by Ron S. Nolan
******
Torch pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store, part of which was on stilts overhanging the encroaching waters of Monterey Bay. He turned to Astra. "Do you have any money?"
She showed Torch a wad of USACO currency. "I hope they take cash, using credit cards would tip them off as to where we are."
When Torch headed back in for another load, he found Astra staring at a wall vidscreen watching a news alert.
MOST WANTED
GENE MANIPULATING CRIMINALS
HIGHLY DANGEROUS
IMMEDIATELY CALL (800) 911-1111
IF ENCOUNTERED
The cashier saw the alert and turned up the volume level as Reverend LeRoque appeared on the screen. "The so called ‘Ark Project’ is a blasphemous work of the devil that must be stopped now!”
Astra and Torch’s pictures appeared on the monitor.
The Reverend continued, “I urge all CREOS to be on alert for this woman. Her name is Dr. Astra Sturtevant. She may be accompanied by this man, Dr. Torch Sanders. Call the number on the screen if you know their whereabouts. Bring the Ark to me. Do not destroy it. I say again. Do not destroy it. That is my sacred duty.”
The cashier looked again at Astra and Torch, picked up his microcell and headed towards the back of the store. Torch reached behind the counter and grabbed a bag which he held open allowing Astra to sweep the food packets off the counter. She slapped a handful of notes on the counter and they darted back to the van.
Astra clicked the controller that activated the camouflage protection system as they peeled out. "This ought to buy us some time."
Torch relaxed into a comfortable position and reached to pull a cigar out of his shirt pocket, but got a terse, "Don't even think about it."
Frustrated, Torch keyed the button that was blinking on his microcell and grimaced. "Uh oh, the T-I is now at 9.8. Time is running out!"
Seekers of Divine Light Headquarters
The Reverend watched as a technician played a sequence of satellite images on the wall monitor. The tech zoomed in on the convenience store parking lot. His confusion was obvious. "I don't understand what's going on.
He pointed at the screen, "Here is the van parked in front of the store.”
The Reverend observed. "There's an SDL emblem on the side; they must have stolen it."
The technician hit the replay then zoomed in on the van. He said, "Watch this...as the van pulled out of the parking lot, it suddenly disappeared. There was no heat signature either so there’s nothing on infrared."
The Reverend made the sign of a cross, "My God what is going on? It looks like some sort of evil magic. Keep searching; vans don't just vanish into thin air."
-- CHAPTER 17 --
Luna Lounge
The blast of sound was almost palpable when Sabien opened the door to the Luna Lounge and walked inside. It was like the soundtrack from a zoo with piercing bird calls, tiger growls, and elephant trumpets. He sat at the far end of the bar, which offered a little protection from the cacophony. Genie used her trademark stomp-skip and jump routine to launch herself in the low gravity down the bar and take his order. By the expression on her face, Sabien could tell she was in a rotten mood.
He offered as a greeting, "Quite a racket!"
"It's those bloody 'lunatic' drinks; they transmit an electronic signal to the vidscreen that makes a sound when you swallow. Used to be just a squeak, but someone talked me into letting him reprogram the drink replicator. We have all these ingenious tech people living up here and they are always trying to upstage one another. Good for business though...would you like to try one? Take your pick, avian, reptilian, mammalian, or insectoid."
Sabien noticed that several patrons were chuckling and looking their way. He asked Genie, "What's going on, what's so darn funny?"
"Well you're quite the news item. You just happened to be in the right place at the right time to be the first person to run into the new organism that busted out of the SpeeZees Lab. Your drink tab is on them. It's your reward for finding it."
"I didn't know it was such a big deal, nothing really happened. It just grabbed me and for a long time it wouldn’t let go."
Genie was trying not to burst out laughing, "The intern that cooked it up told me that she included bonding in the plantimal’s genetic code."
"Why would the intern do that? And why do you call it a ‘plantimal’? Oh, now I get it, half plant, half animal. Right?"
"That’s right. The intern claimed that it was only supposed to be a training exercise, but somehow it got out of control when she gave the AI access to the program. There' are lots of talented people up here doing weird research frowned on back home.”
Genie stopped to fill an order then continued, “Anyway, the intern also told me she wouldn't be surprised if the critter latched onto the first guy she ran into...something about imprinting. It looks to me like it’s waiting for you at the exit. It seems you have a mate."
Sabien looked towards the door. "I met with Dr. Hiroshi and Director Sanders earlier and somehow–I am still not certain how it happened–but I seem to be its guardian; it has something to do with human rights. I haven't a clue as to what that means or involves. Sanders said to come to you if I need advice, but I don't even know what I need advice about!”
Genie thought for a moment. "All right, watch the bar. I need to make a quick run to my cabin, don’t worry I will put the lounge on autopilot. Just keep an eye on things; I will be back pronto." A few minutes later she returned and handed Sabien a bag containing an assortment of clothes, footwear and bath supplies. "This will get you started, but you might want to take it shopping at the company store and let it pick out what it actually wants and needs. You may be surprised at what it likes."
Sabien fished through Genie's gift and pulled out a very sexy negligee and said, "You've to be kidding!" then quickly stowed it back in the bag.
Genie could no longer hold back. She laughed, “Didn’t anyone tell you yet? ‘It’ is actually a ‘she’ and according to the intern, this ‘she’ will be a knockout looker when she matures. Tell me, are you married or single?"
"Single at the moment."
Genie slapped his back. "Great, you'll make an interesting couple."
Sabien grimaced, chugged the last of his drink, which sounded a cricket chirp, then headed for the exit. He looked at the girl from a new point of view and noticed for the first time some subtle hints as to her femininity.
He said, “These are for you.”
She rummaged through the bag and quickly found the sexy nightgown and put it on. Sabien looked back. Genie and the bar crowd were laughing hysterically, downing their lunatics and making all sorts of trumpets, dog barks, and bird calls.
He stepped around the hybrid being and headed back to his quarters; she smiled cheerily as she trailed behind. At his door, he slipped in sideways and tried to gently shoo her away. She leaned back against the wall, slumped to the floor and made a cooing sound. Sabien brought her a pillow and a blanket and told her goodnight, but feeling guilty he had second thoughts and invited her in.
As soon as she sat on the couch, the vidscreen came to life. 'Thank you Sabien for saving me’ appeared as text on the screen.
Sabien laughed. "This is a joke right? Did Genie put you up to this? The text 'No' appeared on the screen.
"Can you talk out loud?"
The screen text read, 'Not yet, my vocal cords are still developing, but I have a neural network connection." She pointed at her forehead.
Sabien asked, "Do you have a name?"
She smiled revealing a beautiful set of teeth that he had not noticed before. She pointed to the wall monitor, which displayed 'Of course, my name is 'Jasmine'. That's what you called me when we first met'. She gave her headlocks a shake and the air filled with her scent. Sabien took a deep breath, laughed, and said "Goodnight Jasmine."
-- CHAPTER 18 --
One Week Later - Central Nicaragua
Astra strug
gled to see through the pounding rainstorm as she navigated the van down a narrow road that wandered through a lush jungle packed with banana plantations and coconut palms. Torch looked at a map then pointed out the side window of the van. "Are you sure we shouldn't have taken a right back there at the fork in the road?"
Astra glared briefly at Torch then concentrated on the road ahead, which had turned into a quagmire of puddles threaded with rushing rivulets of rainwater. The squall turned into a ferocious downpour while the roadbed squeezed down to a narrow, barely passable track wedged between a sheer cliff and a steep, plunging drop off to the roaring rapids below.
Torch yelled over the roar of the raging river down below, "You know, if I were you, I'd think about backing up right about now."
As usual, Astra ignored his advice. She said, "It looks like the road widens ahead." She shifted the gear selector to low range and nudged the van forward. The right mirror of the van lightly clipped against ferns growing from the cliff wall while the left wheels spun dangerously near the drop-off. Suddenly the roadbed gave way pitching the van sideways and rocking precariously on the verge of slipping over the edge.
Torch screamed, "Get out! Now!"
As they scrambled out the rear of the van, Torch grabbed their backpacks and kicked the rear door shut just as the van tipped and plunged down the slope into the canyon below. Through the pouring rain, they watched mesmerized as the van rolled over and over down into the crevasse. Astra plopped down in the mud, her long hair a soggy mess that covered her face. She looked like she was about to cry.
Torch reached to touch her shoulder, but she jerked away. He began, "Well, that was..." but pulled back his hand when Astra gave him her 'don't touch me' look.
Quietly, he sat down next to her and turned just in time to see the van plunge into the river and sink out of sight. A few beats later, it popped to the surface, righted itself and floated downstream. In seconds it had drifted out of sight beyond a bend in the river.
Astra tried to get her hair under control, but it was a futile attempt. She turned to Torch, “I know...I know I should have listened. It’s a good thing you got the door closed. If we can catch up with the van, the CryoVat might still be salvaged."
"Maybe you're right. Let's do it. We need to hustle before the river ships it back to China."
"China?"
"Just a joke, it seems like all vehicles are made in China these days."
"Okay, let's go."
As they stood up, the ground crumbled beneath their feet and screaming all the way, they slid down the slippery slope and plunged feet first into the river. With arms flailing, Astra bobbed to the surface. As she was swept down the torrent, she latched onto a passing log and caught her breath. Her face and hair were streaked with mud and she looked like a drowned rat. Torch treaded water and laughed so hard that he began to choke. Astra gave him her trademark glare, but finally cracked up too.
"This is NOT that funny."
"You should see your face. You remind me of a...never mind. Heh look, there's the van. It looks like it's stuck on a sandbar. And look there's the road right next to it."
They discovered that the van was remarkably intact–scratched and dented, but still in one piece. The van's electric motor started right up and after several attempts they cleared the sandbar. The sun came out and they headed down the road.
After Astra had managed to brush at least some of her hair back in place, she took Torch's hand. "I guess you were right about turning back. I should have listened to you. I'm sorry. You can smoke your stupid cigar if you wish, but don't make a habit of it por favor."
The van was now partially visible where the camouflage finish had been scraped off on the right side, but still invisible where it was intact on the left. They passed a campesino leading a burro. He stared in disbelief at the ghost-like vehicle and then crossed himself as they silently cruised by.
******
Just as the sun began to set, they entered a dusty village lined with open-air shops, their roofs ticking, radiating heat after being baked by the tropical sun. A pair of crows flapped down the road chased by a small boy and his mangy dog. Torch stubbed out his cigar and parked next to a weathered building fronted with a Dos Equis Cerveza sign. Torch tried to access a map on the van’s vidscreen, but the plunge into the river had rendered the NAV system inoperable. They could hear marimba music blasting from the doorway.
Torch said, “Let's go in and ask where we are. But be careful, okay? Maybe I should go first?"
Astra glared at him and then led the way inside. Torch followed behind wondering if he should change his approach somehow. A handful of patrons were drinking and smoking at the bar and others were shooting pool. They all stopped and stared at the newcomers.
An athletic looking blond gal sitting at the end of the bar turned down the music and waived them over. The pool players resumed their game and ignored them.
Astra took Torch’s elbow and whispered, “Why don’t you take a seat by the window and let me talk to the lady.”
After Torch left, she turned to the blond and said in fluent Spanish, "Buenos dias, estamos buscando para un pueblo con el nombre Rio Del Campo."
The blond nodded and replied in English, "You came to the right place, señorita. This is Rio Del Campo. Are you by any chance Dr. Sturtevant, Juanita Blanca has been expecting you."
In English, Astra answered. "Oh yes, I am Astra Sturtevant. Can you let Juanita know that I am here?"
"Will do, I’m Melinda. Happy to meet you." She went into the back office and made a call on an ancient push button telephone. When she returned, she told Astra that Juanita would be there shortly. Melinda looked at Astra and said, "You look a mess dear. Would you like to freshen up? I just happen to own the motel next door and we have several nice rooms with baths available. Would you like a single or a double?
“Single, definitely a single. Please let my friend know that I will be back later. He will need his own room too.”
“Okay, I will put his room next to yours. Follow me, Doctor."
Feeling pretty much ignored, Torch moved to a bar stool and used his microcell to check the T-I level. It was an alarming 9.85. The blond returned. She seemed friendly and smiled. "Good day, mate. What are you doing in this neck of the woods, or should I say jungle? Are you part of the Ark project? I have been helping Juanita collect samples from around here.
Torch laughed, "I guess you could call me Astra's assistant, body guard, and part time driver. My name is Torch."
"Ah ha! Your girlfriend is the VIDAS leader, right?"
She's not my girl friend, but she seems to be in charge all right."
"Can I buy you a cold one?” She went behind the bar and returned with a couple of beers. Torch held up his beer. "Are you going to get in trouble for this?"
She laughed, "Not likely, I own this dump–I mean this fine drinking establishment–also the motel next door."
"Your accent, is it British?"
She laughed again, "No mate, I was born and raised in Alice Springs, Australia. My parents owned a vineyard there so alcohol must be in my blood."
"How in the world did an Aussie lady come to own a bar in the middle of this backward place? I mean no offense."
"Well it's a long story. My husband and I came to Managua on holiday and we got hooked up with some guys from a big pharmaceutical firm."
"That’s interesting. Doing what?"
"The blokes told us that they'd discovered a flowering plant that would cure a lot of diseases. They told us that it only grew here in this valley and that they would give us an exclusive contract to supply air support for employees and cargo."
"What kind of plant? What happened?"
"A kind of lichen. We figured this little pueblo would become a boom town; so we sold our aero shipping business in Alice Springs and invested the cash in a vintage Lear jet from the late 2010's."
"I believe that at one time my father's company had one of those when their operations were b
ased on Earth. I remember flying in it on vacation trips. As I recall they had a sizable cargo capacity; we took our SUV with us on trips to the Rockies."
"Right! We planned to ferry passengers and cargo like we were doing back home in Alice Springs for the mining companies transporting what we Aussie's call 'blow-ins', which are people working on temporary gigs. Back then we also tied in with the local 'Flying Doctor Service and ferried scientists that worked at the satellite monitoring station–occasionally a few wealthy executives from around the world too. We figured that we could do much the same thing here in Nicaragua."
"Let me guess, something went wrong?"
"You're right mate, by the time we were setup here, the drug company had gone belly up. So we bought this bar and the motel next door and tried to make some money off eco-tourism."
"How did that turn out?"
"Actually not too bad at first, but when jet fuel hit twenty USACO dollars per gallon, the profits evaporated."
"Ouch!"
After fetching another round, Melinda continued. "Then two years ago my bozo of a husband got the brilliant idea of setting up a space tourism business in Brazil. This is after he outbid the competition and put the last of our savings into an old Explorer Rocket that was auctioned off in a bankruptcy proceeding."
Torch interjected, "Astra's from Brazil, that's where we're heading after we pick up the specimens here."
Melinda resumed her story. "I'd had enough of the air charter business, so I stayed here." She laughed, "I figure one of these days he'll come back to his senses and beg me to take him back."
Torch looked sympathetic. "Life can be pretty confusing sometimes."
Melinda nodded in agreement then slapped Torch on the back. "Hey, do you want to see the plane? I keep it in a hangar just down the road. She's a real gem!"
"Sure why not?" He scribbled a note to Astra and left it on the bar.
The hangar was on the edge of town facing an overgrown runway. With Torch's help, Melinda slid open the creaky door. The skin of the aircraft was a checkerboard of dents, scrapes and makeshift patches. When she pulled down the cabin door, a huge rat ran out and hid in a pile of trash.