A Clash of Aliens (The Human Chronicles Book 13) (7 page)

“And that is why we have come to you, Quiss. We knew you could cut us the best deal in the galaxy.”

Chapter
6

The accommodations they were provided were subpar at best, meaning that what they’d find out in town would have been atrocious. They found themselves in a single room with an open grooming station and a large single bed. With most aliens being larger than Humans, beds typically were huge by comparison. Arieel fell back on the hard, smelly cushion and took in a deep breath, her more-than-ample breasts straining at her satin blue top like a pair of perfectly symmetrical mountain peaks.

“Don’t get too comfortable, Arieel,” Sherri said. “We aren’t staying.”

“We’re not?”

“No, we’re not. That was just a ploy to get us away from the salesman so we can get back to the ship. You didn’t think we were really going to place an order for two hundred power modules, did you?”

“Not at all. I am not that naïve, Sherri Valentine. Yet we are still behind the walls of the compound. Leaving may not be that easy.”

Riyad was at the window of the small room, looking out toward the main entrance. “It’s about two hundred meters to the front gate. I can see the cab still there, but he won’t wait much longer.”

“So do we all just waltz out of here?”

“Maybe, but one at a time. That way we won’t attract as much attention. Besides, someone has to hold the cab. You first, Sherri.” Riyad smiled. “If you’re stopped you have a much better chance of bullshitting your way out of a situation. Just don’t go shooting up the place. All that would do is get them slamming the doors shut.”

“Thanks for your vote of confidence…I think. Keep an eye out.”

Sherri slipped out through the doorway.

Riyad watched as she casually approached the security gate before being confronted. He saw her point to the cab, then the gate was opened.

“Okay, Arieel, your turn.”

“I understand the term
bullshit
, Riyad. It is something I learned long ago from Adam. I assure you, I am just as good at bullshit as is Sherri Valentine.”

“That’s good to know. Now go prove it. We don’t have much time.”

“I am just saying that I am just as good as Sherri—”

“Please, Arieel, another time. Now go!”

As was always the case, Arieel attracted even more attention than Sherri. It was the pheromones mostly that affected a variety of species. Watching a gaggle of male Defenders descend on the Formilian, Riyad wondered if he could figure a way to bottle Arieel’s essence. If he could, he’d make a fortune in the perfume business…

Eventually, Arieel was allowed to pass through the gates. She disappeared into the back of the cab.

It was Riyad’s turn. He walked briskly toward the guard station, and even before being questioned he was speaking: “My associates…I need to talk with them,” he said in a panic. “Quiss needs vital information to complete the order.”

“You…you cannot leave. We have been instructed to keep you within the compound.”

“I just have to go to the transport. It’s right there. I’ll be right back.”

“You—”

“Open the damn gate before I cancel the order. I do not appreciate being treated like a prisoner. I’m a customer!”

“Please return quickly…” The gate opened.

Riyad hurried to the cab. He opened the rear door and slipped inside. “Hurry, let’s go!”

The cab began to move, and that was when, in the dim interior, Riyad noticed a change in personnel. It was the same driver, yet both Defenders were gone. In the front seat was a different Defender, this one pointing an MK flash weapon at those in the back seat. And at the far end of the seat, next to Sherri…was a Juirean.

********

Riyad held his tongue as he surveyed the scene. The fact that Sherri was sitting quietly with a sour look on her face spoke volumes.

“It’s set on level-one,” the Juirean announced. “I understand that will kill a Human, especially at such close range. My Defender has also been instructed to aim for the head, and he does not require the targeting computer to fire. Please relinquish your own weapon, Mr. Tarazi, and then please relax and enjoy the journey. It will not take long.”

“Can I ask what this is all about? I wasn’t aware there were that many Juireans on Wokan?”

“There are not. I am an exception. My name is Benefis Na.”

“From the white hair, I assume that’s
Overlord
Benefis Na?”

“Just Benefis Na, no title.”

“That’s unusual, isn’t it?”

“It is, yet I must repeat, relax. I will answer your questions once we reach our destination.”

Riyad met Sherri’s eyes, and he glanced down at her right side. Getting the message about her embedded telepathy device—with its ability to sever contacts within flash weapons, rendering them inert—she made a slight shake of her head. They were leaving the neighborhood of O-Pell Energy, and there were a lot of questions that had to be answered as to the Juirean’s involvement in the mission. They would bide their time.

Then Sherri would come to their rescue.

********

As far as Riyad could tell, all the energy weapons in the cab were Marix-Kliis Model Number 17’s, otherwise known as the ubiquitous MK-17. The company produced a variety of models, including 47’s and even 64’s. Yet the ‘17 was the most popular hand flash weapon in the galaxy. The Xan-Fi Consortium produced the longer-barrel rifles, and over a thousand years ago the two companies had come to a gentleman’s agreement not to infringe on the specialties of the other. So handguns were the purview of Marix-Kliis while rifles belonged to Xan-Fi.

MK Weapon Systems had been taken over centuries ago by various governments entities and individuals, so it was now a massive corporation with yearly profits equal to the entire gross national product of the planet Earth. Xan-Fi was smaller, but still a behemoth. When you supplied a galaxy with their weapons, that was to be expected.

Humans still preferred ballistic weapons, which only displayed their primitive nature to others throughout the galaxy. But whereas a power pack for an MK could supply five to 15 shots per charge, depending on the setting, magazines of twenty to two hundred rounds were common with Earth-manufactured weapons, and the range was considerable longer, since flash bolts had a nasty habit of dissipating over distance. Slowly, other species within the galaxy were beginning to buy into the superiority of the ballistic weapons—if they could handle the recoil. That was the primary drawback to such weapons. That plus the weight. Only certain creatures could accommodate both without shattering bone and cartilage.

But the one thing MK’s and Xan-Fi’s had in common was they all used fire control circuits designed and manufactured by the Formilians. As the undisputed wizards of electronics in the Milky Way galaxy, Arieel’s people not only ran the galactic internet in the form of the Library, but also the language database that filtered down to the translation bugs worn by every integrated species in the galaxy, and the control modules used in automatic doors, computers, navigation systems—just about everything.

Sherri’s embedded interface device was tuned to her brain waves. With a thought she could communicate with the unit, which could then link with any compatible electronic device in the area. She could command doors to open and close, lights to come on or off…and since the power packs for these weapons also contained control boards, she could command them to begin recycling, even with their discharge lines severed. As the charge built up with nowhere to go, the compact power modules would turn into miniature grenades. Riyad had noticed that many of the Defenders wore upwards of twenty such power packs on their bodies, which would create quite a mess if Sherri decided to go for broke…

Riyad had come to this point in his thoughts when the transport began to slow. He looked out the window as they approached a dilapidated building with a wide opening and about ten Defenders milling around outside. The cab entered; the sunlight cut off as a large metal door slid shut. They were inside a warehouse of some kind, along with a cadre of six more Defenders—at least those many were visible. Although these creatures weren’t wearing bandoliers, they still wore belts of MK power packs around their thick waists.

If the Juirean was curious why his captives weren’t displaying any trepidation—except for Arieel, whose eyes continually shifted from one threat to the next—he didn’t let on. He appeared calm and in complete control of the situation.

Riyad and Sherri knew better.

The doors to the cab were opened from the outside and the trio exited, along with the Juirean and his Defender. The cabbie remained in the transport, until a brilliant flash filled the interior. The prisoners looked sharply at the Juirean.

“He could talk, and that I couldn’t allow.” His tone and steely gaze conveyed a secondary message:
The same could happen to you, too.

But then he grinned. “Let us convene in a more comfortable setting. There is much to talk about.”

They were led into a musty-smelling living area with four huge broken and stained couches. The Juirean fell back into a couch and gestured to a large leather chair with tape across the torn arms. “Please sit. I have many questions for you.”

“As we have for you.”

“Then let us agree to share information. I assure you that at this point I am not your enemy.”

“Then what exactly are you?” Riyad asked. “You don’t look or act like any Juirean I’ve ever met before.”

“Because I am not.” Drinks were brought in and offered, even without the benefit of a blood sampling box. The Humans hesitated, while Arieel gleeful accepted hers and began to drink. “They are safe. I have your chemistry on file,” said the Juirean.

He drained his own glass before nodding to the attendant for another. “As I was saying, I am not like other Juireans. Yes, I was born by conventional methods and then raised in a surrogate unit. I was tested and then advanced to Overlord training. My hair was genetically altered and I even graduated with my rank. Yet I always felt different, not part of the family, if you will. I was more curious—or rebellious—as they called it. I eventually left the service and struck out on my own.” He took the second glass of intoxicant, but this time began to sip at it. “Since Juireans are not that welcome in your Union, and the Expansion frowns on deserters, I found sanctuary here in the Frontier. I now deal in, well, anything and everything that can turn me a profit.”

“So what do you want from us? We’re just passing through,” Sherri asked.

“That is what I intend to find out, Sherri Valentine.”

“I suppose the fact that you know our names should be a tip-off.”

“It should. However, even without receipt of my latest data stream, I would still know the three of you. You Humans are well known within the Juirean community—you and Adam Cain. Your race once ruled the Expansion from Juir, and it was Cain who made the now famous galaxy-wide announcement that you were relinquishing control and returning to the Far Arm. As his closest associates, you also shared in that moment, as well as the notoriety.”