The Agathon: Reign of Arturo by Colin Weldon Read Free Book Online

hell does that mean?” she said, “Also why did you allow yourself to be put in here, you could have easily resisted and nobody could have done a thing?”
    “There is significant tension amongst the crew, Carrie. A confrontation at this time would not be useful for anyone. It is important that nerves calm on board this vessel,” he said.
    She had to admit it made sense. God knows what would have happened if they had started firing pulse rifles at the creature.
    “What do I even call you?” she asked, “Do you have a name?”
    “A name?” he said turning his head.
    “Yes, a name. Doctor Tyrell is the name of the man’s body you inhabit” she said.
    “Ah yes,” he smiled, “What I am would be unpronounceable by your species. Besides, I quite like Tyrell, don’t you?”
    “Please answer my questions, Doctor,” she said.
    She looked into his black eyes and opened up her mind to his trying to pierce the barrier that he had firmly in place. She couldn’t get in. She had felt the connection of whatever was standing in front of her long before it had taken control of Tyrell. She could hear it calling to her while it was still a pool of black organic liquid in a dark cave on the Martian surface.
    “We need to get off this ship,” he said stepping closer to the glass. Carrie took a step back.
    “What? Why?” she asked, “What are you?”
    “It is not safe for you here,” he said.
    “I am not going anywhere with you until you answer my questions,” she said.
    Tyrell stared at her and she stood silently waiting.
    “I am part of that which is left. By your understanding of time the others left the world you call Mars over ten millions years ago to fight the great war. They left us to guard it promising they’d return. They did not. We must find the others. You are the key,” he said.
    “You’re not making any sense, Doctor. Who is we?” she asked, “You are an individual.”
    Tyrell frowned.
    “Carrie, we have to leave this ship. You have to come with me to the others. There you will find the answers,” he said.
    Carrie suddenly felt a sense of danger coming from the man standing in front of her. She was about to press him when the door to the brig opened and her father walked in. He looked angry. He stopped and looked at her.
    “Step away from the glass, Doctor Tyrell, or whatever the hell you are,” he said forcefully.
    “Father, wait, I need to speak to him,” she said raising her hand to him. He walked over to her and pressed a control pad next to the wall. The glass wall on the brig suddenly turned to a frosted grey obscuring Tyrell, so that only a dark shadow could be seen. He stood in front of Tyrell’s unmoving silhouette and looked coldly at Carrie. It was the same look he used to give her when she was about to be scolded as a little girl. She stepped away from the glass. Her father looked at her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
    “Please, Carrie,” he said, “I need to speak to him.”
    She reluctantly nodded looking into the eye he had left. It looked weary. The black temporary patch that covered the empty socket looked worn.
    “Yes, father,” she said moving past him towards the door. She looked back at him as he touched the control panel turning the frosted glass clear again. Tyrell was still standing there. He looked at her and nodded.
    See you soon
, he told her in her mind.

    John Barrington looked at Tyrell as the doors to the brig hissed shut behind Carrie. He turned and grabbed a chair that was behind him and slowly placed it in front of the glass. He sat slowly and stretched out his back. He crossed his legs and took a deep breath pulling his eye patch up momentarily and attending to an itch that had taken up residence just under his empty eye socket.
    “Busy day,” he said to Tyrell.
    “Indeed,” Tyrell responded moving away from the glass and taking a seat on the small single bed behind him.
    “Okay, let’s have it,” Barrington said.
    “Captain?” Tyrell