Michael sat back, taking it all in with a pang of melancholy; the moment, bittersweet. The last time he’d gazed at Alpha Crucis, Kitty had been sitting beside him and he’d quoted Neil Gaiman. It broke his heart now. He hadn’t realized until that morning in the lobby at NASA how much he’d missed her. They’d parted ways amicably enough, but he had always regretted that he didn’t fight harder for her; hadn’t chased her down and begged her not to go. He could have given up his intended path but hadn’t done that either. He’d tried to go on with the life he’d planned for himself, without a second thought. Now, it was too late.
He forced back his emotions when he realized his sister’s gaze had fallen on him. She offered him an encouraging smile, and a strong sense of peace washed over him. He reached over and took her hand and squeezed it hard. “Thank you,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” Lauren leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder.
“We did it together.” Lauren sighed.
“This is it.” Lubanzi pointed at one of the exo-planets that the computer had painted green, with a blue halo around it. The image was as fuzzy as a picture of Bigfoot, but it was 321 lightyears away, so it would have to do. “This is a planet in Acrux or Alpha Crucis, a cluster of three stars at the bottom of the Southern Cross. I think this may be where your signal is coming from, Michael.”
“How can you be so confident?” Rowan asked.
“I can’t, but I’ve run the calculations a dozen times. This is the only exo-planet we can see with the data we have. I suspected it came from this region, and while it is possible that I am wrong, statistically speaking, this is the most likely source.”
Michael looked at Lauren, wide-eyed. “You believe in statistics, right?”
Her eyes lit up. “Yes. I do.”
“Then there you go ...” Michael beamed. “We’ve done it!”
Rowan, tending to Henry, looked up. “Done what?”
“We translated the messages, and now ... it looks like we’ve found a potential point of origin,” Michael said. “For at least one of the signals, that is.”
“You won’t need to find any others.” A voice in the doorway caught the team off guard. Lauren turned. The woman at the door had a badge, and she came with back up. Lauren glanced back at Michael who’d gone ashen. “I’m afraid this project is officially terminated,” the woman said.
“Kitty?” Michael gasped.
Lauren turned back and recognized her immediately. Kitty Donovan was most definitely not dead.
“What the hell?” Michael demanded. Lauren could see his confusion turning to anger. “They told me ...”
“I don’t care what they told you, but I’m here to secure all the data from this project. This is a cease and desist order issued by the US Department of Homeland Security and NATO.” She held out an envelope with two government seals on it.
“You died ...” Michael muttered. Lauren reached up and caught his arm to steady him.
“You’ve got some nerve coming here,” India spoke, snatching the envelope out of her hand. “Just who do you think you are?”
“Dr. Catherine Donovan, US Office of Homeland Security and the NATO First Contact Task Force. This is my counterpart from Estonia, Yevgeny Malakoff. He’s an agent with the Estonian National Security Council. He’s here to ensure these orders are carried out as issued.”
“First Contact Task Force?” Lauren demanded. “I’ve never heard of this ... NATO First Contact Task Force.” She glanced at Michael, and noticed he was trembling.
“Our mission is to ensure a unified approach to First Contact with any extraterrestrial life forms.”
“A little late for that, don’t you think? What makes you think you’re entitled to confiscate my work?” Michael’s words were harsh, his voice raking. “I thought you worked for NASA?”
“Think about it Michael ...” Kitty turned on him. “If your research proves the existence of extraterrestrial life, what will that do to life on this planet?”
Michael paused a moment to consider it. “We will become enlightened,” he said optimistically.
“Wrong,” Lauren said, her tone dark. “A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals ... and you know it.” She directed the statement to Michael; it was a line from the movie, Men In Black, and it rolled off her tongue before she could stop herself.
Kitty turned to her. “Your sister?” she asked Michael. He nodded. “We met before, right?”
“A long time ago,” Lauren said, staring her down. Lauren didn’t know what her game was, or why she’d faked her own death, but clearly Michael was upset with her, so Lauren was ready to hate her too.
“Well, your sister is smart,” Kitty said. “This world is filled with frightened, uneducated people. People fear what they do not understand. What they don’t understand, they try to destroy. It’s our job to prepare for that day and ensure a peaceful outcome.”
“Why have we never heard of this NATO First Contact Task Force before?” Rowan asked. “Is this something new?”
“Our project has been around since the mid 1980’s,” she said. “The nations represented by NATO were concerned with how the globe would manage first contact with an alien species when it occurs.”
“When?” Rowan asked.
“Not if,” she confirmed. “When. Think about it. In every era of human existence, the dominant culture moves in, takes over, and destroys the lesser. It happened with the Romans, the Turks ... the Vikings, the British.” She glanced at Lauren. “Even when the Europeans came to the Americas, the indigenous tribes were over-powered, destroyed by conflict and infection. When they come,” her eyes went to the ceiling. “We become the lesser species. Our own fear, our own panic could do more damage than anything... if we don’t manage the situation, it could set into motion a chain of events that could lead to the destruction of the human race.” Kitty looked to Michael. “It’s my job ... our job ... to prevent that consequence. If our goal is to become an outward-looking, space-faring species, equal to any race we might encounter, we have to work together to even the playing field.”
“Equal to? Or greater than?” Rowan queried. “So you can destroy them before they destroy us.”
Kitty shook her head. “Since the incident at Roswell, we’ve known it was just a matter of time, and began working towards managing the public’s perception of contact with alien life forms so we could avoid panic and infighting. The goal is a unified and managed response, globally ...”
“Well we didn’t do a very good job of it, did we?” Lauren simpered, standing. Michael stood too, but she noticed him sway, and glanced over at him, catching his arm. “Michael?”
He took a step forward. “Kitty ... how could you?”
Kitty’s façade faltered, but she quickly recovered. “I’m sorry Michael. It wasn’t my choice.”
“They told me you were ... d-d-dead,” he said, his voice quaking. Lauren thought he was going to buckle, but he stood tall, his hands balled into fists as if that would steady him.
“It wasn’t my choice. I was ... extracted ... I let my ... personal feelings interfere with my mission. Poor judgement on my part; totally my fault, but I don’t like it any more than you do,” she said, stoically. “I have a job to do. I know there are no words I can say that can make it up to you, Michael.” She took a deep breath, steeling herself. “I’m sorry, but I have to take your data ... everything.”
“Oh yeah?” Michael’s brow clamped down hard. “I don’t think so.”
“That document says I can.” She pointed to the pages of paperwork India was reading. His boss sunk back against the conference table, her hand going to her mouth as she read.
Michael took a step back, turning away from Kitty. “You’re dead to me.” The poison in his tone seemed to sting as Kitty froze and paled.
“Michael,” Lauren said as he turned into her. “Perhaps we could all just take a seat? Let’s just sit down and we’ll figure all this out.”
>
“I’m not turning over my project,” Michael said, eying her defiantly, glancing back at Kitty with fire in his eyes.
“I don’t see that you have a choice,” India said, looking up from the document.
Rowan stepped up. “I think Lauren has the right idea. Sit. Maybe we can reach some kind of a ... compromise.”
“A compromise?” Kitty gasped. “There’s no room for compromise here. I have a warrant to collect and confiscate any and all data you have. Your work is funded by the US Government through NASA. You’re mandated to comply with every and all government orders issued as part of your grant agreement.”
“Kitty, this is Michael’s work,” Lauren said. “If you need to classify it, that’s understandable. He has security clearance ... surely there’s a path through all this that doesn’t involve taking his work away from him.”
“I’m afraid this is non-negotiable. My orders have been issued and I am obligated to carry them out. This isn’t personal ... and I am deeply sorry.” She turned to her colleague. “Mr. Malakoff will need every paper and computer file in your possession. He will also oversee scrubbing your computer systems of any latent records.”
Michael stepped up to Kitty, lowering his head so he could hold her gaze. In a low tone, and between clenched teeth he said, “You can have my project when you pry it out of my cold, dead hands.”
“I’m happy to arrange that.” The Estonian agent stepped forward and drew a weapon, leveling it at Michael.
Clearly startled by the weapon, Kitty gasped. “Mr. Malakoff! Put that away! This is a peaceful enforcement of security protocols. I won’t have you brandishing a weapon here.”
He held the gun trained on Michael. “I beg to differ,” he grunted. “Your orders might be to sequester the data, but my orders ... are to destroy it.”
“What?” Lauren gasped, as did half the team. “You can’t ...” She took a step forward but stopped when the gun trained on her.
“Malakoff!” Kitty pursed her lips and lowered her tone, clipping his name.
“I assure you, Dr. Pierce,” he said. “I can.” Lauren gasped. “Yes, Dr. Pierce, I am familiar with your work. All the more reason to ensure this information is ... destroyed.”
“But why?” India demanded. “Dr. Donovan ... you can’t let him.”
“Yevgeny,” Kitty’s ire had grown to near its limits. “You are in violation of our orders from NATO.”
“I don’t take orders from NATO,” he sneered.
“Mr. Malakoff,” Kitty demanded, her cheeks flaming pink. “A word?” She tilted her head to the door.
“The word, Dr. Donovan is actually two,” Malakoff said, turning the weapon on her. “Hostile takeover.”
“Technically that’s three,” Rowan snarked. Lauren shot a dark eye in his direction, and he realized his error and melted back behind her, turning Henry away from the scene.
“I would expect better from an agent of the Estonian government.” Kitty’s upper lip pinched beneath her perfectly upturned nose.
“I would, too.” A wicked grin crossed his angular face. “But I am not Estonian ... though this fact is not well known.”
“Freakin’ KGB!” Michael snarled. “I knew it.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Kitty said. “The KGB was disbanded in 1991 when the USSR was dissolved.”
Malakoff’s brow lifted. “Yes, KGB, Dr. Grayson ... Dr. Donovan,” he said. “Most people assume that the Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti was shut down. I assure you, however, we just took things ... in a different direction.” Malakoff scanned the assembly, pausing a moment on Henry. Michael and Lauren both took a step closer to one another, blocking him; shielding the child from danger. Malakoff’s eye moved on to Kitty, then India, and lastly Lubanzi, taking in the scene. Lauren suspected he was sizing up the resistance, trying to decide who was going to give him the most trouble. “I have spent the last twenty years in Estonia, working as a friend to the cause. When Dr. Budnikov began publishing blog posts about these signals, the KGB realized he had information he wasn’t supposed to have ... wasn’t supposed to share. I was asked to ... investigate.”
Michael stepped forward, bowing up. “You killed Alexei!”
“He was a discredit to his profession, Dr. Grayson.” Malakoff eyed him down. “As are you ... as are you all.” The gun waved past each of them. “While Dr. Donovan and I disagree on the methods, the purpose behind my work is not dissimilar. If they are out there, and if they come here, we will be ready for war.”
“War?” Kitty started, but froze when Lubanzi leapt from his chair, charging the Russian operative.
Everything happened so fast that it seemed to move in slow motion. Lauren heard the deafening concussion of the weapon firing. She smelled the gunpowder and the tang of iron as Lubanzi lunged toward the Russian operative. Kitty began shouting orders as she moved in to help the astronomer. Henry began wailing.
The gun went off a second time, and dots danced in Lauren’s eyes as Michael pushed past her, knocking Lubanzi off his trajectory, shoving Kitty aside. Lauren realized India had fallen, a pool of crimson began to grow on the carpet around her unmoving form. Lauren felt frozen, unable to move as she witnessed the whole ordeal as it happened around her. Kitty sat on her rump, her hand going to her forehead where she’d hit the table.
Michael tackled the Russian and the two wrestled for the gun. Rowan shoved Henry into Lauren’s arm, starting to press past her, but she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back. “Rowan, no.” He pushed her back as he turned to face the enemy, undaunted.
Henry wrapped his arms around his mother’s neck, his sobbing intermixed with weak and trembling cries for his Mama. Rowan, heedless of her pleas plowed into Malakoff, tackling him around the waist. Lauren moved closer to Kitty, side stepping flailing arms and kicking feet, nearly getting up-ended herself, as she shielded Henry, turning her back on the melee, but watching it over her shoulder.
A strange sense of tunnel vision passed over her as Lauren turned and realized Lubanzi had fallen and wasn’t getting up. Michael had Malakoff by one arm, as Rowan swung, catching him in the jaw with a left hook. Malakoff used Michael’s weight for leverage and kicked Rowan in the gut, knocking him back. He staggered and went down hard at Lauren’s feet, disconcerted and clearly disoriented.
Malakoff got a blow in on Michael, and a moment later, he was on the floor next to Rowan. Lauren knelt beside them, checking on Rowan before turning to her brother. His nose was bleeding and the cut over his eye had opened up too. Malakoff had managed to keep the weapon in his hand and now stood with it hanging by his side, his hand trembling. Lauren suspected Michael had done enough damage to have at least pinched a nerve or torn a ligament in the effort to get the gun away.
“Not a wise move, Dr. Grayson.” Malakoff shook his head at Michael. “Not wise at all.” He slowly raised his hand.
“Yevgeny!” Kitty shouted as the goon made to raise the weapon towards her former lover. He caught the movement out of the corner of his eye as she came at him brandishing the fire extinguisher from the wall. The powdery discharge blinded and stung his eyes as she directed it at his face. When the flow ebbed, she braced herself and brought it down hard over his head. Michael, recovering from the blow, leapt to his feet ... just as the gun went off.
“Mama!” Henry wailed. “Mama ... go!”
Lauren found herself lying flat on her back, with Henry safely wrapped in her arms. A heavy weight lay atop of her lower torso. Henry sobbed, his tears falling on her face as he crawled off of her, sitting up beside her. Rowan lay in a heap nearby. She rolled her head towards him and put a hand on Rowan’s back. He stirred, groaning as Henry crawled over to him, muttering “Dada ...”
The room spun around her. The water-stained ceiling tiles and light fixtures from Michael’s office were gone. Above her now, the surface was smooth, but had a soft glow to it. The chaos of a few moments ago was now replaced with an ethereal hum and a sense of calm passed over her. She felt
safe, where moments before she’d been terrified. As her vision blurred, she considered the fact that she must have hit her head when she fell; her pulse throbbing in her skull.
“Lauren?” Rowan’s face appeared over her; concern knitted in his brow as he held Henry over his shoulder. “Honey? Are you okay?”
“Rowan?” She hesitated, blinking rapidly, trying to clear her vision.
She tried to move and found she couldn’t. She glanced up and realized Michael was laying over her legs. “Michael.” She tried to sit up, grabbing him, pulling him into her lap. Her hand found a damp spot that was spreading across the front of his black shirt. She drew her hand away and her heart stopped. “Michael!”
Suddenly Kitty was at her elbow. “Michael?” She peeled up his shirt. Blood oozed from a hole in his abdomen. “He’s been shot!”
Rowan shoved Henry into Kitty’s arm’s and moved around to the other side so he could get to him. He pressed his hand on the wound. “Lauren, I have to check for an exit wound,” he said. “I’m going to roll him over. When I do, I need you to move out from under him so you can help me.”
Lauren nodded. “Help him,” she insisted. “Whatever you have to do.”
Rowan nodded and carefully moved him, finding the corresponding, and much larger exit wound he was expecting. Lauren’s own shirt was blood-soaked, and she started to move, but a yelp escaped her throat, and she clutched her own side. “Rowan ...” she panted, lifting her own shirt. He forgot all about Michael’s injuries. A similar entry wound marred her flesh, even with her navel. He clamped his hand over the wound, laying her back. He stripped out of his jacket and found a tear just under the arm pit. With effort, the fabric gave way and he ripped it into several pieces. He folded one of them up and held it over the wound. “Can you hold this?”
“Yeah,” she squeaked.
“Put pressure on it,” he said.
“I’m fine ...” Lauren said, unconvincingly. “Just help Michael.”
Rowan’s heart broke at the pain in her eyes. He thought about how he would feel if it were Cassandra, his sister, laying wounded in a growing pool of blood. He turned back to his brother-in-law, assessing his condition. His pulse was weak and his color poor. Rowan wished he had his medic kit, but he couldn’t linger on the thought. He had to make do with what he had, which wasn’t much.
The Alien Accord Page 16
