The Copernicus Deception (The Human Chronicles Saga Book 15) (20 page)

‘Nicest ship we’ve ever stolen,” Riyad added.

Kaylor took the co-pilot seat, with Riyad and Jym taking places at nav and weapons.

Even though this was an executive starship, it still came with an impressive inventory of defensive weapons. VIP’s demanded security when traveling through the galaxy. The ship gave it to them.

In fact, the vessel had top-of-the-line everything, and the cycle time between generator startup and liftoff was measured in seconds rather than minutes.

The launching starship interrupted the battle on the ground, as jets of fire scorched the sandy soil and sent deadly heat and smoke blasting into the Juirean and Gradis fighters. Very few survived. The ones who did lost their enthusiasm for fighting.

“According to Dora, there’s only one Juirean ship in the area. Let’s make sure it can’t follow us,” Riyad suggested.

Adam slanted the ship to the left, sweeping around to the rear of the mighty warship where the gravity generators were located.

“Have you got the weapons figured out?” Adam asked.

“They are standard arrangement,” Jym confirmed. “Generators targeted. On your command, Adam.”

“Fire!”

The tiny ship jerked as the flash cannon erupted. At this range, and against unshielded metal, the aft section of the Juirean ship imploded from the hits, moments before the resulting interior explosions reversed the affect. Adam had the small starship racing for the clouds when the Class-3 blew up, sending yellow and red flame billowing over the entire compound.

No one could have survived.

Adam snickered. The only loss of life he mourned at the compound was that of Ginger the dinosaur.

Chapter 26

Once safely in space, Adam felt his pocket. The orb was gone!

He panicked, feeling his other pockets and looking around where he sat. That’s when he noticed the object resting in the control panel before him.

“Stop doing that!” he cried out loud.

Everyone on the bridge looked at him.

“Sorry, I wasn’t talking to you.”

Kaylor, seated next to him frowned. He noticed the orb.

“What is that?”

“It’s what everyone has been looking for,” Adam said. “But it has a nasty habit of bouncing around from place to place without warning.”

“It can move? But how?”

“Don’t know, but trust me, it can.”

Z, you have to let me know if you’re going to transport yourself from place to place. I almost had a heart attack thinking you were back on Liave-3.

Forgive me, Adam Cain. I was not aware of your concerns.

“What does it do?” Kaylor was asking.

“It creates energy, very efficient energy, energy that can be used to make flash weapons about a hundred times more potent and effective.”

“Really…that tiny thing?”

“How does it work,” Jym said as he moved over to get a closer look.

Should I demonstrate?

No,
Adam thought.
The less they know the better
.

“Let’s not worry about that now, Jym,” he said aloud. “We need to get into Union territory before all hell breaks loose. If the Juireans are going to blame us for the death of the Overlord, then there’s going to be war, and both sides will be blaming us—me and Riyad—for starting it.”

“An Overlord is dead? And you killed him?” Jym’s voice was a screech.

“No, we didn’t kill him. But the Juireans are going to claim we did,” Riyad explained. “It’s what they need to declare war on the Union.”

“But youb pid not fill—”

Kaylor’s words turned to gibberish and his voice slurred. His eyes rolled back in his head and seconds later his head fell forward against the control panel.

Adam gasped for breath. He saw Jym fall to the deck, and beyond, at the nav station, Riyad’s eyes were open wide as he clawed at his throat.

Attempting to lift out of the seat, Adam’s vision became blurred and he lost his balance. The next thing he remembered was falling over Jym’s unconscious body…before everything went black.

********

Copernicus Smith entered the pilothouse with a clear plastic mask over his mouth and nose, connected to a small, silver bottle of compressed gas clipped to his belt. He surveyed his handiwork, before beginning the task of moving the unconscious bodies to the back staterooms and binding their arms and legs.

Once that was done, he restored full flow to the ship’s atmosphere and removed the mask. Then he triggered the comm line.

It was a voice-only transmission.

“I have them.”

“And the artifact?”

“That, too.”

“Although only Cain and Tarazi were mentioned originally, the inclusion of the device within the transaction is an unexpected and welcomed bonus. We have many uses for such technology.”

“That’s what I thought. Where should we meet?”

“I will send coded coordinates. As you can well understand, our location must remain secure.”

“Of course. All I care about is the money.”

“You shall have it. Proceed with all haste. We are anxious to settle our business.”

You’re not the only one
, Copernicus thought as he cut the connection. Then he looked at the tiny metal globe on the control console. He felt as if he was being watched.

“Now, my little friend, I have to figure out a way to keep you from jumping around on me.”

********

Copernicus knew it was a risk, but he felt the orb had made some kind of connection with Adam, possibly through his Formilian implant device. So he set a laser on the orb, with the controller on the other side attached to the trigger of the Beretta. He aimed the barrel at Adam’s leg.

Coop had emergency medical supplies aboard which would save Adam’s life should the orb move, triggering the weapon. He wasn’t too concerned about delivering damaged goods to his customer; he was sure Adam wouldn’t live much longer after the transaction was consummated anyway. Besides, the big payoff would come with the sale of the orb to these very same buyers. They had been completely unaware of the artifact until Coop explained it to them. After that, the orb became their center of attention.

Yes, that was where he’d make the really big bucks.

********

Adam awoke confused and lightheaded. He was on a table in the ship’s dining area, and when he went to move he found he was strapped down, with his right leg held particularly tight. He craned his neck to get a look. Sure enough, four straps on that one leg alone.

You’re conscious,
a voice said in his mind.
That is good.

“Where…what happened?”

The ship lost breathable atmosphere, replaced by an inert gas to maintain pressure.

“Why?”

Copernicus Smith orchestrated the event.

“He’s aboard!”

Yes.

The problem with Adam’s ATD was that it didn’t feed information to him unless he sought it out. That was why he hadn’t detected the electronic signature of a small, passive voice monitor in the room, not until it was too late.

Copernicus strode in with a wide grin on his face.

“So it talks to you,” he stated. “That explains a lot. Is it alive?”

“Fuck off!”

“Now Mister Cain, let’s be civil.”

“It’s Cap—”

“I know; that joke’s getting old. Now tell me about it, or I may have to put a slug into your leg just for shits and giggles.”

“I thought we left your burning corpse back on Liave?”

“We’re Humans, Adam. We tend to think alike, especially when it comes to survival. Now please….”

“It’s not alive, but you couldn’t tell.”

“It’s obviously smart enough to know it can’t move without triggering the nine-mil. That says a lot. It communicates through your implant?”

“Yeah.”

Copernicus shook his head. “I have really got to get me one of those things. Go on.”

“Not much to tell. You already know it produces energy. I have no idea how, but the Incus were working on figuring that out when your Silean friend stole it. That’s about all I know.”

“You offered that up much too easily, Mister Cain. Now tell me something I don’t know.”

Adam let his head fall back on the hard table. He sighed. “It’s old, really old.”

“Like how old?”

“At least three billion years.”

“Damn, that is—” Then Copernicus took a deep breath. “Who made it?”

“I don’t know. Obviously a race of beings who are long gone by now.”

“How do you know?”

“Dude…I said three billion years.”

“Creatures that old—and advanced enough to create a device that would last that long—would find a way to survive.”

“Is that really what you’re curious about? I have no idea if they survived or not. What are you going to do with us now?”

Copernicus walked over the food processor and came back to Adam’s table with a drink in his hand. He lifted the glass in a toast. “Here’s to the power of advertising. You will interested to learn that we are currently on our way to meet the highest bidder.”

“You’re going to sell the orb?”

Coop snorted. “It started out just being a negotiation for you and Riyad. But when I told them about your little friend there, they were quite interested.”

“Who are they?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

“It’s the Klin, isn’t it?”

“I’m impressed, Mister Cain. But I guess you, better than anyone, would know who hates you the most.”

“Don’t trust them.”

“Oh I don’t, not in the least. I’ll be careful. All I want is my money and then I’m out of here. You’ll never see me again.”

“My god, you’re the greediest son-of-a-bitch I’ve ever met.”

Coop smiled. “Haven’t you heard: Greed is good. Just relax; we’re almost there. A nice neutral meeting place where everyone will feel safe.” Then he laughed. “I can almost hear it from here.”

After a pause, Adam’s curiosity got the best of him. “Hear what?”

“Cha-Ching! The sound of money.”