Sirens Tale

  By Thomas Fay

  Copyright 2014

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this e-book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this e-book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Cover: Image copyright Aphelleon, 2014. Used under license from Shutterstock.com. Design by Thomas Fay.

  Also by Thomas Fay:

  A Mind Supreme (SF Short Stories)

  Apothecary (Fantasy Anthology)

  Izikiel

  Coming soon:

  Socrates and the Sentinel

  Sirens Tale

  The light from Alpha Centauri's star shone through the viewing pane as I slowly opened my eyes.

  ‘Finally! I thought I was going to have to call someone from medical to come down and take a look at you,’ Selize said.

  ‘What time is it?’ I asked, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

  ‘It’s ten to nine.’

  ‘What?! I’ve got to meet Roger D in the bar in ten minutes.’

  Selize reached over and ran her hand delicately across my chest. I experienced a moment of dizzying euphoria as the sense of her touch was amplified by the telepathic connection between us. It was as if I was experiencing what both of us were feeling.

  ‘Do you really have to go?’ she asked in that breathless whisper of hers that sent shivers down my spine.

  ‘Yes,’ I said, squirming out of her reach. I got out of bed. The floor was cold. Every fiber of my being was crying out for me to get back into bed.

  ‘You sure?’

  ‘Selize you know I’m not going anywhere. I’m yours for however long you want me.’

  ‘You do realise Centaurians mate for life?’

  ‘Yes.’

  She smiled.

  ‘Good. Go play space mechanic. I’ll be here, waiting.’

  ‘You’re incorrigible.’

  ‘I try.’

  I retrieved my grey one-piece and slipped it on along with my tool belt. Grabbing my id badge, I turned to say goodbye. My word’s caught in my throat. Selize lay stretched out on the bed, half covered by the sheets. The amethyst glow from Alpha Centauri’s star bathed the entire bedroom in a surreal aura. Selize, at its centre, an alien princess.

  ‘Changed your mind?’ she asked.

  ‘What? No, I was just…’

  Selize smiled.

  ‘Nice try. I’ll see you later.’

  I pressed my thumb against the activation pad on the wall. The door slid upwards with the faintest hiss of air. As I stepped out into the corridor, Selize’s voice spoke directly into my mind.

  ‘Be careful.’

  ****

  I walked into the Dyson Alpha star port bar. Chiron, the largest of the frozen moons, was an ever present feature of this region of space, visible through the panoramic viewport running the length of the bar. Moving through the crowd, I made my way to the private booths. Sitting down, I waited.

  Five minutes passed and there was no sign of Roger D.

  After ten, I began to look around. I was about to leave when somebody sat down across from me.

  ‘That seat’s taken,’ I said.

  The man had raven black hair, a deeply tanned complexion from excessive solar exposure and grey eyes. A faint smile spread across his thin lips.

  ‘Yes, by me. Roger D sends his apologies. He couldn’t make it,’ the man said.

  I became instantly wary. My eyes scanned the bar. Two men standing near the exit stared straight back at me. I shifted my attention to the man seated across from me.

  ‘Lars Marvik, I presume?’ I asked.

  ‘You’re smarter than you look,’ Lars replied.

  ‘What do you want?’

  ‘And direct. I like that. You should join my crew.’

  ‘No, thanks.’

  ‘Didn’t think so. Such loyalty to someone so undeserving.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Oh, haven’t you heard? Your friend, Roger D, has been arrested for piracy. It’s a charge the authorities of Dyson Alpha take very seriously.’

  ‘Piracy? If anyone is guilty of piracy I’d say that would be you.’

  Lars’s smile widened.

  ‘Now, now. Let’s try and handle this without resorting to name calling.’

  ‘Sure.’

  My gaze flicked to the two men at the bar. They looked like standard hired thugs, the type that looked intimidating but could seldom stand up to someone who had been properly trained. Space navy combat training was extreme to say the least. I still carried the scars to attest to that.

  ‘Whatever you’re thinking – don’t,’ Lars said. He lifted the handgun he was holding just enough that I could see it.

  ‘Alright, you’ve made your point. I can’t go anywhere so I guess I have to hear you out,’ I said.

  ‘You really are a lot smarter than you look. I want the profits from that last claim you lodged and I want you out of this region of space. Permanently.’

  ‘And if we don’t agree?’

  ‘Then Roger D gets shipped off to a deep space mining colony. I hear the ones in the Alpha Centauri system are particularly nasty. You have until tomorrow morning to decide.’

  Lars stood up. Motioning to his men, he made his way out of the bar.

  I waited until they had disappeared outside. Then I stood up and raced out of the bar.

  ****

  Breathing hard, I opened the door to Selize’s quarters.

  ‘I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away,’ Selize said. She was still sprawled out on the bed.

  ‘They took Roger D,’ I said, between breaths.

  Selize sat up.

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Lars Marvik. He runs a competing deep space reconnaissance outfit operating out of the Proxima Centauri system. He’s the one that set those Kadmian Raiders on us in the asteroid belt.’

  ‘That’s not good.’

  ‘Can you get in touch with Justine?’

  ‘Of course.’

  Selize closed her eyes. I stood there catching my breath as I absently admired her perfect physique. A frown suddenly appeared on her flawless face.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ I asked.

  ‘I can’t sense Justine.’

  ‘That’s not good.’

  ‘No, it’s really not. The Centaurian telepathic bond is not easily broken. Unless…’

  ‘They injected her with a neural inhibitor.’

  Selize shuddered.

  ‘That’s barbaric! Do you know what it does to us to be deprived of our bond?’

  I clenched my fists in anger. I had experienced what breaking the bond temporarily had done to Selize. I could only imagine what isolating a Centaurian from others through chemically induced means would do.

  ‘We need to find them. Fast.’

  Selize stood up.

  ‘I’m coming with you.’

  I was about to protest but seeing the look of determination on her face, I simply nodded.

  ‘We need to find the rest of the crew,’ I said.

  ‘Where do we start?’ Selize asked.

  ‘Medical center. Jeni Nix will be there. Once we have her we get Jaden Turk and then we figure out how to get to Roger D and Justine.’

  ‘What are we waiting for?’

  ‘You need to put some clothes on.’

  Selize pulled on a tight fitting one-piece midnight blue dress. She might as well not have been wearing anything.

  ‘Better?’ she asked.

  ‘Not really but it would take too long to explain. Come on, we’d better hurry. Marvik only gave me until tomorrow morning.’

  ****

  Jeni Nix’s orange hair bobbed up and down as she led us into a private consulting chamber in the medical center. She motioned for us to sit down.

  ‘What happened? Start at the beginning,’ she said.

  ‘All I know is that I was supposed to meet Roger D this morning in the bar. Marvik showed up instead with a couple of hired thugs. He told me that if we didn’t hand over the profits from the last deal and leave Alpha Centauri, then Roger D would end up on a deep space mining colony. Permanently.’

  ‘What about Justine?’

  ‘We think they’ve used a neural inhibitor on her. Selize can’t sense her.’

  ‘This is bad. Marvik’s been after us for a while now. The fact that he hired those Kadmian Raiders showed how serious he is.’

  ‘Can we go to the authorities?’

  ‘We could but judging by what Marvik told you it won’t help us. He’s obviously framed Roger D. Probably for something he did himself.’

  ‘We need to find them.’

  ‘That part is painfully obvious,’ Jeni said. She stood up. ‘We better go and get Jaden. If this thing gets physical, we’ll need his help.’

  I nodded as Selize and I stood up. We followed Jeni out of the medical center and down a series of corridors until we reached dock 22-A. We boarded the Helios Ark. Jaden Turk was on the main deck.

  ‘Jaden, we need your help,’ Jeni said.

  ‘I am ready to assist, ma’am,’ Jaden replied. The dark blue conduits under his translucent skin shone with an unnatural colour in the artificial light of the cabin. His synthetic android eyes stared at us with an unreadable expression.

  ‘Lars Marvik has framed Roger D and inca pacitated Justine. We need to get to them before they’re shipped off to a mining colony.’

  ‘Understood. Wait one moment while I scan the communications net for any sign of their location.’

  Jaden sat down. His fingers became a blur as he input instructions into the console in front of him. After sixty seconds it lit up with a series of schematics.

  ‘Do you have something?’ I asked.

  ‘I believe so, sir. Roger D is being held on Deck 28 of the Dyson Alpha star port.’

  ‘Deck 28? That’s the maximum security Alpha Centaurian command centre. There’s no way we’re getting in there!’ I exclaimed.

  ‘Not necessarily,’ Selize said.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  Her crystalline cat’s eyes appraised me carefully.

  ‘I know the commander of the star port.’

  ‘What? How?’

  Selize said nothing.

  ‘C’mon, Selize. We need your help.’

  ‘Alright. Fine, I’ll talk to her. We don’t exactly see eye to eye on many things but I’m fairly sure she’ll help me.’

  ‘Who is she?’ I asked.

  Selize remained silent. Shrugging, I turned back to the others.

  ‘We need a plan.’

  ****

  The Helios Ark disengaged from dock 22-A. Its maneuvering thrusters fired intermittently as it rotated away from the Dyson Alpha star port. Chiron’s reflected light bathed the exterior of the starship in an amethyst hue as its modified class E engine ignited propelling it into the emptiness of space.

  ‘Alright, they’re clear,’ I said. ‘Let’s hope Marvik buys it.’

  ‘I’m sure he’s got someone watching the ship. He’ll know it’s gone,’ Selize replied.

  ‘I hope you’re right. C’mon.’

  We made our way down the narrow corridors back into the central part of the star port. Reaching the central turbo-lift bank, we stopped.

  I turned to Selize.

  ‘You’re sure about this?’ I asked.

  ‘Yes. I’ll be fine.’

  She reached out and caressed my face. I pulled her close and kissed her deeply. It felt like every single neuron in my brain was firing at once.

  ‘Be careful,’ she whispered.

  ‘You too.’

  I watched her enter the turbo-lift. The doors slid shut and she was gone. Taking a deep breath, I walked into the star port depository.

  ‘Welcome, Mr…?’ the clerk greeted me.

  ‘Stanton. John Stanton,’ I said.

  ‘Mr. Stanton. What can I do for you today?’

  ‘I need to make a withdrawal.’

  ‘What account please, sir?’

  ‘It’s under the name Roger D. He’s the captain of the Helios Ark.’

  The clerk looked at me intently.

  ‘Sir, I’ll need an account number and authorization code to access the funds. If you would care to input them here.’

  The clerk swiveled a liquid data tablet towards me. I quickly entered the details Jeni Nix had given me. The tablet lit up with a satisfactory green color.

  ‘Thank you, Mr. Stanton. I will retrieve your funds. Please wait here.’

  The clerk disappeared into the metallic vault. He reappeared moments later carrying several amethyst colored Centurium bars. He stacked them on the counter next to a secure carry case.

  ‘Here you go, sir. The full amount of the most recent deposit. Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?’

  ‘No, that’s it.’

  I placed the amethyst coloured bars inside the case. I keyed it to my thumbprint and voice. Closing it, I walked out of the depository.

  ****

  Chiron shone through the panoramic viewing panel in the Dyson Alpha star port bar. I sat at a private booth watching the patrons going about their business.

  ‘I’m glad to see you didn’t try anything stupid,’ Lars Marvik said. He slid into the seat opposite me.

  ‘You didn’t really leave me much choice,’ I said.

  ‘Do you have the money?’

  ‘I do.’

  ‘Show it to me.’

  ‘Not here,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘We go and get Roger D first.’

  Lars’s eyes narrowed. He reached inside his jacket.

  ‘That wasn’t our arrangement.’

  ‘Things change. Get used to it. The Helios Ark is gone. The funds have been withdrawn. I’ve done everything you asked for but there’s no way I’m handing over the money before you free Roger D.’

  Lars said nothing. His hand wavered over his gun.

  ‘Alright, let’s go,’ he finally said.

  We stood up and made our way out of the bar. Reaching the central turbo-lift bank, we entered the first available lift. Lars pressed the button for Deck 28. The doors slid open a few seconds later.

  ‘You first,’ he said.

  I stepped out onto the most secure level of the Dyson Alpha star port. A pair of heavily armed guards stood directly in front of us. Their force shielded body armor was so thick it made them appear like insects. Giant mutated alien cockroaches, to be precise.

  ‘Halt! This is a restricted area,’ one of them said. ‘State the nature of your business.’

  ‘We are here to arrange the release of a prisoner,’ Lars said.

  ‘Under whose authority?’

  ‘Mine.’

  Before I could react, Lars raised his weapon to a firing position. Gone was the handgun he had threatened me with the other day. Instead, he held a compact neutronium disintegrator. He fired twice. Two singularities materialized and enveloped the guards. They disintegrated into fiery molecular dust.

  ‘Move! Quick and quiet,’ Lars said.

  I hadn’t seen a neutronium disintegrator used since I had resigned my commission with the space navy. It was banned in all the colonized star systems. A cold shiver flowed down my spine as I realized just how dangerous Lars Marvik really was.

  ‘Where did you get that weapon?’ I asked.

  ‘This?’ Lars asked, holding it up. ‘My Kadmian friends have access to some serious hardware. You should see what they outfitted my ship with.’

  ‘I’ll pass. Let’s get Roger D and get out of here.’

  We reached a reinforced beryllium security door. Lars disintegrated it along with the two guards on the other side. We reached the cell block.

  ‘Which one?’ I asked.

  ‘5-A’

  I released the locking mechanism. A disheveled and bruised Roger D blinked as the door swung open.

  ‘Marvik. I should have known,’ he said.

  ****

  Lars Marvik aimed the neutronium disintegrator at me.

  ‘Now – the money.’

  ‘It’s on the docking level. We need to get out of here,’ I said.

  ‘Lead the way.’

  I cast a sideways glance at Roger D as we rushed back towards the turbo-lifts. I felt a strange tingling sensation at the base of my skull. I caught the faintest flicker of movement in one of the side corridors.

  ‘Selize,’ I cast the thought out.

  ‘John? Are you alright?’

  ‘Get everyone back! Marvik has a neutronium disintegrator. He’s already killed four guards.’

  ‘We can help you.’

  ‘No, not yet. We need to get him away from the star port.’

  ‘Be careful.’

  ‘Always.’

  We took the turbo-lift back down to the docking level. Reaching the secure storage lockers, I opened locker 22-A and withdrew the case.

  ‘Open it,’ Lars demanded.

  I pressed my thumb against the activation pad and spoke my name. The case clicked open. The bars of Centurium shimmered with an ethereal quality.

  ‘Leave it and back away.’

  I did as instructed.

  ‘You’ve got the money now tell me where Justine is,’ Roger D said.

  Lars smiled.

  ‘Your little Centaurian friend is on her way to the mining outpost. Without her abilities her kind won’t be able to save her.’

  ‘Bring her back now or I’ll tear you to pieces!’ Roger D shouted.

  Lars’s smile widened.

  ‘You can try and save her but without the Helios Ark you’ll never reach her in time. Consider it payback for all the times you’ve interfered in my operations.’

  Lars scooped up the case and disappeared back down the corridor.

  ‘We need to get Justine,’ Roger D said.

  ‘We will.’

  I activated my port to ship coms device.

 

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