Kirk could see the Trail boss heading their way was beaming a wide smile, but even this could not draw his gaze away from the chickens. In surprise Kirk realized the chickens were completely featherless. Rather, they seemed to have a smooth skin that was patterned. Close as he could tell they were like the cattle he knew from back home. Some were white, others black or brown, while more were a combination a colors. As the wind changed direction he was assailed with two further revelations.
First, and most staggering, was that Kenturk chickens smelled very bad. The second was that they seemed to make some kind of deep cluck that at first hearing sounded like a cow, but then on closer listening, was definitely not.
“Howdy, folks.”
The rich rumbling voice of the Trail boss snapped Kirk back.
“You seem to be a long ways from anywhere.
My name’s Poo Dee Bom, how can I help y’all out?”
“I’m Special Agent Lu Pillah,” Lu said, pointing briefly at her belt buckle. “This is Special Agent Kirk Deighton.”
“Pleasure to meet y’all.” Poo Dee Bom smiled.
“We need to borrow two of your transports if that’s possible. We’re on a time sensitive mission.” Lu explained.
The Trail boss’s expression changed to a more somber one. “I’m afraid I can’t help y’all there. We’ve had all kinds of troubles on this here ride. Frankly, I’m down to five men and as many rides.”
Lu looked worried.
“However, we’re only a couple of days away from Kenturk City, which is where we’re driving this here herd. I’d be more’n happy to have y’all folks along for the ride. We have plenty on provisions, and y’all can sit on the wagon at the back end of the column. Odds are, y’all ain’t gonna get to Kenturk City any quicker than with us,” Poo Dee Bom offered.
Lu looked at Kirk, who shrugged his shoulders.
“Thanks for the offer,” Lu said.
“Well, hop on, I’ll take you folks back down to the wagon.”
Lu and Kirk climbed on behind the Trail boss and skimmed off towards the rear of the herd.
That night, Kirk and Lu sat besides a crackling fire for a long time after all the trail hands had turned in for the night. Finally, Kirk threw down his plate, mopped clean with the remains of a trail biscuit.
“That was the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten.”
“I told you, “Lu smiled. “The only place to eat really good Kenturkee Fried Chicken is Kenturk.”
“But it tasted nothing like it does back home,” Kirk replied.
Lu shrugged her shoulders.
Kirk settled down in the blankets loaned to him and lay back looking at the stars for a while. None of the constellations he saw looked remotely recognizable. He finally rolled over and noticed that Lu was still sitting, staring into the dying fire.
He watched her for what seemed hours, then took a long deep breadth.
“Lu?” he said hesitantly.
“You don’t have to say it,” she said still watching the embers. “I’m not going to let my personal history with Restive Pro get in the way of our mission. If we need to run, I’ll cover you, but I’ll follow. If what the Y’lem said was true, then the only way that Pro will defeat me will be to kill me. And the only way I’ll let that happen will be to make sure that you get to complete the mission.”
“I don’t want you to do that,” Kirk said quietly.
Lu turned and looked him in the eye. Kirk thought she was trying to think of something fitting to say, but finally she set her jaw defiantly and gave him a short nod before settling down and pulling her blankets tightly around her.
Chapter Thirty-Three
North Rubik was having no luck at all trying to secure passage to Titan. As it turned out, the stringer that was bound for the spaceport that orbited Saturn was the one that was currently being handled by Celestrial Egret. Rubik had briefly considered trying to contact Captain Ingle, but he finally decided against it.
There was little chance that the smuggler would come down and collect him without payment, and there was equally no chance that he could get a ride back up to the stringer with no money. He would just have to wait it out and catch the next best ride.
He found a bar that seemed to attract the stringer crews and settled in. The cheapest food by far was the local delicacy, fried chicken. Hunger and his current financial situation had finally forced him to consider the meal he knew was going to be terrible, despite the delightful smells that were wafting his way from the kitchen. So it was both a great surprise and delight to Rubik, that on Kenturk at least, not only was the fried chicken palatable, it was positively exquisite.
He had just finished his third plateful when in walked two of his suspects.
At first he thought it was some kind of delusion. A combination of hunger and then eating too much rich food too quickly. It made the most recent couple to walk into the bar look like the people he had come so far, and probably lost so much, to capture and bring to justice.
He sat in his shady booth and studied them. It was definitely two members of the gang he and Security Chief Skake had set out to bring back to justice.
After all he had been through, he now felt the prospect of some degree of success blossoming. He had never really thought that these two were directly involved in the death of Officer Pobble, but he needed something to show. They could be his way back into a life he had begun to suspect was long lost to him. If it turned out they were innocent, then they would be freed. But he would at least have accomplished something. He would have followed his commanding officers orders and accomplished what his superior had not been able to do. There might even be a promotion in it for him as well.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he slipped out of the booth, and easing his P.R.P. out of its holster, approached his suspects.
The trek to Kenturk City had been quiet and even relatively relaxing after the last few days. When Kirk and Lu arrived they were tired and dusty, but Lu was determined they should not lose any more time.
They had no idea where Restive Pro was, and Lu had the uneasy feeling that she was definitely not dead.
Not yet.
Quickly she reported the downed swooper to the local Securitat officer, but she slipped away before she could be detained. Hopefully Chief Boh Yah Di would understand that they were safely back from their meeting with the Y’lem.
She briefly considered the idea of sending a message, or leaving one to be forwarded, but the prospect of spies made her rethink the idea. Hopefully their less than speedy journey from the crash site had thrown restive Pro off their scent long enough so that by the time she picked up their tracks again, they would be long gone, and apparently to Sevres Prime.
And if their luck held, by the time the assassin realized what had happened, their mission would be over and Kirk would no longer be in the way of Lu making a final reckoning with Pro.
After reporting the crashed swoopers location, they went to the Hyper-Luminal departure lounge and booked a jump time. It meant waiting a couple of extra hours for the first opening, but if they had gone in and identified themselves, word would soon spread, and any advantage they had worked for themselves would be whittled away. After booking their jump to Sevres Prime, they headed for a small bar close to the departure lounge. Lu knew it as a stringer bar, so the prospect of them being seen by anyone that would cause them trouble was unlikely.
The bar was quiet and dimly lit. Lu had a brief look around, though it was difficult to see clearly into some of the recessed booths. They would have to risk it.
“I can’t get over just how good the stuff smells,” said Kirk as the heady aroma of fried chicken floated through the bar.
“And tastes,” Lu added, trying to attract the attention of the barman.
“Yeah,” agreed Kirk
enthusiastically. “I still don’t understand why it’s so different.”
“I don’t know if it’s something in the atmosphere, or if it’s just because it’s fresh, but the stuff they serve on Kenturk is really nothing like the stuff you get at the franchises.”
Finally the barman say them standing at the bar and waddled down towards them.
“Give me two beers, and two plates of fried chicken, please,” Lu said to the barman.
Kirk watched as the barman poured the beers and didn’t notice as Lu stiffened beside him.
“Better get that to go, said a voice behind him. Kirk spun and reached for his P.R.P. He had no idea who it was, but he was beginning to get the idea that anyone who came up behind him in this kind of situation usually did not want to sell him a long-stemmed rose.
“Don’t even think about it,” said the blue alien standing close behind Lu, a P.R.P. sticking in her side. “I don’t know what would happen if a P.R.P was fired at this close a range. Maybe what its supposed to, maybe some other more violent reaction. Unless you want to find out, I suggest you slip your gun slowly out of its holster and pass it to me very carefully.”
Kirk recognized the gunman now. He’d seen him looking dazed and lost outside his apartment back on Sevres Prime. He looked at Lu who nodded slightly that Kirk should do exactly as he was told.
As soon as both Kirk and Lu were unarmed, he stepped back a pace, though his weapon, while pretty well concealed, was still pointing at Lu.
“I’m Junior Security Officer North Rubik, from Titan spaceport. You two are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder. I think it would be best if you didn’t create a fuss. And we might be better leaving by the back door,” he said, indicating the direction with a brief flick of his P.R.P...
As soon as they stepped outside, both Kirk and Lu looked for anything they could use to their advantage. This was all a mistake and under normal circumstances Kirk would only be too willing to comply with the request of this Rubik guy. But then under normal circumstances he would not be under a deadline to save the universe.
What they faced around the back of the bar were huge pits filled with bustling Kenturkee Chickens. Straddling the pits were raised gantries. Between the pits below were narrow alleyways that Kirk assumed were used by the wranglers and could be used to direct herds of chicken, presumably to slaughterhouses.
“We’ll cross that gantry over there.” Rubik pointed. “Then head down to the local security past where I can secure you two until I get some transport back to Titan lined up.”
“I don’t suppose it would do any good to tell you that we’re actually Universal Securitat agents currently on a very secret and time sensitive mission, would it?” Kirk asked over his shoulder.
“I don’t really care,” replied Rubik. “I set out with my commanding officer to bring you and your colleagues back to Titan. It seems I’ve lost your associates, and my chief was killed on the mission, but I’m at least going to take you back. The magistrate can sort out the details, that isn’t my job.”
“Officer Rubik always gets his man, right?” Kirk laughed.
Rubik ignored him. They were at the top of the steps now. Ahead along the gantry they could see several large feed containers allowing a wrangler to feed the penned chickens below with ease. The feed containers were spaced equally along the gantry with an extra one at the halfway point. Kirk wondered if there was any way they could use on of these to get away from Rubik.
“Look Officer Rubik,” Lu said as she walked, hands slightly raised. “We really have to get to the Hyper-Luminal departure lounge. The mission we’re on is very important. I realize that your mission is equally important to you, but if we fail, it will have major implications for the entire universe.”
“I might be a rookie,” Rubik said seriously, “But I’ve heard my share of tall stories. Sure, you have to save the universe. Probably the Prions are plotting something dastardly and only you can avert it, right?”
“Something like that,” Lu replied.
“Well you can tell it to the magistrate on Titan when we get there.”
“There won’t be a Titan to go back to if you don’t let us go, you idiot!” Lu was loosing her temper.
They walked across the gantry and were approaching the halfway point. Kirk glanced in the feed containers, but there seemed only feed granules and a small scoop in each. Against a P.R.P it would do much good, and once he was contained in his own sphere, there would be no chance of escape. As long as he was walking there was a chance.
The next feed container might be different. There could be something useful in it. He looked ahead to the central container. He noticed that underneath it was one of the alleyways dividing the pens below. Why would someone place a feed container above an alleyway instead of a chicken pen?
Suddenly he caught a powerful scent. He knew it must be powerful because the smell from below them in the pens was pretty bad. The scent was distinct and strange. He couldn’t pin down what it was exactly. There was a definite floral quality to it, as well as an earthy, musky layer and finally a hint of body odor.
He turned to see if Lu had smelled it as well and realized both she and Rubik had stopped several feet behind him. Both looked frightened, and while Rubik had an expression of object terror in his face,
Lu’s was a mixture of fear, anger, and determination.
“What?” He asked.
Neither replied.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Kirk said walking towards them again.
The idea to overpower Rubik and take the chance to run didn’t have time to filter through Kirk’s mind before he heard a new voice on the gantry.
“They have not seen a ghost, Pangaean. However, they’ll soon become one.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Kirk turned slowly in the direction of the voice.
Twice in the space of a few minutes they had been surprised and it was beginning to concern him that either he and Lu were getting lazy, or their were simply more and more people out to hinder him. At first all he saw was the same gantry as before, then the central feed container shimmered and distorted as an F.R.B. changed the way light was bent and reflected. The container changed into the form of a tall woman, dressed entirely in black. The shiny material clung to her every curve, leaving nothing to the imagination. Long black hair was braided down her back and her almond shaped eyes were equally dark.
“Is this your doing, Cas?” Kirk whispered. “I mean, are you now interpreting what she looks like?”
“I found the mental image and it seemed appropriate,” his F.R.B. replied.
“Okay, we have to sit down and discus this at some point. You can’t just pick things at random,” Kirk said quietly. “You’re actually tapping into some personal fantasy ideas here, and given that I don’t have a good feeling for this, you could well have spoiled this one for me entirely.”
“I’ll make a note for future reference that this is one of your perversions.”
“It’s not a perversion,” snapped Kirk defensively. “Fantasies are perfectly healthy on my planet, Okay?”
“Whatever you say, pervert,” replied Casio.
The woman now stood directly in their path and leveled a slim P.R.P at them, a slow smile revealed sharp white teeth.
“Restive Pro, I presume?” Kirk said.
Restive nodded her head slightly in acknowledgment, never removing her glare from her prey.
“I’m guessing that there’s no way we can talk you into letting us just walk on?”
Restive stared silently at him.
“Is this because we had that fender bender the other day?” Kirk asked innocently. “Because I wanted to stop and exchange insurance details, but when we turned to look for you, it seemed you had just plummeted from the sky. A victim of your own p
oorly aimed missiles.”
She flinched at the memory.
“I have to tell you, if your insurance is anything like some of the policies I’ve had in the past, they’ll look for any excuse not to pay. And I’m guessing being blown up by your own missiles is gonna be in some clause somewhere in the contract.”
The assassin made no reply, but looked as if she were concentrating hard. Kirk got a second blast of the curious scent he had initially smelled, and heard Rubik shriek in panic and drop his weapon. Lu let out a stifled whimper.
“Is that funky smell you?” Kirk asked Restive.
A look of surprise and annoyance flashed across the assassin’s face.
“What is it, some kind of pheromone thing? ”
Restive looked angry now, her face a visage of determination. A new, even stronger scent filled his nostrils.
“It seems your species is immune to the effects of Amygdalans,” Casio noted with obvious interest.
The same could not be said for Rubik, who was now huddled in a ball weeping, nor Lu, who was still standing, but shaking uncontrollably, tears running down her cheeks. Below, Kirk realized that the penned chickens were also extremely agitated and milling around their enclosure in what he assumed was close to panic.
Restive studied Kirk now with intense suspicion. This was obviously not how she planned this encounter to proceed.
“You’re not afraid?” she asked.
“Well, to be honest,” replied Kirk, “The fact that you’re pointing a P.R.P. in my general direction is mildly disturbing, but this is kind of counterbalanced by the fact my F.R.B. decided to make you appear distinctly erotic. It’s really giving me a mixed message. I’m thinking there’ll be some lengthy therapy sessions when this is all over and done with.”
“I think I can help you with that,” Restive replied.
“Yeah, you’re a good therapist.”
“No, you won’t survive this encounter to have to worry about psychoanalyzing this episode.” Restive grinned menacingly.
“Well, that would save an extensive billing, though in all honesty, I have to say it isn’t my first choice of solutions.”
Dale Mettam Page 23