Freedom

by Maureen Toonkel

  “Sir,” said Marlana. “We really appreciate all your help. You are an amazing person and so courageous.”

  “You are the ones that are brave, crawling around in the chimpanzee exhibit.”

  “I am afraid we did not do that good of a job cleaning the area. We left banana peels floating in the pond.”

  Colonel Flax laughed loudly as he led the battered officers out of the Zoo.

  Josh and Keith walked quietly along the hallway leading to the entrance of the main hub of Tradian Central. Opening the door just wide enough to peek in, Josh saw that the area was virtually unoccupied. The ceiling fixtures were turned down, and while the computers still were aglow with lights, no one was monitoring them. Even the aquatic lighting of the giant aquarium was turned off. Apparently Headquarters was shut down for the night. I guess even fish need to sleep, thought Josh as he squinted his eyes trying to survey the dark room. At a small table near the elevator, Josh was able to make out the shape of a sentry guard slouched in a metal folding chair. The guard’s uneven snoring echoed through the spacious room.

  “It looks like we are in luck,” whispered the Captain. “Everyone’s gone home for the night.”

  “I wonder where home is?” questioned Keith. “There must be some living quarters further down this hallway.”

  “That would make sense. Obviously Platt has not been living in his apartment lately, so he must have quarters down here.” Josh opened the door wider. “Shall we enter?”

  They stepped into Tradian Headquarters, treading lightly past the computer banks, the lounge chairs, the aquarium with the sleeping fish, and Chief Monks’ desk. As they approached the snoozing guard, he shifted slightly in his chair. Keith removed his backpack and reached into it. Feeling around with his fingers he withdrew a coil of rope. Coming up behind the sleeping man’s chair, Keith swung the rope over the man’s head and around his throat. The startled guard quickly came alive and grabbed the rope around his neck with both his hands. While he struggled to free himself, Josh patted him down and relieved him of his weapons, a gun and a cattle prod.

  Josh aimed the gun at the guard’s head. Keith lowered the rope from the man’s neck, down to his waist, and tied him to the chair. Once Josh lowered the gun, the man began screaming at the top of his lungs.

  “INTRUDERS!” yelled the guard.

  The Captain raised the gun back up. Keith reached into his backpack, and after feeling around for several seconds he realized the roll of tape was gone. He remembered seeing the bottle of water lying on the ground. The tape must have also rolled off the table. There had been no time to gather stuff up that was scattered around the room. He had grabbed the items still spread out around the downed table and shoved them into his backpack. After taking a quick glance around the spacious area, Keith walked over to Chief Monks’ desk and rummaged through the drawers until he found what he was looking for. It was even better than what he was hoping to find. Instead of cellophane tape or masking tape he found a roll of silver duct tape. Returning to the sentry, he unrolled a hunk of tape and wrapped it around the man’s mouth and around his entire head, coming back to his mouth. Then unwrapping more tape he began securing the man’s arms and waist to the chair. He wrapped tape around the guard’s legs. After unknotting the rope, he wound it back into a coil and returned it to his backpack.

  The Captain stood by watching Hampton at work. Once again he was blown away by the resourcefulness of this very young officer.

  ’“Nice work, Keith. Now let’s get the hell out of here. I am sure someone heard his shout. And I would think that they soon will discover the damage we inflicted to their guest quarters.”

  Keith nodded and trotted over to the elevator. He pushed the button for BRISULA CITY. Nothing happened. The red indicator light for the third floor did not come on.

  “It must be shut down for the night,” said Josh. He turned to the sentry. “Can you turn the power back on?” The man shook his head from side to side. “You can’t or you won’t?” The man again shook his head back and forth. “If we untaped his mouth I am afraid he will start screaming again, and I doubt he will tell us anything anyway.” Josh paused and then said, “Let’s look for the power source.”

  The two officers began looking at the walls surrounding the elevator. Keith removed a flashlight from his backpack and shone it up and down as he walked along the walls.

  “I found it,” he shouted excitedly.

  “Quiet,” whispered Josh coming over to Keith.

  “Sorry, sir,” Keith whispered back. He then lifted his flashlight and aimed it at a small, metal door with black letters glued on, spelling ELEVATOR. It was locked. Keith handed the flashlight to the Captain and felt in his pack for the lock pick. Working as quickly as he could, Keith deftly worked the pick, and the little door sprung open. He reached in and flipped the rocker switch to the up position. Immediately they could hear the whir as the elevator motors fired up.

  Keith again pressed the up button for BRISULA CITY. As they waited for the doors to open a commotion broke out at the far end of the hub. Josh was still holding the flashlight, and now he pointed it to the source of the commotion. Several people were rushing through the door that led to the hallway where the Gladiator officers were imprisoned.

  “C’mon,” said Josh, talking to the elevator and pushing repeatedly on the button as if that would make the elevator come more quickly. The crowd was rapidly approaching. Keith raised his gun. Josh pressed the up button with all his might and held it in place. Miraculously the doors opened. They jumped in and Josh pushed the close button. The heavy doors slammed shut. They could hear pounding on the outside doors as the elevator slowly rose. It stopped at Floor 2, SEWER. The Captain grabbed his Lieutenant’s arm and pulled him off the elevator.

  “We need to hide out for a while. There’s more places to hide here in the sewer than Platt’s apartment,” explained Josh.

  “You mean the apple barrels again?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  June 25, 2300 Hours

  Commander Andrews tried lifting his right foot. It felt like he had fifty pound lead weights tied around his ankles. He stopped trying and instead stood frozen on the tunnel path. I cannot take another step.

  “Is there somewhere we can rest for a little bit?” called out Andrews. Colonel Flax and Dr. Berg were several paces ahead. They halted and turned around to see Andrews standing motionless. They walked back to the Commander.

  “Are you OK?” questioned the doctor with concern in her voice. “You are sweating profusely.” She reached up and felt his forehead. “You have a fever.”

  “I’ll be fine. I just need to rest for a few minutes.”

  “You need more than rest. You need a complete examination and you need some medication to break the fever. You also need a shot of Energizerize and—”

  Dave Andrews was grinning as he interrupted her. “Unfortunately, doctor, none of that is available right now so just plain rest will have to do.”

  Colonel Flax spoke up. “We cannot stand here too much longer. We are too exposed. I will need to find a hiding place. Sadly, it is night so most places are locked till morning. We are only a short distance from my apartment. That may be our only choice. Come.”

  “But what about your wife?” asked Marlana. “Most likely she will summon the authorities again.”

  “Gina will not be able to contact anyone until morning, and by then we will be gone on our way.” The Colonel held out his arm pointing in the opposite way from which they had been traveling. Marlana put her arm around Dave’s waist and helped him limp back down the J Lane. After walking several yards, they crossed the 7 Passageway and continued down the J Lane until they reached the hallway for the 600 apartments.

  The Colonel cautiously opened the door to his dwelling and ushered the two officers in. “Follow me,” he whispered. He led them along the hallway, the one that they had been down before when they met at his office. This time the
y passed the office and the two bedrooms. At the end of the hallway was a wooden door with a brass knob handle. Flax twisted the handle and slowly jerked open the door. When they were in the apartment previously Dave had assumed this was a closet. Now he saw that it was a very small bedroom. Lying on a small cot in the center of this closet was Salton. He threw back the thin blanket he had been snuggled under and quickly sat up.

  “Sir?” questioned Salton.

  “Quiet,” said Flax softly. “Commander Andrews needs to rest.” He nodded and held out his arm. “Please.”

  “What?” Salton looked puzzled for a moment but then said, “Oh, yes. Of course.” He scrambled out of bed and gestured for Dave to take possession. As Marlana Berg helped Dave to get settled in, something came out from under the cot and rubbed against her left calf. She heard a soft cry.

  “Penelope,” she exclaimed excitedly as she reached down to scoop up her loyal pet feline. Penelope responded by purring loudly and rubbing her head across Marlana’s cheeks.

  “We need to remain quiet,” Flax reminded the doctor. “You and Commander Andrews can rest here. Salton can see to your needs. I will be back in a few hours and we can continue to our destination. With any luck we can sneak out before Gina discovers that you are here.” He turned to Salton and told him to get some water and bread for the officers. Opening the door carefully, he checked the hallway, and seeing no one, he headed out.

  Dave was thankful to be able to lie down and stretch out on the cot. After sleeping on hay and concrete for the past couple of nights, it felt like heaven to be on a bed and under a blanket, even if this tiny bed was lumpy and the blanket was threadbare. Salton brought him a glass of water and offered him a slice of bread. He gulped down the water but shook his head to the bread. Before drifting off he saw Marlana sitting on the floor, chewing on the bread, and stroking Penelope who was curled up in her lap.

  Dennis crawled out from under the helm and stood up. He stretched his arms straight up above his head and shrugged his shoulders trying to get the kinks out. For the past three hours he had been on his knees hooking up his timing device, perfecting its functioning, and monitoring the suction as it powered up to maximum capability. Earlier in the day he had disengaged the sprayers and connected the liquid collection bags to the outer hitches on the side of the ship.

  Things were as good as they were going to be given the short amount of time he had had to design the suction device. Under normal circumstances he would not sign off on such a crude and quickly put together mechanism. He would demand umpteen testing and modifications until it was absolutely flawless. Yes, he thought, I guess I am a perfectionist when it comes to anything mechanical. Engines, space pods, life support systems, and even a timer.

  “Looks like everything is in place,” he announced to the others on the Bridge. “It’s time to launch Project Melt.” All Bridge functions were being carried out by a partial Bridge crew consisting only of Jackson Greene, Bonnie Shea, Diane Pearson, and himself. He had dismissed everyone else.

  Dennis flipped on the intercom switch located on the console where Keith Hampton usually sat.

  “Attention, Gladiator crew. As announced earlier we are all in for a special treat tonight. Ensign Kyung Ahn will be giving a piano concert in the Leisure Deck. All off-duty and non-essential personnel are invited to attend. For those who cannot attend in person, the concert will be broadcast live throughout the ship. The performance is scheduled to begin in ten minutes.”

  Dennis had approached Ensign Ahn earlier in the evening and convinced him to put on this performance. Ahn at first was a bit hesitant as he was still nursing an injured finger. He did not want to cause any permanent damage by over using his finger playing piano for a couple of hours. Pearson called Dr. Carter in to consult. The doctor came up with a flexible finger brace that would allow Ahn to play the piano without putting undue stress on the healing finger.

  Jackson Greene went over the procedure they were planning to use while they waited for the concert to begin. And then it was time. Ben Rubin’s voice came over the ship-wide intercom, introducing Kyung Ahn. There was loud applause followed by a lively rendition of The Maple Leaf Rag.

  Lieutenant Commander Pearson tapped Jackson on the shoulder. The warrant officer began depressing and turning buttons and switches. The timer began ticking and the sprayers kicked into action. The Gladiator vibrated in time with the sprayers.

  Watching out the huge portal, Dennis could see the hot steaming liquid enter into space. The once invisible force field was now turning into a massive rainfall. It was an amazing sight. Once the sprayers shut off, and Dennis confirmed that the force field had been completely melted, the suction was turned on. A loud hum filled the air, and the vibrations increased in intensity. The hum was drowned out by the spirited melody of The Beer Barrel Polka and the voices of the crew as they sang along with the music. With the rocking of the Leisure Deck, the sucking vibrations were nicely being absorbed.

  Everything was going just as planned. Dennis crossed his fingers as the final round of suction began. They were so close. He was sure something was going to go wrong. It only seemed natural. But to his great relief nothing did go wrong. Finally something was working in his favor.

  Since most of the force field was melted and the liquid absorbed, the suction device could be decreased to its minimum setting allowing it to continue to suck up any remaining liquid for the next three hours. Just as the suction mechanism was turned down, a tremendous round of applause blasted through the intercom. Kyung Ahn had completed his concert. It was 0100.

  Dennis got on the intercom. “Thank you, Ensign Ahn. That was awesome. The following personnel need to report to the Conveyor Port at 0400: Jackson Greene, Ben Rubin, Bonnie Shea, Neil Chase, and Amanda Rugan. All backup Bridge crew please report to the Bridge.”

  “Diane, you have the conn,” Dennis said. Then turning to Bonnie Shea and Jackson Greene he added. “Let’s go find the Captain.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  June 26, 0100 Hours

  She looked up and her eyes met his. He smiled and slowly nodded his head. Then he withdrew one arm from around her shoulder, reached up, and began lightly stroking her silky, blonde hair. She smiled back and closed her eyes. I wish I could freeze time so that I can stay here in this exact position forever. This was one of the greatest nights of her life. She had spent the last few hours curled up in the arms of the only man she had ever truly loved. They had hugged and kissed while listening to the music flowing through the intercom mounted on the wall above where they were lying. She particularly enjoyed the soothing melodies of the old-time love songs like Sometimes When We Touch.That one gave her goose bumps, especially when her lover ran his fingers down her backside. After the music ended, they had lain silently on the cot gazing into each other’s eyes, neither wanting to say or do anything to break the magical spell they were under.

  “I suppose it is time for you to go,” whispered Paul Loring.

  “But I don’t want to,” Amanda Rugan whispered back. Why must this end?

  “Duty calls, my sweet Amanda.” He gently nudged her off his chest and into a sitting position. “You don’t want to be late and have your friend Dr. Carter a-come-a-looking for you.”

  Amanda looked at the mischievous grin on Paul’s face and her heart skipped several beats. How am I ever going to say goodbye to Paul? He’ll be going to prison soon and it may be years before I ever see him again. In all probability I will never see him again. She sighed.

  “My friend, ha! I can do without friends like him.” They both giggled. “However, you are right. I have been summoned to the Conveyer Port, although I can’t imagine why. Do you think we are going on a mission?”

  “It seems rather late for that,” answered Paul. “Most likely the landing party is returning and they need you to look them over for any injuries or other concerns.”

  “You are probably correct. But I wonder why Dr. Carter was not called.”

  Paul leaned o
ver and kissed her on her forehead. “Possibly because Dennis Pearson has more confidence in you than the new doctor. Now you must go.” He reached up and pressed a button on the intercom. “Guard,” he said into the tiny microphone.

  Seaman Chase appeared at the cell door almost instantly.

  “I was just on my way to retrieve you, Nurse Rugan,” he announced. “It appears that we have both been commanded to report to the Conveyor Port.” He held the door open. Amanda stepped out and Seaman Chase relocked the cell. “We can go together.”

  Captain Joshua Stoner lifted the barrel lid so that there was a narrow crack that he was able to peer through. The area looked deserted. He placed an ear against the crack. He heard nothing. Taking a final bite from a juicy apple, he dropped the uneaten part, freeing both his hands so he could pop off the lid and climb out. Walking gingerly on his numb and stinging feet, he reached the barrel that Lieutenant Hampton was hiding in. He lifted the lid and stuck his hand in. Keith grabbed on and hoisted himself up. The two officers stretched and shook their legs and arms while walking in circles trying to alleviate the numbness.

  “Did you have a good supper?” Josh asked as he swung his neck back and forth trying to get the kinks out.

  “Yes,” answered Keith. “I don’t want to ever see another apple.” He didn’t dare tell the Captain that after eating a few of the apples, he had felt quite ill. He seemed to be burning up but freezing at the same time.

  “I know what you mean,” agreed the Captain. I wonder how Hampton is feeling, he thought. Is he as sick as I am? I ache all over, and I am sweating like a pig. But if I ask him, he would never tell me he was ill. I wish he would realize that he does not have to continue to impress me. I already find him to be a remarkable officer and a valuable asset to both me and the UGC.