I turned back to Frost and the others. “This has me a little off game. We know the Duke has not been honest with us, but his actions leave me not knowing what to think.”
I switched comm channels to Major Evverds. “Major, when the fleet arrives, see if you can sneak a comm device on one of their ships and get it wired into the power mains. Find Huff Gervel and tell him you want to monitor their departure. Once they are in free space, away from the Colossuns, tell him he can remove it or turn it off. If the Colossuns want to pull something with the Grell, we want to know about it. Tell Huff the comm channel will be linked straight to me.”
Evverds replied, “Roger that, Sir. I will get on that immediately.”
The remainder of the dinner and the aftershow were spectacular. The foods were delicious by any standard, and the entertainment rivaled any professionally performed act I had seen on the Grid. The Duke knew how to celebrate.
As we walked back to our rooms, I spoke. “I want you all to stay on your toes. The one thing tonight that I found odd was that the Duke didn’t make any attempt to offer us passage down to the surface of Ponik. Not that I think it is any safer than here, mind you, but I found it strange that he never broached the subject.”
York replied, “He may be waiting for you to ask, Sir, kind of a courtesy thing.”
I nodded as I spoke. “I thought about that earlier, York. I gave him multiple opportunities to bring it up, and he seemed to almost avoid going where I was attempting to steer him. I think he has plans for us; I just don’t know what they are.”
The following morning I woke and made my way up to the bridge. The Duke was seated in his chair and smiling as I walked in.
The Duke spoke. “So, Mr. Grange, what did you think of my celebration? Did I not tell you it would be worth coming to?”
I replied, “You do know how to throw a party, Duke; I will give you that. I just wish you had been a little less secretive with your plans. That was not the best method of building trust with your newfound friends.”
The Duke stood and paced as he talked. “Mr. Grange, would your government have acted any differently given the circumstance? We were involved in sometimes-heated negotiations with the Grell right up until I announced the celebration. They actually took convincing that we were sending them on their way. We brought with us an army to free our planet from their criminal acts; they were in a position of weakness. We offered nothing but kindness and generosity.”
I replied, “You played the game well, Duke. I do have to ask you one question, though. Why did you not offer to fly us down to the planet? We have other troops there, and our people know where to come find us. I think you have something else in mind. Am I right?”
The Duke stopped and turned. “You are, Mr. Grange—right, that is. I promised you a ride to the Verna, did I not? What kind of host would I be if I did not follow through with that? I am very interested in fostering a friendly relation with Humans, Mr. Grange. It is, after all, the King’s will that I should do so.”
The Duke continued, “Once we have shown you the Verna, it will be my pleasure to drop you wherever you and your friends like.”
I replied, “Well then, let’s get this show on the road, Duke. I’m sure you have other, more pressing duties that you would like to attend to besides carting us around.”
The Duke returned to his opulent chair. He sat and began to tap his fingers on the bejeweled armrest.
The Duke spoke. “I have yet to figure you out, Mr. Grange. There is something that has been bothering me. I take my orders directly from the King. Who do you take orders from, Mr. Grange? I have yet to see any indication that there is an authority that you answer to. Why is that, Mr. Grange? What is it that I have missed?”
I replied, “You are correct, Duke. I don’t answer to anyone, except of course to my wife. But as far as a chain of command, I do not have one that I follow. Let’s just say that I am a bit of a freelancer, Duke. My goals are largely aligned with that of my government, but I am not in the employ of my government. I guess you would call me a volunteer.”
The Duke placed his hand under his chin. “I find that interesting, Mr. Grange. I am left feeling as though I do not have a complete picture of who you really are. Mysteries fascinate me, Mr. Grange. I take them as a challenge.”
I thought for a moment before I replied, “I don’t know, Duke, why I volunteer. Maybe I think I can get the job done better or faster than others. Maybe I don’t always trust government. It’s a trait that many Humans share, the volunteer thing. Maybe it’s what makes us Human. I do know that I like to survive, and that I like to live free, and if it means putting myself out there and taking it on the chin every once in a while, then so be it. Nobody lives forever.”
The Duke replied, “Indeed they don’t, Mr. Grange, indeed they don’t. At one time, my father had a chance to engage in hand-to-hand combat with his brother, my uncle, the King. He was a superior warrior, my father was. The King would not have survived the ordeal. But my father, instead of having a life where others would do battle for him, chose a life where he remained the warrior, placing his life in the service of my uncle, his twin brother.”
I spoke. “So, your father would have been king, which would have made you a prince and not a duke. You don’t seem like the prince type to me, Duke. You have an edge to you, something that a warrior would have instead of a politician.”
The Duke replied, “I’m curious, Mr. Grange: how would you define the two, a warrior and a politician?”
I again thought for a moment. “A politician does everything he can to win the battle he is in, regardless. A warrior fights not for the battle but for the war. His future is more important than his day. We have many days in our life, Duke, but we only have one future.”
The Duke paused. “Hmm. You are indeed a complex species, Mr. Grange. While one side of me longs to have you by my side as a trusted and loyal friend, the other desires to meet you in combat, a challenge that I may in some ways regret, but in others thoroughly enjoy.”
I replied, “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, Duke.”
The Duke continued, “I have one other comment, Mr. Grange: your team, they seem… mature for warriors. Our combat troops tend to be much younger than what you have with you. Am I correctly guessing that they are volunteers too? They certainly seem capable, but nonetheless mature.”
I looked back towards the doorway. “Yes, they are volunteers. They were full-time fighters for most of their lives; to them, this is just an adventure. It beats sitting at home while wasting away on their pensions. Even though they are retirees, they still run circles around me. And the experience is something you don’t find in the young.”
As the conversation continued, I began to get the feeling that I was being worked. The Duke was magnificent at putting you at ease. I found myself talking about things that were not normal conversations to be had with someone that I suspected had ulterior motives. After I dialed my replies back to simple “yes” and “no” responses, the Duke cut our conversation short.
The Duke spoke. “We will be departing for the Verna tomorrow, Mr. Grange. The Grell fleet will not arrive for months, so instead, we will be ferrying them out to their ships using our fleet. It will take a week for the transfer, but we will then be rid of the Grell. We would also like to have your troops removed from our planet, Mr. Grange. We would like to begin our restoration of the mines without the hindrance of your men being in the way. Should I arrange transport of them to your station?”
I replied, “I don’t think that will be necessary. If you allow safe passage for my ship, the Granger, I think we can move them out of there on our own. I will pass the word to those in charge to make that happen.”
I left the bridge and headed back to my room. I was in need of quiet time where I could do some thinking. I was missing my friend Frig. I was in need of the wisdom and insight he would bring to a conversation, now more than ever.
As I entered my room, I decided to che
ck in with the major. “Evverds, this is Grange. How are things down on the surface?”
The major replied, “They are going well. We have all of our people in Embry Port waiting for whatever is next. We are expecting the Granger at any time.”
I sat in a chair in my room’s lounge area. “Is Huff Gervel around? I would like to speak to him if he is available.”
The major spoke. “Let me check on his whereabouts. He has been a busy guy since the news of their freedom broke. I think he is here in Embry. If I find him, I will patch him through.”
I replied, “No, please find him and then find a secure comm location where I can speak with him. Anything going over the comms down there before your patching it in is probably being monitored. I am a little paranoid now that I know they can jam our comms. They are probably not far away from cracking our encryption. If that happens, they will own us outright.”
The major replied, “I will see what I can do, Sir. I will let you know if he is here.”
After several minutes in the chair, contemplating what might come, I rose and deposited myself on the ultracomfortable bed in the next room. I soon found myself daydreaming about Ashley. We were walking through a grassy field on Jarhead; she was smiling and laughing as we walked and talked. My dream was interrupted by a buzz from my comm.
I spoke. “What do you have for me, Major?”
The major replied, “Sir, I have Mr. Gervel here with me. He’s connected straight into my comm, so the conversation should be secure. I’ll patch you through now.”
Huff Gervel spoke. “Mr. Grange. I hope you are well. I must say up front that this conversation will need to be short. I have much to do to prepare for our departure.”
I replied, “Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that. It must be exciting to finally be going home, and to get your fleet back.”
The comm was silent for several seconds before Huff replied. “When you say ‘get your fleet back,’ what are you implying, Mr. Grange?”
I sat up on my bed. “Just that it must be exciting to get your ships back. I understand the journey back across the boundary will take a long time. But, you are finally going home.”
Again Huff Gervel was silent for several seconds. “Mr. Grange. We do not have ships, and Ponik is our home. The Colossuns have promised us freedom and transport to another habitable planet, where we can live free. They have promised to allow us to determine our own destiny. The ships they are sending are the same ones they originally used to enslave us. I am apprehensive about this deal that has been struck, Mr. Grange. It is out of character for the Colossuns to give or offer anything without a high price.”
I replied, “We were told that the Colossuns were the originals on Ponik and that the Grell attacked, with the fleet of ships that is on its way. They also claimed that the androids who have governed you were originally your soldiers. They were reprogrammed for the duties they now perform. Convince me that they are lying.”
Huff grumbled and spoke. “When your ship returns, have it scan sector 10F.3345 for underground structures. That is one of our cities. It was more than two thousand years old before the arrival of the Colossuns. Its existence should tell you who is being honest, Mr. Grange. As I said, the Colossuns do not make deals or offers without extracting a high price.”
I stood and paced the marble floor in my room. “The monitor that I had the major give you—my intentions for that were twofold. I wanted to see if the Colossuns were keeping their word, and I wanted a comm connection to you should we ever find each other in need. We will be departing tomorrow for locations that I would guess are deep within the Empire. I wish you and your people the best, Mr. Gervel. The next time we meet, I will be expecting a small glass of that wine your people make. Keep us posted. And Huff, good luck.”
I switched the comm channel back to the major. “Give Mr. Gervel any help you can. And if you do not hear from me again before the Granger arrives, I want you to pass on a message to the Captain. Have her shadow the Duke’s ship as best she can. If we have to jump ship to get away from the Duke, I want someone in the vicinity who can pick us up.”
The major confirmed the orders and went about his business. I made my way to the quarters where the others were just about to head out for lunch. I joined them in a meal fit for a… duke.
Chapter 18
The following day, the Colossun fleet left orbit around Ponik and set course for the Verna. I had no way of knowing if we were being followed by the Granger. Shortly after our departure, I had left a message with our direction for the Captain to follow. Soon thereafter the Duke turned on the comm jammer internal to his ship. I now had to walk to the others if I wanted to have a conversation.
After being confronted by a scantily clad Frost several times after knocking on her door, I had changed tactics and started knocking on York’s door instead.
York spoke. “Good morning, Mr. Grange. Has the Duke given any indication of when we might arrive at the supposed Verna?”
I replied, “No, he keeps telling me ‘soon.’ I’m just making the rounds this morning to check on everyone. Not having the convenience of the comm is eye opening. It makes you wonder how people used to live without them.”
York invited me in. “Have a seat, Mr. Grange. Rodriguez is hanging out with us this morning. Funny that you brought that up, as we were just talking comms before you knocked.”
I replied, “I wish we had some way to get around this jam.”
Rodriguez spoke. “Well, we may have a way, Sir. I’ve been monitoring the frequencies used on this ship. I think there are a number of maintenance channels that we might be able to piggyback on for transmitting messages. And I think I may have an RF channel that we can use for voice.”
I replied, “That would be good news, Maria. Tell me what you have.”
Rodriguez moved her chair over next to mine and held up her arm pad. “If we each enter a key into our pads, we can split a text message over several channels at once. Since those are active channels, it is doubtful our messages would be detected. And, if they do pick up on it, they won’t be able to reassemble the messages without the key. Voice is a little different, as it takes more bandwidth. And, we can’t use our encryption over that one, because it’s analog, but we can change our voices.”
I sat back. “I get the first part with the texts, but I don’t follow your voice solution.”
Rodriguez continued, “It’s really simple, Sir. We just use our translator chips to output another language that is not from this sector. They obviously already have translations for ours. York thinks she can augment another language in such a way as to make it difficult for the translators to crack. There are parts to some languages that the chip has extreme difficulty with. She thinks their gear is probably similar.”
I replied, “So, you are going to take another language and do what with it exactly?”
Rodriguez smiled. “We take another language and add every nasty language conversion we can to it. If we use it sparingly, the Colossuns will have a difficult time translating it, should they ever figure out it is there.”
I spoke. “So, how will we know what it is that we are saying?”
Rodriguez shook her head. “Don’t overthink this one, Sir. We are constructing the language, so we already have the translation. York had an idea of how we might test it several times a day to see if they are onto us. Tell him, Diane.”
York spoke. “Twice a day I will transmit a voice message stating that I have a bomb in my room. If they come storming in, we will know they can understand us. It isn’t a high-tech solution, but it should be effective in letting us know.”
I nodded in acceptance. “I like it. How long will it take you to implement?”
Rodriguez replied, “We already have it ready, Sir. We worked on it most of the night. You know, Sir, that there is nothing much I like better than to talk to someone’s face. I’m a chatterbox when I can be, but I also like being connected to others who are not with me. It kind of gives you
a sense of security knowing that others are around.”
I spoke. “Are there any limitations to this?”
York sat forward. “That is the great thing about it, Sir. Those maintenance channels are available ship-wide. We should be unrestricted in when or where we can use it. Here, let me see your arm pad… OK, you should be set up with a voice channel. Let me go across the room and see if it works.”
York stood and walked to the corner of the room. I could see her lips moving but heard nothing but gibberish coming over my comm.
I spoke. “I couldn’t understand a thing you said.”
York smiled as she walked back and punched a key code into my arm pad. She then walked back to the corner again.
York spoke. “I said, can you hear me now?”
I nodded. “Crystal clear! I say we roll this out to everyone immediately. I’ll let you two handle that with Frost, as she has been creeping me out when I knock on her door.”
York replied, “Oh, it’s all innocent over there, Sir. If you ever have the pleasure of sharing a bunk room with her, you will find her like that during most off-duty hours. Try that for a six-month deployment and then come talk to me about it. She won’t cross the line with aliens, but she would try to push as close to that line as she could.”
We were all startled by a knock on the door.
A voice spoke. “It’s Keith, Ma’am. I have news.”
York opened the door. “Come on in.”
Keith replied, “Thank you, Ma’am. Oh, good, Mr. Grange is here. It looks like the majority of the Colossun ships just peeled off, Sir. We are left with the Duke’s ship and three others. I couldn’t get a final heading, but it looked like they were turning back towards Ponik.”
I spoke. “Well, that can’t be good news for the Grell. I wish there were something we could do about it, but there isn’t.”
AMP Colossus Page 18