Alone in the Crowd (The Chronicles of Anna Foster Book 3)

by Patrick Stutzman

  Danica took a step toward her. “We’re glad that you’re all right. How soon do you think you can accomplish that?”

  Anna shook her head. “Not sure, but we’ll try to keep you posted.”

  “Anna,” Bryce interjected. “I am able to monitor the status of the defense shield from here. It is expected to drop down a level in a few nathal.”

  She nodded to him and turned back to Danica. “I believe the shield around the pyramid will dissipate soon.”

  The colonel nodded and turned to his subordinate, who was already giving orders to the dispatch operator. Danica glanced behind her for a brief second and returned her gaze to Anna.

  “I have to go. Come back to us soon.”

  Anna smiled as the communications center faded from her view. “We will.”

  Chapter 20

  Danica turned toward the colonel behind her. “Call off the fighters.”

  “Will all due respect, ma’am, we are implementing new tactics to break through the shield. We must find a way to penetrate through it, in case this happens again.”

  Danica’s face hardened as she stepped up and stood toe-to-toe with the military officer. “We don’t know exactly when that shield will come down. And in case you’re trying one of your new tactics when it does drop, I don’t want any casualties resulting from friendly fire.”

  The colonel stared back into her face with a withering look. His nonverbal attitude spoke volumes to her, his jaw muscles noticeably tightened. Out of the corner of her eye, Danica saw the officer and communications operator turn and watch the scene unfold.

  “Call off your fighters…colonel!” The two officials stared at each other, not wanting to give ground. The tension hung in the room like a thick blanket.

  “Ripley!” barked McClaskey after a few seconds. “Recall the fighters.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  As the order was relayed, Danica muttered, “In my office, now!”

  The colonel stood tall and marched from the room. Danica fell into step behind him. A moment later after they entered her office, she shut the door behind her and glared at him until he stopped in front of her desk and turned to face her, his hands held behind his back in an at-ease stance.

  “I’m not sure what’s going on inside your brain, McClaskey, but your defiance of my authority is a major thorn in my side and will not be tolerated.”

  The colonel narrowed his eyes and tensed his jaw. “My job here is to see to the safety of the colonists to the best of my ability.” He jabbed a finger at her. “And, your interference is impeding my ability to do my job.”

  “My interference! What you call ‘interference’ is what I call ‘looking out for the safety of my colonists’!”

  “When you call the military in to take action, you need to understand that I’m the one that calls the shots.”

  “This colony is still under civilian jurisdiction!” Danica yelled back. “As long as I am in charge of this colony, your authority is second to mine, and you will do as I tell you, regardless of what action is being taken!”

  “Even if your actions put the colony at risk?”

  Danica balked. The very suggestion from the military commander infuriated her. She would never dare endanger those under her care. She crossed her arms and leaned on one leg. “And, just what actions are you referring to…colonel?”

  “Permitting unauthorized personnel into sensitive areas of the colony.”

  “And, who in the hell are these unauthorized personnel?”

  “Anna Foster.”

  “Wha…she…she is my friend! She…”

  “She is not an authorized member of this colony and an uncalculated risk to the safety and well-being of everybody on this moon! By letting her loose and giving her free rein, you have compromised the entire colony.”

  “Have you so quickly forgotten that she instructed the entire colony on this moon’s environment: its flora and fauna? She has contributed to the colony’s survival!”

  “Who’s to say that she wasn’t sent here ahead of time to scout ahead and then plant herself among us as a mole or a saboteur? Don’t you think it odd that your friend shows up out of nowhere and offers herself up to help you?”

  “She has done nothing but help us!” Danica screamed.

  “She is a wild card! Have you forgotten about the power failures in the residential areas that continue to spread?”

  “She has worked to keep us safe!”

  “It is my duty to make sure that this colony is safe!”

  “And, just what have you done to ensure the safety of the colonists regarding her? I haven’t seen you taking any actions against her ever since we established ourselves here.”

  “I submitted a background check on her. Sent it to Earth on the first ship back. I expect to get the results with the next ship to arrive.” The smug look on his face told Danica he was confident of victory.

  “That ship is expected to arrive within the next couple of days. Until such time that you can confirm her as a threat, she is my guest, and nothing is to happen to her. Do you understand me?”

  McClaskey straightened his posture. He fumed at her for a moment, until he took a deep breath and visibly calmed down. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Not waiting for her to speak, he turned on his heel and marched from the office.

  * * * * *

  “That was amazing!” Jason gaped in awe. “Why don’t we have anything like that?”

  Anna pinched the bridge of her nose. “There would probably be a big power drain from using such a device. Of course if they had thought of doing something like that, they probably looked into it during the early stages of widespread hologram use, scrapped it, and never looked back.”

  Anna stepped shakily off the circle, arms outstretched while she struggled to maintain her balance. Jason rushed forward, grabbed her hand, and moved in closer to wrap an arm around her waist. “Are you okay?”

  She shook her head as if clearing away a lingering sleep. “I…I don’t know. Everything seemed fine until the light shut off.”

  Jason glared at Bryce. “What’s happened to her?”

  Bryce moved around the console and took Anna’s other hand. “I’m not sure. We would have to examine her to see.”

  “Has this happened before?” Jason asked as they guided her toward the door.

  “No, it hasn’t. Anna is the first human to use the communicator. Perhaps she…”

  “What?” Jason exclaimed. “You subjected her to that without knowing if it could cause problems for her?”

  “I didn’t say that this was the first time she used it. She is the first human to use it, but she has used it before. Perhaps something has changed about her physiology that created an adverse reaction.”

  “Well, talking about it here is not helping her! We need to get her back to the infirmary!”

  They entered the infirmary moments later, and Bryce pointed across the room while he approached the central console. “Lay her on one of the beds.”

  At that moment, the beams healing Tomomi’s wounds ceased. She sat up, testing her arm as she did so. She then caught sight of Jason escorting Anna to an empty bed and asked, “Is she okay? What happened?”

  Jason looked back. “Something happened to her when she used the communications system.”

  Jason eased Anna onto the bed. As he did, he noticed that the skin on her shoulder and the side of her face and neck closest to the shoulder had turned red. Bryce, who had resumed his position manning the console, activated the scan as soon as her head touched down. Jason hastily pulled his hands away and watched the light sweep down Anna’s form. After the scan completed, he turned to watch Bryce look over the results.

  “Interesting,” the teen mused aloud.

  “What?” Jason and Tomomi asked simultaneously.

  “The amount of radiation coming from Anna’s shoulder has drastically increased.”

  Jason took a quick glance at Anna before stepping away from the bed to the con
sole.

  “What do you mean that it’s increased?”

  “The radiation levels emanating from her shoulder were at minute levels when all of you came in. It appears that the use of the kolsatikra somehow affected the particles embedded in her shoulder, increasing the amount of radiation coming from them. The sharp increase must have induced radiation sickness in her.”

  Jason leaned closer. “Can you do anything to help her?”

  Bryce worked the holographic controls. “One natha, please.”

  * * * * *

  Within seconds, a tower materialized near Anna’s shoulder with a spout aimed at the radiated skin. Anna turned her head and, on catching sight of the device, studied it with interest. Cocking an eyebrow, she brought her face closer to it.

  “Anna,” Bryce commanded from behind the console. “Please lower the shoulder strap of your garment.”

  Anna glanced in his direction and complied with a steady swipe of her hand before returning to her examination of the tower.

  A couple of seconds passed with just the sound of the beams firing from Anderson’s and Cooper’s treatments. Bryce calmly looked through the holographic controls. “Anna, please look away from the tower. I won’t be able to treat you unless you do so.”

  Anna sighed and panned her gaze to the dark, featureless ceiling. A split second later, a cool gel sprayed onto her shoulder with what felt like minute precision. Finding the temptation to watch hard to resist, she shifted her eyes to watch the procedure out of the corner of her eye. The tower was spraying a thin stream of a blue, transparent gel onto her bare shoulder where the skin had reddened from the radiation exposure, oscillating the stream down the affected area. She fought to stay still as the cooler temperature of the gel gave her goose bumps, enticing her to rub her arms. The spray shifted and began coating her collar and neck.

  “In a few radal, you will need to turn your head toward the applicator. Please close your eyes when you do.”

  “Okay.”

  When the treatment was nearly finished on her neck, she felt the temperature on her shoulder warm and smiled to know that she would not have to deal with the cold for an extended period of time.

  Then, the gel hit the back of her jaw. She inhaled sharply, even though she had expected it would come soon. She tried to relax as the treatment coated her ear, cheek, and scalp through her hair. To help distract herself, she focused her thoughts on the primary task at hand: returning to the colony.

  Bryce, however, interrupted her. “Okay, Anna. Turn your head, please.”

  Anna closed her eyes and faced the tower. In an instant, the gel impacted her forehead, and she flinched from the contact.

  “Hold still, please.”

  While the gel coated the left side of her face, Anna breathed deeply, resisting the urge to move away from the stream that sprayed over her eye and the bridge of her nose. She ignored the footsteps she heard approach from behind, choosing to follow Bryce’s instructions so that she could get through the therapy as quickly as possible.

  The stream finally ceased. “Lie still for a moment longer, while the gel settles into your skin.”

  The time passed quicker than Anna expected, and Bryce gave her permission to open her eyes and remove herself from the bed. She rolled onto her back and opened her eyes to see Jason standing next to her, a worried look on his face. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better.” She sat up. “Cooler.”

  Jason smiled. “I can imagine.” He turned toward Bryce. “How long will her skin have this blue coloration?”

  “The coloring will slowly fade as the radiation is neutralized. For Altiki, it lasts for a few damal. I’m not sure about humans, though.”

  “Are you sure this won’t hurt her?”

  “The computer system’s simulations state that her physiology should show no side effects from the treatment.”

  Anna placed a hand on Jason’s forearm. “I’ll be okay, Jason. Thank you.”

  “You’re sure?”

  With her nod, he smiled and escorted her to the console, where Bryce and Tomomi waited. Anna looked over the scientist for any sign of lingering injuries.

  “How do you feel, Tomomi?”

  “Good. My arm is as good as new.”

  Anna smiled. “Glad to hear it.

  “Bryce.” She shifted her gaze to him. “What about the other two?”

  “Your dark-skinned companion’s injuries should be healed in about ikat dogen nathal."

  “Ikat dogen?” Tomomi raised her eyebrows. “Is that a number?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “How many is that?”

  Bryce tapped twenty-nine times on the console.

  “Twenty-nine?” Tomomi asked. “So ikat is twenty, and dogen is nine. Right?”

  Bryce shook his head. “No, dogen is fourteen.”

  Tomomi creased her brow. “Fourteen? How do you figure that?”

  “Our numerical system is base fifteen.”

  “Base fifteen? Why is that?”

  “Theories stretch back to ancient Altiki history, where it is suspected that their primitive ancestors counted using their fingers and thumbs. Since they have three arms and each one of those with a hand holding three fingers and two thumbs, they could count up to fifteen before starting over.”

  Cary and Tomomi looked at each other, astonishment on their faces.

  “Three arms?” Cary barely contained his excitement.

  “Fifteen fingers?” Tomomi added.

  Anna could not help but smile, ignoring Jason as he rolled his eyes.

  Cary turned back to Bryce. “Can you tell me more about the number system? What numbers do they use, and what do they look like?”

  “Do we have time for this?” Jason interrupted, impatience evident in his voice.

  Anna glanced over her shoulder at the unconscious soldiers, amused by his attitude. “Well, Anderson and Cooper are going to be out for a while, so I’d say we have the time.”

  As Bryce began his lecture, Jason beckoned Anna over to him. She glanced at the three surrounding the console and went over to him. “What’s up?”

  “Do you want to help me find that recreation room? I really don’t feel like sitting through a class on basic math.”

  Anna smiled, amused.

  “What?”

  She waved away her smile. “Don’t worry about it. Sure, I’ll help you find it. Come on.

  “Bryce, we’re going to go to the recreation room. Can you tell us where it is?”

  “Turn right as you exit this door. It will be approximately bikat meters down.”

  Anna chuckled. “How many is that?”

  “Fifteen twice.”

  “Okay.” She waved as she opened the door. “See you later.”

  “I wish they could turn the lights up in here,” Jason complained.

  “Don’t you have a flashlight?” Anna pulled hers from her belt. “Here, you can borrow mine.”

  Jason grabbed the flashlight from her and, after switching it on, thanked her. They walked down the hall until Anna opened the appropriate door. They stepped in and looked around in childlike wonder.

  The room’s smooth, metal walls were decorated with pictures colored in reds, oranges, and blacks. Over a dozen stools were attached to the walls. The center of the room was populated with a couple of dark, round tables on the far end of the ten-meter-long room with more stools around them. Closer to the entrance were a few smaller pedestals with what Anna determined to be lenses embedded in the top and at least two more stools set next to each of them. Anna noticed three small panels on the far wall, each with a single lens embedded in it. They were evenly spaced along the length of the room.

  * * * * *

  As Anna crossed the room to the nearest wall panel, Jason stepped up to the first pedestal and examined it. He sat on the closest stool and noticed another smaller lens on a panel facing him on the side of the podium. He furrowed his eyebrows and waved a hand over the small lens. It started to
glow, while the sound of a mechanism revving up penetrated the silence. Seconds later, the smaller lens produced a holographic control panel in front of him with what looked to be directional controls and three separate buttons next to them. The larger lens on top created a three-dimensional screen with miniature holographic Altiki running around a bizarre urban setting.

  Jason turned away for a second to ask a question. “Hey, Anna! Is this what the aliens look like?”

  “Just a second, Jason.” She sounded distracted.

  Curious, Jason looked at her through the hologram. His eyes took in her slender, athletic form, scantily clad in the leather halter top that hugged her torso and the ragged skirt wrapped loosely around her hips. Her long, bright blonde hair and naturally-tanned skin, a rare sight among humans in these times, gave her an exotic look that quickened his pulse. His gaze drifted down the length of her legs, and back up over her hips, arms, and back. Only the presence of the modern tool belt around her bare waist disrupted the image of wild beauty Anna portrayed.

  As his gaze moved upward to her face, he noticed she had somehow opened a window in the wall. Snapping out of his fantasy, he rose from his seat and crossed the room to stand next to her, unaware of his shortness of breath as he felt her body heat close to his arm. He looked out the window, and his carnal thoughts fled. He gasped at the view.

  Anna nodded. “I know. Who would have thought?”

  Chapter 21

  They stared through the window into a huge cavern. It stretched down well beyond the limit of the dim spotlights that shone from somewhere above them. From their vantage point near the roof of the cave, they could see a group of ruins whose architecture was distinctly alien. The closest building, barely visible in the low-light conditions, resembled a gray stone mound with round windows, giving an unhindered view into the darkness beyond. At the bottom edge of their visibility was what appeared to be the rounded ceiling of another building, thinner and shorter than the first but constructed from the same stone.