Extraterrestrial Invasion: Annihilation

Chapter 23: The Infiltration

General Kenneth was pointing his guns at the engineers. They were working frantically to restart the magnetic field generator, but the odds were against them.

"What the hell happened?!" he barked. "Why isn't the generator working?"

"Yes, sir," a technician said. "We're doing our best."

"Well, your best is the worst!" General Kenneth screamed. "I want it to wreak havoc out there!"

"I'm sorry, sir," another technician said. "The energy on the ship is insufficient."

"Repeat."

"We don't have enough power to reactivate it."

BANG!

The engineer went silent as blood trickled from his head. His body fell onto the keyboard of the computer.

"Do better, you ducks!" he shouted.

"Wait, there are intruders," someone said. "They have just entered the spaceship from the uppermost level."

"Take care of them."

"Uh, it's Colonel Rick and a human."

***

Colonel Rick and General Howard snuck into the spaceship through an opening. Apparently, General Kenneth had forgotten to remove the spider's database from the spaceship, so they easily passed the locked doors and passages.

"Grab those guns," Rick said, taking as many weapons as his legs could.

"How do I use this?" Howard asked. "Just pull the trigger?"

"Yeah, it's similar to your people's."

They heard soldiers marching into the weaponry room. Colonel Rick pressed the button and the door slid shut. The soldiers pounded.

"Open up, Colonel!"

"Dammit," Howard whispered. "What do we do?"

"The grenades," Rick said. "Once I reopen the door, hurl them at the enemy."

"Okay. One...Two...Three!"

The door unlocked and Howard tossed two explosives at them. The grenades sent out a teeth-shattering vibration and the soldiers went out.

"Good," Rick said. "Let's go!"

They navigated through the maze of paths, occasionally stumbling upon units of soldiers. But just as Colonel Rick had pointed out, the enemy troops were mindless and easy to knock out. Howard wondered how Earth soldiers could lose to them. We must be very stupid, he thought.

They came to a closed door. Somehow this one seemed to have a higher security.

"This is the door into the center hallway," Colonel Rick said. "If I open it, we'll be exposed to hundreds of armed soldiers."

"Alright, I'm ready," Howard braced himself.

The gates slid away and they jumped through. The foes fired repeatedly at them, and they hid behind a giant tank.

"Shoot," Howard said. "Now what? Engage on the offense?"

"No, I have a better plan," Rick said. If spiders could grin, he would have.

***

General Kenneth had the last engineer cornered. The subordinate was breathing agitatedly, no, more like gasping.

"What part of reactivating the generator that you don't understand?" the cruel general asked.

"Please, sir!" he pleaded, tears streaming. "Forgive me! I won't disappoint you again!"

BANG!

General Kenneth stared at the dead bodies in the cockpit. Blood spread across the floor, staining it.

The door flipped open and a familiar figure emerged, one he thought he would never lay eyes on again.