by T. R. Harris
“Why are they doing such a savage thing? They are like a pack of wild animals. It has been several hundred years—and then only for a brief time back then—did Vicoreans and Josls interact.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have eaten them. I imagine some species would find that a little hard to get over, no matter how long ago it was. Now, if you don’t want the mob breaking in here and doing the same thing to us, I would suggest you help me get this ship running.”
Nurick pulled his eyes from the bloody scene and looked at Adam. “Yes, of course. I do not wish to share the fate of my fellow Vicoreans.”
“Can you fly this thing?”
Nurick moved over to the pilot seat and slipped in. “I told you once before that I have more experience than most of my competitors. That was true. I spent twelve years as a pilot and engine systems engineer before moving into the power-mod business. In addition, my company supplies a fair share of the mods for the Enforcer fleet, so I am quite intimate with the functioning of their vessels.”
“Good…now how about hurrying it up. The natives are restless.”
To accent his point, there was banging on the entrance hatch by now. Nurick pressed a series of buttons and the familiar hum of the gravity generators was heard as a soft background noise to the banging on the hull. As expected, the banging quickly ended, and when Adam looked out the viewport, he saw dozens of Josls running from the ship in all directions.
A moment later, a loud blast was heard as the lifting engines kicked in. The view from the outside became nothing but a mass of roiling gray smoke, yet as the cloud fell away quickly as the ship gained altitude, and Adam could see the entire expanse of the spaceport spreading out below—along with the now-hundreds of ant-like dots that was the savage pack of natives forming a near perfect circle at the outer reaches of the ship’s launch blast. If any had been within the blast zone at the time of lift-off, he would never know.
Nurick engaged the gravity drive and internals, and a minute later they were in suborbital space.
“Where to now,” the Vicorean asked.
“Head over towards the landing zone for the Pegasus. I want to see if the hauler is there yet.”
Nurick snorted. Adam could tell by his expression that the alien was thoroughly dejected. Adam set a hand on his shoulder. “Thanks for doing this, and I promise, as soon as I get the Pegasus back and you help me purchase some hybrid modules, I’ll let you go. I’ll even leave evidence around that proves you were nothing but an unfortunate victim of circumstance.”
“I would appreciate that.” The alien’s tone was still one of sad resignation. “That is assuming we survive the coming ordeal.”
“Yeah, that’s always the fly in the ointment, isn’t it?”
Nurick chocked his head in Adam’s direction. “You Humans do have a strange way of talking. I think at this point I will only half Listen to what you say, seeing that I only understand half of what you mean already.”
“So you’d only understand a quarter of what I say?” Adam tried to lighten the mood with a thin smile.
“Please, Adam Cain, I am in no mood for your mind puzzles. We are now above the landing zone. I will place a magnified image on the monitor.”
Adam was glad for the distraction, yet what he saw on the screen made his heart race.
There was a large, dark spacecraft hovering directly over the Pegasus. Energy readouts showed that the larger vessel was operating on gravity drive and was at that very moment lifting Adam’s ship off the surface of Karlis, having enveloped it in a powerful gravity well. The two other dark ships were also lifting off yet using chemical propellant rather than their gravity drives. Too many wells in the vicinity could cause problems.
As he watched the Pegasus and host gain altitude, Adam also saw his first option for recovering the ship quickly fading away. He had hoped to use the Enforcer craft to launch a surprise attack while the Clan ships still sat on the surface. But if Adam attacked now—and the huge hauler lost power—the Pegasus would fall to the surface like a rock, smashing it to pieces.
“What open space weaponry does this ship have?” he asked Nurick.
The alien frowned. “Only one mid-range flash cannon. You must remember this is a local law enforcement vessel, not a warcraft.
That bit of knowledge put even more of a damper on Adam’s prospects. Failing an attack on the surface, he had hoped to engage the Clan ships in a pitched space battle, but armed with only one flash cannon, that would be suicide. It looked like he would have to wait until they got to Ralic-Sim to make his move.
Just then, a beeping came from the speakers in the pilothouse. “Enforcer craft, you are within our launch cone. State your intentions.”
Realizing that the ship’s transponder identified them an Enforcer craft, Adam reached out his hand and stopped Nurick from responding. “I have an idea.”
On the bulkhead next to the entrance to the pilothouse hung two Enforcer weather jackets, left there by the previous occupants of the ship. Adam grabbed one and tossed it to Nurick. “Put that on—hurry.”
“You want me to impersonate an Enforcer? That is against the law.”
“So is stealing their starship. Just put it on. Then tell them that you’ll be accompanying them to Ralic-Sim.”
“As you wish.”
Adam moved out of sight of the pilot’s camera. After a moment of explanation, the clansmon asked, “Why do you feel the need to do so? And what of the two fugitives you were after? Did you apprehend them?”
Adam reached across the console and pushed the button that terminated the link. ‘Why did you do that?” Nurick asked.
“So we can get our stories straight. First of all, tell them that the Vicorean and Human are dead. They resisted arrest and so they had to be killed. And second, say you need to check the ship’s computer to find out to what extent the Vicorean was involved in the criminal activities of the Human. Since the computers are down, we’ll go along to Ralic-Sim on the assumption that the technicians there can restore the computers. Hurry now, before they grow suspicious of the silence.”
Nurick pushed the comm button again. “Sorry for the dropped link; it happens sometimes.” He went on to repeat the storyline Adam had just improvised.
“Very well, as long as you accept that the ship—and all its cargo—belongs to the Clan.”
“Understood. Now we will shadow you out a few hundred thousand miles during the journey. Please do not confuse us for a hostile vessel.”
“If you do nothing hostile towards us, your status will remain benign. Communications are now ceasing.”
“Ceasing communications.”
“Do you have any idea what you will do when we reach Ralic-Sim? It is only a three-day journey.”
Adam sat down in the co-pilot’s seat. “How do I get a navigation view on this screen?” Nurick pressed a few buttons and the screen in front of Adam lit up, displaying a vicinity readout and showing the four-ship caravan off to their left.
“The problem I have is that until I can get some replacement energy modules, the Pegasus is just like every other ship out here, so it could be a hassle getting her off Ralic-Sim and making a run for it. Would these Polimor Clan creatures have the mods I need?”
“Quite possibly, however I see that as adding an extra layer of difficulty to your mission.”
“I don’t have a choice. Tell me more about the planet Ralic-Sim. Are there enough odd aliens running round there that I could blend in?”
“There are very few running around, except possibly for exercise. Most will be walking or taking transports of one sort or another.”
“I mean can I move about the planet without attracting too much attention?”
“Oh…I believe so. There are dozens of species on Ralic-Sim and the clansmon who absconded with your spacecraft have not seen you.”
“So I can pass as an Enforcer?”
“Not a Vicorean Enforcer, but possibly as an advisor or specialist.”
“Perfect. I’ll pose as a computer and propulsion expert with knowledge of the systems on the Pegasus. Just get me close and I’ll take it from there.” He laughed. “I might even get them to supply me with the modules I need, all under the guise of helping get the ship working again.”
“Your plan still involves considerable risk.”
“That’s what makes this line of work so exciting.”
Nurick slid out of the pilot’s seat. “The Human race is a perplexing species. You seek out danger and then revel in the adventure it brings. It is a miracle you have survived as long as you have.” He headed for the door to the pilothouse. “I set the automatic controls to maintain contact with the Polimor ships. I am now going to seek out food and rest aboard this stolen vessel.”
Adam followed. “Hey Nurick…you ever had an IPA beer?”
139
Three hours later both Human and alien were three-sheets-to-the-wind and sprawled out on opposite lounges in the ship’s combination common room and galley. In addition to the beer, Adam had also done his best to concoct something similar to a Hostess Ho-Ho using the ship’s food processing computer. The sugar rush hit Nurick particularly hard, and the alien couldn’t get the computer to spit out the decadent dessert cakes fast enough.
Before Adam reached the stage where he really didn’t give a shit anymore—which was about an hour ago—he had been impressed with Nurick’s ability to hold his own in a drinking contest with a Human.
“Dude, do you drink much?” Adam had asked at the time.
“I assume you mean intoxicants—to which the answer is yes! Among our many other stellar accomplishments, Vicoreans are also master brewers of fermented beverages. Your creation is refreshing, yet not nearly as potent as some of our premium lines.”
Adam had toasted the intoxicated alien, a gesture which in itself required an explanation. Nurick had delighted in the ceremony and symbolism of the Human practice, and soon he was toasting everything—Adam, the Enforcer ship, Nurick’s recently-departed birth-mother…even the shoes he wore. Adam eventually had to explain the concept of overdoing it, which only served to hurt Nurick’s feelings, at least for a moment. Soon he was his jubilant, happy-drunk-self again, and over the course of three hours, the pair downed seventeen beers between them.
They fell asleep on the lounges, and seven hours later Adam awoke with a jackhammer going off in his head and having to piss like a racehorse. When he came out of the tiny bathroom he found Nurick at the food processing station, actually humming a tune.
“Oh man, I feel like shit,” Adam said as he fell back on the lounge. “How about you?”
“I am beginning to grasp Human colloquialisms, so I understand the statement and question. To answer, I feel fine; have you contracted an illness of some kind?”
“Nah; I’m hung over. Don’t your people get hung over after a bender—after you’ve been drinking a lot?”
“Hung over must mean to become sick from the drinking. The answer is no. We certainly feel the effects of the intoxicant, yet there never seem to be any lingering consequences. Yet as I look now, I see that Humans do not share this immunity. If it affects you so, why do you continue to consume?”
“That is the age-old question, my friend.” Adam managed to drag himself off the lounge and step up to the processing station, calling up another dark ale. Nurick watched with disbelief.
“Do you delight in feeling miserable?”
Adam took a long swig from the glass. When he was through, he wiped his upper lip and smiled at Nurick. “We call this the-hair-of-the-dog. Don’t ask me why, but believe it or not, it helps us get over a hangover.”
Nurick shook his head and continued with what he was doing. He had prepared a meal of a brown paste, green mush and red goo, which he took to a small peninsula table attached to the bulkhead and began to enthusiastically maneuver the slimy mess into his mouth using only his fingers.
For his part, Adam came away from the food station with something that looked like eggs-over-medium and hash browns. After scouring the various drawers and cabinets near the food processing station, all he could find as far as utensils went was a small knife. He sat down with his breakfast across from Nurick and dug in like a man who hadn’t eaten in a week. Neither spoke as they ate, and when Nurick was done, he cleaned his mouth, face and hands thoroughly with his long tongue, just like a dog. Adam hadn’t made such a mess, and after a simple brush of his mouth on his sleeve, he was good to go.
“So tell me about Ralic-Sim and these Clan people. The more I know the better chance we’ll have getting through this thing.”
“Tanic consists of over twenty major Clans,” Nurick began. “Nearly all creatures are part of one of them.”
“So the Polimors control this region of space?”
“In a way; there are many Clans with members in this part of Tanic. When we reach Ralic-Sim, you will see that nearly all Clans have members living on the planet. They are interacting with each other, as channelers buying and selling merchandise and services, as financiers settling on acceptable rates of credit exchange, and as regulators negotiating terms and conditions on a variety of topics.”
“Yet you said Ralic-Sim was essentially the capital planet of the Polimors.”
“It is where they do their major manufacturing,” Nurick replied. “They have research centers there, as well.”
“And everyone gets along, no conflicts?”
Nurick smiled, his beady eyes becoming even beadier as he did so. “I did not say that. Anytime there is interaction between sentient beings, there will be conflict.”
“Yet there’s no military, no central command and control authority?”
‘The closest we have to that is the Kiran Clan, headed by Alic Kiran. I believe you mentioned him earlier, as the one your enemy is to meet.”
“That’s right. So what makes him and his Clan so powerful?”
Nurick got up from the table and began to make what smelled like coffee at the processing station. “Would you like one? It contains a stimulant often used in the early hours of the day to fend off the effects of sleep.”
“I would love one. Add a little cream or milk and a sweetener in mine, if you will.”
“The Kiran Clan has a semi-monopoly on technology from the Silean Galaxy; they have for hundreds of years,” Nurick said as he made the coffee. “And yet they have gone beyond simply controlling the access to these products to now manufacturing them. Near the planet Anicett, there are a dozen worlds with highly-secured factories churning out the vital necessities for Tanic.”
Nurick returned to the table and placed a streaming cup of a coffee-like drink in front of him. Adam sampled it with satisfaction. This will certainly help with the headache, he thought. At least he sincerely hoped it would.
Nurick continued: “As a consequence of having to maintain security for their facilities, over time the Kiran Clan has developed a very large and diverse Enforcer organization of their own, until now it operates as close to a military force as anything in the galaxy. Also, as part of the channeler and service agreements all the other Clans have signed with the Kirans, this security force is authorized to operate in all jurisdictions and to pursue whatever means deemed necessary to maintain the integrity of the agreements.”
“So they have a license to kill, essentially?”
“If need be, and they are certainly not opposed to the practice.”
Adam finished off his coffee, and between the hair-of-the-dog beer, the breakfast and the coffee, he was beginning to feel like himself again. I swear I’ll never drink like that again!
“Since you said the Kirans control the manufacture of gravity-drives, they will certainly hear about the Pegasus once it gets to Ralic-Sim. What will they do then?”
“The technology for your ship was not acquired from the Kiran Clan, so the Polimors have a legal claim that cannot be challenged.” Adam noticed Nurick smile. “But that does not mean they will not attempt to steal the knowledge from
the Polimors. And with what is at stake for the galaxy, I imagine every Clan that learns of the eight-focusing-ring array will attempt to do the same.”
“That means it could get pretty crowded once we get there.”
“That is an understatement.” Nurick’s face now grew serious. “You must also realize that simply reacquiring your vessel will not be the end of your ordeal. I imagine half the galaxy will pursue you until they succeed in their quest, or you leave the galaxy.”
“Believe me my friend I don’t want to spend a minute longer here than I have to.”
“Yes, I know. You will go home, once you have tracked down and dispatched this ruthless criminal and his small clan of one hundred creatures just like you?” Nurick’s voice was thick with sarcasm.
Adam smiled. “Let’s just get the Pegasus back first. I’ll worry about how I’m going to defeat Nigel McCarthy at another time.”
“Good luck with that.”
“Oh ye of little faith.”
140
As they neared the planet Ralic-Sim, Nurick formed up closer with the small caravan of Polimor ships and followed them into the atmosphere and toward the largest city on the planet, a place called Balic-Mor. On approach, Adam was impressed with the size of the city and its apparent technological level. The urban sprawl extended easily for twenty miles or more in all directions, with dozens of skyscrapers, an elaborate road system and what appeared to be housing subdivisions in a hundred different clusters along the outskirts. Balic-Mor could easily pass for any large city back on Earth, a thought that made Adam feel a little more confident with his short-term plan. At least he wouldn’t be dealing with some exotic and incomprehensible alien environment.
The Polimors set the Pegasus down in a secure spaceport located on the northern edge of the city and near a vast complex of huge commercial warehouses and other buildings.