The Epherium Chronicles: Echoes (17 page)

“I’m sorry, sir.” Toronaga’s words of comfort helped to clear his head, but it still felt as if someone had reached inside his chest and ripped out his heart.

Another Marine landed on the edge of the cave and was helped inside by two of his teammates. Sanchez stood and walked the cavern wall. The images of Maya disappearing into the chasm played over and over in his mind. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there, but a firm hand grasped him by the shoulder.

“Commander, are you alright?” McGregor asked, his strong voice full of concern.

He turned his head toward McGregor. “No,” he muttered. “But she wouldn’t want me to quit. Not even for her.”

“She was a good lass and a hell of fighter.” McGregor turned toward the chasm. “Almost everyone is done here. I sent Priest to reconnoiter under the mist and recover the tags of anyone he could find. Once he’s back, we’ll move on.”

A few minutes later, Priest’s voice came over the comms. “Major, I’ve found Jenkins and Benning. There are no signs of Lieutenant Greywalker’s body. Her rope was dangled across a crevasse, but the harness was missing and I couldn’t find any blood. She could’ve slipped down farther in the crack, but it’s too small for me to follow.”

“Good work, Sergeant,” McGregor praised. “Get back up here. We’ll need everyone.”

Priest’s MACE clawed its way into the cave mouth ten minutes later and delivered the two recovered service tags to McGregor. Sanchez noticed the bloody tags. Losing more people on this mission was tough enough to swallow. He had mixed feelings about Priest’s inability to find Maya’s body. On one hand, he wanted to see her one more time to say goodbye, but on the other, he didn’t have the courage to see her broken body, knowing she’d given her life instead of him.

Sanchez looked deeper into the cave. It narrowed several meters in, and the black rock lining of the walls absorbed the Marines’ lights. Large spherical rocks were scattered along the cavern floor. A few of the rocks were broken, revealing beautiful blue-and-purple crystalline formations on the inside. They reminded Sanchez of large geodes he’d seen in caves near his childhood home.

Sergeant Kirtland picked up one of the unbroken ones and examined it. The rocks held a greenish cast and a hard and jagged exterior. “Cool. I used to collect geodes as a kid.”

Sounds of scraping on the cavern floor came from deeper in the cavern. Several Marines aimed their lights and their weapons in that direction in alarm. Almost ten meters in, Sanchez caught a glimpse of a corner to a side tunnel. The Marines moved with caution. Even in their armor, the Marines maintained a quiet approach. The scraping continued.

Four of the Marines maneuvered to secure the side tunnel. They flanked the entrance but came to a sudden halt. Long crystalline legs extended out of the dark tunnel. The legs tapped two of the large rocks on the cave floor and rolled them back into the side cavern.

The Marines flanking the tunnel shone their lights inside. Filling the tunnel’s entrance was a huge crystalline spider—the same spiderlike creature Sanchez had spotted earlier. Behind the spider was another lattice web shaped like a net and filled with hundreds of the spherical rocks.

The spider recoiled from the light and sprawled itself in front of the lattice. McGregor ordered his people to back off and hold their fire. The spider didn’t appear hostile and there wasn’t any point starting a fight when critical ammunition could be used elsewhere.

The spider inched forward, almost testing the light. Spouting a hiss, it spun toward Sanchez and crouched into a defensive stance. Even with all the Marines and the weapons between him and the spider, Sanchez felt his phobia of spiders creep up his spine.
But why me?

He looked to his right. Standing beside him was Kirtland, who was still holding the large rock. “Uh, Sergeant,” Sanchez whispered. “I suggest you set down the pretty rock and gently roll it toward the angry spider before she tries to kill us.”

“It’s just a rock, sir,” Kirtland protested.

“No. It’s not a rock, it’s an egg,” he explained. “Now give it back to its mother before this gets nasty.”

Kirtland frowned, but stepped forward and set the rock on the ground. With a careful nudge, it rolled closer to the spider, who collected it. Two of its rear legs reached over and deposited the egg into the lattice. The spider backed into the tunnel, pushing the lattice slowly as it moved. After a few meters, it stopped and rapidly constructed a tight woven lattice across the tunnel anchored deep into the rock wall.

Chapter Seventeen

The Marines continued down the main tunnel on a slight downslope for thirty meters and spiraled to the right. At the end of the spiral, the ceiling lowered and the width of the passageway narrowed to less than one meter wide.

Toronaga tested the opening then backed off. “It’s no good, Major. The MACEs can’t fit.”

McGregor leaned into the opening and shone his light down the tunnel, then gestured for Sanchez to take a look. The narrow section continued for about five meters and opened into a larger cavern tunnel.

“How close are we?” Sanchez asked.

“Signal’s strong. Perhaps twenty meters or less.”

McGregor looked back the way they came. “Sergeant Toronaga, take your MACEs back up the tunnel. There were two other caves below where we started. Maybe there’s another way in.” He leaned closer to the larger MACE. “Stick together and stay frosty.”

Toronaga’s MACE saluted McGregor, and the four sets of powered armor jogged back up the cavern tunnel.

McGregor pointed to the two closest Marines. “You two on point. Kirtland, you follow ‘em. The rest of us will pass through once it’s clear.”

The first two Marines proceeded as ordered, followed by Kirtland with his grenade launcher at the ready. A few moments later, Kirtland issued the all clear. McGregor led the remainder of the team through the gap.

Sanchez followed the lights of the Marines into the tunnel. The light carried farther now, and he noticed the glint of reflections. After a few meters, the black rock tunnel walls turned to dark metal. It reminded him of neutronium ship armor, but he couldn’t be sure. At chest level, dimly lit glass windows were placed every meter on both sides. Inside the windows were smaller versions of the huge spider the team had encountered in the upper tunnel. Each one was about the same size and clawed at the thick glass when the Marines passed.

In one chamber, a small body of an animal attached to a long, clear tube appeared through an opening in the rear of the cage. The spider pounced on it. Tan liquid flowed down the tube and back into the wall.

Sanchez turned to McGregor in confusion and astonishment. “What is this place?”

McGregor watched the spider let loose the animal, and the tube retracted back into the wall. “Bloody hell, Commander. I have no idea.”

The passage sloped downward again and became a small stairwell leading into an alcove. The first two Marines crept down the stairs and flanked the exit, then waved on the rest of the team.

The alcove opened into a huge chamber. Eight other stairwells with similar alcoves exited the room at even intervals, and a large metal door was on the far side. In the center of the room was a pillar surrounded by four long horizontal cylinders in a pattern like the spokes of a wheel. Each was marked with the Epherium Corporation logo. They were Embrace chambers.

Around the pillar above the chambers, several clear vats with a dark liquid were attached. Clear tubes extended from them into the ceiling. In one of the tubes, more of the liquid drained into a vat.

“What kind wicked brew is that?” McGregor inquired.

“I think that’s the raw form of the toxin Patton was talking about,” Sanchez answered. A chill went up his spine. “The spiders are the source.” He scanned around the room. This kind of facility would have taken years to construct, even if any of the colonists had helped.

“Sir!” one of the Marines to Sanchez’s right called out. He pointed to large metal tanks on the wall. The first one was marked Liquid Oxygen and had the Greer Corporation logo underneath. Next to it was a nitrogen tank, followed by others containing chemicals he didn’t recognize.

“I’ve seen these gases before,” the Marine stated. “A few are unstable and need strict handling protocols. They’re volatile.” He gestured to the large tank in front of him with an Epherium logo. “This one is a toxic corrosive. If it leaks in here, it’ll kill us all in seconds.”

Sanchez committed the chemical names and logs to memory.
How did these get down here?
The tanks appeared new, and the Embrace equipment was pristine. He doubted they could have come from the
Cabot
.

“Major,” Kirtland said. He was standing over one of the Embrace units. “I found Greene. He’s in there.”

Sanchez and McGregor jogged over to the cryogenic tube. Inside, Private Greene lay in stasis, his vitals and brain wave activity displayed on the monitor to the side.

“Andrews is on the other side. His entire team is here.” Kirtland’s fist struck the outside of the tube with a loud clang. “Who’s doing this to our people, sir?”

Sanchez felt as lost as Kirtland. He didn’t have a clue, but someone had enough connections to get all this Earth corporation technology here. That kind of clout didn’t come easy. He scanned the room for any additional clues. His vision passed one of the alcoves on the far wall. There was a figure standing in it, shrouded in the shadows. Even in the darkness, the outline of full Marine armor was evident. He counted the members of McGregor’s team. This was someone new. He checked the next alcove, then the next. All the exits had an armored figure in them, including the one they’d just passed through.

McGregor noticed them as well and called his Marines together in the center of the room. They formed a defensive circle with weapons trained on the alcoves. “Who are ya?” he challenged them. “Identify yourselves!”

The figures didn’t answer, nor did they move.

Sanchez took stock of the situation. Including McGregor and himself, they outnumbered the mysterious figures by two. Unfortunately, there was another problem. He remembered what the Marine had told him about the storage tanks when they’d first entered. Any stray weapons fired could rupture the metal tanks and either flood the whole room with gas that would burn their lungs or cause an explosion that would set the place off like a Roman candle. He gestured to McGregor then pointed to his assault rifle. “Major, we can’t fire them in here.”

McGregor looked at this weapon and a glint of grim recognition appeared in his eyes. He offered Sanchez a fierce smile. “You’re just full of good news today, Commander!” He shouldered his weapon. “Lads, stow your weapons. No shooting in here. If they come, hand-to-hand only.”

Several of the Marines cursed under their breath, but not Kirtland. He drew his combat blade. The large Marine’s knuckles cracked when he squeezed the grip, and there was a distinct gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. Sanchez remembered what Priest had told him back on Cygni. Kirtland was the brigade’s hand-to-hand combat training champion. He enjoyed fighting up close and personal.

Sanchez shouldered his own M20 rifle. He had his knife but was more comfortable without it. He slid in between two of the Marines closer to the large metal door and took his place in their oblong defensive circle. The figures didn’t advance.
What are they waiting for?

Just to the right of the door, Sanchez noticed a set of orange clothing hanging on the wall. It looked like an
EDF
flight suit. He tapped the Marine to his right. “Cover me,” he whispered and crept toward the door. He wanted a closer look.

Halfway to the door, the air to his right shifted. He turned to face it, but nothing was there. He checked the two closest alcoves. The armored figures hadn’t moved. The suit was a few meters away now. He took another step. This time he heard the familiar metallic whisper of a knife leaving its sheath. He spun to his right and a knife flashed above him. To his surprise, there wasn’t anyone holding it. He didn’t have time to draw his own knife and raised his right arm to block the incoming strike. The blow never came. One of the armored figures from the alcoves had intervened. It was lightning fast and its right hand grabbed the air beneath the knife in the middle of its downstroke.

The blade stopped and a hand shimmered into view, followed by an arm. A moment later, the stealth camouflage of his would-be attacker failed. Standing before him was a man clad in a skintight pale gray suit with a hooded mask that concealed his features.

The person holding the man was in
EDF
Marine armor, all except the helmet. The smooth, dark gray metal was out of place with the bulkier Marine armor. Deep red locks of hair extended out of the helmet.

“It’s over, Kadin!” the angry voice of Maya Greywalker shouted. With her free hand she ripped the hooded mask from the man’s head, revealed the short brown hair and bright blue eyes of Kadin Greywalker. “This ends now,” she snarled.

Elation and anger flared inside Sanchez and went to war with his adrenaline-induced combat awareness. Seeing her standing before him and listening to her voice made him overjoyed. But why hadn’t she sent a comm message telling him she was alive?

A wry and sadistic smile appeared on Kadin’s face. “We’ve got big plans, sis, and we’re just getting started.” A small tube dropped to the floor from his free hand. Sanchez heard a loud pop, and the room plunged into darkness.

Sanchez ducked back and crouched. He couldn’t see anything, not even his fingers centimeters in front of his eyes. The sounds of a brief scuffle were clear enough though, and if two Greywalkers were involved, the best place for him was out of the way.

Kadin’s little trick was right out of the academy. As part of
EDF
pilot survival training, cadets were placed into an enclosed room, and a small device called a Midnight Bomb was detonated inside. It was a darkness generator. With their vision taken away, those in the room had to use their other senses and work together to not only find the right exit, but construct the mechanism to open the door.

Without warning, two powerful hands grabbed his arm in the dark. He tried to jerk away, but the grip was strong.

“Commander, it’s me,” Maya whispered. “Hold still.”

A helmet slipped over his head. Maya’s helmet. The optics inside adjusted in an instant, and he could see her standing in front of him. Well, it was a rough, echoed outline of her. Maya’s helmet had been equipped with a sophisticated sonar. With each ping, the optics presented the echo to him in real time.

Maya pressed something into his hands. He felt the familiar grip of her sword. “Remember what I taught you.” She sprinted toward the alcove where she’d emerged.

“Wait! Where are you going?”

Maya stopped on the stairs and turned to face him. He couldn’t see her face, but he understood every word spoken by her invisible stare. She was going after her brother.

“Yeah, I know,” he muttered. “Forget I asked.”

Maya ascended the stairs and out of his sight, but Sanchez had a new problem. The other figures in the alcoves were moving into the room, and they didn’t seem to have any problem with the darkness. The two closest armored figures drew long combat knives from their armor and charged in his direction.

Lifting the sword in a guard position, he set his feet and controlled his breathing.
Perception.
The attacker to his right would arrive first. He held the knife high in his right hand, his left down in a lower guard. The one on his left was left-handed and held the blade forward at his waist.

Sanchez waited until the one on the right closed and his weight was placed on his left leg. With a quick back step, he crouched and struck low. The armored figure was unable to twist out of the way, and his reach was hindered by his cross body position.

The sword blade severed the figure’s leg at the knee, sending him into an off-balance tumble. Sanchez pivoted with the stroke and raised his blade high. His other attacker had to dodge the tumbling body of its partner. His jump to the left put him off balance, and his lower defensive position was ill prepared for Sanchez’s strike down across the second attacker’s shoulder and neck. The deadly blade cleaved through with ease and the figure dropped to the ground.

He glanced over his shoulder at the first man, who was sprawled out prone on the ground and unmoving. With a quick spin, he turned back to the Marines. The remaining five figures crept toward their position. The closest was next to McGregor. “Major! On your right, knife belt high!”

McGregor reaction to his warning was a fast horizontal strike with his right hand that caught his attacker by surprise. The knife flew across the room and clattered on the stone floor. McGregor followed with bull rush of pure strength. He grabbed the armored figure at the shoulders and drove him to the ground. McGregor’s heavy blows were like pile drivers, pummeling the armored figure until his body went slack.

Two of the other attackers gave up their stealth approach and tackled the Marines in front of them. The resulting scrum threw the defensive circle into chaos.

Sanchez raced toward the remaining two figures, but Kirtland stepped away from the circle. Before Sanchez could warn the Marine, they closed on him. The one to Kirtland’s right struck first, and the attack sent Kirtland into motion. His knife strikes were fast, furious and lethal. His two opponents were already down before Sanchez reached him.

Kirtland must have heard his footsteps and wheeled to face him.

“Whoa!” Sanchez said as he jumped back. “Sergeant, it’s me. Commander Sanchez.”

“Roger that,” Kirtland panted in return. “Bring on the rest of them!”

Sanchez glanced back at the two others who’d attacked the Marines. They were down, but one of the Marines was hurt. “Stand down. It’s over.”

Still breathing heavily, Kirtland backed up against the wall and relaxed.

Turning back where he was first attacked, Sanchez scanned the floor of the cavern. After a few moments, he found the small cylinder Kadin had dropped. He grabbed the device and threw it up the stairs of the alcove from where they’d entered. Light returned to the cavern, and he removed Maya’s helmet.

All the Marines were standing now, looking at the bodies on the floor. McGregor removed the helmet of the one he’d bludgeoned. It was Corporal Baker. Their attackers were the missing Marines from the first two teams. McGregor whipped Baker’s helmet away and kneeled beside his body. “I just killed my own man.” His loud voice was filled with regret and he lowered his head into his blood-covered hands.