Commander Vadoran, I half expected him to put his knuckle dusters on and give me a good working over.
“Take a seat, John,” the Commander said.
As we both sat down I felt as if I was at the dentist’s… one wrong move and he would yank all my teeth out.
“Thank you, Commander.” I made myself comfortable. “So you are the man who formulated this plan?”
“Yes, John. I conceived the original idea several years ago and have worked tirelessly since that eureka moment to bring all the elements of the plan together. So far everything is proceeding exactly the way I had foreseen it. I think the whole venture is beautifully simple and yet cunningly precise, if successful—”
“If?” I interrupted.”
The Commander raised an eyebrow. “When successful,” he continued, “the whole Kayton Empire will implode from within in a matter of hours. Of course, with a project like the Majestic programme, its code name is going to require absolute secrecy. I hope I can rely on your discretion. Only nine people… the Majestic Nine, I call them, know about the mission and that is how I would like to keep it.”
“You can count on me,” I replied. “It is my head on the chopping block and I do not want to lose it prematurely.”
“Good. But I gather you were none too keen to join us in our great endeavour.”
“Well, it is not my fight, is it?”
“It soon will be, when the Kaytons reach Earth in a few days’ time.”
I was shocked. “How many people know about Earth?”
“Besides Kronos, only myself and the Prime Minister know about Earth and that is the way it will stay as far as I am concerned. There would be dire consequences if the Kaytons ever found out,” he warned. “At the very least you would be leaving yourself open to blackmail and at worst, well I wouldn’t like to say what could happen. I will leave it at that.”
“I bet you have had to make some hard decisions in your capacity as the head of S.I.S.” I commented.
“Yes, John. I have had to make many life and death decisions over the years. It is not a job for the faint-hearted. I like to run a cold, efficient, machine-like service. That is how I got the job in the first place; there is no room for sentiment and emotion in this game. You may be the Guardian of the ancient Kultarn legacy but as far as I am concerned, I am the custodian of the Solaran Commonwealth. Politicians come and go but my presence is constant, a steadying influence in these turbulent times, and I will do whatever is necessary to ensure its survival. Do you understand what I am saying, John?”
“Yes,” I replied, “you have made yourself crystal clear.”
“Good. Now tell me, John, what do you really think of me?”
I needed no encouragement. “I think you are a coward who gets other people to do your dirty work for you, getting them killed in the process.”
“John! If anyone else, with the exception of the Prime Minister and Kronos, said that to me I would kill them on the spot, no hesitation.”
“Ah,” I replied, “but you’re not going to, are you Mister Vadoran? Because you need me to carry out your crackpot scheme.”
“Yes you are right, John. But when this is all over, I hope you are not planning to spend any length of time on Sontral.”
“I can assure you, Commander, I will be off Sontral quicker than a rat up a drainpipe.”
“Then I think we both understand each other. I will bid you a good night.”
“And a good night to you, Commander,” I replied as I saw him out. I was glad to get rid of the pair of them… talk about having the good cop/ bad cop routine, all I was getting was two bad cops. Mind you I was impressed with the Commander’s precise knowledge of detail, perfect clarity of mind and his iron will power, but I still nick-named him the grim reaper. Still, at least I consoled myself with the fact that I was using other people’s gas and electricity and not mine, so I had no bills to pay while I was on Sontral.
So, for the first time today I was alone on a strange planet with only my own thoughts for company. How I longed to be home again, leading a normal, nondescript life. My parents had both passed away a few years previously but I couldn’t help but wonder what advice they would have given me in this situation. My father was from Holland. He came to England in 1953 after serving six years in the Dutch Marines, being under-age when he entered at only seventeen years old. His parents had to give written permission for him to join. He always used to nag me when I was a teenager that abolishing conscription was the biggest mistake England ever made. I think it was finally phased out in 1963. He said they taught you discipline, team work and fitness, I used to rubbish his claims but, God bless his soul, over the passage of time I realised he was right. I saw a documentary about Germany a few years ago. Their population is 50% bigger than ours but they only have half our crime rate. Are you telling me that compulsory military service is not a factor? Mind you, as my father pointed out, they are a naturally disciplined people. He had first-hand experience of them during the war. He was a boy during the Germans’ five year occupation of Holland, being just ten when Holland was occupied.
I asked him once what his first memory of the war was and he said he could remember the sky turning black as the German aircraft flew over his home town. He also told me he could remember being huddled around the radio with his family during the Battle of Britain, listening to the BBC which in itself was not allowed by the Germans. They were not military strategists but they did know a retired Naval Officer who had told them if England was not invaded by the end of September, they wouldn’t be; the autumn seas would rule out an invasion until the following spring. The top priority for England then would be to get the United States into the war. You could not count on a country like Russia, for they could collapse or make a separate peace with Germany as they had done in World War One. The only sure way to eventual victory was the intervention of the United States, which thankfully was what happened.
Once I was looking at the war time production figures and found that America produced nearly three hundred thousand aircraft during the war, nearly three times what Germany produced. You do not have to be clever to figure out that Germany was eventually going to lose control of the skies. Yes, America really was the arsenal of Democracy. My Father said the German occupying forces were very arrogant. If they told you to jump, you asked how high. If you did not do as you were told you got sent to the war factories in Germany. Needless to say, the crime rate in Holland during the war was very low.
Eight
After my first day on Sontral I retired for the evening, waking up nice and early so that I would be ready for Kronos and the Commander who, as promised, arrived bright and early with a loud knock on the door.
“Come in!” I shouted. “I am decent.”
As the sliding door opened, Kronos and the Commander duly entered my quarters and after the exchange of pleasantries, we got down to business.
Kronos explained that the Prime Minister would like me to meet the rest of his cabinet as well as the military Chiefs of Staff and the Hellertron Ambassador to the Solaran Commonwealth. Afterwards, if I was agreeable, he would like me to meet the Solaran people on a walkabout. The Solaran news services had already announced my arrival the previous night and the population was keen to meet me. I agreed but I was not really looking forward to the encounter. I do not like mingling in large groups and feel more at home with a one-to-one situation.
With that exchange out of the way we left my quarters to board the train to the Prime Minister’s residence. At least I was familiar with those surroundings. On arrival, the three of us were shown into a large reception room where the Prime Minister and other dignitaries were waiting to greet us. The Prime Minister approached the three of us with another figure following on behind him.
“How are you, John?” he asked in a very jovial voice. “Did you have a good night?”
“Yes, thank you, Mister Prime Minister,” I replied. “Much better than I expected.”
/> “Now, John,” the Prime Minister said, “I would like you to meet His Excellency the Hellertron Ambassador to the Solaran Commonwealth.”
Now all the people I had met so far had been human, but not this guy. He reminded me of something out of Fright Night. The Hell in Hellertron, I thought was very appropriate.
“Oh my God!” I said, “You’re ugly looking.”
A look of utter shock registered on all the other guests’ faces. Some covered their eyes with their hands whilst others muttered their disapproval.
One lone woman’s voice at the back of the room shrieked, “Oh! The Guardian has just called The Hellertron Ambassador ugly… he is going to cause a diplomatic incident.”
After a stony silence, the ambassador smiled, shook my hand and replied, “You should see me on a bad day, John. I look even worse than this. On behalf of the Hellertron people I would like to thank you for siding with us in our struggle against the Kaytons. I would also like to extend an invitation to you to visit our home planet of Rueatarn to meet our leader’s high command and people, so that they can get to know you and thank you personally.”
“I apologise for my earlier comment, Your Excellency,” I replied contritely. I would be honoured to accept your kind invitation in the near future, as and when time allows. Consider it a promise.”
After narrowly