Aliens vs Predator 2 - War

by Steve Perry

  The Hunters uncloaked, stepping farther away from the backdrop of jungle. Shorty took off his mask, throwing it aside, and the Hunters began to trill to one another, clicking and clattering excitedly.

  "I understand," Nirasawa said, and Noguchi glanced back to see that he'd put his master down, laying him gently in the grass.

  "The rest of you, get to the ship," Noguchi said. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

  "Machiko ..." Lara started, but Noguchi shook her head. There wasn't anything that she or Jess could say that would change her mind.

  "I have unfinished business here," she said grimly, and started across the clearing, Nirasawa falling in behind her. Perhaps it was lunacy, perhaps she would only get herself killed, fighting for an integrity that wasn't even in question-but perhaps, after all this time, she'd finally grasped the Hunter's way.

  It's about doing what you have to do, regardless of the outcome. And it's about killing your enemy, because he doesn't understand how only the strong have a right to honor.

  With a scream of undisguised glee, Shorty stepped out to meet her.

  Ellis understood enough of what -was happening to know that Max shouldn't kill the creatures

  -badguys five object

  -so they watched without acting, as the small woman and the inorganic moved away, each step adding to the numbers that ran across Ellis's eyes, distance and speed. Ellis thought that he might be bleeding; Max didn't register a change in fluids, but there was enough wrong with Max that Ellis decided to abstain from deciding.

  we have to go now, ellis, can you hear

  ellis, can you

  help me pick him up

  Max looked down at their friends, not sure who had spoken, Ellis pleased by the sounds of their voices.

  what are you doing, you said yourself that briggs is beyond help

  i'll explain later ellis, help me

  Jess. Jess wanted their help. He had crouched next to the unmoving human, touching him, trying to move him. Ellis explained to Max what Jess wanted and Max took a step forward, knees bending, the glowing plain of the ground line rising in front of their eyes. Ellis felt his body moving within, leaning over, and felt warmth against skin, wet motion across his lips.

  Bleeding, I am bleeding.

  Jess pushed the human into the crook of Max's right arm and they stood up, 82.72 kilos heavier than before. Max made adjustments for the difference, taking up enough calculation space that Ellis couldn't make out any more words. .

  Both humans, Lara, Jess, made sounds, speaking, and Ellis understood the meaning if not what they said; it was time to go.

  Max and Ellis stepped forward, avoiding the distraction that was taking place nine meters away, between the small woman and the nonhuman badguys. From the sharp sounds and quick movements, they decided it was highly probable that the interaction was violent.

  Ellis was glad to be leaving; he was getting tired, and thought that he might like to sleep soon.

  * * *

  Chapter 27

  Nirasawa's capacity for retaliatory action was well mapped and undamaged, a self-contained 3 L Cerabyte module that had been integrated into his reasoning after his assignment to Mr. Briggs. The humans that he'd recognized, Katherine Lara and Martin Jess, had been telling the truth, as had the woman Lara had called "Machiko." No pupil dilation, no change in respiration; Mr. Briggs would not survive.

  Protecting Mr. Briggs was no longer his primary function, which meant that he had to report back to his Weyland/Yutani Al Assignment Officer as soon as he could find a transmitter, and he now had the option to physically incapacitate the perpetrators of Mr. Briggs's inevitable death. The woman Machiko started for the group of five alien/organics and Nirasawa followed, the stimuli from the tapped module flooding his driver.

  "Nirasawa, the small one and I will engage," Machiko said as she walked, and flexed her right arm. A pair of sharpened knives projected from the back of her wrist with a click, snapping into place. "The others may wish to involve themselves in our fight. If you choose to keep them from interfering, you will cause them psychological damage."

  Nirasawa didn't respond, but decided that inflicting more than just physical injury was appealing. His module had been designed so that associates of a damaged or dead consumer could feel that some justice had been served; it did not recommend any one method of reciprocity over any other, but did suggest that a combination of methods was highly effective.

  The members of the alien group were agitated, calling out in a language Nirasawa did not know, making threatening gestures as he and Machiko neared. From his previous interaction on the Bunda station platform, Nirasawa knew that they were physically much stronger than humans, but didn't think it necessary to tell the woman; he deduced it likely that she already knew. Machiko moved ahead of him, stopping two meters from the smallest of the screaming alien beings and striking a fighting pose.

  The short alien screamed again, leaping forward. When the woman dodged to avoid his attack, one of the watching creatures swiped at her with the same kind of apparatus that she wore, two pointed blades at the back of his clawed fist.

  Nirasawa moved. As Machiko darted away from the second assailant, he reached forward and grabbed its shoulder, jerking it off-balance. A third alien lunged for Nirasawa with a bladed staff, damaging the silicone colloid that served as his tricep. Nirasawa still had a grip on the second attacker's shoulder. He broke it, then turned his attention to the blade carrier, aware that all four beings had now surrounded him. The woman would have her engagement with the small one.

  Nirasawa was satisfied that the module was in full working order.

  Noguchi saw that another novice was preparing to attack even as Shorty leapt for her. It was a feint, a classic, the second Hunter ready to skewer her as she blocked Shorty's wild lunge, designed only to intimidate her into dodging.

  Pathetic.

  She went with it, feinting her own dodge right, ducking well beneath the untrained swipe of Shorty's second and shifting her weight back to the left. She came up with her wrist blades, the tips of them catching the plate armor at Shorty's groin.

  Shorty wheeled backwards, tusks going wide, although the blades didn't pierce flesh. Noguchi followed through, not willing to overbalance, pulling herself back up into a defensive crouch.

  The screams of the others told her that Nirasawa was busy, but she didn't look away from Shorty, fully aware that one of them wouldn't be walking away from this one. Shorty knew it, too, she could see it in the shine of his hateful gaze, in the way it flickered toward his backup.

  They're busy, you blustering crab. You're all mine.

  "Come and get it," she sneered, grinning tightly.

  "Pauk-de 'aseigan!"

  She'd either called him a fucking servant or a servant fucker, she wasn't sure. All that mattered was that it had the desired effect, goading him to reckless action.

  Screaming with raw fury, Shorty jumped, swiping his blades down in an arc, all of his powerful bulk behind the violent move-and Noguchi dropped, one hand behind her, supporting her weight as she delivered a solid kick to his shin. Shorty rocked with the blow, using it, continuing his downward swipe as he fell-and Noguchi rolled to the side, Shorty's blades missing her head by centimeters. With his weight behind them, the shining knives were buried in the ground, Shorty on his side, facing her as he struggled to pull them free.

  Now!

  Noguchi lashed out with her right hand, so concentrated on the killing strike, already seeing the metal dripping with green from his slashed throat--that she didn't see his knee coming up until it made contact, slamming into the front of her left thigh hard enough to send shock pulses of agony through her body.

  Noguchi was shoved back, too far for her knives to reach his spotted throat. She stumbled to her feet, favoring her injury as Shorty managed to free his wrist and get up.

  She stood in defense, ready for his next lunge-but he mirrored her action. Warily, they watched each other, gazes locked,
the screams of pain and fury from the other Hunters distant and unimportant.

  Kill them all, android. Let this stay between us.

  The eyes would give it away, she'd see him look before he leapt-but it seemed that Shorty had finally learned not to go running into a fight with his betters. Neither moved, both waiting for the opening that would end it, once and for all.

  Lara and Jess stayed close to Max, Ellis seeming to understand that they wanted to head west, keeping to a reasonably straight line. They were able to move faster than before, Max tearing a path through the abundant growth, the smell of sap and cut plants surrounding them as the sound of Noguchi's battle fell behind.

  Briggs's body was folded over the elbow joint of Max's right arm, Ellis keeping the arm stable as he moved so that the impregnated Briggs wouldn't fall off. The exec's arms and legs were slapped at by weeds and broken tree limbs, which was fine by Jess; Briggs's comfort wasn't high on his list of needs. Besides, he was unconscious. They probably wouldn't be able to use him at all, but Jess thought that having a still-breathing suit in tow might turn out to be extremely handy.

  He won't give birth for another couple hours, at least, plenty of time in case-

  "Jess, listen," Lara said, and stopped, tilting her head, her face pale as milk. Ellis took one more crashing step and did the same, turning statue.

  Jess listened. He heard jungle sounds, night sounds-the rheerhee-rhee of some cicada relative, a wind in the treetops high above, the scuttling rasps underfoot of animals too small to move the leaves. They held in place for a full minute, and Jess didn't hear anything unexpected.

  "I heard something moving," Lara said, chewing at her lower lip. "I'm sure."

  If Lara was sure, than there was something to it. Jess moved closer to Ellis, searching the shadow-flecked trees for darker things.

  "Elis, do you see anything?"

  Ellis didn't respond. Jess shot a glance at Lara, saw the same worry on her face. The kid hadn't spoken since alerting them to Nirasawa's approach; he seemed to comprehend what they wanted, but that he wouldn't talk, even to answer them, was unnerving.

  What's going on in there, Ellis?

  Max looked dead. Each time it stopped walking, Jess had to wonder if it would start again, the giant body turning into an object that seemed incapable of life.

  "I guess-" Lara started, and then Ellis was moving.

  It happened fast, Max's left arm swiveling back and up, directed into the dark and broken trail behind them. There was a puh of sound, of displaced air, grenade-and a sharp pop, and a dazzling light. The electric glow of white phosphorous hissed up from the burning filler some fifteen meters back, a tremendous billow of smoke pluming into the air from the M60-and before Jess could feel more than a second's confusion, he saw the silhouettes in front of the rising sheet of white, and heard the screech of the one that was dancing through the flame. He saw two others, standing sharply outlined by the sizzling light. Hunters.

  There was the ripping sound of a burner, barely audible over the dying screams of the Hunter on fire-and the blast hit Max in the back, and then Jess and Lara were both firing, the burner jumping in Jess's hands, the crack of Lara's semi blending into the harsh rattle from Max's pulse rifle.

  Brrrp-BOOM, the flash from Jess's burner slammed into the chest of one of them, throwing it backwards into the rising incendiary flame. There was a clattering howl, terrible, and Jess brought the weapon around to the second-and its body was jumping, convulsing with the hammer of bullets that pounded it all the way down, Lara and Max both shooting, its muscular form crashing to the ground.

  Max ceased firing. Jess and Lara both stopped, scanning for further movement-and all was quiet, only the hiss of the white-turning-orange flames as they ate slowly through the surrounding brush. If there were any more Hunters in the area, they'd decided not to join the fight; it was over, at least for the moment.

  "Unh," Max whispered, and Jess felt his heart pounding in delayed reaction; felt renewed fear for the kid as he and Lara both turned to inspect the damage.

  The black, smoking splotch on Max's back was too hot to touch; Lara ripped a strip of cloth from the bottom of her shirt and balled it up, wiping it across the wide and ragged mark. The hit didn't seem to have penetrated the armor, but it had eaten through the protective acid-and heat-resist coating, he could be boiling alive in there

  "Ellis! Brian, are you hurt? Can you talk?" Lara asked, her voice right on the edge of panic.

  Nothing-except a soft, unconscious groan from Briggs, still draped over Max's flamethrower arm. Amazingly, he hadn't been injured.

  "Kid, please," Jess said, aching inside as well as out. "Say you're all right, say anything."

  "Any, thing," Max breathed, and Lara laughed, the sharp sound close to a sob. Jess swallowed, hard-and faced front again, wanting this endless, painful night to be over with.

  "Go, let's go," he said, taking a step forward, then two-and then Max raised one massive metal leg and put it back down, following, and Lara joined them.

  Almost over, almost, Jess thought, and was still working to believe that a half klick later when they heard the trumpeting calls of at least a dozen approaching drones.

  * * *

  Chapter 28

  Tree of the four beings were dead or disabled, but Nirasawa had suffered considerable damage in the effort. Seven major latchment points between musculature and skeleton had been severed through his back and left side, seriously incapacitating the feedback systems that kept him stable. Overall electrical stim received for his limb colloids was down 37 percent-and the casing for his hydrogen fuel cell had been pierced, which, if further damaged, would very likely relieve him of all processing capability. He would become inert; he would cease.

  Studying the stance of the last viable opponent, Nirasawa could see that the being's injuries were also significant. From the labored breathing to the unreliability and tissue damage of its right leg, Nirasawa thought that it would die soon without medical attention. Still, it continued to present itself as an opponent, and Nirasawa meant to alter its status. The woman had not finished her engagement with the being she fought, and Nirasawa wanted to aid her in destroying the last of Mr. Briggs's killers.

  The ailing creature stepped forward, jabbing its staff at Nirasawa. Nirasawa pushed the blade aside, moving in, bringing his right arm up and delivering a blow to the alien's probable ribs. Several snapped.

  The creature clattered loudly in its own language, a pale green blood washing from its mouth-and its damaged leg crumpled. The being fell, gasping, and Nirasawa bent down, reaching for its throat--and the creature, with some final burst of strength, thrust its staff deep into Nirasawa's abdomen.

  The fuel cell itself was punctured. Nirasawa felt the energy shut down, first to his legs. He collapsed on top of the gasping creature, driving his right elbow into its neck, hearing the wet collapse of its airway.

  Nirasawa's arms went next. Then the pump of lubricant faltered, the stability and latchment systems releasing a short and final jolt of stim through his immobile limbs. He could no longer move.

  Nirasawa's one functioning eye saw the stars in the Bunda sky, and then that, too, ceased to operate. There was a flush of nonsequential numbers in the dark-and then Nirasawa was no more.

  Noguchi heard the dying call of the Blooded Hunter, a trilled greeting to the Black Warrior, a final shuffle of movement-and then nothing. Nirasawa had fallen, and the other Hunters were dead.

  Just you and me now.

  Shorty had managed one glancing blow to her side, and she had raked his right arm with the blades, but neither had gained the advantage. They continued their circling appraisal of one another, Noguchi knowing that Shorty wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer. He was yautja, and young; she'd seen Blooded maintain a defense, but Shorty would eventually feel that he was cowardly for not attacking. She was betting on it.

  And if you're wrong? This could go on, and other Hunters will come, and your victory wil
l mean nothing ...

  Noguchi felt the seconds tick by like minutes, her every muscle tensed, watchful for his next move. He hadn't responded to further taunting; she'd called him small and weak, she'd stumbled through a few proverbs about having no honor. If she could just find something that would reignite his fury, push him into another reckless act ...

  Think! The names he'd called her in the past, the things he'd said in the hope of hurting her. Woman, human, alien-nothing there, nothing that had come across as more than a mild slight.

  Except-he thought they were horrible slurs. The very worst he could come up with ...

  She had it. Noguchi knew what to say. She ran through the words in her head, preparing herself for his assault as she decided on her counterstrike.

  "Chi'-dte ooman-di," Noguchi said. "Lou'-dte Dahdtoudi kalei!"

  Shorty flew at her as the last word left her mouth, his face shocked and sick with rage, his blades swinging wildly.

  Noguchi was already in motion, leaping away from the pitiful strike, jumping-and landing a solid kick to the side of his right knee, where she'd kicked him in their match on the Shell, where he should still be hurting. Shorty howled, falling to the ground, instantly pushing himself off and coming for her-and she slashed, the diamond-sharp wrist blades melting through his forearm. Blood spouted up as his right hand folded, hanging from cut bone and sliced flesh by the wet sinewy tendons, the only thing still connecting his claws to his arm.

  Shorty screamed again, in agony, grabbing at the pounding flow from his wrist and stumbling at her. Unable to comprehend that he'd lost.

  "You're not Hunter!" Noguchi shouted as she sidestepped his clumsy attempt, not caring if he understood. "I am, and I'm better at it than any of you arrogant, bullying children!"

  Shorty crashed into the dirt, still hugging his useless arm, trilling in pain and denial. Noguchi stood over him, feeling the beat of her human heart, realizing how much time she'd wasted caring about what the Hunters believed-and understanding that she was free from them, that her human spirit had conquered.