by Ethan Proud
“Fall back,” he ordered to the Hydras. In unison their heads whipped towards him, ears cocked like dogs.
“FALL BACK,” he repeated louder, and they backpedaled obediently, never taking their eyes off the threat.
A goni dropped from the sky above them, its jaws leading the way. Deirde pivoted and fired straight into its gullet and sidestepped the corpse as it pummeled the ground where she had just stood. She casually dodged its still writhing tail.
From behind the line of Shrikers, and from the tunnel leading back to the surface, came a flood of Greylings like rats from a storm drain. The Shriker force was now split between three fronts, the threat from the air, the beach, and the onslaught that just cut off their retreat. They had been hemmed in. A solid object hurtled through the air into the Greyling swarm on the shore. The grenade exploded on impact and sent chunks of gore splattering their comrades and the Exos closest. Deirde ducked, narrowly avoiding being struck by an eyeball and part of a nose.
The Exos formed a defensive ring and mowed down the incoming assailants. Soon the cavern was littered with the bodies of gonis and Greylings, though very few Shriker lives had been claimed. The Greylings receded back into the lake and the crevices they had come from just as mysteriously as they had appeared.
“Clear the tunnels, set up a defensive position,” Dmetri ordered. His face was covered in blood that no doubt belonged to the soldiers who had died next to him. He smeared it away with the back of his hand and found Lago.
“Go back to the surface and find Drips. We need to start pumping this water immediately. Have Rhea send us reinforcements, too. We need to cross the lake and we can’t hold both shores with our current numbers,” he ordered.
Lago nodded and turned to the Hydras. “Come with me.”
“No,” Dmetri began. “We will need them, they know what to expect.”
The scout’s expression soured, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he took off at a light jog for the surface.
He had little trouble following the path since he had already been down it twice. The shadows at the edge of his light beam and peripherals kept shifting as if they were enemies, hidden in the dark. Below the sound of his footsteps, he imagined he heard whispering voices calling his name, softly yet forcibly. He sped up his pace.
X
When he finally emerged, it took him a second to adjust to the searing light. His temporary blindness inspired a tactic he couldn’t believe no one had already thought of, but he had a job to do first. He would run his plan by Rhea after he found the waterworks engineer.
He began navigating the camp, but the lay had changed since he last descended. Fleet found him before he managed to get his bearings.
“Why are you not with the rest of the squadron?” Fleet inquired, fear evident in his eyes.
“We are still holding the lake but need to cross, and need reinforcements to do so. Dmetri thinks it is safe to begin pumping water,” Lago explained.
“And what do you think?” Fleet asked.
“W-what?” Lago silently cursed himself. He had managed to string several sentences together without stuttering, but couldn’t say what. But then again, a member of the Commanding Family hadn’t just asked him what he thought.
“About pumping the water. Is it safe? Do we have a solid defensible position?” Fleet explained.
Lago cast a sidelong glance at the water barrels. All of them bore the code 4-9-18-20-25. D-I-R-T-Y. An alpha-numeric code wasn’t hard to crack. “It’s safer than what we are drinking now.”
“If we lose the equipment, we won’t have another chance and we will have to stay in close proximity of the lake.” Fleet did not appreciate the snarky comment.
“We won’t lose it,” Lago said and strode off in search of Rhea.
Fleet remained there, flabbergasted. He hadn’t dismissed the scout, and had half a mind to call the man back. If Lago didn’t obey the order, he would look even more foolish. He held his tongue. Then he went off in search of Johan.
When Lago found Rhea she was engrossed in a conversation with Aqi. Rhea looked grey. She was slowly deteriorating. Lago doubted she had much longer to live if she kept drinking the contaminated water. Her body had been exposed to such a high dose and was now slowly accumulating more. Even though the Exos had stronger kidneys and livers than Earthlings, Lago doubted they could survive this kind of chronic poisoning. Concern was evident in Aqi’s eyes. It wasn’t the emotion reserved for a subordinate though, it wasn’t coming from a sense of responsibility. Lago recalled the conversation in the rover. Then it clicked in his brain.
“S-sorry to interrupt,” he stammered.
“Lieutenant Lago,” Rhea said, and though she stood straight, her voice and eyes betrayed her exhaustion.
“Dmetri requests more reinforcements. He means to cr-cross the lake.”
“Then we should send the rest of our troops,” Aqi said pensively.
“I agree,” Rhea said. “We can’t let our men get trapped on the other side if it doesn’t go well.”
“Is it just the one city?” Lago asked. The two women’s expressions darkened.
“What?” they asked in unison.
“How do we know there aren’t more cities or outposts under the surface?” Lago said calmly. The thought had just occurred to him.
“We don’t,” Rhea stated. “We must be ready for whatever comes.”
“Ready the army,” Aqi said to Rhea, who nodded.
Rhea opened her mouth to answer but Lago interjected. She glared at him patiently, mindful of his impediment.
“Do we have a light generator?” he asked.
Rhea chuckled. “Why would we need one before this? I think we can fabricate one easily enough, though. Now, go find Gana and have him mobilize the scouts.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The citizens of the Wreckage watched as the mouth of the underworld swallowed up the last soldier in the Shrike Colonial Military. Kilo accompanied the soldiers, while Fleet and Aqi remained above ground.
Rhea stood at Aqi’s side. “I should be going with them.”
“You are in no state for combat. Once the main army has secured both sides of the lake and set up a camp from which we can spearhead our next attack, you may go,” Aqi said calmly despite Rhea’s mounting anger.
“With all due respect, that is not your decision.” Rhea struggled to sound polite.
“If you did not agree with me, you would already be down there. You just need someone to confirm what you already know. You feel guilty, but you should not,” Aqi said gently, and Rhea deflated.
“We both know my time is limited, anyway,” Rhea said without conviction.
“That’s not necessarily true. But it doesn’t mean you need to rush into it,” Aqi admonished her.
“I’d rather go out in battle than waste away here.”
“There’s still time for that. We might all face our deaths at the hands of the Greylings.”
They both laughed lightly before falling into silence. Their eyes were focused on the sandy dunes that framed the fissure. Periodically, a noise would escape the depths. Whether it was the echo of a conversation or a whisper of the wind it was hard to tell. A noise more distinct than the others reached Aqi’s ears. It was neither the wind, nor the idle conversations of the soldiers. The sound was indeed words, but not the likes of any that Aqi had ever heard.
A face peered at the Exos who stared back fearfully. The alien blinked twice before darting back beneath the sands.
“Will it come above ground?” Fleet asked midstride as he approached the two lovers. They held back the urge to roll their eyes.
“No. The sunlight hurts their eyes,” Rhea replied. “We have a clear advantage, and we have nothing they want.”
“Should we dislodge them from the cavern mouth?” Fleet pressed.
“We sent our entire army to hold the lake. Jorgen will have to send the palace guard,” Aqi answered.
“You two don’t seem concerned,”
Fleet observed.
“I have faith in our soldiers,” Rhea answered.
A barrage of gunshots was heard and Kilo stepped into the light, flanked by two of his soldiers. Behind them Drips followed, counting on them for safety just as they counted on him for setting up their water. Three more engineers emerged, running three long hoses.
Kilo cut a straight path for Aqi and Fleet while the engineers rigged the hoses to the drums.
“We have control over the lake for the time being,” he began. “We will begin pulling water to the surface. Three pump stations have been set up with guards positioned at each. We may not have enough power to draw the water to the surface, though. Bringing our people beneath ground to the lake shore is the best bet for clean water. If we rig up enough light generators we should be able to repel the Greylings.”
“We don’t have enough flashlights and bulbs. That is the current prototype, unless something has changed?” Aqi stated. Using the flashlight lenses and bulbs would produce enough light to deter the Greylings but it certainly would not be enough to guarantee safety.
Kilo nodded. “We are going to pull the headlights and taillights from the rovers as well as the batteries. We also pulled the UV lamps from the hydroponics and will pair those with the solar panels from the rovers to supply the batteries with continuous power.”
“Will that even work?” Rhea asked as she scrunched her brow.
“I have no idea. Drips assured me that it has a fifty-fifty chance of frying the bulbs or simply not starting.” Kilo laughed. “But we must do something.”
“It only needs to last until we are rescued,” Fleet said in agreement.
“Let’s pray that the Second Earthlings come sooner than anticipated,” Aqi said. “I will find volunteers to help Drips get the light generators ready. Someone find Jorgen and have him prep our supply caravan to continue on foot.”
“I will find Jorgen,” Kilo said and started off at a brisk pace through the camp.
“If it hadn’t been for the Hydras…” Fleet said to himself as he made no move to do anything.
Rhea curled her lip in disgust but said nothing as she began breaking down the tents nearest to her and directing the commoners to do the same.
X
Deep below the earth, at the second pump station, Gana stood watch with Utria and two other soldiers. An engineer adjusted several knobs on the pump as it began to whir. At first the pump made an awful sound, speeding up and slowing down suddenly, almost to the point it died before the engineer had it purring. The water began running uphill through the hose. The cool liquid gurgled as it was pulled from the lake. Even though the plan was to take the lake, the Commanding Family were a shrewd group and wanted to have clean water at the surface in case of failure.
“It’s working,” Utria said excitedly.
“Please don’t say that,” the engineer said. “I’d hate for you to jinx us.”
The water in the hose halted and began to recede. The pump still ran, but it was only pulling air.
“Looks like you just did,” Utria said and pursed her lips, thoughtfully. “Is there any way we can tell if the first pump failed?”
“It had to have. When it died, air got into the water column and we lost our pressure.” The engineer scratched his chin.
“How do we know that it’s the pump that is dead and not its guards?” Gana asked darkly.
“I’m willing to bet it’s the guards,” Utria answered.
The pitter patter of bare feet alerted the Shrikers to the advancing threat.
“How do we get so lucky?” Gana drawled dryly.
The first Greyling stepped into the light and a bullet tore through its chest and buried itself in the creature behind it. An object went flying through the air and Gana barely ducked in time.
“That was part of the pump’s engine!” the engineer exclaimed, before a second piece struck him beside the head. Blood burst from his temple, and judging by the way his eyes rolled into his head and blood pooled past his lips, he was dead on impact. Not to mention, the shrapnel sticking from his skull.
“Looks like we won’t be getting that water to the surface,” Utria said between the reports of gunfire.
“Let’s focus on saving ourselves before we try to save humanity,” Gana said through gritted teeth. He swung the butt of his rifle into the teeth of a Greyling before it sank its claws into his neck.
The assault hardly lasted a minute, but the damage was done. One pump was clearly destroyed and they had lost an engineer.
“What’s our next move?” Utria asked Gana.
He didn’t answer immediately as he considered the possibilities. The first pump was ruined, no point in checking on its status. The men with it were more than likely dead. The third pump could be compromised as well. But with only two, the water wasn’t going anywhere. He settled on the third option.
“We return to the lake. Either the Greylings have multiple routes to the surface, or they have broken through.” Gana turned to the other two scouts. “Return to the surface and warn them.”
“You think we can handle an army of Greylings on our own?” Utria laughed, but the wild look in her eyes told of her excitement for a challenge.
“We won’t be rushing in. If all hell has broken loose we can steal away unseen. If we can help, we will.” Gana trotted off in the darkness. He dimmed his light to where he could just see the ground. Utria followed suit. The other two soldiers didn’t hesitate before darting back to the sands.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
It was still on the far side of the lake. The Hydras, Lago, Dmetri, and a contingent of infantry stood bathed in the light of the glowworms. It would be hard to pass through the tunnel undetected, but they had little choice. They had repelled a small band of Greylings, but no doubt more would come. Across the lake a small battle raged. The Shrikers had been pushed back from the pump, which the barehanded Greylings destroyed.
Dmetri scowled. “We may end up trapped if we continue. But whatever route those creatures took is down this tunnel. We need to find its entrance before we get cut off.” He said it aloud, though it was his own thought process. He wasn’t asking for second opinions.
“Icharus may be able to find it,” Lepiro volunteered.
“Are you implying that it knows what you say?” Dmetri stared at the little morsel floating in the air next to its companion.
“Not hardly. But sometimes he can tell what I want,” Lepiro said with a shrug.
“It’s our best shot,” Dmetri began. “Maybe we shouldn’t have been eating them.”
“You think?” Deirde said behind a curled lip. She was relieved that Deirde and Aileen were somewhere in the desert, probably gorging on molla, instead of being gorged on themselves.
Dmetri didn’t grace her with an answer. Lepiro whispered a few words to Icharus, and the goni left his shoulder and drifted down the tunnel, its light dwarfed by the insectoid creatures crawling on the walls.
The squadron crept forward like thieves avoiding creaky floorboards. The footfalls of their neighbors naturally sounded louder than their own and many glares and scowls were exchanged.
Over the sounds of the soldiers moving, the shimmering of desiccated chitin polymers bound into hardened shells came dancing up the tunnel. The scorpion-moths in the air landed on the men and began to flex their wings, tiny hairs on the surface creating a chirp of friction in answer to the cloaked figure approaching the grotto.
Drums and mollawind instruments added to the haunting dissonance. Taiga and Lepiro blanched as chills crept up their spines.
The first forerunners of the ceremony came into view, their arms outstretched as their feet wove their sinuous bodies around the mineral deposits on the cavern floor. Their faces were turned upward, and they paid the Shriker soldiers no heed, not even when the first rifle blast tore into their molla stained bodies. The ecstasy of the presence of their god propelled them forward. It took three more bullets to drop them. More and more of them came.
“What’s going on?” Dmetri shouted and grabbed Taiga by the shoulder.
Wide-eyed, she answered, but it was drowned out by a scream that engulfed the entire tunnel.
She repeated herself as an uneasy still overtook the grotto.
“They have summoned it,” she said ominously.
“What did they summon?” Dmetri demanded, but the Greylings answered his question.
GONI, GONI, GONI.
“We should have eaten more of them,” Dmetri murmured as the tunnel was overwhelmed with a red light. “Retreat to the boats!”
The clamoring of booted feet was deafening now that the need for stealth had evaporated. The men splashed through the water as they pushed the dugouts from the shore and leapt inside. The massive goni was right on their heels. Dmetri and the Hydras pushed the last boat into the water just as it reared back and plucked Dmetri from the water. It tossed him into the air, caught him, and swallowed him whole. His screams could be heard until he was halfway down its gullet.
The Hydras managed to get out of its reach by the time it turned its attention back to them. They navigated between the boats full of Shrikers and avoided being the next meal. The goni’s huge mass slipped into the water where its agility increased tenfold and the disturbance it caused created ten foot waves that capsized the boats. The occupants desperately grabbed the still buoyant crafts but didn’t dare take the time to right them. Instead, they kicked as furiously as they could, trying to cross the lake to escape the goni while not drowning at the same time. Their ammo and guns weighed them down and some were pulled to the bottom before they got a purchase on the slick watercraft.
With an insatiable hunger, the god opened its enormous maw and water and men were pulled into the Charybdis-whirlpool. On the opposite shore, Kilo watched in horror as his warriors drowned or were devoured. They had successfully repelled the Greylings, or perhaps the creatures had retreated knowing that this fiend was coming to defend their homes for them. The symbiotic relationship between the goni and the Greylings was a powerful one.
