a strange blinking-device attached to his belt. “If I tell you they’ll kill me, Argos,” Dicer said.
“What makes you think we won’t?” Johnny asked.
Dicer looked up at Johnny and scowled. His holo-emitter winked out for a few seconds, causing his disguise to drop briefly, revealing his true appearance: a large centipede-like creature with two large antennae mounted on his head. A dozen jagged limbs resembling poised daggers were kept in check by the gravity pistol’s energy shackles. Despite this they still looked dangerous. Seconds later the holo-emitter restored Dicer’s human form, and Johnny exhaled. He wasn’t too fond of insects, especially distensible ones.
“I’m running low on patience, Dicer,” Argos said. “I want answers.”
When Dicer didn’t answer Argos looked up at Johnny. “Let him have another barrage; maybe if he’s chafed a little more he’ll decide to talk.” Johnny drew his gravity pistol and aimed it at Dicer.
“I’ll talk; I’ll talk. Blasted humans. But I can’t tell you everything, not here.”
“Why not?” asked Johnny. “We’re the ones calling the shots.”
“So you are.” Dicer coughed. “Very well young human, I was hired by the Lycarians,” Dicer said, “to start the wildfires; cause a distraction.”
“Why?”
Johnny looked confused. “Who are the Lycarians?”
“A remote alien race, not a threat to Earth,” Argos said dismissively.
Dicer laughed. “Not anymore, they have very ambitious plans to restore their interstellar dominion.” He stretched himself but found the energy shackles constricting.
“What did they offer you Dicer?”
“Freedom! And a chance to resume my work as an interstellar assassin. Earth is not to my liking.”
“It’s better than you deserve. Now tell me more about this distraction, Dicer, what was it supposed to accomplish?”
“That’s all I know, Argos Better. Now, release me from this harness you’ve confined me to. You know we don’t like being confined.” Argos shook his head and scoffed at Dicer.
Johnny looked at Argos. “So what do we do with him?”
“We can’t interrogate him here, Johnny, so we’ll have to take him to Penal One.”
“Penal One? I read about that during my training. Some sort of space prison, right?”
Argos nodded. “We can run scans on him to confirm that he’s telling the truth. I’ll contact Patrice. She can take the space elevator and meet us up there.” He turned towards Dicer whose face looked pasty. “We’re going for a little trip, bug boy.”
(3)
Penal One resembled a giant tire iron orbiting Earth. White lights dotted its elongated structure, while a retractable corridor was tethered to its southern node, allowing the Space Elevator to transport personnel and cargo between Penal One and AL Command Headquarters on Earth. As Gina made her approach towards its opening hangar bay doors, Johnny cast a look at Dicer, who was sitting in the back seat, still restricted by the gravity shackles and now watched over by Jessie and Studs. The Xenarian eyed the dogs disdainfully.
“How long has Penal One been around, Argos?”
“It was completed just last year. Every space agency on Earth contributed manpower and funds towards its construction.”
“I’m surprised it’s been kept secret this long.”
“It’s cloaking field keeps it hidden from the prying eyes of satellites.”
After obtaining landing permission from Penal One’s Dockmaster, Gina was cleared to dock in Hangar Bay 4. The docking maneuvers were performed expertly by Argos. After the hangar doors closed, the bay was pressurized before they handed Dicer over to Penal One security.
Argos led Johnny deeper into the Penal One prison colony. “This is where all extraterrestrial criminals are incarcerated. Some because of violations to their parole, like Dicer, others because of their danger to Earth, and the rest because their own governments don’t want them extradited. And quite frankly
“What makes you think we won’t?” Johnny asked.
Dicer looked up at Johnny and scowled. His holo-emitter winked out for a few seconds, causing his disguise to drop briefly, revealing his true appearance: a large centipede-like creature with two large antennae mounted on his head. A dozen jagged limbs resembling poised daggers were kept in check by the gravity pistol’s energy shackles. Despite this they still looked dangerous. Seconds later the holo-emitter restored Dicer’s human form, and Johnny exhaled. He wasn’t too fond of insects, especially distensible ones.
“I’m running low on patience, Dicer,” Argos said. “I want answers.”
When Dicer didn’t answer Argos looked up at Johnny. “Let him have another barrage; maybe if he’s chafed a little more he’ll decide to talk.” Johnny drew his gravity pistol and aimed it at Dicer.
“I’ll talk; I’ll talk. Blasted humans. But I can’t tell you everything, not here.”
“Why not?” asked Johnny. “We’re the ones calling the shots.”
“So you are.” Dicer coughed. “Very well young human, I was hired by the Lycarians,” Dicer said, “to start the wildfires; cause a distraction.”
“Why?”
Johnny looked confused. “Who are the Lycarians?”
“A remote alien race, not a threat to Earth,” Argos said dismissively.
Dicer laughed. “Not anymore, they have very ambitious plans to restore their interstellar dominion.” He stretched himself but found the energy shackles constricting.
“What did they offer you Dicer?”
“Freedom! And a chance to resume my work as an interstellar assassin. Earth is not to my liking.”
“It’s better than you deserve. Now tell me more about this distraction, Dicer, what was it supposed to accomplish?”
“That’s all I know, Argos Better. Now, release me from this harness you’ve confined me to. You know we don’t like being confined.” Argos shook his head and scoffed at Dicer.
Johnny looked at Argos. “So what do we do with him?”
“We can’t interrogate him here, Johnny, so we’ll have to take him to Penal One.”
“Penal One? I read about that during my training. Some sort of space prison, right?”
Argos nodded. “We can run scans on him to confirm that he’s telling the truth. I’ll contact Patrice. She can take the space elevator and meet us up there.” He turned towards Dicer whose face looked pasty. “We’re going for a little trip, bug boy.”
(3)
Penal One resembled a giant tire iron orbiting Earth. White lights dotted its elongated structure, while a retractable corridor was tethered to its southern node, allowing the Space Elevator to transport personnel and cargo between Penal One and AL Command Headquarters on Earth. As Gina made her approach towards its opening hangar bay doors, Johnny cast a look at Dicer, who was sitting in the back seat, still restricted by the gravity shackles and now watched over by Jessie and Studs. The Xenarian eyed the dogs disdainfully.
“How long has Penal One been around, Argos?”
“It was completed just last year. Every space agency on Earth contributed manpower and funds towards its construction.”
“I’m surprised it’s been kept secret this long.”
“It’s cloaking field keeps it hidden from the prying eyes of satellites.”
After obtaining landing permission from Penal One’s Dockmaster, Gina was cleared to dock in Hangar Bay 4. The docking maneuvers were performed expertly by Argos. After the hangar doors closed, the bay was pressurized before they handed Dicer over to Penal One security.
Argos led Johnny deeper into the Penal One prison colony. “This is where all extraterrestrial criminals are incarcerated. Some because of violations to their parole, like Dicer, others because of their danger to Earth, and the rest because their own governments don’t want them extradited. And quite frankly
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