by Devon C Ford
“Anderson?” Hendricks yelled, his voice coming through my earpiece as well as through the night air. “Anderson, where the hell are you? Report?”
“In here,” I said, clearing my throat and then shouting louder, “in here!”
Hendricks burst in, gun up into his shoulder as he and Magda swept the room in short, efficient movements to make sure it was clear. He stopped as he looked down at the ruined bug. He took in my face, devoid of blood and looking pale with the shock, took in the empty gun in my hands and carefully removed it from my unresisting grasp to load a fresh magazine from my belt and hand it back.
“Not like Rainbow Six in real life,” he asked quietly, “is it?”
I glanced back at the bug I had killed and whispered, “Tango down.”
Hendricks nodded and patted me on the shoulder before indicating to Magda and the two of them swept out of the room to continue the bug hunt.
A sob from the corner brought me back to the here and now. Cat still stood with her hands to her face and her back tight against the walls of the medical tent, staring in terror at the dead bug on the floor. Outside, the automated guns still fired an occasional burst that drowned out the clicking sounds of the masses of bugs just beyond the walls. I once thought they were impenetrable, but now they felt paper thin and not nearly high enough.
Cat looked at me and ran toward me as she sobbed to bury her face in my chest. I stood momentarily shocked. I hadn’t been physically this close to a woman since the last cursory peck on the cheek I had from my mother before she died, or more terrifyingly from my crazy Aunt Daisy who insisted on enveloping me in a huge bear hug and smothering me with kisses every time I met her. The sensation of her overlarge breasts pressing against me bringing on more of a sense of nausea and unease than anything else. This time, though, the feeling of Cat’s firm body pressing tightly against mine brought an immediate emotional reaction I really needed her not to notice, in case the embarrassment of it being discovered ruined our friendship forever. Adjusting my stance awkwardly to keep the object of my embarrassment as far away from being discovered as possible, I decided to go for broke and raised my arm that was not holding the gun and return the hug.
All at once a feeling of great manliness swept over me. I was no longer Dr. David Anderson the nerdy computer guy; I was a hero. The one who had shot and killed a deadly predator to save the woman who for, well almost a thousand years I guessed, had been the object of my secret desires and fantasies. I stood stock still as she wrapped both her arms around me and tightened her grip. The way I was feeling I didn’t care what happened anymore, life just couldn’t get any better than this.
A burst of automatic gunfire from somewhere in the compound made me jump and remember where we were. I twisted and automatically raised my arm holding the gun and aimed it at the fabric covering the entrance to the medical tent. Cat released her grip from me and raised her hands to my face. Her wide, beautiful eyes stared at me and she whispered, “Thank you.”
I didn’t know how to react or what to say without the magic I felt disappearing in my usual awkward actions or words. A few corny lines from films came to my head—which ordinarily would have burst from my lips—and threatened to ruin the moment, a moment that I knew would probably never happen again if I did so I kept my mouth wisely shut.
My hand holding the gun lowered as once again her eyes and voice made everything else in the world irrelevant until Annie’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Sierra team, I am still detecting two live specimens inside the walls of the compound. Northeast corner, near the medical tent.”
Hearing this I pushed Cat behind me and raised the gun in both hands. Slowly and carefully I walked toward the flap covering the doorway with Cat’s hand on my shoulder as she followed, bolstering the wavering courage that would’ve fled if I didn’t have her to protect.
The thin curtain covering the entrance, which in reality I knew provided no protection at all, was all that separated us from another of those nightmare bugs. I had to force myself to release the gun with one hand, trying to hide the terror my body was screaming to show. With Cat’s hands burning through both my shoulders, I pushed aside the flap to step into the open.
I tried to put on my most manly voice as I said, “Stay behind me, Cat.”
She didn’t respond but gave my shoulders a squeeze which boosted my confidence again. Annie had activated the internal lights in the compound, though they didn’t illuminate the area completely; the curvature of the pods still cast dark shadows, easily concealing the killer bugs. Most of the pod doors were closed, effectively sealing in and protecting their occupants as they had been designed to do. The cicada-type noise from the bugs seemed even louder now we were outside of the flimsy protection of the tent but what made me want to throw up the most was the continual scratching noise they made as they tried to scale the walls.
I looked around. In the center of the compound I could see people holding rifles standing behind a small fort of hastily stacked metal crates as the beams from the lights attached to them searched for targets.
My eyesight was not good enough to make out who the individuals were, but they must be Sierra team members. I raised my hand and received an answering wave back.
Movement to my right caught my attention. Two more Sierra team members approached, this time I could see it was Hendricks and Magda, both moving in the classic weapon-up stance—crouched slightly, taking small steps, weapons to their shoulders scanning everywhere for threats.
“On your left!” Annie shouted in my ear. Jumping at the sudden burst of sound I instinctively looked to my left. Two bugs emerged from the shadows and, at a speed faster than I thought possible, headed straight toward me. Toward us. Their clicking noises sounding more excitable than those outside the closer they got, their jaws making a bowel-loosening rattle as they snapped together faster than my eyes could follow in the poor light.
My first instinct was to run away in terror, and it took all the bravery I didn’t know I possessed not to. I knew if I ran Cat would be their target. The first shot took me by surprise because I didn’t know I’d even pulled the trigger. The hard ground to the left of the approaching bugs erupted as the bullet missed. Adjusting my aim, I kept pulling the trigger and saw with satisfaction great pieces of them breaking away from their bodies in gouts of gore. But still they came.
I had been taught in the forest all those years ago to count my shots as I needed to get ready for the reload, being told that someday my life could depend on it. At the time it hadn’t seemed relevant, but as I fired the thought flashed into my mind. It made me panic even more knowing I had forgotten how many bullets the gun even held, so what was the point of counting?
I just kept firing, taking a step back with every shot as they got closer and closer. Within seconds the gun clicked empty and the slide locked back again. One of the bugs had stopped, its jaws opening and closing weakly, its legs not having the power to propel it any further as its insides leaked out of the many holes I’d blasted in its armored shell. The other bastard wasn’t giving up quite as easily and kept coming, though now slower.
Hearing Cat’s screams of terror in my ear and feeling her fingers digging deep into my shoulders, I knew I couldn’t let it get closer. There was no way I was going to let its jaws sink into the smooth flesh of the woman I realized now with more certainty than ever, might actually like me.
Screaming a primeval roar of unintelligible rage, I took two steps forwards and kicked the bug square in what the biologist had told me was its face. Its carapace, already damaged by the bullets I’d hit it with, disintegrated at the force of my kick and it burst apart. Gore sprayed everywhere, but it seemed to mainly land on me, coating my clothes and my face with what felt like warm, sticky, left far too long in the deep fat fryer cooking oil.
Standing there, breathing heavily with shock, anger and more than a little fear, I tried to wipe my face to clear my vision but it was just too sticky to remove. I
began to panic as I feared I was being blinded by the unknown internals of an alien beast, like it had acid for blood or something. Damned TV.
“I’m blind!” I wailed, “I can’t see the bugs. Help me. I lashed my arms and legs out at more bugs I imagined were closing in on me. I calmed when the soft voice I knew so well spoke softly in my ear and I felt my waving arms that were ineffectually wiping at my face being gently held.
Her southern accent still trembled with fear as she whispered in my ear. “Anderson, it’s okay. I’m here. Let me clean you up.”
“Cat? Thank God. Are you okay? Did I get it?”
Her laughter was the tonic I needed to realize we were safe. “Get it? You kicked that critter back to its momma. It burst apart like an overripe melon.” I felt her tug gently at my sleeve. “Come on, hold my hand and I’ll get you back to your handsome self again.”
“But what about the bugs?” I spluttered.
“Didn’t you hear? Annie’s just said there’s no more in the compound and The Swarm has moved past us? It’s over, we’re safe now.”
It was then I realized my earpiece had fallen out. I’d been so concerned about the bug goo covering me I hadn’t noticed. I blindly felt around until I found the dangling cord and refitted it to my ear. The wet sensation of unidentifiable bug pieces squishing down my ear canal was less than pleasant.
My mind couldn’t cope with so much input to my normally underused social skills and emotions. Had she just called me handsome? I felt her hand slip into mine and I just didn’t care if she led me off a cliff; I would let that soft hand and gentle voice lead me anywhere.
Minutes later I was relishing in her touch as I sat on a chair and she gently wiped my face with a damp cloth when through my now-clearing vision, I saw Hendricks approaching with a big smile on his face.
“Anderson,” he said, “are you some sleeper agent? Last time I saw you shoot, you couldn’t hit a barn door from the inside!” He pointed at me. “You, sir, are what some of my colleagues would call a badarse. I saw you kick the last one to pieces, and it was a beautiful kick too, my lad, better than anything I’ve seen at Twickers.”
I had no idea what the hell he was talking about. As I blinked away the last of the crap from my eyes I looked at him with a bemused expression on my face.
“You know? Twickers? Twickenham? The home of rugby football; none of that rubbish your lot play where they’re all wearing scaffolding and crash helmets. Rugby. A proper man’s game.” He stopped when he realized I still had no clue what he was talking about. “Anyway, Anderson, well done.” He looked at both of us, glancing at Cat to see how she was looking at me. He gave me an amused grin.
“I’ll, err, leave you both to it,” he said as he stalked off waving for the rest of Sierra team to move to him.
Cat had now wiped the exposed parts of my flesh clean enough, so I felt less creeped out. I looked into her eyes and she let the cloth drop to the floor. I didn’t know what to do. I was transfixed, unable to tear myself away from those deep pools that looked back at me. Cat raised both her hands and, cupping my face in them, leaned toward me and gently kissed my lips. I was too shocked to respond, and she pulled away slightly looking at me with a small smile.
My eyes flickered away in embarrassment, choosing to focus on anything but her all by themselves. She was mocking me, she had to be. A woman as good looking as Cat would in no way shape or form ever find a man like me attractive. I was more of a big brother figure or a permanent resident of the friend zone. The kiss had to be just gratitude; I was sure of it.
Cat’s eyes softened, her training as a psychiatric nurse giving her more insight into the workings of my mind than I would ever know myself. I forced my eyes to meet hers, opening my mouth to speak and probably say something totally dumb.
“Anderson,” she said, “relax. It’s okay.”
“I…” I stammered, not sure what to say but thinking that I had to say something.
“Dude,” she snapped softly, tapping her finger on my forehead once, “don’t spoil it.”
She bent down and kissed me fiercely. I responded, not quite sure if I was doing it right, but after a few seconds I didn’t care at all.
CHAPTER 5
Democracy Rules
The Tanaka looked down at the circular ring of steel. He had broken the generations of rules and protocols, and before nightfall had positioned himself safely in the high branches of a tree, along with a small bodyguard of trusted men where they would be safe from The Swarm, but able to see the destruction he hoped they would bring upon the visitors.
They had first heard, then watched by the light of the full moon the mass of movement as The Swarm aimed straight for where he had told them to go. He knew, whatever happened, his standing amongst his people would increase tenfold.
He had proven that he had the power to control The Swarm.
He was the bringer of death.
He was a god.
He could barely contain his bloodthirsty excitement as he saw the creatures climb each other, engulfing the compound. They would breach the walls and once that happened he would wait for daylight then go and collected the vast treasure contained inside and sweep away the bones littering the ground.
When the automated defense system had started firing, he almost fell from his perch in shock and fear. Long gouts of red flame erupted from the strange boxes fixed atop the walls, destroying the piling-up bodies of bugs and collapsing the structures they were building by using their own bodies as steppingstones.
Now he knew truly what power the legends of guns possessed. The destructive force of just one of those flame-spitting gifts from the heavens would be enough to bring the Three Hills tribe to their knees before him.
He could hear but not see what was happening in the compound. His anticipation built when he realized a few of The Swarm had managed to get inside the walls just before a long burst from one of the big guns sent bodies tumbling back to the ground. The noises inside the compound were different, but the cracks and booms signifying other weapons being fired were not the screams of fear he expected to tear the night apart.
Watching with his breath held he tried to hide his disappointment as eventually silence descended on the compound, to be replaced by the clicking and scratching sound as The Swarm moved away to return to their hive long before the sun started to lighten the eastern sky.
His plan had failed, but he knew it was not his fault; he had simply underestimated the power of the newcomers. Since The Swarm had first arrived, they had relied on high walls as the only means of defense and many lives had been lost in the initial battles as the supplies of irreplaceable bullets had been exhausted. That was before the one known as ‘The Controller,’ a man from a far-off place called Europe who called himself Eades, had passed on the gift of how to manipulate The Swarm.
The knowledge of how the small briefcase-sized device that only The Tanaka knew about worked had been lost hundreds of years before; he just knew what sometimes happened if he followed a memorized sequence of instructions and inserted the ‘beacon,’ as he called it, into the port on the side of the screen.
He called it Icarus after the name that was once emblazed across its face, but in the near thousand years it had been used, the lettering had faded, and the word could hardly be made out leaving only the raised relief imprinted onto the case.
Now it’s worth was handed down through the generations and through age its internal circuits and chips were degrading. Even though it was protected by the sealed case that was only opened when used, its effectiveness was slowly reducing as it was, to put it in simple biological terms, dying of old age. He knew the cable that led from its back and disappeared into a wall should never be removed, it was that which gave life to the dim flashing lights and flickering screen.
With a last look at the shiny metallic walls of the compound he made a decision.
“Everyone down,” he hissed loudly.
“But, Tanaka,” said a warrior near
to him, “The Swarm are still out. We must wai—”
“Must?” Tanaka snarled at him and implying cowardice. “What we must do, is assemble every warrior, because we are going to war!”
~
Harrison stood on the raised platform that stood in the center of the main square with Tori beside him.
His head bowed as he waited for the last people to gather and silence to fall. When he was ready and had prepared in his mind what he was going to say, he raised his head and stared at his people, trying to judge their mood from behind his stony expression. After a failure of leadership like this, tradition dictated that a new leader be picked to replace the old. It was a tradition going back generations to prevent power being taken by force when support of the people was eroded.
“We have suffered,” he intoned solemnly. “We have lost many of our friends and family.” He paused, trying to contain his emotions. “And for that I hold myself to blame. I have failed in my obligation as your leader to protect you.” Angry murmurs rippled through the crowd as people both agreed and disagreed with him.
“I want you to decide for yourselves who should lead you,” he went on, raising his voice to cut over the swelling sounds, “and I call on anyone here to present themselves to the people as the new leader.” An air of uncertainty flowed through the assembly like an electrical current, seeking a path of least resistance from which to pour out.
“I will lead us,” a man shouted, stepping forwards from the crowd and scattering people before him with no regard for them.
Sebastian, a fearless warrior but a blunt instrument in Harrison’s opinion, stood tall and proud before them with an axe held loosely over one shoulder. Instantly, Harrison felt a pang of regret that such a man could be placed in charge of both him and his people, because the man lacked any ounce of guile with which to fight a war.