by Vivian Venus
“Danger? What do you mean?”
“I have reason to believe that a Veldarian infiltrator may be targeting you.”
“What? That’s ridiculous. The security blockade…”
“Failed. My commander and I have been tracking this target for several days now after a report that it had managed to penetrate the security checkpoint and enter the system.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “Jesus. It’s inside the city?”
“I don’t know. We caught up with it just outside the outer limits mimicking a freighter pilot. We’ve reported back to the high command and security has been increased.”
“Then as long as I stay within the inner citadel there shouldn’t be a problem,” she said. “Right?”
I could see the concern in her eyes building to fear. “Doctor Cross, I think it would be for the best if I took you under my immediate protection until the threat has been neutralized. We need to leave and get you to a safe place.”
“The research I’m doing here right now…I can’t just put it off. It could yield a discovery that means the end of the war.”
“And that’s why I need to make sure you are safe.”
“I’m sure your command has told you what we’re dealing with here. We have a full intact Veldarian specimen with minimal degradation. This isn’t something that can just be put off.”
I frowned. “The situation is too dangerous…”
“It’s something I’m willing to risk,” she said, “to put an end to this war.”
“Admirable. But pointless if you’re dead.”
“I will trust the security of this facility and of the Citadel can keep any threat out. I’m sorry, Mister Ven Erz, but I’m not leaving. There’s work to be done here.”
She turned and I wanted to grab her by the arm, fling her over my shoulder and force her out with me, but I knew that I couldn’t. Not without official acknowledgement from high command, and right now I was operating on a hunch that she was the Veldarian’s target. I watched as she left the reception area, her heels clicking against the tile floor. I couldn’t help but smile despite the seriousness of the situation. Human women were a complete enigma to me, and this one definitely put a rush of excitement through me. I had to admire her zeal. She would make a fine warrior.
I turned back to the long glass window that overlooked the sprawl of First Haven, stretching out miles in every direction. Beyond the wall of the inner Citadel, factories belched smoke into the sky that hung over the blackened rooftops of the slum projects. The humans had apparently learned nothing from Earth. I decided that I would have to do what I could to protect Doctor Cast from a distance until I could find further proof that she was the target…or until the Veldarian showed up.
My holo-com chimed and I held two fingers to my ear to activate it, a personal display projecting in front of me. It was Commander Grahf.
“Received your report. Based on the evidence, I agree with your assessment. The doctor is the likely target.”
“She’s stubborn,” I said. “She refused to leave her work.”
“Human women can be that way,” he said. “You will need to keep a close watch. If the enemy was able to get this far undetected, it’s likely more highly skilled and dangerous than your typical Veldarian foot soldier.”
“Great,” I said. “I’ll do what I can from a distance.”
“Good luck.”
* * *
That evening I waited on my hoverbike in the facility’s underground garage for Doctor Cast to finish her day. I made sure to stay parked in a dark corner, far away from her car in order not to give myself away. When she did finally come down, she was not alone. An older man emerged from garage elevator with her and was talking to her. I frowned, suspicious first – I had to assume that anyone could potentially be the Veldarian in disguise – and strangely protective, second. The way he presented himself to her I could tell that was trying to court her. Who was this man?
I tapped my ear to activate my holo-com’s audio enhancement driver, and immediately their voices were magnified so that I could hear what they were saying.
“—lost time today. The specimen has already degraded over fifteen percent even with preservation active, and we’ve only made the DNA storage discovery.”
“That was a brilliant discovery anyway, Lily,” the man said. “Don’t worry, we have plenty of time. Focus on the small victories. Let me take you out for a drink tonight. You made your discovery, and I made a promise.”
“Alright, alright, Richard. Let’s go get that drink.”
“Seriously? Well jeez, it’s lucky day.”
“Don’t get too worked up about it, it’s only a drink. I’m just in not much of a hurry to go home.”
Drinks. This wasn’t the time to be getting drinks.
“I’ll drive,” the man said, and the two turned away from her car and started walking in my direction.
Shit!
I dove off the bike and rolled behind a neighboring car to hide myself before they got into the man’s car and drove off. When they had gone far enough I quickly got up from my hiding spot and started my bike after them. They pulled out of the garage and onto the streets of the inner Citadel. I kept my distance, flying far enough back so that they wouldn’t detect me, zipping between cars to keep my pace with them.
The man pulled off onto a high-road, a roadway which went up multiple stories and passed within the gigantic skyscrapers that held restaurants, shops and other venues. He turned into a parking garage where a valet took his car, and I quickly pulled in after them and flashed my Ezrok high command badge, grabbing the nearest parking spot. I hopped off the bike and trailed close behind them. I was here to protect Doctor Cast against an enemy threat, but I found myself seeing this small human male as a different type of threat, one unrelated to my mission. I had only just met Liliandra Cast, but I had to admit that I wanted her – the natural urging of an Ezrok warrior. Yes, I was here to make sure no harm came to her…but I also silently decided that I didn’t want to let this pathetic male human get too close to her either.
My face twitched as the man opened the door of the lounge and put his hand on the small of her back to guide her inside ahead of him. I waited till they were inside and seated before entering myself. I quickly spoke to the waiter and asked him to seat me somewhere discrete, flashing my badge again. There were a few Ezrok civilians around the place, so luckily I wouldn’t stand out too much – in an all human establishment it was difficult for an Ezrok to blend in.
I sat at the bar some distance away, watching the two of them in a corner booth, dimly lit and far more intimate than was necessary for just a regular social outing.
“What can I get you, sir?” the bot bartender asked, coming around to me.
“Whatever you recommend.”
“Well,” he said cheerfully, his emotion sensor blinking a pleasant blue, “in that case I’ll make something that should please your Ezrok palette. Old fashioned with sath whiskey.” He mixed up the drink in a shaker, capped it, shook it around with a practiced flourish and then drained it out into a short glass with ice and an orange peel. “Here you go, sir.”
Alcohol had no effect on us Ezrok, so buying the thing was just a formality. I took a sip and tapped my ear, and their conversation came through. I didn’t need to listen in to their conversation since I was here just to make sure nothing happened to Doctor Cast, but I was curious as to what the man was saying to her.
“—you really think it’s true? A Veldarian here?”
“The Ezrok seemed to be sure of it.”
“Well, Jesus. What did he say it was after? Why you?”
“He didn’t say. But I have to assume it’s related to our research. He said he wanted me to go under his protection…”
“Jesus, Lily. You told him no?”
“You’re damn right I did. What, you think I should’ve agreed to go with him? Come on, Richard. You know what we’re dealing with here.”
“
Yeah, Lily, of course. But your life is more important than the research.”
“Putting an end to this war is what’s important. What would happen if I left now? The specimen might be completely degraded by the time they’ve taken care of that thing. Hell, maybe they won't be able to take care of it. I mean, they’re losing the damn war right now.”
“Not so loud,” he said, looking around. “You know how sensitive the Ezrok can be.”
I slouched over my drink, turning my face away from them. He was right, we could be pretty sensitive when it came to matters of our success in battle. I frowned. Losing the war? Hardly. We’d suffered setbacks but I wouldn’t go so far as to say we were losing...
“What are you scared of, Richard?” she asked, her tone amused. “Don’t want to get in a confrontation with a big bad Ezrok?”
“Well, no, I just…Come on, Lily. We’re celebrating, remember?”
She didn’t speak for a moment and I glanced back over at them to see what she was doing. She was looking off, her chin in her hand, her expression softening. “I know, I’m sorry, Richard. I know I can be intense sometimes. You’re a good friend. You’ve always been there for me.”
Richard held up his wine glass and she clinked hers to his. “You’re the most brilliant scientist I’ve ever known,” he said. “And a wonderful human being. I’ll always look out for you, you know that.”
She smiled at him; it was a natural smile surprised me with its beauty, and a completely ridiculous thought passed through my mind that I wanted her to smile like that for me.
What the hell? What was I even thinking? I only just met this female, had hardly even spoken to her, and somehow I had these ridiculous ideas stirring around my head. Typically when I encountered an attractive female I would feel a desire to experience her body, but nothing more than that. Doctor Cast made me feel…I couldn’t describe it. Was it because it was my personal mission to keep her safe? Because she was under my watch?
Ridiculous.
I barely knew her.
My empty glasses collected on the bar as they continued to chat about their research, and I started to consider pulling out my knife to do some whittling but figured that wouldn’t fly so well with the management. Eventually I shut off the audio enhancement driver, bored of their conversation, although I did like hearing Doctor Cast’s voice. She had a very to the point way of saying her words that felt refreshing to me. When they finally finished and got up to leave, I waited for a moment before following after them.
Howardson had to take her back to EzRan to drop her off at her car, and so I followed them back there on my bike, lagging just slightly behind again. We pulled out onto the high-road leading back to the main freeway, the EzRan tower rising high in the distance, the multitude of lit windows making the building sparkle in the night. The inner Citadel was a fantastic blaze of clean bright lights during the night, every roadway lined with strips of lights which slowly shifted colors, the holo-displays taking up the side of skyscrapers advertising the newest product, the buzz of ship traffic in the overhead sky highways. All this was a stark comparison to the dingy outer city, and the complete opposite of the Mars’s farming belt where all that existed were fields of farmland and a few scattered towns.
My com chimed – Commander Grahf. “Commander,” I said, opening the channel. “Any new leads at high command?”
“MSE has been sweeping the city and the citadel security is on full alert,” he said. “They’re not going to find anything.”
“I don’t know if I can take any more of this. Sitting around waiting for something to happen is not my style—”
It was just as I said this when a plume of hot orange flame exploded from the top level of the EzRan tower hurtling a shimmer of glass shards and debris into the night air. A split second later the sound of the explosion pounded over me like a punch to the gut, my hover bike swerving with the shockwave. “Shit! There’s been an explosion at the EzRan tower!”
“What?! It would seem our prey has outed itself. Watch after the doctor!”
“Affirmative. I’m going in,” I said and disconnected the line. Howardson’s car accelerated madly, swerving in and out between cars, and I cursed and gunned my engine not bothering to maintain my stealth any longer. Damnit!
I engaged the bike’s sirens and lights and roared up alongside them, and Doctor Cast opened the window, her eyes wide with shock. “Doctor Cast!” I shouted, “Stay clear from the building!”
“Warrior Ven Erz? What the hell are you doing here?”
“Watching after you,” I shouted. “Do not approach the building!”
“Our friends are in there!” Howardson yelled. “Like hell we’re not going to go.”
He gunned the engine and roared ahead as Liliandra rolled up the window. I cursed again and zoomed ahead. If I couldn’t get them to stop, then I would at least have to get there first.
FOUR
LILIANDRA
THE AREA WAS EERILY silent as we skidded up to the front of the EzRan building, the street covered with shattered glass and debris. I jumped out of the car and craned my neck to look up at the smoke trailing from the upper floors. I knew in my gut that it was our floors. Who would still be in there at this time? Both Elsa and Gina liked to stay after hours…
Richard and I hurried up the steps and past an MSE hover bike parked hastily outside the doors – his bike. I scanned my ID card we rushed inside. The lobby had no sign of there having been a break in or anything. Was this really the act of the Veldarian that was supposedly here, or was it a lab accident? None of the entry security had been triggered, only the fire alarm let out a constant whoop. We hurried to the elevators, and both leapt back in surprise when the Ezrok’s huge form stepped out from the shadows to stop us.
His expression was warlike, completely different to how it looked before, his eyes penetrating like they belonged to a predatory beast. His huge hand slipped down his side and grasped the hilt of the long knife that hung at his waist and pulled it out. Richard took a step back at the sight of the gleaming blade, and I grabbed his wrist to stop him. “We need to get up there,” I said firmly.
“I can already tell I won't be able to stop you,” he said. “But I’m not going to leave your side. Come on, lead the way.”
“Thank you.” I hadn’t expected that from him.
“Call me Reylar,” he said, and the elevator doors opened. We piled in and I commanded the elevator to take us to the thirtieth floor where the lab was. “This is a terrible idea,” he grunted. “You.” He pointed his knife at Richard, who pressed his back up against the elevator wall trying to disappear. He looked really intimidated by the huge alien warrior. “You’re a male. You can fight, can’t you?”
“Fight? Well, I… No, not really.”
“Then stay back and don’t get in my way. That goes for you too, Doctor Cast.”
“Liliandra is fine,” I said shortly. “There’s no reason this could’ve been just a laboratory accident.”
“I seriously doubt that. Get ready, we’re almost there.”
The elevator chimed and the doors flung open to the security station outside the laboratory locker rooms, and I covered my mouth in shock.
“Oh, God,” Richard whispered.
The room was bathed in the dim red of the emergency lights, the floor scattered with destroyed security equipment. The wall was covered in a smatter of darkness that looked like black paint under the red lights, but I knew what it really was. Reylar activated his energy knife, the blade giving out a low hum as it began to glow. He held it up in front of him and walked slowly out of the elevator, his other hand held up to us telling us to stay put. His eyes scanned the room and he looked over the toppled desks in front of the splattered wall. “It’s clear. But you may not want to look over here.”
Richard and I moved out of the elevator to join him. I kept my eyes straight ahead until I came up to the overturned desks, and my curiosity overcame me. Peeking out from behind the desk was a h
and reaching out towards me, soaked in blood and frozen in death. I immediately looked away, my heart hammering. “No…” I whispered, and thought of who may have been inside the lab. “Oh, God…”
The door to the locker rooms was open and we walked through past the lines of containment suits stored up on the wall, up to the airlock which was open, the doors bent and destroyed like something had smashed up against them and pried them apart. “Reylar,” I said weakly, “Was this the…?”
“Yes,” he said. “A Veldarian did this. A Veldarian assassin, not any ordinary foot soldier.”
Another rush of fear tore over me and I fought an urge to throw myself where I knew I would be safest: against Reylar’s broad back. We walked through the airlock and into that final decontamination hallway, the door at the end shut and undamaged. The window to the technician’s station was smashed, and I was afraid of what I’d see if I peered inside. “Stay back,” Reylar said. “Until I open the door.”
“Wait,” I said. “Without a technician the door won’t open without proper clearance. I’ll manually open it.” I went up opposite of Reylar and opened a panel at the side of the door, activated a small holo-terminal and began inputting codes. The terminal flashed red. I frowned and entered in my code again, and then pushed my eyes up to the machine for a retinal scan. Again, the machine flashed red.
“What’s wrong? It’s not working?” Richard asked.
“That’s impossible, it’s saying I’m already inside.”
The three of us exchanged a glance as the realization hit us. “My God,” I muttered.
“The Veldarian had somehow managed to acquire your form,” Reylar said darkly.
“They thought it was me walking in here.”
“Let me open it,” Richard said. He inputted his code and scanned his eyes, and the terminal flashed green. With a hiss, the door pulled open and revealed the laboratory’s decimated interior.
It looked like the room had been turned upside down and shaken a few times. Laboratory equipment was smashed and broken, smoldering and smoking, the walls blackened from an explosion. Wind howled and rustled my hair from a giant hole blown in the wall from which the city skyline was visible. Showers of sparks flew from the exposed innards of the walls, cascading down over the scattered bodies of the few researchers who had stayed late.
