To The Stars (The Harry Irons Trilogy) (30 page)

"I don't either," admitted the navigator, "but I still think the best way to deal with the situation is to pack up and go home while we have the chance. The Corporation will send other teams to pick up where we left off."

"Yeah, well, Fagen has his reasons for collecting more data."

"It'd be nice if he shared them with us."

"He doesn't have to, he's the mission commander."

"Doesn't mean anything if he gets us all killed."

Bonner shook his head. "Well, all we can do now is wait and continue to collect data. Keep an eye on things."

Nadine looked at him sideways. "I say if we don't hear from them soon, we should think about moving out."

"You mean leave them here?"

"They've got the only shuttle. If something happens to them, there's nothing we can do anyway. Doesn't it make more sense to save ourselves?"

"If it came down to it, yes. But we're not that far down the road. We have to rely on one another."

Nadine didn't say anything. She didn't have to. She'd succeeded in planting the idea in Bonner's mind.

Chapter 25

Arai scanned the forest floor. The coast looked clear. He dropped to the ground and began to run. The clearing and the strange beasts were soon behind him; after the female disappeared there was nothing left to do except go back to the tribe. Grandfather and Kretin would be angry with him for following the she-thing, but he had owed it to her, she had saved his life. He wondered what happened to her.

Well, that was behind him now. He was a young hunter in the forest and even a hunter could only do so much. There was no trace of anything out of the ordinary. He sniffed the air and smelled only the natural odors with which he'd grown up. It was comforting and the boy slowed his pace.

The afternoon grew and with it, the temperature. Arai didn't mind. He was used to it. As long as he remained under the canopy of trees, it wasn't bad.

The boy looked up through the branches, watching for movement that would give away the hiding places of wild game. Any anger Grandfather and Kretin had would be alleviated if Arai showed up with food. His stomach would be pleased as well. It growled with hunger and reminded him he hadn't eaten since early the previous day.

With well-trained eyes, he began to look earnestly for food. Sprouts were available and he had some. They didn't taste particularly good and only served to quell his rumbling stomach for a short time. He wanted something a little more substantial.

Near a tree trunk he spotted the spoor of a small animal. Backtracking, he found a place where a large branch dipped low enough to enable him to climb up. He walked on top of the branch until he was over the spot where he had discovered the spoor. There he settled down to wait.

Eventually, another animal would happen along and be attracted by the odor. When that happened, Arai planned on capturing his dinner. He dozed for a time. When he awoke, a ratamatan was below him, sniffing at the spoor.

Arai slowly lifted his spear and took aim. The ratamatan remained unaware and busied itself with its treasure. The boy's large eyes stared at the animal. Just prior to throwing the spear, he took a deep breath and expelled it slowly, as Grandfather had instructed him. At the end of the breath when there was no more air, he threw the spear.

It flew in a straight line, as if on a wire, and pierced the animal’s midsection. It squeaked in pain and jumped once before falling to the ground. Arai waved his tail in delight. A perfect shot. He dropped to the ground to claim his catch.

The ratamatan died quickly, the spear had pierced its chambered heart. It was fat and healthy; it would make a fine meal. Suddenly, the boy froze. A different scent floated on the air, filling his wide nostrils and prompting him to look about.

Arai looked up just in time to see the net fall over him.

He stretched out his arms and tried to ward it off, but it was too big and he was too small. A loop was pulled tight and encircled, he tumbled to the ground. It was useless to struggle, he was caught and he knew it.

On his back, Arai ceased his struggling and peered up at the tree branch overhead. Kretin stood upon it, looking very serious, wearing an expression that Arai knew was to be followed by a long-winded lecture.

"Maybe I should leave you there." Kretin said. He cocked his head and pointed a finger at the boy. "You look good that way."

Arai sighed and kicked at the net. "Let me out."

"You followed the she-thing, did you not? That is not the way the ritual goes." Kretin dropped to the ground and squatted.

"I was curious," replied Arai.

Kretin laughed. "Curious or not, Grandfather will not be pleased. There were more lights and sounds in the sky last night."

"Let me loose and I'll tell you something."

"What could a little hunter like you tell me?" Kretin hefted the ratamatan. "Nice rat."

"I saw where the murderers nest."

Kretin stopped his inspection of the animal. "Do not joke about that, little brother." Kretin loosened the net and Arai wiggled out.

"I am not joking. I saw a dark flying thing. The female was there. We were chased by the smooth spiders."

"Where?"

"Not far." Arai waved his tail in the direction he had come.

Kretin stood up straight. "I want to see these things."

"But that is not all, brother. The female disappeared. I hope Grandfather will not be angry for that. I am not to blame for these monsters that come down from the sky."

"Nor was our father," said Kretin. "Come, show me where these beasts are. Perhaps we can take our revenge."

"These things are hard, like rocks. They can fly. They will not be easy to kill."

"Yes," agreed Kretin. "We will move as hunters. The trees will be our protection." He motioned with his spear. "Take me to see these devils."

The boy stood and gathered his things. "Will Grandfather be angry?"

"Not when we bring back the head of one of the monsters."

Arai look confused. "I do not think they have heads."

Kretin pushed his brother. "Then we will take its magic. Let's go."

The boy took the lead and the two walked deeper into the forest.

*

The heat and extra gravity took their toll on the three Earth men. Parker, in prone position flat on the ground, backed himself away slowly and returned to the shade of the trees and plopped down next to Fagen and Harry. He took off his helmet. Sweat streamed down the his face.

"What now?" He asked Fagen.

"Harry's sending out radio messages. Still no reply." He looked at the mission linguist. Harry paused in his repeated calls and shrugged.

"If we have no success, we'll try to get into the building. Maybe that'll get somebody's attention."

"It may get someone killed."

"You got any better ideas?"

"Not really."

Fagen handed Parker a canteen. "Hot, eh?"

"Hot's not the word for it. The gravity doesn't help either. I'm tired. I feel like I've been walking around with sandbags on my back. Seems hotter than it was the first time we came down."

"It is," Harry replied. "Radiation levels have gone up some too."

"Oh yeah?" Parker checked his instruments. Sure enough, his instruments indicated the same thing. "Well, that's nothing to worry about. The levels are still safe."

Harry turned to the mission commander. "How long you want to wait?"

Fagen took his time in answering. "Not much longer. To tell you the truth, I doubt if we'll be able to gain entry."

"We could cut our way inside with the beamer," said Parker.

Harry shook his head. "Might be pressurized… maybe gases inside. We’d risk injuring whatever, whoever's inside? Destroying property isn’t the best way to make friends either. Not a good idea," argued Harry. "Let me have a go at it, Edward."

"What have you got in mind?"

"Let me approach the structure. If anyone is inside, surely they have a method of monitoring what goes on outside. If that's so, they'll see me and come out."

""Maybe they know we're here already."

"Maybe so, but we're not getting anywhere as it is. Come on, Edward, what do you say?"

Fagen looked out across the clearing. The odd, featureless building stood silent.

"All right. But watch yourself. Parker and I will cover you. You won't be on your own."

Harry nodded. As much he wanted to establish communications with the aliens, he was still afraid. The image of Doris, impaled aboard the alien spacecraft, once again flashed through his mind. If he was successful, upon return to Earth, the whole world would know his name. He didn't want to think of the alternatives.

He stood. "Now?"

"Yeah," said Fagen. "Which way are you going to take?"

Parker interrupted. "The grass at the far end is trampled. I suggest approaching from that side."

"All right, sounds good."

Harry waited while Parker and Fagen moved to vantage points that would allow them to watch him unimpeded. When they were set, Fagen signaled.

Suddenly calm, Harry took a deep breath and stepped from the trees as the sun beat down on head and shoulders. He moved to the area where the grass was trampled and stood facing the building. In keeping with corporation procedures, he raised both hands to show whoever might be watching that he held no weapons and offered no threat.

Surely, Harry thought, if the aliens were watching, they would see he carried no weapons. Still, it was a dangerous proposition. How they would react was anybody's guess.

He stood ten feet from the structure and showed the palms of his hands. There was no reaction. Harry felt a tingling sensation and recognized it as a static charge buildup. Taking a few steps closer, the sensation grew. At five feet, the tingling continued to increase and Harry caught the scent of ozone. He knelt and picked up a pebble as he had when approaching the alien shuttle.

He tossed the rock underhanded at the building. Sure enough, before it made it to the wall, it bounced against an invisible barrier and fell to the ground. Another force field.

Harry took a few steps backward. There was no way they were going to get past the force field without damaging something. The beamer could possibly cut through, but the risk was too great. No matter how hostile the aliens turned out to be, Harry wasn't going to instigate violence.

He knew he couldn't take anything for granted. Just because the aliens were advanced, and from the looks of things, they were advanced far beyond human technology, that was no assurance they were not a violent and dangerous species. The evidence indicated otherwise. Again, Harry thought of Doris.

Why had they attacked her? Perhaps it was as simple as finding a bur
glar in one's home, perhaps it was a reaction committed in surprise. Or, just maybe, the aliens didn't consider life other than their own to be of any value. Harry preferred to believe the former rather than the latter. After all, didn't advancement entail a condemnation of violence?

The building remained silent. Sunlight gleamed off Harry's armor plates as he waited for something to happen. He looked back at Fagen and Parker. Fagen gave a little wave to show that, at least so far, all was well.

Harry turned back. Where he stood the grass was trampled as if recent activity had taken place. The trampled grass led to the structure. If there was an entrance, Harry was sure it was directly in front of him. On the ground, he noticed traces of a substance. He knelt and looked. It was dried blood.

As he inspected the spot, a seam creased the wall and within seconds an opening appeared. There was a popping sound, like a static discharge, and Harry looked up. As he watched, the sides of the opening stretched farther apart until the hole, or doorway, was quite large. It was dark inside, but Harry caught a glimpse of motion. A long, metallic shaft protruded from the opening, the end delicately placing itself on the ground. In a moment, it was joined by another. As the thing stepped from the opening, Harry drew in his breath. It was the same thing he'd seen in the alien ship.

When it stepped away, the opening closed. Harry backed away and watched. The rounded, metallic object stood on its spindly legs not ten feet away.

Harry lifted his empty hands splay-fingered and palms out, showing he held nothing. He hoped the creature recognized the peaceful gesture for what it was.

It was nearly seven feet in height, but most of that was taken up by its legs. Because its body appeared to be metallic, Harry unconsciously assumed it was robotic. Small, jointed arms ending in claw-like, manipulative digits dangled from its sides. These were constructed out of the same darkened metal. Tools and equipment hung from what could only be described as a utility belt. As Harry watched, the thing removed an instrument from its belt and pointed it toward him.

It scanned him with the device, trying to discern what he was. Feeling no discomfort, Harry stood stock-still, keeping his hands raised.