by E J Gilmour
He groaned. ‘I thought I was dead, and here I am all fixed up and ready to go. What happened down there? How did Cap get me out of that mess?’
‘That remains a mystery,’ said Ivan.
‘A mystery, what do you mean?’
‘There was a nuclear explosion. Captain Michael, Cynthia, Dog-Two and you survived the blast. The aliens were not so fortunate; they were incinerated.’
Ajax shook his head. ‘I don’t understand. How did we survive the blast?’
‘That is the peculiar part. I don’t know. Captain Michael was not prepared to say what happened; however, it is scientifically impossible to survive at the centre of a nuclear explosion.’
‘What? I’ll ask him myself,’ said Ajax as he jumped out of the bed. He looked out the window at the city beyond. The towering buildings extended into the distance as far as the eye could see. Flying cars, air-vehicles and other floating barges whizzed and drifted by. ‘Where are we, Ivan?’
‘We landed on Zeno Par five hours and fifty-three minutes ago. You are looking out at the cityscape of Oceanside City. This city is the capital of Zeno Par.’
‘So this is Zeno Par,’ he muttered. ‘It looks like a busy city; pity it’s in the direct path of the alien fleet.’ He scanned the distant buildings for a few seconds to take in the amazing view. ‘Did you see any bars on the way here?’
‘There is a saloon two kilometres from our location. However, we should return to the Out Drifter. There are many things we need to do. I have to return the ship’s GCTD to Sara.’
‘Where’s the Cap?’
‘He is searching for Acacius Trifon.’
‘Acacius Trifon,’ repeated Ajax, glancing back out the window. ‘Let’s go, Ivan. There is always time for a quick drink.’
‘Surely you realise that the consumption of alcohol can never remove or reduce the emotional pain you feel inside. One day you will have to face the pain or it will continue to damage you and the people you care about.’
Ajax clenched his jaw and his eyes burned with anger. He resented what he believed were stupid and unreasonable judgements. In his opinion there was absolutely no problem. Sure he liked to have a drink, but so did a lot of people.
‘Don’t say another word, Ivan. I don’t like taking advice from androids. What do you know about pain? Nothing!’
‘I only want to help you recover.’
‘There’s nothing to recover from,’ he said as he turned and walked toward the exit door. ‘Let’s go.’
**
Ethan examined the casings of the pressure release valves. His intelligent glasses completely scanned the structural integrity. Several new hairline cracks had developed since his last check. He knew he would have to do a complete replacement of the casings before leaving Zeno Par, but Ivan hadn’t yet returned with Ajax, and he needed the ship’s GCTD to buy new materials before he could proceed with the work.
Sara stepped into the engine room. ‘I found a company on the Oceanside City directory that does Armorstonian Reactor replenishments at a reasonable price,’ she said. ‘We just have to wait until Ivan and Ajax return with the GCTD.’
‘They seem to be taking their time. We also need to buy some heat proof alloys to fix these casings.’
‘How do they look?’
‘Not good. I think Captain Michael is the only captain in the galaxy who would fly a ship in this condition. Take a look around; it’s falling apart. He has relied on the Armorstonian build quality for far too long. Armorstonians built good ships, but they still require regular maintenance.’
‘Do you think those pressure release valves will hold for much longer if we don’t fix them?’
‘I don’t think they can take the pressure of the engine running at full power. They could explode without notice.’
Sara raised an eyebrow. ‘Without notice?’ she questioned. ‘Does the Captain know how serious the situation is back here?’
‘Of course he does!’ said Ethan, his voice revealing his frustration. ‘If you only knew how many times I have asked him for new components. He just doesn’t seem to care about the condition of his ship. Don’t get me wrong, I like the man, but he is the most irresponsible captain I’ve ever worked for.’
**
Ajax picked up his glass of violet glowing liquor. He lifted his drink to his eye and examined the glowing liquid closely. ‘Look at this, Ivan; it actually glows. This drink is definitely in my top ten; it’s beautiful. What did they call it?’
‘Violent Violet,’ answered Ivan.
‘Amazing,’ said Ajax, his eyes beaming as he swallowed the purple liquid.
‘Ajax, I understand you are enjoying yourself, but we should return to the ship. The Captain has asked me to organise the reactor replenishment, and I believe Ethan will require the use of the ship’s GCTD to buy spare parts and complete essential repair work.’
‘Yeah, yeah, just a few more drinks and we’ll be on our way.’
‘You said one drink before we arrived; you have already consumed three.’
‘Relax, Ivan. Take a look around; this is a nice bar in a nice city. Men like us rarely get a chance to relax and take it easy. We have to sneak a moment here and there. You know what I mean.’
‘Actually, I do not know what you mean. Remember, I am a synthetic android; I don’t need to relax and take it easy, and I certainly do not need to drink poisonous beverages to make myself feel good.’
‘No wonder you’re always uptight,’ said Ajax with a chuckle. His dark eyes scanned the mostly empty saloon. A basic synthetic android was serving drinks behind the bar. Most high end androids looked so much like people that it was very difficult to tell the difference, but the one serving drinks had skin that looked like plastic and an obviously fake beard. The android was an antique, and the saloon owners were clearly trying to create a retro feel.
‘We have a responsibility to the crew,’ said Ivan.
Ajax grimaced. ‘Listen here, Ivan. I’ve been awake for less than an hour. Before I blacked out I thought I was dying. I deserve a few drinks after fighting so many aliens. Surely even a robot can understand that.’
‘I comprehend your reasoning.’
Ajax smiled. ‘Good. You can be decent sometimes. Let me finish this last drink and then we will head back to the Out Drifter.’
‘May I ask you at what age you began to consume alcohol?’
Ajax physically shuddered at recalling the memory. He turned away and stared out the window at the city beyond. He didn’t answer, but the question caused him to recall some buried memories. He saw her face in his memories. Her happy eyes were full of joy. A feeling of painful grief surged through his body. He remembered back to that time so many years ago.
‘Ajax, don’t be out too late. The system reports are saying the gangs are active tonight in the outskirts,’ said Tara, his twin sister.
‘You worry too much, Tara. I know how to dodge the gangs, and besides, look at these muscles,’ he said as he flexed his huge biceps. ‘I’m the toughest guy out there.’
‘There is always someone stronger.’
‘Not in this city,’ he replied confidently. He dashed out the front door of their small ground floor apartment.
A year earlier their parents had died in a tragic air-vehicle accident. Ajax and Tara had been left alone to fend for themselves in rough and unforgiving city of Endtown on Asterton Beta 2, an end of the line world which was used as a scrapyard by Epherian Empire contractors to salvage parts from obsolete space freighters. They were seventeen years old, and Ajax worked as a labourer in a small scrapyard at the end of their street. Tara was attending a correspondence school on the local free education network. She stayed home most of the time because the streets were becoming more dangerous with each passing month. Street gangs were progressively taking over the city. The authorities had tried to stop the spread of violence, but the problem had gone beyond the point of no return and everyone knew that the gang leaders were the real authority in the c
ity.
The gangs provided a feeling of belonging and brotherhood for disaffected youth. Members also enjoyed the protection provided by gang affiliation. Young Ajax had been spotted by a gang leader who had invited him to join the ranks. The Knuckles were a smaller gang, but they had been growing quickly and taking a lot of territory from the larger more established gangs. The Knuckles were generally feared because of their violent tactics and reluctance to back down in a fight.
Most of the young lads of the local suburb aspired to join the Knuckles, and many worked as Seconds, which was the name given to those who were not yet full gang members. That night was Ajax’s big night; he had been chosen ahead of many others to enter into full membership. A feeling of excitement flowed through his body as he rounded the corner at the end of the street.
He made his way through an area of scrapyards to a dusty field which was situated between a series of abandoned residential buildings and a junkyard. A group of about thirty Knuckles were standing in a semicircle in the half light. They were all clothed in a similar manner, dark intelligent glasses and plasma resistant black leather jackets.
Kagger the Jackal stepped forward from the group. He was the leader of the Knuckles, a giant of a man, who had genetically modified his body to be far musclier than was naturally possible. He was tall with a shaved head and a permanent grimace. He lifted his glasses and his piercing blue eyes stared at Ajax like he was staring at a dirty rat approaching.
Ajax stepped forward. He had never spoken to Kagger the Jackal, and he felt nervous being in the presence of the fearsome leader of the Knuckles.
‘You want to join the Knuckles, do you, boy?’ growled Kagger.
‘That’s what I’m here for,’ answered Ajax, holding his chin high and staring directly back at Kagger. Kagger held the stare and nothing was said for a few seconds.
‘Do you know the code?’ asked Kagger with a sneer.
‘I do. Loyalty to the Knuckles. Stand by the Knuckles until death. To betray one Knuckle is to betray all the Knuckles.’
‘Do you accept the code?’
‘I do,’ he replied.
‘Do you understand you can never leave once you join?’
‘I do.’
‘Do you understand your loyalty is to us and no one else?’
‘I do.’
‘Very good,’ said Kagger. He then walked toward Ajax and lifted a vial of orange liquid. ‘Do you know what this is?’
‘Nano-bot infused liquid,’ answered Ajax.
‘Yes, that’s right, with a dash of pure alcohol. The active components are specially designed nano-bots which will permeate your entire system. They restrain you from doing anything to hurt your fellow Knuckles. We all drink a vial of this when we join the gang. The nano-bots stay in your system for your entire life. If they ever detect you assaulting another gang member they will activate pain receptors throughout your body. All our nano-bots are wirelessly connected. It’s an extra precaution we take to ensure loyalty remains the central pillar of the Knuckles.’ He handed the vial to Ajax. ‘Drink!’
Ajax took the vial and lifted it to his lips. Within seconds he had swallowed the entire contents.
Kagger’s lips twisted into a grin. ‘Good, now you’re a man like the rest of us. You’re a real Knuckle.’
Ajax became aware of someone approaching out of the corner of his eye. He glanced over his shoulder and his heart nearly stopped. Tara was walking toward them, deep concern evident in her eyes.
‘Ajax, what’s going on? You’re not joining a gang are you? No, Ajax, you can’t,’ she pleaded.
‘Who’s this intruder?’ asked Kagger with a vicious sneer.
‘Tara, you shouldn’t be here! You shouldn’t have followed me. Go home! This is none of your business,’ he said firmly.
‘I’m not leaving without you! Ajax, come with me. This isn’t who you are.’
‘He is not going anywhere,’ growled Kagger. ‘Ajax is one of us.’
Tara shook her head. ‘Ajax is not one of you. You think you’re so strong, but when I look at you the only thing I see is a pack of cowards. Not one of you has the strength or courage to stand alone. You’re little boys pretending to be men.’
Kagger sneered down at her. Ajax could sense the danger and his mind raced as he tried to think of a way to diffuse the situation. This was a nightmare turning into reality. She wasn’t meant to know anything about what he was up to with the Knuckles. He had no idea how she had managed to follow him, and on this night of all nights.
‘Tara, I will take you home,’ said Ajax, taking her arm.
‘No, no, no,’ said Kagger. ‘She can’t barge into a Knuckle initiation and insult us without consequences.’
‘She’s my sister,’ said Ajax in a low and steady voice.
‘I couldn’t care less, even if she was Epherian royalty; no one gets away with insulting the Knuckles.’
‘Kagger, listen to me,’ stuttered Ajax. ‘She doesn’t know what she’s saying.’
‘I know exactly what I’m saying,’ said Tara. ‘You have to come with me. I won’t leave without you.’
Ajax turned to face her, pleading for her to say nothing more. ‘Please, Tara…’
The hiss of plasma ripped through the air. Ajax watched as the beam tore through Tara’s chest. She froze in shock, and her eyes widened as she stumbled and fell backward, clutching her bleeding chest.
‘No!’ screamed Ajax as he dashed to her side. ‘No! This can’t be happening!’ he howled.
Tara looked up at him. He could see her mouth was filling with blood, and her sad eyes stared into his.
‘I won’t leave without you…’ she said as her voice trailed away. She became completely still, and her lifeless eyes stared into space.
Kagger was holding the smoking plasma pistol. Ajax felt anger well up within him like a swirling tornado. The anger turned into rage and far beyond. He leapt up, clenched his fists and charged. He hit out, but before he could finish the punch he felt an unbearable pain blast through his entire body. He fell to the ground and clutched his abdomen as he moaned.
Kagger viciously chuckled. ‘That’s the feeling of the nano-bots doing their work. They won’t allow you to hurt me, but my nano-bots are a little different. Being the leader of the Knuckles I can do whatever I want.’
Kagger ran forward and kicked Ajax in the head. The impact almost knocked him unconscious. Blood trickled down his cheek. Kagger and the other gang members laughed and jeered.
‘This is what happens when you have loyalty to people outside the gang. You are not one of us. I banish you, Ajax. You chose your sister over the Knuckles. Get him out of my sight.’
Kagger turned and walked away. Two gang members dragged Ajax across the field. He was dazed and confused from the intense and excruciating pain. Simultaneously he could feel the emotional pain was only increasing with each passing moment. He howled in grief as the Knuckles hurled him into a pile of garbage. The gang laughed and mocked him as they walked away. He was left lying in the silence. He looked up at the dark sky and moaned from the core of his being.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Sara glanced down at the control console. Her eyes caught sight of a small red flickering light, which was the navigation system warning light.
‘Why would anyone want to jam our navigation system?’ she questioned as she switched on the ship’s computer.
‘Computer, what is the status of the navigation communication channels? Are we being jammed?’
RUNNING DIAGNOSTIC TOOL. A few seconds passed. She tapped the edge of the console and waited. Something didn’t seem right.
NAVIGATION COMMUNICATION CHANNELS ARE BEING BLOCKED BY AN EXTERNAL ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD. THE SOURCE OF THE FIELD IS UNKNOWN.
‘Computer, run a complete check of all internal systems.’
RUNNING FULL SYSTEM CHECK: PLEASE WAIT.
Ivan and Ajax appeared at the door of the control room. She glanced over her shoulder at Ajax. ‘Good to see you b
ack on your feet. How do you feel?’ she asked with a smile.
‘Alive,’ he replied.
ALL SYSTEMS ARE RUNNING AT A SATISFACTORY LEVEL.
‘Why are you doing a system check?’ asked Ivan.
‘Someone is jamming our navigation communication channels,’ she answered. ‘I want to make sure everything else is fine. We don’t know anyone on Zeno Par, and we sure don’t have any enemies here, or at least I don’t think we do. It’s probably a few kids playing a practical joke with an electromagnetic field disruptor.’
‘There is another possible explanation,’ said Ivan. ‘Perhaps all the navigation communication channels throughout the city are being jammed.’
‘Why would anyone want to do that?’ asked Ajax.
‘To reduce the probability of Zeno Par’s armed forces mounting a coordinated defence,’ said Ivan.
Sara drew a deep breath. She knew what Ivan was suggesting, and she had seen the aliens use the same tactic in the past to cause massive devastation.
‘Ivan, take a portable scanner to the edge of the platform,’ she said in a hurried voice. ‘See if your theory has any truth to it.’
Ivan nodded before turning around and walking back to the cargo bay. Within a few seconds he was outside the ship. He went to the edge of the platform and lifted the handheld scanner. Sara watched him and waited for as he adjusted the device. Ivan took a sudden step back. He then turned and ran for the ship and waved his free arm.
‘What did you see, Ivan?’ she asked over the com.
‘…They are here. The aliens are here…’ he replied.
Adrenaline rushed through her body. ‘Get in the ship and seal the exit door. We’re getting out of here!’
She reached out and flicked the three reactor operation switches. The Out Drifter’s engine instantly rumbled as it powered back to life. ‘Ethan, are you on the ship?’
‘…I’m in the engine room. Why have you started the engines?...’
‘We’re taking off. The aliens are about to attack the city.’
Ivan reappeared and jumped into the co-pilot seat.
‘What do you want me to do?’ asked Ajax.