Solbidyum Wars 3: Pirates of Goo'waddle Canals

by Dale Musser

  “And what might that price be? I can pay you whatever you want.”

  “I have no need for money, First Citizen. What I seek is something else, something you can provide.”

  “What might that be? I’m open to negotiation.”

  The android smiled. “At the moment my fellow androids and I are exiled from the Federation. This, in itself, is of no serious consequence to us, but we are scattered over several worlds and have no place of our own. In exchange for keeping your presence here a secret and for my assistance to you in the recovery of the stolen solbidyum, I would ask that you arrange for the assignment of a suitable world for us to make our home and that you see to our safe transport to said world, in addition to providing minimal support in securing the materials necessary for us to build a new civilization.”

  “I see. And what guarantee do I have that, if I do as you ask, that your fellowship of androids won’t rebuild for the purpose of invading the Federation?”

  “That is a reasonable concern; however, we have learned from our past mistakes and will not repeat them. While we have no desire to serve mankind, we now see that there can be a mutual benefit to the survival of both android and non-android life forms. We no longer desire to dominate the galaxy; we wish merely to survive and thrive in it, as other life forms do. Of course, I cannot give you any certainties that would provide a100% guarantee; but I can give you my word that we have no longer desire to be at war with mankind.”

  “I see no reason why we can’t work along those lines; but things here need to be resolved first,” I said.

  “I understand, First Citizen. I will see what my brothers and I can do to assist you in your quest.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “What is your name? How do we get in touch with you?”

  “I am called A-ND-379498362-Z4-QR34933,” the android said with a smile.

  “Ahh… Would you have any objections if I called you Andy?” I asked, knowing full well I would not remember the numbers.

  “Andy will be fine; I do understand human limitations for recalling numbers,” he said. “One additional thing I must tell you before we part. I think you should be made aware you have a bugging device planted under the windowsill in your great room. While I do not know who planted it there, I have every reason to believe it is live and transmitting.”

  “Thank you, Andy, we were aware of this device, but advising us of your discovery is appreciated. How shall we get in touch with you?” I asked once more.

  “It is to my and my brothers’ benefit to see that you succeed with your quest, First Citizen. As for getting in touch, I shall get in touch with you. I will never be too far away.”

  “Please, just call me Tibby.”

  “As you wish, Tibby.” At that moment, we heard someone approaching from the hall.

  “Ahh, there you are A-ND-3794… whatever. Why aren’t these slaves helping to unload the furniture?” a smartly dressed, dark-haired woman asked.

  “I was just instructing them on the proper location for the divan,” he said. “Get out there and continue with the unloading,” he said to us in a sharp tone.

  “Yes, sir,” Marranalis and I both replied as we headed out.

  “That came as a complete surprise,” I said once we were out of earshot.

  “I’ll have to agree with you. It’s pretty hard to get anything past an android. I had no idea we would encounter one here on Goo’Waddle. I wonder how many of them survived and how many are here. Do you really think we can trust him?”

  I shook my head and shrugged, “I certainly hope so, because if we can’t, I’m afraid we’re screwed.”

  “I’m not going to ask if you plan to go through with your deal if he comes through; I know you well enough by now to know you do what you say you will do.” Marranalis was right, of course; I just hoped that I wasn’t going to regret this decision.

  After the furniture was unloaded, Marranalis and I returned to the slave house and outside the range of the bugging device. Endina and Kala joined us shortly after, while Sokaia and Padaran stayed in the house to make noise and conversation. We hoped anyone listening on the bugging device would interpret everything to be routine and normal.

  “Tibby, I saw the android talking to you. I hope all is OK,” Kala said. “They are very shrewd and analytical; I hope it didn’t sense anything out of the normal.”

  “He did, but I think everything will be OK. Even in this disguise, he recognized me and figured out how we got here, why we are here, and that we have the RASSON BEDAN in orbit someplace.”

  “Oh, Tib!” Kala exclaimed and I could detect a note of panic in her voice. “What are we going to do?”

  “It may not be as bad as it seems. For right now, Andy is not going to reveal what he knows and has even offered to help us in our search for the solbidyum.”

  “Oh no! He knows about the solbidyum, too?” Kala exclaimed.

  “I think we are safe with this,” I said. “In return for his cooperation, Andy wants us to find a world someplace outside the Federation where he and the other surviving androids can regroup and build a new home for themselves. He said they have no desire to return to the Federation and only wish to survive in conjunction with mankind and not opposed to us.”

  “And you believe this?” Kala said, in a purely skeptical tone.

  “It’s not like we really have any choice,” I said, “but yes, I think we can believe him.”

  “Tibby, I hope you’re right. Marranalis, you were there; what do you think?”

  “Honestly, Kalana, I don’t know. I have to admit that the android seemed sincere, but he’s an android. How do you know if an android is lying?”

  Under my breath I mumbled, “When his lips are moving.” It was an old Earth expression often used in joking sarcasm about how to know when a politician was lying.

  “What?” Kala said.

  “Uh, nothing!” I replied. Inside, I was hoping that this old adage didn’t apply to androids as well Earth politicians.

  “I must admit, I am surprised that he told you his name was Andy. Usually androids have some large numerical name that no one but another android can remember.”

  “He didn’t say his name was Andy; that’s the name I gave him when I could not remember all the digits he blurted out. He said it was acceptable, so that’s what I am calling him.”

  “I have to admit, Tibby, I have never met an android before. They are banned from the Federation and my work has been restricted to operations within Federation space until I met you. I did study about them in school and they were also a part of my Federation attaché training; but until today, I had never seen one in person. I’m not sure I know what to think about all of this.”

  By the time Kerabac arrived a few hours later, we had managed to get most of the furniture positioned. The place was starting to look like a permanently occupied estate house. Kerabac went through a display of cursing us out for a number of made-up infractions for the benefit of anyone who may have been listening to the bugging device and then, in a pretext of exasperation and disgust, he ordered us out of the house to the slave quarters. About thirty minutes later, he came out to join us and discuss the events of the day.

  “I think we’re going to be in for some trouble. I was followed today by at least three individuals that I could see. Two of them were together, and the third seemed to be operating independently of the other two. I’m not sure if they noticed each other or not.”

  “Well, you can add to the list of interested parties an android,” I said.

  “What?! How the hell did an android get into the mix of things?” Kerabac exclaimed.

  Marranalis and I related the events surrounding our encounter with the android as Kerabac listened intently. When we finished, he said, “It is very strange that he would be working for an interior decorator or for a merchant selling goods. Androids are extremely bright, and their skills are sought out by research facilities or engineering firms — employers of a higher caliber than work
ing for an interior decorator. This is way too suspicious.”

  “He did say he was at the spaceport when we landed,” Marranalis said. “Maybe he hired on with the decorator to get closer to us.”

  “That certainly is a possibility. But how did he know to hire on with the interior decorator that was working with us?” I asked.

  “Perhaps he has been following and watching us since our arrival and saw the decorator when she came by the first time,” Kala interjected. “That would explain things, if it is true. It certainly seems that we have a lot of people watching us and interested in us,” she said. “I don’t think this is a good sign.”

  “That’s exactly what we want, though. If we are drawing this much attention, word about our presence and our successful dodge of the Brotherhood armada is bound to reach Logden, and hopefully he’ll get the idea that we are his one chance to get off this planet alive,” I responded.

  “Excuse me, sirs,” Tanden’s small voice interjected fearfully. “There are some men at your gate; I think they are Brotherhood men.”

  “Thank you, Tanden,” I said, and then to Kerabac, “I think we all need to be in the house and nearby for this discussion. Is there something we can do that would justify our presence in the house?”

  “I’m sure I can find and excuse for you to be rearranging the furniture,” Kerabac said, just as Padaran appeared at the door.

  “Excuse me. Endina sent me out to tell you that there are some men here to see Kerabac. They look like Brotherhood goons to me.”

  “Yes,” I said, “Tanden just alerted us to their arrival. See if you can stall them just a short while so we can slip into the house unseen. Then bring them to the large dining room, where Kerabac will be directing us to rearrange the furniture.”

  “Right,” Padaran said, “I’ll see what I can do. Be careful, though. This bunch looks dangerous.”

  Moments later, as Marranalis and I moved the heavy table while Kerabac barked orders at us, Padaran opened the large doors that separated the dining area from the other rooms to reveal Endina and four large men.

  “Kerabac, these men insist on seeing you. I informed them you were not taking visitors, but they said they were not leaving until they talked to you.”

  Kerabac turned slowly with and, with the most convincing look of disgust and frustration, said, “You have no right to barge into my home to see me. I’m busy. I do not know you, nor do I have any business with you. If you would be so good as to leave before I have my slaves toss you out…”

  A tall, lean man with dark hair and slightly finer clothing than the other two spoke up. “You may not know us, trader Kerabac — or is it pirate Kerabac? Not that it matters either way — we know you. You encountered our blockade when you left Ryken and failed to yield to our boarding and search.”

  “So what if I did? You have no right to stop or investigate any ships anywhere that I know of and I have no intentions of yielding to the likes of you.”

  “That was quite an impressive getaway you made from our ships. We could make it very profitable to you if you were to let us in on the secrets of your jump drive.”

  “Jump drive? I’m afraid I do not know what you are talking about, and even if I did, I would not be inclined to share or sell anything to the likes of menaces such as yourselves.”

  “I don’t believe you realize the powers you are up against, if you insist on opposing the Brotherhood,” the leader said. “We can be a formidable enemy, or an ally who can open doors for you and provide opportunities that will make you a very rich and powerful man. We could make it very worth your time if you were to cooperate with us. We’re prepared to offer you a completely new ship of the corvette design, larger and vastly superior to your freighter, in exchange for this craft that brought you to Goo’Waddle.”

  “Get out of my house. I’ll make no such agreement with you – not for a corvette or even for a starship, if you had one! I have no love for the Brotherhood.”

  During this heated exchange, Marranalis and I had slowly positioned ourselves so we were right next to the Brotherhood thugs. We both noted a slow shift in the posture of each of the men, as though they were preparing to reach for weapons concealed within their clothing.

  “Too bad,” the leader said. “We were prepared to make you a good deal, but now we will have to do it the hard way.”

  He nodded to his men; but before they could reach for their weapons, Marranalis and I moved quickly to disarm and subdue the two closest to us. Kerabac walked forward slowly until he was standing nose-to-nose with their leader.

  “I fear it is you who has underestimated me,” Kerabac said with a sneer. As he spoke, he reached inside the man’s jacket and extracted a knife, which he tossed into his other hand, followed by a gun, which he handed nonchalantly to Endina. “As you can see, my slaves are quite loyal to me and are most capable. Now, if you and your friends here would like to get out of here alive, I suggest you answer a few questions for me.”

  A look of fear suddenly came over the face of the leader, as he looked at his men lying unconscious on the floor. “I have nothing to say to the likes of you.”

  “I see. Endina, do we have any more slave collars?”

  “I’m afraid not,” she answered, “but we have sufficient rope to tie up these men.”

  She left the room to retrieve the rope as Kerabac looked back at the leader and said, “Hmm. Then I fear we shall have to do this the old-fashioned way.” He slowly maneuvered the knife he had taken from the Brotherhood leader up to his face. “I understand that you have been looking for a man named Logden. Why are you so interested in this man?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business,” the leader spat, “but he has something that belong to us and we wish it back.”

  “It must be something pretty valuable to warrant all the effort that you are putting forth. What makes you think this Logden fellow is here?”

  While Kerabac was talking, Endina returned with rope and tossed it to Marranalis. We quickly bound the men who still lay motionless on the floor.

  The leader pinched his lips tight and pushed out his chin with a defiant look on his face. Kerabac grinned and casually ran the side of the blade along the man’s face so that it didn’t cut him, then flipped the blade around and moved it down to the man’s crotch.

  “I’m only going to give you one opportunity to answer before I neuter you.”

  “Alright! Alright! One of our spies found out he was staying in a room at the Dark Moon Inn. We’ve been watching, but he must have found out, as he hasn’t returned to the room in over a week. But we’re pretty sure he hasn’t gotten off-world since then. You have no idea how much trouble you’re causing yourself by messing with us,” he added.

  Kerabac struck him swiftly and soundly across the face, causing blood to gush from his mouth. By this point, his cronies were starting to come around. The look of bewilderment and confusion on their faces as they woke to find themselves bound in ropes and their leader spilling his guts made for an interesting scene. While Kerabac grilled the Brotherhood goons, I quietly spoke to Endina, Sokaia and Kala in the corner, as far away as possible from the bugging device in the next room.

  “Is there any way we can wipe their minds of what has happened?”

  “There is, but it would require a learning headband like the ones we use for teaching language and martial arts,” Kala began. “We don’t have one here.”

  “Felenna is in orbit or somewhere nearby,” I said. “See if you can contact her. Have a cloaked patrol ship bring one down for us. They can land in the recently harvested field adjacent to the house, but tell them to remain cloaked. Tell them to exit the ship using a rope tied inside the ship as a lead to guide them back through the cloaking shield to the hatch. Tell them we need a learning headband, and if there are any slave collars on the MIZBAGONA that Brotherhood had onboard when we captured it at Alle Bamma, we want those as well.”

  Kala went out to the slave house where we had hidden our
radio. While she contacted Felenna, the rest of us watched Kerabac put on a terrifying act as he interrogated the Brotherhood members. It was an hour later when we received word that a patrol ship from the MIZBAGONA had landed in the field next to the estate was awaiting confirmation to disembark and transfer the items we requested. Marranalis and Sokaia went to the rendezvous point and returned a few minutes later. Sokaia carried a small briefcase that contained the learning headband and Marranalis carried a large box of slave collars. When the Brotherhood goons saw the collar devices, they immediately began to panic.

  “What are you planning to do with us?” their leader cried with a look of horror on his face.

  Although Kerabac had not heard my earlier conversation with Kala and Sokaia, he was quick to pick up on my scheme when he saw the collars and headband. “I think you would better serve this world as slaves than as masters,” he said with a sneer.

  “You can’t make slaves of us! When we tell Shydak of this, he’ll have your balls!”

  Kerabac grinned sadistically as Kala began opening up the case that contained the headband apparatus. “I don’t think you’ll be telling Shydak anything, even if he does find you working in a slave gang.”

  Realization settled in the minds of our captives when they saw the learning band. As Marranalis snapped the slave collars about their necks, they began cursing, screaming and struggling and continued to do so until the last of them were wiped of all memory by Kalana. At last, all three sat staring blankly at the wall.

  I moved to the next room, motioning to Kalana to join me, as I didn’t want the bug to pick up our conversation.

  “How long will this memory wipe last?” I asked.

  Kala’s expression was dead serious. “It’s permanent. They will remember things like how to talk and walk, but they won’t remember their names or anything that has happened to them in their lives. Everything is new to them.”

  I motioned to Kerabac to join us. I said quietly, “I want them sold in the slave market tomorrow as laborers. I have no idea how long it will take for the Brotherhood to find them, but when they do, I think they are going to be madder than hell.”