Battle Earth VI be-6

by Nick S. Thomas

  "You seem to know this ship well," Taylor said, joining him at the front.

  "No, but all of Demiran's vessels were made in his shipyard and follow the same basic layout."

  "Makes sense if he wanted to easily locate and use those secret access tunnels he has."

  "Yes."

  They continued on until they reached a broad door that was sealed shut.

  "This is where they have sealed the ship from the damage. The only way in now is through Demiran's passageways."

  Taylor lifted his arm, looking at the time with concern.

  "You said we had maybe an hour to get this done. Forty-five minutes have already passed. This is getting a little close for comfort."

  "The weapon takes three minutes to power up, and you will know when that starts."

  "Three minutes? Let's hope we don't have to hear that sound."

  "I have never heard it myself either. I only know of it from legend.”

  "All right, then let's get to this secret entrance and be on our way."

  Jafar was looking up and around the walls, clearly searching for some unique signature only a select knew to look for. The lighting was barely enough to get by. Clearly the K'til had some basic power back. Helpful for getting their job done, but also disconcerting knowing what they were getting the power back online for.

  "You still think Demiran is aboard?" asked Taylor.

  "Yes, the K'til is only ever commanded by him. It would be an insult for anyone else to have had the honour of destroying a world with the K'til."

  "Great, what I wouldn't give to get my hands on him."

  Jafar turned to Taylor.

  "I think your chance will come before long."

  Jafar turned away and followed the wall, constantly looking up and down. Taylor wasn't sure whether he was following some hidden signs or completely lost, but he dare not ask. Eventually, he stopped, reaching the vent to what appeared to be a duct system. It was a metre square at most.

  "Seriously? That's the 'secret access'?" asked Jones with scepticism.

  Jafar pulled open the vent but did not climb in. Instead, he put his arm in, reaching up as far as he could. A second later, there was a hiss like gas escaping, and a door swung open a metre further along. Taylor breathed a sigh of relief. It was the first sign that the plan might actually work.

  "Not that I doubted you, but holy shit! This is like some hidden King’s corridor in an old castle," Jones grinned.

  "Precisely. It is entirely mechanical and powered by compressed gas, allowing the doors to be activated even if the power is down. This will take us about thirty metres and far inside the perimeter they have set."

  Taylor stepped cautiously towards the doors, considering the fact they were committing everything they had into one corridor with only one way in and one way out.

  This could be our valley of death, he thought.

  "Are you positive nobody will know we are here?" he asked.

  "Demiran will not think for a minute this access has been compromised. Last he saw I was loyal to him. He must think me dead, if he has given any thought at all to Tsengal and me."

  "You saved his life when we first met, did you not?"

  "Yes, but that will mean little to him. As far as Demiran is concerned, every Krycenaean owes their life to him."

  "Nice," Taylor replied, gesturing for Jafar to lead the way. Jones stayed at the back to see the door shut after they were all inside. They stepped quietly along the passageway, not knowing what lay either side of them through the thick walls. They reached the far end without incident, but then came the time to enter into an unknown area. Taylor had his rifle at the shoulder, and Jafar reached for the door, counting down with his finger as he had been trained to do.

  The door swung open, and Taylor stepped out quickly. He expected to have to fight his way out of the doorway, but there was nothing. Not a single sign of life. He signalled for the others to join him.

  "How much further do we need to go?"

  "Just another hundred metres should do it."

  "Should?"

  Jafar nodded.

  They continued on down a broad corridor with four metre high ceilings. Tracks lay along the floor that looked as if they were some kind of tramline for moving heavy goods. They covered half the distance they needed when they reached a bend. Time was short, so they blundered on without checking blind corners. As they took the bend, shock nearly stopped Taylor's heart, and they came to a halt. A dozen Mechs were marching towards them. Their weapons were lowered, and it was clear they were as surprised as each other. Neither moved for a few seconds.

  Jones was the first to fire, and it was the signal for the others to join him. Outnumbered three to one, the Mechs didn't stand a chance and only managed to fire off a few pulses before they all lay dead from the devastating volley. Taylor looked back, and to his amazement and delight, they had not taken a single casualty.

  "That was as much luck as anything."

  None of them were in any doubt. They were just glad to be alive.

  “This is the entrance to one of the main crossroads of the tunnel system. Your nuclear weapons will yield maximum effect here."

  "I can't believe we're gonna get away with planting these. How are they not on to us yet?" asked Jones.

  "They will be," replied Jafar. "That gun battle will not have gone unnoticed. We have to hurry."

  They got to a jogging pace. The corridor opened out as Jafar said into a huge five way crossroads with a domed roof. It was completely empty, but Taylor noticed the tramlines from every corridor converged at centre.

  "Why is there no one here?"

  "This is a main storage facility. Everything stored here will have been loaded ready for the weapon."

  "What does it fire, this thing?" asked Jones.

  "I have no idea. That is a secret Demiran and his ancestors have kept well guarded. That secret maintains the power they have."

  "Then it will die with him," replied Taylor.

  "We can only hope," Jones added.

  The nukes were carried into the crossroads area. Jafar was pacing around the huge room until he found what he was looking for.

  "Over here!"

  He reached down and pulled up a hinged handle on the floor, yanking it hard. A several metre long and wide hatch opened, and he spun it over on its hinges.

  "This is a maintenance access point. They will be safe here."

  "Right, get them inside, boys!" yelled Taylor.

  Come on, come on, he thought. This might actually work.

  "Set the timers for five minutes."

  "Five? Cutting that a little fine, aren't we?”

  "Jafar said the machine needs three minutes to fire up once the power is going. We have no idea when that will happen, so I want as short a fuse as possible, Jones."

  "We could just detonate remotely?"

  "No, we can't risk it. If we die trying to make it out of here, or the signal somehow gets jammed, it'll be all over. These nukes going off is the number one priority. Us getting out alive is insignificant by comparison. If we can, we will."

  "Well, aren't you a joy to be with today?"

  "Hey, this isn't on me. I didn't turn up to Earth on this fucking monstrosity to try and end humanity. Find Demiran, and take it up with him."

  "I intend to."

  Taylor looked up to see the smile had gone, and he was being deadly serious. He patted Jones on the shoulder and stood up beside him.

  "We'll get the bastard, and we'll get him together, unless these nukes fry him. We can only hope."

  "No, it can't be that easy. Someone like Demiran, he won't go down like this. We may destroy his ship, his fleet, and even his army, but when it comes down to the bastard himself, it's gonna be a job for our own hands."

  Taylor could see the bitter hatred in Jones' eyes, and he wished there was a way to console him, but only the death of Demiran would satisfy his desire.

  "We're good to go."

  The call came
from Silva, so Taylor knew he would not need any confirmation.

  "All right, let's blow this hunk of junk!" Rains shouted.

  "Set the charges and be ready to move!" yelled Taylor.

  "Charges…armed!" Silva called out.

  "Let's go!"

  Taylor was first to get moving with Jafar close by his side. In just ten seconds at a sprinting pace, they reached the bodies of the Mechs they had slaughtered. Their Reitech suits were now being used to their max, providing a rapid sprint. They reached the secret access door they had left open and thundered on through. There was no need to cover their tracks any longer. They were running for their lives.

  They were nearing the end of the passageway but none had slowed down, not even Jafar who was at their head. He hit the doorway at a full sprint and smashed the door from its hinges. It bounced off the opposite wall. Taylor was out a second later and saw Jafar barrel into a roll, hitting the wall and rolling back onto his feet. Mitch had already caught the glimpse of movement when a pulse soured down the corridor between the two of them. He ripped a grenade from his webbing, tossing it quickly at the enemy soldiers and following it with several bursts.

  It forced the creatures to duck for cover, and that gave the rest of the platoon enough time to get out of Demiran's no longer secret passage.

  "Keep moving! Run over them!" Taylor ordered.

  Just three Mechs had targeted them, and they were directly in the path they needed to get back to the Stallion. They didn't have shields, but they still advanced shoulder to shoulder at speed as if they did. Without the shields to provide cover, they used a wall of fire to do the same job. The Mechs huddled for their lives behind a small barrier, not able to raise their bodies without being instantly killed.

  Taylor and Jafar reached the barrier and leapt onto it. They hadn't stopped firing as they closed the distance, and merely put their weapons over and kept firing until all three were dead. They had stopped for just a second to ensure the job was done before continuing on at a sprint. Taylor lifted his watch to see a minute and a half had passed. They were on the home run now; the long, broad corridor that took them directly to the half wrecked room where the Stallion awaited them.

  "My bird better still be there!" yelled Eddie.

  Nobody responded. They all knew their survival now relied entirely on that ship and it being in the state they had left it. They kept running and hoped for the best. Taylor reached the door to the room first and stopped as he entered. He half expected to run on to a firing squad or find just empty space.

  "What is it?"

  Eddie pushed his way to the front.

  "Oh, baby! I knew you'd be there for us!"

  He turned to the others who were still in as much shock as Taylor.

  "What are you waiting for? Let's get the hell outta here!"

  He rushed for the Stallion with the others close behind. Jones waited at the door, pulling it shut as the last of the platoon got aboard. He turned to call that they were ready, but Eddie hadn't waited for them. The engines were roaring, and they were lifting off.

  "No need for secrecy anymore, hit it!" Taylor shouted.

  The craft banked quickly, and Eddie quickly cranked the power up to full. They soared out from the gaping mouth of the wreckage. Taylor looked at his watch once again. There was one minute left.

  "Fuck, this is gonna be close."

  "Have faith, Colonel. You've done your part. Now let us do ours."

  "We've got incoming," said Perez.

  Eddie brought it up on the display,which was one of the only other things they had got working for this very situation.

  "Two ships on our ass."

  "What can you do?" asked Taylor.

  "Besides get blown to shit, not a lot. We have no weapons working, no counter measures, nothing."

  Taylor shook his head.

  "No God damn way. We didn't get off that thing to die now."

  "I don't know what else we can do. They're gaining on us, and there ain't nobody else left to help us out."

  Taylor dipped his head and thought about it for a moment. He turned and looked at Jones.

  "Get the loading doors open!"

  Jones didn't understand what he was saying but only hesitated for a second before rushing to the back of the craft. The larger double doors at the rear were almost as wide as the fuselage and allowed for the loading of large crates. He pushed the doors open to be met by a pulse rushing towards him. Rains banked at the last second, and it smashed into the doorway, sending hot debris burning into his armour, but saving his life.

  "We've got a problem here!"

  Taylor rushed to the entrance and lifted his rifle to give a quick burst. Several others joined in, but what little fire they managed to hit the enemy ship with seemed to have no effect. Their fire was returned with a pulse that flew right through the doors and hit the roof of the Stallion. Debris smashed over the platoon, but their armour saved them from the shrapnel.

  Before Taylor could get up, another pulse rushed through the opening, striking three of the soldiers and killing them instantly. It ripped through the length of the Stallion until it reached the cockpit. The core of the pulse hit Perez in the back and pierced through his front plate. Shrapnel was thrown around the cockpit as it did.

  "Fuck!" Eddie screamed.

  He recovered to look over at Perez and could see his co-pilot was already dead. Taylor looked over the dead and felt more pissed off than ever.

  "Grenades!"

  He pulled the two he had left and twisted the fuses.

  "You'll need a short timing, so wait three seconds before you throw!"

  He turned back and threw the two out of the door. The tiny high explosive devices vanished from sight immediately and blew almost as quickly. One missed the two enemy ships entirely, and the other struck nearby, forcing the pilot to take evasive action. Jones could see it might work and did the same.

  "Come on! Everything you have!"

  The rest of the platoon threw out their grenades, and the sixth was a direct hit on the engines, making one of the enemy ships slow to beyond range. The grenades kept going until Blinker came to the door with the very last one.

  "Make it count," said Taylor.

  He lifted the grenade to his mask, pretended to kiss it, and tossed it out the door. The blast struck near the cockpit of the enemy fighter and blasted the mirrored glass open. The pilot veered off for a second before recovering.

  "God damn it, fuck!" Blinker cried out.

  Taylor could now seethe pilot who wore a thin Mech power suit. His helmet was cracked from the blast, and he was lining up for a final run which would see them all dead.

  "Fuck this!"

  Taylor leapt from the storage doors and activated his boosters. He surged towards the fighter. Jones and the others watched in amazement as he hit the prow of the fighter and slid around to the cockpit, grasping the rim of the damaged glass.

  "You crazy son of a bitch," said Jones.

  They watched as he jumped in through the open glass and held his rifle against the creature’s body, firing six shots on full auto. The creature slumped back dead. Taylor climbed off its corpse and leapt from the fighter. Rains lowered the power and banked to see the Gezgen K'til, as Taylor floated towards them. He used his boosters to clumsily return and bounce off the walls. Jones helped him stand steady and had just enough time to shake his head in amazement before the view from the cockpit lit up from a blast. They looked up to see a massive explosion tear through the K'til.

  "Yes, you mother fuckers!" Blinker shouted.

  He could not hold himself back and continued with the expletives as the others roared in excitement. Further eruptions ran along the edge of the K'til, and huge segments were blown off the vessel. For a full minute, they all stood watching, and then the most unthinkable happened. Lights pulsed over the hulking ship, and a noise began pulsating from it, like a massive power source increasing in strength. Their faces turned to stone.

  "What the h
ell is that?" Taylor gasped.

  He turned to Jafar to see the same icy fear in the creature’s face.

  "No, how? How can they still do this? You said it would work!"

  He grabbed Jafar by the armour on his chest and hauled him in close.

  "How is this happening?"

  Jafar did not respond or fight back. He had nothing more to say.

  "Fuck!" Taylor turned back to look at the K'til. A huge centre section began to open, revealing a massive pulsating light that could only be the weapon and the source of the sound they were hearing.

  "What can we do?" he asked.

  "What more can we do? We just hit them with everything we had."

  Taylor slumped down in one of the seats and dropped his head into his hands.

  "It's all over. We gave it everything, and still we lose.”

  No one had an answer. There was no way to soften the blow of realising that all they knew on Earth were going to be destroyed in less than three minutes. Just when all hope appeared lost, Rains' voice broke the silence.

  "Look!"

  Taylor did not get up. He couldn't imagine anything could improve the scenario. Instead, Jones rushed to the cockpit to receive the news.

  "My, God, the Washington. She's got power!"

  Taylor heard the words and shot up from his seat, rushing to join the two officers. He got to the cockpit to first witness the grizzly sight of Perez's body in the co-pilot’s seat, and his blood splattered across the controls in front of him. He quickly turned his attention away to what was before them. As Jones had said, the engines of the their flagship, the Washington, were firing up.

  "Can we get a message to Huber?" asked Taylor.

  "Negative, we haven't got comms, and I doubt they do either."

  "What have they got?"

  "Probably just what we can see, engines. They wouldn't have had time to get anything else going. It's a miracle they're even moving so quickly after the EMP."

  The Washington began to edge forward and gained speed at a steady pace, but Taylor could see the silhouettes of objects, seeming to be dropping from her hull.

  "What's that?"

  Eddie squinted to look.

  "Life pods. They don't have any power, but enough oxygen to keep the crew alive for a day or two."