To The Stars

  "Not quite. There're still two people who may be alive over there."

  She sniffed and smirked. "Yeah," she said, "your girlfriend and a wirehead."

  "I'm sorry, Nadine, it's been decided. We're going. The Magellan will be here for at least another day. I'm sure Fagen will give you a run-down."

  Nadine turned back to her console. "I'm sure he will."

  Chapter 38

  Something prodded Kathleen in the ribs. It wasn't painful but it annoyed her and eventually roused her to wakefulness. She was still wrapped inside the cocoon: warm and soft and sleep-inducing. She fought the grogginess and was aided by more jabbing at her side.

  A sudden tear allowed light to pour into the cocoon. A familiar, pungent smell reached Kathleen's nose and she turned her head toward the ever-widening tear. Her legs were exposed and she felt small, strong hands grip her by the ankles. More hands tore at the fluff around her head and chest and succeeded in exposing her face.

  Although she knew she was held captive, she felt no sense of fear. After all, if they had wanted to kill her, they could have done it long before. Still, she was too relaxed, like being drugged. Maybe in the material in which she was wrapped, she reasoned.

  When the cotton was completely removed, she saw that two of the aliens attended her. They worked with methodical precision, peering and prodding with delicate instruments that were attached by wires and flexible tubes to the walls of the ship. They didn't hurt her and there was no pain, even when they inserted a long needle directly into her abdomen and took a fluid sample.

  It wasn't a lengthy examination. When they were done, a tube dropped and inserted itself into her mouth. She tried to struggle free, to turn her head from the invasion, but found herself held firmly. Water was squirted into her mouth. Kathleen accepted it and drank deeply. It was nice to know that whatever they'd planned for her, dehydration wasn't part of the program.

  They released her feet, head, and hands, and using gestures, urged her to sit up. Warily, she did so. She was in a small compartment atop a heated, metallic table. Wires and tubes hung from the ceiling surrounding the source of light: a suspended flat disk. The rest of the room was covered with half-shadows which only partially hid more machines and unfamiliar instruments.

  Kathleen gripped the edge of the table with both hands and watched the aliens. They offered no threat and worked silently at their unknown purposes. One finally held a hand out to Kathleen, offering to help her from the table. Kathleen took it and stood up. She was still dressed in the scanty animal skins.

  The alien tugged at her hand and led her to a seam in the bulkhead. It passed its open hand over it and the seam opened. The alien wriggled through and pulled Kathleen after. The creature held onto Kathleen's wrist with surprising firmness as it dragged her along. They passed through another seam into a larger, circular chamber. Like the others, it was dimly lit. Unlike the others, it was empty, save for what appeared to be open cells lining its edges.

  Kathleen was led to the center of the room and released. The creature turned away and stepped to one of the cells. As Kathleen watched, it climbed inside. Moving with lifelike precision, tubes dropped down and attached themselves to the alien. The entrance to the cell shimmered and suddenly went opaque, completely concealing the alien within.

  Standing unfettered in the middle of the room, a shiver went up the young woman's spine. She couldn't help it, the whole scene was too eerie. She was tired of being afraid, tired of not knowing what would happen next. A sucking sound came from the wall to her right and she jumped.

  As she looked, another seam formed and began to split. Carefully, she approached the wall. The seam opened far enough to reveal another tunnel. Kathleen hoped the aliens had changed their minds and were allowing her to go free. She climbed through the opening into the tube beyond.

  The seam resealed and she moved up the tunnel. A few steps later, Kathleen stood before yet another seam. She passed her hand over it as she had seen the aliens do and, to her satisfaction, it began to open. When there was enough room, she stepped through to the control room.

  Bart looked as though he waited for her. Somehow, he had found a way to look comfortable in the tiny chairs. He leaned back and brushed a cable from his face.

  "Hello Kathleen. It's so nice to see you again."

  "Bart? Is it really you?"

  Blane held up a forefinger. "Listen," he commanded.

  Can you still hear me, Kathleen? I can hear you. As soon as you came aboard, I knew.

  Where am I?

  You, my dear, are aboard a true starship. Property of a race of creatures who call themselves the True Ones. A bit pretentious, I think.

  How did you get here? What's going on?

  I contacted their computer. We're friends, sort of.

  With who? The aliens?

  No, the computer. The TO's are ethnocentric. They don't make friends. However, the computer is most willing to exchange information. That is, it was until I allowed Harry to escape. Now it's cut me off from any control circuitry.

  Harry? Harry was here?

  Yes. He's aboard the Magellan by now.

  How can I get out of here?

  Blane shrugged. I don't know, but I am working on it. We really need to get you out of here.

  What do they have planned for me?

  You don't want to know.

  They let me in here to talk to you. They can't be too concerned about any threat I may pose.

  You're right. They don't see you as any kind of threat. To them, you're a lower life form, an interesting specimen. Had you been male, you wouldn't be alive.

  So what do they have planned for me?

  They will examine you at their leisure. After they've run their tests, they'll remove an egg from you, impregnate it with their own DNA, and implant it within your womb.

  Kathleen's eyes widened.

  When the child comes to term, it will be surgically removed. If you survive, they will repeat the process.

  "Over my dead body!"

  No, they've tried dead bodies before. It doesn't work.

  "Bart, you've got to get me out of here!"

  "I'll do what I can, but frankly, it doesn't look too good. Fagen and Harry killed one of them. That got their attention. They now see the survey team, you included, as possible opponents. That's why they're so interested in your DNA."

  "Great! This is just great!" Kathleen stamped her foot like a frustrated child. She faced Blane. "What am I going to do?"

  For the first time in his life, Blane was out of answers.

  "Why did they let me in here?"

  "So you could talk with me, I suppose. To make you feel more at ease."

  "Well, I don't feel any better."

  "That's some outfit you're wearing," observed Bart. "New style you picked up on the surface?"

  Kathleen looked down at the scanty skins. "The primitives took my jumpsuit and gave me this in return."

  "I think they got the better part of the deal."

  "Yes well, I didn't have much of a choice."

  You look good.

  I look like Jane in a Tarzan movie.

  A sucking sound came from the bulkhead where Kathleen had entered. She looked and saw that the door-seam had reappeared and once again had parted.

  "They want you, Kathleen. You have to go now."

  She edged away from the open portal. "No, I don't want to."

  "You have to, there's really no other choice. If you don't cooperate, they'll kill you. That's all there is to it."

  "I'm not going," she said adamantly. "They can kill me now."

  As if answering her defiance, an alien appeared in the open portal and stepped through onto the bridge. Blane couldn't have moved even if he wanted. The cabling that ran from his head to the control consoles made movement impossible.

  Kathleen moved to the farthest part of the bridge, as far away from the alien as she could get. The creature cocked its head to one side and studied her. Blane was ignored. br />
  After a moment of study, it took a small device from its belt and held it pointed at Kathleen. She refused to move.

  The alien took another step forward. Kathleen pressed against the far bulkhead and slid down the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible. The creature squeezed the handle of the device and a bright beam of light jumped from the barrel hitting Kathleen square in the middle of the forehead.

  She felt no pain. She felt nothing at all. Her fears were suddenly drained from her as if the beam of light pulled all emotion out of her. She no longer wanted to run and she no longer cared what happened. The young woman willingly got to her feet and walked past the alien. Without stopping to look back, she stepped through the portal.

  Don't worry, Kathleen, I'll think of something.

  Kathleen didn't answer.

  *

  In an equipment room adjacent to the hanger bay, Harry pulled on his EVA suit. Just outside the door, Fagen inspected the weapons he'd chosen. He decided against taking the projectile firearms: they were too dangerous to use inside a pressurized environment. Instead, he chose a handheld gun that, upon activation, discharged an energized plasma field. It worked by releasing an enhanced electrical charge toward whatever lay in the gun's sights. Years ago, law enforcement agencies on Earth used similar weapons to disperse crowds and to stun criminals into submission. After numerous deaths, the weapons were deemed to be too quirky in their handling and were seldom used anymore.

  Fagen stuck his head through the hatch and held up the pistol.

  "Ever used one of these before?"

  Harry peered at the weapon and shook his head. "What is it?"

  The commander looked at it. "It used to be called a taser; it releases a burst of plasmic electricity. Many years ago they were upgraded and modified to include a selectable range of power." Fagen tossed the weapon to Harry.

  Harry caught it and turned it over in his hand. It was small, smaller than a conventional firearm. At the business end, two prongs stuck out. The handle fit snugly in the palm with the fire button directly below the thumb.

  "You only get three shots before it loses power. With any luck, it may hold two more shots, at a considerably lower power. So, don't waste your shots."

  "Do you think we'll have to use it?"

  "Are you kidding?"

  The intercom sprang to life with Nadine's voice. "Edward? Are you there?"

  Fagen punched the intercom. "Yes, I'm here."

  "How long is this going to take? We're getting some pretty high radiation readings here."

  "About forty more minutes to suit up, then we'll head out."

  "Well, what are we supposed to do here? Wait for you until we fry?"

  "You heard the briefing. It'll take us an estimated fifteen minutes to get to the alien ship. I don't know how long it'll take to find a way inside, if we can find a way. Once there, we'll do our business as quickly as possible, I'd say about thirty minutes. Then it'll be another fifteen minutes to get back to the Magellan. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Fagen's voice dripped with sarcasm. His patience with the navigator was growing thin.

  "So you estimate an hour?"

  "It's only an estimate, Nadine."

  "Well, using your estimate, does that mean that if you don't show up after an hour has passed, then Bill and I can take the ship out of orbit?"

  "Look Nadine, you're going to have use your own discretion. I don't know what's going to happen once we get over there. If all goes well, it shouldn't take more than an hour. If we run into trouble, it could take longer. What do you want me to say? Leave us if we don't make it back in an hour?"

  "Yes, that's exactly what I want you to say. I want you to say it clearly so that my recorder picks up every word. I don't want the Corporation to hold back my bonus because of you."

  "You're a stellar human being, Nadine. If you don't hear from us thirty minutes after we enter the ship, you're free to do whatever you want. If Bill's up there, tell him to come down here and check us out."

  Fagen snapped the intercom off.

  "Nadine's getting antsy," said Harry.

  "I just hope the ship's here when we start back."

  "Bonner will keep a cool head. He won't let her do anything rash."

  Fagen nodded and punched the intercom again. "Any radio bursts, any comms?"

  "Negative," came Nadine's reply.

  Harry looked at Fagen. "You think he's dead?"

  "There's no way to know until we get over there."

  Bonner stuck his head through the open hatch. "Ya'll ready?"

  "Nearly," said Fagen. "I told Nadine to wait an hour before taking any action. So if we're not back, she'll tell you I said it was alright to leave, but I'm telling you to use your own judgment."

  The engineer nodded gravely.

  Fagen turned to Harry. "Ready?"

  "Ready as I'll ever be."

  The men shook hands and wished each other luck, then Harry and Fagen climbed into the airlock.

  Chapter 39

  Exposed in the span between the two spacecraft, the astronauts warily approached the alien ship. An opaque force field shielded the interior of the hanger bay from view and prevented them from gaining access at the one place they knew about. Without success, Harry searched the smooth lines of the ship in hopes of finding another entrance.

  Fagen positioned himself at the edge of the hanger bay and waited for Harry to join him. Both men searched along the perimeter for exterior controls that would allow them to switch off the field and enter the craft. They were unsuccessful.

  "Got any ideas?"

  "I thought we'd find an emergency airlock or something."

  "Well, we haven't checked the other side," said Fagen.

  "How about I go to the left and you take the right. We'll search the hull and meet on the opposite side."

  "Sounds like the only choice we have. Leave this channel open so we stay in voice contact."

  "Will do," agreed Harry.

  "Let's move, we're wasting time."

  "Roger," said Harry and he began his search.

  Harry fought against the idea that they were performing an exercise in futility. After all, all the preliminary scans of the alien ship hadn't turned up anything that looked like another entrance. They had to find a way inside. If they didn't, he would never see Kathleen again.

  The hull was dark and smooth, appearing to be an alloy of polished metal or even a type of ceramic. It wasn't entirely smooth. At places, protuberances dotted the exterior. Harry stopped and inspected one. It was as wide as the span of his arms and raised from the surrounding hull maybe four or five centimeters. In its center was a dark, convex glass plate. Harry moved closer until he was no more than two feet away. Quite unexpectedly, like an eyeball, the glass glowed a dull red and shifted in his direction.

  Alarmed, Harry moved away. The glowing glass eye rotated and followed his movements. As Harry continued his search, he saw similar formations and finally decided they were viewports. If that was indeed the case, then Harry grimly noted that the aliens knew the two Earth men were there. So much for surprise.

  He continued to work his way around the craft with the glass eyes monitoring his progress. Fagen was out of sight, but occasionally he called to Harry to ensure all was well. He'd also found similar viewing devices, but no hostile action had been taken as yet.

  Harry moved on, crossing the hull toward the aft portion until he reached the elevated nozzles of the drive section. Up close, they were large, not as large as the drive nozzles on the Magellan, but still large enough to enter and float inside without touching the walls. Louvered doors prevented him from going any farther and he reversed his direction, exiting only seconds after he'd entered.

  He beat Fagen to the opposite side and continued his search. A disappointing two minutes later, he attempted to call Fagen on the radio. There was no response. He repeated the call, but silence was the only answer. Hoping that Fagen had merely encountered a problem with his radio, Harry
quickly crossed the hull and headed toward the stern. The glass eyes swiveled and followed his movements.

  As he paused at the bow, Harry looked first down one side of the ship and then the other. There was no sign of Fagen, he had simply vanished. Somehow he had gotten inside, either by his own devices or with the help of the aliens. Harry reasoned that if he'd found a way inside by himself, he would have called. That left only one other alternative: Fagen had been taken captive.

  Harry drifted in the vacuum of space. Below him, the clouds of Mia Culpa painted the upper atmosphere. Gaps between the clouds revealed blue ocean and, in the far west where the cloud cover broke, Harry could see the wide, reddish expanse of desert that covered most of the continent. The forests and the coastline were obscured, but Harry knew they were directly below him, and somewhere a small tribe of primitives sat around a campfire and talked about the strange creatures who had visited them and forever changed their world. Briefly, Harry wondered what might happen to the natives, but he already knew. The radiation from a nova would wipe them out, as well as all life in the forests. It was really too bad, they didn't stand a chance.

  Forcing the thoughts from his mind, he turned his attention back to the ship. He was sure that somewhere along the hull was a seam or a hidden door, and Fagen had disappeared into it, taken by the aliens. He went back over the area previously covered. Although the small glass sensors traced his movements, there was no other sign of life, nothing to show what had happened to Fagen.

  Eventually, he completed the circuit and once again floated outside the opaque force field. He pushed against the field. It gave way like a slab of rubber, pushing back with equal force. Harry floated away and was forced to use his airjets to stop. He glanced at the time. Thirty-two minutes had passed since he and Fagen had left the Magellan's airlock.

  *

  Inside the hidden airlock, Edward Fagen had difficulty in breathing. The light that had caught him still held him in its grip. It happened too quickly to avoid. He'd seen the seam as it opened but the ray had caught him square and paralyzed him on contact. From that point, it drew him into the airlock and closed behind him.

  The beam of light held him firmly, crushing the air from his lungs. He was unable to move even his eyes in their sockets. The inner seam parted and still the light bore down on him.

  He fought to maintain consciousness, but by the time the first alien reached him, he was out.