Free Space 1999 #5 - Lunar Attack by John Rankine Page A

monitor’s record of a temperature drop.
    A repeater in Koenig’s command office brought the conference to a grinding halt. Bob Mathias, speaking from the communications post called, ‘Doctor, Commander. The Hydroponic Unit. Immediate!’
    There was no doubt that Laura Adams was dead. Very young, very beautiful, and very dead. The waste of it choked Koenig’s mind. With Bergman, he watched her being loaded on a trolley by Mathias’s orderlies. Mateo was there, face ashen.
    Helena Russell visibly shaken, though used to death, said, ‘The same as Warren.’
    Mateo’s harsh whisper reached them and they looked at him.
    ‘My fault . . .’
    He went on with rising hysteria, ‘My fault. I wouldn’t listen. Now she’s dead. And I did it. Do you hear that!’
    Koenig went up to him, ‘What the hell are you talking about, Mateo?’
    ‘This thing on Alpha. It is my fault. I raised it. It’s here now, in this place. Waiting to kill again. To kill us all.’
    He buried his face in his hands. Koenig looked at Helena, ‘See to him, Helena. Try to find out what he’s talking about.’ Helena nodded and called an orderly to lead Mateo to the medicentre.
    When she had him sedated and his panic held in check, she sat beside his bed. There was no doubt that he was still a frightened man, but he was coherent and she tried to get him to speak out and externalise his problem.
    His voice was barely audible and she had to lean forward to catch what he said.
    ‘Ever since the experiment I’ve known. I’ve sensed the presence of this thing. I tried to convince myself I was mistaken . . . that I had imagined it. But it’s no good. It’s with me, everywhere I go, watching, waiting for something. You know I threatened to kill Warren?’
    ‘We don’t hold you responsible for Warren’s death.’
    ‘But he died only minutes after I threatened him. There’s psychokinesis—mind acting at a distance. Now Laura. Did you know I was trying to recreate the experiment? She was going to tell the Commander.’
    His voice gained strength, ‘I tried to stop her . . . she wouldn’t listen.’ He paused and went on in a whisper as though he could not bear to put it in words, ‘A few minutes later, she was dead.’
    There was no more. He turned his head away. The sedative was taking firmer hold.
    She waited until she was sure he was asleep and went thoughtfully to find Koenig in the Command office.
    Bergman was with him and she told them both, ‘There’s no doubt in my mind. This force has some bizarre connection with Mateo. If he’s right, it feeds on destructive urges in his own mind and somehow carries them out in real terms.’
    Koenig said, ‘You’re convinced?’
    ‘I saw this being. Yes I do believe it. So does Mateo. He wants to recreate the experiment to bring it out somehow into the open.’
    It was a long shot and more than Koenig wanted to try. He turned away and looked out of a direct vision port at the familiar moonscape. God, as if they didn’t have enough to contend with.
    He said shortly, ‘It could be dangerous.’
    Unexpectedly, Mateo had an ally. Bergman said quietly, ‘Let him.’
    Koenig turned round, incredulous. Bergman repeated it, ‘Let him, John. Let him recreate the experiment.’
    ‘Victor, my one concern is the safety of our people on Alpha.’
    ‘How can we fight this thing if we don’t know what it is? I say let him . . . this time giving all the help we can and putting in our own safety controls.’
    Koenig looked at Helena Russell. Medical monitoring would be her pigeon. Clearly she did not like it, but the logic was inescapable. There was a chance. He read acceptance in her face.
    ‘All right, Victor, set it up.’
    When they finally assembled in the Unit lab of Hydroponic Unit Two, it was an extended circle. If Mateo wanted high power intelligence on his net, he had it in good measure. Koenig, Helena, Bergman, Kano, Morrow, Carter and Sandra Benes were grouped round his table each holding an