If the human was dead or captive he was sure the other Earthling was behind it. Smalley was beginning to be a more formidable foe than he first thought possible. He’d have to take care of the meddling P.I. himself. In the meantime it couldn’t hurt to be prudent and spare the woman. He might use her as leverage.
“See to it she survives,” commanded Taki. The surgeon nodded. “How long until we can harvest serum?”
“As soon as the insemination process is absorbed into her uterus,” said the surgeon. Taki demanded precision and his face reflected his ire. The surgeon cleared his throat again. “Five to six minutes, sir.”
“Good,” said Taki. “How many doses can we produce from her?”
The surgeon pumped up arrogantly. “We’ll no longer need any other specimens.”
“How so?” asked Taki giving him his full attention. “I understood we could only create the serum from her eggs and she couldn’t have enough for all our needs.”
“That was true once,” said the surgeon. “She will become barren but I have perfected the cloning process and with her material we will be able to mass-produce all the serum necessary from now on. The hormone we extract from her will culture seamlessly with synthetic sources. Therefore, the hormone can be replicated into as many doses as we desire.”
“So we won’t need the humans to generate doses?”
“Precisely,” said the surgeon. “We will be independent within an hour.”
“We can create our legions! But we still don’t have the formula to reverse the process once we enhance our hosts into beasts?”
“That’s very true,” said the surgeon. “Only the human, Magnus, knows how to undo the metamorphosis. How will you deal with millions of enhanced Charrel?”
“Don’t worry about something that’s not your concern. I’ll handle procuring the formula. We just need to launch our troops and destroy the Tsunam government. When we control the planet, then we can address the reversal process.”
The surgeon didn’t look convinced and didn’t like the thought of millions of rampaging, mindless, uncontrolled beasts roaming the streets. Finally he gave a lackluster nod.
“You’re our leader and I follow you to our glorious fate. My job is to produce enough serum to create you an army and that is all I must do.”
“Exactly,” said Taki. “Doses can be administered autonomously via the eugenics bays so we’re on schedule?”
“Yes. Give me an hour and I’ll provide you with the army you need to conquer this planet.”
Taki smiled. “You’ll have your hour or we’ll all die trying.”
The surgeon began to move Reese into the operating room.
Chapter 34
“THOSE THINGS OUT THERE are determined,” said Cassie.
The creatures were pounding on the thick hatch without damaging the seals. But the thumping was getting on everyone’s nerves.
“You could let them in,” said Tuloff. “I doubt they would damage the equipment any worse than your friend and that automaton did in the fight.”
Tuloff pressed the console commands but received a sickly beep for his efforts. “All the communication consoles are destroyed,” said Tuloff sadly.
“We’re trapped and we have no way to communicate with the outside world?” asked Cassie. Tuloff gave her a stare that would curdle milk. “Can it be repaired?”
“It’s possible but not by me,” he said giving Flint a look. “Maybe a machine could fix another machine?”
Flint flew over and saluted feebly. “I’ll try sir.”
“Forget the formality please,” said Tuloff gruffly. “If I had it my way I’d wipe your neural net out of existence and throw you in the scrap heap, but you’re really not my property anymore. You’re more like a human now than a Tsunamian automaton. Allowing you to be imprinted to a human was a mistake. I bet you even swear like a human.”
Flint face puckered up and got angry.
Rev cupped his hand over the little automaton’s mouth. “I’ll work on his manners when I get the time,” said Rev giving Flint’s face a squish and mushing his lips out like a fish. Rev let his hand up and Flint started another swear word which was muffled again.
“Didn’t you hear him? You’re no longer his property,” said Rev.
Flint’s eyes twinkled with the revelation. “I’m not yours anymore?” he asked Tuloff.
“How could you be?” said Tuloff “You’re obviously faulty and you know I can’t stand anything that doesn’t perform to my specifications. I’m giving you to this human and I hope he has better luck controlling you than I did.”
“Thank you sir,” said Flint. “You won’t regret your decision.”
“I already regret it. Can you please repair the console and spare me anymore ‘thank-yous’?”
Flint nodded and began work repairing the console while Tuloff and Rev walked away. When they got out of Flint’s earshot, Tuloff broke the silence. “I doubt he can repair the terminal before the creatures find a way into the command center.”
“He’s smarter than you give him credit for.”
“We’ll see, but I’m serious that he’s yours to keep no matter what happens to us.”
“I’m not sure if I should thank you or not,” said Rev. “I’ve never had a mouth to feed before.”
“You still don’t,” said Tuloff. Rev stared back. Then they both laughed.
Cassie raced in looking anxious, standing in the doorway to the outer chamber. “Those things have made a big dent in the hatch. It sounds like they’ve found something harder than their heads to use.”
Another higher pitched thump rang through. And then another.
“They’re getting closer,” said Rev. “How much longer Flint?”
Flint was in the act of pulling a circuit board and he must have crossed another power supply because sparks exploded from the console. “Soon,” he fibbed. “Maybe I should de-energize the panel before I work on the repairs.”
“Good idea,” said Rev. “If you could speed it up a little, we’d all appreciate it.”
Flint nodded and traced the power grid back. He plunged them into darkness when he flicked the power grid off. The backup lighting came on and Flint went to the communications console and began his repairs.
After a few minutes Flint looked happy and went back to the power grid and re-energized the command circuit breaker. The console hummed back to life then the vidi-screen lit up. When everyone got to the console Cassie noticed an odd warning light.
“What’s that mean?” she said pointing out the cryptic message.
Tuloff read it. He looked concerned.
“What is it?” asked Rev.
“It’s a warning that the containment room is breached.”
“Magnus?” asked Cassie.
“It’s my fault,” said Flint. “I must have inadvertently switched off the forcefield power along with the console’s when I was doing the repairs.”
Rev and Cassie didn’t wait to discuss the possibilities. They ran to the other room with weapons drawn. Sure enough, Magnus was nowhere to be seen.
“Where could he have gotten to?” said Cassie. “We would have seen him if he returned to the command center.”
Rev couldn’t believe how stupid they’d been. He knew he should have watched Magnus like a hawk. Now he was on the loose and dangerous. Tuloff arrived and found them arguing. He stepped between them and gave them a moment to cool down.
“He couldn’t escape,” said Tuloff. “There aren’t any other exits. You’re certain he’s not in the cell?”
“See for yourself,” said Rev.
“He must be close by,” said Cassie watching Tuloff search the small holding cell.
“There’s no trace of him in here,” said Tuloff.
“Then where is he?” asked Rev.
Flint flew into the room in a panic, flying erratically. “The creatures are breaking through,” he said. “If you’re going to call for help, now is the time.”
; Tuloff wasted no time and rushed off to the console while Rev and Cassie tried to deduce how Magnus got away. They soon located an odd portable stand that looked curiously like a transmat tube but flimsier. Rev unzipped the section and looked into the plastic interior.
“Well we know how he got away,” said Rev. “He must have set this up as a backup to his plan.”
“Where do you think it sent him?” she asked.
“I don’t know but I have a feeling we’re going to find out soon. Those creatures will be coming through and I’m not going to be here when they do.”
She didn’t like the thought of fighting giant monsters in tight surroundings.
Flint flew in screaming. “Tuloff needs you. He says he can only get a signal to Earth for some odd reason.”
They all ran back to the command center.
* * *
JIMMY’S FACE APPEARED on the vidi-screen but his coloring was green. Flint tried to fix the monitor but a laser blast had fried a section of the transmitter.
“Hey, Rev,” said Jimmy. “Good to see you and you too Cassie.”
“Jimmy,” said Rev, “we don’t have time for chit-chat. There’re unfriendlies at the door and only a few minutes before we become monster chow.”
“Sure,” said Jimmy pressing the recorder button. “Shoot. I’m recording.”
Rev calmly told Jimmy about the Charrel and Magnus’ involvement in the government overthrow and Reese Stewart being kidnapped along with Flint’s findings on the analysis for a potential weapon. Jimmy listened intently and nodded a few times during Rev’s sparse telling. When Rev was through he asked Cassie if she wanted to add anything.
“Who’s in charge of the EIA if Magnus is here?” she asked.
“No one,” he said. “I’ve been packing since it looks like the Prime Minister wants to shut us down. Everyone has left but me.”
“You have to take this information to the PM,” said Rev, “and convince him to send help or Tsunam will fall into alien control.”
“Gotcha covered,” said Jimmy. “Anything else I can do?”
“I don’t think so,” said Rev, “unless you can either kill the beasties with one of your bad jokes or give us a thousand troopers with some of your special weapons.”
“I could try a joke but I think you’d rather I get this video to the bigwigs.”
The pounding noises of the beasts rang through the area and Jimmy watched Cassie flinch. She looked scared even though she tried to hide it. “You take care of Cassie and the others,” said Jimmy, “and I’ll do my best to send the cavalry.”
“I couldn’t ask for more,” said Rev pulling Cassie close and giving her a reassuring hug around her shoulders.
Bang, bang, ka-bang continued the onslaught against the hatchway. Jimmy signed off and the green image of his concerned face faded. Tuloff was pushing portable equipment against the battered hatchway with Flint. Rev was able to dislodge some heavier equipment and wedged it firmly against the hinges.
“It might slow them down for a moment when they break in but I’m not counting on it,” said Rev wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.
Cassie threw a chair onto the barricade. It was a futile gesture but she felt like she contributed. “It’s not going to stop them,” she said, “but every little bit in their way makes me feel better.”
Rev tore a console from the wall with a grunt. “Help me slide this into place.”
She didn’t see how she was helping but pulled the front of the bulky equipment away from a seam in the wall, freeing it to glide along to the barricade with Rev exerting the most effort.
Flint hovered nearby with his arms wrapped around some more equipment. “I’m not strong enough to help,” he said to Rev.
“Don’t hurt yourself. Just move anything that you can and wedge it up against the hatchway. You’d be surprised once you’ve filled the holes how difficult it is to get through a barricade when it’s tightly packed. When we can’t secure it any better, I’ll rip one or two of the power cables and stuff them into the mix. A little jolt might slow them down.”
Everyone worked hard finding anything that could be wedged or pushed into place. Within a few minutes they stood in front of their creation listening to the continual pounding of the creatures. Dents and welts covered the surface of the battered hatch as Rev pulled up the deck plates to locate the power cables. Flint hovered around his head looking down. There was a mass of unmarked conduits lining the under frame of the deck.
“Which ones do you think are energized?” asked Rev.
“Best guess is the two largest look like power feeds.”
“The big ones it is.” He reached down. With an effort he pulled the first of the cables up far enough to locate a coupler. Rev then drew up enough of the cable to have slack to stuff the cable into the barricade. He twisted the coupler, the power raised the hair on his arms as he detached the connection. Within a moment he had both of the power cables strategically placed within the pile of mismatched equipment. If any beast got through it, which was very possible, they’d get a surprise for their efforts.
He didn’t finish a second too soon. A hinge on the hatchway buckled and the metal fell free. A claw forced its way through the opening and bent the hatch door like one would dogear a page in an old book. A hideous face appeared in the opening and its nostrils flared as it took a deep sniff. The smell of its prey right in front of it enraged the creature. Another face pushed itself into the opening. Soon the bellowing and grunting turned into a frenzy.
Cassie almost lost her nerve as she clung to Rev. Tuloff and Flint moved away from the hatchway in a futile attempt to find safety.
“Go to the portable transmat,” Rev ordered Tuloff and Flint.
“We don’t know where it’ll take us,” said Tuloff.
“Maybe nowhere,” said Flint.
“I know where you’re going to be if you stay here,” said Rev. “Inside the stomach of one of these things.”
This gave Tuloff the strength to get going despite the unknown. He grabbed Flint’s arm and ran to the portable transmat.
Cassie pulled her weapon and Rev did likewise. The hatchway door peeled away and they could see the creatures pushing forward in their haste to eat them. The front creatures tried to jump through the barricade and got caught in the debris. Cassie shot the first in the eye and it exploded in a flash of blood and light.
The creature howled in pain as it raked its claws over the damaged socket. It bellowed and the creature behind it smelled the blood. It reached its large palm in and over the head of the damaged beast and pulled the wounded head back until it was bent nearly over.
In one quick movement its cohort opened a doubled-rowed fanged mouth and bit down on the wounded creature with a crunch. The head crushed under the force of the powerful jaws of the attacking beast. It gulped down a chunk of the head. Then it tossed the dead carcass back to its brothers who dismembered the body in a bloody frenzy.
“That’s disgusting,” said Cassie aiming at the new intruder.
The new creature stopped and decided forcing itself through the opening wouldn’t be in its best interest. It punched the barricade and shot the equipment out like a bullet.
Rev pulled Cassie back as one of the largest consoles flew past her. “I think it’s time for us to go.”
* * *
THE ENERGY RELEASED from the open conduit lit up the command center like a blazing star in its death throes as the energy was absorbed by an unfortunate creature. The electricity fused the body of the contorted creature to the metal flooring. Its skin blistered and then cracked with the full force of the power conduit. Muscles and tendons contracted until they snapped. The smell of burnt flesh poured into the room as other creatures scrambled away from their dying brother.
Rev and Cassie covered their eyes, shielding them from the sparks and flames. Rev shot the others, one after the other in rapid succession laying down a hail of accurate pulses that seemed extraordinary for a human. Cassie
stood dumbfounded watching each blast strike the face of an oncoming beast. She regained her composure and followed up with her own shots until she felt Rev tug on her arm for them to leave.
Rev flung Cassie through the hatchway and closed the inner door by jamming a piece of rebar from a floor joist that he wrenched out from under a plate. He then locked the seals from the control panel.
“Won’t hold them for long,” said Rev looking for more to secure the door.
“We’re going to die aren’t we?” she said reaching out to Rev.
“Why’d you say that?” he said with a grin.
“Great, sarcasm. When are you going to take things seriously?”
“Seriously, we’re not going to die if I can help it. You’re going to get in that transmat tube and get the hell out of here.”
Cassie’s face flushed with anger. “And leave you here to stave off a horde of those things. Screw that.”
“Hurry. Go,” he ordered Cassie. “I’ll hold them off for as long as I can.”
“No, you won’t,” she argued. “I’m not teleporting to some unknown place without you.”
“That’s very brave of you,” he mumbled looking for more to reinforce the door. “But, I insist.” He twirled her around and pushed her head gently in the direction of the transmat tube.
“I’m not that brave,” she protested stumbling, “you big dope.”
“Yes, you are.”
Cassie shook her head. “I’m a coward. I want you to protect me when I get to wherever it leads me. God knows what we’ll find when we arrive.”
Rev didn’t think about what would be waiting. His concern was solving the immediate threat but they could find just as much trouble if not worse when they escaped. The look in Cassie’s eyes told him she was terrified. Then the door bulged from another impact and the bellowing resumed.
“You’ve got a point there,” he said. “We might as well stay together.”
“You mean die together,” she said.
“I wish you’d stop saying that. I’m really not ready for that journey yet,” he said reassuringly.
The Beast of Tsunam (Rev Smalley: Galactic P.I. Book 1) Page 28