Part 9: FROZEN THREATS

We reached Tabernacle 12 with next to empty tanks. We were expected and landing controls took over.

The small planet looked very much like a dirty snow ball. Its own sun was nothing more than a bright star and its next planetary neighbor was almost eight light minutes removed.

The landing beam guided us towards a crater and at its center was a set of large iris doors that opened for us.

As soon as we had landed, Marines in heavy Destroyer Suits surrounded our ship. At least twenty Cerberus Battle Robots joined their ranks and a cold voice came over intercom. “Commence cargo transfer.”

“Hold it right there, Mister.” Zezz responded. “We stuck to the book sofar. I expect you to go by the same protocol. To make this clear to you. I am connected to the Autodestruct sequencer dialed down to one microsecond delay. I will open the hatch for no one but Professor Sam Neuberger and only after he identified himself according to Blue-Blue-Red protocol. Not even the Cerberus robots can prevent me from commencing auto destruct.”

There was a moment of silence and I put my hand on the weapon control panel.

“This is Dr. Sam Neuberger and I am transmitting Blue-Blue-Red protocol ID procedure.”

After another moment the Computronic chirped.” Identity verified. Blue-Blue-Red protocol Phase One completed.”

Zezz kept his claw on the self-destruct activator.” Dr. Neuberger only has permission to come aboard. Bring your Code key and day code.”

A bony looking human emerged and approached our shuttle.

“Anyone else approaching and my associate will fire and I will destruct.”

Neuberger came in completed the complicated and ritualized security protocol and only then did Zezz raise his hand of the panel. “Our package is all yours professor.”

“Thank you Captain Zezzazzzzz.”

The man then said made an inviting gesture. “Why don’t you both take a few hours rest in our base. You are both Blue-Blue-Red cleared and I give you permission.”

“Thank you Professor. We couldn’t go anywhere anyway. We’re out of fuel.”

“Our service personnel are taking care of your craft I am sure. There is someone eager to meet you.”

The Professor walked with us across the hangar to a set of Ultronit airlock doors, while robots and Marines unloaded the container from the Scorpion.

To me and I was sure to Captain Zezz’s surprise there was another Shiss waiting as the massive Airlock doors parted. That Shiss was wearing a dark grey Uniform. He had a golden star on each side of his collar, making him a Rear Admiral lower half. The service patch on his left arm was an open eye looking down onto a stylized spiral galaxy. The logo of Navy intelligence Services. The Science Shiss raised all four arms.” Zezzzzazhh, Brother.”

The lizaroid Shiss hugged each other and Dr. Neuberger laughed. “This is the reason I wanted you to stay for a while.”

Shortly after Zezz had greeted and hugged his brother, we found ourselves sitting at a table in the base officer’s lounge.

Captain Zezz and the other Shiss had spoken in their native tongue until now; Captain Zezz pointed at me and said. “I know, we are not acting according to protocol, but I haven’t seen my brother in ages” Zezz put his claw hand on my shoulder and looked at his brother: “This is Ensign Olafson ; he is a promising young officer.” Then he pointed at the other Shiss.” And that is Zhuzzzz my bigger brother and Nest sharer. He is the base commander and managed to get a Rear Admiral star on his collar too.”

I stood and saluted.” Admiral Sir, it is an honor.”

Zezzh hissed laughing.” He does that all the time but then he is still in the Academy.”

“Sit down. Cadet.” Said Zhuzzzz.” No need for those kinds of formalities around here.”

Professor Neumann joined the conversation and looked at me.”I can’t tell you what it is you brought us since it is classified on a Need to know basis. However I can show you around the base. Your security clearance is certainly high enough for that. It might even be interesting and it will give those two a little private time to catch up.”

“Thank you Sir that would be great.”

Neumann led me to an IST. “This is a secret lab facility, only a handful privileged know that Tabernacle 12 isn’t a religious University. Well there is one above us, but that’s just for show.”

“I understand, Sir. Do I address you as Professor or Doctor Neumann?”

“Depending on what academic system it is either. By Union Science Corps terms I am a Professor rank III. By civilian terms I am a PhD or Doctor and by the University I studied I reached the highest academic rank, which is professor.” He smirked.”I know its complicated and totally confusing even to me.”

Inside the IST capsule, Neumann put his hand on a panel and said. Containment Vault Level K”

He then returned to answer my question.”Most academics have a chip on their shoulder and demand to be addressed by whatever title they think they should be addressed. You can simply call me Doc Sam as everyone around here does.”

After a high speed trip deep into the core of the planet, we entered a corridor that had been carved out of the rocky core and reinforced with Ultronit beams.” Here on Tabernacle 12 we contain, detain and research the most dangerous sentient life forms in the known Universe. Down here on Level K for example we have stasis chambers holding the last eight known life specimen of the Xunx race, kept in stasis for the almost 3000 years.”

I remembered the story of the Xunx from class. They were Terra’s first Alien enemies and it was the Xunx aggressive advances that made the Sarans land on Earth and give the Terrans faster than light technology.

Behind a meter thick wall of a transparent material hung a 5 meter tall insect. The Xunx looked exactly as in the school visuals. I remembered Mr. Walters, one of my Union school teachers describing Xunx to be a mixture between Hornet and Praying mantis.

I studied the Insectoid for a few moments and then asked.” What are those metallic strips all over its body, professor?

He smiled. “You have a keen eye, Son. This is a titanium support skeleton, Xunx are true Insectoids and come from a low gravity world. No insect could reach such size in a standard grav world. It’s the chitinshell, their exoskeleton ; it would have to be ten times as thick to support this size and would be too heavy to be mobile. Under gravitation that is normal to us they could hardly move, that is why they have these Support Skeletons implanted”

“The Klack are almost as big and I never noticed them to have such supports.”

“The Klack also have an internal naturtal endoskeleton, enough to support their size on their home world. The Gravitation on Klackt is still only 70 percent Standard, and next time you see a Klack you will certainly see a personal Gravitation Reducer somewhere glued to the body. The Klack too, are on the limit of size.”

I was surprised at myself. I found myself wanting to know more of these details. Before in school I had never paid much attention in Xeno Class. “What is the purpose of keeping those Xunx, Sir? Would it not be sufficient to keep a Genetic map and a DNA sample on file for research? I am sure a Computronic could simulate one using a DNA map.”

“Partially you are correct for some biological research that would be enough, but there are other factors such as sociological and individual developments that can’t be researched on a clone. Who knows we might run into another species one day that is similar to the Xunx. We at Xeno Research believe the more we really know about them the better we can defend ourselves should they or similar beings ever come and pose a threat. Detailed knowledge will also give hints on taboos, social barriers and communication differences, such knowledge can often help to prevent conflict.

That made sense and we went on with this fascinating little tour. Behind another window was a Nul-Nul in suspended animation. I saw specimen of Freons and Ferons, also long extinct.

He pointed at the Level indicator. “The further down, the more dangerous the Life forms.”

“I don’t even want to know what you keep in Level Z then.”

He laughed. That I can tell you, nothing yet. We have yet to meet a life form that would meet the specifications of danger levels beyond Level T. Life forms such as the Coven and the Narth are considered T class life forms and there are no known technologies to contain a T Class life form yet.”

The Professor so it appeared enjoyed having a willing student and an audience even if it was just me, and he was friendly and answered my questions, but then something happened. I did not really notice it at first, but his flood of words and eager explanations ceased and he asked me in a very formal tone to follow him. He led me of the main corridor into what looked like a high security laboratory and I wondered what he would show me there. We had barley reached the lab when Zezz came in followed by his brother and asked.” Professor, you summoned us and said it was urgent?”

The laboratory was perhaps fifty meters in diameter with a high ceiling. On one side where two large Cryostasis containers on a steel table and there where instruments and equipment of which I could identify only the Optical Micro scanner. The massive door and only access to the lab slammed shut with a fat, heavy sound. The professor staggered a few steps and pulled a small Laser gun out of his coat pocket.” I need your code keys. That is why I summoned you here.”

Two Kermac stepped from behind a row of large tanks. Both holding Kermac Line blasters leveled at us.

One of them said.” We control the professor just fine, he will do whatever we say, but we can’t psi-control a Fleet Captain and why we can’t even detect that human cadet I do not know, but he is insubstantial in the scheme of things. You Shiss however will use your code keys or we will shoot you and do it ourselves.”

Zezz and his brother were as surprised as I was.

Zuzzh shook his scaled head.” I don’t know how you managed to get here or to pass the psi barriers, but the keys alone won’t do you any good. You need the day code and I am not giving you that. There are 200 Ultra Marines on this base and they will storm this lab if they detect weapon fire.”

“Captain Zezzzzazhh, us being here is the culmination of a plan set in motion twenty years ago. Don’t you think we know that? We disabled the sensors for this lab and besides these are five meter force field reinforced Ultronit doors and walls three times as thick, the very best in Terran Engineering.” He laughed. “It would take them days to blast through and by then we have what we need and you will be dead. Cooperate and you walk away alive.”

No one seemed to pay any attention to me. Even as I slowly moved towards one of the multi task consolesbehind me.

Zezz suppressed a scream into a painful gasp. The Kermac could not read him, but I was sure they used some sort of Psionic power to cause Zezz pain. I reached the panel without being noticed. Multi task consoles could be configured to almost any situation. This one was probably set to some science configuration. I found the reset control without looking. Then I whispered as loud as I dared.” Computronic : audio command input. Set outputs to mute.”

I hoped I was speaking loud enough for the machine to pick it up Then I said.” Tie into Base security and transmit all audio in here and raise security alert.”

Something in my mind warned me. It was as if someone said. Jump.

I dove to the side and a sun bright blaster beam slammed into the console, but at the same time red lights rotated and a siren began blaring.”

One of the Kermac laughed.” Very good Human. You managed to raise the alarm. However it will do little good; the doors cannot be opened from the outside. You are expendable and you will die.”

Zezz and Zuzzh took their chances and simultaneously catapulted themselves forward into the Kermac.

A Kermac looked almost human. They had two arms two legs a head with two eyes and a mouth. They had small noses, ears and their skin appeared as if bleached to an unnatural paper white. Kermac had no hair, except for ceremonial fake beards glued to their chins which I had learned in Xeno class contained sophisticated Psi tech amplifiers that magnified and augmented their natural Psionic abilities.

Kermacs where second only to the Saresii in that regard and managed to enslave entire planet populations with their Hypno suggestive psi powers, but physically they were only 120-150 cm tall and no match for a Shiss who could go toe to toe with a Nul-Nul.

I had rolled behind that row of metal tanks which had served the Kermac as cover, and expected the struggle to be over in a moment. I was wrong. Only Zezz reached his target, Zuzzh was stopped in midair, hung suspended and then violently pushed back by invisible telekinesis forces.