The Fallen Goddess of Alpene: A Goddess; A Pirate--Kidnap! (Dyak Series Book 1)

by Paul Brandis

  "Yes.

  "Were the priests given miners clothes? Good. That should humble them. How's Kim doing?"

  "She's down in the dungeon, tending to the wounded marines."

  Phil grinned. "And having a woman touch them, should really unnerve them."

  "Actually, several of them expressed an interest in nursing. Which raises the question of what are you going to do with them now that they've surrendered?"

  "Put them to work in the mines. But we can't keep them there forever. A man won't work well at something he doesn't like. Besides, there are plenty of men in the system who would like to mine if the pay and conditions were right. The problem with just letting the priests go is, would they try to hook up with the Cult again? I wouldn't want to be shot by a man I've captured and released." He glanced sideways at his friend, and was rewarded by seeing his face shift into its thoughtful mode.

  "Mm. It is a problem. I think we could try a little reeducation. Those who want to find a new profession, should be able to. We'd only charge them a nominal fee."

  Phil laughed. "Charge our prisoners for rehabilitation?"

  "Well, consider. I've heard that the Cult pays its members very well. Many of them are avid investors, setting money aside for retirement. Why not start a school for them?"

  "And what are you going to call this remedial school for senior delinquents, Ball and Chain Tech?"

  Dante's face did not change. "How about Dyak University? After all, you're the cause of it all."

  Phil could not help grinning. "I see, and the School of Business and Finance we'll call Albergetti College after you."

  "And the School of Nursing will be known as Copperfield Hall for Kim in honor of her noble work in that pursuit."

  "And Jed would want to be head of the military science department. By the way, have you seen him? I want him to get his troops ready to move out as soon as we can."

  Dante looked straight ahead. "Have you tried the acolyte quarters?"

  Phil glanced at him quickly, but before he could answer, Jed came hurrying out of the comm center. Seeing them, he skidded to a nervous stop.

  Phil held up his hand. "Whoa. What's your hurry? I was just looking for you. What have you been doing?"

  "Doing?" He glanced quickly back at the office. "Well, uh, I just called home. I thought they should know how well we did."

  Phil nodded. "Good for you. Do you think they'll have a statue of General Googan built when you get home?"

  "Now, wait a minute," Jed growled.

  Phil slapped him on the back. "Just kidding. It's good of you to remember to call them. I should have thought of it myself." He turned to Dante. "Let's get a casualty list made up and sent as soon as possible. I'm sure there are many parents and wives who are worried and wondering."

  Dante nodded. "I've already sent out a call to the platoon leaders for casualty reports."

  "And I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get a list of the priests killed and wounded. But let's wait before sending it out."

  Jed had been impatiently waiting. "So? What did you want to see me about?"

  "Oh, right. I want a meeting of all officers and NCOs in the temple conference room. That's one flight up, middle of the hall."

  Jed frowned. "You mean, right now?"

  "That's exactly what I mean."

  "The men are pretty tired. We should sack out and get a good night's sleep."

  "The men can rest on board ship. We've got to keep moving while we have the momentum. If the Cult catches us lying around, we won't get up again—ever. I want the meeting now."

  A large, circular table with a hole in the center filled the room. The top officers sat at the table, the lesser rankings leaned against the wall. Phil stood at one end. "So with two attack ships, we should have even less trouble with an assault on Quinas. We'll take as many of the miners as we can who want to volunteer and can handle weapons. I've decided to leave Ray in charge of the mines here."

  Sitting not far from Phil, Ray frowned, but Jed, across the table, jumped to his feet. "Now wait a minute. I wanted to be in charge here. I'm the top ranking officer. I deserve to stay."

  Phil faced him steadily. "It's not a matter of who's deserving and who isn't. Ray stays because we want to keep these mines producing, and he knows more about mining than anyone else. I, personally, would prefer that he captain the Frisco Flyer again, but we need him here. And on the same hand, we need you for your generalship. We can't get careless after just one battle. We still have a long way to go. We must have all the good leaders in the field."

  Jed sat down grumpily. "Generalship, my ass."

  Phil nodded. "I don't care what you use, as long as it works, keep using it."

  Jed cracked a smile.

  "So; those miners who want to stay and work in the mines or for Ray can do so. We'll leave a few Terran NCOs to train some of the miners in security, and to make sure the priests work in the mines. I want the rest of the men on board the ships immediately. We'll sort out the strategy for Quinas on the way."

  As they hurried to the ships, Dante spoke quietly to Phil. "I think it was wise not to leave Jed in charge here. I'm not sure the miners are ready to take on another leader like him after just shucking the Cult."

  Phil nodded agreement. "There's that, but, in the end, I need him. He's put together a really tough band of fighters. They respect him, and are fanatically loyal to him."

  "True. He can control them. But can you control him?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Well, with this last troop disbursement, he's already in charge of a bigger force than you are. Are you sure you want him in charge of an attack ship too?"

  Phil paused a moment too long before scoffing. "My friend, you worry too much. Ol' Jed and I have been through too many raids together. He wouldn't turn on me now just when we're about to make our biggest score."

  CHAPTER 18

  "Temple of Quinas, this is the Alpene Liberation Army attack ship Avenger, formerly the Cult ship Avenging Angel, calling, along with the A.L.A. attack ship Fireball, formerly the Cult ship Fiery Chariot. You know with these two ships we have enough firepower to crush you to atoms. We order you to surrender your temple, and relinquish the administration of the mines."

  Phil studied the tiny moon on his monitor. It glowed blue-black from the reflected light of the nearby cool, gaseous planet. He keyed a transmitter again. "You have three minutes to give us your decision. After that we must assume you intend to defend the mines by means of arms, and we will be forced to destroy you. We are waiting."

  He keyed another button. "Chief Gunner?"

  The grizzled face of the man, who not too long before had been a wheat farmer, appeared in a monitor. "Sir?"

  "One flash out of them, even a flicker, I want you to level the joint. Got it?"

  "Yes, sir."

  Phil muttered so only Dante sitting next to him could hear. "I feel like a sitting duck up here. How much time left?

  Dante smiled. "All of two minutes and thirty seconds."

  Suddenly on the Quinas' monitor appeared a tall, stately priest poised on a craggy cliff as storm clouds boiled behind him. He raised a staff in his right hand and his voice boomed down. "We reluctantly bow to your will. And have pity on your poor soul."

  "Good, and in the future, all transmissions from you will be without theatrical augmentation. Now open your sky port. One of our attack ships is coming down."

  He pressed another key. "Jed? I'm going in. Cover me in the Fireball, but don't fire unless I call for it. I should have enough troops to handle any problems with the priests. It's just the miners that we have to worry about."

  "How about letting me go in? I'd like to have an easy surrender for once.

  "I appreciate your volunteering, Ol' Buddy, but let me handle this one. I need you for backup. I don't trust them anymore than you do."

  Phil switched off and turned to Dante. "Besides, with him handling the surrender, it might turn into a full-scale war."

  As
the dome closed and the dust settled, warm air was pumped into the compound. A delegation of priests paraded down the loading ramp and stood waiting as the ship's door swung open. On the far side of the compound, an old cargo freighter squatted as a conveyor belt dumped pure ore into its bowels.

  Phil led a line of troops out of the ship and strode to the leading priest, a small, bent man who bore the insignia of Father Most Perfect.

  The little man bowed and his augmented voice boomed out. "It is with deep regret that I--"

  With a look of disgust, Phil raised his hand. "Stop all that crap. Drop your masks and remove your voice augmentors. Now."

  The little man hesitated a moment too long.

  Phil glanced over his shoulder to the first man on his left. The man snapped to attention and called out to his men. "Troop: stand by to fire," and the row of soldiers whipped up their blasters.

  Quickly the little man tore off his mask revealing sagging eyes and fading tattooed cheeks.

  Phil nodded. "And the voice augmentor." He looked away as the old man bent his head, removed his false teeth, and withdrew the apparatus from his throat. From around his neck he reluctantly lifted a heavy chain carrying a large medallion emblazoned with the symbol of the Cult: a flagellant's whip across a shepherd's staff.

  Phil flicked a finger at the ground.

  Defeated, the old priest dropped the tiny transmitter and speaker.

  Phil looked down the line of priests. "The rest of you do the same."

  As they did, he continued, "All priests, everyone but the whores, out here on the compound. They'll carry no weapons, wear no robes, or voice augmentors. Pass the word."

  The Terran troops fanned out and covered the priests as they lined up in ranks. Standing on the ramp to his ship with the old Perfect next to him, Phil addressed them. "You men will now consider yourselves prisoners of war. As such you will be given several options. One is to work in the mines. If you do not want to work in the mines, you will be locked up in your own dungeons with miners as your guards, and you know how pleasant that will be. You will stay there until you decide you want to work, or until you die. Those who work with enthusiasm will be allowed to progress to the next step, rehabilitation. We are forming a school on Alpene where you can learn a useful trade; nursing, office work, even administration; jobs that you perform now. The difference is, that after the schooling, you will be able to demand good salaries from corporations. Are there any questions?"

  The old Perfect moved closer. "You said several options. Those are only two; work or be locked up."

  Phil nodded, and turned to the men. "Oh yes, there is a third option; death by firing squad." He glanced at the old man. "Any more questions?"

  As Kim entered the Avenger's lounge, she spied Phil lying on a couch with his feet up. "So this is where you're hiding. Why aren't you out inspecting the temple?"

  "What, and spoil Jed's fun?"

  "True, he does enjoy being boss."

  Phil nodded toward the clipboard she carried. "How are the miners?"

  She dropped wearily onto the end of the couch. "I'm afraid they're in worse shape than the ones on Alpene." She slammed the board down on the couch beside her. "Don't these faggots realize that they could get more work out of their men if they just feed and house them properly?"

  "Maybe they think they'll always be able to get more. That's a belief that I am going to try to dispel."

  Dante's face appeared in one of the monitors on the wall. "Boss, I'm in the comm center of the temple. I just picked up a transmission. They're here."

  Phil jerked up. "Who's here? A Cult ship?"

  "No, that big ship that was in the wake of the comet. It veered off, and has taken up orbit around the central sun."

  Phil relaxed a little. "So who's aboard? What are they doing?"

  Dante's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "It's very interesting. As they flew in, ships flew out of the main one, and headed for bases throughout the System. It's a little hard to tell, but they look like they're freighters, only heavily armed."

  "Do you think they're raiders?"

  "I'm not sure. I did a little calculating, and found that the ship's orbit is at the most optimum distance from all of Dynamine Corp's holdings, and the bases they seem to be approaching are those of Dynamine's."

  "Why would they be raiding Dynamines?"

  "Well, we don't know that they are raiding, do we?

  Wait, I'm receiving a system-wide bulletin."

  Another monitor colored, and the handsome visage of Jeffrey, Garve Slen's public face, flashed on. He stood in front of the wide doors of Dynamine headquarters on Rupert. The corporation's name above the doors was included in the picture.

  He smiled reassuringly. "By now many of you are wondering about the strange, new spaceship that has taken up residence in the system. Well, I'm here to assure you that you have nothing to worry about. The inhabitants of the ship are friendly; traders in fact, much like you and me." He chuckled patronizingly. "Maybe even better than some of us."

  The camera pulled back to include a man and a woman, strikingly handsome, and head and shoulders taller than Jeffrey. The couple's skin glowed with a cool luminosity, and their hair was nearly white.

  Phil and Kim stared in shock.

  Pointing, Kim said, "The woman. Look at the woman."

  Phil nodded. "I know. She could be Thea's sister, or mother, or something."

  The two aliens stood at ease, wearing thin, gossamer garments that seemed subtly to change hues at the slightest movement.

  Jeffrey continued, smiling with exaggerated good humor. "Unlike us, unfortunately, these people do not speak very often, but I can assure you, they do make their intentions known. Their names--" He chuckled again. "Well, they are unpronounceable to our primitive tongues, but they have told us that they would like to be known simply as the Traders.

  "Now you might wonder why we in the Dynamine Corporation came to meet the Traders. Well, one of Dynamine's far ranging prospecting teams, in their ever-continuing quest to bring you, the public, better resources at less expense, encountered one of the Trader's forward patrols. We immediately commenced trade negotiations, and I think I can safely say without fear of contradiction, these will be beneficial to both the Dynamine Corporation, and therefore to the System's consumers as a whole.

  "And what are the trade agreements? Well, for certain advancements in technology, the Dynamine Corporation has agreed to sell to the Traders a few raw materials necessary to their life and well-being."

  He paused and glanced hopefully at the two stately people. They remained silent, patiently staring straight ahead.

  Jeffrey cleared his throat. "These wonderful people, modest in every way, have requested that all inquiries to, and about them, be directed to the Dynamine Corporation headquarters here on Rupert. It is their avowed wish to interfere as little as possible with our lives. They want to simply load their supplies, then continue on. We can only hope that they can be induced to stay longer. I know that, as the first aliens, or I should now say friends, that have ever visited our system, they will be in great demand by not only our scientists and statesmen, but by everyone with a modicum of curiosity."

  He smiled and stepped aside, indicating that he would follow the aliens in through the skyscraper's doors.

  As the two aliens walked inside, Kim suddenly leaped to her feet. "Quick, Dante, enlarge the woman's left hand."

  The monitor froze and zoomed in on the woman's hand. Kim pointed. "See. She has six fingers."

  Phil stared.

  Kim watched his face expectantly, then pointed again in exasperation. "Don't you see? Thea also has six fingers on her left hand."

  He frowned. "She does? I never noticed."

  Kim groaned. "My God, what were you looking at?"

  "Never mind."

  Dante spoke up. "Yes, I also noticed Thea's hand. I always attributed it to severe interbreeding. Do you think she has any connection to the aliens?"

  The picture of
the front of the Dynamine Building faded, and was replaced by a documentary showing a huge, open-pit mine. A narrator, in well modulated tones, extolled Dynamine's efficient methods of destroying the environment in the name of corporate advancement.

  The picture flicked off and Dante's face appeared. "Well, what do you think?"

  Phil stood up. "About her hand, I don't know or care, but about the aliens, I think we've got to move fast. Call the officers together."

  Dante eyed him suspiciously. "What's on your mind?"

  Phil stared at his friend. "Isn't it obvious? If those people are traders, I want to have as much as possible to trade with them. We've just taken over two good-sized strotium mines, and I intend to take over more. We can undercut Dynamine, and still make a profit."

  "So where are we going this time?"

  "Newgreen."

  Dante's lips bit closed, but Kim gasped. "You can't be serious, Phil."

  He didn't look at her, but said to Dante, "Well, are you going to notify the men of the meeting or not? I want them here immediately, if not sooner."

  Dante wagged his head. "Whatever you say, boss. But it's going to be some meeting."

  CHAPTER 19

  Phil sat at the bar on one side of the lounge as the men entered and found seats. They all chattered about the

  arrival of the monstrous alien ship; all but one. Jed entered flush with the excitement at taking over the command of the temple. His clique of officers followed in his path.

  Phil remained silent until they found seats. Then he stood and smiled. "Well, gentlemen, you all deserve congratulations for the fine way you handled this difficult period of transition. But now it's time to get back to work."

  Over the stunned silence, he continued, "It's these aliens. I don't know what's inside them, but on the outside, they look like us." He paused for effect, then said firmly, "But like us or not, they're traders, and we have something to trade; strotium. And I intend that we should make as much money as we can, as soon as we can."

  Noting nods of approval, he went on. "But first, we must protect ourselves. The Cult is going to think we will now attack the next of their mines farther out. But why should we? We can take those isolated outposts anytime. Our next target is Newgreen; Cult sector headquarters."