Chapter 8: Spaceport
Arriving at the spaceport, Mike sets the transport down next to the medical facility where Commander Saldicy, a civilian and the doctor are waiting. After glancing at the med bands, the doctor ushers Marissa into a treatment room shutting everyone else out.
He helps Marissa to get on the table then positions a scanner over her to assess the damages. His back is to Marissa while he evaluates the data generated as the scanner travels once slowly down her body then back up. It stops over the areas where Marissa is seriously hurt.
He turns and faces Marissa with a sympathetic smile, “There is no life threatening damage or internal injury just multiple cuts, severe bruising, and swelling. The med bot will clean you, inject a more lasting pain medication that will relieve the pain for the next three days, and inject an antibiotic to fight possible infection. Do you agree to the treatment?”
“Yes.” Marissa wearily replies. Her answer automatically activates the med bot that was standing motionless against the back wall. The bot moves to Marissa’s side opposite from the doctor and begins the treatment. The first injection must have been the pain medication. It reduces Marissa’s pain level more than the med tabs received from Chaytan. Marissa relaxes as the medication eases her body not realizing that she has been holding muscles stiffly tense.
A monotone statement from the med bot, “The covering is not sanitary. Remove or destroy.” The bot waits for a response.
“Remove.” Marissa starts removing the tunic afraid the bot will leave her with nothing to wear. The bot waits then starts treating Marissa’s face.
The doctor waits for the med bot to finish Marissa’s face. “The bot will apply a topical anesthetic to the bruises as it seals the cuts. The swelling will decrease as healing progresses.”
Grimly the doctor continues, “That will take care of the physical damages. Treatment of the stress, terror and mental trauma from your ordeal, is highly recommended and encouraged. For this, I need your cooperation and permission. Patients find the easing of the memories aids and speeds their recovery allowing them to move on with their lives without adding to their distress. I have an MMS and can aid you in this way. Do you agree to the treatment?”
“NO!” Screams Marissa. Panicking, she attempts to get up but the med bot and the doctor restrain her. The med bot gives Marissa a third injection as the doctor explains that it is a sedative to calm her.
“It is memory erasure, mind tampering, and manipulation. No!” Fear overwhelms her mind as she struggles against the sedative growing weaker, unable to move and loses consciousness. The doctor finds Marissa’s extreme reaction to the MMS irrational. He shrugs and leaves the med bot to finish the agreed upon treatment. The med bot will notify him when Marissa is again conscious.
The doctor returns to the other arrivals finding only Katree. The med bot is finishing Katree’s treatment for minor cuts and scratches. The doctor inquires, “The med bot has treated the cuts. Do you need treatment for assault?”
“No. How bad is Marissa? I am a crewmember with her on the Celeste.” Katree asks as she remembers the beating Marissa received. Happily, she is not in Marissa’s place and knows it easily could have been her. She hopes that the treatment repairs the damage especially to Marissa’s face.
“Marissa is unconscious. I will release her when she awakens. Luckily, no bones are broken nor internal hemorrhaging but the beating will incapacitate her for a few days. She needs rest. She refuses treatment for the shock and trauma.” The doctor considers Katree for a few moments, and then asks, “Can you convince her to accept treatment?”
With a sniff, Katree admits, “You will convince the wall to accept treatment before her.”
Realizing the doctor has nothing more to add, Katree leaves to join Jake in the Administration Center where they are meeting with the Xeres representative.
Katree enters the meeting as Jake accuses the Xeres Representative of reneging on the agreement. “You have my recording of the Klarn plant. When will I get paid?”
Goliath condescendingly responds, “When the data is verified. I am not paying for a blank recorder. Where is the second recorder?”
“Your men have it and the blue crystal. Since you and your people cannot enter the plant, how do you plan to verify the data? Is this an excuse not to pay? If it is, I want the recorder and crystal returned.” is Jake's counter demand.
“The data is easily verified. If you agree to allow my technician run a MMS scan, the data is verified and additional observations are extracted.” Goliath smiles at the traders as he points to his technician.
As Katree looks at Jake and nods her agreement, Goliath inquires, “Where is the other one? We may as well get this done with all three at once.”
Katree answers, “Marissa is unconscious at the medical center. The doctor said he would release her when she wakes. Your men beat her badly.” Her scathing glance toward Oust shows that she has little regard for him.
Discounting Marissa as unimportant Jake interrupts Katree to push Goliath for an agreement on the crystal price. “The agreement was for payment for the crystals. There is no verification needed on those. We have a list of the crystals purchased and the price paid in Central Bank Credits. The premium price is a 60% mark up according to our agreement but the blue is at 3 times that rate. You have the crystal. When will I be paid?”
Goliath motions to the mercenary sitting in the back of the room, “Oust, you have a crystal? Give it here.” Oust retrieves the crystal and hands it to Goliath who inspects it closely. “I will pay the rate agreed for each ounce this crystal weighs. The transaction is yours or the Celeste’s?” Goliath watches Katree gasp as an expression of distrust escapes her control. Goliath enjoys creating a rift between the two crewmembers.
Jake slowly answers, “Celeste” wishing that Katree had stayed at the medical center longer. The crystal will bring closer to five times what they expected. He is disappointed that Marissa did not find more.
“If you follow my technician, he will perform the scan. When the scan is complete, the credit transfer for the blue crystal will be in the Celeste’s account. I need to see the commander. We can meet tomorrow to discuss the rest of the crystals and payments.”
Jake and Katree follow the technician to a second room, not the medical center as they expected, where a MMS is setup and ready. Goliath strides confidently to the commander’s office making himself comfortable and sampling the liquor from the commander’s private bar.
The commander storms into her office to find Goliath relaxed and waiting for her. She rips into the Xeres representative, “I just came from a meeting with the Klarn. The Klarn are demanding custody of both of your men for trial. Charges are murder, attempted murder, assault, espionage, and breaking the treaty. I do not know how they knew so fast. I received the called for a meeting shortly after Mike returned with everyone. The storms are wrecking communications but the Klarn seemingly have no problems.”
Smugly Goliath turns to the commander as he sips his drink, “Must I tell you how to do your job. Counter charge that the Klarn attacked defenseless spacers whose shuttle was disabled by the storm and crashed. The treaty was broken by the Klarn and we want the responsible Klarn to be turned over to spaceport command for trial.”
Goliath’s pompous pronouncement implies that the commander is incompetent; His irritating manner has Commander Saldicy snarling, “That will offend the Klarn. The treaty specifically states that the Klarn hold the trials and sentencing for all Klarn, for spaceport personnel who violate the treaty, and for crimes committed by spaceport personnel on Klarn lands. Additionally, everyone on Scheralt is subject to Klarn laws. All of which the Klarn just reminded me in excruciating detail.” Goliath’s eyes harden from hearing the commander dispute his proposal. He refreshes his drink as he considers the problem.
Scheming to use the information Saldicy provided, Goliath narrows his eyes and gri
maces in distaste, “Let us have the trial they want so badly, but demand that all testimony is monitored with the MMS. Insist that the trial to be here at the spaceport. That way all witnesses and accused remain in our custody and control.”
Goliath advocates a variation of his original proposal despising the commander for not accepting immediately his ideas. “Still bring charges of an unprovoked attack, and allow the Klarn to keep those in custody. We get to scan completely the Klarn witnesses as part of the discovery of evidence. We can obtain information we want from the Klarn while we are taking their ‘testimony’ and they will not even realize that they are providing it.” With that, Goliath breaks into a malicious grin.
The commander reviewing the situation, “Right now, you have one blue crystal, a recording that is short with little detail, MMS scans of the Traders that add almost nothing. Yes, I received a copy of the scan immediately as I entered the building. It all proves that the Klarn’s production plant is not disabled or breached. What can a scan of the witnesses give you?”
Smiling at the commander with a sense of superiority, “We have the picture of the other trader leaving the complex in the company of one of the possible witnesses. The trader and witness were both in the production plant for hours. The right questions while being scanned will provide information on the process and help to infiltrate the plant. We might even ‘convince’ the witness to work for us.” Goliath finishes with a vicious laugh and a calculating coldness in his eyes.
The commander represses a shudder as she realizes that Goliath means to manipulate the mind of the witness and implant commands, a misuse of the MMS possibly resulting in brain damage and insanity, a ruthless abuse of power and position.
“The Klarn may balk at being scanned but we have the trader in the medical center. She refused treatment with the MMS to erase the memory of your men’s assault. She has the right to refuse to be scanned. The only way I can force treatment is if I designate her as an insurgent” Distaste of the idea fills the commander; she prefers a clean death to the manipulation of a mind but she has a lot to gain by working with Goliath.
With a growing repugnance for Goliath, she plans an approach to gain Marissa’s co-operation. She will let Goliath promise the ‘carrot’ and she will supply the threats. The doctor will notify her when he releases the trader, then she can implement her plan.
Waking groggy and lethargic, Marissa opens her eyes, sees a blurry image hovering and blinks her eyes to focus on the med bot. She is still in the medical center. A few minutes later, the doctor enters.
“Feeling better?” He solicitously asks while checking the monitors. “Let me assure you that there will be no treatment unless you agree. The sedative will keep you calm while we discuss the MMS procedures.”
Marissa interrupts, her thoughts and position intractable, “There is no discussion. I do NOT agree to have that treatment. No, Doctor there is nothing you can say that will change my mind. I do not land on any planet that requires MMS checks because I do not trust the machine or the program. I was on Terrahold during their uprising. I have seen the results of the MMS when it is used. Are you finished so I can leave?”
Reluctantly the doctor agrees to release Marissa from the Medical Center. The rumors about Terrahold keep appearing no matter that the investigation found no evidence of mind tampering and manipulation. His curiosity is piqued from the sheer panic that mentioning the MMS generated in Marissa. Unreasoning panic is not a normal reaction by a person who just heard rumors. For a trader to panic is even more unusual, since a version of the MMS is part of Cryo sleep.
Marissa leaves the Medical Center determined to get some food and get as far away as she can from the doctor and his procedures. Her stomach growls a complaint about missing meals, making food her first priority. As she finishes eating, a military aide approaches Marissa, increasing her uneasiness since returning to the Scheralt spaceport.
“I am to escort you to Commander Saldicy.” A serious and grimly conscientious soldier informs Marissa.
Arriving at the Administration Center, the soldier places Marissa in a room containing a table and two chairs. A much less friendly atmosphere compared to the VIP lounge where the traders met the commander before traveling to Dansk. The walls are a stark and glaring white with no break in the surface. The table and chairs are a plain grey metal. Marissa slowly lowers herself into one of the hard uncomfortable chairs. Even with the pain inhibitors, her body protests the movement. She is facing the door where her escort stands with his arms folded across his chest as she waits for the commander.
The coldness of the room escalates Marissa’s uneasiness to an alarm causing her heart to beat faster and a sick feeling in her stomach. She now wishes she had not eaten.
The first person to enter the room is a stranger. “Hello Marissa. I am Goliath of the Xeres Corporation.” He extends his hand in greeting and grasps her forearm with his other hand to complete the handshake and exert his dominance. “I am to evaluate the information you retrieved about the Klarn.” He greets Marissa with a professional smile that he has pasted in place. His forced friendly manner sets her internal alarms ringing.
Marissa takes an instant dislike to Goliath and warily questions, “I was told that Commander Saldicy wants to speak with me.”
“Yes, the Commander will be in shortly but everyone felt that it is better if I present my proposal first,” slyly explains Goliath as the guard leaves closing the door.
Goliath eases into the chair facing Marissa, his eyes do not reflect his smile. He begins by mildly criticizing, “Marissa, you have not returned the recorder that Jake gave you nor reported what you saw at the trade center. Both Jake and Katree have told us what they saw and submitted to the MMS for enhanced and more detailed reporting.”
“The recorder was torn off my wrist by Jeffrey. I am surprised he has not given it to the commander. It is military property.” Marissa cautiously replies.
Ignoring Marissa’s reply, Goliath tries overcoming her apparent distrust. “The bonus offered may still be yours if your report can give us information on the processes. You are the Maintenance Engineer on the Celeste. Your observations and understanding of the technical aspects of the Klarn plant can be beneficial to all and especially yourself.” He appeals to her professional pride to get her to start talking about what she saw in the industrial complex.
Uncomfortable with the charm oozing from Goliath, Marissa lies, “I was never in the industrial complex. I have nothing to report.” She maintains a calm denial keeping her face bland, a technique that has proven convincing in the past.
Goliath’s mouth forms a thin tight line of disapproval. His tone turns frosty, “This is you leaving the complex.” He places a picture of Marissa and Chaytan outside the industrial Complex. “You can start with the night you returned late to the housing complex at the trade center. Tell us what you did. From what we can tell you spent nearly four hours in the facility.”
Marissa stares at the grainy picture slowly realizing the details are not clear enough to recognize her. “Chaytan took me to the top of the mountain to view the light show that would be at its height at midnight. After that he brought me back to the trade center.”
Inwardly fuming Goliath insists, “You were there during a magnetic storm. The machines were not idle. You had to have seen something. Agree to memory enhancement with the MMS. It extracts the details that you do not easily recall and verifies your statements. If you were not there, the MMS will verify that.”
Marissa says nothing just keeps shaking her head in disagreement.
Calming himself, he presents a soothing conciliatory advocacy for the MMS. “I understand. New experiences easily frightened many but the MMS is a reader only. It will aid you in remembering.” Marissa shudders at the smoothly delivered lie and fake concern. Her opposition disturbs Goliath. He has easily manipulated opponents that are more sophisticated.
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Quickly smiling again, Goliath believes he has leverage to obtain Marissa’s co-operation. “Co-operating can be very beneficial to you. Xeres Corporation can be very generous to those that aid us. We can get certification for engineers. You want certified to get better berths than on ships like the Celeste. There is also training, education that Xeres corporation can provide the funds or pay the academy. Afterwards, we can offer a corporate job on a corporate ship with top pay. I think you should consider the advantages of co-operating with us.”
Thinking to remind Marissa of the repercussions, Goliath feigns a sympathetic manner, “Your captain and shipmates will appreciate the benefits of your co-operation. Their disappointment can make shipboard life intolerable and accidents happen. I will leave you to think about this before we continue our discussion.”
Rising from her chair Marissa gets in Goliath’s face, “No! I will not have that machine manipulating my mind.”
Goliath replies, “I am surprised that you believe the uninformed myths about the MMS. The MMS cannot manipulate and erase memories. Think well about what I am offering you”
Goliath rises still smiling confidently that he will be getting what he wants regardless of Marissa’s assertion to the contrary, “The commander also wants to help you understand your position.”
Goliath leaves as the commander enters. “Sit.” The commander stands not taking the seat that Goliath used. “You had better understand. Xeres Corporation is my way off this backward planet. Their influence with the promotion board will allow me to retire at a higher rank. The opening of the Xeres production plant guarantees enough extra credits that I can retire on a pleasure planet, live in one of the Biodomes with filtered air, clean water and a controlled climate. Otherwise, my retirement is with the rest of the population in crowded tenements, polluted air, contaminated water, and a very short retirement. No deadbeat trader is going to ruin my promotion or retirement.”
Sneering at Marissa as she leans on the table staring into her eyes to emphasis her point, “You will cooperate willing or unwilling.”
With a derisive snort the commander adds, “Xeres Corporation wants you to think about the good they can do you but I want you to do think about this; I have the power to declare you an insurgent. As an insurgent, I can imprison you without trial, and force compulsory treatment with the MMS. Compulsory may not get as much data as voluntary but it is much more painful. Then there is the theft of military equipment. Both Jake and Katree have sworn that you had a military grade recorder. I have no record of one issued to you but there are military weapons and equipment missing and a recorder is one of the missing items. It is all I need to convict you of insurgency. I do not have to wait for your answer, I can have the MMS treat you now, but Xeres is generously offering to give you a choice. You have until tomorrow.”
“Guard! Take her to a holding cell.” The commander shouts without removing her gaze from Marissa.
The guard leads Marissa to the military brig with holding cells in the basement. She has room to stand in front of a bare cot that does not have a blanket or pillow. The cell consists of three gray walls isolating Marissa from any other prisoner with the fourth wall comprised of bars including the cell door. After closing Marissa in the cell, the guard explains that the locking completes a circuit to shock anyone touching the bars.
Marissa sits on her cot not able to sleep due to the cold that permeates the underground cell and the bright light emitted from the single row of lights running outside the barred wall. Pacing would help warm and tire her but there is not enough room to move beside her cot.
Shivering Marissa contemplates her future; tomorrow she will lose a part of herself. The military did not arrest or confine the mercenaries. She saw them enjoying dinner with the Xeres personnel before she was escorted to the Administration Center. It is beneficial to the Xeres Corporation to have the murder and assault erased; no memory, no damage no punishment. The mercenaries walk free to do it all again protected by the corporation.
Next, the memory enhancement, hours of repeating the few moments in the Klarn industrial plant. The MMS repeatedly forcing recall with Marissa helpless to stop the procedure and Xeres personnel in complete control. Marissa shutters as she dredges up seeing family and friends turned to complete strangers from the MMS. The opposition turned to compliant drones agreeing to corporate policies even though the policies damaged their health. Depression and despair are clawing at her forcing her to accept that there is no way to avoid the raping of her mind.
Suddenly, the lights flicker and go out, enveloping the cell in complete blackness and smothering silence. The fans circulating the air, which provided a backdrop of noise, have stopped. The darkness is disorienting obliterating all sense of direction with fear threading through Marissa immobilizing her on the cot. She dares not move off the cot fearing the electrified bars.
The darkness explodes with a deafening roar and a loud crash. She hears the tread of running feet approaching her cell.
Next, she unexpectedly hears Chaytan, “Get under the cot” Frozen in shock Marissa stares at two hulking apparitions standing at the cell door. One has a small dim light pointed at the cell lock. The light flashes into her eyes blinding her. Chaytan impatiently yells, “Get under the cot and cover your ears. Now!” Marissa jerks into motion falling to the floor and sliding under the cot as a second explosion shakes the cell.
The cell door crashes against the wall and Chaytan squeezes through the opening, bends down and grabs her arm. He has no problem finding her in the dark. He yanks her to her feet and drags her out of the cell. Marissa whimpers as she trips and bangs her shins on the leaning cell door. Chaytan neither pauses nor releases her arm. Forcing a stumbling Marissa to keep pace, Chaytan races to the brig’s entrance right behind his companion. Marissa is breathless from running behind Chaytan, tripping on the steps, skinning her knees as he repeatedly pulls her to her feet.
At the entrance to the brig, the Klarn flatten to the wall peering out the door.
Marissa gasps, “What are you doing here?”
Glancing at a disheveled Marissa, Chaytan grins, “Acquiring the murderers and the criminals that broke the treaty.”
“I’m not a criminal or a murderer,” blusters Marissa.
“Do you want to stay? Grimly asks Chaytan. Then turns to his companion, “Is it clear?”
His companion grimaces with a shake of his head dropping two piles of black gooey clay at the bottom of the door, then swiftly strides to the back of the building where he plasters more of the black compound on the wall. They duck into a room pulling Marissa with them just before another set of explosions rock the building. Not waiting for the dust to settle, they run to the back wall where both Klarn attack the wall that is crumbling from the explosion clearing an opening. Chaytan grabs Marissa drawing her through the hole and hauling her across the open area to the back of next building where they rest for a moment.
Marissa is gasping for breath with a stitch in her side waiting for the next mad dash. She does not know if she can keep up with the Klarn. Only the pain medication made it possible for her to get this far.
Chaytan explains, “We can not get off the base by the front gate. There are troops panicking and shooting at anything that moves. The alternate plan is to exit behind the Medical Center but we need a distraction to draw the troops toward the transport storage. We need it now. The storage is to blow in about five minutes.”
Panting Marissa tells Chaytan. “I am slowing you.”
Chaytan stops Marissa with a finger over her lips, “You are to walk in the opposite direction until you leave the base behind the Medical Center. Ohanzee and I will blow the storage early drawing the troops away from you.”
Shoving Marissa in the direction, he wants her to go; Chaytan turns and with Ohanzee runs to the transport’s storage. Marissa walks slowly to the base barrier when a series of explosions shake the gro
und and a blast of air knocks her off her feet.
As she stands regaining her balance, a group of soldiers come running from around the Medical building directly towards her. They stumble to a halt bewildered to see her. Marissa quickly realizes that they are assuming she is Klarn by her dress. Hoping not to be stopped she turns to slide past them when one yells, “Halt!” He walks up to her shining a small light. “I know you. The commander put you in the holding cell. You are coming with us.”