Aquifer: A Novel (47 page)

“It’s hard to say. We figured the pheromone would continue to be dispensed for about four hours. Then it would linger in the water for a few more hours before it completely dissipates.” Larry glanced at his wrist watch. “By now its effects should be gone and the aliens should be leaving that area. When we release the pheromone here it will probably take a couple of hours to attract them to our trap. So we should be fairly safe while we work.”

Fifty feet away, Tina was inspecting the canisters she had transported. Satisfied that everything was in proper working condition, she hastily completed the preparations for releasing the synthesized pheromone into the Blue Spring nesting cavern.

For water disbursal she had prepared a concentrated liquid version. A half-gallon container of the concentrate was placed by the edge of the lagoon. Protruding from a hole punctured in the lid was a small, quarter-inch-in-diameter plastic tube which ran to a battery-powered pump Tina had gotten from the paramedics. The pump was normally used to administer small quantities of medication to I.V. patients by pumping extremely minute quantities into their I.V.’s. at predetermined time intervals. A computer chip imbedded into its circuitry allowed the pump to self-activate every fifteen seconds, forcing just six drops of the pheromone to drip into the underground river from the tip of the tube dangling above it.

A little farther downstream she and two of the team members erected a four-foot-in-diameter electric fan. Tina had borrowed that from the high school’s football department. They used it to blow misted air onto the players along the sidelines. It kept them cool when playing early season games when summer temperatures were still high.

In front of the large fan she placed an aerosol canister of pheromone. It had been equipped with a battery-powered plunger that would spray a short spurt every fifteen seconds as well. She then positioned the fan so that it would blow the airborne pheromone down into the long tunnel.

Search and Rescue personnel poured napalm from the pour spouts of 5-gallon plastic buckets onto the egg clusters that completely covered the numerous cows, horses, dogs and other animals that the aliens had brought into the cavern. Each egg cluster was thoroughly saturating with the flammable jelly. They then poured connecting trails of napalm from cluster to cluster. Finally, they ran the wiring harness to each cluster and connected it to the Nichrome wire detonators that had been inserted into the clusters. Once connected to the master control box receiver near the edge of the lagoon, the Nichrome detonators were tested with low voltage to ensure a proper connection.

Other team members positioned drums of the ANFO explosives with nail kegs strapped to them and inserted blasting caps. Wire was run from each drum to the same master control box receiver near the riverbank to which the Nichrome detonators had been attached. Motion sensors and remote video cameras were also set up to broadcast the alien’s arrival to the Sheriff's command center beside Blue Spring.

*

At the portable communications and command center Sheriff Akers stared at the control panel which was covered with multiple lights and switches. He was discussing them with the console operator. Three television monitors showed the interior of the cave. A fourth monitor showed the exterior of the impact crater. The operator explained the console’s functions.

“Each of the green lights in this bank represents the electrical circuit for ten barrels of explosives. When the green light is lit it means that the circuit has been properly connected and ready for arming. Above each green light is an orange light that glows only when that circuit is armed and ready for detonation.” The operator ran his finger across the bank of orange lights. “As you can see, all of the circuits have now been successfully installed, tested and are armed awaiting your command.” He then pointed to two master control switches that were locked in the “safety” position by double keys. “This switch detonates the napalm and this one detonates the ANFO,” explained the operator. “They send a radio signal to the master control receiver inside the cave, which in turn activates the detonation circuits.”

“It appears that everything’s ready. Hand me the mic,” said the Sheriff.

The operator handed the radio’s microphone to the Sheriff.

“This is Frogamander Nest Command. Come in Salamog-1 and Salamog-2, report your status,” barked the Sheriff into the microphone.

The Sheriff’s radio cracked in response. “This is Salamog-1,” reported the captain of Search and Rescue Team 1, located at the original crash site. “All clear and standing by - Over.”

“This is Salamog-2,” replied the captain of the second team from inside the Blue Spring Nesting Chamber. “Our preparations are complete. We await your command - Over.”

“All stations have reported status as armed and ready,” the Sheriff spoke into the mic. “Commence operation Whale Songs, Frogamander Nest Command, out.”

*

In the Blue Spring nesting chamber Larry pressed the play button on his portable MP-3 player and instantly whale songs resonated throughout the mile-long section of cave, extending from the Blue Spring Nesting Chamber to the Impact Crater.

Simultaneously, Tina, who was standing at Larry’s side, pressed the button releasing the pheromone into the water and threw the switch, turning on the blower fan which dissipated the aerosol version down the tunnel. “Do you really think this will work?” she asked.

“I shudder to think about the consequences if it doesn't,” answered Larry.

“How long do you think we'll have before they start arriving?”

“Probably at least an hour or two. But something's bothering me,” Larry confessed.

“What's that?”

“After seeing the hoards of aliens that attacked the military yesterday, this nesting chamber just isn't large enough to account for all of them. And there certainly aren’t enough cows and horses in here to account for the number that have been reported as missing. There's got to be another, larger nesting chamber somewhere.”

“Then let’s hope the other team finds it.”

*

Their placement tasks completed, two of the Search and Rescue team members, along with Tina and Larry, began suiting up for the swim out. Three other members of the team arrived from the tunnel and began preparing to exit as well. The balance of the team members would be arriving shortly as they completed the evacuation process. They all knew only too well the dangers of remaining in the cave any longer than necessary. Once out of the cavern and safely on the shore by the Sheriff’s command post they would begin the tedious game of waiting.

Then, from deep in the tunnel, the distinctive blast of a 12-gauge shotgun was heard. The Captain of the Search and Rescue Team-2 yelled into his radio, “Miller, report!” But the radio remained silent. “Miller, report!” Silence was the only report the Captain received.

After a few seconds more shotgun blasts were heard from deep in the cave, then the cavern again lapsed into silence.

The Captain addressed one of the deputies standing beside him, “Honneycut, take two men and check out that tunnel!”

“You two, let's go,” said Honneycut as he pointed to two men standing nearby.

“And keep your eyes open!” barked the Captain.

“That's got to be a rogue,” Larry said to Tina. “There hasn’t been enough time for the pheromone to attract the aliens from Meramec Caverns yet.”

With concern for their safety the Search and Rescue captain turned to Larry and Tina, “You two had better head for the command center.”

“You don't need to tell me twice,” Tina replied.

Tina and Larry donned their scuba gear and started for the water's edge. Just then four adult aliens surfaced near the lagoon’s edge and started climbing out. Tina gasped. As the creatures climbed onto the riverbank they trampled and destroyed the video communications equipment. They also trampled the detonation wire, ripping the connections out of the control box.

*

At the Sheriff’s command center the video monitors suddenly went blank and the detonation control console went dead.

“Sheriff!” shouted the operator. “We've got a problem!”

*

In the Blue Spring Nesting Chamber Tina and Larry retreated away from the riverbank as the aliens clumsily trampled the communications and detonation wiring. Luckily, the wiring that entangled their feet distracted the aliens momentarily. Two of the Search and Rescue deputies rushed forward with street sweeper shotguns.

“Get back!” one of the deputies yelled to the group. The other deputy fired at the closest alien, hitting it broadside. The alien roared in pain but its thick hide absorbed the shock preventing any mortal injuries.

Two of the other aliens hunkered down in an aggressive stalking stance and began flanking the two men while the fourth creature retreated into the recesses of the cave.

The two deputies braced themselves back to back taking aim at the two advancing aliens. “Their hide is too tough!” yelled one of the men. “We’ve got to get a shot at their underbellies!.”

At that moment the wounded creature rose on its hind legs and roared. Then, its eyes filled with rage, it rushed the two men. Quickly the men turned and fired at the charging alien but it was too close. It reached the men in less than a second.

Immediately the wounded creature grabbed one of the men in its jaws while hitting the other man with its shoulder, sending him sprawling upon the ground where he was immediately pounced upon by one of the flanking aliens. The two men were gone before the other team members had a chance to react.

“We don’t have a chance without those shotguns,” the Search and Rescue Team Captain yelled to Larry and Tina, motioning them toward the back wall. Then he gallantly charged the aliens, blasting with his shotgun, hoping to scatter the creatures long enough to retrieve the shotguns dropped by his two deputies. Unfortunately, he only succeeded in further wounding and enraging them. One of the aliens attacked him from his blind side, and devoured him.

The three other aliens began to flank Larry and Tina, driving them back toward the cave wall as they maneuvered among the stalagmites. Cautiously they worked their way backwards. The three aliens warily stalked in pursuit. Suddenly, Tina’s back hit the wall of the cave. A half second later Larry did the same. It appeared that there was no escape as the aliens warily approached them.

“What do we do now?” pleaded Tina.

“Pray for a miracle,” Larry responded.

Carefully they worked their way along the cave wall, feeling their way with their fingertips while keeping their eyes glued to the three creatures stalking them.

Tina glanced to her side and noticed a dark shadow on the wall at floor level. The flickering light which came from the underwater spring opening made everything difficult to distinguish as shadows danced around the walls, ceiling and floor of the cave. The lights attached to the top of their helmets only helped when pointed in the direction of view.

“Larry, I think there is a tunnel near the floor between us,” she said in hushed tones so as to not provoke the aliens.

Carefully and slowly she extended her foot toward the dark shadow, expecting to hit the cave wall, but to her surprise and delight her foot caught nothing but air in the area of darkness.

“Yes,” she whispered, “it is a tunnel”

Slowly she turned to her right so that her back was facing Larry. “Open my back pack, I’ve got two jars in there,” she instructed Larry.

The aliens were extremely wary, having just been fired upon and wounded by the shotguns, but they were not about to let their prey escape.

Larry cautiously unzipped Tina’s waterproof backpack and extracted two quart-sized Mason jars that had been wrapped in towels to prevent them from jostling. They were filled with a clear, water-like fluid. The jars had been meticulously filled to the brim so that there was no air space. Suspended inside each jar was a corked test tube filled with a purple crystalline powder.

“And what are these?” he asked, failing to see their importance in the urgency of their current predicament.

“Its 100% strength hydrogen peroxide and a high molar concentration of potassium permanganate.”

“A potent oxidizer and a . . .” The light suddenly went on in Larry’s head. “Of course! A chemist’s Molotov cocktail!”

He immediately threw one of the jars at the closest creature. It struck the alien in the chest and bounced harmlessly to the clay floor. The intended target bent down and inspected the jar, sniffing it curiously.

“Throw harder!” Tina implored. “It doesn’t work unless you break the glass.”

Taking no chances this time, Larry wound up like he did pitching in his Little League days and hurled the last jar like a speeding fast ball.

The reflexes of the nearest alien, however, were even faster. It caught the jar mid-air with its lightning-fast tongue and pulled it into its mouth. Then it chomped.

Immediately the creature’s mouth was engulfed in flames while liquid fire flowed from its lips and down its chest. The creature roared in pain and staggered, taking a step to steady itself. Its foot came down on the first jar that had fallen harmlessly to the cave floor, crushing it. Immediately its foot erupted in flames which leaped upwards until they met the flames that flowed down from its mouth. Totally engulfed in liquid fire, the creature roared in agony then crumpled to the floor and died.