A/N: Hello readers! I've been playing Mass Effect a little too much lately and thought it was about time I put pen to paper -fingers to keys in the more physical sense- for one of my favourite RPG's. Between work, surfing and writing other fics, I'm not sure when I'll update next. I like to have a few fics on the go, keeps me on my toes and when one gives me writers block the other just flows. I'm still very new to the whole Fanfic site, so please leave reviews. Criticism and praise come hand in hand and are both appreciated greatly to enhance my writing ability. Cheers all and hope to be updating again soon.
Disclaimer: Mass Effect and it's characters are property of BioWare, any use of them in this fic will have words, plot lines and descriptions derived from their product and machinations of my own invention.
Chapter 1 - Thresher Maws
The rover jolted and rattled as it made its way over the rocky terrain of the planet. Red lights emitted through the cabin, their luminescence bathing the soldiers in its warm coloured glow. Seven marines stared at each other from their seated harnesses, looks of apprehension crossing through each of them. One man sat at the very back of the rover, his rifle standing on its stock in front and both hands holding on to the barrel for support as he leaned forward. His armour bore no markings or insignia, only sharp white lines against the black plating. With the visor of his helmet down, his mood was nonexistent, a mask upon a mask to the wary eyes of the soldiers afore him.
"Two clicks from the beacon marines, gear up." The intercom blared through the cabin, the crackling dying a half second after the message was received. All the marines moved as one, the clicking as harnesses released, donning of helmets and extension of firearms. The man at the back stayed motionless, a stone amongst the commotion of soldiers.
One of the marines glared aft of the rover. "Hey freelancer," he growled at the man still sitting, "that means you too, gear up." The freelancer if he heard the order did not acknowledge it, still leaning forward and holding his rifle. The marine stomped towards him, bending low and his face inches away from the freelancer's visor. "You fucking deaf or just stupid," spittle flying all over the screen, "gear up freelancer!"
Still, the freelancer sat, not even an incline from his head. The marine's temper rose at the ignorance of this paid operative. No one disobeyed his orders, a staff sergeant's orders. He eyed the held sniper rifle, it looked expensive and above the calibre of any Alliance marine. With the tip of his boot, he swiped at the stock making it slip and the firearm fall to one side. With fluid precision, the freelancer span the rifle in his right hand, catching it with his left then clutching the sergeant's throat. Eyes bulged as the hand slowly lifted until feet danced, toes skidding on the deck. The others watched the spectacle of their fellow marine, none coming to his aid as the signs of suffocation became evident.
"Ranger!" The helmet turns away from the sergeant and focuses past the horrified soldiers. A burly battle worn soldier shoves through the cabin and stands to look at his dangling subordinate. "You're not being payed to discipline my squad," he murmurs to the freelancer, anger and command lacing his tone from countless combat and years of leadership. "Put him down, now."
The freelancer reacts instantly, dropping the sergeant and letting him crumple to the floor. A scarred face stares at the reflection from the freelancer's visor. Brown eyes furrowed as they look to the flat nose that had been broken one too many times. Gaunt cheeks to the broad jaw line all clean shaven as part of military doctrine. The same as the crew cut though interrupted by a long thin scar extending from the forehead to just past the left ear. "Discipline is taught as a recruit, lieutenant." The freelancer's voice coming out cropped from the internal speakers of the helmet, "retaliation is taught to remind those of discipline."
The lieutenant glared down at the gasping marine. "A good lesson for you staff sergeant," he said turning back to the front of the cabin. "You best show respect to the exonerated chief." Taking his own assault rifle from the weapons locker, he proceeded to the access hatch of the rover. "Thirty seconds marines, helmets on, check your shields and oh-two breathers." The lieutenant barked out the orders, watching as all including the dishevelled staff sergeant obeyed. "Survivors are first priority, what happened here is secondary, move out!"
Red dust coated the freelancer's boots as he traipsed around the perimeter of the crater. The beacon was at the centre of the area emitting the general distress call, the marines searching near it for any signs of life. He knelt and scanned their position through his sniper scope, something was not right. A distress beacon in open expanse and no survivors or dead bodies, it all screamed trap to him. Checking his Omni-tool and seeing the timer at fifty one seconds, he felt it was time the squad wrapped up this 'rescue' mission. Placing a finger to the built in radio of his helmet, he waited as the signal engaged and the static settled. "Lieutenant, this is Ranger, you copy?"
"Loud and clear Ranger, what you find?"
Ranger stood from his position and focused towards the squad, "the same as you lieutenant. Dirt, rocks and a beacon that makes no sense." He waited a few seconds to process his next question, "there's nothing out here and this doesn't feel right. What are your orders?" A click and the static died.
Ranger watched the squad as he waited for the lieutenant to reply, they were still moseying around the beacon when he felt the first tremor. "Lieutenant, we've got seismic activity out here, I suggest we bail out." He waited for a reply, the static becoming white noise as another tremor -this time closer- rumbled and shook the loose stones around his feet. "That can't be good."
Ranger sprinted towards the squad as they all stood dumbstruck from the last quake. "Get to the rover!" He bellowed trying to force some recognition into the statuesque soldiers. He made to the first soldier and shook him from his stupor as another tremor rocked around them. "What are you doing? Fucking move!"
The fear in the soldier's eyes caused him to double back. "The lieutenant... h-he just vanished," the marine stammered.
"What do ya mean he just vanished?" Ranger grasped the marine's shoulders, "no one just fucking vanishes out here, not even biotics can do that."
The marine pointed a shaky hand towards the beacon. "He was there on the radio and when I turned around he…"
Ranger glanced at the beacon and then the hole close to it. Vanished, right. He let go of the shell-shocked soldier and armed his handguns. Releasing the safety, he fired a single shot skyward, "Marines!" The squad jumped, "get your arses in to gear, charge and lock and move to the rover." They slowly marched towards the vehicle, weapons held ready for any and all but the slightest of movements. "We're getting out of here."
His curiosity peeked as Ranger passed by the hole. It was large enough for two full grown men to jump through and not touch the sides. As he inspected the edge, he found blood soaked into the sand, dark coagulating blotches most likely where the lieutenant had hit his head when he was pulled under. Another quake came through the area of the company, one that continued to build in intensity until Ranger could barely hear. "What the fuck is doing that?" He questioned more to himself, knowing none of the squad would be able to hear him.
With an ear splitting shriek, a worm of monstrous size erupted from the earth. Hundreds of legs along the full length of its body with two extensive razor like claws under its head. The head was another matter, four strong mandibles that could crush a fighter ship and a long blue tongue lolling obscenely, able to wrap around anything that became a victim to its massive jaws. "Thresher maw!" Ranger jerked into a sprint catching up to the marines in seconds, his modified body exuding the power of his enhancements.
The squad turned as one and stood in awe of the horrifying beast behind them. "What are you doing?" Ranger roared, "move your arse or shoot the fucking thing!" His own pistols discharging rounds into the monster's four illuminating blue eyes. They all fired at once, hundreds of metal slugs colliding with the thresher's skull. It took the hits as a speeding truck would take a fly, eyes following the miniscule humans fleeing from its form. Rearing its head back, Ranger knew what was coming and tackled a soldier, throwing him wide of the rover. "Duck in cover!"
A green liquid sprayed from the thresher maw's mouth, spreading hundreds of metres, splashing the rover and surrounding area. The screams of marines left in the open reached Ranger's ears, the acid eating through their ceramic armoured plating and burning their skin. "We need to help them," the soldier cried watching as his squad flailed in agony.
"They're already dead mate," Ranger breathed out heavily. He turned to the marine and noticed the sergeant he had throttled only hours before this mission went to hell. He had cowered behind the boulder they had made cover to, hands shaking violently on his shotgun and his eyes wild with fear. Ranger holstered his pistols and extended the sniper rifle from his back, priming the weapon ready for the insane plan he had begun to formulate.
"You trained to use that gun?" He asked the staff sergeant pointing towards the rover and its artillery. A blank stare was his reply, mouth open and all colour drained from the cheeks. "Sergeant," Ranger punched the marine square on the jaw, watching as he fumbled between holding his rifle and the right side of his face. "Are you trained to use that gun?" Ranger repeated making ready for another left hook. The soldier nodded weakly, a bruise beginning to form where the freelancer had hit him. "Good," Ranger positioned himself against the boulder, peering around to survey the thrashing worm. "When I have that bastard's attention, I want you to get to the rover and shoot the living shit out of it, understood?" He turned to find the sergeant fleeting looks between the rover and him. "Oh for fuck's sake," Ranger snarled and pointed his rifle at the marine, "do you understand?" This time the sergeant replied with a vigorous bob of his head. "On my count then," Ranger rolled his shoulders back, ready to make another run for his life.
Ranger dashed from cover, firing precision shots at the beast's eyes. "Now sergeant," he bellowed as the creature rounded on him. The shrieking continued as he ran the full length of the crater, rocks and potholes that would encumber a normal human were swiftly avoided. The cybernetics built into Ranger's body improved his mobility, strength and accuracy and the nanocytes flowing through his blood stream were constantly adapting and enhancing the hardware and cells at weak points. These factors aided his survival to the harsh environmental difficulties he faced. Ranger hated that he was used as an experiment for the perfect super soldier, yet he praised these enhancements now.
Turning back, he fired another flurry of slugs at the thresher maw and then to his horror, Ranger saw the rover pulling away from the site. "No," He breathed out. "No, no, no! You stupid bastard!" Ranger yelled. Being left behind was not part of the plan and cursing the marine was all that came across his mind. He watched as the rover quickly back tracked to the edge of the crater and stalled as it tried to climb the slope, the thresher maw disappeared underground and Ranger felt the vibrations as they diminished. "You stupid, dead fuck," he sobbed.
Ranger put his back to the rover and listened as the thresher maw emerged, propelling the vehicle into the air and then the thunderous crash as it assaulted the earth once more. The thresher maw gave one final shriek then buried itself back below the beacon. Ranger exhaled sharply and observed the carnage inside the crater. "You and me both brother, I wash my hands from this madness."