by William Cray
Duran watched the monitor as the outer door to locker 10 slid open. The black panther remained motionless as the durianium-reinforced door rocked and raised itself into the ceiling, revealing another inner door, this one much heavier. The blast door. Gathering his strength, Duran took the three steps into the inner security room. Otosky opened the disemboweled control circuit, jerry-rigged into operation. “Ready?” Duran nodded.
“Percoms don’t work inside the lockers so when you are ready to leave just signal into the camera. We'll be watching.” Otosky stepped up to the lock system, and pressed a key with a gloved thumb. With the clatter of heavy machinery the twenty ton depleted duranium door slid into the floor. Duran stepped through. The weapons storage locker door hissed as it rose up behind him out of the floor and closed with a resounding clank isolating the two.
Inside the room an unmolested stack of field rations in the corner with water bottles piled nearby. The other necessities of nature were provided for by transparent bag of field incineration packs next to a porto. Other than a few of the packs torn open and laying adjacent to the porto, all of it looked undisturbed.
Celeste Von Heiden remained motionless against the back wall on the hard floor of the cell. Her form seemed smaller now than on the monitor, but a subconscious energy passed between them, electrifying the moment and further deepening Duran's apprehension. Duran stood near the center of the room, arms by his side, looking at the unmoving black panther. He felt the room’s energy, but not understanding how she could be tranquil and coiled to strike at the same instant. She exuded the supreme confidence of a predator who had cornered her prey and was preparing to play with it mercilessly until she grew bored. Then she would devour her tortured prey with rending teeth and deep claws.
Duran took his eyes off her to locate the camera mounted at the rear of the left wall, adjacent to the now closed and sealed blast doors. Various symbols and cautionary instructions were painted in luminescent yellow around the room. Despite the warnings printed in several places on the surrounding walls, Duran reached into his coat and pulled out the pack of pilfered cigarettes, lighting one with the spark pad on the side of the pack. He took in his first drag in a dozen years with the thin pull of his lips, then released it from deep within his lungs before replacing the pack into an inner pocket of his redcoat. The aroma of the cigarette calmed him as the tingling sensation continued to wash over him.
It occurred to him that he had done exactly what he didn’t want to do. He had begun this confrontation without a plan. He had come into the room without even having thought out his first move.
As he let the feeling wash over him, he reached back to his training, trying to reference the experience. Using all of the focus techniques he tried to create a barrier as the tide of mental pressure from the perfect form before him rose against it.
Duran concentrated on a basic engineering formula used to calculate the amount of reinforcement needed for an assault tunnel. Each member of the team used a different technique as a shield. Something that would allow them to still process what was happening, but inhibit someone seeing anything below the surface of their thoughts. They called it partitioning. The calculations weren’t working.
The strain was growing, a crack forming in the dike, but the flood of mental intrusion was under control. He could feel the presence of her maneuvering in his mind, just touching the surface, skimming his immediate consciousness. It wasn’t threatening, he recognized, but it made him uneasy. He was being probed.
The veiled young girl in front of him would have to die. He would have to kill her, he just didn’t know when. She had all the signs of a powerful accompli, but she was too young to have been consumed during the occupation. So that meant she had been corrupted later. She radiated like no other accompli he had ever encountered. An Intruder existed somewhere on Mars. Axe was right.
Nova.
Whatever he was going to do, she seemed to be waiting for him, patiently evaluating his intentions.
As he took another drag on the foul cigarette, she spoke. “Special Agent Duran.”
Duran looked down at her. She didn’t give him time to respond. The pressure to keep the dike up in his mind increased.
“I expected you sooner.” Again the voice rolled over him, echoing inside the chamber. Duran could feel the tendrils reaching out to him, his guard now up, his defenses preparing for action.
The black panther rose up, the blue light reflecting off the jet-black of her hair. As she stood, like an uncoiling snake, a flash of crystal blue eyes gazed into his, isolating him from anything beyond her presence.
God she is beautiful, Duran thought as she stood, exposing her shape in the blue light. The luminous metal beads woven on her right front cheek reflected a deep purple into the design of sanctuary, adding to the regal structure of her narrow, well-defined, oval face. She had the look of devil and angel, both irresistible.
She took a measured half step towards him swaying as she moved forward. “So are you here to kill me Agent Duran?”
Another step forward closed the separation between them. Duran remained silent, taking another drag on the cigarette, the orange light glowing in the sanctuary beads on her oval face. The pressure on his mind was growing.
She took another graceful step forward. “Or… are you trying to decide if I'm the one you are looking for?”
Duran felt the waves flow through the breaks in his mental armor. She rushed into his mind with powerful surge, soaking into his consciousness. An image of her wonderful form caressing him in an erotic embrace pierced his barriers. The pleasure of the feeling filled his mind and excited a physical reaction deep within him. He could feel the control slipping away in the waves, lost in the collage of pleasure pulling him into her.
Like the violence of a stressed girder snapping, Duran drew his Mag-gun, pointing it at her head, now just two narrow steps away. His finger tensed on the trigger and he waited for the electro-recoil of the gun, but it didn’t come. The gun froze in his hand, still oriented on Celeste’s forehead.
The shock of the rapid action jolted him. Duran looked at Celeste down the barrel of the gun, the erotic images gone. He stared at her for an instant, then broke his gaze into her eyes as the mental waves had passed. He was now alone in his mind, just a girl standing in front of him. She continued to look up at him. The image of her beauty pressing her naked form against his came back as a specter.
With the gun still pointed at her, she took another step towards him, his eyes again drawn into hers, his arm stiffened, raising the big Talon back to her forehead, finger tensing on the trigger, a mischievous smile upturning the corners of her lips.
Duran tensed on the trigger again, ready to pull it, but again he stopped as she continued her confident glide towards him. She reached up slowly with one hand, touching Duran at the wrist holding the Mag-gun to her head and gently pushed it aside. He felt the touch of her hand to his wrist in the cold room.
She guided the gun to his side as she placed her other hand on the center of his chest, between the open lapels of his redcoat. She reached into his coat pocket and retrieved the opened pack of cigarettes. As she pivoted away from Duran her shoulder length black hair brushed across him.
Taking out one of the cigarettes she fired one, then put the rest of the pack into a fold pocket on the inside of her blouse. She took a long drag, exhaling a cloud into the cold air above her. She folded her arms once more again against her chest, the cigarette dangling in her fingers.
Duran put his gun in a safe mode.
“Are you here to kill me?”
The question she had just asked seemed almost forgotten. It took Duran a moment to form the answer, a lie. “No. But I’m looking for someone…some thing.”
She took a slow drag on the cigarette, letting the shallow mist roll off her tongue and into the cold air. “Something, huh? That’s pretty broad. You don’t even know why you’re here, do you? It’s okay. I know who you are looking for. You won’t fi
nd him. He knows you’re here. He’s been waiting for you to find me. But that’s not so bad is it Rory? Now that you’ve found me.”
“He?”
“Yes…He. Does that shock you? He is the same as you and me. Human.”
“I’m not looking for a man, I’m looking for an Intruder. A monster that serves no purpose here.”
Celeste remained unmoving, staring ahead, the glow of the cigarette illuminating her silhouette. “Monster? No more than you.”
“Intruders aren’t human. Only the pieces of shit that collaborated with them are human.”
“Oh no Agent Duran. Your Intruders are human. They have always been.”
“You’re lying. You don’t know anything.”
“You’ll find out the truth soon enough.”
Celeste had to be lying to him, but he couldn’t sense a deception. She was either telling the truth or she believed it. No Intruder creatures had ever been found after San Juan or the Vendetta, only the huge Psuedos had been found amongst the dead. Perhaps the Intruder domination allowed them to infest a host and control them from within. It was a lot to think about. Maybe they were infesting the woman in front of him. A parasite?
The edge of her small lips upturned in mockery. “Your partner was looking for him. He didn’t believe me either. He knows different now doesn’t he?”
Duran clenched his jaw. She knew about Axe, maybe she was even responsible for his death. “Did your human Intruder kill Agent Hansen?”
“Agent.” She spat out. “Please stop lying to me and I won’t lie to you. Your partner killed himself.” She musingly said. A pall of smoke elevated above her, mixing with Duran’s then dissipating rapidly.
“How do you know that?” Duran replied.
“The same way I know that you didn’t mean to pull your gun on me.” She inhaled the final hot ambers of her cigarette.
Duran looked down at her, evaluating his options as she stood calmly, finishing the smoke. He decided to take a chance. “Then you know why I came here. I can't help you if you don’t help me.”
She responded, a bitter curl of her lips. “You can’t help me. You are as helpless as I am.”
Duran, sensing a change in direction, holstered his gun. Absently, he took the final drag on the cigarette hanging from his free hand. Pulling the weapon had been a reflex. It was like a breaker tripped in his consciousness and the side-arm had sprung out in reaction. He took a step towards the porto and flipped the remains of the cigarette in the incinerator bowl.
His hand was weak, but deciding on a gamble he would try to bluff as best as he could. “I’m not interested in you, but you are here and you are involved.”
Celeste dropped the cigarette stub on the floor, stepping on the ashes with the toe of her boots. She remained silent. Duran used his mental abilities to re-erect the fallen barriers trying to shield the next lie from her. “Tell me about him. I can help you.”
She half laughed, “Don’t be stupid. I won’t help you. Let me go and maybe you’ll live. You have no idea who or what you are dealing with. You think you can stop him?” Looking over her shoulder, mockingly one eye peering through her dark hair towards him, “You can’t even stop me.”
Duran could feel the tingling again, this time less intense, gentler, not feeling as threatened by its intrusion this time. Celeste made a half turn towards Duran. She denied him the enveloping eye contact he craved from her, “If I help you, what about Kari?” she said.
“What about her?” Duran asked, feigning more than he actually knew.
“She's my responsibility.”
“I see.” Duran replied. Focusing harder to keep the barrier up, he recognized that he might have discovered some slight degree of leverage. The other girl meant something to Celeste and that could be used if necessary.
“She’s dangerous without me.” Celeste continued.
Duran nodded. “Are you dangerous?”
Celeste now looked at him, that intoxicating arrogance returning, “If you thought I wasn’t, would you close your mind to me?”
Duran observed over his shoulder as she pulled out a second cigarette from the pack as she slowly circled around him until she was between him and the closed blast door.
She continued. “You don’t have any control over any of this. You are helpless like the rest of us. We are all trapped in an inevitable cycle. That’s what he said.”
“What cycle?”
“The cycle of life and death and rebirth. He wants to change it. He’s the last one left isn’t he? You killed all the rest, and now you are here to kill him.”
“Where did he come from Celeste?”
“You don’t know? You brought him to us, like a wolf into a sheep’s pen.” Her voice became playful for a moment, taunting Duran. She struck the cigarette, flaring it to life.
“Do you want me to take you to him Agent Duran? The one you came all this way for.”
Duran paused before answering. He didn’t expect the directness of the offer. Before he could utter, Yes, she spoke again. “If I take you to him, what do I get out of it? The bullet in the head you've already promised?”
“I haven’t promised anything.” Duran responded, his barrier being tested even more now. She was applying pressure into his consciousness, probing his barriers, but not crashing into them in an attempt to overwhelm him. She was only testing the areas he was trying to protect.
“I can talk to my superiors.”
Celeste laughed, “That’s the thing. You can’t understand someone like me. Why should I surrender myself to your mercy? You answer to your masters. They send you out again and again. They tell you what to do, you don’t tell them. They will fear me.”
“Then what are you?” Duran shot back.
Celeste hesitated this time, her demeanor unsure for the first time. She took a drag on the second cigarette. “Something different.”
“Help me to understand then.” Duran said.
“There is nothing to understand. I am what I am. Besides, you don’t even understand yourself. How can you know what I am if you don’t understand what you are.”
She stepped closer to him, standing directly behind him. Duran could feel her close, he turned his head slightly, and followed her with his eyes as she walked slowly past him, their arms brushing as she slid along him, Duran feeling the electric sensation. “I can help you with that too,” she purred.
“Are you offering me your help?”
The subtle smile returned to the corner of her lips. “Like I helped Eric.”
“He’s dead,” Duran retorted quickly.
“He didn’t listen, like you aren’t listening. Don’t end up like him.”
Duran felt the image of her body against his burn into his mind again. It would be better if he shot her now, but he needed her for the moment. Duran watched her as she returned to the corner and turned to face him, red ambers flaring as she inhaled again, her coy smile faded.
Duran stepped into the camera view in the adjacent corner. He motioned into it then turned to face Celeste. “I'll see what I can do to make it more comfortable for you here.” She nodded once.
“Does Kari have family?”
“No. I am her family. Hab Eleven is her family.” Celeste said.
Duran nodded. “I'm going to see her before I go.”
“I'll let her know she should behave.”
Duran knew the duranium walls couldn’t hold Celeste but perhaps her range was limited. He didn’t know how strong she was or if he could contain her, but Duran did know that he would have time to react if she tried to take over, he just wasn’t sure if he could stop both Celeste and the other girl if she was as powerful as Celeste. Maybe that’s what happened to Axe, he wondered.
On impulse he turned, “What really happened to my partner?”
Celeste showed no expression, “He was like you and he died because of it.”
“That’s not an answer.”
The blast doors lowered slowly, air hissing throug
h the filtration system that cleansed the room of contaminates. Duran turned to leave, pausing before he did, “I’ll return soon. Think about your options. Or lack of.”
Celeste remained still, staring at him. She let out another exhale of the blue tinted fumes from the glowing cigarette. Duran stepped into the isolation room and after the blast doors and outer doors cycled, he stepped back into the main corridor.
Otosky stood outside, still fully masked. “ Shit. I watched the whole thing. I thought you were going to shoot her.”
Duran stared up at the monitor, his heart rate exceeding parameters, but slowing. Celeste had finished the cigarette and returned to her crouched position. Otosky glanced up at it. “She is hot though.”
Duran shot back. “Stay the fuck away from her.”
Otosky furrowed his eyebrows at first then nodded.
Duran watched as the outer door clacked into place. “Open the other locker.”
With a deep breath, he prepared to face the second girl. He knew her name now.
Kari.
9
Triton Building, New Meridian Facility
Hebes Chasma, Mars
Daren Rachenko was running late. He intended to leave his office at the engineering firm of Triton Mechanics before the suns terminus passed beyond the chasm’s reflectors, but as usual, his boss had caught him at the last second, dropping a stack of modifications on his desk. It was only minor changes and the inversion shielding schematics weren’t difficult to approve, but there were five of them and conversion modeling was scheduled to begin contingency holo-graphing tomorrow. The propulsion team was already four weeks behind on the project. It was a big job, but with Triton’s principle shareholder being the Old Emperor himself, no part of the job would ever be small or insignificant. Taking a last stale gulp of Jiri, Daren gathered up the plans, and headed down to the holo-dry dock.
The dry dock was just over one hundred meters in each direction. It was an exact scale replica of all Triton Mechanics extra-solar maintenance and construction dry docks around the old Empire. Encompassing the new Commonwealth and a smaller consortium of friendly worlds that formed after the Emperors abdication, Triton had contracts across human space.
