“It’s show time,” Ben heard a voice announce in the flurry. He looked at his watch and saw “4:47PM.” This was the first time he had seen an attack during the day.
“Is this a drill?” he asked.
“No sir, it’s the real thing,” a passing voice answered him. With no more time to prepare, Ben transitioned his monitor to surveille Camp Phoenix.
“I guess they couldn’t wait,” he said.
He caught a glimpse of one of the Trolls approaching the wall. The orbitizer let loose a blue orb and it hit the metal rampart. “It absorbed it,” he said with excitement, “we might have a chance.”
PART THREE:
PARAPET
DAY 282
SURVIVAL
SANITARIUM
Rho could no longer stay silent. Humans and aliens, he felt the woman’s disappointment. The aliens only wanted death, and few humans wanted to preserve life other than their own. All Rho needed to do was convince the human that she was more capable than what she was doing.
“Human… human… I want to survive,” Rho reached out.
Maddie heard that unfamiliar voice in her head. She was sitting with her back against the padded wall. Her head raised and her eyes slowly opened. She calmly looked to her left and then to her right. No one was around her.
“I want to live too,” she spoke out to the empty space. “Who are you?” Maddie asked the voice.
“There is no need to talk human. I can communicate through your thoughts,” Rho said.
Maddie concentrated on speaking without using her voice and asked again, “Who are you?”
The voice answered, “You may call me Rho.” This was the same voice that spoke when she touched the Trolls and Hope. If it was starting to communicate with her then she could find out what was going on inside of her.
“Why are you inside of me?” Maddie asked the voice.
“Human, I was placed inside of you to heal your wounds. I have observed you. I have watched your interactions. The others that talk you, they are not the same as me. They serve another,” Rho explained.
“You were placed in me? Does that mean that you are in me forever? Does that mean you will always heal me?” Maddie asked, and continued to sit in her padded cell without moving her lips.
“Human, we are forever together as two different kinds become one. And I will continue to heal your vessel until I have no more resources to do so,” Rho replied.
“Are you the aliens that are attacking us?” Maddie asked.
“I am not an alien. I am bonded with you and you with me. Only together are we whole,” Rho replied.
Maddie knew this is what was in her blood, as Hope told her, and now it had the ability to talk to her. She thought it was perhaps an illness. It was only a matter of time until Rho would infect her body and kill her. Rho heard her thoughts.
“Human, I am not going to assimilate you or take over your body. We are two in one. I want to survive just as you. I am not a disease and I am already inside of you. If I wished, I would have assimilated your vessel,” Rho told her. Maddie knew she needed to control her thoughts as Rho knew everything she was thinking.
“No need to try to control your thoughts. There is no shield that you can put up that I cannot see through. We are one,” Rho spoke in her thoughts.
Maddie was still concerned that Rho could take over her body.
“How do I know that you won’t assimilate me?” she asked. Rho told her to look at her hand. Maddie raised her hand and stared at it. Her metallic fingers began to drum against her palm but it was not because she wanted them to.
“I control the movement of your hand,” Rho told her, “now you try to move your hand.” Maddie’s hand was still and she concentrated on moving it. Her hand balled into a fist and then opened. It repeated, a fist and then opened. She continued the pattern.
“I have only made the essential connections in your nervous system. I have repaired your eye and the damaged parts of your brain as well. Again, I only want to survive and I need your vessel to do so,” Rho thought to her.
“Okay, so you don’t want to control my body but that doesn’t explain why we spoke to the Trolls,” Maddie said.
“Those Trolls, the other vessels you speak of, are only drones for a higher being than themselves. Those vessels have been long overtaken by us and serve only their leader’s command,” Rho replied. If they were only to serve their leader, then Maddie wondered what was preventing her from serving the leader as well.
“I have adapted to your vessel without command. I do not wish to serve as a drone to their leader. Through the contact of the other vessels, I have learned how they cannot ignore their commands. I am perfect this way and free. I can choose to be autonomous. I choose to be one with your vessel.”
After many replies to her thoughts, Maddie decided that she was not going to try to hide them from Rho, “What do you get out of not assimilating me? Don’t you want total control yourself?”
“I have a different view of myself than you do. I could have total control of the other human vessel, Hope, myself but I need you to survive in this way. With me in you, we can communicate with both vessels, you with your other humans and me with the Trolls, as you say,” Rho answered.
“So you are completely content just existing inside of me without taking my sense of self?” Maddie asked.
“Completely. We are better with a symbiotic relationship. I cannot control your mind. I do not want to change my connections with you. I will continue to be just the way I am. I will make sure that you survive, therefore I survive. I am not a drone. I am different,” Rho explained.
Maddie had figured it out, “You don’t have complete control of my body. That is why I can still control it.”
Rho affirmed her thoughts, “Yes, as I told you, I have only made the essential connections to heal you. Of course, I have connected to your conscious so we can communicate. I have also connected to your motor commands for your hand, your eye so you can have vision, and the damaged parts of your brain to assist in those functions. I have remained silent while filtering your thoughts and transferring them to actions. It is important for you to know that I am here because I was put here.”
Maddie believed Rho and she really did not have any other alternatives. She felt the need to tell Rho, “You can’t talk to me whenever you want. I have to be able to talk to others without you and I will have to think on my own.”
Rho acknowledged her request, “I understand, but if you should ever need me or I think that I can help, I will always be in your mind.”
Maddie was grateful, “Thank you Rho for understanding what I need as well. I need some time to think without your intervention please.” Rho left Maddie alone to process the new information that she had obtained.
Maddie sat still in her corner and thought about Rho. Rho could take over her mind at any time but hadn’t. Maybe Rho was genuine in its recognition of self and its desire to survive. She knew that she had no other choice but to let it be in her. She had to come to terms with the fact that she was no longer Maddie alone. She would be forever linked to this entity that could talk to her at any time. She thought that she might be going crazy. The past few days had been traumatic. “Rho?” She thought out to the voice.
“Yes, I am here and I am real. You are not dreaming me,” Rho answered.
“Just checking to make sure,” Maddie thought back.
This was really happening and Maddie had to learn how to deal with her new self.
The door to the Sanitarium flung open. Maddie jumped to her feet and ran to the opposite wall. She looked out to see a figure standing at the threshold. She made out that it was Jay. He waved his hand for her to come toward him, “Maddie, we have to go now!” His voice was filled with urgency. She ran out of the Sanitarium and followed Jay. The intake area looked like a demolition site. Lighting was hanging from the ceiling and the laboratory and office supplies were scattered all over the floor.
“Where’s Hop
e?” she asked as Jay was the only one that had released her.
“I don’t know. I lost her and we have to find her,” Jay said as he ran to the stairwell.
DAY 282
ONSLAUGHT
CAMP PHOENIX GROUNDS
The Trolls were making their way to the first set of metallic walls. All of the defenders were in their positions watching as the Trolls shot their orbitizers. Some shots were absorbed by the metal base and others steered off course to make parts of the wall disappear. The soldiers were covered and since the attack had started during the daylight, they could easily see their aggressors.
“Section One engage,” Ben called out in the communications center. There were individuals on headsets that made the call to the soldiers. The view on the surveillance monitors showed soldiers clearing their view and beginning to fire. The artillery was also part of Section One and began their salvos. The Trolls on the screen disappeared behind all of the dust and debris from the artillery shells. A few moments later, the silhouette of a Troll emerged from some of the dust. Ben pursed his lips, “I will kill these things.”
The soldiers on the ground were engaging the oncoming Trolls. A Troll was hit with a rifle shot and kept moving toward the wall. Another hit, the Troll barely flinched. Three more hits and the Troll was still moving forward. An artillery shell made a direct hit. The shell made another cloud and this time there was no Troll emerging from it. The Troll wasn’t moving forward at all. The Troll wasn’t even there. The remains of his limbs were scattered on the ground. “You got one, you got one,” hollered one of the soldiers to the artillery. “Keep shooting, keep shooting,” the same soldier begged them. The artillery made another direct hit on a Troll and the same result appeared from the cloud of dirt.
The Trolls realized that the artillery was their biggest threat and directed their orbitizers to the batteries. At a longer distance, the orbs went above and beside their intended targets. As the Trolls approached, the shots became more accurate. An axle was hit by a blue orb and the weapon immediately tilted and then collapsed to the ground. One of the loaders was hit with a blue orb and fell to the ground. The artillery continued to fire in addition to the rifles but one by one, they were being hit. Only three of the original 18 units remained.
The battle continued and the riflemen that were standing next to each other joined to shoot one target at a time. The first salvo went forth and a rapid succession of shots directly hit the oncoming Troll. Another salvo went forth and another set of hits but the Troll continued forward. The third salvo hit and the Troll began to slow down and reach for the ground. The fourth salvo went off and the Troll fell to the ground. They trained to another target to repeat the process. They were going to run out of ammunition if it took four salvos to kill one Troll.
As they engaged the next Troll, the first Troll, the one they thought they had killed, began to stand up. A rifleman pointed it out, “He’s getting back up!” They aimed at the recovering Troll and another salvo hit it. It fell to the ground again. “Stay down this time,” the rifleman cried out. Again, the group of riflemen trained their guns on the next Troll and began to engage it.
Two more artillery batteries were down, only one more remained. The loaders continued to fill the artillery with rounds and the artillery continued to shoot. The Trolls were getting closer. Close enough to be even with the metal wall. The riflemen began their retreat and the artillery directed its aim at the only access to the camp. The sound of the huge gun went off and a shell flew through the air. The shell connected with the earth and a huge cloud formed. One of the sides of the entrance began to collapse and covered the path. Nothing could be seen through the cloud except the falling of the wall. The artillery team cheered.
The joy soon turned to fear as the blue orbs came from the cloud and hit the last remaining battery and the team operating it. After a short barrage, it was defunct like the rest of the batteries and the team was on the ground, dead.
Ben stood at his video feed. They were killing Trolls. He kept questioning himself on how many there were. Section One was now in retreat, “Section Two engage,” he called to the radio operators in the communication center.
With the command, a burst of tank fire came down on the Trolls. The tanks fired high explosive fragmenting shells that killed without prejudice. Pieces of shrapnel flew through the air and penetrated the Trolls. It was an effective way to knock them down and knock them out. There were hundreds of Trolls making their way through the small opening and each tank shell was hitting four or five of the attackers.
Again, realizing their biggest threat, the Trolls took their aim at the tanks. The tanks were easier targets to hit and as quickly as they started firing, they ceased. The Trolls destroyed the 12 tanks and then kept marching forward.
Ben was still standing in the communications room. He saw how quickly the tanks were neutralized by the Trolls. The next section involved everyone with a gun. “Section Three engage,” he called out his next command.
Gunfire from all directions started to rain on the Trolls. Gunfire came from the river, from the hills, and from the barricades next to the building. The Trolls closest to the river began to shoot at the gunfire source. The blue orbs hit the water. The orbs would create small pockets on the surface for a second until the flow of water replaced it. The water was a perfect cover for the orbitizers’ fire. The fire from the hill was short lived as the Trolls had also attacked from the other side. As the soldiers aimed at the Trolls in front of them, another set of Trolls were behind them and caught them by surprise. The gunmen were soon eliminated and the Trolls were attacking on two fronts.
The Trolls from the hills aimed for the barricades and with a few barrages, the barricades disappeared and left the soldiers in the open. The soldiers were picked off in groups and were no longer a threat.
The Trolls entered the river and headed straight for the frogmen firing at them. Shot after shot rang out but it did not slow down the Trolls. The frogmen and the Trolls met and the result was the same as the other areas. The frogmen were eliminated from the battle.
The Trolls had control of the outer grounds. Hundreds of Trolls had attacked but the costly waves of defense left about 50 remaining. The Trolls approached the control building and began the final part of their attack.
DAY 282
INFILTRATION
CAMP PHOENIX CONTROL BUILDING
“We can beat these bastards,” Ben announced to the communications center. He got on the radio with Marcus, “They are going to breech the building. You have to empty rounds in them but you can kill them all.” A beep came over the radio and a voice crackled loudly.
“Copy all, setting positions for building defense. Standing by for breech,” Marcus replied. Ben looked over to the surveillance video. A movement caught his eye. He thought that he saw one of the soldiers walking back to the control building.
“No, it can’t be,” he muttered under his breath. “Just when we figured out how to kill these flippin’ aliens,” he yelled so everyone could hear him.
Ben focused on the man in the video just to make sure. He saw someone holding an orbitizer, something that was common before it was known that humans could not shoot one. The exception was Maddie. Ben switched the monitor to full color and observed the man walking toward the control building. He was covered in red scars and Ben had seen that color before, Maddie’s eye. This man was definitely taken by the aliens.
“Maybe he’s an Inject that escaped?” a person watching the screen suggested.
“Not by that walk, no way,” Ben answered.
He watched the man continue his march and raise his orbitizer. A blue orb came hurtling toward the control building and met the wall. Marcus came over the radio, “The breech has begun, we’re engaging.” Ben knew at that moment that humans were fighting with the aliens.
“Marcus, watch out. There are humans fighting with the Trolls,” Ben said. The radio keyed and there was gunfire already in the background.
> “I don’t give a damn, if it’s shooting at us then we’re shooting back,” Marcus responded. Ben knew that there was a chance that the aliens would still win. He turned to one of the radio operators.
“Prepare to blow the dam.” The radio operator hesitated.
“Yes sir,” the words quietly came from the operator’s mouth.
Marcus had shot several clips into the breech. A couple of soldiers were by his side shooting at the same rate. A boom was heard in the distance.
“Was that another breech?” one of the soldiers asked Marcus.
“I don’t know,” he replied as he called over his radio, “Quill, Quill, come in.” There was a pause with no answer, “Quill, Quill—”
Quill answered with his raspy voice, “What do you need? I am busy here.” Marcus thought he couldn’t be too busy to check out the noise.
“Quill, check your area and make sure there aren’t any other breeches,” Marcus directed Quill.
“As soon as I am done here,” Quill told him.
“Hurry and do it,” Marcus was quick to reply,
Quill shook his head, “Hurry he said. He doesn’t know how busy I am.” He stepped over two beheaded Trolls. “You can try to grow back but I’ll keep chopping you up,” he said to the two Trolls as he spat on them. The head of one of the Trolls was starting to reform. The neckline started to grow. Quill stood over it and watched, “Oh, no, no, no.” Quill took his blade and with one slice he severed the Troll’s reforming neck. “You don’t get to come back from this one.” Quill grabbed the severed neck and threw it away from the Troll’s body. “Quill do this, Quill do that. Now I have to check that wall.” Quill ran down the hall to look for another breech.
The door that Quill guarded was left abandoned. In the opposite direction, a Troll emerged and approached the two beheaded Trolls. It touched its claw to the bodies without a response. The Troll reasoned there must be something worth investigating behind the door. It entered the door and descended the stairs. It entered the first door it came to, which led to the intake area. The Troll was met by Joel. Joel aimed his gun straight at the Troll’s chest and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew into the chest of the Troll. The Troll didn’t even look down as it raised its orbitizer. It shot Joel in his chest and left a huge crater. Joel didn’t look down either. His body fell to the ground. The Troll saw someone else in the distance and began to fire. One shot after the other went into the walls and ceiling, knocked down lights, and put holes in the glass. The door fell off the hinge to Jay’s room and jammed in place. Jay had heard the commotion and was putting on his shoes. He tried to open his door but it wouldn’t budge.
Genetic Drift Page 17
