Part 11 (1/2)

'Stop!' Yrcanos ordered. He had noticed an opening appearing in the tunnel well ahead. A young Alphan male, almost as imposing in stature as Yrcanos, stepped out of the wall ahead to confront them. Yrcanos turned, saw that they were between two forces and smiled at Peri.

'I told you they would find us. Now to convince them of my right to lead them.'

The Warlord thumped himself on his breastplate. 'I am King Yrcanos!'

The bulky Alphan seemed unimpressed.

'Hold your tongue.'

'I...' Yrcanos started. Tuza, the leader of the Alphans arrived and indicated the dark side pa.s.sageway in the tunnel wall.

'This way... unless you wish to die here.'

'OK. Love to,' Peri said wis.h.i.+ng to head off a battle royal between Yrcanos and the Alphans. She ducked into the entrance that led off the main pa.s.sage and found herself in a natural gallery.

Peri walked along a natural causeway that crossed a lake of pink brackish water and disappeared into a series of caves carved out of limestone. The honeycomb of caves were crumbling but seemed, after the gloomy interiors of the section they had just left, to be beautiful in their disparate shapes. Peri pointed out strange formations carved out by the tides over millions of years. The Lukoser moved his head up and down as if he understood. Maybe it was the change of scene but Peri began to feel a little more cheerful. Tuza and his henchmen stayed close behind, watching every move the trio made. Peri had no way of knowing that they were being led towards a terrifying ordeal.

In the laboratory an elated Crozier finished his examination of the donor body that now showed all signs of renewed life. 'Success, Doctor, after a decade of work, I can transform the evolutionary process, conquer death the possibilities are endless!'

'Are you sure? Aren't you concerned about tissue rejection?' The Doctor was doubtful.

'I have perfected a plasma serum to prevent just that.

From today, Doctor, thanks to your help, I can put any brain into any body anywhere!'

Sil interrupted the discussion. 'Now that you have a.s.sisted in a miracle of science perhaps you would consent to help me achieve a similar feat of commerce?'

The Doctor glanced at Crozier. 'How long will it be before Kiv might regain consciousness?'

'One hour, two...'

'I am at your service, Sil.' The Doctor bowed to the mentor.

Yrcanos, the Lukoser and Peri were splayed out on the ground and tightly bound. All they could see was the roof of a natural gallery. Into their view came a burly Alphan.

They watched as the Alphan looked about for a suitably large stone to drop down on to their heads.

'So much for your charisma,' Peri said to Yrcanos. Her voice was full of fear at their predicament. 'Tell them again. Tell them we are on their side. Please.'

'Me a King, beg to that rabble?'

The Lukoser growled as Tuza came to look down upon them. The Alphan leader raised an arm to the man on the rock above who held a small boulder and was preparing to smash it down upon them.

Peri twisted her head to look at Yrcanos. He was staring stoically up at the sight of his imminent death.

Tuza began to speak with a slight trace of regret. 'You must understand that we cannot allow your bodies and skulls to be retrieved undamaged so that brain surgery can be performed to create creatures like this.' His foot indicated the Lukoser.

'Wait!' Peri interrupted. 'We're like you. We're against brain alteration. The Lukoser does not wish to be as he is.

He was made like that by the Mentors! I was a captive of the Mentors too. King Yrcanos is a hostage, valuable to them only so they can exploit his people. Please do not destroy us unless you wish to please the Mentors!'

'The Mentors.' Tuza's face twisted into hatred.

Yrcanos spoke calmly. 'She speaks truth. I do not beg.

Pulverise my skull and you slay an ally. But supply me with weapons and a good band of fighting men, and I will bring triumph against our mutual enemies.'

Tuza thought about the words for a long moment, then made a motion with his hand to the Alphan above. The burly executioner lowered the boulder to his feet and Peri breathed once more.

Tuza bent down to them. 'I have heard of King Yrcanos.

I had to prove that you were really he. You will have a plan, your Majesty?'

'Untie me and you will hear it!'

'Crozier!' The Matrona's voice was wild with panic as she bent over the body that now belonged to Lord Kiv.

'Something's wrong!'

Crozier checked every reading available. 'But he was fine a moment ago. He's suffering cardiac arrest. His body is reacting against the drugs.' Panic-stricken, Crozier began to ma.s.sage Kiv's chest, trying to stimulate the leader's flagging heartbeat.

'Don't die on me...' he pleaded. The Matrona watched Crozier pound Kiv's chest, knowing that not only the Mentor's life was threatened by that faltering heartbeat.

Unaware of the developing crisis in the laboratory Sil was seated in Kiv's chair showing off his prowess as controller of the Profit Room technology.

'Look, Doctor, money, money! Ali the stock and commodity markets are available to us via warpfold relay see there...'

Sil pointed to a display screen that filled a complete wall. 'There is an application for credit.' Sil paused and punched a keyboard before him. On the screen appeared further details of the request 'Search-conv Corp', identifying the application for credit.

'Who are they?' the Doctor asked.

Sil snorted derisively. 'They're nothing much. A bunch of burntout s.p.a.ce rangers who search for wrecked s.p.a.ce s.h.i.+ps. They request funding to purchase another retrieval craft, which I will deny.' Sil reached for the reject b.u.t.ton.

'Wait...' The Doctor frowned in an effort of recall or perhaps it should have been described as precall for the events were from a little time ahead in the future. 'Planet of Tokl, 24th century. I think there are to be many s.p.a.ce battles around the Rim Worlds at that time. There'll probably be a heap of battle-cruiser debris floating out there soon.'

'For this company to retrieve?'

'If they have the equipment to do it.'