Read Online Space 1999 #5 - Lunar Attack by John Rankine - Free Book Online
Authors: John Rankine
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hatch. The footsteps behind him stopped. As he tentatively reached out for the opening stud, he saw it sink into its socket and the hatch sliced open. He stared into the empty travel tube, then shrugged and walked over the threshold. The hatch reacting to auto control began to close, checked itself half way as though to allow access to a second passenger and then closed with a definitive click.
The tube disengaged and accelerated away. Mateo looked uneasily at the facing seat. A shadow had moved on it. As he looked it moved again, restlessly shifting around the tube, approaching him and then disappearing as it fell across himself. There was a presence in there with him. As the tube stopped Mateo stood up, breathing deeply in a bid to clamp down on the panic that was invading his mind. Squaring his shoulders he forced himself to walk along the corridor to the familiar entrance of the Hydroponic Section.
He went right in, past technicians who looked curiously at his set face and then exchanged uneasy glances. In Hydroponic Unit 2, Laura Adams left her work desk and hurried to meet him. He ignored her, going straight on without a word to his own area of the Unit Lab,
Ho was brought up short by the blank surface of his work bench. Beside it, the disposal bin still held the items that Warren had junked.
Face contorted with anger he whipped round and found Laura half a pace away. She said, ‘Dan.’ It was an appeal, but he was deaf to it. Bundling her aside, he was away again and she followed, calling again, this time with sudden concern, knowing what he meant to do. ‘Dan!’
But he was going for Warren’s executive island. He shouted, ‘Warren!’
Warren was off his seat, backing away, a frightened man.
Mateo bore down on him, grabbed him by the slack of his tunic, raised a fist for a smashing blow and then seemed to gain control and stop himself. Glaring into Warren’s terrified face, he held still, it would solve nothing. There was another distraction. He stared at his own hand, clamped on Warren’s tunic it was his own and not his own. No human being would willingly stake a claim to it. Scarred, burned, a property for a horror movie, it was more like a shrivelled claw than a human hand.
He shoved Warren aside and Warren skipped clear, glad to be off the hook but grey to his hair. There was time for him to take a grip on himself. Mateo was on a closed circuit, staring at his own hand. It was normal, sleek and smooth as its twin.
Warren grated out, ‘Get out of here, Mateo. You’re through. I don’t want you in my department.’
It broke Mateo’s concentration, but it was unwise. The face that Mateo turned to him, had murder in it and the voice was deadly earnest, ‘I’ll kill you if you say another word.’
Warren backed off. Mateo spun on his heel and went out, past Laura and the technicians who had gathered around. Warren appealed to them, ‘You saw that . . . you were all witnesses.’
They ignored him, walking off to their duties. With an effort, he straightened up and went to his desk.
Outside, Mateo, breathing hard, was leaning against the corridor wall. Alphans walking past looked at him curiously. No one stopped. Outwardly, he recovered his control. Only his eyes had a staring, haunted look. He stood in the corridor watching the hatch of the Hydroponic Unit.
At his desk, Warren was trying to give the impression that he was unconcerned. A rustling noise behind him had him swivelling round. There was nothing. He went back to work. It came again. He pushed back his chair and stood up. Close by, the leaves of a large plant with spreading foliage were in a tremble.
At the same time, Kano had a reading from his monitor and called Koenig, ‘Commander. Temperature drop registering.’
‘Source?’
Kano went for a computer print out. ‘Source—No identification. Area—Hydroponic Unit.’
Koenig called Carter, ‘Alan!’ They were on their way at a run.
Warren, a puzzled man, cautiously
The tube disengaged and accelerated away. Mateo looked uneasily at the facing seat. A shadow had moved on it. As he looked it moved again, restlessly shifting around the tube, approaching him and then disappearing as it fell across himself. There was a presence in there with him. As the tube stopped Mateo stood up, breathing deeply in a bid to clamp down on the panic that was invading his mind. Squaring his shoulders he forced himself to walk along the corridor to the familiar entrance of the Hydroponic Section.
He went right in, past technicians who looked curiously at his set face and then exchanged uneasy glances. In Hydroponic Unit 2, Laura Adams left her work desk and hurried to meet him. He ignored her, going straight on without a word to his own area of the Unit Lab,
Ho was brought up short by the blank surface of his work bench. Beside it, the disposal bin still held the items that Warren had junked.
Face contorted with anger he whipped round and found Laura half a pace away. She said, ‘Dan.’ It was an appeal, but he was deaf to it. Bundling her aside, he was away again and she followed, calling again, this time with sudden concern, knowing what he meant to do. ‘Dan!’
But he was going for Warren’s executive island. He shouted, ‘Warren!’
Warren was off his seat, backing away, a frightened man.
Mateo bore down on him, grabbed him by the slack of his tunic, raised a fist for a smashing blow and then seemed to gain control and stop himself. Glaring into Warren’s terrified face, he held still, it would solve nothing. There was another distraction. He stared at his own hand, clamped on Warren’s tunic it was his own and not his own. No human being would willingly stake a claim to it. Scarred, burned, a property for a horror movie, it was more like a shrivelled claw than a human hand.
He shoved Warren aside and Warren skipped clear, glad to be off the hook but grey to his hair. There was time for him to take a grip on himself. Mateo was on a closed circuit, staring at his own hand. It was normal, sleek and smooth as its twin.
Warren grated out, ‘Get out of here, Mateo. You’re through. I don’t want you in my department.’
It broke Mateo’s concentration, but it was unwise. The face that Mateo turned to him, had murder in it and the voice was deadly earnest, ‘I’ll kill you if you say another word.’
Warren backed off. Mateo spun on his heel and went out, past Laura and the technicians who had gathered around. Warren appealed to them, ‘You saw that . . . you were all witnesses.’
They ignored him, walking off to their duties. With an effort, he straightened up and went to his desk.
Outside, Mateo, breathing hard, was leaning against the corridor wall. Alphans walking past looked at him curiously. No one stopped. Outwardly, he recovered his control. Only his eyes had a staring, haunted look. He stood in the corridor watching the hatch of the Hydroponic Unit.
At his desk, Warren was trying to give the impression that he was unconcerned. A rustling noise behind him had him swivelling round. There was nothing. He went back to work. It came again. He pushed back his chair and stood up. Close by, the leaves of a large plant with spreading foliage were in a tremble.
At the same time, Kano had a reading from his monitor and called Koenig, ‘Commander. Temperature drop registering.’
‘Source?’
Kano went for a computer print out. ‘Source—No identification. Area—Hydroponic Unit.’
Koenig called Carter, ‘Alan!’ They were on their way at a run.
Warren, a puzzled man, cautiously
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