by M. V. Kallai
Major Magner and General Pike watched from outside the transport as the handlers walked to the tree line and the biomachines crossed the border. The biomachines made no recognition of one another and responded perfectly to their commands. When they reached the clearing in the town, the shouting began. The unsurprised group of Tyrinian rebels were already securing themselves in stone buildings and firing their somewhat primitive guns at the biomachines. Their faces showed a mix of fear and awe when they saw the beasts that were programmed to destroy them. Pike gave the order to attack and the handlers gave the biomachines directions to fire at the buildings. The unmatched force of their bullets easily penetrated the walls, behind which the Tyrinian rebels had fled. Agonizing screams pierced the woods and brought a smile to Mace’s face.
“That’s enough,” Davi said to Maeve. “I won’t lose my fighters like this. I’m going out there now.”
Maeve nodded fiercely and Davi ran down the stairs and emerged as a lone soldier in the town clearing facing the two biomachines. His gun was raised, but when he was about to pull the trigger, a strange thing happened. The biomachines stopped firing and moved toward each other, closer and closer until they were touching. The handlers were frantically working their controls. Davi ducked behind a wall and watched with intrigue as the dull metallic skin of the biomachines seemed to slither around their shapes. It looked like molten rock on it’s way to cooling. The biomachines were sharing themselves with each other.
Watching this same horror from a safe distance, General Pike and Major Magner were backing into the transport ready to make a quick getaway if the need arose. Davi, from his hiding place, once again aimed his gun at the beasts but this time, fired. He hit one of the biomachines in the shoulder and for a moment it had no effect, just like the other weapons that had been fired upon it. The biomachine that had not been hit separated from the other and turned itself at an angle, targeting the handlers in the woods. Realizing they had lost control, they made a run for it back to the transport, but it was useless. The biomachine fired with deadly accuracy and the handlers lay dead in the dirt moments later. Davi fired again, hitting the same biomachine as before, this time in it’s body. The arm extending from the shoulder that had been hit on his first shot was becoming immobile as the virus code spread throughout its cells. Seeing that it was slowing, Davi rushed out from behind the building toward the second biomachine. He shouted at the top of his lungs as he set off his last two rounds, hitting it square in the back. The biomachine turned towards him and Davi hit the ground. The monster aimed directly at him and he shut his eyes hard. It misfired.
Then, both biomachines began to exhibit a spastic shiver that was inconsistent with their previous smooth movements. Something green and stringy started dripping from their limbs, slow at first, and then steady.
Maeve, having seen enough, shut her tiny camera off and fled, to return to her original mission, continuing on to northern Tyrine. There, she would give the Tyrinian scientists the stolen vial and along with it, a fighting chance in the coming war. She jumped into her tiny, camouflaged transport and zoomed off, flying low through the trees to remain undetected from Pike and Magner, and the village survivors who might mistake her for an enemy.
General Pike ordered Mace to start the transport. Hearing the engine, Davi got to his feet, drew another gun from his waistband and ran toward the noise, staying low to the ground. He wondered how many of his people behind the brittle rock and stone walls had been killed in the attack. Once under the cover of the forest trees, he stopped and called the lookout tower. He ordered the gunmen to fire at any transport rising up from the forest. Just as he hung up, he saw the Daxian transport peek out overhead about two hundred feet from where he was standing. Instead of flying away from the village as he anticipated, it headed straight for it, firing short-range missiles on its approach. The tower was able to get a few shots in before it was struck and obliterated. Davi, slightly out of breath from the adrenaline leaving his body, leaned against a tree for support, knowing he could not help his people now. He watched with a fire igniting in his chest and a lump in his throat as the village exploded and burned with each targeted missile.
Pike maneuvered the transport while Mace dropped missiles on the stone buildings ensuring no survivors. They both knew their weaponry program would be shut down if anyone found out about this. Pike flew directly over the biomachines whose forms now barely resembled their original humanoid soldier design. He slowed down to look closely at the melting weapons.
“What the hell did that guy shoot them with? Look at them, completely destroyed. How did they know?” Pike asked.
“I don’t know, General,” Mace lied. “But it can only mean one thing. There is a traitor in our department. Don’t worry, sir. I’ll find out who it is and punish them.” Mace had a good idea of where to start looking.
Pike had an idea too. He suspected Colonel Ganesh and wondered why Agent Quinn hadn’t figured this out, or reported it.
“Do it, Mace!” Pike ordered. “Flatten them into the dirt and let’s get the hell out of here.”
Mace took aim at the disintegrating biomer and fired. The fungal bonding agent, dripping from the biomachines, caught fire with a flash and burned out just as quickly, while the already dying biomer turned to gray and silver dust.
“Oh, by the way, you can forget about your promotion to Lt. Colonel,” Pike added. After the village was completely destroyed, they rode back in complete silence.
The sun had set by the time they arrived at the TRU Building. General Pike walked directly to his office and slammed the door. He poured himself a stiff drink, then put his feet on his desk and closed his eyes for a while. Mace Magner went to his own office before visiting the weaponry unit. He had to make his daily inspection of the newly activated biomachines and check the progress of their housing pit outside the TRU Building in the field, even though it might be a wasted effort now. When he got to his office, he saw Sergeant Bearden Leitner leaning against the wall beside his door. This was the last person Mace wanted to see tonight since he believed that Leitner was the one who had betrayed him.
“Sergeant, unless you have good news for me, I suggest you walk away,” Mace said.
“Then I’m not going anywhere, Major,” he replied. Mace raised his eyebrows with questioning eyes.
“Come in,” he said.
Once inside, Bearden pulled the access key card out of his pocket and placed it on the major’s desk.
“I’ve done what you’ve asked of me, sir. This is an access key to Tripple Laboratories. I’d like to be finished with my private servitude to you,” Bearden said.
“Ha!” Mace shouted, picking up the card and looking it over. “You think you can bring me a fucking access code and I’ll just take my eyes off of you? It’s not that easy. And if you think you can simply walk away from our little arrangement then you are more naïve than I thought. Besides, I know what you did. You’ve already turned your back on me.”
“Turned my back on you? What do you mean?” Bearden asked.
“Don’t play dumb, Sergeant. How many people know about Tripple’s virus code? Hmm?”
“Um…you, me, Dr. Tripple…that’s all.”
“Liar! You told Ganesh, didn’t you?”
Bearden gulped. He had told Ganesh…sort of. He’d given him a letter from Lee.
“Yes,” Bearden said.
“And who did Tripple give the virus code to? Did Ganesh have a sample?”
“No! I know of nothing leaving that lab, sir. That’s the truth!” Bearden thought about the missing vial that Lee kept bringing up. The only other person with access was Dana, but why would she hide a vial? Lee said no one else had been in the lab. He’d checked the security footage.
“Obviously I don’t believe you, Sergeant and now that I can’t trust you, your usefulness has just run out. In fact, your time with the government is officially terminated. Clear out your things and leave. Oh, and Leitner, you better sleep with one eye
open! Now get the hell out of here and give me some damn privacy!”
Bearden saluted his superior for the last time with a rattled expression on his face and walked out with his head down. He couldn’t believe it. What now? His heart sunk at the thought of not being able to return to TRU, but even worse, he’d have to hide because he was sure he shouldn’t take Mace’s threats lightly. Bearden got his things together, stuffed them in a backpack, and left without saying goodbye to anyone in the building. He didn’t feel like answering any of their questions about why he was leaving. Ganesh wouldn’t be happy about this. But, he would worry about that later. For now, he would deliver Dana’s letter to her parents, who lived halfway across town. Maybe the long walk would help him clear his head.
After he found Dana’s parent’s home and slid the letter under the door, his head did feel a little clearer. When Bearden was finished with his errand, the only place he wanted to go was Tripple Laboratories to hide out with Dana and Lee, but his shame wouldn’t let him. That, and he’d just given lab access to the man who threatened to kill him! Instead, he walked all the way home where he would pack up as many things as he could carry, and spend the night in a hotel, and try to figure a way out of his predicament.
Chapter Fifty-Four
Crash
The next night, Dana was working with Ari’s cells, angry with Bearden for not coming back. She was also worried about him. The new Ari was almost ready for cell direction, and if Bearden didn’t show up by tomorrow night, he was going to miss it. She wanted his help building the biomer womb, too. Lee was busy making more of the virus code and storing it in vials. He assumed Camden and Ganesh would ask for it soon. It had been another long day and finally, at 2:00 in the morning, Lee went home.
Dana changed into the undershirt Bearden had left behind, wanting to feel close to him, and then went to put a teakettle on in the kitchen. While she waited for the water to boil, she sat in her green chair, tucked her knees under her chin, and wrapped her arms around them. She was completely alone again, so she thought about Bearden. She closed her eyes and smiled as she relived their steamy night together in her mind. Dana wished he were here with her now to keep her company. When her tea was ready, she sat at the table and sipped slowly with her head propped up on her hand.
A sudden crashing sound and breaking glass from the main lab made Dana jump up with a start. She was a little disoriented and realized she had fallen asleep again at the table. Her half-drunk tea was stone cold. She was on her feet now, looking frantically to all sides of the dim room. She heard murmurs and whispers that she could barely make out…sounded like cursing, coming from the main lab. Dana gasped and instantly clapped her hand to her face realizing the noise she had made.
Who the hell is that? she thought. The realization of just how alone she was began to creep into the pit of her stomach. This lab is secure. It can’t be broken into, she reminded herself.
Maybe it’s Lee coming in, he’s the only one who has access after hours besides Bearden, Camden, and me…no, impossible, couldn’t be Camden. He’s still locked up at the TRU Building. Or, is it morning already? She glanced at the nearest clock as her mind raced, trying to reason. 3:45 am, too early for Lee, plus there are two voices out there, Bearden wouldn’t whisper. Dana steadied herself against the table because she had begun to shake with fear. She didn’t know what to do. If she sounded an alarm, the government would be alerted to her presence. The intruders surely assumed that the lab was empty tonight. Whoever it was must have been watching for Lee to leave. It would be next to impossible to break into this facility, which meant the intruders were highly skilled or had help.
If they were highly skilled, it seems odd that they would be so clumsy to knock something over. Dana thought. She decided that she had to reach Lee immediately, and then hide.
All of a sudden she saw lights bouncing off the walls down the hall and heard papers rustling and equipment being moved. Her instincts told her to run out there and stop them before they could do any damage…or anymore damage to the embryos in their stasis chambers. Then, her better judgment took over and she quietly inched toward her small room. Her computer lay on the couch and she clicked it on to make a call to Lee’s emergency line. He answered after one ring.
“What’s wrong?” Lee asked.
“Lee. Oh my God, Lee, you have to come now! We are being broken into right now. Two men are searching the lab.”
She could hear a door closing on his end of the line and realized he was already out the door.
“Have they seen you?”
“No, I was in the back…asleep. They knocked something over. That’s why I woke up.”
“There are no accidents, Dana, they wanted to be sure they were truly alone.”
“What do I do?”
“I will be there in three and a half minutes…approximately. Do not let them leave.”
“What??” Dana’s voice was trembling. “But how…I don’t…what should I…”
“Whatever you have to do to keep them there. It is likely that they don’t know you are there. Use it to your advantage. My ETA is now three minutes.”
Lee hung up and Dana let out a whimper and bit her finger. She stood up again from the couch and shook herself straight. A hard determined look appeared on her face, though her hands and legs were still shaking. She walked quickly and quietly back to the kitchen. She refilled the teapot and put it on the water boiler. Boil fast. She thought, then searched the cabinets for would be weapons and pulled down two of the heaviest mugs she could find, set them on the counter, and grabbed a knife. She noticed that the whispers had stopped and the flashlights were frozen on a single point outside the kitchen.
They’re coming! Her mind scrambled. They’ve heard me.
Muffled footsteps approached down the hall. Dana’s heart jumped to her throat. She grabbed her heavy mugs and knife and crouched down in front of the stove. The barrels of guns appeared around the corner before the two masked men that carried them. Dana got lower to the ground, so she was not directly in their line of sight when they entered. Several seconds passed, and then the whistle of the boiling water from the kettle filled the room and all three of them jumped. The two men saw Dana and pointed their guns at her, just as she hurled the mugs at their heads. Her aim wasn’t very good and she only clipped one of the two in the shoulder, but it did cause the men to duck and miss the shots they took at her.
“Don’t move!” one of them yelled and stepped closer. They were clearly caught off guard by her presence and she grabbed the boiling water and threw it at the taller man, scalding her own hands as she did. One of the guns fired again and Dana instinctively hit the floor watching the first man grab at his face, which had taken most of the boiling water. He was yelling and cursing at her. She felt fire in her left shoulder and saw blood dripping out of a hole in her sleeve. Just then the second man hit the floor with a thud. Dana thought he must have been hit with the ricochet, but then she recognized a familiar pair of brown pants covering bare feet, standing behind him. Her terrified eyes lifted to see Lee, standing firmly, looking more confused than scared or angry. He was holding a syringe in his right hand. The first man, with his face still burning, turned when his cohort fell and lunged toward Lee, who stuck him in the neck with the needle as he was being tackled to the ground. The man was almost instantly unconscious.
“Lee!” Dana yelled and breathed heavily as she picked herself up and ran over to push the man off of Lee. She saw more blood and realized that Lee had hit his head. There was a small cut over his left eye where his glasses had broken and cut him, and a small gash on his lip.
“Are you okay? That man must have hit you,” she said to Lee whose eyes seemed fixated on the ceiling.
Dana immediately began to tend to Lee, who was now visibly shaken. She helped him up and sat him at the table while she went to get some ice and some medical supplies.
“How long will they be out?” she asked.
“A..a..pproximately o
ne hour and thirty eight minutes,” Lee replied.
“Hmmm,” Dana replied practically in hysterics. “That was terrifying! Who are they? What are they looking for?”
“We will find out in one hour and thirty eight minutes…approximately.”
Dana could tell that Lee needed a moment to regroup his thoughts, so she stopped talking and began cleaning his wounds, ignoring her own. She removed his broken glasses, and then put one hand on his shoulder while she wiped the blood from his forehead and mouth. She knew he kept a spare pair in his office, so she handed him ice for his lip and ran down the hall to get them. When she flipped on the lights, she saw that the main lab was a mess. Not ransacked, but carelessly handled with tubes tipped over and broken glass on the floor. She felt the urge to stop what she was doing to set everything right in here, and assess the actual damage. One of the wombs was on the floor. Thinking about the tiny life, thawing out and struggling, made her heart break just a little.
“First things first!” She grabbed Lee’s glasses and ran back down the hall, rounded the corner into the kitchen and leapt over the two men sprawled out on the floor, to get to Lee.
Lee sat with his back turned to the intruders holding the ice to his face. Dana figured that whatever was in that syringe was strong enough that Lee was not a bit worried they might get up and fight some more. Dana sat facing him and smiled weakly as she slid the glasses over Lee’s nose. She opened her bag of supplies and began bandaging his forehead. Lee was a good patient for her. Something about Dana made her less offensive to Lee than other people. He didn’t freeze up or pull away when she touched him. There was only one other person on the planet he enjoyed as much, and he was locked up in a government facility trying to figure out how to bend space. Lee watched her work on his wounds and felt glad Dana was there to fill the void for him, even though her mind was not nearly what Camden’s was. He missed the effortless profundity of their frequent late night conversations. He saw Dana’s bleeding shoulder and put his hand over the opening, applying pressure. She smiled.
