Hell Fighters from Earth

by William C. Seigler

  He could suddenly feel the other’s concern and sadness. “I am sorry. Is the legionnaire hurt badly?”

  “Have you ever heard of anyone hurt ‘good’? Now do you have any refrigeration units on your ship?”

  “Yes.”

  “Big enough for a human?”

  “Yes, I think so. We use it for specimens we bring back for research.”

  “Clean it out and lower the temperature to one degree above freezing. Do you understand? It must not freeze.”

  “Yes, I understand.”

  There was an explosion almost under the vehicle. “Hey, I thought you said we were beyond the minefield.”

  Another round passed just overhead and exploded a short distance away. “That’s no mine!” screamed Argie. “They’ve got one of those things fixed. Smart little devils.”

  “Okay, hold her and keep your head down,” she instructed.

  “You got it.”

  Quickly she was back down in the driver’s seat. “Jink this thing around till I tell you to stop. Make them work for it.”

  She swung the turret around and got off a round just as he hit a bump. “Missed!”

  Denver drove the vehicle into a shallow defilade where they were out of the line of sight for a moment. He brought the vehicle around to the right and accelerated.

  She guessed where the enemy would next pop up. Suddenly he was there on the ridge. “Stop,” she instructed.

  She moved the little circle. It was off to the left. The least little move, now it was off to the right. She moved it a bit more to the right and then back left. It fell on the lower part of the vehicle. She squeezed off several rounds.

  They impacted just below the vehicle. She made a mental note. Shoot higher when shooting up at a target.

  She turned to Denver. “Get us moving.”

  As they were off, he jinked to the left which was good because a round impacted in the spot where they had just been.

  “Friend Denver, you are off course.”

  “Yeah buddy, I know.”

  He turned left up a ravine then up and over the lip. Argie got a shot off, but it went wide. Then they were out of sight of the other vehicle.

  “Is it my imagination or is it gaining on us?” he asked.

  “I think it’s gaining. They must have found what was limiting its speed and shut it off.”

  “Any ideas?” he said.

  “I could probably eventually find it, but I’m sort of busy right now. Stop for a second.” She squeezed off more rounds. This time she thought she heard a definite metal clank.

  “Argie, we’ve got more company.”

  Up to the left on a ridge was another robot vehicle and it was moving to get ahead of them. I think we’ve had it, thought Denver to himself.

  “Yes, I too think your situation is desperate,” said Cee.

  Don’t give up now man. What’s the last thing they would expect?

  Now both enemy vehicles were out of sight. He stopped and quickly turned around. “You guys get off and hide.”

  “She’s dead.”

  “You just keep up CPR and hide, quickly.”

  “What are we going to do?” asked Argie.

  “The last thing they would expect. We are going to backtrack and wait for them.”

  “Joy.”

  “You just work on your aim Annie Oakley.”

  “Who?”

  “Forget it.” The people were off, and they went back the way they came until they found a good hiding place.

  “What if these things have a way of locating one another?” Argie asked.

  “That would be a problem.”

  “They’ll come through that opening, I hope.”

  “What do you think that little yellow light does?” he asked.

  “I don’t remember seeing it before.” There was a second pulse of light intermittently.

  “Maybe we can turn it off.”

  “Maybe, it might be a good idea to turn off everything we don’t need,” she added.

  “How do we raise the cameras?”

  “I think I’ve got it. You keep your eyes peeled while I look around in here some more.”

  “I think I’ll take a look outside.”

  He climbed out of the vehicle and suddenly remembered the cold. It was still, absolutely still almost hard to believe they were in a fight for their lives. He stepped off the vehicle and keeping low moved to a slight rise and froze. The enemy vehicle was almost on top of them.

  Argie got a sudden shot of shock and fear. She could almost see the approaching vehicle, but it was not where it was supposed to be.

  As he flung himself back down the way he had come, he only barely registered the gun turning toward him. In a moment of recognition, he dropped to the ground just in time. As the enemy broke over the top Argie let fly with a short burst. He could feel the intense heat as the enemy exploded.

  His uniform was on fire. He rolled and put it out. He quickly got back down the hill.

  He climbed back up on the vehicle. “We got to get rid of that thing.”

  “You mean like this?” She handed it out to him.

  “Interesting, it’s still working. I’m getting an intermittent signal. They use it to track us.”

  Suddenly they looked at each other, and both said, “I’ve got an idea.”

  “We better pick up our people first before we forget where we left them.”

  “First let me take a look around.” She ran up the camera boom and slowly looked around the area. She could not see anything, especially back toward the burning vehicle.

  Once the people were back onboard, they headed off to the south. They had to get farther away from the burning vehicle.

  She noticed another blip on the screen. Great, they’ve got another one working. Girl, you have got to work on breaking things. “We’ve got another one,” she called out.

  “This just keeps on getting better. I don’t think our plan will work,” said Denver.

  “Cee, can you detect the enemy vehicles?”

  “I fear not. It will be another three hours before one of the moons is overhead.”

  “Okay get that thing in the air. You are no use to me on the ground.”

  “But friend Denver they will see us.”

  “It’s too late for that; I need you to come to us.”

  “As you wish.”

  He turned to Argie. “I’ve got to get you and the prisoners on the ship. There is one of two ways to do it. I can take this box and the vehicle and try to lead them away.

  Conversely, I can take the box while you and the vehicle head off in another direction.”

  “Or we can just dump the box and head off in a new direction.”

  He brought the vehicle to a stop. “Why don’t we just drop it over the side?” she continued.

  “That will look like a setup. No it’s got to be kept moving.”

  “You’ll be lost.”

  “Friend Denver, do not continue in the direction you are heading. One is directly ahead of you at less than a kilometer. A second is closing in from the north and a third from the east.

  “Their spaceship will be coming around this side of the planet soon. If it has dropped out of orbit I fear we are doomed.”

  He climbed out of the vehicle. “Turn and go west.”

  “Denver!”

  “You have your orders.” He started off down the draw toward the waiting robot vehicle.

  She turned and drove away, sure she would never see him again.

  “Well isn’t this just ducky?” she said aloud as she drove away.

  What did you expect? Finally, you meet a good one. Damn you hero, you’re going to die alone on some god forsaken dung heap planet!

  * * * *

  He stopped
just short of a bend and set the device down. Carefully he crept up over the small ridge above the gully. Well, well, waiting for someone are we?

  There hiding in the brush was another Reptilian vehicle.

  What to do? If I advance, they will let the others know of our little trick. I might be able to stay put. He got an idea.

  He went back to where he had stopped with the device, picked it up, and began to run as fast as he could in the direction he had just come. Shortly he heard the engine of the pursuing vehicle. He stuck the device in some bushes and waited back along the track he had come.

  Here it comes. The robot vehicle passed where he had stashed the box. It went a few meters on then stopped.

  He went after it and shut it down. Then he removed the box and destroyed it. He replaced it with the one from the vehicle Argie had commandeered.

  “That should slow them up.” He jumped off the vehicle and heard the gun swing around. He quickly jumped back under the vehicle.

  “Idiot!” You just about got yourself shot. Dying is bad enough but dying of your own stupidity, well that’s just too much.

  Now, how am I going to get out of here?

  Suddenly, the vehicle moved forward. He hunkered down as low as he could. It stopped a few meters away and the cameras swung around. He held his breath. He could hear the gears as it moved back and forth. Then the gun swung around.

  Without warning, he heard the gun go off, but to his amazement, the enemy vehicle blew up. It took him a moment to figure out that one of the other vehicles had destroyed it.

  He could not see it, so he crawled up under some bushes on the side of the gully and waited. He heard the vehicle driving off. Still he waited. Slowly he climbed up to the rim and carefully looked around. He saw one of them, but where was the other? Was it waiting for him to make a mistake?

  “Friend Denver, we have the lost-lings. I’m sorry, one is dead.”

  “Put her in cold storage, now! Argentina will know what to do. Where is the enemy ship?”

  “We will do as you say. It has entered the atmosphere. We are out of time.”

  “Cee, you can leave.”

  “No!” cried another voice. It was Argie. “If you get up high, you should be able to see him and the last two robots. Denver, turn on your locator beacon and stay put.”

  “What are you doing in my head and giving orders?”

  “Your foundling is correct. We have not much time.”

  “Don’t blow this now!” argued Smith.

  “Continue down the gully. It will open up to the left. We will meet you there,” ordered Cee.

  Cee is getting the hang of this rescuing business, he thought as he rushed headlong down the gully. Not half a kilometer farther on it opened up and as he headed toward it the Grey’s spaceship came scooting up below the ridge.

  He was aboard as soon as the ramp was down. He almost stumbled over bits of lizard technology that had been ripped out of the enemy vehicle. Argie and the remaining rescued soldier were just returning from the cold storage locker, where they had just interred Sasha.

  “I don’t know if this will work, but it’s worth a try,” said Farouk, the remaining medic.

  “I don’t know, they’re pretty good.”

  “Thanks for getting us out of there.”

  “Sure, glad to …”

  “They are on us!” The words exploded in his head.

  “Get us out of here!” He ran over to where the pilots were at work and froze. The enemy ship was falling like a greased crowbar out of the sky and they were on the ground.

  “We cannot run away fast enough,” cried Cee.

  “No, run toward it.”

  The little Grey almost showed emotion on his face.

  “Pilots, fly at the incoming ship but fly wildly.”

  For the first time, he heard an alien voice other than Cee’s. “Yes, what does it mean wildly?”

  The little ship was up and tilted forward. Denver had climbed up next to the pilots. He moved his hands back and forth like it was flying wildly right and left. He could see they did not understand.

  He grabbed both pilots by their tiny shoulders and jerked them left. The ship moved left.

  “We have never done this but …”

  Denver jerked them right then forward and back.

  The little ship swung to both sides of its course while accelerating right at the approaching craft. Shots were flying all around the little saucer. When it looked as if a collision might occur, Denver shoved the pilots forward.

  Suddenly the craft dropped toward the ground as the huge enemy ship screamed overhead. He removed his hands, and looked at the pilots right in the eyes.

  “Get us out of here.”

  He returned to the seating area and joined the others including Cee. “I fear friend Denver, you have broken another rule. Only I, a trained specialist, may converse with the humans.”

  “I have a feeling, this mission has broken about every rule there is.”

  He could feel Cee’s nervousness. He went on. “I also suspect that your own high command may not know about it.”

  Cee was almost in a panic. He suddenly remembered that humans were to be careful of not getting the little aliens too excited.

  The ship cleared the atmosphere and slipped out of normal space. “Don’t worry little buddy. There is only so much they can do to us. Besides, look at all we’ve accomplished together.”

  Then he added, “And we did it without the Separatists middle men.”

  “There are those who will find that threatening,” Cee replied.

  Chapter 20: What a Tangled Web

  Lieutenant Commander Fitzpatrick stood at rigid attention. He was unaccustomed to real military discipline and could scarcely contain his anger.

  However, his immediate boss, Captain Nicholas Johnson, who was a real naval officer also stood at attention next to him. Captain Johnson had captained deep sea vessels as well as spacecraft. He had been in line for the position of first officer on the ill-fated joint deep space mission with the Greys. Word was that he was also in line for a star.

  Fitzpatrick, untried and untested prior to the Grey rescue, had only been recently assigned to him. He had performed admirably in this first mission. His subordinate’s mother was a down-earther, which did not really bother Nick. We do not get to choose our parents. Besides, it is a necessity.

  It was true that occasionally they were able to recruit women from the Earth, more rarely men. There were never more than a few thousand of the Separatists and they were in danger of interbreeding. Fresh genes were welcome but not necessarily the purveyors of those genes or their children. Even though the offspring of these unions were often stronger mentally and physically than the purebred Separatists, there were often problems for them growing up.

  This problem turned into an asset when it came time to marry because the grandchildren also carried the hybrid vigor. Fitz had done well though some doubted where his loyalties lay when he agreed to undergo training so that he could go down to Earth, and recruit from the refuse even the down-earthers did not want.

  Eventually, the admiral ran out of threats, innuendo, and breath all at about the same time. He and the rest of the board just glared at Fitz.

  He said nothing. Why should he? He had done nothing wrong. Since arriving from recruiting command, he had been assigned to Captain Johnson’s procurement command. Johnson had seemed competent enough. Why he was getting his ass chewed, he didn’t know.

  Captain Johnson began, “Yes sir, thank you sir. I apologize for my failings and will endeavor to correct them. However sir, with all due respect, what are those failings?”

  “Don’t get smart with me.”

  “I don’t mean to be, but I don’t know what I’ve done wrong.”

  “It’s not you; it’s your subordinate.”
>
  “Yes sir, I understand whatever happens in my command is my responsibility. But sir, what could have happened in my command that four admirals take time out of their busy days to chew on my ass for half an hour? I’m just trying to understand.”

  The senior admiral cleared his throat. “Stand at ease, both of you.”

  They did as they were told.

  “Perhaps, Captain, you shouldn’t have even been called in. It is only because of your subordinate.”

  “Lieutenant Commander Fitzpatrick …”

  Fitzpatrick snapped to attention.

  “At ease. What can you tell us about this down-earther, Denver Smith?”

  Fitz glanced at him but only for a moment. “Uh, sir he showed up at a recruiting station, passed everything, and signed on. I’m sure you know about what happened at the training camp.”

  “Yes, yes we know,” added one of the other admirals.

  “Because of that I assume he was picked for the mission to rescue the Greys,” said Lieutenant Commander Fitzpatrick.

  “We know that as well.”

  “Then sir what is the problem?”

  The senior admiral exchanged glances with the others. “You don’t know what has happened?”

  Fitz and his boss exchanged quick glances. Johnson spoke up. “Sir, we don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  There was a long silence. The two officers continued to look over the heads of their superiors. Finally, one spoke up.

  “Isn’t it true that one of the Grey’s Liaison had unauthorized contact with your Corporal Smith during the rescue mission?”

  Fitz answered. “Yes sir, the Grey initiated contact without my knowledge. He wished to stay in contact with Smith.”

  “Why did you grant it?” thundered the admiral.

  “Well sir, there was no reason under the circumstances to annoy the Grey. It seemed harmless enough, and it paid off well. We were able to save the Greys and give the lizards a black eye in the process. Of course, I collected the headband after the mission. So sir, where’s the harm?”

  Captain Johnson had about had enough. Even a man who wants a star can get pushed too far. “Gentlemen, why don’t you tell us what the problem is and how we fit into it?”