[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

over inattentively.
 Commander, I don t think that s a good idea, McNeely said stiffly and turned to yell out into the hall.
 Hanson, Terrel, get in here, he barked.
 No, Malory said softly.  I won t risk anyone else, just keep the door open and shut it as soon as I get
back in here.
 Absolutely not, McNeely said sternly.  I ll go in your place.
 I m not going to argue with you, Sergeant, Malory said distractedly.
 Malory don t, Corky said quietly.
The Commander turned in surprise, unaware that Corky had entered the room and was staring at her
fearfully, fretfully wringing her hands.
McNeely spared a confused glance at the doctor.  Commander, I insist, he said just as Hanson and
Terrel burst through the bodies crowded in the hall.
 Commander, your rifle, please, McNeely requested, holding out a hand.
She spared Corky another glance and handed the Sergeant her rifle.  Cohen, clear the hall and get
Percy or Coy in here with a stretcher. Move, she ordered harshly, turning her attention to McNeely as
he raced into the hall.
 I ll hold the door, she said.  Get Grey out of there as quickly as you can, don t stop to sightsee.
 Understood, McNeely said.  Move it, I ll cover, he added with a gesture to Hanson and Terrel.  Just
grab him by the arms and yank him out of there.
They nodded and Malory moved to open the door.  Ready?
She received nods in response and quickly wrenched the door open, allowing Hanson and Terrel to race
through, followed closely by McNeely who stood by the door, his rifle raised to protect the scrambling
men.
It was a quick exercise as both men roughly grabbed Grey by the arms and dragged him hastily across
Page 100
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
the floor, dumping him unceremoniously as they passed the threshold, McNeely jumping back in after
them. Malory slammed the door and locked it, missing the darting Sergeant by a hairsbreadth in her
haste.
Corky dropped to the body, rapidly checking his vitals as Percy and Coy rushed in with a stretcher.
 He s alive but his pulse is weak, let s move him, now, she said urgently and Grey was hastily loaded
onto the stretcher and rushed from the room.
Malory watched them go.  I want an armed guard posted exactly where I m standing until I say
otherwise. No one is to enter the lab under any circumstances and have Cohen and Lenard report to my
office and then join me there, Mr. McNeely.
 Aye, skipper.
  
The Commander sat behind her desk glaring at both the young Airman and Dr. Lenard as she waited for
McNeely to arrive. Her eyes kept straying to Cohen who was still pale from his earlier experience and
seemingly unaffected by the irritated and upset scrutiny being cast upon him by his superior. On the
outside she hoped she was portraying a countenance of confidence but was all too aware that on the
inside, she was perilously close to an unreasoning fear. It was a feeling that had been growing
exponentially since the discovery of an alien within the ice and had intensified itself dramatically upon
recent experiences.
Finally, the Sergeant Major arrived, closing the door behind him and standing quietly just inside the
room.
 Grab the chair out of my quarters, Sergeant, Malory offered and he gave her a slight nod. Entering her
room and returning a second later to seat himself.
 Alright, she said after a deep breath.  What the fuck happened?
Both men remained silent so she turned a glare on Lenard.  Well?
 I m afraid I don t know, Commander, he said honestly.  Grey stayed behind after you left the lab to
transport the cubes to storage. He instructed one of us to have Cohen grab a flatbed, which he did, and
that s all I know.
 So he was alone in the lab? she asked.
 I would assume so.
 Airman, how long were you away from your post?
 No more than five minutes, Commander, he said quietly.
Malory leaned back in her chair.  Doctor, you told me you believed you could open the cube. Do you
think Grey might have taken the opportunity to try?
Lenard hummed thoughtfully.  I want to say no, but he was disappointed about your decision to shelve
it. I d like to think he s more responsible than that.
Page 101
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
 Could he have opened it in five minutes?
 Possibly, Lenard said.  Along the seams of the top panel there are two small holes. The depressions
are sized and spaced to accommodate what we theorized was one of the alien s hands, or to be more
precise, fingers. However, I stress that our assumption was just a theory.
She ground her teeth angrily.  Then our beloved Dr. Grey had more than enough time to test the theory.
 All he had to do was find something small enough to fit in the depressions, Lenard admitted.  But that,
of course, isn t a guarantee to open the container. It was pretty much a guess on our part that it might be
that simple.
 Airman, Malory sighed,  what exactly did you see when you returned with the flatbed?
 He was lying face down on the floor, screaming, he said distantly.  Screaming, like& like& it was
indescribable.
 Is that all? Malory asked reluctantly.
 Yes, Commander, Cohen answered.  He was just scre&  he paused,  & wait, I think& never mind.
 Please, continue, Malory said firmly.
 It was hard to make out, his voice was so& so strained but I think he might have said worms, Cohen
admitted shakily.
 Worms? McNeely finally spoke.
 Yes, I think so, Sergeant, Cohen confirmed.
Malory stiffened in an almost panic and sprang to her feet to grab her radio.  Dr. Rivers, respond
immediately!
A second that lasted ten years.
 Go ahead.
Malory almost swayed in relief.  Doctor, does Grey have any signs of being infected by an intruder?
 What? Corky asked sharply.
 Cohen believes that Grey might have said worms before losing consciousness.
 Worms?
 Yes.
 Not to my knowledge, but I ll reexamine his blood sample, Corky said confusedly.  Dr. Grey
seems to be uninjured although comatose. His blood pressure and body temperature are extremely
low, I can t find a reason for it.
Page 102
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
 Please, let me know as soon as you learn anything.
 Alright, Corky said slowly.  Rivers, out.
Malory sat the radio on her desk.  Mr. McNeely dispatch an armed guard to Medical and round up
Reynolds, Alvarez, Hanson, and Terrel. We re going to go into that lab, she ordered and he stood to
grab his radio.
 Oh, and Sergeant, she added before he could speak.  We ll need a couple of flamethrowers. Dr.
Lenard, you ll be joining us.
  
McNeely tore off his gas mask and kicked it down the hall in frustration, they had spent the last six hours
searching every square centimeter of the lab and had come up empty. Malory echoed the man s
sentiments as she slid down the wall she was leaning against and rested her rifle upright between her legs.
She sighed and rested the back of her head against the wall.
 I don t get it, she murmured quietly.
 I don t either, McNeely agreed.
 Commander, Reynolds said as he emerged from the lab and tore off his mask.  The cubes have been
stored, any further orders?
 Contact the appropriate authorities and inform them of the situation we ve encountered, she ordered. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]