Purple Heart

He rose unsteadily to his feet, wincing as he wrapped an arm around his side. His body armor seemed to have absorbed the worst of the impact, leaving his ribs badly bruised instead of shattered. As he looked back up the passage, he saw one of the dying Marines lying at the feet of the monstrosity, fumbling with something on his vest with his one remaining hand.

It was his grenade belt. He coughed foamy blood, gagging what must have been one last curse before he pulled the pin.

"No! Zuga, get back-"

The blast wave of the belt exploding threw Moralez onto his back, the combat audio filter in his helmet the only thing saving his eardrums from popping like cherries. He felt dirt and shrapnel impact his armor like buckshot. There was a great, rumbling cascade as the roof of the tunnel caved in, burying what remained of Lambda pack and the trashing Bug in a pile of rocks and dirt that sealed off his side of the passage. He was plunged into darkness, the rebreather in his helmet switching on automatically as dust surrounded him.

He scrambled to his feet, dazed, waiting for the smoke to clear. The pain from his ribs seared through his mind as he slapped the flashlight on his XMR, trying to get the damned thing to turn back on. The night vision filter on his visor wouldn't work without at least some kind of light source, and his only alternative was exploring these eerie passages with the thermal imaging mode. To his relief, it flared to life, and he aimed it through the swirling haze at the pile of earth that now blocked off his escape route. The roof had collapsed completely, any Borealans or remaining Marines were either buried under it, or trapped on the other side. Panic clouded his mind as he realized that he might be alone.

No, there was movement. He stumbled towards the heap of soil and stones, dropping his XMR to let it hang from its strap and trying to dig out the shuddering figure. After a moment it sprang to life, pushing out of the dirt and shaking itself like a wet dog. It was a Borealan, female, she seemed to have no serious injuries as she stood and appraised the blockage.

"Are you okay?" Moralez asked, looking her up and down. She must have been thrown by the blast just as he had been, shielded by the giant Bug perhaps? Her black UNN armor was scarred by debris, but it didn't look as if anything had penetrated.

"My ears are ringing...what happened?"

Of course, the Borealan's ears protruded from the tops of their helmets unless they fastened the protective caps, her hearing might be impaired for a while. She seemed to be able to understand him, however.

"Someone set off a grenade belt and collapsed the tunnel. We're stuck on this side."

She pulled off her helmet and shook her head, her orange mane spilling down her shoulders. She glared at him with her amber eyes, reflecting the flashlight beam eerily in the gloom as his weapon swung on its strap. He reached down and picked up his rifle, angling the beam down the tunnel. It looked clear. Sound didn't carry well in this winding network of warrens, there was a chance the battle had gone completely unnoticed. The creature would surely have released some kind of stress pheromones, however. Who knew how far those would travel if the tunnels were ventilated, as he suspected they were.

"What the hell was that thing?" he asked the stranger. "You ever seen anything like that before?"

The Borealan didn't reply, turning to appraise the cave-in. She pulled a few rocks away experimentally, sifting through the soil, but soon abandoned the attempt. They'd never remove the blockage on their own.

"Only one way to go," Moralez mused, flashing his torch at her. "You coming or not?"

"Very well," she hissed. She sounded pissed off, aggressive, but why shouldn't she be? Her whole pack had just been wiped out, and they were cut off from the survivors. They made their way down the tunnel, passing the ruined body of the Borealan who had been pinned. She stepped over him, oddly disgusted, almost angered by the sight. There was no pity or regret in her expression.

Moralez tested his radio, static hissing through the speakers. No matter, he hadn't expected much. The only path to take now was further into this nightmare, and deeper into the maze of tunnels.

CHAPTER 2: M.I.A

Moralez' feet were beginning to hurt, they had been walking for so long, with no sign of any other survivors or any more Bugs. These winding tunnels went on for miles, and they were hopelessly lost. The tension was constant, it was impossible to tell if or when another one of those giant Bugs might appear. If it did, then they would not be able to stop it this time. The heat was getting to him too, the deeper they went, the more hot and humid it became. It had to be intentional, this was a hive, he was sure of that now. That thing they had fought, it must have been some kind of combat variant. Were the Betelgeusian soldiers that they had been fighting all this time just drones? Did they have to become established on a planet and build a hive like this before they could grow these warriors?

The information was crucial to the war effort. If an army of those things came pouring out of the ground, the UNN would be completely overrun, and no amount of Borealans or Krell would save them. He had to get back to the UNN line, but how?

He glanced over at the Borealan. She was walking beside him with her long, loping strides, her orange tail trailing behind her. Perhaps she would be able to smell their way out? Or at the very least, help them avoid the passages where the pheromones were the strongest.

"Hey, what's your name?" She didn't reply, keeping her eyes on the tunnel ahead of them. Still surly. Well tough shit, he outranked her, and they were in a combat zone. "Hey, I'm talking to you. What's your name, soldier?"

She shot him a sideways look and gave a reluctant reply.

"Aziote."

"Alright, Azi, what do you smell? Anything that can help us?" She seemed annoyed by his abbreviation of her name, but she sniffed the air experimentally.

"Nothing, it all smells like Bug."

"Zuga said that he could smell what might be pheromone trails, that they were stronger leading deeper into the hive. Smell anything like that?"

She shook her head dismissively.

"Well keep a...nose out for it. It might be the only sense of direction that we have down here. Oh, and take this."

He unholstered his pistol and handed it to her grip-first. She took it in her large, clawed hand and weighed it experimentally. It was comically small to her, her finger barely fit through the trigger guard. She sneered, baring her pointed teeth as she examined the M1911.

"What is this?" she spat, "a chemical weapon?"

"That's a 1911, that design is over seven hundred years old, still in production. Not exactly top of the line, but I never leave home without it. Those .45 rounds will still kill a Betelgeusian in a pinch." She held it between her fingers like a toy, examining it with a disgusted expression on her face. "Take it," he insisted. "You lost your XMR in the cave-in. Better to have an old weapon than nothing."

She sighed and reluctantly shoved the pistol down her utility belt.

As they rounded the next turn, they came to a fork, two paths that looked identical. Moralez waited for Azi to sniff the air, then she gestured towards one of them.

"This smells less of Bug," she said. Moralez walked over to the second tunnel, then licked his finger, holding it in the air for a moment. "What are you doing?"

"Hold on," he replied, concentration etched on his face. "There's airflow here, coming towards us down this passage."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She crossed her arms, watching him skeptically.

"Well, I have a theory. There are species of insect on Earth that build hives underground, and they're capable of making vents that cycle air through the tunnels. They can bring fresh air deep into the colony, control humidity and temperature, you name it. I think the Betelgeusians can do the same, and if I'm right, then this air is entering from somewhere we might be able to exit through."

"But it smells strongly of Bug down there," she repeated as she gestured towards the first tunnel. "This one smells better, we go this way."

Moralez frowned at her.

"Excuse me? I outrank you, soldier. You'll follow my orders. We go this way."

The Borealan bristled, her flat brow furrowing and her lips curling to reveal pointed teeth.

"You are not fit to lead, my pack is dead because of you. We go this way." She punctuated her command with a violent gesture, pointing her black, curved claw down the tunnel.

"Listen here you insubordinate fuck." Moralez aimed his XMR at her, and she seemed surprised by his response. She backed up a little, eyeing the railgun barrel that was pointed at her chest. "Get your lanky ass in that tunnel, or the only thing waiting for you when we climb out of that air vent will be a military prison."

She seemed to consider for a moment, weighing her options maybe? He kept the gun trained on her, and eventually, she fell in line and made her way past him down the ventilated passage. He elected to follow a short distance behind her, keeping the rifle in a ready position as he used the flashlight attachment to light their way in the darkness. Borealans could be fast, and if Azi decided to turn on him, he'd need to be faster. As if they didn't have enough problems to worry about already besides fighting each other.

They walked for another half hour or so. Although Moralez could definitely feel the gentle flow of fresh air on his face now, the heat and humidity were still stifling. His boots were filling with sweat, and it was becoming uncomfortable. Azi paused for a moment, removing sections of her black body armor and dropping them to the tunnel floor. First her shoulder plates, her breastplate, then she pulled her thick leather undershirt over her head to expose her torso. She was certainly in shape. Bunches of toned muscle lined her shoulders and back, her biceps protruding as she raised her arms. Moralez' eyes were drawn to the deep channel that ran all the way down her spine. He could see her Venusian dimples peeking out over her low-hanging belt. She looked remarkably human for what she was. Beads of sweat rolled down her subtly tanned skin, glistening in the light of his torch. She wore some kind of tube top or maybe a sports bra to protect her modesty, but that was it.

He noticed that the orange fur that covered her hands, with its faded tiger stripes, ended at her elbows to make it look as if she was wearing fuzzy gloves. Her hands and forearms were adorned with a thin coat of cat-like hair, while her biceps and shoulders were smooth like the skin of a human. There was no fur anywhere else on her torso either. He glanced down at her feet, noting that they too were furred and wondering how far up her legs it extended. The only other places that it was present were on her tail, and of course the hair on her head.

"Don't you need that?" he asked, gesturing towards her discarded gear. She turned to face him, her belly just as muscled as her back, with a six pack so defined that his beam cast shadows on it.

"The air is stifling, it matters little. If we encounter another large Bug, it will not protect me."

"True enough...let's keep moving."

***

He must have been right, the tunnel was starting to slant upwards. It was barely noticeable, but they had to be on the right track now. Azi's observation worried him, however. If they encountered a group of drones, they would be able to deal with them, assuming that they didn't have energy shields. Another warrior was a different matter entirely, and although he suspected that they could be outrun, in the process of escaping they would surely become even more hopelessly lost than they already were.

He fumbled for his canteen, at least it would recharge quickly in this horrible humidity, its system drawing in moisture from the surrounding air automatically. He raised it to his lips and took a draw, careful to keep one eye on Azi. They had been walking all day and probably all night too, it was impossible to tell underground. He checked the watch on his wrist display. They had indeed been down here for about eighteen hours now, he was becoming tired. But where could they rest in this maze of tunnels? Wherever they slept, they ran the risk of a Betelgeusian patrol stumbling over them. There had to be storage areas down here somewhere, or would those be deeper inside? No, it didn't make sense for the Bugs to have to travel all the way back down into the network to resupply. Logically, such caches must be placed along the tunnels that led to exits, like the one they were surely in right now.

"Keep an eye out for side tunnels," he said. "If I'm right, then there must be storage rooms around here somewhere."

Azi didn't reply. Even she was struggling, her skin was shiny with perspiration, and her top was soaked. Moralez jogged a little to walk beside her, careful to keep his weapon pointed in her general direction, and offered her his canteen.

"You look like you could use it."

She didn't respond, simply staring straight ahead as she marched. Moralez became annoyed and decided to confront her.

"What's with the attitude, soldier? I didn't kill your pack, the Bugs did. Wasn't my idea to come down here either, those were the Admiral's orders."

Her eye twitched, he was getting under her skin. All the better. He didn't have much hands-on experience with these aliens, but he knew how to control his troops. She'd fold like any of them if he put enough pressure on her.

"Well? Out with it. I asked you a question."

She growled, a low, primal rumbling that reverberated in Moralez' bones. Was that some kind of threat display? Just who did this alien think she was?

"You think I won't hit you upside the head with the butt of my rifle? I don't have time for this, you're only making things worse for us. I outrank you, so either fall in line and do as I tell you or I'm going to make you. Now drink, or you'll become dehydrated, and I'm not about to drag you out of here."

She balled her fists, her orange, furry tail flicking back and forth in irritation. He waited for her to argue, but instead, she snatched the canteen from his outstretched hand. She took a drink, glaring at him with her amber eyes, then handed it back.

"That's more like it," he added. "I don't care if you don't like me, just do your goddamned job, and we won't have any problems."

***

They walked in silence for a while longer, this tunnel seemed endless, and there had been no forks for a long time. Moralez was used to staying awake and often being in combat for longer than twenty-four hours at a time, but something about the temperature was just killing him. Azi fared no better. Her fuzzy, orange hair was limp and damp with sweat now, her top stained almost transparent. Suddenly she stopped, sniffing the air.

Moralez took a knee and shouldered his XMR, illuminating the tunnel warily, ready to fire on any approaching enemies.

"What it is?"

She continued to sniff, moving over to the passage wall, following some kind of scent. She placed her hand against the resin wall and hesitated, then put her furry ear to the surface.

"Something in here...smells different. I think the wall is hollow."

Moralez rose to his feet and slung his weapon over his shoulder on its strap, placing his hands against the warm, smooth resin. It must be a storage space, they had to be here. There would be some kind of switch, a pressure plate maybe? How would an insect that mostly communicates through pheromones open a sealed door? They ran their hands over the surface, but they couldn't find any obvious electronics. Moralez traced his fingertips along the firmly packed soil where he expected the door frame to be, and recoiled as they met something wet and spongy.

"What is it?" Azi walked over to him, leaning down to his level to examine the wall. There was a gelatinous mass protruding from the damp soil through a convenient hole in the resin, mucous green in color, embedded in the wall. Azi prodded it with her claw, and it wobbled like jello. Was it alive? With his gloved hand, Moralez gripped it and pulled, the slippery material deforming under his fingers. He unearthed more of it, but it was stuck fast, half a dozen little tendrils disappearing deeper into the soil.

"Some kind of native mold?" he mused. He released the mass, and it rebounded as if it were made of elastic, settling slowly back into its original position.

"It cannot be a coincidence that we found a hidden door and this odd thing in the same place," Azi replied, scratching her chin with her hooked claw as she considered. "They must be linked somehow."

Moralez snapped his fingers, startling Azi. Had she never seen that gesture before?

"A bio-sensor! It has to be. This is the door control. Bio-sensors respond to environmental stimuli in order to serve a function, like detecting minerals or gasses."

"Okay, but what does this one respond to?"

"I don't know. Consider what we've learned about how Betelgeusians communicate, pheromones and scents, we've not even seen evidence of writing so far. What if this door opens to a smell command, the same way that a human door might open to a voice command? The Bug stands here," he moved in front of the door, standing with his legs spaced apart. "Then it releases a scent, perhaps some specific pheromone or a pattern of smells. Zuga said that the pheromone trail was complex, like a written language, he just didn't know how to read it. When the sensor picks up the scent, the door opens."

"That doesn't help us open the door," Azi grumbled, "we cannot make such smells."

"Let's have a think about this," he said, standing with his arms crossed in front of the gelatinous door control as it pulsed gently. "What if it's coded to only open when it senses a Betelgeusian? If we traveled back down the tunnel, maybe we could drag back one of the bodies, and-"

He jumped out of his skin as Azi slammed her leg into the door, the metal beneath the soil ringing like a bell.

"What the hell are you-"

She kicked it again, driving her foot into the surface with her massive, powerful leg.

"What if you set off some kind of alarm-"

She wasn't listening. The alien pounded the door relentlessly, and to Moralez' amazement, it began to dent inward. The dirt that had been somehow glued to the surface to conceal it was sloughing off under her assault, revealing the silver metal beneath.

"Idiot! If you break the door down, they're gonna know we were here! I order you-"

The door fell to the ground with a heavy clang that reverberated through the passage. The gelatinous blob started going crazy, flexing and twisting as if it were in pain. Moralez had no idea what to do. Azi was out of control, she wouldn't follow his orders. Summary execution was out of the question, he needed her. If he came across a Bug patrol on his own, he wouldn't be able to fight them off. He cursed and knelt for a moment to draw a combat knife from his boot, stabbing the gelatinous blob with the blade. It wobbled and bubbled, leaking yellow pus, then went still.

"Damn it Azi, what's the point of hiding in a side room if you make it obvious that we're here?" He wiped off the blade on his sleeve, then stepped over the dented door and into a small, dingy room. It was roughly circular, with a domed roof, all made from the same sculpted soil as the tunnels. There were crates in here, odd, vaguely rectangular boxes a dull brown in color that looked like they were made from some kind of poured resin. There were no light fixtures of any kind, they were probably labeled by scent just like everything else in this godforsaken maze.