Alcantaran 1: Alien Abduction (51 page)

They slipped around the house to a window in an empty room.
 
They quietly opened the window and slipped in the house.
 
They closed the window and Ron opened the door a crack.
 
There was an Europaischen there with his back to them.
 
He was working in the kitchen fixing something to eat.
 
Ron eased the door open a little more and looked around.
 
There was a door leading to the front of the house and the rear door going outside.
 
He slipped out and went to the door leading to the front of the house.
 
Gus slipped into the kitchen and closed the door.
 
The Europaischen went to the table to sit down and eat.
 
When he had everything on the table and had sat down, Gus zapped him with the stingerray.
 
The Europaischen slumped over into his food.
 
They left him that way as they proceeded into the house.

Auntie reported that the other five Europaischens were in the next room that Ron and Gus had to go through in order to get to the two Nodac-Liujians.
 
Ron and Gus walked quietly into the room and saw the door leading to the Nodac-Liujians was closed.
 
They pulled their stingerrays as well as the ones they had taken from the other house.
 
They opened fire and soon all the Europaischens were out cold.
 
Gus led the way to the door.
 
Auntie reported that the Nodac-Liujians appeared to be lying on two beds on opposite sides of the room.

Gus kicked the door open and rushed into the room.
 
The Nodac-Liujians sat up in bed in surprise, trying to figure out what was happening.
 
There was a sickening smack and the one on the right collapsed back onto the bed.
 
Terror filled the eyes of the other one as he tried to get off the bed.
 
He stood up and there was another smack.
 
The Nodac-Liujian dropped unconscious across the bed.
 
Ron hadn't seen anything moving but guessed that Gus had hit the two with his fist and knocked them out cold.
 
He quickly moved through the rest of the house making sure it was secure.
 
He switched off his shield and returned to the room with Gus and the two Nodac-Liujians.
 
Gus had found some wire and had them both tied up.
 
He had switched off his shield also and was moving to the five laying in the other room.
 
Ron helped him tie the five up.
 
Ron sent him to get the six out front while he tied up the one in the kitchen and dragged the rear guard inside.
 
It didn't take long and they had them all tied up.

"How are we going to get those two to talk?
 
I'd like to beat on them until they confessed but I don't know if the Charter Alliance would accept it under those circumstances," Gus mused aloud.

"Yeah, they probably deserve a good beating but I think you are right.
 
I guess the beating will have to wait.
 
Come on.
 
I think I hear something in there.
 
Open the door so Auntie can bring a sensor in here.
 
We want clear no nonsense video when they confess," Ron answered.

While Gus opened the door, Ron asked Auntie if the police chief, Fu,
Kota
and
Zibo
were still there.
 
She said they were.
 
They had just finished making plans and were getting ready to set them in motion.
 
Ron asked her to show the scenes with sound from the up-coming interrogation.
 
Ron asked if it was possible to open voice communication through the sensor and she said it would be done.

Gus returned with a sensor hovering over his shoulder.
 
They both walked back into the room with the Nodac-Liujians.
 
The one on the right had come to and was glaring at them.
 
Gus walked over and shook the other until he awoke.

The one on the right snarled, "Who are you?
 
Why did you attack us?"

"Oh, we didn't attack you.
 
Did you see either of us?" Ron quipped.

The creature didn't look as sure of himself as he asked, "If you didn't attack us, who did?
 
I know the door crashed open and then something hit me."

The other creature was showing signs of terror as he said, "I saw you fall and there was nothing there.
 
I stood up and all of the sudden, it felt like someone hit me on the jaw with a club.
 
That's the last thing I remember until just now."

Ron caught on right quick and sent a thought to Gus to follow his lead.
 
Then he said, "I think you just met our friends, the Alcantaran ghosts.
 
They aren't happy at all that your race is helping the Bugs.
 
They're really upset that you were shooting at us last night."

He flashed a thought to Gus to think of the scariest creature he had ever seen and then to send the feelings of terror he had at that sighting.
 
Gus thought of the spider creatures that had attacked the Bugs back on the mother ship.
 
Gus didn't have to make up any feelings of terror about those creatures and he sent a strong signal at the two.

The creature on the right which was obviously the spokesman said, "We don't know anything about an attack or any Alcantarans or Bugs.
 
You've made a big mistake and you'll pay for it."

"Oh, you may know the Bugs as Challeka Traders of Elgebar V, but the Alcantaran ghosts don't make mistakes.
 
They have you both marked and it took a lot of pleading on our part to keep them at bay until we had a chance to talk to you a little more," Ron continued smoothly.

Gus' ESP and Ron's story were getting to the two.
 
The one on the left looked like he was about to wet himself but was afraid to do anything to call attention to himself.

The one on the right made one more attempt at bravado as he said in a trembly voice, "Well, they made a mistake this time.
 
We've been right here the entire two days since we landed.
 
Someone stole our space ship last night and left us stranded.
 
We're staying with friends until we can get our ship back."

While he was talking, Ron asked Auntie if the sensor could project in 3-D and she said it could.
 
He told her to find these two on the video from last night and project it in the middle of the room in half size.

"Oh my, calling the Alcantaran ghosts liars will really make them mad," Ron said as he shook his head.

Suddenly the shoot-out appeared in the middle of the room.
 
Both of the creatures were prominently shown firing multiple times and then leaping into the get-away vehicle.
 
The creature on the left promptly fainted and tipped over on the bed.
 
The one on the right turned a ghostly white but barely remained conscious.
 
Even with his hands tied behind his back, Ron could see him shaking like a leaf.

"Would you care to revise that last statement?" Ron asked.
 
"I'm afraid we can't keep the Alcantaran ghosts at bay much longer once they start showing your life like this.
 
I heard of one creature that messed with them.
 
It took years to die.
 
They would torture it while it shrieked itself hoarse.
 
They would stop to heal its voice and then start again.
 
I think they can reach down inside of a creature and torture its soul as well as its body.
 
Trouble was, none of the authorities could get close enough to the creature to do anything.
 
They were completely helpless."

Gus joined in, "Ron, you're scaring me.
 
I know we're friends with the Alcantaran ghosts but I don't want to take a chance on that torture.
 
Let's get out of here before they think we took too long with these two."

The one on the left had come to while Ron was talking and now let out a terrible sounding moan and wet himself.
 
As soon as the one on the right smelled his friend, he let go with his water and started moaning himself.
 
Ron and Gus started to leave the room.

Both creatures screamed in unison, "Please don't leave.
 
We'll tell you anything you want.
 
Just don't turn us over to the Alcantaran ghosts."

"Why did you attack us last night?" Ron asked.

"The Bugs have offered a bounty on you of 50,000 credits.
 
They have offered 1,000,000 credits for your ship.
 
We didn't think you looked that tough, so we were going to try for it," the creature on the right almost screamed.

"Is that all there is to it?" Ron asked.

The dam had burst and both creatures started telling about their planet wanting to expand and Europaische would fit right in with their plans.
 
They were an advanced group making contact with the network the Bugs had set up earlier.
 
Their warships should be here in six days and they would have control over the entire planet in three more.
 
There were troop ships that would arrive by then to occupy the planet and enslave the population.
 
The Bugs would back them all the way in this and would share in anything they found on the planet.
 
The Bugs were staying clear so the Charter Navy wouldn't get involved but they would arrive in force once the Nodac-Liujia had the planet under control.
 
Ron asked about the other two and new terror leaped into the two Nodac-Liujian's eyes.
 
They had no idea how he knew so much about their numbers or their plans.
 
The creatures said their shipmates had already crossed the border into the warring country.
 
They were activating the Bug's network there.

Ron acted like someone had just whispered in his ear.
 
After a few seconds, he said, "We need to go discuss these things with the Alcantaran ghosts.
 
They have some questions for us and we want to verify your story.
 
The police will be here in a short time and I would suggest that you repeat your story to them and answer any questions about these secret networks.
 
I'm pretty sure you will have an Alcantaran ghost escort and I'd hate to be in your shoes if you're lying."

"Everything we've said is the gospel truth.
 
We'll tell the police phone numbers, contacts and passwords.
 
Please just protect us from the Alcantaran ghosts!" the two pleaded in terror.

The two moved to the middle of the room and stood back to back.
 
They were searching around the room for anything that moved.
 
Ron and Gus left them there for the police.

Once they were outside, Ron asked, "Auntie, did you record all of the interrogation and did everybody there see it all?

She replied, "Yes, they all saw it.
 
I've already made copies to show the authorities.
 
Kota
said that with this confession, the Charter Navy would be paying a call on Nodac-Liujia very shortly.
 
Fu and the police chief will be in touch with national people shortly and they think the war will stop in a hurry.
 
They will be preparing for the Nodac-Liujia warships and; if worse comes to worse, they will prepare to fight on the ground against an invasion."

Ron told her, "Good.
 
We're headed back to the fliter and will be back at the space port shortly."

When they returned to the space port, they found that Fu and the police chief had left.
 
They had appointments to talk to the mayor and other high ranking officials from their country.
 
Auntie reported that the police had arrived and were in the process of moving all the prisoners to the jail.
 
The two Nodac-Liujians didn't even want to wait until they got to the jail to start telling the police everything they knew about the invasion.
 
The police told them they had to wait until they were at the station so they could tape everything.

Ron and Gus flew into the back door of Auntie and secured the fliter again.
 
Kota
's ship alerted him to the fact that they were back.
 
He came over to report that the Charter Navy was on the way to pay a 'State Visit' to Nodac-Liujia and to ask the leaders of the planet some hard questions.

Kota
looked around and whispered, "Did you just make up the part about the Alcantaran ghosts?"

Ron and Gus looked at each other and Ron whispered back, "We can't talk about that yet.
 
It's not safe."

Kota
knew better but he still looked spooked.
 
Ron and Gus laughed, so
Kota
was pretty sure they were joking but….

Kota
left to see if he could get more details on the warships that were headed their way.
 
After he left; Ron and Gus almost had to lay on the floor, they were laughing so hard.
 
Auntie had alerted Tik that
Kota
was in the ship, so she came in as the two were laughing.

"What's so funny?
 
Did I miss something?" she asked.

Ron told what
Kota
had said and his reaction when he had whispered back.
 
Tik laughed but she still didn't get what made it so funny to the other two.