by T. R. Harris
“You are playing with me again, my Lead, I do see that. But I’m as curious about these Humans as you are hungry.”
“Make quick work of your study, Panur. We must know more about this strain, as we must also learn about the rich variety Boslef found aboard the large ship. One ship at a time is enough to satisfy the needs of the crew, yet we have an entire Colony to feed. We must find the growing fields before we call in the reapers.”
“Just be sure to focus the pulse properly. I cannot be held responsible for operator error.”
********
The Pegasus II was a special ship, equipped with eight focusing rings, which was unheard of for a ship her size. Once clear of the gravity influences of the Unisid system, Adam kicked the vessel into high gear, creating an intense gravity well only a few hundred yards beyond the forward tip of the ship. Feeling confident in his statement that the beamships only attack once a ship drops out of a well, he cut through the emptiness of the Yellow Transit—as the Que’l called this route, though for what reason he didn’t know—and was nearing the Qwinness star system six hours later.
“Standby,” he said to the two people on the bridge. “Here’s where it can get dicey.”
Riyad was at the weapons station, his finger on the trigger of the fully-charged plasma bolt cannon, while Sherri sat at the navigation station with the comm linked in. She would be looking for any trace of the passenger hauler the moment they returned to normal space.
“Here goes.”
Adam dissolved the well and immediately the blue and white streaks that had been the stars returned to steady points of light, with one much brighter than all the others. This was Veliss, the home star of the planet Qwinness, and it lay directly ahead.
“Anything?”
“Damn,” Sherri said. “That didn’t take long.”
“Yes, the Valley Forge is off our starboard quarter, about a half a light-year out.” Riyad sounded completely deflated, since the contact still showed energy output, yet with no movement on their part. The ship was drifting among a cluster of small icy bodies that made up the outer boundary of the star’s planetary disk.
“Pegasus to Valley Forge, please acknowledge. Pegasus to Valley Forge, respond.” Sherri only tried a couple of times, not wanting to fill the bridge with the sound of hopelessness in her voice. Eventually, she turned to Riyad. “Sorry. According to what we know about this suppressor beam, the victims do go peacefully.”
Riyad didn’t respond. Instead he remained at his station, his fingers still ready to react to any hostile contact.
“I’m moving in closer,” Adam said to break the awkward silence. “We should be able to dock with the port just above the bridge. Did you want to stay aboard and monitor the screens, Riyad?”
“No, I’ll go aboard with you.”
“I’ll stay,” Sherri volunteered.
********
Sixteen minutes later the Pegasus was secured above the larger vessel, clamped to a courtesy access for passenger transfers. A ladder dropped to a reception area just aft of the bridge. Adam and Riyad were dressed in environment suits, even though all indications were that the ship was fully intact, air-tight and functioning.
When the hatch opened and the air from the Valley Forge entered the airlock, it wasn’t what Adam had been expecting. He had been expecting the smell of death—whatever that entailed when no bodies would be present. But prodigious amounts of blood did have its own particular smell, and he wasn’t smelling any of it.
Riyad dropped to the deck first, his MK-47 Advanced Bolt Launcher in his right hand and ready. He swept the reception area for, well, anything—bodies, blood pools, hostile aliens. All he found was an empty room.
Adam was soon at his side. The two men looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
“Let’s check the bridge first,” Adam said. “If anything took place aboard, it would have culminated there.”
It was only fifty feet to the entrance of the bridge, and when they entered Riyad let out a sigh. There was no one here, but more importantly there were no blood pools or drag tracks either. The room was clean, the air conditioning operating, and with all the boards alive and active.
“Comm,” Adam said, and Riyad moved to the station. Security recordings would be stored there, and Riyad was pulling up tracks within seconds of taking the seat. He scrolled through the static image of the bridge recorder, watching the time stamp run backwards at a rapid pace. Soon a day had passed, and then another. And then suddenly there were people and activity in the recording. He stopped the track and rewound it to a point where time seemed to stand still on the bridge. Adam leaned in closer for a better look.
The eight men and women on the bridge were definitely under the influence of something. The ones in chairs remained seated, yet stared blankly forward with their mouths open slightly. The ones standing wobbled slightly in place. One man lost his balance and fell forward. His reactions were too slow to break his fall, and he hit hard on the side of a console before tumbling to the deck. He remained on the floor with his eyes open, mouth agape, yet with no expression of pain on his face.
“Any other tracks?”
“Yeah, plenty. This isn’t a Juirean ship, and unlike them, we seem to revel in recording our every move.”
Riyad scrolled through the inventory of available recordings until he found one for the huge dining area aboard the ship. The Valley Forge appeared to have overbooked. A literal flood of people milled around the room in zombie-like fashion. Riyad was able to zoom in on the image and concentrate on specific areas of the mess hall. When he found what he was looking for, he enlarged the image even more.
It was a blurry image of Ophelia Naidu. Riyad checked the time stamp. Forty-one hours ago.
“Fast forward to when the aliens came aboard,” Adam requested. Riyad took a moment longer looking at the image before complying.
Just as in the Juirean recording, the black-armored creatures arrived uncontested and moved among the drug-addled passengers and crew as if they were ghosts. The black figures carried the same long, sword-like weapons as they had aboard the Juirean Class-Four, but this time they didn’t activate the blades and begin lopping off heads. Instead they began forcefully herding all the people from the ship and into three waiting shuttles, one attached to the same scuttle as the Pegasus was now, with two others sharing an aft access port.
“This tells us two things,” Adam began. “One is that they’re probably still alive— for what reason, I don’t know. And two, there is another beamship in the area, the Tarazi crew didn’t destroy the only one.”
“Where there’s another, there’s always more. And now without a doubt, you can see we’re just as vulnerable to the suppressor beam as were the Juirean and the others.”
“But this time they didn’t kill the crew and passengers. That is significant.”
Riyad grunted. “Maybe they just want their meat to be fresh. Their freezers may be full from their previous raids. I don’t hold out much hope for their fate, my friend.”
“Hey, guys, you may be interested in something I just found.” Sherri had been monitoring their cameras, so she saw what they saw. Adam’s heart jumped when Sherri first broke in, but now he calmed down. It didn’t sound like she was raising an alarm.
“I found a trail leading away from here.”
“What kind of trail?” Riyad and Adam asked in unison.
“A gravity trail, stupid. It’s very faint and like nothing I’ve seen before. Sensors set at their highest gain and looking for trouble. I would have missed it otherwise.”
Adam and Riyad looked at each other with wide eyes. “We’re on our way back!” Adam cried out. “Prepare to disengage the moment the airlock is secure.”
“Aye aye, Captain Cain. Let’s go track down some bloodthirsty aliens and show them what happens when they mess with Humans.”
“That’s the old Sherri Valentine I know and love. Gung-ho and ready for action.”
“You’
re not talking about sex again, are you?”
“Now that you mention it…”
“Splash some cold water on it, you two,” Riyad said as he and Adam raced through the deserted starship and scaled the waiting ladder. “We have a damsel in distress to rescue.”
“See, Sherri!” Adam said. “I told you this was the start of a great and heroic adventure.”
‘Yeah, whatever. Now move your tight buns. Breakaway in five seconds.”
********
The trail was indeed faint and unlike anything Adam had seen before. Gravity waves are fairly easy to spot and consist of ripples in space leading out from the path of the starship. This signal, however, was more like tiny blips in the space-time continuum, forming a dot-like pattern that seemed to grow stronger and tighter the further away it ran from the Valley Forge. This told Adam that they were getting closer to the black ship, and at the pace of the increasing density of the blips, it was obvious the Pegasus was much faster than the alien vessel, at least in this instance. The Pegasus was balls-to-the-wall and the alien ship might be simply taking a leisurely pace back to their base, planet, or wherever they called home.
Adam couldn’t dispute Riyad’s earlier assertion that the aliens might simply be maintaining the herd for future use. Again, the armor-suited creatures had left the Human starship without taking anything except the people. From his experience, he knew that all the ships, weapons, and communication equipment now used by the Humans—and others of the Expansion—were the most advanced to be found in the galaxy. And if these aliens didn’t care a lick about that, then what level of technology did they possess? It was obviously more advanced than even the best the Humans, Juireans—and by extension, the Klin—had to offer. This made him nervous, since here were the three of them rushing headlong toward an enemy who could more than likely squash them like a bug. However, he did know that the alien ships and bodies could be destroyed. It’s just that he doubted it would be that simple in a standup fight, not when the black aliens could see it coming.
That was why he slowed the Pegasus once the blips began to come in tighter groupings and a star system appeared along the direct path of the aliens. Other systems had been bypassed, yet with one the course didn’t deviate.
“Any information about this place?” he asked Sherri.
“I’ve been searching. Nothing so far. It’s toward the outskirts of sector two-four-two, and clearly within Human space. It’s a wonder we haven’t had contact with these things before.”
Riyad shook his head. “Their force seems too small and the mission too narrow for this to be coming from a planet full of armored aliens. This is more like an exploratory operation, maybe a prelude to a full-scale invasion.”
“Invasion, for food?” Sherri asked. “That would be pretty…well, dumb.”
“Depends on how much you need the food,” Riyad countered.
“So far they’ve only attacked individual starships,” Adam joined in. “There’s no evidence that they could even subdue multiple ships, let along attack whole planets.”
“Call me a Pollyanna then, but I expect the worst in most situations,” Riyad said.
“I thought that was my job?” Sherri said.
“Stow it, both of you,” Adam said in his best command voice. “Everyone knows I’m the alien with the attitude around here. If anyone’s a Pollyanna, it’s me.”
“Who the hell is this Polly Anna, anyway?” Sherri asked.
No one had a chance to answer. Alarms began blaring throughout the ship.
********
“The following ship is now within range, Noslead. Shall I engage the pulse?”
“Yes, and make it full strength,” Vosmin answered. “Having contacted the ship within a gravity well, we shall first need to suppress the crew so they will dissolve the well. Their ship is of an advanced design. I suspect their weapons would be superior as well.”
“You’re being generous when speaking of advanced design, my Lead,” Panur said from behind the command chair. “They still employ focusing rings and gravity wells for propulsion.”
“It was effective enough to catch us, scientist.”
“Yes, but it is such an energy-wasting mode of travel.”
“Not every strain can have the benefit of your genius.” Vosmin’s sarcastic tone was not lost on Panur. He made a mental note to speak with the Queen upon his return regarding the Noslead’s treatment of him. At least she respected his contributions to the Colony, even if Vosmin did not. Then we shall see who has the most influence within the Colony.
“Pulse engaged. The alien ship is slowing—the well has dissolved.”
“Good, brings us around and find a suitable docking port. I will be curious to learn how they were able to track us—”
“Jump bits, that’s obvious,” said Panur.
“With such primitive instruments? Does that not contradict your prior statement?”
“Of course not. All is relative. I could build a device that could easily track our movements as well.”
“Then why haven’t you?”
“There’s been no need. We know where we’re going.”
Panur watched as Vosmin shook his head. When will they learn they cannot match logic with me?
The scientist now watched through the viewport as their black ship lowered directly over the smaller alien vessel. Vosmin wasn’t bothering with a shuttle; this ship was too small to call for one. Yet even as he watched with bored detachment, Panur began to wonder how much longer he would tolerate the insufferable Sol-Kor. Granted, the Queen gave him unlimited resources to pursue his interests, a relationship that had been beneficial to both for over five thousand years, but here was a new universe and with aliens in desperate need of his talents. Perhaps it was time for a change…
Chapter 10
“Whatever you do, don’t let on,” Adam said in a harsh whisper.
The aliens were just now cracking the hatch while the three Humans were seated in the bridge, testing their final zombie looks to make sure they were convincing. They had plenty of video evidence of how people under the influence of the blue beam should react. They could do this. And if not, then the MK-47’s hidden under their consoles would speak for them.
Even though the trio had not been completely overcome by the beam, they did feel its influence. The pain in his head was nearly unbearable, and he was doing all he could to keep his face as neutral as possible. None of the others in the videos had showed signs of pain. If any of them did, it would be a dead giveaway.
The Pegasus had raced headlong into the blue pulse, and when he realized he wasn’t going to be overcome, Adam’s first reaction had been to fight. But then Riyad pointed out that the black ship was carrying over fifty live Humans, so destroying the ship would be a tragedy. It was decided they would play along, at least until the situation could be assessed. Yet if the black aliens came aboard with swords drawn, then that would be another matter. As Adam reasoned, at least then they’d have access to the alien ship through the scuttle. It would be a longshot, but they could at least have a slim chance of rescuing the other Humans and escaping.
Slim…but a chance nonetheless.
********
Fortunately, the aliens came aboard with weapons sheathed, and after a quick assessment found that the three Humans were the only ones aboard. Another alien, different from the huge armored creatures, came up to where Adam and the others sat. He looked them over briefly before turning to one of the others.
“I will begin my study of the Humans with these three. Please do not harm them. Take them to my laboratory. Also, Vosmin, you say this ship is of advanced design? I now agree with you. Let’s take it along with us as well.”
“I see nothing of note within the ship to make you change your prior assessment. What do you see?”
“Much more than you ever will. Now please honor my request.”
“As you wish, yet you have been acting very strangely as of late.”
“It
could be the phase shift between universes. Do you not feel it yourself?”
“I do not, and I have been to other universes. I have not heard of this phase shift you speak of.”
“Then it must be something unique to my body. I will not speak of it again.”
“That would be welcome.” The black creature turned to another. “Slave this vessel to the mainship. We don’t have far to go, so it should be a minimal drain on our energy.”
“Yes, my Lead.”
The creature named Vosmin looked at the catatonic trio of Humans and grunted. “They are so small. If they are indeed proven to be eatable, it will take many to fill my gullet, as well as the needs of the Colony. I only hope they come in bountiful quantities.”
********
Even though he had heard the small alien request that they not be harmed, from the violent way they were manhandled aboard the alien spacecraft and hustled down wide corridors, Adam would never have believed the command was being honored. He heard Sherri groan involuntarily a couple of times, but there was no reaction to it from the two black aliens doing the manhandling, or from the smaller alien who followed behind.
When they entered a large room stocked full of scientific equipment and exam tables, the black aliens clamped metal cuffs on their wrists and thighs. “The pulse will be deactivated momentarily, scientist,” said one of the escorts. “Do you wish us to remain for the time they recover?”
“No, they are well-restrained. I will be safe. You may go.”
Adam, Sherri and Riyad now stood in a small cluster, still playing zombie, when suddenly the headache vanished. They each reacted with blinking eyes and audible sighs, which meant the act was over, whether they wanted it not. They looked around the room as if seeing it for the first time.
“Where are we? What happened?” Adam asked, trying to sound as convincing as he could.
He looked at the small, pale alien as the creature smiled at him.