Chapter 10: Captured

Jason returned to the canteen feeling quite ravenous. He spent some time chatting to the Jumo, and began to feel a hankering to have his feet on the planet and see what it was like. He felt that it would be safe as he had a very peaceful tranquil relaxed feel about both the Jumo and the planet. He had very much liked what he had heard about it, and thought that he himself would like to have a bit of a look around.

Jason decided that he would chat to Linda, Karen DuPree, Matilda MacArthur, and Andrea after the meal and arranged to meet with them in his stateroom. Andrea appeared to have a different agenda. “Jason, we also have something to discuss, and our issue is of greater urgency. We are concerned that the Warhammer has not been in use and we have established this committee to assure ourselves of its full function.”

Jason could see that he had little option.

He was relieved Celia and Felicia were not yet back as he was sure he could not cope with the entire senior management! He moved towards her slowly. She opened her arms and fell back onto the bed holding him tightly. She began kissing him passionately and he soon responded. This led to a protracted session with the four of them. After two rounds with each Linda asked him what he wanted to talk about.

“I have a very good feeling about the Jumo and I have a hankering to visit the surface of the planet,” said Jason earnestly. For the first time he saw Linda enraged.

“Jason, are you crazy? We can’t let you go to the surface. No way will I allow you to go! It is an unacceptable risk. No, no, no!” Linda shouted then sobbed. He could see Andrea looked horrified.

“Jason I don’t think that it is a good idea at all,” said General Matilda MacArthur more languidly, possibly a little influenced by her post coital lethargy.

“I think it will expose you to a major risk. Karen and I consider that the situation on the surface is deceptively calm. Their intelligence services are very active and I am sure that they have many people under surveillance. They know we intruded into their computers. We would have the greatest difficulty in trying to protect you. We cannot send down sufficient forces to protect you without increasing the risk of exposure of our presence. I know what it is like to feel one’s feet on the ground, but are you really sure that this is what you want to do and do you think it is wise?”

Jason looked at Karen DuPree. She was looking vacantly into the distance apparently in deep thought.

“I see some advantage to Jason going to the surface. He could help, if Cephas and his group wished him to meet with any others. If he is to go to the surface he should not be there for longer than a few hours,” said Karen DuPree vaguely. “Send him with a small force so we do not alert the intelligence service. I do not believe there is that much risk.

“Jason I don’t think that it is in any way a good idea, they are more dependent on us than we are upon them and I think you are exposing yourself to an unnecessary risk for no good reason. We can fetch anyone who wants to talk to you,” said Andrea.

“Very soon all of this is going to be resolved and then I am sure you can spend time on the ground to your heart’s content. What concerns me even more, is that this is quite unlike your usual behavior,” said Andrea.

“I think you guys are making a mountain out of a mole hill,” said Jason irritably, and then tempered his voice after he saw them look at him shocked by his impatient reply. “I have been cooped up in this ship for months. The one time I went to the surface I fought a Ghoul. I have seen nothing of any planet.”

“Jason that is nonsense. You went to the surface on both Mars and Porquenta. You even went to Nirvana, though I admit you were unconscious. This is out of character, and risk seeking, which is completely unlike your usual self. Karen you are also sprouting garbage and you look as vague and sound as odd as this idiot does. The whole surface is a trap,” said Linda, “and I do not for one-second think you should go to the surface even for five minutes. This sudden impatience is crazy and you are looking for trouble. We will hit them soon and you can look around to your heart’s delight.

“I do greatly appreciate your concern, but I feel drawn to visit the ground and put my feet on firm earth. I want to see the planet before it is torn up by conflict,” said Jason firmly, “please can we make plans for this to happen.”

Linda looked at the others and they stormed out without a backward glance.

“What is the problem,” Jason asked Winston.

“Sometimes Jason you need to learn a painful lesson, I hope we survive this potentially disastrous adventure! I suspect a Siren Call. For what it is worth, I agree with your ladies it is not one of your most inspired ideas. If we get out alive it will be good.”

“What do you mean?”

“Someone on the surface is trying to get you to go there.”

“No, I don’t think so. I am sure I have not felt anything telepathic!”

“Then I can say no more and as The One once told me, ‘Everyone is entitled to inflict as much suffering on themselves as they wish! The question is will they learn from the pain?’”

“Sometimes, I need to make my own decisions!” Jason replied.

“That may be true at times, but sometimes you also need to listen to those who advise you, and care about your wellbeing.”

“In this case, I don’t see what all the fuss is about, I want to go to the surface.”

“Whatever will be, will be!”

Parzoon the Capital, the Palace of the Emperor, Office of Nimrod Khong

The chief of internal security, Bella Proda, was a dapper woman whose small size belied her prodigious intelligence and utter ruthlessness. She had asked for an urgent meeting with Nimrod Khan.

“My Lord, as you requested,” she said, “we kept the house under surveillance and as you have forewarned, a further adult male attended the house, as the original group returned.

“While they were absent, we deactivated their sensor systems which made their outside alarms ineffective. We also drilled pipes into the air-conditioning system and have placed a gas in the ceilings which is feeding into that system as we speak. I have received confirmation they are all unconscious and we are making entry into the home as I speak.

“We surprised, neutralized, and captured a pitifully small protective detail, but we cannot locate their mode of transport. We are fortunate they are so arrogant about guarding their own.

“The captives will be taken as you requested to the secure holding facility in basement two. They will be transported by a medical gunship accompanied by a fleet of gunships and fighters. It would require a very substantial force to intercept the transport before they are incarcerated here.

“I have received a communication from the Major in charge, Sir. I’m pleased to inform you that they are all now safely loaded onto the first gunship and they are rapidly making their way here with no signs of any interception. My Lord they will all remain asleep for at least six to eight hours.”

“I have a meeting to attend at the barracks and a demonstration to observe, the timing is convenient. Thank you very much for your excellent planning and your mission success to date.

“I will await the interrogation and torture of the scum with interest. Ensure that tight security is in place and in particular make sure that the unidentified male is maintained on medication before he awakes, to limit his capacity for function. I do not want any surprises,” said Nimrod leaning back with his eyes closed. “I felt him coming closer, I do not feel that he has developed his powers, therefore he has backers of substance who we will mould to our purposes. The young man is immature and undeveloped. I will be able to persuade him to be my servant or die. The process will be my pleasure. I go now to prepare the trap for his hopeful saviors.” Nimrod Khong said he walked out grinning.

In the Dungeon

Twenty minutes later Jason awoke naked in a cell, alone.

“Jason you were gassed and then drugged.

“I contacted The One who has informed the ship as to what has happened and where, precisely, you are currently located. There are two basements and you are in the lower basement which is deeply underground. They have attempted to drug you, but your system has quickly metabolized the medications. Your brain and body is rapidly recovering.

“They expect the drugs to last at least another five to seven hours. The others are in cells along this corridor and are all deeply asleep. There is a force field that will prevent you from leaving the cell. You will get a nasty shock if you touch the door.

“There are some opportunities to escape as I sense there are very few guards on this level. You are metabolizing the gas and the drugs very quickly and should be feeling back to normal within a few minutes.

“I will give you a heads up display of where the field projectors are and I would suggest that you burn those out before you burn out the hinges of the door.

“Project your awareness and I think you will be able to feel where the guards are located near us. There is one that is patrolling up this corridor and then he goes around the corner for a few minutes to where the other guards are seated. They are relaxed and unconcerned as they think you will sleep for some time. The guard is around the corner. Here is the heads up on the field projectors. Act quickly.

Jason could clearly see what Winston was showing him.

“The guards were laughing when they brought us here. They have set up traps for the dogs. I don’t know what they are, but if we are to use the demon hounds for an escape you are going to have to do something at a security system level,” said Winston.

Jason carefully looked through the bars of the cell. He could see a camera pointing at his cell. He moved it telekinetically so that it pointed to the far end of the cell block and then using a fine trans-dim pencil beam he welded it into that position. He could clearly see four small boxes where the projectors created the force field. He concentrated his trans-dimensional energy and rapidly burnt them out, then transferred his concentration to the door first burning out the lock and then the hinges when it still didn’t open, then held it firmly as it began to fall outwards, then gently placed it against the cell wall. He could sense the guard beginning to get up from the table for a patrol and he rapidly moved towards the corner moments before the guard turned the corner.

He paralyzed the guard snapping his spine telekinetically, before he broke his neck. He was aware there were two more guards in the guard station. He removed the energy weapon from around the guard’s neck, it was a simple copy of an Empire assault rifle. He checked that it was not DNA keyed to the guard, pressed the button to release the safety, moved the firing selector ‘till it showed low-power, and fired it back down the distant corridor to ensure that he could operate it. It made negligible sound, other than a very faint hum and it noiselessly hit the distant wall leaving an ugly burn mark on the paint.

He turned up the power, entered the guard room, and rapidly shot both guards in the head. Neither of them wore armor, but he took no chances by trying a body shot. He quickly looked at the controls and opened all the cell doors. From what he could see on the holo–images, the only prisoners were his group who were still asleep in their cells. He searched the cupboards and found his clothes, boots, communicator, and weapons. He tried to use the communicator without success. Jason then communicated with Linda telepathically and he apprised her of the situation. She was aware of what had occurred, and their final destination from The One.

“Jason I do think that you were induced to go to the surface by Nimrod Khong because your desire was so strong and unusual and, unfortunately none of us resisted strongly enough. We have gone back over the conversation and think that he also influenced Karen DuPree. What is the situation with respect to the others?” Linda asked. “We are planning to get you out, but it will take some time to collect enough information to do so quickly, safely and ensure a high probability for success. There are tunnels running from the basements which increases the risk to you if we do not get to you quickly. Do you think that there is any possibility that you can escape?”

“Linda the fundamental problem is that the others are still deeply asleep and there is also some form of trap for the dogs. I also suspect that the palace is full of perils for the unwary, much like the asteroid.

“I am going to try and disable this place from the inside. If I can do that I will then call in the dogs, if not, then I am going to locate some transport so that we can get out of this facility. I looked at the guard security access here and they are connected to the grid but control cannot be established from this location and I don’t have time nor the tool to hack the system quickly. The security control system must be upstairs. I am going there now to disable the system.

“Nimrod is not in the building. I can detect him about a mile away. I suspect that he is with the military involved with planning how to defend the palace and prevent a rescue mission. I can sense the tunnels you are speaking about. They link the palace to other buildings in the vicinity. I can sense people moving in these tunnels, and there is a lot of activity so they are not a good escape route. That’s the obvious way they can escape or bring in their forces without being detected on the surface.

The best plan is to try to disable the security. I am going upstairs now. I want to use the dog taxi express, if possible. I suspect a rescue mission is not realistic in the short term. The sooner I get going the better.

“Nimrod will be back soon to do with us what he wishes and I don’t want to be hanging around at his pleasure. He is a pretty powerful character and I don’t want to risk a confrontation unless I am forced to face him.

“I will keep in contact with you. I have now reached an elevator and I can see that there is a hand pad identification system. Let me sort this out and I will communicate as soon as I can. If you don’t hear from me within thirty minutes you will know that we are in deep trouble.”

Jason returned to the guards, pulled a knife from the belt of one of them, and cut off the hand of the most senior guard to use on the lift panel. It worked as he expected to call the elevator. He wiped the blood off the stump on the trousers of the dead guard and put it in his pocket in a small food bag he found in the office. He decided to see if there were stairs as an alternative to the elevator. The stairs were a little past the left side of the lift and protected by the same security system pad. He decided to go up the stairs as he felt it was a lower risk strategy.

The door one floor up had a small window which he thought was very convenient. He looked both ways in the passageway. To his right 100 yards away he saw two guards who were in the same uniform as those downstairs. Neither looked to be wearing armor.

He went back downstairs and changed into a uniform that looked to be his size, which he found in a cupboard in the guards room. He went back upstairs looked both ways and telekinetically moved both cameras on the opposite wall and welded them into place looking away from him and the door to the security center. He then very carefully pushed open the door, poked his weapon through, stabilized it, leaning against the doorway, and rapidly shot both guards in the head. He then ran quietly down the corridor to catch them as they slowly slid down the wall and collapsed.

Surprisingly the security center also had a window in the door which allowed him look inside. In the room he saw holo-monitors with five guards concentrating on them intently. He used his powers to sense the presence of anyone else in the room. He felt a further person further to his left and suspected that the person was in an office next door. He noticed another door on the opposite wall. No one was in it. He opened the door to find an equipment storage cupboard and dragged both guards inside.