Harvester 7 (3 page)

"Thanks for
the heads-up." glowered Balak as he staggered back to his feet.

"Hey, it's the
very least I could do, you guys have given me just as much
warning."

"As I have
already told you, I'm not the enemy, perhaps you will begin to
understand soon and maybe we can get on a better footing."

Doubtful
replied Maulik but blocked
the comment, "So... we've officially jumped, start
talking!"

"First I want
you to meet another guest." replied the Colonel and swiftly
transmitted the code to open the accommodation deck, the hatch
swished open and a guard of marines saluted smartly as they walked
through to the large suite reserved for meetings and special
guests.

"Master
Maulik, I would like you to meet Vice Chancellor Go'an of the Watu
High Council."

Maulik felt
his skin crawl which constricted his respiration pores catching his
breath for a moment.

"A Watu...
here on my ship?" his response was private and directed at the
Colonel, but his expression to the Watu Vice Chancellor remained
neutral.

Go'an was
exactly as the pictures he had seen. Primitive. Thick with hair and
the smell was sickening, he barely reached Maulik's waist but under
the coating of thick brown hair a heavily muscled physique rippled,
his shoulders were broad and looked solid, even more solid than the
strongest "manual" he had aboard. Maulik tried to avoid eye contact
but couldn't help himself glancing, the Watu had no membrane, just
yellow orbs with rapidly expanding and contracting black pupils, he
felt that those strange eyes were burning deep into his flesh. The
face was hairless and the skin creased and dark brown, it reminded
Maulik of harvested flesh that was only part dried, that also
wrinkled and creased in a similar fashion. Around his short and
wide neck he wore a heavy chain of office and in one meaty five
fingered hand he held a ceremonial staff of polished black bone
with what looked like a horned serpents head glaring at him with
flaming red gem stone eyes.

It was true
what he had heard, the Watu did wear the skins of lower animals,
the cloak draped across the broad shoulders had come from some
heavy black haired creature and his lower body was wrapped in a
similar heavy skin.

"Again... a
Watu on my ship?" he signalled the Colonel, "I think there is a lot
of explaining to do here!"

"Vice
Chancellor Go'an is also a telepath." indicated Balak, as the
stocky Watu grinned displaying a full set of dagger-like teeth.

"Master
Maulik, it is an honour to be a guest aboard your fine ship." the
Watu replied and bowed low.

"You will have
to excuse my initial reaction," replied a stunned Maulik, "I really
didn't expect to meet a member of the Watu High Council today."

Go'an
chuckled, "Well covered. But what you meant to say is you expected
to fight the Watu today, but not to entertain one as your guest."
he held up his misshapen hand to stop Maulik's reply.

"Our peoples
have been enemies for centuries, but soon we will be allies, if the
Gods permit, come Master Maulik, sit with me and the Colonel and we
can satisfy all of those questions that are crowding your
mind."

In a dream of
confusion Maulik joined Balak and Go'an at the highly polished
conference table and listened as Go'an explained his peoples
history and hopes for the future.

"Our races
share a common ancestry." he announced and grinned at Maulik's look
of disbelief.

"Impossible,"
he declared, "How could that be true, just look at us, how could
two species be more different?"

"Environment,
circumstances," replied Go'an, "I didn't want to believe it myself
when I first learned the truth, how could a proud warrior race such
as the Watu share genetics with you silver skinned hairless
creatures," he chuckled again, "No offence intended but we find you
as offensive to look at as you no doubt find us, but that does not
change the fact that genetically our races are almost
identical."

"OK, let’s say
that maybe I'm open minded enough to accept what you're saying, but
where is the proof, how did you discover the link?"

"Ah, now that
goes back before my time, a long way back. Many centuries ago we
had a visitor, a fugitive, we found him crashed on our southern
continent, his ship was only slightly damaged and he was in stasis,
in a cryo-tube, my unenlightened ancestors simply wanted to eat him
but as the feast was being prepared he awoke and spoke directly to
their minds, it saved his life."

Go'an
chuckled, "He told us many things, things that are now considered
legend and myth, yet those tales he told held truths, inescapable
truths." Go'an fixed his yellow pulsating eyes on Maulik and
strengthened their link, "Our telepathic ability is much stronger
than yours, I could tear your mind to pieces now if I so wished,
you Terrillians have always considered yourselves superior to us,
but you might be surprised." he relaxed the contact and Maulik
massaged above his scar. "That was not intended as intimidation or
a threat," announced Go'an, "I simply wish to alter your perception
of my race, we are not the animals you believe us to be, in fact,
according to your classification, I would say we are easily Level
9, but I am wandering from the current topic, Master Maulik, have
you never wondered why the creatures in each system that you
harvest are all so similar, their planets are light years apart yet
there is usually a genetic link?"

"Coincidence,
maybe the original organic source split between different planets
as each solar system was born, maybe the Gods themselves truly
created life that way... who knows for sure?" he shrugged.

"I know for
sure," replied Go'an with certainty, "The fugitive on our planet
was escaping a race that we have never encountered... yet. They are
responsible, he told us their name but it is too painful for
telepaths to utter, so we only refer to them as the Reapers."

"You are
seriously expecting me to buy this?" snapped Maulik before grasping
his head as his mirror membranes fluttered rapidly.

"That is their proper name, and that hurt me almost as much
as it hurt you, do not test my patience Master Maulik, if you are
truly enlightened you will listen to me and drive the doubts away
that I see lurking in the depths of your mind... and, as a matter
of interest,
you
also smell very bad to me... Now if I have your attention
again, I will continue, the Reapers are what you would call
farmers, they seed the galaxies with their livestock. Yes Maulik,
both you and I are their food source," he smiled exposing the sharp
teeth, "The harvesters may soon be harvested themselves, don't you
find that rather ironic?"

"How do you
know this for sure?" asked the Colonel,

"We have
always called the writings our scriptures," replied the Watu, "Yet
the learned amongst us know that those scriptures were written by
the fugitive, they foretell of a time when the Gods will return to
Watuma, many believe this will be a time of great celebration, I
know it will be a time of devastation, the galactic farmers will
return to harvest their fields, it will be the end of our
civilizations, both mine, and yours."

"When?" asked
Maulik, as Go'an smiled.

"According to
our calculations any time within the next twenty years, any time,
perhaps even today or tomorrow, that is why I have called this
truce between our peoples, we can stand together, or fall
alone."

Maulik nodded,
"It makes sense yet I also sense that the High Council doesn't
agree with you, or why the clandestine meeting aboard my ship, and
the hold full of marines and drones?"

Go'an bared
his teeth and his eyes flashed, "You see Colonel, I was right, you
doubted me but young Maulik here is worth ten of your marines, he
obviously beat your advanced encryption... congratulations," he
remarked, "It is true that the High Council is not completely on my
side, many are stubbornly following the Chancellor in his fanatical
belief that the Gods are returning."

"So we are going to help you take one step up the political
ladder "
Vice
"
Chancellor?" grinned Maulik, "Because this could also simply be
your way of seizing power, maybe the Gods truly are returning and
you just want to be the leader that meets them!"

"That may look
like a possibility," he admitted, "But look into my mind, if you
find even the slightest deception I will willingly leave your ship
and we can resume hostilities." and at that he opened his mind and
invited a link. Maulik didn't need the connection, he already
sensed the truth, and the truth scared him.

"So why do you
need Harvester 7, surely it would have been easier to just arrive
with a battle cruiser?"

"Stealth, my
young friend," replied Go'an, "You will simply cut out of FTL on
the outer edge of the Watuma system and plead mechanical failures,
my people will send out a few star-fighters to harass you but
no-one will turn a hair that a harvester is stalled on the edge of
our territory."

"And when your
people are asleep the marines boost you to power, very neat."

"Crudely
put... but basically true," admitted Go'an, "But I prefer to
believe that a stealth attack will reduce the lives lost, on both
sides, the Watu are not toothless!" he bit the air aggressively
before laughing, "We have a more advanced fleet that you could ever
imagine, stealth will save us from war, we cut off the serpents
head quickly and surgically, the High Council will follow me when
the Chancellor is gone, of that I have no doubt."

"Then I guess
it's almost time for you to be getting ready," replied Maulik as he
connected his mind with the navigation computer, "We arrive in just
over three hours. I just have one question, why did you need us,
why not use your own military?"

"A good
question," grinned Go'an, "We have a very strict chain of command
and the military will only respond on the direct orders of the
Chancellor, no-one else, that is why he must be silenced quickly
and effectively before any order can be given, I could not rely on
my own military to support me as Vice, but as Chancellor I will
have complete control over them."

"So if we do
it quickly, everyone is happy, but mess it up and we are at
war?"

Go'an
nodded.

"Wonderful."
sighed Maulik, "And my poor 7 is stuck in the middle, I hope your
guys are good Colonel."

***

Maulik left
his guests discussing strategy and returned to the bridge, his mind
buzzing with questions and concerns.

"Relik, join
me in my ready room... now." he signalled without pausing, he
needed a trusted opinion and Relik was the closest to a friend that
he had, he needed to share his recent information, he wanted to
judge Relik's reactions.

"Sit." he
instructed and requested a private link. With interest he followed
the subconscious reactions as he transferred his data from the
meeting with Go'an, fear, disbelief and finally excitement
blossomed in Relik’s mind.

"Suggestions?"
he asked.

"Strengthen
our defences," was the immediate reply, "Personally, if I can speak
freely?" Relik paused for a moment before continuing as Maulik
nodded, "I would look at the worst case, if they fail we have a
whole planets worth of star-fighters looking for a target, and 7
certainly isn't a star-fighter, sure we can outrun them... given
time, but we don't have acceleration, we will take a lot of
pounding before we can build the speed to escape."

"Agreed,"
replied Maulik, "Plot an escape vector into the navcom, have it
ready on my word... The Colonial Marines can start their war if
they want, but my priorities are to my ship and my crew, if
anything thing goes wrong I won't hesitate to get us out of
here."

Relik nodded,
before asking tentatively "Should I get extra gunnery crews on
standby?"

Maulik paused
for a second, "Yes, but make it a look like a drill, call it
readiness training... there is no need to alarm anyone just
yet."

Relik stood
and began to leave before turning to his Master, "Do you agree with
what’s happening?"

he received a
mental shrug, "This is bigger than me," Maulik admitted, "I can't
say I agree, but I can't say I'm totally against it, if nothing
else is achieved at least the Watu should stop constantly shooting
at us."

"Are they
really as disgusting as they look in the pictures?" Relik
grinned.

"Far worse,"
laughed Maulik, "But when you meet Go'an, clear your mind, he is an
exceptionally gifted telepath."

"Are your
calculations to drop out of FTL on the edge of Watu space
complete?" asked Colonel Balak as he stepped onto the bridge and
approached Maulik.

"Yes, and my
crew are ready," he nodded, "Are your people ready?"

"Colonial
Marines are always ready." Balak repeated the recruiting slogan
which didn't impress the bridge crew who had now all been fully
briefed.

"None of us
want to enlist Colonel," replied Maulik with an edge of sarcasm, "A
simple yes would have been enough."

"We will be
ready to launch as soon as you get us into the optimum orbit."
acknowledged Balak.

For a split
second Maulik sensed concern before it was masked in the Colonels
mind, "Is there something that you forgot to tell me?" he asked as
he witnessed the rapid shimmer on Balak's mirrored membrane, a sure
sign of nerves.

"This mission
has only a 63% chance of success... according to the simulations."
he admitted privately, raising Maulik's concerns to a higher
level.

"Just
perfect." Maulik sighed, "OK Relik, get your extra gunnery crews on
standby, it looks like this isn't a drill anymore."