X war infestation, p.32
X WAR: Infestation, page 32
Wegener turned around and began firing, as did three more operatives, in a desperate attempt to cover Birch and his squad. The two teams would retreat and fire in sequence, but more packs of chupacabras appeared over the horizon before bearing down on them. Birch and two other men continued to fire, but in the end sheer numbers prevailed, and the SEAL operative went down fighting.
Samsonov had already left the colonel behind as he sprinted with Vernon and the flankers, trying their best to cover each other, even as the ground around them started shaking. He heard a loud crack, and the seemingly solid floor suddenly shifted, making him slip. Samsonov cursed as he fell, lacerating his right knee.
Vernon saw what happened. The SAS trooper stopped and ran back towards the Russian, just as a chupacabra bounded sideways in a beeline right towards them. Vernon turned and fired, tearing off the creature’s right hind leg, but the beast had already leapt up and clamped its jaws around his throat.
Samsonov grimaced as he brought up his XM17 pistol and began to fire, but the bullets simply imbedded themselves harmlessly in the chupacabra’s side. Vernon choked on his own blood as he made a final effort and tossed his rifle one handed towards the Russian.
Getting up was a struggle since his injured knee nearly buckled, yet Samsonov managed to muster enough adrenaline to reach over and grab the fallen phasor rifle from the ground, just as the wounded chupacabra turned and tried to pounce on him. Samsonov fired, removing the top part of the creature’s head.
QYSS HAD NO IDEA WHAT was happening behind them as the forward group dashed through the diminishing breach, entering into what seemed to be a hollow chamber. The dimly lit interior was illuminated by a radiant shaft of light that continually emerged from a stone platform almost a kilometer wide. Gigantic crystalline columns shaped like menhirs dotted the massive dais, sending out arcing energy currents that seemed to merge with the main vertical beam.
Derek seemed unnaturally calm, as if he knew what was about to happen next. “I need to get closer.”
Even his sister looked around nervously. “Are you sure about this?”
The boy nodded as he pointed towards the huge glasslike pillars surrounding the central light core. “Those monoliths act as batteries to charge the main dimensional shaft that powers all the alien stuff on Earth. All I need to do is send a counter psionic pulse through one of them, then it ought to start a chain reaction.”
“How do you know what to do all of a sudden?”
He looked up at her and smiled. “All the other kids in the lab, they’re in my mind. The Rebellion telepaths too—I’m speaking with them. They told me what needs to be done.”
A number of high pitched squeals came from one of the side caverns before they all sensed a further rumbling. One of the chamber walls opened up, and something as tall as a building emerged from the massive crack.
Qyss could hardly believe what he was looking at. The top of the object looked like the bulbous head of a metal jellyfish, and it had three ten-meter-tall pillar-like legs sprouting from underneath it. He could see three of the Gray aliens inside a transparent bubble acting as a sort of control cabin within the main body, and they seemed to be operating this cyclopean war machine as it began to lumber towards them.
Wegener and two other men managed to make it inside just before the breach closed. The colonel ran over to where Qyss and the siblings were, just as the Tripod revealed itself. “My god, what is that?”
“Looks like HG Wells was right on the money,” Qyss said as he pointed towards an ascending stone ramp while eyeing Piper. “Go on, we’ll cover you.”
“You and Falco go with them,” Wegener said as he pointed towards a set of boulders at the other side. “We’ll draw their fire.”
The hulking Tripod was slow, but it fired off a phasor beam that narrowly missed a member of Wegener’s team as the colonel and his men ran for cover. The Tripod then turned to try and pick off Piper’s group, but one of the colonel’s men fired a phasor beam at it, partially melting off the lower support machinery holding the war machine’s legs together.
Whirling back to face its immediate adversaries, the Tripod started to blast the nearby boulders, as Wegener’s team continued to pop up and fire back at it whenever they could.
QYSS KEPT THEM MOVING and ducking low until they finally got to the upper part of the platform. The boy and his sister were exhausted, and he had to hold on to their scrawny elbows and pull them along with him.
Damien led the way, using the various man-sized boulders all around them as cover while heading right towards the closest monolith. He was no more than a few hundred steps away when he saw two energy spheres suddenly come into view, throwing yellowish bolts towards him.
“Spectrals!” the Frenchman warned as he dove sideways, blasting one of the creatures into little pieces with his phasor rifle.
Qyss was already carrying Derek piggyback when one of the Spectrals suddenly appeared in his way. The Delta Force operative hip-fired the phasor rifle he cradled, but the beam missed as the energy being shifted sideways to dodge it.
Piper threw herself in between them, just as the Spectral fired off a bolt of energy in retaliation. The attack was partially blocked by her mind shield, yet the powerful surge still burned her right arm and shoulder, causing Piper to scream as she collapsed to the floor.
Qyss managed to right himself and fired another shot at the Spectral, this time scoring a bull's-eye, destroying the creature. Damien was limping from a near miss, but he managed to get where Piper was and helped up the injured teen.
It took them a few more minutes until they made it to the base of one of the glowing columns. Derek glanced at his wounded sibling for a few seconds before he knelt down and extended his hands towards the base of the crystalline monolith.
A loud thunderclap sounded, before the giant energy pillar’s bluish glow changed to a different hue. In mere seconds, the pulsing rays of light emanating from all the conduits changed to a crimson red color, as the central power shaft began to flicker in intensity.
Qyss threw his arms up to protect his eyes, just as a blinding flash of immeasurable force hurled him backwards against a nearby boulder. The cascading waves of energy all around him felt like his whole body was on fire, and he yelled in agony before passing out.
WAKING UP TO AN OPEN yellowish sky, Qyss quickly sat up and looked around. It seemed he was still inside the hollow of the giant pyramid, only now the entire ceiling was gone, and he could see a rapidly fading column of light still coursing through the orange air.
Derek and his sister were standing nearby. It looked like Piper had sustained burns and Wegener was putting some ointment on her scorched face, but otherwise she seemed okay. Damien and six other operatives were standing around, near the base of the diminishing energy pillar.
Samsonov was also there, his bandaged leg and right arm in a sling. “You are the last one to awaken.”
Qyss was still groggy as he got to his feet. “What happened?”
“We did it,” Derek said softly as he pointed to the flickering pillar of light still radiating from the ground. “The link back to Earth is closing. Y’all need to go to the light so you can get back to our world.”
Wegener had a surprised look on his face. “What about you?”
The boy stood beside his sister. “We’re staying.”
“Out here, why?”
Samsonov shrugged, allowing the syringe he carried to slip out of his hands and onto the ground as Derek gave him a dirty look.
“There’s nothing for us back on Earth,” Piper said softly. “We’ll be treated as lab animals, and my brother doesn’t ever want that to happen to him again.”
Qyss rubbed the back of his neck. “Isn’t it dangerous out here? How will you two survive?”
Derek shrugged. “We’ll think of something. The Rebellion is calling out to us, and I think we could find them.”
Wegener nodded. “Alright, if that is what you wish.”
Samsonov limped closer. “What should we tell our respective governments? Is the alien threat ended?”
“For now,” Piper said. “The Compact is still out there though, so you all better figure out how to work together, or else things may turn out different the next time this happens.”
64 Oregon
ELSNER BRAVY LET OUT an exhausted sigh while looking at the clumps of black rock in front of him. This was the spot, I’m sure of it.
He had been hiking up in these hills all day, trying to retrace the steps he took the last time he was here. Austin told me I needed to be at the right spot, he remembered. I can’t wait to see him and Sally again!
The last few weeks had been crazy. Elsner was still in the hospital when word came out that Task Force Zero had seemingly done the impossible. The unit had gone into China and managed to thwart the aliens by destroying a conduit linking back into their dimension. Humanity was saved.
Representatives from the government had approached him. I didn’t think they’d believe my story, but with all that’s happened, the Feds were willing to consider anything nowadays, he thought.
They asked him if he could make contact with this so-called Rebellion. Elsner was sure they were just leading him on, but his feelings quickly changed when they unconditionally gave him a set of alien crystals, pretty much the same ones he saw when Bruce the Sasquatch opened up a dimensional rift in the very forest he was at.
I even got to talk with the president on the phone, Elsner thought. They must think I can succeed and get these rebel aliens to become our allies, even though I have no idea on how to do that.
Elsner figured that as soon as he was reunited with his family he’d go see his mom next. She told me to go find a real job. How does UN ambassador to extraterrestrials sound?
Smiling to himself, he took off the backpack and placed it on top of a flattened black rock. After taking out two of the crystals from beneath his jacket, he held them in his hands. Okay, I’m supposed to be able to activate these by just thinking about it.
He continued to hold them and close his eyes, but after fifteen minutes nothing happened. Elsner tried again, this time by sitting cross-legged on a boulder, but still no luck.
I must be doing something wrong, he thought. Elsner placed the materials on the ground in front of him, took a few steps back, and then made another attempt, this time while trying to push away his stray thoughts.
The biting wind that signified evening was coming made him realize it still wasn’t working. Elsner reopened his eyes and reached over to where the crystals were before scooping them back into his hands.
Slinging his backpack over his shoulders once more, Elsner turned to his right and began walking deeper into the forest. The sun had begun to set over the horizon, yet he felt he needed to keep at it, even if it took him a whole year.
Making his way up to another clump of rocks, he stopped and peered closer. There was some sort of symbol carved into the rock. It looked like a painted yellow circle crossed with two parallel lines, and three dots forming a triangle near its left side.
Elsner tilted his head back and laughed. Yes, I’m close. Don’t worry, Sally. We’ll all be together again real soon.
65 Texas
PERRY ADJUSTED THE lawn chair a second time before leaning and testing the back rest. Yup, now it’s at the proper angle, he thought. Closing his eyes, he tried to clear his mind of all the accumulated mental garbage in order to free himself from the stress that had been plaguing him for the past year or so.
The midafternoon breeze coming in from the Gulf of Mexico helped out somewhat, but he kept remembering what had happened over the past few weeks, even though he wanted to forget it all and move on.
He sighed while shaking his head. Nope. I won’t let it get to me. It’s not my problem anymore.
Perry recalled the final hours he had spent inside the White House Situation Room. Everyone was practically dancing with joy. Generals, Cabinet members, highbrow politicians, even the president himself—all jumping up and down like giddy little kids. They had won. The alien menace had been halted.
The president had invited Perry alone in his office and personally hugged him and shook his hand. “Job well done,” he said, only for Perry to give his commander-in-chief the shock of his life when he handed the president a piece of paper.
“What’s this?” the president asked.
When Perry told him it was his resignation, the president wouldn’t have it. But it didn’t matter, he was leaving and there was nothing the government could do to stop him. In the end they had to let him go. Perry took Abby back to his bungalow in Carancahua Bay, to live out the rest of his life in peace and quiet.
At least they made Jane the new head of Task Force Zero, he thought. She’ll do a good job, I’m sure. Even though there was talk of disbanding the multinational unit, it wasn’t his problem anymore.
Reese Fulton and the secretary of state were still in Beijing, trying to smooth things out with the Chinese. Some of the TFZ soldiers are still being detained and interrogated, but I’m sure they’ll get it all sorted eventually.
The wind blowing in from the east made ripples along the water. Colonel Wegener said the two kids managed to seal the dimensional conduit but they ended up trapped on the other side. I hope they’re doing alright.
A friendly voice loomed above him. “You want some lemonade and oatmeal cookies?”
Perry smiled as he looked up at his wife. “Are you done with your knitting already?”
Abby grinned as she sat on the other beach chair beside him. The afternoon sun was mild due to the cloud cover, and the welcoming sea breeze made them both feel serene. “It looks like a fine day, so I decided to hang out with you for a while. Sure beats staying in that stuffy old condo back in the capital.”
Perry reached sideways and took the frosted glass of lemonade from the tray that had been set down near his bare feet along the pier. The ice cold drink was refreshing. “It sure does.”
A squawking albatross out in the bay made Abby sit up. “Oh my, what was that?”
She’s been slowly weaning herself off the medication so there’s still an adjustment phase, he thought. “It’s okay, just a gooney bird. They’re actually pretty rare out here.”
Abby reached out with her hand. “Still a bit jumpy I guess. I’m so sorry.”
He took her hand and clasped it tightly. “You’re fine. Everything’s fine.”
“Tom, what about those aliens? I know you said we sort of defeated them and they’ll have a hard time trying to get to us now, but I’m still a bit worried. Do you think they’ll ever come back?”
“Who knows? It’s someone else’s problem now. Let’s enjoy the rest of the day.”
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Did you love X WAR: Infestation? Then you should read Nepenthe Rising by John Triptych!
In the far future, two major factions are locked in a galactic cold war. As tensions mount between the technocratic Union and the genome-harnessing Concordance, both sides anxiously watch for a chance to conquer the other.The Nepenthe is a pirate vessel, loyal to neither. Led by the enigmatic Captain Dangard, her rough and ready crew includes the cat-like alien Commander Creull, Zeno the immortal synthetic, the dashing Garrett Strand, and Duncan Hauk, a promising young recruit.Hired by a cryptic employer, the crew waylays a transport ship carrying a mysterious passenger. In due time, this incident sparks the beginnings of an interstellar conflict that could threaten the state of known space.The first of an epic new sci-fi series, Nepenthe Rising delivers what today's fans want: detailed world-building, thrilling action, and mind-blowing adventure on a grand scale.
Read more at John Triptych’s site.
Also by John Triptych
Expatriate Underworld
The Opener
The Loader
Stars in Shadow
Nepenthe Rising
Shards of Eternity
Wild Sargasso Space
The Dying World
Lands of Dust
City of Delusions
The Maker of Entropy
The Dying World Omnibus
Wrath of the Old Gods
The Glooming
Canticum Tenebris
A World Darkly
Wrath of the Old Gods Boxed Set 1
Wrath of the Old Gods (Young Adult)
Pagan Apocalypse
The Fomorians
Eye of Balor
Wrath of the Old Gods: Box Set 2
Standalone
Stars in Shadow Omnibus 1
X WAR: Infestation
Watch for more at John Triptych’s site.
About the Author
John has varied interests, and his love of everything is reflected in genre-busting novels ranging from real world thrillers all the way to mind blowing science fiction. A consummate researcher, he derives great pleasure and satisfaction when it comes to full spectrum world building and creating offbeat characters based on the real life people he meets in his travels.
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