Koban (49 page)

He waited for her to have time to get clear.

“Hi Dillon, you dear boy,” was the first thing she said.
Uh
oh, she’s done something I won’t like
was his first thought.

“I know Noreen told all of the crew the word about the ship being
safe for now, and I assume you were Linked in as well?”

“Yes, that was excellent news. I wish the damned beasts would
have made that decision before we lost those good people crossing over.”

“Maggi, you know that was part of their testing of new captives,
and an object lesson as well. Staying aboard with everyone was never an option.”

“I know, but now we have to make them walk back. I don’t think
all of them will want to leave the security of the dome. Perhaps they will after
firearms familiarization tomorrow. Anyone that wants one will get a Krall made pistol
scaled to human hands. That helpless feeling outside was unpleasant.”

“Possibly. I didn’t think about that, and I want as big and fast
firing a gun as they’ll let me have. As many as Thad carries, or even more!” He
chuckled.

“You had better learn how to use one first, hot shot. The only
pistol you’ve ever fired is between your legs stud boy,” she cracked.

Now that was more like the “normal” Maggi, he thought.

“The ship is locked up until morning, so you will have to stay
over there. How are you feeling? It’s been a long day.”

“For an old Lady you mean?” she asked, in a dangerous tone to
Dillon’s ear.

“For us all. Tet was on his last legs when we finally learned
the ship was spared. He’d been out in the heat all day, up and down the ramp multiple
times, and then the trip into the dome followed by the race back to the ship. He
took three sets of those booster pills. He’s put out a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on
his door.”

“Three doses? I’ll have to talk to that man. We warned everyone
to limit themselves to two doses unless there was an emergency… Well we did have
some emergencies, but they were mostly early on, in the first hour or so. No wonder
he’s having such a crash. Someone had better check on him later. Perhaps Noreen
has the authority to order our friend to monitor him?”

“I’ll ask her when you and I are done, Maggi. However, I wanted
to find out if we have a secure space over there to set up our labs, or if we need
to find somewhere on the ship to do that? The cargo hold will be busy, and the common
areas and conference rooms are too open for outside access and monitoring. Assuming
the Krall will post anyone on board.”

“Thad says there are quite a few secure rooms like his on various
levels, but power would be a problem. There are power distribution points in every
room or compartment, but they are incompatible with our systems, and the rooms are
probably subject to even better monitoring over here. I don’t know if the Krall
peeked in on their own kind or not, but I’ll bet they can on us.”

“That was sort of along my own thinking, though I think the power
issue there could be solved. We would have a lot of room here in the storage areas
if most of the Midwife supplies were moved to the dome, except for the lab equipment.
We could solve the power needs and security at one stroke,” he suggested.

“Tet will have to approve that,” Maggi replied, “but I doubt
he’d see it as a problem. What I do see as a problem is with pilferage of any of
our supplies stored over here. These folks have had few comforts or nice food, for
years in many cases. A lot of things here are considered communal property.”

“Food is an area we can trade with them for cooperation I think,
and we can perhaps get Jimbo to start work on setting up a hydroponic garden. Providing
fresh safe food would make us more welcome. And if we can get Thad to tell us more
about rhinolo hunting, we might try to boost their fresh protein,” he proposed.

“Have you lost your mind Dillon? We barely held our own against
the wolfbats. And we would have to hike twenty five miles to just reach the fence
and then hope a herd was close.”

“No hiking in mind Maggi. The Krall have wheeled and tracked
trucks the captives can use if they want, but I wasn’t even considering driving.
The major risk is going outside the walls scouting for a herd, and watching for
rippers from ground level. It’s safer from the air.”

“Well sure, but you don’t think the Krall are going to just give
us one of their shuttles, which have orbital capability? Hunts were deadly even
with the Krall along.”

“Nope, no Krall help involved with my idea. Captain Mirikami
would have to find out what sort of restrictions we have on our own equipment, but
you do recall that the Flight of Fancy has two small shuttles of her own, right?”
he asked.

“Oh, I’d forgotten we had those, I never saw them. But aren’t
they capable of orbital flight?”

“Yes, but the planet is ringed with orbiting Krall ships, and
besides, without Jump capability the only place to land is on Koban. That’s why
I was proposing that Tet ask about our using them for hunting.”

“Only a handful of successful hunters ever returned alive with
a kill, who would want to go?”

“I’ll go, if we can do it without taking any Krall with us. Moreover,
I’ll bet that Thad would go under that circumstance. I think Krall ego is what makes
it so dangerous. They insist on making their kills from the ground. Forcing us to
hunt their way gets us killed,” he pointed out.

“Why not play it smart and shoot rhinolo from safety, like from
the air? I read in a library manual that the shuttles can hoist cargo on pallets
slung under them to help off-load equipment on Rim worlds. If we can lift a carcass
back over the wall, we can safely carve up the dead animal for fresh meat.”

“Dillon, for a city boy your idea might work. I’ll bet fresh
meat would boost our acceptance here really fast. The main thing I’ve heard them
repeat is how our arrival will cut into their food supply, and how soon they can
put our names in the lottery,” she told him.

“What lottery?” he didn’t know what she was talking about.

“Didn’t you wonder how the Testing Day candidates were chosen?
Thad said at first that the Krall simply grabbed the closest people at hand to make
up a combat team. One of the early leaders here, even before Thad’s ship was captured,
had established a lottery system. Now, when a translator tells them how many people
are needed, they draw random names from a list. New arrivals go on that list after
a month to six weeks of acclimatization,” she told him.

“Oh. I guess that works for simply meeting the numbers the Krall
demand, but it doesn’t allow much opportunity for putting together a prepared team.
I’ll bet volunteers can replace someone selected. After all, Thad went out with
three others of his security detachment, so that couldn’t have been random selection.”

“That’s right, I didn’t think of that. I’ll ask Thad about it
tomorrow. When we’ve asked several people here how many captives there are, they
act as if they weren’t sure. How could you make a fair lottery selection if you
don’t know exactly who is here? I smell some sneakiness about who’s on that list.”

“How often does a Testing Day happen?” he wanted to know.

“It varies from eight days to thirty two, but the longer waits
only mean that more people go out. It’s been grim, and they are naturally terrified
of being selected. Depression is rampant and suicides are frequent. A team of eight
went out three days before we arrived. The Krall brought back their guns and armor
for reuse and repair the next day.”

“It brings home the sort of sheltered captivity we’ve experienced
so far, which is about to end. I’ll be up late tonight, I think. I’ll be talking
with Noreen and the other officers to get the machine shop and pharmacy going full
time, and decide how we can protect our most vital people from the lottery.”

“Dillon there can’t be any manipulation on our side, like I suspect
they have already had here, and our immunity committee will have to select some
of the original captives that have skills we need. There will be a revolt of armed
and frightened people if we aren’t careful.”

“Then we had better be ready to fight our first fight in a month,
perhaps sooner. Tet has said he will not allow himself to be excluded. I told him
I’d have his back, and I will.”

“Then I’ll get some of our people digging into where the fighting
takes place,” she proposed. “We need to know what they know about the compound.
It’s roughly a fifty-two mile diameter circle, and has a varied terrain. I’m certain
our friend made some detailed recordings as we set down.”

“Yes Mam, I have those Images,” volunteered Jake.

“Damn. I forgot you are always listening. I guess you know you
are the ‘friend’ we keep referring to I guess?”

“Yes Mam. I asked Commander Renaldo to confirm that for me.”

“Then you can provide images of what the compound looked like
as we landed?” Dillon asked.

“Yes Sir, or live images if you wish.”

“Really? How far can your cameras see on the ground?”

“Koban has an average radius of approximately 4120 miles at the
equator, but less so at the poles. A simple equation predicts the distance of the
horizon at the surface. My highest three hundred sixty degree scan camera is on
the nose of the ship, at four hundred fifty four feet above the ground plus the
landing pad. That translates into twenty-six or twenty-seven miles to the horizon.
You can see most of the area inside the compound’s wall, except where hills, forest,
or the dome blocks the view. A higher camera would improve that range. The equation
is D squared…”

“Stop!” They didn’t need to calculate it themselves.

“Maggi, we need to find out if we are allowed to radio information
between people in the field when they are being hunted. Koban is hundreds of light
years from human space, so a damned field radio isn’t going to give this planet’s
location away. See if Thad knows about that. If not, we can tell the Krall that
humans normally communicate in battle, and to simulate real war conditions we should
be able to do that here.”

“Ok. We aren’t going to answer all these questions tonight and
I need some rest, even if you don’t. I’ll bet you need some too and won’t admit
it. When you speak to Noreen, don’t get in the saddle or you’ll never get any sleep.”

“Hell Maggi, you think I’m just some government controlled gonad
driven buck, like just after the Collapse. I have my priorities.” He sounded offended.

“I’m sorry. I just know how you used to behave. But life will
be completely different for us from now on. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight Maggi.”
Good
. Now he could go talk to Noreen,
catch a quick shower, and discuss whatever came up as he helped her dry off.

An hour after Dawn, early but nevertheless refreshed, Noreen
and Dillon had ridden over to the dome with a load of supplies on Ricco’s hauler
pallet. Noreen had a freshly charged Jazzer, and Dillon carried a Sonic.

Once in the maintenance area, they handed their weapons to Mister
Rigson and Ray McPherson so they could help cover the unloading crew. There were
several armed Primes there, as the Flight of Fancy people had started calling the
long-term captives in Koban Prime.

The Prime’s weapons were longer range and more deadly than the
Sonic or Jazzer, but also were risky to use if a skeeter or wolfbat got in among
a group of people. In addition, the smaller weapons never had a ricochet.

Thad met them to lead them up to the indoor target range.

“Good morning Colonel Greeves. May I have the honor to present
the Gracious Lady Noreen Renaldo, the First Officer of the Flight of Fancy. Noreen,
it is my pleasure to introduce you to Colonel Thaddeus Greeves, of Poldark.”

The Colonel kissed the back of her offered hand. “I have not
had an inclination to follow the social graces since arriving here, but you surely
have altered my position. I’d be delighted to demonstrate my Koban trained stamina
to the Lady.” He openly leered at the tall beauty in her form fitting uniform.

She replied smoothly to his perfunctory solicitation, “Colonel,
in other circumstances I’d be tempted to honor your offer, but I have an interest
in another Gentle Man at the moment. Perhaps another time?” This was less overt
than she might have encountered from a male on a Hub world, but Poldark was a bit
backwards.

“Certainly my Lady, I rather expect that the Gentle Man you mentioned
is here to learn how to be less gentle isn’t that so Doctor?” He smiled at Dillon.

Without the slightest rancor at the near proposition of his companion,
Dillon returned the smile. “That I am Colonel. And I know you spoke with Maggi at
length yesterday, and I welcome your help in convincing the Krall that humans can
fight.”

“I definitely have an interest in any plans that might assure
me another good chance to kill some of those bastards. As with your two chief conspirators,
please call me Thad.”

“Dillon,” he reciprocated with a handshake.

“Noreen,” and she extended her hand again for him as well.

As the day before, he was armed to the teeth, carrying a heavy
looking satchel this morning. “I have some weapons here that I’d like to have you
try out on our range. These are well balanced and modified to fire singly or on
automatic. They were used before, and I’d like them to be used again to kill Krall.
There are other weapons in the armory, but these have a sentimental value to me.”
He patted the satchel.

“These four belonged to two of the people in my detachment, and
Sargent Medford was the man that modified them for full auto and balanced comfortable
human hand grips. The ammo clips are larger than standard, and the holsters are
like mine, low slung with leg ties for a faster draw. The belt has holders for extra
clips. You aren’t going to outdraw a Krall, but this isn’t the old west. Shooting
them in the back is more than fair.”