Alliance, page 9
“Meet me at the office, time to trade. It’s your turn to sweat a while,” Roy replied.
----*----
Padma’s hide was in a rocky crevasse a little over a mile away from her target, slightly south and east of the Area of Operation. Shielded from the direct sun, she was invisible from above and confident no one could see her from any angle horizontally. She had been dropped not far from here in the middle of the night on the backside of a ridge and had carefully made her way to the preselected spot well before sunrise.
Her weapon of choice for this mission was one of the specialized dual function sniping rifles. An over and under barrel arrangement, it had an energy firearm fitted over a projectile barrel. Optics aligned for both to allow easy transfer from one option to another depending on the target’s requirements. Both barrels had a range over twice the required distance for this mission and in Padma’s hands were a lethal combination.
Spotting through the scope on her rifle, her display lit up once more as the target reappeared from the building she had watched him enter earlier. As he moved about, she allowed the rifle to shift slightly to keep him in the viewfinder.
“Target reacquired, continuing to track,” she reported.
“Continue to observe, stick to the mission outline,” she heard in reply.
“Roger that, out,” she confirmed as she settled into a comfortable position to wait.
----*----
General KaLob was reviewing the latest analysis from his Alien Intelligence team, specifically as it related to the recent incident in the Neutral Zone. Much of human behavior was still a mystery to the NeHaw, but the one thing the team seemed to agree on was the humans had nothing to gain by the events there. The attack on their cruiser proved nothing beyond what was already known to both species.
Humans already held the tactical advantage when it came to warfare, and thus the need for the negotiated truce. It seemed an enormous waste of resources for them to create a ship that already played against the advantages currently held. Plus, if his spies were of any value, they had no means of constructing such a ship in secret, relying on the very public Wawobash shipyards for all such work.
As the NeHaw were a race familiar with first contact, the General tended to agree with the team’s speculation that this was indeed an unknown race testing the weapons and defenses of the NeHaw warships. There was additional speculation that the humans were also being probed by the same alien forces.
The question now was, could this race be turned into an ally, or were they to become a common foe to the NeHaw and Humans alike. A newly inspired student of human culture, KaLob was drawn to two conflicting humanisms he had recently learned.
The first, is the enemy of my enemy, my friend? The second, better the devil you know. Both held disturbing ramifications for the future.
Chapter 9
Jake was doing his best not to appear too suspicious as he grilled the patrolman on the goings-on in the town.
“What’s with all the questions?” Roy asked as the two patrolmen swapped assignments, the man apparently happy to be back in the cool office environment.
“Look, I was asked to help. I just wanted to see if there was any common element to the disappearances.”
“You talk like one of those bubbleheads who showed up the other day. Like I told them, no one saw anything, they just up and disappeared. That missing drifter was stayin at the lodge, the sisters were walking home from the bar, and the rest were snatched from their beds in the middle of the night.”
“All at night, and no one has seen anything suspicious?” Jake asked.
“Yeah, so? That’s probably why no one has seen anything. It gets pretty dark around here.”
“Not true, I did see somethin,” came the comment from the cell area.
“Oh, shut it. You were too drunk to see anything.”
“What did you see?” Jake asked as he wandered over to the cell.
“A ghost,” the man said in awe.
“See, he was just plain drunk,” Roy comment from his desk.
“What do you mean a ghost? What happened,” Jake pushed
“Well, I was knocking back a few at the bar there, and was chatting up one of them two sisters you all are talking about.”
“Ava,” Lucas supplied.
“Yeah, Ava. Anyway, the pair decided it was time to go home, so they headed out the door. I paid my tab and scooted out after them, hoping to take one more shot at scoring with one of them. By the time I got them in my sights, they were halfway to the lodge and standing straight like they was froze or something. That’s when I saw it, a kinda glowing figure, tall and thin, but the lights from the lodge seem to shine right through it. It turned solid, blocking the lights, and reached out and touched the two sisters. Then all three disappeared.”
“See, that’s why we don’t believe him,” Roy confirmed.
“Do you have a map of this town?” Jake asked as he considered the information.
“You can use this,” Lucas replied as he handed Jake an old folded road map.
Waving the cell’s occupant over, Jake unfolded the map until it just displayed the area around Beaver Dam.
“Where were you?” he asked the man, who pointed to a spot about halfway between the old combination service station and bar building and the lodge.
“OK, and you said the drifter was at the lodge?” Jake asked Lucas.
“Yup, the last anyone saw of him was when he entered his room there.”
“And the rest?” Jake asked as he held the map for Lucas to inspect.
“Here in the trailer park, just below the lodge,” he explained.
“You said you get regular supplies from the ALI… bubbleheads, where do they deliver them too?” Jake asked, almost slipping, and calling his people by name.
“We use the lodge as storage, most of it goes there anyway.”
“I think we should go check there first,” Jake observed.
----*----
The demand for the Lanai transport spacecraft grew substantially after the truce with the NeHaw was implemented. The sturdy steel ships were as good as any interstellar craft inside a gravity well, and in some ways far better. Half again as long as a NeHaw Cruiser and specifically designed to haul large quantities of anything, be it troops, equipment, or cargo, they operated continuously on Earth and between Earth and the space station.
In the Patrol craft variant, the ships were feared by all who had ever confronted one in battle. Bristling with armament, they were also capable of carrying a substantial number of fighters, making them a mini-carrier/battleship combination. There were always several of each variant in the Earth’s space lanes, protecting the planet and promoting commerce, so the local demand was high.
To add to the manufacturing pressures, both Kola and ALICE-3 were capable of hauling the ferrous hulled vessels in stasis, allowing Earth forces to support and defend critical suppliers. The Crustacea, Wawobash, and Kortisht all had Lanai Patrol ships operating inside their planetary systems. You would also find Lanai transports at the fringes of friendly solar systems, aiding in cargo transfers and transport, the workhorses of gravity well travel.
So, it was something of a special event that Jacob and Gemma were able to pry one of their prized vessels away for a short time to assist in solving Daniel’s dilemma.
“Daniel, Patti!” Gemma announced as she led the small party down the bow loading ramp to meet her in-laws.
Settled in a large field near the Oxford University entrance of the English facility, it had flown in under the cover of darkness. Resting in the Chiltern Hills Area of Natural Beauty, the ship was far too large to even attempt to conceal outright. Fortunately, the entire region was considered a safe zone, well-policed by both humans and ALICE systems. Not a thing passed in or out of the area that wasn’t identified, tracked, and dealt with if required.
Stepping forward, Patti and Daniel casually closed the distance to the loading ramp as the two cousins raced past the pair of adults and off toward the University behind them.
“I think they missed each other,” Patti commented with a laugh as the four adults watched their children play, the light from the ship giving them all the illumination they needed.
“Where are mum and dad?” Gemma asked as she looked about after hugging Patti.
“Your father is busy, but will soon be available…… your mother is away cataloging Russian artwork recently recovered. The local storage facilities are bulging so we have started using the American hangar space for our overages,” Daniel explained.
“Where is she now then?” Gemma asked with a smile, understanding the implications.
“Alaska,” Patti said with a broad smile.
“Lovely,” Gemma replied, understanding that their visit would be a little less stressful, not worrying about her mother's expectations.
“Let’s get you settled and then we can discuss my little favor, shall we?” Daniel declared with a smile as he shook Jacob’s offered hand with a quick shake.
----*----
Jake had developed a theory before coming to Beaver Dam about what might be causing the disappearances. He still had no idea of the who or the why, but the what was circled on a folded piece of paper in his pocket.
“Where is the storage area?” he asked Maggie as he entered the diner once more.
“Through that door there, why?” she asked as she saw Lucas following close behind.
Crossing over to the door indicated, he found it locked.
“Can you open it please?” he asked as he turned back to the woman.
“Lucas, what’s going on here?” Maggie asked as she walked over to comply with the request.
“Stranger thinks he knows what’s happening here,” was all Lucas offered as he waved her forward.
Jake stood to one side as the woman unlocked the storeroom. Once unlocked, she stepped to one side and motioned for him to lead the way as she opened the door. Stepping inside, it took him no more than a few seconds to find what he was looking for. Over to one side was a large box cart, stacked with several plastic crates.
Getting down on one knee and looking underneath, he could see where the platform was fixed atop a cube, and the cube in turn was floating just off the ground. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled the paper out and unfolded it. Looking at the paper, he read the following;
Cube, floating, 2’ x 2’ x 2’, Unknown Manufacture, reviewed and classified for non-military use. Civilian sale authorized.
“I think this is what’s causing your problems,” he offered to the confused faces around him.
----*----
It was just after dark and Jake was pushing the floating cube before him. He was trying to do everything he could to attract the attention of the owners of what he suspected was a damaged deep space probe. Uniformly square, with all six sides, top and bottom included, almost exactly the same size, it had somehow become locked into a fixed hover about a foot off the ground.
Flagged by the space junk traders as of mysterious origin, it had been scavenged on some unknown planet and eventually traded to the humans as a floating cargo transport. Fitted with a larger platform bed on top, it was a perfect frictionless dolly. No matter how much weight you put in it or where on the bed, the cube never tipped, tilted, or dropped. It just floated a constant distance above the ground, unmoving until someone pushed it.
The locals had fixed a handle to the plate for better control and were using it to move everything from building material to food supplies from the regularly scheduled runs. Jake suspected that it was what had attracted whoever was snatching the locals in the dark of night. It was for that reason that he was currently pushing the thing around the open space between the bar and the lounge, in the hopes of drawing the offenders out of hiding.
Interested at first in what he was doing, those around him had, one by one, wandered off into the night to complete whatever unfinished business they had abandoned to watch his efforts. As the night wore on, he eventually found himself alone and questioning his own sanity as nothing materialized for his efforts.
Jake was mid-step when he was suddenly petrified in place. His mind was racing a mile a minute, but his body was trapped in a frozen like grip of immobility. He could hear the others not far away, as they moved about or talked among themselves in the darkness. The light wind on his face confirmed he was still able to feel, the dirt particles stinging slightly on his cheeks.
As if from this air, a form started to take shape in front of him. He realized the alien body wasn’t solid as he watched the blowing debris pass right through the shimmering outline. Hazy at first, it seemed to shift in and out of reality until it took on a stable shape before his eyes.
Recalling the drunk witness’s statements, Jake knew the minute the alien touched him he was a goner. Even so, he was fascinated by the being before him. Roughly humanoid, it had two arms and two legs, and the head in the helmet was staring at him with four bilateral orbs he assumed were eyes.
Central to the face was two vertical slits that opened and closed in a regular pattern suggesting it was breathing through them. He could see no mouth in the traditional sense, but then half the face was still obscured by the non-transparent parts of the helmet itself. The thing seemed to be studying him as well, apparently in no hurry to snatch him away to wherever it had come from.
A gloved hand started to reach for him, the four fingers equally spaced around the palm, negating the opposable thumb humans required for grasping. A brief rush of doubt passed through Jake as he questioned his decision to come here alone. Should he not be able to free himself once transported to wherever these trespassers imprisoned their captives, he was screwed.
That thought was replaced with one of curiosity as he witnessed a red beam of light pass through the alien's helmeted head. Appearing suddenly, it struck on the side of the helmet, pausing only a fraction of a second before exiting the other side. Jake recognized the telltale signs of one of their combination sniping rifles.
In that instant, Jake was free of the paralysis that held him and the alien seemed to drop in place, ending in a heap at his feet.
----*----
Padma continued to look through the scope for a moment before touching the comm button that worked the piece in her ear. She had long ago removed her helmet, and relied on the rifle optics to get her up close and personal with the scene below.
At the slightest hint of movement from the form lying on the ground at Jake’s feet, she was prepared for a second shot if needed. Finally satisfied she had upheld the “one shot, one kill” tradition instilled from her instructors, she spoke softly.
“Tango down, requesting emergency recovery of the body and Evac of the principle.”
“Roger that, tango down. Recovery and Evac teams en route. Good job!” Master Sargent Hillstead said with pride in his tone.
----*----
“I am so glad you could come with Jacob,” Patti whispered to Gemma as the two walked, arm in arm.
The two families talked as they made their way to the facility train entrance on the Oxford side of the line.
“I as well. You might say I was getting a bit of island fever,” Gemma replied with a laugh.
The pair followed their husbands as they headed to the entrance leading to the underground train platform. By now Patti had long accepted the many guards stationed all around the commons area and throughout that school grounds. Working hard to uphold the tradition, classes were still being held at the university, proudly proclaimed as the world’s oldest English-speaking school.
Descending into the train station, they found their ride waiting for them as the kids led the way into one of the unoccupied cars. The short trip to the facility itself was spent catching up on all the latest family adventures since their last visit. In what seemed like no time at all, they arrived at their destination.
“Hungry?” Daniel asked as the last of their party exited the car, ascending the platform.
“Famished,” Gemma admitted.
“Let’s hit the dining hall, then, as they are always open and will save us cooking time,” Patti reasoned.
“Agreed.”
Having grown up in the place, Patti was aware Gemma hardly needed a guide, so she let her sister in law lead the party straight to the closest common area. There, they all grabbed a tray and hit the serving area before locating a table for the six of them.
“I do miss home cooking,” Gemma commented after the first few bites.
“Ma’am, I have an urgent message,” one of the facility staff declared, appearing from nowhere as he passed Patti a folded piece of paper.
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and left straight away.
“What is it?” Daniel asked after waiting for his wife to read the contents.
“I have to go to Nevada; it looks like we have a problem.”
“Tonight?” Gemma asked, disappointment most evident on her face.
“Right now,” Patti replied as she got up from her seat.
“Anything I need to do?” Daniel asked, the concern obvious on his face.
“No, it’s more of a strategic thing, I suspect your part will follow soon after,” she said with a frown.
Chapter 10
“Whoever these things are, they seem to be able to move throughout our sectors at will,” Patti commented as they looked at the body in the quarantine capsule.
After Padma had properly determined that Jake was at risk and dropped the alien in place, it had been an all-hands evolution to recover Jake, the alien, clear the town, and move all the relevant staff to Nevada for an emergency meeting.
Patti, Linda, Sara, Jake, and April were rushed into the secure section of ALICE-1. That group was presently standing in one of the medical isolation areas as they watched ALICE, via her bots, carefully examine the still suited alien body.
“At first, I thought it was some invisibility technology, but it was more transparent like it wasn’t completely solid. Just before it materialized, I saw the wind blow dust and dirt right through its body. It seemed to be able to phase in and out, as if it were in two places at once,” Jake commented as he watched the scene before them.
