Death Grid_Game of Valor

by Tripp Ellis

  I didn’t want to find out. I liked her, and was starting to care about this world more than I had anticipated. There hadn’t really been any time for me to get to know Scar, Flack, and Quick Draw—other than the fact that they were selflessly committed to the cause. Tug was cool. He’d be fun to have a beer with. He had managed to stay up beat, despite all that we had been through. Hazard was generally abrasive, and seemed like an asshole, but deep down inside he was a good guy. Parker was focused and dedicated. Her word was her bond, and she would never leave you hanging. These were my new friends. Hopefully we’d all live long enough to get to know each other better.

  44

  An explosion rumbled through the base. My eyes widened, and I exchanged a curious glance with the others. I scrambled to the door and stood at the edge of the glowing force-shield, trying to see what was going on.

  The guards remained at their post, but fidgeted nervously—their heads swiveling in all directions, scanning for threats.

  Titan streaked down the lane like a hundred-mile-an-hour fastball. He crashed into one of the guards, smacking him in the face. The Skrag’s nose shattered, and blood splattered everywhere. The impact dropped the guard to the ground, semiconscious.

  Titan ricocheted away.

  The other guard took aim at the orb and opened fire. A blistering stream of plasma bolts darted toward Titan. The drone zigged and zagged, expertly avoiding the blasts as he ascended into the sky.

  The guard lost sight of him, but continued to scan the heavens. He twirled around with his weapon aimed at the clouds, trying to anticipate another attack.

  The first guard was still on the ground, barely moving.

  Titan descended from the sky, curving toward the standing guard. The Skrag soldier unleashed a torrent of plasma bolts at the drone. Titan continued to avoid the blasts with expert precision as he barreled toward the Skrag like a curveball from hell.

  SMACK!

  Titan pummeled the guard in the face.

  More blood splattered.

  The guard crashed to the ground, his weapon clattering against the dirt.

  Titan hovered outside the force-shield, then rammed the access button on the exterior wall. The force-shield deactivated.

  “Nice work!” I said.

  “Thank you,” Titan replied. “Sometimes it pays to be hardheaded.”

  “Now I’m definitely sure you have a screw loose.”

  I scooped up a guard’s rifle. Parker grabbed the other. I put a few quick blasts into the writhing goons on the ground, finishing them off. I grabbed a few smoke and thermal grenades from their tactical vests.

  All the commotion had attracted the attention of the soldiers. Squads of Skrag warriors gathered on either end of the lane. The pathway quickly filled with a stream of plasma bolts, zinging in both directions.

  Parker and I ducked back into the containment building. We angled our weapons around the doorjamb and tried to hold off the mounting enemy forces.

  Tug and Hazard were unarmed. They hung back, chomping at the bit. I’m sure they wanted to get into the fray and were feeling useless at the moment.

  I blasted several rounds downrange. Through the scope, I saw one of the enemy soldiers hit the deck. A crimson mist of blood hung in the air around his body. I moved the reticle of my sights to the next in line and squeezed the trigger. The creature’s head vaporized, and his limp body slapped the dirt.

  I ducked for cover as two plasma bolts impacted the metal door frame, showering amber sparks. Smoke billowed from the blast marks.

  “We can’t hold them off forever,” I said. “We need to move.”

  Parker agreed. “Tug, you’re with Archer. Hazard, stick with me. Titan, I need eyes in the sky. Find us a way out of here.”

  “Aye-aye-, sir,” Titan said.

  He zipped out of the room and elevated above the camp. Just as he had done before, he used a predictive modeling algorithm to plot a path of least resistance. He transferred the map to our HUDs.

  I tossed two smoke grenades down the lane—one to the east, and the other to the west.

  THUNK!

  THUNK!

  White smoke billowed out, filling the space between the structures with an opaque haze.

  Parker laid down a stream of suppressive fire. Searing bolts soared down the passageway between the structures, disappearing into the fog. “Go!”

  Tug and I sprinted across the lane. I flattened my back against the wall of the opposite building. I covered for Parker and Hazard as they dashed out of the containment area and into a nearby alley. Tug and I rounded the corner after them.

  Parker blasted two goons at the next junction. We advanced forward and collected their weapons, ammunition, and grenades. Tug and Hazard had weapons now.

  We leapfrogged forward, following the path that Titan had created. There was a squad of Skrag soldiers waiting around the next corner. I lobbed a grenade over the building. A moment later an explosion shook the ground. Dirt and debris spidered in all directions. A plume of smoke rose into the air. Bits of dirt rained down, clattering against the composite buildings.

  I rounded the corner—the path was now clear, strewn with parts of Skrag bodies. I advanced forward with the squad. We weren’t far from the edge of the base. Smoke and plasma blasts filled the air. I wasted a few more goons before we exited the compound and slipped into the trees.

  I ran as fast as I could, weaving through the forest. My quads pumped. My chest heaved for breath. It was a struggle to keep up with the rest of the platoon. They had far more stamina points than I did. But I wasn’t about to slow down—a squad of enemy soldiers had pursued us into the woods.

  To make matters worse, a snarling Ryvok emerged through the trees.

  45

  The beast flashed its fangs.

  We froze in our tracks. Ryvoks we’re attracted to movement.

  The enemy platoon opened fire as they closed in on us from behind. Plasma bolts streaked through the forest, shattering trees, spraying bark and splinters.

  The Ryvok focused in on the enemy platoon and barreled toward them.

  I watched with my heart in my throat as the terrifying beast swatted massive trees aside, plowing toward the enemy. It didn’t take more than a moment’s hesitation for the Skrags to turn tail and run.

  I stood still as the Ryvok raced past my position, chasing after the Skrags. As soon as we were out of the creature’s field of vision, we took off running in the opposite direction. My heart pounded in my chest. Adrenaline rushed through my veins. I wanted to get as far away from that damn creature as possible.

  The squad slowed to a more leisurely pace once we had put enough distance between ourselves and the beast. We continued weaving our way through the forest until we found ourselves near the portal. We gathered at the tree-line and surveyed the area.

  The structure that housed the portal looked like some type of alien temple. Made of an alloy only known to the Primo Eläma, it had sleek lines, swooping curves, and odd geometric angles. It looked futuristic despite having been built eons ago, according to game lore. It housed the portal to the ancient mega-structure that was in orbit around the planet. The mega-structure was impenetrable. Its outer hull was resistant to all known weaponry. The only way aboard was through this teleporter.

  Two Skrag guards stood out front of the temple-like structure. There was a gunship perched in a clearing near the entrance. There was no one else around.

  “I say we snipe those guards,” Hazard said, lining one of them up in his sights.

  “Titan, see if you can determine if there are any other patrols in the area,” Parker asked.

  Titan elevated to the treetops and scanned the area. “There are no other forces in the vicinity.”

  I took aim at a guard, and on Parker’s command, Hazard and I dropped the goons simultaneously.

  We advanced to the entrance, then stepped inside of the portal chamber.

  Congratulations! You’ve reached a new checkpoint!
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br />   There was a circular pad in the center of the room. The ceiling above it funneled into a spout. To the side, there was a control terminal. The artifact had been used as a key to activate the device. It was still in place, and the portal was functional. A constant hum filled the room, emanating from an ancient quantum field generator. It pulsed with slow oscillations. The air felt electric.

  “Does anybody know how this thing works?” Tug asked.

  “Why don’t you step onto the teleport pad and find out?” Parker replied.

  Tug flashed her look like she was crazy. “Is that an order?”

  “I guess so.”

  Tug grimaced. He sulked toward the pad like a kid who had been sent to his room.

  “I’ll go with him,” I said.

  Parker looked at me like I was the crazy one. She was also impressed. She was definitely getting the sense that I was a team player.

  I jogged to catch up with Tug.

  “You ready to do this?” Tug asked.

  “Hell yeah!” I grinned.

  We gave each other a fist bump, then stepped onto the pad.

  Titan joined us. “I can’t let you to go alone.” He flashed a digital grin.

  Nothing happened at first.

  “Do you have to flip a switch, or something?” Tug asked.

  Parker shrugged.

  The frequency of the pulse increased. The grooves in the pad lit up. Suddenly, Tug, Titan, and I were enveloped in a beam of blue energy. An instant later, we de-materialized.

  The sensation was similar to re-spawning. My body seemed to dissolve away into nothingness. My consciousness floated through time and space. I was everything and nothing. One with the digital universe.

  The three of us re-materialized on a teleport pad aboard the mega-structure. A familiar droning pulse filled the air. There was the added drone of the mega-structure’s engines.

  Congratulations! You’ve reached a new checkpoint!

  The compartment was empty. I brought my weapon into the firing position, stepped off the pad, and advanced to the hatch. A moment later, Parker and Hazard materialized.

  “It’s my guess Krong has taken Doctor Carver to the CIC. It’s likely that he’ll need her expertise if he aims to utilize this installation.”

  Your mission objective has changed: Rescue Doctor Carver. Destroy the mega-structure.

  46

  The dim corridors were sleek and minimalist—smooth lines and vaulted ceilings. The black bulkheads were made of a composite smart material. Light panels were embedded flush with the bulkheads. It mirrored the strange, futuristic design of the portal structure.

  I edged forward down the corridor with the rest of my squad—my weapon in the firing position. Since I had teleported to the mega-structure, Doctor Carver’s position appeared as an icon on my HUD.

  The structure was enormous. Doctor Carver had studied the installation for years. The history and technology of the Primo Eläma had been her life’s work. All of her work had been backed up in Titan’s databanks. Based on other known Primo Eläma structures, Titan had a pretty good idea of the layout. He transferred his estimated map to all of our HUDs.

  In one of the corridors, there was a row of stasis pods embedded into the bulkheads. Three of the pods were empty, but two contained life forms—they were, presumably, Primo Elämas.

  They were larger than humans, with lanky arms, narrow faces, enlarged craniums, and large eyes.

  “Are they still alive?” Tug asked.

  “The stasis pods are still functioning,” Titan said. He hovered in front of one of the units. “Vital signs are all in the green. These two are still alive.”

  Titan moved down the corridor, scanning the rows of stasis pods.

  “I’ve only got one question,” I asked. “Are they friendly?”

  “No human has ever encountered a living Primo Eläma before,” Titan responded.

  “So it could go either way?” I said.

  “I don’t think they’re going to take too kindly to our attempting to destroy their ship,” Parker said. “So I’m going to go ahead and say they’re hostile.”

  “These three are empty,” Tug said. “Where are the former occupants?”

  The sound of gunfire erupted down the corridor. My eyes snapped in the direction of the sound. I marched forward down the long curving corridor with the rest of the squad. We came upon two Skrag soldiers firing at a Primo Eläma warrior at the far end of the passageway.

  The thing stood over 9 feet tall. The Skrag soldiers were pummeling it with plasma bolts. But the searing projectiles didn’t seem to be causing any damage. The Primo had a substantial energy shield that absorbed the plasma blasts. The outline of the shield illuminated with each impact. The lanky creature kept marching forward, blasting back at the Skrags.

  An orange energy bolt hit one of the pawns, vaporizing him completely. The bolt disintegrated his body, leaving a haze of ash hovering in the air. It floated to the deck and formed a small pile.

  The other Skrag turned tail and ran. He sprinted right past us without hesitation. A quick glance was the only acknowledgment of our presence. He had no interest in killing or capturing us. His first, and only, priority was to escape the Primo Eläma that was guarding the ship.

  “Fall back,” Parker commanded.

  I wasn’t about to disagree with that order. I didn’t want any part of a pissed-off ancient alien with superior firepower.

  We raced down the corridor, trying to evade the brutal onslaught of the Primo. We twisted and turned through the labyrinth of passageways. There had to be more of those things out there, and I was hoping we didn’t run into any of them. My guess was that the ship brought a few guards out of stasis when it detected intruders on board. If the situation escalated, more were sure to revive.

  The squad took cover in an empty compartment. I sucked wind, trying to catch my breath. “I thought you said the Primo Eläma had escaped into another dimension?”

  “It was only a rumor,” Titan said.

  “Archer, Tug… find Doctor Carver,” Parker said. “Hazard and I will look for the reactor room.” She held up a thermal charge. “A strategically placed detonation might be able to bring this facility down. Once I set the charge, you’ll have ten minutes to get back to the portal.”

  “How am I going to know when you set the charge?”

  “Stay on comms.” Parker moved to the hatch and peered into the corridor. Her fervent eyes scanned in both directions. Seeing the coast was clear, she and Hazard slipped into the passageway. Tug and I followed after them. At the next junction, they went one way, and we went the other. Titan stayed with me.

  We weaved through the labyrinth of passageways. It didn’t take long for us to run into another Primo guard. Deadly orange bolts of energy erupted from his weapon. I flattened myself against the bulkhead, taking cover in a recessed area. I angled my weapon around the pilaster and lined up the tall, slender alien in the reticle of my sites. My finger squeezed the trigger and a flurry of plasma bolts flew from the barrel of my weapon.

  Tug did the same thing from the opposite side of the corridor.

  They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I was clearly insane. I was firing at the Primo with a Skrag rifle. Just as the Skrag soldier had discovered, the weapon was useless against the Primo’s energy shield. The bolts just dissipated upon impact.

  My eyes widened with concern. My heartbeat elevated, and a thin mist of sweat coated my body. My eyes flicked to Tug. He shared the same concerns.

  “Fall back,” he shouted.

  I blasted a few more rounds at the lanky alien, then began to pullback. The thought live to fight another day echoed through my mind. But neither Tug, nor I, were going to live very long. We both got hit with blistering energy bolts.

  My vision flashed red. I watched my health bar drain to zero before everything faded to black.

  47

  I re-spawned back at the portal. I w
as relieved to see Tug materialize beside me. Titan was still in the corridor where we had perished.

  “Titan, you there, buddy?” I asked.

  His voice crackled back in my earbud. “Thank goodness you’re still alive. I’m assuming you’re back at the checkpoint?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll meet you there shortly.”

  “Hurry. I’ve only got one life left. We need to get Doctor Carver and get the hell out of here.”

  “That’s a solid copy,” Titan replied.

  “This is my last life,” Tug muttered. “I better make this one count.”

  A frown pulled at my lips. “Teleport back to the planet. I got this.”

  Tug’s face crinkled up. “To hell with that noise. I’m in this.”

  We pushed forward in the corridor and met with Titan. My HUD indicated that Doctor Carver was on the move. I could hear the sound of weapons fire echoing throughout the ship. I ran down the corridor, leaving the maze of passageways, trying to connect with Carver’s moving dot on my HUD.

  As I rounded a corner, I almost collided with her. She was running for her life. Her hair was frazzled, and her chest heaved for breath. Sweat beaded on her cheeks.

  There was no time for a reunion. I saw what she was running from. A large Primo barreled down the corridor, sending glowing energy bolts in our direction. The blast impacted the bulkheads, showering sparks. Blast craters smoldered.

  I wasn’t going to stick around to face the angry alien. I ran with Tug and Carver back the way we came.

  “What happened to Krong?” I asked in between gasps for air.

  “Hopefully dead,” Carver said. “I escaped when the Primo attacked. We were in the CIC.”

  Parker’s voice crackled in my earbud. “The charges are set. You’ve got 10 minutes to exfiltrate.”

  “Copy that!” I said.