They were plummeting towards the landing area at breakneck speeds.
"Pull up!"
But Lecia ignored him, keeping the throttle on and showing no signs of hesitation. They were approaching the deck rapidly when she pulled up and tilted the rotors forwards slightly. They dropped completely vertically and came to a perfect stop a few centimetres from the ground. Gunfire was hitting positions all around them, but the rest of the team laid down fire on their approach.
Corwin jumped from the back of the vehicle and cleared two metres, activating a shield on his forearm as he landed. An oval, pale blue energy shield materialised in time to absorb two shots heading for his face. He rushed onwards and ducked down beside the wreck of one of the aircraft. As he did so, a tiny fibre optic camera rose out from the back of his armour and projected the view over onto the screen attached to his forearm. He could make out three combat drones.
They stood two metres tall and carried a heavy sustained fire weapon on each arm. They were firing erratically at all movement before them. They were clumsy and awkward looking machines that could not move with any of the finesse of a human. He tapped a key on his pad and a short, but broad barrelled weapon rose out from the encased pack on his back. He tapped to target each of the drones and hit the fire button. The stubby little gun fired three shots in quick succession with barely any noise or recoil at all. He watched on the screen. The three shots traversed the cover and soared towards their targets, adjusting slightly as the drones moved. They were low velocity, but each found their targets.
Explosions rang out from the charges blowing on impact in a perfect sequence. Debris from the drones was blasted out across the hangar bay, smashing into the cover Corwin was sheltering behind. As soon as the blast had dissipated, he leapt out from behind the craft towards the targets; one was still thrashing about. It had lost both its legs and was flat on its back, still trying to find a target. As he approached, he took aim and fired a burst of five shots into its head. It was finally immobilised.
Corwin turned to see the last few shots fired from his team, and all went quiet. All they could hear now was the security alarm sounding off in every room of the structure.
"Vi, Frasi, work out whatever alternative ways out of this place there are. We cannot let Villiers make it out alive. Nylund, you take Beyett and Tano. Try and shut down any defence systems and seal all access points. Rest of you are on me. Let's go through this place like a wrecking ball."
"Hell, yes," replied Rane.
Corwin turned and led the way as the group separated.
"Should it be this easy to get to Villiers?" Hunter asked.
Corwin laughed.
"Don't worry kid," replied Porter, "There'll be a shit storm yet."
Corwin continued on at a light jogging pace and weighed in.
"Element of surprise got us in here, but there is no room left for subtlety. You see someone you don't recognise; you kill them. You see something you don't understand, you destroy it. We're here to fuck shit up, are you ready?"
Hunter nodded agreement, as they carried on down a large corridor that was seemingly the main entrance into the facility. The six of them were spread across the space and took the bend, to find a hasty barricade setup at the far end at the entrance to an escalator. Not one of them broke stride, firing their shields as the corridor lit up from a volley of fire coming their way. None of them made any attempt to seek cover, but advanced with their rifles firing beside their shields. Sparks flew from bullets ricocheting off them and their armour, hitting the walls around them.
"Flash!" Harland shouted.
He fired a shot from a small barrel mounted on a forearm brace. A golf ball sized bolt of energy soared ahead over the barricade, erupting into a blinding level of light, with only their shields protecting them. The gunfire almost completely stopped and was quickly replaced by cries of pain from the worst affected. A few stray shots still came from the cover and were fired wildly at best.
Rane managed to get a little ahead and smashed into the metre and a half high barricade as if it were made of glass. Boxes were smashed aside as the bull of a man burst through. Corwin jumped and effortlessly cleared the cover to land in among the defenders. As his feet touched the ground, he fired a burst into one who was trying to draw a side arm. Still down on one knee, he turned and kicked another in the face.
The soldier's head snapped back, and his body was launched back several metres, sliding to a lifeless halt where his neck had been snapped. It was clear these were just regular humans - 'norms' as many called them. Corwin saw Porter had his hands embedded in a soldier’s throat and proceeded to rip it out. Blood spewed out over the floor and all over Porter's hands. Several specks splashed onto his face and teeth where they bore through his wicked smile.
"What the fuck?" Hunter asked.
"You're a sick fucker," added Lecia.
Corwin wanted to say something, but he knew it was futile.
"Come on, let's move."
He looked over to the entrance to the elevator and could see both a fingerprint and retinal scanner. He grabbed the nearest body that looked intact and hauled it to the scanner as if it was weightless.
"Hey, when am I gonna get strength like that?"
"Maybe tomorrow, maybe never. Effects of our enhancements work differently on everyone," replied Lecia.
"But they promised I'd get super strength."
"And you bought that shit?" Porter asked unsympathetically.
Corwin couldn't help but laugh as he held the bloodied body up to the scanners. The doors slid open. He looked down and saw a knife on the body he was holding. He drew it out, tossing the body aside like a ragdoll. He thrust the blade deep into the outer doors of the elevator and rammed it home to keep them open. He armed the charge and placed it in the centre of the floor, hit the button for the upper of the two level choices, and jumped out; the doors slammed shut behind him.
"That should wake 'em up," he added with a smile.
They watched the elevator rapidly gain speed in its descent and finally came to a halt. As it did so, the doors opened, and all hell broke loose when dozens of automatic weapons opened fire. Corwin raised his arm and hit the trigger mechanism, smiling gleefully as they felt the rumble beneath their feet and felt the pressure of the blast rise through the shaft.
"We're in business."
* * *
“Think we can pull this off?” Nylund asked.
He seemed his usual confident self, but Beyett still answered dryly as they carried on cautiously down a dark corridor.
“Our chances of success are minimal.”
“Oh, come on, Doc, we’re the best there is.”
“The best that’s left you mean.”
“Why have you always got to put a downer on these things, Tano?”
“I’m a realist. It’s what I do."
But there was a devious and untrustworthy look in Tano’s eyes that went way beyond Nylund’s understanding.
“What are we even looking for?” asked Nylund.
“Any means of shutting this place down, just as the Sergeant asked,” added Beyett.
“Don’t be such a boy scout. You know how much potential there is here? The tech we could take away with us. Some of the stuff here could be a game changer.”
“To what exactly?”
“Money, power, all the things we want,”
“It’s not what we are here for,” replied Beyett.
“Maybe not you, but perhaps it’s time you all looked to your futures. This war is gonna be over sometime soon. Look at this. We have got to Villiers himself, us, a team of rejects. This war is over. Villiers just doesn’t know it yet. And when that time comes, I want to be on top.”
“When this war is over, it will be a time to celebrate, not take all you can get.” replied Beyett.
“Whose side are you even on?”
“My own, Nylund,” replied Tano.
“How can you…”
But he cut off a
s they noticed movement ahead and raised his rifle to take aim. He quickly saw it was an enemy soldier and fired a three-shot burst, carrying onwards with his rifle held on target as the enemy figure slumped to the floor. He reached the corner to find it was a solitary guard who had not been remotely aware of their presence.
“This is weird,” he said.
“What?” asked Beyett.
“Villiers, our greatest enemy, and he is here. And yet there seems so little resistance.”
Beyett nodded in agreement.
“What’s most worrying is if Villiers cares that little about us, he must be pretty damn confident on whatever he’s doing,” he added.
“So what, he thinks we can’t change whatever he is doing?” asked Nylund.
Beyett nodded.
“Whatever he is doing it must be big,” added Tano, “Without some kind of game changing wonder weapon, this war is over.”
They took a bend and came to a hidden and concealed entrance in a hallway. It was clear they were not supposed to have seen it. They look at one another for just a moment and knew it was exactly where they needed to go. Nylund went forward without a word and drew out a magnetic charge from his armour. He placed it at the opening and took a step back as it blew. He placed both hands on the small lip that had been prised apart and pulled with all his strength until it yanked open.
“After you.”
Tano stepped back and waited for Beyett to go through, although he looked far from impressed.
“Thanks,” he replied with just a hint if sarcasm, as much as he could ever manage.
They carried on along the narrow and claustrophobic passageway for a few moments and reached a sealed doorway.
“Go through it?”
Beyett nodded. Nylund rushed at the door and smashed it open with brute strength. They found themselves in a control room with five personnel working at a series of consoles. They looked utterly stunned to see them. For a moment both sides froze, until one of the staff reached for a side arm. Nylund quickly double tapped the first and then proceeded to the rest with incredible precision and speed. Five bodies lay before them and not a shot had been returned their way.
“Impressive,” stated Tano.
Though it was clear he was being sarcastic.
* * *
“Go!” yelled Corwin.
They leapt onto the cables of the elevator shaft and slid down at rapid speed. Corwin landed in front of two separate fires and absolute chaos. Several soldiers were attempting to put out the flames. Others attended to the wounded, but he went forward without mercy. He took aim at the first who was unarmed and attending a casualty, firing without a thought. Porter landed beside him a second later and opened fire with a wicked grin on his face. Harland seemed to do just the same. Lecia dropped down so close beside him she was almost shoulder to shoulder. He expected some remorse and empathy from her, but it never came.
All those before them lay dead, and Corwin could not feel any sympathy for them, only a sadness that his own team appeared to be cold hearted in every action they carried out. He hated the enemy, and had every reason to do so, but he never wanted his friends to share his bitterness. Just one cry of pain rang out from one of the wounded, and Porter soon put a bullet in the woman’s brain to silence her. A voice came over the comms. It was Beyett, but it was muffled and weak.
“Ser….Corwin, we…some….here..”
“What is it, Beyett?”
“You are…but…found…”
“Fuck sake,” Corwin muttered and carried on with comms, “What have you found?”
“It’s…and impossible…machine…”
“You’re breaking up. Say again.”
“A…some…time machine…”
“Time machine? What the fuck? Say again!”
“I…time machine, it’s…but a time machine.”
A hail of gunfire rang out over the comms.
“Come in, Beyett!”
But all went silent.
Chapter 2
"What does he mean?" Hunter asked; the rest couldn't find their words.
Corwin shrugged and tried to make sense of it.
"What the hell, a time machine? It can't be, what? How?"
"Shut the fuck up!" Corwin barked, still trying to think.
"No way that crazy fucker could have built a time machine," added Harland, "It's not even possible."
Corwin didn't know what to make of it and looked to Lecia. She was lurking ominously behind them all. It was clear in his eyes that her mind was forever grinding away, but she rarely spoke her thoughts. It was her insight he wanted.
"What do you think?"
"If Beyett says there is a time machine, then there is a time machine," she replied confidently.
Corwin shook his head, knowing she was right.
"We don't have time for this," added Porter, "We came here to end Villiers life. Let's get to it."
"Don't you see? Villiers knows this war is lost, but what if he could go back and do it all differently? If that machine really exists, and really works, this could all be over the minute he steps through. If he is anywhere right now, it will be where that machine is."
"Sarge, you don't really believe this shit?"
"It's not for me to believe it or not, Porter. If there is the faintest chance Beyett is right, we have to act, now."
"Vi, come in, Frasi, Chas?" Corwin called over the comms, but there was nothing.
"Signal's being jammed, and I'm getting some weird energy readings," said Hunter.
Corwin looked down at his own pad and saw the energy signature for himself.
"I've never seen anything like it."
He brought up the map. Data had been automatically input from all members of the team until they lost signal. He could see Beyett’s last recorded position.
"Come on, let's move it!"
They got up to a running pace as he followed in Beyett’s footsteps. They took a bend at a crossroads and found four soldiers approaching them. Two were carrying a heavy support weapon and tripod, but Corwin did not even break strike. He opened fire with a burst into the first. His shots were absorbed by the soldier’s body armour, but the impacts were enough to make him stumble into the woman behind him. Before the two could recover, Corwin took better aim, putting two shots into the first soldier’s legs so that he dropped to the ground, and then fired another two into the woman's face.
The gun crew were riddled with bullets from Harland and Porter who had kept close by Corwin's side, and then Porter quickly fired a burst into the wounded soldier as he lay writhing in pain. They carried onwards in a cautious but efficient manner, but Rane stopped beside the heavy weapon the enemy had been carrying. He slid his rifle around onto his back and unclipped the hulking weapon from its mounts.
"Come on, you don't need it!"
But he ignored the Sergeant completely.
"Mine," he stated with a grin.
His arms shook a little with the strain of the weight, but he managed and refused to put it down. It was a triple-barrelled sustain fire support weapon a metre and a half long, with a huge box magazine protruding from one side and looked no lighter than the weight of an average man. He ran on after the rest of them looking rather pleased with himself.
They made their way through several more corridors and rooms that were empty and quiet before reaching Beyett's last known position. They were in a large dome shape room, but it wasn't at all clear what purpose it served. Then out of the corner of Corwin's eye he noticed a doorway crack open just a few millimetres. He spun around quickly and took aim.
"Wait!"
They heard Beyett scream from inside as the door swung open, and he stepped out. He looked scared, as if he had been hiding in there, and he was alone.
"Where the fuck is Nylund and Tano?"
"We...we got separated. There was some big monstrous thing."
His voice was shaky, and his face had a deep cut from jaw to ear. His rifle was nowhere to be seen, and he
clutched his side arm tightly with both hands.
"What are we dealing with here?"
"Something...big."
It was a surprise to them all to hear the most intelligent among them be so unable to express himself, but he simply pointed behind them. Corwin turned quickly to see a three-metre tall humanoid form armoured mechanical suit striding towards them. It was crude in design, but thickly armoured and looked immensely powerful.
"Cover!"
It was just twenty metres away down a long corridor when lights flashed, and its weapon systems opened fire. Corwin jumped and rolled into cover as shots slammed into the group where he’d just been standing. He hit the wall hard near the opening to the corridor and quickly leaned around to take a few shots, but all glanced off the monstrous armoured suit. He looked back. Rane was flat on his back with scorch marks burnt into his right arm and face. He was struggling to get back up. Harland was firing on full auto as the monster approached, but his efforts seemed to do little to slow its advance.
Corwin drew out a grenade, primed it, and rolled it into the corridor. He fell back into cover and waited. The explosion rang out; smoke and debris blasted out from the tunnel. He could feel the heat almost burn his arm from dust filling the air. He waited frozen for a moment, hoping it had worked, but just as he began to believe it might have, the mech burst out through the cloud of smoke and opened up with full auto fire from weapons mounted on both arms.
Corwin leapt into a roll as shots sprayed across the wall. As he landed back on one knee, he fired a burst into the lower flank of the suit, but still to no avail. He raised his shield just in time to take a few hits before leaping back into motion, for he knew he couldn't afford to stay where he was. He rushed at the mech as dozens of shots hit his shield, and one glanced off his collar. As he closed, he drew out a magnetic breaching charge and jumped high over the mech’s one arm, pushing the device on the main receiver of the gun on its left arm.
Time War: Invasion Page 2