by Saxon Andrew
“Every man in the lab was coming on to you, except George!”
“Tal, I solved an issue none of his staff could handle. What do you think he’s going to do about that?”
Tal’s eyes flew wide open, “He’s going try to move you to his staff!”
“And what’s going to happen when he can’t find me?”
“We’re going to have to leave Disney!” he exclaimed.
“Tomorrow is our last day.”
Tal thought for a moment, “We can’t leave early, that would cause flags to be raised. We’ll check out the day after tomorrow and get back to Tampa. You told him we were here for ten-days. Why did you tell him that?”
“Because that’s when the Morning Star is scheduled to return to the colonies. I wasn’t thinking! I’m so stupid! I wasn’t thinking! They’ll have to make that connection.”
“Calm down, Ka. They will be looking for us in our normal forms we used to enter the lab. They are going to have extreme difficulty finding us as Sig and Lis.”
Lis was frantic, “I’m so sorry! I was too tight and didn’t think.”
“They haven’t started looking for us yet.”
“How do you know that?”
“We’ve not seen any security officers show up looking for us. I suspect we’re going to be allowed to have a week or so to enjoy our vacation before they attempt to contact us.”
“Tal, they’ll try to reach my commander before they try to contact us. And when they find no commander exists with me in their units…”
“That is when the flen hits the fan,” Tal finished her thought. “Still, we have some time before that happens. We can’t check out until our scheduled departure.”
“They’re going to check every hotel to find where we’ve checked in.”
“Relax, Ka. They don’t know if we even checked in a hotel or live in a house in Orlando. We have a few days before things start happening.”
“Tal!”
“Yes.”
“Don’t leave me!”
Tal sighed, “I’ll keep my promise and make sure you’re safe.”
Ka rolled over and wrapped her arms around him. Tal hesitated, then pulled her closer. This time he knew it was Ka in his arms. After a few minutes she said softly, “You’re right.”
“About what?”
“Do you remember when we first met in the Guild Master’s office.”
“I do.”
“I was arrogant and self-assured about my life. I was the best assassin in the Guild and was proud of it. I only felt disdain for you and everyone else around me. I feared no threat and knew I could take out anyone that tried to kill me.” She paused for a moment, and then continued, “But you showed me how many people died each year at the hands of the guild. I started wondering about what I’ve become and how I was perpetuating an evil on the colonies. Then you made me look at my real image and I remembered my life before the guild. Now, I’m a mess and I feel fear all the time.”
“You have to come to terms with it, Ka. You were rock steady in that lab…a lot more composed than I was. You have all you need inside you and that hasn’t gone away. The evil you talk about is not what you think.”
“Tal, millions die every year because of the guild. I’m a part of that!”
“But if they didn’t, Ka, the colonies would implode with the over-population that would result. The colonies would degrade into famine and ultimately, civil war to take possession of the essential things needed to survive. Many more would die if the guild didn’t exist.”
“But…”
Tal interrupted her, “Extending life expectancy to more than 300 years is what led to this. It was a mistake and the Council came up with the only tool possible to keep population under control. The guild is an unavoidable evil. Without it, the Council would have to execute huge numbers to keep the colonies viable.”
“But Zak, Jill, Sig, and Lis were good people and they were killed without hesitation to forward the Council’s agenda.”
“They were killed because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Council will use any citizen to insure the survival of the colonies. Zak and Jil died because they were the perfect choice to get us on the cruise ship in a body that would be easily recognized. They really died because of something I did; you can easily blame me for their deaths. If I hadn’t assassinated the President of the Council, none of this would have happened. You were sucked up into this because the Guild Master fears you.” Ka was silent, and, after a moment, Tal added, “Do you know why there is so little crime in the colonies and the number of police officers is pretty much non-existent?”
“I’ve never really thought about it,” Ka replied softly.
“Murder is against the law but never prosecuted. Murder investigations never determine who did the killing. It promotes citizens killing each other. Crimes are left up to the victims to get revenge on the criminal. Police will often give the victims the names of the most likely suspect but tell them there’s not enough evidence to prosecute. It’s that policy that leads to many of the contracts the guild receives each year. The system is out of control, but do you want to know the scary part?”
“I don’t know if I do, Tal.”
“You need to hear it; it will change how you feel about yourself. At the current population growth rate, the colonies will collapse in less than four-hundred years. A lot more people need to die than are currently being killed.”
“Does the Council know this!!”
“Ka, if I could run the numbers on this, I’m certain they could as well. With the extended life-expectancy, more and more of the colony’s wealth is going to fall into fewer and fewer hands. Ultimately, society will collapse when much of the citizen’s income falls below poverty level. The last census already had a huge number of colonists falling into that category. That trend is going to accelerate.”
“Is there anything we can do to stop it?”
“You’ve been doing what needs to be done to slow it down.”
“I don’t understand.”
“When a very wealthy person dies, the state takes eighty-percent of their income and spreads it out to the lower income citizens by building new businesses and starting building programs that gives them high-paying jobs. You killing your wealthy husband was a step in the right direction. By being Number One in the guild, you’ve killed the most difficult targets and their income was collected by society. Whether we like it or not, the guild’s assassins are the only thing slowing down the certain fall of the colonies into civil war.”
Ka thought about what he said and then asked, “Do you think Earth knows about this?”
“If you had to guess, what would you say?”
“They know,” Ka said with a heavy sigh. “They also know that Earth is no longer heavily populated and that if the colonies fell, there would be a mad rush to take control of Earth by the wealthy families in the colonies. They built their warships, not to attack the colonies, but to defend themselves from them.”
“Now you’re thinking clearly again.”
“When did you determine this, Tal?”
“The moment I figured out they already had a stardrive. You were right to stop me from killing that scientist; it could have precipitated a war if we had killed him.”
“We may have precipitated a war any way.”
Tal’s arms tightened up around her and she felt his surprise at her comment, “Why is that?”
“Because once they discover that Karen and Talon can’t be found, they’ll figure out that we were agents sent from the colonies.”
“Why would that start a war, Ka?”
“We used Earth IDs to get in the Orlando complex. They’ll know we can duplicate them.”
“OH CRAP! YOU’RE RIGHT!”
“Maybe it will be a good thing, Tal. A war would greatly reduce the colonies’ populations.”
“It could also lead to mutual destruction. That’s not something anyone can risk happening.”<
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“Why do you say that. It’s already been proven that a nuclear war won’t kill everyone.”
“Ka, the colonies have viruses that can wipe out every human on a planet. Once those genies get out of the bottle, mankind is doomed. There’s no way the viruses could be kept on one planet.”
“What do we do?”
Tal was silent and then sighed heavily, “We can’t do anything tonight. We need to get some sleep; we’re going to need it.”
“Why?”
“Because tomorrow is our last day here and we’ve not seen three of the parks. If our Major friend gets wind of this, and you know he’ll be checking up on us. He’ll find it highly suspicious that the Orlando Complex was compromised while we were here.”
“Will he find out about it before we leave?”
“I don’t know; I hope not. But we’re going to stay in character until we board the cruise ship.”
Ka agreed and snuggled in tighter to Tal. He pulled her close and closed his eyes.
• • •
They had a remarkable last day at Disney World and the Major didn’t show up looking for them. They arrived back at the Floridian late in the afternoon and spent a peaceful night. The next morning, after breakfast, they found their luggage in the transport they used to come from Tampa. Tal tipped the porter and they drove off feeling very stressed out; they expected to be stopped by a military vehicle, but nothing happened. They arrived in Tampa and Ka looked at Tal, “You need to have another session with your hostess.”
“I know.”
“You’re not objecting this time.”
“I’ve got her down, Ka. If anything is going on, I’ll know from reading her. If something is really happening, she’ll refuse to meet me again. I need to at least see.”
“I agree. I’ll leave to go shopping tomorrow and you can contact her.”
“Ka.”
“Yes.”
“I really don’t want to do this.”
“Why not; she’s gorgeous.” Lis teased.
“Two-reasons; number-one, I’ll be using her and number two, I have no attraction to her.”
“If you’re saying that to spare my feelings…”
“I’m not,” Tal interrupted. “I know that you like me, but you’ve made it clear from the beginning that you don’t have feelings for me. Nothing has happened to change that, and I respect your wishes. I must do this to keep you safe. I made a promise and I will do what’s necessary to keep it.” They pulled up in the hotel’s entrance and the ever-present porters rushed out and took their bags.
Chapter Twelve
Sig picked up the desk communicator and pressed the hostess button. A different voice answered, and he felt a wave of apprehension go through him, “Is Natalie there.”
“Hold on.”
“Sig, you’re back.” Natalie answered excitedly.
“Yes, I am. My wife has gone shopping in St. Petersburg and I was wondering if you had time to go over our itinerary for the time we have remaining.”
He heard the smile in her voice, “Certainly! I’ll clear my schedule and be right up!” Sig hung up and could tell she didn’t know anything…yet.
• • •
“Sir.”
“Yes, Colonel.”
“I’ve been checking on the major that came to the lab and I’m having difficulty locating her commanding officer.”
The General’s eyes tightened slightly, “Where have you checked?”
“All of the local commands that handle electronic issues.”
“Check again.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Go to each of them personally if necessary and take a photo of her with you.”
“What do you think is going on, Sir?”
“They don’t want to give her up. If she’s as good as we suspect she is, her commander will not want to lose her.”
“Yes, Sir. I’ll let you know when I find her unit.”
• • •
“Lis, you can come back now.”
“On my way. Anything going on?”
“Not yet.”
“Good. We still have eight-days until the ship lifts.”
“We can board in seven-days. That’s how long we must hold out, Lis.”
“I’ll discuss it with you when I arrive.”
Sig was thankful for the communication device Ka had given him. Without it, they would have probably run into trouble on numerous occasions. Her mastery of electronics was amazing. He wished he had the device in her right-hand. Well, that would have to wait until they returned to the colonies…if they returned to the colonies. The security forces on Earth were no slouches. He’d know they were in trouble if the Major showed up before they boarded the Morning Star.
• • •
They sat on the beach at Pass-A-Grille and watched the bright yellow and orange colored sun setting the day before they were scheduled to board. Lis took a deep breath as she put her hand on Sig’s arm, “I’ve grown to love it here.”
“There’s nothing like the world humanity evolved on, Lis. This feels so…I don’t know…”
“Like home,” Lis suggested.
Sig smiled, “Exactly. Nothing in the colonies can compare to this. I didn’t feel comfortable here until now.” They were silent for a long while, until Lis stood up, walked down to the water, and let the waves wash over her feet. He joined her and put his arm over her shoulder as the sun made its rapid escape from the evening sky. The stars made their first appearance and they remained silent for a long time.
• • •
The next morning, they went to the lobby and the porters took their bags to the bus. He looked at Lis, “I’m going to say good-bye to Natalie.” Lis nodded, and he went to the hostess desk, “Is Natalie around.”
“I’m sorry, she’s been called in by her commanding officer.”
“Tell her that Sig came by to tell her what an excellent job she’s done.”
The hostess smiled, “I’ll be sure to do that.”
Sig walked away and boarded the bus. He smiled and said silently, “Something’s up. Natalie was called in by her commanding officer.” Sig felt Lis tighten up and they expected the bus to be stopped before they arrived at the ship. But they weren’t stopped. They stood in line at boarding ramp and both kept their senses focused on their surroundings. They boarded the ship and went to their former cabin. Lis unpacked and said, “What should we do?”
“Call the Major.”
“WHAT? Are you crazy?”
“Call the Major and thank him for all he did to make our trip wonderful.”
“But…”
Sig interrupted, “He can’t touch us here without causing an interplanetary incident. This ship is Colony territory and Earth has no authority here. We need to know if he’s on to us. We should also arm ourselves in the event I’m wrong about them boarding the ship. We’ll have to use our invisibility to escape, if they do.”
Lis stared at him, took out the major’s card, and dialed the number; she heard him immediately answer, “Major Montana, I wanted to call you and thank you for all you did for us. Our time on Earth was incredible!”
“Where are you, Ms. Lis.”
“I’m on board the ship.”
“I thought you weren’t scheduled to leave until tomorrow.”
“We lift tomorrow, but boarding started today to avoid the rush tomorrow. Why do you ask?” The call abruptly ended, and Lis turned to Sig, “He hung up. I suspect he’s on the way here now.”
Sig raised his shoulders, “Why don’t we go to the main cafeteria and keep an eye on the boarding ramp? If the ship is boarded, we’ll have to hide.”
“This shouldn’t take long,” Ka replied. Sig shrugged again.
• • •
The Cruise Director saw a military transport come roaring in and land in the parking lot next to the giant cruise ship. He immediately contacted the Captain, and, in an instant, he came down the boarding ramp as troops spilled out of the tra
nsport and rushed toward the boarding ramp. The Captain lifted his communicator and the boarding ramp was pulled up and into the ship. An army Colonel rushed up and said, “Captain, you will lower the boarding ramp now!”
The Captain pressed his communicator and a face appeared on the small display, “Sir, my ship has been rushed by Earth Military Forces and they are demanding to board my ship.”
The Colonels eyes narrowed, as he heard, “We’ll be dispatching our fleet momentarily, Captain.”
The Captain turned to the Colonel, “This is Colony territory and if you don’t remove your troops immediately, we will attack Earth with our fleet.”
“We believe there are two-spies on board your ship that have stolen top-secret information from one of our installations.”
“I don’t give a flying flash what you believe, Colonel! You should have captured them before they arrived in Colony territory!”
The Captain stood there, and the Colonel saw he was not intimidated in the least. Matter of fact, he appeared to want the troops to rush his ship. The Colonel walked away and lifted his communicator. After a few minutes passed, he walked back up and looked at the Captain and said, “I don’t want this to get out of hand, Captain. However, we cannot allow these spies to escape.”
“Colonel, they already have! Unless you want to cause a war between Earth and the Colonies, I will not allow any of your forces on board to try and steal stardrive technology! We’ll go to war to prevent that.”
The Colonel showed his surprise at the Captain’s statement and he lifted his communicator again. He spoke quietly and turned to the Captain, “We have no intention of stealing your technology, Captain. We’re simply looking for the spies.”
The Captain smiled, “Colonel, I was against sending our cruise ships to Earth because I feared you’d one-day attempt to steal our technology. The agreement your government made with my company and the Colonies’ Government was that no military personnel would be allowed on board unless they were un armed and preapproved by the company. Your government also agreed to the stipulation that any tourist that violated one of your laws would be punished by the colonies. The Captain looked at his communicator, “Are you getting this?”