Notes: This journey into Alba takes place one month after the conclusion of Gryph's "Human Nature" and two months before "Future Past". The story can be read as a stand-alone but does reference character experiences from previous stories, "Human Nature" in particular. The entire Chronicles of Alba series is well worth the read.
A special thanks to Gryph, first for creating the engaging world of Alba and secondly for allowing me to join him in creating adventures for Galen, Pete, and Alan.
In addition, this tale is another contribution toward Hurt/Comfort Bingo for the card fill Poison, although it easily could be applied to any number of hurt/angst fills.
xXxXxXx
The Court Martial – Chapter One
Levi jabbed at the ten second rewind icon then jabbed it again as he leaned over the large viewscreen of the monitor. He pushed play. He shook his head and hit another set of keys before he straightened, crossed his arms at his chest and moved his eyes to the expansive wall monitor.
"Zoom," he spoke aloud. The picture enlarged toward the center. "Freeze." He sniffed loudly before slapping the link bracelet on his wrist connecting him to the central computer.
"Mal. I need you in Command."
"Now?" a peeved voice carried through the room causing Enoch, one of Levi's security technicians, to raise a sympathetic eyebrow. The critical nature of the Council Head of the governing Elders of Alba was well known. That he was the spouse of Head of Security Levi made little difference—maybe made it worse. The young human was the same age as their son, Joshua, and had witnessed first-hand the high expectations Malachi placed on his children, both of them. Although he didn't know him as well, he had heard Ezekial, their older angel son, complain about his eema when they were growing up. Enoch was glad Levi was his boss.
"I need you to see something," Levi stated calmly to the link bracelet, "and then later we can meet for lunch." Enoch scoffed out loud at the negotiation before his face turned crimson. He fixed his eyes on his keyboard and began to type rapidly.
"If you insist," Malachi's voice carried through the speakers of the wrist communicator.
"I do, indeed," Levi tapped out of the conversation then strolled by Enoch's workstation leaving a slap on the back of his head as he passed.
"Yes, sir," Enoch straightened in his seat, diligently working as he mentally prepared for the Elder to arrive.
xXxXxXx
"Not that I mind taking Harriet out for a spin, but why the rush, Zeke?" Pete Burke asked as the group of four rode the elevator from the thirty-ninth floor of the Security Command Center weapons deployment station to the zero-level exterior exit tunnel of Alba, one level below the domed arboretum. Decked out in full gear, including body armor and needler rifles, the remaining four of their party waited for the next elevator to avoid unnecessary crowding.
"Harriet?" Eliana, the dark-haired security lead of their assignment, asked.
"The hovercraft," Zeke replied nonchalantly, his wings brushing against the curved transparent aluminum viewport allowing full display of the central shaft of the underground city. The only foreign-born occupant of the elevator, Pete still found the vibrancy of the long-hidden city exhilarating, particularly after his near two-years scrambling to survive with his two friends in a bronze-age world while being hunted by apes with death warrants in hand.
"All flying ships and fast cars have female names," Josh, Zeke's younger brother, offered helpfully.
"Says who?" Eliana questioned as all eyes turned on Burke.
"Hey, I don't make the rules, but I do my best to abide by them," Pete shrugged. He ignored the snorting that followed. "The rush?" he asked again.
"Too many unusual events that may be more than coincidental," Zeke responded. "The Rephaim hunting parties reported increased activity of the Shedim, the degenerated human beings that remain in what was once what you called Albuquerque." Pete shuddered involuntarily at the thought of the creatures that devolved from the apocalypse that destroyed his world and allowed the apes to rise in power. Those voracious beasts that carried remnants of human DNA had truly fallen deep into a sub-sentient species category and served as a food source for the genetically engineered gorillas that currently lived outside the walls of Alba. "They report that they have found a concerning number of tracks well outside the areas they normally infest, headed in our direction.
"Then this morning, our security cameras captured a tall dust cloud about two miles southeast, the same direction as the ancient city," Zeke continued. "No weather patterns were detected that could account for it."
Eliana added, "Within an hour of the sighting, a reconnaissance flight by security revealed a crater about seven meters in diameter which is inconsistence with any expected natural phenomenon in the area."
"Routine flight patrols confirm the crater wasn't present five days ago," the angel affirmed. "Given the close proximity to Alba, the Council of Elders is assuming a proactive stance by sending an investigative team—us— to determine if more stringent action steps are required."
"Like I said, fine by me," Pete bumped the muscled arm of his betrothed with his own. "It's good to get out of doors from time to time. If everything checks out okay with the dust devil, we can take Harriet for some practice spins—and I do mean spins—to get you noobies some time clocked behind the wheel." As he readjusted the rifle on his shoulder, Pete grinned at the thought of the ensuing Council discussions when the angel flight patrols reported unexplained sand circles left over from Harriet doing doughnuts in the desert.
"We are on an assigned mission, Pete," Eliana tried to dissuade him, but she suspected they would be hopping over sand dunes at ridiculous speeds on the return trip.
"Absolutely. And any number of things might happen while on said assigned mission. A mission ain't complete 'til we touch down back at base, Sir," the former astronaut and now hovercraft driver replied with a mischievous grin. Fortunately, the doors of the elevator slid open allowing Eliana to avoid an argument she had already lost. She resolved to ask Colonel Virdon how he managed to control Major Burke under his command at her next opportunity.
The rest of the crew arrived in the lift adjacent within seconds. They exited into the corridor leading to an external hatchway that led outside into the desert. The eight of them walked together toward the recently designed hanger sheltering the hovercraft. Alan Virdon fell into step with Pete. Both were selected for this mission based on their experience in dealing with the outside world, which far exceeded any exposure by the Albans who had lived within the isolated city for their entire lives. The humans from the distant past had found themselves in Alba when they had fallen into an ancient rail station in an accident which almost cost Pete his life. Instead, it gave both a new opportunity to live free from the endless hunt of an ape society which had sentenced them to death.
Representing security under Levi's jurisdiction, Eliana was given supervisory lead of the mission. She was joined by Nethaniah, a tawny winged angel, who was also a tactical assault specialist. Gabriel, the second angel, was not only a tech guru but had an inborn gift as a technopath enabling him to touch, contact and then manipulate electronic and computer equipment. His role was to determine if evidence of deliberate manipulation of the elements contributed to the unusual events noted.
Misha, a gorilla of the Rephaim, agreed to assist based on his extensive knowledge of the desert environs as well as the potential concerns which the Rephaim might encounter if the Shedim had altered their dangerous, but predictable, behavior. The gorillas, who had been created by the same humans who had engineered the angels some four centuries ago, had developed their own society and culture when they had been cast out of Alba to fend for themselves in the Desolation of a world destroyed by nuclear war. It was only in recent weeks that the tribes had returned to Alba with Galen, chimpanzee friend and fellow fugitive of Alan and Pete, serving as their mentor and guide. The Prophecies of the Rephaim called him Shulmanu. Galen was content to be called Friend.
Josh, the youngest member of the team, had designed the hovercraft making his presence essential should any irregularities present in the operational functioning of their transport, but he was also a talented adjunct to Gabe's technological expertise. Zeke, the third angel, was an engineer by profession and an empath by innate ability; neither talent having much to contribute to the situation being investigated. He was not fooled by Malachi's not so subtle efforts to get him more involved in Council business. It was no secret that the Council Elder expected his eldest son to follow in his political footsteps, whether or not Zeke felt the same calling. Inclusion on the mission gave Zeke a chance to spend time with Pete, so he had no complaints.
The group passed through security checkpoints to exit the climate-controlled city into the late morning heat of the desert. Not so long ago, the doors to Alba seldom opened with no identifiable need to exit the closed city. Now, the vibrant sounds of life welcomed the team as they moved among the gorillas who adjusted to their new existence as fledgling members returning to Alban society. Josh had been directly involved in the design and building of many of the structures used by the gorillas and several greeted him as they walked toward the aluminum domed hanger where the hovercraft waited.
"Galen!" Alan called out as a familiar face exited the Rephaim education center. The chimpanzee beamed as he saw his friends, gathered the hem of his colorful, flowing robe common among the Rephaim and hurried to join them.
"We need to depart quickly," Eliana noted wryly, looking meaningfully at both Alan and Pete.
"We won't take long," the colonel assured her.
"Alan. Pete." The chimpanzee greeted each with a hug. "What brings you to the Village?"
"Just passing through," Pete admitted. "On our way to look at sand craters."
"Probably nothing but the Elders asked us to take a first-hand look," Alan elaborated.
Sporting a good-natured grin, Galen tapped Pete's chest with his knuckles. "Just make sure you don't fall in."
"I expect we won't be gone more than a few hours," Alan squinted at the sun nearing its apex. "Are you staying here again tonight? Maybe we can visit then?"
As much as he hated to admit it to his human friends, the chimpanzee found himself more and more at ease in the canvas-covered yurts of the Rephaim than the technologically advanced rooms of the Alban city. Perhaps it was because the technology of the city was foreign to him while the use of firepits and handcrafted tools felt more like home. Or perhaps because he struggled to find commonality with the humans, whom he had been taught since birth were subservient to him—little more than beasts of the field—teachings that had only been challenged since he met Pete and Alan, humans far different from any he had known before. Or maybe it was the discomfort that niggled at him when he was with the angels due to childhood legends told to frighten young apes, tales of the Sephrat, evil winged humans who kidnapped and devoured apes. Or maybe it was as simple as the gorillas of the Rephaim were more like him in appearance. He preferred to think it was because he found a true purpose among them as he aided in bringing the cultures of the apes and humans together. His assigned quarters near Alan and Pete remained empty more often than not.
"Yes, yes," Galen agreed. "I have my own tent in the Village now. You both should come for dinner. Zeke, too," the chimpanzee offered.
"Serving us Fruit Cocktails, no doubt," Pete chided his friend regarding his vegetarian preferences.
"Of course! Five courses of Rabbit Food just for you," Galen struck back with a laugh using one of Pete's common complaints when they were on the run and scavenging whatever meal they could find growing wild in the countryside.
"Sounds great, Galen," Alan smiled. "As long as we don't discover some kind of eruption leading to the center of the earth that requires sealing, we'll see you later this evening."
xXxXxXx
Pete settled Harriet to a stop position several yards from the crater, 2.2 miles from Alba according to the odometer. His deep frown created a furrow on his brow.
"Pete? Do I need to stay the order to deploy?" Eliana questioned the look as she removed the harness of her seat and moved to study the crater from the vantage point of the hovercraft window. The others in the vehicle stood and gathered their equipment.
"Not on my account," he replied with a quick upward glance at her before returning his attention to the steering controls. "Harriet's responses felt sluggish. Give me a minute to run a diagnostic and maybe jiggle a thing or two and I'll join you."
"Affirmative. Josh—life signs?" she snapped.
"We may have snakes in the fauna west of the crater. No other potential threats detected," the young human responded as he continued to study his monitoring device.
"Let's hope it wasn't Mama Snake that dug that hole," Pete murmured as he unsnapped the tool kit built into the dash and slid open the cover plate giving him access to the inner workings of the console.
"All clear on radiation, gas and related environmental hazards," Gabe volunteered. He hung the reader on a strap attached to his body armor.
"You all have the personal radioactivity detection monitors. Announce immediately if anyone pings," the mission lead ordered. "Keep all firearms in the off safe position until further orders. Misha, Alan, Nethaniah, and I will secure the perimeter. Josh, Gabe—initiate equipment deployment on this north side of the crater. Zeke, act as their security while our noncombatants begin their work.
"Pete…," Eliana twisted her head to see long legs jutting out near the mounted pilot seat, his upper torso inside the control panel. "We will have an operational craft when you are done?"
"She'll be better than ever," a deep, muffled voice responded.
"Do you need Josh's assistance?"
"Negatory. Harriet and I need some quality time together. She needs a gentle touch to get her back to peak performance. Just call me the Ship Whisperer. Finished in a jif."
"By a Jif," Alan shook his head with a chuckle remembering his junior officer's pilot call sign from his Air Force days, some thousand plus years ago.
"What's a jif?" Josh asked innocently.
"Depends on if you're looking for something with speed or want to settle for a mouthful of peanut butter," Alan's blue eyes twinkled.
"I heard that!" Pete yelled out.
Alan grinned at the confused faces around him but offered no explanations before returning his focus to the mission. Eliana turned to the man who watched her expectantly. A month previous, Lt. Colonel Virdon had struggled when the Alban Council had denied him his expected place as commander of their mission to Kirtland, passing it instead to Eliana, but she had proven her capabilities to lead. He trusted her. Although not given as an order because the colonel did not officially serve within the Security Forces of the underground city, she in turn treated him as second in command. She trusted him, too. "Alan, take point. Open the hatch and begin deployment."
With a curt nod, Virdon pressed the keypad giving the current code to operate the hatch. It slid to the left with a quiet whoosh. A wave of heat struck him in the face as if an oven door opened. He trotted out, his rifle raised and immediately scanned the area as he did a quick walk toward the crater. The rest of the security team followed in order.
While Zeke waited for Gabe and Josh to unload the bulkier equipment needed to set up their primary study base, the angel wandered to the front of the hovercraft and squatted next to the pilot. He laid one hand on Pete's thigh and leaned down so he could see him. Pete lifted his head, touching his chin to his chest, greeting him with a dimpled grin when he spied Zeke's hazel eyes staring at him through the open compartment door.
"Besheirt," Zeke smiled in return, his voice warmed by the aura of happiness his betrothed was projecting, "is all that tinkering really necessary?"
"Your gift is reading others. Mine," Burke stated as he wriggled the fingers of one hand in Zeke's direction, "is trusting these hands. Harriet is…off today. Once I get the rough edges smoothed out again, I'll be right with you to play in the sand. Don't mind me if I get bored and start building a castle."
"Whatever makes you happy, handsome. Tinker away," the angel squeezed his partner's leg as he pushed himself up.
"Besheirt!" Pete called as Zeke started toward the hatch. "Be careful out there."
"Always. I'm leaving the environmental controls on and closing the hatch behind me to have a cool place for water breaks out of the sun. Hurry up. I've never built a castle in the sand before." Zeke's smile stretched across his face and his wings fluttered lightly as he exited the vehicle then tapped on the exterior key controls to shut the door.
He walked several yards to the rim of the crater where Josh and Gabe were engaged in a flurry of activity. A large mesh-net mat supported several pieces of equipment encased in brushed metal boxes offering some protection from the glaring sun and endless grains of sand. The two seemed to delight in the multi-colored sliders and dials that lit up to pings and dings as they prepared for detailed study of the anomaly. Whatever impacted the area to create the crater left tall mounds of soft sand that easily drained into the pit when they neared. Whether naturally occurring or the result of the impact, rocky debris surrounded the crater.
Misha had taken a position toward the east. Eliana and Neth spread across the south to southeast end, the side facing the ancient city of Albuquerque where the Shedim nested—and Kirtland Air Force base. Zeke's eyes lingered that way for a long moment as his heart thumped against his chest recalling the terrible memories of Jed's death, Pete's torture, and Alan's near subjugation by the androids that remained to guard the not so abandoned base. He jerked away as his eyes started to burn. He found Alan on the west side of the crater, keeping a respectful distance from the spider grass that grew in scattered clumps beyond the debris field, and the snakes Josh warned them about. The colonel was moving attentively, pacing near the edge, although Zeke noted a slight limp remained from his experience at Kirtland exposed to an overload of chemicals introduced by the androids through a device pressed against his forearm. He moved around and behind several larger boulders in his immediate vicinity to verify the area was clear.
All worked silently for several minutes until Zeke heard Gabe utter, "Huh? Interesting…. Eliana," he called out across the wide expanse, "I'm detecting an unusual heat signature at the interior of the crater."
"Inside?" she yelled back.
"Under the…."
Zeke heard the simultaneous moans of his friends join his own as his head suddenly filled with a high-pitched squeal. His eyes grew wide as he watched Misha stumble to the ground, followed by the humans: Josh, Eliana and Alan. The angels fell last as Zeke realized a wide spectrum stun blast was sending them all to oblivion. He twisted towards Harriet trying to call out to Pete, but he fell face first into the sand before he could utter a sound.
Five bursts of sand flew from the upper ridges around the crater wall. Five soldiers wearing full combat gear sprang from beneath the ground, swiftly moving toward each of the fallen Albans, checking for life signs. On the sleeves of four of the men, Alan would have recognized the three, white-winged lines bordered by dark blue edges centered with a white star on a blue circle as insignia for Senior Airmen of the United States Air Force. A fifth sported the rank of Master Sergeant.
"Target One identified, sir," one of the men shouted out as he knelt at Alan's head, his hand on the pulse point of his neck. "Alive and well, sir."
"Call out location of Target Two," the unit commander barked. His airmen scurried between the bodies verifying that all remained breathing, but none responded to the order.
"Relocate all hostiles next to Target One. Verify identities. Gunner, get me a total count! I want Target Two!"
Despite their purposefully enhanced strength, the airmen began the difficult process of moving the angels and the gorilla to the indicated location. The humans, lighter in weight and less cumbersome, were more easily transferred. All the fallen were ultimately laid side by side, although not without some tell-tale abrasions and scrapes.
"I have that total count, Sarge. Three humans—one female, one ape—gorilla, and three abominations".
"Gunner!"
"Sorry, sir. Three hybrids."
The Master Sergeant marched along the line studying each face before his frustration broke.
"Where the hell is Burke?!"
xXxXxXx
As Pete concluded his gentle touches to Harriet's steering mechanism, he felt an odd vibration along his back as her floorboard shimmied for almost a full minute. "You're all better now, sweetheart," he said, dropping a pair of needle nose pliers back into the toolbox. "We're gonna have some fun on the way back. Make me proud, girl."
"Oww," he grumbled when he bumped his head as he scooted from beneath the console, replacing the cover and closing the toolkit before pulling himself into the pilot seat. Everything froze as he looked out the tinted window to see all his friends lying motionless on the ground just as five armed troopers burst out of the crater. He knew the uniforms and insignia immediately.
Kirtland! The androids! How? Why…?!
Instinctively, Pete dropped to the floor, his eyes peering over the top of the console. He instantly thought of the rotating pulse rifle with remote firing capability equipped on the hovercraft, but he couldn't risk striking one of his own. He grabbed one of the gun controls and stuffed it in a pocket on his body armor. Snatching his needler rifle from where it had been stowed in a compartment along the passenger seats, he stayed low, darting to the rear cargo hatch which could be opened unseen by the enemy. Thankful for the smooth and silky sound as it glided open, Pete pressed his back against the body of the hovercraft, resealing it against the Kirtland androids. He scooched along the side, pausing where the craft remained flush with the ground.
He peered around the edge, the rifle gripped in a low ready position, his finger against the trigger guard.
"Target One identified, sir," an airman next to Alan announced. Burke's eyes narrowed. "Alive and well, sir." Burke started to breathe again.
"Call out location of Target Two." Pete squinted. It was a Master Sergeant. Or maybe a Senior Master Sergeant. He couldn't tell from the distance. A damn grunt in any case. The airmen moved quickly among the bodies with no replies. A sick feeling in his gut began to stir.
"Relocate all hostiles next to Target One. Verify identities. I want Target Two!" Head Asshole ordered. Pete eyed the airmen as they begin to struggle with Misha, Neth, Gabe and Zeke. He swallowed hard seeing Zeke's brown wings fall loosely around him, his head hanging lifelessly as he was roughly pulled from the ground, the airman grunting as he tried to lift him. The android cursed, dropped him so he landed with a soft thud, then grabbed Zeke by both wrists and dragged him along the crater's edge leaving a trail of feathers yanked out of his wings by the rough ground. Pete shut his feelings down. He could not afford anger right now. If not for the desperation of the situation, he might have smiled when a stray thought briefly crossed his mind that Alan would have been proud of him for controlling his reaction. He took a chance on the androids' distraction to risk running toward the tall debris that ringed the crater as a result of the explosion that created it. He needed to get closer to where his friends were being laid on the west side of the crater to give him any chance to defend them.
Pete managed to move unseen within a few yards of where the Albans were being tossed to the ground. He hunkered down, squatting over his toes. He needed to get closer. His mind worked through the possibilities as he chewed on his lower lip, forcing his breaths to remain calm and even.
He listened as they completed a headcount of his friends. Sergeant You're-the-First-One-Going-Down walked along the line of the unconscious prisoners pausing at each human face.
"Where the hell is Burke?!" he exclaimed.
"The Colonel's here. His abomination is here," the one who dragged Zeke pointedly kicked him in his side. ""He has to be here!"
Damn right, I am. And time I started taking you fuckers down. Pete balanced on one knee, slotted the rifle to his shoulder just as the sergeant ordered, "Raise the transport."
One of the androids clicked something mounted on his forearm.
"EATTS deployed, sir."
The ground rumbled in concert with a humming noise. Although his view was limited, Burke could see the ground inside the crater begin to move. His eyes grew wide as a vehicle rose out of the sand in the center of the crater. As the sand streamed off the roof along the sides, he could read EATTS-USAF in large red letters trimmed in white. In smaller print, written in blue, were the words Enclosed All Terrain Technical Support Vehicle.
Distracted by the noise and shock of the rising vehicle that then settled back onto the ground surface, Pete snapped his rifle in place again when he realized the Loudmouthed Dipwad had pulled a thin, black stiletto type blade from the armored sleeve next to his wrist. He stepped on Zeke's outstretched wing and pointed down with the blade.
"Sarge, we have an opportunity to remove all witnesses. The hybrids will blame the Devastation Spawn," the blade flicked toward Albuquerque.
Pete took a breath, held it, and aimed the rifle at his head, moving his finger to the trigger.
"Negative," the Master Sergeant countered. Burke returned his touch to the trigger guard. "Proceed with the Mission as outlined. Base has no intention of starting a war with the hybrids. Not yet anyway. It is unfortunate Major Burke is not present, but we have the Colonel. Move him aboard and prepare to depart."
Like hell you will. Pete almost squeezed the trigger giving his position away when he remembered the hovercraft. As the roof attached hatch of the Kirtland transport vehicle swung open, and two of the airmen leaned down toward Alan, Burke triggered the mounted pulse rifle. He remotely lowered the aim into the crater and swung the firing range in a 45-degree arch pinging the EATTS vehicle and kicking up dirt along the ground.
"The hostile's transport!" the sergeant yelled. "Who checked it? Gunner, Guard the prisoners," he yelled at the airman with the knife still gripped in his hand. The sergeant flashed a flurry of hand signals to which the remaining three responded by spreading around the crater ducking behind the debris in zigzagging runs toward Harriet. The sergeant joined them in their organized, cohesive approach toward the hovercraft.
Keeping his finger firmly on the remote while thumbing the slider to continue the unpredictable oscillation of the gun, Pete scurried behind the debris to get to Alan knowing he had to be between the androids and his colonel in order to protect him. It appeared a few of the randomly aimed pulse propelled ammo struck—no head shots, though—keeping the androids occupied but undeterred.
"Hostiles!" a voice rang out and suddenly pockets of sand from the dunes Pete was using for cover exploded into the air.
"That's Burke! That's Burke! Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" Sergeant Dickweed ordered. Taking quick breaths, Pete flung himself behind a set of boulders, now only a few feet from the unconscious Albans. He stopped the pulse rifle, but his finger hovered over the buttons. Knife-Happy was near Alan's feet. If he could take him out, he could position himself between the other androids who were now closer to the hovercraft than his position. No one moved as the unit commander spoke.
"Major Burke, I am Master Sergeant Specks. We have a warrant for your arrest as defined by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Lay down your weapon and present yourself for General Court-Martial to be conducted at Kirtland Air Force Base by a designated panel. Your rights will be fully presented once you have surrendered."
Court-Martial! What the hell! Pete was stunned. He knew from their previous encounter with the androids that they didn't have an officer at his grade or higher, enlisted airmen only—only organics could hold commissioned ranks—so their UCMJ order didn't mean shit. Not that he would have given any weight to it in his current situation. Still. He also knew his odds sucked since they knew where he was and anyone who could help remained out cold. He drew his tongue along his lips, momentarily aware of the sweat rolling along his temples and down his back causing his shirt to stick uncomfortably against his skin beneath the body armor. He wrapped the rifle strap over his shoulder, disengaged his handgun from its holster at his belt, pressed the safety off, never taking his eyes away from the tall bastard that was scanning the rocks waiting for him to show himself. He needed to get to Virdon. He was their target; he was the first one Pete needed to protect, and he needed some leverage with these automated asswipes. He needed to pull Alan away.
"Major Burke, as an officer of the United States Air Force, you have been given an order under the UCMJ. Refusal to obey your orders may lead to additional charges. You are expected to comply, sir." The Master Sergeant's unwavering stare in Pete's direction warned he had no options remaining.
Comply my ass, mother fuckers!
Pete leapt from behind the debris as he pressed the remote instigating rapid fire of the pulse rifle mounted on Harriet. At the distraction, the airmen spun. Pete slid his arms along Alan's back into his arm pits and started to pull him into the debris where he could put up some kind of defense and start negotiations. Maybe Alan would wake up soon. He was better at that shit than he was.
Blade Bot twisted back taking deliberate steps in his direction. Pete released Alan, stood while simultaneously tucking the gun remote back into a pocket, slid to one side to avoid stepping on Alan, cupped the butt of the pistol in his left palm and began to fire with his right. He struck the android in the upper chest, in the shoulder, and the side of his neck causing white liquid to spew in spurts, almost as if a heart actually pumped in its chest. The android lunged for Burke as he fell.
The sensation didn't even hurt. It was like the whole area had been numbed first. He could feel it going in like he could feel the pull of the skin when he got stitches a time or three. Everything else around Pete distorted while only he and the android holding each other up struck him with crystalized clarity. The white goo from the damaged airman splashing onto his face was a cool contrast from his own sweat. The smell reminded him of residual bleach in a locker room shower, of all things. A wet spot gurgled up between the body armor and his stomach and he thought he must have hit the android's torso with another bullet. He glanced down and saw, but took a moment to process, the hilt of the blade protruding from his body armor. Maybe not the airman's goo after all.
That's not so bad. Jed can take care of that. No, wait. These assholes killed Jed.
Accompanied by an odd reverbing whistling sound, Burke's focus widened like an expanding wave radiating away from center but pulsed back with vital input. He wasn't pushing the remote. He wasn't firing the pistol. He wasn't saving Alan. The other androids were running at him now. If he waited, they would take him, too, and no one would know what happened. He looked down at Alan as his mouth moved. Pete took a deep breath, let the android fall and he stumbled into the debris. Maybe he could cover himself with enough sand to hide before they found him. If nothing else, with the pistol having several shots left and the rifle still at his back, he could do some damage before they took him. He wasn't going down easy, damn it.
The Master Sergeant and the remaining airmen convened around the fallen trooper and the prisoners. He threw up a raised fist bringing the company to a halt. He looked down as a growling sound rose from the gorilla's throat and the tawny wings of the muscular hybrid began to move.
"The hostiles are reviving. Boles, Harris, assist Gunner. Chapman, secure Target in the EATTS. Sedate him until we get back to base. Charlie Mike. Complete the Mission. Move." Orders were fired out in quick succession.
"Sir, unable to secure Target Two. I don't see where the major went," Chapman paused waiting for instruction as he positioned himself at Virdon's feet.
"No matter. That was an Entropy Blade. Unlikely the hybrids will know how to treat him. Burke was accused of Aiding the Enemy—only because they don't call it treason in the UCMJ. A death sentence is a death sentence; however, he gets there. And that one ain't pretty. Secure Virdon. Move out."
Chapman grabbed Alan by both arms and easily flung him over his shoulder then slid down the sand wall to the bottom of the crater. The others followed with the injured airman between them. The hatch door clanged shut. The vehicle rose straight up into the air, executed a wide turn, and flew southeast in the direction of Kirtland.
xXxXxXx
Misha jerked into a sitting position. His teeth clicked. He was not where he was. The hov-er-craft sat opposite from where it was before. And he was no longer standing upright. And the others lay next to him. The sun had moved. Not far, but enough to know time was lost.
The flaxen-haired angel, Gabe, rolled to his side and then onto his hands and knees, his head hanging down, his wings draped around him. Slowly, the others started to groan and move. Eliana forced herself to her feet about the same time Zeke got to his with one hand on his knee, the other rubbing at the ache in his side. She refused to be distracted by the obvious change from her last memory of their situation and purposefully turned on her axis to assess the current status. The team leader mentally completed a head count as her crew moved into varying levels of responsiveness.
"What happened?" Zeke asked as he spit sand out of his mouth. "The last thing I remember is thinking something hit us with a wide spectrum stun blast taking everyone down."
"Concur," Neth replied, his agitation marked by the snapping of his wings as he assisted Josh to his feet. "Unless targeted to species specific frequencies, the entire blast radius is affected. The blast would have to be highly localized to allow the perpetrators to avoid the effects. We were out long enough to be moved but our weapons weren't disabled," he rattled his rifle in continued frustration. "Why? And by whom?"
"Alan's gone!" Eliana announced loudly. Zeke jerked up; his eyes locked onto the hovercraft.
"Pete!" he shouted and flew the distance to the vehicle. He rapidly punched the keypad shoving at the gliding door, slipping inside before it opened fully. Within seconds, he was standing in the doorway shouting, "Pete is missing, too!"
Eliana scanned the ground looking for tracks to find her missing crewmen. They had to be nearby given the short time gap. Cold sweat dampened her forehead when she saw splatters of blood intermingled with a white residue trailing off toward the west between the sand mounds.
"Neth, secure the crater. Keep everyone within visual," she ordered. Eliana snatched her rifle from the ground, slotted it, and followed the trail. Moments later, she called out.
"Zeke! Now!" her voice was shrill. The angel did a run augmented by the anxious strokes of his wings along the sandy surface until he came into the field of billowing clumps of spider grass absently thinking, 'watch out for snakes'. Eliana knelt on the ground, leaning down, speaking to someone. He could see legs splayed out from behind a spray of vegetation. He skidded to a stop and stared down, every moment frozen as his eyes found Pete's face, struggling for short gasps of air, one hand wrapped around a protrusion extending from his gut.
"But he's wearing body armor," Zeke's shocked response caused Eliana to look up.
"We need to get him to Medical."
Zeke heard the words as he dropped hard to his knees, his hands moving wildly over the hilt. Zeke's thoughts were frantic. This isn't now. This can't be now. This was the railway station. He was just remembering the railway station when rebar protruded through Pete's flank and shoulder.
"Don't remove it," Eliana spoke in clipped tones, blocking Zeke's hands from the hilt. "He needs a healer."
Hearing the voices, Pete's eyes slit open. He tried to lift his hand to Zeke. The angel saw him and leaned down placing his own arm beneath his shoulders, boosting him up. Burke's entire body tremored despite the heat. Pete was trying to speak, his eyes communicating that he was desperate to be understood. Zeke lowered his head just as Pete touched the angel's cheek with a bloodied palm. Zeke tugged him closer pinning the arm in place.
The empath heard his strained voice as much as felt the racing of his emotions as Pete uttered, "Kirtland. They…they…took Al…Alan."
"Hush, besheirt. Don't talk. We're going take care of you." Zeke fought against the tsunami of denial and fear and despair to keep his tone calm.
"Damn, it hurts how much I love you," Pete rasped through grit teeth as his dark eyes closed and his body went limp in Zeke's arms.