Eddy held his hand out over the imprint and felt warmth from within every time it glowed. He lowered his hand so that it hovered inches above the imprint.
“Are we sure that’s a good idea?” Norwood asked.
Eddy turned his head toward Norwood. “After all this, you want me to stop?”
“I’m just saying that we’re all in this together and that it would be nice if you consulted us before making any more potentially life-threatening choices.”
Eddy pulled his hand away and cocked his head to the side. “Life-threatening? We don’t even know what this is going to do.”
“Exactly my point,” Norwood said. “We don’t know if this thing will trigger a self destruct device…or—”
“Or it could just be an alien trash compactor,” Eddy said. “You’re right, we don’t know, but there’s only one way to find out.”
“We’ve just begun to search this room.”
“We don’t have time to search.”
“I thought you’d given up making rash decisions, Eddy.”
“Would you like to be in charge?”
“Technically, I have been since the mammoth was raised from the ice.”
“This isn’t a mission to raise a mammoth! We’re trying to stay alive!”
“If I recall correctly, that’s what we were trying to do in Venezuela: stay alive. We all remember how that turned out.”
Eddy stared into Norwood’s eyes as though to burrow a path straight through his skull. “You might be interested to know, Dr. Norwood, that the man who killed our team members in Venezuela was a Ferox.”
Norwood’s forehead wrinkled. “Now you’re just being preposterous.”
“The man who killed our friends is now trying to finish the job.” Eddy looked into everyone’s eyes. They were listening. “I fought with Marutas before I reached the obelisk. He remembered me, knew my name. He changed his face and I’ll never forget what he showed me. The man who killed our friends and spared my life was Marutas…a Ferox.”
The others were stunned. Norwood was unfazed. “Eddy, don’t you think that’s just a little too—”
“Brian,” Eddy interrupted, his voice booming like a king’s, “go to hell.”
Eddy jammed his palm into the human hand imprint. A circle of light burst from the center of the console then faded. Eddy took his hand away and for a moment, nothing happened.
“You’re lucky that didn’t—”
“Welcome, friends,” came a voice that was familiar but chilling to the bone.
Everyone turned toward the voice and took a step back. Eddy’s vision was held by a shimmering object that floated in space. He’d seen it once before and knew exactly what it was: Artuke.
The holographic image of Artuke, still just a cloaked figure, continued, “I see your ranks have diminished since last we spoke. I am truly sorry for your loss, but the time to act is at hand.”
“Artuke,” Eddy said, stepping forward. “We are in your debt for providing this fortress for our protection and for calling the aid of the Aeros…”
Artuke’s hooded head nodded.
“But we have some questions.”
“Questions?” Artuke’s voice was tinged with impatience.
“Yes. We’ve seen some things… A stadium, the large doors, a barracks…that suggest you have not told us everything there is to know about this structure and its purpose.”
“You speak the truth, human.”
Eddy didn’t like the way Artuke used the word, human, as though it were somehow a demeaning insult. But perhaps it was simply a way of communicating to whom he was speaking. Eddy knew that sometimes body language or certain words that were used in early contact with certain tribes in the Amazon had resulted in unwelcome differences, and some people were killed as a result. Eddy was determined to be better than that.
“This citadel was built for many purposes. When it was left on your world, it was unknown if the Ferox would plague your civilization or not. Many scenarios are anticipated. At the height of Ferox occupation, a war would have been waged on your soil and the citadel would have served as our fortress while the Ferox were routed from your world. As for the size and scope of this citadel, the projected figure you see before you is merely a transmission of an image used to convey information. The Aeros are, in fact, much larger than human beings.”
Eddy was still uncomfortable, but the explanation made sense. “So the citadel won’t be used by you now? There are four Ferox left on Earth. Destroying them should be an easy task for creatures of your advanced technology and stature.” Eddy was making a play at the alien intelligence’s ego, hoping it would garner him more information.
“This is true. Upon our arrival, the Ferox’s physical threat would be neutralized…but you must understand; they have infected your society. The Aeros will remain on Earth until your species has been…cleansed.”
“Cleansed?” Eddy said.
Before Artuke could speak another word, an alarm sounded, wailing through the structure.
“What’s that?” Steve insisted.
“The outer perimeter has been breached. Internal sensors are detecting three…four Ferox entities.”
“How did they get in?” Eve asked.
“The Ferox are infinitely crafty. They can find the chink in even the strongest armor. But we must not discuss this any longer. With you so close to reaching your goal, the Ferox will waste no time seeking you out and dispatching you.”
A single drawer slid out of the console. Inserted in two depressions were two sets of rods that were attached in the middle. “Quickly, humans, remove the maps.”
Eddy took one set of rods. Steve took the other. “These are maps?” Steve said.
“Pull the two rods apart,” Artuke instructed.
Eddy pulled at the two rods and a thin mesh of clear material stretched out between the two rods. On the clear sheet was a very detailed internal map of the citadel. It was labeled in English.
“I have programmed the maps in your language so that they will be easily understood. We have stocked an armory with weapons suitable for human use. Follow the maps to the armory and prepare yourselves. Then you must activate the transmitter manually.”
“Why can’t we go straight to the transmitter?” Steve asked.
“You will be dead in three minutes,” Artuke said with confidence. “The Ferox have undoubtedly picked up your scent. They have been heading for this location since entering the citadel.”
“Now he tells us!” Steve said as he hustled toward the door, holding the map out in front of him.
Kevin, Norwood and Eve followed Steve to the door. Eddy took two steps toward the door and turned around to the image of Artuke. “If anything you have told us turns out to be a lie, I’ll make sure this citadel is wiped off the face of the Earth.”
“Understood, human. Do not fear. You are on the side of right, as are we.”
Eddy headed out the door and turned left, following after the others. The image of Artuke faded away and the room was consumed by darkness.
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼
Standing tall on the roof of a short supply building, which was all but buried in snow, Sam gazed out at the white plains of snow, wondering what danger might lurk beneath and above the ice. The blue sky, which only an hour ago was thick with dark clouds spewing hordes of white flakes like an invading army, was now vacant. He hoped it was a sign of things to come.
After years of Arctic living, Sam had grown accustomed to the stinging air as it froze the skin, but the chill he now felt wasn’t brought on by a drop in temperature; it was fear. Enough time had passed that mere technical malfunction could be ruled out. Eddy and his team hadn’t checked in, and that usually meant people were dead. Mary had prepped the chopper and the weather was beginning to clear. They’d be flying north in just a few minutes, most likely to uncover the frozen remains of their friends.
This wouldn’t be the first expedition lost to the Arctic, nor would it be the f
irst Sam and Mary had the ominous duty of extricating from the ice. But this felt different to Sam. If it could happen to Eddy and his team, with all their experience and all their fancy equipment, then it could happen to anyone—even himself.
He had long felt that he and Mary were invulnerable to the bitter cold; that the land held a mutual respect with them…and he had seen that in Eddy, too. But now…
Sam’s face contorted as a new thought slammed into his mind. It hadn’t occurred to him before. Maybe the lack of communication had little to do with the Arctic or the weather. Sam realized that the scope of their excavation was expansive and the amount of money spent was extravagant within the field of science. They must have been expecting massive returns on the investment. Sam knew that Brian Norwood was a shrewd character and that spending money wasn’t just fun, it was a means to a profit. Whatever they were after out there, in the ice, must be worth a fortune.
And where there was money to be had, thieves were never far behind; it was one of the reasons he and Mary hated going to the city. Sam held a cigar to his dry lips and sucked the smoke into his mouth, tasting the sweet burning flavors. Crime had finally reached the Arctic, but he knew it wouldn’t linger, not under his watch. Sam flung a rifle over his shoulder and walked down the snow-covered roof.
The chopper sliced through the air above his head and came to a stop on what should have been a cleared helipad, but was merely a snow covered square. Sam held his hand in front of his eyes, protecting his face from the loose snow being whipped up by the chopper blades. The thrown snow felt like bullets against his cold skin and he remembered what it was like dropping into the jungles of Vietnam. He only hoped he wouldn’t find as many bodies on the other end of this trip.
Sam climbed into the chopper and gave Mary a quick peck on the cheek and a thumbs-up. Mary smiled and pulled the chopper up into the air. As the chopper turned north and rose into the sky, Sam held the rifle firm in his hands and prayed he wouldn’t have to use it.
☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼
The matte surface of the map displayed a crystal clear image of the citadel’s layout, drawn out in glowing green lines like an architect’s blueprint. It took them through three hallways that were all very short and slimly decorated, but the grand hall they had just entered was something different.
On one side was a series of tall doors; on the other side was a series of windows that looked out over the conglomeration of red buildings, the brilliant outer wall and the stark whiteness of the Artic ice.
Eddy took in the walls and ceilings. From the floor to about five feet up was the standard wavy pattern that seemed to be a prevalent Aeros design, like shutters on human houses. Between the windows were the same rib-like columns that led to the ceiling. But it was the coloration of the walls and columns that caught the eye most. They were textured, almost like marble, with varying shades of red, mixed with streaks of white, like a perfectly marbleized cut of steak. They were descending deeper into the beast, and Eddy wondered if they would live long enough to find their way out again.
Remembering the map, Eddy looked down and saw that it indicated an armory at the end of the massive hallway, which was cast in dramatic shadow. Where the light came through the windows, a perfect luminous window-shape cut through the darkness on the floor and opposite wall, but where there was no window, the hall was pitch black, as though the reflected light was being absorbed by the red surfaces. Eddy could see the end of the hallway now and saw a human-sized pair of doors, next to which was an inverted human face lock and key system. Eddy’s pace quickened.
“You’d think they would have put this stuff closer together,” Steve said as he shuffled along, doing his best to keep up with the others. Even Norwood, who was limping, seemed to have more speed than Steve, who’d been complaining of a brutal headache.
“The armory is just ahead,” Eddy said.
“Good, cause I’m going to—”
A low growl echoed from the rear of the hallway and rippled past them, bouncing off the walls and growing in volume. The group turned around toward the noise and looked back, searching the light and dark portions of the lengthy hallway. Three hundred feet back, a figure emerged from the darkness, running into the light. Eddy recognized Hoder, still in his human form.
Hoder entered another portion of darkness and disappeared from view. Out of the darkness came another roar, this one filled with bloodlust and anger. Eddy began to back away toward the armory and everyone followed. As Hoder spilled out into the light again, he was transformed into his true bestial self. He ran on all fours. His hair swung wildly down his back and from the tip of his thrashing tail. His jaw was set open, revealing his dagger-like teeth, and his six eyes were honed on them like heat-seeking missiles.
Steve shouted and made for the armory doors like an Olympic sprinter. He reached the lock first and thrust his face in. The doors whooshed open and Kevin ran in, followed by Eve, Norwood and Eddy. Steve ran to the door and was pulled in by Eddy. They fell back to the floor and looked up. Hoder had launched himself into the air and was about to cross the threshold into the room, where Eddy was sure he would tear them all limb from limb. The doors slammed shut just before Hoder reached it. The impact of Hoder hitting the outer doors was deafening, but the doors held tight. The door was struck again, but with less force. Hoder wouldn’t be getting through. A third impact never came.
Eddy sighed and sat up with Steve lying in his lap. He looked down at Steve. “I thought you had a headache.”
“My head hurts, but I like it attached,” Steve said with a smile, as he looked around the room. His eyes went wide. “Wow…”
Eddy looked around the room, which was rectangular and filled with rack after rack of weaponry. Toward the front of the room were weapons suitable to early man: spears, swords shields and axes; looking deeper into the room, Eddy saw what he thought must be projectile weapons. The Aeros, ever the planners, had an armory full of weapons that spanned the entire evolution of mankind. Had the cavewoman, Haphnee, made it this far, she would have found weapons that made sense to her. He wasn’t the only one who noticed.
“The range of weaponry spans the entire history of humankind,” Norwood said. “How could they possibly know that we would develop gun powder and projectile weapons based on a hand held, index finger trigger? We could have just as easily developed shoulder mounted laser cannons that are triggered by winking.”
“I don’t think so,” Eddy said.
Norwood looked at Eddy, waiting for his opinion.
Kevin spoke for him. “If everything we’ve learned is true, then what we know of modern warfare, from swords to ICBMs, are really the creations of the Ferox. The Aeros must have known how our weapons would develop because they’ve seen it all before. So they created an armory filled with weapons that would make sense to any stage of human development. They said that we’re in the final stages of Ferox infection, on the road to self destruction… I imagine that there won’t be much in here we don’t recognize.”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Eddy said, as he picked up a sheathed sword with an ornate handle. He drew it and held it in front of his eye. The metal reflected the yellow light that streamed from the floor at the edges of the room. The blade was slightly curved and razor sharp, like an ancient Japanese Katana blade. The metal was etched from base to tip with the familiar wavy line decoration.
“It’s light,” Eddy said, “And probably stronger than anything we know how to forge.” He smiled. “Find whatever you’re comfortable using and arm yourself. We need to get moving before the other Ferox arrive.”
The group spread out around the room, picking up weapons, carefully selecting what they thought would provide them with the most protection. Eddy slung the sword over his back and found some light armor that reminded him of the ancient samurai, though he was sure that this armor could stop bullets if need be. He found two projectile weapons and attached one to each hip. He wasn’t sure what they did and he was afraid to t
ry them out in such an enclosed space, but he was confident they were designed to kill Ferox—and with the typical handgun design, he was hopeful that he could figure out how to fire them.
Eddy turned to the others, who had armed themselves similarly. “Everyone ready?”
Steve laughed as he looked at the group, dressed in various styles of armor and wielding strange and unusual weapons. “We look like the frickin’ Lost Boys from Peter Pan.”
Wham! The door shook with an impact from the outside.
“And there’s Captain Hook,” Kevin said. “Just in time.”
The door was hit again, this time with a startling force. The doors were hit again and the seam in the middle was separated slightly. Eddy stepped back as a single claw wriggled its way in between the doors and pushed, opening a cavity large enough for the rest of Hoder’s hand. The door protested as the gray clawed hand pushed, but it was now evident that the beast would soon be through the door, and the team was trapped inside.
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DEVELOPMENTS
Eddy stretched the map out between his hands and scanned it with his eyes.
“What are we gonna do?” Steve asked.
Kevin leaned over Eddy’s shoulder. “He’s almost in, Eddy. I don’t think we have time to plan an escape route.”
“This doesn’t make sense,” Eddy said, as he looked at the armory layout. “This shows a back door to the armory, but—” Eddy looked at the back wall, where the schematic showed a door that led to a long narrow tunnel. “I don’t see anything there.”
The door creaked as the metal began to give way. Hoder pulled his claws out of the newly formed hole, peered in with two red eyes and roared so loud that Eddy had to stifle the urge to cover his ears.
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