Just below the surface, filling the bottom of the fissure, was Echidna.
It was alive, no question about that, but whether it was plant, animal or other, was a question that only Felice Carter might have been able to answer. It looked like an enormous flower, a many-petaled orchid, or perhaps a gigantic upside down jellyfish. Hundreds of snake-like tendrils reached up like fingers, not quite breaking the surface, while directly below, the main body was covered with oblong globules that resembled bunches of grapes. There was movement beneath the faintly translucent membranes covering the globes, the pulsing of something alive.
Eggs, Pierce thought. Like an octopus’s garden.
Scattered around the eggs, atop the amorphous creature’s body, were chunks of debris. Pierce sensed that he was close to grasping the secret of Echidna, but such knowledge would serve no purpose other than to satisfy his curiosity. He tore his gaze away from the strangely beautiful monster and returned his attention to the more immediate problem.
He considered sustaining the ruse that he was Tyndareus so he could get Kenner’s cooperation, but he would be found out as soon as he spoke. Better to stick with the truth, he decided.
“Liam, it’s me. George.”
At the sound of his voice, Gallo looked up, a flicker of hope in her eyes. Fiona perked up, too, but the reaction made her dire condition all the more apparent.
Kenner was taken aback, but only for a moment. “George? Well, I’ll be damned. You are a lot more resourceful than I ever gave you credit for. No wonder Augustina fancies you.”
Pierce ignored the comment. “Liam, I don’t have a clue where your loyalties lie, but we need to get out of here. All of us.”
“Leave? George, do you see this?” He waved at the creature in the pool.
“We can come back,” Pierce lied. “But it’s not safe to stay here. The heat is going to cook you alive.”
Kenner’s eyes darted back and forth as he considered this. “You’re right, of course.” Then his gaze settled on Pierce. “But not you. That suit you’re wearing. I’ll wager it protects you.”
“That doesn’t matter. There’s only one suit. And we’re not alone in here.”
“You mean the creature? Cerberus or whatever it is that’s taken its place. I thought I heard something crawling around back there. But it’s beaten. And even if it tried to attack, the suit has weapons, doesn’t it?”
“Liam, this is insane.”
Kenner shook his head. “I don’t think so. Give me the suit, George.” He jerked Fiona up and then thrust her toward the fissure.
“No!”
Pierce reacted instantly, taking a step forward, reaching out as if to snatch her back, but he wasn’t close enough. Gallo let out a shriek of surprise, but she was too far away. In the pool below, Echidna’s tendrils quivered, stretching upward, as if in anticipation of a meal. Kenner, however, did not let go of Fiona. He just held her there, poised above the water’s surface.
“Give me the suit,” he repeated. “Or she goes in.”
There was a rustling sound behind Pierce as the shouts roused the bear-elk.
“Hurry, George,” Kenner urged. His voice was frenetic, adrenaline superseding reason.
Pierce glanced back and saw the beast standing on all fours, blocking the passage back to the surface with its bulk. He tapped the sensor with a fingertip, and the weapons menu appeared on the HUD. “Get her away from there. I can deal with that thing, but you need to move away. Find some cover.”
“That’s not going to happen. Take the suit off, and I’ll let the three of you go. Do it now.”
The creature took a tentative step, shoulder muscles bunching, as if preparing to spring.
“Damn it, Liam. There’s no time for this.”
“I’ll drop her! I swear to God, I’ll do it.”
“No! Wait.” Pierce swung his attention back to Kenner. Fiona hung from his outstretched arm like the bait in a snare. She was trembling…no, she was saying something. Mumbling, too faintly for Pierce to hear. Praying? “I’m taking it off, Liam. Just pull her back.”
He didn’t wait for an answer, but quickly switched to the main menu and brought up the controls to disengage the seals. There was a hiss as the internal pressure equalized, then the scorching air of the cavern rushed in. The chest plate swung up and Pierce squirmed to get his head and arms out of the exoskeleton.
Fiona’s eyes lit up when she saw him, but her lips kept moving.
“Pull her back,” Pierce repeated. His voice, no longer amplified by the suit, sounded small in the dead air.
“Faster, George,” Kenner said.
Pierce struggled out of the suit and toppled forward, landing hard on the cavern floor. The impact awakened the pain of his injuries, but he scrambled up, reaching out to Fiona.
Satisfied with this victory, Kenner pulled Fiona back and sent her stumbling toward Pierce, and in the same motion, he leaped for the TALOS suit.