remained silent.
It took a full five minutes for the two to reach the centre of the herd, by which time both their eyes and nostrils stung from the intensity of the reek given off by the herd.
In the middle of the swirling mass, lay a badly decayed member of their number. Much of its flesh and musculature had been eaten away by years under an intensely hot sun. Its eyes searched the herd as if looking for someone, and for the first time in many years, Archer actually saw the poor thing for what it had once been – a human.
Bartholomew knelt and examined the badly decomposed creature, and pointed to its legs. Archer looked at them and saw that each of its legs had snapped just below its knee. She gestured for him to kneel at her side. He complied, and she leaned in to whisper to him.
“It’s like watching a herd of wildebeest when one of them gets injured. The herd will stay close until the animal either dies, or re-joins them.”
“I agree, but this thing isn’t going anywhere. We should end its suffering.”
Bartholomew eyed him for a moment, then she nodded her agreement.
Archer placed the point of his knife against the skull of the fallen creature, and plunged it deep into its brain. Instantly, the herd let out a gut-wrenching bellow, and ceased their endless circling.
Alarmed, Archer jumped to his feet and pulled his gun. The bellowing continued for close to a minute, but none of those making the eerie noise made any attempt to attack them. Finally the din stopped, and the herd began to disperse.
Archer offered Bartholomew his hand. She still knelt beside the corpse taking tissue samples, but she accepted his offer, and allowed him to help her to her feet. The two began to work their way through the throng, and back to the position held by the team.
As they cleared the outer lines of the herd, Bartholomew raised her mask and gulped in a lungful of fresh air. Archer did the same. As they walked back to the ridge, Archer looked back at the quickly dispersing herd.
“It felt like they were mourning the one I dispatched, but that isn’t possible … is it?”
Bartholomew followed his gaze and said, “I think this mission is going to challenge a lot of our preconceived ideas about The Lingering. I think we can safely say that what we just witnessed proves that they have at least a rudimentary sense of being.”
“Why don’t they act like that back in our world?”
Bartholomew stopped and stared at him. “Is that how you see it? Is this their world and the rest of the planet is ours?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Look, you can nit-pick my choice of words, but you know what I meant. Why do they act like that here, but not anywhere else?”
She began to walk again. “Well, for one thing we don’t have herds of that size. Also we don’t allow The Lingering to hang around. As soon as people change, they are shipped off. We’ve never really had a chance to study them in such detail. I mean, that herd could be decades old, and no one has ever had the chance to study anything like it.”
The two reached the rest of the team, and Bouchard ambled towards them. “Boss, I ‘ave to make this clear to you, don’t do that again. Taking risks like that jeopardizes the mission, and I can’t allow that.”
Archer nodded. “You’re right, sorry. Now that I’ve been suitably told off, shall we make a move?”
Chapter 14
Location: Westbourne Corporation’s Hobart control centre
Date: June 23rd 2013
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Sir Richard Westbourne stared out of the window at his massive complex, and tucked into his second helping of bacon and eggs. Business was good, which meant life was good. All he had to do now was stop that annoying cow from getting to his ancients. He wiped at his mouth and wondered why she hadn’t made her move. He felt sure that she should have tried something by now, but maybe he had misjudged her determination. Somehow he doubted that to be the case.
It took a full five minutes for the two to reach the centre of the herd, by which time both their eyes and nostrils stung from the intensity of the reek given off by the herd.
In the middle of the swirling mass, lay a badly decayed member of their number. Much of its flesh and musculature had been eaten away by years under an intensely hot sun. Its eyes searched the herd as if looking for someone, and for the first time in many years, Archer actually saw the poor thing for what it had once been – a human.
Bartholomew knelt and examined the badly decomposed creature, and pointed to its legs. Archer looked at them and saw that each of its legs had snapped just below its knee. She gestured for him to kneel at her side. He complied, and she leaned in to whisper to him.
“It’s like watching a herd of wildebeest when one of them gets injured. The herd will stay close until the animal either dies, or re-joins them.”
“I agree, but this thing isn’t going anywhere. We should end its suffering.”
Bartholomew eyed him for a moment, then she nodded her agreement.
Archer placed the point of his knife against the skull of the fallen creature, and plunged it deep into its brain. Instantly, the herd let out a gut-wrenching bellow, and ceased their endless circling.
Alarmed, Archer jumped to his feet and pulled his gun. The bellowing continued for close to a minute, but none of those making the eerie noise made any attempt to attack them. Finally the din stopped, and the herd began to disperse.
Archer offered Bartholomew his hand. She still knelt beside the corpse taking tissue samples, but she accepted his offer, and allowed him to help her to her feet. The two began to work their way through the throng, and back to the position held by the team.
As they cleared the outer lines of the herd, Bartholomew raised her mask and gulped in a lungful of fresh air. Archer did the same. As they walked back to the ridge, Archer looked back at the quickly dispersing herd.
“It felt like they were mourning the one I dispatched, but that isn’t possible … is it?”
Bartholomew followed his gaze and said, “I think this mission is going to challenge a lot of our preconceived ideas about The Lingering. I think we can safely say that what we just witnessed proves that they have at least a rudimentary sense of being.”
“Why don’t they act like that back in our world?”
Bartholomew stopped and stared at him. “Is that how you see it? Is this their world and the rest of the planet is ours?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Look, you can nit-pick my choice of words, but you know what I meant. Why do they act like that here, but not anywhere else?”
She began to walk again. “Well, for one thing we don’t have herds of that size. Also we don’t allow The Lingering to hang around. As soon as people change, they are shipped off. We’ve never really had a chance to study them in such detail. I mean, that herd could be decades old, and no one has ever had the chance to study anything like it.”
The two reached the rest of the team, and Bouchard ambled towards them. “Boss, I ‘ave to make this clear to you, don’t do that again. Taking risks like that jeopardizes the mission, and I can’t allow that.”
Archer nodded. “You’re right, sorry. Now that I’ve been suitably told off, shall we make a move?”
Chapter 14
Location: Westbourne Corporation’s Hobart control centre
Date: June 23rd 2013
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Sir Richard Westbourne stared out of the window at his massive complex, and tucked into his second helping of bacon and eggs. Business was good, which meant life was good. All he had to do now was stop that annoying cow from getting to his ancients. He wiped at his mouth and wondered why she hadn’t made her move. He felt sure that she should have tried something by now, but maybe he had misjudged her determination. Somehow he doubted that to be the case.
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