by Marc Stevens
“You simple minded primate! It is difficult for me to understand why you find the need to make light of serious situations. You need to listen to what I have to say without further comment. If you want cutting edge tech from my people, you have to be more forthcoming with your discoveries. I have been given considerable leeway in what can be offered. Show me what you have hidden and I will decide whether or not I will disclose to my superiors the nature of the artifact.”
My breathing had returned to normal and the Operative had my attention. I was thinking about the list in my pocket. “Justice, is the Operative still transmitting?”
“No, Commander. I find it interesting her transmissions ceased when you entered the artifact building.”
She was startled we knew about the transmission signal. She was starting to understand just how unique of an A.I. Justice was.
I gave her a quizzical look. “Okay, but only you. I find the Scholar’s divided loyalties unsettling. Where I come from, loyalty to family is everything.”
“Your priorities are another reason I find myself liking you, human. It will not matter what the Scholar says about your discoveries. Now that he has verified the Prule hunter, he has demanded an immediate evacuation back to the home worlds. I find his lack of courage distasteful. He has formally requested me to reinstate Tria’s service. If I were to do so, she would be sent home for retraining. He has shown little gratitude for you rescuing him and his daughter.”
I looked back to where the Scholar now stood. My anger for his request was growing. Sael Nalen put her hand on my shoulder and I turned back to face her. She could see I was about to explode.
“Do not worry Nathan Myers. I have denied his request. He does not know it yet, but he will be permanently assigned to the science department on my flagship.”
I found my respect for the Chaalt warrior was growing with each passing moment. What I thought was bias and bigotry may have been more along the lines of misunderstanding something not considered normal for her species. It was easy to like the Operative. She was direct and forthcoming. While she was not exactly a fountain of information, I could not blame her for holding her cards close.
I let my anger subside. “Is Tria aware of her father’s intentions?”
“No Nathan Myers, I do not believe he has the spine to tell his daughter. I have no intention of doing so. It would solve nothing and only increase an already tense situation.”
Letting the frown fall from my face, I looked the Operative in the eyes and truly felt I was seeing the real Chaalt hiding behind a warrior’s façade. I liked what I saw and knew I was in the company of a kindred spirit. We were close enough together I leaned forward and gave her a peck on the cheek. The shock on her face quickly subsided into a warm smile I had never seen before.
“Do not attempt to work your guiles on me, human. I still cannot fathom what Tria sees in a mindless, backwards specimen such as you.”
“Witch!”
“Primate.”
We turned back to the waiting group. All stood in shocked silence. As we got closer I nodded to Xul and pointed to the nanite lab door. The alarmed expression on his face subsided and he quickly complied.
Tria came to my side and held my hand. “That was…interesting.”
I leaned in and kissed her. She smiled. Looking up at the ceiling and shaking my head. I commented, “You have no idea.”
Xul put his hand on the security scanner then stood back looking at me. “Nathan Myers, it will require multiple verifications.”
Reaching down, I placed my hand on the device. Justice called out. “Identity verified.”
The door slid open revealing an enclosed chamber, the first of three. It was cramped inside with the size of our group. We were swept with multiple beams of light. Xul lifted his arms above him and turned in a circle. All copied his actions. We stepped into the next chamber and then the following one, repeating the process in each. When the final vault-style door opened with a hiss of positive pressure, we entered a brightly lit laboratory. The walls, floor and ceiling were coated in a thick coat of a clear, plastic-like substance. It reminded me of the billet encapsulation containers. I realized the lab was air-and moisture-tight. The precautions the Grawl scientists had taken to ensure that no nanites could escape were remarkable. I made another adjustment to all of the scientist’s bonuses. It would now total four million credits each.
Fifteen of the nanite vessels were against one wall and fifteen were against the other. In between was a large assortment of equipment and work stations. The number of analytical devices the Grawl took from their former research labs was impressive. I knew we had filled the cargo bay and all available spaces with crates and equipment, but I never knew the extent of our acquisitions. Apparently the Grawl had absconded with all the necessary devices and supplies for complete laboratories. Five million credits and counting.
Tria’s father looked at several displays and devices. The look on his face was turning more incredulous by the minute. He turned to me. “You are in possession of weaponized nanites! This is a serious breach of Galactic Union laws. This is a criminal offense that must be reported!”
It did not take the Operative but a second to shut that crap down. “SILENCE!” This is now a Chaalt sanctioned research lab and you are bound by OUR laws of secrecy. Do you understand Scholar Burlor?”
The Scholar recoiled from the implications of her statement. He nodded to the Operative. Looking at her, I raised an eyebrow. At some point I would need a clarification on her designation. Her withering stare never left the Scholar.
“What was in the other storage room Scholar Burlor?”
The Scholar swiftly answered. “A large quantity of Containium, Cobalium and Trimellium.”
It was the Operative’s turn to raise her eyebrows. “Inform our scientists what those elements were once used for.”
The Scholar swallowed and addressed us. “Our research has revealed they are the building blocks used to manufacture the shielding for Guardian and Sentinel exotic matter star drives. The material contains all emissions. Some theorize that, when cloaked, Guardian-designed military spacecraft are undetectable. It was further speculated it was the latest technology incorporated into their warships just before their mass disappearance. The elements are extremely rare and are considered priceless. No race we know of has knowledge of where these materials originated from.”
This was amazing information. It also told me the Legacy must have been put in storage before the upgrades were installed on the Guardian fleet. The Legacy, even with our negation systems, was detectable by powerful close-range sensors of modern design. There was the possibility that could change in the near future.
It sounded like the Scholar was going to continue but was cut off by the Operative. “That will be all for now Scholar Burlor. Go wait outside for extraction.”
A small smile crossed the Chaalt scholar’s face. He hurried to the exit chambers. He had no idea he was about to get his morning meal watered down with a generous amount of piss. Tria looked puzzled, and I gave her good arm a little squeeze and a small shake of my head.
She looped her arms in mine and we looked to the Operative. “May I ask what you meant by stating this is now a Chaalt lab?”
“It means exactly that, Nathan Myers. You are now officially a sanctioned Chaalt covert research facility.”
The frown on my face was getting darker by the minute. The warrior held up all of her hands to silence the protest forming on my lips.
“And as such, will be immune to any and all Galactic Union inquiries and interference. They will be informed a research lab exists in the general location of the fringe. It will fall under our military jurisdiction. We will surrender a small amount of dated tech and information connected to the supposed operations of this facility. You will be able to operate as you have, with no scrutiny from the Union.”
Sael Nalen was one smooth operator. She managed to kill several big birds with one small stone — the bi
ggest being the transfer of our base to the new designation of sovereign Chaalt territory. The transfer from mine to theirs had better come with a shit load of perks if they expect me to let them come and go as they please.
“We want your deep space communication capability.”
The Operative eyed me. “It is a little early in the game to be demanding military secrets, Nathan Myers”
“I am not demanding anything. I am trading you one of the galaxy’s greatest discoveries for tech I am sure you are working on upgrading or replacing. Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t have the most current innovations in the works.”
“Nathan Myers, what you ask for is the most current innovation. I told you I have leeway and will now exercise that option under certain conditions, the first being you are sworn to secrecy involving all aspects of the devices. You cannot talk about it or brag about it or even insinuate you have one. This means no one is allowed access to the interdimensional signal transmitters, or ISTs for short. As far as anyone else is concerned, there is no such thing as an IST. Since my race owns this tech, everything you broadcast will be monitored by us. I am warning you now: if there is something you do not want us to hear, do not use the device. For all of our benefits, do not place the device in your private cabin for any reason.”
The Operative made it a point to give me the stink eye along with her last statement. I think she just might have exhibited a sense of humor. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I wanted more because I was convinced the Chaalt had it to give.
“The ISTs are a good start, but we need an apple for apples trade.”
The Operative gave me a perplexing look that turned incredulous.
“You want us to also supply you with fruit?”
I laughed at the confusion I had sown. The Operative did not think it was funny. “It is an old saying from the planet of my birth. It means we are going to need a little more than the ISTs.”
The Operative did not think that was funny either. She balled up her lower right fist and smacked it into the opposite. “I have already warned you about making light of a serious situation, Nathan Myers.”
“We want the transporter capability as well.”
She was stunned at my request. It might have been a little much to ask for. I was going to throw in a Dagger but she cut me off.
“That will never come to pass, human! Transporter technology is our most closely guarded secret. None have ever lived to speak of it. It is only used on extremely dangerous insertions. There are never survivors from such an assault. You are most fortunate events turned out as they have or everyone here would have died.”
I could tell she was serious. Her stare was boring right through me. I wasn’t going to give up that easily. “All right, how about something not as valuable as your virginity?”
The Operative looked up at the ceiling shaking her head. Her face softened. “Mindless primate, if you continue your madness I will gladly beat the moronic chatter out of you.”
“We would like to update our star charts.”
She looked undecided then gave me a less than enthusiastic answer. “Perhaps with some modifications we could supply you with recent data to upgrade your existing logs. My generosity is at an end. There will be no more charitable donations.”
I could tell my crew and the scientists had grown weary of our back and forth heated discussions. Xul was giving me a questioning look, and I already knew why. The secure storage room in the back of the lab had yet to be opened. It had to be where the Grawl stockpiled the eight hundred six-foot rods we decided were missiles. They were not with the other artifacts. It was not hard for me to surmise why the Grawl scientists housed them close by. They had to be the delivery system for the weaponized nanites.
I put my hands up getting everyone’s attention. “You should all get something to eat and some rest. I will debrief you when the Operative and I have finalized our arrangements.”
I put both of my hands on Tria’s cheeks. With an annoyed look she batted them away and planted a wet one on me that made my knees knock. The Operative grimaced and stepped away.
“I will see you later and we will have a meal together.”
She gave me an alarming smile. My legs felt a little rubbery and I got goose bumps. “TRIA!”
She disappeared with the crew and scientists into the Legacy. I turned back to try and complete my next request but was having difficulty gathering my thoughts. Sael Nalen was staring intently at me. She looked baffled. That’s when I felt it. It was kind of numbing at first. Then it flared into a burning sensation. It was all I could do to keep from groaning out loud. The Operative was reaching out to me with her Sha’Leen. This was not a caress, it was a weapon. I was willing to bet she had never used it for anything else. The burning sensation was getting worse. I was not going to give her the pleasure of knowing it was getting to me. Forcing myself to stand up straight and put a cryptic look on my face, I walked to where she waited. She looked astonished. The pain and discomfort suddenly ceased. Thank my maker! I really did not think I could take much more.
“You don’t look well Senior Operative; do you need to rest before we continue?”
She was studying me. “No, you fool, I am fine. As I said before, you have run out of free requests.”
8
I stood, looking intently at the Operative. I was wondering if I should first offer the rare elements or go right to the Daggers. We already had good weapons on the Legacy. Tria telling me they were only fair compared to the originals made me want the real McCoy’s. On the other hand, the other item on our list might possibly end up being a completely new weapon system if we could unlock its secrets. It was time to test the waters.
“Senior Operative, I am very interested in bringing the Legacy back to its full capabilities. I am willing to trade some of our other discoveries to acquire those assets.”
The look on the Operative’s face never changed. She obviously knew I would eventually start scratching at that door. I could tell she was trying to decide if she should open it or not.
“My people and I are not in the business of arming rebels and vigilantes.”
The comment caught me off guard and, to tell you the truth, it kind of pissed me off. I had to think carefully about my response. Depending on whose eyes you were looking through, you could easily hang one if not both monikers around my neck.
I gave her a steely stare. “I find it hard to believe that is what you truly think we are. Common sense suggests if that was your true opinion, you would not be giving us IST systems.”
The Operative smiled. “Once again you prove to me you are capable of intelligent thoughts. That, however, does not imply I no longer think you are three swings out of a tree.”
I was finding it interesting she had not said a single word about the weaponized nanites. I was now wondering if the Chaalt had nanite weapons and were hiding them from the Galactic Union. Perhaps a test was in order to gauge her true feelings. I made my way to the storeroom and placed my hand on the scanner. Sael Nalen had followed me and now stood with both sets of arms crossed, not quite knowing what to expect next. With a clack, the door opened. Stacked floor to ceiling was the whole stash of missile tubes.
The Operative’s looks went from curiosity to consternation. She stepped into the room and carefully inspected one of the tubes. She was astonished by our find.
“The odds of finding intact Daggers is miniscule. The odds of finding them with complete armament are astronomical. You may now possess enough leverage to acquire additional restricted military resources. Transporter technology will definitely not be one of the items available.”
Now we were getting somewhere. I held something the Chaalt wanted bad enough to admit it. Thinking back, I remembered my experiences dealing with the Zaens and the Ilor. It would be wise to think carefully about what I said or implied.
“I thought the whole idea of leverage was to pry heavy obstacles from one’s path.”
She smiled
at my analogy. “Human, one can use leverage for any number of useful things. For instance, you could use leverage to remove your cranium from the orifice you so freely spread your endless supply of scat from.”
Ouch, that burned. Touché, old witch. I could not help it — I now found myself really liking the grizzled old warrior. “Do you have Oolaran weapons we can install on the Legacy?”
I could tell she was also considering very carefully what she would disclose and what she shouldn’t. “We have reverse-engineered the point defense beam weapons. We have those systems installed on our warships. It would be a simple matter to supply a limited number to arm your ship. The number ten comes to mind. What else is your small intellect fretting over?”
I had to admit the old war horse was shrewd. She was by no means naïve enough to think the first small gesture that came out of her mouth would suffice. “What about the anomaly weapon?”
The Operative narrowed her eyes at me. I could practically see the cogs turning. She was wondering if Tria had breached her oath of silence or if the A.I. revealed the nature of the weapons. I am sure the Operative was privy to any briefings involving intelligence gathered by Tria’s father. With a vow of secrecy, I presumed he questioned Tria at length about the Legacy. She had no idea her father was turning over every scrap of intel to his superiors. Since he had very limited contact with Justice, she could only guess at how I knew about the weapons.
She lost the faraway look in her eyes. “We have salvaged one such weapon. It was a long time ago and we have had little luck getting it to function properly. We did not recover the weapon’s original power source. Apparently due to the nature of its design, we were unable to duplicate its full capability. It also requires considerable input from an A.I. we have been unable to replicate as well.”
Just because the Chaalt could not get it to work did not mean I no longer wanted it. “I know this might sound vaguely familiar, but I have to say it. I realize the weapon is of no use to you.”