by Dean M. Cole
Vaughn had his pistol out and aimed at the lens before he’d known he was moving.
No light came.
The receding skin divided into triangular-shaped sections and retracted like a giant camera shutter opening in slow motion. The pie-shaped pieces silently slid out of view, leaving the emitter and its mounting hardware protruding from the center of the opening.
Monique stopped backing up and leaned toward the Tater. “What on earth …? What is that doing in there?”
Confused, Vaughn looked from her to the emitter. Narrowing his eyes, he focused on the thing’s mounting hardware and the wires and connections feeding into it. He holstered his pistol and looked back at Monique. “Wh-What?”
She slowly shook her head and pointed into the guts of the thing. “That should not be there.”
“Lieutenant Gheist, what are you talking about?” Vaughn said with mounting frustration.
Monique leaned in closer and probed the area with a finger. “The mount, the connectors, the hardware, none of it should be in this thing.”
“Oh my God,” Rourke said, suddenly looking as mystified as Monique. He bent over and stared into the belly of the Tater. “Is that One Eighty-Eight hardware?”
Lieutenant Gheist nodded, her head bobbing up and down rapidly. “Yes. Yes, it is.”
Rourke looked at her. “That’s not possible.”
Vaughn and the rest of the men leaned over the Tater, trying to see what they were talking about.
He and Mark exchanged a confused glance. Then Vaughn placed a firm hand on Doctor Geller’s shoulder. “What’s wrong with that hardware? Why shouldn’t it be here?”
Dragging their eyes from the interstices of the machine, Rourke and Monique stared up at him. They looked as confused as he felt.
Lieutenant Gheist pointed at the hardware and connectors at the base of the emitter. “This is a MIL-Standard One-Eighty-Eight interface.”
“MIL-Standard?” Teddy said, confusion crowding his face. “As in Military Standard?”
Rourke nodded slowly. “Yes, it’s United States Military Standard hardware.”
Chapter 29
Rourke watched as Lieutenant Gheist directed BOb. Using tools built into its appendages and moving quickly, the robot soon had the emitter and its hardware removed from the belly of the Tater.
Monique had been correct. The design of the connectors and the mounts were straight out of United States technical bulletins and design criteria. He’d become intimately familiar with the hardware when he was assigned to work on the James Webb Space Telescope at Johnson Space Center in Houston. MIL-Standard One-Eighty-Eight-compliant hardware, firmware, and software were utilized throughout the space-based telescope.
Now that they were digging into the thing, they discovered that, in spite of the mount’s US mil-spec design, it had been manufactured using alien technology. The thing definitely followed the parameters set out by the standardization regulations. However, it appeared the Necks had constructed it via some type of advanced 3D printing.
Lording over them, Vaughn breathed heavily. He glanced down the tunnel and then back at them. “So you’re saying the Necks likely built this?”
Monique nodded. “It appears so.”
“Then why is it US mil-spec?”
The woman held up the piece and studied it intently. “I have no idea, Captain.” She sounded distracted as she continued to stare into the emitter’s connector. “I wonder …”
Looking up, she waved the robot over. “BOb, please remove the transmitter assembly from the end of the Mark Twenty-Eight EMP cannon.”
The bot nodded and wordlessly complied.
Looking like a robotic version of Edward Scissorhands, BOb extended tools from the tips of multiple fingers and began to probe the end of the large, electronic gun.
A moment later, the robot extracted the business end of the EMP cannon and set it aside. Then it regarded Lieutenant Gheist expectantly.
She held out the emitter. A short cable hung beneath its mounting hardware, swaying like severed entrails.
After retracting the tools back into its fingers, BOb took the device.
Monique pointed to the open socket on the end of the EMP cannon. “BOb, please attach the hardware and connect the cable.”
“Yes, Lieutenant.”
Using only its fingers, the robot snapped the device into place. Then it plugged the cable into the exposed harness on the end of the gun’s chassis. BOb gently twisted the connector’s outer sleeve.
Rourke heard it click home as the plug mated perfectly with the device.
Captain Singleton blinked. “I’ll be a son of a bitch …” He looked at Monique. “It fits perfectly.”
She nodded. “It is a standard interface, designed for interconnectivity.”
Bill Peterson slowly shook his head. “Then what the hell is it doing in an alien vessel?”
Monique mirrored his gesture. “I have no idea.” Pausing, she looked at the robot. “BOb, run a BIT on the device.”
The robot nodded. “Built-In-Test complete. Device is One-Eighty-Eight dash Two-Twelve-compliant.”
Confusion twisted Vaughn’s face as he glanced from the naval lieutenant to the robot.
Monique ignored him and addressed BOb. “Two-Twelve? TADIL B?”
“Affirmative, Lieutenant. Confirmed as Link-Eleven data communications.”
“Tattle?” Vaughn asked.
Monique shook her head. “T-A-D-I-L: Tactical Digital Information Link. It is the interoperability and performance standards we use for land- and ship-based systems.”
Bill Peterson looked ready to ask another question, but Monique held up a finger. “I told you, William, I do not know how it got there.” Lowering her arm, she looked at Captain Singleton. “I can, however, venture a guess.”
Glancing toward the ALICE experiment facility, Vaughn spun a finger in the air. “Quickly, please.”
“Perhaps the aliens adapted technology they found on this side of the wormhole for their own purposes.”
The captain nodded impatiently. “Sounds plausible, but right now, I need to know if it—”
“Lieutenant Gheist,” BOb said, interrupting Vaughn. “I’ve located some data, although I am not sure of its purpose.”
Alarm registered on Captain Singleton’s face. The man stepped back and drew his pistol. Raising it, he aimed it directly at BOb’s head.
The robot froze. Then it slowly turned to look at Vaughn. “Have I done something wrong, Captain?”
Singleton ignored the question. He looked at Monique and dipped his head toward the new attachment on the end of the EMP cannon. “Can that thing infect him?”
The robot shook its head. “Negative, Captain. The interface facilitates one-way transfers. I can access tabular data, but it will not permit incoming data streams or viral uploads.”
Monique nodded. “BOb is correct. It is a safety built into the software interface for that very purpose.”
Vaughn allowed his weapon to drop. He glanced toward ALICE once more. “Go ahead, BOb.” He rolled a finger again. “Hurry up and finish what you were saying.”
“Thank you, Captain Asshole.”
Vaughn scowled at the machine.
Rourke held up a hand. “I’ve got this.” He yanked a small tablet computer from his backpack and quickly connected it to the robot using a USB cable. “Show me the data, BOb.”
An instant later, numbers began to stream across the screen. Rourke could feel the other members of the team looking over his shoulder. Bill pointed at the tablet. “Some of those look like coordinates.”
The robot nodded. “I believe you are correct, Major Peterson. They appear to be associated with this location and one other. However, I do not have sufficient information to extrapolate the significance of the additional datasets. They do not appear to be coordinates.”
Teddy raised his eyebrows. “Maybe the second location is Hell.”
“Yes …” Monique nodded. “I beli
eve you may be correct, Theodore.”
“Son of a bitch!” Major Peterson paused and then pointed at the now modified EMP cannon. “You’re saying we can beam things to Hell with this, Monique?”
“Yes. I believe so.”
Captain Singleton’s face darkened as an inscrutable look crossed it.
Colonel Hennessy saw it as well. The man shook his head. “Don’t even think about it, Vaughn.”
Mark’s words pulled the captain from his thoughts. He looked up, his eyes suddenly pleading. “She’s there all by herself. If I go—”
“No, Vaughn! Angela’s best chance lies in us resetting the timeline. The Necks have already reduced our numbers. If you go there, too, we’ll have even fewer redundancies. You’ll not only be dooming yourself; you could also be dooming the entire human race.”
Myriad emotions crossed the captain’s face as he considered Mark’s words. Finally, he shook his head. “Shit, shit, shit!”
Teddy looked from the two men to the emitter now mounted to the end of the EMP gun. “I still want to know how US military hardware ended up in alien device.”
Vaughn waved a dismissive hand. “We can figure all that out later.” Turning from the cosmonaut, Captain Singleton pointed at the robot. “Can you fire it?”
BOb nodded. “I believe so.”
Hennessy looked at Singleton, fresh concern twisting his face.
Raising a hand, Vaughn shook his head. “Not at me.” He pointed at the Tater. “Shoot that.”
As BOb moved into position, Rourke spooled through the table displayed on the touchscreen. When he reached the top, he saw words and stopped. Then he looked at Monique. “It’s in English.”
Everyone fell silent and turned to look at him.
“What is?” Monique asked.
“The labels at the top of the chart.”
BOb dipped his head. “Affirmative. However, I need more data to extrapolate their meaning.”
Vaughn shook his head impatiently. “We don’t have time for this!” He pointed at the Tater again. “Shoot the goddamn thing, BOb!”
The robot leveled the large gun at the target. White light extended from its end. BOb swept it over the Tater twice, but nothing happened.
The light died, but the white ovoid remained.
It hadn’t been beamed to Hell.
Turning his attention back to the tablet, Rourke cycled through the menu items. While he was unable to determine the meaning of several titles, he saw checkboxes and radio buttons beneath some of them. It appeared they could be toggled off and on. One, in particular, drew his eye. It was labeled ORG. Touching the indicated area, he found he was able to cycle it from ‘On’ to ‘Off.’
Looking up, he pointed at the Tater. “Try again, BOb.”
The robot raised the rifle again and aimed at the machine. The fan of light arced over the Tater.
This time, when the light died, it left nothing behind but a depression in the concrete where the Tater had been. Not only did the light banish the dead machine, but it had also sent a scoop of the floor with it.
Monique looked at Rourke, surprise registering on her face. “What did you change, Doctor Geller?”
He showed her the tablet, indicating the cell labeled ORG. “I turned off this one. Thought maybe it meant organic.”
“Whatever you did, it worked,” Vaughn said and then smiled. “I’d say we have a weapon.” He patted Rourke’s shoulder. “Great job, Doctor! Hurry up and disconnect your tablet. It’s time for us to get some payback.”
Chapter 30
Captain Singleton pointed toward ATLAS. “Let’s move, gentlemen.”
The man grabbed BOb by the elbow and led the robot down the tunnel.
After exchanging a nervous glance with the rest of the team, Rourke stored the tablet and gathered his rifle.
Falling into formation, he and Monique began to trot toward ATLAS.
As they reached the far side of the ALICE facility, Captain Singleton released the robot and gestured into the tunnel. “BOb, take point again. Hit anything that moves with that light beam.” He held out a hand. “Just don’t hit the collider. We can’t lose it.”
Nodding, the robot turned and sprinted ahead.
Next, Singleton addressed Major Peterson and the cosmonaut. “Bill and Teddy, cover our six. I know these things don’t work.” He held up his weapon to emphasize his words. “But if a Tater approaches your end of the formation, fire as much as you can. Maybe you can overwhelm it. The main thing is to slow it down long enough for BOb to reach your position.”
The captain turned and addressed the entire team. “Don’t fire grenades unless we’re about to be overrun, but don’t wait till they’re on top of you either.”
Peterson rolled his eyes. “Are you going to tell us how many squares to use when we wipe our asses?”
“Just don’t hit anything critical.” Vaughn paused and pointed fore and aft. “Spread out.”
Colonel Hennessy nodded and ran up to resume his position behind the robot.
Captain Singleton stood in the middle, a few meters ahead of Rourke and Monique. Looking up and down the line, Vaughn nodded. “Let’s keep this spacing.” Then he gestured forward. “Move out!”
As one, they began to run down the corridor at a brisk jog.
After several minutes, a stitch set up shop in Rourke’s side.
Wincing, he massaged the area with a thumb. Then he froze as a screaming rush announced the approach of another Tater.
BOb raised his gun and sighted on an unseen target ahead. “Contact!”
The Tater was too far down the curving tunnel for Rourke to see.
Adrenaline dumped into his system.
He forgot the stitch in his side.
Pulse pounding in his ears, Rourke fought to draw sufficient breath.
The white light arced from the tip of BOb’s weapon and disappeared into the distant tunnel.
The sound of the unseen Tater’s drive vanished, but then two more raised to replace it.
A second beam and then another shot out from the robot’s modified cannon.
“Keep going!” Vaughn waved the remaining humans forward. “We’re almost to ATLAS!”
The sound of approaching Taters redoubled. The noise began to warble in and out of harmony like a pair of mistuned airplane engines.
Rourke looked over his shoulder, and the noise grew louder. “Oh shit!”
He felt the blood drain from his face.
Multiple Taters were approaching simultaneously from each end of the tunnel. The colliding sound waves of their combined engine noises generated the reverberation.
Then Rourke’s heart threatened to burst from his chest as he saw two of the machines coming up from behind them.
Running forward while looking back, he watched the pair of cow-sized Taters round the gentle curve of the tunnel, speeding along unerringly, as if they were hanging from monorails. The alien ovoids raced side-by-side, their bellies six feet above the main passageway.
Vaughn shouted back to Bill and Teddy. “Too many Taters hitting us upfront! You’re on your own back there. Hit ‘em with everything!”
Bill Peterson stopped running. “No argument here.” He raised his rifle, aiming it at the onrushing enemy vessels.
The cosmonaut slid to a stop just behind the man and shouted over his shoulder. “We’re on it, El Capitan!”
Still running forward, Rourke watched the men as they aimed their rifles at the Taters.
The double womp of simultaneous grenade launches issued from their muzzles. Visible in spite of their speed, the rounds arced through the air.
Before the grenades had covered half the distance, twinned light beams radiated out from the bellies of the approaching Taters.
Both rounds vanished mid-flight.
Rourke and the lieutenant turned and ran several meters closer to ATLAS. He heard Bill and Teddy running behind them.
Monique hopped over the collider’s conduit. Rourke instantly u
nderstood. The lieutenant’s shift would give her a clear line of sight for the next engagement.
They all stopped running and turned back toward their attackers.
No longer having to worry about hitting Peterson or the cosmonaut, Monique pumped round after round into the approaching Taters. She didn’t have a grenade launcher, but she was a crack shot with her rifle. However, none of her bullets reached their targets. Blue-white light burned into every round she’d fired at the enemy machines.
Suddenly, all hell broke loose ahead, at the front of their running formation.
Rourke looked forward and saw Colonel Hennessy firing his rifle on full auto. Flashing fire belched from its muzzle, strobing the walls gold at that end of the tunnel.
Captain Singleton looked at Rourke and pointed a bladed hand toward the back of the tunnel. “Help Bill and Teddy. Go full auto with your rifle. See if you can overwhelm their defenses. Maybe one of those grenades will get through.”
Beyond Captain Singleton, light from the battlebot’s BFG added a blue-white hue to the tunnel walls as another beam burned into its farthest reaches.
Focusing on Vaughn, Rourke swallowed hard and nodded.
The captain returned the gesture. “Hurry! We’re almost there!” Then he sprinted forward, apparently intent on shoring up the formation’s advancing front.
Rourke looked at the side of his rifle’s receiver and flicked the selector to fully automatic.
Running to stand between Bill and Teddy, he raised his weapon and aimed it at the enemy vessels.
His pulse pounded in his ears. Somehow it even managed to override the cacophony of the mounting battle.
Two more reports rang out from the muzzles of Bill and Teddy’s grenade launchers.
The dark, wobbling rounds arced through the air with incredible speed. Then they, too, disappeared, vanishing just as the others had.
Rourke hesitated. He still worried what might happen if one of the rounds missed their target and hit the wide, blue tubing of the collider’s conduit. Likely as not, that would collapse the field and shut down the collider.
They would be trapped in this timeline.
