"Tailored deception"

On Zeta Minor , Professor Saladin-Vore looked up to see the Wander-class ship arrive over the jungles. It stopped not too far away from base camp, at a clearing and touched down.

Feral came out from the cabin and heard the ships exhausts die down from behind the alien trees.

He looked at the professor questioningly, "Is that him?"

Saladin-Vore nodded, "That'll be him, I'll not expecting anyone else...come on, we better meet him at the ramp"

Fighting their way through the tanglements of the alien undergrowth, they headed towards the ship.

XXX

Inside the ship, Zola pressed a button on her dash area and looked up, "Blake...I am picking up lifeforms approaching the entry hatch"

Blake looked at her, "THAT should be Saladin-Vore...it was HIM who sent out the signal"

Doss handed him a gun from the racking as Blake approached the entry hatch, "If this place is as hostile as those instruments tell us, then you will need this"

Blake took the gun and pushed the door release, he turned and glanced at Krestal at the flight controls, "aren't you coming?"

Krestral remained in the comfort of his seat, "I'd rather sit this one out if you don't mind"

XXX

Saladin-Vore stepped forward and shook Blake's hand no sooner he was down the ramp, "It's good to meet you last last Xherphi, the stories I have heard about you liberating so many worlds"

"As I have heard already so many times - thank you anyway - now where is this prototype?"

"Straight down to business...I like your style", remarked Saladin-Vore pointing the way through the jungles.

Blake glanced about him as he pushed his way through the trees, "I don't care to like this place very much - the sooner we do business the sooner I can leave..."

XXX

Blake looked on in horror at the clutter of junk that littered the base camps work top, "is THIS IT? Is this the answer to my prayers?"

Feral looked at him from where he stood nearby, "It was never advertised as in good condition"

Saladin-Vore licked his lips and then raised his gun from the doorway behind them, Blake turned when Feral leapt forward, "but WHY? I helped you!"

"You are nobody...now I must leave"

Blake stepped forward and pulled his gun out and aimed it at the professor.

"Drop the weapon Blake...or I will simply cut down poor Feral here in cold blood"

Blake did what he was told and dropped the gun.

"You called him Blake?", said Feral confused.

Saladin-Vore laughed, "Yes I did, didn't I...I've seen enough Federation records to recognise Blake when I see him...rumour were said that you were missing presumed dead...and it seems that taking on somebody else's identity is what you are all about these days..."

Blake nodded towards the junk on the side, "There was never a prototype, was there?"

The professor nodded, "No there wasn't...ORAC was the life and sole of Ensor's life and the ONLY computer he created...no, all this is nothing but life long eroded space junk that some lost expedition left behind...it's all beyond any natural repair"

Blake was shaking his head in disbelief that he had been duped yet again, "but YOU said it was in FULL working order and that it can put a trace on Federation..."

"...transmissions? Blake, I sent out the signal to trap you here...I am not as neutral as I made out...you see, I was suspended from my position...and by stranding you here and have your base and people wiped out on Izeptha 7, they dare NOT to take me back"

"so you are a Federation scientist?"

"Yes...you see, I was apart of the science team that was putting the Federation back on track..."

Blake shook his head, "I know...by using the drug Pylene 50...they used similar methods when I was on Earth"

Saladin-Vore smiled, "did you know I was one of the scientists who created that drug"

Blake turned around and crashed his fist down onto the cluttered work top making Feral flinch.

"You set ALL this up...made up the whole story to trap me...that's why you had MY science team on Volton 4 killed...you KNEW that THEY would have known that Ensor had NO prototype"

"and that's why your science team had to die..."

Blake swung around angrily, "it was YOU whom informed the Federation death squad that they would be there...they massacred too many good people...men, women fighting the cause"

"Your cause Blake...or Xherphi's since you've become him...it took a long time to plan and set up...but it has all fallen into place...and as we speak, your rabble left behind on Izeptha7 are no doubt being executed"

Blake closed his eyes, he felt deeply betrayed AGAIN, "I was so close...I was so close...I had it ALL worked out, with that prototype I could have contacted ORAC...gained the Liberator..."

Saladin-Vore laughed at him, "have you been living in the dark Blake? Haven't you kept your ears to the ground? The Liberator is GONE...destroyed, and so are your friends"

Blake looked like he had been hit by a force. His too trusting nature and naivety was relentless. Crushed again and again.

"No you lie...", he managed to mutter, although he did try and resort to it being truth.

Saladin-Vore almost felt sorry for him, "No Blake...it's ALL true...and now I must go. Naturally I will be taking YOUR ship...mine is not that space worthy...not anymore...you better get used to calling this place home"

Blake did have some hope, "the others will stop you!"

Saladin-Vore paused at the door and glanced around, "Ah...I don't think so...Krestal was the one who helped me set all of this up behind your back...he MADE the transmissions possible and YOU fell for it...shame...you really don't know who to trust anymore, do you Blake?

And with that, he was out the door.

Feral ran out after him, "What about ME? YOU can't just leave me behind, you just can't...you promised me...YOU said you'd make it work out for both of us"

Saladin -Vore mocked him, "I lied...why would I want to be associated with a smithering fool like you"

Within minutes, Blake's ship blasted off without him, leaving him sitting alone dwelling on how naive he had been - too trusting - that was always his trouble.

Feral bolted back inside urging Blake too get off his backside, "So WHAT are we gonna do now?"

Blake met his gaze and then jumped up to his feet forcing his somber mood to the back of his mind, "Well, I don't know about YOU, but I am not staying here...the transmitter, show me where it is"

Feral laughed at him, like he should know it already, "There is NO transmitter, not anymore...HE destroyed it"

Blake refused to believe he would be stranded on this hostile planet, "there MUST be a way off this world!"

"Death", countered Feral.

Blake looked at him coldly, "for YOU maybe...I on the other hand am a little MORE optimistic...now this ship of his...show me where it is..."

XXX

Six days passed. Feral was on the verge of going completely insane as he dodged the savage creatures that prowled the alien jungle. Blake on the otherhand had found some useful equipment in Saladin-Vore's abandoned spaceship. The professor had been right about it being not space worthy any more, it seemed on closer inspection that the main stardrive had been completely ripped apart not to mention the main booster being drained of power.

Feral managed to out chase another one of the savage creatures when he found Blake at the transmitter site. Blake stood up and looked at him, there was a tool in his hand.

"You've fixed it!", Feral exclaimed looking down to the transmitter beacon.

Blake shook his head and with his hand wiped the sweat off from his brow, "No...I have just modified it with some equipment Saladin-Vore left behind on his ship"

Feral looked up with hope glowing in his eyes, "Then we can call for help?"

Blake shrugged, he wasn't really that confident, "I hope so...the only thing is , it's pretty much a one way transmitter...it's sending out a signal...", he smiled at him, "...lets hope it's to the right people..."