Maker found it incredibly frustrating, but occupied himself by keeping an eye on Skullcap. From what he could see, the Vacra leader generally stayed standing in one spot in his cabin, rarely moving. He was so still, in fact, that he could almost have passed for a statue.
The only occasions when Skullcap appeared to move normally were mealtimes. The info on the chip had indicated that the “ambassador” preferred to eat four times per day – roughly every six hours. His sustenance consisted of a gooey gray paste that came in unmarked plastic squeeze tubes, each of which (by Maker’s estimation) held about sixteen ounces. A crate of the tubes had been delivered, which seemed like far more than what was necessary for the mission.
The protocol for Skullcap’s meals was simple: Maker personally delivered the food tubes, carrying them in one hand and holding his sidearm in the other. Somewhat to Maker’s disappointment, the Vacra leader gave him no problems at any juncture. In fact, it wasn’t until they reached the penultimate jump point that he and the insectoid seriously clashed.
They were nearing the end of the first leg of the mission, with one hyperspace jump left, when Maker decided he needed to have a talk with Skullcap. With that in mind, he went to the insectoid’s quarters and – as usual – let himself in unannounced.
Skullcap stood in his usual spot (which was near the far wall opposite the door).
“Maker,” he said. “Your visit is unexpected, as it is not the hour for consumption. Am I to assume we have arrived at the final coordinates I provided?”
“Not quite,” Maker replied. “We have one more hyperspace jump, but I thought I should ask what to expect when we arrive.”
Skullcap’s head moved in an odd whirling fashion, as if he were trying to use it to draw a figure-eight in the air.
“I do not understand the question,” he declared. “We will arrive in a region of space that is devoid of planetary bodies and celestial phenomena. In essence, there is nothing to ‘expect.’ As you have had the coordinates for a reasonable amount of time, surely your people have investigated this.”
“I’m not talking about meteor showers,” Maker retorted, “or a lunar eclipse or anything else you can see. I’m talking about what’s likely to happen.”
“Your query still confuses me.”
“Okay, let’s go with an example,” Maker said. “In the not-too-distant past, you asked to meet with me and a few of my companions under a flag of truce on an uninhabited world. However, you didn’t tell us that there was an anomaly on the planet that would drain the power from our ship’s engines, so when the ceasefire came to an end, we were sitting ducks.”
Maker fought to keep his temper under control. The incident he had just recounted was a perfect example (and needful reminder) of how devious Skullcap truly was, and just thinking about it for too long was enough to make him angry.
Skullcap made an odd breathing sound, then stated, “I recall our prior meeting, and now have a better understanding of your question.”
“Great. So, is there anything we’re unlikely to anticipate but which we should expect after we make this last hyperspace jump?”
“No,” the insectoid assured him. “After the next jump, we will proceed under normal engine power to a nearby star system, where I will initiate the process of returning the articles requested.”
“Okay,” Maker intoned. “What’s involved in this process?”
“In simple terms, I merely have to contact the Vacra currently charged with safeguarding the chattel you desire.”
“At which point you give us our property and then we take you home. Sounds like a plan to me.”
“Indeed. I assume my armor will be brought to me before we arrive?”
“What?” Maker muttered, looking confused.
“My battle armor. You have it, correct?”
“Yes,” Maker admitted, and it was true. One of the things that had been brought to his attention was that Skullcap had been in full battle armor when he was initially picked up. The intent was to return the armor when the insectoid reached his homeworld, and Maker stated as much.
“Unacceptable,” Skullcap said in an unwavering tone. “I will need it in the near future.”
“Frankly speaking, you have a better chance of me giving you a lap dance,” Maker quipped. “There’s no way I’m letting you get decked out in a full suit of battle armor on my watch.”
“I’m afraid it is required if you desire the return of your effects.”
Maker gave him a hard look. “Are you saying we don’t get our tech back if I refuse?”
“No, that is not what I meant to imply. I only meant to stress that I need my armor, and I am asking this as a” – Skullcap spent a moment trying to determine the proper word – “favor.”
Maker snorted in derision. “A favor? That’s something that you ask of a friend, not a foe.”
Skullcap gave him a blatant stare. “I am not your enemy, Maker.”
“Then you must have a twin brother,” Maker scoffed, “because there’s a guy who looks just like you who’s been trying to kill me.”
With that, he turned and left the cabin, without giving the insectoid a chance to reply.
Chapter 42
As Skullcap had assured Maker, nothing untoward happened after the final jump. The Nova and its companion ships dropped out of hyperspace in a region that didn’t seem to represent a danger on any level. Nevertheless, remembering his past experience, Maker was eager to get moving. The problem was, he didn’t know which way to go.
Skullcap had mentioned that they’d be heading to a nearby star system following the last hyperspace jump. However, long-range scans indicated a score of systems that could be their destination – including several with dense interstellar traffic. In short, they were at a juncture that Maker had always known they’d reach, but hadn’t really wanted to admit: they needed Skullcap to direct their course forward.
***
Surprisingly, the Vacra leader was very forthcoming in terms of directions when Maker came to discuss the topic with him, providing coordinates for one of the star systems detected by the Nova’s scans. However, his apparent helpfulness just served to heighten Maker’s suspicions that something dastardly was afoot – especially when Skullcap again pressed the subject of receiving his armor.
“That’s not happening,” Maker declared, shaking his head. “As I said before, giving you battle armor is insane, tantamount to shooting myself in the head.”
“And again, I am not your enemy,” Skullcap insisted. “Moreover, I have kept faith throughout the course of this agreement.”
“Which means absolutely nothing in light of your duplicitous track record.”
The Vacra leader made an unusual sound – like a burp and a hiccup, combined with a sigh – and then lowered his head in a forlorn manner, saying, “It is true that my past behavior was disgraceful, and for that I am ashamed.”
Maker simply stared at him for a moment, caught off-guard by the fact that the insectoid’s statement had sounded sincere. And then he remembered who he was dealing with: a shrewd foe who was also a master tactician. It was probably nothing for him to put on a show of being regretful and contrite.
“Save it for the confessional,” Maker grumbled. “I’m not interested in hearing how remorseful you are. You’re here to serve a specific purpose, and as far as I know, it doesn’t require you to dress up for war.”
“Then I have inadequately explained the sequence of events that needs to occur.”
Maker was nonplussed. “What are you talking about?”
“If I do not receive my armor, I cannot do what you require of me,” Skullcap said plainly. He then began to explain why his armor was imperative.
Chapter 43
Maker had initially planned to have a briefing once they got closer to the star system Skullcap had directed them towards. However, after hearing what the Vacra leader had to say, he pushed up his timetable significantly. Fifteen minutes after speaking with the in
sectoid, he had all his people in the Nova’s conference room.
“All right,” Maker began. “As with most missions, nothing ever goes a hundred percent right, and this one is no exception. Our esteemed guest, who is supposed to be taking us to the tech they lifted, is now saying he can’t hold up his end of the deal without access to his battle armor.”
“That’s a joke, right?” asked Adames. “Why does he need his armor to lead us to what they stole?”
“It’s complicated,” Maker stated. “First and foremost, we’re obviously in an area of space that we know nothing about. According to Skullcap, our current destination is a commerce planet that is frequented by hundreds of species, most of which – if not all – humans have never encountered. Even the Vacra are only familiar with a limited number of them, and although he’s something of a polyglot, our guest says that he needs the translator that’s built into his armor to communicate once we get there.”
“Wait a minute,” Browing interjected. “We have universal translators. Can’t he make use of those instead of what’s in his armor?”
“The term ‘universal translator’ is a bit of a misnomer,” Wayne explained. “What you’re talking about is a device that’s the product of what’s known as the Universal Translation Project, which itself is a joint effort between hundreds of different species, including humans. Basically, all of those races pooled their collective knowledge to create a tool that can translate any one of their languages into any of the others. Moreover, as new species are encountered, their languages are eventually learned and added as well, even if the species themselves don’t officially participate in the project. The end result is an instrument that can translate maybe thousands of languages; however, it’s really not a universal translator.”
“In essence,” summarized Snick, dispensing with his characteristic silence, “any languages that haven’t been added to the translator’s database, so to speak, can’t be translated.”
“Pretty much,” Wayne agreed.
“And you think that’s the case with the planet we’re headed to?” Chantrey asked, directing her question at Maker.
“Truthfully, I don’t know,” he answered. “I mean, this is Skullcap we’re dealing with – duplicity personified. Who knows if he’s telling the truth? He may understand every language spoken in this neck of the woods, but is just looking for an excuse to don his battle suit. However, to be fair, he’s been on his best behavior thus far.”
“Well, we’ll find out soon enough,” Diviana remarked. “There’s a lot of traffic in the system we’re headed to, which means a lot of communications – messages flying back and forth. The bulk of them will probably be shielded, but plenty won’t. Our comm equipment can pick those up, and then it’s just a matter of seeing if our translators can do anything with them.”
“That’s true,” Maker admitted, “but I prefer not having to come up with a plan on the fly if things don’t go our way. I’d rather have some options on the table now – especially since the translator is only half the reason Skullcap wants his armor.”
Surprise registered on everyone’s face, and then Loyola asked, “So what’s the other reason?”
“Basically, he needs it to track down the tech we want back,” Maker replied.
Chapter 44
Maker’s statement was met with stunned silence, and then Browing said, “You’re going to have to explain that.”
“Apparently, we’ve been operating under a false assumption,” Maker replied. “Namely, that Skullcap was leading us directly to the missing tech.”
“So that’s not the case?” asked Chantrey.
“Not quite,” Maker stated. “This system we’re headed to is called H’rkzn.” Maker paused, realizing he’d probably butchered the name (which he’d gotten from Skullcap), then went on. “What we’re actually going there for is a Vacra tracking device. Once activated, it will lead us to the sub rosa tech, but Skullcap claims he needs his armor to interface with it.”
“Hold up,” Adames growled. “So what you’re really saying is that Skullcap doesn’t actually know where the stuff is that he promised us. Moreover, we have to add another leg to the trip and blindly follow him who-knows-where in order to get it, and hope he’s not leading us into a trap.”
Maker nodded. “Aside from the fact that Skullcap also wants to wear his armor the entire time, that pretty much sums it up.”
Diviana shook her head in disbelief. “No offense, el-tee, but this isn’t quite what we signed up for.”
“She has a point,” Snick added. “This is practically the blind leading the blind.”
“You think I’m happy about this?” Maker retorted, speaking to no one in particular. “You don’t think the word ‘Abort’ hasn’t been constantly flitting through my brain, accompanied by alarm bells and flashing lights? That’s why we’re having this discussion – to see if there’s any way to continue going forward with this mission without walking into the lion’s den.”
No one said anything for a few seconds, and then Wayne cleared his throat.
“Ahem,” the young Marine began. “I have a thought. It may not prevent us from walking into the lion’s den, but it can certainly keep us from putting our head in his mouth.”
Chapter 45
As with the listening devices, Wayne had come up with a feasible plan that, in this instance, actually needed very little modification. After getting the buy-in of everyone present, Maker dismissed him with orders to begin implementing his idea.
“Okay,” Maker said, addressing the rest of those present, “assuming Wayne’s idea works, it looks like this mission is going forward. That being the case, we should talk a little about what happens next.”
“I would think that’s pretty basic,” Browing chimed in. “We go in, get this tracking device, and leave.”
Maker nodded. “That’s it in simple terms, but there are things to consider. But before I begin, I need to make it clear that the info being relayed comes courtesy of Skullcap, so who knows how much of it is reliable.”
“Understood,” said Chantrey. “Take it with a grain of salt.”
“Exactly,” Maker stated in agreement. “Now, first and foremost, the cruisers can’t accompany us all the way into the star system. The ruling species won’t allow it, no more than we’d allow alien battleships into the center of Gaian Space.”
There were looks of concerns at this, but no one voiced an opinion or complaint.
“So only the Nova goes in,” Adames summed up. “Then what?”
“We can get close,” Maker noted, “but ultimately we’ll have to take the Nova’s shuttle down to the planet’s surface.”
“What’s the weather like?” asked Loyola.
“Temperate,” Maker responded, “but those going down will wear adjustable-temperature bodysuits.”
“Atmosphere?” queried Snick.
“Breathable, but not ideal,” Maker stated. “Nose filters will probably come in handy.”
“Locals?” Adames inquired.
“The species native to this region are called the H’rkzn’ka,” Maker replied. “They’re friendly, and mostly focus on business and trade. In fact, the entire planetary system is essentially a huge commerce center.”
Browing seemed to reflect on this for a moment before asking, “And the planet we’re interested in?”
“Home to hundreds of sentient species,” Maker said, “most of whom live there in order to be close to the action in terms of business and investing.”
“So it’s an interstellar commercial hub,” Browing concluded. “Much like the historic Wall Street back on Old Earth.”
Maker nodded. “In essence, yes. And speaking of Earth things, it’s worth noting that humans are virtually unknown here, so we may stick out.”
“Good to know,” Diviana acknowledged. “Anything else?”
“Yeah,” Maker muttered a bit forlornly. “No firearms.”
No one immediately spoke, although more than a
few glances were exchanged, which indicated that Maker’s last comment was less than popular.
“Uh, it seems to me that we tried this no-weapons approach before,” Loyola finally said, “and it didn’t work out in our favor.”
“That was on a planet full of criminals,” Maker reminded her, reflecting on the episode in question. “I believe there was concern that we might be bounty hunters, among other things.”
“And how is this different?” asked Snick.
“Because this time we’ll be on a commercial planet,” Maker suggested. “These are business folks. They’re used to solving problems with the pen rather than the sword. Plus, there’s a lot of wealth there, as you might imagine, and it cuts down on the criminal element to ban firearms. Doesn’t mean there aren’t any – just that they’re illegal.”
“Honestly, the more I hear, the less I like this entire thing,” Adames chimed in. “Bearing that in mind, please tell me that you’re about done with this briefing, because I don’t think I can take any more.”
Maker nodded. “That’s about everything, except who’s going down to the planet with me and Skullcap.”
“I volunteer,” Loyola declared, almost before Maker finished speaking.
“I appreciate that,” Maker stated in response, “but I’m afraid I need you to stay on the Nova. I think the people going down with us will be Diviana and Fierce.”
Maker’s statement was met with a horde of frowns and befuddled expressions. Diviana, of course, was an obvious selection given her background in Intel and Special Ops. Fierce, on the other hand, was probably the last person anyone expected to be chosen for something like this.
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