Free Space 1999 #3 - The Space Guardians by Brian Ball Page B

frozen to death,’ he said. ‘What now, John?’
    Professor Bergman looked his years. His face was grey.
    ‘You and David Kano keep a check on all power losses. Zoref’s in need of energy. I want all reports channelled through to you. Plot them on a Moonbase map. I want to know where he’s heading for!’
    The first losses were already coming through.
    ‘This is Alpha Section B,’ said a calm voice. ‘We have major losses in all store-rooms. Power loss critical.’
    A technician reported the blacking-out of a main corridor. A scanner reported the failure of a communication network through power-loss.
    Two female orderlies wanted to know why their laundry unit wouldn’t operate, and why they’d been left in the dark.
    Koenig stared at the plot which Bergman and Kano were building up from the information they had received.
    ‘It’s not enough!’ Koenig burst out. ‘The alien was dormant for a while then it adapted to Zoref’s metabolism! We’ve got to stop it growing!’
    ‘Agreed,’ said Bergman, looking up, ‘It can absorb all the power Alpha produces. See. Already Section A is out. Zoref’s moving through B Section and all power-sources fail with his progress.’
    ‘I want him isolated from all energy sources,’ said Koenig. ‘David,’ he said quickly to Kano. ‘How quickly can we shut down all Moonbase power?’
    Kano was startled.
    ‘You mean all Moonbase power?’
    ‘Just that. Cut the alien from power sources and it seems to incapacitate it. I want all power stopped long enough to make the alien vulnerable again.’
    ‘You mean shut down the reactors?’
    ‘No. Just cut the power supply from them.’
    ‘It would take a few seconds, Commander . . .’
    ‘Survival factor?’
    Kano knew his technological resources and their limits. ‘Without power, in twenty minutes the sick in Intensive Care Units will die. In theory, the recycling plants will be beyond repair. At forty, our oxygen starts to run out . . . any more, Commander?’
    Koenig shook his head. The choice was between certain death within forty-five minutes and the danger from Zoref. Deep within him was the conviction that Zoref constituted the more pressing threat.
    ‘Has Zoref been located yet?’
    Paul Morrow looked at the Moonbase map.
    ‘Last traced there,’ he said, pointing to the big quadrant that encompassed Sections D and E.
    Koenig watched Morrow’s hand trail over the chart.
    ‘It’s there! ’ he exclaimed, striking his head in anger. ‘Why didn’t we see it? There—the generating area! He knows Number Two Generating Area! That’s his duty station! And once he gets there we can’t stop him from blowing the reactors one by one! He’s got to be slowed down!’
    ‘Well?’ said Kano.
    ‘Cut all power.’
    Eva Zoref had worked it out too.
    She knew her husband’s dedication to his work. Anton would be making for his post. She was too afraid to ask herself why.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    Helena Russell implored Koenig to restore power. He refused. A patient died soon afterwards. Koenig heard the news with a stone face as he clambered over trolleys left about for want of power. There was no light at all. It might have been a totally deserted base.
    Koenig shone his powerful torch as he heard a noise ahead.
    Three technicians who had been asleep when Koenig began issuing his emergency orders had tumbled blearily into a corridor to report to their maintenance units when a massive, swollen figure lumbered down Corridor Twenty-five towards them. Zoref. And yet not Zoref.
    There was a great grey-black halation where a head should be. The thing walked slowly on heavy metallic beam-like legs. There was nothing to connect it with Technician Zoref but a frenzied pair of eyes.
    Sensibly, the technicians turned and ran.
    Koenig and Bergman appeared as the three men raced past. ‘Wait!’ snapped Koenig, but it took a flying leap by a Security guard to stop the last man. The others scattered.
    ‘What have you seen—Zoref?’
    The