“Unlike you, I have visited many planets and met many species. I can tell you, for beings like us and your exceptional form-changing talent, there are a lot of opportunities out there for us to exploit and profit from.”
“Illegal opportunities,” said Mimic.
“Best kind,” said Haax. “I know you probably come from a vicious world where only the strongest and most cunning survive, but for us to work together, you must stop this murderous habit of yours. It won’t do you any good. Look at me. I’m captain of my own spaceship.”
“Stolen spaceship,” Mimic reminded.
“Salvaged is the term I prefer. Anyway, my meaning is that I didn’t murder anyone to get it. You go around killing, slashing and feasting on raw flesh all the time, and you’re not going to last long. It also gets you nothing.”
“Except a full belly.”
“But you can get that without killing. You wouldn’t believe all the delicious food available out there. None of it will squirm and try to bite or claw you when you’re eating it. You’ll love it.”
“I’m not sure it’s me, but I’m willing to give it a try.”
Haax beamed. “That’s great. You won’t regret it.”
“For your sake, I’d better not.”
“It’s always doom and gloom with you. You really should lighten up and try to have some fun.”
“It will be hard, but I will try.”
“But first things, first—let’s change your appearance to something more suitable, and I don’t mean some ferocious monster with claws and huge gnashing teeth. Do something less aggressive and easy on my eyes.”
Mimic looked at Haax for a few moments before changing form into a sexy female of the same species as Haax. “How’s this?”
Haax eyed the sexy female appreciatively. “Wow! Great choice. It’s as if you read my mind.”
“Not a particularly difficult thing to do,” said Mimic.
Haax stared at her small breasts. “However, there are a couple of improvements I would make.”
Mimic sighed. Her breasts expanded. “Is that better?”
Haax smiled. “Better? They’re perfect.” He pressed buttons and turned dials on the control panel. “You ready to hear my plan?”
“I’m all ears.”
Haax glanced at Mimic and burst out laughing.
She had grown huge ears.
“That is soooooo funny.” He wiped the tears from his eyes. “I admit I had my doubts, but now, I think we’re going to get on just fine.”
As her ears shrunk to their normal size, Haax reached out a hand and laid it on Mimic’s leg.
She slapped it. “They’ll be none of that!”
Haax grinned. “You say that now, but you wait until you get to know me.”
“Waiting is something I’m particularly good at.”
Haax laughed and glanced back at Lucifer curled on a chair asleep. “We will see. No female can resist Haax’s charms for long.”
Haax pulled a lever. The small spacecraft accelerated to an amazing speed and in an instant, was gone.
EPILOGUE
LUCY AWOKE TO PITCH blackness.
She scrambled about for her torch, found it, switched it on and shut her eyes to block out the stark light blinding her. She placed a hand over the beam to dull it and opened her eyes to let them slowly adjust. Her eyes followed the light she directed around the room. She was in one of the crew’s cabins, but had no memory of how she got here.
Pain shot through her skull when she climbed to her feet. She tenderly felt the lump on her head. A glance at her fingers revealed them absent of blood. The torch beam settled on the door as she wondered how long she’d been unconscious. She shivered. Her cold weather clothes were gone. She wondered who would’ve done such a thing.
When she approached the door, she staggered to the side. It felt like the floor had moved. The memory of a similar sensation appeared in her thoughts. She had been aboard a cruise ship at the time. She reached the door and pressed the button and was surprised when it failed to slide open. She pressed it repeatedly, but still the door remained closed.
Panic started to make itself known.
She pounded a fist on the door. It sounded loud within the confines of the cabin and she hoped it was the same outside. She wondered where the others were. Certain they would be worried and frantically searching for her, she banged on the door again and shouted, “Is anyone there? I’m locked in and can’t get out!”
Moments passed without any sign she’d been heard.
She knocked harder and shouted louder. “Help me! Please help me someone!”
No one came.
She began to cry.
A noise outside in the corridor gave her hope. She placed an ear against the door. “Is someone there?”
The Hunter followed the sound.
It paused outside the room the noise had emanated from. It pressed the button, but the door didn’t open. It stared at the door when something spoke from inside.
It scraped its claws down the door.
A metallic squeal filled the room. Lucy backed away from the door.
Something outside screeched.
Lucy shook with terror and screamed.
Jane and Jack exited the main hut and glanced at the blue sky. The blizzard had lasted three more days before it subsided. Jane had contacted NASA to add to the information Scott had already told them. Already finding it hard to believe a monster existed, NASA at first found the discovery of an entombed spaceship just as hard to comprehend. It was the team’s photographs and video footage that had finally convinced them it was real.
NASA had wasted no time in making preparations for a salvage attempt. Because the ship was so large, they knew they’d be unable to save it, but in the limited time available they were set upon salvaging as much of its technology as possible before it slipped into the ocean. NASA, the Navy and the Army had joined forces to this end. A taskforce was already on its way.
Jane and Jack walked to the edge of the Ice Rift Base Camp and glanced at the helicopters speeding out to sea, part of the Navy SEAL recognizance team Scott had persuaded NASA to send, and who would now try and board the ship through the tunnel Haax had used to escape from the ship.
“I don’t envy them their task ahead. Setting foot aboard that spaceship again is something I never want to do,” said Jane.
Jack agreed. It was a nightmare he wanted to forget. “They’ve been warned about the monsters onboard and have no doubt ignored the Antarctic treaty concerning weapons and are equipped with the appropriate firepower to handle any they encounter, but like you, if I never set foot aboard an alien spaceship again, I’ll be happy.”
The helicopter became a speck in the sky.
Jane pulled a piece of paper from her pocket.
Jack looked at her with concern. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Jane nodded. “It’s time.” She unfolded the much read letter and scanned the words a final time.
Hello my darling,
That you are reading this means I’m no longer with you, something I can’t even imagine as I write this letter. It is the most difficult thing I have ever written, because I keep crying, knowing that if you are reading this, I will not be there to comfort you. Sadness overwhelms me and tears are flowing down my face. It will also mean that I never had time to show you how much I really love you.
I want you to know our time together was the most wonderful and enjoyable time in my life and I thank you for showing me what true love is. Each time we kissed I could feel your love for m. It was a magical sensation, and I hope you felt my love also. You were the reasons for my smile and my happiness. You have shown me so much love and I want you to know how much you mean to me. You are my whole world and I love you with all my heart.