Acheron Chapter 16 – And Rot Inside a Corpse's Shell
A/N- There will be 76 Aliens once those caught from the last chapter give birth.
The ten individuals who were chosen by the lottery geared up and Kevin helped Edd slide on his empty backpack, "You be careful out their babe." The red heads voice was filled with concern for the love of his life.
"You should worry more for those things safety than mine," Edd said jokingly as he picked up the flamethrower, putting the harness over his shoulder.
Kevin halfheartedly smiled at his dorky husband as he turned to face him, "I'll say a little prayer for them then," and he kissed the top of his head.
Edd's fear started to get the better of him and he reaches up and grabs the back of Kevin's neck pulling him in for a passionate kiss, one that might be his last. Only breaking the kiss long enough to say, "I love you."
Kevin replied in a shaky voice, "I love you more," and kisses him again.
Not wanting to break up this sad farewell but knowing they needed to get this show on the road, Ang says in a low sad voice, "Come on lover boy, it's time to go."
He breaks the kiss, "Don't worry," then caresses Kevin's cheek, "I'll be right back."
"I'll hold you to that," Kevin replied as Edd stepped away, dragging his hand down his cheek and along his outstretched arm, a dread falling over him once their fingers stopped touching each other. He watched from where he stood as Edd turned and made his way to the door. Getting one final look at those blue eyes he loved so much when Edd turned to look over his shoulder at him one last time before stepping through that door. Kevin never thought that the sound of a door sealing shut could sound so ominous until his husband was on the other side of it rushing off into certain danger. He broke his gaze from the metal entryway when Marie called him over to the command table to start planning their defenses.
Once outside the door the group looked in the direction that they needed to go in and they all took a deep breath. Though the corridor was lit normally, they all had a feeling of dread as they gazed down the empty passageway. As though every shadow in every corner could potentially have something hidden in it, awaiting some unsuspecting person to pass by so it could strike. Steeling their resolve for what needed to be done, Ang and Edd took point, motioning for the others to follow them. Slowly passing the guards in the hall they made their way down the corridor, being mindful of any overhead ventilation ducks they came across, hugging the walls to the right and left, keeping their weapons pointed at the openings.
Coming to the desired intersection, they all kept their backs against the left wall, Edd noticed that Major Hadley's breathing was labored and shaking. "Take deep, slow breathes," he whispered to the man who did his best to comply, then he looked at the other seven people, they were all noticeably frightened but doing their best to contain it.
Ang peeks around the corner with her weapon at the ready, seeing a clear short hallway that would lead them to the hatch that would give them entry to the enclosed bridge that would take them to east module. Motioning with her hand, she let them know it was clear to proceed and she pushes away from the wall to walk around the corner cautiously. As quickly as they could while remaining silent, they closed the distance to the hatch, slamming her back against the wall next to the control panel Ang waited for Samuels and Davis to point their weapons at the door. Once they were in position and ready she slams her hand on the button causing the doors to slide open, revealing the one-and-a-half-meter wide walkway that was the enclosed bridge. Twenty meters long she though, that's not very far, that's just a little under a quarter of a football field, no problem, she's done it every day since she's lived here. The bridge had three small glass windows on either side to look out of, a feature that would be more enjoyable once the planet started having plant life growing on it, now not so much.
Taking the first steps they began their walk across the cramped space at a moderate pace, trying to keep their noise to a minimum. Hearing soft thudding coming from above them, "What is that?" Ang whispered.
"It always makes that noise when the wind picks up," Thomas from the maintenance team states, "The outside metal is buckling under the force."
"That's funny," Big Ed says as he was looking out of one of the windows, "Because the winds not blowing." All turned their heads toward a nearby window to confirm the man's findings, a hand smashing through the window that Ed was by, barely missing the man. The creature struggling to try and squeeze in through the tiny opening as it hissed at them, its second jaw extended menacingly, but though it tried it could not fit. Ed blasted it with a burst from his weapon causing it to flee the opening.
"Run," Ang yelled at the man who was still standing there blasting the small window with flames, everyone else had already gotten the idea and were now opening the door on the other end with no thought for safety. Lucky for them there was nothing waiting on the other side of that door to greet them with open arms and a powerful maul. They ran down the hall and turned the next corner still with no precaution, forgetting to mind their noise they made haste down the stairs and a past the casino toward the garage.
Entering the giant door at the end of the hall the Major started barking orders, "You six, hand over your packs and fan out, Samuels and Thomas take the left, Davis and Ramirez the center Monroe and Kutcher take the right." Realization hit that they had been way to loud getting here on the last half of their trip, "Try and stay quiet, and keep your eyes peeled."
The two Edd's and Ang took the packs and headed into the supply room cautiously, for the room was dark as they stepped in but was quickly changed as the sensor brought up the illumination. The room being clear they started, "We need to make this quick," Edd stated, "Though it couldn't get to us, it won't stop it from telling its friends where we are." Ang was already aware of that and started pointing out the bins that held MRE's were in for Ed to start filling four of the packs with. Edd and herself started with the ammo filling two packs with the canisters for the flamethrowers and one with the shotgun shells then moved on to the small hand held welding torches in another and a ample supply of survey charges in another.
Though they knew they need to keep the noise down, their nerves at the quick encounter and the possibility of more to come was driving them to work fast, which meant noisy. Ed rushed to stuff MRE's into the packs, the metal cylinders for the flamethrowers were clanging together as they were shoved in packs. Plastic crunched and metals clangs and attention was being drawn, "What's taking so long," the Major hissed as he entered the room. A scream from outside and the sound of a weapon going off, the clang of that weapon hitting the floor, then silence outside. The five remaining sentries out in the garage had quickly found hiding places out of fear, as did the four in the supply room.
As the creature stalks its prey I thought I might give you some commentary upon the means and ways it hunts.
Samuels is drug out from his hiding place under and ATV, he screams as he is lifted off his feet into the air. Points his shotgun at the head of the beast only to have it quickly knocked away and toward the supply room door. A quick jab to the chest by the second jaw and he was gone.
The creature hunts by all the usual functions that we view our surroundings by, sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.
Ramirez was snatched up from his position crouched behind an ATV wheel, pulled up by his head to the top of the vehicle, and was impaled by the creatures spear like tail as he struggled to free himself.
Its sight runs the normal spectrum as we see it, but it does have the added advantage of seeing heat signatures like some snakes on earth do.
Monroe was chased down and slaughtered as he tried to make a run for the door. The creature snagging his foot as he was mere feet away from it, dragging him back by the ankle, finishing him with a jaw to the chest.
It's hearing is very acute, and it has more than two ear canals, its multiple ears run along the base of the doom on its head, giving it 360-degree accuracy in the direction a noise comes from.
Davis was the only one hunting the beast, with each scream he would rush to the location to try and help them before it was too late, only to find a bloody corpse at the spot. The creature so enjoyed this little game of cat and mouse, but the time for games was over and it made quick work of its advisory as it ran past slicing his throat with its claws.
It's sense of smell is not only connected to its nose, but to its mouth, much like a snake again it can taste your smell in the air. Not only your body odor, which we all have regardless of how well you wash, but your pheromones as well.
Thomas lay whimpering in the back of an ATV as it slowly crawled its way inside to get to its prey. Enjoying the sweet smell of fear that was emanating from her as it teased her with hisses and screeches, as it crawled its way toward her. Ending her life slowly to savor the moment.
Their cruelty is only matched by their intellect and problem solving abilities, a Queen is said to have an Einstein like intelligence.
As Davis died and the creature stalked Thomas, the four in the supply room were busy getting ready to run for it, each of them strapping on two packs, Big Ed carrying three. But Ang had peeked over the counter and had spotted how quickly it had run down Monroe as he tried to make his way to the door, and these supplies were needed. She hands over her two packs and weapon and snatches something off the nearby shelf, "Run," she harshly whispered and exits the room as Edd tried to stop her. She sprints towards the far corner away from the door screaming as she tore open the package in her hand, flipping a switch and arming the weapon.
The Major sees the creature exiting the ATV and making its way towards her, he yanks Edd to his feet and out of the supply room door, Big Ed on their heels as they made their way toward the main door of the garage, picking up the discarded shotgun on his way.
In the far corner and with nowhere to run, she held onto the little remote in her hand, the device tucked in her jacket, "Come and get me you son of a bitch," she screams out in anger. As it pounced and collided with her, she pushes the button setting off the charge in her jacket, the subsequent explosion rocked the room, causing the three men who had just exited to stumble. Getting to their feet again they ran with all their might, labored and laden with supplies they were not moving as fast as any of them wanted. Making their way across the bridge once again they could hear the pounding of many feet upon the ceiling, fearing that one of them might drop down through the thinner metal at any minute, dooming the entire colony if these supplies didn't make it.
Big Ed had to drag the Major back up on his feet as he had stumbled, "Get your ass moving you piece of shit," he barked. His fear over taking him, the adrenaline pumping through his veins he could have easily fireman carried the man.
Rounding the last corner Edd had to yell in a labored voice, fighting his burning lungs to make the sound, "It's use, don't fire." The two guards lowered their weapons so they could pass, but kept them at the ready for whatever might be following them.
The three of them collapsing on the floor once they entered operations, Kevin running over to give Edd a big hug, crying into his shoulder as he held the man. When he had heard the explosion from the garage, his heart had told him the worse had happened and that Edd would never be coming back. Now holding him in his arms his heart could not stop the flow of tears that ran down his face with the joy that his love was still alive.