by Z H Brown
“You mean you were trying to sell me on a poorly designed piece of clom,” said Slog.
“When you increase firepower like that, there’s gonna be a tradeoff. The Mark Four Plasma Shotgun fires four rounds, it just has to cool sooner.”
Slog patted his own weapon.
“Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll stick with my ‘outdated’ model.”
The weapons specialist rolled his shoulders, his species’ equivalent of an exasperated shrug.
“Anyway, my name is Corporal Blok. The lieutenant told me to give you and your squad full access to our supplies, so feel free to look around and let me know if anything catches your eye. Private Krunkle here has already refused to upgrade his shotgun,” at this he raised his massive arm toward Slog, who rolled his eyes, “but I’m sure you’ll find something to your liking.”
“Thank you, corporal. I’ll look around, but I’ll probably keep my trusty rifle. Last thing I need in the middle of a mission is to get a new weapon I can’t properly use. I’m in need of some more ammo, though.”
Blok nodded and slowly started gathering ammo for Ansaria’s weapon. As he was working, Ansaria approached Alvara.
“Admiring the latest model?”
The sniper rifle Alvara was ogling was the same length as her current model, but much bulkier. While Alvara’s could fry an enemy’s eye from the other side of a battlefield, this weapon looked like it could punch through a line of troops in full body armor.
“It’s a true beauty, no doubt about it, but it’s just too heavy. I wouldn’t be able to use it on the run, and running seems to be almost exclusively what we do these days.”
“Oh come on, we’ve done our fair share of flying and stealing on this mission. It’s just interspersed with running.”
Ansaria turned back to Blok and saw that he had piled a stack of cartridges on the table for her. As she went over to load up, Critter chirped a suggestion at her.
“Good thinking, Critter. Corporal, do you have a remote-control bot my mechanic could use for this mission? He’s getting rather tired of riding around in our pockets doing nothing.”
A pained look crossed Blok’s face, but he answered her. “Yeah…I got just the thing. One sec.”
He turned around and there was the sound of a heavy chest being opened. When he turned back, he was holding a compact bot that he set down on the table with a heavy thud.
“This drone was used by our tech and communications expert. Poor Hedron was helping the civilians when we were attacked, and he was….well, he was the only soldier on base who needed a drone.”
Blok tapped his TIG a couple times.
“There, I just sent you the operating controls. It doesn’t have much in the way of armament, but I’m sure I could rig up a couple things.”
“We’d appreciate it, Blok. Tread, how are you doing? Gonna swap out any weapons?”
“No, sergeant; this base did not have any Replanoids stationed here, so I’m afraid I will be unable to modify my arsenal. Thankfully, though, it does have all the ammo I require.”
“Sounds good; Blok, will you be able to have this bot armed by the time we’re ready to head out?”
“I’ll have it done, Sarge.”
“That’s what I like to hear. All right troops, let’s go see the LT and find out just how the hell we’re gonna get off this planet.”
When the squad returned to the command center, Goreman was not alone. A reptilian female with silvery, metallic scales stood at attention in front of the CO. Her tail twitched and swayed a little as Ansaria and her team arrived. The markings on her armor marked her as a sergeant as well.
“Ansaria, thank you for your prompt arrival. This is Sergeant Kiryu.”
This confirmed Ansaria’s suspicion and she nodded at her equal, who returned a curt nod of her own. “Sergeant Kiryu and her men will be accompanying you on your mission to Psionics.” Goreman tapped his TIG and a holomap of the city was projected above the table. He tapped two points which started to glow: the base on the eastern edge of the town and the facility they were headed to on the north edge.
“The quickest path is through the city utilizing this route.”
A glowing, zigzag line appeared on the map connecting the two points.
“Normally, we’d have you take a more direct route, but there are too many walls and fences along that way.”
He tapped the map again at the Psionics location and it zoomed in.
“According to Governor Solemn, the component he needs was being developed in D Lab.”
Another tap of the map and the lower right corner of the building began to glow.
“The piece you are looking for is a TP-3 Consciousness Expander and Stabilizer circuit. It should be labeled, but if not, you’ll all be provided with an approximate image. You and your teams need to get in, retrieve the piece and return to base. Once the governor has what he needs, we can figure out a plan for stopping the fog and getting off this planet.”
“Excuse me, sir, but where is the governor?” asked Ansaria.
“Governor Solemn has declined to participate in the mission and has retired to his quarters.”
Ansaria was surprised by that. She’d figured Solemn would want to come along to ensure nothing happened to his precious circuit- although, she supposed, Solemn was smart enough to know that he was no soldier.
“If there are no other questions, then gear up and meet by the gate. Dismissed.”
Sergeant Kiryu’s squad was waiting for them by the gate as Ansaria and the others approached. Upon catching sight of their CO, the assembled troops quickly snapped to attention and formed an orderly line as they awaited instructions from their commander. Clearly, Kiryu was someone who ran a tight starship.
Kiryu looked over her troops briefly before addressing them.
“We have been given an important assignment, men,” her voice, while raspy was still somewhat soft, though undoubtedly authoritative. “Our squad is tasked with leading Sergeant Ansaria and her men to the Psionics lab to retrieve a crucial piece of tech. I will not accept anything but your best on this mission, am I clear!?”
“Ma’am, yes ma’am!”
“Good, then let’s move out!”
Ansaria turned to her own squad.
“You gonna be good carrying that, Tread?”
Blok had finished arming Critter’s new drone, equipping it with a plasma repeater, back-mounted mortar launcher and a flamethrower. Because of the bulky mech’s limited power, it had been decided to transport it in stand-by mode. With the quick application of magnetic clamps, Tread was easily outfitted for the task.
“You know, sergeant, I signed up to serve as a member of the Imperial Army, not a pack muloo.”
“Read your contract, Tread. Everyone is a pack muloo in His Majesties service.”
One of Kiryu’s men broke from the group and trotted over to Ansaria.
“Looks like the LT thinks we work well together, eh Sarge?”
“Goreman assigned you to this task, Galla?”
“You know it! Guess he wanted to make sure a real soldier had your back again.”
The heavy gate rumbled open and the guard on duty waved them through. As soon as the last of them crossed the threshold, the gate rumbled back up before locking in place. The thick, unbroken fog stretched out before them.
The troops quickly fell into line as they set off down the ruined, fog-filled street.
Chapter XI
Couriers and Creatures
What make Amalgabeasts so horrific are their ability to propagate so quickly and their voracious appetite. A single creature can establish a nest, with each newborn being able to create a hive of its own and leading to an exponential outbreak that can render a planet devoid of any non-Amalga lifeform within weeks.
--Excerpt from The Newcomer’s Guide to the Empire
One of Kiryu’s men took point, occasionally checking his TIG’s map for reference points. Another soldier was between the point man and Kiryu
, with Galla and another bringing up the rear. Ansaria led her squad behind Kiryu’s, with Alvara bringing up the rear and Slog and Tread between them.
The world around them was quiet except for the sound of their heavy boots, and even that was mostly muffled by the fog. Ansaria could feel the tension in the air, and knew a good joke would help ease everyone, but the silent and obscured landscape could hold any number of monsters, so she bit her tongue.
The march through the fog took about twenty minutes, with the squads leapfrogging from street to street, constantly straining to see through the fog or keeping an ear out for the beat of wings. When they had nearly reached their destination, Kiryu called for a stop.
“The facility is across the street from here. When we get there, I want Wulf and Kriegmar to guard the front door and keep watch.”
She projected a map from her TIG. The map showed the layout of the building with the four labs labeled A, B, C and D. She pointed at B Lab.
“This lab is adjacent to D Lab where the device is. Galla, Tianus, and I will hold position there. Ansaria, that leaves you and your whole squad to search the lab as quickly, and preferably quietly, as you can. Any questions?”
When none came, Kiryu terminated the map. “Then let’s move.”
They dashed across the street and onto the facility’s grounds. The front walls that led to the atrium inside had been comprised of metal and glass, but all the panes had been shattered and scattered in every direction. The shards crunched under their boots, and after a moment Ansaria used her telekinesis to sweep a clear path for them all.
“Good thinking,” Kiryu said to her quietly.
“Thanks, but I mostly did it for her benefit,” replied Ansaria, gesturing to Alvara. Kiryu turned to regard the Gorgonian as she comfortably slithered through the cleared path. Kiryu looked back at Ansaria, but with the helmet on the Xenlongian sergeant could not read her expression.
When everyone was inside the atrium, Wulf and Kriegmar took up positions behind the reception desk. Above them, “Psionics” was written in three languages that normally would’ve all been lit up, though presently were dark.
The troops headed down a hallway deeper into the building. At the far end of the hall was a heavy set of double doors that read ‘B and D Labs Access’.
B Lab was apparently the design lab, as hard copies of blueprints and schematics littered the room. A dozen computer consoles were scattered about, all of them cold and silent. A number of screens were mounted on the wall, though like the computers they too were blank.
Kiryu took position in the center of the room. She gestured to both the doors they had just passed through, as well as another door that said ‘A Lab Access’.
“Tianus, cover our escape route. Galla, cover the Lab A door. You lot,” she said, pointing at Ansaria and the others, “Get in there and start looking.”
Ansaria gestured to the others and the squad made their way to the door at the far end of the room that said ‘D Lab Access’. Ansaria pushed the door open…to be greeted by a pile of debris with wisps of fog drifting in from the hole in the ceiling.
“Problem,” said Ansaria, loud enough for Kiryu to hear.
The other sergeant quickly jogged over to see, but stopped once she caught sight of the obstruction.
“Ah…” was all she said.
Tread peered at the wreckage.
“Looks like the attack came from above.”
“Great, now what?” said Slog.
Critter suddenly piped up.
Ansaria looked where he indicated. There was a space between what remained of the ceiling and the top of the debris. Not enough of a gap for any of the soldiers to squeeze through, but a drone on the other hand…
Ansaria quickly had Tread unpack Critter’s remote-controlled robot; using her telekinesis to lift the small machine up to the gap, she gently eased it through, the sound of grinding metal setting everyone on edge even further (Ansaria herself felt certain that the noises were being carried throughout the silent landscape, though a more rational part of her knew this was ridiculous.)
She lowered the mech until she sensed it was on the ground before giving the go-ahead to Critter. The tiny squad member used his TIG to deploy the bot, and Ansaria and the others gathered around Critter to watch from his screen.
The little bot had six spidery legs that it deployed along with a pair of thin, almost bony metal claws. Critter had the machine do a quick sweep of the area, and after deciding it was clear, began his exploration. The lab was still mostly intact, though the collapsed roof had scattered debris everywhere. This room was filled with long tables and work benches, the walls mostly covered in cabinets, tools, and a few inactive consoles.
The search was slow, as the bot had to extend its legs in order to rise up to be able
to see the contents of the tables, and then lowered once again in order to walk properly. Finally, after examining a half-dozen work areas…
“That’s it!” said Ansaria, excitedly.
TP-3 Consciousness Expander and Stabilizer circuit was sitting on the corner of a table, with an array of delicate tools filling most of the space. Ansaria and her squad (minus Tread, of course) collectively held their breath as Critter used the thin pincers of the bot to gently pick up the piece before securely storing it in an interior compartment.
“See that, Tread? That bot’s got a storage compartment. What’s your excuse?” said Slog.
“Perhaps it is because that bot is a mindless drone with cargo space to spare, much like you, Slogulus.”
“Speak for yourself, pack muloo.”
Ansaria allowed the chatter as Critter brought his bot back to the gap. In truth, Ansaria herself was distracted by her own excited thoughts: after all the detours and near-misses, they were finally close to getting back to their actual mission. The fact that they also had to find some way off this monster-infested rock only briefly fazed her and with the bot securely reattached to Tread, and the circuit safely in her belt pouch, Ansaria ordered the others to move out.
“Come on, troops, we’ve got an Empire to save.”
“And a planet to free,” added Galla.
The troops rendezvoused in the lobby without incident and made their way outside through Ansaria’s path. However, before they could leave the facility’s grounds, Wulf came to a sudden stop.
“What’s the matter, corporal?” asked Kiryu.
Wulf pulled off his helmet, revealing a canine visage with patches of fur singed off and a pair of thin scars going across his left temple. His ears twitched and he sniffed at the air.
“Flyers incoming; a lot.” He sniffed again. “Others, too. Don’t recognize some of the smells.”
Ansaria could feel the tension in the air. Her own troops looked apprehensive at another battle with the fog monsters, and the postures of Kiryu’s squad members indicated they were just as anxious if not more so.
“How far are they, Wulf?” asked Kiryu.
“At the shore. The flyers will be here first.”
“How do we know they’re headed for us?” asked Galla.
Everyone present briefly exchanged glances. They were all thinking the same thing: the base.
“Let’s move it people, double time!” commanded Kiryu.
Wulf jammed his helmet back on and the troops broke into a run back to the base. The quiet, fog-covered landscape echoed with their running footsteps. Kriegmar was trying desperately to get a message to the base, his deep voice almost unheard over their footfalls.
Ansaria was straining her senses, trying to hear the swoop of wings or the sharp sounds of energy blasts. It was hard enough to find the attackers when everything was quiet and still; doing it on the run made the tension she felt almost unbearable.
When they finally did hear something, it was not what they were expecting. The air became filled with a low droning and a multitude of fast moving, dark images appeared in the sky through the fog. The troops opened fire, the air filling with countless thin pl
asma beams and punctuated with heavier ammunition. The air lit up with some of the unknown monsters bursting into flames, while others were ripped to pieces by the plasma beams. They kept running, trying to get back to the base as fast as they could, when their attackers came into view and started diving toward them.
These monsters resembled giant insects, with massive pairs of serrated blades for arms. Their carapaces were a rich brown and they had huge, orange, multifaceted eyes. Short antennae waved about on their foreheads while their mandibles clicked and hissed and fast moving wings mounted on their thoraxes propelled them through the air.
The troops pulled up short and unloaded another volley of blasts at the mass of enemies. Waves of attackers fell from the sky, though a few evaded the barrage and raced towards them. Slog, Tread and Kriegmar turned their attention to holding back the closest enemies. One wounded insect dragged itself towards the soldiers, one of its blades raised high to slash at them, but it was swiftly put down by a head shot from Kiryu.
The sound of distant explosions suddenly filled the air, and from the given direction, they all knew what it meant: the beasts had reached the base. They set out again, with those in the rear firing off a few rounds into the swarm nipping at their heels while the rest kept their eyes peeled for groundside attacks. All their comms. were filled with broken chatter and static as the base was besieged, no one able to make out anything meaningful.
The group was forced to stop once more as they became surrounded by a swarm of the insects and everyone opened fire. Countless bugs fell to the ground in pieces while others were smeared across the area by heavier weapons. After the wave had subsided, they resumed running as fast as they could, the base drawing closer and closer.
As they finally came within sight of the base, they discovered the full extent of the attack. The tri-laser turrets were firing, rapidly switching between aerial and ground targets. The ground was littered with the smoldering corpses of monsters. A pile of burrowers and primate attackers clogged the gaping hole where the gate had once stood.