Clidepp Deja Vu

by Thomas DePrima

  "The head of the Qummuc reports directly to Plelillo, and takes orders only from him."

  "I see. And do you know where the Qummuc headquarters are located in the capital?"

  "Of course. I can show you on a map of the city."

  "And do you know where the Qummuc normally house prisoners being held for interrogation?"

  "There are several locations around the capital where they take prisoners initially, depending on the crime the prisoner is suspected of committing. Then there are the two long-term holding facilities."

  "If the Qummuc took the slaves from the cavern, do you know where they would take them?"

  "The slaves? Probably to the holding facility at Bewqussio Raxo."

  "Is that another city or town?"

  "No, it's a street name."

  "How confident are you about that location?"

  "It's where slaves have always been taken when first purchased from Raiders and traders because it maintains the central registry for the Empire. The Raiders and traders are never allowed to run their own auctions or sell slaves directly. If a slave owner is found to possess a slave who has not been properly registered, the government seizes all his or her assets and the owner may receive a jail sentence that includes a hard labor recommendation. The Raiders and traders could only sell their slaves directly to the government on Yolongus, but once registered, the slaves can be sent anywhere in the Empire and can be bought or sold by anyone at anytime. Since the government controls the initial sale, it always gets its cut immediately, but these days the number of slaves being brought into the Empire by Raiders is probably less than a thousand per annual. However, slave owners from all over the planet bring many slaves they wish to dispose of to Bewqussio Raxo because there's a big auction there each month."

  "What about the newborn children of slaves?"

  "All must be registered by their first annual, or the slave's owner must pay a steep fine and is at risk of being jailed."

  "Would the Qummuc take Cornwallis to the same facility?"

  "Only if they assumed him to be an escaped slave and didn't check his fingerprints immediately with the registry. Most likely they did check and knew he wasn't a slave. Non-slave Terrans are rare on Yolongus, but are tolerated because the government deals with the Raider organization and most representatives are Terran. If the police knew or suspected his true identity, they would probably take him to one of the intelligence sections of headquarters."

  "Do you know of an accurate way to determine where Cornwallis has been taken?"

  "No."

  "You don't know anyone inside the intelligence section of the headquarters who can simply tell you whether he's there or not?"

  "No. I'm sorry, Captain. I don't have a single contact inside any of the secret police organizations. Most of those people are fanatically dedicated to their superiors. Some say they've been brainwashed into believing in their 'cause.' Most are recruited just after birth, raised and trained in isolation, and taught never to doubt the word of a superior on any issue at any time. They live in virtual isolation, or with their fellow officers, and never associate with the normal population."

  Sydnee sighed. "But you do know where all the various secret police headquarters and holding facilities are located?"

  "Yes. I think a lot of people know where most of them are, but because of my job in the capital I had access to information that showed where all of them are out to a distance of perhaps a hundred kilometers from the capital. Every government facility naturally has to be maintained and supplied, so an auditor in the Capital Budget & Accounting department sees everything. He or she has access to much more information than certain departments would prefer to share, but we're considered the final eyes on everything. The people at the highest levels know that even the secret police have to be closely watched."

  "Okay, that information will have to do. Please come with me so you can identify all locations on our maps."

  * *

  "The Major has proposed that he and his team return to the cavern site and search for any clues to the whereabouts of our missing SCI agent and the Terran slaves," Sydnee said to the officers seated around the table in the otherwise empty mess hall. Everyone who would be involved in the ground operation or could possibly be called upon to assist had been invited to attend.

  "I had approved the special ops mission for this evening, but there was something I felt had been overlooked in our efforts to find and recover Winston. I finally realized what was nagging at me. I had never reviewed the mission report he sent to SHQ-SCI. If he hadn't gone missing, the contents of his report would have remained sealed because it really wasn't any of my concern. However, his disappearance added new importance to learning what he had been involved in. Upon accessing the report, I was shocked to read a few highly interesting— facts and assumptions. I regret I can't share them with you. Suffice it to say that if the information in the report is accurate, and if it were made public on Yolongus, it would be most embarrassing for Gustallo Plelillo, who is the Prime Minister of the Clidepp government. Since the Qummuc special police organization allegedly works for and reports directly to Premier Plelillo, I'm working on the assumption that the Qummuc is responsible for the attack on the cavern. They may have learned of Winston's investigation and what he had learned, and were there to capture him."

  "And how do you intend to proceed?" Colonel Dennier asked.

  "One of the people we rescued has identified the locations of all detention and interrogation centers within a hundred kilometers of the capital. Here's the map. I'm open for suggestions on how we should proceed."

  Sydnee pressed a spot on a small remote control and the large monitor on the bulkhead illuminated with an aerial image of the capital city and surrounding area.

  "The white dots indicate where every military base is located, and the blue dots show where the detention facilities are located. As you can see, there are many."

  "Many?" Blade said. "There must be a hundred."

  "You're close," Sydnee said. "There're actually ninety-one." After she touched another spot on the remote, the image changed slightly. "The blue dots identifying Qummuc facilities have been changed to green in this image."

  "Eight different facilities?"

  "Yes. That's an accurate number according to Mr. Broqupio."

  "So you believe that Winston must be at one of these facilities?" Dennier asked.

  "I feel that these are the most likely locations. This is strictly guesswork on my part."

  "And you can't tell us what you learned from the report so we can provide additional suggestions?" Blade asked.

  "I'm sorry, but no. I understand the frustration you might be feeling, but I can't share that information with anyone who might be captured themselves during our recovery efforts."

  "I don't expect that I'll be in any danger of being captured, Captain," Dennier said.

  "I can't rule that out entirely. We might need the assistance of you and your Air Wing if things get out of control."

  "Uh, are you saying you might attack the Clidepp fleet and planetary defenses?"

  "I'm keeping all options open at this point because I have no idea if this operation will go smoothly or completely fall apart."

  "Exactly what are you proposing, Captain?" Blade asked.

  "We'll start with the operation you proposed and visit the cavern site to see if there's anyone there who can verify my hypothesis or perhaps point us in a different direction. Once that phase is over, we should have a better idea of which direction we must proceed in."

  "Captain," Dennier said, "I agree that we should never leave our people behind, but a proposal that we take on an entire planetary police force and the planet's military fleet without having any intelligence information is foolhardy."

  "I understand your position, Colonel, but we must at least make an initial attempt to perform a rescue and see where it leads us. If things begin to spiral out of control, we'll pull back and leave the system. Okay?"
>
  "You're the captain. It's your call."

  "Okay. Anything else?"

  When no one spoke up, Sydnee said, "Shuttles One and Two will separate from the Justice and head for the caverns area on Yolongus at 1430 GST hours. That will be two hours after sundown in that part of the planet. Shuttle One will contain the Major and his Special Ops team. Shuttle Two will contain Lt. MacDonald and the two fire teams she selects from the Denver personnel. The bridge teams will be the same as on the last mission. Since we can no longer pretend to be a Yolongi shuttle, we'll go in fast until we reach atmo, using the natural coloration of the Dakinium and the darkness of the umbra to conceal our presence. Once we're between the fleet and the planet, we'll slow sufficiently to prevent a pressure wave building along the leading edges. We don't want the MATs to light up like a meteor while they descend through atmo. We'll operate under the assumption that we haven't been spotted as we near the planet surface unless we learn something to the contrary. The Justice will naturally be monitoring all military and police communications via the sensor buoy and communication buoys we've placed. That's all. Dismissed."

  * *

  At exactly 1430 GST both shuttles detached from the Justice as planned and headed for the shadowy umbra created when Yolongus blocked light from its sun. At maximum sub-light speed, the shuttles should enter the planet's shadow just twenty-three minutes after departing from the Justice. The shuttles would still have a significant distance to travel, but Sydnee wanted them in the planet's shadow long enough to guarantee that no one should be able to see their approach. Upon entering the umbra, the two small ships would have an additional six minutes of flight time before they reached the planet's exosphere.

  *

  The pilots were confident that no one had seen their approach as they reached the ravine where Winston had last been seen. Shuttle One set down as before, while Shuttle Two established a stationary position overhead. Their sensors registered no warm bodies or movement in the area.

  As the main hatch of Shuttle One opened, the Special Ops Marines leapt out and took defensive positions around the craft, then relaxed slightly when no fire came their way. Except for a few insects, nothing was stirring.

  "Team Alpha, you're with me," Blade said as he began hurrying up the ravine in the direction of the cave entrances. Five of the Special Ops noncoms left their positions and hurried after him.

  Arriving at a point where all five cave entrances were visible, Blade examined the ground using his helmet's infrared and thermal imaging capabilities. It was obvious that people had very recently entered or left four of the five caves.

  "There are five cave entrances," Blade said on Com 1 so everyone, including the shuttle pilots, could hear. "Beginning with the first of three on the left, I'm numbering them one through five in a clockwise order. The ground in front of all but Cave 4 shows recent activity, so we'll begin there to eliminate it from further consideration.

  "Symons," Blade said to a staff sergeant, "Remain out here and cover our six. The rest of Team Alpha will go with me. "Fannon, you take point. Let's move out."

  With Fannon taking the lead, the five Marines entered the cave now designated as 4. There was absolute silence in the cave except for a few sounds of dripping water at various points. The darkness was complete once the Marines had walked a few meters from the entrance, but the electronics in their helmets allowed them to see well enough to keep moving. The Marines proceeded carefully, searching the ground and walls for signs of explosives or other traps.

  About ten meters into the cave, Fannon stopped and said, "Concealed electronic device. Left wall. Investigating."

  After several minutes Fannon said, "It's safe. Just a motion detector. But it's active, so if there's anyone in here, they now know they have company."

  "Keep moving," Blade said.

  No more devices of any type were found as the Marines continued to advance into the cave. After close to a hundred meters into the mountain, the tunnel suddenly turned left and then widened into an enormous cavern after a dozen meters.

  "This might be the cavern we were told about," Blade said. "Spread out and look for any signs of recent activity. Check the walls to make sure there are no additional tunnels."

  After a thorough search, Blade said, "If there were people living in here, someone did a good job of removing all evidence. They either moved somewhere else or they were moved." Switching to Com 2, the com channel reserved for special communications by noncoms and officers, Blade said, "Shuttle One, are you receiving this?"

  "Five by Five," Weems said.

  "So that means we should have been able to hear everything Winston said the night he disappeared, unless there was some kind of electronic dampening device in here which has now been removed. We're proceeding to Cave 5."

  Cave 5 was located in the same mountain as Cave 4, but upon entering, the tunnel's direction quickly turned away from Cave 4 and headed downward with a roughly fifteen-degree slope. There were recent signs of foot traffic at the entrance to Cave 5, so the Marines moved even more slowly than they had in Cave 4 as they scanned the area for any signs of life. Their sensors could detect the heartbeat of a mouse from ten meters away, so if there was anyone in Cave 5, they would be found. But as they moved ever further from the entrance, they detected nothing ahead.

  "Captain, I can't go any further," Fannon said.

  "The way is blocked?"

  "Uh, sort of. There's an underground lake here and no way to walk around it."

  "I'm on my way."

  When Blade arrived where Fannon was standing, he was amazed by the sight of a lake that seemed to stretch into the darkness for thirty meters at least.

  "Anyone feel like a swim?" Blade asked.

  "It's deep, Captain," Fannon said. "According to my helmet sensors, it's real deep. I wouldn't recommend that anyone get in there unless they have a safety line around them. And we don't have any idea what kind of marine life they might encounter. It might be the type that eats everything it can get its jaws or tentacles around."

  "I don't see any indications of a boat having been here," Blade said, looking for scars on the floor of the cave where it disappeared into the water.

  "No, sir." Pointing to a sack against the cave wall, Fannon added, "The only thing here is this backpack with some kind of grain in it."

  While their backs were to the water, a noisy splash was heard. If it was marine life, it had to have been big.

  "Did you see anything?" Blade asked Fannon.

  "No, sir. I was looking down at the sack."

  "Let me see it."

  Fannon picked up the large backpack and held it out towards Blade.

  While Fannon continued to hold the pack, Blade lifted the flap, peered in, then reached in and pulled out a handful of grain. "It looks and feels fresh. I wonder why someone would have left this here. I wonder if we surprised someone who was in here."

  "If we did, there's no place for them to have gone except into the water, and I don't see anyone swimming."

  Blade tossed the handful of grain into the water. Immediately the water began churning and a few large fish jumped clear before falling back.

  "There's the answer," Blade said. "The grain is to feed the fish. Perhaps they farm them for food. It's doubtful there's anything larger or the fish wouldn't be hanging around here looking for a meal."

  "But what happened to the farmer?"

  "Maybe there's an underwater exit to another chamber. Or perhaps it wasn't feeding time when the sack was brought in here. It doesn't matter. We're done here. Let's head to Cave 3."

  The tunnel in Cave 3 was similar to the others in construction. After carefully working their way close to sixty meters into the tunnel, Fannon said, "Dead end, Captain. I've reached a solid wall."

  "Check the ground around you. Any signs of foot traffic?"

  "None."

  "Then we must have missed something because there were definite signs at the entrance. Everyone begin looking for a hidden openi
ng in a side wall. Maybe someone blocked the entrance to avoid detection when we arrived."

  After fifteen minutes of searching, one of team members said, "Captain, I've found something here. It looks like it might have been an entrance to another tunnel at one time, but it appears to have collapsed at some point. However, I'm able to move a large boulder at the base without bringing down the rest, so it might be a disguised entrance."

  "Stop right there," Blade said. "I'm on my way."

  After examining the wall, Blade said, "I think you're right. Let's try to push it back."

  Prepared for a strenuous task, the Marines were surprised at how easily a number of piled rocks near the bottom moved back as one piece once they put their backs into it. But as soon as the pile was out of the way, someone opened up with small arms gunfire from inside the new tunnel. Their personal armor prevented any injury to the Marines who were struck by the bullets. Their Dakinium armor would hold up against anything short of a grenade in their lap or a direct strike by an RPG. Laser strikes only made the armor stronger and more impervious to damage.

  "Lead projectile firearms," Blade said to himself. "Whoever's in this tunnel sure isn't part of the military or secret police."

  "Hold your fire," Blade announced in Yolongi with the speaker on his chest plate set to maximum volume. "We're looking for someone, and we mean you no harm. You can't harm us, and we won't harm you— unless we're forced to return fire."

  On Com 1, Blade said, "Fannon, crawl in there. So far all we've seen is gunfire from small arms. It appears they don't have anything that can penetrate our armor."

  "Roger, Captain."

  A few seconds later, Fannon was wriggling his way through the opening. Fire from the other side intensified briefly, then stopped. Perhaps whoever was firing finally realized they were simply wasting ammunition and inviting return fire.

  As two more members of team Alpha crawled through the small opening, Fannon was heard to say, "You'd better come in here, Captain."

  "On my way," Blade said as he got down on all fours, then got down on his belly and began slithering to get past the low overhang. As he reached the other side of the wall he stood back up, only then discovering he was in another, even larger, natural cavern than the first one. The roof wasn't quite as high as the one in Cave 4, but the area was significantly larger at ground level.