Ula and Rizier slammed into a housing complex nearby. Tahu flew to the edge of the street and rolled off the side. Moving their hands quickly they caught the ledge and dangled. Only Ya’Cahin managed to remain standing her psykik energy deflecting the blast on instinct.
Jerking her head upward she quickly dashed to the side for cover as blaster fire and gunshots exploded along the street. She ducked her head down below a stoop as the metal bullets and hot energy slammed into the stone staircase. The fire ricocheted off the metal and she reached for her pistol.
She sat up slightly and glanced over the top. She could just barely see the direction where the artillery was firing from. A flurry of shots from down the street and a few stray shots from the buildings on the other side of the street. She could just barely hear shouting and snarls above the fire.
She sat down and tried to draw on her power but the constant explosions and adrenaline ruined her concentration. Staring ahead she could see return fire most likely coming from Ula. Turning her gaze to the street she tried to find Tahu but they were no where in sight.
Sitting up quickly she fired a few shots but knew she missed and back down to cover again. Listening to the blasters slam into the stairs beside her she could sense that they were coming closer. She had to do something about this and soon. She was a sitting duck here.
“Ya’Cahin,” She started at their voice and stared at where she guessed they might be. “Ula and I are formulating a counter attack. There are enemies behind us. What would you suggest.”
“Are there any psykiks?” She asked sharply as she raised her gun and shot a few more times. She regretted not taking a grenade from the ship now.
“None have joined this grouping.”
“Then force your way into the heads of them. As many as you can and turn them to our side.”
“This will take time.”
“Make it fast.”
She heard Ula’s rifle going off in trained quick burst style. The gunfire shifted direction from her and she knew they were trying to get her crew. Ya’Cahin took a deep breath and got up slowly. Low against the staircase she tried to get a solid look at her surroundings. She saw the blaster fire coming forth but she could just make out the yellow eyes of their shooters. A few more flashes and she saw furred faces.
She shot back and watched her blaster fire in the darkness. She watched them hit home and the bodies start to fall. Small satisfaction filled her as they crumpled to the ground. For a second she managed to glimpse their body. Furred faces, mechanical arms and a hollow sound on impact.
“Cyborgs,” She mumbled under her breath. “The Ging are getting creative. Or desperate.”
More gunfire erupted across the street and she was forced to duck down again. She glanced over again as the gunfire was directed behind her again. “Hey how’s that mind control thing going?” She said to the air wondering if they would hear her.
“They’re almost under my command captain.”
She hadn’t expected a response but nodded. “I have one more distraction ready then.” She passed her hand over her face taking a steadying breath. Holding her hand out she felt the psykik energy swirl around her palm. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl for her, bullets whizzing above and sound echoing like a cave.
She shaped the energy into a sphere then stretched it into an oval. She glanced over her shoulder to hear more blaster fire but there was more than before. They were getting reinforcements. Instead of aiming at those down the street she looked toward the buildings. She could see pockets of light and flashes of heat where they were firing back from. Glaring she reached back and threw the sphere right at the building.
She watched the orb take form and narrow as it spiraled twisting the air around it. The blue missile slammed into the building and exploded. The ground shook and chunks of stone, glass and more shot through the air. It crashed into the ground echoing down the streets. The gun and blaster fire ceased as the smoke clouded the air. Lowering her head, she let her veil keep her eyes safe.
She was tempted to walk out of her cover but everything in her instincts said that they weren’t done yet. Without warning, like everything else in this fight, an explosion flashed above her. The smoke scattered and light covered her vision. Narrowing her eyes she looked at scowling.
Shadows dashed past her and the gunfire started again. She swore to herself but realized that all the gun fire was all aimed way ahead of her. Her eyebrow arched but she felt the familiar tingle of another voice in her head.
“Those are our soldiers captain. Your distraction, flashy as it was, was all I needed. We can make our move now.”
“Good. The section we want is past the firing squad so let’s break into the projects here and lose them.”
“Is that wise?”
“It’s better then sitting out here. Group up with me now and we make our move.”
“We’re moving now.”
Ya’Cahin stood again and watched the blaster fire from in front of her and held her pistol at the ready. She was already concentrating in case she needed her abilities again but she wasn’t sure it’d have enough oomph. She heard footsteps crunching beside her and nodded raising her hand.
“Glad you’re in one piece.”
Ula nodded keeping their gun up. “I am glad that you are okay as well.” Lowering the weapon their was mild relief across their face. Ula’s body was scratched across the face and upper body while Rizier had dust floating around two of their arms and chest. Letting out a breath Ula glanced toward the gunfire again. “The Ging that Rizier took over won’t last long against any sort of coordination.”
“Right. We need to move. There’s an alleyway up ahead. Let’s take it and then get out. Have either of you seen Tahu?”
“No,” Ula frowned. “I hoped he would be with you.”
“I was hoping the same. Rizier can you sense them?”
“Not while keeping the Ging under my sway.”
She swore again and then shut her eyes. She wanted to find the last member of her crew but they were in the middle of a warzone. She was the captain and they had to do an executive choice for this one. “Let’s go. Get out of this line of fire.”
They nodded together and started moving. Hopping over the stairs they darted back into the streets. keeping low. Stray bullets and blaster that flew above head but they managed. She managed to watch their forces get taken down while being a very nice distraction for the time being.
Ya’Cahin stood to her full height raising her blaster and firing at the skirmish while Ula and Rizier escaped down the alley. She took one out and then watched the last of their mind controlled people go down. She swore firing again debating another psykik grenade.
“Captain!”
“Coming!” Backing off slowly she lobbed a small psykik bomb in their direction and ducked away before it exploded. There were tall walls on either side of them, with overflowing garbage containers. A stray creature on the ground glanced up at them but didn’t move to think twice about them as they continued to run.
They took a few turns here and there putting distance between the fighting. The alley took two adjacent paths, one going down and the other up. They slowed when they approached to catch their breath. They could still hear the fire fight but it was ending quickly. And then silence stretched over level 7.
“They are going to search for us.” Ula said looking back toward the street. “We have to stay on the move.”
“These stairs will take us either down to level 8 or at least deeper into the homes.” Ya’Cahin said.
Rizier glanced down the path. “The seller is going to probably be that way.”
“Yeah but Tahu,” Ya’Cahin turned toward Rizier and Ula. “Have either of sensed anything?”
Ula produced their tablet, tapping away at the screen and attached one of their braids. Their eyes turned a bright blue as they looked. They shuddered and suddenly their eyes dimmed and looked toward Ya’Cahin. “Tahu has fallen two levels below ours. From what I can tell from the signals, they’re hurt.
“There’s more,” Rizier said. “I think something’s hunting for them.”
“Hunting Tahu? And Level 9? Are you serious?”
“Something is hunting them?” Ula repeated. “What is hunting them?”
“I know not. I just know that it’s mind is feral. Nothing like ours. Not even like the natives from the planet I landed on. I don’t think Tahu is aware of the creature yet.”
“Ula?”
“I have never heard of something like this. There are a few accounts of Levels 9 and below.”
“What do we do Captain?”
Ya’Cahin shook her head slowly. “I don’t know. We need to rescue Tahu obviously but I can’t go down there.”
“But we can.” Rizier said simply. “We can go and rescue our crewmate while you can go find the buyer and the piece.”
“Can you even survive that?” She asked.
“I’m not organic. Simply Sand. The radiation will not affect me like it would you.”
Ya’Cahin bit her lip, “I don’t like this. I really don’t.”
Ya’Cahin narrowed her eyes and steadied her breath. She wasn’t going to panic. She had to trust her crew to be safe.
“Ula send me an image of what this part is, looks like and how it works. Rizier keep a lock on the things trying to get them. Both of you find Tahu and get back up here. Join me at the elevator.
“I’ll get the part but if you’re not there when I get back I’ll go down there and find you three myself. If you get back before me run and get to the elevator. I’ll be there. We came together and we leave together.”
Tahu could remember hanging on for dear life. Remember hearing the gunfire above their head as they tried to climb back up. They wanted to their crew and rejoin the fighting. They managed to get their head above level when their leg was jerked down.
Shocked they tried to continue climbing but was yanked even harder. Grunting and resisting the pulled got even stronger and they were snatched into the darkness. Free falling was not a new thing for them and normally they loved it. But in this moment they were just this side of terrified. Eyes wide as the darkness swallowed them up they fell flailing around for something to grab hold of.
The fall ended just as quickly as it started. Slamming head first into solid ground, it was a welcome change. Time was very hard to track at the moment. Their body was in pain and every one of their internal censors were going haywire trying to catalog the damages and reorient where they had landed.
The darkness slowly gained clarity as the sensors in their eyes began to work. As they looked around and pierced the darkness they managed to stand up as well. With a jolt and shiver they blinked slowly taking in the new surroundings. It was as if the above slums had been hit by a bomb. Most of the homes were destroyed ruins of the ones above. Everything was either in pieces, had huge gaping holes or were just foundation and nothing else.
Tahu was in bad shape. Reaching to their arm he tried to open up a channel to Ula but only got static. As they looked back and forth slowly they realized they were standing on solid ground instead of another hole. This was as far down as he could go. Tapping the ground with their foot they heard a metal echo instead of crunching material. “I must be on level 9.”
Looking upward they couldn’t even see the top of this level. Something was obscuring their gaze. They tried to see in front of them but whatever was in the air made it difficult to see. Holding their arm they shut their eyes and started walking. “Hope they’re doing okay up there.”
They weren’t sure how long they spent walking but it couldn’t have been that much. Progress wise the ruins on either side of didn’t change much. The fog nor the darkness didn’t let up. But they sensed something shift on the air. Listening as hard as possible they realized something had changed.
Turning around quickly the fog parted as a shadow sprinted at them. Leaping to the side they crashed shoulder first into the ground before bouncing back to their feet. Stumbling backwards their eyes went up as they looked for the attacker. The fog and the darkness remained the same.
The fog was silent and then the shape moved, a blur of motion in the darkness. They shifted to the side and the shadow obliterated part of the wall beside them. They rolled away crashing into the ground.
Stumbling to their feet but Tahu turned and ran into the ruins. Hoping over a fallen wall and sliding past a door frame they could hear the metal rend and stone shatter. Ducking under another doorway they turned the right finding themselves back onto another street, much older than the one they’d fallen onto.
Jumping onto a broken they climbed until they reached the roof. As Tahu moved to climb to the top, their leg was snatched backwards. Letting out a cry they gripped the wall tighter determined not to get pulled down again.
Touching their thigh they pulled the gun free and fired into the darkness. They kept going, firing rapidly until a screech echoed and whatever was on their leg slackened. Yanking free they rolled forward and sprinted again.
They only got a few steps forward before pin wheeling their arms so that he didn’t go cartwheeling over the edge and back into the street. The next closest building was just ruins and was dangerously high up to go running blind toward.
Turning around Tahu narrowed their eyes at the darkness. A tentacle came from the darkness and lunged at them. Tahu crouched and shot at the tentacle rapidly. It was blasted off track and slammed into the building. It trembled under the weight before crumbling downward. Staring at the tentacle as it began to return to action they rolled backwards and went back for the street. Being up here was dangerous.
They made it half way to the street when another tentacle flew out of the wreckage. It clamped down on their arm and they cried out. Tahu’s arm felt like it was on fire and struck the butt of the pistol in the tentacle. It just squeezed tighter increasing the burning sensation. As they were pulled forward Tahu realized what was happening. It was eating them.
The tentacle was wrapped too tight around their arm to pull it free. Gritting their teeth together they raised the gun to their shoulder and fired fighting their grunts of pain. After five shots they stumbled out its grasp unable to catch themselves as they hit the ground. They could barely feel their legs, something not connecting properly.
Opening their eyes slightly they looked at their charred and exposed circuits. Tahu felt the ground shake and turned their gaze upward to whatever was coming for him. Glaring they saw the outline in the darkness as it finally revealed itself. The tentacle that had been attacking them was actually one of two. Both were thick with what looked like open mouths at the ends. The body was large and dragged across the ground except for the rear. It was supported by two powerful legs that it stalked forward on.
Tahu managed to sit up as they looked at the creature and laughed. They arm was gone and both their legs were on the fritz. “Never seen anything like you before.” They raised their gun. “Come on you ugly monster.”
It screeched, both mouths opening wide as it approached. One went high while the other went low and lunged at Tahu. They fired, the gun jerking with each shot even after aiming stopped being effective.
The head was almost at his head when it halted. It screeched at Tahu, mouth stopped by a black screen. It rotated slightly as it kept connecting with the air. Tahu stared at it and realized that it was sand. The sand enveloped the head and it screeched though the sound was muffled. Gradually the dust squeezed harder and harder, the head being crunched down.
The other head turned to it, snapping at the sand but it wasn’t accomplishing anything. Finally the sand covered head thrashed against the ground rapidly as if to break the substance off. Clumps of it scattered off hit by hit and when it had finally all cleared the head was dazed and slow to respond.
The creature recoiled as blaster fire slammed into its flank and it stumbled to the side. Both heads turned to face the direction as more shots came from the darkness in rapid burst. Tahu watched and eyes widening. “Three short bursts.” they mumbled softly.
The dust rose from the ground rose up to form an orb. The orb regrew to the shape of a hand. It shot away and reattached to Rizier as they came to stand in front of Tahu. They quickly rewrapped their arm in bandages and it went under the cloak. “You look awful Tahu.”
“Am I glad to see you guys,” Tahu’s head slumped down. “Is Yaya down here?”
“No. She wouldn’t survive down here. She’s getting the part but sent us down here to find you.” They looked at the creature as it hissed at Ula. It started to retreat back into the dark and fog. Ula stepped forward slowly as they continued to fire. The creature was trying to retaliate but Ula was quick to fire on the heads and keep them down.
“Ula’s like a machine.” Rizier said as they crouched to help Tahu stand.
Tahu struggled to do so and leaned onto Rizier so much that Rizier was essentially dragging him. “Ula is a machine. Just a machine with a spark of life.”
Rizier nodded and kept their arms around Tahu to support him. “I’m glad they’re on our side.”
“Me too.”
Ula fired a final burst of fire and checked their gun before ejecting a magazine to the ground. Reloading it they turned toward the two of them. “Tahu. What have you gotten yourself into.” They said walking toward them. Tahu smiled but Ula touched the destroyed arm and their normally calm features broke into one of pain. Their eyes reflected more words than they could say even with an extensive vocabulary.
“Help me make a new one.”
Ula glared at him, “Of course I will. It was not a question.”
“Good.”
“We have a few problems,” Rizier began to say. “I can hear more of them. Maybe not like the one that just hunted our friend but I don’t want to wait and see what kind they are.”
“I don’t have enough arms for that,” Tahu commented earning him a glare. “So in the spirit of my limbs let’s get out of here.”
“Then let’s get a move on.” Rizier said lifting Tahu up further and putting him on their back. Tahu did his best to cling to them but it was awkward.
“Don’t drop me buddy.”
“I make no promises.”
Tahu could hear the smirk in that tone despite their lack of a face. The trio backtracked to the ramp and took it back up the previous floors. There was a visible change as the air purified around them. There was a once flashing sign that said level 8 as they ran. Level 8 was bare, almost empty on the streets. There were what looked like bodies just lying on the streets.
Tahu observed them and their surroundings as Rizier carried them. The buildings here looked like they were once tried to be repaired. Sheets of metal and boards nailed and piped to the walls. There were shards of glass and against those walls as well. Some even had guns on the edge like a turret. Whatever happened to the people on this level, they would defend their territory with their lives. More so than any others before.
“It doesn’t look like the Ging were able to bring their influence down here.”
“It does not look like it.” Ula nodded. “These people defended themselves from whatever end befelled them.”
“Strong for what it was worth.” Tahu said softly but they didn’t remain because the next staircase to take them to level 7 was nearby. RIzier and Ula approached and traveled the same path that they had taken before. Tahu recognized the buildings and the smell as they trekked up the stairs.
It was mostly silent up here with the soft crackling of fires. They were moving quickly with a purpose but not running. Ula had her arm up most of the time as she tried to get back into contact with their captain.
“Still nothing?” Tahu asked.
“No. I am not worried. Yet.” Ula added. “Let us keep going toward our goal.”
Tahu nodded glancing about the rest of them. “I’ll keep an eye out. No one’s gonna sneak up on us.”
They weren’t quite on the street yet but navigated through the houses. Tahu’s gaze shifted from behind to above and into various windows around them but he didn’t see or hear much of anything around them.
“We should run as per Ya’Cahin’s orders. Trust that she will join us.” Rizier said.
Leaning forward they started to sprint, Tahu leaning forward as he held on trying not to lose his grip on them. They jumped high and landed on a rooftop. Skidding to a halt before sliding over the edge.
Ula raised their rifle and peaked through the scope, to find the elevator which was closer than they thought. “We can make it quickly. We can follow these rooftops before jumping down right around there.” She pointed ahead to a series of homes that had been leveled and created a stepping stone for them down.
They began going down the path when a fiery explosion formed across from them. Their eyes widened as they saw the smoke rise up. However, they kept running though Tahu kept their gaze over at it. Tahu could see flashes of light where blasters were going off. They could see a few splashes of blue within the smoke.
“Guys I think that’s our captain.”
The smoke and blaster fire were all heading toward the elevator. Tahu’s eyes lost focus for a moment as they zoomed in with their gaze. Hitting their head to steady their gaze, flashes of blue came from the figure as another series of gunfire almost enveloped her.
The trio skidded to a halt jumping off the edge of the building and landed on the streets. Ula glanced in the same direction. Seeing the gunfire going off, Ula’s zoomed in as well to make out the form of Ya’Cahin as she fired. “She has a package with her. It must be the part that we came for.”
“She looks like she’s got it covered.”
“That she does,” Ula agreed as they made their way to the elevator. They slowed in front of it and Ula plugged into the pad. The elevator door opened with a woosh welcoming them inside it. They heard an explosion and all three of them flinched away from the elevator.
“Ula I think you might want to take a step to the right!” Tahu was saying. Rizier was nodding as they instinctively took a step to the side. Ula looked up and saw the shape barreling toward them from the sky. They stepped to the side and the elevator rocked from the psykik impact.
Ya’Cahin groaned and glanced at the rest of them smirking. “What’re you waiting for? Let’s go.”
The Harlequin Library 