Look up, and you see things flying
Between the day and the night.
‘Bat’, D.H. Lawrence
Colonel White was peering through the transparent walls of the observation tubes, mesmerised by the dark clouds of flying mammals that swooped all around Cloudbase.
Bats. Bats everywhere he was looking, and as far as his eyes could see.
White had heard of such swarms of bats. He had seen documentaries about them, leaving their caves at dusk and filling the sky as they went hunting for their favourite prey – insects, that they gobbled up by the hundreds. He had heard of them, yes, but he had never seen so many... Oh yes, he had seen the occasional lonely bat, and he remembered that small family of tiny individuals that lived in the ruins of that old church in Kent, not far from his late aunt Amelia’s home. But this many? He never had witnessed it himself. And it was truly impressive to see.
There must have been thousands upon thousands of them – no, more like hundreds of thousands upon hundreds of thousands. They really were far too numerous to count. In fact, there was so many of them that in many places, they were literally blocking out the starry sky and the light coming from the moon.
And to top this, it was Halloween night – where, he had found out from past experiences, the most outlandish things were bound to happen.
“Bats flying at 25,000 feet,” Colonel White said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “That certainly is not natural.” To get a better assessment of the situation, he had asked for Cloudbase to lower down to a height just a few hundred feet over the flying creatures. In retrospect, that wasn’t the wisest of moves, as the bats had soon reached the same height and were now flying dangerously close to the carrier, making it almost impossible for it to move safely.
Cloudbase was just hovering there, completely surrounded by bats.
White wondered now why the bats had come so close to Cloudbase. What could have attracted them this way? That, too, didn’t seem natural.
“I smell Mysteron activities.” The colonel looked over his shoulder, in the direction of his junior officers who were standing in front of his desk. There were Captain Scarlet and Captain Blue, next to one another. Captain Ochre was a little behind, and Captain Magenta stood not far from Lieutenant Green who, as usual, was at his station, checking information on his console. Captain Grey was off-base, stationed at Spectrum London, and at the moment, quite unable to return to Cloudbase.
“From what I was able to find, the highest bats have been known to fly is about 10,000 feet,” Green said. “And apparently, that would be a rather rare occurrence. So yes, 25,000 feet is somewhat away from their usual flying zone, sir.”
White harrumphed. Of course, I should have guessed... “Captain Scarlet?” he called loudly. Startled, Scarlet almost snapped to attention. “Do you feel anything amiss regarding these creatures?”
“Er... I admit I still do not feel anything unusual, sir,” Scarlet replied, rather uncertainly. “I don’t feel any Mysteron activity. My sixth sense isn’t tingling.” He bit his lower lip, but it was too late to keep the words from coming out. He could hear Ochre trying hard not to snigger too conspicuously. In fact, Scarlet blamed him for his constant teasing about his ability to feel a Mysteron presence and comparing it to that a ‘tingling spider sense’.
Colonel White’s brow raised in a questioning fashion. Scarlet couldn’t imagine his commander could have picked up the reference.
He was wrong.
“You are not a wallcrawling super-hero, Captain,” White said quietly. “And it’s common knowledge that your ‘sixth sense’ is not always reliable. That is, it doesn’t always pick up Mysteron danger.”
“Yes, sir,” Scarlet confirmed. “I mean – you’re right, sir.”
“In any case,” White continued almost under his breath, “it would be the wrong character. Runaway bats would be more related to Batman.”
Scarlet blinked and exchanged confused glances with Captain Blue. Did Colonel White just make some kind of a joke? At a time like this?
“You can stop snorting, Captain Ochre,” White said, frowning at the American officer who was smiling idiotically behind Scarlet. “And wipe that smirk off your face.”
Ochre swallowed up his chortle. “Yes, sir.”
White turned to Green. “Situation report, Lieutenant.”
Green cleared his throat, before speaking: “The first bats appeared in the sky over Houston, about two hours after dusk,” he explained, reading from his screen. “They were flying at an altitude of 10,000 feet when they were first picked up by radar – that’s telling how huge the swarm already was at the time. Since then, their number kept increasing, and they kept flying higher and higher – and soon, they found themselves in the path of flying aircraft.”
“One US military Diamondback craft from Ellington Airport and one civilian craft bound for Houston George Bush International already encountered the swarm,” Captain Magenta added, having read the screen as well. “The bats crossed their path so suddenly, the pilots couldn’t avoid it. The damage caused to the civilian craft was such that it was forced to make an emergency landing at the airport it had just left, nearly missing the runway. The military craft, however...” Magenta shook his head, “... was not as lucky.”
“The pilot didn’t eject?” Blue asked.
“He did,” Green replied. “But he ended up right in the middle of the bats, and they destroyed his parachute. Possibly not intentionally, but the result was the same. He didn’t survive.”
“Now all planes in the area have been grounded,” Magenta said. “There’s no air traffic at the moment over Texas and its bordering States. Incoming and outgoing flight to any airport in that area have been cancelled or delayed indefinitely. It’s been like this for hours.”
“I know,” White groused. “The World President’s been calling me nearly every hour, demanding we do something about it.”
“Why?” Scarlet asked, obviously puzzled.
“Let me make an educated guess,” White said. He started counting on his fingers. “Planes grounded for hours, no flight activities in this part of the world, people transport and freight transport paralysed, travel made impossible from one place to the other, economy going down...”
“All that in only a few hours?” Scarlet frowned, showing his doubt.
“And more, probably,” White confirmed. “U.S. Air Force is nervous that Bereznik or any other rogue nation would take the opportunity to send in spy drones. U.S. President Roberts has been calling me as well. Every other hour.”
“Spy drones wouldn’t be able to fly through those bats anymore than any commercial flight,” Scarlet replied.
“Maybe they would, if they were small enough,” Blue commented. “And let’s face it, they would be well hidden among them.”
“Maybe,” White concurred. “President Roberts even contemplated the possibility that some of these bats might be equipped with cameras.”
“Oh, come on,” Scarlet almost snapped. “How more ludicrous could that be?”
“Well, in view of President Roberts’ past experience with the Mysterons, can you really blame him?” Ochre said. “Remember, he just avoided being murdered by an explosive bottle of Champagne – and I would say that sounds rather ludicrous, when you say it that way!”
“What do they expect us to do against those bats?” Scarlet continued. “We certainly can’t shoot them one by one.”
“Symphony’s certainly willing to,” Blue commented quietly, much to Scarlet’s surprise. “Just before she took her station in Angel One, she told me it would be perfect payback for the time one of them got caught in her hair when she was ten.”
“Bats catching in hair?” Ochre said, stifling a chortle. “I thought that was only a myth.”
“Not according to Symphony.”
“Whatever,” White cut in suddenly, trying to get his officers back to serious business. “Aside from the fact that these creatures are disturbing local flights, they could be a threat. Even for Cloudbase.”
“Surely, that’s impossible,” Scarlet said. “They’re so small...”
“But there are so many of them,” Blue replied. “Think for a moment what could happen if a number of these things were sucked into the hover combines?”
“Yeah, it could be bye-bye Cloudbase,” Ochre said, almost rolling his eyes. “Remember what happened with those planes that encountered them before we arrived. That could happen to us.”
“Not a reassuring thought,” Magenta said.
“Actually,” Lieutenant Green corrected them, “I don’t think that they could be sucked into the hover combines. They are well protected, enough so to stop small debris or even the smallest of birds getting in. These bats...” he pointed to the observation tubes, “... Are way bigger.”
“Nevertheless,” Colonel White replied. “These creatures are enough of a nuisance to stop us from moving freely and safely. And they’re blocking radars, making us sitting ducks for an attack.”
“We wouldn’t see any approaching missiles or craft before it’s too late to stop them,” Green confirmed.
“So do we send the Angels out?” asked Magenta.
“That could be even more dangerous for them,” White retorted. “Our Angel craft are about the size of a Diamondback interceptor – and we know how it ended for the one that met this swarm of flying rodents. I know our pilots are very skilled and that they might probably avoid them, but I want to know if there isn’t another possible solution – failing that, I want to make sure the Angels can be launched without any danger to them. And the best way to do that is by learning a little more about our current... opponents.”
“The bats,” Scarlet said somberly.
White nodded. He waved towards the observation tube. “I don’t know about you, but outside of finding bats utterly repulsive, I don’t know a lot about these creatures. We need to learn about this phenomenon out there.”
“Repulsive?” Magenta said thoughtfully. “They’re not all repulsive, sir. I once had a friend who had a pet bat, and it was rather cute.”
“If it was someone from the time you were in the mob, that tells a lot about his taste in pets,” Ochre said, with a teasing smile.
“Before you arrived in the Control Room,” White continued, ignoring Ochre’s reply, “I asked Lieutenant Green to find an expert on the subject of bats, to give us the information we need.”
“An expert on bats?” Ochre repeated. “That exists?”
“Apparently so,” White answered, repressing a sigh.
“His name is Graff Orlock,” Green explained, checking the information on his console. “He’s Romanian, but at the moment lives in the United States – Seattle to be exact. He is attached to various organisations in the area, such as the Woodland Park Zoo, and currently conducts bat studies in Washington State. I wasn’t able to reach him, but I left a message that he should call back urgently.”
“Graff Orlock?” Ochre echoed, frowning.
“You know him?” White asked.
“Erm... not exactly, sir, but the name is oddly familiar... Now where did I hear that name...”
While Ochre was seemingly trying hard to search his memories, Lieutenant Green’s console chimed and the young communication officer took a call before turning his seat towards his superior officer:
“Colonel White, That’s Doctor Orlock, contacting us just now. He’s waiting for a video call with us.”
“Speak of the devil,” White said.
“Wasn’t there a movie called ‘Devil Bat’?” Blue asked Scarlet, talking in a lower voice.
“Ask Ochre,” Scarlet replied in the same tone. “He’s the movie buff.”
All too happy to have the input of a serious expert, White ignored the exchange, and quickly walked to his desk to take his seat. And not a moment too soon, he thought.
“Patch him through, Lieutenant.” He pressed a few buttons on his desk, and four stools emerged from the floor for the captains who took their places. The colonel then turned around to face the giant screen behind his desk.
As he sat down, Ochre snapped his fingers, suddenly recalling. “I’ve got it! Graff Orlock, that’s the name of Nosfera –”
An image appeared onscreen, interrupting him. Colonel White, and his men with him, almost did a double take at the sight of the man showed to them. He was small, with an emaciated and very pale face and receding hair; but what was really astonishing about him was the old-fashioned way he was dressed: he looked exactly like a two-centuries-old vampire, complete with a high collar and a cape. After Ochre’s revelation a second before, the outlandish sight of this man sent an involuntary shiver down the colonel’s spine.
“Colonel White!” he said with a strong Romanian accent and an amiable smile, which showed overgrown fangs emerging from his upper lip. He cleared his throat, almost choking himself. “One second, please...” he added in a strangled voice.
He inserted his fingers into his mouth and removed the fangs, which were obviously fake.
“Ah, that’s better... Sorry about my appearance – I was at a Halloween party when I received the urgent message that I should call you right away.”
White breathed out. Well, that explains everything... He glanced back at his officers behind him. They seemed as relieved as he was, although Captain Ochre currently looked a little green around the gills...
Nosferatu indeed, Colonel White thought, not without amusement.
“Halloween party, sir?” he inquired with curiosity, turning back to Orlock.
“Why yes! This is a costume I wear often during these parties,” the little man continued. Unlike his teeth, the accent obviously wasn’t fake. It was as thick as peanut butter. “What, with my chosen profession, and my name... You don’t get to choose your name, do you, I blame my mother for that choice – but it does provide a few laughs. Anyway, I told my colleagues here in Seattle about the costume, and they begged me to wear it at the party...”
Time to cut that short, White thought. It seemed to him this Doctor Orlock liked a little too much to talk, or to hear himself talking.
“Doctor Orlock,” he interrupted him, “I’m sorry to have disturbed you during your party, but we are in dire need of your expertise.”
“So I’ve been told in the message your aide left me,” Orlock answered.
You understand this is confidential conversation. Are you alone and free to talk?"
“Yes,” Orlock replied with a nod. The party is in my hotel. I returned to my room as soon as I received your message. I’m indeed well aware that Spectrum deals with... sensitive subjects. May I say it’s good to see you again, Colonel?”
White narrowed his eyes. “I’m sorry... Do we know each other?”
“Why yes,” answered the man, putting on small glasses as he did so. He was starting to look less like a vampire, though the costume was still a distraction. “We met around two years ago – shortly after the first encounter with the Mysterons? You must remember – Spectrum requested a team of experts to studies their various abilities? I was part of that team. Of course, I can understand you not remembering me specifically – there were so many people.”
Colonel White nodded absently. He did remember the event in question. However, he simply couldn’t recall the man who obviously was lost in the large group of very proficient scientific minds the World Government had garnered to help Spectrum figure out what exactly made the Mysterons tick. Quite frankly, right at this moment, he was wondering why an expert on bats actually found himself in their number. He couldn’t care less though, but there was certainly a very important fact that immediately came to his mind.
“Does that mean, Doctor, that you are well-informed of the Mysterons’ true nature?”
“That they are aliens from Mars?” the little man said. “Yes, of course I know – we were told right from the start. How else would we have been able to help Spectrum out at the time, if we had not been told? Oh, and don’t worry: as instructed, I didn’t tell a soul about it. Why, such a revelation – that might have sent a wave of panic over the population of Earth.”
White nodded again. Indeed, those were the instructions given to all those scientists who had been called at the time, and they were all sworn to secrecy. The World Government had gone further, actually. The true nature of the Mysterons was to be considered a state secret. Divulgation of such a secret would make the culprit guilty of treason and liable to prosecution. In any case, who would believe such a tale without actual proof? And the World Government and Spectrum made very sure that no-one would be able to go away with such proof.
Fortunately, as far as Colonel White knew, the people involved had kept the secret about it all. All the same, the Spectrum commander would have preferred that a memory-wipe serum would have been available so to ensure that no-one would be tempted to break the secret.
Alas, using such serum, in this day and age, wasn’t without consequences for the patient, and the World Government wasn’t about to risk losing some of its most brilliant minds in doing so.
White knew; he had asked the question.
“You do realise, sir,” he sternly stated, “that you are held to the same level of secrecy in this current affair?”
“Of course, I do. Don’t worry, I’ll keep quiet about it. So... I’m right in thinking it’s about the Mysterons again?”
White preferred not to answer. “I understand, sir, that you are an expert on bats,” he said instead.
“Yes,” Orlock answered, showing some amount of pride. “I’m actually the World’s leading expert in chiropterology.”
“Chiropterology?” White echoed.
“Why, that’s what the study of bats is called, Colonel,” Orlock explained. “I’m also the World’s most active campaigner in the preservation of this often misunderstood and oh-so-useful little mammal – you did know that bats are mammals, Colonel?”
“Erm... Yes, I do know that fact.”
“And that they’re useful creatures as well? Did you know that one single little bat can consume up to 4,000, maybe even 5,000 bugs, mosquitoes and insects of all kinds in only one night?”
“That many?” Magenta mused. “Well, I didn’t know that.”
“I did,” Blue chimed in, with Ochre and Scarlet nodding to the affirmative.
“Doctor Orlock,” Colonel White started.
“Exactly, that many!” Orlock continued promptly, seemingly not hearing the Spectrum commander. “They are nocturnal animals, and they hunt by night...”
“You said that already,” Captain Scarlet commented. He exchanged glances with Blue. “At least I think you did.”
“You might be wondering – how are they able to hunt these tiny bugs at night,” Orlock quickly added. “Indeed, contrary to general belief, bats are not blind. They see quite well in the dark. Much better than you and I. And in addition to that, they use echolocation – using ultrasound signals to find their way.”
“Like dolphins,” Ochre added quickly.
“And whales,” Magenta added.
“And owls,” Scarlet put in.
White glared at his officers. It was a look that meant ‘Please do not encourage him.’
But it was too late. Orlock was on a roll; White didn’t even have time to open his mouth to interrupt him before the little man was speaking again.
“No, I’m afraid owls don’t use echolocation, my young sir. They have highly developed hearing – ”
“Doctor Orlock,” Colonel White tried again. He was starting to lose patience.
“Although I must admit it is very close to echolocation, and I can understand the confusion some people would make. Did you know – ”
“Doctor Orlock, please,” Colonel White interjected suddenly, raising his voice to stop the over-enthusiastic scientist in the middle of his discourse. “I have no doubt this is all very interesting. However, we are pressed for time and I would appreciate it if you would content yourself with answering a few questions – without launching into a long lecture. This would really be appreciated.”
Orlock seemed to take offense at the interruption. He opened his mouth, ready to protest, but then caught sight of the colonel’s uncompromising expression; even his men behind him were keeping silence, seemingly subdued. Orlock cleared his throat and swallowed up the rightful objection he was about to voice. This colonel didn’t look like the kind of man it was wise to antagonise.
“I’m listening,” he said, at last restrained.
“How high can a bat fly?” White asked.
“You mean the highest?” At White’s nod, Orlock answered: “Well, some species can go as high as approximately 10,000 feet...”
White nodded. That confirmed Green’s earlier statement. “No higher than that?” he insisted. “How about 25,000 feet?”
Orlock seemed startled by the question. “Twenty-five thousand – ” He considered it for a brief moment. “Well, there are some insects which can fly around 15... 20,000 feet. The alpine bumblebee can reach 30,000, for that matter. Insects are the bat’s main food... I suppose with the right impetus... Like a huge swarm of flies going that high... and riding on ascending air currents... bats could follow and potentially reach 20,000 feet at the most – not 30,000 feet.” He smiled thinly. “Alpine bumblebees are not on bats’ menu, after all.”
“You would say that finding bats at 25,000 feet would be unnatural, then?” White persisted.
Orlock sighed. “That would be impossible. Why would they go that high? There would not be much food for them up there. It’s already far-fetched thinking they would go up to 20,000 feet to begin with. Not only could they not hunt sufficient food, but the oxygen is thinner, so is the air-density.”
“Can you ascertain that?”
Orlock sighed again, a little more deeply. This colonel looked like an intelligent fellow. Why was he so insisting on that subject? What was it that he didn’t understand exactly?
“Colonel, the Rüppell’s griffon vulture, living in Kenya, is the creature on this planet which flies the highest. It can reach heights of 37,000 feet. And it’s not because there is prey for him to catch that high: it has exceptional eyesight and instead of flying long distances to find something to eat, it uses elevation to scan the field below. Bats don’t act that way: they don’t fall on insects from a high altitude like a bird of prey.”
“How fast are they?”
“Vultures?”
“No – bats.” White’s patience was starting to wear thin again.
“They’re incredibly fast flyers. The Mexican free-tailed bat can reach a speed of 160 kilometers per hour.”
Captain Blue whistled. “That’s fast all right.”
“Wouldn’t a swarm of bats bump into each other at such a speed?” Scarlet asked.
Orlock swiftly corrected him: “It’s a ‘colony’, not a ‘swarm’. And no, they wouldn’t. They’re very capable flyers, thank you very much. Even more so than birds. And with their echolocation, they know exactly where the rest of the colony stands around them. You should see thousands of bats flying in perfect wave formations in the sky. That is a beautiful sight. Really fascinating creatures, bats.”
White glanced towards the observation tube. He could still see the bats beyond the thick glass, flying all around. “I’ll take your word for it,” he answered, not without irony. “So a colony of bats would take flight all together... by the thousands?”
“Well, to be frank, depending of the species of bats, a colony can range from a couple of dozens to a few hundreds,” Orlock admitted. “But there are maternity colonies which can reach thousands, or even thousands of thousands of individuals.”
“Maternity colonies?” Scarlet repeated, puzzled.
“Yes. Large groups of mostly female bats which temporarily leave their own colony to band together, in order to give birth, nurse and wean their pups, in a warm and secure place – which is called a roost site. That’s an instinctive process which facilitates reproduction. Females can fly thousands of miles to return back to their roost site. They normally do that in the summer.”
“And in the winter, they hibernate,” Captain Blue offered. He seemed pleased to offer that bit of information that he knew very well. He turned to Captain Scarlet who was shooting him an inquiring look. “One winter, we found a number of small bats, sleeping in the attic of our house in Boston,” he explained. “My sister, who was eight, was hysterical. Even more so when the specialist my father called said we had to leave them be and wait until Spring before we’d be able to get them out! I tell you, she didn’t return to that attic for nearly two years.”
Orlock shook his head. “Not all bats hibernate,” he said. “You probably had little brown bats or something similar in the attic of your house. They’re typical to Massachusetts climate. But in warmer climates, bats don’t often hibernate. They will hunt all year long. Why, that’s the case of the Mexican free-tailed bats, I mentioned earlier. As a matter of fact, the largest maternity colony of bats in the world is composed of 15 to 20 million free-tailed bats.”
“Twenty million?” White repeated, astounded.
“Usually.” Orlock’s expression became crestfallen. “To tell you the truth, there are far less than that at the moment... I’ve just received a call from a colleague of mine, telling me that most of the bats flew out of the cave earlier today and are nowhere to be found. It’s really a mystery. Normally, the bats will leave the cave around dusk to hunt in the immediate area... If you consider it would take up to four hours for such a number of bats to leave the cave – ”
“Where is that cave you’re talking about?” White interrupted, glancing towards the observation tube. He was starting to have a feeling about this mystery Orlock was talking about.
“Oh sorry – I thought I mentioned it. It’s the Bracken Cave Preserve, in Texas, near San Antonio.”
White twitched. “Lieutenant Green,” he said over his shoulder. “What is the distance between San Antonio and Houston?”
“Roughly two hundred miles, sir,” Green answered immediately. Obviously, the same suspicion had hit him at the same time as his commander and he had checked the information out as Orlock was speaking. “Or 320 kilometers.”
“Then that’s it,” White said. “The bats endangering flight traffic over Houston and those from the cave in San Antonio are the same.”
“Say that again, Colonel?” Orlock asked with puzzlement.
“We found your bats, Doctor. According to you, these bats can fly 160 kilometers per hour. It took them about two hours to reach the Houston area – and the first of them were noticed about two hours after dusk. More and more kept coming, and they are now flying at 25,000 feet, posing a threat to each and all aircraft in the area – including Cloudbase itself.”
Orlock scoffed. “Oh, come on, now. I already told you it’s impossible to –”
Suddenly, there was a crackling sound coming from the speaker, and a deep voice made itself heard, which covered Doctor Orlock’s voice:
“This is the voice of the Mysterons...”
“That figures,” Captain Scarlet muttered, rolling his eyes.
“We know that you can hear us, Earthmen...”
“Oh, get on with it,” Captain Blue hissed.
“You cannot hope to win against our current act of retaliation. Your inherent aggressive response to the unknown and your arrogant perception of your true place in your planet’s nature will be its downfall. Hear us, Earthmen... the wings of revenge will mark your end!”
Then the speakers grew silent, leaving the Spectrum officers looking at each other.
“What the hell was that?” Orlock enquired, his voice sounding uncomfortable.
Colonel White was sure that if the little man had not been wearing white make-up on his face, he would have visibly paled.
“That, Doctor Orlock, is the Mysterons’ latest threat,” the colonel answered blankly. “Not many people outside of Spectrum can claim having the dubious honour of hearing one of them. Our communication satellites intercept their messages before they can be picked by anyone on Earth.” He turned to his officers. “All the same, the message couldn’t be clearer: the ‘wings of revenge’ refer to these bats. We have to destroy them.”
Orlock reacted instantly to that declaration: “Are you insane, man?”
White glared at him with a murderous expression; his men grew so very quiet, that if there had been any fly within Cloudbase’s environment, it would have been possible to hear it. No-one would ever dare speak to the Old Man in such a way – at least, to their knowledge, no-one had, and ever lived to speak about it.
“I beg your pardon?” White icily replied.
“Colonel, you cannot kill those millions of bats,” Orlock answered quickly. “You’re obviously unaware of their tremendous importance in the North American ecosystem. They live in symbiosis with nature, and I don’t have to tell you, Colonel – humans are also a part of nature. Not only do bats eat bugs and various insects which are a nuisance to us, but they’re great pollinators for flowers and plants we eat, just the same as bees and small birds.”
“Doctor Orlock,” Colonel White said with a sigh, “I appreciate your impassioned plea in favour of these creatures, and I understand – ”
“No, you don’t,” Orlock interjected again.
White’s frown deepened. He was really trying to be patient with the little man, but the latter was making it really difficult.
“Humans are possibly the first to benefit from bats’ existence,” Orlock continued. “By eating millions upon millions of bugs, they perform a useful service to us: they save a wide variety of crops, which are essential to our survival. They lessen the use of chemical pesticides, which – I do not need to remind you – are not good for our general health and for the environment, are less and less approved of, and also cost a fortune. All that makes bats important to the economy as well; they’re worth billions, quite literally. We cannot afford to kill millions of bats just on a whim!”
“This is not a whim, Doctor,” Colonel White snapped, trying to keep his temper in check. “There are millions of bats out there, flying over Houston at 25,000 feet – and don’t tell me again it’s impossible, because I see them right now!”
“Bats don’t go flying at high altitude because they feel like it,” Orlock insisted. “There’s not enough insects that high to feed so many bats. There is no reason for them to go there.”
“Here’s the reason for them to go there: they are under the control of the Mysterons, who could do with them whatever they want. And what they want is to create chaos and destruction. That’s why these bats must be destroyed.”
Orlock scoffed disdainfully. “You military types are all the same,” he replied acerbically. “Your answer to every problem is to nuke it, even if it means destroying the world in the process.”
White breathed deeply, taking offence at this remark. He understood Orlock’s frustration, having had himself the dubious honour of facing the type of military people the scientist was referring to, and who were far too eager to use brute force whenever they could. Might is right, was the motto of Commander Ward, head of the Frostline Outer Space Defence System. That obtuse man was ready to launch nuclear missiles towards Mars when the Mysterons threatened his bases in Northern Canada. Such an act of retaliation would certainly have been catastrophic. However, Colonel White didn’t view himself as belligerent as Ward or some of his peers. He detested that kind of attitude. To the contrary, he liked to think that he would rather prefer a more benign, or even peaceful approach to a situation – whenever that was possible. He viewed it as some kind of a failure when he couldn’t think of a solution that didn’t automatically end up in violence.
But with the Mysterons, that was an option that wasn’t always possible, as he knew all too well.
And now, this obnoxious little man, with his holier-than-thou attitude, without knowing all the meanings and implications of a Mysteron attack, dared accuse the Spectrum commander of being exactly what he abhorred. White simply couldn’t accept Orlock’s insult for what it was – and he also couldn’t allow him to speak to him the way he did, in front of his officers. Why this was even more intolerable. If the man had been on Cloudbase, he would have had him evacuated immediately. But he was on the videophone, and the colonel toyed with the idea of simply terminating the conversation. However, that would be incredibly rude, wouldn’t it, and Colonel White disliked rudeness.
Maybe some... education was the best course of action.
“Doctor Orlock,” White said, trying his very best to regain his cool, “you did say earlier that you knew of the Mysterons’ true nature.”
“I did, yes,” Orlock confirmed. “But I don’t see – ”
“And you know as well of their fantastic ability that we call retrometabolism, I wager,” White interrupted swiftly, not wanting Orlock to go on a tangent.
“Retrometabolism,” Orlock repeated. “Yes, your Doctor Fawn explained that to us. The Mysterons have a way of recreating matter – living tissue or object – into an exact replicate, which are under their complete control. To say the truth, I found that very unbelievable, but...”
“... And you do know as well that in order to make these exact replicates, the Mysterons must destroy the originals?” White continued. “So you see, Doctor, we wouldn’t truly be destroying your bats, but their replicates. Unfortunately, your bats are already dead, possibly destroyed by the Mysterons. You cannot blame Spectrum for their destruction.”
“How can you be sure of that?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“How can you be so sure those bats over there are Mysteron replicates? You have no proof that they are. For all you know, they are indeed the real Bracken Cave bats the Mysterons are using.”
“Come on, Doctor, that argument is rather thin, don’t you think? As you said yourself – why would regular bats fly this high, for no reason?”
“Do you have a way to check if they are replicates?” Orlock insisted. “In the last two years, I’m sure Spectrum developed some kind of a device that can tell if you are facing a replicate or not?”
“Erm, yes, we do have that,” Colonel White confirmed. “But the application at the moment wouldn’t be very... practical.”
He couldn’t very well see how to use a Mysteron detector on these bats flying all around Cloudbase. First, he was sure that for anyone standing in the observation tube, the reinforced glass would be too thick for the device to be working efficiently. Secondly, for someone to stand outside, on deck, in order to make the test, that would be akin to suicide. They could be knocked off Cloudbase or torn down to pieces by millions of clawed wings, even if it was unintentional from the bats’ part. Thirdly, the creatures were really flying too fast to keep the focus on them long enough for the camera to focus and work properly. White didn’t want to lose a man in such a ridiculous way – not even Scarlet, who would be out of commission for a certain number of hours.
“That doesn’t matter anyway,” Orlock continued obstinately. “Even if these bats were replicates, they are exact copies, aren’t they? I couldn’t allow you to destroy them anymore than I would the real bats! Especially if the millions of original ones are dead. The replicates will... well... replace them.”
The colonel was starting to get annoyed with Orlock again. “Now, that’s just sheer stubbornness on your part, Doctor!”
“Now isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black, Colonel?”
Colonel White blanched; this time, that little weasel of a man had gone too far. He pointed a threatening finger at the videoscreen and was about to order Lieutenant Green to terminate the communication, when a calm voice, coming from behind, interrupted him before he could utter a single word:
“Colonel White, sir... If I may?”
Colonel White glanced over his shoulder. Captain Scarlet rose from his stool and took one step forward; he met his commander’s angry stare without flinching.
White considered; obviously, Scarlet had something on his mind which he thought was worth enough for him to speak out and interrupt this one-sided conversation between his inflexible commanding officer and the equally tenacious scientist – neither of which seemed ready to budge one inch.
Maybe Scarlet will be able to make this obnoxious little man see the light, the colonel thought. Let him try... We might still need Orlock’s help after all.
The Spectrum commander nodded, and Scarlet cleared his throat before addressing Orlock on the screen. The little man was still fuming. “Doctor Orlock, your colleague in San Antonio – ”
“Doctor Cordova.”
“Doctor Cordova, thank you. Did he mention if there were any dead bats in that cave where they live?”
“No... no more, than usual, that is. There’s always a few dead bats on the floor of the cave. But not that many. And none to suggest that the Mysterons might have destroyed millions in order to recreate them.” Orlock glared meaningfully in White’s way, sure that he was making a point.
“And none either in the general area?” Scarlet insisted.
“None at all. As I said – millions of bats simply disappeared, without any apparent trace. Obviously, to go flying about at 25,000 feet over Houston, however incredible it might actually be.” He glanced again in White’s way. The colonel had to fight himself not to roll his eyes.
“Ah-ha...” Scarlet slowly nodded his head, acknowledging Orlock’s answer. He had a pensive expression on his face, and was stroking his chin. White frowned, wondering what could possibly be on his mind.
“Will you excuse us a moment, Doctor?” Scarlet then said to Orlock.
He made a gesture to Green to cut the sound of the videophone, so that he could talk privately with his colleagues of Spectrum.
Colonel White swiveled his chair round to face his junior officer. “Colonel,” Captain Scarlet said, “I do believe these bats not to be Mysteronised. No remains of the original bats were found, and as you know, my sixth sense doesn’t pick them up as Mysterons.”
“Again, you mean your not so reliable sixth sense?” White replied coolly. “Possibly, the remains of the original bats have not been found yet. They will certainly be soon enough.”
“Colonel –twenty million dead bats?” Scarlet insisted carefully.
“Scarlet is right,” Blue then added in. “That certainly wouldn’t go unnoticed.”
White had to concede that. “All right. Then maybe these are the original bats, and not Mysteronised copies. We’re still faced with the same problem: they are obviously controlled by the Mysterons – somehow.”
“So we need to find out that ‘somehow’, in order to stop the Mysterons’ new threat – without killing these bats,” Scarlet said.
White’s lower lip twisted at these words. From the corner of his eye, he could see the image of Doctor Orlock on the videoscreen. While waiting until Spectrum addressed him again, the man seemed to be keeping busy: he was talking on the phone. “You really want to go into this too?” White asked Scarlet, almost warningly.
“Actually, sir,” Scarlet replied without flinching, “I was thinking of the Mysterons’ wording, and that kind of makes me think that we ought not to kill the bats.”
“I would have to agree with Scarlet on this one,” Ochre said in turn. “Why, their choice of words seems very specific. It’s like –”
“... Like they expected us to actually destroy those bats,” White finished, suddenly realising what his officers were telling him. He gave it some quick thought. If it really was what the Mysterons expected, then Spectrum ought not to kill the creatures. “Damn,” he muttered. “I think you’re right. So that changes everything then.”
“How are we supposed to deal with the situation, without killing those bats?” Magenta asked, doubtfully.
“The Mysterons certainly put us in it, this time,” Ochre muttered. “How in hell are we supposed to do that? That seems impossible!”
White glanced at the videophone. Orlock was putting his phone away, and was now looking his watch. Maybe he was growing impatient.
White sighed, and turned fully back to the screen. “Put the sound back up to the good doctor, Lieutenant. Seems we’ll still need his expertise, after all.”
“Done, sir,” Green replied, almost instantly.
“Doctor Orlock,” White said, and saw the little man turning his attention back to him. “We just discussed the situation between us... Let’s supposed these bats are not Mysteronised...”
“Ah!” said Doctor Orlock, with an expression of smug satisfaction on his face. “So you agree that it might be a possibility then!”
“They’re still obviously under Mysteron control,” White quickly added. “Else they would not have flown here, so far from their habitat, and at such a height, creating the chaos they’re currently doing.” He took a deep breath. He hated admitting he was wrong. “We think the Mysterons are expecting us to kill the bats; so all the more reason not to do exactly that. But if we are to stop them, we have to first understand how the Mysterons control them – and then we will have to figure out how to return them to their home.”
Orlock nodded thoughtfully. The smugness had left him; obviously, he was aware of how serious the situation was – and he was all all-too-happy to see that Spectrum was at least willing not to destroy his precious bats. “I gave some thought on the matter, while you were speaking with your officers,” he said. “There might be something that the Mysterons are using to control the bats.”
“What is it?” White asked. The information certainly was interesting.
“As I told you already, bats can emit and hear ultrasounds. There exist some devices... They use ultrasonic waves, at frequencies bats are attuned to, so to either repel – or attract them. But to attract such a large number of bats – millions all at once – you need a singularly powerful device. My colleague in San Antonio, Doctor Rafael Cordova, has developed a software which, once plugged into a computer equipped with the right equipment, would use specific ultrasound frequencies that might be used to herd bats. He calls it Chir-Echo.”
“Well, that does sound like something the Mysterons would use,” Magenta commented.
“Indeed,” White agreed.
“Doctor Cordova uploaded the software into the computer of an aircraft, equipped with external speakers which would project ultrasounds. Joaquim Moreno, Doctor Cordova’s assistant, flew the plane and made the tests with the software. Joaquim’s a proper pilot. Rafael couldn’t fly a plane if his life depended on it. The idea was to compel the bats to follow the plane, wherever it was going. That way, if there should come the need to, we would be able to use the plane and steer the bats out of a danger zone – or whatever place they ought not to be.”
“So I take it these tests were successful?” White asked.
“They were very much conclusive, yes. But they are not yet completed. Rafael still had some tests to do, in order to make sure everything works fine. But I was thinking – maybe we could use his plane to get the bats away from Houston? But in view of what’s happening now... I have now a suspicion.”
Blue became alert, suddenly understanding where the doctor was driving at. “Where’s that plane?” he asked. “And that pilot?”
“That’s just it. I just talked to Doctor Cordova... That was him on the phone a few minutes ago. He’s currently trying to call Joaquim. So far, he has not answered his phone. As for the plane, it’s stored in an aerodrome in San Antonio. I told Rafael to call there as soon as possible to make sure it’s okay, because at this point, I’m a bit concerned, you see. He’s meant to call and – ” Orlock was interrupted by a buzzing sound and he lowered his eyes to his phone. “Hang on, that must be him now.”
“Lieutenant Green,” the colonel then said, “can you take that call from Doctor Orlock’s phone and have Doctor Cordova join us on the videocall?”
“You can do that?” the surprised Orlock asked.
“If it is computerised, nothing is beyond Lieutenant Green’s ability.” White had barely said these words before the large videoscreen split in two and the face of a new man appeared on half of it, next to the half containing the image of Doctor Orlock. Cordova was in pajamas, and his dark hair was uncombed – which wasn’t surprising, considering it was late in the night in Texas, and that he more than likely had been awakened by the call of his colleague. However, he was very much awake – and more so, he appeared quite agitated.
“I don’t like the looks of it,” Scarlet muttered behind his commander.
“Hello? Who are you people?” Cordova asked, bewildered.
“Doctor Cordova, I am Colonel White of Spectrum, and these are my officers. We took the liberty of putting you in videoconference. Is there something the matter? You look as if something happened.”
“Something happened all right!” Cordova frantically announced. “Graff – you were right to advise me to call the aerodrome. I don’t know how you could have guessed something was wrong! The plane into which we upload the Chir-Echo software... it’s gone!”
“And your pilot, Moreno, he has not given any sign of life?” White asked.
“No... The personnel at the aerodrome told me that Joaquim came in, with all the required authorisation papers signed, and took the plane hours ago, fuelled at full capacity. I never signed any authorisation papers!”
“What a surprise,” muttered Blue.
“And I supposed that happened shortly before you realised the bats from the cave had gone?” Ochre added, matter-of-factly.
“Yes – how did you guess?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Ochre answered casually. “Experience in those sorts of things?”
“I’m trying to contact Joachim, using the plane’s onboard radio, but...”
“No answer, of course,” Magenta said, nodding to Ochre, who nodded back.
“You can stop trying, Doctor,” Colonel White said, addressing Cordova. “Let Spectrum take over.”
“Take over?” Cordova asked, confused.
“Do you suppose the Mysterons took control of Joaquim and his plane?” Orlock asked suddenly.
“I’m not supposing anything,” White grumbled. “I’m pretty sure that’s what happened.”
“The Mysterons?!” echoed Cordova. “What those terrorists have to do with anything? What’s going on?”
“Doctor Cordova, we are currently facing a Mysteron threat,” White explained. “It seems that, through your assistant, they stole your plane, and used your software to attract the Bracken Cave bats right into the sky over Houston – where they are causing havoc with air traffic.”
“A plane already crashed, another was damaged, and no-one is either able to take off, land or fly in the area,” Captain Scarlet added.
“Yes, Graff told me about this extraordinary tale of our disappeared bats being over Houston,” Cordova said, “And that you people are considering shooting them down.”
“He told you that, did he?” White icily replied, glaring in Orlock’s direction.
“I had to explain why Doctor Cordova needed to check the aerodrome,’ Orlock quickly defended himself. “But the situation has changed, Rafael. Spectrum is now willing to save our bats.”
“If that is at all possible,” White confirmed.
“Well, considering the disappearance of Joaquim and of my plane, it would seem he indeed could be behind this,” Cordova admitted.
“That would be a good bet, yes,” confirmed Captain Blue.
“I still can’t believe it, though. Why would Joaquim have aligned himself with these Mysterons? Why, they have quite a reputation – they’re monstrous, caring nothing for human lives or the safety of this planet, whatever their reasons for doing what they do.” He shook his head, disbelievingly. “I know Joachim had been kind of an environmental activist and that he committed some questionable actions in the past. But I thought he had grown out of that with time. By no means did I think he would turn extremist. And in any case, using Chir-Echo in the way he did, to attract the bats so far from their natural habitat, into such a busy flight-zone, that doesn’t help any case. That could be as damaging for bats than it would be for humans. What went through his head?”
“Maybe he’s not entirely responsible, Rafael,” Orlock suggested carefully.
“What? Do you mean these Mysterons would force him to do this? That he is some kind of hostage?”
Cordova didn’t notice the withering look White turned to Orlock who, on his part, didn’t miss any of it. “I don’t know,” Orlock quickly said, “It could be possible... Not that we can do anything about it, I’m afraid.”
“Doctor Cordova, you and your colleague’s knowledge might be helpful to us. But I must have your full collaboration – and receive your complete assurance that you will keep this whole situation completely confidential. You must consider this affair a World Government classified operation. Whatever the outcome, you must not tell anyone about any of this. I don’t have to tell you of the consequences if you do mention this to someone, be it the Press or a loved one.”
“Oh... Of course, not.” Cordova cleared his throat, and he added solemnly: “You can count on me, Colonel.”
White gave a brief nod, hoping Cordova would hold true to his word. At least, the man seemed more reliable than Orlock... And even disheveled and in pajamas, he was far more serious-looking than his colleague in his current attire. He also appeared to fully realise the seriousness of the situation much better than Orlock did.
At the very least, he didn’t seem as obsessed about bats as his counterpart.
“What are your intentions now, since you don’t want to destroy the bats?” Cordova asked.
“I’m afraid we’ll obviously have to destroy the plane.”
Cordova sighed. “I thought you would say that. Poor Joaquim. Isn’t there anything we can do to spare him?”
“I don’t see how, unfortunately,” White replied. He liked Cordova, who showed obvious consideration towards his fellow human beings – contrary to Orlock who had demonstrated from the start where his preference was.
“Can we launch the Angels safely into that swarm of bats?” Blue asked.
“Colony,” Ochre corrected him, before Doctor Orlock himself could do it.
Blue glared viciously at him and White almost rolled his eyes. Of course, Symphony Angel was in Angel One, and Blue was understandably worried, as his commander mentioned earlier, that the three Angel craft might suffer the same fate as the US military craft earlier that night. The colonel was still worried about that. That was why he wasn’t really considering launching the Angels just right now.
“We could use Cloudbase’s own defence artillery,” Scarlet quickly suggested.
“It’s not as accurate as an air strike from the Angels,” White said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “But that’s certainly an option.” The artillery, he thought, would take out a lot of bats along with the plane. He didn’t voice that. He already could see in his mind the scene playing out if Orlock learned about this possibility...
“We must locate the plane first,” Blue remarked. “And hidden amongst these bats, it’s not that easy to find.”
“That’s true,” Lieutenant Green confirmed. “The radar’s on the fritz. It can’t pick up an aircraft within the swarm of bats.”
“Colony,” Scarlet and Blue corrected in unison.
“The Angels would certainly have more chance of finding it,” White said, frowning with slight irritation. “But how to launch them safely into that sw... into that colony, that would be the question.” Something occurred to him. “Would destroying the plane stop its control over the bats?” he asked in a thoughtful voice.
“Well, to be exact, the plane does not control the bats,” Cordova replied. “The Chir-Echo emits a signal that they feel compelled to follow. If the signal is disabled, the bats will stop following the plane.”
“However,” Orlock added quickly, “considering they’re in an unknown environment, they will be very much confused. They will fly needlessly around... Until they drop out of exhaustion.”
“So that doesn’t resolve the problem entirely,” White said grimly. He stroked his chin again. “It seems an ecological catastrophe is what the Mysterons are after.” He frowned, as something else occurred to him. “Hang on... if the software attracts the bats to the plane – how can the plane actually fly amongst them without danger of crashing into any?”
“That’s because Chir-Echo is equipped with another option which does exactly prevent the bats from bumping into the plane flying amongst them,” Cordova explained. “You see, the software can emit another ultrasonic signal which makes the bats ‘make way’ for the craft, if you will.”
“Oh, I see!” Orlock said with enthusiasm. “You based that idea on the bats’ hunting echolocation jamming capacity?”
“Yes, the frequency of the Chir-Echo software is quite similar to that,” Cordova confirmed.
“How extraordinary!” Orlock said, turning to face Colonel White. “You see, Colonel, I told you bats were amazing creatures! This is another of their astounding abilities. While hunting for insects, a bat can momentarily ‘block’ the echolocation signal from a competing hunting bat, while they’re both about to attack the same prey, and – ”
“Yes, yes, that’s very interesting, Doctors,” White interrupted swiftly. “I don’t really need all the details. What really interests me right now is to know if it would be possible for this software to be installed on our interceptors, so they can navigate through the bats and find Moreno’s plane.”
“It can be installed on any craft, provided its computer is linked to external speakers, which could emit ultrasonic frequencies,” Cordova answered.
“The Angel craft have that,” Captain Ochre confirmed, nodding slowly.
“Can you provide us with that software?” White asked again.
“Of course,” said Cordova. “I can upload it to you right away.”
“Lieutenant Green will take it over from here, and will make the proper arrangements. Hang on a few minutes, I’ll put the two of you on hold, the time for me to give my instructions.” White put the communication on mute, and turned to his communication officer. “Lieutenant, when Doctor Cordova sends his software, follow the usual procedure for secure download. I certainly do not want the Mysterons to pull a fast one on us and have a virus downloaded onto Cloudbase’s computer.”
“It goes without saying, sir,” Green replied. He kept himself from rolling his eyes. Why, did the colonel think him a complete amateur? In any case, Cloudbase’s computer wouldn’t allow any download without a proper check-up routine.
The old man’s probably getting miffed by the whole affair, Green thought. His fingers were working on his computer, sending an upload link for Cordova to use. It wasn’t long before a beeping sound from his console informed the young man that the transmission was about to begin. Green launched the security check. The software was clean.
“The software is coming, sir,” Green announced. “I’ll have it in a minute or two.”
“Perfect, Lieutenant. Will you require assistance?”
“I should be all right – but if Captain Magenta can give me a hand, it’ll might be faster to upload it to all three Angel craft.”
“Captain Magenta...”
“On it, sir.” Magenta left his stool and strode to Green’s station. Each of the two men put on an earpiece, equipped with a mic, so they would be able to individually work without distracting each other.
White activated the sound of the videoscreen to address his guests: “Doctor Cordova, we’ll be able to install the software onto the Angels’ computers in a couple of minutes. Do you have special instructions for setting it up?”
“No, everything will be ready to use once installed. Your pilots must turn on the jamming capacity before taking off, so it would be operational once the craft are in the air.”
“Can they use that same software to pick up the location of Moreno’s plane?” Scarlet asked.
“I don’t see how to...”
“Easy,” Lieutenant Green then interjected. “We can pick up the frequency used by the herding signal and trace it back to its source.”
“Brilliant!” Cordova said, obviously impressed by this simple but effective solution. “Yes, that would certainly work!”
“Is the software installed onto the Angels computers, Lieutenant?” White asked.
“Just finishing installation, sir,” Green confirmed. “Angel One, upload and installation complete.”
“Angel Two completed as well,” Magenta announced. “And here’s Angel Three – installation all completed, sir.”
“Then launch all Angels!”
“S.I.G., sir!”
“Their mission: to hunt Moreno’s plane, and to shoot it down.” White marked a pause, almost for drama. “Without, if that is all possible, hurting any of the bats.” It was his turn to look at Orlock in a meaningful way, making a point of showing that he indeed had the creatures’ wellbeing at heart.
But Orlock had not said his last word yet.
“Excuse me,” the Romanian expert said, raising his hand while Lieutenant Green turned to his console and gave the launch order. “This is all very well, but... how do you propose to return the bats to Bracken Cave, once the plane is destroyed? I don’t really know how they would be able to fly back home by themselves.”
“That’s right,” Cordova added, somberly. “It’s a long way from Houston to Bracken Cave. They already flew a great distance to get where they are... and they’ve been up in the air for a long time.”
“The poor dears...” Orlock said sadly. “And such a height too, which is completely unnatural for them. They must be very tired, and cold because of the altitude, and quite hungry, because of the lack of food. They probably won’t have the strength to make it back to Bracken Cave. They might die out there, and fall from the sky – and we will yet be faced with another ecological catastrophe.”
“Not to mention dead bats all over the streets of Houston,” Ochre added under his breath.
Scarlet was the only one to hear him; he shushed him discreetly, but at the same time, found it difficult to hide a smile, or to smother a brief chuckle.
“How about we use Cloudbase?” Captain Blue suggested, attracting everyone’s attention to him.
“What?” Ochre and Scarlet asked in unison.
“Whatever do you mean, Captain?” White, unsure if he had heard properly.
“Sir, like the Angels, Cloudbase is equipped with the necessary equipment for using Doctor’s Cordova’s software. We can install it onto Cloudbase’s computer – and then use its herding signal to attract the bats’ attention.”
“Say, that’s an idea,” Cordova approved. “Once you have found the frequency used by the plane, and track it to its source, you can use the software to jam that signal – long enough for your Cloudbase to send its own herding signal, which will immediately attract the bats’ attention.”
“But the bats will still be too tired to follow any craft back home,” Orlock protested again. “At this point, they’re still be too tired - even to simply land down somewhere closer. And what, if they should land in Houston, they would certainly not be safe.”
“Well, I wasn’t exactly thinking of using Cloudbase in a herding capacity,” Blue replied, with a thin smile. “Ours is a large carrier. Large enough for tired bats to land on it, or hang on to its parts, in order to rest.”
Colonel White was astounded. “Are you seriously suggesting that, Captain?”
“Actually, sir, I don’t see any other possible solution.”
“Will they be smart enough to consider landing on Cloudbase?” Scarlet asked sceptically.
“You’d be surprised how smart they are, young man!” Orlock replied quickly.
“Bats are very intelligent,” Cordova confirmed. “And they are tired. They will look for a place to land.”
“We would be using Cloudbase as a... bat nursery?” White said with a frown, unconvinced.
“The idea is... potentially sound,” Scarlet said, thinking about it. “If the bats do what you suggest, Blue.” And that’s also kind of amusing, he added inwardly. “That would certainly provide a solution of how to save them and return them home, without losing too many of them.”
“But using Cloudbase... in such a way?” White wasn’t that keen on the idea. He was thinking of the mess the innumerable creatures would make of his decks – of all the surface of the carrier, actually. He wasn’t worry that any of the creatures would be sucked up in the turbines from the hover combines and send the carrier crashing; as Green had mentioned earlier, those were well-protected.
No. Blue is right. This is the only solution we have, if we want to save these bats.
“Lieutenant?” Colonel White asked, turning to Green, “have you located the plane piloted by Moreno?”
“Just did, sir,” Green confirmed from his console. “I gave the coordinates to the Angels and they’re already on the hunt.”
“The software is working perfectly,” Magenta added. “So far, the Angels have been able to fly through the bats like a knife cutting through butter.” He turned to his commander, smiling. “I’ve just installed the software onto Cloudbase’s computer, and linked it to the external speakers.”
“Using your initiative, aren’t you, Captain?”
“Sir. Yes, sir.”
“What about Moreno’s signal?” White inquired.
“As suggested by Doctor Cordova, jammed at its source, sir,” Green announced.
“Well done, gentlemen.” White permitted himself the faintest of smiles, before giving his next order: “Send a herding signal, using a different frequency than that used by Moreno... Doctor Cordova, do you have any suggestion?”
“What was the frequency used by Joaquim?” Cordova asked.
“102 kHz, Doctor,” Magenta answered, checking the information on Green’s station.
“Select 105 kHz for your herding signal. That’ll be quite sufficient.”
“S.I.G.,” Magenta replied, typing the information on the keyboard.
“S.I.G.? Oh, I do feel like I’m part of Spectrum,” Cordova said, smiling. “This is kind of exciting!”
“You can use many various frequencies to herd the bats?” Scarlet asked.
“There are a few we can use. yes. Not many, though.”
“Bats can hear ultrasound frequencies up to 120 kHz, approximately, depending of the kind of bats we’re talking about,” Orlock quickly added. With his colleague seemingly taking central stage, he felt somehow left out and wanted to give the impression he was still needed. After all, he was the World leading expert on chiropterology.
“The Angels have located Moreno’s plane, Colonel,” Green announced. “They’re closing in to attack, and are waiting for a window to open, so to not kill too many bats in the process.”
“What a thoughtful attention from these pilots,” Orlock said. “Be sure to commend them, Colonel.”
White fought very hard not to roll his eyes. What an exasperating little man...
“I hope those pesky... I mean those charming creatures are not getting in the way?” Ochre said.
“Symphony Angel’s reporting the bats are getting out of the way,” Green replied. “Because they’re now closing in to Cloudbase.” He turned to Colonel White. “That’s amazing, sir. They are landing on the carrier and are hanging on to any parts they can. The plan is working.”
White blew a deep sigh. What do you know... that God-given software is actually the answer to all our wishes.
He wondered how Symphony was fighting the urge not to shoot any of the bats in retaliation for her unfortunate childhood incident.
Oh well... I shouldn’t be surprised. The girl’s is nothing if not a professional. If she knows she ought not to hurt these flying rodents, she will not.
“Lieutenant Green, follow the Angels’ progress and report the situation to me as soon as it evolves.”
“S.I.G., Colonel.”
“Captain Magenta, order the helmsmen to slow the engines and to slowly lower our altitude to...” He turned to the videoscreen. “What would you say would be a good altitude for these creatures, Doctors?”
“Can your Cloudbase get as low as somewhere between 3000 to 5000 feet?” Cordova asked.
“We rarely get that low, but any altitude is possible. 3000 feet it is, Captain Magenta. And set a course for Bracken Cave, Texas.”
“S.I.G., sir,” Magenta confirmed, opening a channel to contact the wheelhouse.
“Colonel,” Green called, as he listened to the most recent communication from Symphony Angel in his earpiece. “Angel One just reported destruction of Moreno’s plane. Minimum casualties amongst the bats.”
“Well, that was fast,” White commented.
“Wonderful news!” Orlock said beaming, obviously thinking only about the bats. “Oh, minimum casualties?” he added, suddenly realising. “That means some of them were killed?”
“Poor Joaquim,” Cordova instead said, looking dejected.
White frowned. He definitely preferred Cordova, the humane, compassionate one, over that ‘creature of the night’ of Orlock.
“Should the Angels come back to the carrier, Colonel?” Green asked.
“No – I have another task for them. Use the software to change their signal, so they can herd as many bats as they can towards Cloudbase.”
“That’s a good idea. You’re getting very good at this, Colonel,” Cordova said in admiration. “You are becoming a genuine vaquero.”
“I would imagine herding bats would be different than cows,” White replied with a brief nod.
“We can ask Symphony,” Blue suggested. “She played cowpoke while at her mom’s dude ranch a few weeks ago.”
“And you didn’t go with her?” Ochre teased him. “You missed out on the fun.”
“I did,” Blue replied starkly. “I was busy here, sorting out the paperwork that Scarlet and you messed up on your last mission in Sydney.”
“Oops...”
“You think the girls are enjoying themselves, herding these bats right now?” Scarlet discreetly asked his colleagues. “I don’t know, it seems to me it could be quite fun to do...”
“It’s working, sir,” Green announced from his station. “The Angels are successfully pushing the bats towards Cloudbase.”
White blew a sigh of relief. Yes, it was working, far beyond his expectations. Who would have thought it would, when this ridiculous situation had started, hours ago.
“Well, it seems that everything is under control now,” he commented, looking rather satisfied. “The Mysterons’ threat is averted, and the bats will soon be safe, and on their way back home. Ah, Doctors...” He turned to the videoscreen again. “Your input proved very helpful in the matter, thank you.”
“Well, if it helps to save bats,” Orlock quickly replied. “It’s nice to see such a powerful World Government paramilitary organisation such as Spectrum put to work on the side of environmental protection for a change... Speaking of which, ever since my visit to Cloudbase a few years ago, I’ve been wondering how such a behemoth of a craft could stay in the air at such an altitude and what its C02 emission could actually – ”
“Thank you again for your help and support, gentlemen,” White swiftly cut in. “We’ll contact you again to report on the result of the operation – which I no doubt imagine will be a success. Cloudbase out.”
He pressed a button, instantly killing the communication. The videoscreen turned to complete white, before displaying its sleep-mode rainbow of colours. Colonel White blew another sigh. “Well, that was a close one,” he muttered.
“Maybe it would have helped to explain that Cloudbase’s practically carbon-neutral?” Captain Blue suggested with a twinkle in his eye.
White snorted. “Believe me, Captain: the less you tell to a man like Orlock, the better off you are. He would have found something to complain about, nonetheless. After the night we’ve had, I was in no mood to explain anything. And the night is not quite finished, apparently. We’ve still got those bats to take back to Bracken Cave.”
“What should we do now, Colonel?” Captain Scarlet asked. By ‘we’ he meant Spectrum, of course, because, by the looks of things, it didn’t seem like he, or even any of his colleagues, would have much to do.
White scrutinised him. He could see that Scarlet wanted to say something, but wasn’t quite sure if he should; he was almost dancing on his feet, seemingly not knowing how to stand. A glance at the other captains told the colonel that they seemed in a similar mind than Scarlet. Blue had his hands behind his back with his eyes down, discretely shuffling his left foot. Ochre seemed to have developed a nervous tic, his bottom lip twitching ever so slightly. As for Magenta, he was making a show of checking something on one of the multiple screens of Green’s station, but it was obvious there wasn’t anything there.
Then White noticed each of the men glancing in turn towards the entrance of the observation tube, through which it was possible to see the dark shapes of the bats flying all around Cloudbase.
White narrowed his eyes. “Something on your collective minds, gentlemen?” he asked quietly.
Scarlet and Blue exchanged glances; the two men seemed to share the same feelings, obviously. Scarlet cleared his throat and spoke for them both: “Well, sir, Captain Blue and I, we were wondering... well... Maybe the Angels would need help herding these bats out there?”
“I was thinking the same, sir,” Ochre said quickly.
“Me too, Colonel,” Magenta eagerly added, raising his hand.
“You think the three Angel fighters will not be competent enough for the task, then?”
“Er... Not quite what I was thinking, sir,” Blue replied. “I mean... I’m sure they’re doing a wonderful job of it. But that must be hard work, herding all those millions of bats all by themselves. And maybe, it there were a couple of other craft to help them... well, maybe that wouldn’t be too many...”
“And maybe,” White added meaningfully, “the Angels ought not to be the only ones to have a little fun playing... how did you put it earlier... ‘cowpokes’?” His expression was totally unreadable when he glared at them, meaningfully. “Don’t think I didn’t hear you earlier, gentlemen.”
None of the four men answered. White looked at all of them; they really couldn’t stand straight.
He clicked his tongue loudly and relented. “All right, go on then,” he said in exasperation – although he had to admit he felt at the same time rather amused. The surprised – and grateful – expression on each of the men’s face was certainly worth it. “Form two teams of two, an SPJ for each team. Lieutenant Green will upload the software onto your onboard computers and turn on the herding signal before you launch. Now move! This is a military base, not a dude ranch!”
“Thank you, sir!” Magenta said, beaming. He was the first to move towards the exit at a rapid pace, the others thanking the colonel with a quick nod before following him.
“Don’t thank me!” White called after them. “If those bats leave any of their droppings on those SPJs, you’ll all be assigned to scrubbing duty!”
He wasn’t sure that any of the captains had heard him, as the door closed on them and they disappeared from view. “I’m commanding children, not men,” he muttered, almost under his breath. He caught sight of Lieutenant Green, who was doing his best to hide a smile. He chose to ignore it.
He got up from his desk. “I’m leaving you the control room, Lieutenant – and in charge of the operations. Should something amiss happen, call me immediately.”
“S.I.G., sir,” Green replied. “I don’t expect anything to go wrong, though. The Angels are doing a good job by themselves right now, so two more craft should only make it even easier.” He watched as the colonel walked slowly towards the exit. “You’re going to get some rest, sir? You’ve been up for hours...”
“Rest, man?” White scoffed loudly. “Not on your life! I’m going up to the Promenade Deck, where I will sit down with a good coffee and a big plate of biscuits ... I expect it will be a ruddy good show watching all those aircraft flying around, herding bats towards Cloudbase. And I intend to miss as little of it as possible!”
Acknowledgements
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I wrote this piece for a little bit of silly fun, with a personal challenge to make it a one scene story.
That said, I always make a point to do a bit of research before writing about something. So I learned quite a bit about bats in the process, to the point were the story evolved as I wrote it. I have now more respect and understanding for these very useful creatures... And let’s face it, they can indeed look rather cute, seen at close range.
The Bracken Cave Preserve, just outside of San Antonio, Texas, does exist. I didn’t exagerate its importance and the number of bats which can be found there. All of what I wrote about it is true. And what’s more, if you fancy a bit of bat watching, you can even visit the cave. Although you need to schedule a visit. See this site for more information.
Doctor Graff Orlock, the highly eminent chiropterologist, was a lot of fun to write about, and I took tremendous pleasure to make him as a challenger to Colonel White, a character those who know me well are very aware I like very much. Yes, absolutely, Orlock’s name was indeed inspired by Count Orlock, the vampire character portrayed by German actor Max Schreck in the silent movie Nosferatu (On that subject, I suggest you watch the excellent film Shadow of the Vampire , which is a fictional account of the filming of Nosferatu, with Willem Dafoe in the role of Max Schreck, and John Malkovich as German director F. W. Murnau). And, no, I don’t see any logical reason why an expert on bats would be called upon when the World Governement needed scientists to try and understand more about the Mysterons. Maybe someone thought the Mysterons were some kind of vampires, or something...
I want to thank Hazel Köhler for beta-reading this story. Whatever mistakes are left are my own only.
Happy Halloween to all.
Chris Bishop.