Chapter 1 #3
“So since you didn’t ask what else there could be to slicing DNA with convicts, I’m going to tell you.
You do realize that this planet is inhabited by an ancient alien species,” Shane Bullock commented casually.
Everyone looked in the reporter’s direction.
He grinned in response. “Where do you think they’re getting their other volunteers from?
Perfect if you ask me. Convicts and aliens.
Dandy. However, my guess is the aliens aren’t happy.
The Republic doesn’t want you to know any of this, of course.
The aliens already living on the planet are violent and very dangerous.
They are also cunning, and my guess is that they have plans to colonize Earth.
And do you know what I heard? They have plans to take over the universe as well.
There’s even some chatter that they are the reason for Earth’s declining condition, something they can rectify. ”
“What the hell?” Samuel huffed. “That’s not what we’ve been told.”
I shifted my gaze in his direction, a lump forming in my throat.
My illustrious caretaker had vaguely suggested there were others living on the planet, just like the media.
But this? I found it difficult to believe.
Maybe not. I thought about what few secrets I’d learned. Maybe the reporter was onto something.
“Uh-huh. I suggest you open that very closed mind of yours,” Shane retorted. “Do you really think we’re the only civilized race in the universe? Wait a minute,” he said, laughing. “We’re not civilized, more like animals fighting to procreate.”
His words were off the cuff, but I could tell he believed them. Another red flag.
A moment of searing heat engulfed the shuttle, another surprise given the expansive shields the shuttle was required to maintain.
I could see the scorching sun as it reflected off the windows, blinding as well as gorgeous.
Shielding my eyes, I dared to lean over the doctor, hungry to take in the desolate landscaping.
“Hotter than Hades here, twenty plus below zero just over those mountains. Then it can switch on a dime,” Samuel chuckled. “Should be a fascinating planet to colonize but imagine the cozy nights sitting around a fire, a nice bottle of cognac.”
I didn’t bother answering, even though his stiff cock managed to dig into my side.
I’d had a crash course in learning about Earth Two, studying everything I’d been given.
My work had been sequestered, keeping me locked in labs for the past two years, Dr. Forrester providing information only on a need-to-know basis.
However, the dichotomy of the radical weather conditions was well known, making travel in certain areas treacherous.
The zones were much more pronounced than Earth, but humans would learn to adapt.
Or die.
“Buckle up, ladies and gents. It’s going to be a rocky landing at best. We’re heading into a near blizzard so batten down the hatches.
” Greg’s tone had a singsong lilt. The man actually enjoyed this.
For all his commendations, very few agencies wanted to work with him.
The particular facility had no other pilot providing supplies or travel.
Maybe that should have been my warning to steer clear.
“Blizzard?” Dr. Chen managed. Even from where I was sitting, I could see the terror on his face. He’d been a last-minute replacement, coming on board only minutes before takeoff. His reputation was stellar, but from what I’d heard, his personality caustic.
“Those extreme weather conditions,” I answered, already able to see the change, mountains covered in snow. We sat in silence as the skies darkened. As ice began to pelt against the windows, the shuttle’s engines labored, rumbles occurring under our feet.
“Please, God, don’t let me die!”
I didn’t want to hear Brenda’s horror-filled exclamations.
When we’d been coerced on this mission, every one of us was told the obstacles we’d be facing.
Weather conditions were capable of changing within hours, not seasons, another reason for the brutes being manufactured.
I couldn’t think of them any other way. They were mere slaves.
And I’d been taught slavery had been abolished centuries before. Who would actually volunteer for such atrocities?
Another hard lurch was followed by a slowing of the engines. Snow whirled by the windows, the immediate drop in temperature creating an ice fog. Everything happened quickly, the shuttle shaking violently.
We hit the ground with a brutal thud, skidding forward several hundred feet. The whir of the engines was followed by a cracking sound.
Then silence.
Eerie silence.
“Thank God,” Samuel said, exhaling a heavy sigh. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”
“I’m perfectly fine and if you call me sweetheart again, I’m going to rip your throat out.” Lashing out wasn’t in my best interest, but he needed to know the score from the get-go.
“Jesus. No need to be a bitch,” he muttered. “I don’t want to have to report your behavior to the authorities.”
Go the fuck ahead.
I pretended I wasn’t paying any attention, instead peering out the window, an unsettling feeling pooling in the pit of my stomach.
Visibility was zero, the world a white blur.
I could only hope the pilot had been able to get us close to our destination.
We heard footsteps seconds before Greg took long strides into the passenger area.
A grin popped on his face. Dressed in army fatigues, two guns secured on his belt, he looked as dangerous as the persona preceding him.
“Well, we safely landed. That’s the good news. ”
“And the bad?” Dr. Chen asked as he struggled to his feet.
Greg didn’t as much as give him a single glance. “The bad news is that there’s damage to the fuselage that I’m going to need to repair before we can return. Two weeks should take care of it. Maybe a little longer.”
I heard the hesitation in his voice. “And?” I asked as casually as possible.
He shifted his gaze, glancing up and down the length of me. “And we’re still two miles away from the facility, which means we get to walk. Ain’t gonna be pretty. That much I can tell you. Fuckin’ blizzard.”
A collective groan occurred.
“Doesn’t the compound have vehicles? Can’t they come retrieve us?
” These were the first words Dr. Consuelos had offered since leaving.
Martin Consuelos was a biologist, a man who’d been at odds with Dr. Forrester on more than one occasion.
While I admired him, I had several questions about why he’d even agreed to the mission.
“They have several all-terrain vehicles as well as snowmobiles, and there’s a chance I could convince them to collect us if I could contact them.
All communication is shot as well. We’re on our own, but we can do two miles in a few hours if we stick together.
” Greg glanced out the window. “And we need to stick together and arrive at the compound before dark.” He moved toward a small cabinet near the front, keeping his back to us as he unlocked and opened the door.
“Why?” I asked, moving closer until I was able to see an entire cabinet full of weapons and my guess full military grade. “What aren’t you telling us?”
Turning, he closed the distance, towering over me and inhaling. “A little lady like you needs to be protected.”
“What the hell are the guns for?” Samuel demanded, turning his skeptical attention to Shane. “I didn’t think this planet had criminal activity.”
“I told you,” Shane snarked.
Greg snorted. “You’re going to learn the real story the hard way.”
The man was a true pig, but we all needed him as a guide. I stood my ground, lifting a single eyebrow. “I can handle myself, including the use of a gun. I brought my own.”
Greg seemed amused then gave a respectful nod.
“Good to know.” He finally glanced at the other passengers.
“You want to know what kind of critters live in the mountains and forests? Well, I’ll tell ya.
Dangerous man-eating beasts. They will hunt you for nothing more than enjoyment of the act.
They are predators unlike anything you’ve ever known. And if they catch you, you will die.”