by Ben Hammott
When the other three wolves reached the top of the cliff, they also followed the scent trail.
CHAPTER 24
Debriefed
The soldiers manning Checkpoint 1 at the airbase gate, halted the breakdown truck that pulled up to the barrier.
Second-Lieutenant Dobbs approached the driver, his assault rifle held casually. “The airbase is off-limits. You’ll have to turn around and leave.”
“That is something we won’t be doing, Lieutenant,” stated Colbert. “You are only here because of us. Contact whoever’s in charge and tell them Commander Colbert and his SEAL team from the crashed airplane are here with the meteorite and important information.”
“Yes, Commander,” responded Dobbs. He gave Boris a puzzled look as he turned away and shot a glance at the two men and the strange rock in the back of the truck. He was about to head to the gatehouse to relay the info to his radio operator when another vehicle drove up behind the breakdown truck.
Dobbs approached the patrol vehicle to speak to the occupants. Before he could open his mouth, the driver spoke.
“Howdy soldier. I’m Jim Rickmeyer, the Deputy of Devil Falls, and we have important information for whoever’s in charge here.” He indicated his passenger with a flick of his head. “That’s Kathryn. She’s had an encounter with those aliens of yours, which I assume you are here to capture or destroy, and she knows where they are.”
Visibly surprised by the news, Dobbs glanced at the female passenger. “I know nothing about any aliens.”
Wondering if Richard was in the breakdown truck, Kathryn tore her eyes away from the meteorite in the back and leaned across the deputy. “Then I suggest you contact someone who does. Because they are up to something that’s probably not advantageous for anyone in the vicinity, which includes everyone at this airbase.”
Although surprised that actual aliens might be nearby, Dobbs had no trouble believing what he had just heard. He was a firm believer that life on other planets existed, and the government had, in all probability, covered up alien visitations to Earth. They hadn’t been told the reason for their presence here. Aliens would explain it, and all the fancy gear the mysterious INSECT organization had brought with them. He glanced back at the meteorite. It couldn’t be a coincidence; the two had to be connected.
“Time is of the essence, soldier,” prompted Deputy Rickmeyer.
Dobbs nodded and crossed to the radio operator in the guardhouse. “Patch me through to Command.”
Stubbs contacted Command and handed Dobbs the mic.
Dobbs took a breath before he spoke. “This is Lieutenant Dobbs at Checkpoint 1. We have a situation. There are some navy SEALs at the gate from the crashed aircraft with a meteorite, and a Devil Falls deputy with a civilian who claims she has information about aliens in the vicinity.”
Although Stubbs showed surprise at the mention of the meteorite and aliens and shot an inquisitive glance at two vehicles outside, he had been in the military too long to start asking questions. If he needed to know, he would have been told.
*****
Pleased that thus far, everything was running smoothly, Blightburn headed back to the reception building with her thoughts contemplating the next stage of operations. Visit the crash sites and, if possible, collect specimens of the Xtros so they could hopefully find out what they were and how to eliminate them. She was also contemplating evacuating the town as soon as their temporary accommodation was ready to receive them. Luckily, the small population of Devil Falls would make the task that much easier. Though they had planned for it, having to evacuate a large town or city would be a daunting task when so many people were involved. A toxic chemical spill from the crashed airplane would be the excuse for the excavation.
She answered the ringing phone that interrupted her thoughts. “Put him through.” She turned her head to the main gate as the person on the other end spoke. Her face remained emotionless as she was informed that the information about the aliens was not as contained as she had thought. If one person in such a close-knit community knew, it was a safe bet the news had spread as fast as a leaked politician’s extramarital sexual exploits. “Let them all through, Lieutenant, and have them escorted to the reception building where someone will be waiting for them.” She ended the call, strode for the communication trailer, and entered.
Sat in front of a bank of screens, many dark, Yuri, as usual, was tapping on a keyboard. A man of few words except when technology was the topic of conversation, he glanced at Susan. Assuming she had a reason for entering, he waited for her to inform him what that was.
“Contact my team leaders and have them meet me in the conference room immediately.”
Yuri nodded, typed a text, and sent it to all concerned before Susan had fully exited the trailer.
*****
Dobbs handed the radio handset back to Stubbs, exited the guardhouse, and turned to the soldiers manning the gate. “Let them through.” He turned to one of the soldiers. “Parker, escort them to the reception building.”
“Yes, Lieutenant.”
When the gates were opened, and the vehicles pulled away, Parker jumped onto the breakdown truck’s driver's cab step and directed Colbert.
“Follow the pickup,” ordered Dobbs when the deputy drove past.
*****
Waiting for the SEAL team to arrive, Troy was surprised by the sight of the rusty breakdown truck and a patrol vehicle driving toward him. He stepped from the reception entrance as they pulled to a halt.
Parker alighted from the vehicle and reported to Troy. “Commander Colbert of the Navy SEALs with his team, deputy of Devil Falls, and a civilian, sir.”
Colbert, Richard, Boris, Mason, and Sullivan climbed from the truck and approached Troy. Kathryn and the deputy followed at the rear.
Kathryn slipped in next to Richard. “I thought you were leaving?”
“Change of plans, unfortunately.”
“Are you in charge here?” inquired Colbert, keen to get started.
A little bewildered by the appearance of a chimpanzee, Troy dragged his gaze away from Boris. “Eh, no. That would be Director Susan Blightburn. She’s in the conference room with her team waiting for you.” He stepped back and waved a hand at the entrance. “This way.”
As they approached the door, Richard grabbed Troy’s arm. “Do you have someone who can look after Boris for a while? He’s no trouble, especially if you have bananas or some other fruit.”
Troy looked at Boris. “Eh, um, I’m not sure.”
“I’ll take him, sir,” volunteered Parker. “I used to work part-time at a zoo while I was at college.”
Pleased to have the problem solved for him, Troy nodded his permission.
Richard spoke to Boris. “I’m going to be busy for a while, so go with…” he looked at the soldier. “What’s your name.”
“Parker.”
“Go with Parker, and he’ll find you some food.”
Boris looked at Parker and then chattered at Richard.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Taking a chocolate bar from his pocket and unwrapping it, Parker approached Boris with it held out. “Do you like chocolate, Boris?”
“You don’t have to speak to him like a child,” scolded Richard. “He’s surprisingly intelligent.”
“Sorry, sir,” apologized Parker.
Boris took the chocolate and started eating.
“Let’s go and see if we can find you something else nice to eat.” Parker held out a hand.
Reluctantly, Boris took it, and they walked toward the canteen trailer.
Boris looked at Parker and chattered.
“Yes, I’m sure they’ll have bananas,” replied Parker.
Richard watched them leave.
Sullivan placed a hand on Richard’s shoulder. “It’s always hard letting them go.”
Richard shrugged the hand away. “I’m glad to see the back of him.” He entered the building.
As soon as they were s
eated around the table, Blightburn focused on Colbert and got straight to the point. “Commander Colbert, I’m Director Blightburn, head of INSECT operations. I understand—”
“—INSECT?” interrupted Colbert.
“Investigation and Nullification or Suppression of Extraterrestrial Contamination and Threats,” explained Troy.
Richard rolled his eyes at the Americans’ fondness for acronyms.
Blightburn continued. “I understand you were on the plane that crashed and started this fiasco that has brought us here.”
“It actually started in the air when something in the meteorite we were carrying infected the pilot’s cat and then spread to kill the two pilots and one of my men.”
Skipping past the unusual presence of a pet onboard a military plane, and the loss of life, both were now inconsequential to her mission, Blightburn asked Colbert to elaborate. “I need as much information as possible to be able to beat this alien threat.”
“Then maybe I can help,” announced Kathryn butting in. “I’ve seen how these creatures infect their victims.”
Blightburn focused on the civilian. “Then please continue, but keep it brief and precise.”
“We, my three friends and I were looking at the meteorite that had rolled out of the plane when it crashed when a small black creature crawled out. It puffed up like a pufferfish, and its hairs become stiff like spines, and four of them shot out. My three friends were hit, Claire twice, when she took the one meant for me. I ran, and two chased me. I managed to kill them and returned to town to seek help for my friends. That’s when Richard,” she indicated him with a hand, “volunteered to help me. We returned to the meteorite, but it and my friends were gone. We followed their tracks to the mine and went inside. We found the meteorite and Greg in the first cavern. He just stood there like he was in a trance. Richard believed he was under the control of the alien parasites. We explored the mine further and discovered Claire and Wayne in a second cavern where the aliens—there were quite a few of them, ten, fifteen maybe—were building something like a web but sort of basket-shaped. We left, collected the meteorite, and when I saw your airplanes, I came here to tell you what I know.”
“Thank you, Kathryn, for not elaborating, it was a good and helpful report.” Blightburn turned to Colbert. “Does what you just heard fit in with your experiences with them?”
Colbert nodded. “Also, it seems the spikes fired by the black aliens inject worms into their victims as well as something that evolves into another of the black aliens, which then emerges and, I guess, repeats the cycle. From what I’ve witnessed, the gestation period is ten to twenty minutes depending on the size of the victim. The bigger the host, the longer it seems to take. The hosts are also paralyzed. When Kelly was infected, it began to wear off after a few minutes, but he went blind.” Colbert then explained the events that had crashed the plane and brought them here.
“Sounds like everyone who has encountered these organisms has had a rough time of it,” remarked Blightburn. “We also have a difficult task ahead. Our priority is to prevent them from spreading and to collect a specimen of these Xtros for study and—”
“—Xtros?” interrupted Sullivan.
“A shortening of Extraterrestrial Organisms,” explained Blightburn. “As I was saying, we need a specimen to study and then destroy all trace of them. If no cure can be found for the infected, they too will have to be dealt with appropriately.”
“Murder them, you mean,” blurted Kathryn.
“If it comes to that, then yes, they will be eliminated, and their bodies cremated to prevent the threat from spreading.”
“You should go to the mine for your alien specimen,” advised Richard. “Like Kathryn just told you, there are loads in there constructing that cocoon type of thing.”
Blightburn stared at Richard, another civilian by the look of it. “And you are?”
“The world’s foremost expert on alien entities, or Xtros to you, Richard Whorley.”
Blightburn recognized the name. “You were in Antarctica.”
“Somewhere I never plan to return, ever! You should also know that the infected are somehow controlled by the aliens.”
“In what way?” pressed Blightburn.
“When they infected Kathryn’s friends, they got them to roll my meteorite into the mine, forcing me to go in to retrieve it. That’s when I saw them. They just stood there, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings. They looked zombified for lack of a better word.”
“But they were still alive?”
Richard shrugged. “Well, they weren’t dead.”
“Do you agree with Kathryn’s assessment of their numbers?”
“I didn’t hang around to count them, and it was dark in the mine, but ten to fifteen seems about right, and four more joined them as we left, and no, I don’t have any idea where the new arrivals came from.”
“That means they have infected at least that many, both people and animals,” said Colbert. “On our way here to town, we were attacked by four wolves and a bear that were infected by whatever it is the aliens do to them. We shot them and covered the bodies in rocks to prevent other animals from feeding on them. I’ll give you the coordinates so you can send in a clean-up team.”
Blightburn frowned at the worrying news and glanced at Bennet. “Organize a team to handle it.”
“Already on it.” Charlotte typed on her tablet, sending a message to one of the cleanup teams to prepare to move out to the animal GPS coordinates Colbert furnished her with. “It’s done.”
Bligthburn refocused on the group around the table. “The spread of infection is perhaps our worst fear. However, if we can find some method of killing the aliens, all might not be lost. I have a team preparing to go into the field to collect samples, and from what I’ve just heard, the bodies of the pilots might prove to be exactly what we need to beat this thing.”
“There’s also one of my men in the cockpit. I understand he’ll need to be cremated, but I’d prefer he wasn’t experimented on,” said Colbert.
“I can’t promise anything, but he will be treated with respect,” assured Blightburn. “Hopefully, the two pilots will be sufficient for our needs.”
“They might have the worms inside them, but not the black Xtros,” advised Richard. “I imagine they will have vacated the bodies to join those at the mine.”
“That fits in with what we saw,” added Mason. “They seem to abandon their hosts when they are dead and of no longer use to them. When we killed the wolves and the bear, those black things crawled out and scarpered.”
“Okay, I’ll send a team into the mine to collect one,” said Blightburn. “Let’s just go over what we know about these Xtros. They have multiplied considerably in a short space of time since their first appearance on the aircraft. They infect their victims by puffing up and shooting out spikes that contain something that, for a limited time, paralyzes their victims, and also injects worms and something that grows into a black Xtro. As far as we know, the aliens are currently concentrated in an abandoned mine constructing something akin to a spider’s web, but basket-shaped. Possibly some sort of cocoon, but we don’t yet know it’s purpose.” She looked a Richard. “As you have had the most experience with aliens, in your opinion, how dangerous is this latest organism?”
“I’ll tell you how dangerous it is in a language you movie-loving Americans will understand. It would eat The Thing for breakfast, Alien for lunch, Predator for dinner, and still have room for dessert!”
It was Blightburn’s turn to roll her eyes. “A tad overdramatic, but informative nonetheless; they are not to be underestimated. We have a well-stocked arsenal, so I’m confident we have sufficient firepower to take care of them.”
“I’m not sure guns will be of much use. Their small size makes for difficult targets, and they can move damn fast.” Kathryn took out her phone. “I have a video of one if you want to see it?”
The deputy scowled at Kathryn; they were meant to keep the f
ootage a secret to prevent it from being confiscated. He had big plans for the town when all this was over, and he was elected sheriff.
Kathryn ignored the deputy’s disapproving glare. If the aliens weren’t destroyed and reached the town, there might be no one left to profit from the tourists her alien evidence might bring.
Blightburn nearly slapped the woman for not mentioning it earlier. “Yes, we want to see it.”
Kathryn navigated to the video before handing it over.
Blightburn watched it through once. “Let’s move to the comms trailer so we can all view it on a larger screen.”
The others followed her from the room and into the communication trailer.
Blightburn handed Yuri Kathryn’s phone. “Play that on the main screen.”
Yuri connected the phone via a cable, copied the video and played it on the largest screen.
Gasps of surprise came from those who were seeing the aliens for the first time when one emerged from the crack in the meteorite.
“It’s smaller than I had imagined,” uttered Colonel Jennet when the video ended.
“But no less deadly for it,” said Troy. “A virus is microscopic, and we all know what damage some of them can do to the human race.”
“One good thing in our favor is that whatever this is, it’s not airborne,” said Charlotte.
“We need a specimen to study before we start speculating on how dangerous it is or isn’t,” warned Blightburn.
“Why risk more lives by collecting a specimen when they are all contained in the mine?” said the colonel. “We should blow up the entrance to trap them inside.”
Blightburn turned to Colonel Jennet. “Because we don’t know if they are all in there, and without a specimen to study, we won’t know how to kill it or possibly find a cure for those infected. Also, there could be other exits in the mine they can escape through. However, it is an idea we can return to when we have more information.”
“Old Digger Dave will know about the mine,” said the deputy. “He was foreman afore it closed.”
