Summary: Jimmy Kirk arrives on Tarsus IV in time for a planet- wide disaster. He and his companions must evade capture by Kodos' troops and free the colonists that have been condemned to death.
Disclaimer: Star Trek is owned by Paramount, Viacom and others; this is an original story that does not intend to infringe on their copyright. I only wrote it because I love Jim Kirk, and I've always wondered just what really happened on Tarsus IV.
Warnings: Lots of old fashioned action-adventure, innocent first love, kids in jeopardy, and more than my fair share of "Don't tell me, show me" errors because this is my first ever fiction effort.
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SUMMER CAMP by Syl Francis
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jimmy refused to look back. Ames had to make his own decision. Feelingextremely weary, Jimmy paused at the wood line, leaning against a tree. "You look like you just lost your last friend."
Jimmy turned, smiling to the sound of the voice. Amavia. "Not as long as you're still here," he replied shyly. Jimmy walked over, sitting down next to her.
Amavia smiled. Jimmy's bashful crush was so sweet. She felt abittersweet catch in the back of her throat whenever she looked at him. So young...so brave...so vulnerable...Not to mention looks to die for, she added ruefully. I wish I had eyelashes like those. He's going to break hearts across the galaxy, she thought. Starting with mine.
"How're you feeling?" Jimmy asked, concerned.
"Much better. Stobel found some plants with medicinal properties for Humans. He made a paste and bandaged my foot fairly securely. He comes by every hour or so with the tricorder and takes readings." Amavia laughed, raising a single eyebrow in imitation of their Vulcan friend. Now how come *she* can do the eyebrow thing? Jimmy wondered. "He finds the curative properties of the plant *fascinating*."
Jimmy noted that Amavia was wearing trousers, several sizes too large for her. Dropping her eyes in shame, she explained succinctly. "The dead don't need clothes." Jimmy nodded in understanding. He lay back, closing his eyes. "Would you have turned that soldier over to T'Shal?" Amavia asked quietly.
Jimmy opened his eyes, and looking directly into hers, replied enigmatically, "What do *you* think?"
Shaking her head, Amavia admitted, "I'm not sure, yet; the jury's still out on that one." Not answering, Jimmy closed his eyes again. "You've had quite a day, Jimmy. I suppose we all have."
"Yeah, my Mom warned me about days like these," Jimmy replied tiredly.
"Oh?"
"She warned me about living in interesting times. I didn't understand what she meant until today." Jimmy smiled, looking up at Amavia.
"I think I like your mother. She sounds a bit droll."
"Yep. That's my Mom, all right. Scientist, wife, and mother of two who does stand up comedy. Most of her best one-liners are usually at Sam's and my expense: 'Be careful what you ask for, you might get a son instead'."
"Oh, she never said that!"
"Scout's honor," Jimmy swore solemnly, holding up his hand in the time honored scout salute. "Then there's, 'By the time my youngest son has learned to take regular baths, my oldest grandchild will need to be shown how to properly wash behind the ears'." Laughing, Jimmy added, "She used that one as an ice-breaker during one of her lectures."
"She sounds terrific. I'd love to meet her. You said she's axenoagribiologist?"
"Yeah, she's pretty much got the position of premier scientist in her field locked in. Sam's getting his Ph.D. in the same area."
"That's what I'd like to study," Amavia said. "Non-Terran agriculture and biochemistry. How about you? Planning to follow in your Mom's footsteps, too?"
"*Heck* no! Are you *kidding*?" Jimmy rolled over on his side, shocked at the idea. "Why would I want to study the growing habits of an ear of alien corn when there's a whole *galaxy* waiting to be explored? I'm joining Starfleet like Dad. The next generation of starships are going to be built to go out on extended exploratory missions, maybe for as long as four or five years."
Jimmy leaned back, looking up dreamily at the canopy of trees overhead. "Just imagine: Boarding a starship, so large it can carry anywhere from three hundred and fifty to four hundred personnel, and not returning home again to Earth for five years." Jimmy closed his eyes, regretfully. "So many stars, so little time." Then, without looking up he spoke with a heartfelt conviction, "I'm going to pack as much space exploration as humanly possible into my lifetime."
Amavia watched him from her elevated position. His young face looked so innocent in repose, long lashes fanning out on his tanned, dirt-streaked cheeks. Remembering his mother's quote about bathing, she chuckled silently. Careful, Amy, she warned herself, he's only *fourteen*. As handsome as Adonis, I'll admit, but still, a fourteen-year-old Adonis. The right thing to do is not to encourage him. Think sisterly thoughts, Amavia resolutely added.
Amavia looked down at Jimmy again, noticing his deep, steady breathing. He's fallen asleep, poor kid. Probably exhausted. He's saved us all twice now, rescued me from that soldier, climbed a cliff's face, shot down an atmospheric fighter. All in a day's work. This is no ordinary fourteen-year-old, Amavia mused. Hell, he's no ordinary anybody.
Amavia looked up as Adam approached their location under the tree. Adam cocked his head inquiringly in Jimmy's direction. Amavia placed her finger to her lips. He's sleeping, she indicated. Adam nodded inunderstanding, and quietly walked away.
Jimmy had to be exhausted after his climb, Adam mused. He'd shown Adamthe trail leading up to the top of the plateau and had sent Soran, Stobel, and Thomas, who'd not been seriously injured when struck by the soldier earlier, up to investigate the damaged troop carrier. If there was a way for the carrier to be fixed, Jimmy wanted them to find it. Meanwhile, Adam checked on the progress of the foraging team.
With Garg dead now, Adam needed to ensure that someone in the group had assumed Garg's responsibilities. However, earlier that afternoon, prior to the ambush along the river, Garg had made a major discovery of an edible indigenous plant. It was almost too good to be true. The single plant had qualities similar to several Earth food plants: peas, spinach, celery, potatoes, and mushrooms.
Martha, a member of Garg's foraging team excitedly explained its many qualities to Adam. "Believe it or not, every part of this tall, leafy, pod-bearing plant, is edible except for the stem, and it even grows in vast quantities." Taking it apart section by section, Martha explained further, delighted in the treasure they'd found, "The pods are similar to peas, the leaves to spinach, and the tubers to celery. It's exceptionally hardy; Garg's tricorder scans show that it can probably grow in poor soil with little water. Better yet, it appears to be completely immune to the plant blight that has destroyed the cultivated food crop."
When Garg and his team had excitedly brought news of their discovery to Jimmy, he'd taken a sample from Garg, and studying the plant, demonstrated that he'd learned something from observing his mother's work all of his life. "It's similar to an Earth plant, the winged bean, I think," Jimmy explained. "Shares many of the same qualities with it. But this is definitely *not* a Terran plant."
Garg replied in his scrambled Terran, "Understand do I not. If edible indigenous plants this type has Tarsus Four, why government does not domesticate try to? If holovids remember accurately I, major Terran food crops corn and soybean are here grown."
"Yes, and not the genetically engineered variety developed for cultivation on alien soil," added Jimmy. It didn't make sense. "My Mom has always advocated that colonies conduct intensive studies of local flora to determine whether any might be domesticated for cultivation as a food crop. She's maintained that native plants have a greater immunity to local plant diseases and a greater chance of survival. She's done numerous studies that support her thesis that reliance on cultivation of native plants, stimulates soil nourishment, and leads to increases in local food production."
Jimmy's Mom, however, would be the first to admit that these methodsmight slow down a colony's ability to become self-sustaining and thusqualify for full membership in the Federation; on the other hand, it made better sense in the long run. Suspiciously, Tarsus IV had gained Federation membership in near record time; unfortunately, its current emergency only helped to strengthen his Mom's research. Garg's discovery could very well turn out to be not just the Science Campers' lifeline, but the entire world's.
As Adam approached the field kitchen they'd set up, he noted humorously that Martha and Molson were still quite busy experimenting with different ways of cooking the wonder plant: boiling, roasting, and simmering. So far, the leaves and roots had shown an added treat. When eaten raw, the leaves tasted like spinach; when cooked they had aflavoring closer to that of broccoli. The tubers also changed flavorwhen cooked. Raw, they tasted like celery; boiled in water, like potatoes. But the neatest discovery was, that roasted, the pods tasted like peanuts. It would make a great trail mix.
The only part of the plant that couldn't be eaten was the stalk, but even that was proving useful. Martha and Molson had quickly discovered that it was extremely fibrous, similar to hemp, a versatile Terran plant out of which sailors had once made ropes for use on their sailing vessels.
T'Shal's security detail had devised spears and were working on bows and arrows. The hemp-like stem from Garg's plant (Gee, maybe that's what we'll call it--Garg's plant, Adam thought) could be of use as bowstring. Furthermore, a couple of anglers amongst the Science Campers were proving quite adept at spear-fishing. Give us a seemingly unsolvable problem, and we'll find a seemingly improbable solution, Adam thought proudly. I'm beginning to sound like Jimmy: Don't settle for second place--change the rules.
"Adam!" It was Thomas, his head bandaged from the blow he'd received earlier. Good, maybe he's got something, Adam thought. "Soran and Stobel both think they can fix the carrier. We found the repair kit, so they're still up there trying to trace the damage. We found a few other things up there, too. Another tricorder, water barrels," Adam paused dramatically, holding out a heavy backpack, "some freeze-dried rations and a first aid kit. Soran and Stobel kept the tricorder to work on the carrier. Oh, yeah, there were a few other things, we can use, nylon ropes, hand communicators, flares."
"Great. You guys did a good job. Take the rations to Martha andMolson--maybe they can incorporate it into our meal--or save it asnecessary. Stobel should be given the first aid kit; he's had more training in that area than any of the rest of us."
"Where's our fearless leader?" Thomas asked ironically, looking around.
"Our fearless leader," began Adam sardonically, "is asleep fromexhaustion. And I intend to let the kid get as much rest as possible for a couple of hours. I think we can manage not to get ourselves killed or captured for that long, at least." Thomas had the grace to look abashed.
"Look," Thomas hurriedly interjected, "I didn't mean anything by that.Jimmy's been doing an outstanding job, and besides, who am I throw stones?"
Adam nodded, and not wanting to pursue the topic any further, turned to go. Thomas persisted, however. "You have to admit, though, it is a bit strange for a bunch of people our age following a kid barely out of grade school. I mean, we could've all been killed or captured during that last ambush."
Adam stopped and slowly turned back to face Thomas. "And I suppose we'd all be better off as hostages of Kodos, which, if memory serves, is where we'd all be, thanks to you, if Jimmy hadn't managed to help us all escape." Adam looked long and hard at Thomas, holding his eyes until Thomas looked away. "Your problem, Thomas, is that you're incapable of looking beyond Jimmy's age--something he has no control over. I recommend that you look instead at his leadership qualities-- something he's proven time and again to be better at than any of us."
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CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Bulging eyes, pleading for help. Open mouth gagging in its own blood. Soldiers running, chests exploding in mid-stride, pieces of flesh and blood spattering on his clothes, his hands crimson with the blood of the dead. His mother standing over him, her hands on her hips, shaking her head exasperatedly.
"Honestly, Jimmy, can't you ever manage to stay clean for longer than a few minutes? How am I going to get this blood out of your clothes now?"
"That's right, Squirt." Sam's voice! Jimmy turned quickly in thedirection he'd heard him. Sam appeared from the shadows. He was wearing the blue shirt Jimmy had given him for his last birthday. But there was something different--it was drenched in blood! Sam's chest had a gaping hole large enough to climb through. Jimmy could see all the way to the other side. "You'll never be able to wash the stain off now. You know what they say about killing your fellow man, your brother. The stain of Cain will always be with you, Jimmy. You killed me, Jimmy...me." Sam's voice slowly faded.
"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, Jimmy." Dad! "Do not kill unnecessarily. Sentient life is much too precious in this vast universe. Statistically speaking, it's so small in numbers, that the killing of even one sentient being diminishes us all. You've managed to turn off quite a few lights today, haven't you, son? What kind of a Starfleet officer are you going to be? I'm ashamed, Jimmy... ashamed."
"No, wait, Dad! I can explain! Please--let me explain! Sam! Mom! I'msorry! Dad!" Jimmy ran down a dark corridor calling out to his family. If only he could explain.
####
"Sam! Wait!" Jimmy called out thrashing.
"Jimmy, wake up! Jimmy, you're having a nightmare! Wake up!" Jimmy sat up, opening his eyes. It was a dream. Jimmy's heart was rapidly beating, pounding in his ears; his breath was coming in short, sharp gasps. Slowly, he calmed down, embarrassed. A nightmare, but it'd seemed so real.
"Are you all right?" It was Amavia. "That must've been some dream. Icouldn't wake you for several minutes."
Jimmy smiled painfully. "Yeah, thanks." He swallowed, then realizing he'd been asleep, he quickly looked at his wrist chronometer. "One hour! Why'd you let me sleep so long? We've gotta get outta here before Kodos' troops arrive!"
"Relax, Jimmy. Adam's got everything under control. We're almost ready to pull out soon. Soran and Stobel managed to fix the troop carrier. They say it'll be tight, but that all of us should fit. Now that our numbers are so greatly diminished," Amavia added sadly. Then, smiling, she said, "Martha and Molson have concocted something they're *calling* dinner for us--which is ready even as we speak--and I believe T'Shal has succeeded in making a few bows and arrows, and an odd number of spears for us all." She smiled sweetly. "So you see, you haven't missed anything. Here help me up. Adam said to make sure you ate something as soon as you woke."
Jimmy gave her an annoyed look.
"And don't give me that childishly petulant look, Jimmy Kirk. Fearlessleader you may be, but you still need to eat, and it's my assigned duty to ensure that you do. So, help me up."
Jimmy reached down for her, and carefully helped her to her feet. Henoticed that she was wearing crude sandals, apparently fashioned fromleather taken from someone's boots--the dead don't need boots, Jimmy thought. Survival was their first order of business. While he knew that killing those soldiers would always haunt him, Jimmy realized that he'd do it all over again, given the same set of circumstances.
So Jimmy followed Amavia, who could limp on her own now, after a fashion, to the food line that was forming around Martha and Molson. The two chefs were proudly serving the different dishes they'd prepared from Garg's Plants onto crude plates fashioned from large elephant ear-sized leaves. They were also serving small portions of fresh water trout. (At least, the Science Campers were diplomatically calling the strange two-headed fish they'd speared, trout.) Martha was talking enthusiastically, extolling the virtues of their first meal as refugees.
"I really think you're going to like this. Eric experimented with a variety of herbs for spices, and we've cooked the GP's--Garg's Plants--at various temperatures and with different methods. Tell us what you think!"
The Science Campers closely inspected their dinners with sundry stagesof suspicion, but soon hunger overcame their reticence, and they werequickly wolfing down their meals. Jimmy's initial reluctance quicklygave way to unabashed enthusiasm. Martha was right--it *was* good!
The boiled GP tuber was served mashed, and with Molson's herbs made a fair imitation of mashed potatoes; the roasted GP tuber tasted like-- he couldn't believe it--like mushrooms! The pods were almost identical to Terran peas, one of his favorite vegetables. Martha had also included uncooked GP leaves as a side salad. And, of course, the non-vegetarians were served a small portion of deliciously spicedtrout.
Adam stood up in the crowd and called for attention. "Everyone, listen up! I'd like to take a few minutes to thank the foraging party for the excellent job they've done. The discovery of Garg's Plant is going to be a life-saver for us! Let's give a round of applause to Martha andMolson, for this delicious meal that they've somehow managed to prepare for us this afternoon."
The others applauded enthusiastically.
"Finally, I think we should take a moment to reflect on our friends who are no longer with us, and also, to give thanks in our own individual way, for our good fortune today--in not only escaping capture twice, but also, in finding water, food, and a means of transportation." Adam and the rest of the Science Campers all solemnly bowed their heads. Then, looking at Jimmy sitting towards the back, Adam smiled before continuing. "Okay, everybody. Eat up. We leave our newfound home in twenty minutes."
The others silently acknowledged the news by turning back to their food. As long as they were of use to Kodos, they would be hunted down. Every minute they remained, they risked capture, but Jimmy and Adam knew that they'd all been through hell and back that day. They needed this time to recoup their losses, to regain their strength, and their spirits. Their near capture and the deaths of Garg, Shoji, and Toby, as well as, Julie and Mike, weighed heavily on each of them, but they knew that they had to go on, otherwise their companions' deaths would prove meaningless.
####
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
A moonless night. Stars so brilliant Jimmy felt he could reach out and grasp them. The night sky was altered slightly, as if the constellations he'd known since childhood, old friends really, had suddenly taken to wearing their hair differently. They were still the same stars, but it took him a while to recognize them. Then, just like a friend who's been playing a trick all along, they seemed to jump out and yell, "Surprise!"
Their first night on Tarsus IV, Jimmy, Adam, and Amavia had tried toseek out the planet's equivalent of the North Star. After several fits and starts, they'd finally pinpointed a star whose rotation, while not directly over the north pole, was less than a degree off the axis. The Science Campers now had to use this primitive form of astral navigation to maintain an approximate westerly direction. While Soran and Stobel had been able to repair the anti-grav unit, the navigational computer was destroyed beyond repair.
When they reached the armored personnel carrier, Jimmy experienced a momentary second of panic as he realized that he didn't know if anyone was qualified to fly it. He, himself, had experience with the anti-grav agricombines back on the farm, but an APC? That was a bit beyond his skills--heck, he wasn't even old enough to have a license for a civilian ground vehicle, yet. Standing at the top of the plateau, looking at their unexpected means of transportation, Jimmy suddenly froze in his tracks, wanting to die in place.
"I can't believe it," Jimmy said dazedly.
"Can't believe what, Jimmy?" It was Adam, standing behind him.
"I never asked anyone if they could fly the thing," Jimmy said as if to himself. "I can't believe I never thought of that."
Adam strained his eyes in the direction of Jimmy's voice. Jimmy's outline was barely discernable in the near total darkness, his light hair occasionally catching glints of starlight. "Oh, that's under control, of course," Adam said nonchalantly.
"Huh?"
"Hey, don't act so surprised, or I'll begin to feel insulted," Adam protested. "A good second in command knows how to anticipate his leader, right?" Adam asked. "Right!" He answered before Jimmy could speak up. "So, I've just learned to anticipate your commands."
At that moment, Jimmy heard the anti-grav generators begin their slow power up to GO Status. "So who's the pilot?" Jimmy asked curiously as he and Adam watched the loading of their equipment into the APC's several cargo holds.
"Thomas Layton," Adam replied casually.
"*Who*?"
"I said, Thomas Layton is the only one amongst us who has had any flying experience. So we hardly have much choice, right?"
Nodding in ironic agreement, tempered somewhat with relief, Jimmy jerked his head towards the transport, "Shall we?"
"After you...*Captain* Kirk," Adam returned, giving Jimmy a mock salute.
"One day, you'll say those words in fact," Jimmy smiled warningly,turning to enter the vehicle.
"Of that, you can be sure," Adam muttered.
####
"Time check." Jimmy spoke from behind the co-pilot's seat.
"Twenty-three-fifty hours." Amavia replied instantly. "We've traveled approximately--"
"--Two-five-zero land kilometers." Soran and Stobel in stereo.
"Acknowledged. Pilot, commence landing procedures." Jimmy automatically fell into in the military language that had been a natural part of his entire young life.
"Landing procedures, aye," responded Thomas.
Jimmy and Adam had decided to avoid crossing the central continent'smountainous region that night. Without navigational beams to guide them through this treacherous sector, they could easily end up splattered across the side of a rocky slope. They'd estimated the mountains to lie approximately 300 kilometers from their starting point on top of the plateau; however, they couldn't be sure about the exact distance. Therefore, they'd allowed themselves a safety factor. They hoped.
Thomas initiated the retros. The APC began to slow, maintaining itsaltitude. Eventually the Science Campers felt themselves hovering in mid-air, neither moving forwards nor back. Gently, Thomas coaxed the APC into a flat descending angle.
"Altimeter," Thomas called out.
"Two hundred meters and falling," replied Adam from the co-pilot seat.
"Report in twenty-five meter intervals."
"Two-five meter intervals, aye... one-seven-five...one-five-zero... one-two-five...."
When the altitude reached fifty meters, Thomas slowed the descent. "Report five meter intervals."
"Five meter intervals, aye," came Adam's automatic response. "Four-five...four-zero...three-five...." At thirty-five meters, Thomas stopped the descent.
"Maintaining station at three-five meters," Thomas reported.
"Acknowledged," Jimmy responded. This was the dangerous part. They all waited for Jimmy to give the next command.
"Open hatch." Jimmy's quiet, confident voice spoke from behind Thomas. This kid is one cool customer, Thomas thought admiringly.
"Open hatch, aye," answered Ames. They felt the sudden gust of cold air as it displaced the interior atmosphere.
"Drop ropes," Jimmy ordered.
"Drop ropes, aye." Garcia.
Ames and Garcia turned to face Jimmy. "Ready!" They reported in unison.
"Very well. Ames, Garcia, prepare to drop."
"Prepare to drop, aye!"
Facing one another as if they'd been rappelling all of their lives, they each took their non-braking hand, and, with a satisfying click, hooked themselves to their line. Then, slowly, carefully, both steppedbackwards to the lip of the open hatch, standing on their tiptoes. Jimmy, crouching on his haunches, just inside, held his hands out in front of him: his right hand was closed in a fist; the left, he held palm out, indicating *wait*.
Jimmy watched Ames and Garcia as they continued to lower their bodies into what looked like a sitting position. They were straining against the constant buffeting from the outside winds.
Jimmy noted Ames' face was scrunched in a tight grimace. Garcia, on the other hand, looked like he'd stepped out for a stroll. The big guydoesn't know the meaning of fear, Jimmy thought, shivering slightly. Of course, he added facetiously, Garcia doesn't seem to know the meaning of most words; but then, he almost never talks.
When the two achieved the appropriate position, Jimmy began counting with the fingers of his left hand. Reaching *three*, he pointed sharply at the two youngsters who'd been hanging so precariously, and called out, "Drop!"
"Drop, aye!" They called out in unison; then, their voices carrying atinge of ironic humor, added, "We Thank You, Sir!"
They immediately released their hold and dropped into the black abyss.
"Time check," Jimmy called.
"Zero-zero-two-three hours," answered Amavia.
After a seeming eternity, a clear voice cut in over audio, "Rover One to Resolute, over." It was Ames. The Science Campers had selected the name Resolute for their vessel, because of their personal resolve to do everything in their power to deny Kodos any further success inimplementing his Enlightened Proclamations.
"Resolute, over," Adam replied from the comm-console.
"Rover One and Two at touchdown. No LZ in vicinity. Must proceed as planned, over."
"Acknowledged, Rover One. Proceed with mission. Resolute, out."
Ames and Garcia had both landed safely; however, there was no safe LZ, or landing zone, for the Resolute in the immediate vicinity. Ames had just requested and been given permission to scout the area for one.
Jimmy gave a quick nod to Molson, who pressed the rope pulley generator's "on" button. Instantly, it began to retrieve both rappelling lines. The lines recovered, Molson closed the hatch.
Now, we wait, thought Jimmy.
Ames and Garcia had volunteered to scout for a safe LZ. Without sensors, attempting to land at night, was as foolish as trying to cross the mountains; therefore, a ground reconnaissance had become necessary. Jimmy initially wanted to conduct it personally, but was instantly overruled by the others.
"You can't do everything yourself, Jimmy, you know that," Adam insisted.
"You've got to trust us to help, Jimmy, to take on some of theresponsibility," added Amavia.
"A good leader knows when to delegate, and to trust his people to dotheir jobs." This was Thomas. "I didn't trust others, when they told me I was making a mistake; thought I knew it all. That's one lesson we paid heavily for, Jimmy. I'm still trying to make up for it."
Jimmy looked pensively out at the darkness through the armored windows. They'd all been right, he thought ruefully. If they were all to survive, then he had to trust everyone to take part in the operation. "All right, people, it's gonna be a long night. Get some sleep while you can." Not waiting for a response Jimmy turned to Thomas and Adam.
"Thomas, you're probably the most important person on this ship; therefore, it goes without saying that you need to get all the sleep possible. Can you put her on auto-pilot?" Thomas, not missing Jimmy's referring to the Resolute as "her," nodded affirmatively. "Good. Adam and I will switch off monitoring the comms and the auto-pilot. Trust me, if I even *think* something's wrong, I'll wake you."
Thomas smiled his acquiescence. Adam was right; Jimmy's leadershipqualities far outweighed his relative youth. I sometimes wonder if he's really a forty-year-old midget disguised as a kid, Thomas mused. Anyway, I was right in my earlier assessment: The kid's about as helpless as a viper. I just didn't understand what that meant--if I had, I probably *never* would've made that stupid call to Kodos.
Jimmy turned to Adam. "First or second watch?"
"I'm really wound up, Jimmy. I'll take the first watch. What do you say I wake you at zero-three-hundred hours?"
"zero-three-hundred hours, aye," Jimmy returned smiling. "Good night, Thomas, Adam."
"Good night, Chief," Adam and Thomas called out simultaneously; since they'd said it spontaneously, it caused them both to break into a fit of giggles. As Jimmy headed towards the back, he could hear one or the other suddenly burst into a short fit of laughter. Shaking his head, Jimmy thought only about getting a few hours sleep. It was going to be a long day today.
####
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
"Jimmy."
Jimmy turned towards the sound of his name. Amavia. She was curled on the floor, her back to the starboard bulkhead, his denim jacket (She still has it, Jimmy noted feeling oddly pleased.) wrapped backwards-front, sort of blanket style. Amavia jerked her head slightly, indicating he join her. Feeling suddenly shy, Jimmy carefully picked his way towards her, through the mass of Science Campers strewn haphazardly across the cold, metallic deck.
"Hi," she greeted; her smile visible in the subdued interior lighting.Gosh, she's beautiful, Jimmy thought, awed.
"Hi," Jimmy returned shyly, feeling suddenly like a hayseed farm boy. "How's the foot?" They were whispering so as not disturb the others.
"Oh, much better. I'm afraid that if Stobel doesn't stop putting that stuff on me every few hours, I'm going to grow another one!"
"That's good," Jimmy replied smiling. "I'd rather see you grow a third, healthy foot, than lose one."
"That's a happy thought," Amavia said ironically. "Thanks."
"I'm here to serve, Lady Amavia."
"Don't be silly," she giggled. "Please, call me Amy." At his questioning look, she explained, "*Amavia* was my mother's idea. Her favorite poem was The Faerie Queene. Daddy, thankfully, shortened it to Amy almost since the day I got stuck with it."
Jimmy studied her profile in the dim light. "Amy," he said, trying it out. "It suits you. Sort of...spunky." She flashed him an outraged look. "High-spirited? Vivacious? Fiery? Hey, help me out here," he pleaded, laughing softly.
Amavia's face softened into a warm smile. "You're really very sweet, Jimmy," she said gently, turning to face him. He was looking directly at her. Their eyes caught and held for an eternal second. They both looked away quickly.
"So your mother likes Spencer," Jimmy began casually, picking imaginary lint off his trousers.
"Excuse me?" Amavia couldn't believe the conflicting emotions that were coursing through her. This was impossible. She was almost *eighteen* for goodness sake. She was starting college in the fall. If they lived. Jimmy was *younger* than her baby brother. I'm the adult here, she thought. Well, the closest to an adult, anyway. I've got to keep a cool head. God, if only he weren't so beautiful...so brave. He's probably more man at fourteen, than a lot of the jerks I know back home will be at twice that.
"I asked whether your Mom liked Spencer," Jimmy's voice penetrated her jumbled thoughts.
"Spencer?"
"Edmund Spencer, the author of The Faerie Queene. She must really like him to have named you after one of his heroines."
"Oh, *that* Edmund Spencer...uh, no, not really...what I mean is that she liked Faerie Queene, but not much else by him." Feeling comfortable with what was essentially a safe topic she relaxed in the presence of Jimmy's green-flecked hazel eyes. How do they change color? she wondered. She heard herself still talking, "Mom's into theliterature of the Earth's Renaissance Period. Or, at least, she waswhile she was expecting me."
Jimmy nodded in understanding.
"My Mom sort of forced Sam and me to read Shakespeare from the time we were kids. I used to rebel, and threaten that I was gonna tell Dad that she was forcing us to read stories about murder and incest--" he paused amused, "--that was her *Hamlet* phase--but then she took us to a live performance of Henry the Fifth in Davenport. I was permanently hooked."
"At least you weren't named Mercutio or Petruchio," Amavia retorted.
"True, and I thank God that she didn't name Sam, Othello and me, Iago."
"How about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?"
"I'm convinced! Being named after my Granddad may seem a little pedestrian, but it's safer than letting Mom choose from a couple thousand years of literary possibilities."
"Tell me," Amavia said feelingly. "Anyway, I finally got around to reading Faerie Queene...you know, just to see what all the fuss was about. Have you read it?" Jimmy shook his head no. "You wouldn't believe it. The Lady Amavia first appears in the first Canto of Book Two. She's *dead* by the end of the canto. Can you believe that--dead in sixty-one stanzas--I counted!"
Jimmy smiled at her ironic tone. Then noticing her sudden stillness, he turned to her, feeling concerned. Amavia's head was cast down, hercountenance immeasurably saddened. Not understanding her rapid mood change he asked, "What's wrong?"
Amavia shook her head, lifting her eyes slowly to match his open, direct gaze. "I just want you to know how grateful I am, Jimmy, how grateful I'll always be, that you didn't let me die in the first canto in only sixty-one stanzas." Reaching out with her right hand, Amavia carefully placed it on his left cheek, gently drawing him to her. She kissed him softly, an ethereal touch of moonlight on his lips.
It happened so quickly, her touch was so light, it seemed almost unreal. Jimmy was unsure if it had really happened. No, he amended, he was unsure of *what* had happened. Amavia adjusted her position and leaned against him, sighing contentedly, her head on his shoulder. Cautiously, his emotions in a state of turmoil, Jimmy placed his arm around her, holding her to him, his chin on her head. In this position, they both soon fell asleep.
####
CHAPTER NINETEEN
"Jimmy." A hand on his shoulder. Jimmy woke with a start, his eyessnapping open. Adam. "It's zero-three-hundred." Time for his watch. Jimmy brought his left hand up to his eyes, rubbing them. Would he ever be able to get enough sleep again? Coming slowly to awareness, his body began sending out damage reports from each quadrant.
Neck: stiff. (From leaning on the bulkhead at an odd angle.) Arms: throbbing pain. (From climbing sixty-foot cliffs.) Shoulders: same. (From slamming into soldiers, and other immovable objects.) Legs: asleep. (Great. That's *all* I need.)
Jimmy looked down. He felt momentarily confused. Amavia? Suddenly remembering what had transpired between them, his face flushed furiously. Apparently, Amavia had shifted down during the night, eventually resting her head on his lap, her left hand holding his right.
Jimmy looked down at her. She seemed at peace, her face relaxed insleep, her short hair tousled across her eyes. Jimmy carefully reachedwith his left hand and gently pushed her hair behind her ear. Then,remembering Adam, he looked up, appalled, expecting derision; instead, he saw compassion. Jimmy quickly looked away, deeply self-conscious. Now wasn't the time. He had to take over the watch.
Slowly, carefully, Jimmy extricated himself from Amavia. His leg wouldstart its excruciating tingling in a few seconds he knew. He gently lay Amavia's head on the deck, feeling strangely guilty. Limping towards the front, Jimmy eased himself into the co-pilot's seat.
"Report," Jimmy requested in a low voice.
"Rover Two last reported in at zero-two-forty-five hours. He says they're checking what lies over a rise; they're not sure, but it looks like the tree line is thinning there. They're hopeful they'll find a clearing soon." Jimmy nodded. "Rover One or Rover Two report in every quarter hour. Taking turns, I guess. Anyway, they haven't missed a commcheck all night." Adam smiled tiredly. "End of report."
Jimmy nodded. "Thanks, Adam. Get some sleep."
Nodding, Adam called a quiet, "Good night."
Jimmy checked his wrist chronometer. Zero-three-twelve hours. Three minutes before the next commcheck was due. Jimmy had little to do in the meanwhile; he checked the auto-pilot, its green light glowing steadily. Okay, auto-pilot is green. Wow, brilliant deduction. On the other hand, the navigation computer is still a useless piece of slag--thanks to you, Jimmy-boy. You couldn't have disabled, say the chemical toilet, or the air recycler--two luxuries we can live without--nooo-oo-o, you disable the navigation computer. His self-chastisement was suddenly interrupted by Rover One.
"Resolute. Rover One. Over." Gee, the comms shorthand has gotten even shorter, Jimmy thought. He quickly flipped the transmit switch on the communications console.
"Rover One. Resolute. Over."
"We have a go for LZ. Repeat. Go for LZ. Over."
"Acknowledged. You have a go for LZ. Send coordinates. Over."
"Heading. Five-Zero degrees from ground zero. Three-point-four-two klicks true. Over." Ground zero was the spot where Ames and Garcia had landed, directly below. Their location was being measured in direct relation to this spot, both away and towards. Therefore, the landing zone they'd found was located in a compass direction of fifty degrees and a distance of three point forty-two kilometers from where Resolute hovered in mid-air.
"Roger. Read back. Five-zero degrees from ground zero. Three-point-four-two klicks true. Over."
"Correct. Zero-five standard minutes for flares. Over."
"Roger. Zero-five standard minutes. Good work, Rover. Resolute out." Ames and Garcia would be marking the LZ in five minutes with flares. They needed to begin moving in the appropriate heading immediately, because the flares had a burn time of less than one minute.
Jimmy turned to the pilot's seat, shaking Thomas awake. Waking instantly, Thomas sat up, rubbed his eyes, and began his systems check. Jimmy read him the heading and distance, then stood up, heading towards the rear to wake the rest.
"Saddle up, people! Rover One reports a go for LZ! Flares in less than five minutes!" The rest of the Science Campers quickly came to wakefulness. The atmosphere onboard the Resolute became electrified. At last! They didn't know if they were approaching a place of refuge or another temporary rest stop, but at least they'd be on the ground again. Somehow that made them feel better.
Thomas called good-naturedly from up front. "You'd better all hold on to something, people. I'm pretty good at flying; I'm not too sure about landing!" The others laughed nervously, nonetheless grabbing onto solid handholds. Adam and Jimmy returned to their positions up front, Adam on the co-pilot's seat, Jimmy in the jump seat immediately behind him.
"Everyone, keep your eyes peeled! Time to flares--" Jimmy checked his chronometer, "--forty-five seconds!" The Campers in the back dutifully craned their necks, looking out the transport windows.
"Approaching LZ coordinates," Thomas reported.
"There!" Adam called pointing. "A flare!" Jimmy and Thomas looked in the direction Adam had indicated. Thomas made a minimal adjustment to the helm, and began heading directly towards the flare. The first flare was soon joined with a second and a third. Thomas pulled back on the Resolute's forward momentum, slowing her approach until she was directly over the LZ.
"LZ coordinates," Thomas reported unnecessarily.
"Proceed with landing at your discretion," Jimmy replied "Landing procedures, aye." The Resolute responded to Thomas' sure and gentle handling, descending back to Tarsus. "Report five meter intervals."
"Five meter intervals, aye," acknowledged Adam. "Three-five...three-zero...two-five ..." Adam droned, "...ten... five ..." Thomas brought the anti-gravs to full stop; the Resolute, still under the anti-grav safety envelope that remained for a few seconds even after they were shut, drifted slowly, gently to a stop. "...Zero," read out Adam smiling.
"Great work, Thomas," Jimmy said, reaching his hand over, and gripping the older boy's shoulder with real feeling. Turning to Adam, he said, "Let's get 'em all out of here. We've got to scout the area for shelter." Adam nodded, quickly standing, slightly stooped, and hurried towards the back.
"All right! Molson, T'Shal! Open the rear hatch! Soran, Stobel, cover them. The rest of you, grab your gear--we're going for a little walk!" The others snapped to, used to the quasi-military organization they had willingly adopted for the duration.
"Thomas," Jimmy asked shyly, "if we have the luxury of time, think you can teach the rest of us how to fly this thing? Dad's shown me a lot of hand-to-hand and weapons training, and we've done some real sailing--you know, no engines allowed--but, we've never done any flying, either in a simulator or for real."
"Well, since the student is bright and shows great potential," Thomas said teasingly, "I take up the challenge with great pleasure. Of course, I must warn you, we only have this one vessel. A training accident will render us all afoot instantaneously."
Jimmy, suddenly all boy, bopped Thomas on the back of his head--as natural an act as one of the million or so play fights he'd had with Sam.
"Hey! No fair! I wasn't looking!" Thomas protested, turning around suddenly, and giving Jimmy his most sincere smile since their arrival at Science Camp; Thomas sounded so painfully like Sam did whenever his little brother launched a sneak attack, that Jimmy felt his throat catch for a second.
Seeing Thomas' obvious confusion at his reaction, Jimmy's face suddenly metamorphosed into one of the unabashed brilliant smiles that he seemed to instantly change into whenever something totally exceptional happened that pleased him. No one who fell under its spell could remain unaffected. Thomas found himself responding in kind.
"Come on, boss," Thomas said standing, "we've got a little walk to take." As they headed out the back hatchway, Thomas found himself automatically placing his arm around Jimmy's shoulder, something he'd seen Adam do earlier. What is it about this kid that makes us all want to follow him and, yet, protect him at the same time? he wondered. If his presence is this powerful at fourteen, what's he going to be like in twenty years? Thomas shook his head.
####
CHAPTER TWENTY
The search went incredibly slow even with tricorders. They hadred-filtered hand-lights, but the beams, by necessity, were limited;after Jimmy had been slapped in the face with a tree branch for the sixth time, he called a momentary rest halt. This one had hit him in the eye. While the others in his scouting party rested tiredly, Jimmy had Stobel look it over.
"There seems to be no damage, except perhaps minimal bruising. Someforeign matter. There will undoubtedly be some swelling for a day or so. Let me do what I can for now." In a no nonsense, business-like manner, Stobel poured water from his canteen directly onto Jimmy's eye, flushing out the foreign material. Then, taking out the first aid kit, he removed a white roll of bandages and proceeded to bind Jimmy's swiftly swelling eye.
"Hey, I thought you said there'd be no damage. What do I need a bandage for?" Jimmy protested.
"I said there *appeared* to be no damage. Under these primitive conditions, I cannot be more certain. Until we return to the Resolute, I recommend the bandage as a precaution."
"All right," Jimmy said, reluctantly giving in.
"Rover Two to Rover Leader, over." Adam's team.
"Rover Leader Tango, over." Thomas, acting as Jimmy's second.
"Rover Leader Tango. We have a go on HQ. Repeat we have a go on HQ. How copy." Adam was reporting that they had found shelter; furthermore, by designating the find as HQ, he was implying that it could make a permanent headquarters.
"Acknowledged, Rover Two. You have a go on HQ. Send coordinates."
"Coordinates follow. From LZ. Heading one-six-zero degrees. Distance two-point-two-five klicks." From the landing zone, on a heading of one hundred sixty degrees, at a distance of two and a quarter kilometers.
"Acknowledged. Will rendezvous at soonest. Rover Leader Tango out." Thomas walked over to where Jimmy was being expertly bandaged (unnecessarily tightly, in Jimmy's opinion) by Stobel.
"Ouch! Hey! Take it easy!" Jimmy protested loudly. "That's my eye there--I'd like to keep that minimal damage, *minimal*."
Stobel raised a single eyebrow. Humans! He had witnessed this one's unquestionable bravery, coolness under fire, and maturity in the face of great adversity; yet, he complained just like a Human child half his age. Stobel hoped to study the art of healing at the Vulcan Science Academy and then pursue additional studies on Earth. He was most curious about this volatile species, and wished to study them further under closer scrutiny.
"I am finished," Stobel informed Jimmy somewhat ironically.
"Thanks," Jimmy returned. Boy, this is tight! Great. Now I feel aheadache coming on--in addition to the throbbing in my eye. Good thingSam isn't here. He'd be making one of his short people jokes. If you were a normal height, Squirt, the branch would've hit you on the chest. It's not fair. He gets Dad's name *and* his height. I get to look like Mom--lucky me.
When Thomas saw that Jimmy was finally free of Stobel's ministrations, he reported Rover Two's finding.
"Great," Jimmy replied, "let's go look at our new home." ####
The location was everything Adam had implied. Nestled in a secluded forested area, located along the foothills that ran in tandem near the central continent's mountain range, Adam's scouting party had discovered a series of caves that had been formed by millions of years of water erosion. It would accommodate all of them easily--and then some! There was much to do before any of them could get any rest, however; the Science Campers would have to work, exhausted, through the night.
First things first. They had to get the Resolute under cover. Using the energy weapons with scalpel-like accuracy, Soran, Stobel, and T'Shal cut a swath through the forest near the cave, carefully ensuring that it maintained an adequate amount of overhead cover.
Thomas, with Molson assisting, recovered the Resolute from the LZ,flying it to their new HQ. Jimmy, Adam, Ames, and Garcia stood in front of the newly cut break, each at a different compass point, carefully holding red-filtered hand-lights, the beams pointing straight up. Together, they safely guided Thomas into the tight spot. Thomas expertly brought the Resolute down, hovering at a one meter altitude. Jimmy and the others then each took a corner of the craft and steered it to its new hiding place inside the tree line.
"Okay, careful, now!" Jimmy warned. "She may be weightless, but her mass can easily take down one of these trees!"
"Not to mention one of us," Adam added.
Reaching a tree previously blazed by Soran's tree-clearing team, Jimmy called out, "I think that does it! Adam, check the back. See if she's all the way in under tree cover."
"We're good back here, Jimmy!" Adam called from behind the Resolute.
"Good. Okay, everyone stand clear!" Jimmy ordered, taking five steps backwards. Then to verify everybody was at a safe distance from the Resolute he called out, "Sound off! Ames!"
"Clear!" "Garcia!" "Clear!" "Adam!" "Clear!"
"Acknowledged. All clear!" Jimmy turned to Thomas who was waiting patiently inside the Resolute. Using his hand-light, Jimmy quickly flashed the red-filtered light three times to indicate that it was safe to land the APC.
Thomas quickly complied, turning off the anti-grav generators, allowing the Resolute to slowly sink back to the ground. Jimmy watch admiringly. I've *got* to learn to do that. Maybe...if we ever have the time.
Less than an hour later, as the sun's first rays broke through the eastern horizon, the seventeen remaining Science Campers, exhausted from the night's activities and lack of sleep, caught their first realglimpse of the fairy tale castle that they were about to turn into their new home.
Amavia stepped outside of the cave entrance and gasped in delight. Theminuscule waterfall she'd heard trickling all night while she and theothers worked unloading the APC and stowing their gear inside the cave, was haloed by a pixie-sized rainbow mysteriously conjured when the sun waved its magician's wand over the surrounding mists, enchantingly transforming the water droplets into the dawn's coat of many colors.
Jimmy joined her, and also stood transfixed. The morning's magic was ethereal; as young scientists, they knew the real reasons for the effect they were viewing. As youngsters, who had seen more ugliness in the past few days than most people saw in a lifetime, they felt enthralled by this picturesque vista, drinking it in with solemn appreciation.
"Drink to me only with thine eyes," quoted Adam who'd quietly joinedthem.
"Adam, when you reported you found an HQ--well, you sure did!" Jimmylamely thanked Adam.
"I'd almost forgotten this planet had any beauty in it." They all turned to the speaker--Martha--Thomas standing behind her, holding her closely. "I was beginning to hate it. Hate all of it."
"It is not logical to hate a planet." Soran, of course. The otherslooked at him. Oh, yeah? their eyes said. "Of course, under the current circumstances, it is understandable if one should react illogically."
Jimmy's eyes softened into a gentle, teasing smile. "Are you saying that by reacting illogically, we're actually responding in a logical manner?" he asked straight-faced.
"That is correct," Soran replied, unperturbed.
Jimmy nodded his understanding, "I see." Smiling, he turned away, shaking his head. Vulcans. Just when you think you understand them, they say something so...Human.
The delicate, multi-colored light show lasted a few more delightful minutes, slowly coalescing into a crystal clear silvery waterfall, as Tarsus IV's sun rose a few more degrees above the horizon. The waterfall emptied into a deep pool, with water so clear, Jimmy could actually see the sandy bottom. Stobel walked over to the pool's edge, and taking a sample, ran a tricorder reading on it.
"No micro-organisms, no known bacteria. Potable," Stobel reported. "The waterfall is a source of safe and clean drinking water."
"That's one problem solved for us," Adam said thankfully.
"Yeah," agreed Jimmy. "But we now have to do the foraging thing again, not to mention set up latrines, shower points, sleeping areas--the usual camping stuff."
"We still have enough rations for at least six more meals, Jimmy," Martha said. "Eight if we're really careful. A lot of the GPs we harvested at the other site are stored in the Resolute's refrigeration compartment. We also have the emergency rations salvaged from the vehicle. I know we still have to forage, but at least we don't have to do it right now." "Thanks, Martha. That's good to know," Jimmy said tiredly. "I think that we all should get some sleep. As tired as we are, we're going to be losing effectiveness soon."
"I agree, Jimmy," Adam replied yawning. He hadn't had any sleep at all the night before. As soon as his watch had ended, the reconnaissance patrol had found the LZ. Then they'd searched almost all night for shelter. Once they found it, instead of going to sleep like sensible people, they'd worked the rest of the night, hiding the APC, and unloading it.
"I agree as well." Soran. "Humans must have regular rest periods in order to remain proficient. Vulcans, fortunately, may go much longer without sleep. It is logical that Stobel and I stand watch while the rest of you sleep."
Stobel stepped in. "I agree. It is quite logical. Soran or I can also scan the immediate vicinity for food plants."
T'Shal joined the discussion, his antennae forward in his "at ready" position, his sapphire eyes blazing with intensity. No pacifist Vulcans were going to stand watch while an Andorian warrior slept. "I will stand watch, with these peace lovers, Jimmy," T'Shal whispered, his feral grin fiercely proud. "Andorian warriors do not rest once blood oath has been sworn against the enemy."
"Well, I don't need *everybody* staying up trying to one up each other. I need someone to stand watch, and to monitor the Resolute'scommunications to listen for any news regarding the rest of the Science Campers, but I don't need all three of you."
"I shall monitor the communications, Jimmy," T'Shal insisted. "I amchief of security, after all. It would be negligent of me to eschew myassigned duties."
Jimmy was too drained to argue. If they wanted to stay up, so be it. He was going to get some sleep.
"All right. Divide up the duties amongst yourselves. It's now--" helooked at his wrist chronometer, "--zero-six-two-three hours. Wake the company at thirteen-hundred. That will give us at least six hours of uninterrupted sleep. Of course, if anything unusual happens--like say, the Enlightened Patrol shows up--wake us, okay? I don't want T'Shal here to have *all* the fun!"
The other tired humans laughed at this last. Like Jimmy, they were too worn to argue or to think of any good reasons why the two Vulcans and Andorrian shouldn't all stand watch together.
"Good night," Jimmy said to the others and headed into the cave. The others followed him inside. Before long, Jimmy could hear the sounds of people settling in and the soft murmur of quiet "good nights." Soon, the low timbre of regular breathing echoed peacefully through the chamber as everyone finally fell into a deep exhausted sleep. ####
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
"Jimmy."
A firm hand on his shoulder. Jimmy turned away, protesting, "Just a few more minutes, Mom."
"Jimmy." More insistent. The grip on his shoulder tighter. Not Mom.
"Sam?" Jimmy asked groggily, confused.
"No--T'Shal." Jimmy's eyes opened, blearily. T'Shal?
"T'Shal? What time is it?" Surely he hadn't slept six hours already.
"It is eleven-twelve hours. I am sorry to disturb your sleep period, Jimmy," T'Shal apologized, "but I believe you should hear this."
Jimmy sat up slowly, awake, but just barely. He stood, a bit painfully from sleeping on the hard cave floor, still a little groggy, yet awake enough to know something was seriously wrong. T'Shal was not prone to exaggeration. Jimmy followed him to the Resolute. Soran was standing just inside the hatch, obviously listening to something within. Entering the APC, Jimmy and T'Shal went forward to the comms-console.
"All right. What is it? What am I supposedly listening to?"
T'Shal made some minimum adjustments to the comms-channels, activated the re-play mode, then put the signal on audio:
******************************* "The revolution is successful, but survival depends on drastic measures. Your continued existence represents a threat to the well-being of society. Your lives mean slow death to the more valuable members of the colony. Therefore, I have no alternative but to sentence you to death. Your execution is so ordered. Signed Kodos, Governor of Tarsus Four."*******************************
"This announcement has been playing every hour," T'Shal explained to Jimmy. "Governor Kodos has just ordered the execution of two hundred people. Kodos apparently has been killing two hundred people--men, women, children--sick, young, old--entire families in some cases-- every hour since around zero-six-hundred this morning. I would have called you sooner, but I did not begin monitoring this station until just forty-five minutes ago."
T'Shal paused, the enormity of what he had just reported affecting him emotionally, "Jimmy, Kodos has been systematically murdering colonists since yesterday--from zero-six-hundred to eighteen-hundred hours--two hundred murdered every hour. Twenty-four hundred colonists yesterday; one thousand so far today--with another fourteen hundred to be executed by the end of the day."
Jimmy's groggy mind finally began to assimilate the staggeringinformation he had just been given. "You mean that by eighteen-hundredhours today, Kodos will have murdered another twenty-four hundred colonists?"
"Correct, Jimmy," T'Shal replied. Then regretfully, added, "That is not all, however. Listen."
*******************************************"The Federation has threatened us with annihilation! Even now its ships of war are on their way to destroy us--to destroy everything we have struggled for so long to build. Our scientists have determined that the plague which has struck our home was deliberately set upon us by these Federation criminals: Doctors Stephen Baxter, Diane Slevin, and George Chambers.
"We have been systematically slaughtered...our beautiful planetdespoiled! Look upon these criminals...They and others have been working secretly at the Science Camp Facilities on a project designed to exterminate us! But we discovered their monstrous plot in time...we have arrested all of the Science Camp conspirators.
"Even as I speak loyal soldiers of the Enlightened Patrol, sworn todefend our planet, are guarding the conspirators in several locations throughout the city. If the Federation warships should dare to violate our sacred space, then we will begin executing one conspirator every ten standard minutes, until they leave the Tarsus Star System. We will never surrender!
"Finally, my dear friends, to show our enemies that they cannot hurt us without hurting themselves first, these three criminals will be sacrificed to the cause. Dr. Baxter, Dr. Slevin, Dr. Chambers, you have been found guilty of crimes against the people of Tarsus Four. I hereby order your execution effective immediately. Signed, Kodos, Governor of Tarsus Four."********************************************
Jimmy, T'Shal, and Soran listened to the announcement, stunned. "Thiscan't be happening," Jimmy said. "It's not possible...Dr. Baxter... Diane...George...I--I can't believe it. I can't--" Jimmy was barely able to choke out the last words. He could feel hot tears falling unashamedly--a deep, burning anger building within, the pressure threatening to explode outwards in a volcanic eruption. He couldn't just sit here...he had to do *something*! His blood pounding furiously in a white rage, Jimmy spun around,slamming his left fist into the nearest bulkhead. Unable to control his fury, he kept pounding with all the strength he could muster, ignoring the burning pain, ignoring his bloody, torn hand. He continued pounding until he couldn't raise his arm any more--something was holding him back.
Jimmy could hear a roaring in his ears. Someone screaming...not a person...more like a savage animal...a howling, wounded animal. Slowly, the blinding white mists of his ruthless frenzy began to lift. The inhuman noises he'd heard earlier transformed into something else:Sobbing...the sound of brokenhearted sobbing...a child crying, grief-stricken. What child? Jimmy felt himself gasping for air...sobbing. He heard someone calling his name, pleading with him.
"Jimmy!...You're hurting yourself! Jimmy, you can't help them this way!...Please...Jimmy!" T'Shal; then calmer, "Jimmy, please."
It's me, Jimmy thought dazedly, I'm the crying child.
Jimmy's eyes focused slowly on the starboard bulkhead. Bright red bloody hand prints smeared in grotesque patterns, a violent testimony to his loss of control, his left hand, a gory, useless pulp. He felt a stabbing pain shoot up his arm like heat lightning. It was beginning to swell; the areas surrounding his knuckles and wrist already looked twice normal size.
Probably broke it, Jimmy thought detachedly. That was stupid of you, Jimmy-boy. Excellent leadership example. Lose control like a wild man; then bawl your eyes out like a baby. Where's Mom when I need a pacifier? Hope Stobel's wonder herbs can fix it as well as they fixed Amavia's foot.
Jimmy tried moving his fingers. Bad idea. Jimmy had appendicitis when he was about seven. He'd kept his condition hidden from his mother foralmost twenty-six hours, enduring the increasingly intense, white-hotpain in silence. If it hadn't been for his skin color changing dramatically due to the spreading blood poison, his Mom might not have noticed that her younger son was deathly ill. Jimmy had never forgotten that searing pain. He thought he'd never feel pain like that again. He was wrong. The throbbing fire shooting up his arm was already almost unbearable.
Okay, Jimmy-boy, you did it to yourself; now let's see some of that true grit Dad said you had after Mom told him what you did. Well, okay, it was more like a tirade ("It's all *your* fault, George! You're always filling his head with this stupid macho BS! My *baby* could've *died*!") but you know how Mom's always overreacting. One little case of appendicitis....
"Soran! Get Stobel over here--stat! Tell him to bring his first aid kit. Jimmy's seriously injured." T'Shal's characteristic warrior "at-ready" tone was missing. It was replaced by an almost Human tone of concern.
I must be really hurt, Jimmy thought dizzily. Great, patch over the eye, arm in a sling. I'll look like a one-armed pirate. Kodos, ye scurvy cur--avast! Heave to, or I'll make ye walk the plank! I think I feel sick.
Those were the last conscious thoughts Jimmy remembered before he awoke hours later, the long shadows of the late afternoon sun making strange demon figures on the cave floor next to the entrance. What happened? Jimmy's memories flooded back in a dam burst. He lay there quietly remembering Dr. Baxter, Diane, George, and Mike. Four nice people who'd befriended all of them. Julie, Toby, Garg, and Shoji. Friends who'd never see their nineteenth birthdays, never go to college, marry or have kids.
Lying there on his back, looking up at the ceiling, Jimmy felt the hot, bitter tears spill down the sides of his eyes. It was better that he cry now, quietly, in private remembrance of his friends, than fall apart later. He had to get these heartfelt emotions of sorrow and guilt purged from his system. He'd need a cool head.
Jimmy knew that the names and faces of his murdered friends had lent poignancy to the deaths of the thousands. He hadn't known that faceless multitude--they were a meaningless statistic to him. He could feel shock and moral anger, but not the gut-wrenching, burning desire for revenge that he felt at the senseless murders of his friends.
Picturing their faces, their smiles, a friendly gesture from Diane, or a laugh over a shared joke with Toby--this suddenly made everything highly personal. Kodos' Enlightened Proclamations were no longer being carried out against an anonymous mass, but against his friends. Jimmy knew that he would never rest until the deaths of each were avenged.
Jimmy sat up, bringing his non-bandaged arm up and wiping his non-bandaged eye. Enough. He had no time left for self-indulgent grief. He'd already wasted an entire afternoon--another twenty-four hundred lives lost--on self-pity. He had work to do. Dad and Uncle Bob would be here soon. He had to find a way to release the hostage Science Campers before they arrived. He also had to free as many Tarsus colonists as possible who were marked for execution.
Time to go to work, Jimmy-boy.
####
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Adam spotted Jimmy as soon as he stepped out of the cave entrance. Thekid looks like he's been chewed up, swallowed, and up-chucked. Iwouldn't want to be Kodos just about right now. Looks like here we go.
"Jimmy!" Jimmy started walking towards Adam as soon as he heard him call. A plan was already formulating itself in Jimmy's mind. Whatever they did, they had to do it tonight, within the next few hours; to wait another day, meant countless more deaths. There was no guarantee Kodos would continue to hold to two hundred executions an hour--though even that number was unacceptable--nor that he would hold off killing the Science Campers until the Federation Starships arrived.
No, more would die if they didn't do something to prevent it--fast! Mentally drawing a line in the sand, Jimmy vowed that Kodos would go no further.
"Adam, let's talk. We've got a lot of planning to do."
Jimmy didn't wait for a reply, but kept going in the direction of the Resolute. Spotting Soran and Stobel, he waved them over, indicating that they should follow. By the time he arrived at the waiting APC, he'd also gathered T'Shal, Thomas, Ames, Garcia, Molson, Amavia, and Martha.
Jimmy checked his wrist chronometer. 1750 hours. Another two hundreddead in ten minutes. Jimmy felt the familiar stinging begin in the back of his eyes. No, he wouldn't cry. Not anymore; not until he'd put a stop to Kodos, or he was dead, or both.
Leaning against the outer bulkhead of the APC, Jimmy motioned for everyone to sit in a semi-circle. Studying their faces for moment, he wondered what they must all be thinking. I must look a sight--Pirate Jimmy calling a war council. He took a quick, calming breath, remembering Julie's last act of uncommon valor, as she turned to face her executioners before they sent her atoms to cold oblivion.
It stops now! "Adam, what do you have?"
"We've seventeen Science Campers accounted for. Skills available: Sciences... quantum-physics, warp drive engineering, chemical engineering, biochemistry, botany, communications, navigation, medicine, computer engineering, astro-physics...Non-sciences...APC pilot, rappelling, rock climbing, shoulder-fired weapons training, some hand-to-hand, some explosives handling."
This last caught Jimmy's attention. "Who knows explosives?"
"I do." Amavia? Jimmy's eyebrows went up. "I'm a biochemist with abackground in chemical engineering," Amavia said smugly, her eyebrow doing that Vulcan imitation thing. "I'm also pretty good at plant biology--but Martha and Molson are better. That's why they're the food handlers, and I'm just a food consumer."
T'Shal spoke up. "We have found some *interesting* deposits of particular minerals in these foothills, that properly combined with certain local flora--saps, leaves, barks--can produce quite a satisfactory chemical reaction...in other words, an explosion." "Maybe," Jimmy said unconvinced. "But...is it safe to handle, and to manufacture? We're not exactly under ideal lab conditions. The last thing we need is to blow ourselves up in transit."
Amavia and T'Shal looked slightly taken aback. Clearly neither had thought the idea through. Jimmy held up his uninjured hand in a placating manner. "Look, it's okay. That's why we're having this briefing...to look at all the possibilities." Stobel had his hand up. "Yes, Stobel."
"Perhaps there is still a biochemical solution," Stobel suggested.
"Explain," Jimmy replied, interested.
"Nerve gas. Or some type of equivalent." Jimmy's eyes said Go on, I'm listening. Stobel continued, "There are a variety of native flora with chemical properties poisonous to carbon life forms. Humans included. We could devise a solution--gas or liquid--which could render the enemy unconscious."
"I like that," Jimmy replied, "the unconscious part anyway. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm a little tired of killing people. Anyway, Stobel, I think your best bet is to devise something that can be injected intravenously--a gas is too iffy--we could end up knocking out our own people. No, something intravenous--something we can control."
Turning to T'Shal, Jimmy continued the mission pre-ops. "T'Shal. Weapons' status. How much longer can we go on the current charge?"
"Not much longer, Jimmy," T'Shal reported, ashamed that once more he did not have good news to give his commander. "Some are already spent;others, will not last past ten more uses, perhaps less on a higher setting."
"Okay, then we'll just have to find an armory, and take what we need, right?" Jimmy smiled disarmingly at the Andorrian. T'Shal returned the smile with a wolfishly feral grin. Ahh-h! This young Human should have been one of his clan brothers--his warrior's blood ran true! It was going to be a glorious night tonight. They were going to free their comrades, kill as many of their blood-sworn enemies as possible, and perhaps capture this monster Kodos! T'Shal's clan would be singing his warrior songs of praise for generations to come!
"Okay, logistics problems," Jimmy began. "One...We need moreweapons...Options: Find an armory and take them...Confiscate as we goalong...or use the crude bows and arrows we've fashioned...Okay, people give me pros and cons. Adam?"
"I think the first option is the best," Adam began. "Confiscatingweapons worked for us the first time, but...I'll be honest, I don'tthink we'd stand a chance against those soldiers in their home turf. Besides, I don't like the idea of going into combat, so to speak, basically unarmed. As for the bows and arrows--well, I just don't think Kodos has a barn large enough for me to be effective."
"Soran? What do you say?"
"Adam's arguments are quite logical. There are two problems with this course of action, of course: We do not know the location of the armory, nor do we have sufficient fire power to go in and take it by force."
"Good points," Jimmy conceded. "T'Shal?"
"I believe that we should hope for success, but plan for failure."
"Excuse me?" Jimmy asked, confused.
"It is a saying on my world. What I mean is, let us plan to break into the armory and take the weapons; however, in case of failure, we should have a back up plan. We should take the bows and arrows, as well as the knock out gas or intravenous solution, just in case we do not meet with success at the armory."
Jimmy nodded. "I think we have a saying similar to that on Earth,'Whatever can go wrong, will.' One of the few physical laws I am in agreement with. Okay, we plan for contingencies." The others nodded agreement.
"Second problem. Success." At their confused looks, Jimmy explained, "If we succeed in freeing the hostages, how are we going to get them back? We only have one transport, one pilot. We may be freeing them, just to place their lives into even greater danger."
Jimmy allowed that to sink in.
"So, options available: find some more transportation, and hope some of the hostages have flying experience...or release them to their own devices, that is, free them and wish them luck until the Federation vessels arrive...and I'm sorry, I can't come up with a third alternative, short of leaving them where they are--which isn't an option...Thomas, you're the pilot. Any ideas?"
"Well, yeah, now that you mention it. Why an airbus? Why not ground transport? Remember, when the soldiers came to the Science Camp grounds, they were in ground vehicles, not air transport. And if I remember the design accurately, they were armored carriers capable of transporting upwards to thirty people." Thomas looked at Jimmy for his reaction.
Jimmy, for his part, was excited about the prospect--ground transport!Why didn't *he* think of that? It was a great idea--most of these Science Campers had civilian ground vehicle licenses. Some of them might even have experience driving a civilian transport.
"Thomas, super idea--ground transport!"
The others began talking excitedly.
"We can give them directions here."
"Yeah, they come at their own discretion. Travel at night to avoid being spotted."
"Should we draw maps? Maybe with different routes, in case they'refollowed, then maybe one group would still manage to get away."
Jimmy smiled at Adam and Amavia. It looked like just maybe they'd be able to pull it off. ####
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Jimmy called everyone back to order. "All right, people! Let's recapwhat we've discussed: Weapons--find an armory and take what we need if possible...Contingency--manufacture some kind of knock out drug that can be injected intravenously--Stobel, that's your mission--and have the bows and arrows along just in case."
At their nods, Jimmy continued, "Transportation--find a motor pool...we'll need at least two ground transports for the Science Campers. We'll discuss details later," he added, forestalling questions from Ames.
"Finally, biggest obstacle: finding the hostage locations. Kodos saidseveral locations, so did that storm trooper we questioned. So, how do we go about finding them? Any ideas?"
"Computer," Garcia offered succinctly. It was so unusual for the silent giant to speak, and then, usually only to Ames, that the rest of the group were almost too shocked to realize he'd just spoken.
Reluctantly, Garcia added as further explanation, "A Master Duotronics Unit." Jimmy looked at Garcia for a second not quite understanding. Then his face lit with nova brightness.
"Of course, an MDU! Garcia, you're a genius!" At the others obvious lack of comprehension, Jimmy quickly explained, "A Master DuotronicsUnit--just like the one we were going to build! Kodos' plans, thelocations of the hostages, names of colonists who've been rounded up or marked for later detention and execution--all of that must be stored in the government's master unit. Troop movements, armory,motorpools--everything is probably being controlled by Kodos from acentral location. He'd have to do it that way since he declared martial law."
The others talked excitedly among themselves. Over their voices, Amavia called out, "But, Jimmy, how do we know what building houses the unit. I mean there are an infinite number of possibilities."
Before Jimmy could answer, Soran replied. "That is incorrect, Amavia. As there are a finite number of locations from which to choose, we are left we a finite number of possibilities."
Jimmy's uncovered eye smiled at Amavia over everyone's head. You askedfor it, his look said. She stuck out her tongue at him. Smarty. Jimmy's heart-stopping smile widened further. Amavia shyly smiled back, her eyes telling Jimmy everything he wanted to know. Their silent repartee was interrupted by Adam, who hadn't missed the electricity that had passed between them. Amavia, my dear, we're going to have a heart to heart, Adam promised silently.
"Okay, then, a finite number of possibilities," Adam interjected."That's still a few more than we have the time for. We need a best guess here. We don't have time to go door to door all over Spencer's Landing."
Before Soran could reply, Jimmy answered. "I don't think we need toguess, Adam. It's pretty obvious that if Kodos is controlling everything from a central location, then he's probably doing it from some place convenient to him. The obvious place to start is the Governor's Mansion."
"True," Adam conceded, "colonial executive mansions traditionally haveunderground command and control facilities in case of a planetaryemergency. All right, the governor's residence is the first choice. Is there a second choice? Maybe one not quite so well-guarded?"
"I believe that the Governor's executive transport is the alternative," Thomas offered. The others' eyes were on him. "Going back to the twentieth century, when the Earth was on the brink of nuclear holocaust, military strategists had to plan for contingencies when the chief executive was in transit from one location to another."
Seeing the others' interest, Thomas continued, "In case he had to give the nuclear release order, the President of the United States had to have access to military commands deployed all over the world. His air transport was redesigned with satellite communications which gave him virtually instantaneous access to his military commanders world-wide. Since then, no chief executive has ever traveled without the communications necessary to fight a war if required."
Jimmy and the others looked at Thomas respectfully. *This* was the young man whom Jimmy had so admired at the start of Science Camp. The young man who was selected to attend Starfleet Academy in the fall. The young man whom the others had looked to for leadership early on. Now, Jimmy was once more seeing those qualities in Thomas that he'd regarded so highly seemingly a lifetime ago.
"Thomas, once again, you've dazzled us with your brilliance," Jimmycongratulated him. "You've just given us our primary target--thegovernor's private transport. If his communications people have beendoing their jobs properly, and there's no reason why they shouldn't have, then everything we need to know should be stored there as a matter of standard procedure."
"Better yet," added Adam, "it won't be as heavily guarded as theexecutive mansion."
"Point taken." Jimmy agreed. "Plus, we also know its location." At their startled looks, he added smugly. "Spencer's Landing Spaceport. Remember the opening sequence to the tourist holovid? 'Welcome, to Tarsus Four, etcetera?' There's a publicity shot of the governor's transport, the Tarsus One, taking off from the landing field, followed by a panoramic view of the spaceport. Discerning eyes can just make out a hanger with the colonial government's official seal on the roof."
T'Shal's sapphire eyes burned with a warrior's reverence. "Jimmy, you *are* an Andorrian--or, at least, you should have been one! The blue blood runs hot within you." T'Shal grabbed the younger boy, who'd been caught completely off-guard, by both shoulders and touched his antennae solemnly to Jimmy's forehead. "I hereby declare you a clan-brother to the House of K'hara. Let your name be known to all--T'Jimmy'K'hara!"
Jimmy stood flat-footed, not quite knowing how to respond. He knew he'd just been bestowed a great honor, but wasn't sure what was required of him.
"Uh--thanks, T'Shal," Jimmy stammered, "uh, I'm deeply honored...I, uh, pledge to live up to being clan-brother to...uh, the House of K'hara."
"The honor is mine, little clan-brother," T'Shal whispered fervently. "I pledge my sword in your service. My life is yours to command."
Jimmy swallowed and nodded his acceptance, although he didn't understand the full import of what T'Shal had just sworn to. Jimmy turned desperately to Adam, his face fairly begging for assistance. Adam, for his part, had watched the entire impromptu ceremony with chagrined humor.
This kid, Adam thought, shaking his head in amazement. Pretty soon,we're all going to be pledging our undying loyalty as we follow him,laughing and singing Orion pirate ditties, into a black hole. Taking pity on Jimmy, Adam came to the rescue.
"Yes, a true warrior," Adam said loudly, over the Andorrian's song of praise. "Don't you all agree?" Adam called to the others, surreptitiously waving his arm for acquiescence. Catching on, the others, chorused with "Here, here," "A real hero," "A regular Garth of Izar!" T'Shal turned to his friends, smiling that deadly smile he used when about maim or dismember an enemy. "But we have much to do before we rescue the hostages, don't we, Jimmy?" Adam asked.
"Yes, thank you, Adam. We do," Jimmy gratefully acknowledged. "T'Shal, I am greatly honored by the high esteem you have given me," he saidformally. "But now is not the time for celebration. Our friends are still prisoners of Kodos. Innocent blood has been shed, and more will be spilled if we do not do something about it. Therefore, I accept your pledge of loyalty, only in so far as it is extended to helping me rescue those who've been made pawns in Kodos' deadly game."
"It is so ordered, T'Jimmy," T'Shal replied. "We plan for victory tonight! For with you to lead us, there will be no defeat!" T'Shal returned to his "at rest" position, which looked to Jimmy just like the "at ready" position, except the antennae weren't quite so stiffly forward.
"All right, thanks everybody. Just a couple more problems to iron out, before we get to the planning phase. Thomas, Adam, what's the status of the combat replicator on the Resolute?"
Adam looked at Thomas, giving him the go-ahead. "Not good, Jimmy. It was badly damaged when you hit the anti-gravs. Looks like the particle beam cut a path through it."
"Is it fixable?" Jimmy asked hopefully.
"I looked at it first thing this afternoon, Jimmy," answered Adam. "I think we could bring it to operational status, but it's gonna cost us."
"How so?" Jimmy prompted.
"Well, the power conduit capacitor's been turned into slag. Also, theplasmatic converter has a few burnt-out duodynetic connectors," Adam reported.
"Don't our weapons use duodynetic components?" Jimmy asked.
"Well, yes," Adam admitted. "That's what I meant by it's gonna cost us. If we want a working replicator, we'll have to sacrifice even more of our firepower."
"I say we have no choice. Look, we're planning on raiding an armory for weapons anyway," Jimmy said reasonably. "How many of the parts do you need?"
"It's a small replicator...four should suffice," Adam shrugged.
"Okay, get with T'Shal; take what you need. And, Adam--?" At Adam's questioning glance, Jimmy added, "Try not to leave us completely without firepower."
"Roger, boss."
"Next item," Jimmy segued. "I need two volunteers. Martha, Stobel-- I've got a dirty job, and you two are just the people I need to do it. Can do?"
Martha and Stobel looked at each other. Shrugging, Martha replieddiffidently, "Can do, I guess. What am I doing?"
"Have you heard the saying, 'They also serve who stand and wait'?" Jimmy asked them.
"I don't think I like the sound of this," Martha began.
"I'm sorry, Martha, Stobel, but neither of you is going on this mission." Before either could protest, Jimmy continued, "Stobel, you're the only one of us with any medical training. That makes you a valuable asset I don't want to risk. We're planning on going into battle with real weapons against an enemy who has already cold-bloodedly killed over four thousand people. I expect that tonight there are going to be even more injuries."
"But that is why I should accompany you, to take care of the injured," Stobel argued in his quiet reasoned manner.
"I'm sorry, Stobel, but I need you two back here to prepare for a worst case scenario. Set up a triage, first aid stations, whatever's necessary in case of mass casualties. Also, time permitting, you can give combat first aid classes to the people I'm leaving back here with you."
"Jimmy, that's well and good for Stobel," Martha protested, hurt that he wanted to leave her, "but why do you need me to stay? I've gotten the hang of firing those energy weapons. I'm pretty good at it now. Ask Thomas."
Thomas suddenly found a blade of grass to be of intense interest, andbegan scrutinizing it closely. Martha's handling of the energy weapons was legendary. She'd almost taken Garcia's head off in the skirmish at the cliffs; since then, target practice had improved her aim to the point that it was no longer dangerous to be standing behind her when she fired. She looked around, outraged. The others looked diplomatically away, not wanting to meet her eyes.
Jimmy felt no need for tact. "Martha, let's face it: As a soldier, youstink. If we take you with us, you're just as liable to kill one of usas the enemy. We want to rescue our friends, not kill them ourselves. No, you'll render whatever aid necessary to help Stobel in setting up a field hospital. Furthermore, we're probably going to have a lot ofhungry, tired people who've until recently been faced with the specterof death. We'll need hot food--some soup preferably--to get them through their initial shock of being alive."
Seeing her despondent look, Jimmy relented, "Martha, I need people I can trust back here to take charge, in case--well, in case we don't return. My Dad's ship, the Enterprise, is going to be arriving soon, sooner than Kodos thinks--even if Dad has to get out and push. If something happens to us, or we don't return, I need someone here to tell him what we've done, where we went. That our deaths weren't meaningless. Martha, I need someone to tell him that I fought for our freedom, just like he would've expected of me. Please, as favor to me, Martha. I need you back here."
Martha reluctantly nodded her head in agreement.
"Thanks." Standing on tiptoe, Jimmy kissed her on the forehead. "All right, people. We've got a lot of work to do, and not much time. Those of you with engineering and biochemical problems to solve, get to it. The rest of you--with me."
####
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
"Time check." Jimmy called.
"Zero-zero-fifteen hours." Amavia.
"Distance traveled."
"Approximately four hundred thirty-six land kilometers," replied Soran. "We should be entering the spaceport's airspace in another five point eight minutes."
"Acknowledged. Thomas, initiate landing procedures," ordered Jimmy.
"Landing procedures, aye," responded Thomas. From his jump seat behind the co-pilot position, Jimmy watched as Thomas began making adjustments to the his instruments. He became aware of the sudden change in tone to the ever-present background noise made by the anti-grav generators as they became higher pitched, yet remained strangely silent. Jimmy could feel the aircraft coming to a stop in mid-air, until finally they were at a hover.
Nervously, Jimmy opened and closed his injured hand, still surprised that he could do so. Stobel's Vulcan magic. Jimmy remembered how Stobel, in his matter of fact manner, had slathered his hand with that miracle paste he'd used on Amavia, while ignoring Jimmy's involuntary gasps of pain. Believing that was all the medical assistance he could expect, Jimmy was surprised when Stobel then asked him, somewhat ambivalently, if he'd agree to a Vulcan healing technique called a *mind meld*.
"It is essentially a mind to mind touch," Stobel had explained dryly. "It has been used on Vulcan for several centuries; however, we are just now beginning to attempt the technique with non-Vulcan species."
Terrific, thought Jimmy.
But that wasn't the best part. Next came the really *good* news: "As Iam not yet trained as a healer," Stobel warned, "I have never attempted it, even with Vulcans. I have, however, mind melded many times with members of my family. Furthermore, I have observed and assisted my father, a Vulcan healer, while he achieved a healing trance."
Then, in that warm Vulcan bedside manner of his, Stobel proceeded toreassure Jimmy that there was no cause for worry: "I am familiar withthe necessary methodology to help you enter such a hypnotic state." Not at all reassured, Jimmy agreed. What choice did he have? If there was a chance he could go on this raid with two fully functioning hands, then Jimmy had to take it.
I guess that that's probably one of the best decisions I've ever made,Jimmy reflected.
It was scary at first having another mind inside of his, but Stobel's thoughts were so well-ordered, so calm, so soothing, that Jimmy found himself completely relaxed, and somewhat surprised that he was finding the entire experience *fascinating*. Jimmy felt his eyebrow go up, a mirror to Stobel's. So, *that's* how you do the eyebrow trick!...You guys do this *mind meld* stuff all thetime?...He *felt* Stobel's assenting nod...*Cool*!...Stobel saidsomething in Jimmy's mind...Oh, sure...like this?...Jimmy lookedinward...concentrated on his immune system...Come on you white blood cells...stop sleeping on the job...let's see a little snap-to here!...and effectively sped up his own natural healing process.
Within a few hours of the procedure, Jimmy had full range of motion in his wrist and was even able to make a fist without too much pain. Plus, the swelling in his eye had gone down enough that he could safely remove the dressing; however, Stobel insisted that he keep his hand bandaged. The chance of re-injury was great and Stobel didn't want to take any chances. All things considered, Jimmy agreed.
"Altimeter," Thomas requested.
"Fifty meters and falling," reported Adam, again in the co-pilot's seat. The Resolute was coming in on a low approach, under the spaceport's sensor umbrella.
"Report ten meter interval," Thomas requested.
"Ten meter interval, aye," acknowledged Adam. "Forty...thirty... twenty--"
"Report five meter interval," Thomas interjected.
"Five meter interval, aye...one-five...ten ..." Adam counted down.
Almost there, Jimmy thought. This has got to work; too many lives depend on it. Our own included.
"...Five--" Thomas disengaged the anti-gravs at the five meter mark,then slowly, gently brought the Resolute to a soft landing. Before the APC was completely settled on the ground, T'Shal and Molson had the back hatch open and the combat ramp down. Ames and Garcia exited first, taking up defensive positions on either side of the aircraft.
"All clear," reported Ames crisply. The others exited, their weapons at ready. Amavia went to the front of the APC, joining Thomas. Their job would be to monitor communications, and to tie the Resolute's on-board computer with the government transport's MDU. Soran and Jimmy, the two resident computer whizzes--Soran had a Five-T computer rating, Jimmy a Four-T--would break into Kodos' master unit. The others would provide cover.
Thomas brought the Resolute down a half kilometer from the spaceport'sperimeter. Ames and Garcia, on point, used the tricorder to scan for enemy life signs. They were followed five meters back by Jimmy, Soran, and T'Shal. Adam and Molson brought up the rear. The boys clung to the shadows, remaining under tree cover for as long as possible, avoiding open spaces and exposure.
Two red flashes. Halt. Jimmy quickly froze in place, his heart hammering in his chest. In the nearly total darkness, a nonmoving shadow would be almost impossible to see. Nevertheless, he felt exposed. Three red flashes. The all clear. T'Shal passed the signal to the rear.
They'd decided that, though it was a little slower, they'd stick to old fashioned signals rather than risk using the radio. Garcia, againsurprising everyone, had reconfigured the hand communicators and the APC comms-console in order to minimize the probability of interception; however, the raiding party would forestall using them until they were inside the transport.
Two red flashes. Freeze in place. We must be close to the perimeter,Jimmy thought. Two flashes. Two more. They wanted Jimmy to come forward. Jimmy quickly scurried to the front. He almost fell over Garcia.
Ames appeared at a low crawl.
"Report," Jimmy whispered.
"Chain link fence. No force field. No electronic intruder repellent. It looks like we can just climb over, and we're in. No guards to speak of from what we can see."
"Doesn't make sense," Jimmy said, shaking his head. "Why remove thenormal intruder alert devices? Is there a chance they may be expecting us? Impossible," he answered his own question. "No, something's up if they've reduced their security measures. Okay, bring the others up." Garcia nodded, and immediately flashed the move up signal.
When the others had joined them, Ames and Garcia immediately moved at a low crouch to the fence surrounding the spaceport perimeter. WhileGarcia assumed a covering position, Ames smoothly vaulted over thethree-meter fence, then, in turn, covered Garcia. Once both were over,then hurried off, quickly swallowed by the darkness. Jimmy knew that they were positioning themselves about fifty meters forward as a listening post.
Jimmy nodded at T'Shal and Soran who repeated the steps taken by Ames and Garcia. Somehow, though, they looked deadlier with their catlike predator movements. Once they were over, it was Jimmy's turn. No way would he be able to casually vault it. Oh well, here goes. Jimmy slung his weapon over and around his shoulder, then grabbing the chain links, hauled himself over in two smooth moves. I guess rock climbing does have its advantages. As he went over the top, he felt a sudden wrenching on his left wrist. Oh great, he thought. I hope I didn't just re-injure the thing. That's all I need.
Once over, he gave the all clear to Adam and Molson; then he, T'Shal, and Soran followed in the same direction that Ames and Garcia had disappeared into. He checked his wrist chronometer: 0105 hours. So far so good. All accounted for, they set off towards the spaceport outbuildings. Unfortunately, the perimeter was a good three kilometers from the nearest building, so the young men were forced to move at a jog in order to keep to their necessarily short time table.
They had to get in and download the MDU, hopefully by no later than 0145 hours. That would give them sufficient time to go over the data and determine the locations of the armory and the Science Campers. Jimmy suddenly became aware of a deeper, darker shadow near him. The first outbuilding! Almost there. Keeping to the hidden darkness cast by the spaceport structures, the raiding party proceeded quickly and quietly to the hangar that housed the Tarsus One. ####
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Two red flashes. Ames and Garcia would be scouting around the buildingfor sentries. Time: 0115 hours. Three red flashes. Jimmy and Soran hurried forward. T'Shal would remain outside guarding the front; Adam and Molson would take up the rear. As Jimmy silently approached Ames and Garcia, he noticed a figure slumped in the shadows, his head at an odd angle.
The outside sentry. Jimmy's eyes questioned Ames and Garcia accusingly, Why? They were supposed avoid more killing. Ames looked down ashamedly; Garcia's eyes didn't flinch. They held a dangerously cold glint that sent a shiver shooting up Jimmy's spine. This guy's getting weird on us, Jimmy thought. No time now--worry about it later.
Jimmy and Soran made their way stealthily to a side entrance. It waslocked with an electronic security devise. Good. The lock's indicator light glowed red. Locked position. Taking the tricorder from Ames, Jimmy took a homemade adapter cable and plugged one end into the tricorder, the other to the door lock. Activating the tricorder, he began a systematic search sequence to electronically pick the security lock. Oh, the things you learn when breaking into the school's records office.
The tricorder's search stopped. The lock's indicator light glowed green. We're in! Quietly, carefully, Jimmy opened the door. Ducking immediately to the left side of the door, he crouched down, allowing his eyes a moment to adjust. He felt Soran and the others enter and do the same. Able to make out the darker shapes of the room's furnishings, Jimmy stood up and slowly began to search for a door leading further into the interior of the giant hangar.
Got it!
The rest went quickly. The outside sentry turned out to be the soleguard. Either Kodos was so arrogant that he expected no one would dareoppose him, or, more likely he and his Enlightened Patrol were facing some more serious problems since the initiation of his Proclamations and executions. Therefore, not slowed down by the necessity for stealth, Jimmy and Soran quickly hurried to the waiting transport. Not surprised, Jimmy discovered that it wasn't even locked.
Going in, they made their way to the cockpit. Jimmy sat down in the pilot's seat, Soran, the co-pilot's. Too bad we can't chance discovery, Jimmy thought regretfully, or I'd say let's just take the thing. Studying the instruments, Jimmy and Soran quickly figured out their functions. Jimmy initiated the power up sequence, like Thomas had patiently shown him, Soran verifying the checklist.
Once the auxiliary power unit indicator lights showed all green, Soran began running a systems diagnostic test on the MDU. Giving Jimmy a nod--all green--Soran began a data search. They needed a minimum of three items of information: the locations of the armory, the motorpool, and the Science Campers. Furthermore, if available, they also wanted the names and locations of the colonists who'd already been executed and those scheduled for execution.
Working faster than humanly possible, Soran's hands flew across the MDU board, requesting, commanding, coaxing data from the complicated circuitry. Finally, he gave a satisfied nod to Jimmy. Done. Jimmy immediately activated the comms-console and gave the prearranged signal. Amavia's voice immediately came over the audio, "Ready."
"Stand by," Jimmy ordered. He looked over to Soran who nodded. "Now." Soran began downloading the information to the Resolute. The Resolute's much smaller storage capacity made it necessary to sort through the data first and send only what they needed for the mission. Too much data could seriously overload its circuits. The download ended.
"Done," Jimmy sent. He and Soran immediately began to power down. Jimmy had a sudden idea. Leaving Soran to complete the post-op, he ran to the back. Using the tricorder, he began scanning. Come on, come on, he thought. I know you're bound to be here. There! A small sickbay. Going in, he spotted a real doctor's kit bag.
Jimmy opened it not knowing what, if anything, in it was useful, butbeggars can't be choosers, he thought. Going through the cabinets, he quickly began collecting whatever he could cram into the bag. No sense leaving this stuff when we can use it, he thought.
Next Jimmy looked over the sleeping quarters. Let's see...if I was a spare blanket, where would I be stored? Jimmy asked himself. The closet, he answered. Opening the closet, he thought, thanks, Mom for being such a neat freak. Okay, that's about it. Returning to the larger, outer living area, he signaled to Soran who'd finished up front. Let's go!
Jumping out of the hatch, Jimmy and Soran were quickly joined by Ames and Garcia. Leaving everything as they'd found it--except for the few medical supplies and blankets he'd appropriated--they hurried out the way they'd come. Jimmy saw the body of the dead sentry lying in the outer office that they'd originally broken into. Can't be helped now, he thought. Gotta talk to Ames--see if he's noticed Garcia's strangebehavior. Maybe I'm imagining things. No time, Jimmy-boy. Focus ongetting back.
Time: 0140 hours. Ahead of schedule. #### CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Two red flashes. Ames and Garcia casing the armory. Jimmy had alreadyspotted a sentry on the roof, two pairs of roving guards walking in acounter-clockwise pattern, meeting at twelve o'clock and six o'clock, and one guard each posted out front and back. The flashes came from below the sentry standing watch in the front. Garcia. As soon as the roving pairs turned the opposite corners, Garcia sprang into action.
Quickly grabbing the guard from behind, Garcia slashed swiftly with his hunting knife, severing the carotid. The guard was dead in seconds. Silently moving the body into the bushes, Garcia took the guard's helmet, load bearing equipment, outer uniform jacket, and weapon. Then calmly, as if he'd been committing cold-blooded murder all of his life, Garcia took the sentry's place.
Jimmy mentally counted off the minutes. The Science Campers wouldn'tmove until the rovers came through again. This would allow them themaximum amount of time to get into the armory and take out the guy on the roof. That was T'Shal's job. He'd insisted; T'Shal was becoming tired of Ames and Garcia getting first dibs at killing the enemy.
"An Andorrian warrior," T'Shal had whispered, "will not be outdone by either the pacifist Vulcans nor the puny Humans." T'Jimmy'K'hara was the only Human whom he would even consider as an equal to an Andorrianwarrior, but Jimmy, by necessity, had to delegate in order to maximizehis limited resources.
Time: 0233 hours. We're falling behind schedule, Jimmy worried.
There! The roving pairs. They walked by, talking softly to themselves, not appearing too alert. Just another night in Kodos' Reign of Terror, Jimmy thought grimly. What can they possibly find amusing? Maybe Garcia's right; these guys don't deserve any mercy. Whoa, Jimmy-boy! You're neither judge, jury, nor executioner--this is war, and we kill as necessary, in self-defense. Otherwise, we're no better than they are.
All clear! The roof top sentry was looking away. Now! Jimmy and T'Shal ran at a low crouch to the front door. Garcia held it open for them, then quickly closed it behind them. Jimmy scanned the room. There--through that door! The armory. Uh-oh. Human lifesigns. He jerked his head to T'Shal: That way. Jimmy held a hand up--hold it. Putting a finger to his lips, he lay the tricorder quietly down on a table, unslung his rifle, placing it next to the tricorder, and grinning, pulled out a loaded hypo he'd palmed from the doctor's kit. Oh, baby--it's sleepy-time, Jimmy thought.
Positioning himself on the left side of the door, Jimmy nodded toT'Shal. Now! T'Shal quietly opened the door, and Jimmy quickly moved in. The startled guard did not react in time. Reaching him in two steps, Jimmy pressed the hypo into his neck. The guard was asleep instantaneously. This is great! Wait until I tell Stobel that his cocktail Mickey worked like a charm.
Running to the outer room to retrieve his weapon and tricorder, Jimmy caught T'Shal out of the corner of his eye tying the fallen soldier. Good. They're monsters, but they're not animals. They'll see their day of reckoning, he vowed.
"Okay, T'Shal, you're on," Jimmy said. "I'll take care of the armory vault. You take care of the roof top sharpshooter."
T'Shal nodded. His blue blood was burning furiously with a warrior's flame. "I shall not fail, T'Jimmy'K'hara," he promised. Jimmy nodded turning to the task at hand.
Taking his handy-dandy homemade cable, Jimmy connected it to the tricorder and vault security locks. This would take a little more time. The armory had four locks and each was sequenced in such a manner that he had to open them in the proper order or else he'd set off the alarm. The downloaded data had given the day's sequence as 3--2--4--1.
The question is, which lock is which, Jimmy thought. He went over to the guard's standing orders and quickly read over them. Ah, here it is, he thought triumphantly. A diagram of the vault door quite thoughtfully identifying the locks. Typical military idiot-proofing, Jimmy thought, shaking his head. Why trust the guards to commit something to memory, when they can simply look it up in a diagram? Works for me! Jimmy thought. Okay, here we go. Jimmy opened the locks in their proper sequence, and waited momentarily until he heard thedistinct sound of the vault door whirring on its hinges. The three-tondoor slowly opened outwardly. Jimmy took out his communicator and pushed the quick reaction alert button once. Go!
Five minutes later, Jimmy was joined by the others. T'Shal had successfully dispatched the roof top sentry and taken his place. Time: 0257 hours. They had another thirty-three minutes before the guard changed.
"Let's do it," he ordered. Quickly forming two lines, the group began methodically grabbing and tossing weapons down the line to Ames and Molson who, waiting at the end, carefully placed them on the blankets that Jimmy had appropriated earlier. Jimmy ordered them to limit the load per blanket to no more than thirty weapons. They still had to carry them to the waiting APC through five city blocks of an enemy- occupied city. Heroics would only get them dead, he'd told them, echoing his Dad.
"Okay, that's it. Amavia, go up and get T'Shal. Molson, Thomas grab a load; Adam you'll be with T'Shal as soon as he gets here." Thomas nodded his acquiescence. "Soran, you're with--"
Before Jimmy could finish Soran interrupted him. "I am quite capable of carrying a load on my own, Jimmy. I do not need assistance." Then, as if to prove his point, Soran bent down and calmly lifted the bundle of weapons as easily as Jimmy could have lifted his schoolbooks. Jimmy, watching skeptically at first, stood nonplussed as Soran bent and easily picked up his load. Jimmy looked at Amavia who'd return from the roof. I guess he can, his eyes spoke. Amavia scrunched her nose in reply.
"All right, you guys go on. Since Soran's hauling that stuff by himself, that leaves me and Amavia with empty hands," Jimmy said. "We'll grab whatever else we can." Then at Adam's look of protest, promised, "Don't worry we'll be out of here in under five minutes." The others moved out.
"Amy, see if you can find any spare power packs," Jimmy said. "They should look like this--" he pointed to the power pack on his weapon. Amavia nodded in understanding and quickly began opening footlockers. Meanwhile, Jimmy looked at one particular footlocker that he'd found especially intriguing: Plasma grenades--and time-delayed fuses!
"Amy, you think you can help me with these babies?" Jimmy asked her.
Amavia looked at the outside stenciling, raising her eyebrow in that adorable Vulcan-imitation way of hers. Jimmy had a sudden urge to grab her and kiss her right then and there. Easy, Jimmy-boy. Now's not the time. Maybe later.
"I think so. Let's try it," Amavia suggested. Placing the spare power packs she'd found on top of the plasma grenades storage locker, Amavia looked at Jimmy, took a deep breath, bent at the knees, and gave Jimmy a quick nod. Using her legs to lift, Amavia stood easily; the locker was lighter than it appeared.
"I think I can make it," Amavia offered.
"You've got grit, did you know that?" Jimmy asked her, grinning proudly. Amavia smiled fondly. If she had grit, what words could possibly describe what Jimmy had? Uncommon valor, she decided.
Moving out, Jimmy locked the vault, then he and Amavia quickly headedout the front. Calling to Garcia, Jimmy waited for the all clear. When Garcia opened the front door, the three of them hurried out of the armory towards the waiting APC and the others.
The night had just begun!
####
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
There! The public works building. According to the data from the MDU, the first group of Science Campers was being held here. There were two other locations that Jimmy and Soran could discern from the downloaded information: the high school gymnasium and an abandoned warehouse located near the docks.
Jimmy checked his chronometer. 0345 hours. He opened and closed his injured hand in nervous reflex. The pain was growing; he was finding it more difficult to make a fist. Apparently he'd re-injured it when he climbed the fence. Well, there was no helping it.
What really had Jimmy worried, though, was Amavia. They'd left her with the ground transport they'd found. A former Girl Scout leader, Amavia used to drive her troop in a mini-van to their activities. Jimmy recalled watching her as she bent over to check the gears and other controls.
"It's really similar to the one I used to drive," Amavia had declared.Then over Jimmy's protests, she volunteered to drive the van andrendezvous at the public works. "Don't be silly, Jimmy," Amavia said,standing defiantly with her arms crossed. "Tell him, Soran. I'm the most *logical* choice, right?"
"Indeed," Soran agreed. "Amavia *is* the only one of our group who hasexperience with this type of vehicle." They both looked at Jimmy, their right eyebrows raised almost identically. Jimmy rolled his eyes in exasperation, giving up.
Amavia obviously hadn't arrived yet, but she wasn't expected for atleast another fifteen minutes. Hopefully, by then, the raiding partywould have freed the first group of hostages. According to their information, the group of Science Campers, about twenty, was being guarded by a fifteen-man force. In order to be effective, the prisoners would have to be guarded in shifts. With at least two shifts, that meant at least seven men were on duty at any given time--less, if the guards were divided into even more shifts. Therefore, Jimmy expected the guards to be on increased alert status.
Thomas landed in a clearing near the woods that surrounded the publicworks facilities. The facilities were laid out simply enough, in three concentric circles, with the outer-most ring being an office building, the middle housing the central controls for the city power plant, and the inner-most building, harboring the mega-phasic containment core which provided all of the city power to Spencer's Landing.
Jimmy's plan was simple. Step one: Break into the outer ring; take out the guards; free the hostages. Step two: Break into the middle ring; disable the central controls that power the city. Step three: Break into the inner ring; disable the containment core. Step four: Continue with mission.
If everything went according to plan, they should be in and out in less then forty minutes. Of course, should the guards decide they didn't want to cooperate and give up the hostages, then it could take a little longer.
Approaching the outer ring in their familiar pattern--Ames and Garcia at point, followed by Jimmy, Soran and T'Shal, with Adam, Molson and Thomas bringing the rear, the boys went through the necessary steps quickly. Ames and Thomas scanned for immediate enemy lifesigns; then, taking up positions on either side of the maintenance entrance, gave the all clear.
Jimmy and Soran immediately broke into a crouching run, T'Shal covering them; then Jimmy, catching the tricorder in one smooth motion as Ames tossed it to him, quickly set to unlocking the door. One end of the cable to the tricorder, the other to the electronic lock. Indicator light from red to green. Jimmy signaled Ames: We're in. Ames flashed the all clear to Adam, Molson and Thomas who joined them in a split second.
The hostages were being held in the executive lounge on the fourthfloor, on the side facing the middle ring. The guards had set up a barracks somewhere on the floor immediately above, and a staff duty station immediately below. These would be their starting points.
The barracks went to Ames and Garcia; the staff duty to T'Shal and Molson. T'Shal's veins coursed with his warrior's battle song. Once more he'd face the hated enemy and quickly dispose of them--of course, he'd promised T'Jimmy'K'hara that he wouldn't kill unnecessarily. But who is to say what is *necessary*, he asked himself, grinning ferociously. Of course, T'Shal resented Molson's help, but he knew T'Jimmy had to cover all contingencies--as if he could possibly fail!
That left the guards watching the hostages to Jimmy, Adam, Soran andThomas. They'd have more guards to contend with, plus the hostages'safety. Pressure's on, thought Jimmy.
Carrying their newly stolen, charged weapons--with extra power packs tucked in their back pockets--the young men stealthily ran up the maintenance stairwell, taking the steps two at a time. They were too pumped up to take it any slower. This was it. Everything they'd been working towards for the past eight hours. They were about to free the first group of their friends. ####
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Timing is everything, as Jimmy's Dad would say. Therefore, each group would wait until exactly 0355 hours before opening the doors onto their respective floors. Furthermore, once in, they'd wait another three minutes to allow each group time to set up, then all would attack at the same time.
Ames scanned the area on the other side of his door. No lifesigns in the immediate vicinity, although, he could detect Humans--five--about fifty meters to his right.
Tossing the tricorder down to the next team, waiting below, Ames took up a waiting position, keeping a close eye on his chronometer. Jimmy caught the tricorder with his good hand, and immediately scanned beyond his door. He could detect several lifesigns--at least twenty- five, more probably--about twenty meters to the right. Oh boy.
Jimmy then tossed the tricorder down to T'Shal. T'Shal scanned his target--three lifesigns. Two were ten meters to the right; another, five meters further. Satisfied that there were no lifesigns immediately opposite the door, T'Shal stood ready. Molson, watching his chronometer, began counting off the last ten seconds with his fingers. At one, T'Shal jerked the door open, and he and Molson went in, taking up back to back defensive positions.
T'Shal and Molson's eyes quickly adjusted to the change in lighting. Acarpeted corridor. Tastefully muted colors; subdued lighting; priceless works of art lining the walls. A place meant for meeting the public, it offered the casual visitor a safe haven from a hectic business schedule.
T'Shal hated it. Spoke of lies and subterfuge; a facade for ensuring trust from the unsuspecting. It was deserted at the moment. T'Shal and Molson hugged the wall on their left shoulder. They headed in the direction of the lifesign readings.
####
From a crouching position, Jimmy signaled Adam: Open the door. Jimmy held up his thumb and forefinger indicating *just a crack*. Adam nodded, then gently, quietly pulled the door slightly open. Jimmy placed his eye in the opening and quickly scanned the hallway. Tasteful, he thought, in a phony sort of way. Carpeted. Good, it'll minimize the noise. He opened his thumb and forefinger slightly: a little wider.
Able to just barely squeeze his head through the opening, Jimmy quickly checked his left. All clear. Closing his fist, he brought it down in a jerking motion. Now! Jimmy executed a shoulder roll, coming up in a kneeling position, his weapon covering the left corridor, while the others headed towards their right. When they arrived at the end of the corridor, Jimmy silently padded after them.
Opening the door to the room immediately next to where they believed the hostages were being held, Jimmy and Adam entered, covering the room with their weapons at ready. Adam high; Jimmy low. Empty. Quickly, they all went in, closing the door behind them. Jimmy looked up the ceiling, then turning, faced Adam giving him a boyishly expectant smile. Adam and Thomas both bowed graciously, then offered him a hand up.
Jimmy easily stood on Adam's shoulders, removing one of the ceiling panels. Taking a quick look, he gave the others a thumbs up. The crawl space was open and large enough to accommodate them. They'd be able to enter the executive lounge from above. When they were all in the crawl space between floors, Jimmy silently warned them to step carefully. A misstep could easily send them crashing into the floor below. Giving the *follow me* sign, Jimmy headed towards the Science Campers' prison.
####
Ames was worried. He and Garcia were waiting immediately outside the door leading into the room they believed the guards were using as a sleeping area. While Ames silently counted down the minutes, he studied his friend askance. He'd watched Garcia grow steadily worse during the past two days.
Julie. Garcia had liked her a lot although he'd never spoken to her. Too shy to go up to her and say "Hi," he'd instead been contented to worship her from afar. He'd even sent her flowers, signing it, "A Secret Admirer." Ames had thought Garcia a little bit trite, but hadn't discouraged him. In fact, he'd tried everything he knew to persuade his giant friend to just walk up to the girl and say "Hi, my name is Carlos Garcia," but without success.
Soon after Julie's death, it looked like his friend was going to be all right, but since the battle at the cliffside, he hadn't been the same. The soldier that Jimmy had told them to strip and let go--Ames didn't think he'd ever forget what happened--after he'd ordered the frightened soldier to strip down, shoes and all, Ames told him he was released. "That's right! You're free to go! Now get out of here, before I change my mind!"
Not believing that he was going to be allowed to live, the soldier atfirst began walking backwards, keeping an eye on them. Then making up his mind, he turned and started running as fast as possible in the woods. Garcia said, "Yeah, you're free to go--" Then raising his weapon, he quickly sighted the running soldier and fired, his weapon on kill force three, "--to Hell."
Ames remembered how he'd laughed at the trooper's comic appearance, his completely naked body sickly pale from lack of exposure to any sun. The soldier had looked strangely helpless, yet funny, somehow. Then Garcia's deadly particle beam sliced him from the buttocks up to just between his shoulder blades. Ames' laughter instantly choked in his throat.
Ames had dismissed the incident as one of those things. Garcia was hyped from the battle and upset over Julie's death, he reasoned. A guy was entitled to lose his cool at least once in his life. That didn't mean he was ready for a psychiatric planet. But now. He recalled the sentry at the spaceport--Garcia had killed him with his bare hands-- and the guard outside the armory--that had been necessary, even Jimmy had admitted it, but Ames had seen an almost orgasmic pleasure in Garcia's eyes when he sliced the guard's throat open. He's beginning to enjoy killing, Ames shivered.
####
End Part 2 of 3
