Alien Courage (Rise of the Empress) (15 page)

Torquay took in the words easily, “and what is a Lieutenant
exactly?”

The Administrator altered his setting on his console
and the data flashed. “It’s a rank of Officer, a junior officer. There are two,
a first and a second. They are in command of thirty or so troops depending on
their mission or function. The rank above them is Captain and the rank below is
called a Warrant Officer but they are
non
commissioned, whatever that means.”

“In other words, our Peter in there,” Torquay said
pointing at the T334 leaning forward on its arms,” is a fighting man and has
been subject to intense discipline, has he not?”

“I would agree with that assumption,” the
Administrator said confidently.

“What is the first sort of repetitive training they do
to accept the discipline necessary for engaging an enemy and killing them?”

The Administrator read off his console, “hard physical
exercise with duress and parade ground marching or what is known as ‘drilling’.
Very similar to all armies that use organic based life forms as soldiers.

“Very good,” Torquay said. “What are the basic
commands of drilling these US Marines use?”

The Administrator didn’t have the exact data for the
US Marines but quickly cross referenced with recent training methods on the
planet Earth. All their armies had almost exactly the same method of drilling
their troops. He explained this to Torquay and what were their basic commands.

“It’s all intervention when you think about at it,”
Torquay explained. “To react without thinking relies on something installed in the
mind previously. Not altogether different from our android friends is it?” The
Administrator agreed.

“Now,” Torquay said with determination. “You need to
know just whose body we are using in this,
ahh
...
experiment so to speak. I don’t need to tell you the dire consequences if this
information every leaked out so I’m just warning you that you are about to make
another enemy of some considerable consequence if this fails.
The body in the android transport cylinder.”
Torquay cleared
his throat. ‘It’s the living breathing body of Johe, the actual pilot of the
T334.”

“Oh my,” the Administrator gasped, his eyes
flickering.
“The only son of Lord Ambrae, the supreme leader
of the Great House of Irrimus.
I really don’t want to know how you
bypassed the Priests to get it, the Emperor had to be involved personally, but
why Johe I can work out for myself. I have a little knowledge of what happens
to beings and their minds as a result of environmental nuclear disturbances.”

“You have been researching this haven’t you?” Torquay
replied impressed. “So, you are in agreement that the point of no return by our
actions here today has been reached?”

“Yes,” the Administrator replied without hesitation
and with full knowledge that apart from the Trigealian threat, to insult or in
any way do anything harmful to any of the heads of the Great Houses, their
families, friends or allies would result in the waking up of their full
resources for retaliation. Each Great House had its own secret police and
covert agencies. Also their business and financial resources extended across
the vast reaches of the Confederacy. You wouldn’t even be able to buy a meal at
a public establishment if they so desired; all monies, credits and any other
Confederacy sanctioned and most not sanctioned means of exchange were traceable
to the individual who possessed or used it. Such is the consequence of living
in a fully electronically controlled society.    

“Very well, here’s the task Administrator,” Torquay said
and he began to explain the mechanics of what must be done. “We need to place
Johe’s body actually touching the T334; its sensors will recognise the brain
patterns and the organic signature of its pilot’s body. Then, I will attempt to
give our Earthman a command he will react to without thinking. Doing that, with
any luck will
eject
him from the artificially safe
environment he is now in and place him in Johe’s body. The transfer should
actually be assisted by the automated mind transfer systems within the T334
itself. If all goes according to plan and he accepts the body and it accepts
him we will have done what the Trigeals really won‘t like – to do something
they think no one else can do except them!” The Administrator stood in awe at
what he was being told.

The Administrator with Torquay rushed off to get Johe.
They located the android case easily at the entrance alcove and with a small
transporting device which hovered just off the ground brought it into the Great
Hall. They sat it down as close as they dared to the T334. Torquay opened it to
reveal Johe’s body with face mask and wires attached to his body in a state of
suspended animation. His Irrimus features with the light coloured hair and pale
skin matched his perfectly sculptured body. As a known body linage the pilot of
a T334 has had its genetic line altered to eliminate the common ailments
associated with bodies such as viruses, premature wear and tear and other
common ailments plaguing organic bodies.

Johe had a small medallion around his neck which was
actually a sophisticated electronic emitter. It emanated a frequency around his
body which made it appear to spiritual entities that this body was occupied.
There are certain consciousnesses in neighbouring sectors of the universe the
Trigeals had not yet gained control over and despised greatly. They have
similar technologies and pose a potential threat to the Trigeals. Torquay would
have to turn it off before he attempted to transfer Peter.

They disconnected the suspended animation devices and
with some difficulty got Johe to his feet. The Administrator was stronger than
he looked and held him upright easily and asked Torquay a question. “What
happens if you are successful and this Earthman wakes up in a different body?
It would be quite a shock for him and we may have another problem on our
hands.” 

“I thought of that,” Torquay answered as he set to
work on the medallion around Johe’s neck. “This Earthman, or should I say
Peter, he does have a name, has had a number of recent severe body injuries
which required medical intervention. He has the images and the experiences
recorded in his subconscious. Part of that experience was the use of
anaesthetics and pain killing drugs. I have reset the medallion to emit a
frequency closely approximating Peter’s brain waves in response to those drugs.
That should restimulate his subconscious and enforce those experiences once
again upon him, he will for all intent and purposes be drugged!”

Torquay finished his adjustments and with the help of
the Administrator got Johe over to the T334. Torquay had draped his robe over
the three of them and there was no response from the robot. They leaned Johe’s
body against the back of the robot and with some effort managed to get it to
stay there without falling to the floor. Johe had his face against the black
metallic body of the robot.

“So good so far,” said Torquay and backed off with the
Administrator, both of them under his robe. When they were at a safe distance he
put the robe on himself and went back, signalling to the Administrator to
return to the raised platform. Here goes, he thought and put his hand through
the panel opening of the robot and placed his finger on the control button.
Clearing his mind he “knew” himself through his finger.

“Hello?”

“Hello?”

“
Mmmmmm
,
what?”
Peter responded very
slowly.

“Is that you Peter?”

“
Mmmmm
, yes…”

“LIEUTENANT!”

“Yes Sir!” Peter responded instantly

“You will at the end of this sentence, think the
following!  SEQUENCE FREQUENCIES, SET ALPHA, CO-ORDINATE TRANSER PROTOCOLS
FOR PILOT TRANFER SYSTEM, REMOTE LOCATION OF INITATION, IDENTIFICATION
FREQUENCIES CONFIRM THEM! ”

“Sir, yes Sir!”

“REMEMBER THOSE SYMBOLS AND FREQUENCIES YOU SEE AND
THE LOCATION OF THE REMOTE INITIATING COMPUTERS - THAT’S AN ORDER!”

“Sir, yes Sir!”

“LIEUTENANT!
- TEN… HUH!
ABOUT...
TURN! -
TWO PACES FORWARD…
MARCH!”
At the same time Torquay
flicked off the switch on Johe’s medallion with his other hand.
“LIEUTENANT!
- STAND AT… EASE!
Rest.”

Johe’s body jerked, slipped off the T334 slumping to
the floor. His breathing was heavy and irregular. Torquay quickly grabbed his
arms and dragged him away. The Administrator ran over quickly when they were
within a safe distance and helped Torquay drag Johe, actually Peter to the
android transport case and with great effort lifted him in. Peter was moaning
loudly and made peculiar noises. Then in a language both Torquay and the
Administrator didn’t understand shouted, “HELP!”

Working quickly Torquay got the suspended animation
mask on Peter and connected the electrodes to his head and chest. Torquay
activated the mechanism and Peter slipped into a state of complete calm and
then nothing. His new body now only took a breath every couple of minutes and
slept a very deep sleep. The Administrator took the android case back to the
visitor’s room.

Torquay went back to the T334 and reset the robot as
is the procedure after maintenance. He also reset its operating sequence
indicating all actions and procedures in the last time frame were in exact
response to its standard operating procedures. Its memory banks still retained
all its actions and scan data but they registered as normal operating procedure
and would not show up as irregular activities. He snapped the panel back into
position and moved around to its front making sure his robe covered his face.

The T334 came to life and stood up. The Administrator
standing at the doorway gasped. The T334 ran through its internal self checking
procedures and with everything in normal operating condition, positioned itself
back in position with the others and shut itself down.

Torquay quickly went to the visitor’s room and put his
technician’s uniform on, then via the communicator on his belt requested
assistance to return the android to the Palace for repairs.

Torquay stood in front of the Administrator. “I must
go now. There will be trouble in our futures. I wish you well my friend.”

The Administrator went to salute him and Torquay
stepped forward and stopped him. “Something I learnt from our Earthman.” He
grasped the Administrator’s right hand and thrust his into it so both their
palms touched and squeezed while gently shaking. The Administrator’s eyes
opened wide at this strange custom but quickly adopted the warmth and sincerity
of its gesture; he squeezed and returned the handshake. Both men smiled and
then laughed. The Administrator was not aware of Torquay’s critical order for
Peter to remember the sequence of symbols while in the T334 - the activation
frequency codes for the T334 PILOT TRANSFER SYSTEM and the location of the
computers that controlled the transfers - the most closely guarded secret in
the galaxy, known only by the Trigeals. The pilots themselves weren’t even
aware that data existed within the T334 circuitry.

Two Palace androids attached to the Marching Band
arrived and took the android transport case away. The Administrator wished
Torquay a safe journey and then retired to his quarters for a shower and
something to eat, he found himself very hungry. He checked the security monitor
as he walked past the main control console and saw that the Parade Ground was
now empty, Torquay and his ‘android’ were gone.

High above the surface of Ennack three long silver
ships slowed to enter the atmosphere. They drifted through it easily and in a
spiralling motion descended. The ships proceeded directly toward the Great Hall
of the Academy.

The Administrator was just sitting down to eat when a
siren sounded. He dropped his fork and rushed out of his room into the Great
Hall. Already Trigealian android security soldiers were pouring into the Great
Hall and taking up positions at all stations. They had control of all the security
stations on every level of the complex and two of the Trigeal ships hovered
both north and south of the complex, all weapons armed.

“Administrator you are suspended of all duties and
will follow me,” the senior android Officer said. Eight soldiers rushed to the
Administrator and formed around him in a tight security formation. They failed
to notice the almost unperceivable motion of the Administrator’s hand
triggering a program to run in his arm console computer. It has just completed
when the android officer stripped all items from him, including his arm
console.