The Opron Insurgency Read online

  He kept walking. He maintained a leisurely pace and stopped here and there to look at items for sale. At one random building he took the electro lift down 50 stories to the street level and exited the building. He meandered along the street for two blocks, stopped, and electronically scanned everyone in the immediate vicinity. He then entered another building, and took the electro lift back up to the skywalk.

  He scanned the beings in this area with his communication pad. He then used a banned piece of facial recognition software to determine if anyone on this level of this building had been on the ground floor a few minutes earlier. The software indicated that no one had. He sighed in relief. It appeared that he was not being followed. Frank continued walking along the skywalk.

  At this point his communication pad began to buzz. Frank stopped walking and scanned the area. He didn’t see anyone watching him, or paying any attention to him for that matter. Frank opened his com pad and read the important message. He could have had the computer read it to him, but he didn’t want anyone to overhear.

  The results of the election from Advranki 2 had just arrived. Frank had garnered enough votes to win the election. He was the Association Senator from Advranki. He smiled briefly and put his com pad away.

  Frank continued his zig-zag, apparently random course through the shopping district, the business district, and finally completely out of the city. The buildings became sparse and much shorter as he entered the warehouse district. He stopped at the top of a warehouse very close to the spaceport and used his communication pad to electronically sweep the entire area.

  He verified that he was alone – or at a minimum no one with any type of electronic signature was anywhere near him. Satisfied, he took the electro lift to the ground level and entered the building. This was the same warehouse that Lorano had used to plan his deep space voyage a few months earlier.

  He briefly thought about Lorano - and Carank for that matter. He had seen the reports. They had maliciously reprogrammed the automated forts guarding the Earth hyperspace lane to fire upon on a fleet of Hiriculan ships. The Hiriculan fleet was destroyed and Lorano’s mini-freighter Travesty was then seen flying away from the asteroid fort.

  All of the news agencies had played the footage endlessly. Then the footage always switched to Supreme Admiral Fruid’la condemning the senseless act of violence and declaring Lorano and his associates to be interstellar terrorists.

  Frank had watched the video many times; trying to figure out why Lorano did such a heinous act. It didn’t seem like something the scientist would do. He realized during the 11th viewing of the clip that something about the ship leaving the asteroid wasn’t right. He figured out what was bothering him during the 19th viewing.

  “The spacing of the ship seems wrong,” Frank said to his communication pad at the time. “And that can mean only one thing. There was another ship present during the event and the Hiriculans modified the video and deleted the footage of the other ship.”

  Frank knew, well he surmised, that the other ship must have been the Sunflower. He had been scanning the news for any mention of the Humans or their ship and had not seen a single mention of them. There were independently verified claims that he Hiriculans found nothing in Waylon. That meant the Humans must have left before the Hiriculans visited the system.

  Further, there were rumors of a single ship chase across the outskirts of the Conron system just before Lorano made the asteroid fire its ion cannons. Frank jumped to the somewhat logical conclusion that the Hiriculans were about to capture the Sunflower and Lorano fired the ion cannons to save it. Then the two ships must have left together and more than likely took the secret route to Earth.

  “Why would Lorano throw away his career and those of his friends to help a bunch of Humans?” Frank wondered aloud.

  Okay, Frank thought. Perhaps the ‘why’ is irrelevant at the moment? The more important question now is ‘what’. What was Lorano going to do on Earth?

  No, Frank reconsidered. ‘What’ is not the important question. The one that needed to be answered was still ‘why’. ‘What’ will follow ‘why’. Why did the Lorano go to Earth? To help the Humans, Frank immediately answered. He left the question - why is Lorano helping the Humans alone for the time being.

  Okay, Frank thought. We now know ‘why’. So, how is he going to help the Humans? He quickly correctly himself and thought, what is Lorano going to do to help the Humans. He certainly didn’t want to introduce ‘how’ into this late stage of his mental conversation.

  Frank considered what few facts he already knew. Lorano and Carank were two of the brightest beings in the galaxy. Combined, they had the knowledge and ability to design an interstellar warship.

  The Humans were the most warlike race in the history of the galaxy. They would fight regardless of the odds or even common sense. If they felt threatened then they would respond with force. However, they were technologically backward and did not possess the required knowledge or skills to build a fleet of ships.

  He neglected to mention that the Alliance had intentionally withheld advanced technology because they feared the Humans violent nature. However, the simple fact was that over the last century the Earth had the greatest rate of technological advancement of any race (by a huge margin). Humans could now comprehend and use more advanced technologies.

  The answer was crystal clear. Lorano was going to help the Humans build a fleet of warships. He still didn’t know why Lorano was doing this. Perhaps he had grown sentimental for Humans or hated the Hiriculans?

  Whatever the situation, Frank did know that when the Hiriculans eventually found Earth and tried to conquer it the Humans would try to stop them. And with Lorano’s help they may actually have a chance. Frank doubted it, but he knew that he needed to play both sides just in case.

  The computer interrupted his musings.

  …The election is over. You have officially been declared the winner…

  Frank smiled at the news. He already knew that he had won, but it was still nice to be officially recognized as the winner. He returned his attention to the warehouse.

  Frank looked around the warehouse and verified that no one was present. He then scanned the area for electronic recording devices. Satisfied that he was alone and not being monitored, Frank walked over to a non-descript door and checked the combination lock. It hadn’t been tampered with as far as he could tell.

  He had to pay a premium to obtain a door lock that accepted a code that one had to manually type in. The overwhelming majority of locks used a palm print or a voice command or a combination of both. This type of lock was unreliable because someone could guess the code and unlock the door. However, in this case Frank feared that a palm print or voice print could be traced back to him. No one could trace a code.

  Frank took a small metal rod out of his pocket and entered a 6-digit combination into the reader. It accepted the code and the door opened. Frank entered and quickly shut the door behind him. He said, “Computer, lights.”

  He looked around his real bunker. It was nothing like what any of the various plans showed. It was simply a rounded, metal shipping container that he had repurposed. There were only three rooms – a bathroom, a bedroom, and a perfect duplicate of his senatorial office.

  Well, the office wasn’t an exact duplicate. It had fake walls and a fake ceiling. Even the desk was a fake. It was made of cheap poly-fiber and painted to look like actual, real wood. The chair was also a clever forgery. It was sturdy enough for him sit in it, but the fabric and inlaid ceramic were simply cheap cloth and glass. Fortunately, the chair was obscured by the desk.so that the viewers couldn’t see it clearly.

  The replica office was essentially a television set and made a perfect backdrop for recording official looking messages. His plan was to make the Hiriculans believe that he had a secret passage from his underground bunker to his actual office in the Senate building. Again, he wanted everyone to believe he was hiding in his secret bunker.

  He took
off his sea moss uniform and thoroughly washed his face and hair. He then inspected himself in the mirror. The old age make-up was gone. He magnified the mirror and discovered that he had a few natural gray hairs. He colored them black.

  He then applied some foundation to his cheeks and around his eyes to make his skin looker greener and more robust. Satisfied, he put on his favorite suit and checked his appearance in the mirror another time. Perfect.

  He walked over to his desk and sat in the chair. He practiced two or three warm-up smiles. He even tried his latest ‘I may be in hiding, but I am still your leader’ smile. Frank smiled two more times and decided that he was ready.

  He said, “Computer, begin recording when I start speaking. Scroll the teleprompter in 5 seconds and give me a countdown.”

  …5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

  Frank said, “Fellow Advranki, I want to thank everyone that participated in the election. I want you to know that I am truly honored to represent all Advranki in the new Association government. I plan to serve with the dignity and honor that the Advranki people deserve.”

  Frank gave his new ‘I am still your leader’ smile and held it for a long moment.

  He continued, “Further, I want each of you to know that I had nothing to do with the unfortunate death of Senator Figur. The Hiriculans attempt to question me is just a transparent ploy by them to influence our election. I am thrilled that so many of you were able to see through their blatant falsehood and elect me to the Association Senate. Again, thank you.”

  Frank said, “Computer, index the time on your internal clock forward by 12 hours. Begin recording after the countdown.”

  …5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

  Frank said, “Fellow Advranki. I once said that I was a champion of Humans. I haven’t wavered in this belief and I still consider myself one of their greatest supporters. Like you I am concerned about Humans potentially poor treatment by the Hiriculan military. Therefore, when I accept my nomination I am going to sponsor a bill to force the Hiriculan Navy to leave them alone. They may not yet be ready to join the Association, but they are certainly advanced enough to be treated with the dignity and respect that any enlightened race deserves.”

  Frank sincerely doubted that this strategy would work, but he figured it was worth a try. If the Hiriculans left the Humans alone, Frank would achieve a political victory. If the Humans fought back and actually stopped the Hiriculans, then Frank would achieve a political victory for supporting their cause at a very early stage. It was like flipping a coin with heads on both sides – he couldn’t lose unless he got caught.

  Frank said, “Computer, index the time on your internal clock forward by another 12 hours. Begin recording after the countdown.”

  …5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

  Frank repeated the process multiple times until he had made 30 recordings. Sometimes he stood and recorded a message. Sometimes he sat. He changed his outfit several times. A few times he combed his hair differently. He also adjusted his makeup so that he looked either more or less green.

  Before each recording he made the computer index its internal clock by 12 hours. It should appear to his viewers that he had recorded two new messages each day.

  Frank said, “Computer, establish a secure, untraceable connection to the websphere. Use my Alliance Senate authorization. Upload all 30 recordings to a secure data site and encrypt them at maximum level. Program the data site to release a recording to the press at exactly 9:00 am and 9:00 pm each day for the next 15 days. Make sure that the recordings are released in order and on the day the internal time-stamp shows.”

  …The recordings will be released in order. The first recording will be released in 2 hours…

  Frank checked the time on his com pad. He couldn’t believe that spent nearly the entire day on this endeavor. He said, “Good. Now, search for a legal precedent surrounding diplomatic immunity.”

  …Searching. The relevant articles are being displayed now…

  Frank tried to read the first one and shook his head. The text was in legalese and was difficult to understand. He said, “Computer, summarize.”

  …Diplomatic immunity is a form of legal immunity that ensures diplomats such as ambassadors and senators are given safe passage and are not susceptible to lawsuit or prosecution…

  “Yes, yes, I knew that.” Frank responded. “I meant do I have diplomatic immunity now that I have been elected to the Associate Senate?”

  …Scanning. No. In order to receive diplomatic immunity you must first be sworn into office at an official Associate Senate location such as an embassy or government facility. Currently the only official Association government location is the Spindle Station or an Association Navy warship…

  Frank said, “Computer, please verify the 15-day travel period.”

  …Confirmed. When the election results are confirmed, you will have 15 days to travel to the Spindle Station. If you are not present on the station at that time your nomination will be considered forfeit…

  His route forward was clear; difficult but clear. He just had to find a way to sneak aboard a heavily guarded space station and officially accept his new position.

  Frank smiled. He knew the perfect being for the job.

  Frank said, “Computer, what is the travel time to the Spindle Station in Opron? Assume that I do not get a favorable route out of Advranki Prime and factor in potential delays.”

  …Nine hours real-time travel to the hyperspace lane, an 8 hour jump to Conron, another 7 hours to micro-jump around Conron, and finally another 8 hour jump to Opron. Factoring in delays at each hyperspace lane could increase the travel time by another 6 – 10 hours. So, the worst case total is 206 hours, or 8.5 days…

  Frank already knew that it took 120 hours (5 days) for a hyperspace communication message sent from Advranki Prime to reach Solaria. So, he had time to send a message to Solaria, sneak off of Advranki Prime, rendezvous with his secret contact in Conron, and make it the Spindle Station with a day and half to spare - provided everything went according to plan.

  Frank said, “Computer, scan the interstellar shipping logs for the mini-freighter Jackal. Find the last known location of Jack Dogbarks.”

  …Scanning. Jack Dogbarks landed on Advranki Prime two days ago and his mini-freighter the Jackal is docked at the spaceport next to us…

  Frank couldn’t believe his good fortune. Jack was actually on Advranki Prime. He said, “Computer, activate full electronic security shield. Full senatorial encryption. Call Jack Dogbarks.”

  …Security enabled. Calling…

  Frank started talking the moment the connection was established. He decided to be direct and get straight to the point. He said, “Jack, welcome to Advranki Prime. What have you been doing these past few weeks?”

  Jack replied, “Senator Frank, I just heard that you won the election. Congratulations on your victory. As for me, I recently completed a shipping contract to the Spindle Station.”

  He continued, “I understand your sister just had a second child, a boy if I am not mistaken. How is the young baby doing?”

  Jack was a little stunned that Frank knew that minute detail about his personal life. Jack responded, “They named the baby Jacob after me.”

  Frank said, “Jacob. I thought your name was Jack.”

  Jack smiled inwardly. Apparently Frank didn’t know everything about him. Jack responded, “My birth name is Jacob, but I shortened it to Jack when I started traveling to Earth.”

  Frank responded, “Well Jack, I am glad that you are doing well. I was personally upset with your harsh treatment when the Earth monitoring program was cancelled. However, I think that you did an amazing job infiltrating the Spindle Station and gathering valuable information. I commend you for your efforts. You are a true hero.”

  Jack knew that he was being maneuvered into something potentially unpleasant after receiving the wonderful compliment. However, all that he could think to say was “Thank you.”

  Frank smiled and responded, “If I may ask,
what brings you to Advranki Prime?”

  Jack replied, “I am currently in the process of searching for a new shipping contract. Failing that, I may try to purchase some speculative cargo.”

  “Excellent,” Frank responded. He was thrilled with how well the conversation had progressed and how rapidly he was able to get to the point. Frank said, “I have a shipping contract for you.”

  Jack responded, “What's the cargo?”

  Frank said, “Only passengers. Myself, a boy, two females... and no questions asked.”

  Jack chuckled. He said, “What is it? Some kind of local trouble?”

  Frank said, “Let's just say we'd like to avoid any Association entanglements.”

  Jack smiled and replied, “Well, that is going to cost you.”

  Frank replied, “Money is not an issue. However, I am in a hurry.”

  Jack stalled for a little time. He wanted to understand exactly how desperate the Senator actually was. Further, since Frank had mentioned that questions were not allowed, he really, really wanted to ask a couple of questions.

  He couldn’t control his impulse and finally asked, “May I inquire who the other passengers are?”

  Frank responded, “Yes. Me, my wife, son, and mother-in-law. We need to travel to the Spindle Station. The key though is that we have to get to the station undetected and bypass customs.”

  Jack had an epiphany. He knew exactly how to smuggle the four Advranki aboard the station. Better yet, he had also figured out a way to double the price.

  Jack responded, “I know a way to smuggle you onto the station. However, I can only take three beings at a time.”

  Frank asked, “Why only three? That seems fairly random.”

  Jack was stuck. He really didn’t want to reveal his smuggling method, but he couldn’t lie. He replied, “I discovered a way to adjust a cryostasis chamber so that the Hiriculans cannot detect that a being is inside.”

  That was technically true, to a degree. For some unknown reason, the last time that Jack visited the Spindle Station, Hiriculan traffic control did not scan the cryostasis tubes. Therefore, his secret adjustment to tubes was simply to turn them on and put someone inside.