9.1: Andrew’s Station
Avery could not keep the fact that he had killed Katie Reed a secret for long. He reached across the table in Coffee Laing to take possession of Katie’s key card to her Wild Cat, as well as her wallet with her identification in. Avery wanted to make this look like a common run-of-the-mill robbery.
Coffee was beginning to run onto the floor, and Avery left as slowly as he could and headed for the nearest lift to the spacecraft parking facilities. He thought about flying the Wild Cat out of there, but did not want to draw attention to himself, so decided to head for his own craft and make his way back to the Diso System. Rackham was not safe now in his retirement on Sigma Draconis, and Phillips, well, maybe they would run into each other one day - their paths had crossed on more than one occasion.
Avery was more concerned about seeing Marie. Would she be the same person she was before? On the other hand, would her memory be the same? Would she still feel the same about him?
He reached his Lion S Class and decided to get out of Andrew’s Station and Zeandin as soon as possible: screens were starting to flash in the garage area regarding a suspected robbery in the Café Coffee Laing, it appealed for witnesses and a number to text.
Avery started up the Lion S Class and the reassuring roar of the twin engines brought a little comfort, as he slowly lifted up and headed for the exit. There were no police around to stop him - even if they knew who he was - the only way that The Council could stop him now was to send a Bounty Hunter after him, but they were in short supply today.
Avery had made it outside the station and was preparing to hyperspace. He set his hyperspace destination to Diso and pressed the button, but nothing happened. He set his hyperspace analyzer to check his status:
‘Hyperspace Inhibitor detected . . . source detecting . . . Andrew’s Station.’
‘Dam!’ said Avery, slapping the control stick.
What next?, he thought. This must be a new feature fitted after our daring manoeuvre on that bank freighter. Suddenly, the vessel jolted, as if grabbed by a large invisible hand. Something was dragging him back towards Andrew’s Station.
‘Computer, detect control device,’ he said.
‘Zeandin manufacture, new technology no data available.’
Avery was trapped in a net like force field that was pulling him in, as if he was a prize fish. There was nothing he could do but to think up a way of covering himself and trading in what he knew for his freedom. The doors of the space station opened, and Avery’s ship, as if on autopilot, began to rotate in motion with the station’s rotation and entering stern first. The doors closed behind him; he entered one of the custom bays via another sliding door rear first. The door shut, the Lion S Class floated down the landing gear triggered, and the engine stopped.
Avery sat there in the red light of the customs bay, waiting for some armed response team to greet him at the exit but nothing happened: all was quiet and calm. This, he thought, was far from normal.
He had been in custom pens before, random checks were carried out on trading vessels, and it was just potluck if you were stopped. If you were smuggling illicit goods, they could be hidden away in all parts of a ship. Customs officers had discovered most conventional methods, but Avery always hid anything he did not want to be found in the escape capsule, which could be found under a hatch, which was under the carpet. For some reason, nobody checked these, as they were very expensive. They could be set off accidentally and would probably kill whoever was in there. Avery had on a previous occasion, set one off when a particular officious and obviously “green” customs officer insisted in looking at his, whilst he was carrying meat products into a strictly vegetarian world. It was hard to tell what was the customs officer and cuts of meat in the burning mess. Suddenly his screen flashed and a female’s face appeared.
‘Captain William Avery,’ she said in a calm relaxed tone. ‘We have reason to believe that you are linked to the group of pirates that took a freighter in this system and hyperspaced it with its valuable cargo to the out of bounds Sol System. What do you say to this?’
Avery knew that The Council had obviously connected him after the death of Captain Reed in Coffee Laing; she must have pointed out that Rackham was on her radar, but any Bounty Hunter worth their salts would not reveal the whereabouts of their quarry, at least Rackham was safe now. Avery decided to play his best hand.
‘I have something that is of equal value to The Council, if not more.’
The female face flickered and a surprised look was revealed before she replied. ‘I doubt you have anything The Council would be interested in Mr. Avery. We, after all, have a monopoly on most things.’
‘What if I could bring someone back to life?’
‘What do you mean Mr. Avery? We have no need for such technology.’
‘You think you control all things in all galaxies, but you do not realize that your soul depository has been compromised and one has been reunited with a rejuvenated body of one of our former brethren. You paid a handsome reward, thinking she was dead,’ said Avery laughing to get a favourable reaction.
‘What do you mean Mr. Avery? There is no such technology known to us that can do this. Where did you get your hands on such a powerful device? I must run a check with our intelligence bureau.’
The line went dead and Avery felt himself breathe more easily. If he could convince The Council that this technology was within his hands, or at least obtainable, then he might just walk away from this without being reassigned to another life with a blanked-out memory, besides it had taken him years to learn how to fleece a casino. The screen flickered and the female face looked a little concerned. Good, Avery thought.
‘It appears that one of our agents has reported such a device within the walls of Corporation X in Diso City: it’s activated. We have no use at present for such a device - our source says it’s from the Veedfa System.’
Avery began to think that his moment was up. Then he remembered what Reeves had said about the dark potential for this device.
‘You may not have a use for it, but other forces may have a more sinister future for this device.’
The line went quiet; there was a whispering sound coming through the earpiece of the interrogator on Avery’s screen. Avery held his nerve.
‘What do you think you can do Mr. Avery, to take this item out of harm’s way?’
‘I can get this item back, bring it to you.’
‘I see.’
‘I know how to convince the guys working on this to hand it over to me.’
‘What do you want in return?’
‘My freedom, a clean slate and the same for Marie Bonny.’
‘Marie is dead, so no longer is on our records Mr. Avery, so that does not matter.’
‘You can have your freedom and you can clear one other - if you are successful on this mission.’
‘Okay.’
‘We know there were four of you, Captain Phillips was amongst you - we know where he is. As for the forth, we have heard that his name is Captain Rackham - and he is in the Sigma Draconis System. What is your choice Avery?’
‘Only one?’
‘Yes only one.’
Avery thought about this for a minute. Phillips was able to take care of himself: a slippery fish that could ride his luck as well as he could - if not better.
Rackham was too old to run and besides his retirement was well deserved and Avery felt responsible for his wellbeing - pirates are pirates.
‘Alright, I’ve made up my mind, Captain Rackham: I choose his freedom.’
9.2: Veedfa System
Captain Phillips sat in the overcrowded Pirate’s Cove bar, watching the latest brawl that had broken out about who was the best pilot. The larger pirate, Captain North, had Captain Bellamy over his head, and was about to break Phillips’ table - he decided it was time to get out of there, before he got himself involved. He finished his tankard and placed it on the empty bar on his way out. As he passed by the window, he could
see and heard the table he had been sitting on being reduced to firewood.
‘Time to leave this crazy place,’ he said to himself.
‘Next stop Corporation X,’ he said counting the Dollar signs in his head.
Phillips had taken the precaution of depositing all his assets on the farthest moon of planet G, G4, where he had to make room for the pre-world observation device, which only just fitted inside his hold, once everything he had in there was removed. He took the precaution of burying his hoard, and marking it with an aerial broken off some communication equipment he found nearby.
The alien teenager soon disappeared after he had helped him in with the equipment. Phillips had to wear a pressure suit and helmet, but this alien seemed to be able to breathe quite naturally without any assistance.
They were certainly different, he thought. He was not the slightest bit interested in the booty that Phillips had taken out and buried with the help of some abandoned solar powered plant machinery that was parked nearby. What was this alien race planning to do? Take over the galaxy? Or were they just using this place to dump their unwanted technology?
Phillips felt the beer coaster in his breast pocket, which was all he had to enable him to get back to his ill-gotten gains, and he was going to guard it with his life.
He made his way into Port Royal’s parking bay, full of elaborate looking craft, but none quite as attractive as his Manx Mark IV, standing in front of his spacecraft was his former drinking partner Eric Redhand.
‘What are you doing here?’ asked Phillips.
‘Where you going Captain?’
‘None of your business Eric, why are you asking?’
‘Well, I figured that you must have been successful due to the fact you made it back in one piece.’
‘I suppose you want to know, what I found out there.’
‘Not me Phillips, but I know someone who is interested in what you found. It seems that there had been some sudden interest in what is going on in this den of iniquity. It appears that you have drawn attention to yourself without even realizing it.
‘Who have you been talking to Eric?’ Phillips was getting a little twitchy. He felt his hand fiddling with his laser gun in his holster. Nobody had managed to beat him on a one-on-one basis, and Phillips intended on keeping it that way.
‘Let’s just say that I know there is a price on your head, a pretty sum of money.’ A strange exotic looking bird with four wings was perched on Eric’s shoulder, nothing that Phillips had seen the life of before.
‘Pretty sum of money!’ squawked the bird.
‘What do you want Eric?’ asked Phillips.
‘Me? I don’t want for much. I have my small income; I’ve been everywhere I want to go in this galaxy. I’ve heard tall tales of daring deeds, seen riches beyond my wildest dreams.’
‘This isn’t making any sense Eric - your making me twitchy - I suggest you stand aside and let me onto my craft.’
As Phillips went to push past, the bird on Eric’s shoulder was jolted from its perch, flapped its wings, landing on his shoulder, and bit him with his beak. Phillips went for his gun, but before he could even pull it from its holster, he was on the floor looking up at Eric, and the undercarriage of his spacecraft.
‘Sorry Phillips, Felix doesn’t like being moved from his favourite spot.’
Phillips was just lying there, unable to move his fingers. Felix had returned to his spot and was walking across Eric’s shoulders triumphantly. Phillips began to hallucinate; the poison was starting to attack his mind.
‘Don’t worry Phillips you will only pass out for a couple of hours, then you will be...’
That was it. Phillips had past out. Eric searched him for the key to his Manx and discovered the beer mat; he had drawn the map of the Veedfa System on.
‘I’ll have that,’ he said putting it into his back pocket. He found the keys, lowered the steps to the spacecraft and using all of his strength, managed to pull Phillips up the steps. Felix left Eric’s shoulder in disgust and made his way into the cockpit of the craft.
‘This should take care of me for the rest of my days,’ he said as Phillips’ boots where dragged over the final lip of the entry steps. ‘There we go Captain Phillips, you sit there while I take you to meet The Council and for me to collect my reward.’
Felix was back on Eric’s shoulder and was settling down as Eric lifted the steps and started the sweet sounding engines.
‘Wow, this is one nice ship you have here Captain Phillips.’
Of course, Phillips said nothing - his face frozen with a stunned expression. He was not expecting to go one-to-one with a venomous bird from the jungle planet Exotica in the Olbeha System, which Eric had ordered from the Galactic Pet Store, which did a steady trade with pirate folk.
‘You never know when you need animal assistance in this game,’ Eric laughed.
Eric made his way to the exit of the space station, winked his lights at the controller, who obliged by opening the doors from the safety of his control room, allowing Eric to drift out.
He set the controls to hyperspace him and Phillips to Zeandin, which Phillips had mentioned was under the control of The Council. Eric had never met The Council, he had, like Henry, answered a wanted add in some out of date newspaper he had found at the surgery he had attended whilst undergoing operations for his face rebuild. Although the compensation money paid for this, he knew that his meagre pension would not cover his lifetime. He had only just begun his career as a pirate when disaster had struck. Still, that was not the fund’s doing. He knew the risks and had taken the gamble, but it hadn’t paid off for him.
However, with the help of The Council’s regular payments for information in pirate movement - of which, in Veedfa there were a lot. He got by, but The Council had declared war on the pirates of the galaxy, so he figured that he did not have much time left to profit from his information. In addition, he felt guilty that he was making a living from the people who had firstly offered him sanctuary and work, and then medical care and a pension.
This way, he could square the circle and end his days happy in the thought that he had come good by his own actions. Eric hit the hyperspace button and impressed by the lack of brain jolt he felt at the jump.
‘This is a nice ship Phillips, I wouldn’t be surprised if you conned someone to get your hands on it.’
9.3 Eric in Zeandin
Eric took out his communication device and began to talk into it.
‘Captain Eric Redhand, in the Zeandin System approaching Andrew’s Station, requesting representation from The Council. I have Captain Phillips aboard and I’m piloting the wanted pirate’s Manx: advise.’
The line was quiet for a short time, and then there was a reply.
‘This is Jessica Thompson of The Council of Intelligence; I am in the position of representing The Council in the Zeandin System.’
Jessica switched her communicator back to the holding bay and continued to talk to her captive there.
‘It appears that someone had done part of your work for you Mr. Avery. We want that life-retaining device from you. We will offer you an official pardon on the delivery of this machine. I’m sure you will not let us down and be sure we will find you Avery if you attempt to abscond. There is no safe haven left in this galaxy where The Council does not have eyes and ears.’
The screen went blank and Avery felt the pressure in his head lift. All he had to do was get hold of the device he had sold. How difficult could it be? he thought. The doors opened automatically and Avery found himself floating outside Andrew’s Station. He set his hyperspace equipment to the Diso System, the blue vortex formed; his Lion S Class entered disappearing as if entering water. Then in a flash of electric blue light, he was gone.
Eric waited, and whilst he did, Phillips’ eyes began to blink - the poison was starting to wear off.
‘Come on, come on!’ said Eric, not wanting to be anywhere near Phillips when he recovered.
Fin
ally, a knocking sound on the hull made Eric sit up. He fumbled with the controls and managed to lower the steps for the two assistants to climb up.
‘What took you so long?’ he asked.
‘We didn’t know what a Manx looked like, so we’ve been searching every bay for an unusual ship.’
‘This is some piece of the space ship builders’ craft,’ the other man said and then whistled.
‘Alright, alright enough about the Manx, let’s get Captain Phillips off this ship and into the hands of The Council before he comes to and starts blasting us all.’
One of the assistants leaned over Phillips and removed his laser gun.
‘That might help to start with,’ said an embarrassed Eric.
One of the assistants disappeared and returned with a trolley that looked like it was used for carrying boxes.
‘Stand him on here,’ said the whistling assistant.
Eric and the other assistant moved Phillips out of his chair and onto the trolley. The whistling assistant detached a long roll of plastic rapping from the side of the trolley and began to wrap Phillips up as if he was sending him off as mail. He was then unceremoniously bumped down the steps and to the nearest cargo lift. Eric followed, leaving Felix alone in the Manx: he could be territorial, which made him a good guard of a room or spacecraft, probably the main reason that they were so popular with pirates in the Veedfa System who were forever looking over their shoulders - not trusting their own kind.
Once in the lift, the other assistant put a key card into a port on the front of the control panel and pressed the up button. The lift rode through the levels, carried on past the display’s function, and then stopped. Phillips was bumped out into a large laboratory space with experimental equipment set up for testing Zeneel technological breakthroughs.
Jessica Thompson sat at her control panel and swung around on her chair when the men entered wheeling Phillips on the two-wheeled truck.
‘Ah, Eric is it?’ she asked.
‘Yes mam, I’m Eric Redhand of the Veedfa System; I’m The Council’s spy there.’
‘Okay, so you work for TCR?’
‘Yes that’s right; I’ve been informing The Council of the day-to-day activities of the pirate stronghold Port Royal.’
‘I see, so you want your reward for this criminal?’
‘Yes of course. I need to start my life over.’
‘Right you are. How would you like it? Empire Pounds, the Federation’s Federal Franks or the Republic’s Imperial Dollars?’
‘Imperial Dollars will do me just fine.’
Jessica swung back around on her chair to face the consol, typed in a request for funds, located Eric’s profile, and uploaded ID3,500, 000 to his Bank of Providence account in the Veedfa System.
‘Done!’ she said swinging back round on her chair.
‘What now?’ asked a confused looking Eric.
‘Just leave the inputs to Mr. Phillip’s craft and then, all you have to do Eric is step over to that transportation device, and I will send you to wherever you would like to go.’
‘Is it safe?’ he asked.
‘It is how I got here. Of course it’s safe.’ It’s our latest breakthrough using Zeneel-tech.’
He stepped in gingerly and started to think of where he would like to go. Nothing left for him in the Veedfa System, there was no reason for him to go back there to tell the story of when he shopped another fellow pirate to The Council one drunken night, which he knew would eventually happen.
‘Send me to Ross 154. I’ve always fancied that one day I might be rich enough to attract a lady from that system. They say –’
‘Yes! I know all about the allure of Ross 154 for the males of our species,’ Interrupted Jessica.
Jessica sighed shaking her head, set her screen to connect to the transportation device, and tapped in the coordinates for Ross 154. She pressed the send button.
‘Good-bye Eric, give my regards to my home world.’
Then he was gone. Jessica said nothing, knowing that in a few seconds his voice would fade like his physical body.
The two assistants had finished unwrapping Phillips and he was beginning to move his head and could speak.
‘Where am I? What am I doing . . . and more importantly, who are you?’ He managed to say after the assistants had left the way they arrived.
‘I’m Jessica Thompson, I represent The Council. You are Captain Phillips I take it?’
‘No point denying it; what do you want?’
‘Well, we need to extract from you some payback for your crimes. We can send your soul back to a lower form of life, so you can come back to your current state eventually, and not commit heinous acts. Or you might have information you would like to give us, or have you anything to trade?’
‘I have money.’
‘Your money is no good here Mr. Phillips.’
‘Anything else?’
‘My ship: is my ship here?’
‘We are not interested in collectable space craft. I take it that is all?’
‘No. No wait! I have a machine in the hold.’
‘What sort of machine?’
‘Not quite sure. I was told it was a pre-world observation device.’
‘That would do just fine Mr. Phillips.’
9.4: Diso System
Captain Avery was not going to mess with The Council, though they had let him go, he knew that he would have to hide in an asteroid field for the rest of his days if he wanted to avoid detection. Not really a life, he thought.
He was now safe to roam around knowing that his future was temporarily frozen with his status as pending. Avery landed in the spaceport and proceeded to head towards the Technology District, to Corporation X.
A sky-taxi passed overhead, Avery produced his best whistle, and a detector on the base of the vehicle picked up the call and directed the taxi towards where Avery was located. It landed neatly, the rear door swung open, and Avery got in.
‘Corporation X please.’
‘Okay,’ said the burly looking driver.
The car lifted and sped off. Avery was not sure what he was going to say to Tony, but he had to do this face-to-face.
The unmistakable building loomed into view; Avery began to wonder how Marie was. He was itching to go and see her but he had to clear himself first out of the hands of The Council. There was no way he could rest easy until this was done.
The taxi driver began to chat about local events and started to convey a story he had read, about a miracle that had occurred.
‘They said that Corporation X has managed to bring a dead person back to life.’
‘Is that so,’ replied Avery, ‘that’s interesting, did they say who?’
‘Yes they said it was a taxi driver, killed in a head on. The paper said that the corporation managed to rebuild her, from DNA from a strand of her hair.’
‘Fascinating.’
‘Yes, I used to know her dad; he worked for the same firm as I do. Nice guy, shame about his wife though.’
‘Yes. At least he’s got his daughter back.’ Avery said shuffling in his seat.
‘You know him?’
‘You could say that, we are almost related by marriage.’
‘So you’re the guy, the fiancé are you? Well you won’t find her at Corporation X; she’s been taken home by Jim. I think he moved out to Sleepy Ridge.’
‘Yes, I’ve got some business at Corporation X first.’
‘Okay, none of my business. Ah, here we go, I will drop you off at the front.’
The car lowered and Avery paid the guy, stepped out and headed for the revolving doors.
The sweet looking receptionist at the counter greeted him with a smile.
‘Can I help you sir?’
‘Yes, I need to speak to Anthony Reeves on an urgent mater.’
‘I will see if he is in.’ She pressed a few buttons on the panel in front of her and was through to his lab ‘Hey Reginald, its Patricia at reception.
’
‘Hi,’ said Reginald.
‘I have a gentleman here - what was the name?’ she asked Avery.
‘Captain Avery.’
‘A Captain Avery to see Anthony Reeves,’
‘He’s not here; he’s gone to a conference. I’ll come down,’ said Reginald.
Patricia’s elaborately decorated fingernail tapped another button, and the lights went out.
‘He’s not here Captain, he’s gone to a conference, but his assistant, Reginald is coming down to meet you.’
‘Okay, I see.’
‘Take a seat, he won’t be long.’
Avery parked himself among the coffee tables and began to flick through the magazines and journals, when one front page caught his eye: “Sam Humphries reveals the new regeneration machine from Corporation X.”
There was a strange picture of the CEO, with his hands over the clear plastic cover looking lovingly at the camera. Avery flicked to the feature page and skim read the article. It appeared that Sam Humphries had done all the groundbreaking research work on the rejuvenation of Marie.
‘What a fraud,’ said Avery.
The article outlined the benefits of this machine to the prisons of all governments of the galaxy. It mentioned that Sam with his colleague Anthony Reeves, were touring, to demonstrate their latest invention.
‘Oh, I see,’ said Avery as he figured out where Reeves and the machine were: gone on tour!
Avery closed the magazine and threw it back onto the table; it span 180º, as it slid across the glossies.
At this moment, Reginald appeared, looking a little nervous and jumpy.
‘Mr . . . . I mean Captain Avery; let’s go and have a coffee. I think we need to talk.’
‘All right, but I have already read the article in Science Quarterly.’
‘Yes that’s right; but that is not all.’
They left through the revolving doors and headed across the street to Kinetic Coffee, ordered two ordinary coffees and sat at a table furthest away from the door.
‘So what is it Reginald?’
‘Well, I’ve been working at Corporation X for six months, and I’ve been planted there. I can tell you this now, as you are currently under an obligation from The Council.’
‘How did you know that!’ interrupted Avery.
‘Keep your voice down,’ said Reginald, whispering.
‘I’m a spy from The Council.’
‘You lot get everywhere.’
‘I suppose we do. We have been checking Corporation X’s business from day one, and we are concerned about this latest development - as you know. I am to team up with you and intercept this machine, before it ends up in the wrong hands: it’s all arranged. I’m as now on two weeks leave, I’m to travel with you and take this device by force in necessary.’
‘Alright where are they at the moment?’ asked Avery.
Reginald pulled out an itinerary, and began to check the dates, ‘Well at present, they are heading towards the Empire’s home system of Stein 2051. There’s a big conference with representatives from all the Empire’s domains.’
‘There are a lot of people attending then?’ Avery asked.
‘You know how big the Empire is.’
‘Yes I know, it used to be bigger.'
'Though we’re not here to discuss history; let’s not forget who we are working for.’
‘You maybe Reginald, I am under the power of an obligation: my life depends on it.’
‘Okay Avery, let’s just try to get along. I’m not looking forward to entering onto Empire terra firma. The Empire gives me the creeps.’
‘They’re not all bad; most of them are truly apologetic about trying to take over the galaxy. But yes, you do get these fanatics that see the Empire as some call to arms to suppress the rest of us,’ replied Avery.
‘Yes, but it’s the few - if in power - can persuade the many that a Galactic Empire would make life so much more convenient for everyone.’
Avery sipped his coffee and wondered if Reginald could shed any light onto the coffee producing system of 1º4774.
‘So Reginald, The Council, It has all the secrets of the galaxy?’
‘Pretty much, there’s not a lot that we don’t know; and if we don’t know, we are busy finding out about it.’
‘So this coffee region 1º4774, do you know where that is?’
‘Sure I do, but I’m not going to tell a pirate captain all the secrets of the galaxy that I’m privy to. That would be stupid of me. The next thing we know, we will have every pirate in the galaxy smuggling coffee to the four corners of the Milky Way - which we could not have. It would ruin the trade and the mystery.’
‘I wouldn’t go round telling everyone. I just would like to visit the place one day; visit all the different plantations and sample the different crops.’
‘I’m sure you would Captain Avery, but it is strictly forbidden for me to tell you anything of a high security matter.’
‘Alright then, when shall we get going off to the Empire?’ asked Avery.
‘Well, firstly we need a game plan, something to get into the conference and allow us to take the rejuvenation device, without arising suspicion: any ideas Avery?’
‘No. Let’s just go: I do my best thinking in space.’
10 MISSION