Banished Worlds (16 page)

“We’ll sling shot the planet’s orbit, a little speed boost, then we’ll be on our way.”

Roberts set course, and even though we could not feel it, you could see on the screen we were moving. You could see the planet’s position to us, the center of the screen moved, and since the planet did not move, the shift was our ship breaking orbit.

Collins’ military ship mirrored our course.

“What the …” Roberts started, then stopped. “Deputy Collins, your ship just fired a huge number of missiles at Tirus.”

“Will it affect your course or heading?” he asked.

“No, but what are they?” Mia inquired.

“Well, I’m not onboard. I don’t know, but if I were, I would likely have been countermanding an order to launch a massive Kanlien-Cyltol missile attack.” Collins informed us. “Of course, I am not onboard to countermand Garrett’s control order.”

“What is Kanlien-Cyltol?” Mia asked.

“It’s an oxygen sniffer,” I said with my chair twisted to see Collins face. “They are a high tech match,” I explained. “It can take a lot of missiles to ignite an atmosphere.”

“We don’t know what the ship’s captain has loaded the missiles with, it could be humanitarian supplies,” Collins suggested.

“Oh man, what the hell is that? What’s going on, the whole planet is showing a heat spike on screen.” Roberts turned to face Collins. “You torched that planet. You killed all of those people, innocent people.”

“I killed no one. I gave no orders regarding the planet. On the contrary, I ordered no action except to follow this ship. I have no authority to override a captain’s orders from the President, if I am not onboard. I was on your ship.” Collins looked straight back at her. “It is even possible that the captain received sealed orders to open in my absence, or received a military communication after I left the ship. I will have to look into the matter after this business is done.”

“Fly Roberts, just fly the damn ship,” I told her and twisted her chair back to her controls. “We have other matters to see to and we can’t help those on Tirus at this point.” I glanced at the screen and watched the heat signature rise. The atmosphere was on fire, everything would burn, and everyone would die.

“You have some interesting knowledge, Agent Danbeu. We really must sit and talk sometime,” Collins said to me.

“There must have been enough missiles. The world is burning,” Roberts reported as we moved away.

“Why kill the people of Tirus? They were no harm to anyone?” I asked him.

“It wasn’t my order, the Captain of the RyMuse likely followed the President’s orders.” Collins reached to the display at his right, turned it on, and watched Tirus burn.

I studied his face and believed he did not give the order. Killing a man he might do, but killing an entire world; that was colder than even the look in his eyes.

“Ship’s captains do what they are told, or …”

“Or they don’t stay ship’s captain.” I finished his sentence.

“That is correct, Agent Danbeu. Follow orders or you are removed from your captain’s position, it’s that simple.” He still stared at the screen. “A year from now the government will reseed the atmosphere. After that, work crews will start clearing debris, well, what’s left that is. It takes time to restart a world. In the model for such actions, the oceans normally survive which helps get this going again. Inside of five years’ work, crews will have new buildings underway and facilities restored. People, after that. There are always plenty of people to move in.”

Roberts interrupted. “You mean the bodies.”

“Kanlien-Cyltol burns very hot. Human remains will be mostly ash, but the crews will clean up anything they find, yes. Ten years from now it will likely reenter the network as a new colony world. Fresh people, new dreams, and the prison world will be gone.”

“Just that simple, a shiny new planet waiting for the government to colonize,” Roberts commented.

“It’s not simple, or fair, but it’s the world we live in. It’s been done before,” Collins added.

Collins surprised me with his next request.

“Tell me about the people of Tirus. Tell me about the ones you met that didn’t deserve to die.”

Roberts turned to him and stared for a few seconds. She then turned back forward, popped the release on her helmet, and removed it. Mia Roberts started with Bikes, the big man who had saved her life. I added what he had done for me on the stairwell. Roberts talked of him and of other people, several people I had not met. She discussed the way our mission progressed, from the moment we landed dirt side. Roberts told Collins more about my actions than I would have. By her account, I was a hero, but really, I just wanted to survive.

Collins would comment with a “really,” or a “you were very lucky,” but little more. He did listen, then we got up to the present day.

We three talked as our ship cut through space toward the Rei Gali Space Station. At our backs, seated quietly, was Collins’ bodyguard. He did not talk, he was just there.

***

I was stunned by the enormity of the space station. It was a sprawling collection of space docks, ports, and dozens of extended arms reaching out to ships of all sizes and designs. I stared out the small screen, revealing the size of the Rei Gali Space Station. “This thing is huge. Which part of it is Rei Gali? I mean which part is mine?”

“Agent Danbeu, when was the last time you were at Rei Gali before your arrest, that is?” Collins asked me.

I shook my head. “I’ve never been out here. All of my space travels were with the government and not out this direction.”

Roberts laughed.

It was good to hear.

“Let me get this straight. You bargained for and risked your life for a place you’ve never been?”

Roberts shook her head and glances over her shoulder at Collins. “You’ve been here before, right?”

“Many times,” he replied. “Agent Danbeu, the entire place is Rei Gali Space Station. You own eighty percent of the entire space station. You really didn’t know what you were asking for, to take this job?”

“A guy on Lark, he used to talk about this quiet, little out of the way place, the Rei Gali Space Station. A place a guy could retire and stay out of trouble. Cozy he called it.”

“I love it, you were looking for a tiny little place to hide away, and you got a corporate conglomerate.” Roberts laughed again.

“Shouldn’t your attention be on piloting, I don’t want a new hole in the side of my space station,” I told her sharply and pointed at the forward screens that had us racing towards the lines of other ships.

“Trust a person to dock?” Collins’ bodyguard spoke up and eyed me. He then looked to Roberts. “What were you in prison for, Danbeu, stupidity?”

“Shut up,” I ordered.

Even this bodyguard laughed at me.

Roberts reached over and patted my arm to get my attention. “The dock is talking to the ship, to all of the ships, so there are no collisions.” She moved the controls back and forth to show me they no longer had control. “Can I see you alone before we dock?” Mia said to me.

I nodded and got to my feet with Roberts right behind me. “Don’t touch anything,” I told Collins and the guard. We moved into the next compartment.

“I received confirmation that Price and the others reached the space station, and have been sequestered by order of the new owner, Harold Danbeu.”

“Good, Garrett can’t just walk in there, grab Jane, and leave,” I said.

“He’s still the President. He has as much power as God, and an army of agents to back him up.”

I laughed and it pulled at the gunshot wound just a little more than I liked. It hurt, and Roberts saw the pain on my face. She ignored it and did not ask. She had been around me enough to know I was going to ignore the pain.

“So what’s funny about that?” she asked me.

“I was just thinking. The odds were worse on Tirus, and you got us off of there, this should be easy.”

“I only flew the escape ship. You got all of us to the extraction point and received several serious injuries along the way.”

“Well, this time you can have the beating, and I’ll fly the space station,” I offered.

“There are a couple of problems with that. Space stations don’t have cockpits, only banks of A.I. computers. No one flies a space station. You can reposition them if you know how to write the software. The A.I. can move the station, but very slow, it hardly counts as flying. Secondly …”

“Does there have to be a secondly?” I asked.

“Secondly, I was there on the escape ship and on this ship, you can’t fly.”

“It’s in my record, I stole a ship,” I reminded her.

“You lied, the records lie, and whoever reported it lied. Care to come clean with me now?” Mia folded her arms and waited for me.

“Okay,” I said half turning back toward the cockpit. “You fly, and I’ll take the ass kicking.” I left the corridor where we were standing.

CHAPTER 11

Our docking was clean and flawless, not even a gentle bump. We docked and all gathered at the hatch of the cargo bay. Roberts and I stopped Collins just short of the hatch doorway. I held out an earbud to him.

“An earbud, for what?” he asked.

“Please wear it and don’t mention it to anyone,” I instructed him.

Deputy Administrator Collins took the earbud from my hand and slipped it into his left ear. At once, it was almost completely invisible.

“Thank you,” Roberts said to Collins as she put her earbud in place, then pulled on her helmet.

I inserted my earbud and we all went to the hatch. As I cycled it open, Collins’ bodyguard stepped forward and entered Rei Gali first. I followed next with Collins and Roberts just after me.

What I expected to find was not there; a bay full of armored agents with Garrett demanding his daughter. What I found was a room full of Station Security and three men in suits that looked like cheap knock-offs of Collins’ expensive suit.

The center man of the three approached Collins. “Sir, it’s nice to see you again.” The man glanced at the three of us in armor, then back to Collins. “I was under the impression, sir, that Rei Gali’s new owner would be arriving with you. Was I misinformed?”

Collins waved his left hand my direction. “This is Harold Danbeu, the new owner.”

The center man led again and approached me. “Welcome, Mr. Danbeu, we have quarters ready for you and for your personal staff.”

“Agent Roberts here, is currently my only staff. Roberts, remove your helmet for a minute, so …” I stopped. “Who are you by the way?”

“I am Walter Salis, Station Manager. I ran the day-to-day operations for the President, and now for you. That is if you’re not making a change right now.” Walter tried not to look at Roberts, but it’s like a doctor stitching you up. You do not necessarily want to look, but you do.

“No, Walter, I’m not changing anything at this time. The only important information right now is that when I’m not around, Ms. Roberts is in charge, clear? If she tells you or anyone else employed here to do something, it’s the same as if I ordered it. Are we clear on this?”

“Yes, sir.” Walter now looked over at Mia who just finished lifting her helmet off. His job was safe, no pain, so it was safe to watch the doctor stitch you up.

“You will see to it that all of the personnel needing to know this order are informed, yes?” I made sure we were clear.

“Yes, sir,” Walter replied.

“Okay, one more thing. It’s Harry, not sir, not Mr. Danbeu, or anything else, please. I’ll be relying on you heavily, Walter. You don’t mind if I call you Walter, do you, Mr. Salis is too formal for me?”

“Walter is fine, sir, I mean Harry. And again, welcome to Rei Gali Space Station. Your forwarded instructions have been seen to. Is there anything else we can do for you and your party, Harry?”

“I have quarters, but do I have an office?

“Of course, would you like me to show you?” Walter inquired.

“Please,” Roberts said.

“One moment. Can we get to the delivery first before you settle into your new office?” Collins asked.

“No,” Roberts replied. “We’ll drop you off at the office. You can contact President Garrett from there while we go check on the cargo. We won’t be long.”

Collins listened to her before looking to me.

“I believe I’m going along with Agent Roberts on this. We’ll confirm the cargo is secure, then we’ll meet.” I motioned Walter to lead on.

The walk to the elevator was not far, and we raced up to the top level of the Rei Gali Space Station’s main hub. The elevator opened into a large lobby filled with agents and President Garrett. We had a lot of stun Tasers aimed at us as we moved into the lobby. I even saw a handful of leech net guns designed to drain the energy out of things like body armor.

“You have something of mine, and I want it now. I have no patience on this matter. Mr. Collins, go with Agent Roberts to collect my goods while Mr. Danbeu keeps me company.”

“Yes, sir.” Collins took hold of Mia’s arm and started her back to the elevator.

“Stop,” I ordered. “Walter, you hid some people for me today, does Roberts know where they are?”

“Not to my knowledge, Harry, no she doesn’t.”

“I don’t care who else goes, as long as it isn’t you, Mr. Danbeu. You go,” as Garrett motioned toward Walter. They and a small amount of agents left the room.

“So, President Garrett, you are going to sacrifice your own daughter by stealing her organs to replace your own damaged ones.”

“Steal? She’s my blood and the best match. I am her father and I gave her all she has, including her body. I am taking what is mine.”

Like me, Garrett wore armor minus the headgear. After seeing his damaged chest before the mission, and my own current injuries, I understood. The armor protected you from injuries. It also held injuries immobilized so as not to let them get worse. It relieved muscles and soft tissue from having to work harder to support the body. It made moving and breathing easier.

“Tomāto, tomăto. You say take, I say steal. Either way she dies, right?”

“There is a chance. She can survive on a life-support unit until new, fresh organs can be acquired. Jane is young and strong, she has a chance. I don’t have that chance and I don’t have a choice. I do this or I die.”

“So you die, your daughter lives, and the world moves on. It happens that way.” I knew every word of our conversation was going to the earbuds worn by Collins, Roberts, Price and myself. If Price has set these gadgets up correctly, they will be broadcasting over a frequency used throughout the space station.

Garrett was a popular president and short of his own words, the people in general would not believe him to be a bad man or a murderer. That was what I needed, the crimes he had committed in his own words.

“What do you care? I hired you to retrieve her from Tirus. I paid you well with the ownership of this space station.”

“Yes, you did. But you left out that part about wanting to cut her organs out before you sent us in after her. I was hired for a rescue mission.”

“It wasn’t relevant to your mission. My patience is all about gone, Mr. Danbeu.”

“As is your time, huh? You set a time table by which to retrieve her, so you have the best chance for organ transplantation. Your injuries won’t be treatable too much longer, will they? Without her, you’ll be dead in what, a week, ten days?”

“Less, but you retrieved her. You rescued my runaway daughter and have a space station for your trouble. I would think that is enough, more than enough, Mr. Danbeu.”

“I’m not arguing about my payment. I did the job, retrieved your daughter, but under false pretenses, or at least incomplete information. I don’t traffic in human lives, especially, those of children.”

Garrett cocked his head to one side. “It sounds to me like you want to back out of our deal. Do you want to go back to Lark, Mr. Danbeu? Would that make your conscience feel better?”

“I’m thinking it would be better for you to walk away. Leave your daughter alone, and let life take its course.”

Garrett powered down his armor and pulled the chest plate off, then opened his shirt. “This isn’t life taking its course, Danbeu.”

His chest was a crisscross of scars and stitches. The damage was far worse than I had seen the first time.

“This was a bomb from someone that didn’t like one of my policies. They thought I would die, and I nearly did. This isn’t life. This was someone’s choice to end my life. How is that just life?”

“How does it justify killing your own kid just to stay alive?”

“Agents, if Mr. Danbeu tries anything to interfere with this transaction, kill him.” Garrett closed his shirt. He was done talking to me.

“Support President Garrett on this and you’re all as guilty of killing Jane Garrett as he is going to be.”

They were in full armor with their face shields on opaque, so I could not see their reactions. I could read body language though. There were a few shuffled feet, but not a big reaction.

“How many of you have kids? Would you kill your kids to stay alive?” Some of the weapons that were pointed at me were lowered a bit. Several agents lowered weapons to their sides.

“Agents, you are under my orders,” Garrett reminded them. “You will disregard Mr. Danbeu and his opinions.” Garrett stepped over in front of me. “I’m willing to ignore this, Mr. Danbeu, but if you think you can turn my handpicked, personal agents on me, you are mistaken. And if you persist with this attempt, I will drop you back on Tirus.”

“Tirus is a dead planet. You had it burned. You killed thousands of innocents,” I said staring down at the shorter man.

“Tirus was a prison planet. All of its occupants were convicted killers. There was no one innocent on Tirus.”

“How do you categorize the children of those who were sentenced to be there? Are they guilty because their parents were? More innocent kids dead by your hand?”

Garrett’s face was tight, his lips a thin line, and his eyes filled with hatred for me. “How would you suggest I separate the two? Interviews, DNA sampling, what would your solution be?” He shook his head. “Tirus, had become an eyesore and is in a great location for expansion. It had become a cancer. One day someone would have investigated the place and seen how far away from the prison system Tirus had become. It was run by killers and lowlife bastards. No, it had to be stopped either way.”

It hit me as he spoke that the strike was planned even before Jane had escaped to Tirus. It had been on a countdown of its own. Jane had simply reset their time frame. “You had planned, to destroy Tirus, only Jane ran there to get away from you.” I could hardly believe it. From the look in Garrett’s eyes, I knew I was right.

“Yes, Mr. Danbeu. I did plan Tirus’ destruction. It will be a jewel in the network when it is restored. So we move on. Deliver my daughter now, or I will drop you back on Lark or Tirus if you push me. After all, Harry, how hard do you think it is to make you disappear? Controlling the information is the hard part and only a few, a very few, know the truth. Give me Jane.”

“No. You can’t seriously believe I’m going to hand over Jane to be killed, do you? How many more days can your doctors patch you up before there is nothing they can do? Want to bet I can hold out however long it takes for you to die? You’ll be dead before I tell anyone where I hid her.”

His hatred for me was complete and consuming. “Someone kill this man, kill Harry Danbeu, now!” he ordered his personal bodyguards. “Now!” he screamed.

No one moved. Not one guard fired, and the last of the weapons trained on me were lowered.

The door to the lobby cycled open, and in walked Deputy Collins, Roberts and a lot of agents in full body armor.

“Agents stand down,” Collins ordered, making it official even though no guards had weapons on me. Collins walked over to Garrett and faced the man directly. “President Garrett, as Deputy Administrator, I am placing you under arrest for murder and intent to murder. I am freezing all of your authority as of this moment. You will be confined until the proper courts can look into this matter. You will not be receiving any organ transplants any time soon, Mr. Garrett.”

“Have you lost your mind, Collins? You can’t arrest me, I’m The President.”

“Not anymore, sir. You just broadcast your crimes and intended crimes over an open communications frequency to this entire station, and every ship, vehicle, and radio within receiving distance. Rei Gali station has a very powerful broadcast antenna.”

Garrett’s eyes jumped to me and he started my direction.

Collins stepped over in front of him. “That would be a mistake, another one.”

“Last one,” I added.

“Agents, escort Mr. Garrett to a holding cell until a prison transport ship can be dispatched to this location.”

Cursing me and everyone else, Garrett was removed from the room.

Collins turned to face me.

“If you’re going to file charges against us, make it just me. I planned it, I’m responsible,” I told Collins.

“Like he did any of it alone,” Roberts said sharply, moving over beside Collins and me.

“You’re not going to jail for any of this,” I told her. Before I said more or she did, Collins raised his hands to both of us.

“I am not arresting anyone else today.” Collins and the rest of us looked to the doorway at the sound of footsteps.

Jane Garrett, Price, Walter, and his two assistants joined our little group.

“Mr. Price, is the open mic turned off now?”

“As you ordered, Deputy Collins,” Price replied.

“Oh, right, thank you. Now, Mr. Danbeu, yes, you broke a few laws with that communications stunt to save Jane Garrett. I’ll not be pursuing any charges, as you were hired to save her, you just didn’t know it was from her father, no one knew that. You completed the job. Although escaping from a prison planet is in itself a crime. Any good attorney would point out that you were attempting to escape from a dying planet in the middle of a disaster. That makes you lucky, not a criminal. There will be no charges against you, or any of your team, Mr. Danbeu.”