He Who Dares: Book Two (The Gray Chronicals 2)

by Rob Buckman

  “Conner, could you do me a favor,” Andrew asked, “I left a package in the back of my vehicle.”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Could you bring it on your way back. It’s one of the things the house bot can’t do.”

  “No problem.” With that, he stood up and strolled up to the house.

  “That was a diplomatic way of getting me alone for a few moments.”

  “Needed to talk to you privately, Mike, and I wasn’t sure if I could speak of certain subjects in front of your friend.”

  “I understand, you could, but now he off it doesn’t matter...”

  “I read your report on both your missions, the rescue and the Star base trips, and I must say it makes for good reading.”

  “Did you know, and how did you manage to get a look at those reports?” It made Mike a little uncomfortable knowing those reports were read elsewhere.

  As they sat there chatting, several iridescent green lizards scampered across the walls in a game of chase, while another, about twelve inches long from nose to tail leap from the wall onto the table and ran across to run up Mike’s arm. It perched on his shoulder a moment, looking at him, its long forked tongue flicking out to touch Mike’s neck. Absently, he reached up to scratch the flat crest, and the lizard moved closer.

  “Hello old friend, how are you.” He asked, turning his head slightly. In answer, the lizard gave a soft hiss and settled down on his collar.

  “I see your old playmate still recognizes you.” Mike smiled and nodded.

  “I get the impression from your after reading that you left out a lot.”

  “I few things, but you avoided my question? How did you manage to get a look at those reports in the first place?” Mike could have sworn Andy Anderson looked uncomfortable for a moment.

  “Um, that’s a state secret.” He answered lamely. Mike laughed.

  “In a Government that doesn’t have secrets, huh. What a laugh.” He didn’t try to hide the cynicism or bitterness.

  “I can’t tell you because it might compromise our people on Earth, should you be captured or something.”

  “Or something? Like being put under TD-Penta for one?”

  “Mike.” Now he looked definitely uncomfortable.

  “You could have stopped it, you knew, didn’t you?” It was more a statement than a question.”

  “Yes.”

  “You knew what I’d been through, and what Terry and his brother did, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.” He looked out of the wall at the boats on the water. His face blank.

  “So?”

  “I couldn’t stop it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because of who you are, that’s why. Even though you are the grandson of the President, for me to interfere would have destroyed all that we are building here.”

  “So I was sacrificed on the altar of the greater good, is that it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then it’s a crock, and you know it. No secrets, no favoritism my ass.” Mike gulped down the last of his beer and slammed the glass down on the table. Pain flared in the back of his head as he did. He didn’t try to suppress it or hold it back, he let it come. “Do you know what it did to me? Do you know the price I had to pay?” The pain behind his eye intensified.

  “How I have to hold my emotions in check every single time I get into an argument? Do you?” He snapped, his face tensing in pain. “I can’t fight anyone for fear that this pain will turn me into a foaming at the mouth idiot.”

  “I know.”

  “Like hell you do. I’m a Naval Officer in His Majesties Navy, and pretty soon I will have to fight, what then?”

  “That was the choice you made, even knowing the consequences.”

  “You’ve got that right!”

  “And you seem to have found a way the conditioning.”

  “Not really, just a few times.”

  “Like when you fought Kevin Barker?”

  “Figured you know about that as well.” Mike massaged his temples but it didn’t help.

  The Intelligence Chief looked over the wall, his eye fixed on the boats, not daring to look at Mike. He knew the pain he was in, wishing he could help. The lizard nestled against Mike’s neck began to change color, hissing and raising and lowering its crest, a sure sign it was unhappy.

  “Control is everything Michael, in everything.”

  “Control!” He snapped back, gritting his teeth. “A man attacks me for no reason without a formal challenge, what was I supposed to do, run?”

  “You could have issued a challenge of your own, and called for a Proctor.”

  “When did I have time to do that? He drew his weapon and attacked.”

  “Running would have been an option.”

  “Not on this damn planet.”

  “So you killed him.”

  “Only after his brother, my friend struck me from behind... I didn’t have a choice.”

  “Yes, you did. You are good, very good, but you let your emotion get away with you, as usual.”

  “Damn you!” Pain lanced thought his brain and he saw red flashes around the circumference of his vision. “Oh God!” He muttered. At that moment, the lizard turned and struck, biting him on the ear lobe. “Shit!” He yelled, stumbling to his feet. Instantly Andy Anderson was by his side.

  “Easy Mike. Lay down!” Mike didn’t have much choice as the poison attacked his system. Conner came running up just as he slumped to the ground, weapon out and pointing to the Security Chief.

  “What the hell did you do to him, you prick!” He yelled, shoving his weapon into the man’s side.

  “Easy, Mr. Blake.” Andy Anderson slowly stood up, his hands in the air. Conner looked at his Captain, lying on the ground withering in pain, blood on the side of his neck. The foot long green lizard now sat on his chest intently looking into Mike’s face, hissing softly.

  “Good God! That frigging lizard bit him!”

  “Yes, it did.”

  “But those things are supposed to be poisonous!”

  “They are, deadly...”

  “Get a doctor, NOW!” Conner shifted his aim, pointing at the lizard.

  “No need. As I was saying, they are deadly poisonous to the wrong people.”

  “What?”

  “He didn’t poison, Mike, just bite him.”

  “And so?”

  “Wait, and you will see.”

  “Like hell, I’m going to call for a doctor, or get him back to the ship, you slag!” Andy Anderson sighed, moving carefully back and sat down.

  “Look.” He said, pointing to Mike. Conner did, seeing Mike start to relax.

  “He’ll be fine in a while, Mr. Blake.”

  “Says you!”

  “Do you know about his, um... trouble here on Avalon that last time he was here?”

  “Trouble?”

  “Yes. He killed two men in a duel.”

  “The hell you say, why?”

  “Two brothers, they attacked him without prevarication, and without a formal challenge.”

  “So?” Conner flicked his eyes back and forth between Anderson and his Captain, not sure what to do.

  “His punishment was a chemically induced pain response to prevent him from ever dueling, or fighting again.”

  “Is that what he’s going through now?”

  “Yes, to a degree.” Andy Anderson looked at Mike and sighed. “At the time, there was nothing I, or his Grandfather, Gordon Tregallion could do about the sentence, as it was justified.”

  “Hell of a punishment.”

  “It was that or immediate execution, which is what the boy's family demanded.”

  “He killed them deliberately, then?”

  “Yes and no, and it depends on what you call deliberate.”

  “I mean he wanted them dead?”

  “No, he didn’t, not at first.”

  “So why?”

  “Do you know why he received the first VC he wears?”

  “Yes, he
saved the life of the Prince of Wales while he was serving in the Royal Marines.”

  “He lost people doing it, and he blamed himself.”

  “It happens, so?”

  “As you may have noticed, Mike is very good at what he does, but.”

  “But?”

  “He can’t accept people dying when he’s in command.”

  “Yeah, I noticed that. He hates loosing people for any reason.”

  “Right. He has yet to learn that in war people die, and that’s a fact, but he had difficulty living with himself when it happens.”

  “So, what has that got to do with this?” Conner pointed with his weapon.

  “He finished the mission, and his five year tour at the same time and left the Marines to come home. Mentally and physically exhausted.”

  “Go on.” Conner’s eye narrowed as he listened.

  “One event led to another, and the three of them met at the wrong place at the wrong time. Words were said, ‘coward’ was thrown around when he wouldn’t fight, and Mike snapped.” Andy sighed. “Before anyone could stop it, the two men were dead because they were cowards, both attacking him at once.”

  “Good God.”

  “Under interrogation, he admitted, that at some point in the fight, he wanted them dead, and that condemned him.”

  “And so, the choice between dead, or the implant, right?”

  “Correct.”

  “So what’s all this about then?”

  “Something I’m not proud of, and didn’t intend until his lizard friend showed up.”

  “What’s he got to do with it?”

  “Him and Mike have been, um, how can I explain it? They have been bonded since Mike was born.” He saw the blank look on Conner’s face, knowing he would have to explain a little more. “Here on Avalon, the lizards, as most call them, are the dominant intelligent species on this planet.”

  “Intelligent?”

  “Yes, something that wasn’t discovered until after his Great Grandfather, Max Tregallion colonized this system.” Conner knew a little about the dangers of that. “After we discovered that little wrinkle, we also found out that they liked us here.”

  “Humm.” That sounded a little fishy.

  “No, it’s true. Through a series’ of contact we learned that they didn’t have a problem with us being here.”

  “I bet that took a while.”

  “It did, and of course, we immediately passed a law that forbids the killing or harming of the lizards in any way.”

  “They didn’t get pissed off when some of them were killed first of all?”

  “Not in the sense you mean. They put it down to a lack of understanding. After the law went into effect, anyone who deliberately killed one, paid the price.”

  “They bite them, and killed them.”

  “Correct.” As Andrew said that, Mike sat up then, and looked around.

  “What the hell just happened? He demanded as he stood up. The lizard scrambled up and resumed its place nestled against his neck. Mike touched his ear.

  “Ouch! Did you bite me, you little bugger?” He demanded, looking down. The lizard hiss softly at him.

  “House! Bring Master Gray another drink, brandy, a stiff one.”

  “Yes, Mr. Anderson.”

  “Your friend was telling me about your trouble here, but he still hasn’t explained why the damn lizard bit you.”

  “Any pain, Mike?”

  “Actually, no, now that you ask.” Mike rolled his head around his shoulders a moment.

  “I’m still wondering why you aren’t dead, Skipper.”

  “Oh, this little twit wouldn’t bite to kill me. We are old friend.”

  “But still, it is just a lizard.”

  “They are a lot more than that, Conner.”

  “Yes, Mr. Anderson was just explaining that.

  “What just happened was, his friend responded to the pain Mike was in.” Both of them looked at Andy Anderson.

  “What do you mean?” Mike demanded.

  “You are cured, that’s all.”

  “Cured?”

  “Yes, your friend administered the only known cure to the chemical conditioning the Proctor induced.” The bot arrived with a large brandy, and Mike gulped it down as if it was water.

  “Why the hell didn’t someone tell me about this before? Make that three more. Andy, why didn’t you tell me you little bugger” He said to the lizard.” His friend did a little dance on his shoulder and sat back on his four hind legs and began rubbing his tummy with the front two limbs.

  “Yes, sir.” The house answered.

  “We couldn’t, not without violating our own rules.”

  “So why didn’t he,” Mike looked down, “administer it before.”

  “Think about it, Mike.” He did, looking back to the day after the hearing before he departed for Earth, then he nodded.

  “Because I wasn’t ready for it.”

  “Exactly. Had your friend given you the antidote it would have made your punishment meaningless.”

  “I had to learn control.”

  “Yes, that and other things.”

  “What things?”

  “I couldn’t say, only they know.” He said, nodding towards the lizard. The bot returned with three drinks, and Mike passed them around.

  “So, that’s why you deliberately got me angry?”

  “Yes, once your friend turned up, I had to try.”

  “I’m not sure if I should thank you, or punch your lights out. He chuckled.

  “I’d rather take the thanks, as I’m too old to mix it up with you now.”

  “Bullshit! That will be the day.”

  “Anyway, here’s to you, Mike, and Mr. Conner Blake, your faithful and protective friend.” He raised his glass. Conner carefully slipped his weapon back inside his jacket and raised his glass.

  “You shouldn’t feel any after effects.”

  “I take it, that this isn’t the first time this has happened.”

  “No, there are a few others, a very few others who earned the remission of sentence.”

  “Thank God for that.”

  “Skipper, if I may?”

  “Speak up, Conner.”

  “You are my Captain, and as a serving none commissioned officer, I don’t really have the right to talk to you about this.”

  “Conner, stop waffling.”

  “The one thing you still have to learn, sir, is that in war, people die.”

  “I know that.”

  “Begging your pardon, sir, you don’t. Every time someone gets hurt, you blame yourself.”

  “That’s only right, I did, do make the command decisions.”

  “And if you have to order someone to their death?” Mike nodded.

  “I see what you mean.”

  “It can and will happen, sir, and yes, you should feel the loss, but not the blame, sir.” Mike reached over and squeezed Conner’s shoulder in response.

  “I second, Mr. Blake’s comments, Mike. That was what got you into trouble in the first place.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “But, we’ll let that pass for now, water under the Bridge, so to speak. Let’s talk of other things, shall we?”

  “Yes, such as?”

  “Good, now tell me about the Lady Ann.”

  “How on Earth did you know about her!” He asked in surprise, feeling himself stiffening slightly.

  “You don’t think I’m the Chief of intelligence for nothing do you?”

  “I knew we have spies on Earth, but not that high up.”

  “Sure we do. We don’t trust the present Earth Government an inch.”

  “Well, you know who she is then.”

  “Yes, the Princess Royal and possible heir to the throne.”

  “I don’t like being spied on, Andy.” Mike felt himself get red. What the Lady Ann and he had between them, was between them, and not for the general amusement of the Avalon spy chief.