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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
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Something was floating at the edge of Coulter’s consciousness as he finished a long shower, with plenty of soap and scalding hot water. There was something he was supposed to talk to the Captain about....
Coulter leapt out of the shower, sliding across the floor. He ran over to Conzel, who was placing his prison overalls in a plastic bag. He grabbed the bag from the canine’s grip.
“Are you insane?” Conzel demanded. “You were in something that had been filled with alien crap! Who knows what kind of bacteria those overalls have been in contact with. They have to be incinerated.”
Coulter took out the small prism. “I have to meet with the Captain. Right now.”
“Is that a demand?” Conzel asked. “I know you’ve been gone for a while, but the rules haven’t changed. No one ‘demands’ to see the Captain.”
“Please tell the Captain it’s an emergency. If I don’t pass along this piece of information, what she’ll do to me, will make me want to go back to Karzon.”
“I’ll politely request that the Captain meet with you, about an urgent matter,” Conzel replied.
“Thanks. And I’ll need some fresh overalls.”
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Captain MacKay was waiting in the conference room. “Conzel said you had an emergency that can’t wait, and that you wanted to talk to me alone.”
Coulter handed the Captain the small prism. “I don’t want anyone but you to hear about this.”
The Captain help up the small prism. “What is it?”
“I don’t know exactly how it works,” Coulter began, “but this is used with a mind-control device. It’s effective on several species, including humans. These were scattered on the floor in the mine.
Captain MacKay stared at the prims. “Are you sure?”
“Myself and several other prisoners left their work stations,” Coulter replied, “and no one leaves their work station in a Karzonian prison. It might be the last thing you do.”
The Captain contacted the bridge. “Keelatt!”
“At your service Captain.”
“Take us off the beaten path, someplace where the traffic is light.”
“No problem.”
“Kriss.”
“Yes Boss.”
“We’re going to need to reroute all the ship’s power, except for life-support, for a data flash.”
“That will leave us vulnerable,” Kriss replied. “The Commander of that pirate vessel may have friends, who aren’t happy about him being dead.”
“I understand the risks, just make it happen.”
“Aye, aye, Captain.”
Captain Mackay turned to Coulter. “Once this is scanned, we’ll get the schematics back to Earth. It’ll have to go through at least three agents, but it’s the best I can do.”
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One of the prison guards blamed for Coulter’s escape moaned in agony, as the citizens of Karzon watched. The cavern in the Hall of Justice was filled, young and old, while others watched on huge outdoor screens and in their private residences. He tried not to look at the Magistrate; that would tempt him to beg for mercy, a pointless gesture, that would only make his humiliation greater.
He screamed as a lash found another target. The crane he hung from, turned slowly, exposing undamaged flesh. His tormentors were using fire whips, thin strips of metal glowing red hot. It was a slow process. The heat cauterized the sliced flesh, preventing the accused from
bleeding to death. His only hope, was that his heart would fail and end the suffering. There was no chance of surviving the ordeal, the Magistrate had sentenced him to death.
As the disgraced guard hung in the background, The Magistrate looked up at a video camera. “Hear this, all citizens of Karzon! Our Sacred Laws will be obeyed. You will fulfill your responsibilities to the state. If you break the Law, if you fail to perform the duties bestowed on you, then there will be no mercy. We are a superior race, because we hold ourselves to a higher standard, the Sacred Laws.”
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He had proven himself. Commander Rigzar had never experienced this kind of power and it was intoxicating. Now he had command of the Deelrah, the newest addition to the Karzonian battle fleet.
Rigzar stared at his Navigator. “What do you mean, there’s a large fleet approaching? Earth doesn’t have a large fleet.”
“I’m detecting vessels with Earth, Therloxian, Feline, and Jorloxian designs.”
“The Jorlax? They’re accountants. What a joke!”
The weapons officer walked over, speaking quietly to Commander Rigzar. “The Jorlax have highly maneuverable, fast attack craft. And we’d still have to deal with the larger Earth, Feline and Therloxian vessels. This is not something we anticipated.”
“I’m not concerned,” replied Commander Rigzar. “Activate the Neuron-Interference Beam.”
“I’ll tell them to lower their energy shields. As soon as that happens, destroy them.”
“Yes, Commander Rigzar.” The weapons officer returned to his console.
Commander Rigzar stood up. “This is Commander Rigzar, representing the Karzon Empire. I order you to lower your energy shields.”
Rigzar waited. Nothing happened. He glanced at the weapons officer. “Why haven’t you opened fire?”
“They aren’t lowering their defences, Commander.”
“Boost the output of the Neuro-Interference Beam.”
“It’s already at maximum power. Perhaps their energy shields are protecting them.”
“Impossible,” replied Commander Rigzar. “They would have to know the exact modulation of the device.”
“We’re being sent a message from one of the Earth vessels,” announced another crewmember.
“Perhaps they want to surrender,” suggested the Navigator. “The Deelrah is a formidable vessel.”
Commander Rigzar smoothed his uniform. “Yes. Of course. I would love to hear them beg for mercy.”
Rigzar watched as the image of a human appeared on the view screen.
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Captain Reginal Hazlow stood on the bridge of one of the Earth vessels. A holographic projection of the prism appeared next to him. He would never be able to tell anyone that his son
had prevented Karzonians from deploying a mind-control device, or that his son had avenged the attack on Caslem, but he couldn’t help smiling.
“We know you have a more powerful version of this device on your vessel and the frequencies you’re uisng. We won’t be dropping our shields,” Reginal Hazlow began. “We don’t want war, but we’re prepared to fight. It’s your decision.”
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Commander Rigzar stared at the screen. He thought back to the experiments in the mining prison. He had told his assistants that if anything was missing, they would be flayed alive. Apparently they had believed him. One of them must have noticed a missing prism, but was hoping someone else would be blamed. It was the Karzonian way.
“What are your orders?” asked the Navigator.
“The human prisoner,” Rigzar whispered under his breath, “it had to be the human prisoner.”
Rigzar considered his options. He was responsible for the equipment, their maintenance, their security. He would be blamed, and the Magistrates would ensure he had a slow death. But, if he attacked and destroyed some of these vessels, he would be a Hero of Karzon.
“Attack. Fire all weapons.”
“No!” screamed the weapons officer. “I take command under rule 417 of the Karzonian Military Code.”
“I said attack!” Rigzar screamed. “I gave you an order.”
No one on the bridge moved.
“This is mutiny. If you don’t obey my orders, I will have every one of you flayed alive!” The weapons officer spat in his face. “You have failed. You allowed a technology that could have made Karzon invincible, fall into the hands of our enemies. You want to die with dignity, but I will not allow that.”
The weapons officer pushed Rigzar aside and sat in the command chair. She spoke to the navigator. “Take us back to Karzon at maximum velocity, I don’t want to delay Commander Rigzar’s return. The Magistrates will be waiting for him.”
Rigzar dropped to his knees. “Mercy.”
“We are Karzonians,” the Deelrah’s new commander whispered, “we don’t show mercy.”