by J. J. Green
“I did, did I?” Rogers, with some effort, managed to rise to his elbows. He scanned the room until he spotted the observation window Sparks was looking through. “There you are. How long have I been out?”
“Four and a quarter hours. Do you remember what happened? You’d just taken a sample when you passed out.”
“Hmmm...yes, I do remember.” The lab tech reclined on his pillows. “I was in a state of terrible fear, brought on by the Paths. Urgh...it was awful feeling their terror. I think they thought I was going to kill them. I’m never doing that again. So don’t even think of asking me.” His eyes swiveled to the right to meet Sparks’.
“No, of course I won’t,” Sparks said.
“Good. So...I cut once, and then again to take the sample, and I thought that was it. Their ordeal would be over, and I would be able to get out of range of those odd creatures, and then...then, well...I was suddenly in the most wonderful place I’ve ever been.”
“Really?” asked Sparks. “What do you mean? You didn’t go anywhere—except straight here to the medical center as fast as we could take you. You must have been hallucinating.”
“I suppose I must have, but that isn’t how it felt. It felt very real. I was floating in infinite space. And...now, let me see...I seem to remember that I was sure I could become infinite too, and fill the space. Or I could choose to become infinitesimally small. But that wasn’t the best part, oh no. I was serenely, blissfully happy. The happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life. No cares or worries bothered me. Nothing mattered at all, except being, you know?” His face seemed to shine as he relived the memory. “Ahhh...it was quite wonderful. I wouldn’t mind going there again, in fact, if it were possible.”
“Extraordinary,” Sparks mused. The Paths had accessed the technician’s emotions, but not as he would have expected when they were under threat. He would have expected them to continue to project their negative emotions in order to make whatever was threatening them go away. They’d projected their fear of the approaching lab tech with his scalpel, as he’d expected, but when the lab tech actually assaulted them, they’d overwhelmed him with bliss.
Their strategy had been effective. The result was that Rogers collapsed and didn’t cut them again. But as a long-term behavior, it didn’t make much sense. The creatures were providing a reward in response to attacks. Wouldn’t a hostile species that experienced the reward be tempted to attack again?
“Sparks,” Rogers said. “Are you listening? I said, do you know how long they plan to keep me here?”
“Sorry, I was miles away. I don’t know how long you’ll be here, I’m afraid. Until they’re sure you haven’t been infected by an agent from the Paths, maybe? When you collapsed, your scalpel cut through your hazard suit. You’ve been exposed.”
“Bugger,” Rogers said. “Oh well. I suppose it means I get out of work for a while.”
“Yes, enjoy it while you can,” said Sparks. “I’ll let the nurse know you’re awake. I’ll be back later to check how you’re doing. Is there anything you need?”
“I don’t think so. I’ll call the nurse if I do.”
“Okay. Rogers, one more thing before I go. I’m curious about this state you were in. Do you think you could write me a report about it?”
“Doesn’t look like I’m going to have much else to do for a while.”
“Great. Thanks.”
“You know,” Rogers said, “I was a little peeved at having to go near the Paths again. Those creatures give me the willies. I like my emotions to stay my own. But now, I’m kind of glad you asked me to help out. Whatever it was they did to me, I’m glad I had the experience. I doubt I’ll ever forget it.”
It was the quiet shift, and after Sparks left Rogers, his words helped Sparks sleep more easily. The man was positive about his experience, and Sparks hoped he wouldn’t have too much explaining to do. He also had something especially interesting to put in his next report to Polestar. With a little luck, the company would hand the project on to the big league xenobiologists now that he’d discovered something unusual.
The following morning, on his way to the canteen to eat breakfast, he passed the Paths’ quarantine chamber and found that the whole place, including his observation office, had been sealed off with security tape. The master of the quarantine station was there, and when he spotted Sparks he approached him and slapped him on the shoulder. “Just the man I wanted to see. I comm’d you three times. Is your button turned off?”
Sparks looked down at the comm button on his shirt. He had indeed accidentally thumbed it off as he was attaching the device. He turned it on. “Yes, sorry. What’s going on? Why’s the area been cordoned off? Has something happened to the Paths?” He wondered if Rogers had harmed them somehow when he’d taken his sample. Maybe they’d bled out over night. He hadn’t gone back to check on them because he’d been too preoccupied with the lab tech.
“I thought you hadn’t heard. One of the researchers broke into the Path chamber during the quiet shift.”
“What?” exclaimed Sparks. “Why would anyone do that?”
“As far as we can tell, it was because she’d heard about Rogers’ experience yesterday. He told the nurse, and she passed the story on. She didn’t see any reason not to, she says, and I guess she’s right. It was just a little bit of gossip to her. The poor woman; she’s distraught now. She’s saying it was all her fault.”
“What was her fault?” asked Sparks, standing on his tiptoes and craning to look into the chamber.
“The researcher got it into her head that what happened to Rogers sounded pretty nice, and she thought she’d like to try it herself.”
Sparks’ eyes grew round. “No.”
“Yes. She took a knife with her. I don’t know what she intended. Thankfully, she didn’t have the opportunity to do much damage.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” said Sparks. “I take it they weren’t too badly cut?”
“They were hardly cut at all.”
“And the woman? Did she have a fit like Rogers? I take it you’ve placed her in confinement?” He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Is she a natural by any chance? I’ve always thought there should be some kind of vetting for professional positions.”
“No. The reason she didn’t cut the Paths very much was because she didn’t have the opportunity. She died.”
“She’s dead? They killed her?” Sparks almost squeaked.
“She’s lying in there right now. She was cold by the time someone noticed the chamber door was open. She’d used her security clearance to disable the alarm.”
“Dead?” Sparks repeated. He needed to sit down.
He pushed past the master and stepped over the tape that covered the door to his observation room. Collapsing into his chair, he caught sight of the deceased administrator in the Paths’ quarantine chamber. She was right next to them. They hadn’t moved or changed position, but the woman was on her back, her arms and legs spread out. The most beautiful smile Sparks had ever seen was emblazoned across her features.
Chapter Eleven
“What are you planning to tell the Transgalactic Council, if you ever manage to contact them?” Erielle asked. The day following their capture, Sayen and the others had been allowed to climb the stairs to her private room once more. Though, from the way Erielle continued to ignore her, Sayen doubted she would have received the same respect if she’d been alone.
“We’ll tell them what’s been happening here on Earth,” Jas said. “We’ll tell them the Shadows have infiltrated the Global Government, and that whoever hasn’t been killed and replaced believes that the problem was dealt with, and the Shadows are no longer a threat.”
“That’s a long message.” Erielle smiled sardonically. “And why would the Council believe you?”
Jas had been resting her elbows on the low table that separated the two women. She leaned back. “Why would they believe us? Why wouldn’t they? It isn’t the sort of thing someone would make up.”<
br />
“You don’t think so? There’s plenty of crazies around. Sometimes modding goes wrong, you know. Some people aren’t right in the head, and they often end up here. Plenty of conspiracy theorists. The Council wouldn’t take much persuading from someone high up in government to convince them that you’re insane. Hell, I bet they receive a thousand messages a day from crackpots in one corner of the galaxy or another. Why do you think they’d treat yours any differently?”
Jas frowned and looked down.
“What do you think we should do?” Carl asked.
“I’m not sure. Tell me more about these aliens.”
They told her all they knew, and when they arrived at Sayen’s investigations at the Global Government Security HQ, she took over the story and related what she’d read in the hidden files. She also explained how her manager, Bernie, had turned out to be a Shadow and had arranged for her to be abducted and nearly replaced by a Shadow herself. Erielle didn’t look at her as she spoke, but she listened.
“So you can identify Shadows, no matter how closely they resemble their victim, with one of these special scanners?” she asked.
“That’s what I read,” Sayen replied.
“And that’s what I saw, too, when we rescued Sayen,” said Carl. “We were covered in that invisibility spray you stole from us.”
“Ha, consider it payment for your bed and board,” Erielle replied. “Well, we can’t use that. That’s long gone down the pipeline. Much too hot to keep. But if you had a scanner, you could identify a Shadow and capture it. A Shadow found in Earth territory would be good evidence to show the Council.”
“We don’t need to identify a Shadow,” Sayen said. “I know one. The man I was working under at the Security HQ. If he’s still there, we could try to kidnap him.”
“That British guy you were telling us about?” Carl asked.
“Well, that’s who the victim was, yes,” Sayen replied. “Now, a Shadow’s doing a great impersonation of him. Unless that thing’s gone somewhere else, he’ll be at the HQ.”
“Yeah,” said Jas, “we could kidnap a Shadow to prove that we aren’t crazy. But what then? How would we get it to the Transgalactic Council?”
“One thing at a time,” Erielle said.
“It’s some kind of a plan,” Carl said. “Sayen, the HQ’s in this city, right? How far from here?”
“Not far. About half an hour by autocab.”
“I can’t think of a better alternative,” Jas said. “Let’s do it. Tonight. The longer we wait, the more people will fall victim, and the Shadows will move closer to catching us. Sayen, think of everything you can remember about this creature. What time it leaves the office. How it goes home—if that’s where it goes. We’ll ambush it in a quiet spot if we can. Erielle, how many of your people can you lend us?”
“People? You can’t have any of my people. You’re on your own.”
“What?” Makey exclaimed. “I thought you were going to help us.”
“I am helping you. By letting you and your friends go. That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it? I’ve had your wrists treated. I’ve even listened to your cockeyed plans and pointed out how stupid they are. What more do you want from me?”
“I expected you to help us defeat the Shadows,” said Makey. “Don’t you want them forced to leave Earth? My friends told you what happened on Dawn. You said there was someone you loved there. Don’t you care about what happened to them?”
Erielle’s brief expression of sadness was quickly followed by a stony look. “My lover made her choice. She could have stayed here and continued to fight the Government, but she didn’t. She left with the rest of the Earth Mother cultists. I learned my lesson then. Look after yourself. No one else matters. The Transgalactic Council doesn’t give a krat about us underworlders. If these Shadows come to us, we’ll fight them. But we’ll fight on our terms and in our own way, not because some digifreaks want us to.”
Jas sighed and shook her head. “Will you give us our weapons back at least? Explosives? You know we’ll need everything we can get.”
Erielle said, “Okay.” She looked at Makey. “Are you sure you won’t stay here with me? I was hoping we could talk about Dawn. Maybe you knew my friend. I’d have liked to hear news of her. ”
“I haven’t changed my mind. I know who my friends are, and I know the right thing to do, even if you don’t.”
The corner of Erielle’s lip lifted. “You sound just like my friend. Maybe you did know her.”
“I think you should stay here, Makey,” Jas said. “In fact, I insist. I’m not allowing you to come along.”
“What?”
“Like I told you in Antarctica when you ignored my order, you’re a danger to yourself and others. I can’t trust you, so you aren’t coming with us.”
“Oh, come on, Jas,” said Carl.
“And like I told you, this is none of your business.”
Carl let out a snort of frustration and folded his arms.
Sayen said tentatively, “Jas—”
“No. This isn’t up for discussion. The kid isn’t coming with us. He’s too young, and he’s too unreliable. I’m not going to risk both your lives or mine so he can feel good about himself.”
“It isn’t about feeling good about myself,” Makey exclaimed, rising to his feet and clenching his fists. “Those misborns killed my mam and my sister. I want to fight them just as much as you do.”
“Hey,” shouted Erielle, “simmer down.” When their gazes turned to her, she continued, “I changed my mind. The kid goes with you, or you don’t get any of your stuff back. I’m not having digifreaks telling us underworlders what we can and can’t do. The kid goes with you, or you leave here now with nothing but the clothes on your backs.”
Jas glared at the woman.
“Take it or leave it,” Erielle said.
Carl said, “We’ll take it, right, Sayen?”
“Yes, we’ll take Makey with us,” she replied. “Give us our things, and we’ll get along.” Time was passing. The Shadow Bernie would be leaving work soon, and they didn’t yet have a plan for his capture. Sayen also felt Jas was being unreasonable. Most of the time, she was nice, but sometimes she could be pig-headed. She didn’t know what her problem was.
Erielle called for the weapons and explosives she’d taken from them and handed them over to Jas. The woman took them without a word. She looked furious.
Sayen had another problem that needed addressing urgently. “Erielle, do you think I could get some shoes?” she asked, pointing at her bare, dirty feet. The sight of them made her squirm. What wouldn’t she give for a hot bath and clean clothes as well?
Rolling her eyes, Erielle made the request by her usual method of shouting downstairs. Almost miraculously, a worn pair of running shoes arrived that were only about a size too big. Sayen slipped them on and tied the laces, trying hard not to think about the residue from someone else’s feet that was touching her skin.
Chapter Twelve
Erielle not only returned everything she’d taken from them besides the invisibility spray, but she also loaned them one of the strange self-driving cars the underworlders used and gave them a map to a safe, unoccupied house on the edge of her territory. She said they could use it as long as they wanted.
Carl was pleased at the loan of the car. He loved driving cars. He’d learned how when he was in his early teens, when self-drivers had already been mostly replaced by auto-drive cars. A couple of old relics lived among the farm machinery in the barn. Charging their batteries took forever because they were so old, but it was worth the wait to be in control of a vehicle instead of being carried around like a baby.
Jas and Carl sat in front. Sayen and Makey were in the back with the bag of equipment between them. The light was beginning to fail.
“You sure you can handle this?” asked Erielle, leaning down to look through the car window.
“Yeah, no problem,” Carl said as he searched for the headlight switch. He trie
d one, and the windscreen wipers started up. He tried another, and the windows closed. Erielle stepped back to avoid being decapitated. The third switch he tried turned on the headlights, though their beams were weak.
Carl lowered the windows. “Got it. Are you sure we won’t be stopped by the police? Are these cars still legal?”
“They’re still legal, but, yeah, you might be stopped. I don’t know what you can do about that. I guess you’ll just have to take the chance. You could always walk there, but it’d take hours, and I don’t know how you’ll kidnap a Shadow without a vehicle. You can’t hire an autocab without ID. This is the best y’all can do, I reckon.”
“I think you’re right,” Carl said. “We’ll get going.”
“Good luck,” Erielle said. “Take care, kid,” she said to Makey. “Remember, there’s always a place for you here. I’d like to hear about Dawn sometime.”
“I’ll come back and tell you all about it.”
“You look after him,” Erielle said to the others.
“Thanks for the shoes,” Sayen said.
Erielle didn’t reply. She stepped back. Jas also said nothing. She sat with her arms folded, staring ahead.
Carl didn’t know what was the matter with her, and he wasn’t sure that he even cared. She had a mood on, and like always, she wouldn’t open up about whatever was bothering her. He’d thought they might have had something going after they’d nearly kissed back at the farm in Australia, but ever since they’d rescued Sayen, the coldness of Antarctica seemed to have crept into her bones and heart.
“Got your seat belts on?” he asked the group generally as he searched for the button to start the engine.
“All buckled up,” came Sayen’s response from behind him.
“Hey, Sayen,” Carl said, “you know where we’re going, right? Why don’t you come sit up front here and direct me?”
“Sure,” Sayen replied, and she and Jas swapped seats.
Jas’ knees pushed into Carl’s back as she squeezed into the smaller space. He preferred that slight discomfort to her taciturn presence beside him. He started the engine, and the former navigator gave her first set of directions.
