Second Chances (53 page)

“So why did you come along? Play hero? You know Doc's going to have your ass...” Vance warned.

“I don't know...” Mitch frowned. He looked up to the ceiling. It was dark, even with the bright LED's on his helmet they couldn't pierce all the way up in some places. When he did look the shadows moved eerily. He saw something scuttle up there and frowned.

“What? What did you see?” Gina asked. She brushed at drops on her shoulders in annoyance. “Damn, this crap is never going to come out,” she muttered. She rubbed a sample between her fingers.

“It's not Calcium. Not water...” she wrinkled her nose when she sniffed it then coughed. “Damn. Yeah, getting the wash...we may have to burn our clothes,” she muttered.

Mitch felt something then, something, a tingling, déjà vu. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on it. Then he felt his head ache, it was growing fast into a migraine. He felt pain, flashes of movement, then the sight of horrible compound eyes, thousands of them. Then the mental image of a geyser. “Pull back,” he said roughly.

“What?” Vance asked, stumbling.

“Pull back,” Mitch said, stopping. He waved them back.

“Mitch...”

“Don't argue with me!” Mitch said, rubbing the side of his head the best he could with his gloved hand. He winced. “Move back. Consolidate on the lights and move back. Do it,” he growled.

“We just found a sinkhole that may lead to the water. Arby said the probe picked up sounds of rushing water,” Phyllis said. “Gina, go back with Mitch,” she said, nodding her chin to the teen.

“Happy to,” the girl said, taking Mitch by the arm.

“What's wrong?” Vance asked, now concerned. “Headache?”

“Migraine. Bad one. Something bad is about to happen,” Mitch said loudly enough for the others to turn to look at him. “I said pull back. Go,” he snarled. “Move before it's too late,” he ordered.

“His vaunted spider sense,” Phyllis said, sounding amused.

“When instinct screams at you to stop, you take the time to listen but don't let fear stop you completely,” the chief said slowly, holding up a fist. He clicked the radio. “Pull back. I'm not sure if it's gas or indigestion...”

“Bad air?” Vance asked, now concerned. “We didn't plan for that.”

“No, we didn't,” the gunny said thoughtfully. “And...” he turned as something spattered his helmet. He grunted and reached up to touch the much as it dribbled down the front of his helmet onto his chest. “...we need to consolidate,” he said, flicking the muck away.

“Oh god, yuck,” Gina said, coughing. “What the hell is that stuff?” She demanded, taking a spotlight and shining it up to the ceiling. She flipped it on high beam and suddenly Mitch lunged for her.

“No! Don't!” he said, already too late.

A giant albino centipede flicked its antenna and mandibles at them for a brief second then moved shockingly fast. As it uncoiled dozens of smaller centipedes poured out of the light its body had blocked and wrapped around the columns like ribbons, moving down into the shadows.

“Pull back!” Mitch snarled. “Damn it!” He said, shoving the light down as the centipede lunged for the stricken girl. The mandibles snapped on the light, crushing it and the girl's hand.

The girl screamed in terror as Mitch tried to pull her aside. He couldn't fire. She was in the line of fire and Phyllis was on the other side of the animal, also in the line of fire. He felt something crunch wetly in the girl's arm and suddenly she was tugged out of his arms.

Phyllis was stuck dumb by the size of the thing, easily twelve feet long and armored on the back side. She tried to line up a shot but couldn't. She immediately switched tactics and pulled her ax. She screamed and lunched, driving it down into the chitin armor but the sharpened tip bounced off.

The thing turned though, momentarily distracted from its prey to go on the defense. Mitch pulled the girl away, rolling with her as she clutched the ruined arm to her chest. He tasted blood just as more centipedes swarmed in his lights. He kicked with his boot squishing a small one. The others pounced on the boot and the dead body.

There was a loud chuff and then the area lit with a brilliant reddish glow of a flare. Gunny was outlined like the devil. He threw one near the mamma centipede then fired at its head as Phyllis was bucked off. He continued to fire his Mp-5 making the thing dance and writhe in pain. It scuttled behind a flowstone and disappeared into the shadows.

“Report! I want a headcount!” the gunny snarled, coming over to Mitch and the girl. Mitch stomped another centipede then flipped his own Mp-5 off safety and fired near his foot. The round's sound and muzzle flash scared the animals off briefly. It gave him a second to regain his footing and pull a flash bang.

“Flashbang! Look away and cover your ears!” he snarled, dropping it at his feet then pulling the sobbing girl back. He turned with her and covered her as best he could as the thing went off. His ears rang and popped, his teeth felt like they were coming out of his mouth, his eyes watered, and his nose stank of the grenade. He coughed, feeling the compression run through his body. “That won't buy us much time. Get moving!” He ordered.

“Let me see that,” Vance said, coming over to the sobbing girl. He shook his head, still trying to clear his head. He sucked in his breath when he realized the girl's right hand was gone at the wrist. “Oh shit! Gina!” He wailed. He stood there staring.

“No time,” Mitch said, yanking a piece of cord off and wrapping it around the girl's elbow hard and tight. She gasped. “She's already lost a lot of blood and we don't know what bacteria that thing has. Tourniquet. We'll need to get her to Doc fast,” he said.

Gunny noted the hand and nodded grimly, jaw set. He patted the girl on her shoulder and then took point.

“Wait, we're missing someone. Where's Chuck?”

------*------

Chuck Atom had seen the giant thing coming for the girl and had broken into a terrified run for safety. He tripped ten yards out and fell into a sink hole. He felt something coil around his body and shook screaming. Things climbed all over him like a thousand ants then he saw something jump through the lights of his helmet at his face. He felt something bite at his face then his body froze. He laid there, staring as things began to feed on him, his mind screaming for help. Unfortunately, none was immediately forthcoming. After a few minutes all he wished for was death to be swift.

------*------

“Chuck??” Vance snarled, looking around.

“He was on the right, about five yards out,” the chief said grimly, moving past him. “I see his light. It's shining upward. You stay here,” he ordered.

“I'm coming,” Phyllis said, moving behind the chief. He grunted but didn't bother trying to stop her.

They approached cautiously, keeping an eye on the ceiling and shadows around them. Behind them the gunny lit off another flare and tossed it in their direction then another in the path they wanted to go. They found the body covered in a mass of writhing insects of all sizes. Phyllis covered her mouth, fighting to keep her gorge down. She turned away, fighting the tears pricking at her eyes. She snarled softly, ready to fire into the feeding mass but the chief pushed her weapon down. He shook his head and bodily pushed her back to the others.

When they got back they found Arby was leaning against a column standing on one foot. His leg was a bloody mess. He whimpered as Mitch knelt, checking him over. “You are lucky you didn't lose it kid,” Mitch said. “Next time watch where you step,” he growled.

“I don't feel so good,” the young man said, swooning.

“Easy,” Vance said, holding out his free hand. He had his other hand full supporting a very pale Gina. Tina was working on the girl, applying bandages and biofoam to the limb. She had forceps in the girl's arm, clamping the severed arteries. “We are in serious trouble here,” Vance said, voice quavering. He was clearly worried. “Are we going to make it back to the airlock?”

“Son of a bitch!” Tina snarled as she spun, fending off a swarm of scorpions. She stomped a few times then fired her shotgun, blasting dozens away but more filled in their place. She stepped back as Gina screamed again and began sobbing uncontrollably.

“No time,” Mitch said, shouldering Arby in a fireman's carry. “Move people,” he said, pointing to the arrow marking and initials on a column. “That way,” he said.

“Son of a bitch!” Tina snarled. Mitch turned enough to see her limping.

“What?”

“Either I just shot myself with buckshot or I got stung. I'm getting pins and needle feelings all through my legs,” she growled.

“Probably shot yourself,” the chief said, at her side, he tucked her against his side and pulled her along.

“Do you have the antivenin?” the chief asked after a few moments of hurried movement.

“I'm not even sure I got stung. I'm not numb. I may have stomped too hard,” Tina said, breathing heavily in his ear. Her eyes darted about the darkness. “I don't have any anyway.”

“You what?”

“We only have so much and the stuff requires refrigeration,” she said sighing.

“Damn.”

“Yeah, damn, I think I got stung,” Arby said. “Right in my left leg. Multiple times,” he said, voice slurring.

“You'd be out or dead if you got hit that many times kid,” Tina said gruffly. She sucked in a pained breath, still limping. “I have come to the conclusion that I don't like caves. And killing bugs with shotguns is overkill. Even if they are big ass bugs.”

The chief snorted harshly but didn't comment, he just kept hauling her along.

“I...I don't feel so good. My leg is burning...” Arby said. “Am I going to die?” He wailed, sobbing in pain and fear.

“Don't let the fear rule you kid, just keep breathing,” the gunny urged.

“Hard to do bent over someone's shoulder,” Arby said just as the gunny turned and fired into the shadows. “What? What is it??” the kid demanded.

“You don't want to know,” Phyllis growled, firing as well. “It's headed high. We can't get it up there,” she said to the gunny.

“We're at least what, a hundred meters from the door?” Vance asked as Gina sobbed. She slumped in his arms. He cursed and lifted her up over his shoulder. His knees buckled, he staggered under her weight but kept going.

“More than that, I can't see the light,” Mitch said. He wished he'd thought to put on a pair of HUD glasses but he'd overlooked them. He also wished he'd brought in more backup. More lights, more firepower.

They ran a fighting retreat to the door. The security bots were there, standing guard. “Mitch to infirmary, we've got wounded. Three, two critical. I need people here NOW! Prep for surgery. Get additional security on alert. I want everyone awake!” He ordered, touching his throat mike as he stood by the door. He handed Arby off to Akira. “Get him to sickbay,” he said. Akira nodded and took off at a trot with Vance carrying Gina right behind him.

Once the wounded were inside, the gunny turned and pulled a flash bang from Mitch's harness. “We could have used these earlier,” the gunny growled. Phyllis saw him do it and pulled one as well. She passed it to the chief and then pulled another.

“Wait,” Mitch said turning as they pulled the pins and tossed them into the cavern.

“Fire in the hole!” The gunny said, swinging the door shut. The others turned away and covered their ears. The grenades went off with a muffled thud. He grinned at Phyllis. “Nothing like getting a little payback,” he growled.

“I'm more worried about where they will go,” Mitch said.

“Their problem,” the gunny said.

“Not if they head up,” Mitch said, pointing to the ceiling. “Then they make it ours,” he said. The gunny frowned thoughtfully.

“Shit, shut up,” Phyllis ordered, hand out. “What's that sound?” She demanded.

There was a steady thump thump then the chatter of weapons fire. Mitch looked at the camera feed from the two bots they'd left behind in the cavern. Both were firing at movement. They quickly clocked dry however.

“Should we pull them back?”

“Not a chance,” Mitch growled. He nodded to the door. “Dog the hatch. Jam it shut so it can't open. We'll get the robots later. Come on,” he said, turning to the inner door. “This isn't over. Not by a long shot,” he growled as he passed through the inner airlock door. They heard a distant scream.

“Ah hell, now we've done it,” the Chief snarled.

“Do you always have to be right?” The gunny snarled to Mitch. He shrugged and broke into a jog then a run as more screams were heard.

------*------

A nest had been inadvertently disturbed as they stumbled backwards in their retreat. The alien insects had reacted to the intruders first by defending their territory, but then in typical predator fashion when faced with retreating protein. When the weapons fire had cut into some of their numbers a few had fallen back to feast on their fallen brethren. But others kept chasing the intruders.

When the flashbangs went off on the ground, the blinding light and sound drove them upward. Sensing heat and safety they continued onward, squeezing their way through crevices that humans had thought impassable.

Scorpions and other animals in the cave ecosystem came boiling out of the waterfall hole in the great room, as well as vents, air intakes, and crevices. The armadillos, cats, dogs, and robots in the area immediately came to the community’s defense.