by Gary Weston
‘The hell you…’
‘Shorty,’ said Boss. ‘You’ll get your say. Captain Dorran?’
‘I’m against landing the ship on that planet. We know we are in no danger in the air. Land, we could all end up dead this time.’
Boss said, ‘I agree. So, here’s our problem. We want to help Joe get home and to help his kind. We do not want to set another human foot on that rock. Solve that problem, we go. We don’t solve it, I will not sanction the mission. Ideas?’
Agent Tilly Jordan raised a hand. ‘We train Joe to help his kind. We get low enough to drop him on the surface with all he needs. Our job done, we come back.’
Boss liked that idea. ‘Sound in theory. Plenty of practical things to do.’
Warner said, ‘It’s a lot to dump on Joe, Boss. He has to inject maybe thousands of his people while they are sick and dying, and also fighting their own enemy.’
Boss leaned forward, his elbows on the green leather trim of the desk. ‘You’re the scientist here, Troy. You have twenty-four hours to figure it out.’
‘Me? But…’
Boss shrugged. ‘Come up with a plan, we send Joe to his planet and try to help his people. No plan, he’s here for the rest of his life. Do not say “but” again. Shorty.’
‘Boss?’
‘Troy comes up with a workable plan, are you ok for General Millet to go back to that planet?’
All eyes were on Shorty and the tension was palpable.
‘So. This is all down to me?’
‘You and Troy. Shorty. I will not allow that ship to land. End of.’ Boss leaned back in the creaky old chair. ‘Here’s my input. Doctor Winters.’
‘Boss.’
Raven said, ‘Get gallons of saline produced. I’m talking as much as Captain Dorran’s ship can take. Be advised by him on that. Also food for Joe for the trip. Troy. You know what you have to do. Form a team with all these here and rope in anyone else you need, authorised by me. Agent Jordan. Be a part of the team, but you will not be going to that planet.’
‘I will be going, Boss.’
Boss glared at his agent. ‘No. There is no need for you to go.’
‘I’m being practical, Boss. On our way here, I was working with Joe to understand us by using pictures. Under the circumstances, we made significant progress. I also think he trusts me.’
‘Tilly…’
‘Boss. You said it yourself, we’ll not be landing. No risk. I’ll be Joe’s friend and teacher on the trip. Let me go, Tagg.’
Raven stood up and in true Boss manner, paced the floor. The personal name calling of him Tagg by Tilly, wound him up. ‘You want to go, Agent Jordan, but before I say yes, you all work this one out and convince me you have a viable plan. Captain Dorran. Your job is to work with Commander Gordon in getting your ship ready to go. Work as an advisor to the team on all things to do with the ship and the trip. Shorty…’
‘I’m going.’
‘No, Shorty.’
‘Frank goes, I go. You put the decision on my shoulders. You need at least one real soldier to go. Apart from the general here, of course.’
Boss sighed. ‘I must have done something seriously wrong in a previous life. Go. Do stuff. Back here at this time tomorrow.’
All but Raven and Miss Saltoe left the office. ‘I was almost impressed with you, Boss.’
‘They still have to come up with a plan. I could do with a coffee.’
Saltoe grinned. ‘Me, too. Don’t put so much sugar in mine this time.’
Chapter 289
‘They got here early,’ said Miss Saltoe.
‘Is that a good sign or a bad one?’ said Raven. ‘Rhetorical, Miss Saltoe. Right. Here we go.’
As Boss entered his office, closely followed by Saltoe, he could feel the positive energy flowing through the team. He said nothing, sat in his antique chair with his hands behind his head and waited. He nodded at Warner.
Warner said, ‘TactOD’s.’
Boss closed his eyes. Scientists. Gotta love them, poor delusional creatures. ‘Tactical Offensive Darts? You kidding me? They were shelved to the museum before I even joined the D S I. Too unreliable. And never intended for what I think you think they can be used for.’
Warner took a dart from his shirt pocket and handed it to Boss. ‘A modified TactOD. Fire them at Joe or one like him, it releases enough saline into the bloodstream to cure them.’
‘Nice idea,’ said Boss. ‘We train Joe to shoot it into his people and they all get magically better. Nice in theory. We would need hundreds, if not thousands of darts and is there even a working dart gun on this planet?’
‘There is now,’ said Warner. ‘Commander Gordon had his engineering crew working through the night. We have ten thousand modified darts and five dart guns, that with a reasonable shooter, is pretty damn reliable.’
Boss was stunned. ‘Did you say ten thousand darts?’
‘They were in storage,’ explained Warner. ‘It turned out to be a simple mod to the dart and a reworking to the guns. They were finished just one hour ago.’
Boss said, ‘And you think Joe can do all this on his own?’
‘That’s why we had the extra guns prepared,’ said Shorty. ‘Joe cures as many as he can and then trains four more of his own to help him.’
General Millet said, ‘Meaning we don’t have to land. Just hover long enough to drop Joe and the gear on the ground and then we get the hell out of there.’
Warner added, ‘It’s a long shot for those people, but it’s better than no shot at all.’
Raven could see that. ‘Ok. And you, Agent Jordan. You can train Joe to do all this?’
‘I have thirteen days to make it happen. We can do this, Boss.’
Raven studied their faces. ‘You lot. There’s something you’re not telling me. What is it?’
Captain Dorran said, ‘The ship is ready to go. We can get there and back. We have one crew member missing. A shooter.’
Boss slammed his desk-top. ‘Why the hell would you need a shooter?’
Millet said, ‘Back up for Joe if he needs it. Just a distraction to give him a fighting chance when we drop him off.’
Boss said, ‘But you can’t see Joe’s enemy and the lasers just shoot straight through them. You don’t need a shooter.’
Doctor Winters said, ‘Only in their invisible state. How do you think we treated Joe in the first place? We did it when he was visible. They become vulnerable like that. Joe’s kind and his enemies. Another long shot, but if Joe can get them to be visible somehow, they can be shot with the lasers.’
‘Another long shot, Boss,’ said Warner. ‘But those are the only one’s we have.’
‘The ship is ready to go, Captain Dorran?’
‘Just say the word and we’ll be away in the hour, Boss.’
Boss stared at Shorty. ‘Down to you, Captain Armstrong. Is this mission on or not?’
‘My bags are packed, I’m ready to go.’
‘Then go.’
Chapter 290
Boss followed them to the launchpads. The ship assigned to Captain Dorran wasn’t new, but it had been upgraded just two years before with the latest plasma engines. Due to carry only one third of the usual fighter crew, there was room for all the containers of saline. The crew would fill all ten thousand darts during the flight. Jordan would also teach Joe what was expected of him. The big creature, even dwarfing General Millet, followed placidly into the ship.
A crude but adequate seat had been hastily built to take his size and weight so he could be buckled in during the flight. Normally, suits were required during take off, but the fighter was to be fully pressurised and the air ready to breathe before the bird took off. Everything they needed was finally on board and the helium-three tanks had been filled and they were ready to go.
Farewells were brief and kept to the minimum and Commander Felix Gordon gave them the all clear to take off. He and Raven watched the ship’s take off and landing thrusters lift the ship off the g
round and turn it to the launch position. Three minutes later, the D S I fighter was off into deep space on another mission.
‘Don’t you miss the action, Tagg?’
‘No, Felix. Well. Maybe a little. I’m looking forward to that trip to Mars next year.’
‘Is Joy looking forward to it?’
Raven said, ‘I think so. Too busy with Dixon to worry about it at the moment.’
‘It would take more than a baby crying to keep me awake. Well, Boss. If I can remember where I live, I’m going home to sleep for two days straight.’
‘You deserve it. You and your team have worked miracles as usual. Well done, Commander.’
Gordon said, ‘Miracles are what we do, Boss. I’ll see you later.’
‘Later, Felix.’
Commander Gordon walked off and Raven stared at the sky for the last glimpse of the ship as it blasted into deep space. The ship had gone and all he could do was to worry like some old rooster over his hens. Sure they had a plan. Something they would refine on their way to Joe’s planet. Raven knew only too well that plans were soon abandoned when the crap was flying all over the damned place. And if any place should be damned, it was Joe’s planet. It was time to go.
Chapter 291
Joe was treated like anyone else on the ship. He wasn’t treated differently because he was from another planet. It helped that humans had interacted with species from other worlds for close to a hundred and fifty years.
The Graggons, the fat lizard creature, had been flying through space for thousands of years before humans had come up with the combustion engine. Then there was the Varlindrans. Small human looking people. Humans and Graggons had fought many battles in space against the Varlindrans, as the human race hung on by their fingernails to survive on Mars. In the end, all three races learned to get along and trade between them so that all was generally good. Mars.
Using Varlindran technology, it had transformed Mars into a green and pleasant land. The humans remaining on Earth had finally managed to fulfil their destiny by destroying the very planet that sustained them. From Mars, humans had colonised other planets like Tryzon and Home, which had become more important than Mars in time. It was larger in size and more like the old Earth should have been like. Other planets they had visited like Nyzon Five, but only to take from it, not with any intention of staying there, especially when the locals had made it clear Nyzon Five was not for the humans to plunder.
So. Life on other planets was accepted, now. It made sense that with the trillions of planets in this galaxy alone, more lifeforms would be encountered. Sentient beings would be invited to join the Interplanetary Council with humans, Graggons and the Varlindrans. Time would tell. For now, they were hurtling through deep space, a tiny flying speck of dust in the scheme of things. Tilly Jordan waisted no time getting on with Joe’s education.
Joe was intelligent enough to understand that the humans had not only helped him live, but was taking him back to his own planet with the intention of trying to save his kind. Their language was so different to his, but he was understanding a few words. “Joe” being one of them. For some reason, he was being referred to as Joe. He also knew the word Tilly was the name of the human he most connected with. Her voice was soft and kind, he thought. He would try hard to understand them and work in with them.
‘Ok, Joe,’ Tilly said. ‘I managed to find what was called a whiteboard. They haven’t been used for years, but I think it will work best for our needs. Captain Dorran will go nuts if we cover the wall of his ship with drawings.’ Tilly had set the old fashioned board up in a quiet corner of the communal passenger deck. ‘Right. Lets start with the basics. This is me, small and cute. This is you. Very big and not so cute. Me, you. Me, You. Actually, for all I know, you could be a real catch with your ladies.’
Joe pointed at the large drawing, then himself. Then the small one, then Tilly.
‘You got it, Joe. So. This is Home. My planet.’ She pointed to the back of the ship. ‘This piece of prime real-estate is Slug. Your planet.’ This was followed by pointing to the front of the ship. ‘This is the ship. And here is you and here is me. And the ship is going from Home all the way to Slug.’
To show he understood, Joe took the marker from her and drew a line from Home to Slug.
‘Yes. Now then. Lets wipe the board and move on.’ Wiping the board clean, Tilly drew one circle. ‘This is Slug. Your planet. And this is you. This cross. You, cross. You, Cross.’
Joe pointed at the cross and then himself.
‘You’re a fast learner, Joe. Slightly more complicated.’ Tilly drew many crosses. ‘These are your people. You and more of you.’
Joe thought about it then pointed at several crosses, then at his face.
‘Correct. So, if I wipe out a cross. That was you before.’ She held her stomach as if sick then pointed at Joe.
Joe rubbed his own belly and shook his head, knowing that meant no.
‘Right again,’ said Tilly. ‘Joe isn’t sick any more. But. This cross here on planet Slug.’ She held her stomach again, then pointed at the planet and the other crosses. ‘These are your people and they are sick. But the good news is, we can cure them. At least we can try.’
Joe pointed at the cluster of crosses, then his stomach as if sick, then not sick.
‘That’s it, Joe. Like you, we can make them better.’ Tilly wiped the board again. ‘Getting trickier. Oh, Troy.’
‘How’s it going?’
‘Great. But I’m about to explain how Joe got better and how we hope his kind will be cured.’
Warner said, ‘Hmm. I’ll be right back.’ Warner returned with one of the saline filled darts and the dart-gun. ‘See this, Joe?’ Warner held the dart for Joe to see. Through the clear tube of the body of the dart, Joe could see the liquid. ‘This stuff we put in you to cure you.’ Warner pointed at the dart then at Joe.
Joe suddenly panicked. He remembered only too well the excruciating pain he’s felt when he had been injected.
Tilly said, ‘He thinks we are going to use it on him. Joe. No. Look.’ On the board she drew a cross then pointed at Joe. ‘No. Not for Joe. You don’t need it now.’ Tilly quickly drew planet Slug again with several crosses then pointed to the front of the ship.
Joe got the message. He took the dart and pointed at the crosses.
‘Yes, Joe,’ said Tilly. ‘The darts are for the others.’
Warner said, ‘The next part will be interesting.’
‘Time for a break,’ said Tilly.
* * *
While Tilly Jordan coached Joe, the others formed a production line to fill the ten thousand darts with saline. Shorty had the job of placing each box in turn on the galley-kitchen table, in front of the “dart fillers”. Warner and Millet developed their own techniques of working at filling the darts. Once filled, Shorty refilled the containers and stacked them separately away from those to be filled. It was a slow and tedious business which would take several days of the trip to complete.
Millet said, ‘I think Tilly is struggling making Joe understand the plan for when we reach Slug.’
Warner said, ‘I’m not convinced Joe doesn’t understand. I think he has issues with the plan but can’t think of a way to tell us about it.’
‘We still have a few days,’ said Shorty. ‘But I tell you this for nothing. Whether or not he understands what we intend to do or not, we do not land on that planet. Frank. Are you hearing me?’
‘Loud and clear. I’ve no intention of stepping foot on Slug ever again.’
Warner saw the disbelieving expression on Shorty’s face. ‘We won’t land. We get Joe in the padded drop-pad with the gear, hover for a few seconds to throw everything out of the airlock. We stay around long enough to make sure Joe gets out ok, with Tilly on the laser cannon, just in case, and then we go Home.’
Millet said, ‘Captain Dorran wouldn’t land whatever happened. Boss made it our number one instruction, not to land. I couldn’t overrule Boss, even if I
wanted to do so.’
Shorty heard the words, but had been on far too many missions not to get that sixth-sense gut feeling that if things could go wrong, they invariably would.
Chapter 292
It was time for a break and they all joined Tilly at the whiteboard.
Millet asked, ‘Progress?’
Tilly sighed. ‘Joe and I could enter the Interplanetary Council charades contest.’
Shorty said, ‘I’ll stick to beer drinking and arm-wrestling contests. That your artwork?’
‘No. Joe’s. He’s trying to tell me something, but I can’t figure it out.’
Warner asked, ‘Where is the big guy?’
‘Gone for a lay down away from me, I guess. He was getting a bit agitated with me.’
Millet said, ‘Not getting dangerous is he, Tilly?’
Tilly shook her head. ‘No. He’s just getting frustrated trying to communicate. It’s all on that board if you’re any good at picture puzzles. I’m off to sleep.’
Tilly slunk off leaving Millet, Shorty and Warner staring at the squiggles and scribbles on the board.
‘Well,’ said Warner. ‘The whole picture is planet Slug. This looks like where we landed last time. All these crosses are in and around the jungle. Joe’s lot, I’m guessing.’
‘And these blobs?’ Shorty asked. ‘There’s a lot of them. Joe’s enemy?’
Millet pointed at the board. ‘Tilly would have already worked that out. This is the problem, I think. See all the detail gone into it? This is significant. It reminds me of something. Follow me.’
On the flight-deck, they surrounded Captain Dorran.
‘Not a social call, I’m thinking?’ Dorran said.
Millet said, ‘We have the recorded data of Slug’s landscape, Captain?’
‘Transferred and enhanced before we took off. Just give me a moment. Coming up, now. Any particular region you’re interested in?’
‘North west of the jungle,’ said Millet. ‘That region there. Pan in. Swing north. Back a little. Pan in more. Hold it there.’