“What the hell?” said Botchup, as Jester and Armstrong maneuvered the unconscious Snipe to a seat.
“Stand back, sir, let him have some air,” said Armstrong. He stepped over to the water cooler and filled a disposable cup and brought it back to Snipe. “We think he’ll be all right, but he’s got to get a few moments to breathe.”
“Yes, yes, but what the hell happened?”
“He appears to have passed out,” said Phule. At least now he was in proper uniform, Botchup noted absently. “He was found on the ground out in Blue Sector. It could have been the heat, or it could have been sheer terror…”
“Terror?” Botchup asked, his brows going upward at least an inch. “Terror? The man’s a Legion officer. What in the world could have frightened him?”
“There’s something uncanny going on out there,” said Phule. “Something’s lurking just beyond the perimeter. Look at your readouts! It’s there, all right, but nobody can see it. It’s the reason the Zenobians called us here.”
“I don’t believe one word of it,” said Botchup, jaw firmly clenched. “Invisible menaces are the stuff of bad holodramas-something to scare babies with. Whatever’s out there-“
“He’s waking up,” said Armstrong, hovering near Lieutenant Snipe. “Here, try to drink some of this water,” he urged, holding out the cup he’d filled.
“Good, maybe now we can get some sense out of him,” said Botchup. He walked over to Snipe and barked, “Wake up, man! What did you see out there?”
“Dark,” muttered Snipe, his eyelids half-open. “Dark. That face…looking at me…”