Chapter 19
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We soon found ourselves setting down on a planet in the Zanus system. Our position on the dark side offered a clear view of the ships coming and going from the colony. A week passed with little of interest. That all changed when an Orwallian cruiser entered the system and set into orbit around Zanus I.
Joni said, “Now that is unusual. I’ve only read about the Orwallians. They don’t like to leave their system. Something about their mother planet having an atmosphere about twice as dense as any other world. My father said they're the only planet in the five galaxies that knows how to manufacture the ion amplifiers that every ship uses in its power system. They're designed to disintegrate if tampered with in any way.”
“That sounds like the portal gates. I wonder what the history books say about them. The bigger question, though, is what is an Orwallian ship doing here?”
I stood and moved back to the cabin. “Joni. Would you agree we need to be down on that planet if we want a shot at finding out what they're doing here?”
“I would agree with that. What do you have in mind?”
“We have two perfectly good lifepods on this ship. Take us out to a distance beyond standard sensors and send me toward Zanus. Someone will come out to pick me up.”
Joni winced. “And if they don’t come out?”
“We're covered. You just circle around and pick me up on the other side. If I can get a ship out to grab me, you come back here and sit tight. Wait for a signal to come pick me up. And just so we're in sync, if you have to come get me, I was ambushed while doing an inspection, my ship was destroyed, and I was ejected in the pod as a cruel joke.
“That pod has four weeks of oxygen; it will take me a day to drift in there and, if needed, a day to drift past. I’ll drop the oxygen level in the pod down to three days’ worth. Mock up an environmental log that says I have been floating for just over three weeks. I’ll only take a day’s worth of food with me so I am out when I pass near the system.”
Joni pointed at one of the lifepods. “And what if I go in there and they ask why I only have one pod?”
I stopped. “Hmm. Good point.”
I walked back and sat in my pilot’s chair. “Take us out to a position just outside their sensor range. I’ll think about it as we go.”
An hour after our arrival at the new location, Joni put forth an idea. “Too bad we can’t contact whoever it is that shadows me so we could borrow a lifepod.”
I thought for a moment before responding. “Can you take a short trip to your quarters for a few minutes? I'll see if I can get a response out of them.”
Joni shook her head. “You sure anyone is out there?”
“I would bet my life on it. I would also bet this ship has some kind of clandestine tracking device on it they can track. Otherwise, they'd run the risk of us losing them during a chase or a run. Head back to your room, and I'll see if I can coax a lifepod out of them.”
When Joni had closed the door, I got on a general comm frequency at a low power. “Garrett, I know you're out there. We need your help. I need to get down to that planet without risking taking Joni with me. I need a lifepod with no ID on the transponder. And I need the oxygen level dropped to three days. I’ve been on your ship, and if I am correct, you have two such pods. I need one.”
The comm was silent for several seconds. I continued, “Look, she knows you're out there. Maybe with a little working together, we can make your job easier. I’m not saying for you to reveal yourself, just jettison a pod and we will pick it up. If you don’t, I'll have to take her down to the planet with me.”
The comm was silent for several more seconds before a response came back. “Will I be getting this pod back?”
I replied with a smile, “I will personally guarantee it.”
Garrett laughed. “Like that is something you could guarantee. I’ll give you the pod on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You do as you just stated. I don’t want her down on that planet. If you'll agree to that not being in your plans, I'll jettison a lifepod for your use.”
I smiled. “I'll guarantee it.”
Garrett shook his head. “Good luck with the Orwallians, Mr. Beutcher. I understand they are fiercely private.”
“I only want to know what they're doing at Zanus. And I owe you one, Garrett.”
A pod was jettisoned and I recalled Joni from her private quarters. “Let’s get this thing programmed up and on its way. Can you think of anything about my story that's lacking?”
Joni thought for a moment. “You might add that it was a random search of a ship that had no transponder. Maybe you were invited aboard and ambushed. If you call me in to pick you up, I will just be the nearest security inspector ship. We usually travel as individuals, so that should be believable.”
“I’m starting to feel a little more like a spy than an inspector. I think I might actually like that.”
The pod was prepared, I boarded, and Joni sent it hurtling toward the Zanus system. I had a day of sitting in the cramped area a lifepod offered to a Grunta, but I was excited enough about the prospect of getting picked up that I pushed any discomfort to the back of my mind.
As I reached the border of the Zanus system, a comm came over the emergency channel. “This is Zanus control. We're picking up your emergency beacon; do you need assistance?”
“Yes! Thank goodness! I have been drifting for three weeks. My ship was destroyed. A pickup would be greatly appreciated!”
Arrangements were made and a small transport was soon sliding up beside my pod and pulling me aboard. It was an Igari who worked with the planet’s security force.
I emerged from the pod. “Wow, am I ever glad to see you.”
The Igari laughed. “I don’t get that a lot, but thanks. You look to be in good physical condition. What happened to your ship?”
“I was doing an inspection of a trawler when the captain drew down on me. They fired a weapon at my ship, destroying it. I managed to overpower two of the crewmen who were about to execute me. I then dove into one of their lifepods and jettisoned it. I’m not sure why they didn’t come back and blast me. They may have been on some type of time schedule with whatever they were running, because they seemed to be in a big hurry to leave.”
The Igari shook his head. “The New Alliance is losing control. We’ve had two other attacks in this area in the last four months. The area around Zanus used to be about as quiet as they came.”
I sat in a chair next to the pilot and held out my hand. “Knog Beutcher wants to shake the hand of the man who saved him.”
The Igari reached out and shook, his tiny Igari hand disappearing in mine. “Maxin Cogla. Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a four star. You might be the only one in Alpha sector. How’d you manage that?”
“I’ve been at it for over forty years. I guess I racked up enough points during that time that someone wanted recognition for my accomplishments while I was under their command.”
The Igari laughed. “I hear you. Unless it offers some benefit, the management won’t stick their necks out for anyone. Look at me, sixteen years at this thankless job, and I’m still a corporal. Did they parade you around to show how proud of you they were?”
“They threw a whole banquet for me. What a ridiculous waste of funds at a time when we're having equipment shortages.”
The Igari pointed back toward his cabin. “I have a head back there that hasn’t worked in five months. I’m just glad all my runs have been short. I keep a five-liter bucket back there just in case.”
As we approached the space dock in orbit around Zanus I, I said, “Hey, that looks like an Orwallian cruiser. I didn’t think they ever left their own system.”
“That's what I had heard too. I don’t know what they have going on, but that space dock is locked down tight right now. We'll just be tagging up and going down to the surface using the normal shipping lanes. You should b
e able to get back to your base in a couple of days.”
I replied, “A couple of days? What would be the holdup?”
Maxin Cogla pointed to the blip on his nav screen that signified the Orwallian vessel. “Our visitors are here for a big trade meeting or something. It’s all been kept in the quiet, and all movement in and out of Zanus has been brought to a halt. Whatever it is, they said they would be finishing it up tomorrow.”
I sat back. “I need to get back to SS5. There must be some way around this. I’ll talk to the gate managers directly. There's a trawler out there destroying security ships, and my boss needs to know.”
The Igari half chuckled as he shook his head. “I can tell you right now it isn’t going to happen. The meeting has everyone jumping through hoops to please the Orwallians. I’ll walk you over there after we get you checked in, but I can already tell you what the answer will be.”
“I would appreciate that, Maxin. You've already saved my life.”
Maxin smiled. “I tell you what, I'll even take you straight to the gate manager who is on duty, but if he says no, you have to come with me for a drink. I have a few Igari security friends I would like to show off those four stars to.”
“I think I can agree to that. If I can’t get out of here for two days, I’ll need something to occupy my time anyway. I’d rather that time be spent with a new friend instead of sitting in some holding room.”
Maxin grinned. “Oh, this is going to be a blast. Not that I don’t wish you a speedy journey home, but my friends will be blown away by you. I don’t think any of them have ever seen a Grunta up close, and I will say it now, when you stepped out of that pod, I was almost in shock. You are both big and intimidating.”
I laughed. “I think you will find that Grunta men are fairly reserved. Our women are the dominant gender, and they're easily touched off. Are you familiar with the toughness of the hindquarter steak on a borak?”
Maxin nodded. “I've had my share of hind. You spend about two-thirds of your meal just chewing. Hahaha!”
“My wife likes to tenderize the whole hindquarter with her fist. She hooks it up on a rock wall and beats it mercilessly. Sometimes I think she does it just to let me know who’s boss. The result is a tender piece of meat, though.”
I looked at Maxin. He was sitting with his jaw dropped and his eyes in a distant gaze as he imagined a female Grunta pounding on a steak with her fist. We passed the orbiting space dock and dropped down through the atmosphere.
Zanus was a beautiful blue-green planet, with 60 percent of its surface being covered in water. Maxin leveled out the ship and set us down on a landing pad primarily used by security ships. With the Orwallians visiting, most of the security ships were out on patrol.
The ramp lowered and Maxin said, “Follow me. We’ll get you logged in, and then I’ll take you right to the person in charge of the portals today.”
It was a short walk to the security office, where a full biometric was performed on me before I was released into Maxin’s care. It was easy to see how eager he was to show me off to his friends: he grinned during our entire walk. As we rounded the corner of a long hall, Maxin opened an office door and walked through to a desk.
He said to the Igari man behind the counter, “Hi, Jamess, I would like to have a word with Saruta if possible.”
Jamess nodded. “He’s in his office. I’ll buzz you through.”
After two dozen Igari steps down the hall, Maxin turned into another office. Saruta Goka was sitting at a desk in front of a wall full of monitors.
Saruta turned and recoiled at the unexpected sight of a Grunta standing in his doorway.
“Saruta, this is Knog Beutcher; he’s an inspection detective from SS5. I just plucked him out of free space in a lifepod.”
Saruta sat silent and stunned as he looked suspiciously at the two-meter-tall giant that stood before him.
Maxin waved his hand in front of his friend. “Hello, Saruta. Mr. Beutcher here needs to get through the portal gate back toward SS5. Can you arrange that?”
Saruta’s focus returned. “What? No. Nobody is going through the gates right now. Passes going off Zanus have been suspended, you know that.”
Maxin pointed to the stars on my shoulders. “He's a four star, Saruta. Surely you can make an exception for a security officer. He has a band of outlaws to chase that destroyed his ship.”
Saruta looked directly at Maxin. “Nobody goes through. I just told you that. I'm not authorized to allow Harden Salton himself through there. When our guests have gone, the gates will once again be opened for travel.”
Maxin turned with his palms out to his sides and his eyebrows raised. “I told you he wouldn’t allow it. Saruta was appointed directly by the governor, so there is nowhere else to go.”
“Thank you for your time, Saruta. Mr. Cogla, I believe you have your zoo animal to show off to your friends.”
Maxin’s grin turned down. “Oh, I apologize if I seem a little too eager, Mr. Beutcher. It’s just that you are an impressive fellow, that’s all. I—”
I held up my hand. “It’s quite all right, Mr. Cogla. I’m actually grateful to find someone who is so hospitable, given my circumstance.”
I soon found myself following Maxin into his favorite watering hole. Three of his associates, who had just come off their shifts as well, were waiting at a table in the corner.
Two of the Igari men were looking up at me with big, round eyes as an Igari woman’s jaw dropped open.
Maxin said, “Everyone, I would like you to meet my friend, Knog. I rescued him today. He had been drifting in a lifepod for over three weeks.”
The Igari woman said, “Do you even fit in a lifepod?”
I laughed as I pulled up a chair and sat down. “I do. It’s a little cramped in there, but I did all right.”
One of the Igari men raised his hand. “You’re a Grunta, right?”
Maxin scowled. “Beega, that’s kind of rude. Yes, he is a Grunta. And stop gawking at him. Mr. Beutcher is stuck here for at least the next twenty-four hours while the portal is shut down. He's going to be staying with me during that time.”
I turned to face Maxin.
“If that is OK with you, that is. I have a spare room at the house, and my wife wouldn’t mind.”
A waiter approached our table with a look of apprehension. “Can I get anyone drinks over here? Something to eat?”
“Do you have any frozen fruit drinks?”
The waiter slowly nodded. “We have one that is Earth coconut flavored that we call the Tropica Treat, and another that is made with red and white hassa berries that we call a Fruity Face.”
“I'll have a Fruity Face, then. I like hassa berries.”
The four Igari at the table and the Igari waiter looked on in stunned silence.
Maxin slapped me on the shoulder. “Hahaha! Who knew Gruntas had such a sense of humor!”
The rest of the table erupted in laughter. When the others had settled down and given their drink orders, the waiter pointed at me and then at the drink menu. I again asked for the Fruity Face. The table again erupted in laughter.
When the Igaris had quieted to a level where I could talk, I repeated my order. “One Fruity Face, please.”
The waiter turned and headed to the bar with a story for the bartender. I turned back toward the Igari, and the table quieted.
“This is Mira, she runs our scheduling desk. This is Beega, he's a patrol pilot like I am. And this one, with the big head, this is Gubba. Gubba runs a small import/export business.”
Gubba added, “If you want an ion amplifier for almost any appliance, I can get it.”
“Ion amplifiers—you mean like the ones that are supposed to increase the efficiency of your kitchen appliances? I have seen advertisements for those on SS5.”
Gubba nodded. “Those are probably coming from my competitors. They have a huge markup on them because they go through several middlemen.”
Maxin pointed at Gubba. “Gubba
has connections right on Orwall.”
“Any idea why the Orwallians are here? They have the portals tied up so I can’t get home.”
Gubba leaned in. “You know they make the ion amplifiers for all the galaxies, right? It has made them extremely wealthy. I think they're negotiating with someone to buy all their production for the coming year. It has me very worried that my source will dry up. Amplifiers are 60 percent of my business. Of course, I'm hoping that is just rumor, but my source is on Orwall.”
I thought for a moment. “Surely there is enough supply already out there that it wouldn't matter much. It’s not like we are at war or something.”
Gubba again leaned in. “We may not be at war now, but I believe one is coming. There is too much activity in the black markets, and too many rumors flying around. I heard an entire security station was taken over in Andromeda. Word out of there has been muted lately. I don’t know, I wonder if the New Alliance is coming apart. I don’t think most would be upset about that.”
Maxin said, “If that were to happen, it would be utter chaos. The power grabs by the different political parties would bring many colonies to war. I prefer to have a central government. I just wish it wasn’t all-powerful. It just makes corruption that much more likely.”
Mira added her thoughts. “At least the AMP was a loose central government. The planets or colonies mostly governed themselves, levied their own taxes, negotiated their own trade. I know my job used to be a lot easier.”
Beega said, “They have us out on patrol almost every day, and shifts are longer. Mr. Beutcher, how are things on SS5?”
“I hear rumblings of people not being happy. And the smuggling of goods has picked up. Who would have been so bold a decade ago to destroy a security ship and kill a detective? Something like that just didn’t happen back then.”
Gubba said, “I believe we are on the cusp of another revolution. This one won’t be a quiet coup like the last one. I think it will be an all-out war to unseat those who are in power.”
Gubba looked around nervously. “I shouldn’t be talking about this. We shouldn’t be talking about this. The families have spies everywhere, and such idle talk might be taken as the beginnings of a conspiracy.”
I leaned in. “I am a government spy.”
The group was silent for several seconds. I began to laugh and was soon accompanied by several other nervous chuckles.
“I must apologize for that. Gruntas have a dry sense of humor. I was merely going for a laugh, and the joke obviously did not come across as such.”
Gubba leaned back and wiped his forehead. “I shall have to remember that about Gruntas, Mr. Beutcher. My two hearts nearly both stopped at once!”
The banter at the table slowly picked back up as more rounds of alcoholic beverages were consumed. When the group broke up, the others departed with smiles on their faces. They had stories to tell to others about the Grunta they were friends with. Maxin was a kind and friendly host during the remainder of my stay. No further information was gained about the Orwalls and who they were negotiating with, if that was what was going on at all.
When the portal gates were reopened, I made my way to the nearest security station and waited for a pickup by Joni. Once back at SS5, I filed a report that contained the information I had gathered.