Alien Mine Ch. 24

Salazar reassembled his weapon, attached the grenade launcher, and activated the interface. The data wave hit him, but now he was an old hand at it, and his neural Brain-Machine Interface felt like it belonged there. He let his tiger drone join the interface, and the data load increased, but not too much. Of all the innovations thrown at them over the past six months, this was the one he liked the best. Heavily armored, the tiger drone could go from a standard four-legged walk to a low-profile fast crawl. It had extensions that could stick around a corner and provide visual feedback, but best of all, it was armed with a small chain gun, a grenade launcher, and small, highly maneuverable missiles. And finally, it was expendable if your life depended on it.

"Ready, Private?" Corporal Dixon asked.

"Good to go, Corporal, " he said, moving his weapon around and testing the targeting. At his command, the tiger drone turned toward the corporal and jumped over his head. The others in the team laughed as Dixon ducked and almost fell on his ass.

"Damn it, you asshole, you know those things creep me out."

"Yeah, but not as much as the Trangrods."

"True. Everyone get your gear together; we move out in thirty minutes. Fire Team One has the lead; we will be the first Marines in. The Old Man is counting on us to clear the way."

"Oorah," they all shouted. Let's show those army pukes how it's done," the corporal added.

***

"We're ready as we will be," Jack said. "We don't have enough assault craft, so the men will go in waves, 1,500 each time, depending on losses. I will be with the first group going in with the staff and command squad."

"Good luck, Jack," Kiania said. Nelya and Bugrov will strike from the north and east, and Jessica will strike from the south. They will go in an hour before you as planned."

"How is Mika's multinational integration going? Will we be able to depend on them?"

Jessica's role was secondary; they would primarily be a diversion before the main assault hit. If anything went sideways, it could be there. Her forces were a combination of soldiers from Israel and the Middle East, including Jordanian and the Gulf States, Iraqi, and surprisingly, Iranian. In addition, she had soldiers from India and Pakistan and a scattering of countries from Africa. It was difficult to get them trained and melding them into a coherent fighting force. That's why they were mainly a diversion.

"Good enough," Rhys interjected, "some national groups are better than others. Still, ready or not, they are motivated. Everyone, no matter where they are from, is fighting for their home and family; it's a strong motivator.

Kiania queried the remaining two.

"We are ready," Jessica said. She was aware of the misgivings of the others, and despite the wide range of cultures and languages, she was confident in their ability to fight. She had not insisted on total integration; they would fight in national groups. Despite time pressure, she had been very selective, accepting only experienced soldiers. Some of the national units were better than the others, but she didn't think any would collapse without a fight.

"Paî-dyóm-tye," (let's go) Nelya said in Russian, then she added something that seemed to translate to "let's begin the fucking." For once, Rhys thought Bob had got the translation wrong, but the meaning was clear.

"Go," Rhys said, "Activate the cicadas." There would be time for speeches later.

Captain Hamisi Shabani watched in awe as the sky over the target area lit up bright as day. It was not yet sunrise, but the area around Aksai Chin glowed as meteors roared in from multiple directions, spitting missiles before they were destroyed by fire from the Om. The Captain was from Tanzania, part of the force led by the female warrior Jessica. He was proud to be part of the attack that was to stamp out the alien invasion, and he was equally proud of the men he led. Their previous experience had been chasing a few guerrillas and trying to stop the elephant slaughter, but now they were a finely honed weapon, ready to be a spear at the heart of their foes. The training had been intense, and many men were sent home. But those that made it were the best.

Shabani trembled as he waited, not in fear, more like animals that were ready to run but held at the gate. He looked around at his men seated in the interior of an assault shuttle as targeting information began appearing in his tac-grid. The Alien defenses of Aksai Chin had been penetrated, and there were gaping holes in the plateau, revealing a labyrinth of tunnels. One in particular was highlighted, where he and his men would begin the battle. The shuttle started moving, and he downloaded more orders from his Brigade Commander. He and his men were ready; let the slaughter begin.

"The cicadas have done their job," Rhys said with satisfaction as he watched from the shuttle as missiles began to penetrate the Om defenses. The defensive fire decreased substantially as explosions rocked the plateau. Now, hundreds of ground-launched missiles fired simultaneously from multiple directions, and as they hit, it looked as though the surface broke apart, like the ice covering a pond when rocks are thrown in. Kiania was standing in front of the hologram with the Binary. Hua and Thea sat at consoles linked to the weapon systems. They were all anxious to begin the fight.

"Take us closer," Rhys ordered, and Sandy moved the shuttle to conform with the detailed track that appeared on her tac-grid. Rhys studied the emotions flowing off Kiania for a moment, satisfied that she was calm, cool, and collected. There had been less and less need for him to influence her emotions, and now she was laser-focused on the job at hand.

Sandy had been ready for the command, anticipating Rhys' orders. Like the other girls, Sandy's mind and body responded to his commands with a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction. However, the need to obey with the accompanying physical and emotional response was now much more intense with the new bonds she had finally submitted to. Her symbiont was well and truly caged, compliant, submissive, and eager to please. Sandy was still trying to come to grips with the radical shift in the relationship, how her personality molded itself to Rhys' demands and desires. Once, it was a partnership of equals, but her ambition had not been satisfied with that. Now, as a result of her actions, it was a Master-Slave relationship, forever. There was no going back; the kind of bonds she had been forced to accept ensured that.

Part of her mourned the loss of that soaring ambition, where nothing seemed impossible, but another part was almost grateful. Her ambition had driven her to attack and try to kill the others, even though she loved them as much as was humanly possible. Unfortunately, her symbiont didn't care, and Sandy had almost destroyed everything dear to her.

Now, it was no longer an option; her submission to Rhys was absolute. Though She loved Rhys now more than ever, she grieved for the unconditional love and trust they once had. She knew he still loved her, but she also knew he had not forgiven her, not really. She had betrayed his love for her, and though over time he might learn to trust her again, she doubted that kind of love could ever be restored.

With the new bonds in place, Sandy sensed his every mood. It was not telepathy but a deeper empathic connection that her mind and body responded to as if it were a direct command. She could not resist his slightest needs, and Sandy now anticipated his wishes, "just as a good slave should," she thought with a slight smile. The thought would have terrified her even a few days ago, but now it brought arousal and a profound and unfathomable sense of peace.

***

Kiania watched the first strike go in and winced as beam weapons and hidden missile sites flicked out, sending numerous assault shuttles down in fiery explosions. Thank God the initial wave was all drones. She bit her lip as the numbers kept climbing; five hundred in the initial wave and one hundred and thirty-seven, no, make that one hundred and forty-two, were destroyed. "Targeting now," Kiania said grimly, moving her hands rapidly while her symbiont plotted the Om launch sites, and at her orders, another wave of explosions immediately torched the enemy weapon sites as her air support assets responded enthusiastically. The assault craft landed briefly to discharge their cargo, drones taking little time to be discharged into the forbidding maw of the Om tunnels. Even from here, it was obvious to Rhys that the tunnel system that was exposed by their bombardment was on a scale that even he hadn't imagined.

The new tanks had been designed to plug the tunnels with their guns and bulk. It looked as though they had drastically underestimated the diameter needed, but it was too late now. "Use the tanks in pairs," Rhys warned Kiania; the tunnels are too large in diameter. We will have to concentrate the forces together as well."

Kiania acknowledged and immediately sent new orders. She didn't worry about making changes on the fly; they had trained for this, and the leaders were well prepared. "Russian and European forces inbound; Jessica and her forces will launch in twenty minutes." The attack was designed to whipsaw the Trangrods and make them react to multiple attacks at widely separated locations.

Rhys and the others were silent, watching as the next wave of assault shuttles approached. Rhys felt confident in their plan of attack, but he wondered how many of those men and women would be alive in a few days. He had sent men into battle in the past, knowing that some of them would die, but nothing on this scale. He watched intently as the assault craft approached the targeted areas, ignoring the feedback from the drones and the already ferocious battle. That reminded him of poking a fire ant bed with a stick, he thought absently, and Jessica and Nelya were about to be right in the middle of it.

Yair took his seat in the assault craft and connected an input socket to the back of his skull. His new brain-computer-interface upgrades handled the data load better, but the sheer amount of information could be overwhelming. Throttling down the input, he could see icons representing the men in his company, their health, and status of their armor and weapons. But even more impressive was the three-dimensional display tac-grid provided of the battle space. He felt the craft lift off and was pressed back into his chair by the acceleration. Four G's, he guessed as he briefly struggled with the sudden pressure. The acceleration continued smoothly at first; then, he was suddenly thrown sharply against his restraints as the craft took evasive maneuvers. Yair paid little attention and instead focused on the landing site. A battle was already raging as the drones sought to draw out the Trangrods. He gave initial deployment orders to his Sergeants' and then was pressed even more violently into his restraints as the shuttle swung 180 degrees, fired thrusters to slow down, and then settled onto the ground. After the craft rested on the ground, the back and sides opened, and his men immediately took fire. Two died in those first seconds, and Yair and his men were suddenly fighting for their lives.

"They have reacted strongly to the attacks," Jessica observed as her shuttle prepared to land. Jessica had one thousand men and women in the initial attack spread across five identified Om nest passages that the bombardment had exposed. She was confident there were others they didn't know about, and surely they were in for some nasty surprises. There was air support that would watch the surface, but the danger of unknown passages increased dramatically once they were underground.

"Indeed," Kiania said while watching the battle space. "Nelya has also encountered tough resistance, but her forces are mostly underground now. Proceed as planned, I will tell you when to stop,"

"Yes, Ma'am," Jessica replied, already issuing orders for the descent into hell, as her troops called it. It is easy to descend into hell; it is the retracing of the path upward toward the sweet breath of clean air that is the burden and on the prayers of every soldier.

Kiania bit her lip subconsciously as she ordered Jessica into the tunnels. The plan of attack called for Jessica and Nelya to lead an attack to draw the Trangrod forces to them. However, she was concerned she and Rhys had underestimated the number of Trangrods and the ferocity with which they would respond. After all, a cornered animal fights nastier than one in the open. Kiania observed the response patterns for the Trangrods, and they were very close to their models. Rhys' analogy of a fire ant bed seemed appropriate. As a child, Kiania unknowingly stepped into a fire ant bed. By the time she was aware, hundreds had swarmed up her legs. She had screamed and ran, and her mother had thrown her into a nearby stream to wash them away. As a result, her legs and feet had been covered in bites, and Kiania had been wary of where she put her bare feet. The Om's reaction to their attack reminded her of the incident. The initial response from the Trangrods was to swarm and overwhelm any intruder, and she had just ordered two of her lovers to stir up the nest deliberately. She just hoped they survived it.

Captain Hamisi Shabani was first out of the transport and nodded to himself in satisfaction as the men deployed in their ten-man squads with drones deployed forward and on the flanks. The ground seemed to shake as the assault shuttle took off, the roar of its engines penetrating his armor, but his attention was focused on the mouth of the tunnel in front of him. Probably thirty meters in diameter, the sides smooth as glass, yet soft to the touch, sponge-like. He had seen the videos of the ones under Moscow; however, they did not prepare him for this. He felt a sense of foreboding, almost a feeling of malignant evil emanating from the tunnel. The Captain did not think he was a superstitious man, but if there were evil spirits, they lurked here in force. Gathering himself, he began issuing orders. Two large tracked armored vehicles moved with surprising agility into the mouth of the tunnel, the front bristling with weapons. A large cannon, a laser beam, and a short-range disrupter. Twenty meters max range he was told, so of limited effectiveness. The armor curved around in the front, giving it the shape of an egg. Armored and shielded, it was designed to take heavy fire and keep going.

"Sergeant Sanga, send third platoon forward, fifth platoon will cover the rear." They were the best platoons, and he was particularly concerned about his rear. That had been drummed into his men during training, the Trangrods cutting through from other tunnels to cut off and destroy the attackers. Other shuttles began landing nearby, and other companies were deploying. They were not alone; a total of three hundred men would attack down this tunnel, but Captain Shabani's men would lead the attack.

The two tanks entered the tunnel mouth, and the Captain received orders to follow. He and Sergeant Sanga were in the middle so they could respond to attacks from any direction. The Captain was glad to have Sargent Sanga with him; he was a big man but as quick and deadly as a snake. Better still, the men respected and feared him in equal measure, and his scores in the simulations were among the highest. Some of these men had probably been elephant hunters or even bandits in their previous careers, but now they were soldiers fighting for their homes. And if they didn't fight well, the Captain and Sergeant had a kill switch.

Hamisi didn't have to wait long to find out. "Contact! 3^rd platoon reported amid gunfire and explosions. Individual Trangrod targets appeared on his tac-grid, several red dots ahead of his men. The fire was directed at the tanks for now. This was something new the Trangrods hadn't seen before, and he hoped they were effective. The fight was short and furious, the lasers, chain guns, and auto-cannon making short work of the probing attacks. Hamisi pushed his men forward, advancing another three hundred meters, the ground gradually sloped downward at first, but the angle of descent quickly increased.

They had come to a junction; tunnels led to the right and left, and another continued straight ahead but with a sharply increasing downward slope. "Hold here," he ordered the 3rd platoon, "Deploy to defend. 2nd Platoon, take the left tunnel and hold; 4th platoon, right tunnel and hold." Jessica's plan called for the forces to peel the Om nest like an onion, one level at a time, to prevent being surrounded and cut off. They had expected to have to fight their way here, but the Om were not responding to their attacks. Hamisi knew that when the enemy did not do what you expected trouble followed. He waited for the following company to take over the junction and then ordered his men in the maw of what Hamisi imagined the jaws of hell felt like. The 3rd platoon had descended approximately five hundred meters when the monsters came through the walls.

Corporal Komba heard the scream of terror from his squad mate before he saw the centipede-like alien grab his friend with the front mandible-like appendages and rip him in half. Blood splattered his faceplate as the torn halves of the soldier were thrown to the side just as the alien's armored legs reached toward him. Komba shouted as he desperately threw himself to the left, bringing up his BFW and firing wildly directly into the face of the thing. Komba thought he was prepared for this; he had trained hard as any man. But still, there was a moment of hesitation, and it almost got him killed. The sheer alienness of the monster he faced froze his mind. It was nothing from this earth, and the long arms reached for him, each one like a razor-sharp scythe designed for cutting. They had cut right through the armor of the man behind him, and Komba screamed in mindless fear as he stumbled. He desperately pulled the trigger of his weapon, firing into the thing, but the monster from his nightmares kept coming for him. Private Barkari stepped in front of him and fired a grenade into the damaged head. The explosion knocked large chunks out of the alien and knocked both of them back, shrapnel rattling off their armor. Komba scrambled to his feet, ashamed he had frozen. "Thanks," he said, looking wildly around to see if there were any more of those things. They were not the only ones attacked; the entire company had been hit. Unfortunately, there were six casualties, no wounded.

Jessica expected the attacks, but the change in strategy by the Om worried her. She knew in previous encounters the Om had immediately responded like aggressive animals defending their territory with massive counterattacks. These new attacks were designed to harass and demoralize, and she suspected they would draw them into an ambush. "What should we do," she asked Kiania, "I am reluctant to push further without knowing what is ahead; we risk getting cut off piecemeal if they bring substantial forces down on our flanks."

"Continue with your advance," Rhys ordered; "you must draw them to your position. Nelya's forces are also experiencing these harassing attacks. Reinforce your units with armor placed between companies. The Om must believe this is the main thrust.

"Yes sir," Jessica replied as she felt the flush of pleasure when she received the command. In spite of her misgivings, she had no choice but to obey. However, this command was different. It wasn't Rhys who ordered her; it was the 'One'. She had only witnessed this part of him when he was with Sandy, and a shiver of fear/arousal flowed through her as she ordered her troops further into the tunnels.