Captivity

by Maureen Toonkel

  “Let’s get moving,” yelled a Brisulan. He was dressed in a bright green uniform with the title Delivery Manager embroidered on the front of his shirt. Above the embroidery was a plastic tag with the name Mox written in block letters. He was standing in the middle of the warehouse on a metal crate. “We still have a lot of stuff to remove from the ship. We need to get it unpacked, placed on the carts, and ready to be wheeled to the stores early in the morning. So no dawdling.”

  Josh and Keith stepped away from the entrance. They headed back down the hill toward the Greenhouse.

  “I guess we’ll need to camp out here until morning,” said Josh when they arrived back at the Greenhouse. “We will need to come up with a plan for getting past the warehouse.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Keith. He sat down in the hallway, leaned against the silver wall, and closed his eyes.

  “Good idea,” said Josh. He plopped down alongside Keith and let his eyelids droop down.

  “Dr. Loring?” said Wayne Shasta.

  The man with the hypodermic needle looked up. He put down the syringe.

  “Lieutenant Shasta,” said Paul Loring, “how nice to see you. And Ensign Glenna also.”

  “What are you doing here?” asked Wayne. “Is Commander Andrews OK?”

  “No, Dave is not doing very well. I was just giving him some medication. We came here to rescue you, but Dave fell and hit his head. How have you two fared?”

  Something is wrong here, thought Wayne. It just doesn’t feel right. How did Dr. Loring and Commander Andrews get to the Medical Lab? And why hasn’t Dr. Loring asked where the Captain is?

  “We have just broken out of the cage we were contained in,” answered Wayne. “We are looking for the way out. How did you get in?”

  Paul looked at Wayne and Beverly. Then he glanced over at the crowd of slaves behind the two Gladiator officers. “We came in through the Boulder,” he answered.

  “That is where we are headed. You can help lead us. We can take Commander Andrews with us,” Wayne grabbed the top of the gurney and began pushing it.

  “NO!” screeched Dr. Loring. Wayne stopped in his tracks and stared at the doctor.

  “Commander Andrews cannot be moved. It would make his head injury worse,” said Paul in a stern voice. “You go ahead. Once you escape you can send someone back for us.” He picked up the syringe and inserted it into Andrews’ arm. “Now go.”

  “But,” said Wayne.

  “Go,” said Dr. Loring. “That is an order.”

  Wayne and Beverly turned around and walked through the circle of slaves standing in the doorway.

  Joban and Fabiana pushed through the slaves to catch up with Wayne.

  “What was that about?” asked Joban. “Who was that?”

  Wayne didn’t immediately answer. Finally he said, “Let’s continue ahead. When we stop to rest I will explain.” Maybe by then I can figure out myself what that was about.

  Dennis and Diane got off the elevator and walked over to Sick Bay. In his mind Dennis rehashed the conversation they had been having for the last hour. They had sat in their quarters discussing Dennis’ theory that Dr. Loring was the spy. If he was the informant then why is he sending deceptive transmissions, and who is he targeting with the initials DP? Was he sloppy, or did he want his messages to be intercepted? They decided to ask Nurse Rugan some questions about Dr. Loring. Dennis was aware of Amanda’s feelings for the doctor. While she did not think anyone knew about her secret it was obvious to everyone. It was going to be tricky to get any objective information from the nurse.

  “Good evening, Amanda,” said Dennis. “Looks like things are slow tonight.” He sat down in a chair next to the desk where Amanda was working on a computer. Diane sat down on a small leather couch across from the desk.

  “Yes, it has been quiet. It’s giving me a chance to catch up on my reports,” she responded.

  They began chit-chatting about some of the latest gossip going around the ship. Dennis was about to move the conversation to Dr. Loring’s recent demeanor when an officer came rushing into the waiting room.

  “I’ve cut my finger,” cried Ensign Kyung Ahn. He opened up the washcloth that was wrapped around his left hand. Blood was gushing out of his index finger. “I was untangling the nets we had used when we explored the lake. One section was badly knotted up, and I was cutting it off. The knife slipped and I sliced my finger.” He looked pallid.

  “You need to be more careful,” admonished Dennis Pearson.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” said Ahn. He turned to face Nurse Rugan. “Is Dr. Paul here?”

  Dennis and Diane looked at each other. “Dr. Paul! That’s it,” they said in unison.

  Amanda gave the couple a quizzical look before responding to Kyung Ahn. “Dr. Paul is on a mission. But I can take care of you.” She led him over to a bed and pulled the curtains closed.

  “Dr. Paul,” said Diane. “DP.”

  “Yes,” agreed Dennis. “We were wondering why Paul would have signed his messages to the Tradians as DP. Now it makes sense.”

  After a while the curtains opened and Ensign Ahn emerged. He was holding up his hand which now sprouted a thick bandage on his index finger.

  “Keep your hand elevated as much as possible,” Amanda Rugan declared coming up behind the young officer.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he answered. He gave Diane Pearson a nod and then looked briefly at Dennis. “Goodnight, sir.” Ahn quickly left Sick Bay.

  “Another report to write,” said Amanda as she sat down in front of her computer.

  “Before you get to that, I need to ask you some questions about Dr. Loring,” said Dennis. “For starters, does he often refer to himself as Dr. Paul?”

  What an odd inquiry, thought Amanda. Goes along with the underwear question. “Most of his patients call him Dr. Paul. He doesn’t like being called Doc, so he usually will say ‘I’m Dr. Paul’.”

  Dennis scratched his chin. I can’t recall hearing anyone refer to Dr. Paul. Maybe I just haven’t paid attention. I’ve never called him that. He turned to Diane. “Have you ever heard crew members calling him Dr. Paul?”

  “No,” Diane answered, “not that I can remember anyway.”

  “He only uses Dr. Paul with his patients and never with his superiors or peers. I never call him that either. Sometimes he will forget and answer the phone as Dr. Paul,” said Amanda. “Why does it matter?”

  It suddenly came back to Dennis. When he had phoned Dr. Loring to tell him about Andrews’ pink underwear, the doctor had answered “Dr. Paul.”

  “We are thinking that Paul is DP. You know, Dr. Paul, DP,” responded Dennis.

  “That’s absurd!” cried out Amanda. “Paul cannot be the spy.”

  “Has there been anything strange or different about Paul’s behavior lately?”

  “No, nothing.” Amanda quickly answered.

  “Amanda, I know how much you care for Paul. But if he is the informant, then the others, especially Dave Andrews may be in grave danger.”

  Amanda looked into Dennis’ eyes and saw how serious he was. Could Paul really be the spy? She had to admit that Paul had been acting strangely. She had been puzzled by some of his actions. Tears began to flood her eyes.

  Diane got up from the couch and put her arms around Amanda’s shoulders. “It’s going to be OK. You just need to tell us what you know.”

  Amanda began talking, and everything just came pouring out. In a way it was a relief to tell someone about the fears she had been hiding. She told Dennis and Diane about Paul locking his office door. About him lying to Dennis about patients needing him in Sick Bay when there were none. She relayed the strange conversations they had where Paul was trying to convince her that Dave Andrews was the spy. All the while tears streamed down her cheeks.

  When she was done. Dennis had her call Nurse Mann to take over Sick Bay. He called Officer Greene and told him to meet them in the Conference Room. Then the three officers left Sick Bay.

  After leaving th
e Medical Lab the slaves made their way to the E tunnel where they saw the sign pointing west to the Silver Mines. With Wayne Shasta leading the way the procession took a left turn. They came to the mines which were vacant at this hour of the night.

  Wayne again blew his whistle and immediately gained the attention of the group.

  “I think we should wait here for the next couple of hours until the slave crew comes to work. We can use our shovels to overtake the guards and free another group of slaves,” proposed Wayne.

  “Good thinking,” shouted Joban. He was followed by a chorus of cheers.

  The slaves ran into the Silver Mine. Joban and three male slaves located several barrels of water with a rack of metal cups hanging above. The water was there for when the slaves working in the mines needed to be hydrated. Now the escaped slaves took turns guzzling down cups of the warm water. Then they stretched out along the crooked walls of the mine and relaxed while they waited for the slave crew to arrive.

  Wayne and Beverly found a spot close to the entrance of the mine, and Joban and Fabiana joined them.

  “You promised an explanation,” said Joban after a while.

  “I guess I did,” said Wayne. He looked at Beverly and flashed her a slight smile. “How should I begin?” He was quiet for several moments, and Beverly thought he was going to renege on his promise. But apparently he really was contemplating how to begin.

  “As I have told you, we all worked on a ship,” started Wayne. “But we didn’t tell you what kind of ship. It is a spaceship.”

  Joban’s eyebrows rose and Fabiana gasped.

  Wayne continued talking. “It is one of the six spaceships of the United Galaxy Command. Joshua Stoner is the Captain of our spaceship which is named the U.S.S. Gladiator. Beverly and I along with Keith Hampton are officers aboard the ship. Keith and I are lieutenants, and Beverly is an ensign. The man we talked to in the Medical Lab is also one of our crew members. He is our chief medical officer, Dr. Paul Loring. The man on the table is the second in command of the Gladiator, Commander David Andrews. I assume that Dr. Loring and Commander Andrews came here to rescue us. However, Dr. Loring’s behavior puzzles me. He is generally low key, and to be honest I have never heard him shout an order so rudely. But under these circumstances, I suppose his actions are understandable. He is probably just looking out for our best interests.”

  “So, why did your spaceship come here in the first place?” asked Fabiana sharply.

  “That part was truthful. We were here on a mission to explore the planet. Our sources believed that Brisula was uninhabited. Our assignment was to see if Brisula was suitable for human life.”

  “If your Doctor and Commander just got here then your ship must be nearby,” said Joban.

  “Oh, yes. I am positive that the Gladiator is still orbiting Brisula. I think—”

  An announcement from a loudspeaker mounted on a tall wooden pole interrupted Wayne.

  “RISE AND SHINE. ANOTHER DAY OF WORK IS UPON US.”

  Wayne jumped to his feet. “It’s time to get ready for the slave crew to arrive. Grab your shovels,” he yelled.

  Following Wayne’s instructions the slaves picked up their shovels and positioned themselves along the walls of the mine, so that they would not be seen until the slaves and guards actually entered into the mines.

  “Quickly,” commanded the guard at the head of the slave crew. “Everyone to your stations and start working. We have a busy day ahead of us.”

  Suddenly a shovel came down hard on the guard’s head. He groaned and collapsed to the floor. Two guards came rushing forward to see what had happened. They too were felled by shovels. The remaining four guards stood in their spots immobilized by what they had just witnessed. As several slaves armed with shovels approached them the guards dropped their cattle prods and whips and put their hands up in the air. Wayne and Joban removed the keys from the belts around the waists of the guards. They began unlocking the leg irons that bound the slaves to one another. Then they placed the chains around the ankles of the surrendered and fallen guards. Leaving the guards behind, the slaves left the Silver Mines and headed north.

  As they walked to the Conference Room the only sound that could be heard was Amanda Rugan’s soft sobs. A ringing phone broke the stillness. Dennis pulled his satellite phone out of his pocket and flipped open the cover. It was Ensign Rubin.

  “Sir,” said the Ensign in an anxious voice, “you need to report to the Conveyor Port without delay. The Search and Rescue team is ready to be conveyed aboard the Gladiator.”

  “Damn,” spurted Dennis as he put the phone back in his pocket, “I was hoping they wouldn’t be arriving for several more hours.”

  The threesome did an about face and walked back to the elevator. The doors opened and Officer Greene stepped out. Dennis told him to get back in, and he pushed the button for the bottom deck.

  Dennis went straight to the Conveyor panel and began turning dials and flipping switches. He turned on the speaker, adjusted the volume, and gave the navigator of the space pod directions. The Conveyor hatch slowly rose, and the small space pod entered and landed on one of the three vacant launch pads. Five UGC officers stepped out of the spacecraft. They were dressed in camouflage uniforms except for one short male who wore the khaki uniform of a high ranking officer not assigned to a ship. This gentleman introduced himself as Captain Victor Torgenson. The rest of his team consisted of three men and one female.

  “Where is Commander Andrews?” demanded Captain Torgenson. “I must speak with him at once.”

  “He is on Brisula,” answered Dennis. “Unfortunately we have lost contact with him.”

  “What incompetence!” The Captain pointed a finger at Dennis. “Are you in charge?”

  Dennis was getting bad vibes from this new captain. I don’t think this is going to go very well. “Yes, I am presently in command,” he answered. “This is a finely ran ship, and I take offense at your comment.”

  Captain Torgenson’s face got red with anger. “You will address me with respect,” he demanded. “You are hereby relieved of your command duty. I am now the captain of this vessel, and these are my chief officers.” He swung out his arm to indicate the four crew members standing by the space pod. “Now, show me to the Bridge.”

  Reluctantly, Dennis said, “Yes, sir,” and led the way to the elevator.

  On the Bridge, Ensign Rubin was stationed at the communications panel. Bonnie Shea was at the helm with Ensign Saad alongside her. The captain’s chair was vacant and no one was posted at the science desk where Dave Andrews or Jackson Greene usually worked.

  “You are all dismissed,” announced Captain Torgenson as soon as he left the elevator. “Please leave the Bridge immediately. That goes for you also.” He pointed to Dennis Pearson.

  The four startled officers quickly gathered up their belongings and called for the elevator. Ben Rubin, Bonnie Shea, and Mohammad Saad got off at the officers’ living quarters deck. Dennis rode the elevator back to the bottom deck where he had left Diane, Jackson, and Amanda. He got off the elevator with his arms full of personal items that he had kept on the Bridge: his coffee mug, his tablet, a seat cushion, and a sci-fi novel.

  Diane stared at him. “What?” she asked.

  “We’ve been evicted,” he said. “You and Jackson will need to get your stuff also.” He dropped his belongings onto the Conveyor station table.

  “ALL AVAILABLE PERSONNEL TO SILVER MINES IMMEDIATELY!”

  The loudspeaker announcement woke Josh and Keith up. They stood up, stretched their arms out and retied the canvas bags onto their waists.

  “Let’s hurry,” said Josh. “This may give us a small window of opportunity to get through the delivery area.”

  They trudged quickly up the hill panting and gasping for breath as they arrived at the front of the Deliveries area. Josh’s hunch was correct. The once busy delivery area was now abandoned. Outside of the massive expanse they saw a sign.

  Josh reasoned that the
personnel from Deliveries and hopefully from the Lake had taken the L Lane to get to the Silver Mines.

  They raced past Deliveries, crossed the L Lane and stopped short. In front of them was a vast body of water. The Lake stretched out in all directions. The blue crystal clear water rippled gently against the shore line. A lone wooden dock extended out from the shore into the Lake. It led to a jetty where several ships were anchored. The Lake was surrounded by the same earthen walls and roof that lined the tunnel leading from the slave cages to the Gravel Pits. Peering into the translucent lake water Josh and Keith could see thousands of fish swimming lazily in all different directions. Keith reached down to put his hand into the water. Josh stopped him.

  “Remember, Salton told us that the Lake contained sharks,” Josh warned.

  Keith drew back his hand and stood up straight. “But sharks are in oceans. This is a lake. Besides if there were sharks wouldn’t they eat all these fish?”

  “Not necessarily. Sharks usually only eat when they are hungry. Keep in mind that we are not on Earth. There could be fresh water sharks on this planet,” said Josh.

  “I wish Beverly were here. I am sure she would know,” responded Keith.

  Josh smiled. “I am sure she would, but unfortunately she’s not here, so I suggest we do not take a chance on getting bitten by a shark.” He looked over at the long pier. “Let’s try the dock.”

  As they approached the edge of the long pier, Josh was surprised that there were no gates closing off entry to the dock. He grabbed Keith just as he was about to cross the threshold. Josh untied his canvas bag and swung it over the open space leading onto the dock. Nothing happened.

  “I guess there is no force field, or they forgot to activate it when they rushed off,” observed Josh. “Let’s go.”