Merkiaari Wars: 01 - Hard Duty (14 page)

“Hmmm. Normally I would not approve of that order of things, but I know Sharn’s family and their clan is solid. They won’t let the pair stray too far from the proper path.”

That was Tahar’s feeling as well. He had investigated Sharn’s credentials as was only proper, and had found nothing to fear. He would make for a good mate, and his clan had many fine healers within its ranks. Perhaps Chailen would be inspired to join them.

“Listen Tei, Shima has found something that you need to see. It’s a little... well, shocking. Can I send you a packet? I would like to wait while you watch if that’s all right?”

Tei’Thrand blinked. “Well, if it’s not too long.”

“Eight segs, but I don’t think you will need to watch the entire thing now. You will understand after watching the first tenth of a seg, maybe right away if I know you.”

“You intrigue me, Tahar. And yes I know you did that on purpose! Very well, send it.”

Tahar did so with a few deft keystrokes and waited.

“I have it... hmmm, you were not joking. A big video file eh? Let’s see...”

Tahar watched Tei’Thrand’s puzzled expression dissolve as he played the video. It didn’t take even a tenth of a seg. Tei’Thrand’s ears were quivering with excitement after watching the opening sequence.

Tei’Thrand focused upon Tahar again. “Where is it now? Does Shima know what she found; does she know to keep her silence?”

“I have it here with me, still disassembled, and no, Shima doesn’t know what we have. She thought the elders sent it to check her work.” Tahar smiled at the thought. Tei’Thrand didn’t. “No point in alerting her by telling her to keep it a secret.”

“Agreed. I’m coming over to collect it.”

Tahar hesitated. “About that—”

“No games!” Tei’Thrand snapped. “This is momentous news. Astounding... dangerous.”

“I am aware,” Tahar said stiffly. “There are many people I could have notified. I chose you for a reason.”

“We are family, Tahar, but this goes beyond that.”

Tahar waved that away impatiently. “I am not trying to blackmail you, you idiot!” he snapped. “The thing is yours regardless of what you decide to do, but I would appreciate a little consideration. I
did
come to you after all.”

Tei’Thrand relaxed. “Apologies. Yes, you did come to me. What consideration?”

“When the time comes, I would like to be included somehow. My work up at Hool is...”

“Boring?” Tei’Thrand said with a laugh.

“Unsatisfying,” Tahar qualified. “I miss the time Nidra and I enjoyed on the FTL project. That was a once in a lifetime thing I know, but now? Surely something will come up, even if it’s limited to in system propulsion.”

Tei’Thrand inclined his head. “Your background is consistent with any team set up to research that sort of thing. I would not have to try very hard to have you included I am sure. Nidra... I wish...”

“Yes. I wish too, every morning and every night,” Tahar said sadly, but then straightened. “Thank you. I will expect you here shortly.”

“I’m leaving now,” Tei’Thrand said and closed the connection.

Tahar sat back and stared at the blank screen thinking about what he had set in motion. He had no doubt that Tei’Thrand would turn this discovery into something that would benefit the progressive thinkers of his clan. Tahar had no problem with that; he had a lot of sympathy for their beliefs and his caste would as well. Things were going to change again, hopefully for the better, but change they would. That would not make the traditional land bound, and some would say backward looking, Tei happy. They could make things difficult.

“I wonder what the elders will say about it,” Tahar mused.

Not that he would ever learn that. He doubted there would be any announcement of this discovery. No, the alien device would quietly disappear but suddenly new discoveries would just happen and researchers would announce a breakthrough. That is how Tahar expected things to proceed. No mention of aliens he was sure. They didn’t need a panic amongst the populace, but quietly the Fleet commanders would be told to keep extra vigilant. Tei’Thrand would use back channels or something like that. Tahar had no real idea what Tei’Thrand planned to do, but he would surely do that at the very least.

Tahar would have been very surprised indeed if he had known Tei’Thrand had no plans to inform anyone but a handpicked group among his own clan about the device, and would have been even more surprised if he had known that group had allies within the council of elders itself.

* * *

Earth, capital world of the Alliance

Professor Brenda Lane stormed into her office to find it being ransacked. She had been informed just moments ago that a dozen people in uniform had descended onto the building looking for her.

“What the hell are you people
doing?
” she yelled upon entering her office. “You,” she said, pointing to a man with a lot of colourful ribbons on his chest. “Tell them to put those back.”

The soldier glanced at her then away without speaking. He was reading a page of notes from a compad and took no further notice of her, even when she stood glaring up at him from just a pace away.

The items Brenda was referring to were her reference texts. Two women in uniform were stripping her shelves, and placing everything into padded aluminium cases. She hurried forward and tried to take the current book the soldier was holding, but the woman was built like a gorilla and wouldn’t let go. Brenda turned away only to find a man stripping her computer files.

“What the
hell
is going on?”

“Don’t worry Ma’am, I’m being real careful.”

“I don’t care. You leave that alone,” Brenda said trying to shoulder him aside.

“Now don’t do that, Ma’am, I have my orders.” He gently but firmly moved her aside. Another man stepped forward and barred her from approaching the terminal.

“What orders?”

“If you will calm down, Miss Lane, I will explain.”

Brenda whirled toward the door and found the owner of the new voice. He was a general or something. His chest was covered in flashy ribbons. She stalked over to tell him off, but before she could get a word out, he spoke again.

“First things first. You are Professor Brenda Lane?”

“You know damn well I am. Who the hell are you?”

“Commander Freylin. You are
the
Brenda Lane—professor of exobiology, and xenology?”

“I said yes, dammit!”

“If you will come with me please?”

“I’m not going—
hey!
” Two very large men laid hands on her. “Let me go or you’ll be sorry.”

The navy ratings smirked. They hustled her out the door, and were followed by two more as escort. Freylin walked quickly through the corridors ignoring her squawks of outrage.

“Help! I’m being kidnapped, somebody call security!”

People poked their heads out of the classrooms and labs as Brenda screamed bloody murder. James went further. He stepped out of his classroom and confronted her kidnappers.

“What do you think you’re doing? I demand an explanation.”

Brenda silently cheered.

Freylin frowned in annoyance. “And you are?”

“Professor James Wilder.”

“Professor of what might I ask?”

“Palaeontology.”

“Has that any links with exobiology or xenology?”

James frowned. “With exobiology certainly… in a way. Palaeontology is the study of life in the geologic past. It’s the analysis of plant and animal fossils. Exobiology deals with present day life on other planets, so you see there is a tenuous link.”

“Enough of the lectures, James,” Brenda said in exasperation. “Can’t you see I’m being kidnapped?”

James flushed. “Quite right. Sorry, Brenda.” He glared at Freylin. “I must insist that you let her go.”

Freylin ignored him. “Fossils? They can be found on any life bearing planet?”

“Of course.”

Freylin nodded thoughtfully, and then shrugged. “Jones, Hopley,” he said to the two unencumbered ratings. “Professor Wilder will be accompanying us.”

“Aye, sir,” Jones said and moved to take Wilder in hand.

Brenda shook her head in exasperation. James protested and tried to free himself, but Hopley moved to take his other arm. Seconds later, they hustled out of the building.

“See here, you can’t do this,” James said.

Brenda grinned even while thinking nasty thoughts at Freylin. “I think they can James.”

“But I haven’t done anything.”

“Neither have I, but here I am…
and
they’re ransacking my office. They’re stealing everything not nailed down.”

“Not stealing, borrowing,” Freylin said absently as they reached the car. “That reminds me…”

Freylin turned to his driver and ordered James’ office ransacked similarly. The man saluted and ran off to see to it. Brenda and James were bundled inside the car followed by their keepers.

“All right!” Brenda shouted. “Stop pushing me will you?”

“Do you promise to be good?”

She fumed, but what was the point of struggling when she had no chance against the two muscle-bound gorillas. “I’ll be good,” she grated between clenched teeth.

It went much easier after that. James was quick to agree when asked the same question, and Freylin sat opposite them to await his driver.

“Where are you taking us?” Brenda said.

“Yes, and what’s it all about I would like to know.” James turned to Brenda. “You aren’t a subversive are you?”

“James,” she gasped in outrage. “I have no idea what’s going on.”

“All will be explained to you,” Freylin said as his driver climbed into the car and started the turbine.

As the car pulled away, Brenda noticed a military loader pull up and receive the cases containing her files and reference texts. What the hell was going on? “Am I being arrested for something? Deported?”

“
Deported!
” James blurted in shock.

“You’re not under arrest. We need your help with something.” Freylin raised a hand to prevent further questions. “That’s all I will say until you join the others.”

“What others?” she demanded but Freylin stubbornly refuse to answer.

Brenda fumed in silence for the rest of the journey.

Their destination was a surprise. The spaceport seemed an unlikely place for a meeting, but then this entire thing was pretty damn unlikely. Freylin climbed out of the car followed by James. Brenda hesitated, but one look at her jailers was enough to make her climb out hastily. They didn’t lay hands on her this time, but they hovered close as if expecting her to run. She wouldn’t do that. Electrified fencing surrounded the spaceport.

“This way.” Freylin said and led the way inside the terminal building, but instead of heading toward one of the gates, he turned right and entered the V.I.P lounge.

Once inside, their keepers left them to roam freely through the lounge, while they joined others like themselves standing guard at the exits. Relief swept through her. James and she were not the only ones here against their will. Being kidnapped didn’t seem so bad when there were a dozen of you. It was silly, but she felt safer in a group. More than that, she felt comfortable with the people in this one. She recognised them. They were all highly respected scientists in the fields of exobiology, xenology, linguistics, physics, astrophysics… she knew them all, though James seemed not to. He was the odd one out. He was only here because he had intervened in her kidnapping.

“I’m sorry I got you into this, James.”

“Not to worry. This is the most excitement I’ve had in years.”

Brenda smiled at that, but she could see he was tense. “Let me introduce you around. We might learn something of what is going on.”

“Good idea.”

They mingled with the others listening for titbits of information. Nothing anyone said made the least bit of sense, until another woman was hustled into the room by two burly navy types.

“—listening to me? I’m going to
sue you!
” Janice Bristow shouted through the door.

Brenda grinned. “Hello, Janice.”

Janice whirled still glaring, but then she brightened. “Brenda! It’s been too long. And who is this handsome fellow, a new man in your life?”

She felt herself blushing. “This is a colleague of mine. James Wilder, this is Janice Bristow. Janice was my mentor way back when I first decided exobiology was my thing.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Janice said and shook James’ hand. “Xeno, or exo?”

“Err, neither I’m afraid. Palaeontology.”

“Palaeontology?” Janice frowned in thought. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“He tried to stop them kidnapping me and got swept up as well,” Brenda explained.

Janice’s face brightened. “Thank heavens for that. For a minute there, I thought I had it all wrong.”

“You know what’s going on?” she asked eagerly. “What?”