by Richard Fox
****
Jerry and Popov were only a couple hundred meters from the hyperloop’s support pylon when another roar pierced the air around them, the sound standing the hair on the back of Jerry’s neck on end. He froze, feeling every muscle in his body tense in reflex. “Damn fang-thing’s getting closer.”
Popov broke into a quick jog. “Don’t think about it.”
Jerry slipped on some wet gravel and caught himself against a boulder. “The hell do you mean, don’t think about it?” He straightened as Popov turned to help him. “What are we going to—”
Behind her visor, Popov’s eyes went wide, her gauss carbine coming up as she yelled, “Get down!”
His stomach turned, his mind reeling with various imagined scenes of the beast charging, fangs and claws bared, ready to devour.
“Down!” she shouted again, taking several steps to the side.
“Shit!” Jerry dropped to his knees, barely registering the rifle’s psst psst psst as she fired. His heart pounded in his chest, blood pumping in his ears as he scrambled to the side, crawling behind another waist-high boulder.
Find cover, Jerry thought. Find cover and return—
Something grabbed him by the pull handle between his shoulder blades and hauled him to his feet.
“RUN!”
Basic instinct took over. He still hadn’t seen the beast and part of him was glad of that. The rest of him, however, was beyond terrified as another bestial roar reverberated around him.
“SHIIIIIT!” Jerry broke into a sprint, his eyes frantically searching for a safe haven, but there was nothing. Just water, rocks and trees. And the pylon. “Popov! The pylon!”
“Go!”
He hurdled a fallen charcoal tree, landing on both feet, spraying water and pebbles. Popov’s gauss carbine fired again, the shots barely audible over Jerry’s heavy breathing. He couldn’t help it. He spared a glance over his shoulder.
The ghost fang roared. Every time its forepaws hit the ground, water and dirt sprayed up around them. It kicked off its hindlegs, launching itself into the air, creating a cloud of rock and earth in its wake. With every leap, the beast gained ground.
We’re not going to make it, Jerry thought. It’s going to—
“Jerry, look out!”
His knee slammed into something hard, pain shot up his leg, then he was falling. He toppled over a boulder, his chest armor bouncing off the rock. He rolled forward as his legs came up behind him, his body pinning his arms behind his armor and the stone. He shouted as he fell forward, his visor digging into the gravel, turning his world to darkness.
Scrambling to his knees, he frantically tried to clear the dirt and grime from his visor. Popov appeared, and behind her, the beast charged, its mouth open, exposing those rows and rows of monstrous teeth. It launched itself into the air, all four forelegs spreading, claws sliding out from yellow and green paws, preparing to shred both Pathfinders.
“Popov, I—”
A powerful roar blasted through the air around them, vibrating the ground beneath them. Jerry felt it in his chest as his teeth clicked together. Even with his helmet’s sound dampening, the sound racked his eardrums.
Large black talons appeared around the ghost fang as a massive shadow passed overhead, blotting out the sun. The ghost fang screeched in pain as it was jerked away, head twisting back, teeth snapping. Huge wings beat against the air, creating swirls of dirt and water. Waves of pressure slammed against Jerry as he scrambled away, the beast’s roar drowning out his own screams.
With surprising speed and agility, the caldryl moved away from the riverbank to the tree line to Jerry’s left, touching down even as it tore into the ghost fang’s still-struggling body. The massive triangular-shaped jaws tore flesh and bone with efficient ease, and within seconds, the ghost fang’s corpse hung limply in the caldryl’s claws.
“Jerry!” Popov hissed over the IR. A gloved hand wrapped around his arm, pulling. “Come on!”
Scrambling to his feet, Jerry couldn’t take his eyes away from the sight. He stepped backward, half dragged by Popov, until she pulled him down behind one of the larger boulders.
Popov slapped the back of his helmet. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I…I don’t know. Did you see the size of those teeth?”
“Like I could miss them.” Cautiously, the Pathfinder peered around the side of the rock and immediately pulled back, putting her back against the boulder, shaking her head. “Son of a bitch.”
Jerry craned his neck, looking around the opposite side. His breath caught in his chest as he locked eyes with the caldryl. It sat on its haunches, still biting and tearing at the ghost fang’s flesh, but its sunken golden eyes seemed to bore straight through him. Its huge wings flapped as it growled, its mouth full of blood-soaked meat and covered in gore, matted with green and yellow fur.
He wanted to look away but he couldn’t. It was as if some unrelenting force was holding him there, locking him into a battle of wills with the terrifying creature. The caldryl threw its head back, swallowing, then ripped another piece free. The ground around it was soaked with the ghost fang’s blood.
“We need to get out of here,” Popov said.
Jerry managed to pull his eyes away from the beast. The pylon was still two hundred meters away. They’d never make it there before the caldryl caught them. “Yeah, but where? Anywhere we go, that thing’s going to get us. It’ll tear us apart without a second thought.”
“I don’t know, but we can’t stay here.”
As if it knew they were talking about it, the caldryl growled again, the sound rumbling in Jerry’s chest. He peered around the boulder as the beast ripped another chunk from the ghost fang’s corpse. It chewed twice, then tossed its head back again, swallowing. It shook its head side to side, flinging clumps of blood-soaked fur.
“Maybe it doesn’t even know we’re here,” Jerry whispered.
As Jerry spoke, the caldryl slowly turned its head, bending its long neck, and its golden eyes fell on him. It beat its wings again, throwing up a spray of dirt and rock. Its tail whipped back and forth, deeply gouging the soft earth.
“Never mind,” Jerry said, ducking back. “It knows.”
As if to reinforce Jerry’s words, the caldryl roared, shaking the ground and vibrating in their chests. Jerry could feel the heavy footfalls, and even without looking, he knew the beast was coming for them.
“Come on!” Popov yelled, jumping to her feet and pulling Jerry with her. “Run, goddamn it! Run!”
Jerry sprinted after her, aiming for the pylon, still so distant. The caldryl roared again, shaking the ground as it gave chase. Jerry let out a wordless scream of terror as he pushed himself, his legs burning, lungs gasping. You can make it, you can make it!
The thundering footsteps went silent, and even before Jerry saw the shadow on the ground ahead of him, he knew the beast was in the air. It was only a matter of seconds now. He gritted his teeth and spun, drawing his pistol. He wasn’t going down without a—
The caldryl wasn’t there.
“What?” Jerry gazed up, dumbfounded, as the beast lifted into the air, its body twisting after something Jerry couldn’t see.
“Look!” Popov shouted, pointing.
It took a moment for Jerry to see what Popov saw. “It’s a shuttle!” He bent over, hands on his knees as he struggled to fill his lungs. “You think it’s Carson?”
“God, I hope not.”
Chapter 12
Carson got a foot onto the landing plate and pushed herself up as the downwash from the aft rotors buffeted violently against her, threatening to break her grip as the shuttle lifted into the air. The handholds embedded in the side of the fuselage just forward of the landing strut.
“Not smart!” Carson said, holding tight as the shuttle banked.
She shook her head, silently cursing herself. Warning panels flashed on her HUD, informing her she was fifteen meters off the ground and climbing. She eyed the ladder, t
rying to keep images of her falling to her death out of her mind as the shuttle shuttered.
She reached out, get on hand on the bottom rung and pulled. The shuttle banked hard and her muscles screamed, using every bit of strength to hold on against the onslaught of wind. Groaning, she pulled herself up, her eyes locked on the next rung. She shouted as she reached, grabbing hold and pulling.
Don’t. Let. Go.
Her fingers were numb by the time she reached the top of the shuttle, where she lay facedown on the metal, holding on to the small handles, breathing heavily.
“Chief!” West asked. “You OK?”
“Fine,” she said, her voice not much more than a whisper. She swallowed hard. “I’m fine.”
The horizon drew a diagonal line ahead as the jungle stretched out below her to the right, the pale blue sky to her left. Her gaze returned to the shuttle’s gray metal skin and she remembered what she had to do.
“Birch!” she yelled, activating the magnetic clamps in her boots. “You still got those drones handy?”
“Up and in the air!”
Walking in magnetic boots was awkward enough; doing it while trying to maintain balance on a shuttle flying fifty meters above the ground was a completely different thing. Carson kept low and found the panel Benit had described. She pulled her Pathfinder knife from its sheath across her chest and jammed it down.
Her first strike missed and slid across the fuselage, scraping a long line in the paint. Her second found its mark, and after a few seconds of prying and twisting, the panel popped open.
The shuttle banked again, throwing her to the side, her body straining against the mag boots. Carson grunted as she forced herself back to the panel, her eyes darting across the components inside. “I’m in.”
“We see you,” Birch said over the IR.
Carson scanned the air around her but didn’t see the drone she knew was there.
After a moment, Birch said, “OK, Benit says you have to—oh, shit! Chief, behind you!”
Carson looked over her shoulder and saw one of the Zeis soldiers pull himself through a hatch near the rear turbines. The alien opened his mouth in a yell Carson couldn’t hear and charged. Shifting her feet, Carson reached for her carbine, but even as she did, she knew she wouldn’t get to it fast enough.
The Zeis slammed into her, knocking her back, dislodging her boots from the hull. She landed hard, her helmet smacking against the fuselage as the Zeis landed on top of her. Her HUD flickered at the impact, flashing artifacts over the display.
They slid across the fuselage, spinning slightly as the shuttle banked to port. Carson reached out and grabbed a raised section of the hull as she slid past, catching herself. The Zeis lost his grip on her armor and continued forward, his feet hitting one of the raised protective panels surrounding the front turbine intakes. He pushed himself to his knees, drawing a pistol from his waist.
A flash of silver zipped through the air and one of Birch’s drones slammed into the Zeis, knocking him sideways. He took several steps, fighting desperately against the drone, then screamed as he lost his balance and toppled over the side, disappearing out of sight.
“Thanks!”
“No problem,” Birch said.
A warning flashed on Carson’s HUD as the shuttle’s altitude passed one hundred meters. She knelt by the panel again, shaking her head. “You got any ideas on how to bring this thing—”
A roar that drowned out even the thrumming turbines echoed around her. “What?” She looked up and her eyes went wide. “Oh, you’ve got to be shitting me.”
The shuttle banked again, engines screaming to full power, as a monstrous caldryl lifted into view behind it, its massive wings beating, its arms reaching as if to pull itself toward the shuttle. Its mouth opened and let out a second roar, this one reverberating through Carson’s suit.
“Chief!” Moretti warned over the IR.
“I see it!”
The caldryl roared again, its wings pushing its huge frame through the air as easily as a fish swam through water. The shuttle banked again, but the beast moved faster than Carson would’ve thought possible, and within seconds, its massive claws clamped down over the shuttle’s tail section.
Metal groaned as the caldryl pulled itself closer then bit down hard, wrenching its head to the side. Hull plating snapped and buckled, and support frames twanged as they pulled apart. Carson dropped to her chest as one of the beast’s claws wrapped around one of the aft turbines, crushing the chassis. The engine screamed as long talons tore through the spinning blades, sending sparks flying. The shuttle shook as fan blades ripped free of their housings, and the entire assembly burst into flames.
The remaining engines screamed to compensate as the caldryl’s weight began to pull the shuttle down. The caldryl yanked on the turbine chassis, ripping an entire section free then tossing it aside. The drive system exploded, sending streamers of flame and smoke streaking through the air. The caldryl opened its mouth and roared in pain, releasing the shuttle as several jagged pieces slammed into its neck.
“Chief, you need to get out of there!” Birch shouted.
“That’s such a great idea! Why didn’t I think about—”
The shuttle lurched under her feet, throwing her forward. She landed face-first, cracking her visor as it slammed against the shuttle’s hull. The HUD flickered then blinked out completely. She peered over the edge, looking down at the jungle, which was nothing but a green blur below.
The shuttle shook again as the caldryl bit down on the tail section and wrenched its head back and forth, trying to rip it free of the main body. Several chunks broke free, metal groaned, and engines continued to scream as smoke poured out of the gaping wounds, partially concealing the caldryl. A claw appeared through the billowing smoke and slammed down into the shuttle’s roof, rending the metal skin. A moment later, its face appeared, and its large, yellow, rage-filled eyes looked down on Carson. Its mouth gaped open, displaying rows of teeth bigger than Carson’s hand, and it roared.
“Time to go!” she said and pushed herself to her feet. In two steps, she’d reached the edge of the shuttle and jumped clear just as another claw slammed down, shaking the craft.
Carson twisted in the air, looking back at the shuttle as she fell, watching as the caldryl continued to claw its way forward, ripping the craft to pieces. With the wind buffeting against her as she fell, she managed to turn over, just before crashing through the canopy, snapping branches and shredding the wide green and yellow leaves. Her suit provided some protection against impacts, but she felt every hit on the way down.
She tried grabbing hold of limbs to slow her fall, but every time her fingers wrapped around a branch, it snapped off, adding to the falling debris around her. Her legs hit a larger branch, sending her reeling backwards, and the back of her helmet smacked against something, jerking her head forward with a resounding crack.
Then there was nothing.
****
“It’s going to crash,” Jerry said, watching as the shuttle listed around, smoke pouring from the destroyed engine. “Wait a minute…what’s she—holy shit, she jumped!”
Time seemed to freeze as the chief’s body fell free, arms and legs flailing. The caldryl either didn’t realize she’d gone or didn’t care. It continued to rip apart the shuttle with its massive claws, throwing its head back in a roar, then jerking to the side as if something had just slammed into it. The shuttle’s fuselage erupted into a shower of sparks around it, sending bits of the hull spraying into the air.
“Look!” Popov said, slapping his shoulder. “There!”
Another shuttle appeared above the trees, the turret on its nose firing, filling the air with sizzling red and orange bolts of energy that tore through the caldryl’s hide as if it were paper. The beast let out an ear-splitting scream, jerking away from the attack. The gunfire ripped deep gashes into the creature’s hide as it pushed away from the shuttle, fleeing. It’d just managed to lift away from the smoking wreck,
when a burst of fire slammed into its back. It arched back, let out a final cry, then went limp and fell, crashing through the canopy and disappearing without a sound.
“Hang tight, Chief!” It was West, his voice coming through Jerry’s IR. “We’re coming for you!”
“That’s us!” Jerry shouted, pointing at the other shuttle and slapping a hand against the side of the pylon. “Hell yeah! That’s us!”
“Move!” Popov bellowed, pushing him toward the pylon.
“West,” Jerry shouted, waving his arms as they ran. “We’re here! We’re here!”
“Hale? Where?”
“Below you, by the pylon!”
There was a pause, then West said, “Get to the top. We’ll pick you up.”
“What about the chief?”
“Don’t worry, son,” West said. “Pathfinders never leave anyone behind.”
Chapter 13
The explosion flared bright on multiple display screens around Kyrios’s audience chamber. Kyrios slammed a fist onto the armrest of his throne, making several of the Ultari flinch. One by one, they all gave the Emperor nervous glances, some cowering in the face of his rage as the feed started over.
Jared stood near one side of the circular chamber, next to one of the twenty obsidian pillars that surrounded the room. Each pillar stretched up to a massive umbrella dome a hundred meters above. It partially blocked his view of the throne but gave him a clear view of the gathered Founders, captains, and various other attendees, who no doubt would all rather be elsewhere.
“There have been three more attacks, Master,” Cigyd said from the base of the stairs leading to Kyrios’s throne. “As you can see, the resistance is gaining momentum throughout the city, and by some reports, they are recruiting many from around the world to join their cause.”
On the screens, a Netherguard patrol was ambushed by several masked Ultari fighters, quickly catching them in a crossfire, obliterating them before the Emperor’s troops had a chance to respond. A single Netherguard managed to get off a shot, but it went wide, the bolt sparking harmlessly off a nearby car.
