"Then we'll come back with more firepower," Ben-Ari said. "With a hundred ships and—"
"It would be too late," Kemi said. "Already he prepares to spawn. We must kill him now. We must. We must." She fell to her knees. "You cannot imagine his cruelty, how he spoke in my mind, mocking, tormenting me. How I can still hear the buzzing." She covered her ears. "We have to make the buzzing stop."
They all stared outside at the red planet, its surface a massive storm many times the size of Earth.
Addy sighed. "Well, fuck it. What's one more bug to crush?"
Lailani placed a hand on her gun. "I'm game."
"You're all crazy," Elvis said. "But fine! One last hunt before the frontier. How do we find this scum king anyway?"
"He flies within the storm," Kemi said. "I'll lead us to him." Her eyes hardened. "And then we'll fire every cannon on this ship and rid the cosmos of him."
* * * * *
They stood on the bridge of the Miyari, a semicircular hall with viewports from floor to ceiling, affording a panoramic view of the storms of Indrani. They now flew only a thousand kilometers away from that roiling maelstrom.
"All right, soldiers, listen up," Ben-Ari said. "We emptied our nuclear arsenal on the mines of Corpus, but the Miyari has still got her plasma cannons. Osiris is going to fly us through the storm, following Kemi's directions, taking us toward the scum king. The rest of us will man those cannons. Once we see the king, we'll burn him down. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am!" they cried, and it felt like basic training again, like a real army. It felt normal. It felt in control. And that was comforting to Marco.
"Ma'am?" Elvis said. "Does anyone even know what the scum king looks like? Is he just some giant bug flying through the storm?"
They all turned to look at Kemi. The cadet was wearing Addy's spare uniform. It was the drab fatigues of an enlisted soldier, not the white uniform of a cadet, but it was better than her previous sweatpants and blanket.
"When I was attached to the scum hive, I felt more than saw," Kemi said. "I sensed things through senses that humans don't possess. The scum communicate ideas, concepts, and feelings through pheromones, and they all chatter at once, thousands of them. It's like being in a forest full of smells. But above everything else, I sensed him. The king. Watching, controlling, commanding. Indrani is a gas giant. It has no solid surface to stand on, is just swirling clouds all the way through, a massive floating storm in space, that is all. And in that storm, I sensed a great creature, looming, gargantuan, filling the storm, bending it to his will, consciousness in an exoskeleton. So . . . yes, in a sense, a giant bug flying through the storm."
"Great," Elvis said. "And we'll be the windshield that crushes it."
Ben-Ari nodded. "All right, soldiers. We're beginning our descent. It'll get rocky once we enter that storm. To the cannons! We'll have a clear view from your turrets, and we'll keep in touch via our communicators." She grew solemn. "Godspeed, warriors of Earth."
They saluted and stepped off the bridge, leaving Osiris and Kemi to steer the ship. The soldiers marched through the ship, climbed the ladder, and headed back into the six gun turrets that protruded from the Miyari. Marco manned the same cannon as last time, staring out through the cockpit at the approaching storms of Indrani. It felt like flying toward lava in the pits of Hell itself. From where Marco stood, he had a view of every direction. In the other cannon turrets, he could see his comrades at the guns. The Miyari's engines glowed pale blue as the ship descended toward the massive planet.
Marco narrowed his eyes, seeking the monster. How could one see anything here? This planet was larger than all the planets back home in the solar system put together. Storms, each of them larger than Earth, swirled and spun, red and yellow and white. Great bands of swirling umber and crimson flowed around the planet like gushing rivers. As they descended closer and hit the first layer of the atmosphere, the Miyari began to shake. They had patched up the crack in the cockpit with liquid silica, but Marco was beginning to worry that it would crack again. The ship rattled. The gun's handles threatened to rip out from his hands.
They entered the storm.
Swirls of red and orange flowed around them. The clouds whipped the ship, and the Miyari rocked and rattled. Marco could just make out the other cockpits, the soupy atmosphere flowing around them. It felt like flying through a vat of red and yellow paint.
Through his earbud, he heard Kemi's voice.
"He's still far. He's still deep."
"Hang in there, Kemi," Marco said into his helmet's microphone. "We're going to get this son of a bitch."
With a crackle of static, Addy's voice emerged from the earbud next. "The poet cursed again!"
"Quiet, soldiers," Ben-Ari warned.
They kept descending through the storm. A gust of wind slammed into the ship. The Miyari was as large as an apartment building, but that gust tossed it through the air, and they spun three times before righting themselves and flying onward. Marco kept scanning the storming atmosphere, seeking the enemy. The gusts of wind swirled and splashed color across the sky. With every gust, Marco thought he saw the scum, but it was always a shadow or drift of dark cloud.
"I can feel him," Kemi whispered, voice strained. "He's watching me. He knows I'm here. Marco . . ."
"I'm here, Kemi," he said, though he was a hundred meters away in his turret. "I'm right here, ready to smoke the bastard. Be strong. I'm here."
"We're all here," said Lailani, and Marco could see her looking at him from another gun turret fifty meters away. "We're all with you, Kemi."
Marco wished he could be with Kemi now, wished he could hold her, comfort her in person, not just through his communicator. But he had a more important task now—roasting that damn king scum. He leaned forward, eyes narrowed, seeking it. He could hear the storm now, even through the thick silica of the cockpit. It grumbled like a living beast, growled, whispered, rumbled. Suddenly Marco had the strange feeling that the planet itself was alive, a vengeful deity, swallowing them, digesting them. They kept diving deeper, and the storm thickened, darkened. The Miyari turned on its headlights, and the beams drove through the storming crimson clouds.
"He's here," Kemi said, voice shaking. "Oh, God. Oh, God. He's here. He's here. He knows my name."
Marco stared. He saw nothing.
"Kemi, where—"
His voice died.
A black tail flowed through the storm, then vanished behind crimson clouds.
Marco inhaled sharply. It was impossible to judge size from here, but he could swear—could feel it—that this tail was large, large as a bus. The Miyari swooped in pursuit, headlights cutting through the rumbling storm, and leveled off. The engines cast their blue glow against the clouds as they drove forth. The creature was gone. The ship kept flying, and red swirls flowed around them, but nothing. Nothing but the storm.
"Is it gone?" Marco said. "Did it flee? Did—"
Hard blackness.
Roaring thunder.
The ship careened, and Marco clung to the gun, nearly falling.
"It hit us!" rose Osiris's voice through the speakers.
"Where is it?" Ben-Ari was shouting. "Osiris, turn toward it!"
The ship was spinning madly. It blasted out blue flame and managed to straighten and fly forth. They made a wide turn, dived down, faced upward, and—
A massive black shape swooped, larger than the starship. It moved so quickly Marco couldn't see anything more than a flash of shimmering black. Again something massive hit the ship, and the hull dented, and they tumbled through the storm and flew like a leaf on the wind. Addy and Lailani were both firing their cannons, but the plasma flew toward nothing but storm.
"Osiris, turn toward it, damn it!" Ben-Ari was shouting in her gun turret.
"I can't, ma'am, it's too fast!" the android replied from the bridge.
"Turn us toward it, you damn piece of junk, or we're toast!" Elvis shouted.
The ship soared higher. When Marco stared
down, he saw massive dark fingers tipped with claws emerging from the clouds. His heart sank. Those claws looked large enough to crush the Miyari. The ship blasted upward, then spun and faced the creature below.
The alien emerged from the storm.
Marco lost his breath.
"Fuck me," Addy whispered.
The scum king was massive—larger than the Miyari. It would have dwarfed the scum queen like a cockroach by an ant. It wasn't a centipede like its spawn. It was like some massive deep-sea creature, black and shimmering, with six legs, each tipped with claws, and a spiked tail that coiled and whipped. Its head was heavy, coated with armored plates, and teeth like the pillars of buildings filled its mouth. It shrieked, a sound so loud Marco cringed and nearly released his cannon to cover his ears.
A soft voice emerged from the ship speakers, barely a whisper, barely human, and Marco didn't recognize it. "Master . . ."
"Fire!" Ben-Ari shouted. "Kill it!"
Marco pulled the cannon's trigger.
His cannon gave a sputter.
No plasma emerged.
The other turrets were cold too.
"There's no plasma!" Addy shouted.
Osiris's voice rose through the speakers. "Our plasma supply has been turned off! Down in deck four—"
Before the android could complete her sentence, one of the scum king's massive hands hit the ship.
It felt as if a mountain struck them.
They tumbled through the storm. Marco was yanked free from the gun, and his head banged against the cockpit. He hit his hip against the floor. The storm spun madly all around them. The scum king rose again. Marco caught sight of the tail whipping through the sky. It slammed into the ship with the fury of a god.
"Deck three is breached!" Osiris said. "Losing air!"
"Osiris, we need plasma!" Ben-Ari shouted.
Marco managed to rise, to grab the cannon, to pull the trigger again. Nothing happened.
"Ma'am, the plasma supply has been cut!" Osiris said. "Somebody turned it off. I'm detecting a figure on deck four, section b. Right in the engine room."
"Emery, Ray, do you hear me?" Ben-Ari said. "Get down there and turn the juice back on!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Marco and Elvis replied. They left their gun turrets, raced down the ladder, and ran along the hall. Another blow hit the ship, and they fell, rose, ran again. Sparks flew. The power went out, and they ran through shadows.
"The ship's falling apart!" Addy cried through their communicators. "We need that plasma back on!"
"Osiris, pull back, get us out of here!" Ben-Ari said.
"I cannot retreat, ma'am," replied the android. "It's got a grip on us!"
Marco and Elvis ran, swaying, falling, racing down staircases and ladders.
"Osiris, what am I looking for?" Marco shouted into his helmet's communicator, running toward the engine room.
The android's voice emerged through his headset. "You'll see two red pipes emerging from a massive tank. My controls show that the valve has been shut off. Spin the valve open to return the plasma supply to the cannons."
"Shut off?" Marco said. "Not damaged in the—"
The ship shook again, and Marco flew against the wall. He could hear him. He could hear the king bellowing outside. The hull dented where claws slammed against the metal, only a few feet away from Marco.
"Scans show tank and pipes still operational, master," Osiris said. "Simply turn on the valve. I suggest hurrying, master."
The valve—shut off. The saboteur.
Marco cursed and ran. Elvis ran close behind.
"Fucking scum on board," Elvis said. "Has to be. Get ready to riddle the bastard with bullets."
They reached the door to the engine room. It was round, forged of blue metal, and taller than them.
"Looks like a door to Bilbo's bunker," Marco said.
"Bill who now?" Elvis said.
"Never mind." Marco grabbed the winch that thrust out from the door. "Help me."
They spun the wheel together, and the heavy blue door swung open. They stepped into the engine room. Here was a vast hall crowded with pipes, silvery engines, pistons larger than men, and spinning wheels that flared out with cables. Control panels were everywhere. The lights flickered off, then came back on, then died again. Backup generators kicked in, and dim lights shone.
"See any red pipes?" Elvis said.
They walked between the machinery. The pistons rose and fell around them, silver and thrumming. Three turbines rose ahead, large as cars, glowing blue. The engine room shook, and the engines died for a second before crackling back to life.
"He's tearing us apart!" Ben-Ari shouted through their communicators. "We need that plasma, soldiers!"
"There!" Elvis pointed. "Red pipes."
They ran between the pistons, paused, then leaped over a canyon full of electricity that crackled between rods. There—Marco saw it in the flashing lights of the engines and electricity. Two red pipes flowing up from a generator toward the ceiling. Marco spotted a valve where the pipes met the tank.
"I see it," Marco said, racing with Elvis toward the plasma generator. "We're turning it back—"
A figure emerged from the shadows, blocking their way.
"No."
Marco and Elvis skidded to a halt.
Between them and the plasma generator stood Lailani.
Elvis breathed out in relief. "Damn it, de la Rosa, you scared the shit out of me. Help us turn this fucker back on."
Lailani didn't move. Her voice rumbled out. Low. Deep. Guttural. "No."
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Elvis said, trying to walk around her.
Lailani smiled.
Her hand thrust forward.
Claws sprouted from her fingertips and tore into Elvis. Her hand burst out from his back, clutching his dripping heart.
Marco stood, frozen, eyes wide.
God, no, God, no, God, no.
Neck creaking, Lailani turned her head toward him. Her smile stretched into a grin. She dropped Elvis's heart, then pulled her hand free. The heart hit the floor with a splatter. Elvis's corpse followed.
"Hello, Marco," Lailani said.
No. No. This has to be a nightmare. This can't be happening. This has to be a dream.
The ship rattled. Ben-Ari was shouting something through the communicator. Blasts dented the hull and one turbine died. Marco fell to his knees and looked down at Elvis. His friend stared up at the ceiling, eyes glassy.
Marco looked back at Lailani. His head spun. He could barely breathe, barely speak.
"Who are you?" he whispered.
Lailani licked the blood off her claws. Each of those claws was as long as a dagger. "You know us." Her voice was impossibly deep, demonic. "You slew us in the desert. You murdered our children and wives in the mine. Now you will worship us. Now you will join us. We are the Masters. We are the Ancients. We are those who rise."
"Scum," Marco whispered, kneeling in the blood, staring up at Lailani. He rose to his feet and grabbed his gun. "Let her go! Get out of her body!" His shout was hoarse, his eyes damp. "Take me instead. Let Lailani go!"
Lailani laughed. A deep, rumbling laugh, a sound impossible for one so small. "Let her go? Lailani has always been one of us. We were always inside her. It was we who impregnated her whore of a mother. It was we who lurked inside her throughout her childhood, keeping her frail body alive. It was we who broke her soul. It was us she tried to banish by slicing her wrists, we who saved her life again and again, reviving her from death so many times. She died in Fort Djemila, crushed by her burden in the sand, and we gave her new life." The creatures inside of Lailani laughed again. "She has always been our slave. She has always carried the soul of the Masters inside her, waiting for orders . . . waiting to be our soldier. And now this soldier kills."
Marco stared in shock. Grief for Elvis. Grief for what Lailani had become. Pounding, screaming, ringing noise, roaring in his ears like jet engines. His heart slamming against his ribs. He stare
d as the cosmos shattered.
"It was you," Marco whispered. "The saboteur. It was you who unscrewed the engines and shattered the azoth heart. You who sabotaged the cage lift. You who shut off the plasma."
Lailani reached out and stroked his cheek with her claws. They scraped his stubble like razors. "My sweet, beloved lover." She hissed, and her canines lengthened into fangs, and her eyes shone red. "This human body enjoyed fucking you. Now we will mate as arthropods. Now you will become one of us. Now you will join the hive."
She grabbed Marco's throat, and her foot slammed into his kneecap with incredible strength. He heard the bone shatter. He felt it with the blaze of ten thousand searing suns. He tried to scream, could not with her clutching his throat. She pulled him down to his knees, and white light flared, and tears flowed down his cheeks as his shattered kneecap hit the floor. Lailani stood above him, constricting him, smiling thinly. Blood dripped down his neck where her claws cut him.
"Marco!" Ben-Ari spoke in his communicator. "Marco, what—"
Lailani tore off his helmet and tossed it aside. The voices from the communicator died. With her free hand, Lailani slammed a control panel. Across the engine room, the round blue door slammed shut and its wheel turned, locking it. She looked back at Marco, still gripping his throat.
"I will pass you this gift," Lailani whispered, leaning above him. He could not believe her strength. "The gift of my pheromones. Of my masters. Of my hive. Join us. Join us. We will mate. We will create our own hive."
Earth Lost (Earthrise Book 2) Page 21
