Children of Darkness

by James E. Wisher

  “How many?” Marcus asked.

  “A lot.” Solomon closed his eyes again.

  “Earth Force destroyer,” the transmission came through on the open channel again. “Power down your weapons or face immediate destruction. You will not be warned again.”

  Marcus maintained his evasive maneuvers for a few seconds but found he didn’t have anything to evade. The captain of the Earth Force ship must have decided they meant it this time. A light flashed on the control panel.

  “You can open your eyes, Solomon. It looks like we’re going to live and someone’s calling.”

  Solomon tapped the flashing button. “This is the Rogue Star; go ahead.”

  “This is asteroid control. We offer our most sincere apologies. The human delegation has received a severe reprimand. I’m sending docking coordinates now.”

  The data entered the computer and Marcus activated the autopilot. He switched off the shields as a show of good faith, not that the meager power remaining would stop their heavy laser cannons anyway. They came to a stop in front of a set of heavy double doors. The doors slid open and a tractor beam pulled them in.

  The docking bay was set up for just one ship. A full set of repair equipment lined the walls and three huge clamps hung from the ceiling to hold the ship in place. When the clamps had a firm grip, the doors slid shut and the bay pressurized. A loud beep sounded and a few seconds later someone rapped on the loading bay door.

  “Welcoming committee?” Marcus asked.

  “I suppose so,” Iaka said.

  “Let’s not keep them waiting.” Marcus strapped on his gauntlet. “Grab a blaster, Solomon, and let’s go say hi.”

  The two men started toward the cockpit door but Iaka grabbed Marcus by the arm. “Are you crazy? You can’t greet a representative of the Galactic council with weapons.”

  “All right,” Marcus said. “You greet them and we’ll cover you. If everything goes smoothly, no one will ever know we had any weapons.”

  “That’s a much better idea,” Iaka said.

  She led the way back to the cargo hold. Marcus went to the right side of the door and Solomon went to the left. When they had taken their positions Marcus nodded and Iaka pushed the button to open the ramp. Marcus peeked out the door and saw a furry alien about seven feet tall in a purple robe. He didn’t immediately recognize the species but it looked unarmed.

  “Welcome to the home of the Galactic Council,” the creature said in flawless Basic. “The members wish me to apologize again for the trouble outside. The offending ship has been sent beyond the council’s territory. In an effort to make up for this unfortunate incident, the council has agreed to hear your petition at the earliest possible time.”

  Iaka bowed to the alien. “We are honored by the council’s generosity.”

  “How many in your party?”

  “Three,” Iaka said.

  “Very good. I will show you to your suite. This way.” The alien turned to leave.

  Solomon tucked his blaster out of sight and the three of them left the ship. Once everyone cleared the ramp Marcus closed it and activated all security systems. Friendly or not no one would be snooping around his ship.

  They followed the furry alien out of the hangar into the twisting corridors of the asteroid. The inside was nicer than a hollowed-out rock had any right to be. Fine, dark wood paneling covered the walls and a plush carpet made a soft pad for them to walk on. Small stands and cases filled with antiques from a dozen cultures Marcus could identify and many more he couldn’t decorated the halls.

  It took them five minutes at the alien’s sedate pace to reach a plain metal door. It slid open when they approached. “These are your quarters during your stay. If you need anything there is an intercom. When the council is ready I will come for you.”

  Iaka bowed again. “We thank you for your kindness.”

  “It is our pleasure.” The alien returned her bow. “Was your ship damaged in the battle?”

  “Nothing major,” Marcus said. “The shields took the brunt of the blast.”

  “If you would like, our technicians could take a look.”

  Marcus smiled. Not a chance in hell. “That’s very generous, but Solomon and I can take care of it.”

  “As you wish.” The alien bowed and backed out of the room.

  When it had gone Iaka said, “Are you trying to insult them? Declining their help could be taken for a lack of trust.”

  Marcus raised an eyebrow. “I’m completely lacking in trust. I didn’t have a huge supply to begin with and all the laser fire burned the rest away. Besides, we prefer to do our own repairs.”

  Iaka frowned. “What’s so special about that stupid ship anyway?”

  Stupid ship? “In case you’ve forgotten, that stupid ship has saved your ass twice. Besides, it has some delicate equipment on board.”

  “Sorry.” Her lips curled up into a soft smile. “I do appreciate the rescues, but I’m sure their technicians could handle anything you’ve installed.”

  Marcus winced and looked away. “Yeah, well, some of it is also slightly illegal, remnants of an ill-spent youth.”

  “I should have known.” She yawned. “I’m going to bed.” She went into the left-hand bedroom and closed the door.

  Marcus frowned at the closed door. It didn’t look like she wanted any company. What could he have done to upset her this time?

  “What now?” Solomon asked.

  “Now we sweep for bugs and get some sleep. If they don’t call us after breakfast we’ll start on the Star.”

  * * *

  Deeper in the asteroid, far from where Marcus searched for listening devices, a hyperspace relay activated. The wrinkled face of Oliver MacDonald appeared on the screen. “Well?”

  Celine Solace felt her mouth go dry at the cold tone of her grandfather’s voice. “The woman and her companions arrived a little while ago. The destroyer was ready, but their shields were more powerful than anticipated and they survived the initial attack. The warship had to withdraw or the council would have obliterated it.”

  A deep frown creased the ancient face. “They have proven more formidable than we expected. This matter must not come before the council. I’ve invested too much time in this project. Do whatever you must to stop the girl.”

  The connection went dead and Celine stared at the black screen and considered the problem. As Earth’s chief representative she had considerable power. Her grandfather had been generous with her and she had never given him a reason to regret that generosity. Her lips curled into a cruel smile. That wasn’t about to change now. The troublemakers would be dealt with. Permanently.

  Chapter 13

  Adam reclined in the relative comfort of his cabin. Motors in his chair massaged the tension out of his back. His stomach gurgled and he swallowed hard. He hated hyperspace travel. They still had four more days before reaching Alpha 114. Adam cursed the day he heard of the miserable planet.

  The director had assigned him to head the Mars division after the former station head had learned about Earth Force’s illegal collaboration with Omni on the Vencar cure experiments. David Shea had gotten out just ahead of a liquidation team and disappeared. He hadn’t caused any more trouble and Adam had forgotten about him. He couldn’t say why his predecessor popped into his head just now. Perhaps because the way his current assignment was going he also might soon have to flee a hit squad.

  The intercom on his wall beeped and the voice of the ship’s communications officer came through. “Sir, we’ve received a message and the captain requests you come to the bridge.”

  “I said I didn’t want to be disturbed.” Adam smiled to himself. As the highest-ranking officer on the ship he could do pretty much as he wished.

  “I’m sorry, sir. We received a burst of coded data and none of our keys fit it.”

  The tension returned to his back. “I’ll be right there.”

  He left his cabin and double-timed it to the bridge. The only code he knew th
ey wouldn’t have a key for was the director’s personal encryption. The transport wasn’t large so in a few seconds he covered the distance. He felt the acid crawl up his throat and swallowed it. He prayed the old man had good news.

  He entered the bridge and the four-man crew stood at attention. David waved them back to their seats and went over to Captain Wen. The man appeared about fifty, his thick black hair going gray at the temples. “Is there someplace I can view this in private?”

  “Of course, sir. You can use my ready room. I’ll have the message downloaded to the console on my desk.”

  “Thank you, Captain.” Adam strode over to the small office just off the bridge and locked the door behind him. He registered, just at the edge of his consciousness, a number of nautical collectibles hanging on the walls. His focus centered on the console on the desk. It flashed every three seconds, requesting the proper access code. Adam pulled a small disk from a hidden pocket in his shirt and slid it into the port on the console. The screen blurred as the message decoded. After a moment, the director’s face appeared.

  “I have news,” the old man said. “We have located the fugitives.”

  Adam slumped in the captain’s chair, his body weak with relief.

  “They arrived at the Galactic Council at five P.M. Earth standard time.”

  Adam glanced at the clock on the wall: fourteen hours ago. He felt the acid churn. If they managed to give a full report to the council Earth Force could face serious problems.

  “My agent says she can use technical procedures to delay any report. She will also attempt to deal with the fugitives directly. I have no intention of depending on her success. You will proceed to Alpha 114, remove the Omni people, and erase any sign of those creatures they used in their experiments. Nothing must remain that connects us to that place.”

  Adam took several deep breaths. If the worst happened the council could censure Earth space. They’d cut off intergalactic trade with all member systems. It would result in the worst depression the system had seen in a hundred years.

  “I’ve dispatched a cleanup team to assist you. They should reach the planet two to three days after you.” The screen went black.

  Adam leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. He felt the beginnings of a headache coming on. His pulse throbbed in his temples. It was going to be a bad one. He opened his eyes, sighed, and left the ready room. The crew started to rise again, but he waved them back down.

  Captain Wen came over to him. “Good news, sir?”

  Adam turned his weary gaze on the captain. “No, it was not good news.”

  He trudged off the bridge leaving the captain staring at his back. He felt a surge of gratitude that the man had sense enough not to ask him any questions. Adam had no interest in answering them. All he could think about was the cold asteroid mine or colder grave that awaited him if he failed again.

  Iaka walked behind her guide. It looked like the same Terrin Minor that escorted them from the ship. She’d gotten a decent night’s sleep considering how nervous she felt. The butterflies in her stomach felt more like eagles. When she got up Marcus and Solomon had eaten most of the fruit basket provided as a welcome gift. Marcus had offered her the last three pieces and assured her that they’d scanned it for poison.

  She smiled as she remembered. The man had serious trust issues. After breakfast, at Solomon’s suggestion, they’d made a copy of the data stored in her implant so she could offer it to the council without worrying about anyone messing with her head. She looked down at the small data chip in her hand, a groove in her palm giving evidence of how tight she’d clenched it.

  “You seem anxious,” the Terrin said. “I can smell it on you.”

  Iaka sniffed, fearing her deodorant had given out. She didn’t smell anything. “I’ve never spoken in front of such a large group before.”

  “It will be well. The masters prize decorum.”

  “Great,” she said, not relieved in the least.

  They came to a door at the end of the hall. The Terrin pushed a button and the door slid open. “I can go no further,” he said.

  She took a deep breath. I must be crazy. Iaka stepped through the door and into a huge amphitheater. She just cleared the door when it sealed shut behind her. She swallowed, remembering her lessons about ancient Rome and the coliseum. Thousands of delegates filled the seats like a crowd ready for blood. Any moment she expected a gate to open and lions to come roaring out to devour her.

  In front of her on the main floor sat two beings, one human and one alien. The alien rose as she approached. It wore a voluminous robe and a featureless silver mask. A Vencar, she was sure. They hid their faces because of the disfigurement caused by the disease.

  The Vencar raised its gloved hands and the quiet murmuring stopped. “I am First Councilor Dra’kor. The council will hear the petition of Iaka Kazumi. Please proceed.”

  Just like that she was on. The Vencar’s deep, sonorous voice had settled her nerves. “Thank you, First Councilor. Some time ago I was working undercover for Earth Force.”

  She told them everything that had happened. The council listened without interrupting and only an occasional murmur to break the silence. The only reaction she saw came from the human woman. She frowned as Iaka spoke and at one point Iaka felt sure she wanted to interrupt. When she finished Iaka saw one of the councilors stand.

  “Thank you for your testimony,” the first councilor said. He turned toward the alien standing in the audience. “Councilor Theed, you have the floor.”

  Theed was far enough away that Iaka couldn’t make out his species. “Thank you, First Councilor. I wish to know what evidence this human brings to corroborate this remarkable story.”

  Dra’kor looked at her. “You may answer.”

  “I’m a cyborg,” Iaka said. She reached into her pocket and removed the data chip. “This contains a copy of everything my implant recorded. You can see for yourself that everything I said happened.”

  Her answer seemed to satisfy Theed and the councilor sat back down. The human woman seated beside the first councilor whispered something to him. He nodded. “Councilor Solace, you have the floor.”

  Councilor Solace stood. “As much as I hate the idea of innocent creatures suffering, the council bylaws specifically state on page one thousand twenty-two, subsection Q, that no complaint can be brought unless a representative of the offended species is present.”

  “These creatures haven’t evolved past the stone age. How do you propose they get here to file a complaint?” Iaka just managed to keep her comment in a civil tone. The woman was stalling for time. She knew it.

  The Vencar stood as well. “The rules are explicit. We can’t open an official inquiry unless one of the offended beings is present. However, Miss Kazumi’s point is well taken. Perhaps an independent investigation could be organized to look into these accusations. We will have to discuss the matter.”

  Dra’kor turned to Iaka. “You may go.”

  Iaka bowed to the first councilor. She wanted to scream at him but that wouldn’t accomplish anything. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Councilor Solace smiling. Iaka wanted to slap the smug look off her face. Bitch.

  Iaka turned and walked back out the way she’d come. Outside the council chamber her guide waited.

  “It is a great honor to speak to the masters,” he said. “Did you find the meeting satisfactory?”

  “Not in the least. I think I can find my own way back, thank you. I’d like to be alone.”

  He bowed and left her with her thoughts. Iaka stalked through the halls on her way back to the hangar. The council could spend weeks trying to decide whom to send to investigate. She doubted there’d be anything left to investigate when they made up their minds to do something. As for Councilor Solace, Iaka was certain she knew what was happening on Alpha 114 and she just wanted to buy time for them to clean up their mess. She saw one option and she knew Marcus would hate it.

  Marcus sealed a pinhole leak in
the cooling system he’d spent the last half hour looking for. Grinning, he crawled out of the ship’s access tunnel. He wiped a combination of grease and sweat off his face. “Solomon. How goes the computer work?”

  After a moment his partner appeared out of the cockpit. “Software’s debugged and I calibrated the laser cannons and the shields.”

  “Excellent. I finished the cooling system, so that leaves the fuel injectors to clean and a hydraulic cylinder on the landing gear to replace.”

  Solomon smiled. “When we get finished she’ll be in better shape than when you bought her.”

  Marcus matched his partner’s smile. “She’s already in better shape than when I bought her.” He thought back to the rusty piece of junk he’d fallen in love with eight years ago. “When we’re finished she’ll be in better shape than when she came out of the shipyard. So which job do you want?”

  Someone pounded on the ramp. They shared a look. “Do you suppose they want us already?” Solomon asked.

  Marcus shrugged and they walked back to the rear of the ship. Solomon moved to stand by the control panel. Marcus armed the stunner on his gauntlet and stood off to one side of the ramp. Iaka could yell at him for being rude later. He nodded at Solomon who hit the open button then scrambled for cover.

  The ramp eased open. It was only halfway down when Marcus saw one of the hairy aliens standing there with its hands hidden in the sleeves of his robes, head bowed. “Are they ready for us?” Marcus asked.

  The alien pulled its hands out of its sleeves revealing a gleaming laser pistol in its right hand. It fired, the beam missing Marcus by centimeters. Marcus rolled right and fired a stun pulse that went wide. The alien fired at random. Laser bolts screamed through the cargo hold. Several scorched Herc, but none got close to Marcus. He steadied himself and fired again. The alien dropped.

  After several seconds without return fire Solomon popped up from behind a storage crate.

  “It’s safe,” Marcus said. “It’s out cold.”

  They walked down the ramp and Marcus flipped the alien over on its back. “It looks like our guide.”