Part 7 (1/2)

The Telgoran dindin master was okay with that. If she could keep up, the Waa would accept her too.

CHAPTER 9.

Gee was ashamed. Not only was he ashamed, but he was frightened and alone.

While Grant, t.i.tan, and the rest of the army was off fighting for Earth, he was crouched inside a small, dark room. Unable to move.

He had not intended to hide. In fact, he had every intention of fighting to the death, if that was required. But when the reality of the situation presented itself, his natural instincts had taken over.

When the order had come in for all the carriers to move out of the mothers.h.i.+p, he had been nearly overcome by fear. He was an engineer, not a soldier. He had not trained to fire the weapon Grant had given him. He had never run a mile in his life; never performed a single push-up. The bulge around his middle testified to his lack of exercise and offered visual proof to the soldiers seated in the carrier with him that he did not belong with them.

When the carrier landed on street three, Gee was the last to exit. The carrier pilot gave the engineer a strange look and a ”let's go” wave as he pa.s.sed out the door of the vehicle. Gee took two deep breaths, steeled himself, and pushed out of his seat. He promptly tripped over the lip of the doorway and fell face-first onto the strange, smooth roadway of Waa.

The pain that shot through his right knee delayed him even further as he rolled on the ground and waited for the throbbing to die down. It did not die down. Neither did anyone offer any a.s.sistance. Knowing he could not remain where he was, Gee rolled onto his back and found himself looking up the face of a thirty- or forty-story high-rise building. He then lifted his head to survey the street around him. The first thing he noticed was a doorway to his right. The second thing he noticed as he looked past his feet toward the distant s.h.i.+p yard was a trio of Minith soldiers. They were still a hundred meters away, but they were running toward his location.

His knee forgotten, Gee rolled onto his stomach and dragged himself to the door. He did not know where it led, nor did he care. His only thought was escape.

From a p.r.o.ne position, the engineer tentatively shoved at the metal face of the entrance, and when it swung inward without pause, he pulled himself in. Once inside, Gee pushed himself off the floor and searched for a way to lock the door behind him. He did not find one.

He did discover something extraordinary, though. The carrier vehicle was clearly visible through the doorway. From outside, the doorway had appeared to be made of some type of metal. Now he knew it was not made from any metal that he could identify. Similar to a two-way mirror, he could see out, but those outside could not see in.

Gee put his face to the entrance and looked to the left, to the north. The soldiers from his carrier were visible, but they seemed a long way off. He turned his head to the right. The three Minith soldiers were only twenty meters from the door where he stood.

Spinning away from the door, the engineer surveyed his surroundings. He was in a dimly lit hallway that led into the interior of the building. Several doors occupied the wall to the left. Forgoing the closest one as too obvious a hiding place, Gee limped to the second door. There was no handle, so he pushed inward. Nothing. The door did not budge. He noticed a six-inch metal plate inset into the center of the door and pushed against it. Still nothing. However, when he pulled his hand away from the door, he felt an invisible connection to the metal plate and the door swung outward, into the hallway.

”Amazing,” he whispered, and stepped into the small room he found on the other side.

Before closing the door behind him, he glanced back at the street. The three alien soldiers had reached the carrier. One of them said something to the others and pointed north. Another reached down and picked up a rifle. His rifle, Gee realized with a groan. Until that moment, he had not realized that he had left it lying on the ground where he fell.

One thing seemed clear, though. None of the Minith seemed interested in what lay on this side of the see-through doorway.

Gee released a sigh and pulled the door closed behind him. When the door clicked shut, a light flashed on. He was in a small room. Shelves covered three walls and they were filled with an a.s.sortment of items, none of which he could identify. If he had to hazard a guess, he would have said it was a storeroom-similar to what he would expect to find on Earth.

Curious, he turned around, and sure enough, could see into the hallway through the closed door.

An interesting concept.

There was a metal triangular plate in the wall next to the door. It was exactly where he would expect to find a light switch. Gee palmed the plate and was rewarded with warm, welcome darkness.

That had been an hour ago. Now he lay curled up in the farthest corner of the closet-tired, scared, and alone on a planet full of Minith. Other than the knife Grant had insisted he carry, he had no weapon for defense. He had his wits, his imagination, a full bladder, and a stomach that rumbled.

He couldn't stay curled up in the closet forever, but he wasn't ready to move just yet. He closed his eyes, begged his bladder and his stomach to be patient, and waited. Eventually the Minith or his bodily needs would help him decide his next move.

For now, that was enough.

”Initial estimates show nearly four thousand of our troops killed. Another five thousand wounded,” General Rsak reported. ”All the humans have been killed, except for six. Those six are being held at your command.”

Truk paced the worn path behind his desk as he received the general's update.

The humans had been destroyed, as he had known they would be. The small, but surprisingly effective, attacking force had made it to within a kilometer of his residence. It was a remarkable feat for a race that had always been thought of as weak, pitiful slaves.

The loss of Minith life was regrettable, but not as important as receiving word that a handful of the human attackers had been taken alive. He had delicious plans for them.

The seventh anniversary of the destruction of the home planet was less than two months away, and the captives' roles in the remembrance events would be spectacular. The events would be particularly satisfying for the ma.s.ses who had been demanding action. They now knew who to blame for the erasure of their planet-the humans of Earth.

When he was finished with the six humans now at his disposal, the public would adore him. They would shower him with adulation, honor, and respect. The antic.i.p.ation left a hot glow of excitement in the pit of his belly.

”Very good, General.” Truk dismissed Soo's replacement with a wave, then asked Ghin to enter.

”Sir?”

”I want to change our preparations for the upcoming celebration. It needs to be larger. I want as many of our people to attend as possible. Where is the best location for that?”

Ghin considered the question. ”The largest s.p.a.ce within the city is at the Waa s.h.i.+pbuilding facility, Governor. With work, we could accommodate most of the Minith on this island. Would that be sufficient?”

”That would be perfect. I want everyone in attendance to be able to see and hear what takes place. If you need a.s.sistance, ask Rala to recommend someone. And be sure to leave the mothers.h.i.+p the humans brought where it is. It will make an excellent prop-a reminder of our success over the human rebels.”

”Yes, sir.”

”And Ghin?

”Sir.”

”Send word to General Soo. Inform him of today's events.”

”Right away, sir.”

The view from her window was not perfect, but she could tell that the fighting had ended. The last angry bird had been swatted from the sky fifteen minutes ago. The low-flying vessel did not have a chance as more than a thousand Minith weapons focused their red pulses of energy on it as it streaked through the street below.

Now, Minith soldiers roamed the streets freely, looking for strays, s.n.a.t.c.hing up alien weapons, and scouring the ground for souvenirs. As Rala watched, a dozen soldiers swarmed the carca.s.s of one of the slow-moving transport vehicles the humans had abandoned.

Other than the detritus and damage left by their irate pa.s.sage, there was no further sign of the human forces. She saw no stragglers, no bodies, no captives.

Bored of the scene below, she left her subordinate's office and returned to her own side of the building.

There was an interesting message waiting for her when she sat down at her desk. She read it three times, considered her options, then made the call.

”Traela, this is Minister Rala. I just received your message. Have there been any further developments?”

”No, Minister. I was unsure what steps to take, so I contacted you directly. Shall I contact someone else?”