Darik Generic Read online

  Every time he thought he had a fix on which colors meant what to MARL12, the AI would react differently to a stimulus or comment. Darik was determined to figure the alien device out but, for a being like himself who was used to responding to clues like scent and body language, MARL12 was a challenge. Darik enjoyed a good puzzle, though. Now if only the AI could stop annoying him for a few hours…

  “If we find an opportunity then we’ll try hacking the system, yes.” Darik nodded. “But what’s your hurry? Aren’t you enjoying our vacation in the mountains? At least you don’t have to slog through the occasional snow bank like I do.”

  “As a manifestation of MARL itself, I prefer to be reunited with the main unit as soon as possible,” the AI said. “My processes are not at optimum performance this far removed.”

  “Did you know that would happen?” Darik blew on his tea to cool it a bit.

  A sheet of orange washed over the AI, obliterating even the omnipresent green square for a blink or two. “This was not anticipated. However, part of the assignment you and I are on is to test the boundaries.”

  Darik rose and walked to the edge of the grove of trees, gazing over the valley to the south. Maybe this was a subtle way of testing his boundaries as well. The Badari were definitely pack animals, loyal to each other to the death. Some of his fellow soldiers were uncomfortable with the looser life they now had, in the sanctuary valley. It was a big change from the tightly regimented schedule and structure in the original Khagrish lab where they’d been created. No one wanted to return to the life of experimental animal, of course, but Aydarr and his own alpha Jamokan were concerned over how a subset of the men were reacting to freedom, having trouble concentrating, picking dominance challenge fights and other behavior that would have gotten them killed inside the lab. The Badari had craved freedom for eight long generations, enduring horrific experiments and adverse conditions—no one had expected independence itself to be another form of challenge.

  He finished the last sip of tea and cleaned the mug with fresh snow. Well, I love being free. Darik was fourth in his pack’s hierarchy, after the alpha and the two enforcers, and further down in the big combined pack Aydarr and his human mate Jill had assembled, but out here he was his own man. Of course he was following his orders, but he was stretching his own boundaries as well and enjoying the time alone. At some point he’d need to touch base with the alpha and his pack brothers, but for now he was a—what had Jill called it? A lone wolf.

  Memory stirred in the back of his mind and he remembered an offhand comment a Khagrish scientist had made to him long ago, when he was a boy. “We mixed in even more of the animal DNA than usual when we coded you,” the man said with a sneer. “An interesting side experiment.”

  He didn’t know if his genetic mix was why he enjoyed these solitary assignments but since the Khagrish so clearly thought their decision made him a lesser being, Darik had consciously embraced it as his secret strength. Now he grinned. And who stands here a free man? And who died in the burning ruins of his lab? Victory to me, I think.

  Reflecting on the many changes the packs had come through in recent months, he decided the introduction of mates was the most intriguing. No one knew what made a human woman and a Badari warrior feel the pull of a mate bond but by all accounts, the relationship was a wondrous thing. He liked the concept of having a mate someday. Seeing how happy and content the mated men acted, Darik was sure the state must have much to recommend it. But he wasn’t in any rush.

  Lone wolf, that’s me. Chest tightening with pride he stared over the mountains, pleased no Badari other than himself was within thousands of miles.

  “We should be going.” MARL12 drifted across the snow, sending small flurries swirling in his wake. “We’re wasting the daylight.”

  “It’s barely an hour after sunrise.” But Darik walked to his small encampment, packed his gear, and set out, munching a ration bar.

  He was curious about the human scent but, as he and his companion circled the lab, going in a generally southeasterly direction, he saw no sign of the prisoners.

  The facility was odd, not at all like the sprawling lab where he’d been created, nor the second facility recently liberated, which had pretty much been twin installations. This isolated place had a relatively small, square building surrounded by a nature preserve, all enclosed within the usual energy force barrier. Darik lay on a slight rise and scanned the facility with long distance viewers. From the colors playing over MARL12’s surface, he guessed the AI was doing the same.

  “What are the Khagrish playing at up here? What research could their mad scientists be doing in such a small place?”

  “The facility extends fifteen stories underground and several of the levels are quite extensive,” MARL12 said. “This level appears deserted for the most part. Several of the subterranean levels show no activity either. My scans are much more thorough than your visual assessment.”

  Did he detect a hint of smugness in the AI’s flat tones? Darik suppressed his own annoyance. “The complementary skills are why we’re a team here.” He leaned over and tapped the ovoid with his fully extended talons, moving so fast he managed to take MARL12 by surprise. The AI emitted a high pitched squeal and shot sideways a good fifteen feet. “I’m better at combat,” Darik said with a smile exposing his fangs. Score one for the Badari team member. “I want to check out the Preserve enclosure, get the layout, see if there are humans there today.”

  He moved out, proceeding with caution. So far neither he nor MARL12 had detected any external scans or sensor arrays, but he didn’t want the Khagrish to become aware of his presence, much less to come after him. Darik was confident he could easily evade any Khagrish security officers floundering in the snow on his trail, but his alphas didn’t want the aliens to realize the Badari were literally sniffing around their other installations. Low key, that’s us, until we swoop in and wipe you out. The notion made him happy inside.

  Suddenly, the angry and challenging cry of a large predator echoed across the mountain, followed by a woman’s scream. Darik didn’t hesitate but broke into a run, keeping to the shadows of the towering trees as much as possible but hastening in the direction of the sound. He unslung his pulse rifle and ran with it at the ready.

  “I’m picking up a new scent, animal, probably like the one whose print we saw earlier.” Not slackening his pace, he threw the comment at MARL12.

  “Why are we proceeding into an encounter with the predator?” MARL12 kept up with him but the question was querulous.

  “There’s a human in jeopardy,” Darik said over his shoulder.

  “Our mission is to infiltrate the enemy’s AI system, to observe. Not to assist captives.”

  “Mission parameters change as conditions change.” Annoyed at the implied criticism of his choice to investigate, Darik added, “No one knew there were humans here. Now we do.”

  “But—”

  “Shut up or the mountain beast will hear us coming.”

  When he emerged from the forest into the scattered smaller growth, he stopped, dropping into cover in a small dip in the ground. “Son of a bitch, what the hell is the human female doing out here? She’s gonna get herself killed and eaten.” He turned to the AI floating next to him. “Take down this section of the force barrier so I can get in there and protect her.”

  Humming, red and purple waves swirling on its surface, MARL12 said, “Rescuing humans is not a mission imperative. I cannot risk our detection by interfering with the force barrier.”

  Darik swore. “You and me are going to have a talk when this is over.” Rising to his feet, he sprinted toward the edge of the Preserve, where the energy barrier shimmered faintly in the morning air.

  Nicolle stood with her back to the stream running unimpeded through the invisible fence, clutching a forked stick she’d grabbed from the ground as she slipped and scrambled to get away from the beast she was now facing. Holding the unwieldy branch like a trident, she tried to make herself appe ar bigger and more fierce. A human not to be messed with. Her throat ached from the first few screams of terror, but the sounds only seemed to intrigue the beast, so she bit her lip until she tasted blood. Not a good idea either, Nicolle. Blood probably entices the creature even more.

  On all fours now, the animal studied her, sniffing the air as its massive head swayed from side to side.

  Will anyone come to help me? But, even if Greer and the others heard her scream and followed her tracks, what could unarmed humans do against this terrifying beast? When the creature stood on its trunk-like hind legs, it was easily 7’ high and the dinner plate sized paws carried multiple hooked claws. Its coat was an odd mix of white, silver and gray, in a camouflage-style pattern that made the animal hard to focus on and the fangs were like daggers. She sidled sideways a foot or so and the creature tracked her movements, stubby ears flattening on its skull. Nicolle stopped, searching desperately for a crevice, anything she could use to shelter or hide. She’d never make it to the sparse tree growth in the direction she’d come originally. Damn beast can probably climb better than I can anyway.

  Nothing helpful presented itself to her desperate gaze.

  The pretty stream flowed through a meadow. The berries had lured Nicolle here as the Khagrish rations upset her stomach but, apparently, the wild animal had been breakfasting on the berries as well.

  And now it wants me for a meal too.

  Raising its outsized head, the predator sniffed the air and took a step in her direction. Rising to its hind legs and towering over her, the animal roared a challenge before dropping to all fours again and coming toward her, moving faster as it approached.

  Frozen, hand clenched on the nearly useless forked stick, Nicolle had a vague idea of throwing herself into the creek or falling to the ground and playing dead.

  A roar sounded from behind her, across the water, maybe even from outside the force barrier. Startled, she screamed and slipped on the mossy rocks, barely keeping her footing. The animal in front of her rose to its full height again, bellowing and displaying an impressive array of sharp teeth, as well as yellowed claws on its massive front paws. Nicolle cowered, but the beast wasn’t paying any attention to her now. All its attention was on whatever was beyond the stream.

  The next roar from behind her was even more impressive. It sounded almost…human?

  Ears flattened, the beast pivoted, dropped to all fours, and scrambled away from Nicolle as fast as it could go, bushy tail tucked away between its legs.

  Breathing shakily, she steeled herself to turn, hoping this new threat was outside the force barrier and couldn’t get in.

  Having wheeled to face the other direction, at first she couldn’t believe her eyes. Nothing but one man stood across the force barrier from her. Granted, he was incredibly tall and well built under his camouflage uniform, but there was nothing about him to suggest the ability to utterly terrify a creature like the one recently slavering to eat her. Had the beast been frightened off by the sight of his lethal pulse rifle? But then who or what had been roaring? “Thank you,” she said, her vocal cords barely working. “Who are you?”

  “A friend.”

  Thank the Lords of Space—he speaks Basic.

  He looked her up and down critically. “Are you ok? No wounds?”

  She dropped the stick into the water, wrapping her arms around herself in an effort not to shake so hard. “Just scared. Can you—can you get us out of here?” Nicolle sank onto the nearest boulder as her legs gave way from reaction to the danger so recently averted.

  Brow furrowed, he glanced at the oddly colorful small orb floating in the air beside him and shook his head. “Not today. How many of you are there?”

  “Twenty, including me. We arrived late yesterday, shipped from the lab in the flatlands.”

  “Originally from the Amarcae colony in the Sectors?”

  She blinked in surprise at how well informed he was and nodded. “Most of us. How did you know?”

  “We must retreat,” said his metallic companion in a warbling birdlike voice, moving side to side as if nervous. “The other humans approach. We must not be detected.”

  “I have to go,” the man said, slinging the pulse rifle over his shoulder. “Promise not to mention me to anyone. I’ll see what I can do about calling in a rescue, but it’s complicated. The Khagrish can’t know I’m here, so you can’t even tell the other prisoners. Not all humans can be trusted.”

  She ignored his slur on humans’ integrity. “I swear not to talk about you, but please, please help us. These aliens conduct experiments—”

  “I know all about what the Khagrish do.” He seemed reluctant to abandon her, taking two steps in the direction his metal companion had gone but then turning to face her.

  Hoping knowing her name might make her plight more difficult for him to ignore, she said, “I’m Nicolle, by the way.”

  Inclining his head briefly to acknowledge her comment but not offering his own name, he continued, “Stay strong. Don’t give up hope. I’ll figure something out, I promise.”

  She heard voices in the distance and, shielding her eyes with one hand, peered against the blinding morning sunlight to check the meadow. When she craned her neck to observe the force fence again, her mysterious rescuer was gone. A breeze swirled the patches of snow on the other side of the creek. Even his tracks would be obscured shortly. Good. I don’t want the Khagrish to find him. But why wouldn’t he help us now? Deciding maybe he couldn’t get through the force barrier either, she rose, trying not to feel too hopeful.

  Half a dozen humans came into view at the far end of the meadow, Greer in the lead. On shaky legs, Nicolle jogged to meet them.

  “What happened?” He grabbed her arm to steady her, his callused hands rough on her skin.

  “I encountered a big wild animal in the berry patch.” She gestured to indicate how sizable the creature had been. “It was trying to decide whether I was edible then it ran away.” She tried to smile. “Maybe I scared it off with the stick I picked up and waved so fiercely.”

  “We heard terrible roaring.” Callea glanced over the clearing where they stood, eyes wide, clearly terrified the predator might make a sudden reappearance. “We came as fast as we could.”

  “You ought not to have wandered away from the cave.” Greer was stern, shaking his finger in her face, brow furrowed, adding, “Not on your own anyway.”

  Walking with the others, Nicolle made a silent vow to return to this spot on the creek bed, threat of wild animals or not, in case she could meet the mysterious soldier again. Seeing him was the most encouraging thing to happen to her since awakening from stasis in the first lab. She felt a stab of guilt over keeping her secret but the man hadn’t been able to take direct action to rescue her, after all, so there was nothing substantive to tell the others. Raising false hopes wouldn’t do anyone any good.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Anger roiled his gut as he watched her rejoin her human companions. Tucked in the shelter of the trees, Darik was glad to see her friends appeared supportive, but he was livid at not being able to rescue her. Protecting those smaller and weaker than themselves was part of the Badari code. As the humans walked out of sight at the end of the meadow, he melted further into the shadows himself, heading north away from the lab. Best not to remain too close in case the usually lazy Khagrish took it upon themselves to investigate.

  Or Nicolle betrayed his trust.

  He didn’t want to think she’d break her promise, but he had to operate with the contingency in mind.

  “I thought I was going to watch her get eaten by that beast,” he said to his AI, clenching his hand on the pulse rifle’s stock. “If you ever deny a request from me in such a way again, you and I are through, and I’ll do my best to destroy you.”

  “Rescuing the humans is not a mission parameter.” MARL12 floated at what he probably calculated was a safe distance.

  Swallowing hard, Darik took a moment to master his anger. “Well, saving them should be. If Jill Garrison was here, she’d agree with me.” He reflected the need for his report at the end of this mission to contain a few harsh comments about the MARL subunit’s inability to respond to changes in the operation in the field, on the fly.

  “If I had interrupted the force barrier to allow you to rescue the woman, the Khagrish would have been alerted. There wasn’t a sufficient chance of success in extracting the entire group of humans and conveying them to safety at this time. Neither you nor I can communicate with those in the sanctuary valley except at the specific times when MARL primary will be listening for my short burst signal.”

  “I’m done talking about it.” Darik hated to admit the AI had even a small kernel of rationality on which to hang its argument. He continued on his way, veering to the compass heading he’d need to finish his external survey of the entire lab complex. MARL12 flew next to him in silence.

  Darik found his mind wandering to the woman—Nicolle—time and again. She’d been brave for a civilian, which he admired. Wielding that puny stick against a giant predator was a lost cause, and she must have realized it, but she was going to go down fighting anyway.

  She had an appealing face too, framed by those riotous curls.

  He wracked his brain for a way to free her if MARL12 continued to refuse to provide assistance, but there was no way known to the Badari to break through a Khagrish force field. He could do a frontal assault on the lab itself, of course, but a one-man attack was doomed to fail.

  Two mornings later Nicolle left the cave, stressed by the close quarters and the despair into which several of the humans had lapsed. Three had curled into fetal positions, sleeping all day and refusing nutrition, as if wishing to starve themselves to death. She suspected the trio had a suicide pact. No one wanted to go foraging for berries or other fresh nutrients with her, content to eat the slop the Khagrish provided. Conversation was desultory and depressing. A few individuals kept the fire burning and made periodic trips outside to forage for wood from the small stand of trees but even Greer was becoming more and more depressed, talking constantly about his wife whose fate he didn’t know.