Hinkle tapped up a new screen.
“And here,” he said, “is where we are now.”
The screen opened up into a virtual-reality simulation.
“This,” Hinkle said, “is the Food of the Gods.”
The group of them watched as the computer model spun like a Rubik’s cube through the process of cell reproduction, from the initial chemical commands from the DNA-level to the outer effect on the organism itself. The virtual example on-screen was a simple houseplant. Once the reaction was activated, the plant began to grow.
In time-lapse, stop-motion, the stalks tentacled out, the roots broke the virtual pot, and the leaves fanned out like a parachute catching wind.
Betty was leaning forward, entranced, all thoughts of possible arrest and criminal charges momentarily forgotten.
“This is a simulation,” Betty said. “You can do anything with CGI.”
Hinkle smiled again. “Would you like to see?”
The old man stood up, puttering his way to the back of the lab, motioning them to follow. He tapped-open another series of sliding glass doors, leading out to an enclosure similar to those outside the main compound. This one, however, was fenced off, like a private terrarium.
Within were rows of cages, the size used to transport large dogs, except with heavy-duty construction more apropos for a pet tiger.
“I keep them back here,” Hinkle said. “They tend to make a lot of noise.”
Inside the first cage, lying on its side, its ribs rising and falling in apparent sleep, was a cute white bunny, with big ears and a wiggling pink nose.
It was better than four feet long and probably close to two-hundred pounds.
Other cages held mice, squirrels, chickens – all greatly enlarged. They all seemed to be sleeping.
Betty peered into the cage. The rabbit's lids fluttered open, and the irises reflected back fluorescent green, like phosphorus.
“Its eyes are glowing,” Betty exclaimed.
“Yes,” Hinkle said, musingly. “The chemical isn't perfected yet. That's one of the more minor side-effects.”
“What are some of the less minor ones?” Kate asked, peering in over Betty's shoulder.
“Well,” Hinkle said, “you'll notice all the animals seem lethargic. They're dying. At the late-stages, in fact. The animals all just die.
“There is also,” he said, “the abiding fact that the chemical only seems to work on genetically-engineered organisms. All these animals are clones.”
“What does it do to normal organisms?” Betty asked.
Hinkle shook his head. “It's fairly gruesome, I'm afraid.”
“Any other problems?” Betty asked, peering in the cage.
“Well,” Hinkle said, “the biggest flaw seems to be that the effect is passed on. If we grow a stock of corn, for example, ingestion passes the chemical on to whoever might try to consume it. Which, in effect, defeats the entire purpose.
“There is also,” Hinkle acknowledged, “the matter of the affected animal's temperament.”
At that moment, the apparently docile rabbit stirred in its cage.
There was a flash of movement, accompanied by a frighteningly deep-throated squeal, and suddenly there were chomping, eight-inch rodent-teeth, snarling through the bars to the cage.
Betty jerked back with a screech.
The rabbit latched onto one of the bars and began whipping its head back and forth like a bulldog, scarring the metal.
“Jesus,” Maverick muttered, shouldering his rifle uncomfortably. Cameron zoomed-in his camera.
Then the entire enclosure abruptly came alive as the rabbit's mad-screeching roused the other animals. The caterwauling howls rose in pitch.
“My God,” Kate exclaimed, holding her ears.
“They become highly aggressive,” Hinkle said, raising his voice to be heard over the ruckus. “The effect is rather like rabies, except that it seems consistent in birds, reptiles, fish or insects.”
Betty looked back at the cute two-hundred-pound bunny tearing savagely at its cage. There was little doubt what those chomping jaws would do if it could but free itself.
Around them, the other cages actually began to shake as their frenzied occupants attacked the bars locking them inside.
“Perhaps we'd best leave them be,” Hinkle said. “This batch is due to be euthanized.”
As Hinkle led them back into the main lab, there was a beep and Shanna's voice sounded over the intercom.
“Daddy? I'm going to be a bit longer out here than I thought.”
“Malfunction in the equipment?” Hinkle spoke aloud.
“I'm not sure yet,” Shanna replied.
“I'm going to take our guests over to the dining area,” Hinkle said. “I'm sure everyone is hungry.”
“I'm sure,” Shanna replied tiredly. “By the way, Miss Rhodes, I just got word they're sending a ship to collect you. So you might as well relax.”
Shanna clicked the intercom off.
“You know,” Maverick said, “maybe we should try and fly the hell out of here.”
Cameron shook his head. “I'd rather get arrested than shot down.”
Betty raised a confirming hand. “I'm afraid I have to second that.”
“Relax,” Kate cajoled, as they followed Hinkle out of the lab, across the grounds to the living quarters. The accommodations were equally space-age, although rather spartan, with a simple rec-room, a small gym, and a TV.
“By the way,” Hinkle said, as if with an afterthought, “I downloaded some more detailed files, to peruse at your convenience.” He handed Kate back her thumb-drive.
Kate blinked, looking down at the device, and then handed it to Betty.
It seemed for a moment that Hinkle frowned as she did so.
Betty took the drive, and nodded, pulling her laptop out of her bag, and plugged-in the drive.
“Do you have a place I can sit down?” Betty asked.
After a slight hesitation, Hinkle opened his door to a modestly compact but well-stocked library.
“This is my study,” Hinkle said. “You should have sufficient privacy in here.” He pointed to the intercom on the desk. “Just push this button when you're done.”
He turned to the others. “This way to the dining room.”
The motion-detected cameras followed them as they went.
Once the screens were all focused on the small entourage at the other end of the hall, there was scuttling movement as Otto emerged from where he'd been hiding in a corner.
His head bobbing, he peered into Hinkle's study, where Betty bent over her laptop.
Chapter 20
The cafeteria was adjoined with a modest dining room, and with obvious ritual, Hinkle began prepping the kitchen. The very model of etiquette, he offered libation. Maverick accepted a pint of heavy draft, while Kate took a glass of chilled white wine.
Cameron asked for a restroom, but as he ducked out into the hall, he instead headed back outside.
Across the yard, Shanna was still struggling with the automation. She stood in front of an open control box mounted on a pole, outside the series of utility buildings built at the edge of the waterfall.
The feed-carts looked like the log-ride at Disneyland – rail-tracks leading down through the segregated canyons – a traveling food-trough.
Cameron turned up the light on his camera as he approached, waving his hand.
“Hey there,” he ventured, zeroing the lens in for a close-up.
Shanna turned, her face unhappy and frustrated. She held up her hand against the light.
“Would you please not do that?” she asked.
Cameron lowered his camera.
“Sorry,” he said.
He was struck again by her sheer beauty – the absolute symmetry of her form and movements.
“Well?” she said. “Can I help you?”
She had what Maverick called 'bright-eyes'. As he put it, “The sort you see on post-grad college-chicks studying psych
ology, or some shit.”
And she stared right through you, too, just like a shrink. Cameron actually found himself blushing.
“I'm sorry,” he said. “I mean, I wanted to...”
But then the assembly-line food-trough suddenly kicked alive. Shanna turned to the screen which was flashing 'reset-complete'.
Shanna tapped the screen, bringing up a menu.
“What's wrong with it?” Cameron asked.
“Well,” Shanna said icily, as she tapped through screens, “it seems that right about the time you people arrived...” Shanna cast him an arch eye, “... apparently the feed-operations ran without receiving a command from me.”
She peered onto the screen.
“Right here,” she said. “The code and the voice command are mine, but I was with you people on the beach. I didn't do it.”
Cameron shrugged. “Computers have glitches.”
Shanna shook her head. “We don't have glitches.”
She shook her head.
“I can't figure out why this load ran. And I can't find what was on it. It's like the record was deleted except for the fact that the rail-computer logged the trip, and the troughs have been dumped.”
“So what does that mean?” Cameron asked. “The critters get overfed? If they're anything like my dog, they won't complain about that.”
As if in answer, there was a hooting cry from somewhere down in the valley.
Cameron had done his time on Mr. Wilson's farm with Maverick, but he lived in town, where wildlife was generally restricted to deer and raccoon, which were mostly quiet critters.
Whatever made this low howl was no raccoon.
Cameron tapped down a few unruly hairs on the back of his neck.
Shanna caught the movement and smiled a bit.
“Don't worry,” she said. “No dinosaur is going to eat you. Not up here. They don't like the hills.”
“What about your gorilla friend?”
“He's around,” Shanna allowed. With a sigh, she shut down her computer screen, turning to eye him directly. “By the way,” she said, “you stopped your friend from shooting him. Thank you for that.”
“Listen,” Cameron said, “I actually wanted to say I'm sorry for us showing up like this.”
“You should be,” Shanna agreed. “They're going to arrest you.” She checked her watch. “Probably within the next hour or two.”
“That's not what I meant.” Cameron looked down at the camera in his hand. “I've followed Kate on some wild jaunts. And when you're looking at it from behind a camera, sometimes you forget about the lives.” He shrugged. “Truth to tell, I didn't expect to find one here.”
Shanna stared back for a moment, her bright eyes blinking.
Then suddenly she burst into tears.
“Don't worry,” she said, turning away. “You didn't.”
Cameron paused, uncertainly. Shanna held up an apologetic hand.
“I'm sorry,” she said, “it's just that... my father's fading.”
She looked up at him through her tears, a perfect stranger, but at least another face to tell.
“I've been on this island my whole life,” Shanna said. “When my father's gone, I'll be alone.”
She shook her head helplessly, kicking at the empty trailer trough on its rails.
“I'm an experiment,” she said bitterly. “Just like any of these animals. And they will never let me leave this island.”
Cameron reached out a tentative hand, laying it comfortingly on her shoulder.
And that was the first time he felt... it... from her.
Their first physical contact. For an instant, Cameron started to jerk away, as if with a static shock, but Shanna reached up to take his hand.
Her fingers clasped softly around his own, and she turned, looking back at him, as if seeing him for the first time.
She smiled as if she knew him now, and rather liked what she saw.
Shanna held the contact a moment longer.
“You're a good man,” she said.
The crackle in that touch was like a light turning on inside him.
Wow, he thought, I think I'm in love.
Just like that. Like it was a by-product of being around her.
Entranced, Cameron started to lean close.
But then suddenly there was a deep and guttural growl – deep and loud – above and behind him.
Cameron felt himself grabbed completely around his chest and snatched bodily off his feet.
He found himself staring into Congo's snarling face.
“Congo!” Shanna shouted, slapping at the big ape's feet. “You put him down this instant!”
Congo pulled Cameron nose-to-nose, his hand starting to squeeze.
His teeth looked pretty big from this angle too.
“Now!” Shanna shouted again, stepping back and signing 'down'.
The big gorilla's eyes narrowed, but he sat Cameron back on his feet, leaving him to wobble unsteadily.
“Congo!” Shanna admonished. “Why don't you take a time-out!” She pointed sternly in the direction of the valley.
With a sulking scowl, Congo turned, shuffling his way back to the main gate.
Cameron was patting down his freshly-compressed torso, making sure everything was still working.
“What,” he stammered, “was that about?”
“I told you, he's jealous,” Shanna said.
Then, seeing his wide-eyed expression, she burst into helpless laughter.
“I'm sorry,” she said, “but the look on your face...”
Cameron guessed it had been a good look – it probably shaved ten years off his life, too.
Who was this woman? A jungle girl, raised on an island – a military-research outpost?
What does that sort of socializing process do to you?
At a glance, it gave you a farm-girl. One with a Starship Enterprise lab in the barn. And really BIG livestock.
But who were the people she had known?
Military-types, for sure. Probably hard-core military. Possibly, collaborating scientists. Her doddering father. Hinkle mentioned a mother as a young girl.
Cameron still felt a tingle on the spot where she'd touched his hand. And just standing in her presence, he felt... whatever it was... her shine.
It was rather like sitting in a comfortable chair, with a sunbeam and a breeze. It just felt good to be around her.
But it was like a splash of cold water when a loud, piercing scream suddenly echoed over the intercom through the compound.
Chapter 21
Betty was already a little on edge when she heard the door creak.
It had only been a few minutes, but she was already wishing she hadn't let herself be left here alone. The science-fiction surroundings were less fascinating and more creepy when you were by yourself.
She jumped, letting out a small shriek when the door pushed open and Maverick popped his head inside.
“Hey, girl? You seen Cameron? Kate wants some on-camera.”
Betty let out a slow breath, shaking her head. Maverick cocked an eye.
“Didn't mean to scare ya, darlin',” he said, pausing at the door with his typical caveman suave. Betty eyed him back sourly.
She paused, waiting for the inevitable one-line come-on. Maverick had propositioned her in some form, subtle or overt, almost every single time they'd met – it was almost a running gag, like Bond and Moneypenny. Betty, with varying degrees of patience, always shot him down.
Self-respect would never let her succumb to the secret knowledge that she had totally been into him ever since she was a sorority girl and Cameron had brought him to that kegger – all the way, back in the day.
Of course, there were always what-if scenarios – like on a desert island. After all, it was the Lost World where an ape-man has his greatest appeal. And when in a cave, do as the cave-dwellers do.
But today, Maverick simply let her be, ducking back out in the hall.
Betty turned back to her s
creen, amused that she was actually a little disappointed.
Then there was another creak, as Maverick poked his head back in briefly.
“By the way,” he said, “you look hot today.”
Betty gave him her best Moneypenny. Maverick grinned, sliding back out, shutting the door behind him.
Thus mildly distracted, Betty started tapping through the files Hinkle had attached, pulling up one of the images he had highlighted – 'effects on normals' – a graphic JPEG of what looked to have once been a mouse, turned inside-out.
Any lingering schoolgirl, soda-pop thoughts quickly evaporated as the ghastly images stung her eyes. Betty had done gross anatomy, but this nearly caused a gag-reflex. Her own application of DNA research had been primarily medicine, so she understood the need for animal-testing but...
Betty shuddered, closing the image, and scrolling down to the next file.
This one was an image of Princess Leia, in her white gown – the glowing hologram projected by R2-D2.
As Betty tapped the screen, the image spoke.
“Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi,” the recorded voice of Carrie Fisher said. “You're my only hope.”
Betty smiled a little, puzzled.
The file opened, and a video started to play.
In place of Leia's hologram, up popped the image of Professor Hinkle himself.
Betty's smile faded, as the old man began to speak.
“Ms. Kathryn Rhodes. I've chosen you to receive this message because you are the daughter of General Nathan Rhodes, and it has become dangerous for me to attempt to contact him directly.”
Betty's brows furrowed. Hinkle's speech and manner were clearly much more cognizant than the man she'd met only a short while ago.
She paused the message briefly, checking the date, noting the file was created only shortly before Kate had received her first e-mails.
Betty recalled how Hinkle seemed to frown when Kate had handed her the drive. And the first thing on the message was a summons to her father, the General?
She paused, indecisive, before hitting play again.
Kingdom of Monsters Page 14