"You fucking bastard! How could you be so cruel?"
"Listen to me. I want to make things right."
"You'll never make it right with Sarah! She'll have to spend the rest of her life as an invalid. Why the hell are you coming clean now anyway?"
"Because I know I'm not going to get through this. Varloo has already tried to kill me once, and I have no doubt he will again. I know you don't want to hear this, but we have to work together."
"Well, I hate your damn guts for what you did, and I feel like kicking your ass right now, but I have to admit we aren't going to get out of this without a plan. What did you have in mind?"
He reached down and pulled the general off the floor.
"There are some cryogenic weapons left down in the arsenal. If I can get to them, I might be able to use one of them on him, but I have to be able to get close enough to get a clear shot. I don't think we should do anything until the day before the launch."
"Agreed."
"You just get onboard the ship like you're supposed to when the time comes. Leave the rest to me."
"General, are you well enough to get through this?"
"Yes, I'll be all right. It's taken me a long time to realize people are more important than protocol. Even with my own family."
"Let's just hope we both still have a family when this is all over. I'll talk to you later. Sorry about the punch in the jaw, but you pissed me off."
"I totally understand. I've pissed a lot of people off in my life."
Tom smirked, and headed back down towards where the wormhole generators were being completed. Carver left the area, and headed back towards his office to have some quiet time to collect his thoughts before he reached his ultimate demise.
While he approached the room, one of his men stopped him. "Sir, I have some new information for you," he said.
"Yes, what is it?"
"We intercepted another transmission from Mars."
"Were you able to decipher this one?"
"No, but we did locate who is was being sent to."
"Who?"
"The ship in the desert."
"You're sure?"
"Yes, Sir."
"That means Jeff Walker is still alive. Whoever he's talking to."
"After that, communications went dead again."
"Thank you, Sargent." He then walked into his office and shut the door.
He sat down at his desk, and rubbed his hands over his face. He was exhausted, and if he knew what all of this led to, he would've retired long ago. He could only guess what was going to happen even if they succeeded in their task, and the rockets didn't launch when they were scheduled to. His career would be over, and there would be a full inquiry as to the events which took place over the past two months. Assuming they were successful, there was still the matter of the infected people, and how they'd be cured. Either way, he was finished at this base, and may even have to spend the rest of his life in prison, or the mental wing, like so many others he put there before.
In a way, he welcomed his death. He lived a long full life, his ex-wife passed away ten years earlier, and he never remarried. He was close to his son, John, and felt bad for his family, but he knew he wouldn't live long
enough to see his grandson grow up anyway. He was seventy five, and the disease was beginning to take hold of him and it was just a matter of time.
In all the confusion of alien cover ups, top secret government projects, and the usual tribulations that came with his job, he remembered what his father told him as a young man in the academy. He spoke of how men would one day meet strangers to this world, and it would be up to us to determine how we'd react to that, either with aggression or with peace. He realized all this time he was the aggressor because of his fear of the unknown, and how he reacted to it.
When he thought about it longer, he knew there was more to it than that. Varloo had an intense hatred of mankind for some reason. Perhaps it was because he himself was a hybrid, and bitter his father did this to him. He wished there was more time to figure it out, but he was preoccupied with how he was going to subdue Varloo with a cryogun.
In the next few days, he became slowly more agitated. He had no desire of flying this space ship into oblivion, and didn't have the knowledge to do it either. His thought was Varloo wanted him along just to kill him in the end anyway. Varloo sensed his uneasiness, and although Carver did a good job at hiding his plan, he still could tell he would soon become defiant.
Carver began to wonder who Walker was talking to on Mars, and if they were human or alien. Was he telling the truth, or was this still part of
some alien invasion plot on a bigger scale? He wanted to trust all of them, and this whole situation was making it difficult. He lost his train of thought when someone knocked on the door.
"Come in," he said.
Varloo and Dr. Avery came into his office, and Varloo sat down, and placed his gray hands upon the desk. "Well, General, preparations for the launch are almost complete," he said. "The wormhole generators will soon be ready to go, and you'll go on an adventure of your lifetime."
"Wonderful," he answered.
"Don't be so glum about it. Think about where you'll be going, another universe, and another time."
"Those ships aren't designed for time travel like yours is. We'll all
die."
"Ah, but they are," Dr. Avery said. "They're equipped with cryogenic sleep chambers. In a sense, you will be able to travel to the future."
"You guys are crazy! It will never work the way you say it will. I don't care if you know that kind of technology. Unless you're using the same type of material as on your ship, I can't see it happening."
"Well, you'll get a front row seat."
"Thanks a lot."
"I didn't come down here, however, to discuss your opinion on the matter. I came down to tell you I've reconsidered sparing your family, as long as you help us complete our mission."
"Do I really have a choice?"
"You always have a choice, I wouldn't deprive you of that in the end. Just make sure it's the right one, for your family's sake."
"What are you saying?"
"I know you're having thoughts on how you will overcome me, and my powers. If you care about your family, you will cease your plans to do so. I would hate to have to kill your little Captain Carver before he becomes captain. You're becoming a desperate man, Mr. Carver, and a desperate man is dangerous. I know, because I have become desperate myself, so don't cross me. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes," he answered.
"And tell Major Walker if he tries to do anything to interfere with our plans, I'll deliver his fiancé in pieces, starting with her head."
If it weren't for the fact he had incredible mental power, Carver would
have laughed off his threat. Without it, he was the size of a child, and not at all muscular.
They left the room, he began to tremble in fear, and immediately went to his small bar to grab a drink of whiskey. He poured himself two shots, and drank them quick.
For the first time in his life he felt totally helpless. He couldn't blame Tom or Angelica for hating him, and knew he deserved everything he got. He just hoped Angelica and the others were able to return before the rockets were launched, and his head was crushed like his colleague's, which was a prospect unappealing to him, even if he did deserve it.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Back on the ship, the crew made preparations to infiltrate the base. Wilson and Lori didn't look forward to the prospect of being left behind to wait for their adversary, but the alternative wasn't much better. Jeff and Batar returned from surveillance of the area for whatever weapons worked or were in one piece.
"We've rounded up five cryogenic weapons, ten Berrettas, and a couple of M16's, and about fifty rounds of ammo," Jeff reported. "Batar, Ms. Avery and I will bring three of the cryoguns, and leave you with the other two. Here, Lori, take two of the pistols, and I'll give two to Wilson on the way out."
>
Lori grabbed the pistols, and put them in her waist holsters.
"Do not use the cryogun until he is within range, but don't hesitate," Batar suggested. "It will only take a couple of seconds for him to disarm you if he has any mental power left. I have orders to bring him back to the council if at all possible."
"You're joking, right?" Lori asked. "I thought you said we had to kill
him to stop him?"
"Only as a last resort," Batar stated. "Once his power's been suppressed, we should be able to cryogenically freeze him until our return."
"I'm not going anywhere with him on board," Lori said. "He's the reason we're here in the first place. Can't we just freeze him, and send him into space or something?"
"I'm surprised at you!" Jeff said. "It's not like you to make such a statement."
"That's with somebody who cares about others, Varloo doesn't!"
"He's still part human, and feels anger, sadness, bitterness, and so on. Batar is right, if we can take him alive, she should try to do so. Besides, Balar would never forgive us, if we didn't come back with some kind of prize. Batar, Angelica, and I will take the jeep back to the base until we're about a half mile out, and walk the rest of the way. It'll only expose us for roughly an hour and a half with suits on, so we should be okay as far as radiation goes."
"I know a tunnel in a cave next to the entrance which leads into the base," Angelica said. "I did a little cave exploring a while back and stumbled upon it."
"We were in that cave," Lori said. "I wasn't aware of any tunnel; it was nothing but a dead end."
"It's a hidden tunnel with a level inside of a crevice," Angelica said. "Apparently, it's been there for some time."
"I wish I knew that," Lori said.
"Good, it will get us in undetected," Jeff said. "Once we get in, Batar will search for Varloo, and neutralize him, while Angelica and I disable the spaceships. You're sure they can't figure out your part of the launch code?"
"My father has the launch code for the first ship, and part of one to the second," Angelica informed him. "I tried to figure out his code, but I wasn't successful. Knowing Varloo is with him to help him, however, he'll probably decipher my part of the code, and then launch the ships anyway."
"Not if I can help it," Jeff said.
"Well, we better get started," Batar said. "It will be evening soon, and the launch is scheduled in the morning."
"In the event we don't return," Jeff said. "Do not hesitate to leave. Batar has repaired most of the onboard systems to make the ship functional. It's much more complex than the Republic ships, but the wormhole generator is basically the same. Wilson will know how to
operate it the best she can."
Lori began to cry, and buried her head into Jeff's chest. "I finally get to spend the rest of my life with you, and we end up here fighting for our lives. I'll never see you again."
"Come on now," Jeff said, as he wiped the tears from her eyes. "I don't plan on getting killed. I plan on coming back in one piece . We haven't finished our honeymoon yet. I still promised to take you to some exotic world."
"I'd be happy just to get back to our little exotic world of Ventros.
What about the lingworts? Do you think they'll be all right?"
"They'll be fine," answered Batar. "The Talokian race will take care of them; after all, they're cousins of the same branch of evolution and even if the future's changed, they are probably back on their island anyway."
"What about the Talokians?" Jeff asked. "What's gonna happen when humans find them on Mars?"
"As I told Ms. Avery, that's a matter of principle," Batar said. "Are you an aggressive race, or a passive race? If you are an aggressive race, it could be your own undoing. Remember, by the time you reach the red planet, their descendants and your ancestors will be different beings."
"Well, let's hope they can work out their differences. Goodbye, Honey, don't worry about us, we'll be all right."
"I hope so," Lori said. "I can't bear the thought of being without you."
Jeff kissed her tight on the lips, and gave her one final hug. He then handed two more pistols to Angelica, who now held four in her possession, plus the cryogun, and one of the M16s. Jeff and Batar were no less armed, as they walked down the hallways, and into the cargo area, where Wilson was standing guard again.
"Today's the big day," Wilson said to them.
"I'm afraid so," Jeff said. "Wilson, I didn't tell Lori because I didn't want to upset her, but if I fail to return, I want you to do whatever's necessary to keep the two of you safe. If Varloo returns, and you're unable to stop him, take one the vessels and go to Mars. You'll stand a better chance with Barva. Do not come to the base, and do not try to pilot this ship. That's a direct order. If you can catch him, freeze him, and put him in the cryochamber, and then contact Barva. He'll then help you to pilot the ship, and pick him up. Understand?"
"Perfectly, Sir," she said, and put her hand on his shoulder. "Good
luck, Sir."
"Thanks, we'll need it," Jeff said, and placed his oxygen mask over his suit.
They took the same jeep the women used to get there, and kept an eye out for any other military vehicles. About a half mile from the base, they abandoned it, and headed for the cavern. The cargo bay door was closed, but the cameras were still on, so they moved out of range to the south until
they could backtrack to the cavern entrance. Once they were inside, Angelica reached in the wall crevice, and a door opened, which revealed a
man made tunnel.
"Where does it lead?" he asked, as he removed his mask once they were inside.
"I'm not sure," she said. "I think to the medical unit."
"Oh no," Jeff said. "Not back there."
"What about this vent over here?" Batar asked. "Where does that lead?"
"To the cargo bay."
"Right where Carver is waiting for us," Jeff said. "Well, I think the medical unit is the better option."
"Agreed," Batar said, as they walked down the hallway.
They came to a ladder, which they climbed up, and removed the grating over it. They found themselves in a corridor, which read 'infirmary' and an arrow pointing in the direction of it. They followed it, and Jeff turned to Batar.
"This is where we have to separate," he told him. "If they see you, they'll get suspicious. Do you know where Varloo is now?"
Batar closed his eyes, and read his brother's thoughts.
"He is in the genetics lab preparing the last batch of cryogenically frozen embryos for transport. He is beginning to weaken and is getting worried about me coming for him. I will try to stay out of sight the best I can until I reach the lab."
"Very good. Good luck, Batar. You've been a great friend to me, like Zarcon was."
"I'm just doing my job for the Republic."
"Screw the republic! Do it for us."
"Revenge, Jeff?"
"No, restitution."
"I'm going to restitute Carver when I see him as well," Angelica said.
"Just don't get careless," Jeff said. "You're no good to us if you're dead."
"I know what I'm doing," she said. "You forget I was a militia cadet before I became a scientist."
"I'm not worried," he said. "You forget I've seen you fight before, and believe me, I wouldn't want to meet you on a bad day."
She smiled. "Well," she remarked. "Thanks for the compliment."
The two of them walked into a main hallway of the medical unit. The patients were asleep for the night, and the only ones on the floor were nurses. They carefully slipped past the two desk nurses, and headed towards the elevator. They entered, but as they did one of the nurses caught a glimpse of them, and called security. The elevator proceeded to rise, and they cocked their pistols. When the door opened, several soldiers pointed guns in their direction.
"Wrong floor," Jeff said, as they began to open fire. Angelica activated the elevator to go up to the next floor. They got off, and ran, as several other
soldiers corned them in the middle of the hallway.
"Drop your weapons!" one ordered, as Jeff began to fire at the crowd. They returned fire, and the two of them jumped back into the elevator. All the gunfire caused the elevator controls to short out. The door began to dent severely, as it was riddled with bullets.
"Now what?" Angelica said. "We're trapped."
"The grate on top of the elevator," Jeff pointed. "Go! I'll cover you."
She nodded, pulled the grate off, and jumped up. Jeff fired back at the group of men through the open space between the doors, and then jumped up behind her. The two of them climbed the wall of the elevator shaft to reach the floor above them. While they did, Angelica lost her cryogun when it slipped off her shoulder.
"Damn it!" she yelled, trying to grab it with her free arm.
"Come on, keep moving," Jeff said, as he reached the next floor, and reached for her arm. She grabbed it and pulled herself up.
He pried open the door, and they crawled onto the floor, faced by a barrage of weapons. Jeff froze, and Angelica went to grab her pistol, but Jeff touched her hand and shook his head. "Hold your fire!" a voice yelled, as the two of them rose.
When they stood up, they were faced by Carver.
"Orders, General?" one of the guards asked. He stared at the two of them, but remained silent. "Sir?"
He knew he was ordered to kill Jeff, but his conscious could no longer let him do that. "Sir, we're waiting?"
"Let them go."
"What?" Jeff asked, totally confused. "You're letting us go?"
"They have a task to finish," Carver said. "And you will assist them with that task by releasing them. God help me."
"God wants nothing to do with you!" Angelica barked, and again Jeff touched her shoulder to hold her back.
Dimension Lapse III: Dimensional Breakdown (Dimension Lapse Series Book 3) Page 24
