WARNING: This is a new spin off which means new characters and new setting. If you are new then I recommend you read the first episode so you know what's happening. Otherwise, please review and enjoy.
A/N: Please review and tell me what you think. I've been trying to correct my bad habit of not responding to my reviews.
I also have put a trailer for this series on youtube.
watch?v=cFh4mIbxyko
Quick thing about the trailer: it is not just a bunch of random clips with music; I did not put it in there unless it was going to happen in one of my episodes (with a few obvious exceptions). It may be slightly different but similar enough that you can watch the trailer and point out which clip/audio came from which episode. If you see it in the trailer, it will happen in one of the episodes.
I have also started a forum about this on gateworld. threads/89185-Stargate-Millennium If you wish to ask me something just go to the forum page. Anyways, enjoy.
-.-
PROLOGUE
It has been twenty years; it's been twenty years since the first team of humans was sent to Abydos. Thanks to the massive stone ring known as the stargate, Earth has made enormous leaps technology. They have a fleet of ships ready to defend their planet. They unlocked the secret of the lost city of Atlantis and the mysterious ninth chevron that led to Destiny. But, they had barely scratched the surface of the Alliance of Four Great Races. To this end, Earth has launched a new expedition to the fabled city Millennium, built by all four races. It's a new expedition in a new galaxy, and these are their adventures...
-.-
Alien conflicts are, in many ways, like human conflicts. And, if there is a peaceful solution to be found, Corin Nevec will find it. A former citizen of the Ror'char Sovereignty, he was a professor and teacher tasked with not only teaching students alien languages and cultures but also to brainwash them into blindly following their leaders. When the Millennium Expedition accidentally stumbled onto his backwater planet he saw his opportunity to flee and took it. Ridden by fear and guilt over leaving his home, friends, family, and everything he knew behind, he knew he would be branded as a traitor. He is part of the expedition now, traveling with Wolf Pack in their adventures no matter where they take him.
-.-
Previously on Stargate Millennium
The Millennium Expedition was launched form the SGC to the Millennium in the galaxy of Caldwell 70, the capital city of the Alliance of Four Great Races. The first civilization they met was the Ror'char, one of the superpowers of Caldwell 70. During their encounter, the Ror'char mentioned a race known as the harvesters. Major Terra Nova asked about these harvesters but was simply told that it would be better if she remained oblivious. Overlord Exodan Krell talked to former Ror'char citizen, Professor Corin Nevec, about the harvester presence in the galaxy and the destruction they've caused. Despite being mentioned several times, the Millennium Expedition is still oblivious to the identity of the harvesters.
-.-
Corin Nevec stared across the central city of Millennium, admiring the view of the countless skyscrapers and spires that seemed to just grow out from below. He looked through his binoculars at the arm in the distance. The capital of Millennium was actually a massive space station. Around the already enormous central city were four arms that surrounded it like walls, each one with its own city of hundreds of buildings and skyscrapers on the inside. Every time someone looked out across the city, they were looking down on another in the distance.
Corin loved the sight. He has been coming out onto the balcony more and more frequently just to stare. The expedition was nowhere near large enough to occupy the whole city and the arms, thus far, remained unexplored.
"Professor Nevec," a gentle voice called out. Corin turned around when he heard his name called.
"General Mercer," he said in surprise when he saw the aging general walk up behind him. The General's almost oversized black mustache twitched as he stepped onto the balcony, his hands folded behind his back, a friendly smile on his face.
"Enjoying the view?" he asked pleasantly. Corin took another look though his binoculars.
"The sight never gets old," Corin said, staring down on the city on the arm in the distance.
"Professor, I came to tell you I've reached a decision," Mercer said, getting straight to the point. Corin put down his binocular and gave a defeated sight.
"And?" he asked, wanting to get the answer over with.
"Chen is preparing the UAV," Mercer answered. Corin looked up in surprise, not expecting this answer. He asked Mercer to send a probe to his home planet to check on the community he left behind. Corin had just about given up hope that Mercer would say yes. "We can take a few passes over your planet, Yardris. But, that is all I can allow."
For Corin, that was more than enough.
"Thank you," he said gratefully.
-.-
Doctor Steven Chen walked around the platform that held the tin plane. He glanced at his scanner, taking a few final readings. Satisfied, he headed for the stairs at the back of the gate room.
"We're all good down here," Chen said, jogging up the stairs and into the control room. Corin, standing near the back of the control room, stared at the UAV eagerly. He had just picked up and left his planet in such a rush. He had no intention of going back but he had people he cared about back there, neighbors and friends. He could at least check to make sure they were ok.
General Mercer folded his hands behind his back before ordering, "Donavan, dial it up."
"Yes, sir," the technician, Donvan replied, reaching over to the DHD. The silver circle in the gate room began to power up, the inner ring beginning to spin as it began to search for the first symbol. Once encoded, one of the white open chevrons on the edge lit up. Finally, the last chevron was locked in. In one swift and violently incredible motion, a plume of water surged from the center of the gate, halting in midair, before being sucked back in, settling into the familiar glittering event horizon.
Seeing the gate open, Chen announced, "UAV launch in 3…2…1."
A trail of smoke shot out of the tail of the UAV as the tiny plane shot from its perch and through the wall of water.
Corin took a step forward and reached for the laptop hooked up to the Alliance computers. He adjusted the laptop so he could get a better view of the screen.
"We're receiving telemetry," Donavan announced, static filling the laptop screen. There was a click and the video of the planet appeared on screen. Corin eagerly leaned forward, looking at his planet in over a month.
A road lead up to the stargate like a runway with a pair of small parking lots on either sides. Corin knew that Yardris was just a small town. Only locations like cities would have gate ports. Places like this could do with a simple DHD. He watched as the small stores and buildings passed underneath the unmanned plane. Small holographic ads played atop the roofs. Grids of buildings, houses, and stores covered the ground. It was clear that this was a town that held hundreds if not thousands of people. That was when Corin realized it.
"They're gone," he said. Mercer looked at him in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, glancing back at the screen.
"The people," Corin said, staring at the video. "It's midday; the streets should be full of people by now. They're gone."
STARGATE
MILLENNIUM
Chen tapped the attachment to the barrel of his P90 as he waited for Corin with the rest of Wolf Pack. Major Terra Nova waited patiently, leaning against the MALP, her brown hair hanging in a ponytail behind her head, a similar attachment to her own P90. Lieutenant Charles Martin didn't carry a P90. Instead, he cradled a wasp-shape ion rifle, a powerful alien weapons they've picked up in their travels.
"Mind telling me what these are?" Nova asked, her finger running down the rigid box on the barrel of her personal defense weapon.
"It' just a heat sink," Chen said dismissively. "We made it from alien technology we've been procuring. According to the tests we ran, it should absorb most of the heat produced when firing. Now, we can shoot for as long as we like and not have to worry about melting our barrels."
"My gun isn't a risk of overheating," Martin said proudly in his usual Australian accent, holding up his ion rifle.
"Yeah, and you're the only one with the alien weapon," Chen pointed out. Before Martin could come up with a retort, Corin jogged into the gate room.
"I know I'm late," Corin called out, running up to his team. They all looked at Corin in surprise. They thought he would be the first one ready to go, not the last.
"Wolf Pack," Mercer called out from the balcony of the control room. "Major Nova, is your team ready?"
"Ready, General," Nova called back.
General Mercer looked at Donavan before giving the order, "Dial it up." The stargate hummed to life as the inner ring began to spin.
"Wolf Pack," Mercer boomed in an almost inhumanly loud voice. "This is just a reminder: this is a pure reconnaissance mission. You stepping into a Ror'char controlled town. If there is any Ror'char presence, you gate back to Millennium immediately. Understood?"
"Got it, General," Nova answered as the final chevron locked in place, the event horizon forming with a violent kawoosh.
"MALP is on its way," Donavan told Mercer as the mechanical probe rolling through the shimmering puddle.
"Anyone else excited?" Martin asked. "We are seeing Corin's planet for the first time.
"Not my first time," Nova pointed out. "I'm the one recruited him." Martin just shrugged at this.
"Receiving telemetry," Donavan announced. "Area's still clear." Mercer gave a firm nod when he heard this.
"Major Nova, you have a go!" he boomed. Nova turned around and gave the General a thumbs up.
"Wolf Pack, roll out!" she ordered.
-.-
The moment Nova stepped out of the stargate, she dashed for cover, her weapon raised. She cautiously scanned the area. Both the UAV and the MALP showed that the whole town was completely devoid of people but she was still considered the possibility that this was just a trap.
Martin and Chen appeared right after her, their weapons raised. But, there was nothing to aim it at. Corin followed them out, laying eyes on his town for the first time in over a month. He stared at the familiar street in front of him, remembering all the times he drove up this street and through the stargate. Looking at it right now, seeing it empty, it looked…dead.
"Looks clear," Nova remarked, staring at the buildings. The whole town was empty, a dead silence hung in the air like a corpse hanging from a noose.
"Did the Ror'char do this?" Martin wondered, half asking Corin. Corin just shook his head.
"If the Ror'char did this, there'd be guards around," he said.
"Could be a trap," Chen suggested suspiciously.
"How would they know we'd gate back to Corin's homeworld? Nova asked. "And, even if they did know, aren't there easier ways of luring us other than evacuating an entire town?"
Chen didn't say anything but he was still suspicious that the whole thing was just a trap. He expected Ror'char troopers to just appear out of the buildings and start shooting at them.
"Is this the only town on the entire planet?!" Chen asked. "Why would anyone build one town on one planet?"
"The stargate does that to expansion," Corin explained. "Biggest limitation of civilization expansion is accessibility. There's a few colonies past the edge of the town but that's about it."
"And, thanks to the stargate, you can reach civilization in a few seconds," Nova said, filling in the blanks. "We'll split up to cover more ground. Chen and Martin, you two head that way," she ordered, pointing toward the area of town behind the stargate. "Corin and I will head this way." She pointed in the other direction. "If you run into any trouble, radio us and head for the gate. If we aren't there, don't wait for us; dial back to the Millennium. Wolf Pack, roll out."
-.-
Corin could not help but think about his life before fleeing from the Ror'char. He still remembered walking down these streets, going to these stores, talking to the people who used to live in these apartments. He remembered this so clearly he could practically see himself walking down those sidewalks.
"They left their cars," Nova remarked when she noticed that the streets were filled with abandoned vehicles.
"I know," Corin said, looking at the cars, utterly confused. "Evacuation?"
"If so, from what?" she wondered. She scanned the town. It wasn't much different than any place on Earth, but it was obviously much more advanced. The buildings were shiny and pristine, as if they were just made yesterday. The cars were sleek and smooth, as if it was made of a liquid metal. Nova stopped in her tracks when she came upon a familiar sight.
"I'm home," Corin said blankly when he saw the pearly white house in front of him, the light blue tinted windows reflecting the light, the brown roof looking like polished copper. The lawn around the plot was a barren dirt field. But, Corin felt his heart sink when he saw the yellow fence posts around his house, green holographic bands connecting the posts. A single black metallic car was parked in the driveway.
"Corin?" Nova asked when she saw his worried expression. Corin didn't answer. He rushed across his dirt lawn bursting through the door. He rushed through the front door. If he wasn't already light headed with shock, he could have collapsed when he saw his house was now barren. He went over to the stairs and plopped back. He put his hands to his face, trying to take it all in. They found out; they knew that he had defected from the Ror'char. That meant that he had been branded a traitor. His friends, his neighbors, everyone he knew thought of him as a psychotic and a traitor.
Nova carefully walked through the open door, taking in the empty house. She sat down beside him, laying her P90 on her lap. She didn't know what was going through Corin's head but she had an idea. The Ror'char brands those who simply disagree with their policies at traitors and madmen. Corin not only disagreed but ran.
"Back in the Milky Way, Earth met an alien named Teal'c," she said. "He was a soldier of our enemy, the Goa'uld. He defected and fled to Earth and was branded as a traitor by everyone he knew."
Corin didn't answer for a moment, too wrapped up in his own thoughts. Finally, when he spoke, Nova could hear the pain he was in as he said each word with a shuddering breath.
"I know. I read the mission report. He wrote that he fought for his people and believed that he would one day return and they would see that he was right." Corin ran his fingers through his hair, still trying to accept what has happened. "So did I," he said. "I knew when I ran I would be branded a traitor, that my friends, family, everyone I knew would view me as such. But, I will never get the chance to prove to them otherwise. They all died thinking I was a monster."
"We don't know they're dead," Nova said. "You still might be able to prove it to them." Corin just shook his head.
"Look around. What else would've happened?"
"We don't know what happened to them. They could be alive." She didn't really believe this but she hoped that it would give Corin some hope. She didn't know if it worked or not. He stood up and headed for the kitchen. Built into the wall was a dull gray panel with a speaker and a grid of buttons. It seemed to be the only thing left in the house.
"What are you doing?" Nova asked as Corin walked up to the panel.
"It's a telipan," Corin said. "It's like a radio. We can call people on it."
"It's a telephone," Nova concluded. Corin shrugged; he's never heard of a telephone before.
"Yardris emergency center," Corin said loudly at the telipan. A light at the bottom flashed a couple times before the panel began to emit a low drone. They waited for a moment as the droning continued. The call was never picked up. "End call. Yardris gate control." The telipan began droning again but there was still no response. "End call," Corin said in frustration. "Yardris hospital." Corin hung his head when the telipan began to drone without stopping.
He was just about to end call when there was finally a click. Nova and Corin looked up in surprise, neither of them expecting someone to pick up. But, Nova lacked Corin's enthusiasm. For him, it meant that someone survived. For her, it meant that the Ror'char might show up and they would need to make a mad dash for the gate. She put her hand on her radio, ready to call Chen and Martin.
"Hello?" Corin asked when his call was picked up. "Hello?" he asked again when no one responded. Still, the answer was pure silence.
"How do you answer anyways?" Nova asked. Corin pointed at an ear piece hanging off the front of the panel.
"You can tell it to pick up or pick up the ear piece," Corin explained. "Someone picked up; they're just not talking." As if to jinx it, finally they heard a response; but, it wasn't what they were expecting. What came through wasn't a reply but a low, guttural clicking. Nova and Corin exchanged uncertain glances, not sure what to make of it.
"Major Nova," Martin suddenly said through the radio. Whatever was making the noise must've heard him; it immediately stopped clicking.
"What is it, Martin?" she asked, waiting to see if whatever was making the noise would continue.
"What are you guys doing over there?" he asked. "I could've just sworn I heard Corin."
"Where are you two?" Nova demanded to know.
"Some sort of hospital," Chen answered. All the lights were out so the white walls and the red carpet were dimly lit by the sunlight coming through the windows. "Did I ever mention I hate hospitals?"
"We heard Corin's voice coming from one of the offices," Martrin clarified, his rifle aiming at down the hall. "We just wanted to make sure it was you."
"Corin called the hospital to see if there's anyone still around," Nova told to him. "Something picked up." Chen felt a chill go down his spine when he heard this. They both readied their guns. The office that Corin's voice came from was just ahead. They both slowly approached the door, barrels aimed at it. They both took up positions around the door. Martin gave Chen a nod as he slowly reached for the door knob. Before he group grasp the metal knob, Chen grabbed his hand. Martin looked at Chen, confused and annoyed that he just did that. Chen didn't say anything; he just gestured toward the knob. When Martin saw it he understood why Chen stopped him. It was turning. It was turning very slowly very slowly but something inside was turning it. Once turned the whole way, the door creaked open a tiny crack. Martin and Chen aimed, ready to face whatever came out the door. But, the door was now still.
Whatever was inside didn't intend on just coming out. Martin gave Chen a nod. Chen pushed the door open, letting Martin charge inside with Chen right behind. They charged into the office, clearing the tiny room. It was empty. The holographic computer was blank, the folders and papers neatly organized in stacks and folders. Martin saw the telipan built into the table. He walked up to it, stopping and stooping over when he accidentally kicked the ear piece.
"Major?" he asked through the piece. "There's no one here. The phone was on the ground."
Major looked at Corin when she heard this.
"Maybe it was already on the ground before we called," she suggested. Corin shook his head.
"It's impossible to call a telipan's that's already been picked up," he explained. "Someone picked it up."
"Martin," Nova called out. "Get back to the stargate and radio Mercer the whole town is empty. I recommend sending the Dusk Riders and Doctor Osborn to help us."
"With what?" Martin asked. He knew Mercer was completely dedicated to the sake of the Millennium Expedition and was reluctant to do anything that doesn't benefit the expedition.
"To help us find Corin's people," Nova said, looking at her alien friend.
"Oh perfect," Chen coughed sarcastically. "Jennifer Hailey's part of the Dusk Riders. I'll have to deal with both Kara and Hailey in one mission."
"Consider it bonding time," Nova chuckled. Martin looked at the ear piece in his hand and put it back on the telipan.
"Let's go," Martin said, leaving the room. Chen was about to follow but immediately stopped. He took a few steps back and looked up, staring at the narrow ventilation shaft above the door.
"Chen?" Martin asked when he realized Chen was gone back into the room. "What is it?" Chen stared at the vent shaft.
"Nothing," Chen dismissed, leaving the hall with Martin, their footsteps receding down the hall. The room was empty once again, empty and silent. But not for long. If either of them had stayed they might've been around to hear the quiet clicking coming from the vents.
-.-
Nova walked over to the front door and stared out across the empty buildings. She tried to imagine what it was like what it would look like when people were still around. They go about their business, going to and from work. Families would raise their children in these houses, playing outside on the lawn. That's when she realized.
"Corin, do the Ror'char have a thing against gardens or lawns?" she asked. Corin stared at her in confusion before walking up beside her.
"No," he coughed awkwardly, not sure what to make of this question.
"There are no plants," Nova explained, staring across the empty landscape. "Anywhere. Your lawn's are just dirt. Lawns, gardens, there isn't a single plant in this entire town."
Corin looked around, realizing that Nova was right. He was so distracted by the empty town that he didn't realize there wasn't a single plant anywhere. Grass, trees, flowers, the plants, like the people, had also vanished, barren plots of dirt where they once were.
"It's not just the plants," he said, looking at the rooftops with a much clearer mind. "Now that I think about it, there're no animals either. I haven't seen or heard a single bird since we got here." Nova froze when she heard this.
"Every living thing…gone," she breathed. She was about to take a step out when she noticed something. "What's that?" she asked when she realized there was something under the black car in Corin's driveway. Corin leaned over to see what caught her eye. It was almost unnoticeable, completely covered by the black car. Nova readied her P90, aiming it at whatever was under the black vehicle. Corin pulled out his Colt pistol, though he knew it wouldn't do much good if he had to use it.
Nova reached under the car and slowly pulled out the first thing she touched.
"Gas mask?" she asked when she showed Corin a black helmet she just removed.
"Black-Watch guards wear these," Corin said, taking the helmet. "It is part gas mask." Nova reached under the car to pull out whatever else was under there. Her handed patted the cement ground as she felt her way up to the soft object. Her eyes widened in surprise and horror before she dropped down to see what she grabbed.
"We might have a problem," she breathed.
-.-
The Dusk Riders arrived through stargate on schedule, Commander Christopher Umar leading Major Jennifer Hailey out with two other men. Doctor Kara Osborn arrived right behind, her pack of medical equipment almost larger than her.
"Lieutenant, Doctor," Umar greeted warmly. "You both know Major Hailey."
"Hi, Chen," Hailey said cheerfully. He simply grumbled.
"Did we really need the four foot nine blunder blonde?" Chen mumbled.
"Don't mind him," Kara said with a laugh. "He's been cross like that ever since we met. I'd like to think the two are not related though."
"This is Doctor Dannick, our own archaeologist," Umar introduced, gesturing toward the rather uneasy man straightening his oversized round galsses. "This is our medical officer, Isaac McFree." Scruffy McFree gave a friendly wave.
"I still don't like this," Martin said angrily, shaking his head. "When did we become looters?"
"I have to agree with the General on this one," Chen remarked. "I don't think they're going to suffer much if we take a few scraps of technology. Every time we have to repair Millennium or do research we need resources. If you consider this looting, we've looted nearly every abandoned alien base and city we've come across."
"So we take it from an empty town?" Martin asked, still not happy. The only reason Mercer even agreed to send another team to help was because he wanted them to collect technology while they were there. Nova wanted a second team to help investigate what happened but Mercer was more interested in gathering technology and resources for the expedition. To Martin, this wasn't much different than the looters who raided stores during a natural disaster.
"You say there's no one here?" Osborn asked, glancing around.
"Not a single person," Chen explained. "Food's still on the table; cars are still on the street."
"Footprints leading to nowhere," Martin added. "I followed several sets of footprints across the park and they just vanish in the center. It's as if everyone in town vanished."
"That isn't entirely accurate," Nova called out, walking up with Corin.
"Major?" Martin asked in surprise when he saw her and Corin carrying a either ends of a blanket with a large lump wrapped up in it.
"You guys should see this," Corin said darkly as he and Nova set down the blanket onto the ground. They carefully began to unwrap the fabrics, keeping their hands as far away from the load as possible.
"Crikey," Martin muttered, his eyes wide in shock. Umar raised his eyebrows, as horrified as Martin. Dannick immediately put his hands to his mouth in some attempt to not throw up.
"What happened to him?" Chen asked. Kara Osborn went to work, putting down her bag and taking out a pair of gloves. She cautiously walked up the skeletal corpse, its black suit of armor covering its bony body, its black and red decaying skin only visible on his head and bare hands. She gently patted it down before carefully opening the mouth.
"Definitely human," Kara said. "But, he seems to be missing all his internal organs."
"What?" Nova asked, horrified by what she just heard.
"He has an epidermal, dermal, and skeletal structure," she explained, fumbling to remove the armor. "But, everything seems to be missing. There's no muscle, I can't feel any tendons; he is nothing but skin and bones."
"So we safe?" Dannick asked nervously. "Like, shouldn't find cover or something?"
"Unless it's a gun that sucks out your insides, then cover isn't going to do anything," Chen commented bluntly.
"McFree, help me with this," Kara said, reaching down the move the body. "We need to find out what killed him."
"Time to unlock the secret to the galaxy's deadliest liposuction," McFree laughed. Kara responded with an unamused stare. She liked joking but she did not like making jokes about people who died.
"Martin?" Nova suddenly asked. Everyone immediately turned to look at him when they heard her call his name. Lieutenant Martin was staring into the distance at what looked like a bright red fast food restaurant. "Martin, what is it?" Nova asked, staring off in the same direction.
"Someone's still here," he breathed. He remembered his years of hunting back on Earth, every single instinct coming back.
"You can see him?" Nova asked, realizing it might be a survivor.
"Barely," Martin muttered, watching the black figure through the window.
"Do you think we should call out to him?" Nova suggested.
"No need," he said. "He's looking right at us." Nova could not help but shiver at that statement, shiver at the thought that someone was just watching them. A cool wind gently wisped through town, hissing as if it was the souls of the people who once lived here, crying out in agony. And, listening to this wind was the figure in the distance, watching them, stalking them.
"Major, with your permission," Martin whispered. He didn't even need to finish his sentence; Nova knew what Martin had in mind. They had to find out what was
"Commander Umar," Nova said. "We're going to take a look at what that is."
"We'll hold down the fort 'till you get back, ma'am," Umar said in his usual friendly but monotone voice. Wolf Pack readied their weapons. Chen and Nova set their P90's to full auto to suit the close quarters combat. Martin adjusted his ion rifle to minimum yield so he wouldn't blow himself up.
"McFree, help me with this," Kara said as she went to move the body. "We need to find a table or something so I can do a proper autopsy.
"Mind if I lend a hand?" Hailey asked, walking over. Dannick wobbled back and forth nervously.
"You sure we should go inside?" he asked nervously. He could already imagine the thing that killed the man waiting to come out and get them. "I mean, shouldn't we do this back on the Millennium?"
"We don't know what killed him," Umar calmly pointed out. "We might accidentally bring something back to Millennium. We need to stay here until we're sure that it's safe to move him back. There's some sort of apartment nearby. You two can perform your autopsy there."
-.-
Kara Osborn has performed many autopsies before but none of them were like this. She and McFree carefully cut open the chest cavity but was immediately greeted with the sight of a dark gray and worn down rib cage.
They didn't have the extensive equipment they would if they were operating in a normal lab but they still had the blue medical apron along with a fairly large autopsy kit.
"I am seeing extensive corrosion on the skeletal structure," Osborn said as she took in the sight. She carefully took a Q-tip and gently brushed the top of the rib cage with it before putting it into a small glass container.
"Doctor," McFree called out, opening the mouth. Kara walked over and almost immediately saw what he was looking at.
"All soft tissue inside the body is gone except for in the mouth," she said to herself.
"Look at the back of the mouth," McFree told her. "Looks like something was shoved in there."
-.-
Umar shoved what looked like a massive computer into his backpack. Even with the situation at hand they still had the objective of retrieving advanced technology. Hailey walked into the room, a crate full of random machines and equipment taken from all over the town.
"Isn't Alliance technology more advanced?" Dannick asked nervously. He was a lot calmer than before but he was still on edge after what he saw. "Like, shouldn't we focus on looking for Alliance technology?"
"Maybe," Umar replied calmly, zipping up his sack. "This is still useful scrap metal." Umar hauled the now heavy pack to the corner of the room, out of the way.
"He is right you know," Dannick said.
"Who?" Umar asked, more focused on finding more technology in the immediate area.
"That Australian guy. Is it really right to just arrive in an abandoned location and start taking their technology? We still don't know for sure what happened to everyone."
Umar gave a deep sigh, silently acknowledging he was right.
"Commander," Kara said, walking into the room with McFree.
"Found something?" Umar asked when he saw the two doctors walk in.
"We finished our autopsy," she said.
"You know what killed him?"
Isaac gave a tired and frustrated sigh before explaining.
"There's some sort of residue covering the skeleton. It seems to be from some sort of organic acid."
"It seems that something injected an acid into his body," Kara explained. "This…liquefied his muscle and internal organs which were then sucked out through the throat."
"What could've done this?" Hailey asked, unnerved by the prospect of having her insides melted and sucked out.
"There are some species of reduvidae, an insect back on Earth, that feed by injecting digestive acid into its prey," Kara said, disturbed by the thought that the same could be done to humans. "Whatever did this was very careful not to pierce the skin."
If Dannick wasn't already scared, all the blood drained from his face when he heard this.
"A wild animal?" he whimpered. "Something native to the planet?"
Kara shook her head before saying, "Corin Nevec lives here. He'd know."
"And even if he didn't, I doubt that's why this entire town is empty," Umar said. "Let's just pray that whatever killed that man isn't what Lieutenant Martin saw."
-.-
This was definitely a fast food restaurant. Empty trays on the table, ovens were still on but there was nothing on them to burn. The smell of the foods they used to cook still hung in the air. Wolf Pack cautiously entered the building, scanning every corner for whatever Martin saw.
"He was right there," Martin said, gesturing toward a window. Nova walked up to the spot Martin pointed and looked out the window. It was far but she had a clear line of sight on the stargate.
"Who's that?!" a terrified voice suddenly cried out. The team practically jumped when they heard this. Corin's heart soared when heard this. A survivor. His neighbors, his friends, the people he abandoned might've survived.
"It's all right," he called out, heading toward the kitchen where the voice was coming form.
"Corin!" Nova shouted as he took off. It was wreckless to just rush off like that. Corin vanished behind the ovens and grills, sprinting for the back.
"Is someone here?" the frightened voice called again.
"It's ok, you're safe now!" Corin said, rounding the corner to the freezer. He could see the shadow of the person in there. He ran inside…and froze. His excitement was replaced with horror, hope replaced with despair. Time seemed to slow as the figure slowly revealed itself, its long gray snake-like head sliding out of the door, an extra pair of mandibles extending from the back of its jaw. Corin's blood chilled when it stepped out, its two hunch legs leading to three clawed toes. Five sickle-shaped claws extended from its hands like clawed gauntlets, bladed fins growing from its arms. Its demonic face and dark gray scales gleamed in the light. Several long barbed hairs grew down its back like spines. This was a creature straight from a person's darkest nightmare, the thing that lurked in the dark, the monster that people feared to even lay eyes upon. Except, this thing was real.
"No," he breathed, too terrified to move, the creature's glowing narrow yellow eyes peering into his soul.
"Is someone here?" the frightened voice called again. Corin saw a parasite, a dry shriveled mole-like creature the size of a hand, clinging onto the monster's arm.
"Who's there?!' the mole cried out, a perfect mimic of a human voice calling out in fear.
"Mate, you can't run off like that," Martin called, appearing from behind Corin. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the creature, giving one last mutter, "Bugger."
-.-
Chen and Nova were waiting near the front door of the restaurant, oblivious to what was happening. Not for long. There was a loud crash, Chen and Nova immediately turning and raising their P90's. Corin and Martin flew through the air and hit the back ground as the creature crashed through the wall, dust and debris erupting from where it burst through as it turned to face Chen and Nova before giving an earsplitting roar.
Nova didn't even need to give the order. She and Chen immediately opened fire. The creature flinched, holding up its hand as if to protect itself as the bullets. The small slugs of lead bounced off harmlessly off its scales. They both stopped shooting when they realized that they weren't hurting it.
The creature looked at its hands as if it was examining its nonexistent injuries. It refocused on Nova and Chen. The monster opened its jaws again, giving another ferocious roar, opening its mouth even wider. With its additional pair of mandibles, its jaws opened until it was twice the size of a human head. It charged forward, its mouth wide open, going in for the kill.
Chen recognized the fleshy, unarmored, inside of its mouth as the perfect weak point. He aimed his weapon but the creature was faster, immediately shutting its mouth as the bullets bounced off its head. Chen looked up in shock. It was as if it recognized what he aimed was a gun and closed its jaws to protect itself.
The creature began to move forwards, knowing that the warm-blooded animals in front of it could not hurt it. It took a step forward but was immediately met with gunfire hitting the side of its face. It flinched as it turned its head, eyes glowing eyes falling on Martin.
"Oi!" he yelled, shooting it with his nine millimeter. His ion rifle has slid out of reach so he used the next weapon he had. "Come at me you bloody wombat!" He took off for the counter, the creature close behind him. He didn't look, blood and adrenaline shooting through his system. That thing could catch up and kill him in an instant. The counter was only a few feet away but it felt like he was running a mile. Martin leapt over the counter top, turning to aim his gun again. The creature was perched upon the restaurant counter but it had stopped chasing him. Every nerve and muscle told him to just run, but it would be pointless if this thing wasn't chasing. The creature opened its jaws again revealing, impossibly, another set of jaws. A long centipede-like creature extended from its mouth like a tongue, baring its teeth at Martin.
"Alien rip-off," he scoffed when he saw this. With a quiet scuttle, the centipede crawled out of its mouth and fell to the floor. "Or not." The creature turned and left as the centipede leapt at Martin. He raised his hands just in time, the insect trying to reach his face.
It turned its attention back to Nova and Chen, neither of them knowing what to do. If their bullets weren't hurting it then they were running out of ways to fight it. It raised its right arm, revealing a beetle-like parasite clinging it to it. It looked like an earwig, a long insect with a huge set of claws at its abdomen. There was a click as the claws opened up as the arm the insect was attached to aimed at them.
"That can't be good," Chen said. They both leapt out of the way just in time. The claw slammed close. There was a loud bang, the slamming claws blasting away the air around it, pressure wave streaking across the room, a brilliant flash of light as the air came crashing back into the void it had been forced from, tables and chairs shredded by the beam. The claw clicked open, ready to fire. It turned and aimed at Corin, who crawled out of the way as it the claw slammed shut, the pressure wave tearing through the air, the wall and window shattering.
Nova yanked a grenade off her vest. She pulled the pin, released the clip.
"Fire in the hole!" she yelled, rolling the grenade toward the creature. Corin cowered behind a fallen table while Chen and Nova threw themselves through the window and outside, the glass shattering as their bodies hit it. They covered their heads as shattered glass shards rained on their bodies. The creature looked at the round object rolled toward it. Its eyes narrowed, hissing angrily when it realized what the object was. The monster dove through the window, crawling out of sight.
The grenade went off, the explosion sending chairs and tables nearby flying across the room with a deafening boom, shrapnel embedding themselves into the walls. Corin could feel the shockwave from the explosion ripple across his skin and resonate through his entire body.
Nova and Chen peeked back into the restaurant, seeing the devastation of what just happened.
"Someone get this thing off me!" Martin yelled, stumbling past the counter. The giant centipede had a pair of legs clamed on Martin's head trying to reach his face.
"Hold still," Chen yelled, running forward as Nova readied her gun. Chen grabbed the giant bug and pulled. It clung on for a few more moments but now Chen and Martin were pulling on it. Finally, its legs gave way and let go. Chen threw the bug onto the ground where Nova immediately opened fire, bullets easily shredding through the insect.
Martin just collapsed on the floor in exhaustion, still trying to comprehend what nearly just happened. Nova scanned the area. There was a scorch mark on the floor where the grenade went off but no sign of the creature. She began dashing from window to window to see if the creature was in sight.
"Did you guys see that?" Chen panted. "It recognized the gun and the grenade."
"What do you mean?" Martin asked, picking himself up.
"I was about to shoot it in the mouth," Chen explained. "It realized where I was going to shoot it and closed its mouth. Then, it recognized the grenade and ran!"
"It's gone," Nova said, slowly lowering her gun as she walked back to the center of the room. "We're ok."
Corin immediately jumped to his feet, fear in his eyes.
"We're not ok!" he yelled, terrified by what he just saw. "This is very bad." Nova, Martin, and Chen looked at Corin. It was obvious he knew something they didn't. "I know why the town is empty. The Harvesters took them. It's the Harvesters."