by Marc Stevens
In a low voice, I said, “We are not going to give our…guests a guided tour. Take us directly to the containment vessel. Are there any artifacts not behind closed doors they can easily see?”
“Yes, the mineral blocks we have identified as having little value and the unknown spacecraft. They are just inside the large airlock doors. They can be moved to an enclosed storage, but it will take time to do so.”
I didn’t like giving the Operative a free look at anything we had recovered. I was still really pissed at the intrusion.
“No Xul, take us to the containment vessel and do not stop. I will usher them along if they hesitate.”
The Grawl gave me a quick nod. “As you wish.”
We walked back to the Scholar and the Operative. Tria’s father looked relieved and the Operative agitated. Walking to the building, Xul approached a much smaller airlock on the opposite side. There was a security sensor next to the door that was biometrically coded to the Grawl scientists. He looked over his shoulder at me. I held up a finger and he paused.
“Justice, are the orbitals clear of spacecraft?”
“Yes Commander, the Senior Operative’s flagship is currently at the outer edge of this system. The other vessels have transitioned to unknown destinations. I have taken note of their unique drive signatures and the similarities to our own transition distortion waves. I will now be able to track the Chaalt vessels.”
I smiled at the Operative and her face darkened. I could tell she was on the verge of another tantrum. I nodded to Xul and he placed his hand on the security scanner. The outer door slid open and we went inside. We were swept with several sanitizing beams of light. The inner door opened to an area of about ten thousand square feet, according to my implants. It was brightly lit and sitting in front of the big atmosphere lock was the six spacecrafts. They were black cylindrical mirrors sitting on short stubby supports. They looked like missiles. Xul kept going, but Tria’s father and the Operative were frozen in place. They had looks of astonishment on their faces. I almost collided with the Operative.
“Please follow Xul. You did not trespass on my base to study my artifact collection.”
The comment netted me a small frown from the Senior Operative, but the amazement never left her face. Tria’s father looked like he was stupefied.
The Scholar finally found his voice. “Mr. Myers, I have never heard of anyone possessing an intact Dagger. You have six.”
Dagger! They had a name for them. It was a fitting moniker for the sharply pointed ships. It was not the reason the Operative was here, so I wanted to move on to settle the question of what was in the containment vessel once and for all.
“Please move along Scholar Burlor. I am well aware of the number of artifacts in my possession.”
Tria’s father tore his eyes away from the Daggers and followed Xul and Graf down the long corridor lined with oversized doorways. When we stopped at the end I was impressed with what was there. It was a large cubicle made of a dark gray material that resembled concrete. I wanted to ask where it came from but did not want to give away the fact I did not know in front of the Operative. The large door on the front was familiar; I had blown up a few just like it. It was a vault door similar to those found at the Grawl research facility I had destroyed. I was thoroughly impressed with the work the Grawl had done while I was away. I looked at Xul, giving him a small smile and a nod. He returned the gesture, making all turn to look at me. My face returned to neutral before they could catch the gesture. I waved the scientist on and he placed his hand on the security scanner on the side of the door. Xul stood aside and Graf placed his hand on the scanner, then called to Justice.
“Justice, please verify our identities.”
There was a metallic clunk and the door started sliding open. The Grawl did not know it yet but they all earned a million credits each. The security measures were first class, as was the building design and construction. The more I thought about it, I decided their insight would net them two million credits each. It was a small fraction of my recent windfalls and the least I could do. Tria’s father and the Operative entered the room. I stood back as they carefully inspected the containment chamber. The Scholar reached down to the back of one of the panels. He pulled a lever and the displays came alive. They had our attention now. This thing was hundreds of years old and still had an active power source.
The two Grawl scientists hastily pushed past me. They stood in awe as they watched the Chaalt Scholar at work. He was checking readouts running down a small display. His face was looking grimmer by the minute, and I did not know what to make of it. He touched a small round glowing ball on the side of the large tanks. It turned translucent and then clear. My eyes grew large. Good God! What kind of horror were we seeing? The large capsule-shaped body had six metallic legs, each ending with oversized serrated ice picks for feet. It had six long metal arms, two of which had six spiked fingers. The other four had machine devices that looked like mining and grappling tools. They might even be weapons for all I knew. The capsule itself looked heavily armored. It had several protrusions on the domed top and a couple of tubes extending from it on thick, flexible braided cables.
The Chaalt Scholar was rattled. “Mr. Myers, you have another first. You have a functioning Prule hunter in your possession. Your discoveries are incredible and may be the most important to this galaxy in more than a hundred solar rotations.”
Justice commed me. “Commander, an unknown signal just emanated from your location. I was unable to block or jam it. I believe it was broadcast from a device on the Senior Operative.”
“Justice, get the weapons on line and prepare for defensive action!”
The Senior Operative surprised the crap out of me. “That will not be necessary, Nathan Myers. I did send a signal but it was to inform my flagship that the Prule has been verified. I have no intention of seizing the containment vessel. Your security is good and it is about to become impenetrable. The more the vessel is handled, the more likely something catastrophic could happen. I will need to consult with my superiors for the best course of action.”
I did not know if I should trust the Operative or not, so I turned to Tria. “Can I trust her word or do I tell them to leave?”
Tria looked the old warrior in the eyes. They stared at each other for almost thirty seconds. “Yes, we can trust her Nathan. She tells the truth.” She looked at her father. “I expect the same from you.”
The hurt on his face was obvious but he just nodded and remained silent. He turned around and started shutting down the containment vessels systems.
I looked at Sael Nalen. “What now?”
Once the containment vessel was completely shut down, she turned away from the container. “I am going to order this star system blockaded. My ships will return to increase security. A small fleet will join them shortly. All will cloak and take up strategic locations in and out of this system. When all are in place, your base and this star system will appear deserted once again. When I have made contact with my superiors, I will advise you of their intentions.”
I thought about it for another moment. “If your superiors wish to stick to their original plan of seizing the containment vessel, then what?”
The Senior Operative stood silently looking at me. Her face betrayed nothing. She looked at Tria’s father then turned back to me. “Nathan Myers, I now believe you are not the primitive fool I thought you were. I am sure you know the danger the Prule pose to this galaxy. Why would you want the responsibility of securing such a threat?”
It was a reasonable question and she was right. If something happened and the Prule hunter escaped, it would be on me. I needed to think carefully about what my response should be.
I looked at Tria and she quietly whispered to me. “You will know what to do. Perhaps we should discuss our options privately with the crew and the scientists.”
I was beginning to believe I would not know what to do without this beautiful alien at my side. I gave her a small
peck on the cheek and she gave me a smile that made my temperature go up a few degrees. She put both of her hands on my cheeks and planted a kiss square on my lips. Turning away, I caught the hint of a frown on the Operative’s face that quickly disappeared. The old witch had to face the fact one of her own has taken up with a primitive alien from a backwards-thinking world.
Justice commed my implants. “Commander, the Senior Operative’s starship has moved to our location. It is now one thousand feet about us. The five other Chaalt vessels have encircled this star system.”
I approached Sael Nalen and Patriarch Burlor. “I must ask you to leave the artifact containment building until we have decided what we are going to do.”
They did not like it, but they walked out of the cube. I nodded to Xul and he locked the vault door. We walked out of the building, and as we passed by the Daggers, our Chaalt guests could not keep their eyes off of them.
Graf locked the personnel hatch and I faced the Operative once more. “Regardless of the quality of your ships negation and cloaking systems, I do not want your flagship parked over my base. If you insist on remaining, you are to move to a large crevasse south of here. It is large enough for your ship and I won’t be as pissy about you hanging around. As a convenience, I will drop my base’s shield for an additional twenty seconds.”
Justice broadcasted out loud. “Shield down Commander! T-minus twenty seconds and counting.”
The Operative turned her back on me and stalked off. When she was about forty feet away, there was a flash and a gunshot-like report and she was gone. That was a freakin’ awesome trick. One of these days, I would figure out a way to get my grubby Earth-boy mitts on the tech.
I called to Justice, “Justice, keep the shield up and the reactors hot on the weapons. I want them to ask nicely before they can come back.”
“Affirmative, Commander.”
Tria once again locked her arms in mine and I waved Xul and Graf over to join us. Coonts had shed his combat gear and joined Klutch at my side. Tria’s father had a questioning look on his face that turned to resignation. He sat down on the long bench against the wall of the artifact building. We went down to the common areas and were met with another roar of applause. I could tell the scientists were worried about what might happen after my confrontation with the Chaalt Operative. I waved to the Grawl and they all followed Tria and I to the large, open cafeteria.
Holding up my hands, they quieted to a soft murmur. “Please sit. We have much to discuss. I need your input to help me determine my next steps.”
Tria went to the counter and brought back a carafe of water and placed it at our table. I took a quick drink to clear my throat and addressed the crowd sitting around me.
“The Chaalt want the containment vessel because it holds a functioning Prule. I don’t know if it would be wise for us to study the bio-machine or not. What I do know is we cannot let it break containment. If for some reason this should happen and it escapes, we will be responsible. I do not want to contemplate the consequences. I would like you to think about it and tell me what the best course of action is. Please take your time and discuss it. I must also tell you, when the Chaalt came here uninvited, it was their intention to seize the containment vessel. If you tell me we should keep the Prule, we may be forced to fight off a Chaalt assault. Please consider all options before you present them to Xul for my consideration. Thank you!”
The cafeteria erupted into a loud chatter. They were all talking at once. I was considering getting something to eat but the noise was annoying. I really wanted peace and quiet. I left Coonts, Klutch and the rest in at the table and decided I would eat aboard the Legacy. Making my way to the lifts, each Grawl I passed quieted and put their hand out so I would touch it. My family was growing. Glancing back, I saw Tria behind me, and she was getting the same treatment. I waited in front of the lift until she joined me. Her smile could melt butter at twenty feet. We stepped in the lift holding hands. When we came to the top, we stepped out together coming face to face with her father.
He started to say something and I cut him off. “Scholar Burlor, there is no need to explain yourself to me. You have your duty and I have mine. I can only hope what you and your superiors decide to do does not come into conflict with my immediate goals. I have committed what some might perceive as atrocities to protect your daughter, you and the Grawl you have met here. If Operative Nalen attempts to go against me and those I protect, I can assure you it will be a bloodbath of epic proportions.”
The Scholar’s eyes widened and his mouth opened. I turned my back on him and, without hesitation, Tria did the same. We were walking toward the Legacy when I caught a whiff of something very unpleasant. I looked over my shoulder and saw Tria’s father in a running retreat. Coonts had a grimace on his face. The Tibor Troop Master had a huge toothy smile on his.
Justice addressed us. “Commander, the Chaalt flagship has taken cover in the crevasse. I have detected several microbursts of energy from that location. They are displaying very unique properties. They are leaving minute distortion waves similar to spacecraft transition waves. If I had not been directing the base’s scanners at that exact location, I would have failed to detect them.”
Just having the Chaalt close by was revealing a treasure trove of new intelligence on their military capabilities. My guess was they had a deep space communication system. It might even have the same properties as our jump drives. Instantaneous communication across millions of light years was priceless tech. I looked at Tria and I could tell she knew what I was thinking. She gave me an almost imperceptible nod. I turned away from her and cleared my throat, getting my crew mates’ attention.
“Coonts, Klutch, any thoughts on the energy spikes?”
Klutch shrugged his wide shoulders. “Commander, I am a Troop Master, not a scientist. My job is to break scat and take titles. If I were to guess, I would say it was some form of comms traffic.”
Coonts chimed in. “Many races, including mine, have been trying to get access to Chaalt tech or intelligence for a great many years. Even though Tria will not comment on the subject, her race is one of the most accomplished and advanced in the galaxy. To believe the recorded microbursts would be anything other than a very sophisticated communication device would be foolish. They obviously have real time comms capable of reaching their home worlds. It is very likely they are clarifying orders that will determine if they will attack our base or negotiate some sort of compromise.”
The little Grawl rarely bullshitted. I was sure he had just laid out the most likely scenario. The look on the Grawl’s face was grim, and it worried me. He clenched his hands behind his back and began pacing. When he finally stopped in front of me, the look was even grimmer.
“Commander, if the Chaalt bring the full weight of their military to bear, we will not survive the assault.”
I turned to Tria and she looked me in the eyes. “If my people determine there is even the smallest probability we could release the Prule and let it escape, they will destroy this moon. Sael Nalen would only need her fleet to do so. There is the very real possibility we would receive no warning.”
6
The stark reality of our predicament was starting to sink in. All my bluster and bullheadedness were now on the back burner. We would have to give up the containment vessel or face the consequences. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but the alternative was unthinkable.
Xul walked into the galley and he did not look happy. I waved him to our table and he sat down. “Nathan Myers, we have come to a consensus. All believe hostilities with the Chaalt will end with the loss of our lives. If that comes to pass, everything you have fought for and those brought to judgement for the good of all will have been for nothing. Your maker did not bring you here for this fruitless cause. There is still much to do and countless races that have no one to stand for them. If we perish now, evil will win and nothing will change.”
Justice was listening. He decided that it was his turn and we needed t
o hear what he thought. “Commander, I have an idea.”
I was jolted out of my morose state of mind. “I’m sorry, Justice, I failed to ask your opinion. It was an error on my part because you are in this situation as well. Please, let’s hear what you have to say.”
“Commander, the Chaalt obviously have some of the best tech currently available. Would it not make sense to discuss a trade, if not for the Prule containment vessel, perhaps one of the Daggers?”
Holy shit! Why didn’t I come to that conclusion? The Earth-boy idiot was more worried about having to give rather than what I could gain.
“Justice, give me a short range comm channel I can reach Sael Nalen on!”
Everybody was all smiles now. “Comm channel open Commander.”
“Senior Operative, I would like to talk with you and clarify our position.”
The Operative came on immediately. “Mindless primate! It was you that was worried about your security. Now you broadcast on an unsecured comm channel.”
I cut her off before she could get me really pissed again. “The shield will be down for three minutes, please come alone.”
Justice killed the channel. He alerted me that the Chaalt flagship was fifteen seconds out. We went to the down tube and made our descent to the personnel hatch. We walked off the Legacy and heard the loud report of the compression wave. The Operative was doing the shiny liquid metal thing again. I was pretty sure it was a shield of some sort. It fell away and Sael had her hands on her weapons and was looking around cautiously. She came alone even though she thought it was a trick or a trap. I had to give it to the old warrior: she had a set of nads. She marched over to us with a look of rage on her face.
I shut her down with one sentence. “I would like to discuss turning the Prule over to you.”
The angry Chaalt stopped like a set of new disc brakes. She suddenly squinted at me. “This had better not be some kind of human trick. I have little patience for any more of your scat!”