Sonata in Orionis (Earth Song Book 2)

by Mark Wandrey

  Two more rounds boomed from her guns, one in each hand, and the Rasa skittered behind cover without further loses. She was nearly to the warehouse corner when her ravaged calf abandoned her and she sprawled backwards in the grass. The fall saved her life as a line of flechette buzzed sawed through the space her head had occupied only an instant before. She did her best to roll and bring up a gun. One of the Rasa soldiers was already taking careful aim. The crack of a beamcaster tore a smoking hole through his head and the alien dropped to the ground. Two of his fellow soldiers were similarly dealt with by more beamcaster fire as Minu crab walked on all fours backwards. Scrambling as fast as she could Minu struggled to reach cover as her friends kept the Rasa occupied. She was in the open just long enough to see dozens of the alien soldiers pouring around the corner in an all-out charge.

  "We're in for it," she said as she struggled to her feet. The pain in her leg was finally waking up fully and it must have been apparent on her face

  "You're leg!" Aaron yelled.

  "Yeah, caught one of those damn darts." She took a look at the wound for the first time. It turned out to be a mistake, and she almost puked. About a quarter of the muscle was torn away leaving skin and tissue hanging in bloody tatters. "Damn plastic darts must do some wild things when they hit flesh at that velocity," she said to take her mind off the grisly sight. Aaron dropped to his knees and quickly began applying a field dressing. Despite the amount of damage, the blood flow was not heavy. At least it missed the artery. Even through the pain she enjoyed his hands on her leg. Then she felt the deep sting of an injection and her vision blurred slightly. He'd popped her with a buzz without asking. She didn't complain as the pain instantly numbed and her concentration sharpened to a laser beam.

  "Come on," she said after patting him on the shoulder, "we need to get under cover."

  They ran down the line of warehouses until she found number eleven. Minu knew she couldn't handle both guns anymore, so once inside they pulled the doors closed and she handed one to Pip.

  "What the hell am I going to do with this?" he asked. His face was white and sweat dripped from his chin. The pain from his ankle was probably intense and unrelenting.

  "Defend yourself," she said. From her pack she handed him back the computer/radio hybrid he'd dubbed a PUFF. He snatched it back and carefully examined it to make sure it was not damaged. "Satisfied?" He nodded. "How long will it run?"

  "On this power cell? About a week."

  "Okay, that's one less thing to worry about." Minu took her own tablet and accessed her personal files, scanning back through mission logs looking for a particular entry. "Here it is," she said. "Gregg, find bay twenty-two bravo."

  "Do I look like I'm wearing green stars?"

  "The rows are numbered, the locations are lettered. Find row twenty-two, go down to space B. That clear enough?" He shot her a dirty look as he dropped the cases to the floor and ran off. Minu spotted a couple dozen crab-bot hanging from their ready racks next to the warehouse entrance. "Can we use those?" she asked Pip.

  "My toy works on all bots, remember?"

  "Is it stills screwing up those back in the facility?"

  "I'm sure, it has about a kilometer range, optimally."

  "So the bots still work, but can't take remote orders?" He nodded his head. "So if I type in an order, it'll just sit there and wait until the central network can issue that?" Another nod. "Here's what I want you to do."

  Minu left Pip with his task and checked that Aaron was ready to defend the entrance, then turned to look for Gregg. He gave a yell that he'd found what she wanted and she came running, at least as much as her leg would allow. There was no pain, which was worse in ways, so she tried not to think about what damage she might be doing to the already trashed muscle. "It's more important to be able to fight," she said to herself as she ran/hopped up to where Gregg stood. The crate was just like she remembered it from two years ago. She was a little surprised it was still here.

  "What were you saying when you came up?" he asked.

  "Just some internal dialog," she said and examined the crate. Like most secure cases it had a computer locking mechanism, and she didn't know the code. Not that it mattered, the lock was just to be sure that someone didn't poke their nose where it wasn't wanted. You can't stop a person from breaking into a shipping crate if they're determined enough. She used the butt of her huge handgun and smashed the control, then used her cybernetic hand to tear away the remnants of the panel. A fair amount of the synthetic skin on her palm was burned and torn. That could be dealt with later, and was less of a problem than her calf anyway.

  As Gregg watched her snap the moliplas panel like it was a toy he whistled. "I might have to get me one of of those."

  "You wouldn't like the price," she said as she dug into the controls underneath. She found the relay she was looking for and crushed it between two mechanical fingers. There was a buzzing sound and the crate began to open like a flower. "Okay, go back and have Aaron bring me those crates, fast."

  "Go here, do that, carry this," Gregg laughed and hurried off.

  The crate finished unfolding, leaving exposed the machine that it contained. Once the machine was moved the crate would finish collapsing and be ready for its next use (after the controls were fixed, of course).

  As she was opening the machine's access panel and examining the displays that lit up Pip came hobbling up. “You're walking?”

  “Gregg popped me with some buzz,” he said, his eyes twinkling and slightly dilated. “Good stuff.”

  “He's turning into a drug dealer.”

  "I did what you asked," he told her and started examining the machine, "but if I turn them on..."

  "I know," Minu said as she found the master control. Activating the machine, additional control panels opened and the entire thing began to give off a deep vibration that could be felt in the pit of her stomach.

  "Is this what I think it is?" Pip asked in awe, his eyes darting over the machine and its displays.

  "I hope so."

  "They're coming," Aaron yelled as he trotted up and unceremoniously dropped the two crates on the ceramic concrete floor with a crash. "What are you going to do with this thing?"

  "Hopefully a miracle. Aaron?"

  "Yeah boss?"

  She took his chiseled face in her bloody hands and bent it down to look her in the eye. "Hold them.”

  “I don't know if we can,” he admitted and looked at the charge on the beamcaster slung under his arm. “Gregg said there are dozens swarming around the warehouses.”

  Minu gently touched his cheek. He blinked in surprise and looked down at her, his brown eyes full of concern. “If they get back here before we're done, we might lose the planet.”

  “We'll make them pay for every millimeter,” he assured her. Then to both of their surprise, he leaned down and kissed her, gently on the lips. “You don't know how long I've wanted to do that.”

  Yes I do, she said in her head. “Hold them for me?”

  "We'll do it, boss."

  Chapter 7

  Julast 13th, 518 AE – 14:41

  Warehouse 11, Chosen Headquarters, Steven’s Pass

  Gregg and Aaron set up as best a defense as they could manage in only a few minutes. Using handheld gavitic impellers they moved several cargo modules to provide improved firing positions facing the warehouse doors then locked the doors. On an impulse as they were finishing, Aaron grabbed up a portable plasma welder and burned the hinges and locking mechanism. "That should buy us a couple seconds," he said as he tossed aside the welder and took his position.

  "Let's hope they just pass on by," Gregg said. Less than a minute later the doors rattled as someone on the other side tried them. Gregg and Aaron raised their guns and waited. Their handguns were ready, their beamcasters saved for later. Whoever was outside banged on the doors, pushing and pulling for all they were worth. Aaron's improvised sabotage held and the doors remained latched. The metal wasn't very thick and they could here
soldiers skittering around and hissing.

  "So much for just passing by," Aaron said. A flechette gun opened fire on the locking mechanism. The hypervelocity plastic darts tore at the metal, shredding it slowly like a thousand rats working away with their teeth. It was a terrible waste of ammo and they both wished they had that luxury. The locking mechanism finally fell away, torn to pieces. The shooting stopped and they saw clawed hands grip the door using the shredded holes. More pushes and pulls on the door failed to open it, the hinges now hampering their efforts.

  "Nice little puzzle," Gregg laughed.

  "Yeah, but it'll confirm for them that this is the right place." They could see troops massing outside through the small view the destroyed lock provided. It looked like a lot of them. "Hold fire, let’s see if they figure it out."

  First the Rasa tried to make an opening big enough to gain entrance. It took several minutes of sawing with two flacette guns to make a hole. Aaron looked at Gregg and they both nodded in silent agreement. When the first Rasa clambered through the new door, Gregg shot him dead. The alien shrieked and fell over, partially blocking the hole. The next trooper tried climbing over his dead comrade and Aaron's gun boomed. The new entrance was now effectively blocked.

  "Damn, this is fun!" Aaron laughed. A beamcaster shot lanced through the door and nearly took his head off, sparking brightly off the packing crate and raining molten globs of metal down on him. "Now that is not fun!"

  Shot after shot volley fired through the doors indiscriminately, punching holes through cargo containers and scorching the floors. Aaron and Gregg hugged their cover and hoped the containers they'd chosen were sufficiently dense to stop the energy weapons fire, and not holding anything explosive. None of the beams reached them but they were both pelted with molten metal and cut by flying concrete chips.

  Aaron stole a look around the crate he was hiding behind and could see several Rasa soldiers through the hole where two of them lay dead. He snapped his fingers to get Gregg's attention then used the hand gestures scouts employed to communicate silently. Gregg narrowed his eyes and nodded. As one they raised their pistols and began firing. The massive twenty millimeter slugs tore through flesh and bone, sending surprised soldiers crashing into each other and scrambling to return fire.

  Finally someone outside took control of the chaotic situation. A beamcaster with its charge turned all the way down to conserve power was being utilized to obliterating the doors along either side. "Going after the hinges finally," Aaron said.

  "Officer must have showed up," Gregg agreed. He checked his gun, only two shots left and out of reloads. "Time to fall back."

  Gregg nodded his head, only one shot in his. They rose into a squat and held their guns at high port. As soon as the first door fell from its frame they fired their last rounds, carefully aiming for center of body mass and hitting all three targets. Before the Rasa could regroup again, they ran for the back of the warehouse, dodging between crates for cover. Only a few odd flechette darts chased their path. The pair stopped as soon as they were out of sight. Since the big handguns were now useless, they hurriedly stashed them in an empty crate and unlimbered the beamcasters. "How much you got?" Gregg asked his friend.

  "Charge says forty percent. Say five full power shots, or about twenty at minimum."

  "Same here, more or less.”

  “I say we go for maximum damage. We need to give Minu as much time as possible." Gregg nodded and dialed up their power settings. "We're going to piss off some people, blowing up all this shit," Aaron said, a strained look of excitement on his face.

  "If we don't blow it up, we won't be here to get in trouble."

  "I like the way you think!" There was some fire from the direction they'd retreated, mostly random. "Probing fire," Gregg said. Aaron nodded. "So what's with you and Minu?"

  "Huh?"

  "Everyone is trying to figure out why she's curled up with that pretty boy from command, Christian, and not with you."

  "None of your fucking business."

  "Give it a rest. You've had a thing for her since we were newbies." Still more shots, none toward them. The Rasa were finally taking the humans seriously, advancing slowly and with covering fire while burning a lot of ammo to keep the Chosen’s heads down. Aaron glared at him in the gloom of the warehouse interior and Gregg decided to continue. What else do you do while you're waiting to fight? "Look, it's really none of my business-"

  "You're right, its none of your business."

  "-but I know that fling with Mandi was just trying to get under Minu's skin."

  "A lot you know."

  "Yeah, did you know how bad it hurt her?" Aaron examined his gun. "I could tell, and so did a lot of others."

  "Who could notice, she was so busy screwing that asshole."

  "And you were busy fucking that bubble head techie bitch." He watched Aaron's reaction, the confusion on his face, then nodded thoughtfully. "Or were you?"

  "We were together a couple weeks."

  "You never did anything, did you." Aaron looked down, his face red. "Oh my god, you didn't!"

  "Would you shut up already?"

  "So if you're still holding a candle for Minu, why haven't you let her know, or made a play? She's been as sweet on you as you were on her."

  "I tried, after that weekend you all spent in Leavenworth. Mandi had already thrown me over her shoulder when she figured out she couldn't get my pants down."

  "She was probably pissed off. You might be the only male for a hundred kilometers not to give that a go."

  Aaron snorted but smiled. "Wasn't easy, trust me. Anyway, I went to talk to Minu and that prick showed up and screwed everything up. Minu was really pissed off at me."

  "She's a girl, what do you expect? They don't know what they're thinking half the time. Different species, if you ask me. You just need to make a move! Just tell her how you really feel!"

  "Tell Minu? Are you crazy!” He thought of the little kiss he'd given her a few minutes ago. How it made him feel so wild and alive. Never once with Mandi, even when he was feeling her breasts and kissing in the movies, had he ever felt that way. And all from a little kiss. “If any woman has ever had a chance of being First Among the Chosen, she's it."

  "I don't care if she's going to be the new Buddha, she's still a girl and she still has a thing for you." Aaron gave an uncertain shake of his head and sighed. Gregg grumbled at the intractableness of his friend. "Look, all I can say is if you don't make one good try, at least once tell her how you really feel, you'll never know what might have been. You'll end up hating yourself someday. Besides, sooner or later she'll just decide that moron is good enough for her, and it won't matter what you say."

  "You think they'd get married?"

  "How should I know? I can tell you this much, Minu is the kind of girl not to run around with a whole group of guys. Cherise told me she never even went out on one date in school. She's a one guy girl, and she waited a long time before letting one get close to her. It’s like she was waiting for something, or someone, and finally gave up and stopped waiting."

  "I've really fucked this up, I don't know what to do."

  "You can fix most things by just trying." Gregg suddenly stopped talking, cocked his head and listened, thinking he'd heard something. Skittering boots followed by more random firing near the doorway. He grinned darkly. "Little reptiles are getting sneaky," he said and dropped to one knee. Peeking around the corner of the crate close to the floor he saw twenty Rasa soldiers only a few meters away, their backs pressed again a tall stack of crates. Without hesitation he unleashed his beamcaster on the crates which exploded in a thunderous crash. The entire stack collapsed on the screaming soldiers. Aaron and Gregg fell back some more, giving precious ground for even more precious time.

  ***

  Julast 13th, 518 AE – 14:49

  Warehouse 11, Chosen Headquarters, Steven’s Pass

  Minu’s communicator woke up with Jacob's anxious voice. "Minu, report!"

&nb
sp; "We're holed up in a Warehouse Eleven; quite a few Rasa have followed us out here."

  "I don't know what you're up to, but it better be good. They're keeping us pinned down and sending everything they have after you. Surveillance is spotty because they're wrecking the network as they go, but it looks like at least two hundred soldiers are swarming you out there. If you can get out, I would do so-" The transmission cut off into static.

  "I figured they’d do that sooner or later," Pip said as he worked with Minu’s mystery machine. It rumbled and churned as it operated. Every thirty seconds it released another object from a chute. Pip would catch it and set to work. Minu did her best to help him with the complicated tasks. His hands were a blur, seemingly able to act without need of his brain. "I sure hope this isn't our Waterloo."

  Minu's face scrunched up as she thought. "General Custer?"

  "No, that was Little Big Horn."

  "Oh, uhm…Napoleon Bonaparte!"

  "Bingo."

  "What does bingo mean, anyway?"

  "I haven't the slightest idea. Probably a marksmanship term."

  There was a loud series of explosions form the front of the warehouse sending some burning debris flying over their heads. "Gregg and Aaron are having fun," she said as she closed a casing and quickly tightened the cover with a microdriver, luckily for them the basic field kit contained a well-stocked tool kit.

  "One man's nightmare is another man's fun."

  "You just don't like conflict, do you?"

  "What's there to like?" He gestured helplessly at his ankle. Pip worked from a sitting position where Minu moved a low crate as a chair. An empty shipping crate was a foot stool where his naked foot and ankle rested. The ankle was turning black and swollen, at least one bone was poking the skin underneath.