Chapter 12
The next morning, Ron left before Kota came over. He wanted to get the robot and surprise them. The driver took him to the robot dealer and the dealer was delighted to sell another robot. He knew where there was another used model and it would only take about two hours to have it there in his shop. At the moment his shop was bare except for the robots being repaired. Ron decided to go to a different nursery that was just a few minutes away. Maybe he could pick up some more plants for the conservatory before he headed back. They were almost at the nursery when Auntie warned him that he was being followed by two vehicles. Four of the creatures from the last space ship were in the vehicles. Ron was alert but didn't think the creatures would bother him in the crowded nursery; especially, in broad daylight. He walked around and found several different flowers than they had found at the other nursery. He checked with Auntie and she said they would be compatible with the rest of the plants. He bought a couple dozen plants and the driver helped him load them into the vehicle. They started back to the robot dealer's place. On a long empty stretch of road, a vehicle zoomed around them and slammed against the front of their vehicle forcing them to the edge of the road. Two large, ugly-looking creatures jumped out of the vehicle that had just smashed into them. Ron felt Auntie warn him that the other vehicle was right behind and the other two creatures were getting out of the vehicle and they had weapons pointed in his direction.
Ron quietly told the driver to call the police and to stay down out of sight. He slipped his weapon into his hand and opened the door. He switched on his shield as he stepped out of the door. The large, ugly creature started screaming at him and waving at their vehicle. Suddenly it had a weapon in its hand and pointed it at Ron. It looked like a slightly different version of the stingerray. Ron could hear his driver urgently talking to the police. The ugly creature started advancing toward Ron screaming insults about them wrecking their vehicle. The creature fired its weapon at Ron. Ron's shield took the blast and he didn't feel anything except a push. He returned the fire. His weapon wasn't a stingerray, it was a blaster and it took a chunk out of the creature's shoulder. The creature dropped to the ground and lay there writhing and screaming in pain. Ron whirled to take care of the two behind him. They had rushed forward when their partner fired his weapon and they didn't have time to stop before Ron was aiming at them. The passenger blasted at Ron just as he shot. The creature's shot went wide but Ron's hit the mark. All of his practice was now paying off as the second vehicle's driver leaned on the back of their vehicle to snap a shot at him. The shield did its work again and Ron blasted this one completely off the back of their vehicle. The last ugly creature saw what was happening and jumped into his vehicle. He slammed it into reverse and backed away from their vehicle. He then crammed it into a forward gear and sped away.
In the distance, Ron could hear the police sirens. He walked over to the two at the rear of their vehicle and saw that they were dead. He left them and their weapons where they lay. He walked toward the first gunman and saw that he was still alive but seriously hurt. He kicked the weapon away from the creature and the creature looked up, clearly expecting Ron to finish him off.
Ron pointed his blaster at the creature's legs and asked, "Why did you do it and what do you want?"
The creature started to make a smart remark and Ron aimed at the creature's right knee. The creature stared at Ron's eyes and saw something there that he didn't care to push against.
The creature answered with a snarl, "You and your mates are worth 50,000 credits each if we captured you. If we could get that ship back to the Challekan Traders, it would be worth a cool million credits."
Ron asked in a quiet deadly serious voice, "Who is paying for my capture?"
The creature answered quickly, "I don't know, for sure. My boss told us about the reward and that we could split it. I think it is the Challeka Traders who are offering the reward. I don't know which branch. There are four mother ships and it could be any one of them or all of them. I'm hurt. When are you going to get me some help?"
Ron just walked back to his vehicle to check on his driver.
The driver was pale and his eyes were about the size of saucers. He excitedly said, "I've never seen anything like it. You don't even see anything like this in the drama videos. I don't know how they missed you. You were just standing there so calm. I notice you didn't miss any of them. Are they all dead?"
"No. The one to the front is badly wounded. Are you all right? They didn't hurt you did they?" Ron asked matter of factly.
"I'm fine. Wait until I tell Fu and my friends. They'll never believe this. You knew they were going to shoot. Why didn't you shoot first?" the driver asked, almost in shock as the reality set in.
"On my planet, we believe in giving even the bad men a chance. They made their choice and now will live with the consequences," Ron said quietly. "I'm sorry you were involved in this. Will your vehicle still move and function?"
The driver jumped out to check his vehicle and, at the same time, tried to avoid looking at the ugly creature lying on the ground. There was only minor cosmetic damage to the front of his vehicle, so he moved back to the driver's seat. The first police car slid to a stop and two policemen jumped out. Ron told them the creature in front was wounded and needed attention. One of the policemen rushed over and then went back to the patrol car for a first aid kit. He told his partner to call for an ambulance as he rushed back to administer first aid. The ugly creature was very defiant but too weak to protest for long. The other policeman checked out the other two creatures. He noted the stingerrays in their hands.
Three other police cars pulled up and started directing traffic. One policeman took Ron's driver to a squad car and started asking questions. The driver started excitedly telling about Ron standing there and the ugly creature firing at him and missing. He told about the others firing at Ron and then Ron returning their fire.
Another policeman took Ron's statement but strangely didn't ask about Ron's weapon. Ron had already hidden it away again. The ambulance arrived during Ron's statement and hauled the ugly creature off to the hospital. When Ron and the driver finished their statements, the policemen stood together out of earshot. They were comparing stories and deciding what to do. Ron was thinking about this attack and the thugs who had attacked them at the restaurant earlier. He wondered if it was really a simple robbery or if they were trying to earn a big reward, too. Ron broadcast to Auntie and asked if she had recorded the shoot out. She replied that she had. Ron asked if she could tap into the banker's or some other computer in the terminal and send a copy anonymously. She replied that it would be a piece of cake. Ron told her not to use Fu's or any of his employees' computers but send a copy of the shoot out to the police station.
Shortly there was a call over a squad car radio and one of the group of policemen went to answer it. After a short conversation, he walked back to the group. One of the group came over to Ron.
The policeman said, "We just got an anonymous email with a video of this whole shoot out. It happened just as you and the driver said. Would you know anything about where it came from?"
"I've been right here and as your man over there can attest, I haven't even touched a phone. How could I know anything about it?" Ron answered matter-of-factly.
The policeman, who had been watching, nodded his agreement and the other policeman just shook his head as he returned to the group. After another 20 minutes of discussion, the policeman came back to Ron and asked if Ron had ever seen any of the ugly creatures before. Ron told him he had never even laid eyes on any of that race. He had no idea where they came from, unless they were from the last space ship that had landed yesterday. Ron told him that the first space ship was manned by a close friend and they had been together last night, so he didn't know who or what was in the other ship. He asked if the ugly creature was from their planet and the policeman replied th
at it wasn't. The policeman asked how long he would be on planet. Ron told him they planned on leaving the next day. The policeman told him that they would need him to come to the station in the morning to finish the paper work and they might have to delay a day until they finished their investigation. Ron said that could be arranged and asked if the policeman could tell his driver where they needed him to be in the morning. He explained that it would be much easier if he wasn't trying to explain addresses and directions to the driver. The policeman grinned and agreed as he walked over to the driver. Shortly, the policeman and the driver came back over to Ron and told them they were free to go. Ron asked if it was alright to stop at the robot dealers to pick up his purchase and the policeman told him he was free to travel anywhere he liked.
Once they were in the vehicle and on the road, Ron's adrenaline wore off and he started to shake. The driver was so excited, he was still talking a mile a minute and didn't notice. By the time they reached the dealer, Ron's nerves were steadier. He went in and concluded his business. The dealer wheeled out another robot that looked similar to Dolores but with subtle little differences. Ron and the driver loaded the robot onto the back of the vehicle and headed for the space port. They arrived with no more incidents and drove to the rear of the space ship where they unloaded the robot. Ron took it into Auntie, so they could make sure it was full of fuel. He called for Gus to bring some help to carry in the flowers that he had bought. Gus asked how many plants he had bought and when Ron told him two dozen, Gus said he would just bring a grav-sled.
While he was waiting for Gus, Ron and the driver unloaded the flowers and Ron started to pay the driver. The driver didn't want to take any pay but Ron insisted and he paid for the damage to the vehicle as well. The driver thanked him and left with a promise to be back in the morning to take him to the police station.
"Well, well. We've been here slaving away getting ready to leave and what have you been up to? I didn't know it would take so long to buy a few flowers and a robot. Did they have to grow the flowers or make the robot?" Gus joked with a chuckle.
"Oh, buying the flowers didn't take long nor buying the robot. It didn't even take long to shoot three of our friends from over there. It was the paperwork that took forever," Ron came back smart-alecky.
Gus dropped the flower he was carrying as he whirled to see if Ron was joking. He saw the look in his eyes and knew it wasn't a joke. He saw that Ron was pale and looked shaky. He started shaking even more as he thought about what had just happened. Gus picked up the flower and they loaded the rest on the grav-sled. They pushed it into Auntie without another word until everything was put away.
"We better go find Tik and hear this story together," Gus said gravely. Gus was watching his friend and partner with concern. He felt that Ron had been through a severe emotional trauma.
Gus broadcast for Tik and she said she was in the situation room looking over the ethic rules Kota had dropped by earlier. The two men headed for the situation room. Tik knew something was up as soon as they walked into the room.
Gus said, "Why don't you tell us what happened."
"Well, I bought the robot and the dealer said it would take a couple of hours to get it. I decided to go shopping at a different nursery while we waited. I found some different, really colorful flowers so I bought some of them. I checked with Auntie before I bought them just to make sure they were compatible. We were headed back to the dealers when it happened." Ron paused.
"What happened?" Tik demanded anxiously.
"I think a picture is worth a thousand words; so, Auntie, will you please show what happened, starting with the vehicle running us off the road?"
Auntie started the video and Ron watched himself in action. Tik was growling and almost hopping up and down when the first creature fired at Ron. Gus was tense, also as he watched the scene unfold. When Ron shot the two at the back of the vehicle, they both muttered, "Good, they got what they deserved!"
When the video finished, Ron took up where he'd left off, "I asked 'old ugly', there on the ground, why I was attacked. He told me that we are worth a lot of money and Auntie is worth even more. He said there is a reward of 50,000 credits each; if we are captured, and Auntie is worth a million credits, delivered to the Bugs. He also mentioned that there are four Bug mother ships and he didn't know which one put up the reward. He said it might have been all of them. We know now that the Bugs want us and Auntie back in a bad way. I, for one, am tired of the Bugs pushing us. It's going to cost any bounty hunters in a big way from now on."
"Do you think the incident the other night wasn't a robbery? Were they after the bounty?" Tik asked.
"I don't know. I don't know how word like this gets around. I can understand Kota finding us; because they were looking for the radio broadcast, but how would local thugs find out? We may have to talk to Kota to find out some more," Ron answered.
"What do we do about it? Can we leave here right now?" Gus asked anxiously.
"I have to stay until tomorrow at least. The police said they were going to investigate and I will have to go back into town to sign some papers. They thought I could leave after that," Ron stated.
"Well, those thugs the other night and now, these ugly sewer crawlers found out we have teeth and claws. The bounty might not look so attractive once word gets out," Tik declared angrily.
"Yes, I agree. One thing I learned this morning was that we need to practice a quick draw. On Earth, we have movies where cowboys wear guns all the time. They survive by being able to get their gun out fast and still hit the target. If I hadn't taken my weapon out before I got out of the vehicle, I would have been in trouble. The shield did work nicely though," Ron said.
Auntie chimed, to let them know that Kota and Zibo were at the shield. Tik said to let them in. Tik used the intercom to tell them to come on in. She said they were all in the lower situation room. Kota and Zibo entered the room in just a short time.
Kota had a very serious look on his face as he spoke without any sort of greeting, "I've got some bad news. One of our Traders picked up a rumor on another planet and radioed it to us just this morning. They said the Bugs want…"
"Want us badly and have offered a 50,000 credit reward for our capture, right?" Ron finished for him.
"How did you know? Did someone else radio you?" Kota asked anxiously.
Ron told Auntie to roll the video again. Kota and Zibo watched in shocked silence. When the video was through, Kota asked, "Where did you get that weapon? It looks like you have been practicing. Those were not lucky shots, were they?"
"Well, we have been practicing every day since we found them here on the ship. There are some targets that Auntie programs to move and we have had some competition to help. These aren't our first choice as weapons but they are easily concealed," Ron said as he moved his shirt to expose his weapon. "I notice that you don't bother to conceal your weapons."
Kota grinned and said, "No, we don't encourage any false hope for trash like that which attacked you. They know that we will give no quarter and usually give us a wide berth."
"What do local authorities say about openly carrying weapons?" Gus asked.
"They don't care as long as we're not waving them around and threatening local citizens. Most of the time, they try to stay out of disputes between traders, as long as the locals don't get caught up in it," Zibo answered. "Are all of you that good with the weapons?"
"Would you like to see how we do on the targets and maybe try them for yourself?" Tik asked with a superior little smile.
"I'd love that!" Zibo remarked.
The trio led the way to the armory and opened the door. When Kota and Zibo stepped in, they gasped in amazement. There were weapons they recognized and others that looked familiar but didn't quite fit what they thought a weapon should look like. The trio picked up their preferred weapons and Tik instructed Auntie to set up a series of 4-inch random targets.
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bsp; Ron asked the two Traders if their weapons were adjustable for target practice and they said they were. The targets flew out and darted amongst the equipment stored in the cargo bay. The trio each called a different colored target and proceeded to shoot. Auntie projected a running score of the hits near where they stood. At the end of twenty five shots each, Gus was the only one who had missed a shot. He had missed a particularly tough diving target that had made it behind the boat just as he shot. Kota and Zibo were shaking their heads at the trio's accuracy. Ron asked if they would like to try it and they agreed. They picked their colors and the targets started flying. The two Traders missed half the targets. When they were through, Ron joked that he could make the targets three feet in diameter like they were when they had started and let them try again. The two traders laughed and declined the offer. Kota was very interested in the targets and asked to see one up close. Auntie flew it up to him and he grabbed it. He turned it over and inspected it closely. He asked how they were made and Auntie started to go into a very technical explanation of the manufacturing process. Ron stopped her when Kota held up his hands and said he didn't need that much detail.
Kota finished with the target and let it go. He turned to the trio and said, "I'll give you 500,000 credits plus a 5% bonus for each one sold, for exclusive rights to manufacture and sell these targets. I would limit sales to Dar Es Salaam Traders. We don't have anything even close to this. We have some targets that fly but not in intricate patterns like you just had these fly and not in adjustable sizes. As you could see from our shooting, we need a lot more practice. What do you say?"
The trio was shocked by the offer. They had no idea that a simple thing like that would be so valuable. They conferred for a few seconds mentally and then Ron agreed. Kota said he would bring over paperwork later that day. He asked where they would like the credits transferred.
"We have no idea where to transfer them to. Everything we own is right here on this space ship. Each of us has things back on our home planets but they are a long ways away. I don't suppose they have anything like prepaid debit cards, do they?" Ron asked.
"I don't know what a debit card is but the Charter Alliance makes a special tamper proof chip that will tie into Auntie. You can carry your balance with you and use it for buying goods on planets that accept Charter credits," Kota explained. "When I start selling these targets, you'll automatically get an update on credits whenever you land on a planet that accepts Charter credits."
That sounded like a good deal to the trio, so they accepted that offer. Kota said he could have the device shipped here or he could have it at their next planet. The trio told him to have it at Fen Avholog if they accepted Charter credits. Kota said he would check when he did up the paperwork.
"Oh, I almost forgot, when you surprised me knowing about the bounty. The Navy lost the mother ship after it jumped. Now that they know the mother ship has been kidnapping Charter citizens, they have the legal excuse to stop and search them," Kota disclosed.
"Which mother ship will they search?" Ron asked.
"What do you mean which mother ship?" Kota responded.
"We heard there were four mother ships and they all communicate and cooperate on some projects, like our bounty," Ron said.
"That's news to me. I think I'll pass this information along," Zibo announced.
"Have you made any decision about affiliation?" Kota asked.
"Not yet. We had some questions but haven't completed the list yet. The excitement this morning upset our schedule. Speaking of that how would thugs on this planet find out about the bounty on us? By the way, Gus, did you have time to finish what I brought in this morning?" Ron asked, knowing he hadn't.
"No, I didn't. I need to go finish that. We'll need it here very shortly," Gus replied as he headed to the upper level.
Ron and Tik kept the two Traders engaged in conversation for a few more minutes to give Gus time to refuel the new robot. Kota explained that sometimes races like the Bugs would work with local groups and would leave communication gear with them. The locals could then keep them informed about the local planet and also receive information from the Bugs. Kota wondered why he asked and Ron told him that they were starting to question the thugs attack from the other night. He said they were starting to wonder if they were attempting to capture them, instead of robbing them. Kota said that could be a possibility. Gus gave a signal that he was through, so Tik and Ron started walking the two to the upper level.
Kota remarked, "Well, we better get to our ship so we can send messages and finish our paperwork. I'll bring it back after while."
Auntie sounded an alert. She said there were two more space ships on the way to the planet. At their present speed, they would arrive in two days. They seemed to be the same class of space ship as the one from Nodac-Liujia.
Zibo stared in open-mouthed amazement and then asked, "How does your ship know that there are other ships coming in? I have mine set to alert us but she hasn't seen a thing yet."
Tik replied, "Well, it could be because we dropped a remote detector when we were coming in to the planet. It gives you a lot more warning."
"I can see that. What other surprises does this ship hold?" Zibo said.
"We don't know all of them yet. It seems like we find something about every day or two," Tik hedged.
"Well, we better get. Do you know when you will be leaving yet?" Zibo asked.
Ron replied, "We had planned on leaving tomorrow but I have to go in and sign a statement some time during the day. The police thought I would be free to leave then but there seemed to be a question that was left hanging."
Gus walked up and said, "Oh, by the way don't forget your stuff."
"What stuff?" Kota asked. "I have the target right here."
"That robot over there," Gus replied.
Kota and Zibo were speechless. The trio took them over and gave them the title and paperwork. They told Kota the robot was a present for all the help he had been on the mother ship. He started to protest but they would have none of it. They told him that if he wouldn't accept the gift for helping, then it was a late wedding gift. Kota finally accepted the robot and started checking everything out. Tik gave them some pointers on programming the robot and told them that the robot would do the shopping as well. Once she knew their eating needs, she would tailor-make their meals for them. Zibo and Kota both were excited at the prospect of having help with the cooking and cleaning. The two Traders started for the door with the robot following along behind.
As Kota and Zibo walked across the ramp toward their ship, Kota said, "Did you notice they were using ESP. I'm sure it was a lot more than we do. I could feel some of the transfer but I had no idea what they were saying. I'm sure they were actually talking, using the ESP."
"I thought they formed group opinions awfully quick. If you didn't know about ESP, you wouldn't even know. I wonder if that's another secret they discovered from Auntie," Zibo mused.
"I'm sure of it and those weapons they have are more advanced than ours. We have to convince them to affiliate with us and to let our scientists on that ship," Kota stated with conviction.
Ron looked at Gus and Tik as he said, "Kota knows we're using ESP. He was watching too closely as we tossed things back and forth. I think he has a low level natural ability for it."
"What are we going to do with those ships coming in? Do you think they are bringing reinforcements to try to capture us?" Gus asked.
"If they mess with us anymore, they will be in for a rude surprise. I'm tired of side-stepping and running away from threats. I say, we meet them head on," Tik declared fiercely.
"I'm tired of being pushed, too. I just don't want to be banned from this planet if they think we bring too much trouble," Ron said.
"I say, we don't look for trouble but if they start it, we finish it!" Gus asserted just as fiercely as Tik.
Auntie alerted them that Fu was approaching
the space ship. The trio went to the small door to greet him. As they headed for the door, Auntie told them the two ships had been in radio contact with the one here on the ground. They were speeding up and it looked like they would arrive that night.
"Hello, space travelers. I hear you had some excitement in town again today. Are you all right? By the way, the police are here in the terminal. They would like to talk to you," Fu commented politely.
Ron answered, "I'm fine. Your planet is getting as bad as bear hunting with Joe Meek. I may have to go off planet just to rest up." Fu, Tik and Gus all laughed. "I'll be inside in just a second. I need to talk to Tik and Gus."
Fu said good-bye and walked back to the terminal. Ron said to Tik, "We need to check and see if Auntie can pin point an arrival time for those two ships. Also, see if she can scan their ship to see how many creatures are still in it."
Tik and Gus went back into Auntie to check things out and Ron walked into the terminal. Two of the policemen, who had interviewed him that morning, were waiting.
"I'm sorry you had to wait. I had some business that I had to take care of. How can I help you?" Ron said.
"We came to let you know that the wounded creature died. We really didn't have all the medical facilities to treat his species. Also, we wanted to ask if you could give us a description of the one that drove away. We haven't found either the vehicle or the driver," the policeman asked.
"I didn't really get a good look at him. I was being shot at and I was worried about my driver. I didn't even think to take a good look at the other driver. Did the wounded creature give you any clue why they were shooting at me?" Ron replied.
"All he ever said was that you would get yours one of these days and maybe sooner than you think," the policeman replied.
"I wish I knew what I did to upset them. Neither my partners nor myself could think of anything we ever did to those creatures. Did the creatures come from that space ship out there? Are there any more of them out there? Maybe you could ask them what we did wrong. If we parked our space ship in their spot, I'll gladly move, if it will stop any more attacks," Ron stated.
"We can't legally go out to their ship, so we used the radio here in the terminal to try to reach them but we didn't receive an answer. We are wondering what to do with the bodies. By the way, do you wish to press charges if we catch the driver?" the policeman explained.
"I'd like to but if I have to stick around to testify, I probably won't. I don't know how long it would take to bring the creature to trial but we are about loaded and ready to head for another planet. We have enjoyed your planet and hope we will be welcome again but we have to keep on the move to make any money," Ron related.
"Yes, it could take awhile to come to trial depending on the lawyers and judges. We would be afraid that if the creature got back to his space ship, he would leave and we would never see them again. You are more than welcome here. You have done nothing wrong, as far as we can see, and Mr. Fu here speaks very highly of you and your partners, as does your driver. I think we have several merchants here that would like to see you return also," the policeman said.
"Good. All we have to do now is trade off the goods we purchased here. Then we can come back and stock up again. Do you need anything else?" Ron asked.
"No, you've answered all of our questions. We have finished the investigation. You could come down to the station a little later and sign the report and then would be free to leave tomorrow, when you're ready.
"I'll be there between 4:00 and 5:00. If you think of anything else, just get in touch with the terminal and I'll try to bring it," Ron said.
The policemen left and Fu said, "I need to talk for a minute if you have the time."
Ron told him, "I'll always try to make time for you, my friend. What can I help you with?"
"It's more what I can help you with. There are two more of the Nodac-Liujia space ships on the way in. Only one is going to land for right now. The other will stay in orbit for a few days before making up their minds to land. The one landing is coming here for trade," Fu stated in a quiet, conspiratorial voice.
"Thanks, friend. That's good to know. Hopefully, they are here for trade and won't bother us like their countrymen. We don't want any more trouble and like I said, we would like to come back," Ron told him. "Could you do me a favor and see if our driver can come back at 4:00 to take me to the station?"
Ron turned and walked back to Auntie. He found out where the other two were and headed to the situation room. He told them about his conversation with the police and Fu. He told them that he was going to the police station to sign the report so they could leave in the morning. Ron asked Auntie if she had anything non-lethal that would discourage anyone from sneaking around outside. She replied that her shield could give off a static electric spark that was non-lethal. She said most creatures found it most unpleasant and didn't wait for a second jolt. Ron said that sounded fine and asked her to set it up to use it on their ugly neighbors, if they came too close. Tik and Gus decided they were going to tag along. Tik said she didn't want to miss any excitement if it happened again. Tik told him that there were two more creatures in the other space ship. They must travel with a crew of six. Ron asked Auntie to check with Kota to see if that would be right. She did and reported they usually had six to eight for a crew.
Everybody went to the armory to make sure their weapons were fully loaded and then Ron grabbed some more of the silver trinkets. They headed to the terminal to wait for the driver. Kota, Zibo and their new robot chef came into the terminal and told them they were headed to town to buy some groceries that the robot wanted to round out their stores. Zibo said they should meet for supper and it would be their treat this time. Ron said they were headed to the police station to sign the report. Kota checked a map he had and said they were going to be fairly close to the station when they were buying the groceries. He said they would drop their robot off and meet them there. There was an eating place two blocks from the police station.
Kota and Zibo had rented a vehicle and it was waiting at the curb for them. They went out, loaded the robot and headed for town. The trio's driver arrived a few minutes later and they headed to town. They felt the rumble of the Nodac-Liujia space ship landing as they headed out.
Ten minutes later Auntie sent them a report. She said the other ship had landed and eight creatures had gotten off. She had scanned the ship and it was now empty. The two creatures from the other ship had come out to meet the newcomers. They all had headed to the terminal. Two of the group had come sneaking over to check her out. She reported that two static electric charges had helped them on their way. Ron and Tik could have sworn that Auntie was chuckling when she told about the electricity hitting the two. Auntie reported that she had launched two of the remote sensors. One was following them and the other was following the two groups from the other space ships.
The driver embarrassed Ron by enthusiastically telling the story of this mornings events. His story made Ron into some kind of super hero and the other two were sending ESP asking Ron for his autograph and asked if he actually walked on water. Tik said they should look out for old ladies for him to escort across the street. Ron shut them up by silently giving them the raspberry.
When they got to the police station, they told the driver they would walk down to the eating place two blocks down the street. They told him to just wait for them there and he could go eat with them. The trio went into the station and Ron read through the report before he signed it. The police asked him a few questions and then one of them; who had kids in the same class as one of the Fu boys, asked him about grizzly bears. He had to tell his Joe Meek story again to the delight of all the policemen in the station. They were all asking if the story was true and Ron said that as far as he knew; it was the gospel truth. They had been in the station about an hour by then and said they had to go meet some friends. The police all thanked him for the
story and his cooperation.
As the trio was approaching the door, Auntie told them Kota and Zibo had just pulled up outside. She also warned them that there were now eleven of the Nodac-Liujia creatures in various positions surrounding the building outside.
Ron asked, "Auntie, is there any way to warn Kota and Zibo?"
"I could if I had some time but I would have to research their comm frequencies and methods. There is no quick way to do it," Auntie replied.
Tik growled, "Let me go. I'm a smaller target and faster than you two. I'll warn them and see if we have anything to fear or if those sewer vermin are just observing. They must be awfully desperate or awfully stupid to try something right outside the police station."
"That might be the smartest place. They probably think we won't be expecting anything here," Gus countered.
The trio quietly drew their weapons as they triggered their shields and then Tik rushed outside to crouch next to Kota's vehicle. She quietly told Kota through his open window, "Get down. We have some sewer crawlers here and I think they are up to no good."
Kota and Zibo slid down in the seat as far as they could and drew their weapons. Two policemen started to walk up the steps into the station. Tik had just started to warn them when two Nodac-Liujias next to the police station opened fire. They hit Tik's shield which pushed her up against Kota's vehicle. She returned fire at the one in front of Kota's vehicle. The creature fell with a big hole blasted in its middle. The two policemen turned at the sound and the creature toward the rear fired a stingerray at them. One of the policemen fell to the steps while the other tried to hold him and get his gun out at the same time. Gus and Ron leaped out of the building and in front of the two policemen. Tik whirled and fired at her other attacker. That attacker fell and would not be bothering anyone again. The Nodac-Liujia creatures across the street opened fire on Ron and Gus. Some of them were not using stingerrays. They were using blasters. Ron and Gus returned fire as Gus reached down and picked up the stunned policeman. He shoved him and his partner through the door. He and Ron ran to crouch behind Kota's vehicle with Tik. Kota and Zibo started picking targets and firing at them. Tik took off down the street and Ron went the other way. Gus was firing over the hood of Kota's vehicle to keep the creatures' attention. Ron and Tik caught two of the creatures as they rushed from the back of the police station where they had been watching the rear door. They blasted and both of them dropped where they were hit. Ron and Tik had reached opposite ends of the block and now crossed the street. They had the Nodac-Liujia creatures in a deadly cross-fire now. Gus had dropped two others with his fire. Ron managed to drop one more and the creatures had all they could stand. They leaped into a waiting vehicle and sped off. As they sped off, they tried to avoid getting anywhere close to Ron because of his deadly fire.
The street was deathly quiet. Ron and Tik started advancing to check for any creatures left behind. All they found were bodies. The police were cautiously rushing out of the door and crouching beside Gus. Some of them came out of the back door and slipped cautiously around the building. The whole thing was over in less than five minutes.
The policemen slowly checked out the dead bodies and picked up the weapons. Ron and Tik walked back to Kota and Zibo to see if they were all right. They were a little shaken and their vehicle had been hit several times but they were not hurt.
Ron broadcast a thought to Tik, "Can you work with Auntie from here and get those two space ships into the air before these creatures get back?"
Tik replied, "I don't know but I'll sure give it a try. I think Auntie should be able to fly them remotely if she can get into their computer."
"Good. We'll make it really costly for these vermin. We'll let the police chase them on the planet here," Ron said angrily.
Tik went to the rear of Kota's vehicle and concentrated on her task. Ron and Gus kind of led the policemen up the steps to check on their fallen comrade. Gus looked at him and said he had been hit by a stingerray. He would be all right by tomorrow but he would ache and be weak for awhile. The police thanked him and got an ambulance on the way, just to make sure. The sergeant called in detectives to start investigating everything and put out an all points bulletin about the attackers who'd escaped. He told some units to block the road to the space port to keep them away from the space ships. Others were already blocking off the road and sidewalk to keep curious onlookers from contaminating the scene.
The face of the building around the door had pockmarks and scorches from the blasters. The policeman that Gus had shoved inside came in from securing the area and saw the damage. He turned pale and then had to come to Gus to thank him for saving his life. Word quickly spread among the policemen about how Ron and Gus had put themselves in harms way to protect the two policemen. It took 20 or 30 minutes for things to settle down before detectives could start asking questions and filling out new reports. Tik came in with a grin on her face. As she stepped through the door, Ron felt the low vibrations; he assumed were two space ships taking off. Tik reported that he was right. She said that Auntie would send the ships out close to the remote detector and if she could find any asteroids, she would set them down there. Auntie had also jammed the detectors on the space ship in orbit, so it had no idea what happened to the other space ships.
Ron remembered their driver waiting at the eating place and asked if a policeman could let him know that they were all safe but would be delayed for a while. The police were glad to comply and Ron could see that their 'super hero' status had taken a giant leap. When the questions started, they told the police that Tik had a sixth sense about traps. She thought something was wrong and had rushed out to see. She saw Kota and Zibo and warned them. She had tried to warn the two police coming in the station but the fireworks started before she could. The trio, Kota and Zibo gave their statements and the police started giving the two Traders hero status, also. They weren't sure how to take it but the trio just laughed and built them up even more. The trio gave them credit for most of the kills across the street, helping to boost it even more. Kota and Zibo tried to protest, which made them look like really modest heroes. Kota gave Ron a look which said, 'I'll get you later'. The police finished the reports and asked it the space travelers could come back in the morning to sign the new reports. The sergeant started to ask if they needed an escort and then laughed at himself. The space travelers laughed with him. He urged them to be cautious. He said the two space ships had taken off, but he didn't think their attackers had made it on them.
Kota and Zibo asked if the trio still wanted something to eat. They all replied they did. The trio could see the adrenaline was wearing off and the two Traders were starting to shake. The trio wasn't any better and the Traders could see it in them. Ron said he needed to walk and they would meet them at the eating place. He told them he had invited their driver and the Traders thought that would be fine. Kota and Zibo drove down there and got a table for them.
While they were eating, the driver had to hear the story of what had happened. Ron told the story this time to build up Tik and the two traders. The driver's eyes were shining brightly as he listened to the story. He was sitting in the presence of five genuine heroes. Kota and Zibo kept rolling their eyes when Ron would lay the praises on so thick but they took it with good humor. All of the patrons around them were listening just like they had with the Fu family. Ron suspected the 'word of mouth' telegraph would spread the story faster than any news media ever could. They finished their meal and headed for the parking lot. The trio remembered the last time they had walked out into a parking lot. They were especially wary but nothing happened. Kota's robot was waiting in the vehicle when they came out. Everyone headed for the space port and the trio made arrangements for the driver to pick them up again tomorrow. Kota kept his vehicle and was going to drive it in himself.
After they walked through the terminal, Kota slowed Ron to have a chat with him.<
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"Ron, even if you don't affiliate with the Charter, if you had scientists on board studying the Alcantaran relics, the Charter Navy would discourage any more antics like this. They would be waiting out in space to pick up those ships and haul everybody to court."
"That sounds interesting. Let me ask you a question. If we had a contract with you to haul excess goods we couldn't carry, would that give us about the same protection as an affiliation? Suppose we find on the next planet that the machinery we have is a big hit and they want 500 more. We couldn't carry that many but you could in the freighter. Would that sound like something you would do? Would that affiliate us with you enough to offer some protection?" Ron queried.
"I would definitely be interested in hauling something like that. I'll have to check on the protection. I can let you know in the morning when we go to sign the reports."
They both went to their space ships and reported to their partners what had been said. Auntie reported there had been an attempt to establish radio contact with the space ship in orbit but she had relayed it to the terminal radio. The trio thought that was a good idea. The trio went to recharge their weapons before they headed to bed. They were all feeling more confident about their ability to defend themselves now. The personal shields were really a blessing and helped tremendously. All of them would have been seriously injured or killed if they had not had them. Tomorrow they would have to decide how they were going to get off the planet and find out what that other ship was going to do; but for now, the adrenaline was gone and they were worn out.