Trouble on Mimmi 16 (Troubleshooters 38)

By Dr E J Yeaman

Hi. I’m Tony. Bea (my girl cousin) and I are agents – Troubleshooters – of the Galactic Federation. Mistaking me for another boy, a gang of crooks took me to the planet Mimmi 16 to swindle the natives by pretending to be a god. That put me in double trouble – if either the crooks or the natives found out who I really was.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr E J Yeaman
• Release date: Oct 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370317134

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 38

TROUBLE

ON

MIMMI 16

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. HI! SNAP!

2. YOU’RE GONNA BE A GOD.

3. GREETINGS, MY PEOPLE.

4. GREETINGS, MY PEOPLE.

5. WHO’S OUR LEADER?

6. FIGHT THE PYEB FATHER.

7. HERE’S YOUR CHOICE.

8. GIFTS TO MIMMI.

9. DON’T ACT INNOCENT.

10. THAT’S A GREAT PLAN.

11. OPEN.

12. AN ORDINARY BOY.

13. NOT AGAIN!

14. I CAN HELP YOU.

15. NOT YOU?

16. LET’S CALL HER WIGGY.

17. WE’LL QUESTION THEM.

18. MY NAME IS OZWIN.

19. SHE WILL BE SAFE HERE.

20. I’M JUJUN.

21. GOOD LUCK, TONY.

22. WHO IS THIS CHILD?

23. THE GONG RANG AGAIN.

24. AN INTERESTING IDEA.

25. WE SHALL TRY THAT.

26. MUST WE SURRENDER?

27. LET HIM COME WITH US.

TROUBLESHOOTERS

INSIDE STORY

TROUBLE ON MIMMI 16

1

HI! SNAP!

It was partly the Bean’s fault. On planets of the Galactic Federation, the usual casual gear is like an Earth tracksuit. A lot of people wear grey ones, and some have blue, but I said I fancied a green one. That’s what the Bean gave me for my birthday – but it wasn’t plain dark green like I meant, but light green with dark green bands at the waist, neck, wrists and ankles. It looked girlish – a dire gift from somebody as brainy as the Bean.

What could I do? Seeing her beaming as I unwrapped it, I had to thank her and pretend I liked it. And, ’cause she’d given it to me, I had to wear it.

The rest was my fault. I was due to meet her at the office of Martin, our leader, on the planet Yband 4. But I was half an hour early, and I thought I’d have a look at the new doorway to the spaceport on Abble 3.

I used transporters – like lifts – to hop through three planets to the Abble 3 communication centre, which was busier than I expected, with people of all shapes, sizes and colours rushing around.

It had two doorways, a bit wider than ordinary doors. The one for coming in was quiet, but a short queue was waiting to use the one for going out.

I said to an old guy behind me, I didn’t expect to have to wait.

"The Poseidon Explorer is in. It leaves shortly."

"The Poseidon Explorer?"

A cruise ship.

Thanks. Maybe I could nip out the other doorway. It’s quiet.

No, young man. You might cause an accident with people coming in.

Yeah. I didn’t want to fall out with him but I reckoned it would’ve been safe. Nobody was coming in, and I could kind-of see through the doorway – like looking through swirling water.

I’d wanted to try the doorway ’cause it was the first one to use gravitational forces. It was a weird feeling: like squeezing between soft, invisible rubber rollers.

Outside, there was nothing special to see. The Abble 3 spaceport was busy, with lots of ships – black boxes – sitting on the landing places of white gravel. Most of the queue was heading for the Poseidon Explorer, like a black tower, over to the left.

As I went to the in door, a boy came running across the spaceport towards me. He looked about 13, the same age as me, with a thin, scowling face – and the same girly green gear as me.

I waved to him. Hi! Snap!

He barged past me. Get out of my way!

Hey! I grabbed his arm and hauled him back. What d’you think you’re doing?

You… you bogdog! He aimed a punch at me. I jumped away, but caught my heel on a stone, staggered and fell back.

As I sat up quickly, frightened he’d jump on me, he fell beside me, groaning and holding his head.

I scrambled to my feet, ready to face him, but he sat up, one hand to his head. That bogdog woman! He pointed towards the back of a woman, hurrying across the spaceport towards the Poseidon Explorer. She barged out the in door and knocked me down.

I tried not to laugh. The poor boy would have no chance against her. If it wouldn’t be polite to call her fat, I’ll say there was a lot of her, in a Federation Administrator’s uniform – like a grey tracksuit with purple bands round the chest and cuffs.

The boy tried to stand, but fell back. The… the rotten bogdog! My head! My knee! Help me up. He tried to get to his feet, holding the damaged parts, but fell with a cry of pain. I’m late… late for a meeting. I must…. He tried again to stand, but fell back. The… the rotten…. He collapsed, unconscious.

The old guy from the queue put a stun-gun away, knelt beside the boy and told me, He ought to go to hospital. Go inside and arrange it.

I’ll do that. I started for the door.

"Quickly. I’m due to catch the Poseidon Explorer."

I’ll be as fast as I can. I pushed through the doorway.

I threaded through the crowded waiting room to the terminal of Victor, the Federation computer. But, before I could call the hospital, a man took my arm. He put a wrist unit to his mouth and spoke.

I lifted my own wrist unit to hear the translation. You’re late.

2

YOU’RE GONNA BE A GOD.

The guy wasn’t much taller than me, with grey gear and a face like a sly rat. And he was crooked. His mind signal was weak, but I couldn’t mistake it. That’s one of the reasons why the Federation likes young people from Earth as agents: we can sense the feelings of people from other planets.

I used my wrist unit. I’m sorry. There was an accident at the doorway. He must be mistaking me for the other boy. By playing along with him, I might find out what he was planning.

Come. He took me across the waiting room, and out through the new doorway, muttering angrily when we’d to wait in the queue. That gave me time to worry what he would do when he saw the other boy outside, but a few people were still hanging round the old man and the boy, and the guy was too impatient to look.

He swung right, to the edge of the spaceport, to an ordinary ship – about the size of a cottage. It had a big yellow painting of a sun beside its Federation number – which I memorised. 443114.

I was wondering what I’d let myself in for. I’d done it without thinking, and I couldn’t back out now. If this guy was doing something honest, I was wasting my time, but that was my fault. If he was planning something crooked, I should try to find out.

The ship was scratched and worn – an old trader maybe – but the sun was freshly painted. We went inside, and through the entrance hall to the control room with its U of seats facing Victor’s terminal. The guy sat in the command chair, the bottom of the U, and ordered the ship to take off. I felt the twist in my guts as we hopped into the fourth dimension for the flight.

The guy used his wrist unit. Sit. I sat on the edge of the settee at his left. I didn’t speak in case I’d give myself away.

He asked me, Don’t you want to know where you’re going?

I thought you’d tell me what I need to know.

I like that. Keep it up. We’re headed for a planet called Mimmi 16. (It sounded somewhere between Mimmy and Mimmee.)

Is it in the Federation? If it was, it would have a terminal of Victor. That might give me a chance to make a quick report, or at least tell Martin where I was. But it might let the other boy contact this guy.

No. Why d’you ask?

I wondered. I mean… I mean… if… if… because of what we’re doing.

Relax. You needn’t worry about Federation agents. You have a noble future. You’re gonna be a god.

A god? I didn’t have to pretend to be surprised.

Yeah. You’re gonna visit a tribe that worships the sun, Mimmi.

The sun. Is that why you’ve got a sun painted on your ship?

Yeah. They have a legend that the Son of the Sun will visit them in the form of a boy. That’s you. The Son of Mimmi. You better get used to it. That’s what I’m gonna call you now.

What should I call you?

He stared at me for so long I wondered if I’d given myself away by asking. At last, he said, Weren’t you warned that names wouldn’t be used in this job?

I… I’m sorry. I thought: if I’m going to help you, I don’t want to call you, ‘Hey you’.

He frowned. OK. You can call me 29.

29?

Yeah. That’s my code number. What’s the matter?

Nothing. I was surprised. Are you sure those people on Mimmi 16 will believe I’m a god?

They’ll believe it, Son. Another agent has made himself their chief – their Luax Father.

Their what?

Their Luax Father. We’re going to the town of Luax and, on that planet, the chief of a tribe is known as its Father. That makes him a big noise, but not as big as you. When you appear in that town, those people are really gonna bow down and worship you.

Why? Why d’you want me to pretend to be the... the Son of Mimmi?

"Forget the ‘pretend.’ You gotta be the Son of Mimmi. Before we land, I’ll tell you exactly what you gotta do. In the meantime, swallow that." He gave me a white pill with 91 in Federation numbers on it.

I asked, Why? although I knew the general idea.

It’ll change the colour of your skin. Make you a fancier god.

What colour will I be?

You’ll find out.

I don’t like the sound of that. How long does it take to work?

You’ll be ready in time for your opening performance.

When’s that?

We land in Luax at 73.6%. Report to the entrance hall at 70%. Come here. He led me through to the accommodation corridor and stopped outside a door. This is your cabin. You can do what you like during the flight as long as you keep outa my way. Get me?

Yeah. If you say so. Open. The cabin door slid aside. He watched me as I went in and ordered the door to close.

I checked my wrist unit. About 45%. That gave me 25% - a bit more than six hours: one Earth hour is about 4% in Federation time.

I asked Victor about Mimmi 16 but, since it wasn’t in the Federation, he only had the basic data. Although it was about two thirds of the size of the Earth, the gravity was about the same. Its air was breathable. The people were human-like. Most of them lived on a big island near the equator. About two years ago, a Federation Contact Team had visited a tribe on the planet and learned the language. But, when an Assessment Team arrived to discuss the planet joining, that tribe was at war with another one, so the Assessment Team left immediately.

Watching for 29, but pretending I wasn’t, I strolled across the entrance hall to the ship’s store. I was surprised – and pleased – to find it