Inseminoid

by Larry Miller

  Then a thought hit Karl. He wasn’t giving Sandy’s life up without a fight. “After Sandy gives birth, is it possible that she’ll be free of this force? I mean, once she’s rid of the babies, will the life-force have departed with them?”

  Mitch considered the theory. “I suppose it’s possible. But you’re the medical doctor. You’ve seen Sandy and the way she’s changed. Do you honestly think she’ll ever be normal again?”

  “If it were Barbra, would you take that chance?” Karl asked.

  “The question is,” Holly interrupted, “do we try to capture Sandy or wait for her to give birth and hope she’ll be okay?”

  “Or?” Karl didn’t have to ask.

  “Or do we shoot to kill?”

  Sharon stood firm. “Kill her! We don’t understand what’s going on here. We’re foolish if we think we can figure it out.”

  Gary had been quiet long enough. He couldn’t restrain himself any longer. “Damn it! Sharon, I don’t know how you can be so heartless. This could just as easily have happened to you.”

  Emotions were blazing. “I’d say the same thing if it were me!” she snapped back at him.

  Holly tried to cool things down. She turned to Karl. “Whether we kill Sandy or capture her we must first reach her. We have to put an end to this insanity. She’s got us trapped up here, not the other way around. Karl, what are the chances of successfully sedating her?”

  Karl shrugged. “Fifty-fifty.”

  But that wasn’t good enough for Sharon. “That’s still only half a chance.”

  Holly was being forced into a decision. “Karl, if you think you can drug her, give it a try. But I’ll be right behind you, along with Sharon and Gary. We’ll have lasers and if there’s any trouble, we’ll use them.”

  “What about me?” Mark asked.

  “While we have Sandy occupied, I want you to try to fix the radio transmitter. Check the damage and see if it’s repairable. We must get word to Nova. When you’re finished with that, get back up here to the control room. The last thing we need is for Sandy to make it past us and lock herself in here.”

  Mark glared at her. “Just make sure she doesn’t get past you.”

  Then Holly laid out her plan. The lights would be extinguished. Through the darkness they’d go to the infirmary where Karl would pick up the drug and needle. Then, they’d scout out Sandy’s position and close in on her.

  Holly asked if they were all ready and they said they were.

  “Okay, let’s get to it.”

  It was difficult moving through the darkness without a guiding light. But surprise was their only ally. They moved silently. Only when they were safely behind the door to the infirmary did they turn on their lanterns. Karl filled the syringe and they were off again.

  Sandy’s pain must have been bad. She was moaning so loudly the noise was like a beacon directing them to her.

  “It’s coming from the exercise room,” Holly whispered and they continued on, slowly and cautiously.

  The door to the gym was open. It was dark inside—only a pair of red eyeballs glowed from within.

  Sandy realised someone was there. “Karl, is that you? Have you come to help me?”

  “Yes, Sandy. Take it easy. I won’t hurt you.”

  “Karl, the pain. I can’t bear it.”

  Karl, alone, moved closer. He brought up the lantern light and saw her. She was curled up in the corner of the room, surrounded by bar-bells and weight-lifting equipment. She was whimpering and it pained Karl to see it.

  Karl made sure the needle was behind his back and out of sight. The last thing he wanted was to set her off again. He was only a few steps from where she lay when he brought the needle in front of him.

  Sandy had assimilated many of the creature’s traits, one of which was night-sight; she could see in the dark. The long needle in his hand reminded Sandy of the night in the infirmary when Karl wanted to take her children. Suddenly, her beast-like instincts returned. She bared her teeth and foamed at the mouth. Her howl was like a wolf’s in the night.

  “Easy, Sandy, I’m going to help you out of this mess. You want me to help you?”

  “My babies,” she cried. “You’re not going to take my babies?”

  Karl stepped closer. “No, of course not. I don’t want to take them from you.” Karl continued to inch his way forward.

  “You lie! You lie!” A yellow fluid spewed from between her teeth on to Karl’s face and it burned his skin. Sandy lettered a deafening shriek and sprung on top of him.

  He struggled to jab her with the needle but it went flying from his hand.

  Holly, Gary and Sharon stepped from the shadows but they couldn’t get a bead on Sandy. Karl kept getting in the way.

  “Stay down,” Holly shouted to him.

  Karl wasn’t listening. He was trying to reach the syringe, while at the same time deflecting Sandy’s powerful blows.

  “Grab her,” Karl shouted.

  Holly realised then the lasers would be useless. Even with the lanterns it was too dark. She holstered her weapon and headed for the struggling couple, removing a small knife from her pocket. She’d brought it along just in case and was fingering it as she entered the melée.

  Guilt had built up in Mitch to the breaking point. He couldn’t stand it any more. So much of this was his fault, he believed. Barbra’s death weighed heavily on his shoulders. He thought about Barbra one last time and hoped she’d understand what he was about to do next. He left the control room and ran towards the faint sounds of the struggle. He tripped but regained his balance and ran screaming through the darkness.

  Sandy saw the knife in Holly’s hand and forgot about Karl. Holly lashed out at Sandy with it but missed. She swung again but still only came up with air. Sandy lunged at her. Her lightning speed was too much for the commander. She grabbed Holly’s wrist as it was coming forward and bent it back. The sound of breaking bones echoed through the gym. The knife fell to the ground and so did Holly.

  Sandy reached for the blade. She took it in her hand and foamed at the mouth. She held the knife high in the air so her attackers could see it and contemplate what was going to come next. She smiled hideously as she started to bring it down on Holly.

  “You killed Barbra. You bitch! You godforsaken bitch! I’ll kill you with my bare hands.” Mitch had lost all reason. He rushed blindly at Sandy. She was distracted by his charge.

  “Stay back,” Karl warned. “She’s got a knife.”

  Even if Mitch had heard his words it wouldn’t have mattered because he didn’t care any more. He just wanted to end it all. How could he live without Barbra?

  Mitch leapt on Sandy, impaling himself on the knife. But the impetus of the body crashing against her pushed her back—on top of Karl and Holly, both lying injured on the floor.

  Sandy had tasted blood again and wanted more. She wouldn’t be stopped until she’d had it all. All there was. The knife was still imbedded in Mitch. She needed another weapon. The dumb-bell! She picked it up from the floor.

  Holly tried to get up and run but it was too late for her. Sandy swung the weight with all her strength, smashing it against the side of the commander’s head. Holly kept her balance for a second. Then the blood rained from her broken skull and she toppled on to Mitch. Just to make sure the effort was complete, Sandy struck her again with the heavy metal. It was an unnecessary gesture. Holly was already very dead.

  It was Sharon’s turn but she couldn’t move. She was frozen with fear. Her hand rested on her laser but it had become too heavy for her limp arm to lift. The cold, hard woman of the expedition couldn’t deliver when the chips were down.

  “Gary, help me!” she begged. But Gary wasn’t there. He’d retreated when it was clear Holly was dead.

  A low rumbling noise came from Sandy. More yellow liquid frothed from her mouth across her bloated body. It mixed with the blood from her victims.

  Karl was hurt badly. Sandy had ruptured something inside his chest. He thought he
probably suffered from a half-dozen broken ribs as well, but he saw Sandy going for Sharon and he had to do what he could. He would try to divert her attention.

  “Sandy,” he called, “over here, Sandy.” He was dragging himself across the floor to the portal. “Over here. You can have me instead.”

  In that instant of Sandy’s indecision, Sharon regained control over herself, spun around and ran faster than she’d ever done before. Karl was hurt but even so, he was right behind her.

  Sandy was about to give chase but her pain returned at that instant and she buckled from it. She dropped the dumb-bell and fell on to the two bloodied bodies.

  She felt comfortable there. The bodies were still warm and she lapped up their blood. She needed nourishment and it had been a long time since she’d eaten last. Sandy forgot about Karl and the few remaining others. She’d get to them in good time. Instead, she ground her teeth into Holly’s neck. The life juices spurted out and that pleased Sandy because she drank it all.

  “What happened?” Mark demanded. Only Gary, Sharon and Karl had returned.

  Sharon was out of breath. “Don’t know how it happened. We had her, but it was so dark we couldn’t see what we were doing. Mitch came from nowhere. He wasn’t supposed to be down there. He ruined everything.”

  “Mitch?” Mark looked around the room. “What in hell was he doing down there?” Then Mark looked at Karl. “I hope this puts an end to any thought of trying to take Sandy alive.”

  Karl knew it did.

  “Where’s Holly? What happened to her?”

  “Dead,” Gary reported.

  “Oh no!” Mark couldn’t believe it. “And where the hell were the both of you while this was going on?”

  Gary spoke first. “My laser jammed. It . . . it . . . I couldn’t get it to fire.” It was a lie and Mark knew it.

  Mark pulled Gary’s laser from its holster, readied it and fired into the wall. “Works good enough now. You just lost your nerve. You too, Sharon?”

  “That’s not true!” they both protested.

  Karl pulled himself upright in his chair. He was holding his injuries with both hands. “It’s true. I was there. I saw it. You chilled.” It hurt him to speak.

  Mark felt sick with rage. One thing he couldn’t stomach was cowardice in the line of duty. “Now, I’m in charge. Don’t think I won’t deal with both of you in my own way if we ever get off this worthless planet.”

  Karl looked up, surprised. “What do you mean, if?”

  “I checked the radio transmitter. It’s finished. I couldn’t even recognise it. Sandy did a good job, all right.”

  “So what do we do?” Gary asked.

  “If we can liquidate Sandy, we have enough food to last us until Nova gets suspicious and sends an exploratory module down to see what’s happened. But for your sake, you’d better pray you don’t make it away from here. Cowards are the lowest snakes there are, and when I’m through with you . . .”

  Filled with shame, Gary ran towards the doorway. “I’ll prove I’m no coward. I’ll kill her. I’ll kill Sandy myself!”

  CHAPTER

  EIGHT

  “What’s the fool going to try now?” Mark wasn’t quick enough to keep Gary from rushing from the control room.

  “I’ll go after him,” Sharon said. She was also feeling deep pangs of guilt.

  Mark rejected that. “Hell, you are! Don’t you understand anything yet? We’re dealing with a force we can’t anticipate.”

  Karl stepped forward. His chest was giving him considerable pain. “He’s right, Sharon. Enough damage has already been done. There’s no way either of you can bring back Holly or Mitch. We just have to sit tight. If Gary is intent on committing suicide that’s his decision. You don’t have to join him.”

  “Then what do we do?” Sharon reacted bitterly. She was being consumed by self-hatred. “We just wait until we’re devoured by Sandy or whatever she’s turned into?” She stared at Karl, then turned her gaze to Mark. Neither man was able to give her an answer.

  Actually, Gary’s plan was probably the best anyone could have come up with at that point. And by all reason it should have worked. The only thing was, he’d forgotten what had happened to Ricky.

  As he sprinted through the corridors, he tried to convince himself that he couldn’t have done anything to save Holly. Mitch was a different story altogether. It was clear enough he was bent on suicide. But Holly—what could he have done? If he’d fired at Sandy with the laser, he might have killed Karl or Holly anyway. He told himself no one would find fault with his actions. What could they expect? No one could have imagined it would turn out this way. How can you prepare for such a thing? But the more he tried, the less he believed his own words.

  “This time, I’m going to do it! They’ll call me a hero! Maybe I’ll even get a commission.”

  Gary slowed as he approached the space preparation chamber where the suits and oxygen supply were kept. He suited up, checked and double-checked an airpack to make sure he’d have enough. One last check; this one on the laser. The warning light on his handle indicated it was functioning but just to make certain, Gary burned a hole in the wall.

  “Now, to find the bitch,” he said, out loud.

  He returned to the gym. Moving slowly, he often looked over his shoulder. He was wearing his helmet and wouldn’t have been able to hear her approach from behind. That was a chance he’d have to take because at the right moment there wouldn’t be an opportunity to get the helmet on.

  The light beams on his helmet made him an easy target for Sandy. She could see him coming a mile away. But that was Gary’s plan. She would never figure it out. Sandy didn’t think like a rational human being any more. In fact, Sandy no longer even thought.

  “Sandy,” Gary called out. “I know you’re here. Come out and give yourself up. It won’t do you any good to fight me. I’ve got the laser and I’ll kill you if I have to. Don’t make me do it. Don’t make it hard on yourself.” He didn’t think coaxing her out would work, though he figured it was worth a shot anyway. He did his best to make his voice sound confident and powerful, but he was scared as hell.

  There was a bend in the corridor and Sandy chose that spot to hide in wait for him. He was getting closer. Sandy could see the amber light glow on the laser and she bided her time.

  Just before reaching the bend, Gary stopped and looked around. He held the laser waist-high. He took another step and stopped again. He moved in this way as he approached the spot where he fully expected Sandy to be.

  Sandy didn’t know what kind of game Gary was playing. It didn’t matter. When he was in range, she brought her hands down on his laser, knocking the weapon to the floor.

  Gary dived for it but Sandy was quicker and kicked it far into the darkened corridor. Then, she turned on Gary. This time, though, he kept his cool. It was going according to plan. He figured she’d go for the laser and that she’d attack him from just that place and he’d been right on both counts,

  Gary spun away from Sandy and jogged towards the airlock. He didn’t move fast. He wanted Sandy to be only a couple of steps behind him. As he reached the airlock, he pressed the button opening the inner door. Then, he made it appear as if he slipped and fell by accident. Sandy went for the bait and jumped on to Gary. While they wrestled on the floor he manoeuvred so that they both rolled into the airlock. When the inner door shut, Gary reached for the button that would open the outer door. A moment more and he’d have Sandy right where he wanted her. She’d be unable to exist in the deathly atmosphere. But he would be fine. His oxygen pack was filled.

  Sandy saw what he was about to do and cried out. “No! Gary, don’t do this to me! It can’t be the end. Please!”

  Gary hesitated. “Sandy, it’s the only way. You’ll never again be,” he paused, “normal.”

  His finger was on the button. It was up to him to decide when her execution would be held.

  “Gary,” she begged, “No, Gary.”

  Gary remembered
the others. Everyone who’d died because of Sandy or the forces that controlled this planet. The emotion welled up inside him and he pushed hard against the button. “I’m sorry it had to happen this way, Sandy, but you see, I’m left with no choice.”

  The door to the planet’s barren surface slid open on cue. The rush of strange atmosphere knocked Sandy to her knees. She grasped her bulging stomach as if to protect its contents. The skin on her face became taut. It turned a sickening shade of olive-green. She was choking and the yellow fluid once again poured from her mouth.

  Satisfaction flowed through Gary’s veins. Sandy was dying and he had brought it about. His guilt over Holly was being exorcised by Sandy’s agony. She was still pleading pitifully at his feet. He allowed himself the luxury of a smug smile.

  He waited until Sandy stopped quivering. She’d become still. Only the putrid foam still came from her mouth. He glanced at his oxygen pack but he was under no pressure to return to the safety of the complex. He would wait until he was sure Sandy was entirely dead. There’d be no mistakes, not this time.

  He bent at the knees to drag her on to the planet’s surface. But suddenly her eyes began to roll at a furious pace. She opened her mouth and displayed her teeth. Her tongue whipped out and she breathed the atmosphere deep into her lungs. Gary hadn’t remembered that Ricky had somehow been able to adjust to both atmospheres. And that was the fatal flaw in his near-perfect plan.

  For Sandy reared up, bringing Gary down on top of her. Her strength not only returned but it increased to more than she’d ever known before. The tables turned on Gary. He knew what was coming. Now it was he who had to find a way to survive. He figured his best bet would be to escape into the purple haze of the planet’s surface. He still had enough oxygen and there were many places he could hide. He kicked Sandy in her stomach and she fell over in agony. He struggled to his feet and made it to the open doorway but Sandy reached out and grabbed his ankle. Gary fell flat on his helmeted face. She dragged him back inside the airlock and moved in for the kill. He would have led her to an agonising death and now she was there to return the favor. She could have beaten him to death, but that was too easy for her. Gary knew the worst was on the way when he saw that look come over her. The expression was not of anger nor fury but of cold calculation. He cowered on the floor.