OBT Forum

Esteban hurried down the corridor; speed was of the essence for two reasons, survival and recovery. The troops outside could not withstand the renewed onslaught for much longer and their prize needed to be protected and carried back to the Dark Falcons headquarters. Both objectives were looking a little shaky. As he entered the final chamber, he realised that the latter was almost impossible.
 
Moore stood with one of his men, staring at the readout from the screen in front of them.
 
"Well?"

"Whatever they are, we cannot move them," said the Elemental, "the power supply feeding these cylinders is still active and we do not know what damage we will cause disconnecting them."
 
Moving to stand behind them, Esteban saw depicted on the screen a vaguely human shape. Four bars to the right of the picture moved up and down, maintaining what appeared to be vital signs.
 
"There are people in there?" he asked.

"We do not think so," Moore said, shaking his head, "these are energy readings, not life signs."
 
"What do you think we have?"

"We are not sure, but there is one way to find out..."

"Very well," indicated Esteban, "let us get at least one of them open."
 
Together with Moore, he moved to stand in front of the central cylinder, on which a green light began to flash. Vapour hissed into the room as the metallic structure cracked open.
 
*

Billy studied his feeds; Norizuchi and his men were close to the exit and a crackling cross-fire of PPC's and machine guns marked where the waiting Dark Falcons lay.
 
"Stand back!" he roared, controlling his reawakened tanks, "I will finish this myself."
 
The Ice Hellion Elemental was not convinced, but a healthy survival instinct caused him to obey.
 
Light tanks trundelled past, guns spitting in unison. Rock flew upwards marking impact points and Billy continued to laugh as they emerged into the open air. Screaming in counterpoint from behind the bulk of the complex came his drones, displaying the AI's own eagerness for combat. Return fire ceased and Norizuchi ordered his men back down the tunnel. Something did not feel right.
 
*

"Are all of our people out?" asked Jax.

"Those we could save have now reached our lines," confirmed Elana.

"Do it then," said Jax, "and let's get out of here."

Chapter Seven

It hurt. The smash of his head against the rear of the cylinder was quickly forgotten, with the first sharp nip. Jonti smelt something wrong: nostrils wrinkled with the sharp odour of antiseptic, which clung to the back of his throat, yet it could not hide the wet, acrid scent behind.

Another sharp stab, this one piercing skin and muscle. He flinched, trying to draw his hand away from the agony, but it was stuck fast. Again. And again!

It was like a row of hot needles jabbed constantly into his outstretched hand The staccato beat of pain increased, rising to an unbearable peak before destroying his nerve endings. He sighed with relief, only for the procedure to be repeated on his other hand. Light throbbed in time with the frantic beat of his heart and he at last could look down. Jonti screamed.

*

Moore watched entranced at the light show before him on the data screen; blues, greens and oranges struggled for supremacy. The amorphous mass had congealed to two separate points, each a blob of something from which snaked twin tentacles. These writhing appendages were attached to the humanoid representation and were slowly crawling up the body.

“Is that...?”

The normally fearless Elemental gulped, his shaking voice betraying his fear.

“Yes,” said Esteban, “our lap dog and this time he has bitten off more than he can chew.”

*

Breathing was hard; the thing had now wrapped Jonti’s upper torso in its inexorable embrace and was squeezing far too lovingly. He tried to cry out, in fact he was still attempting the impossible when the first of his ribs cracked. It would not be the last.

Not only had other occupant of the cylinder invaded his space, it was gradually invading his body. A rapine plunder of his senses; it sucked and chewed its way through skin and bone, giving pain in return. Jonti screamed soundlessly as the parasitic amoebae slid thankfully down his open throat.

*

“Flatline...”

Moore mouthed a curse. It had been so fast. The lap dog was gone.

“What happened?”

It was a recurrent question, but still needed answering.

“Who knows? What ever is in there, needs to stay in there, it is...”

“Sir!”

A trembling finger pointed once more at the screen, where all life signs were in the green. The humanoid shape had returned and the hiss of vapour announced that the main dish was ready.

This installation had been secret in a time when it was fashionable to have secrets; creating the complex resulted in pharaohonic sacrifices, with work crews dying on their tools, literally. The local population was transferred to the opposite side of the planet with tales of epidemics and radioactivity ringing in their ears; they were better off. Once the complex shell existed, military personnel finished the work, then were reassigned, usually to a battle front. Last to arrive were ABD.

ABD or Advanced Bioengineering Division arrived with a purpose, which few knew of or shared. They were unfortunate enough to achieve every one of their objectives, just in time for their secret to be revealed. There was only one option for these fanatics.

Death came in a public and horrifying fashion, a biological weapon escaping and removing all with knowledge of the programme. Video feed showed their horrifying deaths and the explosions which sealed their fates. Information on the weapons virulence convinced prospective tomb raiders of the need for patience and war did the rest. All went well until Billy’s arrival and regurgitation of information.

Now the ABWS had been released and Jonti Dumfries appeared to be its first victim.

*

“Frak! What is that covering him?”

Moore was already sealing his armour as Jonti emerged and he raised his machine gun in line with the once human. There was no clothing, rather a raw-looking grey flesh which hugged the body protectively. It appeared seamless, covering hands and feet, with a bulbous conical helmet tapping the head. Squinting closer, Moore started as the grey mass briefly cleared at Jonti’s eye-level, revealing the young man beneath. It flickered between an amorphous blob and reflective silver, settling at last to an opaqueness which glinted strangely.

“Shoot it!” said Esteban.

“No, there is no need...”

It was said in a whisper, a rasping painful sound, which spoke of disused and musty vocal chords.

“Jonti?”

“Ye-s-s-s, I am sorry to have frightened you all, but we feel much better now...”

“We?”

Esteban was puzzled, but had no time to ask further questions as a laser round screamed by.

“What the...?”

“Time is up,” Moore said as he moved towards the entrance, “Billy’s boys have broken through.”

“Allow me,” interrupted Jonti, “it is the least we can do...”

Moore was brushed aside as Jonti powered past, his skin writhing as it changed to a new shape, bulbous protrusions forming on his forearms.

“Stop him...it...them!”

“How?” asked Moore, rising from the floor, where Jonti had sent him smashing through men and machines. The sound of energy weapons discharging came to them, as did the screams of the dying.

“I just hope that Jonti remembers whose side he is on...”

It's been a while, Rayo. Good to see you back and writing! 

Chapter Eight

saKhan Sellen Cage spat to clear the dust lining her mouth. Her refusal to align herself with either Billy or the Dark Falcons left her, and her honour guard, rotting in their cells. Jax’s explosive goodbye provided the key to their holding pens, releasing them like an angry swarm of bees to sting and annoy Billy’s troops. They were fairly ineffectual; more used to Mech’s than hand-to-hand, those soldiers unlucky to meet them either pushed on through, or were already injured and easy meat.

Now the exit was near, or it had been, until the roof caved in, forcing them back to the warehouse level.

“Find a way out.”

Sellen Cage was used to being obeyed and had yet to be disappointed; her men split quickly into two teams, scouring the now smoke-filled area.

“Here!”

She followed without question, her men forming up around her. Cage remembered the number of Mech’s taken, as well as those allegedly stored within the complex. She wanted one, bad.

*

It was with shame and a little anxiety that Norizuchi recognised the figures approaching through the haze. He was not quite sure whether he should shoot her or plead for his life. In the end his genetic arrogance won through.

“Why are you here?”

Cage and her men halted, but quickly realised that they were no match for the battle-suited men and women in front of them.

“No,” said Cage, “that should be my question, as you do not rot in a cell like the rest of us.”

“I had a plan,” sneered Norizuchi.

“It appears not to have worked,” Cage said, dismissing the Elemental with arrogant condescension, “you may follow me, for now, but we will have a reckoning once we are clear of the complex.”

His mouth opened ready to give the command to fire, but Norizuchi stopped. Maybe this could all work to his favour.

“Where do you wish to go, saKhan?”

“Find me a Mech...”

Billy was awfully quiet. His set-backs had been many; beaten to the hidden laboratory, failing to successfully close his trap for Jax, his missile batteries frakked and now his minions were revolting. It could get worse, but he was feeling petulant and unloved. People would have to pay and the first ones would be those closest to his heart, literally.

A swift search found Norizuchi and the addition to his band at last made Billy smile; saKhan Sellen Cage, she had been vociferous in her refusal to join him. Her bad, he would be able to have some fun with her at least.
 
This time he would take no chances. Metal doors slid down around his central core, protecting his vitals from over-zealous attackers. Point-defence systems powered up; controlled directly by Billy, they were more than accurate. The inner corridors were opened to provide access to a series of tanks, whose pre-ordained positions covered all entry points. Happy was not a place Billy was familiar with, but the precautions would do. Now where had he left the Ice Hellion personnel?

*

“Here.”

Norizuchi’s voice echoed from his external speakers, the close-packed machinery negating the deadening effect of the large open space.

“You have done well...” said the saKhan, as the lights came on, highlighting the huge humanoid machines standing in orderly rows.

“These were the ones being worked on by the tame Falcon’s, the AI wanted them functioning. He also wanted some form of control circuit, but that was to be the final installation.”

Cage nodded, eying up the various Mech’s. Which one to choose...? ...ah, yes!

*

Billy sniggered. It never paid to let your employees know everything. In fact, it was best to keep them in the dark as much as possible. What had it been called? That was right treat them like mushrooms...

He watched avidly as the clansmen climbed up into their respective machines, noting the saKhan’s choice and approving. What a shame she was not going to be able to enjoy her toy as much as she thought. That was for later. Billy had a score to settle with Norizuchi.

*

“Look what I’ve found...” the Elemental said, as he dragged a struggling figure from behind one of the Mech’s. The man was injured, blood staining the right side of his tunic, darkening it further. A Dark Falcon survivor.

“Give it to me,” spat Norizuchi, flexing his power claw, “vermin need to be dealt with swiftly.”

“True,” replied the injured soldier, “extermination was ever the option.”

He was still smiling as he let go of the firing pin, arming the grenade. A grin broke free, puzzling the watching Ice Hellions as he looked beyond Norizuchi’s shoulder. Outright laughter was heard, just before the grenade exploded, lighting the satchel charge hidden in the shadows and the approaching tank fired its PPC at point-blank range. Billy’s revenge would have to wait. There were Dark Falcons still alive inside him and they meant business.

Chapter Nine


“So…” asked Jax, “what is it?”

He had arrived earlier, his dropship flanked by fighters, and his landing by Esteban’s troops.

“We have found little,” replied Esteban, “and were hoping that David would help.”

“I have sent for him”, commented Jax, turning to gaze at the quiescent thing, that once had been Jonti, “we will abandon the fort and set up our base here. These tunnels will give us some protection.”

“They will,”agreed Esteban, “and there is a lot of this complex yet to uncover.”

“What about lights, power…?”

“Under investigation, although we have traced the power grid from this chamber and are gradually clearing areas for use.”

“There are more like this?” asked Jax.

“At least two more chambers, yet they are inactive,” said Esteban, “we are rather looking for the point defense controls and anything else we can use to deter Billy.”

“It won´t be easy,” mused Jax, “this base has been dormant for a long time.”

Then he turned in sudden decision, “Let´s get up top and talk with Elana. Bring Jonti with you.”

*

The ABWS that had once been purely Jonti Dumfries listened and calculated. It felt a debt to these men; Jonti was still a major part of it, yet his mental limitations limited those of the system. It looked on Jax with awe, felt reverence for the Dark Falcon symbol and knew hate for its once God Billy. In comparison with the vessel which housed it, the adaptive bio-weapon took decisions quickly. It followed, moulding its thought patterns to that of its warrior companions.


“Sir…” said Esteban quietly, indicating Jonti´s amorphous chest.

Jax stared as the mass bubbled just above Jonti´s right breast. Colour entered the grey flesh, twisting and writhing. It concentrated in one spot, the darkness hardening into a clearly defined symbol. Jax smiled.

“Well,” he said, “it seems as we at least know his allegiance.”

Esteban laughed in relief, the Dark Falcon symbol sat proudly on Jonti´s chest. He was now one of them.

*

Billy had always been arrogant, self-centered and childish; most AI´s were. None of them could understand how their creators could be so weak and intellectually-challenged. Starting from that point, egomania was a given. What galled, was that Jax and his puny force had outwitted him, and Billy was brooding.

For a short while the pleasure of tormenting the Ice Hellions kept him occupied, but child-like Billy quickly lost interest. What he wanted was to be acknowledged as the superior being he was, to pull the strings of all the players in his little game and to be worshipped. Maggie´s insanity seemed to have rubbed off and was gnawing its way deep inside.

Tanks he had. Mechs, too. What he didn’t have were followers. The loss of the secret technology put paid to his dreams of empire, yet not if he could act quickly. With Billy thought was action, and messages were sent. Across the planet the God began to speak once more, and disused communications arrays began to beam a distress signal out into deep space. Billy had his plan. Now, all he had to do was wait.