Brynin 3 (6 page)

When they reached the top of the path, the tallest one, a stocky male with a huge chin announced, “I’m Boma. You must be Jason and Ieeb.”

Both of us nodded.

Boma paused. “Come this way. Ieeb, you have your own room.”

I told him about our marriage plans. “Can you perform the ceremony?”

“Yes.”

I grinned. “Thank you.”

Boma turned and started down the path. “Let’s go inside Building Three. I’ll print out the marriage license. Sign it when you have enough time.”

I smiled. “Good.”

Boma glanced at us. “Jason, by the way, Doctor Xio, Fi Mair, Baaax Ois and Doctor Ara, four men, may want to buy tickets from you. They keep talking about going back to Icir.”

“Where are they?”

“Both doctors are probably in room B, in Building Three. Fi and Baaax are in the Trec mine. That’s half a mile from here. I’ll drive you there after you talk to both doctors.”

I raised my eyebrows, puzzled. “That’s fine.”

To our left, a two-foot long, knee–high, walking-stick-like insect with six legs stepped out from behind a bush and started making a hooting sound.
Oooop, oooop, ooooop.

“What insect species is that?” Ieeb flinched, surprised.

Boma glanced at the creature. “It’s a Lau Urus, a harmless species that eats wild grass. There are thousands of them. Just ignore it.”

The Urus sniffed and crept toward what looked like a mesquite bush.
Oooop, oooop, oooop.

Farther down the trail, I noticed that seven-foot -high poles surrounded all the geodesic domes. “What are those poles for?” I asked.

Boma paused. “They’re a barrier, a safety measure that keeps the Tiel and other species from attacking the buildings. Inside each pole there’s a CPU with a database. If any snake comes within fourteen feet of any pole, a motion detector activates and a scanner probes the reptile’s skull. Because the snake’s cranium isn’t on the database, the creature will get an electric shock.”

“Is the barrier set to stun or kill?” Ieeb kept staring at the poles.

Boma replied, “To kill, of course.”

“Are the barriers always on?” Ieeb glanced at him.

Boma scowled. “Yes.”

Ieeb blinked. “That’s a nice piece of equipment.”

Boma nodded. “Yes. Baaax set it up. He used photonic computer languages—Maix, ZXL and BXL—to create the barrier.

“What is Doctor Xio’s specialty?” Ieeb peeked back at the Urus, a curious expression on her face.

“Coring sedimentary rock.”

Ieeb paused. “What is he doing here?”

Boma frowned. “Didn’t the email from Obno explain that?”

“It provided a few details, but I’d like to know more.”

Boma narrowed his eyes, remaining silent for a moment. “After partially mapping Danig with a satellite, and driving around this area—a territory which we call Lomou—Xio’s team drilled in five different locations.”

“Interesting. What is Dr. Ara’s specialty?” Ieeb headed for a dome, both of us behind her.

“Coring metamorphic rock.”

More information came out of my earplugs.
For six billion years, glaciers moved over the Grei and Blau Mountains, carving out valleys. In the meantime, the mountains themselves crushed and changed underlying granite rock.

“What is Fi Mair’s occupation?” I kept going.

“He’s an MIM robotic specialist.”

Additional information came from the earplugs.
MIM’s, Micro to Macro, robotic specialists study different size nanomotors. If a robot’s brain sends nanomotors the wrong photonic light base computer signals, a robot wouldn’t follow programmed or spoken instructions. Unfortunately, at the atomic level, it isn’t always easy to predict how electrons interact with nanomotors. At the quantum level the classical laws of physics don’t apply, there are only probabilities. A MIM has to overcome this problem.

Boma stuck his palm over a wall-mounted pad and Building Three’s entrance opened. We entered the dome.

Ieeb said, “Jason, I’m going to put my suitcases in my room, then lie down. I’m tired.”

I nodded.

Boma pointed, and told Ieeb where her room was.

Moments later, Ieeb and I entered it.

After putting her suitcase down, I kissed her lightly on the lips. “I’m going to look for Dr. Xio and Doctor Ara, and ask if they’re interested in buying tickets.”

Ieeb grinned. “See you soon. The door won’t be locked. You don’t have to knock. Please stay with me tonight.”

I smiled. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Ieeb winked.

I entered an office. An Aito man, a stranger with a narrow chin and slit-like eyes, kept staring at me, a puzzled expression on his countenance.

“Are you Dr. Xio?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Jason. Would you like to buy a ticket?”

He frowned. “Yes. I want to return to Icir as soon as possible. A few days ago, Obno paid me. About a week ago, I watched as Oiins stung four guards. All of them died. According to my database, a small archive, the insect’s stingers were full of neurotoxins and hemotoxins. However, because there aren’t any toxicologists on Danig—professionals who could create a better database—the results of my search could be wrong. Anyway, if I don’t leave soon, I’ll eventually get stung and die.”

“Understood.”

Dr. Xio scowled. “I hate this place.”

I said, curious, “By the way, I thought you were going to Nooa.”

“I’ve made enough money so I can return to Icir. Despite the fact that they’d pay me a lot more to go to Nooa, I’d probably die there. The entire planet’s atmosphere is full of deadly streptococcus and staphylococcus.

“On top of that, every lake, river and stream is filled with lethal viroids. Even if doctors inoculate you, the odds are eighty percent that you’ll come down with something.”

“Can I see your ID?” I cut in. “It’s standard protocol.”

“Don’t you trust me?”

“Sorry, but I do this for everyone. In the past, I’ve had troubles with violent passengers.”

“Okay.” He removed a tablet from his pocket. His portrait appeared. He had received his PhD. from Bri University. The information was authentic.

I nodded. “It’s fine.” We completed the transaction.

“I want to leave in four days.”

“I have to speak to the others, but I’d like to leave soon as well.”

He rubbed his hands together, nervous.

I paused. “Is Dr. Ara returning to Icir?”

Just then a five foot, eight-inch tall Aito man with a beard and a long nose entered the room.

Dr. Xio glanced over his shoulder. “That’s him.”

“I heard that. Jason, I’ve going back to Icir. Forget Nooa. It’s too dangerous.”

I mentioned my recent conversation with Dr. Xio. Dr. Ara listened, his face tight. “Leaving in four days is a good idea.”

I talked about the ticket buying procedure. They agreed, and we completed it.

Dr. Ara sighed. “I miss Icir.”

I nodded. “See you at the hangar. Now it’s time to search for Fi and Baaax.” I left the room and spotted Boma. “Can you drive me to the Trec mine?”

“Yes. Let’s meet at the front door in a couple of minutes.”

I walked outside while peeking over my shoulder. Behind me, Boma and four male security guards left the building.

Hearing an ominous buzzing sound, I stared straight ahead while breaking out in a cold sweat.

Above a nearby hill, a huge swarm of Oiins rose, flying this way.

I announced, “Trouble,” then yanked the compressed flamethrower off my sleeve. The device unfolded. I aimed it at the swarm.

Boma cursed, “Shit. I hope my suit is thick enough. Those stingers are huge.”

Boma and all the other guards aimed their W-9’s.

One guard fired a two-foot long weapon, a device with a six-inch diameter barrel, equipment I hadn’t seen before.
Chak!

Everyone flinched.

Several yards above the bushes, a grenade went off. The Oiins immediately dispersed, making an ear piercing sound, one resembling screeching brakes. Soon they went over a distant hill.

I pointed at the two-foot long weapon. “What’s that?”

Boma frowned. “It’s an H-One.”

Database information came out of my earplugs.
An H-1’s grenade is filled with Neurotoxin nerve gas and shrapnel.

“Do H-One’s always frighten them away?” I blinked.

Boma replied, “Sometimes. A month ago, after we reached the Cres supply depot, we climbed out of my giag and heard a swarm coming. A guard fired an H-One, the only one we have. Most of the Oiins took off, but the rest of them stung three out of seven guards. All three died in a few minutes.”

I grimaced. “That’s horrible.”

Boma coughed. “Yes. We finally killed the remaining Oiins with flamethrowers. Luckily, there wasn’t much wind. Two of those guards were my friends. I sent the bad news to their mothers.”

I paused. “Why don’t you have more H-Ones?”

“Three months ago, I asked Lyso and Raui to buy more. They said they’d think about it. Several times after that, I made the same request. Earlier this week, in an email, Lyso mentioned that they’re on his weapons-to-buy list. I’ll believe him when the H-Ones are delivered.

“Let’s face it, anyone who stays here is living on borrowed time. We need more guards and weapons and better roads, along with a lot of other stuff. I have to fix the giag because they didn’t hire a mechanic. This is a shitty place.”

I rubbed my face, nervous. “I assume you’re being paid well.”

Boma scowled. “You better believe it. If I last four more months, I’ll go back to Icir. Even if I find some low paying job, I won’t have worry too much about money. I can spend more time with my sons.”

All of us hopped inside the giag, Boma and I in the front, everyone else in the back. He started the engine and we drove off.

We passed what looked like eucalyptus groves—until thorns shot out of the trees. They bounced off the hood.

Boma gasped in horror. “I’ve never seen Mus Nantus trees do that until now. Just what we need, another problem!”

Within moments, thorns covered the road and hood. The giag began shaking as it went over them.

Behind me, a guard muttered, “It’s a good thing we’re inside this cab.”

Another guard cursed, “Ank. I’m gonna destroy that Mus.”

A translation, recorded information, came out of my earplugs.
Ank is Tiel excrement.

Behind me, a window hummed as it rolled down. I heard a click—the guard had attached a grenade to his rifle. The weapon discharged.
Bam!

Sixty feet beyond, a Mus Nantus blew apart, hit by the grenade.

Boma announced, “Direct hit!”

A guard chuckled. “That was fun.”

Blam, Blam, Blam!
More trees disintegrated.

Boma called out, “You’d better stop. Otherwise, we’ll run out of ammunition.”

Not far beyond the right and left shoulders, there were large Zeeo Xutus trees, species with orange boomerang-shaped fruit on them. They stank.

A guard complained, “It smells like ank.” Within seconds, all of us started coughing, reacting to toxic fumes.

Boma choked. “Mist is coming out of those Zeeo Xutus.” He vomited. In an instant, the giag veered left, speeding toward the shoulder.

I jabbed one hand over my sleeve. The helmet rose out of the collar, then my face-mask closed. I slid across the seat, toward Boma, then shoved my hand through holographic text. The giag turned and went back onto the road.

Boma stopped vomiting and murmured in a raspy voice, “I’ll take over.” He stuck his hand inside holographic text. The giag accelerated and shook harder as we drove over tiny snakes on the road.

I returned to my original position.

Behind me, I heard the guards retch. Both of them started hacking, clearing their throats. The cab smelled like stomach bile.

“Boma, where is your helmet?” I glanced at him, worried.

“It’s inside my collar. It’s broken.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

He paused, a fearful expression on his face. “It might be the software. I’m not sure.”

“Is every guard having that problem with their helmet?” I rubbed my chin, surprised.

“Many of them are. We asked Baaax and Mair to check each helmet’s software. However, both of them said we’d have to wait a few weeks because they’re busy.”

“How long ago did you ask them?”

“About two weeks.”

I cleared my throat and coughed. Even though I was breathing stored oxygen from inside my suit, the fumes were strong. I shoved one hand over my sleeve. The face mask opened. I vomited. Then my eyes began watering.

Boma hacked, trying to clear his throat.

“What species are those bushes?” I asked in a hoarse voice.

“Reip Totus.”

Eighty feet down the bumpy gravel road, a flock of tan vultures glided onto the shoulder.

“What species are those?”

Boma replied, “Uim. They’re harmless, but they stink.”

I sniffed. They smelled like human excrement and rotten meat. Suddenly, they took off, toward the giag, and flew overhead. As I watched in disgust, indigo bird droppings splashed across the hood. Gradually, the stench grew stronger. Because I didn’t want to vomit again, I started breathing through my mouth, not my nose.

Boma coughed. “Welcome to Danig.”

Behind us, a guard blurted, “Ank.”

We drove by more grassy hills. On our left and right, all of them were partially covered by Mus Nantus.

I pointed at them as my stomach muscles tensed up.

Boma announced in a nasal tone, “Yes, I see them.”

The guards muttered, but they didn’t fire any grenades.

The trees didn’t attack.

Boma parked close to a mine entrance that had been dug into the side of a weed-covered hill. A small dump truck, a small transport vehicle called an SMT, drove out of the entrance. Close to the entrance, sixty feet above the ground, a bronze trapezoid-shaped interstellar craft descended. On both sides of the IC, which was designed to carry loads from a planet’s surface to orbiting space freighters, landing gear extended and the ship touched down, its bottom eleven feet above ground.