RexJen
Lord of Altera
A voice echoed down the halls. Down through the habitats and along the corridors; winding down into the depths. The walls were painted with greens, browns and reds. An entire city, carved deep into the mountain. The voice echoed again, the same message on repeat “All citizens, evacuate to surface. All citizens evacuate to surface.” The voice suddenly stopped as the power went out, another section falling into deepest night. The swarm continued, an unstoppable tide. An explosion rumbled, stone cracking and dust falling. Both forces struggled in total silence, another explosion, and then a scream of pain as the tide washed over them.
He shivered at the sound, they were coming. He touched the explosives stored on belts around his chest, searching for reassurance. The tall woman beside him paused. They stood on the edge of the darkness. “I wonder what is down there” he whispered. She said nothing. It was to be expected, she was just an Elite, expendable. She brought up a map on her helmet and pointed to the corridor on the right. He pulled out an explosive and attached it to the wall. “I hope rock and stone will stop whatever it is.” They retreated back as the timer went off. Tick, tick, tick. A crash and rumble as the passageway collapsed. They continued into the dark, flashlight and map guiding them down, deeper and deeper into the earth.
A man stumbled into the light, flesh torn and blood dripping from his wounds. He gasped in surprise. The man, dark skin slick with blood, made a cough and spoke in a hushed tone “So many. They just keep on coming.” He coughed again, blood splattering on the floor from his mouth. The woman raised her gun and shot the man in the head. The man collapsed, now nothing more than a bloody corpse. “What was that for?” he yelled. She just turned her head to him, staring at him. No, through him. He shuddered at her gaze. No wonder the military was overthrown, these monsters were heartless. She just turned her gaze back down the corridor, ignoring the body as she continued walking into the depths. He stepped around the man, trying to not stand in his blood. The man would not have made it to safety anyway, yes, that must have been the reason why she shot him. But still, her gaze was chillingly cold. He could not afford to worry about the man’s life; there was a mission in hand.
As they walked, his mind wandered. He was waiting for his girlfriend at a café when the summons came. They had been dating for a few years now, perhaps even thinking about getting married and starting a family. Of course, with the war going on, there was not much enthusiasm for weddings nowadays. She was running late, probably a delayed monorail, nothing to worry about. Then his phone rang, he picked it up and answered it. He thought it was her, apologising for the delay. It wasn’t her. His name had been drawn for a mission into the depths, an enemy of unknown origins and purpose was cutting off entire sections of the deep. Two minutes later, the evacuation orders were given. Millions of citizens rushed onto the monorails and elevators. Each one eager to escape whatever disaster was upon them. While he and other crews of randomly selected citizens, accompanied by Elites had to go the opposite way, towards whatever lurked down there.
Dark shapes caught his attention, strangely large beetles. Their black carapaces shone on the edge of the torchlight. They seemed to be wandering aimlessly. The woman simply stepped on them as she walked. They seemed to be getting more numerous. He couldn’t help but notice that the dead beetles were quickly eaten by the others. A breath of wind, hot and wet, came from the depths. He frowned; surely the ventilation shouldn’t be working in the dark sections. Suddenly, the beetles swarmed, a black tide rising as one, they engulfed the woman. She choked back a scream of pain as they ripped into her. Excited by the scent of blood, the beetles ignored him, instead swarming all over her. The latest in bulletproof plating was proved no match for the creatures. She tore a handheld flamethrower from her back and threw it at him, a spray of beetles following her arm. He caught the flamethrower, grimacing as the thrown beetles bit into his flesh. He turned it on, great tongues of flame scorching the creatures and the woman. While he burned them he pulled off an explosive with one hand and threw it into the swarm.
Then he ran.
The explosion brought down the tunnel, crushing both the creatures and the nameless woman. Shocked, he absent-mindedly picked off the beetles, crushing them beneath his feet. He stood up slowly, looking closely at a beetle as it struggled between his fingers. Suddenly, he was hit by recognition; these were Carausmian flesh eating beetles. Specifically engineered and bred for war. One of his nation’s greatest weapons turned against them. He knew where to go now where to go. The nests were deep, the deepest that the city ever got. He checked the flamethrower, enough to get him there, but not back. He stood there, torn between two choices. Go back up and tell them what happened? To let the infestation spread even more, making it even harder to destroy? Or to go down into the depths, to never see anyone he loved again? To never be able to say it to her just one more time? He looked up, hoping that everyone had gotten out safely. Then he looked down, down to where he must go. He sighed and readied the flamethrower. “I love you”
Soon after, an explosion boomed in the depths.
The infestation was destroyed.
The city was safe.
(By me, Rexxy~)
He shivered at the sound, they were coming. He touched the explosives stored on belts around his chest, searching for reassurance. The tall woman beside him paused. They stood on the edge of the darkness. “I wonder what is down there” he whispered. She said nothing. It was to be expected, she was just an Elite, expendable. She brought up a map on her helmet and pointed to the corridor on the right. He pulled out an explosive and attached it to the wall. “I hope rock and stone will stop whatever it is.” They retreated back as the timer went off. Tick, tick, tick. A crash and rumble as the passageway collapsed. They continued into the dark, flashlight and map guiding them down, deeper and deeper into the earth.
A man stumbled into the light, flesh torn and blood dripping from his wounds. He gasped in surprise. The man, dark skin slick with blood, made a cough and spoke in a hushed tone “So many. They just keep on coming.” He coughed again, blood splattering on the floor from his mouth. The woman raised her gun and shot the man in the head. The man collapsed, now nothing more than a bloody corpse. “What was that for?” he yelled. She just turned her head to him, staring at him. No, through him. He shuddered at her gaze. No wonder the military was overthrown, these monsters were heartless. She just turned her gaze back down the corridor, ignoring the body as she continued walking into the depths. He stepped around the man, trying to not stand in his blood. The man would not have made it to safety anyway, yes, that must have been the reason why she shot him. But still, her gaze was chillingly cold. He could not afford to worry about the man’s life; there was a mission in hand.
As they walked, his mind wandered. He was waiting for his girlfriend at a café when the summons came. They had been dating for a few years now, perhaps even thinking about getting married and starting a family. Of course, with the war going on, there was not much enthusiasm for weddings nowadays. She was running late, probably a delayed monorail, nothing to worry about. Then his phone rang, he picked it up and answered it. He thought it was her, apologising for the delay. It wasn’t her. His name had been drawn for a mission into the depths, an enemy of unknown origins and purpose was cutting off entire sections of the deep. Two minutes later, the evacuation orders were given. Millions of citizens rushed onto the monorails and elevators. Each one eager to escape whatever disaster was upon them. While he and other crews of randomly selected citizens, accompanied by Elites had to go the opposite way, towards whatever lurked down there.
Dark shapes caught his attention, strangely large beetles. Their black carapaces shone on the edge of the torchlight. They seemed to be wandering aimlessly. The woman simply stepped on them as she walked. They seemed to be getting more numerous. He couldn’t help but notice that the dead beetles were quickly eaten by the others. A breath of wind, hot and wet, came from the depths. He frowned; surely the ventilation shouldn’t be working in the dark sections. Suddenly, the beetles swarmed, a black tide rising as one, they engulfed the woman. She choked back a scream of pain as they ripped into her. Excited by the scent of blood, the beetles ignored him, instead swarming all over her. The latest in bulletproof plating was proved no match for the creatures. She tore a handheld flamethrower from her back and threw it at him, a spray of beetles following her arm. He caught the flamethrower, grimacing as the thrown beetles bit into his flesh. He turned it on, great tongues of flame scorching the creatures and the woman. While he burned them he pulled off an explosive with one hand and threw it into the swarm.
Then he ran.
The explosion brought down the tunnel, crushing both the creatures and the nameless woman. Shocked, he absent-mindedly picked off the beetles, crushing them beneath his feet. He stood up slowly, looking closely at a beetle as it struggled between his fingers. Suddenly, he was hit by recognition; these were Carausmian flesh eating beetles. Specifically engineered and bred for war. One of his nation’s greatest weapons turned against them. He knew where to go now where to go. The nests were deep, the deepest that the city ever got. He checked the flamethrower, enough to get him there, but not back. He stood there, torn between two choices. Go back up and tell them what happened? To let the infestation spread even more, making it even harder to destroy? Or to go down into the depths, to never see anyone he loved again? To never be able to say it to her just one more time? He looked up, hoping that everyone had gotten out safely. Then he looked down, down to where he must go. He sighed and readied the flamethrower. “I love you”
Soon after, an explosion boomed in the depths.
The infestation was destroyed.
The city was safe.
(By me, Rexxy~)