Solbidyum Wars Saga 9: At What Price (14 page)

“No, I think that covers everything.  You might be interested to know, however, that the Tombosemites are neither male nor female and do not have mates.  Each Tombosemite has the ability to lay and fertilize eggs, but they can only fertilize eggs that are not their own.  Eggs are laid communally several times a year.  We're not sure what triggers their breeding cycle, but they all experience it at the same time.  They deposit the eggs in large sandy pits prepared for such occasions.  Once the eggs are laid, the Tombosemites use a different set of reproductive organs to spray their sperm over the mass of eggs in the pit.  The eggs are then covered with sand and after a few weeks they hatch.  The young are self-sufficient when hatched, after which they wander about for several years, observing and learning.  When they reach the age of six, they start taking on special interests and joining groups where they develop specific skills.  They tend to be very empathic, but at the same time not very nurturing.”

“That sounds confusing,” I said.

“Maybe to us, but to the Tombosemites it isn’t.  On the other hand, they find our method of reproduction and learning quite primitive and disgusting.”

“Maybe, but I think our way is a lot more fun than theirs,” I replied with a grin.

“Admiral, we’ve landed,” announced one of the guards.

“Thank you, Sergeant,” I replied.  “Will we need to go far to meet with the mappelet and Krossden?”

“No, sir.  They will meet us on the edge of the landing field, which is only about a hundred fifty meters from here,” he said as we stepped out of the hatch and on to the field.  “Be careful stepping out of the ship, sir.  Remember, you’ll have to adjust to the lower gravity.”

I was glad he reminded me.  I was also glad that I had experience walking in the prison facility on the Earth’s moon, otherwise I might have bounded off into the air from moving too rapidly or stepping too hard.  As it was, I only felt minor weirdness for a few steps until I acclimated myself to the difference.

Most spaceports and landing fields in the Federation were similar, consisting of a large flat area with numerous buildings of varying heights positioned on one side of the field and a few smaller special function structures located near the ends.  The spaceport on Tombosem was not like the others.  This landing field was only about one-quarter the size of the average Federation landing field.  As for buildings, there were only four small structures, one of which one was five levels.  Two of the remaining buildings were three stories tall and the last building was a very simple two-story structure.

“This is a sparse facility.  Which structure is the terminal building?” I asked Nerori.

“There is no terminal building.  The structures you see here are the Federation’s administrative, the maintenance and supply buildings.  This spaceport is the primary and largest port facility on Tombosem.  What you might think of as a terminal is underground like all other facilities operated by the Tombosemites.”

As she explained, I saw a flat section near the edge of the landing field begin to tilt back like a giant trapdoor.

“That will be the mappelet coming to greet you,” she said.

“What’s his name?  How shall I address him?” I asked, realizing I had no idea what his name was.

“Don’t worry about his name.  Simply address him as Honored Mappelet.  The Tombosemites don’t have names like we do.  We're not sure exactly how they address or identify themselves when communicating.”  She turned on the small translating device attached to her belt in preparation for the mappelet’s arrival at our meet point.

The large hatch kept opening until it reached a forty-five-degree angle.  As I watched I saw two pole-like objects with balls on top slowly rise out of the opening under the hatch lid.  They continued to rise until I saw they were attached to a large, hard-shelled head and an even larger body carried by many crab-like legs.  As far as the comparison to an Earth crab, that’s where the similarities ended, because this creature was enormous, about the size of an old Earth automobile conveyance.  Its legs were long, but unlike the crabs, the ends of the limbs had multiple finger or toe-like appendages.  I also noted as it walked that its limb joints were not restricted to movement in one direction, so it could ambulate or articulate its limbs in ways that now made it clear why they were such remarkable surgeons.  In the end, this was a creature with which I would not want to have to fight.  Happily, the Tombosemites were peaceful creatures and not inclined to be aggressive under any circumstances.

There were two Federation troopers accompanying the mappelet.  Behind them was a second Tombosemite navigating a reclined wheel chair like device in which a humanoid was seated.  I assumed this person was Krossden, our informant.

The mappelet stopped a short distance before me and lowered its front by flexing the two front legs.  One limb bent to the ground in a sort of kneel, while making the strange clicking and hissing sounds that constituted its language.

“Greetings, Honored First Citizen and Admiral,” spoke the translating device on Nerori’s a belt.

In response I dropped to one knee as Nerori had instructed and replied, “Greetings, Honored Mappelet.”

“It is a great honor to have you visit our planet, regardless of your reasons,” responded the translation device to the ensuing clicks and hisses of the mappelet.  “Would you care to….”  There were some strange squeaks and squawks that came from the translator device, which I knew from experience meant the device could not translate some phrase into the Federation language.  I glanced at Nerori and she shook her head and mouthed the words, “Just say
No, thank you
.”

“No, thank you, Honored Mappelet,” I replied.  I noticed a miniature version of the mappelet, about the size of my head, scuttle across the landing field.  It raced up to where we were standing, then stood very still, except for its stalk eyes, which waved about in all directions.  Then, without warning, it scurried off toward the underground portal.  I assumed it was one of the infants that Nerori and spoke of earlier.  The mappelet paid it no mind and kept on talking.

“Honored First Citizen, I wished to meet you personally to offer gratitude on behalf of the inhabitants of Tombosem for the service you give to the Federation worlds.  We regret that, because of our weak frames, we are not better able to serve the Federation in its fight against our shared enemy.  The inhabitants of Tombosem are ready to provide assistance to the Federation in any way possible.”

The mappelet started to say something else but stopped abruptly and began to wave its appendages around erratically, just as a flash of light illuminated the area.  A static-like sizzle hissed past my head toward the mappelet, where it finished with a sudden crackle and puff of smoke.  The shot had severed one of the mappelet’s appendages, which fell to the ground with a brittle thud. 

One of the guards shouted “SNIPER!”  A squad of troopers immediately surrounded the mappelet and me and our small assembly, using their bodies and armor to shield the group.

“Second floor window, building to the right!” shouted another guard.  “Third window from the left!”

Several troopers quickly detach themselves from us and advanced toward the building from various approaches.  Another zapping sound split the air as one of the troopers dropped with an obvious leg wound.  Either this sniper was a poor shot or he was deliberately aiming for the legs.  A few seconds later, a second trooper also took a shot in the leg.

“The sniper is aiming for your legs!” I shouted.  “The fabric body armor doesn’t protect against laser fire to your limbs!”  Immediately the troopers responded, proceeding with squat walks as they advanced toward the building.  Another zap left the first floor window and a puff of dust and smoke rose from the ground near one trooper’s legs, but the shot was a miss.  I glanced behind me to see how the mappelet was doing.  One of our medics was trying to administer some form of first aid to the creature.

“Sergeant, see if you can get the mappelet and Krossden back into the tunnel where they will be out of the line of fire!”

“Yes, sir!” he replied as he motioned to several men to assist him.

By now, some of my men had reached the building and were making entry.  All was quiet for a few minutes and then suddenly the building exploded.  The force of the blast knocked everyone to the ground, even though we were a good distance from the building.  Chunks of the building were ejected from the blast site in all directions.  Because of the lesser gravity of the planet, debris was discharged much further and with more force than it would have been on a standard gravity world.  The shrapnel bounced off the body armor of the troopers who surrounding me and the small group.  Even so, the mappelet was hit by numerous small pieces, some of which became embedded in his shell.

“Call for back-up!” I shouted to the Sergeant.

“Already have, sir!  They should arrive shortly!”

“I looked out across the space between me and where the building once stood.  As the dust settled I could see the mangled bodies of troopers strewn across the rubble.  Most of them laid still with pieces of debris penetrating their bodies and armor.  Clearly, the armor hadn’t been able to withstand the force of the blast.  Some of the men were still alive but out of commission.  I was just about to say we should be able to get moving, since the sniper had blown himself up in the building, when there was another zapping sound.  The Sergeant buckled and drop with a leg shot out from under him.

“Damn!  Either there’s another one or that sniper escaped to another building!  I quickly scanned the area in the direction where the shot originated.  It was the smaller, two-story structure, which happened to be the closest to us.  It had only one window with a clear view of the plaza where we were hunkered down.  I looked behind me and noticed a small, walled canal that terminated at what appeared to be a tunnel portal.

“How are you doing, Sergeant?” I asked.

“I took a hit, sir, but I think I’ll be alright.  However, I won’t be running any races today.”

“Why aren’t our men using their cloaking devices?” I asked.

“Sir, when we tried to check them out from the
GLOMAR ROSA
’s armory for this mission, but the supply officer told us that the order hadn’t been received yet.  He said the
GLOMAR ROSA
is still in the process of stocking the armory.”

“By the stars!  Why isn’t the procurement crew using replicators to produce gear or at least obtaining stock from another location if the replicators aren’t fully operational yet?!” I bellowed.  “How difficult is it to requisition stock from Plosaxen and it shipped through a Cantolla Gate?!  It only takes minutes!  Someone on the
GLOMAR ROSA
is going to get a butt chewing when I get back!  Do you think you can walk at all?” I asked the sergeant.

“I think so, sir, but not very quickly.”

“Do you think you and your unit can make it to that portal?”

“We can give it a try, sir.”

“Good.  You’ll be down low enough there and protected so the sniper can’t hit you.  Take care to clear the area for bombs.  The rest of your team and I will provide you with cover fire.  That sniper can’t be shooting from anywhere else but that window.  Once you and your unit are safe, I want you to open fire on the same window, while I lead the rest of the troopers inside to get that sniper.”

“Begging your pardon, sir, but do you think it wise to lead the team yourself?  It could be another trap.”

“Maybe so, but I don’t plan on entering the building.  I suspect that as we approach, the sniper will try to flee, since this structure is only two stories.  There’s no doubt that the Tombosemites have tunnels connecting these buildings and I plan to get down into them and find that killer before he gets away.”

“Sir, may I point out that you’re dressed in your Admiral’s whites?  You’re going to be an easy target.  Are you wearing your armored vest?”

He had me there, because the special chest plate device A’Lappe made for me to expedite healing prevented me from wearing any body armor.

“Alright, I see your point.  But I want a weapon so I can help with support fire from here until our troopers can get him,” I replied.

“Nerori?” I yelled as I looked about for her.  “Where is Nerori?”

“Here, sir,” she answered from a distance.  I looked in the direction of her voice and saw her standing inside the tunnel hatch with the Tombosemites.

“Nerori, ask the Tombosemites if that portal over there connects to a tunnel system routed under the buildings,” I shouted to her.

A moment later she replied back, “Sir, he says yes it does.”

“Ask him if he can give us directions from the portal to the buildings.”

“Sir, he says he will lead us.”

“Will he be able to do that?” I asked.  “I know he’s wounded.”

“Yes, but their bodies aren’t like ours.  Losing a limb hardly bothers or impedes them.  With his next molting, he’ll regrow a new appendage.”

A large dark shadow passed over us and I glanced up to see three patrol ships coming in for a landing.  Several fighters followed, circling the area as additional troops were deployed on the ground.

“Reinforcements,” the sergeant said.

“Good.  They can evacuate you and the other survivors.  Let me have your weapon.”

Moments later the patrol ships were on the ground and troopers were pouring out of them.  I was immediately approached by a trooper with chest bands indicating a rank of captain.

“Sir, Captain Vasori reporting with reinforcements.” he saluted quickly.

I briefed him quickly on the details.

“You’ll need a squad of men to go with you into the tunnels, while those here on the landing field surround the building’s perimeter.  I suspect the sniper will eventually try to escape using the tunnels, but I want him to think we’re focusing all our attention here on the surface.  I think we need to assume that this person is probably also conditioned to die rather than surrender and there’s no doubt he’s trained to take out as many of us as he can before committing suicide.”

“Sir, it seems that the Brotherhood knew you were coming and were waiting for your arrival,” said the captain.

“I don’t think they knew too far in advance or they’d have had something more substantial waiting for me.  I don’t think they had more than a day to prepare.”

“How did they find out then?”

“I don’ know, but when I get back I’m going to try to find out,” I replied.

“Do you think we have an infiltrator or traitor?”

“It’s hard to say.”

“Sir,” said the sergeant as the medics were about to take him away.  “I’ve been examining the situation and I don’t think there is just one sniper.  I think there are two shooters moving about the buildings and coordinating their shots in an attempt to confuse us into thinking there is only one individual moving through the complex.”

“I was thinking the same thing, Sergeant.  Thanks for the information.  Where do you think the next shot will be coming from?” I asked.

“My guess is the window on the top left of the next three-story structure, sir.”

The words barely left his lips before a shot was fired from that exact location.  The shot was aimed at the captain, who was still standing out in the open.  The round narrowly missed his leg.

Sergeant,” I called after him, as the medics started to carry him toward the nearest patrol ship.  “Where will the next shot be coming from?”

“Second level middle window, if they follow the same pattern,” he yelled back.

I aimed the weapon at the window he indicated and waited.  A few moments later, I saw a flash of fire from that window and I immediately sent as many rapid shots in the window as I could, hoping the cloaked sniper would not have enough time to duck out of the way before the shots reached him.  I wished there was some way to flood the area with fog, so we might be able to see the snipers, but we lacked the equipment to do so.  Even if we had the fog generators, it would have been extremely difficult to spot the snipers inside the buildings.

“Nerori, why don’t any of the windows in these structures have glass panes?” I called out as I surveyed the building, wondering where the next sniper shot would come from.

“That’s the doings of the Tombosemites, sir.  For some unknown reason, none of their surface structures have sealed windows.  We have never been able to get them to explain their reason for it, but they’re very insistent about it.”

“If this is a Federation base, where are the troopers that are supposed to be stationed here?”

“Actually, sir, there are seldom more than a few hundred Federation troopers on Tombosem at any given time, and then as a rule only long enough for training exercises.  When we do have crews on the surface, they generally maintain operations and remain housed aboard their ships.  I doubt the buildings have been used for anything in several years.”

Just then, a series of laser flashes lit up one area of the building.  Moments later, my wrist com beeped.

“Tibby here.”

“Captain Vasori here, Admiral.  We’ve got a sniper and found another one dead on the second floor.  We’re doing a full sweep now of the building to make sure we got them all.”

“Thank you, Captain.  When the buildings are clear, the mappelet has offered to lead you and your team through the tunnel network to clear the immediate underground area while I speak with the informant,” I replied.

“It looks like you got the one,” said Nerori.

“Maybe, but there were others shooting at the windows, too.  Any one of us could have gotten him.”

“Maybe,” Nerori replied, “However, I think it was you, sir.”

No more snipers or bombs were found by the troopers.  After the captain reported back that the area was determined to be secure, the mappelet returned and led us to an underground chamber not far from the portal.

As we progressed through the passages, I sensed something remotely familiar about the atmosphere.  The air was moist, damp and warm, but it was the aroma that was most familiar.  It wasn’t until we arrived at the large circular chamber with the perfectly honed dome ceiling that I realized what it was.  The air smelled just like the swamp of old Earth – the very swamp where I found the
TRITYTE
so many years earlier.

“Admiral, this is Krossden.  The man who has information to share with you,” translated the device on Nerori’s belt as the mappelet hissed and clicked.  The mappelet then excused himself to lead the troopers through the tunnels to clear the immediate underground area as he had promised.

Krossden was definitely a humanoid.  Had he been standing, he would have measured approximately 1.6 meters tall, which is shorter than the average humanoid in the Federation.  He had hair that was so blond as to be almost white and his eyes were a brilliant blue.  His frame was thin and I doubt he weighed more than forty-one kilograms.  His face was lean and drawn and I wondered if he had always appeared like this or if it was the condition that brought him to Tombosem for treatment that accounted for it.  He seemed quite nervous and agitated, but of course, the recent attack could have accounted for that.

“I’m pleased to meet you Krossden,” I said.

“I’m pleased to meet you also, First Citizen; however, I wonder now if I’ve done the right thing by contacting you.  I fear I may have put both our lives in jeopardy by asking you to come here,” he answered with a voice in the high tenor range.

“That’s what I’m here to find out.  My sources tell me you have information about Ming and the Brotherhood that may be of use to us.”

“Yes… yes, I do,” said Krossden.  He closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath, after which he seemed to be much less anxious.  I suspected his Tombosemite caretaker had provided him with a therapeutic dose of narcotic through his intravenous tubing.  I waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts.  Before long, he opened his eyes and focused on me before explaining who he was and how he came to be in his current situation.

“Though I am humanoid, I am a citizen of Tombosem.  As unusual as it may seem to you, I was born and raised on this planet.  There are only a small number of us here – humanoids, I mean – but we get along well with the dominant species of this world, those you call the Tombosemites.  We humanoids are, like the Tombosemites, medical experts.  We work with and for the Tombosemites in an arrangement that is mutually beneficial to both species.  As you are no doubt aware, the Tombosemites are not well suited for space travel.  Because of this constraint, they rely heavily on the humanoid residents to do any traveling that is required to complete off-world business transactions, participate in diplomatic events and, of course, represent the medical and surgical expertise of Tombosem to potential clients.  That is how I met Ming and learned of his plans.

“We were contacted nearly a year ago by a group of medical professionals claiming to represent a wealthy client who wished to remain anonymous.  These individuals indicated that their client was suffering from some unknown condition that they were unable to identify.  This client desired to be diagnosed and treated with the superior medical skills of the Tombosemites.  The spokespersons for this client claimed their patient was unable to travel to Tombosem for reasons that they did not make clear and, hence, they insisted that a representative had to be sent to him to evaluate his condition.  At this point, the unusual conditions surrounding the case required special handling, so I was assigned at that point to represent all of Tombosem’s interests in this case, including any unconventional arrangements that might be required to secure a consultation.

“Right from the start everything about this client seemed to be fraught with deceit and secrecy.  I tried to impress upon his medical team that their patient’s refusal to travel to Tombosem was highly unusual, but they were relentless in their demands on his behalf.  This client offered compensation many times above what the most expensive procedure would cost in order to obtain an off-site consultation.  So, after some negotiation, it was decided that I would meet with him at a location of his choosing to evaluate his situation.

“The location was also suspicious, not to mention unnerving.  I was told to fly to a sector of space where there are no planets.  There is nothing there but an asteroid field.  I was told to travel alone in a small unarmed ship.  This in itself was an odd request, as it is well known that the few ships we do possess have no armament.  We were skeptical of the intentions of these people and, frankly, I was unsure of my personal safety.  However, a large deposit was made in advance, so we took this financial commitment as a gesture of good will and I decided to take the chance.”

“What did you find when you arrived at the asteroid field?” I asked anxiously, knowing this must be the main and perhaps only site of asteroid-ship fabrication and perhaps also Ming’s current hideout.

“As I approached the massive asteroid field, I saw a huge starship – one of the old design, but excellently maintained.  I found it disturbing that this starship was surrounded by hundreds of fighters.  There were also a great number of freighters and other ships traveling between asteroids. The entire scene appeared very menacing.

“I wasn’t allowed to dock at the starship.  I was told to park in space some distance away and that another craft would rendezvous and dock with me.  A ship arrived several minutes later.  Soldiers in heavy military gear boarded my ship and searched it thoroughly, even though I protested.  When they were satisfied I had no weapons aboard, some of them departed, only to return with the individual you know as Ming.

“I didn’t recognize him at first, as he looked much older than images I had seen of him in earlier years.  It was quite evident that his men were frightened of him.  They became very nervous in his presence and he seemed to enjoy their fear.  I asked exactly what ailments he was experiencing and he replied angrily that it was my problem to diagnose.  I tried to rephrase my question and asked if there were any symptoms that he found to be of specific concern.  At first he hesitated, clearly not wanting to reveal any signs of weakness in the presence of his guards, so he instructed all but two of them to leave before answering.

“He explained he was developing tremors in his arms and hands and that he had strange bouts of laughter for no apparent reason.  He also complained of reduced muscle tone and significant weight loss, in spite of eating hardily.  He also complained of what he called
rapid aging
.”

“Did you examine him?”

“I did what I could, using the automated instruments and diagnostic equipment in the ship.  He wouldn’t allow me to get close enough to actually touch him or perform any retinal imaging, though it was clear that the general countenance of his face and eyes revealed clues to his condition.  Luckily, the ship’s robotic system was able to place sensors with enough precision so that was possible to complete most of the initial tests.”