Death to the Imperium (Imperium Cicernus)

by James McGovern

  Roper scoffed. “You’ll be here tomorrow just like the rest of us.”

  “Maybe,” Glitz admitted, nodding. “But I damn well hope not.”

  The men were taken back into their cells, but Glitz was too excited to sleep. He had resolved to stay awake anyway. Tekka was planning to send an wake-up alarm signal to his room at 5:30, but he wasn’t going to risk it. He would stay awake all night to be ready to leave at 6:00 sharp. He still didn’t know how Tekka planned to let the three of them out of their cells; he was trapped as well. But Glitz could do nothing but wait, and hope Tekka was as clever as he claimed. The night passed slowly, and Glitz couldn’t relax. He had no way of finding out the time, and as the night dragged on, he worried that it was past 6:00, and that Tekka hadn’t managed to do as he’d promised.

  But suddenly a tinny ringing sound filled his cell. It sounded insanely loud after the deathly quiet of the last few hours. He hoped that none of the guards would hear the noise, and he took a little comfort in knowing just how thick the cell walls were.

  “Harlan Glitz, can you hear me?” came Tekka’s voice.

  “Am I glad to hear your voice.”

  “So you can hear me. Good.” Tekka’s voice had its usual cold quality, but there was a nervous edge to it that Glitz hadn’t heard before. “Please ensure you are wearing your normal prison clothes. Prepare for release in exactly thirty minutes. It would be beneficial for you to go over the main points of the plan in your mind to refresh your memory.”

  Glitz was already wearing his prison clothes, so he did not get up. He would usually object to being ordered around, but when his freedom was at stake he was more willing to take commands. He ran through Tekka’s plan in his mind. The whole thing was actually quite simple—at least, his and Doland’s roles were simple. Tekka had all the complicated work.

  He sat in his cell, waiting for another message from Tekka. But none came. Glitz began to feel slightly worried. Maybe Tekka had decided that the plan was a bad idea. Or perhaps the prison ship wasn’t due to arrive at 6:30 after all…

  But, just when he had been almost ready to give up hope, there was a whirring sound, and his door slid open.

  Chapter Four

  Glitz stepped outside his cell. The corridor was dark, and two guards lied motionless on the floor. He stepped past them cautiously, and glanced around for any sight of Tekka or Doland.

  “Tekka?” he whispered. “Where are you?”

  “Follow the blue lights!”

  Tekka’s voice seemed to come from all around him. Glitz realised that he must be using the main communications system. A line of blue lights began to flash along the ceiling of the corridor, and Glitz could do nothing but follow. As he followed the lights, he came across dozens of crumpled guards, who were all seemingly unconscious. Finally, the lights led him to a door, which obligingly opened for him. Glitz stepped outside, to be met by Tekka. A moment later, Doland too emerged from the prison, covered in nervous sweat.

  “Follow me,” said Tekka.

  They followed Tekka on a strange path away from the prison, and they finally paused some distance from the complex. They sheltered under a cluster of black Hinnom trees; the totem-like growths were the only trees to flourish on Malus.

  “How did you do it?” Glitz said, turning to Tekka, whose face seemed even paler than he remembered. “How?”

  “It’s like magic,” Doland murmured.

  “Not magic,” Tekka replied tersely. “Technology. Although, admittedly, primitive people throughout history have often confused the two, so I can see where you might have difficulty.”

  “But there aren’t any computer terminals in the cells,” Glitz said. “How did you access the door controls?”

  “They thought they had confiscated all of my possessions, but they didn’t search me carefully enough.” Tekka tapped the side of his head. “My head contains a neurochip. I designed and fitted it for myself a few years ago—my constitution is a little too weak for full augmentation, but I wished to enhance my mind. I, the user, can communicate with any systems in the nearby vicinity, providing that certain necessary conditions are met by the system, such as permitted external access and lack of blind quantum security.”

  “I see,” Doland said, who looked like he didn’t see at all.

  “So you can hack into computers using nothing but your brain?” Glitz said.

  “Precisely. I used my neurochip to cause all of the guards’ earpieces to emit a burst of energy, enough to stun them all for several minutes. Disabling the door controls and arranging the little light show for you both was simple enough.” Tekka looked up at the sky. Through the web of thin branches, they could see a shape in the heavens getting larger. “They’re early.”

  The prison ship touched down on the landing site, which was located close to the main dome. Glitz and the others were standing a few metres away from the ship, shielded by the trees.

  “Remember,” Tekka said. “The timing is crucial. We will act only after the prisoners have left the ship but before the ship has taken off again.”

  “And we don’t make a move until you give us the nod,” Doland said.

  “Correct.”

  The three men waited in the cover of the trees. Glitz could hear the rustling of creatures in the branches above them, and he hoped nothing would drop down onto his head. The wildlife of Malus could be pretty unpleasant.

  “So how’ve you been enjoying your stay?” Glitz said quietly.

  “Don’t get me started,” Doland said. “Look at me. I’m weak and feeble. I wasn’t built for heavy work. And some idiot keeps banging on my cell wall!”

  Glitz suppressed a smile. So it was Doland that had been in the cell right next to his. He turned to Tekka. “What about you? How are you finding the Malus experience?”

  “It wasn’t what was promised in the brochure.”

  Glitz would have laughed, but Tekka had a habit of delivering even witty comments in a voice that would give children nightmares. They watched as the prisoners were led off the ship. As soon as the guards had re-entered, Tekka stared intently at the ship. His eyes widened, and he looked like he was focusing intently on something.

  Suddenly, cries of pain erupted from the ship. Glitz knew that Tekka had used his neurochip to hack into the ship’s computer, activating the intruder removal systems and causing the entire ship to become electrified. Glitz had to laugh when he saw the guards running out of the ship, their clothes slightly blackened. They were followed by a prison officer that he didn’t recognize. He was glad that it wasn’t Commander Rica.

  “Now!” Tekka shouted.

  Glitz and Doland sprang into action. They ran up to the ship, shouted, and each made a rude gesture in front of the guards. Then they ran off in opposite directions as fast as they could. Tekka watched from a distance, hoping that the guards would take the bait…

  They did. The guards split up; half of them chased after Glitz and the other half chased after Doland, leaving the ship unguarded. Even the ship’s commander had taken up the chase. Idiots, Tekka thought. Taking his chance, Tekka used his neurochip to disable the intruder removal system and make the ship safe again. Then he ran into the ship, sealing the door behind himself.

  Once he was safely inside the ship, the first thing he did was remove all of the authorised security cards in the databanks, which would stop the guards from gaining entry back into the ship. When that was completed, Tekka sighed. Now it was time for the hard part. Somehow, he doubted that Glitz and Doland would perform acceptably.

  ***

  Glitz was running over the rocky surface of the planet Malus, trying desperately not to trip over. If he did, it would surely mean recapture. He couldn’t risk a backward glance, but he was sure the guards were gaining on him. A month of hard labour had made him slightly fitter than he was before, but he had never been built for running. His chest was in agony, but he didn’t dare stop. Glitz caught his foot on a sharp rock, and went tumbling to the ground. Cursing,
he scrambled up and carried on running, even though pain was surging through his ankle.

  ***

  Doland was sweating profusely as he pushed onward through the trees. He had entered the forest and tried to lose himself among the gloomy Hinnom trees. It had worked, because the guards hadn’t entered the forest. They had been too scared. Everyone had heard the rumours about what lurked in there.

  He heard a terrible sound. It was the roar of some kind of wild beast. Doland looked around, his knees trembling, but he couldn’t see the source of the noise.

  Then he felt warm breath on the back of his neck.

  Doland turned slowly. The beast was standing right behind him. It looked like one of the huge bears in the Imperial Zoo, except that it had red eyes that glowed like embers. The beast lunged at Doland.

  He jumped back, and started to run again—tearing through the forest. He knew it was a bad idea to run suddenly from a wild animal, but he had no choice. He had to make the rendezvous.

  ***

  Tekka was standing on the flight deck of the Imperial prison ship. A simple punch in the nose had been enough to deal with the pilot, who now lied in a heap on the floor. The flight deck was a large grey room, and the walls were covered with distressed metal panels. The whole place had a somewhat shabby, rundown feel. There were several computer terminals that performed various tasks. Tekka was working intently at one of the computers.

  The operation of the ship was easy enough, and Tekka piloted it towards the agreed place outside the storage sheds near the back of the complex. The short journey would certainly have attracted attention, and the stunned prison guards would have woken up by now; hopefully, Glitz and Doland would arrive before the guards.

  ***

  Glitz and Tekka had headed off in opposite directions, but they had actually travelled on a curving path—the intention was to both meet up eventually at a point of convergence. If all went to plan, Tekka would be ready at that point to allow them into the ship.

  Finally, he began to get nearer the storage area, and saw the ship outside it, exactly as planned. But he knew that the prison guards were right behind him. Just before he reached the ship, Doland appeared and dashed into the ship before him. Glitz climbed in straight after him, and the entrance closed immediately.

  Glitz exhaled slowly as they stepped onto the flight deck. Doland fell to the floor, looking very pale. His whole body was shaking. “A creature…” he said faintly.

  “Ah, you had a little run-in with one of the forest creatures, did you?” Tekka said, smiling coldly.

  Glitz clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’re safe now.”

  “I am not so sure,” Tekka replied. “Look.”

  He pointed at the main scanner. A small force had assembled outside the ship, comprised of the ship’s guards and prison security. It was unlikely that they would be able to gain access to the ship, but they were pointing a large weapon at them. It looked like a huge cannon.

  “It’s a plasma cannon,” Tekka said darkly. “A this range, a single shot would tear the ship to pieces.”

  “Then let’s move!” Glitz said.

  Tekka shook his head. The main scanner crackled, and a face appeared. He looked furious. “My name is Commander John Styke. I’m the officer in charge of this vessel. I am going to give you one chance. Get off my ship right away, or I’ll give the order to fire.”

  “You wouldn’t destroy your own ship,” Doland said.

  “He would,” Tekka said. “Imperial regulations state that if a prisoner is escaping they must be stopped using any means necessary, even if that means destroying their own property.”

  Glitz swallowed. There had to be something they could do. Obviously, if they tried to launch, the officer would simply fire the cannon and they would all be killed. There had to be another way.

  “Make your decision quickly,” Commander Styke said, and his face vanished.

  “Can’t you use your chip to hack into the cannon?” Glitz said.

  Tekka shook his head. “No. There is no digital interface.” Then his eyes widened, as if he had come up with an idea. “Although…”

  “Although?”

  “Did you notice anything unusual about the Commander’s face? About his eyes?”

  The Commander appeared on the screen again. “We are preparing the plasma cannon. Step out of the vehicle, or prepare to die.”

  Glitz stared at the Commander’s eyes. There was something strange about them. They were a vivid electric blue colour, and they seemed unusually bright.

  “He has been augmented,” Tekka said quietly, switching off the microphones so the Commander couldn’t hear them. “And the surgeon made a pretty bad job of it, too. I imagine he has zoom, infrared vision, that sort of thing.” He smiled slightly. “I only hope that his augmentation technology has some sort of software component, because if it does…”

  Glitz realised what he was driving at. “You can hack into it?”

  “Possibly. Distract him for a few minutes, so I can have time to find out.” Tekka switched the microphone back on.

  “You win,” Glitz said, facing the Commander. “Please don’t blow us up. We’ll come out of the ship now.”

  “Excellent,” Commander Styke said. “Open the main door and step outside with your hands above your head. You won’t be harmed, unless you do something stupid.”

  “OK,” Glitz said. “But first I’d like to congratulate you for a great victory.” He began to clap slowly, and Doland joined in.

  The Commander frowned. “No games. Just get out of the ship.”

  “Fine.” Glitz pretended to press a button on the control panel, and he cursed. “The doors are jammed. I think the hinges have rusted. I don’t suppose there’s any machine oil on the ship?”

  “I’m not a fool. Now step off the ship.”

  “But the doors are stuck!”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t irritate him,” Doland said, glancing uneasily at the Commander’s reddening face on the scanner.

  “Get out, or I’ll fire!”

  “Do something,” Doland murmured to Tekka.

  “I am trying,” Tekka replied. Although they were in a life-threatening situation, Tekka had somehow managed to stay calm. His face was still as pale as ever. He was staring at the Commander, concentrating on his eyes… Suddenly, the Commander’s eyes turned black, and he cried out in pain.

  “I’m blind!” he yelled. “I’m blind!”

  “Now!” Tekka shouted, muting the microphone. “Glitz, get us out of here! Doland, hold on!”

  Glitz, who had been flying a freighter for the East Galaxy Company for a decade, began to power up the engines. Tekka made rapport with the computer using his neurochip, and quickly prepared the ship for entry into phase space, so they could make a jump as soon as they were at a safe distance from the planet. The ship quickly rose into the air, and the guards were busy attending to their commander, who was still unable to see.

  “The cannon!” Commander Styke shouted. “Fire the cannon, you fools!”

  Angrily, and still unable to see, the Commander grabbed hold of the cannon and swivelled the weapon around, trying to fix it on where he thought the ship was. There was a loud bleep as the crosshair locked on to its target.

  “Sir, no!” one of his men shouted.

  But before anyone could stop him, the Commander hit the red button, and the cannon fired. The prison ship had almost broken out of the atmosphere, but a direct hit from the plasma cannon would have certainly destroyed it. However, the Commander, unable to see, had actually locked on to a prisoner tracking satellite in orbit around the planet. The satellite had been blasted to pieces. The Commander groaned deeply as his sight returned. He was going to have a lot to explain to his superior officer.

  One of his men turned to Commander Styke, whose eyes had returned to their normal colour. “Missed them, sir.”

  “Yes,” the Commander said testily. “I can see that.”

  ***

/>   The ship’s new crew relaxed slightly when they were at a safe distance from Malus. Of course, it could only be a matter of time before someone came looking for the ship. Glitz knew that a tracking serial number was coded into all Imperial ships, which meant that the authorities would have no trouble finding them. Glitz pointed out to Tekka that they would have to abandon the ship at the next opportunity.

  “No,” he replied. “We don’t.”

  Doland frowned. “Why not?”

  “Simple.” Tekka turned to the main scanner, and activated a switch. A male face appeared on the screen. It was the ship’s computer. “Computer, who is the legal owner of this ship?”

  “This ship is the property of the Imperium. I detect unauthorised personnel on the flight deck. You are not authorised to pilot this ship. Please make landing on the nearest Imperial outpost and turn yourselves in.”

  Tekka smiled. “I hardly think so. You see, I am rather good with computers.” He began to type quickly at one of the smaller computer terminals. Then he opened a panel that was built into one of the walls, pulled out a wire, and reconnected it to a different port.

  The face disappeared from the screen, and coloured lights began to flash. Red, blue, green, yellow. Red, blue, green, yellow.

  “Quickly,” Tekka said. “Stand in front of the scanner.”

  Tekka, Glitz and Doland stood directly in front of the flashing colours. There was a faint humming sound. They watched the lights as the sequences began to get shorter and quicker, until finally the colours red and blue were flashing at a high speed. Then the screen crackled, turned white, and the face of the ship’s computer appeared again.

  “Let’s try again, shall we?” Tekka said. “Who is the legal owner of this ship?”

  “This ship is the property of Hans Tekka, Raja Doland, and Harlan Glitz.”

  “And who are those people?”

  “You are.”

  “And what is the serial number of this ship?”

  “This ship is unregistered.”