25

“There has been a Slayer sighting on deck five, just outside the hydroponics room,” X-37 said.

“We’re on our way,” I said.

“Do you think it’s hungry? Or is it going to sabotage the hydroponics?” Elise asked. “I’m not really excited about tearing that place up.”

“Damage to the farm would be problematic long term,” I said. “But if that’s where we find it, then we have to deal with it. Letting it wander around until we find the perfect location to corner it isn’t really an option.”

“How many doors does the place have?” Elise asked.

“There is one main door large enough for equipment and two side doors—one to a combination lounge and cafeteria area for workers, and another that eventually leads back to the main hallway. The problem I am seeing from the schematics is that there are numerous sub levels and access places to the hydroponics facility. These have not been updated for a while,” X-37 said. “Sometimes these types of facilities are modified or repaired in creative ways.”

“Keep us updated, X,” I said as we entered a lift.

“Of course, Reaper Cain. AI Mavis has been very helpful. She wants me to convey that it is also in her best interest that we neutralize this clear and present threat to her crew.”

“Great.”

“We have another sighting near shuttle bay 14A,” Mavis said. “I have lost contact with the response team.”

“Of course,” I said. “Path, can you handle that one?”

“I’m on my way,” Path said, then left.

“All right,” I said. “Just don’t tell me there are any more right now. Elise and I will check the hydroponics rooms.”

“Unfortunately, Reaper Cain,” Mavis said, “there are two additional sightings, one at each end of the ship.”

X-37 interjected. “Mavis is correct. My analysis suggests they were dispersed intentionally to slow your pursuit of Ayers.”

Elise bit back a curse. “I’ll deal with those two. You can have the farm level all to yourself.”

“How are you going to fight two Slayers?” I asked.

“One at a time,” she answered. “Which is still better than where you’re going.”

We parted ways. When they were out of sight, I picked up the pace, running toward my objective, hoping I could take down the first of the Slayers quickly and then help Elise and Path. What I found on the way didn’t bode well. One hallway was streaked with blood as though a body had been dragged into an access hatch. Now I had to decide whether I was going to enter the access hatch or continue to my original objective.

“What do you think, X?” I asked, studying the hatch.

“This blood is drying,” X-37 said. “Mavis also advised me there are numerous scenes like this on the ship. We don’t have time to investigate them all.”

“Agreed,” I said. “I’m going to trust my gut and continue. Patch me into their tactical network so I can listen to the response teams.”

“Would you like me to filter the information,” X-37 said. “It is somewhat chaotic. Multiple units are responding to multiple locations, possibly all chasing the same Slayer. Conversely, there were twelve fully formed Slayers, or hybrids as you have been referring to them thus far, in the cryo-pods before Doctor Ayers betrayed us. Mavis, Bug, and I believe that all twelve of the dirty things were put on a mission to rack up a high body count. This is about to get real.”

“Twelve filthy monsters and one Reaper.” I chuckled without a lot of actual humor in my voice. “Barely seems fair.”

“My analysis suggests you should not become cocky or it will bite you on your posterior,” X-37 advised.

“Good one, X.”

“Was that humorous?”

“Sure, X.”

“I will add it to my database of amusing one-liners.”

I came to an oversized door leading into the hydroponics area. “Check on Elise and Path, then check for any relevant updates ship wide,” I said. “Do we still think there is one in here?”

“There is at least one, Reaper Cain,” X-37 said.

“I’m not sure I like the sound of that. Does Mavis have visual, and can she patch through the image?”

“Of course, Reaper Cain,” X-37 said. “I’m updating the holo feed from Mavis now.”

A disturbing image filled my HUD. After suffering a second of blurriness, I pushed the projection further out—an illusion but a useful illusion—and saw my enemies more clearly. Three of the Slayers squatted near a murky pool, splashing water on their faces and upper bodies. One turned slightly so that his neighbor could scoop up chunks of brains and gore from a place the monster couldn’t reach. Each of the monsters was spattered with the gore of their recent victims.

“I’m going to need some help,” I said.

“There is none available, unless you want to divert resources away from Path in Elise, who seem to have their hands full,” X-37 said. “The entire ship is now on official lockdown. No one is allowed to leave their chambers unless they are part of a security team.”

I thought about waiting these three Slayers out, hoping they would wander apart so that I could take them one by one. I couldn’t hear what was inside, but they seemed to be arguing or just chittering at each other. One was bigger than the others. It jumped up, stomped forward, and shot tentacles out, nearly striking his fellow monsters.

The other two dropped back and separated, but before long were once again gathered in the gruesome feeding and bathing circle—because combining those activities made sense to a Slayer.

“We found where the bodies were dragged to.”

“I’m linking to a security feed from deck three,” X-37 said. “A combined team of Wallach, Xad, and Union soldiers are confronting one of the creatures.”

“Audio only. I want to keep my eyes on the three by the pool inside this hydroponics area,” I said.

“Of course, Reaper Cain,” X-37 said, then obliged me with the sound of a squad fighting a deadly enemy.

“Contact, contact, contact!” A soldier shouted.

“Shift fire!” another yelled. “You’re danger close, Donovan. Move so we can cover you. Godsdammit!”

The sound of gunfire increased, then ended abruptly. Screams of pain overwhelmed the channel.

“I have muted the security feed, but I am transcribing the data for analysis,” X-37 said.

“Are we close enough to help?” I asked.

“You cannot reach them in time to offer assistance,” X-37 said. “I suggest you complete the mission assigned to you.”

“I did the mission assignments.”

“All the more reason for you to stay the course, Reaper Cain,” X-37 said.

“You’re killing me, X.”

“That is incorrect,” X-37 said. “If anyone kills you, it will be one of these alien hybrids.”

“Not helpful.”

“What are you going to do, Reaper Cain?”

I shrank the images of the three Slayers on my HUD and moved them off to one side, then pulled up my tactical readouts. Everything in my Archangel armor seemed to be ready for action. “I’m going to put this fancy gear to the test.”

First, I pulled the chain gun around to the front, pivoting it toward the ground where it could hang with a decreased profile until I was ready to use it. This transferred the load through the complicated harness differently and wasn’t good for long-term support of the weapon. The HDK Dominator, the weapon that had served me well since Dreadmax, switched places when I pulled the bigger gun forward and was now secured on my back. The harness connected both weapons and slid over the surface of the armor when needed, allowing a quick change.

With practiced efficiency, I removed the stealth cloak and adjusted it to cover as much of my armor as possible. It wasn’t perfect, but it would be an advantage in this environment. So far, I’d had mixed results attempting to integrate the Reaper mask with the Archangel armor and decided to keep it locked in one of my armor’s storage compartments.

Mavis opened the main door to the hydroponics level. I entered quickly, slipping off to one side to avoid making a silhouette in the hallway. Inside, it was dark except for flickering lights of damaged emergency LEDs.

After pulling up the Z1A Destroyer, I swept the multi-barrel across the landscape searching for the watering hole. There were rows and rows of plants in every direction—some hung from the ceiling. Every growth station had a light fixture, soil bed, and watering tubes. Each row was slightly different, depending on whether it was corn, wheat, or barley.

“It looks like most of the damage is from fighting.” I knelt to check a body. The man had been punctured hundreds of times, the damage seemingly caused by the alien hybrid’s organic weapons.

The worst problem in the room was the inconsistent lighting. There had been one hell of a fight here. One second my Reaper eye and Archangel helmet optics adjusted to the gloom, the next they were blocking intense flashes of illumination.

“Are you seeing anything I’m not picking up,” I asked.

I pulled my HUD image of the watering hole back into view. My enemies were now motionless, faces turned toward the ceiling as though sniffing the air and listening.

I crept forward in a low stance, constantly moving the multi-barrel of my weapon in preparation for contact. X-37 reviewed what we knew of the Slayers, most notably that their physiology was extremely dense and that none of the crew members had been able to defend themselves up to this point.

The sounds of the security team engaging them on the comms wasn’t encouraging either.

“What’s the chance they are able to tear me out of this armor?” I asked.

“Unknown, Reaper Cain,” X-37 said.

I found two bodies covered with wounds and missing their heads. One man looked as though his arm had been wrenched half off of his body during a hand-to-hand struggle.

I kept moving.

“We are five meters from the central watering reservoir,” X-37 said. “Mavis no longer has a functioning holo view of the area. Something has been damaged.”

For some reason, my heat sensors we’re not picking up my enemies. I had expected to be able to see them even through the rows of corn, wheat, and barley.

I advanced into the main reservoir, ready to lay down a hellish amount of high-powered gunfire. All three of the Slayers turned and looked directly at me.

“X, is my stealth cloak working?” I asked.

“It is operating at one hundred percent efficiency,” my limited artificial intelligence reassured me. “However, they seem to see you.”

The leader, the big one, stepped forward, hissing and chittering at me with a strange oversized mouth. I saw tentacles starting to sprout from its arms, quivering in anticipation of striking at me.

The leader’s tail moved side to side, then slammed on the ground, bouncing up like it had its own violent, rage filled mind that wanted to kill me. At its end there was a single, talon-tipped tentacle that looked like it could double its range when extended.

The creature’s eyes were multifaceted, pulling in reflections of the scene despite the darkness. My enhanced optics showed dark places that could have been holes through its amber eyeballs.

It growled something at me, the horrible sounds clearly a language that I didn’t understand.

These observations happened in seconds. While it stalled, the other two edged toward my flanks.

I pivoted from my left and shot that one first, advancing forward to decrease the distance, which also increased my accuracy. The Z1A Destroyer barked a short burst of death and destruction.

What I expected to see was fountains of blood leaving its body as it was driven off its feet. Destroyer rounds packed a wicked punch my HDK Dominator could never match. It was all about velocity, bullet mass, and the state-of-the-art design of the projectiles that expanded when they struck. The creature staggered, the wounds I saw not nearly as satisfying as I had hoped.

“Threats on your right,” X-37 warned, his speech tight to save time during combat.

The leader and the other one rushed me as I kicked the Slayer on my left square in its chest, launching it backward through a row of hydroponic plants. Dirt exploded into the air from some of the hanging pots. Water tubes broke free and sprayed in several directions.

I pivoted to my right and fired. During the split second it took for the rounds to strike, I realized something was wrong. My first victim hadn’t stayed down despite gunshot wounds and my Archangel powered front thrust kick.

Retreating, I sprayed Destroyer bullets at close range, hitting all three targets but stopping none of them. They leapt forward, lashing out with razor hooked tentacles that shot forward from their arms. I barely noticed this part of their attack because I was focused on their gaping jaws and rows of sharp teeth.

“You are backpedaling into a row of small fruit trees,” X-37 said.

I didn’t have time to ask questions but wondered if this was going to be a problem for me, or for my enemies. The mini grove was small. I smashed through the trees with relative ease but not quick enough to avoid getting struck by the talons of the Slayer leader.

Thoughts flashed through my mind, things I couldn’t do anything about right now like my family and friends and what would happen to the ship if I failed.

The leader rushed me but instead of retreating from the hellish barrage of ordinance I was sending their way, I lunged forward, driving Z1A Destroyer halfway down its throat before I pulled the trigger. Several dozen rounds went off before the multi-barrel stopped spinning. My victim twisted away in agony, nearly taking my weapon with it.

I dove past the flailing body, shoving the big gun toward my back, and tucking and rolling to my feet all at once. Graceful wasn’t the best way to describe it, but the maneuver was pretty badass and definitely something I was going to play up if I survived to tell the story.

“Alert, both the Destroyer and the Dominator require field expedient repairs before they will function. Please treat them with more care,” X-37 said without emotion.

The first alien hybrid I shot jumped on me, landing with its feet and hands clawing at my torso simultaneously. I spun in a circle, trying to shake it off.

The final member of their deadly trio tackled me at the knees, slamming us all down in a big heap of violence. Going with the momentum, I twisted free and scrambled to the top of the pile. One of the monsters kicked, launching me into the air.

“That is an impressive display of strength, given your weight in this armor,” X-37 commented. “Also, Elise has advised me that she has dispatched her two targets and wonders why you won’t answer her on the radio.”

I grunted something that might’ve been a curse as I darted through the mini farm, destroying everything in my path as I tried to escape.

You are approaching the tobacco plant section,” X-37 said.

I slowed to a stop, turning to fight.

“What are you doing, Reaper Cain?”

“Sometimes you have to just do what’s right.” I extended my arm blade from the armor and took a fighting stance.

“Die, Reaper!” the leader hissed.

The other two regained their feet, wounds bleeding from where I had shot them but not as much as I had hoped or expected. They chanted, showing teeth as they screeched at me a babble of harsh grunts contrasting with sibilant vowels.

“The Slayers have the ability to speak,” X-37 said.

I backed away, looking for an escape route or some sort of terrain advantage I could use to survive. “Yeah, that’s great.”

“It changes my analysis of the situation,” X-37 began to say.

The creatures advanced, hissing and chanting words that I could barely understand. It was like their vocal cords weren’t really made for speech but something in their twisted psychology made them want to try.

“I could use some backup, X,” I gasped, putting my back to the wall and edging toward one of the side doors.

“I’m on my way, Reaper,” Elise said.

The leader charged. I feinted high, then dropped into a low crouch, stabbing toward its stomach. Catching it in mid leap, I drove the blade forward as hard as I could and slashed out to one side. This time, alien hybrid blood rained down on the scene.

“Keep moving,” X-37 said.

I didn’t respond but rushed past the other two, searching for room to work. I needed to get to a better position but there weren’t many options in this room.

The leader of the Slayers screamed in rage but fell to its knees holding its torso and gnashing its teeth in the air. Talons shot out of its arms and legs almost randomly.

Ignoring their leader’s death throes, the other two came at me from both sides and smashed me between them.

The armor held, but the impact shook me. Everything became a confused jumble of images as we rolled across the ground. One of them bit me on the shoulder, its teeth hooking into the armor segments. When it twisted its head, I was pulled this way and that.

Pain shot through my right knee as the final Slayer tried to pull my leg off, twisting one of the hydraulic servos inside its golden metal sheath. X-37 warned me not to allow this to go further or I would be injured.

My LAI was trying to help, he really was.

My enemies were too close for me to swing or slash, so I retracted the blade and extended it several times, catching one Slayer after another in the face, throat, and armpits. One of the unlucky bastards took a devastating groin injury and I assumed it would be out of the fight.

One of the monsters rolled away and started to crawl. The one that remained punched me in the helmet. The first strike was nothing. The helmet maintained integrity; it had a complex system of padding and dynamic shock absorption systems to keep me from getting banged around too much inside, even if it didn’t feel great.

After a few strikes, the effect of the impact seemed worse. I let go of one of its arms and tried to defend myself, grabbing it by the throat with my other hand. I pushed back, then pulled it down until I slammed my helmet visor into its face.

Jagged teeth and blood sprayed around us from the strike. I twisted to my left, rolling it onto its back and took the mount position. Its tentacles lashed me with the serrated hooks but couldn’t penetrate the Archangel armor. I rained down one strike after another until the creature stopped moving.

Struggling to my feet, I looked around and saw the other two Slayers had succumbed to their injuries and were lying in wide pools of their own dark blood. The problem came when I tried to walk. My right leg wouldn’t extend fully, and the left was hard to control.

“Congratulations on your survival, Reaper Cain,” X-37 said.

A new voice chimed in my ear. “Yeah, Mister Reaper, you were the best,” Bug said.

“Thanks.” Breathing hard and wincing from injuries I didn’t remember receiving didn’t make me feel like I was the best, but whatever. My leg hurt but I thought I could walk if I wasn’t trapped in my broken Archangel rig.

“These things are strong if they can break this armor,” I said.

“I have begun to gather data for a strength projection graph,” X-37 said. “You are very much correct, Reaper Cain. The Slayers are many times more powerful than you are.”

“When they’re not dead,” I said, working to strip away an Archangel panel without much success.

“Correct, Reaper Cain,” X-37 said.

“Sorry I couldn’t help more,” Bug said, overflowing with enthusiasm.

“I’m going to have to lose the armor,” I said. “Where are Elise and Path?”

“I’m looking for them,” Bug said. “Mavis helps me a lot. This is getting crazy. Haven’t seen action like this since Dreadmax came apart. I hope this isn’t my fault. I really was trying to watch Ayers and Henshaw like you asked, Mister Reaper.”

“Let’s hope nothing like Dreadmax happens here,” I said.

“That would really suck, Mister Reaper.” A pause followed Bug’s words. “The ship has taken a lot of internal damage. You really needed to stop these things before we start venting atmosphere.”

“Did you find Elise and Path yet?” Having to ask a second time caused me to grit my teeth. Where the hell was that kid?

“They’re on the way, Mister Reaper. Chill-lax,” Bug said.

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