Broken Soldier (Book One) (5 page)

“So you’ve had this done to you?”

Again with the patient smile. “Mike, this system has
been in existence for more than a thousand of your years. It is a
biological device, which has been genetically implanted. That means
our genetic make up has been permanently changed. We pass it on to
our children. They are born with it already in place.”

The ramifications of Jo’s comment were
extraordinary. “Jo, if what you’re saying is true, then humans are
many thousands of years behind the Saurans or the Thorians.
Furthermore, I believe most humans would find the idea of an
implant that affects the brain to be repulsive. The idea suggests
that you would have a way to control us.”

The alien extended his hand, with the fingers
pointed straight out, and flipped his hand over and back rapidly.
“I can understand how you would think so. I wish I knew what to say
to help you grasp the benefit of this method of communication.
There is so much more to these changes than I have told you. But
for now, the most important reason is to be able to comm with me
and your warriors, without resorting to this slow archaic speech;
although I must admit there is a joy to the leisurely pace of
it.”

Mike sighed in frustration and pushed the
conversation in a different direction. “So, how in the hell am I
going to make a difference.”

Jo said, “Allow me to explain my plan. However, I
need to provide a little more background, before I reveal it to
you.”

Mike was a little angry. For many years, he had
trouble tolerating people who danced around the answers he needed.
Sometimes it made his blood boil. In this situation, he chose to
exercise patience. He held out his hands, palm up, and said,
“Please go on.”

“The Mother Ship held twenty one Saurans. They were
tasked with retrieving a few thousand humans for research.”

Mike blurted out, “A few thousand for research. What
gives them the right?”

Patiently, Jo replied, “In your parlance, they have
the muscle and you don’t.”

The blunt truth of it was terrifying. “What do they
do to us?”

“I was only here to assist them as a slave. They did
their own research, in a different section of the Mother Ship, to
which I had little access. I suspect they were going to test for
basic strength and speed, and then a series of intelligence
inquiries would be made. As far as they’re concerned, all other
species are enemies and they wish to know as much about their
enemies as possible.

“The Senior Pilot had made one trip to your planet
already and captured eighteen humans. At the Sauran’s command, I
was tasked with doing some limited research on each one; primarily
regarding their genetic make up. They were very pleased to find
that all humans are significantly weaker than Saurans.

“In my research, I quickly discovered that all the
humans were convicts who had been taken from a criminal
transportation vehicle. To their way of thinking, these humans
would show the most vicious side of your people and give the
Saurans a good example of human capability in combat.”

Mike interrupted, saying, “That’s actually good
thinking on their part.”

“Yes, I thought so, too.”

Jo continued, “They had many humans to gather. So,
after my preliminary genetic research, they stored the eighteen
they had, until the captives could be fully tested at a later time.
They left one Sauran on board and I was placed in a locked
compartment, which was normal procedure when they didn’t need me.
The others left for Earth, to gather more humans.

“On the way there, their craft had a sensor shield
malfunction and it failed to deflect a small meteor. It struck the
engine and sent them off course; crashing into an icy moon of the
large planet you call Jupiter. As they fell to their doom, they
called the Mother Ship and informed the remaining Sauran of the
tragedy. In their panic, they opened the entire communication
system, allowing me to hear what was being said.

“The remaining Sauran began making preparations to
leave the system. But, with no other Sauran to help him, he had to
rely on the ship’s robots. They don’t have much computing power and
can’t function as smoothly as a sentient being. So the Sauran
needed my assistance to prepare the ship. He was unaware that I
knew what had happened. He had the ship’s computer unlock my room,
and then called me to the operation center.

“I had no intention of attempting to take over the
ship. But, as I walked the length of the ship, a plan began to
form. Saurans are much more powerful than Thorians, so I certainly
had no chance of besting him in direct combat. I would need to
deceive him and I would need a weapon.

“There are some very powerful tools on the Mother
Ship. They must be fully accounted for and handled carefully when
in use. The Saurans used me for a variety of maintenance
procedures; so I was given access to a few of these dangerous
tools. I went by the maintenance shop and selected two items that
might give me the advantage I sought.

“One was an electric torch, which was used to fuse
together new power cables, which are extremely thick and heavy.
Because the cables usually wore out in very narrow access conduits,
the Saurans always sent me in to fix them. They hated to be
confined in tight places. It is a phobia with them.

“The other item I selected, was less powerful, but
just as dangerous. It was a line tester. It’s used to generate a
high frequency signal through the communication lines, to verify
their efficiency. Most Saurans wouldn’t consider it to be
dangerous, in its normal setting. But, in my position as a
maintenance slave, they had long ago given me the codes to augment
the power for this tool. So, I set it to maximum.”

Jo paused and took a drink of water, as Mike gave
the Thorian’s story some thought. If what he heard thus far was
true, this guy had a serious set of gonads. Mike always liked
troops with big balls. They won battles. Of course, that didn’t
mean that Jo should be trusted. The Earth had a long history of
courageous men who were ruthlessly evil.

The alien continued. “When I entered the operation
center, the Sauran slapped me, which was not uncommon. A Sauran
frequently uses this method to constantly remind a slave of his
position in life. I had anticipated the slap. So, when he struck
me, I deliberately dropped the electric torch.

He challenged me and asked why I had it with me. I
told him I assumed that there was a problem here and I remembered
having weakened readings the last time I checked the cables in the
operation center. So, I brought the torch, in case it was
needed.

“He slapped me again and accused me of trying to
sabotage the ship. I denied it, of course. I asked him if I should
take the tool away. He said no and not to touch it. He bent over to
pick it up and I saw my chance.

“I quickly applied the line tester to the back of
his head and pressed the power on switch. His brain was boiled,
which killed him instantly, and it made a terrible mess, which I
still must clean up. It smelled horrible, yet I could not help
releasing my joy. I cried out and said a prayer to God for his
guidance. I had never heard of a Thorian besting a Sauran. I was so
elated.”

Jo was looking at the ceiling and smiling, as he
recalled his triumph. Mike felt the honesty of the alien’s story,
but felt it prudent to withhold comment. He needed to learn
more.

He asked, “Did you release the humans?”

His question pulled Jo back to the present
situation. “Oh…no, I did not. They are criminals and could never be
trusted. So, I left them in non-existence.”

“Jo, what do you mean by non-existence?”

“In a way, they are asleep. When you were being
healed, you still existed. The criminals are in a state of…of
suspension, as though their bodies were trapped in a void. Their
thoughts and bodily functions have been temporarily placed on
standby. Do you grasp what I am saying.”

“Yes, I think I do. We have a term that might
describe it. We call it stasis. It’s a form of stagnation, or
complete inactivity, without death.”

Jo displayed a grin, with his thin lips spread wide
and his short peg-like teeth exposed. “Yes, stasis, that describes
it exactly.”

“So why did you kidnap me?”

“Well, I gave quick thought to what I would do next.
I needed help and I couldn’t send out a distress signal. That would
only summon another Sauran ship. I couldn’t trust a criminal. So, I
would need to find an honorable and trustworthy warrior on the
planet Earth.”

Mike was astounded. “So, of all the people you could
have chosen, out of eight billion, you picked out an old, dumb,
slob who had no legs and one eye. Jo, you’re not as smart as I
thought.”

Mike had blurted out the insulting comment, without
thinking. He was glad to see Jo smile at him, before
responding.

“Don’t underestimate me, Mike. After all, I bested a
Sauran, single handed,” he said proudly.

“Staying on the ship would have been a waste of
time. So, within hours of killing the Sauran, I loaded a small
transport vehicle with supplies and left for the Earth.

“On the way there, I spent most of my days probing
earths data systems, focusing on various military employment
departments. It was confusing at first…so many different countries.
But, I found that your country, America, generally had a reputation
for integrity and their military had a history of remarkable
success.

“I knew I had the benefit of a medical unit, which
could repair humans. Previous Sauran visits to Earth, resulting in
kidnappings and medical exams had proven that. I began looking at
records of wounded soldiers. They were warriors and should be happy
to have been repaired.

“Your Pentagon has a very weak data protection
system, by the way. It was quite easy for me to access and organize
the files I wished to review.

“I expected to find someone in a hospital, but then
thought better of it. How could I go into such a place, without
drawing a hostile response? Also, if I took someone from there, it
would cause turmoil and I didn’t need that.

“I narrowed my search down to forty or fifty men.
You were rather high on the list; due to all of the wonderful
reviews your superiors gave you. When I checked on your record at
the civilian computer company, those reports were also excellent.
But what made you perfect was that you owned a remote cabin and
went there often. It was my good luck that you were there, when I
inspected it.

“I watched, as you left for your walk to the water,
where you caught fish. I waited during the daylight period,
expecting you at any minute. You were gone a long time and I was
amazed at the length of time you spent at the river. Finally, as
the sun began to set and darkness was nearly complete, I saw you
walking up to the cabin. I was quite relieved.

“”I’m sorry about the paralysis gas. It was the
fastest and easiest way to subdue you. I originally thought I
should speak with you first. But that was ridiculous. Once you saw
me, you would either runaway, or fight. Neither of those options
would solve my dilemma. So, I brought you into the small transport
and put you in the med unit to begin your repair.”

Jo stopped and stared at Mike, as though he was
waiting for him to say something.

Mike asked, “What are you going to do now?”

“I really can’t do anything more without your help.
I want you to help me find more good humans, such as yourself. If
you won’t help me, I’ll return you to your cabin. Of course, you’ll
have the benefit of a two new legs and a new eye. I wouldn’t take
those from you.”

Mike looked away, as he considered that possibility.
Then he asked, “If I choose to go home, would I remember what has
happened to me?”

“What? Oh, I see. You think I could somehow wipe
your memory. There are ways to block this memory, and I would have
to do just that. But, it’s against Galactic Law to completely
remove all knowledge from your brain. You would be as a newborn.
That’s very unethical, although I wouldn’t be surprised to find
that the Saurans do it sometimes.

“Mike, if you wish to return to Earth, I will take
you there. But believe me when I tell you that your planet is in
danger and you can do a great service for your people, by working
with me.”

“Jo, what happens to the Earth, if I don’t help
you?”

“The future is unwritten. I would continue to seek
another warrior and try to convince him to join me. It is my only
hope, the only hope for my people and the only hope for your
people, really.”

Jo sat there staring at him. It unnerved Mike. He
realized that the Thorian rarely blinked. It was so unhuman. Yet,
in spite of his wariness, Mike had begun to accept the alien as
friendly. There was a sincerity about him that Mike liked, although
he still wasn’t quite ready to put his full trust in the guy.

“Jo, if I let you make those changes in my body,
would I still be me?”

“I understand your concern. Yes, you would still be
the same being you are now, just enhanced. You would retain all of
your memories, good and bad. It would take practice to get used to
the new speed of your mind and the unusual method of mind-to-mind
communication.

“I must tell you that the changes would result in a
much larger neck. It would look bulky by comparison to most humans.
Also, your muscles would be enhanced. They would be denser and your
body would be harder. You would probably possess at least three
times the strength of a man your size.

“If you wish, I could have the system download the
advanced combat warrior program for your muscles and brain. You
would need the additional mental programming to get the best use of
the upgraded power you will have been given.”

This was interesting. He would have loved to be
three times more powerful, when he was in combat. What an asset
that would have been?