Infinity's Gateway, page 37
“Something wrong?” asked Father Ryan.
“I’m not sure,” said Colton. Looking up into the sky, he couldn’t see very much. The mist that had greeted them when they first arrived had returned in full strength, once again blanketing the jungle. A sick, hollow feeling filled his stomach. As best as he could determine, their escort was gone. In the past, it had always been easy to spot, its light being so bright. For whatever reason, it was no longer there.
“What is it, Commander?” asked Father Ryan, now on his feet, standing next to him. “What’s going on?”
“Don’t ask me why, but our escort has left without us,” said Colton. “I don’t get it. This doesn’t make any sense. There’s been at least a dozen times when they could have killed us, or just left us to die. So what changed? Why go to all the trouble to lure us out here?”
Suddenly Father Ryan grabbed Colton’s arm and pointed down the trail, his voice just above a whisper. “Commander, what is that thing?”
Not more than thirty paces away, standing directly in the center of the trail, was the same creature that had stalked Colton and Garrett on their return to the ship several days ago. Although Colton really couldn’t see any arms or legs, it appeared to be standing erect, less than six feet tall and broad across the middle.
The creature was covered, from top to bottom, with leaves and small vines. Had it not been standing in the middle of the trail, but off to the side, Colton would have thought it was just another plant. It was the first time he’d been able to get a clear look at it. Beneath the leaves he could see small patches of skin, which appeared to be oily and rough, pitted, and cracked in places. Its color constantly shifted with the slightest breeze, changing in tone to blend in with its surroundings.
Father Ryan and Colton stood stock-still, not even daring to reach for their rifles. The sounds of the jungle seemed to intensify as they stood there, staring at the creature. Then, slowly, it began to creep towards them. The air was suddenly filled with a sickly sweet, off-putting odor that Colton guessed was coming from this thing. It filled his nose and mouth, almost causing him to gag.
As it advanced, Colton could see very small, black and brown creatures moving all over it, some falling off as it moved. As soon as they hit the ground, they scampered off into the jungle. They were so fast Colton couldn’t tell what they were. They looked like insects, roaches possibly, but too many legs.
Although he didn’t know if the creature’s intentions were hostile, he wasn’t about to take any chances. Colton carefully pulled his pistol with one hand, his radio with the other. “Eclipse, this is Colton. Do you read me?”
“We read you, Commander,” answered Petty Officer Briggs.
“Let me talk to MacKay,” said Colton. “Now.”
“MacKay here. What’s up, Commander?”
“It appears that our escort has abandoned us. The creature that stalked us on our return is back and is slowly moving towards us.”
Colton could hear some muffled conversation and then MacKay’s voice was back, loud and clear. “I’ve just ordered Captain Garrett to the bridge and told her to have her team ready to launch.”
“Let’s hold off on sending in the marines,” said Colton. “I’m going to try something first and see what happens.”
Colton slowly raised his pistol above his head, pointing it up into the sky. He glanced at Father Ryan. Although the priest was standing firm, he could see that the blood had drained from his face. Colton said, “Let’s see if this will scare it away.” With that he fired three shots into the air.
MacKay and many of the crew heard the three shots fired by Colton, but they were quite faint. MacKay looked at Mercer, shaking his head. “Why go to all the trouble to have those two men brought to shore, give us the help we needed so that they’d have safe passage, and then not more than an hour later, turn around and leave them to die?”
Mercer just shook his head, scanning the horizon as best he could. “Lieutenant Gallo, do you have the alien craft on the radar?”
“Yes sir, it’s about thirty-five miles from here, heading away in a southwesterly direction at a moderate pace,” said Gallo.
Garrett joined them on the bridge. “Captain, my men are ready and standing by. Shall I give them the signal to launch?”
“Hatfield,” snapped MacKay, “how do things look in the neighborhood?”
“Not good, sir,” replied Hatfield. “I’ve got two, possibly three bogeys that could pose a serious threat.”
“Have your men stand by, Captain,” said MacKay. “Colton, what’s happening out there?”
“I’m not sure,” said Colton. “It’s no longer moving towards us. The shots stopped it, but it didn’t run away either. We’d be in the middle of a staring contest if it had eyes.”
“Captain Garrett’s team is ready to launch,” said MacKay. “Shall I give them the go?”
“Negative. We’re too far in, Captain,” answered Colton. “We’re already on the far side of the stream. With all that we can hear walking around us, you’d lose at least ten men trying to save two. And that’s assuming we’d still be savable. Keep those marines where they are, Captain, that’s an order. I’m afraid the numbers are against us.”
Looking at Garrett, MacKay said, “Do you know where he is, Captain? Do you believe you could get to them in time?”
“We need to try, no matter what,” said Garrett. “Best case, we’re probably no more than fifty minutes to an hour away.”
MacKay grimaced, tightly gripping the radio. “Commander, what are you planning to do?”
“Darn good question,” muttered Colton under his breath. “Father, are you still with me?”
“I am,” said Father Ryan. He sounded almost out of breath.
“Good,” said Colton. “Now listen to me carefully. The sound from my pistol obviously had very little effect on our visitor. When I give you the word, I want you to go and get your rifle. In your backpack, in the lower, right-hand outside pocket, there’s a small flare gun. I want you to get it and bring it to me, understand?”
“I understand,” said Father Ryan, crossing himself. “Ready when you are.”
Talking back into the radio, Colton said, “Captain, we’re going to get our rifles and some of our equipment and start working our way back towards you. Do not launch those boats until I tell you that we’re close to the shore.”
“What about the stalker?” said MacKay, his voice crackling a little over the radio. “Is it still there?”
“It is,” said Colton, “but I don’t want to hurt it unless I have to. We’re going to . . .”
At that moment, the upper right side of the creature seemed to separate from the body, the appendage slowly raising upwards, extending itself toward Colton. More of the small, insect-looking things fell from it. At the end of the appendage, it appeared to be holding a small blue sphere. Like the crafts that had surrounded the Eclipse, it too was encased in the same soft blue light. Suddenly the light burst in its intensity, like the flash from a camera, but many times stronger.
A spilt second later the air seemed to ripple, blurring his vision, again, like before. When his vision cleared, he realized how hopeless their situation had become.
Where the stalker had been standing, there were now dozens of them, all identical to each other. Colton quickly looked around and found that these creatures had them completely surrounded. Taking a step back towards the stream, he glanced over his shoulder. There, on the opposite shore, stood more of the stalkers.
“Captain,” said Colton, “the stalker wasn’t alone. There must be close to a hundred of them and we are surrounded.” The radio went silent. Colton waited for the stalkers to attack. He felt sorry for MacKay, knowing that the man was desperately trying to figure out what to say.
“Colton,” MacKay said, “do your best to hang on. Mercer is going to launch two of the armed drones. They’ll be over you in just a few minutes. We’ll have them make enough noise to scare those things off.”
“Good plan,” said Colton. “Let’s hope it’s . . .”
Colton realized that the creature that had first confronted them must be their leader. It once again began to move towards them, keeping its appendage extended. Without warning, from the small, blue sphere, a bright, narrow beam of white light hit Father Ryan in the chest. The priest staggered back, looking as though he was trying to resist the beam, dropping to the ground, unconscious.
“Colton, you broke up. What were you saying?”
“Father Ryan’s down,” Colton shouted into the radio just before dropping it. His instincts took over, quickly bringing his pistol up, aiming dead center at their leader. At pointblank range, he knew he couldn’t miss. They may get us, thought Colton, but they’re going to pay a price.
Before he could pull the trigger, a second beam of light struck him high in his chest. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel any pain. Instead, he began to feel his entire body go numb, his legs and arms no longer responding. In a last-gasp effort, he was able to get off two shots, but his arms had already dropped to his side, the bullets harmlessly striking the muddy trail. He felt himself falling. As he hit the ground, he rolled over onto his back.
Staring up at the jungle canopy above him, Colton fought to keep from passing out, but could feel himself steadily slipping away. He didn’t hear it approach, but the creature now stood directly over him, the sphere poised to strike again. Then the sphere seemed to vanish into the folds of its skin. A second appendage on the other side of the creature reached up and began to peel off its skin from the top down.
Colton had to be dreaming. It had to be a hallucination; he couldn’t believe his eyes. With what he had thought to be its skin now peeled away, he found himself staring into the face of a strangely beautiful, olive-skinned woman. It was the last thing he saw.
The two shots Colton fired were heard by all of them. “Was that one shot or two?” asked Mercer.
“Colton!” shouted MacKay into the radio. “Colton, come in. Are you all right?”
Silence reigned over the bridge. All of them kept staring at the jungle, hoping for the impossible. MacKay turned to Briggs. “Keep trying to get Colton on the radio.”
“Sir, request permission to lead a team ashore to bring back Mr. Colton and Father Ryan,” said Garrett. Her face had paled, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Sir, I’m not getting any response,” said Briggs.
MacKay bowed his head and stood there. Losing Father Ryan and Colton like this had been so completely unexpected that it hit him hard. It was more than just the pain of losing two of his crew; this was a personal loss. He was also angry at himself. He’d just stood there and listened while his two men were murdered. The pain and frustration were too much to bear.
Looking up at Garrett, he gave one of the hardest orders of his career. “Request denied, Captain,” said MacKay. “Have your men stand down.”
“Captain, we can’t just leave them out there,” she nearly shouted! “They could be wounded, unable to help themselves, waiting for us to arrive! Sir, they need our help!”
“That will be all, Captain,” snapped MacKay, whirling around to face her. It took all he had but he stopped himself before saying anything he knew he’d regret. Looking at the young marine, he said, “Do you think I haven’t thought of all that? The order I’m giving you will haunt me for the rest of my life. I’m sorry, Garrett, I truly am, but I’m afraid they’re gone and there’s not much we can do. I can’t, in good conscience, risk losing more men for a cause that I believe is already lost.”
Garrett held her temper in check. She knew this wasn’t MacKay’s fault. It had been a fool’s errand to begin with. She was angry at herself for not having done more to keep Colton and Father Ryan from leaving. “Will that be all, sir?”
“Yes Captain,” said MacKay. “That will be all.”
Garrett whirled around and nearly ran off the bridge. Mercer stood next to MacKay. Several minutes passed without either man saying anything. Finally, Mercer asked, “Your orders, Captain?”
“We’ll continue to try and reach them. I also want to send the drones over. Doubt we’ll find much due to the mist,” said MacKay. “Tomorrow morning we’ll have an officers’ meeting after breakfast. Have Meinhard and his people join us.”
“What are you planning to do, sir?” asked Mercer.
“We’re going to go home,” said MacKay. “Something was able to bring us here, so it stands to reason there’s a way back. You have the bridge, Mr. Mercer. I’ll be in my cabin.”
The jungle, for the most part, had returned to normal. The woman standing over Colton looked at him for a few more moments, then moved over to Father Ryan. Crouching down, she placed a small metal discus on his wrist, and one on the side of his neck. She then moved back to Colton and did the same thing. Neither of the men moved.
The multitude of creatures that had surrounded Colton and Father Ryan were gone. They had never been there in the first place. It had all been an illusion created by the sphere she carried. Experience had taught them that most aggressors backed down in the face of overwhelming force. But Colton hadn’t backed down. Quite the opposite. He’d been prepared to go down fighting. This troubled her.
She was slender, having finished removing the camouflage she wore to keep herself safe while in the jungle. Her skin was light brown with a greenish tint, and while her face bore many similarities to humans, that didn’t hold true with her eyes. Slightly larger than human eyes, they angled upwards at the corners, their coloration a kaleidoscope of blue and silver shades that constantly moved and changed, depending on the amount of light around her.
The top of her head was crowned with what looked like a lion’s mane of hair. Blending with her skin, it boasted shades of brown and green, reaching down to just below her shoulders. She continued to look at Colton, her mesmerizing eyes turned cold. She had adamantly argued against this mission. She felt they were making a terrible mistake, but she had not succeeded in winning the argument.
Moving the sphere in a counterclockwise motion, a beam of pale blue light covered the woman’s head and part of her shoulders. “Both of the men are now with me. It was necessary to render them unconscious. They have not been harmed.”
“Yes, we are getting the readings as well. Will you be able to bring them to us, or will you require assistance?”
“Unless something changes, I will be able to complete the mission at hand,” she said, thinking about the two men lying on the ground. She thought about the arguments she had put forward earlier and said, “These men are different. They are far stronger than any we have ever encountered. As we observed, their weapons are more advanced, and their vessel contains the rudimentary elements of star power. Is it wise to bring them in, to allow them to learn about us?”
“This was thoroughly discussed before you left. You are well aware of the reasons why we must do this. We can only truly evaluate them by bringing them here. As there are only two of them, we do not anticipate any risk.”
“I’ll keep you updated on our progress,” she said, and then moved the sphere in the opposite direction, breaking off communication.
Again, she stood looking down at Colton, trying to discern as much as she could from his still form. It is you who concerns me the most, she thought to herself. You’re clearly a very dangerous warrior. You will be hard to control and should be left here to die. But she was a creature of strong discipline and repressed her own personal feelings. She knew what had to be done, knew of the ever-growing dangers threatening her own people. Shaking her head, she thought, As advanced as we are, it is frightening to think that you may be our only hope.
The End
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank the following people who were instrumental, one way or another, in making Infinity’s Gateway possible.
First, is my loving wife, Margaret, who has put up with what I like to call my “creative eccentricities” for many years. She is my first edit, giving me a woman’s perspective as well as invaluable input. The love, the support, and frankly the patience she has given to me through all this, I’m sure, will put her in line for canonization.
Dennis Welch, my manager and publicist, has been steadfast in his support of my writing, and over the last ten years has become a close and trusted friend. His insight into the business of writing made this possible. He and his wife, Susie, helped to keep me going through some of the darkest times.
Don Webb, a tremendous talent in his own right, is more than my editor. He has become my friend and my mentor in so many ways. Don is a wealth of knowledge, and I learn from him each and every time we are together. To this day he continues to play a strong role in guiding my writing.
David Hancock, Jim Howard, Tiffany Gibson, and the absolutely amazing team at Morgan James have been a true blessing. We wanted a strong publisher who would work with us and go the extra mile to support our dreams. In Morgan James we have found that. It is good to work with family.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Every now and then author James S. Parker has a vision. And, when he does, he sees people and places off in the misty distance. Sometimes these visions are futuristic and filled with danger. Most often they are mystical, with good and evil and a cast of characters who beautifully represent both.
In his high school years James experienced a spine tingling brush with the supernatural. That single event—complete with the sound of heavy footsteps and an invisible visitor—etched forever in his mind the idea that life is much more mysterious than we oftentimes admit, that the spiritual world is all around us, and that its impact on us cannot be denied.
Though he sees through a glass darkly, he writes as though he has been granted a glimpse into the unknown, one that has informed his novels and their powerful stories of good and evil and the struggles we all face every day to assure that good wins.
