Jason King: Agent to the Stars 1: The Enclaves of Sylox (14 page)

Chapter 19

True to his word, Cyrus’s alien associate Yorf came through with more information about Hyben and its jewel-cutting industry. I was still twenty-seven hours out from the planet when his pink face showed up on my comm screen.

“The planet had once been much more prosperous than it is today,” he told me. “When the Capital moved from Amelia to Sylox, it left Hyben out of the major space lanes, a position it had once enjoyed. So you will find that the planet and its inhabitants may be on the rougher side of the spectrum.”

I wasn’t worried. I knew that Humans possessed certain advantages over the common alien, advantages of speed, strength and coordination – even though we had not had the opportunity to demonstrate any of this in the short time we’d been members of the Union. And with technology as it was, individual physical superiority meant very little to a battlecruiser in orbit dropping firebombs on the surface below. In this new reality, even Smurfs could destroy the Earth, if they had the right equipment.

But on a backwards world full of misfits and miscreants, I should be able to hold my own quite nicely.

“What about the jewel-cutters, are they still in business?”

“Some, but not nearly as many as before. The planet’s own supply of precious stones dried up long ago, so for centuries before they had relied on off-planet business to survive. After the Sylox move, most of that business went away.”

“So probably
any
of the surviving businesses would take on the job of cutting down such a large stone,” I concluded. “So how many are left?”

“Nineteen thousand.”

“Nineteen thousand!
How the hell I’m I supposed to find the one Miranda has contacted – if any? Hell, we’re not even sure she’s heading there.”

“That I do not know, Mon King. Yet the original creator of the Unity Stone is still in business – at least the company is still operating.”

“But would they be willing to destroy their most famous and elaborate creation?”

“In light of the extreme sensitivity of the operation, and the consequences that would result, they could command whatever price they wish. Considering the current state of economic affairs on the planet, it is a possibility.”

“That’s assuming Miranda has a benefactor with deep pockets. But I get the impression she’s gone rogue.”

“Then a share of the Stone would be appropriate, I would imagine.”

Yorf had a point. A nearly-twenty-nine thousand carat diamond could be broken into hundreds of pieces, each worth a not-so-small fortune. And that would still leave plenty for Miranda.

I looked at my power gauge and saw that it was already maxed out; I couldn’t get to Hyben soon enough. Miranda wouldn’t waste time there. She would be in and out in a flash.

“Anyone else I should consider?” I asked. If Miranda was smart – and she was – she might even start a bidding war among some of the top cutters. That might just buy me a little time.

“I have five others who, according to their latest profit filings, might be very interested in taking on such a project. I will send their information in a burst message directly to your computer at the conclusion of our verbal conversation.”

“Any other news? I know things were moving pretty fast when I left.”

“I regret to inform you that Mon Cyrus Blake has been relieved of his post pending an inquiry into our meeting with you. As a subordinate, I was spared such humiliation, and I have yet to reveal your destination, although that may change as the questioning is scheduled to continue.”

Shit! I hated that for Cyrus. Maybe if my mission succeeded he could be reinstated. And I couldn’t assume my destination was a secret, either. I’m sure there was still some hidden tracking device attached to the ship. But I was fortunate to be in the
Enterprise
. It was faster than anything but the largest capital ships, so even if Miranda had left Sylox immediately after the heist, by conventional travel we would get to Hyben at about the same time.

And, of course, this also assumed Miranda was even heading for Hyben at all. For all I knew, she could be a hotel room in Sylox City, raiding the minibar and watching HBO, just waiting for the heat to cool down.

“What about Miranda, do you have any more info whether she’s left Sylox for sure?”

“Seventeen private spacecraft left the planet within a couple hours of the crime, and the Enforcers are in the process of tracking down each of them. So far, five still remain at large. Gravity trails show one of these missing vessels heading in the direction of Hyben.”

“That’s about the best news I’ve had in a while, Yorf, thanks. Let me know the moment these ships are found. I think my odds just got a little better.”

“Please be cautious on Hyben, Mr. King. The natives have been in a very bad mood for centuries. They don’t much care for the Union, or any of its current members.”

“Don’t worry, Mon Yorf, neither do I. And I’m in a pretty nasty mood myself. I think I’d welcome the chance to crack a few skulls right about now.”

Chapter 20

Although the
Enterprise
could zip through space at unimaginable speeds, it still couldn’t beat wormhole-communications across interstellar distances. So when I picked up a tail just this side of Hyben, I knew I had just met a small – yet expected – welcoming committee.

From the conversation with my kidnappers, I felt those behind this entire scheme didn’t really want a war, they simply wanted to blame the Humans for taking the galaxy to the brink. So I really wasn’t expecting interference in my mission, especially since it was to save the precious Unity Stone from destruction.

So when the much larger ship cut across my bow and fired a warning salvo in my direction, it came as a surprise.

“What the hell are you doing?” I screamed into the comm. “You have to know I’m under a deadline.”

“Your mission has come to an end, Mon Jason King,” was the scratchy reply. “Deenergize your engines and prepare for boarding.”

“Are you crazy? The Unity Stone will be destroyed if I don’t get to Hyben on time. If that happens, there’ll be a war – that’s for damn sure.”

“According to our employers, that would be a welcome outcome. Now obey … or you will be destroyed.”

Dammit, I didn’t have time for this! And now there was another faction that
wanted
a war. This was an unexpected kink in my plans.

I complied and shut down the engines. The huge ship would maneuver in closer and then attach an umbilical. Even though I wasn’t worried, this was still a delay, a delay I couldn’t afford.

However…. My attitude shifted when a thought occurred to me:
The people on that ship may have information I need. This captain knows the agenda of his superiors; he’d just revealed as much to me.

So I’ll let them live, at least for a while, if they can give me what I need – information.

I waited until the large, gray, cigar-shaped spacecraft was about two hundred yards away, before I sent out a small missile with two thick cables attached. I knew the crew of the other ship would see the missile coming on their proximity screens, but because the sensors wouldn’t pick up any trace of explosives, their auto defense systems would not kick in before the missile reached the hull. That was a mistake. Because when it hit, the disruptor voltage sent through the cables was soon coursing throughout the hull, overloading all the electronics aboard the ship.

Immediately, systems aboard the attacker began to shut down, as circuits opened and relays tripped. Within seconds the behemoth was dead in the water – or space, in this case.

Next, I sent over a second missile carrying a small acoustic pickup. Once attached to the hull of the dead ship, it was capable of picking up sounds from inside the vessel, and also allowed for me to communicate with those inside.

When I cranked up the sensitivity on the pickup, a cacophony of confused and angry voices could be heard through the small speakers of the Noreen II. I activated a switch. “Shut the hell up!”

I knew my words would resonate throughout the entire ship, and there came a momentary silence in the speakers, as the crew stopped to question where the phantom voice had come from. With no apparent source, the bombast arose again.

“Be quiet, all of you! This is Jason King. I wish to speak to your captain. Just talk … and I’ll hear you.”

A moment later, I heard a weak voice say: “I hear you. This is Groff Nuer; I am the controller of this vessel. What have you done to my ship?”

“I gave it a heart attack. Do you understand the reference?”

“Yes … yes I do.”

“Good, and since your systems are all dead – including life support – I’m sure you realize you only have a short time before things get really uncomfortable over there. Also, you should know that my ship is fully functional and that I possess an eight-meg flash cannon, which is capable of easily penetrating your hull. You and your vessel are completely at my mercy. Do you agree?”

After a slight hesitation, the muffled voice of Groff Nuer concurred. “So what are your plans for us, Mon King?”

“That’s simple: I should just blow your sorry ass to smithereens, but you probably don’t understand what I just said, do you?”

“I grasp the meaning.”

“Good, now answer some questions, and depending on how well you do will determine the fate of you and your crew.”

“Understood.”

“Who are you working for?”

“I am not sure—”

“Wrong answer; I’m energizing the flash generators now.”

“No! I honestly do not know, not for sure.”

“Take a guess,” I said, smiling. I love it when my enemies squirm.

“They are on Sylox – and they paid in Linorean credits. I assume it is for the exchange rate.”

“The Linoreans; you mean the building contractors?”

“Among other things.”

“And they have their
own
credits?” That was news to me.

“Yes, they are exchangeable credits within their affiliate banks.”

“And what were your instructions?”

“We were only to intercept your craft, not destroy it, so as to delay your arrival on Hyben.”

“For how long?”

“Thirty standard hours, no longer.”

“Are there any of these Linoreans on Hyben? And who were you in contact with?”

“The Linoreans may be on the planet; they are represented by many races, including the Hyben, I believe. For a contact, I only know of one. His name is Limbor.”

Jonk Limbor, the fat slob of a building contractor!
Suddenly the picture became a little clearer.

“And why would the Linoreans want a galactic war?”

“That is beyond my comprehension, Mon King. My ship is simply a security escort vessel that operates with several of the major construction companies in this part of the Union. We have a few weapons, enough to repel pirates – as well as overwhelm a private starship such as yours – or that had been our understanding. We do not hold any animus towards you or your mission. And on that note, we wish to survive this encounter, if you can find it within your manner to grant us forgiveness.”

“I’ll let you live, Groff Nuer, but this won’t be forgiven. I will release your ship, and your systems should begin to reboot in about twelve hours, so it may get a little stuffy – and very cold – over there between now and then. I’ve also attached an explosive device to your hull that’s impossible to detect or remove without detonation. So when your systems come back up, do not attempt to communicate with these Linorean bastards or I’ll set it off. Is that understood?”

“Perfectly, Mon King. We will comply.”

I hadn’t really attached an explosive device to their hull but they had no way of knowing that. And since they’d already underestimated me once before, I was banking on them not risking it again.

Ten minutes later, I left the stricken spaceship and bolted off in the direction of Hyben once again. I was now one hundred percent convinced Miranda would be there, since these Linorean characters – including my old friend Jonk Limbor – wanted the Stone to be destroyed. They wanted war, and it didn’t take too much analysis to figure out why.

War was good for business, especially the construction business. As things are destroyed, they have to be rebuilt, and the shadowy Linoreans would be there to accommodate – while the pesky Humans would not.

So who were the ones who wanted the Stone recovered?

It’s obvious that whoever did recover the Stone and return it to the Velosians would become heroes. From the gist of the conversation I had with the people who’d kidnapped me, they had naively expected Miranda to simply hand over the gigantic hunk of diamond to them after the theft. From there I could see them letting the tensions rise to a boiling point before showing up with the Stone. At that point they could point their alien fingers at me and Miranda, along with the entire Human race

I was convinced the thugs in the warehouse represented this second faction. They wanted me to recover the Unity Stone, so it could be preserved. Otherwise, why pay me to stop Miranda? So who were they, and what was their agenda? They appeared to be the ones who had originally planned the theft, with the Linoreans now simply taking advantage of the situation to further their own cause.

I laughed out loud. The warehouse people had really blown it when they chose Miranda to steal the Stone. They obviously had no concept of Human nature – especially female Human nature. Here was a woman with a twenty-nine thousand carat diamond in her possession – and they really expected her to just turn it over them?

Yeah, right, that’s not going to happen. Just ask any guy who’s ever given a woman an engagement or a wedding ring and then had the relationship go south.

And this Stone was the Mt. Everest of diamond rings.

Seeing that they had been expecting anything other than what had transpired only proved their ignorance of Humankind.

But now the Hyben star system was on my screen and in an hour I would be on the planet. I teemed with confidence, knowing that Miranda would be there. Now all I had to do was find one Human female hiding somewhere on an entire planet, and do it over the next few hours.