Tyrus grunted in appreciation, pointing to the corners where the wall timbers came together. “Would you look at this,” he commented approvingly. “Whoever built this place knew something about old-time construction. Mortise and tenon joints, no nails...this thing will stand until the rain and bugs rot the wood away.”
As he talked, Simon walked up to one of the small windows, rubbing it to clear off the dirt. He shaded his eyes and stepped close to peek inside. It took a moment to adjust to the dim interior, and then he saw what appeared to be a table in the middle of the room, and boxes stacked against one wall. A fireplace, and maybe a counter with a sink along one wall...suddenly he was staring into a pair of large round eyes pressed against the glass, and he let out a yelp and fell backwards. The afterimage of slitted pupils surrounded by vivid red irises burned in his mind’s eye, and he pointed at the window as the others turned to him with weapons raised. “In there, something big!” he gasped, stumbling to his feet and pulling his Service pistol.
“Large enough to be dangerous?” Tyrus asked, sidling up to the wall next to the window.
“Easily,” Simon answered. “From what I saw, it’s at least as large as an adult human, maybe bigger.”
Sarah and Tyrus exchanged glances, and her father said, “Well, whatever’s in there, it’s occupying our space, so we need to get it out. Simon and Sarah, flank the door with your weapons. T. J., stand about fifteen paces back, facing the entry head on. I’ll get the lock open, and swing the door wide when you’re ready.”
They nodded and took their positions. When they were set, Tyrus approached to examine the portal. The mechanism was simple, a single round knob that could be grabbed and turned to work the latch, and lacking any visible locking device. A metal hasp was attached to the frame, securing the door with a portable lock that looked sturdy but was badly corroded. Even had he possessed the key, Tyrus was doubtful the thing would open.
He said over his shoulder, “You brought the zip blade, right?”
“Yes,” T. J. answered.
“Then run and get it,” Tyrus said. “I don’t want to damage the door too much by forcing it.”
In a minute T. J. returned with the saw, and when it was tuned, he deftly cut the lock in half without touching the door hasp.
“Nice work,” his father complimented, and T. J. grinned as he backed off, resuming his ready stance with his sidearm. Tyrus used his gun barrel to jiggle the smoking lock, and it fell in pieces on the ground. “Ready, people,” he said. “Here we go!” With that he turned the knob and kicked the door in.
Dust flew outward as the hinges squealed in protest, the dark opening yawning like the maw of a beast. For a few seconds nothing happened. The group stood frozen with guns leveled, Tyrus backing off to the side as he watched the open door. Then a scraping sound issued from the interior, followed by a rustling as of dried skin and bones sliding together. They tensed as something moved within the shadows, and then it came toward the door.
“I see it!” T. J. shouted, and he aimed at the shape, which came forward into the light, and resolved—into a large bird.
The flyer shot out of the cabin in a flurry of golden wings. Simon glimpsed a broad head comprised almost entirely of two huge eyes, which it squinted at them before arching upward toward the canopy above with powerful down strokes. Diminishing into the distance, it emitted a long mournful cry that echoed back through the woods. As the sound reached their ears, Sarah lowered her weapon and snorted in disbelief. “A Glimmer Owl!” she exclaimed, chuckling. “That’s what we were afraid of?”
T. J. turned toward Simon with a smirk. “As big as a grown man?” he asked, eyebrow raised.
Tyrus grinned. “Maybe larger,” he added.
They all had a good laugh at Simon’s expense, and then they got to the business of investigating the cabin. “Window’s busted in the back wall,” T. J. said as they poked around the interior. “That’s how it got in. Looks like it may have been nesting here, based on how much flyer poop is on the floor.”
“The boxes are mostly empty, a few have old clothing and some dried-out food packages,” Sarah said. “Nothing really useful.”
Tyrus nodded and said, “Let’s get to cleaning out this place. I’ll set up a work light in here so it’s easier to see. I need to check the structural integrity of the roof and walls, but overall this looks good. Sarah, once we get the floater unloaded, you can head back to the house and pick up more supplies and your other two brothers. We’ll put them to work out here, doing reconnaissance and setting up a sensor grid. Make sure to bring back a folding table and chairs; this one’s so rickety a breeze could knock it over. We’ll dig a fire pit out there in front of the cabin; it can be used for cooking at least some of the time, and a bonfire will help keep forest critters at bay.”
“Including owls,” T. J. added with a goofy grin.
Simon shook his head, chuckling sheepishly. “You’re never gonna let me live that down, are you?”
“Nope,” was all Tyrus Junior said.
Chapter Nine
Over the next several days the family worked feverishly to set up camp at the remote cabin. Floaters shuttled back and forth nonstop, ferrying people and goods between the main house and their forest getaway.
Soon they had a defensive perimeter established in the woods around the camp, with motion and life sensors, and some carefully placed mines which were harmless until activated by a remote signal. Two heavy tents stood on either side of the cabin, with a large firepit out front. Tyrus had installed a modern door latch which could be locked from inside or out. Sarah and her brothers had scrubbed the place as clean as was practical for a wilderness setting, and they were pretty much set to go. The only thing remaining was to stock a sizable food supply in case they needed to stay awhile.
Tyrus nodded in satisfaction as he checked off another item on his digital pad. “That’s got most of the essentials nailed down,” he said.
“Don’t forget a long-range airwave monitor,” Simon reminded him. “If we’re out there alone, we’ll have no other way to know what’s happening in the world, other than by recon sorties, which I’m not too keen on.”
“Got it covered,” the older man said. “There is one other thing, though.”
“What?”
“If we’re forced to abandon our home, I’ll be damned if I’m going to hand it to the Crabs. If it’s going to be wiped out, which is likely, then I’d prefer it to be in a manner of our choosing.”
“Ah-ha. What exactly do you propose?” Simon asked, intrigued.
“That’s what I want to talk to you about. It’s not entirely legal, but in these times, I’m not sure anyone’s gonna care....” He went on to describe what he had in mind, and as he continued, Simon’s grin grew wider and wider.
* * * *
A few days later Simon was talking to Katherine in the kitchen of the main house. It was late morning, and they were preparing to load another shipment of foodstuffs into the floaters. “Tyrus and Amanda think we’ll be stocked for six months in the wild by the end of this week,” she commented as she checked her list of goods. “Longer if we supplement our stored supplies with hunting and gathering. Sarah and Samuel finished harvesting our live crops yesterday, so we’ve got fresh vegetables for awhile.”
“Excellent,” Simon said, peeking over her shoulder at the digi-pad. “Just a few more days’ work—.
His comment was cut short as Tyrus ran into the room puffing, and barked at them, “Our work is done. We’ve got to leave—now!” Seeing the unspoken question in Simon’s eyes, he nodded and said curtly, “Yes, they’re coming. We have no time. Gather everyone, quickly!”
Simon and Katherine rushed through the house, alerting the family members to grab essential belongings and get to the floaters. Everyone knew what to do, as they had practiced and planned for this eventuality. After seeing Jessie into the larger shuttle, Katherine turned back to head into the house. “Where are you going?” Simon called. “W
e’ve got to get out now!”
“I’m not leaving the Darters!” she said. “I’ll just be a moment!”
Simon cursed under his breath and dashed after her. “I’ll help you capture them,” he said as he caught up. They ran together into the nursery, and spent a frenzied minute rounding up the flighty little animals from their cage, popping them into spare pouches, before heading back to the floaters. On the way out they passed through the greatroom, and Simon chanced a glance at the vidscreen. What he saw there made him stop in his tracks and stare.
The monitor showed a view of the highway facing south toward Altonia. In the distance, still a kilometer or more away, advanced an alien armada of a magnitude beyond Simon’s worst expectations. A score of floaters and tracked vehicles filled the highway from shoulder to shoulder, with massed foot soldiers too numerous to count scuttling around the vehicles. Flying high over the ground troops were two assault craft of the typical ovoid Knacker design, plus a third disc-shaped craft which looked massive enough to wipe out the house by simply sitting on it. This was definitely the time to run.
“Simon! Come on!” Kate called from the doorway, and he tore his eyes away from that image of approaching death. They ran toward the front of the house and out the door, and Simon had the presence of mind to slam it closed behind them. No reason to give the Crabs a clue that they had abandoned their stronghold. One floater was already skimming across the fields, the other waiting for them with open doors. Simon dived in, pulling Katherine after him. “Go!” he told the driver, which turned out to be Keith. He nodded and gunned the engine, and they all held on as the vehicle banked sharply and went straight over the wall, skimming it by less than a meter. Then they were clear and accelerating over the crop fields toward the untilled grasslands beyond.
Katherine turned to look somberly behind them, and Simon knew what she was thinking. Following her gaze, he took in the receding house and surrounding lands, sitting proudly in the open countryside. This family had made their livelihoods there, had found a home which they had filled with laughter and love and memories. Now they were leaving, and probably they would never see this place in its present form again. Simon reached for Katherine’s hand, and she gripped his tightly as they fled toward the unknown.
Keith kept the floater low and pushed the acceleration to maximum. They flew over the ground at breathtaking speed, landscape features blurring by them as they strove to put distance between themselves and the house. Simon kept looking back, but could see nothing approaching over the flatlands as yet. It looked as if they had gotten out in time.
Within minutes they approached the forested slopes of the western hills, and they turned to find the outflow of Byre’s Creek. The deep woods of Dark Hollow beckoned invitingly as they drew near, but Tyrus spoke up from the front passenger seat. “Halt just outside the trees for a moment.”
Simon and Katherine looked at each other in surprise. “Why stop here?” she asked. “We’re in the open and could be spotted when the Crabs come. We’ve got to get under cover!”
“I want to see this happen,” Tyrus gritted. “No Knacker is going to take our homestead without paying the price.” With that he held up a little remote device, and Simon began to smile as he realized what the other man had in mind. He assured Kate that it was all right, as Tyrus broke out a farscope and began scanning the far distance for signs of movement.
They waited about fifteen minutes before the retired captain said, “Ah, there they are! Come on in, you slime. Come get what papa has for you.”
Katherine looked quizzically at Simon, and he just held his hand up in a “be patient” gesture, then pointed for her to watch out the window.
Tyrus dialed the farscope up to maximum gain, and it clearly showed the mass of troops and support vehicles advancing slowly toward the house across the flat ground in front. At this distance they looked like little spiders creeping. It appeared that some of the force was breaking off to surround the building, preventing any escape attempt. He grinned fiercely. Too late, little Crabs, your prey has already left. All you have is an empty nest, with a little something extra to remember us by.
Prepared though he was, he flinched as he saw puffs of smoke shooting up from the massed forces, and a series of explosions rocked the house. They were hitting it with heavy grenade salvos. Apparently they had been instructed to wipe out this human threat, and live captives were not a priority. He saw a corner of his home crumble and fall, leaving a gaping wound about where his bedroom had been. Damn them! They will pay, and pay dearly.
The bombardment continued for a number of minutes, pecking away at the building and its surrounding yard, before the aliens ceased fire. Possibly the lack of a response had them puzzled, or maybe they thought that they had destroyed any defensive capabilities the humans might have had. But they were being cautious, Tyrus noted, holding the troops at a safe distance while they observed the house for signs of life.
After an indeterminate time, he saw movement at the top of his field of view, and he raised the farscope slightly to focus on the newcomer. It was the largest of the alien assault craft, and it was now gliding forward high over the ground forces, slowly closing distance with the house. The ship was massive, nearly as large as the entire building, and it hovered maybe a hundred meters above ground as it took up position directly over the family’s home. Even without the farscope, the other passengers in the floater could see the alien craft in the distance, and they knew from the location what its target had to be.
Tyrus cursed as the alien ship spat a beam of brilliant energy down at his home. Just a split second flash in his farscope, and the house exploded outward in an expanding ball of smoke and fire that instantly enveloped the surrounding landscape. He held the scope steady, his heart numb as he watched the product of years of sweat and devotion wiped away by an implacable foe. A few seconds later a low rumble resembling thunder reached their ears. The humans in the floater sat frozen, watching the rising cloud in the distance.
The haze obscured the overhead attacker momentarily, but as Tyrus watched through the scope, the air cleared, revealing the silver shape still hovering undamaged over the scattered remains of what had been a two-story building. “You like explosions, do you?” he muttered to himself. “Try this one on for size.” He raised his left hand, the one holding the remote trigger, and depressed the single button in its center.
The device he had planted in the cellar below the house, the one he had confided to Simon about, was a little piece of hardware no larger than a dinner plate. It was something he had found during his time in the ground forces bomb squad. His last years in the service had included time spent decommissioning explosives, charges that had been planted by humans in anticipation of an alien invasion. The military had at one time mined key installations, both military and civilian, with devices that could be triggered remotely. The thinking was that if the Crabs occupied a facility, one flick of a switch would wipe out considerable numbers of the enemy, including possibly some of their command structure. Calmer minds had later concluded that having highly volatile explosives distributed throughout densely populated areas may not have been the wisest tactic. The military was then ordered to remove these “contingency bombs” from all civilian sites.
Tyrus had found and deactivated numerous explosives during his time in the ground forces. Most he had turned in for disposal as was mandated. But he hadn’t been able to resist the temptation to keep one or two for himself, knowing what was likely coming in Eden’s future.
The little beauty planted under his home was an antimatter bomb, a small one, rated at only about 0.3 kilotons. But size is relative, and the device generated a destructive energy equivalent to the detonation of three hundred tons of conventional high explosives. The blast that resulted when the bomb went off was over ten times what the alien weapon had produced. It also had completely different consequences.
When Tyrus hit the trigger, the entire area in his viewer went white, as a huge firebal
l hundreds of meters in diameter materialized in a wink. The Knackers’ ground forces were wiped out instantly, swept away in a conflagration that no light armor could withstand. The expanding mass of energy engulfed the disc of the assault craft directly overhead, throwing it up into the air as the shock wave smashed into its underside, flames clawing at its metallic skin. The ship was built of heat resistant materials and did not burn, but the force of the impact damaged its propulsion systems and stunned the crew inside. It rose for a moment, buoyed by the expanding pillar of heat from below. Then it listed to one side and fell, diving edge first toward the ground.
The ship’s weight drove it deep into the soil on impact, and the hull compressed as the metal succumbed to stresses far exceeding its design parameters. The slender disc suddenly became short and fat, rupturing open along its margins and spewing thick black smoke. The two smaller ovoid craft were out of the direct blast zone and survived the explosion. They pulled back rapidly as their larger comrade began to burn on the ground. Tyrus clenched his fist around the detonator and hissed, “Swallow that, you hungry bastards.”
The sound of the second explosion came to them clearly now, a prolonged growl of vengeance carried on the wind. Even as the distant rumble began to subside, Tyrus drew a sharp breath and said, “I think we’d better get moving.” He lowered the farscope and added, “The remaining ships are heading this way.”
Simon asked, “How do they know to come here?” even as Keith punched the vehicle forward into the woods.
“They may have tracked the signal from my detonator,” Tyrus said, tossing the device aside. “Maybe they just saw us. However they know, we don’t want to be caught in the open.”
Keith piloted the floater as fast as he dared through the hollow, pushing the limits of safety in the cluttered corridor. Several times they were jarred by impacts as he cut corners and bounced the vehicle off logs and trees. Even so, the pace seemed like a crawl to the anxious passengers. They looked behind them repeatedly, waiting for the inevitable image of the Crab vessels in pursuit. If the enemy got within firing distance, it would be over very quickly.
The Battle for Eden Page 14