Deal with the whole disaster, weep with poor Mabel Planer’s family, and make sure the insurance company paid off as though it had been on company time the girl had been shot…
And, above all, do what Grant was doing.
Survive.
He’d come damned close to falling off the edge of that state last night.
Even now he wasn’t quite sure how he’d done it. When those blasts had ripped through the booth and Mabel, some auxiliary mode in his musculature must have kicked in, because he’d never scrambled and dodged and ducked so well in his life. Some survival node in his brain must have clicked on as well. He’d done exactly the right thing, headed right on down to the dance floor. The wrigglers and flailers there, doubtless thinking that the explosions above were part of the show, were still going at it to the heavy localized pounding. He hadn’t dared to stop for the slightest moment. He’d dived to the exit, skipped his limo, sprinted blocks and blocks, falling down a few times, until he felt safe enough hailing a cab.
And still the chase had not been over. He’d spent most of the night hiding behind cans of garbage in an alley, waiting for one of his aides to come and pick him up. Then he’d directed him on a Toad’s Wild Ride to the launchport—and thus, he’d made it to the base, after a sleepless night, grateful to be alive.
In the comparative safety of the shuttle, strapped in above the equivalent of thousands of tonnes of GeligNuke®, Daniel Grant shuddered at the thought. No, he didn’t want to think about it… not for a while, anyway.
Sleep. Some blessed sleep… that was what he needed. Fisk’s ugly mug or no…
“Hey there. That seat by you taken?”
Grant’s eyes snapped open.
There, looming over him, was a Nordic god.
Thor with a haircut.
Well, not exactly. He was big and strapping, with blond hair and blue eyes and a smile above his square-cut chin. He looked not only damned competent, but perfectly content in that state, and perfectly comfortable in the fatigues that snugly fit his muscular limbs and torso.
Now this guy, thought Grant, looked like a leader.
“Ah—no. No… please, be my guest.”
The blond god secured a carryall bag in a storage bin, and then slid into the couch, not yet buckling himself in. “Name’s Henrikson. Corporal Lars Henrikson.” They shook hands. “You must be one of the Neo-Pharm fellows.”
“Yes. I’m Daniel Grant. I own Neo-Pharm.”
Henrikson did not react immediately He took the information in thoughtfully. “Ah, I had been told that you would not actually be on our expedition, Mr. Grant.”
“A last-minute decision.”
Henrikson assimilated this information and nodded, as though this were the most natural thing in the world.
“I see. Well, good, I say… with all respect. It’s good to see bosses take a personal interest in important tasks.” A slight bend of the mouth. “Get their hands a little dirty, you know.”
Grant smiled, the first time for what seemed like millennia. “Maybe I’m just trying to turn over a new leaf, Corporal Henrikson.”
He closed his eyes, hoping to give the man a clue that he’d like a little privacy inside his own head, maybe rest his bloodshot eyes.
Henrikson wasn’t the clue-taking kind.
“This is a special mission,” he said. “I can feel it in my bones. Nine times out of ten a group of marines head out into space, all they come back with are handfuls of boredom. I’ve had some of that out there, let me tell you. Soon as I got wind of this mission though, special duty entailing a beachhead on the alien Hiveworld… Well, I just jumped at the chance. Jumped.”
“Couldn’t get your fill of bug duty on Earth?”
Henrikson shrugged. “I’ve killed some bugs. Europe, mostly Special services. That’s probably why I got this gig—the experience. No, that’s not it though, sir—you see, I’ve got this feeling that the human race is destined for great things in this universe. Destined. And I’d like to do my bit to make that possible. And I guess I’m vain enough to think I’m a talented enough guy to deal with the kind of situation we’ve got lined up for us.”
Granted expected an inner groan of cynicism to echo in his head. Instead, he found the words oddly striking a sympathetic chord within him.
“That’s a compellingly homocentric view of the universe, soldier.”
Henrikson nodded. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry… I’ve had people tell me that men are just accidents in the scheme of things. I don’t think so… Why… Because we’re men. We stand for something, goddammit. We’ve got values and order and… hell… purpose to bring to what amounts to a lot of godless space.”
“Indeed. Indeed! That kind of feeling would be a wonderful rabble-rouser… I mean, that would go a long way to heal the wounded spirit of humanity!”
“I know, sir. I know.” Henrikson nodded gravely. “And that’s why I’m here.”
“Excellent. Well, you know, Corporal, I think we’re going to have lots of time to discuss pertinent applications of that philosophy while we’re on our mission. In the meantime, I think I’d like to take a little time to compose myself before the blast-off of this shuttle. You know… for meditation… a little cat nap, perhaps…”
Henrikson looked over at Grant. “Ah. Yes, you do look a little tired. How thoughtless of me. Please, close your eyes. Relax. Snooze. I have my own inner warrior’s form of meditation. We shall meditate together.”
With that, the corporal’s eyes trained onto the front of his couch, and focused.
Well, so much for that. Rest and meditation was even valuable to big boy here. He should have tried that tactic before.
Oh, well. He knew he’d have someone of interest to talk to on the mission. He just wished now he’d brought along one of his PR men to jot all these golden thoughts down.
Grant let his heavy eyelids close.
He found peace for perhaps thirty seconds, before he heard the clamor of feet boarding the boat, closets opening, packs being stored, voices jabbering among one another.
“… look, chum. I’m telling you, that was the way it was… the music was the soul of the beats! The hot, cool black music of the streets, man. That’s where the streaming ice lava of the poetry came from to begin with!” The voice was annoyingly adenoidal and high-pitched.
“Look, Jastrow! I make one single comment the other day that I enjoyed reading the old free verse of the twentieth century… and you think I’m talking about the beat poets! I’m talking about a number of writers, including William Carlos Williams…”
Grant cracked his weary eyelids.
Couple of privates in fatigues and caps. White boy, black boy. White boy was the one carping on the literary and music themes. Unfortunate, but he could tune them out.
“Williams! But Williams was John the Baptist to Allen Ginsberg!”
“Sorry. Never heard of him.”
“‘Howl’? You read twentieth-century free verse, and you’ve never read ‘Howl’?”
“Well, come to think of it… Perhaps I have… but I still don’t see the connection between free verse poetry and jazz.”
“Sheesh. Not just jazz, budz. Be-bop! Here, let me show you.”
The conversation had become detached, as though Grant were listening to it through a tin-can telephone as he drifted into exhausted sleep.
Blaaaaat…!
High-pitched, running hell-for-leather up some spidery octave.
Bleeet… BLEEEEET…!
The sounds were fingernails and Grant’s brain had turned to chalkboard.
He jumped up, awake and disoriented. He hit his head on a low overhang and flopped back onto the couch.
Honk… honk HONNKKKKK!
He looked over. Sitting on the edge of a grav-couch was a black man wearing glasses and a grimace. His hands were over his ears. Opposite him was another bespectacled guy with a pocket-protector face. His thin lips were clamped on the mouthpiece of a big baritone saxophone.
; Both had boot-camp bodies, but faces innocent of the heart of war.
Blat… blat… Blat!
“Can’t you hear it, Ellis?” he said, unclamping. “I have seen the finest minds of my generation—”
The natural force that was Corporal Henrikson reared up like a vengeful statue. “You guys want to give the rest of us in here some peace?”
His muscular hovering said it all. The salt-and-pepper twins blinked, flinching back.
“Gee—sorry, Corporal.”
“Just playing a little Bird, man.”
Henrikson stood rock-hard. “Well, I’m clipping your wings! This is not a place for that thing. Now over your head… maybe.”
Ellis looked as though he agreed, but Jastrow got a hurt-little-boy expression on his face as he put his musical instrument away in its case.
“I could use a few Z’s anyway, Jazz,” said Ellis.
“Yeah. Maybe you’re right. We’ll continue this conversation later, though, huh?”
“Whatever.” The man sounded resigned.
Henrikson bent over Grant. “You okay, sir?”
“Sure. My ears are still ringing and I’m wide awake. But I’m okay.”
“We got a good fifteen before formal boarding, so maybe you should use them.”
“I’ll try, Corporal. Believe me, I’ll try.”
Henrikson shot one more warning look at the newly arrived duo and then resumed his grav-couch. Grant found Ellis and Jastrow peering at him curiously, obviously wondering who he was.
Grant could feel it even through his closed eyelids.
“Name’s Grant. The reason you’re on this mission,” he said. “Mind if we meet formally later? I’m trying to get a little rest.”
“Oh!”
“Oh, sure, sir. Sorry.”
“Yeah. Right. We’ll be real quiet.” Whisper. “Sheesh. That’s Daniel Grant, man! And you had to squeal that sax in his ear.”
“How could I know? I didn’t even see him!”
The whispers died into uneasy silence and once again Grant found himself slipping into an uneasy coma.
Which ended all too soon.
He’d been having a dream about his parents, and he hated to dream about his parents, so it was just as well. Still, it was all a little annoying.
The clump-clump of steps didn’t wake him. He barely heard it: background noise.
The shifting of bags, the snap of storage cases. No problem.
However, when a body fell directly onto him—that woke him up.
“Ooophhh!” he said.
“Gahhh. Oh, dear… damned floor! All these knobs and braces. Sorry!”
That the person was prominently female mitigated the hurt and shock somewhat, and not just because of the softer bits. She looked good and she smelled good, even in fatigues. She was a busty brunette with hair about as long as the Marines would let you wear it if you weren’t male, and rich dark eyes that now looked thoroughly repentant.
“That’s all right,” said Grant, flashing on the immediate lady smile. “I was hoping to get some rest before takeoff, but these things happen.”
She pushed herself off of him with ease and a great deal more grace than she’d shown in tripping onto him. “I do better in faux grav, for some reason. And null grav? I’m a swan.” She shrugged. “I’m just a space babe, that’s all there is to it, and I’ll be glad to lift off this—” She batted those splendid doe eyes. “Say. Haven’t I seen you… My God! You’re Daniel Grant, the big tycoon! I’ve seen you on the vids!”
“That’s me.”
“You look awfu—I mean, I guess you could use some rest.” She hobbled over to an empty grav-couch, and Grant, despite his weariness, was unable to take his attention off her delightfully swiveling hips. She turned. “I’d heard you were somewhere behind this mission. I didn’t think I’d get to really meet you though!”
“Well, get used to it, Private,” said Henrikson. “He’s coming along with us for the voyage.”
“No kidding! Well, isn’t that… Isn’t that news.” She swiveled back over, unconsciously smoothing her hair, and gave him her hand and a markedly breathier delivery. “My name is Edie Mahone. Private First Class—but I’m still young, and I really think I have quite a bright future with the Colonial Marines.”
Grant felt a little nonplussed and couldn’t help automatically turning on the charm—and wondering at the same time what this particular woman was doing in the Marines… and on this mission in particular. As he studied her though, he got an impression of strength beneath the apparent ditziness. The oh-gosh business was just an act. Beneath it, Grant could tell, was strength, and it turned him on. It challenged him.
“You have an interest in xeno development then?” said Grant.
“The bugs? Oh, no.” She shook her head, shuddered. “Hate ‘em. But then, who doesn’t? I can see your question coming. What’s a nice girl doing in a place like this?” She shrugged. “I’m just a space natural, I guess, Mr. Grant. I wasn’t fooling you… And on top of that, I’m a tactical weapons specialist.”
“Weapons specialist?”
“Yes, sir. Top scores.” A mischievous playfulness shaded her voice.
“I’m just glad you weren’t carrying any grenades when you fell over me.”
“Hmmm? Oh, yes… yes, of course. Mr. Grant, I really am sorry, and it’s such a surprise… maybe this mission isn’t going to be such a grim business after all.”
“I certainly hope not. Now, Private Mahone—I hope you’ll come to my cabin sometime for drinks and we’ll have a nice long chat. In the meantime, my sanity could really use a little rest before it gets rattled by takeoff.”
“Of course. Of course, Mr. Grant… sir. I’ll just hop into a couch over here and leave you alone… And—” She did a double take. “Drinks? Did you say drinks with a tycoon! Of course, Mr. Grant. I’d love to! I’m a regular media hound and I watch you all the time. I even bought that unauthorized paperback about you—is it true that your wife divorced you when she found you in your marriage bed with four naked women?”
Grant chuckled mischievously. “And a parrot. Don’t forget the parrot, Private Mahone.”
He was pleased the legend lingered.
The starstruck private shook her head and rapturously wandered back to her couch. Was it an act? He didn’t know. And he didn’t care.
Drinks with an attractive private who would probably be disappointed if he didn’t make a pass at her. After that tragic debacle last night, he was hardly in the mood for romance right now. But weeks into a space cruise with a bunch of scientists and hardened soldiers? The dominant Grant hormones would doubtless trot themselves out into quest-and-conquer mode. A willing female partner with the requisite assets was something that cheered him immensely.
Now, though, to sleep for just a brief sweet moment.
Grant let his head flop down into the cushion, gratified at the silence that the cabin had cloaked itself in. Respectful silence.
This wasn’t so bad, shipping out on a boat heading light-years away from Earth with a bunch of scientists and marines. It was his mission, after all… And he seemed to be getting the appropriate obeisance from his people.
This was good. This was very good. A kind of calm descended upon Daniel Grant. His knotted muscles unwound, and a sense of control of his environment began to knit itself around him. Yes, yes, perhaps it would work out for the best that he was coming along to supervise, to oversee… no, to control. The boys in the office knew well enough how he ran things by now. They could do exactly what he would do, whatever the situation. He didn’t have to be around. Instead, he should be doing exactly what he was doing. Heading for parts unknown, spreading his influence, his dominion.
Daniel Grant… a great man, destined for the stars.
The cadences of his self-congratulations lullabied him into that blessed relaxed land just short of slumber, where not even his mother was waiting to natter at him.
Ah…!
Sweet,
gentle peace…
WOOOOOOONK!
WOONNNNNNNK!
The Klaxon rang like hell’s own trumpet.
“That’s the fire alarm!” cried Jastrow.
“Shit! Something’s wrong with the shuttle. We gotta get out of here, Mr. Grant!”
“Please,” murmured Grant. “Just let me lie here awhile. I’ll die if need be. Just let me sleep.”
“No can do, Mr. G!”
Grant felt himself being pulled up out of the couch, and physically carried down the ramp.
The cooler air outside was like a slap across the chops. He blinked, felt himself being jounced…
And then suddenly stop still.
“Let me down!” he demanded.
“Do what the man says, turkey! Now!”
Henrikson dropped him onto hard sheetcrete.
“Ow!” Groggily he scrambled up to his feet…
And found himself staring into the bores of 10mm blasters.
Connected to those blasters were Colonel Alex Kozlowski and a group of marines, travel sacks at their backs.
“Belay arms,” said Kozlowski, striding up to them, arms on hips. “If we were a group of bugs, you dopes would be bug food now! Emergencies demand emergency measures!” A toothpick stuck out from the side of her mouth. She worked it all the way to the other side of a scowl. “Isn’t that right, soldiers!”
The marines, who somewhere in the midst of all this had managed to effect uncomfortable poses of attention, immediately responded.
“Yes, sir!”
Kozlowski worked the toothpick.
“Besides, I haven’t assigned seats yet, have I?”
“No, sir!”
Kozlowski walked over to Grant, and stooped down beside him. “Welcome to your mission, Mr. Grant…” She spat the toothpick.
It stuck into the loose fabric of his pants.
“Welcome to my command.”
Grant sighed and closed his eyes again.
This sheetcrete was actually rather comfortable…
The Complete Aliens Omnibus Page 9