Dragonstar Destiny (21 page)

HE STILL
l
ooked human ... but just barely.

Humanoid, thought Kemp. That’s a better word.

Oh sure, Timothy Linden still had four limbs: two arms, two legs. But they were longer now, jointed strangely.

And his face ...

He had no ears, and his nose was a mere tiny bump above a slit of a mouth. He was bald now, and his whole head was more ellipsoid than before, his skull almost pointed ...

But the eyes ...

The eyes were the most different: they were wide and large now, with no brows and huge black pupils that seemed to look into and through ...

Everything.

“My God,’ said Becky. “What’s happened to him?”

“Whatever’s happened,” said Kemp, “he can still point a gun ... Linden, what’s your problem? Are you mad? We’re your friends!”

Those huge orbs blinked, and Linden staggered a bit. “Friends? If only you knew the truth, Colonel Kemp. But then, soon you will!”

“Now, Linden, we’re not going to hurt you and we’re dealing with a very serious situation. We’ve got to get back to base camp. Whatever’s happened to you, you’re still an intelligent creature and you’ve got to see reason.”

Linden twitched a bit. “Reason? Reason! What does reason have to do with destiny! With revenge!”

“Linden, what are you, talking about?” Becky said. “What revenge?”

“Colonel Kemp, do you remember a man named Marcus Jashad?” Linden spat, weaving unsteadily on his feet.

“Jashad. Damned right I do. The terrorist who tried to take over the
Dragonstar.
But what have you got to do with Jashad, Linden?”

“Jashad lives yet!” cried Linden. “Jashad lives in my soul. He shall be avenged, and the Word of the Prophet, the Way of Allah, shall be propagated among the stars!”

“You’re crazy!” said Becky.

“No. Not crazy. You, see, I was never truly with the IASA, you fools. I was a sleeper agent with the TWC, planted within the IASA for just this moment! And I have been activated, and lo, the sword of Allah shall strike down all of you unbelievers.”

“Phineas, could this be the truth?”

“It’s a possibility. But what’s more important is that it looks as though Linden’s on his last legs. He’s fighting something ... I can sense it.” He turned back to the transformed man. “If that’s the case, Linden ... why haven’t you killed me?”

“I wanted ... I wanted you to know ... to know that ... it is not I ... not l who is your executioner. Not Timothy Linden ... but the spirit of Marcus Jashad himself!”

“I find that very hard to believe,” said Kemp, stalling for time. “No, maybe I don’t. Jashad always was a coward. It’s totally like him to gun down an enemy in cold blood. Typical of the camel dung the TWC has been producing this past century! Come on, Linden, maybe you were a sleeper-agent, but you also grew up in our system, experienced it. Sure, maybe you were trained to obey the doctrines of the TWC. But you’ve a
choice
now, man. And haven’t you looked in a mirror lately ... ? You’ve changed!”

“It is ... it is the will of Allah! He has visited me with new powers, new strength.”

“Oh, come on, if Allah was so powerful, he would have protected your wonderful Marcus Jashad, right? No, Linden ... it wasn’t Allah ... It was some sort of radiation ... Accept it. Accept the truth and let us help you.”

“Unbelievers! Deceivers! Devils!” cried Linden.

But his gun was dipping, and his eyes were closing.

“Deep inside, Linden,” said Phineas Kemp, “you know it’s not true. Not true at all!”

* * *

Deep inside, the creature that had been Timothy Linden was in turmoil.

Traitor, cried the voice of Marcus Jashad. Kill him! Kill the wretched infidel!

The voice raged within Linden like thunder over the desert. But even as it demanded action, Linden found it growing curiously remote.

Part of him wanted to kill these two enemies standing before him. But there was a much larger part of him now that was ...

... different ...

... so much different ...

And then it began to settle upon him like a slowly drifting veil. A peace ...

No! No! cried the warrior in the wilderness, his turban flowing about his skull-like face, his rifle raised like a lightning rod. Obey! Obey!

... a peace like the wind between the stars ... a gentle understanding. It touched him quietly, and it pierced him through and through ...

...
and suddenly his very soul seemed to radiate out, to blend with the essence of the universe. And he
became
the universe, and it became him.

...
and the lightning came down upon the madly ranting figure in the desert, and it struck him like living fire. The spirit of Marcus Jashad wailed, and was consumed in sun-bright light, and then his terrible voice was no more ...

Timothy Linden dropped the gun.

He looked down upon the two standing below.

“Pardon me if I have frightened you,” he said. “Thank you for bearing with me.”

He then collapsed in a dead faint.

* * *

“What was that all about?” said Becky Thalberg.

“I
thought
something strange was going on,” said Kemp as they walked toward the fallen Linden. “I sensed it... .”

“Sensed it? That doesn’t sound like the pragmatic Phineas Kemp.”

“On the other hand, though, it was fairly obvious the guy was having some serious interior conflict,” said Kemp, kneeling down by Linden. “I wonder if this ‘sleeper agent’ stuff was for real, or just a psychosis caused by the radiation.”

“If we can keep him alive, we can ask him,” said Becky, taking her canteen from her pack. She lifted the oddly shaped head and poured some water onto Linden’s lips.

Linden spluttered, choked.

“He looks alive enough to me. Now, if we don’t drown him ...”

The giant eyes fluttered. They opened and they stared up at Becky and Kemp.

An odd smile came to the strange mouth.

“Thank you,” said Timothy Linden. “Thank you for not attempting to kill me.”

“What’s happened to you?” Becky said. “Have you any idea?”

“Yes. Yes, I think I understand now ... ”

“This ‘sleeper agent’ stuff, Linden,” Kemp barked. “Was that true?”

“As a matter of fact, Colonel Kemp, I’m afraid it was,” said Linden, sitting up, calmly contemplating his environs. “But don’t worry. That demon has been exorcised. And in that phase of my existence, neither I nor my partner, Alexandra Marshall, was able to effect any damage ... Unless you wish to count my withholding my discovery.”

“Discovery? What discovery?” Kemp demanded.

“Look at me, Kemp. As you can see, I have been transformed, My transformation was not caused by an odd beam of radiation, but a specific dose in a specific place. And that place, and the knowledge gained from that place, I withheld from you, hoping to use it for my own gain, and for my purposes as a secret agent of the TWC.”

“And if that’s true, what’s to make me believe that you’ve actually changed affiliations?” Kemp said suspiciously.

“I have changed, as my features have changed, Colonel Kemp. And if I had not, then you both would surely be dead now, is that not correct?”

“He’s got a point there, Phineas.”

“Too true. Well, then, Linden, what’s happened to you? And I should let you know that we’ve been—”

“Invaded, yes. By the Movers of the Imperium. You were able to escape, but the others were captured and are now being held in the alien spacecraft.”

“How did you know that?” Kemp said.

“Oh, I know a great deal now,” said Linden, standing and brushing himself off calmly. “It is a part of my new nature. I seem to be able to just reach out” —he held a hand out and placed it upon Becky’s head—“and touch knowledge and truth.”

“The others ... they haven’t been harmed, then?”

“No. Far from it. Presently, in fact, they speak with a member of the alien race known as an Old One. His name is ... yes, it is Kii.”

Kemp was stunned. “I find it very hard to believe that you can do this ...”

“Believe what you like, but I quite assure you, Phineas Kemp, I speak the truth. And I know much.”

“But how?” Becky said. “Has it something to do with this transformation you’ve been through? And exactly what
is
this transformation?”

“There’s really no time for discussion,” said Kemp. “We’ve got to get back to the base camp.”

“That is ill advised at the moment,” said Linden. “And in the long run, it will do you absolutely no good. You alone will not be able to stand against the Movers, Phineas Kemp.”

“But we’ve got to
try,”
insisted Kemp. “We can’t just stand around with our thumbs up our asses!”

“No, there is no reason for that. But settle down and listen to me a moment. It is vital that you do so.”

“Phineas, we really have nothing to lose,” said Becky. “I mean, if he knows all these things ... maybe he’s our hope!”

“There’s no harm in listening, I suppose,” said Kemp, but he was still suspicious.

“No harm, I assure you. In fact, your destiny is involved,” said Linden, his wide, unreadable eyes staring at Kemp.

“Actually I’d settle for a one-way ticket back to Earth,” Kemp mumbled.

“That could be in the cards, Phineas Kemp. If you’ll simply follow me and allow me to show you what I discovered myself, days ago. It is, quite simply, part of the key that will perhaps allow us all to return to Earth.”

“I’m game,” said Becky. “Lead on, Macduff, as Ian Coopersmith might say.” She managed a glimmer of a smile.

“How do we know we can trust you?” Kemp insisted.

“What other choice do you have?” Linden stated frankly.

Kemp nodded. He was right.

“Okay. I’ll come, if you’ll explain what’s happened to you and how you know what you know.”

“Fine. This way, please.” He gestured ahead of him. “I wish to show you the cave I found ... I was escaping a frightening dinosaur at the time. I found something most marvelous.”

“That’s right, the allosaur that you say killed Alexandra when you went out to check that radiation source for Jakes,” Kemp said.

“Yes, and it was a fierce thing ... a thing with two heads.”

“This damned radiation ... It’s been the bane of my existence. What the hell is it, and what the hell is it doing?”

“Yes, it was the radiation that changed those dinosaurs ... and also caused the Saurians to lose their senses and eat John Neville in the midst of your broadcast,” said Becky. “With your newfound knowledge, can you explain the radiation, Linden?”

Linden was leading them around the rocks to a clearing. “Yes. Yes, I believe that I can. It’s all involved with the very nature of the
Dragonstar,
you see.”

“You mean, as a seed ship?” said Becky.

“Yes, and as a laboratory in action as well—an automatic system for the creation and
customizing,
if you will, of life.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Come with me,” said Linden. “Follow me into the cave, and I will show you.”

“That’s what we’re doing, isn’t it?” Kemp said.

“Just making sure!” The creature that had been Timothy Linden gave the weirdest smile that Kemp had ever seen.

The cave was a small and narrow one. They had to duck under the overhang to get inside.

“Hey, you got a flashlight?” said Kemp as Becky grabbed his hand.

Linden, up ahead, said, “That’s not necessary.”

“Not necessary!” said Becky. “I can’t see a thing.”

Linden did not respond.

They moved back toward the rear of the cave, and then Linden instructed them to halt. “Please do not be alarmed at what happens next. You will be perfectly safe.”

No sooner had he said these words than the floor gave way beneath them. Kemp heard a cry of astonishment and was startled that it was his own.

They slid down a long chute and were deposited in a heap in the darkness.

Then the lights came on.

Kemp stared around in awe. They were in a rectangular chamber with silver sides from which protruded screens and dials and all manner of oddly shaped nozzles and extrusions ... whose tips were now glowing all manner of colors.

“My God,” said Kemp, drawing his gun. “This is some sort of trap!”

“Please,” said Linden’s voice. “As I said, do not be alarmed.”

“Where are you?” said Becky, standing up and looking around.

A round hatchway opened, and Linden peered through. “Right here. Come through, if you like.”

Kemp let go a sigh of relief. “It would seem as though the guy’s on the up-and-up.”

But the next room proved to be much the same: alien devices. Linden was examining them, mouth pursed thoughtfully.

“So are we going to get an explanation, or what?” Kemp said grumpily.