Scorched Earth: (The Human Chronicles Saga Book #16) (11 page)

“That’s correct.”

“So what’s the plan, sir,” Travis asked Adam.

“Pogo suggests we show up at the gates offering to return him to the Incus. They’ll be so excited that they won’t question who we are, just that we returned their precious little energy-maker to them. Once inside, he’ll teleport to a building where the boards can be made. At that point we’ll see if he can do it himself, through computer manipulation, or if we’ll need to draft some local talent for the job.”

“By drafting I assume you mean the twisting of alien arms?” Riyad said, a gleam in his eyes.

“Don’t worry, buddy. If it comes down to that, I’ll let you do the honors.”

“Gee, thanks, daddy.”

“On a serious note,” Adam began. “The Incus are sophisticated enough to use visual communications and remote sensing, so when the time comes to be cleared for landing, be sure you’re wearing your KKK outfits. Now everyone get ready. We’re about an hour out, and once we land, I want to spend the time necessary to get the job done. No sightseeing excursions or unnecessary fraternizing with the locals.”

“That depends on how hot the natives are, now doesn’t it, Mister Cain?” said Travis.

“Maybe to a young stud like you,” Adam replied. “Ah, to be twenty-six again.”

“I’m twenty-seven, sir.”

“Well then…never mind. You’re over-the-hill.”

Chapter 11

The
Vengeance
was about to land on a planet over eight thousand light-years from Earth and swarming with seven-foot-tall aliens sworn to kill every Human they encountered. Yet still the ship’s bridge was filled with the sound of riotous laughter.

It was obvious they simply had sheets draped over them, much like a child’s first Halloween ghost costume, before discovering they could guilt their parents into spending money on future outfits—if they truly loved them. Now the men couldn’t look at each other without bursting into hysterics. They looked silly, but hopefully silly enough to make it past inquiring alien eyes.

When the control authority eventually made contact, Adam took the lead during the link, believing himself to be the most mature of the group. The fact that the Incus had faces resembling Shar-pei dogs didn’t help. When both Travis and Riyad let loose with involuntary snickers, the serious-looking alien questioned the sound.

“It is a prayer, recited in our ancient tongue.”

“The translation is unavailable,” said the creature on the screen.  

“Yes, that is because the language of our gods is spoken only for blessings.” Adam let loose with a loud cackle as a demonstration. “I have just blessed you and your offspring, hoping for health and prosperity.”

The native blinked several times before responding; he cackled back. “I hope I pronounced it correctly. I wished to return the blessing.”

“You did well. You honor us.”

More laughter came from behind Adam.

“Please convey to your crew my thanks for
their
blessings, as well.”

“I shall. Now may we land?”

“Of course. Eniss Field Number Three, northwest side, as you requested. Landing beacons will be transmitted. Enjoy your stay on Incus.”

“May the gods bring good fortune to you and yours. Farewell.”

Adam couldn’t break the link fast enough.

“Dammit, what are you guys trying to do, get us all killed?”

“Forgive us, oh Great Maharishi,” Riyad said from the co-pilot seat.

“Prepare for landing,” Adam barked. “Riyad, take over. And by the way, smartass, I got your Great Maharishi right here!”

********

The team had melted down several of the gold items from Panur’s palace and now carried small stacks of ingots of the precious metal, which they hoped would have value on the planet. Since none of them had any Juirean credits, they hoped to exchange some of the ingots of transport to their destination—which Pogo said was the main research facility of what translated to Advanced Plasma Objects, or APO.

The atmosphere of Incus was tolerable without facemasks, and the surface gravity was about point-eight of Earth, just slightly above Juirean-Standard.

The Humans would deploy in two teams, with Adam and Riyad taking Pogo to Applied Plasma Objects while Paulson and Travis followed in another transport and took up defensive positions outside the facility, as backup in case something went wrong. They were linked with throat mics and ear-speakers, hidden under the white-sheet disguises they wore.

Emerging from the
Vengeance
into the warm starshine of Incus, the prospect of something going wrong suddenly doubled, if not trebled. There were Juireans everywhere.

The spaceport was huge; it had to be to support Eniss’s population of over four million, and this was just one of five such facilities placed at strategic locations surrounding the city. There were dozens of Juirean-style craft in port, some designed for war, others for commerce. During the brief walk to a bank of moving sidewalks leading to the ground transports, Adam spotted several Juirean Guards among the crowd, as well as hundreds of Tech-Class mane-heads, their hair yellow-tinted and tied into long pony-tails dangling down their backs.

 Being the most-technologically advanced society in the Frontier, the Juireans found Incus more to their liking, closer to Juir than the other worlds in the Kidis arm. As they walked across the tarmac, Adam was already identifying targets for the time they got the laser weapon operational again. If they were successful, he couldn’t leave this many prime targets just sitting here. That was not what a scorched earth campaign was all about.

The other thing that caught the team’s attention were the natives. As the transmission with the landing pilot had revealed, they did indeed have faces resembling Shar-pei dogs. But what the Humans hadn’t realized was the rest of their body was shaped like a huge yellow worm, making them some of the strangest looking aliens Adam had ever seen.

For locomotion, the Incus used thick legs at the lower part of the s-shaped body to scurry about, a comical type of balancing act considering their odd shape. They appeared to always be trying to keep from falling over. The remainder of the body curved over the center point, and rose up along a five-foot long torso from which two stubby arms projected. Above the main torso was a wrinkled neck and the sad-looking dog-face. They wore clothing of a simple design, since from what Adam could see their body-type didn’t vary much, only by size, depending upon age; however females were distinguished from the males by a series of bumps in the clothing and running along the main torso, ostensibly concealing teats.

He thought of the comment Travis Morgan had made concerning fraternization with the locals. There was probably nothing to worry about from the young, hormone-raging Human, at least not here on Incus. He pitied the poor man if he ever traveled to Formil, where the extremely voluptuous and sensual Arieel Bol was considered average.

But Adam’s main focus was on the Juireans. He wondered how entrenched they’d become in Incus affairs?

At the public transport vehicles, Adam produced an ingot of gold and got a positive response—in fact more than positive. He handed the slab of metal to the driver, regretting they hadn’t made the bars a little smaller. He got the impression the Incus native would now be their friend for life, knowing the aliens were this generous when negotiating for a simple drive into town.

Travis and Paulson followed in a second vehicle.

Chapter 12

Advanced Plasma Objects was a huge complex, comprised of dozens of buildings surrounded by a high security wall. The cab let Adam and Riyad off at the front gate, where the driver insisted on waiting for their return, even if it took all day.

At the security shack, Adam tensed. Two Juirean Guards were seated at the back of the room, a set of small white cubes being tossed on the table between them. They didn’t look up when the pair of creatures in white sheets approached the window.

Adam and Riyad had their tactical gear and weapons hidden under the sheets, while Adam carried Pogo in a pouch on his utility belt.

“Forgive us, we are seeking the attention of Dacus Zoffis,” Adam said, repeating the name Pogo had given him. He had been the main research scientist trying to unlock the secrets of the orb’s energy capturing panels.

The Incus guards frowned—or what Adam took as frowns considering the already wrinkled faces of the aliens. “Is Zoffis expecting you? Walk-up visitors are not allowed.”

Continuing with his religious-like speak, Adam said: “We are here to return an item he lost, and item of incredible importance.”

He grimaced as the Juireans looked up from their game.
An item of
incredible importance
had piqued their curiosity.

“What is this item?” asked the native guard. The Juireans stepped up to the window.

“It would not be of significance to you, yet it will be to Dacus Zoffis.”

“To justify contact, I will have to know what to tell him.”

“It is an orb of ancient origin.”

The guard continued to frown—maybe. “That does not sound like something that would interest our lead technician.”

“He will know the meaning. He will also be terribly upset to learn we were not able to gain entrance.”

“Who are you?”

 “We are members of a religious sect tasked with the preservation of the ancient orb. We are the Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Adam looked at Riyad, and through the narrow slit in the sheet, saw his eyes narrow.

“We demand to see this object,” said one of the Juireans.

Through a side slit in the sheet, Adam revealed his right arm with Pogo held in his hand.

“What is it?” asked the Juirean.

“As said, it is an object of ancient design, which has significance to the researchers working here. A simple link to Dacus Zoffis will confirm this.”

The native guard looked to the Juirean. This was not good; he was asking for permission. Somewhere within the vast complex, Pogo had to manufacture several intricate electrical circuit boards. Success or failure would depend on how locked-down the facilities were by the Juireans.

“Call the researcher,” said the Juirean. “I am curious to learn of his reaction.”

As the link was made, the face of the native changed abruptly. His previously wrinkled skin now stretched out in shock; Adam could hear a voice coming through the guard’s earpiece, although it was too garbled for a translation. The native guard muttered several acknowledgements before cutting the link.

“Zoffis will be here immediately,’ he said. He turned to Juireans. “Zoffis said we are not to let these beings leave.”

The main-heads took this to mean Adam and Riyad should be restrained and
prevented
from leaving. They rushed through the doorway, drawing flash weapons. The Humans raised their hands.

“Calm down; we’re not trying to leave,” Adam announced, lapsing momentarily back into Human-speak. Catching himself, he continued. “We have come voluntarily to return the sacred object.” Then under his breath, he whispered into his comm, “Stand-down.”

There was a tall communication tower along the wall of the compound where the second team had taken up residency. Travis would have a scope on them—or more preciously—on the Juireans, ready to take them out if the situation escalated.

Fortunately, Dacus Zoffis—along with about a dozen other Incus—hadn’t been too far away, because they came racing up to the gate in electric carts only seconds later.

“Is this true?” asked one of the natives as he hopped out of the cart. He was surprisingly fast as his stubby legs moved almost in a blur, carrying him up to the two Humans in their white sheets. Adam still had Pogo gripped in his right hand.

The native’s eyes grew impossibly large. “It
is
the device!”

The scene outside the guard shack descended into chaos, as the contingent of native scientists swarmed around Adam and Riyad. Reluctantly, the orb was surrendered to Zoffis, who spun around displaying the globe to all the others. “It is a miracle!”

After a few moments, Zoffis turned his attention to Adam and Riyad. “Who are you, and how did you come by the artifact? We assumed it had been stolen when it did not return after its last prolonged sojourn.”

The lead Juirean stepped between Adam and Zoffis; Juireans did not like to ignored. “They claim to be members of a religious order called the Guardians of the Galaxy, creatures tasked with the protection and preservation of the metal ball.”

“You know of the orb?” Zoffis asked Adam, having to look around the hulking alien to see him.

“We know much. Perhaps we should move to your lab—your laboratory?”

“Yes, surely. Come.”

“We shall provide security,” said the Juirean.

“That is not necessary,” said Zoffis. “The fact that they have returned such a strategic object proves they are not a risk. They did not have to do so.”

The Juirean hesitated. Then: “We will report this to the commanding Overlord. He will demand more information about this object.”

“Yes, and we will provide it. But first, please let us secure the device. It can be quite elusive should it decide to be.”

Before the Juirean could ask the next logical question, the Incus herded Adam and Riyad onto the carts and they sped off into the complex. Ten seconds later they stopped outside a nondescript building among a long row of similar structures.

“You still have eyes on us?” Adam whispered into his throat mic.

“We can see over the wall; we have you,” came the voice of Travis Morgan. “The windows are obscured. We’ll lose you inside.”

“That’s all right. I think we’re among friends.”

“Understood. Standing by.”

The pair of Humans were led into a stuffy foyer, and then down a short corridor before entering a large room full of high-tech equipment, from computers and huge scanners, to tables topped with analytical devices of alien design. Three of the Incus natives remained in the room with Zoffis and the Humans, while the others scurried off to other parts of the building.

Dacus placed Pogo on a long counter near the center of the room and leaned in close to the globe. “You are not going to disappear again, are you?” he asked quietly, before pulling away, slightly embarrassed. He looked at Adam and Riyad. “You must be aware of the device’s ability to teleport?”

“Yes, we are.”

“We spent time trying to learn the secrets of the orb. We made progress in some regards, yet have failed in others. I was not aware others knew of the object’s origin. Please explain who you are and how you are associated with the ancient energy device.”

“Before we do, we have to know how the Juireans factor into your research?” Adam said, dropping the pretense of the religious fanatic.

“They do not, however, that will change once the Overlord learns of the device and its function.”

Adam could tell this wasn’t something the researcher was looking forward to.

“How involved are the Juireans in Incus affairs?

The dog-faced worm looked around the room nervously. “I do not sense you are agents of the Juireans,” said Dacus Zoffis. “What is
your
relationship with them?”

Taking a calculated risk, Adam untied the cord holding the top of the white sheet around his head, and then through the slot cut for the eyes and nose, was able to stick his head through the opening. “We’re at war with them, that’s
our
relationship with the mane-heads.”

The other Incus panicked and headed for the door. Riyad was already there, a mean-looking M-101 assault rifle held in his hands outside the white sheet. The natives stopped in their tracks, gawking at the weapon.

“Is that an M-101,” asked one of the researchers, admiration in his voice. “May I examine it?” He stepped toward the weapon. Riyad lifted it and pressed the barrel against the wrinkled forehead of the worm. The alien backed away. “I withdraw my request.”

“You are Humans!” said Zoffis. “We have had many delegations from your world and empire over the years, until the Juireans came and drove them away. Please forgive my associates. We are weapons designers, so very interested in the devices you have created.”

“I’ll ask you again, what’s your relationship with the Juireans?”

“The Incus had none, not until they annexed the Kidis. Now they have come here, very interested in our weapons and other electronic devices, as well as our small starship production facilities. Recently, we have been attempting to compete with MK and Xan-fi, with the goal of entering the Expansion’s weapons market, yet with little progress. Now the Juireans are taking all we can produce to be used in the war effort against the Union.”

“Sounds like you got what you wanted,” said Riyad with disgust.

“You misunderstand,” said Zoffis. “They are
confiscating
all items, without compensation. This has greatly disrupted our society. A worker’s uprising occurred recently, protesting the lack of compensation for their labors. The Juireans slaughtered thousands. Now most labor for free.”

Zoffis looked down at Pogo again and then at the Humans. “But what are you doing here, and with the artifact? The Juireans will surely kill you and confiscate the orb if they know it is associated with your kind.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, Zoffis, but we won’t be staying, and neither will the orb.”

Zoffis’ eyes grew wide. “But you have just returned the device. What do you mean it will not be remaining?”

“Because we’ve come for a specific purpose. We need to use some of your facilities to produce a certain type of circuit board.”

“I do not understand.”

“We have a broken weapon and we need the boards to fix it.”

“What sort of weapon?” asked one of the other scientists. Adam shook his head.
These guys have a one track mind
.

“Never mind. Will you help us?” he asked Zoffis.