Black
Chapter 2 I guess. This is the same story told from a Xindi Insectoid's POV. I gave this one a more focused and direct POV as well as explored Insectiod culture.
Rating: I moved it up to PG-13. It gets gory-ish.
Reviews would be nice but no matter what you say I'll keep writing. Even if you don't review, I keep writing. I hate it when people say that and, I write if I feel like it.
Nine, as he was called in their language, was on patrol that day. He was guarding the supply of fuel that they needed for... Well, Nine wasn't sure what it was needed for, but the mother had said it was important. Three didn't question, after all, he had just shed his second shell and he had to respect his elders. Also on patrol with him was Five, his older egg- brother. Five and Nine had the same egg-parent, and were born from the same Hatchery and belonged to the same number-group.
Nine liked feeling important, that he was doing something for the mother, even though it was tedious work. Nine walked around the perimeter of the facility holding his laser weapon. He was very careful with it. Five was on the other side and Nine was supposed to check in with him every hour. It was getting close to the time so nine when to the corner and clicked, "No disturbance reported, all clear."
Five didn't respond. Nine clicked the message again, but again there was no response. Nine went around to check where Five was supposed to be patrolling and found him lying on the ground, his weapon gone. Nine felt him with his antenna and saw that Five was still alive, just stunned, probably by a laser weapon.
Nine reached out to the ones within the compound and mentally clicked to them "Intruder Alert, Five stunned, Intruder Alert."
The compound sent back to him, "Acknowledged, Nine, guard door if intruder tries to escape that way." Nine moved in front of the tunnel door, peering into what would be darkness to one without insect eyes.
Nine didn't have long to wait, out of the darkness ran two warm- blooded creatures, obviously not any of the Xindi races, Nine braced himself and began to fire, but one of the creatures responded with his own gunfire. Nine got hit, but found the energy was not enough to fully knock him down.
"The gun's batteries must be low." Nine thought as he shook off the shock and began pursuing the humanoids. The shock had stunned him enough that he couldn't vibrate his wings to fly after. He sent a message back to headquarters "Have encountered two humanoids running north from hive, can only pursue on foot, backup suggested."
Nine was losing ground on them because of his still-sluggish reflexes from being fired upon. Nine ran quickly nonetheless. Soon Three, the ground leader, Seven, Twelve, and Fifteen flew down and joined him in running. Fifteen, who was Nine's younger egg-brother, clicked to him impatiently.
"They're humans, our enemies; they have a ship less than half a kilometer from here. We have to run; they shot down Ten when he flew over." Nine clicked an affirmative and put extra energy into his run.
The squad cleared the forest and could make out the pod ahead of them. They were catching up.
"Set weapons to kill," Ordered Three. Nine knew from that the two had killed already. Three seemed upset. Nine hoped that a mother was not among the dead. That would be a travesty. There were so few mothers now and some of the big egg-fathers had to take over and lead instead.
The egg-fathers were more violent than the mothers, because the egg-fathers wanted to protect their children. Mothers, according to the scientists, had stopped contributing to bearing egg-children so long ago that they had lost all egg-instinct and saw in terms of more than protecting children but working for all insectiods.
Nine clicked his weapon in place and then saw a flash of color near the pod. He lifted his weapon and fired. Nine could sense that his shot had connected and when the squad broke into the clearing nine saw what he had hit.
The bigger humanoid was bent over the smaller one, who had green liquid running from a laser wound on his or her side (Nine's mother had once explained that humanoids still had mothers who with the fathers produced egg children, but Nine could not tell the difference between male and female among other species). Nine knew that the smaller humanoid was dead from his laser wound. The bigger one suddenly got up and charged at Fifteen.
Nine barely had time to react. He had never seen a humanoid move so quickly before. Before Nine could raise his gun the humanoid had snapped Fifteen at his joint and taken his gun. Nine fired but his gun was shot out of his hands. This humanoid was manic and it made Nine wonder if he had killed a mother of the humanoid's species and if that was what had driven him mad.
The humanoid continued firing and killing insectiods until he was drenched with their black blood. Many of Nine's egg-brothers were killed. Then the humanoid came toward Nine. The look in his eyes convinced Nine that somehow this creature knew Nine had been the one to shoot his companion. Nine felt fear, a sensation insectiods usually don't know. Nine was weaponless but he still had his claws. He ripped out at the humanoid's torso, making a long slash diagonally. The humanoid bled crimson blood all over the purple uniform he wore but he seemed undeterred.
Nine realized at this moment that he would not survive this fight with the humanoid. Even if Nine bled him of every last drop the humanoid would fight on. Nine desperately slashed out, wounding the humanoids arms and face, taking out one eye. The humanoid looked redder now than any other color, but none of Nine's attacks ever deterred him, he kept on coming. Nine's limbs flailed desperately as the humanoid reached out with his red hands took his head as if in embrace, and twisted.
Nine lost all control of his wings, legs, and abdomen and flailed about helplessly. White froth flowed from his neck and he vomited his black blood. The seizures at last ended and Nine, drenched in the crimson blood of the humanoid as well as his own black lay still. He saw the humanoid kneel next to the smaller one, take it in his arms, and sob.
Nine knew this act was like when he sang for a dead mother. The humanoid had treasured and loved the other one and Nine killing that loved one had caused the other enough pain that he had killed all of Nine's squadron.
Nine almost felt guilt as his eyes finally closed and the pain disappeared.
Chapter 2 I guess. This is the same story told from a Xindi Insectoid's POV. I gave this one a more focused and direct POV as well as explored Insectiod culture.
Rating: I moved it up to PG-13. It gets gory-ish.
Reviews would be nice but no matter what you say I'll keep writing. Even if you don't review, I keep writing. I hate it when people say that and, I write if I feel like it.
Nine, as he was called in their language, was on patrol that day. He was guarding the supply of fuel that they needed for... Well, Nine wasn't sure what it was needed for, but the mother had said it was important. Three didn't question, after all, he had just shed his second shell and he had to respect his elders. Also on patrol with him was Five, his older egg- brother. Five and Nine had the same egg-parent, and were born from the same Hatchery and belonged to the same number-group.
Nine liked feeling important, that he was doing something for the mother, even though it was tedious work. Nine walked around the perimeter of the facility holding his laser weapon. He was very careful with it. Five was on the other side and Nine was supposed to check in with him every hour. It was getting close to the time so nine when to the corner and clicked, "No disturbance reported, all clear."
Five didn't respond. Nine clicked the message again, but again there was no response. Nine went around to check where Five was supposed to be patrolling and found him lying on the ground, his weapon gone. Nine felt him with his antenna and saw that Five was still alive, just stunned, probably by a laser weapon.
Nine reached out to the ones within the compound and mentally clicked to them "Intruder Alert, Five stunned, Intruder Alert."
The compound sent back to him, "Acknowledged, Nine, guard door if intruder tries to escape that way." Nine moved in front of the tunnel door, peering into what would be darkness to one without insect eyes.
Nine didn't have long to wait, out of the darkness ran two warm- blooded creatures, obviously not any of the Xindi races, Nine braced himself and began to fire, but one of the creatures responded with his own gunfire. Nine got hit, but found the energy was not enough to fully knock him down.
"The gun's batteries must be low." Nine thought as he shook off the shock and began pursuing the humanoids. The shock had stunned him enough that he couldn't vibrate his wings to fly after. He sent a message back to headquarters "Have encountered two humanoids running north from hive, can only pursue on foot, backup suggested."
Nine was losing ground on them because of his still-sluggish reflexes from being fired upon. Nine ran quickly nonetheless. Soon Three, the ground leader, Seven, Twelve, and Fifteen flew down and joined him in running. Fifteen, who was Nine's younger egg-brother, clicked to him impatiently.
"They're humans, our enemies; they have a ship less than half a kilometer from here. We have to run; they shot down Ten when he flew over." Nine clicked an affirmative and put extra energy into his run.
The squad cleared the forest and could make out the pod ahead of them. They were catching up.
"Set weapons to kill," Ordered Three. Nine knew from that the two had killed already. Three seemed upset. Nine hoped that a mother was not among the dead. That would be a travesty. There were so few mothers now and some of the big egg-fathers had to take over and lead instead.
The egg-fathers were more violent than the mothers, because the egg-fathers wanted to protect their children. Mothers, according to the scientists, had stopped contributing to bearing egg-children so long ago that they had lost all egg-instinct and saw in terms of more than protecting children but working for all insectiods.
Nine clicked his weapon in place and then saw a flash of color near the pod. He lifted his weapon and fired. Nine could sense that his shot had connected and when the squad broke into the clearing nine saw what he had hit.
The bigger humanoid was bent over the smaller one, who had green liquid running from a laser wound on his or her side (Nine's mother had once explained that humanoids still had mothers who with the fathers produced egg children, but Nine could not tell the difference between male and female among other species). Nine knew that the smaller humanoid was dead from his laser wound. The bigger one suddenly got up and charged at Fifteen.
Nine barely had time to react. He had never seen a humanoid move so quickly before. Before Nine could raise his gun the humanoid had snapped Fifteen at his joint and taken his gun. Nine fired but his gun was shot out of his hands. This humanoid was manic and it made Nine wonder if he had killed a mother of the humanoid's species and if that was what had driven him mad.
The humanoid continued firing and killing insectiods until he was drenched with their black blood. Many of Nine's egg-brothers were killed. Then the humanoid came toward Nine. The look in his eyes convinced Nine that somehow this creature knew Nine had been the one to shoot his companion. Nine felt fear, a sensation insectiods usually don't know. Nine was weaponless but he still had his claws. He ripped out at the humanoid's torso, making a long slash diagonally. The humanoid bled crimson blood all over the purple uniform he wore but he seemed undeterred.
Nine realized at this moment that he would not survive this fight with the humanoid. Even if Nine bled him of every last drop the humanoid would fight on. Nine desperately slashed out, wounding the humanoids arms and face, taking out one eye. The humanoid looked redder now than any other color, but none of Nine's attacks ever deterred him, he kept on coming. Nine's limbs flailed desperately as the humanoid reached out with his red hands took his head as if in embrace, and twisted.
Nine lost all control of his wings, legs, and abdomen and flailed about helplessly. White froth flowed from his neck and he vomited his black blood. The seizures at last ended and Nine, drenched in the crimson blood of the humanoid as well as his own black lay still. He saw the humanoid kneel next to the smaller one, take it in his arms, and sob.
Nine knew this act was like when he sang for a dead mother. The humanoid had treasured and loved the other one and Nine killing that loved one had caused the other enough pain that he had killed all of Nine's squadron.
Nine almost felt guilt as his eyes finally closed and the pain disappeared.
