by Isaac Hooke
“Told you they were sucking away the planet’s atmosphere,” Lui said. “Notice how none of the external gases came rushing in here? We’re operating in the void.”
“Not that it really matters either way,” Shaw said. “The atmosphere was just as poisonous as the void.”
“It matters,” Lui said. “Because it affects any future terraforming the Kenyans may have had planned for this planet. As in, it’s going to take a lot more work to terraform going forward.”
“Maybe that’s what the aliens want,” Shaw said. “To prevent us from colonizing this planet.”
“Or it could be what I said earlier, that they operate better in the void,” Lui told her.
“We have no idea what they want,” Tahoe said. “Any guesses we make are pure conjecture at the moment.”
“Unit A, scan the rooftops and windows,” Rade said.
Unit A zoomed in and ran its camera across the requested areas. They seemed clear of tangos.
“Redirect your vision toward the dome,” Rade instructed the unit.
The view shifted as the robot glanced toward the top of the environment. Dome Drones had clambered to the perforations and were in the process of repairing them. Those drones were directly connected to the metal framework composing the geodesic dome, which they used like a rail system. The robots had thick cylindrical bodies—essentially serving as kilns—with pincer-like hands that redirected the molten glass from the internal ovens into replacement material to fill the breaches. They were basically big 3D-printers.
As Rade watched, the drones began to drop from the dome one by one, crashing soundlessly into the street below.
“What—?”
“They’re being shot down by some new friends,” Tahoe said. “Look at Unit B’s feed.”
“I found one of the pods,” Unit B said.
Rade switched to the secondary feed that Unit B was returning.
The Unit had focused on a pod that had crashed about three blocks away, judging from the zoom level. The upper part of the ovule pod protruded from the asphalt; cracks had formed in the surface of the road all around it.
As Rade watched, a spider-like creature emerged from the top of the pod and clambered down onto the street. Unit B zoomed out slightly, revealing more of them casually spreading out from the pod. Maybe ten in total. They carried what looked like large tracking turrets on their backs. Those turrets occasionally flashed—obviously firing some sort of laser. Tiny holes appeared in buildings where the weapons struck... that, or Dome Drones fell.
“Giant spiders carrying lasers!” Bender said excitedly. “Frickin’ giant spiders!” He began to hum. “Bugs bugs bugidy bugs.”
Rade glanced at the overhead map and saw Bender’s blue dot headed into the room.
“Stop!” Rade said. He dismissed the video feed and reverted to his own vision.
Bender halted halfway to the window. He had raised his rifle, and obviously intended to pick off some of the creatures with the weapon. He glanced over his shoulder with a questioning expression on his face.
“I don’t want you drawing undue attention,” Rade said. “We’re not equipped to fight at the moment. Without the shields and armor of the Hoplites, we don’t stand a chance. Not in jumpsuits.”
Bender sighed. “Yes, boss.” He lowered his rifle and retreated to the hallway once more.
“What should we call these things?” Fret said.
“Let’s call them Benders,” Manic said with a grin.
“Har,” Bender said. “More like, Bender’s Target Practice.”
Rade switched his viewpoint to Unit B to observe the aliens more. One of them stepped over a vehicle, leaving large dents in the metal.
“Fender Benders,” TJ said.
“What the eff!” Bender said. “What’s with the ‘let’s name aliens after Bender’ crap today?”
“Alien spiders works for me,” Shaw said. “Keep it simple.”
Rade dismissed the video feed. Since neither Unit A nor B had been shot down, Rade carefully made his way inside the room and approached the edge of the window where the robots crouched. He signaled his other Argonauts to do likewise.
He peered down into the street below. So far, none of the aliens had reached the area. He zoomed in on the rooftops, double checking that no snipers were waiting to take them down.
“Look at that high-rise apartment,” Tahoe said.
Rade switched to Tahoe’s feed, and saw that he had zoomed in on a high rise about six blocks to the south. The spider-like aliens were clambering up the walls. They sometimes paused beside the windows to smash them, and pulled struggling humans out; occasionally those humans wore jumpsuits, many times not. Since the unsuited individuals were obviously still alive at that point, it meant the building had inner seals that had activated to preserve pressure in lieu of the breached dome.
Some men in jumpsuits fired down from the rooftops at the creatures. Robots joined them. 6As and walkers. The creatures fired back with the turrets on their backs, but some of the aliens were hit by the incoming laser or plasma fire and released the building, plunging to their deaths.
“That’s reassuring,” Fret said. “They can die.”
“Of course the bugs can die!” Bender said. “And die they will.” He petted his rifle.
As Rade watched, one of the creatures scaling the building completely disappeared.
“Did you see that?” Fret said. “Where the hell did it go?”
“Check out the rooftop,” Tahoe said.
It seemed the spider had reappeared on the rooftop, where it was causing mayhem among the defenders.
A bright blue sphere appeared as Rade watched, and when it vanished another spider remained in its place. The bug reached down with its mandibles and tore an unready unit in half.
“Quantum Predation,” Lui said.
“Huh?” Bender said.
“Two meanings. First: they’re picking the humans off one by one. Predation in small, discrete quantities. Quanta. Second: see those jumping units? Blinking in and out of existence, teleporting behind the tangos to split them apart from the rear? They’ve got to be doing that via quantum Slipstreams.”
“Quantum Predation,” Bender said in understanding. “That should be the title of your foodie book. Quantum Predation: Devouring the West Coast, One Buffet at a Time, by Lui Pimplepocks.”
“Pimplepocks?” Lui said.
“That’s your pen name,” Bender said. “Every writer needs a pen name.”
“But why Pimplepocks?” Lui used to have pockmarks from severe acne, and he had rejuvenation treatments done to fix that up. But inside, he probably still felt like he had those pocks, something that Bender was obviously more than happy to take advantage of.
“Because, it endears you to the reader,” Bender said. “Pimplepocks makes you sound like someone relatable. Someone the Everyman can go to for advice. ‘That Pimplepocks sure knows how to write a good yarn about buffets.’ Besides, it’s a better pen name than Pussy Gonzales...”
“How can all of you be so calm at a time like this!” Batindo said. “And making jokes. Jokes! The colony is falling to aliens! We’re surrounded! People are dying out there! And it’s like none of you care!”
“Bro,” Lui said. “If I had a digicoin for all the times I’ve been surrounded by aliens intent on ripping me apart, I’d be a rich man.”
“We care,” Rade told Batindo. “We just deal with it in different ways.”
“I can tell you right now,” Surus added, addressing Batindo and the other two Kenyans. “The safest place on the colony is in this room, with these men. And with me.”
Rade glanced at Kato and the nurse.
“You’re free by the way,” Rade told them. “You can go whenever you want.”
Kato exchanged a glance with the nurse. “I think we’ll stay for the time being. If you don’t mind.”
“We mind,” Fret said. He turned toward Rade. “They won’t be able to keep up. Not in those environmental suits.�
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“If it comes to it, they can hitch a ride on our jumpsuits easily enough,” Rade said. He turned toward Kato. “You may stay.”
Kato inclined his head behind his faceplate. “Thank you.”
“Bax, do you read?” Rade tried.
The Argonaut’s AI didn’t answer. The governor was still jamming the signal, apparently.
“TJ, any news on bypassing that jamming frequency?” Rade said.
“I’m working on it,” TJ said.
Rade glanced at the street. “Okay, it’s still clear so far, we might—”
Movement caught his eye. Looking up, he saw several more streaks falling toward the dome. Moments later many more pods tore inside. Rade noticed that the massive alien ship had gotten much closer than the last time he’d glanced upward.
One of the pods crashed into the street directly below the hospital. Once more the upper half protruded from the asphalt. A panel folded open near the top and the creatures began to unload.
“This situation is quickly turning from bad to really bad,” Shaw said.
twelve
Get away from the windows,” Rade ordered.
The Argonauts and robots complied.
“Well, we obviously won’t be able to reach the shuttles now,” Rade said. “At least not by conventional means. We’re going to have to make our way to one of the subway stations, I think, especially considering that the Dragonflies aren’t even docked in our current dome. We’ll have to take the tunnels to the next dome, and make our way to the hangar, either through the subway system, or maybe the sewer system... as long as we stay out of sight. Unless there are shuttles docked in this dome we can use?” He glanced at Kato.
The doctor shook his head. “All docking with Kitale is handled by Geodesic Dome A. We’ll have to go there, like you say.”
“Well that makes for a poorly designed colony,” Lui said. “Isn’t it against fire code to require everyone to switch domes in the case of an emergency?”
“We don’t have such stringent codes here,” Kato said.
“Well, it doesn’t surprise me,” Lui said. “Considering how bright your governor is.”
“Sarcasm!” Harlequin said. “I understand!”
“Woopty-do, Harley boy,” Bender said. “Kudos to you for being less of an imbecile. Now turn around so I can give you your reward: a boot in the ass!”
Rade caught a glimpse of an alien forelimb as something crawled past the window.
“Vacate the room!” Rade and the others hurried from the hospital room.
“Something just shattered the window,” Tahoe said from the drag position.
“This way, Argonauts!” Rade led the group to the staircase, taking it to the concourse.
In front of the glass doors leading outside, an alien spider lurked.
It spotted Rade and the others and broke through the glass.
Bender was already down on one knee and opening fire.
“Eat some plasma, bug bitch!” Bender said.
The alien collapsed; it slid across the polished floor, its momentum carrying it a short way across the concourse. Black mist spewed from what was obviously a wound in its thorax.
“How come aliens are always able to survive the void without wearing jumpsuits?” Manic said. “Where’s the fairness in that?”
“These could be bioengineered,” Harlequin said. “Designed to withstand vacuum conditions.”
“Enough talking,” Rade said. “Run!”
More of the creatures had lined up outside and were starting to come in. Their turrets were firing. Unit E dropped, its body riddled with bore holes.
A blue sphere appeared in front of the party. Rade was already firing his plasma weapon into it as the alien emerged.
The materializing spider collapsed in a heap in front of him.
Rade swerved to bash in a side door, which led to an alternate stairwell.
The Argonauts followed him inside.
“Kato, is there another way out of the building?” Rade asked when everyone was inside the stairwell.
“The hospital connects directly to the subway system,” Kato replied. “There is a stairwell in the eastern quarter that leads to it. I can take you there.”
Kato led them up the stairs to the second floor.
“Wait!” Rade said. “Unit D, check it.”
Unit D opened the door a crack, and peered past. “They’re out there.”
“Next floor!” Rade said.
The group proceeded upward.
As he ran, Rade glanced into the gap the stairs formed in the center of the stairwell, and saw that one of the creatures was trying to stuff its large body inside the first floor opening.
“Hurry!” Rade said.
The team reached the third floor and Rade said: “Continue to the fourth!”
At the fourth and final floor Rade had Unit D peer past the stairwell door. “Clear, so far.”
“Lead the way, Centurions,” Rade commanded.
The four remaining Centurions hurried into the hall and the Argonauts followed. Tahoe and Bender brought up the rear.
“Hunting these bugs isn’t so much fun anymore, is it Bender?” Fret said.
“Speak for yourself!” Bender said. “I’m having the time of my life bitch!”
The group made its way toward the eastern wall. Unfortunately there was a floor-to-ceiling window there, and a spider clambered into view.
The alien saw them, and pointed its turret toward the glass.
Rade dropped to one knee as he ran, and slid forward a meter on the polished floor as he aimed. He squeezed the trigger, and the stricken spider released the window, dropping from view. In its wake remained the small bore hole Rade had carved into the glass.
The party continued down the hall.
“Blue sphere behind!” Tahoe shouted.
Rade spun about in time to see Tahoe and Bender shooting down the spider that had teleported there. It collapsed near them, its thorax seeming to smoke as its blood evaporated into the atmosphereless environment.
As the team advanced another spider clambered into view beyond the floor-to-ceiling window. Before the Argonauts could open fire the alien promptly dematerialized.
Rade spun about and, as he predicted, the creature appeared in the hallway behind the Argonauts inside a fading blue sphere. He wasn’t the only one who had guessed the alien’s intent, and the spider fell beneath the barrage of plasma fire.
“Do you think all of them can teleport?” Manic said as they continued forward.
“I believe only certain units have that ability,” Harlequin said. “Otherwise, all of the aliens we saw emerging from that pod would be teleporting here to attack us.”
Rade reached the stairwell and had Lui and Fret guard the nearby window while the robots kicked in the door.
“Clear!” Unit A said.
“Lead the way!” Rade ordered.
The team filed inside and proceeded down the stairs.
They descended to the third floor without issue, but at the second floor the door smashed open unexpectedly, and long hooked legs reached inside, tripping Shaw. Those limbs began to drag her into the hallway...
Rade and the others unleashed hell immediately, some targeting the base of those appendages, others the legs themselves. The creature released Shaw, its appendages falling limp.
Bender raced to the door and fired several more bursts until he was satisfied the alien was truly down.
“Don’t touch our astrogator, bitch!” Bender said.
“Bender, let’s go!” Rade sent.
The team reached the first floor, and continued past the door to the basement.
“Units A, B,” Rade beckoned toward the basement door.
The first Unit opened the door a crack, while the second peered inside. Then they both moved into the hallway beyond, Unit A going high, Unit B going low.
“Clear!” Unit A said.
The Argonauts proceeded into the basement. To the left w
as a long hallway, with doors leading to storage closets and rooms on either side. To the right, a pair of double doors.
“Go right,” Kato said.
The robots opened the double doors and moved inside.
“Clear!” Unit A said.
Rade and the others passed the doors, finding themselves inside a concrete-walled pedway system. HLED lights provided illumination. Not emergency lights, Rade noted, but standard lighting. That meant the attack had yet to cripple the power grid. That was good, in that they wouldn’t have to manually pry open any airlocks they found. But that also meant they’d have to hack through whatever security protocols were installed in those airlocks before the hatches would cede.
“This joins up with the subway,” Kato promised.
“Can you transmit any subway maps you have stored in your embedded ID to me?” Rade asked Kato. “And any other building blueprints you have?”
“Done,” Kato said.
Rade accepted the transfer request. His overhead map updated and he saw that the pedway did indeed connect with the subway system shortly.
The robots cleared an intersection, and the group approached a bend beyond. The Centurions went first, sweeping it, and then the remaining Argonauts rounded. Above the passageway digital signage displayed text in both Swahili and English. It read: “Zhana Station Stop.”
“We’re here,” Kato said.
“Wait,” Tahoe said. “What if the subway platform is crawling with aliens?”
“If it is,” Rade said, “then we retreat to one of the other branches, find another building, and hole up until the attack abates. They can’t do this forever. Every organic-based species we’ve met has had to rest.”
“Sure,” Tahoe said. “But some need less rest than others.”
Rade signaled the Centurions forward.
Crouching, the robots slowly advanced to the edge of the passageway and halted to scan the platform beyond. Rade switched to Unit A’s viewpoint. There were a few benches and seating areas between pillars, but otherwise the platform seemed empty.
Movement drew Unit A’s gaze to the far side of the platform, where the dark shapes of spiders were scampering down the escalators from a surface entrance.
“Get back!” Rade said.