Loyalty: Old Mans Comeback Book 5, page 13
“How did they pick your team?”
“We were all specialists. One of the men who died found an archive while excavating in a dangerous region. A spot where a Kultarin archive had been. Much of it was destroyed, but it led us to this sector where we were able to strike out from here to collect more artifacts. And do so in safety. Our administration worried about doing it there.”
“Because the items might cause harm? Or…” Frada nodded. “Because it might attract attention.”
“Correct. We needed an anonymous place that we could hide. Our culture relied on trade. We found ways to…” Cade weighed his words. “Well, we didn’t need as much help. Of course, we might have eventually. Had I not… done…” He sighed. “You know.”
“Of course. And you had us to help collect things. Bringing them to specific points.”
“Then automated vessels brought them back. Frankly, I’m concerned about those though. I used them often. I suspect that Valo somehow corrupted them since they have yet to return. Which may be for the best. Though… it wouldn’t be good if they fell into the wrong hands. They do have the coordinates.”
“Encrypted though, right?”
“Of course. And that might be enough to foil most. But the Mahshi do have people with some experience. They might have the capacity to figure it out.”
“How many of those vessels are there?”
“Twenty,” Cade said. “Each with at least two robots aboard.”
“And we don’t have any connection with them at all?”
“I checked. It’s as if they all went offline when I lost connection with Valo.”
“That might become a priority.” Frada directed them back toward the control center. “We need to hunt those down. Or ensure they are permanently offline. Even if we leave, we’ll be putting the Dralka in danger. I don’t think they’ll be able to defend themselves against a Mahshi attack.”
“Likely not. Though I wouldn’t be entirely sure about that considering those beasts they have.” Cade glanced over his shoulder. “Considering they very nearly got in here many times, I put little past them. Hitting their homes would be hard. And the reactors are buried even deeper. Anyone bothering them has to be prepared for occupation.”
“Still, we’ll have to think of something if we’re on the verge of leaving.”
“We’ll give them the facility.” Cade gestured around. “That’s more than enough, all things considered.”
“What about those satellites? We could put some of those in orbit.”
Cade wrinkled his nose. “Yes… possibly. But those things are a little more overt. Right now, we’re masked by all manner of other things keeping us safe here. And they’d probably rather that than anything else. Of course, there won’t be any Kultarin tech if we don’t add the satellites.”
“Oh.” Frada nodded. “Yes, then they’d be something to ignore.”
“That’s my thinking.”
“Alright.” Frada clapped. “Well, why don’t we get something to eat, relax out the storm, and wait for the others. It’ll be a while before we have the defenses ready. And a break would probably be a good idea.”
“Alright. I accept.” Cade gestured. “Perhaps you can tell me how you got into all of this. We never got into your past much when we first started.”
“Oh, I suppose.” Frada led the way. “Not sure how interesting it all is, but it’ll definitely knock off some time. I guess we could start with how I got my first ship and work up from there. Kind of a funny story involving a nasty gambler, a couple of killers, and my cousin who stole something from each of them.”
The wind picked up outside, howling loud enough to be heard through the sturdy walls. Frada paused to take in the noise, then continued on toward their mess hall. He didn’t feel the isolation Torma talked about. Not with Eth nearby, and Cade as a companion. Maybe alone, it would’ve been different.
But by and large, he had to admit he hadn’t felt so comfortable or relaxed in years.
Chapter 19
Sol System
Raymond “Flip” Kinnely
Torma dropped the freighter off for Frada and Cade. They already started on defenses for the Hostel, though they couldn’t give a specific time frame. Hopefully, before the Earth operation completed. Those satellites were needed before the Mahshi could finish licking their own wounds.
Flip stood on the bridge of the Ilsin, staring out the window at Earth. They were orbiting the moon with the Barrier engaged, ensuring they could not be detected. He clasped his hands behind his back, taking it in.
His chest felt heavy. Of the planets he’d seen, he never imagined how it would impact him to see one that was so familiar. Countless movies, television shows, documentaries, and books provided images of it to appreciate.
None of those compared to seeing it in person. The vast oceans, the lights across the dark continents, wispy white clouds obscuring parts of the surface… all of it combined to give him a keen sense of nostalgia and belonging.
Some primitive part of him accepted it as home, even if he didn’t feel it as much as he might’ve before. This place, a world he left to aid another species entirely, held more than just memories. They carried a shared past with historic figures he could name going back two thousand years.
“Hi.” Sorsha touched his back. “Gia’s almost done scanning the surface.”
“Good.”
“How’s it feel? To see it again.”
“I don’t know,” Flip said. “Strange, for sure. I don’t know how else to describe it.”
“Welcome home?”
“I know that’s the right way to put it, but it doesn’t feel correct. Like, I know I couldn’t live there again. Not after what I’ve seen, done, and experienced.”
“I understand,” Sorsha replied. “I’ve been worrying about going back to the library. Much as I kind of want to, I’m not sure if I’m suited anymore. Not after seeing so many things. And risking our lives. That makes filing data and helping people access it kind of boring by comparison.”
“Oh, on the contrary.” Flip turned to her. “You’re enabling people to learn. That’s powerful stuff.”
“Our people favor education as well. Which makes it nice.” Sorsha took a deep breath. “Forgive me if I feel a sense of dread when I look at your world. I remember what they thought they needed to do to me, and it still scares me.”
“I know.” Flip put his arm around her, then pulled her close. “It won’t happen this time. No matter what, we’ll have another way to go about this. You won’t have to risk falling into their hands.”
“Isn’t it odd?” Sorsha relaxed into him. “That of all the places we’ve dealt with and visited, this one scares me the most?”
“VasCorp catching you was probably the closest you were to… well, it’s hard to say death considering what else we’ve done. Yeah, I guess it is a little odd. But you were alone then. You’re probably associating the isolation with everything else.”
“That seems reasonable.” Sorsha hummed. “I’ve been thinking, and…”
“Yes?”
“Just… when I go home, when all of this calms down, I… I really want you…” Sorsha stiffened. “To come with me. If you want to, of course, but I really don’t like the idea of not having you around.”
“The feeling’s mutual.” Flip let her go, turning her to face him. “As long as you think the people there will accept—”
“If they don’t,” Sorsha interrupted, “then I suppose we’ll have to leave. There are other places that do accept us. And if we applied ourselves to the Hostel, I’m sure we could make it safe. Maybe even help them adjust the surface to make it habitable again. I won’t let intolerance stand in our way.”
Flip smiled. “You’re spicy.”
“I’m… what?” Sorsha furrowed her brows. “That didn’t translate well.”
“You know, I think I need to learn your language eventually. The chip thing works great, but it would be nice if we didn’t have to worry about translations getting in the way of talking.”
“I can teach you.” Sorsha turned to the door. “How long have you been standing there?”
Torma chuckled. “I don’t know. But I hoped I might see someone kiss. I thought it was about to happen. You know, for the fact we’re about to do something crazy dangerous. That’s true, right?”
“Depends,” Flip said, “on where they hid the Box.”
“I’m sure we can get it.” Torma advanced. He gestured to Earth. “I looked at the scans. They have some primitive technology. Standard propulsion, a few ancient reactors, and nothing that would withstand a full barrage from the weapons on this ship. This won’t be a big deal.”
“Well…” Flip winced. “I’m afraid there are a few things we have to consider.”
“What?”
“We don’t want to cause too much of a fuss,” Flip said. “The planet’s ignorant of what’s happening in the galaxy. We don’t need them to double down their efforts to contact aliens. The least amount of contact they have with advanced technology, the harder it’ll be for them to justify enhancing their search for extraterrestrial life.”
“Ah.” Torma frowned. “I thought there’d be a catch. There’s always a catch. Anyway, did you say there was someone else that can help us?”
“Yeah.” Flip took a seat. “I’m going to have a look for him once we know where the Box is. I’m sure he’s still in Los Angeles. Whether he’s been arrested or not is another story.”
“What’s this about?” Torma asked.
“A man,” Sorsha said, “that helped me when things went down. He may be in trouble over it. Your people don’t execute their kind for that sort of thing, right?”
“Not typically,” Flip replied, “but this is a special circumstance, so I’m struggling to be sure of much. Even if he can’t help us, I want to know that he’s okay. That’ll make me feel better about what we did.” He waved at Torma without looking. “You practice with that shield?”
“I did, and I gotta tell you, if one of these had been with me earlier, I could’ve spent a lot less time in the medical bay. Those satellites are going to be amazing, but I wouldn’t turn down a bunch of these for my guys.”
“We can arrange it,” Sorsha said, “but you have to be cautious. You do not want those to fall into the wrong hands. If the Mahshi got them…”
“Oh. I get it.” Torma shook his head. “Those scum. I have to say, if there’s anything we could do to get rid of them permanently, I’d sign up to help.”
Flip said, “Doesn’t seem like anyone’s out there ready to go to war with them. Though I did ask Cade to look into it before we left. I thought he might have a few cultures with some resources capable of standing up to them. At least in part.”
“What for?” Sorsha asked.
“At some point,” Flip explained, “whether we’re involved or not, someone’s going to have to confront the Mahshi. They believe they’re supposed to be ruling the galaxy, that they know better than everyone else. That’s dangerous enough, but they’re working toward a chance to make it happen.”
“True,” Torma said. “That Harl guy talked like he was going to take over the Hostel because they needed trade hubs.”
“There you go.” Flip cleared his throat. “Anyway, I’d try to commit the soldiers down there.” He gestured to Earth. “I know so many that would be up for a fight to stop a bunch of bullies like that, but… well, it’s obvious why that won’t work. Besides, we need warships. And the crews to fight with them.”
Sorsha asked, “You really believe this is coming to a head then?”
“I do.” Flip nodded. “And I think your planet, whether they like it or not, will have to step up eventually, too. I’m not suggesting the Kultarins need to come back to full fighting form… reclaim their empire or anything… but they might be the leaders necessary to forge a real defense against the Mahshi.”
“I…” Sorsha chewed her lip before continuing. “They’ve been so adamant about staying out of galactic affairs…”
“So?” Torma asked. “How’s that matter? They won’t have much of a choice. Eventually, that planet will be discovered. And if they haven’t got any allies…” He shrugged. “They’ll be done. When you go back, the two of you need to talk through the situation. And make them understand isolation won’t get them very far.”
“Be that as it may,” Sorsha replied, “you have no idea how long we’ve been in the shadows. Eventually may be outside the lifetimes of those in charge. But, we will have an advantage by ending the pandemic. Which should at least convince them to listen to reason.”
“There you go.” Torma waved his hand at her. “You sure this Box thing will work?”
“Affirmative,” Gia jumped in, “all the data suggests we will be capable of creating a proper vaccine from what we derive from the Box. Not to mention the fact we have multiple attempts to get it right. Therefore, it’s just a matter of collecting the item, and getting it where it belongs.”
“Speaking of which,” Flip said, “how’s that going? You find anything yet?”
“I am confused,” Gia replied, “about how the Box got here to begin with. These coordinates are not in any of my databases. But while that has no bearing on the situation, I have a general fix on the Box. Cutting through the endless noise on this world has been a challenge.”
Torma snorted. “Yeah? What kinda noise? It looked beyond primitive when I looked earlier.”
“That’s just it,” Gia said. “There are raw signals bouncing across the globe using unfiltered satellites to send them to different areas. Then there’s the power regulation. It’s tragic. I frankly am surprised any of it works at all. And that’s what I’m working against.”
“Sorry,” Flip muttered. “I don’t mean for my home to be so irritating.”
“Well,” Gia replied, “it is. So there’s nothing to really apologize for. But they have a lot to learn, and much room to grow. The time it will take for them to reach faster than light travel is going to be extraordinary.”
“Probably be a while,” Flip said. “But anyway! I told you to narrow your search to a specific continent.”
Gia didn’t immediately reply. Flip wondered if he annoyed her. If he could do such a thing. When she finally spoke, he swore she did so in a measured way in an effort to avoid sounding irritated. “Yes, but it isn’t quite that simple when I’m dealing with all the noise. I’ll speak again when I have something.”
“Hey…” Sorsha rasped. “You’ve gotta be gentler!”
“I… didn’t mean to be a jerk to the computer?” Flip lifted his shoulders. “Seriously, I thought it wouldn’t be as hard after I gave her some direction.” He turned to Torma. “So just a few things to remember, no one dies down there. It’s all nonlethal shots. Okay?”
“Yep.” Torma cocked his head to the side. “You sure you don’t want to expand the rules of engagement though? Something might come up that could put us in a serious bind. We might want to open things up in that case.”
“We’ll play it by ear.” Flip turned to Sorsha. “You’ll be with the ship.”
“I know.” Sorsha scowled. “I’m barely able to agree to that, you know. It’s frustrating.”
“I get it, but this isn’t an unknown quantity. Wherever we end up, we’ll be dealing with people that have guns. Which leads me to another point. We have some things to test before we go in. Which is all the more reason we need to find out if Jake’s available to help us out. Otherwise… well, I’ll have to think of someone else.”
“I’m with you.” Torma leaned against the wall. “Any old business you want to take care of? Or people you need to check up on?”
“I… don’t know.” Flip considered the question for a time. He thought about looking into his daughter or his ex. Neither of them had spoken to him in a long time, though. He doubted VasCorp bothered them. Though he wondered what they thought happened to him.
Did they chalk up his disappearance to alien abduction? Or was he considered dead? That was one thing he wanted to learn. Even if it wasn’t the most pleasant of news. He figured he’d think about it long after he left. Chances were good he’d never be back after they got the Box.
There didn’t seem to be any point.
“I’ll make some inquiries.” Flip turned to Sorsha. “Did my old phone get lost?”
Sorsha nodded. “Yes, it may have been obliterated by the Box, or it was left on the floor at the museum. Either way, long gone.”
“Alright. Well, I’m sure Gia has a way to tap into the internet.”
Gia asked, “Are you referring to something on the surface?”
