Chapter 13: More Clues

Celyciia, the Federal Police officer of the Recksnostal precinct was on her way to the interrogation room where she had the Warden of Penal Colony 23. Phil Decker the old detective wanted to question the Warden and not eat him, as she now knew. They had returned from Planet Parajsa after over two days of detailed investigation. She was completely fascinated with this man who had lived on the Human world Earth before they even knew there were other sentient life forms in the Galaxy. He wasn’t arrogant or aloft like she thought one of these Immortals would be, he acted like a colleague and treated her with respect. She thought they had taught her well at the police academy but the experience and the eye for detail the old detective had was nothing less than amazing.

Her precinct was responsible for a dozen colonies in a 55 light year radius. It was a quiet corner of Union space. Very few felony crimes that required Federal Police assistance, and no pirate raids.

She had taken over from a retiring Garbini who had served for almost 60 years. Before she was transferred here, she served in the COREG department on Planet New Hampshire. When she was promoted and her old supervisor asked her what she wanted to do, she had told him that she wanted to transfer to CID and do real police work. That was three years ago and when she arrived the old Uniforms, used to the same chief for a long time, didn’t like the fact that a Saresii was replacing the well liked easy going Garbini. She managed to break the ice somewhat, but even after three years, she still was the new one and the outsider. That she was the one in charge didn’t help. However she did like her new assignment very much. Recksnostal was a tidy, growing Colony and a pleasant Garden World.

Most of the cases they had to deal with were not much different from what she used to do for the Commercial Regulations Enforcement department. One Company accusing another of bugging in on their mining claims was the most common call. Nine of the twelve Planets had local police for all the day to day stuff, two were Neo Quaker Colonies and the only crime there was arriving late for Sunday Service and until now she didn’t even know there was a Federal Penal Colony at the fringes of her precinct.

At first the case, as brutal as it appeared, was considered an open and shut case of a Shiss Raider attack and all initial evidence pointed to those scaled lizards.

At almost the same time as she got the report for the raid she was called from Headquarters Pluribus, telling her to wrap up the case as fast as she could and close it. Someone up the line basically wanted her to write up a report saying it was a Shiss Raid and close the case. She would then increase patrols for a few months to look for any other Shiss raiders and the case was filed and buried. After all, the victims were only a bunch of convicts anyway.

But somehow her instincts told her that there was much more to this than it appeared. Convicts or not, they were sentient beings and murder was murder and the raiders had killed over 500 convicts. Even if Shiss Raiders did that, they needed to be caught and dealt with. The very fact that Shiss Raiders operated almost 1000 light years from the nearest Shiss World should be alarming in itself.

She had reached the Interrogation room and found three of her colleagues standing outside, staring at a field screen. One of them Sergeant Ruddick, almost 30 years with the Federal Police said to the other two, “It really is the old Gumshoe. I didn’t know he really existed.”

As he noticed her approach there was something like respect in his face and he said, “Lieutenant, we have placed the suspect in the room as you requested. Mr. Decker is already inside.”

She was a Saresii and everyone always assumed she was a telepath, and ninety percent of all Saresii were indeed so gifted, she was not. Her Psi talents were called Telekinesis, revered on Sares but quite useless for a Policewoman. Everyone knowing her was aware of that, the Thauran Warden sitting across the Old Detective however did not know that and only saw a Saresii enter the room. He immediately put his hands in a completely useless gesture against his temples and said, “I know my rights; you are not allowed to read my mind!”

Decker said, “She could if she has a court order. Or we simply assume you are a traitor, scan your mind to the deepest level and then dump you somewhere on that Penal Colony, not as Warden of course.”

The Warden crossed his arms.

“I don’t know what this is all about anyway. Neither me nor my guards did anything wrong and I am an employee with the Justice Department for over eight years.”

The man from Earth looked at the blue skinned Thauran, “Eight years, Warden of a Prison Colony, taking bribes from the prisoners to run businesses, taking a share from the shroom wood logs shipped off planet and every other crooked deal you have made, landed you in a position where you could not say no.”

Decker slammed his flat hand on the table between them, “Of course this was a set up and whoever set you up was confident you knew nothing about their identity or you would have died in the raid.”

The Saresii woman said, “The raid would not have been possible while the Warden and his guards were on the planet. Even the one thousand year old watch towers would have reported any approaching ship long before they could jam the towers and the Warden could have called for help. There is a Fleet base only 14 light years from here, but if he doesn’t know anything useful we simply turn him over to the PSI Corps, they will know everything he did since he left the womb of his mother and I am sure they can find enough to hang him. Traitors collaborating with enemies won’t have to fear long drawn out trials.”

Decker got up, “You’re right. He doesn’t know anything, let’s have lunch.”

The Warden was visibly pale, “PSI Corps, what has the Army to do with this?”

“Shiss raids on a Federal Installation are Fleet business and since you are not talking, they will have the PSI corps take you apart.”

He nodded defeated, “Yes, of course.” He then said, “I might not be important enough to be killed or know anything, but I do know the guy who approached me, right here on Recksnostal. He might know something!”

Decker grinned, “That’s a start.”

As they left the interrogation room Decker said to the young Saresii woman.

“You caught up fast, with the good old Good cop-Bad cop routine.”

“There is a routine?”

“What are they teaching you at the Academy?”

She used her fingers to count:

“Psionic Crime Enforcement 101, Crisis Management, Federal Law...”

The old Detective rolled his eyes and said.

“I was afraid of that, but you do know what’s next, right?”

Now it was her turn to roll her eyes in a very Terran Human way and said, “Of course, we haul in his contact and grill him, and I don’t mean eating him.”

“No, we send in our Blue friend to make contact and see what happens.”

She smiled, “I know even how you old policemen called that on Earth. It is a Stake In however I don’t know what kinds of stakes are used.”

Paul Masters waited for them by the door as Roy and his Mother arrived. “Nice for you both to show up, first Roy disappears and then you did not come home!”

Paul took a big step back as Partner pushed his way in past Martha and sat down next to Roy. They had picked up Partner at Sam’s before they went home. His father pointed at the animal and said, “What is this thing doing inside? It isn’t even classified or decontaminated.”

Martha did something she had never done, at least not to Roy’s knowledge. She raised her voice. “You should talk! The entire planet thinks of us as cowardly and you showed me that the perception is true. You left me at Brown’s farm, your safety was more important to you than Roy’s or mine.”

Paul was as it appeared as surprised as Roy and said, “There are many dangers out there only visible under a micro viewer that are as dangerous as the big life forms and the suits are the only protection against them.”

“How do you explain then that I am perfectly alright and more so, how does Roy manage?”

He looked defeated and said, “I don’t have enough data to build a hypothesis to answer your question, even with a theory.” He then said, “How are you both?”

Martha smiled. “We are fine, Paul. Before we went to the Ranger to register Roy’s pet, we went to the clinic and we are both fit and not contaminated with anything.”

Roy’s father pulled his beloved SII -Sci hand scanner. Roy often wondered if his father even kept the thing in reach while he was under the shower. His father looked at the readout. “What is it? What did Roy find? The scanner results make no sense and not even Bio Central has anything that matches the visuals.”

Martha said, “It’s a Dog of course. A black one at that, at least that is what the Ranger put in the license.”

“I don’t even know you anymore, Martha. Are you not curious? Where is the brilliant Dr. Masters?”

“She is taking a break and trying to be a mother, at least until we have to leave. I promised him he can keep Partner.” She too looked at the beast and said, “Even though I am more than just a little curious about it; maybe Roy will let us run a few non-invasive scans.”

Roy spoke for the first time since they had come home. “If it isn’t hurting Partner, you can, but the second I think you do something Partner doesn’t like I know about it.” His mother kept staring at the Beast and then at her son. “No wonder you get along so well with it! It is psionically talented!”

Paul actually came closer and said, “Then we must test it, non-sentient psionic life forms are very rare. You are certain it isn’t sentient right?”

Roy was already looking towards the door as his mother said. “No it is not sentient. I can feel it through Roy. I am not a good enough telepath to be certain, but it feels as if they are PSI linked.”

Roy’s father said, “And that means?”

“Sometimes twins or siblings share the same psionic characteristics and thus are emotionally closely linked. That animal and Roy feel and think on the same mental frequency if you will.”

His parents did measure and scan Partner for a while and concluded that they indeed have a new life form on their hands. A life form their scanner beam could not penetrate.

The Masters household returned to almost normal again. They even had a family dinner together.

The next morning felt to Roy like he was reborn into a new life. His parents were working on their science stuff again. Paul in his study and Martha conducting a conference. This morning however, Roy no longer needed to sneak out; he went right through the front air lock door, with his brand new HK Raketen Pistol on his hip.

It was a Monday and normally he would have to go to school, but it was Union Week and after the official celebrations the big school holidays started. The thought that he had to leave Green Hell in less than two months was a threat, but distant at the moment.

Riding on Partner he went out to Uncle Sam’s farm. The man he called Uncle Sam was not really his uncle, but he felt closer to that man than to his own parents. Most Greenies considered Sam Brown to be insane because Sam operated the only farm on Green Hell and far away from town. Especially since Sam was not a native Greenie, but an Off-Worlder.

Roy reached the tall energy fence a few hours after he left. He knew of course the key code and went past the shimmering posts.

Sam’s farm was not engulfed by a complete Energy Bubble, instead it had a 20 meters (65’-7”) tall energy fence. It was of course a heavy duty model, strong enough to repel a Water Snake or a Stomper. Only a few animals actually ran into the fence.

Behind the fence were 12 acres of plowed and cultivated fields, Sam grew Fire Nettle bushes, Hell Berries and Killer Moss. Only Roy really knew why and kept it as carefully secret as Sam himself. The Fire Nettle pods yielded a fine powder which was considered to be the most potent and complex nerve toxin ever analyzed. The powder was sold to Pharmaceutical companies who made drugs and medicine out of it.

Many years ago some Fire Nettle bushes were taken off planet and now grown almost everywhere to make one of the most illegal substances, a drug called Califerm.

That was the most common name for the illegal drug, also known as PSI-Booster, God Powder and Snackker. It was instantly addictive and the slightest trace of the molecular fine powder absorbed by the skin was all it took. A Cali user could spread his addiction by shaking hands or sneezing to many other innocent folks. A modern med facility of course was able to cure an addicted person; but many, especially new colonies that lacked advanced facilities, could not. A Califerm addict could easily affect a colony’s entire population. Since this was a serious threat, it led to the legally accepted practice that a Califerm user or dealer could be shot or killed on the spot.

Califerm exposure meant certain and painful death to a psionically gifted Saresii or any other person with a high HPI. There even was a legend that claimed it was the only poison able to kill a Narth.

All this should of course be reason enough to leave the stuff alone, but Califerm was desirable because it increased any persons Heidelberg Psi Index and made any user instantly Psionic talented. An already Psionic talented person got a tremendous boost and some said a good telepath on Califerm could hear the thoughts of God himself. This legend was lure enough to try.

There also was Free Space, where Union laws did not matter and Califerm was traded freely.

The Off-World Califerm was not as good as the Califerm Uncle Sam produced. All this was the reason to keep it a secret.

While the Nettle Bush dust was a deadly poison to any Off-Worlder, real Greenies needed a large dose to feel ill effects and were completely immune to the drug that was made out of the powder. Uncle Sam was one of the very few government licensed producers of Califerm; and the only one producing the real stuff. He sold it to pharmaceutical companies who made medication to treat Psionic diseases and afflictions. Sam Brown planted and cultivated the Killer Moss for similar reasons.

The Hell Berry bushes were as dangerous and poisonous as everything else on the planet, but the small red berries it produced once a year were not poisonous at all, but consumable and had a delicious, fresh tart taste. Roy saw the old Ford – all terrain hover truck, Sam used to get around down in south field, nothing was planted there yet.

In the distance he saw Henry, the other Cerberus on this world, pulling plants and gathering them in a big pile to burn them later.

He also noticed the two John Deere Agra-Bots Bubba and Mike. Mike was working the soil with an implement, but Bubba didn’t move and Roy could see Sam’s boots sticking from underneath the machine and between its wide tracks.

He walked down the hill over the fresh turned soil and crouched down. “Are you fixing it, or are you taking a nap, Uncle Sam?” A deep voice came from under the robot. “I was fixing it, but I watched you and I was trying to figure out what that is you found out there. I have never seen anything like it.”

Roy displayed the holo of his license with a proud smile. “It’s a Dog, a black one. Mr. Solomon put it that way into the license.”

To read this story you need a Registration + Premier Membership
If you have an account, then please Log In or Register (Why register?)

Support the author's future writing by purchasing this book from Bookapy

Adventures of a Greenie (Vol 1)

Vanessa Ravencroft

$4.00