Alpha 9

by Rebecca Bosevski

  “Quickly!” Alpha called as the team fell back to the cover of the trees on the other side, only Alpha stood exposed waiting for Zulu. Zulu scurried on his belly towards Alpha, trying not to look at the growing threat behind him, but he could still hear them. A methodic march.

  “Drones,” Alpha told him as he neared the gutter and relative safety. Alpha reached out for Zulu as the Drones reached the vehicle wall.

  The Drones dropped onto their stomachs, but raised up their bodies supporting them by only the tips of their fingers and the toes of their feet. Like spiders, they scurried across the gravel towards Alpha and Zulu. Alpha pulled Zulu up over the gutter as Kilo came to his side dragging a heavy branch.

  Alpha and Zulu took hold of the branch and together with Kilo they tossed it towards the Drones headed for them.

  The ball came down.

  They didn’t stay to watch the aftermath of their defence. Regrouping with the others Alpha quickly led them into the park.

  A small row of trees sheltered a path keeping it shielded from all light, but at the end, water glistened in the moonlight. They moved through the darkness with ease and stopped at the water’s edge. The moonlight hitting the water mirrored the night sky in its glassy surface.

  “There,” Alpha said, pointing to a short stone structure to the far-right corner of the park. “That is the entrance to Museum Station, let’s move.”

  Something grabbed Sky’s ankle. Alpha reacted instantly, pulling the Drone off him and holding him up by the scruff of his shirt. He didn’t see that the Drone was missing the lower half of his legs. Alpha felt the drip from the open wounds on the toes of his boots and looked down to see the red painting his shoes and the grass at his feet.

  The Drone went to grab him, but its arms were grabbed by Zulu and Kilo at either side. Alpha raised his eyes to meet the Drones stare. Though his body was still fighting to get to Alpha, his eyes cried out for help. Alpha grasped the Drones head and twisted quickly. One sharp snap and the pain in the Drone’s eyes vanished.

  Zulu and Kilo laid the Drone down slowly onto the grass and all of them stood over it for a second.

  “It was still human,” Kilo said.

  “The Annoronians take over, but the person inside is still there, beneath the surface,” Tango said, kneeling down to run his hand over the Drone's eyes to close his eyelids.

  “We get our team, then we find a way to free the Drones,” Alpha said to them, taking a step away and towards the Museum Station entrance.

  “And if our team are Drones?” Kilo asked.

  “Then we capture them until we find a way to free their minds,” Alpha replied, not bothering to look back. “Now move.”

  They followed orders and fell in line behind Alpha.

  Trudging through the grass, Alpha couldn’t help but question his own plan. Could he actually rescue their team-mates, free the Drones and destroy an alien race? The street loomed up ahead, and his faith plummeted.

  Kilo marched to his side, his red hair illuminated by the street lights looked like it was on fire.

  “We are with you,” he said to Alpha, with a curt nod and a sly smirk.

  Kilo had faith. Alpha searched the faces of the others for any sign of doubt, but saw none. They were all with him. They believed he could do this, he could lead them to victory.

  Alpha wanted to believe.

  He thought of his female team mates, of Bravo Two, her smile, and the glint in her eye. His heart raced beneath his breast and he was reinvigorated.

  The stone entrance to Museum Station looked untouched by the war. The illuminated sign still shone above the arched entrance to the long stairwell but the lights inside were all out.

  Without dropping a step, the group followed Alpha straight in, taking the edges of the stairwell slowly and silently.

  Alpha threw up an arm, halting them before they reached the bottom of the stairs and a T-section. Bea had no maps of the Station itself, she only knew he would need to find the main line and follow it through to Campbell Street opening.

  Alpha took a chance and went left. The team followed behind until reaching the end of that corridor when they were forced to head down a flight of stairs to get to the platform below. Moving quickly but quietly down the platform, Alpha was surprised to see the station was mostly untouched by the war that had broken the world above.

  “Why is this still here?” Kilo whispered.

  “Bea said the aliens need the power lines that run under here and if this Station were to be destroyed that the power to their lab could go with it,” Alpha replied, climbing over the edge of the platform and onto the tracks.

  “Then why not blow it up?” Kilo asked.

  “Two reasons, first, the survivors use this power too, and second, because of what is inside central station.” Alpha watched the others climb down onto the track too. “Most of what is left of the female population, and any hope of releasing the control they have over the Drones, is in the Central Station lab.”

  “But it can’t be the only one, surely there are labs all over the world?” Tango offered as he helped to lift Blue down into the train tunnel.

  “No one knows how many for sure,” Alpha replied. “But what we do know, is that is where our team is, and that is where we are going. If they are breathing, we get them out, or we go down trying. Got it?” he asked, looking each of them in the eye for their reply.

  They all nodded in turn and then followed Alpha into the dark, into the tunnel towards the others, towards the Annoronian strong hold, and quite possibly, towards their deaths.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Rod didn’t wake with Alpha Nine’s original team. He was woken by him after their escape from the Trials. Alpha Nine saved him, and Rod would do anything he asked. He would be a dutiful solider, just as they had made him to be. Even if what Alpha Nine asked of him sent him back to a place that gave him the creeps.

  Rod trekked back to the rebel’s lair. He didn’t mind carrying the girl, she didn’t weigh much. She laid unconscious over his shoulder. Alpha must have hit her hard, Rod thought to himself as her arms swung with each step, tapping the back of his legs.

  Though he was made to follow orders, he would have rather stay with Alpha and his team. They were on the real mission; they were trying to save the females that had been captured.

  Alpha was strong, he stood tall, still so determined to continue even with his own head bleeding and Kilo injured. They would heal quickly, thanks to their cloning upgrades. They all would. Not the humans, though.

  “Stop it,” he whispered to himself. “He chose you to protect the frail human girl, to take her to safety with the rebels in their lair,” he frowned at himself. Wondering why he thought of it as a lair and not a home, or even a base of operations. Lair was such a sinister word. Did he think it was a sinister place?

  He pondered as he continued up the path, keeping to the shadows. The girl slipped a little from his shoulder and he jostled her to maintain his hold. She sighed slightly, and he froze.

  She didn’t wake.

  Perhaps I think of it as a lair because it is dark, I don’t like the dark.

  He headed towards the tree line that would lead him to the rebels’ entrance. I should go back and help Alpha and the team once I drop her off.

  A scraping noise resounded from behind him and he quickly ducked into an alley to his left.

  He dropped the girl from his shoulder and laid her against the wall, preparing to defend her if need be. The scraping grew louder and he stiffened against the wall, trying to keep hidden in the shadows the building opposite cast over them.

  He was only a short distance from the entrance they had climbed from, but something was following him, he knew it, and he wouldn’t risk leading them right to the rebels. So, he waited, pressed against the wall.

  The girl moaned again almost drowning out the noise as it got closer and closer. Rod held his breath, and braced for attack.

  It wasn't until the scraping was on top
of them that Rod finally saw what it was. Across the road a man dragged something behind him, the heavy contents scraped against the gravel. The figure seemed oblivious to Rod’s presence.

  The man picked up the bag for a few steps then dropped it again, its weight too great for him to carry. He dragged it again under the light of a street lamp and the ground behind the bag shone wet and red. Rod pressed himself harder against the wall.

  The girl groaned and moved beside him. The man stopped walking and turned to the ally where Rod and the girl hid. He dropped the bag and dashed across the road.

  Rod leapt out from the shadows and struck the man in the face. He stumbled backwards but didn’t fall. He came at Rod, fists raised. Rod pulled out his blade and thrashed towards him. The man ducked and weaved, avoiding Rod’s strikes with ease.

  Another figure burst into the alley, and slammed the man against the wall. A fresh spurt of blood sprayed from his nose then dribbled down over his mouth and chin.

  “What are you doing here?” Rod asked Armond, watching as he pulled a large knife from his belt, then sliced it across the neck of the man.

  “We patrol at night, your luck we do, too, or this Drone might have added your heads to his sack.”

  “Heads?” the girl snuffled from behind him. “What heads?”

  “Never mind that,” Armond said, walking towards Rod. “She's safe now.”

  “Yes,” Rod said as he watched Armond wipe the blood from his knife on the sleeve of his black shirt. “You are safe with Armond.”

  “Hmmm,” Armond said, taking another step towards Rod. “Not very perceptive, are you? She is safe with me,” he said, and thrust the blade deep up into Rod’s stomach. Rod felt all the air leave the left side of his chest and his heart ached as the world around him darkened.

  He saw the girl look to Armond then to him on the ground, she screamed. Armond moved forwards, closing his hand over her mouth he whispered into her ear, all the while staring at him.

  “You have to be quiet, I am taking you to safety, to the other human survivors. You want to be with the rest of the humans, don’t you?”

  The girl nodded and stopped trying to claw at his hand over her mouth.

  “You…you killed him,” she whispered not able to take her eyes off Rod’s body.

  “He was a bad man.” Armond said, kneeling in front of the girl. “Come, let’s get you back, I am sure you are hungry and we have lots of food. Come on,” Armond said in his enticing smooth voice.

  The girl let him take her hand, and as the darkness grew, Rod watched Armond lead her out of the alley.

  ***

  Alpha and his team continued up the tunnel. It stretched out for what felt like forever, the darkness offering no comfort. Blue dashed to the side of the tunnel, growling before snapping his jaws down on something that squealed.

  “Please tell me that dog didn’t just eat a rat?” Kilo cringed.

  “Dog’s gotta eat” Zulu replied smiling and Blue returned to his side still munching on his meal.

  “Well at least I am no longer hungry,” Kilo laughed and Alpha shushed them both.

  A pin of light appeared at the end of the tunnel and they quickened their step. Blue’s paws slapping on the gravel was the only noise as the others silently hot footed it across the metal tracks.

  With every step the pin of light grew until the bridge the tracks led across came into full view. Alpha raised his hand and they all stopped.

  “We will be too exposed if we continue to follow the tracks. We must climb down to the street. Those trees there,” he whispered almost inaudibly to his team, pointing out to the branches that overhung the edge of the left side. “Get to those and climb down to the street. First down secure the area and wait for the others.”

  They nodded compliance and quickly stepped past Alpha to head for the tree. Alpha grabbed Zulu’s arm when he attempted to pass with Blue. “When we near the Annoronians he will give us away.”

  “He won’t,” Zulu said, pulling his arm free.

  Alpha looked at him then to Blue and back. “If he barks, you must silence him, or I will,” Alpha told him.

  Zulu knew Alpha would kill Blue if need be to keep their position secure, to give them the best chance of saving the team. But to Zulu, Blue was a part of that team now too, and he would find a way to keep all of them safe.

  Alpha let Zulu and Blue pass to the tree and Zulu threw him over his shoulders again to climb down. Alpha was impressed with the control Zulu appeared to have over the dog, but he wouldn’t hesitate to kill it if it came between him and the mission.

  After Zulu disappeared over the side Alpha followed quickly. He took the tree in one swift slide and landed silently on his feet at the bottom startling his team.

  “Sorry,” he said, moving between them to get to the front of the group. “We need to move, come on this way.”

  Zulu lowered Blue to the ground and wound the rope around his hand, he didn’t think he needed it, Blue kept in perfect step beside him. They moved under the rail bridge passing deserted cars as they went. A doll lay face down on the ground and Blue nudged it with his nose before moving on to keep in line with Zulu.

  Alpha led them up a street named Hay, keeping to the trees where possible. They caught a few movements in the distance, but came across no other traps or Drones.

  When they reached Belmore Park, they caught their first glimpse of Central Station. The tall clock tower stood above the tree line illuminated by something large to its left.

  They moved through the park, careful to keep an eye out for traps.

  “I don’t understand,” Kilo whispered to Alpha who walked beside him. “This is too easy.”

  “I agree,” Alpha said, scanning the space ahead. “Why would they leave this part unprotected?”

  Then, as they stepped out of the shelter of the trees of Belmore Park they knew why.

  “What the hell is that?” Zulu asked, as Blue growled beside him.

  Alpha shot him a glare and Zulu pulled Blue back by the rope and knelt to hush him. Blue cowered under Zulu’s arm, but fell silent.

  “That,” Alpha said, taking a step further out of the protection of the trees. “Is an Annoronian ship on top of Central Station.”

  “What is it doing?” Kilo asked, treading beside him.

  Large tentacles rolled over the sides of the roof of the Station and clung to the building. They pulsed upwards with a dull orange light towards the almond shaped ship on top.

  The ship’s surface was alive with light, but it was strange. It didn’t illuminate the area around it very far, the street lights nearby offered more than the ship in illumination of the surrounding area. The main ship’s lights moved in the same pulses as the tentacles, but in variations of colour. Red, orange, green, and blue lights all moved in different shapes across the surface, except for a black line that encircled the length of it.

  “It must be drawing its power from the building itself, look there,” Alpha said, pointing to movement on the balcony of the Station. “Someone is up there, or something.”

  “How do we get inside undetected?” Victor asked.

  “There,” Zulu said, pointing across the road to where a bus was parked diagonally across the street, its front butted up to the building beside one of the tentacles. “We could climb up there.” The rope tied to Blue ran through his fingers as Blue took off towards the Station barking. Zulu tried to grab for the rope but he missed.

  “To the bus now,” Alpha spat at them.

  “Blue?” Zulu called, attempting to follow Blue in the opposite direction to the bus. “I have to get Blue.”

  “Fall in,” Alpha said. “Blue is better off out here than in there with us. Move solider, now!”

  Zulu watched as the movement on the balcony headed in the direction of where Blue ran. He nodded to Alpha and took off towards the bus.

  “I will get him back,” Zulu said to Alpha who followed close behind.

  “And when we release the ot
hers, I won’t stop you,” Alpha whispered as they climbed onto the roof of the bus and followed the others along the stone edge of the balcony.

  They made their way to the shadowed corner of the Station to climb over the edge and huddled in a tight group as they listened to Blue’s bark getting fainter, Blue had drawn whatever it was to the opposite side of the balcony. Alpha pushed at one of the windows, it creaked then gave way, swinging open to clear a smell that turned his stomach.

  “Do you know what we are looking for?” Kilo whispered by his ear as he prepared to climb through the window and into the Station.

  “Not exactly,” Alpha replied. “Bea didn’t have much info on this place. But she did say they had turned the main floor into a lab and connected their ship to it, so if we find the main floor, we should find our team.”

  “It is here,” Kilo said, stepping through the window and onto the old tram lines.

  Through another series of archways, coloured plastic sheeting hung in various shapes and connected with hundreds of purple tubes that pulsed with light the same as the tentacles.

  “Back,” Alpha murmured when he saw someone move by the red plastic area to the left. The Annoronian or Drone looked like a thirty-something woman wearing a green lab coat. She pushed a domed trolley by a large blue tube that shone with a sparkling light. When the light hit the dome, it illuminated the foggy surface.

  “There is someone in there,” Alpha whispered. “Tango, Vic and Sky you follow the tram line up on the right. Keep an eye out for whatever was up here before, take it out if you can, but do it quietly. Victor and Zulu, you two go around the red enclosure, maybe our team is in there, be careful not to draw attention, we don’t want to lose you, too. Kilo, you and I will follow that thing and find out where it is going, and hope it leads us to Bravo Two and the others.”