Kaiju: Deadfall, page 12
“Piece of cake,” he whispered to himself.
He watched Costas walking toward him, forking up mouthfuls of runny eggs and sausage from a paper plate. Costas sat down on an upended crate across from him.
“That nuke is a piece of work. It weighs close to fifty kilos. Those fancy gliders had better be able to fly with the added weight, or else whoever carries it will drop like a rock.”
“That’s my job.”
“The hell it is,” Costas protested. “I’m the weapons expert. I’ll carry it. You keep those damned giant mosquitoes off my back.”
“If all goes as planned, we won’t have to worry about the Wasps.”
“Hell, Captain, I like your vote of confidence, but this mission is a crap shoot, and you know it.”
“They all are.”
Costas took a big bite of eggs, swallowed, and said, “Yeah, but sometimes we get the roll of the dice. This time …”
Walker had more practical concerns. “What’s the delay time on the device?”
Costas shrugged and pointed his fork at Walker. “That nuke has a thirty-minute delay. If we dally too long making our exit…” He held his hands together and quickly spread them apart. “Kablooey.”
Costas’ demonstration was crude but effective.
“Then we haul ass out of there.”
Costas nodded. “I’m all for that.”
“Get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.”
Costas laughed. “Sleep? Who the fuck’s got time for sleep. I’m going over that nuke with a fine-toothed comb. I don’t trust these army boys. They sleep in real beds at night. I bet they even wear clean underwear.”
Walker rose and checked on his men. Howard was snoring softly. Jackson and Costas were busy. The fourth, Corporal Michael Evans, was smoking a cigarette by the door, which was open just a crack. Even so, a hot dry breeze entered the warehouse.
“Get some sack time, Evans.”
“Just enjoying the night, Captain. You ever just sit and listen to the silence?”
“Not often.”
“You should. It’s highly enlightening. You can learn a lot.”
“What do you hear?”
“I hear fear.”
A cold hand crawled up Walker’s spine at Evans’ cryptic revelation. “Fear?”
“Everyone here is afraid. You can see it in the way they walk, keeping one eye toward the north. You can hear it in their short, clipped conversations. Their voices are schoolboy high. They know Nusku’s out there, coming for them, and they’re frightened.”
“And you?”
He smiled and tossed his cigarette out the door. “Oh, I’ve been afraid many times, but not now.”
He questioned Evan’s puzzling answer. “No?”
“I’m resigned to the fact that we’re not getting out of that creature alive.”
Walker tried not to let his dismay show on his face. A soldier certain of his death made mistakes. “No one dies on my watch, Corporal. We’ll get in, set the nuke, and get out, all in one piece.”
“Do you really believe that, Captain?”
“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t take the mission.”
Evans shook his head slowly and smiled. “I doubt that. I think you would strap that nuke to your back and let the bastard swallow you if you thought you’d win. You don’t like losing. That’s why I follow you, but this time we’re up against aliens. We’re going into the great unknown using tried and true tactics. There’s no room for error. I think this creature still has a few surprises in store for us.”
“Get some sleep. I’ll roust you when it’s time for the briefing.”
Evans nodded and sauntered back inside. Walker watched him walk away. Evans was a good soldier, a veteran of fifteen missions with him. If he felt the icy fingers of fate gripping him, how did the others feel? He stifled a yawn. He wouldn’t be getting any sleep, but he could at least rest. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.
15
Saturday, August 11, 1:25 a.m. (CDT) Mare Moscoviense, Moon –
The last journey back from the teardrop had been a struggle. Lack of sleep over the past forty-eight hours and the yoke of responsibility weighed heavily on Langston’s shoulders. Mahall had finally re-established contact with Earth after rewiring almost the entire Orion spacecraft. When Mahall relayed Director Caruthers through to the lander, the Director almost sobbed as he spoke.
“I have some terrible news, Commander. Each of the three alien objects did tremendous damage when they crashed in the U.S. Tens of thousands of people died. Last night, at about 7:30 Houston time, each object disgorged a gigantic alien creature hundreds of feet long. They’re unlike anything we’ve ever seen, vicious, armored monsters. Each one is now in the process of devastating major cities. Chicago and San Francisco have been annihilated. Las Vegas, Oakland, and Los Angeles are in the crosshairs. Hundreds of thousands of people are dead, and none of our weapons have any effect on the creatures.”
Crenshaw’s face turned red from anger. She closed her eyes and rocked back and forth in her seat. Langston had trouble swallowing. The air seemed too thick to breathe. He didn’t feel anger. He was numb. He knew the Director well enough to realize that he was leaving out more than he was revealing. He didn’t want to burden them with details and events over which they had no control.
“What about the nuclear option?” he croaked through a suddenly dry throat.
“It’s being considered for Nusku in the desert of Nevada. The other two … well, it would cause as much damage as the creatures.”
Maybe his decision to land on the moon had been a sound one after all.
“Sir, we have been examining the alien craft that collided with us. The collision forced it to crash on the moon. I considered the opportunity to learn something about these objects worth the risk. Now, I feel more than ever that it is the key to these creatures.” He hesitated. Did he reveal only their observations, or also include his and Crenshaw’s strange feelings around the object? Normally, he would keep such information private. Neither of them wanted to face a mental evaluation once they were back on Earth. He decided to hold off unless their observations could be confirmed.
“Commander, you took an awfully big risk. The lander was aboard Lunar One for a test run, not for a landing. I hope your decision was based on more than simply wanting to take a stroll on the moon.” Langston knew the Director had chastised him for the record before asking, “Did you learn anything useful?”
“I will send a data burst with everything we have.” He motioned for Crenshaw to create an encrypted file to transmit over the slower audio connection. “We believe it is in communication with the alien objects.”
“You mean directing the creatures?”
He glanced at Crenshaw. She crinkled her nose at him but didn’t object to his conclusion. “We’re not sure of that, but we think the teardrop is relaying information between the creatures and their source.”
“Have you detected anything, any signal?”
“No, but I’m sure I’m right.”
To his relief, Caruthers didn’t laugh at him. “Hmm, I’ll have our people scan the EM spectrum for some kind of signal. I do have some good news for you.”
“We could use some.”
“Pegasus is on its way to rendezvous with Lunar One.”
Crenshaw reached out and squeezed his hand. “That is good news,” he answered. “When can we expect it to arrive?”
“In just over thirteen hours.” He rushed to add, “Mahall advised me of Lunar One’s orbital decay and gave me the figures. I have everyone here at Mission Control working on the problem to see if we can come up with a better flight plan to shave some time from our estimate.”
Caruthers tried to keep his tone positive, but Langston knew you couldn’t cheat physics. So did Caruthers. Pegasus was traveling as fast as its engines could push it, but they would still have to match orbits with the Orion before docking. Even if they achieved success on the first attempt, they would be over an hour late.
“I appreciate the heads up, Sir. Crenshaw and I are returning to Lunar One shortly. I have a plan that just might work.”
“Care to share some details? Maybe we can help.”
Langston sighed. “Not just yet. I need to confer with my crew before making any final decisions. We need to discuss options.”
After a long pause, the Director said, “The final decision is yours, of course, but don’t do anything hasty. We want you all back here safe and sound.”
Had the Director guessed what he was planning? Of all the possible scenarios the mission specialists in Houston were reviewing, he was certain one similar to his had been broached. They would also know of the oxygen requirements for three people as opposed to four people. It was a matter of the simple, concrete math of oxygen consumption versus the immutable physics of space travel. He needed every pound of oxygen that could be spared to create a large explosion.
“When Lunar One picks up the Pegasus on our radar, we’ll know more about time constraints.”
“Langston, I …” the Director choked, and then went silent.
“We all knew the risks before we left, sir. It’s been an honor.”
“We’ll do all we can.”
“We know, sir. We appreciate the effort. We need to conserve power. Armstrong signing off.”
He faced Crenshaw. A slight smile played on her lips. “Your idea is making more sense now. Anything we can do to stop these creatures is worth the risk.”
“I concur. It’s time we returned to Lunar One and inform them of my plan.”
“I’ve calculated the amount of liquid oxygen in reserve. Even if we use some of it for the Armstrong, we should have enough to make quite an explosion. Let’s blow that teardrop to hell and back.”
Langston nodded, as he pressed the ignition switch to lift off the moon’s surface. He was too wrought with emotions to speak. He would be back soon with a vengeance.
Nusku
16
Saturday, August 11 5:20 a.m. (PDT) Creech AFB, Nevada –
Gate remembered little of the flight from Chicago to Nevada. His mind was numb from the scenes of utter chaos he had witnessed over the past twelve hours; destruction on a scale even he had trouble digesting. His worst-case catastrophe scenarios paled in comparison to the real thing. Only a handful of survivors reached Soldier Field before the helicopter came for him. The pilot was reluctant to take on extra passengers, but Gate had insisted that they fly out with him. He would leave no one behind in that city of the dead.
When the jet touched down at Creech, he noticed the air of urgency at the base. He imagined men and women in every military base in the country were just as tense and just as frightened. An orderly quickly ushered him into the commander’s office. The base commandant, Colonel Starnes, reminded him of Colonel Powell, brusque, efficient, and confident. He wondered if all colonels came from the same mold.
“Doctor Rutherford, I’m not sure why you’re here, but if NASA went to all the trouble to transport you here, I’ll assume you’re some kind of VIP.” He glanced at his watch. “In one hour, we’re sending in a team with a small nuclear device. They will enter the creature through one of the open blisters, leave the device, and escape before it blows.”
“Inside the creature?” he asked incredulous. “Why not just drop a nuke on it?”
“According to the experts, the yield needed to destroy the creature would contaminate the surrounding countryside for centuries. The radioactive fallout would reach Las Vegas and Denver. It would kill as many people as the creature.”
Gate slammed his fist on the desk, startling the colonel. His own vehemence surprised him, as he said, “You don’t understand, Colonel. These creatures are here to devastate the entire planet. Saving a city now just means destroying more later on. I’ve seen the creature in action. That black crystalline armor is impervious to heavy explosives. It acts like an energy sponge. It will take a big nuke to stop it. Blast it to hell with everything you’ve got.”
Starnes’ expression didn’t change. He picked up the black cigar in the ashtray on his desk and pointed it at Gate. “While I appreciate your anger, I have guidelines I must follow. If we start lobbing nuclear missiles around, China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran might think we’re going to target them next. We don’t need a full-scale war on our hands.”
“We’re at war now, Colonel.”
Colonel Starnes jammed the cigar into his mouth and leaned back in his chair. His eyes became hard and cold. “I follow orders, Doctor Rutherford. My opinions don’t count for much. Do you think I like sending men into harm’s way? I’m sending men inside that thing. What do you think of their odds of surviving?”
Gate could see that the colonel resented the orders he was given, but he would follow them to the letter. He regretted his outburst. He was attacking the wrong enemy.
“This team – can you add one man?”
Starnes lifted his eyebrows in surprise. “You, Doctor Rutherford? Why on Earth would you risk your life?”
Gate took a deep breath. Why indeed? “For an opportunity to see inside that creature. This is the only chance I’ll ever get. If this works, we can end the menace. If not, we need to learn as much about them as we can. We can’t penetrate their armor, but they must have another weakness. Perhaps it lies within.”
Starnes shook his head. “I can’t authorize a civilian …”
Gate stared hard at Starnes. “With all due respect, Colonel, there are no civilians in this war. It’s a war of extermination. We live or die as a species. What does one life matter?”
Starnes stared back with those dark gray eyes. Perhaps he saw something in Gate that struck a sympathetic nerve. Perhaps he simply acknowledged Gate’s desperation. “You realize your chances of returning are slim to none.”
Gate repressed a shudder, as he said, “I was in Chicago, sir. After what I’ve witnessed, I have to do all I can to stop this creature. If I can transmit my findings, it might be worth it. I sent a sample of Wasp blood to NASA’s biology lab for analysis. Maybe we can develop a biological weapon from it. If not, anything I can learn inside the creature, any samples I might obtain, could mean the difference between survival and annihilation.
To his surprise, Starnes nodded. He held out his cigar. “This is supposed to be a no-smoking area. I used to sneak outside to light up. Now, well, I allow myself small indulgences. I’d go with you if I could. I’ll speak with Captain Walker. He’s the team leader and will be responsible for you. You’ll need his approval. I won’t foist you on his team without his consent.”
Gate relaxed. “I can convince him.”
“Then you had better prepare yourself. They leave in twenty minutes.”
Gate smiled to himself. He had gotten what he wanted, a chance to learn something about the creatures. He found he didn’t fear dying as much as he had imagined. Dying was inevitable, like growing old. No one wanted to do either, but everyone died eventually. If they couldn’t discover a way to stop the creatures, they would all die soon anyway.
Gate’s meeting with Captain Aiden Walker didn’t go as well as he had hoped. When informed of his desire to accompany the team into Nusku, Walker vehemently rejected the idea.
“No way in hell. I’ve worked with this team for two years. I know how they think. Moreover, I trust them and they trust me. I won’t jeopardize their lives or this mission for a scientist’s whim.”
Gate recognized the same fatigued look in Walker’s eyes that he was certain was evident in his. He needed the captain’s approval and tired men had short tempers. He summoned all of his diplomatic skills in an attempt to persuade the Walker. Luckily, they were almost the same height, so he didn’t have to symbolically look up to him.
“Captain Walker, we are almost certainly going to die inside that creature, if we make it that far. You have your reasons for going. I have mine. If anything I learn can help defeat these creatures, then I feel my death will be worthwhile.”
“Very commendable, Doctor Rutherford, but we’re going to splatter this monster’s guts all over Nevada. You can pick up a handful, toss them under your microscope, and learn all you want.”
“I appreciate your confidence, but if you’re wrong, then we’ve learned nothing. If I become a liability, leave me. I’ll take my chances. The colonel is setting up a special frequency for my equipment so I can transmit data.”
Walker looked at him with piqued curiosity. “What equipment?”
“A digital camera, of course, plus a small LIDAR rig to map its innards.”
The Light Detection and Ranging equipment had been his idea. If, as some believed, the blisters open onto a vast tunnel network within the creature it could be a clue to the creature’s weakness. He had suggested that Director Caruthers used his influence to request the equipment from the company that had recently developed the miniature LIDAR system. The Director had moved mountains, performed miracles, and the equipment had been waiting for him on his arrival at Creech. He had intended for the army team to carry it on their mission, but during the flight to Creech, he had determined to use it himself. He could offer an instant interpretation of the data the sensors produced.
“LIDAR?” Walker asked. “Any remote sensors?”
Gate nodded, glad for any opening Walker offered. “Yes, I’ll carry four tiny sensor drones. They’re the size of hummingbirds and operate automatically, sending information to the LIDAR unit.”
Walker scratched his chin. “Can you fire a weapon?”
“Yes,” he answered. “I killed a Wasp in Indiana.”
Walker cocked his head to one side. “I’m impressed, but still not persuaded. I noticed that you’re favoring your left side. Are you injured? This is no pleasure jaunt, Doctor.”
Gate could see that he was losing. He tried one last gambit. “Look, Captain, I was in Chicago. I saw what Girra did. I … I stood by helplessly and watched people die by the tens of thousands. I need to do this. My ribs are fine.”
