The Human Chronicles Saga : Boxset #2 (The Human Chronicles Saga Boxsets)

by T. R. Harris

  “Sorry about your luck, Bud!” Dave stated. He was no diplomat, and his orders did not call for him to become one. He watched the confused look on the faces of the aliens at his last statement and then he turned to Colonel Cruise. “Take them to my ship and lock ’em away. They'll remain there until our mission here is complete.” He turned back to the native leader. “At which time you will be released to begin the clean-up. And hopefully, we won't have to come back for a second round of lessons.”

  82

  Adam Cain left the communications room of the huge Formilian spacecraft in a daze, his head jumbled up with plans upon plans upon plans. The New-Expansion Administrator Kroekus of Silea had just laid a vast amount of information on him—information Adam was upset that he was just now learning.

  For the past thirty days, Adam had split nearly every waking moment between helping train his team on the use of their new Artificial Telepathy Devices and desperately seeking a plan to rescue Riyad from the Kracori home planet of Elision … and a plan that didn’t sound like a suicide mission. With the information Kroekus had just blessed him with he was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, they were only a day out from Tel’or—the gateway to the Juddle Nebula—and there wasn’t much time left for planning, not with the Juireans barreling their way toward a clash with the Kracori.

  His thoughts were interrupted by the subtle decrease in gravity as he neared the ship’s common room. There were three localized gravity-wells operating within the ship, providing gravity over the football-field-length of the spacecraft. The eight Formilians enjoyed the lighter gravity of their homeworld throughout two-thirds of the ship, while the five heavy-gravity Humans spent most of their time in the aft section. It was always easier and more efficient for the heavy-worlders to adapt to lighter gravity rather than the other way around. But even as he neared the common room, Adam already knew that gravity was going to influence his mission plan, and the Formilians were not going to like it....

  The Formilian ship had been originally built to accommodate a crew and passenger count of over two hundred, so there was ample space for the thirteen passengers currently aboard to spread out. The huge common/dining room combination was spacious, with two dozen tables anchored to the deck for meals, a large alcove with eight comfortable sofas, and a self-serve meal-prep area running along one long wall.

  As Adam entered, he saw that the eight Formilians were seated around two of the tables near the center of the room, their chiseled and bronze bodies barely contained in the form-fitting jumpsuits they all wore. Even though they appeared to be much stronger and better-conditioned than the smaller, pale-skinned Humans occupying the alcove area, Adam knew this was only an illusion. The lighter gravity of the Formilian birth world made them a poor match for the strength, durability and quickness of the Humans, although one couldn’t tell it at first glance. This was a common mistake made throughout the galaxy, that of underestimating the Humans. But even as this angered Adam at times, it had also allowed he and his kind to fly under the radar ... at least until it was time to step up and put the hurt on someone.

  Master Chief Geoffrey Rutledge and Petty Officer First Class John Tindal were seated on one of the long sofas in the alcove, each cradling an acoustic guitar in their laps and singing in perfect harmony. The two former SEAL’s had been Adam’s friends and teammates for going on twenty years, but it hadn’t been until they retired from military service seven years earlier that Adam even knew they could sing and play music as well as they could. Returning to Earth after the Human-Juirean War, the pair had moved to Key West, Florida, and made a fairly good living entertaining the tourists and fishermen in America’s southern-most city. The fact that Adam had never heard them play or sing in his early days as a member of SEAL Team Six, simply meant that they must have started after Adam had been abducted by the Klin. After that event, his entire perspective of reality had changed.

  Rutledge and Tindal had been on the recon mission with Adam that fateful night along the Afghan-Pakistan border. And even though no one had ever mentioned it aloud, the other two SEAL’s knew that except for a simple quirk of fate, it could have been either one of them who was abducted rather than Adam Cain.

  Admiral Andy Tobias, USN-RET, sat next to Sherri Valentine, watching and listening to the impromptu concert with mesmerized expressions—the guys were that good—and were so enraptured that they didn’t notice when Adam entered the room. Yet when the duo made a quick and unexpected end to Teach Your Children by Crosby, Stills and Nash, all eyes turned to their leader, Adam Cain.

  “So what’s the scoop, Captain?” John Tindal asked as they all rose to meet him near the congregation of Formilians. “Did Kroekus-the-Hut help us out any?”

  Even though they often joked about the Silean’s huge bulk, Adam knew a secret that the others didn’t: Silean males intentionally grew to such bulk because along with their size also grew their maleness, their sex organ. In Silean society, the larger the male the more of a stud he was, so being a fat Silean was actually desired rather than frowned upon.

  The Humans took seats at the tables next to the Formilians while Adam faced his team, leaning against another table while remaining standing.

  “He has indeed, although I’m pretty pissed that he waited until the last minute to tell me.”

  Adam saw frowns cross the faces of the Formilian contingent of his team as they worked through the translation of ‘pissed.’ All except Trimen O’lac. The young and handsome alien was second in power only to the First Celebrant Convor Ton’al Ona among the Formilian male religious and political caste. It had been Trimen who had initially trained Adam in the use of his telepathy device, and as a consequence, he had spent more time with the Human than any other Formilian, even their Supreme Celebrant Arieel Bol. By now, Trimen had heard nearly every colloquialism and slang term Adam could throw out, and even though most of them he still didn’t comprehend, by now he let most slide by without comment or concern.

  “So do we have a plan yet, Mr. Cain?” Admiral Tobias asked. Although technically outranking Adam, Andy Tobias was content to defer all operational command to the younger man, seeing that this operation was not sanctioned by any military or government, which also lacked any jurisdiction over the Humans onboard. All were either retired or separated from official duty under Earth’s command, so rank was simply in the eye of the beholder, and by now no one was going to question Adam’s right to command.

  “I’m working on it, but Kroekus has provided us with an ace up our sleeve.” This comment really threw the aliens for a loop, including a frown to Trimen’s tanned forehead. “It seems the crafty old crook has more assets operating in the Nebula than we first thought. He even has an insider who claims to have been to Elision.”

  “No shit?” Sherri said. “How convenient he’s just now coming forward with this person.”

  “My thoughts exactly, Sherri, and there’s more. This agent has also secured for us a local ship that supposedly can get us into the Dysion Void and all the way to Elision without drawing suspicion. He even says he has entry codes that can get us to the surface. And best of all, has a pretty good idea where Riyad’s being held.”

  Even though Chief Rutledge could sing like James Taylor and play guitar just as well, his normal speaking voice was a gruff combination of sandpaper and bombast. Adam reasoned this came from years of barking orders at snot-nosed Navy pukes like him.

  “Bullshit, Captain. The Kracori know we’re planning an attack on their world and they’re going to lock down the place tighter than a minister’s daughter on prom night.”

  “Maybe not, Chief; another thing that Kroekus told me is that the cat’s now out of the bag.” More frowns from the Formilians. “The Kracori have announced their presence to the Nebula and are now going around seeking allies against the attack. They’ve been spreading the rumor that the entire Nebula’s at risk, and therefore it’s in the best interest of these other races to join them against the out
siders. The ship that’s been provided for us is from a planet very near the Void and built by a race that’s had ties with the Kracori all along. As it turns out, much of the Nebula was already aware of the Kracori, but they’ve been keeping it a closely-guarded secret.”

  “So we have a ship and access codes to get us to the surface of Elision,” Trimen said, speaking for the first time. “What is your plan for each of us, or is that not finalized yet?”

  “Just on the fly, I can give you some of the highlights of what I’m thinking. First off we all get to Elision without getting ourselves killed. Then after we achieve orbit, my military team and I drop down to the surface at night in a shuttle to the area where we suspect Riyad is being held. With Elision’s heavier gravity, it’s best that you and your Formilians stay aboard the main ship and help with the diversion tactics on the surface.”

  “Through our Gifts—ATD’s? However, we came to offer more than just ancillary support”

  “I realize that, Trimen, but the gravity is going to make moving around pretty tough for you. This will be a team effort, and everyone will play their part.” Adam paused to let the Formilians assimilate his alien phrasing, and then he continued: “We’ll broadcast a signal from the surface, allowing you to piggy-back—ride along, sorry—until you can tap into the surface power-grid. We’ll need a series of disruptions throughout an area larger than our target so that no central point will become obvious. And the disruptions will have to be sporadic, with no discernable pattern. I want the Kracori to be as confused and unsuspecting as possible.”

  Adam turned to his fellow Humans. “This will be like dropping into a foreign country to make an extraction, although we’ll stand out from the natives like never before. That’s why it’s important that we go in dark and stealthy. We want to attract as little attention as we can. Night vision and suppressors, no flash weapons; those damn things can be seen for miles.”

  “This is all assuming the informant’s intel is reliable,” Admiral Tobias offered.

  “Exactly, Andy, that’s why I said I’ll give you the highlights. So much of the final op will depend on the accuracy and reliability of the information.”

  Sherri raised her hand in a juvenile attempt to get his attention, and before waiting to be acknowledged she asked, “What about me? I see you conveniently left me off your military team.”

  “I’d like you to stay aboard the mothership and coordinate everything from there.”

  “I want to go to the surface—”

  “It’s too dangerous,” Adam said in his command voice.

  “Bullshit. I can handle it.”

  “How much training have you had in just this type of covert operation?” he asked. “I’m not trying to embarrass or demean, it’s just that this is what SEAL’s are trained to do.” He held up his hand to stop the growing protest. “I know, you’re going to say all of us here are either retired, over-the-hill or out of practice for this kind of operation. That may be so, but we still have years of knowledge and muscle memory that makes us better suited for this op. You may be tough, gung-ho and willing, but you just haven’t operated as a member of a team like this before. We’ve been through this dozens of times.”

  “Fine, asshole! Have it your way. But I’m also the only one here with any real medical training. What if you get down there and find that Riyad’s in really bad shape and in need of immediate medical care? What then?”

  “We all have basic emergency medical training, Sherri. We’ll be able to get him to the shuttle and back up to where you can take over.”

  “Then what the fuck did I get this stupid implant for if it wasn’t so I could use it?”

  “Just hope you don’t have to.”

  The lights in the common room suddenly dimmed. “I guess I can always turn out the lights when the boys are done playing war. It’s about all I’m good for around here.”

  Andy Tobias leaned over closer to Sherri. “You do know this is probably a suicide mission? I’d rather not go if I had a choice.”

  “It’s cool, Andy,” Sherri said. “It’s just big brother being overly protective. Is that also why you sent Kaylor and Jym ahead to Tel’or ... to get them out of the way?”

  “I sent them to track down this Ruszel character. Up until a few minutes ago, I had no idea how we were going to get in close to Elision. The Tel’oran has been there before, and he also helped Riyad. He was our only real lead until Kroekus’s informant showed up.”

  “So are you going to call them back and take them to the surface with you?”

  Sherri picked up on Adam’s hesitation before answering and sent him a nastier-than-normal glare. “I’ll let them find Ruszel, as a backup,” Adam said. “And no, I’m not taking them to the surface, and for the same reason I’m not taking you or Trimen and his team.”

  Sherri was about to respond until Chief Rutledge suddenly jumped to his feet. “Will the two of you shut your traps? The Captain’s right. The SEAL’s go in, and we go in alone. All you back on the ship will play a vital role in the mission, so stop your bitching. This will be a team effort, so start acting like part of the team!”

  Sherri clamped her mouth shut and clenched her teeth. When she spoke again, she was looking only at Rutledge. “You’re right, Chief. Sorry. It’s just that I want to pull my weight around here. Riyad’s my friend, too.”

  “Understood, ma’am, but we each have our designated roles to play, and yours is to run the show from orbit. You will be our eyes and ears.”

  “And what do you call our role in the upcoming adventure, Mr. Rutledge?” Trimen asked, concerned that he and his Formilians were being ignored in the current conversation.

  Rutledge grinned, while being careful not to expose his teeth to the aliens. “If the plan unfolds as Mr. Cain has detailed, then you will be the ants at the picnic ... and just the cover we need to get Mr. Tarazi home safe and sound.”

  Adam shook his head as he watched the expressions on the faces of the aliens. Somehow he didn’t think the Chief’s comment helped to clarify things very much.

  83

  Finding a single Tel’oran out of several billion was a daunting task, so much so that Kaylor had pleaded with Adam to let someone else do the job. Yet in the end, the Human had been persuasive, reminding him that a Belsonian and a Fulquin would not draw as much attention as either Humans or Formilians would parading around the planet Tel’or. But what really sold him on the assignment was the opportunity to pilot the Pegasus to the planet.

  Kaylor and Jym had never been aboard a concentrated-array spacecraft before, let alone been at the controls. And even though Adam regretted not being able to take the ship to the Juddle Nebula himself, he knew she would be in good hands with Kaylor at the helm.

  Both the Pegasus and the Formilian starship 99012 had departed Formil at the same time—like most other alien species, Formilians did not name their ships. Yet with the added speed of the Pegasus, Kaylor and Jym arrived at Tel’or a full eight days sooner, and that was without even opening the ship up to her full potential.

  As Adam had explained, it was imperative that the Tel’oran pilot Ruszel Crin be located prior to the team’s arrival at the Nebula. Ruszel was the only reliable source for locating Elision through the treacherous and tumultuous environment of the Nebula, and they didn’t have time to waste seeking him out after reaching Tel’or, knowing of the impending arrival of the Juirean fleet in the region.

  It was also Kaylor and Jym’s job to convince the Tel’oran pilot to help. Short of that, Adam had authorized them to use whatever means necessary to secure said pilot for the trip through the Void and into Kracori space.

  Normally using these two particular aliens for such an assignment would have been problematic, to say the least. The tall, slender Belsonian and the short, bear-like Fulquin were not known for their physical prowess or ruthless determination. And yet the Artificial Telepathy Devices they each had implanted under their skin changed all that—especially for Jym.

 
Although known to be grumpy and outspoken, most other species regarded the Fulquins to be simply a breed of amusing and harmless pets. Even though they were skilled technicians, specializing in electronic devices, their furry black faces and small stature caused none to see them as physical threats. And in the savage Milky Way Galaxy, without physical intimidation, you had nothing. As a result, Jym had embraced his ATD so much more than had Kaylor, being obsessed with finding all the marvelous things the device could do to help him even the playing field with more dynamic races. Jym was now arguably the foremost expert in the use of the device, behind only Adam Cain.

  Kaylor could understand what Jym was feeling. He, too, felt an awesome new confidence in nearly everything he did. Even piloting an advanced spacecraft such as the Pegasus became child’s play, as Kaylor was able to monitor all the ship’s systems with much more accuracy and ease, allowing him to guide the ship with less conscious effort. The ATD—linked directly to his thoughts—could tap into all the ship’s systems on a level Kaylor had never imagined, giving him much more control and with quicker reaction times. He literally felt as if he was one with the ship.

  And so it was with trepidation that Kaylor set the Pegasus down on the surface of Tel’or, and therefore exposing the ship to all kinds of added interest and scrutiny.

  A Formilian ATD had a maximum range of only about half-a-mile; however, Adam Cain had found a way around that limitation. He discovered that the ATD was capable of sending his thoughts—and subsequently his control—over normal communications lines, be they primitive radio waves or Continuous-Wormhole links, allowing the ATD to operate even over galactic distances. So Jym set up a continuous signal between the communications system aboard the Pegasus and their ATD’s. This way the two pilots could monitor the ship while even being halfway around the planet Tel’or, and thereby protecting it from intrusion by curious natives.