Adam and Theve

ADAM AND THEVE
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It had been a distinguished and eventful career. Theodore Simon Adams
had captained the star ship Medea, for twenty-seven years. He was
regarded as something of a maverick, and yet even his detractors agreed
that there was no more capable captain in the Solar fleet.
In the Solar Training Academy, Adams military tactics, were required
reading. He had saved the Earth Union, and it`s allied dependencies, on
many notable occasions.The crew of the Medea, had served under Adams
for three years. In that time, they had grown to respect him, although
few were really close to him.
Adams wanted to get his crew back to Earth. It had been a long
journey. As they crossed the Sirius star system, Adams contemplated
retirement. The thought frightened him. He had always been a man of
action. "What am I to do?" he wondered. In his younger days, Adams had
exhibited a marked talent for painting, and had seriously considered a
career in Art. However, Adams had been destined to become a Space
explorer without equal. Now, in the twilight of his career, the future
seemed uncertain.
The captains attention was drawn to an alien ship which had been
detected on the viewing monitors. Mr.Chrone, the ships science officer,
appeared very concerned. "Captain, I think we have a problem," he
opined. "I see it, Mr. Chrone. Try to establish communication with the
vessel," Adams ordered." They are not responding Sir. It appears that
their intentions are hostile." His voice betrayed a faint trace of
anxiety.
The science officer continued. "The scanners show that this vessel is
alien in origin. It is much more powerful than anything in the Solar
fleet. It`s weaponry is light years ahead of the Medea`s," said Chrone,
gloomily. The alien vessel appeared to be shifting position. It
resembled an octopus with many testacles, reaching out for it`s
prey.
Lieutenant O`donnel interjected. "Sir, the aliens are firing." Adams
burst into action. "Take evasive manoeuvers," he commanded. "Fire at
will." The Medea rocked from the force of the impact. The lights in the
ship, were extinguished.
"Status report" demanded Adams, urgently. "All life support systems
are offline" reported Engineer Buchan. "Switch to auxilliary control"
shouted Adams, picking himself up from the floor.
The Medea was struck again. "Security team. What is your status?
demanded Adams, over the intcom. His question was met by the crackle of
static. There could be no reply. An alien presence had boarded the
ship, and overwhelmed the security unit.
The Theve as they were known, were a warlike race, who did not respect
the Earth alliance. Throughout their corner of the Orchin star system,
Theve raider ships, attacked peaceful alien vessels, routinely. The
Medea`s defences were no match for the lizard like Theve.
Adams led a team of armed crewmen, to counter attack the Theve
intruders. However, the Theve repelled the attack easily, and the crew
sustained heavy losses.
The aliens having immobilised Adams crew, took prisoners, and using
telepathy, communicated that the crew were now their slaves. Several
crew members, including Lieutenant O`Donnel, escaped through a
ventilation shaft.
Effortlessly, the Theve thwarted the escape attempt. Adams watched as
his crew members were apprehended. P`rafney the Theve commander, faced
four of the captured crew members. The lizard waved it`s pointed tongue
before them. Then with disdain, he secreted a glue like globule, upon
them. Instantaneously, O`Donnel, and the others, were combusting.
"You bastards will pay for that," swore Adams, as he rushed to assault
the Theve commander. Inevitably, his progress was impeded. Five
humanoid guards, servants of the Theve, set upon Adams. They tore at
his clothes, but Adams fought back. For a while, Adams was strong
enough to fend off the guards, but eventually, he was overpowered, and
his clothes were removed.
"You will be punished," said the Theve, in annoyance. "I spit on you"
shouted Adams, as implants were placed into his head.
The Medeas` crew watched impotently, as their captain was tortured and
publicly humiliated. Morale had reached it`s lowest ebb.
Four days later, Adams was reunited with his crew. Dr. Chesky, the
ship`s doctor examined him, under the watchful eyes of the aliens. "I
don`t know how you`ve done it, but there doesn`t seem to be too much
damage to your body, apart from several bruises," she told Adams. "I
guess I`m lucky," said the captain, flirtatiously. Adams loved the
doctors big green eyes, and her long dark hair, and vowed that when he
regained control of the Medea, he would take pretty Yalda Chesky out to
a restaurant, back on Earth.
Adams lost no time in meeting with his crew. "We will win out," Adams
assured them. "I have a plan...All we need is patience."
Adams and those of his crew who had survived the battle with the
Theve, were transported to a small moon off the Theve home planet,
Namok. It was apparent to the captain, that Namok was inhabited by many
other prisoners, from an assortment of worlds.
Bright rays of sunlight filtered through the transluscent skin of the
onion shaped security facility, in which the prisoners were
detained.
The Theve piped `Cloud Music` into the facility, which the humans
found very discordant. "You are slaves," warned the Theve overseer.
"Disobedience equals punishment. Punishment equals death."
It was rumoured, that vicious winged reptiles were gathered around the
prison facility. Any prisoner attempting escape, would have to evade
these formidable guards. Adams felt like Odysseus trapped in the
Cyclops cave.
He befriended a human called Haggard, who claimed he had been detained
by the Theve for over twenty years. Haggard had developed a hunched
back, brought on by constant back breaking work. When he stood to his
maximum height, Haggard reached Adams midriff.
His voice was weak, and his words were slurred. "There must be a way
out of here," demanded the captain. "If there is, I don`t know it,"
replied Haggard. "Escape is impossible. Many have tried, none have
succeeded" added Haggard, dejectedly. "We will escape," insisted the
captain. "I promised the crew, and I won`t let them down."
"No" replied Haggard. "To the aliens, we are like pets." Adams was
startled at this information, but he did not show this. Haggard leaned
forward. "The Theve want the humans to mate, and form a colony, which
they can study, so that..." Haggard stopped abruptly, as if he had been
overheard by his captors. The captain filled in the blanks."....So that
they will be well placed to defeat Earth in an unexpected
attack."
Adams woke up in his quarters, on board the Medea. He had no awareness
of having fallen asleep. His last memory was of talking to Haggard.
"What am I doing on the ship?" he asked the computer. "Insufficient
data" it replied.
Adams left his quarters, and entered the bridge. "Status report" he
said to the first crewman, he encountered, but the man did not respond.
He addressed his subordinate once again, but received the same
response. Adams checked the faces of the other crewmen. They did not
even look familiar. Who were these people? he wondered. Adams addressed
them as a group. "I am Captain Theodore Adams, of the Earth Alliance,"
he told them.
The crew looked at him as if he spoke an exotic foreign tongue. He
waited a couple of moments, but having realised he was on his own,
Adams changed tack, and checked the scanners.
"Aach," he said, in shock. The scanners showed that the Medea was
heading for Earth. He could hear ticking. The captains eyes alighted on
a rectangular block, about the size of several large dining plates,
which had been placed on the control console. "It can`t be" muttered
Adams. He examined the block, and broke into a sweat.
The captain had discovered that the weapon, was set to detonate on
arrival at Earth. Adams sprang into action, and altered the vessels
course heading. His attempts at saboutaging the weapon delivery system,
had borne fruit. The weapon stopped ticking.
Adams sighed with relief, it appeared that the threat had passed.
Adams sniffed the air. Wait, the air was hot. The ship was
overheating.
As the Medea exploded, Adams memory returned. He, was the bomb.
Unbeknown to the captain, the Theve had wired his brain up to the
weapon delivery system. That was why Dr. Chesky had been unable to find
anything seriously wrong with Adam`s body. The damage had been done to
his mind.
Now, the captain`s name would live in infamy. Adams the destroyer. The
betrayer of mankind.

Written by J. S. Herscovitch
Copyright
22-7-01