Solbidyum Wars Saga 6: Defeat of the Tottalax (11 page)

“Hi, Daddy,” Lunnie said as soon as she saw me, “the namias likes me.  Can I take him home with us?”

“Ah, no Lunnie, I think it best we leave the namias here.  You can come back another time to see it and play with it.”

“Daddy did you know namias can talk?”  Lunnie said.

“No, I didn’t,” I answered thinking that Lunnie was just imagining that this animal could talk.  I was taken aback when it said, “Daddy, did you know namias can talk?’ sounding exactly like Lunnie when it did.

“Wow, that’s amazing,” I said.  The namias replied, “Wow, that’s amazing,” mimicking my voice, and I realized that this animal copycatted the sounds it heard in the same way many birds of old Earth did.

“Bye, namias,” Lunnie said to the namias, as it repeated back “Bye, namias,” in Lunnie’s voice.

That evening I sat down at the table with Kala and the twins.  One thing I liked about furniture in the Federation was its versatility.  The chairs we had in our dining room were adjustable to the height and size of the person sitting in it.  This made it possible for the twins to sit around the table at a comfortable height.  Unlike western civilizations back on Earth, where we had knives, forks and spoons, the Federation citizens used items much like chop sticks, though one of the sticks had a small knife-like cutting edge that could be used to reduce the size of some pieces of food, if required.  I was taken aback at how quickly the twins learned to use these items, though the ones they had lacked the knife-like portion on the end.  The twins definitely had their own tastes in food.  Reidecor took after me when it came to eating; he liked most everything, but he liked meat the most.  Lunnie was more of a vegetarian, though she would eat meat sparingly.  It had just been recently that we had started having the twins dine with us, and it was amusing, because Lunnie was quite the conversationalist at meals, while Reidecor sat by devouring the food set before him.  We were nearly halfway through the meal when my wrist com went off.

“First citizen,” I heard Padaran’s voice say, “We have a security problem here on the
NEW ORLEANS
.”

“What?” I exclaimed.

“We just apprehended one of our crew members trying to plant a bomb in A’Lappe’s and Cantolla’s work area,” Padaran exclaimed.

“It didn’t explode, did it?  Is everyone all right?”  I asked.

“No, it didn’t explode, and yes, everyone is safe.  However, I think you need to come and see and hear this for yourself.”

“I’ll be right there,” I said getting up from my chair, “where are you?”

“In A’Lappe and Cantolla’s lab, sir.”

“I’m on my way!” I said.  I looked at Kala, who sat with a serious look on her face.  “I want you to call Jenira right away and get her over here.  Who knows how many more infiltrators may be aboard the ship?  Better arm yourself as well,” I added.  Kala looked at me and nodded and then said, “Be careful, Tib.”

I was barely up from the table when the door opened, and Jenira came bursting into the room with two of her Women-with-Swords bodyguards.  Immediately she began signing.  “Is everyone all right?”

“Yes, but how did you get here so quickly, we were just going to call you,” I said.

“Padaran alerted me to get here, “she signed looking around the room.

“Well I am glad you came.  I need to go to the lab and meet with Padaran.  You’ll stay here with Kala and the twins until I get back?”  I asked.

“I’ll stay here as long as I am needed,” Jenira signed back.

My bodyguards must have gotten the clue from Jenira’s sudden arrival that I would be leaving quickly, as they were all in proper formation as soon as I stepped out of the door.  I started to say, “To the lab, men,” when I realized that one of the guards was a woman, so I simply said, “To the lab,” and away we went.  As we passed the area where the Cantolla Gates were located, I noticed heavier guards on station, and all the gates closed but the one leading to the
DUSTEN
.  Through that gate, I could also see more guards on duty than normal.  We arrived at Cantolla’s and A’Lappe’s lab where even more troopers were present on guard.  I entered the lab and was met by Marranalis, who immediately motioned me toward the conference room we used there frequently.  Inside I found four more troopers guarding one man seated at the table as Padaran, A’Lappe and Cantolla stood over him asking him questions.  I noticed that Cantolla had brought along a truth band and had the gear set up, though it didn’t look like they had used it so far.

“Padaran, tell me what’s going on,” I said.

“Well sir, maybe I should let A’Lappe tell you, as he was the one who witnessed what happened.”  I looked at A’Lappe, and for the first time since I had known him I could see fear in his face as he nervously began.  “I was working late on improvements to the personal cloaking devices and had mine turned on to test it.  I heard a sound and looked up and I saw Bandur nearby walking through the lab in a stealthy manner.  Usually, this time of the evening, everyone is gone for the day, or they are taking a meal before coming back to work late, so I was curious as to what he might be up to.  I observed him go over to the lab table that Cantolla and I work at most of the time and remove an object from his uniform and attach it to the bottom of the table, then he quickly left.  I went over and looked and noticed that it was a bomb of some sort and called Padaran immediately.  Padaran notified the guards at the Cantolla Gates, and they shut down all the gates just as Bandur was approaching, saying he needed to go to Megelleon to the estate on an errand for Cantolla.  This, of course, was a lie.  Your bomb squad came and removed the device.  Fortunately, it was relatively simple, and they could disarm it.  However, had it gone off, anyone in this room would have been killed.”

I looked at Bandur; he appeared to be a man of about thirty with dark brown hair and average-looking features.

“How did he get by our security scans?”  I asked,” I thought we had everyone tested for loyalty clearances before they could work here or enter the ship.”

“I do, and he was,” Cantolla answered, “but that was three years ago when he was hired.  He’s not been tested since then, and apparently he’s since had a change of mind.”  I was watching Bandur all this time, as he sat quietly with his head bent down staring at the table.

I sat down across the table from Bandur trying to see his eyes, but he kept his head down.

“What’s this all about, Bandur?” I asked.  “What made you change your loyalty to us and want to kill A’Lappe and Cantolla?”

Bandur didn’t answer, but he began shaking and sobbing.  I looked at A’Lappe and at Padaran, and both seemed baffled by Bandur’s reaction.

“Bandur, do you have anything to say?” I asked.

“I didn’t want to do it,” he sobbed, “I really didn’t.  But, I had to.”  I glanced around the room at my team, and they all appeared shocked by his statement.

“What do you mean you had to?”  I asked.

“They made me do it, they told me…, if I didn’t, they wouldn’t give me anymore…,” and then he muttered something incomprehensible as he sobbed more violently.

Bandur, I’m going to have Cantolla put a truth band on your head, and I’m going to ask you some more questions.  You do know if you lie to us; it will show on the vid screen, don’t you?”  I said.  Bandur nodded but didn’t raise his head.  I nodded to Cantolla, and she placed the head band on Bandur's head, making sure it was properly placed and all the connections secure.

“Now, Bandur, I want you to tell me exactly what happened and why you tried to blow up the lab and kill A’Lappe and Cantolla,” I said.

Bandur sobbed a moment and then lifted his head and took a deep breath.  For the first time, he looked me in the face, and he said, “God’s Sweat.”

“What?  What about God’s Sweat?”  I inquired.

“I did it for God’s Sweat.  I’m addicted to it, and they told me if I didn’t do this I would not receive anymore”  he said as more tears flooded his eyes.

“How did you get hooked on God’s Sweat?  How long have you been using it?”  I asked.

“Not long, maybe a month,” Bandur answered, “I didn’t even know what it was or what was happening.  I’d met this woman at a bar back on Megelleon, when I was on leave.  She was really beautiful and, well, she came on to me pretty strong, and before I realized what was happening, I ended up at her place for the night.  She gave me some wine to drink and the next thing I know I am having all sorts of wonderful visions while we were having sex.  It was the most powerful experience I ever had in my life.  I felt really great and afterwards I asked her about the wine.  She said it was an exotic wine from some planet, and that it had very strong aphrodisiac effects on people.  She invited me back again the next night, and the experience was even better than the first time.  I didn’t know then the wine was laced with God’s Sweat.  By the time I realized what was going on I was addicted.

The stuff addicts you in just a few uses.  Now, if I go more than forty-eight hours without it, I have the most nightmarish and horrible hallucinations, and it feels like someone is ripping my flesh off with hot irons.  Sisopan told me if I didn’t do as her friends wanted I would not be given any more God’s Sweat, and after that they made me go through one bout of withdrawal, so I would know what it was like,” he started sobbing once more, “I couldn’t help it.  Please, please, just kill me, I can’t go through that another time,"” he sobbed.

All the time he had been talking, I had been watching the vid screen readings, and they indicated he was telling the truth.

“Are there others here on this ship that you know of who are addicted like you are?”  I asked.

“I don’t know,” he said.  “There might be, but I don’t know.  I heard Sisopan talking to some guy one day about
flips,
but I don’t know who or were they are.”

“Flips?”  I asked.

“
Flip. 
She called me a flip, and when she talked to this other guy, that’s how she referred to me, as a
flip.
”  I looked around the room at my team, but none of them seemed to have any idea what a
flip
was.  I turned to Marranalis and said, “Get in contact with Wabussie, let him know what’s going on here and see if he has any information on these
flips
.”

“I’ll get right on it, Tib,” he said.  “Oh, and have him send a special interrogation team to the
DUSTEN
.  After we’re done here I want Bandur transferred to a holding cell there for more questioning.”

“Please, please, kill me, kill me now before the withdrawal begins.  I can’t live through that again.  You don’t know… it’s horrible, horrible,” Bandur sobbed.

I looked at A’Lappe, “Is there anything you can do to lessen the effects of the withdrawal?”

“We can induce a coma, until all the effects of the drug wear off.  However, God’s Sweat takes a long time to get out of one’s system, and he’ll keep having hallucinations off and on for years after he stops the drug.  Few addicts ever make it, as most of them kill themselves.”

“Can you put him into a coma and then when the hallucination period is over take him out and put him back under again when the next withdrawal hallucinations are about to begin again?"”  I asked.

A’Lappe and Cantolla looked at each other, “I suppose we might be able to,” Cantolla said, “I’ve never heard of it being done.  We could monitor his brain waves and body functions and see when the withdrawal symptoms are taking place.  We have no idea, though, what he will experience while he’s in the coma.  He may very well continue to experience the hallucinations while in the coma the same as if he were awake.  From what we know about God’s Sweat withdrawal it’s very possible the hallucinations could kill him.  Many addicts have died from fright during hallucinations so bad the victims heart stopped.”

“Please, please… kill me.  I can’t go through withdrawal.  You don’t know the kind of hell it is,” Bandur pleaded.

“Take him to one of the smaller med units on the
DUSTEN
and sedate him,” I said, “monitor his brainwave activity, and if you see he is starting to hallucinate, put him into a coma.  Let’s see if we can’t get this stuff out of his system to where he can function rationally once again.”

“NO! No, you must kill me.  Please, I’m begging you!  I can’t take it,” Bandur screamed.

I looked at A’Lappe, “Do you have any suggestions?”

“We could give him some God’s Sweat to keep him functioning for the time being.  We have some samples here on the ship that we took from Alle Bamma.”

“Alle Bamma!  Wait, is Regata still aboard the ship?”  I asked.

Padaran answered, “Yes.  He's still aboard.  Do you think he may know a cure?”

“I don’t know.  I doubt it, but he may know of something that suppresses the effects from the drug.  Someone go find him and bring him here, please,” I said.  Padaran immediately turned to one of the ship's security team and ordered him to find Regata and ask him to join us in the lab.

I turned back to Bandur and said, “Where can we find Sisopan?”

“I can tell you were she lives,” Bandur said.  “Please, give me some God’s Sweat, I’ll tell you.  I’ll tell you everything.  Please, don’t let me go through withdrawal again.”

“A’Lappe, get some God’s Sweat for the man, but don’t give it to him until he tells us all he knows.”  I said.  A’Lappe nodded and left the room.