The lead replied, "We will take that request into consideration. Now, Mr. Beutcher. Leave!"
I helped Getta out of the Council chamber to a waiting medical aid team.
After being placed on a gurney, Getta looked up at me. "I didn't vote for the deal with the Tamarin. However, I believe it to have potential. Focus your energies on reconstruction of the AMP. Through the strength of that union you will be in a better position to negotiate with the Council."
A member of the med team tending to her held up a device and scanned her shoulder area. "We have two fractures in the latoid fescimil. The bones have not separated. They should mend without issue. The bruising is extensive, but that too will heal."
Getta asked, "How long before I can go back to the business of the Council. There is much to be done."
The med tech replied, "You should be on rest for a minimum of a week, probably two. That bone will need time to properly mend and that tissue to heal."
Getta asked again, "If I avoid physical labor, how long will I be out?"
The tech looked at the display of her injuries. "With no physical activity and with a strap to immobilize that shoulder, technically, you could go back to work today."
Getta slung her feet over the side of the gurney and slowly stood. "Have someone bring the shoulder strap to the Council."
The tech said, "I can give you something for the pain."
Getta looked back. "Will it make me loopy?"
The tech nodded. "It's a powerful anesthetic."
Getta gently shook her head. "Forget it. I'll tough it out."
The tech shrugged. "You're likely to have a lot of discomfort."
Getta half smiled as she took steps toward the chamber door. "Being in there is already a discomfort. I'll deal with the pain."
As the Council chamber door closed, the colonel clasped his big hand on my shoulder. "Tough as nails, Mr. Beutcher. My kind of warrior right there."
After a moment of thought, I turned. "We have the business of the AMP to tend to, Colonel. And we have Garrett Rourke to recover. If the AIs truly report to the Tamarin, and now the Grunta, there should be no issue with them turning him over to us."
The colonel nodded. "I think you should pay a visit to the Tamarin Triad. I can't see a reason why they wouldn't cooperate. I have six galaxies of colonies to bring under control."
Jack came over the comm. "Gentlemen, we've had some trouble. The AIs came and took back the latest portal ship. I couldn't stop them."
I asked, "Did they take anything else? Are they there now?"
Jack shook his head. "No, we're safe. After you left I decided to move the newest portal ship to a different location. You were right about something being suspicious. An hour after I moved it ,I got an alert from the broadcast monitor I installed. Within minutes of a message being sent, several dozen AI ships appeared and bots stormed aboard her. Had I not moved her, they would have had the other portal ship, all of the cesium freighters, and Quan's archives down on the surface of Effica. If the AIs are following the lead of the Tamarin still, they have not given up on controlling the six galaxies and they have no intention of giving up those portal ships."
I sighed. "Sweep us back to the Ares. After that, send me out to the Tamarin building we overran. I'll have a talk with Vagra and the others."
Several minutes later I was standing at the southern doorway of the Tamarin Corporation headquarters. Four Grunta guards blocked my entrance until Vagra Withers gave orders to let me pass. After a long elevator ride up, I walked into the Tamarin sanctuary.
"Mr. Beutcher, welcome!"
I replied, "Our deal didn't last very long I see."
Vagra smiled. "Not to worry, Mr. Beutcher. We are asserting our control as we speak. All AI ships have been recalled to this system. We expect they will be completely out of your galaxies within the next few days."
"Were you aware of their attack on one of our ships just minutes ago?"
Vagra squinted. "That's not possible. Orders have been given and received by all registered ships. All eighty-six thousand of them acknowledged our requests and are in the process of complying. You do understand that we will be in need of the remaining portal ships until we have our AI forces distributed to rebuild the colonies of this galaxy as we desire? I can assure you that when that has been accomplished, the portal ships will be turned over or destroyed, whichever you prefer. We have no intention of having further conflict."
I asked, "What about Garrett Rourke?"
Vagra smiled. "Your friend has been located and should be here within the hour."
I said, "That's not acceptable. Just tell us where he is and we'll get him ourselves."
Vagra nodded as he waved over an aide. "Very well. Miss Bellont, please assist Mr. Beutcher with the return of his friend. See to it that he is satisfied."
I opened a comm to Joni. "They have Garrett. As soon as I find out where he is, we'll go get him."
A giddy Joni popped into existence beside me. "I'll be going with you."
I smiled. "I wouldn't expect anything else."
Chapter 11
* * *
Only minutes after the discussion about Garrett Rourke with Vagra Withers, the senior Tamarin CEO approached with a bowed head. "Mr. Beutcher, I'm afraid there has been a complication. We have lost contact with the group of ships that had possession of your colleague. I have given orders for one of our portal ships to jump to that location to investigate."
I returned a stern expression. "Tell me the coordinates."
Vagra again bowed. "Certainly. Miss Bellont. Please assist Mr. Beutcher with whatever he requires."
The aide pulled up a display on a tablet she carried. "I'm passing the last known coordinates to you now. The last transmission we received was from our own people. It stated 'all quiet'. That was just under four weeks ago. They wouldn't be overdue to check in until tomorrow."
I said, "Jack, pick us up. I'm passing coordinates for a jump to immediately follow."
Seconds later we were standing on the bridge of the Ares. "Coordinates are in; we can go when you're ready."
I replied, "Take us there. And Joni. Get in the Thorn. We don't know what we're jumping into."
Jack said, "I can scan it before we jump."
I frowned. "Please do. With no plan, I sometimes make decisions without thinking things through."
Jack laughed. "You and everyone else in this universe."
A quick scan told us of our target.
Jack pushed the data to my display. "It's a star system. Five planets, seven moons. I'm not reading anything in the heavens, but I have signal coming from one of the planet surfaces. Fourth planet. Looks to be habitable. Signal is not a format I recognize."
I gestured toward the console. "Make the jump."
The fourth planet in the system was a beautiful blue-green marble. Slightly smaller than Earth standard, but of an equal density. Four small continents split the hemispheres while 80 percent of the surface was covered with ocean. A scan of the surface showed only a single outpost.
Jack said, "The signal is coming from that location. We have four moderate-sized buildings surrounded by a high wall. Looks like we have about a dozen bipeds in that compound and the surrounding area is flooded with animal life. From the looks of those polar icecaps, I'd say this planet has a seasonal tilt. Temperatures at the equator are right in the moderate zone. It's a jewel of a planet."
Joni added, "Jewel or not, I'm heading down. If the Tamarin ships were here, those people might know where they went."
Jack raised his hand. "Hang on. I've got ship debris just on the other side of planet three. Looks like... debris is from a Grotus-style battlecruiser and there's more. I have debris from at least a dozen smaller unidentified ships. I'd say they put up a fight."
I opened a portal comm to Vagra Withers. "How many ships did you have holding Garrett Rourke?"
Vagra replied, "One moment... two. A battlecruiser run by AIs and a transport with our people an
d your friend. The transport had a crew of six, a diplomat, and a guard unit with twenty-four. The report I'm looking at says they had made contact with a new species. I'm sorry, Mr. Beutcher. All of this has happened since you took us captive. I can't be certain if this was a chance encounter, or if the AIs had undertaken some exploration efforts of their own, but I will find out."
I said, "There was a fight. The battlecruiser stationed there was destroyed and the transport, with our friend, is missing."
Vagra nodded. "I apologize, Mr. Beutcher. I will make this my priority until your friend is found. I owe that to you for your just actions as my captor."
I watched on the display as Joni landed the Thorn in a grassy area beside the compound. After powering through the outer wall, she came to a stop in a building with a dining area. Six guards sat at tables, eating at a time we would call lunch. A plate of green and red plants sat on one plate with a pile of white cubed meat on another. The guards chatted as they ate.
Joni said, "I'm at 50 percent lock on the interpreter. If they keep this up we should know what they are saying in another five or ten minutes. The rest of this building appears to be quarters. This is where they live."
Go remarked, "Look at those chameleon eyes. Independent and on the sides of their heads. That's the first sentient species I've seen with that trait. They can see in all directions at once."
Jack replied, "You won't be sneaking up on them, that's for sure."
Joni smiled. "I already have."
Jack nodded. "True."
Several minutes passed before the interpreter application, given to us by the AI named Anterra, locked in at 90 percent.
The guard closest to Joni was the first to be understood. "It was thirty meters tall, I tell you. With that long neck, it could have stuck its head over that wall. I know we've been told they are not dangerous, but I get a crick in my right eye every time I walk the perimeter. I can't help but keep it constantly looking up."
Another guard let out a laugh that made it sound like he was having trouble breathing. "Juuta, you are so paranoid. Not once have the duntas even approached the wall. How is it you were selected for this duty?"
The guard named Juuta replied, "I missed the science exams by one point due to a sneeze. The exam only allows the change of an answer once. That sneeze changed four right answers that I could not change back."
A third guard joined the conversation. "A sneeze? If you are too dumb to come up with a better excuse than that, you were placed in the right occupation."
Juuta replied, "No, really. It happened just like that. Now I'm stuck here for another three cycles of boring duty."
Joni said, "Algorithm says a cycle is about two standard years."
I looked over the display of the compound. "Explore the other buildings. I get the impression these guards won't be telling us much."
Joni pulled up close-in scan data. "Hold on. These guys each have two brains."
Go concurred, "I bet each eye feeds an independent brain and the two then contend for control. That must lead to some fascinating conflicts. Imagine two hot chameleon females, one sitting on either side of him. Which one would he go for?"
Jack chuckled, "The closest one of course."
I held up my hand. "You Humans are too easily distracted. Joni, please conduct checks of the other buildings."
Jack said, "I cracked the comm signal. The last broadcast was a daily status log. Nothing to report except the sighting of a Maxada, whatever that is."
Jack pressed several buttons on the console before swiping at screens. "I'd have to guess they are referring to this. Looks similar to what an armor-plated borak might look like, only about ten times its size."
Joni powered through the next building. "Just have supplies in this one. Moving on."
Go zoomed in on an image of one of the chameleons. "Check out their weapons. Does that look like a laserblade to anyone else? I mean, it doesn't look like it fires or projects anything out. And the data isn't showing ionics for power anywhere. This is old-style electric current. I'd say they were way behind us in technology."
I replied, "And yet their ships managed to destroy a battlecruiser. Until we've had a chance to study everything they have, I wouldn't underestimate their abilities."
Go nodded. "Note taken."
Joni said, "Third building has ground vehicles. I'd say they've done some animal trapping and hauling. Moving on to number four."
As Joni pulled to a stop in building four she winced. "Whoa. I've got two, no three, dead Tamarin in here. Someone has been cutting them up. And hold on. I have a fourth lying on the floor in a cage."
I looked at Jack. "Lock in those coordinates and sweep him up. If he's in good enough shape, maybe he can tell us what happened."
Seconds later the captive Tamarin guard was lying on the deck.
Go knelt down beside him. "He's out. Could be drugs. Hold on... data says he's just knocked out. He is missing a foot, though."
Joni replied, "I bet this is his foot on the table over here. It's been cut open for study. I don't see any damage to it, probably took it off of him live."
The colonel spoke for the first time since our arrival. "The Milgari used to do that to our Marines. That was two thousand years ago. I can't say it's a practice that I've missed."
The colonel knelt beside the Tamarin. "I can administer a small amount of stimulant from this glove."
Go half laughed. "Make it a third of normal if you do, you're about three times his size."
Jack said, "I have a ship of sorts approaching. It appears to be using turbine propulsion."
Joni added, "Hardly even shows on the sensors. They must have a good stealth technology. Hold on. I'm going outside... I have a visual. It's a small craft. Sensors aren't providing any data from inside its hull."
Jack nodded. "I'm seeing the same from up here. Barely shows. We'll want to study that. Might be why that battlecruiser got taken out. If you can't target, the chances of a hit with those ion or plasma cannons are pretty low."
Joni said, "The ship has landed. There's a bay door on back that's opening. They've captured some creature. It's a small version of that armor-plated borak you mentioned, and it doesn't look happy. The cage it's in has some of the bars bent on it. Can you hear that whine on the audio? That has to be ear piercing to anyone without a helmet. I'm seeing one hundred thirty decibels for tens of seconds."
The Tamarin opened his eyes and began to scream.
The colonel held him down to the floor. "Calm down. We're here to rescue you."
The Tamarin slowed his struggle. "You... you speak Tamarin?"
The colonel nodded, "Courtesy of our translator app and interaction with your species."
The Tamarin looked over the colonel. "You are Human. Like the Human we had, only bigger."
Joni said, "Did he just say like the Human we had? Ask him about Garrett."
The colonel released the Tamarin's shoulders after pulling him up to a seated position.
The Tamarin squealed. "Where's my foot? What have you done to my foot?"
The colonel gently took hold of his forearm. "Relax. It wasn't us. It was those chameleon looking things down on the planet."
Go said, "You mentioned a Human. Did he look like this?"
An image of Garrett Rourke hovered over the single arm of our lone engineer.
The Tamarin studied the image. "Yes. That's him. He was being held in the compound before the Baldi attacked."
Go asked, "The Baldi. Is that the name of the chameleons?"
The colonel interceded. "I'm Colonel Tom Harper. We've just recently come from Tamarin Corporation headquarters. What's your name?"
The guard hesitated, but replied. "Kritean. Private Daleg Kritean."
The colonel continued, "Did the Baldi take the Human?"
Daleg shook his head. "I do not know. They came in quickly. Half of the ship was afire before the alarms sounded. Only four of us made it to our fighters and into the fight before the io
n generators blew. We were outnumbered by a thousand to one. Our lieutenant ordered our surrender. Have you seen him? Or the other two pilots?"
The colonel frowned. "I'm afraid your comrades didn't make it. What happened when you surrendered?"
Daleg looked down at his missing foot. "We were taken aboard a ship and placed in a holding cell. One by one we were taken out, I was the last. The last I remember, I was being injected with something."
Joni asked, "What can you tell us about the Human. Was he OK? Alert?"
Daleg again shook his head. "I cannot be certain. I only heard rumors and saw images of him that were passed around by some of the guards on the security deck. It was my understanding that he was just being held. For what purpose, I could not say. But the lieutenant, he said he took the Human out with him. I don't know why he would make up such a story given our situation. I never saw or heard of the Human other than that. If he escaped with the lieutenant the Baldi have him... or he is dead like the others."
The colonel looked at Go. "Take him down to the med bay and get him cleaned up. We'll return him to the Tamarin when we get back."
Joni said, "They're wheeling that beast into the room with the dead Tamarin. I say we grab one of them for interrogation. They came from somewhere and somebody has to know where."
Jack pulled up a nav image. "We're a good thirty-four months of normal flight from the Tamarin worlds. It's likely these two species have never encountered each other. I wonder if the Tamarin invaded their space."
The colonel replied, "The Tamarin have probably been busy sending ships out to all parts of this galaxy, scouting out what they would one day be conquering. Mr. Beutcher, you might want to talk to Mr. Withers. I can guarantee they have a database with all of their findings. If we get a hit in there about these Baldi, we'll know where to begin our search."
Joni said, "I think the guy in charge down here just noticed his Tamarin was missing. He's yelling at the top of his lungs at his guards. Whoa... that beast is getting riled up!"
I opened a portal com to Vagra Withers. "You have been busy scouting the worlds in this galaxy. I need you to do a scan of any data you've collected. We're looking for a chameleon looking species called the Baldi. If you've come across them elsewhere, we need to know where. Oh, and we rescued one of your fighter pilots. We can send him back to you if you want to debrief him."
OMEGA Rescue Page 11