Guardian Stone 2: Stone and the T-Raptors

by Don Koch

  "Thank you General and Admiral. I will be glad to have this behind me."

  Sass said, "You will do fine lad, just fine. I too will see you tomorrow."

  "OK Barana, one to transport to new quarters." Golixs disappeared as he was transported. Hanks rapport team returned to the station and broke rapport."

  Sam said, "Wow, I really feel sorry for the guy. What a mess of nasty baggage he has to carry. What a terrible thing to do to a person."

 

  Hank said, "I think you are correct. I was afraid we were going to lose him there at one point. The Admiral and I were both working on trying to give him purpose."

  Sass said with a chuckle, "You saw that, did you?"

  "Yes, now we have some leads to work with. Tomorrow promises to be a busy day. We need to search the records for this 'Azure' and this Colonel Vassix. Do those mean anything to you?"

  Sass said, "Yes they do, but not of much help. Colonel Vassix was the kind of person that most were uncomfortable around. He worked in our intelligence unit and about 9 years ago he resigned and went to work for the Ruler. I do not know in what capacity. I did not see him thereafter. Azure was originally designed to be an advanced training base for counterintelligence but it was closed ten years ago and the facility reverted to the Ruler. Have his databases and files been secured? Oh and there is a backup storage facility on the dark-side of our largest satellite that should not be overlooked."

  "That is interesting, Barana…"

 

  "Your Chou Sing and Kanchana are to be commended. That was nice work."

  "Indeed. Just had another flash, Barana, was Brondin scanned before he was deposited on Felix?"

 

  "The plot thickens. I think this is a good time to break. During the night, Artus Brondin will arrive. We should have a bit more from Saba before we get around to the Brondin's. I would like to sleep on what we have learned and see if anything else suggests itself."

  Chapter 38: Connection

  On Station One, In orbit above Felix Prison –

  December 14 – C Day 471

  7:00 am

  Hank and Sam invited Golixs to have breakfast with them, Admiral Sass and his wife Kaxas at the lodge. Sitting at the breakfast table, Sam asked Golixs how he felt this morning. Golixs replied, "Much better than I expected to feel given what I learned yesterday, thank you for asking. General, do we start the recording today, I feel very rested and ready."

  "Golixs we already started that last night while you were asleep. The sleep machine gently asked you questions and you dreamt the answers. In fact you recorded about twelve episodes last night. Eventually the ones you dream about will fade away. This is as it should be since you were not responsible for the events. They will still be available to you as sort of a database recall but not as something to which you feel a part of or might attach guilt. This is healthy for your psychological well being. You do not remember dreaming about anything worrisome, correct? One of your dreams was extremely useful in determining how the High Councilor and the Ruler were interacting. Believe me, you are helping us big time and this will ultimately help you by relieving the stress that knowledge of those things brings to the conscience."

  "You mean, this is how the process will work throughout."

  "Precisely and we have another thing we would like you to consider. The way you are progressing suggests to me that had Colonel Vassix not intercepted you, you would have had a prominent role on my staff. Kaxas and I have agreed to accept a role with General Stone on the stations. I will need an aide who has an understanding of both Saba and the Yannarian Hegemony worlds. That knowledge is now ingrained and not necessarily linked with the misdeeds of the other personality that occupied you for a time. This can be your bridge for a return to normalcy. What do you say?"

  Golixs was momentarily stunned, "After all I have …"

  Hank quickly inserted, "witnessed."

  Golixs continued but had a look of chagrin on his face, "Why do I feel like a round peg being hammered into a square hole?"

  Barana said, They all laughed.

  "I would be greatly honored though I am not sure how I can help. It is like someone slammed a hatch in my face and then opened it and invited me in. I will do my best to earn this trust."

  "Well Major, today you will start earning your keep as aide to General Sass, formerly Admiral Sass of Saba. Welcome aboard." Sam handed each a small box with their rank tabs inside. Hank continued, "If you two insist on having your mouths hanging open like that all the time, we will have to get you some elastic bands to help you look normal." Again laughter from all.

  An hour later they were gathered in the Command conference room. Barana noted that Kanchana from Station 4 was ready with a report. Hank said, "Good morning, Kanchana. What do you have for us."

 

  Hank said, "Good job. Don't take him out of stasis. Ship that stasis unit via shuttle to me at Felix. We will deal with him here."

&nb
sp; Kanchana noted,

 

  Hank said, "We are going to try something today that we hope will net us some more information. We will see." He then described how he wanted the interviews staged. Each of the three individuals was to be seated in a comfortable chair with restraints. Each was to be in a cubicle arranged so that each could not see the other and could not hear the other. The arrangement would make it appear that the interviewers were directly across from the one being interviewed. The interview would be conducted while in rapport so that persons could be added to the interview. At some point in the interview the cubicles would disappear. For the initial part of the interview a Harvey on leash would be standing next to Hank. From there we will see what happens. Barana, would you set the stage for us and place the individuals please."

 

  "Ok team. Here we go again." They entered rapport. Hank and Team Harvey projected to the interview room. The reaction of all three was immediate. They could not take their eyes off Harvey. Hank realized that this was not going to be as smooth as he wanted so he turned to the Harvey image and said, "Harvey, it looks like I won't be able to get his attention with you watching so I want you to go back to your yard and I will call you if I need you, OK?"

  The Harvey image took the hint and said, "But Boss, you promise me could play with him. I promise not to eat him until you say OK."

  Hank stood up and had Harvey bend down so he could undo the leash. He said, "now Harvey you be on your best behavior and I will give you a nice treat today, OK?"

  Harvey imitated a woeful pout saying, "Well OK Boss but you promised." He paused and looked at the men again, licked his chops, turned and disappeared.

  Hank muttered as he was sitting down, "Big pets are so hard to manage." He sat down and looked at the prisoners, "Well look who we have here. No wonder Harvey was reluctant to leave." Then he put his hand up to his ear as though he was hearing something and then said, "Shoot just as I was getting ready to have some fun." Then he projected back to the station and said "This layout is not going to work the way I hoped. Barana please put them in separate rooms and I will try something else." He projected to the room that held Vassix and said, "That Harvey can be a handful but he is settled down now. Alright, Vassix, You have been a pretty naughty boy, but you managed to walk nicely into our trap. I think your people are going to want to get there hands on you particularly since the Ruler managed to blow up his own bunker with himself and all his advisors in it except for you. Very sloppy. He didn't even manage to do a decent job of destroying his records. Tsk, tsk. Very sloppy. Ah here is one of your murders." As he said this, he was dropping files on the table. "and another, and another, and another." Each file had the name of the victim prominently displayed. "I wonder what method of execution they will use with you."

  The Admiral appeared in the chair beside Hank. He picked up a file and glanced at the contents, "Ah one of my missing lieutenants. This was not very creative."

  Vassix responded, "you can prove nothing."

  Ignoring Vassix Sass said to Hank, "The ruler kept excellent records. This one has vid of the murder in commission and Vassix clearly appears committing the act. Nasty stuff. This file alone assures a conviction. Now that the Ruler is gone I wonder what the death penalty will be like."

  "Well if they want Harvey they can have him. Feeding him is a bit gruesome. That beast likes to play with his food. I think he likes to see how long he can prolong the agony. I'm tired of it."

  Vassix by this time had a good look at the file and realized he was doomed by its contents. He said, "What do you want of me. Tell me what you want."

  "There really is nothing we want from you. You have hurt so many good people that we wanted you to know there is no way for you to duck out. Actually I am enjoying seeing you squirm. I can't imagine anything you could tell us that would change things."

  Sass said holding a folder, "I feel the same, I knew the young man in this file, a fine young man with a promising future ahead of him and you killed him on a whim."

  "But I know something you do not know."

  "I very much doubt that."

  "But I do. The Ruler and the High Councilor were colluding and planning to take over the systems of Petra, Morn and Vast. The Ruler was going to double cross the High Councilor and take over not only the three systems but the entire Hegemony for himself using an implant to make him appear human."

  Sass opined, "That is about as farfetched as any thing I have heard of late. Surely you do not expect us to believe that fiction in order to save your scaly skin?"

  "But I have proof. I can prove what I say is truth."

  Sass said, "You have told lies for so many years, that you would not know truth if it rose up and bit you."

  "If I can prove it will you promise me I will not be food for your Harvey?"

  Hank said, "If you can prove what you say beyond a reasonable doubt, I would agree to that."

  Sass rose from his seat, "You would believe this, this, this Gris. This is too much." And he disappeared.

  Hank said, "I suppose he is right…"

  Vassix said, "No, no, no, The proof is a vid in a vault beneath the FTL communication tower near the main base on Lema. The file name is 44FireStorm17. You can check and confirm."

 

  "If this checks out, Harvey won't have you." With that he sent Vassix back to his cell. Hank then broke rapport. He had a big grin. "Sass that was priceless. You pushed him right over the edge. Oh, I do enjoy that fine mind of yours."

  "The feeling is mutual my friend. Who do we pick on next?"

  "I think we are overdue for a visit with Artus Brondin. I would like to get his reaction to the Saban symbiotes." The team again entered rapport and projected to Artus Brondin's interview room with only Hank visible muttering, "That Harvey can be a handful but he is settled down now. Alright, Artus Brondin. Do you know where you are."

  Brondin had a puzzled look on his face and said, "Arber Maximum Security Prison."

  "Well not quite, in fact not even close. That was yesterday. We moved you last night. You are now in Felix Prison in the Yannarian Hegemony."

  Brondin's reaction was that he could not accept what he had just heard, "That is not possible, it is too far away, it would take at least 4 or 5 months to get there and even if Colonel Forrom was right about your speed capability, it would take you at least 20 days."

 
"We took our time, it only took us 15 hours. We brought you here for several reasons. First, we have some additional questions for you and, second, we felt this might be a more appropriate location for you. You need not be concerned with your brother Darus. He is no longer in command and has been deposed."

  "That is not possible."

  "You really should do something about your narrow vocabulary, like reconsider the use of 'not possible.'" "I think you two have not seen each other in a while." The shock on both their faces was clear. "That is enough, Barana, please put him back." Darus disappeared. "Now lets discuss a few things. The symbiotes you used in our corner of the galaxy. Your invention or his?"

  Artus still shaken, "It was a joint effort. He did the development of programing the symbiote for species selection. I did the design work that selected the specific effect the symbiote was to have on the target species. Another brother, Grasus did the control work on the activation and destruct sequences. He died in a lab accident that our father thought was my fault, so I fled. I took most of the research with me because most of the work was mine. I suspect that Darus arranged the accident that killed Grasus and that I was to be next."

  It was Hanks turn to be surprised because Artus was describing what he believed to be true. Hank said, "when you left, what species targets had been developed?"

  "Only the Saban matrix was ready then."

  "And the special effects?"

  Artus responded, "I had finished insanity, strength, obedience and control, personality change and paranoia. I developed others after I left. Darus was intent on grabbing the resources of the Saban system. I do not know where that took him."

  "Ok Artus, back to your cell." Artus disappeared. Hank thought, Dang he is telling the truth as he knows it. "OK guys, one more to go. Time for Darus." They projected down to the interview room where Darus Brondin was seated in a chair. On seeing Hank, he twitched. Hank took a chair across the table, sat and started looking at the pile of folders he had with him. He said nothing.