Day 26

Two day later they joined back up in the bridge. “Are you sure it is a good idea to go to the planet? I mean we do have a shine new ship that might have a possible scratch or two. This place doesn’t really seem like a place to take her.”

“What do you think Rodger?”

“I don’t really think we have much choice. It is probably the only way we are going to find out who and where the person responsible for sending the missiles could be located. This is our only lead as far as I know.”

“Maybe only some of us should go.”

“Which one of us hasn’t been cooped up long enough on this ship that wants to stay while the others go explore a strange new place?”

“You're all making very good points. With everything we now know is there anyone who thinks we shouldn’t go to this planet? I think Rodger is right. This is our only lead and it seems very likely that it is a place where we’ll find what we need. We knew this mission wasn’t going to be safe or even easy.”

No one disagreed with James. “Alright then this is what I think we will do. We’ll take six of the unarmed AstroStars once we reach orbit. There doesn’t seem to be a very good reason why we should raise alarm. However we will all carry side arms. Once we land half of us will go see what we can find out the other half will watch over our transport. We’ll switch out after a few hours if we need to. Any objections?”

Still no one disagreed and James dismissed everyone. “Everyone should get a good nights sleep cause it looks like we have a busy day ahead for us tomorrow.”

“The message was sent sir. They have agreed to help you. I’m sure the Ranger’s will be headed this way any time.”

“See that they do. I want no more failure. I will have Earth destroyed then I will have my rightful place.”

“Yes sir. There are other arrangements to be made. I will leave you now. Oh, and you're lady has come to see you. She will be here shortly.”

There weren’t proper words to describe this place. One can often tell when a place has been beautiful once upon a time but this place was not like that. Even if the Rangers had circled the entire planet they would not have found a better place than this. If they’d desired to rent rooms on the planet rather than stay on the AstroShip they would have quickly changed their minds. The place smelled of burning metal, that is when it didn’t smell of garbage. There wasn’t a clean place to walk. Sure the paths were clear with only a little clutter here and there but there still remained and incredible amount of filth.

“My bedroom back home may not always be clean, okay ever be clean. If it even closely resembled this...” He glanced around then continued in his whispering voice. “I wouldn’t even be able to think let alone be able to create anything.”

There was a place that seemed to be busier than anywhere else. Like all the other shops and homes it was quite crumbly. It was as if the whole place had been haphazardly slapped together and hadn’t weathered time very well. Six of the Rangers cautiously went inside. Of all the places this is definitely not where they wanted to be. James glanced around the premises before leading his friends to a table. It was the best and possibly the only place they were going to get any information. Something told him it wasn’t going to be easy.

Everything seemed covered in a dust haze of red. Marian had decided to cover her mouth and nose with a bandana. She might look like a bandit but at least she’d be able to breath. Dim lights shone just beyond the hills. She wondered if they had to keep them on all the time or if maybe they’d just chose a bad time for a visit. Not that she was sure there was ever going to be a good time to visit. This place was definitely as bad as Daniel had first suggested it would be. They had tried to keep in contact using the devices Rodger and JoAnna had designed but something in the atmosphere made it impossible to hear what anyone was trying to say.

Marian, Rose, Peter, John, Carol, and Rodger had stayed behind to keep and eye on the AstrStars. Rodger was still fiddling with the communication devices trying to see if he could get around the interference. He didn’t like it when they things he had created didn’t work. Everyone else had scattered around and met back at the ships every fifteen minutes. So far they rest of the group had been gone about half the time they’d said they’d be. She was a little worried but mostly glad that so far everything had gone smoothly and without incident.

She watched as the dusty air moved around in the wind. Marian couldn’t help but smile when she thought about people saying that they couldn’t see the wind. This was as close to seeing it as anyone could get. She pulled the deep hooded wind jacket further over her head. She might be grabbing a heavier jacket from the AstroStar before her group went into town. provided they even needed to. She was hoping that James’ group would get all the information they needed and everyone could go back to the safety of the AstroShip.

Joshua and Julie went up to the counter to inquire about something to possibly eat and drink. They weren’t sure there'd be anything here that’d they even want to touch but it would definitely be impolite to sit at a table and order nothing. That was when things started to get out of hand.

At the other end of the room a fight broke out. Someone busted a chair over another person’s head. James caught Joshua’s eye and nodded toward the door. They didn’t need to be involved in anything like this with or without the girls along. It just wasn’t a wise choice especially since they were newcomers.

They skirted around the room and headed for the entrance. Everyone else seemed to be getting caught up in the fight. Joshua and Julie stayed close together and tried to make their way through. Something knocked Joshua off balance and he pushed into a table causing a chair to bounce off the floor. He didn’t bother to look up to see what or who had hit him and he wasn’t about to stop to see if he’d caused any trouble of his own. His main goal was to see his sister safely out of this rat hole.

Julie tripped and fell, someone helped her up. Her brother budged him out of the way without even looking at him. He had too many things on his mind to be thinking properly. She tried to smile her thanks.

Once they were outside they looked around for the others. They weren’t anywhere to be seen. It wasn’t like them to leave anyone behind so where had they gone? The two continued up the road a little ways when four men ambushed them. They both reached for their guns.

“I wouldn’t even bother if I were you. We have your friends and if you don’t them to get hurt you’ll come nice and easy.”

They raised their hands and the men from behind grabbed their guns, tossing them to their friends. From that point there wasn’t anything to do but follow. Finally they were joined up with the rest of the group. Joshua’s heart lept in hope when he saw that it was only the six of them. If they didn’t know about the rest then maybe there was chance of a rescue.

The man from the tavern who’d helped the pretty misplaced girl off the floor noticed something that jolted his memory. In surprise he was pushed out of the way by the man who’d been watching over her like a hawk. He wanted to say something but nothing came out until they were too far away to hear. He followed after them and nearly caught up when they were jumped by the four men. He hid in the shadows and watched as the two surrendered. Those dirty bandits were up to no good. Did they know what they had or were the just causing more trouble? It was never hard to spot a new comer. Bandits liked to collect what they could off the unwary. First they’d have to find out what they were worth, which might just give him the time he needed. He ran off in the opposite direction.

Marian pulled back to the ships to make sure everyone was still there and awake. Dust was occasionally flying in her eyes so that they seemed to constantly water. It hurt to look for too long so she would close them for a few minutes every so often until the sting faded away. She wondered if it was any better in town. James’ crew should be headed back soon.There’d be at least another fifteen minute shift maybe two.

Rodger was finally giving up on the communication pieces. He was grumbling something about starting from scratch and working in something she couldn’t quite understand. Peter wasn’t far behind her and they stayed for a few minutes before getting really worried. There wasn’t a way to tell the time. Everyone was always coming around within a few minutes of each other so there hadn’t been a problem until now. She’d been able to tell by the time she’d walk back out and gotten bored. Some of the others had been  counting or singing songs.

“Do we give them more time?”

Peter was already headed out in the direction that Rose had gone. “I guess not. I’ll...”

“You’ll just be real smart and stay up.”

She and Rodger turned to see who was speaking and instantly had their hands in the air.

The men had knives to the throats of Rose, Carol, and John. Marian closed her eyes in a silent prayer that James had the rest of them safe.

None of them knew where they were exactly or even how they’d gotten here. They’d been knocked out, like they really wanted to know where this secret lair was or something.

For this being the future it seemed pretty old fashioned but Marian figured that it the old ways worked then they must figure that they will work know. Unfortunately they might just be right. These were exactly ropes, no more like chains but without being hooked to the wall. Kind of like a pair of handcuffs that weren't attached together but didn't let the captive person escape their grasp.  They were metal and circular like a handcuff or chain yet they had this little blue light that ran it's way down the center of the band. They were stationary in mid air. When ever she pulled against them they stung her with a zap that caused her a jolt of pain up her arms. Worse yet she was completely alone in this small empty space. It was the first time she'd really been alone since she and her friends had been teleported to the future. Sure peace and quiet every once in awhile was an invited and even desirable circumstance. However to be utterly and completely alone frightened her perhaps even more than not knowing what these people wanted from her. What did she really have to give them anyway?

The same thing was happening to each of the other Rangers. Locked in place by these strange devices. Some, such as Joshua, were zapped more often by pulling against the bindings. He didn't know what these people were planning and he had his sister to protect. If they hurt her then they were in for more than they could imagine.

After the first jolt Rodger didn't even bother fighting it. He began to examine them as closely as he could. There wasn't much to see until he stared into the blue light long enough for his eyes to adjust. There was tiny lettering, "ALocks Corporation. Making keys extinct." He laughed a little to himself, maybe it was something to go on but it wasn't much. Definitely wasn't going to help him figure out how to escape. That was when he noticed a single red dot no bigger than the head of a pin. He'd had to look over his shoulder to see it.

For Rose it was interesting how the blue light glowed bouncing the color off the white walls. It was a bit eerie to look at for too long. This room had to be the most depressing room she'd ever seen. It contained absolutely nothing to look at. There wasn't even a decent spot to concentrate on and gather her thoughts.

The question that held everyone's mind was what did these people want them for.

James perhaps had it worst of all. It was his judgement that had placed them here. Now it was up to him to get them out. He kept going over in his mind what he could have done differently. If they didn't find a way out of here... No he wasn't going to think about that. They had to find a way to escape. The mission couldn't end here.

After a time three men came into the room. One was obviously a well beaten slave who pushed a carted tray, the contents of which were covered in a white cloth. Involuntarily he shuddered at the site of them. James didn’t recognize them but he knew they had been part of the group that’d ambushed them. It was the four man that followed them in that James didn't take his eyes off of. This man he hadn’t seen before. He was well dressed unlike anyone else he’d seen so far. The man’s size wasn’t the reason he approached James so slowly, although it would have completely been possible. No this man was confident of himself. He wanted James to know he had all the cards in his hand.

He looked up into James’ face, “I’ve been carefully watching you and your crew. It is obvious to me that one of two people I’ve captured is the leader of this expedition. Don’t try to lie to me because those cuffs there will tell me if you are.” The man ran his finger across the smooth metal ring that held James into place. “Is it you or the pretty brunette lady that is in command of this expedition?”

James’ eyes searched the man’s face. There were things he didn’t know. Things James was pretty sure he didn’t want to tell him. However if he was going to be stuck answering questions he might as well see about asking some of his own. He might get zapped but that was all he hoped the punishment would be.

“I’ll answer you your questions if you’ll answer me mine.”

“Fair enough but I get the first, just remember where you're standing.”

“I am the leader. Who are you?”

The man laughed but it sounded more like a wheeze as it squeaked out from somewhere in his nose. “I am Mavrick the not so mad and these are my men.” He said the first part as though he was slightly offended that he was not altogether mad. “Where is your ship? Those little craft are quite cute but they won’t make it very far through space.”
“It is orbiting the planet. I’m not exactly sure where because I’m not exactly sure how long I’ve been here. Although I’m guessing that if you really wanted to know there is a way you could scan for it.”

“So I am. I just wanted to be sure I had my boy searching in the right area.”

“Why do you want us?”

“I’m always partial to profit. If you can’t pay I’ll find someone who will. Where are you from?”

“Who paid you to shoot missiles at my planet?”

“Oh, so you're the Earthlings I was warned about. Not so bad are you. Well to tell you who paid me, which was a very good guess by the way.”

“It wasn’t a guess you're the only reasonable answer.”

“Anyway I’d tell you so you could seek your revenge but I’m afraid I don’t have a name. Besides what kind of reputation would I have if I gave away my clients names.”

“With some people you already have a pretty bad name. Destroying whole planets doesn’t exactly put you in most peoples good side. Putting yourself in league with is man is a very bad idea.”

“Are you so sure it’s a man?”