“It’s not that,” Ben said from between clenched teeth. “It’s burning.” He ripped his sleeve upward, revealing a rash of bright red marks creeping along his upper arm, the wounds swelling as if jagged claws were being drawn across his skin.
“We didn’t catch it all,” Cate said, standing up. “It’s still alive. I’ll have to do it again.”
Ben gestured for her to sit. “No. Stay there. Take us home.” He pushed himself to his feet, grunting in pain, then he staggered back to the workstation, his heart racing. “Tessa. Need help.” The pain flooded his mind, waves of white-hot agony robbing him of the power to think, to feel, to react. He held onto the back of the workstation seat with his right hand. His left arm was useless, the muscles quivering beneath the symbiont’s onslaught.
Tessa opened a locker then slammed it shut and selected another. “Where’s the goddamned spray?”
“Far end,” Cate called out. “Right-hand side. Second row down.”
“Got it.” Tessa rushed back to Ben, spray bottle in hand. “Take your shirt off.”
Ben fumbled with his shirt, but Tessa took over, tearing the fabric to expose his whole arm. She started spraying, soaking Ben from the shoulder down. “Come on!” she urged. “Work, goddammit!”
But the pain moved faster now, ran deeper, slicing him to the bone. It reached his shoulders, his chest, and a shudder ran through him. It was hard to breathe, and each time he tried, his heart lurched.
From somewhere in the distance, he heard a thud, and somehow, he knew Siobhan was back inside. Tessa said something, but Ben didn’t hear. He let out a low groan and closed his eyes, his face streaming with tears from the bitter mist Tessa was still spraying onto his skin.
The floor shifted beneath his feet, and he fought to keep his balance. Good. The rover was moving. Cate had set off already. Siobhan and the others would make it home. They’d be okay.
The thought somehow strengthened him, and he opened his eyes. “Too late,” he said to Tessa. “Stop.”
She looked into his eyes. “No. I’ll keep trying. Maybe we can stop it. Slow it down.”
Ben shook his head, the movement almost too much for him to bear, his neck muscles going into a spasm. His legs buckled, and he slumped to his knees. “Tell Siobhan,” he said, his voice thick. “Tell her.”
Tessa went to pick him up by the shoulders, but he waved his arm wildly at her. “No! Contaminated.”
He gasped for air, heard it wheezing in his throat. A convulsion wracked his body, his face twisting in pain. He tried to keep upright, but it was no use. He fell sideways, his head hitting the metal floor with a sharp crack. But he didn’t feel the impact. His world grayed out, the color vanishing, sounds becoming muffled, distant. He reached out for a second, grasping at thin air, and Tessa let out a sob. She called his name, but he couldn’t stay with her. It hurt too much to stay. He had to go.
His arm dropped to the floor, and he lay still, a long breath slipping from between his dry lips. And he stared, his eyes wide open, into a bleak and perfect darkness.
CHAPTER 4
The Hill
Connor sat down at his kitchen table, staring into space. He forced himself to focus, to look up at Siobhan. “Dead?”
Siobhan nodded, a tear escaping from the corner of her eye. Connor held out his arms to her, but she stood her ground. “Dad, I need to tell you what happened.”
Connor let his arms fall to his side. He shook his head, but he didn’t argue with his daughter. He knew she had to do this, to share the awful burden she’d carried for hours. He listened carefully while Siobhan spoke, and rather than interrupt her, he stored his questions away. And at the end, when she looked at him, her eyes brimming with grief, he gestured toward a chair, and she sat beside him. He placed his arm around her shoulders, and she seemed glad of it.
“I shouldn’t have let him go outside,” she murmured. “Cate wanted to turn around and come straight home, but Ben…he wanted…”
“It’s all right,” Connor said. “I understand. Ben was a grown man. He made a decision, and what happened…it was a terrible accident. A tragedy. But you mustn’t blame yourself. I’m sure Ben thought he was doing the right thing. We need to remember that. Remember his courage.”
Siobhan nodded, leaning closer to her dad and bowing her head until it rested on his shoulder. “He was very brave—I know that. But I just don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to get through this. It hurts, Dad. I can’t face it.”
Connor hesitated. “I’m sorry, Siobhan. It’s going to hurt for a while. But not forever. Believe me. There’ll come a time when it’s okay, but not yet. I wish there was something else I could do.”
Siobhan cried then, and Connor sat still, soaking up her tears. He tried to still his thoughts, to make himself into a rock she could cling to, but a slew of questions swirled through his mind. Was there really a type of symbiont that could get through a suit and even attacked metal? Could towers of grunge sprout up from the ground? Surely, such a deadly strain would quickly spread across the planet. What was to stop it? If the airborne spores were as virulent as it seemed, they would conquer this world in no time at all. And when the new symbiont came up against their precious wall, would it just keep on going until it had covered the hill?
Siobhan wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands, and she sat up, her face pale and her movements unsteady.
Connor patted her gently on the back. “You’re exhausted. Why don’t you go upstairs and rest? I’ll get Mom to look in on you.”
“All right.” Siobhan stood and headed for the narrow stairs, her shoulders slumped.
Connor watched her go, emotion churning his stomach. If he could take the pain from her and suffer it himself, he’d gladly do it, but grief was a mountain that each person had to climb for themselves. All he could do was be there for her and take care of her until she worked her way through it.
He pushed himself up and headed for the door, his footsteps heavy. His wife, Helen, was visiting with a neighbor. It would only take a few minutes to fetch her, and she’d do a better job of taking care of Siobhan than he could. Meanwhile, he had other things to deal with. He had to think about the future of every man, woman, and child in the settlement. He needed answers, and he knew exactly where to start.
***
Connor settled himself beside Parry at the small table in Evelyn Naidu’s house and checked the settings on the only long-range comms set they had. Doctor Teare had given them the whole rig, complete with a small antenna, and when Connor had brought the set home, the council had decided to install it in Evelyn’s house. Now, Evelyn stood behind Connor while he picked up the headset and prepared to plug it in.
“Connor, you will put it on speaker, won’t you?” Evelyn asked. “I have the feeling I need to hear this.”
Connor hesitated, then he placed the headset on the table. “Of course. We’ll keep this as transparent as we can, but I don’t want to cause panic. We don’t know the facts yet, so it’s best if this conversation stays in this room.”
“Agreed,” Evelyn said. “In return, you must appreciate that I have a duty to report the details to the council, regardless of how you might feel about it. Decisions will have to be made, and the more open we can be, the better.”
Connor nodded. “Let’s see if we can raise the trucks.” He flicked a switch to open the correct channel and leaned in toward the set’s microphone. “Doctor Teare, this is Connor Davey. Please come in. We need to talk urgently.”
He paused, listening to the wash of static crackling from the speaker. After a while, he tried again, and this time, a low buzz droned for a second before a voice broke through the noise: “Connor, this is David Brandt, Doctor Teare’s senior technician. We’re dealing with a situation here, but if you hold on for a minute, I’ll get her to come and talk with you.”
“Thanks, David,” Connor said. “Are you having problems? I hope everyone is okay.”
A pause. “Nothing we can’t handle. Hold on for Docto
r Teare.”
Connor frowned. Despite the wavering signal, he’d detected a note of anxiety in David’s voice. He might just have imagined it, but he didn’t think so, and when the speaker fell silent, he exchanged a look with Parry.
“Something he’s not telling us,” Parry said. “If they’re in trouble too, then God help us.”
Connor pursed his lips. “Let’s stick to the facts. I’ll see what I can find out, and then we’ll—”
Lyndsey’s voice interrupted him. “Connor, what can I do for you?”
She sounds exhausted, Connor thought. Tense too. On edge. “Doctor Teare, I’m here with Parry and Evelyn Naidu, the leader of our council.”
“Okay,” Lyndsey said, “but David tells me your call is urgent, so go ahead. I’m listening.”
Connor cleared his throat. “We have a problem here. Our rover went out on a scouting run, and they encountered some symbiont growing taller than usual.” He paused. Had Lyndsey drawn a sharp breath, or had there just been a flash of interference on the channel? “One of our young men went outside,” he went on, “and it seems he got contaminated. He was burned and…and he died soon afterward.”
“Oh no, I’m so sorry.”
“The point is, we need to know what’s going on,” Connor said. “The young man was wearing an EVA suit, and that’s always been enough in the past, but he was burned anyway. There was nothing anybody could do to save him.”
There was no reply.
“Doctor Teare? Are you there? Did you get that?”
A whisper of static, and then Lyndsey replied, “Yes, I’m here. I’m just shocked. Where did this happen? I thought you didn’t go far from your hill. This shouldn’t have happened, you shouldn’t have found the…” she broke off suddenly as if realizing she’d said too much.
Parry thumped his fist into the palm of his hand. “They knew!”
Connor shot him a look. “Doctor Teare…Lyndsey, were you aware that this could happen?”
He half-expected the channel to go dead, but after only half a second, Lyndsey replied. “Yes. Your people must’ve come across some symbiont that was shifting into phase two. I’m guessing they must’ve headed north from your hill.”
Connor felt the blood drain from his face. “Yes, they were traveling north. But what’s phase two? What’s going to happen and when?”
“I’m sorry,” Lyndsey said. “I should’ve warned you, but I was holding out hope for a rescue mission from Earth, and I thought you had more time. If you’d stayed on your hill, there was a chance you’d never have needed to know about this. It seemed cruel to leave it hanging over you.”
“And now a man is dead,” Connor stated, emphasizing every word. “His name was Ben. You met him. He was a young man. A scientist. At least, he would’ve been if he’d ever had a chance.”
“I…I remember him,” Lyndsey said, her voice catching. “I really am sorry, Connor. I don’t know what else to say.”
Connor sensed a swell of anger rising inside him, but he pushed it to one side. This was not the time for recriminations. Later, there’d be a chance to fight for some kind of justice for Ben, but not while the future of the settlement hung in the balance. “You can start by giving us some answers. We need to know what we’re up against, Lyndsey. And we need to know what we can do about it.”
“Yes. You’re right. You’re entitled to know.” Lyndsey paused. “When the symbiont reaches a certain density, a change is triggered, and the organism adapts. After the change, we call it phase two symbiont. Its chemical pathways switch so that it can utilize the minerals in the ground. But because it can feed on a wide range of materials, the symbiont becomes much more dangerous.”
Connor’s mouth went dry. “Can it get through an EVA suit?”
“I’m afraid there’s a good chance that it can. You can’t risk direct contact.”
From behind him, Connor heard Evelyn gasp, but he didn’t turn around. He glared at the comms set as if Lyndsey might pick up his anger, his frustration. “Siobhan was there when Ben died.”
“Siobhan? Is she all right?”
“She went outside, Lyndsey. She could’ve been killed. And another woman too. It could’ve been three people we have to bury.” Connor let his words sink in for a moment before going on. “And you know what? Ben didn’t even touch the symbiont. We think it was an airborne spore. It took him some time to die. He suffered.”
Again, Lyndsey didn’t reply.
“Are we right about the spores?” Connor demanded. “Are they worse than before?”
“Yes. At least, they can be. When the phase two symbiont grows in the right conditions, it can form tall structures, shedding cells that form spores in the air. The spores are less dangerous than the active form, but even so, they are phase two cells, so they can cause more damage than ordinary spores. They wouldn’t usually get through a suit on their own, but it’s possible, especially with an older suit. If there’d been a trace of organic matter on the suit, the spores could’ve latched onto it. And once they’d found a food source, they would’ve transformed quickly and started to reproduce, attacking the suit.”
Connor scraped his hand down his face. Some part of him had held onto the idea that Siobhan was wrong, that in the heat of the moment she’d made a mistake or jumped to the wrong conclusion. There’d been a chance, no matter how slim, that Lyndsey might’ve provided an alternative explanation. But no. If anything, the news was worse, far worse, than he’d expected. This is a death sentence, Connor told himself. We’re finished. Every one of us.
“Connor,” Lyndsey said, and her voice sounded even more strained than before. “Connor, there’s something else.”
“Go on,” Connor replied. “Tell us the worst. We need to be prepared.”
“Prepared? That’s not what I meant. I honestly don’t…I don’t see that there’s much you can do.”
“We’ll have to try,” Connor said. “Maybe, if we can seal up our houses and store food and water indoors, we might be able to hold out. We have suits, and the high ground gives us some advantage.”
“Perhaps.”
Connor knew what his next question must be, but his mind was numb, and he struggled to marshal his words into the correct order. Ask her, he told himself. You have to know. But it was hard when he knew that Lyndsey’s answer would be the difference between life and death for everyone he knew and held dear. He ran his tongue across his lips. “Lyndsey, the rescue mission—what did the GRC say? Are they underway yet? How long might it be before they arrive?”
“That’s…that’s what I was trying to tell you,” Lyndsey began. “My signal got through, but they aren’t going to send a rescue mission. I’m sorry.”
“What?” Connor frowned. He must’ve misheard; the signal was weak, and Lyndsey’s voice was slowly fading. But when he glanced at Parry, he knew there’d been no mistake. Parry closed his eyes and hung his head, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
Evelyn leaned forward. “Doctor Teare, please explain. What do you mean? Has the rescue been delayed?”
“No,” Lyndsey said. “It’s not going ahead. There’s trouble on Earth, and they’re not even sending a ship for my crew. We’ve abandoned our mission, and we’re heading back to the base camp where we landed.” She paused. “We’ll stay there until…” Her voice trailed away.
“Is there anything you can tell us that might help?” Evelyn asked. “Is there any way to keep the organism back?”
“None,” Lyndsey said. “I wish I could help you, but I can’t. I’m sorry, I truly am.”
“But you promised,” Connor put in. “You said you’d go public, tell everyone we were here and get people on our side.”
“It wouldn’t do any good,” Lyndsey said. “The Terran Alliance has carried out so many cyberattacks, the GRC say it’s not safe to launch a single mission.” She paused. “They won’t risk it, not as things stand. Like I said, they aren’t even sending a ship for us. There’s nothing I can do.”
Ev
elyn nodded slowly. “Very well. Thank you for being so honest with us. Now we know the truth, at least.”
Connor stared at Evelyn, wondering at her poise, her calm expression.
“You can close the channel, Connor,” Evelyn said. “Goodbye, Doctor Teare and good luck.” She stood back, gesturing to the comms set. “Please turn it off.”
Connor closed the channel and sat in silence. Beside him, Parry cursed under his breath.
Only Evelyn seemed unmoved by the news. “We need to talk. We need to make a plan.”
Parry grunted. “That won’t take long. We’ve only got two choices. Either we figure out some kind of defense against this stuff, or we get the hell off this hill and find somewhere else to set up.”
“Where would we go?” Evelyn asked.
Parry shrugged. “A while back, when we took the rover out to find Siobhan and Milo, we found some places down south where there was hardly any grunge. And now they’ve given up spraying the damned stuff, we might be able to outrun it. Hell, I know it sounds crazy, but after what she just told us, I don’t like the alternative.”
Evelyn nodded. “Perhaps some of the younger people might make it on foot. The rover could go along as support. It’s a possibility.”
“That’s hopeless,” Connor blurted. “It would take far too long. We drove south for well over a day before the grunge started to get thinner, and we were going as fast as we could. Walking in suits is slow and exhausting. It would take days, and all the time they’d be in the open, surrounded by symbiont. They’d die before they got anywhere even half safe.”
Parry thumped the table with his fist. “At least they’d have a chance. Stay here and we all die.”
“Not if we’re smart,” Connor said. “We work together, fixing up every house. We seal up the windows, plug the gaps around the doors. We can make filters to let the air through without the spores.”
“And how long will that last?” Parry demanded. “What about food and water? Once the grunge gets up here, it’ll choke every vine, every fern. There’ll be no groundweed, no crows. Hell, even the snakes won’t survive once the ground gets covered.”
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