The conversation ended on the sour note. Trade efforts with the old Galactic Union colonies would have to be stepped up. Earth’s rebuilding would have to be funded from somewhere, and the Targarians, while supportive of their king, would be much less so with the continued burden of a taxed economy.
Johnny said, “Looks like our free ride is over.”
Mace nodded. “I think we have to go out exploring again. Trade with the Union colonies has to be about mineral resources. They don’t need food.”
Johnny rubbed his chin. “You know, the defense business is big business. What would you think about leasing manned microwave cannon stations to the Union worlds?”
Mace replied, “I think they would turn on us and steal whatever they could from that. Think of it like this: the UF wants to provide security for Canto for a fee. Other than being forced, the people of Canto would reject it. The Dellus and the Zinka? They would look to steal it. Other than for straight-up commercial trade, I don’t want anything to do with them.”
Johnny nodded. “Sounds like you have it figured out, then.”
Mace frowned. “If I thought we could do that without them trying to use those against us somehow, I’d be all for it. For right now, though, until we get our own fleet of ships going, I’d just as soon keep them in their box.”
The return to Earth saw another minimal crew enlisted for resource exploration. The first jump was to the planet named Hardy, previously known as HD 7449. The previous scans had yet to be completed. After several low orbit runs around the planet, it was determined that it was rich in emeralds, a resource the former Union members would eagerly trade for. The information was passed to Jasper for his crews to begin mining.
Another twelve planets were checked, with moderate to poor results. The thirteenth planet was again littered with ruins from a prior civilization.
Mace ordered the Rogers down and a small crew readied. “Mr. Mallot, before we step foot down there, I want you to do a thorough scan for bios. I don’t want another attack catching us off-guard like last time.”
Humphrey nodded. “Consider it done. Mr. Hobbs, could you take us up to ten kilometers and make a fifty kilometer circle around this city?”
Liam nodded. “Setting coordinates now.”
When the scans were complete, Humphrey Mallot pushed the data to the main display. “Picked up about forty-five hundred bios. Most about the size of a small dog. There were several hundred about the size of those hildabrigs.”
“Good. Doesn’t sound too bad.”
Humphrey raised a hand. “I do have something to add. On a lark, I checked for iron formations similar to the one the hildabrigs used for their mound. Bad news is there’s one just west of these ruins. Again, it’s about two kilometers out, and again, it has a raised surface.”
Johnny said, “I wonder if this planet had the same visitor as Hardy. I say we go pound that mound and see what runs out.”
Mace replied, “I think that’s a good idea. Mr. Hobbs, take us over that area. Mr. Mueller, send a couple plasma bursts into the center of it. Mr. Mallot, monitor for signs of any bios.”
Minutes later, the rumble from two plasma rounds leaving the power heads pulsed through the deck. Scans returned minimal results for several minutes, then the ground below erupted with movement. Visual sensor data was pushed to the display. Thousands of hildabrigs were moving about the mound, looking for an unknown attacker.
Mace shook his head. “Not what I was hoping to see.”
Johnny scowled. “I say we pulverize that mound.”
Mace nodded. “Agreed. Mr. Mueller, do your worst.”
An hour was spent turning the kilometer-wide mound into a deep crater. After, the Rogers was positioned over the tallest building remnant in the city center, the ramp was lowered and a team consisting of Mace, Johnny, Jenny and Jordan Crawford hopped out onto the building’s top. The ramp remained lowered and the Rogers was taken up by several hundred meters.
Johnny gestured toward an open stairwell. “Captain.”
Mace replied, “Hey, you wanted a planet named after you, this is your opportunity.”
Johnny raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
Mace nodded. “I’ll push for it myself. The only question is… will it be called Tretcher or Johnny?”
Johnny smiled as he stepped forward. “I was thinking Derwood.”
Mace laughed. “An opportunity to name a planet after yourself and you want to name it after your dog?”
Johnny grinned. “First Dachshund in space.”
Johnny led the way into the half collapsed stairwell. “Not so sure this thing is stable.”
Humphrey came over the comm: “Scan shows it as structurally sound.”
Johnny eased onto the first step. “Well, it looks like crap.”
As they made their way down the first two flights, Mace said, “Notice anything in particular?”
Johnny glanced up. “Yep. Normal ceiling heights. Looks like they’re right at three meters per floor.”
Mace nodded. “This could be evidence of our first Human-sized aliens.”
Jenny said, “Could have at one time been a whole world of Johnnies.”
“Now that’s a scary thought,” said Mace.
“That even scares me,” added Johnny.
On the fifth level down, they forced open a half-rusted door and Johnny walked out onto a concrete slab. Wind blew through openings where glass windows would have one time been.
Johnny said, “This is creepy. This could be any office building in any downtown back on Earth. Do we have a reading on the age of any of this?”
Humphrey replied: “Twelve hundred Earth years.”
Mace said, “That’s about the same as the other one. And given those hildabugs, I’d have to say we’re looking at a repeat.”
Johnny said, “Hildabrigs.”
Mace replied, “What?”
“They’re called hildabrigs, not hildabugs.”
Mace stared for several seconds. “Who cares? All I’m saying is, I bet we find the same thing happened here as on Hardy. Ruined cities and those bugs. And about the same timeframe. Way too many coincidences to not be.”
Humphrey said, “Mr. Hardy, I have bio movement about a half kilometer from there.”
Johnny laughed. “Bio movement.”
Jenny frowned. “You just can’t get out of seventh grade, can you?”
“I’m sorry, but that was funny.”
Humphrey continued: “Two bipeds, approximately a meter and a half tall. Hold on… I’ll see if we caught them on visual.”
Mace pulled a holo-image of the main display up over his arm pad. Two human-like bipeds, carrying long poles, scurried down an overgrown street and into the base of a collapsed building.
Mace gestured toward the stairs. “Mr. Tretcher, looks like Derwood might be inhabited. We have eight floors down and then we head east.”
Johnny scowled as he walked toward the stairs. “Inhabitants… pfft. Probably gonna contest my naming rights.”
“If so, we’ll find you another one.”
The foursome exited the building, heading down the once paved road toward the building in question.
Jenny pointed as they walked. “Look at those slots in the road. They must have had transportation similar to ours.”
Humphrey said, “Sensors have detected a number of underground tunnels beneath the city. Possibly a train system?”
Mace nodded. “Thanks. We’ll add that to our list of things to check out.”
Johnny held up a hand as they came within eyeshot of the building. “They entered that pile of rubble. How do we want to approach this?”
Jenny joked: “Well, if Jasper were here, he would walk right up to it.”
Johnny shrugged. “We do have on battlesuits. And we have weapons.”
Johnny mentally dialed the thunder pistol in his glove down to its lowest level, also giving it a wide spread. “Anyone messes with me will get knocked on their ass.”
Mace said, “Keep in mind, we aren’t here to fight anyone. These people may need help.”
Johnny sighed. “Always gotta take the fun out of it, don’t you.”
Johnny stood straight and walked out into the middle of the street. Mace shook his head. Seconds later, a black streak zipped through the air, struck the chest of his battlesuit and ricocheted off to the side.
Johnny grabbed the area of the strike, turned and ran back. “Gaw! That hurt!”
Jenny looked it over. “No puncture, but I’ll bet he’s due for a nice bruise.”
Mace chuckled. “Come on, let’s all just walk down the street with our tail-feathers up. You know, for someone who at one time earned a chemical engineering degree, your decision-making sometimes baffles me.”
Johnny chuckled as he attempted to rub his chest. “You aren’t the only one. That’s the sort of thing I normally have Jane around to talk me out of.”
Mace said, “How about this: Jordan, you and Jenny cross the street into that building. Make your way down until you’re directly across from the rubble pile. Mr. Target and I will move down this side.”
The teams split. Mace hustled across a side street, with Johnny close behind. They crouched as they made their way along a wall covered with overgrowth.
Johnny said, “Reminds me of following you up to the Simpsons’ when this all started. Seems like that was a lifetime ago.”
Mace nodded. “It was. What did we just pass, three years or four?”
Johnny shook his head. “Don’t know. I lose track what day and what month it is all the time now. Strange how those things don’t seem to matter so much anymore.”
Mace hopped over the short wall, sprinting for the side of the building the locals had gone into. Johnny followed, holding his chest. Jordan and Jenny signaled from a position across the street.
Mace said, “Take aim at that entryway. If you see movement, take a shot.”
“What are you planning?” asked Johnny.
“I’m gonna run across that opening to see if I can draw one of them out.”
Johnny scowled. “And that’s a better plan than mine?”
Mace nodded. “Yep. I won’t get shot.”
Johnny sighed. “OK. Make it happen. Anything moves in there, I’ll take it down.”
Mace moved down the front of the building as Jenny, Jordan, and Johnny watched. As he reached the edge of the opening, he again sprinted, this time running diagonally across. Another black arrow bolt flew out, just missing its target. A being stepped into view, wielding what could only be described as a crossbow. Johnny took aim and mentally pulled the trigger.
With a whump, the target fell back onto the pile of debris. A second being ran out and grabbed the first. Another well placed spread-shot knocked it down as well.
Mace came from behind his hiding place with his weapon drawn. The two shaken assailants offered no resistance.
Chapter 27
*
~~~~~
Mace called in a shuttle. It set down in the middle of the street with its ramp down. The two locals were taken aboard.
Johnny stood in the hall outside the conference room where the two were being held. “Other than that knobby skin, they almost look Human.”
“I was thinking the same. Significant differences, likenesses as well. Did you notice their clothes?”
Johnny nodded. “Homemade. And they appear to be two males, maybe even teens, which tells me there’s a colony around here.”
“Could be in those tunnels Mr. Mallot was talking about.”
“Why didn’t anyone show on the bio scans?”
Mace held up his arm pad. “Good question. Mr. Mallot, the scans you did that showed tunnels, there weren’t any bios down there?”
Humphrey replied, “Can’t see that deep. I could see the entrances and exits and going back into them maybe fifty meters. After that it was just a guess.”
Johnny said, “Can’t say I would want to take refuge in tunnels with those hildabrigs out there.”
Mace replied, “They might have them sealed off well or something. For now, we just need to learn their language.”
Johnny frowned. “Let me guess, the old-fashioned way of point and talk?”
Mace laughed. “Old-fashioned?”
Johnny nodded. “Yeah. Old-fashioned… you know what I mean.”
Mace took a deep breath. “There’s two of them. We might as well get started. This is gonna take a few hours.”
The two Humans, after removing their helmets, began the process of getting the locals to talk. Five minutes into the effort, the first of them repeated the word chair.
Mace nodded as he pointed at himself and then the chair. “Chair.”
The local pointed and replied, “Chair.”
Johnny laughed. “Who’s learning whose language over there?”
Mace replied, “Shut up and keep going.”
Another ten minutes passed before the two locals caught on. Twenty minutes later, the first word was locked. An hour followed before 20 percent translation was reached. Another hour later the number hit seventy. Broken sentences then sped the process. At 95 percent an alert chimed.
Johnny smiled. “Magic to my ears.”
Mace put his helmet back on, enabling the translation. “My name is Mace Hardy. We are Humans, coming from a far planet. We aren’t your enemies. We want to help you if we can.”
One of the locals began to speak. The other grabbed his arm, shaking his head.
Mace said, “I understand your hesitation, but like I said, we’re here to help. We killed off that mound of hildabrigs out there. You don’t have to worry about them anymore. Your people, you live in the tunnels under the old city?”
The first local replied as he had a short slap fight with the other. “Yes. We are Lorbans. This is our city. You are invaders. Now that the bracka are dead, the others will attack.”
Johnny crossed his arms. “Bracka? Are those the little beasts with six legs?”
The first local nodded. “Yes, they keep the other cities from attacking. Now we are defenseless. When they find out the bracka are dead, they will come.”
Mace asked, “What is your name?”
The first puffed up his chest. “I am Dragga. This is Merti. We are Lorbans.”
Mace gestured around him. “This city, is it called Lorba, or something like that?”
Dragga nodded. “Lorban. This is our home.”
Mace nodded. “There are other cities that war with you?”
“Yes. If we venture out of our territory, we are captured and enslaved.”
Johnny scowled. “Doesn’t sound like much of a life. Hide from the bugs or your neighbors… or both.”
Mace asked, “How many of you Lorbans are there?”
Dragga was silent.
Mace pulled up an image of the building entrance where they had been captured. The youth named Merti held out his hand, waving it through the image in fascination.
Mace said, “If you Lorbans help us to understand your world, we’ll protect you from the others.”
Dragga looked at his friend. “Perhaps they should talk to Meggala.”
Merti shrugged. “We are already in trouble. They know our names.”
Mace gestured toward the door. “If you lead us to your people, we’ll make sure the others do not attack.”
Dragga stood. “I will lead.”
Merti hopped up to follow. Johnny, Jordan, and Jenny walked behind.
Mace held up his hand. “Johnny, you and Jordan stay here. I don’t want to scare them with a big crowd.”
Johnny frowned. “Well, that seals it. This planet is not gonna be called Derwood.”
Jenny smiled. “Keep up your spirits. There’ll be another one.”
Mace and Jenny walked down the ramp, following the two Lorban youths into the pile of rubble. Ten meters in, around a double corner, a steel door blocked their way. Dragga rapped three times and a metal latch slid open, follow
ed by the door being pulled open. A startled girl on the other side took two stumbling steps back.
Dragga said, “They are with us.”
Two flights of stairs took the foursome down. Another door was passed as yet another keeper stood with eyes wide. As they proceeded to walk deeper into the underground, a gathering of Lorban youths began following.
Jenny turned when one of the followers poked the back of her leg with a stick. “Hey!”
The kids scattered.
Mace laughed. “Really?”
Jenny giggled. “He poked me with a stick! I’m not some animal.”
The foursome turned a corner into a large room where a group of adults was gathered. Weapons were hastily drawn and defensive postures taken.
Mace held up his hand. “We come in peace.”
Jenny laughed.
Mace sighed. “Please shut up for a minute.”
Mace repeated: “We come in peace. We’re not from this planet.”
Dragga said, “It’s true. We watched them ride down from the sky.”
Merti blurted out, “And they killed the bracka. All of them.”
A leader of the group stepped forward. “Who are you and how is it you speak Lorban?”
Mace replied, “I’m Mace Hardy. This is Jenny Taub. We are explorers. We come from a planet called Earth. It orbits one of the stars in your sky.”
Skeptical looks greeted them.
Dragga said, “They need to speak to Meggala. He can answer their questions.”
“Meggala, who is he?”
Dragga replied, “The keeper of the archives and our grand schoolmaster.”
Jenny nodded. “Sounds like someone we want to talk to.”
Mace said, “We would like to meet Meggala.”
The leader of the group scowled at the teen for several seconds. “Go fetch him.”
Several minutes of suspicious stares passed before the keeper of the archives walked into the room. “Visitors?”
Mace nodded. “From far away. We come in peace.”
Jenny giggled. Mace offered a glare.
“I can’t help it.”
Mace said, “The boy tells us we killed off the only thing protecting you from being attacked. The bracka?”
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