Martian Dragons

by Ian Woodhead

  The Danu shook his head. "No. They are now inconsequential to our new mission.”

  “Are you trying to anger me, Danu? I have no problem with eating your eyes too.”

  “Your threats are wasted on me, Velicion.” He pointed at Ryan. “The confirmation of his true nature means the prophecy foretold by our last warrior is coming true. We have to do everything in our power to avoid the Marauders from occupying this base. There will be no grabbing it back, only for them to continue this never-ending cycle. Once they have it, this time, they will stay and use it as a beachhead to launch the final invasion on the home planet. It has been foretold.”

  "It is not known for the Danu to act like savage humans. Perhaps you have been spending too much time with them? Not that it matters. Pre-determinism belongs to undeveloped species. We go to the spaceport and kill the two humans. It had been decided."

  “Wait, what prophecy and why am I only hearing about this now?”

  “Thousands of years ago, before your species learned to speak, our last warrior spoke of a time when an alien invader will do everything in their power to utterly annihilate the Terrestrial pact. This was due to start when the one who unites us all is found.”

  The Danu pilot then pulled out his blaster and aimed it at the Velicion 's head. “Do not test my patience, Velicion. You are an impossibly old species. One who is in terminal decline, possibly freefall. I suspect that even your priests would have foretold your end moment. It is such a shame that you no longer believe. If you did then perhaps you would be more accepting.”

  “You speak in riddles and falsehoods, Danu. Nothing less than I would expect from your species. Listen to me, you annoying mammal. There is no such thing as prophecy.”

  Ryan found their confrontational dialogue strange and a little unsettling. He also believed this conversation, the mutual distrust and the constant parrying of insults, threats and compromise showed Ryan how these two peoples communicated. How they had found enough common ground to accomplish anything worthwhile was beyond him. “Is it possible, just for a minute, for you two to stop having a go at each other?”

  Todd moaned a little louder. It sounded like whatever the Danu had done was having the desired effect. “Wait, why argue at all? There is nothing stopping us from attempting to achieve both goals.”

  “Do you seriously expect the three of us to attack a full Marauder assault force with only one working weapon?” The Velicion shook his great head. “You are as addled as the Danu. But then, what else should I expect from a pair of mammals?”

  “There are three of us mammals here, not two, Vel-Dragil. I'm sure that Todd will be back up to full strength in no time, thanks to this Danu allowing his closed mind to open up a new possibilities. As for weapons. Well, that is where your vast knowledge will be so essential. You know this place better than anyone else and I know that you will be able to lead us to the next weapon locker while eluding those Marauder patrols. Remember, there will be another two humans ready to join the fight once we reach the spaceport. Vel-Dragil, stop growling. I know you want to kill them but perhaps you could put thoughts of dinner to one side? At least until we stop the Marauders. Do you like those odds any better, Vel-Dragil? Are you too willing to allow your mind to open up too or do will you carry on following your own path a destruction?” He helped Todd to his feet.

  “Are you forgetting that they tried to kill your human friend.”

  “Of course not. But I think they were trying to stop him from following them, that's all. If they wanted to kill Todd then I think they would have succeeded.” Ryan turned to the pilot. “The Marauders see us as a threat. I agree that we are, but only if we all combine our talents and operate as one.” he grinned. “If we do that, then the aliens won't stand a chance.”

  The Velicion turned to the Pilot. “Perhaps you are right that he truly is the one who unites us?”

  “Perhaps?”

  “Indeed. I suspect this is why I have this incredible urge to stuff something into his mouth to stop him from talking.”

  Chapter Nine

  Inside the Bowels

  Vel-Dragil issued him with a light assault weapon, to Ryan, this beast, as long as his arm and twice as thick, gave him the feeling that he was carrying a small child, albeit, one which weighed the same as a standard human rifle.

  The Velicion had stressed to him that the mono-filaments which attached to the user's central nervous system would create a bond enabling him to use the weapon as easily as blinking or walking. He also stressed that until now, any other species who had tried using these weapons had either gone insane or turned to super-heated vapour. At which point, the pilot pleaded with him to stick to the weapons provided by his species.

  The elevator had begun to slow. Ryan looked at the Velicion and the pilot before taking a deep breath. “Ready?” They nodded. “How about you, Todd, ready for a scrap?”

  His friend had improved significantly since the Danu had injected him with whatever he kept in that pouch. The man's strength had returned, so had his desire to find the two other humans who almost put him in the ground. That itch would need to wait a little longer. To reach the spaceport, meant crossing through their next destination.

  The elevator eased to a stop and the doors slid open. Just as Vel-Dragil's motion detector showed, over a dozen Marauder units sat idly along both corridor walls. They didn't even react when they saw the elevator did not contain more of their kind. Well, they did but by the time they jumped to their feet and brought up their weapons, it was too late.

  Ryan didn't even need to aim. He simply told his baby who the bad guys were and the assault weapon took control. Stream after stream of energised plasma particles blasted the enemy apart. The Marauders who were lucky enough to escape the effects of the terrifying weapon were caught out by the weapons fire from the other three.

  He stepped out into the flat grey corridor, now filled with smoke and dust as well as small particles of crimson mist which stuck to their bodies like glue as they took a few more steps away from the elevator shaft.

  Ryan coughed and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, a little disgusted to find that red stuff coating his skin. He dare not ask the other three where it had come from. Vel-Dragil handed him another weapon, similar to what the Danu carried. “No thanks. I'm happy with this one.”

  The Velicion shook his head. “I am sorry, but it does not work that way.” He pointed to the area, inside the green organic sleeve which fitted into his left arm. “Its energy banks are totally drained and the shock it sustained has already begun to effect the weapon. We should get it to another weapons locker so it can come to terms with the lives it has taken. Only then will the process of healing commence.”

  “You sound like it's alive!”

  “It is, Ryan, and intelligent enough to understand the concept of self-awareness. Look, already the mono-filaments are detaching. We should make finding another locker a priority.”

  He gazed around at the devastation caused by the weapon while Vel-Dragil assured the others that his motion detector showed no activity close to their position. His weapon, this awesome piece of ancient advanced machinery no longer felt like it belonged to him anymore and as weird as it was, Ryan felt like he had lost another part of his life. “Are you telling me that you created sentient weapons? That is just sick.”

  Todd stepped forward. He too looked like somebody had thrown a capsule of watery red fluid at his face. “Could we leave the moral ambivalence for another time, perhaps? We still have a job to do.”

  Ryan frowned. He turned to the Velicion. “Help me out with something here. After witnessing the unbelievable destructive power of just one hand weapon, I can't understand how these aliens were even able to get close to the base, let alone invade and occupy it.” He gently stroked the now cold device. “Install a few larger versions of this thing onto your ships and anything that came close wouldn't last more than a few seconds.”

  Vel-Dragil nodded. “Strange how we ne
ver thought of that,” he replied, sarcastically. “Until now, no other being has been able to persuade any weapon to release its full potential in one burst. If I had used the weapon, it would have allowed me to fire three perhaps four times, at a much lower charge before demanding atonement. Can you understand this?” He turned his attention to the pilot. I still do not believe in your prophecy, Danu, but this experiment has helped to direct me away from my chosen path.”

  The Velicion gently removed the assault weapon from Ryan and clipped it to his back harness. “The feelings of loss you are no doubt experiencing will soon pass,” he whispered. Vel-Dragil turned to face the others. “Our route is now clear. We should make the best use of our time.” He gave Ryan one final look before rushing past the Marauder remains.

  Todd wiped his face again and grimaced. “I hope this stuff isn't poisonous.”

  The pilot shook his head. “Do not worry, it is harmless. You are quite safe.”

  “Do I want to know what it is?”

  “The Marauders believe that the only way to reach their afterlife once they die, is the total annihilation of the body. If there is no chance of survival or they think the enemy is close to capturing them, they have multiple devices implanted which will detonate. Consequently, even after all these years, our knowledge of them is fragmented. We do not even know where their home star system is located. We do know that this species is intent on either destroying or enslaving every sentient species, unlucky enough to get in their way.”

  Ryan ran his fingers over the new weapon. “Where was this made? Come to think of it, where did your spaceship come from or, well, everything else? I mean, apart from you saying that both your species originated from Earth, I don't know anything else about you or the Velicion for that matter.”

  At the sound of his name, he looked over his shoulder. “If we do not stop them, the Marauders will invade the home planet, and turn everything you hold dear into dust. Your species will, as the Danu said, either become their next slave race or you will end up on their dining table.” He stopped. “What else is there to know?”

  The pilot grinned. “Not every Velicion is as optimistic as him. Most believe that the Marauders will overrun the galaxy and reduce every species, including the Terrestrials into soup.” He shrugged. “That is what happens when the entire species do not believe in the Lady of Light. The conflict in this star system, although important to all of us, is not the only fight to worry about. This pestilence have attacked and occupied countless star systems across the section of our galaxy and to be honest, there does not look to be much hope of slowing them down, let alone finding a solution in which to defeat them.”

  “It appears that this pestilence does not take kindly to being irradiated.” Vel-Dragil tapped the motion detector. “There are already even more Marauders are heading this way. Many more. We do not have much time as they are already at the next junction. I think we have to go back to the elevator.”

  Ryan turned around. The red mist had finally settled, covering everything with its clinging, greasy touch. He moved a little closer to the last armour shell they had passed, crouched and pulled the weapon out from under the armour. It looked similar to the gun he snatched from the other Marauder. It might come in useful. Ryan then caught sight of movement. He brought up the dropped weapon only to find what caught his attention had been the elevator doors sliding shut. Ryan shook his head. “Going back to the elevator is not a good idea, Vel-Dragil,” He nodded towards the doors. “I think we're about to have company coming up too.”

  “Fuck.” Todd ran over to the Velicion. “Are we trapped here or is there another way off this level?”

  He shook his head. “ I am sorry but no, not this time. We have no other choice but to fight our way through this.”

  Todd looked in disgust at his human made blaster. “Thank you for saving me earlier,” he said sliding down the wall. “I'm just sorry you wasted it on me. You have only delayed the death sentence.”

  Ryan had no intention of lying down and giving up. Not after everything they have been through so far. “We need to find some cover.” He desperately looked up and down the sparse corridor looking for anything that might fit the bill.

  “They are almost here,” said Vel-Dragil. He got down on one knee and lifted his rifle. It has been an honour to serve with all of you.”

  The Danu joined him and copied the Velicion's movements, only facing the elevator. Ryan had run out of time! Their running bootstraps echoed on the floor as they ran towards them. They would be visible in just a few more seconds.

  Todd had attempted to hide behind one of the dead Marauder 's empty armour. “It's obvious what to do!” he exclaimed. “How could I be so stupid not to see it before?” He ran over to Todd. “You two, come over here, hurry up!” By the time they got here, Ryan climbed inside one of the shells. Todd followed his example.

  “This is desecration!”

  “Seriously?” Ryan gazed at the Velicion in disbelief. “You'd rather get shot?” He looked past him. “Will you just do it?” He positioned himself against the wall. "Look, if they can't see us then they'll just think we've used a secret entrance.”

  “There are no hidden doors on this level.”

  “Do they know that, for crying out loud?” He sighed in relief when the Velicion dropped to the floor and squeezed his bulk into the remaining armour shell, seconds before the first unit of Marauder troops came into view. They didn't immediately fire on them, which helped to slow his heart rate down a bit.

  The second unit approached from behind and joined up with the others. Ryan listened to them conversing, their speech was unfamiliar like before Ryan guessed that the translators weren’t working in the section of the base. He so wished he could understand their words. They might be discussing something vitally important.

  His entire world consisted of a small patch of grey floor, coated with that red film of liquid. Even that limited view came to an end when a pair of huge feet stood in front of his face.

  He heard what sounded like arguing followed by a sudden loud cry. The feet moved from his view. Ryan risked moving his head just a faction so he could see just what was happening. His view now showed him the first squad heading back towards the elevator while the remaining squad were still arguing amongst themselves. The most important point that he kept reminding himself was that none of those huge reptilian monsters were looking in their direction. That must mean that his plan had worked. Surely, it would be long now before they departed as well. Underneath their bickering, he heard the elevator doors sliding shut, meaning only half the number remained.

  One of the Marauders yelled at a larger, uglier colleague before storming off down the corridor. Two more ran after him. Three down, just another three more to go! Ryan honestly thought everything was going great until he heard the sound of a very human sneeze. The three Marauders spun around. Ryan managed to got off one shot, which almost decapitated the closest soldier. Two more blasts took the remaining Marauders down.

  He crawled out of the shell, yelping in shock when two shots, one after the other slammed into the wall just above his face. Ryan rolled into the middle of the floor and fired twice. Both shots failed to hit their respective targets!

  The Danu and the Velicion had better luck. They both fired at the same Marauder who literally exploded, spraying his liquefied body all over the other two soldiers. With all that fluid splashing against their faces, Ryan took advantage of the situation and jumped up. He ran over to the side of the wall then dropped to the floor before firing shot after shot at the two remaining soldiers. He didn't stop until the gun registered empty.

  Todd and Vel-Dragil helped him up.

  “The elevator is returning. I do not think we will survive another encounter.”

  The Velicion took the lead and raced over to the next exit at the far end of the corridor. Ryan and the other two kept pace, acutely aware that the other soldiers were right behind them. He allowed the others to pass him. Their pursue
rs could not be far behind. Ryan found out exactly how far behind when the first soldier raced around the corner. He fired a couple of shots. Both missed but it made the alien fall. A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and pulled him backwards. The pilot slammed the door shut and fired into the lock mechanism.

  “It won't hold them for long,” the pilot murmured.

  “It looks like we're not out of the woods yet,” said Todd, breathing heavily. “The lizard says we have a major problem.”

  Ryan almost laughed. “Our Velicion friend sure is a big bundle of sunshine. Come on, let's go find out what has upset him now.”

  They found him stood against another flat, grey wall section. Behind him, Ryan spotted an open door showing yet more flat grey corridor. How anybody found their way around here had to be a miracle. “What's wrong?”

  “We have two options available. If we keeping going, we will reach the spaceport shortly. Right now, the way is clear but that could change at any moment. If fact, I know it will, as I have worked out how they know where we are.” He pointed up, at one of the edges. “Can you see it?”

  “You have got to be joking,” hissed Ryan. He knew exactly what the Velicion had found. A surveillance camera. Why had the thought of cameras not occurred to him before? “So, they are tracking every movement. Just great. Vel-Dragil What else can we do?”

  He tapped the wall. “There is a hidden entrance here.”

  “So why are we even having this conversation?” Ryan asked. “Get it open and let's get out of here.”

  “No, you do not understand. Somebody has used it, somebody not of my species.”

  “Great, it must be Villas and Barnaby,” replied Ryan. “Again, why are we having this conversation?”

  The Velicion sighed. “It was not them, that is the problem. The entrance was opened recently but not that recent.”

  “Can you tell how long ago?” Ryan kept glancing at that camera, sure that it was watching him right now. He aimed his gun and fired. “How long, Vel-Dragil?”