The God Hunters

by Gordon D Lanyon

  He realized he was grinding his teeth again. The sound brought him back to reality. Victims. So many of them. Very little gained from their examination except they'd gone through massive changes. Alive they were stronger in every way but dead they lost cohesiveness quickly. Rotted away to nothing in a day. Physical information was all they had. This was different.

  This was break-through time; a chance to gain real information. Find out why these things did what they did. It seemed so random. Not an invasion because they didn’t come in numbers. Just isolated incidents of brutality where some were killed or many were. Then it ended only to begin again elsewhere on another continent.

  On its own his arm rose and pointed the gun. He heard the satisfying ‘click’ of the hammer cocking. All he had to do was apply a little more pressure and he’d have his revenge. The promise he’d made to her would be kept. He frowned. How did he know it was this one? How many of them were there? The Shadow Maggot in front of him had to be destroyed that was a given. He felt his finger tighten. For a long moment he didn't move, afraid the gun would go off but unable to release his pull on the trigger. After a time that seemed long but was only seconds, the gun lowered. Not yet! Eventually it would be him that did it, but not yet! If he killed IT now, Elaine would never forgive him. She‘d want him to study it, take what it knew so he could kill them all, not just one. She‘d have wanted more than simple revenge. She‘d have wanted an end to the whole thing. That was his job, what he’d set out to do thirty three years ago. Put an end to this.

  He took a deep breath. Control. He need to control his anger. Still, he kept the gun out, ready, but now at his side. No one knew what this thing could do. If it tried to fuck with him he’d shoot it faster than snot slipped off a brass rail! He gave a quick nod to the Corporal behind him and heard the cell door swing shut and lock. The prisoner was shackled but this was the first ’live’ one and protocol demanded containment best practice. Behind him he heard the ’snick’ of the Corporal's own pistol cocking. They could take no chances. What they had in the cell was an infection and there was no way of knowing if it was really contained.

  The ‘man’ in front of him was big; six four, broad shouldered. He was shackled to the wall by chains that allowed just enough space for him to lay uncomfortably on the wall cot. According to the jacket he’d reviewed, the man's eyes should be blue. Instead they were only blue occasionally; the eyes of the infected sometimes turned black. They watched him with a serious intensity that was unsettling. Still, it appeared calm. The Major reminded himself it wasn't a man but a thing with information he needed.

  “Who are you,” he asked. Always start with the easy questions.

  The man shrugged, seemingly indifferent to his predicament. He should be more worried thought the Major. It angered him that this thing wasn't. He raised his gun and leveled it, “By God you'd better answer because I‘m a hair away from ending you!” And he was. The gun was shaking which unsettled him even more. He realized he was experiencing a delayed reaction to a death that had happened thirty-three years in the past. No matter what the cost, he might have to kill this thing soon. Probably before he left the cell. The thought calmed him but didn't allow him to lower the gun. To lower it a second time without having made his point would make him look weak.

  The man stood and came closer. Both arms hung at waist level anchored by chains. Its dark eyes bored into him. He wondered what it was thinking. Was it planning something? Perhaps it would try to take him over as it had so many others. It had ways to get inside a person’s head. How was that done? He suddenly felt vulnerable. Could it read his mind? So far testing on the men and women of Red One had shown only physical contact allowed that. Still more distance was preferable. He stepped back until he felt the steel bars against his back.

  It laughed.

  “I can taste your fear Major. Pay attention to that. It's all you need to know about my kind.”

  He heard the voice but also felt it like a soft pressure against his mind. Disgusted and angry at his own weakness he stepped forward until he was very close. Too close really, but fuck protocol! If necessary a bullet would do the job though his whole being ached to pummel it; beat it until it looked like Elaine had looked. It was all he could do not to engage. He bit down on his lip until he tasted blood. He wouldn’t kill it with the gun. That would be too quick. When the time came he’d use a thick piece of metal. Something blunt. His breathing quickened at the thought. There was so much anger inside him it was difficult to think!

  The black eyes stared at him, daring him to come forward. So intense those eyes. He hated them. Hated what he saw. He teetered on the balls of his feet, hands closed into fists ready to strike, to pound! Almost... He shook himself and barked a hoarse command to his Corporal! He was rewarded with the electric sound of the Taser.

  “Again! Give it the full shit-kicking charge!”

  Immediately he felt better. The thing had been inside fucking with him! He‘d felt so heavy before. Now he felt light as a feather, as if a pressure had been released. The power was in its eyes, he decided. Best not to look at them directly.

  He examined it now. It was on its knees trying to get up. It looked disoriented, troubled, like someone who'd awoken from a deep sleep. He wondered what it would say next.

  “What the hell is going on here? My name‘s Nicholas Benson. I'm a teacher at UBC. Why am I locked up?”

  He watched it lift its chained hands.

  “And what the hell is this? I’m chained to the wall? What’s wrong with you? If you’re trying to end your career, you’re on the right track! I want to speak to a lawyer."

  Its voice sounded human, pleasant, if a little stressed. Surprised, the Major noted it was already up and standing, seemingly relaxed. As if it had never been Tasered. Recovery should have taken ten minutes, probably more for a normal man. The muscle contractions from a Taser were quite painful, the effects took a while to disappear. That confirmed their finding from the host bodies. All had been heavier, the bones and muscles denser. The thing in front of him wasn't a man any longer. It was a Shadow Maggot. He eyed the chains carefully, assuring himself they‘d hold under pressure.

  “You’re not Benson. Not anymore. That man died the moment you infected him. You’re just a killer I’ve chained to the wall. You can try to lie but the truth‘s in your eyes. When I look at them I see what you are. A virus; an infection that needs to be cleansed!”

  His voice had risen and his hand rested on his pistol once again. They were talking. That was good. Getting an enemy to talk, even about simple things was always the first step. The info would come in bits after that. And if it didn't, they were other ways to get it. Get the easy stuff first. He wiped away sweat from his face with a cloth. It was hard to think when all he wanted to do was kill it. Right now. With a piece of iron.

  “Since we’re such good friends maybe you could tell me where you come from? I’d also like to know what you’re doing here. Big picture. Forget the small stuff.” He signalled and the Corporal promptly Tasered it again. To prove he was serious he had it Tasered a second time. No. The second time was for him. It calmed him to watch it shake in the throes of the current. It didn’t recover as fast this time. It hung from the chains, head down, shirt smoking slightly where the little wires pinned the electrodes to its skin. Then the eyes snapped open and he could see the anger in them. They were black.

  “I see I have your attention. That’s good! Maybe it will help speed this along. Not that I’m worried. We have lots of time to spend together. All that I need actually.”

  He tried to smile but let it go. Neither of them was fooling the other. There wasn't time for subtlety. “I’ll bet that hurt,” he said softly.

  Unexpectedly the thing laughed, “I’ve been hurt worse. You should let me go. The one you want is still out there and he’s dangerous. And let’s be frank. You haven’t had a lot of success catching us have you?”

  The Major blinked. It dared! “Answer my questions! “
Why are you here? What’s your mission?”

  “I answered your questions.”

  The way it looked at him. He felt like it could see right into him. Its eyes were so dark. Unable to stop himself he relived 'the day’ in his mind. They'd been shopping for a wedding ring. He’d laughed while she tried on several they both knew were too expensive. They were on a budget. He smiled. She just had to try them on though. She loved to shop. She‘d try them on, then put them back with a swirl and a laugh. She always ended up with something practical yet perfect for her. He loved her for that. Her little dance from the fitting room, the pirouette as she turned in front of the mirror. The frown of consideration.

  The day had been so beautiful. Sunny, bright with a sky as blue as her eyes. He saw her again as she'd been. Admiring the stone, a big sparkly diamond. They needed a ring. He couldn't remember the ring. All he remembered was her face, the smile. Thoughtful. He could see this was the one. She had it in her hand. Then the half smile on her face just stopped. It was like time stopped; everything stopped. She stopped. Lots of people pause in the middle of things but this was different. It was like she’d been turned off. And that, he guessed was exactly what had happened. She'd died right there, right in front of him in the middle of a smile.

  He realized he was crying. He’d been remembering again. His gun was out. It had a life of its own; seemed to know the purpose it had been designed for. He fired twice before he had time to think and change his mind. He was an expert marksman but somehow the gun moved and he missed.

  “Major?”

  It was his Corporal. There was an edge to the voice and from far off. Very far off. He realized his officer was debating what to do.

  He took a breath and made himself start up again.

  “Nothing wrong. I'm fine. I was just... instructing this creature on the seriousness of its position.” That sounded right to him. That was as good excuse as any for missing at such close range. His eyes narrowed. It was fast and it was getting to him. He felt that pressure again.

  Instead of anger for trying to kill it, the thing looked at him with an expression of pity. As if it knew what he felt, the depths of his hurt. Then it spoke and his worst thoughts were realized.

  “Now I understand.”

  Had it actually told him it understood? His mind tottered on the brink of incredulous fury. Had it been in his mind?

  “You understand! You ....understand?” he repeated pausing to let the enormity of that statement sink in until he could hardly draw his next breath. “You understand me? My pain?” Spittle flew from his mouth. “If you wish to live, you‘ll answer my questions with brevity and speed. And if you fuck with my mind again, I will personally dissect you a piece at a time in this very cell until you‘re well and truly dead! There will be no coming back! I'll kill you! I'll beat you bloody then cut the skin from your flesh!” He was shrieking now. He was going to kill it but the gun had somehow snagged itself in the holster and he couldn't get it out.

  “Major!”

  It was his Corporal's voice again, urgent and worried.

  “Sir. You seem... distraught sir. Maybe you should continue this later, sir?”

  The Major thought about that for a long moment. If he stayed longer he’d end up killing it, but he realized now he could live with that. In fact he was A-OK with that. One just like it had killed Elaine. He remembered asking her what was wrong and the electric touch of her body when he’d put a hand on her. He’d felt the thing inside, felt it strengthen within her. Then it had turned to him. “There‘s no "Elaine" here”, It had said. It had gripped his head and added, “But I'm here and I'm hungry!” He remembered the feeling of being emptied and close to death. And then he’d heard her, a shadow of the Elaine he knew but still calling to it, begging it to let him live. Then nothing more until he’d awoken the next day and learned his beautiful girl had been killed in some kind of street battle with many casualties.

  The newspapers described it as a weird kind of gang war on the streets. Information on what had actually happened had been difficult to gather. People who'd been there hadn't wanted to talk about it. Too strange and unbelievable. But he’d known they weren't crazy. He’d felt the truth when he’d looked into those eyes. The same eyes as the thing on the cot. Eyes that weren't human. That's the day he’d learned his life’s purpose. It was his job to stop them.

  So far his efforts had been a failure. Even Red One was a failure. But he had other things in the cooker. Things no one knew about.

  Once again it interrupted his thoughts.

  “Your grief is destroying you. Your pain presses on me.” The thing cocked its head, considering him intently. “It’s led you to hurt others. You used to care, but not anymore. All that matters to you is revenge. It seems Major, I'm not the only monster in this room.”

  “Shut up!”

  He didn’t like the sound of his voice. It was too thin. There was no snap of command to it but he had to know.

  “Why did you do it? Why did you kill her? Tell me something! Anything and I might let you live.”

  The creature considered this and smiled.

  “Let’s make an agreement. You tell me where I can find Kailex and I’ll answer your questions. I know you know about him. I saw it in your mind. You recognize him as an enemy. I have to warn you though. You won’t like my answers to your questions. Are we agreed?”

  His first thought was to kill it and be done with the charade. Then he remembered it wasn’t leaving the complex alive anyway and changed his mind. Why were his hands so sweaty? He toyed with the gun, cocking and uncocking the hammer as he thought about it.

  “Agreed,” he grudgingly allowed. “You first. Is this an invasion? Is that why you’re here?”

  The creature looked at him with surprise, “Invasion? Why would we invade this backward planet? You’ve nothing we‘d want.” He heard it sigh. “My reason for being here will be difficult for you to accept. Your planet is of little value so it’s open to anyone who can find a use for it. The people I ‘work’ for found a use. They send dangerous convicts from our world to yours to be hunted for entertainment. Citizens on my world live long, wasteful lives. They get bored and look for distraction. As a Hunter, I‘m a part of that distraction. I was born in a Vat, created for this particular entertainment. Hunters like me were part of my planet's distant past. A dead species the Vats have brought back. When they watch me hunt it‘s the same to them as you seeing...” It paused, considering comparisons, “a T-Rex walking down Main Street. Simply put, in the basest terms you might understand. I’m part of a reality show. I play the part of the vicious animal stalking the crazed human. My task is to kill the convicted, not because it’s the right thing to do but because it’s good entertainment.”

  “You’re using our planet as a stage for a TV show? All those innocent people you've killed over the last ten years have been for ratings?”

  “Hunters don't go out of their way to kill the innocent, but collateral damage is a part of the hunt.” It sat down and crossed its legs, seemingly unconcerned with the enormity of its statement. He just looked at it. This thing was evil! The urge to shoot it was overwhelming. Thick bile formed in the back of his throat which he swallowed with difficulty.

  “We hunt very bad people Major. The worst. If given enough time, this one could easily build tech that would enslave your planet within a decade. Unless he’s stopped, there will be wars soon. Destruction. Unimaginable death. Worse. He’s a Hunter like me. He’ll feed. You‘re the food. I was created to kill men like him. Let me do what I was made to do. Kailex has already put plans into motion. Give him enough time and your world will be his.”

  It stopped, then nodded at him. His turn.

  The Major considered the ramifications of what he’d been told. He felt like he was drowning. Her death had been for entertainment? That was unacceptable, unspeakable! Something that couldn’t be tolerated! Yet he had no idea what to do about it. Information was the key. To get more he had to give this
thing what it wanted. He hadn't intended on honoring their agreement. You took from the enemy, you never gave. But he’d learned so much. Perhaps it was time to break that rule. Now he understood what was happening, why she’d died. He’d thought knowing would make it better but it had only made things worse! She'd died for nothing!

  He felt cold inside. Diminished. There was little left of the man he used to be. All he wanted to do was kill this one, and its family if it had one. He gripped the butt of his gun hard and tried to remember the job in front of him. They'd agreed on an exchange. He needed to keep it talking. Until this moment, he’d understood so little. He focused his mind on Kailex, recalling what he’d been told just hours earlier.

  He pulled a steel chair over carefully and sat down. Partly to appear casual and relaxed but mostly because he was afraid his legs would collapse beneath him. He sat down slowly, eyes on it.

  “Something happened this morning that fits with what you've told me. I can even make sense of it now. Your monster is loose and doing what you said he’d do.” He frowned. “Walker warned us about him.”

  Walker? His mind wandered for a moment thinking of her. Lost. She was lost to him now. Another loss to add to all the others. “What have you done with her I wonder?” he asked, his mind wandering off topic. “Is she still ’Walker’ or like you now?”

  He stopped, seemed to realize he was going off topic. "Questions for later I suppose. We were talking about Kailex. His was one of the buildings destroyed in that earthquake. Like the others, it was buried to its rooftop. I sent a Tech Squad in to check it out. Five security, three techs, two scientists. Ten people. The Squad we usually send when risk is low and we're looking for information. Right away they reported a radiation signature never seen before. It was coming from below. The basement probably. They followed it down through the debris. Made it all the way down to where the signal originated and found what appeared to be a door.” The Major smiled, but it was just teeth.