Mara locked eyes with Janzen. He returned her gaze with a smug smile. She knew immediately he had planned this in advance. And while they argued, Karic was in danger on a strange planet. Perhaps dying while they talked and did nothing. It seemed inconceivable she had ever let Janzen near her. Beneath his cheerful friendliness, he was a self-serving egotist. A Davis to the core.
You are going to pay for this, Janzen.
She knew that for Janzen, this was just another move in an elaborate chess game. At least she was able to separate the former commander from Ibri, for the lanky, taciturn computer specialist had made his allegiance to Janzen clear from the outset. God knows what Janzen had offered to persuade him to his side. She could trust Andrai to follow her commands and keep Janzen on a leash until she could rendezvous at the base camp.
“OK. Ibri. You come with me. Andrai, you and Janzen take the lander up. Stay in radio contact, understand me?” Andrai nodded. “If you find a good site for a base camp, put down the lander, secure the site then send out a probe. I don’t want us too near that glowing mountain, or too near the jungle. At least not until we understand more about this planet.”
Mara was anxious to get the lander away from the lake. Whatever had threatened Karic and the pod could also be a threat to the bigger craft. They could not risk the lander. Protecting it meant their survival. Once they found Karic, they would be able to fly him to the base camp in the pod.
“But under no circumstances do anything without my orders. Understand?”
Andrai nodded.
Janzen turned and walked to the console. He sat down in Mara’s seat, his back turned to her. More fucking games.
Gritting her teeth, Mara walked to the storage compartments. She entered the security code and opened the arms cabinet, removing a Davis XR32, a small handgun equipped with small, rocket-propelled, high-explosive rounds. She strapped it to her waist, then took out another XR32. She secured the arms cabinet and took out two masks from storage.
Mara stared at the XR32 in her hands. Having grown up on the space platforms at L1, Mara was uncomfortable with any kind of projectile weapon. There were absolute taboo in space — the risk of hull rupture was too great. Janzen had been insistent that they bring them from the beginning, and Mara had to admit, for a planet-bound expedition, they were reassuring. Still, somehow the weapons seemed out of place.
“Here, Ibri,” said Mara, handing him a weapon and mask. He took the XR32 with wry amusement, buckling the weapon’s black synthetic holster around his narrow waist, then slipped the filter mask over his face.
“OK, I want everyone’s attention,” she said.
Andrai and Janzen swiveled their chairs to face her.
“Andrai. I am leaving you in charge of the lander. Give yourselves an hour. If you do find a good site, radio in coordinates before you land. If you don’t find a good site, return here. It’s 11:28,” said Mara checking the time on her comband. “Let’s check in every ten minutes. I’ll either hear from you or see you back here by 12:38.”
She took a deep breath and turned to Ibri. “Let’s go.”
Already wearing his mask, Ibri nodded in acknowledgement.
Mara and Ibri crowded into the lander’s airlock. The tall tech frowned in annoyance as he hunched beneath the low ceiling. She suppressed a smile. Ibri seemed to take any obstacle to his progress — whether human or inanimate — as a personal affront. The inner door sealed shut automatically behind them. Janzen followed them to the lock. He watched them through the glass window of the inner airlock door, his clear blue eyes as unreadable as chips of painted tile.
Mara adjusted her mask. She was uncomfortable with the bulk of the XR32 pressed into her side. Beside her, Ibri entered the sequence into the keypad beside the outer door. A low tone sounded and the seal broke.
Air rushed in around them, warm, and oddly scented.
Her head spun. Her legs felt suddenly weak. I am hyperventilating. Remembering the high oxygen content of Oasis’ air, Mara deliberately held her breath until the lightheadedness passed. They were about to step onto an alien world. It seemed so unreal. Karic may be already dead. She drew the XR32.
The outer lock swung open, and Mara followed Ibri onto the lush green grass of the lake shore.
“We are prepping for liftoff.” Andrai’s voice issued from her comband like a wraith’s whisper.
“Acknowledged,” she replied into the communicator, her voice muffled by the filter mask.
Mara and Ibri walked quickly to the edge of the clearing, giving Andrai plenty of space to take up the lander. The thrusters ignited with a deafening thump. The sound hit her in the chest with physical force. She pressed the heels of her hands to the sides of her head to block her ears. Beside her Ibri did the same, his dark eyes narrowed critically as he watched the liftoff. Outside the lander, they got a firsthand experience of how much power those thrusters had. Every bit of that thrust was needed to get the massive craft airborne. Most of its weight was fuel in the remaining external tanks, all needed to eventually regain orbit. Mara gained a new appreciation for the lander’s clever design as it lifted into the sky, the nested fuel tanks fitted so snugly around its fuselage that they formed part of its aerodynamics: sections of them doing dual service as extensions to the stubby wings or as aerobraking surfaces. It climbed steadily, then the thrusters cut and the flight engines took over. It shot toward the horizon, banked right, then spiraled out from their position in a search pattern. Less than a minute later, the big craft was gone.
Silence.
First they investigated the pod. They circled around it. There did not appear to be any damage to the tail or wings, although the scorched undercarriage and the leading edge of the wings told their own story of the tiny craft’s dramatic descent. As they approached, Mara held out a tentative hand to the skin of the pod to gauge its heat, but the ceramics and alloys had already cooled to ambient temperature. The pod was too small for an airlock, and its single hatch was wide open, exposing the interior to Oasis’ atmosphere. As they saw from the lander, the tiny cabin with its four cramped seats was empty. There was no sign of Karic.
Mara stepped over the threshold of the hatch into the darkened interior. She sheathed her weapon and tapped on a viewscreen. Dead. “The system is down. Ibri, why don’t you see what you can do with the pod while I scout the area.”
“OK,” said Ibri, clearly looking forward to the challenge. The specialist was always happiest when engaged in his work.
Mara knew that recovery of the pod was important, but what she was really concerned about was Karic. Where was he? Why had he left the pod? And the beacon transmitter. How could lightning have struck it from a clear sky? The storms of the upper atmosphere were kilometers above them, but here, there was only a light, misting rain. It was hard to believe there was an electrical storm here only hours ago, when they lost the beacon signal. Still, conditions here were unknown. The data from the pod would tell them — once they restored power.
Mara walked around the pod in ever-increasing circles. The grass had been trampled in a wide path leading away from the pod. She knelt low and examined the grass. It looked as though a group of large animals had moved through here. She stood and followed the path as it led toward the lake shore. There, caught in the reeds, and now blowing in the wind, was Karic’s filter mask.
It took her a few seconds to absorb the shock. Horror images of him being torn to shreds by a pack of predators filled her mind. No. She was jumping to conclusions. Maybe he lost his mask and left the lake before the animals appeared. Her stomach tied itself in knots as she followed the trail from the lake shore to the jungle, expecting at any moment to see blood … or worse.
The forest understory was broad-leaved, and grew thickly and tall trees reminiscent of palms, but topped with huge flat leaves, soared from the canopy. All the bark was brightly colored with ragged patches of clinging fungi. Huge blossoms adorned the forest, spilling powerful scents into the humid air. The floor was littere
d with a mad jumble of rotting detritus and huge leaves. An elephant could pass through it and leave no sign. She had lost the trail.
Mara looked into the thick wall of vegetation, caught between the impulse to search for Karic and her duty to pursue the logical course of action — a return to the clearing and the methodical search for answers. Reluctantly, she turned back to the pod. Every step took deliberate effort. The warmth was thick and oppressive, heavy like the tug of the planet beneath her. Her legs were already aching in odd places, little-used muscles complaining at each movement.
The light of the crystal mountain was bright and harsh, yet under it everything was so beautiful, surreal. It was as though she walked across the ocean floor, beneath a clear sea. Dreaming.
Sweat made the grip of the XR32 slippery.
Suddenly, the bushes behind her and to her left parted. The animal gave a shrill screech as it came at her, moving in a blur of yellow.
Mara turned on her heel, her XR32 following the sweep of her gaze. She pointed and fired, screaming as the tiny projectile shot from the weapon. The recoil sent the gun tumbling from her grasp. Then she was knocked from her feet by a thudding concussion. A thicket of broad-leafed palms lay charred and blackened. A dozen small animals struggled within the flames. Beside her, an enormous insect like a grasshopper lay stunned, its glazed eyes perplexed as it searched for the nest and its young amid the smoking ruin. One leg had been shattered by the blast. It righted itself and hopped awkwardly back into the jungle, disappearing from sight.
She scrambled across the grass to the XR32. She swept it up and swiveled around her, expecting the animals she had tracked to come bursting out of the jungle next, looking for a human meal. But there was no sign of movement. Just a lone animal defending its nest.
The lake was deathly quiet.
Shaking, Mara pushed herself up off the ground. She had not expected the recoil, and had been way too close to the detonation point. Why had Janzen stocked Starburst with these damn things, she thought, looking at the deceptively small handgun. Did Janzen expect to fight a war?
Ibri had not even stirred from inside the pod, and Mara cursed the insular man under her breath as she wiped heavy beads of sweat from her forehead.
She clicked on the safety and sheathed the gun with a feeling of nausea. Then she scanned the area. Nothing.
It was time to check in with Andrai. She raised her comband to her mouth.
“Andrai, can you hear me?”
There was a slight delay.
“Yes, Mara. We have covered more than two thousand square kilometers, but there is no sign of Karic. There is a noticeable pattern in the vegetation though. It thins out rapidly away from the light sources. There are a number of sites in the more open forest that would be ideal for a landing site.”
Mara considered telling Andrai what she had learned, but she wanted more information first.
“Take the lander down. There’s no point wasting fuel. Let the probe do the survey work.”
“Understood. Andrai out.”
A chorus of animal noises began to rise from the jungle and lakeshore. Small animals and larger flying insects in a glittering array of colors darted from cover to drink at the lake, then flashed back into the safety of the concealing foliage.
Mara walked back to the pod. Inside, she saw Ibri at work under the console. An access hatch was open, wires trailing across the metal floor.
He looked up at her. “What was that noise?”
“I had to fire on an animal,” said Mara. “What have you found?”
“Power’s on. Systems still down. Can’t find anything wrong with the hardware. Puzzling.”
“Can you access the central memory of the computer?”
“Yes.”
“Can we get at the video footage?”
“Yeah. Visuals only. Audio’s out.”
“After the pod’s landing, the external camera would have continued to function. Call up the memory. I need to see it.”
Ibri gave Mara a puzzled frown, then maneuvered himself out from under the console.
Mara climbed into the cramped cabin of the pod, sitting next to Ibri as he replayed the visual sequence shot during the descent of the craft; it was dramatic and yet told them nothing.
“Rough ride,” said Ibri.
Mara tapped the tiny viewscreen impatiently.
Finally, the footage showed the craft landing. The figure of Karic came into view. He methodically set up and activated the transmitter.
“Take it forward to when the beacon stopped.”
Karic’s hours passed in fast motion. They watched as he rested, then scouted the area, finally stopping to eat rations.
Huge beings, larger than bears, thrust out from the lush growth in unison.
Ibri took his finger off the button and the images slowed to real time.
They were hairless, bipedal, their thick pudgy arms ending in a three-fingered hand with an opposable thumb. Their rough skin was a pale, creamy color, mottled with random blooms of yellow, red, green and purple, and hung in huge flabby folds from their stocky frames. Along the torso, running from under each arm down to their hips, were two long columns of raised points on the skin, like pale nipples.
It seemed they were moving slowly, awkwardly, but watching them close on Karic revealed this to be an illusion created by their size.
Mara held her breath.
Karic ran for the pod, but was easily subdued, held immobile in those thick, doughy hands.
Mara could see Karic’s eyes widen as he stared up at them.
Their faces were fleshy and smooth, like a panda’s in shape, but strangely uniform, as though someone had crafted a mould then melted it until it ran together. Their mouths were wide, filled with large, flat teeth and a tongue the size of a dinner plate. The mottled colors of their bodies concentrated on the head, forming a solid band across the crown that spilled over onto the thick, rounded shoulders. Their two round eyes were huge and black, without eyelid or noticeable iris or cornea; more like raised nodules. The two stubby ears were set wide apart on the side of the huge head. There were no visible genitalia, but anything could have been concealed in the folds of flesh that hung down off the big thighs and rubbed together beneath their legs as they moved.
It was a coordinated attack. One of the aliens stood back, directing the others. His body and head were decorated with sticks and leaves and skins, woven into bizarre shapes. A head taller than the others, the mottled colors on his bald dome were dominated by a vibrant gold and green that contrasted sharply with the more prosaic skin-shades on his underlings. At his side, he held a primitive scepter covered with bright strips of animal skin and insect wings of all shapes and sizes. He looked like a shaman, and clearly held power over the others. The scepter was a clear sign of rank.
They had no weapons and no clothing, relying only on physical strength to subdue Karic. They had acted in unison, and with restraint, which demonstrated intelligence. Karic was dragged from the field of vision, then there was nothing but grass, and the tranquil lake scene.
Suddenly, everything fitted together. This planet had been engineered. And the locals were still here.
Mara had seen enough. “Turn it off.”
Ibri tapped the console, freezing the image. He stared at the viewscreen for a long moment, his deep-set eyes unreadable; he blinked once, then returned to his work.
Mara chewed a knuckle on her right hand, deep in thought. She was missing something. Something in the recording …
Adrenalin was pumping through her. She had to act. But a wrong, hasty decision now would be disastrous for them all.
Mara lifted herself over Ibri and out of the pod.
She started pacing the thick grass, trying to burn off her anxiety. The beings looked primitive. But that did not make sense. A race that could construct those crystal mountains would have vast resources. What were they dealing with, then? Two races? A fallen culture? A dark age?
“Damn it!”
It did not matter. All that mattered was surviving. Finding and rescuing Karic. Protecting themselves and getting back to Earth. It was significant that the natives captured, rather than simply attacked Karic. But what that meant, what their intentions were, she had no way of knowing.
“Mara, are you there?”
Mara started at the sound of Andrai’s voice, weirdly thin and out of place as it sounded from the tiny speakers of her comband. Her hand dropped to the hilt of her gun, and her heart beat double-time with a sourceless panic. Damn, I’m jumpy. She took a deep breath, noticed the safety of the gun was on and flicked it off.
“Mara, do you read me?”
“Yes, Andrai, I read you.”
“We have found a site. Three point six kilometers from your current position, bearing one hundred and three degrees.”
“Copy that,” said Mara.
“Any sign of Karic?”
She took a breath and let it out slowly. “There are intelligent natives here, Andrai. Some sort of tribal-level bipedal beings. They have taken Karic.” Even as she said it, her mind spun with a sense of unreality. “The whole thing was captured on the pod’s camera.”
“Understood,” said Andrai, after a long moment. “We are about to descend and send out a probe. Once we go down, your comband won’t be able to reach us.”
“I know, Andrai.”
“Is the pod functional?”
“Not yet.”
“If you can’t get the pod operational, Mara, I’ll use the probe to relay a signal in two hours.” Airborne, the probe could bounce a signal over the horizon from her to base camp and back.
“OK, Andrai. When you set up the base camp, make sure you deploy the defensive shield.”
“Copy, that. Anything else, Mara?”
“No. Just stay put. I’ll brief you when we take the pod over.”
“Copy that. Andrai, out.”
Mara watched the lander appear over the horizon, then drop down out of sight below a line of low hills. It was good to know they were so close.
A few minutes later she heard a distant roar, then the high-pitched whine of small chemical rockets as the probe shot skyward from the lander and disappeared from view.
The Tau Ceti Diversion Page 11