With his mouth half open, Adamarus numbly walked forward. On passing through the door he glanced at the button. It was green.
---
Shelly White was the star of the show. A fact she reminded everyone of daily. She had busted balls – literally – to become the anchorwoman on the GSN evening news and she didn’t take shit from anyone now. She entered her dressing room, gazing at her name on the door and the star under it. Yes, she thought. She had held the job for almost three years now but never tired of admiring her name on the door of the largest dressing room on the set. She didn’t “go on” for another two hours, but she wanted to get going early – it was taking her makeup gal, Dolly, longer and longer to get it right. She would have to talk to Dolly soon, but not today.
Dolly swept in. They exchanged pleasantries and Dolly got to work on Shelly White, star news anchorwoman on prime time for the largest news network on Amular.
As Dolly was putting on the fine line below Shelly’s eyes, Shelly’s private com unit rang loudly. This startled them both as this was Shelly’s private line and only used by her two lovers—who knew better than to call her in the afternoon—and by John Darter, the President of the studio. It was a loud harsh ring, but not as loud as Shelly’s scream as she watched the eye liner Dolly held jump up and across her forehead. She gave Dolly a withering look and got up to look at the com unit’s display screen. The number calling her was not one she knew—a wrong number then. She sat back down and rolled her eyes as Dolly started to remove the line across her forehead. After a minute the com stopped ringing.
---
Harrington cursed as the com unit continued to ring. She wasn’t answering. She hung up and looked around. She was at a pay com unit on the wall in front of a convenience store mostly hidden from view by a large delivery truck. If anyone who knew her saw her using a pay com unit it would look very strange. And, when the timing coincided with the “leak”...game over! What to do?
Her instructions from Radin indicated that this call and its timing had the highest priority. She had to get through. As she pondered her dilemma, the driver of the delivery truck came out of the store and got behind the wheel. Shit, Harrington thought. She would be completely exposed if he pulled out. Out of the corner of her eye she watched the driver, but instead of starting the truck, he picked up a clip board and began checking off items. What to do? What to do? She started dialing the number Radin had given her again and that’s when she had an idea.
---
Dolly had finally got the line off of Shelly’s forehead and had started on her eye again when the com unit rang a second time. Again, both women jumped. Dolly and her eyeliner struck again–this time on the cheek. Shelly just closed her eyes. She was so mad she was almost shaking. But she had to admit it was her fault for not unplugging the com unit. Wrong numbers always called back. But this time the com unit was silent after the first ring. Ring once then call again? That used to be a signal between her and her estranged husband, perhaps he might have this number. So when the com unit rang again she picked up.
“Donald? This better be good, you know you are not supposed to use this number. How the hell did you even get it?”
But the voice on the com unit was not Donald’s – it was female. “I am employed by the Solar System President and I am “leaking” information. This is an unauthorized leak of top secret information. Do you understand?”
Shelly’s eyes went wide. “Who is this and how did you get this number?”
“You know better than that, Shelly. I’m only going to say this once so listen carefully.”
Shelly quickly looked around for a recorder she used to make unauthorized recordings of conversations, but it was across the room hooked up to her regular com unit so she grabbed an envelope to write on but then couldn’t find a pen. She whirled around and snatched the eye liner from Dolly’s hand, then pointed to the recorder and motioned for Dolly to get it. “I’m listening, she said.
“The person the aliens brought to the ER was Captain Adamarus Maximus who is still alive. But there’s much more. They made changes to his DNA.” Shelly began frantically writing on the envelope while Dolly fumbled with the recorder trying to set it up. The voice continued, “These changes reverted Captain Maximus’ age from fifty-two to thirty, stopped his cells from aging and super charged his immune system. In other words, he will never die of old age or sickness, Shelly. He is immortal.”
Shelly stopped writing and rolled her eyes. “Oh come on honey! What BS! Call the tabloids! We only…”
The caller interrupted her, “This story can be confirmed by two other sources. Counting me, that’s three.”
That gave Shelly pause. “Go on,” she said doubtfully. The recorder was now hooked up.
“You can check the records if needed, but Maximus is fifty-two years old. Your second source is your ex Donald Little at CRN News. He got through security and into Adamarus’ hospital room and got a really good look at Adamarus. But with Adamarus looking so different, Donald didn’t recognize him. Call him, talk to him, but don’t give your news scoop away. Immortality, Shelly! This is huge!”
“Your third source is Beverly Reed at Hillcrest’s Molecular Biology Clinic – she analyzed a sample labeled CAMBS-3 – that stands for Captain Adamarus Maximus blood sample three. She doesn’t know who it's from, but she does know that the cells in that sample have stopped aging.” The caller paused to let that sink in then continued, “Why doesn’t Reed know who the sample was from? Because it was classified. Why? Immortality equals power, Shelly, so all of this is being kept secret. The aliens have the secret of immortality and they want to give it to all of us, but certain people in our government don’t want this to happen. This is on the level. Don’t blow it! If I don’t see this story everywhere in the next hour, then I’ll be calling 'you know who'." The caller hung up.
Shelly stared at the com unit for half a minute before hanging up. “You know who” obviously referred to her arch enemy, ex-husband and news anchor of that “other” news station and the first person she now needed to call, Donald Little. She pulled out an old tattered address book and flipped through it until she got to the ‘L’s. Then she picked up the com unit.
“CRN News, Little here.”
Shelly’s mind was racing now. She needed to get the information without giving away the story. I’ve got to do this just right, she thought. “Donald, this is Shelly.”
“Where’s my check?”
Shelly rolled her eyes, “In the mail, babe.” She was thinking fast, Okay, first buy their time, “Got a second?”
“Well sure. What’s up?”
Then butter them up. “Donald, how in the world did you sneak into Hillcrest Hospital around all that security and get into that room?”
“Well, I’d tell you but then I’d have to kill you. Professional secrets you know. And how did you find out about that?” Donald had kept that encounter under wraps. His headline story from that escapade had been a real stretch but he had gotten away with it. He smiled to himself… the injured man had said four words before Donald had been grabbed and thrown out, “I hear they’re loud.” Donald had stretched those two words into the first real story on the aliens and it had given them a name that had stuck! He didn’t want anyone digging around in that area.
“Well Donald, I’d tell you how I found out about it but then…I’d have to…”
“…kill you,” Donald said at the same time she did.
“Professional secrets you know.” She heard a grunt from the other end of the line. “Hey listen, I need to check on something. You know, you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”
Donald smelled a story but knew Shelly wasn’t going to give it to him if she could help it. She was too good. “Yeah, sure. And just what do you need scratched?”
Shelly’s eyes narrowed. She needed to play this just right. Some harmless misdirection was needed now, “Rumor has it that this guy’s head was half torn off and that he had green alien ba
ndages holding it together. You know the story CNT ran the first day. When you were in his room, did you see anything like that?”
“Well yeah, that’s no secret. Old news. He had this green gel like stuff on the left side of his head – just like CNT reported it. So what’s up here?”
Damn, Shelly thought, she might have to risk giving too much away. But not yet. First she’d try directly asking him but with a smoke screen attached. “Yeah, but along with that, talk has it that this guy was not in his thirties as reported, but over fifty. Personally I think it’s pure crap but I thought I’d ask you as you seem to be the only reporter who ever saw him.” She crossed her fingers and closed her eyes… I’m wishing…come on sweetie, tell me something I don’t know!
Donald thought back to that night. Damn, what game was Shelly playing? Oh what the hell, he thought. “No, Shelly. I’d say that was definitely BS. I got a pretty good look. The guy was around thirty—as reported.”
Yes! Shelly silently shouted. She replied in a bored voice, “Yeah…I thought so, just more of the same old, same old. People talking shit, hoping to get a bone.”
“Yeah.” Donald sounded suspicious but it didn’t matter. He had no clue.
“Got to run. Nice chatting with you.”
“Ah huh.”
“Ta da!” She hung up but kept the receiver squeezed between her shoulder and ear as she grabbed her personal data assistant and turned it on. While it started up, she dialed Hillcrest Hospital and asked for Beverly Reed in the Molecular Biology Clinic and was transferred. Again she crossed her fingers and tightly closed her eyes. Wishing! Come on honey, be there!
“Hello?”
“Am I speaking to Beverly Reed?”
“This is her receptionist. Can I help you?”
“I hope so. This is Shelly White of the GSN Evening News and I was hoping I could chat with Dr. Reed for a few seconds—reference for a story I’m doing.”
“I just love your show, Ms. White…”
“Oh, please call me Shelly. And what’s your name?”
“Okay, Shelly. My name is Sarah Ricker. I watch you every night! Listen, let me see what Dr. Reed is doing right now.”
Shelly waited, fingers crossed, eyes tightly closed. Wishing!
“This is Dr. Reed.”
“Dr. Reed, this is Shelly White of GSN,” first buy their time, “Do you have a moment?”
“Sure. How can I help you?”
Based on what Shelly was hearing in this lady’s voice, the buttering up wasn’t going to work on this person, at least not yet. Try to grab her interest. “We’re doing a special on several rare medical cases. I can’t divulge more than that during production, but we are hoping to get some experts on film talking about these cases.”
“Really? I’m afraid I don’t have any rare medical cases here. I don’t have any patients. I work in the lab.”
Now she was going to have to roll the dice – all or nothing. “Actually, we sent you a sample a couple of weeks ago which you analyzed for us. It was…” she paused as if looking it up, “yes, it was labeled CAMBS-3.”
“Oh, yes. I remember that one. Never seen anything quite like it. Completely undetectable. So…that was from one of these rare cases?”
Okay! Shell thought. But what does that mean? Her mind raced. Make her think you already have the thing you want. “Yes…I have a report right here.” Seeing nothing else within reach, Shelly grabbed a paper bag from yesterday’s lunch and squeezed it several times – it made a crinkling noise that, over the com unit, might sound like she was flipping through papers. A couple of uneaten fries fell on the floor. “Very impressive work.” She squeezed it once more as if turning a page, “Indeed. How long have you been doing this?”
“Oh, gee, almost seventeen years.”
“Impressive. Now your report…” She squeezed the bag again. “…does it…conclusively show what it states…let’s see….” She shook the bag and threw it into the air. Another fry flew out and landed by the phone. She crossed her fingers, closed her eyes tight and prayed. Come on. Come on… “…oh, now where is that…” The bag landed on her desk making more noise. If this Reed lady didn’t pick up the conversation now…
“You must mean the telomeres’ deterioration rate?”
Shelly sighed with relief, “Why, yes, that’s it.”
“Well as you can see, it was too low to be detected. How old was the subject, Ms. White?”
Uh, oh…danger. Dodge and punt! “Oh, please call me Shelly. May I call you Beverly?”
“Of course, Shelly.”
“Now I’m just a reporter, not a scientist. What does this really mean?”
“Well, certainly the sample came from an infant or someone very young. Telomeres, the end caps of DNA which hold it together, duplicate almost perfectly just after birth, though normally you can detect some deterioration. It’s rare that we can’t detect it at all, but it happens sometimes with infants.”
Shelly’s heart pounded. Or fifty-two year old captains who’d been made immortal by space aliens, she thought. She needed a little more. “I can see that but, well, what would you see in an older person…say someone, oh…fifty-two years old, or…maybe thirty?” She grabbed the bag, gave it another squeeze for good measure.
“Well at the age of thirty you would see a deterioration rate of somewhere around twenty percent. Mileage will vary, but that’s about the age when the body turns the corner from developing to getting old. This deterioration is why we age. At fifty-two years old the rate might be around eighty to ninety percent. But for a newborn baby, the percentage is very low, sometimes, as in this case, it’s completely undetectable. Of course it is there, it’s just that…”
Shelly stopped listening and smiled. Got it! ,she thought, My God it’s really true! A chill went up her spine. And I’ve got the scoop! The sound of Beverly’s voice still talking on the com unit brought her back to the present. Shelly looked at the receiver with bored eyes…it was suddenly just a minor annoyance. With a slight cringe, she simply disconnected.
She then hit a speed dial number. “Vince? Hold the press, honey! I have a bombshell! I want a planet wide interrupt, all stations at,” she glanced at the clock on the wall, “5:00 PM – no, make that 4:40 sharp. What studio?” She listened as she grabbed her PDA and started typing up the story. “Okay. Can you be a dear and run by there and make sure that it’s going to be mine and ready on time? Then drop by and I’ll fill you in. This is huge, Vince. Huge! And, yes, solid confirmation from three independent sources.” She slammed the com unit down and continued typing.
Dolly had been leaning against the wall watching Shelly’s entire performance. With a look on her face somewhere between utter disbelief and total admiration, she started slowly clapping her hands together.
Shelly turned, “Dolly?” Then she smiled and did a mock bow. “Now get to work, girl! I’m going global in fifteen!”
---
They entered the darkened room slowly. The soundproof door closed behind them. Grace and Nero were seeing the room for the first time and so the strange addition did not stand out to them. Adamarus, however, immediately saw the large black oval cylinder next to the green window. He looked over at the counter. On it were two glass bottles. “Okay,” he looked at Grace, her eyes wide as she looked around the room, “Nero, honey, first over here by the sink.”
Nero glanced over at the counter and started moving towards it, but his eyes looked back at the glowing green window at the end of the room. Grace couldn’t take her eyes off the bottles on the sink. “Is this it?” she whispered.
Adamarus nodded. He opened both and handed them to Grace and Nero. Grace looked at it with awe.
Nero gave it a suspicious look then smelled it. “No way! This stuff is gross!” He stepped over to the sink and tipped the small bottle to pour it out.
“Noooo!” Adamarus shouted. His hand shot out and stopped Nero just in time. This startled Nero. He looked at his Dad, “No way will I drink this!
Smell it!”
Adamarus thought quickly, “Nero…Nero, I need you to do this for me – it’s very, very important, son.” Nero made a defiant face. Adamarus knew how stubborn Nero could be. Think! What to do?
Grace came to the rescue. She kneeled down by Nero, “Hey…would Swing Fist act like this. Come on Swing…Dun, Dun, Da, Da, Dun…”
Nero stood straighter, his face took on a serious expression and his head moved from side to side in a cocky gesture. He squinted his eyes and swirled the liquid around in the bottle as he said in a deep voice, “On the rocks, straight up, in a dirty glass!” He downed the contents in a single gulp, then slammed the bottle down on the sink saying, “Ahhhh…” as if it were the best thing he’d ever tasted. But when he turned around, his was face twisted, the color had drained from it and his hand shot to his mouth.
“Good boy!” Adamarus said. “Here,” he handed Nero some gum, “this will get rid of the taste. He looked at Grace. She was just staring at the bottle. Feeling his gaze she looked up, shrugged and downed it just as Nero had.
The three of them walked around the featureless black oval that had never been there before and approached the green window. Adamarus hoped that Bugs was hiding behind the suspended room as he had been on the day of their first meeting so that introducing the alien could be done in stages. But Bugs was right there waiting patiently. Adamarus could hear the sharp intake of breath from both Grace and Nero as they caught sight of the alien.
As soon as Bugs saw them it sucked in air and rose rapidly up towards the ceiling. Even having been told about this, it startled Grace and Nero and they took a step back. As Bugs pushed the air out and issued the ear shattering screech, Nero grabbed his mother’s leg tightly. The translator issued its words almost without delay, “Greetings, beloved wife and son of Adamarus. I am honored by your presence.”
Both mother and son relaxed a little upon hearing its words, but they just stood there staring at it not saying anything. Adamarus nudged Grace and whispered, “Say hello.”
Encounters 1: The Spiral Slayers Page 12