 
Rescue Mission to the Stars

A Story By

Philip R Benge

Smashwords Edition

***************

Published by

Philip R Benge on Smashwords

Rescue Mission to the Stars

Copyright Philip R Benge 2013

Cover photo by Steve Jurvetson 2013

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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author's imagination and used fictitiously.

Rescue Mission to the Stars

Contents

Chapter One: Action against Tyranny

Chapter Two: Murderous Beginnings

Chapter Three: Rescue Mission to the Stars

Chapter Four: New Mars

Chapter Five: Into the Lion`s Den

Chapter Six: The Planet Mazere

Chapter Seven: Riots and Rescue

About the Author

Other Books by the Author

Chapter One

Action against Tyranny

For the last three years, Lantana had been studying at the Mazeren university, which was set in the centre of Plakara, the planet`s capital city. She was taking computer studies and physics, and everyone was sure that she would leave its hallowed walls with a first-class degree in both subjects. During her last year there, Lantana had been drawn away from her usual routine and into the many political debates that abounded on campus, and especially those revolving about the rights of the people, in particular the Non-Citizens of the world. These people had failed to graduate from school, so they were condemned to live and work in one of the industrial cities. There is nothing wrong in working in a factory, however, these cities were polluted by the very toxic air that the people breathed. Today, she was taking part in a march of which she had been the main organiser. It started at the university campus and was due to end up at The Plaza of the People, this is where the many government buildings were, all within the huge square.

The air was wild with excitement as the crowds of students mixed with many other groups of activists, making up one super group. In fact, within the confined space in the plaza were people from across the complete spectrum of the Mazeren population, including students, the women's right movement, the equality for all movement and a mixed collection of the Non-Citizens. They had one thing in common, they were also campaigning for the rights of all of the world's Non-Citizens. The reason behind the march was of course that everyone on the planet should share the same rights, and that there should be no exceptions to this rule. The catalyst behind the march was the leaked document regarding the proposed new laws being brought in regarding the NC`S, as the newspapers now dubbed the Non-Citizens.

A voice calling itself 'Action against Tyranny' was responsible for broadcasting these new proposed laws to the people of the world. It had acquired its information from the secret files within a briefcase, the briefcase had been left behind in a coffee house for someone with a conscience to find. With the assistance of the leaders of the various groups, Action Against Tyranny planned the march and made it happen. The first law proposed sterilising those amongst the Non-Citizens who gained the least academic results; the second law proposed the issuing of uniforms for all Non-Citizens, these were to be worn at all times that the person was away from his or her home.

Lantana had argued with her father so much during the days prior to the march, but finally she gave up as he just wouldn`t listen. Now, without his knowledge she was in the middle of a group of students that led the protest march, which was now approaching the plaza.

"Lantana, they have sent the state police to block our path." A dark-haired young man called back to her. "What shall we do?" His voice wavered a little, for he hadn`t anticipated this; he only thought that it would be a jolly wheeze to march against the government.

"Don`t stop Jacob, they wouldn`t dare oppose so many people." Lantana called back to him. She would remember her brave words for the rest of her life.

She looked through the bodies in front of her, and saw the six state policemen as they appeared out of the side street, that was only ten feet ahead of the leading marchers, and she immediately saw that the policemen all held weapons. My god Lantana thought, they are going to fire upon us. She surged forward, why she didn`t know, but then she heard the soft explosions as the guns fired the tear gas canisters that began to explode all around her and her friends. Through the tears that filled her eyes, she saw at least one hundred police officers coming towards them from the plaza. They were all wearing helmets to protect them from the effects of the tear gas, and to protect their heads from anything that might be thrown at them. They were also all carrying heavy clubs, and they began to hit out at the nearest students who were soon littering the street before her.

"Run, Lantana we have to get away from here." A blond-haired girl screamed at her and pulled at her arms, they are firing at us, we must get away." Lantana faintly heard the whistle of a bolt of energy as it rushed by her face to blast a hole in the building behind her. The sound of its explosion awakened her to the new dangers faced by her friends; they were using energy weapons against them.

"No Calla, we must try to stop them, we must get our people away. Quick head for the gas station, we`ll see how the state police like being hurt. Rigel, Cimon, follow me, we`re going to make petrol bombs."

Lantana voice was a trifle high pitched and bordering on hysterical, but she managed to keep control of her mind as she ran the one hundred feet back down the road and forced her way by the stunned attendant at the gas station who seemed unwilling to protest. She began to empty any glass bottle she could find so that the others could refill them with petrol. Cimon seemed to know what to do, and they soon had enough ready to take to the streets again. From all around them were the screams of wounded or fleeing people. The state police appeared from around the corner and the situation threatened to turn into a bloodbath unless something was done to halt them.

Lantana threw the firebomb in her hand, and was delighted when she saw the state police officers back away, hers was followed by her friends, and she was delighted to see the protest marchers fleeing to safety. Their success only lasted for a matter of minutes, for a water cannon was brought up, and soon it was Lantana and her friends who were fleeing away from the battleground that only an hour before, was but a major artery into the planet`s capital city.

The next few hours were filled with fear and danger, not even the rain made the state police let up, as they stopped anyone they found and questioned them regarding their recent activities. It was early morning when Lantana finally managed to return to her home, the sun was even threatening to rise above the rooftops of the city and chase away the remaining clouds. Her father, Admiral Stator, greeted her.

"Wherever have you been until this time Lantana, don`t tell me that you were caught up in the riots that have raged in many parts of the capital? Please tell me that isn`t so." That he was angry would be an understatement, but Lantana defended her actions and those of her friends.

"Father, you have no idea what has happened out there, so don`t you shout at me. Yesterday I went off to join my friends on a peaceful protest march that started from the university, and was due to end at the centre of Plakara. We didn`t go out meaning to riot, I and thousands of people like me wanted to voice our dissatisfaction with the way Non-Citizens have been treated for decades. We also wanted to stop the new measures that the government are supposed to be considering, the measures that were posted on the internet by the movement 'Action against Tyranny'. They said that the government, citizens who are considered to be the best that Mazere can offer, have now decided to wage a chemical war upon a group of Mazerens who we should be helping, instead they are proposing to sterilise them." Lantana broke down now and sobbed, tears pouring down her pale face. When her mother had tried to comfort her, she had shrugged her off and resumed her attack on her father.

"Have you ever been to one of our industrial towns' father, have you? Where the Non-Citizen population are forced to live, work, and raise their families? Well I have, and they are dirty squalid places filled with a toxic air that make many of the inhabitants ill, that is even before the new chemicals that our government propose to use to invade their bodies through their water supply. Their only crime is to be 'not clever enough' and now they can`t even have any children to brighten their dull and very dark days." Lantana broke off here for a moment but she quickly marshalled her flagging strength and carried on.

"Unfortunately, father before any of us knew it; the state policemen attacked the march. I was there at the front of that peaceful protest, no one was rioting and no laws were being broken. I saw the state police turn their weapons upon us; they fired tear gas at women and children father! They struck out indiscriminately with clubs and even fired their energy weapons at us. My god one energy bolt whistled inches away from my face. They turned a peaceful march into a bloodbath and so yes, I joined our people against these licensed murderers. I even led them, when we attempted to slow their advance by throwing petrol bombs at them. We managed to take over a nearby gas station. That is where we made our few petrol bombs, about thirty was all that we managed to make before we were chased off. Our attempt to slow the advance of these state paid murderers was useless, there were far too many of them, and they quickly cleared the streets of anyone still breathing. It was just a case of fleeing for your life and forgetting anyone else." Lantana stopped again for a moment as tears cascaded down her face.

"Would you like to know a few facts about our wonderful society, father. For instance, did you know that the number of people not graduating at school has fallen dramatically, that should be a sign for rejoicing, should that not be so father? However, if we do sterilise the Non-Citizens, then we will have to raise the pass rate at our schools in order to have people to do the menial tasks that ordinary citizens refuse to do at the moment, we may even have to use off worlders from the amongst the destitute and impoverished people on the planet Phlox. Whichever road the authorities' moves along, the government of Mazere will soon have to increase the use of robotics to an even greater extent? They will be needed to do many of the jobs once done by the NC`S. Now I know that the use of robotics in itself is not a problem, but it is a symptom of what is happening out there."

His daughter`s words would haunt Admiral Stator, for he was to learn that his daughter had been correct in her reasoning regarding the robotics. The work rate of the NC`S would fall, as more measures were taken to control them, measures to make them more docile. This taken with the large number that had been killed during the march, meant that robots would be increasingly used to cover the tasks allocated normally to the NC`S in the all of the Mazeren factories. The use of off worlders was even now being spoken of in government circles, as was the raising of the pass rate in the schools, but all of this was done behind closed doors.

Stator tried to dismiss some of Lantana`s assertions, especially those concerning the proposed sterilization of the Non-Citizens, he also tried to dismiss 'Action Against Tyranny' as a terrorist group, but Lantana would have nothing of it, she knew what was true and what was false.

The state police arrived at his house, just as they were having a late breakfast, and demanded that Lantana accompany them to their headquarters. When Admiral Stator protested, they showed him pictures of his daughter throwing petrol bombs at the forces of law and order. Lantana was been taken away by the authorities, leaving Stator and his wife too stunned to do anything but hold each other tightly. However, Stator was not a feeble-minded citizen; he quickly recovered and called in many favours and ensured that the state police treated his daughter correctly. Yes, they interrogated her, but Stator was nearby watching it all via a close circuit camera, and yes, she broke down and wept, but to Stator`s way of thinking Lantana deserved to be punished for what she had done, didn`t she? This was one more thought that would haunt him. One thing he would definitely not allow was for her interrogators to harm her physically in any way, they could only question her.

For the few days that Lantana was in the custody of the state police, she was constantly awakened by the screams of her friends as the state police tortured them, luckily for Lantana, Admiral Stator ensured that this didn`t happen to her. She lay in bed sobbing until exhausted when she finally was able to fall asleep again, only to be woken by more screams.

Lantana had her citizenship stripped from her, but Admiral Stator`s position of power had ensured that his daughter be allowed to be a domestic living at his own house, rather than moved to one of the towns where most of Mazere`s Non-Citizens lived. She had to wear her yellow and red striped tunic whenever she left the house with him, but otherwise she was under house arrest. A condition that she had to agree to, or otherwise she would have been sent to prison as a rioter, and then she would have been downgraded to the lowest rank of Non-Citizen, as she would then be a felon, and so she would have to suffer sterilisation.

There hadn`t been any more riots during the next three years, either in the capital city or in any of the other towns and cities on Mazere, everyone was too scared to protest following the brutal ways employed by the authorities to quell the riot. No government ministers protested these measures, and the newspapers were ordered to conform. Either they complied with this instruction or they would be closed, with their editors jailed for crimes against the people. The authorities then acted to ensure that the uprising would not happen again; they dosed the water supplies to all of the Non-Citizen towns with a substance that made the inhabitants more docile and very tractable.

Lantana still woke up in the night hearing the terrible screams of her friends as they were being tortured. When she had been but a child Lantana lived safe in the belief that all was well with the world. During her time at university, she quickly learned many things about her world and its state police, many things that before that time she never even dreamed could be true. Later on, she never thought that she could forgive her father for being one of those in power, but when her mother died her father changed, he missed his wife so very much and he turned to Lantana for support, and even began to listen to her views on life. She even came to believe that he now agreed with much that she said to him, both on the morning after the riots and also during the nights following her mother`s death."

During these three years, Lantana extended her network of friends via the internet, and soon had a planet wide web of contacts who constantly fed her information. She became an accomplished hacker and this talent enabled her to hack into the computers of the state police and amend many files, and deleted all information that related to her or her friends. She even introduced a program into their computers that deleted her name and those of her friends from any data picked up while the authorities monitored the internet and its users. Using her skills, she soon learnt which factory manufactured the chemical that kept the Non-Citizens docile, and through her computer skills arranged for a friend to win the contract to transport the chemical to the various water authorities that served the NC'S. He simply emptied the chemical down the drain, and refilled the containers with water mixed with a variety of vitamins and a large amount of glucose. This together with a suitable colorant made the water look similar to the original chemical, but it was a lot healthier.

Lantana also operated through a social networking site and made use of it by introducing a virus into its programming that allowed her to send certain disclosures to the world en masse under her pseudonym, 'Action against Tyranny.' She got her information in a myriad of ways. From her many contacts, by listening in to her father`s conversations during his late-night parties, for she had planted a listening device in his study, and she also hacked into the government`s computer network where she discovered many of their plans about their future intentions towards the people of Mazere. If they were relevant to her aims then she published them on the internet. The authorities had tried to trace her; however, she hid her path through the countless number of computers using the internet."

She also discovered things that surprised even her. Listening in via her secret bug in her father`s study, she heard her father speaking with a friend from the military. It was then that she found out that her father was planning to mount a coup against the present government, and that he meant to install himself as dictator. The results of all of these secrets would soon be realised by everyone on Mazere and in the not too distant future.

Chapter Two

Murderous Beginnings

Just six months following the riot and its violent suppression by the authorities on Mazere, on Earth all was peaceful, for the moment. Richard Charlton was sitting in a comfortable armchair, in Washington DC, he was with a tall-distinguished looking American, John Blazer, who sat just four feet away from him.

"I am going over to the Blazer Explorer this morning John, to check on the ship, the new systems should be up and running by then. Peter Reynolds and the rest of the crew have been working flat out for the last two days to ensure that the work will be finished on schedule. I will contact you as soon as I have been over the ship. We should be able to leave within three days, four at most, if everything is all ok, and according to Peter Reynolds it is." Reynolds was the starship`s chief engineer and had checked every nut, bolt and connection that had been put into the Explorer during its refit.

John Blazer smiled back at the man he had known for so long, and liked and respected for almost as long.

"How is your son Richard, is he any better? You know I still feel rather guilty at your leaving Earth, to go and prospect for me in deepest space. I could easily find someone else to take over the Explorer for this one voyage, that is if you would rather stay behind and look after David, especially after the other thing?"

The other thing was Patricia Charlton, the wife of Richard Charlton and the mother of David Charlton. She was thought to have died in a plane crash three weeks prior to the accident that had put David into a coma. She was on a trip back to the spaceport, a trip that was supposed to carry John Blazer, but who actually missed it and had travelled on a later flight. A comprehensive search was made of the area of the coastline that the plane went down in, but only the body of the pilot was found, washed up by the tide, of Patricia Charlton, there was no trace. Richard Charlton had spent seven long days and nights searching the beaches and the ocean for signs of his wife without success, before he finally gave up. John Blazer had wanted to appoint another captain to the Blazer Explorer following this tragedy, but Richard Charlton had refused to step down. He told his friend that he couldn`t face staying on Earth to spend his time grieving, no he needed to be far away from home, and had demanded that the trip go ahead with him as captain.

David Charlton had taken the loss of his mother badly, but with his father fully intending to make the trip out to deep space, he had also stated his intention of joining him on this voyage. As he had said at the time, he didn`t intend to lose his father as well, but then had come the accident that had put David Charlton into a coma. Richard Charlton and his son had been crossing the road that ran along the perimeter fence of the Washington space port late one night, it was after a visit to John Blazer, when a car had appeared out of nowhere and swerved violently across the road and drove straight at them. David Charlton had pushed his father to one side but unfortunately, he had been hit by the vehicle and thrown into one of the concrete posts that supported the wire fence that ran around the space port, he had been in a coma ever since. The police had found the vehicle, but only after its driver had torched it, all that was left for them to find were the melted remains of a bottle of Scotch Whisky.

John Blazer had asked Richard to stay home and come to terms with all that had happened. However, Richard Charlton would not agree, he repeated his earlier demands. He said that he badly needed to get away from everything, and to get involved in something substantial, rather than to sit and dwell on all that had happened to his family.

"There is absolutely nothing that I can do to help him John, and anyway, he is in the best of care thanks to you. If he should come out of the coma while I am away, then I am sure that you will look after him until I return, you and that little filly that he has at his beck and call."

John Blazer had insisted on David Charlton being cared for in the Collingswood clinic in Washington DC, where he would indeed receive the best of care. Blazer was paying for his godson`s treatment, he had no other family, and so he had been only too happy to 'adopt' the Charlton boy as his own grandson, and so he had felt the pain of David Charlton`s critical accident almost as much as Richard Charlton had. It could not have come at a worse time; this trip into deepest space had been planned for months and was to have been the first time that David Charlton would have travelled with his father, as his father's first mate.

Leaving the offices of John Blazer, Richard Charlton drove the short distance between there and the space port, and once inside he headed over to the large bay that was home to the Blazer Explorer team. Over the front of the bay, a sign declared in bold letters 'Blazer Freight shipper to the stars and beyond'. On the concrete before the bay stood a small sleek starship, its silver hull glistening proudly as it stood awaiting its trip into unexplored space. Its destination lay beyond the small mining colony based upon a moon that orbited a gas giant in the Pollux planetary system in the constellation of Gemini, a system some thirty-four light years from Earth. They would stop off at the colony while they dropped off some medical supplies and some spare parts that were desperately needed by the miners there. The fee for the delivery would help pay for the rest of the voyage, one that would take them another twenty-six light years further on from this system, to a newly discovered planetary system around the star Rho Geminorum. Photographs showed the star to have an Earth like planet orbiting inside of the goldilocks zone. This term meant that the newly discovered planet was in an orbit around its sun that was just right for the presence of life to be possible.

Charlton parked his car behind the large bay and stood for a moment as his grey eyes took in the scene; his six feet two inch tall heavily built body stood rigidly erect, his smile emphasising his good looks, a stray curl of his brown hair hung down just above his eyes. Charlton had been in space for many of his fifty years, and wouldn`t change his lifestyle now for anything or anybody.

Peter Reynolds was just entering the craft followed by the starship`s two other engineers. Reynolds like Richard Charlton was originally from England. David Charlton had dual nationality as his mother Patricia Charlton was American, and due to his having been born in Washington DC.

The other two engineers were Anthony Rodriguez who was the ships electrical specialist and Bill Partridge; they were two of the Americans that John Blazer had appointed to the crew along with Chris Anderson, who was the ships computer operator but also a first-rate geologist. Richard Charlton had insisted though that Peter Reynolds be the chief engineer, as the two men had been firm friends for a lifetime and both of these two men respected the other's abilities. The last of the crew were Alan Lee, an Australian of Chinese descent who would be working with him on the bridge as helmsman and Millicent McIntosh, a Scot who was the team`s biologist, and also the only member of the crew with any real medical training. Alan Lee had become the ship`s first mate now that David Charlton was unable to accompany them. He had been recommended to Richard Charlton by an old friend who said that Lee needed a berth to get him away from a broken marriage. He would soon show Charlton that he was a good man to have aboard, having been the first mate on many a space voyage. He would also easily fit in with the rest of the crew as he was a gregarious sort of a chap, and so Charlton had agreed to take him on board to make up the crew.

As he approached the starship, Charlton`s attention was caught by a man who was struggling with two of the space port`s security guards, they had stopped him to ask to see inside of his backpack that he had strapped to his back. The man seemed to surrender for a moment before breaking free, but instead of running for the perimeter fence that would offer a forlorn hope of freedom, he ran towards the Blazer Explorer. He was almost at the top of the ramp that led up to the starship before one of the security guards fired a stun gun at the fleeing man. The buzzing bolt of energy hit the man in the middle of the backpack just as the man reached the airlock. For a second the man held himself upright against the silver hull of the starship, before he disappeared amongst a massive explosion of energy and fire, which flung Richard Charlton to the ground. When he looked across at his ship, the only sign of the man was the blood and guts that clung to the concrete in front of the starship. As for the sleek and shiny starship, a massive hole had appeared where the airlock had once been.

It took Richard Charlton more than a moment to get over the shock of seeing the stranger exploding at the entrance to his ship. Sure, he was not a stranger to sudden death, having experienced it first hand in a battle against some space pirates when he was much younger, but to see a life snuffed out so suddenly was still a shock to his whole being. The next thought that galloped through his mind was why his starship had suddenly become the target for such a terrible attack. Something the security guards were wondering about, as suddenly they were everywhere, but he ignored them as he ran towards his ship to check on his crew, who thankfully appeared behind the gaping hole in the hull of the starship. As Richard Charlton neared the starship, Peter Reynolds shouted over to him that they were all well. They had been giving the airlock a final check over as it had not been sealing completely, which of course could be fatal in space, and they had closed it to check that the seals were finally okay after replacing all of them. It would not be just the seals that would need replacing now but the complete airlock, and the surrounding metal of the ship`s hull.

Ten minutes later and the local security guards were showing federal agents and then crime of scene operatives around the outside of the starship and the surrounding ground, but there was little left of the dead man for them to find and identify. John Blazer stood just apart from them surveying the scene; Blazer was tall and lean with a mass of grey hair despite his sixty-eight years of age. He looked at the damage to his latest starship and shook his head; he was still just a little bewildered by this explosive event. Beside him stood Richard Charlton and Peter Reynolds, Reynolds was almost a head shorter than his friend. He was lean like John Blazer, but younger, his brown hair looked untidy thanks to the breeze that had sprung up, his brown eyes still looked a little stunned following the attack.

"Mr Blazer if you can get us another airlock to replace the one that was destroyed, then I will guarantee to have the Explorer ready to lift off on time." Peter Reynolds promised. "Although if you can supply a couple of your maintenance men to help in the repair of the hull, it will help to reduce the hours that my team and I will have to put in prior to departure."

"I will see to the new airlock, and I will also have a team of engineers to fix the hole in the hull of my ship, don`t you fret about that Peter, in fact I will get onto it right now." John Blazer promised. With that, he walked across to the maintenance bay and began speaking with his supervisor.

One hour later and a team of six experienced engineers were working on the hull of the damaged starship to have it ready to accept a new airlock, which Blazer had somehow talked Boeing Space into letting him have. One that one hour before had been due to be taken up to the space dock, high above the atmosphere of Earth. Here it was to have been fitted into the latest starship being built for American Space Liners. Blazer had argued that the liner could wait for it without incurring a delay to the launch date, as it was just a small maintenance airlock, while his ship couldn`t, something his long-time friend, George Ryan, who was the president of the mega company, decided to accept. It would of course mean some extra work for the engineer in overall charge of the project while he rescheduled the workload of his team of engineers, a team who were currently working flat out at the space dock. Ryan had promised to send a replacement maintenance airlock up to the space dock high above the earth within days so that the overall schedule wouldn`t be compromised, and Blazer had agreed to foot the overtime bill to ensure that this happened.

John Blazer and Richard Charlton spoke about the attack on the starship until midnight, when they both decided to give it up, for they had come up with no good reason as to why someone would want to attack them, but that it must be related to the attacks on Charlton`s family was without question.

**********

Across from the space port, in a small apartment building, a tall swarthy man with brown eyes that were filled with the despair sat at a table, also sitting there were five other men, all of various colourings but there for a similar reason. That by coming to Earth and following whatever orders might be given to them, they would enhance the lifestyle of their families.

They were led by a commander based many miles away, who normally communicated to them in code via the internet. Up until a couple of months ago, he had wanted them to report on the people of planet Earth, about their cultures and beliefs and of their technological progress in all of the sciences. When the proposed flight of the Blazer Explorer into deepest space had first made the headlines, their masters had decided that now was not the time for such a flight to be made. It would have come too close to their own troubled world, and so soon after the uprising had been put down by the rulers of their world. For such a planet as Earth to reach Mazere at this period in Mazeren history, especially from a culture with a history of freedom for all, well it might well prove explosive amongst those people of Mazere who were not so free. Therefore, he had called his operatives together from across the globe to work on this one project, a project that had already killed at least one earthman, probably one Earthwoman, and now one Mazeren.

This small group of espionage agents lived together in this small apartment, which offered a good view of the spaceport, and even if it was a little noisy, it was ideal for their present aims. They were talking over their past successes and failures, and planning their next attack on the Blazer Explorer, and the people associated with it.

"Our people have given us just one order, and that order is to ensure that the Blazer Explorer does not set out on its next mission. Three times now, we have attempted to stop the starship from leaving this planet to explore the area of space that is so dangerously close to our own world. We have tried to kill the captain of the starship and its owner, but both men still live. The captain was saved by the actions of another while the owner was saved due to circumstances beyond our control. Today we saw our latest attempt fail. Our brave friend was to board the starship and destroy the ship`s engines with a bomb, unfortunately he was unable to do so. Our next attempt must not fail, our commander has an informant at the spaceport who has told him that they have already arranged for replacement parts to be delivered to the spaceport, to replace those that were damaged in the explosion, and that the ship is still scheduled to take off on time, we must prevent this. We will target both John Blazer and Richard Charlton at a location of our own choosing, and this time we will not fail, listen carefully for our commander has given us the ideal time and location to ensure that we succeed."

Rohr Javari looked at the six other men sat around him, their attention centred on him alone, for he was the man chosen by their commander to lead this team of assassins on their mission of death. He was tall and slim with black hair slicked back and brown eyes, his nose was crooked, it had been broken when he had been much younger and never set back just right. He also had a neatly trimmed beard, which he had grown especially for the mission. In his breast pocket was a photograph of his young family, taken the moment before they entered their new house, which was the day before he left for Earth. His happiness at the thought of them living their new life was dampened by the thought that in all likelihood he would never see any of them ever again.

Next to him was Leor Amharic, he was the team's explosives expert; he was also a Nadir, a holy man. He was the tallest of the group with a beard that fringed his chin and a neat moustache, his eyes can only be described as beady, that became mere slits; he now spoke the thoughts of the other men with him. He was also a new arrival and it was he that had brought the order from their commander regarding the Blazer Explorer.

"We must succeed in this endeavour my friends, for to allow the barbarians of this primitive planet to come to our world would be to betray our families, even our own deaths would be more acceptable than that."

Amharic was the odd man out in this team for he was the only one who had made a success of his life, but an accident earlier in his life caused by a Non-Citizen of his world had taken his family from him. Unknown to Javari and the others he passionately believed that all inferior beings should be kept in their place, and severely punished if they ever thought about leaving it. This was his reason for being on Earth, for he firmly believed that it was his duty to stop any of this world`s beliefs from contaminating his own world. When the rulers of Mazere had made their decision regarding the Blazer Explorer, he had begged their commander to be the one to take the order to assassination team, just so that he could participate in the undertaking. His was the complete opposite view to the other members of his group, for by their actions they all hoped to be able to win a better lifestyle for their families. Their families who would all be living the life of Non-Citizens on Mazeren now, if they had not agreed to come to Earth and follow whatever orders were given to them. They also knew that their families could all too easily lose their new status, should they not follow any of their commander's orders.

**********

It was almost midnight when a young man hurried towards the reception desk at the Collingswood clinic and spoke breathlessly to the security guard at the desk.

"I have only just heard about him, I have been away working in the Brazilian rain forest, and so I was completely out of touch with the events back here in civilisation, please tell me if my friend David Charlton is any better."

Jacob Baer had been working at the clinic for two long and boring years. He had been forced to retire from a job that he liked, the Washington DC police department, at the mandatory age of sixty years, and needing a supplementary income he had become a security guard, as too had many a retired police officer before him. The man standing before him looked hot and tired after his hurried trip to the clinic, and very much like a worried friend of one of the patients of the clinic. Therefore, as Baer was a friendly sort of person, he looked down at the computer screen before him to try to help the man, even if it was very late and most of the hospital staff had gone home to their beds. Colum Branis hand reached down and pulled out a small compact energy weapon, he had to force himself to carry out his order, but the thought of his loved one drove him on. He felt pity for himself and his victim as his finger found the trigger of the powerful weapon, the scar that ran from his hairline to his right eye stood out boldly now, almost angrily. As another moment went by, Jacob Baer felt the red-hot energy bolt sear his heart, he never heard the high-pitched scream of the energy weapon he just fell dead to the floor, he had never even realised what was happening to him.

Branis looked down at the dead body of the guard, but it was not Jacob Baer he saw lying there, but his young girlfriend, she was coughing up large amounts of phlegm as violent coughs racked her slim wasted body. He had known that she would soon die if she were left to live in the industrial town of Idalou, as had seemed so very likely before he had decided to volunteer for special duties. The price of getting her and her family out of Idalou was his taking part in the mission.

Branis pressed a button on a device in his other hand, and moments later the other Six men of the team rushed in from outside to join him. One of the other men, Retz Pula, a middle-aged man who was attempting to achieve something in life after a lifetime of debauchery, pulled the dead man into the men`s toilets situated on the opposite side of the reception desk and hid the body in one of the empty toilet cubicles. He then donned the guard`s hat and jacket and assumed his place at the reception desk. Pula`s other reason for coming on this mission of violence was to ensure the wellbeing of his young nieces and their parents. Their father was his younger brother who he hadn`t seen in such a long time. Like him, they had lived in one of the sprawling industrial centres, and like him they had been slowly dying due to the toxic smog that filled the streets of such cities. However, for them it was now so different, no longer would they suffer from the toxic air that filled such cities. They had been the price he had exacted from the authorities to agree to come on this mission.

While he was occupied at this grisly task, the other six men hurried to the elevators at the other side of the reception desk and took one of them up to the third floor, from where three of them headed into the room where the still figure of David Charlton lay on his bed. One of the remaining three men held the elevator open for their escape, while the other two men stood guard, one at the either end of the corridor to ensure that they were not disturbed.

Leor Amharic eyes were concentrated on the explosives that he was fixing to the underside of the bed, where they would go unnoticed by all but the most diligent of cleaners. Finally, he inserted a remote-controlled detonator into the explosive and he was done. Getting to his feet, he looked across to the leader of the team of assassins.

"It is now ready Rohr; you can now proceed with the rest of our plan.

While Leor Amharic had been busy with the explosives, Marat Palau, a tall dour man of thirty with a long black beard, and even longer hair, had been busy installing a small camera recessed into the plastic cover of the ceiling light, where it would provide an excellent view of all the sick man`s future visitors. He too had finished with his part of the plan, and he now got down from the lightweight ladder that he had brought in with him. Palau`s looked across at the still figure of David Charlton and had to fight against his feelings of guilt at seeing the young man so dead to everything. Palau had been the man who had been chosen to act on that fateful night, when David had been thrown through the air to strike the concrete post. To calm his conscience, he thought of his reason for coming on this mission. He wanted his brother and his family out of the slums of the industrial city where they lived. To allow them to start a new life, for they had been given a new apartment in the capital city of Mazere and a new job. Palau himself didn`t have a family, for he had lost his wife while they had been living in the toxic waste that was Idalou, the chemical capital of Mazere.

Rohr Javari now purposely set off all of the alarms on the many machines around the still figure of David Charlton to ensure that someone would tell Richard Charlton of the intruders in his sons` room, the three men now hurriedly exited the sick room and rushed for the elevator that was being held open and ready for them.

Ricoh Gaudi had purposely delayed his departure, to be seen by the medical staff that quickly arrived, in answer to the many alarms going of together. Gaudi was one of the men who had kept watch at end of the corridor; he was the youngest member of the team and eager to get on with the task that they were all occupied on, as his friend had done earlier that day when he had unfortunately died in his attempt to destroy the starship. Gaudi now entered into the sick room and awaited the arrival of the medical team. As they entered, Gaudi brandished his energy weapon at them and then rushed from the hospital room seemingly in a panic. As soon as he arrived at the waiting elevator, Rohr Javari pushed the button to return them to the ground floor.

"At least four nurses saw me Rohr, and they will tell John Blazer and Richard Charlton that there was at least one intruder in David Charlton`s room. The two men will almost certainly hurry across to the clinic to ensure that he wasn`t harmed in any way." Ricoh Gaudi declared excitedly. He was only seventeen years of age and small even for a youth of that age, being only five feet three inches in height. He had a boyish face with dark brown hair and matching eyes, unlike the others he was still beardless. He weighed only one hundred and twelve pounds and was quite lean; the chances on his filling out though were slim, given his chosen occupation.

On exiting the elevator, six of the men quickly left the clinic and returned through the darkest of the streets of Washington DC to the apartment that they rented near to the spaceport. The seventh man who was Ricoh Gaudi didn`t go with his comrades, he simply crossed the road where hidden by the trees of a nearby park, he awaited the arrival of the teams intended victims. He had a small monitor with him, which occupied half of his attention, the other half being fixed on the entrance of the clinic. They would not only kill the captain of the planned space expedition, but also the man bankrolling it, this they thought would kill off any chance of the planned expedition from happening, now or in the foreseeable future. He carried with him a picture, it was in his pocket; it showed his younger sisters and their mother. He smiled when he thought of his mother, for she was recovering nicely after getting out of the toxic smog that had filled the town where they had all lived. Now they could breathe clean air and grow strong.

************

The noise of the phone ringing woke John Blazer, who on seeing what time it was hesitated before answering the call, as it would almost certainly be bad news at so early an hour.

"John Blazer here, who on Earth is it calling at this time of the morning." He finally said into the mouthpiece of the phone.

"Mr Blazer, this is the Collingswood Clinic, Doctor Frazer, I`m on night duty here. I have to tell you that there was at least one intruder in Mr David Charlton`s room this morning, but he didn`t appear to have had the time to do anything. Our medical staff were alerted by the alarms on the monitors around your godson going off, and managed to scare him away. Unfortunately, the security guard at the reception desk wasn`t quite so lucky, he was killed."

Blazer felt his blood run cold at the thought of something happening to his godson. "I`ll be there in thirty minutes Doctor." Blazer replied anxiously.

"I don`t believe that they actually harmed your godson, so you don`t need to rush straight over Sir. I only called as you left strict instructions to do so, should anything happen in the proximity of you godson." Doctor Frazer assured Blazer.

"Never mind that, I`ll be there in thirty minutes." With that, he put the phone down for a second, and then called Richard Charlton who answered with a groan as he struggled to wake up.

"Charlton here, who the blazes is ruining my night`s sleep?"

"Richard, it`s John Blazer, there was an intruder in David`s room this morning, I`ll pick you up in ten minutes."

Without giving his friend a chance to reply, Blazer put the phone down and hurriedly dressed. Richard Charlton was just closing his front door as the sleek limousine belonging to Blazer pulled up in front of the building; soon they were on the way to the clinic.

"Richard I`ve been thinking about the possible reasons behind the intruder, but I am baffled by it, if they had wanted David dead for some reason then he would almost certainly be dead by now, killed by an energy bolt fired from an energy weapon Instead they just set off all of the alarms of the monitors in his room, why?"

"I don`t know John, but why else would they be there, not just for a prank that is for certain, there must be a logical reason for entering into David`s room, and then not actually doing anything?"

They were just approaching a turning that would take them to the clinic, when Blazer pulled in to the side of the road. "Richard what if this is all an elaborate means to get the two of us together at a place of someone else`s choosing?" John Blazer asked quietly.

"What on earth are you getting at John?" Richard Charlton asked just a little perplexed at his friend's question.

"So far, we have had an attempt on my life which caused the loss of Patricia, and then there was the attack on you which put David in hospital, when the car struck him instead of you. There was the terrorist attack on the Explorer and now we have this intruder. Maybe this time they mean to ensure that they kill you and maybe me as well. Maybe someone doesn`t want our expedition to go ahead." John Blazer replied.

"I`m not saying that I completely agree with you John, but it certainly makes sense, assuming that you are correct, how do you want to proceed?" Richard Charlton asked.

"Let`s leave the car here and proceed to the clinic on foot Richard. I think that we should slip across the park, as that is as likely a place as any for any assassin to be hidden, but we must be careful to be as quiet as possible, and also to keep our eyes open and our ears alert for the slightest of sounds." John Blazer said.

"I think that you are mad John, but all right." With that the two men got out of the sleek limousine and entered into the park." I just hope that we don`t meet up with any muggers John." Richard Charlton whispered as he looked around them at the many dark shadows that were waiting along the narrow path that they trod.

"What at this time in the morning Richard, they are all safely tucked up in bed." Blazer said smiling at his friend. "Richard, after all that has happened lately, I would welcome meeting a mugger, should one be foolish enough to try and get in our way." With that, Blazer pulled out an energy weapon and showed it to Charlton.

Apart from the sound of a solitary vehicle, driving along the empty streets of Washington, all was silent as they walked quietly through the park. The way was lit by the occasional light along the path, but as they got near to the clinic, Blazer took them off the path that would take them right up to its doors. It was now that Richard Charlton saw something, or someone moving ahead of them, then he realised that it was a body crouched down before some tall Rhododendron bushes. Luckily, the person still hadn`t seen them, for they were still hidden by the darkness caused by a large oak tree that blocked out the light. Charlton reached out and put his hand on Blazer`s arm to stop him, and as Blazer looked enquiringly at his friend, he put his finger to his lips in the age-old sign that denoted the need for silence, and pointed ahead of them towards the crouching figure. On seeing the man, Blazer indicated to Charlton that they should approach the man from his right-hand side, this was because the strong winds of two nights before had broken off the uppermost branches of a nearby tree. They were laying to the left of the assassin and so far, the local municipal authorities hadn`t got around to clearing them away.

Charlton and Blazer were now just two feet away from the man, whose complete attention was divided between the small screen before him, that and the entrance to the clinic. Charlton attention was also on the screen, for he saw immediately that it showed his son David, lying still in his hospital bed. The first Gaudi knew of their presence was when they rushed him, and he only had enough time to get to his knees when Charlton hit him hard upon the jaw with a powerful uppercut that knocked Gaudi out cold.

"John, the little bleeder was keeping a watch on David`s room over in the clinic."

Blazer quickly went through the other pieces of equipment; they were lying neatly upon a small towel that Gaudi had set upon the grass beside him.

"Richard, this looks very much like a remote-control device, I think that we should get the authorities to check out David`s room before we do anything else.

Gaudi slowly came around, and when fully awake he glared up at them, and to Charlton, his eyes seemed ablaze with the light of a fanatic, but what Charlton didn`t see was the fear that was also there, for Gaudi knew that he was soon to die.

"You may have me, but you cannot escape what fate has in store for you." Gaudi said defiantly, but he couldn`t stop the tears that filled his eyes, for he knew that he would never see his family again. He refused to say another word to them or to the police when they arrived five minutes later. David Charlton and John Blazer had to wait a further five minutes for the arrival of the bomb squad, who then made the two friends wait outside while they went in to check the room over for any signs of a bomb, and also for any booby traps that may have been laid by the assassins. They soon found the device and they immediately decided to move David Charlton to another room for safety. The bed that he had been sleeping in was now taken away and blown up rather than risk the bomb, which was silently waiting its signal to destroy all of those near to it, or being triggered by some anti-tampering device. To attempt to work on it in situ would endanger too many other peoples` lives inside of the clinic, for the bomb squad had determined that the device was easily powerful enough to destroy the complete wing of the clinic.

There was little for the detectives to go on now, but maybe they could discover where the parts of the bomb that had survived the powerful blast were purchased. Pictures of the bomber captured by Blazer and Charlton were soon passed around to all of the police stations in the city, and to every newspaper and television news show. A search for was underway for the terrorists' lodgings in the city, unfortunately all the CCTV tapes that had recorded the men as they entered the reception area of the clinic had been destroyed, by Retz Pula while he had been guarding the front entrance to the clinic, and there were no CCTV cameras elsewhere in the building.

Richard Charlton and John Blazer were finally allowed in to check on David Charlton, and were assured that he was fine, if you could call being in a coma fine.

"I shall be glad when you finally lift off Richard, then whichever crackpot fringe group is targeting us will have to leave you alone, they can hardly follow you to the middle of the galaxy, can they?" John Blazer declared.

"No, they can`t John, and we should be ready to go in four days' time, if the replacement airlock turns up as promised. Until then my crew will have to stay aboard the Explorer so as to limit the damage these madmen can do, hopefully inside the Explorer they will be safe from further attacks." Richard Charlton stated firmly.

"Don`t you worry about the airlock it will be there on time and I will get our maintenance team to put in some overtime to ensure that the ship is ready when you are. I will also arrange for extra security Richard, both here in the clinic and around our hanger at the space port." John Blazer promised his friend. "If we are careful, we should be able to stop these attacks dead in their tracks." At least he hoped that this would be the result.

"What about you John, they have also tried to kill you aboard your private jet, and in their latest assassination attempt, they appear to have chosen a time when we would both be drawn to a spot of their choosing?" Richard Charlton asked.

"Don`t worry Richard, I will be extra careful when I`m out and about."

**********

The six remaining members of the murder squad were sitting in their small apartment lamenting their last failed attempt to stop the departure of the Blazer Explorer.

"This is the last time that we can meet together, for soon the authorities will find out that Gaudi lived in this apartment. Because of this, we will have to throw caution to the wind and make a series of attacks on the captain of the starship, its owner, the ship itself, and its crew. One of the first things we must do is to dispense with these beards, if they are able to get on to us then they will be looking for men with beards, and not clean-shaven individuals." Rohr Javari said to the five other men around the table. "But that is for later, right now I am going to give each of you detailed instructions of your part of this new operation, and on how you are to carry out the task assigned to you." He first turned to Leor Amharic.

"You Leor are to go after the owner of the starship, use explosives against his apartment, his car, his offices, but kill him." Javari said to the holy man. "Retz can assist you. As soon as this meeting is over, pack all of your things and check into a small hotel, somewhere very quiet; tell them that you are here on holiday. Carry out your attack as soon as it is possible to do so, we cannot fail again, our families are depending upon us." His final words reinforced just why all of them were on Earth, and each of them there acknowledged the sentiment. Next, he spoke to Colum Branis.

"I will kill the captain of the starship and you Colum will assist me." His final instructions were for the remaining members of his team.

Marat, Pilaf, you two can target the ship and its crew. Nothing can be allowed to stand in your way. The total annihilation of anything and everything to do with this proposed trip must be our one and only aim now. It will hopefully send a clear message to every earthman that that particular sector of space is off limits to them." Rohr said.

Rohr slammed his fist down onto the table in an attempt to vent some of his anger at being turned into a suicidal murderer, the others around the table looked at one another, startled by his actions. He slammed the table again, but this time his intent was to show the others the measure of his passion, unfortunately his heart wasn`t in it, for he would rather be home with his family rather than killing aliens who had done nothing to him. The other men smiled sympathetically at him, they knew his thoughts and wished only to be done with all of this murder and violence, that and to be able to head off home to their families.

"Marat, Pilaf, I suggest you carry out your part of the attack by commandeering one of the many large and powerful building vehicles that are being used not too far away from the space port, that should get you through the perimeter fence and give you some protection from the security guards. Ram the machine into the side of the starship then board it, and then kill everyone inside and outside of it. Make your attack in the morning of the day after tomorrow."

Javari didn`t mention escape to Marat or Pilaf, these two men would quite obviously not get the chance to escape the security men of the space port, who would be all over the area as soon as the attack started. Pilaf Sunnis was the last member of the murder team; he was aged thirty-five, of medium height medium build and was rather plain to look at, the perfect team member. He too had family back home and they were his reason for being here.

"Of course, you two will also have to find lodgings elsewhere, as will Colum and I. Take one of the large assault rifles with you together with one of the grenade launchers, they should ensure that you reach the starship and so complete your task." Marat and Pilaf both acknowledged his words of advice with a quick nod of their heads.

"Leor, Retz, I will leave you to think of ways to accomplish your task, just ensure that you are successful, it doesn`t matter if other people are hurt in the process, just kill John Blazer. You two can take the last of our explosives and also an assault rifle, just in case you get the chance to use it." Leor Amharic and Retz Pula also acknowledged his instructions with a curt nod, nothing more.

"Colum and I will take along the remaining two Assault rifles when we go calling on the captain. Remember that no one is to return to this apartment for any reason. I know that I have no need to repeat my earlier words about the need to succeed this time, so I will only say good-bye my friends and go with god. Those that survive these attacks know where to go, the safe house in Georgia, there they will await further orders from our commander."

Marat Palau and Pilaf Sunnis soon found a cheap motel quite near to the spaceport and settled in for the night. The nights were the worst for Sunnis, for his dreams were filled with the sight of his family dying in the fire that had roared through their small house while he had been working a night shift in the steel works. Thirty people had died that night, all trapped in the small tightly packed houses of the town centre. They had been so happy to live so near to the shops, and the other amusements offered by the town centre. Unfortunately, the narrow streets that they adored had been one of the causes of their death. The fire had jumped from one side of the street to the other side, fanned by the strong spring winds and helped by the poorly constructed buildings. He vowed that his brother`s family would not suffer such a fate and so had volunteered for this mission, in any case, what did he have left in life to live for?

The next morning found the two men checking out the building site that bordered on to the spaceport, and in particular the heavy building machines, and of course the security at the spaceport. It soon became obvious that the security on the building site was minimal, while the optimum time, at least for this one morning, was around eight in the morning when all of the crew of the starship were aboard the craft and the heavy building machines were not in use yet. Their chosen machine was a large bulldozer with an extra-large blade measuring fourteen feet by six feet, and the whole machine weighing one hundred thousand pounds. It was indeed a large and very heavy piece of machinery. The two killers proposed waiting until one of the operators of these massive machines arrived, and then making him operate their machine or else be killed by them. They had watched that first morning as one such operator had come by just after the nearby church clock struck eight o`clock. The only drawback to the plan was the slow speed of the dozer, at most twelve miles per hour. However, the starship was only half a mile from the perimeter fence, and the dozer only ten yards from its own security fence. This meant that the machine could be crashing into the side of the sleek starship within less than three minutes of being hijacked, and this should give the two killers a good chance to complete their own part of the mission successfully.

Leor Amharic and Retz Pula had also found a small motel to stay in, and so were comparatively safe from being discovered by the city`s authorities. They had been ordered to kill John Blazer one way or another, and they had decided to put a multiple plan together with the hope that if one plan failed then one of the others would not. For the first of their plans to work, they had to gain entry into the luxury apartment block where John Blazer lived. They staked out the front entrance during the next morning and noticed delivery vans going down the slope that was on one side of the building, it went down to an underground garage and so was formed a second plan. On the slope there were no CCTV cameras, the only one was at the barrier at the bottom of the slope. Therefore, when the next vehicle slowed to request admittance through the barrier, the two men were able to slip inside the rear of the vehicle, as the delivery driver hadn`t bothered to lock the rear doors of his vehicle. While he was parking, they slipped from the rear of the vehicle and hid behind the line of parked cars until the delivery vehicle left. It was the middle of the afternoon and they guessed that they would have to stay hidden for some time before their task was finally completed, should they be discovered then they would have to kill again.

They knew that John Blazer hadn`t left the building that day, and they knew that he used a private elevator to access his penthouse flat. This made it a simple matter to set up the explosive device by first concealing the explosive within a litterbin hanging on the wall near to the elevator, with the trigger device attached to the frame of the elevator. When the doors opened, the movement would set off the bomb with a four-second delay to ensure that their victim took the full force of the explosion.

They also knew which limousine belonged to John Blazer, and if for some reason he survived this trap, then they would get him on the second attempt. A bomb was attached to the underside of the car, which would be triggered by the vibration of its door being slammed shut, John Blazer was as good as dead, and all they had to do was send flowers to his funeral.

Rohr Javari and Colum Branis had also moved into a small motel, it was set high on a hill on the other side of the space port, and it was here that they discussed their own problem, how to kill Richard Charlton. They soon found out that this might be difficult, as he had moved into the sleek starship and hadn`t moved during the first day of their stakeout, which was from a point two miles away from the starship. Rohr Javari and Colum Branis now decided to launch an attack this morning, to divert attention away from their comrades who were also due to launch their own attack on the starship itself. When these attacks were made, John Blazer was sure to leave the safety of his penthouse apartment and travel across to the spaceport to see the carnage caused by their twin attacks, and then he too would die from one of the various plans put into action by the third of the team of assassins.

On this very morning, Richard Charlton did appear for five minutes, to walk around the hull of the sleek starship to give it his seal of approval, but then he returned inside to help ready the starship for its journey of exploration. The maintenance team supplied by John Blazer had finished repairing the outer hull of the starship, and now they were awaiting the new airlock that was due to be delivered that morning. When this was installed, everything would be ready for the launch of the starship deep into the vastness of the galaxy. The large transporter carrying the new airlock supplied by the Boeing Corporation finally arrived at the spaceport, just as the city awoke for the start of a new day. Peter Reynolds had driven across to the large gates to show the driver the way to the Blazer Explorer, and it was moving slowly across the space port, and ahead of him the driver could now see the sleek silver starship, soon his work for the morning would be over and he could then head back home to Pennsylvania.

Marat Palau and Pilaf Sunnis were waiting patiently for the operator of the heavy dozer to appear which is what he did at eight thirty. He stood and looked up at the heavy dozer. However, before he could climb aboard it, he was waylaid by the two killers, he froze when he saw the two energy weapons that were in the assassins` hands. The construction man also took in the heavy assault rifle over Marat Palau`s shoulder and the grenade launcher carried by Pilaf Sunnis. However, it was the two hand held energy weapons that his attention was most centred.

"OK don`t shoot, I`ll do whatever you fellows say." The construction man yelled.

"Good then you will live to see your family again. Get up on this machine and start it up." Marat Palau ordered. As the driver did as he was ordered, the two killers joined him.

The heavy machine started up with a roar and was soon rumbling away as the driver awaited his next instructions. Why these two men were intent on stealing this slow-moving machine he couldn`t guess, he only wanted to survive whatever it was and get to see his family again.

"Move this machine through the perimeter fence and then across the road and into the space port." Marat Palau ordered. The monster was soon through the first of the wire fences and then crashing through the next one. Marat Palau had seen how the driver steered the machine by moving the heavy metal lever left or right, now all he needed to know was how to raise the large steel blade at the front of the machine, which the operator soon showed him.

"Now get off this machine and disappear, for you see you do get to live to see your family again my friend." Marat Palau said rather morosely. 'Which is more than I will do' he thought to himself. The driver immediately jumped clear from the heavy dozer and ran back into the construction site, to disappear amongst the heavy machinery parked there.

John Blazer wanted to see the arrival of the new airlock from Boeing, but decided against using his limousine after the attempts on his life, and those of his friends. He decided to take his terrestrial shuttlecraft, which was parked on a pad outside of his penthouse apartment. He flew this across to the spaceport, and thereby negating the carefully laid plans of his would-be assassins, he landed beside the Blazer Explorer. He was just being met by Richard Charlton, who was now carrying an energy weapon for protection against any sudden assault on the starship and its crew. His attention was attracted by a loud roaring noise and looking across saw the heavy dozer bearing down on them. A bolt of energy whistled by his head to explode against the hull of the starship, it came from one of the men on the dozer; he had a powerful energy rifle that was aimed at him.

Two miles away from them, Rohr Javari and Colum Branis were also springing into action, they had cut out a six feet section of the wire security fence that went around the perimeter of the spaceport, and they were driving fast towards the starship in a jeep. Colum Branis was firing his heavy assault energy rifle at the security guards with deadly effect, for two men collapsed to the ground dead before they even realised what was happening. The distance between the charging jeep and the starship was diminishing fast.

At the starship, Richard Charlton looked across at John Blazer. "Get back into the shuttle and take us across to the dozer, we should take that out first and then worry about the guys in the jeep."

The two men dashed into the shuttle, which was taking off a moment later with John Blazer at the controls. Richard Charlton hung on to the doorframe with one hand while holding his energy weapon in the other. Blazer took the shuttle skimming low over the concrete spaceport to put the huge blade of the dozer between them, for the blade had now risen to cause as much damage to the starship as possible. It was partially screening them from Leor Amharic, who had to lean sideways while trying to line up his heavy assault energy rifle on the fast approaching shuttle.

"I`m going to veer sharply left and up Richard, be ready to fire at them, here we go, now!"

The shuttle shot out of the cover of the huge steel blade of the heavy dozer and Richard Charlton had a clear view of the two men operating it, he was ready to fire but Leor Amharic had been caught by surprise, and Richard Charlton was quite a good shot. A powerful energy bolt left his weapon and it whistled through the air to knock Amharic down from the dozer. He landed hard against the ground while above him the fast-moving shuttle swung round to come across the rear of the dozer. Although Palau tried to get a bead on the shuttle with his hand-held energy weapon, he could not aim accurately and control the heavy dozer. The energy bolt fired by him whistled by the shuttle as another energy bolt left the weapon of Richard Charlton, who with no real opposition was able to take out Marat Palau. This unfortunately left the dozer charging forward towards the sleek starship with no one at the controls.

"John, take me over the machine and I will drop down onto it and stop it before it hits the Explorer." Richard Charlton yelled through the interior of the small shuttle to John Blazer.

It was as John Blazer was manoeuvring the shuttle over the charging dozer that a high-powered energy bolt screamed in to explode against the hull of the shuttle, knocking it sideways and Richard Charlton fell painfully down onto the charging dozer badly bruising his body in many places, and cracking at least one of his ribs.

Rohr Javari steered the jeep in a line that would meet the charging dozer. His aim was to kill Charlton, and then to board the starship after the dozer had ploughed into it. John Blazer flew low over the racing jeep causing both men to duck down out of the way; Richard Charlton looked on and prayed that his friend would not be hit by one of the energy bolts that were even now whistling by the fast-moving shuttle. However, regardless of the fact that his life was in danger of ending, John Blazer brought the fast-moving shuttle round in a tight circle to tear back towards the racing jeep, causing Javari and Branis to concentrate on it and not on the other fast-moving vehicle that had suddenly appeared from their left-hand side. It had an angry Peter Reynolds inside of it, and as he finally got into range, he pulled out his own hand weapon, for all the crew were wearing one now, and would be until the starship finally took off. He fired a bolt of energy towards the jeep that was rapidly moving towards the slow-moving dozer and Richard Charlton, it narrowly missed Rohr Javari who didn`t even notice it. Peter Reynolds had been hidden behind the hull of the Blazer Explorer until a few moments before, but now one of the energy bolts that he had sent the assassins' way screamed in to hit one of the wheels of their jeep destroying the tyre in a loud explosion. The jeep veered off course, skidded in a scream of torn metal and concrete, and toppled over, metal screamed as it slid along the concrete but it soon came to a halt. The assassins dazed but not too badly hurt picked themselves up from the floor, having been thrown there, and now realised that they were in trouble. Peter Reynolds brought his own vehicle to a halt and was safely behind it. He opened fire once more, his shots whistling by their heads. If that wasn`t enough, the crew of the Explorer were running towards them with their own weapons held tightly in their hands, and the space ports security vehicles were also rushing their way. Rohr Javari screamed out an oath in his own language and charged towards the crew, but before he had taken just a few steps, Peter Reynolds had taken him out. As for Colum Branis he simply stood up and fired shot after shot at the crewmen, how he missed them they couldn`t tell, but a fast-moving shuttle flown by John Blazer crashed into him and killed him instantly.

The day before and well away from the spaceport, John Blazer had recently asked the janitor of his block of luxury apartments to replace a leaking kitchen faucet, but it was today that he received a replacement. Being based in the basement of the building, the janitor pressed the button of the elevator that would take him directly to the penthouse of John Blazer. As the door opened it triggered the bomb which exploded but it didn`t kill the janitor for he had walked into the safety of the elevator, but four seconds later it did kill the man who had just parked his car in the basement garage and was walking across towards the other elevator. He died without knowing anything about it; his body was thrown through the air to land heavily on the sleek limousine belonging to Blazer. The thump of the man`s body hitting the vehicle caused the bomb fitted to the underside of the limousine to explode as well, the explosion destroyed the two vehicles next to it and caused the sprinkler system to turn on as the fires caused by all of these explosions triggered the system.

The explosions were heard at the space port, and from the direction of the blast John Blazer feared the worst, another attempt had been made on his life except he wasn`t at his apartment building at the moment. Richard Charlton got down from the dozer and winced, the cracked rib was causing him some pain.

"Richard, are you all right?" John Blazer asked, worried that his friend had been injured during the terrorist attack, for John Blazer couldn`t think of any other group who could be behind the series of attacks on them.

"I think that I might have cracked a rib when I hit the dozer, it will be all right though, I`ll go over to the hospital and get them to sort me out." Richard complained.

"No, you won`t Richard, I`ll take you over to the Collingswood clinic, we can get you fixed up there, and then go up and see how David is." Blazer said.

Blazer then moved towards the dead terrorists to see if he recognised any of them, but he did not know them.

"As soon as the ship is ready Richard you must take off, otherwise someone else is going to get hurt." Blazer smiled as he realised what he had said. Richard agreed with a nod of his head and a smile of his own, but then added some thoughts of his own.

"I would have liked to check out the ships systems after all the trouble that we have had, just in case something was missed in the rush to repair the ship. However, I too will be thankful to be away from here this time around. I will just have to settle for giving the systems a thorough going over during our flight through the inner solar system. Then if we do find anything that is not ok, we can land at the Mars spaceport and finish our repairs. Thankfully its orbital position is on our route just at this moment."

*************

The Blazer Explorer finally left the Sol solar system behind it later the next day. The airlock had been quickly installed, with the crew and the Blazer maintenance team working all night and well into the morning, and it was a tired crew who were finally allowed to grab a coffee in the ship`s galley. Their departure was not a moment too soon for the space port`s security personnel, or the Washington DC police department, who vowed that they wouldn`t like to travel on a ship with so many enemies ranged against it.

Richard Charlton wasn`t going to allow his crew to take too much of a rest, well not just yet, not after all the unpleasant interest taken in them.

"After all of the attempts that have been made to stop this voyage from happening, we can`t rule out that our unknown enemy didn`t manage to get something aboard without our knowledge, so until we have checked out the entire ship, none of us will be getting much sleep."

It was eight hours later when Anderson appeared in the galley area yawning. "We can finally settle down to a peaceful seven days while we journey on to the mining colony on the large moon in the Pollux system." Anderson said to a sleepy Rodriguez who had just finished his latest twelve-hour shift checking circuit after circuit to ensure that they were all ok. He would begin again in the morning.

"No, you can`t Chris." Richard Charlton said as he entered into the compact galley of the Explorer. "I want you on the computer, go over every ship`s system and ensure that we haven`t any surprises in store for us from your department."

Anderson should have already done this work, but he had felt unwell just as they had moved away from Earth, and Millicent McIntosh had said he should lie down for a while and catch up on some of his sleep before he started any work. He had put in some long hours over the last week helping to get the ship ready for lift off, and it had taken its toll on him. In fact, they had all missed some sleep in their hurry to be away from Earth and all of their troubles, and the other members of the crew were looking forward to catching a few hours' sleep when they entered hyperspace. As Anderson moved through the ship to his workstation up on the bridge, he gave a groan to Millicent who had just appeared in the galley, who smiled sympathetically at him.

"Well you can't expect to get a free ride to deepest space and beyond after all the trouble we had back at Washington, Chris. I have checked all my bandages and medicines twice." She said laughing at his disappearing back. In fact, Millicent had been going over every part of the ship's laboratory and also the sick bay to ensure that nothing had been tampered with that could cause an explosion in mid-flight.

Peter Reynolds and Bill Partridge had been working flat out to check out the engines and environmental systems with the help of Richard Charlton, soon they too would be able to get the rest that Anderson had just had. Richard Charlton now returned to the bridge.

"Is everything all right up here Alan?" he asked the Australian.

"Yes Richard, space hasn`t thrown any problems our way, and I am about to take us into hyperspace." With that Alan Lee switched on the intercom and let the rest of the crew know so that they could ready themselves for the switch from sub light speed to light speed plus.

The work was finally completed and the crew able to rest, and by the time the Blazer Explorer entered the Pollux system they were all back to their normal selves.

"Contact the miners Chris, tell them that we have arrived with their medical supplies and spare parts, and ask them for the co-ordinates of the space port." Charlton said.

"Okay, Richard." Moments later, he was speaking to the miner nominally in charge of the colony. Nominally, because someone had to co-ordinate everything down on the moon, and he was the one chosen as no one else wanted to be bothered with it all.

The starship slowly came to rest on the moon with the system`s sun blazing down upon the ship and the barren rock that was the moons 'space port,' and walking towards them was the miner who Anderson had spoken to as they had entered the moons orbit. Richard Charlton exited the airlock and walked across the sun-baked ground towards the miner.

"Are you Captain Charlton? My name is Carter." The tall gangly miner asked.

"Hello Mr Carter, yes I`m Captain Charlton, but call me Richard, it is a fine day here, you have arranged quite a welcome." Charlton said looking up at the large orange sun that was high in the sky above them.

"Good to meet you Richard, I`m Joseph Carter, call me Joe, and I was happy to lay on such a day for you." The miner replied with a broad smile coming to his craggy face.

"Where do you want your medical supplies and spare parts Joe?" Richard asked.

"Right here, my fellow miners all live a couple of hundred miles away or more around this central point, and they should all be on their way here by now, for I have told them of your arrival in our planetary system, we should see the first of their terrestrial shuttles within the hour."

The miners of the colony all lived within the area of ground allotted to them by a draw, set up before they had left Earth. The moon had been surveyed by the Space Federation of Earth and found to be a likely source of minerals, all that was needed was some miners to find them and then extract them. A freighter called once a year to collect the minerals and deliver stores to the miners to see them through yet another year. The medical supplies delivered by the Blazer Explorer were a sudden need caused by a severe outbreak of influenza that had used up the colony`s entire of antibiotics. The outbreak occurring just after a visit by representatives from the Space Federation of Earth, they had been hoping to increase the number of miners living and working on the moon.

While the Blazer Explorer was on the moon, a party was thrown by the miners, who hardly ever met one another except at their annual meeting. They had used the delivery of their supplies as an excuse for one, the crew of the Explorer were also invited. As well as meeting the other miners the crew of the Blazer Explorer also met the wives and children who had also came along for the chance to meet new faces, and talk about Earth, the latest happenings, and of course the journey that they were embarked on. This was the last time the crew of the Blazer Explorer would enjoy themselves on this voyage.

The Blazer Explorer was soon on its way again and four uneventful days went by, and now the starship was well beyond explored space. They had entered a planetary system that had six planets in orbit around its white sun, it was as they approached the third planet out from the system`s sun, at sub space speed to allow them to carry out a quick scan of the planet, that three spaceships appeared from behind them and moved quickly towards them.

"Richard, we have company, and I am not too sure about their intentions." Alan Lee called across to Richard Charlton, who was currently looking through the ship`s telescope at the surface of the planet.

Charlton looked up to see the three alien ships approaching their own starship, and swore as he then saw three powerful bolts of energy leaving the alien ships and tear through space towards his own craft.

"Evasive actions Alan, take us away from here fast." Richard Charlton ordered, but even as they evaded two of the powerful bolts of destructive energy coming their way, the last of the energy bolts hit the engines of their ship causing massive damage to the rear of the starship and destroying their hyperspace engine. If the crew on the bridge hadn`t been sitting down they would have been thrown painfully to the floor as the explosions roared through the small starship and violently shook it, as it was, they had to hang on to whatever was near to them. Alarms on the bridge screamed out their own messages of warning, they told Richard Charlton of those parts of his sleek starship that had suffered a violent decompression, but he didn`t have time to worry about this yet, because there was too much else going on at the moment to worry about.

"Swing us about Alan and head down through the atmosphere of that planet and find us somewhere to land."

Alan Lee took the starship between two of the fast approaching alien ships, luckily their space normal engines were still working for the moment, and they were soon inside the atmosphere of the planet, the ship staggering a little as it entered the thicker part of its atmosphere at too greater speed. The three men on the bridge could hear the scream of twisting metal as the badly damaged ship began to tear itself apart as the wind tore into the broken hull, making the damage all the more critical, they knew that their survival now depended on a good dose of luck and also Alan Lee's piloting skills. However, Richard Charlton also said a quiet prayer for their survival.

"Engineering come in please, Peter are all you all right there?" Richard Charlton shouted into the intercom. He tried not to think of why no one answered him, he hung on to the hope that his friends were too occupied with other things to bother with the intercom.

The land below was fast approaching as Alan Lee attempted to fire the breaking motors to allow the starship to land safely upon the ground, at least they are operating Richard Charlton thought, then a bolt of energy screamed by the stricken ship to explode on the planet below them.

"Take evasive actions again, Alan." Charlton screamed out over the noise of an explosion, another bolt of energy had hit them amidships violently shaking the ship, now it was a race against time to get the starship down before it broke up in the air above the planet, and with its valuable cargo of humanity still inside of it.

Up in space the admiral in charge of this small squadron of starships watched as two of his space cruisers moved in to finish the destruction of the stricken alien starship. He couldn`t help but feel sorry for the alien crew, who must have been proud of their sleek starship, just as he was of his own space cruiser. Maybe his feelings of sympathy were because of his own feelings of sorrow, his wife was dying and the doctors could do nothing to stop this from happening.

On board the Blazer Explorer, Alan Lee attempted to take the ship away from its attackers, but now it was not accepting his commands, the only commands it now recognised were those of gravity and physics. Thankfully their attackers now roared by them and they were safe from further attack until the alien ships could turn about to come back and then finish them off.

"We`re going in hard Richard, Chris, brace yourselves." Lee shouted across to his friends on the bridge.

"Engineering, Millicent, we are crash landing in five seconds brace yourselves." Charlton shouted into his intercom, although whether it was working he didn`t know, and he also didn`t know if there was anyone still alive back there to hear his warning.

On the space cruiser above the planet Admiral Stator looked at the tragic scene first unfolding beneath him in the planet`s atmosphere and then on the surface of the planet.

"Captain, would you please have the scout ship go down to the planet to see if there are any survivors, if there are please have them picked up. It is the least that we can do for them after just destroying their starship, for that planet is hardly the place to leave any shipwrecked astronauts, whatever their origin." Admiral Stator ordered the captain of his flagship.

He then turned away and returned to his cabin. On the small bureau just inside of its door he stopped to look at a photograph, it was of his wife and daughter during much happier times. His hard eyes misted over as he thought of the unhappiness that had arrived so unexpectedly, first his daughter and then his wife.

Chapter Three

Rescue Mission to the Stars

Almost two years had hurried by since the Blazer Explorer had left the Washington spaceport; the last six months of that time had brought some good news with it for David Charlton had awoken from his coma. However, he awoke only to find that his father had disappeared along with his sleek starship, disappeared without leaving any trace since they had left the planetary system orbiting around the star Pollux. At this moment, he was sitting in a comfortable chair in the lounge of the apartment belonging to his godfather, John Blazer.

"I am quite well enough to go and search for my father, Uncle John." A term David Charlton always used when he spoke to his godfather, John Blazer.

"Well I don`t agree David, you have only just recovered, my god you have only just got the strength back in your legs, and I have only now got you back from the deep coma that held you in its clutches for so long."

This voice of disagreement came not from John Blazer, but from the person sitting next to David Charlton, Sarah Jane Hardin. Sarah was from Texas, she was twenty-four years in age, stood five feet eight inches tall, had blue eyes, and long blond hair, and she was very attractive. She was studying Physics at MIT and doing very well, today she had flown down to the capital to spend the weekend with David Charlton.

"Sarah is right David, and anyway it is too dangerous, think of all the trouble that occurred just before your father left, you yourself were injured, and very badly at that. And just where will you start your search, it is an awfully big galaxy out there?" John Blazer argued, a little of his anger at David for proposing such a trip coming across in his voice.

"I will start my search at my father's last known stop Uncle John, the mining planet in the Pollux system, and then I will move forward along my fathers proposed route until I find him." David said with a very determined and stubborn look set upon his face, but he knew that he would have to say more on the subject.

"Look, while you both might have valid points I cannot just get on with my life when my father might be dying on some god forsaken planet, if you will not help me Uncle John, then I will just have to go it alone. I can use my father`s old freighter. It is still sitting on Mars, it won`t take too much to get her operational, and I am sure that I can find enough people to be my crew." As far as David was concerned the argument was over, however John Blazer saw things differently.

"You should know David, that I finally received the DNA results on the men who carried out the attacks on you, your parents, and of course my own person, but only after weeks of badgering for them, and then only after I threatened to pull the plug on financing the next generation of space weapons. It seems that while the DNA results were similar to those of all the people of Earth, that is to say they were similar to you, me, Sarah and the King of Tonga, there were some differences, which they could not explain. I believe that our attackers were aliens, aliens who didn`t want humanity travelling into the part of space where the Blazer Explorer went missing. Unfortunately, the man captured by your father and I, committed suicide just hours after we caught him, and so the authorities couldn`t question him, and as none of the attackers survived the attack on the ship, the investigation hit a blank wall. The men who set the bomb in the basement car park beneath my penthouse apartment were never identified. If they were not amongst the dead assassins then I can only suspect that they went into hiding, there they will wait until they are recalled to action against another unsuspecting victim. David, it is imperative that you stop this mad quest, however admirable your reasons for proposing it, for it might just get you killed and you might not die alone, others might get caught up in the attack upon your person. These terrorists have no respect for life, not even their own, they died in their final attempt rather than attempt to escape when we stopped their attempt." John Blazer implored his godson, his arguments were sound, his reasoning impeccable, his godson must agree.

"I am sorry Uncle, I know what you say is true, but I couldn`t live with myself if I did as you ask, I must go and look for my father, no matter what dangers I might have to face." David replied almost apologetically.

"Then if you won`t listen to the advice of your Uncle, David, and insist on your quest, then I am not staying behind like the good little woman, unable to sleep through worrying about you, fearing every phone call. If you insist on putting your life in danger then I am coming with you, it is either that or I will personally put you back in hospital, at least I would know where you were then, and what was happening to you." Sarah declared fervently and David didn`t dare argue, for he knew that she really would do what she had threatened to do.

**********

It was four months after David Charlton and Sarah Jane Hardin had vowed to go it alone that David finally had acquired enough money to finance his deep space voyage. For a mysterious buyer had purchased his home at an extremely inflated price, for the buyer simply had to have it together with all of its furniture and trimmings. It was now that he had the necessary finance available that John Blazer invited them both back to his penthouse apartment.

"Well if you two mad young people are still so determined, then I suppose that I too must help. David, you must leave for Mars as soon as you have a crew, and one that doesn`t mind a little danger; have you any ideas as to who you will take along on this perilous trip? You will require two engineers plus someone to help you on the bridge." Blazer said in a weary but resigned voice.

"Well I thought Jimmy Fielding in engineering. He is a veteran of space travel and he is also a friend of both my father and Peter Reynolds. I think he will agree to one more space trip before he retires, to help look for his friends. Sarah of course, Sarah can man the communications and also help out generally, her MIT education will be extremely useful should anything go wrong when we are in the middle of nowhere." David said smiling at his girlfriend who smiled back at him. He did wonder at what had brought about this change of heart in his Uncle, but he didn`t question it at this moment in time.

"Tony Miles is getting bored working for the Preminger freight business, I am sure that he would welcome a little excitement, he could help Jimmy in engineering. Steve Ryan is a wizard on computers and so he can help me on the bridge." David said satisfied with his selection. He looked across at the older man who had done so much already for his family, and even more so for him, and hoped that his proposed team would also satisfy him.

"Well as I just said David, I am willing to assist you, first let me introduce you to Barney; I brought him along in case you were both still set on your quest." Blazer said. He then turned and called out towards the door behind them, it was to a room, which he used as an office. "Barney would you come out here please."

A retro looking robot came through the white gloss door and stood looking down at Blazer. His outer appearance was of polished titanium, he stood seven feet tall with the usual two arms and legs his head was cylindrical. He had a slit of a mouth for appearance sake, and even a nose that allowed him to 'smell' although it operated far better than a human nose, for the robot could detect any chemicals in the air and identify them immediately. His eyes were a little beady, and like his nose were far superior to the eyes of a man, being able to see microscopic objects as well as objects at a distance. His ears were almost normal to look at but as expected were able to hear the pin when it dropped.

"Barney knows everything there is to know about starships, and will be able to assist you should anything need fixing He will be your other man on the bridge, when he is not assisting the engineering department. He will be indispensable to you in one other way; he will also be your night watchman. This will allow the bridge crew at least to sleep during the night, rather than having to make you split your small crew into separate watches." John Blazer said.

"Uncle, I don`t know what to say, except thank you." David hadn`t hoped for even the help of a robot, never mind one as useful as Barney would be, so he was surprised and delighted, and even more so when Blazer carried on.

"David, if you think that I would allow you to leave on your quest without doing more than just give you the use of Barney, you are very mistaken. You can borrow my small interplanetary shuttle; it will be large enough to get you and your crew as far as Mars. You can take it with you, for it will also allow you to transport down to the surface of any alien planet without you having to land your freighter, unless you are certain positive that it is safe to do so. You cannot allow the ship to fall into unfriendly hands and the shuttle is compact enough to fit inside of your freighter`s rear hold." John Blazer said.

"If they are the sort of aliens to be interested in my father`s old freighter, then we hardly have anything to worry about Uncle." Charlton said with a quizzical sort of smile on his face that seemed to say to Blazer, are you okay Uncle John?

"Of course they wouldn`t be interested in the freighter, as it is David." Blazer said in annoyance. "But together with Boeing Space, Blazer Space has just recently come up with something new, something that my operations on Mars are in possession of; they are the latest and best of the technologies of Earth. I hope that they will keep you both safe and increase your chances of returning to Earth. Oh, there is also something else that not many people on Earth know about, but you will only learn about it when we are on course for Mars." John Blazer smiled at the two young people, but he suddenly looked older than even he was, it was his fear for his godson and his fiancée, it returned even stronger.

"There will be no one to come and get you once you get beyond the Pollux system, I hope to god that I am not assisting you to your deaths, the loss of your father was bad enough."

David glanced across at Sarah as he searched for words that would reassure his godfather, but found that he was unable to think of any. For almost a minute all was quiet as the three humans tried not to think about what might happen, only the humming coming from Barney broke through the silence, and David wasn`t sure whether the robot was actually humming or whether it was just his components whirring away. Finally, John Blazer broke the silence.

"As soon as you have spoken to your proposed crew, and they have agreed to join you on your rescue mission to the stars, have them meet you at my other headquarters' building down at the Cape, which is where my shuttle is currently parked. David, be sure to tell them that this is a top-secret mission, and that it is imperative that nothing is leaked to their families, wives, girlfriends or friends about it. We cannot afford to have news of your expedition reach the ears of the people who attacked us before." John Blazer declared now fully resigned to the mission that his godson was set on.

"We three plus Barney will take my terrestrial shuttle over to my lodge in the Rockies first thing in the morning, there we can stay hidden from unfriendly eyes until your crew is ready to leave." John Blazer announced David and Sarah.

"Just what sort of advanced technology are you speaking of Uncle?" David Charlton asked.

However, John Blazer would not tell him, instead, he told him that he would have to wait until they were on their way to Mars. Once there, he would find that the technicians of Blazer Space were already hard at work installing them into his father`s old and very tired freighter.

The rest of the day, and most of the evening, was filled with David tracing the current whereabouts of his proposed crew, and then phoning them. All of them were on Earth, and through various flukes of chance, all of them were available, and they had all agreed to join him on his self-imposed quest, one filled with the risk of danger and a lot of uncertainty.

When Tony Miles had returned from his latest trip, which was a local space hop taking freight out to the moon Ganymede, he had broken his leg and so been laid up. His ship having already departed on a long distance hop out to Alpha Centauri, and from there it made a circular trip delivering freight to the nearer colony planets. This all meant that he was currently out of a job. Now he was fit and ready to start work but with no work in the offing.

Jack Fielding had been enjoying some time on Earth, after spending so much of his life in the engineering departments of so many starships, and so he was temporarily out of a job, but through choice.

Steve Ryan was a very old friend of David`s having met him at university. He was also a very successful self-employed computer genius, and usually very busy on some project or another. Hard work allowed him to finish his latest contract for Boeing Space early, and so he was open to other offers, David Charlton was lucky in that he called at the right moment in time. Why Ryan decided to agree to join such a risky mission he didn`t say, but for whatever reason had induced him to leave his life of ease, David could only be grateful, whatever it was.

Sarah had managed to get the Dean of MIT to agree to a temporary leave of absence; luckily, the summer break was almost upon them. However, he was a little annoyed that she had refused to tell the reason why she wanted the time away from the university; this was because of the secrecy that covered everything to do with their quest. He had however, insisted that she take along with her, for light reading, a number of books relating to advanced theoretical physics, these were to ensure that she didn`t fall behind the rest of the students, and she had to promise to read them each and every night.

His crew would be ready to leave in just two days, so John Blazer took David, Sarah and Barney out to his terrestrial shuttlecraft, which was parked on the small landing pad beside his penthouse apartment, and they all looked forward to spending those forty-eight hours enjoying the beauty and the quiet of the mountains. The small craft took off from the top floor of the skyscraper and moved up and away from the other tall buildings that littered the skyline. As they did, David saw two men appear on the roof of the nearest skyscraper building, and he immediately saw that they were armed with powerful energy rifles. Before he could respond to them the two men opened fire on their craft, and powerful bolts of energy whistled by their craft.

"It must be those bloody aliens again David, this is what I was afraid might happen as soon as you spoke about your rescue mission to the stars." John Blazer cried out as he veered away from the building where the two Mazeren assassins were standing.

However, even as they put some distance between them and their attackers, one of the powerful bolts of energy struck the shuttlecraft, exploding against its rear hull and throwing David and Sarah painfully about. John Blazer though had already braced himself for such an eventuality, and he managed to keep control as he piloted the craft away from Washington and their attackers.

"We will have to skip our quiet forty-eight hours in the Rockies, David; our two friends back there will more than likely make that their next target. Instead we will stop by an old friend of mine, he`s a naturalist who lives just outside of the town of Brownwood in Texas." John Blazer announced as he altered course away from the Rockies and headed south.

Sarah swivelled round so that she could look to the rear of the small craft, and she saw that a jagged hole had appeared in the metal hull. She then turned back but immediately felt something sharp dig into her hand as she rested it on her leg. David had turned to her as she let out a small gasp, to see blood on Sarah`s hand, it had come from her leg for a small piece of the hull of the shuttlecraft was sticking out of her thigh and blood was beginning to drip onto the floor.

"My god you`re hurt Sarah, Uncle John we need to get Sarah to a hospital immediately." David cried in panic.

"I`m all right David, don`t fuss so." Sarah said as she passed out.

John Blazer looked across at Sarah and for an instant felt a wave of panic rush through him, but he was an old soldier and quickly smothered his emotions.

"Barney you take over here, and increase our speed to maximum." John Blazer ordered his metal friend who was sitting in the co-pilot`s chair. He then left the pilot`s chair and moved back to join the others. He pulled out a pocket knife and carefully cut the leg of Sarah`s jeans so that the part of her thigh that was injured was exposed and after a lengthy inspection declared himself satisfied.

"David, Sarah should be all right for a little while, it doesn`t appear to be bleeding all that much." Blazer pulled a large cotton handkerchief from out of his pocket and gave it to David.

"Put this around the piece of metal and try to hold the handkerchief firmly against the wound, but don`t attempt to pull out that piece of metal David, it will only make the bleeding all the worse. I`ve already told Barney to increase our speed to maximum so we should be at Brownwood within an hour. Colin is a veterinarian, one who specialises in surgery, so he will be able to look after her. If we land anywhere else it will only give our attackers time to get on our trail."

It was a long journey for David but he felt a lot better when Sarah regained consciousness after just ten minutes.

"Sorry about fainting, it was silly of me, the shock of seeing the piece of metal in my leg I suppose." Sarah said but then she felt the pain caused by David trying to stem the flow of blood, for in doing so he was pushing the wound against the jagged piece of metal.

"Damn you David what are you trying to do to my leg? Just stop it please, that bloody hurts." Sarah protested angrily.

"I`m sorry Sarah, I was just trying to stem the flow of your blood." David said apologetically.

"Well it`s stopped now so let go." Then Sarah saw the damage Blazer had done to her jeans. "And what have you been doing to my new pair of expensive designer jeans?" Sarah demanded angrily.

"Uncle John had to cut your jeans about so that he could check your leg to see how it was. We are still heading for Brownwood; Uncle John says that his friend Colin Power will be able to fix you up." David Charlton said smiling down at his fiancée.

"How long before we get to Brownwood?" Sarah asked, a smile coming to her face as she realised that David had in fact been trying to help her.

She now realised that her leg hurt quite a lot, with or without David`s supposed assistance, and she felt decidedly queer. She moved the blood-soaked handkerchief away and looked once again at her poor leg. The blood did appear to have stopped seeping out, thanks to David`s help, she looked up sheepishly.

"Sorry for shouting at you David, but you were hurting me, and I`ve only worn these jeans the once."

Sarah looked decidedly sorry for her display of anger and reaching up towards him pulled his head down for a quick kiss that stopped when a spasm of pain went through her leg.

"That`s okay sweetheart, I`ll buy you a new pair as soon as we can get to the shops" David promised. He reached down, gently squeezed her hand, and then looked at her wounded leg with the jagged piece of metal sticking out defiantly.

"If we ever meet those two men then I promise you that they will pay for hurting you my darling." Sarah looked up at his sad face and smiled, but before she could reply, John Blazer called back to her.

"We should be at Brownwood in under an hour, can you hold on that long or do you want us to find you a doctor now?" Blazer asked just a little concerned for the young woman.

"And be delayed by a lot of questions from the authorities, as well as putting the aliens back on our trail, I will wait to see your friend, but thank you John for asking, but I think that I can last out, but how on Earth did they learn about our proposed trip?" Sarah Jane Hardin asked thoughtfully.

"They probably heard about the sale of David`s house, and decided to investigate." Blazer answered. He felt more than a little guilty about Sarah`s wound, had he financed the trip initially, their attackers would never have found out.

"You're probably correct John. I think I will get a little shuteye; it might make me feel a little better." Sarah replied and closed her eyes to attempt to get some sleep, and hoped that her leg wouldn`t be quite so painful later.

David also thought that his godfather was correct, but it didn`t make him wish that he had not started on his quest, his father was still out there, somewhere, and it was his duty to find him, alive or dead. Although Sarah's injury did make his conscience eat at his vitals as he once again looked down at her injured leg and the blood-soaked jeans.

They landed at a large house that stood in its own grounds some ninety feet from a narrow dirt track. Apart from the house, there was nothing else to see. A gardener, Mr Chavez, kept the area around the house tidy, and the gardener's wife acted as housekeeper to the aging scientist Colin Powers, who lived there. John Blazer had decided to keep their visit a secret even from Powers, as he didn`t want to take the chance that their attackers might be listening in over the airways, and so tell them their new destination. He landed the shuttlecraft onto the dusty area at the rear of the property to see an angry Powers appear at the door, energy pistol in his hand, demanding to know who was disturbing his peace. When John Blazer appeared from out of the shuttlecraft, Powers stopped complaining and welcomed them into his house, while John Blazer explained why they had dropped in.

"So, you see Colin we need you to tend to Sarah, and we need a place to lie low in for the next couple of days, can you help us?" John Blazer asked, although he already knew the answer.

There was ample room, and Mrs Chavez was soon put to making up the beds so that they would be ready for their unexpected guests. David carried Sarah through to his Colin`s small animal surgery, where he put her on a long metal table used by Colin Powers when he tended to sick or injured animals. Colin first inspected the wound and then he picked up a bottle of antiseptic.

"Right this might hurt just a little Sarah but it will clean the area around the wound."

The antiseptic did sting a little, but it was not as bad as the painful injury in her leg. Satisfied that he had reduced the chances of infection, Colin Powers next looked at the cause of her injury.

"Right well I will first give you a shot of something to numb your leg and then I will take out that nasty piece of metal in your leg, thankfully Sarah, it has missed anything vital."

Colin now injected Sarah with a local anaesthetic and after giving it time to work Colin carefully pulled the fragment of metal from out of her leg. He then applied some more of his antiseptic and put in some of the newest dissolvable stitches to close the wound. Finally, he added a dressing to keep the wound clean.

"You are looking a little pale Sarah, probably shock, as you don`t appear to have lost too much blood, even so you should take it easy for a day or so, and keep warm. You will have to visit a doctor`s surgery to have them check your wound to ensure that it is healing ok. I will put you on a course of antibiotics to stop any infection, but apart from that take Paracetamol for any pain you might get. Try to stay off your feet, in fact just keep your leg up for a while to help it heal, and to ensure that you don`t tear your stitches." Colin ordered his patient.

"Thank you, Colin, it feels a lot better already." Sarah said, as she smiled her thanks at the aging veterinarian.

"I`ll give you a mild sedative to help you sleep at night, in case your leg hurts, it will help you mend." Colin said to Sarah. He wanted to ensure that she got enough rest so that her leg would heal all the quicker.

The Chavez`s were sworn to secrecy, and the shuttlecraft parked inside of the only other building on the property, a large barn built by the previous owner who had kept a small herd of cows and a few chickens. The next two days went by without anymore-unwanted guests making a violent appearance. David tried to use the injury to her leg as an excuse to have her remain on Earth, but Sarah was having none of it.

"They must have a clinic on Mars, the doctors there can check my leg out, and we can rest over there if need be until the doctors give me the all clear. There is no way that you are leaving me behind." Sarah stated defiantly.

Colin gave Sarah her sleeping draught to help her sleep, and then they all settled down for their final night at Powers` house. It was in the early hours of their final morning that Colin Powers burst into David`s room.

"There is someone prowling around outside David, I think that there are at least two of them. Now we don`t usually have that sort of trouble here in Brownwood, so I`m guessing it might be your friends back for a second go at you." Powers whispered.

David crawled out of his bed swearing under his breath as he quickly pulled on his jeans. He then pulled his energy weapon out of his travel bag and followed Colin Powers down to the front room, where he looked cautiously out of the front window for signs of anyone. Immediately he saw the shadows moving out by the front gate.

"Yes Colin, I can see them, you go and rouse Uncle John, tell him we might be in for some more trouble. I will keep watch down here."

Colin disappeared up the stairs and minutes later returned with John Blazer who looked carefully through all of the windows for signs of the prowlers.

"I don`t see any signs of life David, are you sure that you saw someone?" John Blazer asked. "Hang on I see them now, what are they up to David, why didn`t they just come shooting?" John Blazer wondered.

"Maybe they can`t decide what to do, well why don`t we make it easy for them Uncle John?" David said smiling.

"Just what do you mean by making it easy for them David, are you volunteering to become a live target?" John Blazer queried anxiously, for he was worried in case this was exactly what his godson meant to do.

"No Uncle John, I just think that we should make their intentions clear to us, so that we can shoot them." David said.

He looked across at an old-fashioned coat stand that stood by the door and then he smiled at the others. "Hang on a moment, I think that Colin has the ideal prop over there." With that, he took off his belt and tied it around the base of the coat stand, which was of the variety that came with wheels.

"Ok every duck down because I`m about to turn on the light on the far wall so that our friends outside can see in here just a little clearer." With the light turned on David tugged on his belt and pulled the coat stand across the area of floor that could be seen from the windows. Outside Leor Amharic and Retz Pula saw the light turn on through the curtains, but the curtains stopped them from seeing anything more than a few indistinct shapes. They did see a figure moving across the room, and Leor Amharic didn`t need to think things over any more. He put his powerful energy rifle to his shoulder and fired a high energy bolt that whistled angrily through the air and destroyed the glass of the window, put a large hole into the curtain and finally exploded against the coat rack, knocking it down out of sight of the two Mazerens. They quickly followed this up by charging towards the house, Leor Amharic crashed through the broken window while Retz Pula rushed in through the unlocked front door. Both looked wildly around them as they stood there immobile for a second, before crashing to the floor. John Blazer took out Leor Amharic and David fired at Retz Pula. Both of their weapons had been set on heavy stun, just in case the two assassins had donned body armour, but it was now plain to see that they hadn`t been wearing anything heavier than light summer clothing. They both lay on the floor, still grasping their powerful energy rifles, and both dead to the world.

"Well Uncle John what do we do with them now?" David inquired of his godfather. However, it was Colin who answered him.

"Don`t you worry about these two jaspers David, you all head to the Cape right now. As soon as you have left, I will phone the local sheriff and tell him I have caught me a couple of housebreakers. I`m sure that these two jaspers won`t argue about it, far better for them to be thought of as armed intruders rather than assassins." Colin Powers said.

"It doesn`t seem right though to let them off so easily Uncle John, they are probably the same ones who killed that man in your apartment block, as well as trying to shoot your shuttlecraft down and kill anyone they found in Colin`s house." David complained. "Surely, we come up with another plan, something that will punish these two killers to the fullest extent of the law?" David wanted to know.

"They`ll be punished all right David, they shot at me didn`t they, in fact they tried to kill me for no apparent reason. The judge who presides down here will make them wish they had stayed away from Texas, he lost his only son the month before last to a couple of killers down from the city, down for an easy buck, he won`t forget that when he sentences these two aliens." Colin said smiling at his friends.

"How come you were up and about at such an hour Colin?" John Blazer asked of his friend.

"As you know John, I keep a few chickens, but just lately some varmint has been stealing their eggs. Therefore, I have made a simple alarm system from some of my equipment I use for keeping track of the local wildlife. Our two friends here must have tripped it when they entered the grounds around my house, and that is what alerted me to their presence." Colin replied.

"More importantly Uncle John, how on earth did they track us down?" David asked.

"There can only be one answer, somehow they managed to put a tracer on my shuttlecraft, and we will have to find it before we leave here in case there are any more of their friends in the country." John Blazer said and marched out of the house and into the barn. It didn`t take them long to find it, it was on the underside of the hull and only inches away from the jagged hole.

***********

Thirty minutes later and after rousing Sarah, for Colin had given her a powerful sleeping draught rather than the mild one to ensure that she rested, they put their bags back into the shuttlecraft and got aboard. That is after ensuring that the aliens were securely tied up, for they wanted to ensure that their friend was safe, only then did they make a hurried exit of Brownwood.

"Is Colin going to be all right Uncle John, he`s not going to get into any trouble?" David asked worriedly as they flew across a dark landscape.

"Don`t worry David, I will look in on him after I return from Mars, to ensure that everything went off all right." John Blazer promised.

They arrived at the Cape just as the sun rose over the Atlantic Ocean. Sarah had fallen asleep again, and when she woke, she had a myriad of questions to ask. The sleeping draught had made her oblivious to much of what had happened. Once back on the ground they parked themselves in the offices of Blazer Space, enjoyed a series of coffees to wake Sarah up, and waited as the new crew of the Galactic Traveller turned up one by one.

Tony Miles had been the first to arrive, his broken leg fully mended; now he was impatient to start on the adventure. He was twenty-five years in age with brown hair and a pair of large brown eyes and an ever-young good looking but boyish face. He was bored with life and wanted to experience something exciting, later he could settle down to enjoy the rest of his life in normal mode. He had smiled when he saw Sarah, but this smile turned to a look of concern when he noticed the bandage peeking out from under the hem of her skirt, for she had on a skirt so that her leg wouldn`t get too warm and inflame the wound, but he got angry when he was told the reason.

Jimmy Fielding lived near to the spaceport at the Cape, having bought a small place on the coast to live out his remaining days, only to be bored after a month of living the life of a beachcomber. He was now nearing the age of sixty-five and had retained most of his hair, although it was now very grey, and he had kept most of his teeth. His eyes were grey, his build slight and he only stood five feet six inches in height. He had arrived to be greeted by Barney who showed him into the office of John Blazer, which was above and to the rear of the hanger where the grey compact shuttlecraft stood. Jimmy Fielding had seen and worked with robots before, and was sure in his own mind about the pros and cons relating to the need to have them, and as far as he was concerned the cons had it by a mile. He too was surprised when he heard of the latest bit of excitement, and he tried to talk Sarah into staying behind, but she thanked him for his kind thoughts but quietly refused to give the matter a moment of her time.

Steve Ryan had been the last to arrive at the hanger where the craft was patiently sitting since the last time Blazer had used it. Then it had been to journey across to Earth`s moon on a trip that won a brilliant scientist for Blazer Space. Now it had another one, inside of its cramped passenger cabin, Steve Ryan. His late arrival was due to a last-minute errand that he had run at the bequest of John Blazer, which was to stop off at the factory partly owned by Steve and bring along six of his latest android tablets, for an unspecified use. Steve didn`t appear to be looking forward to this new phase in his already illustrious career, for he was looking very glum. He couldn`t believe that he had agreed to join David on this mad venture, but at least he would be away from Veronica Payne. Why had he fallen so deeply in love with her when he had heard the stories about her? His friends had warned him about the string of broken hearts that she had left in her wake. Well from the little he knew about this trip of David`s, it was not only his heart that would be in danger of breaking, but the rest of his body as well. Steve was tall, just over six foot, with blond hair, blue eyes and good looks, couple this to his muscular build, and he could have the pick of the ladies that were part of his and his friends` scene. You might wonder why Veronica Payne had thrown him over, but the cause of their final argument was something Steve himself was still wondering. Then for her to agree to join a group who were going for a trip up the Amazon River was simply baffling to him, for it was all she could do to rough it on some of her more adventurous photo shoots. Veronica would be accompanying some of her rich spoilt friends in the company of a writer, he was set on experiencing the river and its denizens for a new book he was thinking about writing, but most people didn`t wonder why, for she had done similar things all through her exciting life as a model. Steve hadn`t noticed Sarah`s leg resting on a nearby chair, he was too taken up with his own sorrows.

Now they were in interplanetary space and heading quickly towards the red planet, with Pete Spencer, an employee of Blazer Space, piloting the shuttlecraft, and so the next phase of their dangerous adventure had begun. It was now that John Blazer told the new crew of the freighter, the Galactic Traveller, some new facts that kept them quiet in their seats while they took them in.

"Blazer Space and Boeing Space together have improved on the defence capability of our starships. Our new energy weapon is a vast improvement on the older models, although the engines of your freighter, the Galactic Traveller, will only allow a couple of shots before you will have to recharge them or risk losing power to your engines, and leaving you helpless. I have included it amongst the improvements being carried out on the freighter for use against any space pirate who might try to intercept you. The Galactic Traveller doesn`t have the necessary power in its engines to allow you to go up against any serious opponent, and I would stress that you shouldn`t even try. We have also improved the scanning capability of starships, and as long as you are not using your engines entire energy output running or fighting, then this new scanner will operate at one hundred per cent even on the Galactic Traveller. This item will assist you the most in your search for the Blazer Explorer." John Blazer stopped here to allow those present to take all of this relatively good news in before proceeding on with his revelations.

"What I have to tell you next is top secret at the moment. I am only allowed to inform you now that we are travelling across to Mars. The people of the planet Earth have made contact with its first alien race." John Blazer stopped here for the expected explosion of questions to his little bombshell.

"You`re kidding, you must be?" Steve Ryan declared, his mouth hanging open for a few moments before he remembered to close it for a moment, before continuing with his question.

"Where about in space did we make contact John, and who made the contact?" Steve then saw that Sarah had her leg up on David`s lap and then he saw the bandage peeking out from under her skirt. "Are you all right Sarah; is there something wrong with your leg?" He asked and was amazed when all the others around him burst out in laughter.

"Yes I`m fine thank you Steve, I just had a little trouble with an exploding shuttlecraft, but everything is okay now."

David told Steve of their adventures. Of how Sarah had been injured, and then of the attack on Colin Powers' house. Then they returned to Steve`s original question regarding the location of the alien planet.

"It happened in the quadrant of space you are about to explore, and first contact was made by one of my drones that was out searching for signs of the Blazer Explorer." John Blazer said and looked towards David and smiled.

"You see David, I too have not given up hope for them yet, and my reasons for not helping you until now were only because I feared for your lives. When I informed the government about the aliens, they asked me to keep quiet about it, for they did not want anybody to know about my findings until contact had been established by an ambassadorial party. I decided to withhold the knowledge from you until I could reasonably guarantee your safety for at least part of the time. The meeting between the ambassador and the aliens was arranged by me via the drone. Our aliens did not realise that the drone had entered their planetary system, maybe because it is small and so hard to detect, and because as soon as it detected signs of intelligent life it was under orders to ensure that the life did not detect it. I didn`t want it being destroyed before it had contacted us. It slipped into the planetary system with only the barest of systems still operating, I brought the drone towards their planet at ninety degrees to their planetary axis, and it managed to enter orbit without being detected. Only then, did it spring to life and begin sending down its message to the aliens. They must have been very surprised to find out that our world had managed to slip by their defences, defences that I believe took out the Blazer Explorer. They had no choice but to respond to our overtures, a ship will leave Earth orbit in three days' time, the space cruiser Intrepid, I have arranged for the Galactic Traveller to be the only other ship that will also make the voyage, you are to carry gifts to the aliens. These gifts are also a sample of the goods that we hope we will be able to trade with them as soon as we agree diplomatic relations. This will give you the opportunity to slip into this area of space safely, but you should remember that we know nothing about these people, and all we can surmise is that they may be behind the mysterious disappearance of the Blazer Explorer. If our fears are correct, you cannot allow yourself to be caught snooping, as we have no idea what they may do to you, but after the way they treated us in Washington I don`t suppose it will be nice." John Blazer said.

"The Intrepid is one of the new class of space cruisers isn`t it Uncle? David asked.

"Yes, and it also carries all of the advances in space technology made by Earth over the last year. But it will be under strict instructions not to cause any diplomatic incidents, and it will carry aboard it the Ambassador and his entourage, and being a politician, he will have no problem in ditching you, should it suit his aims." John Blazer replied.

"Do we know what these aliens call themselves yet?" Steve Ryan asked.

"Yes, Steve, they are from the planet Mazere and they are Mazerens. They look very like us, as did the people who attacked us at the Washington space port, and as soon as you can obtain a sample of their DNA, we will be able to confirm one way or another whether they are one and the same." Blazer said in answer to Steve`s question.

"This here politician, if we find that the DNA matches, what is his response likely to be John?" Jimmy Fielding asked.

"He`s a politician Jimmy, so he is likely to look for a carpet to brush any such information under, isn`t he." Sarah called across to him laughing which immediately caused the rest of them to join in.

"My father always said that if a politician`s lips were moving then he was most likely lying about something, and I firmly believe that to be the truth." Tony Miles said in a manner that brooked no argument.

"You may well be right Sarah, Tony; for I only got the information regarding the terrorists DNA due to the fact that I resorted to blackmail, and was also owed a large favour by someone high up in the Space Department. I do not want this information regarding our knowledge of the DNA results getting out unless it will be of real use to you, I don`t want one of you revealing it because the politicians are pissing you off, understand?" The people around him all nodded to show that they accepted the restriction, although Jimmy did have a question.

"Can we assume that the ambassador also has this knowledge, and if so can`t we speak to him about it?" Jimmy queried.

"Jimmy, I have arranged for a DNA decoding machine to be installed on your ship, and it will have the results of the alien DNA tests already in it, all you need to get is a sample of the aliens DNA. If you find that they match, and you feel that broaching the subject with the ambassador will help you move two or more steps forward, then yes you may speak to him about it, otherwise I would advise that you all to keep quiet until such a time when you will be able to move forward by those two steps."

The craft landed upon the red planet, some two hundred feet away from an old freighter that had never seen so many people bustling about it. The Galactic Traveller was the last of a line built fifty years ago, and it was still going strong despite its age, and the lack of new parts for such an old spacecraft. Richard and David Charlton had to visit starship graveyards to find the vital replacement parts they occasionally required to keep the ship operational, luckily for them there one was on Mars where they kept the starship when it wasn`t in use. The ship was sitting where David had left it, inside a manmade scoop in the ground, it was the last in a row of such depressions that marked this portion of the space port of Mars. A mobile clear aluminium dome had been moved along this row of depressions and now protected the starship against the worst that Mars could throw at it while it sat on the planet, it had also been pressurised so that the team of engineers could work all the more efficiently without a space suit. They were more of Blazer Space`s technicians, busy ensuring that when the starship left for deep space it would not break down. All around the ship were various parts that had been carefully removed and checked, and were now waiting to be fitted back with the seal of approval by one of the most skilled of men, a Blazer technician. Within another twenty-four hours, the ship would be ready to have its cargo put into its large hold, cargo that was already being delivered to the red planet by an assortment of interplanetary spaceships.

David Charlton and his small crew went aboard the old starship, David to check on the work being done to his vessel, Sarah after asking where her cabin was, went to it for a sleep, and the others were there to have a look at their new home for the unforeseeable future. John Blazer accompanied David to introduce him to the team of technicians, and to see for himself just how much more work was to be done before it was ready for a deep space flight into danger. The chief technician came forward to talk with them as soon as he saw them board the starship.

"We have finished installing the two new pieces of technology as per your request Mr Blazer, and we are now checking over the original circuitry and hardware to ensure that the crew of this old tub doesn`t get any surprises, so far it has a clean bill of health. We have also replaced some of the components aboard the ship for more modern units that react faster to commands than the older hardware, and it should also make it more robust."

"This is David Charlton, the old tub`s owner and captain, Alan." Blazer said grinning at Alan Beecham, a forty something whiz kid of starship mechanics. He was tall, lean, brown eyed and balding just a little; and now he smiled at David.

"Sorry about insulting your craft Captain, for her age she is in good nick." Beecham said by way of an apology.

"That`s okay, she may be getting old but she can still do her job, she just needs a lot of attention before each trip, oh and call me David, captain sounds to grand a title for the pilot of an old tub." David replied smiling at the tall technician before him.

Alan Beecham immediately took to David, he knew that some captains could be a little touchy about insults to their craft, but David Charlton still possessed a sense of humour that the space department of Earth had not eradicated just yet.

"If you will both follow me, I will point out the additions and improvements that my team have carried out."

Beecham led them both onto the bridge and showed them the controls that would operate the new technology aboard the starship; the scanners that would allow David to know the intentions of any ship near enough to cause him a problem. Alternatively, it could tell him the components of a nebulous anomaly should he need somewhere safe to hide. The second piece of technology was the energy weapon that would come as a nasty surprise to anyone who might want to make unwelcome approaches, assuming that these people were not aboard a space cruiser. Then he gave David a quick how to operate them lesson, Barney of cause would be the one to give him and his crew a more comprehensive schooling in the modern technologies of the second half of the twenty second century. Just then, Jimmy Fielding came up to the three men.

"Everything looks fine David, I`m fully conversant with the hardware aboard this ship, having grown old amongst them, so they won`t provide me with any problems, and I in turn will be able to ensure the ship does whatever you want her to do. The techies tell me that we will be ready to go well before the Intrepid shows up." Jimmy said.

"Great, Jimmy, then all we need to do after the work is finished, is to load the cargo aboard and await the arrival of the Intrepid." David replied.

"There is one other point that you should know David, the ambassador will know of your real reason for making this voyage, and from what I know of him, he is unlikely to allow you any slack, the ambassador is Jules Kennedy." John Blazer said quietly to his young godson.

David Charlton almost collapsed over this news about who would be in command of this mission, and have so much control over his quest, if he allowed him too that is. Kennedy hated his father with all of his heart, for his father had married Patricia Soames, as she was then, the woman both men had loved. When she had almost died from the complications that had arisen when she was giving birth to David, his hatred had been transferred to him. How he felt about him following the disappearance of Patricia Charlton he didn`t know, but it would hardly have improved his feelings towards him, and it would certainly make his quest all the more difficult.

The next day Sarah called on the colony`s doctor to have him check on her leg, and thankfully he found it to be healing nicely. All it required was a little more rest and it would be as good as new. That next day their cargo was delivered to them and duly stowed away within the ship`s hold, and then the space cruiser Intrepid arrived on the following day and went into orbit around Mars. The captain of the space cruiser didn`t waste any time but immediately called them and told them to be ready to leave Mars in four hours' time. Sarah took advantage of these four hours to visit the clinic for a final check-up before her journey into deep space; the doctor repeated his findings of her last visit, but as she was leaving the clinic the colony`s doctor called her back to give her a present.

"You might find this handy for the next week; it will help to keep your weight off of your injured leg." The doctor then handed an aluminium walking stick over to Sarah with a smile.

"Thank you, Doctor, I really appreciate it, I promise to return it on our way back to Earth."

The doctor`s kind thought, for someone who was a stranger, put her in good cheer and she returned to the Galactic Traveller with a smile on her face. She got a little ribbing from the rest of the crew when she showed off her present, but they were now ready for lift off. After saying their goodbyes to John Blazer and his team of technicians, David took the old freighter out of the large hanger and up through the thin Martian atmosphere to rendezvous with the Intrepid, which contacted them as soon as they made orbit.

"Captain Charlton we will lead and you will follow at your best speed, we are heading for the Pollux system where upon arrival I will then tell you of our intended final destination, understood Captain?" Their radio announced to them all.

"Understood Intrepid, we are ready to leave as of this moment." Charlton replied.

During the next seven days the crew of the Galactic Traveller familiarised themselves with the ship and its components, and Jimmy Fielding ensured that he knew every nut and bolt on the ship, and especially the two new pieces of technology that he had not seen before. Barney was a great help both in explaining the workings of these two items to David and Jimmy, and in his capacity as night watchman allowing the bridge crew to sleep from eleven until four when Steve Ryan took over allowing Barney to relieve Tony Miles down in engineering for the last part of the early morning watch. Even Jimmy began to accept that Barney was useful.

"David, I have been on many a starship, but up until now I haven`t come across a robot that was of any real use, here on our ship with such a small crew, I must admit that he is useful, and he has a way about him when he is in teacher mode that almost makes me like him." This was almost a recommendation coming from Jimmy.

"You are quite right Jimmy; Barney has turned me into a first-rate navigator." Sarah said whom being amongst the brightest of the humans aboard, was fast learning to become an excellent bridge officer, although she was inconvenienced, just a little, by her injured leg. Sarah helping on the bridge allowed David time for other things, such as thinking about how to proceed when they finally reached their destination.

"Yes, Barney has become a part of the crew and one that I would be quite happy to have around, even after we find dad and his crew and can return to more mundane things." David said as Barney appeared on the bridge having left engineering in the capable hands of Tony Miles.

"Everything is operating satisfactory Captain." Barney said in his metallic voice. "I will shut down for a short while I check my own systems to ensure that I too am operating satisfactory, if that is okay Captain." Almost all of his indicator lights then began to blink in anticipation of David giving permission to proceed.

"Of course, Barney take a break, we can handle things in the meantime." David replied.

David spoke to Barney just as if he were human; he found that it worked better for everyone if the robot was treated just like one of the crew, rather than as a machine. Most of the indicator lights on Barney now turned off; there was just the low hum of whirring circuits to indicate to the humans that he was still active in some way.

Each night saw Sarah reading her books in the ship's small galley while Jimmy listened to his music on his MP3 player, when not on duty down in engineering. Tony spent his free time reading various technical books about engineering, as he attempted to get back on track towards earning his university degree, for he had dropped out as a teenager. If he wasn`t reading then he was speaking to Barney about starship mechanics. Steve and David spent their time talking over old times, that is when David wasn`t getting some alone time with Sarah, something he forbid on the bridge in case they became too absorbed in each other and not on the ship's systems, and whatever was happening in deep space.

The Intrepid was just inside the Galactic Traveller`s new sensor range, as the Intrepid was travelling at the much slower speed of the freighter to ensure that nothing happened to it, as had happened to the Blazer Explorer. Soon they arrived at the Pollux system and the two ships` stopped so that David Charlton could travel across to the space cruiser in their shuttlecraft to speak to Ambassador Jules Kennedy, who had some instructions of his own to give him. Sarah`s leg was a lot better now and so she travelled across with him to give him some added support, for as she had said, he would need it when he spoke with the ambassador. She also wanted to practice piloting the small shuttlecraft; however, David took over when they pulled alongside the powerful ship and came to rest at its docking station. As he had said, they couldn`t afford any accidents at this point in the voyage, as Jules Kennedy would take great pleasure in ordering them home for a space department hearing regarding any problem caused by them.

Sarah was still limping a little, but she now had the use of a walking stick so this helped to keep the weight of her injured leg. They were led along the light grey painted corridors by a very young-looking ensign, who finally showed them into a large room, which had a long heavy looking black, and a highly polished table, around which were matching chairs. The walls were the same colour as the corridors but had pictures of starships set along the wall. At the far side of the table was Jules Kennedy, he was sat in the middle chair and was flanked on either side by the senior officers of the space cruiser Intrepid. Kennedy looked up as David Charlton and Sarah were shown in by the nervous ensign, who hurriedly left them as soon as they were noticed. Kennedy now indicated the chairs that were directly opposite him and as soon as David and Sarah had seated themselves, he launched into what he must have been rehearsing for some time.

"You know that I was against your coming along on this trip Charlton." He declared looking distastefully at David Charlton as if he were something to be scraped off the soles of his shoes. "Unfortunately, John Blazer has many friends in high places and so he got his way. However, let me tell you now, you will follow my orders and those of the officers of this starship, or I will take great pleasure in consigning you to the brig, and send your rust bucket of a ship, together with the rest of motley crew, back to Earth, do I make myself clear Charlton?"

Kennedy was a tall patrician sort of a man with brown hair greying at the edges and grey eyes that never left the face of David Charlton, he obviously kept fit for there wasn`t an ounce of fat showing beneath his expensive grey suit. Kennedy`s immaculate clothing made David`s casual attire of jeans, blue striped shirt and leather jacket looked rather on the cheap side, although his build matched that of Kennedy as it was now almost back to normal, after having lost a lot of his strength during the long time that he had spent in the coma.

"Of course, Ambassador, I never had any desire to do anything but follow your lead." David said. "But I would like to remind you in turn that I have not only come on this trip to deliver cargo to an alien race, I am also here to find out what happened to a starship from Earth together with its crew. One that seems to have disappeared in the region of space that is directly ahead of us. Our personal likes or dislikes should not be allowed to prevent me from looking for them, providing that is, that I do not tread on any diplomatic toes, don`t you agree Sir?" David Charlton said in a soft voice that also managed to show his extreme distaste for the man sitting opposite him.

"Then you had better be very careful Charlton, for I have very tender toes. You may go now; the young officer who brought you to this cabin is waiting outside of the door. He is carrying an envelope, which he will give to you. Inside the envelope, you will find star charts and details of our next port of call. We leave in exactly one hour, make sure your ship is ready or we will leave you behind."

Kennedy then turned away and began to speak with the captain of the Intrepid about his requirements when they reached their destination. They were obviously dismissed, so David and Sarah stood up and left the room, and were then escorted back to their shuttle whereupon they were given the promised envelope.

Sarah took them back to the Galactic Traveller, and once back on the bridge they opened the envelope that the young ensign had given to them. They spread out the star charts on the only space available, a countertop set along one side of the bridge that ran beneath a long bank of dials that told them how the ship was operating.

"This is where we are Sarah, and here is where we are going, it should take us another five days to get there." David Charlton said to his fiancée.

"I will get working on our course immediately David." Sarah said, for she was now the ship`s official navigation officer.

Looking over her shoulder was Barney, who oversaw her work to ensure that her conclusions were correct, but this would be for the last time. Ever since they had left Mars orbit, Barney had been setting her navigational problems that included such things as not going through neutron stars or anywhere near to black holes. Sarah had picked it up fast, and Barney hadn`t needed to add anything to help her reach her course settings, which she sent from her computer screen to the one in front of David Charlton, for he was the helmsman as well as the captain of the ship.

The next five days went by without incident. Tony Miles and Jimmy Fielding had nothing to do except to check that everything was running correctly. Steve Ryan had mastered both their newly installed sensors and their energy weapon, while Sarah had mastered navigation and also knew how to read what their ship`s sensors were telling them, should Steve be required on weapons. David had nothing to worry about other to ensure they didn`t run into any surprises that this sector of space might throw at them. They were soon passing a large blue white sun. It was the brightest star in a quadruple star system named Castor, and designated HIP 36850. They entered orbit about an Earth like planet that was both smaller and very much drier than Earth, it had been designated HIP 36850 AaC by the astronomical association back on Earth, but what Steve had called New Mars, as one day it would closely resemble it, sometime in its far distant future. It was not the alien`s home world, but it was the planet chosen to host the meeting between two alien races, a planet light years away from the planet Mazere.

Steve Ryan was glued to their newly installed sensors, as the Galactic Traveller orbited around the planet to reach the position designated by their alien hosts. He did indeed find a planet that was much as Mars must have resembled, once, only New Mars was slightly larger and still possessed an atmosphere. Soon their designated landing site came into view on the fast approaching horizon. Their alien hosts had been busy since John Blazer had been in contact with them. Almost directly below them was a small town, it was set within a large desert area, but near enough to the large mountain range that ran just a few miles beyond the town`s northern borders. It was so that their hosts could utilise the small river that cascaded down the rocky slopes and flowed to the western side of the buildings. To the eastern side of the town, sunlight was reflecting off a bank of solar panels that provided some of the town's electricity requirements. To the south of the town was the space port where a multitude of craft were already parked, and as Steve zoomed in to it, he saw that a large area was pegged out, presumably for the Earth ships. Steve was giving a running commentary all of the time, but now at a request by David, he had put the view shown by their camera onto the newly installed view screen that was set onto the wall to one side of the bridge and directly behind Steve Ryan. He preferred his own small monitor set into the work surface before him.

After studying the town and the area around it, Steve zoomed back out and began to look at the desert that surrounded the small town on three sides, with the show temporarily over, the others on the bridge returned to their duties. It was while he was studying an area well to the south east of the town that Steve suddenly went very still, and he bent forward and studied the view that their camera was showing him. It was a good minute before he spoke again; he had used this time to re-check an anomaly that the sensors had found. Now he was sure of what the sensors were telling him he looked across at David with a childlike gleam in his eyes.

"I have something here David, something that could very well be the crash site of a starship. It is mostly hidden by sand, but it could be the Blazer Explorer. Whatever starship it is, it has broken into two pieces which are just one hundred feet apart." Steve cried out in excitement, gone was the cool computer genius.

David and Sarah looked back at the large view screen. "Just what do we have here Steve, tell me exactly what the sensors are telling you?" David asked eagerly.

"I have studied the schematics of the Blazer Explorer, and I believe that the first part could well be engineering section of the ship, which would make the other part the bridge and living quarters. Whatever is down there is made up of the same materials that are used to construct a starship, and the crash site is only some four hours' drive in our small hovercraft." Steve said in a triumphant voice that was echoed by the others as they too cried out in glee.

They had bought the hovercraft while they were on Mars for just this sort of trip; John Blazer had chosen it for its size, for it could just squeeze inside of the shuttlecraft if all but two seats were taken out.

Steve zoomed the camera lens into the scene down on the planet, and David could now make out the sleek silver lines of the starship`s hull. It could well be the Blazer Explorer, he thought, it must be! Unfortunately, much of the starship was buried now by the sand that the strong winds of New Mars had carried from the far-off dunes, and this sand had a high metallic content within it, which stopped their attempts to get beneath it, even with their new scanners.

"We will just have to wait until we can get there to see if it is my father`s ship." David said.

With the initial excitement soon over, fear began to bubble up from his gut, fear that it was the Blazer Explorer, and that he would find the dead body of his father mummified within the sarcophagus lying down in the desert sands. Also, down there would be the bodies of the other members of the crew, people who would have been his crewmates, had he not had that accident so long ago back on Earth.

Sarah sensed the change in David and put her arm around his shoulders. "I`m sure that if that is the Blazer Explorer down there David, that your father survived the crash, it will take a lot more than that to kill Richard Charlton." Sarah stated confidently.

"Yes, but it is the thought of hanging about that is so galling Sarah, all I want to do is land down there next to that crash site and see if it is my father`s ship, and if it is then to find out whether he survived such a bad crash." David said turning to look at the woman he loved.

Sarah could see the pain in his eyes; hear the anguish in his voice. All Sarah could do was smile sympathetically at him, and squeeze his arm. She knew how she would feel if their positions were reversed, and her heart ached for the pain that he must be feeling at this moment, a moment when he was unable to respond to the urgings of his heart.

"If we find that the ship down there isn`t the Blazer Explorer, what will we do then?" Sarah asked. "For it could easily be a Mazeren starship, after all, we are in their area of space."

"Go back to my original plan and explore the route between the mining planet and their final proposed destination."

Chapter Four

New Mars

The desert filled the land on three sides of the Galactic Traveller, as David Charlton took in the view from the open airlock, but he was not looking out to the desert, his attention was centred on the small number of buildings of the new township, and also on the alien starships that filled most of the sandy spaceport. Mind you, spaceport was a bit of an exaggeration, for in realty it was open desert filled with starships parked around it. There weren`t any of the buildings and facilities that Washington space port boasted, this space port had been hastily constructed by simply levelling out the desert, and for one reason only, to host this meeting between two alien races. Two hundred feet away from him stood the smart new Shuttlecraft that belonged to the space cruiser Intrepid. The Intrepid was still in orbit about New Mars, as the crew of the Galactic Traveller called this small planet, and there it would remain until they knew more about the aliens. The ambassador and his party of politicians had come down to the planet aboard its shuttlecraft. They had quarters somewhere within the small township, and made available to them by their hosts. David Charlton and his crew would have to sleep aboard their freighter, they were merely deliverymen, and of no importance to anyone. Sarah stood at his shoulder and looked out at the view, what she saw didn`t impress her much.

"Well David, I have seen better places, but at least we will be able to go on our little trips unobserved, what with us being way out here on the side lines." Sarah said thoughtfully.

She had whispered these words across to David, as Steve Ryan had warned them to be extra careful whenever and wherever they spoke, for he thought that the aliens could well be listening in to every word that the people of Earth said. They would use the type of devices spies or newspaper reporters back on Earth used, when on a surveillance mission, or hoping for a scoop. This time though the whine of the ships air circulation pumps covered what she had said so quietly. These pumps were now about to go silent, as the doors of the starship were all opened to let some fresh air in, it would replace the recycled air that smelt a little of the disinfectant used in the scrubbers. They were now going to say anything relevant to their real reason for being here via their small android smartphones, which were all tuned into one another, and everything they had to say about their quest had to be laboriously typed in. The devices were the latest model of smartphone, and were going on sale back on Earth even as their designer used one to bring David and Sarah back inside. They had felt their androids vibrate and then read the message contained on the five by three-inch screen. The range of the android was phenomenal, which would mean that wouldn`t be any problems regarding communications when they went to investigate the crashed starship.

Steve Ryan looked up as they entered and typed in a quick message on the ship`s computer keyboard, which was also in the loop and made for an easier life. Their androids vibrated again as they received his message.

"Somebody is trying to access our computer, not that they have a duck`s chance in hell, my new programming is equal to anything on Earth, and probably here also by the looks of our amateur hacker."

David smiled across at his tall friend and just nodded, all this typing would become a chore soon, so it was easier to nod or smile when that was all that was required.

"Can you fit out part of the ship so that we can speak without the need of your toys Steve?" David wrote down on a small board that they also used when in proximity to one another.

"Yes, I should be able to make an area a snooper free zone, without too much trouble. I will get on to it immediately." Steve answered.

"I will have to leave you to it, as it is time to check in with our overlords. I expect that Kennedy will want to give us countless instructions regarding our cargo and its disposal, and probably about our expected behaviour while we are guests of the Mazerens." David said to the others before turning to Sarah.

"Do you want to walk across with me to the Intrepid`s shuttle, Sarah, see if his lordship is there or has left any orders for us his menials. If you`re feeling up to it that is?" He said smiling at her upturned face. "It will at least help to pass some of the hours away that lie before us. Until dawn tomorrow, that is when we can ride out to the crash site and see if it answers any of our questions. Whatever the answers, it will only be then that I will be able to rest a little easier." Regarding their plans for tomorrow David once again made use of the small board.

"Sure, my leg is much better now, and I could do with some exercise anyway, and who knows, we might even find something of interest over there." Sarah said smiling and immediately walked across to the airlock before turning back to look at David.

"Well are we going for a walk or not?" Sarah had still been using her walking stick up until now, but for her first outing since Mars, she decided to leave it behind.

"Yes, but you had better put on a warm coat first, I think you might find it a little cold out there today, and that lightweight dress is too light to keep out the weather of New Mars."

Sarah was dressed in a pale blue cotton dress that made her look even prettier, but as she was aboard a small freighter with three other men besides David, she had ensured that her wardrobe was ultra-respectable. It wouldn`t be fair to any of them to be cooped up with a woman that advertised her wares too much in such a confined space, and for so long a time as they would probably be together in the cramped confines of the starship. Sarah walked back to her cabin, collected a full-length red woollen coat, and put it on. Then she re-joined David, who had donned his black leather coat, he never wore or owned another coat other than a leather one, and they both exited the freighter to breathe in the cool northern air that was blowing directly at them from the nearby mountains. David looked up at the clear sky above his head, and saw that it had a reddish tinge to it; yes, he thought New Mars is a very apt name for this dust bowl. Turning his attention back to the spaceport, he and Sarah then walked across the dusty spaceport towards the shuttle, and when they were almost there Sarah brought his attention to an extra-large marquee that was being erected on the eastern edge of the small town.

"Maybe they are going to have a party alfresco." David said as they finally arrived at the Intrepid`s shuttle craft. David popped his head through the open airlock and knocked on the outer wall of the shuttle while calling out.

"Hello, is there anyone home?"

A man appeared from the stern of the shuttlecraft, he was dressed in the usual space department uniform, similar to that warn by American air force officers, except for the badges on his shoulders displayed an old-fashioned rocket ship with an elongated arrow head running diagonally across it.

"I`m Lieutenant Charles Williams, can I be of any help to you?" He was younger than David was; he looked to be about twenty-four years of age. He was taller though, with sandy hair and blue eyes, which together with his smile made him look quite good-looking.

"I don`t know." David replied. "I`m the captain of the freighter over there, David Charlton is the name and this is my navigation officer, Sarah Jane Hardin. We came over to introduce ourselves, and also to ask if any orders have been left for us regarding the cargo aboard our ship."

The lieutenant`s eyes took in Sarah and his smile grew broader before looking back at David.

"Oh, you`re Captain Charlton, yes I have a packet to give you. The ambassador left it with me with instructions to hand it to you when you finally deigned to call. Err they were his words not mine I might add." Williams adding the final words hastily as the smile on Sarah's face disappeared to be replaced with a frosty look that chilled him to the bone. "I`m very glad to meet you, how was the trip." Williams said looking at Sarah anxiously and smiling. "Err... both of you I mean." He added hastily once again as he was given a warning look by David Charlton. "I was under orders as to how I was to greet you upon your arrival, I am sorry about that. Actually, you only just missed the ambassador; he left to pay his respects to our alien hosts. Look can I try to make amends by offering you a coffee?" Williams asked as he tried to make up for his earlier words.

"Yes, thank you we would appreciate that; I can read our orders from our illustrious leader while we drink it." David said smiling at the young lieutenant again as peace was made between them. David always made it his policy to try to get on with people, unless they were obviously not interested in his attempts.

"Please sit-down Ms Hardin, Captain Charlton, I`ll just go and get the coffee." Williams said. They moved into the passenger compartment of the shuttlecraft and made themselves comfortable and David read their message.

"It says here Sarah that the aliens will come across to our ship within the next few hours and collect our cargo; it seems they are going to set it all up within the large tent that we saw earlier, and that the goods are to be unveiled at a grand ceremony later this evening. We are to make ourselves available should we be required later today, or at any time during our stay on the planet." David said. "Suits us doesn`t it Sarah, paid for hanging around by the space department."

They were being paid by the space department for transporting the cargo of gifts from Earth, and somehow John Blazer had arranged that they would be paid for as long as they were on the planet. In fact, they would be paid even when they were busy looking at the crash site for signs of the Blazer Explorer rather than actually working for the space department.

"Look David, I`m sorry that I greeted you both just a little rudely, I was even under orders to take your orders over to your ship if you hadn`t shown up when you did, I was to tell you that the ambassador was most displeased with your lax attitude. I can tell you that some of the officers aboard the Intrepid hold your father in high regard, and wish you well in your quest, as I do. They would all have been willing to assist you in your search, but they are under strict orders not to do anything at all that might create a diplomatic incident. They are also under orders to ensure that you and your crew don`t do anything to harm this mission." The young officer offered a sad smile but couldn`t add anything of a more constructive nature.

"Yes I`m all too aware of how the ambassador feels about us, it goes way back and there is no way that he will change his view of my father and me now, so I suggest that you keep out of it, or your career in the space fleet will come to an abrupt and embarrassing end."

David and Sarah left soon after and returned to the Galactic Traveller to tell the others that they were soon to receive alien guests, and this information started the others discussing as to how the alien people might differ from those on Earth. Steve Ryan though was feeling claustrophobic after being cooped up for so long inside the starship, so he asked to be excused while he went for a walk around the town. Steve donned a similar coat to David, crossed the deserted spaceport, and on reaching the town, strolled between the rows of prefabricated buildings in search of something of interest. He came across a young alien male playing on an electronic tablet of a design unknown to Steve, but at a glance, he could see that it was way behind anything available on Earth. He decided that he would stop a while and see how the youth got on defeating the large bearlike animal on the screen, and it was a few minutes before the alien realised that anyone else was there, so intent was he on his game.

"Hello, you must be one of the aliens from Earth." The youth said.

He looked to be about eighteen years of age, was tall and gangly with black hair and large brown eyes. Steve was taken aback by the young alien speaking to him in very good English, and without very much of an accent. He could easily have come from Earth. Steve decided to stay a little longer and find out just where the youth learnt to speak an alien language so confidently.

"Yes, you`re correct there, my name is Steve and I`m sorry that I intruded on you, but I design games very much like the one that you are playing, mind you on Earth we have advanced much further as far as games like that are concerned. In fact, I have my latest android tablet filled with all of my very latest games back on our freighter. I find it helps me to unwind after a hard day's work." Steve replied with a smile coming to his face.

"Android tablet, what is that?" The youth enquired.

"It is what you have there, but my one is much faster, and from the look of that one in your hands my one also has a far larger memory." Steve said innocently, for he was leading the conversation round to where he wanted it to go.

"You speak very good English for an alien, how did you learn to speak my language so well?" Steve asked with a very puzzled look upon his face.

"I`m not an alien, you are." The youth retorted. "And I learnt to speak your language on this android tablet as you call it. It has a full Mazeren English dictionary, in audio as well as in a written format, so you see it isn`t too bad for such an obsolete piece of junk, is it?" The youth replied angrily in defence of his people's technology and demonstrated the devices capabilities to Steve.

"No, I can see that, and I didn`t mean to insult your people, they have obviously advanced as far as us in more important ways such as space flight, but as regards games then your people seem to be lagging behind us a little, if that one is anything to go on." Steve stopped here for a moment as if he were considering whether to broach a subject and then as if he had finally decided he launched in to the reason why he had decided to spend so much time speaking to the alien youth.

"Look, I find it very difficult not being able to speak your language, how about we do a deal. I will give you my latest android tablet filled with all of my latest games, if you will give me yours with your dictionary in it, how about it." Steve said putting on his most innocent of looks, for he could see that at some time in their quest for the missing starship, knowledge of the alien's language could mean the difference between success and failure.

"I don`t know, for I only have your word as to how good your android tablet is, and we have been told not to trust you." The alien youth said haughtily. Although it was obvious, that he was interested.

"Well how about if we meet up later and then you can try it out?" Steve offered.

"Okay, we can meet here in four of your hours, I have to go and do some work now, I am one of the crew which is erecting the tables where all of your gifts to us will be displayed, and I`m late already." With that, the alien youth got up and as he hurried away, he stopped for a moment, turned around, and smiled back at Steve. "My name is Saranac, Steve; I will see you later."

Steve walked down an alley that ran between the buildings, and this brought him to the far side of the small town. He stood looking at the imposing mountains to the north, they had a coating of snow on the highest peaks, as it was this hemisphere`s springtime, and he was reminded of home and Veronica. He instantly regretted this as the pain of their separation hit him again, causing him to stop and wonder once again why his life had become so screwed up. Steve quickly put these thoughts away into the deepest recesses of his mind and concentrated on the mountains before him. Ten minutes later, he continued with his walk, but the fun had gone from it, and it slipped even further away when he saw the energy weapons that were fitted into the wall of the buildings for the entire length of the buildings that looked out towards the mountains. They were spaced out, one every fifteen feet, what could they need these for, and against what enemy? With this thought in mind he carried on with his walk back towards the space port where he saw that there were also guard towers around the perimeter of the space port, how he had missed them before he didn`t know. Thinking about what this may mean he walked back across the spaceport to the freighter. Once there he ushered the others into the ship`s shuttlecraft and then closed the airlock.

"You can all talk freely in here, I have made the shuttle craft into a quiet room, neither the ambassador, nor our alien hosts will be able to overhear what is said in hear, as long as the airlock is closed that is." Steve then proceeded to tell them about his walk.

"You have been busy Steve, and if you can get your hands on the alien's android device then it may well come in handy. However, you will have to be careful that none of the other aliens notices the exchange. When you go to your rendezvous, we will shadow you discretely, and let you know if there is anyone taking any interest in you." David decided. The last thing he wanted was for any of his friends to be hurt on his quest, or for them to be ordered home.

"Why do the Mazerens need all of the defensive positions that Steve saw around the town and space port?" Sarah asked of everyone. "They surely don`t fear an attack from us, do they?"

No one had an answer for her, and the meeting broke up with everyone agreeing that it was time for a coffee. The rest of the morning went by without incident, the Mazerens collected their cargo, and lunch was as usual, uneventful. Soon though it was time for Steve to meet up with the young alien, David and Sarah went out first and proceeded to walk towards the town. However, they stopped short to look at the starships parked nearest to the town, and they didn`t need to pretend to take an interest in them, for at least two of them resembled the Blazer Explorer, in that they were sleek in design however they also showed signs of possessing energy weapons of some kind and were also slightly larger. There were even larger starships there, the alien's version of the Intrepid that was in orbit above the town, and they looked very impressive. David wondered whether they were here to intimidate Jules Kennedy into not mentioning the Blazer Explorer, something he probably wouldn`t have done anyway, as it would cause a diplomatic incident even before diplomatic relations had been arranged.

One minute later saw Tony Miles and Jimmy Fielding leave the ship, and they walked across to the western edge of the town to first gaze up at the mountains and then to look at the starships parked near to them.

After another minute, Steve left the freighter, leaving it in the safe hands of Barney, who was under strict instructions not to allow anyone aboard the ship apart from its crew. Steve walked across the spaceport, and as he did, he stopped for a moment to look at the activity around the marquee where aliens and earthmen busied themselves, for the presentation that was to start within the next fifteen minutes, and it was here that most of the attention was centred. Steve then strolled amongst the wooden buildings before stopping at the rendezvous site to play on his android tablet. Five minutes later Saranac appeared, and after just one minute of looking at Steve play on the android, he passed his own one across and took Steve`s one and pushed it straight into his backpack that he carried over one shoulder. With a smile at Steve he quickly hurried away, he knew that he would have to disguise it but he adept at painting, and the android tablet would soon display Mazeren words and decoration upon it, he would just have to ensure that nobody looked too closely at it until manufactured goods from Earth had become commonplace through trade. Steve too pushed his new android into his own backpack, which he slung across his own shoulder and then casually strolled back to the freighter where upon reaching the seclusion offered by its galley, he immediately began to investigate his new toy.

David and Sarah after seeing Steve safely back inside the freighter, had stopped near to the large marquee to listen to Jules Kennedy giving his speech to their alien hosts via an interpreter, but it was just the usual. No mention of their hosts actions on Earth obviously, and so becoming just a little bored with the diplomacy David and Sarah moved forward to pick up one of the drinks being handed round by the many waiters that had appeared. After all of the speeches had been made, each side toasted the other, but all David wanted was a used glass so that he could check the DNA of their hosts against that of the assassins back on Earth. David collected an empty glass that a Mazeren male had just put down on a nearby table while Sarah stood in front of him to shield his action from the view of Mazeren or Earthman alike.

"David have you noticed, the aliens, either the Mazerens only have one sex or there aren`t any women here. I didn`t realise it myself until I began to feel their eyes staring at me."

"You are right Sarah and by chance even the crew who came down from the Intrepid are all men, either you are the only woman on this planet or the aliens have them hidden away. Come on let`s get back to the freighter." David replied as he looked around the area searching for a glimpse of another woman.

"Yes David, let`s go now for this feels creepy."

With that, they left the marquee and hurried back to the freighter, with Tony and Jimmy also returning with them for the whole thing bored them, even the free drinks Tony found to his disgust were non-alcoholic.

Once back aboard the freighter they all joined Steve in the ship`s galley and studied the alien device, and after a few moments watching Steve play around with it without too much success, for all of the commands were in the alien language, David mouthed shuttlecraft. They all made their way down to the freighter`s hold where the shuttlecraft was stored and once inside and safe from spies, David suggested that Barney should try to interface with the tablet, if it was at all possible.

"Ok David, that sounds like a reasonable idea." Steve replied and so Tony went and asked Barney to join the others in the shuttlecraft while he, Tony, stood guard.

"Barney are you able to interface with this tablet?" Steve asked the tall metal robot when he entered the shuttlecraft.

"I will scan the device and see whether it is possible." Barney took the tablet from Steve and looked at it as if scanning it for any written instructions upon it and then he began to hum which told David that he was working on the problem, it was after just one minute that Barney looked back at Steve. "I believe that I can, it has wireless capability to allow the user to download new programs, and using this access point I should be able to interface with the device." Barney said, his metallic voice sounding weird in the small-enclosed space.

"Well go ahead and try then Barney." David said to the robot.

The robot began humming again and after two minutes looked up at David.

"I have downloaded the entire dictionary into my memory and I am now fully conversant in the spoken language of the Mazeren people, I am also familiar with the written language. As to the alien device I have reconfigured it to accept commands in the English language as well as that of the Mazeren language."

Steve then pulled out another of his own android tablets. "Thank you Barney but there was no need for you to do that, because I want you to copy the language programs from the alien device on to this tablet here, as my device operates much faster and is more efficient. I then plan to return the device to its original owner in case someone notices that he no longer has his dictionary." Once again, Barney began to hum.

"I don`t think that would be advisable Steve, you were lucky that you weren`t caught when you exchanged your device for this one, but to try to give it back to the lad would be foolhardy. No, the alien lad knew the dangers and must live with the consequences." David said and while the others agreed with him, it was obvious that Steve was worried about the alien youth.

"I will abide with your decision for the moment David, but should an opportunity arise that will allow us to safely give the device back to the lad, then I will do so. I was not only thinking of him, for if he is forced to admit to having given us the dictionary, then we too could end up in trouble, we could be accused of spying."

With that, the subject was shelved, and minutes later Barney confirmed that the device owned by Steve was now a working translation device, which operated only when the correct verbal password was used, otherwise it was just a device for playing games on. The password agreed upon was Blazer Freight shipper to the stars and beyond, but in the Spanish language. David then asked Barney to return to his duty as guard.

David now pulled out the glass that he had taken with the alien DNA hopefully on it. He put it into the device that John Blazer had supplied so that they could confirm whether the alien's DNA held the same differences as that of the assassins back on Earth. After activating it, the machine just hummed quietly for two minutes, much as Barney did when he was working, but then it chirped and the display screen set on the front of the machine glowed and a message appeared on it. The second DNA sample holds the same differences as that of the first sample.

"I`m not a forensic scientist but this would seem to indicate what we all thought, the alien assassins on Earth are of the same race as these people on this planet." David said thoughtfully.

"Does the Intrepid have any scientists aboard her that could give us a qualified answer?" Steve asked.

"I doubt it, and anyway that would alert Kennedy to our actions, and he would then demand that we left before we caused a diplomatic incident. No, I suggest that we keep it to ourselves for the moment. Anyway, we promised Uncle John that we would only speak of it if it took us two steps forward, if we were to speak about it at this moment it would only take us sideways at best, or even backwards if Kennedy wanted to be awkward." David said before mentioning the other thing that had brought Sarah and him rushing back to the freighter.

"Did any of you see any women on the planet, apart from Sarah that is?" David asked of the others.

"Now that you mention it, no, I haven`t seen any women or children either." Steve said.

"Well as this planet is just a large meeting hall then I wouldn`t expect to see any children, but you would have expected to see a few women about the place." Jimmy Fielding said.

"It must be a cultural thing I expect." Tony Miles chipped in. He had returned when David had sent Barney back to stand guard.

"Well whatever the reason I will lock the airlock from now on, I don`t want any unannounced callers coming by to have a better look at Sarah." David avowed.

"Thank you, David, I did feel creeped out with all of those eyes upon me back at the marquee, I just didn`t expect a space travelling people to be so backward in their thinking." Sarah said.

"But it is to be expected Sarah, there are many examples of a male dominated culture on Earth so why not out here in space? But you should be careful, when you next leave the safety of the ship, for you never know what they might think about you." Tony Miles said.

"Look guys, I`m a little older than you others." Jimmy Fielding said. "And I think that you should hold back on reaching any final conclusions until we know more about the Mazerens, your mind could just have been playing tricks on you back there in the marquee Sarah, and David you have a natural antipathy to them because you suspect them of being involved in the mysterious disappearance of your father." Whatever reaction Jimmy expected to get from his thoughts on the subject he certainly didn`t expect the one he got.

"Antipathy Jimmy I was in a coma for almost two years, my mother disappears under some of your mysterious circumstances, people died when an attempt was made on John Blazers life, and yes my father and his crew are missing, yes I have a natural antipathy to them Jimmy." David words were loud and angry in response to Jimmy Fielding`s quiet voice, he looked as if he was about to take things a lot further but he forced himself to turn away and lean against the hull of the shuttlecraft.

"I`m sorry David I didn`t want to belittle all that you and your family have been through, I just wanted to say that we shouldn`t judge a people without knowing more about them, back on their home world we would probably find things much like on Earth." Jimmy said, more than sorry for being the reason for David`s wrath.

"You may be right about my mind playing tricks on me Jimmy, having noticed the absence of women on the planet may have caused me to be creeped out by it, but I still would prefer it if we take the precautions David mentioned." Sarah said.

She was trying to bring peace back to her friends for she had never seen David quite so angry, she knew that he was anxious to visit the crash site and see if it was his father`s starship, but she hadn`t realised just how wound up he was. Sarah also didn`t want to condemn an entire people because of one meeting in a first contact situation. In fact, this was all Ambassador Kennedy`s fault for being such an ass and she just wished that she could tell him what she thought of him.

"I could sound out Saranac; casually ask if he has a girlfriend, brothers or sisters, that sort of thing?" Steve said, wanting to put a positive slant to the angry conversation that still threatened to get out of hand.

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea Steve." David said as he brought his anger under control. He then turned to Jimmy Fielding. "Sorry Jimmy, I reckon I needed an outlet for my growing frustration. All I want to do right this minute is to go and check out that crash site, and the one thing I can`t do this minute is exactly that, and it is eating me up, I`m just sorry that I took it out on you. I`m also just a little peeved at having to play let`s be friends with the Mazerens, when we are all certain that they are the same people who attacked my father on Earth and probably are the cause of his disappearance somewhere out here in deepest space." David confessed.

"That`s all right David, I did speak rather tactlessly, and luckily we are in our 'quiet room'. That last comment brought everyone's humour back and everyone retired to the galley for a coffee to find Barney standing guard at his new post, by the locked airlock, if anyone wanted to enter the freighter they would just have to bang hard on its hull.

Steve waited until the evening to slip out and go in search of Saranac who he found walking back to his room.

"Hi Saranac, how are you enjoying your new games?" Steve asked.

"They are very good Steve; you were correct when you said that your people are in advance of us in that respect." Saranac replied with a grin on his young face.

"I have transferred the dictionary over to one of my own devices; let me know if you want your old device back, I have it in my backpack." Steve offered.

"If you can let me have it back it might make life easier, I shouldn`t have given it to you, my people would disapprove strongly if they knew that I had given the android tablet to you." Saranac replied. Steve looked cautiously around and seeing that no one was about he took off his backpack and slipped the android device out.

"Okay, Saranac, here you are." Steve said smiling down at the young alien who quickly slipped the device into his own backpack.

"Thank you, Steve, I appreciate it." Saranac said and returned Steve`s smile.

"So, tell me Saranac, how long have you been stuck on this dust bowl of a planet?" Steve casually asked his new friend.

"Up until this moment I have been here for three of your planet`s months, Steve." Saranac replied.

"I bet you are missing your family and friends." Steve said pushing the conversation along to where he wanted it to go.

"Yes, I am, especially my girlfriend, I have almost forgotten what a woman looks like." Saranac said wistfully.

"How long have you known her?" Steve asked.

"Counting the time that I have been stuck here on this planet it is almost two years. We were introduced by my uncle at a party he threw to celebrate thirty years of his own marriage. At this rate I will be lucky to even get married to Alicia." Saranac lamented.

"That is a beautiful name, is she too, very beautiful, my friend?" Steve enquired.

"Very, Steve, she is like the springtime, full of life and ready to do anything, no matter how daring or frowned upon it might be." Saranac almost whispered these words as if scared that he might be overheard by one of his people.

"Frowned upon?" Steve said questioningly.

"Yes, she loves to go for rides on my motorbike, but really fast. Something a woman is not supposed to do, for it is not considered correct on Mazere. Is it considered correct for a woman of Earth to do such things as that?" Saranac asked.

"In most places on Earth a woman is allowed to do whatever a man may do. Is this not how it is on the planet Mazere?" Steve asked in turn.

"No Steve, there are certain things that are considered unsuitable for a woman, things that are meant for a man, do your people not believe that man was born to rule this universe, that and to protect the women of your world?" Saranac questioned.

"Our world is split into different beliefs, amongst our people there are some who follow rules similar to yours and amongst others they differ as regards the rights of women." Steve replied.

"And you follow the second group, a group that allows such things Steve?" Saranac declared.

"Yes, Saranac, I believe that all are born equal. Both men and women, followers of one belief or another, they are all are equal, or they should be. However, I would never condone the forcing of one group to believe contrary to their own beliefs." Steve said hoping that his words wouldn`t antagonise the young man before him.

"Your people and mine will have much to discuss, and much to condone if they are ever to become friends, too much I fear for we are a very proud people who are certain of our position in the universe." Saranac lamented.

"Hopefully you are wrong my friend, for look our leaders are going to talk even now about just such a thing." Steve said although he too had many doubts as to whether it would be possible.

"Hopefully, for I would like to travel to new worlds, to see what else is out there in the vastness of space? Tell me Steve, do you have a girl waiting for you back on Earth?" Saranac asked.

"I thought I did Saranac, but I`m not so sure now." Steve said sadly.

"You argued then before you left to come to this 'idyllic world'?" Saranac said with a look of sadness coming to his young face.

"You could say so, at least she seemed to think we did, me I`m not too sure just what happened."

**********

Across from them, Ambassador Jules Kennedy and his entourage were walking across to the large hall where they were finally about to talk, for up until now the intermediaries had only discussed what they should talk about. Inside the hall, the Mazeren diplomats were waiting for them, and so their meeting began.

"Greetings Ambassador Kennedy, I am Chancellor Krieg, and on behalf of the Mazeren people I officially welcome you to our sector of space."

The alien was tall with the look of a person from the Mediterranean. He had black hair and brown eyes. His features were those of a cultured man, and his voice had a pleasant tone to it, if not exactly friendly.

"Thank you, Sir, I am honoured to be chosen by the people of Earth to make first contact with you and your people, for you are the first ever alien race that we have had the good fortune to meet in the vastness of space." Kennedy said with his best diplomatic smile upon his pale face. Now Kennedy opened up the talks for real.

"The first thing that I would like to discuss with you Chancellor, is the establishment of embassies, representing both of our two great worlds on each of our home planets, and through these embassies we can learn more about each other and grow ever closer. Once we have learnt to trust one another, then we can look in to the possibility of setting up a trading network, one that will bind our two races firmly together." Kennedy declared.

"First, Ambassador, we will have to come to trust one another on this small and dusty planet, before embassies can be exchanged. We have met another alien people and we found them to be inferior to our own, and certainly we couldn`t allow them to visit our home world without being under the strictest supervision. They would bring their own customs and ideas to Mazere, and might even corrupt some of our citizens and bring them down to their level. That we could not tolerate, for we have risen to a height of civilisation that we never thought possible." Krieg said almost in exaltation and then he looked directly into Kennedy`s eyes and held them for ten seconds, his own were cold and superior.

Kennedy`s were worried after the opening statements, that the Mazerens were as bad as he had privately feared, and that the series of meetings on this barren planet might not go well. Something in Krieg`s manner had also told him that what he had just said was not exactly true, it had seemed to Kennedy to have been embroidered. But Kennedy didn`t have time to explore his thoughts for Krieg continued on with his attack, for this was how Kennedy saw Krieg`s superior manner.

"Tell me Ambassador, is your planet united or is it still a collection of small states that do not trust one another." Krieg asked with the relish of one on top.

Kennedy knew that Chancellor Krieg already knew the answer to this question, for his agents on Earth would have told him everything that there was to know about Earth, and so he had to answer truthfully, whether he wanted to or not.

"We are still a planet of many separate states, but in the last fifty years we have begun to coalesce into larger groups which are even now talking to one another, something undreamt of just ten years ago. When the people of Earth are told that we have met an intelligent and friendly alien race in the depths of space they will unite at an even greater speed, soon we will be one race, the human race, and then we will move forward, and the new friends that we meet in space will go forward with us." Kennedy said and he in turn looked Krieg in the eyes, but his were smiling at his host while Krieg`s seemed unimpressed by what had been said.

"I too wish that all that you hope for will come true, but at the moment it is not so, is it Ambassador? I wouldn`t be surprised to find that the nations within the newly formed groups don`t even trust one another, it is a joining of necessity, and the friction between the groups could easily become explosive. I have seen it before amongst the other alien race that we have met, they too had hopes, but as yet they are unfulfilled."

Krieg didn`t add that the explosive mixture that kept the other race in fragments had been supplied by his people, as they would also do to the people of Earth. For there was only room in this part of the galaxy for one dominant race, and that race was the Mazeren.

"Chancellor you say that your people have encountered another alien race, could you tell us something of them?" Kennedy enquired eager to get something out of this first meeting.

"Before I can tell you about the Phlox, Ambassador, our two planets must first get to know one another a little better. Only then will we be able to share such information with you."

The meeting went on for some time but each time it was brought back to the fractured state of the nations of Earth. The meeting broke up late in the night with Kennedy returning to his suite of rooms feeling despondent. He was trying desperately to think of a different strategy, one that would batter the intransigence of the Mazerens and allow a breakthrough that would satisfy his masters on Earth. First though he needed something for his headache, one thing that had been given to him by Chancellor Krieg.

**********

For those on board the Galactic Traveller the rest of the day had slipped by without any further problems arising. Dawn the following day, David, Jimmy and Barney left the others and took the hovercraft out of the freighter. The only equipment they carried with them was a small portable generator to give them a power source, should one be required. They were soon hidden behind the large sand dunes, which were formed in part by the strong winds that occasionally sprang up on New Mars. They were also partly artificial, being formed by the large earth moving machines that had flattened the area that now comprised the town and its spaceport, when the Mazerens first began to build on the planet.

Steve had noted down the exact position of the crash site when they were still in orbit above the planet, and now it was easy to set the small navigational device on the hovercraft to head towards it. The going was a little bumpy and occasionally they had to traverse across a broken land filled with rocks and gullies. They would have had a rough trip without the hovercraft, but with it, they were able to make good time across this desert. At times they had to travel along deep wadies that were only eight feet wide at maximum, and they couldn`t see very far ahead of them due to the many twists and turns. The view on both sides of the hovercraft was even worse as it was completely cut off to them by the walls of the wadi. The direction that it took varied, and this worried David, but in the end, it always took them nearer to their final destination. Overall, it was a difficult land to cross but finally, they were through it and back on the flatter land of the desert that finally took them on to the crash site, incurring no serious delays. Without having taken the exact position of the crash site while they were still in space, and without the navigational computer built into the hovercraft, they might never have found it amongst this mainly featureless land. Featureless that is when the traveller is on the ground; from up in space there is a vast network of ravines, channels, mountains and wadies to be seen. They arrived at the crash site tired and with the sun at its highest point in the sky. They saw the broken starship when still quite a distance away, as the sun`s rays were bouncing off the engineering section of the broken craft, and shining like a beacon to welcome them. The three travellers jumped out of their vehicle and cautiously approached this nearest part of the broken starship, a solitary cloud chose this moment to drift in front of the sun and it seemed to David Charlton that the darkened sky and the shadows within the broken hull of the starship was a portent of things to come.

Entrance into this portion of the ship was simple, as they could slip down a small incline directly into the ships broken hull, the sand having piled up on the deck of the starship cushioning their fall. David went first followed by Barney, who landed with a loud scraping noise as his metallic feet hit the deck and then slid along the floor before he stopped his movement with his powerful hands. Jimmy Fielding was last, and he had no problem with it, he rather enjoyed being a big kid for a moment in time. A slither of sand accompanied each of them as they slid down to land on the hard metal floor of the fatally wounded starship, making the pile of sand all the bigger. The floor on which they finally stood on sloped at thirty degrees down towards an impenetrable wall of sand, which the engineering section disappeared into after just ten feet, but thankfully, there were no dead bodies to greet them. However, David was extremely disappointed when he stood inside this part of the crashed starship, for it was obvious to them that it was not the Blazer Explorer. It was, according to Barney, a crashed Mazeren starship, for he could read the words beside the many dead displays. None of the ship`s instrumentation seemed intact following the crash and the explosion in this part of the ship that accompanied the catastrophic landing.

"Well David do you want to have a look at the forward section of this starship, seeing as how it is not the Blazer Explorer?" Jimmy asked.

"As long as we are here Jimmy, we may as well do so." David replied quietly. He didn`t know whether to feel sad or elated that this broken starship wasn`t the Blazer Explorer.

David took just a few more moments to decide to cut short the inspection of this part of the broken starship and to head over to the forward section to see what it held. Before they left the engineering section of the starship, Jimmy took a moment to strip a long length of cable from one of the many broken units, using his energy weapon to cut it when he considered that he had a suitable length.

"Our entry into the forward section might not be quite so easy; this will act as our rope." Jimmy said.

"Good idea Jimmy, in fact we should have thought to bring some rope with us." David said with a smile.

Scrambling out of this section of the starship was harder than sliding down into it, but Jimmy had Barney move a large computer console so that they could make use of it to exit the starship. The unit had been thrown from its place against the far wall, and was partially buried by the sand that was gradually seeping into the craft. The sand would soon fill this part of the starship making any future exploration a difficult and time-consuming chore. However, with this unit, and a tall cabinet that now leaned at a crazy angle towards the jagged hole in the hull, they were able to climb out of the dead starship. Barney had a problem climbing up as his knees didn`t bend all that much being a robot, but finally he too made it up the pile of furniture that led through the jagged hole in the side of the starship and to the desert floor above. Then they headed over to the forward section of the crashed starship.

The temperature had begun to drop with the temporary disappearance of the sun behind the large black cloud, as they would find was normal on this desert world, and especially at this time of the year, David shivered and wished that he had slipped on something warmer for the trip.

"It should be a little warmer inside." Jimmy said noticing, and this made him shiver in turn.

"I hope so Jimmy. With luck the sun will soon come out from behind the cloud."

Once again entry was made easy by a jagged hole in the ship`s outer hull, this time through the top of the starship. Jimmy tied the length of cable that he had procured to a large rock that was near to the hole, and after dropping the other end down through the hole; they climbed down and found themselves within a short corridor that was also filling with sand. Barney had a little trouble once again as he was not built for this sort of travel, but he still managed to climb down the rope with his powerful hands ensuring that he didn`t fall. They had to use their torches to find their way forward to the bridge, luckily, they found the bridge door was jammed open and they were soon inside, their torches casting large eerie circles of light around the dark and badly damaged bridge. One end of a large ceiling support rested upon a thoroughly destroyed chair, while cables hung down everywhere causing them to stoop as they investigated the once proud bridge of the starship.

"You know Jimmy if the Mazerens had anything to do with my father`s disappearance, maybe we will find a clue in this ship`s computers, do you think that you will be able to get them working?" David wondered. The thought that they might be able to take something back with them raised his spirits.

"I might be able to it with Barney here to help. It was lucky that we brought along the generator David, otherwise it would have been impossible. It would certainly have been slow going relying on our torches to light our way. Hopefully, Barney should be able to operate all of the ship`s computers as well as to read what is on them, assuming there is enough left of them for him to interact with." Jimmy said.

"Well Jimmy, you and Barney had better decide how best to find the ship`s computer and then to connect up our generator, I will check out the rest of this ship, see if I can find anything of interest." David said as he turned and headed back for the door.

"Ok but be careful, this ship took quite a battering and there is no telling how safe it is back there." Jimmy warned.

"Will do, as I`m not anxious to die just yet."

David left Jimmy and Barney to their work while he took his torch and went to look at the rest of the ship. The corridor that he walked along was a little spooky as his footfalls echoed back to him along the dark corridor, but he steeled himself to look into any of the cabins whose doors were already open, as he didn`t want to waste time on a closed door, as they would need a power supply. The door to the first cabin that he came to was also jammed open. The cabin was quite large, he assumed that it had belonged to the ship`s captain as it was decorated with photographs of various starships, and also looked to have been quite comfortable at one time, but anything of any importance seemed to have been cleared out of it. The next couple of cabins were definitely not of the same quality as they were smaller and quite cramped, but once again they were empty of anything, as was the ship`s clinic, even the drugs had been cleared out. It was now that he came to the last cabin before the sand took over. The starship seemed to him to be full of ghosts of its dead crew, all angry that he should intrude on their final resting place, thankfully there were no bodies, either they were buried under the wall of sand or had been recovered by their fellow spacemen. As he turned to leave this last cabin his eyes caught a flash of yellow, it was a photograph laying half hidden on the floor. It was lying partly beneath a fallen cabinet, but the light of his torch illuminated it making the bright yellow of a woman`s dress stand out. It was a photograph of his mother and himself at science world in Florida. It had been taken some twelve years ago when their life had been happy. David felt his head spin as the astounding ramifications raced through his brain, he put his hand out to hold on to cabinet to steady his swaying body, and he fought to catch his breath. This meant that his father had somehow been aboard this ship, for he had always carried the photograph with him ever since Patricia Charlton had gone missing. This was proof if any was necessary that the Mazerens had been behind all of the attacks on the Blazer Explorer and her crew back on Earth, and that the Mazerens were behind the disappearance of his father, his starship, and its crew. David hurried back to Jimmy Fielding and showed him his find.

"David, that is definite proof that the aliens are behind all that has happened to your father and the Blazer Explorer, even Kennedy can`t dismiss this." Jimmy cried with glee.

"Yes, he can Jimmy, he will just say that I brought it with me to screw up his first contact meeting, and also to demand his help in finding my father." David lamented.

"But everyone who knows you will see that for a load of bunk." Jimmy avowed.

"Yes Jimmy, but he is the ambassador, and he is not a friend of my family. Anyhow, how are you getting on here?" David asked. He too was elated by his find, even if he couldn`t use it to aid him in his quest, but now he wanted much more. His spirits had soared to new heights, heights not reached for so long now. He now knew that they were directly on the trail of his missing father.

"I`ve finished connecting the generator to the ship`s main frame and now it is up to Barney here." David and Jimmy both turned towards the tall metal robot that was as usual humming away to itself.

"Well Barney are you able to interface with the ship`s computer?" David asked his metal friend.

"Affirmative Captain, luckily the Mazerens have built into their computers the ability to allow one to connect into them remotely rather than only physically as on our own starships. I am now interfacing with the ship`s computer, I will soon have the ship`s log downloaded, and then I will also download all of the ships orders and communications that are still intact within the computer`s memory banks, I will be finished in a moment. It was in fact two minutes later that Barney had finally finished downloading the data files from the alien computer.

"I have finished downloading the data files Captain; I will now go through them to check if there is anything on them that refers to our quest." Barney was very human in his speech. When he had said a moment, he had not meant it literally, but as a human would have meant the term, and he always referred to the search for the missing starship as 'Our Quest' rather than his master's quest. John Blazer had insisted upon this when he had had the Macintosh factory in Glasgow build the robot; it was so that Barney would appear more as a friend rather than a metal servant. David and Jimmy stood there listening to the quiet humming emanating from somewhere inside of the robot, but soon it stopped and then Barney looked at David.

"Captain, this ship accompanied three space cruisers that intercepted the Blazer Explorer and then attacked it. It happened in a planetary system that is eight light years from this one." Barney said to an astonished David Charlton and Jimmy Fielding. "The Blazer Explorer was badly damaged but managed to land on the third planet in the system but most of the data from that point has been badly damaged in the crash of this starship. I do know that Captain Richard Charlton was alive and taken aboard this ship with at least one other member of the crew, they were to have been taken back to the Mazeren home world, but something happened and the ship crashed here."

"David, this is beyond belief, to have found that some of them are alive is fantastic. Where do we go from here, do we tell the ambassador of our find and demand that he helps us?" Jimmy was ecstatic for they were going to succeed against all of the odds.

David looked at Jimmy. "Not so fast Jimmy, we need time to think about what we have learned here, and how we should proceed. Maybe after a rest and a good night`s sleep we will be able to see the way ahead just a little clearer, then we can decide what we must do."

David`s mind was rushing through a myriad of ideas and thoughts, but he forced himself to think on the present, as he had just said to Jimmy, he needed to sleep on the matter, then hopefully his mind would clear a way through to a sound idea for the future.

David and Jimmy had a quick lunch made up of their ship`s emergency rations and then they prepared to head back to the Galactic Traveller. With the length of cable Jimmy had taken from the other section of the starship, they made easy work of escaping from the man-made cave and were soon on their way back to the freighter.

It was as they were travelling back along the narrow wadi that a large rock slid down from a particularly high hill at the wadi`s edge and crashed to the ground just inches behind their hovercraft. That it had missed them was due to the heavy rock hitting a jagged piece of rock half way down its fall and being diverting from its intended track. It was followed by screams from above and a shower of small rocks and stone being thrown at them by their unseen attackers and landing painfully on their bodies.

Although taken by surprise David quickly yelled out to Fielding. "Step on the gas Jimmy, get us out of here fast."

Jimmy didn`t need any orders for his foot had already found the gas pedal and the hovercraft shot forward away from their attackers.

"This is ridiculous Jimmy, why would anyone attack us now we know about the aliens?" David asked.

"Maybe they are worried about what we may have found out back there?" Jimmy wondered, but only for a moment. "No David, that can`t be right, if it were the Mazerens we would have been taken out by a heavy volley of powerful energy bolts, and not by a Stone Age attack."

The wadi meandered around quite a lot but they were soon out of it, but only to be met by a hoard of pale-skinned creatures the size of a mountain gorilla, and all screaming out at them as the three adventurers quickly bore down on them in their swift moving hovercraft.

"Veer off Jimmy, head west towards that low hill." David cried upon seeing the weird creatures that were racing towards them in an odd loping sort of movement. They were totally bald, with pink eyes and fierce-some claws and teeth.

The creature at the head of the pack howled out an order to some of its fellows and a good dozen of them peeled off and headed directly for the low hill while the remaining dozen also altered course to attempt to cut them off before they could even make it to the hill.

"Swing her around Jimmy lets revert to our original course, which should put the furthest bunch of whatever they are well behind us."

From the actions of the creatures` leader, David wasn`t sure if they were just pack animals like the wolf of Earth, or intelligent beings, but he didn`t have time to ponder on it as Jimmy spun the hovercraft around in a cloud of dust. The speed that Jimmy made the sleek low craft move at, coupled with his mastery over it and its superb manoeuvrability, put the nearest pack of creatures running in the wrong direction for ten seconds before their slow minds realised that their proposed meal was moving in the opposite direction to them. The last that David saw of them was the leader of the pack roaring in anger at them. Then it stood upright and howled and the soulful wailing sound was heard by David and Jimmy, although they were now far away, the sound made their blood run cold. Far ahead of them, David espied a hill.

"Jimmy, pull in this side of that hill and I will climb up it to ensure that there are no more surprises in store for us."

Jimmy pulled in, David quickly scaled the low hill, and what he saw was more cause for worry. The creatures that he thought they had left far behind them were loping quickly across the desert floor, and they would soon be upon them. If this wasn`t bad enough David saw before them yet another two dozen or more of the creatures that were also moving towards them, they were almost surrounded. David could see a river to the west of them, probably the same one that ran by the small town, to the east was a broken land filled with rocks and cactus, they were in trouble but at least he and Jimmy were armed with energy weapons, they should see them through this without too much trouble. He scampered back down the hill and told Jimmy of all that he had seen.

"Jimmy, we have to make a move before the two parties join up with us stuck in the middle. Take us around the hill and then put your foot down and drive straight through the lot of them while I clear a path through them with my energy weapon." David said.

Jimmy drove slowly round the hill to see another twenty of thirty of the strange creatures ahead of them and when the creatures saw them, they all let out piercing shrieks that would have frozen a lesser person than Jimmy Fielding.

"I guess these things must be some of the native fauna of this planet, unfortunately at this moment they are even more dangerous than the Mazerens."

With that he floored the pedal and sent them racing towards the strange creatures who immediately began to howl and then a barrage of rocks poured down on David and Jimmy and it was only their speed and Jimmy`s driving ability that saved them from the worst of it. Even so they both received direct hits from some of the stones thrown at them, one cutting David`s head although he didn`t realise it with all that was going on. Barney escaped relatively intact, as his metal skin was impervious to such missiles. David had already begun to fire his energy weapon at the creatures with the setting on its lowest point, for he had no desire to kill one of the creatures if he could help it. Unfortunately, although the creatures were knocked back an inch or two, they seemed able to resist the energy bolt at this setting. Jimmy could see that they were in trouble and veered off towards the west driving along the straggling long front of the creatures and one of them even managed to grab a hold of the craft. David looked in horror as it slowly pulled itself aboard the swiftly moving hovercraft. It had huge canine teeth and a long pink tongue; saliva dripped from the creature's mouth to drip on to the hull of the hovercraft. The creature`s face drew near to David; its ferocious growling could have frozen David into inaction but it was not the growling it was the hungry look within its eyes that were mesmerising him. He could feel his senses dimming before the ever-growing eyes of the beast, time itself appeared to slow and just for a moment, he heard words, sleep, sleep and he did feel tired, so very tired he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes. David was just about to surrender to the soft soothing voice when Jimmy cried out to him in desperation.

"David will you just shoot the thing." Hearing Jimmy`s voice brought David back to the reality of the situation, and he forced himself to look away from those impelling eyes just as the beast lunged towards him.

But David`s hands had been working even if his mind wasn`t. His fingers had slowly spun the controls of his energy weapon to their maximum setting, and waking to his imminent death he now fired a prolonged burst on full power at the creature that stopped it just as its deadly fangs were mere inches away from his face. David watched as the beast finally tumbled from the craft to crash into the dirt behind the speeding hovercraft. Finally, David thought, they had been able to stop one of these fierce and terrible creatures. He knew how close he had been to death for those few terrible moments and he looked across at Jimmy.

"Sorry about that Jimmy, the creature must have eyes similar to the Cobra back on Earth, but the super charged version; I could not seem to think never mind move when I looked into its eyes." David said by way of an apology.

"Well at least we now know how to stop one of those animals, a burst of energy bolts at full strength." Jimmy said smiling.

"I`m not so sure those things were just animals, while I was held by those eyes, I could have sworn that there was an intelligence behind them, talking softly to me."

Jimmy wasn`t sure about that, he just knew that whatever they were they were dangerous. Now, all that was in front of them was the river that ran swiftly at this point as it was hemmed in by the granite that prevailed here. Jimmy took the sleek hovercraft towards a small incline and as David cried out in horror, the hovercraft leapt across the small gap to land down on the other bank of the river with a hard bump that caused the two men to cry out. However, then the hovercraft shot off and they raced along northwards and back towards the freighter. Jimmy`s handling of the event would have made even a Hollywood stunt man happy. Behind them, they heard the mournful howls of the creatures that were fast disappearing from view, ahead was comparative safety.

"You are really something Jimmy, never did I ever imagine that you would attempt such a leap as that, and to complete it so easily, I am forever gobsmacked my friend."

David said shaking Jimmy`s hand as they paused before a small bridge that would take them through to the spaceport. Here Jimmy pulled out the first aid kit and attended to the cut on David`s head but the rest of their wounds would have to wait until they were back at the freighter. Once back at the freighter, and in the privacy of the shuttlecraft, David told the others about Jimmy`s jump and how he had saved them both.

"Well now we know why the Mazerens require all the weaponry that they have around the space port, it is to keep those creatures away." Sarah said. "And from what you say about the creatures David, thank goodness that they do have them."

David turned his head towards Sarah and smiled and then he showed them the photograph that he had found aboard the broken starship, and finally he told them of the information that Barney had found within the crashed starship`s data banks.

"But this is wonderful David." Sarah cried. "We are on their trail."

Everyone cried out their own congratulations, and Sarah demanded that he repeat it again but much slower so that her spinning brain could take it all in. However, David and Jimmy were starving, so they first made up some sandwiches, and then they all sat down and talked about their find well into the night, until David brought it to a halt.

"I don`t know about you lot, but I am exhausted after all that happened today, I need to sleep. In fact, we should all sleep on what we have learned today, and hope that one of us will come up with a way forward in the morning. David said leaving the shuttlecraft and heading towards his cabin and bed. David entered his cabin, but before closing his door he saw that Jimmy had followed him out of the shuttlecraft and was about to enter his own cabin so David spoke to him.

"Thank you once again Jimmy, and about that leap, it will go down in history, for I will personally see to it." David promised.

"Shucks, David it was nothing, goodnight." Jimmy said smiling across at his friend before entering his own cabin.

Chapter Five

Into the Lion`s Den

They had gathered in the shuttlecraft to throw ideas about, and Jimmy wondered whether David Charlton had come up with anything during the night, so he asked him.

"Well, David, you have had ample time to ponder our problem so tell us, what solution have you come up with that will allow us to find out just what happened to the survivors of the Blazer Explorer? We now know that the Mazeren starship they were on crashed here, but just how do you intend to go on from there and find their present location, and without having to resort to asking Ambassador Kennedy for help?" Jimmy asked.

"I`ve been thinking about that Jimmy, and I believe that we have been remiss in our dealings with the good Mazeren people." David said to Jimmy Fielding, who was very surprised at David`s description of the Mazerens. "We will have to initiate a meet and greet with our new friends." David announced mysteriously.

"Is that right David, and tell me just how you are going to open these overtures of peace and goodwill." Jimmy wanted to know.

"We will invite the officers of the three large space cruisers over for a meet and greet party, an informal get to know one another meeting." David answered with a smug smile upon his face.

"And with what are you going to feed them on, if I am permitted to ask that is, the ship`s emergency rations perhaps?" Jimmy enquired.

"With the food that Uncle John sent along on one of his small interplanetary freighters before we left Mars, it was for just such an occasion and it is stowed away behind all the regular ship`s stores, and yes, it is labelled emergency rations, that was to ensure you greedy hogs left it alone." David replied.

"Black tie do is it?" Jimmy asked.

"Not quite black-tie Jimmy, but you get the idea." David answered.

"I wondered why Mr Blazer insisted that we should pack our best go to party suits as well, David, did you have something like this planned all along, just in case?" Jimmy asked.

"No, it was a suggestion made by Uncle John; he said that we might find them a useful tool, so I agreed. After he told us that it was to be a first contact meeting held at an ambassadorial level, I saw how his mind was working. However, I thought no more about it, but now I have figured out just how we might make it work out for us." David replied.

"Well how are you going to get them over here, are you just going to knock on their doors and invite them?" Jimmy enquired eager to hear just how their quest was to proceed.

"Sort of, I thought our friend Lieutenant Williams might introduce us to them, I saw him entertaining some of the Mazerens over by the marquee. I will ask him to introduce Sarah and me to the captains of those three star cruisers, and ask if they and their officers will join us for luncheon tomorrow, with luck they will be too polite to refuse our request. Tomorrow we will all get dolled up, and the lovely Sarah will wear her best frock, and it is the presence of Sarah that will be the main reason why they will accept, seeing as how she is the only woman on the dust bowl of a planet." David declared.

"And how will having the aliens come over here to ogle me help us in our quest David, has a little gem of an idea blossomed within your brain, or am I to act like Mata Hari?" Sarah asked in a voice bordering on anger.

"No, I certainly wouldn`t ask you to do such a thing Sarah, unless of course we happened to be in the privacy of our own cabin." Sarah turned bright red amid the knowing nods and grins of her fellow crewmembers.

Sarah joined in the laughter for a moment but then she turned to David and said "In your dreams lover boy." Then she punched him hard on his upper arm, which brought about the correct pained response from her fiancé. Rubbing his arm and complaining about excessive brutality David continued with more of his plan.

"What I do hope Sarah, is that after we have wined and dined them here aboard our small freighter, one of them will feel it only right that they should reciprocate, and they will then invite us over to dine aboard one of their space cruisers. Once we are on board one or more of the starships, then I`m sure that Steve will have some sort of whizz gadgetry that will allow him to access their computers. Once inside their systems, I hope that it will tell us what happened to my father and his crew after the starship crashed on this planetoid." David said more in hope than certain knowledge.

"Walk straight into the lion`s den David, so as to speak, that could be dangerous." Sarah said.

"As you say Sarah it could be dangerous, if they actually caught us snooping. But tell us Steve, do you have any gadgetry good enough to access their computers, and smart enough to ensure that we don`t get caught at it?" David asked of his friend.

"I may be able to come up with something that might work David; I will think about it for a while and let you know." Steve replied.

"Well while you think about it Steve, Sarah and I will go a calling. Even if we are unable to access their computers, we still might come up with something to repay us for our hospitality."

With that, David and Sarah exited the shuttlecraft and returned to their quarters to collect their coats. Once they were suitably attired, they exited the freighter and walked across the spaceport to speak to the young officer in the Space Corps about their plan to entertain the elite of the alien space fleet. Lieutenant Williams saw them walking across towards him, and looked for a way to escape what for him would be an awkward meeting, as the ambassador had made his feelings plainly clear, nothing was to be done to assist the crew of the Galactic Traveller. They were considered by him to be a diplomatic incident waiting to happen, it was only a matter of time. To make matters worse, Ambassador Kennedy was standing in the doorway of his suite of rooms, and he was looking directly across the spaceport at David and Sarah. Williams seeing no way out, decided to help rather than to hinder, and so he looked at David and then looked above David`s head, and then back with a meaningful glare at David. He now turned about and headed deep into the marquee. When he reached a position at the rear of the enclosure, he stopped and turned to greet David and Sarah.

"Good morning David, Sarah, how are you two today?" Williams struggled with his smile; he was worried in case the ambassador came along to see what his new friends wanted with him.

"We`re fine thank you Charles, you on the other hand appear to be harassed, having a little trouble with our ambassador?" David asked smiling at the young officer.

"Just a little, in fact the officers of the Intrepid have been told in no uncertain way to be very careful in our dealings with the crew of the Galactic Traveller, and with you especially David. The ambassador fears that you are most likely to cause a diplomatic incident during your stay here on this delightful planet, and we are not to allow ourselves to be caught up in it." Williams cautiously replied.

"Hmm, that makes it a little tricky then Charles, what we want to ask of you that is." Sarah said with such a sweet smile on her face that poor Lieutenant Williams could deny her nothing.

"Oh I`m sure that you would never cause a diplomatic incident Sarah, and anyway it`s David who is the one that our ambassador dislikes, I`m sure that if he got to meet you he would go out of his way to assist you in any way that you may require." Poor Williams couldn`t even feel the slight tug on his lieutenant's bars as he looked into Sarah`s beautiful blue eyes.

"Oh, what we have planned won`t cause an incident Charles, no, on the contrary. We would like to invite the captains of the three impressive looking Mazeren space cruisers that are parked around the space port to a luncheon party tomorrow. As well as the captains, their officers would also be included in the invitation. David thought that it might cement relations between the Mazeren space farers and our own people." Sarah said with only a little prick to her conscience, for this was to help her fiancé in his quest, while Charles Williams was only a newly acquired friend.

"We were going to invite the Captain of the Intrepid and yourself of course Charles, but from what you have just told us that makes it impossible, I suppose." Sarah finished off with a very sad frown upon her pretty face.

"Maybe not Sarah, it might be good to meet with the Mazerens socially and away from the official apparatus. But just what do you want of me?" Williams asked.

"We hoped that you would introduce us to the Mazeren captains, because we haven`t met any of them, and you are probably quite well acquainted with them." Sarah answered innocently, not saying that this would also make it appear to the Mazeren officers to be an official engagement that they couldn`t miss.

"So how about it Charles, will you assist us in this matter?" David asked now that Lieutenant Williams looked well and truly hooked.

"Well I suppose so David, the ambassador can hardly complain about your attempt to help with his diplomatic mission. Maybe I should bring it to his attention; he may even want to help you to ensure its success?" Lieutenant Williams suggested much to the consternation of David and Sarah.

"No, I don't think so Charles, he would never allow us to have any diplomatic successes, better if we keep him out of the picture on this, just for the moment." David said hurriedly with a worried glance across to Sarah who smiled sweetly at Lieutenant Williams. Sarah`s feelings of guilty were growing bigger than ever, she now likened herself to the German spy Mata Hari, as she smiled up at the hapless lieutenant.

"Well I will have to inform him sometime, or else I will be for the high jump, but I will do it via my captain, I`m sure that he will approve of your luncheon and the chance to meet the Mazerens away from the official functions. He should ensure that the ambassador allows your party to proceed." Lieutenant Williams said.

It seemed that Sarah did not have him fully under her spell, and she was much happier now that the young lieutenant wouldn`t be getting into any trouble because of her.

"That`s fine Charles, I quite agree. Now, John Blazer, the owner of Blazer Space has sent an incredible amount of the best foods that Earth has to offer just for this luncheon, along with the food he has also sent some of our best wines." David said putting his hand onto Lieutenant Williams`s arm and ensuring the lieutenant`s attention was entirely on him as David noticed that Sarah had been looking a little uncomfortable with the beguiling of Williams.

"Well that is agreed then, although I`m not sure that the Mazerens drink any alcohol, they certainly didn`t offer any at the presentation party." Williams said before finally deciding on a sure way to help his two new friends.

"Do you see that officer over there?" Williams said indicating an officer who was on the opposite side of the marquee and nearer to its wide entrance. He was currently engrossed in the collection of electrical gadgets that David brought from Earth. They were all for domestic use, there was nothing that could be used on board a space cruiser as the leaders on Earth didn`t want any of the items used against them, should the Mazeren people turn out to be not so friendly, as some influential people back on Earth secretly thought.

"He is a senior admiral in the Mazeren space fleet, and he is just the man to speak to first, to see if it will be all right to invite his officers to your party. If you wait here, I will go over and test the water." Williams said, and with that, he advanced on the Mazeren Admiral.

"Admiral, please forgive me for intruding, but the captain of the freighter that brought these goods before you." Williams then indicated David and Sarah "David. Charlton and his fiancée Ms Sarah Jane Hardin, they are going to have a luncheon party tomorrow aboard the freighter, and they would like to ask if you would be kind enough to join them there. They would also like to invite the captains and senior officers of your magnificent space fleet to join them, a friendly meeting between fellow spacemen, with good food and wine to help us bond as new friends. They have brought along some of Earth`s best foods and I am sure that you will enjoy yourself."

Admiral Stator was a tall man with a head full of grey hair, brown eyes and a beard that fringed his chin. He was sixty years of age and was the most senior admiral in the Mazeren space fleet. He could have been mistaken for an ancient Roman senator, or maybe a Roman consul from the time of the roman republic would have been a better description, for he was a man of war as well as an able diplomat. He glanced across at David without a lot of interest, but when he saw Sarah, he quickly advanced upon them. As with all of the Mazeren diplomats, and many of the others on New Mars, he spoke English, and so was quite able to converse with them. After smiling at Sarah, he turned and looked directly at David.

"Captain, I was surprised to hear that you brought a woman into the depths of space, didn`t you consider it rather unwise considering all of the dangers that await one in deep space?" Stator said rather disparagingly.

"Not for this particular voyage Admiral, for we were chaperoned by the Earth space cruiser Intrepid, and once here I knew that Sarah would have the best people of two worlds to ensure that she came to no harm." David didn`t bother with the equality of the sex's argument on this occasion as he didn`t want to get into an argument with their hosts at this stage of their quest.

"Admiral, I insisted on accompanying my fiancé on the epic voyage of the first contact between the people of Earth and your own world." Sarah said smiling at the admiral and easily winning him over to their side, if only if it was for this short moment in time.

"Yes of course Ms Hardin, it is a great moment for both our peoples, and not one to be missed by anyone, should a person get the opportunity to participate in such a momentous event. Thinking about it in hindsight, maybe I too should have offered the same chance to my own family, but then one can never be too sure about a first contact, for who is to say whether it will be such a peaceful event as this one appears to be." Admiral Stator agreed.

"Appears to be Admiral, surely you are not anticipating any trouble between our two parties?" David asked mischievously, for he was sure that the Admiral was au-fait with the attempts on his life, and that of his father and crew, and of course on John Blazer.

"Forgive my poor knowledge of your language Captain Charlton, I certainly didn`t mean to infer such a thing." Admiral Stator said apologetically, but David saw the humour that lurked at the back of the eyes of this high-ranking alien.

"You have nothing to apologise for Admiral, for your knowledge of my language is very good, seeing as how we have only been in contact with one another for a relatively short time." David said pulling back from his unwise attempt at wordplay; he would have to try harder to watch his every word. He had no wish to antagonise this powerful man, for to do so would mean a return to Earth in disgrace with his quest still unfinished.

"As for your kind invitation Captain, I would be delighted to accept, and I will also pass on your invitation to my fellow officers. Until tomorrow lunch time then Captain." Admiral Stator had obviously decided that diplomatic incidents could wait until another time. With a nod towards David, he then turned to Sarah.

"And hopefully you will give me some of your time tomorrow; we can discuss the differences between the women of your world and of my own world, until tomorrow." Stator then turned and walked across the spaceport, towards one of the large Mazeren space cruisers. Once on board he found the three captains of the space cruisers that were sitting in a neat row on the spaceport, they were waiting to speak to him. Captain Zara of the space cruiser Timor spoke. He was thirty years of age with black hair that was parted in the middle, grey eyes, a largish nose and a square chin. He was quite tall and heavily built. The whole package was quite intimidating to many of the other officers and crew of the Mazeren space fleet, but Stator merely smiled at him for he feared very few men, and those he feared were all politicians.

"When can we return to Mazere, Admiral, events are moving forward and we need to be there to react to them?" Captain Zara of the space cruiser Timor demanded to know.

"You are quite correct Captain; and I am already giving the matter some thought, and I now have an inkling of a plan in mind, but as of now it is only that." Admiral Stator tactfully replied.

"Tell us something of your thoughts, and then maybe we can assist you?" Zara demanded.

"Not yet Captain, you must be patient until I have gone over it, for it is audacious, and it may also be a little dangerous." Stator replied thoughtfully. The other officers exchanged worried glances but then decided to leave it there.

"But enough of this kind of talk gentlemen, we and our officers have been invited over to the Earth freighter for a luncheon party tomorrow; I want you all to attend." Stator informed his captains. "I must attend, for I believe that it will allow me to fine tune my plans for our immediate return to Mazere. I also believe that it will provide us with a springboard to bring about the sort of situation that we require on Mazere. This will allow us to step in and take over the reins of government on Mazere, and so to restore order on our planet. Therefore, as I must attend the luncheon party so must you and your officers, as I can hardly go unattended."

**********

The next morning was a busy one for the crew of the Galactic Traveller, who worked hard in the large and spacious main hold to turn it into a dining room, with all the luxury foods and drinks set out onto the lightweight foldable tables that John Blazer had also provided. The shuttlecraft had been moved from the freighter's hold, and was parked nearby. All was ready by lunchtime; all that was needed were their guests, who suddenly appeared en-masse, led by the captains of the Mazeren space fleet who were closely followed by their officers. Admiral Stator followed on behind, as was in keeping with his elevated status, for he had to be seen to be playing it cool. What did surprise the crew of the Galactic Traveller was the arrival of Ambassador Kennedy, he walked into the large hold and was closely attended by his aides and the officers of the Intrepid.

"You didn`t really think that you could keep this from me Charlton?" Kennedy said disdainfully. "I expect you all to act like officers and gentlemen while your guests are here. Please bear in mind that this interstellar meeting between two intelligent races cannot be allowed to fail because of your quest, no matter how important it may be to you. If you will only think for a moment about this momentous occasion and how it affects Mankind. I will explain its importance so that even you can understand it Charlton. The Earth is four and a half billion years old, but life only appeared on its landmasses some three hundred million years ago. Mammals didn`t arrive for another one hundred million years after that, and it is now thought that proto man only turned into homo sapiens because of a series of constant environmental changes in Africa, starting just over two million years ago. Homo sapiens, that is to say us, only escaped extinction narrowly in our distant past, but somehow, we survived to dominate the world. Now while life may well be common in our galaxy, intelligent life may not yet exist in more than a handful of the planets blessed with life. For on many other worlds the environment may have remained constant and the need for Mans brain to develop might never have arisen. This meeting between the Mazeren people and the people of Earth is as I said a momentous occasion, and early misunderstandings on their part cannot be allowed to stop it evolving into a great friendship between two great worlds. For who can tell when we may be fortunate enough to meet another intelligent being, it might not be for a very long time and I don`t want to go down in history as the man who failed to establish links with this one."

Kennedy finally came to an end of his lecture, and David for his part was impressed with the argument, but for his part he still didn`t trust the Mazeren people, and couldn`t as yet see how they would ever be called his friends.

"I accept all that you have said Ambassador, and I promise that we will do nothing to harm your attempts to take a treaty back to Earth. However, Ambassador, I will also reserve the right to carry on with my search for my father and his crew. Now if you will excuse me, I need to circulate amongst my guests." With that, David left him and approached a senior looking officer who was in conversation with Jimmy Fielding.

"David, let me introduce you to Captain Zara of the space cruiser Timor, we were speaking about space pirates, and it seems that the Mazerens merchantmen have to be extra careful at the moment to avoid falling prey to them in some of the more distant worlds of the Mazeren Empire. Captain Zara, let me introduce you to my Captain, David Charlton." Jimmy Fielding said.

"It is good to meet you Captain Charlton; I hope that you weren`t bothered by pirates on your way to this meeting?" Captain Zara asked politely.

"No, we came in the company of the space cruiser Intrepid, and there isn`t a space pirate alive who would dare go up against such a starship. But surely your ship isn`t bothered by such pests either Captain?" David replied.

"You are correct Captain, that they would never do, our fire power would soon make short work of them." The conversation carried on about each other's planets, about the other life forms upon them but then Jimmy Fielding changed the subject to a more technical level.

"You have just the one hyperspace engine while the Intrepid carries two, does that mean that your ship is slower or have you managed to beat the size barrier that still baffles our scientists?" Jimmy openly declared.

"I should not speak of such things to you, but the fact that you can see my space cruiser sitting out there on the space port for yourself means that it would be pointless for me to ignore your question. Yes, the Timor has a revolutionary new hyperspace engine, which will be the power behind our future explorations into deep space. There were a few teething troubles to begin with, and we even had one of our smaller craft crash, killing some of the crew but we have finally managed to iron out the creases that our own scientists missed in their hurry to put the engine into production. The Timor is now operating at peak efficiency, and as my crew are the best in the fleet there is no better starship in the whole of the universe." Captain Zara proudly stated.

"I`d give a year's wages to see your hyperspace engine, even to have just a peep would be a fitting end to my career, for I am retiring from space after this trip." Jimmy said wistfully.

"Well I suppose that I could reciprocate your own kind invitation and have you both come aboard the Timor tomorrow morning for a hot drink of Kakao, and then maybe I might let you have a quick look at it, but only a quick look mind you. I`d be shot if I allowed you to get more than that." Zara had an honest respect for all starship engineers, and was very happy to extend this invitation to the earthmen.

"Thank you, Captain." David said. "Jimmy and I would appreciate the abridged tour of your starship, and as Jimmy said, he is retiring as soon as we return to Earth, so as an engineer he will be as happy as a pig in muck to have a quick look at your engine room."

After explaining the phrase about the pig, David was called across to speak once again to Admiral Stator, who wanted to speak further with him about the people of Earth, and he thought that he was more likely to get the information from David rather than the sophisticated and experienced diplomat Ambassador Kennedy. Tony Miles was with the admiral at this moment in time, and he for one was happier now that he knew that the Mazerens weren`t tea total, for the admiral had just told him how good their selection of wines was. He held a glass of the finest Californian wine in his hand, which he drunk down with relish. Tony had thought that his stay here would be dry, when the Mazerens hadn`t offered him anything alcoholic at the presentation of the gifts from Earth in the large marquee. Unknown to Tony, the Mazerens had deliberately not offered them anything stronger than fruit punch, as they weren`t eager to cement friendly relations with the people of Earth just yet.

"Captain Charlton I was hoping that we could talk about the many different peoples that populate Earth, to see if fact coincides with a pet theory of mine." Admiral Stator said.

"Yes, and maybe you might tell me about your own people and about your people's voyages of discovery amongst the countless planetary systems of our galaxy?" David replied, for he was certainly not going to supply this alien leader with all that he needed to know about Earth, not without getting similar intelligence in return. Admiral Stator smiled.

"But of course, Captain Charlton, but maybe this is a little noisy here for such a talk, maybe you would agree to join me aboard my starship Sentinel tomorrow morning, when we could enjoy a hot drink of Kakao and you could try some of my people`s delicacies." Admiral Stator unexpectedly asked.

"I would be delighted Admiral, until tomorrow then, but now you must let me refill your glass for you."

And so, the luncheon party went on until well into the evening with Sarah making friends with all of the locals, and also sharing the Admiral`s invitation for conversation and a hot drink the next day. When their guests had finally departed, David and his fellow adventurers got together inside of the shuttlecraft, which was once more sitting snuggly inside of the cavernous hold of the Galactic Traveller, and talked of all that they had to do the following day.

Jimmy Fielding had an invite to go aboard the space cruiser Timor, and Tony Miles would accompany him in place of David. David and Sarah of course had their own invitation to join Admiral Stator on the space cruiser Sentinel. Steve would have to play Cinderella and stay aboard the Galactic Traveller; he would have Barney with him to ensure that they didn`t get any uninvited guests.

However, before they all went off and enjoyed themselves, Steve still had to finish his part of the task. It was lucky that John Blazer had had the foresight to suggest to Steve that he bring along six of his latest android tablets. John Blazer had thought that they could be used either as barter or just as a present, but now the suggestion had paid off in spades. Steve was busy finishing off the reprogramming of his android tablets to enable them to be able to read the very complex computer language of the Mazerens, which Barney had downloaded and deciphered on his trip to the crashed starship. This had been far superior to the language and security on the Mazeren tablet that Barney had deciphered, which was, after all, merely a games platform. Steve had also built into the software a sub routine that would erase the relay if anyone attempted to access it without its password. Steve would soon be able to give the android tablets to David and Jimmy so that they in turn could present them to the Mazerens. They would be the best games platform that the Mazerens would ever have experienced. However, hidden within their software was a program that would also allow him to hack into the Mazeren starship computers, just as Barney had done on the crashed Mazeren starship? Once inside he would be able to search for any mention of the Blazer Explorer and its crew within the data files of the starships. He was still working when the others had retired to their cabins, leaving Barney on watch for the remainder of the night.

As David handled the reconfigured tablets the next morning, it occurred to him that he had in his hands a very real chance of finding out if his father was still alive, and he couldn`t help smiling. The screensaver on the device was of a prancing stallion and he thought how apt it was. These two devices would be their Trojan horses, but not to gain entry into an enemy city; it was to gain access to their thoughts.

Later in the morning, Jimmy Fielding and Tony Miles went aboard the starship Timor for a hot Kakao, which turned out to be very similar to coffee, and they enjoyed a quick tour of the starship, including a trip into the engineering department to see the hyper drive engine. When the two men left, Jimmy Fielding handed over his 'Trojan horse' to Captain Zara, and after saying thank you for the Kakao and the accompanying meze, they headed back to the Galactic Traveller.

David and Sarah had a more formidable host to meet, Admiral Stator. They were soon sitting in his stateroom enjoying their own Kakao and a meze, that this time was a selection of small pies that both David and Sarah found to be very tasty. He would have felt guilty at the thought that he would repay this hospitality by leaving his 'Trojan horse' if he was not certain that Admiral Stator not only knew about the attempts on his life but also the fate of his father. Admiral Stator opened the conversation by asking about the various religions on Earth, and this gave David the opportunity to hand over the android tablet.

"Admiral will you please accept this gift on behalf of the many non-governmental people who would like to meet your people. It is primarily a games platform but it also has an extensive encyclopaedia built into it. A large section deals with the various religions that abound freely on Earth. It also deals with the many different nations and their governments. It tells how they are uniting behind the idea of a central united government of Earth. Indeed, it has been obvious for some time that we need to become one people, and our brightest and most forward thinkers have been pressing for this to happen, especially now that we are travelling to the stars. There is also a necessarily large section that explains the many cultures on Earth and a section dealing with the multifarious types of non-human life forms that abound on the planet. Maybe it is these life forms that help make Earth such an oasis amidst the inhospitable environment of space."

"Thank you, Captain, for this gift, hopefully after I have finished studying it, we can talk more of your world?" Admiral Stator said.

"We would be delighted to explain anything that you do not understand, but now maybe you will tell Sarah and myself a little about your own world, such as its form of government. For example, are all of the Mazeren people allowed to participate in the election of their government?"

"All of our people who attain a certain level in their education and graduate are made full citizens of Mazere, and are then permitted to participate. It is thought that anyone who has not reached this level, would not have the necessary intelligence to allow them to consider all of the facts, and so permit them to make a considered intelligent choice, and not one based on outmoded sentiment. Only a small minority of our people are denied this right. As well as these uneducated people of Mazere, those who have committed a felony are not considered worthy of such a right." Admiral Stator said.

David felt unwilling to argue against these ideals, for he had some sympathy with this view regarding felons, but he was firmly opposed to restricting the right to vote of the less educated. For the moment though, he decided to probe deeper rather than to attack the fundamentals behind the Mazeren government.

"May I ask just how many of your people graduate to become full citizens of your world, and so are then entitled to vote in your planet`s elections?"

"It has now risen to over ninety-five per cent, and it may well be because of an extra incentive given to those who graduate. They are included in the ranks of the people on our planet who have the right to have more than one child. All those who fail to graduate at the first attempt are allowed to stay on at school, so they can sit their examinations again. However, those who fail a second time will forfeit some rights. For example, they are only allowed to have one child. These failures are mostly children who are born to our Non-Citizen families and so maybe it a mitigating factor behind their unwillingness to work hard at school. Recently our government has decided that those who are amongst the lowest rank of these failed students are denied even more rights; the right to have any children will be taken away. This is a part of the new pair of laws that were brought in just three years ago as an incentive to all our students to try harder."

Admiral Stator said this in a so matter of fact sort of way that he may have been talking about the weather. David and Sarah were both a little shocked by his words, and even more by his following words.

"The second law that was brought in requires all of our Non-Citizens to wear a particular coloured tunic when out and about, to denote their position in society. The higher grade of Non-Citizen has yellow and red striped tunics, and the lower grade have yellow and grey striped ones. It is felt that this uniform will make them feel proud, for they will now realise that they are part of a greater whole." David thought that this new law stank of something else, fascism.

"The law that regulates child birth, surely those people who are denied the right to have a child don`t obey such a law, and surely a civilised world could never enforce such a law as that. Don`t these people simply disappear into the crowd and resurface elsewhere to have a family?" David asked.

"The criminals on Mazere are sterilised while they are in prison, this is to stop them breeding further generations of felons. It is painless, a chemical is added to the drinking water supplied to all of our prisons, and they are sterilised this way, it is quite simple and painless. As to the Non-Citizens disappearing into the crowd, well that maybe possible on Earth, but on my world, it is all but impossible. Oh, there is an underworld on Mazere where some of the malcontents hide away, but the punishments are enough to deter most people, and those that try to hide find it hard to stay hidden from our state police for long. Our law-abiding citizens soon inform the authorities of any undesirables who have moved into the neighbourhood, and they are immediately picked up. We have a planet wide database of all of our people's DNA, and their fingerprints. We also have a facial recognition database which is updated whenever a person votes, and voting is mandatory every five years. This data base is also checked and updated when anyone goes to court, or the local town hall for any particular reason, so you see our data base is kept quite up to date for all of our people." Admiral Stator boasted.

"What happens if a citizen fails to vote?" David enquired.

"He is fined the first time Captain, and stripped of his citizenship if he fails to vote a second time." Admiral Stator informed them.

"Well I can see that you would get one hundred per cent turn outs then." David said, but now Sarah had a question.

"Getting back to the sterilisation of your criminals Admiral, doesn`t sterilising these people only serve to brutalise them, surely the number of assaults has increased over the last three years?" Sarah asked in amazement." And how about the worst achievers in your school who then become Non-Citizens, how do you prevent these people from having children without having a civil war on your hands?" Sarah wondered.

"As regards the lowest rank of Non-Citizens, they live in our industrial centres; there they either work in our mines or in our heavy industry. A certain amount of their water is treated with the same chemical as is in the prisons, it is a simple matter to sterilise them to prevent them from having children. The other more fortunate Non-Citizens either live in the satellite towns around the many cities of Mazere, and supply the cities with low paid non-skilled labour, something that is more suited to people of their educational level, either that or they work as domestics in the larger more affluent neighbourhoods and live in." Stator said condescendingly. "As regards the criminals, well they are also given a drug while in prison that ensures that they don`t commit any further crimes when they are released, it makes them very docile and they become valuable workers in the industrial towns." David Charlton was sure in his own mind as to the rights or wrongs of such an action, but decided against verbally attacking Admiral Stator for fear of upsetting Ambassador Kennedy`s talks, instead he asked another question.

"I still don`t see how you get away with it, surely a simple filter on the incoming water supply of the towns associated with mining or heavy industry, will supply a source of clean drinking water for these poor unfortunate citizens?" David said now finding it impossible to keep the horror of the situation from his voice.

"You must understand that they are simply not able to think as you and I are. In fact, we regard them all as our charges, and it is our responsibility to care for them and see that they have the necessary food and shelter." Stator said haughtily. He didn`t add that their water supply was also laced with the same drug used in the Mazerens prisons, the one designed to make them docile.

"You said that these people aren`t allowed to participate in any of your worlds elections, but surely they have a right to be represented in your government, and by their own peers, for without that who can truly speak for them?" David argued.

"The Mazeren government has a ministry dedicated to just those people; their welfare is its only concern." Admiral Stator replied with a slight raise in the tone of his voice, for he sensed the distaste in David and Sarah's` voices.

"And yet you will not allow them to have any children, they are sterilised without their knowledge and forced to work in the heavily industrialised and polluted towns. I put it to you that the Non-Citizen population are not truly represented at all, Admiral." David said defiantly. "And isn`t there a good chance that due to this policy of partial sterilisation that you might also create an actual labour shortage in your mines and heavy industries?" David asked.

"No, our robotics industry has more than made up for the decrease in such workers." Admiral Stator replied.

"But don`t the workers realise that there is a decrease in their ranks, a decrease that will become more marked as the years pass by?" Sarah put in.

"The workers are moved from town to town so that the reduction in jobs goes unnoticed." Admiral Stator replied quietly, for he now began to realise that he may have said too much on this subject. His visitors' comments had begun to strike at the heart of the Mazeren governmental policy, a policy that many on Mazere had begun to contest. Especially since 'Action against Tyranny' had begun to attack the government's policies.

What Admiral Stator also didn`t say was that he and many of the senior officers in the military now agreed that some of the newer policies being enacted by the present government were very wrong, and that they would eventually bring down their society if the present politicians were left to rule Mazere. This was why a military coup was now being planned. The only problem was that the planet`s state police were everywhere, and so only the most trusted of the senior officers were allowed in on the plan at this stage. For if too many people were to be in at the planning stage, it would mean that they would be found out, and then probably executed, for the state police had thousands of spies throughout Mazere, which is why the protests that had involved his daughter and her fellow students had failed so completely.

David decided to change the subject as he was feeling anger boiling up within him at the Mazeren rulers, and at this man in particular with his condescending attitude regarding not only many of his own people, but with his visitors from Earth as well.

"But enough of such talk Admiral; let us change the subject of our conversation. As you may not be aware of, we are still a multi-government world, as you will find when you open the tablet. There are a multitude of parties all vying to win as many seats as possible in this multitude of governments, is this also true of yours?" David asked the question but he had already worked out the answer.

"There is only one party on Mazere, a multitude of parties' means that the best people are often not elected to government because they are in the wrong party. Another problem associated with having more than one party is that policies change when the government does, whether the original policies are correct or not. Our system ensures that the best men are elected to govern, and that the policies are changed only when those best suited to govern decide to do so, and not because of the outdated dogma followed by the new government."

David was not too sure that Admiral Stator had stated the case fully for the cons, for a major problem associated with a one-party government was their trend to become dictatorial. They were hard to argue with and even harder to replace, but he kept quiet about this, as it was not the right time to argue politics with a leader of the Mazeren military. Anyway, he was only an insignificant space man, so Admiral Stator probably wouldn`t consider that he had reached the required level of education.

"I feel that you are not in agreement with much that goes on regarding the way we treat our Non-Citizens, but I put it to you Captain Charlton, that on Earth there are still many serious crimes committed, and even wars waged between sovereign nations, at least on Mazere both these particular plagues have all but been eliminated." Admiral Stator now turned to Sarah.

"But enough of politics for now, let us speak about the women of our two worlds, first Ms Hardin I will tell you a little of the women of my world and then maybe you would consent to speak to me as a woman of your world?" Admiral Stator suggested.

"Of course, Admiral, I am very curious to know a little about the half of your planet`s population that are not represented here on this barren planet?" Sarah said smiling at the alien. She listened with interest without interrupting as he told her about the way of life of most of the women of Mazere.

"The women of my world have exactly the same rights as the men, except for a few minor exceptions. They are not allowed to join the armed forces of our world, but as we haven`t fought a war in two of your centuries that is of no consequence. They are not allowed to join our fire brigade or our police force. When they have children, they are expected to leave their job of work or profession to look after their children. This is better for the children and therefore better for the women in the end. They will enjoy a happier life if their children also enjoy the comfort and protection offered by living within a normal functioning family, one with the mother at home to care for them. And finally, of course they are kept away from dangerous places such as deep space and first contact meetings with an alien race when anything might happen." Stator looked condescendingly at David for just a moment before looking back at Sarah, and he now smiled, for he believed that he had made a case that few could argue with, but of course he didn`t know Sarah Jane Hardin all that well.

"I will pass over your first two points Admiral, as I personally have no wish to become a soldier or to join the fire brigade, although I would fight for the right of other women to join either of these services if she so desired. As to whether a person should leave their chosen way of life to tend to the wellbeing of their children, which I too firmly believe in, if it is not made impossible by financial or personal reasons. However, I would argue whether the woman should be the one to put aside her way of life, and not the man. There are as many able women as there are men, and so it should be decided on merit between the couple, and prior to their decision to having a family rather than just understood that it is the job of the woman. As for your point about women not being allowed to work in deep space Admiral, and that they be kept away from all potential places of danger, I must firmly disagree. I as a woman have no desire to be wrapped in cotton wool to ensure that no possible harm befalls me, I would rather help fight against any who would put harm in my way, than see another risk their own life in the defence of mine, especially without my doing anything to help. And finally, I firmly believe that women should be present within a planet`s police force, if only to ensure a just and fair approach when dealing with women. However, I also believe this because many women are as able as any man is and better than many whom I have personally met during my life. Your world is missing out on a source of ability and understanding within those professions closed or restricted to them through their duties as a mother, and Admiral, by so much that I cannot even estimate the amount."

Sarah looked firmly but politely at Admiral Stator, but from her attitude David could see that she was determined that she would not shift one inch from her declared position. It was shortly after this that David and Sarah left Admiral Stator; whose own position was not quite so firm following the meeting.

Admiral Stator looked at the tablet in his hands and decided to read everything that was on the android tablet that David had presented to him. He didn`t find anything important on the tablet that the Mazeren agents on Earth hadn`t already told him, but it did add to his knowledge about the various cultures. It confirmed his opinion of his two recent guests from Earth, that they weren`t fools, and that they had been honest with him when they had answered his questions. They had not however told him their real reason for coming to this area of space, to search for the missing starship and its captain and crew. Stator smiled for he knew that they must fail in their search, unless they received assistance from someone high ranking in the military or the government of Mazere, and this was never likely to happen. As the admiral looked at the tablet once again, a smile spread across his face, for the information stored on the tablet had given him a totally new plan that would give him the result he so much desired, control of Mazere. It would also give them the excuse that would send the delegation from Earth back home to their planet, and with their tails between their legs.

Admiral Stator immediately sent a coded message back to Mazere telling his senior conspirators of his plan. He explained what they needed to do to ensure that it would go like clockwork.

***********

On the freighter David and Sarah found Steve working busily at his computer terminal, he turned as they entered the bridge of the Galactic Traveller and smiled at them. Then he indicating that they should join him and the others inside of the shuttle craft that was once again safely parked within the starship`s large hold. Once safely inside, and with the airlock firmly shut he brought them up to date.

"I have built into my snooper program a feature that will only download files when the files on the Mazeren computer are already open and being used. This means that we may have to wait a couple of hours to get any information from our Trojan horses, but the Mazeren starships logs will be open sometime today and as soon as they are my program will alert me." Steve said. "The same goes for their communications files." Steve looked more than satisfied with his work, but David wanted to be sure on all points regarding their espionage.

"So, Steve, what are the chances of our being detected as we download their files?" David asked.

"The chance of our being detected snooping on them is very small, for the program that I have already downloaded into their computers should prevent it, their computer software is advanced but it is at least twenty years behind ours and their illegal software detectors are pretty old hat compared to ours. And anyway, my little snooper is such a clever little beast that they will never find it, and as soon as we have all of the necessary data, we can tell our snooper to erase itself and along with all traces that we were ever inside of the starship`s computers."

"Then why do you delay, why do you not download their files immediately?" Sarah asked.

"Because Sarah dear, this way makes the risk of detection all the smaller." Steve said patiently.

"Won`t it slow their computers down and become noticeable if we make use of their files when they are also using them." Tony Miles wanted to know.

"Of course not, oh foolish one." Steve said laughing. "Their computers are extremely fast, even if they are a little outdated, the delay might be noticeable to Barney, but even he would have to be looking for it before he could find even a trace of the delay in time. This is the twenty second century not the twentieth century."

David now turned to Jimmy and Tony. "Well how did you two enjoy your morning away from the grey walls of the Galactic Explorer?"

"Fine David, we had a couple of cups of Kakao and a plate full of various cakes, and then we were given a quick and very abridged tour of their starship. We saw the engine room with its new big shiny hyper drive engine, but of course we couldn`t tell much from that except that it was the ship`s primary drive and so apparently their space cruisers should be quicker than ours. That is if they have ironed out the inconsistencies of operating such a large hyperspace engine, something our people back on Earth haven`t as yet managed to do." Jimmy said and then looked across to Tony Miles. "That`s about it eh Tony?"

"Yes Jimmy, that is it as they say." Tony replied.

It was two hours later that Steve`s snooper signalled that the starship Timor`s log had been opened, and he was then able to download every entry for the last three years with no trace of his activity being noticed by the starship`s computer or the crew. One hour later and he also had every message ever sent to the both the Timor and the Sentinel, and after another hour they had the log of the Sentinel safely downloaded into their computer banks.

Steve now took David back to the shuttlecraft so that they could talk in safety.

"I`ve got everything that we need from the two ships, so I have told our two snooper programs to erase all traces of our entry into their computers and of themselves. Before you say anything David, I know that it would be useful to hear any future communications that the two starship`s receive or send, but I am the computer genius and I believe in safety first. If you need to re connect at any time then we do have our two Trojan horses still available to us, for the moment at least, and we can then send a new snooper into their computers, but as of now we are free of the perils of their detecting our little indiscretions."

"Ok Steve, as you say you are the expert. Let`s begin the job of wading through all of the data that you have downloaded." David said heading for the airlock that would take them into the freighter`s hold, but Steve stopped him.

"Wading through gigabytes of data, David, I think not. Barney will do all of that laborious work, and in next to no time at all."

Steve then led the way back up to the bridge of the freighter and Barney, who as always was on guard just inside of the freighter`s own airlock. Steve went across to their loyal metal companion and handed him his tablet. On the tablet was a note asking Barney to run through all of the data that they had downloaded from the Mazeren space cruisers. First, he was to check if anything referred to the Blazer Explorer and its crew, secondly as to whether there was any data that might be a security issue as regards the safety of the two starships from Earth, their crews and their passengers. Barney went across to Steve`s computer terminal and connected up to it, soon he was humming away contentedly. It took Barney five minutes to go through all the gigabytes of data but finally he was finished.

"Captain I have gone through the data and I`m now ready to give you my report, when you are ready that is."

"Okay then Barney, but perhaps we should discuss this down below, and with that David led the others to the shuttle craft, as everyone wanted to know what if anything Barney had discovered. Once everyone was within the shuttlecraft and its airlock was shut tight, David asked Barney for his report.

"I have found mention of the Blazer Explorer, and I will play back the log of the starship Sentinel, there is also a similar recording on the log of the Timor but it doesn`t add anything extra to the first log."

It was Admiral Stator`s voice that they heard speaking into the Sentinel`s log. 'Extra to today`s log, we encountered the starship Blazer Explorer from Earth early this afternoon, and together with my two consorts I attacked and destroyed their hyper drive forcing them to enter the atmosphere of the third planet of the Cordican planetary system. We continued our attack and hit the middle section of the starship but they still managed to crash land onto the planet`s surface. Unfortunately, due to its badly damaged hull the starship broke into two pieces while making its landing. We sent the small scout ship Blaydon, down to search for survivors, and it found that four of the crew had survived the crash and subsequently took them off the planet for delivery to our home world where they will be interrogated.'

David Charlton hadn`t been able to breathe whilst he had been listening to the Sentinel`s log, but now he let out a long sigh. "That probably means that all the people in the engineering section of the ship died, probably soon after the initial attack in space. My god, I would like to kill that man, but I suppose the ambassador wouldn`t like that." Even so, he would have to be careful not to let his anger surface whenever they met.

"At least four of the crew survived David, it could have been worse." Sarah said gently as she clutched at his arm in an attempt to offer some support.

David smiled at Sarah and then he turned to Barney. "What else do you have Barney?"

"This is from the log of the Timor, Captain." Barney replied.

'Further to my earlier report I must report that the hyper drive engine on the scout ship Blaydon exploded, and she crash landed onto the third planet in the Cayman planetary system. We arrived there four hours later and took all the survivors off, unfortunately there were five fatalities.' David looked at Sarah and the others and he could see they were thinking exactly the same thing as he was.

"Barney, didn`t the log list the dead crewmen." Sarah asked the question David had difficulty formulating, her voice very quiet and wavering just a little.

"No Ms Hardin, it didn`t, I haven`t found out who died in the crash but I have more to report that gives some indication as to who did survive. Shall I continue on Captain?" Barney replied.

"Yes Barney, continue with your report." David said quietly. He could feel his pulse racing, his heart thumping, but he forced his outward signs to stay calm.

"This is another log entry from the Timor and is dated seven days following the crash of the Blazer Explorer." Barney said and then he gave the log entry.

'Further log entry to today`s date. We berthed at the space dock and gave Captain Charlton and his surviving crew into the hands of a security detachment who were waiting there to escort them down to the planet`s surface where they will be confined and interrogated by our intelligence agency.'

"That is the last item that I found on the two ship`s logs regarding the Blazer Explorer, as regards the other item I can report that there are no security issues to report as of today, the Mazerens don`t have any plans to attack us." Barney finished.

"Well they probably wouldn`t want to start a war with us, which would be the result of an attack on the Intrepid, and an attack on us would be pointless as Earth now knows of their existence. David, at least we know that your father was on the planet Mazere two years ago. All we need to do now is to come up with the next part of our plan, and that is to find out where he was taken after he was transported down to the planet Mazere." Steve said. "That might be a little difficult though, without help from an important Mazeren."

"Yes, and we also need to wangle an invitation which will allow us to travel to the planet Mazere." Tony Miles said to his friends who were mostly looking just a little glum. For while they had progressed two steps forward, they still seemed as far away as ever from finding Richard Charlton, and whoever else survived the crash on the planet in the Cordican system.

"One other thing that my little snooper found when it was busy in the Mazeren starships, it found the exact co-ordinates of their home world. It was in their navigational records that I also downloaded in full." Steve said and this information managed to raise their spirits, for now all they needed to do was to wait for the postal worker to drop in the invitation that would ask them to visit the planet Mazere.

Of course the ambassador did know the co-ordinates, for the Blazer drone had provided them, however, no one had passed them on to David. This was to ensure that he did not do anything stupid and in doing so, destroy any chance of opening full diplomatic relations between the two planets.

**********

Admiral Stator had now worked out all the finer points of his plan, everything hinged around one thing, the freighter and its crew must come to Mazere. He almost felt a little twinge of guilt at having to use them in such a way, and it might make his relationship with Lantana a little awkward too, but he would have to live with that. Unfortunately, his plan meant that the Earth ambassador must be invited along as well, and he would want to travel in the space cruiser. So be it, he would speak to Chancellor Krieg and state that he wished for the talks to be upgraded to a full ambassadorial meeting between the two worlds. They would discuss trade and the setting up of embassies, until his new plan reached fruition. This new plan would also make Captain Charlton very happy, for he must realise that the answer to finding his father lay on Mazere, and not here on this barren world. His meeting with Krieg was to say the least, explosive.

"You want to move the meeting with the ambassador of Earth to Mazere, why, are you insane, surely the point of the last three years has been to stop this very thing from happening?" Krieg railed.

"And where has it got us Chancellor, they now know of our presence in the galaxy and we are meeting with their ambassador. We have even made warlike moves on one of their starships, that could still have unknown consequences." Stator replied calmly while he waited for the Chancellor`s argument to continue.

"But surely our future plans include the de-stabilization of their planet so that they are unable to compete with us for the riches of the galaxy. Are they not more warlike moves?" Krieg argued.

"Chancellor, I have studied all of the reports regarding their world and their people, if we try to attempt any more such measures against them, we stand a good chance of failing, and that will mean interplanetary war. Our stable world couldn`t survive such an outcome intact, no, you must advise the government to open full diplomatic relations with the people of Earth immediately."

Stator didn`t doubt his people's destiny to rule the universe, but over the last three years he saw that the planet`s leaders were not going to take them there. He had read all of the reports on Earth and had seen that they were about a dynamic people, one who were also sure of their own destiny. His series of late-night discussions with his daughter had altered his rigid views on the way he should take Mazere forward, he now realised that there were other ways of achieving the result that he wanted, ways that would not begin to dehumanise his people. And finally, his meeting with the freighter captain and his fiancé had enabled him to finalise his plan to first snatch the leadership away from its current incumbents, and then to launch his new way forward for the people of Mazere. Regarding Ambassador Kennedy, Stator saw just another politician, of which the galaxy was probably full to overflowing with, unfortunately.

"You make a convincing argument Admiral, for I too wonder about the advisability of following such actions, but surely the government will not allow me to do such a thing." Krieg said.

"The government will follow your lead Chancellor, especially if you also state that I am also behind such a move. Anyway, the opening of embassies will not happen overnight, and if we do agree to exchange embassies, then a diplomatic presence there would be very advantageous to our people. We can use it to our advantage to procure any advanced technology that they have, by fair means or foul." Stator argued persuasively. "I would also like Captain Charlton to accompany us to Mazere; I feel that they will provide us with a more balanced view of the people of Earth." Admiral Stator asked.

"Captain Charlton, but we both know the real reason why he has come here, it is to find his father, and surely taking him to Mazere will assist him in his quest?" Krieg argued.

"We will keep them and their craft under surveillance Chancellor, everything they say or do will be known to us, in any case since their arrival they have not managed to find out anything about the missing starship, their search has been a total failure." Stator replied in a persuasive voice.

"It is true that we have listened in to their every word Admiral, but all they seem talk about is food or Kakao, nothing of importance. They must be conversing secretly, and that surely is interesting in itself."

"If they do try to get information regarding the crew of the Blazer Explorer, Chancellor, then we will be able to use it against their ambassador in any way that we choose. Now I must insist that you do as I ask, you know that it will be for the good of Mazere in the long run."

It was later the next day that Chancellor Krieg spoke to those assembled within the meeting hall.

"Ambassador Kennedy, my government asks if we might not move this meeting between our two people to our home world of Mazere, and continue it there with the first subject being when and where to open our two embassies?"

"But this is wonderful Chancellor, my colleagues and I will be only too delighted to move the meeting over to your world to continue our talks. Please convey our thanks to your government." Ambassador Kennedy replied ecstatically. Although how this sudden development came about, he had no idea.

"We would also like to extend this invitation to the freighter captain and his crew to join us on Mazere. My people would like the opportunity to talk with them outside of the normal meeting, they being representatives of the many ordinary people of your world. It is thought that we will be able to get a much clearer picture of your world and its people in this way." Krieg continued. Kennedy fought to keep the frustration from his face and just about managed it, but he had to try to thwart this proposal.

"But the crew of the Intrepid could provide that insight for you, there is no reason to put Captain Charlton and his crew to the inconvenience of a longer stay in deep space."

"But we insist Ambassador, Captain Charlton and his crew must also come to Mazere, as people who are non-Government officials, we feel that they will give us a more balanced feel about the many different people who live on your world."

"Then come they must Chancellor, I will tell them immediately after our meeting ends." Kennedy said with a regret and anger that he hid very well from his hosts.

"You represent only a portion of the people of your world, when you open your embassy on Mazere, it is hoped that you will invite some of the unaligned nations on your world to be represented there. It should assist your planet to unite behind a single leader and to join us as we move forward peacefully into the galaxy in a united front." Chancellor Krieg said with just a little concern, for he was still not one hundred per cent sure that what he was partaking in, was to the betterment of his people, or of Admiral Stator`s motives for insisting upon it.

"Then Chancellor we had better have an extra-large embassy building to house us all." Kennedy said with an attempt at humour.

When Ambassador Kennedy called on the crew of the Galactic Traveller, David thought that they were in trouble for one of a many possible reasons, but he still greeted the ambassador in his normal detached manner.

"Ambassador, how can we be of assistance to you today?" David asked and managing to convey that this would be the last thing that he would ever want to do.

"The meeting between the Mazerens and Earth is to be moved to their home world as of tomorrow morning. Once there, we will discuss the immediate opening of our embassy, or at least as soon as one can be built. For some reason they have also insisted that you join us in your interstellar dust cart, please be ready to take off at first light." Kennedy said, and his tone conveyed the distaste that he felt at having to issue the invitation.

"Well that is sudden; I suppose it must have been our luncheon party the other day that finally convinced them to allow us to open an embassy on Mazere. But you don`t have to thank us Ambassador, it is all part of the package that you get when you go with the combined package of Blazer Space and Charlton Freighters." David said lightly.

David was trying to needle Ambassador Kennedy, and knew that he had succeeded, for he had seen Kennedy`s face as he turned away and walked back to his quarters in the small town on New Mars. Kennedy`s anger had reached an all-time high, for in one fleeting moment he too had wondered if something had happened during the luncheon party that could be behind the sudden change of heart amongst the Mazerens.

David`s mind was also in total shock as he took in what the ambassador had said. Here was the invitation that Tony Miles had asked for, and David was sure that the presence of Sarah Jane Hardin had somehow had something to do with it. It must have been the meeting with the Admiral on board of his flagship David reasoned, for he had seen the way that Admiral Stator had reacted to her impassioned speech for the rights of not only other women, but for everyone, men included. Surely, it had to be more than the few words spoken over a hot drink of Kakao that had changed everything for two worlds, something that had moved them forward one gigantic step in their quest to find their missing family and friends. After a very disgruntled ambassador left them to return to his suite of rooms, David spoke to Sarah and the others on the subject regarding their good fortune, but no one had anything concrete to offer. Why things had gone their way, remained a mystery for the moment, and they could only agree with his evaluation of events. Admiral Stator must have requested their presence in this second meeting between worlds, and as David thought, Sarah had somehow been the reason. No one imagined that there could be another darker reason behind the invitation.

Chapter Six

The Planet Mazere

The first view that the crew of the Galactic Traveller had of the planet Mazere reminded them all of Earth, although of course the landmasses were distributed around the planet differently. There were two ice and snow covered poles, with a multi-coloured patchwork of continents and islands in between, and many wide oceans and seas surrounding them all. The two starship`s from Earth were guided towards the coast of one of the larger continental land masses, and they set down upon an ultra-modern space port that was only a few miles outside of a very modern city, one that could easily have been on Earth. What their scanners also recorded was the vast amount of toxic smog that hung over some of the areas, which they assumed, must be the industrial areas. Thankfully, there were none of these near to the ultra-modern spaceport. David took the Galactic Traveller to its allocated parking space which was in the middle of the space port, so there wouldn`t be any unauthorised trips while they were on Mazere, especially as the Intrepid was parked next to them.

Steve threw open the nearest airlock to allow some fresh air into the ship, although he soon noticed that the wind was blowing towards them from the large city that they had seen prior to landing. Although there wasn`t a particularly nasty smell associated with it, he noticed that it wasn`t as fresh as that upon New Mars, but hopefully there wouldn`t be any sand storms either. The sky was blue; although now it was mainly filled with grey clouds intermixed with some angry looking black ones that shouldered the others out of the way. When they had aired the ship sufficiently, they closed and locked all entrances into the starship, and then they returned to the shuttlecraft to consider their options.

"Well David, where do we go from here? It will be tricky trying to duplicate our last trick, we don`t even know who we would need to meet and greet, or where to look for information." Steve said, which were the words most of the others were secretly thinking but were to loyal to voice.

"I don`t know Steve, the space agency must have a record somewhere as to where they sent the survivors of the Blazer Explorer, maybe we can access their internet and let our fingers do the searching for us?" David replied paraphrasing a very old advertisement.

"Well Barney should be the one to try and access their internet, and then he can trawl through to see if he can locate any interesting possibilities, he will not only be much quicker than us, but he can also read the local language." Sarah said. "If we get nowhere David, then maybe we should just approach the Admiral and come partially clean and say that while we were in this sector of space, we would like to take this opportunity to search for a missing starship. Surely it would be difficult for him to refuse our request without giving a reason as to why? We could even ask if he could have his fleet keep an eye out for any signs of the starship, all innocent like." This last idea brought a chorus of laughs.

"He is a very high-ranking officer in the Mazeren space fleet Sarah, and so there is no chance in a million that he would ever help us in our quest, especially as he is mixed up in their disappearance right up to his rotten neck. Although I suppose he can hardly complain if we did ask for his help, it would be admitting to us that they were guilty of a crime. However, we can keep your idea in reserve, should our other attempts come to nought then we can try the direct approach." David said.

"I too think that approaching the admiral would probably come to nought David, but I did get the feeling that he was reaching out to us, but as you say he was probably just after info." Sarah said and smiled ever so sweetly at her fiancé as if to say, we shall see.

"Okay then, as no one else has any suggestions Barney, why don`t you see if you can access their internet." David said, ignoring Sarah`s unsaid words.

"Of course, Captain, I will start now." And with that Barney left the confines of the shuttle craft to return to the starship`s bridge, and once there he began to hum. He was searching the airways to first find the Mazeren internet, which he quickly located while the others had a cup of coffee in the ship`s galley and spoke of Earth, and of their families. Thirty minutes later, Barney indicated that they should all retire back down to the shuttlecraft and once inside he gave them his report.

"I`m sorry it took so long Captain, but their system is a lot slower and more complicated than our own. For a start I had to piggy back on another user`s signal to gain admission into the network." Barney said. "I first of all looked for the location of the Mazeren military headquarters, both local and national, that was a simple task as it turned out. Unfortunately, I was not able to find out any more information as I do not feel competent enough to hack my way by all of their security systems without being discovered. I`m sorry Captain, but it will be within such places that any data of a sensitive or secret nature is likely to be kept."

"You were right not to try Barney; for we can leave the hacking to Steve and his little snoopers. What about it Steve, can you send your snoopers in again without too much of a risk of being found out?" David asked his very able friend.

It took a moment before Steve looked up at David, for he too had been surfing the Mazeren internet by piggy backing on a local's signal, and had not realised that David had asked him a question.

"I`m sorry David I missed some of that, what was your question again?" David then repeated what was said.

"I don`t think that we should risk my little snooper this time around, at least not just yet David. However, the searches made by Barney on the Mazeren internet have put me onto something that might fit the bill and allow us to use my little snoopers. Did you know that the Mazeren space headquarters has an official internet site? No, well they do, and they mention that they provide guided tours in the space headquarters building every morning. That could well be our way in. We will need someone to take one of my tablets along on the guided tour, and so be near to their mainframe computer, and this could allow me to gain access via it into the buildings network rather than via the internet. This would be a more secure method, for if they detect us while piggy backing, as Barney and I have been doing, then they will only need to find the area where the hacker is based to guess that we are behind it. The beauty of my new plan is that we don`t have to leave a device behind that would probably be found by someone eventually, either that or we would have to return to the space HQ to retrieve it, which is an added risk in itself.

"Fine then, Tony and Jimmy can take the hovercraft to town tomorrow morning and partake of the tour, hopefully they will attract less attention than Sarah and me. In any case, we don`t know what plans other people may have for us back here at the space port." David said and Jimmy immediately asked a question.

"Steve, would you like us to take our time while the two of us are inside the space HQ?"

"Yes, but not so much time that you attract attention to yourselves, as then their security might find my device on you. Take your smartphones along with you and let me know when you are about to enter the building, and I will tell you when I`ve got the info that we are after. If during this time you think it advisable to leave then do so immediately, and without attracting any undue attention to yourselves."

"Ok Steve, we understand exactly what you require of us. We are to let you know prior to entering the building, we are then to go on the tour but afterwards we are to hang around without bringing undue attention upon ourselves until you tell us that we can leave." Tony Miles said.

"You got it Tony." Steve said smiling.

**********

The next morning saw Tony Miles and Jimmy Fielding standing at the airlock of the Galactic Traveller as they prepared to leave for the city on the start of the day`s mission. However, they didn`t exit the freighter to hop into their hovercraft because a Mazeren officer appeared at the bottom on the ramp and asked to speak to David and Sarah. On being introduced to them, he asked if they would like to join Admiral Stator for a friendly chat over a Kakao at his house in the country. The officer told them that he would take them to the house and later he would return them to their starship. How could they refuse and Sarah was secretly just a little smug for she saw this as an added indication that what she had felt earlier on New Mars could well be true.

David turned to Jimmy and Tony and said, "Why don`t you guys wait here until we return, I will speak to you later."

The drive to Admiral Stator`s house was uneventful, although of interest, as it gave them the chance to see some of the more scenic and peaceful parts of the countryside away from the busy space port. One hour after having left the spaceport they arrived at a spacious country house set within its own grounds.

"The admiral has a nice house, Sarah." David said as he looked at a house that his former house would have fitted into at least three times over.

"Yes David, as on Earth an admiral here would seem to earn a large enough salary to be able to afford such things." Sarah replied. She certainly wished that she owned such a place.

They were shown into a large, well decorated entrance hall to be met by Admiral Stator who was accompanied by a young woman about Sarah`s age. It was his daughter, she seemed to be just a little tired to Sarah, who smiled at her, it was as if she were getting over a bad illness, or so it seemed to Sarah.

"Ms Hardin, Captain Charlton, let me introduce my daughter. Lantana, these are the two people from Earth that I told you about."

"It is good to meet you both; never did I believe that I would be meeting aliens from another planet, and here within our house. I bid you both welcome to our home, please come through to our garden, for it`s a lovely day and we can sit and talk outside in the sun."

With that Lantana turned and led the way through a luxurious sitting room and out onto a paved patio area. A brick wall surrounded this portion of the garden and made a sun trap. Laid out on a small table were four cups of Kakao and what David was happily surprised to see, something that looked remarkably like chocolate truffles, for they were his favourite. After they had finished their drinks and had partaken of the usual small talk, Admiral Stator suggested that Lantana show Sarah around their garden while he and Captain Charlton tried a slightly stronger drink and talked of their adventures in space. Sarah was happy to follow Lantana along the small brick path, and spoke of the flowers that lined it, and of other minor things until Lantana stopped and put her hand on Sarah`s arm.

"Sarah, may I call you by your given name?" Lantana asked hesitantly.

"Of course, Lantana, we are hopefully going to become friends, are we not?" Sarah replied looked across at the young women who she already found herself liking.

"Yes, I too would like that Sarah." Lantana then guided Sarah into a small summerhouse that stood just off the garden path before she spoke again.

"Sarah, can I trust you to keep what I`m about to tell you just between the two of us, and of course Captain Charlton, who I assume is your lover?" Sarah blushed profusely, on Earth, and definitely, amongst her own circle of friends, no one would ever say such a thing quite so bluntly.

"Lantana, whatever you say to me will be treated with the utmost confidence." Sarah finally managed to say.

"Three years ago, I was at university Sarah; there I studied computers and physics, it was a really fun time in my life. I met many different people and I was able to build up a wide circle of friends, both in Plakara and in the other cities of Mazere. It was then that I became aware of the injustices on my world and went on a student march to protest against them. Unfortunately, the authorities cracked down hard on anyone who joined in the march and I was stripped of my citizenship. Since the march, my father has kindly allowed me to carry on my studies at home, now that I am no longer allowed to go to university. I'm afraid that I have betrayed him somewhat, as I used this time to carry on working for the betterment of the Non-Citizens, and what I have done in this building is part of that work. Whatever we say in here will not be overheard by one of the many snoopers working for the state police." Lantana`s words reminded Sarah of the work carried out on their shuttlecraft by Steve Ryan.

"My father has let me read the tablet that you and Captain Charlton gave to him, and he has told me a lot more about your world. I will now tell you something about our world that you may not like, for I believe that it goes contrary to your own beliefs." Lantana broke off her as she looked about her as if she was ensuring that her father wasn`t nearby.

"If it is about your Non-Citizens, Lantana, then yes, neither David nor I are too happy about that." Sarah said hoping to make it easier for Lantana.

"My father told you then of our people's crimes against some of our more unfortunate people." Lantana said somewhat surprised.

"Yes, and as you say, it does go against everything that we believe in." Sarah answered wondering just where this pleasant young woman was leading her. Lantana then told her of the riots and of her being taken away by the state police.

"Since the riots and following the death of my mother I believe that my father and I have become closer, and that he now agrees with many of the things that we used to argue about."

"Just what did you say to him Lantana, which was enough to change the views of such a powerful man?" Sarah asked, for she still thought that she had been right in thinking that the admiral would agree to assist them in their quest, if they asked him.

Lantana then related to Sarah everything that she had told her father ending up with the destitute and impoverished people on the planet Phlox."

"The Phlox, Lantana, who are they?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, they are another alien race that our people met, but unfortunately they are still fighting amongst themselves, or so our government would have us believe. I have become quite an accomplished hacker, and during one such episode, I got into a secret government file. I then found that our government is stirring up the troubles there; we are keeping them a divided people. This means that their people are only allowed a very limited access to Mazere, and may never become united and progress beyond the aggressive stage that they are currently in." Lantana said sadly.

"And is this what your government intends for Earth, Lantana?" Sarah quietly asked and fearing the worst.

"I believe so Sarah, unless things change here. Although I was happily surprised to hear that your ambassador had been invited to Mazere for talks, this never happened with the Phlox. There is certainly something in the wind, so be advised Sarah, and be very careful in your dealings with my world's leaders." Lantana replied quietly but firmly.

"To say the least, you have left me in a total state of shock, albeit one tinged with admiration for what you are doing Lantana." Sarah said. Her words sounded rather lame to Sarah after Lantana`s revelation, but it was all that Sarah could manage for a moment but she soon recovered, albeit with her mind full of worry for their future.

"Well Lantana, your world may not get my seal of approval, but Earth too has many problems that I`m not too proud of. We have a rising crime rate, there are still wars between nations and most serious of all is that we are over populated and it is getting worse. Our answer seems to be to do nothing to stop it from happening, your people`s answer may well be very wrong to my way of thinking, but at least your world has tried to solve the problems regarding over population." Sarah said deliberately not speaking too quickly so that Lantana would be able to keep up with her. Sarah smiled at Lantana for her words had brought a smile to Lantana`s pretty face. Sarah then continued.

"We also have a large amount of corruption in government, poverty and riots, and we are no nearer to finding any answers to these problems, especially our overpopulation problem. I think that our two worlds need to come together to try to help each world get a grip on what is wrong with both civilisations. Number one would be corrupt governments that are too busy lining their own pockets to solve the important issues of the day." Sarah said and then she burst out laughing.

"Here I am sixty light years from Earth but having a similar conversation to the one that I had just six months ago with a friend of mine at university. But tell me Lantana, how long have you been speaking English, for you seem to be quite at home with our language?" Sarah asked. Although Sarah had meant this as a compliment, she couldn`t help but wonder at what point Admiral Stator had in fact told Lantana about the existence of Earth.

"Thank you for your compliment Sarah. Unfortunately, I still have a way to go, as I`m sure you will have noticed. I find your grammar most difficult and I am still learning so many of your words. My father asked me to learn your language almost a year ago. He told me that it would be a great help to him if I managed to master it. I have a teacher to tutor me for three hours each day, it is very tiring, and I would much rather be in my garden, even my domestic duties are easier." Lantana said smiling at the young woman from Earth and the conversation was lifted up to a lighter level.

"Our house is full of laughter these days Sarah, for father holds many dinner parties with his friends in the military, I even allow myself to be happy during these wonderful nights. Unfortunately, he stays up to the early hours talking with his friends and the next morning he is tired and irritable."

What she didn`t say was that she had installed a listening device to listen in to these late-night sessions, and to collect a lot of top-secret information. Lantana then brought the conversation back to a darker level and she spoke again about her earlier warning.

"Sarah, I have told you of my work not to boast, but in the hope that you and your friends can warn your ambassador of my government`s plans for your own world. Maybe you can also be a friend to my people, and help us when you can?"

Sarah didn`t say anything, she just nodded her head, Lantana`s repeated warning reinforced her earlier worries, she now wondered if perhaps they had entered into a lion's den, and they were to be served up as the next meal.

The two women now returned to the house, and to David Charlton and Admiral Stator, who on hearing the two women return, turned to smile at them and the admiral suggested that their two guests stay for lunch. Lantana then turned to David and asked him a question that had been bothering her.

"I was surprised to hear that you would also be accompanying the ambassador to Mazere, Captain, as your part in the proceedings was completed, the delivery of the cargo that is?" Lantana added the last part when she saw a question in David`s eyes concerning her question.

"We too were a little surprised, but delighted also, for this is our first trip to a world inhabited by an alien race." David replied, taking a sip from his glass of Mazeren wine.

"It was my idea Lantana, I thought it would make you happy to meet two such charming people, and talk of other worlds rather than our own one." Stator said smiling at his daughter who returned his smile.

He knew that there were other darker reasons behind his invitation. Lantana knew something of his plans through her secret listening device in her father`s study, but she did not know her father`s new plans, or just how dangerous they would be for her guests from Earth, for these plans had been conceived on New Mars.

"Well in that case father, I would like to thank you, for I am enjoying our small party, and it is nice to talk to two such nice people about such exotic things as far away worlds and peoples." Lantana said, throwing a smile towards her father. Sarah for her part was finding it hard to see the real Lantana hidden behind the sweet dutiful daughter.

They talked over lunch and well into the afternoon about Earth and its people, but nothing more was said about the problems on Mazere. David then asked Admiral Stator a question.

"Admiral I wonder if you could assist me, my crew and I would like to travel in to your capital city to look around its museums, could you arrange an escort for us, and maybe a translator to explain all of the things that we will see?"

"Father, please let me be their guide, I haven`t been to the capital since that awful night, and I would dearly love to see it again?" Lantana begged, her large eyes pleading with her father. Stator looked into his daughter's eyes for a long moment before smiling at her.

"Ok but I think that a large group such as yourselves should be split into two groups so as to make the trip all the more enjoyable. You, Lantana, can go with Captain Charlton and Ms Hardin, I will order Lieutenant Crestor to escort you so as to ensure that you don`t get into any trouble. The other members of your crew Captain, can travel to the capital with Lieutenant Pallas who speaks perfect English, and who is eager for a break away from my starship. How is that?" Stator said smiling to the others.

His real reason for the two groups was to ensure that his two officers would have an easier time stopping the earthmen from getting into mischief and attempting to track down the information they so desperately required to assist them in their quest. One other reason for agreeing to the request was that David had unwittingly given the admiral the chance that he had been seeking that would enable him to put the last part of his plan into operation, and this was the other reason behind the luncheon invitation. In fact, the admiral had been on the verge of proposing such a trip.

"That is marvellous Father; I can hardly wait until tomorrow morning." Lantana squealed.

"I will have the two lieutenants at your door bright and early, for you have much to see, and you may need two days or more to see everything." Admiral Stator said, only too happy to see the smiles on his daughter`s face and hear her laughter. Even subterfuge can have a fun side Admiral Stator thought.

David and Sarah arrived back at the freighter just as the sun was going down, and just in time for dinner, such as it was, for it was Tony`s turn to cook and his culinary skills were almost zero. Over dinner, Sarah told the others of their plans for tomorrow, but Steve feigned annoyance.

"Well I suppose that I`m stuck with the Cinderella roll again?" He tried to sound angry but failed dismally.

"Sorry Steve, but if the shoe fits what can we do?" David said and then burst out laughing with everyone including Steve else joining in.

Later when they were alone in their cabin, Sarah played some of their music, and with this covering up her voice, she told David all that Lantana had said to her. After recovering a little from the shock of what he had been told, David said that he too needed time to think about the young Mazeren woman, and even more about her revelations.

**********

Elsewhere on Mazere things were not funny or bizarre, they were just plain serious. Morning had once more come around and it found five very thoughtful individuals sitting around a small table that was within a smart apartment situated not too far from the centre of Plakara. They were all full citizens of Mazere and up until three years ago had been honest and hardworking, even if they had all disagreed to differing extents with some of the things that their government did on the behalf of its people. The riots changed all that.

Johor Brecht thought that the way of life of the Non-Citizens fell way beneath the sort of level that should be offered to anyone living upon a planet whose people now journeyed between the stars. However, he had kept his beliefs secret in case the state police began to take an unwelcome interest in him and his family. Johor was thirty-five and worked in the biology department of the University of Plakara, the capital city of Mazere. He was thirty-five years of age, had a pale complexion that indicated that he was born in the far north of the planet. He had pale blue eyes, sandy coloured hair and was tall but of slight build. His wife, a fellow lecturer at the university sat next to him.

Lilliana Brecht was the same age as her husband, but she had an olive complexion indicating that she was born near to the capital city. She taught Mazeren literature at the university and enjoyed her life there. She was much shorter than her husband by some eight inches, but then most of the Mazeren women were shorter than the men of the planet, she had brown eyes and black hair and was still pretty, even if it were only Johor who told her now. Lilliana was pregnant and would soon have to give up her job, but she didn`t mind as Johor brought in a higher wage, as men normally did on Mazere. She had yet to tell her husband the good news, she had held off as she knew that he would forbid her to carry on taking an active role in their action group, 'Citizenship for all Mazerens', for fear of hurting the unborn baby.

Next to Lilliana was Carmen Toile, she was another woman from Plakara but she was younger that Lilliana, being only twenty-three year in age, and she was two inches shorter than Lilliana but of similar colouring. She was very petite and was a housewife now that she had a young family to care for. Her son Malik, named after her husband, who was a member of the capital`s police force, was asleep in his pram in the next room. Her husband didn`t know of her association with her friends, for she had purposely kept it from him. The reason being was that he had angrily stated his belief that the status of the Non-Citizens should stay as it is following a report on the protest march of three years ago, and the reasons behind it.

Staff Sergeant Roan Triage was a member of the Mazeren armed forces and was based near to Plakara. At the moment he was working in the headquarters building of the planet`s military, as he was already at the retirement age, which for his rank was fifty years of age. He was a heavily built man, with piercing blue eyes and brown hair that was beginning to thin on top. He put it down to the fact that he wore a hat while on duty. A two-inch scar ran down his right cheek, he had acquired the scar when he accidently fell off a ladder into a large woody bush some twenty years prior, it had been while he had been painting the outside of his parents' house.

The last person at the table was the owner of the house, Lexan DeLong. Lexan was sixty-five years of age and the leader of this small group of activists. He had started it up following the brutal way in which the state police had put down the protests three years earlier. Even back then he believed that a radical change in government was needed, but he hadn`t been foolish enough, or was that brave enough, to openly resist the government, this being because he knew that they would use the brutal state police to put down any signs of discontent. He also knew that the government would insist that the state police also round up any of the supporters who had escaped the violence, but had been foolish enough to be caught on one of the many spy cameras that filled the streets of the centre of Plakara. Lexan was famous across the length and breadth of Mazere, for he was a television producer that specialised in exposés of corrupt officials, both in and out of government. Lexan was not overly tall, being three inches less than six feet, which was six inches shorter than Johan. He came from the warm deep south of Mazere, and was golden brown in colour with black eyes and silver hair. At one time, he had been young and handsome, but now he had a distinguished look. The group of activists that he belonged to was one of many such groups spread around Mazere, some of which he had also helped to form. Now he hoped to bring the plight of the Non-Citizens into the limelight, for later today he was due to take receipt of a recording from a senior member of the military, an officer who professed to share his hopes for a better future for all of the people of Mazere. The recording was partly about the planet Earth, a place Lexan had only just heard of during the last few weeks, it was a planet that believed in the freedom of all of its people, and what was on the recording would be the signal for worldwide protests. He had also been told of the arrival on Mazere of two starships from Earth, diplomatic relations were hopefully to be established between the two civilisations, and the talks to this end were about to commence. It had been just a day earlier that the plan had been outlined to him. Last night he had contacted his team to alert them, similar alerts would be going out in every corner of the planet.

"We start our first major operation later tonight, everyone must participate. I realise that our plans have been put to you without any notice, but we simply cannot afford one of you to drop out. Carmen is your mother willing to babysit for you?" Lexan asked.

He doubted whether he could control his anger should anyone attempt to cry out at this late stage in the proceedings. This started the series of operations against the injustices that abounded on Mazere. His team were crucial if their movement was to succeed, failure would put the entire nationwide plan on hold.

"Yes, she is Lexan, I have told everyone that I am meeting some old friends from college at Johor and Lilliana`s house, and my mother has agreed to look after her grandson for the whole night. I have told Malik the same thing, which is that I am going to a college reunion thing, and he is quite happy for me to go alone. He has met both Johor and Lilliana and as he thinks they are both boring, sorry you two but Malik thinks all college lecturers are snooty overpaid bores. Anyway, he doesn`t want to come along to the reunion party. Instead he is going to have a night out with the lads, lots of sport and lots of drink I imagine, I just hope he doesn`t overdo it." Johor and Lilliana both began to object to Malik's description of them but Lexan butted in.

"As long as he is happy to let Carmen come alone then that is all that matters, for Carmen`s part is not only crucial to the success of our plan, it should also prevent the state police from getting their hands on any of us. As you all know, Carmen worked in the studio`s security office prior to having baby Malic, and is familiar with the office and its procedures. Now if there are no more questions then I will go over our plan, please concentrate on your individual roles.

"Later this evening I will open the side door of the television studio`s on the pretext that I am in need of some fresh air."

Delong then went over their roles twice to ensure that they all understood exactly what had to be done. He was now sure that they knew their individual roles and shouldn`t mess up their one and only chance to strike a blow for the people of Mazere.

"This is a onetime opportunity for us; for we are taking advantage of a set of events that my contact ensured would happen, the disruption yesterday of the live broadcast of the national music festival. One of our operatives exploded a small device that blacked out the whole district around the television studios and caused a beauty of a security nightmare. This has meant that there is only a minimum of staff there tonight as the others are not now required. The rest are all at home watching the recording of the festival that is now being aired tonight. Are there any questions?"

Delong looked at each of them to check that they were all still ready to participate in the nights action, when he looked at Johor Brecht, he saw a question in the man`s eyes which Brecht then voiced.

"What about you Lexan, won`t the security men remember you opening the outer door?" Johor Brecht asked. He was just a little worried that he may have uncovered a mistake in their well-laid plans.

"No Johor, they will not, what they will see is Planum Class, for I will be wearing a hat and jacket that was procured for me, and as Carmen will tell you, no one else but he would ever wear such an outfit, and also the hat will effectively hide my features." Delong replied with a cruel smile playing around his mouth. "As for Class himself, well we are in luck there, for he has been invited to a party some two hundred miles away, so he won`t get in our way during the evening. Another of our movement`s operatives arranged for his invitation." Delong said but Brecht had not finished yet he brought up yet another minor flaw in the plan.

"Shouldn`t you dispose of your disguise immediately after Carmen and Lilliana disable the security men, Lexan, just in case the items are discovered later when the state police search the studios? For they will search the studios as soon as they realise that there had to have been an inside man to aid the perpetrators in the plot. You will be questioned in any case, as you will have been known to have been working in your office at the time of the raid." Johor Brecht said, worried now that the state police could get on to Lilliana and him through Delong.

Lexan silently cursed himself, but he had only had twelve hours to go over the plan and to fine-tune it. He should have thought about the need to dispose of his disguise so as to ensure that the state police didn`t find any traces of his DNA on the coat and hat when they eventually found them, which they would, for they might be a little dim but they were methodical in their methods. What else might he have missed?

"You are quite right Johor; I should have thought of it, I will need to dispose of them and also my canister of super glue. Carmen, will you wait for me around the rear of building and I will drop them down to you in a carrier bag, you can take them along with your own canister and the two gas masks and dispose of them on your way home." Delong said while looking at Carmen Toile who looked back just a little worried.

"Of course, Lexan, I will be waiting for you beneath your office window, but please don`t make me wait too long, I don`t want anybody wondering why I am there and then reporting me to the state police when news of the attack comes out." Carmen Toile said in a slightly worried and even more annoyed voice. She didn`t like this addition to the plan as it meant that it increased the risks that she would have to bear alone.

"Thank you, Carmen, and don`t worry, I will not waste even a second in time. Now then, are there any more points that anyone would like to raise? Oh, and remember to wear gloves tonight, we don`t want to leave any clues behind for the state police to find."

There weren`t any further questions, so the meeting broke up with everyone feeling just a little more anxious following Delong`s warning about the need for gloves, had they now thought of everything, or would an unthought-of problem arise to make them slip up? They all returned back to their normal lives for the rest of the day, which for all of them was around the centre of Plakara, but they were all keyed up, and as the night progressed, the more anxious they felt. They were all constantly checking the time as the time to initiate their plan approached, they wished that the night was over, or that they could stay home and forget about their previous desires to help the NC`S.

**********

Even earlier that very morning two shiny silver vehicles pulled up and parked beside the Galactic Traveller. Four men wearing the dark blue uniform of the Mazere space Corp got out of them, approached the freighters airlock, and hammered on its metal door. Two of these men were the promised escorts, Lieutenants Crestor and Pallas and the other two were ordinary crewmembers who were to be the drivers. Also, with them was Lantana dressed in her striped tunic that denoted her lowly status. When David opened the airlock door, Lantana introduced the two officers and politely told him that her father had put them all at their disposal. The four people from Earth were soon on their way to the capital city of Mazere. They were on a trip around the museums and other noteworthy sights. Both Sarah and David wanted to talk to Lantana, but for her part, she only seemed excited by the coming excursion into the city, there was no sign of her being a revolutionary. Anyway, David and Sarah were never alone with Lantana for a moment, and so they had to bide their time.

Their first sight of Plakara was as they travelled through the endless rows of houses that made up the suburbs of the city, but once through them they caught sight of the city centre itself. Glass and steel skyscrapers soared up above them, the clear blue sky being only visible through the narrow gaps between these gleaming monsters. They drove through a gigantic open square, which, Lantana told them, was named, The Plaza of the People. It was so named because of the large building that was covered in white marble and that filled the lower end of the square. For this was the seat of government where the planet's politicians made the laws that ruled their 'glorious planet'. Lantana smiled at her two friends from Earth as she used the adjective but couldn`t say more as the lieutenant and his driver were also there, and they might well report anything said against the ruling elite to the state police, and this could have dire consequences for anyone involved, including anyone present who didn`t report it.

Lantana and Sarah enjoyed each other's company immensely, and were forever breaking into laughter mixed with high-pitched squeals of glee as they saw something that really amused them. Admiral Stator would have been truly happy himself if he could have seen just how much his daughter was enjoying her day away from home. He may also have felt a little guilty at the gross deception he was about to put into operation.

Their morning went well and as they were walking into the science museum of Mazere, David looked over towards the space headquarters building, a modest building of glass and steel, well modest as skyscrapers go, for it was only twelve storeys tall. He knew what the building was following Steve`s hard work the evening before, and so he turned to Lieutenant Crestor and asked an innocent enough question regarding something that caught his eye, it hung next to the set of double doors that allowed access into its interior.

"Lieutenant, what is that large poster about?" Lieutenant Crestor looked across the wide street and on seeing the poster; he told the others just what it advertised.

"That is an advertisement for a tour which tells the story of the Mazeren journey into and around our galaxy. I say, would you be interested in going on the tour, I can arrange to take the three of you on tomorrow`s tour if you would like to go, I`m afraid it is far too late for today`s tour?"

"Yes, please Lieutenant Crestor, it might be interesting to hear about some of your world`s journeys of discovery in our galaxy, and of the people involved in the adventure."

"Then after you have looked around our science museum, I will pick up four tickets for tomorrow`s tour." Lieutenant Crestor said. He was as pleased as punch to have these two aliens to take around his capital city, and even more pleased as he looked at the excitement in their eyes as they had taken in all of the sights that he had shown them earlier that day.

The rest of the day was almost an anti-climax, after the lieutenant promised to take them into the space headquarters building the next day, but David and Sarah hid it well as they were shown the other wonders of the alien city. However, it was the wonders of the space headquarters that they were most interested in, and tomorrow would soon come around.

**********

That evening and miles away from the spaceport, Lexan Delong looked at the time on his alarm clock, which chose this moment to ring its message to him. Reaching over he quickly turned it off and changed the alarm setting to a more innocent time. He then got up from behind his desk and went to his office door, which he opened, and glanced outside, all was clear, The small red light on the CCTV camera in the corridor was off, for the security men always watched the area around the stage at this time of the evening, in case one of the known stalkers was waiting for the star of his or her choice. So, he donned a large grey floppy hat and a grey baggy jacket and just as he did, he saw the red light switch on, right on time. Then he proceeded to walk down to the outer door and the beginning of the plan had begun, which almost went wrong from the start. Ahead of him Delong heard footsteps approaching from around the corner, he looked desperately around but all he found was a broom cupboard, he knew he couldn`t enter it and hide inside. Not without causing the security men on the other end of the security cameras to wonder what was happening. He turned around so that his back was to whoever it was and pretended to study a piece of paper which he found within his trouser pocket; it was a memo from the management of the studios requesting that all staff tried to keep their workspaces a little tidier. He must have absent-mindedly tucked it away, he read it through as if it was of the most importance as the person to whom the footsteps belonged finally turned the corner and thankfully went on by without a word. Delong looked up to see a 'go-for' disappearing down the corridor with another piece of paper grasped within his hand. Breathing deeply DeLong turned around again, moved off, and finally reached the outer door without any further near heart attacks, what could he have done had the person stopped to speak to him. Delong was now beginning to sweat, but he forced himself to carry on with the plot. He opened the side door, stepped outside, and waited until he saw Lilliana and Carmen approaching down the back alley. Delong reached into his trouser pocket and pressed the send button on his cell phone that sent the message through to Johor who were standing near to the entrance of the television studios. Johan and Roan were waiting for the signal, having just planted the small explosive device in the entrance hall of the television studios. Johor in turn operated his own cell phone to trigger the device causing it to explode. A large flash lit up the entrance, followed immediately by a loud bang, which was in turn followed by the smoke grenade that exploded and filled the entrance with a thick cloud of black smoke. Hearing the explosion Carmen and Lilliana quickly walked across the alley and slipped in through the open door that Delong had left just ajar. Outside, Johor and Roan walked briskly away from the area, which filled with the curious, all eager to know what had happened. Inside the studios, Carmen led Lilliana straight to the security office. Lilliana opened the door wide while Carmen threw the stun grenade inside and knocking out the two security guards before they knew what had happened. After a hasty glance around to check if anyone had been alerted to all of the chaos that was happening both inside and outside of the studios, they put on their gas masks and entered the room. It only took Carmen moments to destroy all of the security recordings that had been made during the preceding hour. Then she destroyed the recording devices, to ensure that there was no way that they could be turned back on. Smiling at each other the two women left the security office and whipped off their gas masks only to walk into the studio manager, who had hurried to the security office to see if the security men had captured the bomb attack on their cameras?

"Who the hell are you two and what have you been up to?" He asked angrily as the answer to his question dawned on him. Unfortunately, it was just as Carmen pulled out an energy weapon that her father had owned many years previously, she had set it on its maximum setting and she didn`t hesitate to fire it. The powerful energy bolt whistled angrily between them and hit the studio manager in the middle of his body. Carmen had known that something like this could happen, and had already conditioned her mind to fire her weapon without hesitating. The dead man fell to the floor, smoke curling up and away from his smouldering clothes, they had been ignited by the powerful bolt of energy. Lilliana looked down at the body horrified, and tearing her eyes away from it turned to Carmen with a look of loathing on her face.

"Carmen you`ve killed him, why?" Carmen didn`t answer immediately, for even though she thought that she was ready to kill someone, she was only now beginning to understand what it was that she had done. Tearing her own eyes from the dead man, she turned to her friend.

"Would you rather have been sent to prison Lilliana? Left to the tender mercies of the state police, come on Lilliana get control of yourself we have to go now." Carmen cried out as tears streamed down her face as reality kicked in.

Lilliana stood there frozen, unable to move, then after two long seconds she turned her head slowly to look once more at the dead body at their feet, her whole body shook and a loud wail escaped from her mouth that would soon turn to a loud scream. Carmen grabbed Lilliana with one hand, turned her towards her, and brought her other hand round in a loud slap that stopped the wail in its tracks. The look of surprise on Lilliana's face that followed the slap caused Carmen to smile, and now she dragged the shaking Lilliana away from the security room. They had forgotten to use the super glue on the lock on the security room, something that Delong had stressed was of the utmost importance, but it didn`t matter as the two guards would be out for a long time. The two women soon reached the outer door and quickly exited the studios.

Elsewhere in the television studios, Delong had reached the empty control room and exchanged the pre-recorded program for the one that he had acquired from Admiral Stator. On leaving the room he quickly sprayed the lock of the control room with his canister of super glue, this was to ensure that the program couldn`t be switched back to the original program, which was the music festival, and then he returned to his office. Once inside, and with the door firmly shut, he walked straight to the large window set into far wall and opened it to see Carmen and Lilliana waiting below him. He pushed his disguise and his spray can of glue into a carrier bag and dropped it down to Carmen`s waiting hands. Then he quickly closed the window and sat down behind his desk. Lilliana and Carmen had looked very pale Delong thought; obviously, the danger was affecting the two women. He was also feeling the effects of carrying out such an audacious plan, but he kept his cool. He would be suitably surprised and astounded when the state police asked their questions.

Carmen took Lilliana, who was still in a state of shock, back to Johor and Lilliana`s apartment, where she found Johor waiting anxiously. She quickly told a shocked Johor about the cause of his wife`s problem, and the reason for the red mark upon her face. Then, she went into the couple`s kitchen and began to make three hot cups of Kakao, leaving her friend to tend to his wife. Johor hadn`t anticipated murder either, but rather the studio manager than his wife, which would likely be the result if the state police got their hands on her. He held his trembling wife in his arms but said nothing, he didn`t know what to say to her, but finally she stopped trembling and looked up into his eyes. Her own were now filled with tears as she finally came to terms with what had happened earlier on. It wouldn`t be so simple for Carmen.

"Johor, I didn`t expect anyone to die, when Lexan went through the plan earlier, I assumed things would go exactly as he laid it out to us."

Lexan Delong, along with all of the rest of the studio employees, was interrogated by the state police long into the next morning. However, he pleaded innocence and was finally released when the state police accepted that they didn`t have any evidence as to whether any of them were part of the attack on the studio, and so were innocent of anything to do with the incident. The thought being was that the anarchists, as the state police called them, had all been intruders who were aided by someone who had somehow gained entrance to the studios, and this person was currently unknown to them. They did know that this person had masqueraded as Planum Class. Class himself was also found to be innocent, as he had been two hundred miles away at the time; he was attending a party held by a local mayor of his small hometown.

***********

Lieutenant Crestor collected David and Sarah early the next morning and then drove over to pick up Lantana from her father`s house. Then, Lieutenant Crestor took them all back into Plakara and finally to the space headquarters building where the four of them entered the building through a large ornate doorway. His manner was different from the day before, he was slightly standoffish, but David and Sarah decided to ignore it as a case of bad manners. Even Lantana seemed ill at ease with them, and was very much quieter than the previous day. It was obvious that she wanted to say something to them, for she had tried to just before they had left her house, but Lieutenant Crestor, who had had to make a pit stop returned, and Lantana looking anxiously at the two of them decided to get into their vehicle. Why the lieutenant`s presence was stopping her from speaking to them they couldn`t guess, but they noticed that the lieutenant ensured that they were never left alone with her. Yesterday, there had been no such reluctance to speak in front of the lieutenant, and the day had been much freer. Putting the mystery aside they entered into a large reception area that was very peaceful and quiet after the bustle of the main street, David could see that the people there were all military men, even the receptionist at the large curved desk. But they didn`t go near to the desk, instead Lieutenant Crestor guided them over to a small but ever-growing queue that lined up alongside the outer wall. They waited there for just a few minutes, before being taken along a short corridor that finally opened into the space museum of Mazere. David and Sarah could feel the eyes of everyone upon them, this was even more so than the day before, when they had noticed a small amount of interest in them, today though it was almost intimidating. David surreptitiously pressed the send button on his smart phone to tell Steve that they were inside of the space headquarters. He then attempted to forget about both the new mystery and their quest, as he tried to settle down and enjoy the tour. The walls of the museum were filled with pictures of various spacecraft that went from the earliest days of the Mazeren space adventure up until the modern day. The inside of the room was filled with scale models of antique spacecraft and space suits. There were various computers all showing different parts of the Mazeren history in space, its successes and its disasters. The most interesting program was the one that showed detailed star charts of the area of space around Mazere, and of the other explored solar systems that even included the sol system and Earth. This had been hastily added to the exhibition as soon as Admiral Stator had decided to upgrade the meeting between the two civilisations.

"Lieutenant, we seem to be attracting quite a lot of attention this morning, some of it seems to be bordering on hatred while the rest of it is mainly fear, what is going on?" David asked, he was just a little concerned for moments before a Mazeren male had barged into him almost knocking him over, and then the man had departed with a sneer on his face.

"But surely Captain Charlton you must have expected this reaction, I was a little surprised when you didn`t ask to cancel today`s trip, or at least come alone and leave Ms Hardin safe inside your starship." Lieutenant Crestor replied just a little angrily. Sarah turned towards him and looked him squarely in the eye.

"Lieutenant what are you talking about, why should we have cancelled today`s trip and why have you and the other people taken such an extreme dislike to us?" Sarah demanded to know.

"Surely you must have expected some reaction to that television stunt that you pulled yesterday evening, if not from that then surely from the murder of the television executive?" Crestor said in a slightly raised and angry voice that brought everyone's immediate attention back to them.

"What television stunt, and what's this about our being involved in a murder?" David asked in an even louder voice that brought the museum guards rushing over to them. Lantana was just about to enter the conversation when a senior officer from the Mazeren space corps made his attention known; with him were two armed security men.

"It is all right Lieutenant; the admiral is ready for them now." The officer then turned to David and Sarah. "Captain Charlton, Ms Hardin, if you would kindly follow me please. Ms Lantana, your father asks if you will permit Lieutenant Crestor to escort you home, your father says that he will speak to you this evening."

Lantana looked across at her two new friends, but she knew what her father wanted to speak to them about, and so she allowed Crestor to lead her away. Lantana offered Sarah a weak smile but then she was lost amongst the other visitors in the museum.

"Follow you where, and just who are you?" David demanded to know.

"I`m Lieutenant Commander Mercator, I`m attached to the admiral`s staff and I have been asked to escort you both to see him."

Mercator was an inch taller than David was, although a lot older. He was much heavier in build though and looked very fit for a man of his years. His attire was much smarter than David`s, who only wore his normal casual clothes. Mercator was dressed in the dark blue uniform of the space department, and David could see that he ensured that it was always ironed and spotlessly clean. Mercator had brown hair that as usual was hidden beneath his peaked cap, but his grey eyes weren`t hidden, and they blazed a dislike that David almost physically felt. David knew that they were in serious trouble, trouble that John Blazer had warned him about, and now it was here in spades. They followed Mercator out of the museum and along a wide corridor with the two security men bringing up the rear; it was obvious to both David and Sarah that they were under arrest. They stopped before a set of double doors that had armed sentries on either side. Once here, Mercator knocked, and then opening one of the doors, he popped his head through to ask if he should bring the two prisoners in. The question was in the Mazeren language of course, and so David and Sarah could only guess at what he said. After a minute of waiting outside, they were then ushered in to find that they were in the presence of Admiral Stator who was seated with a group of five other senior looking officers. They were all sitting behind a long expensive looking desk, déjà vu, thought David thinking back to his interview with Ambassador Kennedy. As soon as David saw Admiral Stator, he launched a protest.

"Admiral, I must protest at the way Sarah and I are being treated, surely you know that we couldn`t be behind this television stunt that Lieutenant Crestor accused us of, and a murder, just who do you think we are Admiral, assassins?" David asked angrily. He immediately thought back to Earth and the assassins who had tried to kill his father, and couldn`t help silently adding, like your own people Admiral?"

"Captain Charlton, after I brought you to my house as a guest, and even introduced you to my daughter, I would have liked to think that you were incapable of such an act, but the evidence is too strong to argue against." Admiral Stator said angrily. "And your denying it only makes you look the worse in my eyes and those of my colleagues here about this table."

"What evidence, there can be no evidence, for we have done nothing." Sarah cried out, joining in their protests.

"Perhaps Captain Charlton, you would like to look at this recording taken yesterday while you were in our science museum, and then maybe you could explain to us just what you were doing" Stator replied. "It should be very interesting if you can provide us with an answer that will allow us to release you both."

Stator looked across at the far wall that had a gigantic viewing screen set upon it. The recording that was made in the science museum of Mazere began; David could see himself and Sarah being escorted by Lantana and Crestor through a large throng of people. As they approached an exhibit displaying the first flight by the Mazeren people, a man bumped into David, it had appeared to him at the time as an accident for the man had turned to him and apologised, Admiral Stator stopped the recording for a moment while he spoke to them.

"Both of you look closely at the hands of the man who has just bumped into you Captain Charlton, you will see a package appear in his hands, the man in question works as a producer for the television studio where the trouble occurred, and he was present there yesterday evening."

David and Sarah looked as instructed. The recording started again and they both watched as the man turned to apologise to David and then turn back and hurry off, all very innocent. That is until they saw that a small package had suddenly appeared in the man`s hands, and the smile upon his face seemed to cry espionage on their part.

"Unfortunately, the relevance of what we just saw was only realised after the event when the recording was checked, unfortunately it was too late to stop the producer from using the recording." Stator said sadly. "If we had been able to stop it, it would have saved a man`s life."

"This is madness, that video has been doctored, even I could do it if I had a mind too. And just why did you look through this recording, surely it isn`t normal for you to do so?" David asked, his anger and his fear for Sarah`s safety both growing as the interrogation proceeded. "Have you spoken to this man Admiral; he will clear us." David said in a desperate attempt to find a way to save them from a murder charge.

"We are seeking him even now, but he has gone into hiding. As regarding our checking this particular recording, well normally no Captain Charlton, but as you were the star of the television program, we decided to go over all of the recordings made that would show us your actions of yesterday." Admiral Stator replied disdainfully. The Admiral had arranged for Delong to be hidden away until needed, hidden away from questions whose answers would throw a very different light on the situation.

"Admiral it is obvious to me that we are being deliberately framed, surely you can see that? And just what did this television recording show that was so terrible?" David demanded to know.

"It was innocent enough by itself, but it was the voice over that was also part of it that has angered us most. It made unfair and ridiculous comparisons between Earth and Mazere, and with Mazere being cast in a very bad light. Many lies were told on the recording by someone who sounded exactly as you do Captain Charlton. A small section showed your starship and its crew. You were the star of the show Captain Charlton, along with Ms Hardin here, at the end of the recording you were heard to state that the people of Mazere should rise up and protest against the treatment of not only the Non-Citizens of Mazere, but of its women as well." Stator said; his voice showing the anger and contempt that he felt toward David for doing such a terrible thing. Then he continued with his angry tirade.

"The recording ran for twenty minutes, luckily for you the death of the studio manager distracted everyone away from the recording, and it was only after a senior government official brought it to the attention of the state police that they were able to hurry to the television studios, and then to try and stop it airing. Unfortunately, by then it was too late to do anything about it, for the recording had finished and its message spread across Mazere. The telephones have been red hot with the citizens of our planet demanding to know what action we are taking to apprehend those responsible for all of your malicious lies. Now that we have you in custody, hopefully we can persuade you to tell us if there are any others in on this foul plot against our planet and its people?" Admiral Stator said. He for one found it hard to keep from smiling, for his plan was moving along splendidly.

"Well at least you can show us this recording so that we can see what evidence you have against us." David demanded.

"Of course, Captain." Admiral Stator agreed and promptly ran the recording, which first showed the Galactic Traveller and its crew on New Mars, it then switched to views of Earth, views that in all likelihood came from the android device that David had presented to the admiral. The voice over was supposed to be his own but David soon heard enough to spot the many differences between his own and the recording. David could only suppose that someone had listened to a taped recording of his voice, probably one made during his and Sarah`s visit to the Sentinel, and had attempted to copy it.

"Having seen and heard both of your pieces of evidence I can only repeat what I said earlier, that we are being very expertly framed, and it is by someone who has a hidden agenda. Your evidence would be ridiculed in court; any specialist worth his salt would soon prove that the voice we heard on the tape was not my own. He would also easily prove that the earlier tape had been doctored." David stated angrily.

"You now abuse our hospitality even further by accusing us of such a crime, Captain. I am almost afraid to ask, who is it that you think may have been behind these monstrous and ludicrous accusations of yours?" Stator said in a suitable shocked and angry voice.

"If I had to make a guess on the limited data that I have to hand Admiral, I would have to say that it is the same person who ensured our presence here on Mazere. I would also like to ask how I managed to arrange all of this, for I do not speak your language, and even if I did I could hardly have gone around asking each Mazeren that I met whether or not they would like to betray their planet and its people, now could I?" David replied angrily, his self-control slipping for just a minute.

Admiral Stator took this moment to turn to the other officers' present, they had been following everything via headsets that translated all of the English spoken into Mazeren, he obviously asked them a question, that David could tell, but what it was, and what replies he got he didn`t know, unfortunately he soon found out. Stator gave a pre-arranged signal to a guard by the door, the guard quickly opened the door and moments later, he ushered in a Mazeren youth who seemed awed to be amongst such powerful people. The security people on New Mars had discovered Saranac playing on his tablet and had taken him directly to Admiral Stator. On hearing as to how the youth had obtained the tablet Admiral Stator had sworn everyone there to secrecy about the matter. Stator now turned to David and Sarah and explained why this young man was there.

"In reply to the former part of your question Captain Charlton, Saranac here was one of the many workers on the planet where we met. He was approached by one of your crewmen, Steve is the crewman`s name, and he persuaded Saranac to give him one of our English Mazeren electronic dictionary`s. Now this in itself is not serious, but it does tell us that you had a way of knowing our language. As to how you met up with a reactionary, I agree of course you didn`t go around asking if anyone knew of a reactionary that you could speak to. No, I believe that someone approached you or one of your crewmen and broached the subject, and then when your invitation to join us on Mazere was given to you, you saw how you could use our hospitality against us." Stator said. His voice had slowly hardened through the interrogation until now it could have cut through diamonds.

"This is all a complete fabrication Admiral, as David said earlier it is a tissue of lies designed to conceal an agenda that we cannot even guess at. I thought that you were a man of principle, but I see that I was wrong, I demand that you release us immediately." Sarah`s voice matched the tone of Stator`s and he could see that had she been armed then she would have been very dangerous at this point in time.

"We had already decided to release you both as you are here on a diplomatic mission, however you will all be confined to your ship and hold yourselves ready to answer further questions as and when they arise." Stator then turned to Mercator.

"Commander, you will see these two people back to their ship, and you will then set up a guard around the ship to ensure that no one leaves it without my express permission." Admiral Stator then rose and with the other senior officers left the room.

***********

Not too far away from the space headquarters building, the second meeting between Earth represented by Ambassador Kennedy, and Mazere represented by Chancellor Krieg, was about to take place. Yesterday`s meeting was just to welcome him to Mazere; today they were due to get down to the task of arranging the exchange of embassies, at least that is what Kennedy thought. He arrived as per usual exactly on time, and after greeting the Mazeren delegation, he took his seat along with the rest of his team. Chancellor Krieg looked across at Kennedy and the look on his face chilled the blood in Kennedy`s veins, he knew that he was about to receive some bad news.

"Good morning Ambassador Kennedy, I`m afraid that I have some bad news for you, for the moment our talks on exchanging embassies must be suspended." Chancellor Krieg said. He sounded and looked very sad; Kennedy felt more than sad.

"Why on earth Chancellor, what has happened since yesterday to cause such a situation?" Kennedy`s stomach began to hurt, and he knew deep down that somehow the Charlton clan must be the cause of his misfortune.

"Captain Charlton." Chancellor Krieg began. Kennedy nearly fainted with these two words, but forced himself up from the dark pit that he almost descended into to listen to the Mazeren Chancellor.

"Ambassador, are you all right, would you like a glass of water maybe?" Chancellor Krieg asked, he had noticed how white the ambassador had become, and was now just a little concerned for his health. Kennedy quickly poured himself a glass of water from the carafe which was between the chancellor and himself, and drunk it straight down before refilling his glass and breathing deeply.

"I`m sorry about that Chancellor, please go on, you were saying something about Captain Charlton?" Kennedy said after a moment more.

"Yes Ambassador, as I was about to say, both Captain Charlton and his fiancé have been charged with incitement to cause a riot and involvement in a murder, and it is only because of their diplomatic credentials that we are allowing them to return to their ship rather than taking them to one of our prisons."

"But Chancellor, there must be a mistake; whatever could lead you to such a ridiculous idea?" Kennedy said. He had recovered some of his brain`s functions and was once more a politician, albeit a very angry one. Angry that is with David Charlton.

Kennedy then played the recording that Delong had put in the place of the music festival the evening before. After watching the recording for the full twenty minutes Kennedy was speechless, this he had never expected from Charlton. He expected him to be charged with espionage, caught in the act of trying to steal files relating to his father`s disappearance, but this, this was absurd. Ambassador Kennedy didn`t like the Charlton clan, but he was an intelligent man, one who didn`t hide from the facts, and they were getting clearer with each second that ticked by. His brain finally rebooted and he knew without question that the recording must be a fake, mustn`t it? Surely even Charlton couldn`t have come up with some hair brain plan that involved the broadcast of the recording that he had just seen, for how could this ever allow him to move his personal quest forward?

"My first thought is that this is an absurd charge brought against Captain Charlton and Ms Hardin for reasons known only to the authorities of this planet. I will of course have to talk to the captain before I make any firm statement regarding the recording, and of the charges that you are holding over their heads." Kennedy said icily.

He was once more the cool diplomat. With that, he got up from his seat and with the others of his team left for the spaceport and the space cruiser Intrepid. As soon as he got back, he asked the captain of the Intrepid to send an officer across to the Galactic Traveller to ascertain whether Captain Charlton and Ms Hardin were back yet, and if so he was to escort them both over to the Intrepid, and he was not to take no for an answer. The lieutenant arrived at the freighter just as David and Sarah returned, but as the sentries around the starship would not allow either of them to leave the ship they weren`t able to abide by the summons. The lieutenant was now forced to report that although they were back aboard the freighter that they were also both under house arrest, so as to speak, and the ambassador would have to go to them if he wanted to speak with them. Kennedy ranted and railed about this but in the end, he had to agree to go across to the freighter, which he did, and he took with him the captain and first officer of the Intrepid, plus his own aides.

David and Sarah had only just returned, and had barely had time to tell the others of the trouble that they were in, when Kennedy had one of his aides bang on the airlock door so that they could gain admittance. Once inside Kennedy stormed into the small galley looking more like a charging lion that a diplomat.

"What the hell have you been up to Charlton? The Mazerens have temporarily suspended talks with us while they investigate you, Ms Hardin and the rest of your gang, well out with it, tell me now Charlton, are the charges against you true, have you been conspiring with a group of terrorists to overthrow the Mazeren government?"

"Of course, not Ambassador, we have been framed by the Mazerens for a number of reasons. Let me summarise them for you. The first reason is to ensure that they have a reason to suspend your talks regarding the exchange of embassies, they obvious never wanted them to go ahead." Kennedy tried to step in here to protest but David stopped him.

"Let me finish Ambassador and then the floor is yours." David said butting in before Kennedy could do more than open his mouth to start to complain. David then continued to defend his crew and himself.

"My second reason is that they intend to use this excuse to stop my own quest dead, for had I been successful then it would have proved highly embarrassing for them. There is a third reason of that I`m certain, and I`m also sure that it has nothing to do with us, and that it does concern Admiral Stator, of that I`m sure. Unfortunately, I don`t have enough data in yet to be able to even guess at what their third reason may be, but it must be a whopper of a reason, for why else would they take the trouble to bring us to their planet. They could have dismissed us easily enough at our last stop." David didn`t mention the planned coup by Admiral Stator, for he had no evidence to support such a charge, and anyway Sarah had promised to keep all that Lantana had said, private and confidential.

Ambassador Kennedy looked at David for a very long moment before replying to him, he had dwelt on the matter ever since Chancellor Krieg had brought the serious charges to his attention, and his anger had mostly dissipated now, so what he now said almost floored the crew of the Galactic Traveller.

"Fortunately for you I tend to agree with all of you have said Charlton, and that is exactly what I told Chancellor Krieg during our brief meeting today, that I felt their assertions were completely false. Unfortunately, unless they let us check the recording for signs of editing, we will not be able to prove anything. I would ask that you do not leave your starship again. Should the Mazeren authorities ask you to go with them, then please contact Captain Suárez first so that I can intercede on your behalf, or if that fails then arrange for an armed escort to go along with you so as to ensure your safety."

David was very surprised that Kennedy had decided to side with him, and even offer to send aid if required. But then David was forgetting that Ambassador Kennedy was an experienced diplomat, who was respected by most everyone except David`s own small group of friends. Kennedy had put aside his intense dislike for the Charlton clan to come down on the side of what was right, even if it did gall him to do so. The day had become late afternoon when Kennedy, Captain Suárez and the other members of the ambassador's party prepared to leave the freighter and return to the Intrepid, but as they entered the airlock Steve pushed something into the ambassador's hands and at the same time warned him not to say a word about it. A puzzled Kennedy looked at the memory device in his hand, and acknowledging it left the aging freighter. On entering the Intrepid, he asked to speak to the captain in private.

"Captain Suárez, I want you to mount a watch on the Galactic Traveller and her crew. I may not be over fond of her captain, but I will not see anyone shanghaied, and especially by an alien race that has in all probability launched a series of attacks on our planet and its people, and one which is almost certainly behind the disappearance of the Blazer Explorer."

He then looked at the memory stick in his hand and after a moment of indecision, he loaded it into his own personal computer. The first thing he saw was a warning that the Mazerens were probably using state of the art listening devices to listen in to whatever they said, and so not to mention out loud the contents of the program. The first thing that appeared on his computer was an index listing just two items. The English Mazeren translation program and dictionary. The second item was the proof that the Mazerens were behind the disappearance of the Blazer Explorer. Steve had preceded this with a note. We thought that as you are the representative of Earth, that you might be able to make some use of these three starship logs. The first is a copy of the log belonging to a broken scout ship that we found on the planet where the initial talks were held. Kennedy smiled when he first saw the translating program, so they had progressed a little further on than he had surmised. When he had finished reading the translation of the scout ship`s log he was in a mild state of shock. When he read the copy of the logs of the space cruisers Timor and the Sentinel, he knew that David Charlton was on the trail of his father, and he had in his possession proof indeed of the criminal actions of the Mazerens against the people of Earth. He went to his intercom and asked if the captain of the Intrepid might call by his quarters when he was able. They would need to talk about this, and if Steve Ryan was correct in his belief about the Mazerens, they would have to ensure that the Mazerens weren`t able to listen in to them. They should have suspected this all along, but then up until now they hadn`t really had anything vital to listen in to anyway.

The listening post duly reported the conversation that had taken place aboard the Galactic Traveller, they were happy to have something more substantial to report, for normally it was about whose time it was to cook. Admiral Stator read it but he wasn`t really interested in the fact that the ambassador from Earth had disbelieved his charade, for it had all been meant for internal consumption, rather than for use against the ambassador from Earth or Captain Charlton.

Back on the Galactic Traveller, Steve had been busy ever since David had notified him that he was inside the space headquarters building. He had hacked into their computer, and was finding to his delight that the Mazerens were very meticulous about their record keeping, and so he soon found exactly what he was searching for, the whereabouts of the survivors of the Blazer Explorer. There was one other prisoner there along with them, Steve could hardly believe his eyes, and so he called David across to read the name on the monitor, it was Patricia Charlton.

David looked at the name on the screen and fought back the tears that came into his eyes, but found that he was unable to. Embarrassed at his open show of emotion he turned away from Steve and let the tears flow down his face, Sarah who was in the room rushed to his side and gently held him.

"What is it David, what is wrong?"

Steve quietly called to her and she moved away from David to look at the monitor.

"Oh my god, I don`t believe it." Sarah said. She went back to David and said just two words. "David, we need to talk." David allowed her to lead him down into the freighters hold and into the shuttlecraft; Steve and the others followed leaving Barney temporarily in charge on the bridge of the starship. When they were all there, and the shuttlecrafts airlock was closed, David looked at them asked them a question that they all wanted an answer too.

"She is alive, alive, but why would they kidnap my mother and bring her all the way to Mazere, what on earth was the point in doing that?" He asked in a daze, for he couldn`t quite believe the fantastic news that his mother hadn`t been killed in the plane crash.

"Steve, does it say which members of the crew survived the crash?" Tony Miles asked.

"Yes Tony, it lists their names here. They are Richard Charlton, Christopher Anderson, Alan Lee and Millicent McIntosh. That is all of those who were in the forward section of the ship when they were attacked by our Mazeren friends; it looks as if everyone in engineering bought it well before they crashed.

"Steve, just whereabouts are they keeping them all?" Jimmy Fielding asked. Everyone turned towards Steve to await the answer to the sixty four thousand dollar question.

"On the outskirts of a Non-Citizen`s city, it is about fifty miles away from here as the crow flies, but it might as well be in another galaxy with us all under house arrest and forbidden to lift off." Steve replied despondently.

"Steve, I cannot and will not accept that." David said. "We have accomplished everything that we set out to do when we left Earth, except to actually rescue them. They are now just a few miles away, and I am certainly not going to give up now. No with just a little thought we will come up with a workable plan, and with some luck and daring mixed into the pot we will make it work, you mark my words Steve."

After saying this David turned away from his friends and left the shuttle craft to return to his cabin, there he lay down on his bed and thought about the good times his family had all been together, it was only later that he began to think hard about their problem. Now they were within just fifty miles of each other, not bad when you consider that they travelled sixty light years or more to be able to get that close. He closed his eyes and quickly drifted off into a dream world where good things did happen.

Back in the shuttlecraft, the other watched as David left them, then Sarah stood up and turning to them smiled. "Sounds like David has come up with the perfect recipe, let's start with a little bit of thought, with any luck the rest will follow along naturally." Sarah said and then she too promptly left the shuttlecraft. Once she reached the ship`s galley she sought out a comfy chair to sit on while she pondered over their problem.

Steve`s way of thinking was to forget about the problem and surf the internet, whatever answer he was looking for usually popped up this way, so he too left the shuttlecraft and headed back to the bridge of the freighter to work on the problem his way.

Tony and Jimmy looked at each other for just a moment then as if they were one they began to check over the shuttlecraft, for they knew that it would probably play a large part in any plans that their friends were able to come up with, and they meant to ensure that the craft didn`t let them down. As they worked, they threw ideas back and forth but always they came up against the one problem. How were they to get away without the Mazeren authorities being alerted and stopping them in their tracks.

Steve was following a protest march via the internet; it was written by someone on the planets social networking website when he sat bolt upright. A new article suddenly appeared on his monitor, unasked for it almost leapt of the page as the writer screamed out his or her own protest.

'People of Mazere, the state police have attacked the peace marchers with stun guns and they are arresting them en masse and even killing some who resist. Any amongst you who considers that they are a patriot should leave their homes and take to the streets to show our contempt for this government. Please come to Constitution Avenue to help the students before it is too late for all of us, I will report later on your heroism, now I must also go to their aid. Farewell for now.' It had been signed; Action against Tyranny, a title many knew already, and many more would come to know in the following days.

Steve switched on their external cameras to see if their guards were reacting in any way to this new situation and to his surprise and delight, he saw them all jumping into a vehicle which then drove at speed towards the perimeter gate of the space port. Steve now ran down to David`s cabin and rapped quickly on the door and then entered. Inside David looked up surprised and asked.

"Are we under attack or something Steve?"

Steve had written the word shuttlecraft on a piece of paper and he passed it across to David and then left the cabin with David following him. On the way, they picked up the other members of the crew, when they were safely within the shuttlecraft; David asked Steve what was going on.

"David, when I burst in on you, you asked if we were under attack. Well we aren`t but someone else is, I imagine that it is because of the recording that you are supposed to have supplied. The students' right across the planet have gone on a protest march in aid of the Non-Citizens, and the authorities have sent in the state police, they are using stun guns on the marchers causing mayhem out there with no regard for anyone. David, you wanted a diversion, well our guards out there, they have just driven off in a hurry, towards the city I can only suppose. With all of this going on we can slip away in the shuttlecraft." David almost leapt from his chair after hearing Steve`s words.

"Yes Steve, your right this is a perfect opportunity to pull it off. We shall need the shuttlecraft of course, because of all of the people involved, but as long as we fly low over the space port until we reach the far perimeter fence, we should be all right." David said excitedly.

"Should we tell the Intrepid, seeing as how you are best buddies now?" Sarah queried. David looked at her and shrugged.

"What if they say no Sarah, it would stop the whole operation in its tracks, no we go ahead and tell them about it when we return. Everyone agreed?" They were all agreed so David called Barney down to give him his instructions.

"Barney, we will be gone for quite a while, so you are in temporary command. If the Mazerens come by, do not admit them and tell them nothing. If someone from the Intrepid comes, then only communicate with them using one of Steve`s android devices. Tell them why you are using that form of communication and where we have gone. When we leave close up the hanger door and wait for further orders, understood?" When Barney said that he understood David turned to the others.

"We will have to go armed with our energy weapons and we had better take some explosives along with us, John Blazer sent a small quantity along to use in an emergency. If we are caught then I will imagine that we will join the crew of the Blazer Explorer in their prison cell, and there we will stay. I doubt whether Ambassador Kennedy will be able to get us out of there, as the Mazerens will simply deny any knowledge of us. If any of you would prefer to stay aboard the Galactic Traveller then that is fine, I certainly won`t hold it against you, for this is going to be a little dangerous." David stopped here to await the response of his friends.

"David, I signed on to find and to rescue any survivors of the Blazer Explorer, and I intend to do just that." Steve said.

"And that goes for Tony and me, right Tony?" Jimmy Fielding said.

"Damn right Jimmy, I didn`t come along just for the trip, I told you right out that I was bored and needed some excitement, well let`s get going and find some more excitement David."

"I don`t know why you even had to ask David, we are all members of the same team, and teams stick together all the way to the final whistle." Sarah said smiling at her friends. "We have the makings of the start of a plan at least, now all we need is some luck and some daring. Steve, this place where our friends are being held, have you any photographs or plans of it?"

"Oh Sarah, would I come to you all without having all of the details to hand?" Steve protested.

He then turned on his tablet and first showed them an aerial photograph of the area around the building. They have a Google Earth type of program on their internet, made it nice and easy for us to find the building. They are also a very meticulous people; I found a government site that showed the drawings that they were asked to provide when they sought planning permission for the building twenty years back. Therefore, we only have to find out which room they are being held in, a piece of cake." Steve stopped here for a second before continuing. "Now that you have all agreed to join David and me, I suggest that you all take a deep breath before looking closely at this page."

On the tablet they looked at the plan views of a large two storey building set in its own courtyard, at the bottom were the words designating the user and use for the which the building would be put to. It read, 'Proposed State Police Area Headquarters Building.' Tony swore and Sarah sank down into her chair and sighed before turning to David.

"Well we didn`t want it to be too easy, did we?" Sarah said as she made a face that showed that maybe she did.

"Well guys, as I said earlier, you can still opt out of this part of our quest, if you believe that it will be suicidal to come along for the ride." David said hoping that none of them would do so.

"We are wasting time David, Steve, save what you have there regarding the building and where it is, and then turn back to the internet. Let`s see how the riot is getting on." Jimmy said overriding David`s chance for any of them to pull out.

"It is still going nicely, and to help us out even the Non-Citizens are rioting, seems that drug they were given isn`t working too well." Steve told them all. "Jimmy`s right we should be ready to move off as soon as the sun sets, if we hang around too long the Mazerens may come back and invite us all to go straight to jail without collecting our $200. They are going to blame us for the riot, you all know that?"

"Ok then, the sun sets about now so we leave in twenty minutes time, will you gather up what you need and be back in the shuttlecraft in fifteen minutes time. Barney you stand watch up on the bridge of the Galactic Traveller, Sarah; you come with me to check the area around the ship."

With these orders given, everyone moved off to collect water, food, and their energy weapons. David and Sarah used the ship`s external cameras to check that all was quiet outside of the freighter, and then they too collected their energy weapons. They also collected the explosives and put them aboard the shuttlecraft where they joined the ever-growing pile of equipment deposited by the rest of the crew.

Chapter Seven

Riots and Rescue

Twenty minutes later, the shuttlecraft moved almost silently towards the far perimeter fence and the darkening evening skyline. The Intrepid meanwhile was listening in on the airwaves to the ever-growing riots in all of the cities of Mazere. Captain Suárez was of the opinion that they should lift off immediately, as the blame for the riots would surely be laid at the feet of Captain Charlton, and as fellow earthmen, they would also come in for a share of the blame. However, Ambassador Kennedy didn`t altogether agree that they should depart just yet, he had a feeling that they would serve Earth better by remaining on the surface of Mazere.

"Captain, while I agree that there may be some danger to the ship and her crew here in the space port, I am also just a little fed up with all of the holier than thou preaching we`ve had to endure from these people. Right now, I want nothing more than to be here on this planet to see just how righteous they really are." Ambassador Kennedy said. "But I do agree that we should take precautions against any attempt they may make to take out their frustrations on us. I suggest that you mount a watch to ensure that we are not taken by surprise, should any threatening moves develop outside. Rest the remainder of your crew for the moment but tell them to be ready to take us out of here at any time during the next twelve hours, just in case."

In Plakara, particularly, the streets had become a dangerous place to be on as the state police tried to clear them of anyone who dared to move along them. Unfortunately, following a national call to arms by someone who the authorities had been seeking now for three long years, someone who went by the tag of 'Action against Tyranny', the streets were now teeming with the ordinary populace who were demanding an end to the violence committed by the authorities against the world's student population and their supporters. To put it another way, the civilian population had taken to the streets to protect their children, their families and their friends. In Plakara, Lexan Delong was pleased with his handiwork, for the state police were acting as expected, like savage animals, in their desire to control the streets of the capital. His work was done now and he slipped through the streets, he would be happy to get to his warm house as it had been drizzling now for fifteen minutes, and he was feeling rather wet and cold. Following along behind him like a shadow was a figure dressed in black, and not for one moment did Delong suspect his presence. Delong now turned off the quiet street and slipped across a darkened city park, which would take him home much quicker than the long circuitous trip around it. His shadow now decided to catch up with Delong, who at this moment was walking around a particularly large tree. His dark shadow, who was now in front of him, stepped out from behind the tree and silently and efficiently pushed a long thin dagger into Delong`s rapidly beating heart, death was instantaneous. Delong crumpled to the damp ground to lie in an untidy heap there, his blood staining the ground. With his death, the facts behind the recording that had shocked a world the night before were hidden from the people of Mazere, only the leaders of the planned coup knew this truth.

In more than a dozen cities and towns the state police were caught by surprise for once, the people filling the streets across the planet numbered in the millions this time, and not the thousands of three years before. In Plakara, two hundred thousand people marched on the Plaza of the People and many of them had taken the precaution of carrying an energy weapon along with them. The police sensibly disappeared from the streets to hide behind the doors of their numerous offices and barracks. The people, being left in control of Mazere now marched on all of the government buildings and demanded to speak to their leaders. Their leaders cowered in their offices and in turn demanded that their miniscule army be called to protect them, while they met to decide on a new policy that would placate their people, and allow them to keep their lucrative jobs. The army refused to take to the streets to confront the people of Mazere, choosing democracy over autocracy. In Plakara, the people had stopped before the government building and demanded to speak to the president, who in turn demanded answers from his ministers, who advised him to wait, for the people would soon tire of the cold and drizzle and return to their homes. Outside in the Plaza the people showed no sign of dispersing and in fact, they grew in numbers so that the throng filled not only the large square before the capital building but also all of the wide avenues that led towards it. Daylight was beginning to fill the skies above them, and the grey clouds were scurrying away to be replaced by a pale blue sky and a warming sun.

Johor and Lilliana Brecht were at the gates before the imposing building; with them were Carmen Toile and Staff Sergeant Roan Triage. They had led the march and had resisted the most violent of efforts to break them. Carmen was feeling very proud that she was there; her husband would be cowering behind the locked doors of his police station and knew nothing of her part in the march. Her mother had their son; Carmen had given the excuse of another night out with some friends, and her mother had agreed to mind him. Staff Sergeant Roan Triage had blood on his head, a result of a tussle with a state trooper who now wished he had left the 'old man' alone. Johor and Lilliana Brecht had looked after one another, as well as trying to keep their party of fifty university students safe, as they endured some of the worst of the previous night's violence. Ten of the students were now in hospital, and two had been killed when an armoured car had run them down as they attempted to flee from the scene of the riots.

On a military base near to Plakara, Admiral Stator and his fellow conspirators congratulated each other, for their plans were unfolding just as they were supposed to. Soon they were to meet with their troops, and then head across to confront the government where they would demand the unconditional surrender of their leaders to the people.

**********

Seventy miles away and hours earlier, a shuttlecraft approached the industrial town of Neon, it settled down in the middle of a scrubby heathland, and its crew slipped quietly out. They moved quickly north towards the filthy town and the headquarters of the area`s state police. As they approached the building`s northern perimeter wall, they heard sounds of violence coming towards them.

The Non-Citizens of Neon were killing any state trooper who got in their way as they slowly made their way through the squalid town. Fires were breaking out at any civic building that happened to be on their route, and the town's fire brigade had long since given up the uneven battle. Many of the people of Neon were armed now; some of the weapons had been taken from the dead bodies of the troopers, while many more had been secreted away over the three years since the people had last attempted to protest at the treatment of the most wretched people of Mazere. The headquarters building of the region`s state police was situated at the very edge of the small town, and it would be a further thirty minutes before the people reached its high perimeter wall. The state troopers inside it though were not yet in a state of panic, in fact their superiors were relishing the forthcoming battle that would forever put these wretched people back in their place. Colonel Maric was in command.

"Men, violence has broken out here during the last thirty minutes, but we will soon bring it to an end. The rioters are nothing more than a mob out to loot the town of anything not screwed down, I intend to show them the error of their ways, and I intend to do it in the only way they will understand. I will lynch any of them who we happen to capture, and who we haven`t already managed to shoot on the spot." Maric stopped for a moment while his words were taken in by his men, then he continued.

"Anything that you see moving, be it man, woman, child or beast you will fire at immediately, or else I will want to know the reason why." Maric screamed the last part of the sentence out at his men. However, seeing that some of them were uneasy at his words, he now reassured them.

"Do not worry if your target is young or old, frail or strong, we have been advised by our fellow troopers that they are all armed. Fellow troopers who may even lay dead upon the ground, their killers free to kill again. That of course is if our men were amongst the lucky ones. They may have been lynched or even burned at the stake, which is what will have happened to our comrades if they were taken alive." Maric looked around at his men before him and smiled at them, for he saw that his words had had the desired effect.

"Right men, the armoured vehicles will take the lead and we will follow. Ten armoured cars then revved their engines and began to move out; these were followed by an equal number of vehicles carrying water cannons. Senior officers around the walled enclosure then called to sergeants who in turn ordered their men to board the armoured personnel carriers and other lighter vehicles that stood in one section of the large yard, they were going to battle, and unfortunately, it was against their own people. Ten minutes later and the buildings that comprised the area headquarters were almost empty.

David looked out from above the hillock, behind which he and his friends were currently concealed. Ahead of him, he could see an eight feet high perimeter wall that protected the two storey buildings within. They could see the large open gates through which a large column of armoured vehicles was streaming out from, until the final lightly armoured coach signalled an end to the exodus. What they didn`t know was how many more state troopers were left inside of the headquarters come prison buildings.

"I will move forward and recce the way in, to see if they have a guard left on duty and whether or not we can move in unnoticed." David announced to the others. This was his show and he didn`t want one of the others to risk their lives for his quest.

"No David, least ways not until I have edged around to that clump of bushes that is directly in front of the gates and scanned the area within." Jimmy said. This he felt was a safer way that boldly walking straight up to the gates and peering in. At that moment, a couple of elderly uniformed men came out from the enclosure and pulled the gates shut.

"I think that it is time for plan B, David." Sarah said, glad that the enterprise had been delayed for a moment, for she knew that one or more of them could be badly hurt or even killed before the night turned in to day.

Tony was as always busy; he was looking for a safer way into the compound before them. At the far end of the perimeter wall, he noticed a large tree that grew near enough to the perimeter wall to make it interesting.

"David, I don`t suppose that there will be much more than a skeleton staff left inside of those walls to keep out intruders. I think that we should be able to gain entry via that large tree over by the far end of the wall, especially with the night to hide us." Sarah looked across at him and nodded in agreement. She at least felt a little easier within herself, for maybe the night would offer enough protection to ensure that none of them was killed that night.

"Your right Tony" David said. "That does appear to be our best entry point. Jimmy you move round a little further to our right so that you can see the gates as well as Tony`s tree. We can keep in touch via our smart phones." Jimmy nodded slowly, not quite in agreement yet, but in acknowledgment of David`s words.

"Steve, you and me will climb up the tree and recce the area on the other side of the wall. Sarah, Tony, you two move to the far-left end on this wall to ensure that Steve and I don`t get any surprises while we do our bit. Once we know what is on the other side of the wall, I will give you all our plan of attack. Is everyone okay with that?" Everyone was okay for the moment, but if David thought that he was entering the police headquarters without them, then he didn`t know them at all well.

Everyone moved to their designated spots, after receiving a wave from Sarah, David and Tony moved out of the cover of the nearby bushes, moved across to the tree, and proceeded to climb up to a position that allowed them to look over the perimeter wall without being seen by someone on the other side. From their vantage point, David and Steve could see a few lights showing through the barred windows, and even the odd figure moving around, but it looked empty enough to attempt a sortie with a good chance of success. They were high enough, here on the wall, to see the glow of a fire burning brightly a mile further into the small town, and the sounds of violence floated across the roofs of the houses to let them know that a suitable distraction was occurring that hopefully would cover their own operation. Down below them, the two men saw the means by which they would be able to gain admittance into the drab forbidding building. A door had been left open because of the hasty preparations by the state police to assemble and move against their own people. One other piece of luck was that this part of the grounds was in shadow as one of the floodlights needed replacing. Hoping for a continuance of this luck, David now called down to the other three members of his team using their smartphones.

"Jimmy, Sarah, is it all clear down there?" When he received the all clear from the other three of his team David gave them his instructions.

"Okay everyone, we think we have a way into the building. Jimmy you keep watch from where you are so as to alert us should the troopers return, Sarah, Tony, climb up here fast, Steve and I will be on the other side of the wall ensuring that all is well." Jimmy wasn`t too happy at being left behind but could see the sense in it, and anyway he being the oldest member of the team was the least agile.

David and Steve tied a strong length of rope to a limb of the tree and dropped it down the other side of the wall; it easily reached the ground and lay in a small heap. Then the two men quietly climbed down and moved speedily across to the open door, inside was a short unlit corridor and then another door.

"Steve, will you wait here for the other two, I`ll recce ahead of us?" David ordered.

"Sure, thing David, but might I suggest that you listen for signs of life on the other side of the door before opening it." Steve suggested in a whisper.

David looked just a little aggrieved at this, but nevertheless acknowledged the suggestion with a nod, and then moved quietly along the short corridor to do as his friend suggested. Listening carefully for ten seconds brought forth no signs of people on the other side of the door. David now pulled out his torch and ran it along the four sides of the edge of the door looking for signs of an alarm, for he felt that it was a possible security measure that any self-respecting state police force might use, he found nothing. Sarah and Tony had both arrived, and so David edged the door open and peered inside. One the other side of the door was another unlit corridor; the authorities must be trying to cut down on running expenses, David mused. Steve now moved up to him and indicated the staircase at the far end of the corridor, it dropped down into the building`s basement.

"David, the plans of the building showed that the cells were to be on the lower level." Steve whispered. David nodded across to his friend and whispered "Okay, let`s go then." With that, they quietly moved along the new corridor to the staircase at the far end, and then descended the steps to the lower level of the building.

On reaching the bottom of the stairs, they saw before them yet another corridor. A sign before them told them what was to be found along either direction. Steve took a photograph of the sign and then using his android tablet, he quickly translated it. To the left along the short corridor was the cellblock. With their choice chosen for them, they turned left and soon after stood at a door, which had a small glass window, fitted at head height. David looked through to see before him a large room with five corridors leading off it. Sitting behind a desk in the middle of the floor were two middle-aged individuals, who were busily engaged in updating files on the computers before them. As David opened the door, they looked up. The older one said something that was cut short when he saw the four energy weapons pointing at them. Both men looked scared as the thought that sprang immediately to their minds was that they had been taken prisoner by a group of the NC`S, and they both feared that they would be shot out of hand. David and the others walked briskly across the concrete floor and Steve used his android tablet to question them.

"We need you to show us which cells the following people are imprisoned in. Their names are Richard Charlton, Patricia Charlton, Christopher Anderson, Alan Lee and Millicent McIntosh. We want the doors to their cells opened. Do this for me and we will take our friends and go, if you chose not to help us then you will die." It only took a moment for them to decide on what to do, they began to tap away on their computers, and soon had the information demanded of them.

"We have opened their cell doors, if you will follow us, we will show you where your friends are." The smaller of the two men said in a pleading voice, which the android tablet captured perfectly.

"Right, lead the way." David ordered.

The two men stood up and led them down the nearest of the corridors that was immediately behind the desk, and at the far end indicated a cell. David moved towards it and opened the unlocked door; the first person he saw was his father who cried out in surprise, but didn`t move for he was temporarily stunned.

"David, you are well again, but what on earth are you doing here? Have they taken you prisoner too?" Richard Charlton finally managed to say, rushed to his son, and threw his arms around him in delight at seeing him well again.

"Not quite dad, I`m here to rescue you, come on let`s collect mum and get the hell out of here." David replied ecstatically.

"But how on earth did you find us?" Richard Charlton asked as all they moved towards the open cell door.

"Later dad, when we are safely on our way off this planet." David replied before acknowledging the other two men in the cell.

"Alan, Chris, good to see you looking so well after all you must have been through." David said smiling at his two friends.

"Not as good as seeing you David, but how on earth are we going to escape from here, the place must be teeming with state police?" Chris Anderson asked.

"Later, let`s just get out of here for now." David replied once again.

Once outside of the door David gave hurried introductions, and then Steve ordered the two guards to take them to their last two prisoners. They soon arrived back at the main area and were just about to proceed down the corridor where the women prisoners were kept when they were confronted by Patricia Charlton, unfortunately, she was not alone and the man behind her had an energy weapon pointed at her head.

"I thought it must have been you who unlocked your mother`s cell door Charlton, I don`t know how you found her prison but now you will join her here as our guest. Drop your weapons or watch as I kill her." The man ordered. Patricia Charlton was beside herself with worry for her son, but quickly regained control of her mind.

"Don`t listen David, fire you weapon now if he won`t surrender, he wouldn`t dare uses his weapon on me, he knows that you would kill him." Patricia cried in fear for her son`s life.

David stood rigidly still, unsure how to proceed but knowing that he couldn`t risk losing his mother again. David looked for advice from his father but he too was temporarily stunned by the sudden dramatic turn of events. They needn`t have worried for hearing the cell door unlock and then hearing all that was said from just a few feet away, for her cell was the nearest one to the main area, Millicent McIntosh slowly pushed open the door to her cell and stepped out. In front of her she saw the drama unfolding, before her she saw the Mazeren holding the weapon to the head of Patricia Charlton. Millicent immediately decided on a course of action, and moved quietly up behind the man without him even realising that she was there. Her hand now shot up and gripping the man`s hand jerked it up and away from Patricia`s head. A bolt of energy shot up from the weapon in the man`s hand and exploded against the ceiling, but before he could bring the weapon back into line with Patricia Charlton, she had dropped to the floor allowing David a clear shot, he now fired his own weapon. The powerful bolt of energy whistled across the room, the weapon was only set to stun so there was no danger to the three people before him, luckily though it only hit its intended target, the man crumpled to the floor with a groan of pain, temporarily disabled but otherwise unhurt.

"That was nicely done Millicent, I owe you one." Richard Charlton said in a very relieved voice.

"That`s okay Richard, I`m not keeping score." Millicent replied. "Now quickly lock the two guards and the man in my cell, it`s the nearest one." Millicent ordered. Richard and his two-crew members forced the two unresisting guards into the empty cell while Tony and David moved towards the unconscious man.

"Not him David, he`s the man responsible for so many murders on Earth, can we take him with us to pay for his crimes?" Patricia Charlton said. "David, his name is Malin Frandt. He was the commander of the Mazeren mission on Earth. He gave the order to stop the Blazer Explorer mission from going ahead. When you left Earth in search of the Explorer, he followed on. He thought that there could be a time when I might become useful, should you look like succeeding in your search, and so he brought me along too." Patricia said. "He was in my cell to gloat; he was taking great pleasure in informing me about their plans for you David. Unfortunately, when he heard the door to my cell unlock for no apparent reason, he was quick enough to realise why. Luckily for us his thoughts didn`t include Millicent." Patricia Charlton said throwing a smile Millicent`s way.

"Yes, it certainly was Mother. Well now, he can accompany us on our return trip to Earth. But will you tell me just why did he keep you prisoner for the entire three years that you were missing?" David asked, just a little mystified.

"He couldn`t take the chance that I could identify them and so kept me locked up. He never harmed me in any way, and was a gentleman throughout my imprisonment. I`m lucky really, he could easily have killed me, I suppose there is a streak of humanity in everybody." Patricia said thoughtfully.

Richard Charlton then quickly searched the three men and took their communication devices away from them, while outside Steve had found the central locking device on the computer console, and immediately his friends were clear locked the cell door.

Patricia saw Sarah was amongst the party of rescuers and went across to speak to her. "Sarah what are you doing here, I`m a little surprised that David risked your life on this venture, though it is good to see you again." Patricia said quizzically.

"Someone was needed to ensure that David came to no harm, and I decided to take on the job, poor David didn`t have a choice in the matter." Sarah said smiling at her fiancé`s mother.

While they spoke, the men tied up the cause of so much of the pain back on Earth, and then gagged him. The man slowly regained consciousness and so they forced him to his feet and the band of friends quietly left the confines of the cellblock and were soon standing in the courtyard. Just then, David received a call from Jimmy.

"David it seems to be a lot quieter in the town now, you had better make tracks soon or risk the state troopers returning and finding you there." Jimmy warned his friend.

"We are on our way now Jimmy, hopefully we will be with you real soon." David replied.

Dragging their unwilling guest, they moved across to the rope, and Alan and Chris quickly climbed up and then helped pull Patricia Charlton to the top of the wall. Sarah needed no assistance, and soon the two women were back on the ground next to the tall tree. Richard Charlton went next followed by their prisoner and then the rest of the party. Moments later, they were all running back to the shuttlecraft. Ahead of them a line of figures was seen moving towards them, but before David could decide on an action, a friendly voice rang out.

"Don`t shoot David, the ambassador sent us along to ensure that the rescue mission was a success." Lieutenant Williams called across to them.

"Good to see you Charles, but as you see we are fine. You can however take charge of our prisoner, he was behind the attacks in Washington three years ago, and probably on the attacks this year on Sarah and me and of course John Blazer." David said pushing the bound figure into the waiting hands of two of the Intrepid`s crewmen.

"I am happy to oblige, David. Well if the fun is already over let`s get back to our shuttlecraft." Lieutenant Williams said turning about and moving back the way he had just come.

The two shuttlecrafts were soon back at the spaceport and safely stowed away inside of their respective crafts. Immediately they were back, Ambassador Kennedy came by to greet Patricia Charlton, and then he updated them all on the present troubles happening around the planet.

"Listening in on the broadcasts made by the government and its military it appears that Admiral Stator engineered the riots so that he could stage a coup. Reading between the lines it seems that the state police knew of it. However not about the recording that went out on the state television or they would have stopped it. The recording has meant that things will never be the same on Mazere. The new government will probably want to drastically scale back their state police force, and give citizenship to everyone who currently does not hold it. The riots were planet wide, and a large majority of its people took to the streets to demand change. Even at this early stage, the government has surrendered and is sitting to discuss the situation. The present ministers have already agreed to stand down, and that new elections should be held as soon as is possible. The people behind the coup did manage to bring the government down; unfortunately, not in the way they wanted. Admiral Stator may have failed to take command of the planet, but he is somewhat of a hero for his unlawful part in the uprising. He and the other leaders behind the failed coup are all under arrest at the headquarters building of the state police in central Plakara. The building is surrounded by demonstrators led by the admiral`s daughter. She will be a major figurehead for any new government for her part in today`s action. She was the reason why so many people were on the streets. She is someone called Action against Tyranny, and that being so I ask that you David and Ms Hardin delay your return to Earth. In fact, her first act as a member of the new unofficial government has been to ask if you two would meet her at her father`s home. She is eager to talk to you David, and especially to you Ms Hardin."

The people aboard the freighter couldn`t quite believe this request. They were even more astounded by the ambassador`s next words.

"I know that we have had our differences Charlton, but I beg of you to delay your departure and to stay here to work with me." Ambassador Kennedy said to the astonishment of them all. Richard Charlton was most averse to the Ambassador Kennedy`s plea.

"Jules all we want to do is return to Earth, I for one have had enough of this planet." Patricia Charlton and the other survivors of the Blazer Explorer all agreed with his words but the ambassador was not so easily defeated.

"I understand that, and I am only too happy for you to return to Earth and enjoy the peace that you so deserve. No, it is only your son and his fiancée that I ask this favour of, for they could be the means to cement our two planets future into one of friendship." Ambassador Kennedy argued.

"But Jules, Richard and I have only just got our son back, how can you ask such a thing?" Patricia Charlton asked horrified at his request.

"It will not be for long, and he will be safe aboard the Intrepid." Ambassador Kennedy argued. It was almost as if David and Sarah didn`t figure yet in the decision making of their own immediate futures.

"Well if they stay then so do Richard and I." Patricia Charlton stated quite forcibly.

"Well in that case you will have to loan me the Galactic Traveller for I`ve had quite enough of this planet." Steve Ryan said. "Life is a might too interesting here on Mazere." Steve might have had other reasons behind his decision as Millicent had just whispered much the same thing to him and he was rather taken with her.

In the end, it was decided that Alan Lee would take command of the freighter. Along with him were Steve Ryan, Millicent McIntosh who had been a prisoner of an evil regime for too long, Jimmy Fielding who hankered for a quieter time at his beach hut, Tony Miles who had had enough adventure for the moment and Christopher Anderson who also thought only of home. Barney would stay behind to act as their interpreter and their internet researcher of anything that they may require to know about the new Mazere, and of its dark past.

David looked across to Sarah. "Well Sarah?" Sarah looked back and smiled.

"A whole world may want our input, who are we to say no thank you." Sarah said. David could only think of one more thing to add to all that had been said.

"In that case Sarah, will you marry me here and now?" He didn`t need to hear her words for her eyes answered him quite clearly. The Galactic Traveller did not get to leave for another two days for the others wanted to attend the wedding as well.

The End

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Also, why not visit my author page by clicking on the link. Smashwords Books.

About the Author

I was born in London, England. Like most of the world, I had to work hard to pay my mortgage and all the other bills, so I only had the time and the energy to write some short stories. My wife and I have a son who is now married to a lovely wife and they have five children of their own. Since retiring to the Greek island of Crete, I have finally found the time and the energy to write some full-length Science Fiction stories.

Other Books by the Author

Colonies of Earth Series in order

Galaxy Spies

Time Storm

Rebirth

Trial by Ordeal

Horror Stories

Strange tales; three short mild horror stories

The Vampires of Cymru

Rob Hinds black magic stories

Kidnapped and Bound for Hell

The Satanists

Dreamscape

The Return of the Bitch from Hell

David Charlton stories, a science fiction series

Rescue Mission to the Stars

The Treasure of Altaraus

Return to Mazere

Other science fiction stories

Quasar

The Venetou

Invasion Earth

Lost and Far from Home

Journey to the Stars

A New Colony Amongst the Stars

Rebellion is in the Air

Pen Draig

Insurrection

Alien Attack

Short children`s stories

Three Journeys of the Scary Kind

