—Frandon G’Bur did seem to be holding all the cards.
94
Frandon left the chamber as the mutants thawed. He left the containers outside the cell and the wall transparent, allowing Arieel to be tortured by the spectacle of the frozen head of her daughter projecting from the box. Lila’s static features made her look dead, and Adam had to keep reminding Arieel that she wasn’t.
He communicated with the rest of the team to give them the bad news. Although no one sai
d it, this made their status that much more precarious. It would be Adam and Arieel—and now Lila—who would force Panur to work for the Cartel. Having the others around was just more threat and more mouths to feed. At some point, Frandon would eliminate both the threat and the expense.
Panur was the first to thaw out. Adam thought it strange to think in those terms, but he’d seen the mutant go through the process before. Now he twisted his head around until his eyes fell upon Lila’s frozen features. He glared hard at her, his round black orbs unblinking, his thin mouth unmoving.
“She’s all right,” Adam offered.
“I know,” said Panur softly. “It is the manner in which she’s being treated that pisses me off so much.”
Panur was a five-thousand-year-old mutant genius who was very familiar with Humans and their manner of speech. Although a lot of species criticized the way Humans spoke, many had adopted some of their more colorful phrases. Panur was no exception.
“I will ask you, Adam, what does this Frandon G’Bur want with us?”
“He wants you to repair a TD-portal and then go rescue some prospector who’s been trapped in another universe.”
Now the mutant blinked. He may have already come up with a thousand scenarios for why this was happening, but this seemed to catch him off guard.
“And they seek to force me to do this? Would it have been easier just to ask?”
“Yeah, no shit,” said Adam. “This whole thing seems a lot more complicated than it had to be.”
“Mother!” Lila called out. All eyes turned to her as Arieel rushed to the window.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes.” Lila moved her head, surveying what she could see of her tiny prison and then to Panur. “Strange, yet effective.”
“I agree.” Panur twisted his head toward Adam again. “Our captor will soon return, after which we’ll all get the full skinny. What do you know of him?”