Nightmare Planet

by Donald S. Rowland

  Barlor loosened the weapon in its holster and tightened his grip upon the semantics equipment, then clenched his teeth and started walking away from the security of the ship. He glanced back over his shoulder once and saw both guards watching him intently. One was in the control seat, peering through the forward port, and the other was ready at the Ilor ray projector. Barlor felt a grain of comfort as he saw the flared muzzle of the horrific weapon covering him, although he knew that if he got too close to the kangaroos and there was trouble no amount of covering fire could help him without destroying him along with the aliens.

  He walked slowly, giving himself plenty of time, and his nerves tightened. Yet he managed to find the time to take in his surroundings despite the nerve-racking frost of fear that had settled in the pit of his stomach. The countryside was wildly splendid, the plain upon which he was standing hemmed in by hills which were, in their turn, overshadowed by cliffs and mountains standing in the background.

  The nearer he drew to the foremost of the kangaroos the larger they appeared, until the nearest raised up on its powerful haunches and looked at him with wide brown, unblinking eyes. Barlor studied the creature, noting the case suspended from its massive neck, and looked closely at the humanoid hands on the arms that were held before it. Was this the type of creature that had built the missile sites on the outer planet of the system? He shook his head slowly, not sure of himself.

  Swinging the semantics transmuter in front of his chest, Barlor switched on. A green light glowed on the black box and he watched a needle flicker across a dial. He held out the microphone attached as he called a greeting.

  “Hello!” It seemed incongruous to speak so to an alien that resembled an animal which had once lived upon Earth, but all resemblance ended with general shape. This creature looked as big as a house.

  Barlor found himself being regarded by wide, unblinking brown eyes that glittered in the sunlight. The silence that greeted his single word of greeting was not encouraging, but he tried again, still holding out the microphone.

  “Hello! Are you mute or can you make any sounds at all? If you can communicate in any way then do so and my little box of tricks will translate for me. I need an example of your language before you can understand me.”

  Again there ensued a long silence, and the creature remained motionless, as if it had died in its present posture. Barlor was not fooled by its apparent apathy. He knew a sudden thrust of the powerful haunches could push the animal right on top of him, and before he would have any chance of drawing and using his weapon. He moved to the right a little, attempting to give the guard with the Ilor ray projector a clear shot at the kangaroo should violence become necessary. Again he addressed the animal, and felt a pang of foolishness because this creature was obviously unable to speak in any way or form.

  But then there seemed to be an irritation in the back of Barlor’s mind and he frowned as he became aware of it. Drawing a deep breath he tried to recollect his wandering concentration, and discovered that he was relaxing against his will. He looked into the large brown eyes of the animal and sensed that he was being drawn. He had been trained to combat hypnosis, and his reflexes acted with commendable speed. He jerked angrily, breaking the spell that seemed to grip him, and the animal moved slowly, seeming to sway on its large haunches. It lifted its hands like a boxer shadow-boxing, and Barlor tensed for trouble. But once again his mind began to relax, and then he writhed as pain lanced through his skull in a series of mental agonies. He lifted his hands to his temples, his mind rioting, his senses reeling, and panic hit him, for this was too powerful for him to resist.

  Then the pain was gone, and a series of thoughts began to filter into Barlor’s consciousness. It was as if he were asleep and dreaming the impressions being fed to him, and he frowned as he realized that the animal was communicating with him by some form of mental telepathy. The pictures in his mind made no sense, as if they were mere fragments of intelligence that needed piecing together before becoming useful to him, and he fought down a sense of revulsion that came up from the inner recesses of his mind.

  He began to wonder if the animal was able to actually enter his mind, and recalled Sergeant Banham turning into a serpent-like creature when death had struck. Was this what was happening now? Was this how it had happened to Banham? There could have been more of this kangaroo species out of sight in the woods.

  Barlor mentally shied away from what was happening, and tried to turn and make for the ship, but he discovered that his limbs refused to obey his mental commands, and he stared hard at the kangaroo, trying to assert his own mental power, but he could not compete against the force that washed through him and began to concentrate upon making one desperate action. He had to draw his sidearm and kill this monster that was drawing him almost completely into its power.

  Do not resist me! The thought formed without volition in Barlor’s mind, and he stopped his mental struggle because he was too shocked to continue. The animal had communicated with him in his own language! He breathed harshly, fighting for mental stability. Now he forgot about trying to use the semantics transmuter, and concentrated upon his own thought processes.

  I am an alien, but I come in peace! Barlor put everything he had into the thought. Can you help me?

  You must stay out of the woods where the Yagges lurk!

  Yagges? Barlor was amazed that he could suddenly communicate without trouble. But he realized that it was the skill of this big animal that made his facility possible. What are Yagges?

  Serpents that are attracted to all forms of life-source! Your people who landed in the first ship went into the woods and were engulfed.

  Why did you not stop them? They were ignorant of the situation and you could have saved them.

  We Megges will also kill you if we catch you when the sun has set! It is our way of life and we cannot help ourselves! We need to replace certain chemicals in our bodies which we lose because of the effect our sun has upon us. We kill Yagges when possible. But our sensors inform us that your bodies contain more of the chemical we need per kilo of flesh than any other creature upon the planet.

  What is this chemical? Barlor thought the question immediately. His brain reeled as if under special attack, and he clenched his teeth as pangs of agony stabbed through his skull. Then the pains eased and he drew a sharp breath.

  I cannot find the word in your mind. But that is unimportant.

  Why are you giving me warning when you could trap me and my kind for when the night comes? Barlor asked mentally.

  You are not our natural prey. A long time ago others of your species came to this planet, and they were helpful to us. We think you could help us by killing Yagges. They will attack you indiscriminately and without mercy. They are almost as bad as the Eorils.

  Nearly as bad as the Eorils? Barlor shook his head in dismay. What could be worse than creatures that engulf its prey without warning?

  The Eorils and, worst of all, the Imegt.

  Barlor reeled suddenly, as if the power of the unknown force contacting him was beginning to prove too much for his brain. The Megge seemed to understand for it suddenly turned and went bounding away, covering many metres with each leap. Barlor felt weak and unsteady, breathing heavily as he fought to control his mind. He felt as if he had been battered with a club, from inside his skull. His communicator bleeped, and he instinctively reached for it, opening the line to his shuttle.

  “Captain, are you all right?” one of the guards demanded.

  “Yes. Close the line and remain on watch. I’m going to have another shot at communicating with these creatures. Pass on the word to Professor Tosk that these kangaroos do communicate by some form of mental telepathy, but it hurts.”

  He closed the line and drew a sharp breath, sighing heavily. The Megges were moving away slowly now, and Barlor looked at the sky, suddenly aware that the sun was well across the sky. He recalled the warning he had been given about darkness, and let the recorder on the transmuter play back. A wry
smile touched his lips when he heard nothing at all, and he reminded himself that his fantastic conversation with the kangaroo had been carried out completely in their minds.

  But he had learned something of the local situation. The Yagges skulked in the woods, and were probably responsible for the fate of the first landing party. Barlor clenched his teeth as he thought of Denson, Hammond and Professor Norvall. He had sent them to their deaths. He had not taken the proper precautions before permitting them to land on the planet. But some risks had to be taken, such as the one facing him now, and he steeled himself to go on with what he had planned. He needed more information.

  There had been three other types of life form mentioned by the kangaroo, and Barlor frowned as he recalled the names passed on to him. The Yagges seemed to be the lesser dangers, although they had apparently engulfed the entire first landing party, as well as Sergeant Banham. If that were the case, Barlor wondered, then what were Eorils and, worst of all, the Imegt? He glanced over his shoulder at the shuttle, judging the distance to it, and knew he could never reach it if the kangaroos decided to attack him. They had already given warning that he and any of his crew would be fair game after dark, and he wondered what chemical in his physical make-up attracted the aliens.

  Had the kangaroos moved off in order to lure him farther away from the shuttle? He firmed his lips, and opened the line on his communicator. The guard in the control seat replied instantly.

  “Bring the shuttle closer to me, and stay a few yards behind me where ever I move to,” he ordered.

  “Yes, sir,” came the swift reply. “I passed your message to Professor Tosk, Captain, and she said she would like to join you. She also said that it could be highly dangerous for you out there alone. But the chemical that attracts the aliens is beyond her ken until she can gather some more facts. She asks permission to be allowed to join you.”

  “Permission refused,” Barlor said. “Now keep close behind me. I’m going to try and make contact with those kangaroos again.”

  He started walking steadily towards the herd, and some of the creatures raised their heads and looked at him. Barlor could not tell which of them had been communicating with him, but he did not doubt that they all knew what had taken place. He recalled that the alien had told him he might be of some use to them by killing Yagges, and he wondered if that might open up the way to some kind of friendship, although it would be on a daylight basis only. Then he remembered that the kangaroo had told him other aliens had visited the planet in the past. His brown eyes narrowed their gaze as he recalled the exact information. Others of his species! He knew that was impossible, because no other Earth ships had been in this area. So did the information indicate that there were other humanoid aliens moving around through Space? If that were so then it might explain how those automated missile sites on the outer planet came into being.

  Barlor walked steadily towards the nearest Megge, and the creature sat back upon its haunches, regarding him steadily with its unblinking brown eyes. Barlor began to exert his mental power, trying to make contact. After a few moments a voice spoke in his mind, conveying complete thoughts to him.

  You are taking a grave risk in approaching us. If the sun should go behind a cloud and cause a certain degree of dullness then we would attack you without compunction.

  But you said I and my kind might be of some help to you! Barlor gritted his teeth against the pains that stabbed through his skull. How can we help? What can we do to show our friendship? There were others of our species here on your planet in the past. Where did they come from? What kind of craft did they use?

  You ask too many questions. It is better than you return to your craft and depart. If you remain on this planet you will all die. You are too valuable as life sources to be permitted to live. We can only attack you when it is dark, but the Tagges and Eorils will attack whenever you get within range of their powers.

  And what of the Imegt? Barlor demanded.

  They are the most insidious. You cannot see them, but you will know when they attack you The kangaroo began to move away, and Barlor went after it, his sudden movement causing it to halt and stare at him. Barlor halted, his hand going to the butt of his sidearm. Do not follow! The order was distinct and firm. Go back to your craft now, before it is too late. Darkness comes suddenly and without warning. Then your life will be in the gravest danger. I will inform you that the Eorils will attempt to get under your force-field by burrowing, so be warned.

  Before Barlor could continue the mental conversation all the Megges departed, bounding away across the plain at such a speed that Barlor knew he had no hope of staying with them without the help of the shuttle. He stood for a moment, his eyes slitted as he considered, and then he turned to the ship. He had some information, and now he had to pass it on to his experts. They would have to come up with some answers to the obvious problems facing them.

  Boarding the shuttle, Barlor erected the defensive shields, his mind seemingly tender after its contact with the alien, and he thrust down all the intangible fears that occupied the background of his thoughts. He called the other shuttles, and Lieutenant Franklin replied instantly. Barlor passed on the information he had collected, ordering the lieutenant to record it, and he emphasised the fact that one form of alien life, the Eorils, would attempt to burrow under the force-field.

  “Check with the operator and discover if he has enough equipment to employ an underground force-field,” Barlor ended. “I am bringing the shuttle back to the landing site so be prepared for us. When I am safely within your force-field we shall settle down for the night.”

  “We’ll be watching for you, Captain,” came the steady reply.

  Barlor checked his surroundings, but now the plain was empty and silent. The sun was getting low and shadows were creeping into the low places. He activated main drive and lifted the shuttle from the ground, sending it back towards the landing site at a height of two hundred feet. He let the craft move slowly, and searched the ground as they passed over it, but failed to spot anything of interest.

  When they sighted the two grounded shuttles Barlor sighed with relief. He made contact and eased in to land beside the other two. The force-field was cut while they entered, and switched on afterwards to ensure their safety. When he alighted from his craft, Barlor could feel a tingling sensation through his boots, and knew that they had underground protection as well.

  Lieutenant Franklin emerged from one of the shuttles and made a satisfactory report.

  “We’re completely enveloped in our force-field, Captain,” he said firmly. “It just remains to be seen if our power is sufficient to repel any attackers.”

  “I think it might be better if two of the shuttles went into orbit until morning,” Barlor responded. “Then the size of the force-field could be reduced and made more powerful.”

  “Shouldn’t all three craft take off to ensure maximum defence, Captain?” Franklin countered.

  “I agree, but I need to make some observations during the night, and I can’t do that while we’re off the planet. But first I need to talk to Professor Tosk. She may be able to answer some of the questions in my mind. I’ll see her in one of the shuttles, and Doc Simpson can sit in.”

  “I’ll fetch them for you, Captain,” Franklin said, and turned to his shuttle.

  Barlor went back into his shuttle, dismissing the two security guards and thanking them for backing him. He waited for Professor Tosk, whose attractive face wore an expression of displeasure as she boarded the craft. Moriah Simpson followed the woman, and he remained in the background, listening to Barlor’s briefing of the situation.

  When Barlor finally lapsed into silence Professor Tosk cleared her throat.

  “Captain, it’s all very well you making a report like this, but to me it is second-hand information. I requested permission to join you when you were in communication with those aliens and you refused. I presume that your refusal stemmed from the fact that I am female. You would not have hesitated to orde
r Lieutenant Franklin to join you, or the doctor here, should you have required their presence, but I was not permitted to come into contact with the aliens, and I am the only person in your entire crew with the qualifications to meet and contact these creatures. All I can say is that I will endeavour to make an analysis on what scanty evidence you have provided, and then I’ll report to you.”

  “I’m sorry if my behaviour has put your back up, Professor,” Barlor retorted firmly. “But do not lose sight of the fact that I am in command of this mission, and we have already lost an entire landing party. I cannot afford to lose you at this moment. Your qualifications make you most invaluable, and if you have lost sight of that fact then I haven’t.”

  He saw her expression relent a little, and pressed on.

  “We are going to make a full scale search and analysis of this planet starting at dawn tomorrow. You will accompany me, and I can assure you that you will be taking a full share of all the attendant risks. Now if you can do any research on the facts I have given you, however scanty and second-hand they may be, I would be. grateful. There are several problems, as I see the situation, but I have no wish to broach them until you have arrived at your conclusions. Then we will compare notes.”

  “Very well, Captain, but I can promise nothing on the basis of what I have learned from you. I shall need to make personal contact with these creatures. They told you other humanoid beings contacted them here. I shall need to know where they came from and why they departed.”

  “If the facts I have gathered are anything to go on then I can tell you why the planet was deserted by these other humanoid species,” Barlor said slowly. “The life forms on this planet are subjected to debilitating rays from the sun of this system, and they have to replace lost chemicals by preying upon each other. It seems that we humans have more chemicals per kilo weight in relation to our mass that we are something of a feast for these creatures. The Megges — those kangaroos — will attack us only when darkness falls. During the hours of daylight they are approachable. But the other three forms of life mentioned — Yagges, Eorils and Imegt — are more voracious, it seems, and of the three the Imegt are the worst.”