Messenger: A Military Archaeological Space Adventure (The Zenophobia Saga Book 2) by Craig Martelle & Brad R. Torgersen

Author:Craig Martelle & Brad R. Torgersen [Martelle, Craig]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Craig Martelle, Inc
Published: 2021-12-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

CHAPTER 16

They left Tico at Sankar’s bivouac site he’d occupied just a few days prior—only without the means to communicate with the outside world. A couple of crates of provisions were left with her, along with Ajerra’s advice that if Tico started walking now, and headed directly west, she would reach the nearest civilized settlement in ten days. Which was generous, Sankar thought, considering the fact that the Goroid had been prepared to turn Sankar over for state execution regardless of whether he’d taken Tico up on her original offer.

She glared at the three Tigroids as they reboarded the Four-Claw and lifted back to treetop level.

“She’ll neither forget, nor forgive you for this,” Ocklar said, peering over the headrest of the copilot’s seat.”

“If she’s lucky,” Sankar said, “her compatriots will retrace their steps and pick her up in less time than it will take her to march it out.”

“And we’d better be sure our jobs are both done before that happens,” Ajerra said, riding in the copilot’s position. “Sankar, I’m still dubious about this plan we’ve concocted. I literally can’t promise that anyone will think I have the authority to demand access to Pangean archives of any kind, assuming they’re secured archives.”

“We talked it through, the three of us,” Sankar said, putting the Four-Claw into a low-flying subsonic regime, just like before. “Hever City is the largest civilized settlement on the planet. If any artifacts from Mount Zu have been removed and stored anywhere, it ought to be there. Likewise, Hever City is where anyone looking to cash in on the bounties levied against me would be smart to take me—as their prisoner. So, we do some over-water flying for the rest of the day, and you think up how best to state your case when we get there, commandant. Same for you, Ocklar. You went out with Tico’s Goroids. Bringing me back alone might be seen as a breach of contract, assuming you were bonded in any way other than straight cash.”

“It was only ever straight cash,” Ocklar said from the back seat. “Nothing was ever signed digitally, nor on paper. I don’t owe those apes a thing, though I can’t guarantee they won’t be furious when they find out I’ve claimed the bounty by myself.”

“We also can’t guarantee they’ll take you back to the space station,” Ajerra said. “If I were in the Pangean government’s shoes, I’d put you on ice for awhile until I’d made all the extradition arrangements with Oterosan. And you might not ever see the Bilkinmore again if Oteran police come to pick you up directly. No, I think once we’ve done our work in Hever City—assuming we’re not seized either coming or going—we have to go directly to orbit and take you to the station itself. We know Bayane and Junak are there. And they’ve got some kind of interactivity with the constabulary. Having Ocklar show up with you in custody might be the best chance we have to put you in proximity to your people.

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