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"The Cairn of Black Stone"
"The Cairn of Black Stones"
1/10-1/11/2017
I.
They had seen nothing but hot yellow sand beneath them for the last hour. The black helicopter CORBY was flying at an easy cruising speed of three hundred miles per hour at two thousand feet. At the stick, Jocelyn Garimara wore the full field suit complete with helmet that was patched into the ship's data and sensors. Reaching up to thumb the left ear pod, she made the visor slide up into its track inside her helmet.
The face revealed was serious and thoughtful, with very dark smooth skin and large dark eyes. Bits of her straight thick hair could be seen intruding on the sides of the face opening. Jocelyn turned her face toward her teammate in the co-pilot seat.
"You seem apprehensive, Tim," she said in a friendly way.
Wearing an identical outfit, but with the helmet strapped in its niche beside him, Timothy Limbo made an attempt to smile. He was a slightly built young man with a mop of yellow hair that hung down over a normally insolent face. He definitely did seem worried. "I guess I am. I mean, I knew in an objective way that this site was isolated but honestly...! We haven't seen anything but desert for a long time."
"Absolutely. It's twelve hundred kilometers to Darwin, and even further to the next city beyond that. That'd be seven hundred and fifty miles to Americans. Most of the roads are closed to casual traffic. I'd say that this expedition had to pull a thirteen hour drive to get to the Cairn." She smiled slightly. "Sometimes I forget how big Australia really is. It's not all desert of course, we have a wide range of terrains. But it certainly is big."
He shrugged in an attempt to seem casual. "Ah, I shouldn't worry. We're in a CORBY. These things are way more reliable and durable than anything Human technology can provide. And I'm sure you packed supplies."
Now Jocelyn did laugh, the flash of perfect teeth in a dark face showing honest amusement. "The storage hold is crammed with five-gallon jugs of water, canned food, extra medical gear and two pup tents. I even brought two tins of Milo that you folks have got to try. We could camp out for weeks. Now, seriously, Tim... what's bothering you?"
"All right. It's this Cairn of Black Stones. We're close enough now that I could send a few of my caspers ahead to investigate. They won't go."
"Really? That's unprecedented, isn't it?" Jocelyn turned her attention back to the array of indicator dials and gauges that glowed in pastel greens and blues within the dim cockpit. If any of them had switched to red, it would have caught her eye immediately. A row of six small monitors displayed exterior views from different angles, schematics of the craft, maps or analyses. "What's the problem?"
"I don't know. They can't talk, you realize, I just pick up on what they see and how they feel." Timothy Limbo folded his arms defensively across his chest. "Twice, they've refused to go where I send them and both times it was because of something extremely dangerous that would have destroyed them."
Turning her head toward the clear plastic panel which separated them from the rear compartment, Jocelyn asked, "You two hear that?"
Strapped in on the metal bench next to Demrak Jin, Galvan responded. "Oh yes. That sounds like something we should make a point to investigate, actually."
"There's the site," Jocelyn said. "I'm going to circle it so we all get a good look. Get ready to disembark, team."
Below them, two Range Rovers and a Jeep Wrangler faced each other in a semi-circle. Nearby were two large khaki-colored tents with folding chairs in front of them and a stack of supplies. People could be seen moving about. But none of this made much of an impression. The four Tel Shai knights in the helicopter were staring down at the Cairn.
A loose pyramid thirty feet high, made of small rounded black stones, the Cairn stood alone in desert hundreds of miles from the nearest town. Even in the blinding morning sunlight, the Cairn stood like a blot of emptiness that caused an uneasy crawling sensation in the four people gazing at it from far overhead.
"Yes..." Jocelyn said just above a whisper. "I think I agree with your friendly ghosts, Tim."
II.
Not surprisingly, the silent descent of a black helicopter without prior notice brought everyone on the site over to watch in alarm. The CORBY had no numbers or logos on its surface, no external lights, and it landed making no more noise than a faint whoosh of air. Every time the KDF used one of these craft, they broke any number of laws. The CORBY settled gently to the sand on its landing gear, the rotors slowed and came to a complete halt quickly.
As the scientists stared with more than a touch of fear, the pressurized hatches hissed open and a man and a woman in black field suits swung down, holding onto handles set in the hatches.
"It's all right!" Jocelyn called loudly, making sure to hold up her empty hands. "You're in no danger. We're investigators sent here to help out."
This implied authority was not strictly true. The Australian government had not asked them to investigate. Jocelyn and her team were Tel Shai knights who answered only to their ancient Order.
The hatch behind the cockpit slid open and a huge man jumped down to the sand. Galvan stood six inches over six feet tall and was an amazing specimen of hard, well-defined muscle in a tight red T-shirt, jeans and work boots. With his curly brown hair and short beard, both well sprinkled with grey, he reminded most people of a friendly lumberjack. The big Melgar stretched and yawned, then turned as his partner hopped lightly down next to him.
Quite a contrast visually, Demrak Jin was a thin blonde woman more than a foot shorter than Galvan. She had short white hair that seemed to bristle on its own over a sullen wide face. The Gelydra was wearing her longsleeved tunic and pants of grey sharkhide with the rough denticles on the outside to abrade anyone who touched it. Strapped across her back was a bone-bladed short sword she had crafted herself.
Squinting at the fierce sun that reflected off the sand, Jin raised a hand to shield her surly blue eyes. Galvan offered her a pair of mirrored sunglasses identical to the ones he was putting on himself. The Gelydra reluctantly accepted the shades. "I don't want to appear vulnerable," she whispered to her lover.
"Trust me," laughed Galvan confidently, "No one thinks of you as vulnerable." He watched her glance up at him and added, "You look good in those things, Jin."
"Thank you," she muttered with an embarrassed smile.
By this time, the archaeological team had gotten bold enough to approach. They were five men and two women, mostly wearing loose white clothing and wide-brimmed hats. Several had short gloves on and held tools. At first glance, only one of the men and one of the women seemed to be under sixty years old.
The tallest man there, who had a neatly-trimmed white beard and round-rimmed glasses, stepped forward and peered at the strangers uncertainly. "I'm William Abrams from Berkeley. Who did you say you represent?"
Jocelyn drew a leather billfold from the pocket of her waist-length jacket and held it out to him. "The Kenneth Dred Foundation, a non-profit organization based in New York City. This Cairn has a certain reputation as an unresolved anomaly."
"I believe I've heard of you people," Abrams said, studying the credentials. "Yes. The KDF. You investigate paranormal reports, is that right?"
"That's mostly what we do," Jocelyn answered as she held out her hand to request the billfold back. "To be honest, we set out to disprove and debunk as much as possible."
"Hmm. Well, welcome to our dig. Can we ask you not to disturb the site while we work?"
"We're here to observe and, if needed, to help out," Jocelyn said.
"Pardon me for asking, but you are Aboriginal, aren't you? You do have a faint accent."
"Yeah, I'm Abo," Jocelyn replied with just a bit of an edge in her voice. "Does it matter?"
"No, no, just idle curiosity," Abrams hastened to say. "Excuse me. This is my first trip to Australia. I'm not sure what the courtesies are. Let me introduce you folks to our expedition. Hello, this is Dr Gail Goodwin, she's from the Smithsonian..."
As the two groups shook hands and got to learn each other's names, Jocelyn could not help but observe the deep uneasiness these scientists showed in their body language and faces. Several kept glancing nervously over at the thirty-foot pyramid of stones.
Timothy Limbo had not brought his helmet from the CORBY. The field suit kept his body cool and dry, but from the neck up he was quickly uncomfortable. "Just how hot is it here anyway, captain?"
Jocelyn smiled indulgently. "I took a reading as we landed. It's 42. Wait, that's Celsius. To you, it's 107.6 on the Fahrenheit scale. The humidity is quite low, though, so that should be a help." She tapped the side of her helmet with her knuckles. "You might want to go get your helmet and lower the visor so you're sealed."
"Yeah, maybe I will." He went over to the CORBY and climbed back up into the open co-pilot hatch.
She glanced over to find Galvan and Demrak Jin standing close to the Cairn while being careful not to touch it. The big Melgar warrior turned his head toward the group and said, "This is really intriguing, Jocelyn. These stones seem to each have different symbols etched into them."
The leader of the KDF team went over to join them. Neither mentioned it any more, but she and Galvan had once had a brief affair that had amounted to only three nights together. It had been pleasant but neither had felt any indicaton it was going to ever lead to something serious. Now that Galvan and Demrak Jin had been lovers for more than a year, Jocelyn avoided bruised feelings by just leaving the past forgotten.
"Let me see," she said, leaning over close to the Cairn. The stones comprising the pile were smooth, oval and small enough to be held in one hand. She saw several had odd symbols cut into one surface. Most were simple, such as two vertical lines bisected by a wavy line, an rectangle with an X through it or an inverted Y-shape with a diagonal line through its upright. She could not see if every stone was marked without moving a few.
"What kind of rock is this, anyway?" she called over to where Abrams was watching.
"Obsidian. How so much of it got here in the Northwest of Australia and was cut into so many identical pieces is just one of the mysteries." He came closer, flipping pages on a clipboard he was carrying. "We don't even have testable theories at this point."
"Many ancient cultures erected Cairns much like this," Galvan said, scratching his beard and frowning at the pile. "Before a battle, each man placed a stone on the ground. Those returning from the fight removed a stone, and so they could tell how many had fallen by how many stones remained. The Cairn was left as a memorial."
"Hmmm," Jocelyn said as she came over beside him. "I think this was more likely some ceremonial or sacred structure. All these neatly polished stones, each with a distinctive symbol cut into it.. This took a long time to create."
As two of the archaeologists added their views and tried to clarify the theories so far put forth, Jocelyn and Galvan listened with interest. Off to one side, Timothy Limbo jammed his hands into his pockets and wandered a few yards further away. He was preoccupied with his caspers refusing to come forth. What was scaring them? What was so menacing that it alarmed tiny energy beings who were almost impossible to harm?
Then he noticed something was wrong with Jin. She was leaning back against the Jeep, her face paler than usual and her head down. Timothy came over to ask if she was all right and the Gelydra woman raised distracted eyes that didn't focus on him.
III.
Feeling a twinge of alarm, he took Demrak Jin by the arm, pressed a hand to her back, and steered her over toward the CORBY. She stumbled but did not resist. Jocelyn and Galvan noticed this activity and rushed over immediately.
"I think the heat's got to her," Tim said. Galvan took his lover and easily lifted her up through the open hatch of the rear compartment, then pulled himself up after her. Running over to the front hatch, Jocelyn leaped up into the plot seat and snapped, "Tim! Close all hatches, please!"
In a few seconds, the AC in the CORBY had flooded the interior with cool air. Galvan was gently getting Jin to sip from his canteen, but suddenly the Gelydra seized the canteen and drained its contents with a single gulp. She was breathing heavily but her eyes had regained awareness.
"I don't feel right," she managed to gasp. Galvan was holding her up in his huge arms as if she were a child while trying to reach a water jug that was just out of reach. Timothy brought it over and said, "Don't let her drink too fast, she'll throw up."
"This is my fault. She's a sea creature. Being exposed to that sun and that low humidity has dehydrated her badly," Jocelyn said as she crawled through the open partition from the cabin into the back compartment. The four of them crowded upon each other.
"I think she's going to be okay in a minute," Tim said. "Man! The way she was out of it, I got scared."
"You have done well, Timothy," Galvan told him gravely. "She needs more water than we do. Jin sleeps in a bathtub full of seawater, you know. I'm an old fool not to have forseen this."
After sipping more, Jin started rubbing water on her face and hands, where it was absorbed instantly. Her skin was not like Human skin. She took a deep breath and announced in her normal voice, "I am well now. Please do not worry about me, my friends."
"Tim, you and I need to go back outside. Galvan, help her get into her field suit. I know she loves her sharkskin outfit but the field suit will regulate her body temperature and protect her from the sun. She needs to wear the helmet, too." With that, the team leader crawled back to the cabin and exited the CORBY with Timothy scrambled behind her.
Left behind, the big Melgar located Jin's knapsack from the team's personal effects stowed at the rear of the compartment. He had never known her to wear one of the standard field suits without being forced. As the Gelydra seemed strong enough to sit up unassisted, Galvan began untying the thongs which held her sharkhide outfit on. "No arguing, my dear," he insisted as he helped her undress. "This is on orders from your captain."
Back outside, Timothy glanced back at the CORY. "I guess we have to keep an eye on her in conditions like this. She would never admit she felt sick."
"No, her weakness is not showing weakness," Jocelyn said. "How are you doing yourself, Tim?"
"Aw, I dunno. The caspers are my only power. If they won't come out to help, I guess I'm just a regular Human. You've got the Red Spectre, Galvan has his super-strength and Jin is, well, Jin. I've got nothing. Not sure if there's any point to my even being here," he grumbled in increasing self-pity.
"Stop that. You're a Tel Shai knight and a KDF member. We need you on the team." The Australian woman indicated the dark pyramid behind them. "What's your reaction to that thing?"
"Jocelyn, it gives me the creeps big time. Just being near it, I think I'm starting to imagine things. I see shadows out of the corner of my eye. I think I hear whispers behind me. What do you think is buried under there, captain?"
She did not answer immediately. "I don't know. Some creature of the Sulla Chun, maybe? A Fanedral beast? Maybe some being from the Darthan Age that no one has ever heard of before." She placed her fists on her narrow hips and gave the Cairn a sour look. "I'll tell you something dodgy, my Red Spectre is struggling to break free. She wants to shoot out of my body and explode against that Cairn. I'm restraining her by sheer will power."
They stood in uneasy silence, staring at the pyramid of smooth black stones. Finally, Timothy said, "You know what? I miss having Haley with us. She could be a pain in the neck, but her attitude always cheered me up. She was just so.. I dunno, sassy? Something's missing from the team with her gone."
"I know what you mean," Jocelyn replied. "I think of her often. But it doesn't seem as if she will be returning to the Midnight War. Maybe she's smarter than we are."
"Yeah." Timothy looked out over to the absolutely flat horizon under a huge empty sky. "It'll be getting dark soon. Then I bet things will start to pop."
IV.
Once night had fallen, temperatures dropped sharply. Jocelyn turned on the spotlight set in the nose of the CORBY and swung it to shine on the Cairn of the Black Stones. She was not worried about draining the helicopter's batteries, since the Trom power source was good for years of constant use. In the backwash of that spotlight, the camp was revealed in dramatic side-relief detail.
The expedition set up a small propane stove and began warming up prepared meals. The KDF members added food from their supplies to what the scientists had brought and they enjoyed a meal with some variety to it. Everyone was becoming more comfortable with each other as they chatted but there was still an uneasiness in the air that grew stronger as the night went on.
Jocelyn Garimara chewed slowly on a chicken salad sandwich, listening but hearing no sounds made by nature. She had not seen a single bird or a lizard since arriving here, not even an insect. It bothered her. She had never been up in the Northern Territory before. Jocelyn's family had lived down near Melbourne and she had not traveled much before the Red Spectre had manifested when she had reached puberty. And, of course, after that her life had been ruined for years. Her parents had planned for her to go to University. How different everything would have been if the Spectre had not chosen her...
Sitting opposite her in the circle around the propane stove, Abrams put down his tea mug and ventured, "You've heard of this Cairn before, Miss Garimara?"
"Only a few tantalizing references," she answered, turning her head to look at the pile. Now that the air was cooler, she had removed her helmet. The thick straight black hair was cut straight at the nape of her neck. "I'm surprised it hasn't been investigated before, to be honest."
"Oh, but it has," put in Dr Goodwin, a stout woman with curly brown hair. "Or at least attempts were made. Three times. But something always went wrong. A storm made one expedition turn back and covered the Cairn with sand for years. In 1990, a TV crew drove out here but their vehicle broke down halfway and they had to be rescued by the authorities. It almost seems like, sorry for the drama, that something doesn't want this site to explored."
Demrak Jin was finishing a tin plate of beef stew and now she glanced up at the conversation. In the snug field suit, she looked even smaller than usual. She had strapped the bone-bladed knife across her back with its hilt up by her right shoulder. "There is an evil spirit there," she announced. "Can't you all feel it? Something watches and waits."
Everyone was silenced by that. Something in Jin's voice, with its odd unidentifiable accent, had the ring of conviction. One of the researchers visibly shivered.
"Well. Too right," Jocelyn reacted. "It's eleven fifty-one. Dr Abrams, my team will retire now but we always have one member stay on watch. Who wants the first four hour shift?"
"I'll take it," Timothy offered. "Not a bit sleepy."
"Good. Wake me at four then. Galvan, Jin?" asked Jocelyn as she rose up off a folding chair and stretched.
"We'll take our shifts in turn," the big Melgar said. "I think we might set up our sleeping bags a bit further away from everyone."
"Fine, but if you guys want to root, don't be pounding it when I come to hand over watch duty," Jocelyn said. She headed toward the CORBY to switch off the spotlight.
"Root? You mean, to cheer on a favorite athletic team?" asked Demrak Jin in honest confusion.
"Come on, Jin dear," Galvan said as he took her arm and picked up both their knapsacks in one big hand. As they walked into the darkness, he could be heard explaining, "I think our captain is using more Aussie slang than usual because she's in her homeland again..."
It was another hour before the last of the researchers had also turned in. Dr Abrams was the last and he asked Timothy to wake him if anything at all suspicious occured.
"Don't worry, you'll hear me yell," Tim promised. Left alone, he moved one of the folding chairs closer toward the Cairn but wasn't happy about it. He leaned back and gazed up at a gorgeous night sky. The only light in the camp at that point was a single small blue LED bulb fastened to the flap of the larger tent. This far from cities, stars blazed down with astonishing clarity and he realized he did not recognize the constellations. Where the heck was the Big Dipper? Why had he never thought about the view being different down here?
The young man gazed down at his hands and turned one palm up hopefully. Nothing happened. A casper did not materialize instantly as he had become used to. Timothy sensed that the little manifestations were still present, but they were not appearing when called. This left him unreasonably upset and depressed. For the longest time, everyone had decided that these friendly ghosts were gralic energy shaped and commanded by his subconscious but Tim thought otherwise. Too many times, they seemed to act before he decided or to hesitate when he sent them. He felt sure now that they were independent living entities who had attached themselves to him for some reason.
And now they were so frightened by that Cairn that they declined to materialize when he summoned them. That frightened him in turn. For a long time, he sat there in the chill darkness, thinking, trying to raise his own spirits. He and the KDF team had been through so much already. Timothy had remarked before how he missed Haley Lawson on the team, and now he realized her insolent wisecracking was exactly what would help right now.
It was just after three in the morning when the scream made him jump to his feet and knock over the chair behind him.
V.
Within seconds, Jocelyn Garimara had raced up next to him. Evidently, she had been sleeping in the full field suit, including the heavy boots, and she was fastening her helmet. Inside the tents, battery-powered lanterns were switched on and the researchers were stumbling groggily outside to see what was going on.
"It came from behind that tent," Timothy said, already moving in that direction with Jocelyn next to him. He wished now he had buckled on one of the dart guns but they didn't want to alarm the expedition by showing visible weaponry. By that time, Jin and Galvan had run to join them. The Gelydra woman still wore her field suit but was barefoot.
Galvan was only wearing a pair of white jockey shorts and, even under the circumstances, his build startled a few of the scientists. The big Melgar looked like a blacksmith with zero body fat. The wide shoulders, narrow waist and beefy arms and legs added up to a dramatic sight. He didn't seem to notice the stares.
"Everyone stay where you are!" snapped Jocelyn as she took charge. "My team will go first." She lead her fellow Tel Shai knights around the edge of the nearer tent. As she and Timothy lowered their visors, the automatic infra-red view clicked on.
Behind the tent, one of the interns stood with hands clasped over his mouth. This was Geoff, about thirty, gawky and skinny, with a blond ponytail and scruffy beard. He was staring down with bulging eyes at the body of a heavyset woman stretched out on her back. Gail Goodwin.
"Team, stand guard," ordered Jocelyn as she dropped down next to the woman. Years of emergency medical training took over. "She's alive," the Australian woman announced quietly. "Breathing is good, pulse is strong. But I think she has a mild concussion. Tim, would you bring Abrams over here? Keep the others back. I want to memorize the footprints."
As the expedition leader joined them, Jocelyn spoke while still examining Goodwin. "Dr Abrams. This woman shows sign of a concussion and damage to the left eye socket. She was struck by some object with considerable force." She turned her helmeted head to look up at him. "It would take half a day to drive her to Darwin. Even if their own Medevac helicopter is sent, you're looking at four hours to get here at best, likely longer, and then their return trip to the hospital. Our craft can get there in ninety minutes with no problem."
"If you're asking for my permission, young lady, please do so." The expedition leader sounded completely distraught. "I know every minute counts in a trauma case like this."
"We will have to move her, even though there's risk in that by itself," Jocelyn said. She rose to her feet and raised the visor so her face could be seen. "Galvan, Tim. Get the folding stretcher and secure her in the CORBY as gently as you can." She studied the sand around them and committed every detail to memory.
By now, the rest of the researchers had started edging around behind the tent and there was a low buzz of conversation. Jocelyn turned to the man who had screamed. "Geoff, isn't it? What happened here?"
"Uh.. well.. I got up to use the trench," he answered after a long moment to collect himself. "We dug a trench way over there to use as a latrine. As I came back here, I saw Dr Goodwin walking this way. I figured she had just gotten up for the same reason I did. I was going to tease her when.. something hit her."
"What?"
"I don't know. I didn't see anything. I just heard the smack. She fell and that was when I yelled. I'm sorry, I guess my nerves have been on edge all day." He folded his arms and drew back into himself. "I feel like a wreck."
"Jin, recon the area," Jocelyn said. "Be on your guard. If you find anything, a footprint or whatever, report right back."
"Yes, captain." There was a faint rasping sound as the Gelydra drew her weapon from its ivory sheath. Quick and silent, she dashed off into the gloom.
"God help anyone that tries to attack her," Jocelyn muttered. She turned back to the intern. "How long were you out here before Dr Goodwin was injured?" As she spoke, the two male members of the KDF team hurried up with a folding canvas stretcher. Jocelyn helped them secure the unconscious woman to it, trying not to move her head any more than absolutely necessary. Slowly and carefully, Galvan and Timothy began to bring Goodwin to where the CORBY waited with its rear compartment hatch open.
As they left, Jocelyn turned back to the intern. "I was asking you how long you were out here."
"Oh, I can vouch for Geoff," said Dr Abrams. "We share a tent with Horst.
He woke me up when he stumbled against my sleeping bag in the dark. I told him to be more careful. I was just trying to fall asleep again when I heard an impact and then his shout. It couldn't have been more than ten, fifteen seconds after he left the tent."
"Hmm. I see," the KDF leader said. "Geoff, what was your relationship with Dr Goodwin like? How did you two get along?"
"What? I never met her until two days ago. We first met in Darwin when Dr Abrams assembled the expedition. I don't think I really got to know her at all?"
"Dr Abrams? What do you have to say?"
"I don't understand, do you suspect Geoff of doing this? He couldn't have had any possible reason. I've known Geoff for years now, he's quite easy-going."
At this point, two of the KDF team returned to the scene. Jin had found nothing. Tim reported that CORBY was warming up and Galvan was performing a final rundown before wheels-up.
"Jin, I want you to pilot Dr Goodwin to the city we passed on the way here. Radio the Royal Darwin Hospital to be ready just before you arrive. The CORBY has its co-ordinates programmed. Land on the roof with the blue H in a circle on it, let them take Mrs Goodwin and then leave without answering any question. They will certainly want to ask you a lot of questions! Then come right back here," Jocelyn said.
Demrak Jin sheathed her sword and made the slightest of bows, an Ulgor habit she had never been able to break. Before she could leave, though, Timothy Limbo spoke up, "Wait. Jocelyn, are you sure it wouldn't make more sense to send me? I don't have my powers here. I'd be more useful as a pilot."
"I'm sending Jin," Jocelyn answered a bit sharply.
"Captain, don't do this to spare my feelings about being useless right now. I'm okay with going."
The KDF team leader raised a single finger to stop him. "Jin, go. Send Galvan here before you take off, have him bring our dart guns and some of the heavy grenades- not the dazzlers. Timothy, I normally allow everyone to join in on decisions but we are in danger right now. Follow my orders."
"Sure, captain," Tim said. "I was trying to help the team."
Jocelyn went over to where the victim had been lying and bent over. "I found what injured Dr Goodwin," she announced as she straightened up. In her gloved hand was one of the Cairn's polished black stones.
VI.
Reaching up to the horizontal ridge set over her visor, Jocelyn adjusted two of its small dials. She studied the black stone, turning it over on all sides. "No fingerprints," she decided. "You would think a smooth surface like this would be perfect for retaining prints."
Turning in a circle, she stared at the ground again. When Abrams started to speak, she shushed him. "Just a moment, please. Okay, everyone observe. Galvan and Tim came over here to pick up Dr Goodwin, but their prints in our deep tread boots are easy to specify. Goodwin has a set of prints leading from the other tent and to the latrine, then back to the spot where she was injured."
"I don't understand," Dr Abrams persisted. "How can you see these things?"
"Our helmets have both night vision and a magnification mode," she replied. "Now, Geoff's tracks come from around that side of that tent. They stop right where he is still is. He didn't wander around. It's not conclusive but judging from the angles and the distance, I don't see how he could possibly have thrown this rock to hit the victim. She was facing away at a slight angle, the injury was on the opposite side of where it should have been." She paused. "Also, to be honest, I don't think Geoff capable of throwing the rock that hard and that accurately."
"Hey!" objected the bearded man. "I mean... never mind, that sorta clears me."
Jocelyn motioned for Galvan and Timothy to come in closer. As they stood next to her, she addressed the members of the expedition. "Jin searched the immediate area and found no intruders. I trust her report. Believe me, if any person or beast had been nearby, Demrak Jin would have sniffed them out."
"This leaves us with quite a puzzle," Galvan said. "I'm at a loss, and I don't mind admitting it."
Timothy Limbo shrugged. "I was sitting over there on watch. Jocelyn was nearby, next to the CORBY. Galvan and Jin were maybe fifty yards over that way. We all are trained to wake up if someone gets too close, so there's almost a 360 degree range where no one could have approached. Well, maybe a ninja or brumal..."
"There has to be an explanation," Jocelyn said. "It's getting on my nerves. If we could just see it."
"You know..." Tim started to say. "Wait. That pile of rocks over there. Could it be rigged somehow? Maybe a trapdoor under it that leads to an underground room? Or part of the stones are glued together on a board and swing out to reveal a secret cubbyhole inside the Cairn?"
"Hmm. Worth a look, Timothy." Jocelyn turned toward Dr Abrams. "How have you examined the Cairn so far?"
"Lots of photographs and measurements, to be honest. We analyzed one of the looser rocks that had fallen away. But we certainly aren't ready to start disassembling it," he admitted.
"We might have to disturb it," Jocelyn told him. She wasn't trying to sound tough or intimidating, but there was understated authority in her voice. As Galvan came over, he was holding some clothes under one arm and had two gunbelts slung over his shoulder.
"Thanks," she said as she took one of the belts and buckled it around a narrow waist. In a flap holster was one of the needle-nosed dart guns and fastened at the back of the belt was a rectangular pouch holding clips of the anesthetic darts. She inspected her weapon, clicked a clip in and set the safety off before holstering it. Timothy Limbo was doing the same, wearing his gun low off his right side.
Galvan handed her a hard plastic case and she drew out of its padded interior six black metal ovoids slightly larger than a hen's egg. Jocelyn gave three of them to Timothy, whispering, "Remember, these aren't our dazzlers. These are the heavy duty grenades. We don't bring them out often."
"But when we do, I'm glad to have them," he answered as he stowed them in the front pockets of his field jacket. "What's our plan, captain?"
"Stir things up, see what we flush out." She turned over to the big Melgar. "Galvan, you ready?"
He had yanked on hiking shoes, baggy jeans and plain white T-shirt which barely fit. ""Just point me in the right direction!"
At this point, Dr Abrams worked up enough nerve to intervene, "See here, I think some answers need to be forthcoming. That stealth helicopter.. and now guns and grenades! Just who ARE you people, anyway?"
"We're investigators into the occult and paranormal, as I said." Jocelyn lowered the visor on her helmet and her face was hidden behind a blank opaque surface that Abrams found intimidating. "I'm afraid we've found something out here that is a genuine threat. If we survive, I suggest you read up about the Midnight War."
The older man sputtered and could not form a coherent objection. "If...?"
Jocelyn raised her voice so the watching expedition members could hear her. "Listen! I believe you are in immediate danger. I want all of you to get in your tents, lie down flat, and if trouble starts, wrap your arms around your heads. Go now!" Her tone was sharp enough that everyone obeyed in a scramble.
With Galvan and Timothy beside her, she marched over to stand before the Cairn of Black Stone. The artifact almost buzzed with hostile energy. Under the moonless sky, those polished rocks somehow still had a faint sheen to them. The three Tel Shai knights recognized the feeling of menace from many horrendous experiences of the past.
Gesturing toward a boulder sitting within a cluster of smaller rock outcroppings sticking up out of the sand, Jocelyn said, "Galvan. Think you can pitch that thing right into the Cairn?"
"Nothing would give me more pleasure," laughed the Melgar champion. He wrapped his arms around the boulder and wrenched it free. Galvan balanced a rock bigger than his torso in one hand without effort. The casual ease with which he performed such deeds showed just how strong he really was. Without any wind-up, he hurled the boulder directly at the center of the Cairn. The huge rock smashed into the loose pile, sinking almost out of sight and making the Cairn collapse from the impact.
Instantly, those polished black stones were whirling through the air in wide horizontal circles as if a tornado had caught them up. The Cairn fell apart into a low loose mass as most of its components went flying violently end over end. One black stone buzzed forward to crack against Galvan's forehead as fast as a bullet. If he had been Human, his skull would have caved in. As it was, he dropped back a step and cursed but seemed unharmed.
The onslaught picked up. Both Jocelyn and Tim were immediately knocked off their feet by the barrage of rocks. Under their field suits, they wore the silk-thin Trom armor which dispersed any impact over its entire surface. The Trom armor was good but nothing is perfect and they were both were taking vicious punishment. The drumming of the black stones glancing off their helmets sounded like machine-gun fire.
Perhaps unnecessarily, Timothy Limbo was going, "Ouch. Ouch. Ouch."
Galvan had remained on his feet with increasing difficulty. The Legacy of Malberon charged his body with immense gralic force and he was extremely resilient but not literally invulnerable. These stones were carrying some gralir themselves and having hundreds of them pounding all over him was starting to daze even Galvan. He had his arms up in front of his face defensively, starting to grow angry. The big Melgar caught two of the stones, one in each hand, and crushed them in his grip as if they had been hollow balls of dry clay.
A hollow shriek echoed from within what was left of the Cairn.
"Jocelyn!" yelled Galvan as he backed up, shielding his head with his hands.
"There's something inside the Cairn... something alive."
Annoyed at herself for taking so long to get her bearings, Jocelyn Garimara
had curled into a fetal pose to best protect her vital organs. Her visor showed a star-shaped crack from an impact and its light enhancing function went out. She took a deep steadying breath and loosened the subconscious leash she always kept on her Gammon.
Eager to be released, the energy construct emerged from her body with a crackle and rose up into the air. A dark crimson silhouette roughly the same size and shape of Jocelyn herself, the Red Spectre was outlined by a halo of white fire. It hovered just over her for an instant. Then the apparition was slammed by a furious barrage of the black stones that tore through it and left gaping holes that were slow to close up. The Spectre sizzled furiously and began to move toward the Cairn but couldn't stand up to the thunderstorm of rocks which were tearing through it without letting up for an instant.
The Red Spectre fell apart. Shreds and tatters of its form fell to the ground. Jocelyn gasped and convulsed as if she had been electrocuted, trying to straighten up against the pummeling of the black stones, as the fragments of the Spectre slid slowly across the sand to re-enter her body one by one.
Galvan had dropped to one knee, trying not to fall entirely.
Curled up behind them, Timothy Limbo desperately reached in his pockets and pulled out two of the resonance grenades. It took all his concentration to twist and depress the tabs on them to arm the devices. Once he released the pressure, the grenades would explode but the question was whether he could hope to throw them with any range or accuracy. He had to try. They would be killed in a few more minutes by this storm of stone if he did nothing.
Tim got up on his knees, holding a grenade in each hand. The crashing of the stones against his helmet made it impossible to think. He managed to make out where the low remaining base of the Cairn was. Tim raised his hands and tossed the grenades as hard as he could, but he knew in his heart he had not thrown them nearly far enough.
As the grenades began to fall far too close to him and his friends, Timothy saw a dozen tiny whirlwinds of barely visible energy swoop in and snatch the grenades up. Five or six of the manifestations teamed up to carry a grenade, hurtling through the assault of the black stones to flash into the Cairn itself. Two sharp detonations were followed by two deep thumps that Timothy felt through the ground and the remaining stones in the Cairn flew in all directions like shrapnel. A single strangled scream rang for a second before fading out.
Then it was over. The black stones dropped to the ground like the lifeless bits of rock they were. There was welcome silence. Timothy could not remember the last time he had been so battered. Even through the Trom armor, he hurt all over. Gasping, he slid up the visor of his helmet and took in deep breaths of crisp night air. He was just glad to be alive.
As he knelt there, shaking from released tension, Tim saw the caspers come back to hover around him. Little tornado shapes that elongated and contracted as they moved, what he called his friendly ghosts moved around his head and arms with a solicitation of concern.
"Oh, man," he said out loud. "I am so glad to see you guys! Don't ever worry me like that again."
VII.
The Tel Shai knights took almost twenty minutes to recover. The enhanced healing from their Tagra diet was a help but they had endured an assault that would have killed unprotected Humans outright. Even Galvan, who had often taken pointblank gunfire against his tough hide without harm, was severely bruised and sore. One of his eyes had swollen shut and blood was caking beneath his nose.
They all hugged each other gratefully, smacking each other on the back in congratulations. Jocelyn lifted her helmet off and ran fingers through hair that was damp with sweat. "Tim," she said with a chuckle, "Aren't those your little pals?"
Six of the caspers had remained in sight, clinging close to Timothy like shy children next to a parent. "Yeah! When we really needed them, my boys came through."
Galvan leaned way over to peer into what few stones remained of the Cairn. "Phew. Nothing but a disgusting mess of dissolved flesh. Smells like it's been dead for a while."
"I suspect it was a Sulla Chun creature," Jocelyn said with some uncertainty. "Imprisoned long ago under the pile of stones with runes of some sort carved on them. Definitely not an Aborigine thing! Who knows, maybe there was some earlier group of Humans here, even a lost civilization."
"Stranger things have been uncovered," Galvan agreed. "At least this monster seems to be destroyed with some permanence."
Jocelyn gave a start. "Strewth! Look at the tents." Still moving a bit stiffly, she hurried over with the Galvan and Timothy right behind her. The tents had been ripped to tatters and knocked down. The three Tel Shai knights began digging through the strips of canvas and pulling up the members of the expedition. The next half hour was frantic until everyone was accounted for.
Finally, they were satisfied that no one had been killed. The scientists were bruised and traumatized. One had a broken wrist and another some cracked ribs. But the storm of black stones had not been aimed at them and it had mostly passed them by.
Worried that the older scientists might go into shock after the wild experience, Jocelyn made them all get up and sit in a circle away from the ruined tents. She and Tim made coffee on the propane stove and started passing mugs of it out, along with high-energy protein bars. The mundane rituals of stirring milk and sugar into coffee or chewing on the bars helped mentally ground the expedition.
Now that everyone was gathered and didn't seem about to get hysterical, Jocelyn recounted the recent event. She examined her helmet and was surprised how dented and scraped it was. With a shiver, she remembered how she had almost left the helmet in the CORBY because she hadn't thought it would be necessary. She would be dead now without it.
Finally, Dr Abrams spoke up. "I should be saying this is all so hard to believe. But we lived through it. We heard everything. We saw the rocks come tearing holes through the tents. And after the explosions, it all simply stopped. I realize we owe you our lives, Miss Garimara.. you and your friends."
"It's our calling. We're glad to help," she said, then turned to Galvan and Tim. "Jin should be returning soon. We must leave directly she lands. Agreed?"
"Sure," Tim said. "I need a hot shower and about twelve hours sleep. I can hardly move."
Jocelyn addressed the assembled researchers. "I'm sure the police and rescue services will be coming here as soon as they get authorization. Figure four hours or so before they arrive. You folks would be well advised to go back with them, maybe most of you taking your vehicles but the injured should go in a copter."
"I'm sorry, I don't understand," Dr Abrams interrupted. "Why aren't you people staying? Why take off so soon?"
The KDF team leader hesitated. "We like to keep a low profile. That's all. I can't tell you folks what to say about what happened here but let me STRONGLY urge you to describe a freak windstorm that blew the Cairn apart and ripped everything to bits. It's more believable. If you tell the real story, I can warn you that you will be ridiculed and disbelieved. Your standing in the academic community will suffer. Years from now, there'll be stories on TV and the papers about your crazy claims. I'm just saying."
Everyone mumbled and muttered to each other. They were so exhausted and in so much pain from the stones which had hit them that they were in no mood to argue.
"You certainly seem to know what you're talking about, miss," said Dr Abrams. "I'm sure it would be best to follow your advice."
"We have a little time to discuss it. I want to put a splint on this man's wrist, I assume you have some first aid kits?"
"Oh, of course, of course."
As Dr Abrams walked with a noticeable limp over to the Jeep, Jocelyn regarded Galvan with some dismay. "Look at you. I honestly thought you were beyond harm."
The Melgar champion rubbed his left shoulder and flexed that arm with a wince. "I only wish that were so, Jocelyn."
She turned to her other teammate. "And you, Tim? I'm surprised your caspers could carry the grenades. I understood their limit with physical objects was barely turning a light switch or making a piece of paper flutter."
"They all showed up and worked together," said Timothy Limbo. Two of the tiny apparitions were hovering over either shoulder and he smiled at them affectionately. "I guess they were worried about me."
3/26/2017
1/10-1/11/2017
I.
They had seen nothing but hot yellow sand beneath them for the last hour. The black helicopter CORBY was flying at an easy cruising speed of three hundred miles per hour at two thousand feet. At the stick, Jocelyn Garimara wore the full field suit complete with helmet that was patched into the ship's data and sensors. Reaching up to thumb the left ear pod, she made the visor slide up into its track inside her helmet.
The face revealed was serious and thoughtful, with very dark smooth skin and large dark eyes. Bits of her straight thick hair could be seen intruding on the sides of the face opening. Jocelyn turned her face toward her teammate in the co-pilot seat.
"You seem apprehensive, Tim," she said in a friendly way.
Wearing an identical outfit, but with the helmet strapped in its niche beside him, Timothy Limbo made an attempt to smile. He was a slightly built young man with a mop of yellow hair that hung down over a normally insolent face. He definitely did seem worried. "I guess I am. I mean, I knew in an objective way that this site was isolated but honestly...! We haven't seen anything but desert for a long time."
"Absolutely. It's twelve hundred kilometers to Darwin, and even further to the next city beyond that. That'd be seven hundred and fifty miles to Americans. Most of the roads are closed to casual traffic. I'd say that this expedition had to pull a thirteen hour drive to get to the Cairn." She smiled slightly. "Sometimes I forget how big Australia really is. It's not all desert of course, we have a wide range of terrains. But it certainly is big."
He shrugged in an attempt to seem casual. "Ah, I shouldn't worry. We're in a CORBY. These things are way more reliable and durable than anything Human technology can provide. And I'm sure you packed supplies."
Now Jocelyn did laugh, the flash of perfect teeth in a dark face showing honest amusement. "The storage hold is crammed with five-gallon jugs of water, canned food, extra medical gear and two pup tents. I even brought two tins of Milo that you folks have got to try. We could camp out for weeks. Now, seriously, Tim... what's bothering you?"
"All right. It's this Cairn of Black Stones. We're close enough now that I could send a few of my caspers ahead to investigate. They won't go."
"Really? That's unprecedented, isn't it?" Jocelyn turned her attention back to the array of indicator dials and gauges that glowed in pastel greens and blues within the dim cockpit. If any of them had switched to red, it would have caught her eye immediately. A row of six small monitors displayed exterior views from different angles, schematics of the craft, maps or analyses. "What's the problem?"
"I don't know. They can't talk, you realize, I just pick up on what they see and how they feel." Timothy Limbo folded his arms defensively across his chest. "Twice, they've refused to go where I send them and both times it was because of something extremely dangerous that would have destroyed them."
Turning her head toward the clear plastic panel which separated them from the rear compartment, Jocelyn asked, "You two hear that?"
Strapped in on the metal bench next to Demrak Jin, Galvan responded. "Oh yes. That sounds like something we should make a point to investigate, actually."
"There's the site," Jocelyn said. "I'm going to circle it so we all get a good look. Get ready to disembark, team."
Below them, two Range Rovers and a Jeep Wrangler faced each other in a semi-circle. Nearby were two large khaki-colored tents with folding chairs in front of them and a stack of supplies. People could be seen moving about. But none of this made much of an impression. The four Tel Shai knights in the helicopter were staring down at the Cairn.
A loose pyramid thirty feet high, made of small rounded black stones, the Cairn stood alone in desert hundreds of miles from the nearest town. Even in the blinding morning sunlight, the Cairn stood like a blot of emptiness that caused an uneasy crawling sensation in the four people gazing at it from far overhead.
"Yes..." Jocelyn said just above a whisper. "I think I agree with your friendly ghosts, Tim."
II.
Not surprisingly, the silent descent of a black helicopter without prior notice brought everyone on the site over to watch in alarm. The CORBY had no numbers or logos on its surface, no external lights, and it landed making no more noise than a faint whoosh of air. Every time the KDF used one of these craft, they broke any number of laws. The CORBY settled gently to the sand on its landing gear, the rotors slowed and came to a complete halt quickly.
As the scientists stared with more than a touch of fear, the pressurized hatches hissed open and a man and a woman in black field suits swung down, holding onto handles set in the hatches.
"It's all right!" Jocelyn called loudly, making sure to hold up her empty hands. "You're in no danger. We're investigators sent here to help out."
This implied authority was not strictly true. The Australian government had not asked them to investigate. Jocelyn and her team were Tel Shai knights who answered only to their ancient Order.
The hatch behind the cockpit slid open and a huge man jumped down to the sand. Galvan stood six inches over six feet tall and was an amazing specimen of hard, well-defined muscle in a tight red T-shirt, jeans and work boots. With his curly brown hair and short beard, both well sprinkled with grey, he reminded most people of a friendly lumberjack. The big Melgar stretched and yawned, then turned as his partner hopped lightly down next to him.
Quite a contrast visually, Demrak Jin was a thin blonde woman more than a foot shorter than Galvan. She had short white hair that seemed to bristle on its own over a sullen wide face. The Gelydra was wearing her longsleeved tunic and pants of grey sharkhide with the rough denticles on the outside to abrade anyone who touched it. Strapped across her back was a bone-bladed short sword she had crafted herself.
Squinting at the fierce sun that reflected off the sand, Jin raised a hand to shield her surly blue eyes. Galvan offered her a pair of mirrored sunglasses identical to the ones he was putting on himself. The Gelydra reluctantly accepted the shades. "I don't want to appear vulnerable," she whispered to her lover.
"Trust me," laughed Galvan confidently, "No one thinks of you as vulnerable." He watched her glance up at him and added, "You look good in those things, Jin."
"Thank you," she muttered with an embarrassed smile.
By this time, the archaeological team had gotten bold enough to approach. They were five men and two women, mostly wearing loose white clothing and wide-brimmed hats. Several had short gloves on and held tools. At first glance, only one of the men and one of the women seemed to be under sixty years old.
The tallest man there, who had a neatly-trimmed white beard and round-rimmed glasses, stepped forward and peered at the strangers uncertainly. "I'm William Abrams from Berkeley. Who did you say you represent?"
Jocelyn drew a leather billfold from the pocket of her waist-length jacket and held it out to him. "The Kenneth Dred Foundation, a non-profit organization based in New York City. This Cairn has a certain reputation as an unresolved anomaly."
"I believe I've heard of you people," Abrams said, studying the credentials. "Yes. The KDF. You investigate paranormal reports, is that right?"
"That's mostly what we do," Jocelyn answered as she held out her hand to request the billfold back. "To be honest, we set out to disprove and debunk as much as possible."
"Hmm. Well, welcome to our dig. Can we ask you not to disturb the site while we work?"
"We're here to observe and, if needed, to help out," Jocelyn said.
"Pardon me for asking, but you are Aboriginal, aren't you? You do have a faint accent."
"Yeah, I'm Abo," Jocelyn replied with just a bit of an edge in her voice. "Does it matter?"
"No, no, just idle curiosity," Abrams hastened to say. "Excuse me. This is my first trip to Australia. I'm not sure what the courtesies are. Let me introduce you folks to our expedition. Hello, this is Dr Gail Goodwin, she's from the Smithsonian..."
As the two groups shook hands and got to learn each other's names, Jocelyn could not help but observe the deep uneasiness these scientists showed in their body language and faces. Several kept glancing nervously over at the thirty-foot pyramid of stones.
Timothy Limbo had not brought his helmet from the CORBY. The field suit kept his body cool and dry, but from the neck up he was quickly uncomfortable. "Just how hot is it here anyway, captain?"
Jocelyn smiled indulgently. "I took a reading as we landed. It's 42. Wait, that's Celsius. To you, it's 107.6 on the Fahrenheit scale. The humidity is quite low, though, so that should be a help." She tapped the side of her helmet with her knuckles. "You might want to go get your helmet and lower the visor so you're sealed."
"Yeah, maybe I will." He went over to the CORBY and climbed back up into the open co-pilot hatch.
She glanced over to find Galvan and Demrak Jin standing close to the Cairn while being careful not to touch it. The big Melgar warrior turned his head toward the group and said, "This is really intriguing, Jocelyn. These stones seem to each have different symbols etched into them."
The leader of the KDF team went over to join them. Neither mentioned it any more, but she and Galvan had once had a brief affair that had amounted to only three nights together. It had been pleasant but neither had felt any indicaton it was going to ever lead to something serious. Now that Galvan and Demrak Jin had been lovers for more than a year, Jocelyn avoided bruised feelings by just leaving the past forgotten.
"Let me see," she said, leaning over close to the Cairn. The stones comprising the pile were smooth, oval and small enough to be held in one hand. She saw several had odd symbols cut into one surface. Most were simple, such as two vertical lines bisected by a wavy line, an rectangle with an X through it or an inverted Y-shape with a diagonal line through its upright. She could not see if every stone was marked without moving a few.
"What kind of rock is this, anyway?" she called over to where Abrams was watching.
"Obsidian. How so much of it got here in the Northwest of Australia and was cut into so many identical pieces is just one of the mysteries." He came closer, flipping pages on a clipboard he was carrying. "We don't even have testable theories at this point."
"Many ancient cultures erected Cairns much like this," Galvan said, scratching his beard and frowning at the pile. "Before a battle, each man placed a stone on the ground. Those returning from the fight removed a stone, and so they could tell how many had fallen by how many stones remained. The Cairn was left as a memorial."
"Hmmm," Jocelyn said as she came over beside him. "I think this was more likely some ceremonial or sacred structure. All these neatly polished stones, each with a distinctive symbol cut into it.. This took a long time to create."
As two of the archaeologists added their views and tried to clarify the theories so far put forth, Jocelyn and Galvan listened with interest. Off to one side, Timothy Limbo jammed his hands into his pockets and wandered a few yards further away. He was preoccupied with his caspers refusing to come forth. What was scaring them? What was so menacing that it alarmed tiny energy beings who were almost impossible to harm?
Then he noticed something was wrong with Jin. She was leaning back against the Jeep, her face paler than usual and her head down. Timothy came over to ask if she was all right and the Gelydra woman raised distracted eyes that didn't focus on him.
III.
Feeling a twinge of alarm, he took Demrak Jin by the arm, pressed a hand to her back, and steered her over toward the CORBY. She stumbled but did not resist. Jocelyn and Galvan noticed this activity and rushed over immediately.
"I think the heat's got to her," Tim said. Galvan took his lover and easily lifted her up through the open hatch of the rear compartment, then pulled himself up after her. Running over to the front hatch, Jocelyn leaped up into the plot seat and snapped, "Tim! Close all hatches, please!"
In a few seconds, the AC in the CORBY had flooded the interior with cool air. Galvan was gently getting Jin to sip from his canteen, but suddenly the Gelydra seized the canteen and drained its contents with a single gulp. She was breathing heavily but her eyes had regained awareness.
"I don't feel right," she managed to gasp. Galvan was holding her up in his huge arms as if she were a child while trying to reach a water jug that was just out of reach. Timothy brought it over and said, "Don't let her drink too fast, she'll throw up."
"This is my fault. She's a sea creature. Being exposed to that sun and that low humidity has dehydrated her badly," Jocelyn said as she crawled through the open partition from the cabin into the back compartment. The four of them crowded upon each other.
"I think she's going to be okay in a minute," Tim said. "Man! The way she was out of it, I got scared."
"You have done well, Timothy," Galvan told him gravely. "She needs more water than we do. Jin sleeps in a bathtub full of seawater, you know. I'm an old fool not to have forseen this."
After sipping more, Jin started rubbing water on her face and hands, where it was absorbed instantly. Her skin was not like Human skin. She took a deep breath and announced in her normal voice, "I am well now. Please do not worry about me, my friends."
"Tim, you and I need to go back outside. Galvan, help her get into her field suit. I know she loves her sharkskin outfit but the field suit will regulate her body temperature and protect her from the sun. She needs to wear the helmet, too." With that, the team leader crawled back to the cabin and exited the CORBY with Timothy scrambled behind her.
Left behind, the big Melgar located Jin's knapsack from the team's personal effects stowed at the rear of the compartment. He had never known her to wear one of the standard field suits without being forced. As the Gelydra seemed strong enough to sit up unassisted, Galvan began untying the thongs which held her sharkhide outfit on. "No arguing, my dear," he insisted as he helped her undress. "This is on orders from your captain."
Back outside, Timothy glanced back at the CORY. "I guess we have to keep an eye on her in conditions like this. She would never admit she felt sick."
"No, her weakness is not showing weakness," Jocelyn said. "How are you doing yourself, Tim?"
"Aw, I dunno. The caspers are my only power. If they won't come out to help, I guess I'm just a regular Human. You've got the Red Spectre, Galvan has his super-strength and Jin is, well, Jin. I've got nothing. Not sure if there's any point to my even being here," he grumbled in increasing self-pity.
"Stop that. You're a Tel Shai knight and a KDF member. We need you on the team." The Australian woman indicated the dark pyramid behind them. "What's your reaction to that thing?"
"Jocelyn, it gives me the creeps big time. Just being near it, I think I'm starting to imagine things. I see shadows out of the corner of my eye. I think I hear whispers behind me. What do you think is buried under there, captain?"
She did not answer immediately. "I don't know. Some creature of the Sulla Chun, maybe? A Fanedral beast? Maybe some being from the Darthan Age that no one has ever heard of before." She placed her fists on her narrow hips and gave the Cairn a sour look. "I'll tell you something dodgy, my Red Spectre is struggling to break free. She wants to shoot out of my body and explode against that Cairn. I'm restraining her by sheer will power."
They stood in uneasy silence, staring at the pyramid of smooth black stones. Finally, Timothy said, "You know what? I miss having Haley with us. She could be a pain in the neck, but her attitude always cheered me up. She was just so.. I dunno, sassy? Something's missing from the team with her gone."
"I know what you mean," Jocelyn replied. "I think of her often. But it doesn't seem as if she will be returning to the Midnight War. Maybe she's smarter than we are."
"Yeah." Timothy looked out over to the absolutely flat horizon under a huge empty sky. "It'll be getting dark soon. Then I bet things will start to pop."
IV.
Once night had fallen, temperatures dropped sharply. Jocelyn turned on the spotlight set in the nose of the CORBY and swung it to shine on the Cairn of the Black Stones. She was not worried about draining the helicopter's batteries, since the Trom power source was good for years of constant use. In the backwash of that spotlight, the camp was revealed in dramatic side-relief detail.
The expedition set up a small propane stove and began warming up prepared meals. The KDF members added food from their supplies to what the scientists had brought and they enjoyed a meal with some variety to it. Everyone was becoming more comfortable with each other as they chatted but there was still an uneasiness in the air that grew stronger as the night went on.
Jocelyn Garimara chewed slowly on a chicken salad sandwich, listening but hearing no sounds made by nature. She had not seen a single bird or a lizard since arriving here, not even an insect. It bothered her. She had never been up in the Northern Territory before. Jocelyn's family had lived down near Melbourne and she had not traveled much before the Red Spectre had manifested when she had reached puberty. And, of course, after that her life had been ruined for years. Her parents had planned for her to go to University. How different everything would have been if the Spectre had not chosen her...
Sitting opposite her in the circle around the propane stove, Abrams put down his tea mug and ventured, "You've heard of this Cairn before, Miss Garimara?"
"Only a few tantalizing references," she answered, turning her head to look at the pile. Now that the air was cooler, she had removed her helmet. The thick straight black hair was cut straight at the nape of her neck. "I'm surprised it hasn't been investigated before, to be honest."
"Oh, but it has," put in Dr Goodwin, a stout woman with curly brown hair. "Or at least attempts were made. Three times. But something always went wrong. A storm made one expedition turn back and covered the Cairn with sand for years. In 1990, a TV crew drove out here but their vehicle broke down halfway and they had to be rescued by the authorities. It almost seems like, sorry for the drama, that something doesn't want this site to explored."
Demrak Jin was finishing a tin plate of beef stew and now she glanced up at the conversation. In the snug field suit, she looked even smaller than usual. She had strapped the bone-bladed knife across her back with its hilt up by her right shoulder. "There is an evil spirit there," she announced. "Can't you all feel it? Something watches and waits."
Everyone was silenced by that. Something in Jin's voice, with its odd unidentifiable accent, had the ring of conviction. One of the researchers visibly shivered.
"Well. Too right," Jocelyn reacted. "It's eleven fifty-one. Dr Abrams, my team will retire now but we always have one member stay on watch. Who wants the first four hour shift?"
"I'll take it," Timothy offered. "Not a bit sleepy."
"Good. Wake me at four then. Galvan, Jin?" asked Jocelyn as she rose up off a folding chair and stretched.
"We'll take our shifts in turn," the big Melgar said. "I think we might set up our sleeping bags a bit further away from everyone."
"Fine, but if you guys want to root, don't be pounding it when I come to hand over watch duty," Jocelyn said. She headed toward the CORBY to switch off the spotlight.
"Root? You mean, to cheer on a favorite athletic team?" asked Demrak Jin in honest confusion.
"Come on, Jin dear," Galvan said as he took her arm and picked up both their knapsacks in one big hand. As they walked into the darkness, he could be heard explaining, "I think our captain is using more Aussie slang than usual because she's in her homeland again..."
It was another hour before the last of the researchers had also turned in. Dr Abrams was the last and he asked Timothy to wake him if anything at all suspicious occured.
"Don't worry, you'll hear me yell," Tim promised. Left alone, he moved one of the folding chairs closer toward the Cairn but wasn't happy about it. He leaned back and gazed up at a gorgeous night sky. The only light in the camp at that point was a single small blue LED bulb fastened to the flap of the larger tent. This far from cities, stars blazed down with astonishing clarity and he realized he did not recognize the constellations. Where the heck was the Big Dipper? Why had he never thought about the view being different down here?
The young man gazed down at his hands and turned one palm up hopefully. Nothing happened. A casper did not materialize instantly as he had become used to. Timothy sensed that the little manifestations were still present, but they were not appearing when called. This left him unreasonably upset and depressed. For the longest time, everyone had decided that these friendly ghosts were gralic energy shaped and commanded by his subconscious but Tim thought otherwise. Too many times, they seemed to act before he decided or to hesitate when he sent them. He felt sure now that they were independent living entities who had attached themselves to him for some reason.
And now they were so frightened by that Cairn that they declined to materialize when he summoned them. That frightened him in turn. For a long time, he sat there in the chill darkness, thinking, trying to raise his own spirits. He and the KDF team had been through so much already. Timothy had remarked before how he missed Haley Lawson on the team, and now he realized her insolent wisecracking was exactly what would help right now.
It was just after three in the morning when the scream made him jump to his feet and knock over the chair behind him.
V.
Within seconds, Jocelyn Garimara had raced up next to him. Evidently, she had been sleeping in the full field suit, including the heavy boots, and she was fastening her helmet. Inside the tents, battery-powered lanterns were switched on and the researchers were stumbling groggily outside to see what was going on.
"It came from behind that tent," Timothy said, already moving in that direction with Jocelyn next to him. He wished now he had buckled on one of the dart guns but they didn't want to alarm the expedition by showing visible weaponry. By that time, Jin and Galvan had run to join them. The Gelydra woman still wore her field suit but was barefoot.
Galvan was only wearing a pair of white jockey shorts and, even under the circumstances, his build startled a few of the scientists. The big Melgar looked like a blacksmith with zero body fat. The wide shoulders, narrow waist and beefy arms and legs added up to a dramatic sight. He didn't seem to notice the stares.
"Everyone stay where you are!" snapped Jocelyn as she took charge. "My team will go first." She lead her fellow Tel Shai knights around the edge of the nearer tent. As she and Timothy lowered their visors, the automatic infra-red view clicked on.
Behind the tent, one of the interns stood with hands clasped over his mouth. This was Geoff, about thirty, gawky and skinny, with a blond ponytail and scruffy beard. He was staring down with bulging eyes at the body of a heavyset woman stretched out on her back. Gail Goodwin.
"Team, stand guard," ordered Jocelyn as she dropped down next to the woman. Years of emergency medical training took over. "She's alive," the Australian woman announced quietly. "Breathing is good, pulse is strong. But I think she has a mild concussion. Tim, would you bring Abrams over here? Keep the others back. I want to memorize the footprints."
As the expedition leader joined them, Jocelyn spoke while still examining Goodwin. "Dr Abrams. This woman shows sign of a concussion and damage to the left eye socket. She was struck by some object with considerable force." She turned her helmeted head to look up at him. "It would take half a day to drive her to Darwin. Even if their own Medevac helicopter is sent, you're looking at four hours to get here at best, likely longer, and then their return trip to the hospital. Our craft can get there in ninety minutes with no problem."
"If you're asking for my permission, young lady, please do so." The expedition leader sounded completely distraught. "I know every minute counts in a trauma case like this."
"We will have to move her, even though there's risk in that by itself," Jocelyn said. She rose to her feet and raised the visor so her face could be seen. "Galvan, Tim. Get the folding stretcher and secure her in the CORBY as gently as you can." She studied the sand around them and committed every detail to memory.
By now, the rest of the researchers had started edging around behind the tent and there was a low buzz of conversation. Jocelyn turned to the man who had screamed. "Geoff, isn't it? What happened here?"
"Uh.. well.. I got up to use the trench," he answered after a long moment to collect himself. "We dug a trench way over there to use as a latrine. As I came back here, I saw Dr Goodwin walking this way. I figured she had just gotten up for the same reason I did. I was going to tease her when.. something hit her."
"What?"
"I don't know. I didn't see anything. I just heard the smack. She fell and that was when I yelled. I'm sorry, I guess my nerves have been on edge all day." He folded his arms and drew back into himself. "I feel like a wreck."
"Jin, recon the area," Jocelyn said. "Be on your guard. If you find anything, a footprint or whatever, report right back."
"Yes, captain." There was a faint rasping sound as the Gelydra drew her weapon from its ivory sheath. Quick and silent, she dashed off into the gloom.
"God help anyone that tries to attack her," Jocelyn muttered. She turned back to the intern. "How long were you out here before Dr Goodwin was injured?" As she spoke, the two male members of the KDF team hurried up with a folding canvas stretcher. Jocelyn helped them secure the unconscious woman to it, trying not to move her head any more than absolutely necessary. Slowly and carefully, Galvan and Timothy began to bring Goodwin to where the CORBY waited with its rear compartment hatch open.
As they left, Jocelyn turned back to the intern. "I was asking you how long you were out here."
"Oh, I can vouch for Geoff," said Dr Abrams. "We share a tent with Horst.
He woke me up when he stumbled against my sleeping bag in the dark. I told him to be more careful. I was just trying to fall asleep again when I heard an impact and then his shout. It couldn't have been more than ten, fifteen seconds after he left the tent."
"Hmm. I see," the KDF leader said. "Geoff, what was your relationship with Dr Goodwin like? How did you two get along?"
"What? I never met her until two days ago. We first met in Darwin when Dr Abrams assembled the expedition. I don't think I really got to know her at all?"
"Dr Abrams? What do you have to say?"
"I don't understand, do you suspect Geoff of doing this? He couldn't have had any possible reason. I've known Geoff for years now, he's quite easy-going."
At this point, two of the KDF team returned to the scene. Jin had found nothing. Tim reported that CORBY was warming up and Galvan was performing a final rundown before wheels-up.
"Jin, I want you to pilot Dr Goodwin to the city we passed on the way here. Radio the Royal Darwin Hospital to be ready just before you arrive. The CORBY has its co-ordinates programmed. Land on the roof with the blue H in a circle on it, let them take Mrs Goodwin and then leave without answering any question. They will certainly want to ask you a lot of questions! Then come right back here," Jocelyn said.
Demrak Jin sheathed her sword and made the slightest of bows, an Ulgor habit she had never been able to break. Before she could leave, though, Timothy Limbo spoke up, "Wait. Jocelyn, are you sure it wouldn't make more sense to send me? I don't have my powers here. I'd be more useful as a pilot."
"I'm sending Jin," Jocelyn answered a bit sharply.
"Captain, don't do this to spare my feelings about being useless right now. I'm okay with going."
The KDF team leader raised a single finger to stop him. "Jin, go. Send Galvan here before you take off, have him bring our dart guns and some of the heavy grenades- not the dazzlers. Timothy, I normally allow everyone to join in on decisions but we are in danger right now. Follow my orders."
"Sure, captain," Tim said. "I was trying to help the team."
Jocelyn went over to where the victim had been lying and bent over. "I found what injured Dr Goodwin," she announced as she straightened up. In her gloved hand was one of the Cairn's polished black stones.
VI.
Reaching up to the horizontal ridge set over her visor, Jocelyn adjusted two of its small dials. She studied the black stone, turning it over on all sides. "No fingerprints," she decided. "You would think a smooth surface like this would be perfect for retaining prints."
Turning in a circle, she stared at the ground again. When Abrams started to speak, she shushed him. "Just a moment, please. Okay, everyone observe. Galvan and Tim came over here to pick up Dr Goodwin, but their prints in our deep tread boots are easy to specify. Goodwin has a set of prints leading from the other tent and to the latrine, then back to the spot where she was injured."
"I don't understand," Dr Abrams persisted. "How can you see these things?"
"Our helmets have both night vision and a magnification mode," she replied. "Now, Geoff's tracks come from around that side of that tent. They stop right where he is still is. He didn't wander around. It's not conclusive but judging from the angles and the distance, I don't see how he could possibly have thrown this rock to hit the victim. She was facing away at a slight angle, the injury was on the opposite side of where it should have been." She paused. "Also, to be honest, I don't think Geoff capable of throwing the rock that hard and that accurately."
"Hey!" objected the bearded man. "I mean... never mind, that sorta clears me."
Jocelyn motioned for Galvan and Timothy to come in closer. As they stood next to her, she addressed the members of the expedition. "Jin searched the immediate area and found no intruders. I trust her report. Believe me, if any person or beast had been nearby, Demrak Jin would have sniffed them out."
"This leaves us with quite a puzzle," Galvan said. "I'm at a loss, and I don't mind admitting it."
Timothy Limbo shrugged. "I was sitting over there on watch. Jocelyn was nearby, next to the CORBY. Galvan and Jin were maybe fifty yards over that way. We all are trained to wake up if someone gets too close, so there's almost a 360 degree range where no one could have approached. Well, maybe a ninja or brumal..."
"There has to be an explanation," Jocelyn said. "It's getting on my nerves. If we could just see it."
"You know..." Tim started to say. "Wait. That pile of rocks over there. Could it be rigged somehow? Maybe a trapdoor under it that leads to an underground room? Or part of the stones are glued together on a board and swing out to reveal a secret cubbyhole inside the Cairn?"
"Hmm. Worth a look, Timothy." Jocelyn turned toward Dr Abrams. "How have you examined the Cairn so far?"
"Lots of photographs and measurements, to be honest. We analyzed one of the looser rocks that had fallen away. But we certainly aren't ready to start disassembling it," he admitted.
"We might have to disturb it," Jocelyn told him. She wasn't trying to sound tough or intimidating, but there was understated authority in her voice. As Galvan came over, he was holding some clothes under one arm and had two gunbelts slung over his shoulder.
"Thanks," she said as she took one of the belts and buckled it around a narrow waist. In a flap holster was one of the needle-nosed dart guns and fastened at the back of the belt was a rectangular pouch holding clips of the anesthetic darts. She inspected her weapon, clicked a clip in and set the safety off before holstering it. Timothy Limbo was doing the same, wearing his gun low off his right side.
Galvan handed her a hard plastic case and she drew out of its padded interior six black metal ovoids slightly larger than a hen's egg. Jocelyn gave three of them to Timothy, whispering, "Remember, these aren't our dazzlers. These are the heavy duty grenades. We don't bring them out often."
"But when we do, I'm glad to have them," he answered as he stowed them in the front pockets of his field jacket. "What's our plan, captain?"
"Stir things up, see what we flush out." She turned over to the big Melgar. "Galvan, you ready?"
He had yanked on hiking shoes, baggy jeans and plain white T-shirt which barely fit. ""Just point me in the right direction!"
At this point, Dr Abrams worked up enough nerve to intervene, "See here, I think some answers need to be forthcoming. That stealth helicopter.. and now guns and grenades! Just who ARE you people, anyway?"
"We're investigators into the occult and paranormal, as I said." Jocelyn lowered the visor on her helmet and her face was hidden behind a blank opaque surface that Abrams found intimidating. "I'm afraid we've found something out here that is a genuine threat. If we survive, I suggest you read up about the Midnight War."
The older man sputtered and could not form a coherent objection. "If...?"
Jocelyn raised her voice so the watching expedition members could hear her. "Listen! I believe you are in immediate danger. I want all of you to get in your tents, lie down flat, and if trouble starts, wrap your arms around your heads. Go now!" Her tone was sharp enough that everyone obeyed in a scramble.
With Galvan and Timothy beside her, she marched over to stand before the Cairn of Black Stone. The artifact almost buzzed with hostile energy. Under the moonless sky, those polished rocks somehow still had a faint sheen to them. The three Tel Shai knights recognized the feeling of menace from many horrendous experiences of the past.
Gesturing toward a boulder sitting within a cluster of smaller rock outcroppings sticking up out of the sand, Jocelyn said, "Galvan. Think you can pitch that thing right into the Cairn?"
"Nothing would give me more pleasure," laughed the Melgar champion. He wrapped his arms around the boulder and wrenched it free. Galvan balanced a rock bigger than his torso in one hand without effort. The casual ease with which he performed such deeds showed just how strong he really was. Without any wind-up, he hurled the boulder directly at the center of the Cairn. The huge rock smashed into the loose pile, sinking almost out of sight and making the Cairn collapse from the impact.
Instantly, those polished black stones were whirling through the air in wide horizontal circles as if a tornado had caught them up. The Cairn fell apart into a low loose mass as most of its components went flying violently end over end. One black stone buzzed forward to crack against Galvan's forehead as fast as a bullet. If he had been Human, his skull would have caved in. As it was, he dropped back a step and cursed but seemed unharmed.
The onslaught picked up. Both Jocelyn and Tim were immediately knocked off their feet by the barrage of rocks. Under their field suits, they wore the silk-thin Trom armor which dispersed any impact over its entire surface. The Trom armor was good but nothing is perfect and they were both were taking vicious punishment. The drumming of the black stones glancing off their helmets sounded like machine-gun fire.
Perhaps unnecessarily, Timothy Limbo was going, "Ouch. Ouch. Ouch."
Galvan had remained on his feet with increasing difficulty. The Legacy of Malberon charged his body with immense gralic force and he was extremely resilient but not literally invulnerable. These stones were carrying some gralir themselves and having hundreds of them pounding all over him was starting to daze even Galvan. He had his arms up in front of his face defensively, starting to grow angry. The big Melgar caught two of the stones, one in each hand, and crushed them in his grip as if they had been hollow balls of dry clay.
A hollow shriek echoed from within what was left of the Cairn.
"Jocelyn!" yelled Galvan as he backed up, shielding his head with his hands.
"There's something inside the Cairn... something alive."
Annoyed at herself for taking so long to get her bearings, Jocelyn Garimara
had curled into a fetal pose to best protect her vital organs. Her visor showed a star-shaped crack from an impact and its light enhancing function went out. She took a deep steadying breath and loosened the subconscious leash she always kept on her Gammon.
Eager to be released, the energy construct emerged from her body with a crackle and rose up into the air. A dark crimson silhouette roughly the same size and shape of Jocelyn herself, the Red Spectre was outlined by a halo of white fire. It hovered just over her for an instant. Then the apparition was slammed by a furious barrage of the black stones that tore through it and left gaping holes that were slow to close up. The Spectre sizzled furiously and began to move toward the Cairn but couldn't stand up to the thunderstorm of rocks which were tearing through it without letting up for an instant.
The Red Spectre fell apart. Shreds and tatters of its form fell to the ground. Jocelyn gasped and convulsed as if she had been electrocuted, trying to straighten up against the pummeling of the black stones, as the fragments of the Spectre slid slowly across the sand to re-enter her body one by one.
Galvan had dropped to one knee, trying not to fall entirely.
Curled up behind them, Timothy Limbo desperately reached in his pockets and pulled out two of the resonance grenades. It took all his concentration to twist and depress the tabs on them to arm the devices. Once he released the pressure, the grenades would explode but the question was whether he could hope to throw them with any range or accuracy. He had to try. They would be killed in a few more minutes by this storm of stone if he did nothing.
Tim got up on his knees, holding a grenade in each hand. The crashing of the stones against his helmet made it impossible to think. He managed to make out where the low remaining base of the Cairn was. Tim raised his hands and tossed the grenades as hard as he could, but he knew in his heart he had not thrown them nearly far enough.
As the grenades began to fall far too close to him and his friends, Timothy saw a dozen tiny whirlwinds of barely visible energy swoop in and snatch the grenades up. Five or six of the manifestations teamed up to carry a grenade, hurtling through the assault of the black stones to flash into the Cairn itself. Two sharp detonations were followed by two deep thumps that Timothy felt through the ground and the remaining stones in the Cairn flew in all directions like shrapnel. A single strangled scream rang for a second before fading out.
Then it was over. The black stones dropped to the ground like the lifeless bits of rock they were. There was welcome silence. Timothy could not remember the last time he had been so battered. Even through the Trom armor, he hurt all over. Gasping, he slid up the visor of his helmet and took in deep breaths of crisp night air. He was just glad to be alive.
As he knelt there, shaking from released tension, Tim saw the caspers come back to hover around him. Little tornado shapes that elongated and contracted as they moved, what he called his friendly ghosts moved around his head and arms with a solicitation of concern.
"Oh, man," he said out loud. "I am so glad to see you guys! Don't ever worry me like that again."
VII.
The Tel Shai knights took almost twenty minutes to recover. The enhanced healing from their Tagra diet was a help but they had endured an assault that would have killed unprotected Humans outright. Even Galvan, who had often taken pointblank gunfire against his tough hide without harm, was severely bruised and sore. One of his eyes had swollen shut and blood was caking beneath his nose.
They all hugged each other gratefully, smacking each other on the back in congratulations. Jocelyn lifted her helmet off and ran fingers through hair that was damp with sweat. "Tim," she said with a chuckle, "Aren't those your little pals?"
Six of the caspers had remained in sight, clinging close to Timothy like shy children next to a parent. "Yeah! When we really needed them, my boys came through."
Galvan leaned way over to peer into what few stones remained of the Cairn. "Phew. Nothing but a disgusting mess of dissolved flesh. Smells like it's been dead for a while."
"I suspect it was a Sulla Chun creature," Jocelyn said with some uncertainty. "Imprisoned long ago under the pile of stones with runes of some sort carved on them. Definitely not an Aborigine thing! Who knows, maybe there was some earlier group of Humans here, even a lost civilization."
"Stranger things have been uncovered," Galvan agreed. "At least this monster seems to be destroyed with some permanence."
Jocelyn gave a start. "Strewth! Look at the tents." Still moving a bit stiffly, she hurried over with the Galvan and Timothy right behind her. The tents had been ripped to tatters and knocked down. The three Tel Shai knights began digging through the strips of canvas and pulling up the members of the expedition. The next half hour was frantic until everyone was accounted for.
Finally, they were satisfied that no one had been killed. The scientists were bruised and traumatized. One had a broken wrist and another some cracked ribs. But the storm of black stones had not been aimed at them and it had mostly passed them by.
Worried that the older scientists might go into shock after the wild experience, Jocelyn made them all get up and sit in a circle away from the ruined tents. She and Tim made coffee on the propane stove and started passing mugs of it out, along with high-energy protein bars. The mundane rituals of stirring milk and sugar into coffee or chewing on the bars helped mentally ground the expedition.
Now that everyone was gathered and didn't seem about to get hysterical, Jocelyn recounted the recent event. She examined her helmet and was surprised how dented and scraped it was. With a shiver, she remembered how she had almost left the helmet in the CORBY because she hadn't thought it would be necessary. She would be dead now without it.
Finally, Dr Abrams spoke up. "I should be saying this is all so hard to believe. But we lived through it. We heard everything. We saw the rocks come tearing holes through the tents. And after the explosions, it all simply stopped. I realize we owe you our lives, Miss Garimara.. you and your friends."
"It's our calling. We're glad to help," she said, then turned to Galvan and Tim. "Jin should be returning soon. We must leave directly she lands. Agreed?"
"Sure," Tim said. "I need a hot shower and about twelve hours sleep. I can hardly move."
Jocelyn addressed the assembled researchers. "I'm sure the police and rescue services will be coming here as soon as they get authorization. Figure four hours or so before they arrive. You folks would be well advised to go back with them, maybe most of you taking your vehicles but the injured should go in a copter."
"I'm sorry, I don't understand," Dr Abrams interrupted. "Why aren't you people staying? Why take off so soon?"
The KDF team leader hesitated. "We like to keep a low profile. That's all. I can't tell you folks what to say about what happened here but let me STRONGLY urge you to describe a freak windstorm that blew the Cairn apart and ripped everything to bits. It's more believable. If you tell the real story, I can warn you that you will be ridiculed and disbelieved. Your standing in the academic community will suffer. Years from now, there'll be stories on TV and the papers about your crazy claims. I'm just saying."
Everyone mumbled and muttered to each other. They were so exhausted and in so much pain from the stones which had hit them that they were in no mood to argue.
"You certainly seem to know what you're talking about, miss," said Dr Abrams. "I'm sure it would be best to follow your advice."
"We have a little time to discuss it. I want to put a splint on this man's wrist, I assume you have some first aid kits?"
"Oh, of course, of course."
As Dr Abrams walked with a noticeable limp over to the Jeep, Jocelyn regarded Galvan with some dismay. "Look at you. I honestly thought you were beyond harm."
The Melgar champion rubbed his left shoulder and flexed that arm with a wince. "I only wish that were so, Jocelyn."
She turned to her other teammate. "And you, Tim? I'm surprised your caspers could carry the grenades. I understood their limit with physical objects was barely turning a light switch or making a piece of paper flutter."
"They all showed up and worked together," said Timothy Limbo. Two of the tiny apparitions were hovering over either shoulder and he smiled at them affectionately. "I guess they were worried about me."
3/26/2017