Ice Rift - Siberia

by Ben Hammott

  “You can cast your accusations elsewhere because, as far as I aware, we not responsible for bringing alien here. How it got into facility from Antarctica is much a mystery to us as is you.”

  “Well, I don’t suppose that really matters now. Can I stand?”

  Krisztina nodded and taking a step back watched him climb groggily to his feet.

  Ramirez gently probed the painful swelling on his head and glanced at the discarded extinguisher. “You sure packed a wallop with that thing. I’m surprised you didn’t crack my skull, and I’m not entirely sure you haven’t.”

  “I not think tickling you under chin with it would have same effect,” quipped Krisztina, “and you trespasser here. I defend Russian territory.”

  “And very well you did, too.” Ramirez pondered grabbing his weapon back, but she was a few steps too far away for it to succeed, especially with her finger resting on the trigger. If she wasn’t experienced with weapons, she gave a healthy impression she might be. “What happens now?”

  “How many you are, where are they and what was cause of explosion a moment ago?”

  Ramirez saw no reason to hold back. “We were nine until the alien killed two. They tracked the creature to Level 4 and were planting explosives when it attacked. Cause of explosion is as yet unknown, but I think it might have been an attempt to kill the creature. I don’t know how it happened, but there seems to be a few of them now.”

  “They can split apart to be separate creatures. I’ve seen it. One chased me up escape ladder.”

  “That doesn’t bode well for our survival.”

  Krisztina pondered her next move. “I must contact my superiors to let them know what has happened.”

  “They already know,” revealed Ramirez. “A team is on its way to capture the alien for study. It’s one of the reasons why we rushed here. It’s suspected they might try to fashion it into a weapon to use against America or other nations.”

  It was as Krisztina feared. She agreed with the Americans that the alien menace should be destroyed. God knows what destruction the creature could cause if unleashed into the population. “You believe your explosives will kill every part of all alien creatures?”

  Ramirez shrugged. “That’s the plan. Even if the explosions fail to kill it all, it will be trapped below so it won’t present a threat.”

  Krisztina shook her head. “No, that won’t work. It can become liquid and seep through smallest gap to find way above ground. I have better way to ensure its demise, a permanent solution.”

  “I’m sure the commander will be open to suggestions when he gets here, which shouldn’t be long now.”

  Doubtful she would be able to fend off all of the armed Americans heading her way and hesitant to leave until she was certain the alien had been dealt with, Krisztina made a decision that could possibly backfire on her.

  “As far as I see, we all want same thing, no? To see the alien creatures dead. To do that, there needs to be trust between us.”

  After a few moments of indecision about what she was about to do, she lowered the rifle aimed at Ramirez’s chest and held it out.

  Surprised by the action, Ramirez gratefully reclaimed his weapon and held it loosely by his side.

  “Thank you. Now what’s this permanent solution of yours to destroy the aliens?”

  CHAPTER 22

  dEV1Lkin

  CRACKS SPLINTERING across glass walls, glass smashing to the floor, debris falling from the ceilings and the creaking of weakened metal supports and stressed concrete had Dalton’s nerves on edge. Richard glanced back at the nervous soldier jerking his weapon to every sound. It was Dalton’s first experience battling aliens. He would either learn quickly or suffer the consequences.

  “Keep it together, Dalton. I’ve faced worst and lived to tell the tale.”

  “Yeah, unlike most who accompanied you, so I’ve heard. Just do your job and I’ll do mine.”

  “Not to be pedantic, but I’m actually doing your job. You abducted me from mine.”

  Concentrating on his surroundings, Dalton ignored him.

  When they reached the end of the corridor, Richard glanced through a cracked glass wall into the birthing chamber. The oversized Black cocoon hanging from the ceiling had stopped pulsating, and no eggs were presently being ejected from the tube. Wondering if the explosion had killed it, he stared at the unmoving mass for signs of life. His speculation ceased when the egg tube retracted into its form; it was still alive. He pressed forward, and then jumped back, careening into Dalton when something slammed against the glass, increasing the number of cracks spreading over its surface with a splintering that was both ominous and nerve-wracking. Fortunately, the glass held.

  Dalton shoved Richard away and raised his rifle at the Black sludge sending out thin tentacles searching for weaknesses in the barrier preventing it from getting at its prey. As Dalton’s finger applied pressure to the trigger, Richard pushed the barrel down.

  “Shoot, and you break the only thing stopping them from getting at us.” Richard released his hold on the weapon and pointed out other Black forms moving within the gloom-filled room.

  Dalton shuddered as he watched a small alien creature claw its way from an egg sac, the flashlight beam glistening off the glutinous albumen covering its evil form. The new-born monstrosity puffed up like a bladder fish and sprouted short, sharp spikes along the ridge forming along its back. A long tail snaked out from its rear and grew a small spiked club on the tip. Legs and a head with stumpy flat teeth and tiny, piercing eyes quickly followed. Spying the two humans and recognizing them as something to be eaten, it bounded forward and leapt at the glass. The cracked and weakened pane vibrated alarmingly from the blow. The spiderweb of splintering cracks increased and slithered to the edges of the frame. The other birthed hatchlings turned their vicious heads at the sound and stared hungrily at the humans all wanted to devour.

  Dalton glanced at Richard. “Let’s get this done and get gone. I doubt the glass can stand much more punishment.”

  In total agreement, Richard rushed through the short corridor, turned the bend and halted at the birthing room door. His fearful gaze picked out the cocoon dropping from the ceiling and landing on the floor with a wet smack. It immediately started changing, morphing into some species of alien monstrosity he didn’t want to dwell on. As he slipped the bag from his shoulder, his gaze shot to the sounds of padded paws and clicking claws coming closer. The hatchlings rushed at the door.

  Though his fear screamed for him not to, Richard pushed open the door and lobbed the bag of explosives inside. He pulled the door shut and watched two creatures leap onto the bag sliding across the room and then fight for dominance over the prize they believed was edible.

  The remaining creatures continued their dash for the humans. Richard and Dalton made a hasty retreat as the dark creatures slammed against the door and walls. When glass smashed to the floor behind them, Dalton shot a fearful gaze at the creatures diving through the breaches in the wall.

  One veered away from those heading for the already crowded hole and dashed for the humans running past outside. It leapt and reformed its head, shoulders and front limbs into a rigid pointed tusk.

  “Worry about what’s in front,” Richard advised Dalton. “You don’t want to see what’s coming when there’s nothing you can do to stop them.”

  Dalton heeded the advice and turned away. Glass exploded beside him. He glimpsed something dark pass before his face and yelped painfully when a large shard slid along the back of his hand deep enough to scrape across bone. The weapon slipped from his injured hand and clattered to the floor. He clasped his still functioning hand over the deep gash to try and stem the blood.

  Richard halted when the wall ahead sprayed out, showering Dalton with glass. His eyes followed the evil form responsible. Turning pliable, it concertinaed into itself when it struck the opposite wall and sprung off. Reforming into a creature of viciousness it stretched claws at Dalton. Wondering what the SEALs
would do without his assistance, Richard raised the rifle and fired a short burst. Though one of the bullets clipped Dalton’s ear, removing a small chunk, Richard managed to focus the unfamiliar weapon and the remainder of the bullets on the creature. Carried by the force of the bullets slamming into its body, the creature shot along the corridor. On striking the wall it liquefied into a dark, oily sludge.

  Aware of the creatures rushing at them from behind, Richard shoved Dalton forward. “Move!”

  Dalton moved, taking a wide berth around the reforming Black.

  Richard scooped up the man’s dropped weapon as he rushed after him.

  Aware only the first to reach the prey would feast on the much-needed sustenance offered by the humans, EV1L’s offspring set off after them in rapid pursuit.

  CHAPTER 23

  Rendezvous

  Spying the elevator doors held open by Sullivan, who had his troubled gaze focused on something behind the two men sprinting towards him, Richard shot a fearful glance behind. The shrieking and snarling creatures were drawing close far too speedily to inspire any confidence they wouldn’t be upon him before he reached the relative safety of the elevator. Through the walls, he saw the previously pregnant cocoon had evolved into a beast just as terrifying as any he had encountered back on the spaceship in Antarctica. With all thoughts of collecting a sample of the alien Black now firmly banished, Richard focused on his survival. He briefly considered tripping Dalton. Feeding on him might slow the creatures down and give him the precious few seconds he needed to escape, but with Sullivan observing from the elevator it wouldn’t be a wise move. The man would probably shoot him in retaliation.

  Richard decided on a different tactic. He spun as he skidded to a halt, gracelessly pointed both rifles along the corridor and pulled the triggers. Though the powerful weapons hardly had any recoil, they lurched erratically in his inexperienced hands, spitting bullets in the general direction of the creatures.

  Bullets struck the walls, floor and some of the creatures as Richard roamed the weapons around the corridor. The painful shrieks emitted by those hit had the desired effect of slowing the creatures as they came to terms with the onslaught. Adapting quickly, they also changed tactics. Splitting from their previous huddled mass, creatures scampered up the walls and some chose the ceiling to continue their pursuit.

  Dropping one of the weapons when it clicked on empty, Richard grabbed the still firing one with both hands and adjusted his aim, sweeping an erratic swath of bullets over the fragmented monstrosities. The creatures reacted quickly and leapt out of the bullets’ path. It was like watching some bizarre acrobatic circus act. Creatures constantly leapt from wall to wall and wall to ceiling and floor in all directions, passing each other’s foul forms in majestic flight. Though none were killed, their avoidance techniques did slow their progress. The gunfire reverberating around the level faded when the bullets ran out. Richard glanced at the large beast that smashed through the glass wall back along the corridor. Mother was coming. The large maternal creature wasn’t something he was eager to meet face-to-face.

  “Richard, we need to leave now!” shouted Sullivan.

  Richard, who excelled in retreat, was in full concurrence. He turned away from the oncoming mass of evil intentions and sprinted for the elevator as Dalton slipped inside. When he was few steps away, Sullivan removed his hand from the frame that had prevented the doors from closing. Fretting that he wouldn’t make it before the doors shut him out, consigning him to a painful and imminent death from the ravenous hoard, Richard focused on the narrowing gap. Sucking in his chest, he sidled through with barely enough room to accommodate him. As soon as the doors met, Sullivan punched the up button a few times. The old elevator lurched into movement and began to rise. Loud thumps from the frustrated creatures slamming against the door echoed up the shaft.

  They had done it.

  “Did you plant the charges?” asked Colbert, leaning against the wall for support.

  A little breathless, Dalton glanced at the blood seeping from his hand and the commander’s wounds; both needed medical attention. “Richard threw the bag into the room where the alien egg layer was, but as you know, some have hatched and are no longer in the room.”

  Richard sighed. He had risked his life for nothing. He could have left the explosives in the hall.

  “No matter, they’ll still destroy the level and hopefully everything on it,” added Sullivan, sticking an explosive charge to the elevator ceiling. “At the very least those creatures will be trapped down there.”

  Colbert glanced at his watch. “Forty-three minutes before the big bang. Plenty of time for us to move to a safe distance and watch the fireworks.”

  Sullivan nodded at Dalton’s hand. “What’s the damage?”

  “Serious, but I’ll live. Though I don’t think I’ll be firing a weapon any time soon.”

  “Hopefully you won’t need to,” reassured Colbert. “As soon as we’re patched up good enough to prevent blood loss, we’re leaving.”

  Sullivan leaned closer to the side of Dalton’s head. “You’ve also lost part of your ear.”

  “I have?”

  Keen to draw the attention away from Dalton’s ear and who might be responsible, Richard turned to Colbert. “Now I’ve completed your mission for you, can we please get out of this damn Russian hellhole?”

  “That’s the plan,” replied Colbert. “We’ll head to the helicopter, move to a safe distance and wait for the charges to go off to make certain the facility’s destroyed.”

  “Good, then what happens to me?”

  Colbert shrugged. “You can come with us, or we’ll return you to the dig site we picked you up from.”

  “Abducted,” corrected Richard.

  Colbert grinned.

  “Take me back to the crater. I have work to do, and I’m sure my brother’s worried about what’s happened to me.”

  “Probably the only one that is,” uttered Dalton, looking at his damaged ear in the reflective wall of the elevator.

  When the elevator arrived on Level 3, Sullivan and Colbert stepped out and covered the corridor with their weapons. Uncertain how intelligent the creatures were, and if they could operate an elevator, Dalton kicked the short length of timber between the doors to prevent them from closing and sending the elevator down for the aliens to ride up. Sullivan led them along the corridor that would take them to the secondary elevator, which they would ride to Level 1 and the first aid station.

  They paused when a loud crash of tortured metal rose up the elevator shaft and travelled along the corridor.

  “That didn’t sound good,” Dalton said, as he and the others gazed worriedly back the way they had come.

  SENSING HER HATCHLINGS were in danger, EV1L dropped from the ceiling, sucked in her bulbous reproductive mass and formed a creature selected from its extensive repertoire. Four-legged, armored and vicious, Ev1L turned her large head to the men fleeing along the corridor with her offspring in pursuit. A glance around the birthing chamber revealed most of her eggs had hatched. When gunfire rang out, she observed her younglings dodging the bullets; they had inherited her experiences with the human weapons and were quick to react. Those that were hit suffered, but they would survive. She sent out her senses to search for her first produced. Failing to detect its presence, she assumed the humans had killed it.

  Ev1L growled menacingly as she padded lazily to the cracked wall, lowered her head and pushed through. Ignoring the glass showering to the floor around and over her, she headed along the corridor and watched the fleeing humans escape into the chamber that could move up and down. She headed for the doors her offspring sprung frustratingly against. Some turned to liquid and tried to seep through the joints but protective seals that could hold back gases and contaminants foiled them.

  EV1L growled an order, stilling her younglings. They looked at their parent and subserviently backed away when she approached. EV1L pressed her head against the doors and felt them give a little. She
moved away, turned until she faced the doors and rushed at them.

  The impact of beast against metal echoed up the shaft. The doors screeched in protest as they buckled under the force. EV1L enlarged the hole when she poked her head through, turned it 180 degrees and gazed up the dark shaft. It was vital for her minions to feed to become stronger, and the only food source available was the fleeing humans. She growled a series of drawn out deep growls before stretching her body through the doors. As her elongated mass touched the concrete side of the shaft, it formed into a large archaic alien centipede and climbed the wall. Her hatchlings poured through the gap and formed smaller facsimiles of their mother. The clicks of a thousand claws filled the shaft as the wriggling mass of Black horrors continued the hunt for human prey.

  ARMED WITH COLBERT’S rifle and on guard outside the first aid station while Sullivan was inside patching up Colbert’s and Dalton’s wounds, Richard cocked an ear nervously along the corridor and raised the weapon at the sound of approaching footsteps. He turned his head to the doorway and whispered, “Someone or something’s coming.”

  Sullivan thrust the roll of bandage he was binding around Dalton’s hand into his commander’s hands. “Can you finish this off.”

  Already patched up, Colbert nodded.

  Sullivan grabbed his weapon and joined Richard in the corridor.”

  “It might be the Russians,” offered Richard anxiously, thoughts of interrogation and gulags flitting through his head.

  The possibility of a firefight creased Sullivan’s brow. Though all of them were battle-hardened veterans, except for Richard who he doubted would be of much use, he was the only one not wounded. A small force could easily pin them down and block their only escape route. In addition to that, if the Russians had grenades they might be forced to retreat nearer to the creatures that seemed to be making their way up through the levels. They would be caught between two evils. The lack of any warning from Ramirez was also worrying. If it was the Russians approaching, he must have been overpowered or worse, killed.