Solbidyum Wars Saga 9: At What Price (48 page)

“I see you are finally learning to obey my orders.  Now strip off your clothing and march outside.  You are going to be searched, so don’t try to conceal anything on your bodies.”

“What’s going to happen to us?” I asked.

Ming leaned into the camera and scowled, “
Your insolence will get you nothing!
  You must
learn
how to
address
me
properly
!”

“I’m sorry, magnificent Ming, Ruler of the Universe!  May this humble one inquire as to what will happen to us?” I asked, diverting my eyes downward, trying to play Ming’s game for the moment.

“
No
, you may
not
ask!  You will learn to address me properly at
all times!
  This is your
last warning!
 
Now go!
  Unless you wish to see Kalana
suffer!
”

Without speaking, A’Lappe and I undressed as instructed.  I opened the hatch and we walked onto landing pad.  The air was dry and chilly as we stood in the blinding floodlights, waiting for whatever was to come next.  We didn’t have to wait long before about a dozen of Ming’s men advanced from the patrol ships and surrounded us.  After a quick but embarrassing body search, we were directed to one of the two ships in front of us.  We were told that the replicator would supply us with new clothing.

No sooner were we aboard than the hatch was sealed behind us.  I had a difficult time getting my eyes to adjust after being subjected to the bright lights, but something about the ship felt familiar.  From the Control Room I could hear Ming’s voice calling to us.  A’Lappe and I followed the voice to find Ming’s face peering at us from a large vid screen.

“I chose this ship especially for you, Tibby, as an appropriate vehicle for your journey to the solbidnite.  You will find its weapon systems have been removed and it operates only at standard GW speeds, so don’t bother trying to run from me. 
Now get yourselves dressed and get underway.
 
I grow impatient with these delays
.”

The vid screen went blank.

“Tibby, do you notice anything special about this ship?” asked A’Lappe.

I looked about, still struggling to adjust my eyes.

“It’s not a standard model patrol ship, is it?” I answered.

“Look again.  Check the control panel,” said A’Lappe.

I did… and at first I didn’t see anything obviously different, until my pupils calmed down and I finally noticed a few extra buttons and the outdated design.  All at once, the hairs on my body stood on end.  “It’s the
TRITYTE
!  By the stars, how and why did Ming get this ship?!”

“Who knows?  Maybe its Ming’s sick sense of humor or maybe because it already had its weapon systems removed and only has a standard fusion reactor as a power source and he knows we’re helpless in it,” I said as I looked about.  Old memories stirred inside me.  This was where it all started – at Mound Island in a swamp back on Earth – and here I was at the end of my journey, stepping back into the
TRITYTE
, the ship that changed my life forever.

I went to the cabin where Kala and I had first made love all those years ago.  I leaned on my hands over the bed and struggled to hold back a sob.  My heart ached.  I would probably never see her again, at least not in person.  I took some deep breaths and collected myself, knowing I would have to speak to Ming again soon.

I took a much needed shower, groomed, and got myself a glass of juice from the food replicator to bolster my strength.  I started to code in an admiral’s uniform in the clothing replicator and then changed my mind, instead coding in a black uniform of a mercenary cut.  No use pretending that I was an admiral of anything anymore.  Those days were gone.

I resolved in my mind that A’Lappe and I would go no further, until Ming lived up to his part of the bargain and released Kala.

Fully clad, I returned to the Control Room to find A’Lappe already dressed and seated at the console.  He looked me over and smiled.  “I think you look much better in that outfit, Tibby.  I never did like your admiral’s uniform.”

“Neither did I,” I said.  I was about to tell him of my decision when Ming’s image appeared on the screen again.

“Good, I see you are dressed.  You will now depart from the moon and head in the direction of the solbidnite source.  If there are any Stellar Cantolla Gates that will expedite our travel, you will provide their coordinates to my crew and they will see to it that the gates are opened for us. 
Don’t try to escape or I will destroy you!
”

“Ming, we’re not going anywhere until you have released Kalana.  Once she is out of your hands, we’ll take you wherever you wish, but we won’t move another millimeter until I know she has been freed.”

“How do I know you will keep your word and take me to the solbidnite?  How do I know this is not some trick, Tibby?  After all she is my bargaining tool.”

“Because you already have us where you want us.  You yourself said we can’t get away.  We have no weapons and we are in an inferior ship with no shields, a weaker power unit and simple GW drive.  We can’t escape.”

“Ming nodded and laughed his maniacal laugh.  “You’re right, which is why Kalana is no longer here.”

“Where is she?!  I swear, Ming, if you have harmed her, you will never get the solbidnite!”

Ming laughed and then began coughing.  Finally, the coughing fit stopped and looked at me sternly.  “
I’m tired of playing games with you, Tibby!
” he spat.  “Your Kalana is safe, I assure you. 
Now get underway!
”

“Not until I have seen her and know for myself that she is safe,” I declared.

“Very well, see her you shall.  Go look in your cargo hold!” Ming exclaimed.  “
And then get that ship underway before I take her back!
”

I looked at A’Lappe, who looked back at me wide-eyed.  I raced back to the cargo hold and found Kala bound and gagged, propped against the wall.

“KALA!” I stumbled over myself as I ran to her and pulled the gag from her mouth to kiss her through my sobs.

“Tib, why didn’t you let Ming keep me?  Why are you doing what he wants?” she said as soon as I broke our kiss.

“I had no choice.  Ming has control of everything now.  The Federation is gone and – ” I started to say that we planned to kill Ming, but I stopped myself, realizing there may be cameras or microphones on the ship.

As I untied Kala’s hands, I turned to A’Lappe and said in a low voice, “Do you think Ming has the ship bugged?”

“I’ll soon know,” he said, and he quickly left the hold.

“Tib, this is all my fault,” said Kala as she started to weep.  “If I hadn’t gone back to the estate to look for Lunnie, I wouldn’t have gotten captured and we wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

“Yes, we would,” I said.  I would have no choice but to do as he says and take him to the solbidnite field.  If I don’t Ming will kill trillions of innocent people and destroy entire planets.  I can’t allow that to happen.”

“Tibby, it doesn’t matter anyway.  Ming plans to kill you and A’Lappe once he has what he wants,” said Kala, just as A’Lappe returned.

“The ship is clean, Ming must not have had enough time to plant bugging devices.  Either that or he never thought of them in his haste.”

“Good, I said.  “Listen Kala, we know Ming plans to kill us, but we have a plan.  It’s going to mean all of us dying, but Ming will die with us and so too will all the men and ships that escort him.  I don’t like it, but it’s the only way.  I’m only sorry I wasn’t able to save you and A’Lappe from this.”

“Tibby, if you’re going to die like this, I want to die with you.  I would never be able to live without you,” she sobbed.

I heard Ming’s voice shouting from the Control Room.  “I’ve kept my word, Tibby, now get that ship moving!”

I nodded to A’Lappe, who headed off to the Control Room.  A moment later, Kala and I felt a slight nudge as the
TRITYTE
lifted off.  I finished releasing Kala from her bindings and took her inside.

“Tib, Lunnie wasn’t at the estate.  Everyone was gone when I got there, everyone but the Brotherhood.  They captured me just moments after I stepped through the gate.  I’m so glad I told the guard on the
NEW ORLEANS
to shut the gate behind me or they would have been onboard in seconds.  After they captured me they destroyed the estate.  They blew up everything.  There’s nothing left.  I still don’t know what happened to Lunnie,” she said as she cried.

“Lunnie’s safe,” I said, “She made it to the estate and organized every last resident, orphan and employee and evacuated them to the Earth facilities by way of the Cantolla Gate inside the laboratory campus.  I guess she figured that would be the last place Ming would look for them.  We lost only a few of our estate security team, who died protecting the lab’s perimeter, so everyone could make it through unharmed and close the gate.”

“Oh, thank the stars!  What about Reide?” she asked hopefully.

“We don’t know.  We’re pretty sure he escaped the Capitol Station with the senators and leaders he was trying to save, but where they went we don’t know.”

“So Lunnie is alright.  Did you tell her what has happened to me?” Kala asked.

“I haven’t been able to talk to her.  Marranalis learned of it from one of the scientists and relayed the message to me while we were on our way to Ming’s rendezvous point.  But he assured me she was alive and attending to the needs of the refugees, so she must be okay.”

“Can we use the communication system here on the ship to contact her?”

“Not without alerting Ming.  He’ll most certainly monitor the conversation and figure out that they’re on Earth.  There’s no doubt that he’d go after them,” I said.

“Maybe we can relay messages through Marranalis.  Ming won’t be able to find the
NEW ORLEANS
and if Marranalis doesn’t mention Earth, Ming will have no way of knowing where Lunnie and the refugees are.  And maybe Marranalis will know something more about Reide now,” said Kala with hope in her voice.

Kala decided she wanted to shower and change, as she gone for several days with no bath.  While she showered and changed, I went to the Control Room to see about contacting Marranalis.

“This ship isn’t equipped with a modern communication system, Tibby,” said A’Lappe.  “The communication system in use now is essentially built around miniature Cantolla Gates that act as a conduit for the signals.  This enhancement came about after the
TRITYTE
was turned into a museum piece.”

“So how are we communicating with Ming then?”

“We’re using the old standard communication systems that work on light speed.  Ming is in close enough proximity to us that the communication seems to be instant.”

“Damn, I forgot about that.  So we’re unable to communicate with the
NEW ORLEANS
or anyone that isn’t in the immediate vicinity,” I said with disappointment.

“Not exactly,” said A’Lappe after a moment of thought.  “The old Deep Space Communication System may still be functional and some of the older Federation non-combat ships have retained them to talk with each other, mostly the smaller administrative ships and cargo haulers.  The
NEW ORLEANS
still has a working unit in the Control Room Communications console.  I’m quite certain that an indicator light signals an incoming contact request.  The communications officer on duty should see it.”

“So we
do
have some means of communicating?”

“Only
if
they see it and recognize it.  The key is that Ming won’t be able to monitor any transmissions from this end and he won’t even recognize that any communication is taking place,” said A’Lappe.

“What’s this about the communication?” asked Kala from the doorway.

“We’re going to be limited to using a DSC system.  The
TRITYTE
isn’t equipped with the newer communication system.  Even if it were, Ming would certainly monitor the transmissions,” I explained.

“Oh, that never occurred to me,” Kala said with disappointment.  I noticed that she had selected a black uniform similar to my own.  “But we can still contact Lunnie with the DSC system, can’t we?”

“She’ll need to transfer to the
NEW ORLEANS
,” said A’Lappe.  “As far as I know, there’s no DSC system at the Earth facilities.”

“But we can get in touch with the
NEW ORLEANS
and they can get a message to her to transfer to the
NEW ORLEANS
to talk with us?”

“Yes, that is, if Ming hasn’t found the
NEW ORLEANS
or figured out there are refugees on Earth by now,” replied A’Lappe.  “There’s no way for us to know without trying to make contact.  All we can do is hope that Ming is content, at least for the time being, to not look for the
NEW ORLEANS
or investigate Earth, since he has right in front of him what he wants most.  Right now his focus seems to be on eliminating you…I mean us… as soon as the solbidnite is in his possession.”