Behemoth: Rise Of Mankind Book 1 (17 page)

             
I sure hope he’s right,
Cathleen thought,
for all our sakes.

***

              Max brought the information over to Laura, standing beside her with his tablet. “The medical records were translated by the ship’s AI. They do not appear to be all that different from us. Stomach, kidneys, liver, all performing the same functions ours do. Furthermore, their blood composition is also the same.”

              “This lends evidence to the seed culture theory some scientists talk about,” Laura said. “That some precursor race planted human beings on various planets.”

              “I wouldn’t go so far as to call this proof of a fringe theory,” Max replied, “but yes, it does elevate it somewhat. Before, it had barely any proof.”

              “Anyway, run a simulation and see what a shot of Neuron thirty-four would do.” Laura hummed. “He’s got a medium build so I’d say plug in twenty CCs. Should be sufficient to reduce the swelling and prevent any sort of blockage. The last thing we want is for him to experience a stroke.”

              “The simulation will take a good ten minutes or so.”

              Laura grinned. “You’d better get on it then. Time’s a wasting.”

              “Yes, ma’am.” Max headed off to his desk when the alarm went off.
What now?!
He thought.
Can we go thirty minutes without some disaster?

             
“Imminent attack.” Agatha White’s voice blared through the overhead speakers. “All hands to battle stations.”

              Max sighed.
Apparently not.

              Paul watched as their fighters screamed by to intercept the attacking force. This time, the enemy sent six fighters and a much larger ship with a sharp nose. He analyzed it’s frame and signature but could not determine the purpose. It seemed like a shuttlecraft but bristled with weapons. He fed the info over to Olly but even he had no idea what they were facing.

              “What’re they doing?” Everly asked. “It looks like they’re on a collision course!”

              “Very possible,” Clea replied. “Look at the design of that vessel.”

              Gray and Everly both squinted. “Oh my…” Gray muttered. “They mean to board us.”

              “That’s my thought,” Clea said. “I would lock turrets on and fire.”

              “Way ahead of you,” Redding replied, tapping a button. Their weapons started firing, splashing off the shields of the shuttle as it barreled toward them.

              “What the hell is powering that thing?” Everly shook his head. “How is it taking that kind of damage?”

              Their fighters engaged, entering a wild dogfight with the other ships. A couple landed some decent shots on the shuttle but it continued pressing on, an unstoppable juggernaught ignoring all punishment they threw at it. It closed in with less than a thousand meters to go, Gray slammed his com.

              “Security, prepare for intruders on Deck…” He checked his readings. “Thirty-two. They will be initiating hull breach in less than three minutes.”

              “What do they hope to accomplish?” Tim asked. “They can’t possibly think they can
take
the ship! Not with the few guys they could fit on that thing.”

              “Maybe they don’t have to,” Clea replied. “Maybe they are here on a suicide mission.”

              “For what?” Redding asked.

              “To kill our guest.”

              Realization hit Paul. It made perfect sense. If they worried the guy might impart the Protocol Seven information, then he had to die. He had the potential to turn the tide of the battle back their way and allow them to win. Such a concern might breed a desperate mission such as this but they had to know it was doomed to fail.

              Or was it?

              “Security, send a detail to the hospital.” Everly must’ve read Paul’s mind. He figured it would be a lot safer if they had someone guarding Captain Paltein rather than just praying they could hold them at the lower levels. Of course, that assumed the possibility the bad guys could get further into the ship.

             
Terrifying thought.
Paul tried to focus on his scans, right up to the point he had to yell, “brace for impact!” a half second before the vessel struck them. It flew right through their shields and penetrated the hull, sliding neatly into the ship and wedging itself tightly in the hole. This allowed them to prevent the vacuum of space to suck them out when they disembarked.

             
God, I hope our guys are up for this!
Paul watched helplessly as the security forces converged on the area. He took a moment to pray then leaned back and observed fate unfold in all its fickle glory.

***

              Lieutenant Colonel Dupont coordinated his men, setting up check points in the event that the enemy broke through their lines. The area the invaders broke through gave them access to two different directions to take, constituting a two line front if they hoped to get further into the ship. Marines stationed in both corridors waited for the ship to open. They wore environmental suits in case the ship dislodged itself, leaving behind a hull breach.

              His squads reported in that they were in position, six troops taking up both positions. Behind them, six more waited as reinforcements, there to prevent a deeper breach into the ship. Their orders were simple: kill the enemy at all costs. They carried heavy rifles and grenades to effect this command. Damage to the section was preferable to an escaped alien rampaging throughout the ship.

              They broke through living quarters, destroying several of the rooms for the enlisted men. Luckily, everyone in that area happened to be on duty at the time and no one was killed. One man fell down who was halfway down the corridor and broke his wrist but otherwise, casualties were minor.

              Dupont stood before his command screens, watching the helmet cams of his men as they aimed at the enemy ship. Tension remained thick as anticipation mounted. No one had seen the enemy face to face and the alliance didn’t describe them either. This would be the first contact any of them had with the enemy in a combat situation. No longer separated by space and large vessels, they finally revealed themselves for what they were.

             
I doubt they’re monsters
. The thought made Dupont frown. Much as he wanted to believe the sentiment, a part of him didn’t believe it. These bastards killed a lot of good men when they attacked before and he found out they did a lot worse to the alliance on several occasions. If they weren’t beasts from horror stories, then he didn’t know how he’d reconcile their atrocious actions.

             
Evil doesn’t have to be ugly. Just ask Lucifer
.

              “Something’s happening.” The voice drew Dupont back to watch the screens. He saw the front of the vessel begin to open, revealing a black chamber beyond. When the panel stopped moving, it was easily wide enough to allow five or six men to pass through standing abreast. “No movement and motion scanners are negative.”

              “Don’t rely on those,” Dupont said. “We have no idea what these guys are capable of doing to our sensor equipment.”

              “Roger, sir.”

              The Behemoth corridors allowed for decent sized gear to travel anywhere in the ship. This meant three people could walk abreast comfortably. Dupont had his men practice combat maneuvers on every deck and they knew their way around better than anyone aboard. This also granted them the advantage of knowing how best to set up defensive positions.

              When the first responders arrived in front of the enemy shuttle, they set down mobile cover, a large chunk of metal with handles roughly a meter and a half tall. Three men crouched in front of it, aiming their weapons over with three more behind them, prepared to pop up and fire as necessary. This was mirrored around the the corner.

              Twenty feet behind them, other crews set up the same way. Guards were posted at the elevators and even the small access tunnels for maintenance. Dupont felt the area was as secure as it could be considering how the enemy penetrated their defenses. He doubted they had a similar tactic to get deeper into the ship.

             
And I’m pretty sure they’re not immune to small arms fire
.

              Security forces carried cutting edge pulse rifles. Their rechargeable magazines fired a hundred rounds before needing to be replaced but after five minutes in a portable cradle, they’d be ready to go again. On Earth, they proved capable of cutting through titanium and the most powerful combat armor. Shipboard shields ignored them but an unprotected fighter would be in trouble if someone got a clean shot off.

              “Contact!” Dupont leaned forward to see what one of his people saw. At first, he thought they issued a false alarm when four tall humanoids rushed from their shuttle. They wore black, bulky armor covering every part of their bodies. The helmets were all angles with two sharp points which seemed to make horns and a rounded space where a human chin might be. None of them seemed to be armed, or at least, their massive hands were empty.

              The marines opened fire, their blasts splashing against the teal light of shields. Dupont couldn’t believe his eyes.

             
They have personal shields?! Are you kidding me?

             
They’d toyed with the idea on Earth. The Alliance representative even offered some ideas and advice but they couldn’t perfect it without burdening their soldiers under the weight of a bulky backpack. It worked for ground fortifications but people were out of the question.
I want that technology. We could change ground warfare!

             
Providing we survive this encounter
.

              “Scatter your fire!” Dupont shouted. “There has to be a weak point! Spread it over the whole body!”

              The first of the invaders reached his men’s cover and casually grabbed the metal and threw it behind him. It clattered against the hull of their shuttle just as he threw himself on a marine. He lifted his massive fist to pummel the man but the other five soldiers dove in, dragging him off with all their effort.

             
Jesus Christ, I hope that’s some kind of power assisted armor because if they’re simply that strong…
Dupont blocked the rest of the thought and glared at the screen. The marine who went down scrambled backward as one of his comrades placed his rifle directly against the face of the alien and pulled the trigger.

              Despite all his struggling, he couldn’t escape all those men holding him and when the gun discharged, it did so inside the shield. The body went limp and fell to the ground in a heap, taking three men with it.

              On the other side, the other two tore through the blockade and slapped aside the marines before fleeing down the hall. “Breach!” A soldier’s voice shouted over the line. “Heading down corridor seven and fast! Two contacts! Be advised, targets are shielded!”

              The next group of men started asking questions but they didn’t get any answers before the aliens were upon them. They unleashed a flurry of fire but once again, the attackers rushed, barreling through the marines like bowling balls. The scattered soldiers regained their feet and gave chase, calling ahead to warn the elevator defenders to watch their fire.

              Back at the shuttle, the marines there approached the opening and cast lights within. There was nothing but an empty chamber, void of even seats. One small panel graced the smooth walls, presumably the button to open the door. Dupont shook his head, amazed by the way their enemy worked.

             
They had no intention of getting back to their people
.

              “Contact!” The elevator guards shouted.

              “We’re right on them!” Dupont watched the cameras as a full dozen marines sprinted down the hall as fast as they could. The elevator guards braced themselves. Their enemies finally slowed, perhaps knowing they couldn’t burst through the doors of the elevator.

              “They’re cornered!” Dupont called. “This is when they become the most dangerous! Take them out, guys! Do it now!”

              As predicted, the aliens went into a frenzy, flailing at anything close to them. One marine got tossed against a wall where he slumped to the floor, unmoving. Another took a backhand to the head and dropped like a sack of flour. The massive arms acted as battering rams and when one hit a wall, Dupont saw a dent.

              It took three men to slow one down by jumping on its back. This hampered its ability to move enough for another to place his side arm against its chest and fire several shots. Each blow made it jerk unnaturally before it finally slumped under the weight of the soldiers who brought it to the ground.

              A final shot to the head finished it off.

              More marines converged on the scene, backing the final alien into a corner. It looked about frantically, seeming to search for any means of escape. Fifteen marines aimed their weapons at it, standing at no more than five feet away. It tensed up but before it could move, they all blasted away, concentrating their fire on the upper torso.

              The thing’s shields couldn’t handle that much energy and after a brief moment of resistance, the shield vanished. No one stopped shooting and the body danced against the wall, thrashing its way to death with over a thousand rounds of ammunition to keep it company. “Cease fire!” Dupont yelled. “It’s done, guys! You got it!”

              He had to repeat the order once more when an overzealous soldier put three more rounds in the thing’s head as it fell to the ground.

              “Okay, okay, let’s secure the area, men. Stabilize the wounded and get them to sick bay right away.” Dupont rubbed his eyes. “Report back in five minutes.” He clicked over to the bridge. “Captain Atwell, the situation down here is under control. I’ve got some good news and bad news. Which do you want first?”

              “I’d rather hear something positive.”

              “Okay, we’ve got some alien technology and bodies for research purposes. At least one of them is mostly intact. The shuttle’s also undamaged.”

              “That is good. So what’s the bad?”

              “These things are bad news,” Dupont said. “I’m sending you a video of what they’re capable of. We’re going to need to adjust our ground tactics to contend with that kind of threat…in a major way. I’m talking overhaul.”

              “Understood.” Gray sighed. “Thank you, Marshall. Good job holding them back. We prevented them from whatever havoc they wanted to commit. I’d like to be present when you debrief your men.”