America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 5: Insurgency (5 page)

“What about these media reports of Most
Wanted terrorist Ross AKA Miranda AKA Lieutenant Barker commanding
the legionnaires that destroyed Window Rock?” asked the
governor.

“Colonel Czerinski denied that claim,”
replied the spider commander. “He considers questions about Window
Rock to be interference in their internal affairs and a
provocation. The human pestilence are very touchy about sovereignty
issues.”

“But is it true about Lieutenant Barker?”
asked the governor.

“Yes,” said the spider commander. “They are
one and the same.”

“I will seek extradition of Lieutenant
Barker,” said the governor. “If my request is denied, kill
Barker.”

“He may already be dead,” said the spider
commander. “There are reports from Window Rock that a suicide
car-bomber rammed Barker’s command vehicle.”

“Find out for sure,” ordered the governor. “I
want that terrorist dead.”

* * * * *

The plan was for Arthropodan commandos to
parachute at night onto the roof of New Gobi Hospital. Commandos
would force open maintenance doors, storm the hospital, and capture
or kill Lieutenant Barker as he slept. A call to the receptionist
desk already provided a room number.

However, because of security concerns,
Captain Lopez posted legionnaires on the roof of the hospital and
at Lieutenant Barker’s room. As the spider commandos floated down,
they could see legionnaires walking about on the roof. One
legionnaire had a leashed monitor dragon. The dragon looked up and
hissed out an alarm. Commandos desperately fired at the muzzle
flashes from the legionnaires below. Five commandos were quickly
killed. Four other commandos veered off course to save themselves,
but were soon captured.

* * * * *

In the morning, I was on the phone to the
local spider commander. He denied any and all wrongdoing.

“There were commandos dropping out of the sky
last night, attacking my hospital,” I accused. “Explain that!”

“Our paratroopers have been practicing night
jumps all week,” replied the spider commander. “Notice of our
routine training exercises was posted in newsvids to prevent alarm
and UFO reports. A few paratroopers must have been blown off
course. That is no reason to shoot my soldiers during time of
peace. I thought we had an understanding about how to handle
accidental border crossings. I demand my marines immediately be
released, and that you account for their safety.”

“Most of your commandos were killed when they
attacked the hospital,” I advised. “Your provocation is just one
more of many.”

“And you do not consider the massacre at
Window Rock a provocation?” asked the spider commander. “You allow
terrorists to join your Legion, and look what happens!”

“If your failed attack on the hospital was an
attempt to kill Lieutenant Barker, he has already been moved to a
more secure place. Any more adventurism or attempts on his life
will be considered acts of war. I will hold you personally
responsible.”

“Lieutenant Barker is a separate issue. I
demand the safe return of my trainees.”

“Whatever,” I said. “First your commandos
will be interviewed. Then General Kalipetsis will decide their
fate. Personally, I’m voting for firing squads.”

“You would not dare. The Empire will not
tolerate the kidnapping or custodial abuse of its troops.”

“We need to set up a face-to-face meeting to
negotiate. Perhaps a prisoner swap?”

“I am not holding any of your human
pestilence.”

“Maybe you are holding prisoners elsewhere,”
I argued. “Check your other local lockups. Are we still on for
poker tonight? We can discuss it then.”

“At your club?” asked the spider commander.
“Of course, I will be there. Have I ever missed a Saturday night of
poker at the Blind Tiger? Prepare to lose the rest of your
money.”

“You got lucky last time,” I said. “But your
luck will run out.”

“Whatever – as you human pestilence are so
fond of saying,” said the spider commander. “Talk is cheap, victory
is sweet.”

* * * * *

Lieutenant Barker and Sergeant Toock were
moved from the hospital to my personal bunker deep below my office
at Legion Headquarters. Lieutenant Barker was now awake and
recovering. Sergeant Toock still needed to grow back limbs and
appendages. For ants, that was no problem. He would be okay when
the pain stopped. Both were ordered to stay in bed and rest for a
week.

“I’ve been in this bunker system once before,
back when the spiders last bombed us,” commented Lieutenant Barker.
“These tunnels connect all of New Gobi.”

“I had no idea Czerinski had living quarters
underground,” said Sergeant Toock. “He should have told us about
these tunnels. They could be important during an emergency.”

“Familiarize yourself with as much of this
tunnel bunker system as you can,” ordered Lieutenant Barker. “As
you say, it may be useful later. Perhaps G Company can build its
own bunkers and connect into these.”

“You have no need to be snooping about our
tunnels,” interrupted Captain Lopez, standing just outside the
door, listening. “There are already air-raid shelters and bunkers
for you and your men. These tunnels are for strategic use. Consider
yourself lucky that Colonel Czerinski feels so strongly about your
safety as to allow you down here for even a short time. Usually
there is no access unless nukes go off.”

“Why would Colonel Czerinski be concerned for
my safety?” asked Lieutenant Barker. “That seems a bit off his
baseline.”

“Colonel Czerinski is your commanding
officer,” advised Captain Lopez. “As such, you are an extension of
his will. Colonel Czerinski would no more wish you harm than he
would want to lose his right arm.”

“Thank the good colonel for putting us up in
his personal quarters,” said Sergeant Toock. “His generosity is
appreciated and will not be forgotten.”

Lieutenant Barker remained silent and
suspicious. He wondered if the room was bugged with listening
devices. “I need my uniform and sidearm,” he said. “Hospital
pajamas aren’t my style. They leave me feeling exposed.”

“You are confined to this room until the
doctor says otherwise,” said Captain Lopez. “I’ll see what I can do
to bring you some of your personal property and uniforms. Don’t
worry; you won’t be here all that long.”

back to top

Chapter 6

“You’ve got mail,” chimed my communications
pad. It was a text from Lieutenant Valerie Smith, retired. “Hi,
sweetie. I sent an attachment for you to download into one of those
illegal learning chips I heard you have embedded in your bones.
Enjoy. Hugs and smooches.”

I had one of our Legion information
technology geeks check out the attachment. Not completely trusting
Valerie, I did not want to catch a virus. The tech geek said the
attachment was a very sophisticated virtual reality program.

“I have never seen anything quite like this,”
said the tech geek. “This program must be a very expensive
prototype. It is the very latest breakthrough technology. It almost
looks alien. Even Microsoft can’t do this. Where did you get
it?”

“That is a military top-secret,” I said. “Why
is this program special?”

“It’s a communications program that will
project an image into a chip in your brain that will make images
seem real,” explained the tech geek.

“Why would I want do that?” I asked.
“Wouldn’t hallucinations cause a mental breakdown? I do not want
anyone inside my mind.”

“The program would allow you to touch the
person you are communicating with,” said the tech geek. “This is
real hot stuff, if it works. Can I have a copy to study?”

“That would be treason,” I said. “You don’t
have the security clearance. Don’t even consider making a copy or
telling anyone about this.”

“Yes, sir,” said the tech geek, as he
downloaded a copy anyway.

“Is it safe? Could someone communicating with
me reach out through space and assault me?”

“Theoretically the sender could inflict
pain,” said the tech geek. “But it would be imaginary, and you
could disconnect at any time. The only way you could be injured
would be if you had a heart attack, or went into shock, or maybe
fell, or something like that.”

“Could I have sex with the person I was
communicating with? Would the image be that real?”

“That would be awesome!” exclaimed the tech.
“I never thought of that. This technology could be worth billions
of dollars. Where did you really get it?”

“From the grave,” I said. “Which is where you
will end up if this gets out. Understand?”

* * * * *

“Hi, sweetie,” texted Valerie. “When are we
going to hook up?”

“When Hell freezes over,” I replied. “I do
not want you inside of me.”

“But I so much want you inside of me,” said
Valerie. “Please. What’s the matter? Are you chicken? Afraid of
little old me?”

“You are a computer memorial implant,” I
said. “It could be dangerous to allow a computer inside my mind. I
don’t trust computers. I need to study the implications.”

“The best minds at Arlington National
Cemetery created this software,” said Valerie. “It’s a prototype,
but they assure me of its absolute safety.”

“Are others using this technology?” I
asked.

“Surprisingly, no,” said Valerie. “Most
memorial imprints are content with the status quo. Also, there is
the danger that because we imprint memorials initiated the research
and development on this technology, humanity might feel threatened,
and disconnect us. There is a need for secrecy. But I am in love
with you, dearest. I want so much to reach out and touch you,
sweetie.”

“I am still uncomfortable with this,” I
insisted. “Give me time to think about it.”

“Fine!” said Valerie. “You use me for your
illegal gambling scheme, but you won’t touch me? Do you think I am
some kind of monster like Frankenstein or an ATM intent on
conquering the galaxy?”

Valerie disconnected, giving me the silent
treatment.
Not good. I need to keep her happy.

* * * * *

I spend most of my weekends at the Blind
Tiger Tavern and Casino. I own the place. Business is good because
the Blind Tiger is the only casino allowed to operate in New Gobi.
It started out as a tent, but quickly outgrew that. I hope to have
hotel towers soon. Being Military Commander of New Gobi, I issue
business licenses. No one but me will ever operate a casino here in
New Gobi. Call it a perk of command.

Besides being a very profitable business, the
Blind Tiger is a good place for interspecies interaction – and
spying. I keep in regular contact with my counterpart across the
DMZ. The local spider commander and I are friendly enough to play
low-stakes poker every Saturday night. We do not trust each other,
and I may have to kill him someday, but we are almost friends. In
fact, I will kill him someday. At the beginning of each game, the
spider commander has me scanned for electronic mind-reading devices
designed to pick up spider frequencies and translate thoughts from
his antennae. The fool has trust issues. I would not do such a
thing in a friendly low-stakes poker game. This is how rumors get
started.

Spiders already have an advantage over humans
when playing Texas hold ’em. Their completely stoic exoskeleton
facial features are unreadable, while humans twitch and shift at
every glance of our cards. I wear sunglasses to help hide eye
movement and facial expression, but it has taken years of practice
and experience to fool good spider players.

The next Saturday-night game was about to
take place. Lieutenant Barker and Sergeant Took were recovered
enough to join me for tonight’s game. I invited them on a whim. In
retrospect, I feared that was an ill-chosen decision.

“You tried to murder me, you asshole,” said
Lieutenant Barker, glaring across the table at the spider
commander. “I’ll see your hundred and raise you one-fifty.”

“Did you bring many bodyguards?” asked
Sergeant Toock. “I do not see many present. Too bad for you. I
match that bet and raise to five hundred.”

“I really don’t see how you are going to get
out of here alive,” threatened Lieutenant Barker, continuing in the
same vein. “Are you in or out?”

“I fold,” announced the spider commander.
“Colonel Czerinski has guaranteed my safety at these games. He is a
personal friend of mine. It would not sit well for interspecies
relations if something were to happen to me.”

“Colonel Czerinski is drunk on his ass,
drooling on his uniform,” replied Lieutenant Barker. “He probably
doesn’t even know where he is right now.”

“That’s not true!” I blurted out, alerting to
the mention of my name. “I know approximately where I am at all
times. I’ll match your five hundred and raise you two dollars.”

“Where are you?” asked Captain Lopez.

“I’m in Topeka!” I answered proudly, just
before vomiting on the table full of cash and chips. I fell forward
onto the pile. Players jumped aside to avoid being splashed with
the blow-by.

Captain Lopez and Guido picked me up and
carried me to another table, propping me up against the wall.
Bored, and not yet willing to pass out, I downloaded Valerie’s
program into my communications pad.

“I love you, too,” I texted.

Lieutenant Valerie Smith, the most beautiful
woman in all the galaxy, immediately sat down at my table. She
smiled. No one else could see her but me.

“It is a good thing I cannot smell the vomit
and beer,” said Valerie, disapprovingly. “Have you been
drinking?”

“Only a few beers,” I said. “Maybe
twenty?”

“So you finally got enough courage to call
me, by getting drunk?” asked Valerie.