Reunion (20 page)

Less than an hour later, the engine died. He just did manage to wrestle the vehicle to a comparatively intact touchdown—his second crash landing on Pyrassis, he reflected ruefully. Though unfamiliar with the technical specifications of the alien craft, outwardly at least it appeared undamaged. The calculatingly deceitful AAnn had given him an incomplete activation code. No doubt intentionally, the skimmer had carried him far enough from their camp so that when it failed it would leave him with more than a day’s walk to get back—by which time they would have emerged from their temporary detention to arm and barricade themselves against his possible return. Muttering an admiring curse, he shouldered his supplies and struck off on foot, Pip preceding him effortlessly through their sweltering black surroundings.

It was early evening when he spotted the approaching aircraft. There were two of them, still high but descending rapidly, and of unmistakably AAnn design. Though he could not be certain of their intended destination, based on his recent encounter he was pretty sure he knew where they were headed. While it was unlikely anyone aboard, even assuming they were looking for him, could spot a solitary figure far below wending its way among the ebon twists and curls of the inhumed transmitter, he took no chances, huddling beneath a sweeping overhang of black material until they were out of sight.

As he hurried onward, a rising roar overtook him from behind. They were landing at the scientific station, all right, descending sharply. He wished he had been able to put more distance between himself and the outpost before the borrowed skimmer had quit. Entering, they would soon find the penned-up pair of scientists. Glancing down at his feet he saw that he was not leaving much of a trail on the black, ribbed surface. Footsteps showed only where grains had accumulated in gaps or miniature dunes. Keeping that in mind, he did his best to avoid the softer, deeper piles of sand.

When they came after him, it would be with more sophisticated tracking methods than eyeballing the ground for footprints. Still, he had the impenetrable maze of the transmitter in which to hide, and a little bit of a head start. They might head off in the opposite direction, or decide to remain at the outpost until further instructions arrived. Variables were at work. He broke into a brisk jog and tried to lengthen his stride.

The AAnn craft set down alongside one another in the small flat area that was clearly marked a landing zone. A conventional navbeacon guided them in. Dysseen saw no reason to hesitate, and as expected, nothing materialized to challenge their arrival. On the other hand, his communicators were unable to raise the couple who had chosen to maroon themselves at this miserable place in the name of science.

“Probably busy at work, honored ssir,” subofficer Hizzvuak declared. “Or out in the field.
Gussasst,
if they are not here, they would not know we were coming today, and would therefore not be expecting vissitorss.”

Dysseen gestured third-degree concurrence. He liked Hizzvuak. The Subofficer was a straightforward and competent individual who never surprised. One half-squad stood ready awaiting the order to deploy. At least the long trip from HQ had silenced the insufferably talkative trooper Qiscep. That individual had finally run out of things to say regarding his own accomplishments.

It was getting late, he reflected as he glanced out the forward port. You would think that in a place as remote as this, individuals would take care to be back in their shelter by nightfall—an elder pair especially. He scratched under the base of a neck scale. One could never tell about scientists. He neither understood nor much liked them. But as with any AAnn, he recognized and acknowledged their vital contribution to the ongoing expansion of the Empire.

Hizzvuak was gazing intently out the port as the aircraft pilot finalized the transport’s touchdown. “No ssign of alien intrussion, ssir. No vehicless, no aircraft.” He indicated third-degree amusement. “How then would a ssusspected sspy make itss way to a place like thiss?”

“Musst have wandered away from itss own camp and out into the desert,” Dysseen joked. “Come; we’ll ssoon put an end to thiss. If nothing elsse, we can enjoy an evening meal away from the confiness of base and out from under the overlordsship of Commander Voocim.”

Hizzvuak was more than amenable. “It will be a nice change, honored ssir. Dissimilar ssurroundingss.” As he checked his gear he used the tip of his tail to indicate the view out the foreport. “What iss important about thiss place, anyway?”

Dysseen gestured ignorance. “I do not know. I do not follow the work of the outlying sscientific teamss.” His pupils contracted. “The immediate terrain is compossed of very sstrange sshapess, to ssay the leasst.”

He ordered the lead half-squad to enter the shelter, leaving those from the other transport to set up a regulation secured perimeter. Not because he felt there was any danger, but because it was standard procedure, and because it would give the troopers something to do besides grumble about the long flight and the lateness of the hour. With himself in the lead, they entered the facility. It was unbarred and unlocked.

“Over here, Firsst Officer!”

Finding the two scientists confined in the storage container was enough of a surprise for one evening. Listening to them explain what had happened, Dysseen was jolted by the realization that their story was not the product of idle minds that had been too long away from burrowing company. Still, despite the rising excitement he felt, he was cautious.

“You decorate your remembrance with detailss, but that iss not enough to sspark full confidence.”

Tenukac hissed his frustration. His quiet outrage had no effect on Dysseen and his attendant subofficers, but the recorded images that Nennasu recovered from the facility’s security monitors did. They clearly showed the human, first as visitor, then as a prisoner of the couple, and finally as an armed escapee taking flight. Leaning forward, Hizzvuak pushed a finger into the three-dimensional image of a rapidly moving object.

“And thiss, honored intelligencess: What iss thiss?”

“Ssome kind of ssmall associated creature that travelss with the human. You know that they have a proclivity for sseeking the perssonalized company of thingss less intelligent than themsselves. I believe that ssuch attendant followerss are called ‘petss.’ ”

“I have heard of that.” Hizzvuak was captivated by the rapid movements of the tiny winged creature. “What other ssapience dissplayss ssuch a habit?”

“Perhapss it makess them feel more ssuperior to keep inferior beingss close around them,” Dysseen commented thoughtfully.

“In thiss insstance it certainly makess thiss particular human feel ssafer. And with good reasson.” Nennasu exhibited her leg. Dysseen’s gaze traveled immediately to the conspicuous oval scar. “In defensse of itss masster, the flying creature ejectss under pressure a highly acidic fluid of whosse ultimate potential we remain in ignorance. When you run the human to ground, be careful to be wary of itss ssmall companion.”

Dysseen was suitably impressed. “We will take care to eradicate it before we take the human into cusstody.” He glanced at one of the traditional narrow ports that provided a view outside the station. “We will sstart after the intruder at firsst sunrisse.”

Tenukac’s agile fingers indicated second-degree confusion entwined with third-degree unease. “You would wait until morning? We took care to enssure that the skimmer it stole from uss would fail within the hour, but by delaying until ssunrisse you allow the creature that much more time to make disstance between uss.”

“Do not tell me my job.” Dysseen was polite but firm. “My ssoldierss have endured a long flight from Kyl Base. They are tired and hungry. Where iss thiss ssolitary human to go? A watch will be sset on both my craft. Any dissturbance, any energy manifesstation within a hundred
ogons
will automatically be recorded, and we will resspond accordingly. If we give them a little time, perhapss thiss human’ss associatess will appear and try to perform an extraction. That would allow uss to take all of them, or any automated craft that might be in usse.

“As for the ssolitary intruder itsself, it iss operating alone and in territory unfamiliar to it, itss ssole ssupport the ssuppliess it can carry on itss back. I have under me a full trained ssquad of Imperial trooperss with which to track the creature, and two aircraft to provide backup. I view the human’ss pressence as a fine opportunity for my ssoldierss to gain ssome field experience. It iss a welcome break in routine, for which we can only be grateful. Now—what can you tell me of the human’ss purposse in coming to Pyrassis?”

Nennasu gestured helplessness. “It wass not particularly forthcoming.”

“That iss undersstandable.” Dysseen was patient. Outside, the squad was busy establishing a night camp.

“We believe it came here for the ssame reasson we are here,” the male explained. “To sstudy thiss ancient alien transsmitter upon which we are sstanding. But that iss only an assumption based on what it told uss. It might have been trying to conceal itss actual intentionss.”

“We are atop ssome kind of transsmitter?” Dysseen glanced anew at the dark surface underfoot. “That iss very interessting. If that iss what the human told you, no doubt it iss what it will tell uss when we pick it up.” He flourished sharp teeth. “If there iss another reasson, it will not take uss long to learn the detailss.” Executing a gesture of second-degree thanks underscored by fifth-degree politeness, he stepped back. “If you will excusse me, I musst ssee to my ssquad.”

Tenukac gestured for the officer to wait. “We have made an important disscovery here, honored ssir! The information musst be communicated as quickly as possible to the relevant authoritiess.”

“Vyessh, vyessh.”
Dysseen made placating gestures. “Formulate your report, and I will ssee that it iss passed along as ssoon as iss feassible. There are alwayss demandss on the ssubsspace communicator.” He turned toward the open exit.

“It really iss of the utmosst sscientific ssignificance,” Nennasu called after him. “There are hypothetical ramificationss that . . .”

But Dysseen was already retreating from their enthusiasm, his sandaled feet and idly switching tail vanishing up the sloping walkway.

Sunrise brought the clarity of morning and a fresh resolve on the part of Dysseen to pick up the free-roaming human as quickly as possible. He had kept his evening report to base deliberately vague. If the peevish Voocim knew that there really was a human spy on Pyrassis, she was liable to show up to direct the search-and-seizure process in person. In quintessential AAnn fashion, Dysseen saw no reason why his superior officer should share any of the credit for the actual apprehension. There would be plenty of acclaim to go around once the intruder had been delivered safely to base.

The narrow, winding pathways between the arching black monoliths and buckled shapes of the alien surface precluded the use in the search of ground-based transport. Floaters were of no help either, since by traveling over the top of the irregular surface they might easily miss a single bipedal shape hiding beneath. That meant tracking the human on foot. It would be good practice for the troops. Of course, Dysseen had no intention of wandering around the vast rugged territory for days on end.

Once the stolen skimmer’s beacon was located, half a dozen small seekers were sent to explore its vicinity. Expanding from a common axis, it took less than two hours for one searching the southeast quadrant to locate and identify activity commensurate with the movement of a human-sized object. Homing in on its target, it caught several fleeting glimpses of the designated quarry. Though it was doing an admirable job of trying to hide among the ruins, the human could not avoid forever the attentions of the persistent, tireless automated seekers.

Though the human had managed to cover an impressive amount of ground, Dysseen felt confident that his troopers would be able to overtake it by the end of the day. Their efforts would be helped in no small measure by the fact that the twin floaters stored within the two transport aircraft would land half of them in front of the fleeing human, and the other half behind.

“Remember,” he warned his quartet of subofficers, “we want thiss individual alive. It iss imperative that we learn what it iss doing here, if it hass come alone or iss operating in conjunction with as-yet-undetected confederatess, and whether it iss doing sso rogue or in concert with Commonwealth approval. We cannot learn thesse thingss from a corpsse. Insstruct your trooperss accordingly.” He gestured second-degree resolution. “If the human diess, ssomeone will be held accountable. The conssequencess will not be pleassant.”

“What about the dangerouss ssmall flying creature that travelss with it?” subofficer Ulmussit inquired.

“Desstroy it on ssight. Jusst be careful not to harm the human.” Gesturing dismissal coupled with a traditional third-degree supplication for good luck, he headed for the nearest floater.

Soon both of the compact craft were airborne, gliding smoothly over the highest prominences. Looking down, Dysseen wondered at the two scientists’ classification of the eroded blackness as the surface of some ancient transmitter. It did not seem possible. But then, he was not here to reflect on the viability of work he was unqualified to judge. Picking up an actual live human intruder was far more important than some obscure archeological find, anyway.

Flinx heard the floaters and sensed the expectant emotions of their high-strung occupants approaching several minutes before he saw them. Taking shelter beneath the womblike bulge of two ebony towers, he watched as one of the low-flying vehicles swept past overhead. His hopes fell. Clearly, he had been spotted and his location ascertained. His movements were now circumscribed. Even so, he refused to concede his freedom. There were still things he could do, still a chance for escape.

But escape to where? If the landing party from the
Crotase
was still in the vicinity, they would surely have noted the recent surge of AAnn activity and, no matter how well camouflaged their camp, hastened to move elsewhere. That would eliminate any remaining chance he had of confronting or joining up with them. His choices seemed more desperate than ever: Evade the AAnn and die alone in the desert, or surrender to them and suffer whatever consequences they might choose to mete out.