Ion 417: Raiju (14 page)

He explained how I had seemed oblivious to some of the systems he was connecting, and actually gave wrong answer to things he knew from looking at the ship. It was as if I had only read the sales book on the ship. Some of the things were knowledge that anyone who spent time on a ship would know; someone like a Flux Genetics Senior Director.

After the first several such answers he had even made a game of it. Many of the things he had asked me were only asked in order to map my knowledge. If I was really who I said I was, then the questions should have prompted me to arrest him. Because I hadn't done so, he started digging further for answers. Then while integrating the data banks he had come upon the entry listing me as director. The entry had been entered at a time when we were in high drive, and the picture had tags on it from being edited. Obviously someone aboard had the codes to enable that entry to be made.

With his work on all the systems he also found the bio-scan entry listing me as project 417. We were very fortunate that the AI had been so badly damaged when the patrol craft picked us up, or they would have spotted the deception then. The patrol craft Guardsmen were not as thorough in their searching as Panzo had been. That was likely because of the charade I was pulling. Nobody who knew better would have dared pulled that disguise.

Traxel was getting more agitated with every word out of Panzo. The Kanari continued with his list of findings that had blown the top off of my ruse. His investigations revealed the source of the overload was in the panels behind the spinal mount. And the final piece was that I was just too friendly to workers to be a director. A director, especially a senior director, would have shunned the workers, and only worked through an assistant.

"When I put the pieces together it became crystal clear that you deserted your contract and stole the ship in order to escape. Then you were desperate enough to connect the raw engine feeds to protected electronics in an attempt to hide. It's a wonder you still live!"

Traxel jumped out of his seat and ran down the corridor, heading for the common room. I could guess what he was after. I was getting the idea that when he got cornered he would fight his way out. That had been his first thought when the Reliance Guards boarded as well, though he had pulled out pop guns too weak to dent the armor they wore. I couldn't blame him though, I was ready to bite the head off Panzo as well. I just needed answers more than vengeance.

"But what about your oath? You had an oath to the Guardsmen, and now you have one to me!"

"My original oath was to the Reliance Guards. I vowed to serve them and protect the system. I saw a chance to do that in ways that I had only dreamed of before. Now that oath is released and I have an oath of absolute loyalty to you. You never posed any threat to the guards or the system, so I had no cause to reveal what I had found. Now I am acting to serve you the best that I can."

By this time Traxel was returning gripping pistols in a couple of his hands. I had guessed right about what he was doing, but he was nervous as well. The way he was shaking I wasn't sure if he would shoot or not. He might even shake enough to pull the trigger on accident. The things Panzo was saying made a little bit of sense, but something still wasn't being told. Some key piece of information was still being held back. I had to know all the answers. Panzo was looking a bit worried as well at seeing the pistols. He turned to me, pleading his case further.

"You have my oath. How much do you trust him? Cardovans are well known for doing whatever best serves themselves at the moment."

Traxel snapped at Panzo, "Shut up dog! I'll be quite happy to clean your blood off the walls after tossing your corpse out into the void!"

This was getting out of hand fast! Panzo had gotten us here, wherever 'here' was, and Traxel was going to kill him. If something didn't happen fast we were all going to be dead very shortly. I needed answers and I wasn't going to get them from a dead Kanari. It was time that I took control of the situation and tried to bring sense to all of it.

I pointed my finger at the pistol in his hands telling him to put it down so we could settle this. We were in high drive; that much was obvious. Just where we would come out, if at all, were still unknown. Trickery aside, I needed this Kanari alive to give those answers. The energy was building inside me, just aching to be let free.

"No! He's tricked us, and I'm going too..."

I let the bolt jump the few meters to the pistol. It may have been carbon composite with simple projectile cartridges, but it exploded very nicely. The result left everyone, including me, surprised enough to break the stalemate. I now had their undivided attention. It was time to take control of the situation. Traxel was standing there mouth agape, so I turned my ire on Panzo.

"I didn't feed the engine output into the power relays. Nor was it some fluke of a plasma stream as the patrol concluded. It was just me. Now, where are we going? I felt the ship twist just before high drive kicked in."

From the corner of my eye I could see Traxel still staring at the pistol grip in his hand. The rest of the weapon was scattered across the cockpit. A thin trail of smoke rose from the burst magazine chamber on the ground by his feet, only to be sucked out by the ventilation system. All in all, I felt it had been a decent enough demonstration of authority. Now I had to make use of the power I had grabbed. I know Ritlabek's philosophy would have had me kill them both, but that wouldn't get answers I desperately needed.

Panzo stood there with his mouth opening and closing, but no sounds were coming out. His eyes had definitely grown larger as they traced a line from Traxel's hand, back to mine. I had dropped it back to my side, hoping that it would reduce the tension.

The stupor was broken by the entrance of a little bot that scooted around the floor picking up the pieces. We all watched as it scaled up and over consoles to get all the parts, even stopping in front of Traxel until he dropped the grip. I didn't recall ever seeing that little gizmo before. Panzo was the first to speak.

"I... uh... instructed the AI to launch two missiles and destruct them at minimum safe distance. Immediately she would alter the nav settings and boost us someplace else. It would give the impression of being destroyed, like I mentioned before."

He looked up to the ceiling of the cockpit: "Lafiel, where are we going anyhow?"

A new computer voice came through the speakers. It held none of the stiffness that the previous one had. Perhaps it was due to being constructed at Reliance that it also sounded distinctly like a female Kanari. The charming note of the voice helped ease the stress a bit as well.

"Rage looked like a good spot. It has an open docking policy with no registration requirements. I know that means pirates will be poking around, but I believe we can handle them with no problems. It lies only a parsec spinward from your original plot. Also, let me bid you a good afternoon, Captain Ion."

The one certainty that we had was that the ship was properly in high drive. Traxel looked as though he was ready to use the second pistol for a moment, but when my finger came up, it quickly found a home in his belt. I had control for the moment, or at least what control could be had under the circumstances. I followed Dleddin's rule sixteen of negotiations, and spoke before anyone else could formulate a suggestion.

"Both of you into the common room. This is going to get explained right away. And if you even think of pulling out that pistol, I'll turn you into charred exoskeleton. I need his answers."

Panzo led the way back to the table, offering to make a pitcher of Onet to sip while we talked. At my puzzled expression, he explained that it was a beverage brewed with dried seed from his native planet. I was all for trying another new flavor, but Traxel declined in favor of a fermented mixed-fruit concoction that he loved.

With us all finally seated at the common room table, and sipping drinks, the tensions eased a bit more. I had demanded explanations, and that part had yet to happen. I was just about to remind them of why we were sitting at the table exchanging glares, when the ship's AI broke the silence. Apparently the new system did not require someone to address it first.

The voice came out of the speakers right over our heads, "Panzo, You should tell the complete story so that they will understand the situation."

Looking upward, he started, "Very well, I'll go first, but I want the other stories too. I stuck my neck out too far to go back, and I want to know that it was worth it." He ended with a sharp glance at me.

I was torn between worry and anger for that verbal jab, "Why should I tell you anything? You hijacked my ship."

"First claw; it isn't your ship. At least not legally. The stuff I dug out of the memory banks told me that much, and Senior Directors don't fetch drinks while underlings work. Second claw, I thumbed the oath, and you have my service whatever you decide to do. Bug-eyed no brain over there is already doing whatever you want as well."

If this was the cost of getting my answers about the ship being hijacked, then so be it. I still had the option of frying him. Panzo took a sip of the steaming Onet, and started the tale.

"Of course you wouldn't know my clan, or why it was important that I devote my life to making the world a better place. When I was old enough to pledge myself, I chose the Reliance Guards for that reason. They took notice of my engineering talents, and shipped me off to Beilion Tech because it was the best school."

The AI interrupted his story just long enough to praise his abilities, and then apologize for the interruption. I remember the previous AI that would only talk to Traxel, being quiet and not voicing anything unless instructed to, but this one just blurted out comments.

"Um, Thanks Lafiel. There were a couple better than me, but I was good enough to get noticed by some of the big companies working on prototypes for drive systems and AI's. It helped me to realize just how much Kanaru space flight depended upon systems controlled by foreign corporations. There is not one single Kanari drive able to reach high drive. It doesn't matter what Kanari want; Flux Genetics and Cynet can pretty much dictate where we can go, and how we run what are supposed to be our own ships."

"So, you planned to steal my ship for this?"

"Nothing of the sort. You have my pledge, remember? No, I've worked for years designing a drive system that's every bit as good as the Flux Genetics one. I just couldn't do anything with it while I was sworn to them. Now you have my oath. My biggest obstacle had been the AI. Cynet is the biggest name for them in this sector, and they won't let anyone but the Indigal touch those units.

My first break came when you showed up with a totally burned AI. When I approached you with the news that I needed to replace it, a true Flux Genetics Senior Director would have known that a Kanari repair crew wasn't authorized to install such a unit. Thankfully the gamble paid off. You didn't have me shot, and the system works perfectly.

Many of the thing you had said, combined with the clues I dredged up from the surviving memory banks, told me that you weren't really who you claimed to be. Still, there's no thrill like gambling your life on something you couldn't quite prove. For me, the chance to create a truly Kanari drive system was worth the risk."

"Now I know why you stole my ship, but how do you propose to go back there with your prize? They'll know this ship isn't yours. You may have created a new drive system with a stolen AI and ship, but they won't let you use it."

"Firstly, Reliance isn't the Kanari main world. That's just one of three systems we claim. My plan is to go to Kanis Alpha and present my designs to the clan house gathering there. Of course I can't do that until you have released me from my oath. Regardless of redirecting your ship, I am still bound by that oath to you. It was a second gamble that you would have the honor to help me on this after your own goal is achieved."

"I'm not sure I could. I'm merely going to my people's planet and then planned on giving the ship to Traxell. He could take you there."

Both of them shouted at once that I couldn't do that, though the words garbled as to why. I had to add my own shout in order to get them to quiet down. I turned to Traxel, asking for his explanation. Panzo couldn't resist adding his own encouragement by telling 'the bug' to hurry up.

"I was hatched at Trefenva, and worked in the mines there as soon as I was old enough."

"Just what does that have to do with me giving you the ship?"

"When the owner moved to the asteroid field, I went along with all the equipment; my whole brood went there. Then a rival company captured most of the operation, and I found myself with a new owner. At least until Teyrn Elon won me in a game of chance."

My brief outrage at his being traded like property was dismissed. This had been Traxel's way of describing it, though it was quite close to the truth. Cardovan males have a need to belong. For most, this means their lives revolve around whatever task the hive tells them to do. Some Cardovan males will leave the hive and gravitate to some other strong influence, usually female.

This is what happened with Traxel, his move to working for Teyrn Elon had merely been a shift to the stronger ruler. And now here he was with me. I felt disgusted and flattered at the same time. I had no desire to own anyone, especially since I was fighting for my own freedom. At the same time, it was reassuring that he saw me as being a figure of power to rival the Teyrn.

Panzo jumped in with his own bit of insight, "That's why Captain Korcktl had acted like he didn't really matter. He knew that you had to be his owner. Now it's your turn to fill in the blanks about you."

"There really isn't that much to tell. I was stuck on that orbital lab, and now I escaped by way of this ship."

"I wasn't anywhere near there when you did, but I know that's not the full story. Where were you born? What's the first thing you remember?"

"Records indicate that I was created there on the lab, and my first memory was of Assistant Third Eligh pouring acid over my foot to watch how my flesh melted. I was about a year old at that time. It took more than a week for that to regrow."