Mission: Harbeasts of Mars Page 14

  Dr. Fairchild had wisely hid himself in an empty office during the plan and the mess afterward. Coordinated with Patrick before he was caught, during a small window of opportunity, Fairchild had been able to pinpoint in the computer system where on the grounds he wanted to make temporary changes to the security codes and he reset his own voice-activated code, so that anyone saying the code could unlock the arena gates and doors. Then he unlocked the cages of all the predators into the arena walkways, at Lafayette's command by comlink.

  When he'd found us, he was frail and looking frightened, carrying a rifle too big for him to handle. I doubt he truly knew how to use it. When he'd learned of Lafayette's grisly passing I could see a great look of relief drench his deeply lined face. As if a giant weight had been lifted.

  “Well, Dr. Fairchild, you once again have the place to yourself,” I said.

  “I still can't believe we managed it. But Patrick. . .”

  “I know.”

  “If only he hadn't found out. Patrick wouldn't give me away to Lafayette. He was courageous till the end.” Pain creased his face.

  “I miss my brother, Roland,” he said. “It was he who spearheaded the most daring ideas for our research, with the help of our old friend from the Mothership, Hetul. Or, Dr. Hetul.” Then he crumpled down in a chair by a computer console. “I wasn't strong enough or brave enough. I've never been brave, you know,” he said.

  “What do you mean? You were brave in helping Patrick to help me escape.”

  “I know but, sometimes I think that was desperation. Not bravery. Roland was always the one who took charge, who was unafraid to take risks or speak his mind.”

  “And that's a great thing,” I said. “but we don't all have to be huge risk takers to offer something valuable. And your plan with Patrick, the end result required bravery. It doesn't matter how you got there. Look, anyone who comes to Mars, especially now, and tries to do the godlike work of terraforming is a hero in my book. Both of you are heroes. Mars ain't for the faint of heart, Dr. Fairchild. You're needed out here to carry on the work you both started.” He smiled.

  “Well,” he said, “I do have some of his notes and research that I can still work from. Lafayette and his research cronies stole much of what we'd created.”

  “Do you think anyone else might try to build or create a terraforming project?”

  “I'm sure of that. In fact, a few years ago right before Lafayette arrived I talked with a small science delegation from Ophir about how to build efficient greenhouse gas plant factories to help heat the planet and transform the atmosphere and climate so that one day Martians won't have a need for biospheres. I'm not sure if they have plans to build one, but they have the necessary information. The information we've discovered here is highly prized. The knowledge could be worth ten fortunes for someone out there. All that information, stolen.”

  “This is a big universe, doctor. There's enough room for lots of groundbreaking research centers.” Fairchild still looked worried.

  “I'm sure we can get this place running again and go back to the original purpose we both set out to do, make Mars live. The only true issue I have is security. Thomas is a capable man with a good head on him, but we need a strong security force here. One of Lafayette's smug minions will be back with a gang force to try and take over the lab. I'm sure of it. Triskelion has become a strategic place on Mars. A lot of food production and water treatment and creation systems the people of Mars rely on got their start here.”

  I had an idea. I was sure that The Boss back home might find an alliance with such a research facility very valuable. How, I wasn't sure, but creating alliances with important organizations like this would help us in the future. Not to mention I had allies here who would find this center a strategic tool in consolidating their power and stabilizing themselves on Mars. It would be in their best interests to protect it.

  “I have some powerful friends at home on Earth and in Ophir who might be able to assist you in that. If I can convince some of my own friends to gather support for the facility, I'll do my best to get you a good security force. And more funds, if I can manage it,” His expression turned grateful.

  “My caution is that I would prefer a mix of corporate and government funding. One large donor for the center could cause more power struggles that I don't need. I've got enough on my hands already.”

  “I can't make any promises, but I'll try. You may have to settle for government funding first. I know some important people in Ophir. It'll be probably a few months before you'll get any support from my contact on Earth if I can convince them, you understand?” He nodded quickly, hope rising on his face.

  “I'll need a comlink, and quick,” I said. Admiral Suttu could help provide security for such an important place for the new Martians. I doubt he would refuse to help. This lab was one of the most valuable places on the planet.

  “First, you must rest,” he said.

  “What will you do with these animals in the mean time?”

  “We will use them for study and eventually release them out in the wild. The cloning laboratory too.”

  “And what about the ones out in the desert?”

  “We will once again trap and tag them and monitor their health and their movements as we originally did. It was Lafayette that came up with the devilish idea of catching them to use in his games. Such beautiful creatures, and so majestic.” I had to say, I didn't actually think they were beautiful, but they did have a regal air about them, even if they were engineered wholly out of a lab. They deserved to be wild and free.

  Thinking upon all of this life exploding on Mars, I thought that the one good thought from Lafayette's mind: the name of Triskelion. It had many associations, Lafayette's meaning for it quite different from its much older associations. I'd noticed that Fairchild still called it Triskelion, even though Lafayette was now gone. I thought of its relation to an ancient sea god and its association with guiding souls from Earth to another life. Mars had many dry sea beds that might one day teem with water and life. And the creatures being designed here were like souls being guided from one sort of life to a new one as wild creatures in a new and ever evolving ecosystem. And in the end, it really was Dr. Burrows's idea to name the place Triskelion after all. The name seemed fitting.

  The next day we spent the day doing our best to secure and clean up the facility. No one dared to enter the mansion, for fear of any harbeasts or other carnivorous animals that might have made it a temporary home. In fact, on the cameras in one of the guard towers we could plainly see a few creatures roaming the outer gardens near the arena. Some were drinking and lounging in the pools and ponds.

  Giren and Kiernan approached me as I monitored the cameras. I'd noticed that Giren's sores were starting to heal up quite well. I had noticed that I had a pretty bad limp

  “How did you do it?” Asked Kiernan. “I'd given up on life. I never thought I'd escape this place.”

  “Yes. I never had the nerve after the things I'd been through,” said Giren.

  “I got lucky, I guess. And someone out there is with me. It also helped that the codes we'd all sussed out were correct. And that I had inside help.” I also had to admit that I wasn't here long and was still stupid enough to believe that I could get out of here. I hadn't yet been beaten into submission.

  “What will you guys do? Where will you go?”

  “I'm going back to Syzygy,” said Giren. “What's left of my life, I'll live it out there. Thank you, Robert. If you are ever in any trouble and I am able to help, I owe you a life debt. Don't hesitate to call on me. I'm sure you know how it is in Syzygy's dynashans. Ask for my name. Hopefully by then, I'll be settled with a business of my own.”

  “Thank you,” I said. I was sure that at some point, I would need help. That's how these things went. Kiernan looked thoughtful for a moment as Giren made preparations to leave. I knew it wasn't approved by Thomas, who was gone, patrolling the grounds by speeder right now, but I gave him a small lasgun to
take with him before he left the place. Only a fool would be without such a weapon on Mars. He grinned.

  “I almost feel like a warrior on a hive ship,” Giren said.

  “Were you ever on the hive ship?” He shook his head.

  “No, but my mother was. She died a few years after the last battle. My father was a human explorer,” he said, and he departed.

  “That name, Ophir. I hear that it's finally a reality. Is this true?” Asked Kiernan. I nodded.

  “It is. It's an impressive place,” I said. I eased down into a small metal and leather hover chair, considerably exhausted, my fresh wounds cleaned and patched up by Dr. Fairchild, with all my old aches and pains now crying out for succor and relief again. Kiernan went and found a leather Form-Fit hover chair to conform to the contours of my body.

  “Here, sit here.” He helped me and into the chair. I wanted to fold and melt into the chair and disappear into a deep sleep.

  “Is that better?” I nodded. “I think I'll go to Ophir. I don't know what awaits me there, or even if I belong there,” he said.

  “Ophir is a rebel separatist stronghold,” I said. “If that means anything to you, start from there.”

  “Then it should be interesting. I've always been among the independents here.”

  “Independence is a grand thing. But there's something to be said for having the support of a strong community around you. A close-knit culture and a place to call home. Especially when times grow dark. I doubt that crimes like this are as easily perpetrated to those who would be missed by family.”

  “What do you mean?” He asked.

  “That everyone needs someone to help them out. Every time I come to Mars I'm reminded of that fact. I have a network of friends who support me, and I have a family back home. It's good to be independent, but no one is an island. Such a man is in a dangerous position in this universe.” Furat was truly alone. And his had looked like a desperate and malignant existence.

  Kiernan looked thoughtful.

  “I'll go. I hope to find my place there. But, let me at least do something for you before I leave.” I smiled weakly.

  “Thanks. The first thing I need to do is call for security reinforcements for this place so it can't be overrun by mercenaries again.”

  Kiernan was very solicitous to me in finding something of a makeshift gurney for me and rolled me along to a control room where I could find a channel to call and communicate to Genevieve. When I'd finally made contact with them and the clamor for where I'd been all this time had died down, they were shocked at the account I retold to them of how I got to the North Lab, officially named Triskelion, formerly named MN-1 and all the insanity that had transpired here.

  I had also informed them that calling upon Admiral Suttu and any others who could lend help in getting the center secured against hostile takeover from mercenaries, enemy loyalists or anyone else who didn't have a vested interest in the welfare of the planet and its growing population, was of utmost importance.

  “I'll alert as many as I can. I know admiral Suttu, and Wykrim and the others will leap to the occasion,” said Genevieve excitedly. “Are you okay?”

  “I am now. Look, I've got to go. I'll be waiting for you guys.”

  “We should be there in a couple of days. We detected one of the emergency flare signatures from you days and days ago and followed it to a rocky hill area, but somehow lost your trail after a time. We couldn't find you anywhere after that.”

  “Well, you'll find me at the Triskelion Tesearch Center. And please, watch out for harbeasts. There are a lot more of them roaming free about the desert now.”

  “Thanks for the heads up. We're on our way.” I heard her end click and I shut the comlink off.

  . . .

  The next morning Kiernan had been allowed to take a small speeder and he left on his way to Ophir. Fairchild, his loyal assistants and Thomas and I had set about finishing the clean up of the great disarray, and feeding the animals still contained and tending to the sicker, weaker people, who had now all been transported to a makeshift hospital ward. Fairchild and his assistants prepared his work for more experiments and for medical help for the people and the sicker animals. He'd also set about contacting old friends for medical personnel to come and work for the center. We were now waiting hopefully for reinforcements to arrive.

  “I wonder where Nightflame has gone off to?” Asked Dr. Fairchild

  “Nightflame?”

  “Yes. The first strong, healthy female harbeast I created. She came from a test tube, grown from a snagar's egg and a lion's sperm. She's one of the strongest specimens we'd created a few years ago, she and her mate, whom we named Firemane.” I had no idea they had names.

  “Well, it was really by accident. I can only say that out in the desert she and her mate were determined to hunt me down and feed me to their young.”

  “Natural behavior. So, they do have a new home then, or a den?”

  “In a small crop of rocky hills some days south from here. I'd met another guy out there who rescued me from them only to find out that he wanted to consume my bones himself. He managed to fend them off. I'm still not sure who was scarier.”

  “What happened to him?”

  “Lafayette killed him,” I said. He shook his head.

  “Lafayette had a long history of crossing his associates. I'm surprised he wasn't killed by one of his enemies.”

  “Except, he was killed by his enemies. They just weren't bipedal.” He smiled at this.

  “Nightflame's sudden protectiveness of you was quite fascinating. I saw it on the monitors.”

  “I think that was a bright stroke of luck, right there. I was about to escape from the hills where they had their lair, when I was stuck between Scylla and Charybdis. A giant spider was about to attack me and in order to get away from it, I ended up running straight into her. What are those spider things, anyway?” Fairchild suddenly looked excited.

  “Those are called Attercopus! They used to be extinct. Oh, this is wonderful news, Robert! Only four survived in the lab. When we released them years ago, we lost track of all of them. We had assumed that they died out. But you found one!”

  “Heh, well, I think there may be more than one in that hill, Dr. Fairchild.” That was one creature that I thought should have remained extinct. “By the way, Nightflame killed it.” He looked even more surprised.

  “She did? It didn't injure her at all?” I shook my head.

  “Not that I could see. But her skin looks almost as tough as armor, tougher than even that spider thing. She tore it in two. Are they poisonous?”

  “No. But I don't suppose they taste very good. What happened after that?”

  “I'd injured her paw in an earlier battle and it looked pretty bad. After groveling in front of her, and a miraculous act of mercy, she let me remove a sharp piece of rock that was stuck inside. I'm guessing when they released her into the arena with me and she refused to hurt me and wouldn't allow her mate to do so either, perhaps she remembered that,” I said. He nodded.

  “Just as I thought. Harbeasts have memories as long and as clear as an elephant's. They are intelligent animals. They are keen, ferocious, and loving to their cubs. And, they can also display the ability to be loyal, after a fashion.” He gazed at me kindly for a few moments. “That was a fine thing you did for her. These harbeasts are all precious to me. It hurt to see them and the other animals cruelly subjected to Lafayette's research. He was once a scientist, but it seems a blasphemy against science to call him one. Some of what he did was useful, but he mostly carried out his work to benefit himself and to inflict suffering and death on others.”

  “Well, Nightflame and her mate had something to say about that,” I said. He grinned, looking very satisfied.

  “Yes, she did, didn't she?”

  16

  Genevieve and Diamond finally reached Triskelion, where they found me the next evening bathed, clothed and peacefully resting. Genevieve informed me that Suttu had dispat
ched a large security unit to the center. They were on their way.

  “They should be arriving today or tomorrow. They were shocked when they heard about the mess up here,” she said. She cupped my face with her small hands.

  “You're limping! And how in hell's name did you get all the way out here, Bob? What stupid thing did you do?” I gave her an exhausted and sheepish look, remembering my stupidity in deciding to drive while half drunk in my speeder. I didn't want to have to admit that unless she decided to beat it out of me.

  “It's a long story, full of stupidity, grand adventure, and woe,” I said. She shook her head.

  “I want to hear this entire story when we get back, including the fight at Nicolai's,” she said firmly.

  “You heard about that?”

  “Everybody's heard about it,” she said dryly.

  “And you had the nerve to leave me out of the action, Bob,” Diamond scolded. “Seriously, we were worried sick about you. When we found the wrecked speeder and animal paw prints in the sand

  nearby. . .”

  “I know, I know. I promise I'll tell you guys all about what happened when we get back to base. But first let me say my goodbyes here. I've made some friends here.” Thomas came and escorted us through the complex. I could tell Genevieve was excited to finally be in the place where her favorite cloned meats were made. Her eyes searched every detail of each room we were led through. We found Dr. Fairchild hard at work, organizing his office, formerly Lafayette's office. I introduced him to my team.

  “This is one of the original scientists who built this lab before the imposter took it over. Genevieve, Diamond, this is Dr. Ronald Fairchild.”

  “So you're behind the ravenous harbeasts that roam the deserts then?” Asked Genevieve.

  “I am partly responsible, for their creation, yes,” he said. I hoped this introduction wouldn't turn sour.

  “Why them? Why not rabbits or something? Or camels? It seems we already have enough people with predatory instincts here. Did we really need harbeasts?”