by Thomas Stone
She spread her hands. "What do you think?"
"Lovely, I'm sure."
"I could change..." In the blink of an eye, the image changed. Minerva was the same, but now she wore a very small bikini, leaving little to the imagination."
"All right," said Blane, "that's enough."
"Why Bart, you liked this outfit before."
"No one else was around then."
"Don't you think I'm attractive anymore?"
"Of course, it's just that dressed like that, you're a distraction."
Minerva turned and faced Harry, hands upon her hips. "Am I distracting you, Harry?"
"Change into something else before Commander Irons starts to get ideas."
Harry wondered what kind of ideas Blane referred to. After all, there was nothing substantial about Minerva; the hologram was beautiful work, but it was still a hologram. On top of it all, Minerva was flirting with him, enjoying his reactions. She winked at Harry, then she had clothes on again. This time, khaki shorts and a white, open-collared top with button-down epaulets on the shoulders.
"Gone tropical," she said and climbed over the back of the couch, slipping down into the corner. "By the way, we've passed the ten K point and presently are closing in on five. I'm taking microwave samples. Lots of particle activity."
"Tell me when we're there," said Blane.
"We're there. Oh, and Harry, your crew is trying to follow us."
*
Klaxons banged throughout the shuttle. Burke yelled at Jareem, demanding to know what was wrong.
"I don't know! Multiple systems failures! Back-ups are failing!"
"Let's get this thing on the ground, asap!"
Utme sat at the navigator's position and watched. She was impassive. Not so with Bobbie: her eyes were wide with fear. As the shuttle pitched violently to one side, Yoni tightened his grip on Bobbie's arm.
"Steady!" shouted Burke. He pointed. "There," he said, "set her down there."
"It's too small!"
"I don't see any other choice. If you can't do it, hand the controls over to me!"
Jareem declined and steely flew the craft into the small jungle clearing. One of the under-rotors caught a treetop and everyone held their breath as they listened to branches being chopped up. Jareem flipped a switch and retracted the wings, giving them just enough room to settle down without toppling over.
Burke was out of his seat before the engines started to whine down. He looked at Bobbie. "Do something with that animal."
Yoni didn't understand the words, but he understood the tone. He let go of Bobbie, nuzzled her neck, and climbed down to the lower compartment.
"Turn on the beacon. See if you can raise Doc on the Grunwald."
Bobbie did as she was told and Burke continued to spit out orders.
"I need telemetry for the UFO. Nothing that big can just disappear."
"Fifteen klicks due north," said Utme.
"All right, people, let's break out the skimmers. Survival packs for three. Everybody is armed. Understood?"
"Who's going?" asked Jareem.
"Utme, you, and me. Long stays with the shuttle." He pointed his finger at Bobbie. "And make sure that animal doesn't get into anything. Open the ramp. I'm going down to take a look."
After Burke left the bridge, Jareem turned to Bobbie. "That's fine with me, I didn't want to go anyway. Burke sure is a hard-ass."
"He's just doing his job."
"Well, he practically forced us into crashing. Now we can't even contact the Grunwald."
"We're all right. There's no damage to the shuttle. We can still take off."
"Yeah, those of us who make it."
Utme pushed herself away from the console. "There's no trace of the alien ship. All we can do is go to where it was last seen. I'm going down to help pull out the skimmers."
"I'll join you. I need to keep an eye on Yoni anyway."
The two women left Jareem on the bridge and went below to the small shuttle hanger. Burke had already lowered the ramp and was outside inspecting the perimeter. Bobbie and Utme readied the three skimmers and, one at a time, pushed them down the ramp. Burke inspected the three small craft and after they'd gathered their supplies, he announced they were ready.
The skimmers were one-person aircraft. They used rotor technology and were similar to the open cockpit, personal helicopters of the early twenty-first century. There were refinements, including a fairly complete instrumentation package that enabled a pilot to constantly check his position. Other onboard electronics were a multi-band radio transceiver and an infrared imaging system that allowed flight at night.
Burke secured his survival supplies to his machine as the women pushed their skimmers down the ramp. When he was finished, he slipped his headset on and called Jareem for a radio check. Static filled the air. Burke shook his head.
"We'll be flying without instruments. There's just too much interference."
Neither Bobbie nor Utme said anything. They both knew the dangers of flying without instruments. At least it was full light and they could see where they were going.
Yoni wandered down the ramp. Staying away from Burke, he walked toward the jungle. When Bobbie called to him, he turned and waved with his tail. Showing off, he jumped upon a low-hanging branch and chattered at her like a monkey in a tree. Bobbie couldn't help herself and laughed aloud. Burke looked up to see what was so funny and saw Yoni.
"Tell that animal to get back in the shuttle!"
Bobbie sighed. "I'll try." She walked toward the Bedoran boy and motioned for him to come down. Yoni lingered on the branch. As long as he stayed in the trees, he was free and it felt good to be outside again. Bobbie stood beneath him and tried to coax him down, but the boy stubbornly clung to the branch, staring down at her.
As Bobbie looked up into the leaves, something above and behind the boy moved. She looked into the tree tops, trying to see what it was. It had just been a glance, and Bobbie had only seen motion, not anything substantial. She stared at the spot where she was sure something had moved, but there were only leaves and branches, nothing else. Then, as she watched, one of the branches rose and an adjacent branch dipped, as if something stepped from one to the other.
"Come down," she said to Yoni.
The boy recognized the urgency in Bobbie's voice and jumped from the tree. Bobbie continued to stare into the treetops.
"Let's get going," shouted Burke, "we've haven't got all day."
Bobbie turned and started to say something to the man, but a sudden rustling in the tree stopped her. She looked back and was suddenly bowled over by something unseen. That wasn't quite true. Whatever it was, the air shimmered when it moved. It looked like mirrors moving, reflecting the colors of the jungle. Bobbie fell to her back and felt strong hands around her neck, cutting off her air and crushing her throat. She struggled as Yoni stood by helplessly.
She smelled whatever was atop her and heard its guttural breathing, but she couldn't see anything except occasionally the strange shimmering. The creature was, for all purposes, invisible.
Utme was the first to see what was happening and, drawing her stunner, she quickly ran to Bobbie's aid. At first glance, it looked as though Bobbie struggled with a phantom. Utme didn't pause to ask what was wrong. As she approached, she saw the variations in light above Bobbie and launched herself at the unseen creature. She hit it hard with her shoulder and felt the thing as it toppled from Bobbie. Bobbie got to her feet and watched in amazement as Utme seemed to wrestle with thin air.
By this time, Burke saw what was happening and ran to Utme's aid, but before he could reach her, he too was attacked.
Bobbie looked back at the shuttle and saw three of the shimmering forms bolt up the open ramp of the shuttle.
"They're in the ship!" she shouted.
Utme and Burke still fought with the ghosts. More of the shimmering forms poured from the jungle. Bobbie pulled her pistol and began firing. Although she was sure some of her shots found their ma
rk, there were too many. They gathered around the ship and around the humans, joining in the fray.
Burke managed to throw off his assailant and drew his own pistol.
Jareem ran down the ramp, shouting something Bobbie didn't understand. When he reached the bottom, something knocked him from behind and he fell face down. Before he could get up, his head was pulled back until his torso bent double from the strain. A loud crack filled the air as Jareem's back gave way. Even from where Bobbie stood, she heard him gasp.
Both Utme and Burke rapidly fired their stunners, but it was impossible to tell if they hit anything. Bobbie could still see the shimmering forms running through the clearing and watched as one of the skimmers turned over. Smoke began to stream out of the shuttle through the lower hatch. Bobbie was distracted by one of the forms as it headed straight for her. She fired her stunner and the thing fell backwards. She spun and shot another just as an explosion ripped through the open shuttle hatch.
Another skimmer toppled over and all three of the humans turned their fire to the forms that surrounded it. Yoni grabbed Bobbie by the hand and dragged her toward the jungle. Utme and Burke retreated as well, falling back to the imagined safety of the trees.
They soon found themselves in a depression surrounded by brush.
"What are those things?" Bobbie breathed.
Utme and Burke had no idea and, instead of answering, they kept a sharp lookout in anticipation of another attack. The next explosion was deafening. Burke raised his head for a look. As if all the air was let out of him, he slid back down.
"The shuttle is destroyed," he said.
Chapter 25
"This is the anti-grav flyer," Blane explained. "It can carry as much as you want. As you can see, there's room for several people, although it could get crowded rather quickly."
Harry looked at the machine and decided it was about the same size as a flying jeep with room for four people, if supplies and instruments didn't take up the extra room. Well, there were only himself and Tringl to worry about, so there was plenty of room. Tringl, bored with explanations of how the incredible machines worked, watched the jungle.
Blane explained the controls to Harry and showed him what precautions to take for flying without the electronic instrumentation. Harry picked it up quickly.
"We don't have far to go, so I don't expect any problems."
Minerva's hologram appeared at the hatch and called to Blane. "There's been a disturbance at the Corporation landing site."
"What sort of disturbance?"
"An explosion."
Harry and Blane exchanged a look. "Any radio signals?"
"I can't tell," she said, "the interference is blocking out all emissions."
Blane sighed. "Why didn't they just stay put?"
"You don't know my second-in-command," answered Harry.
"What are you going to do?"
Harry stared at Minerva's hologram. She smiled coquettishly. He turned back to Blane. "I've got to go back. My crew is my first responsibility."
Blane feebly argued against it, but he knew Harry was right. "This is going to delay us."
"It can't be helped," said Harry. "Stay put and wait for me." Harry and Tringl climbed into the machine and strapped themselves in. Before lifting off, Harry turned to Blane and gave a thumbs-up. "We'll be back, I promise."
With that, Harry pushed the control stick forward and the jeep silently lifted into the air. In moments, they were headed south, toward the last location of the Corporation shuttle. As soon as they cleared the trees, Harry caught sight of the column of smoke that rose from the jungle. It was an ominous sign and Harry began to expect the worst.
Harry found that the scooter was as easy to handle as Blane had said it would be and they sped over the treetops toward the smoke without incident.
He found the shuttle quickly. From the air, Harry surveyed the damage. Smoke poured from the lower hatch and there were no signs of life. Circling the clearing, Harry guided the scooter lower. Tringl pointed at the body on the ground and Harry identified it as Jareem.
"Krits," said Tringl.
"So far from the Lost City?"
"Sometimes they travel even farther."
"I wish I knew more about what we're dealing with."
"The Krits are ghosts. I told you already."
"I don't believe in ghosts," said Harry as he flew another circle around the burning shuttle.
Tringl pointed again. "Something moved through the brush, headed away."
Harry looked but his untrained eyes couldn't make out the trail. Tringl insisted it was there and Harry followed the directions until, passing over a tiny break in the trees, he looked down and saw three human faces looking up at him from the ground.
"There they are!"
Harry steered the craft between the trees until he touched ground. "What happened?"
"Something attacked us," said Burke as he stepped forward and appraised the vehicle. "Looks as though you've done all right for yourself."
"Get aboard," ordered Harry.
"All of us?"
"Yes, it'll hold us."
Yoni peeked out from behind Bobbie.
"What's he doing here?"
Without even attempting to explain why he stowed away again, Yoni signaled his profound apologies. But he couldn't hide his thoughts from Harry. They came to mind like a scent carried on a subtle breeze, and once Harry took a breath, he knew everything. Yoni stowed away to get off the Grunwald. It was too confining and he'd grown sick of closed-in places.
Harry gave him a hard look and, with a move of his head, indicated he wanted Yoni to get in the back. Yoni jumped into the jeep. The other three piled in as well. It was crowded, but the anti-grav jeep performed the same whether it was full or empty.
With ease, Harry took the jeep back up above the trees. Burke leaned forward and spoke into Harry's ear.
"What's going on, Commander?"
Harry ignored the question.
"Are any of you injured?"
"No."
"What attacked you?"
"Good question. They were the closest thing to invisible I've ever seen. It's like their skin works as a reflective surface. Where are we going?"
Again, Harry ignored the question. "Did you get a call through to the Grunwald?"
"We tried, but never got a reply. The radio interference is fierce."
Harry changed course slightly so that his path would not take them past Minerva. He looked at Burke. "I'll tell you what's going on when we set down. It won't take long to get there."
"I'd feel better if I knew..."
For the first time, a new sensation passed through Harry and he took a deep breath. The sensation started as pressure deep within his chest, growing stronger as Harry drew in his breath and focused. The power was released at the height of a sigh. Immediately, Burke shut up and sat down.
Harry successfully avoided Minerva and guided the jeep deeper into the jungle. As they approached their destination, Harry slowed their progress and began looking for a place to land. That's when he saw the first section of an ancient wall. Jungle growth nearly covered it, but there was no mistake, they had found the Lost City. He guided the jeep to a protected open field and set it down at one end.
Tringl was the first out. He smelled the air and kept his eyes on the only convenient entrance to the field.
"Everybody out." Harry slipped from the pilot's chair and opened the port side storage compartment. Inside were the pieces for a power fence as well as a soundless electrical generator. Out of an adjacent compartment, he drew out insulated tents complete with their own cooling systems. Without asking what they were doing or what the equipment was for, Utme began helping Harry.
As any boy would do, Yoni explored the new territory. He soon found the vines that grew down the walls at both ends of the field and scaled the nearest wall.
Burke approached Harry, hands on his hips. "Commander, are you going to give us some idea of what we're doing?"
/>
"Sure, we're setting up camp. I want to lay out this fence first thing. We're under threat from the creatures that attacked you. Our mission is to secure this area and, with a little luck, we'll find the ghlowstone."
Bobbie, as confused as Burke seemed to be, finally asked, "Where'd you get all the equipment? What happened to you?"
"I can't go into it now, there's too much to do. Let's get the fence put together. There're weapons in the aft compartment as well as food and water. Go easy on the supplies. Everybody arm yourselves."
Bobbie shook her head and began helping Utme lay out the fence. Burke retrieved the weapons and handed them out. Harry could feel Burke's consternation, but the Co-commander said nothing until Harry pulled out a handheld rangefinder.
"That won't work with all the interference."
Harry checked the instrument and determined the direction of the ghlowstone.
"It's working," Burke commented on the obvious.
Harry slipped the rangefinder into his vest pocket. "Extra shielding around the circuitry. Besides, we're so close to the source, it's the only radiating source." He looked up and inspected the sky. "Still plenty of light left. As soon as the fence is up and running, I want to have a look around."
"Commander, this is all highly irregular."
"Mr. Burke, you've been on a few missions previous to this, I'm surprised you haven't figured out that each and every mission is irregular."
"Quite the contrary. I find that if one follows the regulations and procedures set forth by the Corporation, everything operates in sequence. There's no need for guesswork."
"I've told you the situation. There are hostiles about and we have a mission to perform. Now, Mr. Burke, I suggest you get to it."
Burke glared at Harry. Instead of saying anything more, he turned and walked away. Harry felt the man's rage. It was replaced by the knowledge that something else was nearby, watching and waiting for the right opportunity. The thoughts were twisted, alien. Harry looked at the wall at the far end of the field.
He felt the creature as it took a good, long look and moved away. The only emotion Harry recognized was one of anger, resentment toward those who were not welcome.
