With a dry mouth and feeling colder than normal, Stephen paced the length of District Three's laboratory. He was hours away from going on the most difficult mission of his life; this was the perfect time to have second thoughts. It would be the first time the Indigenes had tried anything like this. Exposing his fragile skin to the blistering Exilon 5 sun was risky and stupid. Others compared the burn to a fire that started in the pit of their stomachs before it spread to their arms and legs.
Was that what it really felt like? Stephen had never stayed in the sun long enough to find out.
Previous attempts to contact Surface Creatures—the Indigenes' name for the race that lived above ground—had always been at night. But this mission had to be different. It would occur in the daytime because that's where his target would be. The very essence of how the Indigenes lived impinged on his success or failure.
Everything had to go according to plan. He must get the information fast, before a Surface Creature noticed him in their world.
Failure is not an option, Stephen.
He stopped pacing when he heard the voice in his head. Anton, his childhood friend, stood at the entrance to his lab.
Don't you think I know that? said Stephen in reply to his telepathic conversation.
Anton entered the room. Shadow People. That's what they call us.
I suppose it fits. He looked at his friend. I mean we do stick to the shadows a lot and we like to hunt more than animals. In weaker moments, he'd considered joining the group that targeted Surface Creatures instead of animals, on one of their nightly hunts. What are you doing here, Anton?
'I thought you'd like a hand getting ready for tomorrow.' Anton switched to speaking out loud. 'It's what they do, right? Talk out loud? They don't have telepathic abilities like we do.'
'We have nothing in common with those brutes.'
Stephen and Anton had been friends since they were young Evolvers, but Anton was not scarred by events of the past. Stephen had witnessed the land explosions and the early changes to their society; changes that had later killed his parents. But Anton, born after the initial horror, was not consumed by thoughts of revenge like some others.
Like Stephen was, most of the time.
The district tunnels that ran underneath Exilon 5's surface had preserved what was left of their species, giving them a new start.
Stephen shook his head causing Anton to roll his eyes. 'My hatred of their kind is valid, Anton.'
'If you say so. I just think you've let it consume you for too long.'
Stephen buried his anger and strode over to his workbench where he'd left the artificial skin designed by Anton. He tried it on; it felt like an additional layer on his skin, yet it weighed almost nothing. Changing his appearance bothered him but he had to blend in with their kind. The target must not suspect his differences. His fingers grazed the delicate silicone on his face and it yielded to his touch. How could something so fragile feel so heavy?
'It's good, yes?' Anton handled another piece of skin on the workbench. 'I adapted their silicone at the molecular level to make the skin lightweight and wafer-thin. And, it also cools the skin. How great is that?'
It was great. Stephen always knew Anton was destined to be a genius. With the ability to manipulate the Surface Creatures' technology, he could do great things. Or dangerous things.
'I also added pigmentation to match the Surface Creatures' opaque appearance. It's not perfect, but it's the best I can do without a sample of their skin to compare it with. You should blend in well enough.'
Stephen was proud of his appearance. But to meet with the target he had to change, to become like them. The Surface Creatures had controlled life on Exilon 5 for too long. What happened the following day could shift the power back into the Indigenes' hands.
'Are you nervous?' said Anton.
'Terrified.' It was true; this would be a solo mission. Any prior trips to the surface had always been with other Indigenes. Safety in numbers. That's what Pierre, the Central Council elder, had always said. But more than one showing up tomorrow morning could spook the target.
'Don't worry. Having my tech will make it feel like I'm right there with you.' Anton squeezed Stephen's shoulder, a gesture that should have reassured him. It had the opposite effect.
Stephen had been close to their kind before; so close he could feel the heat from their warm-blooded bodies. His body emitted a static electricity that irritated them. The Surface Creatures could withstand the sun's strength; their skin was less transparent and capable of dealing with fluctuations in temperature, something Stephen's body would not allow. He hoped the silicone skin would protect him.
'It will,' said Anton, in response. Stephen usually protected his private thoughts from others, but his current distractions affected his ability to hide them from Anton.
'Hey, do you remember when they first came to the planet?' said Anton.
Stephen nodded. 'We were just a pair of curious Evolvers back then.'
They had watched from a distance while large cranes removed pallets of materials from several spacecraft. A piercing screech had accompanied their equipment that drilled downwards. Fires, from burning materials, released noxious gases. The sound of yelling filled the void the drills left when they weren't running. To the relief of all in the districts, the Surface Creatures had not drilled down far enough to discover the beating heart of the planet. Central Council could not guess how many Surface Creatures had arrived that day or now lived on Exilon 5; only that the numbers were far greater than their own population. For the Indigene race, which had existed for ten thousand years, this was the first species to arrive on Exilon 5 and attempt to take over the planet.
Stephen shook the negative thoughts from his mind and grabbed an air filtration device from the table.
'Oh, excellent.' Anton clapped his hands once. 'I was wondering when you'd test this out.'
Stephen left the laboratory with a giddy Anton following close behind. In a nearby tunnel, he touched the rock face made of insignia, with its ability to trap cocoons of surface air in its wall. The rock vibrated in response. He set up a device powered by the amplifying strength of gamma rock in front of the wall. The device drew a single cocoon of air from the wall and stretched it until it was large enough for Stephen to stand inside.
He drew in a deep breath from District Three's strictly controlled atmosphere and opened his hand. The air filtration device came in three pieces, clear in colour. He fitted the two smaller pieces into his nasal cavities and the third larger piece at the back of his throat. He pushed through the cocoon until he was inside.
Anton watched, hands pressed to his mouth and eyes wide, as Stephen tested his equipment.
The first breath of contaminated air burned Stephen's lungs. He waited for the single-charge micro filter to restrict the flow of oxygen to his lungs. When the device caught up to his air requirements, he exited the cocoon and carefully removed it.
'I get just an hour with this thing?'
'How did it feel?' Anton ignored his question.
'Painful at first, but fine once the filter kicks in.'
Anton looked relieved. 'One hour. No more. You could swap a depleted device for a new one, but not without risking contamination to your lungs. My team and I are working on a better, rechargeable version using the body's kinetic energy, but it could be months before that's ready for production.'
'This will work fine, Anton.'
Fine? Anton switched to telepathy. It's the best damn thing I've invented, besides the skin!
'I'm sorry, Anton. It's perfect.'
'It's better than that. It will help keep you safe.'
'I'm already the fastest runner in this district.'
Anton shook his head. 'No arguments there. But how about you stick to the time limit so you don't need to test that out?'