Evolution

by R S Penney

  The Overseer fought him, of course, trying to take control of the neural networks, trying to shut him out. But there was one thing the alien hadn't counted on. This place was designed for humans!

  The Overseers who had designed it – the ones who saw potential in humanity – had put fail-safes into every system. One of their kind could not activate the Key's primary function without human participation. It was like one of those nuclear submarines where you had to turn both keys to launch the missiles.

  It seemed the Overseer renegades had planned for the possibility of their enemies gaining control of this place. There were overrides in every system designed to respond to a human mind. Harry triggered them.

  Every room and every tunnel was designed to take in sensory information. There were olfactory systems, pressure sensors, neural networks that responded to light. And through them all, he could sense his friends.

  He was aware of Anna gasping for breath in one room while Jack and Larani were both close to passing out on the other side of the facility. With a thought, he opened each of those chambers, allowing air to flow in.

  Anna gasped when something that felt very much like a strong wind hit her face, and suddenly her lungs were filling with air. The pressure in her chest seemed to lessen, but she still felt weak.

  Through tear-blurred vision, she saw Ben standing with his back turned next to the now open doorway. Had he managed to cut his way out? The wariness in his posture said that wasn't likely.

  Pressing a fist to her mouth, Anna winced and coughed. “What did you do?” she asked, struggling to get to her feet. It did no good; she was still too weak. “One of your usual tech miracles?”

  Ben stood with fists on his hips, his head tilted back to stare up at the ceiling. “It wasn't me,” he mumbled, taking a cautious step backward. “I don't know, An. I think we got very, very lucky.”

  She looked through the opening to find three men lying dead in the short corridor between this chamber and the main tunnel. Clearly, they had run out of air sooner. Which made sense given the small space they were trapped in. Whatever had tried to kill them was going after humans indiscriminately; it didn't seem to care which side they were on.

  Jack was stretched out on his side, barely conscious, and using what mental energy he had left to comfort Summer. The Nassai was amused by his efforts; she thought it was her job to care for him in these final moments. Well, she could just suck it up! If Jack was going to die, then he was going to go out doing some amount of-

  His vision was hazy, but he clearly saw the patch of skin that covered the doorway split apart to grant them access to the tunnel. Air came rushing into the room, and he took in a big gulp of it by instinct.

  Larani sat up next to him, pressing a hand to her forehead. “It doesn't make sense,” she murmured in a strained voice. “Why would the Overseer suddenly give up before it finished the job?”

  “Maybe you want to re-evaluate that atheism,” Jack panted.

  She glared at him.

  He rolled onto his back with hands folded over his chest, laughing triumphantly as he stared up at the ceiling. “Look at it this way,” he wheezed. “Our luck really isn't that good; fate kept us alive so we could go after Slade.”

  “Thank you,” Larani muttered. “Your cynicism is reassuring.”

  “Always happy to help.”

  The Overseer was focused on him now; Harry could feel its attention as it tried to reclaim control of the facility's environmental systems. It did no good, of course; he had blocked access to every single one of them, and in this place, a human mind trumped the will of an Overseer.

  He understood the alien's plan the instant it went into effect. Through the facility's sensor networks, he was able to sense the Overseer taking control of some of the organic tissue near his daughter and his girlfriend.

  The alien constructed itself a body, forming bone and muscle, skin and nerved in a matter of moment. The organic material that made up this place was incredibly versatile, able to restructure itself on a molecular level.

  Harry understood his enemy's intentions.

  If it couldn't kill his friends by turning the environment against them, it would settle for beating them to death with its own bare hands – or whatever appendages it decided to construct – and it would start with his daughter. No doubt, this was some attempt to make him leave the Nexus in a fit of paternal instinct, and it might even have worked if not for one little thing. Melissa was currently with the one person who could handle anything the universe threw at her.

  Jena.

  No, the best thing Harry could do was wait here and maintain control of the Nexus. His presence here wasn't necessary to prevent the Overseer from regaining control of the environmental systems – he knew that much – but he was no Justice Keeper, blessed with enhanced strength, speed and stamina. He was the one person who could use this place to its full potential, and this was where he could do the most-

  A figure stepped into the doorway behind him. He sensed it more through contact with the Nexus than he did through his own eyes and ears. In that instant, Harry became aware of a fatal mistake.

  He had wanted to spare the men that Slade had sent to kill him and his friends. No one deserved to suffocate. So, he had opened up every tunnel and chamber in this facility. Including the makeshift tunnel the Overseer had created for Grecken Slade.

  “Detective Carlson, I presume,” Slade purred. “You'll have to step aside now.”

  Jena watched the creature rise out of the floor with trepidation in her heart, flesh knitting together to form bone and muscle and sinew. It formed a man-like shape with a bald head and a featureless face. Two eye-sockets appeared, blazing with yellow fire.

  A pair of bony horns sprouted from its forehead to give the thing a truly demonic appearance. You begin to aggravate me, it said without words, striding through the tunnel toward them.

  Jena backed up with fists raised in a boxer's stance, ignoring the cold sweat on her face. “Yeah, well, I'm good at that,” she breathed out. “I gotta say, of all the bodies you could have chosen, this one is ugliest.”

  Melissa was sitting against the wall with her legs curled up under her, watching the creature with wide-eyes. Suddenly, the girl took control of herself. “Jena!” she screamed, drawing her pistol from its holster.

  She threw it.

  Jena caught the grip, feeling strangely empowered with a gun in her hand. Hissing, she drew her own pistol with the other and pointed both at the monster. “Here's the thing about Keepers,” she said. “We usually don't use firearms on each other because there's a good chance the bullets will be deflected, but you on the other hand…High Impact!”

  Both guns responded.

  She fired.

  A crater appeared in the creature's chest, thick crimson blood dripping from the wound. Doubling over, the monster braced one hand against the tunnel wall and let out a groan of pain.

  Just like that, the wound sealed itself shut, muscle tissue reforming into its proper shape as if no damage had been done. Witnessing that left Jena with anxiety so strong it felt as if her own chest would cave in.

  She winced and tossed her head about. “Or you could just do that,” she whispered, dropping the pistols. “Okay, big and ugly. Guess we're going to have to settle this one the old-fashioned way.”

  The hulking creature straightened, standing head and shoulders taller than her. Its fiery eyes were full of menace. You are nothing but insects, it said. A minor irritation and nothing more.

  The Overseer swiped at her in a back-hand strike.

  Jena ducked, allowing a meaty fist to pass over her. She delivered a pair of jabs to the stomach, then jumped to throw a hard punch that hit the creature's noseless face. That stunned it for a moment.

  Jena kicked, planting a foot in its belly.

  She pushed off, back-flipping through the air, landing in a handstand just a few feet away. “Okay,” she said, flipping upright. “If we're gonna get it on, then I wou
ld prefer to use toys. That good with you?”

  She drew her belt knife, holding the gleaming blade extended toward the alien. Of course, that did very little to discourage her opponent. The Overseer tilted its head to the side, watching her with curiosity.

  Jena slashed downward.

  The alien raised one thick forearm, intercepting the blow. Metal sliced into flesh, but it seemed to have no effect. A four-fingered fist slammed into Jena's face, blacking out her vision. Luckily, she was still able to sense her opponent. The creature spun.

  A back-kick to the chest sent Jena stumbling backward through the tunnel with a sharp gasp. “Not good, not good,” she gasped out. “So not good!” She charged at her opponent again.

  Dropping to her knees at the last second, she slashed the knife across its belly and spilled its guts onto the floor. Ignorant insect. The Overseer bent over in pain, clearly shaken by the wound.

  Jena brought the knife up to pierce the underside of its chin, driving the blade all the way to its skull. “Yeah,” she replied in a breathy whisper. “We're annoying that way.”

  Instead of dying like any decent life-form would do, it merely reached up with that ugly, misshapen fist, grabbed the handle of her knife and pulled it free with a squeal. It dropped the weapon to the floor.

  Then it came at her.

  Jena leaped, flipping over the alien's head. She uncurled to land behind it with a hard grunt. “Okay, let's see how you like this!” She jumped and brought her elbow up to strike the back of its skull.

  The creature stumbled.

  Jena spun around.

  She jumped and wrapped her legs around the creature's midsection, riding it piggy-back. With a growl, she pressed a forearm to the Overseer's throat, trying to cut off its air-supply. Then she remembered that it didn't have a mouth or a nose.

  With inhuman strength, the alien reached around behind itself and grabbed the back of Jena's shirt. It pulled her off and tossed her to the tunnel floor. She landed on all-fours, groaning.

  The back of a heel slammed into her nose, and then everything went dark, The pain was so intense! For a moment, she wondered if her skull had caved in, but she could still feel her Nassai working to heal the wounds. That meant she was still alive. That meant she was still in the game.

  Jena rolled onto her back.

  When her vision cleared, she saw the bottom of a misshapen foot hovering just a few inches above her nose. The creature tried to step on her.

  Jena's hands shot up, seizing the thing's ankle and holding it steady with Keeper strength. Sweet Mercy, this alien was strong! Her arms ached from the strain, and worst of all, she was losing this conflict.

  “Hey!” Melissa called out. “Ass-butt!”

  The Overseer looked over its shoulder.

  Jena heard the distinct BUZZ of gunfire from a Leyrian weapon, and then the alien stumbled as something pierced its skull, sending bits of gore spattering against the tunnel wall. Jena pushed the meaty leg away.

  The Overseer fell over backward, landing hard on the floor just behind her. The fact that it didn't kick or thrash told her that this fight was over. Of course, she really couldn't understand why a bullet to the brain would work when a knife through the skull had done nothing, but Jena wasn't one to be picky about-

  The creature's body melted, sinking back into the floor, bony horns disintegrating into a pile of goop that quickly merged with the material that made up the tunnel's floor and walls and ceiling. Something told her this wasn't good.

  Further up the tunnel, something stepped out of the wall, organic tissue reforming into a vaguely-human shaped creature with horns that sprouted from its head. It turned its yellow-eyed gaze upon her.

  “Oh, fuck me!” Jena shouted.

  Harry spun around, putting his back to the pillar and thrusting his hand out to point the N'Jal at Slade. A force-field of rippling energy appeared before him, transforming the other man into a hazy, black-clad figure. “Stay back.”

  Slade glided into the room with one hand in his pocket. “Honestly, Detective,” he said. “You expect to stop me with that.”

  Closing his eyes, Harry took a deep soothing breath. “You'd be surprised,” he said, backing up until his hip touched the pillar. “I brought down one of your freaks with the twisted symbionts.”

  The other man was pacing a circle around the perimeter of the room, pausing on Harry's left to cast a glance over his shoulder. “An amateur,” Slade replied. “Arin wasn't yet fully acquainted with his powers.”

  Harry spun to face him.

  Grecken Slade stood there with hands clasped behind his back, a predatory grin on his face. “You're no match for me,” he said, stepping forward. “Relinquish control of the Nexus, and I will allow you and your daughter to live.”

  “Like hell.”

  Slapping one hand down upon the pillar, Harry took control of the room's systems. It was a simple matter to stimulate the organic tissue that made up the floor and cause it to grow, wrapping bands around Slade's feet, trapping him.

  The other man tried to move forward and stumbled, nearly falling flat on his face. “Impressive,” he said, regaining his balance. “You truly have mastered the gift the Fallen Ones bestowed upon you.”

  Harry pointed the N'Jal at his enemy, creating a force-field that made the air before him shimmer like heat rising off lack pavement. With a single thought, he sent the wall of electromagnetic energy flying toward Slade.

  The force-field hit the cavern wall and fizzled out.

  Harry felt his eyes widen. With Slade's feet anchored to the floor, a field traveling that fast should have ripped the man in half and left a bloody mess all over the place, but there was no body, only a pair of scars where the bands holding Slade's feet had been.

  In fact, Slade stood a few paces to the right of where he had been, pressing a fist to his mouth. “Heh-hem,” he said. “Honestly, Harry, you didn't really think it would be that easy, did you?”

  Harry loosed another force-field.

  The other man jumped, somersaulting over the shimmering wall of energy and then uncurling to drop to the ground. He landed in a crouch, then stood up slowly. “Sadly, this is becoming tedious,” Slade said. “You might notice I haven't counterattacked. I've got no quarrel with you, Harry.”

  Clenching his teeth, Harry looked down at the floor. “No, of course not,” he said, rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand. “You just wanna take control of this thing so you can use it as a weapon of mass destruction.”

  “Is that what you think?”

  “It's what I know.”

  Crossing his arms with a heavy sigh, Slade marched forward with his eyes closed. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “I wish to fulfill the Inzari's purpose, to bring their plans for our species to fruition.”

  “And if we don't want that?”

  “No one resists the will of God, Harry.” In one smooth motion, Slade drew a pistol from the holster on his belt and pointed it at Harry's face. The LEDs on the barrel turned white, indicating EMP rounds. “Your force-fields won't protect you from this. You lack a Keeper's ability to deflect incoming fire, and you certainly aren't fast enough to dodge.”

  All true, though it pained Harry to admit it.

  “I am offering you a choice,” Slade went on. “Die here defending the Nexus or run to your daughter and do what little you can to help her. If you go now, I will let you both live. Otherwise, I'll kill you here, turn control of the environmental systems back over to the Inzari and let Melissa suffocate.”

  Really, there was no choice at all.

  Harry ran from the room.

  Out in the tunnel, he found a massive horned creature standing with its back turned while Jena launched herself at it. She flew like a wild-woman toward the beast, punching it in the face as she drew near.

  The Overseer stumbled backward.

  Unfortunately, Jena didn't understand the nature of this conflict. It was clear by the way she fought that she saw this creature
as a single discreet enemy. Knock it senseless, and the Overseer would be out of commission.

  No, the Overseer's consciousness existed within the neural networks that permeated this entire facility. This hulking monstrosity was just an automaton, a pawn to keep them busy while Slade activated the Key's primary function.

  Slade was the real enemy, but Harry couldn't take him out by himself. He needed the others, and that meant he had to put down the Overseer's pet demon. Thankfully, that was easier than it looked.

  The horned beast readied itself for a counter-attack.

  Harry rushed forward, pressing his palm to the creature's back, allowing the N'Jal's neural fibers to bond with the alien's nervous system. And just like that, he had control of the monster.

  He flooded the creature's nervous system with pain signals, drowning out anything it might receive from its master. Its limbs flailed about wildly, and its head jerked from side to side, but Harry kept pushing. Just a little longer…

  This thing did have a heart and a respiratory system where oxygen was taken in via discreet gills on its neck. Harry stopped them all. The creature spasmed. Then its corpse fell to the floor.

  When he looked up, Jena was standing before him with her mouth agape, blinking in confusion. “Well, that works,” she said with a shrug. “Now come on; we need to get control of the Nexus before-”

  Harry shut his eyes and shook his head. “Slade already has control of the Nexus,” he choked out. “And whatever he's going to do, its big. This place…I only got the vaguest sense of its true purpose.”

  “What can you tell me?”

  “I know it connects to other Overseer installations through the SlipGate network,” he said. “Hundreds of them across the galaxy. There's no telling how many. If this thing is a weapon, we could be looking at the end of the human race.”

  Baring her teeth with a hiss, Jena looked down at herself. Her face went red, but she took control of her emotions. “All right,” she murmured. “Then it's up to the three of us. How do we stop it?”