Hugh grabbed her by the upper arms. "Then promise me now."
Mary looked into Hugh's eyes. He was as serious as she had ever seen him. The look on his face was beyond mere concern for her safety; his eyes told her what she suspected.
"Okay," she said softly, "I promise. Unless I think you're about to be killed. Then all bets are off."
Hugh dropped his arms and stood there with a blank look on his face for a moment then said, "So you've no room in your life for me, but you're willing to sacrifice that life to try and save me."
"Dammit, Hugh, why do you have to confuse things all the time?"
"You're the one with two doctorates. I'm surprised you can't figure this out."
"Hugh, if you're killed, what chance do you think the rest of us have?"
"So you'd come to my rescue purely out of concern for the group?"
"No. I mean yes. I mean—"
"What do you mean Mary?"
"Listen Hugh, if we live through this I'll want to return to—"
"I understand. We can be friends as long as it looks like we're going to die down here. But, in the event we live, you don't want to be shackled with a dog-faced soldier. Yeah, I get it." He turned to leave.
She reached out and pulled him back. "Hugh, it's so much more complicated than that."
Hugh grabbed her and enfolded her in his arms, close to his chest, holding her tightly. "No, it's not. It's just this simple." And he kissed her.
At first she was shocked, and pushed against him. Then, Hugh felt her relax in his arms. He let her go and looked deep into her eyes. "I love you Mary. I want you to know that. I don't want that to go unspoken. Just in case."
She stared at him, expressionless for a moment. Then her eyes narrowed. "Damn you!" she whispered hoarsely. "You wait until you're about to face a man with a gun, armed only with a toothpick, to tell me this. You've already demonstrated you enjoy jumping in front of everything that can kill you and now you hit me with this? You have got to be kidding!"
Hugh turned away. Mary ran around in front of him. "What do you expect from me? You want me to invest in a man with a death wish?"
"Perhaps it's escaped your attention, Doctor, but that man with the gun is trying to kill everyone, including you." Hugh looked over his shoulder and noticed everyone watching so he leaned in and spoke low. "Someone must stop him. Look around. Who, other than I?
"And I don't want anything from you, Mary. Not an investment, not even a thank you. Like I said, I just didn't want that to go unspoken."
At that instant, Pixie informed Hugh that his time was up. The enemy was close at hand.
Hugh glanced at the others. "Come on." He grabbed Mary's hand and guided everyone to the redoubt. "Now, dammit, you stay here." He turned and trotted away.
****
Hugh realized that he had but two weapons available to him, his makeshift spear, and his bare hands. He would have to be in close proximity to his opponent, very close. Dr. Whitmore had a pistol, accurate to about fifty meters. Hugh figured that Dr. Whitmore most likely had only recent experience with firearms, and knew from his extensive training that the shooter's ability was a big part of any weapon's accuracy. Whitmore wouldn't have to be an expert to hit a target within arm's length. Hugh would have to get the drop on him. He had the advantage here in that Pixie was relaying him information on Dr. Whitmore's whereabouts and movements and Hugh was faster and stronger. Right now, that was of little use to him. Dr. Whitmore was entering the area through some sort of huge ductwork on the opposite side of the grotto. Hugh would not be able to move close enough to Whitmore's point of entry in time, so he'd have to figure out an ambush site.
The Nine had provided him a mental plan of the chamber, which he studied, trying to figure out where Dr. Whitmore was headed. Whitmore would have no idea that they were here, so the element of surprise was on Hugh's side, as well.
****
The boots of the Ess-CEPS suit are strong and heavy, which made kicking the large grate loose a relatively easy task. He stepped into the chamber, and looked about to determine whether he was closing in on Hugh and the others.
If he could kill Hugh, he had reasoned, the others would be easy, but the trained soldier was going to be a problem.
He kept moving, counting his paces and measuring from a baseline he had arbitrarily placed on a hand-drawn map. He was 'guesstimating' his position. The map was crude but not entirely inaccurate. He had drawn the alien facility as he saw it from outside, generally to scale, depicting all the various structures that made up the base. He estimated its width, depth, and height. He knew the structure through which he had entered and where he'd gone from there. He knew where Hugh had entered the base, and knowing the scientists Hugh was traveling with, he was certain they would be moving slowly, observing every aspect of the place and taking notes. He figured he had a good chance of finding them and surprising them. He'd kill Hugh with the first shot. Larry would have to go next; he was young, in good condition, and seemed to always keep his wits about him. Killing Balaji would be no problem. He was neither the physical nor the violent type. The two women would be easy. That left him an additional round, in case one of them needed to be shot twice.
He had no idea what this massive room was, nor the purpose of its monumental machinery. He turned his attention to his map again. He was a considerable distance from where he suspected he'd find his quarry. He knew he needed to go in that direction. Looking up from the map, he first saw the tunnel, right where he needed it to be. Then he saw the redoubt. Instantly, he knew he was not alone. He pocketed his map and brought his weapon up.
****
From where Balaji and Larry were hiding, they could see the Ess-CEPS-clad Dr. Whitmore pocket a piece of paper, bring up his gun, and scan the area about him. He was standing in the middle of an open, empty floor with dozens of meters separating him from any covered protection; he turned and ran. The Ess-CEPS suit slowed him considerably. Were Hugh in pursuit, he'd have easily caught him. But Hugh sat very still. Dr. Whitmore was now running in his direction. He would have to be very close to Hugh to get within range of Hugh's spear. Moreover, Hugh's first attack would have to either kill or disable him completely; otherwise, Whitmore would shoot him.
The doctor altered his course and ran into the open doorway of one of the many small buildings. Here, he crouched and waited.
Balaji and Larry were hiding behind a boulder near the wall some twenty meters from Hugh. Hugh was hiding behind the base of one of the giant cylinders twenty meters from Dr. Whitmore. The women were farther away, behind the stones of the redoubt. Hugh could not expose himself to charge Dr. Whitmore, nor to aim and toss his spear. What he needed was a distraction, a split second when the doctor's attention would be focused elsewhere. Balaji met Hugh's eyes and gave a nod of understanding.
He tapped Larry on the shoulder and pointed toward Hugh. The instant Larry turned his head Balaji leapt up and started to bound toward Mary and Martha. He was descending from his second jump when he heard a bumble bee zip past his head. Almost instantly, the grotto seemed to explode with the reverberated report of the gun shot.
Hugh sprang to his feet and launched his missile at Dr. Whitmore as he was squeezing the trigger. It was an incredible throw of Olympic gold medal quality. But the spear slammed into the door frame to the doctor's left. It bounced off and hit the doctor's RBF backpack.
The pistol was loaded with 'Zero O2 E' ammunition. Each round contained a tiny rocket engine. The round unleashed at Balaji missed its intended mark but went on to satisfy its mission of death. It ricocheted off the wall near Balaji's head and angled upward, toward one of the trunnion assemblies of the massive Liquesce hydro jet spraying the rock dissolving acid into the pit. There, it struck and disabled the mechanism that held the tool steady. A shower of sparks as monstrous in size as the room itself sprayed out in a wild and dazzling explosion. Then, as if in slow motion, the nozzle lost its balance and began to tilt along both axes. The foam struck th
e wall of the chamber and started to splatter and spread out as tens of thousands of gallons per minute began to flood the room.
The walls and floors dissolved instantly on contact, and now, a tidal wave of the foam rolled directly for Mary and Martha.
Balaji had landed about seventy meters from them on his stomach after the bullet missed his head. He looked up to see Mary holding Martha's hand, bounding toward him as fast as they could. The Liquesce agent had already slammed against the redoubt and flooded into the tunnel. Balaji scrambled to his feet and raced to their assistance. Rising, he looked up just in time to see Martha fall. Mary stopped and turned the advancing acid only a few meters away.
Martha looked up and pleaded, "Run Mary!" Then the boiling white agent flowed over her, consuming her in an instant. Before Mary's eyes, the woman simply ceased to exist.
Grabbing Mary's arm, Balaji pulled her, and together they quickly ran from the nightmarish scene.
****
Several minutes later, Hugh brought everyone to the duct through which Dr. Whitmore had entered the chamber. The Liquesce hydro jet had shut down. The Nine explained that an emergency shut off had indeed initiated, but that it took several seconds for the pressure to bleed off. This was of little comfort.
They sat Mary down. She was very nearly in shock. She had never in her life seen another human being die. This first experience was particularly traumatic. Hugh knelt on a knee in front of her and took her hand.
"Hugh, I was just holding her hand. I couldn't hold on to her—"
"Mary, it's not your fault. No one could have helped. She just didn't have time."
"I should have gone back."
"Then we would have lost you both. I would have lost you. And Mary, her last thoughts were for your safety."
Mary broke into tears. Everyone gathered around her to comfort her. No one spoke. She leaned into Hugh, put her arms around his neck, and cried.
Chapter 24
After calming Mary, Hugh took Larry aside. "It's possible Dr. Whitmore was killed when the acid flooded that end of the chamber. We need to go take a look, see if we can verify that."
"Okay, Hugh, let's do it."
"Just a minute." Hugh left Larry and returned to where Mary sat with her head in her hands. Balaji was standing at her side.
"Larry and I are going to take a stroll around to...to determine the extent of the damage. We'll be back soon. Mary, I wish you and Balaji would rest, take a nap."
Mary looked up at him with her red, swollen eyes and nodded slightly. Before he turned to leave, Mary reached out and took Hugh's hand and just held it for a second.
As Hugh headed back to Larry, his mind luxuriated on the feel of her hand in his. He felt guilty for having a pleasurable experience while she was in so much pain.
Hugh and Larry returned to the place where they knew Martha had met her end. They took note of the discoloration at the spot.
"Well," Larry said, "now we know what to look for in our search for Stan."
Hugh was more than a little concerned when, after an extensive search, they found no trace of him at all.
"It's possible," Larry said, "that in his case, there really was nothing left. Or, his remains washed over the edge into the pit."
"That's true, but we're going to proceed as if he managed to escape."
They returned to the remnants of the structure in which the doctor had taken refuge. Hugh wished to retrieve his spear. Once there, Hugh bent down to pick up his improvised weapon and noticed a substance on the floor. "Larry, come here."
"What is it?"
Hugh held his hand out to show Larry the substance dripping from his fingers. "It's EverBreath."
****
Upon their return, Hugh found Mary asleep and Balaji watching over her.
Hugh knelt beside her and gently roused her. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared blankly at him for a heartbeat. Then she shot up into a sitting position. "Hugh?" she asked momentarily confused.
"It's okay, it's me," Hugh said laying a hand on her shoulder. He then looked up at Balaji. "Larry and I checked the area. There is a lot of damage, and the equipment is no longer working."
He did not mention their side trip to visit Martha's remains.
"We didn't find Stan-lee. So, we must assume that he is still alive, and his Ess-CEPS suit is damaged. Given his fears about this place, I think he might be trying to reach another suit. I have asked The Nine to close all exits and interior doors. This will make it difficult for the doctor to reach the other suits, but it won't prevent him if he is determined. He can always exit the same way he got in; closing the doors will only slow him down.
"We are going make tracks for the nearest exit; the doors will be opened for us. With luck, we can recover the suits before Stan-lee gets there."
"Given there are no breaches in the place closer than his original entrance," Balaji added.
"True, he could stumble on to a closer exit. Let's just hope luck is on our side in this."
"Why should we?" Mary asked. "It hasn't favored us yet."
Mary was in a dark mood. Her arms were folded tight across her chest, and her head was down. But for the most part, she remained quiet.
The Nine showed Hugh a path of egress. It was through the same duct that Stanley had used. Then, The Nine pointed out that it was highly unlikely that their assailant had made his escape via this same pathway. Thus, if he still lived, he must be inside the chamber. Hugh looked over his shoulder. Something told him that Dr. Whitmore was not in there, regardless. He told The Nine that, once they were out, to seal off the room. If he were in there, he would be trapped.
Larry took the lead as they traversed the duct, followed by Mary, then Balaji. Hugh brought up the rear, constantly looking over his shoulder.
"Hugh," Balaji said, "with the oxygen generator inoperative, will this place run out of breathable air?"
Hugh took a moment to relay the question to The Nine. "No, the facility originally supported a population of many thousands. This is but one of three similar facilities. Though that was the primary oxygen generator for this section, there remain hundreds of moss-covered chambers like the one we passed through, all producing oxygen. There are only five...” Hugh paused and tossed Balaji a quick, wide eyed glance. He’d not included himself in this count! “Ah, I mean...six, oxygen-breathing life forms here, so there will be sufficient reserves for the remainder of our lives. I don't plan for us to be here that long, though."
They exited the duct into a large chamber which contained a sort of Archimedean screw to move the air. It had been recently disabled. "Stanley's work, no doubt," Balaji commented.
They moved in single file along the path of the screw and exited into a very wide corridor with an embedded track system in the floor.
"I'm told," Hugh informed everyone, "that this is one of the paths to other chambers and facilities. There was once a conveyance system here to move the population more quickly from one place to another. It is inoperative now."
"More is the pity," Balaji said.
"So, this was for a sort of an alien streetcar, eh?" Larry quipped.
"Well, I'll be damned." Hugh stopped.
"What!" Larry was still very jumpy.
Hugh turned to look at the other three. "I'm receiving images from Pixie. She's still in the oxygen chamber. It seems that the acid ate a hole in a wall that leads to a huge maintenance tunnel. It's lined with thousands of conduits and what appear to be plumbing pipes. Some are leaking what looks like water. Yes, I'm told it is water. These tunnels snake through this and every one of the facilities. Point is, there does exist a way by which Dr. Whitmore may have gotten out."
"Damn." Larry looked around. "So, again, he could pop up anywhere."
"Pixie is checking out the tunnel, looking for him."
"Hugh," Balaji said, "I recall when Dr. Whitmore was standing in the middle of the floor in the oxygen room, I noticed him examining a piece of paper. He may be charting his movements. He may
have an idea the direction he needs to travel."
Hugh passed this on to The Nine. Then he turned and said, "In that case, we had better move faster."
"Just what my feet wanted to hear," Balaji said as they started their lunar shuffle down the corridor.
It took them more than two hours, but they eventually arrived at the original hatch where they had entered the base. Again, the lights went out and then the door opened. Balaji, Larry, and Mary, held back as Hugh went outside. Ten minutes later, he stuck his head in and asked Larry to come with him.
Outside, Larry and Hugh carried Joe's body off and out of sight. Burying him was not an option. The floor of the area outside was solid stone.
With that done, they returned inside, and Hugh asked that the hatch again be closed.
"I've got some bad news. I don't know when he did it, just now or hours ago, but all the suits have been destroyed. It appears he used a rock or something to beat the helmets, RBF, and power packs to pieces. He stole most of the remaining food and water and destroyed what he couldn't carry.
"Why would he do that?" Larry asked.
"Perhaps he really has contracted the alien madness?" Balaji suggested.
"I wonder," Hugh said, only half-aloud.
"And what about Bob?" Larry asked.
"Indeed," Balaji said, "we have been so focused on our own survival we have fairly forgotten about Bob."
"I haven't forgotten," Hugh replied. "You are, all of you, my responsibility. And I believe Bob is still alive."
"What makes you think so?" Balaji asked.
"Power, Bal-ah-gee. Dr. Whitmore has always enjoyed having power over other people. Bob is certainly in his power, and with Bob as a hostage, he has power over us."
There was a moment of silence, and then Mary sat on the floor and said, "We're trapped now. He's destroyed the suits. We're all going to die here."
Hugh reached down, took her by the forearm again and gently brought her to her feet. His voice was stern. "Now, you knock that off. I told you I was not going to let you die down here, and I meant it."
Dark Moon Rising Page 18