Koban: The Mark of Koban by Stephen W Bennett Read Free Book Online

to call Brad Carson, I gotta go.” He
disconnected.
    There had been discussions in the past about what they might
do if a robbery in-force was attempted. Hiding their people in the “Pipe” mine
was an option they had considered. It was the closest ancient volcanic tube
mine to the town, and had several sets of big elevators that could hold fifty
people each, and a wide gentle spiral ramp for moving heavy equipment up and
down the nearly mile deep hole. At least ten or twelve people abreast could
safely trot down that broad ramp to get out of sight quickly. Numerous
exploratory side tunnels, cut at various points, were suitable for hiding.
    Brad was the so-called Chief of Police, slash City Manager,
in their small community, in charge of the five men and one-woman force of
“peace keepers.”
    Sanji was pleased to see his other office line was ringing even
as he finished with the Ag Center. It was Brad. As he picked up, he could hear
the wail of the alarm in the background. He explained the situation to Brad,
only this time he included the details of sixteen almost simultaneous landings,
the call from the Capitol City police, and his own direct observation.
    “Brad, these things came out of their ship firing, both here
and at Capitol City, and probably everywhere. They never intended to try to talk
to us, and there’s no way you can face them with Jazzers and batons. Everyone
will be awake by now, so make a broadcast on all channels of the Tri-Vid
network, just tell them it’s murderous diamond raiders, and to hurry to the
Pipe mine, no delay and take absolutely nothing . They don’t have the
time. No one will believe you if you say something ridiculous like space aliens
are shooting at us. I sure as hell wouldn’t.”
    “OK, Sir. Should I send someone out to help you get the
family out?”
    “Brad, I’m in the office, I’m right in the heart of the
family compound. The alarm will have them awake and they’ll hear your
broadcast. We have plenty of cars here so we can make our own way to the Pipe.
I’ll see you there. Good luck.”
    “You too sir.”
    In reality, most of his family didn’t live on Gribble’s
Nook, but all branches had homes here, for when they had to put in their time
learning and running the family business. Sanji spent the most time here, and
was still off planet five months out of the thirteen-month Nook year.
    He talked to the three family households presently here, his
younger sister Nita and her family, a first cousin Janice and her family, and a
matriarch old aunt, Mary and her contract consort of this year; it was eleven
people in all. Now he had only himself to save. Despite the offers his money
drew, he had yet to ‘sign the line’ on a contract for even a short-term
marriage, and had no children. The business was his wife for now.
     
    ****
     
    Grodol wasn’t happy. His status wasn’t high enough to earn a
landing at one of the larger enemy compounds. He was fortunate just to have won
command of a Clanship, and Telour had chosen him at random from a pool of
sixty-four eligible warriors having equal status.
    There had been no humans at the landing pad, though warriors
reported fresh scent of what they believed was one at a nearby building. None
of his novices had ever been to Koban and had never seen or smelled a human.
The trail of this one ended underground, at a massive hard metal door, which
their explosive and armor piercing rounds merely discolored and chipped.
    After wasting thousands of rounds of ammunition putting
holes in two small light space craft, and one very tough ship that only dented,
the novices raced towards an infrared glow of a warm bubble, perhaps five
hundred leaps away on this light gravity world.
    The covering proved to be an inflated, lightly pressurized
dome that housed unfamiliar plants and animals that must be food for humans.
There was a smell of recently present humans again, perhaps six of them. This
time they were luckier, they saw two probable