Part 9 (1/2)
”I will, Ryker, and I am truly sorry for behaving so badly.”
”It's forgotten.”
”Thank you, and it won't happen again.”
”I'm sure it won't. We're ready to leave anytime you are. After you visit Caguas, Kudora, Auriga, and Zamarra, you'll see I'm in no trouble and all your doubts will vanish. But there is one thing left.”
”What?”
”Varian sent you a video message after we married. I didn't think you were ready to view it until now. If you'd like, I'll call it up.”
Jana panicked. ”What does it say? I'm sure you've seen it.”
”He wished you well in your new life as a peace token. He asked for your forgiveness and understanding for deceiving you. He said you're doing the Alliance a great service by providing a truce between us. He even promises you'll be safe and happy here. Do you want me to call it up?”
”No. In fact, erase it, please. I'd rather not see his mocking face or hear his lying voice again. I'm ready to leave now.”
They walked to the landing grid and entered the shuttle. She let Ryker buckle her seat harness, then watched him attach his own. He smiled at her before issuing the command to lift off. The vehicle took flight, and later docked inside his...o...b..ting stars.h.i.+p. Jana was guided to the control room and shown where to sit. This time, seat belts weren't needed. The large s.h.i.+p left orbit around the planetoid as easily as a feather gliding on a gentle air current. It wasn't as big as the Wanderl.u.s.t his half brother commanded, but it was still enormous. She recognized only two of the crew at the controls: Captain Kagan and the android, Griep. Two other androids sat at panels, and two human strangers relaxed nearby. At starlight speed, as Ryker called their swift pace, they would reach Caguas within hours.
Jana watched the clouds rush past the wide span of clear material. s.p.a.ce ... Stars.h.i.+ps ... Shuttles ... Starlight speed ... NASA and the astronauts on Earth, she decided, would love to possess such knowledge and technology. And SETI, the Search For Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, would turn cartwheels over meeting just one of these superior beings. So many people in her world believed there was life elsewhere in the galaxy or universe, but never would they imagine to find it on this scale. With their weapons and advantages, the Maffei Interplanetary Alliance, or Androasian Empire, or Pyropean Federation could conquer Earth with ease in one day. It was a relief to know that none of them seemed interested in doing so.
Jana looked at the moon rounding the right side of the planet before their craft. When Ryker sat down beside her, she asked in a tone that couldn't be overheard by the men, ”Are you ever afraid the Caguas moon will crash into Darkar like the rogue body heading toward my planet?”
He glanced at the pale object of her attention. ”We're on different orbits, so there's no chance of that ever occurring. Even so, there's no threat of explosion. If my sensors detected a natural disaster in the making, my complex would automatically lower itself far below ground.”
”That would leave your warehouses open to destruction. What about the chemicals and other things inside them? Would they present a hazard?”
”Only contamination to Darkar's air and soil. Everything that could endanger this sector is kept within my complex.”
Jana's eyes widened. ”What about a malfunction with a computer or something like that? Why would you keep such powerful threats so close to you? If anything went wrong, you could be killed.” I could be killed.
”Or glow in the dark for thousands of years,” he whispered in her ear. He grinned and chuckled as he attempted to calm her fears.
Jana frowned at him. ”It's no joking matter. I'm serious. I live there, too, and I'll be working inside the complex as soon as you permit it.”
”Don't worry, my beautiful wife, the self-destruct weapon cannot be started except by my voice command, which can't be matched.” He wished he could tell her that threat had already been disarmed by him and Nigel.
”What if something happened to you? A big threat is left behind.”
Varian lazed nonchalantly in his seat. ”Not really. Grandfather has the disarm code. He would use it after he collects my secrets and my wife.”
”But he's an enemy, a rival empire.”
”Not mine. Not yours, either. You are, as you Earthlings put it, his daughter-in-law, wife of his sole heir. Grandfather will make certain you're safe after I'm gone. If anything happens to me, go with him and do what he says. You wouldn't be safe here without my protection; everyone would try to gain control of Trilabs by getting to you. After we return home, I'll have to take precautions along that line for your protection until Grandfather can reach you.” He stroked her tawny tresses. ”But don't worry, my golden moonbeam, the self-destruct system gives Maffeians and others a good reason to keep me alive and well.”
Keeping him alive was important to her for another reason. ”You said Maffei needed you for the mission to my planet. ”What did you mean?”
”They intend to use the most powerful chemical lasers in existence to blast the rogue into fragments small enough to be further reduced or disintegrated by photon fire.” At her look of confusion, he explained, ”Photons are quantums of electromagnetic radiation that are harnessed and sent out in a wide beam similar to laser fire. It's a very powerful and destructive weapon, but its range and target area are limited. To do any damage to something as enormous as that rogue worldlet, the s.h.i.+ps would have to get too close and risk being hit and crippled by large chunks of debris traveling at high speed following an explosion; being that far from Star Base and repairs, it would be foolish and detrimental, and could cost the lives of many crew members.”
”I still don't understand what that has to do with you and Trilabs.”
”One of the chemicals they need for the Triloni Laser is Barine, produced from Tremolite. It happens that I own the rights to the only three mines where it's found, here and in Androas.”
”You own the Tremolite, Barine, and most powerful laser?”
”That's right, Jana of Earth.” And, you own Trilabs, the truth serum immunity process, and many other priceless secrets...
She sent him a fake radiant smile and remarked, ”I'm impressed again. It seems my husband gets more and more important every day.”
”Important? How so?”
”You'll be responsible for saving my world, everything I know and love. How can I ever show my grat.i.tude for such genius?”
”By not making those your only loves,” he answered too quickly.
This time, her phony smile was seductive. ”I promise you, they won't be. Tell me all about Caguas and your mines there.”
”We'll be landing soon and you can see them for yourself. I'm going to enjoy showing you around this galaxy and mine. It won't all be work.”
”I hope not.”
”So do I. If you'll excuse me, I have work to do at this time.”
She watched him go to Captain Kagan and order him to send a message to Avatar Faeroe, the sixth richest man in this star system, to tell the planetary ruler they would join him for dinner as soon as he completed his inspection at his mine. He sat down with the two strangers who had not been introduced to her and began talking in a tone she couldn't overhear.
They eased into parking orbit around the large planet and went to the shuttle to go below. They were met in a tubeshaped land rover with an impenetrable clear bubble on the sides and top. Taken along a well-used road, the ride was smooth. An android drove the vehicle to the location Ryker gave it. They halted at a force s.h.i.+eld and waited for it to be lowered for them to enter the area. Security was heavy and well armed. She heard Ryker tell the top guard that he was going to do a complete inspection and was a.s.signing two new men to head up security of the main location: the two strangers traveling with them.
Once inside, the four got onto a tramlike vehicle that whisked them deep into the dark recess, where tunnels were lighted by rows of lights on either side. When it halted, Ryker a.s.sisted her from her seat to tag along. The two strangers followed her owner's lead, and she trailed behind them.
Jana's eyes darted in all directions. She felt trapped in the loud and dusty site. Giant fans pulled out much of the smoke and dust, and filled the area with a livable amount of fresh air. Machinery for digging and collecting ore, drones for transporting it, and laboring androids sent forth whirs, grinds, whines, and buzzes. The mine was huge, busy, and undoubtedly profitable. Certain locations had voice-activated doors that swished open and thudded shut as they pa.s.sed through them. They visited every section-some by foot and some by tram- and finished their tour in the control room. There, the two strangers took charge and were left behind, after curious whispering.
Jana had the oddest feeling he was looking at the site for the first time and was seeking something in particular. She also experienced tuggings of suspicions about two new men being a.s.signed as heads of security and at this date so close to her delusion. As she and the blond alien departed, she asked, ”What would happen if someone tried to take over this mine? Are the force s.h.i.+eld and number of security men strong enough to defend it?”
”Any attempt to break through the force s.h.i.+eld sets off a reaction that leads to explosion. Once Tremolite starts burning, it either burns forever or until all of the ore is consumed, making it worthless to them.”
”What about the men trapped inside?”
”There are ample escape time and routes for the humans.”
”That's good. But it would be a big loss to you.”
”To them, too, because they need to buy Barine for their lasers. To destroy my supply, destroys theirs. It's actually the best protection policy the mine could have.”
”I continue to be amazed by you.”
They returned to the shuttle, lifted off, and traveled toward a range of mountains and cliffs nearby where she saw thousands of small and large transascreens that exposed rooms and suites carved from their interiors. The shuttle halted on a landing grid atop the largest one. She was guided to an entrance that swished open to allow them to go inside.