by Phil Maxey
Zach pushed on the open mechanism and the door slid open. He ushered everyone into the corridor, while he continued to fire at the Hulathen that was brushing off the bullet impacts as if they were annoying flies. Just as the towering alien was about to lunge forward for Zach, a bolt of energy swept across the floor hitting the Hulathen directly in the middle of its torso and sent it flying backwards through the air, crashing into the other alien occupants of the facility.
Zach looked back at Jogron but the alien was still on the ground, he waved Zach onwards. Zach hesitated then slipped inside the door and closed it behind. The sound of battle continued on the other side. He quickly turned around to see where he was.
“Where the hell do we go now?” Said Sean.
The corridor was one of the smallest they had been in so far, with the walls only a few feet from them on each side, and the ceiling a similar distance from their heads. There didn’t appear to be any further doors, just the corridor receding into the distance.
Zach pushed past everyone taking the lead. “I guess we go this way.”
Abbey held his arm. “We can’t just leave them back there.”
Zach shook his head. “We stick to the plan.”
“We’re so screwed,” said Sam under his breath.
“Let’s pick up the pace,” said Zach starting to jog.
After running for what seemed like hours, a closed door appeared at the end. They slowed to a walk then raised their guns as Zach touched the open button on the wall.
The door slid to one side, revealing a huge open space. Metallic clanking sounds echoed through the air, along with shifting and grinding noises. They were in some kind of manufacturing section of the facility, with large clear pipes pumping liquids into huge vats attended to by drones and robots seemingly made up of just spindly arms.
“What’s that smell,” said Sam putting his fingers to his noise.
“I’m guessing Hulathen smoothie,” said Fiona.
“Great, thanks for the visual,” said Sam.
Michael walked along the gantry. “You guys should come over here.”
As they joined him, the rest of the large chamber came into view. Cube like frames, containing partially constructed Hulathen bodies hung like life-size dolls, spread out for miles. Robotic arms were painstakingly constructing each and every one of the giant aliens, and when finished they would be rolled off into a tunnel for another step in the process.
Zach walked back the other way. “There should be an initial vat of constituent chemical components which gets all of this started. We need to inject the toxin into that. You were all at the briefing, spread out in groups of two and find it. Aggie you’re with me.”
Fiona and Sam headed down the nearby steps to the lower level, Sean and Michael continued right along the gantry into the main room and Zach and Aggie went left, seemingly around the back of most of the machinery that was continuously in motion.
Sam looked at the misty transparent walls of the large liquid filled tanks around him. “Can’t we just inject the stuff into these?”
“Klept said it has to be the right tank, otherwise the toxin just gets filtered out.”
Oil like substances bubbled and frothed through the tanks and pipes around them, while screens displayed alien symbols which flashed onto them.
“I’m getting flashbacks of my time in Thailand,” said Sam as they both walked forward trying to see any sign of the triangular funnel shaped tank, that they had been briefed about.
Fiona stood closer to one of the screens. “I think we humans, when all this is said and done need to learn alien. I can talk seven languages. I don’t like—”
The symbols on the screen in front of her coalesced into one human looking word. “Hey babe.”
Elsewhere Michael looked up at the Hulathen bodies, swinging as they were pulled along to their next construction phase. It was all he could do to not let rip and tear them apart with his rifle.
“I doubt it’s in this direction,” said Sean, eyeing the alien mannequins above them nervously.
“We keep moving forward.”
They slowly continued along the Hulathen assembly line. They were now at the stage where robotic arms sprang from the machines around the dangling aliens and fitted armor to their limbs.
“Let’s turn back and find the others?” Said Sean.
Michael ignored his request and continued walking forward.
Fiona blinked at the words on the screen, her mind being knocked from her currently reality.
Sam noticed she hadn’t moved for a few moments. “What is it?”
“It’s me—”
Fiona turned away from the screen before she saw the next word. She walked forward quickly.
Sam jogged after her. “Hey what’s going on? What was on that screen?”
Before she could reply, all the screens around them suddenly changed.
“Fiona? It’s me Cal.”
Fiona shook her head, trying to dislodge what was all around her from her mind.
Sam walked closer to one of the screens. “This has got to be some kind of joke, maybe this sci-fi shit is reading our minds or something.”
Fiona tried to contain the rage inside her, but instead it flowed out through her arms and she smashed the butt of her rifle into the closest screen cracking it.
“Please Fiona, it’s me! I can help you find what you’re looking for!” Appeared behind the broken glass.
“No, no…nope. This is not real.” She looked at Sam, her eyes bloodshot. “We need to keep moving.”
“What if it is him?” Said Sam.
“How can it be?” She screamed. “He was blown to bits. It’s not him!”
Sam looked at the screen closest to him. “How do you know what we’re looking for?” He said towards it.
“You’re looking for a way to get your toxin into the Hulathen construction process. And the constituent tank, is the best place for that.” Displayed on the screen. “Look at the screens, I will lead you to it.”
Fiona grabbed Sam’s hand. “This is a trap, just ignore it!”
“Then ask it something only Cal would know!” Said Sam pulling away.
The insanity of the situation was not enough to stop the desperate part of her believing the words were coming from the man she loved. She whipped around to face one of the screens. “What did I say to you when we set out on the mission before you died?”
A few seconds passed before a reply appeared.
“You had, had enough, you wanted it to be our last mission, and I agreed.”
Fiona’s rifle fell to the floor and she ran forward, placing her hand on the screen. “I don’t understand…”
“Elcher transferred my consciousness before the shell exploded. He had been watching me. I’m now in the Hulathen core consciousness. But it’s still me, and I think I know a way to come back, but first you must go where I show you, to complete the mission, and quick. I can’t hide all of you from the security systems for much longer.”
Not far away Zach looked at the transparent walls around him, each one a continuous stream of alien symbols. Aggie walked ahead of him, similarly fascinated.
“It’s like being in a hall of mirrors,” said Zach.
Aggie smiled and nodded.
Static started coming from Zach’s radio, which he immediately held to his ear.
“I think we have found it. Over,” said Fiona.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Roars, grunts and buzzing noises filled the air around Bass, as he stood watching all the E.L.F’s that had been given haven from the Hulathen. It was one of many underground chambers in the Core and throughout the camp where E.L.F’s were being held. Standing next to each exotic creature was a Cascader, doing their best to keep them calm.
A young man in an army uniform walked up to Bass. “Is it time sir?”
“It’s time Buckner. Tell everyone to gear up and get their heads in the right place. We’re going to war with the Hulathen.”
The soldier walked up to a middle aged woman, who was standing next to a walrus like creature, but with rainbow colored skin and fish like fins sticking from its back, and relayed the order.
A boom rang out in the distance and a puff of dust fell from the ceiling. Some of the creatures reacted. Bass checked his own equipment, while more soldiers filed into the chamber, all fully armed and their helmets strapped tight to their heads.
Captain Bass stepped forward. “Listen up everyone! When we are topside we have two objectives. Save civilians and kill the Hulathen. It’s that simple. Do you understand the objectives?”
A series of “Yes sir!” and “Yeah!” echoed around the large space. Some of the creatures grunted in response as well.
“To the Cascaders. The Hulathen may try and target you specifically. We will try and stop that from happening. But use whatever advantage your E.L.F’s give you to fight back. And remember, even though it might not work, it’s worth putting those minds of yours together and seeing if you can affect the Hulathen directly. That failed at the dam, but who knows, maybe it’s still worth trying. Some of the Cascaders and E.L.F’s have already engaged the enemy, but our job is to protect the Core. As you can hear above us, the Hulathen are already attacking. We protect this place for as long as we have too.”
Those around nodded.
“Good, now make sure your helmets are on tight. You should all have rifles and a pack in case you get separated from us. Let’s get this done.”
More cheers went up.
Bass nodded to a nearby soldier, who started leading everyone out through the large doors into a bigger corridor, at the end of which was a large vehicle elevator which led to the surface.
Bass clicked on his radio. “Tell the general we’re moving out now. Over.”
*****
Zach and the others looked up at a diamond shaped container, at least twenty feet square in dimensions. It hung from the ceiling, an equal distance above their heads. Other smaller tanks were in a ring above the top of it, connected by pipes which different colored ooze rushed through. Inside the container sparks of light skirted around, and right at the bottom tip of the diamond a much thinner pipe coiled around, disappearing into a series of dark cube like machines.
“Bingo,” said Sam.
Zach scoured the walls to each side, searching for a way up to get close enough to get the toxin into the primordial Hulathen mix. There were no stairs, or ladder. He figured the whole thing must be maintained by drones, so there was never any need for direct access to the container. He studied the walls. There were a number of grooves and protrusions across them. He walked over and pushed his hand into the first gap he could find, then looked up at the wall which ascended hundreds of feet above him.
“You sure you can climb that?” Said Fiona behind him.
He pulled his jacket off, putting his backpack back on and handed her his rifle. “We’ll about to find out.”
“You got the vials?”
“Yup.”
He pushed the toe of his boot into a gap between two segments that stuck out and pulled himself up.
Fiona walked back to the others. “Spread out. Find yourself a defensible position and cover all the entrances that you can.”
They did as asked, each moving off to a separate corner of the large room with a ceiling too far above them too be seen.
The words on the display screen a few moments before purportedly from Cal kept pushing their way into her head and she shook it to shake it free from their grip. She also made sure to ignore any display screens around her.
Stay focused.
The idea of him being still alive somehow was too insane to contemplate, and if she started too, she had no idea how she would truly react. She looked up at Zach. He was now fifteen feet off the ground, and not too far from the first pipe which wound its way into the mixing tank.
Zach looked at the swirling substance beyond the clear container walls just a few yards from him, then at the pipe which hung down from high above and flowed into the container. He reached up and grabbed the pipe, it felt cool. He wondered how well it was connected.
Only one way to find out.
He swung his other hand across so both hands were gripping the pipe then pushed off from the wall. The hearts of those below skipped a beat. The pipe remained firm, not even sagging. He then reached forward with alternate hands and climbed along the pipe until he was face to face with the container.
So far so good, now how the hell do I get the stuff in there?
On the ground floor all the display screens suddenly switched to display two words. Two words which Fiona and the rest couldn’t ignore.
“They’re coming.”
“Get ready!” Shouted Fiona, crouching behind a piece of machinery while anxiously looking up at Zach dangling three storys above her.
A distance noise, sounding like a swarm of bees started to grow louder than the machine clangs and booms around them.
Each one of them looked into the dark spaces and corridors around them waiting for whatever was making the noise to appear.
Sean fired first at the crab like robot which dropped down, landing in front of him. Fiona looked up and realized that the shadows above their heads were alive with movement. Another one dropped down onto the metal grated floor, then another, each machine, landing then scurrying towards the nearest human. More of the group opened up with their rifles, and bullets ricocheted in all directions.
Zach ignored the dark blur’s falling around him and concentrated on trying to find a path higher up on the container. He then sensed something behind. Twisting his head around, a razor sharp pincher sliced through the air, inches from his face. The drone, while clinging to the wall, leaned further and further out, inching closer.
He turned back to the container.
Now or never.
He pulled himself up on the pipe, then got his knee on top of it, then his boot. Using his other hand, he reached out and grabbed the side of the container. It was a precarious position and the slightest touch from the machine just behind him would be enough to knock him loose, but he heaved himself to his knees then stood. Heat from whatever was cooking inside wafted upwards, and he purposely made sure not to breathe in any of the fumes.
Ignoring the clacking sounds coming from just behind his head, he pulled his backpack off, keeping close to the container wall for balance and reached inside, pulling out a small gray case. As the clatter of automatic fire bounced around below him, he unlatched the lip and flipped it up to reveal five vials of a pale yellow liquid.
He fingers slid over the smooth glass and dislodged the first bottle. Gripping it carefully, he unscrewed the top then reached up to the top of the container. From below Fiona saw what happened next. The robot behind fell forward desperately reaching out with its metal claw, which latched onto the back of Zach’s jacket pulling itself and him downwards, tumbling to the hard floor.
Fiona let out a yelp and was moving forward before Zach landed on the robot, which immediately set about flailing its arms at him. Zach rolled off of it, but then fell back to the ground clutching his side. As the dog sized machine scrambled forward Fiona let forth a volley of shots, each impact knocking it to its side, until fingers of energy wrapped around its shell and it slumped lifeless to the ground.
“How badly hurt are you?” Shouted Fiona crouching as bullets flew past her head hitting other machines that were bearing down on her.
“Maybe a broken rib, I’m okay. I was so close!” He looked at the chaos around him, trying to locate the case of vials which fell with him. He spotted them against a wall across the room. He scrambled to get back up. “Need to get the vials, and get back up there!” As he got to his feet more drones dropped from the heavens, landing with a clump.
Fiona spun around and went to fire then stopped. A new horror had just wondered into her view. A Hulathen, all twelve feet high of it was running towards her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
&
nbsp; Bass looked through binoculars at the smoke and streaks of light over the capital on the horizon, then swung his view back to the Five Hulathen that were walking across the field towards him. Behind him, on a slight incline out of the sight of the field, waited a zoo of E.L.F’s with their Cascaders. At the bottom of the slope was a newly laid road, which led to the entrance of the Core.
“Do they know we’re here?” Said Buckner.
“No, or they don’t care. Either way it’s their funeral. But we can’t let them just roll up on us on this ridge. So we’re going to attack.”
The nervous sergeant blinked. Bass slapped him on the back. “Don’t worry, they won’t know what hit them.”
He slid down the slope a bit and got to his feet. He wasn’t sure what each of the creatures were that the Cascaders were in control of, but on the way to the hill, he had organized them into different groups. Those that looked like they could fly, those that looked like they would be good in a ground battle, and those that looked like they would confuse the enemy.
He raised his hand into the air and the heaviest most armored of the E.L.F’s lumbered forward up the slope. Soldiers ran behind them, covering the creatures Cascaders.
A dark skinned beast, walked on six huge octopus like tentacles made it to the top of the hill first. The soldiers close behind started firing on the Hulathen who immediately fired back scything chunks of earth from the ground with each impact of their weapons.
The creature rolled into a ball and tumbled down the hill towards the aliens. On seeing the other slower creatures move over the crest of the hill, Bass raised his hand once again and the winged beasts took to the air. One of which kept changing shape, but somehow managed to take flight and soared into the sky and then dived down, dodging focused streaks of orange neon beams that tried to bring it down.
