Embracing Oblivion: Wolfpack Book 3

by Toby Neighbors

  “To communicate,” Fanning said.

  “No, they wanted the ship,” Wilson said. “That was a smash and grab, plain and simple.”

  “Just like on the streets, dude,” Chavez said. “Grand theft auto for sure. Take the ship, chop it up, use it, trade it. Gangstas like that are always looking for the next upgrade, you know what I’m saying?”

  “I know that’s right,” Wilson said.

  “It don’t make me feel any better about our situation,” Carter lamented.

  “They gotta eat, man,” Chavez went on. “Looks like cows and kangaroos on the menu tonight, dude. Maybe with dark meat for dessert.”

  “That ain’t funny, man,” Carter said.

  “You’re racist dude,” Wilson added.

  “I just call ’em like I see ’em, bro. We’re headed straight down the cafeteria line.”

  “That’s enough,” Dean said. “I’m not going to be anyone’s meal, Kroll or otherwise. Now stay alert, we could run into trouble at any time.”

  Every minute that passed made Dean more nervous. They were moving too far away from the Apache and it was too quiet on the alien ship. Dean had already seen that the big ship they were stuck on held many more aliens than the ship in the Alrakis system. It had more of the teardrop-shaped pods as well. They had taken out a significant number of the aliens, but there could be hundreds more, maybe even thousands. The scale of the ship simply couldn’t be estimated, and all of that made Dean nervous.

  “There’s an opening up ahead, Captain,” Adkins said.

  “Alright, everyone hold right here,” Dean said. “Harper, you have any MSVs left?”

  “A few sir,” she replied.

  “Good, send one ahead of us. Quiet and slow.”

  “Roger that,” Harper said. “Heading out now.”

  Dean brought up the vid feed from the little drone. It rolled past the Recon Specialists and through the opening. What Dean saw in the center of the alien ship defied belief. The chamber, if it could be called that, was so large it was impossible to see the walls or ceiling. The floor angled down, and was covered in a dull green vegetation that looked to Dean like moss. There were trees, not small arbors that grew in a hydroponics compartment, but full sized trees with thick trunks and strong limbs that grew in all directions. There were artificial structures too, objects that were too large to be stone, but that looked like towering boulders. There was a light source in the distance, but from the MSV feed it looked as if the chamber were entering a dusk period. Also in the distance, Dean could make out creatures flying high above the treetops.

  “Holy shit,” Harper said.

  “We got trouble?” Chavez asked.

  “We’ve found the Kroll,” Dean replied. “Looks like the entire center of the ship is one large aviary.”

  “A what?” Wilson asked.

  “Aviary, it’s an enclosed habitat for birds,” Butler said.

  “So what now?” Adkins asked.

  “Now we go in, slowly,” Dean said. “No need to get very far from the passageway. We’ll give Fanning and Butler a chance to make contact. Then we get the hell out of here.”

  They moved through the passage into the aviary. It felt as if they had been transported to a primordial world. Their boots sank several inches into the soft, loamy substance that covered the floor like soil. The expanse of the huge chamber made Dean feel as if he were outdoors. Looking up he expected to see clouds drifting across the sky, but the top of the chamber was lost in darkness. There was light, but it seemed to be fading, and whatever was above them was impossible to see.

  “It’s hot in here,” Wilson said. “Temps up by at least ten degrees.”

  “Humid too,” Carter said. “Feels like Mississippi in August.”

  “You can’t feel anything inside your armor, dumbass,” Adkins said.

  “I’m just saying it’s got the same vibe, you know?” Carter explained.

  “Keep it down,” Dean said. “This isn’t a vacation.”

  “How can they have a ship this big?” Harper asked. “It’s such a waste of space.”

  “It’s not wasted if they are using it,” Valosky said. “Birds need room to fly.”

  Dean saw that a group of the Kroll were approaching, but they moved almost so slowly it was as if they weren’t surprised to see Dean’s platoon at all.

  “I got birds at twelve o’clock,” Adkins said.

  “Time to form up,” Dean told them. “Wilson, Carter, Adkins, you’ve got point. Owanto, you cover our six. I want a Static formation but leave a gap at the front for the diplomats to move through. Pincer, Talon, Venom, Engage.”

  Adkins and Wilson formed up side by side, their backs to the Kroll moving toward the platoon. Harper took her position just to the right and a little behind Adkins. A space was left between Wilson and Carter with Valosky taking her position to Wilson’s left. Ghost moved up behind the line on Dean’s right, and Landin did the same on Dean’s left. Chavez was right beside his Captain and the two diplomats were just behind them. Owanto was facing into the chamber, but his shield was in the narrow corridor and his plasma cannon had a perfect view of anything coming up behind them.

  “Butler, Fanning, you’re on,” Dean said. “You want to wave a white flag or something.”

  It was difficult to see in the fading light, but the soaring creatures high overhead were visible, even if Dean couldn’t distinguish how many there where or exactly what he was seeing.

  “This is a bad idea,” Chavez said. “We can’t send them out there.”

  “It’s their job,” Dean said. “This is the only chance they’ll get.”

  Fanning stepped around Dean, moving slowly. He didn’t look at her and felt a terrible sense of guilt. He didn’t like the arrogant diplomat, but he thought the idea of trying to contact the Kroll was suicidal. It took all his self-control not to call her back. Butler followed several paces behind Fanning, and both looked almost silly as they carefully walked away from the protection of the Recon platoon.

  Fanning held her hands extended from her body in a gesture of good will. Dean couldn’t help but wonder if the Kroll saw things the same way. Suddenly, from the group of creatures flying slowly in the distance, one dove down. It spread its wings wide just before it reached the ground and skimmed the surface, flying straight toward Dean’s platoon and the diplomats.

  “Captain!” Adkins said.

  “Steady, don’t you dare do anything to endanger this mission,” Dean warned.

  The flying creature pulled up a short distance from Fanning, landing on powerful rear legs and looking across at the diplomat.

  “We are humans,” Fanning said. “We wish to talk to you.”

  Dean had the audio pick-ups on his armor dialed way up so he could hear what was happening. The TCU automatically muted Fanning’s comlink. Nothing happened, the strange, reptilian creature nearly a hundred feet away just stared at Fanning.

  “This is a bad idea,” Harper said in a hushed voice.

  “We come in peace,” Fanning said.

  “Maybe you do, lady,” Carter said.

  “Silence!” Dean ordered.

  The bird creature cocked its head to one side, then opened its mouth and squawked. Dean felt foolish, as if they were trying to start a conversation with a chicken. He knew the Kroll wouldn’t speak their language and while the files from the Urgglatta ship had information on the Kroll’s ability to communicate, it seemed as if Fanning didn’t have access to that information.

  “My name is Sloan,” she said, as if she were speaking to a child. She touched her chest, “Sloan.”

  The Kroll squawked again, before taking several steps forward. Its wings were folded against its upright body. The creature had no feathers, and looked more like a prehistoric dinosaur than a bird. It had no trouble walking on the powerful hind legs, and with the long, bony arms it mimicked Fanning’s open arm gesture.

  “She’s getting somewhere,” Chavez said in disbelief.

  Th
e comment felt like an accusation to Dean, but instead of responding he looked up. For several moments he had been captivated by the creature on the ground, and when he glanced up what he saw shook him back to reality.

  “Incoming, take cover!” he shouted.

  The Heavy Armor Specialists had been training for tactics against attacks from above. They hunched over, raising their shields so that they were protected from anything coming down at them. Harper, Valosky, Ghost, and Landin all took cover with the HA Specialists, but Dean charged forward.

  The Kroll on the ground opened its mouth again, but instead of squawking it spewed a thick, milky discharge from its open maw. Fanning instinctively lurched backward, but the substance hit her leg and foot, pinning it in place. Faster than Dean could have imagined the Kroll took to the air, flapping its wings hard and shooting toward the diplomat. Butler had fallen to the ground and was scrambling backward on his hands and knees. Dean hurtled the man trying to get to Fanning, but he wasn’t fast enough. The Kroll shot forward and up, it’s right rear leg latching onto Fanning’s helmet. Dean’s EMR rifle was rising up, the computer-aided aiming already picking up the creature. One shot fired, hitting the creature in the thigh. The powerful leg jerked upward, popping off Fanning’s helmet before soaring away.

  Dean tackled the diplomat just as the group of Kroll from above reached them. Plasma and utility cannons roared to life behind him, and Dean felt Fanning’s leg pop as they crashed to the ground together. She screamed in pain, her leg still held firmly in place by the Kroll’s spewing attack. Dean rolled to his side, raising his rifle and firing. The group of Kroll was already responding to the gunfire, spreading out wide as they soared back up into the darkened heights of the chamber.

  “Wagons Hot!” Dean shouted, calling his platoon to him.

  The Kroll had taken a few hits from the massed fire below. Dean glanced up and saw several of the creatures flying awkwardly, but the others were regrouping.

  “Not much time,” Dean said. “Staff Sergeant, cut through her suit. We’ll carry her out of here.”

  Chavez activated the electromagnets on his armor, snapping the EMR rifle into place across his chest. Then he drew a krambit, the small crescent shaped blade cut through the thick padding of Fanning’s emergency space suit in two quick movements. Chavez had cut off the suit several inches above the knee and carefully pulled her leg out of the boot. She screamed in pain at the movement, but there was nothing that could be done about that. The twisting and falling motion while her foot was pinned had torn the ligaments in her knee, which was already discolored and swollen.

  “Landin,” Dean ordered.

  The Demolitions Specialist was also trained as a medic. As the platoon around them began to fire at the returning Kroll, Robb Landin dug into his pack, pulled out a tiny package, and ripped it open. In his hand was what looked like a small, plastic bubble with a barb on one end. He stabbed it into Fanning’s thigh and squeezed the bubble. She immediately stopped crying out, and sagged onto the ground.

  “What the hell?” Chavez asked.

  “Morphine,” Landin said. “We’ll have to carry her out but with her leg injured we’d be doing that anyway.”

  He pulled out what appeared to be rectangular piece of fabric. After straightening her leg, he wrapped the material around her knee and pulled a string. The wrap inflated with air, holding her leg in a set position.

  “She's ready to go,” Landin said.

  “Look out!” Adkins called.

  The Kroll were still high above them, but their gooey spittle was raining down. Some hit the shields of the HA Specialists, but luckily no one in Dean’s platoon got pinned down.

  “Hostile aliens on our six!” Owanto shouted.

  The big South African had joined the rest of the platoon gathered in a loose circle around Dean and Fanning, but he hadn’t stopped watching the passageway. Dozens of the feline aliens were charging at them.

  “Fire, fire, fire,” Dean said, rising to his feet and shooting his rifle in short bursts.

  The passageway was a death trap, but some of the aliens escaped. They climbed up the walls and across the ceiling trying to get out into the open where their speed could help them evade the steady fire from Dean’s platoon. The Kroll above them dove in ones and twos, using the distraction of the feline creatures to make their own attack.

  “HA clear that corridor,” Dean ordered. “Everyone else take out those Kroll.”

  Dean raised his rifle and fired three quick shots at the leading alien who was swooping in from the opposite direction from the passage where Dean and his platoon had entered the aviary. It opened its mouth to spit at them, but Dean’s second and third shot found their mark. The creature dropped, slamming hard into Adkins’ shield. Dean remembered his time training with the Heavy Armor Specialists, and how he was taught to use his body along with the impact resistant tech in his armor to hold off bigger, stronger creatures. Adkins didn’t move, but he shouted in victory.

  “That’s right! Stay on the ground, bitch!” he screamed.

  “Chavez, you’ve got Fanning,” Dean ordered. “Butler, stay with Landin. On my mark we charge the passageway.”

  “Sir, there are still aliens in there,” Owanto said.

  “Yes, but at least we won’t have to worry about the Kroll once we’ve got some cover. Wilson and Carter, take the lead. Everyone ready?”

  They all called out in the affirmative. Dean saw more of the Kroll approaching and the chamber was growing dark. It was time to get out of the aviary and off the alien ship, as quickly as possible.

  “Now! Retreat, retreat, retreat!”

  Chapter 37

  There were times when Dean observed his platoon in action with a sense of awe and wonder. Charging back into the passageway from the aviary was one of those times. Wilson and Carter were big men, with massive amounts of muscle packed onto their tall, athletic frames. Watching them run backward faster than most men could run forward was impressive, but with their utility cannons spewing out shotgun rounds at the same time, it was unlike anything Dean had ever imagined. The horde of feline aliens in the passageway wilted under the Heavy Armor attack.

  Everyone was moving. Demo Specialist Robb Landin had Butler’s arm and was dragging the shell shocked diplomat along. Staff Sergeant Joaquin Chavez, a former Heavy Armor Specialist, had Sloan Fanning draped over one shoulder as if she were nothing more than a flowing garment. In his other hand he held his EMR rifle, firing from the hip up at the Kroll who were spiraling down toward their fleeing prey.

  Cat Valosky ran ahead, but Harper sent her AAVs up into the air. Both had almost expended their payloads, but they still had warheads to use. Dean was running and looking up at the same time, Ghost was right beside him, and they both saw the first drone explode, vaporizing the nearest Kroll in a dark green mist of blood and reptilian flesh. The second AAV raced through the explosion right into the midst of the pride of Kroll who had suddenly bunched up to avoid the first drone’s explosion. The second AAV detonated with five of the large, flying creatures around it. None of the Kroll took the full brunt of the blast, but they were all wounded. Three fell from the sky. The nearest had one wing blown off, and both of its narrow forearms were nothing but bloody stumps.

  “Grab it!” Dean shouted.

  Later he would realize that he hadn’t really thought the order through. In the chaos of the battle he was acting on instinct alone. He knew two things, that the diplomatic mission had failed, and that they were all going to die if they didn’t get off the alien ship very soon. Yet somewhere in the back of his mind his training kicked in. Nothing was more important than completing the mission, and that meant getting as much intel from the Kroll as humanly possible.

  “This one!” Dean shouted at Adkins and Owanto, pointing at the fallen alien.

  In truth he wasn’t sure if it was alive or dead. There was no time to stop and find out, but there was value in obtaining the creature either way, at least to the scientists and r
esearchers back in the Sol system. To their credit, Adkins and Owanto obeyed Dean’s order without hesitation. They grabbed the Kroll by the ankles, avoiding the sharp talons on its feet, and dragged it back toward the tunnel.

  “Cover fire!” Dean shouted as another group of the flying creatures dove toward them.

  Adkins and Teller were close to the tunnel with their captive. Dean and Ghost dropped to one knee on the left side of the passage entrance, Harper did the same on the other side. They all raised their EMR rifles in unison, firing every round in their magazines at the creatures. Several were hit, but one emerged from the pack unscathed. It was heading straight for Harper, who was fumbling in her attempt to reload her rifle. Beside him, Ghost jumped in front of the Fast Attack Specialist, wielding his rifle like a club.

  Dean drew his Martin 3A Defense Pistol and fired point blank. The pistol fired gas propelled flechettes in three round bursts. Forest green blood and thick reptilian skin filled the air, just as the Kroll’s talons ripped across Ghost’s chest and abdomen. The alien tried to escape but it was too close to Dean, who fired relentlessly at the large creature, his aim moving up its body, across its neck and into its head. He saw one of the alien’s large eyeballs explode under his pistol fire, then he grabbed Ghost’s arm and dragged the sniper into the passageway.

  Harper was right behind them, bringing up the rear of the platoon, and activating the forearm mounted grenade launcher that was part of her Fast Attack armor. Explosions sounded behind them, and loud animal screams filled the air of the passageway. Their retreat was slowed significantly as they struggled to crawl over the corpses of the slain feline aliens. The utility canons were powerful weapons, but the flechettes they fired didn’t have the kinetic energy to blow the aliens to pieces. Most of the bloody carcasses were intact, and the narrow corridor was filled with them.

  Ghost was groaning, his feet stumbling along as Dean pulled him with one of the Sniper’s arms wrapped around his shoulder. Dean strapped his rifle to his chest and held Ghost’s wrist with one hand, the other wrapped around the Sniper’s narrow waist and held onto the armor by his hip.