Legend

The transport was in orbit around Tellous. Daven Shepherd was trying to make contact with the research station. Thus far his calls were not acknowledged.

“But we can land without having contact with them, right?” Tobias asked.

“We can,” Daven nodded. “However, it would be much to our advantage if we could reach them. Someone could open the docking bay so that we would be able to set down our craft inside it. If we cannot make contact then we will have to land outside the facility and find our way through the locks and security. You do remember the description of the environment of Tellous.”

Tolen’s brow furrowed as he recalled the official report on Tellous’ hostile weather. “Maybe you should try one more time,” he suggested.

Daven didn’t smile, remembering some of Tobias’ sensitivities, but Doctor Jenson felt the humor. “I thought I recalled that you enjoyed snow sports,” he said blandly as he turned to the comm unit.

Tolen knew the man was kidding, but he still longed to lob an object at the yellow creature, and probably would have if the doctor hadn’t been witness. He reminded himself that it would never reach its target. Daven would sense it and catch it in advance, without looking.

Several orbits later Daven Shepherd stowed the microphone for the last time. “I can’t raise anyone. We will have to land outside the facility. Doctor, while we see to the landing will you break out the cold weather gear?”

“Yes, of course.”

The landing was harrowing. The winds were quite strong and the direction changed continually. When Shepherd compensated for a tailwind, suddenly it would become a crosswind. Maneuvering to a safe landing required all of his and Tolen’s piloting expertise and strength to fight the controls of the errant ship. The craft was bounced around at the will of the weather. The substantial snow fall didn’t contribute to simplicity due to the reduced visibility. The wind would direct clouds of flakes at the front view window at inopportune times. The doctor sat completely silent, fretful, but also awed by the skill of the pair in the face of such violent maneuvers.

The transport shuddered to an unsteady landing. The shock absorption system in the landing struts did not assist either. They had been designed for the usual, normal stresses of the majority of landings. The absorbers shrieked noisily at such abuse, but the sound was lost to the passengers in the tension of the moment.

Daven Shepherd shut down the engines and passed a hand over his forehead, swiping away the beads of perspiration. “I was uncertain if we would be able to land, or if we would have to abort to orbit.”

“Did we land?” Tobias said in a quiet voice.

“Indeed. Thank you for your assistance. I’m certain that I could not have made the landing by myself in these conditions.”

“I think I’ll never again complain about the air and space traffic on Genoa again,” the younger man sighed. “That’s simple compared to this.”

“I will remember that you said so,” Daven smiled slightly as he unfolded his lanky frame from the pilot’s chair.

The doctor was watching through the view port. “It seems as if it’s going to be just as much a challenge to get inside the building,’ he observed. “The winds are as strong and the blowing snow promises to be blinding.”

“Not to mention painful,” Tobias added mournfully. “We had to draw an assignment here. It couldn’t be on a nice warm planet,” he muttered.

The ramp slid smoothly out of the side of the transport and lowered to the crunchy snow. In the doorway at the top three bundled figures looked out. The roar of the wind covered most sounds. The men studied the layout of the research station. Facing it, on the right was the main living and administrative module. A few small rounded modules, apparently the research facilities, radiated out from the large dome, connected by enclosed passageways. On the left, at the end of a much longer corridor, was a voluminous low structure, a set of large double sliding doors on the side. Over those doors, in sizable black letters, were the words, “HEAVY EQUIPMENT STORAGE”. The men turned their attention back to the main station.

“Keep your eye on that light on the side of the main dome,” Daven yelled to be heard over the wind. “It will be easy to become lost in the blowing snow. That light will be a landmark for guidance. We will attempt to stay as close together as possible. No doubt it will be difficult to walk in this wind.”

His companions made no reply. They were already gaining concentration and picking out a potential path. The specter of becoming lost immediately outside the research station was a sobering thought; to die within meters of shelter from the weather. Each one pulled up the hood of his protective suit, worn under the cold weather gear, and secured it. The men would be going into a potentially biologically contaminated area. The first garment they had donned was a biohazard protection suit. The cold weather gear had gone over that. Over their hoods, they pulled thick goggles to their eyes for protection from any wind-borne debris, which could be driven deeply through the protective hood and into skin or into unprotected eyes by the energetic wind. Next, they pulled up the hoods of the parkas and snuggly secured them. Lastly, thickly padded gloves were pulled onto hands. Daven finished and looked at the others, who nodded their readiness.

Daven was lead of the investigative team. He pushed out at the top of the ramp and drew in a steadying breath before he started down. As soon as he was out of the ship’s protection, the wind caught him and nearly pushed him off his feet. The tall creature planted his feet further apart to give him a wider base on which to balance. Then he began waddling down the ramp as he clung to the handrail. In addition to trying to navigate the ramp, the man kept an eye on Tolen and Doctor Jenson in case they needed assistance. That pair had the advantage of watching Shepherd deal with the situation, and tried to copy his movements.

Safely reaching the bottom of the ramp, Shepherd stood clinging to the handrail to wait for his companions. The wind pressed against him and he leaned into it, using all his strength to keep his hold. Tolen stepped off the ramp and immediately went down as the wind shifted and caught him off guard. Daven reached for his colleague and tried to help him to his feet. Suddenly Doctor Jenson was at his side, and hanging on the rail, they were able to haul Tobias upright.

Daven pointed toward the main dome and the trio turned toward it and continued their struggle with the hostile weather. If not for the goggles, Daven would not have been able to keep his eyes open to see the light that he had designated as a guide. After a few steps, he had to stop and regain his balance as the wind shifted direction and speed again. The man glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Tolen and the doctor were still following. They were wobbly on their feet, but managed to remain standing.

The lieutenant tried to press forward, planting a foot in the snow. When he shifted his weight to move forward, the icy surface surprised him and he fell hard. The padding of the copious garments cushioned him enough to impede any serious hurt. He tried to get up on all fours. It was difficult, at best. Two bulky figured appeared at his sides, tugging and slipping. Daven Shepherd was thinking that he’d probably do better on his own rather than having the other two pull him in random, odd directions as they fought to keep their own balance. After a couple minutes’ struggle against the elements and against the other two men, Daven finally gained his footing. At that moment, he carefully but quickly separated himself from Jenson and Tobias, lest they accidentally pull him down again as they fought to stay upright.

Daven took a moment to gain his bearings and located the guiding light on the dome. He began again his skirmish through the snow and wind to reach it. He was tiring, not just physically, but mentally as well. The mental fight took great concentration and energy, nearly as much energy as the movements. Suddenly, the wind speed dropped significantly and unexpectedly. Shepherd could stand easily now. He also realized that this reprieve wouldn’t last. The consistent thing about the wind was its inconsistency. He hurried toward the doorway under the light. He gained several long strides before a gust hit his back. However, coming from behind, the wind helped him acquired his goal.

There was something dark to his left; the only thing Daven knew was that it was something that he might be able to hold onto. He lunged for it and was grateful to realize it was railing, or so he’d assumed. Handrail or pipeline or something entirely different he didn’t know and didn’t care at the moment. He was able to steady himself and that’s all he needed. Daven looked around for his associates, to guide them to his hand hold. One man was down on one knee and the other fighting forward. The moving figure was leaning into the wind and struggling with all might. Daven reached out a hand. A gloved hand grasped his and Shepherd tugged, trying to plant the grasped hand on the rail. Once the hand made contact, instinctively it closed on the metal. Daven couldn’t make out which man this was, but that wasn’t important at the moment.

Daven looked for the other figure. He’d gained his footing and was trying to obtain forward motion. Shepherd and the man next to him waved wildly, guiding. They pulled the last member of the group to them. Satisfied that they were fine for the moment, the lieutenant turned and pulled, hand-over-hand, to the door. A module next to the door contained a keypad and speaker. He hadn’t known the sort of locking systems at the station, so it never occurred to ask for combinations. Shepherd pressed the access button and waited for acknowledgement. The researchers had been informed the team was on the way. Once someone inside responded, gaining entrance would be easy. However, there was no response. Daven pressed the button two, three, four more times, but no one responded.

Shepherd stepped aside and looked back. One of the figures moved forward. He assumed that it was Tobias. Daven made room for him and the younger lieutenant stepped up to the keypad and studied it for a moment. Then he pulled a small box from his outside pocket and set it against the comm unit. Tolen pressed buttons on his box and a couple on the keypad. He continued working mostly with his own gadget. After a couple of minutes, he tapped keys on the key pad and the door slid open.

With a flourish, Tobias stood back, bowed and waved a hand to the other two. Jenson and Daven hurried in. Tolen joined them and pressed a button to close the door. They stood for a moment, regaining their breath and strength. Daven peeled off his goggles and activated the inter-suit comm system. “Are you two all right?”

“Yeah,” Tolen responded. He shook his head. “That was rough.”

“To say the least,” Jenson responded as he removed his goggles.

The men looked around; they were in an anteroom. Daven remembered from studying the plans for the station that there was another door to enter before they would be inside the station proper. Somewhat recovered, Shepherd approached the door controls. This one was simpler. Security only applied at the perimeter doors. The inside doors only opened and closed doors, without access codes. He pressed the open button and slowly stepped in. None of them knew what awaited them. They entered slowly, and instinctively reached out to feel what they could detect. This was one time when Tolen didn’t mind that the two Bartones could sense other creatures.

The main dome was administrative area, living quarters and recreational facilities. The outlying, separate domes were separate so that they could be sealed off in the case of an experiment gone wrong, or the escape of toxin or biohazard. The main dome was shabby looking. The front area looked more like storage facility than administrative area. There were storage cabinets all about. Many of them were open and their contents had spilled out, entirely or partially. It was damp and warm in the structure. Their heavy cold weather gear was becoming too hot against the humid air.

As he continued to examine the dark, dank room, Daven Shepherd peeled off his coat, revealing his bright orange protective unisuit. Next to the door they had entered was a storage rack with other jackets hanging there. He selected a place for his and then turned attention back to his surroundings. The only lights on were emergency lights. That gave him pause. At once the man stopped and listened, wondering if there had been a power failure. Was the life support system still working? Relief came, however, when he heard the hiss of air through the ventilation system.

Tolen and Jenson hung up their jackets and were performing their own reconnaissance of the area. The moving air and the crackle of the protective suits were the only sounds. The three men stood with back to each other, instinctively providing cover for each other in the unknown environment. It was instinctive for the lieutenants; the doctor sensed the instinct from his fellow Bartone.

“There’s no one here. Let’s move on,” Shepherd said in a quiet voice that sounded loud in the silence. Recalling the plans, he pointed. “I think the living quarters are this way. Come.” The self-appointed guide began walking. Without a word Tobias fell in behind him. Jenson brought up the rear, thinking it was best for the men trained in protecting and weapons to lead. Something didn’t feel right to him, and he was uneasy.

The hallway leading through the section of the dome to the living quarters was not meant for people of Daven Shepherd’s height. He ducked as he ambled along. Tolen fit easily. Jenson’s head was just short of the ceiling and he banged his head a couple of time, which encouraged him to duck his head also.

As Shepherd opened the door leading to the living space, there was a rush of air past the door along with the sound of released pressure. He stepped slowly in as he glanced around. This section of the dome was lit and there were more sounds. He decided that they must be going the right way. More bustle probably meant that they were getting closer to the researchers.

The area didn’t look like living space. There was computer equipment around the room and monitoring equipment; all running, recording data, occasionally beeping, and a panel light flashing randomly. Everything seemed to be operating automatically. Shepherd kept walking further into the area. Someone must be maintaining this if it was all running correctly. Of course he had no idea about whether the operation was correct or not. It could have been left running. Looking at the equipment was no help; he had no idea what the function of the equipment was or what it may be maintaining or measuring.

Far back in a dark corner she watched. These three were new. She had not seen them before. They were dressed in a manner not recognizable to her. She had not seen men wearing that material before. Were these creatures the same as those already here? She didn’t know the answer. Drawing further back into the dark she decided to wait…to wait and watch.

Tolen Tobias and Daven Shepherd separated to cover more territory. Jenson, for no discernable reason, had gone with Tobias. The lieutenants were doing the same thing, observing and sensing, trying to find anyone at all. A crewed and active research station should not be so quiet; there should be activity and people moving around. Something was very wrong; all three felt that. The doctor passed a hefty stainless steel storage cabinet, and at once he knew something was about to happen. He leapt away just as a human male jumped out of the cabinet swinging a large metal tool.

“You won’t get me!” he screamed. “You won’t get me! I won’t let you!” He wildly swung his makeshift weapon as he danced around with a demented, wide-eyed look.

The doctor immediately took charge. “We don’t want to hurt you,” Doctor Jenson said calmly, making certain to stay far enough away from the frenzied man so that he wouldn’t get hit. He carefully reached out a hand palm up, and not far out. “We came to help you.”

At once Daven and Tolen were behind Jenson. They stopped their sudden approach, realizing their rush added to the man’s fear. The man stood with tool raised in trembling hands, big eyes looking around in all directions. He was wearing a sweat-stained blue unisuit. His hair was unkempt and he had several day’s growth of beard. Beads of sweat trailed down his forehead. For the moment he seemed to have calmed slightly.

“You…you’re humanoid,” he whispered.

“Yes, we are,” Jenson replied quietly. “And we’re here to help. Won’t you let us help you?”

The words didn’t appear to penetrate the man’s upset state. He continued to stare with wide, wild eyes. “You’re humanoid. You’re not…you’re not…” he trailed off, as if he were hesitant to say more.

“We are humanoid,” the doctor repeated. “We came to help. Are you sick?” he asked to keep the conversation flowing. He sensed a change in the man and hoped to calm him further.

“Sick,” the man repeated sarcastically. “We’re all sick now. We’ve all been infected. You’re too late.” He leaned back against the cabinet.

“I’m a doctor. I can help you if you are sick. It’s not too late yet.” The tall yellow haired man slowly approached.

The human swung once at Jenson with the tool, missing wide, and then slid down to the floor as the tool clattered to the floor. The doctor hurried forward, first pushing the metal object out of the man’s reach. Then he began to look over his patient.

“He has the sickness,” Jenson said. “Look. On his neck…the rash. He’s burning up with fever, which probably explains the reception we got. We need to find the infirmary.” He gently shook the man to get his attention. “Can you tell me where the doctor’s office is? Do you know where the doctor is?”

“The doctor…sick too.”

“Do you know where he is? Can you tell me?”

“The doctor…. He couldn’t help. Nothing he can do…against…that!”

Jenson looked up helplessly at Daven Shepherd. “He’s too delirious to help us. We have to find the infirmary…and we have to bring him along.” He pulled the human to his feet and then hefted him over his shoulder.

At once Daven Shepherd was on the move. Another complication. He wanted to know where the leader of the expedition was. Who was in charge? Who could answer their questions? Not only couldn’t they find someone to question, the person they did find tried to attack them. He didn’t know if another attacker waited behind the next piece of equipment. Shepherd was very uneasy with the situation.

The group made it out of the dome and into a connecting corridor without incident. They hurried to the next doorway. Carefully and quietly, Shepherd opened the door. The next dome was in darkness. At once Daven was uneasy. He was able to sense things that weren’t visible to him. Still, he would be more comfortable with some light in such an unpredictable environment.

“Wait here,” he said to his companions as he walked slowly forward. Tolen wanted to follow and help instead of standing and waiting. However, he knew the danger of too many people moving around in the dark, especially with potential attackers lying in wait. He tried not to fidget and to keep his attention focused.

Shepherd reached out with all the ability he had to sense anything in the darkness. He shone a pocket lamp before him as he went, looking for a light switch. He shined the lamp high and low to be certain he didn’t bump into anything. However, just as he raised the lamp up once more, he tripped. A loud “oof” was followed by the sound of a man falling to the floor.

“Shepherd! Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Tolen. Stay where you are.” He shined the light on the floor next to him. A man lay unconscious…or perhaps dead. “There’s a man over here on the floor,” he called out. “Just a minute. Let me try again to find a light switch.”

Jenson had put his burden on the floor and was bent down examining him. The news of another victim drew his attention however. He impatiently willed Daven to find the lights. The doctor shined his own light over the semi-conscious man he had been carrying. The name tag on his jumpsuit announced, Tong Rhua, Chief Engineer.

“Tong. Tong. Can you hear me?” Jenson called as he checked for the man’s response. Tong groaned and rolled his head back and forth. Less responsive. Whatever was infecting him was beginning to get the better of the engineer. The flash of overhead lights drew the doctor’s attention from his patient.

“Two men,” Tolen said as he looked around the room. The doctor hurried forward. It took little time to determine that the first victim was dead. No pulse. No breath. Jenson hurried to the one Daven Shepherd had tripped over. He had a pulse. It was fast but weak.

“We need to find out where the medical facilities are…and the doctor. I need to know more about this to help them.”

“Stay here. Tolen and I will split up and try to find it. That’s going to be the quickest way. Tolen, be careful and stay in contact.”

“Of course.”

The two hurried from the room. Jenson put a hand to the man’s head, confirming what he already knew. Then he began an exam as he waited.