Talosian Chronicles 2: Star Dancer by Ben Winston Page A

without saying that chemical and biological weapons are out of the question. I might consider using them as a last resort on an enemy ship, in space, but never on a planet or any place where they could get out of control.”
    “I’d prefer avoiding their use altogether, Sir.” Ty replied.
    Ian nodded. “Good, we agree then. Unfortunately, I doubt the Caldarians share our concern, so please try to take that into consideration. We are nothing more than a potential labor force to them, an expendable labor force. They will not hesitate to do things to us that we would find too cruel or dangerous. If the Caldarians think that killing almost everyone on the planet will teach the rest of us a lesson, they will do it. Above all else, remember one thing – Caldarians will never surrender, nor will they allow themselves to be taken prisoner. If it seems like one of them is surrendering, expect a trap. It is an honor for them to die as long as they take some of us with them.”
    Ty nodded. “I understand Sir. I’ve been reading up on them since we rescued the recruiter, Allison. I’m pretty much convinced the person that was chasing her had been modified by the Caldarians, and the explosive device intentionally implanted. Not to kill us, they had no way to know that was going to happen, but as a weapon to be used if they ever did decide to take over the planet. All they would need to do is direct just one these modified humans into the centers of our cities and detonate the charge. They would be the ultimate suicide bombers,” Ty explained.
    “Just how big was that explosion?” Chief Harris of Flight Operations asked.
    “Sensors rated it in the five to ten megaton range. It was at the very limit of the containment field we had him in. We lucked out in more ways than one that night,” Ty said.
    “I have since spoken to all of my recruiters to be on the look-out for more like him. I told them to report their findings, but to avoid them at all costs. So far, we’ve found four others, mostly in the eastern United States areas, however, we have only recently extended our operations overseas. I feel I should mention that each of the sightings have occurred in major cities or near large military installations,” Janet replied. ”I think the bombers have been in place for years.”
    Ian nodded. “For the moment, I don’t think we can do anything about them. I wish we could, but there is simply too much ground to cover, and we don’t have enough people yet.”
    “Forgive me Sir, but didn’t you just say the Caldarians won’t hesitate to use those bombs? If what’s coming is half of what we think it will be, then there is a better than average chance that those will be used. How can we ignore them? Millions of people will die!” Chief Daniels said. She was the head of the environmental systems for the ship.
    “I know, Becky, and I’m not all that crazy about it either, but the bottom line is, who do we send out?” Ian asked in return. “What orders do we give them? We don’t know if simply killing them will detonate the bomb or not, and I doubt they will step into a containment field if we asked them. The moment they realized what we’re trying to do, they’d detonate the bomb themselves, and we’d still lose the city. No, in order to deal with these bombers, we would have to dedicate more time and materials than we actually have right now. Unfortunately, we have to deal with what we can at the moment, if there is enough time after we’ve done all we can, I promise we’ll have someone look into this.”
    “I’m sorry Sir, it’s just that my family still lives near to Atlanta,” Becky Daniels said. “I don’t know how well they’d take to joining us either. They’re pretty set in their ways.”
    “Redneck Republicans?” Ian asked.
    She nodded. “Democrats, actually. They’re all about God and Country - usually in that order.”
    “It’s almost too bad we can’t get them on our team; that kind of