RIOT DAWN_Attack of the Space Druids

by Anthony Thackston

  “Failure,” one of the druids said.

  “Negative,” Lino replied.

  The orb grew larger, swelling out from the wall, taking on a dome shape. As it grew outward, it enveloped the three druids Lino had aimed at, searing through them. The invaders tried to phase to avoid the attack but it burned out the very particles they shifted with and instantly killed them before fading away.

  Lino turned to the others who were already attacking with the full gamut of their magics.

  Jessica aimed down from the fourth floor, trying to target one of the druids attacking Lino. The lights just weren’t bright enough for her to get a good visual.

  “Doubt,” a voice whispered in her ear.

  Jessica backed against the wall, making sure she couldn’t be completely surrounded.

  “Fear,” the voice said again.

  “Stop it,” Jessica said, trying to control the shake in her own voice. She didn’t want to reveal her fear.

  “I and we see inside you,” the voice said.

  Jessica shoved off the wall, running along the walk way, desperately trying to get away from the taunting.

  “Doubt, fear, husk.”

  “Shut up!” Jessica stopped and fired in random directions, hoping to hit something. Anything that would make the teasing go away.

  “You do not know what you are. A failure, given a second chance to fail again.”

  “I’m not a failure. And I know what I am.”

  “You could be more. If you give in to your being. I and we could share with you. Give to you. Merge with you—”

  “No!” Jessica returned to firing at her invisible taunter.

  “Come with me,” Carlos said to a human woman sitting on a hardwood floor inside one of the rooms he was checking. He didn’t know who she was or why she was there but it was clear to him that she was terrified of her surroundings and the gunfire outside of the room was only making her more afraid.

  “Tell me how I got here,” she said. “Why did you bring me here?”

  “I didn’t. And I’m not too sure I understand how you got here. But I do know we can get you out of here.”

  The woman rose to her feet and rushed to a couch. There was no doubt about it, she was human. But if the merging didn’t happen until a tower appeared on Earth, Carlos didn’t understand how she or the parts from her living room had shown up on the meteor.

  “I’m not leaving till you explain to me what is going on.”

  A large blast echoed up through the inside of the tower, startling Carlos and making the woman push back into the couch as far as she could.

  “Lady, I barely understand anything that’s going on but I do know that if you stay here, you’re going to die.”

  “She will die, regardless!” a druid said as it appeared behind her in a puff of smoke. Three sharp fingernails raked across her throat, spilling the woman’s blood.

  “No!” Carlos yelled. The Marine fired precision shots at the druid’s head. All three bullets found their marks and the robed figure fell back, dead.

  Carlos rushed to the woman, his hand putting pressure on her wound. He looked in her eyes. Even in the dim light he could see her fear and confusion. It was one thing if he or those he’d teamed with went through this. They had some idea of what to expect. But she was abducted, living room and all, into a world she didn’t know existed.

  “Dammit!” he barked.

  Hick pulled the trigger, blasting off one finger from the druid crawling across the floor.

  “Hurts, don’t it,” he said.

  He kicked the druid’s leg. The whimper that came from it was very different compared to the confidence the others had spoken with.

  A rattle of gunfire sounded off. Hick barely even registered it.

  “Y’know, you and they— that’s how you talk about yourselves, right? You and they aren’t all Sarc are you?”

  “I and we are one and separate,” the druid said weakly.

  “That mean if one of you gets hurt, the rest feel it?” Hick shot at the druid, missing on purpose.

  The druid flinched.

  “So I know you feel fear.”

  “You are…”

  “Tired of your voice in my ear.”

  “No!” the druid yelled.

  The reply was unexpected and took Hick by surprise. “No?”

  “You do not tire of it.”

  Hick crouched down as his victim eased to the wall and sat up. “Why are you talking like you know me?”

  “Hick,” the druid stretched his name out. “I and we know you because I and we are you.”

  Chapter 19

  Riot could hear the snap of the leg fang as she ran from the beast. She dropped to her back, sliding across the stone floor as the monster leaped over her. She was lucky it had overestimated its jump, landing far enough away from Riot for her to get a good lead back toward her gun.

  She snatched it up just as an explosion went off from the first floor. Riot had no time to check on Lino, not until the monster was put down. She dropped the magazine and loaded in a fresh one as the beast made its way back toward her.

  Riot was an excellent shot. She had to be to get where she was. But the monster was resilient. Every bullet was a hit. She’d emptied the magazine but the thing kept coming. She’d fought it off with her arm for as long as she could. The malfunctions just didn’t make it worth the time. And now her gun had proven ineffective. There was only one tool left and it had already failed at its first job.

  Riot backed up along the walkway as the beast stalked toward her, snarling. She reached in her pocket and pulled out the talisman Axel had given her.

  “You better work this time,” she muttered.

  The monster lunged for Riot and she held out the talisman as though aiming a gun.

  The stone in the disk glowed, stopping the monster in midair.

  “So what else do you do?” she asked, clutching the talisman.

  Suddenly a bubble formed around the beast. Riot stepped back as the monster roared. The bubble instantly contracted, crushing the beast inside of it. There was no resistance and Riot doubted the creature even felt pain, it was over with so quickly. Then the compacted thing fell to the floor in a sphere no larger than a soccer ball. Riot could barely make out any details of the crushed monster. And if she hadn’t already seen it, she wouldn’t have been able to tell that it was ever alive.

  “There’s too many!” Jessica shouted from below.

  Riot dismissed the crushed thing and ran to the edge of the walkway.

  Lino and Jessica were being overrun by smaller versions of the same monster she’d just killed. Five Space Druids surrounded them, too. It was clear to Riot that those druids were controlling the monsters.

  “Rocket punch!” Riot ordered her arm.

  The cyborg appendage snapped forward and her index finger fired off at one of the Druids.

  “That’s not—” The finger hit one of the druids hard enough to knock it to the floor. The others turned their attention to Riot and commanded the little beasts to attack her.

  The former sergeant rushed toward the stairs as the crowd of four-legged monsters all leaped up at her, easily clearing the jump to the second floor. She reloaded her gun and fired back at them. The shots were wild. She could hear little yelps but knew those hits would only be enough to slow a few of them.

  Riot leaped down the stairs, hoping to stick her landing in the middle. It was a risky move but a slow jog down the steps was completely out. Her foot hit one of the middle steps and slipped. She used what little leverage she still had to spin around. Falling to her back was going to hurt but it would ensure she didn’t bend unnaturally and that she could see her little pursuers.

  As Riot fell back, she held out the talisman. “Freeze!” It was a hopeful ploy considering Axel had not briefed her on all of its uses.

  The effect wasn’t exactly what she had in mind but it was suitable in the moment. Gusts of wind blasted out from the talisman and a lar
ge wall of ice appeared between her and the creatures.

  Riot hit the steps and slid the rest of the way, watching the little beasts that collided with the wall of ice. It was thick enough that it held up under their combined force. But it wasn’t long until they’d regained their orientation and started scratching at the ice, trying to get to her.

  Riot scrambled to her feet and rushed to Jessica and Lino. Carlos had already joined them and was doing his best to avoid being struck by spinning blades shot out by one of the druids.

  Riot swiped one of the blades away with her cyborg arm and returned fire, getting in a headshot and killing that attacker.

  “Nice of you to join us!” Carlos said, turning his attention to the next target.

  “Return!” one of the druids said.

  The sound of pattering feet on the stone floor caught Lino’s attention as the little beasts all leaped over the second-floor railing.

  “Sarge!” Jessica cried out, blasting the falling monsters.

  “Lino!” Riot yelled, hoping the android had some weapon that could take out all the little beasts.

  “Mob Control,” Lino said. The android faced the hoard of creatures. Panels on the entire front of his body, from the legs up and across his spread arms, opened up and an intense light blasted out from them, firing up at the waterfall of monsters.

  Riot squinted behind her upraised hand, trying to block the light. But even doing that, she could see the multiple beams merging to look like one. It was as if a sun ray through the clouds had been turned into a laser blast. Even the Space Druids had stopped their attack, frightened by the weapon.

  The panels in the android closed and his arms returned to normal hands.

  No one moved or said a word as they looked out through the giant hole Lino had put in the tower. They hadn’t even noticed the ash pile from the monsters that was forming on the floor.

  “Is that the..?” Carlos trailed off.

  They gazed upon the blue planet in front of them with its clouds and oceans. Neither the Earth or those on it even knew of the battle raging above them. All for their safety and survival. That’s how it had always been for Riot and her team. Saving a world that never knew the threats before it. It was a nice moment, to be able to see what it was they were fighting for from such an angle. A nice moment but short lived.

  “It shall be mine and ours!” one of the druids yelled.

  “Lino, blast them, too,” Riot said.

  “Negative. All weapons systems recharging.”

  “For how long?” Carlos asked.

  “Twenty-four hours. Entering manual mode.” Lino’s fists clenched and he dashed for one of the druids.

  “That’ll do!” Riot said, firing at another druid.

  Jessica and Carlos followed her lead.

  Several bullets went through one of the druids before one finally found its mark. Out of the five, there were only three left and Lino was already slamming one of them to the floor. The android’s sensors alerted it to whether or not the druid had phased, making Lino’s hits more effective.

  Riot slammed her fist into her own opponent, putting the druid on the floor before blasting it away.

  “I’m out!” Jessica shouted.

  Riot turned to the woman’s target and held out the talisman before clutching it as she had with the monster. The same bubble appeared and crushed the druid.

  As the lump fell to the floor, Riot took note of Carlos plunging his knife into another. It was a tough battle and Riot was uncertain it was over but for the moment, they all stood victorious. And more importantly, alive.

  “Is that it?” she asked.

  “Scans indicate we are all that remain,” Lino said.

  “That’s good,” Carlos said. “They came to us.”

  “Where’s Hick?” Riot asked.

  “Y’all didn’t save any for me?” Hick asked, dragging a dead druid to the group.

  “Where’ve you been?”

  “Doing my job. I see y’all have been busy, too.”

  Riot looked down at the dead druid as Hick dropped it to the floor. The others all had single kill shots. There was no time wasted on them but Riot took note of the missing finger and various other wounds on the invader. It looked as though the thing had been tortured before being put down.

  “Hick,” she said. “Why’s it look that? What did you do?”

  Hick glanced around at the other dead Space Druids. “Same as you all, it looks like.”

  Riot’s eye twitched. She didn’t like how nonchalant he was with his response. It was too calm under such dangerous circumstances.

  “Time to go home?” Hick asked before whistling a tune.

  “You’re sure there’s no more?” Riot asked Lino.

  “Scans indicate—”

  “I can guarantee we got’em all,” Hick said.

  “Affirmative,” Lino added.

  “Good. Let’s get home. I’ll see you all back at the See-SID,” Riot said. She nodded her head to Carlos.

  He shook his head as if he knew what she was thinking—something was off about Hick. Jessica activated her Tether and began fading away. Carlos went next followed by Lino. Riot waited and watched Hick gaze out of the giant hole and at the Earth beyond it.

  “Shame they gotta blow up such a lovely little place,” Hick said. “But, I reckon there’ll be more. Ain’t that right, Sarge?” He hit the Tether on his belt and began the trip home. Riot hit hers quickly after, noting to keep an eye on Hick.

  Chapter 20

  The garage of the CSID hub slowly faded into view but Riot was already on the move, rushing straight for Axel.

  “Blow that thing!” she shouted.

  Axel got on his radio. “Doctor Nobu, the team is back. Is the barrier down?”

  “One moment,” Nobu said on the other end.

  “Is everyone okay?” Axel asked.

  Riot took a look at her team. She hadn’t thought about checking them for wounds. The fighting had gotten so intense, it slipped her mind. She figured as long as they were up and moving, they were fine. Her eyes darted to Hick as he continued whistling while he faded into view.

  “Five fingers and toes,” she said. “Well, nine if you count this.” She held up her cyborg arm, displaying the newly missing digit.

  “How—”

  “The barrier is down, Agent Lynch,” Nobu broke in.

  Axel dialed three digits in his phone and waited a moment. “Admiral Greenbriar, this is Axel Lynch of the CSID…I’m a Clearance Level Seven. That’s how I got your number, sir…Thank you. I’m sure you know about the inbound meteor? Well, you are now clear to atomize it. Thank you, Admiral.” He hung up the phone.

  The same team of scientists hurried around, collecting and analyzing data. None of them even bothered to look up at the display as a plume of smoke rose into the air, created by the rocket streaking skyward.

  “These guys ever take a break?” Riot asked.

  “They would if they were not, themselves, androids,” Nobu said.

  “Like Lino?”

  “Research and data only. Speaking of…” Nobu approached Riot. “Your arm is incomplete.”

  Riot smirked. “Yeah, in more ways than one,” she said, referencing her missing finger.

  “No talking while the movie is on,” Hick joked.

  Nobu changed the display to an orbital feed. Everyone stared at the same meteor as it continued traveling toward Earth. The clarity was incredible. Riot could even see the hole Lino had blasted out of the tower.

  “How did that happen?” Axel asked.

  “I imagine you have Lino to thank for that,” Nobu said.

  Axel looked back at the expressionless android.

  “I will be happy to give you a demonstration after recharge, Agent Lynch,” Lino said.

  “No, I’m good.”

  “I got a question,” Hick said. “How do you know that’s gonna keep me and us out?”

  “What do you mean?” Riot asked, suspicious of the w
ay he phrased the question.

  “I mean from having to go back out there,” Hick recovered.

  “You know, in case blowing it up doesn’t work.”

  “As long as the barrier is down, it will work,” Nobu said.

  Axel pointed. “There it is.”

  All of them turned to the display as the rocket came into view and collided with the meteor. The brightness of the explosion nearly burned out the camera on the satellite. But as the light faded, they saw that the strike was successful. The only things left were smaller space chunks.

  “Those’ll burn up on reentry, no problem,” Carlos said.

  “So, mission accomplished?” Jessica asked, hopeful.

  “I wish I could confirm that,” Axel said, letting the small wind out of her sails. “We’ve seen too many citadels pop up after one has been destroyed to call it ‘mission accomplished’.”

  “Something you mentioned, Hick,” Riot said. “‘I reckon there’ll be more’. You said it like you know something.”

  “Well, it’s like Lynch said, too many popping up. No way that one was the last.”

  “He makes a good point,” Carlos added. “How do we know when this thing is over? Or are we just supposed to keep blowing up towers till they stop showing up?”

  “As inefficient as that sounds,” Nobu said. “Yes.”

  “And if we fail, what? You send in another team? Just like you’ve been doing?”

  “I realize it’s not the best course of action but it’s the one that makes the most sense. As long as we can destroy them one at a time, we can keep things under control.”

  “Control?” Riot interjected. “Control. You call waiting for them to show up and sending a small group, control? This ain’t preventative maintenance, Lynch. It’s a world ending event. Did you know these things have already merged with other worlds?”