by Scott Moon
“Exactly. Now that they have tasted humans, nothing else will do. They’re insane for human flesh. These creatures are like ten-kilo spiders, but also mammals. Their young need to eat their own weight each day to survive to maturity. I’ve never seen one that can eat an entire human in one meal. Normally, it takes three days, unless the ants come. Or the bats. I think that is what you call them. The flying things with leathery wings and red eyes?”
The ShadEcon officer gulped. “You’re not going to scare me to silence.”
Mast looked over his shoulder to Leslie. “All right, you can have him. Take him to the Cave of Despair.”
“No, no, no! Don’t let her do that. I’ll take my chances with the spiders!”
“There is one other thing. I can’t believe this is true, but there are many stories among my people of half-human, half-spider monsters.”
The man’s eyes rolled back in his head, then snapped forward. He yanked on the restraints. “That has to be a lie! You’re sick. What kind of person makes up stuff like that?”
Mast patted the side of the man’s face. “You are muchly correct. It is unlikely that the spider swarm would use you as a sex slave while they eat you. But why take the chance? It is muchly unnecessary is what I am thinking.”
“I’m going to get you, Mast Jotham. You’ll pay for this!” the man said.
“Perhaps,” Mast said. He stood and stepped back. “You may release him…in Transport Canyon. Near Abandonment Rock.”
“Seriously?” Leslie asked.
“Yes, very muchly seriously. There is food, water, and shelter there. The local Ungloks are kind to strangers. No spider-things, unfortunately, but he will not be able to find his way back to Darklanding for months.”
“I don’t know where it is or how to get him there. Not really in my job description.”
“I will send an Unglok to help you. My people need work even more than the humans do. Do not mistreat him.” Mast left. It took him nearly an hour to find the right group of Ungloks for the job. Only one would show himself to Leslie and the man from ShadEcon. The others would watch from the shadows, following in case something went wrong. He did not enjoy involving his people in such dangerous subterfuge, but credits were credits, and Ungloks had to eat.
When everything was in order, he went straight to Thaddeus Fry at the exercise yard. “You're making yourself much stronger."
Thaddeus flipped the massive truck tire a final time and stepped back, wiping sweat from his face with the edge of his shirt. "There hasn't been much time for staying in shape. Shaunte pointed out I am little softer in the middle these days.”
"Mass Jotham thinks you look exactly the same. Muchly the same."
"It's good to have you back. In the future, don't worry about how you talk. I understand you fine. Leslie Stargazer can go jump in the lake," Thad said.
"I do not see why she would want to do that, but I wouldn't stop her. Speaking of the very muchly strong-willed woman, I have to tell you something."
Thaddeus went to the corner where he kept his gun belt and a dry towel. He wiped himself off and zipped up his jumpsuit. "I need a shower.”
"Because Miss Shaunte does not like stinking barbarian brutes," Mast said. "This is known. She is right to say this, I am thinking."
"What's on your mind, partner?"
"Leslie captured a ShadEcon officer and learned all of his secrets, or most of his secrets, I am thinking. It seems that Mister Dickles has done something drastic."
“Great. I thought we were done with ShadEcon. What would the top mining foreman for SagCon need from them?”
"A submarine."
“Why am I not surprised that ShadEcon just happens to have a submarine lying around in case the mines were flooded. Maybe they have a new source of tigi and a couple of crates of Melborn whiskey as well," Thaddeus said.
"They have already charged Mister Dickles a large amount of interest on his loan to pay for the underwater ship. I am not sure I heard the human numbers correctly, but I believe it is near a half-million credits now."
Thaddeus cursed. "He'll never pay that back. Even if he strikes a massive vein of exotics and is able to excavate it, they’ll pump that interest forever. He’ll never pay it back.”
"If he doesn't pay it back, which he won't, they will kill him most publicly. Leslie figured out that they don't want him to make good on the loan. The leadership of ShadEcon feels they need to make an example of someone in Darklanding. Mister Dickles has been set up to fill that role. His end will be bigly bad."
"It sucks to be him," Thad said. "We can't let this happen. I read some case studies of what happens when ShadEcon gets complete control of an economy. I won't let that happen to Shaunte."
"I, Mast Jotham, agree. We will save Darklanding without tigi.”
“Tigi? That was random. Wait, there’s something you’re not telling me. I had an interesting conversation with Quark after you three came back from Egoak Village,” Thad said.
Mast knew that he should not speak of tigi. The sheriff would understand why he wanted to protect the simple villagers, but once the cat was out of the bag, it was hard to put back in. How long before Mast was telling everyone he met about the wondrous discovery?
He held his mouth shut and clenched his fists, then finally broke. "I muchly shouldn't tell you. There is tigi vine in Egoak Lake. The villagers swim down and pull it up. They catch fish and harvest plants and get many things from the water. I did not want to say anything because my people will swarm into the mountains to find this most pure source of our drink."
Thaddeus crossed his arms and gave Mast a hard look. "What else?"
"There is…a very thick, very accessible vein of exotic ore on one side of the lake as well. I was so excited about the tigi that I went swimming and saw it. I think there is enough to pay off the loan Mister Dickles so foolishly acquired for his submarine."
"Why didn't you tell him about the exotics?"
Mast put his hands on his head, then stared at his feet for several moments. "I do not want to see the ruin of Egoak.”
Thaddeus paced.
“Did I do the wrong thing?”
“No, Mast. We both saw what happened during the boom. If Dickles can’t make his new toy work, we may not have a choice. Darklanding is in trouble. If SagCon pulls out, they’ll leave a lot of people behind and there will be problems between the humans and Ungloks.”
“Mast Jotham did not think of that.”
“Let’s see how Dickles is doing. Cross your fingers.”
“Will that help?”
“It can’t hurt.”
***
Thaddeus and his deputy set off for the mines the next morning. Maximus followed for reasons neither of them understood, except that the Glakridozian kept one of them in sight at all times. With his human and his Unglok in the same place, Maximus acted like a dog—perpetually happy and prone to mischief.
The rail shuttle to the mines moved slowly and stopped often. Thaddeus, for once, didn't mind. He understood time was of the essence, and that Darklanding was in greater peril than ever before, but he was with his two best friends and it only seemed right to enjoy their company. It wasn't like he could make the train go faster.
"Can you not muchly make the train go faster?" Mast asked.
“Snort! Arooh!"
Thaddeus enjoyed the moment for as long as he could. It was a good feeling, but he recognized it from past campaigns. He didn't know if it was divine intervention or the cosmic energy of the universe, but somehow, they were graced with this moment of friendship before things got really bad. He expected the next few days, if not the next few years, would be like going to war. Whether it was ShadEcon or some new version of Dregg, or Ike, or LeClerc, what was coming would test all his friends and loved ones, maybe even take some of them from Thad.
They arrived at the SagCon mines and waited as workers and materials were moved into place. There was no cutting to the front of the line for the sheriff and
his team. He tried that on more than one occasion with mixed results. This was P. C. Dickles’s territory. His badge meant little, and less here.
“Quark was supposed to meet us here. I don’t see him," Thaddeus said.
Mast stood on his tiptoes to gaze over the crowd of workers. Maximus sniffed several parts of the depot and urinated to mark his visit.
Thad wasn't sure why there were so many people coming and going. It seemed like a lot of busy work, like people trying to justify their work hours or even squeeze out overtime when it wasn't really needed. If he had come here and used the hustle and bustle as an indicator of how the excavation of exotic ore was going, he would've thought this was another boom town waiting to happen.
His data slate vibrated in his coat pocket. He pulled it out and activated it to be used as a phone, then had a short conversation with Quark. He hung up and put the device away.
"Mister Quark Guthrie is not coming to meet us, is what I'm thinking," Mast said.
"You’re thinking correctly. He wants us to take the red lift to sector N49. I know the way." Thaddeus whistled for Maximus, and they set off. Their progress was slow, but they got there.
The red lift rumbled lower and lower until it stopped. The door slid open and Quark stood waiting.
"You made it."
"I did, Quark. You and I need to have a talk later. Do you remember when I asked you certain questions and you gave me certain bullshit answers?”
The young man swallowed hard, then became eager to guide them to his boss’s location. "Right this way. No need to sign in. I’ll take care that later. It's not like we’re at the front of a dig or something where there could be a collapse."
Thad, Mast, and Maximus followed down a hallway with a low ceiling. The humidity was almost suffocating.
"The mines do not like this water. There needs to be ventilation. There must be a way to drain the flooding back into the heart of Ungwilook," Mast said.
The passage opened into a huge cavern with the now familiar black and gold beach. There were hundreds of workers here now, many of them with their attention on an ancient aquatic exploration conveyance. The submarine was not colorful. Most of the parts were covered in primer as though their final color hadn't been selected yet. Thaddeus thought that Dickles and his mechanics had added several things to the ship, most notably, external storage boxes.
P. C. Dickles harangued a group of men performing safety checks, then marched toward Thad. "Now what are you doing here?"
“We are coming with you," Thaddeus said.
Silence.
"Why would I need you?" Dickles asked.
"I'm a good pilot. I know more about driving a ship, regardless of the environment, than you do. Mast understands the caves of Ungwilook better than any of your human crew, including Quark, and Maximus can chase off any ShadEcon enforcers who show up if you fail to strike it rich,” Thaddeus said. "Did you stop to think what they're going to do to you if you can't pay back the loan they extended?"
"I guess they’ll probably break my legs or kill me."
"Yep. My sources say that time is coming a lot quicker than you think. You were never meant to pay back the loan. ShadEcon wants to set an example. They're going to use your murdered corpse to strike fear into anyone who thinks of not paying them back.”
"Why would they do that? I don't understand," Dickles said with real fear and bewilderment in his voice.
“They believe Darklanding is going to collapse and they want to get all of their money out of it while people can still pay," Thaddeus said. "So unless you find something big, you're going to die."
Dickles twisted the toe of his work boot into the dirt, then hooked his thumbs into the belt of his jumpsuit. He avoided meeting Thad's eye for as long as possible. "Okay, here's my plan. Long-term, the submarine can help set up tow lines and conveyor belts. Short-term, we have to find a cache of A99. It's the only exotic mineral valuable enough to pay back what I borrowed from ShadEcon in one load. We can't carry much, but if we can fill even one of these crates, it should take care of everything. The problem is we have to go really deep to even hope of finding it."
“There’s never been a report of A99 on Darklanding,” Thad said. “I’d be guarding it if there had been any found.”
“In theory, it could exist so long as other minerals are partitioned by enough rock. A99 generally exists in isolation and can’t be in the same place as A19. Quantum physics. Not my jam. Fortunately, we only need a basic understanding of it.”
“I didn’t know you were a gambler.”
“It’s the only card I have left to play—it’s the only hope for Darklanding.”
CHAPTER TWELVE: ShadEcon’s Deadline
A commotion in the tunnel drew Thad’s attention as he climbed onto the submarine from the hastily constructed dock. Dozens of Dickles’s miners were shouting at a group of men attempting to force their way onto the beach. The smallest in this group seemed to be the leader. He was ten or twenty years older than the others, moved slowly, and didn’t speak.
His goons, however, were the human equivalent of gorillas—thick-necked, broad-shouldered, and covered in both muscle and fat. Six of them formed a line and shoved through the under-fed miners with ease.
Dickles poked his head out of the hatch. “What is going on out here! You men get back to work or…” Words caught in his throat. Color drained from his face.
“You know these characters?” Thad asked, already certain of the answer. He hung from the ladder for a moment, dropping to the dock with a grunt and a curse.
“There are too many of the large men to stop,” Mast said. “Maybe we should ask them nicely to go away.”
“You know me. I’m always nice.” Thad adjusted his blaster belt and tugged his hat down tight.
“Sheriff Fry,” Dickles finally yelled. “Those men are from ShadEcon.”
“Figured as much.” He stopped where the sand met the dock. “Good evening, gentlemen. Can’t allow you to come farther. This is a restricted zone.”
“You’re not in charge of security here,” the small man said.
“Try me.”
“I need to speak to Mister Dickles regarding a sensitive matter,” the small man said.
“He’s busy. Who are you? I’ll give him a message, or you can try back in ten days,” Thad said.
“Why ten days? That seems arbitrary.”
“I’m in an arbitrary mood. SagCon expressly forbids any and all interference with the successful operation of these mines. Test me on this point, and you will feel the full force of my authority,” Thad said.
Mast swaggered up to stand near Thad. “You will muchly feel it.”
Maximus joined them, growling and raising his hackles.
“Fine, give him this message. Our board of directors has found him delinquent in his loan and he must repay it now, in full, with interest,” the small man said.
“What’s your name?” Thad asked, fists on his hips.
“Curtis Sharn.”
“Occupation?”
“Loan management.”
Thad caught movement in his peripheral vision. “Mast, shoot that jackwagon if he comes a step closer.”
“I will,” Mast said.
The offending ShadEcon goon retreated.
“If one of your men break the law, you’re all going to jail,” Thad said.
“We’ll be released within hours,” Sharn said.
“Not until I finish my paperwork. I’m a stickler for details and not a great writer. Takes time. My assistant is even worse.”
Mast cleared his throat. “This is not true. I am muchly better at paperwork than the sheriff.”
Thad glared at him.
“Let’s not beat around the bush, Fry. I’ve come for Dickles. He owes over a million credits and must pay the price, one way or another,” Sharn said.
“Not everyone makes it out of the mines,” Thad said. “People get lost. It wouldn’t do to anger the men who have worked loyally fo
r P. C. Dickles year after year.”
“They haven’t been paid for two weeks,” Sharn said. “I bet a few will be glad to see their boss get what’s coming to him.”
“You won’t interfere with this operation. P. C. Dickles and his crew are preparing to use that submarine that you probably stole before you sold it to him.”
“Be careful with your accusations.”
“I advise you to take your men, turn around, and walk away while you still can. I am the Sheriff of Darklanding. My job is to protect SagCon interests. P. C. Dickles is valuable to the company.”
“My organization isn’t afraid of you or any other sheriff, or that growling Glakridozian either. Proletan is en route from Melborn. Do you know who that is?”
“Proletan is the number one ShadEcon enforcer, kind of an assassin except muchly meaner,” Mast whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Thanks, Mast. I know who Proletan is. He has about seventy-three galactic warrants out for his arrest,” Thad said.
“But he kills every blaster-slinging bounty hunter who tries to collect,” Mast said.
“I’m not a bounty hunter, and I have an Unglok and a Glakridozian on my side,” Thad said.
“I am not muchly seeing how that helps,” Mast muttered.
“We are not afraid of you, Sheriff Fry. We’re not drunks for you to bully and abuse,” Sharn said, flicking his fingers at two of his biggest men.
They stomped forward.
Thad leveled the first man with a hard left cross.
Maximus hurtled toward the other, biting high on the man’s inner thigh. The ShadEcon goon fell backward, screaming high-pitched pleas for help.
“Are all your men going to squeal like that?” Thad didn’t like where this was going, especially when he saw a dozen more of the ShadEcon men emerge with wetsuits and state of the art scuba sleds.
“We can go through you, or around you. My team has spec ops military training and can board that submarine in seconds,” Sharn said.
Thaddeus saw one thing that didn't make sense at first. Cameras. And light crews. Several young women moved about with boom microphones attempting to interview miners, who backed away with their hands held up. The ShadEcon loan manager hadn’t just come to collect the money and punish Dickles. He intended to broadcast it across Darklanding.