On the lensview screens in front of her, the leaders of the teams confirmed by swiping their hands across their vision.
“Commander,” added Anitjara. “Requesting scientists from other teams.”
Lin paused for a moment. She must be getting slow. Of course, Team Three had only one. “Granted. Styert, Rssket, and Smith make your way to hexicle 10.”
Then she said curtly, “And guard Heartness. She’s not going anywhere.”
Chapter 27
“Contact has been made,” said Patel, as the door to Heartness’ office dissolved around him.
“Couldn’t you have just called me?” asked Zhou, getting a bit more annoyed.
Patel spread his arms wide. “But then I wouldn’t have an excuse to see you!”
“John, I’m flattered, but all my evenings are already booked with other suitors. I don’t think I can fit anyone else into my schedule at the moment. Maybe you could take a number?”
Patel took a step back in surprise, then looked at her shrewdly. “You’re joking.”
Zhou grinned. “Maybe! But you’ve got to stop dropping in every time you feel like it. I’m a city girl and I have schedules. No random drop-ins, alright?”
“I’m surprised at myself, then,” said Patel. “I guess it is a habit of a lifetime, though I hadn’t really noticed.” Then, with a twinkle in his eye. “Do you think others have been annoyed with me just dropping in, unannounced?”
Zhou had to cover her mouth at that one. “Really, John. Were you raised on a farm or something?”
“I guess that means, yes.” Then he grinned. “Well, that’s their problem. I got word that one of my tech operatives on Earth had been able to energetically visit the Stellar Flash. I think that’s something we could arrange in one of the hangers. Reconfigure the ceiling and walls to be more pyramidal, add a bit of resonance, and we can astrally beam over to the Stellar Flash. Both Hiro and I are feeling much better after our recent excursion, and are ready to commence!”
Zhou raised an eyebrow. “After your recent excursion, I’m not sure you’re really up to it. Why don’t we get someone else in? I mean, we could even ask Torus to transfer messages. I know he’s on leave, but being an energy entity, there’s nothing in this Solar System that he couldn’t pass through.”
Just then a voice on the far side of the room echoed “No need!” and a faint image of Hogart began to take shape.
“Jonathan!” said Zhou, “How fantastic. What technology is that?”
“I think it is a bit more meta than tech. Astral traveling! Though I hope this isn’t just a one off. I’d hate to suddenly find some new tech and only use it once. That happened in way too many science fiction streams I watched when I was a kid.”
Patel walked over to Hogart, unsurprised. “I already got word that Doctor Johnson had been able to contact you. But no one can get in or out of the Stellar Flash. Some of your crew are waiting on the station, ready to jump aboard at a moment’s notice. And, even though I’m sure you’ve already been making plans, it’s now official. Get to ProxiBee and rescue Victoria.”
“Flash drive offline. Skeleton crew, and the EM drive would take thousands of years!”
“I’ve got another option for you!” said Patel. “The upgrade to your ship integrated space fold technology. If you can’t get the flash drive to work, you can fold there!”
“But…”
“Oh, the risk is quite small. Just get Victoria out of there.”
“Er. We have a baby plant on board. You know, the consciousness in another dimension used space fold holes to take mental control of people through those plants? I wouldn’t want everyone to go through all that again.”
Patel groaned. “Is that the gift Hogart-C left me?”
Hogart shrugged as if to say, ‘probably.’
“I guess he had your appalling sense of humor.”
Hogart’s opaque mouth opened, about to protest.
Patel gave a tight smile, then held up a hand to ward off any feedback. “Do what you can to get the Flash drive working while we do what we can to find a way in. If we can flash the plant to a safe place, you can head out immediately. But, if we can’t you’ll just have to take it along.”
Hogart frowned, but nodded.
“Oh, and Jonathan,” said Patel, “Would you believe there is a deadline? You’ve got half an hour. After that, Proxibee will be quarantined, and there’ll be no way in.”
Hogart’s face looked horrified as he faded away.
Zhou turned to Patel, annoyed. “You couldn’t send me that memo?”
“Rather tell you in person. If Hogart can’t get the ship working and rescue Victoria within half an hour… Let’s just say your position here would become permanent.”
Chapter 28
A hairy, blue, six-armed alien, that went by the name of Aqua, signaled with one of her paws for her Team Two soldiers to halt. They were attempting to head back to their shuttle on the other side, to 44. She pointed at the viewfilm. “8 is now off limits.” A yellow dot had just appeared in the next hexicle, and was flickering disturbingly close to the one they were in. “We’ll go via 20, 21 and 41.”
The team shuddered a little, but nodded. As they moved on, one of the soldiers coughed to get Aqua’s attention.
“What is it, Chau?”
“Well, it’s just that, ma’am, the wall is quite thin. I’m not sure whether walking through 20 and 21 is safe enough to get to 44. That dot in 40 might extend further. I…I don’t want to be skeletized.”
Aqua rounded on her. “And what do you suggest we do?” She pointed at the map. “Hexicle 1 is also off limits. We can’t get to 44 any faster way.”
“We could go the other way. You know, sit in Team Six’ shuttle and wait?”
The soldiers around Chau laughed. “Like sitting ducks!” said a soldier from the back. “I want to get off this planet before the plasma burst hits. Team Three might get a bonus for finding that old woman, but they’re stuck here taking care of her. Glad it wasn’t me that found her. They can keep their money. I want off.”
Aqua held up her four hands. “Enough!” she growled, showing her teeth. “Mahdi, we’re not mercenaries. We’re giggers. And, right now, your gig is to follow my orders.” She turned back to the entrance to 20, pushed open the door, and strode inside.
Almost immediately, a blast of hot air, followed by chunks of something, exploded out of the hexicle, and the soldiers were quickly covered in blue blood and fur. Through the doorway to 20 they could see organs and other parts of Aqua circling in the air as though trapped in a vortex.
And the vortex was heading for them.
Chau started screaming, and Mahdi yelled at her. “Chau! Shut up. You were right. You’re now in charge. It’s up to you to save our lives. Now get us out of here!”
Chau closed her mouth, shook, took a deep breath, then immediately went to the back of the group, which had now become the front. “Everyone. Follow me!” She ran through hexicle 19, knowing her team would be behind her, and tapped her lobe system. “Commander Lin. Captain Aqua is dead. Our ship is off limits, and we are heading via 19 and 36 and 59 to get to hexicle 60 for Team Six’ ship. Out.”
Chau glanced at the map as she ran into 19. As long as no more yellow dots appeared, they would make it.
She just hoped Team Six wouldn’t leave without them.
Chapter 29
A large-eyed, mantis-like alien scraped its front legs together, chittered softly, then headed into hexicle 30, then 53, its team of 11 soldiers stomping behind it.
It reached the airlock labelled 52 and activated the door release mechanism. Without a second glance backwards, it continued its calm ‘snick…snick’ of its clawed feet against polymer-covered concrete, as it headed into the connecting corridor that led to Team Four’s scout craft.
Just as it reached the adjoining airlock, and extended a limb dripping with long, chitinous extensions, it paused.
What was missing?
Its heightened sensors were confused. It was able to hear anything within a kilometer, and yet, the soldiers behind it had suddenly become deathly quiet. Not even a heartbeat.
The mantis-being, its squarish mouth releasing a smaller mouth on a stalk in surprise, turned to discover, much to its horror, that its entire team had disappeared.
Not only that, it could see a bright light wobbling back and forth above tiny worm-like things flopping and dying in a pool of reddish liquid.
The mantis-being squawked, smashed its claw against the door opener, and ran into the shuttle.
It dived for one of the couches near the pilot’s seat, and activated the launch sequence, the airlock quickly retracting the tunnel behind it.
In its panic, the alien had forgotten about the external door on the other side. Immediately, atmosphere vented from the airlock hexicle, the sudden pressure difference sucking the remains of the soldiers out and splattering them like grotesque mudballs along the side of the ship. One hit the pilot window and the alien shrieked as the tiny blob slid away, leaving bloody streaks in its wake.
As the ship shot into orbit, the alien shook and covered its eyes. It knew what had happened to its soldiers. With most of its team human, there was only one explanation.
They had de-aged back to helpless fetuses.
Chapter 30
Rktr*f4 put his hairy pink paw on hexicle 56’s airlock in dismay. Either it was the plasma storm, the hydrogen winds, or some other natural phenomena, but the connecting corridor to Team Five’s shuttle had disconnected, and their ship was now lying on its side, with two struts in the air. Launching from it would be impossible.
He turned to his team. “Force suits on. You’ll only have a few minutes before the X-rays break through your protective EM barrier, not to mention the minutes of oxygen you’ll have left. Go right and head for shuttle six. It’s our only way off.”
They quickly gathered in the airlock hexicle and Rktr*f4 cycled it, as everyone activated their force suits. He opened the external airlock, and icy winds and higher pressure blasted in, causing the soldiers to stumble. They all exited, and the airlock locked behind them.
The soldiers quickly made their way around the perimeter of the base, just a meter of concrete walkway separating them from solid reddish lava flows, and thick drifts of hydrogen ice.
While the predominantly hydrogen atmosphere was thick, and the air pressure high, visibility was reasonable, and they could see far enough ahead to know that Six wasn’t far away. Even so, walking through the atmosphere was almost like swimming through water.
But then, to their dismay, they saw a green flicker appear at the back of the ship in the distance - the telltale sign of liftoff.
“Team Six. This is Rakterfor,” yelled Rktr*f4. “Hold your launch. We are almost at your ship.” Then he turned to the other soldiers. “Run for it.”
A crackle of sound buzzed through the soldiers’ communications as they broke into a run, sprinting towards the ship that had already made it into the air. Rktr*f4 started waving his four arms as he ran, but if they couldn’t see twelve humanoids running towards them, they’d hardly notice additional hands in the air.
Then he saw that the ship had begun to lower itself again, turning to show them the airlock door.
The soldiers arrived as it landed, and the airlock slid open. Gratefully, everyone bundled on board, and after the external door closed and the internal one opened, were happy to see that team two was also on board.
Grinning broadly as the internal airlock closed behind them, the craft lifted off again and headed back to the command center.
While they were relieved to be away from the death trap of the hive, their thoughts quickly turned to the ones still behind.
They hoped Team Three would make it out alive, though they now knew the odds were against them.
Chapter 31
Heartness looked sullenly about the newly reconfigured hexicle. The mysterious Commander Lin had decided to remain on her patrol ship. Not having her here might mean Heartness could distract her guard and rescue Szuki. If there was a chance to run back to hexicle 3…. But it was at least a five-minute run and she was sure they could catch up with her.
Unfortunately, her guard had remained one hundred percent focused on her the whole time. His second set of metal arms had held an energy rifle threateningly across his jacket, while his human set were helping him to eat, and sip a drink.
She doubted she could get past him anytime soon.
One of Team Three’s devices, sitting atop a pile of chairs, began humming, and a holographic image of a muscular looking woman with short, black hair appeared in the middle of the room. Commander Lin’s red-suited image looked around the mini command center, an approving expression on her face. A screen had been erected in the center of the hexicle, along with some monitoring equipment. The device whirred, and Lin floated over and began to address her soldiers. "Thank you, Team Three, for rescuing Admiral Heartness. Bonuses will be there for you at the end of the month. Pilot Swartz, you can return to your ship. Be ready in case you need to leave quickly. Please note that these micro time particles can affect anyone in the vicinity of this planet. If something happens to me in orbit, then Captain Anatjari will be in charge."
Then she turned to Heartness. "Admiral Victoria Heartness. I am Commander Sue Lin. I’m sorry to be so direct, but your rank is not recognized in our privatized patrol force. While this emergency is in operation, you will do as I say for your own protection. Now. What’s the situation?"
Heartness sighed. It wouldn’t be the first time her rank wasn’t recognized. She was tempted to withhold what she knew but it did seem like these soldiers were here to help. Then again, she was sure that if she didn’t tell them everything, they would probably interrogate her anyway. Or, even worse, take everything in her lobe storage.
She quickly filled her in about the fleshtube, then Lin turned to a nearby officer.
“Doctor Styert. Connect to the internal cameras. I want a closer look at this thing.”
“Some mild interference, but I’ve been able to boost the signal.”
On the screen, from a corner angle, a fuzzy image of the fleshtube appeared, looking like a rolled omelet with a splash of ketchup. Lin turned her mouth down in disgust. "And this mass contains 27 people?" She zoomed the image into the splatter of veins on the outside.
"I saw at least fifty eyes on the inside wall," said Heartness. I'm pretty sure the boff was accurate."
"So, it just sits there?"
"As far as I know, but Vilanna is now trapped in time. We should go back and get her."
"I need to know what we're dealing with here, first.”
"Look. Vilanna knows more than me,” implored Heartness. “If you won't go back for her, I will." She made to move to her right, but the soldier lifted his drink-holding left arm as a barrier. She sighed.
"Victoria. I need to know why 27 people have got lumped together. What if it wasn't just a simple time reaction for a group standing there? What if that mass is actually absorbing people that go near it, and it could just be lying in wait, biding its time."
Heartness' shoulders slumped. Lin was right. She hadn't thought of that possibility. The flesh tube could have absorbed everyone, one by one, and then settled. They might just have been lucky that it had been sleeping. Then again, what had started it? "There's nothing more that I can tell you."
"'Yet', Victoria. There is nothing more you can tell us, yet! As soon as we can confirm it is safe to go back in there, we’ll let you do your usual investigations, and I’m sure you'll come up with some solution to this problem, like you usually do, while several of us run around and get killed in the process."
Heartness looked angrily at Lin. "I'm not a miracle worker. My experience in the other frequencies just gives me more awareness of probabilities. I still need help from everyone. I need you to find a way to safely get Vilanna out of that room and away from the base as soon as possible. She has a different
insight that will help us."
Lin’s hologram turned to the soldiers. “Teams of two and three. Scout the rest of the base. Our systems can’t read that guy sitting there so there could be others frozen in time. If there are any others uncounted for, we need to find them and find a way to get their help.”
Her soldiers nodded, got into their preassigned groups and headed out, leaving the guard and a few scientists.
“There was something else,” offered Heartness.
“I knew it!”
“Hexicle 18. There is a hand floating in the air. We were planning to investigate it.”
“Just a hand?”
Heartness nodded, and Lin sent a message.
“Sending a trio there, now.”
Just then, Heartness thought to look at the map on the wall. A yellow flicker had started to appear next to the other stable yellow in hexicle 3. Heartness put her hand to her mouth in realization.
No. Please no.
"Commander, additional temporal disturbance detected in hexical 3.”
"Thank you, Styert."
Everyone turned to face the screen. The flesh tube had started writhing, like so many snakes or worms or energy waves. Then it dissolved into a torus-shaped fountain of energy and rolled towards Szuki, just as her and the man began moving in real time again. The man jumped out of his seat and ran, but Szuki shifted to a rainbow of energy, and was quickly absorbed into the cloud.
Heartness stood for a moment, dumbfounded. Szuki was gone.
Chapter 32
Heartness yelled out. "No!" and made to break away, but her guard’s metal limb struck out and grabbed her hip, then he tapped his rifle suggestively.
Heartness gaped. The soldier was still holding the rifle with two arms and still had food and drink in the others. Where did the fifth arm come from? Then she noticed, it was his leg. Replaced with a more flexible limb.
Temporal Incursion Page 10
