Earthfall

by Mark Walden

  ‘Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s just plant the charges so we can get out of here,’ Sam said, backing away from the Threat transmitter. He took another few steps away from the spire and realised with growing unease that the sound wasn’t getting quieter as he moved further from it; in fact, it was getting louder. Now he could hear another sound within the subsonic thrum: a high-pitched whispering noise that felt like it was scratching at the inside of his skull. He gradually realised that he could make out something bizarre within this hissing sound, something that sounded almost like voices. He couldn’t make out what the voices were saying, but it definitely sounded like some sort of language. Sam tried to ignore the sound and focus on the rest of the team, watching as Jay placed the explosive charge on the base of the spire.

  ‘OK,’ Jay said, ‘once I hit the switch we’ve got five minutes to get clear before these puppies blow.’

  ‘What about all these people?’ Nat asked.

  ‘The blast radius shouldn’t be more than about ten metres,’ Jay said. ‘They’ll be fine.’

  Jay hit the switch on the timer and Sam yelped in pain as the whisper in his head turned into a scream. Suddenly he heard what sounded like a multitude of answering screams that seemed to come from somewhere above them.

  ‘We need to get out of here now,’ Sam said as he looked upwards.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Jay said. ‘We’ve got five minutes – that’s more than enough time to get clear.’

  ‘It’s not the explosion I’m worried about,’ Sam said, pointing up towards the stadium roof.

  The others looked where Sam was pointing and realised exactly what he was talking about. The entire underside of the stadium’s domed roof was covered in Hunters, countless thousands of them hanging upside down from the ceiling.

  ‘Oh my God,’ Rachel said as the first of the alien creatures began to detach themselves from their perches and drop towards them. ‘It’s a nest.’

  ‘RUN!’ Jay yelled at the top of his voice when the trickle of Hunters dropping towards them quickly turned into a torrent as the alarm spread throughout the swarm. The buzzing drone from the ever-swelling host of Hunters grew louder and louder as Sam and the others sprinted across the grass towards the nearest flight of stairs that led out of the arena. The five of them bounded up the stairs, taking them two or three at a time. As they ran through the archway and on to the outer concourse, Tim turned and raised his rifle, opening fire at the nearest Hunters, the hammering noise of his rifle echoing off the concrete walls.

  ‘Tim!’ Jay bellowed as Sam and the girls ran on ahead. ‘Don’t be stupid! We’ve got to get out of here now. There’s no way we can fight that many of them.’

  Tim fired one last burst into the mass of silver creatures before running after Jay. Sam pointed at another block of automated turnstiles set into the outside wall fifty metres away.

  ‘Come on,’ he yelled. ‘That’s our way out.’

  They sprinted between the dormant Walkers covering the floor around them, and headed for the exit, the deafening buzz from the pursuing Hunters filling the air. Sam felt a sudden moment of despair as he realised that the gates ahead of them, unlike the ones they’d entered through, were firmly sealed.

  ‘There’s no way out here,’ Nat shouted. ‘Keep moving. Head for the next gate!’

  Tim turned and fired another burst into the swirling mass of Hunters just thirty metres behind them and getting closer all the time. It was pointless; he might as well have been shooting at a tidal wave.

  ‘Oh no,’ Nat said under her breath, coming to a standstill.

  Sam ran up beside her and stopped as he saw what she had seen. The concourse ahead of them was filled with Hunters coming in the opposite direction. They were cut off from the exit. Sam looked around desperately, trying to spot some way for them to escape. ‘Everyone! This way!’ He hopped over the unconscious bodies and vaulted across one of the refreshment counters that were set into the outside wall of the concourse, with Rachel and Nat just behind him. Jay and Tim stood back to back, firing at the waves of Hunters that were now advancing on them from both directions.

  ‘Help me!’ Sam yelled at the two girls as he climbed up on to the counter and grabbed the bottom edge of the rolling steel security shutter protruding from the ceiling above them. The three of them pulled as hard as they could and the shutter began to slowly inch downwards.

  ‘Jay! Tim!’ Sam shouted. ‘Come on!’

  Jay lowered his rifle and sprinted towards the counter, sliding over it and then grabbing the shutter and pulling on it as hard as he could. Tim backed towards the counter, still firing at the nearest Hunters who were getting closer all the time.

  ‘Tim, get in here!’ Jay yelled. ‘Now!’

  Tim stopped firing, turned and ran towards them. He was only five metres away when he tripped over the legs of one of the brainwashed people lying on the floor. He fell forward, landing flat on top of another dormant Walker. He tried to scramble back to his feet, but it was too late. He barely had time to scream as the Hunters hit him from both sides, and he disappeared in a whirling mass of stinging tentacles.

  ‘NO!’ Jay screamed. He was halfway back over the counter before Sam caught hold of his pack and dragged him back inside.

  ‘There’s nothing you can do. He’s gone,’ Sam shouted, grabbing the bottom of the shutter again and hauling it downwards with all his might. Jay hesitated, just for a second, and then he too helped them finally slam the shutter down on to the counter. Sam quickly threw the bolt at the bottom, locking it firmly in place. Moments later the shutter began to rattle and bang as the Hunters on the other side attacked it. Jay, Sam and Rachel leant against the shutter trying to brace it against the onslaught.

  ‘Nat, we need a way out!’ Rachel said.

  Nat dashed into the back of the store, looking around desperately for an exit. She spotted a door at the far end of the room and carefully opened it, wary of what might be waiting on the other side. The room was lined with shelves filled with cardboard boxes that had once contained food for the hungry visitors to the stadium. Their contents had long since rotted and now the boxes were covered in mould. Nat walked to the back of the storeroom, and felt her heart sink as she realised that there was no obvious way out. She ran back to the others who were still desperately trying to support the steel shutters against the ferocious, relentless assault from the other side.

  ‘There’s nothing back there,’ Nat said, fighting to keep any sign of the panic she was starting to feel out of her voice.

  ‘There’s got to be a way out,’ Sam said with a grunt as something slammed into the shutter right next to him.

  ‘There is,’ Nat said, pointing at the security door next to the counter that led back out into the concourse.

  ‘Well, we’re not going that way,’ Jay said. ‘Please don’t tell me that’s the only way out of here.’

  ‘It’s not,’ Sam said, as he suddenly realised what they were going to have to do. He leapt down off the counter and ran over to Jay. ‘Give me your pack.’

  ‘What are you going to do?’ Jay asked, frowning, shrugging off his backpack and handing it to Sam.

  ‘I’m going to get us out of here,’ Sam replied, running towards the storeroom.

  Jay turned back to the shutter just as a Hunter sting punched straight through the metal just a few centimetres from his head.

  ‘Make it quick!’ Jay yelled as one end of the shutter buckled, popping out of its runner and numerous metallic tentacles began pushing through the gap. The writhing mass slowly forced the opening ever wider, just a metre away from where Rachel was still desperately fighting to brace the shutter.

  ‘They’re coming through!’ Rachel yelled as Nat climbed up on the counter beside her and tried to help reinforce the barrier.

  Sam ran to the rear of the storeroom and put his hand on the wall.

  ‘Here goes nothing,’ he said under his breath as he pulled one of the two remaining C4 charges from Jay’s pack and placed it on
the floor next to the wall. He tapped on the keypad attached to the charge, set the timer for thirty seconds and activated it. Sam slung Jay’s pack over his shoulder and ran out of the storeroom, slamming the door behind him.

  ‘Everybody, take cover,’ he yelled as he ran back towards the others. ‘Fire in the hole!’

  ‘What?’ Rachel gasped in astonishment. ‘Are you mad? Have you seen the size of this room? You’re going to blow us all to pieces.’

  ‘That’s a chance we’re going to have to take,’ Sam said, pointing at the silver tentacles that were forcing their way around the buckling edges of the shutter. ‘Anything’s better than the alternative.’

  ‘He has a point,’ Jay said, leaping down from the counter and taking cover behind one of the stainless steel units. ‘At least this way it’ll be quick.’

  Sam felt the blast a split second before he heard it as the concussion wave blew the heavy storeroom door clean off its hinges and sent it spinning across the room and slamming into the opposite wall. A sheet of flame roared out of the doorway and raced across the ceiling and Sam felt the heat on his face as he forced himself to his feet.

  ‘Move!’ he yelled at the others and began to pick his way through the burning debris towards the shattered remains of the storeroom doorway. He held his breath and stepped into the smoke-filled room, praying that the explosion had been powerful enough. The smoke began to clear and he felt a wave of relief when he saw a ragged hole in the back wall. He ran up to the hole and kicked at a couple of the loose cinder blocks around the edge, widening the gap just enough for someone to crawl through.

  ‘Come on, through here,’ Sam said as the others hurried into the room. Nat went first, crawling on her belly, quickly followed by Rachel. From the other room, there was a groaning crash as the steel shutter finally gave way under the combined assault of the Hunters and the shock wave from the explosion.

  ‘You first,’ Jay said, raising his rifle and pointing it at the storeroom doorway, the buzzing of the Hunters grew louder.

  ‘No,’ Sam said, pulling the last C4 charge from the backpack. ‘Go. I’ll be right behind you.’

  Jay hesitated, just for a moment, and then dived through the hole in the wall, dragging himself over the still-hot rubble. Sam watched Jay’s boots disappear and set the timer on the charge for five seconds before tossing it back towards the door. He threw himself through the hole, scrambling out into the cool night air. He dragged himself out of the narrow opening and took cover a split second before there was a deep, muffled thump from the other side of the wall and a fireball roared out of the hole. He climbed to his feet and set off after the others who were already sprinting down the broad ramp that led away from the stadium. He knew that the final explosive charge would probably only have bought them a few seconds’ head start. As if to confirm his fears, he heard a buzzing behind him as the first of the Hunters began to follow them outside. He didn’t look back; knowing how close their pursuers were would make no difference. He just ran for his life.

  As the sound of the Hunters grew louder and louder, Sam looked at his three friends running ahead of him and with a sudden, cold certainty he knew exactly what he had to do. He stopped running, turned and raised his rifle, aiming at the swarm of Hunters that were now only twenty metres away. He’d never be able to stop them, but he might slow them down. When the swarm raced towards him, he could have sworn he heard their angry screams inside his head. He squeezed the trigger, growling through gritted teeth as he emptied the rifle’s magazine into the silver-skinned creatures, sending spurts of viscous green blood spraying into the air. Despite the hail of bullets, the swarm hardly slowed as it bore down upon him. The other three members of the Ops Team slowed, turning and looking back to see what was happening.

  ‘Sam!’ Rachel screamed. ‘No!’

  At the base of the black spire in the centre of the stadium a digital counter hit zero.

  Sam heard a distant explosion and felt a tremor run through the ground underfoot. The Hunters all screeched in unison and then fell out of the air, hitting the ground and sliding and tumbling towards him, their tentacles flailing uselessly. Moments later, the ground in front of Sam was covered with the fallen creatures. Sam lowered his rifle, staring in amazement at the dead swarm. The sound in his head was gone. The others ran back towards him, Rachel in the lead, with a furious expression on her face. She ran up to Sam and punched him hard on the shoulder.

  ‘You bloody idiot,’ she said angrily. ‘What the hell do you think you were doing?’

  ‘Ow,’ Sam said, rubbing his shoulder. ‘I was just trying to buy you some time.’

  ‘That’s not how this works,’ Rachel snapped. ‘We’ve already lost one person tonight. There aren’t enough of us left for you to just go throwing your life away like that.’

  ‘Hey, Rach, chill,’ Jay said as he walked up beside them. ‘He was trying to do the right thing.’

  ‘Whatever,’ Rachel said, turning and marching off with an exasperated sigh, heading back towards the tunnel access.

  ‘Thanks,’ Sam said to Jay as they watched Rachel walk away.

  ‘Hey, don’t thank me,’ Jay said with a smile. ‘I agree with her. You’re an idiot. Brave, but definitely still an idiot.’

  ‘What happened to them?’ Nat asked, crouching down and poking one of the dead Hunters with the muzzle of her rifle.

  ‘I have no idea,’ Sam said, shaking his head. ‘The charge in the stadium blew and then . . . well, see for yourself.’

  ‘Are they dead?’ Nat asked.

  ‘I don’t know. It certainly looks like it,’ Sam replied with a shrug.

  ‘Come on,’ Jay said. ‘We need to get out of here.’ He pointed to the east where three points of green light could be clearly seen, growing steadily larger as they headed towards them.

  ‘Looks like we’ve caught their attention at least,’ Sam said.

  ‘Not sure that’s a good thing,’ Nat said before standing up and jogging after Rachel.

  ‘This might sound crazy,’ Sam said, ‘but I think we should take one of these things back for Stirling.’

  ‘You’re right,’ Jay said with a nod. ‘That does sound crazy.’

  ‘Seriously,’ Sam replied. ‘I bet he’s never got his hands on one that’s dead but undamaged. It could be useful.’

  Jay stared at him for a moment and then let out a long sigh.

  ‘Just remember that this was your idea,’ he said, shaking his head.

  ‘Come on, give me a hand,’ Sam said, taking hold of one side of the upper carapace of the nearest fallen Hunter.

  ‘Why do I get the feeling that I’m going to regret this?’ Jay said, slinging his rifle over his shoulder and taking hold of the other side.

  ‘Mind the stingers,’ Sam said as he lifted the Hunter off the ground. It was surprisingly heavy for its size.

  They walked quickly after the girls, carrying the Hunter between them. In the distance they could now hear the throbbing rumble of the approaching Threat drop-ships.

  ‘What on earth are you doing with that thing?’ Rachel asked as the boys entered the enclosed courtyard with their prize.

  ‘Sam thought Stirling might cheer up a bit if we brought him a new pet,’ Jay said. ‘I suggested a puppy, but then we realised it might be difficult to take it for walks.’

  ‘Very funny,’ Rachel said, frowning. ‘I suppose you geniuses have considered the possibility that it might not actually be dead?’

  The boys looked at each other and then down at the Hunter.

  ‘Ummm, no,’ Jay said, suddenly sounding nervous. ‘We hadn’t actually thought about that to be honest.’

  ‘Well, let’s just make sure, shall we?’ Rachel said, raising her rifle and pointing it at the Hunter.

  ‘No, don’t,’ Sam said, holding up his free hand. ‘The whole point of this is to bring one of these things back undamaged for Stirling.’

  ‘He has a point, Rach,’ Nat said. ‘Stirling’s never had a chance to look
at a Hunter that’s not been blown up or shot to pieces before.’

  ‘OK,’ Rachel said, lowering her rifle, ‘but if that thing so much as twitches, I’m emptying a clip into it. Understood?’

  ‘Understood,’ Sam said with a nod.

  ‘OK, now that’s settled, can I suggest we get underground?’ Jay said as the rumble of the Threat ships drew nearer. ‘Because any minute now those things are going to start dropping Grendels, and I don’t know about you guys, but I’d rather not still be here when that happens.’

  ‘Fascinating,’ Stirling said as he gently lifted the section he had cut out of the Hunter’s shell and inspected what lay beneath, ‘absolutely fascinating.’

  ‘Glad you like it, Doc,’ Jay said.

  ‘Are you certain it’s dead?’ Jackson asked, eyeing the Hunter warily, his rifle lowered but ready.

  ‘As certain as I can be with a creature with such an alien physiology,’ Stirling replied. ‘It really is quite unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. A seamless hybridisation of the organic and the mechanical. It’s hard to say for sure if it was constructed or grown.’

  ‘I don’t care if it is dead,’ Rachel said. ‘Damn thing still give me the creeps.’

  ‘You say the Hunters all deactivated simultaneously,’ Stirling said, still staring at the creature.

  ‘Yeah,’ Sam replied, ‘as soon as the transmitter inside the stadium blew, they all just hit the ground.’

  ‘It sounds like some sort of catastrophic signal feedback loop,’ Will said.

  ‘Just what I was thinking,’ Jay said, rolling his eyes.

  ‘Either that or the transmitter was required to send instructions to the swarm,’ Stirling said, frowning slightly. ‘Which would suggest that there is a finite limit to how far they can travel from the Threat Mothership without the control signal being boosted in some way. I suspect that the signal would normally be relayed by Threat drop-ships in the area, but these new ground-based transmitters would provide a more permanent solution. It’s hard to be certain since we have never managed to bring down one of the drop-ships and see what effect that might have on any Hunters in the area, but it would explain why we have not seen any of these transmitters before now.’