Chapter 19
While Tabun's wound is treated they are confronted by a reptilian alien forcing Denny to improvise. Elsewhere, the Red Zetans discover a dark secret beneath the spires.
Previously: Within the simulation, the three humans continue to explore the facility hoping to find something that they can use to treat Tabun’s wound. Elsewhere, the squad of Red Zetans deployed to the alien planet soon find more than they bargained for within the alien spires.
Once the temporary bandage had been removed, Tabun lay in anxious anticipation on the cold, metal table and could barely keep his eyes off the various white, moving surgical arms.
“I think this should numb the pain…” said Denny as she began piloting the thing from the nearby console.
“You think?” Wise asked, keeping his focus firmly on the door.
“Well, he’ll soon tell us.”
“This is pointless, it’s not real. I’ll be fine.”
“You don’t know that, if you die here, you might not wake up. We can’t take that chance,” Denny said. “Just relax.”
Tabun rolled his eyes. “Easy for you to say, you’re not the one staring down strange alien-made metal arms.”
He watched one of the arms lower close to where the pincer had penetrated. The needle pierced his skin, and aside from the immediate pain, he soon lost all feeling in his hand. Then the other arms followed suit, one pinched the skin together while a beam from another began burning his skin. He couldn’t feel it, but he smelled singed flesh.
“Is that supposed to happen?”
“I think so. Heat should seal the wound.”
“Just don’t cut my hand off.”
“Don’t worry, Tabun, you’ll be right as rain in no time at all.”
The sound of metal grinding captured their attention as the door, stiff at first, was thrust open, revealing on the threshold a large, green-scaled reptilian alien with broad shoulders, a narrow, long head, and a pointed snout. They could see some of its larger jagged teeth poking out from its jaw. Wise edged back a little because he looked scrawny in comparison. The monster burst forward and, with little effort and a strong kick, it sent him flying into the steel wall behind him. He looked over through his daze and saw Tabun scrambling to sit up.
“Denny, the laser that you used on me, use it on him!”
“Just buy me two seconds…”
Tabun balled his fist and punched the alien’s jaw, only for it to shrug him off. Its large, clawed hands soon clasped around Tabun’s throat and drove him into the table, which conveniently positioned the reptilian alien right beneath the medical arms that Denny soon positioned to be eye level. The last thing it ever saw was a penetrating red light that became so intense, it burned through the eyelids. The creature let out a cry of anguish and pain as it staggered back.
“Maximum strength should do it!”
Two arms crossed each other like an X, and much to Wise’s shock, the intense laser beams severed the upper arms of the alien, and a few seconds later, it collapsed backwards.
Wise steadied himself and approached where Tabun still sat. “You are very lucky she knows how to work that thing.”
Before he could respond, she had joined them. “It’s time for us to get out of here, don’t you think?”
Qax and Hradringer returned to the entrance they had come through and prepared to descend through the other archway. Hradringer held his shoulder. “This is a bad idea, Qax. We should report this back to the ship and have them send down some backup.”
“By the time we do that, Prellick and Vendral will already be dead. No, we keep moving forward.”
Qax led the way down the same long, steep tunnel. They came out to a similar long corridor as before, except the contents of this one were far more shocking. The stench of death hit them almost immediately before they could even see the trails of blood leading elsewhere.
“I think we might already be too late.”
Qax surveyed the scene before him, noting the broken pod and shattered glass scattered across the floor. He moved carefully to avoid stepping on the shards. Multiple pods had shown the same kind of breaching. He soon reached near the end of the corridor and found one of their squad lying face down, bloody and bruised. His suit had ruptured, but the atmosphere thankfully hadn’t killed him. Even still, Qax suspected he wasn’t long for this world.
Qax crouched and was careful to manoeuvre them onto their back.
It was Prellick. His bloodshot eyes widened upon seeing Qax, and his breathing became rapid. “You should leave! They know we’re here. Order an orbital strike or deploy a bunker buster. Leave nothing behind.”
“Where is Vendral?”
“They burst out of the pods, overwhelmed me and took him in the process. I’m begging you, don’t stay here. Find another tribute. This isn’t something we can control.”
Qax watched the last breaths escape him and stood up. The silence was palpable, and in all of this, he hadn’t heard a word from Hradringer. He spun around and saw that his fellow Zetan had wandered off. He saw footprints leading into another dark descent. Qax approached the doorway and stared into that abyss.
“Hradringer. Are you down there?” he asked, raising his voice, knowing the risk it would bring.
Nothing except for the electrical buzzing around him.
“Qax? I had to see it, you have to see it, too. You won’t believe it until you see it.”
“No, you come back. We’re leaving, and we’re ordering an orbital strike. If we’re lucky, we bury whatever happened here.”
“Don’t do that, Qax! This is what will win us the game. I promise you. Just join me down here. You won’t regret it. The truth of all this needs to be seen to be believed.”
Qax placed an anxious hand on the wall and placed a single foot forward in the darkness. The sound of squelching caught him by surprise, and looking down, his eyes adjusted a little, and he saw the dark biomass. He had been lucky not to touch it when he touched the walls. The darkness had obscured it, too distracted by the voice within. He’s not coming back. It’s got him. I need to leave. Now!
Qax took in a few gulps and turned to head back to the surface when something wrapped around his ankle. Looking back, he saw it wrapping around him. A black tendril. He tried to break free, but it held firm, and soon enough, the jolt as it pulled him backwards caused the ground to rush up to him. And whatever hope he had of ever leaving this place left him as the endless abyss swallowed him whole.