by Anna Carven
All she could do now was watch as the inky blackness slid by. The lights were all down now; since she’d flicked the huge release valve on the power generator, diverting the water that usually spun the turbines into the overflow pipes, she’d killed the backup power to the station.
It was a small price to pay for avoiding a potentially catastrophic blowout.
Kalan ran with long, graceful strides. He found the stairwell and ran up the stairs in a few powerful leaps. Jia had never seen anything like it.
This Kordolian was the very definition of a super soldier. His large frame was deceptive; in addition to his immense strength, he was incredibly fast. He killed with such ease that it was almost an afterthought, and he wore armor that was seemingly impenetrable.
And right now, he was carrying Jia in his arms as if she was a prize that he’d claimed for himself.
Do you trust me?
It had been an odd question to ask, and he’d been so damn expectant, as if everything hinged on her answer.
Strange alien. He could possess her a hundred times over if he wanted to. He knew it. She knew it. Her head told her he was not to be trusted. On paper, he was a formidable, scary opponent; a Kordolian. He was an alien who belonged to a race that thought of all other species as inferior.
Her heart said otherwise. She wanted to be with him; to know him.
So what happened when this nightmare was over and they returned to the Real World? If she asked him to let her go, what would his answer be?
Jia wasn’t sure she ever wanted to know.
All she knew was that right now, they were running at near-lightspeed towards salvation, and with Kalan, she felt invincible, as if nothing in the Universe could stop them.
Not to mention that being held against his wide, sculpted, constantly flexing chest and arms was making her feel warm inside.
Jia shook the inappropriate thoughts from her head as they reached the top of the stairwell. They were back at the residential quarters.
“Is there another way to get to the loading dock from here?”
“Quickest way is through the quarters. Is that not a good option right now?”
“No. Three adult Xargek were sighted.”
Jia let out a deep breath. “There are elevators everywhere, but because the power’s out, none of them will work.” She frowned, forcing herself to think. “Go down three levels and back through the Service Area. There’s a small maintenance ladder that leads to the eatery above the dock.”
“Just tell me which way to go. You are my navigator, Jia.”
They swept back down the stairwell and entered the eerily silent and deserted Service Area. It was like a ghost town down here.
“I need to switch my light on, so I can identify the ladder.”
“Go ahead.”
Her headlamp bobbed up and down, washing the stark white walls and floors with its passing cone of light as they raced down the corridor. A large crash resounded from the kitchens, but it didn’t distract Kalan; he just kept going.
“Fifteen minutes until departure. All personnel, make your way immediately to the loading dock.” An ominous automated warning came across the speakers. Jia was surprised the announcement was even possible, given their lack of general power, but then she remembered that all AI systems had a battery source.
Kalan ran on, ignoring the warning.
“The maintenance ladder’s over there,” Jia gasped, pointing to a hidden door between the kitchens and the automated laundry. It opened into a narrow shaft. “Power’s down, so we’re going to have to manually open the door. Sliding release is there.” Jia pointed to a handle at the edge of the door. Kalan yanked it back, and it slid open with a groan. He stuck his head inside. Jia knew from memory that it was quite a narrow shaft. Kalan would be able to fit, but only just.
“Human-sized,” he grunted. He set her down on her feet and gestured for her to ascend. “You first.”
That was strange. Usually, he insisted on going first.
Jia had no choice but to trust him. She stepped inside, getting a firm grip on the rungs of the ladder as she looked up, her headlamp piercing the darkness of the shaft.
Normally, they’d use a service elevator for movement between floors, but with the power down, this was their only option.
“Go,” Kalan said roughly, his voice harsh and insistent. It was different to the way he usually spoke with her.
“But-” Jia looked down to see the door slamming shut behind her.
“Go!” Kalan yelled, as Jia heard a familiar spine-chilling skittering sound.
“Ah, fuck,” she growled, as she started to climb. He must have known all along that the Xargek was behind them. That’s why he hadn’t stopped. Not until she was safely in the maintenance shaft. “I don’t want to leave you, Kalan!” Her voice hitched as she shouted the words, which echoed off the narrow walls.
“Get out of here, Human,” he yelled. “Don’t make this any more difficult for me. Just go!”
“Kalan-”
“Go!” His voice was a thunderous roar.
Below her, the Xargek, which she assumed was an adult one, let out a terrifying screech.
Unable to do anything else, and knowing she would only hinder Kalan, Jia started to climb, a terrible fear welling in her chest.
It squeezed at her heart.
Being powerless to do anything to help him only made it worse.
So she climbed, even though her heart was telling her to go back down there and do something, even if it was only to put a plasma bolt into that fucking insect monster.
“Please survive,” she whispered under her breath, as she raced up the ladder. There had to be help up there, in the loading dock. She would find the rest of Kalan’s team and call for help.
Breathing heavily, Jia pushed herself to climb faster, scrambling up the narrow ladder.
Time was critical now, and Kalan had to get out of there alive.
She couldn’t bear to lose him now, not when something incredible was just starting between them.
CHAPTER TWENTY
What Jia hadn’t known was that there were actually two Xargek closing in on Kalan. They came from both ends of the corridor, chittering to each other as they caught sight of him.
They were mature-stage Xargek, standing at equal height with him, their segmented black carapaces forming an impenetrable armor over their long bodies. They raised their talon-like foreclaws, which were viciously sharp and could cut through virtually anything. The two Xargek ran forward on their spindly hind legs, their small heads extended, their soulless triangular black eyes regarding Kalan with pure killing intent.
One of them had a vertical red stripe running down the top of its head. That meant it was old, strong and very dangerous.
Kalan drew his twin swords as he made some quick mental calculations.
The older Xargek would be the more dangerous of the two, but even the younger one would be a handful. The narrow corridor would confine his movements, but it would also disadvantage the Xargek.
At least Jia had gotten out. If he had gone into the stairwell behind her, there would have been a very real possibility the Xargek would have tried to follow, or impale them by stabbing their claws through the metal walls.
Kalan might have survived such an attack.
Jia would have had no chance.
Kalan started to run, his exo-armor working synergistically with his body to boost his movements. He ran towards the weaker looking Xargek, swords held low by his sides. He had to go on the offensive.
It was kill, or be killed.
The Xargek raised its claws in a killing strike. He could hear the other one skittering up behind him. Kalan knew its only real vulnerable points were its head and neck.
The carapace itself was almost impossible to penetrate, while its claws could do some real damage against his exo-armor.
Kalan ran until he was within the Xargek’s reach. He made to strike, but then feinted, as the Xargek’s claw
s came down onto the floor, making large dents in the surface.
Kalan moved to the side, leaning against the wall as the Xargek tried to maneuver its long body in the narrow corridor. It screamed in outrage and turned to face him, it black eyes moving up and down. Kalan froze, waiting for the right moment.
He had to draw it in.
He raised his swords threateningly, but remained with his back to the wall.
Wait.
The Xargek reared up on its small hind legs, opening its gaping maw to reveal long, sticky strings of mucus. Its rank breath washed over Kalan, smelling like rotten flesh.
Kalan fought his revulsion and waited.
There.
It struck, and Kalan rolled to the side as its deadly claws rent the metal walls. The Xargek shrieked as Kalan swerved behind it. It was momentarily stuck, its claws embedded in the wall.
Kalan executed a perfect killing strike and took the Xargek’s head off at its neck. In the same motion, he ducked, as the red-striped Xargek’s claws came for him, the air whooshing above his head as they made a savage cutting motion.
A fraction too late, and it may very well have cut into his neck.
Kalan danced backwards as the Xargek let out a shrill, ear-splitting cry. The other Xargek was dead, its foul-smelling, corrosive hemolymph spilling into the corridor.
Perhaps it had been the red-stripe’s spawn.
In a more open environment, Kalan would have been able to utilize his plasma cannon, which was usually very effective in slowing even the largest Xargek down, as opposed to regular guns, which were useless against the creatures.
But here in this narrow corridor, it was blades only.
The Xargek swiped at him again, this time catching Kalan in the left shoulder, its claw ripping through bone and sinew and muscle. Its speed was formidable. Kalan grunted, but pain was no stranger to him. He ducked, ignoring the burning agony in his flesh as he turned, preparing to run. He wanted to draw it away, to a place where he would have the advantage.
Even if he could just slow it down… as long as he made it to the dock in time, he might still be able to escape.
His chances were slim. Kalan had thought about calling for backup, but had dismissed the thought almost instantly. Unlike most of the First Division, who worked in pairs, he always operated alone, and there was no way he was dragging any of his brothers away from their evacuation to join in on his fight.
Kalan started to run, the torn flesh of his shoulder knitting together as the nanites drew back into his body and did their thing. The healing momentarily weakened his armor, but it needed to be done.
That’s why he ran. He needed to buy time, and he needed space. Against this thing, close-quarters fighting wasn’t ideal.
He ran until he found a wide doorway, which led to a large area that appeared to be used for cooking. There were idle robots and half-processed food items strewn about everywhere, their operations had been suddenly abandoned as chaos had descended on the station.
Once Kalan’s shoulder was whole again, he whipped his swords back into their sheaths, drew his plasma cannon and spun, not bothering to aim it properly.
The Xargek appeared in the doorway as Kalan let the cannon rip, squeezing off bolt after bolt of searing blue plasma.
At least one of the shots hit the Xargek head-on; the others tore through the walls, leaving large holes in their wake.
The Xargek screamed, but to Kalan’s surprise, it was still rushing towards him.
“Fuck,” he snarled, dropping the cannon again, going for his swords. The last time he’d faced a red-stripe, it had been out in the open, and he’d had plenty of room to dodge, run, and attack.
If that thing pinned him against the wall, he was done for.
The Xargek jumped, flying towards him over tables and equipment, scattering food and utensils everywhere, a stream of yellow venom spewing forth from its mouth.
As Kalan dodged, retreating backwards, some of the venom splattered onto his body, quickly burning through his armor.
Xargek venom was one of the most corrosive substances in the known universe, and now the deadly substance was searing Kalan’s skin, burning into muscle and tissue as the nanites in his body swarmed in to repair the damage.
Kalan snarled, stepping backwards as the Xargek advanced on him, spitting deadly venom. Its incessant shrieking was deafeningly loud, and it had drawn its head back slightly, so that it was protected by its thick black carapace.
This one was more intelligent than the others.
Kalan wondered what kind of information it was transmitting to the hive mind.
Enough. This thing had to die, and Kalan needed to make a final dash for safety.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t get out of here alive.
He wouldn’t see Jia again.
And his short, violent existence would have amounted to nothing.
Gritting his teeth, Kalan stepped forward, luring the Xargek into an attack. He slowed, trying to give off the appearance of being hurt and slightly vulnerable.
He would have to deal with getting hit again. Battles with Xargek were supposed to be short and decisive, not long and drawn-out. If you decided to get into a long dance with a Xargek, you were going to risk death by a thousand cuts.
He left his side open as he slashed at the creature with his left sword, the Callidum blade hitting its tough carapace. The Xargek withdrew its head completely, blindly lashing out with its claws.
“Gonna have to do better than that,” Kalan growled, as he looked for an opening. His strike would have to be very precise. “Can’t see me with your head stuck down there, can you, fucker?”
He’d only get one chance at this.
The Xargek flailed about, but with its head tucked away, unable to see, its attempts to strike were clumsy.
Kalan waited, dodging between tables and machines and pieces of equipment as the Xargek attacked. Human food went flying, splattering on the floor. Most of it smelt unpalatable and sickly sweet.
He continued to move backwards, biding his time. The Xargek’s head bobbed up again, its empty black eyes fixing upon him.
There.
This was his chance.
Kalan leapt forward, his swords raised, not bothering to dodge the Xargek’s claws as he slammed both of his blades down into its head.
Vicious pain tore through his body as one of its claws entered his side.
The Xargek screeched and fell back, both of Kalan’s weapons sticking out of its head.
Somehow, it was still alive.
“Fucking red-stripe,” Kalan muttered, as he pressed a hand to his side. The claw and gone right in and probably torn through several organs. The nanites covering his torso withdrew into his skin, moving through layers of cells and connective tissue, seeking to urgently repair the damage.
It hurt like a bitch.
He gasped, falling to his knees as his flesh knitted together.
The Xargek, still on its feet, took one last baleful look at Kalan and fled, limping away with his swords sticking out of its head.
Any other time, Kalan would have gone after it, but right now, he needed to get the hell out.
With pain lancing through his body, he slowly made his way back out into the corridor.
“Five minutes until departure.” An automated Human announcement reached his ears. It meant nothing to him.
All Kalan knew was that he had to move. Ignoring the pain, he pushed his body forward, breaking into a run.
“Kal, where the fuck are you?” Nythian’s voice came through on Kalan’s comm. “There’s a Human female up here telling us you’re in trouble. You need backup?”
“Nah,” Kalan grunted. “I’m on my way. Tangled with a couple of Xargek, that’s all. ”
“Ah.” Nythian paused. “You seem to have made quite an impression on her.”
“Yeah?” Kalan raced towards the ladder, his body protesting every step of the way.
“She’s, uh, insisting that we come d
own and rescue your ass. I tried to explain to her that Kalan Dakkarian doesn’t get rescued. It’s usually the other way around.” Nythian sounded mildly bemused.
“Hm.” Kalan squeezed his large frame into the narrow shaft, his shoulders brushing against the walls as he started to climb. He’d lost his cannon and his twin swords, and even without them, he was barely able to fit in the small space.
Humans certainly hadn’t designed this shit with Kordolians in mind.
As he ascended the rickety ladder, Nythian’s words sank in. Jia was concerned about him.
She was actually worried for his safety. A scarred, battle-hardened bastard like him. Kalan snorted in disbelief.
It was a strange thing, to know that there was someone out there who actually cared enough to think he was worth saving.
Once they got off this soon-to-be-nonexistent station, he was going to have some words with this crazy Human female.
“You got her safely onto the freighter?”
“Ah,” Nythian hesitated. “Actually, she’s right here beside me.”
“What?” Kalan thundered, his body brushed against the walls of the shaft as he ascended the last few rungs. “You get her onto that fucking freighter now, Nythian.”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that, boss. The freighter’s all loaded up and ready to bust out of here. Because of its size, it’s not a fast mover. We have to launch it now, or never.”
“Nythian,” Kalan said, his voice dangerously low. “You’d better have a decent backup plan, or I swear to Kaiin I will make you pay before this place gets blown to hell.”
He burst out the top of the narrow shaft, and into a dark room filled with tools and equipment. Kalan yanked the doors aside and found himself in a large space bordered by a large glass window, which overlooked the loading dock.
Below him, there was chaos. Bodies of dead Xargek and Humans alike littered the floor, interspersed with huge piles of metal, hastily dumped from the large Human freighter that was their ticket out of here. Xargek larvae swarmed across the mess, but to Kalan’s relief, he couldn’t see any adults.
The freighter was ascending, a great roar coming from it as its massive bulk rose.
