First journey chapter 39

Chapter:  39



Terror Hammer dies




"Isn't she a beauty?" Said one of the guests adoring Hans new Braddock Flyer. That is one brutish beast, just like you Hammer. Fast, powerful, well-armed, and robust.  What you see before you is the best money can buy outside the Union.  And even in the Union, you will find few better. That is one magnificently designed mode of personal transportation."
His new manager said, "Hammer, take it around the tower for a spin or two? The press is chomping at their bites to get pictures of you in the machine, remember not to stray too far, for security purposes, you know.  The remote triggers automatically if you go beyond fifty kilometers."
He hoped his grin did not look forced as he said. "Why would I go anywhere? It seems you are treating me quite nicely."
It had the desired effect, and his new manager bought it. "We will work well together, and your attitude is commendable."
Mr. Kelpie and the Duke watched the Terror Hammer roar with thundering turbines in a tight loop around the skyscraper, much to the delight of the reporters and media people. They stood like statues and watched as two bright red painted Tantrum Fighters, expensive military Karthanian hardware, appeared out of nowhere. One opened fire at them on the rooftop. Supersonic uranium slugs, torn into the party crowd and everything else, causing terrible carnage and creating chaos. Duke Donheer activated his powerful force field and saw his Togar cats take the flyer under fire. The other was attacking Hammer in the Braddock flyer. Although the Braddock carried superior armor and best of the best shielding, making more than an even match with the Tantrum fighters. However, Hammer, as a fighter pilot was no match for the skilled, combat seasoned pilot operating the opposing planes. Hammer was just plain awful, and it showed that the Terror Hammer was as bad an aerial combat pilot as he was right in the arena. The Braddock flew strange erratic maneuvers. The duke then saw Mr. Kelpie lying on the floor perforated by at least two slugs, and in his hand the Poison activator, it was blinking red!  He had triggered the poison injector while he died! The Terror Hammer was already dead. The Braddock was hit several times and entered a steep downward angle before crashing into a neighboring residential tower engulfing the structure in a cloud of smoke, fire, and flying debris.
Defense guns activated and one of the Tantrums got shot down while the other escaped with smoking, burnt out turbine.
The luxurious penthouse was a mess with dead and wounded all over, the heavily damaged swimming pool drained and the carefully maintained rooftop garden in ruins. There were small smoldering fires and thick belching black smoke. Donheer had a good look at one of the fighters before it was shot down, the paint job was hasty and under the red paint was the green and gold of the Rillo Syndicate, he would have to have a harsh word with that Old-man Rillo.  The Rillo senior always had been a sore loser.  All in all, it was just a regular day on Sin 4. Perhaps a little more violent and death came a little to close today for his taste, but he already had been paid a hefty down payment, and it was non-refundable, of course. The Terror Hammer was dead, but perhaps he could make some money on selling the leftover merchandise as commemorative collectibles and then find himself a new champion.  Damn, I love this life never a dull moment,  Come here baby I need some lovin'.  STFU, and get over here, like now!

###***###***###***###***###***###***
 
 Yokuta State Dinner
 Yokuta Salad 
 
 
 The banquet was almost as bad as I feared it would be, but at least the salad like dish called Carax wasn't too bad, and I warned Ninio not to tell me what the little dark brown things were that nested between the dark red leaves and tasted a bit like old raw fish.  I was hoping it was only the bad lighting that made me believe there was movement happening among those dark brown bits.
 The Yokuta then announced that with a sufficient amount of votes counted indicated that the result would be overwhelming for requesting admission into the Union.  Therefore the Elders proceed with the Union Membership application.
 Much to our disappointment, we would not return to Arsenal aboard the Shetland, but a destroyer dispatched for the sole purpose of returning us to Arsenal.  It was scheduled to arrive within a few days.  Admiral McElligoot had offered to take the Yokuta delegation with the flagship to Pluribus. The entire city was celebrating, and I overheard the businessmen and civilians that also belonged to our civilization, already making plans and talking to local business and finance people. They drove us back to the spaceport where we were to await the arrival of the U.S.S. Kilroy.
 We waited in a sparsely decorated Space Port lobby, and the place seemed deserted as most, if not all, the locals celebrated or partied elsewhere. According to our Instructors, the U.S.S. Kilroy would be here in six to ten hours.  They ordered us to sit tight and wait.
 I had to tell Two-Three and the others what happened at least ten times. Then Ninio asked an instructor if he could find an open store in the spaceport to buy some souvenirs. The instructor shrugged and said."I doubt they take credits and this Yokuta spaceport was not like Union ports with stores and restaurants. This one had been used mostly by the Nogoll. I would assume whatever shops here are closed, but I see no harm in you checking out the spaceport. Just do not leave the building and be back here in one hour, be sure to take someone with you." 
 Ninio convinced the Garbini and the human Cadet, Tescor, to go with him. 
 The tall Elly, Deadan said to me as if he knew what I was thinking."Ninio is determined to find some Yokuta Recordings. Tescor, the other human for some unexplained reason likes it too!"
 "You've got to be kidding!"
 "No, I swear to you. The fool thinks it will mix into Psycho Plank Punk, whatever that is and be the next dance sensation.  If it catches on, the two of them would be millionaires overnight."
 "I don't know much about such things, but Odin, help us all if it does."
 A while later, four high ranking officers came into the lobby, and someone yelled."Commander on deck!"
 By now, we knew to come to standing attention upon hearing this notification.  I recognized one of the officers as the Commander, who was with the Admiral while he talked to me, and the other was the PSI. Corps officer I had seen briefly on the podium.
 We were told to stand in a row, and then the Commander said. "In recognition of your first mission, you all are herby decorated with the Diplomatic Mission Ribbon 1st Class. The Yokuta Government wanted you all to be called Friends of the Yokuta. Therefore, you will receive a special ribbon created by the Yokuta high command for that purpose only. Before I have the honor to present your first ribbons and awards, let me tell you that I am very proud of your conduct, especially due to the fact you are barely a week in Union Service and at the very beginning of Academy training. I see six up-and-coming individuals before me, and I am certain you all will be fine officers one day."
 He came down the line and activated medals on the ribbon display of each Cadet. As he reached me, he said. "Mr. Olafson. Given your heroic actions and service to the Fleet and the Union, I have the privilege of conferring to you the Iron Star. Your quick action prevented certain, and devastating tragedy, congratulations Cadet Olafson. Well done."
 A naval chief petty officer took as to the side for a moment, "You will return to the same place and stand at attention, the officers will then salute you, actually the medals, and you will then return the salute and return to attention. That allows the officers to show their respect to you and the medals, as is proper. Don't get a big head and act stupid."  We then returned to our previous places and performed the saluting ceremony with a sense of accomplishment and pride.   The PSI. Corps officer also shook my hand and stated, "I am the face behind the voice earlier in your head. You are incredibly quick, your thought to action threshold is remarkable, and it is usually the hallmark of species and individuals raised in a military-oriented society."
 "I am from Nilfeheim, Sir."
 "I heard you say that before. I never heard of Nilfeheim, is it a Union planet?"
 "Sir, Yes, Sir. It is in the old Xunx Region.  We are not overly military more in the tradition of the Vikings of old Earth. Long ago they called us Neo Vikings and..."
 "Before we go further when in a social environment, you are allowed to answer with "Yes/No, sir."   Now, of course, I think I have heard that term "Neo-Viking" before, and that explains a lot. Referring Waite, my colleague knew about him and was acting accordingly, but he was reassigned to another ship before he moved on the information.  He was called away to help with the interrogation of the captured Nogoll. I was busy with other problems and put his report to the side for future action. Lousy decision and it was my fault not to act on his judgments soonest and do something about it. I suggested to the Elder your reaction was a planned demonstration and he thankfully announced it that way as well. I owe you one, and that is why I wanted you to know what happened directly from me. again I apologize."
 He shook my hand, congratulated me, and returned to the others.
  The Commander said before he left, "The U.S.S. Kilroy will be here in four hours, and the Destroyer Mess sergeant was informed to serve you a special dinner as a little thank you from us and the entire ship."

They left, and I sat back down, remembering I was quite hungry, especially after only sampling that weird fishy salad. Two-Three kept looking down at the metals on his chest." I got three now!  My life-deciding family will be so proud."
"I am still fascinated by the things you told about your home star. I really would like to have that Virtu experience, hopefully with you one day so that you can explain it all to me!" 
He leaned forward in his chair. "That opportunity would make me very proud, Eric. Perhaps, on our first leave, you can visit my parent unit and me at/on Bright Station.  When I find the answer to the " at/on situation," I will tell you also."
"I would love to do that and try to understand."
"I bet Ninio, and the other two will be disappointed missing getting their medals."
"I am sure they will get them. Two-Three shouldn't they be back by now?"
"I don't think it is an hour yet. They might have found a Yokuta restaurant or something." Then Two-Three said. "You know the Iron Star is the sixteenth highest award the Fleet gives! I am glad you got it for smacking Waite."
"I should have reported him right away, you know."
"It turned out well, and four hours wait time means this energy being is going for some shut-eye."
"You don't have any eyes."
"I like the expression never the less, and I can see you, but you are right not with human styled eyes. Besides, if I would say I disengage my ability to receive and interpret reflected photons into visual data would not make much sense to you."
"I might do the same and disengage mine for a while also.  So, there smarty pants, I, for a change, understood you."
The mission was over, but it did not stop me feeling something was wrong, I simply did not know what was wrong. The bad guys apprehended,  the bigot was in the brig, and all of us were soon on our way back to the academy and basic training. Just before I closed my eyes to take a nap, I wondered why Ninio and the others weren't back, unlike Two Three I was certain over an hour had passed.


"Hey Eric, are you asleep yet?"
I opened my eyes and looked at an Elly. "No, I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about Ninio and Potsema and that human I still don't know his name. You're Deadan, right?"
"No I am Plemo, Deadan went to look for them and now he is gone for almost 40 minutes. The human's name is Rodney Barack."
"I guess I have slept after all. Aren't the instructors concerned?"
"Both of them are asleep as well, and I didn't want to alarm them and get the others in trouble if they just forgot the time."
I got up. "We might as well see if we can find them. This spaceport doesn't look so big. How much time do you think we have before trouble happens.?"
"About two hours."
"I think we better make an effort to find the wayward voyeur, get them back here, otherwise they and probably us as well will be in some deep doo-doo."
I could not put it in words, but I had an odd feeling that the missing cadets weren't late because they had a good time somewhere. I adjusted my weapon belt and checked the charge on the T.K.U.weapon and changed its setting to four. Plemo made a sound like a balloon losing air, but then checked his blaster as well."You're right, and bad things happened already twice today."
The spaceport was well lit but quiet. The Yokuta did not have any spaceships of their own, and their previous Nogoll masters were the only that used this facility. I was sure this would soon change.  Perhaps one of the businessmen was a representative of Arthur's, and one of those would quickly open up. I wondered how the local Rib Burger would smell.
Plemo and I walked down the concourse, it was not like a Union spaceport with lots of businesses, it had been a military installation, and most of the doors had steel shutters before them, perhaps storage rooms or offices of some kind. After walking for quite a distance down a wide corridor, we finally reached the entrance doors. Outside was the road leading to a distant city. "Do you think they took a taxi or something and went back to town?" I asked Plemo.
He moved his ears and wrinkled his trunk. "I would not put it past Ninio if he was determined to get music, but I would hope he was smarter than that. They had strict orders not to leave the port.  Besides we should have run into Deadan by now. He certainly would not have done left the port."
I heard a metallic noise and turned. It came from a metal door to the side that was not completely closed. A sign in Yokuta writing above it, the door kept moving and repeating the metallic sound, as if it was animated by a draft of wind. "Can you read that?"
Plemo squinted his eyes. "Only partially. I don't know all Yokuta glyphs. It says something about Train, Wares, Connection, and if I read that correctly, it says something about shop or shops below."
"I bet that is what Ninio deciphered, and that is where they are now. Unless they went the other direction from the lobby."
"No, I am positive they came this way. Besides the other corridor leads to the boarding gates and the landing field." He then went straight for the door.
"Slow down Plemo. I don't have a good feeling about that."
"I think they took a train to town and found out it isn't running back because of the festivities or something like that."
It was a plausible hypothesis, although it did not explain Deadan's failure to return.  Unless these trains only ran in one direction or something like that, which if you think about it makes no sense, or they exercised the total lack of common sense and became lost.  Therefore my hand rested on the butt of the blaster as Plemo opened the door. "It's just a flight of stairs leading down, no reason to get nervous." He said.
A cool breeze wafted from the open door, the walls were bare, unfinished gray concrete, and we could only see to the first landing. The light came from long tubular lamps on the ceiling, one of them flickered erratic and emitted an electric hum. I had the urge to stop and return to the lobby and turn the problem over to the instructors.  I would have felt better if two marines in destroyer suits were going down those stairs instead of me. I could not explain why I had this strong, foreboding feeling something being terribly out of place in the universe. Our friends could be in some serious trouble, and any delay could make it worse.
But on the other hand, I would be responsible for their reprimand if it turned out to be nothing.  Both the Elly and I went slowly down the stairs. As we both stepped onto the first landing, the door on top slammed shut with a heavy thud, and the stairwell fell in to pitch darkness.


In this complete darkness, I reacted by instinct and closed my eyes, allowing my second vison to become active, as I become familiar with while riding on Tyr's back.  I could sense my surroundings, felt every heartbeat of Plemo, learning that Elly's had two hearts. I felt the stairs and the faint electric residue in the lamps.
The stairs transformed with a metallic hum, into a steep, very smooth slide. Plemo had no warning and was sliding away before I could warn him. I managed to grasp the handrail and stop my downward plunge.  But Plemo and most likely the others were and did slide into the unknown, a possible death trap. For me, the fastest way down was using the sliding, but I would not go down the slide unprepared. I drew the blaster dropped onto my butt and let go.
I heard loud, commanding voices and raised the blaster as I detected at the bottom of the stairwell two figures, standing both perhaps 150 cm tall, large heads and armed with military weaponry.  I sensed Plemo floating in mid-air struggling against some unseen force, with my new sense, I saw the head of one figure glowing from the active use of powerful psionics!
I did not hesitate, I fired right at the center of that bright glow, and Plemo fell instantly. The other figure turned his head, directing his brain to emit energy from his chin.  The area around his mouth began to glow slow, but it was too little too late my second beam sliced right through his head.  For the moment, we were safe, but then Plemo screamed, more out of anger than fear. "I am going to get you, you son of whittled toad!"
I yelled back. "Plemo it's me, Eric!  I killed whatever was holding you. Hold on."  I noticed a set of switches mounted on the wall and pressed the top one.  With a sharp clang, the Ramp became stairs again and a second switch turned on the lights. Plemo ripped his blaster out of his holster, and though I have never seen an angry Elly before, I knew he was furious. Two dead beings still armed with strangely shaped blasters lay on the floor, most of their heads were gone, burned to molecular ashes. "Plemo calm down, right now!" I said with a sharp tone. "Get up those stairs and wake the Instructors. Tell them we need help."
"But"
"No argument! Now go! I need to guard this panel, so no one turns the stairs to a ramp again!"
"Yes, Sir!"
He turned and stomped up the stairs. Only after I heard the metal door slam, I went to my knees. I was in a short corridor, with some conveyor belt on the left-hand side, it was not active. It disappeared after a few meters through a square opening with a slated roll gate closing that opening, next to it a metal door. The door was rusty and had dirty glass panels in the upper half. I kicked the dead alien's weapons under the frame of the conveyor belt. Now I could stay here and wait for the professionals to arrive, which would have been the smart thing to do, but I knew there was no time left, so I ceased trying to go against my nature. 
There were friends in danger, that much was clear as freshwater ice. I had no idea who these white-skinned small men were in those stupid looking robes, but if there were two, there might have been more!
I crawled, on my knees, towards that door. If someone was behind it, then they knew something had gone wrong and would be prepared to fight.
I pressed myself as much as possible against the wall and gave the door a push at the bottom, and three bright beams perforated the door at the same moment. If I had still been standing at least two of would have hit me. A shower of metal sparks burned my back, and I clenched my teeth not to make a sound. The door swung back in its frame. I heard steps from beyond the hinged swing door coming closer. From the gap between floor and door, I able to see four Elly like feet. Someone in the local language said. "Whoever it was you got him. Our masters will be pleased!" 
I was glad they had uploaded the local language into our brains and hour before we landed.
I aimed the blaster's muzzle at that gap and the feet behind and fired describing a small arch while keeping the trigger pressed.
The beam dug a bright glowing fan-shaped pattern into the concrete and glowing slit of molten metal drooling on the floor. Someone was screaming in agonizing pain.
I kicked the door open, rushed through, avoiding the semi-liquid concrete by a fraction, and jumped onto the conveyor belt, remembering the third beam. Two Yokuta with badly burned leg stumps lay on the floor, one in shock and the other still screaming. A third stood about five meters behind them. Holding a weapon but did not immediately react or shoot. I aimed the blaster, holding it with both hands. "Drop your blaster." 
It was as if he was fighting or resisting himself. He wanted to lower the blaster, I could see that, but against his will it raised. Someone or something controlled him. I didn't want to kill him. So I fired into the ceiling, showering him with sparks, hoping to distract him. His instincts were stronger than whatever controlled him, and he raised his arms to protect his face. Now he was a Yokuta, at least double my mass and two heads taller, and I had no idea if they had any vulnerable spots, but I holstered the gun and attacked with a running tackle, hit him midriff and all the force I could muster. He was driven back but not as much as I had hoped. It felt as if I had run against one of those big sand-filled leather bags we had at fight school. I just knew I could not have done that with a Yokuta on top of his game, his left hand brushed my ear with a powerful haymaker, and the burning pain felt as if he had taken my ear clean off. I retaliated with two left-right combinations aimed into the middle of his face where the trunk met the eyes and rammed my knee into what would be the stomach pit of a human opponent. If he were to connect another one of his punches, I would not survive that blow. So much for my decision not to wait for back up.
He made a tooting sound as I hit him again this time right at the trunk, and he stumbled back, while I avoided another punch by the width of a hair. He was trying now to aim the weapon he still held. Either I ended it now, or I had to shoot him as well. I stomped my heavy boots on his open toe sandal like shoes, and that had the desired effect. He yelped and raised a leg and gave me a wide-open target for an axe handle blow to his trunk! He fell backward, and I kicked the blaster out of his hand.
It took two more kicks against his head to make the Yokuta stop trying to get back up. 
This complex seemed to be some regional postal depot. The conveyor belt ran along a row of chairs, most likely occupied during normal operations to sort whatever was coming down the slide and along the conveyor belt. The stairs converting to a ramp was not a real trap but a slide for mail or packages and had some industrial or warehousing purpose. 
Four pill-shaped dark red man-sized capsules in the middle of the room looked out of place, not fit with the rest of the equipment. On each of these capsules was located a little square box in the approximate middle. Each attached box had a readout displaying strange glyphs in bright red changing at a steady pace. While I was not able to determine the exact purpose of these cylinders, I had no doubt the boxes were timers. Something every bad would happen if the timers had reached the end of their countdown that was obvious. No one else was in the room. I did not see Deadan or the others and thankfully no one hostile either.
Not knowing if I doomed everybody, including me, I pulled my knife and cut the strap that held the first-timer box to the large metal container. It came loose. Now what? I had a live bomb counting down in my hands! There were three more like it!
Over there, across the conveyor belt, a metal chute. There were chutes like this across all the now abandoned sorting or work stations. I cut all the boxes off and threw them each in a different chute. I noticed the cold sweat on my forehead now stinging in my eyes. I heard some machinery starting up from the first chute, and the conveyor belt started running.
The Conveyor belt disappeared through another portal at the other end of the room, and I hopped on and lay flat on it.
Just then there was a muffled explosion, and the first chute emitted a flash cloud of fire and smoke, least than a heartbeat later the other three did the same. The conveyor passed through in the wall into the next area of this underground warehouse. The first thing I saw was Deadan He was not moving and lying on the floor, Due to that, I overlooked the robot arm that grabbed me, by the left shoulder in a painful crushing grip and was about to stuff me into the front of a large machine. I fired the blaster against the robot arms base, it released me, and I fell to the floor. My left arm was next to useless; the robot claw must have broken my shoulder or at least dislocated it. I could not say, but it hurt like hell, at least it was making me forget my still throbbing ear. Before I rushed to Deadan, I recognized him by his uniform; I took cover behind a large crate and looked around. The place was some an assembly plant, with machinery, conveyor belts, and towering shelves, which provided millions of corners for someone to hide and take aim.  The machine behind me as it turned out was similar to the robot in the Nilfeheim XChange warehouse that I had seen. Back on Nilfeheim, the stationary robot wrapped fish and Tyrannos. This machine packed anything that entered via the conveyor in a shrink wrap plastic skin and placed it onto a pallet. An empty pallet was exiting the machine. I would have been on it if I hadn't escaped.
I kept low and rushed over to Deadan, who still wasn't moving. I didn't see any apparent reason why he would not move, but he felt stiff and cold. I hoped against my sad conclusion of his condition that he was still alive, and just knocked out.
The empty pallet had reached the end of the conveyor line, and a robotic forklift took it and placed it into a shelf, on that same shelf something on it moved! Trying to stay as much behind cover as possible, I rushed to the rack and found the human Cadet, Ninio and Potsema, tightly wrapped in plastic, Ninio still moved! It took me no time to cut the plastic open. Ninio did nothing but breathe as I have never seen anyone or anything take in air. Potsema was up and out next to me, seeming little affected. She squiggled me all over."Eric! You saved us!"
"Potsema not now! Take care of Ninio!"
I checked on the human Cadet. He was dead, no question. I could not feel any pulse, and even after several minutes of intensive CPR, I got no sign of life!
A heavy hand dropped on my shoulder."Let him go, Cadet! He is gone!'
I turned ready to fight, but it was not necessary. A Union Marine and one of our Instructors were there.