Mike snorted. “He gets his beauty sleep while we save his butt?”
“I don’t think he means sleep as in sleep. Rather as in deadly-silent-may-he-rest-in-peace-forever kind of sleep,” said Casey.
“It’s actually a comatose state,” said Thorn. “They’re kept that way until they’re used for experimentation.”
“The general did mention something like that.” It was hard to remember everything they’d told her; she wished she’d had some sticky notes to stick to her forehead for all the stuff that had been crammed in her head in the last few hours.
“Look here.” Thorn pointed to the right side of the screen. “It’s the only place on the ship with this unusual power signature.”
She blinked. “Is that what I think it is?”
His gaze narrowed. “Indeed. This has to be the weapon.”
Casey focused, biting on her lip. The good news was, they had found it. The bad news was, it was all the way on the other side of the ship. She had hoped to get in and out in no time so they could focus on Jack.
“There’s no way we’ll make it to the other side of those corridors and back in time to save Jack from going to sleepy-sleep.” Mike gave her hand a hard squeeze. “I say we save him and then think about everything else. What do you think, Casey? Go with me, and it’s two against one. We win.”
Thorn took off his white medical gown and hung it back on the door, then slid on his helmet and backpack. “General Ashtar said to chip the weapon first and then get Jack. We’ll stick to the plan.”
Clearly, all he cared about was getting his revenge. Casey shook her head. “No way! I don’t care what your general said. We get Jack first, and then we head toward the weapon.”
Thorn hesitated. “We’ll talk on the way there.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Wait. Shouldn’t we print out a map or something?”
Thorn tapped his head with his finger. “No. I already memorized the entire floor plan.”
Adjusting the holster around his waist, Mike met his gaze. “No way, man. How?”
“My brain processes three times faster than yours.” Thorn pressed a tiny red dial on his radar device. “Do you remember how the general showed you to insert the microchip into the weapon?”
“Yeah,” said Casey. There was no way she’d ever forget that; the general only had drilled it into her head a million times during their training.
“Good. I’m going to download the location of that weapon into yours as well.” He glanced up. “Just in case anything happens.”
Casey gulped. Whatever he meant, she didn’t want to imagine it. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. And there’s nothing to discuss. We get Jack, and then we think about the weapon.”
Thorn practically glared at her. “If the weapon’s not disarmed on time, millions of people will die.”
“I’m not going to let that happen, but I can’t waste this opportunity either. Jack’s practically next door. You have your mission, and we have ours.”
Mike pulled her close again. “Sorry, buddy, but it’s two against one. We win.”
“You don’t understand. We’ll all lose,” muttered Thorn, but he knew there was no point in arguing.
She wished Thorn could see her point. “What’s the plan?”
He adjusted his collar, seemingly uncomfortable for a minute. “It’s not a perfect plan because there’s no such thing. Sometimes you have to tweak them to fit your situation.”
“Tweak all you want, but let’s get Jack out of there,” said Mike.
“Jack’s so close and scheduled for deep sleep. We might not get another chance to get back here anyway.” Thorn paused, as if in thought. “There’s a guard coming on duty next shift who won’t be so easily persuaded. We’re old friends, and he’ll immediately recognize my voice. I see no risk in getting Jack out now. Besides, four out of the five guards are signed out to attend a mandatory meeting. So let’s do it.”
“That’s your plan? Persuade the guard?” asked Mike.
Thorn’s gaze narrowed. “I can be quite persuasive. May I remind you that I do this for a living?”
“Any plan’s better than none at all—unless you can come up with something better.” Casey clapped Mike’s shoulder and then looked at him. When he didn’t respond, she smiled and flipped down her visor. “Thought so. Let’s go. We don’t want to keep Jack waiting any longer. Who knows what he’s been through already?”
Chapter 3
Walking ahead of Thorn and Mike, Casey left the medical room in silence, intent on rescuing her abducted friend. The sooner they got there, the better. She didn’t want to be separated from her best friend for another minute. The bright corridor stretched for several feet and then took a bend to the right. Footsteps echoed from the walls, coming nearer. Casey’s gloved hand clasped around the weapon attached to her hip as a platoon of soldiers hurried past. Her stomach knotted. Why are there so many of them? Why now, when we’re so close to rescuing Jack?
A soldier bumped into Mike, sending him staggering against her. “Ow!” said Mike. “Watch where you’re going.”
She glared at him for a moment, forgetting that he couldn’t see her through the helmet.
Another soldier smacked against his shoulder and he cried out again. “Ouch!”
If Mike’s big mouth screwed this up, she’d kill him, and save the aliens the trouble. Casey muttered, “You’re such a drama queen. Stop it, unless you need medical attention. Do you?”
“Only for my heart,” he whispered.
She laughed. “That’s not your heart. It’s your ego, Mike. Anyway, what’s with all these soldiers?”
Thorn walked faster, probably hoping to get past the hot spot without drawing any attention. “The meeting I just told you about is getting ready to start.”
Casey was glad to hear it. That meant four out of the five of Jack’s guards would be out of the picture, making it the best time to put Thorn’s escape plan into action.
“You three, stop right now. I know what you’re up to,” said a guard out of the blue.
Casey froze, for a moment, confused as to whether he was talking to them.
“Huh?” Mike turned. “Oh, he means us.”
Have we been discovered? She groaned inwardly, her knees suddenly starting to shake. Not now! Not before we can get to Jack. Talk about crappy luck. What did we do to give us away? Was it Mike’s big mouth? She drew in a sharp breath and tightened the grip around her gun. Her mind raced as she debated whether to run or play Lara Croft and fight. Fighting might get her out of the situation, but she doubted even Lara could win against a whole battalion of aliens. She peered at Thorn for direction just as his thoughts invaded her mind.
Don’t run. Stay calm.
Easier said than done. She suppressed a snort. He might have felt comfortable among those people, but she preferred not to engage in small talk with them.
The second until the guard spoke again stretched to infinity. He flipped up his visor and said, “You’re not getting away with it.”
Huh? What’s he talking about? Casey shivered as a chill ran down her spine. The guard stomped his foot, obviously waiting for some sort of reaction from her. She didn’t know what to do or say. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.
“He’s on to us,” whispered Mike. “What’s the plan?”
Casey shrugged, her heart still pounding in her chest. Her finger felt heavy on the trigger, ready to obey her brain’s command, but she hesitated. It wasn’t time yet, because once a shot fell, she knew bedlam would be knocking on the door within seconds. Still, though, she’d shoot if she had to.
The guard glared at them. “I’d rather take a blaster shot to the head than go to one of these meetings, but if I can’t get out of it, neither can you. Get over here before I report you.”
This is all about skipping a boring, useless, stupid meeting? He has to be kidding.
“Yes, sir,” said Thorn.
Clenching a fist, Casey screamed in
her mind, What’s wrong with you? A room full of them is the last place I want to be right now!
Thorn patted her shoulder. You’ll be fine.
He might have been right, but she didn’t want to find out. The clock was ticking. Getting friendly with another culture didn’t look quite that appealing at the outlook of Jack’s imminent deep sleep if they didn’t get on with their rescue mission.
“Come on,” said Thorn.
Casey didn’t have much of a choice. She turned slowly and forced her feet to move toward the rebels crowding into a large meeting room. Rows were arranged in a semicircle around a podium. The metal floor had a black, glossy finish sprinkled with glitter. Black fabric with tiny, glowing stars covered the walls and ceiling. She wondered how they somehow got sidetracked to the planetarium. Hoping she wouldn’t faint, she sucked in one deep breath after another. There they were, hidden in plain sight, among a rebel group of aliens who wanted to destroy every human being in the world. It took the old saying, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” to a whole new level.
She knew she shouldn’t be craning her neck around as though she hadn’t seen anything like it before. As an alien, she would have been used to the view, but she couldn’t help gawking at things. A spot near the back was free, so she squeezed through the gathering crowd toward it. She copied the others’ cross-legged sitting position and glanced up at Thorn. What now?
You’re doing great.
She spun and flashed Thorn a smile, even though he couldn’t see it. Aliens in the row behind her started to chant, and others followed suit. It was a simple melody, primarily using two or three pitches, very similar to the ancient chanting of the monks she’d heard in Tibet. The rebel Greys seemed pretty off key, at least she would fit right in since she couldn’t carry a tune herself.
The lights dimmed. A giant blue and white ball, suspended between ceiling and floor, rotated in midair, casting a glaring glow on the uniformed soldiers. Casey focused on seven large land masses, some connected, others separated by water, only then realizing they were continents. It was Earth! An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Something told her the meeting didn’t involve chattering about the weather and the increase in taxes. She craned her neck to get a better view over the bobbing heads sitting in front of her.
A figure stepped from the darkness into the flickering light of the hologram, his flowing cloak shimmering silver when he moved. “Good evening, everyone. Most of you know me, but for the new recruits among us, I’m Commander Tio. You may call me your leader.”
Commander Tio was obviously a wee bit conceited, just like Mike. He looked like the other aliens, with large slanted eyes, oversized bald head, and slim body. She peered closer and noticed that his skin coloring seemed lighter. If there were different species or races of these aliens, she thought maybe he was of another ilk. As much as she wanted to, she dared not lift up the dark glass hiding her identity in order to get a better look. Thorn, what’s up with him?
Only the firstborn son from a long line of royalty has blue-grey skin and midnight-blue eyes.
She gasped: He wasn’t just a nutcase, but a royal nutcase. How fitting. Should I bow or something?
His name is Sheik Tio. It means “ruler”.
That was even worse, because that meant he was a nutcase ruler with royal power and loads of idiots following his command. She turned her gaze back on Tio. Besides you, he’s the only one who can read human minds, right?
Yes, but he’d have to know you are human and then be totally focused on you. He’s not, so don’t worry.
He gives me the creeps. I think I’ll just nickname him Tio. Seems a lot easier to say. Anyhow, why does he hate humans so much? This is all about that probe, isn’t it?
Thorn let out a soft sigh. On February 12, 1961, the first planetary probe was launched to Venus by the Soviet Union. Venera 1 soon disappeared and broke off contact with Russia. It somehow made it into our solar system.
Yeah, you said it crashed on your planet, poisoning everything.
Thorn hesitated. Yes. The probe released different strains of bacteria indigenous to Earth. We had no immunity to the alien bacteria that spread quickly through our ecosystems and atmosphere. Like I told you, millions of Greys were wiped out in a matter of days.
Casey drew in a deep breath. You know how sorry I am about that.
Thorn continued. Tio lost his beloved wife Alveena and his four children. All he can think about is revenge.
She nodded slightly, uneasiness tightening its grip on her throat. So sad that he lost his family. It wasn’t her fault, but for some reason, she felt as though she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders, and her burden might just prove too great to bear. She gazed over at Thorn. I can’t believe he wanted Earth after those certain strains of bacteria killed all those people.”
He was certain he could come up with a vaccination. Once the plan was established to take over Earth in 1961, the rebel scientists worked day and night looking for a formula so our race could be compatible with Earth’s bacteria. In the meantime, they planned military strategies, studied your planet, and worked on a cure for our sick and dying race, crossing our DNA with yours through experimentation on humans.
They couldn’t forgive us, even after all that time? asked Casey.
No, they couldn’t. Fifty years later, they finally discovered the formula to keep Earth’s bacteria from harming their immune systems. Like I told you before, General Ashtar got his hands on the formula and gave me the shot so I could survive in your atmosphere.
Casey reached for his gloved hand. It’s okay. You couldn’t have come to Earth without it.
There were no flaws in the vaccination, so the attack was planned. Yet, they still had no cure for half of our dying race, so the experiments continued, I’m sad to say.
You had no control over what that nut did. Nobody blames you.
Something silver shimmered around Tio’s neck. Casey focused her gaze until she recognized the same ankh sign from the corridor walls, a pendant dangling from his chain. She thought it somehow represented seeing his loved ones in another life.
“Earthlings took away everything we loved,” said the commander. “They robbed us of our homes, our families, our friends, our planet. They sleep in their beds and bathe in their joy while our happiness has long been blown out like a burnt candle. I say, let the weaklings pay dearly for their sins. They’ve killed what was dearest to us, and now it’s time to give them some of their own medicine.” He pointed at the hologram of Earth. “We’ll inhabit every one of their great cities.”
One thing was for sure: He was one good public speaker, determined, passionate, enthusiastic, and predatory. For one moment, even Casey herself believed him and almost wanted to buy whatever he was selling. But that was merely the power of the royally screwed and fanatic. She could certainly see why the others were literally hanging on every word he said; he was very charismatic.
Tio lifted his arm in the air as his gaze swept over the room, his eyes glinting with something she couldn’t quite pinpoint. “Let us pause for a moment and remember all the friends and family we lost on that fateful day. They may no longer be with us, but we’ll always carry them in our hearts.”
A moment of silence ensued. Casey stirred slightly, forcing her fidgeting hands to clasp in her lap. Her breath came low and heavy, like a hiss, as she peered at the bowed heads. They didn’t do it to themselves; humans caused all that pain. She closed her eyes, and her heart sank in her chest. Talk about double standards and the tides of life changing! The rebels would’ve never attacked had it not been for some idiot humans and their need to conquer every inch of nature’s magic.
“The humans even turned my second-in-command against me,” Commander Tio said. “Sadly, my brother Thorn Tio paid for his betrayal with his life. My sources tell me his ship mysteriously crashed yesterday on the way to Agartha after he served his purpose to the Agarthians, and they no longer had any use for hi
m. If it weren’t for them spreading their poisonous words, he’d still be among us, in the arms of his loving family.”
Did I just hear that right? Casey’s head snapped toward Thorn before she could stop herself. The others might have noticed, but she didn’t care. Thorn might have been a popular boy name in their culture, but how many Thorns would have crashed their ship on the same day? The coincidence was far too coincidental.
She sucked in a trembling breath as she shook her head. He had taken them all for a ride. Not only was Thorn the brother of Commander Sheik Tio, his very own flesh and blood, but he was second-in-command of the rebel forces. And he certainly took his job seriously because he had just destroyed every human’s hope for rescue by capturing Agartha’s last chance: Mike and Casey. No wonder he wouldn’t agree to destroy the mothership! His very own brother runs the darn thing. No wonder he wanted to do this in a non-violent fashion. Now she could only hope he’d keep his word to her.
She felt a hand tighten around her wrist and peered up at Mike’s visor. He shook his head, and she assumed he was catching on too. She felt the question burning on her tongue, nagging to be let out. Oh for goodness sake, just tell us, Thorn. He won’t quit squeezing my hand until you say it.
Thorn stiffened where he sat. Commander Tio and I are indeed brothers. We’ve fought many battles and were celebrated heroes among our people and yours as well.
Not surface humans though. You mean the people inside of the Earth.
Yes. And then everything changed in an instant after the probe hit. Our people began dying, and my brother was desperate to try and find a cure to save them, so he started abducting humans for experiments. He didn’t feel one ounce of remorse because he blamed them for creating the disaster in the first place, shrugging off the torture as payback. Needless to say, our elders didn’t feel the same way. Sheik was caught, stripped of his royal title, and kicked out of our kingdom. He joined a band of criminals who made him their leader. The next thing I knew, he had recruited me, and our numbers doubled every day. But this is all ancient history. I left this madness behind.
Persevere: Book 6 in The Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series Page 3
