Alien Mine Ch. 07b

Knowing she was about to be overwhelmed, she fired two grenades from the underslung launcher and reached out to Rhys and Sandy. The ground in front of her erupted in explosions. Knocked backward, Amancia was momentarily stunned. She regained her senses and brought her rifle up, but there was nothing in front of her. The closest ones were down, Rhys had taken them out with grenades, and that big explosion had to be a missile.

"Thanks," she said gratefully. Amancia knew their quick action was the only thing that kept her alive. Amancia rolled right, coming up to her knee, and fired at another one. She could see vectors and trajectories in her mind, and the middle section of the bug came apart as her rounds tore through it. Another one headed her way seemed to explode.

"Good job Kiania she said."

She fired at another one, aiming for what she thought looked like the head. Several rounds on target, and as she took return fire, ducked, then used a grenade to finish the ugly bug off.

Rhys saw the emerging horrors at the same time and Information slotted into his brain. A 3 D image flashed on the tac grid with a schematic showing capabilities and weaknesses. "Om drone, Trangrod, biomechanic," he noted.

He fired at the one closest to Amancia, his rounds striking the most vulnerable part identified in the schematic. He was already firing at the next one before he had time to wonder how he knew where to fire. Then he was too busy to wonder.

Incoming fire splattered around him as he fired at the nearest one on automatic. It was close, too close, and Rhys aimed a stream of bullets through one of the eyes into the brain. He followed with a grenade that knocked it over. The remains resembled a bug on its back, missing most of its legs, but it was still trying to bring its weapon around. Rhys aimed and held the trigger down, letting the rounds eviscerate the underside, then ran and leaped again as others began moving his way, spreading out to surround him.

A glance at the tac grid told him Amancia was in trouble. He shifted his fire and sent several grenades at the bugs focusing on her. The legs came off two of them, and one lost its head as the grenade found it's mark, and Sandy dropped a small missile on the others. Then he was too busy as several concentrated their fire on him.

Rhys jumped behind a wall that didn't last long as it crumbled under the incoming fire, the rounds chewing through the rock. Rhys moved further away to avoid being trapped, using his grenades to blow off another's legs. His enhanced muscles were the only thing that kept him alive as he could move faster than the machines. He could see that Amancia was doing the same, staying low and taking advantage of what little cover there was.

Rhys fired and dodged, getting a lucky hit that took out two of the eyes. Even with the loss of two eyes, the insect-like machine continued firing, searching for Rhys with the one good eye. The body turning and the head weaving back and forth, searching for him even as it continued to fire randomly. Rhys hit the ground and then punched a grenade through one of the damaged eyes, and the head exploded. That worked, but he wished he had Kiania's rifle; it was much more powerful.

"Sandy, start taking them out," Rhys ordered. He cursed as he could see bodies lying at the front of the house. The men posted there had been killed immediately when the bug-like machines had started firing. Rhys and Amancia had survived only because of their armor and Bob's enhancements. He fired three grenades at those nearest, leaping to the corner of the building, spinning, and firing while another head exploded. He launched two grenades then ducked around the building as concentrated fire tore the stone apart above where his head had just been.

The sensors showed him where they were, and he could see them swarming around the building. Amancia was fighting, but she was in danger of being overwhelmed.

Missile fire erupted as Sandy began targeting them, but then the sensors identified low flying missiles.

"Incoming fire," Sandy calmly reported as she engaged the shuttle weapon systems. " Missiles of some kind were inbound, and the AI identified them as Om. Sandy felt the defensive systems come online; her arms and fingers tingled as she began targeting them. "Engaging with counter fire and point defense." The enemy attack seemed to be directed at the ground where Rhys and Amancia were, not the shuttle. Thankfully the Om must not realize the shuttle had survived the attack in space. She began engaging them with counter fire, missiles streaked away from the shuttle, and point defense energy weapons began firing.

Sandy was linked with the ship's AI and surrounded by a hologram that she would use to maneuver and fire weapons. She had no training as a tactical officer; still, the AI was in her brain, and the missiles and energy beams at her fingers literally. She felt counter batteries launch, felt her eyes guide them to their targets. What a rush! The AI moved seamlessly to take over counter-battery fire, energy weapons, point defense, and missiles. Sandy could feel them as they came online and fired, her body responding fingers, toes, arms, everything. She was part of the ship, but now she was also basically a bystander hoping the AI would intercept the attack.

The air attack was focused on the ground forces and not on the shuttle itself. The air filled with explosions as the shuttle defenses intercepted them but could not defend everything. A missile found the C130 gunship that had moved to support the assault, and it exploded in a massive ball of flame as the Om missiles found it. Human-made forces were no defense against the Om, thought Sandy.

The attack was over as quickly as it began. "Sensors clear," Sandy reported before turning her attention back to the ground. It seemed to be just one strike. Though none of the missiles had made it through, it had distracted her from the situation on the ground. She felt Amancia's fear flow over her as she was hit again, two more rounds penetrating her armor.

"Rhys," she shouted, "Amancia!"

Rhys was already in action; his biopolymer muscles were powerful. He tensed and then released the tension in his legs, springing ten meters into the air to the building's top. Another leap, and he was beside Amancia. A Trangrod had an arm that had extended and was holding Amancia down as it prepared to sever her neck with the wicked-looking blade that was its forearm. Quickly, Rhys fired at point-blank range into the eyes, taking the bug's head apart. Amancia was still alive but bruised.

Rhys heard Sandy shout, telling him to duck as the ground in front of him exploded. Rhys dropped to the ground on top of Amancia, protecting her as explosions surrounded them. He could hear the sound of Kiania's weapon as the machines nearest him were being torn apart by missiles and the heavy rifle rounds as gunfire raked them.

Rhys looked behind him in time to see that two had followed him over the roof. He fired at the first one taking out two of the legs. The second one sprang into the air just like a jumping insect, the pointed snout tracking and firing as it moved.

Rhys felt the rounds hit him, knocking him down. Then another penetrated, but his enhanced body absorbed the impact, biopolymer muscles under the skin contracting and became more rigid than the armor he was wearing.

Kiania fired, but the machine kept coming. Then the monstrosity was on him—two arms with cutting implements. Rhys grabbed one, but the other went for his stomach, ripping through his armor. Rhys felt pain shoot through him as the blade ripped into him but stopped as his muscles reacted to the impact.

Rhys jumped back 10 meters, but the insect jumped as well and was on him before he could bring up his weapon. He blocked the enemy's arm going for his throat while turning his body to deflect the other one. The bug then brought its blade down on Rhys' arm and knocked the weapon out of his hand. Then Amancia began firing, but the insect was fast. Before either of them could react, the insect let go of Rhys, turned, and drove one of the serrated into Amancia. She screamed as the arm found a damaged area and penetrated her chest. Rhys desperately grabbed the arm using his enhanced strength and broke it off at the shoulder. "Amancia's hurt," Sandy shouted into his mind as her injuries sprang up on the tac grid. Bad, but not life-threatening, yet he noted. But then there was no time to do anything as the insect was on him and he was fighting for his life.

Rhys grabbed his weapon and sprang aside, aiming for what appeared to be the head. He underestimated the metal insect's speed, though, and it again knocked the gun from his hand with its remaining arm. Grabbing him before he could react, it brought him in close to the torso, holding him with the remaining arm and two legs. The mechanical bug tried to squeeze him, but his armor and his biopolymer muscles held. Rhys had been made sturdier and tougher by Bob just for this reason.

Taking hold of one of the arms squeezing him, he pulled with all his strength and snapped off another of the metal arms. The insect tried to move away to bring its weapon back into play, but Rhys was ready for it. Bob had made Rhys just as quick, if not faster, and he moved in close, staying low.

Pulling the knife Kiania had designed, he closed the distance before the machine could react. Driving the blade into the machine's head, again and again, he was able to wrench himself out of its grasp. Grabbing his rifle from the ground, he fired a burst into what was left.

"That's all of them," Sandy announced over comms so Kiania could hear.

"Roger, we need to extract Amancia and Kiania. Amancia is injured but stable.

"Coming down to get her," Sandy said as she brought the shuttle down nearby.

Rhys knelt by Amancia while going through her injuries. Two rounds embedded in her torso, another in the arm; the biopolymer muscles not fully developed yet.

The projectiles had penetrated—damage to one lung, perforations of her small intestine, and liver. The blade had only penetrated partway into her chest, but she had two broken ribs and further damage to a lung.

Rhys picked her up, cradling her close to the shuttle. Sandy met him at the entrance wanting to take him out of his arms, but Rhys just shouldered past her.

"I will get her into a med unit, go back to the bridge and be ready to get us out of here. The Om may not be through with us."

Rhys took Amancia to the med unit and gently took her out of her armor.

"I can help Rhys; I am not hurt that bad."

"I know, honey, but let me do this."

"Strange, but I don't feel any pain; I did at first, but then nothing."

"That's your new body. Don't worry, your injuries are not that bad, and the med unit will have you as good as new in a few hours."

"I love you, Rhys," She said as he lowered her into the bathtub shaped unit.

"I love you too, just relax and let the med unit work beautiful," Rhys said as he activated it. A shimmering cover appeared over the top, and Amancia seemed to lose consciousness. Rhys checked the tac grid and saw that her health was already improving.

"Thank God for our new bodies, that was close. That would have easily killed her before Bob," Rhys said.

"You are hurt too," Sandy noted firmly.

"Took a couple of rounds, but my body is further along; they didn't penetrate. I will be ok for now, but I need to get into the house. There is bound to be some sign of the Om."

"What about these robots," Sandy asked.

"Grab one, and after the hostages extract, then sanitize the site."

"They will have seen the attack."

"I know, but not much we can do. The Om will know we have a functioning ship now, so be careful and stay low until we can get out. Have Kiania meet me near the house. I want her near in case any other surprises are waiting.

Rhys Left the shuttle and looked around, noting the casualties. The CIA team had retreated into the farmhouse, those that survived that is. The commander and three others were dead out front, four others wounded. If Rhys and the girls had not been here, it would have been a massacre.

"Well, Bob, guess we know who the Om was working with."

"Yes," Bob replied, "but you can be sure they will immediately cut all contacts. Get us into the house and see if there is anything we can learn."

Leslie was in the command center listening in real-time. She was used to the tension pre-mission and had adapted to a command role better than most field agents. However, knowing it might be a trap and that they could be confronting a hostile alien race for the first time made this more difficult than usual. Besides, Rhys was there, and as much as she hated to admit it, she did not want anything to happen to him. He was essential to humanity if she could believe anything he told her. And besides, she thought she was looking forward to seeing him again.

Everything seemed to be going well at first, but then things had started to go downhill fast. First, the team came under sniper fire, then reports of mysterious counter fire from a distance. And finally, confusion as the fire seemed to take out the terrorists with impossible shots.

Regrouping, the team had entered the building, then another attack. Enhanced images from the air support of something suddenly appearing around the target site. No one could identify what they were, and then casualties and gunfire outside the compound and comms cut off. They were still trying to re-establish contact when a woman's voice reported the loss of the C-130.

"Who the fuck is that," someone shouted, but Leslie just remained silent. It was Sandy, of course, and things had just gone to shit. "Quit worrying about who it is and get us some air support on station now,'' she said calmly. Leslie looked around the room. "I want everyone doing their job; we will have taken casualties and may have lost the hostages. Let's not fuck it up worse than it already is."

Standby aircraft scrambled and were inbound. Satellite surveillance showed people on the ground and some other kind of signature, barely giving off detectable infrared. They could hear Sandy's voice directing fire. Command was in an uproar, wanting to know what was going on. Some of her team were looking at her in concern. "Let me worry about command; let's get our people out first," she said.

Then Rhys' voice had replaced Sandy's, and Leslie gave a sigh of relief, knowing he was alive. He gave a brief recap without explaining the casualties, then calmly reported the area secure and the hostages secure. Everyone, including Leslie, breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as Leslie thought, events were under control, her phone rang. She started to ignore it, then answered, putting it to her ear.

"The Om were waiting for us and used some new technology," said a woman's voice she recognized as Sandy. "We are ok, but your team took casualties. We will sanitize the area after the hostages get out. Also, I've scrambled the signal, so no intercept on this call."

Fuck! Leslie said to herself, what a mess. She put the phone down, ignoring a questioning look from her deputy, her face not giving away the internal turmoil. This was going to blow up in her face if she could not control it.

Rhys walked into the farmhouse as the hostages were evacuated. Helicopters were inbound, and there was air support overhead. The CIA team had done an excellent job securing anything of intelligence value, but what Rhys was looking for would not be anything they would recognize.

The house was a mess, furniture broken, bullet holes, and bodies. Surprisingly they did not kill the hostages, but the CIA team had moved fast once they were inside. There were few prisoners.

Rhys walked through each room as though looking for intelligence material.

"There," Bob said, "on the floor in the middle of the hallway second level."

Rhys waited until everyone else was out, then went up to the area Bob pointed out.

"This may also be a trap," Bob said.

"Explosive?"

"No, I detect nothing of that sort- Something else. Place your hand there," Bob directed.

Rhys knelt; taking off his glove, he put his hand on the area indicated. Nothing happened for a few seconds, then he felt a strange sensation, almost a vibration running through his entire body, especially his mind. Rhys sensed a sudden fear in Bob, then pain. He screamed as bolts of pure agony shot through his brain. Rhys tried to jerk away, anything to stop the torture, but his arms and legs refused to work. Falling back to the floor, he could feel himself shutting down. Parts of his consciousness went dark as if certain portions of his brain quit functioning. He reached for Bob, but it was not there, and then the blackness overtook him.

Rhys regained consciousness slowly. He was lying on the floor but didn't think he had been out that long. As the pain eased, Rhys looked for Bob with his thoughts, wanting to know what was going on. For the first time since awakening in his house, Bob did not answer.