by Joe Crouch
The first sight that greeted Michael was the war-torn buildings that seemed to be everywhere, for a race of aliens that had a single use in mind for the planet, they caused significant damage to its infrastructure. Michael’s communicator began to beep, alerting him to an incoming transmission, “General Hagen,” he answered.
“General,” came the female voice, “It’s Camilla, it’s good to hear your voice.”
“And yours Madame President, I hope you’re safe.”
“Safe enough for the time being, I have my own… guard,” she boasted.
“Who’s there with you?” Michael asked, the tone of the President’s voice felt different somehow, the silence that followed made the entire situation feel scripted.
“Where are you, Michael,” Camilla asked, “We must know.”
“We?” Michael hissed, “Who’s we?” he grew uncomfortable, the President was a powerful, single-minded woman who people looked up to, but her decisions as of late were convoluted and contrived. No response came, nothing apart from the deathly silence. Michael couldn’t help but feel as if he was being watched, but a quick scan showed nothing out of the ordinary. “Camilla,” he sneered, “I know you can hear me, tell me what’s going on and tell me right now.”
“I’m at the presidential halls, Michael, why don’t you pop over and see us,” she almost sang the words, her voice and demeanour were laced with a certain arrogance. Michael hesitated, he knew something was wrong, his instincts were in overdrive and all of them were telling him to stay far, far away, but trusting his instincts was never his strong suit.
“Alright Camilla, I’ll come to you, but I’ll be bringing a friend.
“The more the merrier, I’ll see you soon,” and with that the transmission ended abruptly, raising more questions than he had before. Right, let’s find Sean then head to the presidential halls Michael thought, going over the plan in the privacy of his own mind.
* * *
Sean’s breathing was steady and calculated, each breath he drew in he let back out with a gentle push making as little noise as possible. The enemy contingent approached from up the street, their gait provided him with little solace, they seemed confident but that would be their downfall, they felt untouchable and technologically superior. “Remember, only take shots you know will hit, we don’t need any more civilian deaths today,” he insisted.
“You can count on me,” Taris replied, “I’m not so sure about Feghouli, though,” she turned to face the concentrating Captain, “Does he know which end is the dangerous one?”
“Neither, for him…” Sean smirked. The Xuron were fast approaching, the fluttering of their rampant wings grew louder the closer they got. The moonlight reflected off their scaly skin, giving them a faint glow as they marched forwards. He drew himself into his large weapon and adjusted the scope, the deformed face of one of the creatures danced across his view as his weapon bobbed about. Tension grew as everyone prepped their armaments, each took aim at their own individual targets. “Get ready,” he remarked, “Twenty seconds then we open fire.” Time seemed to take an eternity to pass, everything below moved in slow motion as the capacitors on the energy weapons whirred into action, building a charge ready for the first onslaught.
“Fire!” he shouted and without hesitation came a chorus of deafening claps, he watched on as the bolts streaked and fizzed across the empty space. His own bolt impacted first and tore a hole through an advancing Xuron, his corpse was sent spiralling back through the air and crashed to the ground. As he took aim again, the sounds of battle faded and washed over him like a gentle wave as he concentrated on his next victim. It looked about seven foot, malnourished compared to its brothers-in-arms, it’s head darted upwards, almost as if it looked directly down his scope. He took in a deep breath to steady his aim and gently pulled back on the weapon’s trigger, his intentions were made clear as a stream of high-energy photons rushed towards the knowing target. The effect was instantaneous. The weapon punched a pin-sized hole through the hard exterior that protected the Xuron’s fleshy innards. He pushed the beam down from its skull and slashed to its midriff, splitting it in two as if it were a coconut. Falling in opposite directions, the two halves of the once complete Xuron slammed to the floor as its guts gushed onto the ridged, cobbled floor below, he could only look on as the blood pooled in-between the stones.
As the team laid there, the microseconds ticked by as their energy weapons recharged, the Xuron below had time to react, many of them took up positions behind abandoned vehicles, with others either securing the prisoners or clinging onto the sides of buildings, scurrying about to gain a better position. Plasma fire slammed against the ledge below, spitting hot gas in all directions which clouded Sean’s vision. Grabbing his weapon, he pushed himself off the ground and ran across the shop front, trying his best not to get shot as he ducked and weaved as bolts of the superheated substance spat all around him. “Sean get down!” Taris yelled, and with a loud clank, he dropped to the floor just as an explosion ripped through the windows that were ahead.
“Thanks,” he shouted back, watching as the team exchanged weapons fire with the enemy below. The ground was now littered with rubble and dust, the latter clung onto his clothing as he tried his hardest to shuffle along the floor, the exoskeleton provided an encumbrance rather than assistance. Suddenly, the familiar whirring sound came from his shoulder as the cannon made a quick movement and spun one-hundred and eighty degrees to open fire on an incoming target. Thud, came the noise from behind him. His mind began to race, not again he quaked, afraid to turn and look what damage his suit had inflicted this time. His body froze up as weapons fire sparked above him, the smell of burning flesh was unmistakable to his experienced nose. No… he thought, it can’t be, his fears were soon diminished as a river of green liquid trickled past his face through the dirt. Reenergized, he rolled over and sat up, the fresh Xuron corpse was motionless, a crater punched right through its chest, the burnt flesh was still fresh as a thin smoke rose from the wound.
A loud screech made him pause in his tracks as two Xuron smashed through the window in front of him, their mouths spread wide as they screamed. Without warning the beings charged the disorientated Human, his shoulder mounted cannon sparked off a single round which the oncoming aliens managed to skip out the way of. Basic instincts took over as he threw a punch, striking cleanly on the already mangled face of the drone, the loud crunch surprised even him. Before he could react the second being leapt forwards with force, slamming hard into his metallic exterior, making him stumble and lose his footing. The alien wrapped its arms around his neck and climbed around his body, its hands felt like they were coated with some type of glue the way it stuck to him. By this time the first had recovered and gotten to its feet with enough time to draw a weapon and bring it to point, aiming directly at his unprotected face, all he could do was force his eyes closed and pray.
The squealing that came from the Xuron let him know something was wrong, with a cautious look he saw its thick exterior had melted away, exposing its inner workings to the elements. Still fighting courageously, the Xuron on his back flailed about, its weight and momentum were enough to keep him from gaining a stable footing, but the resistance stopped, replaced by the humming sound that came from the energy weapon that was lodged in its spine.
“Thank me later,” Fez remarked, “The bugs are trying to drag the Human’s away from us, we need to get down there and stop them, they’ll be out of our field of view soon.” Sean wasted little time, he charged across the room at full speed, the powerful machines attached to his limbs propelled him faster than anyone else could move. Every step slammed into the polished concrete floor with vigour, leaving a trail of broken footsteps as if he were walking through a snowy field. With an outstretched arm, he grabbed Taris, drawing her close and leapt from the ground, smashing through the still intact window with aplomb they both travelled through the air.
With a crash, they slammed into the road below, his suit abs
orbed the force of impact, leaving a cracked surface that snaked outwards from the crater he now knelt in. Letting go of Taris she ducked behind the nearest cover, a flimsy sheltered bus stop that wouldn’t stop a breeze. The hydraulics on his suits squealed as he rushed forwards, unclipping a weapon from his chest he brought it up to his face. The shoulder mounted cannon darted side to side as it locked onto various targets and unleashed its death onto anything that posed a threat, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Xuron bodies continued to drop as Taris picked off the stragglers from her side while Sean charged forward like an enraged bull, impaling anything in his path with his sharp horns. It wasn’t long before their forces began to scatter and retreat, scurrying up and over buildings for a quick escape.
Everything was calm, at least apart from the howling civilians that stood dazed and confused, unsure what to do. Sean put his weapon away and made sure to disable his cannon before approaching the petrified group of innocent people. “Hello,” he smiled, “We’re here to help, you’re safe now.”
“You’re one of us,” a child shouted before running forwards, clinging onto his armoured leg, “Thank you.”
“I am,” he replied, picking up the child and holding her in his arms, “Don’t be afraid of my suit, I’m working with some friends who you probably haven’t met before.” Waving the Ioution’s down, he waited for the group to assemble around him. Taris was the first to arrive, her slender figure cast a faint shadow onto the rocky, but bloodied floor below.
“Hi,” she squirmed, “It’s good to finally meet some more of your race, this one is hardly a shining example.” The crowd didn’t know how to respond, they all looked at each other before a faint spark of laughter erupted from the back, spreading to the entire gathering. “Thanks,” she smiled, kneeling to speak to a little boy, “Are you alright now?” the boy looked on aghast, before dropping his guard.
“Are all angels as beautiful as you, miss?” the kid trembled, smiling, she turned her head towards Sean, “I think I can get used to it here.”
“Yeah, yeah, lap it up now while you can.” A buzzing from his earpiece interrupted his conversation, it was an incoming transmission, “Sean here, go ahead.”
“Sean, It’s Michael Hagen, thank god I finally reached you,” came the exhausted voice, “You must be relatively close, long range communications are down.”
“I was just coming to find you,” he stated while looking on as the Ioution marines, “Where are you?”
“Close to Fox bridge, want to meet me there?”
“We can,” he replied, “What’s the plan?”
“Something’s up with the President, she didn’t sound like herself, I think she may be under duress, we need to ensure her safety.”
“Alright then,” he said, “I’ll see you soon,” with that the communication was ended, a small glimmer of hope rushed over him now they had a solid direction to move in. “Ok everyone, we have to move out. Fez, arrange a few marines to stay with the group and ensure their safety, I’m sure someone here can guide you to a good location.”
“Will do,” Fez replied, already getting to work. Taris approached Sean, the smile on her was infectious.
“So, where to now?” she asked, pressing close against his body, locking her arm into his.
“Now,” he smiled, “We go save the world.”
Chapter 27
Sean and his cohort marched towards the spectacular bridge, it seemed to float above the raging torrent of water that crashed into the embankments below, as if trying to break free from their constraints. In the distance a lone man stood silhouetted against his backdrop, his long duster jacket gently flapped about as a weak gust pushed itself down the exposed street. Moving, the figure pushed himself from the casual lean he had taken up and now stood with confidence, his posture something to rival. Sean raised a hand, instructing his team to hold back while he stepped forward towards who he could only assume was general Hagen. The two shadows closed in on one another, the natural light was obscured by a thick layer of cloud cover that lumbered across the dark sky. Stopping, he strained his eyes to gain even a faint glimpse of the man who approached and the faint flicker of pale, white skin let him breathe a sigh of relief, at least it’s not Xuron he thought.
“Sean,” the figure yelled, “It’s me, Hagen,” with a brief jog Sean stopped beside the grizzled looking general.
“Fantastic to see you, Sir,” he beamed, coming to attention.
“No need to call me Sir anymore, Ambassador,” Michael joked, slapping a hand down on Sean’s metallic shoulder, “Nice piece of kit you got yourself here,” stepping back, the general laid a glancing eye over the exoskeleton, observing the various armaments.
“I can’t complain,” he replied, “How are you, Michael?”
“I’m old and exhausted if I’m brutally honest,” Michael strolled over to the low wall that ran along the river’s edge and took a seat, “I’d rather be at home with a glass of wine and some junk television.” Sean walked over and positioned himself beside the general.
“I’d actually kill for some junk T.V, you should see what the Ioution’s deem entertainment,” he laughed. The pair sat silent for a few moments before Sean broke the ice, “So, Madame President, we should probably go find her.”
“Something’s off about her, she’s been making some odd decisions as of late.”
“Such as?” Sean sat up as his heart began to race, remembering what the Prophet had told him.
“Some little some large things,” Michael huffed, he turned to look at his new companion, “She sent the entire remaining fleet out from their defensive duties and positioned them around Jupiter for gas harvesting,” he snarled, “Military warships shouldn’t be used for protection, let the private sector deal with that.”
“Jupiter?” he asked, “Surely she knows the gravity would affect their drives and hold the fleet back if it needed to return sharpish.”
“She’s fully aware, and frankly that’s what makes me even more worried.” Sean shuffled about where he sat, the knowledge weighed him down like a tonne of bricks were strapped to his back.
“There’s something I learnt, Michael,” he said, letting out a calming breath, “Now I don’t want you to go assuming this is what’s going on, but it worried me.”
“Oh?” Michael gulped, “What was it, who was it from?”
“There’s a lot I need to inform you about, but needless to say I had a… opportunity, to speak with the Great Prophet of the Xuron.”
“The what!?” Michael gasped, “The Great Damned Prophet? I wasn’t even aware they had a Prophet, let alone a great one.”
“Well, needless to say, they do and he told me some interesting things,” he added, “There are these creatures that can burrow beneath the skin and take control of its host, pretty messed up stuff, but once they’re in control they’re in full control, memories and everything.” The pair grew silent as the insinuations sank into them both.
“You don’t mean to say…”
“I don’t mean to say anything,” Sean interjected, holding up a hand, “I’m just merely stating facts, these creatures exist and the Prophet hinted at Earth being next in line to be culled.” Michael’s head dropped as the reality of the situation sunk into him fully, and with a huff, he stood and gave a quick glance towards the remaining troop Sean had brought with him.
“Well, I suppose we better get going and deal with the President one way or another,” Michael conceded, allowing Sean to wave over his team and make introductions.
“So, what’s the actual plan?” Taris asked, standing tall with a hand on her hip.
“We go to the Presidential Halls and find the President herself, either we ensure her safety or…” Michael stopped.
“- Or we ensure her fate,” Sean admitted., “Either way, we’re close, just follow us and we’ll be there sooner rather than later.” After gathering their belongings, the team formed up and started making their way across the ornate bridge, i
ts supports creaked as the gust turned into a gale. The river below roared and spewed clouds of mist up onto the walkway, obscuring their vision. Stepping onto the southern bank of the river, an area of the city he rarely frequented as his loyalties were to the north, a plume of smoke rose from a pile of vehicles that blocked off the main street. Roads here were newer and no longer made from cobble, but a thick black substance that had little character. Sean fanned the team out to either side of the street as they progressed towards the flaming wrecks, caution played on all their minds. Without warning, two large spotlights blinded the approaching team.
“Who are you and what are your intentions,” came the call from a man stood atop the wrecks.
“I’m Sean Maguire,” he shouted back, “We’re making our way to the halls with reinforcements for the President, this is the quickest way there.” No response came, but the man climbed down behind cover and out of view. The tension built as they waited either for the imminent firefight or to strike a dialogue as a thin mist of rain began to drizzle down, coating every surface, giving them a bright sheen in the night. It wasn’t long before the cars split outwardly, creating a passageway for the crew to barely step through. As he approached the entrance he stopped, “There’s no way I’m making It through there,” he declared, nodding towards the gap.
“I thought you had put on weight since we met,” Taris smirked as she slid cleanly through the narrow opening. He stood and pondered the situation for a moment before coming to a conclusion, with his suit at full strength he put both hands on the destroyed vehicle and pushed, its tyres squealed like an injured animal as he moved it at a ninety-degree angle to the edge of the street.
