Paul scrambled along the narrow ravine, his breath sounding harsh and ragged in the still air. He paused for a moment, risking a quick glance back down the trail. The twin suns rose in the purple sky, and he prayed for them to climb faster. She wouldn't be able to find him in the light. He'd discovered that much. Daylight dulled her senses. Thank God for small mercies.
He didn't like moving at night, but there hadn't been much choice if he wanted to stay alive. Cover was hard to find on the dusty plain behind him and he'd seen the rocks in the distance. Once he reached their shelter, he knew he'd be safe for a time. He could rest and figure out how he was going to get out of this mess.
Boulders emerged from the retreating shadows and he climbed between them until he reached a small plateau that allowed him to watch his back trail without being seen. Collapsing onto the rocky shelf, he breathed a little easier. He couldn't go on like this much longer. Another day, maybe two, and she would have him. She was playing with him, that's all. The way a cat plays with a mouse before she kills it. He shivered. Jesus, Dana. What's happened to you?
He moved further into the shadows, laying his laser rifle on the ground as he emptied the contents of his pack. A half-full flask of water, six protein bars, five flares, three laser re-charge canisters and two plasma grenades. Not much of an arsenal. His com-link crackled to life and he shook his head grimly. Here it comes.
"Paul," said a soft female voice, "You know you can't run forever. Give up now."
He ignored her, unwrapping one of the remaining protein bars. It was almost full light, she knew she couldn't hunt him. Even if she knew where he was, she couldn't see well enough to find him among the rocks. Still, her constant babble was enough to keep him awake. She hunted him all night and tormented him all day with her incessant chatter. He'd come close, a couple of times, to throwing the com-link away just to shut her up, but it was the only way he had of communicating with the supply ship when it arrived. If it arrives.
He closed his eyes, leaning his head against the rock behind him.
"Come on, Paul. It won't be that bad. I promise."
Her voice became a low drone at the edge of his awareness as weariness overtook him. His exhausted mind drifted as the rocks around him faded.
He was back in the biosphere and Dana was showing him the newest addition to her zoological collection. Her eyes sparkled and her voice shook with barely controlled enthusiasm as she pulled him by the hand to the window of the observation chamber. She was so beautiful when she was excited.
"See Paul? See the markings on the wings? Just like a giant butterfly."
He looked at the creature in the chamber doubtfully. "Looks like a cross between a bat and a German Shepherd to me."
She frowned, swatting him playfully on the arm. "It does not."
"What is it?"
"I'm not sure. The only thing I've seen that comes close are the Fire Bats of Regis Prime."
He watched the creature fold heavy black wings about a body that seemed to shift and flow distractingly. It looked at him with eyes so cold he shivered.
"Where did it come from?"
"Jack found it tangled in the wires on top of the COM shed."
"So what do we do with it?"
"I want to observe it for awhile, then I guess I'll release it. Maybe I'll fit it with a transmitter so can track it after it leaves here."
"Observe it for `awhile'? How long, exactly, is `awhile'?"
"I was thinking a couple of months at least."
Paul shook his head. "Professor Randall won't let you keep it that long. What if it gets loose? We have no idea how dangerous it is."
"It seemed pretty docile when Jack carried it in here. Besides, I've kept other species longer than that."
"Those other species were either insects or small rodents. I don't know if he'll agree, Dana. We're not really set up to accommodate anything this big. We're a small secondary base, not the primary research facility."
"I'm sure I can convince him how important it is," insisted Dana, " Besides, If it is a species of bat, it'll be nocturnal. I can keep its environment artificially lit and it should sleep most of the time."
"Do you even know what it eats?"
She stared at it thoughtfully. "I haven't had to feed it yet."
He shook his head in amusement as he looked from the creature to Dana. "Great. Here I am stuck on a strange planet with an ugly giant bat and a crazed scientist."
She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed him on the nose.
"You make it sound like a bad thing. You know. if you help me with Professor Randall, I think I can promise to make it worth your while."
The image dissolved and he jerked awake. The suns were hot and he moved farther into the shade, dragging his pack and weapon with him. Down the ravine and across the broken landscape the heat rose in shimmering waves. This was a bloody hot and inhospitable world without the protection of the biosphere. He looked at the sky, trying to judge the time by the placement of the suns. Mid morning, he guessed.
"Paaauuullll.." Her voice sang in his ear.
He sighed as he scrubbed his fingers through his hair. He wished he could turn the com-link off. "What Dana? What."
"And here I thought you were ignoring me," she teased.
"What do you want?"
"You know what I want, Paul. I want your life."
He closed his eyes. Among other things. "So I guess I should just roll over and die then, huh."
She laughed. "Oh, Paul. That would be too easy. You know I love it when you play hard to get."
"Yeah well, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."
"I am. This is such an interesting game. I know where you are, you know. I saw you climb into the rocks. I can't get you yet, but I will. And when I do you'll wish you'd surrendered sooner."
He laughed bitterly. "Why? What are you gonna do, Dana? Kill me twice? Dead is dead."
"Not always, Paul. Not always."
He shuddered at the hunger in her voice. "Tell that to Jack and Professor Randall. They looked pretty dead to me."
"I needed to feed, Paul. But that's not what I have in mind for you. At least, not right away. You and I are going to have a very interesting time together."
I don't think so, baby. He climbed the rest of the way up the ridge, weaving his way through the rocks. On the other side, the trail sloped towards a tree filled valley that stretched southward until it reached the sea. The supply ship would contact him there. That was the plan. Head for the water and wait.
He moved as quickly as the heat allowed, pushing himself to move faster as he watched the suns slip across the sky. The game of cat and mouse was tough enough during the day; he had no desire to repeat it again at night. His mind wandered as he moved towards the green shadow on the edge of the horizon..
For a month she studied it, taking pages of notes. Taking dozens of photographs. She even drew a diagram of the pattern on the thing's wings. It was her obsession. She spent hours, days, watching it move about the chamber. It hadn't taken much to convince the good Professor; in fact he was almost as excited as she was. Sometimes, he joined her in the lab and they had these animated discussions as to whether or not the creature was a mammal, or some other species they hadn't encountered before. Paul decided he didn't care what it was, he'd rather not be around it.
He found dozens of reasons to stay away from the lab. The thing gave him the creeps and he wasn't afraid to admit it. Those cold, black eyes stared right through him, and it wasn't like he didn't have other things to do. He inventoried the weapons locker. He made minor repairs to the security cameras and general alarm. He tested the emergency generator and replaced the motion detectors and infra-red sensors in the compound. Together, he and Jack repaired the damage the thing did to the comm shed. He sent their monthly report to the main research base and even found time to play chess with the computer. He watched her though; the security camera in the lab was on twenty-four hours a day and he found himself keeping a mental log of how many times she entered the observation chamber. He wished she wouldn't do that. He wished she'd let the thing go, like she promised.
He was irritated and a little jealous that she spent so much time with the bat-thing, even though he knew it was her job. One day, he finally broke down and went see her. He told himself it was because he had to know what bio-supplies she needed on the next supply run, but in his heart he knew it was because he missed her. She fit the creature with a transmitter so she could release it.
"What happened to your hand?" he asked.
She glanced down at the bloody bandage and shrugged. "Nothing. It bit me while I was fitting it with the transmitter, that's all."
Paul stared at her incredulously. "It bit you? When Dana? When did this happen?"
"A couple of days ago," she said in irritation, "it's not that big a deal."
"Of course it's a big deal. Did you have Professor Randall look at it? Why didn't you tell me?"
"No, Professor Randall didn't look at it. And it's a little hard to tell you anything when I never see you."
"Well, if you spent a little less time gushing about that thing, I might be more inclined to hang around."
"I'm a biologist, Paul. As well as a physician. It's what I do. It's one of the reasons we're here, remember? Studying new eco-systems? Cataloguing new life? What would you like me to do, pretend it's not important?"
He sighed. "I just remember a time your priorities were a little more balanced, that's all."
He took her hand, unwrapping the bandage to look at the angry, red wound underneath. "This doesn't look very good, did you scan it for alien antibodies?"
"Of course," she said, drawing her hand away. "I am a doctor, in case you've forgotten. I do know how the medi-scanner works."
Paul ignored her sarcasm. "And?"
"And what? It's clean. I'm not infected with anything."
He'd taken her word for it. Because she was the doctor and he wasn't. Because he wanted to believe her. He should have known better. That was his first mistake. His second mistake was in not insisting she be placed in quarantine.
The trees were further away than they appeared and it was almost dusk when he reached them. What looked like a forest from the ridge turned into a swamp once he reached it, but Paul didn't care. Maybe the trees would confuse her.
The ground was wet and his boots squelched as he walked through the soggy moss. Moonlight couldn't penetrate the thick canopy of trees and Paul was afraid to wander too far for fear he'd fall into a sinkhole and drown. Dana'd love that, her prize swallowed by the swamp. He moved twenty or thirty yards further and, dropping to his hands and knees, crawled into the tangled mass of vegetation that grew between the trees. He burrowed as deeply in as he could, drawing the leaves and vines around him, then he sat back to wait for the sunrise.
A week or two after she'd been bitten, he went to the lab to see her. He wanted to tell her he was sorry, and that he missed her. To apologize for avoiding her. He found her inside the observation chamber, sitting across from the bat-thing. She was just staring at it. He banged on the window, trying to get her attention, but she either didn't hear him, or chose to ignore him. He tried to open the door, but it she'd locked it from the inside. What the hell did she think she was doing? The thing was dangerous. It had bitten her for Christ's sake.
Finally she turned to look at him and he felt himself go cold inside. Her green eyes had turned the same dead black as the bat-thing's. And they seemed to look right through him.
Professor Randall ordered her locked in the lab until they could figure out what they were dealing with. He gathered up her notes, hoping to find some clue as to what was happening to her; he didn't want to believe she was dangerous, but he couldn't be sure. He ordered Paul to reinforce the locks on the outer door, and install an emergency alarm that would warn them if she got out. The three of them spoke, more than once, about leaving but they didn't want to abandon her. They were a team. And Dana was a friend. More than a friend. Friends didn't run out on each other.
Her screams woke him in the middle of the night. Heart wrenching, agonizing shrieks that made his hair stand on end and brought tears to his eyes. He tried to shut them out but they finally carried him to the lab, against his better judgement, to know what was happening to her. Jack and Professor Randall were already there. Their white faces told him more than words ever could, but he had to see for himself. When he saw her, he wished he'd stayed away.
Her light brown hair had changed to black, lengthening until it fell like a heavy cloak about her naked body. Huge wings grew from her back allowing her to hover above the floor. The bat-thing was gone. He didn't know whether she'd killed it or become it. Her icy, black eyes turned to his and she smiled. A hungry, wicked smile. Paul knew with absolute certainty that the Dana he knew was gone forever and that the three of them were dead.
He woke slowly in his cocoon of ferns and vines. The suns were rising. She hadn't said anything to him since the day before. He hoped that was a good sign. He hoped it meant she didn't know where he'd gone.
He crawled cautiously from his hiding place. The swamp looked almost pleasant in the light of day--tangled and overgrown--but he felt safer than he had since escaping the biosphere. Gripping his gun tightly, he slung his pack over his shoulder as he moved in the direction he remembered the ocean to be. He listened for her, but there was nothing. He'd either lost her, or she was playing with him again. He decided he almost preferred her constant chatter to this unnerving silence. At least when she was nattering at him he knew what she was up to.
Sunlight filtered through the canopy above him, but it was pale and dim and did not reach all the way to the ground. He moved slowly, stepping around the larger pools of standing water, treading carefully through the smaller ones. The air was humid and warm; smelling of mouldy vegetation and stagnant water, and his passing disturbed small clouds of insects that he did his best to ignore. It took all his concentration to find a stable path through the swampy underbrush and he moved painfully slowly. The last thing he wanted was to escape Dana only to stumble into a bog of quicksand.
Fading light told him dusk was approaching and he searched for a semi-dry place to spend the night. Scrambling onto the half-submerged remains of a fallen tree, he followed the log until he found a place to perch among the dead roots. Not the most comfortable bed, but at least he was out of the water. He leaned back, shifting into a more comfortable position as he closed his eyes. He was so.so tired.
They locked the door to the lab, then pushed everything they could move in front of it to keep her in while they scrambled about gathering what they needed to run. She taunted them. Took great delight in telling them what she had in store for them. Described it in great and glorious detail. She wanted their blood. She wanted their essence. Except for Paul. She wanted other things from him. He would be her mate and the things she promised to do to him made him retch.
Paul hoped the barricade would hold her long enough for them to escape, but he heard her throw herself against the door, and the alarm went off as he and Jack raced for the communications room. Jack said he'd radio for help while Paul and Professor Randall got out. He'd lock himself in. He'd be fine. He'd send the SOS and catch up with them later. Paul could see in his eyes that he knew he was dead, but there was no time to argue. No time for good bye's either. Paul could only swallow the lump in his throat, and nod grimly. He left his friend in the communications room as he raced to the small armory, grabbing the laser rifle and grenades. Scooping a handful of protein bars and a couple of flasks of water from the galley he yelled for Professor Randall to hurry. They had to get out. Now.
The professor's screams were the only answer. Screams that were abruptly silenced. Paul didn't have to see how the man died, what he heard was bad enough. He was on his own now. He'd just reached the outer seal when he heard the splintering crash that told him she'd broken through the door to the communications room. He prayed Jack managed to get his SOS away. He heard the sharp blast of a laser rifle. He heard a howl of rage and pain. He heard Jack scream.
She would come for him now. Panic rose in him as his trembling fingers fumbled with the locks to the double sealed exit. The doors slid blessedly open and he risked one look back before stumbling into the dawn. She looked like an advancing shadow, almost without substance. The only features he recognized were her eyes. Those dead, black eyes. The blast from Jack's laser rifle had scorched her wing, and the wickedly curved talons still dripped with his blood. She shrieked, wordlessly, as she flew down the corridor towards him. Christ, she was fast. He staggered backwards, firing the rifle blindly as he slammed his fist against the sealing mechanism. He didn't know if he hit her. He only wanted to get away.
The suns were rising when he woke. The light was growing and he had no idea how much further he had to go before he reached the sea. Jack would have told the supply ship not to approach the biosphere. He would have insisted they not send anyone down. At least Paul hoped he had time to tell them. All he could do was walk to the water and wait. They would come for him. Jack had not failed.
His head swam and he felt weak and lightheaded. Lack of food-lack of sleep-a murderous, soul stealing banshee howling at his heels-only the certain knowledge of what she would do to him kept him moving. The chilling memory of what she had done to Professor Randall and Jack. I won't die like that.
He splashed through knee deep water, towards the thinning trees, just as the suns reached their high. The swamp emptied into a roughly circular bay, and Paul could see solid ground again. He lurched onto the gravel beach and collapsed. I can't do this anymore. God help me, but I can't. He was almost too weak to stand. The comm-link crackled to life and he laughed bitterly. Of course.
"I'm tiring of this game, Paul. I think it's time we put an end to it, don't you?"
He struggled to a sitting position as he stared at the expanse of water that glittered in the light of the suns. He'd reached the sea, but now there was no place left to run.
"What's the matter, Dana? I thought you liked the game," he said wearily.
"I've played with you long enough. Your little foray into the trees has only delayed the inevitable. It's been some time since I last fed, and I hunger, Paul. I hunger enough to hunt you while the suns are up. The swamp masked your scent for a time, but no more. I can smell you, Paul. I can smell you, and not even the light will save you now."
Paul lowered his head resignedly. "Then come get me." he whispered, "Come on you twisted bitch. Here I am."
She laughed. A malicious, gleeful laugh that froze his blood. "Why, thank you Paul. I believe I will."
He didn't know how far away she was, but knew he didn't have much time. His eyes scanned the beach. Not much cover. He'd have to make his stand in the open. One way or another, it would soon be over. He moved back into the swamp, standing just inside the shade cast by the trees. A shadow passed over him and he ducked instinctively as she dropped out of the sky.
Holy Mother. She was the color of fog, her form wavering like a mirage. He squinted, trying to see through the flickering patterns that drifted across her body. Her hair melted into the black wings that rose from her shoulders and she folded them about herself like a cloak. At night she would be next to invisible. Her eyes glittered and she blinked in the light, as a red tongue darted from between the wickedly curved fangs protruding from between her lips. Paul stood dead still. He could almost hear her sniffing for him as she tried to determine where he was hiding.
"Come out, come out, where ever you are," she hissed.
Paul swallowed convulsively as he considered his options. There weren't many. He gripped the laser-rifle tightly. He could shoot her, but if he missed he'd be dead before he got off another shot. He closed his eyes. Think Paul! Jesus, come on! He had two grenades and some flares. That was it, along with the re-charge canisters. What if...? He opened his eyes. What if he were to use the grenades to ignite everything else? He could turn his pack into one big fuckin' bomb. Lure her close and then blast her. Would it kill her? Maybe. Would it kill him? Probably. But if I don't try, I'm dead anyway. He drew a deep breath. Okay, Paul. That's the plan then. Ready? Let's give her what she wants.
He reached into his bag setting the timers on the grenades for two minutes. Removing the charge from his rifle, he tossed the now useless gun into the swamp. He dropped the charge into his pack, then broke the seals on the remaining canisters. He felt strangely calm, now that it was almost over. He only hoped he could get close enough to her to do some damage before the end. He wrapped the strap of his pack around his wrist and stepped out of the shade.
"Looking for me?"
She spun toward the sound of his voice, and he shuddered as her black eyes passed over him. Hissing with satisfaction, she glided across the gravel towards him and Paul resisted the urge to bolt back into the safety of the swamp. Come on, baby, just a little closer.
She stopped about ten yards from him, her head swaying back and forth as she sniffed the air.
"What's the matter, Dana? Lost your appetite?"
She snarled, and moved closer. "I'm going to enjoy killing you, Paul." she growled. "You've turned out to be far more trouble than you're worth."
She crossed the intervening distance slowly and Paul could almost hear the timers ticking down on the grenades. She stood directly in front of him and he opened his arms wide, his pack dangling at the end of his wrist.
"Here I am, baby," he said softly, "gimme a hug."
She flung her wings open to reach for him, and he lunged at her, looping the strap of his pack around her neck before twisting out of her grasp and diving back into the shelter of the trees. Howling with rage and frustration she slashed blindly at the air as the timers on the grenades reached zero.
The explosion blew Paul off his feet and into the swamp, landing him in a crumpled heap in the water. Through a haze of pain and blood, he heard her shriek as a second explosion rocked the trees, causing the ground to tremble. The flares...and laser canisters.
Then there was nothing. Just a deafening silence. And a deep, comforting blackness.
*********************
Paul woke painfully. I should be dead. How come I'm not dead? He hurt and bled in a dozen places; the result of the shrapnel the blast carried with it. He opened his eyes to darkness. He'd lain, unconscious, all day. Did I get her? He pushed himself to his knees. Moonlight shone through the clouds and he could just make out a shadowy form next to the water. He stumbled upright, and walked unsteadily towards it.
He dropped to his knees in the gravel, staring numbly at what was left of her. Her wings had protected her from much of the blast, but the shrapnel from the grenades had penetrated her shifting form, slicing deeply into the body beneath and the exploding laser canisters had blown her almost in half. He'd killed her. He'd won.
Silent tears ran down his face and he hadn't the strength or the will to stop them as he remembered the Dana he knew. Not this monster dead on the beach, but the woman she was. Brilliant and curious. And beautiful. She deserved better than this. He thought of Jack and Professor Randall, torn to pieces in the biosphere. They deserved better too. He reached out hesitantly to touch her. I'm sorry, Dana. I'm so...so sorry.
His com-link suddenly crackled to life; he was amazed it was still working. Even though he knew she was dead, he half-expected to hear her voice taunting him, but it was a male voice that emerged from the static.
"This is Captain Ryan of the supply ship Stellar Wind. Is anyone there?"
Paul drew a deep breath. "I'm--" his voice faltered, and he coughed. "I'm here."
"What happened down there? We received a faint SOS from the Terran Research Station warning us not to approach the biosphere but to scan for human life forms from orbit. The message was cut off before we could acknowledge.Are you guys okay?"
Paul almost laughed. Are we okay? God, what a stupid question.
"No, actually. There was...an incident."
"We have your position, I'll send someone to get you," said Captain Ryan, "We were told to watch for two of you, but our scanners show only one. Can you confirm your number for us?"
Paul looked at the remains next to the water. He wished he could bury her or something.
"One," he whispered. "Only one."
Bio:Sharon is a single mom, living in Edmonton, Alberta Canada.
E-mail: slp126@telusplanet.net
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