engineering computer terminal and switched the overrides to bridge control, and then he went back. He noted with amusement that Evelyn was helping Crewman Fallon learn the intricacies of helm control. When he looked closely, he saw that the crewman’s expression was both knowing and confident. She’d used her powers of mind control to give him the mental strength he needed. He approved, for they were facing such enormous odds they needed every possible advantage. Rusal looked up. His face was grim.
“I’ve spoken with Ban Cantar. They’ve taken Max. He’s under interrogation in Tulum Security Bureau Headquarters.”
‘Under interrogation’, where the SB were concerned, was a euphemism. He was being tortured. Evelyn looked pale. “That poor man, and he helped us so much. We can’t leave him to those animals.”
“We don’t have a choice,” Rusal countered. “We’d need a battalion to break him out of there. We have to leave Max to his fate.”
“Constantine, I can’t accept that we must abandon Max. There must be something we can do.” Evelyn looked at him with an expression that he knew well. She wasn’t about to give up on the veteran Hesperian. He sighed, knowing they had to do something.
“I feel the same way, but there’s nothing we can do without destroying us all.”
Rusal looked up from the comms console with a broad smile on his face.
“Not any more, the situation has just changed. We just received signal from Security Bureau Headquarters. This is the first ship scheduled to leave the spaceport for Axis Nova, and we’re to stand by for a prisoner transfer. Max Biermann is to be removed to the capital planet for further intensive questioning.”
Blas smiled back. “I’ll call Karn Vansen to get into uniform. We wouldn’t want them to see the ship unguarded when they arrive.”
System Standard 2734.1634 Security Bureau Headquarters, Tulum City.
Max could hardly believe that he was still alive. They’d applied the electrodes to him and hit him with high intensity pain amplification, and he’d felt as if his body was splintering into a thousand pieces. The pain was so terrible that he knew he’d live with it in his nightmares for a long time to come. But he hadn’t broken. He was strapped to a table. Above him were the faces of Pieter Bose and his brother, Rad Bose.
“You’re a fool, Biermann,” Pieter said. “You know what happens next? You’ll be taken to Axis Nova, to the Security Bureau laboratory. They’ve got an interesting procedure for people like you. They can wire their instruments directly into your brain with a new technique. It means that everything you know will spill out of you, like water down a drain, and you can’t stop it.”
“You know what that means?” his brother, Rad Bose exulted, coming to stand next to him. “When Pieter says it spills out, he means exactly that. Your thoughts, your knowledge, they’ll be gone for good. You’ll be an empty husk. After they have what they want, they’ll toss you onto the rubbish pile. Maybe they’ll take some of your organs first, there’s always a demand. You won’t know anything about it. Max Biermann will be gone. Save yourself, my friend. Tell us, where did he go, that prisoner?”
Through the waves of pain that washed through him, Max cursed himself for even the tiniest impulse to try and save himself from the terrible fate that awaited him on Axis Nova. But he drew on the last vestiges of his strength and of his self-respect. He moved his lips, willing them to come nearer, but he could barely speak and he wanted them to hear. Both Bose brothers moved closer, their faces molded into satisfied expressions.
“Yes, tell us, what is it, man?”
He stared into the two fleshy, greedy faces.
“Both of you! Go fuck yourselves!”
Pieter Bose automatically smashed his fist into Max’s face, but Rad held up a hand to stop him hitting him again.
“No, let him do it the hard way. It’s his choice.
“I’ve spoken with Ban Cantar. They’ve taken Max. He’s under interrogation in Tulum Security Bureau Headquarters.”
‘Under interrogation’, where the SB were concerned, was a euphemism. He was being tortured. Evelyn looked pale. “That poor man, and he helped us so much. We can’t leave him to those animals.”
“We don’t have a choice,” Rusal countered. “We’d need a battalion to break him out of there. We have to leave Max to his fate.”
“Constantine, I can’t accept that we must abandon Max. There must be something we can do.” Evelyn looked at him with an expression that he knew well. She wasn’t about to give up on the veteran Hesperian. He sighed, knowing they had to do something.
“I feel the same way, but there’s nothing we can do without destroying us all.”
Rusal looked up from the comms console with a broad smile on his face.
“Not any more, the situation has just changed. We just received signal from Security Bureau Headquarters. This is the first ship scheduled to leave the spaceport for Axis Nova, and we’re to stand by for a prisoner transfer. Max Biermann is to be removed to the capital planet for further intensive questioning.”
Blas smiled back. “I’ll call Karn Vansen to get into uniform. We wouldn’t want them to see the ship unguarded when they arrive.”
System Standard 2734.1634 Security Bureau Headquarters, Tulum City.
Max could hardly believe that he was still alive. They’d applied the electrodes to him and hit him with high intensity pain amplification, and he’d felt as if his body was splintering into a thousand pieces. The pain was so terrible that he knew he’d live with it in his nightmares for a long time to come. But he hadn’t broken. He was strapped to a table. Above him were the faces of Pieter Bose and his brother, Rad Bose.
“You’re a fool, Biermann,” Pieter said. “You know what happens next? You’ll be taken to Axis Nova, to the Security Bureau laboratory. They’ve got an interesting procedure for people like you. They can wire their instruments directly into your brain with a new technique. It means that everything you know will spill out of you, like water down a drain, and you can’t stop it.”
“You know what that means?” his brother, Rad Bose exulted, coming to stand next to him. “When Pieter says it spills out, he means exactly that. Your thoughts, your knowledge, they’ll be gone for good. You’ll be an empty husk. After they have what they want, they’ll toss you onto the rubbish pile. Maybe they’ll take some of your organs first, there’s always a demand. You won’t know anything about it. Max Biermann will be gone. Save yourself, my friend. Tell us, where did he go, that prisoner?”
Through the waves of pain that washed through him, Max cursed himself for even the tiniest impulse to try and save himself from the terrible fate that awaited him on Axis Nova. But he drew on the last vestiges of his strength and of his self-respect. He moved his lips, willing them to come nearer, but he could barely speak and he wanted them to hear. Both Bose brothers moved closer, their faces molded into satisfied expressions.
“Yes, tell us, what is it, man?”
He stared into the two fleshy, greedy faces.
“Both of you! Go fuck yourselves!”
Pieter Bose automatically smashed his fist into Max’s face, but Rad held up a hand to stop him hitting him again.
“No, let him do it the hard way. It’s his choice.
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