Paphos, p.22
Paphos, page 22
“Come on, Carolina, let’s go back to camp.” Austin then turned to address Dmitry. “Athen is at the huts, resting. She’ll need you to perform surgery soon.”
“Wait… was that Orlean’s prosthetic?” Dmitry asked as he cautiously approached the creature, stunned by the organic details he could see up close.
“We’re leaving, it’s time to prep for an early departure,” Austin said.
“Negative. I am in command, especially now. You’ve neutralized it. Our company would expect us to bring this creature back with us.” Dmitry crossed his arms, gazing upon his treasure.
Austin set Carolina down. He didn’t like to argue, which was why he usually avoided it. He couldn’t wrestle the finer points or choose the best words, and besides, he didn’t always have the stomach for it. “Have fun carrying it, because I won’t. You can report me. Come on, kid, we’re getting the hell out of here.” Austin turned, holding Carolina by the hand.
“I will not tolerate insubordination!”
“Insubordination? How about some common sense!”
Dmitry grabbed him by the shoulder, and Austin spun and pushed him back. Whatever else might have happened stopped when they both heard the creature inhale and then exhale, relaxed as if sleeping. But it wasn’t sleeping. It was looking at them, with its speckled eyes and rows of bare teeth. The creature winced as it climbed to its feet, using its hands to pull itself up. The creature stood but leaned on a chair for support, wobbling on its feet. It wasn’t at full strength.
Dmitry picked up the spear, though Austin knew it was a paperweight at this point. But Dmitry didn’t know that, and apparently neither did the creature. It took one look at the spear, and he shoved the chair at them before stumbling straight for the incline to the outside. Austin backed away to give it plenty of room. The creature disappeared from the first chamber and was gone.
Dmitry was about to say something more when they both heard something else. Startled, they spun to see Dublin, oblivious, arriving seconds after the commotion, unsure as to what had just happened, wielding a machete.
“Dublin?” Dmitry asked unnecessarily. It certainly was him.
He sized them up and down. “Needin’ to know right now—were you there when Helena was attacked?” Dublin asked.
Austin wondered why Dmitry wouldn’t answer until he realized he wasn’t the one being asked. Me? “I haven’t seen Helena since the three of us broke away at the elevator,” he said, giving a quizzical glance to Dmitry. “And I’m also not the reason you were in that room with the creature. I tried to get you out of there.”
“Aye, was starting to figure that,” the Irishman said, leveling his gaze on Dmitry. “Well, fearless leader, starting to think you lied your ass off to me.”
Dmitry’s lips were thin and tight, but Austin was distracted by Carolina tugging at his hand.
“It wants our ship; it still needs off this planet,” she said.
It was loud enough for the three of them to hear. The Irishman looked at Dmitry from behind his barrel chest. “Important matters to attend to first. Suppose’n we can settle up after.”
“Daddy, we can’t let it leave the planet.”
“Aye, maybe we should listen to the girl. I don’t want to lose our pony home.”
Austin looked the Irishman up and down; the hostility that was there was different. He had a heavy weight around his shoulders, of guilt and also anger, different than before. He was in a blind rage last time, and Austin still didn’t know why. But now he suspected it had something to do with Helena. Dublin’s anger seemed focused on Dmitry instead. Good.
“Athen is alone at the quadrohuts.”
CHAPTER 36
The team that once operated with such precision now trekked disjointedly out of the facility, up the ramp, and against the current of water, which had become a trickle. The wind howled from the top, but it felt like less, Austin was glad to note. The trees had cast down many branches, but he saw blue sky beyond them as he neared the top.
He led the way in front of Dublin and Dmitry, though he would have preferred not having those two men behind him. He could only hope that after everything that happened, they’d put aside their problem with him and the radio. Hadn’t this proven his point exactly? They should have radioed for help like he said in the beginning.
As they traveled the forest from the place Carolina had discovered, a thought he kept pushing aside refused to be ignored, and it weighed more than his clay-saturated boots. How did Carolina know things?
The question was harder to put aside than it had been. Something was off with her, and he’d have to address it at some point. She knew things that she simply should not.
Any fear he had of Dmitry re-conspiring with Dublin seemed abated. The fearless leader was well behind the Irishman, who was well behind him and Carolina.
Carolina was difficult to keep up with. In fact, his neck still hurt from where she had squeezed him. The raw emotion of finding your father alive must have given her incredible strength, but still. She shouldn’t be that strong.
“What time is it?” she asked, charging forward and barely slowing.
“Almost lunch. The entire night has passed, and it doesn’t feel real,” Austin said. She’d tuned him out somewhere along the way, he could tell. Why did she want to know? She had to be hungry, tired, but it didn’t feel like any of those. She had a determination to get back, and it was stronger than theirs. She was also shielding her eyes from the natural light, which wasn’t that bright.
The storm had left the air feeling crisp, and some rain still fell, soft and mist-like. The heavier the storm, the quicker they often faded, though it was a bit of a shock to enter the building with a powerful system and leave with it breaking clouds and glimmering daylight. The forestry was dense enough that more storms could be looming; he wouldn’t know until they reached clearer grounds. Usually, the Orbiter would inform them of such things, but not since the radio was sabotaged.
Dublin cursed as he slipped to a knee, grabbing a branch and snapping it on his way down. The rain had turned their walkway into clay, slick and unpredictable.
Carolina exhaled.
“What is it?” he asked, hoping not to sound too paranoid.
“Nothing. Tired.”
He didn’t believe it was just tired, even though he wanted to. He felt paranoid. True, he had plenty to be paranoid about. They all did. He knew she needed rest, of course, she did; they all did. And being younger, she probably needed it the most. He pushed bright leaves out of the way as he hurried ahead. As tired as she looked, she did not slow down. The sharp spots of purple and the orange on the leaves sparkled, refreshed by the rain, as if their colors were awakened. But the trail was often steep and narrow, slowing them down. His stragglers refused to get any closer to each other. “Wait up, kid, we can’t go much faster.”
“You don’t understand!”
“I know, it’s headed for our ship. But it wouldn’t know how to fly it, and we’re going about as fast as we can go. The clay makes it harder. I can’t risk breaking an ankle,” but she was barely listening. Geez, we can call another shuttle from the Orbiter…After I fix the radio. If I can fix the radio, it was in pretty bad shape. If I can’t fix it… He may not be able to fix it. He dug through the cargo pocket of his pants and grabbed a glucose pack, handing her one also. Neither of them liked the taste, but it was easy to consume without slowing down.
“Thank you,” she said, stopping. “We really should have a plan for when we get there. We can’t take it head-on.” It felt good to stop, even for just a moment, but this wasn’t a conversation he expected from her—definitely Dmitry or Dublin, but not his twelve-year-old.
“I’m all ears,” he replied.
“First thing is not letting it know we’re there.”
“Okay. Second thing?”
Carolina shot him an irritated look. “I’m working on that.”
Austin let her go back to planning. He’d rather not take orders from Dmitry, but this was still some kind of shock, with Carolina in the lead. The whole day was a shock, but it made the problem he’d been ignoring weigh even more. At least they were almost there. The trail was well recognized. From here, it was a decline and then patches of flat grass, which were hopefully not ponds by now, and then they’d crest above where they could see the quadrohuts. Making a plan now was good because they’d be in the thick of it soon. The creature may be wounded, but it is still likely to outmatch them. So they’d better figure something out, even if it was just another weapon, something better than Dublin’s machete.
Dmitry finally passed the Irishman and caught up to Austin. Something about that was decidedly suspicious, though everything Dmitry did was now under his scrutiny. This was the crest overlooking the quadrohuts, where Austin stopped, and now they would all catch up. Crouching behind the line, they spotted the quadrohuts about fifty meters away.
“It’s there,” Dmitry pointed. He didn’t need to point; they all spotted the creature standing outside the west end of the huts, near the generators. Those generators were not designed with security in mind, considering all planets had been devoid of sentient life to date. It would be easy to do something bad to them.
“That can’t be good,” Austin groaned.
“Athen is down there?” Dublin asked.
“Yes, waiting for us. The creature may not know about her, and hopefully it stays that way.”
Dublin held the machete with white knuckles. “Aye, then I’m going down there.”
“You will stay here!” Dmitry ordered. But Dublin gave him a snarl instead, followed by a push that sent Dmitry to the ground. That constituted assault of a superior officer, but Dublin wasn’t interested in the debate. He was already moving along the bushes towards the quadrohuts, machete at the ready. The look on Dmitry’s face was enough that Austin took a step away, shielding Carolina.
“Austin, go and stop him,” he demanded.
“Sorry, boss, I don’t think so. Sounds like he has a bone to pick with you.”
Dmitry turned his vile glare towards him. “You will both regret defying me,” he vowed.
“I’ll regret it after I know what that thing wants with our generators.” Austin felt Carolina’s tiny hand squeeze his. He looked down and saw Dublin sneaking his way inside the quadrohuts. “He made it. Why don’t we just go help him?” Austin asked, ignoring Dmitry’s order, while leaving him a small way to be part of their team effort.
Just when he moved, Carolina tugged his arm, telling him to be still. It’s then that the creature ripped a cable from the generators, causing a loud snap and flash of light. The creature suddenly turned and scanned the hills where they were hiding. They instinctively ducked down, except Carolina, who held her head in pain. What was going on with her? He was afraid to lift his head and get spotted, but the lack of sound was too much. There was nothing beyond the rustle of the grass and leaves in the wind. Slowly, he poked his head up to get a look.
“Where did it go?” And why did it do that, he wondered.
“It doesn’t matter, we wait here,” Dmitry ordered.
“Have fun with that,” Austin said, moving from his location along the bushes the way Dublin had. But Carolina didn’t want to. “They need our help,” he said, urging her. She waited before giving a nod of admittance, seemingly fighting nausea. “Come on,” he said as she followed behind him. He wasn’t about to leave her in the care of that man.
Dmitry cursed something, but he ignored it. None of this would matter. Only surviving mattered right now. As Austin got closer, he found the creature, spotting it through the bushes. It had left the disabled generators and climbed onto the roof of the huts, and it was definitely limping, one of its arms dragging and useless. Anyone inside could easily hear it above them, so they would have taken cover. But still, what the hell was it doing? The huts weren’t designed for a siege; the creature would easily break inside if it wanted to, wounded or not. But even that wouldn’t be necessary, because the doors were wide open. Of course! In a power failure, the doors to the quadrohuts stayed open as a safety measure. Could it have known that? He prayed Athen and Dublin were hidden, that it was only on the roof for a better view.
Dmitry planted a hand on Austin. “I ordered you to stop!”
“Get that hand off me,” Austin warned, but Dmitry held him firm. He didn’t have the time, and he didn’t have the patience for Dmitry any longer. That creature was the threat, the team was in danger, but his captain wanted to go down with the ship and die. He wouldn’t take it. He spun and punched Dmitry in the lip, cocking his head back and almost dropping him. Austin had a follow-up glare ready. “That’s a warning shot. Back off.”
Austin turned and went for the quadrohuts. He traveled three steps when Dmitry tackled him from behind. He fell to the ground in disbelief, rolling to get control of Dmitry’s grip. He spun to his back as punches came, hard and fast, to his face. Austin caught one that made his vision go, instinctively turtling and holding on. He bucked his hips and pulled Dmitry to the side with a wrestling move he used in college, sending them both scrambling for top position.
From their fighting, they both saw Dublin emerge from the quadrohuts. The Irishman gave them a distant look and then continued on. Even in the midst of fighting, with the taste of blood in his mouth, Austin had to wonder why Dublin was walking across the field, completely exposed.
Long organic lines flowed in and out of Dublin, writhing with ease through the flesh of his body, protruding from one of the creature’s hands, guiding him like a dog on a leash, like a puppet. “The ship!” Austin cried, blood dripping from his nose. Dmitry pushed away and sat up. They both watched as the puppet led the creature over to their shuttle. Dublin paused for a moment in front of the control panel, swaying on his feet. The organic worms stiffened, and he began activating keys, programming the ramp to lower for boarding.
“Dmitry…”
“This is your fault!”
“Do something!” Austin demanded and looked around for Carolina, but she was nowhere to be seen. For now, that was possibly best. “What are we going to do?” The ramp protruded and fully lowered, and the rain that had accumulated now spilled from the grooved edges. With the ramp finally settled, Dublin went up it, staggering in a daze, still under the creature’s control, blood pooling in spots where the organic veins pulsed in and out of. As the creature approached the ramp, the vessel tilted slightly from its weight. It disappeared inside the shuttle with Dublin.
Dmitry was on his feet but unmoving, as if none of this was possible.
Austin still didn’t know where Carolina was hiding, but he made a sprint for the quadrohuts. He bolted, swiftly and silently, faster than the slick ground should let him, threatening him if he slowed down even a little. He made it to the main entry of the quadrohuts and burst inside. The moment he did, he slipped to the ground, slamming into the wall. It was dark except for the light coming in, also a result of the damaged generator. A smear of clay went along the ground to his boots, but it was Athen’s state that pulled him out of the moment. It was her that he saw in the dark, strung delicately to the wall, like a cocoon. The last thing he expected to see was Athen hovering off the ground by organic webbing.
“Athen?” he said, a whimper as much as a word.
She didn’t seem hurt, and she had a pulse. He snatched a scalpel from the med kit, cutting into the organic material. She was breathing, but seemed confused and unable to use her voice. The more webbing he severed, the more coherent she became, until it could no longer hold her and she collapsed into Austin’s arms.
“We’re getting out of here,” he said.
“I’m dizzy, I can’t…”
“Now, Athen, we have to go now.” And for the second time, her eyes said what words could not. Austin carried her over his shoulder out of the quadrohuts. He stole a look at the ship and saw that there was no sign of Dublin or the creature, but he did notice that the departure ramp was raised and the engines were burning.
Athen wasn’t heavy, but he still struggled to carry her over the slick mud. He carried her fireman-style to the tree line, where Dmitry waited. The Pegasus engines swelled in volume. It was preparing for liftoff.
CHAPTER 37
“Where’s Carolina?” Austin demanded, finding her nowhere in sight. She couldn’t have gone too far, but he’d feel better as soon as he knew that for certain. He set Athen down delicately, with Dmitry ignoring them. He seemed consumed with anger as the ship neared takeoff.
“Help me stop them,” Dmitry ordered, snapping his finger.
Austin turned, ready to break that finger.
“I’ll watch out for Carolina,” Athen said, trying to be of some help. They definitely needed to do something, but Dmitry needed a lesson, too. Austin followed, but not because of the finger snap. If there was a plan to stop the ship from leaving, he’d help.
The hum from the Pegasus engines turned into a roar as they filled with power, causing leaves and grass to fly around them. Austin followed Dmitry quickly into the quadrohut’s open door; their shared knowledge meant there were about two minutes before it departed. They could roll around on the ground, punching each other, after they stopped it from taking off.
“I need a wireless transmitter, something I can connect to the ship with,” Dmitry ordered.
Austin grimaced. That wasn’t a great-sounding plan. “You’re going to try and override it? There’s not enough time.”
“I can do it,” Dmitry replied, icy cool as he fished out a field manual full of technical data and launch codes. Full of doubt, Austin went into the com room and grabbed an array of wireless gear, cables, and any other units that looked promising. Dmitry was adequate with com, and he would know what he was looking for. Of course, the main radio was down, which would have been the one to use. He returned with everything collected and dumped it on the exam table. Dmitry stood over the table and looked for something he could use, tossing pieces to the ground until the table was almost barren. After a tense moment of staring, he pounded the table in frustration.
