In Situ (23 page)

Batter
had left Alex and Tom to themselves in the conference room. He had not wished to experience their reunion. It had been completely obvious to him when they had all met in Utah, if not to Tom and Alex themselves, that the two of them were still very much in love. Batter had so much personal relationship wreckage that he often wondered whether he was even capable of really loving anyone. His entire adult life had always been completely focused on his job-his true mistress. Seeing Alex and Tom together was just another reminder of what a failure he was at genuine human relationships. Most of the time it didn’t bother him—he just accepted it as a fact of his existence—but Alex had changed all of that in a way that even he couldn’t quite figure out. No woman had ever affected him the way Dr. Alexandra Moss had.

*

Batter
was standing at the train platform with a large number of the ARC personnel, waiting for the Vice President to arrive. The platform might have been any subway station in New York, except that there was no graffiti on its pristine walls. The place looked brand new because it was, recently built to replace the antiquated rail system that was originally installed in the early 60s.

Batter checked his watch and looked up to a screen on the wall that tracked the train’s progress from Washington to
51. It would arrive right on schedule. There were several other trains en route for the Kansas and Colorado ARCs as well—different colored smaller dots moving slowly towards two other larger white squares. Many of the people who would be occupying those sites would be arriving by plane as well, depending on their rank or level of importance. He was mildly irritated with himself when he noted that there were no lines headed for the fourth white square, Utah. It was his fault, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

Batter summoned one of his aid
es who stood close by. “Is everything ready, Roberts?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Now just for your information, the President is not on this train, but the Vice President is. Please shift your priorities accordingly, and treat him as if he were the Commander and Chief. We will regard the President’s absence as highly confidential. Got it?”

“Yes
, Sir,” Roberts replied without hesitation.

That’s what I like to see, Batter thought, noting Robert’s nonplussed reaction. The aid
e had not flinched at the new information.

*

The train arrived on schedule at 1811 hours
, and Batter worked through the evening with all of the ARC staff to get the Vice President and all of the congressional and judicial members settled into quarters.

The attitude of most of the new arrivals was nonchalant and curious. Some laughed and joked as if they were on a paid holiday, inquiring about such things as where to get the best cocktail. Most had never imagined that such a place could exist, and spent a good deal of time pointing their fingers in multiple directions.

As they were led through the long corridors of the various areas within the ARC, they were not only amazed by its scope, but the scope of the mock drill. Many of them quietly complained that they would have been content just to have had the information, saying it was hardly necessary to show off a facility that had such a very low probability of ever being needed. They were, after all, very important to the Washington community with a lot going on. This trip, while interesting, was killing three days that they could have used elsewhere.

Batter had followed along, watching each of t
hem, coldly sizing up various individuals in the group as they toured. Soon, he thought grimly, they will all wish they had provided better funding to NASA for NEO intervention.

*

After everyone had been
fed and assigned quarters, Batter conferred with the President and the Vice President by secure video conference link in the very room where Batter had earlier interviewed Alex. There was to be a meeting of all of the delegates at 1200 hours Nevada time-noon the next day. That was when the other shoe would drop. The President would address the nation at that time from the Oval Office, and everyone in the world would suddenly know exactly what was going on. It would give everyone on the “outside” only a few hours to say their goodbyes. 24 hours was too much in a case like this, all of the sociologists had agreed. Once the general population had any time at all to get past the shock, the mobs would have time to form and riot. The crimes against humanity would be horrific if too much notice was given, and perhaps create a worse situation than the arrival of the asteroid itself. The final advice of the human behavior experts was, “better to give them no notice at all.” After a heated debate, the world leaders had eventually compromised at six hours. They were all to begin their announcements at precisely 2000 hours Zulu-12 noon PST Nevada time.

For
the new arrivals to the ARC, Batter knew he would likely be compelled to personally follow up on the President’s comments with some of his own. Although every member of Congress had been advised of the ARC emergency plan in case of disaster, and they had all pledged to strictly adhere to it should it become necessary, the reality of what was about to happen would be too much for some of them. Batter had a contingent of doctors and a huge security force standing by with sedatives and plenty of fire power to deal with the almost certain fallout.

The lawmakers would be forced to comply completely with the rules
of the ARC or face severe consequences. Everyone’s survival depended upon it. Any tendency to anarchy would be immediately suppressed with all means necessary. Batter knew this was going to be very difficult for men and women who had largely lived their lives setting the rules for themselves and others. It was highly unlikely they would react well to their new situation.

*

“Well, Mr. Batter,” the
Vice President said to him as they ended the meeting with the President, “looks like we are going to have our work cut out for us tomorrow.” He was a 63-year-old politician with a full head of graying hair. He looked like he had aged ten years just since his arrival.

“Yes
, Sir,” Batter replied. “I have everything in place.”

“I am sure you do
, Batter. I am absolutely sure you do,” the Vice President said. He swirled the ice that was the only thing left from a cocktail he had been drinking. “I have three brothers, a sister, four grown children, eight grandchildren and a slew of nieces and nephews. None of them is going to survive after tomorrow,” he said with regret, looking into the glass. “Do you have family Batter?”

“I have no children, no siblings and no parents
—just three lovely ex-wives who are no longer on speaking terms with me, and a German Sheppard by the name of Max that follows orders like a Marine. Max I will miss.”

The Vice President chuckled slightly. “Well, let’s hope everyone tomorrow takes a lesson from Max.”

“Good night, Mr. Vice President.”

“Good night
, Batter.” The Vice President rose and prepared to exit the conference room. “By the way, do you even
have a first name?”

“I do sir,” Batter responded politely, “but no one ever uses it.”
Almost no one, almost never, Batter thought, remembering his earlier conversation with the President.

The Vice President let the
comment stand and walked out the door.

Alex managed to ask around enough to lead Tom through the underground labyrinth and get them to the Primate Research area. They both clearly noticed, as they passed through some massive doors on the way, that their destination was not inside the protective confines of the ARC itself. Batter had informed Alex to contact Pete Wilson when they arrived.

Pete was standing with a clipboard, just outside of Mot’s enclosure when he spotted Tom and Alex making their way up the hall.
“How is he?” Alex asked immediately as they approached.

“I had the IV removed about an hour ago. The anesthesiologists think any time now he will awaken. I am very glad you are here
, Doctor,” Pete said, sincerely. Then he looked at Tom.

“I’m sorry
, Doctor, this is my…. This is Tom Hancock,” Alex said turning back towards Tom.

“Yes, Alex, we’ve already met
. Utah, remember,” Tom said extending his hand. “Nice to see you again, Doctor.”

“Oh, of course, I’d forgotten,” she said, embarrassed.

“Welcome, Mr. Hancock. I heard about your grand entrance. That was really something. Can’t say as I blame you,” Pete said smiling, looking back at Alex. “How do you want to approach this Alex? Are you able to communicate with Mot as I do with Ara?” Pete was aware that Batter had told Alex about the female Arzat and—for reasons he still didn’t really understand—about the impending impact of the asteroids.

“He is going to be extremely disoriented and probably pretty upset. I think I had better try to calm him down by being with him when he wakes
,” Alex said.

“A note of caution
, Doctor. Batter informed me that you and Tom have been fully briefed on the coming events. Ara was able to go completely past normal conversation and into the deeper parts of my consciousness. Suffice it to say, this means she knows everything about what is going on. Mot will probably be able to do the same if he chooses.”

“How did you find out?” Alex asked, not completely surprised.

“She told me.” Pete shrugged. “She seems as resigned to her fate as the rest of us, but, with Mot here, well, you never know.”

“Mot would never hurt me,” she said defensively.

“I know you believe that, as I do with Ara. But the survival instinct is a very powerful thing, as you know, Alex. Just be careful. I would hate to see you become a tool for an attempted escape. They are very intelligent,” Pete added, knowing he was stating the obvious.

“What will become of them
, Pete? We noticed as we walked over that this section is definitely not part of the ARC.”

“I think, Doctor, that it is better if I do not answer that q
uestion just yet,” Pete said in a way that begged her not to insist on an answer.

Pete and Tom
went to the gallery above the room Mot was in. The facility was almost identical to Ara’s compound and had been set up with a bed and a lavatory. Mot was lying face up on a large mattress that had been placed on the floor, his feet hanging conspicuously off the end. The two men watched as Alex entered the room and made her way carefully over to him. She sat beside the bed Arzat-style and placed her hand on the side of his head.

“Mot son of Url, this is Alex daughter of Simon. I am here,” she said, tears suddenly streaming from her eyes
. The sight of her giant Arzat lying there, helpless, was almost too much for her to bear. She repeated the message several times until she saw his eyelids flutter. Come on Alex, she admonished herself, pull it together.

Mot
first heard Alex as a dull echo in his head. He tried to awaken immediately, but the drugs slowed him. Gradually, he regained consciousness, and completely recognized her voice. His heart beat harder at hearing her, because he had thought she was dead. He vaguely remembered the sound of the human fire sticks, and Alex falling, but little else from the incident at the ranch.

“Alex?” he asked
hopefully, still only halfway to consciousness.

“Yes
, Mot. I am here,” she said gently as she watched him open his eyes.

Mot slowly rolled upright on the bed, his head pounding, and faced Alex. “I am sorry
, Alex. I failed to protect you,” he said, trying to shake the anesthesia, his eyes blinking to clear the fog.

“We are safe now
, Mot. Everything is OK.”

Mot looked around the room, trying to get his bearings. He did not like what he saw or felt. He could sense the presence of many other humans. The room was shocking, white and barren. Then, he suddenly recognized the strong presence of another Arzat. He flicked his tongue and smelled the air deeply
. It was unmistakably the scent of Ara.

“She is here?” he asked, wide eyed, becoming fully awake and sitting up
right.

“Yes
, Mot, she is alive and well, and she is here,” Alex said, wishing to calm him. “You will see her shortly.”

Mot sat quietly trying to piece together all of the information, his head still swirling from the drugs. Before the news of Ara, he had felt there was little hope for him in this new world
, but now, well, anything was possible. He could feel his heart beating faster as he thought of her. But there was something very different about Alex, something dark and hopeless, something very disturbing. Mot wanted to probe, knowing he could, but held himself back. Still…. Then a wave of jealousy that he could not explain overtook him. He looked into Alex’s eyes, and he could “see” another male there. “Someone is with you now. Is it your mate?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.

Alex tried to stay calm. There was no possibility of hiding anything from him. “Yes,” she answered slowly, “you remember the man I spoke of earlier? He is here.”

It was not fair, Alex belonged to him, he thought, realizing the moment it crossed his mind that it was wrong-headed. She is a human, and of course she should have a mate. Despite his own reasoning, Mot still did not like the idea. “Oh,” or something close to that, was all he could say.

“Would you like to see her
?” she asked. Alex was dying to meet the female herself.

“I’m sorry
? Oh, yes. Yes, I would like to see Ara,” he paused, “but first I would like to meet your mate. What is his name?”

“His name is Tom,” she responded awkwardly. Mot sat patiently. Oh yes, thought Alex, what is Tom’s father’s name for god’s sake? He is waiting for his full name.
“Tom son of Richard,” she finally managed.

Mot contemplated the name for some time.
“Tom son of Richard,” he repeated. “Alex, may I please meet Tom son of Richard?”

Tom and Pete had been watching Alex and Mot intently from the gallery. Tom was so astonished that he had not uttered a word to Pete. This was the first time he had actually seen Mot, although Alex had perfectly described him when she had told him about the giant Arzat earlier. Even so, the creature was astonishing in the flesh. He was huge and could have broken Alex in two with a flick of his wrist, but for some reason Tom was not
worried.

Pete, on the other hand, watched quietly as well,
but he was worried the entire time about what might happen. He had a radio with him, and had quietly ordered marksmen with tranquilizers to station themselves outside the room just in case. We really know nothing about them, he thought, wishing more than anything that he might have had time to learn more.

Alex looked up at the
one way glass and gestured. “Tom, can you please come down? Mot wants to meet you,” they heard her say through a speaker in the wall.

Tom looked at Pete, questioning.

Pete shrugged. “You will have a headache like the worst migraine you have ever imagined, which will pass in about a minute. He will ask who your father is,” was all he could think to say.

Tom made his way down a flight of stairs and reached the door of the enclosure.
One of the assistants signaled him. “Are you ready?”

Tom
nodded doubtfully, took a deep breath, and reached for the door. The assistant pushed a button and the door swung open. He walked in slowly and approached Alex and the giant beast beside her. His was heart racing as he began to fully appreciate Mot’s size and obvious strength. The beast looked like the biggest linebacker he had ever seen, but clothed in alligator skin.

Mot watched as the male creature entered the room. He was much smaller than Mot expected
. Really, though, he was about the size of most of the other human males Mot had encountered. He beckoned Tom closer to where he and Alex were sitting. Although there was nothing directly threatening about this male named Tom, he could still feel the scales rising slightly on the back of his neck.

“Please tell him that he is welcome to sit
, Alex,” Mot said to her, trying to sound as friendly as possible.

Alex simply patted the floor next to her. Tom took the hint and sat in the same style as Alex and Mot, which took some doing
. He realized he was very sore from his little escapade with the airplane.

Mot looked into Tom’s eyes directly for an uncomfortably long time
, tilting his head slightly. “Alex, would you please ask Tom son of Richard, if he would like to communicate with me directly. It would not be polite to attempt to do so otherwise.”

Alex had never felt so completely out of control with Mot before. She realized he had somehow taken total charge of their meeting. Is that a bad thing, she
wondered. “Tom,” she asked, “Mot would like to try to speak to you directly. Are you up for that? Might hurt a bit at first,” she cautioned, willing him to say “yes.”

Tom nodded towards Mot and looked him in the eyes. The creature’s pupils seemed to widen
, and their color seemed to intensify. Tom felt his head begin to throb, worse than any headache he had ever experienced, then the pain lessened and gradually disappeared. Mot’s voice was like an echo at first, but soon became clearer and clearer.

“I am Mot
son of the great Hunter Url,” Mot had been repeating.

Gradually, the fog
around Mot’s unspoken words lifted, and Tom could completely understand him. “I am Tom son of Richard,” he finally said. “My father was a pilot,” Tom added, recalling Alex’s story about her own father.

Mot slapped his own knees in delight, as if he
had surprised himself with his success. “Very good, Tom son of the pilot Richard. It is a pleasure to formally meet you.” Mot wondered what a “pilot” could possibly be, but he held the question for later. Despite himself, he could already feel himself starting to like this little human.

Alex sat, only aware of Tom’s comments
, which he had spoken aloud. She was completely cut out of Mot’s end of the conversation for some reason, but she assumed from his reaction and what Tom had said that they had succeeded. Why is Mot blocking me out, she wondered.

Mot leaned forward towards Tom. “Tom son of Richard, Al
ex cannot hear us so long as you do not speak aloud in your tongue. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Tom answer
ed without speaking, still in awe of Mot’s presence.

“We do not have much time. I do not know why I know this
, but I do. This fact has become clear to me after speaking with Alex, and now even clearer after meeting you. I am aware that the humans outside this room have a plan that does not include the Arzats, Mot and Ara.”

Tom did not know what to say
. Mot knew. He wondered what Alex had told him but he doubted that she would have mentioned anything directly. Alex had already cautioned Tom about trying to lie about anything—it was impossible and would be detected by Mot immediately if he tried. Perhaps he has already probed my mind, he thought, recalling Pete’s warning.

“Tom
son of Richard, I do not hold you or Alex responsible,” Mot continued reassuringly. “Something of importance is about to happen that is beyond our control and in the hands of the Creator. I must admit, I thought about trying to escape, but I have seen the fire sticks you humans possess and I realize that any attempt would be futile. We are not of your clan. It would probably be the same for you, if not worse, were you in the hands of my people.”

Tom looked to Alex and realized she was completely unable to help him. For an adolescent, he was obviously wise beyond his years. “I do not know how to answer you,” he said to Mot, trying
not to have any thought of what might really happen to the Arzats when they got to the end and locked down the ARC. He looked back at Alex.

“There is no need. It was only a statement of fact. I
wish only your commitment, Tom son of the pilot Richard,” Mot said.

“I will do anything for you I can
, Mot,” Tom replied, meaning it.

“You will protect Alex daughter of Simon, with your life
, no matter what happens. You will be good to her and make sure no harm comes to her that you can prevent. This is your duty as her mate, and can no longer be my responsibility.” Mot paused, and looked over at Alex, then back at Tom. “She has protected my life. She has fed me and taught me many valuable things. She has led me to Ara. She made me the pancakes, the best meal I ever had. She…,” Mot’s voice trailed off and disappeared.