by T. R. Harris
Or maybe he was just being a dick, killing living beings because he could. After all, why would an inanimate object like an ancient Aris service module care about living creatures?
And now the two senior military commanders in the area were attempting to anticipate Kanan’s next move.
As Adam scanned the worried faces of those in the command center, he knew that brute force wouldn’t be enough to defeat Kanan, at least not until nearly the entire combined fleets of the Orion-Cygnus Union and the Juirean Expansion were sacrificed to the cause. Instead, technology would defeat Kanan and his deadly service module army, technology which hopefully the mutant geniuses Panur and Lila could devise. And that was only if Kanan would give them time to come up with something, before the genius-in-his-own-right Kanan came up with something of his own.
Chapter 2
A depressed Adam Cain and Copernicus Smith left the command center and went to join Panur in one of the nondescript rooms where the first interrogation of the traitorous Gracilian scientists would take place. As they entered, they found the tiny grey mutant sitting at a table where a pair of small half domes made of wire mesh rested. Adam frowned at the odd contraptions as he and Coop took seats on Panur’s side of the table.
Coop insisted on attending the meeting, becoming angrier and more agitated the closer they got to the building and the interrogation session. Coop’s emotional state had to come from guilt, Adam reasoned, since it was Coop who brought the two scientists to Navarus in the first place. Not only that, but Copernicus also helped the Gracilian bigwig Aric Jroshin escape from prison, setting this whole series of unfortunate events in motion. And now the scientists had conspired with Kanan, convincing Adam and Coop that they had a way of containing the deadly service orb. Coop wanted answers, and he wasn’t shy in letting it be known he’d do anything necessary to get them.
Adam didn’t get a chance to ask about the wire domes before the two Gracilian scientists—Vodenik and Kovach—were led into the room under the watchful eye of two Marine guards.
The mutant turned his attention to the two scared scientists. Like nearly everyone else in the galaxy, they knew of Panur; the Milky Way was rife with stories of the mutant superbeing, some true, most exaggerations. But it was obvious that his reputation—as well as his subsequent actions in the launch bay of the Gracilian dark-energy ship—had made an impression on the scientists. The Marines forced the pair down onto chairs on the opposite side of the table. The aliens trembled with nervous energy.
“I want you to put these on,” Panur said abruptly, pushing the two wire caps closer to the aliens. They eyed them with fear and apprehension.
“What are they?” Vodenik asked.
“Just a means for me to extract the information I need from your minds,” Panur answered nonchalantly.
“What information?” Kovach inquired.
Panur shrugged. “Why, everything, of course. We seek all you know about Kanan and his plans. You were his accomplices, helping not only with the construction of the new service modules, but also the dark-energy starships. And now you’ve been complicit in his coming to Navarus and the near death of my friends. You knew he was coming and we want to know why. With these caps I will have direct access to your brains and will be able to extract all the information I need.” Panur smiled.
Kovach’s dark eyes were wide with terror as he stared at the wire skull caps. “There is no need for such methods. We will tell you what you wish to know!”
Panur shook his head. “You say that now, yet I’m afraid you won’t. Besides, this method is much simpler and more thorough. Through my technique, I will extract all your memories, leaving nothing hidden, nothing forgotten. And once they are in my head, I can browse through them at my leisure, pulling out only what I need and discarding the rest. It is the most efficient means I can think of. However, unfortunately for you, the extraction process is a one-way street.”
“What does that mean?” Vodenik asked.
“It means that once the information is extracted, there is no way to return it. But be assured, the process is relatively painless—as I understand—although when I’m done, you will not recall what the word pain means. This is the best way all around. Now please, place the caps on your heads—or I will have the Marines do it for you.”
“Please, no!” said Kovach. “There is no need for this! We will tell you everything you want to know.”
“But don’t you see, that won’t be necessary. As I just said, I will acquire information even you do not know you possess.” Panur snorted. “If I relied on only your conscious memories, I would not gain all the information possible. It would not be your fault. That is just how brains work. Trust me,” Panur continued, sounding almost sympathetic. “When I am done, you will not miss the lives you once had. You will have no memory of who or what you were. In fact, your minds will be empty husks; yet with it will come a form of tranquility, of peace, even as your listless bodies will have to be terminated, since they will serve no useful purpose. But again, you will not realize what is happening to you. It will be a most merciful way to die. Now isn’t this future preferred to one of pain and torture brought about by my lack of trust in your voluntary responses?”
“But we will cooperate!” Vodenik yelled. A Marine had to step forward to keep the alien seated in the chair. “And not only that, but we have skills, skills which will now serve you, just as they served Kanan.”
Panur laughed and leaned back in his chair. “Are you seriously implying that you have superior mental skills than do I, that you can do things that I can’t?”
The aliens looked at each with growing panic. Kovach picked up the joint defense.
“That we would never presume; we know who and what you are. We would merely be your servants, using our knowledge and creativity to assist in your efforts to defeat Kanan.”
Panur frown and shook his head. “Yet once I have absorbed your memories, I will know everything you know. Why would I want to put myself through the trouble of having you tell me things?”
“We … we are skilled engineers. We can build things while you are involved in other endeavors. Your time is precious. You are but one person, with only two arms and two hands. We can make you more productive.”
Adam knew what was coming when Panur lifted a thin grey arm and smiled at the aliens. Slowly, the skin on his forearm and hand began to vibrate, then a moment later, his hand separated into two. He wiggled the fingers of both pairs of hands. Adam watched a look of revulsion sweep across the faces of the aliens. Even the Marines were shocked, their mouths falling open slightly before they caught themselves.
Adam knew that one of the consequences of Panur’s instantaneous cell regeneration was his ability to shapeshift. It had come in handy more than once during their past adventures together.
“As you see,” Panur said, “I have all the hands I need, and then some.” His arm returned to normal. “But I do appreciate the offer.”
The mutant than turned to Adam. He sighed deeply.
“What do you think, Adam? I almost feel sorry for these pitiful creatures. Should I spare their minds? You know what I would prefer. To me, keeping them alive would be more trouble than it’s worth.”
Adam shrugged. “I don’t know. I suppose you could suck out their memories and leave them mindless vegetables. Or, on the other hand, they might come in handy. We’ll never know if you kill them. And besides, this doesn’t have to be a one-time offer. If you feel they’re lying to you or not being forthcoming, you could always extract their brains at that time.”
The Gracilians sat paralyzed on the other side of the table, neither moving nor breathing as Panur contemplated Adam’s sensible words.
Finally, Panur shrugged. “I suppose you are correct, my friend. I could always do it later.”
“You’re going to let them live?” Copernicus gasped. “That’s dumb, especially if you can get what you want without their help.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Smith, but
you must understand I am a compassionate creature, as is your friend Adam Cain. We do not kill aliens just for the pleasure of killing.”
“Since when!”
“Since now.” Panur turned to the aliens.
“Will you tell us everything we need to know about Kanan and the Aris?”
“Yes!” the aliens harmonized.
“Will you use your knowledge and experience to assist us, even beyond what we ask of you directly, being creative with your contributions to the cause?”
“Yes!”
“Very well, I will delay any extraction process until the time when I feel it’s warranted.”
“That time will not come!” Vodenik stammered. “I assure you.”
“That is all for now,” Panur said, waving his hand dismissively. “I will confer with my associates and return with more questions, at which time you will begin proving your worth. However, be assured, every meeting from here on out will be a test of your willingness to help. If I sense any deception, any trepidation, I will not hesitate to revert to my original plan. Guards, you may remove the prisoners.”
After witnessing Panur’s unnatural manipulation of his hand, the Marines were as anxious as the Gracilians to leave the room. A moment later, Adam, Coop and the mutant were alone. Adam picked up one of the wire caps. He looked at Panur.
“They don’t do anything, do they?” Adam asked.
Panur shook his head. “Of course not; I made them out of some fencing wire I found in a warehouse nearby.”
“You what?” Copernicus choked.
Adam smiled. When one had lived for five thousand years and with complete and instantaneous recall—as Panur had—most people took him at his word if he said he could do something. Adam, on the other hand, had been around the cunning mutant long enough to know when he was running a con.
“Well played, Panur.”
“I thought you’d get a kick out of that. Now, all we have to do is figure out the right questions to ask our enthusiastic Gracilian friends.”
Chapter 3
Capt. Cain’s Bar & Grill was nearly deserted, except for members of Adam’s newly reassemble team.
Some of those present hadn’t been around for almost three years, including Panur and Adam’s daughter, Lila. Also, Arieel had only recently come back on the scene, as had Copernicus.
The diminutive Summer Rains was there, too, having come into town for supplies—and other things. Seated next to her was Jay Williford, the sometimes-charming, most-times reckless former salvager who now served in Adam’s Enforcer corps. He and summer had met four months ago and took an instant liking to each other. Adam understood. At the time, there weren’t a lot of men—Human men—around her age on the planet. That was changing as Camp Forrester grew. But nearly fifty percent of the soldiers and sailors were female, so the pickings weren’t as easy as one would think. Even so, Summer and Jay made a cute couple.
Summer’s father, Monty Pitts, along with the Juirean, Tidus Fe Nolan, were still in the mountains east of Kanac, on their so-far fruitless search for Jroshin’s missing two billion Juirean credits. Summer would be returning to the camp the next day.
Also present were Adam’s oldest and dearest friends, Sherri Valentine and Riyad Tarazi, along with the aliens Kaylor and Jym. The pair of aliens had taken over the management of Cain’s now that Adam was the Marshal of the Dead Zone, and for this get-together, they’d forgone their customary duties as bartenders and hosts and joined their friends, leaving the serving duties to their employees.
It was early Spring on Navarus, and the weather out on the sandy beach behind the bar was perfect, in the mid-seventies with only a hint of a salty sea breeze coming in off the water. Even with the ideal conditions, there weren’t a lot of people at Cain’s. Most of the regular patrons had more important things to do than to spend time in the restaurant, drinking and feasting on real bar-b-que. The Zone was in turmoil—again—and no one was naïve enough to think Navarus would escape unscathed. Kanan was waging indiscriminate war on the planets of the Dead Zone, with the prize target being that of Navarus. As a result, there was a steady stream of people leaving the world, even as the population of Camp Forrester was growing. But just as with the last exodus from the Zone—when Kracion was on the move—only a tiny fraction of the population could get away. However, with more defenders in place than anywhere else in the region, some were trying to convince themselves that everything would be fine. Others weren’t so optimistic. They were packing up and moving out of the cities, choosing to hide away in the jungles, mountains or deserts further to the south until the crisis passed. Adam couldn’t blame them. He knew what Kanan was capable of.
But now he smiled approvingly at his gorgeous daughter and her incongruous companion, Panur. Talk about an odd couple. Lila had sprung from Arieel—simply the most beautiful Prime female in the galaxy—and fortunately, she had her mother’s looks. She was every bit as radiant, with shimmering black hair and an even bronze glow to her skin. She wasn’t quite as voluptuous as Arieel but was sensuous in her own right. Why she had hooked up with Panur was anyone’s guess.
But Adam understood—sort of. Lila was the Apex Being, the culmination of a three-billion-year long experiment by the ancient Aris to produce a natural immortal being. In that, they succeeded. But even more, she was a genius, every bit an equal to Panur. The only thing that set them apart was Panur’s longevity. He had existed for five thousand years, and during that time, he’d been sucking up information and life experiences. On the other hand, Lila was only eighteen Earth years old, even though her body had developed at a rapid pace until it settled into the perfect physical form for a half-Formilian, half-Human female. Adam estimated her to be about twenty-two in Human years, forty in Formilian. As a proud father, Adam was glad to know she would remain just as she was for all eternity, never growing older, or sick or weary.
And for Lila, the only being in the universe close to her level was Panur. Because of that, Adam understood why the two gravitated to each other. While the rest of the galaxy withered and died, Lila and Panur would always have each other.
And now, it was their job to come up with a solution to the Kanan problem.
“So, Panur, have you learned anything from the Gracilians we can use?” Adam asked the mutant.
“Nothing definitive at the moment.” He looked at Lila. “However, we are investigating the retention field they used to work on the service modules.”
“If there really is a field,” Copernicus griped. “You can’t trust those bastards about anything.”
“The field is a theoretical possibility, Mr. Smith,” Lila said sweetly. “Panur and I have discussed it.”
Sherri was seated between Adam and Copernicus. She put an arm around Adam’s shoulder and pulled him close to her. He could tell she’d been enjoying the bar’s generous stock of alcoholic beverages a little too much already.
“I hear you were willing to sacrifice yourself to save my boyfriend. That was mighty noble of you.”
“Not at all. I just knew how pissed off you’d be if I let Kanan mess up his pretty face. Even so, he did get a little scorched.”
Sherri now moved to Coop and unbuttoned the front of his Aloha shirt—imported directly from Honolulu, Hawaii, by the way. She rubbed the virgin skin of his now-hairless chest.
“I thought I liked him hairy, but now I’m loving this. It’s as smooth as a baby’s butt.”
Copernicus removed her hand from his shirt. “Don’t get used to it. I’m not about to shave it constantly. And because of that, I know it’s going to itch like a bitch while it’s growing back.”
Riyad was seated across the series of three round tables that were pushed together for the party. He looked at Summer.
“Why don’t you and your dad take off for a while; get away from Navarus until it’s safe. I’m sure the treasure will still be there when you get back.”
She smirked. Adam knew what Riyad was up to. He’d been looking for the lost fortu
ne himself, during his rare times off as Adam’s Deputy Marshal.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Not a chance, buddy. Besides, we’re pretty damn safe up there. We’re almost a hundred miles from Kanac and eight thousand feet elevation and with a couple of hundred mines in which to hide. The problem we’re having nowadays is keeping the riff-raff out. Everyone and their four-armed brother are coming up there to get away from the city in case Kanan attacks.” She smiled sweetly and cocked her head at Riyad. “That’s why we’re counting on you and your Enforcers to save us from the evil Aris service module, my big, strong Riyad Tarazi, along with his trusty sidekick, Adam Cain.”
“Excuse me, Miss Rains,” Adam said. “But I believe you have that backward.”
“I don’t think so. The two of you are two peas in a pod.”
Arieel was on the opposite side of Adam from Sherri. She snuggled in, letting her open Formilian emotions get the best of her. She had her man—her Human man—as well as her daughter, both in one place. For her, everything was magical, perfect. Even as a bloodthirsty horde of killer machines plotted their demise.
Adam put his arm around her. He, too, would savor the moment, knowing that come sunrise, he would be back at it again. If there was anything Adam Cain knew for sure, it was that the job of the alien with an attitude was never done.
Chapter 4
The next meeting with the Gracilian scientists took place two days after Panur’s masterful gambit with the skull caps. The mutant let the aliens sweat it out for a while, wondering if he would keep his promise not to suck their memories from their brains. Now Adam, Coop and Panur entered the cell where the scientists were held for the first round of questioning.
“We are ready to begin our full and open cooperation,” Vodenik announced the moment the trio entered.