Bill nodded morosely. He felt ashamed that he was not tending to his wife on the floor beside him although he knew there was nothing he could do. He knew she was dead. He thought of the service revolver in his desk drawer and …
“Tut, tut, Leader. You are picturing a device which would harm me. Of course you have faith in your primitive weapon but it is misplaced … I cannot conceive of a weapon in this three-dimensional solar system which could do me harm.”
Bill’s face became even more sour.
………. Seth looked round at his audience. It’s like a tutorial, he thought. How to put it to them? Before he could begin, Roger introduced the two additional members of his team that he had signalled to join them …
“This is Josie. She was all set to go through the conversion to become a Martian, two thousand and eighties model. Sadly for Josie, the late discovery … I know she won’t mind me telling you this as we are all in the picture … anyway, discovery of a benign growth in her trachea. This part of the body has to be one hundred percent okay for the process to go ahead. Josie is our specialist on what it takes physically to become a newage Martian.”
Hardly pausing, Roger carried on. “With her is Lynn Casswell. Lynn is a top mathematician and bio-chemist and her speciality is the Martian atmosphere and surface features. Ladies, this is our newest team member, Seth Hellman. All of us know a little about Seth, even if it is only because of his work on surveillance at the edge of space, notably the Eye-am scanning device near to the planet Neptune. What some of us are either totally or just partly clued up on is that a robot entered our solar system. I believe Seth is about to tell us all a lot more about it … and I believe there is some connection with what is happening at the moment on Mars. Josie and Lynn, I’ll brief you on that when Seth draws a breath.” He waved a hand invitingly at Seth. “Okay, maestro; the floor … or table … is yours.”
Seth had carried out a quick survey of faces. The original three he had already pigeon-holed. He added the latest pair … Josie was quite small and rather dumpy. She had red, curly hair. If she was still grieving over her failure to become a Martian, she hid it well, looking attentive and curious. Lynn was plain, slim, and the only features which were notable were her green eyes which bored into him, or any other person with whom she was conversing, with laser-like intensity. He began with a preliminary scene setter; his job, family status, the conflict of interest over his two roles, where General Ceri-Baker came into that picture and how the final communication from Eye-am brought that chapter to a conclusion. Now he explained about his episode with the alien and he told the now absorbed group how his son, Kevin, had been kidnapped and that he had called up a robot and it had wiped out the enemy and released Kevin. His new boss, the Doctor, had been unable to resist chipping in with …
“Rather like rubbing the lamp and releasing the Genie!”
Seth said, “Sure was,” and carried on. He knew once the others started their banter or even plied him with questions, he would lose the flow.
The next phase was how he found out about most of Kee’s capabilities and how the general had tried to usurp his control over his ‘personal ReeRee unit’. This, of course, had been the prime mover in his seeking a job at Cambridge. Coming towards a conclusion, Seth explained that during his sessions with Kee he had learned about the Chasers – the giants with huge, black beards – and how he now feared they must have landed on Mars, probably to find Kee. He threw it open by ending with …
“There cannot be many instances where a new employee, totally green, is thrown into an emergency situation on his first morning …”
“I was,” came from Roger. “I was,” said Lynn. They all joined in then, rather like the famous ‘I am Sparticus’ scene.
More seriously, Doctor Rankin used his position to pull the meeting together …
“Are we all agreed that the description of bearded giants on Mars seems to be conclusive proof that aliens have landed there?”
“One alien,” corrected Lynn. “But, yes.”
Josie argued, “If there is one, why would he be alone. Other Chasers must be there too.”
“Perhaps one or more of his companions have landed on Earth,” suggested Roger. “They have to look on all the planets if they know Kee fled inwards in his pod.”
“Has anyone thought about what it is really like to be a robot?” Lynn flashed her glance quickly around the group. Before anyone could answer, she continued, “It doesn’t eat or drink so, living on Mars wouldn’t be so bad. The terrain has only the sort obstacles which a robot like Kee could handle. On Earth, twisted jungles, temperature extremes, a whiteout at or near the poles, molten rocks and volcanic eruptions … Only one reason for coming here. Because its alien master landed here. Do the Chasers know that, though?” she had hit the button smack on.
Seth and the others were impressed. “So,” he concluded, “the Chasers would think that the prime choice of planet to locate Kee is Mars. What happens when they find out they were wrong?”
The Doctor filled that one in. “They will come here but … before they arrive at the true target … we will have acted to wipe them out.”
“Wipe them out!” Roger was aghast. “Surely their technology is way above ours on that one. I reckon it is they who will be doing the wiping out.” He thought rapidly before anyone could speak. “And I seem to be firmly in their firing line. I really don’t care for the idea of being wiped out.”
Seth had a solution – be it a limited one …
“We’re a member missing at this table.” The Doctor was the only one to be ahead of the game but he let Seth continue. “We must have Kee in on all this. He will know … or I hope he will know … how we should best deal with this menace. He may have some powers which we can draw on which I still haven’t been made aware of.”
“Or, he may know of some weakness the enemy has,” chipped in Elaine. “They can’t be perfect … can they?”
Josie tried to help with that … “There are well known examples … some in the bible … where invincible people have been defeated …”
Roger cut in. “Let me guess … you want me to find a nice round stone and a slingshot for Seth?”
“An alien Goliath. Mmmmh. How about one of our more seductive ladies …” Seth paused to glance at Elaine. “… cutting off the brute’s beard. Maybe his strength lies there.”
The doctor couldn’t resist making a contribution …
“One of my favourite sci-fi stories is Wells’s War of the Worlds. By coincidence an attack by Martians. And, as I’m sure you all know, the Martian invaders died out because they succumbed to simple viruses that they had no experience of on their home planet. How about we try a little biological warfare?”
Seth screwed up his face. “From what I’ve heard from Kee, these creatures will have no problem there. They are not three-dimensional … “
“All the more reason to expect our home grown bugs to work. I’ll bet they’ve never had to cope with a severe attack of flu.”
“Another reason to have Kee here. He’ll maybe know things like that.”
As they chatted idly and prepared to break up with Seth fetching the robot, a young, male face poked around the door. “Doctor; McGovern is broadcasting to all colonies asking about a robot. He’s saying it’s a life and death issue. What should we do?”
“We do nothing. We know more-or-less what is happening on Mars and we are developing a response. I’ll put everyone in the picture shortly. If you hear any clue as to who is behind this … talk of them being forced to do things by aliens, giants … being held captive … anything factual but out of the ordinary … let me and Roger know forthwith. It may be a life and death issue here pretty soon.”
The face, startled, said okay and vanished. “Time for me to fetch Kee,” observed Seth looking at the Doctor. Rankin nodded so Seth hurried to his new home.
Chapter 9
Who goes? Ginny could hardly believe what she had just heard. The day had star
ted so well that she truly believed that their recent worries about a crazy general and a vengeful mafia were coming to an end. A new life was starting in England. She had been talking to the wife of a neighbour and they were to shop together tomorrow at a massive supermarket recently built by Worldnow to serve the rapidly growing needs of Cambridge. Deliveries of food via online shopping were the norm but this new outlet had everything.
The young wife, Norma, had a daughter of Kevin’s age and they would be going to the same school. Kevin wasn’t sure how a girl would fit into his planned routine but, with some reluctance which he kept to himself, he said he would give her – Jill – a try. Would she be any good at Agent at Large though, he wondered. Strangely, he was pleased that his leg had put on some growth and that he was developing excellent control of his improved prosthetic device. But how much of it should he show to Jill? Of course, he already had a close friendship with Kee and he didn’t want anything to spoil that. But at least Kee would not be jealous … or would he? Kevin was still unsure of a robot’s emotions.
When Seth had arrived back sooner than expected, Ginny wondered straight away if something had gone wrong. An examination of her husband’s facial expression told her this could be so – Seth wasn’t good at hiding his worries any more than his moments of joy. She tried a smile but it was weak …
“Didn’t expect you back so soon, hon. Howd’it go?” “I thought I’d come home later just bustin’ with good this and good that … and the job could work out that way. However, we got intel from Mars … I’ll be working with the Mars crowd … which sorta blew up the interview with Rankin and the being shown around. It looks like an alien or aliens … from that Chaser bunch Kee told us about … “
“The ones who terminated … killed … his first master? The ones with the black, bushy beards?”
“That’s them, hon. Seems they might be after Kee now. They appear to have landed on Mars and are terrorising the colonists there. Yeah, the Brits have airbreathing colonists on Mars, believe it or not. Now they’ve been put under the cosh by these bloody aliens … n’ we’ve got to think of some way of handling it.”
“So you need Kee’s input on just how that can be done.” Ginny soon picked up on the essentials, thought Seth.
“Yep. If it can be done. These creatures are pretty formidable from what Kee has already told me. Is he with Kev?”
“No. Believe it or not, Kev has a girlfriend. Well, almost. Daughter, named Jill, of my new friend next door down. They will be at the same school …” Tears suddenly glistened and Seth reached for her.
“Hey …” he soothed.
“But things looked on the up. Now … where will this new thing take us, Seth?” … she hesitated and looked a little ashamed. “If these Chasers had Kee … He seems like one of the family, I know, but … he’s just a machine.”
Seth was stopped in his tracks now: he hadn’t expected this. Especially from Gin. From the MARGO guys, maybe. He thought how Kee had volunteered to help with Kev’s leg and how that was going. Thought of his own confrontation with the two MPs. Not only was Kee his, meaning he was responsible for him … he thought, ‘for him’ not ‘for it’. He ran Ginny’s ‘seems like one of the family’ through his mind. And decided …
“It’s a tough one, hon. I see that. Any chance of Kevin … or you … coming to harm and Kee has to go, if that’s the way. But until we’re pushed to the edge, he will be considered ‘one of the family’. And the first thing this new member of the family has to do is, try to come up with something which will rid us of these bogey men from some other world. Something where we can return to a happier life … the life you may have been dreaming about before I drove off this morning. Let’s see what Kee can really do. What he’s really made of.”
Ginny’s eyes dried during this speech. She suddenly had it reinforced what a husband she had. “Okay, hon. Go get our saviour and put him to the test.”
………. Bill McGovern stared up at the bright star which was really Earth. His days, nay hours, were numbered he knew. Two more Martian days had past: two more of his friends dead. Hideously killed by the bearded monster. He knew that this robot thing, for some unknown reason wanted so desperately by the alien brute, was up there on that star. He hadn’t thought of any way out for himself and his colonists but he had decided that the answer – if there was one – lay many millions of miles away … on the star he was looking at: on his former home, Earth. Therefore he had shaken off his fear and his mental paralysis and had seized his opportunity to send a detailed message to Mission Control at Cambridge. He guessed that, probably from its space vessel, the alien was monitoring signal emissions, so he was mentally braced for his meeting the next morning with Blackbeard, as he thought of the monster.
He was right to be prepared for that encounter … after only ten minutes Earth-time, Bill McGovern was dead. Terminated by a sort of heat wave.
Tzern, for the monster was the Chase Commander’s lieutenant, mentally shrugged and headed for his ship. It would take him longer than planned to go through the routine of cruising over the red sands in a prepared search pattern. The vessel’s scanners would find the dustbin eventually, however, and he would be rich with the ill-gotten amount of creeto it would lead him to.
Selling the stuff on when he had it was what was worrying him the most. Alcro would have known how to dispose of it but Tzern wasn’t even sure what it could do. He had resented, perhaps hated, his former commander but he would always admit that Alcro was a very clever gern. His knowledge had been phenomenal and he was respected for that by all in the Chaser Fleet. He would have known a buyer … and what that buyer could do with it. Wasn’t it some weird metallic alloy that responded to thought waves? His only slip-up was to trust Tzern. This was inevitable on these two-gern ships but it had cost the gern with the orange chevrons his life.
As he studied the search grid the ship’s computer had suggested, his slow mind turned over again his previous thoughts. ‘Two-gern ship’ came to him and he ponderously reconsidered its implications …
No use having the assistance of one of these threedimensional primitives aboard, he decided, dismissing the idea of using a native of this planet. But could the ReeRee unit be put to use? Find it first; then see what it is capable of. Maybe more than storing food? The thick lips hidden within the beard twisted with a degree of humorous satisfaction.
………. The MARGO group had reconvened. Everyone had snatched a quick lunch. Now, their stomachs filled to some degree, they all gazed curiously at the addition to their number. Kee was, as usual now, in humanoid form. His large, dark frame felt too big for his chair but his computations did not include self-comfort, they were weighing up the others present at the meeting apart from his master-friend Seth.
Seth knew that his robot had intercepted many of his thought-patterns and put these together with what little Seth had actually said in the car – Ginny’s Ford Striker, which was rather small for Kee – on the way over. However, he spoke now as though Kee was being briefed from square one …
“We have a situation, Kee, which could prove life threatening to us and could also endanger your own existence. We need you to think of ways in which it could be averted. There appear to be Chasers on Mars, although only one has been seen so far, and they’re looking for you though we don’t know why. The one seen has killed many of colonists there … trying to get them to tell him where you are. The Mars colonists obviously cannot have that information but this Chaser doesn’t know that. Any thoughts, er, computations so far, Kee?”
Although they had not yet received the latest and final transmission from Bill McGovern, Kee computed a more accurate scenario …
“I compute only one Chaser. I know a two-gern … gern is their word for man … ship was on the trail of my master and we can assume he, my master-friend Keelon, has been terminated. From previous input from Keelon I know that the Chase Commander would not continue to track me … his mission would be concluded with the termination
of Keelon. Therefore I further compute that a surviving Chaser has continued the hunt only now he seeks me … conceivably for the modification made to my skin … use of a laboratory engineered plasti-thoughtmetal. This is quite rare and would be extremely valuable. I said ‘surviving’ Chaser because they would not have separated by agreement or by an order from their Control. The other Chaser must have been terminated. Without more information I cannot state which of the two has survived … if it is the Commander, though I compute that as very unlikely, we have the more resourceful and better trained Chaser to deal with. If his lieutenant, my information banks tell me that he may be vulnerable.”
“Vulnerable in what way?” asked Elaine, clinging to her former hope.
“Vulnerable because his mental calculations may be faulty. Vulnerable because his control of the intergalactic transporter may be inadequate … the vessel is his strength. It has all the technology, the power source, computing ability, weaponry, …”
“Okay, Kee”, interrupted Seth. “It has everything!”
“Then we have to attack and damage or destroy this vessel,” observed Doctor Rankin in his usual dry manner. “Tell us, Kee, how do we go about that, if you please.”
“I can only compute the start of how we go about that, sir.” Kee had already learned to address importantsounding humans as ‘sir’.
“And the start is …?” pressed Lynn Caswell.
The big, dark figure in a black tee-shirt moved its head slightly to focus its scanner on her. It somehow seemed to stiffen …
From Beyond the Blue Planet Page 9