A New Threat

by Aaron DeMott

  A large window in front of her looked into an adjacent room that contained a table with a chair on either side of it. Tomed sat in a chair next to the window. He stood and addressed the Meskka. “The screen in front of you shows the room where the captured pirates will be interrogated. In a moment, Nilre will bring in the first subject and question him. If you have any questions you would like to ask the suspect, please address them to me, and I’ll relay the question to Nilre.”

  Nilre entered the other room just as Tomed sat down. She was followed by a man in a plain gray coverall whose hands were held together by a piece of metal.

  Bast flicked her ears when she saw his face—one of the men captured from SeQish, if she remembered correctly.

  The pirate sat down across the table from Nilre and glared.

  “Let’s start with your name.”

  The pirate glared at Nilre and didn’t say a word.

  Nilre sighed, picked up a tablet, and pressed a button on the screen. “Your fingerprints and DNA scan identify you as Frank Nuertiz. Is that correct?”

  The pirate made no move.

  “Very well, we’ll do this the hard way.” Nilre closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She slowly exhaled and opened her eyes. “Were you involved with the pirate group on SeQish?”

  Still no answer.

  “Yes, you were part of the group that kidnapped Rrrark—you weren’t personally involved with that act—you came to SeQish aboard the same ship as Bast, Rrrark, and me—you along with four others who are now dead were in charge of modifying several torpedoes to release a toxin into the waters of SeQish—”

  Frank blinked and started to squirm in his seat. It seemed to Bast that he was trying to look away from Nilre but wasn’t able to. He fidgeted so hard the chair rattled on the floor. Bast felt a sense of presence as Nilre closed her eyes again.

  Nilre opened them after a moment. “Stop.”

  Nilre sounded quiet over the speakers, but Bast felt a powerful and familiar mental echo come from somewhere to her left. The other Meskka in the room apparently noticed as well, as they turned as one in that direction.

  Bast turned back to the screen as Nilre spoke again.

  “You will remain still for the rest of this interview. I will ask you one more time. Will you cooperate with this interrogation?”

  The pirate’s face flushed and he swallowed nervously. “Okay, just… just don’t do that anymore. I’ve been running a small…um…cargo business for a few years. A month ago a guy named Max Loker asked me about doing a job for him. Sounded like a simple run, so I took it. I didn’t know there’d be Psygens involved, or I’d have stayed away from it.

  “So I picked up cargo on earth and headed for SeQish. We also caught your cat friend snooping around, so we knocked him out and brought him with us. When we got to SeQish, Mr. Loker called us and told us to modify some torpedoes to release some stuff in barrels that was already in the warehouse. We met up with another ship and sent most of the cargo on with them, while we took on some more crew and came here. After we were finished here, we were supposed to meet a few light-years from Mining Colony Two, get our pay, and move on to the next assignment.”

  “Please note the co-ordinates of the meeting.” Nilre handed the tablet to him. He made a quick entry and slid the tablet back across the table.

  Nilre glanced at it and then stared at him for a while before she motioned the guard to take him away and bring in the next prisoner. The rest of the pirates told the same story with varying details. None of them knew what Max Loker was up to, or who his employer was—or what had happened to the SeQish ambassador.

  Bast had quit paying attention somewhere around the tenth prisoner. She looked up when Tomed mentioned that the last of the prisoners was being brought in. This one looked familiar somehow.

  Bast sat up and tilted her ears forward.

  Nilre, I think that’s the same human who attacked Rrrark, Evelyn, and me on Earth!

  Are you sure?

  Bast pictured the attacker in her mind. The man in the other room was much cleaner than she remembered but looked about the same. It was hard to tell humans apart. She looked around the room and attempted to spot Rrrark among the other Meskka.

  Rrrark, is that who I think it is?

  I believe so, yes. Rrrark walked up next to the chair she was perched on.

  Nilre glanced down at the computer tablet as she confirmed the pirate’s identity. She looked back up at him. “Did you attack the two Meskka ambassadors on Earth two weeks ago?”

  “Yeah, Loker offered me an extra five thousand to stage an attack on them. He said all I needed to do was scare them. I think he just wanted a distraction, but I’m not paid to think. I don’t really have anything against aliens, but it’s not like they’re human. Heck, for five thousand, I’d scare my own grandma.”

  Nilre waved the guard over to take the prisoner back to his cell. She watched the door close and then lowered her head into her hands and rubbed her eyes.

  Tomed and Nilre entered the shuttle bay and found Queen Meer waiting for them, along with Bast, Rrrark, Hrrarr, and Master SarrOw.

  The Queen nodded to each of them. “I would like to thank you for involving us in the interrogation of the prisoners. I am personally satisfied that they are acting on their own interests and do not represent your species as a whole. Therefore, we will allow you to deal with them as you see fit.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.” Tomed made a low bow. “We will transport them back to Earth to face trial and sentencing there.”

  The Queen bowed back to Tomed. “There is one more thing, if I may?”

  “Yes?”

  “Although I am convinced of the independent actions of this group, other members of the Council are not. In addition, two of my scouts feel involved in the matter and strongly wish to see it to conclusion. I would ask that they be allowed to continue to travel with you and assist in whatever small way they can to find the SeQish ambassador and the true goal of the pirates.”

  Tomed glanced at Nilre.

  “We would be glad to have them along. Bast and Rrrark have helped us quite a bit so far. Their help will be as welcome as their friendship,” Nilre said.

  “Thank you. In addition, I would like to request that Hrrarr be allowed to accompany them for extra safety.”

  They still don’t trust us? Tomed asked Nilre.

  Not fully. Look at the situation from their perspective and ask yourself if you would.

  Good point.

  “Hrrarr’s very capable help will also be welcome,” Tomed said aloud.

  Queen Meer bowed to them again before boarding the shuttle along with Master SarrOw.

  Chapter 11

  Bast stood in the observation room when the Goddard dropped out of hyperspace and entered orbit around Earth. The view from here was so much better than on the transport she had first come in on. Rrrark and Hrrarr were in a meeting with the captain and the Psygens. Bast flexed her claws into the carpet as she looked out the window. She really didn’t want to be in that meeting, and the view from up here was so nice.

  Sunlight glinted off something metallic in her peripheral vision. She watched the shape grow closer and flicked her ears in surprise. The object was a ship that looked almost exactly like the Goddard.

  It’s the Heim.

  Bast jumped at the sound of Nilre’s mental voice. She was used to having other Meskka talk to her in that manner, but no one Bast had ever met seemed to always know what she was thinking the way Nilre did.

  Please come to the shuttle bay. We’re taking Major Hood over, and there’s someone there we’d like you to meet.

  Bast jumped over to the door then dashed down the hallway to the elevator. She couldn’t stop the tip of her tail from twitching as the elevator went clear from the top of the ship almost to the bottom. As soon as the doors opened, she darted down the hall and skidded around the four turns needed to get to the entrance to the shuttle bay.

  “You arrived quick
ly.” Nilre met her at the door.

  Despite being around humans for more than a moon-cycle, Bast still couldn’t decipher some of their expressions—but she thought Nilre tried to hide a smile. Perhaps Nilre referred to her running down the hallway? Come to think of it, most of the humans were rarely in a hurry in their ships.

  “Oh.” Bast flicked an ear and dipped her tail. “Am I not supposed to run? I’m sorry, I just needed to stretch my legs and I was curious about what was going on.”

  Nilre definitely smiled now.

  “It’s all right to run. It’s just unusual. I’m sorry if I implied a need for haste. They’re getting the major aboard the shuttle now. Tomed—”

  “Hi Bast, Nilre,” Tomed said from behind Bast.

  “—is right around the corner,” Nilre finished.

  “Where are Rrrark and Hrrarr?” Bast swiveled her head and ears around in an attempt to catch sight or sound of them.

  “They’re still talking with the captain.” Tomed pushed the button to open the shuttle bay door and led the way to the shuttle. “I’d still be there with them except I need to have my arm—or lack thereof—looked at.”

  Bast was surprised at how routine the human space shuttles had become. The view of space outside the window, on the other paw, never got old. Almost before she knew it, the shuttle had landed inside the Heim’s shuttle bay, which looked almost identical to the one on the Goddard.

  Two people waited for them at the bottom of the ramp as they exited the shuttle. The uniformed male had to be the captain. Bast wasn’t sure who the shorter female was. Red hair fell down almost to the girl’s shoulders. Bast blinked. She’d not seen a human with that color hair before.

  The young woman didn’t wear any sort of uniform—at least, Bast was pretty sure none of the human uniforms consisted of a long, green, puffy-looking skirt and a loose white coat over a fitted brown shirt. The blue snake-like thing with wings on each shoulder of the coat did look official, though.

  “Tomed!” the girl cried as she ran to him and jumped up to hug him.

  “Ara! Get off me, you’re making Nil jealous!”

  Tomed sounded reproachful, but he smiled and gave the girl a quick hug before he released her.

  “Hmph!” Ara let go and dropped to the deck. The top of her head didn’t even come up to Tomed’s shoulder. The sight reminded Bast of how the kittens played back home.

  “First, that’s no way to greet your little sister, and second, if Nilre were jealous, she’d make me pass out or something.”

  “Sister?” Bast asked. She cocked an ear and turned to look at Nilre. Nilre smiled, but it looked a little forced to Bast.

  “Sorry.” Tomed grinned. “Bast, this is Ara and Captain Radik.”

  Captain Radik nodded. “Welcome aboard the Heim., I—.”

  A whistle echoed through the shuttle bay, followed by a voice. “Captain Radik to the bridge. Incoming message from UGAL command.”

  “Sorry about that. Duty calls. You no doubt know your way around a Heim-class ship by now, so if you’ll excuse me…” He smiled to each of them then turned and walked out of the shuttle bay.

  “How is Senoj?” Nilre asked.

  “Nil!” Ara blushed. “He’s fine.”

  She turned and poked Tomed’s right arm with her index finger. “So you started stem cell therapy, I see.”

  “Yeah. Doctor Zoet wasn’t quite sure if the nerves are still good though.”

  “Well, you fried them pretty bad, but it’s nothing I can’t fix. Wait ‘till you see what we did to the med bay!” Ara grinned then turned and led the way out of the shuttle bay. “Come on. They’ve probably got your Major there already.”

  Tomed stopped abruptly in the doorway of the med bay. “You didn’t!”

  Ara giggled. “We did!”

  “May I?” Nilre asked. Bast wasn’t sure what she was asking.

  “I’d say yes, but I’ll need it at full output if your Major Hood’s injuries are as serious as the file you sent over says they are.”

  Bast followed them into an adjoining room where Major Hood lay on a table encased in a metal box with large windows.

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “Cryo-chamber,” Ara replied as she held her palm over the box and closed her eyes.

  It basically freezes someone so their injuries don’t get worse, Tomed said.

  Oh. Thanks. Bast peered more closely at the box.

  Her people didn’t have anything like that. The only freezers they had were used to keep fresh kill from spoiling if it couldn’t be eaten right away. She wondered how they thawed people out without hurting them more.

  A high-pitched hum started to fill the room. Bast looked around and couldn’t see anything happening. Ara stood completely still for a moment, removed her arm from the box, and stretched.

  “And now, a miracle!”

  Tomed slapped the back of her head. Ara stuck her tongue out at him, took a deep breath, and put both hands palm down on the cryo-chamber. The hum increased. Bast needed to flatten her ears against her skull to block out most of the noise.

  Nilre motioned for Bast to follow her and led the way out of the med bay. “Is it that bad?”

  “Yeah.” Bast kept her ears pinned against her head. “What’s all the noise anyway?”

  “I’m sorry, I should have warned you. Most humans can’t hear it at all and Psygens can barely hear the low end. As to what makes the noise, it’s generated when an NTO is in operation.”

  “Okay. What’s an NTO?”

  “It’s an acronym for Neuro-Telepathic Over-driver. It’s a device that amplifies a Psygen’s abilities. In Ara’s case, it’s amplifying her healing abilities.”

  “Oh, so she can heal people like Tomed healed me?”

  Nilre smiled. “Yes, although that’s rather like comparing a bandage to nanomedicine.”

  “Oh.” Bast peered back through the doorway. “How long will this take?”

  Nilre glanced back at the door to the med bay and her eyes unfocused momentarily. “At the current rate, I’d estimate around two hours. But then I’m not a medical doctor, so that’s just a guess. Let’s go get tea.”

  Most Earth food was good. Tea, though? Bast shuddered. She wasn’t sure she’d ever develop a taste for tea.

  An hour later, Bast sat in the med bay waiting room and battled an urge to start pacing again. Ara moaned, and fell over. Tomed caught her and lowered her gently to the floor.

  Bast ran over to them. Ara didn’t look hurt, but she was unconscious.

  “Is she all right?”

  “She’ll be fine.” Nilre reached down to tap Ara on the forehead.

  Ara’s eyes fluttered open. “Thanks, Nil.” She sat up slowly and yawned. “Major Hood is ready to come out of cryo-sleep now. I’m afraid I’ll have to look at your arm later, Tomed.”

  “That’s fine.”

  Tomed stood and offered Ara his hand. She grabbed it and grunted as she stood. Tomed and Nilre each held one of her shoulders to steady her.

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” Nilre asked.

  “Yeah. I just overdid it a little. He was one of the worst I’ve worked on. I just need to sit a minute. There’s a chair in the waiting area if you can help me there.”

  Tomed bent and picked her up, somewhat awkwardly with one arm.

  “Tomed...” Ara protested weakly.

  “Hey. If you’re too tired to say ‘Put me down, you big oaf!’ and smack me upside the head, then you’re too tired to walk.”

  Nilre had a glass and something that smelled vaguely like food ready by the time Tomed had Ara seated in a large padded chair.

  Where’d that come from? Bast asked.

  The cabinet on the far wall. Ara was just thinking of getting something from there. She needs something with high protein and sugar content to help replace the energy she used.

  Apparently Tomed had some practice with this kind of situation before from the way he made sure Ara didn’t eat or drink
too fast. Ara was silent as she ate.

  “I’m sorry, Tomed. I’ll have to work on your arm later.”

  “You said that.” Tomed smiled back at Ara when she glared at him. “That’s okay, you need the rest. My arm can wait… I guess.”

  “Oh, I forgot!” Ara smacked her forehead with her free hand. “You’re leaving right away to crash that pirate meeting right?”

  “Um, we could be late?” Tomed raised both eyebrows and cocked his head.

  Bast wasn’t sure if Tomed was serious or not. Nilre drove an elbow into his ribs.

  “Ow! I wasn’t being serious.... exactly.”

  Nilre looked above and to her left. “Captain Radik has given permission for you to come with us.”

  “Oh, that works then,” Ara said as she stood and stretched. “I’ll get packed and meet you over there. Oh, and I’m bringing presents!” She glared at Nilre, “And you can’t tell him what they are, or I’ll leave them here!”

  Ara faced Bast. “I’m sorry I don’t have a present for you. I’ll look and see if I can scrounge up something good. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

  Ara smiled and skipped out the door. “Oh, Major Hood should be up any moment!” she called over her shoulder. “And don’t wait for me—head back to the Goddard whenever you’re ready.”

  “Just a little hint?” Tomed asked Nilre after Ara left.

  “No. I want my present.”

  “Wow. Must be good then to not even get a teasing answer?”

  Nilre ignored him and walked back to the operating room.

  Something dinged.

  “What was that?” Bast jumped up and looked around.

  “The cryo-chamber’s done with the reviving cycle.” Tomed stood and walked over to lean against the doorpost. Nilre had already tossed a blanket over the Major.

  Bast stared at him for a good two minutes. “Um, he doesn’t look awake.”

  “Sometimes it takes a while.” Tomed shrugged. “Nilre?”