CHAPTER 12
"Okay...what now?" came a muffled voice from inside the armor.
"Well, we obviously can't solve our problem from down here on the planet," Lita said.
"I think we need to go back outside…" Cade muttered as he looked back.
"What's wrong, Cade? Don't like small tunnels?" Samus joked.
"No. Something is happening out there," Cade replied in a very cold tone.
A silence fell in the corridor and the air seemed to stand still. Where there had been a steady vibration and the chattering of the town inside the cavern, now there was a strange sense of emptiness.
The trio turned and exited the ruins. When they emerged, the guard was nowhere to be seen.
They slowly made their way up the stairs and to the final ladder.
With a motion of his hand, Cade signaled that he should go first.
What he beheld at over the edge of the bluff was something that penetrated deep within his psyche.
The large entrance to the town was completely sealed off. Spanning the width of the entrance was what looked like a massive worm-like creature with protruding spikes and fangs around its mouth. Reaching out of the mouth were several long tentacles, each with a Vhazonian villager in its slimy grasp.
A mere glance down to the women was all it took for them to realize the impending danger.
The Vhazonian defenses had been breached.
Upon further inspection, Cade noticed that the creature had no eyes. It must have relied on vibrations and movement to capture its prey.
Cade slinked back down the ladder.
"That thing is massive…" Cade said.
"What is it?" Lita probed.
"It's some big worm thing. I don't know how many it has killed already, but it has several villagers in its tentacles. It doesn't have eyes, but we have to be careful nonetheless," Cade explained.
"You seem to know what you're talking about," Samus dug for more info.
"Yeah…I fought one back on that planet in the Alimbic Cluster," Cade shrugged.
"And?" Samus raised an eyebrow.
"I wasn't really equipped to handle it. It didn't like water, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of it down here," Cade confessed.
"Well then, I guess it's my turn to give it a shot," Samus relented.
Samus scaled the ladder and stood in plain "sight" of the worm.
The creature seemingly took no notice as it continued to eat the villagers one by one.
A blast shot across the cavern and severed one of the tentacles, sending a male villager crashing to the ground.
The worm let forth a tremendous roar that shook the walls and caused several stalactites to fall from the ceiling.
Samus somersaulted onto the busted top of one of the conical stones and unleashed a flurry of shots toward the mouth of the beast. One by one, the villagers fell to the ground.
The creature moaned as it no longer had any tentacles.
"It's okay to come up," Samus shouted.
Cade and Lita emerged over the edge, but nearly fell back off.
"What are you waiting for! Kill it!" Lita yelled.
"Now what good would that do? It's blocking the entrance," Samus reasoned.
"Well what are we going to do, then?" Lita asked flabbergasted.
"First we have to get those villagers out of the way. They're paralyzed," Cade said.
"Nerotoxins on the tentacles?" Samus asked.
"Yup." Cade responded.
Lita and Cade took up the few villagers and brought them toward one of the cubby holes.
Samus approached the massive worm.
She noticed that one of the horns around the monster's mouth was a blood red color.
"You guys might stay over there for a while," Samus shouted.
She backed up and once again took her place on the top of one of the fallen stalactites.
She took aim.
Then she unleashed a shot directly at the red horn.
Upon contact, the horn exploded into a crimson splash that splattered on the walls of the cave and all over the ground.
The worm screeched and the cave began to shake.
After only a few seconds, the worm busted through the ill-fitting entrance and lunged into the cave directly at Samus.
Samus stood motionless and simply stared at the hulk as it streaked toward her.
At the last moment, Samus leapt into the air, flipped once and spun around, firing a shot into the base of a stalactite.
The worm chomped on Samus' former perch, then met its fate as the falling cave formation plunged through its head.
Samus landed on the ground near Cade and Lita, then stood and turned to face them.
"Wh…wow…" Lita stammered.
"Nice one," Cade commented.
"You weren't able to do that before…" Lita forced out.
"It's amazing what this suit can do to amplify military training and martial arts…I'm impressed myself," Samus said.
"We need to get outside," Cade interrupted.
As they proceeded up the tunnel, they could still hear the blasting sounds of several cannons.
The scene that welcomed them at the top of the tunnel was like no other.
Smoke rose from the ground as the fires that made it blazed. Explosions rocked the night sky as Vilonium orbs continued to splash against the falling onslaught.
In the midst of the gun turrets and soldiers, a single flag waved, tattered, torn, and singed.
"…bombs bursting in air…gave proof through the night…" the words slipped through Lita's lips, almost as a reflex.
She never denied her heritage, especially being the only Chrono Unit member ever born on the surface of a planet.
"Ah! Samus! I see you found it!" a voice snapped Lita from her trance.
"Is this what you sent us down there after?" Samus said back.
"Now you know I wouldn't have sent you down there just to check out my little living space, now did you?" Adam replied.
"Well now what do we need to do?" Lita asked.
"That's totally up to you. We probably need to try to get you on that ship, if you ask me," Adam advised.
"Sounds great, but how are we going to do it? It looks like it's completely covered with the X parasite," Samus observed.
"We can take care of that for you. We'll carpet bomb that bastard long enough for you to get inside," Adam said.
"No way we let you do that. It's taking all you have just to hold off the X that's falling," Samus shook her head.
"Last time I checked, you weren't the one in charge here, Ex-Commander Aran. Remember, you are no longer a part of the Galactic Federation Military. I, on the other hand, never quit, and was never discharged, so I think I'm the one that calls the shots," Adam scathed.
"I think he's got you there," Cade interjected.
"Shut up, Cade," Samus said.
"Whatever," he returned.
"Now go, get in that ship of yours and get up there. You'll see where to go," Adam ordered.
"I can't just…" Samus started.
"You listen to me, girl. Don't you let these men and women die in vain. Many have already given their lives to save this planet, and all of the rest of them still believe in making that same sacrifice. They might not know enough about you to believe in you, but I do. I know you never enjoyed letting me down when I trained you. Even though it was only a few times, you tore yourself up over it. Don't disappoint me, Samus," Adam said as he turned and manned his turret once more.
"But Adam!" Samus yelled.
Adam continued to fire away on his cannon, ignoring everything else.
Samus gazed through her tears at her proud mentor. Despite what her heart told her, she knew that he only had the best in mind.
A jerk on her arm forced her to break her concentration, but not her tears.
"We have to go, Samus," Lita said as she tugged.
The three wearily made their way to the ship and took off.
The Vilonium shells created turbulence as they shot by and evaporated the massive globules of X.
As they neared the bottom of the hull, orb after orb sunk deep into the aqueous barrier. Flashes of light could be seen through the translucent liquid, then it receded, revealing a standard steel panel.
The next orb ripped a hole in the armor just large enough for the group to land inside.
As the three exited the ship, they noticed that the light from the explosions lit their makeshift hangar…but soon the light disappeared as the X regenerated and covered their entrance.
The darkness welcomed them wholeheartedly…
