The Enemy of an Enemy

Chapter Five

It was time to call in some favors. There wasjust too much about this mission that could not be explained byusing the standard channels. I went to my office where I could workin private. “Computer, find me Karathlathornka.”

Suddenly a massive cat-like humanoid hologramappeared before me, one that would easily tower over any man.Karathlathornka was an old, but still quite vibrant-looking,Cathratinairian, an almost extinct species that lived on the edgesof society. Most of them avoided all contact with other species, asthey saw them as inferior and unworthy. This one though (I did notknow if it was a he or she or genderless) seemed to know just abouteverything that was happening anywhere in the known galaxy.Karathlathornka was completely fearless, and was the only one Ithought I could go to for this kind of information.

“I see the great and mighty Vydor has finallyrealized he needs help,” Karathlathornka said.

“Greetings, Karathlathornka. I take it thenyou already know what I plan to ask?”

“You have been assigned to a top position inthe Navy and are being sent on a suicide mission. It is easy toextrapolate from this that you need answers fast.”

I always did my best to keep a totallyexpressionless face, but revelations like that never made it easy.“Good, then you have already done the work and have thoseanswers?”

“Maybe. Why should I tell you?”

“Our normal agreement should hold here,unless you think that you no longer need it?” This caused him torecoil slightly, and I knew that was a bad sign. He really held allthe cards in these negotiations; he could have easily just claimedignorance or fed me bad information if I pushed too hard. Time toswitch tactics. “Look, I have no intention of breaking thatcontract, but you are of course right about the suicide missionand, if I am to continue our agreement, I need to survive.”

He seemed to think that one over a bit, as ifweighing the possibility of not having me around. I wondered if hehad found another way to get what he needed. He sighed, then said,“As you already know, I still need our agreement to stand, so sitback and I will tell you the tale of how you got where you aretoday…”

He produced information from extremelyclassified reports on the colony that we were approaching, many ofwhich I was not authorized to know the existence of, never mind toread. The wealth of information at Karathlathornka’s disposal wasalways nothing short of miraculous. I was thinking that one day Imust discover his sources.

When he had finished his report I said, “On amore personal note, be careful. It seems that people who getinvolved with this end up having ‘accidents.’”

“Vydor, do you honestly think I got thisinformation for you by being careful? I will be fine. You had bestbe concerned with your own hide.” And with that he ended thetransmission.

I thought back to our first meeting, howtimid and foolish I was, but darn lucky. I had been working in thefield as an apprentice when my instructor was assigned to anemergency meeting. A call had come in for him …

“This is Cadet Vydor, the lieutenant is outright now …” Just then I lost the power of speech when a massivecat-like creature appeared before me. His bright orange fur, spikedhead, and massive claws were far more impressive than anything Ihad to offer.

“Where is he?” the creature demanded.

“Well, um, he was called to a meeting …”

He responded with a bone-chilling roar, and Istruggled to remind myself that it was only a holographic displayand he could not harm me. “Maybe I can help you?”

“YOU? Help me? HA!” he said.

“Well, why not? I have full access to hiscomputer …” That got his attention.

“Full? Hmmm … perhaps you can help me, butthen I would owe you and it’s bad enough being indebted tohim.”

Interesting, I thought. This must be one ofthe lieutenant’s informants, and if so it would be a good thing tohave him owing me. I moved to the lieutenant’s computer and said,“Well, it is your call of course, but it seems to me you would notbe calling here unless you needed something, and I might very wellbe able to find it for you.”

“What string are you going to attach to it,human?”

“That is not a question I can really answerwithout knowing the value of what I am looking up, but let’s justsay that someday I may be in need of information and then you willsupply it.”

He seemed to ponder that a bit beforereplying, “All right, that seems fair. Call up the records on …”This started me on a wild run through the computer banks until Ifound the information he wanted, and at the same time I stumbled onthe agreement that he had with the lieutenant.

As he was getting ready to end the call Istopped him, saying, “Look, the day will come when he cannot makegood on your agreement. When that day comes, find me. I can make ithappen.” I was mostly bluffing, but I could not pass up thisopportunity for an informant.

To that he simply nodded and broke theconnection. It was years later before he contacted me and told methat the lieutenant had lost his ability to fulfill the agreementand was calling in my promise. I had no idea at the time of hisvalue as an informant. I thought I knew, but I was greatlyunderestimating him.

Back then at that chance introduction I couldnot have known how great a find he was. As I sat there ponderingthe information he had given me, it occurred to me that my careerso far had been one lucky chance after another, almost as ifsomeone was orchestrating a huge play in which I was a helplesspuppet.