Agnar awoke abruptly to blaring sirens and flashing lights. He rolled off the bed and onto the floor, shaking his head to clear it. Since he wasn’t fully recovered from the previous day’s drinking binge, the alert sirens were becoming increasingly annoying.
“Shut it off!” he yelled. To his surprise, the ship complied. Agnar hurried to the bridge to see what had set off the alarm. When he entered the bridge, he saw only stars on the forward viewscreen. He sat at the helm and tapped the viewscreen pad, turning on the other viewscreens. A Bitowan battle cruiser kept pace with his ship off the port side. He tried to swear, without success.
The forward view was replaced by an ugly visage that Agnar knew all too well. He straightened in his seat, then thought better of it and slouched instead, lounging comfortably in the chair. “Well, Haron, what brings you to this part of the galaxy?”
General Haron frowned disapprovingly at Agnar’s lack of respect. “Yalsan thief,” he spat, “I have come for Sharra.”
Agnar slipped lower in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “You can’t have her.”
Haron’s expression grew hard as he looked at Agnar. “Then it is war between us, and I will not rest until I have Sharra, her ship, and your head.”
Agnar contemplated Haron for a moment. Both he and Haron knew who had the better ship. He couldn’t help but admire the man for his courage, although he knew what fools men were when it came to the women they loved. He almost hated what he had to do. He reached down to the console to fire on Haron’s ship. His finger stopped before he could press the appropriate symbol on the screen. He looked up at Haron in horror. Haron was wearing a very uncharacteristic smirk. It looked strange on a Bitowan.
“I know you do not have Sharra. I have already scanned her ship and I know that you are the only one on it. I also know that you are unable to commit violence.” Haron looked pointedly at Agnar’s neck. “I see my princess was able to collar you with two halabands before making good her escape. She will make me a fine mate,” Haron said proudly. His face disappeared as he disconnected and Agnar could see the Bitowan ship firing on him. Agnar’s ship rocked with the blows, its shield weakening. Agnar was unable to fire back. He watched helplessly as the shield’s strength level dropped to almost zero percent. His hands itched to fire back, straining toward the console. The shields dropped.
All of a sudden he was free and the commands his brain had been feeding to his hands were executed rapidly. Haron didn’t even get in another shot before Agnar’s superior firepower overwhelmed the battle cruiser’s shields and destroyed the ship in a fiery explosion. Agnar sat back, shocked at escaping certain destruction. He put his hand up to his throat, tracing the raised skin and wondering how he had managed to override the halabands’ programming. He couldn’t understand why the halabands allowed him to destroy Haron and his ship. Curious, he pulled up the files on halabands.
The information scrolled onto the screen. He read all of it, intrigued. There was no information to indicate why he had been allowed to defend himself. He combed through the file, sure that the answer must be in there somewhere. In a file cleverly hidden within the file he finally found his answer. The halabands were designed not only to keep the wearer from committing violence, but to keep violence from being committed on the wearer. The protection of the wearer took precedence over the protection from the wearer, because the wearer didn’t have the free will to protect himself.
Agnar sat back and thought about what had just happened. He was allowed to fire on Haron’s ship because he had believed that his own death was imminent. He smiled, wondering if this information was known by anyone other than the halaband’s creator. Whoever included the information obviously wanted it to be available, but not easily found. He cleared the data screen and reactivated the control screen in its place. Then he continued on to Bellos.
Upon reaching orbit, Agnar began scanning Bellos for Earthling and Bitowan DNA. Several hours of unproductive searching later, he decided to land. He didn’t know where else to search for the women. He wondered if they might have gone to Bitowa, but that seemed unlikely given the circumstances of Sharra’s departure.
After wandering the streets outside the docks for almost an hour, Agnar ducked into a bar for a much-needed drink. He sat at a corner table across from the holovision. He watched the pretty announcer, but only listened with half an ear to her news. His thoughts circled. Where could the women have gone? How was he going to find them? Where had they gone? How in the universe was he going to find them? He was running low on cash, and as long as he wore the halabands, he wouldn’t be able to continue his illegal activities. He sat and drank and moped.
After about his seventh strong drink, Agnar noticed a Kahrazoid woman watching him from a table across the room. From the expression on her ugly face, it was difficult to tell if she was attracted to or repulsed by him. He limited his notice of her to a glance and went back to staring into his glass.
Equaria couldn’t believe her luck. She and her crew had recently lost their ship in an extremely illegal endeavor, and she had gone to a seedy bar to drink her troubles away. She was pleasantly surprised to see the universe’s most notorious pirate enter and sit at a table in the corner. Her mind instantly ran through various scenarios to use this opportunity to her advantage. Agnar glanced her way several times, as if feeling her eyes on him. After he had downed his eighth drink, she decided to make her move.
She stood and sauntered seductively in his direction. Since Agnar was already drunk, he would quite likely be susceptible to flattery. She wouldn’t mention that she was a captain; men were more pliable when they thought they had the upper hand. She had to find out what treasures were in his possession; she wanted to take him for as much as she could. Equaria didn’t feel guilty for these plans; after all, if he trusted her, then he was a fool. For what honor could there be among thieves? She smiled and threaded her way among the tables toward him.
Agnar watched as the Kahrazoid woman approached him. By this time he was well into his cups and had been celibate since before his forced stay on Bitowa. She was still amazingly ugly, but in his drunken stupor he didn’t care. He leaned toward her with a smile as she sat down across from him.
“Hey, baby, come here often?” he slurred. It was an old line, but she lit up and gestured for him to follow her. He did.
She led him out of the bar and to a swanky hotel in the better part of town. Leading Agnar up to the desk, she asked the clerk for a room. When the clerk pushed the lightpad forward for a handprint, Equaria took Agnar’s hand and gently pressed it to the pad, smiling at him. At least, he assumed it was a smile. It was hard to tell with Kahrazoids.
Equaria kept hold of Agnar’s hand and led him deeper into the hotel and to their room, where she set his hand against the plate next to the door. It opened and she pulled him into the room and down onto the bed, caressing him. The light had come on as they entered, and the woman’s ugliness was nauseating in the harsh light.
“Lights!” Agnar commanded, and the voice-activated illumination went out, leaving the room in total darkness. Once he could no longer see her with his eyes, Agnar’s roving hands found Equaria beautiful. As he continued exploring her body with his hands, his senses became overwhelmed and his drunken mind lost awareness.
Agnar awoke in a soft bed with numerous pillows. The two suns streaming in the window were bright and extremely annoying. He groaned and tried to cover his eyes with his hand, but couldn’t. There was something heavy on his arm. He slowly turned his throbbing head toward the form lying in bed next to him. At the sight of the sleeping Kahrazoid woman, he sat up quickly, rolling her off his arm. The pain caused by this rapid movement made his head spin and he was forced to lie back down. Unfortunately, the movement had awakened his bedmate. She rolled onto her side toward him, ran her fingertip along his jawline, and cooed a good morning. Agnar was almost sick at the sight of her, but since he couldn’t move, he just closed his eyes and groaned. She giggled.
>
“Had a bit much to drink last night, my lover?” Her voice was low and sensual, and with his eyes closed, she sounded beautiful. It was somehow wrong for a species that ugly to have such melodious voices. He cleared his throat and answered with a simple yes, careful not to open his eyes and see her face. She continued speaking, and her voice somehow soothed his hangover. “I knew when I saw you sitting alone that I had to have you. The great Captain Agnar is quite a conquest for an unsophisticated girl like me.” Agnar made an inquisitive noise, surprised that she knew who he was. She laughed. “Oh, yes, I know who you are. My shipmates and I have long been impressed by your, hmmm, shall we say, business ventures. As a matter of fact, we would love to serve under you.” She chuckled lewdly and added, “And I would love to continue serving under you the way I did last night.”
Agnar cracked open an eyelid and looked at the Kahrazoid woman with interest, ignoring the indecent remark. “You want to be part of my crew?”
“Oh, yes. We recently lost our captain and our ship in a skirmish with authorities over our not quite legal cargo. We’re a mixed crew, with several different species represented, but we are loyal. Would you be interested in allowing us to join you?”
Agnar closed his eye and settled back into the pillows. “Consider yourself and your shipmates hired. Wake me when it’s dark. Until then, I don’t wish to be disturbed.”
The Kahrazoid woman giggled. “My name is Equaria. I’ll leave you to recuperate.” She dressed and let herself out of the room. When the door closed behind her, Agnar had already been sleeping for several minutes.
The suns were setting when Agnar finally awoke. His head still hurt, but at least he could move without the room spinning. He showered and dressed, then made his way down to the eating establishment on the ground floor. After consuming enough for two people, he began to feel a bit better. He leaned back in his chair and watched the holovision in the center of the room. The news was gory as always, showing people dying in the various wars that were continually fought on backwater worlds. The newswoman was attractive, but she read the news as if it were a list of ingredients.
“We have an update on the fugitives wanted in connection with the tampering of archaeological evidence in the Fourth Quadrant. The two men, Flavoi Fierra and Tresar Convy, and the unknown Yalsan woman, along with a Bitowan woman, have been seen boarding a ship on the island of Convy in the Carrian Sea of Yalsa. They narrowly escaped as authorities approached the island. They were last seen heading toward the Hysterion System. If anyone sees them or their Pulsar Class Starship, they are to report it immediately.” The announcer abruptly changed the subject, reading the scores of the latest game. Agnar quickly paid his tab and headed out to the lobby, just in time to run into Equaria and six other humanoids. She lit up when she saw him and began to introduce her shipmates. Agnar took her by the arm, interrupting her.
“We don’t have time for that now. I’m trying to catch up to the women who put these halabands around my neck, and I have a lead on their whereabouts. We must leave now.” He led his new crew to his ship, explaining some of the Bitowan technology as they boarded. Equaria laughed and pointed to one of her men.
“There’s no need to explain, sir. Rathor there is an expert.” Rathor, who wore a cloak that hid his appearance, pulled the hood down and smiled. Agnar shuddered. Rathor was a Bitowan, and his resemblance to Emperor Varton was uncanny.
“It’s unusual for a Bitowan to leave his system, Rathor. Why did you?” Agnar’s curiosity overcame his revulsion to the man’s appearance. Rathor just smiled and looked to Equaria to answer for him.
“Well, sir,” she said, “Rathor is the illegitimate offspring of the Mother Empress and her Yalsan lover. His mother was put to death for mating outside of her own species, but she managed to get Rathor away before the emperor could kill him. He is Emperor Varton’s younger brother, born just before the emperor’s eldest daughter.” Equaria patted Rathor on the back. “The Bitowan Empire’s loss is our gain.”
Agnar led the way to the bridge, reflecting that despite physical and cultural differences, most humanoid species seemed to share the same problems. The crew dispersed to the various bridge consoles as if they had been flying this kind of ship for years. Agnar was impressed by their efficiency as they quickly launched and brought the ship into orbit around Bellos. Agnar settled comfortably into the captain’s chair and gave his crew their first orders. “Scan for any Yalsan ships in this system.”
At the tactical console, Rathor answered almost on top of Agnar’s command. “There are nine Yalsan ships in the area.” He paused and squinted at the console, confused by what he was seeing. “Sir, the ship farthest from here is showing no life readings, but is traveling at a high speed out of this solar system.”
Agnar felt his heart leap. It had to be her. He realized how much he missed her when she wasn’t around, even if she didn’t like him. He shook his head, trying to clear it. Karina had bewitched him, and it was affecting his logic. He had to stop feeling and start thinking if he ever wanted to be free of the halabands.
That ship had to be them. Of course Tresar would find a way to be undetectable to scans. Too bad for him he didn’t find a way to mask a ship. He could hardly contain the excitement in his voice at the thought of seeing Karina again, and of getting the cursed halabands off. “Set course to follow. I want to see that ship on the viewscreen within the hour.”
CHAPTER 14
It was a subdued group that gathered on the bridge of Tresar’s ship. They stared at the viewscreen, watching the planets of the Hysterion System as they passed through it. Bellos was especially breathtaking, outlined by the two suns behind it.
Karina sighed. It wasn’t very pleasant, living on the run. “So, now that we’re fugitives, where can we go?” she asked.
Tresar thoughtfully rubbed his chin. “We should leave the galaxy at the very least. I suggest we leave the quadrant as well. It’s a big universe out there. I’m sure we can find a nice place to settle, or we can continue exploring if settling isn’t your thing.”
Sharra straddled one of the chairs at the science console in order to have a good view of the passing planets. Karina had introduced her to trousers, and she found them to be very liberating. She doubted that she would ever want to wear a skirt again. She cleared her throat to get her shipmates’ attention.
“There is a galaxy four hundred thousand light-years into the Fourth Quadrant that Bitowan scientists are studying. It is unusual in that it contains more than seventy percent habitable planets. They have yet to mount a mission to visit it because of its great distance and because it is outside the known quadrants. It would take some years to get there on your drive system, but I do not think we have any pressing engagements beyond fleeing from the Yalsan authorities.”
“And from Haron,” Flavoi added, grimacing at Sharra. She frowned and nodded.
Tresar perked up at the suggestion of investigating unexplored space. “I for one would love to go.” He sent a questioning look to the others. Karina was grinning, and Flavoi nodded his head. “Very well, let’s go. Flavoi, set course . . .”
Suddenly the proximity alarm went off. Tresar switched the view on the screen to show the rear view and saw a sleek Bitowan ship coming up fast behind them. He and Flavoi looked at each other. “Haron?” Tresar guessed. Flavoi shrugged, uncertain. They turned at the sharp intake of breath behind them.
Sharra was glaring at the approaching ship. “Agnar.” The word came out with a hiss as she exhaled.
Tresar looked anxious. “Are you sure?”
“That is my ship. I would recognize it anywhere.”
Flavoi increased the ship’s speed. “Maybe we can outrun him.”
Sharra shook her head. “Nothing can outrun that ship.”
Flavoi strapped himself into his chair. “If we can’t outrun him, then maybe we can outmaneuver him. I’m not the greatest pilot on Yalsa for nothing, you know.” Flavoi steered the ship out of the solar system so h
e could switch to the star drive.
Tresar quickly strapped himself down and motioned the women to do the same. He didn’t like the gleam in Flavoi’s eye. Flavoi’s fingers danced across the console as he engaged the star drive. Stars stretched as the ship suddenly accelerated. The Bitowan ship kept pace easily. Flavoi left the Hysterion System behind and headed toward an emission nebula, hoping that the interference caused by the radiation would make them harder to track.
The Yalsan ship rocked as they were fired on from behind. There was a loud whine as engine power dropped. They passed too close to a large, dark planet on the edge of small solar system and were caught in its gravitational pull. With little thrust available from the weakened engines, they went down. Karina gripped the armrests of her chair, sure that they were all going to die.
“Can you land us safely?” Tresar yelled to Flavoi.
Flavoi fought the controls, the heavy gravity making it difficult to maneuver. “Land? No, but I can control the fall so we survive the crash.”
The ship entered the atmosphere, heating up as it plunged toward the planet. Within minutes it reached the surface and hit, sliding across the ground at high speed. Flavoi used the air brakes to slow their pace. The viewscreen went blank, its transmitter damaged by the impact. They were in the dark, still sliding across the rocky surface, but slowing. They came to an abrupt halt as the ship hit something immovable. They jerked in their seats, the straps holding them securely. Then there was silence.
Tresar was the first to recover his breath. “Is everyone all right?”
The Face of Earth Page 18