Ilox Saga 1: Eris Monroe: More Than Human (33 page)

“When I was forced to leave my prototype kinetic shield generator behind on Furnace, I decided to recreate it using the labs on Sparta.” The device was no larger than fifty centimeters in height and easily could be carried. “I managed to make it even smaller than before. Captain Monroe has graciously agreed to let me perform a field test on this planet.”

“Yes…but what does it
do
?” Kizzara asked emphatically. The atmosphere of the planet was dense, though composed of hydrocarbons and silicates, and the methane snow crunched under each footstep. Every one of the ground team wore armored and sealed spacesuits to protect them from the poisonous atmosphere and the extreme cold.

“You know how the Sparta has Hayles-Zinder kinetic shields?” The Professor asked with a gleeful tone.

“Yes, what of it?” Kizzara was puzzled where he was going with this. Everyone knew that starships carrier kinetic barriers. They were used to deflect space junk and small objects on ordinary starships and could be used to protect military vessels from destructive energies and missiles.

“Well, my prototype projects the same type of shield but in a portable manner. You see, I’ve managed to create a variant that does not require the same amount of energy for the protection emitted and projected in a sphere. Of course, there are still many problems with my design… the projected shield won’t last very long and another problem is radiation shielding.”

“How useful can such a thing be? It doesn’t look all that portable.” Kizzara seemed dubious.

“My prior prototype saved my life for two days. Of course, it was hooked up to a power generator.” Professor Gelkar looked at Kizzara with a smile on his face. “I believe I can shrink my device even further…small enough to fit inside of a combat suit. Do you think
that
would be of some use?”

“So, personal shields for everyone on the Sparta? That would be very handy to have in a fight…”

“Captain, I want to try out my prototype…if I may?” The Arrasian scientist was gleeful that she had agreed to the test. Eris stopped the group with an upraised fist.

“What do you need us to do?”

“I will set the field generator down on the ground with that ridge as a backdrop…” Gelkar then moved roughly fifteen meters distant and placed his device on the methane snow. He also put a small shooting target next to the tripod. As he trudged back over the ice-encrusted ground, he whistled a tune and remotely turned on the portable shield device. A shimmering azure tinted translucent field enveloped the device as well as the shooting target. “There…now I wish for someone to fire at the target. Anyone will do – Captain, do you want to give it a try?” Professor Ruz’zel continued to hum. All eyes were on the shielded target.

Eris had detached her Gauss assault rifle and took aim. She set the selector to single shot. A blue spark angled away from the shield - the target was unharmed and the shield was not penetrated.

Eli whistled appreciatively. Eris flipped her rifle to automatic fire and took aim once more. She kept firing – blue sparks and the sound of ricocheting flechette rounds filled the space surrounding the target and Professor Ruz’zel’s invention. Just as the magazine was about to be emptied, the shooting target flew back and out of sight. Eris had emptied roughly forty-five rounds into the shield before it finally failed.

“Color me impressed…do you think you can install that tech into our combat suits?” Eris asked Gelkar politely. He nodded vigorously.

“Yes, it might take another week or so, but it definitely can be done! I’ll start work on it immediately once we are back on the Sparta… Of course, I may need to stop and acquire some specialized equipment from starports.” Gelkar went and retrieved his portable shield generator and then trotted back to his waiting companions.

Eris nodded and motioned for the group to continue on. Her people had reached a ridge of snow encrusted rock formations that looked formidable. Beyond the ridge and down a slope was a series of prefabricated structures linked together with short tubes. They were camouflaged and blended in well with the surrounding terrain. Without enhanced vision gear, the buildings would have been difficult to spot, but Ultravision optics showed them clearly silhouetted against the rocky outcroppings.

Eris pointed at the structures, motioning for the group to descend toward them. Scrambling over the sharp rocks was slow, but not terribly dangerous. The slope was gentle and not steep and could be walked down as long as the jagged knee high rocks that poked up out of the ground every meter or so were avoided. An airlock door was open and waiting for them as the group approached. A voice came over their suits link as they approached.

“Welcome! Please enter my humble little hideout, Captain Monroe; there is much we must discuss.” The voice cut off and Eris sent a strong thought to T’sell.

“What can you tell about who or what is waiting for us in there?”

“I sense only a single being inside.”
T’sell T’savri was surprised that Eris had agreed to this method of communicating. She knew that the human distrusted telepathic intrusions into her own mind.

The group entered the small building and waited as the airlock cycled through. The interior door opened revealing a room mostly filled with electronic equipments but with a folding table in the center with crates placed near it acting as make-shift chairs.

An Evene was standing at the far side of the table wearing gaudy clothes with a tool belt buckled around his hips but no with no weapons evident.

“I apologize for the lack of amenities. This structure was never meant to be anything other than a safe house for me. I never anticipated that I would be having guests…” The Evene was covered in white fur and wore stylized ornaments woven into his fur not too dissimilar from that of Kizzara’s. The Evene’s breasts were small but still noticeable. He bowed with his head dipping low and his tail making an intricate pattern. “I am Lluras Serrick Vas Petras…and I have come to defect and be under your protection, Captain Monroe.”

Eli had noticed an operational computer sitting in the corner of the room and silently began to rummage through its contents. He found that Lluras was a masterful programming engineer of the first class. Suit atmosphere sensors turned green indicating that the air was breathable. Everyone retracted their helmets and Eris was the first to speak.

“Why did you defect to
me
?” Eris asked. “What do you hope to gain?”

“I am well aware of who you are Eris Monroe - Captain of the Sparta, agent of Dominique Gray, CEO of Dynamic Space Development. You are…special…and have the means to defeat Chol Cuxa, my former employer.” He motioned to the makeshift chairs. “Please, sit, I know it isn’t that comfortable, but formalities would put me more at ease.” Eris did as he asked and sat down on an uncomfortable box that doubled as a chair. As the group sat, Lluras eyed Eris with her armor and bristling display of weapons.

“I feel somewhat insignificant in the presence of such firepower and determined people. Yet…I think I have made the right choice. You see, my former employer was quite ruthless and in charge of a powerful criminal enterprise. These items of intelligence, of course, all of you know quite well I am sure.” He put his hand to his face and coughed. His claws were as sharp as Kizzara’s. “He had plans to eliminate me soon. I contacted Mr. Gray because I want to keep on living. I assume he sent you to meet with me. His other agents were not as intimidating as you are.”

T’sell T’savri had been trying to read the Evene’s mind, but she was being blocked. She sent a quick thought to Eris, “
He has a shield that prevents me from scanning him.”

Eris thought back to T’sell, “
Have Eli look at his implants and the computer systems here to find the information.”

“Where is Chol Cuxa?” Eris asked. She was becoming impatient.

“If you move quickly, you will find him on a moon orbiting the fifth planet in a system three jumps distant. I have all of the data here.” He tapped the side of his head.

“I need more than that…” Eris stated coldly.

“Ah…well, you see, if I give you all of my valuable information, I have nothing to bargain with.” Lluras was enjoying himself.

“You won’t have anything to bargain with either if I kill you,” Eris said.

“I don’t think you know how this process works…” Lluras was no longer smiling as Eris threatened him with death.

“Time is a commodity I am short on. I don’t have the patience to play your little game. Tell me what you want – right now.” Eris took her gauss pistol out of its holster to emphasize her urgency.

“Well…if you put it that way.” Lluras shifted on his crate and scratched his ear as if distracted. “I want a substantial number of credits…let’s say ten million…deposited into an account of my choosing. Once I have confirmation the money is there, I will tell you exactly where, when, how and what Chol Cuxa is doing and is planning on doing.”

“How about taking five million credits instead?” Eris couldn’t believe she was haggling for Dominic Gray.

“Nine million sounds better to my ears,” Lluras seemed to be enjoying the transaction. Kizzara wasn’t amused by the exchange and seemed to be annoyed with Lluras for some reason.

“Six million credits will buy you a lot of toys…” Eris said.

“Eight million will buy me more…” said Lluras showing his fangs. His tail was
swishing
back and forth furiously.

“I can see where this is going. Alright, let’s just say seven and a half million credits – deposited into an account of your choice.” Eris said.

“I would continue to barter with you but I can see you’re a woman that is very determined. Very well, I agree to the amount.”

“Eli, can you get in touch with Mr. Gray from here?” Eris continued to stare at the Evene.

“Yep,” Eli answered quickly.

“Inform him of what Lluras wants and see if he agrees. Tell him we don’t have much time…”

Kizzara stood up, walked close to Eris and
stared at the Vortex traitor. “How did you come to join the Vortex mercenaries?” Kizzara asked with a frown. Lluras seemed somewhat caught off-guard by the question.

“I was brought from the homeworld, and lifted out of poverty - by a high ranking associate of Chol Cuxa,” Lluras answered immediately.

“Why would Vortex take a poor Evene from our homeworld into their ranks?” asked Kizzara. She didn’t like Lluras and it showed in her voice and body movements. Lluras flashed a smile at her, showing his sharp teeth as he answered.

“Someone had obviously learned of my talents with communication systems and wanted me in the organization. I proved very useful to them in the last year and a half.”

“So they took you in, and now you have betrayed them. How do we know you won’t do the same to us when you have your money?”

“If I might be so bold, you are quite beautiful, Kizzara Amara Vis Sala…Yet, as I said before, Chol Cuxa was planning on eliminating me. That is a powerful incentive to ‘betray’ him…and the Vortex organization…don’t you think?” As Kizz’s ears flattened in response, Eli spoke aloud.

“Mr. Gray agrees to the amount and just needs the account number to proceed.” Eli was frowning. “What is the number, Lluras?” In response, Lluras tapped a device on his right arm and then whispered into it, giving it a verbal command.

“I’ve sent the twelve digit code and link protocol of my bank account to your comm implant, Mr. Bowman.” Eli nodded, looking at Eris, as he received the data.

T’sell understood something about Lluras immediately. “You don’t have any implants, do you?” The Zari woman had said nothing but had watched, trying to ascertain if all of this was some type of devious trap. She had detected nothing of the kind from the Evene defector.

“No, I prefer to live…simply…” Lluras flashed a smile again, but this time aimed at Eris. “Captain, I believe our transaction is finished here. I’ll send the exact coordinates to Mr. Bowman, along with all of the security codes needed to enter the base Chol is currently operating out of, once I’m clear of this planet. You’d best hurry as he won’t be there much longer.” He seemed very pleased with himself. Eris stood up and faced him. The rest of the crew stood as well.