by T. R. Harris
The three members of the away team were already in suits. At the airlock they donned their helmets. “These things have jetpacks, so we should be able to make good time to the Sol-Kor base,” Adam pointed out. “Sherri, our ATD’s should detect the presence of security monitors, even if we won’t be able to affect them, so be sensitive to any twitches you get.”
Moments later they stood on the surface of the moon, taking in first the stark, alien landscape of uniform hue, then next the dominant orb in the sky that was the planet Kor. It was an amazing sight. The entire world was shrouded in a whitish haze illuminated by thousands of pin-points of red. Even from this distance the fires flickered, while some appeared to link up to form vast swaths of light making the shroud glow with a pink, internal shimmer. This was the beginning of a nuclear winter, as the countless fires cast prodigious amounts of soot and ash into the atmosphere, limiting the amount of solar radiation that could reach the surface. The planet was doomed. Unfortunately for the victors, it was only one of a thousand such worlds inhabited by the Sol-Kor.
After getting their bearings, Adam allowed Lila to take the lead, something he was falling into the habit of doing quite often. He had yet to fully bond with her, unable to develop the same feelings he’d had for his Human daughter Cassie. Lila was…different. Even if she wasn’t a mutant…and immortal…and a genius, he would still have a problem relating to her.
Arieel, on the other hand, was fully committed to the relationship with her daughter. It was Lila who was having attachment issues with her mother, unable to fall into the traditional role of mother-daughter. Each case was understandable. Lila was different; she knew it, as did everyone else. It was just that Adam felt guilty using his daughter to do all the dirty work for him and the team. She didn’t seem to mind; however, recognizing the logic and necessity. Now she took flight, using the jets built into her spacesuit to make half-kilometer leaps in the light gravity, soaring over craters and large, craggy rocks.
“No monitors yet,” Sherri reported.
“Yeah, I’m not detecting anything, either.”
“Could it have something to do with the Sol-Kor—once again—never imagining anyone would challenge them, especially in their home system?”
“I hope that’s it. But even if they don’t have any active security outside the base, it’s a good bet they’ve beefed things up inside since the Hal’ic arrived.”
During one of the long, almost leisurely hops, Adam checked his wrist monitor. “Only three klicks to go. Should start seeing some signs of the base.”
“You are correct, Father. The base is located in that mountain ahead of us. You can see the entrance.”
Adam squinted. All he saw were a series of unnaturally straight lines near the mountain, and what seemed to be a black point near where the mountain met the plain.
“I can see no outside fortifications,” Lila reported. “However, there is a secondary doorway to the right of the entrance. It is large enough to accommodate starships, whereas the other opening is not.”
“You can see that?” Sherri asked.
The question had also been on Adam’s mind as well.
“Yes, quite clearly. No movement outside.”
“Just us.” Sherri’s tone was grim.
“Let’s walk the rest of the way,” Adam suggested. “These suits have plenty of metal on them. No need to look like three incoming missiles to any local radar.”
The remaining two kilometers were covered in ten minutes, leaving Adam, Sherri, and Lila standing before the looming black entrance to the underground Sol-Kor base, wondering what to do next.
“It’s just a huge, black metal door,” Sherri said. She stepped up to it and ran a gloved hand over the surface. “Anyone see a doorbell…or even a doorknob?”
“I’d settle for an airlock.”
Lila pointed. “There are tread tracks leading in and out of this entrance. Yet the area outside the large hangar door is clear, a result of exhaust gases stirring up the surface and depositing a fresh layer of dust with each passing.”
“I’m surprised they’ve allowed us to walk right up to the door,” Adam said. His stomach tightened. “Add to that the fact that no monitors were detected and I’d say this place is abandoned.”
“I heard that,” Riyad said through the comm-link. “Now what?”
“First we make sure.” Adam went to the side of the entrance and picked up one of the few rocks lying on the ground nearby. Then he stepped up to the metal door and began banging on it with the rock. No sound was heard through his helmet, as the airless environment didn’t allow for sound promulgation. But if there was an atmosphere on the other side, the banging would be heard.
A light began to flash off to their left. Adam stopped hitting the door and stepped back, replacing the rock in his hand with a flash weapon. Lila stepped between the Humans and the flashing light.
A blade of light slashed out from the side of the mountain next to the black door, as a small panel, disguised as natural rock, slid open. It was four meters wide by six high. The polarizing feature in the helmet visors dimmed the harsh light so the trio could see inside. It was a room with white walls and equipment attached to the side. It extended into the mountain about ten meters before ending at another security door.
It was an airlock, and why it had opened left Adam and the others guessing. Was it automated, activated by sound? Or had a living being opened it?
Weapons in hand, they entered. The outer door closed slowly behind, almost leisurely. If they wanted, there was time to rush out before it sealed. Instead, they waited patiently as the airlock ran through its cycle.
As the inner door swung open, a dozen armed Sol-Kor stood waiting.
Lila again took the lead, stepping boldly out of the airlock and up to the line of flesh-eaters, who were all dressed in black, helmetless armor. The airlock door closed.
“You are the invaders who have destroyed Kor,” said one of the armored figures, the one with the double white stripe on his chest. “Why have you come here? We followed your arrival in the stricken ship. You cannot be expecting assistance from us. You should have waited in your vessel until help could come from your fleet.”
Lila removed her helmet, as did Sherri and Adam.
“The emergency with the Hal’ic ship was a ruse,” Lila said. “As you can see, we are not Hal’ic.”
Adam and Sherri gasped when they saw the face that was revealed when Lila removed her helmet. It was that of J’nae, Queen of the Sol-Kor.
The guard hesitated, studying the face with a scaly frown. “Yes, I see similarities in you to the Sol-Kor, yet not in your companions.”
“Do you recognize my gender?”
“I am not sure. You are…different.”
“That is because I am different. I am J’nae…your Queen.”
A nervous murmur passed through the ranks. The officer stared at Lila’s converted face, suspicion in his expression.
“The Queen is relatively new, and not all of us have had the opportunity to view her.”
“I have,” said one of the Sol-Kor within the ranks. “She is our Queen.”
Still the guard hesitated. “How can we know for sure?”
“What have you been told of me?”
“That you are a special breed of female,” said someone behind the officer.
“What else?”
“That you are a…a mutant. Forgive me if that is offensive.”
“No need to forgive. Yes, I am a mutant. As proof—” Lila lifted her weapon, prompting the squad of Sol-Kor to refocus their own weapons on her. But then Lila placed the barrel of the flash weapon under her chin and pulled the trigger. Her head was thrown back as all those around her suffered a moment of temporary blindness from the flash. She fell back, toppling to the floor in the slow-motion gravity of the moon. Adam and Sherri—along with every Sol-Kor nearby—stood transfixed by the sudden, totally unexpected event.
The murmurs began again as Lila’s glo
wing body sat up on the floor. She stood. Her face was no longer her own. It was a shattered mess, which was in a rapid state of rebuilding as all looked on, mesmerized. When reassembled, she once again looked like the Queen.
“My Queen! How is it that you have come here? We were told you had departed for Silana.”
“My journey was interrupted. I used my powers of reconstruction to disguise myself.”
“How do we know now that you are not using those same powers again?” asked one of the single-white stripes in the front row of guards.
For an answer, Lila stepped forward quickly, and with deadly force stabbed her left hand into the chest of the Sol-Kor soldier, through armor and flesh. His eyes grew wide as life remained in them for a full three seconds. Then she pulled back her gloved hand, covered in thick blood and chunks of flesh, and the guard crumpled to the floor.
“Is there anyone else here who questions my identity—or my authority?”
There was a long, awkward moment of silence.
“My Queen, forgive us,” said the High Noslead. “It is just that we are trapped in our base, even as we prepare to make our breakout. Recent events have left us unsure and confused. Will you assist us?”
“That is why I am here. I require a ship of my own, with which I will lead all of you to safety, and ultimately to victory. The aliens have shaken the Colony with their attack on Kor. But that is all they have done…shaken us. We are not defeated. Kor is but one world out of many. Now, High Noslead, lead us to a ship.”
********
“Adam Cain? Is he sure?”
“Yes, Veritis—Admiral—Tobias.”
“And their ship was tracked to the blockade of the moons before announcing an emergency and landing on the Sata Moon?”
“Then they’re alive, and trying to secure a Sol-Kor ship!”
“To what end?”
“To fly it to Silana.”
Estor Jan’s expression only turned more sour. “They will not make it off Sata alive. There are three hundred ships prepared to fire on any vessel leaving the surface.”
Now Andy’s expressed matched that of Estor’s. “Send instructions not to fire on the ships leaving that particular base. It should happen soon. Adam can’t wait too long before following the Queen to Silana.”
“How can you be sure he will acquire a ship?”
“Believe me, he will. Your ships must be ready. Don’t make it appear too obvious. Concentrate your forces above the other bases, leaving only a token number above this one.”
“I had the impression you did not wish Adam Cain to go to Silana?”
“I didn’t want them using the prototype vessel for any excursions away from J’nae. When Panur left with the Mark IV, all bets were off.”
“Bets? Were there wagers?”
“It’s an expression. Now get your people ready.”
“Yes, hallon.”
Andy watched the confused alien move away. So Adam’s alive, and Lila is undoubtedly with him. He would have loved to issue the orders to apprehend them all and return Lila to J’nae. But with the team intact—and Lila with them—there was still a chance Adam could recover the Mark IV. The Hal’ic would track all the ships leaving that particular moon base. At some point—from maneuvering skills or otherwise—Andy should be able to identify which one carried Adam and his team. He would help if he could. If not, and the team appeared to be in imminent danger, he would intervene…if he could.
For now he was content to let Adam play out his gambit. He’d come too far for Andy to screw it up.
********
“This is it?” Lila/J’nae questioned.
“Is the ship not adequate? It is the best we have, and similar to all the others.”
“No, I meant are these all the ships you have remaining?”
The officer shuffled nervously. “We are a lower tier base, my Queen. We have never had a very large inventory. And now our numbers have been reduced even further to serve defensive duties. No departing ships have returned. I doubt they will.”
“I was not being critical, Noslead. I am simply shocked at the low level of the fleet after the Hal’ic attack.”
“Most ships have already departed for Silana. The moon bases were left active to serve as a staging area. The two major bases on Cata are where the bulk of the remaining mainships are located.”
Lila looked at Adam and nodded. “Then I shall order the ships on Cata launched immediately,” she said to the Sol-Kor officer. “They will clear a path for me and the ships leaving from here.”
“They will be met with devastating consequences, my Queen.”
“I do not care about that, only for the welfare of the Colony. It is a priority that I reach Silana safely.”
“Then my ships will serve as your escorts?”
“Yes, at least initially. Moving as such a large group would broadcast the fact that an important figure is with you. Hal’ic spies may be everywhere, knowing that I am not yet on Silana. They could draw a conclusion that I am being escorted there within your eighteen vessels. At that point, several thousand Hal’ic ships will be launched against us. Therefore, once clear of the most immediate threats, my ship will break from your escort and attempt to reach the planet in a single ship, raising no alarms.”
“That is a very wise course of action.”
“I do not require your approval or compliments, High Noslead, just your obedience. Now go and prepare your ships for launch.”
Looking stunned from the offhand rebuke, the Sol-Kor officer slunk away. That’s when Lila turned to Sherri and Adam and whispered. “Have Riyad pilot the Hal’ic ship to the outer hangar doors. I will instruct the Sol-Kor to accept the ship.”
“You hear that, Riyad?” Adam said with a smile.
“Every word, both yours and Lila. Dang, I like that daughter of yours. She’s sharp as a tack.”
“And she’s not allowed to date until she turns sixteen.”
“Which was about five minutes after she was born.”
“That’s beside the point. Now stop messing around and get that bucket of bolts over here. I’ll feel a lot better when we’re all together again.”
“Oh, honey, you miss me?”
“Cain out!”
Chapter 5
Even though the orders were issued to the Hal’ic forces surrounding the moons of Kor with minutes to spare before the first Sol-Kor ships bolted for space, many of the inexperienced commanders panicked and began firing at anything that moved, including starships rising from the base on Sata. Only Lila’s supernatural coordination and instincts allowed the mainship she piloted to avoid being hit. As it was, of the High Noslead’s eighteen escorts vessels, only six survived to reach open space.
It took another hour before Hal’ic command could convince the commanders to call off their pursuit of the small convoy and return to the moons for cleanup duties. Once the Hal’ic were off the screens, Adam and his team relaxed. In a Sol-Kor mainship, they had a nineteen hour journey to Silana, which was just another nineteen hours J’nae had to learn the secrets of the Mark IV’s TD-capable star drive.
Six hours after departure from Sata, Lila steered the mainship away from the small cluster of escorts. The original High Noslead’s second-in-command—the highest ranking officer to have survived the run through the Hal’ic gauntlet—now pleaded with Lila/J’nae to remain with them. While still wearing the face of the Sol-Kor Queen, Lila assured him she would be safe, and ordered them not to follow. She was obeyed.
With slack jaws, all watched as Lila’s face returned to normal. They’d all seen plenty of movies showing this same thing, but in real life it was so much more impressive.
“Does that hurt?” Sherri asked, immediately embarrassed by the naiveté of her question. Of course it didn’t hurt. Nothing hurt Lila.
“I am quite fine. Thanks for asking. Would you care to join my mother and myself as we attempt to modify some of the Sol-Kor clothing into something a little more appropriate for us
females?”
Sherri blinked several times. “You mean like…like a girl thing?”
“Precisely.” Lila’s smile was warm and genuine. “I imagine your time with the males can be very stifling.”
“You got that right, sister. Let’s go.”
Adam and Riyad were in shock. Was this the same Sherri they both knew and loved, heading off to have some girl-time with the other females on board? What alternate universe had they just entered?
Soon their attention was averted as they noticed Benefis, seated at the comm station, attempting to fashion a head covering out of utility rags he’d found in the engine room. For the past two days he’d been incredibly self-conscious about his missing mane. His burnt scalp had blistered initially, and now it was scabbing, and still very sensitive to the touch, which was giving him fits as he struggled with the head cover.
“Want me to help?” Riyad asked. “Where I come from, we are quite familiar with this type of headgear.”
“Yet you still have hair, although weak and short.”
“Do you want my help or not?”
“Please. I cannot go another moment looking at what I have become.”
“It’ll grow back,” Adam said.
“That is not certain. With the scarring, and my advanced age, I may remain like this for the rest of my life.” The Juirean paused and scowled at Adam. “Which, if I remain with the two of you, could be a very brief time.”
“Then you’ll only have to put up with it for a while longer. You’re welcome.” Adam had never had anything close to a Juirean friend before. In fact, he could name his alien friends on one hand: Kaylor, Jym, Kroekus—for a while—and of course, Arieel. Could he call Panur a friend? That was a subject for debate. But one thing he had to admit, he found the cowardly Juirean a refreshing anomaly within his stern and humorless race.
