But Fairbanks wouldn’t know that for sure. Maybe the ships battling the Earth Fleet on the other side of the Rift had been their entire fleet. They just didn’t know. Every thought about the outcome of that war was speculation, and as a doctor and scientist, speculation wasn’t something Wren liked to rely on.
“Do you think you can create a functional virus now?” Charles asked.
She nodded, keeping her voice quiet. “I do. It’ll take time, but I think we can do it.”
“We?”
“You and I. We’re a team, right?” she asked Charles.
He seemed to consider this. “Agreed. We are a team, Wren.”
Wren knew Charles was struggling to find his place in this new existence. He’d spent his entirety as a guard at the prison, and now he was bypassing the programming inside his neural chips.
“Very well. What do you know about a virus?” she asked him, expecting a scientific response.
“A virus is an infection of the cell matter, where it replicates, spreading the strain throughout the organism. For a case such as this, we want to terminate the recipient, so we will need to create a form of lethal viral pathogen, such as Ebola among humans. Or the H19N4 virus, which wiped out half of Asia and a quarter of the Earth’s population in 2230.” Charles stopped and looked at her, his eyes glowing softly.
As a biologist, Wren had studied most of the deadly viruses that had plagued mankind since the dawn of time. Most were a thing of the past, the vaccines bred into everyone now, but nature always took hold, and viruses adapted and evolved like everything. That specific strain of “avian flu” was the largest single attack on the human population to date, and over six billion had died. Many had theorized it was created by the Earth Fleet as a population control measure, but Wren wasn’t sold on the idea. Viruses were terrible things and were almost impossible to regulate.
“I’ll have to create a vaccine as well.” Wren hadn’t been hired to do this originally, and she’d keep it between her and Charles.
“What’s the purpose?” Charles asked.
“What if we’re wrong? What if we can form an alliance with the Watchers? If it was up to anyone but the gun-toting Earth Fleet, maybe peace would have already been reached,” Wren said.
“I hadn’t considered that.”
“There’s another reason. There have been cases of a virus adapting quickly by itself, and latching on to another source. We might create something that ends up affecting humans. I’ll do everything to prevent that, but we need to be prepared.” The more Wren considered what she was doing, the more she wished she were back in her condo in New Dallas, reading a book on a Sunday morning. But that life was far away, and never to be hers again, so she pushed the thoughts aside.
“That wouldn’t be good,” Charles stated.
“No. No, it wouldn’t do us any good.” Wren was almost ready to get to today’s work.
“What will you do with the virus?” Charles’ question was a good one.
“I’m not sure. There’s no easy way to get it onto one of their warships. I expect we’ll find their home world.” Wren cringed at the idea of unleashing a species-ending strain against anyone, even the Watchers.
Charles didn’t comment. Maybe the idea of genocide didn’t offend the android, or he knew better than to talk her out of creating the virus.
“Enough of this. I have samples to gather.” Wren got up, stretching her back. She didn’t realize how long she’d been sitting there until she started to walk, her left leg half-asleep. Charles was there to help stabilize her as she stumbled. “Thank you, Charles. Already proving your worth as my partner.”
“Is there something faulty with your legs?” he asked, his voice monotone as ever.
She laughed. “It was just asleep.” He stared blankly at her, but she absently waved the concern away.
The Watcher was still unconscious, drugged by an injection placed hours ago. She was told it would stay under for eight hours once the drug was administered, and she checked the time, making sure it wouldn’t come to while she stood over it drawing vials of blood.
“I’ll go in. You stay on this side of the barrier,” Charles offered.
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I’ll do it this time. If we have any cause for concern, I’ll let you handle it next time.” Wren stepped to the cell and entered her code. Before tapping it off, she watched the alien’s chest slowly rising up and down in a consistent rhythm and pace. He wasn’t conscious. She hit the key and the blue energy barrier vanished, leaving nothing but a three-inch glass wall between them.
Wren used her fingerprint to open the door, and it clicked open. “Leave it latched. Don’t let anyone in or out. And whatever happens, do not let this Watcher leave this cell.” Wren directed this at Charles, who nodded, wordlessly accepting the charge.
The Watcher was sprawled out naked on the floor. She wondered if they wore clothing or if they were comfortable being nude. She wished she had that information. It was easier to think of it as an animal, but they were obviously an intelligent race, capable of more than humans. Their Shift drives were far more advanced than the Earth Fleet’s technology, so who knew what else they had?
Maybe she could learn their language. Charles might be able to assist with that. Anything they could learn from the Watcher would be imperative to winning the war. If Fairbanks was thinking of the Watchers as an afterthought to this colony, then someone here needed to step it up.
Wren didn’t have anyone back at home she missed. She’d been an only child, and her parents had died from a contagion on Mars when she was a little girl. It was the reason she’d become a biologist in the first place. Now she was trying to create her own virus, and the irony wasn’t lost on her.
She scanned over the hulking frame of the Watcher now. This was the closest she’d been to it, and she slipped on gloves before running a finger over its stomach and chest. The arms were long, hanging below its knees, and they had small suction cups on them, making her instantly think they were related to cephalopods. The end of the limb formed into a sort of hand with two thick digits splayed out, each the same size, a much smaller opposable thumb stuck out between them.
The arm was thin, but Wren could tell this creature had once been well-muscled. Years of captivity had weakened it dramatically. Its head was shaped much like a human’s, an oval with two wide closed eyes. She’d already noticed the Watcher had a nictitating membrane, an opaque third eyelid. She used her fingertips to open it and saw a milky film covering the shape.
This Watcher had a slight protuberance in the center of his face, with two nostrils opened under it. It was a small nose and would likely serve the same function as a human one. Below it sat a wide-spread mouth. The lips were non-existent, dark gray skin folding inward. She opened the mouth to see at least a hundred miniature sharp teeth.
“What kind of diet do you have?” she asked it quietly. She scanned its neck for gills, or something else to prove it was semi-aquatic, but couldn’t see anything of the sort. They fed it a concoction of vegetables and oats, and it seemed to process them just fine.
She glanced back at Charles, who, for an emotionless android, looked worried about her. “I’ll be done soon.”
Wren had already reviewed the body scans and wasn’t surprised to see most of the organs one would expect in an animal. It also had exposed genitalia, letting them know it was a male, or what humans would consider a male. She had no female to compare it to, so in the meantime, the Watcher was a “he” in her mind.
Wren lifted an apparatus from a case she’d brought into the cell and pressed it against the creature’s arm. Dark red blood poured out, filling the vial. When that was done, she scraped some skin from various parts of his body and noticed he was absent of any hair follicles.
Satisfied, she turned to leave, but stopped. She took a moment to take in the amazing creature in front of her. Even emaciated like he was, she was still impressed with his physiology. She wanted to see the Watchers i
n their own element. What was their world like? How did they act as a culture? Wren wasn’t sure she’d get the chance to find out, but she was determined to learn as much as she could. As she left the room, she considered how they might be able to bargain with them. Maybe her role within this invasion resistance was to play mediator.
In the meantime, she’d create the virus capable of removing the Watchers from existence. Because it always paid to have a backup plan.
3
Ace
“Do you think those bugs will come back?” Ace was standing up in the rear of the transport vessel, pacing the compact area. As much as he wanted to get off the lander, he was worried about what might be patiently waiting outside for them.
Flint shrugged. “Who knows? I think they were drawn by the ship flying. Once we landed, they scattered pretty quickly. Bree, what do you think?”
The guard looked surprised at being called on. “I… uh… I’m not sure.”
“This is just great.” Fairbanks was furious, and Ace expected his head might actually explode. “Sixty years! I waited sixty goddamn years to get here, and you fly us into a horde of ship-destroying bugs!”
Flint took the insult like a champion, and Ace liked the rogue pilot even more for it.
“Look, Jarden, I didn’t have a choice. If you would’ve waited until we were near the signal in orbit, we could have traveled straight there.” Flint leaned back casually. “But I’m not one to point fingers.”
Ace watched as Fairbanks took a calculated breath before speaking. “How far are we?”
“Twenty kilometers,” Flint answered.
“Try to communicate again,” Fairbanks ordered.
“The system’s fried.” Flint tapped the black console. “Whatever those little buggers were, they messed with our electrical components. Nothing works.”
“Then why do we have light?” the councilman asked.
“That’s the backup. The lights and air recycler are on a different circuit for just such occasions. The comm system isn’t part of that. Air becomes more valuable than communication – at least according to the engineers who plan these things from a lab, and not from a lander on an alien planet,” Flint said.
Ace spoke up. “What do we do?”
“We can wait for them to find us. Captain Barkley will know we’re missing soon enough,” Flint offered.
Fairbanks shook his head before the pilot had finished talking. “No. It’s only twenty kilometers. We can’t wait.”
Ace was nervous. It was dark, and they had no idea what was out here.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Councilman.” Ace noticed Flint’s use of the old man’s title now. There had been a shift in Flint’s eyes as soon as Fairbanks suggested leaving the lander.
“I have to agree with Lancaster, sir,” Bree said. “There are too many unknowns out there. It’s nighttime, and twenty kilometers might not seem like a long way, but when walking through unforgiving territory, it can mean injury or even death.”
Ace nodded along with her, hoping Fairbanks bought what she was selling.
“Don’t tell me you three are afraid.” Fairbanks pushed past Ace and headed toward the rear of the lander. He started sifting through the crates. “Help me out here, kid. We’re going to need a few things.”
Ace glanced at Flint and blew out some trapped air from his lungs. “Coming.”
Flint gave Ace a phony grin, and they went to the back of the ship together.
“Tents, hunting gear, fire starters. Didn’t you ever camp, son? This could be fun.” Fairbanks was showing a different side of himself, and Ace bit his tongue. He’d slept most of his life outside. Maybe he was stronger than he was giving himself credit for.
“Sure. What else do you have in here?” Ace asked as he opened a crate. It was stacked full of food. Canned and vacuum-sealed vegetables were piled to the brim of the large container. “I’ll get the food.”
The four of them began to fill up various backpacks with pertinent supplies. Fairbanks had a joyous look on his face as they did so. Gone was the anger and frustration. Ace knew the man’s family was supposedly on the colony ship, and sixty years was a long time to be apart. Ace guessed he might be anxious to get to them too, if their roles were reversed.
“What did the terrain look like between here and our destination?” Bree asked.
Flint took the lead. “Mostly foothills. The mountain range ended a way back. Lots of trees and a few smaller lakes. The lake where the radar was drawing us to is huge. Where there’s water…”
Bree finished for him. “There’s life. Right.” She pulled her stunner out, as if to check the charge, and opened a closet, handing them each weapons. Ace took the offered stunner and rifle, attaching the latter to his pack just like Bree had. “I hope we don’t need these, but it’s better to be safe…”
Flint took over for her this time. “…than dead.” He winked at Ace.
Fairbanks was the first one out. The pack was too large and heavy for a man of his age, but he managed the weight without complaint. Ace was beginning to believe there was more than met the eye with the councilman.
Ace followed him outside. They’d already told him the air was breathable, but he was still concerned as he inhaled his first breath. They’d placed a medical kit in his bag, and Ace imagined tiny spores entering his lungs with each inhale. He’d been spending too much time around Wren.
Twin moons hung in the night sky, each near full and reflecting the system’s starlight, casting a bright white glow over the terrain. They were in a field where waist-high grass spread out in thick thatches.
“Be careful. You never know what kind of animals or insects might be lurking under there,” Bree said.
Ace flinched and fought the urge to jump back onto the lander. He didn’t want to look like a big baby, so he kept his feet planted, nervously swallowing. “You don’t think there’s really anything down here, do you?”
“I have no idea. I’m just warning everyone to be cautious.” Bree’s voice was quiet but authoritative. Her first impression as an introvert was disappearing, being replaced with that of a soldier who’d been in charge. Ace didn’t think it was a fluke that Fairbanks had brought her along. Everything the man did seemed premeditated.
“This way,” Fairbanks said, pointing toward a treeline with his index finger.
Ace took a deep breath and wondered if it was the same scent as a forest on Earth. Most of the trees in America had been cut down long ago, and he’d only seen pictures of preserved forests. Here, the air was thick and humid-smelling. After months of recycled air, this was refreshing.
“Come on,” Flint said, clapping Ace on the shoulder with a hand. “We don’t want Jarden to get too far ahead of us.”
“Flint,” Ace said quietly so no one else could hear him. Bree was twenty yards ahead, stalking after Fairbanks.
“Yes?”
“Do you think they’re here?” Ace asked.
“The colony? I have no idea. The Eureka picked up the signal, but it’s coming from the body of water. The ship could have come down and been attacked by the insects. Maybe the signal was built to relay its location, no matter what happened. We might get there to find nothing but two thousand dead bodies; a colony ship full of skeletons.”
Ace tried not to picture the scene Flint was painting for him.
“Or they have an elaborate city set up, and we’re going to walk into something amazing,” Flint said.
“What about his family? It’s been so long, and I can’t imagine life on a new world is good for their health,” Ace said.
Flint started to walk, and Ace hurried to catch up. “If they’re anything like him, they’re probably fine.”
The straps of the forty-pound pack were already digging into Ace’s shoulders, but in the short time at boot camp, he’d gained ten pounds of muscle. He was far stronger then he’d ever been.
It was quiet on the planet, with the exception of a constant buzzing in the distan
ce. Ace guessed the sound originated from insects. As they entered the forest, the noise became more muffled. Ace set a hand on a smooth tree trunk, surprised by how similar the tree looked to those from Earth. These trees grew tall and thin, no branches for fifty feet or so. Their tops were thick, like puffy green clouds.
Fairbanks was standing still, and when they caught up to him, Ace saw the man’s finger against his lips, his ear cocked slightly to the side.
“Do you hear that?” he asked softly.
Ace was about to say he heard nothing, when he understood. The insects had stopped their constant chirp. Ace scanned the trees around him and saw glowing eyes reflecting from the moonlight. At first, there were just two; then, just as quickly, there were at least a dozen creatures silently watching from fifty meters away.
Benson
Benson entered his quarters after a long day. Fairbanks had put him in charge of several different tasks, and none of them had been easy. He was happy with the crew, though. For the first time in his life, he was able to delegate some of his workload, and he’d be able to sleep at night, knowing the responsibilities would be completed with care.
Fairbanks was a leader with a twenty-thousand-foot view. He saw everything from above, the whole picture spread out below him as he considered things. Benson was his middleman, there to make sure jobs were completed as per Fairbanks’ orders. More often than not, Benson took it upon himself to tweak or reimagine the councilman’s decisions, but the spirit was the same.
Today, he’d been in charge of ensuring each division of the crew understood their schedules. This had been engrained in them over the course of the last month, but now that they were on the other side, and everyone knew this was their new reality, Jarden was worried some of them might break. They could never go home again. They were either going to live out their days aboard Eureka or below on the colony world.
The Resistance- The Complete Series Page 27
