by G. P. Hudson
Jon shrugged. “I killed him.”
Sallas stopped walking and just stared at Jon, trying to make sense of what he heard. “Why?”
“We had a difference of opinion. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Juneau may be gone but others are still running the show. Your best bet will be to get to General Calledonius.”
Sallas resumed walking. “That seems the logical course of action.”
“First we have to get out of this building. Stay behind like before and hopefully we’ll all get out in one piece.”
The group made it through the second set of doors into the stairwell without incident. They climbed up the stairs with weapons ready. The muscles in his neck tightened sending stabs of pain up into the back of his skull. With each flight he waited for the attack to come. He dreaded each step. If there were troops waiting on the stairs above, they were screwed.
He glanced back and wondered about Seiben. He was sweaty and jumped at every sound. His head kept turning, constantly looking above and behind him. Had it been a mistake to arm him? If they ran into trouble he might decide to shoot. Seiben in the rear could mean an accidental bullet in the back. Should he disarm him? No, he couldn’t do that to the grouchy old bastard. Hopefully he wouldn’t regret the decision.
Sallas and Dr. Ellerbeck walked side by side, just ahead of Seiben. He could tell by the way Sallas watched her that he had developed a protective instinct. More confirmation that they were romantically involved. How would that play out? It could work in their favor if Sallas took back his office. But would she still consider herself a member of the Hermes crew? Would she still follow orders? Would she remove the Chaanisar brain chips? Would she refuse if he ordered her not to?
He looked over at Bast and Jarvi. How would things play out with the Chaanisar, now that they found Dr. Ellerbeck? There would be no more incentive for the Chaanisar to help. At least not after the chips were removed. Did Colonel Bast have an endgame? Was the creature right? Should he strike first? Or should he give them a chance to prove themselves? Perhaps they truly did want their humanity back? Could he deny them their freedom? Jon began to hope for an assault, so he could stop thinking. At least for now, they were all in this together.
They made it to the ground floor without incident. Jon took a deep breath and thanked whatever deity looked after them. He opened the door. The corridor lay ahead. Empty. Jon waved the rest of the group through and they rushed down the hall to the outer doors. Jon cracked one of the doors open and peeked out. He didn’t like what he saw. There were soldiers everywhere. Some had taken up defensive positions, while others surveyed the damage caused by the bombardment. There was no way they were going to get past them.
He closed the door and said to Bast, “We need another bombardment.”
Bast nodded and his left eye twitched. “We have to wait.”
“Why?”
“The ship is under attack. A destroyer. They are confident they can defeat it, but need their weapon systems focused on the battle to do so.”
Jon looked back outside. “Then we’ve got a problem. Soldiers are heading this way.”
“We passed a door back there,” said Kevin, pointing down the hall.
“Go,” said Jon.
Kevin bolted down the hall to the door, the group following close behind. He tried to open it. Locked. Kevin stepped back and launched his massive frame at the door. It swung open, the locking system no match for Kevin’s weight. The group ran inside just as the outer doors opened.
Jon gently pushed the door closed. His eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness. They were in what appeared to be some type of briefing room. A large display covered the far wall and chairs were arranged in neat rows. He motioned for Ellerbeck, Sallas, and Seiben to go to the far end of the room. Jon heard the soldiers’ boots coming down the hall. One of them spoke. “Keep your eyes open. They might still be in here.” The boots came closer. They were in front of the door now.
“Sir,” said another soldier, but nothing else. Jon knew what that meant. He had seen the damage to the door, and used hand signs so as not to tip off anyone inside. It was a problem for both sides. Jon’s group knew the soldiers were coming, so the soldiers weren’t going to catch them off guard. At the same time, any hope Jon had of surprising the soldiers and taking them out quietly now disappeared. Things were about to get noisy.
Jon took a knee and pointed his weapon at the door. Kevin, Bast and Jarvi were in position to fire as well. The door burst open and the first of the soldiers rushed into the room. They let them get in a few feet before opening fire. The doorway created a good bottleneck, and the soldiers needed a second to adjust to the darkness.
These guys were fast. They all wore exoskeletons, augmenting their speed. Jon fired at the first man to enter, sending several rounds into his chest. The force of the bullets made the man fall backward, but didn’t kill him. Body armor. Jon aimed for the head. Pink mist. Bullets were already hitting the second man, so Jon moved to the third. Head shot. One round and the soldier fell. A fourth soldier foolishly entered the kill zone. Cut down before he could take a step into the room. He heard boots running. Jon leaped over the dead bodies into the hall. Soldiers were trying to get to the outer doors. Two shots. One in the back of each man’s head. Both dead.
“The outer doors!” said Jon, running to the entrance. Kevin, Bast and Jarvi burst out of the room and followed. More soldiers would be coming. They couldn’t let them in the building. Only one option. Hold them off until the ship could open fire.
The doors opened as Jon reached them. Two soldiers. Close enough to conserve ammo. He smashed his gun’s stock into the first man’s face, dropping him. Not dead, but incapacitated for the moment. The second got an elbow in the throat. A killing blow. A hard kick to the first man’s temple finished him too. He cracked the doors. More soldiers. Charging. He fired into their group. Kevin, Bast and Jarvi joined in. The soldiers not mowed down ran for cover.
Another wave of soldiers approached. These ones more cautious. They didn’t charge. Instead they took cover and opened fire. Jon closed the doors. The enemy fire too heavy now. They were outnumbered and outgunned. Could they hold them off long enough?
“Behind us!” Kevin said, gunfire erupting.
The group spun around to see a team in the hallway advancing on their position. They opened fire. Jarvi bolted, charging the threat. Using his enhanced speed he ran up the wall, temporarily outrunning gravity. The tactic allowed him to fire from a higher vantage point. Some of the soldiers shot at him, but couldn’t adjust to his speed. He reached their group, still running, and fired broadside into their ranks, creating a crossfire. The tactic threw the group in disarray, with several soldiers stopping to deal with Jarvi, and getting cut down by Jon, Bast and Kevin instead.
The Chaanisar were good. No doubt about that. Jarvi hit the floor behind the soldiers. Jon continued firing, shooting a soldier in the back who had turned to engage Jarvi. A few were disciplined enough to stay focused on Jon’s group, but confusion reigned among the rest.
In an effort to find cover, one of the soldiers ran into the room where Ellerbeck, Sallas and Seiben were hiding. Jon knew that Jarvi saw it, but he couldn’t reach the room. Jon took off. The room was too far. He wouldn’t make it in time. Had to try. Gunfire erupted inside the room. Oh no, he thought. The door opened. Bullets tore into the soldiers in the hall. They fell. Another turned. Aimed at the doorway. Jon fired. Two rounds, one in the clavicle, spinning the man, the other in the eye, finishing him off. All the soldiers dead.
Seiben stepped out of the room, weapon at the ready. Looked at Jon. Smiled. “If you want something done right…”
“Get back in the damn room,” said Jon, cutting him off.
Seiben nodded, still grinning.
I’ll be hearing about this for months, Jon thought.
The outer doors burst open and Jon whipped around to see Bast and Kevin firing into another group of soldiers, but falling back. Jon raised his weapon to fir
e. A burning hot knife stabbed him in the shoulder. He’d been shot. He continued firing. Every pull of the trigger sent searing spikes through his shoulder.
Damn does that ever hurt. Will you do something already? The creature got the message and moved to counter the wound’s effects. In moments the pain in his shoulder turned into a dull ache. Seconds later it disappeared, as the creature essentially anesthetized the injury.
Unfortunately, that was the least of his worries. The soldiers were trying to break through. The bottleneck the doorway had created would not hold if they kept charging. To make matters worse, the downed soldiers fell in the doorway, preventing the doors from closing. That gave anyone outside the building a clear line of sight into the hallway. They couldn’t defend the doorway anymore.
“Fall back,” yelled Jon.
He and Jarvi provided covering fire as Bast and Kevin retreated. There were several nooks in the hallway. Each man took one, and used it for cover. More powerful ordnance now plowed through the hallway. The soldiers had time on their side and were already taking advantage of it, bringing in heavier weapons. Jon tried to take a look and a piece of the wall beside him blew apart. The wall shuddered as more blasts obliterated it. Jon crouched down, providing a smaller target. Another blast and wall fragments rained down on top of him. The next impact hit the wall on the other side. They had already punched through. Soon they would blow a hole through him.
Another blast and the ground shook. It shook again, and again, as concussions came in rapid fire waves. The gunfire slowed and Jon recognized the shrieking sound of orbital bombardment. The pounding came in fast and furious, the floor shaking like a jackhammer breaking it apart. Jon took advantage of the confusion and fired on the group inside. His team picked them off, one by one, as the pounding outside intensified. It continued mercilessly, without pause, until it just stopped. The thunderclaps of battle replaced by an eerie quiet.
Chapter 26
“I have called in an extraction,” said Bast, as they ran down the street. They managed to flee the military compound without any further encounters, as the risk of orbital bombardment kept any remaining soldiers hidden away.
“Where is the extraction point?” said Jon. He noticed Bast’s left eye twitch again, indicating he was in communication with the ship.
“There,” he said, pointing to a tall building a few blocks ahead. “The shuttle can land on its roof.”
“Okay, let’s move,” said Jon. He hoped they wouldn’t run into any more hostiles. They had loaded up on ammunition before leaving the military building. At least they would be prepared.
“Captain Pike,” called Sallas from behind. Jon didn’t slow his pace, forcing Sallas to run up beside him. “Did I hear correctly? Will a shuttle be picking us up?”
“That’s right.”
“Is it taking us to General Calledonius?”
“No, we’re heading up to the ship.”
Sallas’s brow furrowed. “Captain, we need to get to General Calledonius.”
“We don’t need to do anything other than get back up to the ship,” said Jon, trying to keep himself together. He was close to losing it on Sallas, and that wouldn’t end well.
“That’s unacceptable.”
“What did you just say?”
“It’s unacceptable, Captain.”
Jon felt his temperature rising. “Do you think I work for you?”
“I… I didn’t say that,” said Sallas, looking nervous now.
“That’s funny, because it sounded like you were trying to tell me what to do.”
“Captain, that’s not what I meant…”
“Let’s get something straight, Sallas. We are here to rescue Dr. Ellerbeck. You’re just along for the ride.”
Sallas frowned. “I understand that, Captain.”
“Look, this is the best course of action,” said Jon, softening his tone. “We can’t reach Calledonius on foot. We would have to cross a battlefield to do so. Once we’re up on the ship we can try and communicate with him and figure out next steps.”
Sallas didn’t respond, but looked dejected.
“Okay?” said Jon.
“It doesn’t appear I have much of a choice,” said Sallas.
“That’s the spirit,” said Jon, slapping Sallas on the back.
Jon saw the hint of anger in Sallas’s eyes, but it quickly faded and he fell back behind Jon. They continued running at a moderate pace, allowing Sallas and Dr. Ellerbeck, who didn’t have exoskeletons, to keep up.
“I need to look at that shoulder,” said Ellerbeck, picking up her pace to run beside Jon.
“It’s fine for now. The symbiont is dealing with the pain.”
“We’ll need to talk about that too.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think now is the time.”
“Of course not.” She became quiet for a moment, and then said, “He’s a good man you know.”
“I’m sure he is.”
“No, really. It’s important that he doesn’t lose this fight. He’s vital to the future of this planet. Even the future of the colonies.”
“Don’t you think you’re a little biased, Doctor?”
Ellerbeck smiled. “I do have feelings for him, but what he stands for is greater than that.”
“Democracy?”
“Freedom.”
Freedom. Did it even exist?
“Promise me you’ll help him, Captain.”
“Let’s just get back up to the ship and we can talk about it. If he is as important as you say, then the best thing we can do right now is get him off this rock so he doesn’t end up dead.”
“Yes, Captain.”
As they neared the building Jon heard something that stopped him in his tracks. A pounding that made the pavement tremble. A mechanical whirring followed, the sound large metal joints make when they move. His stomach tightened as realization swept over him. His fears were confirmed when a giant mech stepped out onto the street in front of them.
They froze, hoping it would keep walking. Not notice them. Wishful thinking, of course. Streets that were once bustling with activity were now barren. This fact alone made them suspicious.
The mech took a few steps into the intersection. It easily stood twenty feet tall. It moved awkwardly, like most mechs do, giving you the impression it was unbalanced. Its massive torso stayed well behind the legs, which moved knee joints first. The knees, elbows, and shoulders were all disproportionately large and round. The Diakan designed mechs used by Space Force were sleeker, their joints smaller, yet capable of supporting an incredible amount of weight. Still, the Goliath standing in front of them looked like it could knock down buildings with its bare hands.
Not that it would need to. It carried missile launchers on its shoulders and mammoth sized Gatling guns in its hands. It had nothing more than a stump for a head, which no doubt housed all its sensors. The cockpit would be in the chest. That’s where the operator sat. Gray camouflage paint covered the thing from head to toe.
Any hopes that it would move on were dashed when it turned to face them. Jon tried to spot a weakness. Preferably some way to get at the person inside. He couldn’t find anything. Green light burst forth from the beast’s head, enveloping the group. A DNA scan.
“Run,” yelled Jon. “Into the building.” They ran to the doors of the building next to them. Jon scooped up Ellerbeck and Bast grabbed Sallas. They would have no chance of outrunning the mech’s fire otherwise. Missiles blasted the entrance just as they cleared it. They kept running. Through the lobby, past a group of people now diving for cover, toward the back.
The floor vibrated as the mech ran down the street to the building. The vibrations stopped as the mech lined up the lobby. It opened fire with its powerful Gatling guns. Gigantic rounds tore through the building, mercilessly cutting through everything in their path. The group reached the back of the building and spilled out onto the street at the same time. They kept running. Narrowly escaping the powerful ordnance bursting through
the walls behind them.
They streaked up the street, their only hope to make the extraction point before the mech. Their augmented speed the only thing saving them so far. Thankfully quick thinking and the exoskeletons allowed Kevin and Seiben to stay alive.
The road shuddered.
Ellerbeck screamed.
“You ok?” asked Jon, worried that Ellerbeck might be injured.
“Just don’t drop me!” she answered, her voice panicked.
Jon had Ellerbeck slung over his shoulder in a fireman carry. He gripped her tighter, to make her feel more secure. “Don’t worry Doctor, you won’t be falling today.”
“Where’s Michael? Is he ok?”
Jon looked over at Bast who had Sallas over his shoulder. The Prime Minister had a look of sheer terror on his face, but other than that looked very much alive.
“He’s fine.”
They raced through an intersection. Jon looked across it and saw the mech running full out. For something that looked so awkward, it sure moved fast. Its legs ran forward, but its torso swiveled sideways to face them.
“Shit!” said Jon.
The Gatling guns exploded, and Ellerbeck screamed again.
The heavy gunfire tore into the buildings around them as the mech tried to find its target. Collateral damage obviously wasn’t a concern. Then again, why would despots care about civilian loss of life?
The mech charged after the group. They cleared the intersection, but couldn’t use the buildings for cover anymore. The mech would soon be behind them. In seconds they would all be cut down.
“Where’s the ship?” Jon said to Bast. “Don’t they see that thing chasing us?”
“They’re not responding.”
“Damn it. We have to get off the street. This way,” said Jon, and ran into the nearest building.
Inside a group of people were gathered around a large display showing multiple video feeds. In one a military man spoke. Jon wondered if he wasn’t one of the so-called Colonels now leading the coup. There was an image of Sallas, a feed of a battle raging, and another of dead civilians. The coup PR machine doing its part to instill fear in the population. If you make people scared enough they will gratefully relinquish their freedoms. The people who see through the bullshit are always the minority, easily isolated and branded as crazy, or worse.
