Dead World

by Lucas Pederson

  A shrill squealing noise startles them all and it doesn’t take long for Alyx to realize it’s coming from her pack. Within the squealing, she thinks she hears a voice.

  Pulling out the voice recorder, the transmit symbol blinks sporadically. On the screen, it reads, VILAS.

  Alyx steels herself, and touches the answer icon on the screen.

  “—Sullivan! Come in Dr. White!”

  “This is Alyx, dickhead. Sully is dead.”

  There’s a moment of silence, then Vilas says, “Dead? How? What the hell is going on?”

  “Oh don’t play dumb. I know you had him swindled.”

  “Our deal was solid, I assure you. Especially regarding his daughter. I was doing the right thing Alyx.”

  “Right. You were playing him. As soon as you got the artifact in your hands you would have killed him. I know you, Vilas.” There’s so much rage now, she just wants to smash the voice recorder on the ground. Instead, her grip tightens around it. “How are Lance and Hannah doing?”

  “You think you know me, but in reality, you’ve fabricated some twisted fantasy. I am not a bad guy, Alyx, just did some bad things, like you have. I have morals. I have respect for those I choose to help. Lance and Hannah are well. The cruiser is just about tip-top shape.”

  Alyx chuckles humorlessly. “You’ve never helped anybody but yourself.”

  “And how do you know this for sure? I keep my private deals private. Dr. Sullivan and I had a private deal. He brings me the artifact, I pay for his daughter’s treatments until she is cured.” He pauses. “Did you recover the artifact?”

  Alyx grins. “You’ll have to see to find out.”

  Once more, he pauses. After a moment, he says, “There are three gliders resting at the edge of the woods. Each one is set for my location. Bring me the artifact and I’ll make a new deal with you.”

  “Out,” Alyx says and turns the voice recorder off. She stuffs it in the pack and looks at Gerty and Connors. “It’s going to be a free for all once we reach Vilas. He wants the artifact and will do everything he can to get it. He’ll be ready for us and it’s more than likely he’ll shoot us off our gliders and collect the artifact than actually try to talk me out of it.”

  “So, what should we do?” Gerty asks. “I mean, we can’t just charge in, guns blazing. He has men, or androids, or whatever the hell they are.”

  “We park the gliders away from the cruiser where he’s waiting. I’m sure he has tracking on them. Then we each take a point around them. Connors, you use that grenade launcher to blow up his tracker.”

  “His what?”

  “Tracker. A big silver thing on wheels. Just don’t shoot the cruiser.”

  Connors nods.

  “Gerty, I want you to pick off all the men standing guard while I go in to take out Vilas.”

  “You’re like the most badass teacher ever.”

  Alyx shakes her head, laughing. “Let’s do this. And if things go wrong, seize the cruiser and get the hell out of here. With or without me.”

  Neither Gerty or Connors says anything to this and they all hurry to find the gliders.

  TWENTY-THREE

  They’re on the gliders, slipping through the wood on a course set by Vilas and Alyx turns the situation over in her mind while keeping a close eye out for any creatures lurking about.

  A wide strip has been cut out of the forest making it easier on the gliders, but…

  Vilas just has to destroy things. Doesn’t matter what it is, he must destroy it in some way.

  There isn’t a map or anything on the gliders so she eventually needs to pay attention to her surroundings and remember what the woods looked like when they first entered it. All she really remembers is how dense it was. How thick the foliage was.

  The one thing she does remember is how long it took to get from point A to point B.

  About two hours or so. Give or take.

  And they’ve been on the gliders for a little over an hour, she figures.

  Alyx glares ahead as Gerty and Connors flank her on either side. She’s so focused, she doesn’t see the creatures hanging from the trees. Doesn’t even realize what’s going on until it’s too late.

  An ambush.

  The ape-like creatures drop onto them with so much force they slam Alyx, Gerty and Connors off the gliders. Alyx lands hard, skidding into a tree and taking the brunt of the force with her left shoulder. A muffled pop and agony spreads through her. She rolls onto her right side, teeth gritting against the pain.

  Shrill gibbering noises fill her ears.

  “Alyx,” Gerty shouts. “Where are you?”

  Alyx manages to sit and yells, “Over here.”

  A long burst of chattering gunfire ignites the woods, then Gerty crashes through a set of thick bushes, Connors in tow. They help her to her feet and she bites back a cry as pain lashes through her shoulder. Her left arm dangles at her side like a dead snake.

  “You’re hurt,” Gerty says, frowning.

  “Yeah. Shoulder is dislocated I think.”

  Connors steps forward. “Mine dislocates all the time. I can help.”

  All around them, shrill gibbering. Bluish leaves see-saw down from the trees above. A shiver scuttles under Alyx’s skin.

  “I only have one magazine left,” Gerty says. “The flashgun is too slow for an ambush like this.”

  As Connors inspects Alyx’s shoulder, she says, “Start a fire.”

  “A…fire?”

  With Connors rubbing around her shoulder, as pain ladders down her back, Alyx nods. “In the trees. Maybe it’ll scare them off.”

  “But won’t we be in danger? I mean…a forest fire is kind of extreme.”

  Connors yanks sharply downward on Alyx’s arm. Another muffled pop as her shoulder slips back into its socket, then all she knows is white, hot agony for a few seconds. Once this subsides, a dull ache radiates throughout her shoulder, back and left arm. But, at least she can move her arm now. Kind of. Feels too weak. Too slow.

  When she regains her composure, she points at the grenades clipped to Connors’s belt. “Two of those are flash grenades. We run and light up the forest behind us. We need all the ammo we can save for Vilas.”

  Gerty shakes her head. “I forget how crazy you are sometimes.” She sighs. “But okay. Let’s do this.”

  Above, Alyx catches a glimpse of a wiry, hairless, dark shape move through the branches. Blue leaves sift to the ground.

  “Connors,” she says. “As soon as Gerty and I take off, throw a flash grenade as high as you can into the tree. The initial flash might scare them off too. But as soon as you throw it, follow us. If you notice the things not reacting, throw another grenade at a tree.”

  Connors, face dripping with sweat and blood from a small gash in his forehead, nods without argument.

  Alyx turns to Gerty, “Only shoot if you have to.”

  “Ya know,” Gerty says. “I am the next in command, right?”

  Alyx smiles. “Right.”

  Gerty shakes her head. “Okay, let’s do this already.”

  “Run,” Alyx says.

  Gerty and Alyx sprint away from Connors and instantly the shrill gibbering noises turn to raspy hoots. The creatures are warning each other about the escape attempt. And they’re pissed off about it, apparently.

  A moment after the women are running, a loud crack echoes through the woods. The hoots change to screams.

  Alyx glances over her shoulder. Connors isn’t far behind.

  She just hopes she’s right and the fire scares the things away.

  She hopes.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  She catches a whiff of smoke, but it’s minor. Nothing strong enough to worry her too much. The entire forest will probably catch, but by that time Vilas will be neutralized and they’ll be on their way home.

  At least that’s the plan.

  Connors, huffing and puffing from all the running, manages, “They retreated.”

  Alyx, also trying to breathe,
manages a nod.

  Gerty, she runs headstrong through the cleared path Vilas created. There are no signs of the gliders and Alyx assumes they continued on to their programmed destination.

  Nothing appears the same as it had when they first entered the woods, so Alyx has no way of fully knowing how close they are.

  Finally, she slows her pace and says, “Save…your energy.”

  The two Marines don’t argue and slow to a walk. Neither of them are breathing as heavily as Alyx and she hates herself for not keeping in shape over the years.

  Once all their breathing eases, Gerty says, “So we lost our gliders and just started a forest fire.” She snorts. “Well, at least we’re not trapped in a sacrificial temple or something.”

  Alyx chuckles. “There’s that. I think we’re getting close now.”

  “Yeah.” Gerty points at a large tree with black vines choking its thick trunk. “I remember that and I don’t think we were too far in when I spotted it. Thought the tree looked like it was in pain.”

  “It does,” Alyx says. “Okay, so let’s be ready. But I’m banking on the gliders showing up to Vilas empty and him thinking we all died back there. He’ll send men out to retrieve the artifact.”

  “I smell ambush,” Gerty sings and cackles all witch-like.

  “Exactly,” Alyx says and cocks a thumb at Connors. “But he’ll be doing most of the shooting.”

  Connors blinks. “Huh?”

  “The grenade launcher. It’ll save ammo if they’re in a group and blow them to bits.”

  “That’s dark, dude,” Gerty says, though she’s grinning.

  Ahead, there’s a small clearing where the trees and foliage open nice and wide. Wide enough, anyway. To the right of this clearing, the land slopes upward into a gradual hill.

  “Connors, I think if you stand on the hill there you’ll get the best vantage point to pick the perfect shot.”

  “You sure you were never in the military, Professor?” Gerty winks.

  “I wouldn’t last two hours as a soldier,” Alyx says, not feeding into Gerty’s playful nature. She’s getting too focused now. “But a hill is the highest point. And according to history, hills gain the upper hand in any ambush.” She grunts. “Or trees…”

  “So serious,” Gerty spouts, and falls silent as Connors hustles toward the hill with his grenade launcher.

  Gerty and Alyx crouch in the thick brush near the foot of the small hill.

  The wait isn’t long. About ten minutes or so, telling Alyx all she needs to know about how far away Vilas is.

  The men enter the clearing in a group, just as she hoped. No stragglers as far as she can tell.

  Boom.

  One moment they’re there, the next…a splatterfest. Also…

  “They’re all droids,” Gerty says as she steps into the clearing.

  Connors makes his way down the hill, all wide-eyed, but smiling. He did good, and he knows it.

  “Because actual humans would probably turn on Vilas,” Alyx says. An assumption, but probably a good one.

  There’s barely anything left of the droids, and what does remain are bits and pieces. Arms. Legs. A charred head opens and closes its mouth, eyes darting back and forth. Alyx puts a bullet in it.

  “Let’s go.” She walks out of the clearing, setting her sights ahead.

  It’s time to end this.

  TWNETY-FIVE

  The problem is, Vilas’s tracker is parked in front of the cruiser. So, no matter how much Alyx wants to blow the damn thing up, she can’t risk damaging the cruiser.

  Three man-droids stand near it, each one slowly scanning the perimeter.

  There’s no sign of Vilas, Lance, or Hannah. Besides the man-droids, the large clearing is still and silent.

  Gerty and Alyx back away from the nearest bushes.

  “If that’s all that’s left of his little army,” Gerty says, “I can take them out no problem.”

  Alyx nods. “Yeah, but it could also be a trap. Vilas is an asshole like that.”

  “He’d still be on edge after thinking we’re dead?”

  “Maybe. But I wouldn’t put it past him.”

  Gerty shrugs, lifts Rip’s rifle. “I say fuck it. Let’s see what happens.”

  Smiling, Alyx says, “If things turn to shit out there, I want to thank you. You did more than you needed to for everyone, including me.”

  “Pshhh, I just didn’t want to be stuck in those tunnels alone.” But Gerty smiles back and pats Alyx’s arm. “You’re good people, Dr. Wick.”

  Alyx turns to Connors. “If you don’t get promoted after this, I’ll personally kick General Hunt in the fluff.”

  Connor snorts, shakes his head. “It’s an honor just being here. But thanks, Dr. Wick.” His face goes a little dim. “Just wish my platoon was still here with us.”

  “Same,” Gerty says, then sighs. “But they’re not, so let’s honor our fallen by kicking some major ass. What do ya say, bro?”

  Connors grins, lifts his sidearm. “Oorah.”

  Gerty claps the kid on the back and all three burst out of the brush, guns blazing.

  In no time, the three man-droids are reduced to jittering, oozing things in the dirt. Alyx and Gerty open the back of the tracker while Connors keeps watch.

  Both women stumble back, faces pinched to the godawful reek washing out of the bus-like vehicle.

  “Jesus,” Gerty says, touching the collar of her vest. The mask shoots up and melds to her mouth and nose.

  Alyx follows suit. Instantly, the stench is gone.

  They creep into the vehicle, shoulder lights illuminating the darkness. A gurgling groan drifts to Alyx’s ears and…

  “Oh my god,” Alyx says, barely able to breathe.

  On a large, steel table, Lance turns his head and spurts vomit onto the floor where it splatters in a rancid pool of the same.

  “L-Lance?” Gerty starts forward, stops.

  He doesn’t seem to notice, coughs and his head lolls back and forth. But it’s not the pool of vomit on the floor, or him being naked, nor the stench that sends slivers of ice into Alyx’s chest.

  No. It’s how his stomach bulges outward, as if he’s nine months pregnant. It’s the black veins snaking just under the stretched skin. It’s how that considerable belly shifts and makes low groaning sounds. It’s the wires and tubes running in and out of both of his arms to monitors and machines she’s never seen before. All of them are dark. All of them shutdown.

  What the hell was Vilas up to in here?

  “I’d advise you two to step out of the tracker and shut the door,” Vilas’s soothing voice says. “He’s critical.”

  Alyx spins, all her hate pushing to the surface. “What the fuck did you do, Vilas? What the hell is going on here?”

  The older man frowns. “What did I—my dear, I have done nothing to this poor boy. He was infected by that thing in the tunnel. I tried everything I could to reverse his condition. But, as you can see, my efforts were in vain.”

  “You can drop the act now,” Alyx says, hand falling to the butt of her revolver. With only four bullets left, she hopes Vilas is alone.

  Vilas looks genuinely hurt by the comment. His face slackens, gaze lowers a bit. “I suppose I deserve that for what I’ve done to you over the years.”

  “Damn right you do. You stole some of my most priceless finds.”

  “And tell me,” his gaze returns to her, “what were your plans for those priceless finds? Those artifacts and crystals, and rare metals. Hmm?” And when Alyx can’t think of anything to say, he nods. “You and I are not so much different from each other, Alyx. You robbed from the dead to sell to the highest bidder. And I robbed you to do the same.”

  “Whoa,” Gerty says. “You’re more messed up than I thought.”

  Alyx sighs. “I was trying to retire.”

  “Retire? Aren’t you like thirty-five?”

  “Thirty-three, but that’s beside the point.”

  “Not really, but what
ever. He’s right.” Gerty steps away from Alyx. “You’re just as bad as he is. You’re both thieves.”

  “You see,” Vilas says, that smug smile finally surfacing. “Sooner or later, all our demons come out to play.”

  “He’s trying to turn you against me,” Alyx says to Gerty. “I sold to museums mostly. Not black-market buyers like he does.”

  Gerty glances from Alyx to Vilas and back again. “And that makes you better than him?”

  “No, but at least the things I have found can be enjoyed by others and not hoarded in a room by some rich collector.”

  Before she speaks again, Gerty dips her a wink. “Wrong. It makes you the same, and I want you to stay right where you are. I’m going to find Hannah and we’re getting off this fucking rock.” She points her rifle at Vilas. “And you, get the hell out of my way.”

  Vilas puts his hands up, smiling. “Of course, young lady. Hannah is in the cruiser if you wish to speak with her.”

  Gerty shoots Alyx a firm expression Alyx interprets as, “Get ready”, and storms out of the tracker. Vilas lets her pass without a word. Then the woman Marine disappears around the side of the tracker. Where Connors is at, she doesn’t know.

  Behind her, Lance’s extended stomach gurgles and groans.

  Her focus fixes on Vilas. He’s smiling, though there seems something a bit different. The smugness isn’t as prominent. And after a few seconds, he sighs.

  “I am truly sorry for your loss, Alyx. Dr. White was a great man. He said he was ill, but I didn’t know how ill. And you must believe me that my involvement here is strictly to help his daughter.”

  And…she kind of does believe him. She doesn’t want to. She wants to shoot him. But then again, what if she’s been misjudging him this entire time on the planet? What if he’s really here to help and not take for himself?

  “So, what now?” she asks, probing a bit. “Now that Sully is dead, I suppose you’re going to take the artifact and sell it to the highest bidder?”

  Vilas shakes his head. “The deal is broken, I don’t even want the artifact now. I mean, look at me, Alyx. Take a serious look. I have no real friends. I am an old man obsessed with wealth. I have it all, yet nothing.”