I deactivated.
I sank to my knees as exhaustion roared over me like a tidal wave. I hung my head, scooping deep lungfuls of wet, humid air into my aching lungs. The trees gave shade but no comfort from the steaming heat.
The cuts on my lips felt raw, and the blood from my nose had dried on my face. I didn’t try to clean up my appearance because what good would it do? If I started running again, my nose would start bleeding. It didn’t bother me, and no flies were buzzing around my nose. I didn’t care. In fact, I was too tired to care about anything at the moment.
Green was definitely not my type of world. I sat there, too exhausted to pull myself out of the muck. I swallowed and then finally felt strong enough to get to my feet. I staggered over to a tree and leaned against it. I let its strange green bark rub against my back. I didn’t hear a thing.
I stopped. Yes, it was true. I didn’t hear a thing. That meant the police weren’t following me anymore. The birds’ squawkings would have told me they were coming.
But why weren’t they squawking at me?
Perhaps because I was fairly still, and wasn’t moving around? Who knew about animals? I knew I didn’t.
I smiled to myself, and then looked around.
It was standing ten feet from me, with its large fangs bared.
6
It was huge. It was about six feet tall and heavily muscled. The green fur made it look like a Terran gorilla more than anything. It had a huge head, with the thick muscles on the sides of its jaws. There were several holes in its chest, and they were caked with blood. One of them was still bleeding. It must have weighed over 300 pounds.
I had finally met the creature that had killed the policemen, and I was sure it wasn’t in a good mood. It was growling at me in a throaty, dangerous way. I just hoped the bullets in its body would slow it down and weaken it enough so I could survive. I knew it was going to attack.
I activated and hoped I had enough reserve energy so that I wouldn’t pass out in the middle of the fight with the thing. It growled louder as it noted my fangs and claws. I walked slowly from the tree and looked for some sort of clearing, but there wasn’t one. The trees hemmed us in, and it would be a fight in close quarters. And that would be to its definite advantage.
I stared into its eyes, and even they were green. The entire body was covered with fur, even the face. It was similar in structure to the Terran gorilla, but the Terran sort had a hairless face. This beast had hair all over its face. It was also, more than likely, the reason the birds had quieted down.
I guessed the policemen had come upon it suddenly and scared it, because it hadn’t eaten their bodies. It had only killed them. If it was like a Terran gorilla, it may have tried to bluff the police, and they had more than likely panicked and fired at it. It had been hurt and had attacked to protect its territory. I hoped that was the way it had been, because that meant that perhaps, if it was in enough pain, it would back away and let me leave.
I wasn’t so lucky.
It screamed and charged. It gripped me in a bear hug and tried to bite my face off. I slammed a claw hand into its stomach and raked it hard while jerking my head to the side. My ribs were just about crushed, but with the pain of the scratch, it let me go and howled. It backed away, rubbing its stomach.
I looked around, hoping that perhaps a branch would be low enough so that I could leap into one of the trees and get away from the thing before it killed me. I had a horrible feeling that even in my fight mode, I stood very little chance against the beast. It was just too strong and vicious. It was in pain, and more than likely weak from the loss of blood from the bullet holes. I noticed that one of the holes was bleeding again, and the blood was black. I didn’t know what to make of that, but I had the feeling it wasn’t a good thing at all. Pain drives all animals into a frenzy.
It rubbed its belly where I had clawed it. The claws were supposed to be very sharp, but all I had done was rake a little furrow on its stomach. The fur was slightly matted with a tiny bit of black blood, but I’m sure it did nothing more than to irritate the hell out of it. It was similar to developing a headache along with a toothache. It didn’t increase my chances of survival.
I backed against a tree and waited. I knew better than to try to run. Even though it looked as if its legs were too short for its massive, barrel-chested body, I had seen some gorillas move in a forest on Terra, and they moved quite well. And in my condition, I didn’t dare try to increase the demand upon my body.
It howled at me, bared its long fangs and pounded its chest with the palms of its hands. I screamed back and slapped my chest. It stopped and looked at me with a bit of puzzlement. When it pounded its chest once again, I imitated it and walked forward a little. Perhaps I could bluff it, since it was more than likely out of its home territory. I had heard that the home territory adds a lot to the fighting prowess of an animal, and the one out of its home territory is put on a psychological defensive.
It charged. So much for theory.
I tried to leap to the side, but it used its huge arm span to grab one of my arms and drag me back to its hug. I screamed as it slashed my face with one of its fangs, and I sank my fangs into its neck. It squealed with agony and I jerked my head back as it threw me to the forest floor. I scrambled quickly to my feet and felt a strange pounding in my head. It was the danger signal of my body, telling me I had exhausted all the primary sources of energy, and I would go into a coma when I deactivated. Just what I needed.
It rubbed its shoulder, screamed at me once again, and then, much to my surprise, began to walk away. It waddled down the trail, and was quickly engulfed by all the shadows of the forest. I couldn’t believe it.
Perhaps it just didn’t feel like fighting anymore, since it was hurting so badly. I just hoped it would live with all those bullets in its body. I couldn’t feel angry at it. It was merely some sort of animal that had been dealt a raw deal by a group of jerks. It had been happening since man had crawled out of the jungle and had stolen the Warp drive from the Dresdians. The humanoids of the Spheres were the stupidest when it came to new worlds that had its own native life forms.
I rubbed the side of my face and could tell the slash was going to leave a nice scar unless I could get it treated, and quickly. I also knew I couldn’t deactivate until I was on the Kraftwerk. And I didn’t really know where I was.
I looked around and tried to find a very tall, thick tree. They were plentiful, so it was easy enough. I dug my claws into the tree’s trunk, and quickly scampered up it. It was very tall, and I could see the noses of the police cruisers and the nose of the Kraftwerk. I was fairly close to it, and as I shinnied down the tree, I hoped I could make it before my reserve food supply was burned up.
I shoved through the forest, and the birds were again squawking at me. I felt a little better about their incessant noise as I brushed aside leaves. I knew I must have looked a sight as I finally made the clearing where the ship was. I didn’t see Kohn anywhere, so I just went up the ladder and up the shaft as fast as I could.
“What in the world?” Kohn said as he saw me walk in.
Renate merely let out a tiny squeal and covered her mouth with her hands.
“Don’t ask,” I said slowly, hoping they would understand my speech. “I’m running on reserve strength, so when I deactivate, I’m going to pass out. Feed me the high protein liquid food when I do. But first, I’ll take a shower, then after I wake up, I’ll fill you in.”
“How long will you be out?” Kohn asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “It depends on how deep into the reserves I’ve had to dig. See you soon, I hope.”
It took only a few seconds for the shower to wash the mud and stuff from my body. I put on a clean jumpsuit in the shower room and walked out of the area. Kohn had the bed out and was consulting the comp on how best to feed me, and how much. I lay on the bed, smiled at Renate, and more than likely scared her with my fangs. I deactivated.
◆◆◆
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nbsp; I blinked. “How long was I out?” I asked as I opened my eyes and saw Renate sitting next to the bed.
“About four hours,” she answered. She raised her head. “Kohn! He’s awake now!”
Kohn walked slowly in from the main control cabin. He had a frown on his face and he was already shaking his head. I had a feeling he wasn’t about to give me good news. I wondered just how bad the news could be. I felt fine in all other respects. The liquid protein works, and it was only the second time since I’d been modified that I had had to use the stuff.
“What is it?” I asked as I sat up.
“The monitor comp is damaged,” he said. “I need a new interface.”
“Damn!” I cursed. I looked at him. “We have any spares?”
“We used the last spare on Crowley,” he answered. “We can take off as soon as you get it back here and into place. I’ve already repaired the tear in the hull.”
“Great,” I growled. “And just where am I supposed to . . . oh!”
He nodded as I finally understood what I would have to do. I was going to have to go back to the police clearing and steal one of theirs. Fun, fun, fun. I didn’t like the idea in the slightest, but it was the only way I could possibly get the part for us. Otherwise, we’d be stuck on this planet for quite some time.
“What are those idiots doing now, by the way?” I asked. I could feel a plasti-skin bandage on my cheek. The shower had made me feel much better. “Have they tried to get in touch?”
“Yeah,” Kohn answered. He had a frown on his face. “They say you’ve killed two of their men and you’re wanted for murder.”
“I didn’t kill anybody,” I said. “A creature of the jungle killed them. I found the bodies and took their effects, and the police found the stuff on me when they captured me. I escaped, ran into the beast myself. It’s where I got these,” I said, touching my cheek.
“You’ve got to get that interface, and soon,” Kohn said.
“But you can’t!” Renate said. “You’ve got scratches all over you, and . . . and you passed out!”
I smiled at her. “I’m fine now. That’s the way modification works. If the food supply is restored, the body is back into full functioning order.”
I hoped she’d believe that lie. I didn’t know just how critical my health was, but I knew I wanted to get off Green as quickly as possible. And if I had to go steal an interface for the monitor comp, then, by damn, I would.
Renate closed her mouth and looked grim. I could tell she was trying to think up another reason for me not to go. I wished I could have stayed, but I knew Kohn was not equipped for those idiots. He’s the diplomat type, while I’m the headstrong, action oriented type. If stealing was involved, I was the man. I knew it wouldn’t be fun.
I got up from the bed and went to get my spare boots. I didn’t relish the thought of going back into that jungle, especially since I knew there were only a few more hours of daylight left. It was going to be tricky enough to steal an interface, but the problem would have to wait until nightfall. I wasn’t about to risk another conversation with Heuser.
As I was putting my boots on, I wondered why the police hadn’t just tried to storm us. It seemed silly for them not to, since they had us outnumbered. They could’ve had one of their cruisers just stand over us and we wouldn’t have been able to take off. They could’ve just waited for us to realize the inevitable and surrender, but then . . . they hadn’t made much sense in any of their actions since we’d left Firelight. There was something almost insane in their behavior. I doubted if I would ever really know what was going on.
I smiled at Renate and waved at Kohn as I walked to the shaft. I floated to the bottom of the shaft, then went down the ladder. I glanced at the sky, and it seemed as if it was getting a little cloudy. I had a gut feeling I’d get rained upon that night.
The trip back to the cruisers was completely uneventful, except for an overexcited bird now and then. At least the jumpsuit’s material repels almost everything. I stayed away from the clearing, even though, if I looked just right, I could see the outline of the two cruisers. The heat was dropping rapidly as the sun was setting. I didn’t like the thought of having to go about in the dark, so I started memorizing the position of some of the tallest of the trees so I could use them at night for a nest, if need be.
As twilight settled over everything, the birds finally got quiet. It was eerie not to be hearing them. The clouds were gradually taking over the sky, and I wouldn’t be able to use the stars that night for any sort of reference or guidance. And Green didn’t have a moon.
I crept closer to the clearing, and waited for the change of the guards. Heuser struck me as the type who would have been happier being a Central Trooper, perhaps a commander on one of the military worlds, perhaps even on Vespers itself. General Haivs would appreciate a strict man like Heuser.
It still struck me as odd that Heuser, a mere desk sergeant, was in charge of the operation. He seemed to have a lot of power. It was all very confusing.
I wondered if I would be able to get an interface. If I could, I knew I would have to take the long way around the mess building up near Firelight to get to the next Sphere and Shadow.
I thought about the Spheres themselves. I visualized them as a series of spheres touching each other at certain points. There were only certain ways you could safely get from the First Sphere to the Fourth Sphere, and since the Spheres were of different size, and even shape, the pilot had to be alert. I can recall the first time I went into the Third Sphere, which is vaguely shaped like a pyramid, only with a rounded top and squarish corners. I used the comp a lot on that trip, and almost lost it when I was sliding to the Second Sphere and the whirlpool effect near the contact points caught the ship. I hadn’t expected the currents to be that strong. Changing Spheres was another dangerous part of Warp, and I wondered if the pilots of the cruisers would be able to control their trigger happy passengers. I hoped they could. I didn’t like the thought of anyone dying in Warp. I love being in it, but it just isn’t a place where a man should die.
I shook my head and drove the daydreams out as best I could. The cool of the evening was beginning. Perhaps it wouldn’t rain after all, I thought to myself as I glanced at the sky again. There might be some fog, though. Of that, I was certain. I decided it was time to get closer to the clearing so I could see just where they had stashed their spare parts. I slipped off my boots and activated. After the feeling of vertigo passed, I touched my left incisor with my tongue and the ultra-violet filters snapped into my eyes and the projectors in my cheekbones sprang to life. I could see just fine in the descending gloom.
I carefully slipped forward, moving the leaves and avoiding all the low branches. There wasn’t any way I could not make noise, but I did the best I could. I could see the police had set up lights in the clearing, so their boys could get a clear view of things. That would have to be dealt with when I decided how to get the interface. This time, though, no one got behind me.
I hid my face behind a large leaf near the edge of the clearing and deactivated my ultra-violet lenses and the projectors. I peeked over the leaf and glanced in the clearing. I was in luck. They had their repair people up the side of one of the cruisers, replacing a part. I couldn’t tell from the distance just exactly what was going on,but on the grav platform was a tool chest and a parts bag. I’d have to get to the platform, steal the bag, and run away with it. That would not be easy, especially considering there were about fifty feet of clear land between the cruisers and the jungle. Plus, the platform was about twenty feet up in the air, nestled against the side of the cruiser.
But first, the lights. Perhaps if I could knock out the one that illuminated the area where the platform was, I could get it down. Then, I could get the bag and be off. Those were some pretty large ifs. First, though, I would need some rocks. It took about five minutes to find two good sized stones that would do the trick. I went back to the edge of the clearing, hefting the stones to test their weig
ht.
The lights were primarily aimed at the jungle, so I could see exactly where the light was. I would have to aim very carefully, but I was always good at throwing things so I wasn’t worried.
I put one of the stones down and with a bit of aiming, threw the one in my hand as hard as I could. There was a satisfying crunch and it went out.
The guards immediately pulled their pistols and threw off the safeties. The repairman on the side of the cruiser cursed loudly and I heard the platform whining as it slid to the earth. I only had a second or two. I let fly with the other rock, and there was a loud popping sound as another light went out.
I now had more time, perhaps as much as ten seconds, to cross the open and get the bag. I activated my lenses and projectors, and even though the guards were trying to swing the other lights around to light the darkened area, I had to go. I ran at full speed, and dodged the panicking policemen who were totally blind in the dark. A couple of shots went off as a few fired at shadows, but I heard the bullets whine off the hulls of the cruiser and snap out into the jungle.
The repairman was guarding the parts bag, but since he was basically blind, he was easy to knock out. I just tapped him lightly on the side of the neck and he crumpled to the deck. I grabbed the bag, hoping there would be an interface in it, and took off.
I almost made it. I was about twenty feet from the jungle when one of the other lights flashed on me. I was blinded for a second as the guards started screaming and shooting at the same time. One of the slugs slammed into the dirt just in front of me, sending up a plume of dirt and gouging a hole in the ground. I threw myself forward and rolled, then got to my feet again, hoping the tactic would throw them off and foul their aim enough to allow me to escape with my life. Something touched my calf, and a red hot fire shot up my leg into my knee. I hobbled and fell into the relative safety of the jungle. I knew I’d been hit, but I had to wait a second or two until my eyes got used to the u-v again. I hobbled forward, hoping I wasn’t bleeding too much. There was a lot of yelling going on behind me as they discovered the repairman. I could hear a loudspeaker demanding that I return or else dire consequences would befall me, but I knew they weren’t about to follow me into the jungle at night. At least, not until Heuser got on their backs and forced them to at gunpoint, which he would do, I was sure. I didn’t stop to find out.
The Space Mavericks Page 7
