“When are you going to switch on?” Royden queried.
“Not until I reach the proximity of the woods. I want to make contact with those Megges over there on our way to the woods.”
“They look even bigger than you reported,” Royden replied.
Barlor smiled grimly as they crossed the plain, and the Megges ignored their approach. When Barlor tried to make contact with one of the kangaroos he came up against a baffling barrier of silence. He looked around at Royden and found that the Chief was still out of range. He nodded approvingly. If they had an emergency and needed to switch on quickly they had to be out of range of one another.
“Look out!” Royden yelled, and Barlor swung his gaze back to the herd.
A Megge was leaping towards him, covering the intervening distance at incredible speed. It had waited until Barlor had removed his attention from the herd, as if it had been monitoring his mental processes, and now was obviously attacking.
“Switch on, for God’s sake!” Royden yelled.
Barlor’s fingers were already moving to the small control panel under his left arm, and he switched on, sensing an immediate tingle in the atmosphere about him. He glanced down at the register on the top of the control panel and saw its needle flickering. When he looked up at the charging Megge he saw the creature was barely yards away, and bounding forward like a moving house.
“Brace yourself, Captain!” Royden warned harshly.
Before Barlor could do so the Megge came into contact with the force-field. There was a blinding flash and a terrific crackling sound that set Barlor’s ears singing. The shock that erupted staggered Barlor, but he maintained his balance. Through narrowed eyes he watched the Megge, and saw it disintegrate in a flash. In a split second there was nothing but a drifting twist of oily black smoke drifting away on the stiff breeze.
“Are you all right, Captain?” Royden demanded anxiously.
“I’m all right! But I don’t understand why I was attacked.” Barlor’s tones were ragged. “Yesterday we had no trouble at all.” He looked around grimly, brows indrawn, teeth clenched. He saw other Megges gazing at them, and wondered if there would be other attacks. “How long will our equipment operate?” he queried. “If we are attacked en masse will there be a saturation point for the shields?”
“Let’s hope we don’t get tested to that extent,” Royden said harshly. “How far do you want to go, Captain?”
“Are you satisfied with the test we’ve just experienced?”
“That kangaroo was built like a house and your unit disintegrated it! If there’s nothing larger than a Megge on this planet then you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“I haven’t seen anything larger.” Barlor was thinking about the Imegt and wondering what they were. “Return to the landing area, Linus, and hand over your unit to Professor Tosk. She’s aching to get into action. Tell Franklin to drop her on the other side of the woods where that dead guard’s body is. I’m going on through the woods from this side. I want to check out the tracks left by the first landing party.”
“I don’t think you should go alone, Captain,” Royden said.
“Don’t you trust your own equipment, Linus?” Barlor glanced at the Chief Engineer, a tight grin on his lips. “I’ll take my chances as they come. Make your way back now. Tell Franklin I intend contacting him every few minutes. If he doesn’t hear from me for any length of time then he is to assume that I’m dead and take the entire landing party up off the planet surface.”
“And then?” Royden pressed.
“Lieutenant Hassel will have the command. It will be up to him to make that decision.” Barlor turned away, walking steadily towards the woods some three hundred metres away. He paused and looked back when Royden’s voice came to him by way of the communicator.
“Just check your registers, Captain. Is the needle well up into the safe area?”
Barlor glanced down at the small control box, and saw the needle flickering in the safe area.
“I’ve got plenty of power,” he reported. “Is there something wrong?”
“I don’t know!” There was a trace of worry in Royden’s harsh tones. “My register is beginning to act up a little. The needle dropped into the red segment for a few seconds.
It’s back to normal now, but I don’t like it.”
“What’s causing the fluctuation? Do you have any idea?”
“There could be a thousand reasons why,” came the heavy reply. “All of them alien! Watch out when you get under the trees, Captain. If your input register does start falling then make for open country as quick as you can.”
“I’m going right through those woods to rendezvous with the shuttle on the far side.” There was grim determination in Barlor’s voice. “Order Professor Tosk not to enter the woods under any circumstances.”
The communicator cut out and Barlor walked on. He could see the tracks that he had left the previous day, and the marks left by the first landing party went on towards the dark, foreboding woods. He glanced at the herd of Megges, and wondered because there were no further attacks against him. He did not relax his alertness, and called Franklin at three-minute intervals to report his progress.
“We’ve got you on our screens, Captain,” Franklin told him. “I’ll start worrying when you disappear into those woods. The Chief has just returned, and he doesn’t think he will permit Professor Tosk to use the other unit. He thinks there is a malfunction in the input circuits. Will you give us a reading of your registers?”
Barlor complied, satisfying himself that his registers were correct. He was approaching the woods now, and could see here and there the bootprints of some of the men who had landed with Lieutenant Denson. They had deployed on their approach to the woods, ready for anything that might erupt, but they had not been prepared for the insidious aliens that had awaited them under the dark, screening cover of the trees.
When he was ten yards from the tree line Barlor paused and called the landing area. Franklin replied, his tones betraying anxiety.
“Anything wrong, Captain?” he demanded.
“Ask the Chief what will happen if I walk into the woods with this unit operating!” Barlor was certain he had come upon a problem which Royden had overlooked.
Royden’s voice came through. “Don’t worry, Captain! I’ve programmed your unit to be selective. Living tissue cannot survive contact with your shields, but plant life and any kind of vegetation will not be affected.”
“Thanks, Linus. I’ll see you when I get through the woods.” Barlor looked around once more. He could see the shuttles glinting in the distance, the herd of Megges grazing peacefully. The sun was shining and there was complete silence. Facing the woods, he peered intently into the shadows. The trees were black and darkly shadowed, their branches twisted somewhat unnaturally, the sunlight deceptive where it shafted down through the dank brown foliage. A sense of loneliness, of foreboding, filtered into the back of Barlor’s mind and he had to make a conscious effort to fight down his fear. It was the fear of the unknown, he was aware, and had fought it many times before on different battlefields through the Universe. He won the fight this time, as he always did, and there was a determined expression on his face as he moved on out of the open and entered the trees.
He saw signs of human feet marking a faint game trail, and at First he moved slowly and with great caution, not knowing what to expect. A well-armed party of disciplined men had entered this wooded area, carrying weapons sophisticated enough to burn down half the vegetation on the planet if they had so desired, and none of them had emerged from the trees. It was not a strong, physical force that he had to contend with. Barlor was certain of that. His alien enemies were more subtle and far more deadly than strong animals, no matter their form or shape.
The path meandered among the trees, and Barlor was careful not to slip or stumble, although the dark roots of the trees and the thick undergrowth seemed to conspire to bring him down. He soon discovered that a tremendous heat
lay encompassed by the woods and sweat streamed down his face. He called Franklin to report, keeping a close eye upon his registers, and despite his tension he knew he was in good shape. There was no cause for alarm. He was in complete control. If there were Yagges and Eorils around him then the unit he was carrying was doing its work perfectly. He was not being bothered by anything.
There were small holes in the ground, but he avoided them, taking his time, determined not to let his impatience cause his downfall. A dozen men had disappeared within these shadowy depths and he had no intention of joining them. Franklin reported that he had moved the shuttle and was now waiting on the ground on the far side of the woods. Professor Tosk wanted permission to use the other unit and start making tests. Barlor refused angrily and forced his concentration to remain at its height. He was watching for trouble and looking for signs of the first landing party. There was still evidence that a party of men had passed this way, and he began to wonder what lay ahead. Did these faint tracks go on in a baffling circle? Was he being insidiously led astray by alien minds more powerful than his own. He was breathing heavily now, strangely affected by exertions which should not have been more difficult than a pleasant stroll. But the atmosphere was alien, like everything else on the planet, and Barlor suddenly experienced an instinctive fear.
Was this what had happened to the first landing party? Had they been lulled into a sense of false security before meeting up with the fate planned for them by these unknown aliens? Barlor took a long, steadying breath, peering around, hardly hearing the furtive sounds that his boots were making. He moved slowly, watching for pitfalls, alert to every and any eventuality. There were still faint signs of a party of men having passed this way, and impatience began to burn to fever heat in the back of his mind. He had wasted too many hours already. He ought to have carried out a meticulous search for his lost landing party as soon as he himself arrived on the planet surface. Perhaps he could have helped them had he been more thorough and prompt. Now they could only be beyond all human aid…¦
He suddenly halted, almost in midstride, for there was a small clearing ahead, dimly illuminated by shafts of sunlight lancing down unevenly through the grotesque foliage above. He frowned as he tried to pierce the gloom, and then his eyes began to make out the smooth lines of equipment which he had last seen aboard Voyager. There were weapons lying around haphazardly, as if they had been carelessly discarded, and vital equipment that no disciplined party would ever throw away, no matter their plight. Then he saw other things, and a coldness began to steal through him, for here was the first landing party, almost to a man. They were sprawled in various positions, all within a small area, and Barlor did not need to go closer to ascertain their condition. They were all dead, their strong bodies pulverised, almost shapeless from the impossible force that must have been brought to bear against them.
CHAPTER XII
For long moments Barlor stood frozen in shock, staring at the remains of his crewmen, and the horror that filled him was like an insidious paralysis occupying every fibre of his being. His sight began to fail as shock swept through his mind, and he knew he had to fight off the encroaching weakness or he would become prey to these alien terrors. An insistent voice talking over the communicator suddenly came through to him, although it had been sounding for some moments before he became aware of it. He shook himself like a dog emerging from a river, recognising Professor Tosk’s feminine tones, and there was concern in the woman scientist’s words.
“Captain, can you hear me?” She was repeating the question endlessly, and Barlor heaved a long, shuddering sigh as he flipped the switch that cut his communicator to transmit.
“This is the Captain,” he said harshly.
“I have an urgent warning for you, Captain,” Professor Tosk cut in. “My instruments aboard the shuttle indicate that there is a formless life-force hovering above and about your field of protection.”
“What do you mean, formless life-force?” he demanded roughly.
“I don’t know what I mean. I cannot get anything more than an impression of impulses indicating life presence, but it is not in any recognisable pattern or form.”
“I can’t see anything.” Barlor was peering around into the deceptive shadows. He qualified his statement. “I can’t see anything unusual,” he added. “Do you record any other life forms around me?”
“There are indications of rapid life movements outside and beneath the area of your radiation. Those Yagges and Eorils are moving away from you, maintaining a range that eludes the power of your protective unit. But that unusual life-force hovering overhead is most worrying.”
“It sounds as if you’ve detected the other life form on this planet that was mentioned by the Megges,” Barlor mused harshly. “The Imegt! I was informed that they are the worst of all life forms on the planet. So what are they, or what is it? I cannot see anything tangible. I’m looking up into the tree tops. Can you tell me at what range this formless being exists?”
“Only a metre or so above the limit of your protection,” came the steady reply.
“Then it is an invisible life-force,” Barlor declared. “I can see several metres over my head and there is absolutely nothing tangible. So that’s what makes the Imegt so terrible. They, or it, are invisible.”
“I advise you to come out of the woods and use the shuttle’s weapons to destroy the entire area, Captain.” There was a trace of a quiver in Professor Tosk’s voice. “If your unit should fail, you would be completely at the mercy of those aliens. They are all around you in their various forms. My sensors indicate that they are massing in ever increasing numbers.”
“I have to report that I have discovered the remains of the first landing party,” Barlor said, flipping the switch to transmit.
“The remains?” There was high pitched shock in the woman’s voice and a long gasp. The next instant Lieutenant Franklin’s voice came through.
“Captain, I heard that! Are they all dead?”
“They certainly are!” Barlor was looking around again. He did not move for fear of encompassing some of the remains with the power of his protective shield. “They all look as if they have been pounded to a jelly. Can you get that canvas bag aboard the shuttle for Doc Simpson? I need some answers to a number of questions. If we can solve this riddle of what these aliens need to kill us for then we might make some progress.”
“We have the bag aboard and the Doc is at the back of the cabin attempting to carry out some initial tests. We have not seen any signs of alien life, apart from those Megges on the plain on the other side of the woods. You were attacked by one of them, Captain. They were friendly yesterday.”
“Perhaps we have overstayed our welcome,” Barlor said slowly. “Anyway, there’s nothing more I can do here. I’m coming out of the woods. Then we’ll destroy the entire area. We cannot risk the lives of any more men attempting to get these remains for a decent burial so we’ll disintegrate them.”
“And the concentration of alien life in the woods, which is growing denser by the minute, will be destroyed,” Franklin commented. “You are attracting a pretty big crowd, Captain.”
“Watch for my appearance on your side of the woods,” Barlor said heavily. “I’m making my way in your direction now. I’ll leave my set on transmit for two minutes at a time, then switch to you to learn if you have any problems.”
“We’re maintaining a listening watch, Captain,” Franklin assured him.
Barlor started away from the glade, and he did not take a last look at the bodies of the first landing party. He moved slowly, almost feeling his way through the undergrowth, and suddenly there was a small explosion in front of him, caused by the body of an alien that had tried to penetrate his protective shield. Before he could recover from his instinctive flinching there was a whole series of explosions, and he realized that the aliens were aware of his withdrawal and were attacking in a frenzy to get at him. The next few moments were a nightmare of noise and shattering disruptiv
e power disintegrating the material of the alien life forms coming into contact with it.
Bright flashes marked each spot around the shield where the aliens were hurling themselves at it, and Barlor caught no more than brief glimpses of serpent-like creatures beyond his screen. They were dropping out of the trees, and he guessed that was how the first landing party had been caught unawares. He recalled the serpent that had materialised when he killed Sergeant Banham, and the strange looking creature that had clung to Lieutenant Franklin’s boot. They were Yagges and Eorils, and still the unseen threat of the Imegt hung over all. Barlor could sense the menace of it, and knew that death awaited him the instant his equipment failed. He glanced anxiously at the register on the small control box and was relieved to see that it was steady in a safe area of the dial.
It seemed to him that the attack had come upon a signal that had been given, and he wondered if the Imegt was the superior life force on the planet. It was obviously invisible, and perhaps it commanded these serpents that were recklessly attacking without hope of success. But each contact made used up some of the precious store of power within Barlor’s equipment, and he knew that too many contacts would sap the impulses available to his screens. It was possible that the Imegt was aware of that fact, and a chill sensation filled his mind and charged him with unexpected anxiety.
His progress was slowed by the innumerable explosions that erupted about him, always at the same distance — the outer perimeter of his screens, and the shock of the disturbances staggered him, kept throwing him against the trees and threatening to dump him unceremoniously upon the heavily vegetated ground. He remembered the warning Linus Royden had given him about falling, and clenched his teeth as he forced himself to keep moving. He had some idea how much distance had to be covered and he sensed that his physical strength was being sapped in some mysterious manner.
When he finally paused and leaned against a tree there was a constant stream of perspiration running down his face, and his limbs trembled. He checked his registers and found little comfort in the sight that the most vital — that one controlling the power available to his equipment — was dropping back around its dial. He forced himself to go on, and let Franklin’s demanding voice echo in his ears for some moments before he could find the will-power necessary to switch the communicator to transmit.
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