THE PLANET THAT LOVED PEOPLE (standard:science fiction, 1321 words) [9/15] show all parts
Author: Danny Raven	Added: Mar 08 2016	Views/Reads: 1821/1346	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
PART 2 - CH 9

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

“With the Modas stamp on them,” Kane said and threw the bundle back on
the table. “You were gambling. Must have been on the Maze.” 

Miller pulled at his scruffy brown beard and Kane frowned. 

“Hang on, it was a draw in the Maze.” 

Miller looked a bit flustered. 

“That means you weren't backing Sinto to win.” 

“Well...I...uh...I...,” 

“Fucking traitor!” Kane said, grinning at him. 

Miller nodded. “Rich traitor!” he agreed. 

Kane laughed. “Come on, there might be a slight problem with the Gyro
Stabiliser. Muslik wants you to have a look.” 

“Okay,” said Miller, eyeing the money. 

“Don't worry, it'll still be there when you come back,” said Kane. 

Miller nodded and they left his cabin and headed off down the corridor
to the lift. 

Just as the door slid open Kane tapped the metal box in Miller's pocket.
“I'll take that,” he said, holding out his hand. 

Miller cursed then reluctantly dragged out the box and handed it over. 

Kane raised an eyebrow as he saw the contents. “Christ, you could've
explored the Corridor in the Black Hole on your own with these,” he 
said. 

Miller grinned and nodded enthusiastically. “Can't I have just one?” he
pleaded. 

“Piss off,” Kane replied, shoving him into the lift and pocketing the
box. He stepped in and the lift door slid shut. 

Behind him, as he was pressing the button to take them back up to the
Bridge, Miller slid a hand into his pocket and grinned as he fingered 
the two Dreamtabs he had slipped in earlier. 

***** 

Sinto Ad refilled his glass and leaned back comfortably in bed. The
woman beside him moaned softly in her sleep. 

After he'd had a quick look round the planet, the plan had taken shape
in his mind. The people here were weaklings. Drunken, drugged out 
weaklings, which made it easier to manipulate them. So he'd set his 
plan in motion. 

He couldn't have picked a better time with the planet still recovering
from Blaze's attack, Kol's mansion a smoking ruin and Sark well out of 
favour. 

So he'd met Sark secretly, told him how he'd managed to escape from
Tyler's mission and why he had been picked for it - because of his 
talents in  weapons, killing and war. Then he put a proposal to him - 
it didn't take much to convince Sark that Kol had been ruling long 
enough and now it was his turn. 

Sark went for the idea. He had seen himself as ruler of Modas for a long
time and with Sinto's help he could make it happen. Together they had 
begun to plan the takeover. 

Sinto grinned in the darkness and half finished his drink. Kol should be
very grateful when he learned about the plot against him. After they'd 
taken care of Sark, killing him and his followers no doubt, he would 
need somebody to watch for future uprisings. 

Sinto would fill the slot, become his right hand man, his
protector....for a time. Until he'd organized a little army of his own, 
that is. And then? 

Sinto roared with laughter in the darkness and finished his drink. It
wouldn't be too difficult to get rid of Kol and his weaklings then take 
over himself. 

Sinto Ad of Modas! It sounded good! Damn good!! He poured himself
another large drink and woke up the woman beside him. 

***** 

Miller whistled cheerfully to himself as he worked on the Stabiliser.
The Falcon had taken a couple of minor laser hits during the game on 
Modas and the Stabiliser had suffered slight damage. 

It wasn't the work that was making him happy though. He put down the
tool he was using and glanced furtively round the Drive compartment 
then slipped his hand into his pocket. He brought out one of the blue 
Dreamtabs and smiled at it. 

“You didn't get them all, Frank!” he muttered, pleased with himself. 

He was tempted to take it right away but decided he'd wait till the work
was finished. He would tell the others he was tired and slip away to 
his cabin and nobody would disturb him. He would save the other one for 
later. 

He switched on a small work robot and sat back while it completed some
welding. After it was finished he went back to the repair and in under 
an hour he was finished. Still whistling away to himself, he gathered 
his tools together and made his way back to the Bridge to tell Kane the 
job was done. 

Although his work on the Stabiliser had been satisfactory, Miller
couldn't possibly have noticed the damage behind it, deeper in the 
Drive, almost next to the hull. It too had started after the minor 
laser hits but the damage was extremely minimal, so minimal that it 
hadn't even registered on the Drive console on the Bridge. 

It would be a few days before it worsened and triggered the alarm. By
then the damage would have to be repaired from outside the Ship. 


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