“Sure, sure,” I said. “So why did you have to kill the agent?” I asked, remembering the skeleton in the Guard ship when I’d first found it. The skeleton that had had a monkey-like skeletal tail.
“Rax’s original Guard agent had learned of the portal and wished to open it. I believe the idea of unlimited power had corrupted him.”
“Why don’t you think the idea will corrupt me?”
“I have studied you as we speak, Agent Logan. I have also watched you from afar. You have impressed me. You are a rare individual of grit and honor. I have, in fact, summoned a Guard ship to aid us.”
“But I thought you said you don’t speak to the Galactic Guard.”
“Of course I used an intermediary in order to keep my identity secret.”
“Oh,” I said. “So a Guard ship is coming. Why do you need me, then?”
“Clearly, the Guard ship has not yet arrived. In fact, it may not come in time. That means you must stop Lord Beran and his confederates before they manufacture a chronowarp and open the portal.”
“How close are they to doing that?”
“Beran is even now summoning his teleporting craft. I can only conclude that the purpose of this is to take him away to rearm for the next phase of the fight.”
“Beran is highly modified,” I said. “He happens to have the full use of his brain.”
“He is an Antaran dominie of the Institute,” Sand said. “I know he is uniquely dangerous. You must kill him, Agent Logan. You must kill his confederates on the Saturn Station.”
“And how am I supposed to do that?” I asked. “If my Guard-ship’s lasers couldn’t pierce Beran’s force field, I doubt I have a powerful enough gun.”
“I have a dagger from the other realm,” Sand said.
“Wait a minute,” I said, holding up my hands. “By other realm, you mean what? The so-called Polarion Paradise?”
“That is correct.”
“And ‘stuff’ is different there than from over here?”
“Some ‘stuff,’ as you say, from that realm, has queer properties here. The substance is unlike anything known in this universe. I do not believe that Beran’s force field will resist the otherworldly substance.”
“‘Do not believe’ doesn’t sound the same as ‘The force field won’t resist the substance.’”
“That is correct,” Sand said. “There is a large margin for error in this assassination attempt.”
I didn’t like the sound of that.
“Surely, the Guard ship, the big one coming, will have energy weapons that could vaporize Beran,” I said.
“If it is a Guard Dreadnought, then yes, it will possess such main weaponry. But that dreadnought is not here. You are. Time is limited. Beran’s force field is unique, and we must stop him before he succeeds.”
“What if we stranded Beran in space, in a vacuum? Would that kill him?”
“That would be sufficient to kill him. But Beran is resistant to any teleportation not of his design.”
“I remember silvery discs down in the Greenland cavern teleporting him.”
“Perhaps that is so,” Sand said. “But Beran would have allowed that to happen.”
“And after I kill Beran and his confederates…?” I asked.
“Then, you will return the otherworldly knife to me for safekeeping. It has a terrible property that only I have been able to suppress.”
“Okay…what does that mean?”
“You will not want to wield this knife for long.”
“How come?” I asked.
“Because it will destroy you after a time,” Sand said. “It will disrupt your atoms and you will simply cease to exist.”
“So…” I said, “what will the knife do to those near me?”
“The same,” Sand said.
“Does this side effect have a range?”
“Several hundred miles,” Sand said.
“This knife has some seriously bad mojo.”
“In truth, the substance does not exist in the same manner that we do. It has grim properties. I have kept the knife because I have no way yet of getting rid of it. Keeping the knife from destroying the Earth is one of my many duties.”
“This might sound…crazy,” I said. “But if the portal is that dangerous, why haven’t you destroyed the Earth and thereby destroyed the portal?”
“Have you not listened to me?” Sand asked. “The portal has nothing to do with the planet, other than occupying the same space, as it were. If anyone destroyed the Earth, he would destroy the portal but not the rip in reality. He would have destroyed the Great Machine and me, though. Then, the things on the other side could come through once they built a portal of their own, which I’m sure they could do with ease.”
“Scratch that idea,” I muttered, too low for Sand to hear. “Okay…” I said more loudly, “if they can build portals, why don’t they build a different portal to Earth now and finish us off?”
“That is an intelligent question,” Sand said, almost sounding surprised. “I don’t believe any other rip in reality on Earth leads to that dimension. If they have other rips over there, I suppose they must lead to other realms of existence. I have no idea if they have or have not attempted that. I am moderately certain they desire to return here, although I am not exactly sure why.”
“Maybe to show off,” I said.
“That might be so,” Sand said. “Or perhaps this is one of the few realities where they would be akin to gods compared to the rest of you.”
That was a sobering thought. I also wondered why Sand hadn’t included himself in that little comparison.
Several of the bronze robots reappeared. This time, they dragged a large granite cube maybe ten feet high and wide and deep. It took twelve of them to drag the ponderous thing. I noticed a lock in the center of the side facing us. A last robot carried what must have been the key.
“Are you ready to carry out the task?” Sand asked me.
“Do you have any suggestions about how to get Beran?”
“Locate his position, teleport beside him and stab hard.”
“You make it sound easy.”
“I doubt it will be,” Sand said. “There is another thing we must discuss before you begin. I expect you must realize by now the seriousness of my existence.”
“Of course,” I said.
“You speak too flippantly. You do not realize. I have remained hidden for many cycles of time, and I intend to remain so. The reasoning is obvious. If no one knows about me or the Great Machine, they will not plot to destroy me or the machine. In that way, the blockage to the terrible portal remains in place.”
“I can see that,” I said slowly.
“Thus, once the mission is completed, Rax, Jenna and yourself must be eliminated. It is the only way to ensure that the secret of me and the machine remains one.”
“Oh…” I said.
“I want your word that after eliminating Lord Beran and his confederates, you will return down here with Rax and Jenna.”
“So that you can…what, kill us?” I asked.
“I do not need to kill you personally. My robots or the Grithies can do the deed. Or, if you prefer to cease by your own hand that is fine with me.”
“You’re too generous,” I said.
“I know you do not mean that. I know you think that it is a harsh sentence, as you will cease to exist.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Sand. It makes obvious sense, as you’ve said. Of course, I understand. Why do you think I became a Galactic Guard agent in the first place? It was to defend my planet. I’m the Earth’s marshal. Thus—”
“Agent Logan, I sense that you are seeking to deceive me. I know you Earthlings. You desire to live above all else. In fact, I have come to suspect that you view your own life more highly than the rest of the lives on the planet.”
“That’s preposterous,” I said.
“Your actions say otherwise.”
“So…what are you proposing, then
?”
“You must undergo a quick operation,” Sand said. “It will be relatively painless.”
“Oh, right,” I said. “I get it. You want to put a control device in my brain.”
“That is true. If you will observe the new robots…”
I looked around and saw about twenty more of the huge bronze robots dragging what looked like an operating theater with a bed and a buzz-saw, no doubt to open my skull.
“Is that what you did to Kazz’s and the Director’s clones?” I asked.
“That is a logical deduction. Yes, you are correct.”
“How about I just give you my word and we can skip the operation? As you’ve been saying, time is short.”
“I am afraid that that is unacceptable,” Sand said.
As I stared at the huge metal head, the robots dragged the operating theater closer yet…
-38-
“Wait a minute!” I shouted, holding up my hands.
The robots continued to drag the operating theater closer.
“Sand,” I said. “We have to talk about this.”
“The time for talking is over,” the great metal head said. “Now, it is time for action.”
“I need Rax in order to operate the Guard ship.”
“You will have Rax as soon as the control chip is in your brain.”
“I resent your distrust,” I said.
“I suspect that is another lie. You are a cunning creature, Logan, but you have a problem telling the truth when you are under great duress.”
I looked around wildly. This was a nightmare. Behind me was a black wall of metal. To the sides of me were the gem mounds. The robots kept dragging stuff in here from a place of deep darkness across from me.
“Let me at least see the otherworldly knife before you turn me into a mindless slave.”
“You are mistaken, Logan. The process is nothing like that. The control device is more akin to a prod in order to get you to make the correct actions. You will still maintain your self-identity.”
“Sand!” I shouted. “If you put that chip in me, I’m going to commit suicide at the first opportunity.”
The fires in Sand’s eyes grew ominously large. It had one good side effect. The robots halted and so did the operating theater.
“Are you truly that selfish, Logan?” Sand asked.
“You’d better believe I am. I’m not going to be anyone’s slave for any reason.”
“Not even to save the Earth?”
“That’s right,” I said. “Not even for that.”
“That is unbelievably selfish.”
“Yeah, well,” I said, “tough beans.”
“Do you not love the human race?”
“Of course I do.”
“Would you not give your life to save your species?”
“Most of the time, yeah,” I said.
“Then, why does it matter if you have the control chip in your brain? You must die after slaying Beran and his confederates. You must cease in order to protect the great secret.”
Using a sleeve, I wiped sweat from my brow. I had to figure a way out of this.
“Did you create the CAU?” I asked.
“Indirectly,” Sand said.
“And that’s why all this happened. That’s why Beran and the rest of us found this place, because you put the headquarters under the salt flats.”
“You have a point, and you should know that I have seen the error of my ways. I will not make such an error again. In my defense, at the time, I felt I had to counteract your clumsy actions.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Why do you think the world leaders did not come to the obvious conclusions after the nuclear detonations caused by the space pirates?”
“The CAU helped…blind the world?”
“CAU was only an embryo organization at that time,” Sand said, “but in a manner of speaking, you are correct. I also set up the CAU to aid in stopping future alien incursions. I have failed, however. I believe the Galactic Guard will have to tighten the cordon around the Solar System.”
I nodded even as I gauged my options. It sounded like this knife was the ticket to slaying Beran. I didn’t want the knife, though, if I had to give up my free will to get it. What I wanted might not matter, as I couldn’t see a way out of this.
“Look,” I told Sand, as sweat pooled under my armpits. “If you’re going to put the control chip in my head, let me consult Rax first.”
“For what reason?” asked Sand.
“Frankly, I’d like Rax’s advice about what I should do.”
“That seems like dubious reasoning to me. Thus, I believe you are lying again. How can we come to an understanding if you continue to give me falsehoods?”
“Does it always have to be your way or the highway?” I complained.
“As long as I have the upper hand, yes,” Sand said. “Logan, I believe I have arrived at a solution.”
“What’s that?”
“I will insert a guidance chip along with the control device in your frontal lobe. The guidance chip will ensure that you remain in a positive frame of mind. In essence, it will keep your darkest thoughts from bubbling up from your subconscious. In this way, you will not think of committing suicide.”
“Oh, that’s great!” I said, clapping my hands, trying to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.
The robots began dragging the operating theater closer again.
I realized then that Sand must be half-mad, or his thinking was so foreign to mine that he might as well have been insane. If I were going to remain me, I was going to have to do something right this second.
“What is the meaning of your newest action?” Sand asked.
I had begun walking toward the operating theater.
“I can see there’s no way out of this,” I said. “I don’t totally like it, but I know when I’m beaten.”
“I do not believe that corresponds to what I have learned about you, Logan.”
I kept walking resolutely toward the operating theater. It brought me near the robot holding the key to the granite block. The key was sitting on a pad of sorts. It was a big metal key, a little longer than my forearm.
“Is this another trick?” Sand asked.
“Nope,” I said, as I ran at the key-holding robot.
“Logan, this is senseless. If my robots fail to catch you, rest assured that my Grithies will apprehend you sooner than you can believe.”
The key-holding robot clanked backward even as the others by him lurched toward me.
I lifted the key from the holding pad. It was even heavier than I’d thought. But I was stronger than a normal human. With a grunt, using two hands, I turned away from the robots.
“Logan, put that down.”
The robots that had dragged the granite cube should have stayed by it instead of clanking toward me. They moved in a line toward me, and it seemed as if they were blocking me from the granite cube. Other robots clanked from the other direction, with their bronze arms outstretched.
I ran at the first line, dove, rolled behind their metal legs and jumped up behind them.
“Stop, Logan,” Sand said in a booming voice. “I will destroy you if you do not put down the key.”
I ignored the metal head as I sprinted the short distance to the cube. The sounds of fire grew from Sand’s eye-sockets. Could he beam jets of flame at me? I wouldn’t doubt it.
I thrust the heavy key in the slot—it went in smoothly. I tried to turn it and failed. A glance over my shoulder showed me two walls of advancing robots closing in toward me.
Sweat dripped from me and soaked my garments. Remembering the hatch release, I twisted the key the other way. It rotated and clicked ominously.
“Logan, stop.”
The vast granite cube split in half, the upper part rising with a grinding noise.
A weird light radiated from the center of the cube. There, in the middle, was a sheathed dagger. The handle glowed, and the tiniest
tip of the blade that wasn’t in the sheath shimmered in a frightening fashion.
My mouth was dry, and fear tightened my groin. I dove into the cube, between the two halves, and slithered to the knife, clutching the handle.
A shock went through my hand. I ignored the shock and took the knife with its metallic-seeming sheath. It was big, like a big Bowie knife. Once it was in my possession, I kept crawling, sliding out through the other side of the cube.
“Logan, drop the knife,” Sand said.
I did no such thing. Instead, I sprinted for the black wall that had been behind me as I faced Sand.
“I will burn you to death,” Sand warned.
Even if that wasn’t a hollow threat, I wasn’t going to stop now.
Fire roared, and a seemingly liquid jet of flame like from an old WWII reel with Marines burning Japanese soldiers out of caves hissed against the floor beside me. The floor there burned with fire, making me sweat harder.
By that point, I had reached the dark steel wall. Instead of drawing the knife and hacking, I noticed a hatch. I pressed a button.
“This is your last chance, Logan,” Sand boomed.
The hatch slid up. I darted in and to one side, even as another jet of liquid fire poured into the chamber.
It burned, and the heat caused me to stagger from it. The fire lit the room, however. I saw Rax on a stand.
I darted there, grabbed him and shook the crystal.
“Rax, Rax, can you hear me?”
The crystal did not answer.
Into the hellishly hot room clanked three, four, five—a continuous line of robots.
“If you escape, I will find you!” Sand boomed from outside.
I backed away from the approaching robots, turned and saw another hatch. I ran to it, pressed the button and the hatch opened. It looked like the steel room where I’d fallen unconscious. At this point, I didn’t have a choice, I darted to it and pressed another button. The hatch slid shut behind me.
I’d held my breath as I moved in a quick walk through the steel chamber. It was dimly lit, and it again seemed stale, without breathable air.
Fortunately, there was another hatch.
Soon, enough, I found myself in another room, this one with breathable air.
Invaders: The Antaran (Invaders Series Book 3) Page 17
