The Epherium Chronicles: Echoes (16 page)

The position hadn’t changed, and Sanchez was beginning to wonder if they’d gotten lucky in finding them or if it was a trap. He set down his data pad and glanced up to find Maya staring at him. He got the impression she wasn’t happy with his decision to accompany the mission, but he knew she’d come along. He was sure the Marines would need her to track down their missing comrades, and if it was a trap, she could spot it faster than any of the rest of the group.

The APC shuddered for a moment then stopped. He heard voices near the lead APC, and the ramp to his vehicle descended. Standing at the end of the ramp was McGregor. He pointed to Sanchez and Maya and waved them outside.

Sanchez rounded the rear quarter of the APC and stopped in his tracks. Resting against the damaged trunk of one of the huge trees was a Hanno. This one was bigger than the males he’d encountered near the grave sites. He looked toward McGregor. “Is that the Alpha?” he whispered.

McGregor nodded and crept forward with more of his Marines flanking outward in a semicircle. The Alpha’s chest moved. The beast was breathing, but slow and raspy. There was a dark bloodstain on its left side. The same wound one of the APC’s pulse cannons had inflicted days earlier.

As the group closed the distance, Sanchez noticed the Alpha’s fur. Its original thick black-and-gray coat was ghost white, and patches of pale and wrinkled skin were visible where bone scales had once covered them. He threw a confused look toward Maya, who was at his left. The Alpha in McGregor’s description was powerful, but this Hanno’s limbs were withered with age. The gigantic Hanno was old and feeble, almost as if the life had been sucked out of it. He’d aged just as fast as the colonists.

McGregor drew closer to the Alpha, and its weary eyes opened. The beast didn’t move its head, but Sanchez could see the dark brown eyes behind the brittle bone mask staring at McGregor. It shifted its right arm along the ground.

The Marines aimed their weapons at the Alpha, but McGregor gestured for them to lower them. The Alpha’s arm moved past where McGregor stood, and a weary finger pointed to the northeast.

Sanchez turned his head in that direction and noticed four figures behind the base of another tree. They were Hanno, but none taller than the MACE units. Children. Several trees back, larger Hanno came into view. Unlike the Alpha and the younger males they’d seen, these Hanno had no chest bone plates and appeared to be the females of the pack. One of them rushed forward and corralled the children, herding them back to the safety of the others.

The Alpha huffed and lifted its chin toward McGregor. It was a sign of respect, pure and simple. McGregor had faced him before. His people had bested him in battle. With renewed strength, it pointed at McGregor and issued a weak roar. The Alpha was the champion of the Hanno. He’d defended his people, and they were in need of a new champion.

McGregor stiffened to attention and produced a proud salute. He had recognized the gesture, as well. The Alpha nodded once to McGregor and leaned back against the tree. It let out one last breath then went still.

“Rest easy, beasty.” McGregor’s solemn but solid tone held the measure to his resolve. He spun on his heel and marched back to the rear APC.

He called out the sergeant inside and ordered the rear APC to accompany the Hanno back to their camp. The blond-haired Marine looked at the Hanno, who were studying them. His hands trembled and he stuttered at first in response to McGregor’s order. He seemed nervous about the task he was ordered to undertake, but turned back to McGregor and saluted his superior officer.

“Keep in contact, Sergeant,” McGregor instructed. “We’ll be back soon.” After the APC started toward the Hanno, McGregor issued a loud huff, similar to what Pile had done when he’d confronted the males at the graves, and pointed to the APC.

Sanchez wasn’t sure the gesture would work, but the pack gathered together and walked deeper into the forest. The APC followed them, and McGregor watched until they were out of sight.

“Major, I’ve never seen anything like that,” Sanchez said, still trying to take it all in.

McGregor looked over his shoulder at him. “Aye. He was a soldier, Commander. He was willing to die to defend his people, just like us. Whatever killed him is killing our colonists.” He pointed in the direction where the Hanno had left. “If we can stop this, we can save their lives too. That’s what old soldiers do. We save lives. We defend those who can’t defend themselves.” A tear streamed down his cheek. “We do our duty.”

No one said anything for a few moments. Everyone stared at the lifeless form of the Hanno Alpha. Sanchez could read the expressions on the other Marines’ faces. If the rapid aging could happen to the Hanno, how long until it afflicted them?

McGregor broke the silence. “Mount up! We’ve still got a long way to travel and we’re down to two teams. Keep your focus and remember why we’re out here.”

After another hour inside the APCs, the expedition reached the target location. A thick mist had formed in the trees, reducing Sanchez’s visibility to a few meters. The sweet-smelling air washed a feeling of euphoria over him. He took a deep breath, and its rich oxygen content filled his lungs. It was invigorating and made his armor feel lighter.

The Marines filed out of the APCs and created a perimeter. One of them close to the front of the column called out. McGregor ran in his direction, followed close behind by Sanchez and Maya. Ten meters past the edge of the column, the forest thinned and the mist cleared. A deep chasm lay before them. More mist cloaked the bottom and along the walls, but Sanchez had a clear view of the hundred-meter sheer drop to the dense fog blanket. The white mist flowed over the edges of the chasm and into the trees behind them.

A roar of thunder echoed overhead. The clouds above were churning, and lightning crisscrossed the sky. Sanchez checked his data pad. Maya’s tracking signal was coming from right where they were standing. He leaned carefully over the edge. Several cave entrances were scattered along the chasm wall. He pulled back from the edge and looked at Maya. “They’ve got to be down there.”

To his left, several large strands of white extended from the trees and down the side of the chasm. He moved closer to get a better look. The strands formed a lattice and covered the edge of the chasm for hundreds of meters. He touched one. It was hard, almost like crystal, and anchored deep into the bases of the trees. It seemed strong enough. Perhaps they could use this to descend to the caves. “I wonder what made this?” he asked Maya, who standing behind him.

He gazed over the edge of the chasm wall and visually followed the lattice down the face. Halfway down to the misty blanket he saw a large creature move. He almost missed it. It was almost translucent in the light that made it through the clouds. The creature’s long legs moved with precision over the lattice. As it approached the wall, it spun a new piece of the white substance that attached to the chasm’s face. The creature reminded Sanchez of a crystalline spider, except it was several meters wide. His heart was in his throat. “Forget I asked.”

The spider completed its new anchor for the lattice and disappeared into a cave.

Sanchez turned away from the edge and walked with a brisk pace back to the APCs. “Okay, we’re not going down that way.” He hated spiders. Back home, he’d encountered black widows and huge trap-door spiders on his parents’ farm. Scorpions and snakes didn’t bother him, but there was an unnatural presence about spiders. He didn’t want any part of them.

The Marines extended three long lines from mount points on the APCs and tossed them over the edge. Toronaga’s MACE unit walked up to Sanchez. The young Marine’s voice came over the suit’s external speakers. “Commander, I’ve added the tracking signal to my suit’s comm unit and sensors. Once we descend, I can get a better lead on where he is.”

Four Marines stayed topside with the APCs, while the rest, including Sanchez, Maya and McGregor, repelled on the ropes. The ropes were spaced to cover more of the face of the chasm. There were several caves below, and checking each one at a time would take too long. The limited daylight was beginning to fade. The four MACEs used their powerful hands to navigate their way down and flanked the ropes on both sides.

Descending on the right-side rope, Sanchez glanced below. Over halfway to the mist, he could see his rope extend across a large cave mouth.

Toronaga’s MACE passed beside him and had no trouble reaching the cave. “The signal is strongest here,” the man announced. “I think this is where we go in.”

The two Marines below Sanchez reached the cave and secured the line. He looked up at Maya, who was right above him. He nodded to her and repelled down to the floor of the cave. The two Marines pulled him closer inside and started to unlatch his harness from the rope.

“Incoming!” The shout echoed from above them.

Toronaga’s MACE spun to scan the sky and pointed across the mouth of the chasm. “Razorclaws!”

The two large-winged creatures approached in a steep dive toward the Marines on the ropes. The pulse cannons of the APCs above them opened fire, and streaks of red light lanced out to meet the winged predators.

The Razorclaws twisted as they dove, and the cannon fire flew past. Toronaga joined the defensive fire with some of his own. Many of the Marines on the ropes found footholds and opened fire, as well.

Rounds from Toronaga’s MACE shredded the wing of the left-most Razorclaw. The creature lost control of its dive and slammed into the rock face of the chasm with a thundering impact in between Sanchez’s rope and the one in the middle. Chunks of rock and creature slipped away from the face and fell toward the mist. A smaller falling chunk struck one of the Marines clinging to the middle rope on the head. The unfortunate Marine went limp, and his harness held him loosely in place.

The remaining Razorclaw used its wings to slow its descent and swept across the chasm face. Its deadly claw reached out and sliced across a Marine on the far left rope. Sanchez heard a bloodcurdling scream, and dark crimson sprayed across the rocky surface. The rope snapped, sending what was left of the Marine and his teammate below him plunging into the mist.

Sanchez raced to the edge of the cave. If the rope snagged a rock, one of the MACEs could reach them. He caught a glimpse of the tail end of the rope as it slipped into the mist, and his hope fell with it.

The Razorclaw clipped the second rope as it flew past and made a sharp turn away from the cliff face. More red streaks screamed down from above as the APC cannons targeted the fleeing Razorclaw. Their pulse cannon blasts struck it in the head and neck while it was gaining altitude. The flying creature twisted in agony as the cannon fire ruptured bone and tissue. It made an awkward turn in midair then spiraled into the mists, carrying its victim still clutched in its claw.

The MACE units on the left moved to secure the first rope and assist the remaining Marines still clinging to it. Priest’s MACE was directly above Sanchez and already at the top. The Marine sniper reached the damaged second rope and descended to the first Marine on the rope, whose harness had jammed.

Toronaga’s MACE continued to look to the sky for any more threats, but Sanchez kept a vigil on the unconscious Marine hanging from the second rope. The Marine’s harness started to slip. Sanchez hadn’t removed his harness and rushed forward to reattach to the rope. He had to save him.

He never had the chance. The rope was pulled away from above. Moments later, a gray armored figure leaped across the distance to the second rope. Maya Greywalker’s lean form grasped the rope with the skill and grace of an acrobat. Starting below the injured Marine and using only her arms, she ascended to his position. Maya secured the Marine’s harness and turned to face Sanchez in the cave.

He could see her eyes through the visor of her helmet. Her stern stare was clear. There was no way she’d let him take the risk to reach the Marine.

McGregor reached the top of the second rope. “Lieutenant!” he yelled and pointed toward a section of the rope. The area where the Razorclaw had grazed the rope was damaged and wouldn’t hold for long.

Maya studied the damaged area and went into action. She attached her harness to the rope and called to the Marine farther down. A small cave was just beneath him. The Marine repelled to the cave mouth and decoupled his harness.

Once the other Marine was loose from the rope, Maya inserted her forearm into the unconscious Marine’s harness and unhooked him from the rope. After two quick bounces to her left, Maya spun her hips and pressed hard against the chasm wall with her legs. She generated a giant swing headed right for the cave where Sanchez and Toronaga were standing.

Sanchez understood what she was about to do. “Get ready to catch him, Sergeant.”

Maya’s swing completed its arc and she released the incapacitated Marine on target into the hands of Toronaga’s MACE. Sanchez helped the injured man to the ground then glanced toward Maya, who was in the middle of her backswing along the wall. She unhooked her own harness in midflight and looked over her shoulder for a place to set her feet.

There was a metallic whip crack from above. The second rope—Maya’s rope—broke away. She twisted to grab for the safety of the rock wall, but there was too much gap. The rope twirled in the air and fell into the mist below, carrying Maya with it.

“No!” Sanchez screamed. All presence of rational thought was gone and unbridled emotion took control. He scrambled to the cave mouth and almost slipped over the edge. The armored hand of Toronaga’s MACE held him back.

Sanchez fought loose of Toronaga’s grip and reached for the rope hanging in front of the cave. “I’m going down after her,” he stated angrily.

“Sir, she’s gone.” Toronaga pulled the rope out of his reach with one arm and held Sanchez back from the edge with the other. “There’s nothing you can do.”

Sanchez dropped to his knees and cried out in frustration. He unhooked his helmet and slammed it against the cave wall. He sobbed and pressed his forehead against the cave floor. He wished he had more time to continue their conversation in her quarters, but life and their mission continued to intervene. He wanted...no, he needed to tell her how he felt.