Star Cat Forever: A Science Fiction & Fantasy Adventure (The Star Cat Series - Book 6)

by Andrew Mackay

  SWITCH - CLICK.

  The side canons lifted up and aimed at Chira, who ran into the chaos.

  A rocket blasted out of the canon in their direction.

  WHOOOOSH.

  “No, no,” she screamed and ran towards the building. “Stop firing and ruuuu—”

  KERRRRRRAAA — BLAAAAAAAAMMM.

  The ground exploded. Twenty-five charred bodies who, only seconds ago were trying to run away, catapulted into the air like fiery rocks.

  WHUMP — SCRATT-TAT-A-TAT.

  One by one, the chunks of smoldering human beings crashed down around the twenty remaining mercs who raced at full pelt towards the headquarters.

  GROWL.

  Jelly tore Space Opera Delta down the middle and booted the lower half in the running men’s direction.

  “Jesus,” Chira twisted around, ran backwards with her men, and fired off a full magazine in Jelly’s direction.

  SCRAAAPPPPEEEE.

  The bottom, flattened half of Space Opera Delta created sparks as it rocketed across the ground.

  Chira bent her knees and jumped. The vessel knocked her shins and sent her tumbling into the air.

  CRASSSSSHHH — SCHPLATTT.

  The slab of ship broke apart as tank-sized shards of ceramic crushed the fleeing mercs.

  Chira forward-rolled onto the ground and lifted her gun. She thumped the lever on the side of her gun and aimed the barrel at Jelly’s chest.

  “Have some of this, you vicious, little—”

  FWUMP.

  The grenade flew out of the barrel and exploded on Jelly’s armor, creating a dent in her chest plate.

  Jelly’s right shoulder snapped back as she continued walking towards her prey.

  GROWL.

  She clenched her fist and planted her left knee on the ground.

  CRUNCH.

  Sierra and Amelia stopped to watch the baying mob retreat.

  “What’s going on out there?” Rana’s voice came through their headgears.

  “I, uh,” Sierra struggled. “I don’t know who’s side she’s on, anymore.”

  Jelly’s knee shunted into the ground, cracking the tarmac to pieces.

  She slapped the back of her left hand on the ground. Her busted thumb slammed in front of Chira’s face.

  “Get on,” Jelly scowled.

  “Huh?”

  “Drop the weapon and get on.”

  Confused, Chira backed away and dropped his weapon with fear, “What? No.”

  GRRRRRRRR.

  Jelly’s face silhouetted as the back of her neck lit up from the gunfire coming from the helicopter. Stunned, Chira’s jaw dropped. She pinched her visor and flipped it up the length of her head.

  The shadow from Jelly’s helmet crawled over Chira’s face, exposing her venomous, yellow eyes.

  GRRRRRR.

  “H-Holy Mary, Mother of G-God—”

  “—You got that right,” Jelly sneered in her hellish octave.

  SCHWUNT.

  She pushed her claws forward, tipping Chira’s feet into the air.

  WHUMP.

  She landed in the Jelly’s palm and became imprisoned within her infinity claws.

  GRROOOOOWWWWLLLL.

  She arched her back, stood up straight and turned around to the helicopter.

  BLAAAZZZZEEEEE.

  The helicopter tilted back, throwing the stream of bullets up the front of her chest and up along with her left arm.

  SPATCH — SPARK—BRAAAZZZZEE.

  A stream of bullets exploded across her shoulder, up the length of her upper arm, elbow, and forearm.

  The helicopter’s speaker revealed just how scared the co-pilot was as he saw the terrified Chira in her left hand.

  “Back up. Go, go, go.”

  Jelly grunted as she wound her left arm and back and chucked Chira at the helicopter.

  WHUDDA — WHUDDA — WHUDDA.

  The front of the helicopter twisted around and lifted into the air.

  Chira bolted through the air, “Yaaarrgghhhhhhhh,” she squealed and covered her face with her arms as she blasted into the helicopter’s propeller blades.

  THRAA — SCHP-P-P — PCHLAATTTTT.

  The blades exploded as they diced through Chira’s body, pushing the helicopter to the ground.

  Jelly swung her right mini-gun at the falling chassis as the two pilots screamed for their lives.

  “Aaggghhhhhh—

  WHUMP — SMACK.

  Jelly batted the helicopter in the direction of the HQ building. The busted piece of machinery whizzed through the air and crashed into the entrance, shattering the windows and walls.

  Jelly rolled her shoulders and tilted her head from side to side as she focused her attention on the HQ Building.

  STOMP — STOMP — STOMP.

  “What’s she doing now?” Amelia asked Sierra.

  “She’s headed for the main compound,” she said.

  ***

  Bobbie trundled along the coast on the peninsula and sniffed around the sand.

  She lifted her head and scanned the horizon. The tree that wasn’t a tree stood proud in the horizon, throwing a constant stream of pure, pink energy left and right.

  The beams added an angelic pink hue to the beautiful night sky.

  Thrash-splash-thrash.

  Curious as to the source of the sound, Bobbie wiggled her nose.

  “Meow.”

  A torrent of cat howls rifled across the water. Tiny, distant electric sparks popped up from the water in Bobbie’s field of vision.

  Splish-splash.

  Bobbie hopped into the air and howled at the scores of cats swimming towards her.

  KEEERRRUNCHHHH.

  The sound of gunfire, followed by a deafening detonation of scaffolding, erupted behind Bobbie.

  BLAMMMM.

  The final sound of carnage forced Bobbie into the trickle of Gulf water surrounding her front paws.

  “Meow,” Bobbie howled.

  “Meow,” came a response.

  Two sharp, elongated ears belonging to an Egyptian Mau lifted from out of the water.

  Her shiny, Titanium front paws clawed the sand and hoisted her forward.

  “Miew,” Bobbie ducked her head and dug her claws into the sand.

  One by one, a hundred more cats swam to the shore and shook off the water from their heads and bodies.

  Full of energy, Suzie Q-Two appeared from out of the water and bunny-hopped up beside Mau.

  “Meeeoooooowwwwwww.”

  “Miew,” Bobbie turned around and showed them her ass.

  “Mwah,” Suzie Q-two quipped and stretched her hind legs as she pressed forwards.

  The other cats grew restless as they rolled around in the sand, shaking out the fatigue in their bones.

  Mau paced forward and sidled up to Bobbie. Both cats purred and enjoyed each other’s company, albeit for a brief moment.

  Fizz-spritch.

  Mau’s right paw vibrated as all five of her claws expanded like a blossoming flower.

  “Meow.”

  Mau and Bobbie turned to the others and howled at them, indicating their fascination with the destruction taking place behind them.

  The cats squinted as the burning wreckage bounced off their glazed eyes.

  Grrrrrrr.

  BOLT.

  The one-hundred-strong cats headed for the metal railings barricading the USARIC compound.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Sierra yelled at Roman as he traced the cracks in the ground Jelly had made across the airstrip.

  “Where are you going?”

  He pointed at the gray USARIC HQ building that Jelly was determined to demolish.

  “The main building. Make sure Anderson’s okay.”

  Remy held his gun, keen to move with him.

  “Stay there. Wait for me,” Sierra said.

  “Okay.”

  She ran over to the truck and knocked on the door, “Hey.”

  Rana poked her head through the sha
ttered driver-side window, “Yeah, sweetie. What is it?”

  “I want you to back the truck up and face it at The Arena.”

  “Okay.”

  “Give me the detonator,” Sierra huffed as a pure blast of pink light slapped the side of the truck, “What on Earth—”

  She turned around to see the tree that wasn’t a tree throttle its beams in two separate directions. The spectacle was truly a sight to behold.

  “My God, look at that.”

  Rana gripped the black cuboid in her hand and slipped her thumb away from the button, “Oh, wow.”

  WHAAAAAARRRRRMMMMMM.

  The constant beams of pure, unfiltered energy created a pink haze amongst the black, starry sky.

  “It’s fantastic,” Lydia said. “So beautiful—”

  RUMBLE — SCHTAAAAMMM.

  Brilliant streaks of pink lightning flew up into the clouds, illuminating the sky.

  “What’s happening out there?” Sierra gasped.

  Rana pushed the detonator through the window and pressed it against Sierra’s shoulder.

  “Sweetie, here it is.”

  Sierra double-took, remembering she was in the midst of a furious battle. She cupped her hands and caught the detonator.

  “Thanks.”

  “Be careful with it,” Rana said. “Press the button down and keep it held to arm the crates. When you release—”

  “—I know, when I release it they’ll have to re-do the holo-atlas.”

  “Yeah, just remember Lydia and I are in the truck.”

  “Not for much longer.”

  Sierra pointed at the fence at the far end of the concourse, “Leave the truck there and then get out.”

  Rana ran her index finger across Lydia’s bangs, “What about our little friend, here?”

  “Hopefully it won’t come to that. Just do your best.”

  “Where’s my Daddy?” Lydia asked.

  “We’re going to help Jelly shut USARIC down for good.”

  “I want to come with—”

  An insane crashing noise came from the far end of the concourse by the animal compound.

  “No, Lydia,” Sierra spat. “It’s not safe. Stay here with Rana.”

  Satisfied that the tumultuous sound underscored the woman’s point, she sat back in her chair and fastened her belt, “Okay.”

  Sierra waved the detonator at Rana, “Thanks for the gift. I’d better go join the boys.”

  Rana inspected the side of her gun.

  “Yeah, sweetie. Go. Don’t hang around.”

  Lydia focused her pupils on Rana’s rifle and took an interest in its viciousness.

  “What’s that?”

  “Sweetie, don’t ask. Just hang on, okay?”

  Sierra thumped the side of the truck as it reversed from its position.

  BEEP — BEEP —BEEP.

  Sierra ran over to Roman and Remy, and waved them forward, “I got the detonator. Rana’s priming the van. Let’s go.”

  “Good,” Remy spat as he joined Sierra.

  Roman raced along with her and Remy, “What’s the detonator for?”

  “When you press the button it makes flowers spring out of it like a Jack-in-the-Box,” Sierra joked.

  Roman took her half-seriously.

  “For real?”

  “No, not for real, you dummy. It’s to blow the truck.”

  Remy slowed his run to a halt as he watched Jelly approach the building.

  “She’s there, look.”

  Sierra held the two men back, “Wait. Let her get in,” she roared over the sound of gunfire blasting in the cat’s direction.

  ROOOOAAARRRR.

  Jelly held her right arm to her helmet as she rushed forward.

  A hail of bullets blasted out from the reception area and busted along the front of her death droid armor. She yanked her left elbow back and delivered an almighty punch to the wall.

  KERRR-AAACCKKK.

  A cloud of brick dust pushed around her fist as she wrenched her claws out from the wall.

  “Ah, she’s trying to get in,” screamed one of the mercenaries. “We’re sitting ducks in here.”

  “Screw that,” said another, who ran through the shattered doors. He cocked the grenade launcher on the underside of his firearm’s barrel.

  The rest of his team ran through the door to reception and into the corridor.

  WHARK — WHARK — WHARK.

  The internal speakers spoke over the alarms, “Attention, attention. Please evacuate the building.”

  A flurry of mercs made their way down the walkway, keeping their guns trained at the ceiling and the doors.

  “Stay back, stay back,” one of them hollered to the others. “We’re safe here.”

  Outside, the mercenary with the grenade launcher aimed the end of his gun at Jelly’s face.

  “Hey, over here.”

  GRUNT.

  Jelly tilted her head down at the puny little insect who’d just called to her.

  ROOOOAARRRR.

  He turned his face away and yanked on the trigger.

  FWUMP.

  The grenade flew out of his gun and screamed towards Jelly’s helmet. She took a step back and shattered the wall with her calf.

  KERRACCKKK — WHUP.

  She caught the grenade in her left hand and felt the heat intensify.

  “Oh, oh. No,” the mercenary said.

  Jelly tossed the grenade at the mercenary as he dropped his gun and covered his ears.

  “Everyone, get out of here, now—”

  KRRAAAA — BAMMMMMMM.

  The screaming mercenary exploded.

  The force of the grenade punched through the reception area and shattered the walls. Ten USARIC mercenaries lifted into the air and smashed to the ground, dead. The armor covering Jelly’s shins blew apart, exposing the wound she’d sustained at the Research facility to the cold night air.

  Jelly tucked her shoulders together and lowered her head as she pushed her way into the building proper, punching the last of the standing walls out of her path.

  Inside the corridor, Max, the assumed leader of the dozen USARIC mercenaries, felt the entire causeway shudder every other second.

  BOOM — BOOM.

  “Ah,” Max yelled and waved the others to the far end of the corridor, “Get to the compound. It’s reinforced steel. She won’t be able to get through—

  KRAAMMMM. KRAAMMMMMMM.

  Max’s face fell with fear as he kept his gun focused on the ceiling, “It’s coming from above. She’s here, she’s here. Get back into the compound.”

  The mercenaries raced around him as he remained still, ready to attack.

  Max’s fright turned to fight. He lifted the lever on the side of his rifle down and cocked the under barrel.

  “Come on, you ugly little son of a—”

  SCHTOMP.

  The building rocked from side to side. Max gave up his brave idea and bolted along the corridor towards the animal compound.

  “Help, help,” he screamed as he jumped forwards through the door, “She’s c-comin—”

  SMAASSSHHHHHHH.

  Jelly’s left fist burst through the corridor ceiling, blasting the walls to smithereens.

  ROOAARRRR.

  WHUMP.

  The mercenaries pushed into the animal compound and filtered around the console. The workstations lay empty.

  Three bay doors stood on the far side of the wall next to a series of metal chimpanzee cages.

  Max dropped his gun and scrambled over to the door in haste, “Jesus Christ, get that damn door shut—”

  WHACK.

  Max took a deep breath and collected his gun from the floor. “Spread out and watch your six. That thing could come from anywhere.”

  “What the hell is that thing?” one of his colleagues asked.

  “It’s that stupid cat from the Star Cat Project. She’s back.”

  “And seriously pissed off, by the sounds of it,” another merc added.

&nbs
p; “It’s simple. We’re all dead.”

  Max stepped up to the central console and rolled his left sleeve up his forearm, “No. The compound is reinforced steel. God himself can’t get in,”

  “Are you s-sure about this?”

  Max pressed his forearm against the glass panel, “Quite sure, yes.”

  RAAAAA — AAAAMMMMMMMM.

  Max ducked and screamed with the others at the ceiling.

  BIDDIP.

  “Connection established,” the console advised. “Whom would you like to contact?”

  “MAAR SHECK, DAMN IT,” Max screamed into his headgear. “NOW.”

  “Please remain seated. Connecting you, now.”

  POUND — POUND.

  The ceiling groaned as giant, fist-like dents shunted down from the ceiling.

  “Ahhh,” one of the mercs said and unloaded a round of bullets at the ceiling, prompting the others to do the same, “Help. Help—”

  RAMMM — RAMMM.

  “—Help,” Max yelled, keeping his arm attached to the glass panel as best he could, “Mr. Sheck, can you read me?”

  “This is Maar. Who’s this?”

  Max burst into tears as the compound shuffled around like a tin drum, “Max, sir. It killed Chira and, uh, I don’t know how many of our men.”

  Maar spoke into his forearm as he, Brayn, Meydo, and Santiago sprinted into the Arena auditorium, “Why are you calling me on my private Viddy Media? Don’t you know that’s against protocol—”

  “—Ahhhh,” Max’s voice escaped through Maar’s arm, “We’re stuck in the compound.”

  Brayn and Meydo screwed their faces at Maar upon hearing the man’s location.

  “Compound,” Maar mouthed at them with a slight air of disdain.

  He returned to his forearm as he watched Meydo run through the door to the arena.

  “Ah, be advised. We have artillery en route to the compound, now.”

  “Please, b-be quick.”

  “Just kill the damn thing, will you?”

  Maar didn’t want to hear a response, and so lowered his arm and cut the connection dead.

  Santiago looked around the stage and the opposing rows of seats, “This place hasn’t changed much?”

  Maar grinned and walked across the gargantuan stage. He held out his arms and twirled evilly for the man, “We haven’t had much use for it since we held the contest back in 2117.”