Starfall Muta

by Alan David

  ‘This way,’ the Avic said in reedy tones that were stilted with fear. ‘The tunnel is about a mile long, and it will be completely dark. You’ll have to feel your way through, but have no fears, the tunnel is straight and level.’

  ‘And what can we expect to find on the other side?’ Clark whispered. The moonlight was brighter than that of Earth’s satellite, but under the trees the shadows were dense, and it struck him as grotesque that he was standing here talking to a birdman who was rustling his feathers and showing all the signs of unrest one expected in a broody hen.

  ‘I cannot say,’ came the quick reply. ‘None of our people who have got that far ever returned.’

  ‘Then how come you know about the tunnel, and what it is like right through?’ Balfin cut in.

  ‘Some of our men have gone as far as the other end of the tunnel but no farther.’

  ‘All right.’ Clark nodded. ‘We’re on our own now. Thanks for bringing us this far. I hope you’ll get back to Pacian’s camp without trouble.’

  The Avic nodded and turned away, leaving Clark peering at a narrow opening in a steep part of the hillside. When the alien had gone, Clark turned to Balfin and Searby.

  ‘We’d better push on,’ he said. ‘Give me the Laser, Kester. I’ll lead the way.’

  ‘Let me go first, Commander,’ the Major protested. ‘I’m more accustomed to this sort of thing than you are. You’d better hold on to my belt so we don’t get separated in the darkness. Searby, you stick close to the Commander.’

  Clark secured a hold on Balfin’s belt as the Major eased into the opening, and the Professor grasped Clark’s belt. They entered the tunnel and shuffled forward, and almost immediately Clark knew it was going to be a nightmare passage. The air was stifling, dank and fetid, and their footsteps echoed eerily in the blank darkness. But Balfin struck forward boldly, the Laser clutched in his right hand, his left hand extended, his fingers moving along the side of the tunnel. He was trusting the Avic’s description of the tunnel in order to make good time, but it took a lot of nerve to stride out as if he could see every inch of the way.

  To Clark the tunnel seemed never ending. He dared not let his imagination have full control, for he was aware that they had not yet encountered any insect life on this strange planet.

  The animal life was nightmarish, and he had every reason to suppose that the smaller creatures and beings would be equally grotesque.

  But they reached the end of the tunnel without incident, and Balfin uttered a long sigh of relief when he finally thrust through a tangle of thick undergrowth and glimpsed the clear starry sky. Clark moved to Balfin’s side, breathing deeply of the keen night air, and some of the depression that gripped him seemed to slip away as he stared around. Searby remained silent at their backs, content to let them make the decisions and the plans.

  ‘Are we through the cordon, I wonder?’ Clark mused aloud.

  ‘I think it’s my job to find out,’ Balfin said. ‘Stay put while I go forward a couple hundred yards. I’ll check it out as quickly as I can. I doubt if there’ll be guards on duty. I expect the Brutans have rigged up some kind of a force field, or a death trap that is activated by movement.’

  ‘I expect you’re right.’ Clark nodded as he stared around. The bright light from the twin moons was disconcerting. Everywhere seemed bright as day, although the shadows were black and well defined. But details were visible, and Clark knew their moving figures would easily be spotted if there were guards patrolling the tree line. He fancied that even if guards were not on duty normally, the fact that aliens had landed on the planet might arouse the Brutans to some sort of extra activity.

  Jumping to conclusion would not help his peace of mind, he realized, and he thinned his lips as he watched Balfin moving away. He saw the Major’s figure all too clearly, and at each instant he was half expecting trouble to strike. But Balfin slowly vanished into the distance, and there followed a timeless period when there was nothing to do but stand in the shadows and wait out the sluggish time.

  ‘Someone’s coming!’ Searby suddenly hissed, and Clark started and looked around. He saw three figures moving from right to left across their front, and knew at once that Balfin could not be one of them.

  The moonlight was deceptive, but Clark judged the figures to be at least head and shoulders taller than average Earthmen. He clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes as he tried to make out details. The strangers were thirty yards out, following the bottom of the slope of the hill, and they were dressed in dark clothing that concealed all but their outlines.

  ‘Brutan?’ Searby whispered, and Clark ducked, dragging the professor into cover, for the strange trio halted abruptly and were turning to survey the slope. ‘Did they hear my whisper?’ Searby went on in shocked tones.

  Clark made no reply, and he took the small energy gun from his belt. The gun had been no use against the terrible Ogrins, but he was hoping that it might have some effect upon these newcomers, if the need for action arose. He peered down the slope, his eyes narrowed, his mind working on the chances at their disposal, and he tensed when he saw two of the newcomers starting up the slope towards their hiding place.

  ‘They’re probably carrying some type of sensor,’ Clark said slowly. ‘I don’t think they could have picked up the sound of your voice, Searby. But stay down now. I won’t shoot unless it’s vital.’

  The two strangers came closer, and Clark began to make out details. They seemed even taller than he had at first supposed, because they were down-slope and foreshortened, but as they drew nearer Clark realized they must be at least eight feet tall. They were humanoid in outline, moving forward swiftly on two legs, and they each had two arms. Clark saw they were carrying weapons, and recalling the type of weapon that had been operated from the craft they had encountered in the jungle, Clark knew he could not afford to take any chances. He crouched with the gun ready in his hand, and in the back of his mind was the fear that Balfin might return and stumble upon the third alien waiting below.

  The two Brutans came on without hesitation, and Clark soon realized that they were making for the spot where he and Searby were crouched with uncanny accuracy. He tightened his grip upon the gun and waited for the first hostile movement. The two newcomers were closing the distance rapidly, and they were carrying fairly long rods in their hands, as yet not pointing in Clark’s direction.

  It was in Clark to fire, but he hung on, hoping against hope that they two would pass by. Then, when it seemed that they would stumble upon the entrance to the tunnel, a brilliant beam of light cut through the darkness and struck the pair. Clark blinked against the glare, realizing that it was Balfin in action, and he breathed a silent prayer of relief that Balfin had been selected to accompany him.

  A second blinding flash darted from the middle distance, and Clark saw the third alien struck by the lethal burst of energy. He pushed himself to his feet, moving out of cover, and started towards the two aliens on the slope. He saw Balfin appearing below, moving towards the third Brutan.

  There was not much left of the two aliens, Clark discovered, and his face was grim as he bent over to examine them. They were dressed in light cloth tunics, now tattered and burned, and their weapons had fused with their flesh. They were big men, very tall, and although it was difficult for Clark to ascertain their physical appearance with any accuracy owing to the damage caused by the Laser, he accepted that they were very similar to himself. He straightened as Balfin came hurrying up.

  ‘You all right, Commander?’ the Major demanded. ‘I was watching this trio for some time. There’s a camp of them about a mile from here.’

  ‘Did you get close to them?’ Clark demanded.

  ‘Sure! Crawled in as close as I could. They’re the nearest thing to normal I’ve seen since we landed.’

  ‘They look similar to us, but two feet taller,’ Clark said. ‘These three were thirty yards from us, Kester, and when they were exactly level with us they stopped and came straight for us, as if
they knew we were here.’

  ‘I spoke in a whisper,’ Searby said slowly. ‘It’s possible they were carrying a sonic detector.’

  ‘It’s no use trying to check on what they were carrying,’ Balfin retorted grimly. ‘It’s impossible to make anything of the mess I made of them.’

  ‘Are we going on?’ Searby demanded. ‘We can’t leave these lying here in the open like this. They’ll be missed, and if they’re found an alarm will be raised.’

  ‘I’ll get rid of them,’ Balfin said. ‘There’s a pit not far from here. I almost fell into it on my way out, and when I dropped a stone into it I couldn’t hear it strike the bottom.’

  ‘I’ll give you a hand,’ Clark said. ‘But I don’t like this as a start to this mission. If the Brutans discover we’re shooting on sight then they’ll treat us as enemies and wipe us out.’

  ‘I had to cut loose,’ Balfin said sharply. ‘I didn’t know what their intentions were. It was a case of shooting first and asking questions afterwards. From what the Avics say, the Brutans are lustful killers, and we can’t afford to take any chances.’

  ‘You did the right thing,’ Clark agreed without hesitation. ‘But I still don’t like it.’

  They disposed of the bodies, then went on their way, moving in single file, slowly and cautiously. Balfin led, the Laser ready in his hands, and Clark looked around as they walked steadily. They were in the midst of farmland, and the fields were open and unhedged. They saw no buildings, no habitations of any kind, and Clark began to worry, because they had to find a hideout before the sun showed, and this land seemed devoid of sufficient cover.

  Balfin dropped into a stream and they splashed across, waist-deep. As they emerged on the farther side there was a snorting sound and a quick movement of the shadows nearby. A few sparse trees fringed the stream, and Clark had been staring at them, afraid they might be concealing danger. Now he saw an animal of sorts charging at them, snorting and gnashing gutterally. Balfin paused and then moved forward a couple of paces to put himself ahead.

  ‘It’s a Byn,’ Searby said. ‘I’ve heard the Avics talk of them. They’re half boar, half some alien form of life, and very dangerous.’

  There was no time to say more. The animal, which was around four feet tall, came charging in recklessly, and Balfin set himself, then shot the animal, filling the shadows with brilliance that flared, winked, then died. The creature was stopped in its tracks, and Clark took a swift breath as his tension eased.

  ‘Have they got any other shocks in this place we can expect to meet?’ Balfin demanded, not turning his head. He was staring towards the trees. ‘Are they wild animals, Searby?’

  ‘They run wild, but they are bred by the Brutans for food. They have arms on top of their shoulders, but no hands. Each arm terminates in a curved horn that’s sharp as a razor. There are great numbers of them out here on the plains.’

  ‘Let’s move on,’ Clark said. ‘We’d better be careful in further encounters, and try to evade trouble rather than shoot it down. We’re leaving a trail that might easily be followed when the sun comes up.’

  ‘I agree with you,’ Balfin retorted. ‘But this time I had no chance to take evasive action.’

  Clark mentally agreed, and they went on. Time passed and the twin moons seemed to slide across the velvet sky. There were pungent scents in Clark’s nostrils, and underfoot there was a short, grass-like vegetation bearing small flowers that gave off the perfume as their feet crushed tiny petals. Clark could only hope their feet would not leave a trail on the ground.

  Presently the ground turned soft and became marshy, and Searby called a halt. They paused and closed, looking intently around, ready for any kind of trouble.

  ‘We’d better skirt this marshy land,’ Searby said. ‘I heard the Avics talking about the marsh people who live further in. They’re cannibals too.’

  ‘It seems that dog eats dog on this planet,’ Baffin said harshly. ‘But what we want to find won’t be lying around in any swamp. We’d better angle to the right now, staying close to the marsh until we sight one of the cities.’

  Clark looked at the sky. The stars were fading, and the light from the moons was waning. He estimated that two hours would see the sun coming up.

  ‘We’re not going to make much progress between now and daylight,’ he commented. ‘I suggest we start looking for a hideout until nightfall again.’

  ‘What’s that up there?’ Balfin demanded, and Clark looked in the direction the Major was pointing. ‘It isn’t a cloud, is it?’

  Clark frowned as he tried to make out the dark object that was blotting out some of the stars. He saw that it was moving, and dropped to his knees.

  ‘Get down,’ he said. ‘It’s an aircraft.’

  They dropped flat and lay motionless watching the large craft coming towards them. Baffin was covering the machine with the Laser.

  ‘No shooting, Kester,’ Clark warned thinly.

  ‘Unless they start shooting at us,’ Balfin retorted. ‘It’s hopeless, Commander. If we wait for them to show hostility we’d be dead before I could retaliate. The kind of weapons they carry, we don’t stand a chance loosing off last.’

  ‘I know, but we can’t fight every single alien we come across. We’ll wind up dead ourselves without ever having a chance of finding what we’re looking for.’

  They fell silent, watching the craft, which was moving very slowly. Clark fancied that the alarm had already been raised and the Brutans were searching for the aliens who were loose. Then he heard a pounding that might have been caused by a herd of stampeding animals, and when he raised himself to peer around he spotted a dozen Ogrins running rapidly through the night.

  Balfin looked, and levelled the Laser.

  ‘No shooting,’ Clark warned. ‘It looks as if that craft up there is herding those Ogrins.’

  ‘Why aren’t they trying to kill one another?’ Balfin queried.

  ‘Perhaps the craft hasn’t sighted them yet!’ Searby pointed out the distance between the Ogrins and the position of the aircraft.

  ‘We could get lucky and have the Brutans calculate the Ogrins are doing our killing,’ Balfin suggested.

  They watched, and the Ogrins went thundering by only yards to their left. Clark suppressed a shiver as he stared at the giants. They would be at home in any nightmare, he told himself, and switched his attention to the sky. The aircraft was coming closer, descending imperceptibly, and suddenly the night was ripped asunder by darting beams of blinding light. Clark closed his eyes and lay still, and he became aware of a strange tingling sensation invading his system. He guessed it was the effects of the weapon being used by the aircraft, and when he raised his head he saw the beams striking down at the Ogrins. Some of the giants were already stretched out, and the others were separating, running swiftly into the night.

  The aircraft sped overhead and Clark looked up, trying to check if it was a skyraft or one of the different type they had encountered in the jungle. He could not tell, and when the craft had disappeared in the general direction taken by the Ogrins he got slowly to his feet.

  ‘Let’s get out of here, and we’d better keep our eyes open for a ground search,’ he said. ‘It looks as if the Ogrins have been out on a raid of some kind.’

  They moved on again in their original direction, and Balfin led as usual. But they had barely covered two hundred yards when the Major halted and lifted a hand to signal them to drop to cover. Clark crawled forward to Balfin’s side, and the Major pointed to a moving figure ahead of them.

  ‘An Ogrin,’ Clark said through his teeth.

  ‘A straggler,’ Balfin said. ‘He’s coming this way.’

  They waited tensely, and presently the Ogrin was close enough for them to see him clearly.

  ‘He’s got something slung across one shoulder,’ Balfin whispered.

  Clark narrowed his eyes and tried to pierce the gloom for details.

  ‘It could be a Brutan,’ Searby put in. ‘It’s moving slightl
y. Are you going to stop it?’

  Clark considered quickly. Then he put a hand on Balfin’s shoulder.

  ‘Can you get him through the head, Kester?’ he demanded. ‘If that is a Brutan we could take him prisoner and try to get some information out of him. We’re sadly in need of information.’

  Balfin nodded and lifted the Laser, waiting for the giant to come closer. Clark glanced around, wondering about the aircraft and the other Ogrins, but the night was silent and still, and then Balfin fired, the Laser beam striking the Ogrin in the head. The tall figure crumpled to the ground and lay still, and the figure that had been slung across its shoulder went sprawling to one side.

  Clark was on his feet and running forward almost before the Ogrin hit the ground, and Balfin joined him. They passed the motionless Ogrin and bent over the giant’s prisoner.

  ‘It’s a Brutan all right,’ Searby said, coming up quickly, his breathing laboured. He bent to examine the figure. ‘And it’s a female!’

  Clark tightened his lips at the news. He bent over the alien and felt for a heartbeat, finding it pounding strongly, and he straightened and looked into Balfin’s shadowed face.

  ‘She’s alive,’ he commented.

  ‘What are we going to do with her?’ Balfin looked around. ‘She could be the reason why the Brutans are attacking the Ogrins. I think we’d better get out of here, Commander. The question is, are we taking her along?’

  ‘Carrying her is out of the question, and she’s out of her senses at the moment.’ Clark stared down at the motionless figure. The woman was a good seven feet tall, and heavily built. She was big boned and solid, with wide shoulders and hips and long limbs. Light coloured hair hung down to her shoulders.

  ‘She’s coming to,’ Searby warned, and Clark saw the female begin to stir.

  ‘Maybe we can tie her hands,’ Balfin suggested. ‘We shan’t be able to control her once she sees us.’

  Clark took a strap from his pack and attempted to bind the woman’s thick wrists together, but gave it up after several attempts. The woman was coming to her senses, and she lifted her hands to her temples, groaning loudly as consciousness returned. Then she pushed herself up on one elbow and looked around, stiffening when she saw the dead Ogrin, then the three Earthmen.