by Chris Hechtl
The Alpha bull was not sure he could go to the hyperbridge jump point since Janus was where the couriers would return to. He spent a long sleepless night gaming out what he should do. Finally, by morning he'd come to a reluctant decision.
He decided he had to go to the jump site to see what was going on. He ordered the dispatch ship to be serviced, its crew relieved, and its replacement crew to take the small ship to the hyperbridge leading into the sector that the aliens apparently used. He gave them instructions to bring word to him if at the other bridge site a ship arrived.
He suddenly didn't like that he'd dispersed his forces across the sector. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't bring them together quickly. With multiple invasions underway, it would take time to gather them. Despite that, he got the herd in motion sending another dispatch boat to the forces at the nearest colony to strip them of supporting vessels and cruisers. It wasn't like they were needed. He only had so many dispatch boats however, so he decided to send one to the colony he would be passing on the way to the hyperbridge jump point. They would rendezvous with his forces, temporarily abandoning the conquest. The Romeo Bull would not be happy, but he didn't care about such inconsequential things.
Chapter 26
Eden
The Gamma bull stared at the glittering ball of blue, white, and green below. It was beautiful and dangerous he knew. He had continued the orbital assault, even going so far as to draw into his reserves of kinetic munitions to be sure they stomped on any cluster of alien habitation. In time the craters would be filled in to form lakes or his people would fill them in with dirt and build on top of them.
Everything was going according to plan. They hadn't seen any of the aliens out in the open for several eight of days. In time the turning of the seasons would starve them or freeze them.
But, he couldn't wait much longer. His support ships were constantly on him to get fresh water and materials. The herd was anxious to get to the inviting ground to explore and shake off the dullness of being on board the ships for so long.
He knew he had to relent. He examined the goals put forth by the support ship and then settled on a basic exploration mission. He would send a small security force down to the outskirts of the former alien city. If they drew fire, he would know there would still be resistance. If they did not, then he would let the herd take what it needed.
~~*^*~~
Jack padded through the corridors in the base to the mess area. They had hid for weeks during the bombings. The aliens had systematically wiped out any existence of Terrans on the planet. Well, any buildings that were clustered together at any rate he thought as he entered the mess.
He'd noted that the alien's targeting systems were not exact or as good as Terrans. The running theory was that it was due to a lack of computer support and poor sensory refinement. Like horseshoes, grenades, and nuclear weapons, when it came to kinetic weapons, close was still good enough to get the job done.
He nodded and took his place in line. A few people offered to allow him to cut the line, but he waved it off with a shake of his head. He was deep in thought anyway.
He was glad they'd gotten everyone willing underground. They had a lot of mouths to feed, but Paul and Debby had done a damn good job preparing for that. The greenhouses churned out some fresh food on a daily basis. They had borrowed recycling technology for their waste, water, and food, but so far they hadn't needed it. He knew that would change though over time.
He watched a woman measure out a portion of instant potatoes and put it on a plate. With it went a vat grown steak, this one was Salisbury, complete with freshly grown mushrooms and drizzled with packet gravy. A side of greens went with it.
Yesterday they'd had fish that had been traded with the selkies. The aliens might have tried to obliterate them but all they'd done is drive the Terrans underground. They endured, like the rock around them, sheltering and protecting them.
Underground and angry he reminded himself. They were all waiting for the bastards to get into arm's reach so they could hit back.
Everyone was stepping up to volunteer. Some did it because they wanted to hit back, but others did it because they were bored and or wanted to contribute. The doctors were making the rounds to roust out people to do something, anything to help and keep their minds occupied. They were running low on sedatives; some people were having trouble with the pressure and confinement he knew. Just another reason to hit back.
The good news is they had many hands to help with the industry. He had hidden nanotech replicators and other gear for future use as well as Regeneration tanks. When the crisis had begun, he'd broken them out and used them. Some might mutter about them, but he didn't care. They were tools to be used and damn it, now was the time and place.
Jeeves was still processing the records that were coming in every minute. They were bombarded by radio transmissions and data; the A.I. and organic organizers were kept constantly busy updating the databases that had been created.
Currently the A.I. was trying to infiltrate and hack the alien network. The aliens were doing the reverse, trying to interface their own hardware into the captured space station.
Early on Jeeves had pointed out that the aliens had poor computer security and had no A.I. of their own. That was a priceless advantage Jack wanted to keep in his back pocket and exploit but only when they were ready to do so. Jeeves was still trying to get into the alien's navigational, math, and chemistry databases. He had started to experiment with inserting his own bots and rewriting small sections of the alien databases in order to find what he wanted.
Jack heard someone clear his throat. He turned. “Sorry,” he mumbled as he picked up the tray, plate, and silverware and then moved forward in line.
~~*^*~~
The first landings by the aliens didn't go unnoticed by the Terrans a day later. Jack had ordered observation posts all over the planet. Some were manned, but many were automated. He watched the video feed as a shuttle came down and landed near the crater that had once been the spaceport.
After a moment, a hatch on the right flank opened. The shuttle was a metal color; the aliens hadn't bothered to paint it. It was broad and tall, the hatch opened in two parts—one up, the other down to form a staircase. Much like a Terran jet, a corner of Jack's mind observed.
Max was on a hill overlooking the landing site with Sheriff Tupper and a small team. They were the first to see the aliens from afar as they emerged from their craft. “They are bipedal. Big, damn big,” the sheriff murmured as he described the aliens while he looked through his binoculars. “They look like … I'll be damned. They really do look like a Minotaur with a shell.”
Jack snorted and shook his head. “He's not serious, is he?” he asked. The video feed Jeeves was putting into the command center wasn't all that great.
“Yes, I'm looking at them, and they've got hooves, a tail, the head, horns … hell, one looks like a Brahma bull!” the general said, pointing out details from a screen grab.
“They look more like fat devils to me,” Menolly murmured, rubbing Jack's shoulders.
“Huh. They are male and buck ass naked,” Sheriff Tupper observed with a drawl. Jack turned and saw the video zoom in to where the Terrans had their genitals. Sure enough, there was a package there, and it appeared male.
“They might be shy coming down, but they ain't shy about letting it all hang loose,” the sheriff drawled, earning a titter from those watching in the command center.
“Call ‘em Turtle Taurens or just Taurens,” General Elliot growled. “It sounds better than fricken aliens,” he muttered.
~~*^*~~
Sergeant Benny Maltese looked at the Tauren through his scope. The target was armed and on the outer edge of the group nearest to him, a perfect target. From the dance of the grass, he could tell the direction and speed of the wind. He adjusted for the angle and range as he raised the barrel one mil above where he wanted the round to go. When he was ready, he exhaled slowly and then gently squeezed t
he trigger.
The Tauren took the round dead center between his eyes, exactly where he wanted the round to go. His target's massive head bucked up and twisted to the side, but then the bastard stopped and just stood there as blood gushed out and dribbled down his muzzle.
“Hand me the other rifle,” the gorilla said softly, putting the hunting rifle on safety and then handing it to his spotter.
“Did it do anything?” his partner Private Tom asked as he helped swap the rifles. The rifles were large and heavy for his small frame.
“Pissed him off from the look of it,” the sergeant replied.
~~*^*~~
Red Eye snorted furiously as he felt searing pain in his head and neck. His neck throbbed from his sudden movement. His head hurt; it throbbed as bad as his worst toothache. His skull was thick and sloped to adsorb impact from head butts. There was a pad of spongy bone protecting his brain. He reached up and touched his head and felt the blood. He looked at it, his vision swimming in and out as his rage overtook him. He knew that head wounds were minor; they always bled profusely since the blood vessels were so close to the surface.
He'd been stunned before in the mating fights. He'd seen some bulls killed by a lucky gore by a horn.
He bellowed in pain and mocking. “Is that the best you've got?” he bellowed, lifting his bloody clenched fist to the sky. Is it?” he bellowed, looking around for the shooter as the herd around him cheered.
His nostrils blew steam in the frigid air. “I thought so,” he said contemptuously just as something searing entered his right eye and all thought ceased.
~~*^*~~
The echo of the shot thundered through the hills despite the improvised suppressor on the muzzle of the rifle. The suppressor didn't so much as muffle the shot's sound as it did suppress the tell-tale flash. Sergeant Maltese watched the enemy stand there.
“Did you get him?” Tom asked anxiously.
Benny saw the blood and crap oozing out of the eye. It was gone, a black hole. “Yeah. Wait for it …” his voice pitched up lovingly soft for a moment as the breeze picked up.
“Well?”
“Patience … and timber,” the sergeant drawled in a satisfied yet malicious voice as the breeze hit the Tauren and he toppled over like a stiff board. His herd stood there, staring in shock before they began to huddle together and low, looking for cover. They were all exposed, at least a hundred meters away from their shuttle and safety.
“All units, go for the eyes and ears. Repeat, eyes and ears. All light units go for the limbs. Don't try for a head or body shot; they've got too much natural armor. Conserve your ammo. The first one to go full auto will get their rifle shoved up their ass,” the sergeant said over the radio network.
~~*^*~~
“We're receiving an alien transmission near the scouting party,” the communication's bull reported. “Reports of weapon fire and one casualty.”
“What?” the Gamma bull demanded, turning to the communication's tech in surprise.
“Their lead security is down.”
“Tell them to find cover and pull out. Sensors, get me that location … now!”
“We are on the wrong side of the planet Herd Leader,” the sensor tech reported apologetically.
The Gamma bull began to curse.
~~*^*~~
Benny had realized that the Tauren shells were thick and that their skulls were most likely sloped and also hard to penetrate. He'd reasoned that small arms wouldn't penetrate, especially at range. Knives, claws, and teeth would only do superficial damage unless they hit a major blood vessel or the creature's throat. He was pretty sure his gorilla strength would be an even match with the enemy's, but he had no intention of finding out for sure.
The sergeant switched back to the hunting rifle and shot a bull who went to the fallen one's aide. He deliberately shot the alien in the leg, close to its ass.
“You are a bastard,” the Neocat spotter murmured in admiration as he purred a chuckle.
“Wait for it,” the sergeant murmured. The thrashing alien drew the attention of others. Some of the aliens hesitated; some went to its aide. He waited until two had grabbed the first by the arms and were trying to drag it off when he passed the order.
“Small arms, open fire, single shots only. Snipers, kill shots … now,” he ordered.
The rounds cracked and thundered from all around. Some of the sniper teams had managed to get in far closer than he'd expected. He switched to the high caliber rifle and took another shot. This one entered a Tauren's ear and knocked it flat. Most likely the round had ricocheted around the inside of that thick skull and turned the brain into porridge.
When all of the aliens were down, he scanned the area then signaled all clear. “We've got less than five minutes to get what we can. Get in and get out fast,” he ordered, rising quickly. Tom did so as well.
The ambush team split up into two groups. One group grabbed whatever alien gear they could carry and then headed for the retreat routes, stuffing their purloined goods into silver bags to hide their signature. Once they had documented the interior and taken whatever they could, they tossed in satchel charges, plastic explosives mixed with thermite on a time delay.
The second group was on over-watch. The third had their two medics in it. The two medics did a fast and dirty field autopsy on the nearest alien. They recorded everything with a handheld camera and a series of sensors. They looked for weak spots and anything to tell them about the alien's psychology. While they did that, the sergeant checked the body for any electronics and weapons. The lead medic silently scrape samples of the creature's skin, blood, saliva, and other areas.
“They stink,” Tom said, holding a hand paw over his nose and trying to get upwind.
Benny knelt and pried at the armor with his knife and fingertips. He had reasoned that their armor, horns, and spikes were made out of their equivalent of carotene or calcium. Some had thought that the armor was put on. It looked like he was right. Interestingly though it was articulated. The armor was like a callus over major muscle groups, probably to allow it to be able to maintain flexibility. The skin was tough, almost like a rhino, though he wasn't certain; he'd never been up close and personal with a rhino.
“They have a normal endoskeleton. The armor is all on the surface,” one of the techs said. “Mammals too. Omnivores judging from the teeth. We'll bag the gut contents,” the tech said.
“Guess I win the bet,” Benny said as he straightened and dusted his hands off. “Come on,” he said to Tom as he shouldered the sniper rifle and grabbed a bag of gear at his feet. Tom was still gagging, ears back and all too willing to obey. The gorilla stuffed his gillie suit into the bag and then hand signed for everyone to pack up and move out.
Within two minutes, every Terran was clear of the sight and dispersed by pairs into the bush. By the time the enemy had a ship overhead, they were long gone. A minute after the ship was overhead the shuttle exploded in a fountain of flaming debris.
~~*^*~~
“No sign of life in the area,” the sensor technician reported. He put the image up for the Gamma bull and ship's Alpha bull to look at.
The ship's Alpha bull stared aghast at the sight of the bodies strewn about. It wasn't just the bodies; it was the missing shuttle. “Where is the shuttle?” he demanded.
“It exploded,” the sensor tech stated, rewinding the footage to show them the explosion.
The ship's alpha looked at the Gamma bull. They only had so many shuttles he knew. But it was also the first time they'd suffered losses. The Gamma bull stood there, blowing in and out through his nostrils, fists clenching and unclenching.
Apparently, nothing needed to be said.
~~*^*~~
The data on the Tauren carcasses was passed to the Terran medics. They went over the images and hastily scribbled notes with a fine-tooth comb. They worked out how the aliens were built while the labs ran tests on the samples.
A favorite topic of discussion wasn't so much wh
ere they were vulnerable so much as reasoning out the Tauren evolution. A 3D model of the Tauren had been created from the images. Frequently the scientists were noted there spinning it, moving it through a range of motions as they discussed the implications of this or that.
“Somewhere along the way, they learned heavy weapons somehow. Pole arms or something that can get through that armor,” Menolly said.
“Eventually, they had to get up to projectile weapons. From there it was the usual arms race,” General Elliot said from behind the group.
Startled the doctors and nurses turned guiltily to him. The Neochimp officer shrugged as he came over to get a better look at the face of the enemy. “We always start with weapons to kill our own kind. I'd reason some Tauren pissed another one off badly enough to start their own version of that arms’ race,” General Elliot mused.
“Yes, sir.”
~~*^*~~
One Eye enjoyed the sight of the seashore far more than he did the confine of the shuttle. Besides, with security on the other side facing the shore, his team was safe to pump the salty water into the filtration equipment before pumping it into storage containers to be brought up to the ships.
The aliens had mounted a furious resistance against their rightful conquers. “Just hurry up and die,” he rumbled softly to himself. But they weren't going to give in he thought. To be fair, he wouldn't either.
It was misting, but he went out to stand on a rock outcropping that jutted out to sea. He closed his good eye as he enjoyed the sea breeze and all its smells. A storm had just passed; it had cleared the air. He could hear the alien birds in the sky, cawing at his intrusion, but he ignored them.
