Seers of Verde: The Legend Fulfilled: Book One (5 page)

SEPARATION

1

“How long have they been gone?” Wald Bergmann asked, as he gazed up at the treacherous mountain, hoping to see the small party of men returning safely from the hazardous climb.

“Just a day longer than you asked last time. It’s been two weeks now,” Riss Nels answered, trying not to let Wald know he was just as worried. “Chief Vonn and that hunter, Neb Klinfer, can take care of themselves.” This didn’t help calm Wald’s fears.

Lar Vonn, former security chief of the
Colonia Nueve
, had grown anxious in trying to organize a climbing team in an attempt to find the other stranded colonists. Only Neb and a handful of other hunters had volunteered to join him on the dangerous trek.

Few of the colonists in their valley were experienced mountain climbers. Neb and the other hunters were the only ones who knew how to scramble over boulders. The others were accustomed to flyers that transported them over mountains or to specific locales in the mountains. Climbing was becoming a lost art.

“I’m afraid we may not know if they ever find the others. We just may never see them again,” Riss said, hoping he was wrong.

“I should have gone with them. I’ve been climbing over rocks on five worlds. It’s just that …" Wald’s voice choked.

“That’s nothing to be ashamed of, geologist,” Riss said, seeing how upset Wald was with himself. “Many of us don’t like heights except when we are flying, including myself.”

“You? Afraid of heights? Come now, Lieutenant, I appreciate you trying to make me feel better. But a CAIN pilot and security officer afraid of heights?”

“Flying is different than climbing mountains or trees,” Riss said. “You are in charge of a machine that gets into the sky quickly, unlike the danger of falling and injuring yourself.”

Wald felt a bit better after hearing the lieutenant’s confession. He did not doubt Riss’s bravery after watching him, Lar, and eight others fight off and kill the Tanlian attackers in a bloody hand-to-hand struggle.

However, his gaze returned to the mountain. “I don’t care what Lar Vonn ordered. I say we give them another two days and then send a search party,” Wald said, glaring at the other man.

Riss shook his head. “So we can lose more men? No. Even if we followed their tracks and signs, others could become just as lost. I have to agree with the captain’s orders, no search parties. The best we can hope for is to see them return with colonists from the other side.”

Riss saw Wald frowning and shaking his head. “I know how you feel, but we can’t spare more men, especially you. We are responsible for the safety of the colonists in this valley and you are too valuable. Who would help us maneuver in these caverns and carve out living quarters? You have done an admirable job.”

Wald shrugged, but smiled at the compliment. “Any of my men are capable of digging through rock. They can help as well as I have.”

After the Tanlian attack, Wald and his miners had undertaken a task they had not expected: carving out living quarters from the network of caves for themselves and the six hundred stranded colonists.

Fearing another Tanlian attack, the miners fashioned dead-end shafts that would lead attackers astray. They also created dozens of escape routes and exits. These doorways to safety emptied into small canyons inaccessible from the air or behind waterfalls where people could hide indefinitely.

Food and other supplies were hidden along the escape routes, marked by scratches or cracks in the rock. Nesia Weeber, a young geologist, designed this peculiar code, which all the colonists soon learned.

Certain scratches identified a supply cache or a safe route. Other markings, which looked almost identical, were added as decoys. The miners worked with efficient speed. The colonists had to be protected if the Tanlians returned.

However, the shortage of fuel for their digging and excavating machines was the most important factor and concern. Six months had passed since they had been stranded, and fuel already was running low. Wald feared their supply would run out in another few months at the pace they were working.

Riss and the others who knew how to hunt had been successful in finding plentiful game. They were lucky to have a few biologists and agrists among the group who harvested edible vegetation, and even started planting for the next season. Even in this valley, the bioformers had established groves of pecans, apples, pears, and plum trees. Dozens of berries and even grapevines grew wild.

Another thought edged into Wald’s mind. “When can we expect rescuers from Sirius 7? I know the captain sent a distress call. The colonization council will wonder about its people. And Universal Mineral will be curious about my findings, as well as its equipment.”

Riss was silent for a moment. “We had better learn to be comfortable here. My guess is the fastest ship could reach us in seven years, unless one can be dispatched from Brasilia Dos. That still would take two and a half years.”

Wald’s mood darkened even more. “My Lord, two and a half years at the fastest? The whole Tanlian fleet could visit us over and over again. We could be decimated.”

Riss leaned over and put his hand on the smaller man’s shoulder. “Well, we will just have to make their visits very unpleasant. The Tanlians like quick attacks, easy plunder. The more difficult we prove to be, the less likely they will want to come back and suffer losses.”

Wald shook his head. He felt pessimism growing in him — a cold shiver coursed through his body. The geologist had been so busy planning the living quarters and escape routes, urging on his workers and rationing the fuel supplies, he hadn’t considered the magnitude of the situation.

Riss knew the eccentric little man could get lost in his own fears. Wald had not planned to be a colonist. His stay on Verde Grande was supposed to be short term according to space travel standards, maybe ten years.

The geologist was an expert at finding valuable mineral deposits in mountain ranges, caves, and valleys on the new worlds being colonized. He and his men would mark the deposits, start a dig or excavation site and move on to the next promising site.

Wald was happiest when he was in the middle of a project. Riss hoped the geologist would be interested in a plan he had been working on for several weeks. “I need your opinion of a project I have been thinking of,” Riss said.

Taken by surprise, Wald’s eyes narrowed with suspicion as he looked at the young lieutenant. “Need me to dig more holes for you?” He didn’t mask his sarcasm. However, he changed his demeanor when he saw the look on Ris’s face. “What is it Lieutenant?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I was thinking about digging more holes,” Riss answered. “We can’t deceive ourselves that the Tanlians won’t come back. Even with your ingenuous cave system, attackers could still capture or kill many of our people.”

Wald stared in disbelief, mulling over Ris’s words. “So what we are doing here may not be good enough, lieutenant? Do you have another plan?”

“What we have done on this site has been excellent, geologist. However, if our people were scattered through various canyons, out of harm’s way, it would make it difficult for the Tanlians to find all of us. They don’t like to work too hard.”

Wald stared past Ris, deep in thought. “We don’t have the time or fuel to build another complex like this,” the geologist said more to himself than to Ris. “But we could fashion smaller habitats for perhaps a few dozen people. There are many canyons scattered through the valley.”

Riss smiled. He could see the other man warming to the idea.

“We just might be able to dig those holes for you, lieutenant.”

For the first time in weeks, Wald smiled. He had another project and another deadline.

2

A somber Jamison Gresser shuffled out of the chambers of the Colonization Alliance of Independent Nations Council during a recess. As he feared, the council was leaning toward abandoning Verde Grande.

The council members had been horrified at the apparent loss of life at the hands of the Tanlians. A century of work and billions worth of currency and credit shares were going to be counted as a loss.

Jamison, the colonization director, had argued in favor of sending a rescue ship. Even the fastest deep-space flyer would take almost eight years to reach the planet and eight more to return. However, they would receive the ship’s signals in weeks. At least they would have an answer.

“We owe it to those two thousand colonists to find out what happened,” he argued before the council. “There may be survivors waiting for supplies and reinforcements. We cannot leave them to the whims of these predators.”

Per Vosberg testified what the loss of just the mining equipment alone would be worth. His estimate did not account for the
Colonia Nueve
or any of the other supplies and tech gear the ship was carrying. However, he supported his friend of thirty-something years before the council. The two men had formed a close relationship during the colonization of many worlds.

Universal Mineral had earned huge profits from its association with the Alliance. Vast supplies of iron ore and other precious minerals flowed back to the other CAIN worlds and even to Sirius 7, Earth’s first colony and now the center of colonization efforts.

Jamison leaned against a dappled blue marble wall, which had been mined from New Canada, the first world he and Per had worked on together. “Old friend, we will convince them,” Per said. “There have been too many losses to the Tanlians and Verde Grande seems so far away, even to us.”

“Most of the council seems to be very determined not send a ship,” Jamison said, sounding defeated. “They are letting the Tanlians dictate what worlds we can settle. I would not be surprised if the rights are sold to the Syndicate. What a sad day. I’m glad Emilio Nandez is not here to see this.”

Jamison and Emilio Nandez, Hector’s grandfather, had worked side by side for many years. Almost sixty years ago, he and Emilio had taken part in the last bioforming mission to Verde Grande.

Both men had fallen in love with the lush green world and its rough but beautiful terrain. Jamison and Emilio were in charge of wildlife population control. They visited hundreds of the smaller valleys, checking on the success of the ecosystems. If it looked like grazer, rodent, bird, or predator numbers were down, they released more or different animals to create a healthy eco-balance.

A loud gong rippled through the halls of the council building. Not long afterward, a polite but insistent aide told the two men the council was reconvening.

“Cheer up, Jamison. It’s my turn to address the august body, and I can be quite persuasive,” Per said.

Jamison smiled at his taller friend. Most passersby would not give Per more than a cursory glance. His stringy blond hair looked windblown most of the time. He appeared to have picked his clothes for comfort rather than for fashion. One would never know this man presided over one of the biggest CAIN conglomerates.

The two men walked into the council chambers. It was a small auditorium. Seats on twelve levels encircled a speaker’s podium on the first level. Jamison stood at the podium, waiting to be recognized.

Council Chairman Beppe Lazano looked up. “The chair recognizes the honorable Director Jamison Gresser. You have the floor, Director.”

“I wish to yield to my colleague from Universal Mineral,” Jamison said gesturing toward his friend seated beside him.

The chairman nodded. “So be it. The chair now recognizes Per Vosberg of Universal Mineral.”

Per smiled, thanking Beppe and the one hundred council members for hearing him. “Honorable council members, we have indeed suffered a great loss at the hands of the Tanlians. We have lost people, we have lost equipment, and we may have lost a promising world this group has overseen for more than a hundred years. I understand your trepidation of sending a manned ship to Verde Grande. How much more time and funds should be spent on this planet?”

At this comment, Jamison turned with a shocked expression and stared at Per, who shot him a quick glance and a smile. “Universal Mineral has invested millions in the Verde Grande mission. We also have more than fifty men as well as equipment stranded there.”

Per paused for a moment and then began again. “I don’t need to remind the council of how lucrative our association has been.”

Many of the council members nodded and smiled. Most of the members were leaders from Earth, Sirius, and the other new worlds. Universal Mineral had helped build their cities and fuel their economies.

Per waited a bit again for effect and continued. “I have been trying to factor this next cost, but I seem to be having somewhat of a problem, honorable council members. CAIN dispatched two thousand colonists to Verde Grande. I cannot estimate what it cost to send those people — thousands of currency each, a million possibly.”

This time there was an uncomfortable shifting of seats, clearing of throats, and a few nervous coughs among the audience. Jamison was now smiling, seeing how Per was setting up his argument.

“My colleague and good acquaintance, Jamison Gresser, has eloquently argued about rescuing the survivors, if there are any, on Verde Grande. Those colonists were the sons and daughters of the CAIN worlds,” Per said, his voice gathering in strength. “Sons and daughters from Sirius 7, New Canada, Orion 2, Brasilia Dos, Latino Hermano, Hawking 4 and New Iowa. I understand that even our brethren from Earth had representatives among the colonists.”

The discomfort among the council members grew. Each councilperson had hosted gatherings for the colonists from their worlds. They had shaken the colonists’ hands, posed for vid photos and given them good luck hugs.

“And don’t forget what the Nandez family has meant to the colonization program. How many worlds they discovered and helped make livable. Why a Nandez — Hector I believe — captained the
Colonia Nueve
, christened by his father. It appears Captain Nandez gave his life to get the colonists to the planet.”

Per now shifted to a hushed tone, making his listeners sit up, straining to hear him. “Council members, I have a compromise for you to consider. We do not have to endanger more people on an unknown rescue mission. We could, however, send a robot ship to investigate.”

Per and Jamison could sense excitement growing in the audience. “The robot ship could reach Verde Grande much faster than a manned vehicle. If there are any survivors, its scans would detect them or pick up any signals they were sending. I propose having a rescue ship on standby on Brasilia Dos, ready to launch if we find our people still alive.”

Per paused, taking his time to look around the room as if to make eye contact with everyone and then shouted, “Honorable council members, what do you say?”

Rising as a wave, the one hundred council members shouted aye and applauded. Waiting for the commotion to quiet down, Chairman Lazano called for a vote, which was approved by an even louder roar.