by Ben Hammott
Distracted by the loud crash, the other creatures looked at the two animals moving across the floor and rushed to claim their share. The creature on the shelf leapt onto the rabbit and wrapped it in a cloak of Black, absorbing what little nourishment the pickled corpse offered.
The first creature to reach the monkey brain, snatched it up and leapt onto the nearest workbench. The two creatures close on its heels set off in pursuit. Laboratory equipment crashed to the floor as the chase weaved through the lab. The creature with the prize doubled back and leapt onto the shelf unit. As it ran along it, spilling books, racks of test tubes and organ sculptures to the floor, it noticed the row of jars containing larger pieces of food than it possessed. It threw the spider monkey brain away and headed for the jars.
The two in pursuit leapt for the brain. One plucked it from the air and sprouting wings flew away with it and landed on top of a cupboard to devour the prize. It stared at its loser brethren who stared back for a few moments until it turned to another loud crash. When it also noticed the row of jars and the edible things inside, it bounded over to them and pushed them all off. The creature on the floor grabbed the human heart it had freed from its glass prison and leapt out of the path of a jar falling towards it. It climbed onto a workbench, oozed over the food and started its absorption process.
The final creature to claim a morsel, gathered the seven pieces of preserved organs into a heap and flowed over them.
Boris had observed all but now focused on the creature close enough to reach out and touch, perched on the edge of the cupboard where he had taken refuge. Acrid formaldehyde fumes filled the room, watering his eyes and burning his throat. He needed to leave. He cowered when the nearby creature moved away from the edge, nearer him, and then watched it melt and flow over the unappetizing food. This was his chance, while all the creatures were feeding. With his tearing eyes focused on the feasting Black, he placed his human friend’s lighter in his mouth to leave his hands free and cautiously edged forward. The cupboard shifted slightly with a creak of wood. An eye appeared in the Black and looked at him. Boris rushed for the edge as the Black began to reform. He leapt, arms reaching for the nearest ceiling girder. He gripped it and swung for the next girder in line. The creature behind him screeched an alert to its brethren about the live prey in their midst.
All three creatures ended their feasting and reformed. Live prey would be much more sustaining, and the animal was big enough for them all to claim a share. Working together on the hunt, they converged on the fleeing primate.
Boris’s fearful gaze flicked to each of the creatures in turn and then at the exit across the room. His escape route was about to be cut off. He quickly formed a plan. When his hand gripped the next girder, he changed direction and hanging from a foot, he swung down and snatched up a microscope. His momentum swung his hand back to the girder. He homed in on the nearest creature and dropped to the workbench below. In a sideways underarm movement, he hurled the microscope, turned on the two gas taps within reach and jumped onto the next workbench.
The creature easily ignored the missile by dodging around it and continued the chase. The microscope bounced off the edge of workbench and clattered to the floor.
After turning on three more gas taps, Boris leapt for a girder. He veered away from the two creatures blocking his exit route and headed back the way he had come. He dropped to the floor when the creature moving across the ceiling was almost upon him, grabbed the edge of the table and swung underneath as the creature landed on top. Slamming his feet against the floor, his arms lifted the table and threw it at another creature running along a workbench. The table twisted upside down and squashed both creatures. Boris bounded down an aisle between two workbenches. As he rushed past, he turned on the small levers from both benches. Soft hissing and gas fumes seeped through the room, mixing with the acrid stench of formaldehyde.
After climbing onto the top of the shelf unit, Boris glanced at the two creatures between him and the door. They seemed to have worked out it was his only means of escape. He needed to draw them nearer if his plan was to work. He swung along a beam and faked a fall, his hand slipping from the cold metal. He bounced off the workbench and dropped to the floor.
The gaze of the two creatures guarding the exit followed the animal’s progress along the beam and watched it fall. When it didn’t reappear, they looked at one another. One of them screeched instructions. They moved forward, splitting up to come at their prey from different sides.
While listening to the click of the creatures’ approaching claws on the tiled floor, Boris turned his head to look at the gooey Black oozing from beneath the table and stretching to the floor. He didn’t have much time. When the clicks reached the ends of the workbenches and the Black puddle on the floor began to reform, Boris slid back the door in the workbench, climbed inside and closed the door.
When the creatures appeared at either end and saw no sign of their prey, only their splattered brethren reforming, they screeched in frustration. One of them turned their attention to a partly open door and hooked a claw in the gap. It slid it open and peered inside at the racks of glass beakers and flasks. After gazing along the line of cupboards it screeched a series of short commands, and all three started searching the cupboards.
The fourth creature flowed from beneath the table onto the worktop and morphed into its previous creature form. Hearing the commotion nearby, it moved to the edge and observed its three brethren opening doors. Its head jerked up on hearing a sound and went to investigate.
The creature nearer the middle of the row of cupboards opened a door, and seeing the door opposite open, it scampered inside in time to see a hairy leg disappear around the end of the workbench. It screeched an alert and gave chase.
The other two raised their heads at the alert and jumped onto the workbench.
Realizing he had been spotted, Boris abandoned stealth and jumped onto the nearest workbench, almost colliding with one of the creatures. He scooped up a rack of test tubes and flung them at the creature. Surprised by the sudden encounter, the creature was slow to react. Unable to avoid the object, it softened its form. The wooden rack and test tubes sunk into its body.
Boris shot a glimpse back at the three creatures rushing him. He leapt high, grabbed a beam and swung from girder to girder towards the exit. When he was almost at the far wall, he dropped, turned in mid-air and landed sure-footedly on the last workbench. He spat the lighter from his mouth, and as soon as it was in his hand, he struck it to flame. He hooted at the creatures defiantly as he flung the lighter towards the far end of the room and then spun and bounded out the door.
As the creature pulled the objects from its body, the other three watched the flaming missile pass over their heads. Having no idea what it was, only that it didn’t seem edible, they continued after their prey.
A loud whoosh signaled the coming together of flame and gas and turned the heads of the four creatures who were powerless to dodge the huge fireball that swept through the room and devoured them. The explosion that followed vaporized their burning forms and ended their high-pitched shrieks.
Boris glanced back at the flames shooting from the doorway he had just passed through and continued his dash along the corridor. Screeches from within the rooms he passed alerted him to more of the creatures nearby. He needed to find a way out or at the very least a safe place to hide. He knew if he could find his human friend, he would keep him safe.
CHAPTER 25
Self-Destruct
With flashlights lighting their way, the team arrived at the exit elevator. While Sullivan and Ramirez protected the corridor, Dalton took position by the elevator with Richard keeping the door open for their escape.
Lit by Colbert’s flashlight, Krisztina inserted one of the strangely shaped keys into the matching hole in the panel and turned. The catch beside it clicked open. She pulled it down, releasing the top edge of the panel and lifted it out. She laid it aside and examined the controls that matched the i
mages in the instruction manual.
After refreshing her memory with a flick through its pages, she turned the four levers positioned around the central panel made up of twelve square buttons, until they all faced in opposite directions. When the buttons glowed green, Krisztina flipped through the instruction manual to the correct page, and glancing from the book to the buttons and back again, she input the self-destruct sequence. Each green-lit button she pressed turned red. After inputting the correct sequence, a larger square button on the right flashed red.
Krisztina hovered a finger over the flashing button and looked at Colbert who had been watching her. “I press button and self-destruct activated.”
Colbert glanced a short distance ahead where Dalton and Richard waited by the exit elevator, holding the doors open. Satisfied they were ready, he turned back to Krisztina. “Do it!”
Krisztina pressed the button. Something behind the panel clunked. The detonate button glowed red briefly and then flashed yellow. The red buttons on the center panel returned to their green status.
“Did it work?” questioned Colbert.
Krisztina cocked an ear for the emergency evacuation warning that remained silent. “Nyet. Something must be wrong. I try again.”
Krisztina pressed the reset button and repeated the process, taking extra care to ensure she followed the instructions perfectly. When she pressed the activation button, the same thing happened. A clunk. Yellow flashing button. Red button lights reverted to green.
“It’s not working,” stated Krisztina, flicking through the manual again.
Colbert glanced at his watch. “Time is running out.”
“Got it!” exclaimed Krisztina. She then let out a disappointed groan and looked at Colbert. “A flashing yellow activation button indicates device is disconnected.”
“Damn!” cursed Colbert. “Can it be fixed?”
After consulting the manual again, Krisztina found the answer. “To get working, bomb must be reconnected manually. It was probably disconnected when they stopped using facility for dangerous and contagious substances.”
“That’s just great,” said Colbert. Nothing about this mission had run smoothly. “How long will that take?”
Krisztina shrugged. “A simple matter of snapping together a couple of connectors. In ordinary circumstances, ten or fifteen minutes; however, that doesn’t allow for lower levels overrun with aliens intent on killing any human they come across.”
“Even ten or fifteen minutes would be cutting it fine. Your comrades will be arriving shortly, and the charges we’ve set will go off in...” Colbert glanced at his watch, “...thirty-eight minutes.”
“Is any chance your explosions will set off nuclear device?” enquired Krisztina.
Colbert shook his head. “It doesn’t work like that, unfortunately.”
“Then someone must go below to reconnect bomb, because if not, those aliens will escape. I know we are long way from civilization, but we’ve seen what those things are capable of. They could change into alien flying creatures and reach nearest town in hours. Then is only hop, skip and a jump across Russia. If they keep on multiplying, they have whole world to expand and conquer. We can’t let that happen, and the only time they can be stopped is here and now, by us.”
“Great speech, and I agree with everything you say, but it’s an impossible and suicidal mission with those creatures down there. We should leave. I will inform my superiors of the danger, and maybe they will nuke the site. I’m certain the President will do the right thing when he is informed of the threat.”
“Maybe isn’t good enough. I don’t trust my own government to do right thing, so I not about to trust yours.”
“Then what do you suggest?”
“I’ll do it. If I can reach emergency escape ladder down to level 4, I should be fine as creatures seem to have moved up a level. I’ll connect bomb, and if I don’t return by time your charges are due to go off, you set self-destruct and leave.”
“You don’t even know if you’ll make it past the upper levels to reach the escape ladder.”
“Maybe, maybe not, but I’m willing to try. I think there is a second emergency escape ladder I can use to reach Level 3 and then make my way to Level 4 via the ladder I climbed before, but I must go check blueprint in control room.”
“No need, I have it with me.” Colbert pulled out the tablet, brought up the blueprint and handed it to Krisztina.
After scrolling across the map, she tapped a dotted line stretching from above ground to level three. “There it is. In backup generator room.”
Colbert took the tablet and gazed at the screen. “It’s still going to be a risky endeavor.”
“I have no choice. With luck, maybe I succeed.”
“I think you need more than luck to survive what’s waiting for you down there.
Krisztina glanced at Sullivan and Dalton. “I know you and Dalton can’t come with your injuries, but if one or two of your other men want to keep me company...”
“Actually, if you stand any chance of surviving I have the perfect person to accompany you.” Colbert glanced over at Richard. “We just have to find some way of persuading him to do it.”
Krisztina looked at Richard doubtfully. “But he not soldier.”
“It’s not a soldier you need. You need someone who is devious, quick-witted and willing to do anything to survive. Believe me, he’s gotten out of worse scrapes than what you are about to face, virtually unscathed. He has also encountered the type of alien you have here and survived—and even managed to persuade it not to kill him. Yes, he risked a ship’s crew to save himself, but he did survive. Watch him like a hawk, and you should be okay.”
Unconvinced of the man’s credentials, Krisztina studied Richard for anything that might alleviate her concerns.
Noticing the pretty Russian woman looking at him, which he took to be an expression of interest, Richard gave her one of his most charming smiles. Perhaps something pleasant would come from his abduction after all. He had never been with a Russian before.
With Krisztina following, Colbert approached the group by the elevator. “We have a problem.”
“Now why doesn’t that surprise me?” said Richard.
“The bomb has been disconnected, and someone needs to accompany Krisztina to Level 4 to reconnect it. Due to our injuries, Dalton and I can’t go, and I want Sullivan and Ramirez to remain up top in case the Russians arrive earlier than expected.”
A bad feeling swept over Richard when Colbert focused on him.
“That leaves the best man for the task in hand, you, Richard.”
Richard shook his head. “Uh uh! No way I’m going back in there and especially not to the facility’s alien-infested bowels.”
“I understand your reluctance, but there is no one else,” said Colbert. “As I just explained to Krisztina, if anyone can do the job and survive, it’s you.”
“Flattered as I am, I don’t care. I’m not going,” stated Richard adamantly. “I wouldn’t set foot back in there for a million pounds.”
Colbert appealed to Richard’s vanity. “There’s no money on the table, but there is your reputation.”
Richard snorted. “What reputation? Your government shot that to pieces damn quick after Antarctica.”
“What if you could get it back? Though for obvious reasons I’ll be unable to mention your role here, if you do this I’ll make sure everyone knows you are a hero who saved the world from an alien entity and that aliens do exist and you, Richard, battled with them on a spaceship in Antarctica, twice!”
Though Richard was tempted by the offer, it was too dangerous to go back in. “Won’t do me much good if I’m dead, will it? No, thanks, I’ll rather be alive with a bad reputation than dead with a good one. You’ll have to think of a different plan.”
“Your choice, Richard.” Colbert glanced at Sullivan. “Shoot him.”
Sullivan pointed his weapon at Richard.
Unconcerned, Richard looked at
the rifle pointed at his heart. “Yeah, right, you’re going to shoot me.”
“Trust me, Richard, I will have you shot. I have the full authority of the President of the United States to do anything I see fit to complete this mission. You are one hundred percent expendable,” stated Colbert. “The mission comes first, and if you’re not part of the mission, you’re a liability.”
Richard began to worry. “You’re bluffing. You wouldn’t kill a civilian, and anyway, how will shooting me help? It doesn’t make sense.”
“We are wasting what precious little time we have. I need to go now,” said Krisztina. “Alone, if necessary.”
“Last chance, Richard,” advised Colbert.
“Kill me then. A bullet will be a quicker and a less painful death than any I’d find down there.”
Colbert nodded at Sullivan.
Sullivan lowered the rifle to aim at Richard’s stomach. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Richard. You ever see a man die a lingering painful death from a gut shot? It’s not pretty, I can tell you.”
Richard focused on Sullivan’s finger moving nearer the trigger, resting against it and then beginning to squeeze. Were they really going to shoot him? They wouldn’t dare. The trigger was depressed half-way now. Fear gripped Richard. Beads of sweat formed on his brow. The finger continued moving. Any moment now the bullet would pierce his flesh, and the agony would begin. He almost wet himself when the weapon clicked. There was no loud retort and no pain. Richard had called their bluff.
“You’ve more guts than I credited you with,” praised Colbert.
Richard was just glad his guts weren’t splattered on the floor.
“Tie him up,” ordered Colbert. “We’ll leave him here. If the aliens don’t get to him first and he doesn’t get vaporized by the bomb if Krisztina gets it working, the Russians can have him to torture for information when they arrive. If Krisztina fails, we’ll have no option other than to abort the mission and hope the President will see sense and nuke this place.”