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Universe War (Mission Activated) The Haggling of Pearls and Converters
The creature's eyes widened and it squealed gleefully, wriggling in excitement and extending a small forepaw through the bars. "We will pay you!" cried Tsûuri. His voice trembled with emotion. "I'm sure you will," Igon said, with false kindness. "You're honest, valiant people." One hand went to his chin as he added, "But this… thing… is priceless. What can you give me in exchange that could really be worth giving this up?" Tsûuri hesitated. Then he took a small white spherical object out of a pouch at his side.Her pale fingers cupping radiant spheres and bathing her perfect face with them. Fishermen, harvesting pearls in tiny nets, bringing them joyfully to shore— Jasper angrily wrenched himself out of the dream recollection. Tsûuri held the object in his gloved fingers for a moment, then set it down in front of Igon. The "antiques dealer" delicately picked it up in one great hand. The other reached for a large magnifying glass lying on the table. Siruss peered at the pearl through t
Universe War (Mission Activated) The Strange Case of the Floating Arm: A Mission Gone Wrong
Despite the illogical and bizarre, but very real dream connection that Jasper had with the Pearls and the critter, he shrugged slightly. Whatever was going on here was no concern of his; he had his orders."Sorry, guys, I'm not into sharing. Move it!" Slowly and reluctantly, looking almost as if he wanted to cry, the smuggler placed the converter into Eliza's case.Gibson's voice spoke into Jasper's ear. "Guys, move on, now.""Converter in the box," said Jasper to the listening Gibson."Copy," said Eliza's disembodied voice beside Jasper.Jasper kept his weapon trained on the smuggler. A moment later, Gibson's voice spoke in his ear. "Good job, Sergeant. Undetected. Back to base.""Affirmative," Eliza's voice replied promptly. "Jasper? We're good. Get out of there.""I'm on my way," Jasper responded. He hesitated, then grabbed the pearl from the table. It, too, was evidence. Igon watched, helpless, fuming."I'll find you, Federal Agent Jasper," he sputtered, almost choking on his rag
Universe War (Mission Activated) Chasing Jasper: A Kodhar'Khan's Philosophy
Lumwak's duty shift at Siruss's "shop" was not due to begin for over an hour, and he was permitting himself a much-needed break. The pay was good, excellent in fact, but Lumwak could not help but notice the high attrition rate of the crime lord's "staff."Lumwak considered himself a bit of a philosopher—something unusual among the Kodhar'Khans. And after three years of working for Igon here in Big Market, he had formed a philosophy about it. He leaned back in the café seat, sipping something sludgy and potent and wonderful while his enormous gun—which ensured his privacy; few wanted to chitchat with someone who had his weapon out and obvious—lay on the table within easy reach and examined his thoughts as he watched the tourists bustle and buy.There were three kinds of people who came to Big Market per Lumwak's philosophy. One was the original, intended customer base: tourists, with too much money and too much room in their homes, who wanted the delight of visiting a thousand worlds w
Universe War (Mission Activated) The Great Escape: A Twenty-Story Fall into a Toy Store.
In the time it took for Igon's goon to meander toward him, Jasper had already spotted a means of escape. A grate a few inches away opened to something below. He didn't know what, and right now, he didn't care. Slowly, both to not attract notice and, well, because he couldn't move quickly even if he had wanted to, Jasper forced his sleeved arm over the grate.Then, with an effort that made him grunt and the sweat pop out afresh on his forehead, he lifted the sleeve with his other arm as high as he could, and then let it fall."Perhaps my friend, had you not been acting alone, you and I would not now be—hey!"For the briefest of instants, as his superweighted arm smashed through the grate, Jasper allowed himself to snicker in triumph. But, too late, he realized that not only did the sleeve pull him down to the next level—it took him through the next level.And the next... and the next...Crash.Crash.Crash.By the fourth floor, Jasper had figured out that he needed to align the rest of
Universe War (Mission Activated) The Great Escape: Running Through the Virtual Big Mark
The next several minutes or... however long it was, were a blur. Igon Siruss's team was highly coordinated, restricted, apparently, only by the fact that they seemed to want to take the spatio-temporal agent alive. For now, at least. Siruss struck him as someone who could easily change his mind about such niceties.So for now, Jasper ran. He scrambled onto the virtual representations of expensive antiques, launching his rubber-soled feet off the heads of ancient alien rulers to scrabble atop a roof. He ran across illusionary old tiles, unable to see his own body—well, most of it, anyway. He tried to judge if his single available arm was strong enough to grab onto a thick, dangling creeper and swing from one faux rooftop to another—or in one case, crash through a window right in the middle of what appeared to be a formal ceremony involving priceless dishware, which he shattered."It's okay," he shouted back over his shoulder, "remember, they're only virtually real dishes!"This appeare
Universe War (Mission Activated) The Great Escape: Scaling the Compound Wall.
Jasper raced to the end of a street that led to a wall that was wonderfully, magnificently solid. Not just any wall— the wall, the outer wall of the compound. He had never thought chunks of rocks piled atop one another could be so beautiful. He almost wanted to kiss it.He perused the wall, wondering if he could get over it in time. It was old and weatherworn, if thick, so he could easily find footholds…And then he thought of the oversized shoebox attached to his arm and realized it would be impossible to climb with just his right hand. He swore, colorfully. Nonetheless, he gave it a try. He had no other option.He extended his left arm and pulled himself up, scrabbling for toeholds and bracing himself with the Sleeve-encased arm while attempting to cling and release with the other. It was every bit as frustrating as he had anticipated.Frustrating, and potentially deadly. Could he reach the gate? He turned, intending to start following the wall, to see how far away it was, and his e
Universe War (Mission Activated) The Chase: A Race for Survival.
Igon Siruss did not often move swiftly, and even when he did, it was not particularly fast. His guards had notified him that they had Agent Jasper trapped, and he had come with mild rapidity. Now he stood at the end of the street, but all he saw were some unhappy-looking guards and some dead—or baffled—Pit-Ghors, who scampered around, futilely sniffing the ground."Sorry, boss," one of his Kodhar'Khans said."He made it to his world," another supplied. "We're not sure how, but he did."Fury welled inside Igon. His first impulse was to rip the guards apart with his bare hands. He could; it was messy and he preferred to leave that sort of thing to others, but he certainly could.But no. There would be time to deal with them later.He had learned a human saying a long time ago: Revenge is a dish best served cold. Most of the time, Igon found this to be true. But not today. Today, he wanted his revenge swiftly, speedily, and preferably bloodily."Bring me a Megaptor!" he roared.*****Maj
Universe War (Mission Activated) Stowaway in Exospace
Three of the soldiers opened fire through the bars, trying to concentrate on that awful eye and the open mouth. The Megaptor clung on with its hind legs and one of its gigantic forepaws and brought the other one back, then slammed it forward. The bars bent as easily as if they had been made of saplings. The black claws closed around one of the soldiers, piercing his body effortlessly. He screamed and jerked as blood spurted. The Megaptor hauled him out, bit at him, then tossed the body back inside as it reached in for more, murderously swiping at the men with a forepaw now dripping scarlet.Over the screams and the firing, Jasper shouted into his mic, “Alex! We need you!”“On my way, Major,” Alex replied. Eliza thought she had never been so happy to hear a computer’s response in her life.The Megaptor appeared to be unstoppable. It turned its attention from the windshield to the roof, rending it with teeth and claws until, with a protesting groan, the roof at the rear of the bus peele
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- Universe War (Mission Activated)
In pursuit of lost secrets.
General Okto-Bar had been a man of battle, but had found his true calling at Alpha Station. He had found a fascination and an odd sort of peace in managing the goings-on of the vast station, and he had done so ably for the last four years. He had grown fond of the aliens who, like him, called this place "home," and had made friendships among their number that would last a lifetime. The thought of peril to them, to his fellow humans, to this station that for centuries had stood as a beacon of harmonious interaction and interspecies goodwill and cooperation—it was unacceptable.He had anticipated, with good reason, that if he continued to smoothly manage the day-to-day troubles of so enormous a collection of beings, he would be rewarded with a promotion to commander of the place he loved. But Commander Arun Filitt had always been a more immediately arresting figure, and when it was time for Filitt's superiors to give him something to do, Filitt had been given the command of Alpha Statio
- Universe War (Mission Activated)
Chasing Shadows: The Search for Jasper in Enemy Territory
Oktobar frowned. "That's odd. It looks like they're not trying to escape into open space—they're heading right back..." His voice trailed off. The two red dots were approaching the radioactive area at the heart of the station."You're near the dead zone," warned Eliza. "Reel them in before I lose you!"Jasper, frenzied, shot back, "I'm working on it!"Eliza kept her eyes glued to the map, watching with increasing agitation as the red dots that signified Commander Filitt and Jasper drew closer together even as they edged toward the zone that was bombarded with radiation."Jasper?" she said. "I'm going to lose you in ten seconds.""I can't slow them down!" Jasper snapped."Five seconds...""Oh, shit!" Jasper shouted.Then, silence.The red dots had disappeared off the map. Eliza's heart contracted. "Jasper? Jasper, do you read me?"There was no answer. No sign of life.Eliza whirled to Oktobar. "I need a Sky Jet!""Sergeant Eliza, you can't go after him." Oktobar's voice was harsh."Why
- Universe War (Mission Activated)
The Chase: Pursuing Commander Filitt's Ship
Puzzled, Eliza glanced at her map. She turned the dial. The map spun. She gasped, horrified, as she realized that eighty-one became eighteen.“Alex? You are on eighty-one?”“Affirmative, Sergeant.”“Sorry, my mistake,” said Eliza. “It’s number eighteen!”“Great!” came Jasper’s voice. “See? I trust you more than I trust myself, and look where it gets me!”Eliza felt her cheeks grow hot. “Alex? Pick him up! On eighteen!”She waited, biting her bottom lip. It felt like hours, but it was only about ten seconds before she heard a breathless, irritated Jasper gasp, “Thanks, Alex! Bring on the beach!”Eliza allowed herself a relieved smile.Jasper switched his suit to normal mode and clambered into the cockpit. Energy returned to him in the form of adrenaline as the ship filled his screen and he realized that this was definitely the right place. The vessel docked in bay eighteen-not-eighty-one looked exactly like the sort of ships the pale, beautiful Pearls would build. It was huge, and its
- Universe War (Mission Activated)
The Chase Begins
There had, surprisingly and fortunately, been no casualties among the extraterrestrials gathered in the security hall. It seemed that the commander's soldiers had been good enough shots to avoid collateral damage, and the weapons the Pearls had used only incapacitated. The converter had been completely unharmed, and a quick check revealed that it had slept through the whole ordeal. Within a few moments, Eliza and General Okto-Bar were back in the control room. Both of them placed their hands on the ID screen."Status on Major Jasper. Level Five. Emergency," Eliza stated, keeping her voice calm and cool."Accepted," answered Okto-Bar.Eliza called up a map of the space station on the screen and typed in the code. A red light appeared on the map. It looked like Jasper was deep in the heart of the technological section of the station. He was right in the middle of a major intersection."Jasper? I've got you on visual," she said."Okay, but I've lost track of them. Try to locate the comma
- Universe War (Mission Activated)
The Attack of the Pearls: A Major's Battle for Survival
Jasper's gaze darted from the screen to the crowd and back again. The red warning light was flickering faster now, and the adrenaline was kicking in.“Eliza? Dammit, I need to know the attackers’ identity! Who is it?”“I’m sorry, Major, but I cannot read their DNA,” Eliza replied.“What?” exclaimed Jasper. That simply couldn’t be. The Intruder XB982 was programmed with the DNA of every known sentient life form. Eliza couldn’t possibly—The far wall of the reception hall exploded. Cries of terror went up as several of the guests were knocked off their feet. Jasper stared, stunned at what he was seeing.A dozen slender, gray-robed figures suddenly poured into the hall. Beneath their hoods, their blue-eyed, bone-white—pearl-white, Jasper realized—faces were set in expressions of determination. They lifted something that looked like gracefully fashioned glass or ceramic vases, except instead of being carried upright, they were held so the opening faced forward. In their bulbous lower part
- Universe War (Mission Activated)
The Doghan Daguis' Intel and the Intruders
Three squat aliens, all about four feet tall, stood in front of Eliza. Their stubby, four-fingered hands were in the air, and their small, beady eyes were wide as they stared down the lengths of their elongated, trunklike muzzles at Eliza. They were brown and wrinkled and stooped, with sparse hair sticking up here and there.Eliza had drawn her weapon, startled at having someone come up behind her, but now she lowered it, and they lowered their arms.“Nice to see you again,” one of them said. He had a smudge of blue around his eyes.“Agent Eliza,” the second chimed in. This one, too, had markings around his eyes, except his were burgundy-colored.The third Doghan Daguis, whose markings were yellow, completed the sentence. “As resplendent as ever.”“What the hell are you doing here?” Eliza snapped.“We go where work calls—”“—We can speak over five thousand languages—”“—which can come in handy—”“—at a party like this,” the first finished. The second one added, “Need our services?”El
- Universe War (Mission Activated)
Security Council Meeting: The Commander's Address and Questions from Alien Dignitaries
"Stay on backup," Jasper ordered Eliza."Yes, sir," she replied.The two were twenty feet behind Commander Filitt as he entered, but on Jasper's command, Eliza dropped back into the corridor while the major continued to follow the commander into the ceremonial hall. A crowd of extraterrestrial dignitaries who comprised the membership of the station's Security Council stepped forward to shake the commander's hand as he entered. Filitt was the picture of calm military decorum as he looked each of them in the eye—or what passed for it— and firmly shook whatever appendage was proffered.As the commander made his way to the podium, Jasper and Okto-Bar followed. Gravely, not a hair out of place, Filitt lightly jogged up the steps and stepped behind the podium, taking a moment to look out at the sea of alien faces turned up to him. Okto-Bar stood off to the side, while Jasper took up a position beside and slightly behind the man he was guarding. He busied himself with scanning the crowd, ale
- Universe War (Mission Activated)
The Interrogation and a Dream Come True
Commander Filitt walked through the station briskly, but he was not heading to his meeting with the Security Council. Not yet, anyway. There was something he needed to follow up on.The area was secured, but his clearance permitted him entry. He ascended in a small lift that was tight quarters for him and two KTRONs. At least he was not forced to make small talk. In so many respects, robots were superior to living beings, even humans, he mused.He emerged from the lift and went down another corridor, which was dark save for blue lighting along the floor. The corridor ended at the door of a single room. Filitt keyed in his code and the door slid open. The two K-TRONs waited outside for their commander as he entered.A K-TRON captain was stationed just inside the room, perfectly motionless, carrying his weapon untiringly. The room, like the corridor outside, was dimly lit, and the figure at the end of it was swathed in shadow. Its stats were monitored on a screen. It sat slumped in a ch
- Universe War (Mission Activated)
The Red Zone: A Deadly Threat to Alpha Station
General Noïntan Okto-Bar awaited them in the Alpha Space Station control room. The room was familiar to Jasper and Eliza. This was the nerve center of the station, and nearly every square inch of space except for the floor was covered with screens. Monitors of a variety of colors set against a black background displayed everything from the temperature of any given locale on the station to the number of inhabitants, from the chemical makeup of gases and liquids in the various districts to which doors were locked. From here, systems could be monitored and overridden if necessary. Life or death decisions were made by dozens of expertly trained technicians every second.It was dizzying to look upon, even for spatio-temporal agents like the two who now entered. But they were used to the technology on display inside. What bothered them was what else was on conspicuous display this time: troops.Jasper and Eliza exchanged glances. Something was definitely afoot.Jasper was really starting to
