THE PLANET THAT LOVED PEOPLE (standard:science fiction, 4615 words)
Author: Danny Raven	Added: Mar 14 2016	Views/Reads: 2482/1679	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
SIRENE

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In front of him there was a long valley which rolled away wide and empty
to a distant range of ugly, black mountains. There were no rivers or 
streams or forests to break up the bleak landscape. 

“Christ, what a bloody awful planet!” he muttered, staring at the view. 

He smoked his cigar for a minute or so then grinned. Bloody awful planet
it might be but at least it was the safest place for him to be. Neither 
Kane nor his clone would ever dream of looking for him here. 

***** 

At the same time as Tyler was landing on Sirene, Kane reached the
Corridor entrance. 

He had planned his tactics during the journey and he lined up the Falcon
and it entered the yawning, black Corridor. 

He piloted manually during the first section, staying on the Bridge,
watching tensely for the area where the stars would appear. When they 
reached it, he retreated to the Safety Cabin and switched on its 
force-field, having warned the Computer to expect a full power cut when 
the multi-coloured stars came out of the Corridor walls and cloaked the 
Ship like a blanket. 

Kane spent a full hour in the Safety Cabin and when he cautiously
returned to the Bridge, the stars were gone and all power had been 
restored, much to his relief. 

Next he guided the Falcon through the rocky, cave-like section, avoiding
the huge stalactite and stalagmite formations, with the help of the 
Computer. 

A few of the gigantic, striped, spiked balls appeared behind the Ship
and the rear scanner picked them up but he was unconcerned, knowing 
they would burst harmlessly against the hull. 

None of the semi-opaque, ‘jelly fish' creatures appeared and after
having burst through the yellow net, the Falcon reached the last 
section of the Corridor which was composed of the gigantic, pulsing, 
green and purple triangles. 

Then the Ship was out. 

Kane quickly ordered an increase in their speed and they flashed along
the external section of the Corridor until they shot out of the Black 
Hole's atmosphere. 

“We're out!!” Kane yelled, grinning. 

“We most certainly are,” the Computer calmly agreed. 

“Next stage,” said Kane. “Plot in a course for Sirene and give me an
estimated time at maximum speed.” 

He paced the Bridge waiting for the answer. Half a minute later it came.
“Three days,” the Computer told him. 

“Okay,” said Kane. “Let's go!” 

***** 

Four days later Tyler was growing pretty bored. He was sitting on the
massive, flat boulder on top of the hill, staring out at the wide, 
empty valley, smoking yet another of his thin, black cigars. 

Since they'd landed on Sirene he'd been in regular contact with the
Captain of the Guards back on Earth for news of the search for Kane's 
clone but each time the news had been the same – there was still no 
sign of him. The delay in the messages because of the distance to Earth 
had only added to his frustration. 

Each day, morning and afternoon, at the same time, he'd taken an
airmobile out to have a look at the planet, just to pass the time. Not 
that there was anything much to see. 

Sirene was a bleak, dull wilderness. Everywhere he went there was
nothing but empty marshland, wide valleys, tortured black mountains, 
sluggish, brown rivers and slowly rolling, dark seas. 

‘An absolutely dreadful place,' he had thought. 

He had also stared going for walks twice a day, mainly up to the hill to
sit on the flat boulder, smoke a cigar and stare up the wide valley, 
again just to pass the time. 

He had permitted the Platoon of twenty four Fleet Guards out six at a
time for exercise on a rota basis, three times a day on foot only, just 
to break the monotony for them but they had to stay within sight of the 
Ship. 

After the first meeting with the prisoners, they had stayed well away
from the Ship and from him and although he wore his force-field belt 
all the time, he felt confident enough to leave it switched off. He 
knew the prisoners were watching from a distance however, curious as to 
what was going on. 

He sighed and finished his cigar. He stood up, flicked it out into space
and looked down, watching as it bounced off several rocky ledges till 
he lost sight of it far below. 

Which is when he heard the air-mobile. 

He turned quickly and looked back at the Ship. An air-mobile with two
Guards was heading towards the hill. No-one was permitted to use them 
apart from him so it must be an emergency. Which could only mean one 
thing. 

A message from Earth! They must have found Kane's clone!! 

Tyler grinned and a great surge of relief passed through him and he felt
himself relax for the first time in days. He could finally get off this 
god awful planet. Get back to Earth. Deal with the clone personally. 
Which would mean the end of Kane as well, wherever he was. 

The arrogant smile crept back on to his face as he also remembered that
he was the only person on Earth who knew of the fabulous wealth just 
waiting to be picked up on that planet through the Corridor, Kasabla 
they had called it. An expedition there would be his second priority 
after he reached Earth...after he dealt with Kane's clone that is. 

The air-mobile was now approaching and he could see the Guard Sergeant
was driving with another Guard sitting behind. The Guard was waving a 
red message sheet at him. 

He had been correct! It was a message from Earth!! And it was red, which
meant it was urgent!!! 

The air-mobile landed and the Guard dismounted and trotted over to the
huge, flat boulder and climbed up. 

Tyler savoured the moment, smiling at the Guard who walked over, came to
attention, saluted then held out the message sheet. 

He unfolded it and read it. 

‘I TOLD YOU WE'D MEET AGAIN SOON!', was all it said. 

Tyler stared at it in disbelief. He read it again then looked at the
Guard. “What the hell's this!?” he snapped. 

The Guard reached up and slowly unfastened his black helmet visor and
slid it up. It was Kane's clone! 

Tyler's mouth dropped open and he staggered backwards. Kane's clone
grinned and whipped out his laser pistol and levelled it at him. Tyler 
took another step backwards and almost fell off the edge of the flat 
boulder. 

“Leaving so soon?” Kane's clone asked mockingly. “That's very rude,
Commander Tyler. We've only just met and we have so much to talk 
about.” 

Tyler had slightly recovered his composure. He took a couple of steps
forwards. “How did you get here?” he asked. 

“In my own Ship. All the way from Kasabla.” 

For the second time in thirty seconds, a look of disbelief crossed
Tyler's face. 

“I'm the real Kane. My clone's down there at the air-mobile,” Kane said,
jerking his thumb backwards. 

Tyler took a few steps to the side and peered down. Standing next to the
air-mobile the Guard Sergeant reached up and removed his helmet. It was 
Kane's clone. He saluted mockingly then unslung his laser rifle and 
aimed it up at him. 

***** 

Kane knew what was coming next. Despite the fact that Tyler had just
received two severe shocks, his instinct for survival would kick in. It 
did. His right hand shot down to his force-field belt to flick it on 
but Kane fired a short, accurate burst from his laser pistol and the 
small blue box that controlled the force-field disintegrated and the 
belt dropped. He strolled forward and kicked it over the edge of the 
flat boulder into space. 

Tyler watched it go. His chance to save himself had gone. It was all
over for him now. He knew that. He reached for his pocket but Kane 
pointed the laser pistol at his chest, ready to fire. 

“A smoke,” Tyler explained. “The last wish of the condemned man. Surely
you won't deny me that?” 

“Take it slow,” Kane ordered him. 

Tyler slowly reached into his uniform jacket pocket and brought out his
slim cigar box. He held it up so Kane could see it then took one out 
and lit it. 

He drew on his cigar and stared at Kane. “How do I know you're the real
Kane?” he asked. 

With his free hand Kane reached up and unzipped the top of his Fleet
Guard black jumpsuit. He brought out the two diamond pendants he was 
wearing. 

“Recognise them?” he asked. 

Tyler nodded. “You gave one to Blaze,” he said, “and the other to your
girlfriend – the Android.” 

Kane almost shot him there and then. Which is probably what Tyler
wanted. Instead, he took a few steps backwards, reached into his pocket 
and brought out a small, round, voice capsule which would record their 
conversation. He flicked it on and set it down on the boulder. 

“Ah, you want the evidence!” Tyler said mockingly. “To clear your name
no doubt?” 

“All in good time,” Kane told him. 

Tyler frowned. “I'm puzzled,” he admitted. “How did you know I was on
Sirene?” 

Kane jerked his thumb backwards. “He told me,” he replied. 

“Your clone!? How could he tell you?” 

Still covering Tyler with his laser, Kane unzipped his left jumpsuit
sleeve then pulled it up to the elbow. He moved a little closer and 
held out his arm so Tyler could see. ‘SIRENE' was still faintly visible 
on his outer forearm. 

Tyler nodded. “I get it,” he said. “Clone-pain. Your clone scratched the
letters on his own arm and they then appeared on yours. Very clever.” 

“That can't be done with normal cloning,” Kane said. “It can only happen
after accelerated cloning which is banned. Correct?” 

Tyler sighed. It really didn't matter now. “Correct. All the prisoners
who went on the mission were cloned using the accelerated cloning 
method,” he admitted. “And all the members of The Inner Council agreed 
to it!” he added, grinning at the voice capsule. If he was going, they 
were going too. 

Kane nodded, satisfied. The first part of the evidence he wanted had
just been recorded. 

“How did you get the co-ordinates for Sirene?” Tyler asked. “Did your
clone give you them as well?” 

Kane shook his head. “Muslik Gra, the two way telepath. Remember him? He
lifted the co-ordinates for Sirene and for the Corridor from that 
Professor's mind at the briefing sessions on Earth. The Professor from 
the Fleet Astro-Physics Division.” 

“Hmm, seems I made a big mistake there,” Tyler admitted. “So how did
your clone manage to escape?” he asked. 

Kane grinned. He took off his helmet, dropped it and ran his free hand
through his black hair. “Seems you have quite a lot of enemies back on 
Earth,” he told him. “One of them freed him from the Suspended 
Animation Room then hid him. It was easy enough to get him a Fleet 
Guard Sergeant's uniform and for him to slip aboard your Ship during 
all the confusion. You were in a bit of a hurry to leave Earth, 
remember?” 

Before Tyler could say anything else they heard distant noises from the
Ship which sounded like screaming and yelling. Tyler walked over to the 
edge of the flat boulder and stared across the moor at it and could 
make out blue laser flashes. Kane never took his eyes off him for a 
second. 

“That'll be the prisoners taking on your Guards,” he explained,
grinning. “Before we left I dropped the force-field round the Ship and 
put some laser rifles outside it. There's about a hundred prisoners. 
I'd say they'll win.” 

Tyler stared at the Falcon and knew the Fleet Platoon were doomed. His
absolute last chance of escape had now gone. 

***** 

Tyler smoked his cigar in silence for a few moments. “How did you get on
board my Ship?” he asked, his voice and demeanour subdued. 

Kane grinned. “It took me three days to get here after I left the Black
Hole,” he replied. “Time enough to work out a plan.” 

“Which was?” 

“As soon as I entered Sirene's atmosphere I activated the Cloaker on my
Falcon.” 

Tyler nodded. “Smart move. You couldn't be picked up by our scanners.” 

“It was night anyway,” Kane told him. “Doubtful if anybody was bothering
much. I landed a mile away on the other side of the prisoners' Block. 
Made my way there on foot in the dark. Woke them up and said hello to 
some old acquaintances.” 

“Ah yes, you spent a little time here, didn't you?” 

“Two fucking years!!” Kane spat, his eyes hard. “Because you ruined
me!!” 

Tyler looked away from the steely blue eyes which were boring into him.
“So what was your next move?” 

Kane allowed his rage to subside before answering. “Simple. I promised
to get the prisoners off Sirene if they helped me.” 

“By doing what?” 

Kane jerked his thumb back at his clone again. “By getting a message to
him.” 

“How?” 

“With your help!” Kane told him. “We waited till you were out on one of
your regular air-mobile trips then one of the prisoners approached your 
Ship waving a white flag. He had a load of gold nuggets with him. 
Wanted to trade them for some cartons of smokes.” 

“And your clone, the Guard Sergeant, was waiting for you to make contact
so he went out to see the prisoner.” 

Kane grinned. “The gold was traded for the smokes and the message was
passed – drop the force-field round the Falcon at 4am so I could slip 
inside.” 

“So you got into my Ship then got yourself a spare Guard's uniform. Why
didn't you kill me then?” 

“Because I knew you were coming up here. Which is where I used to sit
when I was a prisoner. Day after fucking day. I never dreamed I'd get 
you up here like this. Up here to kill you.” 

They heard some more noise from the direction of the Ship. Louder this
time. Tyler walked over and stared across at it. In the near distance, 
lots of blue laser beams were shooting into the air. 

“Sounds like the battles over,” Kane remarked. “I'd say the prisoners
have just taken your Ship.” 

Tyler looked defeated. “Now what?” he asked. 

“Now it's your turn to talk. Set the record straight. About me. About
Greva. About how you ran!” 

Tyler shrugged. He knew he was finished so what did it matter. “I was
responsible for the Greva situation, not you,” he admitted. “I panicked 
and ran leaving you in serious trouble. It was me who should have gone 
to Sirene, not you.” 

Tyler talked on and Kane saw it all again. 

He and Tyler had been Fleet Squadron Commanders and had been sent to
sort out the war between the planets Greva and Salyak. Earth ruled 
silicon rich Greva and Salyak, its neighbouring planet wanted the 
silicon, so declared war over a minor issue. 

Whilst Kane was down on Greva organising their defences, a civil war had
broken out, started by Salyak sympathisers. Tyler was supposed to be 
controlling the planet's airspace. Until he made the mistake of letting 
a couple of Salyak Ships though under the pretence that they were on a 
peace mission. 

Which is when the shit hit the fan. Big style. 

Once through Tyler's cordon, the Salyak Ships turned unexpectedly on him
and annihilated half of his Squadron before he could react and he 
panicked and ran. 

Before Kane could get his Ships up, most were destroyed by the Salyak
Fleet which had now arrived, backed up by sympathisers on the ground. 

He had returned to Earth with two damaged Ships. Salyak then took over
silicon rich Greva which seriously displeased Earth. 

Kane was arrested on his return, charged with responsibility for the
entire affair because of Tyler's lies and then thrown into a maximum 
security prison to await trial. 

Which gave Tyler time to send word back to Salyak with the promise of
continued support if their Government backed him against Kane. 

They did. Between them they rigged up a story saying Kane had been in
contact with the Salyak Fleet and the sympathisers. Had talked Tyler 
into letting the two ‘peace Ships' through. 

Charged with treason and with no way to clear himself, Sirene was just a
short step away. Tyler was promoted while he rotted. 

Kane saw it all again, saw himself sitting here, endlessly staring up
the wide, empty valley. Week in, week out. Month in, month out. 
Remembered the hopelessness of it all. 

Which is when Tyler jumped him. 

Kane saw him moving from the corner of his eye but by the time he
reacted, Tyler had grabbed the laser pistol's barrel and swung it to 
the side. Kane's finger was tightened on the trigger and a blue beam 
shot out, zapping into the boulder and sending chunks flying into the 
air. Tyler twisted the barrel downwards and the beam missed both their 
boots by inches and started gouging a hole into the rock. 

Kane head-butted Tyler and he screamed and blood spurted from his nose
and gushed down his face but he didn't let go off the pistol. The two 
fought for it, turning in a slow circle. Kane's finger was now jammed 
on the trigger and a continuous blue beam shot out. 

Tyler managed to twist the barrel downwards more and it slowly edged
towards Kane's arm. He slipped a little on some uneven rock and Tyler 
jerked the barrel down further and the blue beam flicked him, burning 
through his jumpsuit and zapped into his outer arm. He yelled and 
twisted the pistol away and down further, burning into one of Tyler's 
leather boots and making him step back. 

The beam was now centred on the boulder between the two of them and both
had their legs spread for maximum strength and leverage. 

Slowly, very slowly, Tyler began to inch the beam upwards, Kane's left
arm weakened by the burn. The beam was now getting closer to his groin 
and he was also being sprayed with rock as it zapped into the boulder 
behind him. He spread his legs wider and bent them a little but it 
didn't help. He could feel the power draining from his burned arm. 

Suddenly Tyler twisted to the right and the beam burned the edge of
Kane's thigh. He yelled and the pain made him lose his grip on the 
pistol. He collapsed, clutching his leg. 

Tyler stepped back and wiped the blood from his face. He was breathing
hard but his old arrogant smile had returned. Keeping an eye on Kane he 
took a couple of steps to his right and crunched the voice capsule 
under his boot heel. 

“No more evidence!” he said, his voice hoarse. “Now you'll never clear
your name! You'll never rejoin the Fleet!” He walked over and pointed 
the laser pistol directly at Kane's head. 

“No evidence....and now....no more Kane!” 

He laughed and squeezed the trigger. 

Nothing happened. He squeezed again. Still nothing. He stared at the
pistol, his arrogant smile gone and tried a third time. Nothing. 

Kane grinned. “It's discharged!” he said. 

Tyler threw it over his shoulder and his hand shot down for his own
pistol just as Kane swivelled round on his uninjured thigh and kicked 
him hard on the back of his knees. 

Tyler collapsed and landed on top of him but Kane suddenly twisted them
round and head-butted him viciously once, twice, three times. Tyler 
screamed and let go his pistol and Kane grabbed it. 

They both staggered up. Tyler wiped the blood away from his face with
his sleeve. His nose was broken and there was a wide gash on his cheek. 
Both of them were breathing hard. 

“This one won't be discharged,” Kane said, levelling the laser pistol at
him. “It's all over, Tyler,” he said. “No more Fleet Commander. You 
won't make Fleet Marshall. You won't get though the Corridor to 
Kasabla.” He stared at him, his blue eyes cold. “I never dreamed I'd 
kill you here of all places. How very poetic.” 

The arrogant smile crept back on to Tyler's face through the blood and
he took a step back. “You're not going to kill me at all,” he said. 
“See you in the next life, Kane.” 

Then he just leaned backwards out into space and fell off the edge of
the boulder. 

Kane quickly limped over and looked down. He saw Tyler's body crash into
a couple of ledges and heard him screaming then lost him as he 
plummeted down. It was a long, long way to the bottom. 

Kane turned quickly as he heard someone climb up on to the boulder
behind him but it was his clone, the Guard Sergeant. He limped back 
from the edge and sat down, wincing from his injured thigh. His clone 
sat down nearby. 

“Where's Tyler?” 

“He went flying without his air-mobile,” Kane replied. 

His clone nodded. “Thank Christ for that. At last we're finally rid of
the lousy bastard.” 

“I'd still like to have done him myself though.” 

His clone glanced at him. “Looks like you took a couple of hits.” 

“Yeah, laser rips to the arm and leg. I'll live.” 

They sat in silence awhile. In front of them the valley rolled away wide
and empty to the distant range of ugly, black mountains. In the grey 
sky above them, Kane searched for the star that had sometimes appeared 
but it was too early. He gazed back down the valley then despite the 
pain in his arm and leg, he laughed. 

“What's the joke?” 

Kane shook his head. “It's just unbelievable! All the hundreds of times
I sat here when I was a prisoner I never thought I'd see Tyler go over 
the edge or sit beside my double!” 

His clone nodded. “Yeah, it must be kinda weird seeing me.” 

“Weird isn't the word for it.” 

His clone grinned. 

“Talking of doubles, you know we have to get de-cloned or both of us
die,” said Kane. 

“Yeah, I know. It's already been arranged back on Earth. Someone's going
to do it for us.” 

“Who?” 

“You'll never believe me.” 

“Try me.” 

“The same person who cloned you all in the first place. The person who
helped me escape, hid me, got me this Sergeant's uniform....the Fleet's 
very own Surgeon General.” 

Kane glanced at him in surprise. “The Surgeon General!? Jesus! Why?” 

“Tyler.” 

“Tyler!? How come?” 

“The Surgeon General spent his life in the Fleet and he watched Tyler
come up through the ranks. Seems he was a good First Officer and then 
he made it to Fleet Captain then Squadron Commander.” 

“Yeah I know, we were Captains together then Squadron Commanders at
Greva.” 

His clone nodded. “That's why the Surgeon General freed me, your clone.
To make amends for how Tyler treated you at Greva.” 

“Well, yeah I can understand that,” said Kane. He stared up the wide,
empty valley then something occurred to him. “Surely he must have known 
that we'd go after Tyler though and kill him.” 

“That's what he wanted. He told me that Tyler changed for the worse
after the Greva incident. He became a ruthless, scheming, evil bastard. 
Nothing and no-one stopped him. He murdered, lied and cheated his way 
until he became Fleet Commander. Christ knows what he'd have been like 
as Fleet Marshall.” 

“Or if he'd made it to The Inner Council.” 

“Exactly. The Surgeon General was growing more and more disgusted with
him. When he forced him to carry out the illegal accelerated cloning 
before the mission to the Corridor it was the last straw. He couldn't 
take it anymore.....he  was totally ashamed of what his own son had 
become and just wanted him stopped.” 

Kane was stunned. He turned and stared at his clone. “His son!?” 

His clone nodded. “That's right. It was a very very closely guarded
secret but the Surgeon General was Fleet Commander Erwin Tyler's 
father.” 

************ 

THE PLANET THAT LOVED PEOPLE can be downloaded to Amazon Kindle for £2,
$3 or E3. A book of science fiction short stories, SOFT LAUGHTER, can 
be downloaded for the same prices. 


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