by Gregg Vann
“Or I can take you out of there right now,” Uli threatened. She went over to an equipment tray and picked up an injection kit. A sedative, I surmised.
“I very seriously doubt it, doctor. Now calm yourself before you get hurt.”
{Listen to him, Uli. Don’t let his injuries lull you into a false sense of security. This savage is a killer, and I won’t see you harmed. In any event, I’m sure your scans will confirm that only the Bodhi can undo what they’ve done to me. Despite your considerable skills as a surgeon, even you can’t remove this filth from my body. There is an explosive device installed to prohibit tampering and I can’t find a way to defeat it. This technology is…odd.”
“Perhaps we are not as backward as you’d like, eh Seeris? You Brenin are so arrogant.”
{Don’t delude yourself, Udek. You are all barbarians by our standards}
“Then stay out of the way while this barbarian deals with the marshal and gathers the intelligence he needs. Afterward, we can get off this ship and return to Bodhi Prime…where we can be rid of one another.”
{I will help you complete your mission, Udek. As I said before, I only wish to escape with my sister. But when you’ve finished with your futile, little escapade, then we leave, with Uli. Agreed?}
“Agreed,” I replied.
The enemy of my enemy…
But in this case, both sides were enemies, and I didn’t trust the Bodhi any more than I did the Brenin. But the Bodhi were a known quantity, driven by their archaic religious beliefs—their actions could be predicted based on past behavior. I had no idea what drove these Brenin to act. I examined Seeris’ goals—the ones he’d shared with me anyway—and realized that we were both motivated by self-interest. That was one character trait I did trust. And even though we would do our level best to kill each other in different circumstances, we had no choice but to work together now. I didn’t like it, and neither did he, but if Seeris did anything to jeopardize my mission, he understood that he and Uli would die as well.
“I’ve convinced them that you have something potentially contagious,” Uli said. “But that won’t work forever. We need to do something…now.”
I hopped off the gurney and stood up. “Yes we do, doctor. What’s in that container?” I asked, gesturing at the liquid filled cylinder across the room
“From what they told me, that’s the Obas pilot that attacked your ship. I’ve been ordered to perform some biological experiments on him.”
Uli tossed me a fresh tunic to replace the blood stained one I was wearing. “What type of experiments?” I asked, pulling the new shirt on and fastening the lock strips. “And why bother? The Obas don’t pose a threat to you—or anyone else for that matter.”
{The Obas have many secrets, Udek. And I found one of them. Now that this fleet has my ship, the Saba will learn it as well}
“What secrets? They are weak and inconsequential.”
{Now who is arrogant? The Obas have a massive fleet of warships concealed beneath their oceans. My estimates gauge their strength at just below Udek numbers}
“Impossible,” I said cynically. “The Obas are isolationists. Why build such a fleet and not use it? It makes no sense.”
{Ask the Obas why. But it changes everything}
The communications console beeped urgently and Uli triggered a switch to activate it.
“Doctor Uli, the marshal has been informed of your situation and wants a status report.”
“Please tell him that I have everything under control now and the infirmary will be open again shortly. I have to finish sterilizing it first. Also, let him know that I may not be able to revive the Yano.”
“And the Obas?”
“I’m starting the first experiment now.”
“We have changed course and are heading to the Obas home world, doctor. The marshal wants those results as soon as possible. We have preparations to make.”
“I understand. I’ll forward my findings in the next few hours.”
“See that you do.”
A loud click signaled the end of the conversation.
“We’re heading to Obas,” she repeated.
“They’ve found out about the fleet and are re-tasking to deal with it,” I explained. “They can destroy Bodhi Prime at their leisure, but they can’t leave a fleet that size intact. If the Obas did decide to strike at the Brenin, your armada might find itself flanked—a serious threat that can’t be ignored. That’s assuming, of course, that the Obas really do have as many ships as the Udek, which I still find hard to believe.”
{Believe it, Udek. It’s true}
“Then we need to get there first,” I replied.
{No! We go to Bodhi Prime as planned. I don’t care about you, the Obas, or this fleet. We escape and then return to the Bodhi—so we can rectify the insult those monks have done to my body}
“But if we warn the Obas, they can engage the Brenin fully prepared. If they are as strong as you allege, they may even be able to inflict some serious damage to this fleet.”
{No matter how large their force is, they can’t defeat our shield array}
“Yes…I know.” I made no effort to hide my contempt for the Brenin, or their advanced technology. “But I intend to do something about that problem as well. You can’t control me, Seeris; you know that. You can immobilize this body and get us all killed, but you can’t bend me to your will. We are going to Obas, then on to Bodhi Prime. I want out of here worse than you want me out; don’t doubt my motivation. We will both get what we want…after Obas.”
“And what about this particular Obas?” Uli asked, pointing at the container.
“Experiment away, doctor. They are expecting results from you soon, and sending over some data will keep them from growing suspicious. Besides, that bastard tried to kill me.”
“I see.”
{No. We need him. You forget yourself, Udek. You are in a Brenin body. If you and Uli show up together at Obas, what type of reception do you think you’ll receive?}
“A fatal one,” I agreed reluctantly. “He’s right. We’ll be lucky just to reach orbit in a Brenin ship. And even if they do let us land, as soon as they see us they’ll shoot. They don’t tolerate any visitors, much less Brenin ones. And after catching Seeris spying on them, they are probably more nervous now than ever.”
Uli saw where the conversation was leading. “I’ll wake him,” she said. “Maybe we can come up with some type of mutually beneficial arrangement.”
I walked over and stood with her beside the container, both of us peering inside.
“I’ve never actually met an Obas before,” I said. “This should be…interesting.”
Chapter Eleven
Uli drained the murky liquid from the tank and a distinctly humanoid form grew visible as it settled down to the bottom. When the last of the fluid had trickled off his body— disappearing into a large hole in one of the corners—I got my first good look at the occupant.
I’d seen holos of the Obas before, but they’d always been standing upright and in atmosphere. They were bipeds, slightly smaller than humans, with rough, light-green skin. Their heads appeared over-sized for their bodies, and they had prominent gill slits behind the oval holes that served as ears. It was common knowledge that they could breathe water, but they’d chosen to live in their planet’s oxygen rich atmosphere—building enclaves on the small islands that peppered the mostly water covered world.
Why had this one been immersed, I wondered. I decided to ask Uli.
“The poison I’m supposed to test is waterborne,” she explained. “And the marshal wanted to confirm its efficacy. But to me this trial is rather pointless. This toxin is designed to mutate as it passes through an indigenous, aquatic plant species, transforming itself into an airborne pathogen. Exposure through direct immersion is way outside its dispersal parameters. But I imagine they want to see if there are any collateral lethalities as well.”
“But why even design an agent like that?” I asked. “I
t would be much simpler to just create an airborne poison in the first place and skip the mutation phase.”
“You’d have to ask the bio-weapons section. They’ve been at it for weeks. But they don’t need these tests, it’s unquestionably deadly once it mutates into the final form. I’m sure it will work. They just obtained an unexpected and serendipitous test subject and wanted to take advantage of it.”
She unlocked the seals around the container and lifted the lid. A small amount of water fell to the floor and splashed onto her shoes, but the Obas inside remained motionless. I was watching her examine him when Seeris began to speak.
{What do you know of these Bodhi, Tien?}
Wary of interrupting Uli, I responded in thought. Surely you’ve studied them like you have the rest of us. Why ask me?
{We have. But I’ve been examining this device where your consciousness is stored—trying to fathom its purpose. It has a control mechanism, far more nefarious than anything we employ. According to the programming I can access, there is an override system built into the chamber called a Shepherd Personality. It allows the device to manipulate the individual’s mind when it’s activated. This machine can subvert and control the consciousness stored within it. Do you still wonder why we call you barbaric?}
You don’t seem to be able to control me, except through excruciating pain, and that doesn’t benefit either one of us. You continue to call us all barbaric, but the Bodhi aren’t like the Udek or the Blenej. Or even other humans for that matter. We are all different.
{Yet, as we’ve proven, you all die the same. And I can control you…my body that is. This chamber has created a mechanical bridge between our minds. I can command my own body, but only if you acquiesce}
That won’t happen.
{Nor did I expect it to, savage. It’s a pity that this module wasn’t fully programmed, or I could do as I wish with your mind. As it is, the device simply serves as a conduit for communication}
The sound of coughing brought my attention back to Uli; she was helping the Obas sit up, and it was gasping for air and choking—expelling water with every cough from its gills and mouth.
“Where am I?” it demanded.
Uli handed me the Bodhi translator and I activated it. “On a Brenin ship,” I replied. “Look around Obas; I think it would be obvious.”
“I can’t see…the transition takes a moment.”
His eyes fluttered rapidly, then he spun his head around slowly, taking in his surroundings. I saw him focus in on me first, and then he turned to look at Uli. Before either of us could react, the Obas grabbed a scalpel off a nearby tray and pulled Uli up against his chest, placing the knife at her throat.
“My ship?” he said frantically.
“Destroyed,” I replied. “And you will follow it into nothingness if you don’t let her go.”
The Obas looked scared, but despite my threat, he tightened his grip on Uli. “I don’t think you are in a position to make threats, Brenin.”
“And what position are you in?” I asked. I made a sweeping motion with my arm to indicate the infirmary, but it alluded to the entire Brenin ship as well. “Look around, Obas. You are trapped. You will never make it off this ship.”
“I’ve failed,” he forced out, spitting up some more water. “I must return to Obas and tell them.” His stomach convulsed, and Uli tried to pull away as his grip relaxed. He snapped back upright and regained control of her.
“You are not going anywhere without our help,” I told him.
“And why would you help me?”
“Because nothing here is as it seems.”
{Tell him that you know about the hidden fleet}
“Who’s speaking?” the Obas asked.
“We know your secrets,” I told him. “The fleet at the bottom of the ocean…”
He eased the blade into Uli’s neck, causing a pinpoint of blue blood to ooze out onto the scalpel.
“No!” he yelled. Then more softly, “No…”
“This ship, this armada, is on its way to your planet now,” I said. “To destroy that fleet and enslave your world.”
He looked around the room, examining it in the way a caged animal investigates its enclosure—looking for a way out that didn’t exist. The Obas began to understand the gravity of his situation and realized that he couldn’t fight his way out of it. He took a deep breath and calmed down considerably—yet remained very alert.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“My name is Tien. I am an Udek intelligence officer.”
“But…you…”
“The Bodhi put me in here, temporarily. I’ve infiltrated this ship to find a way past their shields…and to kill the Brenin leader.”
If I was going to bring him around and secure his cooperation, he needed to know the truth—just as I’d demanded from Seeris. There was no need to keep secrets from the Obas anyway; they stood to lose just as much as anyone else in this war. And now that this fleet was headed to their planet, those losses would come sooner rather than later.
“The Bodhi put you in… I suppose that’s possible.” He furrowed his semi-rigid brow, forming a slight depression that made him look less maniacal and more pensive. “I have to warn my people. If we can launch our fleet, we can defend the planet.”
{Another over-optimistic fool} Seeris’ voice blared through the speaker.
“Who is that?” the Obas demanded, looking around for the source of the voice. Then his gaze returned to me. “How do I know I can trust you?”
“You don’t. But just like everyone else in this room, what choice do you have?”
The Obas released Uli and handed her the scalpel. As she darted away from him, he pushed his arms out straight and exhaled forcefully—a steady mist of water flew out of his mouth. I watched his chest expand as he drew in a deep breath of air.
“My name is Boe.” He said. “Well…what do we do now?”
Uli scowled at him and backed away further. “Well, whatever it is, we’d better do it quickly. My quarantine is looking more and more suspicious by the minute. And in an hour or so, the marshal may show up here for treatment…with an entourage.”
“Treatment?” I asked.
“Sometimes he gets hurt while exercising,” she replied, placing the scalpel back on the tray. “Every afternoon, he practices with his Veilcat. And at least twice a week, he stumbles in here with some type of injury—usually a bite, sometimes a claw laceration. Last week, he said my treatments hurt too much, and that he was going to let the creature bite me, so I could understand the pain he went through. Toz is just enough of a monster to actually do it too.”
“What’s a Veilcat?” I said.
{A paired hunting animal. They use their innate mental abilities to connect and bond with a hunter—allowing the two to stalk prey in tandem. It is a vicious combination. The cats can also use their minds to confuse and paralyze quarry, even sentient ones}
“Where does that voice keep coming from?” Boe asked.
Seeris’ words were being broadcast from Uli’s scanner, where they were then picked up by the ambient sensors of the Bodhi translator and converted from Brenin to Standard—just as when Uli and I spoke. But the Obas hadn’t a clue about the source of the third voice. I took a moment to explain what had happened on Bodhi Prime to clear up his confusion. As I spoke, I watched the disbelief on his face turn into understanding…and then revulsion.
“So both of you are in there?” he said, pointing at my body.
“Yes,” I replied brusquely, then turned to Uli. “Doctor, exactly where does the marshal practice with this animal of his?”
“Toz has a private exercise room two decks down. I’ll show you on a map of the ship.”
She walked over to a wall terminal and keyed up a schematic of the large vessel. Just as she’d described, the room was located two decks away—linked by a communal transport network.
{Uli, display the nearest hangar with a scout ship in it}
“I’m not fa
miliar with the ship’s flight complement, Seeris, but I can do a search.” Uli input some data and three similarly sized areas began to flash red on the map.
{There. The closest hangar is five decks up. Memorize the location; I have an idea}
“Then let us all in on it, Seeris,” I said.
{The Obas and Uli will go to the hangar and wait for us—while you and I deal with Marshal Toz. Then we can rejoin them afterward and escape on one of the scout ships}
“How will I get this Obas through the ship?” Uli asked, pointing at Boe and giving him a disgusted look.
“Boe,” he offered defensively. “My name is Boe. And I do apologize for threatening you.”
I looked over at the cylinder he’d come out of and got an idea of my own. “Put him back in that, doctor. Then fill it up with water and push him through the ship. And keep that scanner with you; we can use it to communicate if need be.”
Boe was incredulous. “I’m just supposed to trust you two to put me back in there?”
“You will if you want to live,” I replied. “Or we can leave you here and you can arrange your own way off the ship…and through the Brenin fleet’s security cordon. Oh, and let’s not forget the shield itself.”
“But—”
Uli ignored him. “And what if someone asks me why I’m pushing an Obas prisoner down the corridor?”
{There is a direct tube to that hangar from the station just around the corner, Uli. You shouldn’t have any issues}
“I still need to obtain information about defeating the shield before any of us leave this ship,” I said forcefully, leaving no doubt that my mission still came first. The looks I got from Boe and Uli told me they got the message.
{Marshal Toz has access to every piece of information on this vessel, Udek. We can get it from him}
“Then let’s go,” I replied. “The faster we can get off this ship the better.”
Chapter Twelve
I left Boe and Uli behind in the infirmary to begin their own preparations and stepped out into the hall. Following the doctor’s instructions, the guards had sealed off this area completely; there was no one in sight in either direction. Fortunately, the nearest transport station was less than ten meters away, and fell well within the confines of the cordoned off area. Uli said that no one should be able to exit from that stop due to the quarantine, but I could use one the cars parked there to leave.