Siiri moaned and squeezed her eyes shut, “It’s not Kayla … others … they want me.”
“But they promised!” Torian brushed her hair back and she opened her glowing gold eyes at him.
“A trap.” May was grim.
“No …” Siiri whispered, “They are fighting, some are saying to leave me alone, others are demanding to have me …” then she shouted, “Kayla! Please!”
Through the small crack in the partially opened shutters May saw something and rushed over, “Space Jockey …” she whispered and then turned to the young man, “They’re gathering outside…”
“Our Cons work inside, what about the rifles?”
The long dark haired marine, who had removed her helmet, poked her rifle through the crack and fired a burst at the ground near the feet of several dozen humans with glowing eyes. The blue-black material glowed for a few seconds, but then returned to normal. The strange humans, however, got the message and backed up.
“That material is plasma proof.”
“Siiri, I have to make sure we get the codes, and then we’re going to leave.” Torian tried to reassure the girl, who stared at him with her normal azurite eyes and nodded. He bent over the Con and examined some of the files.
As the data was transferring to his Con, he would pick a document or image at random, “Jarlan kept logs … he says the original surveyors of this planet were from a secret society, he names it the ‘Colonial Environmental Safety Society’, but really they were a people with very high intelligence, and brains exhibiting extra functionality, he calls it. But nothing obvious, they did tests, there was a dormant potential.”
“You mean like telepathy and all that?” May glanced back from the window.
“Some sort of known condition, top secret in government medical circles…. there’s more…certain members of the society knew about the alien city, and he says they explored it before the colony was established. They deliberately built the colony knowing the aliens were here, but didn’t tell anybody.”
“What about the codes?” Siiri’s voice was shaking.
“The colony lasted 15 years … then all Hell broke loose.”
May stepped closer, “What did they do?”
Torian glanced up at the marine, “It’s hard to say, he says some people began to exhibit paranormal traits, telepathy, projection, and telekinesis, it started when they began to excavate the tubes, and found alien bodies in the spheres, one per tube. Then he says the aliens began to take over …”
“And killed them all?” May looked shocked.
The blonde girl stepped up behind him and glanced over his shoulder, “I can do some of those things, well at least one I know of…”
Looking back at Siiri, Torian was puzzled, “What thing?” the girl then walked across to the other side of the room.
Inside his head a voice spoke, clear, like a thought, “Torian, can you sense my thoughts?”
Turning to May, Siiri smiled, and the tall marine frowned as a thought registered, “May? Can you sense me?”
With his hands on his hips Torian grinned, “You can project your thoughts, just like that cry for help!”
“That’s when I was first discovered, I played tricks in school,” she poignantly recalled.
“Do you do anything else, like read Torian’s lovelorn mind?” May chuckled.
“No, that’s it.”
“You’d get lost in the empty space up there.” he replied, leaning over the small desk holo computer, then after a moment of files zipping by on the virtual display he exclaimed, “Ok, some shield information.” He paused reading the information.
The tall marine shook her head letting her hair fly then peaked out the window, “More coming.” she poked her rifle out the window again and they backed off. Suddenly there was a loud banging downstairs and May moved to the door in the hallway.
From the desk where Torian was reading files he let out a gasp, “Aye …” he glanced up at Siiri with an ashen face.
The blonde haired girl shot him a questioning look, “What is it?”
May called out “Torian, they’re breaking down the door!” she slipped on her helmet.
He scooped up his Con, “I got the code, let’s go!” The three, May first, followed by Torian, then Siiri, ran down the hallway to the stairs. With one swift movement, May aimed her rifle and fired at the door from the top as several figures burst in. It glowed red and burst into flames while the figures scattered. Torian pulled out his bayonet and attached it to the end of his rifle.
“What did you see in the computer?” Siiri asked again as they clambered down the stairs.
“I’ll tell you later.” he replied hastily as they picked up their backpacks. May opened hers and pulled out some items, the mini food processor and rations, stuffing them into her webbing pouches and Torian did the same and checked his grenades and magazines. While the door was still glowing red May kicked it with the sole of her boot, then once again, and it broke open.
Outside the three formed a line facing several dozen figures wielding pipes, pointed spear-like metal rods, and throw-able debris. They were mostly men, younger, but some were women.
“Damn!” May cursed in English.
“Con is out.” Torian checked his rifle and then pulled the trigger. This time it fired a burst and he stitched a line near the feet of the front liners in the crowd.
“You’re it, Space Jockey, mine is out, Siiri?” in answer the flaxen haired girl fired a burst in the air and the crowd backed up leaving room for them to escape.
“Go go go!” Torian called and May raced ahead followed by Siiri, but someone lobbed a perfectly round object striking Torian in the backpack knocking him on the ground while his rifle flew out of his hands. The crowd immediately seized the opportunity and began to descend on him.
Hopping to his feet, he fumbled with the straps of his backpack dropping it as a tall male figure with long stringy hair charged him menacingly with a metal pipe raising it in the air.
“Torian!” Siiri shouted raising her rifle, but as she was about to fire, her eyes changed color and she screamed, dropping the rifle and falling to her knees. May instantly turned and grabbed her bayonet and fixed it on the end of her rifle. At the same time, a spear sailed through the air and she looked up too late as it struck her shoulder armor, the strange metal penetrating it easily, and embedding in her flesh.
The man with the pipe was about the club Torian but reacting instinctively, the trained soldier drew his pistol and fired. Plasma struck the man with the stringy hair in the chest. Others began to charge and he fired repeatedly.
Half screaming and grunting May yanked the spear out of her shoulder bloodying up her camouflaged armor and then aimed the rifle at three men with glowing eyes surrounding her with clubs of metal. It would not shoot, so enraged, she charged and bayoneted the first stranger and received a club to her helmet. She pulled out her rifle from the rib cage of the unfortunate man, butted the next man in the chest, and then turned to face the last one with her bloody bayonet. He tripped and fell crawling away while she threw off her backpack.
Torian killed another robed raggedly clothed figure about to spear him and with his free hand grabbed the arm of another, pushing him aside with desperate strength. Siiri, bent over double on the smooth road only a few meters away, remained purposefully untouched. Unexpectedly, one of them picked up his rifle, but Torian whipped around and, dropping his pistol, grabbed the weapon pulling the strange man close. Then Torian forced the butt end of the rifle into the other man’s face knocking him cold. When the man fell to his knees, he ran to Siiri.
Spitting and clenching her teeth, May used her weapon with both hands shoving a couple of assailants away and then bashed another with the butt, “Torian! I can’t hold out! I don’t have any more frags!”
“I’ve got some!” then shouted, “Frag out!” and a loud flash followed by a crack dispersed the crowd chasing him. Kneeling beside Siiri who was crying, pressing her hand
against her head, he tore off her backpack and tried to lift her head.
“Torian!” May screamed in rage as a club struck her upper back knocking her off balance. Then another struck her leg and another pipe slammed into her abdomen. Only a few meters away Torian leveled his rifle and fired. Nothing! He pulled the trigger again and again while May was getting beaten down. Slinging the rifle, he drew Siiri’s pistol and it worked. He shot three times and bodies fell away from May’s crumpled form.
“Siiri! You have to get up!”
Moaning, her eyes opened to the brightest gold had ever seen them, and she tried to speak, but nothing came out. People were starting to form back behind him after the grenade, despite the twisted wounded bodies on the flat surface.
The wounded marine staggered to her feet still holding her rifle, “We have to go …”
“I’ll die before I leave her!” he growled, holstering her pistol in his webbing.
Then with blood dripping from her mouth she grinned showing red teeth, “Spoken like a true grunt, Space Jockey.”
Aware that the crowd was closing in, he hauled Siiri’s form over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry and sprinted towards May. With one hand on Siiri, he wrapped the rifle sling around his arm and pulled out his last grenade.
“I’ll let you do the honors, marine!” he tossed her the grenade and ran ahead gripping the rifle with one hand and aiming at a limping man charging at him, but at the last moment turned away after sighting the weapon.
“Frag out!” May called and charged after Torian followed by a loud bang and some screams.
After almost a kilometer Torian was panting and May kept pulling the trigger on her rifle and in frustration called, “Changing mags!”
Figures lined the street peering out of doorways and on rooftops. Projectiles flew at them, mostly wide and missing. The click and hum of May’s rifle was music to his ears and she shot several bursts behind and on the roofs before it stopped again. Siiri came alive and gripped his sides.
“Can you run?” he called.
“Put me down …” she replied and he stopped and dropped her feet first.
“Did I ever say you had pretty blue eyes?”
She drew her pistol from his webbing and with a wry smile she quipped, “Don’t stop there.”
“I thought you were gone …” he took her hand and they began to run.
“Kayla, she’s fighting them off, there are thousands who want to take me.”
Yanking on the trigger May got a couple more rounds off and the crowds along the street kept their distance. Siiri fired in the air as did Torian, then his rifle quit. They could see the door in the wall but they still had a distance to cover.
Running a gauntlet of projectiles and individual figures charging out from the crowds along the road and into May’s bayonet, all three, breathless, began to sprint for their lives.
Between breathes Siiri fired several rounds from the coal black weapon to a group of men rapidly pursuing them, “Torian, if we don’t make it …don’t let them…”
He glanced at May who thrust her weapon into a figure threatening with a spear and took another stab wound in her arm, “We’re going to make it, Siiri!”
A round metal projectile just missed the blonde haired girl and flew in front of Torian while he turned to fire his rifle at the source on a rooftop sending a bolt of plasma through a man’s stomach. Twisting again, he fired ahead at several strange humans blocking May’s path as she lined up her bayonet. They dispersed. Another projectile struck May in her back spinning her around and sending her sprawling on the ground with her rifle flying from her hands. A figure with a long metal rod with a pointy end moved to impale her but Torian shot him square in the chest. Then he kneeled beside the stricken marine and grasped her hand.
“We’re not going to make it, Space Jockey.”
“On your feet marine!”
Siiri grasped her head and bent over, “Torian! Don’t let them take me!”
“Aye!” Torian pushed May forward and grasped Siiri by her webbing, “Move it!” Then he fired the rifle randomly at the roofs one handed at the pursing attackers, “Run!”
A projectile shot passed him while he turned dragging Siiri with all his might as she began to resist, her eyes bright gold. May threw off her cracked helmet running to help Torian with Siiri.
“Almost there!” he encouraged the other two. Siiri’s eyes returned and she sprinted ahead towards the door in the gate. Resistance tapered off a little as they rushed to the door and Torian pulled out the key and accidentally dropped it as a round metal ball struck the wall beside his head and bounced into May’s chest armor, knocking her down again.
He picked up the key as a crowd began to advance again. Inserting it in the hole and pulling it out the wall section vanished. The three fled rushing out onto the gravel road in pitch-blackness with May leading by the light of Torian’s rifle as he pushed Siiri ahead.
Chapter 16: Transporters
Pacing backwards watching the door and then turning to glance warily at tall rocky outcroppings he ran to catch up with May rushing ahead and Siiri following close, “Clear. Let’s pick up the pace.” Torian was the only one left with a light since May and the blonde girl had lost their rifles. Fortunately, the others with their bright eyes were a dead give away at night, unless they covered themselves with their robes.
“She can’t take much more, Torian.” Siiri caught up with the heaving marine.
The young man, straining, gripped May’s shoulder, “I know you’ve taken a beating …Siiri, give her a hand, but we have to keep going.”
“I’m all right, Space Jockey.” she spit up blood.
Just then, the flashlight on the rifle lit up two charging figures with pipes and Torian fired the rifle once, but it quit again after that. He raised the weapon to deflect a blow from a long metal pipe. The pipe knocked it away and he grabbed the man’s hand twisting him around, but the other was stronger, pulling the flight specialist down to the ground, and flew on top. The two forms wrestled and the man with glowing eyes clutched his hands around Torian’s throat. Then the man froze, gurgling blood, and falling to the side. A light from the rifle blinded Torian and he covered his face.
“Torian, are you hurt?” Siiri cried out, she bent down next to him and he saw the wet blood on the bayonet. She held out her hand and he pulled himself to his feet, rubbing his neck.
“I’m good, thanks pretty girl, take the lead.” and she walked quickly while Torian put his arm around May’s waist and helped her along.
“Can you make it?” he asked the marine who was putting on a brave show.
“I just need to catch my breath.”
It went on for the next couple of hours with Siiri taking point and Torian supporting May pushing her to keep going. They heard noises, and swore they saw shadowy figures, but in their exhaustion, it was hard to know if they were seeing phantoms or real assailants. However, nobody attacked them throughout the night on the gravel road bracketed by silhouettes of stony towers.
“Drink,” Torian put the water bottle to the stricken marine’s lips and she gulped.
Siiri glanced back, “The hill is ahead, I can see the tower.”
“Just a little more, May.” she nodded and coughed.
Up the hill, Siiri helped putting her arm around May and they forced their legs to climb the steep angle to the tower.
“Do you think anyone is in there waiting?” the blonde girl with Torian helped the marine sit on the ground while she was breathing heavily.
“Hand me the rifle, stay with her.” he took the rifle with the bloody bayonet and then walked towards to tower.
“Torian …” Siiri called after him weakly. He was back a few moments later helping May up.
“All clear inside and Con is back on,” and the three exhausted survivors entered the guard tower while Torian secured the door. With Siiri’s help, he shoved the office desk against it.
In the bunkroom they lay May down,
pulled off her boots, and stripped off her webbing and armor exposing her bloody combat fatigues.
“She’s been stabbed in the shoulder blade and the arm …” Siiri reached to unbutton the combat shirt but Torian stopped her.
“See the material.” he shined the flash light around the puncture wound where the camouflaged material had bunched up, “the lining on the inside reacts to blood, and squeezes and plugs up the wound, so leave the shirt on there, but check her abdomen.”
Moaning a little, May raised her head, wincing and grinning, “Only she can undress me.” The muscular girl’s abdomen was bluish and black.
Torian checked her with his Con and felt the side of her head that was swollen, “Got a contusion on the head, and bruising …” Siiri struggled getting the almond-eyed woman’s pants off. Her legs were bruised and swollen.
“How am I, doc?”
“You need a painkiller ...” he reached for his med kit on his webbing, but he was out.
“I got one in my webbing, and I got to pee,” May sighed.
He searched her webbing, pulled out the painkiller, and injected her arm while she rolled her head back and sighed.
Siiri disappeared into the bathroom and came out with a round cracked basin while Torian got up, turning away on the other bunk. By the light of his Con, he got out some rations and mess kits from their webbing and began making dinner. When May was finished Siiri helped her with her shorts and brought the basin into the bathroom, closing the door and relieving herself.
“Coffee?” Torian offered, “And dinner, the last of our rations.”
“The coffee first.” He rolled up her pants for a pillow and helped her drink.
“That painkiller really works. I can’t feel a thing now,” she whispered after swallowing and curled her legs up so they did not hang over the edge.
“Well, you rest.” After she sipped, he laid her head back. Siiri came out of the bathroom and Torian passed her a mess bowl, “Rice and crab meat.”
“I’ll feed her …”
“I can eat myself.” May raised her head when Siiri sat on the floor next to the bunk bed with the bowl. After a few bites, May closed her eyes and rested her head back. Siiri brushed back the marine’s long black hair, a few stands sticky with blood from a small cut near the swelling on her head.
The Battle for the Ringed Planet Page 18