Momentum

by Yefon Isabelle

“These humanoids are nothing alike with the strangers.” I continued as the squad nodded in agreement.

  “But we still have the secret service to deal with and those black ops. They’d never let us an inch that far if at all the strangers haven’t been moved or had escaped.” Dino cut in, his square clean barbed face hardening up.

  “Good point, Dino, “I started as Marie’s shrill voice cut in.

  “Right now, at this point in time, they need all the help they can get. We only left the compound about three minutes before the attack. They couldn’t have moved that fast. Even so, why would these creatures still attack if the others had gone?” She questioned.

  “Revenge. What else?” Dino countered, fisting his calloused hands.

  “We cannot debate on this right now, guys. We have to go with what we know. Let’s just say they are still here. We infiltrate, interrogate and get to the bottom of this.” I said

  “We’d never make it that far.” Bomki scowled pointing at the compound.

  “They will spot us.” He pointed at the humanoids on the hovercraft and humming mini-drones that shot red laser beams, cooking and roasting any moving object.

  “We need a decoy.” I stared blankly at them as Bomki and Addis whispered mouthed to themselves.

  “Who is going in for the decoy? Who is infiltrating?” Addis demanded, darting his gaze on everyone.

  “I’ll infiltrate. The lesser the number the greater the chance of making it in un-seen.” I answered, loading my gun.

  “I’ll lead the decoy team. Who is with me?” Bomki voiced, thumping his chest as Marie lifted a finger with three other guys.

  “You need backup, Eden. Take Addis and Yukom with you.” He advised.

  “Roger that.” I breathed.

  “The rest, with me,” Bomki ordered as the team crouched away, leaving the captain who raved in his moment of insanity.

  “Marie,” I whispered, straying from the team.

  “I know, I know. I will be careful. Our mission miscarried, but we have to save home right? This is a matter of domestic security.” The corners of her lips twitched up in a subtle smile.

  “Be careful and good luck.” I voiced and she nodded.

  Marie and the team of five, scurried to the left side of the compound, shooting at the Mothership and diverting enemy attention from sensing moving objects as we made our way towards the edifice.

  Neuromorphic combat drones buzzed in their direction, giving us a cue and a window of opportunity to make it undetected to the building were the strangers were being held.

  The building wall was enforced with concrete and steel. There was no way in, except through the roof.

  We had to put our wall climbing skills to use, skipping and gripping any visible cracks with our fingertips, kicking air vents and going in through the ceiling as others followed.

  We dropped stealthily into a dark room filled with tools, our weapons poised waiting for aggression. We sneaked out into an empty corridor down the main hall, where we used to sneak in and watch bootlegged DVD’s and listen to free rate mp3s. The carnage was visible. We headed to the armoury and armed ourselves with some extra ammo. A strained male voice greeted us,

  “Don’t move.” The gun clicked. “Hands in the air!” I turned briskly and faced sergeant Duke.

  “Hey, Duke. It’s us the Alpha team. Black hawks one and two went down. We came back to base to help. What happened?” I blustered out. His expression softened as he let down his weapon with a sigh.

  “It happened so fast. I do not know who they are or what they want. They appeared out of nowhere and started shooting. We suddenly out of the blue, came under fire. We stood no chance. So far, I might be the only one alive. You guys made it in good time.” He murmured, beads of sweat forming on his wide forehead.

  “Where are the captives?” I questioned.

  “They were in the holding room last I checked. General Siyir is dead. The few operatives fending them off. Oh, god,” He breathed.

  “Siyir? Dead? Wow.” My face felt as blank and as emotionless as my feelings. I never thought I’d see or witness the day the man who thought himself invincible, died.

  “Take us to the holding room. Now.” I commanded ushering an unyielding Duke, who lingered around his tall, lean frame casting shadows in the room.

  “But you don’t have clearance.” Duke stammered, mopping his face.

  “I’m sorry Duke, but it doesn’t matter now, does it?” I yelled in frustration.

  “Look, the way things are unfolding, we might not even be alive in the next minute. Clearance wouldn’t matter then. We need to know what they know.” I rasped.

  “They didn’t even crack with the whole team of torturers. They didn’t utter a single word, not even a grunt of agony. What makes you think they will say anything to you?”

  He was right. However, there was no harm in trying.

  “We can’t just do nothing.” Addis voiced, his gaunt figure closing in on Duke.

  “Take us to them God dammit, Duke. There is no time.” I rasped.

  “Please.” I breathed. He nodded and led us, taking multiple twists and turns till we came to a bulletproof reinforced glass encasement, obviously, a safety quarantine chamber. The scientific team had surely put it in place, checking on the captives for biological foreign bodies. That is if the strangers came from an alien environment. Sadly, the chamber was empty.

  “They were just here a few minutes ago. I do not understand.” Duke furrowed his forehead as we scanned the room. Power cables and equipment lay Strewn away in shambles. Titanium steel torture bed was overturned and the steel holding chains, broken. Perhaps, they saw an opportunity to escape and ran for it. I thought to myself, at this point, who wouldn’t?

  Shooting intensified outside as we fled to add our meagre force to the rebellion.

  “Where could they be?” I mumbled.

  “Perhaps, the ghost prophets rescued them.” Dino attempted to sound sarcastic as we took fire, rushing under steel tables as the sharp laser bounced shattering what was left of the window panes.

  We receded away from the line of electric pulses, seeking another way out since the front door was out of the question.

  I crawled towards the window and gazed at the situation outside. A yelp escaped from behind. I gasped, taking a sharp turn, firmly grasping my pistol. I witnessed my squad, held captive at gunpoint by the strangers. They had cast off their space suits and now donned futuristic, aqua, matching suits. Surely, the attires were previously embedded beneath their metallic suits.

  Then, he pointed a gun at me, the one I had saved. My heart fluttered.

  “Drop it.” His voice echoed. I felt like I was in a trance. It was as though he emitted a chemical— an infectious one that numbed my entire cognitive abilities. I managed to voice something as the whooshing sound overtook my senses.

  “Look,” I began as his crew pulled tighter on Dino’s neck. He groaned, his weapon hitting the floor.

  “Easy!” I whispered slowly placing my firearm on the tiled floorings, my gaze fixated on him.

  “We mean no harm,” I started. He scoffed at me, his toned physique protruding through the quality fabric.

  “Contrary to what you think and may have gone through in the hands of my superiors, I am nothing like them,” I added as he ushered me towards the wall, pointing his gun at me. His clear eyes stared a hole in my being. His orbs...they spoke words only I could hear. The hurt, the experiences and the solitude all embedded in them. They had seen an eternity of agony. His were eyes of a creature so injured and barely holding on to the feeble fetters of sanity. I wanted to reach out and touch his scarred brow and tell him it was all ok. If there was anything that didn’t fit in his visage, was the soul patch below his lower lip.

  “We have no time. And I’m guessing those people or things out there didn’t come to save you either. We need each other.” I suddenly added averting the emotive state, my gaze not leaving his.

  He shook his side
fade, low cut hair, a worried look written all over his face.

  “Then, we need each other. If we keep standing here, none of us will make it out alive. Let’s join forces. I saved your life remember?” I spoke as his teammates busied, cuffing my squadron as I backed into a corner.

  “You brought this upon yourselves.” He finally voiced adjusting his belt holding a rubber cuff as his team intensively peered from the opposite end of the room.

  “How?” I quivered. I had nowhere else to go.

  “We took fire from them,” He pointed towards the window.

  “Crashed into this realm when our shields were down. I told your people to let us go for their own safety, but they thought I was threatening them.” His chest rose as he lectured.

  “All your people were interested in was knowing our biological structure and technological know-how. Inquiring if there were more of us out there…” He trailed scratching his brow, his short damp hair shimmering with the blazing alarm light.

  “Who are you? Where do you come from? Who are they?” I pointed to the window.

  “What do they want? What are you all doing here?” I stifled a moan as hot beads of a salty liquid from my eyes to my utter surprise as I hastily brushed them away.

  “It will be in your interest not to know.” He rasped, taking my wrists and fastening them with rubber cuffs, his electrifying graze burning suggestions into my yearning cells.

  “Look, we can help you.” I beseeched.

  “What happened to my ship?” He demanded, leaning forward, nodding, wide-eyed with a strong eye contact and raised eyebrows.

  “I don’t know. We were en route for a mission. It was aborted when those beings downed our chopper, killing some of my fellow teammates.” I snivelled.

  “I do not believe you.” He roared, running his hands through his hair

  “It was demolished as they assailants attacked. They destroyed everything inside.” Duke started as he turned to face him.

  “No!” He groaned breathing rapidly.

  “They can’t have destroyed everything. They took some other things out of the ship when we were led away.” He announced.

  “If these… guys are after you, then you need all the help you can get. Honestly, right now you are outmanned. This is our problem as well. They killed my people. I have a score to settle with them as well. Do not at least deny me that.” I held my chin up, chest out and shoulders back. I didn’t consider what I was begging, it was a bargain. I had to show confidence. I was not defeated just yet.

  “You do not know them or what they are capable of. They are feared across the galaxies. Let’s just say they are your greatest nightmare.” He weighed his robust hands on my shoulder, forcing me on my knees with the others.

  “Who are they?” I asked. Still, he ignored me and started to walk away with his team.

  “Please, do not do this.” My eyes appealed in sharp contrast to the resilience I thought I possessed. He whispered something to squadron who all seemed displeased, sending me negative signals and hateful glances. They certainly didn’t like me or were discontent with whatever he whispered. That was certain.

  “It seems only fair that I trust at least one of you. So, I’ll settle for you then,” He bounced towards me and cut my cuffs with his knife.

  “Just because I might need your help with directions.” He gave me his hand as I took it for support standing myself up. I had managed to slip my pocket knife to Duke, so they could free themselves and join the fight outside.

  We ran away, exchanging fire as the spectres had made us. Hopefully, my squad would make it out alive.

  “There is something I need. Something of ours your people took from my ship. It is what the Nargoths are after. We cannot let them have it.

  “Is that who they are? Nargoths?” I asked. As we ducked behind walls, dodging laser beams.

  “They are like the, fallen. They possess no sense of right or wrong and no shred of morality. They are senseless barbarians driven by greed only.” He lectured, scanning the vicinity his eyes darting from left to right.

  “How come they have such power flourishing from their hands.” I creased my brow in question.

  “You see the object attached to their gloves? See how the sparks spring out like bolts of lightning? He began, his full lips moving as he narrated.

  “Those tubes gloved to their palms where the sparks emanate from, are fed by a battery system charged from strings of electrons, generating electricity from the atmosphere.” He swallowed as we crept away from view.

  “And you? What are you?” I breathed.

  “We have no time for this. Do you know where they would have kept such a volatile piece of equipment?” He peered tight-lipped, a stern expression replacing the sombre look he donned a few seconds ago.

  “I’m here to help you. Okay? If you cannot trust me to at least tell me what it is that I am dealing with here, do not expect me to help you.” I snapped, throwing my hands in the air.

  “You will know in due time. If you want to save your people, you will do well to do as I say and let us find this paraphernalia, immediately.”

  “Is that a threat?” I lifted my chin, my arms clasped in front of me.

  “Not from me—from them.” He pointed at a wraith, for that’s on a flying hoverboard that had made it into the building.

  Blares of guns whined and energy balls blasted on targets as we dashed into what seemed like an office for cover. In the midst of the turmoil, I managed to yell a question,

  “Has any choppers left the compound lately?” I craned my neck, investigating the situation outside to no avail. My head was in the line of fire. I ducked just as a rail gun whined, sending its pulse, almost scraping my ear.

  “I’m sure you’d notice they wouldn’t make it out alive. And as you were aware, I was under captivity.” He responded, scouring for a line of escape.

  Surely, the equipment could be in the lab. The compound was vast, so we had to skip to the laboratory which was subterranean.

  “Follow me,” I commanded as we crouched avoiding the Nargoths (as the individual termed them) from spotting us in futility. Balls of light rained into the room, punching soup can size in walls and props.

  We barely made it out unscathed into the next apartment. I had seen the blueprints of the compound structures. Director Roman, the chief of the SS had once shown me. I knew exactly where the lab was.

  We took the metal stairs into the encasement which rendered it impossible to penetrate both from us and the kinetic guns.

  “We cannot go inside without security codes,” I announced.

  “Gema!” The individual ushered a stern looking, sleek, deep bronzed girl, who rushed forward, retrieving an object from her low cut, kinky hair. She yanked the keypad board ripped it off rerouted cables and twined two cables together as the door sprang open and we rushed in.

  “Jeez, what the hell did she just do?” I expressed my surprise, paralysed as we all lobbied into the lab.

  “Hands!” The individual yelled at the team of scientists who hid behind desks as we came in.

  “Do not hurt them. They are harmless. They aren’t soldiers.” I pled. The individual nodded in agreement.

  “Now, where did they keep the core?” The individual interrogated the group of researchers who surrendered their hands in the air, perspiring with fright.

  “That is not necessary.” I voiced, placing myself between the gun and the researchers.

  “You need to tell us where you kept these piece equipment or what is it they are requesting for.” I turned to a scared specialist, who seemed resilient, but who didn’t seem tough enough to play games for much longer. I discerned.

  “I do not know of what core you speak of.” The bald headed doctor responded, tilting his head as his eyes narrowed, following the movement of the waved gun.

  “You took the equipment from my ship. Where are they?” The individual probed, shoving me out of the way and gathering the stubby bald headed doctor
by the lab coat.

  I fisted my hands, controlling the urge to not get involved.

  “These are a peculiar piece of equipment— hard to miss. I’m sure you know of what it is I speak of.” The individual groaned.

  The doctor quivered, pointing at a massive steel containment with his crooked index finger.

  “Aleesi,” The individual called to one of his stout team members who sashayed forward, her long legs marching toward the containment. She pulled the lever off the crystal ampule, punched digits on a number pad as it beeped, pursing her lips and throwing dirty glances my way.

  “Era, Zores,” Aleesi bellowed on her squad mates. They marched towards her.

  “With me.” She ordered.

  They went in and returned with five steel, queer-looking metallic boxes, handling them carefully. The individual rummaged through the lab for their gear and instruments the general and his cronies had seized. He seemed not to want to leave anything behind.

  When he seemed to have taken everything, he called out to his regent,

  “Gema, clean all the hard drives, servers, security footage and files. Make it as if we were never here.”

  Gema nodded, running her slender fingers on the keyboards, encoding secret programs. I knew nothing about computers and programming, so I stood fixated, watching as they clean swept everything.

  “Good girl. Thankfully the Nargoths took care of the rubble outside. We cannot risk any of our items falling into the wrong hands.” The individual voiced, giving me a wry look.

  “Everything is clean Captain, except for the eyewitnesses,” Gema suggested, pursing her lips and throwing glances at the researchers.

  “Don’t get any stupid ideas,” I snarled.

  “You will not touch a single follicle of hair from their heads, you hear me?” I barked as Gema gave me an eye roll.

  “Yes, Miss badass, I will stop you. Do not taunt me.” I pointed, tapping my toes inside my boots.

  “No one is hurting anyone.” The individual cut in sharply, darting his eyes from Gema to me.

  “Now, let’s go.” He commanded, taking a sharp turn. His cologne whipped my sense of smell and I could swear I closed my eyes for a few seconds.