Solbidyum Wars Saga 7: Hunt for the Reduviids (34 page)

“You are a strange man, stranger than any other I have met.  I think we can work out a deal.  It will take me a few days to put together a list of what we will need and what we want in return for our producing these ships.  I must ask you one question; do you not fear that we will use these ships to create our own forces to attack and try to take over the Federation?”

“I have absolutely no fear of that at all,” I said.

Andy stared at me a moment.  I knew he was observing every aspect of my physical body; my perspiration, breathing and I knew he could even hear my heart beat.  He knew I was telling the truth.  He nodded his head and said, “Then I think we can work out a deal.  I will contact you in three days with our list.”

When I returned to the
NEW ORLEANS
, Marranalis was waiting for me.  “How did it go, Admiral?”

“We’ll know for sure in a few days, but I think it went well.  The androids seem willing to build ships for us in exchange for machinery and raw materials.”

“Doesn’t it concern you that the Federation still distrusts the androids and they are considered unwelcome in the Federation?”

“The Federation’s problem with the androids is not my problem.  All I know is you, I and others of our crew would be dead, had it not been for the androids coming to our aid on Goo’Waddle.  As far as I’m concerned, I owe them all the help I can give.”

“You realize, of course, that if the Senate ever hears of this, they could bring you up on a court-martial for aiding and abetting an enemy.”

“Enemy?  When have they attacked the Federation in the past several hundred years?  Better still, when have they ever attacked where they weren’t threatened?”

“I’m not arguing with you, Admiral, I’m simply stating the situation.”

“I appreciate it, but I’m not concerned about it.  If the androids agree to build the ships, I’m their customer and I’ll be the one giving the ships to the Federation.  I don’t think the Senate will ever ask where the ships come from or who built them.”

“I hope you’re right, sir.”

“Was there any word from Wabussie as to what’s going on at Epsirt?

“Not a word, sir.”

“Marranalis, I tell you, for the last few months I feel like I am sitting on a time bomb and it’s running out of time.  It’s one crisis after another. 

“Say, isn’t it about the end of your day?  I think it is mine.  What do you say to you and me going to have a few ice-cold afexes?”

“I think I’d like that, sir, and I know the place to go.  It’s a small place here on your ship frequented by a bunch of the security team and a few of the crew.  Not a fancy place, no music; simply a bunch of people casually relaxing and talking and having a few cold ones.”

“Sounds perfect; lead the way.”

The place Marranalis took me was small and only had seating for around 20 people.  I don’t think the place was ever designed to be any sort of entertainment or service area and it looked like something the crew had thrown together randomly over a period of time without any serious thought.  The place was sparsely furnished and dimly lit.  There was a bar; one that curiously reminded me of the old and I do mean old, bars back on Earth.  Three men stood at the bar chatting with a woman seated on a tall crate.  Seating and tables were constructed out of old shipping crates and in some cases were used exactly as they were, without modifications.  Behind the bar was an older chap who glanced at us as we came in; he did a double take and dropped his jaw when he recognized me.

“Hey Bok, bring us two afexes, will you?” Marranalis said, as he led me to a small table in the corner? 

The guy behind the bar said, “Coming right up,” and he busied himself getting us our drinks.

“Where did this place come from?  I mean, how did you find it?  I had no idea there was anything like this on my ship,” I said.

“I don’t think it was here originally,” Marranalis said.  “Some of the guys on the ship didn’t feel quite comfortable in all the fancy clubs.  Well, I guess this is what they wanted, so they found this unused space and sort of adapted it to suit their tastes.”

“Wow,” I said as I looked about, “how long has this place been here?”

“Years now.  I’m not sure when it was set up.”

“Does Kerabac know about this place?”

“Yeah, he comes here from time to time.  Stonbersa used to come here too.  See, over there on the wall, you can see where he signed his name.” 

I looked in the direction Marranalis indicated and saw the wall covered with names.  As I was looking, Bok came to our table with our afexes.  He set the glasses on the table and handed me a scribe and said, “We’d be honored, sir, if you added your name to the wall over there.”

I glanced at him and said, “The honor is mine.”  I took the scribe and went over and signed the wall near Stonbersa’s signature.  As I finished, I noticed Sokaia’s name there also and I momentarily reached out and touched it.  I wondered how many other names on this wall belonged to friends who were gone, killed in the fight against the Brotherhood.

“What is this place called,” I asked Marranalis once I returned to the table?

“We call it the
Locker
,” he said.  “Different members of the crew take their turn behind the bar when they are off duty, but the place stays open around the clock.”

“I noticed Sokaia’s name on the wall.  Did the two of you come here?”

“Yeah, she was actually the one who introduced me to the place.  Her squad used to come here a lot when they were here training.”  I noticed his eyes getting watery.

“You still miss her a lot, don’t you?”

He nodded, tipped his head back, downed his afex and motioned to Bok for another.

“Do you come here often?” I asked, wondering if he spent a lot of time here drowning his sorrows over having lost Sokaia.

“Not so much anymore.  After Sokaia was killed, I spent way too much time in here,” Marranalis said.  “Now, I only come in once or twice a week and usually have two drinks and leave. You keep me too busy to have time to get here,” he said with a grin, as Bok set another afex on the table.

I laughed.  “Yes, well, I’m sorry about that.  I know I hand you a lot of things to do, and you do them all well without complaining.  I appreciate that.”

“I gotta be honest, Tibby.  I enjoy working for you.  Life as a trooper has its merits, but to do what I am doing and be at the forefront of history with you is – well – I don’t have words for it, but I enjoy it.  You’re a good man and a fair man as well.  You have always treated me well.”

“I have to admit, Marranalis, I sort of think of you as my brother.  I never had a brother, but if I had, I imagine he would have been like you.  You and Kala have been with me since I arrived in the Federation, and I consider you to be a part of my family.” 

I took another swig of my afex and glanced about the room.  Two more people came in and took seats at a small crate table nearby.  I recognized one as a member of Padaran’s security detail.

“Tibby, do you think we’ll ever see an end to this war?” Marranalis asked.

“I certainly hope so.  I don’t think that’s a question we should ask ourselves.  The question we need to ask is what do we need to do to win the war and how do we do it?”

“I hope it happens soon, because I’m getting tired of the carnage the Brotherhood is wreaking on the Federation.  If they want to start their own empire, let them move to another galaxy.”

One of the men and one of the woman at the bar got up and left, telling Bok they would be back after their next shift.  Shortly after they left, two women and a man came in and sat down at a table.

“People come and go like this all the time,” Marranalis said.  “Most only stay a short while, have a drink or two and leave.  Occasionally someone will stay longer, usually to drown some sorrow or vent a frustration.  The people are pretty good about monitoring that and are great at keeping you on track.”

We talked a while longer, not about anything in particular.  We were reminiscing about our adventures of the past.  We talked about our time on Goo’Waddle when we were disguised as slaves.  Marranalis related how he could practically see the eyes popping out of my head, as I had to stand by watching as Howebim fondled Kala.  “I expected that at any minute, you would attack him and tear his head off,” Marranalis said.

“I nearly did,” I replied.  “I didn’t do very well with restraint on that mission, did I?”

“I don’t know, Tibby.  To be honest, if I’d been in your place, I would have blown the mission early on.”

“Yeah, but you have to admit I went overboard at the end, chasing after Shydak the way I did and crashing the way I did.”  I glanced making sure no one was listening and added, “The mess I’m in now is because of my rash behavior.  I mean, with the treatments and all.”

Marranalis nodded, but didn’t say anything.

As we finished our drinks and headed back to our own accommodations, I wondered what situation would greet me when I entered the door.  I was expecting noise and excitement, but on this occasion it was quiet – too quiet.  I entered the living room to find Kala, Reidecor and Lunnie all stretched out on divans with some strange headgear, much like the old virtual reality headgear on Earth in my day.  I wasn’t sure what they were doing and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, either.  I carefully and quietly passed them and went into the dining area.  I assumed they had already eaten and I went to the food synthesizer, punched the codes into it and retrieved a bowl of Earth-style chili.  Not long after the Mars Colony had been retrieved from Mars years earlier, the recipe for chili was passed on from the Earthlings to the citizens of the Federation and the dish became quite popular.  Kala was not too fond of it, however.  Usually the only time I ate it was when I was eating alone.  I had finished eating and placing my dirty dishes and utensils in the reclamation machine when I heard my family in the room talking and I knew that whatever they had been doing was now over.

“Hi, it looks like you were enjoying yourselves,” I said as I entered the room.

“We were, Dad,” Reide said.  We were watching some old virtual reality movies from your Earth and they were something!  Lots of adventure and action.”

“Ha, that’s all they were!” Lunnie complained.  “Nothing BUT adventure and action, no real story to speak of, almost no dialog.  The only human interactions were physical conflicts.  I think it was boring.”

I looked at Kala waiting her assessment.

“Well, I think both my children are correct.  There was a lot of action and adventure, but the story line was lacking.  The dialog and social interaction were almost non-existent.  Tibby, did you enjoy this stuff back on Earth?”

“On occasion,” I said.  “But mostly I preferred doing things like fishing or working on my car.  Something more constructive.”

“Did people really watch this stuff a lot?” Kala asked.  “Looking at the library of vids the Mars Colony has, it seems there was a lot of it produced?”

“It was quite popular just before I left Earth,” I said.  “There were a lot of people, however, who felt it was having a negative effect on young people and how they perceived the world and that it negatively impacted their social interactions.”

“Hmm, well I don’t want our kids watching too much of this stuff.  Once in a while will be all right, but I don’t think it presents to good an example of how life should be.  It seems like the goal of the vid is to get the viewer to produce as much adrenaline as possible without having a heart attack.”

“So, what have you been up to today?” she said as she came over to me and put her arms around my neck and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

“Eww,” Reide said as we kissed, “that’s yucky!”

“It was a busy day,” I began, ignoring Reide’s remark about the kiss.  “I went over fleet reports this morning and looked at the records of one Captain Dranda Gandrop, who we are considering for taking over command of the Cantolla Gate Station.  We’d have to promote her to Admiral; but she is due for the promotion anyway, so that’s not an issue.  After that I went to Mars and talked to Andy.”

“You went to Mars?  I didn’t know you were going. What made you go there?”

“I went because we need more ships built and with so many of our ships damaged in the last couple battles, all the shipyards throughout the Federation are overloaded already.  I thought that perhaps the androids might like to do some manufacturing and establish some trade outside their own planet, so I talked to them about manufacturing the new fighters.”

Kala looked at me quizzically, “Tibby, you honestly don’t think the Senate will approve you getting ships built by the androids, do you?  I mean, technically, as far as they are concerned, we’re still at war with them.”

“The Senate won’t be involved in this deal.  The deal is between me as an individual and the androids; I’ll be paying for the material to build the plants and the machinery they need.  In return for their making the ships, I’ll be trading them the raw materials and machinery they need to advance their culture and industry on Mars.  Once the ships are mine, I’ll transfer ownership to the Federation and they won’t know where they originated.”

“Tib, you put a lot of faith in the androids.  I hope this doesn’t backfire on you.  If it does, you could end up being tried for treason.”