by James McEwan
Sheriff Jackson turned to leave the spaceport when he was thrown to the ground as the first of many Dreenoi pods crashed into the small town. It smashed through the top of the spaceport and came to rest in the middle of the main street. Jackson picked himself up, dusted off the debris from his clothing, and pulled his pistol.
All over town the sound of combat erupted as the Dreenoi encountered the town’s guardians. The bucket brigade, as the town’s folk had come to call them on account of their bucket shaped heads. The remaining town’s folk were loading into every vehicle they could find when that first Dreenoi pod crashed into the middle of the street. It landed between two open backed trucks, barely missing them both, but the blast tossed them both like toys. One was thrown through the front of the general store. The vehicle and the store caught fire while the occupants of the truck and a couple who had been walking along the boardwalk were killed.
The other truck was blown over on its side, injuring several men who had been clambering into the back at the time. The driver received the worst of it. He’d been standing on the wrong side of the truck, helping folks climb into his rig when the shockwave threw the vehicle over and on top of him, trapping him beneath the crushing weight of the heavy truck. A bunch of men ran to help and attempt to right the truck. They pulled the trapped man free as Doctor Burton rushed to his aid.
The rest of the men continued to load people into vehicles. Carl was manning the turret in the sheriff’s armored personnel carrier when the first Dreenoi emerged from the crater and into the street. The yellowish brown ant like creature scurried out of the hole and attacked a tall balding man who was pulling on the overturned truck.
He screamed as its pinchers tore into his flesh at the back of his neck. More and more Dreenoi poured out of the hole and hell quickly broke loose. Carl panicked, and even though he had been trained and had practiced with the twin heavy cone rifles, he racked them twice before firing. Then he fired a long burst wildly shooting into the hole and shredding several Dreenoi as they tried to get out. However, in his panic fire he accidently hit the man with the Dreenoi on his back, killing them both.
The men on the ground quickly recovered from the shock of the attack and it didn’t take them long to gain fire superiority. They killed all of the Dreenoi near them while the Guardian robots were busily engaging any other Dreenoi that came close. Sheriff Jackson helped load a wounded man into the back of the armored personnel carrier then jumped on the side running board, slapping the side as he shouted, “Alright we’re loaded. Move out!”
As the rag tag convoy rolled out the residents watched out the back windows of the dusty rigs as their beloved town was attacked again, knowing that this time they couldn’t stay and fight the enemy.
Although the Dreenoi were equipped with all manner of weapons, at first they seemed to forget that they had them. Although fortune was favoring the small town, it wouldn’t for long. The reason for the odd behavior had to do with the worker hive mentality. Very much like the insect it closely resembled, the Dreenoi drones were a worker class, known to have very little in the way of intelligence beyond base instinct. Without directive and control, the Dreenoi drones would easily revert to primal instinct, attacking and eating anything close to them…including other Dreenoi. To avoid this obvious problem, the Dreenoi deployed a slightly larger variation referred to as a Cybercom. The Cybercoms looked much like their smaller compatriots, but with larger heads. They encompass an ant like network node for hive mind control, which affects the drones and allows control.
The lack of Cybercoms at first allowed for the bucket heads to initially get the upper hand, as well as allow enough of a window for the town’s folk to slip away. However, it was not long before enough Cybercoms landed and got control of their troops. The battle quickly turned against the robot defenders. The Dreenoi didn’t fight like any other type of enemy in the known universe; they fought like a swarm with no regard for the lives of their own. It was not uncommon to see hundreds of Dreenoi form lines and advance as if they were some long lost colonial army.
Even with advanced weaponry, the buck heads just could not stop the endless waves of Dreenoi. The Dreenoi were not happy that they couldn’t eat their prizes, as many of them were chewing on the burnt and dismembered robot parts when the order was given to move out and find more food. With nothing else left in the town to eat, they started to move outward across the moon’s surface looking for more soft swishy things to kill and eat.
The town’s folk didn’t slip away as easily as they had hoped. Because of the Dreenoi’s lack of controlled descent, they were coming down all over the desert. As the convoy rolled across the sands, they ran into Dreenoi left and right. The convoy’s guns were blazing away doing their best to keep the Dreenoi at bay.
Sheriff Jackson crawled into the APC and was on the comm with Thad’s Compound, talking to Eve, “Eve honey we’re taking heavy fire and coming in hot!”
“Understood, we have a warm welcome prepared for our unwanted guests. Also, the first of the birds are on the ground waiting to evacuate your people.”
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day,” Jackson said, just as a Dreenoi who had used his jet belt to make a suicide run at his vehicle, smashed into the side door next to Jackson. He watched as the Dreenoi exploded. The force from the blast rocked the APC and the noise deafened everyone inside. The driver fought the wheel as the explosion sent the APC sideways. Carl dropped down from the gun copula, the side of his face covered in burns and pieces of Dreenoi, “Sorry,… I missed one,” he said before passing out.
“Damn it! Someone get on that gun!” Jackson screamed.
The Driver got the APC under control and back on track. Outside the APC was marred and dented, but otherwise unharmed. Jackson turned his attention back to the comm, “They are really trying to stop us; got to go. Just be ready for us! Jackson out,” he cut the comm and crawled to the back to help Carl.
At the compound things were happening quickly. The automated defense systems started to light up the morning sky as anti air missiles screamed skyward. Within seconds, flashes appeared high above them. Eve was doing her best to keep the airspace clear for the rescue effort, but as every minute passed it became more and more difficult. The Dreenoi were throwing down so much junk that it wouldn’t be long before the missile launchers ran dry and the anti air guns burned threw their massive magazines.
On the ground were three medium size retrieval boats awaiting the evacuees, their ramps down and engines humming. Captain Wesson had ordered them to come down with only the pilots on board so they could squeeze in a few more people per boat. The retrieval boats that the Damocles carried were heavily armed and armored crafts that were used by the shipboard marines to insert and retrieve them from missions. They normally carried four crew and twenty-four marines, however today they would be carrying as many people as they could fit, and even with the captain’s yacht, it was going to take a while to get the some two hundred towns folk off the planet. Then there were the remaining moisture farmers that were spread out across Nome. Because they were too far out to make it in time, Captain Wesson ordered the remaining two retrieval boats to go and evacuate them.
High overhead the Damocles was in the process of off loading the captain’s yacht. She was in geosynchronous orbit over the Hammer Compound, to keep flight distance down and speed up the evacuation. On the bridge Commander Piper Perry was overseeing the operation when one of the tactical officers reported, “Sir the Dreenoi ships seem to be heading straight for us.”
“The captain said as long as we don’t engage them they will leave us be, but just to be safe,” she paused to push a button on her holo display, “Sound general quarters and bring all the weapons systems on line.”
“Aye Sir,” the tactical officer replied. His fingers were moving as fast as he could make them go as red lights started to flash throughout the ship followed by an automated command calling all crew to battle stations.
“Sir, we ha
ve multiple boogies in bound and about to cross the red line.” The red line was an imaginary line that had been drawn around the ship, one that represented the minimum safe distance that they would allow an inbound ship to approach before firing.
“If they cross it, light them up,” Commander Perry said with a flat cold tone.
“Yes sir.”
Down below Thad had returned from the hanger and found his mother, Colonel Grunt, and Captain Wesson all in a heated argument. It seemed that his mother, the Admiral, wanted the Terrain Emperor to evacuate to the Damocles on the first lift. However, Colonel Grunt was not kind about his distrust of the StarGuard. He was refusing to put his charge in their hands, while Captain Wesson wanted both the admiral and the emperor to evacuate on the first lift, but she was not having any part of it. “Don’t you spout regulations to me! I wrote most of those regs!” Amanda answered Captain Wesson’s attempt to use the rule and regulation to get the Admiral to comply.
“Sir, it is my duty to ensure the safety of everyone here, and I intend to do exactly that; even if I have to stun your ass and put you on that boat myself,” Wesson said nose to nose to with her. Wesson had never been one to fear a superior officer and he was not about to be intimated by her rank.
“That will be enough out you Captain unless you want to be busted back to ensign. I need you to get the Emperor and yourself back on the Damocles right away. Damn it Daniel I need you on your ship where you will be the most effective.”
“No way, and I don’t give a crap that you’re an Admiral. I don’t work for you and I won’t turn over my charge to you or anyone else,” Colonel Grunt barked back at Amanda.
Thad had heard enough and thought it was time to intervene before these three killed each other in their attempt to save one another, “Hey you three… Since you are all guests in my home, I think I should get a say in what happens. Don’t you think?”
That stopped them cold. His mother was the first to reply, “Fine, what exactly would you suggest?”
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” he paused to enjoy the look of shock on their faces, as it was obvious that they were not used to being told what to do by a civilian. “Captain Wesson you get back to the Damocles and help get these people out. Colonel Grunt, you and your emperor came to me for help so if you want it then you will do as I say,” Thad paused as the Colonel relented and nodded, “Good, you see that your men get the emperor and Sasha to the Eden. They will leave with us. Now mom, I know that you feel that you need to command this fight, but I need you to help get Ruby and my family out safely. Please go with them to the Eden.”
“And just what are you going to do?” Amanda asked.
“I’m going do what I do best,” Thad replied.
Colonel Grunt, who knew almost nothing about Thad asked, “And what would that be?”
Thad smiled a wicked smile, “Kill monsters. Care to join me?”
Captain Wesson was not happy, but one thing he had learned over his long career was to know when he had been beaten. He grabbed Thad by the upper arm, “Keep them safe and that includes Eve.”
Thad gave the captain’s hand a consoling pat, “You can count on it.”
“I hate to break up this love feast, but my men at the canyon gate are reporting the convoy is in sight, and they aren’t alone,” Colonel Grunt said as he picked up his helmet from the table.
Back in space, the guns on the Damocles jumped to life as the Dreenoi crossed the red line. The space around the Damocles was quickly becoming a massive junk yard. The Dreenoi ships that were approaching, if they had guns, were no match for the Damocles’ screens, for now she was untouched. However, the more Dreenoi they destroyed the more seemed to change vector and head for them. “I think we have their attention,” Commander Perry said as she watched the battle unfold before her.
Sheriff Jackson had done what he could for Carl and was back in the front seat. As he lead the battered and beat convoy toward the box canyon that held the Hammer Compound, he commed the guards at the gate, “Hey boys open the gates. We’re coming in hot and we’re not stopping.”
A young Terrain marine who had been posted there answered the call, “We see you, doors are wide open. Don’t worry about your unwanted company; we’ve got a warm welcome waiting for them.”
“Good to hear it son, we’re doing our best just to keep rolling. Most of my vehicles are shot to hell and we’re out of ammo,” Jackson commed back.
“Just keep rolling, we got this,” the marine said as he targeted a Cybercom who popped his head out of a fresh tunnel that erupted from near the side of the convoy. He pulled the trigger on his rocket assisted sniper rifle. The big bore belched out a round of almost pure brass, weighing nearly a pound. A fraction of a second later, the Cybercom’s head exploded and his lifeless body slipped back down the tunnel below the level of the ground.
His buddy was manning his own weapon system and had witnessed the shot, “Nice one.”
“Thanks, that’s one for me. You better start shooting or I’m going to beat you again,” he said as he pulled the trigger again, vaporizing another Dreenoi, “two.”
Jackson was happy to be passing the gates; he had lost two vehicles on the way and the people that were on them. One was swarmed by Dreenoi while they were in the middle of reloading and the other took a direct hit from a falling Dreenoi landing craft. Even though he wanted to feel a sense of relief, he knew they were far from safe yet. A second later, as if the universe wanted to insure that he didn’t get to feel safe, a massive hole in the ground opened up just in front of the gates and the second to last vehicle in the convoy disappeared in a mass of dust and debris. The last vehicle tried to stop, but it was moving too fast and was too close. It slid into the hole, the front end smashing into the top of the other vehicle. The top vehicle flipped forward and came to rest on the far side of the hole with its rear wheels barely exposed passed the ground level. Jackson heard the reported loss of the two vehicles from the back of the convoy and his heart sank even lower knowing there were more people he had failed to save.
Thad discovered that Eve had created new armor for him, a combination of is soft body armor that he once had and new hard plates that covered all of the important areas. He looked at it for a minute before slipping it on. It appeared to be as good as he could get, without the additional benefit of powered armor. Looking at it he kind of wished the marines had an extra set of their armor. At first glance, the marine’s armor looked like the standard issue armor, but upon close inspection, these guys were wearing the newest in lightweight powered armor. Smaller, lighter, and more maneuverable than standard powered armor it offered almost the same level of strength and protection.
Thad slung a heavy cone rifle across his back and ran to the garage. There he found his grav bike sitting there waiting for him. Thad wondered if Eve had installed another AI yet or if she was waiting to see if he would come home first. He jumped on the bike and powered it up. To his surprise, a deep male voice greeted him. “Hello Mr. Hammer, I am your operating system. I can help you run your bike’s systems until you install a new AI.”
“Okay, let’s roll,” Thad eased the bike off the stand and towards the door, which Eve opened for him. He missed his bike and wish it was under better conditions, but right now he needed to get down the canyon and help hold back the Dreenoi for as long as possible.
Just then, the smoking, battered, and blood soaked convoy stopped next to the retrieval boats. Captain Wesson was there directing the loading of the wounded first, while Colonel Grunt was barking orders to a few of his marines who were busy handing out fresh weapons to the men and the few women that were not going to be able to get on the first lift.
Thad eased the bike passed them, trying to make his way to the opening to the canyon when Colonel Grunt flagged him down, “And just where do you think you’re off too?”
“I’m going to help your boys at the bottom of the canyon,” Thad replied.
The Colonel grabbed a hold o
f the bike and climbed on, “Well, what are we waiting for?” Thad didn’t bother with a remark he just punched it and the two men rocketed toward what looked like certain death.
Chapter 5
At the bottom of the Canyon, things were not going well for the defenders. The two Conqueror class heavy combat robots were making their designers proud. They were blasting, smashing, and tearing through the Dreenoi. While the two Marines, Patten and Stone, were firing as fast as they could, but no matter how many they killed they were replaced by more and more Dreenoi. Now along with the endless waves, a Dreenoi Cockroach was about to walk into range. The Cockroach was a six-legged walking tank with one nasty particle cannon and was decked with particularly vicious weapons. It was fast and nimble and they didn’t have anything with them that would crack its armor.
The Cockroach had only one crew, a Dreenoi implanted as a larva inside the Cockroach’s main body, which grew into the central operating system. Because it was fully contained, there were no seams that could be exploited. Additionally, it acted like a Cybercom, with the ability to link to and deploy as desired, any nearby Dreenoi units. The Cockroach let lose a brilliant blast of blue light from its main cannon. The particle beam flashed across the battlefield and struck the automated missile launcher on the roof of the guardhouse. The beam burned through the metal framework destroying the supports that held up the launcher. It toppled over and crashed through the roof smashing into Patten, who was manning the mini power gun. Had he been wearing lighter armor he would have been crushed instantly, but the light powered armor he was wearing saved his life. Though alive, he was pinned under nearly a half ton of burning metal and debris.
