Alien Mine Ch. 23

Security and police began arriving, which only added to the chaos. Security whisked Anita away, and Rhys went with her. He was limping; the beam from the Om had gone right through his thigh. Pain buffers had kicked in, and Bob had ensured the bleeding stopped. It was on the way back that Rhys realized he was almost naked; the second blast had shredded his clothes, and he had numerous pieces of shrapnel sticking out of his body. It had pierced his skin but didn't penetrate into his muscles. "Into the med unit in my quarters," Anita said. we can debrief when you are healed. "

***

"We should have seen this coming," was the first thing Anita said after Rhys had spent an hour letting Drans technology heal his body. They were relatively safe at the White House; Thea had upgraded all the defenses. "We have been very aggressive asserting control of the Military, and Sandy can't adjust every Congressman and Senator. We were bound to stir up resentment and fear among some of them," Anita said.

"Rhys agreed, but betrayal hurt, especially when it came from your own. The assignation team had been a mixture of Chinese, a congressional staffer who had been a human bomb, a human Trangrod, and two of their own soldiers. Recent trainees, but still theirs. How they got here with their armor was an issue. He had become overconfident again.

Anita handed Rhys a large bourbon from the bar, and he threw it back, holding his glass out for another. "Leave it alone, Bob; I can use a few drinks right now," he said out loud. "You should have had your dog drones with you, Anita; I don't care if they scare Congress. And your security has to be better armed and protected; they didn't stand a chance."

"I know," Anita said sadly; "I will be meeting with their families in the next few days. It was all a big fuck-up, Rhys; how did we miss this?"

"There is too much going on right now; even we can't keep track of everything. Our intelligence is good, but it's obvious that the Om infiltration is significant. Unfortunately, You, Nelya, and Mika are obvious targets, and the three of you are more vulnerable than the rest of us. We don't have enough soldiers to spread around, especially now that we have lost Yaneta."

"Why don't you create more, Rhys? We need them now, especially if we are going to assault the home hive."

"No, not right now, not until I can understand how to manage the symbionts properly, how to keep their innate desire, their unrelenting drive to compete for power from corrupting us all."

"It was Only Sandy, and you have dealt with it," Anita said.

"No, not just Sandy," Rhys replied. "It's there in all of you," he said, reaching out and cupping Anita's cheek. "With you, I made strong bonds tying you to me, but I also used Sandy's hair to make changes to your mind."

"I know," Anita said, blushing a little but never taking her eyes off Rhys. I know you made me more submissive; compliant is the word I most remember hearing. I do not feel the need to challenge you, Rhys; the thought is abhorrent to me. Sandy explained that my submissiveness carries over to Mika and Nelya, softening their aggressiveness."

That wasn't the entire truth; Anita didn't know what Sandy had planned or that Rhys had stopped it. Sadly, much of the damage had been done; Anita could never be as strong as Nelya or Mika. Sandy's conditioning had gone too deep to be reversed, so Rhys had done the next best thing, and Anita's close bonds with the other two did seem to soften their need for power. However, despite the changes to Anita's mind, she had been the only one other than Rhys to shift into some other form. Best not to take anything for granted where the symbionts are concerned. At least she hadn't turned into the bear-like creature during the attack where others could see her; that would have raised too many questions.

Still, nothing had been resolved, especially with Sandy. Rhys couldn't guess how it would end. At times, he was sure Sandy would recognize how she was hurting them all and would give in, but then the symbiont's drive for command would take over, and she continued to challenge him. It would end soon, one way or another. However, until he could figure out how to keep the others from challenging him, Rhys was reluctant to create more. Then, there was the AI's ominous warning about unbound symbionts. Rhys couldn't help wondering if this would end in disaster as the symbionts fought for control. No, he wasn't going to create more symbionts just to have to kill them in defense.

Rhys was the type of man who could kill his own dog if it needed to be put down, but killing Sandy would take something from him, and he knew once he did, it would be easier the second or third time. Rhys worried about losing his boundaries, his humanity. Killing was easy; he had become more ruthless; the battle with the Om demanded it. Still, now he was considering killing one of their own, a woman he had loved, still loved. It would be easy to sink into the sewer of morality like previous dictators, Pol Pot, Stalin, and Hitler. Sandy had helped him maintain his equilibrium, but at times, he felt alone, like a rock at sea with an angry ocean trying to tear it down.

"Part of that is correct," Rhys replied. "Sandy is still a work in progress, and I'm not sure how it will play out yet. Don't worry about it though; you are strong in your own right, and you are a warrior as well. You may not have been in battle with us, but you fought and killed the Om both times you were attacked. I want you trained with this new weapon, and you need the kill code for our soldiers in case something like this happens again. Everyone who joins Miranda gets one Anita, at least those without a symbiont."

"I am leaving in five days for a Pacific Rim trip Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, India, and Australia. Six countries, three days. My husband is traveling with me. Is that ok?" Anita asked tentatively.

"Of course. The new aircraft Thea designed and built is ready for you; It will be here later today. You will have an escort, six fighters, and fifteen armored security. I am sending the old Command Squad with you as well as Charlie Squad, all veterans. Hua will also accompany you, but she is getting off in India. I want her to scout the China/Om border to see what is happening there. Also, we still haven't figured out how the Om blocked our communications, so we will be in constant contact with your Bob. Don't worry, you won't notice, but we will all know if there is any break in our comms. Kiania and I will have a large team standing by on alert and can be there in under ten minutes. However, I want you to come to the base first and get fitted with one of the new weapons. You will only have time for a little practice, but I can teach you enough in a day to make you deadly with it."

Anita nodded, her symbiote filing away the information. "You expect that the Om will try to attack me somewhere during the trip?"

"Yes, most likely either the Philippines or India, though I think India is the most probable. New Deli is not that far from the primary Om nest. I want you to be extra careful there. The Om have lost China; they continue to take humans where they can, but the infrastructure in China has been severely damaged, and we continue to take out any military targets we find. India is the obvious new target for them. Heavily populated, many areas are rural, and the Om have been clever about exploiting corrupt government officials. Send Carson home before India for his safety.

"So I am bait?" Anita asked with a smile.

"Yes, draw them out; the more publicly, the better. The leaders need to see what we are up against. We will be standing by if we are needed. Hua will arrive before you do and will scout out the area. We should have an idea of what we are up against before you arrive."

A schedule popped up in front of her eyes, and she scrolled through faces, bios, and economic data. She would contact Amancia to check on the financials of all participants and government ministers. Bribery was just another weapon to be used. All that only took a second, and she moved into Rhys' arms. "We have a little time," she said with a sexy pout, and I disobeyed by not having my drones with me. I should probably be spanked," she added, wriggling even closer to Rhys.

"I think you're right," Rhys replied. "Lay over my lap like a good girl."

***

Nelya stood in an empty office looking down at a warehouse facility. It felt good to be back in her armor; she rarely had an excuse to wear it. However, since the attack that killed Yaneta, it had always been close by. Now she was with the Binary and Sandy, Bugrov, and ten of his remaining men. Replacements had already been sent off for training, but they would take a while to return. It was a huge jump from even Special Forces to powered armor and learning to fight the Om. Nelya's symbiont followed along as the Binary probed sensitive security barriers. Definitely Om. The binary sent feelers racing through the surrounding area, searching through every possible electronic signal as well as those used by the Om. Enhanced vision scanned the surrounding area, and input from fifty small dragonfly-like drones was analyzed, forming a three-dimensional picture. The builders' own files were accessed, and blueprints of the warehouse were added.

They had traced General Fedorov to this location; the binary carefully probed for the Om communications she knew had to be there. It was something she was familiar with, an almost constant background hum. The Binary couldn't tap into it nor understand it, but she could disrupt it. Analysis suggested two to four human-like Om, and five to six Trangrods. There were other humans inside, but without visuals, she didn't know how many.

"I want the General alive," Nelya said, "and as many of his traitorous colleagues as possible."

"Yes, Empress," Bugrov replied. He and his men had begun calling her that. Nelya encouraged it among the soldiers as an honorific, but she knew the word meant more to them. They worshiped her and gave their lives willingly to defend her. Not one had run during the attack on her and Yaneta. They knew they were being sacrificed to buy time for her escape, and they had all stood and died bravely. Their sacrifice had become legendary among the soldiers, and being chosen for her personnel guard was now considered the highest honor. In Russia, it played well; the people understood that a strong leader inspired sacrifice. However, in Europe, it would be perceived differently, a threat to their democracy. Europe did not want an Empress, so Nelya allowed it only in her inner circle.

The Binary fed Nelya and Sandy the data stream, and Nelya winced as the tac-grid filled with information. The tac-grid displayed the vibrant, colorful multi-dimensional data configuration, almost overwhelming her senses, even with the symbiont. The Binary could process so much more information faster.

"Ready?" the Binary asked.

"Yes, do it," Nelya replied.

The binary was in charge of the operation, and Bugrov and his men were ready. They had trained with the Binary and knew what it could do, and he was glad it was here. A silent command and a large drone burst through the warehouse wall; five more tiger drones followed. At the exact same time, charges blew two holes in another wall, and Bugrov sent his men in. The Binary was close on the heels of the drones, followed by Nelya and Sandy. The instant the first drone entered the warehouse, the Binary had taken the visual information and assigned targets to each man and the drones. Amancia's BFW blew one of the human-like Om almost in half, took the head off the other, and then checked for more targets. The other half of the Binary had killed the other Om, and then joined Nelya and Bugrov's men in finishing the Trangrods. Sandy's target had been the General, so she had reached out with her hair, grabbed him, and pulled him to her.

For once, the battle was over in seconds. There were three other humans alive but looking terrified, as well they should be, and Sandy held General Fedorov tightly. Nelya lowered her rifle and removed her helmet. General Fedorov gasped when he saw who it was. Nelya stared at him coldly, resisting the desire to kill him immediately. The general had never seen a colder face. His bladder let go as he stared death in the face. The General began screaming as Sandy's hair slid into his spine and brain. Sandy wasn't interested in being gentle, and the screams cut off suddenly as she took control of his nervous system. "Now, ask him anything you want; he will tell you everything." The others watched in horror as the General did tell them everything.

"Should I, or do you want to do it," Sandy asked later after getting everything they wanted from him.

"I will," Nelya said, for Yaneta. The general could only scream wordlessly as the hand in front of him changed into a wolf's paw but with long Drans steel claws. Nelya didn't make it quick, taking her time to tear open his chest, enjoying the blood running down her arm. His heart laid bare and beating. Nelya felt powerful; the feeling of absolute power was addicting. She stared into the General's eyes before she took his heart. "You have a daughter; you will go to your death knowing she will pay for your crimes." Nelya paused for a moment, enjoying the look of terror in his eyes. "For Yaneta!" she shouted out and then ripped out his heart. Sandy dropped the body, but before it hit the ground, the other three traitors screamed as her hair found their brains.

***

Kiania, Thea, Jack, and General Kelly were gathered in the engineering spaces. A hologram depicted Anita's flight path as she approached the Philippines. "There," Kiania said as a red dot appeared over western China.

"There's another," Thea said as a second red dot followed the first. "Look at how fast it's moving, approaching Mach twenty."

"Is that going to be a problem," Jack asked.

"No. Just a few adjustments, and now," Thea said, and both red dots disappeared.

Rhys had been watching them from the satellite feed and their own drones that were patrolling the skies over western China. "Direct hit, both of them," he said with satisfaction. "Good job Thea; that should make them think twice before they try that again. Do you think we can completely shut them down?"

Thea thought for a minute. "Probably," she finally said. Our current satellites can track them now, and the missile and laser beam platforms are in place. If the Om conducted a series of rapid launches, we might miss one or more. Or if they figure out how to blind our sensors again. However, I have saturated the area with airborne drones, satellites in geosynchronous orbits, and ground stations on the western side."

"Excellent. Jack, as troops become available, I want to establish some ground stations in western China. We need hunt-and-destroy missions to clean out the remaining Om and stop their recruiting. We have enough airborne assets now to provide around-the-clock fire support. It's time to start tightening the noose," Rhys said emphatically.

"We are just beginning to get the first of the new trainees through armor training; they have no active combat experience against the Trangrods."

"I know, but we have them off balance in China, and we can't let them reclaim it. Unarmored troops won't have much of a chance against Trangrods, especially the centipedes. You can have Echo Squad to keep as a reserve."

"Can I have a week?" Jack requested.

"Three days," Rhys said. "You and Kiania work it out. As more men complete training, I want them inserted as well. Unfortunately, I know it means we may take some casualties, but we can't let the Om get re-established. That will cost us many more losses in the long run."

Jack knew he wouldn't get any more time, and he reluctantly agreed with Rhys that time was of the essence. "Yes, Sir, he said, turning to Kiania.

****

Clara Campoamor, President of the European Commission, looked into the mirror over the bar at the small but exclusive restaurant she had chosen for the first social gathering of the European Commission and the President of Russia, who was also representing the enigmatic Miranda Group. According to best intelligence, Miranda led the effort to fight the aliens and was the one who controlled access to the alien technology. The technology was game-changing, to use a popular expression, and every country was screaming for access. Her job was to facilitate that, to quickly acquire as much as possible. Germany and France, in particular, were clamoring for access. No, Clara thought with a sigh; demanding access was more the right word. They had representatives here tonight, as did all the EU and NATO countries. They were all scared, with good reason. The day the rest of the world discovered there were aliens among them was the day the technology they were so proud of became obsolete. Now, they were all in the position of supplicants, and none of them liked that.

The image from the mirror stared back at her, and she liked what she saw. A woman in her mid-forties, she retained her youthful looks and figure despite three children. She was vain enough to think she looked younger, especially with her dirty blond hair spilling over her shoulders. A little nip and tuck around certain parts of her body helped. Her face had a few lines, but her husband always said it gave her character, and he appreciated how she looked.

Clara was dressed conservatively, a long dress and heels, with little jewelry. Tonight, she represented the European Union, and she looked the part. Clara picked up her drink, water, no alcohol. She wanted to be at her best, and the President of Russia was definitely a formidable woman. They had met once already, but time had been short. This would be a longer meeting, social tonight, but serious negotiations tomorrow and the next day.

Every head turned as the President of Russia walked in the door. Proud, young, and beautiful, but also brilliant and regal, Clara thought. Tonight, she carried herself like a queen; despite her youth, she had a commanding presence and dominated the room just by being there. Nelya was one of the most striking women Clara had ever seen. Nelya wore a midnight blue cocktail dress that fell to her knees, tight but not overly so, with matching stiletto heels that made her appear taller than she was. She was a gorgeous woman by any standards, and she walked with the confidence of someone who knows they are beautiful. She took a moment to look over the assembled guests with those piercing eyes of hers. The President's gaze swept the room before falling on Clara's. As their eyes met, a brief smile broke out on Nelya's face as she recognized her. Clara thought the President had been looking for her, and the gaze that held her eyes was intense.

Clara looked away to the other woman accompanying the President. She knew of her, a woman named Sandy, and a senior figure in Miranda, but they had not officially met. Sandy might have been even more stunning. An American woman who was slightly taller than the President, with sparkling green eyes and beautiful long red hair that fell in waves down to her waist. Clara stared, fascinated as the hair appeared to move as she walked as if it were alive. This woman, Sandy, wore a more formal floor-length gown that hugged her generous figure tightly and was cut lower in the font than was usual at these kinds of meetings. Every head turned as the two of them walked into the room, but Clara found herself staring into Sandy's bright green eyes. Those eyes seemed to be judging her, and an almost predatory smile came to Sandy's lips before it quickly disappeared.

Clara broke eye contact but couldn't look away as the two women approached her. The President of Russia walked up to her, stopped, and shook her hand. 'It's a pleasure to see you again; I have been looking forward to it," Nelya said in a low husky voice.