The Dave Brewster Series

by Karl Morgan

  “Here Dad, I brought you a coffee,” Cybil smiled. “Mom, I brought you a local specialty called zook. It’s a lot like hot chocolate, but a bit fruity. I like it a lot.”

  “I’m glad you guys found us,” Dave said. “I’m surprised that Loni isn’t with you, Billy.”

  “Her family arrived and she needed to spend time with them. She hasn’t seen them in a couple of years,” Bill replied.

  “That makes sense. Did you meet them?” Darlene asked.

  “Not yet. We just started seeing each other, and I still need to get back to Earth to work on the DNA project. Meeting her parents this soon seemed too much,” he replied. “I’ve only known Loni a few days.”

  “Don’t take us wrong, Bill. Your mother and I just thought you might have run into them,” Dave said. “You’re absolutely right that it’s too early to take a relationship to that level. There’s all the time in the world for that.”

  “Thanks Dad,” Bill replied. “I had an idea to knock around with you about the DNA project. Thanks to Loni, we now will have a connection to a human civilization that has been around for three billion years. It seems pretty obvious to me that they must have solved the DNA problem already?”

  “So why do the project if we can just copy their results?” Dave asked.

  “Exactly,” Bill replied.

  “There are probably still differences to be taken into account. Earth has been separated from this society for four hundred million years. There may be differences among the races as well,” Darlene said. “I certainly didn’t think the Kalideans were just another sub-species of humans until this morning.”

  “Of course, Mom,” Bill said. “But ninety-nine percent of the DNA has to be very similar. If we can accelerate our program by focusing on the one percent, we might finish in no time.”

  “It makes sense. You should contact Chief Engineer Lagerfeld as soon as you can. Once he buys in, it’s a done deal,” Dave replied. “That’s a great solution, son.” Dave took a skewer of meat and bit off a large chunk. “This is great stuff too. What a beautiful day to be here with my family.” He sat back and listened to the band playing.

  Three tall Zu men in a military uniforms hurried up to the Brewsters. They stood as they approached. “Ambassador, Admiral, I don’t know if you remember me from your visit to Hive 1008 two days ago. I am General Audy Zilma, head of the military on that planetoid, and these are two of my best guards.”

  “Yes General, we remember you well,” Dave said as he shook his hand. “We’re happy to be here today.”

  “Please call me Audy, Dave. We have had a problem on the station and Governor Lonk wanted me to tell you,” he replied.

  “What sort of problem, Audy?” Darlene asked.

  “Two hours ago, there were coordinated attacks on the Hives on Station 1008 and on Tak-Makla. Both Hives are now down,” Audy replied.

  “Attacks! How is that possible?” Dave asked.

  “We don’t have an answer for that yet, Dave. We have heard attacks were also carried out on the two Hive facilities under construction in the Nom-Kat-La system, but they have not been confirmed,” Audy reported. “We don’t want to panic the citizens here or cancel the events this evening. Security presence here has been doubled in the last hour. I have been asked to escort any non-essential guests out of the area though. Councilors Jeebo and Arnar have already left the planet. A battle cruiser from Aranar Zu is waiting in orbit to take your family back to your space. I’m afraid that Bill and Cybil will have to go with me now. You, Darlene and Loni Arrak will jump to the ship immediately after the award presentation. Jeek and Tho will stay with you until then.”

  “This seems highly irregular,” Dave said. He wondered how it could be true that a Hive in the middle of a giant planet could be penetrated by assailants. The Internal Affairs team on Tak-Makla was huge, and he imagined the one on a military Hive would be even larger. “Perhaps I should contact President Bango’s office first,” he said as he reached for his com-link.

  Audy and the two guards pulled their blasters and leveled them at the Brewsters. Audy frowned and said, “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, Admiral. I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this.” Before Dave could react, Audy pressed the contact and the blast hit Dave in the chest. He fell backward to the ground. Darlene tried to scream, but the group instantly disappeared, leaving Dave lying on the cold ground. People around the area saw the confrontation and heard the blast. When the soldiers disappeared, they ran over to see what had happened.

  Chapter 16

  Dave had a crushing headache. He was dreaming he was back in The Hive with Loni traveling through space and time looking for his family. Where could they be? He woke with a start and sat straight up in bed, making his head pound even harder. It took a moment or two for his eyes to come into focus. He was in a large white room in what seemed like a hospital. A Zu woman dressed in white turned and saw he was awake. She touched her com-link and spoke in a strange language.

  Two more Zu entered the room and rushed over to talk to Dave, but he could not understand them. He asked them about his family, but could not understand what they were telling him. He looked around and saw his translator on a nightstand and reached for it. It was scorched and broken. When they saw the device, one Zu pulled a similar device from a pocket and gently pushed it into his ear.

  “Is that better?” the Zu asked. “Can you understand me, Admiral Brewster?”

  “Yes, that’s better,” Dave sighed. “What happened? Where am I? What about my family?”

  “I am Doctor Ulu Makak,” the male Zu said. “We have notified President Bango that you are awake and she will be here soon. We only know that you took a full stun blast to the chest. You are in Sakar General Hospital, two blocks from where you were injured about an hour ago. How do you feel?”

  “My head is pounding like mad, Doctor,” Dave replied. “My whole body is tingling.”

  “Those are normal symptoms of a stun injury. Both will subside in a few minutes. I have been asked to tell you that our police are on the case. Several others in the park saw the incident. One cheese seller told our ambulance crew who you were,” Ulu said. “Please try to rest a few minutes. The President should be here very soon.”

  As the doctors left, President Jo Bango and Governor Alin Lonk entered the room along with two heavily armed guards. “Thank God you are alive, Dave,” Jo said. “Alin and I have been reviewing the video feeds from the park and are shocked by what we saw. I am so sorry this happened.”

  “What happened to my family, Governor? Zilma is your man, isn’t he?” Dave asked.

  “We all thought he was a loyal soldier, Dave,” Alin replied. “Guards, please leave us and do not allow anyone else to come in.” The guards left the room and closed the door behind them.

  Jo sat heavily on a small chair near the bed. “Dave, what we are going to tell you is very secret in the Society. There are many factions throughout our worlds, Dave. You may have thought we were divided by race, but that is only a small part of the situation. With fifty thousand worlds with an average population of two billion each, there are around one hundred trillion humans. Every culture has subversive elements. If they represent only one tenth of one percent, it is still a hundred billion humans.”

  “You’re not answering my question,” Dave demanded.

  Alin put his hands on the foot of the bed and looked at Dave. “There are always a few star cruisers around each planet for security, Dave. One of the largest over Aranar Zu was the battle cruiser Vikal, which left orbit shortly after you were shot. We believe your family were jumped to that ship which has now have left this system.”

  “Why would anyone want my family?” Dave asked. “It just doesn’t make sense.”

  “We believe Councilors Arnar and Jeebo and Loni’s parents were also on that ship,” Jo replied. “But we don’t believe Arnar was a prisoner. There have been rumors that some on the High Council were supporters for the Free Society. Arnar has been very
vocal about being more flexible in dealing with them.”

  “What exactly is the Free Society?” Dave asked.

  “There have been discussions for many decades about how best to break the Society of Humanity into smaller groups of planets. No consensus on how to do it has ever been reached,” Jo began. “The Free Society plan is to break the Society by region and eliminate the races by actively promoting or requiring interracial marriages. Arnar is a Pa, like you and your family. He believes you are proof that mixing the races can and does work.”

  “But my family is from the past, when there were many races. As we told President Serena Vanatee of Atar Pa at breakfast, current humans on Earth 47 look nothing like us,” Dave replied.

  Jo looked at Alin who seemed bewildered. “Serena Vanatee was on Aranar Zu this morning?”

  “She joined my family at breakfast. Those two Councilors even stopped by the table to say hello,” Dave replied.

  “This is most unusual, Jo,” Alin interrupted. “We need to contact the Supreme Command as soon as possible.”

  “What did I say?” Dave asked.

  “Dave, Serena is not President of Atar Pa,” Jo replied. “She spent her career in the intelligence community. She was recently made head of security for Councilor Arnar.”

  “Jo, I always had my doubts about her too,” Alin said. “She asked to be assigned to Hive 1008, but I personally denied her request. When I heard she went to work for Arnar, I was convinced I had made the correct decision. We need to scan for her too. I bet she’s on that cruiser as well.”

  “The general told me that Hive 1008 and Tak-Makla had been attacked. Is that true?” Dave asked.

  “We have heard reports about an attack on The Hive on Tak-Makla and on two planets in the Nom-Kat-La system. We have no information about who may have perpetrated those attacks or if they were connected in any way. The Tak-Makla Hive was severely damaged by explosions on the lowest levels, and several thousand agents died. Fortunately, the Gallicean military destroyed the ships attacking the Nom-Kat-La before they could do any damage,” Alin replied. “There has been no attack on Hive 1008 though.”

  “Can’t your Hives jump the captives off the Vikal and put an end to this?” Dave implored. “That’s my family we’re talking about.”

  “It would seem the attackers have control of a Hive too, Dave,” Jo replied. “They are using that power to shield the ship from our agents. We have no idea where that Hive is.”

  “What about the Hive near Seeka Opa?” Dave asked. “Serena told us about that too.”

  “I’ve never heard of Seeka Opa, have you Alin?” Jo asked.

  “That’s the name to be given to the next Opa planet located in this galaxy, Jo,” he replied. “But no new planet has been located yet.”

  “Serena said they didn’t have enough people on Atar Pa for a Hive, so they used Hive 1008 and another near Seeka Opa,” Dave said. “At least that’s what my son told me she said.”

  Jo replied, “Dave, Atar Pa is a massive planet with twenty billion people living there. They have one Hive and there are plans to build a second. The lines of universal power are extremely strong in that area.”

  “Well, I think we know where the cruiser is headed, don’t we?” Dave asked.

  “Alin, consult the Supreme Command. We need a fleet and two Hives to go to Atar Pa and find those prisoners. Dave, immediately after the ceremony, we will jump you and Loni back to Tak-Makla. High Consul Zee is frantic since the attack. You two need to get that Hive back online as soon as possible. You also need to find out how the attack occurred,” Jo ordered.

  “My first guess would be to review the two Chief Engineers you sent there to take Loni’s place. The tekkans are not the type to destroy their own Hive. They are more likely to jump two days ahead to get the winning lottery numbers. Can I get out of here now?” Dave finished.

  Chapter 17

  Dave and Loni appeared on the beach in front of the Ambassador’s residence next to Zee’s home on Tak-Makla. Kally had been advised when they would arrive and he stood on the patio twenty feet away. He ran to them with an umbrella. A cold heavy rain fell about them that night. Local time was 0300 and lightning crackled in the sky overhead. The rain mixed with Loni’s tears as they rushed toward the house.

  She had been crying almost continually since her parents were abducted. They had been strolling down the aisles of food stands in front of the hotel. They had purchased some zook and meat and were enjoying each other’s company. Loni saw Ipa Nota’s cheese stand and rushed ahead to see her aunt. The family had spent many summers in the warmth of their farm in the low valleys. As she approached the stand, two soldiers passed by. She smiled at the men she knew were protecting the celebration in her honor. She looked back at Ipa who now had a look of horror on her face. She turned to see the guards manhandling her parents. After a second, they disappeared. At that moment, Loni heard the blaster fire in the park.

  As Dave and Loni entered the house, Charlie and Aria Watson and De-o-Nu rushed forward to comfort them. After hugs of affection, Aria sat on the couch with Loni while the three men sat on overstuffed chairs nearby. Kally brought over glasses of wine and whisky for the group and then excused himself.

  “Brother, this is an unbelievable change of events,” De-o-Nu said. “I cannot tell you how sorry we are at this time. I spoke with my brother-in-law an hour ago and he is distraught as well for both of you. Greater Gallia offers one hundred cruisers to hunt down the cowards who did this act.”

  “Thank you, brother,” Dave smiled. “Your family has always been very generous with mine. Our first priority must be to get this Hive back online. We need that to offset the Hive protecting the kidnappers.”

  “That’s a tall order, Dave,” Charlie said. “Almost half the equipment on the lower levels was damaged. Ten thousand agents died when the explosions hit, including Chief Engineer Nit Valasan and Minister Var Vanadez.”

  “Oh no,” Loni whimpered. “This is going to be impossible. We can’t do anything without a second Chief Engineer. What happened to the two sent here to take my place?”

  “One died in the explosion,” Charlie continued. “There is no sign of the other. Mak believes he may have been the culprit. Who else can take the role of Chief Engineer?”

  “I can,” said Zee as he entered the room. “I was Chief Engineer long ago and I can do it again. This planet needs a Chief Engineer much more than a High Consul right now. We need to get The Hive operational first. Chief Engineers may not matter if we can’t get the equipment replaced though.” He came to Dave and touched his shoulder, then went to Loni and hugged her. “I am so sorry this happened to you both. Today is a grim day for all of us. Many lives have been lost and souls returned to the Universal Consciousness. I pray tomorrow will be better.” He poured himself a whisky and sat next to Loni on the couch.

  Loni raised her head and wiped her eyes. “Zee, I just had an idea. Perhaps we can get equipment from the Hive under construction on Nom-Kat-Zuk? That Hive isn’t nearly finished and new equipment can be sent there in time.”

  “I’m sure our Gallicean friends won’t mind that either,” Darlene smiled.

  “Please be our guest,” De-o-Nu replied. “We didn’t ask for that Hive and dismantling it will only delay it. That’s a great idea, Loni.” He turned to the admiral and said, “Dave, do you have any residual issues after you were shot?”

  “No, after the headache and tingling went away, I feel fine,” he replied.

  “I must tell you when I learned you were unarmed and had been shot, my mind filled with thoughts of revenge. I honestly considered taking the Kong-Fa to Aranar Zu and shooting the place up,” De-o-Nu said.

  Dave finished his whisky and went to the bar for a refill. He took the bottle and a bottle of Gallicean whisky and set them on the coffee table. “I’m glad you didn’t, brother. The people of Aranar Zu are not the problem.”

  “Yes, I have seen the reports about the other planet, Atar Pa,” he repl
ied. “In the moment when the blood rushes to my brain, as a Gallicean my instinct is to fight now and think later. But the incident did make me think, Dave. You are an admiral who walks about unarmed. That is unthinkable to a Gallicean.”

  “I understand, brother, but I am more of an explorer than a soldier,” Dave said. “I never intended to be in a battle or fight. Remember that in my time I was an accountant.”

  “True. However, in my youth I wore diapers too. Now I carry three daggers and two blasters wherever I go,” De-o-Nu said as he removed his belt. “No Gallicean soldier would be caught without a trusty blade.” He pulled the daggers from his belt and laid them on the table. “This curved one is called Nak. It is shaped like a beak to remind us to tear our enemies apart. This one is Falon, which is straight like a warrior’s character. Some also say it reminds us of our virility. The wavy one is Ullu which reminds us that flying can be decisive in battle. I have ordered a human size set of these for you Dave. My personal weapon smith is making them now. They will be about the size you see here. As you know, away from this planet, I am more than three times this size, so these weapons are much larger.”

  “That is very generous, De-o-Nu,” Dave said. “I’m not sure I could do anything with them though.”

  “Yes, but I will personally train you,” De-o-Nu said with a large grin. “Each day when you return from your work on The Hive, we will work out with the daggers for one hour, in the Gallicean custom. Afterward, we will eat and drink together. We will use the remaining whisky to clean our blades. That is a sacred Gallicean custom as well.”

  “I would love to get that training too,” Aria said. “I need to be able to protect Charlie here.”