by Doug Hoffman
“She-it! This place beats that castle in Frozen all to hell,” Grits commented.
“Better than Superman's dad's place at the North Pole, mate,” Brains agreed.
“Keep it up you pair of jokers, Murphy is waiting.” According to Marine lore, Murphy, the originator of the eponymous Murphy's law, was always laying in ambush for the unwary.
“Sorry, Gunny.”
“There are large tunnels leading off in all direction, Gunny,” Beau said, getting his teammates out of the Gunny's cross hairs. “It is like a giant Tube station.”
“What?” asked the unrepentant Grits.
“The Tube, the Underground,” Brains explained. “A bloody subway you ignorant hillbilly,”
Beau was right, the surrounding cavern had tunnels leading off in all directions, like a train station or subway. As they touched the surface the four Marines stepped away from the elevator shaft, making room for the next fireteam to land. Beneath them was a seamless floor of some translucent material.
“Inuksuk, we are on the deck,” the Gunny called, signaling the next four Marines to start their descent. “No contact so far.”
Inuksuk's fireteam and then Bosco's landed without incident, spreading out in the cavernous space. Taking the direction toward the nearest cardinal axis spire as north placed the squad in the north side if the tunnel complex. A major tunnel went off in that direction. Other, smaller tunnels branched out in both easterly and westerly directions. To the south was a curved wall of crystal blocking the view in that direction.
Part of the floor was made from the same transparent material found in the spire walls, but most of the space was covered by strips of pearlescent material that looked like interconnecting roadways. Paths branched off from the main level and rose, arching overhead, some disappearing into tunnels of their own. Others emerged from above, curving downward to merge with the wide roadway circling the main level. On closer inspection, it looked less like a subway and more like an underground traffic interchange. Facing north, the Gunny ordered Bosco's team to take the left side and Inuksuk's to check out the right.
Moving over to stand on one of the strips, Vinny tentatively stamped a foot on the pathway. “This stuff seems solid enough, but its strange. It almost looks like the inside of an abalone shell.”
The Marine walked farther out on the pathway. Looking up he noticed he was no longer stationary. “Hey, this shit is moving!”
“So get the hell off it, Vinny,” yelled the Gunny. Other members of his fireteam moved to intercept Vinny, but unassisted he sidled back to the edge of the pathway and his movement stopped.
“How is it doing that?” asked Zippy. “The surface doesn't appear to be moving.”
She extracted a hand full of signal repeaters from her armor and scattered them across the surface of the pathway. Those closest in hardly moved, but those farther out moved in the same direction Vinny had.
“Look, those closest to the middle of the road are moving the fastest.” Jimmy had come up next to his teammate and knelt down next to the opalescent highway. He was right, the repeater nearest the center of the road was already half way around the bend and threatening to disappear.
“How can a solid surface move at different speeds in different locations?” Vinny asked, now safely back on unmoving crystalline material. “It's like the material of the pathway is flowing, like a river.”
“You mean it's liquid?”
“Ain't like no liquid I've ever seen. It felt totally solid when I was standing on it.”
Jimmy stood back up. “How do you make a solid roadway flow like water?”
“I got no idea, but I bet that this is some form of conveyor system, used to move people and stuff between one part of the station and another.”
“You are probably right, Vinny. This must be how they transported Dr. Ogawa and Cmdr. Danner to another spire.” Zippy opened the squad frequency. “Hey Gunny, these paths are like people movers, should we follow them?”
“Negative, first check the limits of the open space and send a recon drone down each of the tunnels for a couple hundred meters.”
“Aye, aye.”
The Ducklings
The SEALs and their rescued hostages pulled up at the open doorway that faced the airlock in the Starflake's crystalline skin. Happily, they had encountered no roving bands of Karf on their journey back to the lock, though the situation could change at any moment. Setting down his burden of Tcist, water, and gloam, Bobby peered out from the threshold of the doorway, gauging the distance between the opening and the airlock.
“We have to jump across that? How are we going to get these six-hundred pound sacks of alien brains across the gap?”
“I figure we will let Phil go across first and open the inner lock door,” the Chief explained. “Then we can rig a line across the gap and pull the body bags across one at a time.”
Mizuki joined the two men at the precipice. “He is just going to leap and hope to hang on to the far wall?”
“Don't worry Ma'am,” the designated leaper said. “I've got lizard pads to cling to the wall.”
Seeing Mizuki's puzzled look, Phil explained. “We have knee and arm pads that are modeled after lizard feet, they can cling to almost any surface. I'm gonna jump across the gap and stick to the far wall just like a chameleon.”
Phil adjusted the aforementioned pads attached to his knees and forearms, while Mizuki looked on skeptically. “Are you sure these pads of yours will stick to the crystal surface?”
“Yes Ma'am, we tested 'em on the way in. SEALs are brave and intrepid, but we are also cautious.”
Chief Morgan nodded in agreement. “We like to be sure we can get out of a place before we stick our necks into it.”
Phil walked back from the edge and got a running start at the jump. He sailed across the four meter gap with ease and, as promised, stuck to the wall like a lizard. With his arms and knees splayed to keep all four pads in contact with the wall, he scuttled over to the airlock controls and pressed the open button.
After gaining access to the open lock, the SEAL attached a metal ring to the far wall with superglue, secured a rope to it, and tossed the free end back to Rick. The Chief had already secured a pulley to the metal wall of the hallway. The pulley had teeth to securely hold the rope and a ratchet action that allowed the head SEAL to pull the line taught. The whole process was repeated to add a second line, a quarter of a meter below the first.
After slipping a carabiner over each of the parallel ropes, and a bit of fancy knot work, the first bag of Tcist was ready to go. Rick threw yet another rope across the chasm, so Phil could pull the now suspended drag sled across to him.
“Chief, I don't think we are going to have a lot of deck space once the second bag is across,” Phil said, after landing the laden body bag.
“OK, we best have the officers jump across first.” Rick turned to Mizuki and Bobby. “If you don't mind, Sirs, we need you to leap across to the airlock. That or we can pull you across on the rope line.”
Mizuki gave the Chief a look that said 'pull us across like baggage? who do you think you are talking to?' Out loud she said, “I will go first.”
She backed up a few steps and launched herself at the airlock, alighting gracefully on the far side. She looked back at the Chief and raised her chin as if to say 'baggage indeed!'
The Chief ignored Mizuki's nonverbal sarcasm and turned to her husband. “Commander, I don't think we are all going to fit in one go. I'm going to call the boat to come pick us up, you get across to the lock and we'll send the second load across to you.”
“Roger that, Chief.”
As Bobby made the leap, as easily if not as gracefully as his wife, the chief called the pinnace.
“Rubber Ducky, Huey. The ducklings are ready for pickup, over.”
“Roger that, Huey. I'm headed your way.”
“When you get here, I think it best that you approach the airlock aft first. We've picked up some extra cargo along
with the expected passengers.”
“I copy, Huey. ETA onsite in five.”
1st Squad
“We've checked the area, Gunny,” reported Vinny. “Nothing moving except the funky roadways.”
“Same on the left,” Bosco added.
“Alright, I want Inuksuk, Jones, and Carter with me in the center. We will provide fire support and overwatch for the rest of the squad. The rest of you pair up and start reconnoitering the off ramp tunnels. Sing out if you make contact and remember, weapons are free.”
As usual, one of the pairs was Walker and Davis.
“At least we have decent ROEs, mate.”
“I don't know, Bubba. I got a bad feeling about this.”
“Don't tell me your nervous, Grits.”
“Nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockin' chairs.”
“You heard the Gunny, best crack-on mate.”
“You Brits have some of the strangest sayings.”
“Right. I'm moving, try not to shoot me in the arse by mistake.”
Brains and Grits moved out onto the main pathway, which carried them around the perimeter of the central area. The interchange was organized like a large roundabout, with main intersecting pathways from all the nearby major spires. Traffic followed right handed circulation around the spire's base, moving past on the east and approaching from the west. Confusing matters were on ramps and off ramps that connected to the upper level, some of them arcing overhead encased in crystalline tunnels.
The pair of Marines approached the nearest off ramp in their sector. As they neared the ramp a large crate emerged from a side tunnel and joined the traffic ahead of them. It exited the roundabout, pulling off on the ramp the Marines were headed for.
“Gunny, Davis. We just had a metal crate come out of nowhere and head up an off ramp.”
“Follow it, and keep your eyes on it.”
“Aye, aye.” Switching to suit-to-suit Brains addressed his partner. “Keep a watch on our six, mate.”
“Right behind you.”
They edged sideways off of the main roadway and swept smoothly up the ramp, their velocity unchecked. Five meters off the floor the ramp entered a crystal tunnel. The tunnel curved and crossed over the main chamber. Though the surrounding material was transparent the tunnel walls were faceted, distorting any view of the chamber outside.
“How you doing back there?”
“On your tail, Bubba. That box doing anything?”
“No movement.”
“Hey, looks like we have another box behind us.”
“Now I'm getting nervous.”
As he spoke the top of the crate in front of them opened and a clutch of gray figures emerged. They struggled to raise a large plasma weapon into firing position.
“Bloody hell! Contact! The hostiles are in the crates.” Brains hosed the hostiles down with 5mm, sending green tracers streaming down the tunnel. The Karf still managed to fire their weapon, sending a gout of plasma toward the two Marines. “Incoming!”
Both men crouched down. The plasma bolt was not well aimed and splattered off the tunnel wall ten meters in front of them. Orange fire swept around the armored figures as Brains brought his 15mm to bear.
The crate full of hostiles exploded in a bright yellow flash. A few seconds later a bigger detonation rocked the tunnel, the blast wave knocking both Marines off their feet.
“Crap, they're coming out of the box behind us too, Bubba!”
“Don't mess around! Shoot the blighters with 15mm.”
“Gotcha.” Rising off the pathway into a crouch, Grits fired a multi-shot burst of HE at the second crate. This resulted in a gratifying cluster of yellow flashes. “Yee-haw! Take that you gray polecats!”
“Oh bollix,” Brains exclaimed.
“What?”
“The exploding power pack from that alien cannon blew a bloody big hole in the tunnel.” The secondary explosion had, indeed, blown out the side of the tunnel and created a ragged hole in the still flowing pathway. “The moving surface is flowing right into the hole and we're about to fall in with it. Hold on, mate!”
Swept forward, speed undiminished, Brains fell off the edge and disappeared. Seeing his partner disappear, Grits had little choice.
“Damn it, Bubbaaaa.....”
Grits followed his partner into the hole.
Chapter 26
The Ducklings
The open rear ramp of the pinnace yawned before them like the mouth of a giant alligator, brightly lit against the star strewn blackness. In the station airlock the zip-lines had been removed so the inner door of the lock could be closed. This allowed the first batch of Earthlings to escape into space with their living cargo.
Bobby and Mizuki jumped across the ten meter gap between ship and space station, followed by the first body bag filled with Tcist. After stowing it inside the shuttle, they awaited the arrival of the second body bag, which like the first was guided by Phil using his suit's maneuvering pack. Bobby, standing in the shuttle's rear hatch, provided encouragement.
“You're right on course, Phil.”
“Coming to you, Sir.” The tough, airtight bag puffed up like a balloon in the vacuum of open space. This made the bag bulkier but also rigid and easier for one man to handle.
“Got it,” Bobby seized the inflated container and pulled the object inside to where Mizuki was waiting. With her help he stored the second body bag on the deck next to the first.
“Commander, I'm going back to cycle the airlock for Rick and Bud.”
“Roger that, Phil. Go get them and we can get the hell out of here.”
With practiced ease the SEAL flew back to the airlock. Once inside he cycled the lock, closing the outer door and, after pressure and gravity were restored, moved to open the inner door. The other two SEALs were standing in the open doorway of the Karf habitat four meters away.
Something exploded. Something large. The metal structure trembled as though struck by an earthquake and the floor beneath the two SEALs dropped ten centimeters.
“I think the hostiles just found our parting gift in the vault,” said Bud.
“How much stuff did you use? The whole place shifted.”
“Most of what I was carrying. I figured the bigger the distraction the better.”
Phil called from across the gap. “Guys, we got a problem. The inner door won't open.”
“What?” asked Rick and Bud together.
“The control panel buttons have all gone black and don't do anything when I push them.”
“Crap! The explosion must have locked it down or shorted it out.” The head SEAL thought for a few seconds before continuing. “What about the outer door?”
“Wait one...” They could see Phil move away from the inner door and cross to the outer one. “This one is still illuminated. What do you want me to do?”
“You got any C4?”
“Yeah Chief, a couple of bricks. What do you have in mind?”
“Open the outer door and then blow the inner one. That should suck the station atmosphere out the hole and we can jump through the lock with it.”
While the SEALs planned their exit, orange flashes could be seen in the hallway behind Bud and Rick. The Karf had finally realized that the Earthlings were escaping.
“We got hostiles coming up behind us, Chief. If we are gonna blow this puppy we need to do it quick.”
“Do it.”
“On it.” In the lock, Phil started the depressurization sequence which preceded opening the outer door. While the lock cycled he could be seen placing clay-like plastic explosive on the surface of the transparent inner door. In the open hallway, Rick and Bud crouched down as angry orange plasma bolts flew overhead, splashing harmlessly against the Starflake's crystal walls.
“Pick it up, Phil, we got company,” Rick said.
“It's set. I'm exiting the lock to get out of the blast zone. You should suck deck.”
“Roger that,” the Chief replied, dropping to th
e floor. Behind him, Bud did likewise.
The airlock door flashed and blew inward, an expanding cloud of crystal shards. An instant later the glittering hemisphere of debris reversed course and collapsed back into the gaping hole that had been the airlock door. Air shrieked as it raced into the vacuum of space.
“Jump, Bud! The lock is already growing back shut.” Rick Jumped for the opening.
“Right behind you, Chief.”
Propelled by escaping atmosphere, the two SEALs flew from the violated lock like circus performers shot from a giant cannon. Stabilized by their maneuvering units, both flipped head over heals and matched velocities using their backpack thrusters.
“Woohoo!” yelled Bud. “Now that's how you make an exit.”
“Just don't smack into the boat,” the Chief admonished. His warning was not needed. Lt. Palmer had been monitoring the SEALs' comms and moved the pinnace out of the direct path of the exploding airlock. Meanwhile, Phil was playing catch-up, heading toward the pinnace on his own.
“Ducklings, Rubber Ducky. You two stick together and after Louie is on board I will come collect you.”
“Copy that, Rubber Ducky. We'll see you soon. Meanwhile, it's a nice day for a walk.”
Floating next to him, Bud looked back at the air lock that had almost grown shut. “Funny, the damage doesn't look that bad from out here.”
1st Squad
Davis' voice came over the squad channel. “Contact! The hostiles are in the crates.”
“You heard 'em,” the Gunny bellowed. “Light 'em up. Take out every crate you see.”
“Aye, aye, Gunny,” Inuksuk replied happily.
Inuksuk stood and brought up his left arm, the one with the 30mm cannon. He fired a single round at a large silver box that was headed their way from the northern tunnel. The box disintegrated in a bright yellow explosion; the bear grunted with satisfaction.