Inseminoid Page 9

  Karl turned away from her and stared into the darkness where he knew the creature, or rather the body of the creature rested. It wasn’t going anywhere. An autopsy and dissection could wait until the morning. The time had come to end what had been for him and the rest of the crew, a physically and emotionally draining day.

  Mark had finished writing his diary entry for the day and was in his underwear, just about to turn off the light, when there was a firm knock on his door.

  “Yes,” he called out.

  “It’s Sharon. Open up.”

  Mark ran his finger tips over the sensor and the door opened. Sharon was still in her work clothes.

  “I didn’t expect to see you tonight.”

  “I need a release. I know I won’t be able to get to sleep without one and I’m not in the mood for anything artificial.”

  “Want a drink?” Mark offered.

  “Stiff,” Sharon replied. She lay back on the bed while Mark poured her a double shot of whisky. “Here.”

  Sharon gulped it down in one swallow. “What a bitch of a day.”

  “It should be our last week here.” Mark said. “Holly doesn’t know she’s in over her head. We can’t do any more than we’ve already done here. I say, gather up the tablets and the remains of the creature and take it all back to the space station for study. Too many things have gone wrong since we got here.”

  “Holly is the commander on this mission,” Sharon reminded him.

  “That was a mistake.”

  “I’m not in a position to argue with you. Petty jealousies and power struggles have no place here and I’m not wasting my time or effort talking about them. Drop it.”

  “Okay, I will, but I’m bringing court martial action against her when we get back.”

  “That’s up to you. I’m here to fuck. How about it or do I have to break rotation?”

  Mark took a sip of alcohol straight from the bottle and stripped off his underwear.

  “Remove my clothes,” Sharon ordered him. Her words and her harsh tone sent a wave of desire flowing to Mark’s loins. He reached out and unzipped her one-piece jump suit. Her breasts were small and she neither needed nor wore a bra. She stepped out of the pile of clothes at her feet.

  “Now the panties.”

  Mark fell to his knees and slid the silky material over her hips and down her legs.

  “Now stand up.” He did and she took his hardness into her hands and squeezed until he could stand the combination of pain and pleasure no longer. Sharon released him and ordered him to lie back prone on the bed. Mark did what he was told and she mounted him. She played rough and she rode him until he could no longer contain himself. At the same second she drew his member in deeper, her muscles tightened and she climaxed.

  Sharon rose from her position and put her jump suit on again.

  “Thanks,” she said and left the room with Mark still breathing hard on the bed.

  Barbra lay in Mitch’s arms. In contrast to Mark and Sharon, her lovemaking with the professor had been long and gentle. It was only the luck of the draw that matched them up on the rotation but it was a bit of fortune that Barbra had desired desperately. They had known each other for ten years, since she had been one of his students. She believed it was absurd to separate them now just so they could work on the same project together. Damn the rules, she thought, lying together contented and fulfilled. Those regulations about rotation weren’t for people like her and Mitch. They were meant for crews who had to be together for perhaps years in places where monogomous relationships might be destructively binding. After all, didn’t Mitch work best when they were together? She understood him. She could anticipate his emotional, sexual and professional needs. That’s why it didn’t bother her in the least that during sex Mitch’s mind might wander on to hieroglyphics. In fact, she remembered that once during an earlier mission he had broken a language code of some long-dead civilisation just as their lovemaking had reached the point of no return. It was that discovery that cemented his reputation as one of the greatest living intergalactic archaeological and linguistic experts alive. Even as they lay together, Barbra could almost feel the wheels spin in Mitch’s head. She was proud of her contribution to science.

  Karl faced the new day with eagerness. There was much to do. He had two things on his mind as he showered and dressed. First he would see how Sandy was doing. Then he would switch hats and go from doctor to biologist. The creature needed dissecting. He grabbed a quick breakfast in the mess and put a cup of coffee, two slices of toast and a hard boiled egg on a tray to bring to Sandy.

  She was sitting up in bed when he entered the infirmary.

  “How do you feel?” he asked with a smile.

  “Famished. I feel like I could eat for two,” she laughed.

  “Understandable, you are.” Karl announced.

  Sandy’s jaw dropped open. “Come again?”

  “I put you on the computer after your, ah, attack yesterday to check the extent of the injuries and to see if you had any internal problems.”

  Sandy nodded. “Yes, go on.”

  “And the diagnosis showed you are just over two months pregnant.”

  Sandy leaned back against the pillow. “I must be hearing things. I thought you just said I’m going to have a baby.”

  “Then you didn’t negate the contraceptive hormones?” Karl inquired just to be sure.

  Sandy looked at him with incredulity painted over her face. “Why in hell would I do that? I’m not cut out to be a mother, at least not now. I’m a scientist just like everyone else on this mission. What happened? I took my injection.”

  “I know you did. But it looks like you just had some bad luck. Don’t worry. We’ll abort it.”

  Sandy was relieved. “I’m ready if you are.”

  But Karl shook his head. “No, not yet. It’s still early in the pregnancy and I’d like to give your body a few days to recuperate from the attack.”

  “Whatever you say.” She deferred to the doctor’s judgement. “But let’s see, two months ago, you say. That was before the new rotation. So the father must be Gary. Good to know his pistol fires more than blanks.”

  Karl laughed. “I see you’re coming along real fast.”

  “So can I get back to work? I hate lying around.”

  Karl considered the request but decided against allowing it. “Maybe by tomorrow. I still want to do more tests. Sometimes problems don’t show up on the computer until after twenty-four hours have elapsed.”

  Sandy tried to sit up and a throbbing began in her head forcing her to return to a prone position. “I guess you’re right. I’ll take it easy.”

  Karl went over to the drug cabinet and removed a vial of white tablets. “If the pain returns take one of these.” He set the vial on the side table. “Now I’ll leave you. A certain job of dissecting awaits in the lab.”

  “Don’t suppose you could wait a day, do you? I’d like to help out.”

  Karl shook his head. “There’ll be plenty to do when you’re ready. I only expect to start pigmentation analysis today.”

  Karl turned to leave but a thought hit. “Sandy, didn’t you think something was strange when you missed your last period?”

  Her smile fell away and she reported, “Karl, I didn’t miss my period.”

  Something wasn’t right. Instead of heading for the lab Karl made for the command centre. He had promised to keep Holly up to date on Sandy’s condition. On his way he passed Mitch’s study.

  The professor saw him and called out, “Karl, have you got a minute?”

  “A quick one.” Karl entered the small room. Strewn about were papers, data sheets and various research books on dead communication systems. The stone tablets removed from the cave were laid out neatly on Mitch’s desk. “What’s up?”

  “It’s been slow going but I think I’ve figured out the script. So far, and I want to point out that I could be way off, it looks like the planet was ruled by twins.”

  Karl stepped
closer to the tablets but the engraving meant nothing to him. “You mean it had dual leaders?”

  “Hmm, but it’s more than that. It was believed the two suns controlled events here.”

  “Hence the two leaders,” Karl suggested.

  “Perhaps. But it seems that a force of some sort was believed to have been transmitted from the suns to produce couplets in all births.”

  “Interesting,” Karl said. “And the creature? Where does it fit in?”

  Mitch shook his head. “I don’t know yet. But if it’s mentioned in the tablets it shouldn’t be long now. The big problem has been solved. I’ve broken the code.”

  Karl ducked out of the room and continued his journey to command. When he entered Holly was conferring with Mark and Sharon but she broke away from them when she saw Karl.

  “Good morning. Have you had a chance to see Sandy?” She asked.

  Karl said he had. “She’s in good spirits and should be able to resume work as early as tomorow.”

  “What about the pregnancy?” Holly asked, lowering her voice.

  “She says it’s news to her. She figures the injection missed. But then she said something that worried me. She claims she hasn’t missed a period.”

  “That’s very strange,” Holly commented. “Maybe you’d better give her another test.”

  “I plan to this afternoon. I want to give her a chance to rest up a little more.”

  “Anything else?” Holly asked. She had much work to do and didn’t want to waste valuable time.

  “No. I’m on my way down to the lab. It’s time to cut into our friend and see what lies beneath that skin of his.”

  Sharon was behind the controls of the communication system. She had taken over the job after the incident with Kate. On a mission of this type with limited personnel, crew members were required to be proficient in more than one speciality.

  Sharon watched the monitor screen as the different cameras scanned their respective areas. The transmission from the laboratory was grey.

  “Karl,” she called out, “you haven’t turned on the light to the lab yet. That should already’ve been done. Can’t monitor what’s going on there if it’s dark.”

  “You’re right, I’m sorry. I’m on my way down now. Why don’t you remote the light on from up here.”

  Sharon threw a toggle switch and what she saw flash on to the screen caused even that hard-bitten woman to cry out. Holly was the closest to the console and rushed over to it. She sucked in her breath and bit her lip. At once, the others joined them and they froze. Before them was a scene enough to turn the hardest stomach.

  “Ahhh!” Holly broke for the other end of the control room and began to retch.

  “It’s still alive. It’s still alive,” Sharon repeated mechanically. “Oh what is it doing to the poor girl?” The horror was so gruesome she couldn’t bear to watch any longer.

  The creature had somehow returned to life, if in fact it had ever been dead. It squirmed in a pool of blood on the floor surrounded by the bits and pieces that remained of Kate’s body. Tubes and hoses leading from the life support machine hung limply at the side of the bed. The woman’s entire bottom section had been devoured. Her arms had been pulled out of their sockets and were being ravaged by the beast. The crew watched, thoroughly sickened as the creature’s teeth ground through the woman’s skin, flesh and bones. Kate’s head rested on its side behind the creature, yet to be consumed. Her once long blonde silky hair was matted with her own blood.

  Holly returned to her senses. She threw the remote lock although she knew that the Being would once again smash through the door just as effortlessly as it had done the day before. At best it could only slow it up.

  “Listen to me!” she said firmly. “Pull yourselves together. We have to move fast. It doesn’t know we’re aware that it’s alive. We still have the element of surprise on our side. I don’t want to lose that.”

  Holly raced to the emergency hold in the corner of the command room and with a key on the chain around her neck she unlocked the door. A second went by and she returned with two large laser guns. They resembled primitive bazookas in that they were to be fired slung across the shoulder. Their beam was so high-powered that it could bring down a small space craft. She handed one to Mark. “We’re heading down to the lab. Get Gary on the intercom to back us up. This time we’re going to do your dissecting work for you, Doc. There won’t be anything left worth putting back together when we’re finished with it.”

  With that Holly and Mark raced out of the room and down a flight of steps to corridor two. Only a stretch of runway and the door separated them from the creature.

  Sharon spoke through the intercom to say, “Still have it on the screen, Holly. The creature is not aware you are approaching.”

  Sharon brought Holly and Mark up on the corridor scanner. They were waiting flush on either side of the portal for the door to slide open. When Sharon saw they were in position she pushed a button and shouted, “Door activated.”

  The door slid open and the creature was caught by surprise. It reared up on its legs and, still dripping with Kate’s blood, let out a thunderous roar. Sensing danger it grabbed Kate’s head, sticking its claws into the eye sockets, as one might do with a bowling ball, and slung it with a tremendous velocity at the intruders. The skull smashed into Holly with such force that it knocked the wind out of her and the laser gun fell from her hands.

  The creature zeroed in on Mark. It spread its legs apart preparing to leap forward. Its eyes spun around and its claws flexed open and shut. The yellow liquid spilled not only from the being’s mouth but from every orifice in its body, including its sexual members. The foreskin rolled feverishly along the two rods.

  The beast reached to its side and picked up an examination table, brought it over its head as if it were a paperweight and was about to hurl it into the corridor.

  Mark dropped to one knee and took aim. He released the safety catch and squeezed the trigger. But the beam was high and it sliced through the table.

  The creature let out another roar and leapt high in the air. Mark squeezed the trigger again and this time the beam was right on target. Just three feet from Mark the laser sliced through the creature, burning diagonally from the shoulder to the hip. The bottom part of the body dropped to the floor with a heavy thud but the top section continued its flight with the original momentum and landed on top of Holly, spilling its green and yellow substance all over her.

  “Get it off me,” she screamed. “Get it off me!”

  Gary stormed down the corridor and helped Mark pull the thing’s remains away from Holly. The creature had become like a balloon with the air let out. It had no bone structure. Apparently only muscle tissue had kept its body upright. Enormous muscles and nerves were exposed and palpitating, much like a frog’s leg after it’s been severed. Even the creature’s eyes were still rolling and its tongue still darted.

  Mark put his arm around Holly’s waist and lifted her up.

  “Hurt bad?” he asked.

  She shook her head and tried to catch her breath.

  “Don’t try to speak,” he said. Gary came around to the other side and together they supported her.

  “No, really,” she gasped, “I’ll be all right.”

  “Commander or not, you’re going to the infirmary. Karl—can you hear me?” Mark shouted through the intercom.

  Karl had watched the entire episode on the monitor and called out, “I’m on my way.”

  Karl got to the infirmary a moment before Holly arrived. Sandy sat up in bed when the door swung open.

  “What’s all the commotion?”

  “The creature wasn’t dead after all. It apparently was only wounded and . . .” he caught himself.

  “Well, don’t stop there.”

  “It fed on Kate’s body. She’s gone. It was pretty grisly.” Karl prepared a syringe with a tranquilizer and had it ready when Holly was brought in, but as soon as she saw the needle she waved him o
ff.

  “I’m not hurt. Just stunned. Help me get these clothes off.” The creature’s stink permeated the room.

  Mark and Gary set Holly on a bed and moved away from her.

  “Get back to command, Mark,” Holly ordered. “And see if the sun shields are down yet on the space station.”

  “We’re leaving, then?” he asked.

  “I didn’t say that.” Holly was regaining her composure. “But Central Control should be made aware of the present situation.”

  “But . . .” Mark insisted.

  “Mark, I’m still in charge here. Don’t argue with me. Just do what you’re told!”

  Mark grew red in the face. “Yes ma’am,” he replied. He didn’t try to conceal his anger. He swung round and left the infirmary.

  “I’d better go too,” Gary announced.

  Karl pulled a curtain across the room giving Holly the required privacy for the examination. He helped to peel the saturated garments off her body. The fluid had congealed and it made the task difficult. When she was finally naked, he motioned for her to wash off in the shower cubicle. She turned on the water and let it run over her body good and long. She lathered her hair three times to get every last trace of the substance off. When she was satisfied she was clean she turned the water off and Karl handed her a towel.

  They spoke while he examined her. “A close call,” Karl said.

  “Real close. If it weren’t for Mark’s quick thinking we might all be that creature’s dinner.”