First journey chapter 26

CHAPTER: 26 HOODS When the alarm woke me I was surprised I had found sleep in the first place. Visiting the prisoners facing certain death had affected me more than I thought. I remembered images of a fading dream about Tyr and Egill accusing me of judging and killing without remorse. Dawn had assured me yesterday that it was she who would throw the switch. Still, I had to be there. It was, so she told me, the assistant's task to place the hoods over the prisoner's head, effectively blinding them, thereby making me the last person to see their face before the execution. I took a long cold shower bracing myself for the upcoming event. It did not help much with my state of mind. I then donned the executioner's uniform and girded the chain sword instead of the blaster. I saw no reason to carry a weapon I was unfamiliar with to such an occasion, as you never know when you must use it. I stepped into the corridor in front of the hotel next to the police station, two law enforcement officers patrolled the area. As they acknowledge my presence, I could smell the fear and see the disgust on their faces. Dawn appeared moments later from her room and said, "We have time for a short breakfast as you are ready a little early." "I am sorry, but I don't think I can eat anything now." Her voice became softer." Doing what we have to do on a full stomach is much better, trust me. Dry heaves are lousy. I have experienced both situations.  Come and sit with me, and at least drink a cup of coffee." We went together to her temporary office and found a light breakfast waiting for us on a small table. Here behind closed doors, she removed her hood and poured me a mug of coffee. "Even after all this time, I still have trouble reckoning the enormity of the coming events, for true, the main reason for an assistant is moral support. So understand you are performing a very vital role by standing by me and allowing me to draw from your presence. There are a few societies that when one of their members witnesses an execution, they have massive seizures or heart attacks and die painfully.  Many societies know the executions are necessary, painful necessities and find they can not perform the duty.   To perform quick executions professionally,  and flawlessly is the reason we exist." I had no real response to that. I felt friendship and sympathy for Dawn, but not enough to make me feel less guilty. So I took the cup of coffee and watched her eating with purpose and quickness in her moves and said, "What are my responsibilities after the conclusions of the event? Are we required to wait a certain period before we leave or may I immediately depart for the Academy?   We will take a break of about two hours, and then you can talk to psych support if you feel a need, that is totally up to you. Some executioners do, but I found they want to rehash the entire execution, therefore, making me relive it, once each time is enough for me.  I fill out the final documents, we both sign the same, and then we depart." "That means I will still be able to make the exams for the Academy, correct?" "That is a decision for the Chief Justice, and I guess your admiral, but I see no reason to keep you unless, of course, you change your mind and want to pursue a career in the Justice or Correction department." "Sorry Dawn, but this is not "my cup of tea" I instead go back to Nilfeheim and scrub Nubhir skins than perform this task again." She finished her breakfast and before she put her hood back on she said, "It is not uncommon to feel the need to throw up, DON'T lift the hood to do so, it is designed to accommodate that problem. In the past, they allowed the lifting of the hood, but soon found that it triggered the crowd, and resulted in horrible messes." I made a sour face and put on the hood, "I'll keep that in mind, even though just thinking about having to live with the smell until the completion of the task is unsettling." She looked questioning at me then said, it appears they did not explain everything to you. The hood has a spell or something cast on it, and if you do upchuck it disappears, there is no smell, no remains, and there is no sign anything happened. She somehow found my lack of knowledge funny and laughed while we left the room and went to the waiting flyer. Corri City Lox Marshall, owner Indoor Landscaping Inc., Sechz Sibenvoreinz had now lived for almost twenty years on Corri-Door as a "sleeper" spy for the Kermac/Galactic Council undetected. Intelligence work was quite tricky, and the Union was very successful in protecting its most important secrets. No spy ever managed to find out what made the Union occupy Arsenal II, an unimportant and unoccupied star system deep in the Galactic Council space. Arsenal II became an essential focus of treaties and other negotiations. The Union transformed it in the most protected and defended sector in the galaxy. Corri-Door was strategically almost or perhaps even more critical than Arsenal. The Border Control and Defense Headquarter (BC&D) were here and everything moving across the borders was registered and analyzed here and also at the central data processing system located on the small planet of Corrosive. The Union BC&D processed immigration requests, checked and tracked visitors, especially those of unfriendly or enemy civilizations. Their work interlaced closely with the Union Intelligence and Counter Intelligence agencies. The data and scanning results of millions of buoys, sensor arrays, deep space forts, and patrol ships were jointly analyzed and processed by several agencies, but these three were the most important of all. Rumors had it that the BCaD maintained records on everything, including the tiniest piece of space dust that floated between the borders. He knew that statement wasn't far off the truth. He entered the Union some twenty odd years ago via Checkpoint ninety-six disguised as the sole pilgrim Lox Marshall who had left Union space a month before to visit the Whispering Uni Ruins on Netlor. Of course, the real Lox Marshall never returned. Lox, being a loner, with no family made him an excellent prospect for the Kermac counterintelligence black ops. Kermac Intelligence kept close tabs on all members of the sect belonging to the Church of the Golden whispering Spirit of the Universe, as it was an excellent way to get hold of Union Citizens and either turn them or replace them. It had to be done carefully and sporadically, not to ruin a good thing and possibly expose approximately two hundred agents. Sechz had almost forgotten his real name and definitely did not remember his physical shape. He had been surgically altered to represent the short, bald shopkeeper from Corri-Dorr. He carried the original CIT of Marshall in his arm inside a bio patch sack along with real Marshall tissue and DNA. Any casual CITI scan matched the DNA to the CITI, and he was verified. Since altering mental wave pattern was impractical the Kermac PSI tech experts, second only to the Saresii, developed an implant to mask them. Thereby allowing Sechz to carry an implant that masked his mental waves and simulated Marshall's patterns. Marshall owned a small Indoor Landscaping business in Tunnel 8 in Corri-dorr. His eighteen employees had no idea they worked for a Kermac spy. Marshall maintained a low profile and traveled once every two months to the Sect Temple on Palomino. He kept regular GalNet contact via his avatar involved in a harmless Dream World romance, of course, they used an extensive sign language to convey information. Lox was sure that sniffer programs existed which searched for keywords, even code words. The cursed Union had very advanced computronics and successfully implemented them in critical locations. But they would not be able to monitor visual gestures of Avatars. He, of course, had no idea who his online lover was other than his handler. He had just finished delivering white roses and lilies to one of the sales stands near the execution site and saw his Gal Net terminal blinking. His Online lover wanted to have a chat with him. It had to be something urgent. Otherwise, he would wait until the regularly scheduled time. He closed his office door, told his office assistant he did not want to be disturbed and laid down on the low grav Dream Couch. The real world disappeared, and moments later, he stood in the lobby of the DreamMaker. An almost sickening happy place with green meadows, trees, and oversized flowers and butterflies, he wishes it was avoidable, but it held the entry devices to all possible worlds. He went to his instrument, a stupid flower, and opened the door to his secluded world. To his surprise, his avatar lover, Micara, was accompanied by a Standard Base Line Avatar. Whoever it was had spent less than five minutes creating it. It was a sexless approximation of a human being with a blank stare, disturbing, to say the least. Micara said aloud, "I missed you, my love." And her index finger wiggled, and she said, "This is my supervisor, and he has an urgent assignment for you." The other avatar said, looking to the side began talking to someone in the real world, "Not now Vorneun. I don't care how the avatar looks. I am very capable of " The sexless avatar suddenly changed and sported a long beard and four arms. He continued in lower voices a seemly serious argument happening between him and an unseen entity. His lover Micara hissed angrily. "Please, no real names and use the Avatar name I gave you." The four-armed avatar suddenly grew to six meters and lost two of his arms, and the skin turned bright white. The avatar moved as if slapping or hitting someone and cursed, "If you value your life, leave the avatar controls alone. It does not matter how it looks." Through all this Sechz this all was becoming confused and was considering leaving the DreamMaker. The new avatar acted as if two noob operators, utterly unfamiliar with Dream Maker, were fighting over who was controlling the puppet-like avatar. He was certain he heard the name Nachacht, and that was could only be the Grand Wizard of the Military, if so he wanted no part of what was going on. Since the one directing the avatar had no qualms hissing at him, it was quite logical to assume it was another High Wizard. Micara trying to get Sechz to stop concentrating on the two quarrelings spoke using dirty words, graphic descriptions about sex, love and then her hands. He complimented her but then again was distracted as the other avatar shrunk to look like a twenty-centimeter gnome complete with the white beard and red hat and said with an angry tone back to someone, outside the simulation. "So this is how you think I should look?" He again heard the slapping motion of hands as if to chase someone away from its' input controls. In the background, he heard Micara say, "Love, you are aware of the execution taking place tomorrow?" He spoke to Micara, but unable to take his eyes away from the Grand Wizard's avatar. "Yes, I just delivered flowers." "You must sabotage the event. We don't care how or what you do, but it must be disturbed sufficiently to ensure it is postponed or does not take place at all." Sechz didn't like that at all. He was a spy and didn't mind to collect information but to actively commit sabotage, murder or an act of terror on a planet swarming with Marine and Union Police security was suicide and wanted no part of it. He sighs, then continued, "I am biologically Kermac, and when, not if, I get caught they will know it was Kermac and that will cause political problems. Besides, it is too late to plan anything. The executions take place in less than 12 hours." The Gnome avatar grew but kept his shape. "It is not your place to consider political problems. It is your place to obey and serve. Refuse, and you wish you would be dead." Again Micara hissed." Do not use words like that, in fact, don't speak. I get the message across." Micara's hands spoke:" This is a Prime Order of the highest authority. You are welcome to terminate yourself after completing the task. But you will do as ordered." "I obey, with prejudice, it will be difficult and utterly without class, but it will occur." --***-- Omni Planet Rex stood next to his massive desk on the top floor of SII Sky Needle IV. The tallest planet bound structure on Omni Planet. He liked the material for the desk as it somehow reflected his character well. It weighed several tons and was in his simplistic clear design a symbol of power like few else. Dark gray slate tile covered the floor, the seams between the slate tiles pure gold. There was little else in furniture other than a hovering full black leather chair behind the desk. The three of the walls were floor to ceiling viewports. The hidden technology in his office, however, was quite arguably the most distinctive and advanced tech created by the known civilizations that currently existed. In some aspects approaching Celtest levels. Rex excluded the Narth of course, whatever they incorporated into project Fish was beyond anything his engineers had ever seen. But not even the Narth knew something he knew. He was aware of the real purpose of the Guardian, and he knew who had put this artificial entity 255 million years ago underneath what today was the Himalayas on Earth. A cold smile played around his lips as he thought about Richard Stahl, who personally had a team of gifted and quite talented individuals working to solve these questions. Good old Stahl. Honest to the bone. Stahl meant steel in an ancient Earth language, and he was every bit like that metal. If they needed a picture to illustrate the very definition of Righteousness, Stahl's image would be perfect. He was the only one Rex feared in open conflict. That old Soldier was very resourceful. Rex knew that Stahl had been on Narth Prime, so far the only human ever. Stahl had returned with that huge ship of his, during the height of the last Y'All Invasion and to this day no one knew where he got it or from whom he got it. Rex knew about the ultra-secret Celtest depot underneath the deserts of Arsenal III, but the stuff there was all mothballed by the Celtest, it remained so, inactive and hazardous to play. To experiment with a technology level higher than your own, and the Celtest were at least TL 11 when they disappeared, could be considered suicidal. The Devastator, however, was fully functional and Stahl returned with the full knowledge of how Translocator Cannon worked and how to manufacture them. The mighty Devastator could cloak so effectively nothing known detected her. Where did he get the functional ship? Not that he planned to go against Stahl or betray the Union at least not in the near future. Rex had little or no respect for, McElligott, the Grand old man of the Fleet. However, it was true that after 3000 years he knew the other Immortals, and there was a level of understanding that went beyond friendship. But the richest man alive thought of McElligott as past his prime and usefulness. The Guardian picked McElligott to take care of the logistics and the politics needed to build a large organization as the Fleet, something for which the Warrior Stahl bore no patience. Cherubim, on the other hand, was a great unknown. In all that time, he did not learn her assigned purpose other than being the eyes and ears of the growing humanity. She created the PSI corps and the Terran Space intelligence. He knew she somehow infiltrated the Sojonit Order and there was in his opinion no better intelligence network in the galaxy. He was almost sure she had her fingers in other organizations. He was interrupted by Yvonne, the most advanced android in the galaxy and perhaps the most capable battle robot. Yvonne carried the essence and physical being of Clara, his first daughter. She was allowed to change as she grew older and mature as a human. She was a daily reminder that he had not avenged his daughter's death. True, he had found the perpetrators who had abducted and killed her, and their end was as gruesome as his intellect and resources allowed. But the Kermac, the ones that send the kidnappers to try and force him to work for them still existed. He swore, there were be no real rest for him until their complete removal from the Universe. The Yvonne handed him a print out in a black folder. The words, in red: "For RSO" and the SII logo imprinted on it and contained his daily report. Anyone else but him opening it would cause the complete molecular decay of the folder and what it contained. That included all the activities of what he called Black Business. He liked the numbers he saw associated with the SII Entertainment Division. The profits soared, mostly due to Dream World. DW release 5.6 was hugely popular and Dream Maker the equipment and shell program you needed, despite its steep price of 1000 Credits always had to be back ordered no matter how many units SII Entertainment build. Naturally, SII-Ent Division could have produced enough units to flood the market but creating this artificial shortage made it even more desirable to the customers across the galaxy. A secret division of Schwartz Industries did precisely some of the things Richard Stahl feared SII might do. They listened in onto every conversation in Dream Maker, no matter how private or secure the user thought they were and in subtle ways, influenced Users to prefer SII products and services. Rex Schwartz was very well aware of this as this division reported to SII-Black Ops Command, which in turn delivered daily reports to their boss. Would he had political ambitions, he could indeed use Dream Maker and other channels to influence over 60 percent of the Union population and have himself elected king or emperor. Yvonne said." Master, you should look at document 9403.32. It is associated with the Kermac Spy on Corri-Door." Schwartz security knew about the Kermac using the sect of the whispering Spirit to infiltrate the Union for quite a while, ever since the Kermac replaced an SII employee sixty-five years ago, the SII Security kept tabs on all of them. The Employee, for example, was allowed to send selected information home. It was much better to control a known spy than exposing him and then trying to find who or whatever replaced him. The Kermac spy on Corri-Door was more or less a sleeper, doing very little intelligence work or sending no more information to the Kermac than they could have gained by an extensive GalNet investigation. This time, however, his handler, a human woman on Pluribus, had contacted him while the Kermac delegation was there and with specific instructions to sabotage an execution that was about to take place. Rex knew, of course about the implications and the political reasons why this particular execution had to take place without any complications. It was quite bold of the Kermac to order such a subversive attack on a Union planet. If the sabotage was successful, and the Union identified who ordered the hit, it could quickly escalate to war. Rex would not mind if a war against the Kermac broke out. He had no doubt the Union would succeed, and he would commit his fleet and secret military might into the fray virtually guaranteeing victory even if the Nul came in as a Kermac ally. The Free Space civilizations, with especially the Kartanian and Togar fighting to maintain their interests intact. Still, he was certain the Union would be victorious but at a severe cost. He knew about the Call the Kermac made or were about to make and who would answer and respond to the Call. If and when that happened, the Union would then need all its strength and then some. That is where Rex believed his force would do the most good. He found it was better to chip away the Kermac power, thrall by thrall slowly, deal with the Shiss first and make sure they are no longer a factor, and then maybe in 30-50 years wipe those white-skinned meddlers out in one decisive hit. Unite the galaxy under one rule, and then it would be time for the Masters to return. Then and only then he would become the emperor of the Union and face the entity the Kermac had called."  He did not want to reveal his source of information, of course.  "Do we have someone who can make it to Corri-Door on time and deal with Lox Marshall before he can do something?" Yvonne maintained a permanently connected to GalNet and GalCom and also to the secret Comm-Channels of SII immediately answered, "I have contacted a reliable asset, but there is fifty-six percent chance he will not make it in time to resolve the problem favorably." "Monitor the situation and if the chance rises over seventy-five percent, leak the report to Union Intel, making sure SII cannot be held responsible for the leaked data." "Yes, Master." Lox Marshall Lox had gained access a Prison administration assistants, using a little supportive psionics nudging convinced said nitwit that the indoor plants needed checking again, it was rather simple as he was the official contractor. He could not visit the actual prisoner enclosures, but that was not necessary. The correctional officers were psionic shielded, especially as there was a Psi talented prisoner in the cells. He needed only visual contact so as he watered the indoor trees in the attached offices, and he glanced at the field screens monitoring the prisoners. Lox identified his target and maneuvered to gain access to her. He planted a new wish in her mind that she wanted to hold Saran Lulu flowers during her execution. It was a harmless request, and Lox was positive they would grant it as a dying wish. Saran Lulu's flowers would guarantee they called him. Adam Smith He actually burned out the drive of his small but high-speed Cobra Racing ship, the damage was considerable to the very expensive high-performance racer, which he had purchased just eight hours earlier, but he had made it to Corri-Door with three hours to spare before the execution was to take place. He had virtually unlimited funds to complete his mission and all available data on Lox Marshall readily available in his data brain. His left eyeball was a precision laser emitter and with he could drill a small deadly hole in his mark without anyone noticing him doing it, but he had to find his target first. His papers identified him as John Adams Of Luna, Sol system arriving from Palomino, his CITI was no forgery but the real thing. Easily obtainable for an SII Black Ops enforcer, while the government made the Citizen CIT implantation machines, they used parts manufactured by SII- Biotronics Division. Thus the corresponding biodata was genuine as well. He found tunnel ten and the business quickly enough. John Adams was not above using any means to obtain his goal. He tortured the pretty office assistant. John could have asked, but that would take to much time, plus he wanted to use the new technology afforded him Using Neuro pain scanner that was a crude but very effective technological alternative to a natural telepath he found she knew nothing to help him. He discovered that she only knew her boss had left, but she did not know where he went. So she had told the truth from the start. John shrugged, for the kind of bonus he would receive, he would gladly kill his mother, bless her heart. He had sprayed the body with a quick bio dissolver. While he was on his way downtown, the flower shop assistants body dissolved, bones and all. The bio dissolver eliminated everything within ten minutes, and the girl no longer existed. However, finding Lox was not as easy, even this early in the morning, the local transport systems became overwhelmed. There was the possibility Lox had disguised himself and this added unreasonable time to his schedule. Using his PDD, sent a short burst message to HQ. "Changes slim to nothing on completion. Systems here at max. No chance of correction.  Probable success now less than twenty-five percent. OUT" LOX Lox lingered by the flower and souvenir stand near the city port, and within sight of the scaffold. Ei Dum Kau, the stand owner, was a friend and also a fierce official competitor. Ei of Terran human Asian descent was a florist and had ordered new stock with Lox to give him a share on the expected business. Ei, came out of his store, holding a PDD, and asked. "Do you have any Pink Lulus left?" Lox feigned surprise, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do have some." "One of the prisoners, a woman from Corri-Gas, wanted to hold a bouquet during her execution and they granted her wish. I don't have any pink ones left, and no one answers the PDD in your shop.". He was lucky and got a cab right away. He wondered why Liona would not answer calls. She was usually so dependable. If she went to the hanging without asking, he would fire her. He found the door to the shop unlocked, and a strange sickening sweet smell hung in the air, but he had little time to be curious about smells. Only at the edge of his conscious, he noticed the almost entirely human shaped wet looking puddle of dirty water on the floor behind the counter. The Kermac spy was too agitated to notice. He took a big bunch of Lulus out of the stasis storage, out of a hunch he took a second weapon out of a hidden compartment in his desk and checked the charge of his accelerator and rushed back downtown. John Adams This mission was now hopeless. The city was overcrowded, the streets jammed with tourist and every shade scam artist imaginable. Lox was on his way to the execution, but what did he look like, what was he using to get there? All were questions, with no answers for John. He hated losing the bonus and taking a hit on his reputation. He decided to stick around until the executions were over, maybe just maybe, he would get lucky. Lox Lox approached the barrier manned by a beefy police officer in full armor, and luck was with him, the officer was a neighbor of his in tunnel 9. He had often talked to that police officer. The officer, Trevor Burke, took great pride in his little front lawn and not only was a regular customer but always asked Lox for plant and flower advice. Lox was certain he would not need psionic suggestions, not that he would want to try, most police uniform for the last 50 years were Psi shielded and warned if a Psi attack occurred. Burke looked impressive in the blue battle armor holding a shock baton in the right hand. His helmet visor open, and the baton was deactivated, indicated the Police did not expect any problems at this location. There were eight protesters with signs, and the crowd was joyfully heckling them without malice. Trevor raised his large hand in battle armor. "Oh good morning Mr. Marshall. Say what pretty pink flowers. What are those and who is getting them?" "Good morning Mr. Burke. These are Pink Lulus from Sares. I am supposed to deliver these to the female prisoner on death row." Burke looked at his helmet's read out and said. "Yes, that is confirmed. Burke opened the gate and said." My wife loves all things pink. Would they grow under Tunnel light?" Lox could not believe he just made it inside the barrier with weapons. The spy in him laughed at the lax security and the inept policeman. His Lox Marshall identity had become more than just a disguise and a cover for he begun to think like a Union citizen and he felt sorry for betraying the policeman who was a good neighbor and had invited him to BBQ's more than once. He could have become friends with the officer. Marshall was after all well respected and had a solid clientele who would always come to him before ordering anything plant related from GalNet without his approval. He answered with a guilty consciousness. "I don't think they would, and they are super expensive as they only grow on Sares Planets as far as I know." Burke tried to shrug inside the armor and pointed with his chin towards a black limo landing on the other side of the scaffold. "There they come, the slaughterers. It can't be long now, and the circus will start." Dawn and Eric aka the Hoods As our flyer landed before the scaffold in the now crowded park, Dawn turned to me and said, "You know everything you have to do, right?" "Yes, I think I got it. After the guards have placed the prisoners, I go down the line and place the hoods over their heads. You go after me and set the noose. Then I proceed to the other end, and you go down to the panel and press the button after the Chief Justice has made his final speech. I then up-chuck, preferably inside the dress. You wait till they are dead, release their bodies and we exit." She nodded, "Yes, that is it. Are you ready?" "I don't think I have a choice, so yes I am." We left the flyer, and I followed her through a gate in the barrier opened by a policeman and up the stairs of the scaffold. From up there I could see that the park and the surrounding buildings were full of people of all species, human and not. I had never seen so many people in one place, and they all stared at me at least, so it appeared to me. I wondered why so many would get up so early to see someone die, especially disturbing, were the media crowd. Between two buildings in the distance, a big field screen flickered into existence and showed a close up of the scaffold and us. Lox Lox watched the dark red robed executioners getting out of the limo. He said to Burke." Are they women?" The policeman tried to nod."Looks like it, they must have ice in their veins. To be honest, Lox, I could not do it. I don't think I could kill anyone in cold blood as an executor." Both Executioners walked close by, and the Kermac spy could only see their eyes for a moment before they mounted the stairs. He shivered involuntarily and actually for the first time in his life, prayed and hoped there was a Whispering Spirit. Then he said." You are a policeman. You carry a gun." "I never raised my blaster against anyone in anger. I am a policeman, not a soldier. I don't mind using my fists, the shock baton or restraining fields and that's all we ever have to do here on Corri-Door. That poison murderess is the first capital crime we had in years in the entire solar system, and she did not even resist her arrest. Now, don't get me wrong. I agree with capital punishment. Over seven Million permanent residents are living in this system and lots of traffic coming through, and we have minimal capital crimes, so the idea behind it seems to work fine. I think that criminal Saresii mind bender sure earned his sentence and I have no patience for Califerm dealers, but I am not so sure the Dai Than deserve it." He holstered his Shock baton and whispered. "I think they should do it in a little chamber away from this entire county fair atmosphere. I know the citizens voted it in and even my lovely peaceful wife has voted for it. She had a spot reserved right over there on River's Roof, where I bet she and her friends sitting up there right now waiting for the hanging." Hoods The prisoners arrived in a dark blue police van with hoverbike escort, and a platoon of marines in destroyer suits behind it landed. Law enforcement officers and robots dragged twenty shackled individuals up the steps. The Califerm thief struggled against the police men's grip. The woman's legs collapsed as she started to climb the stairs, two robots on each side of her, help her climb the stairs. The crowd had hollered obscenities at the Dai Than, but now a hushed silence has taken hold, except for the murmured comments of the newscasters it was eerie quiet. I noticed a civilian holding a big bunch of flowers right next to a police officer in crowd control gear talking to each other and Dawn said. "That is just a local flower dealer. The woman requested flowers at the last minute, and I decided to allow her request." Chief Justice V'Thensnhk Chief Justice V'Thensnhk like almost everyone else in the Justice General Building on Pluribus was glued before the big field screen watching the events unfolding on Corri-Door. He was Klack, but despite the biological differences to humans, he had a very similar range of feelings. He regretted the need to deputize and draft such a young human, and he knew it was beyond fair. He always wanted to be a real Judge, unbiased or influenced by anything but the law. He didn't like to be pressured by the department of state, but it finished, with the hanging going as requested. It seemed the young human worked well together with their best but sometimes difficult Chief executioner who always demanded perfection. His PDD glared red, and he immediately answered this priority one call. It came from the state department, and it was the representative of the Ult who currently holds the chair of this ministry. "We just have received credible intelligence that Kermac Agents will try to sabotage the execution. Can you delay the execution and get everyone to safety? We are trying to get assets to deal with this to Corri-Door within two or three hours." "First you use every political trick in the book to speed things up, and now you want it delayed? Have you looked at the broadcast lately? It will be over in an hour or so. There is police, and they should be able to handle any Terrorists. I will tell them to be on the lookout. Why don't you go over to the Kermac who are still here on Pluribus and tell them to call back their assassins? You can tell them that the Justice Department will not stand idle and arrest them if they commit crimes on Union ground. Ordering a murder is certainly a hanging offense." "They are under diplomatic immunity, and we don't have official proof they did anything. That is a matter of the State and not Justice Department." The Klack got angry. "All of a sudden, it is a matter of state?" The Ant whistled in the highest agitation. "The rule of law applies to anyone, and everything and with no one excluded. Union constitution does not acknowledge political motivations. There is no law on the books that allows foreign nationals to commit crimes. It is the very reason we can prosecute and hang the Dai Than. I am the first who will call this execution off if you can show me diplomatic immunity is anywhere in our law books. I will personally call for a mistrial and let the Dai Than go if you insist on Diplomatic Immunity." The Judge's antennae wiggled furiously, "Stop the attempted bullying. If you have a political problem address the assembly and if the Assembly decides to act and they make a law, then we of the Justice Department will enforce it. We are the Union we are not Kermac or whatever prim civ you like us to be. I also a Citizen and I will send a request to have all this openly discussed at the Assembly. The prisoner's hands locked in shackles at their backs and Lox found it easy to slip a mini blaster into the hands of one of the Dai Than and give him psionic instructions. It took only a few thoughts directed at the Dai Than who did not need much psionic persuasion to take the weapon. Adam Smith finally saw Lox Marshall, standing right by a police officer behind the barriers. Too far for his laser eye, so he had to get closer. He was almost there, three more meters, and the distance was perfect. A fat woman stepped into his way, and he was tempted to burn another hole her in that big butt. A heavy hand suddenly dropped on his shoulder, and he reacted in the fast trained way of a master assassin, turning around releasing the long thin mono blade from his left underarm sheath and breaking the sturdy blade against the torso of a Paladin Police robot. The robot crushed much of his shoulder bone and placed a force field cocoon around Adam. The Undercover Union Investigator spoke in his wrist com." Assassin apprehended and neutralized." Adam Smith could not allow interrogation so with a sequence of eye blinks he activated a little device below his heart, releasing fast spreading green Spore foam. Hoods The prisoner's nooses hung from their neck in a small loop then up over their heads. Ther feet currently held by force fields. The bald flower dealer was allowed to approach the woman who was the only one who had her hands tied in the front. He handed her the flowers and walked off. Dawn stood by the Stairs nodded to him and turned away. The bald harmless looking man suddenly held a weapon in his hand aimed and fired at Dawn." Dawn stumbled back. The Dai Than, who was third from the end, hands were suddenly free, holding a small hand weapon. Out of reflex, my hand reached for my knife, but the cursed robe covered it. My hands found only fabric. The Dai Than fired at me, but he must have missed, as I felt no pain. Reacting more out of instinct, I drew the chain sword as easy as Mrdaren, the blade grew, and with the teeth on the sword went supersonic with a whining snap. However,  the Dai Than before me did not move. I turned to face the next enemy, and there was none. Whatever just happened was already over. Marines and Battle robots secured the scaffold, and Dawn got up on her feet. There was a dark spot on her dress where the blaster had hit her, but no hole. All the prisoners looked like statues, stiff and unmoving. Police had arrested the Bald headed man and led him away. Dawn nodded to the local Judge and said." The execution will commence." Then she came over and said." Are you alright?" "Yes, I am, but what happened?" "An attempt to sabotage the execution. I received a warning about it, mere moments ago." She touched the blackened spot on her chest." Our robes are more than fabric. It is microscopic delicate Ultronit mesh loops covered with velvet. It takes more than a Class III Line blaster to burn through that. It looks like you didn't even feel the thermal blast that hit you." She pointed out a small blackened spot right above my heart. She then motioned to the prisoners."The prisoner control suits became rigid; they can't move a muscle. Your intervention with the sword was quite spectacular and fast, but not necessary." Dawn handed me a stack of black hoods. " Put those over their heads, don't even ask if they want it or not, so we can get this completed." She genuinely was cold as ice, and any affection I had for her before died that moment. After the Marines had scanned the prisoners for weapons and I had the sorry task of putting the hoods over their heads. Most of them did not look at me, but young Dai stared right into my eyes, and even though he acted tough and stoic, I saw the fear and the silent plea for mercy. My hands trembled as I pulled the black fabric over his face. The Califerm thief was shaking, and tears streamed down his face. "I didn't even know what was in the bag." He blubbered."I don't want to die." I think I was crying too as I pulled the hood over his head. The woman seemed not even aware of what was happening, now that I saw her close up, she was quite beautiful. Her lips formed words as she looked at me. Perhaps prayer or a plead for mercy. I was glad I did not hear what she said. Her face too disappeared behind the black fabric. Dawn came after me and placed the nooses made of memory metal. She touched a control on the cuff of her glove, and the memory metal cables stiffened. The local Judge, instead of reading the charges or the names nodded and the crossbar shot up, the nineteen dangled and I could not look away as much as I wanted. Most of them died silently and fast. The green lights flickered for a few seconds and turned red. The panel light of the califerm thief however stayed green moments, and the thief kicked and spasm, then he went limp. The third Dai who and fired the weapon still gargled and his legs tried to find the ground. The light stayed green, and I could not say how long it took, but I prayed to every God I knew to have mercy and turn that last light red. It stayed green for what seemed an eternity. The crowd had made a collective sigh as the bar went up, but now there was utter silence. Only now Dawn pressed another contact on her glove, I heard the buzzing crackle of electricity, blue sparks crackled around the memory metal noose, one last violent kick the Dai Than stopped moving, and the light went red. The trap doors opened, the bar lowered, and the memory metal robes released the bodies sliding directly into the tilted coffins below. The scaffold was now empty, except for a bunch of pink flowers looking strangely out of place. She motioned me with a wink, and I followed her. The crowd was still silent, and the first spectators started to leave. Dawn in a normal tone as if she would order coffee said. "That went rather well, considering where we are at." I knew she had that Dai suffer longer by setting the noose differently or something like that and I felt like an accomplice. I was glad I could take off the robe and mask when we had returned to the small hotel, and I took a long shower, but I felt as dirty at the end as when I entered. I didn't press the execution buttons, but I was still there and not even as a spectator. It was a situation as unfair as can be and yet I did do nothing. The Klack Justice had thanked and dismissed me without emotions. Dawn wanted to celebrate or have dinner or something. I did not ask details, nor did I care about what else. I had used an Auto dresser and was Eric once again and sneaked out the back door of the hotel. A crowd of media people had gathered before the hotel, but no one was particularly interested in me. It suited me fine as I just had to get away and went straight to the Gray Lines counter. I did not want to know details of the attack or who was behind it or be asked to stick around, maybe to hang a little bald man. "Robot I want the next bus out of here, preferably to Arsenal Gate but if the service is still interrupted I take whatever bus leaves earliest." "You can take the Greylines Wind spiel 923 Gate twelve. It will leave in 21 minutes to Palomino." Get me a ticket, please. Assembly The Elly announced their wishes for membership and Algear leaned back into his seat and said. "Do you think the Elly have any exotic food and will they serve it at their first Assembly dinner?" Egill shrugged. "I would assume they do and look forward to it.." The Narth delegate steepled his fingers and said. "Food, the very idea of consuming substances is fascinating, and this one shall look forward to observing you both eating the gelatinous Pulse-Stink maggots the Elly prefer." Egill turned to the Narth. "You just made a joke, right? There is no such thing as a Gelatinous Pulse Stink Maggot, or is there?" "To question one: If one made a joke, then it was unintended. Narth is still very much in a discussion as of what a joke should consist and if one should indulge one's self into that realm of human folly. One can make a Joke without producing any material item, but would the act of making it be successful, nor yield a product and usually making requires raw materials. What raw materials would a joke need? "To question two: You are asking this following a false statement. Denying the existence of the larvae does not make them any less substantial. However one can assure you Gelatinous Pulse stink maggots do exist and are the larvae stage of the Pulse stink fly. This particular life form defends itself against natural predators with a highly concentrated organic liquid that sprayed in small pulses from the life forms abdomen. According to Xeno biological research documents, it is among the most offensive odors and considered revolting by over ninety percent of all olfactory sense enabled sentients who experience it. One will acquire permission from Narth Supreme to receive olfactory senses as well." Algear said."The raw materials of a joke are everyday occurrences, rarely is the content of substances, often retold exaggeratedly to bring the punch line across in a humous way." "One does not understand why it would be necessary to retell an occurrence and alter it by adding substance. While it seems clear to the author of the dictionary of a one just consulted, what a punch line is a substance, However it is not clear to Narth." The Narth got up and bowed. "I must seek now the state of solitude. I shall return once I no longer require this isolation." He moved toward the door but ceased to exist here before reaching the door. At first, the remaining people were confused, then Egill shook his head."He is amazing. I can't wait for Tyr to talk to a Narth. I think he might be the only one able to understand the Narth." "I feel like a child, no less than a child when he speaks with such certainty and then his questions or his understanding of the most basic things of life make me wonder if the Narth has not evolved into a state that is neither life nor death but something else, a third state if you will." Egill rubbed his beard. "Tyr often said that the Universe is dual. Life and death, Dark and light, good and evil, black and white, male and female, yes but that the key to a different place is the third state and it is not a mixture of two concepts, but a completely separate new one. He tried to explain it to me by saying to imagine the moment before the Universe came to be, a place where there was potential but no substance or movement in time, the moment before matter, energy, and time began, and transmutation occurred. He says this is the third state. Of course, I am only human and cannot imagine that to a logical conclusion." "It somehow sounds right, although like you, I can't begin to understand or imagine such concepts. I had enough Assembly business for a while, why don't you come with me to Saresii Prime One and we have a nice dinner and watch that Universal Wrestling Titans match. You know the Title belt is on the line and who knows if Terrible Tyrant will survive the Monster Pit Challenge." "You are supposed to be a refined, fine-mannered, sissy Saresii Elder arrogant, old, and above such crude, primitive UWT shows. Did you not only an hour ago lecture the Pan Saran delegate how high and mighty the Saresii are?" "First of all, that is top secret, FYEO. Firstly, No one in the Universe but you knows that the First Saresii of all loves watching UWT matches and partaking of a well-brewed ale, not beer while enjoying the mayhem. Secondly, it was you who got me watching this mindless, predictable, repetitive, junk, and thirdly, I did not lecture the Pan Saran. I let him partake of my great wisdom and undying friendship." "Predictable yes? Then why don't you put twenty Credits on the Terrible Tyrant while I put twenty on the Awesome Avenger?" "You traitor, you go for the celebrity and allow the impoverished, backwater, has-been to die in the aether."