Yuri peered over her shoulder. “What were they for, do you think?” His Russian accent making “think” sound more like “tink.” (note for gary)
“We discovered nearly identical structures inside the Atean ship,” Anna explained. “They were used to cultivate and then release full-grown specimens into Earth’s prehistoric environment.”
Yuri took a closer look. “What kind of a creature could you fit into this? It’s the size of a urine sample cup.”
“I won’t ask how you know that,” Gabby said, with marked disapproval.
He stopped and stared at her. “You telling me you don’t like to smoke once in a while?”
“All the time,” she admitted. “But mainly cigarettes.”
“Ha, there goes the pot calling the kettle black,” Yuri shot back.
Anna eyed the interaction with fascination. “A saying that dates back to the sixteenth century when kettles and pots were both darkened from cooking over an open flame.”
“Yeah, we got it,” Kerr said, making his way to a break in the wall where a new corridor lay.
“Maybe this ship did things differently,” Jack theorized. “Rather than incubating a full-grown specimen, perhaps they released strands of genetic material into the environment.”
They pressed on, moving through another passage into a room that bore an uncanny resemblance to the previous one. The third was no different. Each was filled from floor to ceiling with thousands of mini-pods. Jack reached out to Stokes and the others, sending back images of what they had found.
“We got the same thing here,” Stokes replied. “Grant tells us you’ve seen this before.”
“That’s right,” Jack said. “Which is why we aren’t stopping to snoop around. Any serious comparison will have to wait. We’ve just started heading through another long hallway. I can already see that it opens into a massive chamber.”
Jack and his group emerged into the cavernous space. The ceiling, if you could call it that, looked more like the roof of an enclosed sports stadium than an alien compound. Soft lighting bathed the rough edges of moss-covered rock formations. A platform rose up from the middle of the room. Blue lights blinked on and off in sequence, running up and down its length. A series of steps led to the top where a silver altar sat, most of it covered by vines and other vegetation.
Stokes waved at them from the other end of the chamber. It appeared both corridors led to the same location.
“What is this?” Dag asked, hurrying past Stokes, who warned him not to rush ahead. There was no telling what creatures might be hiding in here.
The two groups met in the center, by a shallow pond. Grant went over to one of the rock formations and scraped off a sample, using the magnification on his glasses to zoom in.
“This certainly doesn’t beat my microscope, but it appears these mounds are also made of discarded nanocells.”
“How could that be?” Yuri asked, stunned.
“It is very simple,” Anna said as she began scaling the steps to the altar. “Some of the earliest forms of life on Earth were mounds of microbes that formed rock-like structures.”
“Some of them appear to still be alive,” Grant began. “Or at least, still functioning.”
Standing next to Jack, Gabby eyed the platform. “You think that was where they made the human sacrifices?”
Just then Dag called them over to a spot at the base of the platform. “I got a collection of bones here,” he said, carefully picking one up. “You ask me, this looks a lot like a Mesonyx arm bone. There’s a partial skull here too.”
Jack, Gabby and Grant went over to have a look.
Anna reached the top of the platform and began peeling the vegetation away from the altar. “Dr. Greer,” she called out. “I believe our assessment of this object may have been incorrect.”
Jack took a handful of steps away from the base until he caught sight of Anna at the top. “Show us what it is you see.”
“Very well.”
The visual came through a moment later. What they thought was an altar was a rectangular metallic formation, its composition a mishmash of what appeared to be silver and lead. The blue lights that ebbed along the edge of the platform criss-crossed over the flat surface of the object Anna was examining. Parts of it were so shiny they could see her reflection as she bent over for a better look.
“Anna,” Jack said, “were those blue lights on the altar blinking the whole time?”
“No, Dr. Greer. They started as I began removing the vines.”
“Anna, I think you should get down from there,” Jack suggested. “At least until we have a better idea what―”
A hand sprang up from the metallic block, grasping Anna’s outstretched arm. She stared down at it in shock. It was not merely coming from the object, the arm was part of the object—and now it began to unfold with the sound of clanking metal, whining against years of disuse. Anna tried to wrench her arm away, but she was locked in its grasp. Those below sprung their weapons.
“Hold your fire,” Jack called out, his arms extended to those on either side of him.
A moment later, the entire metal block had twisted and contorted into a disturbing new shape, one with six top-jointed legs, a thick torso and two sets of thin, but clearly powerful arms. The head craned to one side as it tried to make sense of what it was seeing. The metallic creature’s face was tall and thin with rows of blue and red lights running in every direction. Jack wanted to call it an alien, but it looked far more like a robot.
In one rapid motion, each of its four arms clasped onto Anna, engulfing both of them in a blinding explosion of light, brighter than any blast wave Jack had ever experienced. Those gathered below closed their eyes, some covering their faces with their hands. Their visors, sensing the dramatic change in ambient light, applied a protective screen. But even that wasn’t enough.
When Jack’s vision finally returned, the being was still there, regarding them with a mix of curiosity and disdain. Crumpled at its feet lay Anna, thin wisps of smoke rising from her prone form.
Chapter 43
“I’m gonna waste him,” Kerr yelled as it began descending the staircase.
The being’s six mechanical legs navigated the risers, moving in perfect synchronicity. Jack stood frozen, distinctly aware that what passed for eyes were locked on him as it reached the ground level. The others scurried backward, Dag nearly tripping over a boulder in his path.
Jack held his ground, his rifle dangling by his side.
The creature stopped and the lights flickering about its face sped up as it began to make a sound.
“Mok-neer,” it said in a low, melodic-sounding voice.
Stokes took aim. Jack raised a hand to stop him.
The creature reached out and tapped the exoskeleton Jack was wearing with one of its long metallic claws.
“Moktor-hack-neer,” it said, deviating slightly.
Jack increased the audio receptors enough to catch what sounded like a quieter voice uttering the word hundreds, maybe thousands of times in rapid succession until it began to sound like a static hum.
Jack activated his external audio. “What did you do to our friend?” he demanded, pointing to Anna, who still hadn’t moved.
It turned and saw where he was indicating. “Rhana.”
“Yes, Anna,” Jack repeated. “Is that what you’re saying? Anna?”
The lights about its face began flickering even faster until the being’s head glowed with a single blueish hue. “Anna,” it said at last, then tapped its nail against Jack’s chest. “Doctor Jack Greer.”
“You know who I am?” Jack said, struggling against the flood of conflicting emotions surging through him.
“Anna showed me,” it said slowly.
“How? I don’t understand.”
“Your tongue is very primitive,” the being said, sounding more proficient by the second. “I have assimilated all information contained within the one you call Anna.”
“You kil
led her,” Jack said, trying to remain steady.
“No, not dead. She is recovering.”
“Who are you?” Jack said. “And why have you come here?”
It bent down and scooped up a loose patch of soil with one of its four metallic claws and brought it several inches from its face. A horizontal beam shot out from one of its eyes, tracing up and down the length of what it was holding. “In your language, I am called Caretaker. I have come to perform my duty, as many have done before me.” Seemingly oblivious to their presence, Caretaker moved past Jack, apparently fascinated by a tree standing behind him.
Grant spoke up over the radio. “Why do I get the impression this thing might not know where it is?”
“Maybe because it’s been asleep for a million years,” Dag said.
“Five hundred million of your Earth years, to be exact,” Caretaker said. It was talking to them over the radio.
“How did you do that?” Gabby asked, staring in stunned disbelief like the rest of them.
Even Jack was having trouble forming a coherent thought. It wasn’t every day you came face to face with… he stopped himself short of saying ‘God.’ Perhaps ‘creator’ was more accurate.
Caretaker began scuttling toward the incubation chambers.
“Where are you going now?” Jack said, starting after it before skidding to a stop. “Dag, Grant, go check on Anna, would you? I’m gonna see if I can reason with this thing.”
“Reason?” Gabby said. “Oh, goodness, be careful, Jack.”
Jack hustled, catching up to Caretaker just beyond the entrance. The being’s head was tilted to the sky, its face a swirl of color, as it took in the jungle environment surrounding them. A wisp zipped by and Caretaker tracked its movement, watching it with keen interest as it darted away.
“You’ve never seen any of this before, have you?” Jack said. “This all happened while you were hibernating.”
“A glorious accident,” Caretaker said, its face glowing blue.
“Why do you change colors?” Jack wondered.
“Thesis, antithesis, synthesis,” Caretaker answered enigmatically. “This is the path to knowledge. The blue light you see indicates understanding has been achieved.”
“You’re a robot,” Jack said, “like Anna.”
“Anna is evolving, but she has a long way yet to go. We are similar, her and I, yes. But unlike her, I retain the memories from my organic past.”
“Hard to believe you were once biological,” Jack said.
Caretaker was busy admiring the dense canopy overhead when it glanced down at the exoskeleton and biosuit Jack was wearing. “You are less biological than you think.”
Jack eyed the gear wrapped around him. “I suppose you do have a point.”
Just then, a Stalker pushed through a clump of bushes nearby, eyeing them. Jack swung his rifle around. “We better get back inside. This place isn’t as friendly as you think.”
The Stalker let out a shriek and charged. But Caretaker had spotted a flying creature perched on a high branch and was analyzing it.
“Caretaker!” Jack shouted. The Stalker was fifteen feet away, its clawed feet tearing up the dirt as it moved in for the kill. Tracking it, Jack took aim and squeezed the trigger, hitting nothing but a patch of dirt. He had been aiming too far ahead, but only because the Stalker had stopped dead in its tracks. In fact, it hadn’t only stopped, it was completely frozen. Even a drop of drool that had been collecting along the edge of its rounded, tooth-filled mouth hung in midair.
Caretaker was still admiring the bird. When it flew away he returned his attention to Jack, who remained on his backside, dumbfounded. “This looks to you like magic. I see that now. Anna has studied your people closely. She wishes to be one of you. Even you must know that her true destiny is not to emulate humanity, but to surpass them.” Caretaker approached the Stalker, his legs making a crab-like sidestep as he circled the creature. “Nearly everything you see here is composed of building blocks still well beyond your level of technology.”
“Nanocells,” Jack said, admonishing himself for the defensive tone in his voice. “We do not possess it yet, especially at these levels. We know of it, however.”
“Then you know that each building block can be controlled and reconfigured.” One of the Stalker’s front legs dissolved into a gray goo, which collected on the ground in a small puddle. Jack watched as the puddle slithered over a vine before merging into one of Caretaker’s own limbs. Then Caretaker’s form began to change. His eight spindly legs merged into two, as did his arms. His head narrowed into something resembling a man’s face. In spite of his gray and silver skin, he looked almost human. “Does this form please you more?”
“Uh, I’m having a hard time believing what I’m seeing.”
“Human minds do not deal well with shock.”
“If you arrived here millions of years ago, how is it you know so much about us?”
Caretaker studied his new human hands, adding in additional details the way a sculptor might work a piece of clay. “I have already told you. When Anna and I merged, I gained access to all that she knows. When two beings encounter one another, there is always a symbiotic exchange. From her I gained knowledge of what this world has become and the dominant species currently inhabiting it.”
“If the exchange was mutual, then what did Anna get from you?”
Caretaker’s new human lips curled at the edges. “Something she has always wanted.”
Chapter 44
Much to Kay’s relief, the flight into the Antonio Nery Juarbe Pol airport in Puerto Rico was rather uneventful. She and the others exited the plane, stepping onto the tarmac and into a stifling wave of Caribbean heat. In spite of being a few miles from shore, the smell of the ocean was still strong.
“This is my first time in Puerto Rico,” Armoni admitted.
“It might also be your last,” Sven said ominously before nudging her.
Waiting for them a short distance away was a beat-up old-school GM van. Standing next to it was a man with mocha-colored skin and a face covered in tattoos.
Kay turned to Ollie who was coming up behind her. “You sure this is our contact? He looks more like a convict.”
Ollie snickered. “Where do you think we found him? He’s one of the best drivers on the island.” The two men approached one another and embraced. “Paco, it’s been too long, mate. How’s the family?”
“I sent them to live with my aunt in Bogotá,” he replied. “Shipments of food to the island have been growing scarcer and there’s no telling how long until the situation boils over.”
“You’ve been lucky until now, mate,” Ollie told him. “But you’re right to be worried.”
He introduced everyone before they loaded their gear into the van and drove off.
The roads here were generally nicer than other islands in the Caribbean and Kay assumed that was at least partly due to Puerto Rico’s designation as a U.S. territory. Ceded after Spain’s defeat in the Spanish-American war at the turn of the last century, it was only one of several islands handed over. Among them were Guam, the Philippines and Cuba.
Soon, they pulled off the highway and drove down a narrow dirt road that looked like it had only recently been carved out of the surrounding jungle. By Sven’s gargantuan standards, the van was small and more than once Paco’s high-speed driving sent Sven’s head into the ceiling. He rubbed the top of his skull and scowled.
“Sorry, my friends, but these back roads are still a bit wild,” Paco said apologetically.
Ollie sneered. “Yeah, so’s your driving, mate. We nearly there? I’m getting seasick.”
The van erupted in laughter.
After passing through a clearing, they arrived at a small wooden cabin, although ‘shack’ might be a more accurate way of describing what they encountered. Out front was a nearly identical vehicle.
Two men emerged from inside the shack. The older guy was short and round with a full set of hair and goatee. He move
d with surprising grace in spite of his rather generous proportions.
The young one was tall, with an average build, a strong jaw and a badly receding hairline.
“Welcome,” the wider man said, greeting them with a warm smile and open arms.
“Luis, have you lost weight?” Ollie asked, patting his belly.
Luis let out a raspy laugh as the two men embraced. “I sure hope not, my wife will kill me.” He ran his hands down the sides of his body in a provocative manner. “She likes her men curvy.”
Ollie shook his head in disgust, motioning to the younger man next to him. “Ramon, I don’t know how you put up with him.”
“I won’t lie,” Ramon replied, “it’s a struggle. But we all have our crosses to bear.”
Ollie tapped the religious symbol at the end of Ramon’s necklace. “Can’t you call your God down to bail us out of this mess? Would save us a heap of trouble.”
Ramon took the cross and kissed it. “I’m afraid this is not how the big man upstairs works.”
Man? Kay thought, but didn’t say.
They headed inside and found the furnishings as sparse as the exterior. In the corner stood a small stove. Against the other wall was a single bed with a caved-in mattress. And in the middle was a table with four rickety chairs.
“Not exactly the Ritz, I’m afraid,” Ollie said.
“Ritz?” Richard spat. “This place makes Motel Six look like the Taj Ma-frickin’-hal.”
Ollie wasn’t impressed. “Well, if you haven’t gotten the hint yet, we won’t be spending any more time here than we need to. Just enough to sort out what each of us will be doing.” He turned to Ramon. “Care to bring in the goodies you brought us?”
Ramon and Luis disappeared outside and returned a moment later with a heavy duffel bag filled with weapons and a smaller bag with plastic explosive and bomb components.
Ollie reached into the first bag and came out with an AK-47-style rifle. “Really, boys?” Ollie said with disappointment and a touch of concern. “You couldn’t find anything a little more modern?”
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