CHAPTER 6: PREDATOR AND PREY.
Crested Butte water collector, Gunnison County, Colorado. October 14th, 2004.
Vrka'yu descended into the darkness. He could see that the cavern was not a natural formation, the smooth and rectangular walls gave it away as a kind of water conduit that the ghomon had built. He had followed the trail of the r'ksas there.
The unclean beasts preferred to hide during the day in places like these, where they could establish their hives. Darkness and close quarters worked to the creatures' advantage, hiding them until their unsuspecting prey slipped into the deadly trap. Even the temples where the ritual hunts, or civ'kkva, were held perfectly emulated these kinds of environments, increasing the challenge for the Youngbloods.
Now Vrka'yu had to be very cautious. He walked down the shaft, measuring each step, careful not to make too much noise. Every few moments, he used the heads up display on his mask to change the range of vision.
The tunnel glowed green and blue as Vrka'yu passed the electromagnetic radiation detector. R'ksas did not give off heat like ghomon or Yaksa, they were practically invisible in the spectrum, but their shells produced a great deal of static electricity in the environment, causing their bodies to glow pale green.
After what seemed like an eternity, Vrka'yu came to an intersection in the tunnel. The place was full of garbage, debris and something else. Stacked in one corner, there were six bodies encased on the thick resin the r'ksas used to make their nests. At the feet of each individual, a dead larva was found, with segmented legs curled into a ball.
The huge holes in the abdomen of the bodies revealed that they had given birth to more of the beasts.
Nine r'ksas in all, Vrka'yu listed. He could finish off the drones quickly, saving the abomination for last. A challenge that few Ut'pu had the privilege to face.
Large infestations were usually limited to quantity and not quality. Just one R'ksa M'tr, or in this case an abomination, was worth more as a zul'ka than a hundred r'ksas.
Vrka'yu pulled the glass vial of bright blue liquid from his side satchel and poured a small amount over the resin. The corrosive substance hissed on contact with matter, dissolving it at an impressive rate, obliterating all traces of the r'ksas and ghomon that had served as hosts.
When the job was done, Vr'kayu gave a low growl of satisfaction and prepared himself for the impending combat.
He walked towards the intersection and decided that it would be a good place for the fight. The spacious interior would allow freedom of movement that would otherwise be restricted in the tunnels. He could easily avoid getting cornered in case the beasts attacked en masse and the smooth walls prevented them from ambushing him. An expert hunter chooses the terrain in his favor, he reminded himself.
He was no longer a youngblood and multiple hunts had given him the necessary experience for what lay ahead. He lightly stroked the two indentations that ran diagonally across his mask, where the first beast he hunted had scratched him, after taking him by surprise from a niche in the pyramid several cycles ago.
The bug had grabbed him by the shoulders and pinned it to the stone floor, raking his mask with its razor-like claws. The young Vrka'yu had reacted in time and used his dah'kte to disembowel the beast. Unfortunately, the r'ksa's boiling thwei had burned his face, leaving him missing a jaw and blinding him in one eye.
Vrka'yu looked towards the entrance of the tunnel through which he had entered and took one of the mines that hung from the bandolier that crossed his chest. He flung the small triangular device at the curved wall of the tunnel and it stuck to the concrete. A heartbeat later, the mine activated, launching a series of grid-like red lasers.
The Ut'pu growled in satisfaction. Any r'ksa that attempted to flee would be cut to pieces by the device. He then typed a series of commands into his wrist computer and a map appeared on his head ups display.
The devices not only acted as a barrier, but also created a three-dimensional map of the battlefield. The main tunnel continued for a few hundred more noks. Two secondary conduits separated to run parallel to the main tunnel, only to join again at the next intersection. Bright white lines indicated to Vrka'yu that they must contain the necessary machinery to prevent the structure from flooding.
He placed the mines on the escape routes and returned to the main compound. Once there, he prepared himself and let out a defiant roar that echoed through the cavernous space.
The answer was immediate. A persistent hiss reached his ear canals from the secondary tunnel, and another from the engine room.
A r'ksa lunged at him, shrieking furiously from the tunnel's sidewalk. Vrka'yu instinctively unloaded his vaj'ra cannon. The superheated ball of plasma slammed into the beast's thorax, sending it flying backwards. Pieces of the creature fell to the damp floor of the tunnel as it passed through the laser barrier.
Two more beasts approached from his right, climbing up the wall and ceiling. The plasma launcher spun, releasing two more fireballs. This time, the snakes evaded the barrage and one of them crawled fast through the ceiling, screeching.
The r'ksa dropped onto Vrka'yu as the other ran toward him. The Yaksa took the beast with both hands and threw it towards the other. Both fell rolling in the water.
The creatures did not budge and charged again, this time in a coordinated attack. Vrka'yu suddenly found himself with his back to the ground, with a beast holding him by each of his arms. He roared in fury and managed to break free of the claws that held him, grabbing and lifting both opponents by the neck in turn.
The inner jaws of each of the aliens snapped out, trying to reach Vrka'yu's face, barbed tails lashed furiously as he readied both plasma cannons and aimed at both r'ksas's cranial caparace.
Moments before firing, the Abomination burst onto the scene with a guttural roar, mixture of bestial growls and clicks. With a mighty sweep of its tail, the monster sent Vrka'yu flying backwards. The plasma cannon discharged its deadly payload toward the ceiling, where balls of superheated gas erupted, sending a shower of debris engulfing the expert hunter.
Amid the debris of stone, concrete, and metal, Vrka'yu spotted the Abomination climb through the resulting hole to the surface, followed by a larger number of the beasts than expected.
Yabh V'rta! Vrka'yu exclaimed. Time was running out for him. Although the infestation was relatively small, the Yaksa knew the creatures had other ways to reproduce without a R'ksa M'tr.
With difficulty, he lifted the concrete block that imprisoned him. With little difficulty, he managed to crawl out of the pile of rubble and peered up. The sun had gone down and the only light that filtered in came from an artificial source.
Vrka'yu climbed out and looked around. He was near a series of metallic buildings and structures in bright white and green hues from the vicinity of some power grid. A green flash moved between the structures. Vrka'yu scanned the steel towers and jerked back fast as he passed the cranial plate of a r'ksa. He aimed his cannon, but the large amount of electromagnetic radiation in the environment made it difficult for his mask's tracking system to get a lock on the r'ksa. The thunderbolt hit one of the cylindrical containers, splashing a rain of blue and hot white sparks.
- o -
Crested Butte Power distribution substation, Gunnison County, Colorado.
The alarm sounded insistently inside the control room of the Crested Butte power substation. Nathan Post monitored the control panel as he tried to figure out what had happened. Apparently there was a short circuit somewhere. He looked out the window at the array of transformers and capacitors outside, but saw nothing unusual.
Power spikes were rare, as the electricity the town received came from the Blue Mesa and Borrow Point hydroelectric dams. Only on two occasions had the system had a similar failure. One due to an electrical storm and another in March 1989, when solar activity had overloaded the power grid in Canada and part of the United States.
Nathan grabbed his hard hat and walked towards the towers. He would have to inspect the transformers one by one until he found the fault. On the walkway ahead one of the panels sputtered and acrid smoke billowed from the nearest transformer. "What the hell?" Nathan exclaimed as he saw that some of the machinery had burned to the point of melting metal.
He ran to the nearest control panel and cut the power to that section. He then picked up the radio and called the other technician.
-"Hey Karl," he said, "come here, we have a problem."
-"I'll be right there," Karl replied over the radio.
Apart from him, Karl was the only supervisor who had shown up for the night shift that day. He hadn't seen Jones since he went to check out the intersection under Houston Street. He was strange, he had heard rumors that afternoon of several missing people, including the sheriff's deputy.
A metallic sound sounded on the catwalk behind him. Nathan turned around.
-"Karl?" he asked, "Is that you?" A scraping sound reached his ears, and he walked over. Something wet stained his hand as he put it on the catwalk. It was a transparent and viscous liquid, he felt a slight itch in his hand. "What the hell?"
Out of the corner of his eye he detected a huge black shadow rising behind him. He turned suddenly and froze, his face sprinkled with sweat. In front of him was an eyeless monstrosity with a mouth full of silver teeth that was drooling profusely. Before he could even react, the creature grabbed him by the head and brought it close to its jaws.
Nathan screamed and a second jaw erupted from the monster's mouth like a piston, piercing through the helmet and through the man's head.
-"Nathan, are you there?" a robust man came walking from the other end. He held the radio in his hand. Receiving no answer he tried again on the radio "Nate?" This time, a burst of static erupted from the walkie talkie on the floor.
Karl went over and picked up the device, but seeing what was on the ground he dropped it. "Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed. Nathan's body was there, in a pool of blood. Thick red liquid seeped from a hole in his forehead.
-"Oh my god!" he prayed, picking up his radio with trembling hands. He too had heard rumors of a possible killer. He had to call the sheriff right away.
The sound of footsteps distracted him and Karl frantically turned around, trying to locate the possible attacker. For a moment he thought he saw movement at the end of the walkway, but he relaxed, it was just a heat haze… or not?
- o -
Vrka'yu resumed his search. The ghomon fleeing from that place was unarmed, not a worthy prey. The real prize was loose out there, and nothing would distract him from his mission.
He walked among the machinery, the noise and electromagnetic radiation making it very difficult to follow the trail. Vrka'yu changed the range of his vision to the usual parameters. A hiss from behind him made him turn, dah'kte spread and ready. Vrka'yu shook his head, the sound coming from a jet of steam rising from one of the machines.
A r'ksa scrambled up from his right, and with a twist of his tail, Vrka'yu was thrown into the air, landing on his back on a piece of metal that pierced him from the side.
The Yaksa roared in pain. He got up and aimed his plasma cannon. The triangular target reticle struggled to locate its target. Furious, Vrka'yu discharged a barrage of plasma fire from his two cannons. The beast slipped through steel and concrete unscatted. Damaged by the overheated gas, the entire structure collapsed in flames. The metal towers and cylinders exploded in a shower of yellow sparks until finally the whole place was in darkness. Without the interference, Vrka'yu watched as the r'ksas dispersed the ghomon settlement beyond.
- o -
Carrie Adams dumped the garbage bags into the dumpster. The sound of the phone broke the silence of the night.
-"Hello, Darcy?" she replied, "Yes... yes, of course." she nodded as she spoke. "Of course you can stay. I'll wait for you here." She hung up the phone and walked down the alley back to the restaurant door and opened it. "Ewww," she exclaimed as she touched a goo on the door frame.
Inside her, she wiped her hand on the sink and picked up her bag. "See you tomorrow Ritchie," she said goodbye to the chef, who at that moment finished washing the last of her dirty dishes. Ritchie wiped his hands on a rag and looked at her in dismay.
-"Good night Carrie," he said, "you know you can count on us for anything." She still hadn't heard from her husband, and the Sheriff had been very cryptic about the information. Ritchie feared the worst.
"Darcy is staying with me tonight," Carrie answered, "thank you very much." And she left the kitchen, holding back tears. Denise had left minutes before and the restaurant was empty. She moved to close the blinds as she waited for Darcy.
Suddenly, with a snap, the place went dark. Carrie was startled by the blackout. She went to the window, looked out and saw only darkness. The whole town was in darkness, and due to the curfew, most of the citizens were already at home, so there were no cars on the streets.
Carrie closed the last of the windows and headed for the exit when she heard the sound of pans falling to the floor, and a muffled groan. She turned. "Ritchie?" She called, as she headed back toward the kitchen, where the commotion was coming from.
Carrie cried out in horror as she walked through the kitchen's swinging doors. The chef, or rather his legs, dangled kickingly from the fireplace above the stove for a second, before falling abruptly to the polished kitchen floor, covered in blood. Something huge fell from the chimney hole. The monstrosity in front of her growled with a mouth full of sharp fangs. The eyeless creature grabbed Ritchie's head and yanked it off along with her spine, then roared in victory.
Carrie slipped back in an attempt to get away from her, hitting her forehead on the floor. She scrambled desperately back toward the dining room, but a second, smaller, glossy black creature barred her escape, bursting through the swinging doors.
Carrie squealed, curling herself to a ball cornered by the two beasts. The smaller one sniffed her cheek, extending a rigid tongue that ended in a small mouth of metal teeth. Slimy slime ran down her skin onto her apron. The larger one roared and the small mouth retracted. The lesser creature backed away.
The monster then approached Carrie and leaned towards her. The woman trembled with fear, unable even to defend herself against her. For a moment, the abomination peered at her curiously through her semi-transparent shell, moving her head slightly from side to side, like a puppy. Suddenly, it spread the fanged jaws surrounding its maw and lunged at her face.
Carrie's screams were muffled as a rigid appendage shoved down her throat and something slid down her into her belly.
Darcy Benson parked in the empty parking lot of the local dinner. Like the rest of the town, the place was in darkness. Something had happened to the power lines, the maintenance crew might take a while to get the power back on. She took a flashlight from the glove compartment and got out of the vehicle.
She walked towards the door of the restaurant, covering her face from the incipient rain with one hand. "Carrie?" she called her upon seeing the shutters closed. She approached the door but saw that it was open. It's strange, she thought to herself. Carrie would never leave open.
Darcy entered, aiming the flashlight. The tables were untouched, in fact there was no one there. "Carrie, are you there?" She insisted as she walked towards the kitchen, where she heard a slight moan.
Darcy flung the kitchen doors wide and her feet tripped on something. She pointed the flashlight down just in time to see Carrie lying there on the floor, leaning against a cupboard. She moaned slightly. A trickle of blood ran to the floor from her mouth.
-"Oh Carrie, my God!" She exclaimed, but when she bent down to examine it, she saw Ritchie's body lying beyond her.
Darcy screamed in terror, dropping the flashlight. Carrie shuddered and screamed, touching her swollen belly. The scream became a blood-chilling shriek as Carrie's belly erupted with viscera and blood, spattering Darcy in her face. In the exposed cavity, three monstrous worms writhed screeching, displaying their razor-sharp teeth.
Darcy ran to the exit without looking back. She didn't bother using her car. Just ran away, leaving behind the horror and death she had witnessed.
- o -
A/N: Hello readers. There was a lot of blood and explicit gore in this one, but it's natural for a story about an alien and a predator. This chapter is mainly based on the movie and from the point of view of Vrka'yu (Wolf). Just a few scenes from the point of view of the victims.
At first I planned to include the Predalien's point of view, but I couldn't nail down the idea of how his mind might work, so maybe I'll save it for later. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to comment below.