“Shit. Everybody hold onto something,” Clarke called just moments before the entire bunker shook. The ear-splitting roar from above shook them to their boots. The computer terminals rattled and several sparked and burst from the force of the impact above them.
The echo of the blast reverberated through the bunker, while seeming to retain its depth and fear-inspiring resonance.
The temperature in the small underground room rose substantially, while the air felt as if it were drying up around them.
Eventually, the rumble stopped, and while the dust swirled in the air of the bunker, it seemed they had survived. For now.
“What was that?” Nattie asked, picking herself up from the half-crouched positon she had curled into.
“That was a missile strike. I guess the orders have changed. They must really not want us finding whatever it is they are hiding down here,” Clark said, his voice filled with steely conviction. “Caroline, I need you behind this machine. There is something we missed. Something they don’t want us to see. A file, and experiment, maybe even a weapon.”
Caroline raised her head, but did not let go of Rob. “I did see something,” she said slowly, her words careful, and thoughtful.
“Then find it. We won’t have long before they hit us again, and while this place was built like a fortress, it has its limits.”
“Okay, hold on.” Caroline sat back behind the computers, her hands no longer dancing over the keys, but stabbing at them with a slow and methodical caution, as if any one of them could be a trap, a switch they would kill them all, or release a volley of nuclear weapons across the globe.
On the floor, Plummer groaned, but nobody paid him any mind. If he was there with them, then his fate was sealed also.
“I saw something, I know I did, but I can’t find it … I can’t. Oh God. I don’t want to die.” Caroline began to weep behind the console.
Rob moved to comfort her, but it was Clarke that crouched down first.
“Listen to me,” he said, his words firm but soft. “You can do this. You can find this thing and maybe, just maybe, we can use it to bargain our way out of here. Just stay calm, focus, and remember, death is not to be feared. The only thing we should be worried about it missing out on chances while we were alive. Now think about where we are. For right or wrong, we got to work with real live dinosaurs. That is something pretty special if you ask me.”
Caroline sniffed and wiped her tears away with the back of her hands.
“You’re right.” She fell silent a while, her eyes catching something. “Here it is. Look, it’s a sub folder call Trix. It struck me as weird because it doesn’t match anything else.”
“Let’s take a look and see what we have,” Clarke said, a smile threatening to stretch across his lips, and hope sounding in his words.
Chapter 34
The smoke cleared and the flare of the blast died down. The island looked in shambles. The trees and vegetation were gone, reduced to nothing more than smouldering piles of charcoal.
“It was a direct hit sir, the building has been destroyed,” XO Lloyd spoke up, turning toward his captain.
“Very good, Lieutenant. Prepare to fire a second wave,” Kincaid spoke without breaking a beat. He had opened fire, and made the first steps that would either make his career, or end it. He did not see the point in leaving it at a single pace when he could run toward his destiny, fearless.
“Sir, the island has been—” Lloyd began.
“The bunker is designed to withstand a single missile attack. I want us to hit it with everything we have. Load up the RIMs and open fire when ready. No need for my command.” Kincaid raised his voice on the bridge, for what was only the third time in his memory.
“Yes, sir,” Lloyd said, his face reddening.
“Thank you, Lieutenant. Tell me, where is the Anderson?”
“The Anderson is coming into position now. They are two clicks to the east. They will be ready to fire at your signal, sir.”
“Wonderful. If that bunker survives the RIM strikes, then their cruise missiles will be out last chance without having to send in a whole damn team on foot.” The pressure was starting to get to the captain, whose cool and calm demeanour slipped further with every battling step they took.
“Missiles are ready, Captain,” a faceless voice echoed around the bridge.
Kincaid said nothing. He merely stood, with his eyes fixed on the island.
A few moments later, the boat shook as the final three RIM-161 missiles flew from the launcher.
They streaked through the sky and pummelled the ground, each one landing within as small a distance of each other as was possible.
The island disappeared behind a spreading dark grey, near black cloud of destruction. Captain Kincaid did not flinch at the sight, but felt the weight of each detonation weighing down on his shoulders.
Chapter 35
Noise exploded through the bunker, which rattled and shook. The walls racked and the acrid smell of smoke and explosives began to fill the airtight space. The first blast had knocked out the air supply, which meant they were living on borrowed time. The pollutants that were now added to the mix only meant the countdown moved at a faster pace.
“Keep going,” Clarke said, as the computer screen flicked on and off. “The power for this place is beneath us. We will be dead before these computers are.”
“I have it, I just don’t understand a damned thing about what it is saying. I mean, it looks like … no, it can’t be possible.” Caroline’s language skills quickly dropped to nonsensical ramblings, which prompted both Rob and Nattie to lean in closer to the screen.
“Good God,” Nattie said, taking a step back. “That’s not possible.”
“Would someone fucking explain things to me?” Clarke shouted, hoping to bring their focus back to the task at hand.
“Trix is a special program they were working on. It turns out that certain experiments were at a more advanced stage than others. Their impulse and neurological control experiments were already at an advanced stage of real-life testing. The science behind it is clunky, unreliable to say the least, but heck, it’s nearly fifteen years old,” Nattie said, explaining the situation, but much to Clarke’s annoyance, she did not give any actual answers.
He opened his mouth to speak when a second console next to them came to life. It was a single screen with what looked to be a joystick control system. Two buttons connected to the stick, which made Clarke think about the controls of the early jets he had trained in.
The screen flickered to life, shaking as whatever the camera was mounted on rocked back and forth.
“Holy shit, look,” Rob said, pointing to the screen.
“I think I woke her up,” Caroline said, sounding apologetic.
“What, who … will one of you give me some damned answers?” Clarke roared, his patience worn thin and through.
“You wanted a miracle to save us, Mr. Clarke, and I think we just found it,” Nattie answered, as Rob slid behind the joystick-controlled station.
“Watch and learn,” Rob spoke, his words suddenly cocky and brash. “It looks just like a computer game,” he said as he took the control. “Responsiveness is crap.”
“Wait, let me try something,” Caroline answered. It was as if Clarke no longer existed. His gruff words and impatient growls fell on deaf ears.
Nattie looked at him and smiled. “At least we will go out with a bang.”
The image on the screen changed. The camera rose in unsteady, jerky movements.
“Wait, that’s … that’s the building on the main island,” Clarke said, his eyes glued to the screen. “This camera, it must be in the volcano, but why?”
He muttered under his breath, trying to put the pieces together, no knowing that the others were not only farther ahead than him, but on a totally different puzzle.
“No, the camera is on Trix. She was in the volcano, but right now, she is heading our way,” Rob said, his face and words tense thro
ugh concentration. “Just watch the other screens and tell me when you see her.”
Clarke was lost, but understood enough to know the lab geeks were now in charge. He was obsolete.
“What the hell is that?” Clarke spat pointing at the central camera on the large main screen.
The shape moved fast, flying on large wings that looked to be more metal than flesh. They beat with a strange, robotic awkwardness.
“Say hello to Trix,” Rob said, speaking through pursed lips.
“No, are you shitting me?” Clarke spat, falling into the chair behind him.
“Nope. Say hello to the world first remote-controlled cyborg dinosaur,” Rob laughed as he spoke. “I wonder what Trix stands for. It’s always an acronym with these projects.”
Even though their discovery had not changed the nature of their predicament, the mood had been lifted. There could be no denying it.
“Is that thing, alive?” Clarke asked.
“I don’t know. There are readings here, but they don’t make much sense. I think the sensors are either broken or not powered up yet,” Caroline said, her hands once again dancing a merry tune over the keys. “But she does have a few surprises up her sleeve.”
“Such as?” Clarke asked, his interest coming out a little too enthusiastic for such a big man.
“For instance, she has shoulder cannons mounted onto her wings,” Caroline said, reading the information as it appeared on her screen.
“Fuck,” Clarke whistled, clapping his hands together.
Nattie fell into the chair beside him. “Doesn’t this just all seem a little odd? Remote-controlled dinosaurs, cyborg battle plans.”
“Hey, I didn’t write this thing. It’s just the way it is. Who are we to argue with that?” Clarke said, not wanting to spend too much time thinking about the how or the why of their situation.
“I guess, but it doesn’t make any sense. None of this does,” Nattie argued. As a scientist, she preferred to work with logic and fact. They were comforting in their certainty.
“It doesn’t, but that is life, I guess. It doesn’t make sense; it isn’t some planned-out work of fiction. Things happen, shit happens, and more often than not, there is no explanation for it,” Clarke answered, getting as philosophical as he ever had, or would. “Now, turn that thing out to sea. Let’s give those boats a scare and see if we can’t make them turn tail and run.”
“Well, she has the turning circle of an oil tanker, but she is coming around,” Rob said, straining as he fought the controls. “They will need to improve on this if they ever want it to work.”
“I see the boat on the screen. What do you want me to do?” Rob asked, confused.
“Blow it out of the fucking water,” Clarke roared.
Chapter 36
“Sir, we have an incoming bogey showing up on the radar,” the technician called out, caught by surprise at the sudden emergence of the signal.
“I need some details,” Captain Kincaid said as he hurried over to the radar station.
“Well, it could be an anomaly. I mean, it just appeared on the screen. It doesn’t seem to have come from anywhere, but … well, it’s enormous, and closing in on our location,” the young man spoke.
“Bring me the video feeds,” Captain Kincaid called. “And get gunners on the cannons. I want to be ready for anything.”
The bridge burst into life as a flurry of war-readying activities were acted out. The silence returned the minute the video screen appeared, and everybody saw what they were fighting against.
As the bridge crew stood in stunned silence, two flashes flared on either side of the monstrous creature baring down on them.
Alarms began to ring on the bridge as the two small calibre missiles closed the distance on the boat.
“I want those guns online now,” Kincaid roared as the Langley was rocked by two explosions. One hit the front of the craft, tearing a hole in the deck, twisting the metal as it punctured the boat’s surface. The damage was superficial, but if enough was inflicted, the boat would be crippled.
The second missile blasted into the upper decks, taking out the officer’s mess and shaking the bridge.
Sparks flew as computers short circuited. People screamed, and jumped back as electric currents shot from consoles into their bodies.
“Status report,” Captain Kincaid called.
“Guns are online and ready to fire on your command, Captain,” one voice replied.
“Damage is minimal. Superficial for the most part, but we lost the short-range sonar,” another replied.
One by one, the picture was painted of their situation, and the realization hit that the Langley was at war.
“Raise the Anderson, tell them to fire when ready. We will deal with this hell beast,” Kincaid called, just as the deck-mounted cannons began to rattle off round after round of high-speed lead, dealing death in strafing waves as the gunners chose quantity over accuracy.
***
“Fuck yeah, look at that,” Rob cried out as the missiles impacted on the destroyer.
The aiming mechanism was shaky at best, and he had not expected either, let alone both, of the missiles to find their target.
“Watch out,” Clarke called, caught up in the rush of battle.
The two main mounted guns turned and sent volley after volley of fire at Trix, who dropped out of the sky, missing the strafed shots.
“Nice move,” Caroline said as she continued to read about Trix, and the list of things she could do.
“It was an accident. I lost power for a moment,” Rob replied.
“This is fascinating. Their plans are utterly insane, but the possibilities, the implications …” Caroline said, lost to the draw of research.
“Hey, don’t forget, they are the bad guys right now,” Clarke said. “Move around to the rear, come at it from behind. You want to take out the towers. Get rid of their comms.”
“Sure thing,” Rob answered, pushing the joystick hard to the right. “This thing is clunky as fuck,” he grumbled to himself.
***
“Sir, she has moved behind us.”
“Bring us around, full speed, let’s draw this son of a bitch out to sea,” Captain Kincaid roared. “Bring the CIWS online and get the SRBOC loaded and ready. Let’s make this difficult for them.”
Time seemed to slow down, the stress of the situation bringing out the best in the Langley’s crew.
“CIWS is online, sir.”
“Sir, the aviators have two SeaHawks fully loaded and ready to go, on your orders,” Lieutenant Lloyd said, relaying the message from the hangars.
“Get them airborne. If they want to make a fight of this, then we will give them a fight.” Kincaid slammed his fist into his open palm. “Any news from the Anderson?”
“Sir, the Anderson is almost in position, and ready to fire,” the communications officer called, his voice strengthened by surging adrenaline.
***
“Sir, we are clear to fire on the target,” the communications officer on the Anderson called through the Captain Defour.
Standing in front of the periscope screen, Captain Defour watched as the two helicopters took off from the deck of the Langley. Everything seemed too surreal to be true. An island filled with dinosaurs. Cyborg-like creatures of their own design being used against them. None of it made any sense.
“Very well. Fire when ready,” Defour called out as the submarine rose to the surface once more.
“Sir, that creature is getting pretty close again,” his XO said as he stood in discussion with a terrified-looking sonar operator.
“Leave it to the Langley, we have our orders,” Defour answered.
“No, sir, I mean the creature underwater,” the young technician answered.
Defour froze for a moment. “Ready the forward torpedoes. Fire on my mark. I will not strike if it is not necessary.”
“Sir, missiles are preparing to launch.” A shudder ran through the sub as the Tomahawk missile rose i
nto the air. The vertical launch took the missile out of view before it began its looping descent toward its target.
***
Sergeant How pulled his SeaHawk into a sharp left turn, sweeping low to the destroyer, moving between the bursts of gun fire.
Having watched the creatures on the island, he thought he had seen it all. The devices attached to them had looked like something from a science fiction movie, and a bad one at that. Now he found himself taking his bird into a dogfight with a prehistoric robosaurus.
Behind him, Sergeant Langston moved into position behind their GAU-15 .50 calibre machine gun.
Behind them, the ship’s second SeaHawk took off in the opposite direction, turning directly into the path of the creature. Their gunner opened fire, spraying round after round into the air.
The robosaurus rose steeply, rising above the helo, before stabilizing its position, and firing two missiles from its shoulder-mounted cannons.
The projectiles sped towards the attacking helicopter, which rose and turned to avoid the first missile, while firing a burst of rounds into the exposed flank of living tissue. While the wings and upper body appeared to be predominantly mechanical, the creature was definitely soft in the flank.
The creature flinched and unleased a booming shriek. The second missile curled around the helo and slammed into it just beneath the rotor. The explosion tore the rotorcraft apart and sent the fuselage tumbling into the ocean below.
One chunk crashed into the ocean while the other crashed onto the Langley, tearing through the helipad, creating a crater in the deck like an impacting meteorite.
Shards of the destroyed rotor blades were sent spinning in all directions, with one wedging itself into the creature’s gut, eliciting another pained roar from the beast.
Having heard the explosion, Sergeant How swung his helo around in a tight circle.
“Be ready,” he called back to his gunner.
Island Rampage: A Dinosaur Thriller Page 19