by Brian Dorsey
“How do we know this is not some Humani-Xen trap to get us to give up our location? This one reeks of Humani,” asked Horatio cautiously, sniffing the air around Stone.
“I promise you,” replied Mori. “We are no friends of the Xen.”
“Horatio,” interrupted Kendra, “the female, her scent—we must take them back.”
Mori looked puzzled. “What are you talking about?” she asked.
“You are—”
“Not yet,” Horatio interrupted Kendra’s reply. “We must seek out Elder and Magnus; they will know what to do.”
“Yeah,” interjected Orion. “Let’s go see Elder.”
“We shall,” replied Horatio. “He will determine if you are friend or foe.”
“You must realize we are friends,” said Mori as stepped toward Horatio.
“I am sorry,” apologized Horatio, as he quickly backed away from her. “You smell—”
“What are you talking about?” asked Mori, more than a little embarrassed.
“Horatio,” said Kendra. “They are not aware of our…differences.”
“You’re right,” he said. “Forgive me. I forgot. The testing…it has created some…well…we must see Elder.”
As Horatio spoke, Mori looked closely at his face. His jaw protruded forward more than normal. Behind the thick head of hair that covered his head and his bushy beard, she could make out a slight peak to his ear. “The genetic alterations?” she asked.
“Yes. But we can talk about that later. Follow me. We shouldn’t stay in one place too long.”
***
They followed Horatio and his group a few yards into the forest. Coming to sudden stop, Horatio began to sniff the air.
“Here it is,” he said as he reached down into the undergrowth. Withdrawing a rope from the undergrowth, he gave it a tug and the ground opened up to expose an underground passage. “Welcome to our den,” he smiled as he motioned for everyone to enter.
The air in the tunnel was damp and musty. Looking down the long corridor, Mori saw a series of very dim lights extending into the darkness beyond.
From the darkness a voice called out. “Horatio, is that you? Who are the strangers?”
Horatio again sniffed the air. “Yes, Caliph. It is I. I have brought visitors.”
The group continued forward until another man came into view in the poorly lit tunnel. He was a small man, but had fierce eyes that almost glowed in the dim light. As the group approached, he lowered his weapon and sniffed the air, just as Horatio had. “One of them is—”
“Yes, Caliph,” interrupted Horatio. “I am taking them to Magnus.”
“What are they talking about?” whispered Mori to Stone.
“I’m not sure. Just keep your guard up,” replied Stone.
Continuing past the guard, they soon entered a large open area. Slightly better lit than the tunnel itself, a group of about twenty people could be seen scattered throughout the den. All activity ceased as the strangers walked into the room.
Suddenly two young males rushed toward them.
“Caleb! Nathan! Stop!” ordered Horatio.
The youths stopped in their tracks. Still staring at the strangers, they started to circle them, their noses in the air collecting scents. As Horatio walked toward them, they lowered their heads.
“These people are our guests. Return to your parents.”
“Yes, Horatio,” they answered in unison and scurried back toward the edge of the den.
As they retreated, a large figure stepped forward. He was older with a large jaw and massive canine teeth that could be seen as he spoke. “Horatio, who are these people? And why have you brought them here?” he asked.
“We found them in the forest, Elder. They say they have come to fight the Xen.”
“An army of five. I am sure the Xen are shaking in their scaly skins,” replied the large man mockingly. After a pause, he stepped toward Mori, moving his head from one side of her face to the next.
“And one of the women, she—”
“Yes,” interrupted Elder. “I see.”
“Yes, Elder, that is why I brought them.”
“Very, well,” replied Elder. “Caleb!” he shouted while still staring at Mori.
The youth came running.
“Yes, Elder.”
“Go get Magnus and his mate. Tell them it is important. We have guests.”
Mori’s stomach was twisted and taut; there was something about her that had the entire group on edge. Slowly and quietly, she tilted her rifle to ensure she had plenty of ammo left in the magazine.
“What the hell is going on, Mori?” asked Orion.
“I don’t know,” she replied, “but it’s starting to freak me out.”
“We’re in a cave surrounded by wolf-people,” added Rickover. “What could go wrong?”
“Just keep quiet and stay alert,” replied Stone.
“Great. Here come some more,” said Orion.
Two figures came into view from the darkness.
The male was huge by human standards. Well over two meters, his broad shoulders and muscled physique could not be hidden by the thick hair growing on his bare torso. Behind him was a female, standing in his shadow.
“What have you brought us, Horatio?” asked the large man.
“We found them in the forest, Magnus,” replied Horatio, his head looking toward the ground. “This female…her…”
“Her scent,” said the woman behind Magnus. “She smells like…” The woman stepped into the light. She was beautiful with piercing green eyes. “…like family,” concluded the unknown woman.
Mori’s jaw dropped as she let her rifle fall to the ground. The two women stepped toward each other.
“Kat…Katalya? Is that you?” asked Mori, tears welling in her eyes. She began to tremble.
“Sister!” shouted the woman as she embraced Mori. “I thought I would never see you again.”
“I never gave up,” sobbed Mori. “I knew in my heart you were alive.”
Magnus walked toward the two, towering over them. “Katalya, this woman is your kin?”
Still embracing her sister, she answered. “Yes, Magnus. My sister. We were separated when I was captured, but now we are—”
“Together,” added Mori.
“Yes, together.”
“And the others?” asked Magnus.
We’re here to find a way to destroy the base and stop the Xen from weaponizing the virus,” answered Stone.
“I did not know if we could trust them,” added Horatio as he slightly bowed his head. “I thought it best to bring them to you and Elder.”
“Yes,” answered Magnus. “Perhaps we should leave the siblings to themselves and we shall talk of the virus.”
Running his hand over Katalya’s hair, Magnus lowered his head to her ear.
“I am happy for you, mate,” Magnus said to Katalya as he motioned toward a separate room in the back of the den. “Come with me, we shall talk. Horatio, Elder, please join us as well.”
Placing his head toward the ground, the old man answered, “As you wish, Magnus.”
***
Leaving Mori with her sister, Stone and the others followed Magnus into the room.
“This is probably more to your liking,” said Magnus, flipping a switch on the wall. As he did, additional lights illuminated the room to normal levels. “Sit, please,” he continued as he took a seat at the head of a large table, Elder and Horatio standing behind him.
“So how did you get here?” Magnus asked as his guests took their seats.
“It wasn’t easy,” said Rickover.
“They say the Xen are performing the tests to create hybrids for their slave populations,” reported Horatio.
“We recently found out about the Directive and existence of this base,” said Stone.
“It must be very secretive if even Alpha Humana officers do not know of it,” answered Magnus.
Stone was surprised that Magnus had identifi
ed him. “How did you know?”
“Your Humani scent fills the air…and I can see part of your Elite guard marking from your torn shirt.”
“I am no longer in service of the Xen Emperor or the ProConsul,” he said. “I am with your mate’s sister.”
A series of squeaks came from TC. “What has happened to you?” he asked bluntly.
“All we know is that we’re the second in a series of three tests,” replied Magnus.
“Magnus, may we join you?” Katalya asked, her head looking toward the ground as she and Mori stood at the doorway.
“Of course, please sit. You as well, Elder, Horatio.”
“How many have there been?” asked Stone. “How many have been part of the experiments?”
“Over the years,” said Elder, “probably millions.”
“Millions!” echoed Mori.
“Yes,” continued Magnus. “It is a very large operation. At first the Xen used vulpes genes to create the fox clan.”
“The testing showed that few survived the alterations and that most that did failed to conform to captivity,” added Elder. “The species was then…discontinued.”
“That is how Mother died,” added Katalya as she placed her hands over Mori’s. “It was—” She paused, unable to speak of it.
“Next was the canis gene,” continued Elder, placing his hand on Katalya’s shoulder. “They created two strands. The familiarious and lupus genomes were tested creating the canine and wolf clans. Ours is the lupus or wolf clan. We adjusted well to the modification, although the first few weeks are extremely painful as the alterations occur.”
“At least the children do not suffer the change like us,” added Katalya. “And they grow so fast.”
Magnus picked up where Elder had left off. “But we, too, refused to cooperate with our would-be masters. The canines proved much more…loyal. In the canines, they found not only slaves, but subservient ones.”
“What of the wolf clan? How did you end up out here?” asked Orion.
“We too were scheduled to be eradicated,” said Elder.
“Elder,” added Magnus, “led an uprising against the Xen. His leadership and bravery allowed us to escape and survive. He was our leader until he grew too old and I replaced him.”
“Thousands died, but a few of us escaped,” said Elder. “I only wish more had survived.”
“You are all that are left?” asked Mori.
“Out of thousands that resisted, we forty-one remain,” said Katalya. “Not quite human, not quite wolf.”
“The alterations may look subtle,” added Magnus, “but they are significant. As you can tell, our sense of smell is heightened as well as our night vision. Our offspring also mature much more quickly, usually by age twelve. Additionally, we have taken on several mannerisms such as our loyalty to the pack and our hierarchy.”
“At least you earn your positions of power,” said Stone, thinking back to the social stratification of the Humani.
“Thank you,” said Magnus, nodding in recognition of Stone’s compliment.
“Can this be reversed?” asked Mori as she looked at her sister.
Magnus’s head snapped in the direction of Mori, his teeth showing. “Reversed? Why would we want to change?”
“Magnus, please remember this is new to them. They mean no disrespect,” pleaded Katalya.
Regaining his composure, he continued. “Excuse me. I must remember you have only today learned of us. We can never be human again, nor can we have human offspring. Hopefully, we can survive to display the best virtues of each species. We are what we are and would not want to have this as you say…reversed.”
“It’s okay, Mori,” said Katalya. “I still have nightmares about being taken from my family, the testing, and the deaths of so many, but I do not regret what I have become. If only we could escape this planet and find a place of our own.”
“And be allowed to fight those reptilian demons on equal terms,” added Magnus, “instead of hiding and running. It’s not our way.”
“That is why we’re here,” said Stone. “We must find a way to destroy this place while allowing us to get out safely…if possible.”
“How can so few destroy this base? You might as well try to destroy the planet?” said Magnus.
“You want to destroy the planet?” asked Rickover matter-of-factly.
“Well, I guess that would destroy the virus, the base, and the Xen on it,” said Stone.
“Again, how the hell are we gonna do it?” posed Orion. “I just don’t see…”
“We can do that,” interrupted Rickover.
“What the hell are you talking about?” asked a confused Stone.
“It’s all about the magnetism.”
“What?” asked Orion. “I think your big brain has finally snapped.”
“Funny, Captain. It’s not my fault if I understand magnetic forces and you don’t.”
“Well, I don’t understand,” said Mori.
Rickover stood up from the table and let out a sigh of disappointment. He was a genius; his biggest problem was in not understanding why everyone else wasn’t.
“Look,” he said, grabbing a stylus from the desk and writing on its surface, much to Magnus’s chagrin. “The asteroid belt circles this planet like this. There’s force put on the asteroids by the magnetic field of this planet. The asteroids are polarized against the North and South poles of this planet. If we disrupt either the magnetic field of the planet or the polarity or electron flow patterns through the asteroid, we can allow the planet’s gravity to accelerate the asteroid toward the planet. The last time I checked, planets don’t like thousands of massive asteroids slamming into them.”
“You can cause the asteroids to crash into the planet?” asked Magnus.
“Well, I can’t, but the captain can—if she is a good enough pilot and if TC is a good enough navigator. Oh, and if we don’t get shot down while trying to do it.”
“I still don’t understand what you are talking about,” said Orion, knowing all too well she was about to get another lecture from Rickover.
“Look,” said Rickover as he took a deep breath. “If you make Hydra go roundy-roundy fast enough around the asteroid belt,” he said as he made funny hand gestures, curling his hand in one direction and sticking his thumb out, “you will create a magnetic field this way, which is opposite of the natural field, hopefully collapsing it momentarily and allowing the new force and gravity to do the rest. You have to rotationally accelerate to a jump and then establish a reoccurring jump to build up the field as you go.”
“Will that really work?” asked Stone.
“It should. You just have to get to the asteroid belt and then pull out of the jump just as the asteroids start to accelerate.”
“How the hell do we know when to do that?” asked TC.
“If you can get the jump sequence down, I can calculate the hypothetical nominal time.”
“Hypothetical?”
“Well, it’s hard not to be hypothetical until we actually do it, isn’t it?”
“What if we’re off a little?” asked Orion.
“We’ll either be crushed by the wall of asteroids as they accelerate or decelerate into the waiting arms of Xen condors.”
“Nice,” replied Orion. “Wonderful options, as always.”
“Rickover,” asked Stone, “can this work?”
“I wouldn’t have mentioned it if it wouldn’t.”
“I think we should try it,” said Mori.
“Me too,” said TC.
“What do we have to lose?” asked Orion.
“Everything,” added Stone. “But it’s the only option on the table.”
Mori looked toward her sister. “What about the—”
“You may call us the wolf clan,” said Magnus.
“The wolf clan,” continued Mori. “Can we get them all off the planet with us?”
“It will be a tight fit,” said Orion, “but we should be able to squeeze eve
ryone in, especially without the weight of the bombs.”
“We accept your offer,” said Magnus. “We can be ready by nightfall.”
“It’s settled then,” said Stone. “We go tonight.”
***
Martin’s dreams were crowded with jumbled distorted flashes of memories of her father, Jackson, and Stone. As her broken body struggled to heal itself physically, her mind raced. As she lay in the infirmary, Martin’s visions were interrupted by muffled, far-off voices.
“Shouldn’t she be coming out of it soon?” a female voice spoke.
“It might be a while longer,” responded a male voice. “She had lost a fair amount of blood, but the infection from her wounds would have killed her if she hadn’t gotten aid when she did. Actually, it should have killed her anyway. She must have one hell of a reason to stay alive.”
Stimulated by the voices, Martin attempted to move her body but her limbs would not respond. Focusing all of her efforts on her left hand, Martin tried again. Move, she thought.
“Doctor,” interrupted the female voice. “Her hand.”
“I see it,” he replied. “hand me the injection. I think we can try to bring her around.”
The voices grew clearer.
“This should do it.”
Martin felt her arm grow warm, and light began to flood her consciousness.
“She’s coming back,” exclaimed the woman.
Martin began to regain consciousness but her head was foggy and her eyes difficult to open. Struggling to regain her senses, she first felt a dull ache in her shoulder and her entire body felt as if it had been hit by a hovercraft. Slowly she opened her eyes.
“Welcome back, Captain Martin,” said the doctor. “We weren’t sure we were going to get you back.”
Martin tried to speak but she could not form the words. Her jaw was stiff and her throat was dry and chalky.
“Don’t try to speak, Captain,” explained the doctor. “It may still be several days before you can speak. But I am sure you have many questions.”
Martin nodded her head slightly in acknowledgment.
“Your unit was overwhelmed on Juliet 3. You are the only survivor that we know of.”
Martin’s mind raced, trying to make sense of the visions and nightmares that had filled her dreams while she was unconscious. “Jack-son?” asked Martin in a scratchy, distorted voice. As she spoke, pain shot through her throat into her stomach.