Alien Enigma (38 page)

"I recognize this part, Sarge. Have your point man step on the floor switch on the right, about two feet back from what looks like the dead end."

Meyer relayed the message up the line. A moment later the point men were inside, rifles firing on automatic. This time there had been unarmed Worms in with the captives, allocating food and water. When the marines saw the condition of the men, women and children, they showed no mercy. Seconds later the Worms were writhing on the gore-smeared deck. The subjects, still with the horrid attachment protruding from the top of their heads, ignored the gunfire and dead Worms. They continued eating and drinking as if nothing untoward had happened.

"
My Good God!
What have those evil motherfuckers done here?" a young female marine murmured just before she was disastrously sick. She added the contents of her stomach to the green scum already spilled from the worms.

"I think they were being studied," Doug said. "See the cables coming from the walls? If your coordinates are right, somewhere about fifty to sixty meters on the other side of that wall is where one of the tunnels leads to the central node."

"Well, let's try to get them out of here." Meyer called for the medics.

The human lab animals were led placidly away. Doug privately held out little hope for them. Once they were gone he pointed out the route they needed to take to get to the central node, a much longer trek than sixty meters but the tunnels were free of the enemy for the time being.

***

"Sorry it took so long to get a report to you, sir," Cindy said. She was finally in contact with the ship after a marine three-man patrol had come running to the crash site. "Shuttle One is destroyed but we all got out safely. No casualties."

"Don't be sorry," Keane said with a catch in his throat. "We all thought you were dead. Shuttle Two is handling things for now."

"How are the assaults going? I'm heading back to where the other shuttles are grounded to take number Three up."

"Company A is still pressing toward the purported central intelligence node against heavy resistance. Company B is stalled in tunnels that the underground hadn't explored. They're going to try breaking out momentarily with explosives. Shuttle Two is reporting robots and Worms emerging from behind where we bombed, then crossing the debris fields and going back underground. We can't have them attacking the marines from behind. Only a few have made it so far, but just one shuttle can't cover the whole city and we took some heavy fire when we dropped low enough to do precise spotting. If you're not hurt, Rambling needs you back in the air. If you're up for it, I'll forward your report and tell him you're on the way."

"I am and I'm gone. Cantrell out."

***

"We're close to what we believe to be the central node, sir," Watkins reported. "Casualties moderate so far, but we're going to have to assault a heavy weapons site protecting each tunnel leading to it and God knows how many robots. I don't know if it'll help but maybe
Doc Travis
and the shuttles can create a diversion when we go for it."

"Excellent," Rambling said. "I'll forward your request, but be advised we lost one of the shuttles. We'll have another up shortly but until then there's only one flying."

"Who went down?"

"Captain Cantrell, but she and the crew survived."

"Good to hear."

"Also be advised to watch your rear. Robots and Worms are crossing the collapsed areas on the surface then going back down into the tunnels. Air support is stopping most of them but they can't get them all."

"Not good to hear. Martinez out."

Chapter Twenty-Six: Hotter than Hell!

People often say that life is sacred. They almost never mean what they say.

-
Peter Singer, Practical Ethics- What's Wrong with Killing?

"This place is hotter than hell!" said Doug, rubbing sweat off his forehead. The constant fire from the robots' energy guns was heating up the tunnels. The air temperature had easily risen a good ten degrees. He and Clemmie were still with the second tier of marines, directing them toward the central node. He expected it to get even hotter for they were approaching their goal.

"It's just beyond the next level, Sergeant Meyer," Clemmie said. "This tunnel will split into a short tee, then you'll see two ramps leading down. Be careful because they'll take you directly into the place and there are heavy weapons guarding both entrances."

"You said there were eight altogether?"

"Right."

"Any idea if the weapons site can swivel to fire on an entrance besides the one they were designed to guard? Or the one they're pointed to, I guess I should say."

"I don't know."

"Well, no choice. The other two platoons are supposed to be assaulting the others on this side and Company B is coming from the other way. We'll fight our way in and see what happens." He turned around and put his hands to his mouth and yelled, not bothering with the com. "All reserve Barrett teams forward! All SAWs forward!"

Doug started to move but Meyer grabbed the back of his ragged shirt. "Both of you stay back. You and your people have done enough. This is our job now. Take your people and head on back. Find Sergeant Suvale and tell him ...no, never mind, here he is now. Suv! Take your team and guard these people. Get them outside and to the command post for evacuation. And watch the fuck out. We got reports of robots and those other vermin coming down behind us."

"Got it, Sarge. You ready, sir? Ma'am? Your other people are back about fifty klicks."

Doug touched Clemmie's arm. "Come on, Sweetheart. We've done what we could."

"Thanks, guys," Meyer said as they began walking back. He threw them a quick salute and turned to face the other way. Now came the hard part, taking the central node without destroying it. He put on a bright face for his troops but wasn't looking forward to the duty. He wished they could just throw a ton of Clatismite down the ramp and be done with it.

As they walked away, Doug could hear the sergeant giving instructions, telling the fire teams with their regular infantry rifles to go for the com domes and the Barrett teams to take out the heavy weapons and the internal CPUs of the robots. He nodded approvingly. Working their way down the tunnels they had learned fast ...or died.

***

The
Doc Travis
shook to a sound like a metal drum being slammed with a sledge hammer. The lights dimmed. They'd been hit with their first laser cannon blast from Xanadu, and even with the improved shields, it hurt.

"Weapons, Helm! Locate that cannon and take it out. Now!"
Where in hell had it come from?
He thought they'd destroyed all the anti-air weapons of the city but they must have gotten one back up. A damned heavy one, too.

A moment later, both the rail gun and laser cannon began firing down in an emergency pattern, not exactly precise but saturating the general area where the laser cannon fire had come from. Either they killed it quickly or it ceased fire deliberately.

"Cantrell, Shuttle Three. Fire support mission."

"Go, Three."

Cindy read off coordinates and Mundahan gave the orders to fire almost immediately. O'Neal had seen on his screen where he thought Worms were concentrating and had the ship almost in position by the time the order was given.

"Cease fire. Mission complete."

"We must be seeing their reserves," Keane said. "Or more likely the central intelligence knows what we're after now and is calling in everything available to defend it. Com, send word to the shuttles complimenting them and tell them to look sharp. I anticipate more concentrations on the surface."

"Aye, aye, sir," Bogarty said.

***

"I'm getting tired of this fucking heat," Sergeant Meyers said. "Let's get these fuckers cleaned up. Barretts, get moving. Snipers, find positions as soon as we hit the down ramp. According to the rebels, you should have a clear field into the big room. Go for the heavy weapon sites, then the robots. Don't hit that big dome in the middle. It's what we're here for."

"Oorah!" The marines knew they were approaching the end of the mission and were ready to get it over with. Just as the first thunderous round from a Barrett resounded in the tunnel, the rattle of gunfire from their rear broke out.

"Shit," Myers cursed. "Murphy again. Well, this time it's up to the First. Let him get his hands dirty for a change."

***

Watkins was not only dirty, he was bloody as well. An energy bolt from robots attacking the marines in their rear had blasted a hole in the middle of the marine next to him, spattering him with gore.

"Fuck! Go for the robot domes! Get a fucking Barrett up here! Two of them, on the bounce!" He raised his rifle and began aiming for the com domes atop the robots, firing coolly and methodically until another energy bolt hit him directly in the head, shattering his helmet and killing him instantly. Platoon Sergeant Suharto took over. The marines stood their ground. There were only two of them alive by the time a Barrett team turned the attacking robots back.

***

"Trevanne! Doug Trevanne! Is he with this group?"

"I'm Trevanne. Who wants me?"

A First Lieutenant of marines hurried to him. "I'm Lieutenant Gonzales. I understand you're familiar with the tunnel system on the other side of the city?"

"As much as anyone, I guess. Why?"

"Because we have most of a company of marines bogged down over there and can't find their way to that fucking central node Captain Keane wants us to capture. If we take you to them, can you lead them from there?"

"I'll try, Lieutenant."

"Doug ..." Clemmie began to protest but stopped. She knew it was something Doug felt he owed their rescuers, as well as so many of their crew who had died at the hands of the Worms and robots, especially the ones who'd been experimented on. She hugged him briefly and let him go, held back from accompanying him only because she might be needed again on this side of the city.

***

Rambling's reserves, with Doug in their middle, hustled out of the shuttle that took them to their jump-off point, then forward at a fast trot. They were directed by spotters from one of the shuttles but had to kill a group of Worms guarding the entrance to the tunnels Company B had descended into. Although he wasn't involved in it, the fighting along the way was tough. Both robots and Worms had gotten into Company B's rear and barred their way, but the orders were to proceed toward the Central Node and attack in conjunction with A Company, period. By this time, a dozen of his old underground comrades were armed and with the reserves, a welcome addition. Marine casualties had begun adding up when the city threw all its strength against the forces fighting toward its heart.

***

Mary Sung, a member of the
Jeane Baptiste'
s crew who had not joined the underground for fear of leaving her only child without a parent, shot at a Sinchik with an energy gun. She had recently taken it from a dead Sinchik. Someone had shot it earlier. She wasn't sure who, didn't care. She was happy it was dead.

"You don't mind using those greasy weapons?" Joe Dakota, who had been a rebel but had been unable to join his wing, asked.

She shrugged. "Okay by me. We'd be dead already if it weren't for these things." She hefted the hand weapon the Sinchik had been using.

"Marines!" Someone cried out. "It's American marines!"

"What? Did you hear that?" asked Joe.

Mary grinned hugely. "It's music to my ears."

Five minutes later she, Joe, and two others who had been fighting a lonely hit and run battle, were whooping for joy and hugging the heavily laden marine reserves.

"Hey, folks, we're glad to see you too, but stay down. No sense you getting killed now. Let us take care of those bastards." Platoon Sergeant Marilyn Terrance said. "Down the holes, marines, and let's get after them. We can't win a war standing still."

"You got it Sarge," Tammy Canning said. She jumped down into the ragged opening to a tunnel below and hit heavily. "Clear!" she called back up. Other marines joined her and shortly Doug was among them, leading the way from there.

He was getting tired but had to keep going. Damn, why hadn't they shuttled him over to his old stomping grounds to begin with, he wondered? Maybe they were in a hurry and maybe it was his fault, subconsciously wanting to stay with Clemmie and protect her. Whatever, he was here now and knew the way. In fact, he thought he knew just where the marines from the other company had gone astray. If so, he could get them back on track quickly.

***

Cindy Cantrell was still flying over the battlefield in Shuttle Three, searching out groups of Worms or robots, usually a mixture. They were fewer, now. The two shuttles had been using their own missiles and small chattering rail guns when they were fired on. But their main mission was still calling down the wrath of God from
Doc Travis
on any concentration of the enemy attempting to go to the assistance of the ones defending the central node.

"One more group, Captain, and I think that's the last of them on this side of the city." She read off the coordinates and got out of the way.

"Got it," Keane answered. "Helm, bring the ship down fifty kilometers. Commander Mundahan, prepare the rail gun for action directly on the coordinates just listed."

"Aye, aye, sir," she responded.

The ship began its descent. It leveled off.

"Now!" Mundahan said. "Fire, fire, fire!"

Although the rail gun was removed from the control room by a good hundred meters they could always feel the rapid
thunk thunk thunk
as its projectiles were shot from the ship, propelled to speeds far beyond supersonic by rings of powerful magnets.

"Got 'em! Cease fire."

"Bring the ship back up now," Keane ordered.
The rest of it is going to be up to Steel
, he thought.
We've done all we can
.

***

"Move it, move it!" A sergeant ordered just as he fell from a bolt of energy from a robot handgun. The robot was shattered into pieces an instant later, with an adjoining Worm killed by its fragments. It seemed as if there was no end to the numbers of robots and Worms within the central node's domain, surrounding the large domed habitat of the city's directing intelligence. The A Company marines had worked right to the edge of the high-ceilinged room from three of the four tunnels on their side but couldn't seem to make the final push to where they could spread out, even though two of the heavy weapon sites had been taken down. There were simply too few of them left, and they weren't allowed to use explosives for fear of damaging the very thing they were there to capture.