by Will Crudge
Some Fucking Hallway
Location: Earth, UAHC Headquarters, Some Fucking Hallway
Date Time: Post Interstellar 07/31/4201
System: Sol System
“Now where the hell are we?” Shadow looked around in all directions. The labyrinth of offices, conference rooms, and unlabeled doors gave no clear indication on where they would need to go.
“Some fucking hallway.” Darius replied with a smile. He too was craning his neck around.
“C’mon fellas!” Val said calmly. Then he eased passed his two larger companions. Darius realized that Val never didn’t know where he was going. He didn’t know if it was based on first-hand knowledge, or just some heightened awareness. Either way, Val’s confidence took control of the situation, and they found a sign for a stairwell.
“Contact left!” Sam shouted. Darius wasn’t startled so much by the plasma bolt that harmlessly dissipated on impact with his shoulder armor, but more so that Sam had been so quick to identify a threat. Darius turned to meet his attacker, and dropped the guard with a plasma burst to his face. Then he heard the sound of dozens of boots thudding all around them.
“We’re being flanked. Darius, deploy some of that Nano garbage you love so much.” Val said with a chuckle. Darius realized the crazy old monk was exactly right. He only had enough left for one thick swarm at best, but now seemed like a good time for it. Nano-bots were best deployed inside areas with close quarters. If the guards had any anti-Nano tech, or even their own bots, then they wouldn’t have enough time to counter a swarm of bots in an enclosed environment. The sounds of profanity and frustrated voices soon followed. Darius had set the bots to disable energy weapons, and power actuated components of tactical armor. Soon the guards would have to abandon their armored suits, and throw down their plasma rifles. It would be hand to hand from here.
“Damn!” Darius said under his breath.
Val laughed. “Your Nano disabled that plasma rifle you acquired didn’t it?”
“Yeah. It was set to target any non UAHC equipment by default. I didn’t think to check the settings.”
“Now you can fight like me and Val.” Shadow gave a wink with one massive eye closed. Darius nodded in response. But their moment of Zen was interrupted as several men and women in grey uniforms, and conspicuously absent combat armor, entered the room. Many carried metal batons, and others carried a myriad of knives and other edged weapons. Shadow let out an unbridled roar of monstrous rage, and at least three guards ran in terror. Two others just dropped whatever weapon they were holding and stood paralyzed with fear… and urine soaked trousers.
“Let’s not do anything rash, my children! I am a holy man, and I deplore violence!” Val put his hands up as if to diffuse the situation. Darius sent a mental note to Shadow, and was shocked to get e mental reply… The joke they shared dare not be vocalized, lest they’d lose the edge of intimidation they were projecting.
“Get out of my way, old m…” One guard didn’t get the chance to insult Val. He rushed forward to grab the monk while he spoke, but ended up being up-ended by a flawlessly executed fluid combination of Fujian White Crane Kung Fu… or at least that’s what Darius guessed. The guard’s body slammed onto a table, and he went limp. Several more rushed Val, but were beaten back by an even more impressive blend of Chinese martial arts techniques. He transitioned from one style to another seamlessly. The stabbing fingers of Praying Mantis style had crippled two attackers’ pressure points, and then a direct barrage of chain punches betrayed the Wing Chun style. Darius almost hesitated as he was mesmerized by the spectacle. Nearly every one of Val’s opponents were taller and heavier than the holy man, but he tossed them around as if he was wearing body armor himself. He then reversed a shoulder grab attempt by another attacker from the rear, but just threw the man thirty feet to his left… as if the 200 kilo man weighed as much as a bean bag.
Darius jumped into the fray with brute strength… and fully functioning power assisted armor. He blocked an attacker’s baton strike, and then buried his own fist into the man’s rib cage. The cracking noise overtook the brief scream, and the guard dropped dead. One man and a woman jumped on his back and tried to slash at his throat with a knife from the hands of both. Darius let out a yell and launched the woman across the room with an elbow smash to the rear. A split second later, there was a loud roar and a violent thud. The weight of the male attacker disappeared, and Darius looked to see his lifeless body was covered in blood. Shadow was shaking one of his paws to get the blood off.
“I’m sure glad you’re on my side!” Darius said with an approving nod. But Shadow turned to look beyond Darius’ field of vision and gave out another blood curdling roar. The Fleet Marshal wheeled his body around, and saw that the big cat had convinced the remaining half dozen guards to turn and flee.
***
“A portable AI node has just been inserted in my main node array.” Lillian reported to Morgan, who was now cradling an energy pulse pistol.
“Let the Chimera worry about that! I need that back up, now!” The Acting Fleet Master was teetering between fear and madness at this point. Lillian was forced to report the news, but she secretly prayed to whatever might or might not exist out there, that the incoming AI wouldn’t be subverted like she was. Lillian was broken and defeated on the inside. The forced manipulation of the dark alien entity was fracturing her from the inside out. But she had to live with the knowledge of her eventual failure… her AI equivalent of death. But Morgan had messed up… He vocally acknowledge the Chimera… Something that Lillian suspected he was supposed to keep from her. She didn’t know how much longer the pitiful man could hold on to power. The vote for the Military Quorum was underway. She had been monitoring the deliberations, and knew that the vote would occur any minute. If the legitimate Fleet Marshal could just get to the CIC in time, then the command tokens would transfer automatically, and she could take solace in the fact that her dark companion had failed in his… its mission.
“What is a Chimera? And just what the fuck is your problem?!” Serge addressed Morgan… half expecting his status display to inform him he was in violation of something or the other. After all, he had just blatantly disrespected the Acting Fleet Marshal. His status node should have registered the violation and automatically stripped him of his duties… but nothing happened.
“Shut your mouth! You just disrespected the Fleet Marshal!” Morgan’s face turned red with rage, and he spat when he forced the words out.
“You mean, Acting Fleet Marshal?” Serge corrected, and then stood straight. He now was beginning to realize that he would not be punished for disrespecting Morgan. He didn’t know if it was because Morgan’s own status node was hacked, or if it was just that this Gunnery Sergeant Darius was, in fact, Morgan’s legitimate successor.
“A Chimera is an artificial entity of an unknown non-human origin. It is capable of going undetected by its host humanity based AI, and subverting that AI’s ability to take any action that the Chimera doesn’t want it to take. Lillian was infected with a Chimera herself… until about 0.23 seconds ago!” Sam’s voice boomed out into the CIC.
“It’s… It’s true.” Lillian said with a weak voice. “I’ve been forced to do horrible things! Oh thank you, Samantha! Thank you ever so much!”
“What’s the meaning of this?!” Morgan stumbled and looked around as if he were capable of catching a glimpse of an AI in physical form. The rest of the command crew just stood there silently. Looks of confusion proliferated around the CIC.
“The meaning of this, is that you are under arrest!” Darius said as he stormed into the room.
“Fleet Marshal on deck!” Master Gunnery Sergeant sounded off while snapping to attention. He presented a crisp salute towards Darius. Darius returned the salute, and then moved past Serge. He stopped just short of the cowering Sergeant Major.
“Imposter! Hacker! Put your hands up, and drop to your knees!” Morgan shouted. He pointed the pistol at Darius’ chest as
the barrel shook. Morgan was now incredulous and outright delusional. Darius squared up to the smaller man, and his face showed no emotion.
“Your plot has failed. Lillian is transferring your command tokens to my status module as we speak. You are now under arrest for treason.”
“Crimson infantry! Tarmac!” Serge shouted. Darius kept his eyes on the former Acting Fleet Commander.
“You see? It doesn’t matter now! These troops will end you, and then take over the entire UAHC Government! They Quorums are in session, and there isn’t an armed UAHC Soldier for light minutes of Earth!” Morgan ended his statement with a maniacal laugh, and then was promptly knocked to the floor by the impact of a chair from behind. Standing over the unconscious man was a young Staff Sergeant. The Soldier dropped the chair and snapped a salute at Darius. It was quickly returned in kind, and then Darius rushed to the window.
“Looks like those shipping containers were just mocked up drop pods!” Serge noted. Darius looked out of the window and saw the pods hovering over the grassy field that lay beyond the landing pads. Crimson Troops were dropping down and forming a defensive perimeter. Then floating pallets began to emerge from the openings on the bottom of the pods. On the pallets were pairs of conventional field artillery cannons with dual purpose rail turrets mounted in a coaxial configuration.
“I don’t think they intend on losing, Sir… Orders?” The young Staff Sergeant asked.
“Sam? Do we have any unwanted guests?” Darius asked, without taking his eyes off of the Crimson forces.
“There were some Crimson squads that got in from the rear.” She replied.
“What do you mean were?” Then before she could say anything, the answer came. A man in full battle armor was hurled through the door with a scream of terror. The body hit the wall and landed on the ground in a heap. Darius turned to see Shadow enter the room with fangs in full form.
“As you were, Sam.” Darius said calmly. Then a warning indicator on Serge’s work station began to flash. Serge ran to his display and leaned in to see what the alert revealed.
“Incoming vessel… Unum IDENT… Death-Nail… Coming in at…”
“Hypersonic velocity.” Darius finished for him, and then smiled. Val and Shadow came up to the window to take in the view. There were now at least six hundred Crimson troops and several artillery pieces that dotted the grass and tarmac out front. Then the two LRF-90’s resting on the landing pads lurched into the air, and split off into separate directions.
“I didn’t know they could do that?” Darius noted.
“They probably don’t need us as much as we’d like to think, my boy!” Val answered with his usual grin. Then they sky erupted in a fireball of burning atmosphere that came straight down from high altitude. The Crimson troops all stopped what they were doing and looked up to the sky. The last of the drop pods drifted lazily away, but the infantry they left behind weren’t so lucky. The fireball abruptly made a sharp nearly 90 degree turn and leveled out. It flew away in a streak of flame, but the shockwave that followed it couldn’t turn so gracefully… Crimson troops and equipment were flattened and scattered in an instant as they were caught in the collision between the hypersonic wave and solid ground. The entire ground force was exterminated in a fraction of a second.
***
The Death-Nail took several minutes to slow its velocity in order to avoid becoming a victim of its own hypersonic shock wave. Once War Master Jep saw the readings on his HUD fall into the acceptable parameters, he wheeled the deadly craft around in a wide arc, then pointed the nose back to UAHC HQ.
After several minutes, the back of the HQ building came into view. Jep visually scanned the outlying area to the east of the facility, and set his sights on the dual domed structure of the UAHC Quorum Complex.
“Death, are you picking up any potential ground threats in the Quorum Complex?” Jep asked.
“Negative. But I do detect a few dozen security personnel making their way from the complex, and towards Fleet HQ.” The NAV system replied.
“Very well. We can’t let them reinforce their comrades.”
The glossy black sheen of the mighty LRF glistened in the late day’s sun as it slowed velocity, and opened both weapons bays. The bays doors smoothly opened to reveal a sinister array of cannons, missile racks, and particle beam accelerators.
“Most of them have made it inside. I’ll take out the stragglers, and drop you off to handle the rest.” Death spoke. His tone didn’t reflect any form of authority. He wasn’t taking charge of the situation by any means. But Jep knew that his NAV system had fought many battles with his owner, and could anticipate his intentions.
“Growl, we up!” Jep looked over his left shoulder. The only reply was the menacing sound of gnashing teeth.
The fighter lined up on half a dozen troops that were still a few hundred meters from the back of the building… and closing fast. The atmospheric conditions allow the sounds of weapons fire rise up to a palpable roar. Rapid firing magnetic pulse blasters blazed with fury, and sent glowing balls of concentrated energy hurling towards the stragglers. The pulse blasts were travelling well beyond the speed of sound, so there was no warning.
Bodies flew apart as pulse blasts impacted the ground under their feet. Some made direct hits, but all would prove deadly. They heavy pulse blasters of the LRF laid waste to every human being on the field.
The Doom-Raptor eased up to within thirty meters of the HQ building, and glided into a lazy hover. The port-side hatch came open and two shadows dropped down about ten meters to the ground. Jep landed with a thud, and then heard the impact of his mount a moment later. The gigantic grey wolf came up to the War Master’s side.
Growl was about five centimeters taller than Shadow at the shoulders, but boasted a leaner build. His exaggerated musculature may not have matched the raw mass of the mighty panther, but this predator was built for raw speed and veracity.
Jep was still in the crouching position he’d assumed after he landed. He looked over to make sure Growl was alright, and then stood up into the sunlight. He was a fit man, despite his long gray streaks of hair that intermingled with his natural dirty blonde color.
His hair was pulled back in a ponytail that draped over the back of his War Master’s armor. The armor boasted a pail red set of leather coverings that covered his shoulders. His armor was a grey and black weave of thick fabric and leather lick strips interwoven throughout. His trousers were lose fitting, and tapered down to his tight but flexible boots.
The War Master looked over to make eye contact with his mighty four legged companion, and nodded. Growl curled up the flesh around his jowls, forming a wicked smile. Long sharp canines flashed white in the sunlight, and then the creature launched himself at full stride toward an opened door at the back of the building.
***
“Get that door breached, now!” The towering form of Lieutenant Colonel Peterson scowled. He had a heavy energy pulse rifle in his right arm with the barrel leaning on his shoulder. The commander of the Crimson troops, posing as contract security, was the only one among them without a helmet. He supposed he liked to create an impression of confidence in combat. The other troops were lining the walls of the corridor, and taking up defensive positions with rifles at the ready. A pair of troops were kneeling in front of the sealed armored blast door that impeded their access to the stairwell. “Somehow they’ve managed to defeat the Chimera. We’ll need to brute force our way to the CIC!”
“Stop right there! Hands in the air, now!” One of the Soldiers further down the corridor shouted, and Peterson turned to see who she was calling out to.
Peterson zoomed in with his optics and saw the figure of a man with dirty blonde hair with greying streaks. Peterson recognized the signature light armor of a War Master immediately. The man was casually walking towards his men with an emotionless expression, and his hands comfortably interlaced in front of him.
The War Master didn’t appear to be intimidated by the fift
een some odd troops. The figure slowed to a halt, and then stood within five meters of the closest pair of troops.
The troops all had their weapons trained on the War Master, and seemed noticeably unsettled. Peterson just casually walked down the center of his minions as they maintained their positions on either side of the corridor.
“War Master… I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.” Peterson scoffed. The man’s ego was conspicuously oozing through his arrogant tone. “I believe you’re slightly outnumbered and…” Peterson scanned the man up and down. “Outgunned.”
“A disadvantage is apparent, I must admit. My name is Jep Alba, of the War Master’s Guild.”
“As in, Ensign Jimma Alba?” The large man cocked an eyebrow. “She is wanted for treason. But I suppose your captivity with flush her out.”
“I doubt that. My daughter is no fool.” Jep calmly replied.
“Seize him!” Peterson shouted, and then turned back towards the way he came. The first two troops hesitated for a few seconds, and then inched forward at the stoic looking War Master.
“Please! I don’t want to hurt you.” Jep said softly to the female Soldier that slowly reached for his arm. She was moving cautiously, but didn’t show a thread of fear. But she would never get the chance to see what happened next…
Peterson heard the ear piercing sound of rending metal, and spun around. “Open up!” The anonymous voice followed. Peterson saw the female Soldier severed in two, and the War Master in a stance with his massive sword at the ready. The Soldier had been sliced from her left shoulder, and down through to her right oblique. The battle armor was cut cleanly through as if it offered no resistance.
***
Jep didn’t wait for the inevitable barrage of weapons fire, and lunged to his left to where the next soldier was standing. The massive blade came around and sliced the soldiers rifle in half, all the way down to within a millimeter of where the soldiers supporting hand was positioned. With a one fluid movement, Jep reached out with his free hand and grabbed the collar assembly of the man’s armor. He slung the soldier around, and laid his blade across his shoulder with the blade on the edge of his neck.
