by Chris Fox
“Odds are good it won’t survive very long, even if we can get it operational.” Hannan’s words were matter-of-fact, delivered between sucking bits of paste from the packet. “If we get an Omega up and running, they’ll send back all three of theirs to deal with it. Three fully functional Omegas against one battered one is even worse odds than we usually have to deal with. But, if we somehow miraculously overcome the enemy, yes, there’s a chance the Nyar could turn it on us. Captain’s betting that their hatred of the enemy is greater than their disdain for us. I think he’s right.”
“Yeah, I guess—” A tremendous shadow fell over them, followed by an awful humming that rattled her teeth. Nuchik looked up, struggling to understand what she was seeing. It wasn’t a dreadnought, or a vessel of any kind. It was…some sort of creature. “Is that—a giant wasp?”
“Wasps don’t have teeth, and they don’t have a tail that could impale a planetstrider. It looks like a scorpion stinger.” Hannan stood up, tucking her paste into a pocket. She tilted her head, speaking into her comm. “Captain, we’ve got some crazy shit inbound. I don’t have a lot of details, but I’m guessing we’re looking at a Nameless One in the flesh. This thing isn’t nearly as big as the eye was, but it’s about ten times as ugly.”
Nuchik didn’t realize she was backing away until she thumped into the side of her mech. Her mouth was dry, her stomach heaving. A stench like insects molting made her eyes burn, even though the creature was still miles away.
She shivered, longing to be anywhere but here. “When I was a kid, my brother knocked down as hive of wasps. He got stung a couple dozen times, and I had to watch.” She kept her eyes fixed on the mountain-sized bug. “I’ve been terrified of them ever since.”
Hannan picked up her rifle. “Yeah, well, I’m not scared of wasps, and that thing scares the piss out of me.”
The Nameless One had dropped below cloud cover, and was now hovering over the Nyar city. The awful humming came from a pair of dragonfly-like wings mounted to its back. The creature gave a deafening screech, then vomited a dense cloud of black specks over the city.
Each speck moved off in a different direction, zooming unerringly toward one of the larger spires. The specks slammed into the side of the buildings, and against her better judgement Nuchik tapped magnify on her goggles.
“They’re miniature versions of the big one,” she muttered, watching in horror as the flying insects tore their way inside the tower. They tunneled through the metal like a beetle through sand. “My god, that thing is a living hive. There are thousands of them.”
Hannan’s strong voice came over the com. “Captain, we’ve got a bunch of little ones, and they’re swarming the Ganog spires. I don’t want to leap to conclusions, but they look hungry.”
“Acknowledged.” Nolan’s voice was calm, as always. “Just monitor for now. I’m going to hightail it back to the Nyar, and see if we can come up with a plan.” The captain’s confidence helped a little—as much as anything could when one was faced with the kind of impossible horror she was looking at now.
“Let’s get saddled up,” Hannan ordered, and started climbing her mech.
Nuchik did the same. She hadn’t quite reached the cockpit when she heard the first scream. It rapidly became a cacophony as hundreds cried out in terror. She risked another glance, going pale when she saw what was happening.
The smaller bugs were flying out, carrying living Ganog back up to the mother. They flew back into the mouth, disappearing inside the monstrous thing.
“Oh, my god,” she said. “They’re feeding it.”
42
I'll Get Right on That Miracle
Nolan strode into the hastily-erected Ganog camp just outside the Demetrius. As far as he could tell, Bruth had gathered every last Nyar together. They were donning armor and picking up weapons, clearly readying themselves for war.
“Bruth,” Nolan yelled, stalking into camp. “What are you doing? I thought we were supposed to be allies.”
“And so we are,” Bruth confirmed, tightening the strap to her scabbard. She checked the action on a thick, black rifle, then slung it over her shoulder. Finally, she turned to Nolan. “We are leaving to defend our people. If you are truly allies, then you are welcome to die gloriously at our side. Let us meet death, laughing.”
“Wait a minute,” Nolan snapped, pointing at the Nameless One casting a shadow over the entire city. “You’re just going to charge this thing and hope for the best? Do you have any idea how idiotic that sounds? That’s not a plan. That’s creative suicide.”
“A Nameless One devours my people, Captain. If such a creature came to your world, what would you do? We cannot allow our people to die undefended. We must try to save them.”
“What would I do? I’d either come up with a plan to take it down, or I’d lead my people to safety—like any responsible leader. You know you can’t win that fight. You couldn’t even take out the Kthul garrison.” Nolan glared up at Bruth. “If you go out there, your people die. Every last one. Have you considered saving what you can? What about your other worlds? They need you, damn it.”
“Clearly you understand nothing about our people, Captain. We exist to resist the Nameless Ones, even if it means the death of our entire culture. If this is the final day of the Nyar, then so be it. Our course is clear. We ride to war. You’re welcome to join us, if you’ve the stomach for it. If not, stay out of our way.” Bruth started walking toward one of the few cruisers that had survived the Nyar escape from the city.
“Wait,” Nolan said. He wasn’t sure if this was a good idea, but he didn’t have a better choice. Not if he wanted to stop her.
Bruth turned to face him, her expression irritated.
“We’ve been working on a plan. My people have repaired Nyar’s Omega. We believe it’s possible we could get it up and running, with Kokar as the pilot. If so, it might be able to fight that thing. Why not wait to see if we can do that, then go in together?”
“You’ve desecrated the tomb of Nyar?” Bruth’s fur darkened, and she loomed over Nolan. “I should crush your skull and devour your heart. You are lower than ka’tok, and your eyes are not fit to touch it. Give me a reason why I shouldn’t kill you.”
“I guess you could,” Nolan said, offering a noncommittal shrug. “Of course, you’re well within range of the Demetrius’s guns, so you wouldn’t survive long enough to make it to the Nameless One.”
“This alliance is over, human.”
“Fine, but don’t be an idiot. Give me just a little more time to get Nyar’s tomb operational.” Nolan knew he was wasting his breath, knew there was precisely zero chance of Bruth being reasonable. None of the Nyar were, and she was one of the worst.
“If you could have done such a thing, you’d already have done so. We will not stand by while our people die, hoping you can save us with some…seeker trick.” Bruth turned from Nolan, striding up the ramp into the cruiser that had arrived with the last wave of refugees. Her warriors followed, packing the hold with dozens of Ganog.
Nolan gave a heavy sigh and trotted away as the thrusters kicked up gravel and dust. He waited for it to die down before speaking into the comm. “You on the line, Major?”
“Affirmative,” Burke said. “And yes, I see the creature kicking the crap out of the Nyar. At least it isn’t a giant eye, I guess. Please tell me you have a way to stop that thing. Is that Omega operational?”
“I’m about to find out. Guess we’re out of time.” Nolan sprinted to his mech, leaping up the side and climbing into the cockpit. His fingers flew across the controls, ordering the cockpit to seal. “I’ll order my squad to park our mechs just outside the Omega. I know you’ve got pilots with no rides.”
“You realize it isn’t too late to pull out, Nolan.” Burke’s voice was thick with emotion, revealing a side Nolan had never seen. “You can’t complete the mission if the Nyar leadership is dead, and from what I can see they’re flying right into that mess. I know you hate losing, but b
e realistic. Please.”
“I wish I could, man. I wish I could. If we lose here, this is bigger than the Nyar entering the war. That thing is a baby. How big is it going to be after devouring this world? And the dozens of other worlds within a few hundred light years. We stop it here, or maybe we don’t stop it at all. I’m going to make one more attempt to get that Omega operational.”
“And you want me to try to keep the Nyar leadership alive?” Burke asked, wearily.
“I’m sorry, Burke—I mean that. Do what you can to protect the Nyar, but fall back when you have to. I’m parking my mech now. She’s all yours.”
“I know you’re sorry. It isn’t your fault, Nolan. I get why you’re doing this, and I can’t say you’re wrong to do it. Go get that thing operational and come save the day. Alpha Company will deploy and do what we can to slow down those things in the meantime. Just one request, Nolan.”
“What’s that?”
“If you’re going to produce a miracle, hurry the hell up with it.”
Burke actually laughed, and Nolan found himself joining in. Sometimes a situation was so impossible, you had to either laugh or go crazy.
Maybe they were all going to die here, but if they took that thing with them, it was worth it.
43
Get Their Attention
Burke tightened his grip on the booster mech’s controls, then leapt off the ramp of the Demetrius. The wind from the giant bug’s wings caught his mech immediately, flinging him toward the ground. Burke fired his main booster, then the stabilizers on his feet.
“Watch that first step, everyone. Things are a little choppy out here.” Burke tried to muster the kind of confidence Reval would have shown. He didn’t feel that—quite the opposite, in fact. But Reval had told him, when he’d first promoted him to Lieutenant, that you never let the men see your fear.
Mechs dove off the ramp after him, fanning out into five-man groups. Thanks to Nolan graciously allowing Alpha to use his mechs, they were only down one. It looked like that extra strength was going to be critical.
Thousands of insectoid creatures with three-meter wingspans flitted around not just the city below but every occupied spire. They were grabbing as many people as they could, flying them back to the monster above. It was as horrifying a fate as Burke could imagine.
“Break into fire teams and fan out around that Ganog cruiser. Do what you can to pick off any bugs that stray too close. We need to keep those idiots alive.” It galled Burke that they were risking human lives to protect these prideful Nyar, but he followed orders—even the stupid ones.
And maybe this one wasn’t so stupid. Nolan wasn’t wrong about needing to kill the Nameless Ones, or about it being worth all their lives in trade.
Theta shots burst sporadically from Alpha Company, picking off the bugs that strayed too close to the cruiser. Finally, the cruiser landed and began disgorging Nyar elites already in their great form.
They charged at the bugs that were carrying away their people, and at first they enjoyed some success. The bugs were much smaller than the elites, and a single blow usually killed one of the bugs. But there were a lot of bugs. They soon began swarming the elites, and the first one to begin the assault disappeared under a writhing mass of legs and thoraxes.
Burke lined up a shot, then fired his Theta cannon. The instant he recovered from recoil, he added a volley of missiles. The combined assault blew the bugs apart, clearing a path to the Ganog underneath. The elite stared sightlessly above, blood flowing liberally from dozens of holes in his armor. Most of those holes were covered in a sticky, green substance.
“Looks like their stingers are poisoned. Take care, people, these things are nasty,” Burke said, again with the confidence he didn’t feel. Did it really matter how many hundreds of bugs they picked off? That wouldn’t even put a dent in the swarm.
A larger swarm moved toward the Ganog, but the Demetrius finally entered the fray. Every cannon it possessed swung into alignment with the swarm, and a staccato of Theta cannons blasted huge holes in their ranks.
“That’s right, you slimy bastards,” Burke growled. “You might not fear our little mechs, but you don’t like dealing with a full Coalition battleship, do you? Nice work, Kay.”
“Thank you, sir,” Kay’s voice filled the cockpit of his mech. “I seem to have gotten their attention. The swarm is moving in my direction. I will do what I can to repel them. Oh, and one other thing. I think the queen has noticed me. She seems upset.”
A massive shadow passed over Burke’s mech, and he didn’t even need to tap the magnify button. The tail, easily a hundred meters thick, whipped past him, the stinger dripping green goo.
A gob the size of a transport plunged past Burke’s mech.
“Holy mother of God,” he said. “That thing is huge. Kay, turn everything you have on that monster. Fall back slowly toward the forest. See if you can lure this thing away from the city.”
Burke feathered his mech’s thrusters, zooming in the direction the Demetrius was heading. He hadn’t been at the Battle of Earth. He hadn’t seen the Eye, though he’d seen the aftermath of the continents it had laid to waste. They’d had the combined power of three races, and barely stopped it.
Here, they had a single battleship. He just didn’t see a route to victory.
44
Everyone Is Online
Nolan sprinted into the Omega’s control room, still out of breath from the climb. Most of the techs had left, leaving only Annie, Yulo, Nuchik, and Hannan. They huddled around Kokar’s body, whispering quietly.
“Any news?” Nolan asked, moving to join them.
Kokar’s fur was ashen grey, and his lips worked soundlessly. His eyes twitched in classic REM sleep.
“A little,” Hannan allowed. “About ten minutes ago, not long after Kokar went under, the Omega’s fist clenched. Just for a second, then it stopped. Kokar hasn’t moved since. We wanted to unplug him, but that thing is attached to his nervous system. I’m not sure what it would do to him.”
“Crap,” Nolan snarled. What the hell was he supposed to do? He needed this thing up and running, and Kokar had been given plenty of time to do that. He turned to Hannan. “I’m going in after him.”
Hannan raised a blonde eyebrow. “Sir, are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“It’s a terrible idea, but we’re out of options. I’ll see if I can wake him up and get this thing moving. If not, we’re all in a world of hurt,” Nolan said, settling atop the chair next to Kokar.
Having seen Kokar bond with the Omega, he had some idea of what to expect. He slid his back against the prongs, then braced himself. Something slammed into his back, and he could feel worms wriggling their way inside his flesh. He gritted his teeth, squeezing the chair with both hands.
The pain faded, and blinding, white light filled his vision. When it cleared, the room had gone entirely dark.
“Hannan? Annie?”
Nothing. No response. He felt around him, but there was nothing in any direction. Just more empty darkness. Finally, in the distance, he spotted a small, flickering fire. With no other options before him, he started in that direction.
As he approached, he caught sight of two figures next to the campfire. The shadows made their features monstrous. Both were Ganog, but Nolan only recognized Kokar. The other Ganog, black-armored like all Nyar, stood across the fire with his arms folded.
The unknown Ganog called to Nolan in a clear, deep voice. “Another approaches, though I am not familiar with your species. How do you come to be here, stranger?” He studied Nolan with intense, sober eyes.
“He is a companion,” Kokar said, gesturing at Nolan. “Nyar, this is Captain Nolan of the Coalition. He is a human—the race I mentioned earlier.”
“Interesting, a ka’tok pilot. Such a thing has never been done.” Nyar smiled at Nolan. “Though, in desperate times, one must take desperate measures.”
“Pilot?” Nolan asked, directing the question at Kokar. “What i
s he talking about?”
Kokar’s fur flushed pink, and he avoided Nolan’s gaze. “The chairs allow us to link with Nyar himself, and our intelligence powers this war machine.”
“Okay, I get that. But aren’t you the pilot? And, if so, why the hell aren’t you rampaging all over the Kthul?” Nolan demanded. He didn’t understand where he was. It felt real, but was obviously some sort of mental construct being beamed directly into his mind by the chair.
“I—” Kokar dropped to his knees, finally giving Nolan an agonized look. “I have failed, Captain. I am not strong enough to pilot Nyar.”
Kokar’s fur faded to muted grey, and Nolan struggled not to choke the angst out of him.
“The youth speaks truly,” Nyar rumbled. “One day, he might be ready for such a feat. He could serve as an adequate co-pilot, but nothing more than that.” He fixed Nolan with a granite stare. “What about you, human? Will you attempt the bonding?”
“Kokar?” Nolan asked, helping the Ganog back to his feet. “What is he asking me to do exactly?”
“You may attempt to wrest control of the Omega,” Kokar explained. “If you succeed, you will be forever linked to it. Nyar claims that when a pilot dies, his consciousness is merged with the core.”
Nolan considered that. It made a lot of sense. Keep adding pilots to the core running your mech, and you never stopped expanding your knowledge of tactics and strategy. Who knew just how much this Nyar had seen in his life? Or how far back that life stretched?
Hannan’s voice called hesitantly from the darkness. “Hello? Captain?”
“We’re over here.” Nolan frowned disapprovingly at his XO as she approached. “What the hell, Hannan? You plugged into a chair, didn’t you?”