The safe shelter turned out to be a building that reminded Kel of hotels back on Mars and Earth. Kel got out of the vehicle and was given a card key by the driver. “Room 2-11,” he said as he got out of the car. “Go, rest, and be ready for tomorrow.”
Kel nodded and walked up a flight of stairs to a second floor. He found his room and waved his key in front of the door. It opened with a click and he walked in. Moments later he heard another vehicle leave. He was on his own. By this time tomorrow, either Merriam or he would be dead.
~*~
The road to the capital was amazingly crowded. Life had to go on, even in times of great trouble. Kel drummed his fingers as he sat behind the steering wheel of his hydrogen fueled car. He had never been a part of an assassination attempt and the more he waited, the more nervous he felt. A part of him wished Admiral Cook had found someone more capable within the fleet to pull this off; another part knew if that were the case, he’d be on the Arwen wishing he were the one doing the mission.
He looked at the drivers. Most where Ulliam, some were human and a very small percentage were of another race. It was rare to see other aliens on any of the Corps planets. He didn’t think any lived here and the ones he saw were probably diplomats or other officials.
The traffic slowed as he approached the entrance to the capital. He had maneuvered into a lane that led to a checkpoint. Officers would check the car and the driver making sure both were safe before letting them through. When it was Kel’s turn, he took the card his contacts gave him and showed it to the Ulliam guard. The guard took it, swiped it through a scanner, looked at the readings, and lazily told him to pass. The first deception had worked flawlessly; Kel decided that was a good sign.
He spotted the signs that would lead him to the capitol buildings. It seemed as if hundreds of cars were heading in the same direction and he slowly plodded toward his destination.
The streets were just as crowded as the roads, and at every stop a large gang of pedestrians, Ulliam, human, and other, would cross the streets. At one stop, after he had made a turn, he was able to see between two rows of tall skyscrapers and into the gray sky. Hovering above the city was the Gyssyc ship. The people no longer looked up at it in fear; they had gotten used to the danger and were just waiting for the next step in the unfolding drama.
After about an hour of driving, he arrived at the capitol building’s parking garage and entered. After another check of his credentials, he was allowed through.
His car parked, Kel stepped out and took a deep breath. It was a warm day but the sweat that clung to his suit he was wearing wasn’t all nervous sweat. He opened the trunk of his car and pulled out a case. He opened a small, secret compartment inside the case and pulled out the gun. It was small, about the size of a keycard, and made from a special alloy that was supposed to be undetectable by modern standards. He tucked it into a small pocket he had sewed onto the inside of his belt, and then adjusted everything to be sure it was invisible to the naked eye. Satisfied, he closed the trunk of his car and walked toward the building’s entrance.
He entered an elevator, which was full to near capacity with Ulliam and a few people, toward the top level. That is where President Packer’s office was located. He realized this was going to be a one-way trip. He knew while he was coming up with the plan it was a very high risk. It would be easy to trap anyone trying to escape. They would stop all elevators and cover all exits from the ground. A simple sweep with a sensitive scanner would detect him no matter where he hid inside the building. This was it. Today Kel Lipton was going to die.
Walking off the elevator, he approached a service desk and ran his security card through the scanner. The door clicked opened and he was greeted by two more Ulliam guards who were standing next to a scanner. This would be the real test. The scanner looked for even the tiniest weapons. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked at the nearest guard. “It’s a hot one today.”
“Yes,” the guard replied with the customary eager grin all Ulliam were known for. “Please step through.”
Kel stepped through the scanner. There were no alarms. No red lights. No security guards pulling their guns out. It was very quiet. Nothing happened. “Very good,” the guard said. “Please head down and to the right. From there you may request your audience with the president. Have a nice day.”
Kel nodded and followed the directions. He stopped inside a human bathroom, ran into a stall and threw up what little he had in his stomach. This was too hard, he thought. I’m a space jockey, not an assassin. As gracefully as he could, Kel stood and walked out and over to a mirror where he looked at his reflection. He did his best to clean himself up before walking out and toward President Packard’s office.
An Ulliam female sat behind a desk looking at a computer screen. She looked up at Kel and cheerfully smiled. “How can I help you, sir?”
“Hello, I believe I have an appointment with President Packard today.”
“I’ll check, what is your name?”
“Josh Amish.” His voice sounded strained. His nerves were getting the better of him and he did his best to relax. The receptionist must have been used to people being nervous before seeing the president. At least Kel hoped that was the case and she wasn’t about ready to call security.
She stared at the screen for what seemed like an eternity. Kel worried there was a problem and Packard’s people didn’t manage to get his information into the computer. She looked up, the smile never leaving her flat face. “Take a seat; he’ll be with you shortly.”
He sat and waited. No matter what planet you’re on, no matter how many years pass or how advanced a civilization is, waiting rooms always looked the same. On a monitor in the corner was some sort of news broadcast talking about the Gyssyc. On another was some old movie Kel had seen a hundred times before. A table in the middle of the room housed several computers anyone could access while they waited.
Fortunately, Kel didn’t need to wait for long. The door opened and President Packard, along with two guards, walked out. He held his hand out and shook Kel’s. When they were done, Kel shrugged his shoulders, which the president repeated with a smile. “Mister Amish, please follow me. We have much to discuss.”
Kel followed the briskly walking president down the hallways. He expected Merriam to turn the corner at any time so he kept his focus sharp. He would only have one chance and he dare not hesitate if it should come.
They walked into an office. President Packard told his guards to wait outside before closing the door. “Commander, please take a seat.”
Kel did as he was asked, “Are you worried about this room being bugged?”
“No, I sweep it every day before I arrive, plus Merriam believes he has complete control over me.”
“He doesn’t?” Kel asked. “I thought you had to do what he said. That it was something you had no control over.”
A confused look crossed President Packard’s face. “He had complete control over me when he first arrived. I not only obeyed what he said but I did it without question. Over the past few weeks that resolve has faltered.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“I don’t know, but Merriam can never suspect it to be true. Tell me, Commander, is everything in order?”
Kel nodded, “All you need to do is get me close enough and I’ll finish him off. I just hope it won’t get traced back to you.”
“I am only in danger if it fails. Once we break Merriam’s control over us, I can lead the way a leader should.”
“It’s time to do this,” Kel said, trying to sound as confident as he could.
Packard nodded in agreement and pressed a button on his desk. “Oh great one, may I have an audience with you?”
“What is this all about?” he snapped
“I have the ambassador from the province of Yany here. He is asking some very tough questions. I do not know how to answer them.”
There was a pause before Merriam continued. “Fine, meet me in the confere
nce room.”
Kel reached into his belt, pulled out his gun, and palmed it as best as he could. He made sure the palm of his hand rested against his thigh to easily hide the small weapon. He nodded at President Packard and the two walked out of the room.
The walk to the conference room was a short one. He and the president were the first to arrive. Kel paced on the opposite side of a conference table. Sweat pooled up behind the gun on the palm of his hand. He waited, ready to strike at any moment.
The door opened and in walked Merriam. He was much taller than Kel would have thought but no matter how tall he was, he would still go down with one blast from his gun.
Kel raised his hand, the barrel of his gun pointing right at Merriam’s head. He pulled the trigger, the recoil and the sound of the shot caused Kel to close his eyes for a second. When he opened them, Merriam was not there.
Someone forcefully grabbed the arm that was holding the gun and twisted hard. He heard a loud snap as his elbow dislocated. A second later, he screamed. Things were happening so quickly Kel couldn’t comprehend them. He was thrown to the ground face first, a sharp knee lodged deep into his back. He couldn’t look up, breathing was nearly impossible as his body went into shock from the unbearable pain ebbing from his elbow. The knee dug deep into his back.
He barely heard the words coming from Merriam’s mouth. “What is the meaning of this?”
He heard President Packard reply, “I don’t know, he wanted to talk to you and—”
“You wouldn’t be lying to me, would you?”
Kel’s eyes watered, foaming saliva dribbled out of his mouth. The pain was nothing like he had felt before. He wondered if Merriam had somehow managed to pull his arm from the elbow down off. It was the only way to account for the pain.
“No, sir. How could I lie to you, my great master?”
“You did not know about this attempt on my life?”
Without a pause or hesitation, President Packard replied, “No, great one.”
Merriam twisted Kel’s arm again and pulled, sending another wave of pain throughout his body. His legs convulsed in agony. He was lifted to his feet and couldn’t believe the scream that left his mouth was his. Merriam looked at him. “How dare you try to kill me? For that, you and your fleet shall pay dearly.” Merriam threw Kel to the ground. “President Packard, come with me. The Ulliam fleet will arrive within the hour. By the end of this day, we’ll be rid of both the Gyssyc and the humans. It will truly be a day of celebration for many generations to come!”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Marjorie sipped the hot coffee carefully. After swishing it around her mouth trying to absorb the flavor, she said, “Do all admirals get the best coffee?”
She and Payton sat in his office awaiting news from Kel. “As a matter of fact, we do.”
“I should take that promotion.”
His smiled dropped for a moment. He leaned forward across the desk. “Why didn’t you take it? If you had we would have been able to see a lot more of each other.”
“I know,” she replied, sipping her coffee again. This time the sip was a stalling tactic as she tried to think of the best way to answer. “Spending most of my time behind a desk on a space station wasn’t really what I wanted.”
“Come on, we both know that’s not it. You couldn’t leave the Arwen.”
“I left you for another ship,” she teased.
“Might have been easier if you had left me for another man,” he said with a humorless chuckle. “At least that I could understand.”
“I don’t know I understand it myself,” she said, curling her legs up to get more comfortable in her chair. “I don’t think it’s the Arwen, it could have been any ship really. Face it, Payton, you never stood a chance. I wanted a ship and when I got one I decided I wanted to be a legend.” She stopped and smiled.
“What’s so funny?”
“It’s nothing really. When I first met Professor Ricter we had this odd breakfast where he pretty much told me the same thing. I chastised him for wanting to be famous and he told me I wasn’t any different because I wanted the same thing.”
“He sized you up pretty quickly.”
“Yeah, he sure did. I don’t want to talk about that anymore. I want to know something from you.”
“Go on.”
“Why did the Corps send you of all people? It can’t be a coincidence.”
He took another sip of coffee, an obvious attempt to stall while he thought of an answer. It annoyed her that she must have picked up that stalling tactic from him. Still, she found it endearing. “I still keep up with your adventures. I knew you were assigned the mission on Regal. I knew your ship was attacked and you had no drive. Who do you think convinced the council to save the Arwen?”
“Thank you,” she said, holding her coffee up as if toasting the statement.
“Trust me; this fleet is better with her than without her. But, to answer your question. When we got news of the destruction of the Ulliam fleet, I feared the worst. There really was no way they were going to stop me from getting here to see what had happened. When I saw you were alive, it felt as if a large weight had been lifted from my shoulders.”
“It’s good to know you still care. And don’t think I didn’t notice the ship you picked. I do read, you know.”
While he laughed, the computer on his desk beeped. “Yes?”
“Sir, we’re picking up multiple wormholes from several dozen locations. It looks like the Ulliam fleet has arrived.”
~*~
Kel found himself on a wet, dirty floor. His face swollen and bruised from the beating he had been receiving over the past few hours. They hadn’t asked him any questions, they just punched him repeatedly. He wished for death and if not for the fact he was too weak to move by himself, he’d have found away to kill himself.
He lay in the dampness thinking of Fran. She would be devastated when they finally killed him. He knew Merriam planed on killing him publicly, which was the only reason he was still alive. There was no hope now. He failed and no one could stop Merriam and this insanity.
This was as bad is it got. Unless the Ulliam figured out a way to reverse the control Merriam had over them, the planet would be off limits for a long time. A thought struck him; the president lied to Merriam even when directly asked what had happened. Merriam’s grip on the president seemed to be slipping. Could he have somehow found a way to resist it completely now?
The cell door opened, several guards walked in and pulled Kel to his feet. With a new resolve, Kel yelled, “You don’t need to do this! Merriam doesn’t need to control you!”
“We are only following orders and are very sorry for the pain we caused,” one of the guards said. “We respect you and what you have done, but the great one must be obeyed.”
“No, he doesn’t! You can resist if you feel it’s wrong!”
They kept quiet as they dragged him down the hallway. “Listen to me, you can resist. He is controlling you because of genetic design. He’s not great or powerful. He just knows how to manipulate you. Do you really want that? I’ve known many Ulliam in my life and you are a proud people. Merriam wants to take that away and make you into something he wants, not what you are.”
They opened a door and they threw Kel into the room. Pain shot through his entire body and he seethed. Merriam walked up and stood over him. Kel spit blood onto Merriam’s boot.
“So, you’re the ones who conquered the Ulliam? I should have told them to wake me when there was any threat, not just the Gyssyc.” He reached down and grabbed Kel by his hair. Kel desperately grabbed Merriam’s wrist with his good arm as he was lifted to his feet. His legs wobbled under him and he found it hard to balance himself, but he managed to stand.
“The Ulliam will eventually see through you.” Kel glanced around the room and caught President Packard’s eyes. The president looked away, unable to meet his gaze.
“Tie him to the wall,” Merriam ordered. “Then get ready to broadca
st to the planet my return.”
~*~
Marjorie sat in a copilot’s seat in the shuttle heading back to the Arwen. Never had she seen so many ships in one fleet before. It inspired and awed her. The space between each ship was dense with smaller craft. Fighters flew in tight V-shaped formation. Non-combat support ships which carried extra food, fuel, and other miscellaneous items necessary for a large taskforce, shuffled from ship to ship. Small, heavily armed and armored escort ships stayed close to the mammoth fighter carriers.
Above the fleet, the Ulliam ships arrived one at a time in a symphony of bright lights. Each wormhole formation marked another Ulliam ship that had entered the system. Once they had orientated themselves with the planet, they headed for the ever growing collection above the Ulliam north pole.
It amazed her the variety of ships the Ulliam planned to throw at the Gyssyc. She expected most of them to be battleships, carriers, or cruisers. Instead, she saw dozens of merchant ships mixed with luxury ships. It seemed anything with a particle accelerator was called into duty to defend Ulliam and that worried her deeply. Merriam was planning on using strangelets as a weapon and there could be no way any of this was a coincidence.
The shuttle lurched up and over a carrier. Marjorie could see the Arwen in the distance, a supply ship docked with it. The football shaped carrier, she believed it was the Huck Finn, passed under her window port. Dart shaped, gleaming fighters seemed to form a second shell around the hull. Each fighter was docked to a rod which connected it to the mother ship. She saw a bare spot where a squadron of fighters had taken off not too long ago. The hook rods protruded up like spikes on the back of a very large porcupine.
Once clear of the carrier, the shuttle’s speed increased. The Arwen grew larger. She took a deep breath, thinking about Kel, wondering how the mission had gone. She figured they should have heard something, anything by now, but couldn’t rule out some delay. This was his mission, not hers, and she trusted him to get it done. Kel had never let her down before and couldn’t see him doing it now.
The Arwen Book one: Defender Page 22