THE PLANET THAT LOVED PEOPLE (standard:science fiction, 2211 words) [1/15] show all parts
Author: Danny Raven	Updated: Mar 10 2016	Views/Reads: 2486/1633	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
PART 2 - CH 1

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

black speck in the blue Earth sky. 

In his secret room, Tyler watched it become smaller and smaller on one
of his wall screens. When he lost it he flicked on the Tracker and 
followed it leaving Earth's atmosphere. With a smile of satisfaction he 
turned and spoke into his wrist-radio. 

“Mobile One this is Tyler,” he said into it. 

The Sergeant who'd supervised the Jetpak training grinned and picked up
his radio. He's been expecting the call. 

“Mobile One,” he responded. 

“Go in fifteen minutes,” Tyler ordered, flicking his wrist-radio off and
leaving the secret room. 

The Sergeant glanced over his shoulder at his cargo in the
ground-mobile. Two dead Fleet Guards lay side by side. Both had been 
lasered. The Sergeant saluted them then set off for the top secret Bay 
which lay in a remote corner of the sprawling Fleet grounds. 

As arranged by Tyler, there was no-one around when the Sergeant
eventually arrived at the remote Bay and he brought the ground-mobile 
to a halt. 

One by one, he hauled the bodies out and dumped them inside the
partially enclosed dome where twenty minutes ago, Fleet Falcon RX115C 
had sat. He stood for a moment, grinning at his handiwork. 

“Christ, I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of you, Tyler,” he
said. 

“You already have,” Tyler told him, stepping out from behind a pillar. 

The Sergeant spun round and saw Tyler with the laser pistol in his hand.
He was opening his mouth to plead when the beam struck him in the upper 
chest. His heart disintegrated and he died instantly. His body joined 
the others. 

Tyler lit one of his thin, black cigars and strolled round, surveying
the scene. Everything was going according to plan. He smiled, walked 
back to the ground-mobile and made his way to Fleet Head Quarters. 

When he entered the Control Room he strolled over to a Communications
Technician whom he had previously briefed 

“Put out the message,” he ordered. 

The Technician nodded and flicked on his headset. “This is Fleet Control
to any Ships in Sector Delta Three. Be on the alert for a stolen Fleet 
Ship, Falcon Class, markings RX115C. Believed heading away from Earth 
in Corridor Five. Any Ships – respond.” 

On patrol high above Earth's atmosphere as arranged, a Fleet Battle
Cruiser tuned into his message. 

“This is Battle Cruiser Derval. Message received,” its Communications
Officer responded. “Taking up pursuit in Corridor Five.” 

The Captain of the Derval smiled and turned to his Pilot. “Corridor
Five. Full speed. Let's scare the hell out of those trainees!” 

***** 

Kane was discussing something with Muslik when the Computer interrupted
them. 

“Rear scanner reports a Ship five space miles behind, following our
course!” it announced. 

“Put it on Screen,” Kane ordered. 

The Observation Screen picture changed instantly to a rear-view but the
Ship was just a distant dot amongst the stars. 

“The Ship is now three space miles behind!” the Computer announced. 

“Close up,” Kane ordered. 

The picture changed again and this time the Ship leapt nearer on Screen.


Sinto whistled. “A Fleet Battle Cruiser!” he said. 

“One space mile behind and closing fast!” the Computer announced. “It
looks as if they're coming after us,” Kane said, puzzled. “Surely Tyler 
wouldn't--” 

On the Screen they could see laser fire streaking out from the Ship.
Seconds later they were thrown round the Bridge as the fire buffeted 
them. 

“Shields up!” Kane ordered the Computer. “Lock in!” he told everyone. 

More laser fire rocked them as they all dived for their seats and locked
in. 

“Spray out some random long range fire!” Sinto barked at the Computer. 

It did so and they could see the Ship alter course to avoid it. 

“Begin zigzag course,” Kane ordered Talis. “Any information on the
Ship?” he asked the Computer. 

“Fleet Battle Cruiser, Warship Class,” it replied. 

“We can't fight them,” Sinto told Kane. 

“Agreed but we can outrun them.” 

Sinto nodded. 

“Maintain zigzag course. Drive to maximum,” Kane ordered Talis. “Engage
Cloaker,” he ordered the Computer. 

Their speed increased instantly and they could see the Battle Cruiser
beginning to fall behind. At the same time they disappeared from its 
Screen as the Computer engaged the Cloaker. 

“They're using a Cloaker – very clever,” the Captain of the Derval said
to his Pilot as the Falcon disappeared from their Observation Screen. 
He turned to his Weapons Officer. “Spray out some laser fire for 
another thirty seconds then cease,” he told him. 

As they zigzagged along in the Falcon invisible under the Cloaker, they
could see the Ship continue to fire at them then stop and peel away. 

“Resume patrol,” the Captain said, smiling. “We don't want to scare them
too much. Not when they're still in training.” He turned to his Comms 
Officer. “Pass the message to Commander Tyler that we've carried out 
his instructions regarding the Falcon and we're back on normal patrol,” 
he told him. 

Far below them in the Control Room at Fleet Headquarters the message was
relayed to Tyler who grinned and lit another of his thin, black cigars. 
With his plan going so well Tyler became over confident and made one of 
his rare mistakes – he decided to make an announcement to all Fleet 
Ships about the incident. 

“Have me relayed through all Fleet Ships that are out,” he instructed a
Technician. 

The man nodded and gave him a headset. 

“Attention throughout the Fleet! This is Commander Tyler with an
important message!” he announced. “At midday today a Fleet Ship, Falcon 
Class, markings RX115C, was stolen from one of the top secret Bays 
where it had just completed modifications. Several Guards were found 
dead at the Bay, no doubt killed by whoever committed the theft. The 
Ship was tracked and its co-ordinates relayed to a Fleet Battle Cruiser 
who pursued but failed to destroy it. All Ships be on the look-out for 
the Falcon, markings RX115C. Destroy on sight. Repeat, destroy on 
sight. That is all.” 

Patrolling outside Earth's atmosphere, the Battle Cruiser Derval which
had just given chase to the Falcon picked up the message. 

The Captain laughed when he heard it. “Dead Fleet Guards, stolen Ships,
messages to all crews – Fleet Command sure as hell go to a lot of 
trouble setting up training sessions these days!” he remarked. 

He shook his head and left the Bridge, grateful he was no longer
involved in the sessions. Still he shouldn't really complain. These 
routine patrols became terribly boring after a while. 

***** 

That evening as Miller was climbing up to the Observation Bubble
situated on top of the Ship, Muslik was inserting his tiny black box 
into the Computer. The tiny box slightly altered the Ship's Computer in 
that it would now respond individually to them all. Talis piloted 
manually while he made the final adjustments. Kane looked on amused as 
he worked. 

After they had escaped from the Derval, Tyler had contacted them on the
Earth Monitor. He had explained that it had been a training exercise 
designed to test their skills and had congratulated them on their 
response. 

What he hadn't told them was that the incident was part of his plan to
cover himself and The Inner Council should the mission backfire somehow 
and that they were now effectively in a stolen Ship. Their frequency 
therefore was not included when his message had been relayed throughout 
the Fleet. 

On the Falcon's Bridge, Muslik finished his work, replaced the panels
he'd removed, turned and winked at Kane. 

“Not a word!” he hissed. “Let them find out for themselves!” 

Kane grinned. 

“I am now functioning again!” the Computer announced crisply. 

Talis glanced suspiciously at Muslik. “What have you been up to?” she
asked, grinning. 

Muslik smiled at her. “Oh just some minor adjustments,” he replied
innocently. “Go on, ask the Computer something.” 

She shrugged. “Is the Ship's Computer ready to resume piloting?” she
asked it. 

“Why certainly, you gorgeous, sexy creature you!” it replied. 

She turned red and glared at Muslik who beamed back at her. Kane managed
to suppress his laughter but Sinto couldn't. He roared and slapped 
Muslik on the back. 

“I like it!” he said. “Wonder what Miller will make of it?” 

Up in the Bubble, Miller was making another joint. His second. 

“Good stuff this,” he muttered to himself, stuffing the fragrant Janad
tobacco into a waver thin cardboard tube. He inserted a tip, lit up, 
sucked in deeply and sprawled back on the couch. He closed his eyes, 
smoke drifting slowly from his nose, a look of contentment on his face. 


“Nice,” he muttered, nodding to himself. “Very nice indeed,” he went on,
holding up the joint to passing space. “Janad tobacco.” 

“Janad tobacco?” a soft, suave voice asked. 

Miller nodded. “Yeah, Janad. Difficult to get hold of stuff like this.” 

“So where did you get it?” the suave voice asked. 

Miller sniggered. “Traded some Dreamtabs for it.” 

“Who with?” 

“Fleet Guards.” 

Miller puffed away on the joint and stared out at passing space. 

The Bubble was a fantastic place for watching the Universe go by. It was
a small circular room on top of the Ship with one couch and a heavily 
reinforced clear perspex dome which could be protected by a titanium 
shield. 

Miller gazed out dreamily as he smoked. Outside was fabulous, endless,
Janad-enhanced, blue-black space dotted with shimmering stars, drifting 
multi-coloured nebulae and stunning planets. He lay back and enjoyed 
the spectacular light show the Universe was laying on just for him. 

As he was staring mesmerized at some glowing, pinkish nebulae he was
thrown slightly to one side then saw why. The Ship had changed course 
quickly to avoid a dazzling meteor shower which tumbled by. Hundreds of 
small, brilliantly coloured rocks drifted past and he felt he could 
almost reach out and grab one. 

“Wow!” he muttered. 

“Nice meteor shower,” the suave voice said. 

Miller nodded. “Very cool,” he agreed. 

“Oh look, there's the planet Rayness,” the voice told him. 

Miller glanced to his left and saw the giant reddish-blue planet with
its distinctive suns and moons. 

“Rayness has two suns and two moons,” the voice told him. “The moons are
pink.” 

“Yeah I know. I've been there.” 

“When?” 

Miller sniggered. “Last time I was smoking this stuff!” he said, holding
up the joint. 

“Find anything interesting?” 

Miller nodded. “Gold. Shit load of it just lying around waiting to be
picked up.” 

“Sounds interesting.” 

“Yeah it was,” Miller said, yawning. 

“Feeling tired?” 

“Yeah. Think I'll just crash here.” He finished his smoke, stubbed it
out and then slid down the couch, eyes closing. 

The Computer suppressed a snigger. “Night night,” it said soothingly. 

“Yeah, night night,” muttered Miller. 

Just before he fell asleep, something slightly puzzling floated through
his Janad hazed mind. Who the fuck had he just been talking to!? 

“Ah shit, who cares!?” he muttered and drifted pleasantly off to sleep. 


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