by Christi Smit
It was almost over, and they were almost safe - almost.
Christian scanned the stairs above him, listening for any movement from the darkness. The staircase was gloomy and almost too quiet. There were no windows to light up the staircase, it was nothing more than a concrete shaft filled with stone stairs leading ever upwards. He could hear nothing from above or below, only the footsteps Jessica, Sam and Nash were making as they ascended the steps slowly. He had to be cautious, in these confined spaces if the monsters attacked them it would be a difficult task to protect everyone with him.
He could hear the Maiden’s engines with their characteristic whining slowly circling the roof he was leading everyone to. Gunn had to circle, hovering for too long in one place would draw the beasts’ attention from within and from without the buildings, and that would just complicate the final pickup. It would probably cost Christian and the people with him their lives.
Christian froze in place, his head tilting to the right, listening to something that troubled him, but he would not dare show it. If he did they would panic, and then things would just turn to shit, fast. The troop carriers had stopped firing, their engines could still be heard revving, but there was no more loud booms from their heavy calibre machine guns echoing from the courtyard.
The others had probably heard it as well, but the weariness aching in their limbs blocked them from dwelling on why the sound of gunfire had ceased.
Christian continued his climb, taking the steps a little quicker now that they were almost to the roof. In his arms Tristan’s breath was shallow, but the girl was wide awake, her eyes were trying to pierce the gloom to help Christian see in the darkness. It was a futile effort but Christian appreciated it none the less.
He froze again, and so did everyone else behind him. An extra pair of footsteps could be heard just above the group. It sounded human, the steps falling slower, the distinct animalistic snorting and smelling only the keenest ears could pick up as the thing above them searched for prey. Its footfalls were heavy, coming ever closer. Christian’s switched his visor to prey sight with a whisper, eye-watering red filled his vision. It took only a moment, but his advanced systems saw the creature move above them, penetrating through the stone stairs with relative ease, highlighting the threat.
Luckily it was alone, Christian’s reap sight could see everything around the group, and there was only the one heat signature that did not belong to his companions. The other creatures were too far down or away to be seen by the reap sight; its range was not infinite.
Down it came, step by slow step, grunting as it smelled the air. It could smell human flesh, but the smell did not belong to anyone in Christian’s group. The smell of the dead from outside was far more enticing than the unwashed bodies taking cover behind Christian’s armoured form.
Christian set Tristan down on the cold stone steps, remaining crouched as the creature came closer. It was less than a few feet away, still entranced by whatever it could smell.
Six feet, five feet, four feet, three feet, and then it stopped, but not because it had noticed Christian and his companions. No, it had stopped because of the combat blade sticking out of its forehead, and an armoured hand wrapped around the back of is limp head. Christian had struck quickly and silently, using his speed to stab the monster in the head, sliding the blade clean through its brain and skull. The creature went limp in his hands, but he held it up to keep it from falling and making any noise to alert any other monsters that might be lurking close by. Christian could see why the creature had not noticed them. It had no eyes or ears, its entire face had mutated into one congealed mess of flesh and bone, the human genes were probably of lesser stock and the mutation did the best it could to make a killer out of what it had infected.
He set the body of the mutant down quietly, shifting his blade to his left hand as he reached to pick up Tristan again.
Christian gestured for the others to follow him, even though they did not completely see the gesture, they saw his battered armour move in the shadows, and they just followed the Titan.
They were on the last flight of stairs moments later, and waiting for them at the end was the door leading to the roof they had been heading for.
Christian radioed Locke, telling his captain that they were in position and ready to move.
The Maiden stopped circling abruptly, moving into position just above the roof of the building. There it waited for the door leading into the building to swing open and the last allies on the ground to get on-board, hovering mere inches above the roof.
The door to the outside was locked. Christian had to kick it with all of his strength, sending the mangled piece of metal that used to be a door flying and then sliding over the roof towards the Maiden.
Xander had made a comment about how dramatic the rookie was, but his words fell on deaf ears. There was something else the others were focused on. Xander’s quip had stopped him from seeing it.
Gunn called it out over the squad radio. “Enemy fighter incoming!” she yelled. The weapons attached to the Maiden’s hull opened fire on the enemy fighter’s sudden appearance. But it was in vain, it was too fast for the mounted weapons to track and successfully hit it. Those weapons were meant for air to ground enemies, and were best used to cover retreating soldiers or take out static targets.
Christian stormed through the door, stopping on the other side of the portal to usher the rest of the group to run for the Maiden. He watched them run and fell in behind them.
The enemy fighter had seen the Maiden, and as it turned to strafe the hovering drop ship it saw even easier targets. It corrected its course and sighted its weapons at the four softer targets running across the open roof.
Bullets exploded around the running Jessica, barely missing her and Sam as they side-stepped as best they could. Nash was not bothering to dodge the enemy fighter’s fire; he just kept his eyes on the Maiden and ran directly for it.
Christian used his free arm to protect Tristan, holding his armoured limb over her vital head and upper body while his other arm carried her weight.
The enemy fighter missed on its first run, but it pulled back into a climb to get another run at the soft targets. It was lightning fast and by the time Nash, who was running at the front of the group, was only a few feet away from the Maiden, it was already firing again.
The gaps between Jessica, Sam and Nash had opened up, giving the fighter ample opportunity to target the middle runners.
But it never got the chance. As luck would have it, if one believes in such things, Jinx found his target. Somehow, the man Gunn blames for all of the things that went wrong on her ship, had hit the fighter with the mounted guns. Jinx cheered as flame erupted from the fighter’s side and started spinning uncontrollably.
There was only one problem, it was spinning directly for the roof they were hovering on and Gunn was already cursing Jinx’s good aim.
It was all happening so slowly in front of Christian’s eyes. He heard the fighter choke and the scream of it falling towards him. He saw Nash and Sam jump into the Maiden. He also saw Jessica losing her footing in front of him just as the fighter hit the roof. She stumbled but regained her footing long enough to leap for the outstretched hand of one of the Wolves.
Time returned to normal for Christian when debris from the fighter exploded in his path, flame and shrapnel engulfed the roof, cutting Christian’s path off to the Maiden.
He could easily have run in front of the group, but he wanted the others to go first. He could easily have jumped through the flames to safety, but he might have burned Tristan who was starting to become more afraid as she felt the flames on her face.
All of the action on the roof had drawn the hungry attention of the beasts on the floors below, and behind Christian they were already pouring through the open portal.
To make matters worse, the concrete beneath him sagged and started to crack, the weight of the fighter and the trauma from its destruction damaging the roof’s already weakened
state.
Christian made a decision, something Jessica would probably hurt him for later, but it was the only thing he could think of before the roof collapsed or the monsters were upon him.
He shifted and used all of his strength to throw the frightened girl in his arms. She was light enough and his aim was good. She flew high enough over the flames to only get a few minor burns on her exposed legs. Pyoter was the one that caught her. He softened her landing with his giant arms, relaxing as he caught her to not injure the fragile girl as she landed in his armoured embrace.
The roof collapsed under Christian’s feet before he could move again, and then he was gone.
He fell for what felt like minutes, but it was less than a few seconds. Above him the flames followed him down, reaching for him as everything around him crumbled and collapsed.
Christian’s body hit something hard and then there was only darkness.
Chapter Eight.One
Endgame
“It was a mistake to create the planet-killing weapons. We put those weapons into the hands of tyrants and arrogant fools. Instead of finding better, more intellectual resolutions for conflicts, those bastards’ first course of action was to press a button and then wipe out the threat in one ego-filled final strike. They should have only been used as last resorts, and kept away from the ones inept at controlling their horrible power. One shell from the planet destroyers was enough to burn the atmosphere from the surface off of any planet, consuming everything organic in the firestorm it produced. The aftermath of the planet-killers was devastation and ruin, leaving nothing alive in its wake. Righteous flame would burn with a mind of its own, seeking out anything that could draw breath. I was there in the orbit above Gardiana when the Southern Fleet unleashed a planet-killer against the beasts swarming over the planet’s beautiful surface. I will never forget what I saw...or what I heard as the once great world burned before our very eyes. Never again will I allow anyone to use these terrifying weapons in my presence, even if it costs me and my crew our lives to put a stop to it.”
-Amish Rayland, Captain of the KIA frigate Seraphim Unbound, Recorded in his personal journal years before his death, Date stamp missing
“Why are you not moving? This cannot be the end for you. There is too much at stake, too much to be done. Why are you not answering me? Your silence is very troublesome Christian. I can sense your life slipping away. I cannot help you. I am you, and if you perish, so will I. Your companions are calling out to you. Can you not hear them? Listen...there, your brother screams your name while the one you love cries for you. Move! Please! Do not let it take you, not again. Do not let it win Christian! Wake up, now!”
Christian’s eyes snapped open, his lungs gasped for breath. His other senses were numb. He could not feel, hear or even speak, only see. He could not call out to his friends, nor could he reach out to them. He was trapped beneath the rubble of what used to be the building he was standing on. Tons of concrete and stone had fallen with him, pinning him beneath a collapsed concrete pillar. No matter how hard he tried, he could not move. He suspected it was due to more than just the weight of the rubble on top of his damaged body.
Light was creeping in through cracks between the rubble, hitting the dust in the air, creating wonderful cones of light wherever Christian looked.
A crackle in his ear brought his hearing back abruptly. He flinched at the pain as the voices in his ear assaulted him.
Nathan was calling for him, calling his name. He sounded distraught, but Christian could not answer him. He tried to speak but his voice was not there.
Christian could hear Captain Locke arguing with Gunn about whether they should leave him or stay and give the fallen Wolf a chance. Locke was for staying, and was luckily winning the argument against Gunn.
He heard Gunn say that they could only stay for a few more minutes because they were sitting ducks and were drawing more attention than she felt comfortable with.
It was now or never. Move or get left behind. Stand or stay on the ground forever.
Christian took a deep breath; stinging pain confirmed what he had suspected. His armour was breached in more than a few places. His armour could deflect bullets and hits from mutated fleshy weapons, but it had broken under the force, cracking and splitting open as he had fallen against the concrete and stone. The pillar had dealt the final blow when it fallen on top of his prone body.
At least, from what he could tell from his suit OS, his back and organs were all still functional, his limbs had a few broken bones, but they were being held together by his under suit. Feeling slowly returned to his body, and he was becoming aware of the massive amounts of pain he was feeling even with his suit pumping his system full of painkillers.
Christian tried to move, but he could not. His strength was faltering.
Then he heard her. Jessica was speaking to him, even though he could not reply. She was asking him to answer her, begging him to say something.
But he could not. The pain was just too much to form the words.
She kept begging him, and the more she begged the more he sensed the feeling in his body returning. He could slowly move his fingers, then he could move his armoured feet slightly.
Alarm tones sounded in his ear, his suit OS reporting damage to his armour and body, but he shrugged it off as he tried to rise.
Christian put everything he had into the first movement, using his feet to find purchase in the rubble. He lifted the pillar with his legs and then slid his arms up and underneath the heavy stone pillar. He was holding it just above his chest, like he was about to bench press the heavy piece of stone and concrete.
He roared voiceless at first as he lifted the thing that had pinned him down. The suit around him scraped and sparked against the rubble.
Little by little he was winning, power and sheer determination to survive fuelling his body.
His voice returned just as he lifted the heavy pillar free, letting it tumble over his head, freeing his damaged body.
Everyone heard the roar, over the squad radio and even over the drop ships whining engines.
“Son of a...” was all Rivers could get out before Nathan spoke.
“Christian?” he yelled more than asked.
“Hurt...I need to get out,” Christian said.
“You need to climb, look up brother.” Nathan’s voice was filled with hope again.
“I...I see light. Where are you?” Christian asked. He was confused. His body was in so much pain that it disorientated his senses and clouded his mind.
“Right above you, just climb, we will wait for you. But do it now!”
Christian grunted a response. He stepped on top of the closest rubble pile and looked for a way up. A crack in his visor made it hard to see, but he noticed a way up, blocked only by a few pieces of metal frame and mangled substructure.
He did not hesitate any longer. He started climbing while ignoring the pain and all of the alarms going off in his helmet. There were just too many things wrong with him and his suit to worry about it now. All he needed and wanted to do was go up, and so that is all he did.
Up he went, painfully pulling his weight up. Hands gripping wearily to handholds, his legs were aching as he lifted his weight upwards.
But the universe always had an ace up its sleeve for dire situations like the one Christian found himself in. Christian took a moment to rest, just a few seconds, but it was enough for his senses to focus on the scrambling noise far below him. He almost laughed when he looked down into the darkness where he had been trapped before.
A few monsters had found their way into the collapsed building, and were now watching the hurt Titan climb to safety.
There was a moment that both Christian and the monsters below him froze, just looking at one another. Christian saw the understanding dawn on the beasts’ faces.
The mutants rushed up the shaft Christian was climbing up, moving fast as they went after the Titan. Christian sprang into action just as the first monster s
tarted climbing, increasing his pace. The pain was worse, but he still ignored it as much as he could, he kept his eyes on the light above him, focusing on it instead of the things below.
Christian reached the top and lifted a slab of concrete away, revealing the blue sky to his burning vision. He wasted no time, crawling out of the hole, rolling away and getting to his feet. A sharp claw reached for him from the hole as he rolled away, gouging a chunk of concrete out mere inches away from Christian’s body.
Christian found himself on a relatively flat piece of the collapsed roof. The Maiden waited for him less than fifty feet away, hovering just on the edge of the destroyed building.
He risked a glance behind him and saw the creatures squeeze out of the hole he had come out of, and to make things worse more monsters were scurrying over the rubble towards him. There were hundreds of the beasts, all heading for him. He was a prime target, and they were intent on catching one of the prized Titans - not that they knew what that meant. All they knew was that the flesh inside the Titan armour was going to be a delicacy, and they all wanted a piece of him.
Christian gritted his teeth and took off, sprinting at full speed towards the Maiden. Behind him the beasts clawed and salivated as they chased him, closing the distance rapidly.
Nathan was hanging from the open cargo door of the Maiden, his hand outstretched.
Christian noticed as he ran toward Nathan that he would have to jump to reach his brother, the Maiden was hovering out of reach of the monsters if they tried to jump toward it. He did not know if he would be able to make it, but he would have to try.
“Jump Christian! Reach for me!” Nathan yelled.
Christian took his last few steps on New Horizon at full sprint, his body aching almost unbearably. His left leg faltered just as he reached the edge.
And then he jumped.
Nathan caught him. Mimicking the personal insignia on Christian’s battered bicep. Two armoured hands clasped together, two brothers with endless issues, but forever loyal.