Solid stone opened like a veil. He plunged into a massive cavern and came to a stop, a hundred feet above the bottom. So many battles had been fought here. Against the heroes of old and the monsters they’d given birth to. Some he’d won, dispatching the ancient Behemoth, and some he’d lost, resulting in a global shift of the Earth’s crust. But all that was in the past now. The cavern was clear, save for the massive centipedes calling it home. But he let them be, as they made good guardians and they gave him a wide berth, knowing from experience that the King of Antarktos was not food. Buffeted by a swirling wind, he glided to the cavern’s end and stopped before his goal...
The gates of Tartarus, where the Cowboy’s bell was hidden, along with other ancient evils and monsters that made even demons quake with fear. But not Solomon Ull Vincent, the last hunter. With a swipe of his hand, the gates opened for him, allowing him access to a dimension beyond the confines of time and space, where science, and aliens had no power.
But had he waited too long?
36
MAIGO
Cutting through the Aeros mothership’s hull turned out to be a simple thing. Sure, it took a while, and there were multiple hulls to cut through, but while they were stuck to it, cutting away, invisible to the battling fleets, the adrenaline that had been coursing through Maigo’s body had faded. Now, as she finished cutting through the eighth and final hull, reaching a total depth of four feet, her muscles twitched. Adrenaline was nice when you needed it, but the effects created by its exit were distracting.
But that was a minor problem. An annoyance really. When it came to breaking into an alien mothership in orbit over Earth, adrenaline shakes were the first world problem of things that could go wrong.
So she’d endure the quivering muscles and feel thankful for them.
“Seems kinda thick,” Lilly said, watching Maigo finish the final cut. “Eight six-inch hulls.”
“It does seem excessive,” Freeman agreed, “But from what I’ve been told, the Aeros stand forty feet tall, and I’ve already seen the size of the kaiju this ship contains. Four feet might be thin to these creatures. It’s all a matter of perspective.”
“Perspective or not, it makes for a boring infiltration.” Lilly crossed her arms, impatiently bouncing a leg.
Maigo would normally tell her to slow down. To think. But this wasn’t a time for a turtle pace, and thinking wasn’t required. They had a plan. Well, two plans. One they all knew about, and one only she knew about. And both of them depended on speed, not just for their own survival, but for the people on the ground. Without the mothership, the Aeros forces already on Earth would get no help from above. No reinforcements. And not just because the ship would be disabled, but because they’d all be dead.
Maigo stood and kicked down hard. Her monstrous strength bent in the last six-inch layer. She kicked it again, creating a gap large enough for them to slip through. Thanks to Future Betty, they had already matched the mothership’s internal pressure, so unless the very skin of the gigantic vessel was alive, the breech would go unnoticed.
Maigo led the way in and quickly discovered her second problem: what she had assumed was up, was actually down. As soon as she entered, the artificial gravity pulled her toward what she’d thought was the ceiling.
Lilly jumped through next, landing on her feet with a smile. “Slick.”
Freeman landed beside her with equal agility. “I’m sorry. Perhaps this is a dumb question. But was there a reason you jumped onto your head?”
Maigo grumbled and got to her feet. Unlike Lilly’s comment, Freeman’s question was earnest, and for some reason, that bothered her even more than Lilly’s familiar taunting. Back on her feet, Maigo ignored the question and scanned the area.
“Anyone else feel funny?” Lilly asked, blinking her eyes.
“Did I miss a joke?” Freeman asked.
“Feels like it,” Lilly said. A silly smile crept onto her face, but she forced it away. “What the hell?”
“I’m feeling it, too,” Maigo said.
“It’s the air,” Freeman said. “It’s super oxygenated, I suspect to support the vast size of the Aeros. Your not-quite-human physiology should help you cope, but the sooner we leave, the less chance you’ll experience any negative effects.”
“Then let’s get this done quick.” Maigo took in their surroundings. They were in what looked like a vast, endlessly long cargo bay. But it was empty. Massive lights lined the ceiling, sixty feet above, stretching into the distance, further than Maigo could see. The floors and ceiling were pale and pearlescent, shimmering as she moved.
“The hell is this?” Lilly asked.
“Perspective,” Freeman said. “Remember? I believe we are standing in a hallway.”
As soon as he said it, Maigo could see it. If she were forty feet tall, this space would look like any other futuristic hallway she’d been in. Of course, she’d never been in a hallway that shimmered pink and blue if you moved, but who knew how it looked to Aeros eyes?
“Okay,” Lilly said. “So now what? We find a place where the T1000 here can plug in and fuck up their shit?”
Freeman shook his head. “I’m not even going to ask.”
“Let’s go,” Maigo said. After ten steps, she realized they could walk for a week and not reach the other side of the massive ship. So she shifted into a sprint. “Try to keep up.”
They had no trouble keeping up. In fact, much to Lilly’s chagrin, Freeman was the fastest of them, in part because of how fast he could move his legs, but also because he didn’t seem to get tired. Human, but not. Maigo guessed it was two miles before they came to their first door. It stretched fifty feet high, but had no handle or access panel.
Lilly, breathing heavily after the run, hands on her hips, said, “How the heck are we going to—” The door slid open. Lilly raised her hands. “I didn’t do that.” To Freeman. “Did you do that?”
Freeman pointed above the door, where a thin black strip was set back in the wall. “Perhaps that is a motion sensor.”
Maigo was about to ask why the door would have no security when she saw for herself. Another hallway. But this hall ended just a quarter mile ahead. She turned and looked down the endless hallway. With her keen eyes, she could see for miles, and in all that distance, there wasn’t a hint of movement. And for her plan, that wouldn’t work. She started into the short hallway. “Let’s see what’s behind door number two.”
“The doors are numbered?” Freeman asked.
“You have to be the smartest dumb dude I have ever met,” Lilly said, following Maigo.
Freeman smiled. “Dude. I am a dude?”
“You are a—” The first door, now behind them, whooshed shut. Lilly turned to face it and began waving her arms while jumping up and down. “Motion sensors, my hairy ass.”
The door at the far end opened, beckoning them.
“This feel like a trap to anyone else?” Lilly asked.
It did, but Maigo didn’t see any way forward, other than forward. The second door had opened to what looked like an oversized elevator car. And where there are elevators, she thought, leaning inside and looking up, there are consoles. The digital screen was right where she thought it would be, thirty feet above them, perfect for an Aeros, not so perfect for a human being...or however you’d classify a kaiju-woman, cat-woman and robot-man.
“Will that work?” Maigo asked, pointing up at the glowing blue screen.
“Perhaps,” Freeman said, handing his railgun to Lilly. “But I won’t know until I try. Give me a boost?”
“A boost?” Maigo asked. Together they’d barely reach twelve feet. Even if they could pull off a Cirque du Soleil move and stand on each other’s shoulders, Lilly wasn’t very tall. They’d still fall short.
“I think,” Lilly said. “He wants you to throw him.”
“Ahh,” Maigo said, cupping her hands together. “That I can do.”
The door whooshed shut behind them.
“Try to make i
t snappy,” Maigo said, as Freeman stepped into her hands. He was a lot heavier than he looked.
“Do not worry,” Freeman said. “Efficiency makes me happy.”
Maigo heaved, throwing her arms up. As Freeman sailed higher, he casually scanned the screen, taking everything in. Then he reached out, wedged his fingers in the small gap between screen and wall, and clung in place like a rock climber.
He looked down at them. “The elevator is moving. Also, lookout.”
Maigo hadn’t felt a thing, so Freeman’s announcement about the elevator moving almost made her miss his warning. She looked up in time to see him tear the screen away from the wall, demonstrating his impressive strength. Maigo dove to the side, as the screen hit the floor and shattered like glass.
“I will try to be snappy,” Freeman said, and then he disappeared inside the panel.
A moment later, the door slid open.
Maigo and Lilly looked at what awaited them, and then looked at each other.
“This is Effed in the A,” Lilly said.
Maigo shook her head. “This is perfect.”
They stepped out together, standing in a space so large it defied human experience. It was an arena, they could see that much, surrounded by massive bleachers populated by hordes of Aeros. The aliens wore robe-like attire that hung in the front and back, but left their legs, arms and sides exposed. The giant tentacles dangling from above their mouths twitched with excitement as they stomped their feet in unison, like a bunch of extra-terrestrial soccer hooligans. The noise was deafening. Maigo could feel the soundwaves like slaps against her body.
The massive ceiling was adorned with fantastic art, depicting battles and telling the stories of ancient warriors—all Aeros—vanquishing various alien races, including one that looked like Nemesis Prime. There were a large number of Ferox represented as well, most already dead or dying. The display was impressive, but disturbing, as it provided a visual for the horrors Mephos had told them about.
What made it all worse was that while her world, and an infinite number of variations of it, were being threatened, while giant monsters were attacking her friends and family and while a fleet of Ferox were attacking the mothership, these assholes were entertaining themselves with some kind of gladiator games. The stains around the arena, and the smell of blood in the air, meant this was not the first event.
We’re going to be the last, Maigo thought.
The Aeros seemed to believe that the fight for Earth was already over. That it was going to be conquered like so many other planets before them. But Maigo knew they were wrong, and this was her best chance to prove it to them.
Lilly lifted Freeman’s railgun and pulled the trigger. The weapon twanged, firing a projectile straight at an Aeros’s bulbous head. There was an explosion of light, but no damage. The spectators were protected by yet another invisible force field.
“Freeman!” Maigo shouted.
“Yes?” His voice was distant and muffled, but he could hear her.
“There’s a force field around the arena,” Maigo said. “Try and take that down before you do anything else.”
“But—”
“Do it!” Maigo shouted, and then she stepped into the arena, head held high, meeting the eyes of any Aeros who looked at her. Then she raised her arms, like she was sucking in the glory of it all. The act silenced the booming feet.
“Umm,” Lilly said. “What are you doing?”
“Stay with Freeman,” Maigo said, walking further into the arena.
A loud voice, from where she couldn’t tell, shouted something in a language she couldn’t understand. Then a horn blast rolled through the open space. It was followed by a roar. Several roars. From either side. The sound was drowned out by the Aeros, once again stomping their feet.
Maigo looked left and right. Charging her from both directions were what looked like rhinos, but with two heads. The creatures had three ten-foot-long horns on each side, sharp teeth, thick armor plates, long tails and about twenty more tons of muscle. A direct hit from a beast like that would hurt. A lot. Might even kill her, but she had no intention of being hit.
“Okay, so, what’s the super-secret plan no one told me about?” Lilly had ignored her order, and followed, claws extended. Even if Maigo didn’t tell her the plan, she knew Lilly would have her back. They were as close to sisters as the other would ever get, and their bond was one of a kind, monsters both. Also, she didn’t think Lilly, who could be downright savage, would have any problem with the plan.
So Maigo opened the pocket containing the small device and showed it to her.
“You’re going to give them a shot?” Lilly asked. “What’s in it?”
The answer was just three letters, but the effect it had on Lilly was nearly comical, as her face morphed from shock to awe, which was basically the idea. Then she repeated the letters back, smiling as she spoke.
“B.F.S.”
37
WATSON
I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die. Damn, damn, damn, I’m gonna die.
The mantra ran through Ted Watson’s mind, ignoring his attempts to reign in his emotions and focus on the task at hand. But since the repeating thought was caused by the task at hand, he didn’t have much luck. He belonged behind a computer, not at the helm of a flesh-and-blood kaiju. He wasn’t a fighter. He was a nerd.
Ashtaroth was far more intimidating than he had imagined. Being the Voice of a kaiju meant all that size and power, was now his, but despite being three hundred feet tall and capable of crushing buildings, he still found himself craning Scylla’s head up to look their enemy in its small orange eyes. The creature was an amalgam of the different kaiju they’d encountered, but supersized. Only, the thing’s mouth...the zipper of sharp teeth…stretched back beyond its eyes. When the mouth opened, unleashing an earth-shaking roar, it revealed several more rows of hooked teeth, perfect for latching onto prey and not letting go. Even worse, the gaping jaws were large enough to envelop a normal-sized kaiju whole.
Oh God, what did I do?
Why am I here?
The last question triggered an image. His son.
A memory came next.
He saw Ted Jr.’s birth at Beverly Hospital, just a few minutes’ drive away from the Crow’s Nest. That moment had been transformative for Watson. As much as Cooper helped him become a better man on a surface level—in shape, groomed, well dressed—the birth of his son had transformed his soul. Until that moment, he hadn’t realized how much his life had been lacking, without ever knowing it. A child...a son...changed who he was. Taught him about sacrifice.
Made him more willing to fight.
The memories flashed forward two years, passing some of the happiest moments of his life, and stopping at a few hours short of the present. His son, that small person who had altered his being, was nearly killed. He could have been crushed. Eaten. Melted. God knew what else.
Those images flitted through his thoughts next, like emotional atom bombs, obliterating his fear and making room for a new emotion. Anger swelled anew, and in that anger, he felt strength. It was like Scylla had received an adrenaline boost.
These things feed on anger, he thought, and then he embraced it.
As the gathered kaiju, and one giant robot, waited for Ashtaroth on the mountainside, Watson filled his head with images of his son. The boy’s laugh. The smell of his hair. The softness of his cheek. And the way his mother smiled when he did.
Then he saw all those things taken away. Violently. Hundreds of scenarios, all too possible, played out in his head. And each one of them set his soul on fire.
By the time Ashtaroth closed to within a mile, Watson’s fear was long forgotten.
The creature’s orange membranes roiled with explosive fluid. The gaseous sacks on the sides of its waist pulsed in and out. Its tentacle arms writhed with energy, eager for the fight.
A crackle of energy burst from behind Scylla’s left shoulder. Watson felt the heat, as the white hot energy beam
cut through the air and slammed into Ashtaroth’s armored thigh. Smoke billowed, as a black line was traced up the leg. The beam cut out after a few seconds.
Ashtaroth looked down at its leg. The armor was marred, but there was no blood. No severe injury. Then it turned its attention to the one who had attacked it.
Watson followed the monster’s gaze back to Hyperion, in full Gunhead Mode, the red circles on its chest indicating low power. The robot had kicked off the battle with the most powerful weapon in their arsenal, and it hadn’t done much more than scratch the beast. Granted, the robot’s aim needed some work—who knew what the fledgling AI was thinking—but their first strike didn’t bode well.
It was time for another approach.
Fueled by love for his son, Watson sent a roar billowing from Scylla’s lungs. It was joined a moment later, by Nemesis. Then by Karkinos. And then by Scrion.
They charged as one, their combined size and power still overshadowed by Ashtaroth, but more powerful together.
The mighty Aeros champion reached out for Nemesis, its squid arm bursting open wide, tentacles poised to envelop the kaiju. But the fleet-footed Nemesis dove to the side, evading the creature’s grasp. As the tentacles struck open ground, Watson dove atop them. He dug his claws into the flesh and clung on as the arm yanked up. Feeling himself about to be flung free, Watson buried Scylla’s teeth into the tentacle.
Rancid blood sprayed into his mouth.
Down his throat.
He knew the noxious fluid wasn’t inside his human body, but it repulsed him just the same. The flavor was bitter, salty and rotted.
He saw his son’s face in his mind’s eye. Just for a moment. But it was enough.
Scylla’s strong jaws and impossibly sharp teeth crushed and cleaved, biting down until the tentacle was severed.
Project Legion (Nemesis Saga Book 5) Page 23