“Oh, I see, you’re trying to duplicate the results with other subjects?” Jack said, still amazed by what he had just seen.
“Not exactly. First, I’m trying to establish a baseline of those without Salzburg. Does the average person without the syndrome show any signs of the same energy field we saw around the girls? Given where we are, I’m not expecting my sample group to be very large, but it’s better than nothing.”
Jack was beginning to see where this was heading. “And what have you found so far?”
Mia turned to the monitor, which was now showing Anna. She clicked the red button on a mic that fed into the test chamber. “When an image appears on the screen before you, I want you to use your mind to communicate what you see.”
Anna looked over, confused.
Jack leaned in and hit the mic. “Not with your radio,” he told her. “Try to imagine you’re nonverbally communicating what you’re seeing.”
“To whom shall I communicate?”
Mia looked over. “Jack,” she said. “Send it to Jack.”
Anna nodded. “I will do my best.”
Mia and Jack watched the monitor as several images flickered in front of Anna’s face.
“I didn’t see a thing, did you?” he asked.
“No, which is good,” Mia said. “I brought Anna in to rule out any kind of electromagnetic anomaly.”
“Have you tried Grant yet? He has Salzburg.”
She shook her head. “Jansson and I are open to anyone. In fact, on more than one occasion, I’ve managed to convince people who were simply walking along the corridor.”
“A girl like you, I’m sure that’s not a very hard sell. I’m surprised droves of men on Northern Star aren’t breaking down the door to be tested.”
Mia blushed. “Are you always this forward?”
Jack felt the blood rush to his face. “I call it like I see it. I thought about you a lot when you were gone, was worried about you. Every time we discovered something new I kept thinking, oh, wouldn’t Mia love to see this? When things were quiet I would wonder what you were doing.”
“You’re very kind.”
He smiled wanly, getting the hint. Jack knew enough to stop when it was clear his feelings weren’t reciprocated.
Mia looked away. “It isn’t you,” she said, rubbing at an invisible stain on the table with the pad of her index finger. “I’ve just been so confused lately.”
“After Ollie came back in the picture.”
She glanced up at him and that look said it all.
“No need to explain. Listen, we all have a job to do. It’s probably best for everyone if we focus on the mission and not let ourselves get distracted.”
Mia took his hand and the feeling of her touch was electric.
“The images have stopped,” Anna said, still inside the chamber. “Would you like to start again?”
Both of them straightened, as though caught doing something they shouldn’t have been.
“That’s all right, Anna,” Mia said. “You’re free to go. Thank you for your help.”
Anna exited the test chamber. “How did I do?”
“Just fine,” Jack said, holding the grin as long as he could. “Why don’t you go see Admiral Stark and find out if he needs anything before we cross over?”
“Understood,” she said, leaving the lab.
Clearing her throat, Mia said, “Although my findings are by no means complete, I have noticed the faintest hint of the energy field around about ten percent of those I’ve tested.”
“That’s interesting. How faint?”
Mia pulled up two images, placing them side by side. One was of Noemi juxtaposed next to a male Navy officer. “While hers looks almost like an energy afro, his is nothing more than steam rising from a cup of coffee.”
Jack studied the images closely. “That may be, but he’s got something. Are you sure he doesn’t have Salzburg?”
She shook her head. “After I saw the results I tested him again and he’s clean.”
“So Salzburg may only be magnifying something that’s already within us. Have you spoken to Grant about any of this?”
“Not yet. Though I intended to when he comes to sit down for his test. Why?”
“Show him what you showed me and then ask him about morphic resonance.”
Mia turned her head and threw him a funny look. “Morphic what?”
“It’s a crazy idea Grant’s been on about for years and it may have some bearing on what you’ve discovered. Just don’t tell him I told you so or I’ll never hear the end of it.”
Mia let out a burst of laughter. “I’ll do my best.”
Jack turned to leave and then stopped and came closer. “I’m telling you this since you’re one of the few who’s actually travelled through that portal, but we were wrong about where it leads to.”
“What are you saying? It’s not a doorway to another planet?”
He shook his head. “There’s another alien ship buried inside the bedrock beneath the city and it’s at least twice as big as the first one we found in the Gulf.”
The news was clearly startling and the expression on Mia’s face made that clear.
“For now, keep it between us. Don’t forget, if Alan controls Sentinel, then he was the one who ordered the first ship destroyed.”
“And us along with it,” Mia added, crossing her arms.
“I won’t waste my breath telling you I don’t trust the guy. Although I’m absolutely positive he’s up to no good.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Mia said. “But what can we do about it?”
Jack’s voice dropped to a whisper. “If I thought putting a bullet between his eyes would do the trick, it would already be done. Sentinel may be a snake, but it has many heads. Chop one off and another is sure to take its place.”
“He’s been trying to secretly control my research,” Mia told him, the frustration ready to boil over.
“Why else do you think he put you up to this? Bringing you here has only been to serve his purpose, whatever that is. I saw him dressing down Dr. Jansson in the corridor earlier. Whatever it is he wants, you need to make sure he doesn’t get it.”
A call came in for Jack over the walkie-talkie. It was Admiral Stark. “Go ahead,” Jack said.
“Head down to base camp and gear up, Jack. The team’s getting ready to go back in. And I don’t need to tell you, but this time, it’s do or die.”
Chapter 32
29 hours, 43 minutes, 26 seconds
By the time Jack arrived, base camp was a flurry of activity. Several of Yuri’s men were unpacking gear from large wooden crates. Watching this, Jack stood rooted in place, still wondering about the black metal objects being removed when something brushed past him. Jack glanced over and saw two robotic pack mules, loaded to the brim with supplies. One of them was carrying extra carbon dioxide filters for their rebreather units, ammunition and first-aid kits. The other was loaded with the folded bulk of the inflatable raft. Stark had said himself this was do or die, which was really another way of saying, Don’t bother coming back unless you find something that might make the sacrifice we’ve all made worth it.
Grant appeared next to him, dressed in a biosuit.
“I didn’t know you were joining us.”
The British biologist’s lips curled into a sly grin. “Frankly, I wasn’t sure myself until I saw we were dealing with silicon-based lifeforms.” He motioned to a collection of sample bags clenched in his right fist. “If we’re lucky I may even be able to do some field research.”
Next to show up was Gabby and Dag.
“Eugene was too chicken to go through the portal himself and take X-ray readings,” Gabby told them. “Besides, I needed a break from his B.O.”
Jack laughed. He knew perfectly well why they were here and it had nothing to do with readings, samples and bad hygiene. They were scientists and the prospect of exploring an alien ecosystem, especially one enclosed on a spaceship, was far too gr
eat an opportunity to pass up.
“It’s dangerous in there,” Jack reminded them, not holding his breath his warning would do much good.
As if in response, Anna and Ivan arrived, trailed by Yuri and a handful of his robotics engineers.
“Ivan, my good man, you look as good as new,” Grant said, clapping the sample bags between his hands with a dull thudding sound.
“Thank you,” Ivan replied. “Much of the credit goes to Anna.”
The four humans looked at each other in amazement.
Anna smiled. “I loaded a logic and learning algorithm into Ivan’s mainframe. It has greatly expanded his vocabulary and streamlined his reasoning skills. Do you like the changes I made?”
Ivan rotated his head until his red glowing eyes met hers. “Greatly.”
She reached over and closed a hand around one of his three metal pincers.
“Ivan’s still a man of few words, I see,” Gabby joked.
Dag snickered. “That’s how I like him. Anna, just make sure you don’t turn him into too much of a softie. We may still need Ivan’s killer instinct.”
“Killer instinct,” Yuri said, as he moved in beside Ivan. “In that regard you have nothing to worry about. Built into Ivan’s core programming is an override switch that will cancel any added software. It was designed to prevent hackers from commandeering control and putting him up to no good. In this case, it can be used to put him back in line.” Yuri dragged a finger across his tablet and at once, Ivan shoved Anna’s hand away.
“Please keep your distance,” Ivan said, his hollow voice suddenly cold, his eyes ablaze. “This is your first warning. There will not be a second.” He racked the action on his weapons, loading a round into each chamber with a menacing clang.
“All right, Yuri, you’ve made your point,” Jack said, raising a hand. “Now take him off DEFCON 1 before someone gets hurt.”
Yuri hesitated slightly before he lifted his tablet and swiped again. At once, Ivan returned to his new normal self. He even reached out and took Anna’s hand again, although she wasn’t sure what to make of his schizophrenic behavior.
“Your boyfriend’s got split personalities,” Dag said, his eyes still wide with fear.
Just then, Sergeant Stokes, Corporal Kerr and the rest of the Delta team showed up.
Admiral Stark moved off from overseeing the equipment and joined them. “All right, let’s get started. We know the indigenous wildlife on the other side is far from friendly. Our initial assessment suggested the best course of action was to simply send in a larger force. But more bodies means more supplies. That was when Yuri and his team at Volkov Industries offered a better idea.”
“A tank?” Dag asked.
“No, an Argos powered exoskeleton,” Stark replied, motioning to the sleek ink-black metal framework behind him. “You wear it over your biosuit and it’ll help you scale rough terrain, carry more weight and might even save your life in a hand-to-hand fight.”
“How much does it weigh?” Jack wondered, moving over to touch it. The design was impressive with computer-controlled hydraulics at every joint.
“The Argos weighs a hundred and fifty pounds,” Yuri informed them, “and will allow you to run carrying up to six hundred pounds.”
“Very impressive,” Grant conceded.
“So long as you don’t fall in the water,” Jack said, glancing around the assembly area.
“No doubt, there are dangers,” Stark admitted, not bothering to play down the risks. “Jack is referring to the body of water that cuts clear across the biosphere. From what we can tell, it appears to be liquid water, although we still aren’t certain of its depth. We’ve added an inflatable rigid-bottomed dinghy. These will be more than enough to ferry you and your robotic companions across.”
For a moment, Jack contemplated sharing the discovery they had made about the portal leading to a ship beneath their feet, but then decided against it. The others had been sworn to secrecy for fear Alan might put the information toward nefarious ends, whatever those might be.
Gabby looked like she was taking it all in. “What about getting past all the wildlife you mentioned?”
“To help with that, we’ve outfitted the Delta team’s M4s with grenade launchers as well as tracking bullets.”
“Tracking bullets?” Jack said. “Never heard of them.”
Stokes stepped forward. “If I may, Admiral.”
Stark nodded.
“Like a missile, these special rounds allow us to shine a laser at a target, fire and forget. They cost a fortune, but given the extra accuracy, you tend to use a hell of a lot less of them.”
“Any other deadly gadgets we should know about?” Jack wondered. It was starting to look like they were prepping for World War Three. The scientist part of him couldn’t help being appalled they were about to head over there with so much killing power. But just as quickly, another side of Jack spoke up, the side determined to do whatever it took to save the planet. Did destroying a species rather than studying it run contrary to everything he believed in? Of course it did. So too did allowing seven billion to die.
Stark smiled, aware on some level of the inner debate Jack was wrestling with. “I think you’ll be happy with this then. The TSX 220 net gun, a non-lethal option to take out any large predator heading your way. The video from your last outing shows the spider-like creatures you call ‘Stalkers’ that attacked you had six legs. Where the 220 is concerned, the more legs, the more opportunity to tangle themselves in knots.”
“Spiders?” Gabby said, suddenly not looking so sure.
Dag put an arm around her. “Don’t worry, they were far too big to be spiders.”
That gave everyone a good laugh, which they needed right about now.
Jack went over to Kerr, who was busy stepping into one of the exoskeletons. “I was convinced you wouldn’t be joining us, especially with a busted-up ankle.”
Kerr glanced at him with a look of concern. “It healed up, what can I say?”
Jack nodded. “See that strapping biologist over there? Three days ago he got shot up real bad. It should probably have killed him, but within twenty-four hours he was back on his feet like nothing ever happened.”
“You think I have Salzburg disease?”
“It’s an extra chromosome, not a disease, and I’m not sure. Have you been tested?”
“No, and even if I had it, I wouldn’t want to know.”
Jack helped him with the arm straps. “Maybe you should. Some of the genes do unbelievable things. By the same token, if the wrong ones suddenly get activated, you’ll become a serious liability.”
“And what about your friend?” Kerr asked defiantly. “What makes you think he won’t turn into a liability?”
“Nothing, but he also understands if push comes to shove, we’ll leave him behind.”
Kerr let out a shallow, shaky breath. “Look, it’s true, I did go through a bad patch where I was laid out on my back for a few days. Couldn’t stand up or talk. Then it went away and I’ve been fine ever since. In fact, I’ve been better than fine. I’m stronger and my thoughts have a clarity I’ve never known. I haven’t said anything to Stokes or the others because I don’t want any one of them worrying, the way you’re worrying. This Salzburg stuff is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. If we meet one of those aliens, I’ll be the first one to kiss him on his big fat alien lips and say thank you.”
Jack clapped him on the shoulder and helped with the rest of his exoskeleton. If there was anything Jack had learned in this life, it was that every good thing came with a price. Jack couldn’t help but wonder if humanity’s debt was about to come due.
Chapter 33
25 hours, 33 minutes, 51 seconds
After getting geared up, the team crossed through the portal and into the ship’s alien biosphere. A heavy mist hung in the air, reducing visibility to less than ten feet. Stokes and the other Delta operators fanned out, their weapons at the ready. Following close behind
were Jack and the rest of the science team. Next were the two pack animals, clomping along with surprising grace. Bringing up the rear were Yuri and Ivan.
They were no small group, an unsettling fact Jack was distinctly aware of. He had attuned his external audio receptors to detect the sound of rustling leaves as well as the rumble of an approaching behemoth. Twenty feet above their heads, one of Anna’s new drones circled as they moved forward. The course had already been plotted from images taken from the last mission. Anna fed the data into a second drone, which flew ahead to keep an eye out for hostiles in their path.
Gabby’s head was on a swivel.
“Oh, Jack, it’s beautiful,” she said. “Reminds me of the Appalachian Trail in fall.”
Jack caught sight of a half-dozen red wisps darting around one another.
“I was thinking more Dr. Seuss,” he replied, grinning. “Just don’t let your guard down. Nice as it looks, it’s got a nasty bite.”
“Maybe,” she said, mesmerized. “It’s just hard to believe this is an Atean ship.”
Her comment took him aback for several reasons. He had specifically asked everyone in the room to keep that particular piece of information under wraps.
She looked at him. “I mean they don’t look alike at all. I’m rambling.”
He motioned for her to go to another channel.
Jack frowned. “I thought we agreed to keep that to ourselves,” he said.
“Keep what?”
He could tell Gabby was playing dumb, which she sometimes did when caught doing something she shouldn’t. She rarely messed up, so when she did, it seemed hearing about it was so much harder to endure. “We can’t let Alan know that portal leads to a ship beneath base camp. There’s no telling what he’ll do with that information.”
She was shaking her head. “I never told him, I swear.”
“But by broadcasting over the main frequency that’s pretty much what you did. I don’t trust Yuri one bit.”
Gabby started to glance back and then stopped. “You think he’s the Russian spy General Dunham told us to watch out for?”
Extinction Series (The Complete Collection) Page 67