by T. R. Harris
The mutants came with their immortality—as well as a couple of the cathode weapons.
During a prior visit to the facility, Lila manipulated the keypad for the main airlock to gain entry. She remembered the process, and a few minutes later, the team stood in the long and cold concrete-lined corridor leading into the base. Lila and Panur took the lead, with Stimmel behind them and Riyad and Sherri covering their six. They were on the lookout for Gracilian service modules that could pop in at any second and zap them with energy bolts.
“We detect no evidence of Lerpiniere fields,” Lila announced. “The modules will be active, so be careful. Should any appear, seek shelter behind either Panur or me.”
The tunnel was long and bare, with only an occasional side corridor or room cut into the surrounding rock.
Where are we going? Riyad asked through his ATD, conferencing in both Sherri and Lila. Lila didn’t have an ATD, but still, she heard him. Unlike Panur, she was a natural telepath.
We anticipate Kanan will have the Formation in a large work area. Although we only have limited knowledge of the complex, there is a logical location to begin. That is where we are heading.
Riyad cut the connection while shrugging. That didn’t tell me shit, he thought, hopefully to himself.
And that’s when they noticed the first service module. It appeared along their path, but it didn’t fire its weapon. Instead, it popped in and then out in only a fraction of a second. It was enough for the mutants to notice.
“Kanan knows we are here,” Lila announced. Adam, can you hear me?
I hear you, was the immediate reply. Kanan only has nine of the modules left. We’re in the hibernation room.
We are headed there. Are you secure?
I am for now. He has the completed Formation and the Code.
We will be there in another ten minutes unless we run into resistance from the modules—
Kanan’s on the move. He just locked me in a cage. He knows you’re here. Watch out. He can open and close the head of the robot he’s in. Even if I engage an L-field, he can get free. He also has a module outside the cage with instructions to zap me if I activate a field.
Do not bother; we will deal with the modules should they become an issue.
Thanks for coming.
You are my father. How could I not?
Four of the service modules appeared simultaneously, two in front and two in back. They activated their energy weapons immediately upon materializing, striking Riyad and Sherri and the two mutants. The diffusion shields worked, keeping Sherri and Riyad conscious. Only Stimmel came out of this first attack unscathed.
Riyad and Sherri crouched down, taking aim with their cathode weapons at the orbs, managing to catch one in the influence before the other vanished. The mutants had the Gracilian weapons as well, and along with their quicker reactions, managed to knock the two that attacked them out of the air. They rushed forward and crushed the globes in fists of enhanced strength. Sherri and Riyad managed to burn out the unit they’d knocked down with a series of intense flash bolts.
“There were only nine of the service modules remaining,” Lila announced. “Now, there are six. Kanan is in a robotic carrier, but may not remain there. Beware of his bolts; they are much stronger.”
“We have to get to cover!’ Stimmel yelled. He was down on one knee sweeping his cathode weapon in a full circle around him.
A moment later, four more modules appeared, this time in the middle of the team. Bolts flashed, and the orbs disappeared.
This time Stimmel took a hit. He was swearing in German while patting away the burning embers from where the bolts hit. Lila and Panur also took hits during this second attack. Although their clothing was burnt, they suffered no ill effects. Instead, they appeared to perk up, buoyed by the intake of pure energy. However, if they took in too much, they would begin to glow white-hot, making it impossible for the three Humans to be near them.
“Quickly!” Lila yelled as she set off down the corridor. “Create a moving target. Cover behind. That is where they should appear next.”
Riyad took the advice to heart, sprinting as best he could with his body twisted around with the cathode device pointing behind him. Although the weapon produced no visible trail of either energy or light, he tried keeping the trigger depressed to see if the field would be constant. His experiment bore fruit a moment later when a pair of modules popped into existence behind him and Sherri.
The orbs dropped to the floor before they could fire their weapons. Sherri and Riyad slid to stops on the smooth floor, aiming flash weapons at the now inert globes. Level-1 flash bolts lit up the corridor until their battery packs drained. Stimmel pushed his way between the pair and continued firing with his MK until both the orbs were smoking and sparking husks.
Now only four of the pesky service modules remained.
Lila and Panur were aware of what was happening behind them and used the same continuous field maneuver to fill the hallway in front of them. Two more orbs appeared and fell, just as had the others. The mutant ran past them, leaving their final fate to the three Humans.
Now there were two.
The entrance to the hibernation chamber had a doorway, but it was open. Panur took a bolt to his back as the mutants entered. He ignored the hit. The Humans in the chamber a moment later and took care of the orb.
That left only one … plus Kanan.
“He’s behind the equipment stack!” Adam yelled from off to their left.
A powerful bolt shot out from an unseen source, striking Panur in his right arm. This was a much more powerful bolt, and what clothing he still dangled from his torso fell away, revealing a bright, pulsating body. Sherri could feel the heat from where she stood twenty feet away. Lila was next to the mutant, and her right sleeve caught on fire. She ignored it, letting it burn.
“Kanan, we have played this game before,” Panur said. “You know you can’t win.”
Panur looked at Adam’s cage. The remaining Gracilian service orb hovered outside, keeping watch as it had been ordered to do. The mutant pointed the cathode weapon at the module; a moment later, it plunked to the stone floor.
“Please engage an L-field, Adam. Let’s make sure our friend Kanan can’t beam himself out of here.”
Adam didn’t wait to be told. The moment the orb hit the floor, the cavern became bathed in the invisible influence of a Lerpiniere field. Kanan could still hover, but he couldn’t teleport.
“It is over, Kanan,” Panur said as his glowing body moved to the stack of electronic equipment.
“Destroy the Formation!” Adam yelled from his cage.
It was hard to see through the glow of the mutant’s face, but Adam thought he saw him smile.
“Unfortunately, my friend, I cannot oblige. The Formation is too important of a research tool to destroy. However, be assured, it will be safe, in the care of Lila and me.”
“Just like the dark matter collectors?” Sherri yelled from behind the glowing mutant.
“That was different. We will disassemble the Formation and keep others from knowing how to build it.”
Sherri looked at Lila. Most of her blouse was burned away, but she wasn’t nearly as hot as Panur, at least not heat-wise. “Are you okay with this? Let me put a flash bolt into the thing, destroy as many of the disks as I can. Then no one will be able to build it again.”
“Please do not do that, Sherri,” Lila pleaded. “I agree with Panur; the Formation is much too important to be destroyed. All it needs to be is in the right hands.”
“Well, screw that,” Riyad said emphatically. He took a step toward the tower and lifted his MK-47.
From inside his cage, Adam felt as if an elephant just stepped on his chest. Was this what it felt like to have a heart attack? He leaned back, but he didn’t fall. Instead, he began to drift upward into the air until his head met the top of the cage.
Through eyes of shock, Adam looked out on the circular-shaped central area of the cavern and watch
ed as the rest of his team suffered the same effects. This wasn’t something happening to just him, but everyone, including the mutants. They lifted into the air, their feet dangling, limbs locked in position. Riyad’s arm was frozen in place, yet still aiming the MK toward the Formation. A single bolt flared out of the barrel, but at his current elevation and angle, the bolt flew high by a couple of feet, missing the structure. Riyad was able to let out an anguished yell.
This wasn’t the first time Adam had seen the effect. Years ago, Kracion was lifted off his body in a similar fashion only moments before he strangled Adam to death. Later, the mutants explained what had happened.
Adam raked his memory. What did they call it, a quantum something-or-another? It was another form of suspension field, one that created molecules within the body that were connected to another universe through microscopic quantum tunnels, appearing and disappearing at random, but each covering a specific area in this universe. The effect was to hold in place whatever the molecules were interacting with, be it living or inanimate. Now it was coming back to him. The effect was also called a quantum anchor. Feeling its effects personally for the first time, Adam could see how the name fit.
But the worst thing about quantum anchors was they also affected immortal mutants. The team—all of them—now hovered in the air eight feet off the stone floor, unable to move or resist. The fields were individualized and affected everyone.
Including Kanan!
Adam gasped at the realization. The android carrying the Aris service module was also held tight by the beam, while Adam’s L-field kept the orb from teleporting out of the robot’s head. Even if the field wasn’t active, there was a good chance the beam was locked on the head of the robot, keeping Kanan from moving.
But something wasn’t right; nothing made sense. Not until Adam noticed that the only person still standing on the floor of the cavern was Wolfgang Stimmel.
Chapter 18
“What have you done, Stimmel?” Adam yelled from his cage.
The Director strolled over to him.
“You’re a smart guy; I’m sure you can figure it out,” he said, grinning.
A movement at the entrance to the cavern pulled Adam’s angry glare from the German. Nine Gracilians entered the room, five armed with Xan-fis, the others carrying small work cases.
“Good, now we can start the party,” Stimmel said stepped away to greet the newcomers. The aliens eyed the five people floating in the air with a mixture of fascination and awe, especially the two mutants. They spread out and covered the room with their weapons. “Open the cage and remove Cain. I want him to be a first-hand witness of what is to come. But first things first.”
Two of the Gracilians approached his cage, one with a hand-held laser torch and the other with a small control pad. The lock was cut off the door, then the alien with the controller stepped back and began working keys. The force holding Adam began to move, taking him with it. He slipped out of the cage but remained in the air before moving smoothly across the room closer to Lila. He could see she was held in an even tighter grip by the beam, with only her eyes and mouth able to move. Adam could move his head, feet and hands, but not much more.
Another Gracilian with a control pad moved the Kanan android closer to the worktable. More of them moved in with cutting tools and quickly sliced open the head. Once the interior was exposed, they stepped back while one of them maneuvered the ancient Aris service module out of his holder and to the table. From a tool case, a Gracilian removed a small metal frame with adjustable sides. The Kanan was placed in the holder.
Two Gracilian technicians wasted no time going to work on the module. Kanan put up no resistance as the scientists probed along his outer shell with specialized tools. A panel was removed, not more than half an inch square.
“Let me do the honors,” Stimmel said, stepping up to the table. An alien handed him a small rod with wires attached to a unit inside the tool case. Stimmel bent over and peered inside the dark opening. Then he took the probe and inserted it inside the ancient Aris service module. Light pulses escaped through the small opening. It only took a few seconds.
Stimmel straightened up and handed the probe back to the Gracilian.
“It is done,” the German announced with bravado as he turned to address his rapt audience, all hovering now in a semi-circle behind the workstation. “Our Kanan problem is over. The internal circuits of the unit are fused. For all intents and purposes, the module is dead. You can thank me later.”
Adam knew there was more to the story.
“I take it this is just the beginning of the show.”
“Correct you are, Herr Cain.
Stimmel’s intense blue eyes were alight with pleasure. He took a slow stroll along the length of the table, looking into the faces of each of the spectators.
“I wish to thank each of you for playing your part in this recent opera. I admit, some of it was planned, while other parts were improvised. Allow me to explain.
“I have known of the Formation longer than most of you realize, but it was only recently that my understanding came into focus. As an aficionado of all things Aris, I knew part of their history and had heard rumors of the secret method with which they carried out their Grand Experiment. I began searching for the clues to this mystery years ago, but only after my move to Gracilia did the blanks begin to be filled in.
“Kanan’s fixation on the Formation was what focus my attention.” Stimmel put a hand on the shoulder of a Gracilian standing next to him. “As it turns out, my new Gracilian allies had more information about the Aris than even I realized. The contents of their precious vault were cataloged and recorded, but only after their return to the planet were they able to access this data. They had the ancient texts and had even managed to probe the layers of the parchment. But unlike our mutant friends, they were slower in deciphering the language, However, when they did, the truth about the Formation—and the Code device—became known. Imagine my surprise when I realized what I had in my collection, and had for nine years. The problem: I did not have the Formation.”
“What would you do with the Formation even if you had it?” Adam asked.
Stimmel walked over to Adam and looked up. “Do not get ahead of yourself, my friend. I’m getting to that.”
“We’re not friends.”
“Yes, you made that quite clear to me back on Oberqwin. But now, back to my story. I have been one step ahead of you since the beginning of your mission to find the Code. I knew your search for the device would eventually lead to me, so I used the opportunity to flush out Kanan. I had my people attack you on Werznor—with orders not to kill—as a way to spur the investigation. It would start you on the journey to me. I then allowed news of your venture to be broadcast through dark measures, hoping Kanan would hear of them. I placed detectors along the outer Kidis, searching for the tell-tale signs of dark matter engines, and when Kanan left his hideout to come after you—us—I was able to track those signals back to this base. I then sent in my Gracilian friends to survey the facility and learn its secrets. My troops came equipped with the cathode weapons—as you call them—in case Kanan left any service modules to guard the base. He didn’t. I was keeping track. He didn’t have many left, and I knew with him going up against Panur again, he would be sure to bring all he could. It was during this survey that the quantum anchor fields were discovered. I remained in touch with my team here through secret communication equipment aboard my ship. The comm system is the best money can buy, as is everything I have or use.”
Stimmel walked over to Panur. “Yes, I knew it was you almost from the beginning. My spies on Navarus reported seeing Lila at Camp Forrester, but not you. And then the interaction between you and Adam was another clue. Our friend doesn’t like to be bossed around by anyone—anyone but you. But your actions in my vault was the true tell.”
Stimmel turned away and walked back to the worktable. He ran a hand over the smooth surface of the Code device, petting it.
He pulled his MK-47, placed the barrel against the metal, and pulled the trigger.
The intense plasma energy filled the box, penetrating the interior and frying the components inside. There were tiny vent slots in the side, and now smoke wafted out.
“What have you done, Stimmel?” Adam cried out. “Without the Code, the Formation is useless. You’ve gone through a lot of trouble to get the Code and the Formation into one place. Why you destroy the Code now?”
“He destroyed it,” Panur began, “because that is not the Code device.”
Stimmel laughed.
“That is correct, my mutant friend. Did you see through the ruse, or was it a spontaneous conclusion?”
“A little of both.”
A Gracilian opened another case and withdrew an identical unit. He handed it to Stimmel.
“Yes, this is the real Code device. I used the decoy to draw out Kanan. From the distant past, he knew what the Code device looked like, so I built a duplicate. He was only minutes away from learning it was a fake.”
Adam grunted. “Okay, so you pulled a fast one on Kanan—on all of us. Again, I ask, what are you going to do with the Formation? You’re not planning on starting a new race, are you, billions of little Wolfgangs all marching in lockstep across the galaxy?”
Stimmel laughed. “That is very funny; the image is amusing. Let me explain more.”
Chapter 19