“I’m tired of your pessimistic…”
“...and I’m tired of your inability to see reality. We’re outnumbered and now we’re probably outflanked and surrounded.”
“What do you mean outflanked and surrounded?”
“By now they have probably eaten their way through other parts of the hull and have moved deeper into the ship. I thought that there wouldn’t be so many of them, that we could handle them before it got this far. I had no idea that there would be so many. Now, now we’re just…”
“We’re not going to give up,” Eric shouted as he shoved Vincent into a nearby wall. “We’ll find away.”
“How?!”
Eric turned to his left and found one of the holes that had just been created by the acid spitting alien. He leveled his pistol and fired. He immediately heard the squeal of the squid on the other side.
“That’s how.”
Chapter: 26
“What, what is that noise?” Cleo asked
All three of them scanned the area where the sound was coming from. At first there seemed to be nothing and it was merely passed off as yet another strange sound coming from the ship or perhaps the battle that Eric and Vincent were having with the alien invaders. Then, to their surprise and horror, the cause of the noise was revealed.
The wall on the opposite side of the room started to have holes as if the metal of the ship was losing its integrity. The metal started to melt like butter being super heated. Slag and liquid metal dropped to the floor and within moments the holes were big enough to see why. Pink octopus like creatures started to push themselves through the holes that they had created.
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Vincent and Eric had fallen back to the next bulkhead. They continued to watch their shots, making each one of them count. Bolts of colored plasma flowed down the hall and smashed into more of the invaders. More and more of the octopi creatures were blasted into pools of goo and ichor. The hall was littered with their bodies and parts of their bodies. The area continued fill with the stench of the horrible aliens.
Vincent let off another short burst. Several more pinks and grays were blown out of existence, yet he had to shake his head. It was going to be useless. There was still too many of them and he couldn’t keep them at bay long enough. They were going to be overrun anytime now, and even if they used the same tactic to close this portal and fall back to the next, it was still only a matter of time before this battle was completely lost.
But it wasn’t just the vast amount of forces that they were currently facing or the enemy's ability to spit acid that had him concerned, it was the holes that now dotted parts of the ship. He was sure that the Dagons had slipped through these and were now scattered about the ship and could be anywhere. For all he knew, they had become surrounded, or perhaps the aliens had melted parts of the engine room or were at this point breaching a hole into the vacuum of space. The integrity of the ship could easily be compromised and this was something that they simply couldn’t fight.
Eric took a few more shots and blew away two more pink space squids. He wished that he had come more prepared, like Vincent had. The older security officer was mowing down these aliens while he was only popping off a couple at a time.
But there was something else of Vincent that he also wished that he possessed. He wished that he had his sense of realism. The bravado and optimism that he had earlier towards the situation had worn off and the realization that Vincent was right, that it was only a matter of time before all was lost, was starting to sink in. However, he wasn’t just going to lie down and die. He was going to take out as many as possible. With a little more determination, Eric took a couple more shots.
Nothing. Nothing happened.
In the span of a heartbeat, Eric’s mind wondered what had happened. He had been keeping track of his ammunition so he knew that he wasn’t out. The only other possibility was…
Eric’s eyes went wide. His older model, the Cerberus mock I had been known to jam. It had never happened to him before, but then again he had never shot so many plasma bolts in such a rapid succession. The delicate and small moving parts in his plasma pistol had malfunctioned, probably from being overused and overheated. This would put them down one weapon.
However, it was worse than just being short another ranged weapon. The firing pin had already struck the crystal inside the chamber. The gas inside was already heating up, building pressure, and was starting to reach critical mass. If the projectile didn’t leave the weapon soon, it would initiate a cascade failure superheating every crystal and all of the gas within each projectile. These would also build in pressure. The result would be…
Eric didn’t even hesitate. There was only one thing that he could do. He pulled his arm back and snapped it forward. His pistol flew through the air like a tossed grenade. As it soared, Eric could hear the pressure start to build. It was only a matter of time before…
“Fire in hole!”
Eric was sure, or at least he was hoping, that Vincent knew and understood what he meant. It was a terminology that was used when tossing grenades for practice in training in the military. Now, he was essentially tossing a live explosive and this time with an unknown effect. Yes, Eric had heard about these weapons blowing up, but he had no idea to what extent.
Both Eric and Vincent threw their bodies to the ground and behind the bulkhead of the door. The both of them doubted that they would have enough time to run and put any considerable distance between them and the unstable plasma weapon. With any luck, the metal bulkhead would give them the protection that they needed.
The explosion rocked their portion of the ship. The sound alone was deafening and rang out across ship’s walls. It reverberated and resounded several times making it seem as if there were several explosion and not just the one.
The concussion blast rippled through the air and tossed aside anything that wasn’t secure. Every Dagon was picked up and thrown with such a force that their rubbery, flexible bodies were splattered against the walls.
Vincent and Eric both felt the explosion ripple over them. They could feel the air pressure and force of the blast as it rumbled through the air. They both knew that they probably would have shared the same fate that the Dagons were now experiencing if they weren’t behind the covering of the bulkheads.
Then there was the fiery blast. The intense fireball of superheated gas filled the hall and overflowed into the section beyond. The two of them felt the oxygen start to be consumed. It was hard to breathe and when they did attempt to take a breath it hurt their lungs. Their skin felt as if it would blister. Their eyes, although closed and shielded by their arms, felt as if they would fry out of their sockets.
The horrible sounds of the death cries added to the nightmare that threatened to consume them. There were the squealing sounds as the aliens cried out in agony. There were the popping sounds as their bodies exploded. Finally there was a sizzling sound as their remains and their ichor were burned and boiled.
As quickly as the explosion came, it ended. The blast had given no indication that it would end, it just simply did. The fire, the concussion, and even the sounds were all suddenly and unexpectedly over.
Both Vincent and Eric took a brief moment to ensure that they were alright and that they weren’t burned and nothing was broken. They groaned as they pulled themselves from the cover that had saved their lives and did a mental stock of their well being. When all seemed well, it was Vincent who spoke and broke the silence.
“Don’t ever do that again.”
“Couldn’t help it,” Eric answered back shaking his head. “My blaster over loaded and…”
“Shhh…”
“Don’t shush me, my blaster misfired, overheated and …”
“Shhh...Be quiet a second.”
Eric looked at Vincent with a blank stare. We had wondered if the older security was telling him to stop talking about his overloaded
weapon and that he didn’t want to hear any excuses. However, within a heartbeat, he heard what Vincent was so intently listening to. Out of curiosity and a slight feel of dread, Eric turned to look back down the hallway.
Coming down the hall were more of the octopi. There just seemed to be no end to these creatures. Despite the fact that the walls, floor and ceiling were all decorated with the dead bodies of these invaders, these creatures still continued to press on.
That thought crossed Eric’s mind. Why were these things so determined? They had already lost two full ships and their bodies were littering the floor. So, why were these creatures still coming at them? Was there something important on this ship that they so desperately needed or wanted or were they so desperate to throw themselves at more blaster fire?
Vincent finally understood. It all made sense. There was only one reason why the Dagons were this far away from their territory. There was only one reason why they were after this ship in particular. There was only one reason why these creatures came on with an invading force in an attack formation. There was only one reason why these creatures continued to push so hard despite their overwhelming losses. It was the cargo in their cargo bay. They had come to make sure that it wasn’t delivered or perhaps they even wanted it for themselves. Either way these creatures were on a mission and were determined to carry it out despite the risks or lose.
Vincent now understood that this only further decreased their chances of survival. First of all, the Dagons would keep coming with this single driven thought in their mind. They would stop at nothing until the cargo was destroyed or confiscated even if that meant destroying themselves in the process. He was sure that the space squids were already in route to the cargo to use their acid spittle to completely disintegrate the shipment or perhaps they were going to try to move it to their ship. Barring that, as a last ditch suicidal effort, they could always attack the singularity interiority. This would ensure that everything was obliterated and that no one got the shipment. They could always disembark their ship and attack, but there was always a chance that the shipment could be jettisoned during their lapse of verification and it could still fall into its intended hands. No, they would stay and make sure that the job was done. Either they would get the shipment themselves or they would stay on board and destroy it.
Of course their ships could have destroyed them from a distance in the first place. However, there would be no evidence that the haul was even aboard and there would be no chance of recovering it even if it was. The Dagons would need “eyes on” proof that what they were after was truly here.
With this in mind, the best way that they could survive this invasion was to tell Eric that the freight was highly important and should be protected at all costs at best and ejected at worst. However, once Eric recovered from the shock of what they were carrying, and if Eric didn’t kill him on the spot for such a horrific act, and if he would still help, and if they still had time, and if they were successful in defeating the Dagons with their limited ammo, then he would still have to kill Eric. He simply couldn’t let the secret get out, not the secret of the cargo or its true destination. And to think, he was actually starting to like the kid. It was too bad that this was going to be his last mission, one way or another.
“Vincent! Vincent! Did you see that?”
Eric’s announcement had pulled him back from his reverie. He should have known better. There was too much at stake to let his mind slip, even for a second.
“Yes, I see them, I’m not blind. I’m waiting for them to get closer before I take my shot. I want to make sure that every shot counts since we are down one…”
“No, not the fact that there are more. There, did you see it this time?”
Vincent looked. He really didn’t know what Eric was talking about and he was running out of time to try to figure it out. He only had a few seconds more before he let loose and gave these Dagons hell.
“What am I looking at?!”
Eric pointed toward the coolant ducts that had been damaged during their fight and the last two explosions.
“There. The Dagons are staying away from the coolant. You said it yourself; they needed to increase the temperature and the humidity of the ship to suit their needs. The coolant is too cold for them.”
“But we can’t adjust the environment controls,” Vincent corrected. “We’re locked out.”
“Yes, but we can control the coolant system to the engines and rest of the equipment...
“Which is flooding the ship,” Vincent said finishing Eric’s statement. Yes, that could possibly work and was a better alternative than telling Eric about the cargo that they weren’t supposed to be carrying.
“Come on,” Eric stated. “Fall back to the command center.”
Chapter: 27
The scream of panic and horror from the cryo chamber room was only an echo of how Tracey truly felt. The fear and terror that was coursing through her was incomprehensible, unspeakable and only this shriek could even come close to the emotions that were coursing through her system and her mind. It had felt as if someone reached into her chest and made her heart stop. It had felt as if her soul had been ripped to shreds. It had felt as if acid was coursing through her veins. Such was the terror that she felt as the Dagons squeezed their bodies through the holes in the metal bulkheads that they had only recently melted away with their acid. Not only was the scene surreal and unnerving, but these creatures now blocked the only way out.
Cleo only hesitated for one moment. For one moment her scientist persona kicked in. For one moment her eyes studied the creatures’ movements. For one moment she stood in awe of how these invaders glided across the floor and walls. For the first time in her life she was able to see a living specimen. For the first time in her life, she was able to watch how these creatures coordinated with each other.
Then, for another moment she more than hesitated. Her body froze. It was as if her soul had become mesmerized by the oncoming death that she couldn’t possibly defeat. During that heartbeat, she had accepted her fate and understood how hopeless everything was.
It was the cry off in the distance that woke her. A scream of her name, the sound of a familiar voice, was all it took to bring her back to reality.
“Cleo! Cleo! Shoot them now!”
The voice, it was so familiar. Yes, she knew it now. It was Doctor Atkins. He seemed agitated for some reason. There was something about this room, these creatures...these…
Cleo pulled the trigger on her blaster and opened fire. The air rippled with the sound as the shockwave traveled across the room. The sonic concussion blasted the first few of the space squids, the closest to them, and blew them across the room and up against the wall where they had come from. Their bodies bounced off of the metal bulkhead and ricocheted off of the floor like some child’s toy that had been thrown in disgust.
Yet despite the fact that such a blast, set on the highest setting, would have shattered the bones of any human that had been hit by it, the shot had little to no effect on the Dagons. With the exception of pushing them back, the pseudo pods didn’t have any solid bones to break. They simply bounced off of the walls. This had only served to temporarily stun them and when that wore off, they flipped back over and started their assault anew.
Again and again Cleo pulled her trigger sending wave after wave of sonic attacks through the air. Each time it was the same. The creatures would fly backward, bounce off of the wall and return with renewed vigor. Yet each time she became slower in her reactions. Each time the Dagons would come a little closer. Each time Cleo came to a greater understanding that time was not on their side and there was nothing that they could do about it
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Eric continued down the corridors as quickly as he could. He had taken the lead and let Vincent take up the rear guard. His job was to get to their control room while the older security guard kept the aliens at bay. Neither was
as easy as it sounded.
Eric found that he still had to make his way through all of the rubble, fallen conduits, sparking electrical wiring, downed computers and electronics and through the hatches with as much speed as he could muster. It was easier when they came this way and had the privilege to pick their way through all of these obstacles, but now they didn’t have the luxury of time. Everything was simply in the way and he wondered if he was actually traveling any faster than when he was walking.
The next thing that slowed him down was the appearance of more Dagons. They had eaten their way through some of the walls, ceiling, and flooring. Eric was able to kick a few aside and toss a couple of dangling and broken equipment on a few more, but mostly he was able to outrun them before they were able to completely squeeze their bodies through the holes that they were making with their acid.
Eric had to wonder. Did the aliens know where they were going and what their intentions were? He did remember that Vincent had said something about these creatures having the ability to project thoughts telepathically. Although Vincent had mentioned that humans couldn’t understand the Dagons, who was to say that the Dagons themselves couldn’t understand a human’s mind. He wondered if the Dagons could, in fact, read their minds or at least be able to pick up enough of their thoughts to be able to get some form of idea of what was going on. He hoped not. This was probably their only shot at taking all of these creatures down, and it was a slim chance at that.
Harbinger Page 17
