by D. J. Holmes
According to Banik, Chang had been kept well-hidden from the freighter crew so they didn’t know who they were transporting. Nevertheless, Gupta knew that whoever the luckless freighter Captain turned out to be there would be hell to pay. Once in the Sol system, Chang had been transferred to a Varun freighter and then taken to New Delhi. There he had been transferred to a local mining freighter that toured the outlying Indian mining colonies picking up their processed ore and taking it back to New Delhi for use in its ever expanding industries. Banik knew the first stop the freighter made on its journey was the colony of Kerala. However, as it was an independent freighter hired out of the Varun offices on Kerala, he didn’t have access to the rest of its route.
After asking him about the freighter’s schedule for a third time and getting the same answer Bell cursed. “Another dead end!” she shouted in frustration.
“Let me have a few minutes alone with him,” Johnston asked, “I’m sure I can squeeze a few more details out of him.”
“No, no please. I’ve told you the truth. I can’t tell you anymore,” Banik pleaded. “I don’t know, I don’t,” he continued as Johnston stood up and approached him.
“That will be enough,” Bell said as she jumped in between Johnston and the Indian, noting the fury in Johnston’s eyes. Maybe he wasn’t acting before, she thought. “There will be no need for any squeezing, torture won’t get us anywhere, he’ll just tell us anything to get us to stop and then we’ll be running around on a wild goose chase.”
“This is our only source of information,” Johnston almost shouted. “If you’re not willing to do what is necessary I am! You don’t have to stay for this, I can contact you when we have what we need.”
Bell held her ground and Gupta was afraid things were about to come to blows. “Wait,” she shouted. “Maybe there is another option.”
“Banik?” she asked, “won’t the Varun offices on Kerala have information on the freighter’s schedule?”
“Well… yes,” he said after a moment’s hesitation, “but that won’t help you. There is no way to access them from New Delhi.”
“No,” Gupta agreed, “but you could access them if you were on Kerala couldn’t you?”
Banik looked horrified at Gupta’s suggestion. “Leave New Delhi? You promised to let me go if I cooperated. Varun will fire me for sure.”
Bell jumped on the idea. “We promised to let you go if you helped us locate Chang, you haven’t done that yet. But look,” she followed up before Banik could interrupt, “we are not unreasonable. We know that if we abduct you and take you to Kerala you’ll lose your job and your home. But we can compensate you. I have been given permission to be very generous to anyone we can persuade to help us find Chang. How does five million credits sound?”
At that Banik’s face lit up. Bell had done her research; she knew that even as a mid-level manager in the Varun shipping company it would take him twenty years to see five million credits pass through his accounts. “In addition, I can offer you a full pardon for any crimes my government may have deemed you to be a part of and we can offer you asylum within our colonies. We could give you a new identity and make sure Varun and the Indian government can’t track you.”
“What do you say?” Gupta asked.
Despite the generosity of the offer Banik hesitated. He had built a life on New Delhi, he had friends and a sister who had her own family. But if I lose my job where would I be? No one will want to see me; they will be ashamed of me.
Sensing his dilemma Bell gave him her final ultimatum. “Listen, you have two choices before you. We’re taking you to Kerala, either we force you at gunpoint to do what we want and then leave you on Kerala or you cooperate and get a new life in British space. You need to decide now.”
“Ok,” Banik said reluctantly. “I’ll do it.”
“Right,” Bell said swinging into action. “Johnston, you and your marines gather up your things. Gupta and I will get Mr. Banik to the aircar. We should be able to take a shuttle back to the trade station in orbit. No one should suspect anything. Let’s get moving everyone. The sooner we get out of here the better chance we will have of getting to Chang before Varun moves him because as soon as they realize Banik is missing, that’s the first thing they will do.”
*
25th March 2466, HMS Endeavour, edge of the Kerala system.
A week later, after a mad dash to the Kerala system, James asked Gupta the same question for the third time, “are you sure you are up for this Commander? You’ll be without any back up.”
“I know Captain, but if it is what needs to be done then it is what I will do,” Gupta answered.
“We’ll have your back Commander.” Major Johnston assured her from his seat in Endeavour’s conference room. “We may not be going in with you but at the first sign of trouble we’ll have you out in no time.”
James nodded in agreement. “I want you to take a full squad of marines from Endeavour, you can shuttle them down in two loads from the freighter if you have to but I want a full squad ready to go at a moment’s notice.”
“Don’t worry Captain,” Bell said reassuringly. “I have debriefed Banik fully, we now have a fair idea of the security guarding the Varun offices on Kerala, I’ll be with Johnston and his men and we’ll be ready for any eventuality.”
“Very well,” James said, “the mission is a go. Just remember if any of you are caught you are on your own. Don’t take anything that can identify you and whatever you do, if you get the information we need make sure it is transmitted to Endeavour immediately. We can’t fail in this matter.”
“Yes Sir,” Bell said. “We’ll head back to Innocence now and prepare to jump on into the system with your permission?”
“You have it,” James said.
As the crew of Innocence filed out James was left with his First and Second Lieutenants. “This has been my hardest mission yet,” he confided in them. “All this waiting and watching. Knowing there is nothing we can do.”
“You’re right Sir of course,” Second Lieutenant Malory began, “but at least we have used the time wisely. All the drills with the crew have improved our efficiency ratings dramatically. That will please the Admiralty. And for our maiden voyage we have aptly demonstrated Endeavour’s stealth capabilities. We’ve been in unfriendly space for almost two months and no one has come close to spotting us.”
“That’s not the point,” First Lieutenant Ferguson said. “We could go anywhere and do as many drills as we wanted. It’s the fact that while we sit up here in safety others, even our fellow crewmembers, are risking their lives. Doesn’t it leave a sour taste in your mouth?”
“Well yes, I know what you mean, it isn’t easy for any of us,” Malory answered.
James rather suspected he didn’t, as far as he could tell all Malory was interested in was his own efficiency reports and whatever illicit activities he managed to get away with. James was now sure Malory had set up at least one gambling ring on Endeavour, all he needed was some proof.
Knowing he wasn’t going to get any today he switched the topic. “How are the crew holding up?” he asked.
“Their fine Sir, the extra drills and simulations have been helping everyone take their minds off the monotony. Plus, the extra rec time you approved has helped a lot,” Malory answered.
“That’s correct Sir,” Ferguson added. “But I think they are still being affected by how surreal this feels. Everyone is extremely motivated to get Chang and bring him to justice. But as we’ve said, just sitting around while others take the risks sits uneasy with most of the crew. I think that’s why our efficiency ratings are so high; guilt is a strong motivator.”
“I see,” James said. “Well there is nothing else for it at the moment. Everyone will just have to keep going as is. Hopefully once we get a firm location on Chang we can play a more direct role in his apprehension.”
*
26th March 2466, Kerala.
Gupta stood in front of the main doors t
o the Varun offices on Kerala. The building wasn’t nearly as impressive as the lofty tower back on New Delhi but that reflected Kerala’s status. The planet had only been colonized eighty years ago and as it was a barren rocky world there wasn’t much there to attract new colonists. Nevertheless, its mineral deposits and strategic location meant the Indians had set up more than just a military outpost and now the planet’s single city boasted a population of more than one hundred thousand. Most of them served the military base or the growing mining industry.
Taking a deep breath, she prodded Banik towards the automatic doors. “Don’t forget what I’m carrying with me, one wrong move,” she warned him.
“Yes, yes. I know, one wrong move and I’m history. Your Chinese friend has drilled that into me a thousand times. Let’s just get this over with,” Banik responded.
Gupta was just making sure. It was a bluff but she needed Banik to believe it. Bell had drummed it into him that RSNI had developed an auto injector that would get past any security scans. They had told him that Gupta was carrying one filled with a deadly poison. At the first sign of betrayal she would make sure he received the full dose.
“Here we go then,” Gupta said as the automatic doors opened.
Banik smiled at the receptionist and set his identity card on the desk. “Good morning, I’m a senior shipping coordinator from New Delhi. I’ve been sent here to follow up on a few old shipping contracts we need to tidy up for our records. Headquarters back in India have requested a full review of all civilian contracts.”
“Good morning Sir,” the receptionist responded as she picked up his identity card and ran it through her scanner. “May I have your hand for a DNA scan as well?”
“Certainly,” Banik said as he reached out his hand.
“Thank you Sir,” your identity is confirmed. “Who shall I inform that you have arrived?”
“Well actually. Mr. Shankar and I go way back. We worked together for Varun on Earth for a number of years. Back in our youth of course,” Banik chuckled.
“I was kind of hoping to surprise him,” he said as he slipped a hundred credit bill to the receptionist. “If you don’t mind I’d like to go up to his offices unannounced and just pop in.”
“Don’t worry,” Banik added when the receptionist looked a bit uncertain. “I will tell him I snuck past reception, no one will know you let me in,” he said as he slipped her another hundred credit bill.
“Ok,” the receptionist said a bit more happily as she entered a few details into her datapad. “You can go on through, your identity card will give you access to Mr. Shankar’s office.”
“Well we’re in,” Banik said as they walked through the main security doors.
“Yes, now let’s do what we came to do and get out of here,” Gupta responded.
“Right, just follow me and look relaxed. We’ll find a free computer terminal, get your information and we’ll be out of here in no time,” Banik said confidently.
Gupta just nodded and followed Banik into a turbo lift. It took them up three floors before stopping. According to the plans for the building the third floor was the manager’s floor. They had timed their arrival to coincide with lunch and they hoped to find at least one of the offices empty. Sure enough the place looked deserted.
“Right, let’s get to work,” Gupta said. “Here will do just fine,” she added as she walked through the door into the nearest office.
As Banik sat down in the desk chair and switched on the terminal he paused and looked up at Gupta. “As soon as I log in as a guest my details will be in the system. Varun will know I have betrayed them. Can I really trust you?”
Gupta had been expecting this would come. She slowly reached for one of her pockets and said, “you don’t have to trust me, you just have to want to live. There’s no turning back now.”
Sighing, Banik looked back at the terminal and punched in the final part of his password to unlock the computer. He brought up the flight schedule for the independent traders hired by Varun, then he focused on the freighter in question. “I have the Dawon’s schedule, data chip please?” he asked when he found what he was after.
Gupta pulled out a data chip. Banik placed it in the terminal and downloaded the data they needed.
“Job done,” he said as he handed the data chip back to her with a smile, “now you can get me out of here if you please. I have a nice five million credits waiting for me.”
Chapter 7 – Evac
26th March 2466, Varun offices, Kerala.
“What are you doing in my office?” a voice shouted from just outside the door, making Banik and Gupta jump.
They stared at the man blankly for a few vital seconds before Banik cleared his throat and began to speak. “Eh... hello there, my name is Rahul Banik. I’m visiting from the New Delhi offices. I just needed to use a terminal to check some data about a proposal I’m bringing to Overseer Shankar. I hope we haven’t caused any offence.”
Whoever the newcomer was it didn’t look like he bought Banik’s excuse. He raised his COM link. “Reception, I have a Mr. Banik snooping around in my office. Does he have permission to be on the eighth floor?”
“A Mr. Banik? He came to visit the Overseer but he didn’t have an appointment. He was supposed to go directly to the Overseer’s office,” came the reply over the COM channel.
“Right, get secur...”
Gupta pounced on him and knocked him to the ground at the mention of security. “Quick, let’s get out of here,” she called.
Banik did what he was told and followed Gupta as he stepped over the unconscious man on the floor. They both ran to the turbolift and got in. Gupta hit the button for the ground floor. As the lift began to go down she pulled out her datapad and inserted the data chip. It automatically began to transmit to the freighter in orbit. At the same time, she keyed her COM unit. “Major, we’ve got the flight schedule but our cover has been blown.”
Before the Major could respond the lift ground to a halt. “Shit,” Banik shouted.
Gupta reached out and hit the emergency button to open the turbolift door. It began to open the doors but stopped as someone cut the power to the turbolift. “What’s going on?” Johnston asked over the COM channel.
“Security has shut down the turbolifts. We’re able to get out but we’ll be stuck on the second floor. I’m sure they have sealed off the ground floor already. We’re going to need some help,” Gupta answered.
“Ok, we’re ready,” Johnston said calmly. “The schematics of the building show an emergency stairwell to the south west of the building. We’ll breach the building at the front entrance and secure the stairwell. If you can make it there we’ll take you the rest of the way out. Good luck Commander.”
Leaving the COM link open, Gupta reached through the partially opened lift doors and heaved on the second floor doors that were almost at her head height. Thankfully it didn’t require much strength to force them open. Turning to Banik she said, “Are you coming with me? Our offer of protection still stands.”
“I don’t have much choice at this point,” he answered. “You’re going to have to boost me up there though.”
“I guessed as much,” Gupta said as she knelt down and put her hands together to provide a foothold for Banik to step up from. As she lifted him towards the opening she swore to herself. That’s the last time I make a deal with an overweight Indian on a ground mission.
*
Outside the Varun buildings Bell, Johnston and twelve marines approached the main doors. As they did the doors automatically opened and everyone rushed in.
The receptionist’s eyes widened in alarm when she saw fourteen people stampeding into her building. She opened her mouth to scream but a bolt of electricity hit her and she crumpled to the floor.
There were two armed security guards standing in front of the turbolifts and another off to the side. All three fell to similar bolts of electricity from other marines. The stunners weren’t very accurate as the electricity didn�
��t shoot through the air in a linear path but in close quarters they were accurate enough for the marines.
“Right, first fire team hold reception. I’ll take second and secure the guard station and the rest of the ground floor, Bell you take third and get to the stairwell, secure it up to the second floor. Gupta should be there waiting for you.”
Without waiting for a response he moved out, leading the second squad. The guard station was close to the entrance and he only had to round two corners to get to it. When they got there the door was locked. It was clear that whoever was inside had already seen the marines enter the building. Peering through the window Johnston saw two Indians staring back with a mixture of anger and fear. One of them gestured rudely at him. He smiled back and shot a few bolts of electricity at the door. Instinctively, they ducked. There was no need though for the door easily absorbed the shot.