Damage Control

by Eric Alan Williams

  Xairin was feeling highly overwhelmed. He couldn't believe he was already going into combat. Now, more than ever, he questioned his original motives for getting this far. All he could think now was that he had truly bitten off more than he was expected to chew. Or as some of his gay friends would say, “you go home with that one, and you’re going to end up with more dick than you can handle...”

  He missed the simplicity of gay chit chat at The Haze right about now...

  _____

  Lovosta Colony.

  Lovosta Colony was what was referred to as a laser town. A settlement recently established in the deep woods off of a nearby newly constructed solatex roadway allowing for the nanobots inside the road to help refurbish a fallen town that was salvageable enough from nature to modernize. The town’s current occupancy was 400 and growing. The town was large, having the convenience of the age, while parts that were still under refurbishment were slowly growing like black weeds around them as the nanobots moved like ants covering the structures. The components of the town that were operational was surrounded by a red laser wall, having six beams, that made a perfect rectangular shape that helped quarantine the town from scav attacks, and in some rare cases mutant attacks. Though the mutant population was dwindling due to the Aeon Strain Pathogen’s recent works. Apparently, some of the mutations were not compatible with the Aeon Strain Pathogen. That, however, didn’t stop the mutants from ending up on the food chain though.

  When a section was ready to be added, a laser pillar would be erected to expand the protection gird of the laser wall. So far, the robot sized ants had their work cut out for them. This site chosen was hopefully going to produce a functional town able to house 15 thousand or more, at least that was the Global Alliance’s plan for this part.

  Lovosta Colony was the location of the most recent sightings of the thylacine creature. Four of their field scouts out marking expansion nodes for the nano-ants to reach had been attacked. Only one of them was able to resurge.

  Lovosta Colony was chosen for the fertile soil in the region that had been reclaimed through hard work. Several biodomes that were to be greenhouses were being built to grow food. So far, the protection grid hadn’t made it around the growing domes yet.

  Xairin’s team was flying in what reminded Xairin of a flying saucer, just a bit more oval shaped instead of being fully circular. Like all other flying machines, drone technology gave it it's lift, direction, speed, and it's decent. He was amazed at how quiet the blades were on the Black A-32 Modeled dropship. The ship had a carrying capacity of 60 seats, rows facing one another, with metal rings that came over the shoulders like something Xairin would expect to see holding you in on an amusement ride. For added restraint, a clear elastic belt that strapped across the waist automatically held his midsection. Looking down the rows, he could see the helm. The cockpit was rounded, one person flew the craft. Xairin looked around at the black interior and at the red lights pulsating down the walls above him coming down like some metallic rib cage. He felt like he was being stuffed into a mechanical turkey the way the layout looked. This was the designated craft for team 203, which the group had already named her “The Betty.”

  The flight pilot, Lieutenant Hazel Smores, had her helmet on like everyone else did. Xairin was trying to make out what she looked like so he figured a little biosonar would suffice. He chattered his teeth to see the button-nosed blonde with the short pixie cut hair, operating the ship. By the way, she smelled, he knew she was something he hadn’t experienced yet. When he went to use his ability to see auras, the energy in her veins had a brownish hue to her cells. He wondered what she was.

  Lieutenant Smores called out in a soft voice over her commlink. “We’re approaching Lovosta Colony now. I’ve transmitted the request to land, and it's been accepted.”

  Helena Dolenigan nodded while looking at the pilot from her command chair. “Circle around twice, and then prepare to land on the landing flat. Once we’re down patch me through to the settlement manager. We may need additional briefings before we go hunting.

  _____

  An hour had passed.

  Xairin and the others waited on the ship while Commander Dolenigan had left the craft.

  Commander Dolenigan was meeting with Settlement Manager Ufat Eketo. Eketo was a rather distinguished Asian man, that was both polite, courteous, and spoke English perfectly. The man was in his early forties, recently assigned to the township. He was the one that sent in the distress call after some of the scouts attempting to place expansion nodes for the nano-ants to know the boundary lines were attacked. He shook Helena’s hand, graciously. She had to hold back on her grip, given that he was human. “Mr. Eketo?”

  “Commander Dolenigan? Thank you so much for arriving so soon.” He eyed her red body armor for a moment. “Come with me.”

  They were outside, he greeted her on the landing pad, and ushered her into a small tower nearby where he took her into a control room, then into the conference room with six chairs around an oval table. It was just the two of them. “Please, have a seat.”

  The vampiress sat while eyeing the man fumbling around trying to get the right tablet to plug into the projector. Once he did, a holographic display lit up in the room. “My original report has changed since the first transmission. As you can see here, we have a total of nine casualties.” She noticed the carnage. Each body ripped apart; the chest being ripped open first in most cases. “We have two that were intact enough to follow Society resurgence guidelines, but the other seven, as you can see, the beasts ate the hearts of other victims.”

  Commander Dolenigan looked off to the side, cocking her head. “That’s new; usually the Aeon Strain compels them to infect. A beast created by the Aeon Strain usually never leaves that many unable to resurge. She posed herself, and did you say beasts?”

  Mr. Eketo agreed. “That’s what I thought. I mean, I may be human, but I have studied up on the information given by your organization. I felt it odd as well. As for the plural usage, yes, the creature is not alone.”

  She turned around, tilting her head as she looked at the human. “According to our records, the other thylacines are far from this location. Only one was known to be in this region?”

  He nodded. He pressed a button on the holoprojector, bringing up a recording taken just outside the laser wall. She got a good look at what the beast looked like from the holographic projection that had been recorded. This powerful creature stood upright, sniffing the air. It reminded her of a werewolf she had fought back in Budapest about two hundred years ago, only this thing had black stripes accenting the creature's brown fur. Helena leaned forward and noticed something behind it. She saw something else moving in the woods. “What is that?”

  Mr. Eketo pointed. He froze the frame and zoomed in. She was shocked. The beast wasn't alone. Helena saw four large canines hunting about. He enlarged the frame. “Computer, compensate any distortions.”

  The computer analyzed the recording and enhanced it. The markings were clearly coyote, but they had gained the black stripes down their backs. This was something big, something that hadn't been seen in the other breeds, it had managed to jump to another canine, integrating them into the fold.

  “Well, fuck me sideways.” She said bluntly. this breed is marsupial, it shouldn't have been compatible and been able to do this?”

  Looking at a Mr. Eketo, she paused. “Get on the line and file this frame so that it can be transmitted... Send it to W.H.O, and I'll make The Society aware.”

  Chapter 6

  Xairin and the others noticed Helena's face as she approached. The look washing across her face sure as hell didn't bode well.

  She wasted no time in the details and gave them an oral report. Most in the room were equally as puzzled. This specific strain had managed to cross the biological barrier. Sure, there were enough canine traits, but the marsupial ...D.N.A. shouldn't have allowed this to happen. Xairin stood there dumbfounded with the rest.

  Was this wolf
different somehow? That was the first line of thinking, and if so, what made this one different? Were there other biological factors at play? Something environmental? The only way to know for sure was to collect more than they had set out to capture.

  The details of the nine dead also left the team quickly questioning whether they should wait for The Society to dispatch new orders.

  Helena stood there sending a report via her holo-communicator on her wrist. She was just as impatient as her new team while they waited on feedback.

  It didn't take long for a Nosferatu to appear in a long dark robe above her holo-communicator. His voice was raspy. "Commander Dolenigan, orders remain intact. Secure the original beast, and one of the spares it has spawned. Per your report, the other Thylacines have not been seen exhibiting this behavior, proceed with caution."

  She nodded. "It will be done Lord Demaskinos."

  Xairin quietly nudged Griffin. "Who was that?"

  Keeping his voice down, he smirked. "Lord Demaskinos recently defected from the Conclave and offered a council seat in exchange for his House's aid. Basically, just some nosferatu blow-hard looking for any and all chances at a promotion that he couldn't get in his previous faction."

  "Ah."

  The Commander beheld her team. She had them line up while she walked the line, ending at Xairin and Hammond. "You heard the order. Tonight, we will walk a perimeter around the laser wall, see if we get lucky. If not, at dawn, we will enter the woods and engage the targets. Orders remain the same, collect the original beast, then we collect one of these new things that it has created. All others are to be terminated."

  She looked at a woman with a brown pixie styled cut standing but a few feet away from Xairin. "Science Officer Brandon?" Ashley stepped forward. "Yes, Commander?"

  "Collect as many blood samples as you can, we need to understand more of what we are dealing with, understood?"

  The upbeat girl smiled. "Yes, Commander."

  Helena tipped her head. "Xairin, it is pronounced Xairin, yes?"

  He nodded.

  Being that Xairin was, in fact, a descendant of her maker, she knew he would be a natural with a sword. She had something for him which came in the form of a lie. "Aywren said you were a natural with a blade. While I expect you to follow Griffin's orders, I do have something that may be useful to you."

  She walked over to a terminal, pressed her hand to it, and it opened like a chest. Inside it, two blades rose upward, slowly ejecting. Both edges had two jagged points near the hilt, the rest of the blade was slightly curved, with an additional serrated section near the ends. The hilts were modern, black in color, and offered a perfect grip. She walked up and placed a magnetic circlet on Xairin's back that fastened to his armor, then set the blades crossed over each other, as they clung to it instead of using a traditional sheath. "Sheaths are a thing of the past, these magnetic holsters are far more effective. I hope you don't need these blades, but if you find yourself in a position to where you're without a blaster pistol, these silver etched swords should come in handy."

  Xairin was gracious. "Wow, I, I don't know what to say."

  "Just take them. Like I said, Aywren's report said you were pretty good with a sword."

  An hour later, Griffin stayed close to Xairin as they walked the perimeter of the laser wall. The wall itself reminded Xairin of glowing red prison bars, flowing across instead of up and down. A single touch, and you'd lose a finger or worse. The beasts roaming the woods had figured that out early on. The remains of a headless monster were found on the east side. Most of the creature’s markings still resembled a coyote, aside from it attaining the size of a lion, with the black signature stripes on the thing's back that it had inherited from the thylacine were clearly noticeable. Ashley Brandon made sure to get a blood sample using what looked like an ink pen.

  While looking around, to his surprise, Xairin found another body that Mr. Eketo hadn't accounted for. The sight alone left Xairin feeling squeamish. The girl couldn't have been older than 16. Based on her wears, she was a gatherer in the farming fields outside the settlement. Her chest ripped completely open with evidence of gnawing on the exposed ribs. After leaning down slowly, it was easy to see her heart was missing. Xairin gagged as he looked up at his mentor "Griffin, have you ever heard of anything like this?"

  His tan skinned friend shook his head. "No. These things have acquired a taste for hearts and are turning the local wildlife instead. This is a new one on me Xairin."

  The look on the girl's face lacked any hints of fear, it must have happened so fast she had no time to react. Her eyes were still open. Xairin, as he knelt at the young girl's side, reached with his left hand, and closed them.

  He looked up to Griffin. "Should we say anything?"

  "I've never been the religious type. People just die. It is a sad thing, but it comes for all mortals."

  Xairin smirked. "Even immortals die, Griffin, no one is truly immortal."

  Griffin shrugged. "Let's hope neither of us ever find that out for ourselves."

  Looking at the dead girl below him, Xairin agreed. "Yeah…"

  Griffin spoke into his armband. "We have a body, a girl, send a droid to our location."

  "Acknowledged." A woman's voice replied.

  "I'm not a religious man either, but god, what have I gotten myself into?" Xairin said while looking up at the starlit sky.

  Griffin rolled his eyes. "You wanted to enlist Xairin, what did you think would happen?"

  "I just didn't think I would be on tour already. I mean, this all happening so fast, ya know?"

  Griffin sighed as he looked at the dead girl. "You got the highest takedown count the academy had seen so far, I guess it's those Lilith genes really give you an edge, and oh yeah, Dracula genes too. I bet you just rushed as hard as you could to the top, didn't you? I mean fuck Xairin, you were supposed to join the team on the fourteenth day, not seventh."

  Xairin shrugged. "I thought I would be getting more enhanced training. Sure, I knew tours would be part of it at some point, but not this soon."

  "Well, you got your wish Xairin." Griffin looked at him with open arms while taking a bow. His Brazilian accent thickened. "Welcome to Damage Control."

  _____

  South side of the laser wall.

  Richard Adams, one of the team's wolves, was doing a perimeter sweep alongside a woman that seemed laser happy. His wavy brown hair kept getting in his line of sight; finally, he just took a moment to brush it over his ears, while the werecat, Irena Kinski had two handguns pointed outward as she kept watch. "Damn It, Adams, wear a fucking hat, will you? Or chop that shit off." She said angrily.

  "I hate hats. Besides, women love my hair."

  She rolled her eyes. "That look went out in the nineties, as in the 1990s."

  "Don't be a hater, Kinski." He said with a grin.

  The exchanging words between the two sentinels caught the attention of one of the creatures making a perimeter check of his own. Like the rest, you could see the coyote markings giving away the creature's former genotype. The black stripes going down the monsters back told them the story of the creature's new designation.

  He could smell the ...D.N.A. inside the werewolf and werecat exchanging words. There was just enough human ...D.N.A. to tip it off, but not enough to get the monster overly fascinated in them. It chose to watch them.

  Another came alongside the creature watching from inside a thick grove of bushes. Telepathy, among the pack, was developing. Each one could see what the others could.

  The two were hungry. The craving for hearts was intense in this breed. They didn't care as much for spreading the infection to humans like the rest. It wasn't a compulsion for them like it was in the other breeds. No, this breed just wanted to eat. Something that the original had consumed made this Tasmanian species different. Some of the pack were becoming humanoid faster than other creatures that had been exposed. It was as if this particular strain, didn't need to pass it on, they just craved the tast
e of humans, especially the heart and the werewolf and werecat conversing had just enough human ...D.N.A. beating in their chests to prompt a kill.

  The two creatures were frothing at the mouth with drool as they inhaled the scent of fresh beating hearts. They licked their lips, dripping slimy spit that was on the brink of being foamy, almost as if they were rabid.

  Invisibility was the same for them as it was for the other Immortium and Aeonians. They looked like they vibrated for a moment while the energy they radiated covered them entirely as it conformed like a tight-fitting gym shirt, rendering both beasts invisible. Once they had shimmered, they started to move slowly.

  Richard Adams and Irena Kinski kept their ongoing chatter. Irena was upset at how Richard's unkempt hair was causing such a distraction. It was as if he was taking his sweet time just to piss her off while he made sure it was over his ears, perfectly.