by Ben Hammott
After a few moments, the radio crackled with a voice Colbert recognized, Commander Graham. “What is your situation, Colbert?”
“We have what I believe to be a contagious alien lifeform on board that is a threat to life that cannot be allowed to spread. It has already killed the pilots. We are diverting to the abandoned Devil Falls Airforce Base, Montana, and request that a full quarantine and containment unit meets us there ASAP.”
There was a pause while the commander spoke to someone. “The quarantine unit is being assembled as we speak and will be with you as soon as it is logistically possible, six to eight hours.”
“I wish it were sooner, but thank you, sir. We’ll also need the airbase’s coordinates.”
Another slight pause before the commander read off the coordinates. Kelly punched them straight into the navigation console and nodded at Colbert when the corrected flightpath appeared.
“Got them, sir.”
“Can you tell me more about this alien lifeform?”
“I’ll tell you what little I know. We believe it originated from a meteorite we have on board.”
“The one the British scientist insisted we bring back from Batagaika Crater, I assume.”
“That’s the one, sir. It first infected the pilot’s cat and then somehow jumped to both pilots, so it’s capable of cross-species infection. I’m not one hundred percent certain, but I don’t think it’s airborne. I suspect contact is needed for it to pass to a different host, so that’s one thing in our favor. The cat is full of what seems to be worms that are feeding on its carcass.” Colbert glanced at the co-pilot beside him. “The pilots, as of yet, have died but show no similar symptoms, so possibly the incubation period for whatever this organism is, is different for each host it infects; perhaps related to size. The larger the host, the longer it takes the parasite to mature or whatever it does.”
“Sounds nasty and extremely virulent. Quarantine was a wise call.”
“One more thing, commander. A different organism was spotted crawling from the cat’s mouth, a black tentacled creature that would fit in your palm and which might be responsible for spreading the infection to the pilots.”
“And where is this creature now?”
Colbert glanced at Sullivan when he entered with a fire extinguisher marked with a CO2 identifier on the label. “In the cockpit with us somewhere.”
“Then you have your hands full. Be assured we are doing everything necessary this end. When you have landed, the plane is to remain sealed and no one is permitted to disembark. It’s up to you to ensure this thing doesn’t spread until the quarantine unit arrives and takes control.”
“Understood, Commander.”
“Good luck to you and your men.” Commander Graham ended the call.
Colbert returned the mic to its stand and looked at Kelly. “How long before we land?”
“Approximately twenty minutes.”
“Good. I’ll feel better when we’re on the ground. If it comes to it and we are unable to defend ourselves against it, we might have to burn the plane to destroy it.”
“Not with us in it, I hope,” uttered Richard.
Sullivan grinned at Richard. “Well, we won’t be.”
Richard looked back into the hold and noticed Boris watching them. “Just a thought, but as Mason found no sign of the creature in the cockpit, could it be out here somewhere? The door was open, and it’s small. It could have easily slipped out without anyone noticing.”
“Shit!” cursed Colbert, exiting the cockpit and sweeping his eyes around the cavernous space. “Sullivan, you remain in here with the extinguisher in case it’s still in the cockpit, while the rest of us search out here.”
A glare from Colbert held Richard’s argument in check. Moving slowly through the hold, they began checking every space small enough to hide the creature.
Richard turned and struck Mason with the parachute on his back.
Mason shoved him away. “You going to take that thing off now?”
“No way. I’m ready for a quick exit, and if you lot had any sense, you would be wearing them as well. I’ve had too many bad experiences with aliens not to take precautions.”
“Slap me with it again, and you’ll get the chance to use it as I’ll push you out the bay door.”
Richard grinned at him. “Promises, promises. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than off this plane, so it’s hardly a threat.”
“What about if I cut the straps just before I shoved you out?”
Richard moved a few steps away, and they carried on searching.
CHAPTER 7
Hunting Party
Moving stealthily through the forest, Kathryn, Greg, Claire, and Wayne, continuously scanned their surroundings for their prey, a deer. Though all four enjoyed the sport, it wasn’t something they did purely for recreation. Hunting for the food it provided for their families was an essential part of life living in such a remote town where there were no large shopping malls or grocery stores stocked with a never-ending supply of fresh meat and groceries.
On reaching the top of a small rise, Wayne dropped to a crouch. It was a sign he had spotted something below. The others kept low as they joined him in peering down at the deer drinking at the stream. As if sensing them, the animal raised its head and scanned the top of the slope. Suddenly, it turned and fled.
Greg tapped Kathryn on the shoulder. She was by far the best shot of them all, and with the deer on the run, she was the only one who stood a chance of bringing it down. “It’s all yours.”
Kathryn raised the rifle and sighted through the scope. Trees and undergrowth blurred in her view as she sought out her prey. Finding it, she relaxed to regulate her breathing as she focused on the running deer, her movements smooth and controlled. Trees flashed past the scope the deer ran behind. It would be a difficult shot with such obstructions. Her finger caressed the trigger. She shut out everything around her and fixated on the deer. At that moment, it was all that existed. She gently squeezed the trigger, and as the deer passed the gap between two pines, the rifle bucked.
The shot shattered the silence, and momentarily froze every animal within earshot. The deer fell to the ground and skidded through the leaves before coming to a stop. Kathryn studied the unmoving animal through the sight. It was dead, a clean kill.
Her companions whooped and praised her marksmanship.
“A perfect shot,” said Wayne.
“Well done, Kath,” congratulated Claire
“Come on, let’s go and claim the kill before a bear, cougar or wolf beats us to it,” said Greg, starting down the slope.
The others followed.
CHAPTER 8
Crash
Kelly peered down at the forests and rocky terrain thousands of feet below them, and the approaching mountains they would have to fly over. The United States and Montana were on the other side. “Almost there. Fifteen minutes and we should be within sight of the airbase.”
“How’s the fuel doing?” asked Sullivan.
“Fuel is the least of our worries. It’s the condition of the runway that worries me. If it's potholed or there’s an abandoned plane on the runway, then we’re stuffed. I’ll do a flyover when we’re there to check it out before we commit.”
“Hopefully, it’ll be clear because that alien on the loose is creeping me out. I know it sounds crazy, but I’d prefer it to be bigger, then it would be easier to find and shoot. With it being so small, I’m expecting it to pounce on me at any moment.” He glanced down at the constantly wriggling blanket covering the cat as if the tendrils were trying to remove it. “The worm-riddled cat corpse isn’t helping matters. What happens when they’ve devoured the cat? They’ll turn to another source of food, that’s what, and apart from the monkey, we humans are only the only items left on the menu.”
“It’s a chimpanzee, not a monkey,” Kelly corrected.
“Geesh! From what I just said, that’s the only bit you thought to react to?”
�
�Not a lot we can do about it until we land, is there?”
“Suppose not,” mumbled Sullivan. “We should never have brought that damn rock on board.”
“Amen to that.”
“Sullivan! Bring the extinguisher here,” called out Colbert.
Mason crossed to Colbert. “Have you found it?”
Richard backed toward the loading ramp.
“Not sure, but there’s a rip in the soundproofing which looks suspicious to me.”
Mason looked at the hand-width tear. “It seems the right size, and look where it is, directly above one of the seats. It could be hiding to attack anyone who sits there.”
“You think it’s that intelligent?”
Mason shrugged. “I just think that after our last alien encounter, we shouldn’t underestimate it, is all.”
Sullivan arrived. “What have you found?”
Colbert pointed out the rip.
“You think it crawled inside?”
“That’s what we are about to find out.” Colbert drew his knife. “I’m going to cut it open, but first, give it a squirt in case it’s in there.”
Sullivan poked the nozzle into the rip and blasted it with cold foam for a few seconds, the pressure ballooned and rippled the soundproofing cover. As soon as he removed the hose, Colbert dragged the blade in a square. They stepped back when the window of material flopped to the floor and stared at the patch of foam-blasted padding that doubled up as insulation against the cold.
Mason looked for a telltale dark lump in the foam. “I can’t see it.”
“It’s a damn waste of time,” muttered Sullivan. “That stuff must be at least six inches thick. If the creature did crawl inside, it’s so small it could have burrowed into the stuff, and we’d never find it without ripping the whole lot down.”
Colbert couldn’t disagree. He glanced around the hold again. The thing was so small it could be anywhere.
A scream, loud and full of pain, rang out from the front of the aircraft.
Their eyes shot to the cockpit entrance. Kelly.
The three men stumbled when the plane suddenly tipped forward and rolled to the side.
Colbert snatched the fire extinguisher from Sullivan and sprinted to Kelly’s aid. Mason and Sullivan followed on his heels.
Richard sighed. “And so it begins… again!” Taking as wide a berth as possible around the meteorite, he moved to the cargo bay door control and waited to see what happened next. He didn’t expect it to be anything good.
*****
The creature, the current Alpha of its species, lie in wait for the second human to leave. As soon as Sullivan had gone, it made its move. Kelly peered out through the side window at the impressive sight of the mountains passing beneath. Forests covering the lower slopes, stretched down to form deep valleys between them; it was a hellish terrain to traverse on foot. He checked the GPS readings. The runway should be coming up soon.
He turned when the loud throaty blast of the fire extinguisher drifted through the plane. He was about to call out to ask if they had found the alien when he noticed something that stopped him. The blanket slipped from the co-pilot’s head as his jaw opened. At first, he thought the man might still be alive, but the thin black tentacles that crept out across the man’s cheeks belayed that thought. In the blink of an eye, the creature shot out of his mouth like a champagne cork. It landed on the console in front of him and directed its sinister eyeless head straight at him.
Staring at the misshapen black lump that had the appearance of furry fungus, Kelly pictured himself as a corpse riddled with worms like the cat. Fearful a call for help might incite the evil thing to attack, he slowly moved his hand behind the seat and toward Mason’s rifle leaning against the wall. If he could reach it, he might be able to swat it like a fly. He froze when the creature’s head turned to his moving hand and then back at his face. Its hairs turned needle rigid when its body bloated. It shot out a spike that punctured Kelly’s cheek. He screamed as the burning pain flowed out from the point of impact. His hands at the controls shot forward when his body spasmed, sending the plane into a turning dive. The spike dropped out, barely leaving a mark.
The hundreds of fine filaments a fraction of the width of a human hair that had slithered out from the needle’s tip moved through their host. Each released a paralyzing numbing agent, a kindness in return for taking over their victim’s body but, more importantly, preventing their host from destroying itself to bring an end to the agony. Thousands of years of trial and error had honed their invasive skills to perfection. Although each new host species required varying the process for maximum success, they were quick learners.
Kelly heard running footsteps enter the cockpit and gasps of shock at seeing the black alien, then the loud bass-throaty sound of a fire extinguisher. Foam sprayed the console and splattered across some of the cockpit screens. The creature, almost too fast to follow, sprung onto the ceiling and scuttled across it. A trail of foam followed in its wake. Someone moved into his view. It was Colbert, his face masked with concern, his voice muffled as if he spoke through a pillow. As the numbness faded slightly, Kelly forced his hands to respond to help Colbert peel them from the controls, but no longer in command of his limbs, he failed. Changing tactic, Colbert gripped Kelly’s hands and pulled them back; the plane began to straighten out.
“What’s wrong with him?” asked Mason, grabbing his rifle as Sullivan chased the creature into the hold.
“I think he’s paralyzed,” responded Colbert, dragging the blanket back over the co-pilot’s head. “The alien must have done something to him.”
“You take care of him. Sullivan and I will handle that thing.” Mason rushed into the hold.
When the plane was level, Kelly watched Colbert slowly remove his hands from his own. Satisfied Kelly had some sort of limited control, even if it were only to hold his arms rigid, he looked at his friend. “Can you speak?”
Although his speech was slurred, Kelly forced his mouth to respond to his commands and felt the numbness begin to slide away. “Yeeesss.”
“Do you have control of the plane?”
Kelly looked at his hands and wiggled his fingers. They responded, but the movement was slight. “I thiinnkk sooo.”
“What happened? Did the creature attack you?”
Kelly managed a faint nod, movement becoming a little easier as the toxin in him receded. “It shot… hairsss at me. Put something… inside me. Cat worms… I think.”
“Shit!” cursed Colbert. “You are the only one that can fly this thing. Can you still land it?”
“I…will… do my…best.”
Colbert placed a hand on his shoulder. “Good man.”
A roar of air and a blast of wind swept through the plane.
Colbert moved to the side and peered into the hold. Richard had opened the cargo door. “Damn that man!” He rushed from the cockpit.
Kelly turned his head left and right and lifted an arm. It was like he was moving through molasses. Either his strong will was slowly regaining control of his body or whatever the creature had injected into him was wearing off. He was under no illusions about his dire situation. He was dying, that much was certain. His only goal was to survive long enough to land the plane and save his friends. Then, if one of his friends were willing to carry out the deed, a bullet to the head would be gratefully received. Rather that, than suffer the same dreadful fate as the cat.
*****
When the creature scurried across the ceiling with Sullivan in pursuit trying to spray it with CO2 foam, Richard knew things were out of control. It was time for him to leave. His hand remained poised an inch from the button when Sullivan exclaimed, “Got it!” He looked back along the plane when it once again began to level out.
Mason appeared brandishing his assault rifle and joined Sullivan, staring at a foam-covered lump on the floor. “Is it dead?”
“I doubt it. Richard was right; the freezing foam has incapacitated it.”
“
Stand back.” Mason turned the rifle and struck the lump a few times with the stock, the thumps on the floor echoing through the hold. Halting his attack, the two men stared at the floor. There was no sign of the creature, splattered or otherwise.
“You smashed it to smithereens,” said Sullivan investigating the foam with his foot for evidence of the dead creature. “You’d think there would be blood or body parts…or something.”
Mason turned the weapon to check if the crushed alien had stuck to it and started when he saw it crawling up the stock. As he flung the rifle, the creature pounced and landed on his chest. Sullivan aimed the extinguisher nozzle at it and pressed the trigger. The splatter of weak spray fizzled to a dribble; it was empty. Mason instinctively brushed at it with his hands, jerking back from the tentacles that lashed at his fingers. The creature jumped onto his sleeve and rushed for his face.
A snarling screech heralded the arrival of Boris dropping from the ceiling and landing in front of Mason. It swept a hand at the creature, batting it across the hold. It thudded on the wall and latched on when it fell. All eyes in the room watched it scurry up the wall and across the ceiling. When it was above the meteorite, it dropped with its tentacles held stiff. They slipped into the crack and dragged its body inside.
Mason let out a sigh of relief. “Shit, that thing nearly had me.” Turning to Boris, who stared at the rock the creature had disappeared into, he stroked his head. “Thanks, buddy, I owe you one.”
Richard had seen enough. The creature could emerge from the meteorite at any moment and attack one of them. He thumped the cargo door button and walked onto the ramp when it started to lower.
“Richard, what in hell’s name do you think you’re doing?”
Richard looked back at Colbert. “I thought that was obvious; I’m leaving—something you should all do. Let the plane crash and burn. If the landing doesn’t kill that thing, the resulting fire will.”