Trouble on Dinc 27 (Troubleshooters 52)

TROUBLESHOOTERS 52

TROUBLE

ON

DINC 27

Published by EJY at Smashwords

Copyright 2019 Dr E J Yeaman

All characters in this publication are fictional. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

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CONTENTS

1. MISSION

2. ZEJ 1034

3. WELCOME TO DINC CITY.

4. I’M FEROX.

5. OASIS 44.

6. A LUCKY ACCIDENT.

7. WHAT’S THE PLAN?

8. ANOTHER CLUNK.

9. WE’RE GONNA TALK.

10. GO TO OASIS 60.

11. I’M LEADING.

12. I’M STILL LEADING.

13. GULP OF CHICKEN STEW.

14. GOLD?

15. WHAT DO I HEAR?

16. I’LL TAKE OUR PEGGIE OUT.

17. I SAW ONE SMALL CHANCE.

18. ZEJ DIDN’T SPEAK.

19. DROP THAT GUN.

20. ESCAPE.

21. A SNARL AND A SCREAM.

22. CORYN.

23. JOSH.

24. THE DINC CITY SALOON.

TROUBLESHOOTERS

INSIDE STORY

TROUBLE ON DINC 27

1

MISSION

Obsidian called me to his office to tell me, Bea, I have news of Tloise.

Yes, I said, without enthusiasm. Tloise was the spoiled son of the wealthy ruler of the planet Veevi 2.

Four days before, Obsidian had arranged for Tloise and me to visit the Zejets factory where pegasuses – solo flying machines – were made. Tloise hoped to fly one, and I wanted to make a report on them for the web site*. During that visit, the kindest thing he’d called me was ‘silly little girl’.

(*To see the complete report, go to the web site, www.tonyandbea.co.uk. Click ‘Galactic Federation’ then ‘Reports’ then ‘TH: Jets’.)

Obsidian said, Tloise took a pegasus out on Dinc 27, and hasn’t returned. His father asked me to send an agent to look for him. Would you go? I’m sorry to ask. After the way he treated you, I know you won’t like him, but you would recognise him.

I don’t mind. I’ll go. I’m an agent of the Galactic Federation – a Troubleshooter. When Obsidian, the Commander of all the local agents, asks you to do a job, you don’t say, No.

Thank you, Bea. Tloise may have failed to return because his pegasus broke down. Perhaps you might ask the boy to go with you – the one who showed you round the Zejets factory. He was an expert on pegasuses.

I’ll ask him, I said, more cheerfully. Since Tloise and I were eleven, the factory owner had asked his eleven-year-old son, Zej 1034, to show us round. I’d liked Zej 1034.

Thank you, said Obsidian. I needn’t tell you the job is urgent. When you reach Dinc 27, ask for a man named Ferox. He knows where Tloise disappeared. Any questions?

I don’t think so. I’ll leave immediately.

Thank you. Good luck.

I went to an empty office, where I sent a message to Zej 1034, and was pleased when he replied immediately, saying he’d like to go to Dinc 27 with me. We agreed to meet in the travel centre of the neighbouring planet, Usbu 4. He said he’d bring two pegasuses, and tools to repair Tloise’s.

The Federation doesn’t allow pegasuses on civilised planets. That’s why Tloise had gone to Dinc 27. But that reminded me – while Tloise and I were in the Zejets factory, a Carrington had come in for repairs.

Carringtons are Federation robots – like flying saucers about a metre across and ten centimetres deep. And that one was badly damaged. In the report, I noted:

The transporter door whined open. Out wobbled a buff-coloured Carrington, or what remained of one. He looked as if he’d come off worst in an argument with an axe. One side, about a quarter of his body, was broken off. A big V was missing from the other side, and the rest was chipped and battered.

He said, Howdy, miss, to me; Howdy, son, to Tloise; then, Howdy, sir, to the receptionist. I’m Doc, Luke’s sidekick from Dinc 27.

Later, Zej 1034 showed us how to repair that Carrington:

Zej 1034 said, Carrington, wake. Can you fly?

The Carrington answered, Yep. Sure can. He wobbled about a metre into the air, and spun slowly to survey us with his one remaining eye. He said, Howdy, son, to Zej 1034; Howdy again, miss, to me; and Howdy, Sunshine, to the glowering Tloise. Pleased to meet y’all. The words came from our wrist units: the Carrington must be transmitting to them.

Zej 1034 and I said, Hi.

"The name’s Doc, said the Carrington. Short for Doc Holliday. You from Sol 3, miss?"

"Yes."

"Then you musta heard o’ Doc Holliday."

"Er... no. I’m sorry."

"Don’t they teach you nothin’ in school? Never heard o’ the Wild West – the gunfight at the OK Corral? Well, Luke reckons Doc Holliday was the brains o’ the bunch there, and I’m the brains o’ our team. He’s right at that."

"Luke, I said. Is Luke your owner?"

"That’s rightly so, but he calls me his sidekick."

"What do you and Luke do?"

"We go seekin’ gold, miss. On Dinc 27. If you’re from Sol 3, you’ll know about gold rushes there."

I sensed a hint of anxiety from Zej 1034 as he said, I ought to start work on you, Doc.

After the repair, Zej 1034 asked Doc, How do you feel?

"Just fine, son. I’m in better shape than Luke now."

I asked, How did you get damaged?

I sensed Zej 1034’s anxiety again. Bea, you shouldn’t ask a Carrington about his owner’s business.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t know."

But Doc said, Luke won’t mind. I’ll tell you, miss. Two masked men snuck into our shack one night. They attacked Luke. Broke his leg. When I tried to help him, they used an axe on me.

I asked, Why did they do that?

"Next mornin’, we was aimin’ to leave on a trip to Oasis 60. I figured them men was tryin’ to stop us. But stories fly round Dinc 27. Luke reckoned they’d heard we had a stash o’ gold. So he’s laid up, an’ I come here for repair."

With an uneasy glance at Tloise, Zej 1034 asked, Everything working, Doc?

"Yep. Everything’s fine, son, mighty fine. Good as new."

Yes. There had been trouble on Dinc 27. I went to the terminal of the Federation computer. Victor, wake. Tell me about the conditions on Dinc 27.

The gravity and atmosphere of Dinc 27 will cause you no discomfort, but much of the planet is hot sandy desert with steep mountains. It was uninhabited until about two thousand days ago, when an explorer found gold in the mountains. A number of prospectors now live there.

Do you have a picture of it?

It came up on the screen – a vast desert with a steep, flat-topped mountain in the distance. But....

I asked, "Are those green streaks in the side of that mountain?

Yes. The mountain sides have gullies – wide clefts. At certain times of the year, rain falls on the mountains and seeps into the ground. It comes out as springs in those gullies, allowing plants to grow there.

What are the prospectors like?

The local commander, from the planet Usbu 4, reports that they are generally tough but honest.

One, called Luke, was beaten up. Did they find out who did it?

No. The local commander himself investigated. He concluded that the intruders were looking for gold. They were never found.

Thanks, Victor. Sleep.

Hmm. As a Troubleshooter, I’ve made enemies, so Obsidian has ordered me to carry a stun-gun at all times. I made sure its power pack was well charged, and put two spares in my backpack for the trip.

2

ZEJ 1034

On some planets, each family gives its eldest son the same name, and they distinguish them by adding a number. That’s why the full name of the friend I was going to meet was Zej 1034. Yes: he was the 1034th Zej in the family. We’d met his father, Zej 1033, during our visit to the factory.

I found Zej 1034 in the waiting room on Usbu 4, with two pegasuses and a kit trolley – a big metal box on wheels.

We held our hands together as if we were praying, then turned them forward to touch each others’ palms, giving his planet’s greeting, Vren, which means, friend.

He said, Good to meet you again, Bea.

I’m pleased to see you too, Zej 1034. I tried not to blush.