Alien Mine Ch. 23

Nelya leaped at Yaneta's command into the adjacent office building. She didn't pause and kept going across three streets before crashing through a patio window, sending shards of glass into a living room. This was an apartment and a woman with two children screamed in terror as she and two drone dogs crashed through the sliding glass doors, scattering shards of glass. Nelya barely paused before running out the door into the corridor; she turned left and ran for the windows at the end. Nelya jumped again at a right angle to Yaneta, who kept going straight, drawing the remaining Om after her. Nelya turned back parallel and leaped, this time to the top of a five-story building. Running to the edge, she leveled her BFW, waiting for Yaneta to move. There! Nelya fired a sharp burst that drilled a roach dead center. She followed with a grenade, ran to the left, and jumped into the corner window of a high-rise bank building. Ignoring the frightened shouts of the employees, Nelya ran up the stairs, followed by the two dogs. Tac-grid showed air-support taking out a large Trangrod that had followed onto the roof she had just vacated. Consequently, they were now following her. Nelya took a bearing on Yaneta and jumped again; several Trangrods were closing on Yaneta.

Yaneta dropped to the ground and ran rapidly along a street, dodging traffic and jumping trucks. Trangrods were pursuing her but were also moving into the buildings ahead of her. She needed to move quickly, or they would surround her. Also, Yaneta needed to get closer to Nelya to provide fire support. Checking Nelya's position, Yaneta leaped two stories to the building on the right and saw a roach scurrying that way, so she sprang back to the left, up another two levels through a window. She headed for the stairs, wanting to get higher, anticipating Nelya's next move. She was quick, leaping each stairway, but the Om were even faster, and three floors up, her trailing dog caught sight of a roach, and explosions filled the stairwell behind her. Yaneta guessed what was coming, and with her BFW pressed hard to her shoulder, she braced and fired as another came from above. A long burst took out the Trangrod and most of the upper stairwell. Swiveling, she fired down at another. Fortunately, it moved slowly; her dog drone had only damaged it, but the BFW punched large holes in it. Before Yaneta could move, something exploded in the middle of the floor, and her right arm went numb for a second, and she dropped her rifle. One of her remaining tiger drones leaped at the Trangrod dropping down from above, and she pulled her pistol left-handed, shot the Trangrod in the eye, and drove her monoblade into the CPU. Yaneta grabbed her rifle, fired grenades up and down the stairs, and then leaped out the window. A few more blocks if they lived, and they would be with Bogrov and his men.

Nelya landed on a narrow balcony, broke the lock on the door, and went into an empty apartment with her two dogs. She ran out the front door and turned right, looking for a window to cover Yaneta. She heard a metallic click, and at the same time, her senses were assaulted by the foul smell and taste of Om! Nelya threw herself left into another apartment just as heavy gunfire blasted down the corridor. A man shouted as she burst in, but Nelya ran towards the back of the apartment. Gunfire raked across the inner walls as the Trangrod sprayed rounds indiscriminately. Nelya was knocked to the ground as two rounds hit her torso, but the occupant was torn to pieces by the high-velocity projectiles. Fortunately, the bullets had lost most of their power going through two walls; however, they knocked the breath out of her and sent her sprawling along the living room floor. Rolling, she lay flat and brought her weapon to her shoulder as the Trangrod ripped through the wall, weapon firing. Nelya looked up from the floor as the monstrous insectoid machine strode in, weapon tracking her and already firing. Her mind whirled as the tac-grid plotted possible responses, none of them good. Discarding all of them, Nelya fired upward from the floor, the kick of the BFW jolting her shoulder. She put two into the thorax of the Trangrod as three rounds found her. Two hit her backplate at a shallow angle, knocking the breath out of her. Pain stabbed through her as the other round caught her just below the back of the knee, bouncing off her bio-metallic bones before exiting. Her symbiont killed the pain receptors and closed off blood vessels to stop bleeding. Nelya's shots must have hit the CPU because the Trangrod was spinning and firing randomly. Nelya blew its head apart with a long burst and slowly staggered to her feet.

Her enhanced hearing and vision let her know that three more Om had entered the apartment, not Trangrods; she thought and dove for the floor just as a red beam cut through the wall and slashed the area where she had been. Nelya saw the grenade in time to roll face down as an explosion ripped the room. Shrapnel clattered off her armor but found the seams of her light armor and right hand, knocking her weapon away. The blast confused her, but training kicked in, and she drove herself forward through the wall straight for them. Nelya's right hand was injured but still usable, and the monoblade sprang out from it, extending a meter in front of her. She knew where the Om were, and the blade impaled one of them as she drove herself through the wooden studs of the wall. She fired her pistol left-handed into the faces of two more, the rounds taking their heads off. Another Om rounded the corner and slammed into her. It was on her before she could react, knocking her pistol aside and too close for the monoblade. It grabbed her neck with ferocious strength, and for a moment, the semi-human face dominated her world, looming down upon her. She stared into the blank eyes, cold as death itself. Nelya felt a chill as the Om went after her symbiote, but it hadn't secured her hands, nor did it recon with her nanobytes. The Om screamed as the nanobytes attacked, but didn't it let go, squeezing her throat even tighter. Nelya slashed at its eyes with one hand and broke his grip with the other, rolling to the side. The Om was on her again, but Nelya reached deep inside herself, letting her fear and anger boil over. She began to shift. Striking like lightning, she grabbed the human-like Om by the neck with one clawed furry hand and tore out its heart with the other.

She took a moment to wonder what poor humans had been used to create these monsters. She felt pity, but whoever it had been was better off dead. Nelya backed out through the wall, picked up her weapon awkwardly with her wolf-like hands, fired two grenades into the front of the apartment, then jumped out of the hole. This time, she dropped down to the road; no need to be so predictable. Nelya ran down the street for a hundred yards, dodging scared pedestrians still on the street. The civil guard and police were trying to get everyone off the roads, and emergency efforts had begun in the damage behind her. Yaneta was angling her way, they would meet where Bogrov had mustered his remaining men, and he had managed to organize a defense. Somehow, Bugorov found at least fifty regular troops, armed but not armored. Those would be of little use; Trangrods would go through them like a knife in hot butter, but they would provide a distraction.

Yaneta knew there were more Trangrods; the air cover would occasionally spot one and a few times, they were quick enough to kill it. However, the Trangrods, especially the roaches, could use the urban area to their advantage. What concerned her the most was those she suspected of targeting Nelya. They appeared to be herding her, trying to kill her for sure, but Yaneta suspected a trap; that's the way the Trangrods operated, frontal assault first, then traps. She ran faster now, sixty kph at least, leaping over trucks and other obstructions, not trying to hide her abilities. The time for that had passed. Tac-grid warned her, and she dodged into an office building instead of jumping the large truck ahead. A missile slammed into it, causing a massive explosion. Yaneta was already moving through the building and out the back door as fire erupted on the street. One of the fighter's drones tried to hit the Trangrod, but it was too quick, dodging inside the building before it could be targeted. Tac-grid plotted all the Trangrod sightings and integrated them with Nelya's; they could both see the cordon drawing tighter. It was time to do something about the ones closing on Nelya. Yaneta's symbiont calculated vectors, fields of fire, and escape routes. The latter didn't look so good, but she sent a new route to Nelya and Bogrov. If they were lucky, they could turn the Om trap against them.

Bugrov still had four men with him with Drans armor; the rest of his forces were whatever was available: a combination of swat style and general security forces. Nelya's security troops were more heavily armed than normal soldiers; their weapons were almost equal to what his men carried, but the BFW was too heavy and bulky for an unarmored man. Bogruv was able to get three mounted BFWs from Nelya's security, but their defensive position was less than ideal. The terrain near the President's residence was carved out of a thickly wooded area on three sides for privacy, and the road leading in was also lined by trees. The palatial estate was probably impregnable to the Trangrods, but Yaneta had ordered that he deploy his men well forward, almost a kilometer away among some low apartment buildings. They had hastily evacuated the residences, all belonging to important officials. Bugrov walked through the building, placing his men and weapons in the best defensive position, absently noting the opulence. Exquisite paintings by unknown artists, vases, statues, and expensive rugs. He doubted much would be left unless things went better than expected; what a waste. Yaneta guessed 25-35 Trangrods were closing on them. Bugrov knew he didn't have enough men to mount an effective defense. The Trangrods would surround and attack from all sides, and those damn big ones could jump onto the roof or leap right through a third-floor window. Bogrov came back to where he had positioned the four armored men. "You will stay here with me; we will react to Yaneta's commands, and the others will buy us the time we need. Remember, Yaneta is in charge, but your primary job is to ensure the President survives." They didn't say anything, but Bugrov could see the looks in their eyes. Nelya instilled a fanatical loyalty in her guard and those around her. They would throw themselves in front of a train if she ordered it and would now fight to the death if needed. Bogrov looked at them one more time; he didn't expect to see any of them alive again.

Yaneta watched from across the street as Nelya leaped to the ground and ran around the corner and across the tree-lined area toward where Bogrov and his men were waiting. There was still no contact with Rhys, which meant help was not forthcoming. She used her last grenade to blow a Trangrod that was following Nelya back into the room just as Nelya found Bugrov and his men. The Trangrod probably survived, but it bought a few seconds, and right now, every second counted. Yaneta turned and ran to the other side of the building and jumped. There was about one hundred meters of empty space to Bugrov's position, and she covered it in three seconds. The door to one of the residences was open, and Yaneta leaped the last twenty meters. She felt something hit her, knocking her to the floor. Stunned by a hit to her helmet that sent her tumbling, she felt the impact of a second round that found a damaged spot in her armor and punched into her torso. Yaneta felt hands grab her, pulling her to momentary safety just as missiles fired by the Om began crashing in. Smoke and fire filled the buildings as they partially collapsed, killing several of the soldiers Bugrov had mustered. Drones directed by the fighter aircraft swooped down low, returning fire.

The drones and fighter aircraft covered the area; however, the remaining Trangrods were closing from all directions, their swarm communications allowing them to act as one. While Yaneta knew she was hurt, a med chamber would fix that. For now, she had to get Nelya to safety.

Two more airborne objects inbound tac-grid warned her! "Bugrov, take your four men and get Nelya to the residence; she will be safe there." Yaneta calculated the incoming vectors, and it didn't look good. The Om were jamming their sensors, and her symbiont gave her probabilities that air cover would get one of the inbound aircraft but the odds for the other one kept shifting as the Om craft loaded with Trangords flew low between buildings. Fighter aircraft converged on the leading object that all but disintegrated as missiles and laser beams blew it apart. Then second Om craft dissolved microseconds before missiles found it. The resulting fireball shattered windows and collapsed buildings, but at least half of the Trangrods jetted away.

Yaneta followed Bugrov out the back of the partially destroyed buildings. The ground behind and building on the right and left erupted as Yaneta directed airstrikes at the surrounding area. Bugrov and his men couldn't move as fast as she could, but they formed a wall around Nelya, protecting her from Trangrod fire. Bugrov felt like he was running through hell as the ground trembled and explosions rippled on all sides except directly ahead. Missiles, cannon fire, and lasers from the airborne drones sought out the Trangrods that continued their attack like mindless insects. Bugrov didn't need his tac-grid to know it would not be enough. Projections of Trangrod movements suggested at least five would make it through or be waiting for them before they would reach safety.

Yaneta could also see the odds and calculated probabilities based on her decreased mobility. She felt no pain, but she suspected the damage she had taken could be fatal. Making a decision, she grabbed Nelya away from Bugrov's men and leaped forward, leaving them behind. New orders appeared on Bugrov's tac-grid, and two of his men went left and two right to slow the incoming Om insects. Bugrov followed for approximately fifty meters before falling to the ground. He brought his BFW to his shoulder and began firing at the targets Yenata assigned them. The few remaining Trangrods tried to go around or over, providing just a few more seconds. Three of his four remaining men went down, but they bought much-needed seconds with their lives.

Explosions rocked the ground, causing Yaneta to stumble and fall, but then Nelya was firing as one of the insects jumped at least fifty meters. The long burst tore it to pieces. Yaneta scrambled to her feet, weapon up and firing, then running again with Nelya. At a hundred meters from safety, Yaneta played her last card, and the drones assigned to the residence poured out of the building, seeking out targets. Nelya was struggling because of the damage to her leg, and Yaneta could see blood coming from other parts of her body. Shrapnel, she guessed, since Nelya was still alive.

Twenty meters from safety, the interference that had kept Nelya from contacting Rhys disappeared, and he was suddenly there, sharing tac-grid data. Nelya felt relief flow through her, but at the same time, Bugrov screamed a warning, and Nelya felt something hit her like a sledgehammer in the left shoulder, knocking her to the ground. Yaneta turned and saw that despite all odds, two large insect Trangrods had penetrated the wall of explosions and the tiger drones. One was damaged, a tiger drone hanging on to it, but the other was moving directly toward Nelya, who was trying to regain her feet. Yaneta turned and fired on full automatic, hitting the damaged Trangrod, but the remaining one changed its trajectory mid-jump toward her. Yaneta dodged under it, rounds exploding into the ground around her. Yaneta felt pain as two projectiles penetrated her armor, shattering her right arm and knocking her weapon from her hand. With her remaining strength, she grabbed Nelya with her left hand and threw her into the entrance to the building. Drans metal walls slammed down, and active defense came online. Yaneta turned to the remaining Trangrod with just her monoblade.

Yaneta tried to defend herself, but the injuries slowed her, and the alien insect Trangrod jumped onto her, pinning her to the ground and driving its pointed legs into the holes in Yaneta's armor. Yaneta screamed in pain as the Trangrod drove its tentacles deep into her and into the ground, pinning her like an insect. Yaneta struggled but was too weak, and more tentacles drilled through her helmet and into her skull. Her symbiont fought the invading nano-virus, but Yaneta was too weak, and the symbiont could not fight off the multiple attacks. Realizing it was being consumed and in danger of being taken by the Om, the symbiont acted according to its programming and suicided, taking Yaneta with it.

Nelya felt Yaneta die and heard the shouts of surprise from the others. The remaining drones converged on the Trangrod, tearing it apart, but it was too late for Yaneta. but she had fulfilled her role better than anyone had expected.

***

"Withdraw to the shuttle now!" Rhys commanded while watching both tactical situations at the same time. Nelya was safe for the moment, but there were still Trangrods unaccounted for, and he didn't know what other surprises the Om had waiting for them. As a precaution, he sent Anita and Mika to safety; Anita was even now being hustled to a waiting aircraft; she would be safer airborne, Mika to the base in the Negev. Alpha Squad was withdrawing from the building that held the humans the Om wanted, but Command squad was still engaged. Rhys could see the Trangrods converging from the southeastern side. "Sandy, take them out, he ordered, designating the entire southeastern area.

Mike had a few seconds' notice before the entire area in front of him exploded as missiles from the shuttle devastated everything. He joined the rest of the Command squad in a fast run to the shuttle; the passage sealed behind him as the shuttle was already moving on a course to Moscow.

"They blocked our communications; the Om were not supposed to be able to do that," Kiania said with concern.

"And we didn't track this new method for deploying the Trangrods either. The Om have improved at evading our sensors, which is just as troublesome! Thea, I need you and Hua on this; we are too vulnerable to concentrated attacks; we need to be able to pin these bastards into a small area.

"We are analyzing the sensor data now, but we need direct contact with the AI we retrieved from the Drans cruiser," Hua replied. Rhys had mostly gotten used to the way Hua sometimes spoke, using the voices of both bodies for emphasis. However, it was still strange hearing and seeing two bodies simultaneously speaking the same words with the exact same intonation.

"Thanks, Hua; we will return as soon as we make arrangements to keep Nelya safe," Rhys replied thoughtfully. He watched as Thea sent her hair over to both bodies, and he could see and feel Hua relax. Rhys didn't understand the strange interaction between the three of them; Hua claimed Thea "grounded' her and helped keep her human. As he watched, Hua's two bodies walked over and embraced Thea, each sharing a passionate kiss. "Bob, their features are changing, becoming more alike. Am I doing that," Rhys asked his symbiote.

"No, they are doing it. Each one is adapting features from the other. They are one mind now, no longer Mei and Bao. Soon they will look identical, a combination of the originals, neither Mei nor Bao, just Hua.

"Ten seconds, Sandy warned as she brought the shuttle roaring down over Moscow, not caring about the noise nor the heat signature. "Acquiring and firing," She added in an almost distracted fashion. She was deeply integrated with the shuttle, feeling everything as if it was her body. Her fingers were missile launchers, her eyes targeting and firing lasers and disrupters. Explosions shook the ground near Nelya's residence, and beams sliced down through structures to annihilate the Trangrods.