Toxic (12 page)

After that ballistic stage, the vessel circled above a carpet of dark clouds which revealed a gleaming satellite.
Humans had set foot there
, he remembered. The fact that they hadn't colonized their moon remained an enigma.
Did they want to go beyond their limits?
The question was important, because the response would surely determine their will to survive, which, considering the current situation, didn't fall under the category of speculation. Beaten by Naakrit, the species was on the brink of the cliff. Extinction awaited them in the abyss.

“We have arrived,” the pilot informed him.

The back hatch opened. A glacial wind rushed into the cargo hold. Jave closed his helmet and increased his CO2 flow. On his visor, a map was displayed in transparent colors. He raised one hand and Kjet advanced first. His black and grey armor disappeared from his view. When her turn came, the Sybarian started off with an assured step. The emissary exited the T-J last.

The night enveloped him as he fell towards a fuzzy sea.

He couldn't make out his comrades, but the plan reported their positions. They were already charging through a layer of clouds, which they crossed in a few seconds. Below them, the ground looked like a uniform surface, without details allowing him to determine his altitude. Of course he had the information before his eyes and the integrated security would have taken control in the event of a failure or too slow of a reaction. His nasal vents contracted upon remembering the number of times he had deactivated them in operation. That seemed long ago. Working for the Combinate... it made him a sort of careerist. From then on, he had held a position. Naakrit and his mercenaries gaged him only in that light.

Ten octames away from the tree tops, the repulsors slowed his fall and then vertically stabilized him. Just beside him and at the same height, he made out two glows, those of the tactical displays incorporated into the helmets of Kjet and Sarejt.

They flew over the woods, skimming the slender tips of the tall conifers. The planet had evolved to contain a significant variety of vegetation. He promised himself that he would spend a bit of time studying it as soon as he could. The soft landing didn't disrupt the sepulchral calm of the environment. A row of green vehicles, with wheels and tracks strangely intact, bordered an avenue that led to a rectangular building partially covered with lichen and undergrowth.

“According to the information on the tera-server, humans built this type of installation to bury their nuclear missile silos,” the abza'n mentioned.

Her inflections clearly showed a sort of amused disdain for the use of obsolete technology. The Sybarian failed to specify that this was the case with most of the races that had arrived at an advanced stage. Jave kept silent while Kjet removed a light vehicle from his arm, which rolled for a few meters before stopping against a concrete parapet. It continued its inspection up until the massive doors which marked the main entrance to the underground base.

“The path is clear.”

He detached a holster from his thigh and took out several dozen scouts. The swarm of insectoids rushed down inside.

“The recon pods will stream to the tactical database.”

The mercenaries followed procedures learned in training or in action. Their way of going about things steered them clear of unpleasant surprises, even if deep down they knew that this world didn't offer any serious opposition to them.

“Six levels in total,” Kjet announced. “The premises seem to be in better shape than in New York.”

The news delighted the emissary. “I’m going in.”

“You have to wait for the complete structure scan.”

Jave didn't pay attention to Sarejt's remark. She would never cross the line by giving him a direct order. On the other hand, Naakrit had made her responsible in the event that he got into trouble. The Sybarian, therefore, followed in his footsteps. Kjet brought up the rear.

One by one, the trio crossed the corridor, the far end of which ended in a double door which was smashed open. Their displays, which incorporated night vision filters, showed a vertical tunnel which resembled the former elevators of the Dubai tower. Their armor was just too big to fit.

“OK, we're going to go out, take off our PASs and come back. Lights and agrav suspensors for everyone,” Jave declared.

They got on their way. The emissary noted that Kjet seemed a little anxious. Separated from his metal protection, the cold air bit his flesh and filtered between his scales. The body temperature of reptilians dropped very quickly. The mercenary had nonetheless made sure he had a heat suit. He was also equipped with an agrav belt, to which he attached a short-barrel flame-thrower.

A few minutes later, Sarejt cut down the door with her vibroblade to open up the passage and one by one, they started down the tunnel until reaching the first level.

“Scan of sections two and three complete.”

The opening led to a hallway which split into two parallel corridors. Worn down armchairs and tables – some of them broken – furniture, thousands of pages and files covered the floor. Unlike the American site, they were inundated with information; the tiniest piece of paper could contain critical data.

He picked up one page and read over the heading: Z
elenogorsk gorod - stántsiia 77.

The Sybarian picked up a bundle of papers. “An administrative sector? Their storage method seems quite primitive.”

“For sure, but this medium is immune to EMP effects in any case.”

Jave let go of his sheet. They quickly visited the rooms one by one before returning to in front of the elevator door.

Kjet consulted his terminal. “Scan of floors four and five complete and...”

Before the mercenary’s perplexed face, Sarejt put a hand on her vibroblade and the other on the grip of her flame-thrower.

“Spoiled products,” the reptilian concluded.

“How many?”

“Several octains. Mainly on level six.”

“What's below us?”

Kjet pointed the screen towards the toppled wall. The projection showed a high-definition sequence taken by one of the robots. One of the two carried a light source and remained on the floor. The low-intensity camera dwelled on overturned tables and pieces of broken glass. On the floor lay materials, electrical machines, cables and boxes. The view suddenly changed. Jave knew immediately that they had to go down. One of the pods revealed a row of broken cylinders.

“Where are the spoiled products located?” the Sybarian asked.

“In two rooms on level 6. On the fifth floor, there are a few in the hallway.”

“So, they could detect or hear us.”

The emissary headed towards the elevator cage. “I need to examine these clues at the site. They are crucially important for the Combinate.”

Kjet let his opinion be known. “We would be forced to clean the premises and the Primark clearly told us that we weren’t to eliminate products unless absolutely necessary.”

The reprimand in the park had marked the loyal soldier. A reminder imposed itself.

“Here, I'm responsible. You secure the perimeter so that I can do my evaluation.”

Level 6 contained several sectors, one of which was home to nine broken and unused sarcophagi, undeniable proof of experiments. At once, the pulverized windows and torn up cables spoke in favor of sabotage. The humans might have voluntarily sacked their facilities. The broken materials all around backed up this hypothesis. Jave considered the impact marks on the walls and exploded tables.
Why had this place not been purified in the same way as the New York laboratory
?

The tilted cylinders had the correct dimensions to hold human bodies, whether healthy or not. The portable scanner didn't indicate any traces of biological tissue inside. The emissary was confused. A message from the abza'n Sarejt brought him back from his thoughts.

“The spoiled products seem to have greater numbers than we thought. It would be wise to go back to the surface. I am reminding you that we don't have our armor to protect us. We have already eliminated a few.”

Jave confirmed reception and ordered the Sybarian to wait.

Broken cabinets exposed their entrails of destroyed electronic parts. All of them contained typical traces of an explosion. Here, as well, the clues suggested deliberate destruction. He didn't see any documents on the ground or on the few stalls still standing. Jave concentrated on the sarcophagi because, of all the evidence, they were the central element of the laboratory. The entire room was oriented around that sensitive area. He started by meticulously inspecting the metal base of the first one in the row. He pulled away panels to access the tangle of tubes which he assumed were intended for carrying organic fluids such as blood. He swept multiple areas with the scanner, but they didn't signal any biological material. Facing this deceptive result, the conclusion was established: the humans had cleaned the machines and only afterwards had they destroyed them.

An engraving on the metal structure caught his attention. He turned his device in that direction and the screen zoomed in:
Site E
, he read. The English writing at this Russian site constituted an additional aspect to add to the list of abnormalities.

His link to the two mercenaries vibrated.

“We have to evacuate!”

Kjet's sharp whistle announced an emergency. He quickly showed up at the entrance to the sarcophagi room and, without waiting, headed towards him. “We're leaving. Right away!”

“Where's Sarejt?”

“Dozens of the infected overwhelmed her.”

The event seemed improbable to him. Their weapons allowed them to sweep away entire regiments of these insignificant creatures.

“They appeared everywhere, all of a sudden. In such a tight space, there was no way out.”

Kjet hurried towards the main hallway where numerous infected creatures hurried towards them. The reptilian used his flame-thrower to make a path to the elevator cage. Their wobbly bodies burst as they progressed. The blue halo touched them and in a flash, they literally exploded, spreading their scorched flesh on the walls and floor. Jave did his part in this concert of cracking noises and grunts. His shots didn't miss their target.

He had just lost an ally within Naakrit's company. Even if that didn't cast doubt on his mission, the sudden disappearance of the abza'n raised many questions. Above all, he was enraged at having to leave the laboratory so quickly. He had the despicable feeling of fleeing.

H
ector stood up on his boat, arms dangling. Alone.

Masters had promised to come back and help him bring supplies on board. As much as his return to peace and to his routine comforted him in his decision, he also felt destabilized by his regained freedom of movement. For the last forty-eight hours, events took place without him being able to influence them. Elaine had taken his gun, had dived in front of him and Masters had driven a stake into his plan to go back to his country. Since that moment when the yacht appeared out of nowhere, he had lost control; his free will had escaped him in an almost unreal way.

Up until now, he had played the card of authority, because in the end, they didn't dare oppose him. They avoided provoking him, and even the marine showed himself to be polite. He felt the reluctance of the survivors and their annoyance. However, they had gotten off where they wanted to. Not where he wanted to. Their choice. His native Colombia was further away than ever.

He let loose a few Spanish swearwords and then descended into the cabin. He crossed the main room and unlocked one of the three hallway doors. The blue bundles, thrown down in a rush, blocked the room. In the past, this cargo would have promised him a fortune or sent him to prison. A violent death also figured among possible problems.

And now?

Without consumers, the powder was no longer worth anything. It didn't guarantee him his future, nor that of his family. “
Madre de Dios
,” he sighed, spitefully.

One by one, he threw the cumbersome and heavy bags onto the ground near a hatch. The tiny opening gave way to the bottom of the hull. Moving the four hundred kilos exhausted him. Once his task was accomplished, he sat down on the deck and allowed himself a beer, the last one of the stock.

After the group separated into two, Elaine and Masters followed the road which separated from the beach and headed towards downtown. They passed by arcades and dilapidated food trucks. The main road presented a spectacle of cars invaded by vegetation and hills of sand brought by the wind. Colorless façades lined up on both sides of the intersection.

“We need to find a vehicle that can handle a long journey.”

“I saw quite a few SUVs all around,” the nurse responded.

“I'm talking about a real means of transportation, not useless electronic trash which can't start. I want to find an old pick-up model.”

Masters seemed happy to tread solid ground once again. His eyes swept across the terrain, pausing on the corners and shady areas. Alert and the same time more relaxed than on the boat, he went along with the ease of a soldier used to exercise. Elaine never fell more than ten meters behind him.