by Lance Powers
Though he cut the most imposing and intimidating presence she had ever come across, Regina couldn’t help being impressed by Colonel Garth Evans. Doctor Mandy Elkins did not appear, however, to share that opinion, she noted. The older woman’s demeanor toward her also seemed altered from what it was when she first met her that morning. She gave the impression of being a whole lot colder now as they made their way into the ship. Well, it wasn’t her fault if that woman had insecurity issues. Evans was doing nothing more than his job, and Regina for one, thoroughly appreciated that.
After about fifteen minutes, the ship landed amidst the hills in sector PDZ-18. The science team was already at work, prepping and adjusting their research equipment for optimum performance. The display screens were alive with the images the ships scanners and a few remote drones kept feeding in. Regina instantly recognized the landscape and the corresponding data coming in. She accepted the hot cup of beverage someone handed her and took a seat beside Elkins. The lead scientist gave her a curt nod and resumed her analysis of the incoming data.
“This is freaking phenomenal.” Farley cried out as he ran multiple cross referencing programs. “We have to break down whatever process is keeping this region free of the contamination and reverse engineer the rest of the planet’s condition back to this.”
“That’s the plan, Ron.” Elkins replied with far less enthusiasm than the bald technician.
“Doctor Elkins, what do you suppose the cost for such an imposing effort in terms of time, resources and expenditure will be?” Regina asked the pudgy woman.
“Nola can give you a categorical estimate on that, Doctor Scott.” Elkins told her disinterestedly.
“Yes, as precise as possible, we’re looking at a global scale effort.” Nola Preston offered. “At least twenty years, with a few billion tons of resources and well, almost all the expenditure we can afford.”
“Well, it took us a hundred and sixty years to do this much damage.” Regina exhaled, placing her hands on her hips. “Twenty years to undo that isn’t all that bad.”
“Yes. Within our lifetime.” Farley gave her a wide grin.
“Good day, Doctors.” Garth Evans’ unmistakably cool voice crackled through the lab’s speakers. “It is a good day outside, so if you will, please suit up and come on out. We have four hours of daylight for you to go foraging. Captain Willis will remain in the craft, in case the need of emergency evacuation arises. We can team up in twos and cover more ground to explore. You have five minutes.”
“Oh, wow.” Regina stood up. “Come on then, everyone.”
“I’m fine doing all my research from here. Thank you.” Elkins stated without looking up from her console.
“I guess I’m too old for going down rabbit holes too.” Preston gave Regina a smile. “You and Ron go and explore this wonderland, Regina, then come back and tell us all about it.”
“Um… are you certain?” She was taken aback by their dismissive attitude. Out there was what every scientist would want to explore. Up close and personal, and literally get their hands dirty. Denying themselves that was very unscientific of luminaries of their caliber.
“Yes, they are certain, kid.” Farley laughed aloud. “So it’s just you and me to go find the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts and whatever else is lying in wait out there. Let’s go.”
Regina nodded and keyed in the command codes for going outside. Her exo suit unpacked itself and reassembled all over her slender body. The boots came on next and then the helmet. Before her, Farley was suited the same way and he reached for the door that would get them outside.
“Only the two of you?” Evans peered at them through his visor as they walked up to him outside.
“That’s right, Colonel.” Farley told the tall man in the more heavily armored exo suit. “Let’s go map this land.”
“Affirmative, Sir.” Evans nodded. “Danish, you and Parson go with Doctor Ronald Farley. Danvers and I will escort Doctor Scott.”
“So you and I are going to be together on these runs.” Regina smilingly asked the grim faced man, impressed again by his commanding presence.
“Every time.” He told her flatly.
“Which way do we go then?” She asked, watching Farley and his armed companions heading off to the west.
“Where ever you went before.” Evans gave her a nod. “Let’s move out.”
Regina cocked her head and fell in step behind the naval officer. She glanced back at the other soldier behind her. This one was a woman, probably not yet twenty. The name displayed on her holographic screen read Corp. J. Danvers and she carried a long barreled plasma rifle in her hands and had two handguns, the same as Evans carried, holstered to her waist belt.
“Why didn’t the other two science people come on this trek?” Corporal Danvers inquired. “We’d have covered twice as much ground doing this.”
“Scientists have their reasons, Corporal.” Evans replied impassively. “However impractical.”
“I suppose they think they are better than anyone else, leaving the field work to us grunts.” The young woman said derisively. “No offense, Doctor Scott.”
“None taken, Corporal.” She laughed. “I just met Doctor Elkins and Miss Preston a few hours ago, their work methods are new to me too.”
“Which way to now, Doctor?” Evans stopped and turned to look back at her.
“This way.” She gestured, the memories of her run two days ago still fresh in her mind. “That’s the hill, where I saw…er… I had a peek the other day.”
The jet propelled boots covered the distance in seconds and they stood outside the large fissure in the rocky wall of the little hill. It was wide enough for a man to enter and she knew Evans was considering it.
“Wait out here with the Doctor, Danvers.” He confirmed her intuitive thought. “I’m going inside.”
“Yes, sir.” The younger soldier nodded and leaned her back to the wall, her rifle held across her chest.
“Why can’t I go in?” Regina protested, but Evans had already disappeared through the cleft.
“Because he said so.” Corporal Danvers told her with a shrug.
“How well do you know him? Is he always so distant and bossy?”
“I was just assigned to this team from Colonel Harkens’ unit this morning. I don’t personally know Colonel Evans at all. But everyone knows that he’s the best there is.”
“Wow! He must be some kind of legend for you naval folks.” Regina replied with raised eyebrows and widened eyes.
“Not yet, Doctor.” Evans poked his head out of the crack in the wall. “But maybe after this mission of yours, I will be. Now come on in, there’s nothing much going on in here though.”
Blushing furiously, Regina slipped through the opening and followed Evans deeper into the cavern. It was dark inside and the light emitters in their exo suits cast a pale glow around them. The cave wasn’t all that large and the ground was hard and uneven. There was no sign of any kind of habitation in there. Nothing to suggest that a large creature like the one that attacked her ever lived in there. But what remained elusive to the limitations of human senses didn’t mean that they could not be discovered.
Regina entered a flurry of commands into her handheld console and instantly every single probe, scanner and drone she had on her went to work. The digitally precise instruments scoured every infinitesimal detail in the cave, flooding the confined space with a brilliant display of light and color. Data poured into her handheld at a frenzied pace, maxing out the processors. There was plenty that was going on there, and not only in the cave, but all around the surrounding region.
“We have to get back to the ship and analyze all the data I’m getting here.” She told Evans. “I think we may have all the answers to this situation right here in this little cave.”
“Any of the data pertaining to the thing you mentioned in your classified report?” The Colonel asked her in a low tone.
She shook her head at him, noting a glint in his otherwis
e cold eyes. She wondered why he would be so interested in an indigenous life form of this planet. Surely a planet this size should be harboring many kinds of evolved living organisms that humans were yet to discover. Unless, she shuddered at the thought, that Evans and those he was reporting to suspected something more than that. Something that Earth Gov was not too eager to let the people of New Earth One have knowledge of.
She wondered how to frame a question about it and ask him, but just then someone was calling them through the comm. link. It was a woman’s voice, a very affirmative one.
“Say that again, Danish.” Evans barked agitatedly.
“Colonel.” The voice was almost yelling. “We have some hostiles in the area. I’m sending in the coordinates.”
“Define hostiles, Captain.” He gestured at her to exit the cave while speaking into the microphone in his helmet.
Regina nodded and walked briskly to the opening with him following right behind her. Outside, Danvers was already geared to take off, her jet boots humming loudly.
“Have they seen you?” Evans asked as he stepped out of the cavern opening.
“No, Colonel.” Danish’s reply crackled through the comm. link. “We’re watching them from a distance.”
“Do not engage. I repeat, do not engage.” The colonel ordered. “Return to the ship now. Get everyone back there and wait for us.”
“What’s happening, Colonel.” Regina frowned at Evans. “What have they seen?”
“Right, back to the ship, double time.” Evans growled.
“Not until you tell me what’s going on, Colonel Evans.”
“Doctor Scott.” He glowered at her. “Move your butt now, or I’ll haul you over to the ship myself.”
“Okay, okay, I’m moving. But tell me what the fudge is going on.” She reached out and grasped his thick upper arm. “Please.”
“The reason for me being on this mission just got validated, Doctor.” His steel gray eyes radiated cold fire, sending a shudder all through her.
Chapter Four
“NAR-AX-0010 Garth Andrew Evans, Colonel, dated Juno 18 of 2525. End of report.” He sealed the encryption and archived it to send later, then looked down into the little valley that lay before them. According to Danish’s detailed report, the hostiles were somewhere nearby this area and he hoped he could bag at least one of them for questioning.
He glanced back to where the others waited. The dark haired young scientist insisted that she be allowed to accompany them. He wanted that as well. And not just because the assignment demanded it, but for some strange reason he had this need to be near her ever since he saw her the previous morning. Danish and Parson made up the rest of this team. It was a hunt and he needed his best with him. Willis would have been a better choice than the rookie Parson, but the pilot had to man the ship at all times. And he had to leave Danvers at the ship for the safety of the other eggheads. Maybe Parson would prove him wrong and do better in real combat than he did at training, he hoped.
“Don’t I get a gun, Colonel?” Regina Scott walked up beside him and asked.
“Have you ever fired one, Doctor?” He asked her with a straight face.
“No, but I was hoping you could teach me ...Garth.” Her smile made him struggle to keep his game face on.
“It’s a dangerous thing in the wrong hands.” He told her, looking away.
“So is knowledge, Colonel.” Her voice hardened. “Is there something here that Earth Gov knows about and wants to keep secret?”
“If there is, I have not been notified of it.” He replied, looking at her. Those large blue-green eyes; he struggled to keep himself from drowning in them.
“What did you mean before about the reason for you being here getting validated?” She wanted to know.
“My mission is to protect you and your findings from potential hijackers.” Garth looked up ahead into the dimming horizon. “Such as the hostiles that Danish reported last evening.”
“But isn’t Earth Gov all powerful?” Regina’s lilting voice was like music to his ears, despite her perplexed tone. “Who is insane enough to hijack an Earth Gov expedition?
“Mavis Orkney.”
“What? Those delinquents and rebels.” She sounded genuinely flabbergasted. “They are just protestors and agitators within the citadel.”
“The rebel-faction has been intensifying in the last decade.” He replied, trying hard to ignore those lovely widened eyes, those lush pink lips opening in a little oh.
“So you’re saying the rebels are out here trying to hijack or sabotage this mission?” Her voice kept playing like a melody playing inside his head.
“The likelihood of that is very high.” He forced an impassive tone.
“Well, I suppose it’s prudent to be prepared for such a thing.” She nodded with a thoughtful expression. “But the whole idea is absurd. Mavis Orkney and his rebels have hardly been anything more than a fleabite for Earth Gov.”
“They have had an influx of new blood lately, more than a few dropouts and deserters from the Naval and Martial Divisions.” He tried to sound casual about it.
“But how would they even know of this highly classified operation.” Her brow had furrowed, making her look all the more desirable.
“There might be a mole somewhere in the system.” He maintained an insipid tenor.
“A mole… but how…” She gave him a quizzical look.
He shrugged and shook his head. “Well, we’ve been scouring this area for three hours and some, doesn’t look like anything’s going to nibble today. We should be back in the ship, get a bite to eat and some rest.”
“Yes, we should.” She replied with a raised eyebrow and a manner laced with sarcasm. “I’ve got a whole load of data to keep on scrutinizing before those pesky hijackers get their grubby hands on it.”
Garth forced away a smile that threatened to crease his stony expression. She was a smart one, this Regina Scott. Probably the smartest person he had met in his thirty-six years and was ever likely to meet ever again. He vaguely remembered about a report once about a young scientist recording the highest I.Q. on New Earth One ever. Could it have been this young woman? She sure did qualify for that honor. That gave him impetus to double his guard against her, and it was a good thing that his head ruled his heart. For his heart had already surrendered everything it had to Regina Lauren Scott. But his head called the shots and called them hard.
Once back in the ship, he sat alone in his quarters, opening up a pack of his daily rations. He sat in silence and ate the meager offering. Accustomed now to the basic but nourishing food, he gave little attention to it. His thoughts were preoccupied anyhow, with a dark haired, blue-green eyed beauty and her brilliant mind. He had never been affected by a woman in this way before, and that too one so much younger than he was. Regina was two-thirds his age and probably never going to be interested in him. He had been close to many women in his lifetime so far, but had never considered anything more than just that casual little meeting. His career in the service was his only priority. But this time it was a whole other matter entirely. Only the absurdity of it all allowed him to maintain his professional self-control. After this mission was over, he would never see her again, he figured.
“Colonel Evans.” The shrill voice of Doctor Amanda Bethany Elkins crackled through the comm. link. “Please come to the lab, right away.”
“Affirmative, Doctor.” He put away his half eaten rations and reached for his jacket. Re-holstering his handguns, he stepped out of his quarters and ran down the wide corridor toward the lab, passing a bewildered Corporal Parson.
“Colonel? What’s up?” The blond youth called out.
“Standard procedure, Corporal.” He replied and reached for the lab clearance check. The bar coded imprint on his wrist gave him full access to all areas of the ship. The lab doors parted for him and Garth burst through them inside.
“At ease, soldier.” The heavyset Farley gave him a grin. “Things here are getting curious
er and curiouser.”
“What is?” He asked calmly, though the thickset man’s loud mannerism had begun to grate on his nerves.
“Doctor Scott has surprised us all yet again, with another astounding discovery.” Elkins told him in a sedate manner.
“Yes, I have.” Regina Scott stepped out of one of the little private workstations. “And it’s a whole lot more disturbing than it is astounding.”
“What is?” He reiterated, but kept his cool. She was like a breath of fresh morning air. And even if Garth had only known artificial recycled air all of his life, he had read in the archived records how much better fresh morning air out in nature used to be. Regina Lauren Scott was just that to him; a breath of freshness.
“All that data that we collected from that cave…” She told him with wide eyed stimulation. “Every test and cross-examination shows that the contamination of this planet’s natural environment has been engineered intentionally for the last forty years.”
“By whom?” He narrowed his eyes. This was suddenly too close to what he had recently learned at High Command and was assigned to keep under wraps.
“We don’t know that yet.” Nola Preston stated.
“Yes, we were hoping if you would have any insight on it.” Elkins added.
“I would suspect Mavis Orkney,” He raised an eyebrow. “…but this level of global manipulation is beyond the limitations of his rebel faction.”
“That’s what I thought too.” Regina gave him a smile. “And that leaves us only one answer, however improbable it may sound.”
“Aliens.” He gave her a curt nod, noting the exchanged glances among the other scientists.
