Trouble on Didia (Troubleshooters 26)

By Dr E J Yeaman

Hi. I’m Tony. Bea (my girl cousin) and I are agents – Troubleshooters – of the Galactic Federation. This mission started when the President of a planet called Didia came to meet the Federation leaders. He was threatening to block an important travel route which went through his planet. When a girl called Thirti ambushed him, we stopped her. He was going to punish her by giving her a cruel death. Since we saved his life, we were the only aliens he would allow on Didia.
Could we persuade him not to close the travel route?
Could we persuade him to spare Thirti?
We thought it’d be a difficult trip, but not a dangerous one.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr E J Yeaman
• Release date: Mar 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310159046

Dr E J Yeaman

I retired (early) and started a new career as a writer. I wrote short stories and articles. Some were published; some won prizes; some sank without trace.Having heard my stories, two friends suggested I should write for children. I’d never thought of that, although I’d spent my first career communicating with young people – as a Chemistry teacher, and running clubs for badminton, chess, table tennis and hillwalking.I tried writing for young people – and I loved it. It became my main occupation. I sent samples to publishers. One asked to see a complete story. In excitement, I sent it off. Then nothing. After four months, I rang, and was told the manuscript was being considered: I would be notified. Then more nothing. Now, after eight years, I no longer rush to the door when the letter box rattles.But I kept writing the stories because I enjoyed it so much. Until, in late 2013, I learned I could publish my stories and games as e-books. Since then, I’ve been polishing and issuing some of them. I hope everyone enjoys reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.Check out the series:C: Charades – party game – a new twist to the traditional game.D: Diagags – party game – gags written as plays for two people.M: My Story – novels – classical stories, told by the heroes.O: One-Offs – party game – guess the titles, not quite the classical ones.P: Pop Tales – short stories – inspired by 60s and 70s hit songs.Q: Quote-Outs – word games – can you deduce the missing words?S: Inside Story – novels – a boy’s adventures inside classical stories.T: Troubleshooters – novels – space adventures for young people.

Book preview

TROUBLESHOOTERS 26

TROUBLE

ON

DIDIA

Published by EJY at Smashwords

Copyright 2017 Dr E J Yeaman

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

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be resold, or given away, to other people. If you would like to share this e-book with other people, please buy additional copies. If you did not buy this e-book, or it was not bought for you, then please go to Smashwords.com and buy your own copy. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

CONTENTS

1. NOT NICE!

2. THIRTI.

3. I’LL GO IF YOU WANT.

4. TO QUESTION HER.

5. MY STORY.

6. WHAT AM I PLANNING?

7. UNLOCK. OPEN.

8. TAKE CARE, TONY.

9. DO YOU LIKE DIDIA?

10. 6/10 STUFF.

11. THE MAW.

12. SLEEP WELL.

13. I NEED A ROPE.

14. I FOLLOWED HIM.

15. THREE PLANS.

16. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

17. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

18. HOW DID IT GO?

19. NOTI.

20. GRAMP!

21. COME, BEA.

22. GOODBYE, TRUMAN.

23. STRING AND CLOTH.

24. UP, UP AND UP.

25. ONTO THE TABLE.

26. WHAT COULD THEY DO?

27. I MUST TRY.

28. MIND TO MIND....

TROUBLESHOOTERS

INSIDE STORY

TROUBLE ON DIDIA

1

NOT NICE!

As the Bean and I turned into the corridor outside Obsidian’s office, she checked her wrist unit. We’re early, Tony. Let’s wait here for a moment.

I leaned against the wall. What job did you want?

I’d like to be an Investigator, but ….

No, Bean!

It’s the most interesting job, and perhaps Wellington doesn’t give all the Investigators’ missions.

Well, I bet he’d give ours, and he’d make sure they were the dullest ones.

No, Tony. Wellington would be fair….

Fair! He doesn’t know the meaning of the word. Wellington’s a big-headed, big-mouthed….

I stopped because somebody came round the corner into the corridor. Wellington! A chill hit my heart. He didn’t speak but glared down at me as he passed.

After Obsidian’s door had shut behind him, the Bean said, Do you think he heard?

He heard. D’you see the way he looked at me? Well, I’m not taking any bullying from him. I started along the corridor.

The Bean and I had just finished our training as agents of the Galactic Federation. The other people in our class had been allowed to choose their careers, but Obsidian, the big boss of this sector, had ordered the Bean and me to report to him.

Outside his door, the Bean held my arm. Tony! Please keep calm.

Yeah! I took a deep breath. Open.

The door slid aside. Obsidian’s office has a U of seats facing the terminal of Victor, the Federation computer. Obsidian was in his command chair, the bottom of the U.

Wellington was on the settee at his right. Beside him was Martin, an Investigator we’d met on our last training mission. A white bandage peeked from the cuff of his uniform at the wrist where he’d been shot.

Obsidian smiled. Bea, Tony, thank you for coming. Please take a seat. We had to sit on the settee at his left, in the full blast of Wellington’s glare.

Obsidian said, Martin asked me to call this meeting, so I’ll leave him to explain.

Martin began, We haven’t much time, so I’ll make it brief. I suggest that we start a new team of agents to tackle difficult problems on Federation planets.

Wellington turned the glare on him. We do not need any new team. Investigators and Negotiators solve problems on Federation planets.

Not all of them, said Martin. Ask Victor. The others, I think, might be solved by a single team, working on their own.

Obsidian nodded, looking thoughtful, while my heart jumped in hope.

Martin went on, I watched Bea and Tony in action on their last mission, and I’ve checked their reports. They would be ideal members for the new team. He asked us, Would you be interested in a job like that?

You bet! I said. Seeing lots of different planets. What a job!

Wellington bawled, No! It would be foolish to send that boy to a planet that has problems. He is more likely to make them worse. He will never be a good agent.

The Bean squeezed my arm. I held my fists at my sides, trying to keep quiet.

Martin said, Tony doesn’t always do what we would expect, but he has succeeded in some difficult missions. If he gets results, why should we condemn him?

Wellington boomed, "I condemn him. I would not trust him on any important mission."

That’s not fair! I sat forward and shouted at him, You don’t like me. Just ’cause I proved you were wrong on….

Tony, no! The Bean jerked my arm – making me slide off the front of the settee. As I bumped on the floor, the three men stared down at me – Obsidian and Martin serious, Wellington angry.

I picked myself up, red-faced. I… I’m sorry. I do my best.

Martin said, I’m sure you do. Bea, you’ve worked with Tony. What do you think?

The Bean went red. I think… I think Tony would be good for the team you suggested. It was his initiative that brought the successes we’ve had.

No. I had to speak. It was your brains. I wasn’t being modest: I was being honest.

Exactly, said Wellington. The girl is intelligent. She must not waste her talents in some silly, useless team, especially with that boy. She should be an Investigator.

Martin said, Bea wouldn’t be wasting her talents. Neither would Tony. They would be combining them in the new team. We have trouble at present with Didia. That’s the kind of job they might be asked to tackle.

No! Wellington shook his head. Never!

Obsidian said, We may yet solve the Didia problem. I’m sorry, Martin. I like your idea, but it’s a big decision, to start a new team of agents. He glanced at his wrist unit. Thank you all for attending this meeting. Bea and Tony, may I ask you to leave now? The leader of Didia is due here soon. His visit is important, and we must be ready to welcome him.

As we went along the corridor, the Bean said, I’m sorry, Tony. I didn’t mean to knock you off the seat.

No problems, Bean. You probably saved me from opening my mouth too wide. That would’ve been a sky-high job. Martin might’ve persuaded Obsidian, but Wellington stopped it.

Yes. Wellington’s not a nice person.

Not nice! I said. He’s a….

We stopped as a bunch of men came marching along the corridor towards us. A single one, then two pairs, then another single and another two pairs. The second single wore a white uniform with black buttons. The others had black uniforms with white buttons. Nerve-guns hung at their waists.

That corridor, in Federation headquarters on the planet Yband 4, was the same as every other corridor in the Federation – grey walls and floor; glowing ceiling. Wide enough for two people, side by side.

I would’ve stood there, refusing to give way – and probably been flattened against the wall. But the Bean dragged me into a side corridor – where I sensed a mind that was tense with excitement. That’s why the Federation likes young people from Earth as agents: we can sense the feelings of people of other planets. This mind belonged to a girl who looked about the same age as me. Like the men, she was the colour of milky coffee, but she was wearing a brown sleeveless tunic. She hadn’t noticed us because she was concentrating on the men passing the end of the corridor.

She was lining up a weird gadget with springs and wires. I frowned at it, wondering what it was. Until I realised – it was a crossbow, and she was about to fire it.

2

THIRTI.

As the girl aimed her weapon, I threw myself at her, pushing up her arm. Something went ‘Whang!’ beside my face. As we fell in a heap on the floor, a clang and a shout of alarm came from the other corridor.

In a moment, the men surrounded us. Two of them hauled me to my feet, one holding each arm. Angrily, I tried to shake them off, but that made them hold me tighter.

Another two had caught the girl. She struggled violently for a while then relaxed, glowering at everybody.

The men’s leader – the one in the white uniform – called an order to the ones who were holding me. They twisted my left arm so my wrist unit was near my face.

The leader glared at me and shouted into his wrist unit. The translation came through mine. You will tell me what happened.

Tell these gorillas to let go of me!

You will answer my questions. You will tell me what you did.

I struggled in helpless anger. I’m an agent. Let me go!

You will tell me – or you will suffer. He called an order. The big, black-uniformed man – the one who’d been marching at the front – took his nerve-gun off its clip.

I called, You dare use that on me!

The one in white said, No one defies the Diara Didia. Teach him!

The big man gave a nasty grin and aimed the nerve-gun at my face. Then he swung it down and pulled the trigger. A blast of pain hit my feet, and surged up my body. It made me gasp, and I would’ve fallen if the men hadn’t been holding me.

What are you doing? Obsidian, with Martin and Wellington – and the Bean, who’d run to bring them. As the soldiers turned to face them, the big one slipped his nerve-gun on its clip.

Obsidian said to the leader, Sir, your men are holding a Federation agent. Would you ask them to release him?

The leader shouted, Someone tried to kill me. I demand to know what happened.

We all want to know what happened, but let’s find out in a peaceful manner. You cannot suggest that the agent tried to kill you. Ask your men to release him.

Not the other child.

Our agents will deal with the girl. Martin, would you arrange that? Martin nodded and hurried away.

Obsidian looked steadily at the leader, who growled an order. His men let me go. I staggered: my feet were still sore although the pain was fading.

Thank you, said Obsidian. Now, Tony, would you tell us what happened?

I flexed my arms and straightened my uniform. We came into this corridor to let these… these men go past. The girl was going to shoot their leader, so I stopped her. How did they thank me? These big apes held me, and wouldn’t let me go. Then that one used a nerve-gun on me.

Obsidian said, Please calm down, Tony. Remember: these men were alarmed. Someone tried to kill their leader.

That’s no reason for using a nerve-gun on an agent. I want an apology.

They couldn’t take risks, Tony. His voice became sharper as he went on, Please let me deal with it.

The Bean squeezed my arm and whispered, Tony, you’ll get yourself in trouble.

She was right,