by T. R. Harris
With a look of confusion and frustration, Azon watched the blood flow from the wound. After a moment, he nodded and a gauze bandage was provided. Sherri was released and took the swab, dabbing it on the cut, cleaning up most of the blood. She met the alien’s eyes evenly and without fear.
He looked flustered, even though he hadn’t asked a question or received a reply. Sherri found his reaction…puzzling.
“You bleed, just as the others,” Azon finally said.
“Just as you will…when I rip your head off your shoulders.”
The alien dismissed her comment with a wave of his hand. “There is no need for your bravado, Sherri Valentine; I was not insulting you. However, your commonality is what confuses me, adding to the evidence building regarding the Humans. The fact that you bleed may save your race from extinction.”
It was Sherri’s turn to be confused.
The alien activated a monitor on the wall using a small remote control. The image that appeared was of the security compound where Adam and the others had been held in the Radis Spur, before Sherri’s arrival on the planet and his subsequent rescue.
“Adam Cain was observed being attacked by other species of the Kac, and even subdued by Nuorean forces when he and a group of prisoners attempted an escape.” The video was taken from above the compound, with selective zooms where appropriate. Then Sherri and her people arrived, including the two mutants, Panur and J’nae, morphed into Human shape.
“Your associate did not seem pleased to see you,” Azon commented as the video played.
Sherri remained silent.
The scene shifted, to that of the Grand Arena and the challenge between Adam and the Nuorean leader—she’d forgotten his name. She watched, fascinated as the events unfolded, as Panur—disguised as Adam—fought the alien to the death, before escaping the stadium, leaving a bloodbath in his wake. Panur had given them a brief account of the battle, but obviously left out a lot of detail. Watching it on the monitor was much more impressive. The video ended.
“You can now understand my confusion,” said the Nuorean. “At once your Adam Cain is a submissive prisoner, quite mortal and ordinary. The next he displays skill and unnatural abilities that would have allowed him to escape at a time of his choosing. Such savage cunning—to maneuver himself into a challenge with the First-Lead just so he could completely humiliate the Nuor—is both admirable…and worrisome.”
Azon turned to Sherri, placing his arms on the table in almost a pleading gesture. “You must recognize my dilemma. The Third Cadre is tasked with the discovery and eradication of Jundac races, those species the Nuor deem too dangerous to survive. After observing Adam Cain, it should be undeniable that Humans would be Jundac.” He looked at Sherri’s bloody wound. “And yet you bleed—as have all the other Humans we have tested. With such an abundance of immunity races in your galaxy, I should simply order the destruction of your homeworld…as a precaution. And yet if your race is not Jundac, then it would provide a wealth of immunity points for the Nuor, which is why we are here.”
The alien looked at the blank video screen. “I must therefore conclude that Adam Cain is an anomaly, a mutated being of some kind and not representative of the Human race as a whole. It would explain much, such as his pronounced reputation throughout the Kac.”
Sherri was relieved. For a moment she thought the alien was going to decide on the destruction of Earth as a way to solve his Adam Cain problem. It was to her advantage to keep the Nuor believing Adam was a superman.
“Regrettably, I cannot definitively conclude that your world does not contain other such anomalies, in fact a possible sub-set of such creatures. The history I have studied of the Humans show that your race should not have achieved its status within the Kac in such a short time. Therefore, there must be other factors at work.”
“No, Adam is unique,” Sherri said. “You’ve seen Humans; we can die just like the next guy. We’re just mean. That’s why we’ve been able to achieve what we have.”
“I agree—you are mean. And it is this viciousness that worries me. Jundac races need not possess super powers to be a danger to the Nuor. And even as I face you, I am also aware of your deceptiveness. You may say Adam Cain is unique, yet why should I believe you? That is just what one would expect you to say if there was a segment of your race with the same abilities as an Adam Cain—”
“That wasn’t Adam fighting your leader,” Sherri blurted.
The alien stopped speaking and stared at Sherri. He turned the video on again and replayed the battle in the arena, pausing and zooming in at times as Adam was repeatedly stabbed, yet with no blood or signs of lasting injury.
“That is not Adam Cain?”
“No, that was a mutant.”
“So Adam Cain is a mutant!”
“No, it was a mutant who looked like Adam. Adam was with the rest of us making our way to the spaceport while the fight took place.”
“I do not believe you.”
“Just think: it makes sense. You have video of Adam in the prison—and then suddenly he can’t be killed. That’s because a mutant took his place.”
“A mutant? Your galaxy appears rife with mutants. I have heard rumors of others—even within Adam Cain’s blood-team.”
“Yeah, his daughter Lila is also a mutant.”
“Yes, that is one of the myths. Yet if Adam Cain can birth a mutant, would that not make him a mutant as well? You have revealed your deception, Sherri Valentine.”
“Adam’s not a mutant, but he did help make one. It had something to do with an interspecies mating.” Sherri didn’t know if revealing the presence of the Aris at this time would make a difference; the alien was already skeptical enough of her story. If she threw in a three-billion-year-old race that manipulated budding species in order to produce Lila, that would be too much for Azon to accept—hell, even she found it hard to believe.
“Your story is fantastical. Do you think me stupid?”
“Of course not, it’s just that mutants are real.”
The alien referred to a datapad. “There was mention of another, a creature called Panur.”
“That’s right! He’s the one who impersonated Adam.”
Azon leaned back in his chair and smiled. He looked around at the other Nuor in the room. “Can you believe the audacity of these creatures? They expect us to believe such wild stories.” He looked again at Sherri. “Your race is insane…and definitely a threat. We seek competitive challenges where we can hone our skill and rise in status within our society. Facing insanity is not what we desire. It makes the outcomes too…unpredictable.”
He returned to his datapad and began to make entries. “I thank you, Sherri Valentine. You have helped in my decision-making. Although my recommendation must first be reviewed before acceptance, I am classifying the Human race as Jundac. You—and your companion Adam Cain—have just sentenced your species to extinction.”
********
Well that didn’t go exactly as planned, Sherri thought on her way back to the holding cell. Now she had to figure out how to tell the others that she’d spilled the beans on Adam…and in the process convinced the alien Azon to schedule the destruction of Earth.
Hell, she’d only been gone ten minutes.
********
“Don’t worry, it’s not your fault if the aliens can’t handle the truth,” Copernicus said in her defense a few minutes later.
“Besides, the Human race has been threatened with extinction before and we came out just fine,” Riyad added. The men could tell how rotten Sherri felt following her interview.
After helping Sherri clean the wound in the grooming station, Coop tore off a strip of his shirt and tied the cloth around her arm to stop the oozing.
“And here I thought I was so clever using Panur to impersonate Adam back then.”
“If you hadn’t he’d be dead by now,” Riyad countered. “It was the right decision.”
The door opened again, and this time it was Coop’s tu
rn to face the inquisitor. Sherri had told him that Azon and four other gray-uniformed aliens were present for her interview. For his, the fleet commander Sanelis was also present. Copernicus was placed in the same room as Sherri, evidenced by the trace of blood on the tabletop.
“Who are you and what is your relationship with Adam Cain?” asked Azon.
“I’m Copernicus Smith. I’m a starship repair technician. I have no relationship with Adam Cain.”
Sanelis turned to Azon, anger in his eyes. “This Human is of no value to us,” he announced. He rose from his seat. “I have more important things to do. Eliminate him—”
“Hold on a minute!” Coop said. “Yeah, I do know Adam Cain, quite well as a matter of fact.”
Azon shook his head. “Observe, First-Lead, the Human’s propensity of deception.” He leaned across the table toward Coop. “So truth, Human, or else I will follow my superior’s wishes.”
Sanelis sat down.
“Cain and I have worked together in the past. I guess you’d consider me part of his team now.”
“Is he a mutant?” Sanelis asked, curious and impatient after the briefing he’d received regarding the last interview.
“No, he just has a really bad attitude.”
“Yet there are multiple mentions of mutants in the Kac.”
“Yeah, they seem to be cropping up all over the place.”
“He lies,” Azon said. “He is only saying such things to intimidate the Nuor.”
“Get to the point,” Sanelis snapped at the gray-uniformed alien with the face guard.
Azon set his jaw, frustration evident. “What inspired you to enter this part of the Kac?” he asked the Human.
“Believe it or not, we were just out sightseeing.”
“Bullshit!” said Azon.
Coop was caught off-guard by the alien’s use of the word, as was the First-Lead. “It is a Human word used to express disbelief, in a rather crude form,” Azon explained. “I learned it from the prisoners on Nuor.” He glared at Copernicus. “Three members of the support team for the Kac’s greatest player do not just appear at the staging area for an invasion fleet. Now tell us the truth. How did you know we were here?”
“We’re not his support team. He’s no better than the rest of us.”
“Then why have I not heard of you?”
“I prefer to keep a low profile.”
Azon produced a hand weapon from under the table. “Perhaps you are right, First-Lead. This one provides no value.” He pointed the gun at Copernicus.
“Wait just a minute,” Coop said, holding up his hands.
“You do not have a minute,” said Azon.
Sanelis groaned. “How can you believe anything this creature says, especially under the threat of death?”
“These creatures appear to have a strong instinct for self-preservation. He will tell us the truth…or he will die.”
Coop eyed the threatening barrel of the handgun. He had no idea what type of weapon it was—or whether it could kill him—but he wasn’t willing to test it either.
“We’ve been surveying the outer edge of the galaxy, in areas we thought might be prime locations for your new entry point. We were expecting to detect your fleet long before making contact. That didn’t work out according to plan.” As a trained undercover operative, Coop knew the best way to pull off a convincing bluff was to provide just enough truth to go along with the lie.
“In a limited-range shuttle, which had to come from a larger ship?” Azon said.
“A number of small survey ships were dropped off along the route. We figured a shuttle wouldn’t cause too much alarm.”
“Where is the main ship?”
“It’s moved on. We were to head for the planet Visidor after the survey.” Visidor was the first planet in the Kidis Frontier that came to mind. Besides, if the Nuor attacked, it would be no great loss. He had nothing but bad memories of the place.
“Then it was a coincidence? I do not believe.”
“It’s the truth. How were we to know you’d be in dark status.”
“Dark status?” Azon asked.
“Minimal-output,” Sanelis explained. Azon nodded.
The Third Cadre officer leaned back in his chair, studying Copernicus with his black eyes. “I still doubt. It is the makeup of the crew that has me suspicious.”
“If this were a random survey, then it matters not,” said Sanelis. “This location is already obsolete.”
Copernicus focused on the word obsolete. He stored it away for future analysis, while shifting his most immediate efforts to finding a way of staying alive beyond the next few minutes.
“I’ve heard rumors the Nuor are great warriors—players you’re called,” he said.
“It is not a rumor!” Sanelis barked.
“And yet you fear the Humans? It’s obvious in your reactions to us.”
“You can smell fear?”
The statement drew the attention of the other Nuor in the room. Coop had to be careful with his answer. “It’s nothing conscious, just a sense we get. But you have to agree, otherwise you wouldn’t be planning our destruction.”
“That comes not from fear but prudence,” Azon said. “Some races simply pose more problems than they are worth.”
“And so you’ll miss all the glorious battles…for the sake of convenience?”
“It is not convenience—I do not know why I am discussing this with you!”
“Because you’re looking for an excuse to justify your fear of us.”
Coop may have gone too far this time, because all the aliens in the room were now agitated, their fiery eyes glaring at him with undisguised bloodlust.
“You seek to provoke us!” Sanelis exclaimed.
“Not at all; you mistake my observations for a challenge. All I’m saying is there’s so much opportunity in the Human race for you to face truly worthy adversaries, rather than the mock battles against soft races which you seem so proud of.”
“He does challenge!” one of the other Nuor in the room shouted.
“Why would I challenge you, when the Nuor set all the rules and control every aspect of the contest? That would be suicide.”
The Nuor grew quiet—and easy to read. They were considering his words. Yes, they did control the games, so why the uncertainty…the fear? Fighting the Humans would be great sport, and if the situation turned deadly, they could simply alter the outcome.
Sanelis turned to Azon. “Delay your recommendation, Spec-One. The fleet embarks for the interior in a day. Once the arenas are built, I would welcome the opportunity to face this creature in an immunity challenge.”
“Daric (618) felt the same, Master. He did not survive the contest.”
“If what the female said about that challenge is true, then that was an unfair contest. We will make sure future engagements are not so manipulated by the Humans…or anyone else.” Copernicus could almost hear the end of that sentence, left lingering in the air: …except for us.
He’d bought them time, but not much else. Riyad and he would be placed in an arena with the odds—and the outcome—stacked against them. He wasn’t sure how the others would react to his deadly gambit.
********
“You did what?” Sherri yelled.
“You’re mad at me? After your interview, the friggin aliens were ready to destroy the Earth and every Human in the galaxy.”
“And now they’ll just fight us individually—and in rigged contests. What’s the difference?”
“It bought us time.”
Riyad cleared his throat. “You do know they’re probably listening in on everything we’re saying.”
“Screw them!” Coop said. “They had to know I was only trying to save our lives.”
“Like the lions were trying to do in the Colosseum? That worked out great for them.” Sherri added.
“Relax, sweetheart, I don’t think they let women fight,” Coop said.
“That’s not what that other Nuorean ba
stard said just before he went out to face Adam…I mean Panur.”
“Everyone just calm down,” Riyad ordered. “We need to spend what time we have trying to figure a way out of here.”
Coop lifted his arms and spun around in a circle. “You hear that, you alien assholes. We’re trying to figure a way to escape. What a surprise.”
Sherri laughed, which caused the two men to stop and stare.
“What’s so funny?” Coop asked.
Sherri smiled and looked at Riyad. “Hell, who knows what’s going to happen next? After all, Riyad hasn’t had his interview yet!”
Chapter 6
Adam had only been to Incus once before, and he’d left the place in quite a mess when he departed. That was when the Juireans occupied the planet, so his actions were justified. Now the Juireans had left the Kidis Frontier, including its most-industrialized planet.
The Najmah Fayd—the so-called trans-dimensional starship—was a non-registered prototype from the Orion-Cygnus Union’s military technology division and therefore carried no recognized transponder—not until Panur worked his magic and concocted one that passed muster with the natives. With Juireans, Humans and even the threat of the Nuor hanging over their heads, security had been beefed up since Adam’s last visit, making the transponder necessary.
After transmitting the code, the ship was given clearance to land at the Ennis Northeast field, the same one Adam and his team had used the last time they were here. It was the closest to Advanced Plasma Objects, the huge conglomerate that had first taken possession of the ancient artifact that would later become known as Zee or Pogo. It was the team’s objective to learn the location of the asteroid field where the Aris service module had been found.
A little over a year ago, Adam had left a graveyard of wrecked Juirean warcraft strewn about the spaceport. To his surprise, only about half of the demolished spacecraft had been cleared away, with the rest sitting like rusting monuments to a more turbulent time. A force of Port Marshals met them at the exit hatch, rather than in the distant passenger terminal.