“Commander Richardson, lay to sick bay.”
Scarecrow and Hutch were in CAG-OPS going over their flight schedule with the Nautilus squadron when his comm clicked.
“I’ve just been summoned to sick bay,” Scarecrow said as he closed his comm.
“Got a hangnail I don’t know about?” Hutch asked.
“Not that I’m aware of,” Scarecrow replied, unsure what to do. MacPherson cast a concerned glance at her pilot.
“Go,” Hutch said as he nodded towards the hatch. “We’ll take a break until you get back. Hopefully it’s not a tumor.”
“Funny.” Scarecrow flashed a sarcastic smile at the CAG as he rose and headed for the hatch.
Scarecrow entered sick bay and approached the duty nurse’s desk. She looked up at him with a warm smile.
“The CMO wants to see you, Sir.” She motioned down the passageway. “His office is through there.”
Scarecrow approached and rapped on the hatch with a sign that read, “Dr. Reginald Hawkes–Chief Medical Officer.”
“Come in,” was heard from behind the hatch. Scarecrow entered.
“Ah, Commander. Thank you for coming. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.” The doctor cast a serious glance at Scarecrow as he slipped through the hatch. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks.” Scarecrow slid into a chair across the desk from the doctor, who leaned forward and began tapping on the ghostly keyboard of his tablet. “So what’s up, Doc? I’m not sick, am I?”
The doctor was silent as he searched for something. When he found it, he turned to Scarecrow, who was still puzzled by the cryptic summons.
“As you’re aware, we ran a full series of tests on Lieutenant Vickers before she shipped out back to Command,” the CMO said, his voice somber. “And since you were the one who recommended we do so, I thought you should be made aware of the results.”
“Yeah, the snakeheads experimented on her. You removed the implant?”
“Yes, the surgery was quite routine.” The doctor hesitated. “… However, that was the least of it.”
“How so?”
Dr. Hawkes released a heavy sigh before continuing, “We did an extensive examination of her genome as well as her DNA, and … we discovered they’ve been altered.”
“How?” Scarecrow was incredulous. “How bad is it?”
“What they did was only preliminary,” the doctor said as he leaned forward and spun his tablet around to show Scarecrow. “I’m not sure if you can understand what I’m showing you, but they were attempting to modify her DNA here, and here.” He jabbed the spectral display with his index finger.
Scarecrow stared at the monitor. “Can it be reversed?”
“If they’d been allowed to continue, I’m doubtful we could repair what they’d done.”
“But?”
“But because it was only preliminary, we can return Lieutenant Vickers’ DNA to normal.”
Scarecrow leaned back in his chair and blew a sigh of relief. “How long will that take?”
“I’ve sent a full report to Command, as well as all my test results.” The doctor spun the tablet back to its original position and placed his hands on his desk. “We have a medical facility on Earth where the lieutenant will undergo treatment. It’ll take a few weeks, but she’ll be back to normal by then. We’ve seen this sort of thing before, Commander. There have been quite a number of abductions where victims, especially females, have undergone a DNA transformation. Those we’ve been able to catch in time we’ve isolated so they can’t be abducted again, then we’ve restored their DNA. But there have been many who were too far gone to help. Eventually they were abducted and never returned.
“There’s a lot of speculation among our experts about the purpose of the enemy’s experimentation. Many believe human females have their DNA altered by the snakeheads in order to make them genetically compatible for breeding some sort of hybrid offspring. Half-human, half … something else. Lieutenant Vickers was lucky–you rescued her before the enemy completed their procedure.”
“That’s just about the creepiest thing I’ve ever heard, Doc,” Scarecrow said with a shudder. “I found Major Cooper and two other female crew stripped naked and locked in separate cells with the heat turned way down. It was cold. Meat-locker cold. Any ideas on what that was all about?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, Commander. The cells where you found the women were probably used to test their resilience to cold, but why, I have no idea.” The doctor cracked a faint smile. “The good news is no one else was tampered with like Lieutenant Vickers. They’ve all been given a clean bill of health. The enemy was probably planning to work on them one at a time, and for some reason, Vickers was at the top of the list.”
“Hicks thought she and I were involved,” Scarecrow said. “They probably singled her out because of that. They may have thought I would comply if I knew she was in any kind of danger. Turns out, Lindsay and I were not involved, but I would have given my life to protect her, regardless. I’m just glad she’s going to be alright.”
“Well thanks to you, Commander, she managed to dodge a bullet this time. If you wish, I’ll keep you apprised of her progress back on Earth.”
“Thanks, Doc. I’d appreciate that.”
The men stood and shook hands.
The burly reptilian was oblivious to the bustle of activity around him as he lumbered down the passageway toward his destination. As usual, he also ignored his pair of gray-skinned minions while his thoughts roiled about why he was being summoned before his Ba’al. Larger than most of the reptilian race, his size was intimidating, even among his own. Those he passed gave him a wide berth as he ignored them while lost in silent meditation.
The reptilian forces had suffered a series of unexpected defeats at the hands of the humans. The disgusting, smooth-skinned horde had never been a problem for the reptilians before. They were little more than cattle–a resource for a superior race. The reptilians never considered the humans a threat in any real sense. They had allowed Solar Warden to pursue their pathetic game of defending Earth while the reptilians continued to draw what they needed from Terra-Prime and its wretched inhabitants. Much like playing with your food before eating it. Of course in this case, it was a literal truth.
However, recent events meant the humans had hurt the reptilians in a profound way. The core of their largest hive ship fleet had been destroyed, numerous lesser vessels had also been decimated, their forward staging base was reduced to ash, and the commander of the reptilian fleet and his hive ship were destroyed. The reptilian considered his order to report to the Ba’al might be connected to that last event.
No. He expected the worse.
No more time for reflection. The reptilian reached his destination, but hesitated before crossing the threshold of the gaping maw that was the entrance to his Ba’al’s receiving chamber. He held his breath while the pair of grays looked at each other. They waited in silence behind him.
“Enter,” a voice wafted across the dusky chamber from a glowing blue ethereal figure. In the center of the chamber, elevated on a dais, was the Other. The Blue Nordic, as the humans called them. Her feet floated less than an inch from the dais as she stared down at the burly reptilian. He hesitated a final time, then stepped just inside the space and bowed in silent obeisance.
“Do you know why I have summoned you?”
“It does not matter, my Ba’al. Whatever you wish from me, it is done.”
The Other offered a wary smile. “Do not think to curry favor with me by a pathetic display of loyalty,” she said. “That has been programmed into your fundamental nature. Yes, you will obey all of my commands, because you have no choice. Your predecessor was inept. His ineptitude caused us much loss. You will not be so.”
“My Ba’al, I live to serve.”
“Yes, you do. If you fail as your predecessor did … you will die like him as well.”
“My Ba’al, I will not fail you.”
The Other eyed her subordinate for a moment. “We shall see.” Her smile faded. “I have prepared a number of more ‘subtle’ tactics against the humans. These are meant to discourage and confuse them while we move forward with our original plan. We will also generate fear. If we can sow fear and confusion among the Solar Warden humans, they will be unable to make sound decisions. This will make it easier for us to manipulate them, and eventually destroy them.”
“Forgive me, my Ba’al, but why do we not simply move against them in force? We have the means–”
“Because we are following a plan, which does not call for an overwhelming assault at this time. That will come later. For now, we deceive, confuse and sow fear.” The Other smiled as she hesitated. “You and your dō’ēlu require the life force of the humans to stay alive. It could be said you feed on it. My race feeds on another form of the human’s life force. Their fear. The more fear we can generate …” her smile became malevolent.
“I will contact our operative within Solar Warden–we will require his assistance.” The Other stared down at her subordinate from her lofty position. “I want you to organize a mission to retrieve a certain human female. I will provide you with the pertinent information. Then find me the best pilot we have.
“And I also want you to prepare a plan for an assault …”
The Solar Warden Program had established 16 outposts across the barren surface of the red planet. Each installation was strategically located either near or amongst the ruined remnants of structures left behind by an unknown presence once active during Mars’ distant past.
Each outpost was large enough to house over 50 personnel. Most were scientists and archaeologists, sent to excavate and study the enigmatic ruins. There was also at least one squad of Mars Defense Force (MDF) Marines deployed to each outpost, whose sole purpose was to guard the teams and protect them from any form of danger the group might encounter during their tenure at the small, vulnerable locations.
Consisting of a common design, there were a series of low buildings set in a circle, with each connected to a larger central common hall that looked like an oversized yurt, via passageways similar to the spokes of a wheel. The outbuildings consisted of a small hangar bay and garage for all-terrain vehicles, living quarters, workshops, labs, and storage facilities for artifacts once they were cleaned, sorted, and catalogued. One larger building also housed a recreational centre, since deployments were sometimes longer than a year at a time.
Outpost Nine was located in the Acheron Fossae Region, nestled within a large conglomeration of ancient buildings set into the side of an escarpment. It consisted of a complex that contained a temple and a small palace. Many of the buildings were, for the most part, still intact. They were sealed and provided with breathable atmosphere so the team could work without the need for environmental suits.
A series of panels used to generate artificial gravity were laid out on the ground in the main work areas. With Mars’ gravity just over one third that of Earth, the floor panels allowed the team to function in normal gravity, instead of having to hop around like the Apollo astronauts did during their historic missions to Earth’s moon. This made their work much easier to perform, and progress had been made on the excavation beyond expectations.
Dr. Elizabeth Sargis, program director of Outpost Nine, had been onsite for over two years. Forty-four years old, she had benefitted from the Program’s anti-aging therapy, and looked no older than 27. Her central Asian, Caucasus paternity provided her with the kind of raven-haired, olive-skinned attractiveness that never failed to turn heads. However, she was devoted to her work and rebuffed any type of romantic advances from her fellow associates, which made her somewhat of a pariah. Undaunted, she responded by throwing herself into her work rather than pursue social relationships.
She was recruited right out of graduate school and spent an additional three years at the Naval Post Graduate School at Monterey where, like the rest of her colleagues in the Program, she graduated with a master’s degree in space systems operations. Then she was off to Mars to join the growing team of scientists and archaeologists that were at work attempting to plumb the secrets of a mysterious, ancient culture that had occupied Mars in the remote past.
When the pre-Solar Warden Program sent a probe to Mars in 1962 and then a manned mission in 1964, one of the questions they determined to answer was the possibility of life on the red planet. They found artificial structures in various locations, including pyramids and other buildings, assorted sculptures, and a massive system of underground conduits. The question they set out to answer–who had built them? Was it a human, antediluvian culture that had become so technologically advanced they had begun to colonize the solar system? Elizabeth Sargis was determined to discover the truth.
In her lab, Dr. Sargis was hunched over a table cleaning a selection of small artifacts.
Without warning, her tablet display flashed with a “message incoming” icon while it chirped softly, startling her, she was so engrossed in her task. She stood and attempted to navigate her way through the clutter to reach the tablet on her desk. She overturned several artifacts as she reached for the device, disturbing the fine red dust that covered everything. She caught them before they toppled and broke. She pushed aside pile of dirty dishes and coffee mugs she neglected to return to the galley, much to the consternation of the cook.
Finally, she managed to tap the “accept message” icon. A familiar face flashed onto the wraith-like display.
“Good afternoon, Liz,” the gentleman on the screen said. “Or should I say good morning?” He was middle-aged in appearance, although he was 81years old. He hadn’t benefited from the anti-aging therapy quite as well as Sargis.
“Actually, it’s 0500 here, Jim.”
“Do you ever sleep, girl?”
“Not when there’s so much work to be done. Good to see you. How are things back on Terra-Prime?”
“Better than where you are, I’m sure.”
“So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”
“I just wanted to give you a head’s up. We finally managed to translate that stele you sent us images of.”
“Wonderful! What can you tell me?” Dr. Sargis’ face lit up with anxious anticipation.
“Well, it turns out that it’s more of a dedication plaque than an actual stele.”
“What does it say? Can you send me the details?”
“Already have.”
“I’m on pins and needles here, Jim. Can you give me a synopsis of the translation?”
“It’s very preliminary. We’ve only deciphered a general interpretation, so there’s still a lot of work to do.”
“Is it related to an Earth-based language? Or is it entirely extraterrestrial? It looked to me a bit like cuneiform, but a lot more refined. ”
“You’re right. The structure does appear to be some form of sophisticated cuneiform. We used an early Akkadian dialect as a template, and it appeared to work, at least for the most part. So that does in fact hint at an Earthly origin. But we may have to modify our technique somewhat to get a more accurate result. And of course, we can’t tell if the Terran script is the origin of the Martian, or vice versa.”
“Okay, okay, but what does it say? The suspense is killing me.”
“Oh. Sorry, Liz. It reads, and this is very paraphrased here–
‘This colony was established in the 1,474th year of –’
and we don’t know what this word is–
‘by those who serve –’
and we’re still working on this word, too–
‘in order to expand the knowledge and domain of –’
same word, obviously a name–
‘we pledge ourselves to bring light to the darkness and rule this place with wisdom and honor. Here are listed the names of those who first arrived on–’
we assume their name for Mars, which we can’t decipher yet–
‘to tame it and bring it under the rule of–’
that name again–
‘for his glory.’
And then there’s a list of 136 names. We’re still working on the translations of them. But that’s it … in a nutshell.”
Dr. Sargis was silent as she pondered her colleague’s interpretation. “Wow …”
“I know, right?”
“But, aside from the cuneiform connection, is there anything else that would link this site back to Earth?”
“Sorry, kiddo. We were hoping it might mention an ancient event here on Earth that we have a clear date for, and then we could establish exactly when they were active. Perhaps the word right after the date might offer a clue. It’s pretty tantalizing–‘in the 1,474th year of–’what? If we could figure that out, we might be able to crack this mystery.”
“What about those artifacts I sent you? The ones that look like data keys. Any luck with them?”
“Nope. They’re all inert. We’ve scanned them, and they’re some form of highly sophisticated crystalline electronics, but they’re refusing to give up their secrets. Like I’m sure you are, we’re all hoping they might contain data that hasn’t been wiped or degraded.”
“What about the two skeletons I sent you? I measured their femurs before I shipped them out, and they would’ve both been over ten feet tall. These guys, whoever they were, would easily be classified as giants.”
“Yes, I’ve got some preliminary data on them as well. You’re right–they’re both between ten and 11 feet in height. We were able to perform a DNA test, and it shows that their mitochondrial DNA is fully human–”
“So they are from Earth.”
“Not so fast, Lizzy. Their paternal genome is unknown. Even though it’s similar, it doesn’t match our own human DNA. It’s that paternal strain that gave these two their gigantism, among other things.”
“Such as?”
“A double row of teeth. And the elongated skulls, of course. There are other factors as well, but we’re still in the preliminary stages of analysis. Suffice it so say, I think we’re dealing with a hybrid here. Half human, but also half extraterrestrial. Unless there was another race present on Earth in the ancient past. It’s too early to draw any firm conclusions yet.”
“Keep me in the loop. I’ve got another batch of artifacts ready to send you. Hopefully you’ll have better luck with them. I’ve also discovered what may be another stele. I’ve got the boys digging it out as we speak. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it’ll yield more of the same data the first one has. Hopefully a link to Earth. What a coup that would be, eh? To discover that there was a technologically advanced civilization on Earth in the ancient past that’d begun colonizing the solar system? Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it!”
“Yeah, me too. If we do make such a discovery, it’ll be too bad we can’t share it with the rest of the archaeological community back here on Earth.”
“I agree. But at least we would know …”