Casserine (37 page)

“They couldn’t do that no more if they were all atoms of energy floating around in space,” Alice said under her breath.

Mercer and Jake both laughed, and Mercer put his arm back around Alice again. “You’re all right, Alice. I may have to make you an honorary United States Marine. What do you think, Jake?”

“I think if anything goes wrong in negotiations, we’ll have to invite Alice to go along when we renegotiate our contract,” Jake agreed. “How about it, Alice? Can we play along for a while, and see how things pan out?”

“I guess the less I think about it the better,” Alice sighed. “I am finally getting out of here alive, with Julie. It could have been worse. I know my bible, and I know vengeance is the Lord’s. It’s just going to take some time.”

“I’m an ‘Eye for an Eye, and a Tooth for a Tooth’ type of guy myself, Alice,” Mercer commiserated. “Jake ain’t never broke his word though. If the Aliens screw us, you’ll be standing on the bridge of a ship, with a Tim Dougherty detonation switch in your hand, and this planet below you.”

As they came up to the landing zone, where Marines were dishing out food and drinks to the rescued people, Alice reached up and took a sleeping Julie out of Jake’s arms. “Thank you both, and thanks to all your men. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. Will Julie and I ever see you again?”

“You bet,” Jake said, without hesitation. “Charlie and I will do everything in our power to get you folks all back home. He and I are going to find out how the hell the Aliens could pick off ships at will right out from under our noses, right Charlie?”

Mercer fished in his pocket, and brought out Mr. Snappy, holding the neuralizer up in front of Alice. “Ever see one of these?”

Alice nodded fearfully. “I heard those were outlawed all over the galaxy.”

‘Yea, well our Alien friend knows Mr. Snappy real well,” Mercer confided to her. “All I have to do is show him this, and he starts reciting his entire life’s story in chronological order. Binky will beg to tell me all about it.”

“At least no others will ever be taken. Thanks again,” Alice said. “I hope perhaps we can all share a meal together on Rigel one day soon.”

“It’s a date,” Mercer said.

“’Bye, Alice,” Jake added with a wave, as the woman turned away.

Mercer looked over sheepishly at Jake. “She kind of rang our bell, didn’t she partner?”

Jake nodded. “We have to concentrate on what’s best for the Colonies for the next thousand years. I know that may seem a little lame saying it out loud to someone who’s gone through what Alice has, but this deal with the Aliens is worth a shot.”

‘Yea, I know,” Mercer agreed, looking over at the prisoners. “Think we better put on our helmets, and get back in the loop?”

“Are you saying I’ve been shirking my duty, Major?”

“It is customary for the Commanding General of any mission to keep constant contact with his underlings, and all phases of the operation,” Mercer lectured.

“Ever hear of delegating authority?” Jake countered, putting on hishelmet.

“Charlie and I are right outside, Sara,” Jake said as soon as he had his com on. “Sorry I didn’t check in sooner.”

“No problem, Sir,” Sara said immediately. “Colonel Peters says it’s just a mop up operation now. Negotiations are under way. According to Binky, it may be days before all of this can be brought to fruition, seeing as how they don’t change Ruling Enclaves on this planet very often. They did heed his warning to stand down, and not resist. He has been in touch with the military commanders, and the other clans.”

“Are the other Drop Ships on their way to pick up our people?” Mercer asked.

“They should be setting down very soon, Charlie,” Major Coreyreplied.

“Sara, have that Command Wing erase the prison complex,” Jakesaid.

“Aye, aye, Sir,” Corey acknowledged. “You boys can relax, and watch the show. I’ll send a Marine over to get you if anything comes up.”

“Will do, Sara,” Jake replied. He took off his helmet again, and Mercer followed suit.

A few moments later, the prison complex vaporized in a burst of blinding light. The former prisoners had turned to the light, startled at the suddenness. When they realized what had happened, they cheered wildly. Five other Drop Ships materialized shortly after, and descended carefully into the open space. Mendez, and his men, helped the prison survivors onto the rescue ships. After the people were all secured for the journey to the Intrepid, the hatches were closed, and the Drop Ships lifted off for the

Intrepid with their human cargo. Mendez walked over to his two commanders, after the ships were out of sight, and saluted.

Jake and Mercer returned his salute. “Shall I load the Marines, Sir?” Mendez asked Mercer, his immediate mission superior.

‘Tea, I’ve had enough of this place,” Mercer replied. “How about you, Jake?”

“We’ll have to go down and talk to Bink tomorrow probably,” Jake answered. “We may as well get some rest before the diplomatic stuff starts. Thank God, we brought a couple of Diplomats with us, and they know we will be dictating terms, not accepting them. I only want to make sure of the coordinates of their Bug experiments, and find out how the hell they plucked people right off Rigel’s flight paths.”

Mercer motioned Mendez into action, and walked alongside Jake to Alpha Drop Ship. They watched Mendez lead the Marines aboard. “You think Bink may start balking after he meets up with us?”

“I hope for his sake,” Jake replied, “that he aims to please. After the little reality call Alice left me with, I won’t be in the mood tomorrow to play nice.”

“Are you thinking there may be a Gate near Tarawa we don’t knowabout?”

“Either that, or we’ve been too damn self absorbed to notice even the basics,” Jake admitted. “Imagine an Alien ship the size of the Intrepid, traipsing around Rigel, swallowing up Colony freighters.”

“I bet they laid low during the action around Tarawa,” Mercer offered. “The fleet was scanning the crap out of the entire area, and no one had that size ship other than.hey.do you think they may have been masking their signal with our own?”

“You mean give off a Gallant class signature to avoid haphazard detection, and stay completely away from casual contact,” Jake mused. “Yea maybe, Charlie, they were observing us, and knew the power a ship like the Gallant carries.”

“I bet we were looking too small, and the small ships which came into contact with them were never heard from again.”

“I think.”

“Oh boys,” Dougherty called from the hatch. “Would you two care to join us?”

“Why you disrespectful little cretin,” Mercer said, pointing his finger at Dougherty. “One more word, and I twist that little head of yours off.”

Dougherty laughed in appreciation, and saluted before re-entering the ship. The two men walked on board, and stopped in front of the strapped in Marines.

“Hell of a fine mission, men,” Jake called out. “Although our Deck Gunner, Lieutenant Dougherty, left very little for us to kill, the mission went like clockwork. Well done, the drinks are on me back on Omaha.”

There were a chorus of staccato ‘ooh-rahs’. Jake and Mercer went over to buckle in next to Dougherty by the Deck Gun turret.

“Nice job, Tim,” Jake said as he sat down next to the Lieutenant.

“Easy pickings, Sir,” Dougherty acknowledged nonchalantly. “I’m a little uneasy about why the complex exploded before I stopped blocking the signal, or who would have still been alive to do it.”

“Don’t give it too much thought,” Mercer offered. “Ain’t no one going to pull that again on this planet.”

“Think we could put one of those anti-matter launchers on the Drop Ships, Jake?” Dougherty asked. “Man, did you see that place disappear, andwe hardly even felt the blast. It’s the first time I’ve seen a ‘Wing fire one of those loads.”

“Why don’t you learn to pilot a Command Wing, Tim?” Jake asked. “I’ll sign any order you want for training.”

“I appreciate that, Jake,” Dougherty replied honestly. “I like the close work better though.”

“Why you blood thirsty monster,” Mercer commented in mockhorror.

Chapter 35 

Negotiations

“Hello Bink,” Jake called out, as he and Mercer walked into the small room where they had been directed.

The Alien sat up in a reclining position. His right side had been heavily bandaged. He motioned at the two humans with his left hand. “Come in, Commander.”

Jake and Mercer approached where the Alien rested, after Mercer had motioned for Jensen’s squad to stay by the door. “We heard you were hit. Are you comfortable?” Jake asked.

“Yes, I am well,” the Alien answered. “I have been told my intervention on your peoples’ behalf at the prison complex will no longer be necessary. There were many innocent soldiers there. I must protest.”

Mercer started around Jake with death radiating from his face. Jake caught hold of him before he could get by.

“Uh, Bink,” Jake said, shaking his head at Mercer, who had come to a stop with Mr. Snappy half out of his tunic pocket. “It would be a good idea not to get into a debate about that operation. Were you aware the prison was set to explode?”

“I did not know,” the Alien said, eyeing Mercer uneasily.

“I’m glad to hear that, Bink,” Jake replied, “because if I ever find out you did know about it, we’ll have to find another new ruling clan.”

“It was very dangerous for you to come down here right now,” Binky commented.

Both Jake and Mercer broke into laughter. After a few moments, Jake was able to speak again. “Bink, I landed five thousand troops on your doorstep, backed up by six fully armed Drop Ships, and a squad of our Command Wing Fighters flying patrol over us. The Intrepid has fire control solutions for everything within a ten mile radius. We vaporized your gun emplacements before we even hit the ground. Anyone who raised a weapon was killed, and there were a few.”

“You didn’t even know we had arrived, because we blasted in here in less than ten minutes. You are in a position unsuitable for commenting on our visit,” Mercer uttered through clenched teeth. “Did you think we’d just install your ass in the ruling enclave, and then fly off on our merry way? You’ll take care of business fast, or we’ll find someone who can.”

“We fulfilled our end of the deal, Bink,” Jake added reasonably, “and allowed you your vengeance. It’s time to hold up your end of the deal. I want a meeting with the leaders of your various clans right away, and Charlie and I have a few questions for you.”

The Alien sat up straighter. “What questions, Commander?”

“We heard from the prisoners you had ships near our other known Gate, and your ships snatched our smaller craft near populated colony planets. Is there another Gate we don’t know about in that Quadrant?” If not, how were your ships able to carry out such operations without detection?” Jake asked.

“There is another Gate,” the Alien admitted. “After we were able to drive away the race, occupying colonies, in the area beyond the other Gate in our space, we found another entrance into your populated areas. It.”

“You were getting ready to do some Bug planting near our Tarawa Jump Gate, weren’t you?” Mercer broke in.

The Alien paused before answering. “Yes, the Ruling Enclave were fanatical about expansion. They had planned to simply seed the Tattalias

Horde Queens in first one area, and then the other, until your people gave up the area, or died. As I explained, this was not my peoples’ doing. The.”

“Awfully convenient to have the Ruling Enclave all dead, when they could have cleared up this little debating point,” Jake inserted. “Makes it nice and tidy to only have one side of the story.”

“Let me talk to Bink here for a few moments, Jake,” Mercer offered, taking the neuralizer named Mr. Snappy out in plain view. “I think he’ll expand our knowledge real quick.”

“That is not necessary,” the Alien protested fearfully. “I am telling you the truth. We will clear all these problems up as fast as we are able. I will call a meeting here of all clan hierarchy immediately.”

“So,” Jake replied. “You’ve been accepted?”

“The force I brought down with me spread the word about what happened in space, and who was leading them. I was first into the Enclave, and I slew them all. No one had dared even approach the Enclave before, let alone burst into their chamber and execute them. The shock of such a happening changed the whole dynamic.”

Jake looked at Mercer, who stared back at him without a glimmer of what he was thinking. “Okay Bink, we’ll give you until tomorrow on pulling together the meeting. Make it happen, or you won’t have to worry about who’ll be in charge. I also want to look over your technology for finding these Gates. Lastly, give us the coordinates of the Tattalias lab, where you get the Queen seeds ready to plant.”

“Perhaps we could share technology, Commander,” the Alien countered.

“Tea, when hell freezes over, Bink,” Jake retorted. “We have a long road ahead of us before anything like that takes place. Have what I asked communicated to the Intrepid within the hour.”

“I will do as you order, Commander,” the Alien relented. “You will be informed of the time of the meeting tomorrow as soon as possible.”

“Make sure there ain’t no welcoming parties when we come back down,” Mercer threatened. “We’ll be arriving like we did today, only we won’t be so pleasant, because you’ve been warned.”

“There will be no forces in evidence when you arrive,” Binky promised.

Jake nodded, and handed him a portable pad. “Here’s an outline of the way things will be from now on. Your internal affairs will be yours to rework, as long as these objectives get promoted. Translate it, and distribute it so everyone at the meeting is briefed in advance.”

Binky accepted the pad. “It will be done.”

“See you tomorrow then, Bink,” Jake said, and turned to the door. With a single glance back, Mercer followed him out.

The Alien’s hand, holding the pad, began to shake with the stress of the meeting just concluded. These men would not be fooled in the future, he thought grimly. The Alien, nicknamed Binky, shook his head as he handled the pad, believing the humans would become his peoples’ very good friends, or his race would cease to exist.

In Alpha Drop Ship, on their way back to the Intrepid, Mercer looked over at his longtime friend. “We pulled that good guy, bad guy thing off pretty well. I had Bink calmed down quickly from the angry rant you were doing.”

Jake glanced over at Mercer with a startled laugh of appreciation. “Oh yeah, you were just a warm, fuzzy blanket, in contrast to my icy storm.”

“Exactly.”

Jake and Mercer were eating in the main mess hall on the Intrepid, when Dougherty wove his way through the other tables of Marines and ship’s crew, over to where they sat. He was carrying a portable computer terminal. “How come you guys don’t eat in the Officer’s Mess? I looked all over for you.”

“We’ve been grunts too long, I guess,” Jake answered. “Did something come up?”

“Binky sent us everything you asked for, and I’ve already sent the Tech info on their Gate finding scanner. From what I’ve seen so far, Nick will probably have a fit he didn’t invent it himself. Anyway, Binky included star maps of the other Alien sector, along with four previously unknown Gates. One of them, in the quadrant they chased the other Aliens away from, leads back to Earth’s galaxy.”

“You’re kidding,” Mercer gasped, almost choking on a mouthful of food. He looked at Jake with a dawning comprehension. “This space business is getting a little more cozy than I ever thought possible.”

“We probably reached Bink, and his planet, just in time,” Jake agreed. “What you want to bet they were planning to use Earth to direct our attention away from the colonies. Imagine planting a couple of Bug Queens in the middle of North America.”

“Sit down, Tim,” Jake said, indicating the seat across from Mercer. “Want to get something to eat?”

“Ah.I ate in the Officer’s Mess,” Dougherty explained.

“Oh, too good to eat with the enlisted folk now, huh Lieutenant Dougherty,” Mercer needled him.

“Don’t pay any attention to Charlie,” Jake laughed. “We should be eating there too.”

“No problem, Jake,” Dougherty replied, smiling at Mercer. “I just figured Charlie got a look at the vid loop, I have playing of him, in the Officer’s Mess.”

Mercer’s face clouded up, and he launched out of his chair. When he saw Dougherty burst into laughter, he sat back down, as he reached over and clipped the Lieutenant with his open hand. “Very funny.”

“This puts a new look on our problems,” Jake sighed, sitting back in his chair. “We will need to really do some stepped up exploring. Some contact will have to be made with this other race, and things will have to be explained, if we can communicate. We can give them back the colonies they lost to Binky’s crew. That might give us some bargaining power.”

“I’ll bet Bink’s group has been taking prisoners from their worlds too,” Mercer pointed out. “I’ll bet there’s another slave labor camp with this other race populating it.”

“Damn, Charlie,” Jake leaned forward suddenly, “I think you might be onto something.”

“Sir,” Dougherty broke in. “Evidence of another race’s prison complex would not be in Binky’s best interest right now, if you know what I mean.”

Jake stood up. “I know exactly what you mean, Tim.” Jake yelled out, and waved his arms. The messhall, holding over seven hundred Marines, became as silent as space in seconds. “Boys, I hate to do this to you, but I need you to lock and load, and report to your Drop Ships immediately.”

The Marines hurriedly exited the mess hall, heading for their equipment.

“I’ll get the message to the Bridge, Jake, so we can get a general announcement,” Tim said.

“Good,” Jake replied, as Dougherty left. “Charlie, we need to get to my cabin, and call down there to warn Bink not to make anybody disappear. We need those Aliens, if they exist, and brother, I believe you’re right. It makes sense they were capturing them too.”

Binky’s face cleared on the monitor, as Jake and Mercer sat tensely in front of the screen in Jake’s cabin.

“Yes, Commander?”

“Bink, you have prisoners from that other Alien race being held there, don’t you?” Jake asked quickly.

The Alien’s face twitched slightly, and the hesitation before speaking was all the proof the two men needed.

“Okay, that answers that question,” Mercer commented.

“Nothing better happen to those people before we get down there, Bink,” Jake said angrily. “You can communicate with them, I presume?”

“Yes, Commander,” the Alien admitted. “We are only holding a few hundred of them.”

“Do you have some form of translation software we could use?” Mercer asked.

“We do have their language broken down into the idiosyncrasies of our own language, but not into human speech.”

“Make something up to help us communicate,” Jake ordered. “You must have done the same thing with our language. You were going to kill them all, weren’t you?”

Again, there was only silence for a moment.

“You must understand, Commander,” Binky pleaded. “If you journey into their space, and make contact, you will undoubtedly tell them what happened to their colonies. All of my people will suffer for it, and it will set back any plan you have of cooperation.”

“We’ve been kicking that around a bit already,” Mercer informed him. “You’ll have to give back the colonies you stole from them, and make restitution. You have no choice. The proximity of the Gate, in their space, which leads into our home planet’s galaxy, makes it imperative for us to be on peaceful or at least respectful terms.”

“You humans have enough power to enslave them easily,” the Alien replied. “They are less technologically advanced than we are. Why negotiate with them at all?”

“For the same reason we don’t just fireball your whole planet,” Jake answered. “We humans see these situations as inroads into profitable enterprise. We don’t want slaves.”

“But I have heard from some of the prisoners we took that you still have slavery on some parts of your own planet,” Binky said confusedly. “Why take this stance with an Alien race?”

“We wouldn’t dictate to you whether to hold slaves or not,” Jake answered. “As long as you enslave your own people, I don’t care what you do. We ain’t here to be your Mommy. It will be a policy not to buy trade goods from you, produced in slave factories. You will not be allowed to enslave other races, nor will we enslave any of you.”

“We may, however, blast you all out of existence,” Mercer warned. “You keep hiding things from us, Bink, and we can make things real unpleasant for your planet.”

“These terms will be very difficult to.”

“Don’t bother, Bink,” Jake cut in. “These terms, just as our demand for an unconditional surrender, are not negotiable.”

“I am at a loss to comprehend human contradictions,” the Alien admitted. “You allow slavery on your own planet, but will not take slaves. You have power to rule all the known planets, and yet you wish to trade instead.”

“We took out some of the leaders back on our home world, perpetuating slavery, just recently,” Jake said as a means of explanation, “but we have no intention of killing people on a whole sale basis, who insist on stupidity as a way of life. Our countries on Earth are like your clans here, in a way. Each country has leaders. Some are bad, and contribute to the enslavement of their own people.”