AMP Colossus (18 page)

York replied, "I'll be waiting, Sir."

The elevator quickly dropped the three levels to the guest-quarters area. Diane York was standing in the hallway by her door.

York spoke. "What's so urgent, Sir?"

I winked and gestured for her to not ask questions. "Oh, we just saw the capital planet of the Colossuns. I thought you might want to hear about it."

As we walked and talked, the Corporal was sending out his warning message to the others. I prattled on and on about what a wonderful place Colos looked to be.

When we had reached the end of the hall, I received a text from the Corporal.

Sir, I am picking up a large object, Sir, something that is planet size. I'm also picking up one of our signals. We are in orbit around Ponik, Sir. I'm certain of it.

I'm letting our guys down there know the situation as much as I can, Sir. I've told them they can talk to us if they like, but we will only be responding with text. I'll have them forward the info on to the Grid also, Sir.

I spoke. "How would everyone like a tour of the ship? I know we have seen some of it. But I would like to see all of it. Seeing the architecture alone will be worth the effort. Let's head back to the bridge and see if the Duke can arrange it for us."

As we walked the hall towards the bridge, two sentinel guards stepped in front of us.

I spoke. "Excuse us, please; we would like to see the Duke."

One of the sentinels spoke. "I am sorry, Sir. The bridge is temporarily off limits for guests. The Duke has left word for you to please return to your quarters. He will join you when he is able. You are all invited to a banquet dinner this evening. The Duke has planned a celebration."

I nodded as we turned to walk back towards my stateroom.

I sent a text to the others.

I bet they are going to be celebrating the liberation of Ponik and the elimination of the Grell. Corporal, send word to our men down there. They should expect a fight.

As we stepped into my room, York grabbed my arm and spoke quietly. "Sir. I think I can take down those two guards at the bridge."

I quietly replied, "And just what exactly are you going to do with two guns, York? There are probably five thousand of those sentinels on this ship. You can't possibly fight them all!"

York spoke. "Sir, if those sentinel weapons are pulsers, these hybrid suits should keep us relatively safe. We may get knocked around a bit, but I have a plan."

I replied, "Well, I'm sure you are going to tell me even if I don't want to hear it, so go ahead."

York cleared her throat. "OK, I think we can take a heavy hit from those pulsers if we dial up the gravity resistance on our suits. When you first arrived back at the Grid from Ponik, I decided I’d better school myself on pulsers if we were going to have to fight against them. What I came up with was a theory that the grav settings on these suits could really be an asset when fighting against them, Sir. I did a few experiments in the weapons lab, and a 50 percent increase in gravity actually takes down their effectiveness by about 80 percent. Those are hits we should be able to live with."

I replied, "That level of gravity is going to take a physical toll on us, York; we would be worn out in no time."

York nodded. "You are right, Sir. So, I went a little further and programmed the sensors on my suit to react to an incoming pulse. Just before the pulse hits, the gravity setting goes up, and just after impact, it drops back down. I can forward it on to the others if you like, Sir."

I shook my head. "Well, York, I don't think I fully buy into the Colonel's theory that I am the luckiest man alive anymore."

York replied, "Why is that, Sir?"

I slapped her gently on the back. "I'm only lucky in that I seem to have the right people around me at the right time. Of course, I'm saying that while we are sitting on a hostile ship that is about to attack our brethren. I'm not feeling lucky right now."

York replied, "Sir, just signal Frost and Rodriguez to get up here. Between the three of us, we will gut this ship from the inside out. And when we get to the Duke, I am going to take off my helmet and pull out every one of those squiggly white tendrils on his head with my bare teeth."

I looked at York. "I have no doubt you will, York. But, if we can get to the Duke, we will want to keep him alive. This stateroom is big enough for all of us to hang out. I think we ask everyone in here and start to plan for whatever action it is that we are going to decide to take."

York replied, "I like the way you think, Sir."

The entire afternoon was spent on idle chatter mixed in with extensive texting. If the Colossuns were watching or listening, they would have a difficult time determining exactly what we were doing. Rodriguez had come up with the idea for us to make it seem as though we were playing a trivia game to pass the time. Instead, we had planned out a strategy to take the Duke at his supposed celebratory dinner. I just hoped our Marines on Ponik could last that long. We had not heard from them for hours, as our comm was somehow being disrupted.

That evening there was a knock on the door. It was Bachmin. "Sir, guests, you are invited to the Grand Ballroom for pre-dinner drinks, and then to a feast in celebration of an upcoming announcement by the Duke. If you would follow me when you are ready, I will take your party... to the party."

I replied, "We will be out in a moment, Bachmin, and thank you!"

I turned back to the others. "When you hear the term 'red velvet,' you all know what to do. Let's go have a little party with the Duke. And Marines, let's watch that drinking, shall we? I want you all sharp out there!"

The Corporal replied as we stood to walk towards the door, "Get a few drinks in 'em, Sir, and you will see them at their sharpest!"

The ballroom was filled with large white columns lining the outer walls, with oval paintings of the Duke situated between each pair. There was a large amount of plant fare, flowers, ornamental shrubs, and water features. My favorite was a large aquarium underneath the transparent floor. The sea creatures it held, however, were not ones that you would want to swim with. The entire ballroom spoke of the privileged life the Duke led.

The Duke entered the room. "Welcome, all, to the grand celebration of our triumph! The planet Ponik is once again under our control, and the mines will again be producing ore for the Empire. Let us be thankful to the King for his wise decisions regarding this issue."

The Duke then turned and came to us. "Mr. Grange, I hope our blocking of comm channels to your people on the planet has not been too unsettling for you. We had sensitive business to attend to and could not risk outside interference in these most crucial of matters."

I replied, "When can I talk to my people again, Duke? You haven't left us much room to trust you or your intentions."

The Duke smiled and replied, "My apologies, Mr. Grange, but I'm sure you understand that the priorities of the Empire come first, especially given the fact that we are in Empire space. It is we who do not have much room for trust, Mr. Grange. You, after all, are the invaders."

I could hear Frost whispering behind me. "Just say it, Sir, and I will punch a hole in his face that you could drive a ship through."

I held my hand out with the palm facing Sergeant Frost. "Well, Duke, can we talk to our people?"

The Duke smiled a pursed smile. "Indeed you can, Mr. Grange."

The Duke pressed a button on the bracelet on his right arm. "Please restore the Human's communications."

In an instant I could hear a tone telling me the comm channels were clear. I asked the Duke to excuse me for a moment while I brought the Marines on Ponik up on my comm.

I spoke. "This is Don Grange; how are we doing down there?"

Several seconds of silence passed before a response came. Screaming and wailing could be heard in the background.

A voice replied, "This is Major Evverds, Mr. Grange. Everything is good down here. It seems the Grell have been given word that they are going home. It's all kind of confusing, but they seem pretty happy about it, Sir."

I looked up to a smiling Duke. "I see by your expression that you have news from your Marines. I also see a reflection of confusion in your eyes. Allow me to explain. The King, in his infinite wisdom, decided the Grell had served out their sentence to a degree that he found acceptable. They have been given their freedom, Mr. Grange. When their fleet arrives at Ponik, including Gurt Station, they will be allowed to board with enough provisions to make their journey back across the expanse. Perhaps in some distant future they can become a voluntary member of the Empire."

The Duke had outmaneuvered us. We had come to his party expecting a war and were instead greeted with a gesture of goodwill. I wasn't sure if I was happy for the Grell or disturbed that the Colossuns could jam our unjammable comms. I thanked the Duke and sent him on his way to boast to his cohorts about their accomplishment.

I turned back to Frost and the others. "This has me a little off game. We know the Duke has not been honest with us, but his actions leave me not knowing what to think."

I switched comm channels to Major Evverds. "Major, when the fleet arrives, see if you can sneak a comm device on one of their ships and get it wired into the power mains. Find Huff Gervel and tell him you want to monitor their departure. Once they are in free space, away from the Colossuns, tell him he can remove it or turn it off. If the Colossuns want to pull something with the Grell, we want to know about it. Tell Huff the comm channel will be linked straight to me."

Evverds replied, "Roger that, Sir. I will get on that immediately."

The remainder of the dinner and the aftershow were spectacular. The foods were delicious by any standard, and the entertainment rivaled any professionally performed act I had seen on the Grid. The Duke knew how to celebrate.

As we walked back to our rooms, I spoke. "I want you all to stay on your toes. The one thing tonight that I found odd was that the Duke didn't make any attempt to offer us passage down to the surface of Ponik. Not that I think it is any safer than here, mind you, but I found it strange that he never broached the subject."

York replied, "He may be waiting for you to ask, Sir, kind of a courtesy thing."

I nodded as I spoke. "I thought about that earlier, York. I gave him multiple opportunities to bring it up, and he seemed to almost avoid going where I was attempting to steer him. I think he has plans for us; I just don't know what they are."

The following morning I woke and made my way up to the bridge. The Duke was seated in his chair and smiling as I walked in.

The Duke spoke. "So, Mr. Grange, what did you think of my celebration? Did I not tell you it would be worth coming to?"

I replied, "You do know how to throw a party, Duke; I will give you that. I just wish you had been a little less secretive with your plans. That was not the best method of building trust with your newfound friends."

The Duke stood and paced as he talked. "Mr. Grange, would your government have acted any differently given the circumstance? We were involved in sometimes-heated negotiations with the Grell right up until I announced the celebration. They actually took convincing that we were sending them on their way. We brought with us an army to free our planet from their criminal acts; they were in a position of weakness. We offered nothing but kindness and generosity."

I replied, "You played the game well, Duke. I do have to ask you one question, though. Why did you not offer to fly us down to the planet? We have other troops there, and our people know where to come find us. I think you have something else in mind. Am I right?"

The Duke stopped and turned. "You are, Mr. Grange—right, that is. I promised you a ride to the Verna, did I not? What kind of host would I be if I did not follow through with that? I am very interested in fostering a friendly relation with Humans, Mr. Grange. It is, after all, the King’s will that I should do so."

The Duke continued, "Once we have shown you the Verna, it will be my pleasure to drop you wherever you and your friends like."

I replied, "Well then, let's get this show on the road, Duke. I'm sure you have other, more pressing duties that you would like to attend to besides carting us around."

The Duke returned to his opulent chair. He sat and began to tap his fingers on the bejeweled armrest.

The Duke spoke. "I have yet to figure you out, Mr. Grange. There is something that has been bothering me. I take my orders directly from the King. Who do you take orders from, Mr. Grange? I have yet to see any indication that there is an authority that you answer to. Why is that, Mr. Grange? What is it that I have missed?"

I replied, "You are correct, Duke. I don't answer to anyone, except of course to my wife. But as far as a chain of command, I do not have one that I follow. Let’s just say that I am a bit of a freelancer, Duke. My goals are largely aligned with that of my government, but I am not in the employ of my government. I guess you would call me a volunteer."

The Duke placed his hand under his chin. "I find that interesting, Mr. Grange. I am left feeling as though I do not have a complete picture of who you really are. Mysteries fascinate me, Mr. Grange. I take them as a challenge."

I thought for a moment before I replied, "I don't know, Duke, why I volunteer. Maybe I think I can get the job done better or faster than others. Maybe I don't always trust government. It's a trait that many Humans share, the volunteer thing. Maybe it's what makes us Human. I do know that I like to survive, and that I like to live free, and if it means putting myself out there and taking it on the chin every once in a while, then so be it. Nobody lives forever."

The Duke replied, "Indeed they don't, Mr. Grange, indeed they don't. At one time, my father had a chance to engage in hand-to-hand combat with his brother, my uncle, the King. He was a superior warrior, my father was. The King would not have survived the ordeal. But my father, instead of having a life where others would do battle for him, chose a life where he remained the warrior, placing his life in the service of my uncle, his twin brother."

I spoke. "So, your father would have been king, which would have made you a prince and not a duke. You don't seem like the prince type to me, Duke. You have an edge to you, something that a warrior would have instead of a politician."

The Duke replied, "I'm curious, Mr. Grange: how would you define the two, a warrior and a politician?"

I again thought for a moment. "A politician does everything he can to win the battle he is in, regardless. A warrior fights not for the battle but for the war. His future is more important than his day. We have many days in our life, Duke, but we only have one future."

The Duke paused. "Hmm. You are indeed a complex species, Mr. Grange. While one side of me longs to have you by my side as a trusted and loyal friend, the other desires to meet you in combat, a challenge that I may in some ways regret, but in others thoroughly enjoy."

I replied, "Let's hope it doesn't come to that, Duke."

The Duke continued, "I have one other comment, Mr. Grange: your team, they seem… mature for warriors. Our combat troops tend to be much younger than what you have with you. Am I correctly guessing that they are volunteers too? They certainly seem capable, but nonetheless mature."

I looked back towards the doorway. "Yes, they are volunteers. They were full-time fighters for most of their lives; to them, this is just an adventure. It beats sitting at home while wasting away on their pensions. Even though they are retirees, they still run circles around me. And the experience is something you don’t find in the young."

As the conversation continued, I began to get the feeling that I was being worked. The Duke was magnificent at putting you at ease. I found myself talking about things that were not normal conversations to be had with someone that I suspected had ulterior motives. After I dialed my replies back to simple "yes" and "no" responses, the Duke cut our conversation short.

The Duke spoke. "We will be departing for the Verna tomorrow, Mr. Grange. The Grell fleet will not arrive for months, so instead, we will be ferrying them out to their ships using our fleet. It will take a week for the transfer, but we will then be rid of the Grell. We would also like to have your troops removed from our planet, Mr. Grange. We would like to begin our restoration of the mines without the hindrance of your men being in the way. Should I arrange transport of them to your station?"

I replied, "I don’t think that will be necessary. If you allow safe passage for my ship, the
Granger
, I think we can move them out of there on our own. I will pass the word to those in charge to make that happen."

I left the bridge and headed back to my room. I was in need of quiet time where I could do some thinking. I was missing my friend Frig. I was in need of the wisdom and insight he would bring to a conversation, now more than ever.

As I entered my room, I decided to check in with the major. "Evverds, this is Grange. How are things down on the surface?"

The major replied, "They are going well. We have all of our people in Embry Port waiting for whatever is next. We are expecting the
Granger
at any time."

I sat in a chair in my room's lounge area. "Is Huff Gervel around? I would like to speak to him if he is available."

The major spoke. "Let me check on his whereabouts. He has been a busy guy since the news of their freedom broke. I think he is here in Embry. If I find him, I will patch him through."

I replied, "No, please find him and then find a secure comm location where I can speak with him. Anything going over the comms down there before your patching it in is probably being monitored. I am a little paranoid now that I know they can jam our comms. They are probably not far away from cracking our encryption. If that happens, they will own us outright."

The major replied, "I will see what I can do, Sir. I will let you know if he is here."

After several minutes in the chair, contemplating what might come, I rose and deposited myself on the ultracomfortable bed in the next room. I soon found myself daydreaming about Ashley. We were walking through a grassy field on Jarhead; she was smiling and laughing as we walked and talked. My dream was interrupted by a buzz from my comm.

I spoke. "What do you have for me, Major?"

The major replied, "Sir, I have Mr. Gervel here with me. He’s connected straight into my comm, so the conversation should be secure. I’ll patch you through now."

Huff Gervel spoke. "Mr. Grange. I hope you are well. I must say up front that this conversation will need to be short. I have much to do to prepare for our departure."