NEBULAR Collection 5 - Panic in the Galaxy: Episodes 22 - 26

by Thomas Rabenstein

  Sawyer Main briefly closed his eyes.

  »If I understand it correctly then Bondi will feel much better soon,« Main said.

  »Who … him or the beast on his chest?«

  »Both ! They’re now together. We can’t change that. If the Frigonan feels well then Bondi is okay. Remember this young woman … what was her name again?«

  »Uma Boos!«

  »Right, Uma Boss. The astrologist had more than just one Frigonan on her body … and was still able to act on her own and warn us! The parasites didn’t or couldn’t change that. Bondifar is strong and will have the upper hand. Something tells me that the extra-terrestrial needs Bondi to survive.«

  Main checked Bondifar’s vital signs every five minutes. It seemed that he was becoming more stable as time went on. His body was adjusting to the parasite.

  Hosch was relieved to see that Bondi was improving.

  »I hope that what we have there in the back of the groomer is an effective weapon. It’s payback time!«

  Main was very alert. He checked on Bondifar, the Frigonan and Hosch. »Remain level headed, remember, we’re on an important mission.«

  »May I speak frankly, Boss?« Hosch earned an approving nod. »I have my doubts. We’re driving toward a fortress of an enemy who’s capable of changing Earth’s climate at will. Do you understand what that means? Everything we have to offer is a small metal container to fight these bastards. I’m asking myself: what could be in this little shit box, not bigger than half a meter by thirty centimeters, that’ll scare or defeat this enemy?«

  Main nodded faintly.

  »I know what you’re thinking, Tiller. I also have my doubts sometimes, but then I also have hope and trust.«

  »Hope and trust?« Hosch repeated. »I’d rather deal with hard facts!«

  »Hmm … let me say it this way: I trust that our brass is not using us as cannon fodder, sending us on a mission of no return. I hope that we’ll be successful, regardless the circumstances.«

  »It’s okay, Boss. We go in there and screw them!«

  »Exactly my thoughts, Tiller. Look at this hill, about four kilometers ahead of us, does it look familiar?«

  The storm had weakened so much that very little snow was falling. A clear indicator that they had arrived in the quiet zone, in the storm’s eye.

  »Huh … this hill looks like anything else around here. I can’t make out any known landmarks.«

  »Look up!« Main opened the groomer’s reinforced sliding roof hatch which was covered with a thick safety glass.

  Hosch whistled through his teeth.

  »The dark clouds are rotating right above us. We’re inside the eye of the storm.«

  »Look closer, Tiller!« Main pointed upward.

  Energy flashes were shooting into the sky, vanishing inside the thick, dark clouds causing an eerie sheet lightning display.

  »Uhh … I think these discharges are coming from the spindles. What’s your plan? We can’t just keep driving, stop before the fortress and open this magic suitcase.«

  Main watched the discharges in the distance as he replied, »We’re driving toward the hill before us and we’ll park the groomer there to avoid early detection. The rest of the distance we go on foot. We’ll put on our special suits, grab that box and sneak into the landing zone as close as possible to the fortress. There we just open Pandora ’s Box!«

  »What’s going to happen to Montas?«

  »I’ll give him an injection and put him to sleep. We need to leave him behind inside the groomer. As soon as we have completed the mission, we’ll turn around and get Bondi to the nearest military field hospital as quickly as possible.«

  »You and I are no doctors. The parasite has done something to Bondi’s blood. Do you think that the injection will work?«

  »I have no idea. We will try it anyway. Keep driving for that hill; I’ll take care of Bondi. «

  Tiller Hosch accelerated the groomer and drove toward the hill.

  »Alright, let’s do it!«

  You’re the only ones who can do it

  Triton Base …

  »We’re detecting several transports between the Reusus and the Circle Fortress,« a scanner officer announced and transferred a magnified display onto the main holo. Like a chain of pearls, small silver-like vessels were visible on the holo as they flew from the Reusus to the Moxa.

  Nok followed the transport.

  »What are they doing? The Fortress is not finished yet and they’re already transporting materials to the object?«

  Hassan Khalil slanted his head and seemed to be listening to something in the distance.

  Nuri Jawa observed him with wide open eyes.

  »What’s going on with you two?« Nok whispered at them.

  Nuri kept looking at Khalil.

  »His aura appears like a flaming fire in all kinds of colors. I wish you could see it. I don’t know what Hassan is doing right now, but whatever it is; it requires a lot of energy and concentration. The energy he’s emitting is not coming from his inside … it’s actually flowing toward him!«

  »They’re not only transferring materials …,« Hassan whispered faintly, »… there are also transporting hundreds if not thousands of living beings!«

  »Moxantans? Are they occupying the Fortress already?«

  »No, Nok.« Hassan knit his eyebrows. »Not Moxantans, but several different life-forms, probably other Circle nations. I can detect Quadranan signatures!«

  Nok thought she hadn’t heard correctly.

  »Quadranans? You mean people like Circle General Mindbreaker, who have occupied Titan? Are you sure?«

  Hassan Khalil opened his eyes and smiled.

  »I’m sure, Nok. Absolutely sure, since Nuri and I had firsthand experience with them. However, there’s something else. It seems as if the bio-impulses of these beings are being super-imposed by another entity.«

  Nok looked over to the scanner officer who just shook his head. The scanners had not picked up anything which could resemble Hassan’s finding over this distance to the Circle Fortress. Nok didn’t understand how Khalil arrived at his conclusions.

  As if Hassan could read Nok’s mind he said, »Distance and range are not always limiting factors. I can partly see what’s going on over there.«

  »Okay then,« Nok said before pondering for a moment. »It’s time to play out our trump!«

  Nok walked over to her seat and connected to the scientific section.

  A man by the name of Arthur Ringin answered the call.

  Arthur Ringin! Nuri thought.That’s the boss of the Astro-Bio Section!

  »We’re ready, Commander!« he announced. »The transferred data from Uluru Station were bang on and were applied by our designers without modifications. Please, thank Inka Hahn for her great work and give her my regards. The container can be picked up here.«

  »Are there any special safety procedures to be followed when we pick up the container?«

  »No, just don’t subject the box to heavy jolts or vibrations. That’s all.«

  »Thanks, Ringin. Please have the container delivered to Hangar Delta 7, if you don’t mind. We’ll still need to make some last preparations.«

  Nok looked at Hassan and Nuri seriously.

  »You’ll go on a risky mission, but you’re the only ones who can do it!«

  I need more resources

  Uluru Station, a couple of days earlier …

  Inka Hahn wiped over her tired eyes. She was brooding over the symbol groups for hours on end to no avail. What had seemed familiar to her at first proved that it could not be easily plucked into an existing scheme. Shortly after she had looked closer at the data, she had requested additional holographic copies. She assessed the data and found out that the new sequences had been extended.

  I know that I’m right, I know what this is. You, my friend, are a design scheme for a particular molecule chain … but which one?

  Again, she started the gene-sequencer and fed the simulations with additional data.<
br />
  Strange ... My request was immediately taken care of. Normally this type of request takes days if not weeks. Am I on the right track? Am I on to something? Does this have something to do with the invasion?

  Inka pulled herself together and concentrated on her work. The stimulating effect of the espresso had long faded away. She was so tired that she had problems following the displayed information on the terminals.

  I need some sleep; I can’t go on like this anymore.

  »I’m going to enter the new sequences and then I’ll be crashing over there in the corner. When I come back, I want to see some results,« she said.

  Oh, man, I’m talking to my analysis machine already. Where will this end?

  She entered the new sequences and was about to shuffle over to her make-shift bed, consisting of an old lounge sofa and a pillow, as the analyzer’s signal sounded.

  Sequencing finished!

  Inka glanced through heavy eyelids at the display holo and returned to her station. She plunged onto her lab stool and activated several holos at the same time by means of some quick hand movements. The result electrified her. She was wide awake now!

  Sorry my dear sofa, you’ve got to wait!

  »Eureka! Wow, there you are!«

  The neuronal analysis computer displayed a long and winding molecule chain, which twisting into itself, formed a spherical structure, almost like a woolen ball.

  I knew it! You consist of multiple bases! I see: Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine and Thymine. There’re also two additional components; the computer is still working on. The holographic symbol sequences are indeed a chemical recipe. It is definitely an unknown DNA.

  Inka took both hands and massaged her face.

  This DNA is not Human! It’s not even from Earth!

  She quickly synchronized several displays and analyzers to obtain comparative sample data.

  I have to use a more analytical approach … the DNA is not Human or Progonaut and also not compatible with Hybrid-Human DNA. The gene sequence differs greatly form Shwakans and Trox, not even Pleunatans carry these genes.

  Inka was breathing heavily. She was greatly excited.

  This must be a DNA of an entirely unknown species, maybe of one of the Circle people!

  Inka tapped her right index finger on her chin, then activated the comm-link to her boss.

  Jeff Sterns answered the call almost immediately.

  »Inka what happened?« he asked worried. »You’re supposed to be in bed, damnit! What’re you still doing in the lab? Gee, look at you!«

  »Jeff … just shut up for a moment and listen to me,« she interrupted him bluntly. »I need more resources at my fingertips. I need access to the main frame! Wake up the lab assistants and send them to me. I need a medic or a doctor to inject me with something … don’t ask now, I still need to be up for a couple of hours, hurry Jeff!«

  Jeff Sterns squinted and seemed to ponder for a moment.

  »Did you find something, Inka girl?«

  Inka Hahn smiled.

  »You bet your cute ass, Jeffo!«

  Unbelievable

  Greenland

  Main and Hosch labored through the knee deep snow. It was a challenge to climb up the hill at these temperatures. The landing zone temperature had dropped to negative forty-six degrees Celsius while the snow was covered with a thin layer of ice. With each step, the men were breaking through the thin top ice layer and had to free themselves again just to sink back into the deep snow at the next step.

  »At least, we have our special snow suits!« Hosch said huffing.

  »Yeah, without them, we’d be frozen stiff already.«

  Main checked on the small silver container’s fastening clip on his belt. The box had been designed for one person but under these circumstances, it required two strong men to carry it along. The box itself wasn’t very heavy, but it was awkward to move around with it through the deep snow.

  Hosch had already fallen several times on his face and cut his chin on the ice surface, which was not always smooth and rather rough, but he toughened out the pain and kept going.

  »I just hope that this stupid walking through ice and snow justifies the mission!« he cursed.

  Main frowned and looked back at the groomer, which was parked about two hundred meters away, hardly visible, due to its camouflage paint.

  »If we get a storm or blowing snow, then our tracks are covered and we’ll have a hard time returning to our groomer, maybe never,« Hosch chuckled.

  »Don’t worry, the storm shifting is the least of our worries.«

  Cursing and swearing, they moved on through the snow. Main said.

  »There’s a small fold behind the hill with an adjacent glacier plateau, ideal for us if we want to observe the Frigonans. The invaders didn’t just land here by chance. The plain lies above a flat continental shelf with hundreds of meters of ice in between, ideal for a heavy fortress which requires a solid and stable foundation. There is very little glacier shifting in this area. This is probably one of the reasons why the Frigonans paid so much attention to the surface preparations. Remember the layer of transparent ice, surrounding the Circle Fortress?«

  »Yes, I remember it well,« Hosch grumbled. »They want to stay longer here.«

  Main shuddered.

  »Are you cold, Boss?« Hosch asked as he saw Main shivering.

  »Why? I’m sweating bullets in this suit. When this is over, then I’ll be looking for that suit designer and kick him in the ass. I’d like to tear this thing off, believe me, Hiller.«

  »I wouldn’t do that, if I were you,« Hosch said seriously while looking at his wrist instruments. »It’s negative forty-nine degrees! You wouldn’t make it for long. I hope you’re not playing around with your heater settings. The Union doesn’t need a frozen hero.«

  Main huffed and grunted in response.

  »My suit’s thermostat works fine. If we let these Devils get away with what they’re doing right now, the entire planet will sooner or later look like this area. Greenland’s ecosystem will probably recover relatively fast from this artificial Ice Age, but more southerly located regions, especially the rain forests and more moderate climate zones will be destroyed forever.«

  »… I’m not so much concerned about the fauna and flora of the rainforests,« Hosch said. »Since the North Atlantic is freezing over, the impact on oxygen-producing algae is much more devastating.«

  »Many plant and animal species will become extinct,« Main added. »We Humans have a long record of neglect. Now these extra-terrestrials are dealing the final blow, at a time when the planet is slowly recovering. If our climate had been in a better shape, then the Frigonans would not be able to easily manipulate it.«

  »You’re talking about the Earth as if it be a living organism.«

  Main grinned.

  »The Hybrids are telling us that the combined auras of all terrestrial life-forms are forming a unity, if observed from a higher vantage point. They are not distinguishable from out of space. This earthly aura can be seen as a huge flame of life, enveloping the entire planet.«

  Suddenly, Hosch grabbed Main and threw him into the snow.

  Before Main could say anything, Hosch pointed forward.

  They had arrived on the top of the hill and had a perfect view onto the landing site.

  Only one hundred meters away, one of the spindles was towering above the frozen ground. The Spindle’s tip emitted constant energy flashes into the sky.

  »You’re right,« Hosch said. »We’ve been here before … and there … these storm machines are killing our climate …«

  The Frigonan landing site had changed a lot in the meantime. The spindles were looking like artifacts or monuments and formed a wide ring around the zone. In the center, an enormous objects was been erected. Hosch estimated the diameter to be about five kilometers. Thousands of robots were weaseling in and out of the object in between half erected walls. He pulled out a pair of binoculars and commented on what he saw.

 
; »I can see robots, Moxantans, Quadranans, Kresolytes and a shit load of Frigonans. The entire club is assembled there, having a picnic!«

  Main chuckled and took the binoculars from Hosch.

  »Holy mackerel! Look at the traffic, how can we get there unnoticed with our suitcase?« Main snorted. »I can see Uma Boss! The young woman is still alive! Look, at what she’s doing?«

  Hosch looked in the direction Main was pointing.

  »She’s standing in the middle of the group. It looks like she’s giving instructions or orders to the beings around her.«

  »Not her, but the beings that cling to her body,« Main corrected.

  »Now, I want to see what’s inside this box or suitcase!«

  Hosch pulled the case toward him.

  »If we need to go down there then I need to know what for.«

  »You know why: Save Humanity! Remember the slogan?«

  »Slogans are for dumb people to keep them motivated. I never believed in that nonsense!« Hosch said with a hoarse voice. »So, what’s in the box, Jack?«

  Main nodded.

  »You’re right, we should take a quick look!«

  Main leaned over and flipped the clasps, which were designed to be opened with gloves on. The lid swung open and revealed a holographic keyboard with large sensor pads showing a row of numerical symbols.

  »What, just a simple PIN?« Hosch said. »That’s it?«

  Main nodded and entered twelve digits via the sensor pads.

  »Simple and effective, in case we need to act fast,« he grunted.

  Hosch came a little bit closer.

  »Whatever is inside the box, why didn’t they deliver it with a bomb or drop it from a plane?«

  Main looked up and said, »No idea, Tiller. Maybe the content is too sensitive or they wanted to surprise the Frigonans. Don’t forget that the Circle Fortress probably has some sort of defense system installed already. A simple energy shield would render our attempt useless. I think, the Union brass doesn’t want to take any chances.«

  Hosch waited impatiently until Main had hit the enter key.

  Suddenly, the box opened, revealing the content.

  They both stared at the box and then at themselves.