When Earth Reigned Supreme (The Human Chronicles Saga Book 12) (8 page)

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Fifteen minutes later, Adam and Riyad were huddled over a video playing on a small tablet computer. “Does any of this look familiar?” Adam asked.

Riyad studied the line of misshaped pyramids and shook his head. “I know Vosmin landed at a really large spaceport and then placed me in a truck. It was after dark, and then we entered a tunnel. I didn’t see anything outside after that. He didn’t seem to be trying to keep anything a secret, figuring I was just a talking Happy Meal. I wish I could be of more help.”

“So the structures could be fed by a series of underground tunnels. I don’t see any roads climbing up the mountain. That has to be it. Was the tunnel you entered at the spaceport, or outside the gates?”

“We only went a short distance before entering. There were windows in the truck, but it was more from the echoes outside that told me we were in a tunnel. I do know that we eventually stopped and the truck was lifted up, probably on a huge elevator.”

“That makes sense. The tunnels go under mountain, and then all the traffic gets lifted up to pyramid level. Better than having a whole series of switchbacks hollowing out the mountain. That also means individual vehicles are allowed in the tunnels,” Adam pointed out. “That could help. We commandeer a truck of our own and drive in.”

“We need to find a tunnel entrance, one leading to the main pyramid,” Riyad added.

“Heads up, Captain,” Drake announced over the network. “A truck just pulled up outside.”

“Ask and ye shall receive?” Adam said to Riyad.

“More likely dumb luck.”

“Positions!” Adam ordered. “How many in the truck?”

“Two,” Drake reported. “They don’t seem to be in a hurry. One of them is carrying a case.”

“Could be technicians coming to check out the portal. Open the door as they approach. Stay in the shadows.”

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Five minutes later, two Sol-Kor natives were seated next to the Salifens, similarly bound; however, unlike the more compliant Salifen hostages, one of the Sol-Kor had suffered a broken arm in the scuffle that resulted from the team sweeping in and grabbing them. Since then, he’d had been shot up with Human painkillers, which had already taken away all his suffering and replaced it with a narcotic high, demonstrating that the SK’s had a much lower threshold when it came to drug tolerance—at least when it came to Human drugs. The other Sol-Kor was perturbed by the drug-induced antics of his partner, and was doing his best to make him stay quiet.

He was fighting a losing cause.

“I can sense the quality of your flesh even from here,” the drugged out alien was saying. “I must have a sample.” He leaned over and bared his long, sharp fangs in the direction of Mike “Conman” Connors. The sergeant-first class slapped him away, sending the alien’s eyes wobbling, while the smile remained on his scaly face, the pain of the hit failing to register.

Adam glanced around when the room became bathed in brilliant sunlight by the opening of the huge paneled doorway. Juan Garcia had donned his Sol-Kor mask and was pulling the truck into the building. The moment the tail cleared the doorway, the panel rolled back down.

Adam turned back to his Sol-Kor hostages. “What are you doing here?”

The sober alien stared at Adam with fierce defiance, remaining silent. The other one was much more talkative.”

“There was an errant reading from within. We came to solve the problem. It is what we do.”

“Silence, Milok!”

“Be nice,” Adam said. “Let your friend talk. You are Milok, right?”

The alien appeared to gush at the mention of his name. “Yes, I am Milok Dosnin. I am a second-level gauge adjuster, assigned to the one-eight-eight technical section. Power readings have been fluctuating at this facility and I—we—were sent to recalibrate.” The alien laughed. “I see now that the fluctuations are not equipment-related.”

“And who are you?” Adam asked, addressing the more stoic alien.

“I will not tell. What have you done here, and who—what are you?”

“You haven’t seen our kind before?”

“No, I have not.” He glanced at the other aliens next to him. “Why have you bound the Salifens? They are of no threat.”

“Yeah, I kinda noticed that. Nice guys, though, just like Milok. You, on the other hand, I don’t like much.”

“I do not care what you like or do not like…”

Adam motioned to Ace Harbison. “Take this one behind the truck. Make sure he doesn’t interfere as I have a talk with my new friend, Milok.”

“Aye, sir.”

A wild look of concern came over the alien’s face. “Milok, do not tell them anything!” It was the last sentence he spoke before the strap from a utility belt wrapped around his head and across his mouth. The smaller Human lifted the seven-foot-tall Sol-Kor from the bench with ease and carried him behind the truck and out of sight of the other native. With a dull thud, Ace sent the creature into a deep, involuntary sleep.

“That’s better,” Adam said. “Now it’s just the two of us.”

Milok looked around the room at all the alien faces staring at him. “Yes, plus all the others.” He then looked at his oddly-hanging right arm. “I believe it is broken,” he said. “A replacement technician must now be sent, as I cannot fulfill my duties. If the injury is severe enough, I will be of no use to the Colony and I will be recycled. However, I find it odd that I have no sensation in the injured appendage.”

“It’s a miracle, Milok. Now, will you answer a few questions I have?”

“I will, even though I do not know why.”

“That doesn’t matter. Now, first thing, is the Queen in the tallest structure on the ridge?”

“My Queen? In all her reverence, my mother, the creator of all?”

“Yes, one and the same. Is she there?”

“Of course.”

“Where in the structure?”

“In her chambers.”

“I realize that. But where is that within the structure?”

“Please do not be disappointed, but I do not know. She is in her chambers. She is always in her chambers, yet I have never been there.”

“You haven’t heard anyone talk of such things?”

“No, why would we speak of such things to each other?”

Adam shook his head, trying to clear it of the absurdity of the alien’s attitude. “How about tunnels to the mountain? Where is the nearest tunnel from here leading to the central pyramid?”

“K-R42.”

“Where is K-R42?”

“Where it has always been.”

“Which is where?” Adam clenched his teeth, straining to keep his frustration from showing in his voice.

“Baseline, third left from here.”

Where is Baseline Street?”

“Where is baseline…oh, I understand. It is the course outside this structure.”

The team had done a quick job of rounding up the bodies of the dead Sol-Kor from their entry through the portal, and now Milok’s gaze focused on the pile. “Are you going to kill me, too?” Even though the question was of the gravest nature, his tone was that of casual curiosity.

“No, of course not,” Adam said with a smile. “We’re friends.”

“Did you kill Kanoc?”

Adam looked toward where the truck sat. “No, he’s just sleeping. He seemed very upset.”

“That is understandable. We were not expecting to find such a…a—”

Suddenly, the eyes of the alien turned to circles and the gray of his face scales turned ashen. He inhaled sharply and toppled over, falling to the floor. The two other aliens watched with expressionless detachment.

Hernandez, one of the two trained medics on the team, rushed to the fallen alien. He turned him over and ripped open his dark red shirt. Already Adam could see a bruising of the skin in the middle of his chest.

Hernandez took a stethoscope and placed it on the alien’s skin. “His damn heart exploded, Cap. He’s toast.”

“Ace, how’s the other one?”

Harbison poked his head around from behind the truck. “Sorry, sir. Not familiar how much force to use on these guys. Doesn’t look like he’s going to be waking up anytime soon.”

Adam pursed his lips before issuing orders.

“Check out the back of the truck. See if we can all fit in.” Then he turned to the two surviving aliens. “I want the two of you to go with this person.” He motioned to Anderson. “He wants to show you something near the back of the room.”

The creatures stood up. Adam looked to Anderson and gave him a curt nod.

“Understood, sir,” Neo said.

Adam went over to the truck, with Riyad at his side.

“A wise decision, my friend,” Riyad said.

“They’re collateral damage. Can’t have them telling their masters anything they’ve seen or heard in here. Other Sol-Kor are going to discover this scene, and probably before we find the Queen.”

“Then perhaps we should destroy the evidence.”

“A fire?”

“That would slow them down some, having to sort through the ashes before putting two and two together.”

“Chief Foster, you and Connors place charges where they’ll do the most damage, Place the bodies in more natural positions. Don’t make it look too obvious.”

“Yes, sir. C’mon, Mr. Connors. Bring your toys.”

The back of the truck was opened to find an array of electronic equipment and spare parts. The team—along with the two equipment carts—wouldn’t fit in without some of the items being removed, so Adam had his men set to work emptying out the back. In a couple of minutes they were ready to go.

“I’ll drive. Mac, you’re in the passenger seat with your M-101. The rest of you in the back. Mac, we’ll be wearing our masks.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that…sir.”

MacTavish was a big man, and although the masks were designed to fit all the team members, Mac was the exception. He struggled to get the rubber hood over his visor and around the back of his head, requiring Adam to step in and help. Finally the mask was in place, fitting so snugly the shape of the visor was evident.

Adam grimaced. “Riyad, you know how to handle an M-101, don’t you?”

“If I say yes, I’ll have to wear the mask again…”

“Can you or not?”

“Give it to me, Mac,” Riyad said. He took the long-barrel sniper rifle from the relieved ensign. Mac’s mask came off easier than it went on, even though the visor came with it. He fished the plastic device out of the twisted rubber and placed it around his huge head. With a grunt, he moved to the back of the truck.

“You owe me,” Riyad said to Adam.

“Relax, it’ll be fun. And you’ll get to take in the sights on the way to see your girlfriend. I’m sure she’ll be just as excited to see you as you will to see her.”

“We’re all set here,” reported Chief Warrant Officer Marsh Foster.

“Set the timers for five minutes. Everyone aboard. Riyad, care to get the door?”

Riyad slipped the Sol-Kor mask over his head. “I repeat, you owe me…big time.”