After four hours they slowed their pace, they’d been running for nearly an hour straight, since Thorne ordered to conserve fuel and leave one boost left in each tank for the jump jets. Through their journey they had seen two asteroids loaded and vaporised by a giant plasma ball.
Thorne stood apart with Oakham, Luk, Thoth and Aasith watching the bugs progress at the next preparations. They watched as another four bug ships blasted off and headed to another asteroid that was circling the planet.
“Still think they are being vaporised?” Thorne asked them, he’d set them to a secure comm. channel for the group each one brought for a discussion because of their skills.
“No. This is something different” Oakham replied the others giving grunts of agreement.
“When do you think that next asteroid will be here?” Thorne asked, he glanced at Aasith who as calculating the movements.
“Ninety to one-ten minutes” Aasith replied taking the scope from her eye
“Just before our suits run out of power” Thoth added
“I think this proves your theory Major” Luk said
“Ideas on why so many?” Thorne asked as he watched the next asteroid meander forwards
“Invasion. We’ve entered their home system on mass, they’re repaying the favour.” Aasith said
“Pluto was a misfire; they didn’t end up on a world they could survive on but now with the brain bugs sucking people’s minds clean they know that Earth is there.” Oakham said
“Well, we better lower their chances of success. We have two hours to enter the mountain and destroy whatever they have that’s giving them FTL.” Thorne said
“Chances of survival Sir?” Thoth asked
“Zero.” Thorne answered
“The odds I like” Aasith answered and turned to join the rest of the unit.
“Oakham?” Thorne asked
“One of the side tunnels and look out for what those things are that Aasith saw.” Oakham said
“Let’s move out.” Thorne said, moving back to the group he signalled for them to move out, they moved at steady pace no longer a full blown run trying to keep their presence less obvious. So far they had been unmolested but now they were heading towards the hive of activity. Time was running out and Thorne knew it, the fleet officer Simmons was also a problem although dispatching him was an option. It didn’t seem right without a better reason other than he’ll slow the unit down, at present he was holding on to the side of the chickenhawk finally fed up with the jolts travelled through the arms as he hung there like a doll. Moving ahead they watched as scores of warriors headed towards more ships to take them to the next asteroid, Thorne watched as they boarded, if all the asteroids had that many bugs on board the human race was doomed.
After an hour further travelling they were finally at a place to make their move. The problem was the masses of warriors that were guarding and herding chariot bugs into their positions into the mountain. They were entering a far larger tunnel than the one Oakham and Thorne were looking at, what they needed was a distraction, a large distraction. He glanced at the unit, he wouldn’t sacrifice men to the distraction; he had no idea on what was going to be inside and would need every weapon he could. He looked at the Marauders, he’d arranged for them when he thought he’d have time for a recon and decided the best path. They would have to be expendable.
“Thoth, Medb, Morrigan. To me.” Thorne ordered. Medb and Morrigan both jumped down from their marauders and moved over. “We need to get passed them, the marauders are going to be the distraction but I don’t want you two to be inside, how long will it take to set them for automatic fire and self-destruct when over whelmed?” Thorne asked quickly
“Twenty minutes” Thoth replied without hesitation
“With our help, more like ten.” Morrigan corrected with Medb nodding in agreement.
“Good, we’re headed there” Thorne pointed to one of the smaller holes into the mountain. “Set it so they won’t see us run in” Thorne said
“Yes Sir” They said in unison and moved off. Thorne watched as Morrigan indicated Lieutenant Simmons should get down. He looked a little shaky as he walked over.
“Black zero-one, eyes open I don’t want us seen, if anything spots us wipe it out swiftly and as quietly as possible.” Thorne said to the unit. They moved out behind cover in a rough circle watching the land, horizon and sky.
“What are you planning?” Simmons stood glaring at Thorne.
“I believe you’ve missed a word in you last sentence.” Thorne replied returning the gaze. Simmons broke quickly, not many people could hold the stare of a psychic for longer than a few moments.
“Sir what is the plan?” Simmons through gritted teeth with his eyes downcast
“Better. We’re entering that mountain and destroying the bugs FTL system” Thorne replied
“That’s insane. You have no idea how many bugs are in there or if there is any method of destroying whatever you think is there, we should wait for evac.” Simmons said, he looked paler Thorne realised.
“There will not be any recovery for us until forty-eight hours are up. If your ship was not in place for collection your orders, as I wrote them, were to wait in the asteroid field and collect us at the designated time and then we would all evac. I believe you might be slowing us down” Thorne’s hand drifted towards his pistol. Simmons was aggravating him and at this rate he would put the mission at risk. Simmons watched the hand drift and began raising his pistol slowly.
“That would be the worst career move you’ve ever made” Olwen whispered in to his ear. She’d moved up without Thorne or Simmons noticing and she had one of her machete blades pressing against his throat. “Now lower the pistol.” She ordered him, and he complied. “Orders sir?” Thorne was both pleased and slightly disturbed about her dark tone of voice.
“Release the Lieutenant. I think he gets the point.” Thorne said. Olwen slowly removed the blade and disappeared back to her position. “Be quiet and follow orders, right now I’m God and these are zealots. Do you get me?” Thorne almost growled at Simmons. He didn’t reply, just nodded and moved to a rock furthest away from any trooper.
“Sir.” Oakham spoke through the internal comm. Thorne flicked a switch and turned the line secure between the two of them.
“Yes Sergeant” He replied
“Well handled, just a little note on Olwen as I’m not sure if it’s in her file. She used to be the squads sniper and trained for deep infiltration, but her own love of blades and unarmed combat made her unreliable at long distances from a unit. She used to start fights with warrior bugs. You’ve earned her respect as usually if non infantry act like that in her presence, she kills them. No one disrespects the Mobile Infantry in front of her.” Oakham said as if telling a bed time story
“Thank you sergeant, her personality file just said ‘unstable; keep in sight’.” Thorne answered
“You’re welcome, and you’ve got this, we’ll follow you sir. I don’t know how but you’ve got command presence now not just a uniform.” Oakham said and realised he meant it, he trusted this intelligence officer
“Thank you again.” Thorn replied.
The waited eyes scanning all directions as they listened to the three troopers work on the Marauders. Thorne looked at their hundred meter dash to the entrance they’d marked. A Few seconds run and then they’d be in the mountain, no head lamps all infra-red as not needing to let their presence be known. How they were going to find the centre and the method of the FTL he had no idea, he’d planned to use the trackers he’d put on the young to lead the way but now, there were none of those from the failed mission. He’ll have to trust his senses.
“Sir modifications complete” Thoth spoke over the comm.
“Thank you Thoth. On my mark, everyone to follow me, I’ll enter the tunnel first. Thoth when I give the order; let all hell loose with the marauders.” Thorne said out loud so that Simmons could hear. He heard him crunch up beside him. Somehow he was making more noise than the troopers in their powersuits. “Move! Move! Move!” Thorne shouted.
The unit set off at a sprint and soon Simmons was left behind. Thorne kept part of his mind sensing the bugs, nearest them. They hadn’t noticed them moving. The unit had made it into the tunnel. Thorne gestured for infra red only for the visors in the dark, he watch as Simmons came running towards them, sweat pouring from his pale, sickly face. Something caught Thorne’s attention, a shadow, higher up he felt the hoppers mind as it spotted a target. He felt it make a decision and swing down. Black Zero-One had not been spotted; he signalled for no one to fire, he felt the hopper’s joy at reaching speed as it angled its wings. Simmons noticed too late, he glanced up just in time to raise the pistol to fire a single round before the hoppers razor sharp wing sliced through his neck. The pressure of the blood in the aorta force the head free in a spiralling arc as the red fountain continued briefly to nothing till the body slumped to the floor red spreading, the head face down, drowning.
The hopper continued low heading towards the warriors herding the chariot bugs, Thorne closed his eye and concentrated, the thoughts were, mixed, elation, triumph, pride and...communication, it was heading over to the warriors to tell them what had happened.
“Thoth, use the marauders make sure that hopper doesn’t make it!” Thorne said into the comm. urgently. Thoth moved forward and looked out with a remote detonator in his hand. He watched as the hopper swooped closer, he thought about how long it would take for the weapons to fire and waited, the hopper opened its mouth about to screech and the Thoth pushed the button. A Series of tiny flashes came from the two marauders and all their weapons opened fire, the arms making causal arcs back and forth, with the missile and rocket launchers firing salvo after salvo. Thorne and Thoth watched long enough to be sure the hopper had been downed, it swooped to one side rapidly as the weapons opened fire, a missiles explosion made it veer the other way and it was shredded by the rotary six’s hail of bullets. The unit missed the warrior bugs all charge headlong into the incoming fire, jumping where necessary to be hit by missile’s and grenades, stopping ant harm to the chariot bugs. Black Zero-One would have realised they were not herding the chariot bugs but protecting them.
They moved in absolute silence looking for the strange creature that Aasith had seen through the scope of her rifle. Their infrared night vision gave flat landscape to the tunnel greys and blacks. Moving forward they found no intensification as Thorne hoped for a path to follow, a heat trail left by other bugs, but he was not in luck. They followed the tunnels trying to stay on a general heading to the core, they knew the chariot bugs were sent in but to where?
A scuttling caught their attention and they froze. Weapons raised they scanned the tunnel.
“Keep moving, time is against us” Thorne said using the comm.
They moved forward, their boots cracked small stones, unable to be completely silent Thorne increased the pace. When they turned the corner they found a huge crystalline spider’s web blocking their path. Thorne signalled for Luk to take a closer look, he swung his investigation kit round and began to take samples.
“Sir, I need to use some light.” Luk said. The unit looked around and each one in turn stated clear.
“Go ahead” Thorne said. A thin shaft of light struck the web where Luk was cracking the crystal. It only took a moment and it all shone, light cascading through the web from where the torch beam struck. The clicking sound became louder and as the light diminished, the sound of the oncoming bug drew nearer, once the light was gone a new bug to the unit sped across the ceiling, the flat grey tones of the night vision allowed them to see an oversized spider with sharp hooks as the terminus of the legs and mandibles like steel; the eye cluster for the size of the spider was small but it’s vision seemed very keen. It opened its mouth and a jet of sticky fluid that solidified in the air flew towards Luk, with agility not expected from his size he dived out of the way, the spiked fluid continued its path and speared Nabu through the shin. The spike shattered the power armour and came straight through his leg and dug deep into the floor. Nabu’s scream echoed over the comm.
“Fire!” Thorne shouted over and all the remaining troopers turned and opened fire, a short controlled burst made the arachnid shred and then drop to the floor. The light from the weapons fire made the crystal shaft shatter and collapse to the floor along with the bug. Eastre ran over to where Nabu was slumped. He’d collapsed almost instantly as he’d been speared, Eastre didn’t believe he’d feinted. She looked at the readout and his bio-electric pulses were at minimum, but holding..
“How is he?” Thorne said
“Not good, I have no idea what that thing has done to him.” Eastre Replied
“Luk any thoughts?” Thorne asked
“None, it’s made of the same material of the web but it’s highly photo-reactive.” Luk collected some of the pieces in a vial. The sound of approaching bugs increased.
“We need to move” Oakham said listening to the incoming arachnids
“I can move sir!” Nabu’s voice came through loud and clear. Eastre looked at the spike it was diminishing being absorbed, she reached into her med kit and brought out the packets of styptic powder and pour them on staunching the blood flow.
“Eastre, Thoth your on rear guard with Nabu. Olwen, Morrigan, you’re upfront with me, you are going to be the eyes and ears I’m just giving directions.” Thorne ordered, he went done on one knee and closed his eyes, left palm flat on the ground. Sweat appeared on his creased brow, he stood keeping his palm out flat. “Follow me” he said in a quavering voice, Morrigan and Olwen stood half a step back from him rifles raised walking at his pace constantly scanning the area.