New Season: Sparrow's Quest (New Sky Book 2)

by Jason Kent

  Kate and Tarun looked at each other with their gleaming eyes.

  "Next time we remember our shades," Kate remarked, realizing they'd given the group away with their eyes' mysterious luminescence.

  "But, it was nearly nightfall when we departed the ship," Tarun argued. "We had no need for additional eye protection."

  "It's not for us," Kate grunted and snagged the archivist's arm. She pointed down at the workers picking up whatever they could use as a weapon and the soldiers rushing out onto the factory floor far below. "It's for them!"

  Chapter 14

  Sparrow's Revenge

  The shooting began as Sparrow reached the first corner of the walkway. She crouched and pulled out her handguns. She quickly realized there were no bullets hitting anywhere near her and inched her way to the edge of the walkway.

  Down in the underground factory, five Ater soldiers were firing indiscriminately into the densely packed machinery. Sparrow and her friends were a few levels up from the Ater. The forest of pipes and chimneys rising up from the floor and the rusted supports holding up the old mine's ceiling provided them cover for the moment. More Ater arrived as Sparrow watched.

  Workers scattered in every direction as darts from the alien weapons rang off the hulking machines. As for the Reticort soldiers, many of those who'd made it into the chamber now lay motionless on the ground. They were struck down before they realized they were facing not merely a group of enemy raiders, but three meter tall, heavily-armed alien commandos. The hulking aliens in their black armor proved to be more than the lightly armed soldiers were prepared for. The Ater viciously cut down a fresh squad of troops who came through another door. Mercy was apparently not a trait the Ater admired.

  The Ater's huge weapons buzzed as they loosed deadly streams of micro darts at worker and soldier alike. A few of the workers found shelter behind their thumping machines. The Ater's aim was off slightly off as the big aliens dealt with the low overhead offered by the walkways by crab-walking or bending low. An Ater was easily a full meter taller than the average human and they were finding out the hard way the walkways and tight tunnels of the old salt mine were simply not built with them in mind.

  A screech went up from one of the Ater as he spotted Sparrow and her heavily armed companions. In a disturbing display of cohesion, every other Ater who'd managed to crowd into the chamber stopped firing down into the factory floor and turned as one to face them. Steam curled upwards from the barrels of their oversized weapons.

  "Oh crud," Ross muttered. He brought his assault rifle to his shoulder and shouted to the others around him, "Go!" He fired a quick, controlled burst at the Ater in the center of the group. As the alien staggered back under the powerful assault on his armor, the big marine shifted his aim to the next Ater in line. Without taking his eyes off his targets, Ross called out, "They must have found another way down!"

  Merrick grunted in reply. He carefully selected his first target, an Ater just emerging from one of the side tunnels. His rifle boomed, knocking the alien back into the soldier behind him.

  "Based on their show at the front entrance," Sparrow began and fired both her handguns at an Ater, "I'd say they made their own back door."

  "I don't care how they got down here," Dagger growled, firing as she hurried along the walkway. "I really want to know how they knew to look for us in this freaking mine shaft."

  "It's not technically a shaft," Sparrow commented. She selected a new target and continued to fire until both her clips were dry. She dropped the magazines out of the guns. As they clattered on the grated floor, she deftly inserted fresh clips and added, "The mining took place in horizontal—"

  "Tell it to encyclopedia boy there!" Dagger shouted. She twitched her head back to where Tarun was hurrying along in a crouch. A stream of Ater darts whizzed by, forcing her to press up against a nearby pillar. Incoming rounds clanged off the metal, sending chips of rust in every direction.

  Tarun crouched next to Dagger, having decided it was best to stick with the pilot after the fight started. He looked up at his protector. "I really do not require superfluous information concerning Ardennes mining techniques."

  "Oh, shut up!" Dagger yelled. She rolled around the pillar, keeping her shoulder pressed against the cool steel and fired her big hand gun using a two-handed grip. She managed three shots before she was forced to take cover again.

  Trying to avoid the deadly accurate fire from Ross, Merrick, Dagger, and Sparrow, many of the Ater had dropped down onto the tops of the machines. The fifteen meter fall barely seemed to faze them as they bounded from one piece of equipment to another, quickly crossing half of the distance across the chamber.

  "Tral," Ross muttered, "What are those guy made of?" He lined up on the lead Ater as the alien leapt from one piece of rattling equipment to another. Ross stroked his trigger. The Ater was knocked off balance in mid-jump. The alien landed awkwardly in a huge bin filled with twisted scrap copper wire waiting to be melted down into shell casings. Ross added, "Climb out of that!"

  A commotion at the big doors leading onto the factory floor caught Sparrow's attention. The two-story doors slid open suddenly, thundering along their steel tracks. Fresh local soldiers, dressed in ill-fitting olive green uniforms, rushed into the chamber. These first troops sprayed bullets from their automatic rifles in every direction, desperately attempting to provide cover for their squad-mates behind them. This second group of Reticort soldiers struggled under the weight of a half dozen heavy machine guns. With some fumbling, they managed to get a few of the weapons set up on tripods with ammunition belts fed into the firing mechanisms. Meanwhile, the riflemen continued to fire valiantly despite the fact they had little to show for their effort; the Ater armor proved strong enough to shrug off the automatic rifle rounds with ease.

  The Ater chittered angrily at the soldiers and turned their full, deadly attention upon the newcomers. In the span of thirty brief seconds, the return fire from the aliens took down two-thirds of the infantry, their micro darts easily cutting through the lightly armed troopers.

  An officer standing behind the machine gun crews shouted and the surviving Ardennes fighters gladly dropped to the ground. Their fellow soldiers safely out of the way, the heavy-gunners opened fire.

  Perhaps buoyed by the success of their armor in protecting them from the ancient hand-held Ardennes weaponry, the Ater did not bother to take cover. They remained standing in the face of these new enemy weapons, their height making them easy targets. They were still chittering to each other when the Reticort soldiers pulled their triggers. The more powerful rounds used by the machine guns still lacked enough power to pierce tough armor, but the aliens hit by the machine guns staggered back under the force of dozens of bullets slamming into them.

  With the Ater's attention momentarily diverted by the new arrivals and their crew-served guns, Sparrow calmly holstered her pistols. She held out her palms toward the aliens, intent on examining them with both her upgraded sensors and optical implants. She wasn't sure when she'd get a better opportunity to study their new enemy

  "Sparrow!" Kate shouted. "Run!" She grasped one of Sparrow's hands and winced at the heat radiating from her palms. "You can study the newbies later!"

  Sparrow and Kate rounded another corner of the large chamber. Sparrow cast a critical eye on each of the closed doors. "Which one?"

  Kate pointed at a door halfway along the wall. "This one will lead us straight to the right vault!"

  Below, the Ater had once again easily gained the upper hand against the Reticort defenders. Of the machine guns the soldiers and managed to get into action, only two were still firing. With the latest threat under control, a few of the aliens turned their attention back to Sparrow and company.

  A single shot boomed from Merrick's sniper rifle. His shot succeeded where hundreds of others had failed; an Ater taking aim up at Kate and Sparrow crumpled to the ground.

  "Get." Merrick growled and fired again. This time, the Ater's armor absorbed
the hit but the force of the impact still threw the tall alien backward, sprawled into a huge press.

  As Merrick moved on to his next target, Sparrow's eyes scanned the machinery below. She found what she wanted and flicked a hand at the control panel of the big press. The gigantic machine hissed and closed on the alien's chest and head even as he struggled to get up. Sparrow pulled her hand back and grimaced. "Ew..."

  "The door." Merrick grunted and pulled his trigger. The round impacted an Ater on his shoulder as he was diving for cover. The force of the hit spun him around toward a line of low-hanging iron pipes. The alien smashed the side of his head against a pipe with a crack Sparrow could hear even over the commotion all around her. The Ater's hard head plates left a dent in the metal before he collapsed in a heap.

  "Open!" Merrick shifted his aim slightly and fired again. He cursed as his target dove behind a steel support. He tracked sideways and stroked the trigger as the Ater popped his head out around the other side of the pole. The Ater fell back, motionless.

  "Got it!" Tarun shouted as he spun the door's big wheel. A loud clang announced the locking bolts had retracted. The archivist turned the big lever and tugged. Nothing happened. Tarun stared at the closed door for a moment. His eyes landed on a dusty combination dial. "Ah, there appears to be a secondary lock on this particular entrance."

  Sparrow turned and studied the dial with her silver eyes. It was a simple triple combo affair with double digit limits on number choice...great, only about a million possibilities to choose from. Luckily, she could sense the tumblers inside the casing. She held out a hand toward the large knob.

  An Ater popped out of the tunnel only a few meters further down the walkway.

  Without taking her eyes from the lock, Sparrow drew a pistol with her free hand and shot it three times. Her bullets did not bring down the Ater, but they were enough to knock him back a step before Ross could unleash a hail of fire, sending the alien staggering. The Ater put his foot behind him only to find open air. He chittered angrily as he fell off the unguarded edge of the walkway.

  The dial spun left, right, left before the lock clicked lightly. As Sparrow aimed her hand at the handle, she remarked, "Left 36. Right 25. Left 42." The handle moved down under the Link Sprite's command and the heavy door creaked open.

  Merrick grabbed the door and yanked. Kate and Tarun dove through. Dagger followed them, stalking backward as she searched for more Ater to shoot. Once inside, the pilot spun and faced down the tunnel. Dagger led the way with her big handgun, probing for any surprises which might be waiting for them.

  Out on the walkway, Merrick and Ross closed ranks to guard Sparrow.

  "Get in!" Ross shouted and fired down at three Ater who'd aimed weapons at them.

  "Just a minute," Sparrow said calmly. She stretched her arm toward a catwalk soaring high above the factory floor. She had sensed the vibrations of an Ater approaching from this unexpected direction. He was scurrying on all fours, using pillars and conduits to hide where possible. Ross and Merrick followed Sparrow's gaze and fired. The Ater dove behind the next bit of cover.

  "I got this," Sparrow said calmly. She clutched her hands into fists and snapped the steel cables suspending the catwalk from the ceiling. The catwalk and the Ater clattered to the ground far below.

  "He won't try that again," Sparrow said.

  Ross glanced over at the diminutive Link Sprite. "I have to admit, that was cool." His expression hardened as he shouted, "Now get in there!"

  One of the Ater took advantage of Ross' temporary distraction and fired. The alien weapon buzzed and hundreds of high velocity micro darts stitched a line across the marine's broad chest. Ross was thrown back through the open door, knocking Sparrow aside as he fell. The marine lost his grip on his rifle and it spun away, coming to rest at the edge of the walkway.

  Sparrow gaped at Ross' unmoving body. The thought of losing Ross to a bunch of aliens who didn't even belong in this corner of the universe filled her with an anger such as she had never experienced before. A tic tugged at her cheek before a mask of steely determination hardened her features. She wasn't sure if Ross was dead of injured. Either way, Sparrow wanted revenge.

  Sparrow pushed herself away from the open vault door. The Link Sprite stepped to the edge of the walkway where she gazed down into the chaos of the chamber. She ignored the shouts of her friends to get down and the buzz of the Ater rounds striking the wall behind her. Sparrow spotted the Ater who'd shot Ross. She locked her silver eyes on the warrior and slowly spread her arms wide. In her palms, Sparrow's upgraded sensors and magnetic generators flared to life. As she tilted her head to one side and regarded the offending Ater with her metallic gaze, the implants across her forehead gleamed brighter than ever. Sparrow felt for the Ater's armor and took hold of it using her upgrades.

  Far below, the Ater sneered up at Sparrow as he raised his huge rifle toward her. The alien's finger began to squeeze the double trigger then stopped. The commando's massive brow furrowed and a look of confusion crossed his face. He lowered his gun to one side and looked down at his scarred armor as it rippled and deformed all over his torso. He stepped back with a grunt and dropped his gun.

  A scolding hiss rose from the other Ater down on the floor. They stared at their comrade, shocked and amazed by the sight of one of their own breeching what clearly was a prized rule in combat; no Ater ever dropped his weapon in battle. Unless they were dead. The Ater clearly was not dead, but he acted as if he knew he was going to be very soon.

  Sparrow hooked her fingers so they looked like the talons of a raptor about to snag prey in a deadly embrace. Ever so slowly, the Link Sprite began to close her fingers. Down on the chamber floor, the Ater she'd singled out clutched at his armor. He howled and scrabbled at the latches holding the chest piece in place. But, his bulky gloves got in the way. The Ater ripped the gloves off and threw them aside. He gave up on the latches and clawed at his crumpling chest plate, but it was too late.

  The Ater roared and his eyes locked with Sparrow's uncaring gaze. Comprehension dawned in the alien's eyes as he ignored his armor. The alien drew a massive sidearm and took aim at the tiny human woman.

  Sparrow narrowed her eyes and clenched her hands into fists so tight her knuckles became visibly white. She kept her hands clasped despite the pain. The Ater's battle cry turned into a gurgle as the armor around his chest and back crushed his torso. There was a wet, grinding crunch of metal and bone. Relative silence fell over the factory chamber as the other Ater watched their comrade sink to his knees. He finally fell on his face with a thud and was still.

  Sparrow lowered her arms and stared at the dead alien. The surviving Ater looked from their fallen comrade to the human who'd dared to kill him. All without any visible weapon. Outrage finally brought them out of their stupor. They screeched and shook their weapons up at her.

  Taking heart from the dramatic death, the surviving Reticort fighters whooped and opened fire.

  Merrick grabbed Sparrow and pulled her back through the door leading to Vault 77. Once they were through, Dagger strained against the heavy door. It moved sluggishly but she managed to close it with a loud bang. Dagger spun the wheel on the inside of the door until the pins slid into place. She jammed the wheel with a long length of pipe.

  "I sure hope there's another way out," Dagger remarked. She glanced away from the door and looked at her friends gathered around Ross. Something caught her eye further down the tunnel and she shouldered her way past Merrick's bulk. Dagger started down the corridor, favoring her wounded leg and called, "Up and at 'em marine!"

  Kate looked up from where she was cradling Ross' head in her lap. Her mouth dropped open.

  The pilot looked back, spread her arms and shrugged. "What? He's got the best body armor in known space." She paused and waved at the closed door. "Well, except for whatever our Ater pals out there are wearing."

  "He took a hundred rounds to the chest!" Kate gasped in disbelief at the pilot's nonchalant attitude about R
oss' condition.

  "So, it'll really hurt in the morning!" Dagger snorted. She came back and stared down at Ross. She knelt close to the big marine and considered his dirt-smeared face for a moment. Unexpectedly, she shouted, "Ross! Your girlfriend killed an Ater for you!"

  Ross's eyelids flew open and he gasped. He tried to sit up but groaned in pain and flopped back to the floor instead. He squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced. After a deep breath, the marine squinted up at his companions.

  "Ow," Ross said softly. He carefully tipped his head and looked at the shredded fabric cover of his chest armor. The plates protecting his body were exposed and dented but were otherwise intact. He let his head slump back into Kate's waiting hands. He laughed and coughed at the effort. "Well, chalk one up for SUMC procurement."

  "Can you stand?" Merrick asked.

  Ross nodded weakly but held up an arm. Merrick clasped the fellow marine by the forearm and helped him to his feet. Ross held on to the sniper as his balance returned. He took a deep, shuddering breath.

  "That's going to leave a mark!" Ross noted.

  "Told ya," Dagger called back from her renewed exploration further down the tunnel.

  Ross looked around at his feet and cursed, "Tral!" His eyes flicked to the sealed door. He shook his head. "Don't tell me, my gun is on the other side of the locked door in the room filled with angry, killer aliens, right?"

  "That's why you carry a spare, nimrod!" Dagger yelled. She snorted, "Dropped his freaking gun!"

  Ross reached over his shoulder for the second assault rifle he always carried. He winced in pain and stopped, his arm raised only halfway to the weapon strapped to his back. His eyes landed on Sparrow. Everyone followed Ross' gaze.

  Sparrow was too exhausted to even acknowledge Ross' recovery. In the back of her mind, some analytical piece of her made a note she needed to learn to control her outbursts. She looked down at the swirling patterns glowing on her hands. Their bright glow had faded to dull red. Not a good sign.