Invasion

"Land!" Beau snarled.

The helicopter settled down in the middle of its own sandstorm. It was worse than earlier, without the tarmac. As the air cleared everyone immediately saw what had attracted Vince's attention. It was a van with a camouflage cover partially blown off by the wind generated by the rotor blades.

"Finally something positive," Beau snapped as he alighted from the helicopter. He strode over to the van. Grasping the tarp he ripped it off. He opened the front passenger-side door.

"She was in here," he said. He looked in the back of the van, then turned to survey the area.

"Beau, there's another communication from the institute," the pilot called out. He'd remained next to the helicopter. "They want you to know that they'd received word that the Arrival is expected in five Earth hours from now. And they want to remind you that the Gateway is not ready. What should I tell them?"

Beau gripped his head with his long fingers and pressed his temples in an attempt to relieve his tension. He breathed out slowly. Ignoring the pilot he yelled to Vince that Cassy was nearby. "I can sense it," Beau added. "But it is strangely weak."

Vince and Robert had wandered away from the van in ever widening circles. Suddenly Vince had stopped and bent down. Straightening up he called for Beau to come over.

Beau joined the two men.

Vince pointed to the ground. "It's a camouflaged hatch," he said. "It's locked from within."

Beau's fingers snaked under the edge. Progressively he applied an upward force until the hatch snapped up into the air. Vince and Beau leaned over and peered down at the lighted corridor below. Then their eyes met.

"She's down there," Beau said.

"I know," Vince said.

"Holy shit!" Jonathan cried. His eyes bulged from their sockets. Then he screamed at the top of his lungs: "Pitt, Sheila, somebody, get over here!"

Pitt slammed down a syringe of antibody he'd been preparing for Cassy and dashed out of the sick bay into the hall en route to the lab where Jonathan was. Pitt had no idea what had happened but there'd been desperation in Jonathan's voice. Pitt heard Sheila running behind him.

They found Jonathan sitting at the computer. His eyes were glued to the monitor, and his face was pale as an ivory cue ball.

"What's the matter?" Pitt demanded as he rushed up to Jonathan.

Jonathan was momentarily tongue-tied. All he could do was motion toward the computer screen. Pitt looked at it and his hand reflexly slapped across his open mouth.

"What is it?" Sheila urged as she arrived at Pitt's side.

"It's a freak!" Jonathan managed.

Sheila sucked in a breath of air when she caught sight of what was on the screen.

"It's Beau!" Pitt said with horror. "Cassy said he'd been mutating, but I had no idea ... "

"Where is he?" Sheila asked, forcing herself to be practical despite Beau's grotesque appearance.

"It was an alarm that drew my attention," Jonathan said. "Then the computer automatically activated the appropriate minicam."

"I want to know where he is," Sheila repeated frantically.

Jonathan fumbled with the keyboard and managed to bring up a schematic of the facility. A red arrow was blinking at one of the emergency/exhaust vents.

"I think that's the one where we entered," Pitt said.

"I think you're right," Sheila said. "What does the alarm mean, Jonathan?"

"It says 'hatch cover unsealed,' " Jonathan said. "I guess that means they've got the hatch open."

"Good God!" Sheila said. "They'll be coming in."

"What should we do?" Pitt asked.

Sheila ran an anxious hand through her unfettered blond hair; her green eyes darted erratically around the room. She felt like a cornered deer.

"Pitt, go see if you can lock the door to the air lock," she sputtered. "That might delay them for a time."

Pitt dashed from the room.

"Where's Harlan's pistol?" Jonathan asked.

"I don't know," Sheila snapped. "Look for it, Jonathan."

Sheila started for the sick bay.

"Where are you going?" Jonathan called out to Sheila. "I've got to get Harlan and Cassy out of those containment rooms," Sheila said.

"What do you want me to do, Beau?" Vince asked, breaking what had seemed to be a long silence.

"What do you think this place is?" Beau asked, pointing down the hatch at the gleaming, white, high-tech interior.

"I haven't the slightest idea," Vince said.

Beau glanced back at the helicopter. The pilot was dutifully standing by. Beau returned his gaze down the hatch. His mind was in a turmoil and his emotions frayed.

"I want you and your co-worker to go down in this strange hole and find Cassy," Beau said. He spoke slowly and deliberately as if he were making great effort to restrain himself from flying into a rage. "When you find her, I want you to bring her to me. I must go back to the institute, but I will send the copter back for you."

"As you wish," Vince said warily. He was afraid of saying the wrong thing. The fragility of Beau's emotions was obvious.