Cain's Crusaders

by T. R. Harris

  The young Formilian blanched, having never come under the overwhelming scrutiny of the Speaker before. “Yes, immediately. Forgive me.”

  Leaving the screen live, the terrified Formilian disappeared from view. Adam and Arieel said not a word to each other as they waited at least two full minutes before the image of Convor slipped onto the screen.

  “My Speaker, I am so glad to see you still well. I am sure you have been made aware of the reward that has been offered for you and Mr. Cain. I have just been in council discussing what options and assistance we might be able to offer, yet my relief is beyond words that you are still well.”

  “Father, what is this story I have just heard regarding an explosive device within my body? Is it true?”

  The shock on Convor’s face was evident from forty light years away. First his mouth fell open, but then it snapped shut as he focused his attention on Adam. “What have you been told, Arieel?”

  Adam noticed how both father and daughter had suddenly dropped the official protocol of their respective positions. This had to be significant.

  “I have been told that this device will explode unless I return to the Temple by Rites seven days from now. The significance of the timing of the reward and the Rites Ceremony has me very concerned that this story might be true.”

  “It is nothing to worry about, Arieel. You will be back with time to spare before the Sacrament. You will be fine.”

  “Then it is true!”

  “Yes, my daughter, but it is something that all the other Speakers have also had to endure.”

  “But why was I not told?” Arieel had begun to cry, the tears streaming down her tan face.

  “It was not necessary,” Convor said. “In all our time, no Speaker has missed the Ceremony. It is our most-constant affair, the one thing that all our people can count on.”

  “Of course it is a constant, because if not, then the Speaker would die! I would die.”

  “Arieel, you must realize that the Gift is our most guarded secret. If others were to learn of it, then our entire way of life would be in jeopardy. You are much too valuable to be allowed capture and investigation. The precautions you speak of are a necessary evil in order to protect you and our beliefs.”

  “How am I protected if I am dead?”

  Convor did not respond. Instead he watched as Arieel wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks and regained some of her composure. Finally she looked back at the image of her father, his own face a study in pain and anguish. “I understand the necessity of this action, father, I just do not understand why I was not informed? It is obvious that the presence of this device has been shielded from me – even a betrayal by the Gift itself. What else are you not telling me?”

  “Nothing Arieel, the reason you were not told was so that you would not worry. The Order has protected you and will continue to do so.”

  “Until now – just look at what has transpired over the past several weeks. If I had not been rescued by Adam Cain, I would have simply exploded at the appropriate time, and then your troubles would be over. A new Morlic-Speaker would be born and the Order would carry on until she is old enough to assume her position. But I would be gone.”

  “It is not like that, Arieel. Your abduction was unexpected; something that has never before taken place in our entire history. We were ill-prepared for its occurrence.”

  “And yet – you must admit – if the credits for my return had not been requested, you would have tried little to save me from the evil Human who took me. In time, the situation would have resolved itself.”

  “Arieel, stop being like this!” her father commanded. “We were trying all we could to get you back. You are much more important to our society and our religion than just as a vessel for the Gift. Even now, your survival will prevent the Omphly savages from attacking us. If you should parish, then there will be war.”

  “And we cannot have that,” Arieel said sardonically, the tears still escaping from her dark eyes.

  Convor seemed to know what she was intimating, because he leaned in closer to the screen, even as a solitary tear escaped his own glassy eyes. “You are my daughter, Arieel; above all I want you back. It has always been difficult for me to separate the responsibilities of my office from those of a parent. And now I have the dual weight of saving my daughter and of saving our religion resting upon my shoulders. Both are intertwined and both are just as important.” He looked over and Adam and made eye contact. “I know I may be asking the impossible; you have already exceeded your charter, Mr. Cain, but please return my daughter to me. I know you are a Human, and probably incapable of understanding the emotions of Formilians, but I besiege you. If you can do this, then you will never want of anything from me or the Formilian race.”

  Oh great, Adam thought, nothing like putting even more pressure on me!

  “I understand, Convor. Unfortunately, what happens over the next seven days may be out of my control. Is there anything you can do to help us get back, and all I one piece?”

  “The council was just been discussing this. We are at a loss. The offer was broadcast in the open to every world within the sector and beyond. Even the newscasts are speaking of it. It has taken on a life of its own. Within the Coalition, the subject is appalling, even though an inordinate number of spaceships have departed from the various worlds of our union. It is especially disturbing to see this happen.”

  “How were they able to find us so fast?” Adam asked.

  “Your approximate coordinates were revealed, as was the description of your ship and it’s very distinct gravity signature. You may possess one of the fastest ships in the galaxy, but it does leave a unique trail as it passes.”

  “That it does –” Adam sat up suddenly. “Convor, I have to go. A plan just popped into my head and it’s going to get very busy around here.”

  “What is it, Mr. Cain?”

  “I’m not going to tell you. Even though I believe you are loyal to Arieel, I can’t say that about the others around you. The less you know, the safer we’ll be.”

  “I understand fully, Mr. Cain,” Convor said. “Please use the God-given talents of your race to do all you can. I will be praying for the safe return of you and my daughter by the time of the Rites Ceremony.”

  “As will we all, Convor. Gotta go….” And then he cut the link.

  Arieel stared at the blank screen for a long time, still whimpering softly. Adam let her recover in her own time. In the meantime, he scanned the charts for the nearest inhabited planet. They were currently traveling in dark mode, so the planet would have to be very close. Even then, he would eventually have to engage the gravity drive. There just wasn’t enough time for a leisurely coast in.

  Arieel took a deep breath and turned her attention to Adam. “What is this plan you spoke of. I assume I can be made privy to its details?”

  Adam smiled. “Of course, after all we’re both in the same boat—” he raised his hand when he saw the confused look cross her face. “—ship. But it’s what Convor said about the Phoenix having a unique gravity signature. As long as we’re in this ship we can be tracked. So we’re going to have to find another one. I hate to abandon her, but if we could find another ship that’s not so prominent, then we just might be able to blend in with all the other traffic out here and slip into Formil undetected.”

  Arieel face appeared to light up and a forced smile appeared. “That sounds like an excellent plan. What can I do to assist?”

  “At the moment, not much, but once I find a world where we can land, I’m sure your talents will come in handy. Stealing a spaceship may be right up your alley.”

  Once again, Arieel looked confused. But she smiled even more broadly and said, “You are indeed a strange creature with a very strange way of speaking, but I believe I see now that you have our best interests at the forefront. I will defer to your expertise and be ready to assist when instructed. Until then, I wish to return to my cabin so I can refresh myself. I must look hideous.”
>
  Adam watched as she unstrapped herself from the co-pilot’s seat and left the pilothouse. “Hideous is not a word I would ever associate with you, Arieel – ever.” He said softly as she disappeared around the corner.

  Just then her beautiful head reappeared around the corner, sending a large wave of jet-black hair swirling into the room. “Formilian’s have a remarkable sense of hearing, Adam Cain. I heard what you said.” She displayed a wide smile and mischievous eyes, and then she was gone again, leaving Adam questioning just what was he going to do if they ever made it out of this mess alive!

  Chapter 14

  At the time of the ambush, the Phoenix had been traveling through the Siyvelan star system. It wasn’t much of a place: a typical second-tier Expansion system that had joined the Coalition about two hundred years ago, impressed by the miracles of the Speaker and the common-sense basis of her religion. Everyone could see the effects of electricity all around them, so why not worship it? It was as good as anything. And if the building of advanced electronics is what they had to do to appease the gods – well it sure beat the sacrificing of virgins! Besides, the Formilians’ had a living-god among them. What could be better than that?

  There was one native world within the star system whose Prime race – called the Armplanese – had also settled a neighboring world with the help of Juirean and Formilian technology. This colony world was called Bor’on, and it came with a harsher existence then the Armplanese native world, with lighter-than-normal gravity and a much more severe environment, complete with higher surface temperatures and a near-perpetual cloud cover.

  Because of this harsh environment, the settlers of Bor’on relied heavily on technology to keep them alive and flourishing, something that Adam – with the help of Arieel – could use to their advantage … if they could keep Arieel from being recognized.

  Bor’on lie about forty million miles from their current location, and even coasting at one-third the speed of light, it would take them over ten hours to reach the planet. Adam concluded that this was acceptable, and remaining in dark mode for that long would give their pursuers more reason to believe that Adam had slipped through their net.

  He changed course through a series of quick chemical burns and was soon lined up with the planet. Slowing down for the approach would be another matter; he would have to engage a shallow-well, if only for a moment, to break their speed. This was a risk he was willing to take. They just didn’t have time for any more precautions.

  Even if they were able to hide the Phoenix and commandeer another ship, at normal transit speeds within star systems, it would take them six more days to reach Formil. Adding the ten hours it would take to get to Bor’on, plus the time of the surface securing a new ride, that didn’t leave much leeway if any unforeseen events occurred.

  Then he had the added problem of not being able to simply show up in the space above Formil. It had been intimated that there may even be those on Formil who wished them dead; thirty million credits could counter even the most devote beliefs and loyalties. Announcing their presence in such an open manner would only invite an attack right on the doorsteps of the Temple.

  So Adam would have sneak Arieel onto the planet and into the Temple, taking even more time off an ever-ticking clock.

  And then to top it all off, Adam didn’t have a clue how he was going to do any of the things just mentioned. He was going strictly on gut instinct.

  Bor’on grew steadily in the viewport – yet excruciatingly slower than what they were accustomed to – until it dominated the forward screen. The planet had a consistent yellowish hue, a byproduct of starlight filtered through the light haze of clouds enveloping the world.

  There was very little traffic in the space surrounding the planet, probably a consequence of everyone bolting out on missions of fame and fortune at the expense of Adam and Arieel.

  The creation of a shallow-well about two hundred thousand miles off the surface of the planet would hardly be noticed, but it would suffice to slow the Phoenix enough for a long-burn chemical landing to be possible. Such a landing would exhaust Adam’s chemical fuel, so he only had one crack at getting it right.

  The charts showed about a thousand or so settlements dotting the surface of Bor’on, yet only one stood out. It was a city called Fun – of all things – although Adam was sure the native translation would reveal a completely different meaning for the three-letter combination. Fun boasted the largest spaceport on the planet, and therefore was their best chance of locating a suitable substitute for the Phoenix.

  Adam’s most-immediate issue came with landing the Phoenix without too much fanfare and then hiding it from prying eyes, at least long enough for them to get away.

  He had already surrendered to the reality that the Phoenix would not stay hidden for long. Eventually it would be found and his pursuers would put two and two together. So the worst case scenario had him stealing a ship that could be easily traced, which would then leave him royally screwed. The hunters would still be after him, but now he’d be in an inferior ship without the capabilities of the Phoenix. At that point it would be time to cash in his chips, because it would be game-over at that point.

  So somehow he would have to mask the stealing of the ship, leaving the authorities guessing which one he took.

  Adam came in toward the city of Fun from the southeast, dropping in altitude on the other side of a low mountain range from the city. He skimmed the surface as best he could, until he found a wide passage between peaks and emerged over a long, barren lava flow leading up to the only thick forest he could see on this side of the spaceport.

  He had consumed incredible amounts of chemical fuel during the approach and by the time he set the ship down on the surface of Bor’on, the indicator on his console was flashing red.

  He landed just on the outskirts of a dilapidated suburb of Fun, crushing several stands of squatty trees while settling down. However, once Adam cut the drive, the ship was sitting below the level of the trees and fairly well-hidden, at least from the surface.

  Indicators revealed a breathable atmosphere not requiring apparatus, yet the temperature was over ninety degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity at one-hundred percent. Outside the ship, the heat was going to be oppressive.

  Adam strapped a holster around his waist containing his Glock 19 nine-millimeter semiautomatic and four extra magazines of fifteen rounds each. He also threw a Xan-fi flash rifle over his shoulder and placed six extra battery packs in a small satchel. Lastly, he took his olive-colored boonie hat and pulled it over his closely cropped blond hair. He had to admit it felt good getting geared up again. It had been a while.

  Throughout his prep, he had failed to notice Arieel standing off to one side of the landing bay, leaning against the bulkhead, with her arms crossed over her chest. She seemed vaguely amused by the preparations Adam was making, even though she was making none of her own.

  When Adam finally noticed her, he inhaled involuntarily, not believing what he saw. Arieel had cut her hair. It was now about shoulder length – a good twelve inches shorter than when he’d last seen her. The difference was shocking, yet just as appealing. She looked slightly older, wiser, and just as sexy, yet in a different way. The thick, silky hair curled in slightly, perfectly framing her face and making her eyes look even larger than before.

  She studied Adam’s reaction with humor in her eyes. “I don’t want to be recognized if we run into any of my adoring fans,” she said with a wicked smile.

  “Eh, good idea,” Adam stammered, having to force his bottom jaw shut for what seemed like the umpteenth time since he’d met the alluring alien. “You ready to go?”

  She grinned. “More than you, Adam Cain.”

  Adam knew what she meant. She was now on the surface of a planet rich in electronics and located well within her half-mile range of influence. He was sure even now she was sensing a whole variety of devices she could control, even though they were still about a mile from the border of the spacepor
t. As he was landing, Adam noticed the roofs of numerous dwellings nearly by scattered within the forest. As a matter of fact, he thought he remembered one being directly below the ship….

  As he walked over to the control panel for the exterior hatch, the doorway suddenly sprang to life and began to open on its own. He hesitated briefly at the hatchway, waiting for the ramp to extend. Arieel was now standing next to him with a broad smile. He didn’t know if she was showing off or if this was simply how she lived her life. Either way, it was beginning to piss him off.

  Soon any thoughts of humor or playful flirting were gone, as a blast of hot and humid air filled the landing bay. Adam inhaled several times, trying to help acclimate his lungs to the heat and thickness of the air. He was already beginning to sweat.

  Even the unflappable Arieel was showing signs of discomfort. Tiny beads of sweat were forming at her temples and the deep richness of her tanned skin had turned a shade or two darker. Fortunately for her, she had changed out of his sweat pants and shirt and was now wearing a too-tightly-fitting olive-colored tee-shirt and a pair of his khaki shorts. The shoes she wore were the ones she had left Uniss-3 with; slip-ons made of a soft cotton-like material, with hard rubber soles. Dressed as she was, it would be hard to recognize her as the Supreme Leader and religious icon of the Formilian Coalition. Yet depending on the anatomy and physiology of the natives, it would still be hard to keep her from being noticed just on her own account.

  Adam was hoping the natives of Bor’on were slug–like beasts who would find Human and Formilian form repulsive. He would soon find out.

  Once outside the ship, Adam took the flash rifle and fired several shots into the low-density trees nearby, causing them to tumble inward and on top of the Phoenix. Soon the ship was effectively camouflaged, even though it wouldn’t take much to find it.

  Adam had also been right about the dwelling. Flattened out on either side of the delta-shaped spacecraft were the remains of what had once been a wooden structure with a thin metal roof. A small dirt road joined the clearing where the house had once stood, but it didn’t look like the road had been traveled recently. It led off in the direction of the spaceport.