“First,” Arak said, “you must understand that you cannot escape. We cannot permit it.”
“Word travels fast,” Donald said. “So Suzanne has already gotten to you.”
“We were informed by the Council of Elders,” Arak said. “We heard from them just after you requested our presence. Now that we are here, we’d like to request that you return to your individual cottages. I repeat: you cannot escape.”
“We shall see,” Donald said. “For the time being, we are going to be giving the orders.”
“That is out of the question,” Arak remarked. Then, turning to the clones, he said, “Restrain them without hurting them, please!”
Obediently the clones surged forward.
Donald brandished the pistol and took several steps back. His coconspirators did the same.
“Don’t come any closer!” Donald commanded.
“I don’t think they know what a gun is,” Perry said nervously.
“They are going to learn quickly,” Donald said. While continuing to back up he raised the gun and aimed at the face of the clone coming directly at him.
“Arak!” Ismael cried. “He’s got a gun. Arak—”
“Stop, please!” Donald ordered the clones.
Having been commanded by an Interterran, the clones ignored Donald and continued closing in on the retreating secondary humans. Donald pulled the Luger’s trigger and it fired with a roar. The slug hit the lead clone in the forehead. He wobbled and then collapsed backward to the floor. A clear viscous fluid flowed out of the wound onto the marble. Curiously his legs continued to move as if he were still advancing.
Arak and Sufa gasped.
Undaunted, the other clones continued to approach. Donald swung the gun around to the one closing on Perry and fired again. The bullet struck the second clone in the temple. He collapsed as well, though his legs, too, continued moving.
“Halt, please,” Arak shouted with a quavering voice to the two remaining clones. The clones obeyed instantly. Arak’s face had gone pale and he was shaking. Meanwhile, the scissoring motion of the legs of the two on the ground slowed, then stopped.
Donald was now holding the pistol with two hands. He swung it around and pointed it at Arak. “That’s better,” he told the terrified Interterran. “Just so we understand one another, you are next.”
“Please,” Sufa cried. “No more violence. Please!”
“We’re happy to oblige,” Donald said without lowering the gun. “Just do as we say, and everything will be cool. Arak, I want you to make a few contacts with your wrist unit, then we’ll be leaving here.”
Suzanne was impressed with the equanimity the elders displayed despite the grave crisis. She, on the other hand, was growing progressively more anxious; the dispatches coming back to the council suggested that her former colleagues were succeeding.
While the council had convened, Suzanne had been offered food and then returned to the colonnaded hall. Like that morning she was again asked to be in the center although on this occasion she’d been supplied with a chair similar in style though smaller than those occupied by the elders. She was facing Ala with the bronze doors at her back.
“The problem seems to be getting worse,” Ala said after listening for a moment to her wrist communicator. Her clear, high-pitched voice was not hurried or harried. “The wayward group along with four human hostages are now approaching Barsama with their intact submersible. Arak is awaiting our orders.”
“I’ve never dealt with such a situation as this in all my lifetimes,” Ponu said. “Four worker clones have been prematurely dispatched. That is disturbing, indeed.”
“You can stop them, can’t you?” Suzanne blurted. She was beginning to find the calmness of the council unnerving. “And you can do it without injuring them, can’t you?”
Ala leaned forward toward Suzanne, ignoring her questions. “There is one issue we must be absolutely sure of,” she said calmly. “We have witnessed that your colleagues have surprisingly little compunction about damaging worker clones. What about humans? Would they really be capable of hurting a human?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so,” Suzanne said. “They are desperate.”
“It is hard to believe they would do such a thing after they have had an opportunity to experience our culture,” Ponu said. “All our other visitors have unerringly adapted to our peaceful ways.”
“Perhaps they would, too, given more of a chance,” Suzanne said. “But at this point they are dangerous to anyone who would thwart them.”
“I’m not sure I believe that,” another elder said. “It’s contrary to our experience, as Ponu mentioned.”
Suzanne felt frustrated to the point of anger. “I can prove the iniquity they are capable of,” she snapped. “They’ve left ample evidence in two of the cottages.”
“And what might that be?” Ala asked as serenely as if she were discussing gardening.
“They have already caused the deaths of two primary humans.”
Suzanne’s words clearly stunned the council. They sat dumbfounded. “Are you sure of this?” Ala asked. For the first time her voice reflected distress.
“I saw the bodies a few hours ago,” Suzanne said. “One was bludgeoned and the other drowned.”
“I’m afraid this tragic news puts the current situation on a different plane,” Ala said.
I should hope so, Suzanne thought to herself.
“I recommend we seal the Barsama vent immediately,” Ponu said.
A murmur of assent filled the chamber.
Ala raised her wrist communicator and spoke briefly then lowered her arm. “It will be done,” she said.
“How long will it take to connect the vent to the earth’s core?” Ponu asked.
“A few hours,” Ala said.
The doors were enormous, about two stories high and nine feet thick. They began to open inward on silent hinges. Arak was directing the activity with his wrist unit. He was in direct contact with Central Information. Donald was standing behind him with the pistol pressed into his back.
Perry, Richard, and Michael were off to the side, keeping Sufa, Ismael, and Mary under close guard. Michael was still in his Greek armor, refusing steadfastly to give it up. Harvey was in the passenger portion of the antigravity freighter, which was carrying the Oceanus as its payload. He was ready to direct the craft into the decon chamber behind the great doors.
“That looks familiar,” Donald said as he caught sight of the stainless steel interior. “It reminds me of the room where we had our unsolicited bath on our way into Interterra.”
A sudden rumble shook the ground, causing everyone to struggle with their balance. It lasted four or five seconds.
“What the hell was that?” Perry demanded.
Harvey poked his head out of the freighter. “We’d better hurry,” he called. “They must be opening a geothermal shaft.”
“What would that do?” Donald yelled back.
“Seal the exit vent,” Harvey shouted.
“Come on, Arak!” Donald growled. “Speed this process up.”
“I can’t do any more than I’m doing,” Arak said. “Besides, Harvey is right, there won’t be enough time. The port is going to be disabled.”
“We’re not giving up after coming this far,” Donald warned. “In fifteen minutes Sufa’s going to be shot if we’re not out of here.”
Another short vibration rumbled through the ground, signifying that the monstrous pressure doors were fully open.
“Now it’s up to you,” Arak said. He waved to Harvey to bring in the freighter. “When the inner door opens, power into the launch and retrieval chamber. When that floods and the launch doors are open you’re free to ascend the vent.”
“That’s not the way it is going to happen,” Donald said. “You’re going all the way, Arak. You and Sufa.”
“No!” Arak cried. “No, please! We can’t. I’ve done what you’ve asked, and we cannot be exposed to the atmosphere without adaptation. We’l
l die.”
“I’m not asking,” Donald said. “I’m ordering.”
Arak started to protest. Donald responded by pistol-whipping him across the face. Arak screamed and slapped his hands to his face. Blood oozed out between his fingers. Donald pushed him into the stainless steel room.
The freighter responded to Harvey’s commands, effortlessly gliding into the decon chamber.
“Come on, you guys,” Donald called to Perry and Richard. “Bring Sufa but leave the others.”
As soon as everyone was inside, Donald pulled Arak away from Sufa, who was trying to comfort him. The man’s right eye was deeply purple and swollen.
“Get this outer door closed and the inner one open, Arak,” Donald ordered.
Arak mumbled into his wrist communicator and the big doors began to close. Another rumble, signaling a second earthquake, echoed through the room; it lasted slightly longer than the first.
“Come on, Arak,” Donald warned. “Speed this up!”
“I told you I can’t,” Arak cried.
“Richard,” Donald called. “Get over here with one of your knives and cut off one of Sufa’s fingers.”
“No, wait!” Arak sobbed. “I’ll do what I can.”
Arak spoke into his wrist unit and the swing of the great doors quickened.
“That’s much better,” Donald said. “Much better indeed.”
The whole room shook for a moment with the concussion of the doors sealing. Almost simultaneously, inner doors of equal size began to swing open. Beyond was a huge black cavern similar to the one in which the secondary humans had found themselves on their way into Interterra. It had the same briny odor, no doubt from having been filled with salt water long ago.
As soon as the inner door was fully open, Harvey directed the freighter to carry the submersible within. The others ran after it but were impeded by the mud.
“Damn,” Perry said. “I forgot about this part.”
“Get those inner doors closed!” Donald yelled to Arak as they caught up to the freighter. His voice echoed. He handed the gun to Perry. “We need lights. I’m going inside the submersible.”
“Okay,” Perry said. He slipped his index finger around the trigger. It gave him a strange feeling. He’d never held a handgun, much less shot one.
As Donald ascended the submersible’s rungs another earthquake hit. He had to hold on to keep from being flung off. In the distance a sputtering sound heralded a geyser of lava.
“Shit!” Richard exclaimed. “We’re in a goddamn volcano.”
As soon as the latest tremor stopped, Donald scampered the rest of the way up the ladder and disappeared inside the Oceanus. A moment later the exterior lights came on. It was none too soon; the inner doors were nearing their jambs. Once they were shut the only light sources would be the submersible and the fountain of lava in the distance. It was growing by the second.
Donald’s head popped out of the submersible. “Let’s go, everybody,” he said. “Power’s up and life support’s on. We’re ready to button up.”
Arak and Sufa were ordered to climb into the submersible followed by Harvey, Perry, and Michael. Michael finally had to take off the breastplate in order to get down the hatch. Richard was the last in. As he closed the hatch, he saw a surge of water begin to fill the cavern. He also heard popping noises as the water collided with lava to form steam.
When Richard climbed down the ladder into the submersible, Donald told him to take a seat: he didn’t have any idea how much buffeting they would experience as the cavern filled. A few minutes later the Oceanus was bouncing around like a cork. Everyone held on for dear life.
“What are we supposed to do at this point?” Donald yelled to Arak.
“Nothing,” Arak said. “The water will carry the ship up the vent.”
“So does this mean that we’ve made it?” Donald asked.
“I guess you made it,” Arak responded sullenly. He reached over and gripped Sufa’s hand.
Ala slowly lowered her arm. She’d had an ear to her wrist communicator. Although she’d been visibly upset at the word of Sart and Mura’s murders, her expression was again tranquil. In a calm voice she announced, “The Barsama vent was not sealed in time. The submersible has left the lock and is now in open ocean heading due west.”
“And the hostages?” Ponu queried.
“Only two are on board,” Ala said. “Arak and Sufa are still with the secondary humans. Ismael and Mary were left behind and are safe.”
“Excuse me,” Suzanne said, trying to get her attention. What she was hearing seemed impossible. With all the powers and technology she’d imagined the Interterrans to have at their disposal, her erstwhile colleagues had apparently gotten away!
“I believe we must now deal directly with these people,” Ala said, continuing to ignore Suzanne. “Too much is at stake.”
“I think we should send them back and be over with this problem,” one of the elders to Suzanne’s left said. Suzanne swung around to face the woman. In contrast to the speaker of the council, this elder appeared to be in her midtwenties.
“What do you mean send them back?” Suzanne asked incredulously. She felt that, with such a simple solution possible, it was no wonder none of the elders appeared particularly distraught by the developments.
“I agree we must send them back,” an elder on the opposite side of the room said, disregarding Suzanne. Suzanne turned to look at the speaker, a boy of five or six.
“Do we have general agreement?” Ala asked.
A murmur of assent rose up from all the elders.
“So be it,” Ala said. “We’ll send out a clone in a small intergalactic ship.”
“Tell them to use the lowest power possible on the grid,” Ponu said as Ala spoke briefly into her wrist communicator.
“Such an unfortunate episode,” one of the other elders said. “It is a tragedy, indeed.”
“They aren’t going to be hurt, are they?” Suzanne asked. She refused to give up and, to her surprise, Ala finally responded to this question.
“Are you asking about your friends?” Ala asked.
“Yes!” Suzanne said with vexation.
“No, they will not be hurt,” Ala said. “Just very surprised.”
“I think Arak and Sufa’s sacrifice should be publicly acknowledged,” Ponu said.
“With full honors,” the boy child said. There was another general murmur of assent.
“Won’t Arak and Sufa be sent back, too?” Suzanne questioned.
“Of course,” Ala said. “They will all be sent back.”
Suzanne looked from one elder to another. She was totally confused.
“I see light out the view port!” Perry said excitedly. They had been running for several hours with no conversation and with the instrument lights providing the only illumination. Everyone was exhausted.
“Me, too,” Richard said from the opposite side of the Oceanus.
“There better be light,” Donald said. “According to the gauge we’re at a depth of a hundred feet, and it’s dawn up there on the surface.”
“Sounds reassuring,” Perry said. “How much longer do you think?”
Donald glanced down at his sonar display. “I’ve been watching the bottom contours. I’d say in a couple of hours at most we’ll be within sight of the harbor islands off Boston.”
“All right!” Richard and Michael cried simultaneously. They high-fived across the narrow aisle.
“How much battery time do we have left?” Perry asked.
“That’s the only problem,” Donald said. “It’s going to be close. We may have to swim the last hundred yards.”
“That’s fine by me,” Harvey said. “I’d swim all the way to New York if I had to.”
“What about my armor?” Michael said, suddenly concerned about his booty.
“That’s your problem, sailor,” Donald said. “You’re the one who insisted on bringing it all.”
“I’ll give you a hand if you shar
e it with me,” Richard offered.
“Screw you,” Michael said.
“No arguments!” Perry said emphatically.
They traveled in silence for several minutes until Arak spoke up. “You have your freedom from Interterra. Why did you take us, knowing what would happen to us?”
“Insurance,” Donald said. “I wanted to be certain there would be no interference by your Council of Elders once we’d left Barsama port.”
“You guys will also come in handy if anyone is foolish enough to doubt our story,” Richard said.
Michael let out a guffaw.
“But we shall perish,” Arak said.
“We’ll take you to Massachusetts General Hospital,” Donald said. He smiled wryly. “I happen to know they like challenges.”
“It would be to no avail,” Arak said glumly. “Your medicine is too primitive to help.”
“Well, it’s the best we can do,” Donald said. He started to say something else, but then stopped. His smile faded.
“What’s the matter?” Perry demanded. As tense as Perry was he was particularly sensitive to Donald’s expression.
“We’ve got something weird here,” Donald said. He reached out to adjust the sonar display.
“What is it?” Perry demanded.
“Check the sonar,” Donald said. “It looks as if something is pursuing us, and it is coming very rapidly.”
“How rapidly?” Perry asked.
“This can’t be true,” Donald said with growing urgency. “The instruments are telling me it’s going over a hundred knots underwater!” He whirled about to face Arak. “Is this thing for real, and if so, what the hell is it?”
“Probably an Interterran interplanetary ship,” Arak said, leaning forward to see the display.
“They still know you are aboard, don’t they?” Donald demanded.
“Certainly,” Arak said.
Donald swung back around to the controls. “I don’t like this,” he snapped. “I’m going to surface.”
“I don’t think we can,” Perry said. “It just got dark outside. It must be hovering directly over us.”