The Lost Aria (Earth Song Book 3) Page 24

  Minu nodded and thought for a moment, watching as a fox ran across the recording from Steven's Pass on one wall. Funny she’d never noticed that in all the hours since installing the recording. “I don’t think I’d agree with that decision,” she said finally. “Did you voice an opinion?”

  “I did,” he replied, “at the meeting of the council I went on the record as officially against the move. It was duly noted, and disregarded.”

  “It seems like a slippery slope,” Cherise added. “When can you stop?”

  “Right,” Minu said, pointing at her with a finger. “So now we’re mercenaries. Granted, the Traaga are dirt poor and we’re getting our own credits back, but it’s like Cherise said, once you become a mercenary, when do you stop? Can you even stop?”

  “What does Concordian law say about it?” Gregg asked.

  Minu considered the question. “I don’t know that I’ve ever read anything on mercenary troops. Alliances and such are common, but not mercenaries. I’m going to have to do some reading. Either way, Jacob has opened a real can of worms.

  The three friends spent the afternoon catching up, then had dinner at a Tog restaurant specializing in off world cuisine. It was one of exactly two restaurants Minu knew of in the galaxy outside Bellatrix that served human food. The other was on Serengeti. During the meal, Cherise told her the one on Serengeti stopped serving human food. The Beezer were really pissed about the Portal Spire. Such was life.

  Early in the evening she saw them off to home and returned to her apartment. At least a few hours of seeing her friends had improved her mood. But as she sat in the room watching an old Earth movie (Shogun) her mind was bothered by the thoughts of turning the Rangers into mercenaries. At least the movie was interesting and informative.

  That particular turn on Herdhome was even more boring than normal, allowing her to complete quite a bit of research and communication with the other teachers in her new War College. On her last day in her Herdhome office she got an email that she'd been waiting for. When it flashed on her computer Minu felt her pulse racing while she read it twice to be sure she got every word. She let her assistant know she was leaving early, grabbed her bag, and left at a run.

  “Chosen Alma,” the Tog manning the Portal controls acknowledged her as she trotted up, “returning to Bellatrix?”

  “No, please send me to Serengeti.”

  The Tog looked up from hser control console to regard Minu with unblinking almost shaped eyes. “The Beezer are not happy with you, Chosen Alma.”

  “Do I have to code the Portal myself?” Hse stared at her for a moment with huge unblinking eyes and Minu began to wonder if she would have to do just that. Finally, almost reluctantly, the Tog leaned over the controls and snake-like fingers moved over the controls. The Portal flashed to life showing the interior of a building and she stepped through without reservation. Should the Tog have obstinately sent her to Bellatrix, it would be a small matter to go from there to Serengeti. As luck would have it, bright sunlight bathed her as she stepped down from the Portal dais. The temporary warehouse was open to the sky on one side and she could see vast expanses of bright green grass leading away and a scattering of parked transports. This was the temporary Portal complex she'd heard about.

  “We greet you human,” said a chuffing voice that was translated automatically by the device around her neck and Minu nodded to the Beezer attendant. “Your name, please?”

  Minu sighed and spoke clearly. “Chosen Minu Alma, on personal business.”

  “It is difficult to believe there would be many eager to speak to you, destroyer.”

  In normal times she'd found her new nickname on Serengeti somewhat amusing, today it was just annoying. She took a breath, ready to retort with the question of whether the anonymous Beezer would rather be serving the Tanam, then let it out with a sigh. Instead she just walked past him and out the door. “Try not to blow up the city, Chosen.”

  Outside there were plains as far as you could see in all directions. Occasional building mounds or ground traffic were the only indication that she was on the edge of the capital, and only city of the same name as the world. “How would you tell it was gone?” she mumbled once out of ear shot. Only the downtown of the city, near the Spire, had any number of tall buildings. Taking her computer tablet she summoned a taxi and waited patiently.

  The taxi, an automated aerocar, took her over the city and unfortunately near the Portal Spire. Thousands of heavy vehicles and workers swarmed over the building working non-stop, as they had for the last seven months since the battle. She noted that most of the bigger holes were now patched. Originally they'd browbeat her with dire diagnosis that the Spire was terminally wounded and would have to be replaced, supposedly an unprecedented event in modern Concordian history. She considered the loss of real estate a worthwhile trade for the lives of sentient beings.

  The taxi deposited her at the destination she'd programmed, some forty kilometers from the center of Serengeti and next to the office structure of a sprawling warehouse complex. It was not a new location to her. She’d first come here almost four years ago, back on one of her first assignments as a Chosen. This time she wasn't working for the Tog.

  The automated computer attendant noted her arrival and inquired what her business was. She told it she was there to meet with another Chosen and was instantly allowed entrance. Why would it not believe her? Once inside she went to a small office on the third floor where she found a single human Chosen working over a small stack of tablets. “Hey Victor,” she said and the man looked up to smile. She'd only met him a few times, but he was a good friend of Cherise. His dark skin shone from the sweat of the warm world as he stood and warmly shook her hand. “I can't thank you enough for this,” she said.

  “For a friend of Cherise, and a daughter of Naomi, it is nothing.”

  “Where did you see them?” Victor nodded and handed her a tablet. On it was displayed a map of the warehouse complex with one far away building highlighted.

  “I do not know how long they will be there,” he warned her.

  “Noted, I'm off.” They embraced quickly and Minu was running down the stairs.

  If the Beezer liked anything, it was wide open spaces. This particular warehouse complex spread out more than five kilometers on a side. It was nearly the size of the entire plateau that Tranquility rested on. As she raced through the doors she'd come in through only a moment before, she wished she'd keyed the taxi to wait. Her destination was two kilometers away, and she didn't how much time she had. Minu leaned into the run with wanton abandon. For the millionth time she was once again glad that running was her favorite form of exercise, and in particular that she'd worked so hard to get her legs back in shape.

  The ground fell behind her quickly despite the pronounced heat of Serengeti. The ground was soft and covered with ankle high grass that made for an almost ideal running surface. She was just getting a little winded when the building she wanted came into view.

  Minu took a precious minute after gaining entrance through the automated doorway, which thankfully didn't question the reason for her presence, to catch her breath. It wouldn't serve to be so winded she couldn't speak. As soon as her breathing was slowed she moved into the warehouse proper and listened for any sounds, hoping she would hear her quarry. Victor could only tell her what building, not where inside. The warehouse was cut into a low hill, like most buildings of its sort on Serengeti, and was probably fifty thousand square meters inside. Luck was with her as she quickly heard a booming Beezer speaking not far off. Minu steeled her resolve and walked purposefully towards the voice.

  Coming around a massive stack of crates Minu saw her objective, one huge Beezer speaking with a group of a dozen Squeen. She walked calmly towards the group and was only a few meters away when she was noticed. One of the Squeen spotted her and tapped the shoulder of another one. That one turned to look at her and an unmistakable flash of recognition crossed the furry face.

  “I greet you
, Quick Finder,” Minu said with a customary bow to an equal.

  “I greet you, Chosen Minu Alma.” He looked down as he bowed and noted her legs. “I see your injuries have been treated.”

  “Cybernetic technology,” she said and gently pulled up the jumpsuit leg to show the lines of scars, less visible but still obvious, “not the first one I’ve earned.” She waved with her right hand and shrugged.

  “Type Zero One cybernetic, I am not surprised.”

  “I don't follow you.”

  “It is not important.”

  “What are you doing here!” roared the Beezer. Minu was amused that it took him this long to notice her arrival, but he'd been deep in discussion with another Squeen.

  “Good to see you again, Ki'ki'taan,” Minu said with a bow the same as she'd given Quick Finder. All the Squeen were now watching the human and Beezer, some looking back and forth between them.

  “I cannot believe the gall of you, Destroyer, to come here like this. Does your First know you are here bothering me?”

  “No, and he does not know about the amount of merchandise you are stealing and selling on the black market either. Shall we contact him?” The Beezer took a stomping step backwards as if Minu had physically struck him. “Don’t be scared, I am not here to blow up your warehouses, or to demand any more goods.”

  “Then gift me with the reason you are here.”

  “To speak to the Squeen.”

  “How do you know about them?” Ki’ki’taan asked in hushed tones, as much as a Beezer was capable of anyway.

  “I rescued Quick Finder while I was destroying your Portal Spire. Please give me a few minutes alone with him and you can continue whatever illegal transactions you were trying to complete.” He only thought about it for a second before stomping off, mumbling to himself and shaking his huge head from side to side.

  “You know how to make an entrance,” Quick Finder said, his huge buck teeth showing in an obvious smile. “This is my leader, Strong Arm.” The Squeen who'd been speaking to Ki'ki'taan came forward and bowed to Minu, she favored him with a slightly deeper bow than she'd given Quick Finder.

  “You must know by now that we do not exist.”

  “Fascinating, talking to a species that doesn't exist.” It seems to be a theme of my life, she thought. First the Weavers, then the Squeen.

  “How do you know about us, beyond your encounter with Quick Finder months ago? And on that, please accept my thanks for their release.”

  “You are not my enemy, this is how humans are. We don’t make hostages of innocent beings” As she spoke his bright, perceptive eyes were taking in all the details of her. Her cybernetic arm, the Chosen uniform with three gold stars on the cuff, the curve of her hips and breasts. These Squeen were analyzers, this much was obvious. “I am familiar with your species from a mission on a planet years ago.” She quickly described the planet and the mission where she'd seen the seemingly primitive Squeen camping in the desert.

  Strong Arm nodded his head. “The pilgrimage,” he said.

  “What is that?”

  “Once every ten years some of us spend a month on the planet of our birth, a sort of religious pilgrimage. Because of the condition of the world, it is an arduous undertaking and has a spiritual cleansing effect. It is required at least once in your lifetime if you are to lead our people.”

  “How many times have you done it?”

  “Five times in my life,” he said proudly.

  “We know it wasn’t just a leasehold? How was the planet made uninhabitable, and why?”

  Strong Arm was quiet for several long moments, studying her and thinking. He turned to two other Squeen flanking him, both had considerable amounts of gray in their fur and they looked at him with obvious nervousness, their movements quick and flighty. “I'm afraid I can't go into any detail with you. You have not had your Awakening yet.”

  “Damn it,” Minu snarled and she stared at the distant dualloy supported ceiling. She tried to find another tack to take. “Where do you live now?”

  “Here and there.”

  “You are squatting on another world?”

  “No, absolutely not.”

  “Then you have a leasehold? That isn't possible, there is no record-”

  “I didn't say we lived on any world.” Minu gawked and he laughed, almost like a human would have. “Quick Finder said you humans are incredibly curious.” The alien looked at her appraisingly, as if comparing her in some unknown way against a standard. “This trait is something you come by honestly.”

  “I don't understand.”

  “And I can't help you reach an understanding.”

  “I see.” She looked down at her right hand and thought of something. “Quick Finder recognized this type of cybernetic implant.”

  “Yes, it is a very specific type not in use for eons.”

  “Okay, well if a species in ages past used this type of implant then their physiology must have been much like ours.”

  “It can be safely assumed you shared nearly identical physiology.”

  “Wha-”

  “Please proceed, time is short.”

  “Um, okay, well if that ancient species’ physiology matched ours, then there must have been a complete biological codex, all the necessary data which took advantage of the full breadth of Concordian technology, right?”

  “You are getting close to the limits of what I can say.”

  “Then just answer the damned question.”

  “The answer is yes, complete medical technologies exist tailored to your species basic physiology.”

  “But why can’t I access it through the computer networks?”

  “I can’t tell you that.”

  “Then tell me where to find the codex.”

  “It isn't that easy.”

  “I don't care how easy it is, I have a friend slowly dying from an injury that could be treated in your own species with a simple medical procedure. I'll do whatever it takes to save this friend.”

  “Whatever it takes? That is a bold claim.”

  “You have no idea how bold I am.”

  Strong Arm looked towards Ki'ki'taan and shook his head. “That is the most stubborn Beezer I've ever dealt with, and that is saying something considering their basic nature. The fact that you handled him so easily is a strong testimony in support of your statement.” With a tiny delicate hand he removed a tablet from his utility belt and activated it. Instantly Minu jerked her own out and Strong Arm touched his to hers, initiating a private connection unreadable by even the most sophisticated listening device. Her screen flashed indicating an incoming transmission. It was a simple file holding only the coordinates for a star system. “I can help you no more. I may have gone too far already”

  “I can ask no more of you than a chance.” Minu bowed low and turned to go. “Chosen Alma, wait a moment.” She turned back in time to see the other two Squeen trying to stop Strong Arm from speaking. He shook them off and cast a few stern words in their language before approaching her. “You seem to enjoy mysteries, ask yourself this. The Concordia are old, millions of years old. Countless species evolving, interacting, learning, fighting, living, dying over the endless years. So who were the first, the original Concordian? You are correct about one thing. That was the world of our birth.”

  Chapter 6

  Octember 27th, 521 AE

  Chosen Training Complex, Stevens Pass, Bellatrix

  Terrence Pagalio watched Minu run the young group of prospective scouts through a drill with a critical eye. Having her under his control was a longtime dream of his, but now that she was actually here he was forced to admit that she was good, perhaps very good. The group of five scouts she was working with was considered hopeless by the other instructor, a hard working four star originally from the Rusk territories. With an even mixture of hard work and abuse, he'd turned out some of the best scouts to the service branch. When Minu showed up, half his age and sporting three golden stars on her sleeve (unlike the
four blue ones he wore), Eric decided instantly she was his enemy. Terrence was forced to order him to work with her.

  “I do not like you,” he'd told her near the end of their first week, the days spent mostly showing her the training procedures they used.

  “No, really? I wasn't sure, what with all the animosity and hateful glares.”

  “That is why I do not like you,” he snarled, his Rusk accent thick. “The Malovich family is friends with my family. They told me what you did to their young boy, such a prospect to the Chosen he was, and I have never trained a better-”

  “Prospect? Now you listen to me, you son of a bitch,” she snarled, rounding on the man who was easily twice her size, “that little bastard almost got me and my friends killed in the trials. Then when that wasn't enough he started the Vendetta with the Rasa that almost cost our leasehold, and hundreds of lives.” He started to speak, while backing away, Minu closed in and jabbed a finger (her cybernetic one) hard into his chest and cut him off, “I don't care what you've heard, that is the truth, and if you mention that fucker’s name in front of me again I'll kick your ass up one side and down the other. Do I make myself clear?”

  Of course after that Eric wanted nothing to do with the fiery red headed Chosen, and that made Terrence's job more difficult. So he figured he'd bring her to heel by assigning a group of unruly Scout trainees with poor prospects for redemption. After she failed to turn them around she'd be at least slightly cowed and maybe more manageable. But now after two weeks of one on one work, the five young Chosen were arguably the best team in the last part of the training cycle and outperforming even Eric's handpicked crowd.

  “Come on!” Minu yelled from the front of the group, easily staying ahead of them. Michael, the best runner among them, was making some progress in speed, but not in endurance. Tanya, a very rare female scout and Orlando were better in endurance but stuck in a rut and not getting any faster. That left Chris and Derek, her two problem children. She'd quickly realized when taking over the bad dream team that they were the reason for the trouble. Naturally Terrence refused to break them up. The two had recruited Michael, Tanya and Orlando as friends during their trials and like many such groups were all but inseparable. They didn't succeed in the trials through teamwork and perseverance like Minu's team, they'd followed the lead of Chris and Derek to lie, cheat and steal their way to success. The rules allowed for this to happen, as long as no one was 'hurt', and the scouts needed Chosen with less than stellar character. The problem now was her need to forge them into Chosen, transforming them from the pack of thugs they'd started as.