One Way To Mars

Chapter 28

'I haven't seen your GenMoPlately,' said Mitchum.

'I think he's in the junglesomewhere. I've a feeling the chimp in him is taking over. That wasone of the reasons we are here. Just to see how would a GenMoP adaptto an environment like the base.'

Susan sipped her wine. 'If hebecomes more like a chimp, it doesn't look like the experiment is toopromising for using GenMoPs for space exploration. That's quite a fewmillion credits down the pan.'

'Hmm. I can't say I'm lookingforward to telling the brass, supposing there's a brass to tellanything to.'

'What will you do with him?'asked Giavani.

Foreman said, 'I think we havemore serious and immediate problems to deal with before I need toworry about Monkley. Have you managed to make any weapons?'

Mitchum said, 'I think we haveeverything in hand. Not a bad meal, Andy. Not too much seasoning thistime.'

'Don't change the subject, Mike.What have you got planned?'

'And spoil the surprise?'

'I don't like surprises. Whathave you done?'

A black cloud of oppressivesilence suddenly dominated the conversation.

'Okay. Why don't I show you whatwe have planned? Come with me.'

'Lead on.'

As Foreman was about to leave theroom, Susan grabbed his arm.

'Andy...'

'What?'

There was a pause. 'Nothing.'

Foreman kissed her and followedMitchum out of the kitchen.

'Andy,' said Mitchum. 'Before Ishow you what we've done, I'd like to show you something in the watertreatment room.'

'Can't it wait?'

'Hey. Humour me. Me and my teamhave sweat blood sorting this mess out. It'll only take a minute.'

'Whatever.'

Foreman followed Mitchum to thetreatment room. 'So. What am I looking at here?'

'This.'

Foreman turned to face the gun inhis ribs. 'Mike?'

'Why the hell didn't you just diewith the others, Foreman?'

'You?'

'Guilty. For what it's worth, Ifeel bad about killing you.'

'You feel bad. Imagine how Ifeel.'

'Why don't we step outside? I'dhate to damage any of the plant.'

'How very noble of you.'

'Out.'

Foreman walked out the door,feeling the gun digging in his spine.

'Keep walking.'

Foreman went into the middle ofthe jungle.

'That's far enough.'

'Okay. I've been living onborrowed time. I see that now. But I got a right to know why.'

Mitchum shrugged. 'Nothingpersonal. Just business. Actually, I like you. I still have to killyou.'

'Thanks. I always wanted to beshot by someone who liked me.'

'Last trip out here, we not onlyfound water, but we found also Marilium.'

'Never heard of it.'

'A new element recentlydiscovered on Earth. I mean, rare as. But for microprocessors insuper computers, priceless. It fetches unbelievable sums on Earth. Wewere digging the first bore and up came this shiny shit. Debbieanalysed it and bingo. Marilium.'

'So why not just come and get it?Why kill innocent people?'

'My sponsors. They saw thepotential right away. They could clean up, and me and my crew couldretire filthy rich. They just didn't want the chance of goofballslike you and your pals stumbling on to what we found.'

'You planted the explosives onthe ship?'

'Debbie did the deed. She's theexplosive expert. You just decided not to die. Something I'm about tocorrect.'

'Tell me something. Does Susanknow about all this?'

'We all do. She's a sweet girl.She decided before she even met you, you would go out with a bang, soto speak. Generous to a fault that girl.'

'Remind me to thank her.'

'Sorry, Andy. This is where itends. If you have some kind of god, this might be a good time to sayhi.'

'Let him go, Mike.'

'Susan. I told you to keep out ofthis.'

'Three people have already died.Let Andy go.'

'He knows too much. When a rescueship gets here, they'll soon work out how they died. We'll get rid ofForeman's body out in the desert, somewhere. Then nobody can link itto us. It's the only way.'

Foreman said, 'But how can you goback to Earth with a war going on?'

'There is no war, Andy. Weintercepted your radio signals. I pretended to be Cadet Farley. Youhaven't been able to reach Earth because we blocked you. We finishedthe water job simply as a cover. If anyone suspects us, they will seethe work we've done. We'll tell them we didn't find anyone on thebase when we got here and didn't find the crashed ship. You're justthe last part to clear up.'

Susan said, 'Mike. There has tobe another way.'

Hancock, Giavani, and Warnerdecided to join them.

'Tell Mike not to do this,'pleaded Susan. 'Debbie.'

'I was the one who planted theexplosive. More than any of of us, I'm the most responsible for whathappened. I'll be the one banged up for life. We all will. Foremanhas to die.'

'Pete?'

'Debbie's right.'

'Joe?'

'He's a loose end.'

'See?' said Mitchum. 'It's almostunanimous. None of you need to see this. Go away and let me do what Ihave to do.'

'Drop the gun, Mitchum.' For abig man, Commander Storme could move like a cat. From the surroundingjungle, twenty armed men appeared.

'Where the hell did you...'Mitchum gasped.

'One of our agents on the moonfound out your plan. We were too late to stop the murders, but we'vebeen tracking you for months. Drop the gun, Mitchum.'

Mitchum grabbed Foreman aroundhis neck and pointed the gun to his head. 'We're walking out of here.Follow us and I'll shoot Foreman.'

Storme shrugged. 'Go ahead andshoot him. I'm still taking you in.'

'Hey!' said Foreman.

Susan stepped forward. 'Drop thegun, Mike. It's all over. Let Andy go.'

'No. I'm getting out of here.'

Susan ran at him but the singleshot from Mitchum's gun brought her down. She fell at Foreman's feet.Storme was about to make a move when from the trees above, a wellaimed pineapple crashed down onto Mitchum's head. The gun fell out ofhis hand and he dropped like a stone. Monkley climbed down and jumpedup into Foreman's arms.

'Thanks, pal.'