Terra-33 Ep. 09

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Terra-33

Episode 0.9

Ida was the first to open up, her rifle cracking loudly in the close quarters. After two rounds, it seemed like the entire corridor suddenly exploded. Trix let her SMG rip, trigger fully depressed as it tore through a fifty-round magazine in seconds. Green orbs sped down the hall, making pulsing concussions whenever they struck a wall. Remi had reopened the door they'd just exited and screamed for Trix to get in and reload. His rifle was roaring heavy cracks as he sent Sharps at the robots. It seemed that the distance was hampering both sides' accuracy, despite the relative lack of cover in the area. Ida was pinned down behind the console array, lying prone and firing.

The orbs that the machines were firing were disrupting Trix's aim. They glowed and scintillated, even with her HUD dropping red targets through the chaos, it was a lot to get her sights lined up on them. A purplish beam streaked down the floor in the middle of the hall. Trix fell back as the green balls began to pound Ida's hiding place, reloading as quickly as possible. Remi dropped his rifle, the single-point sling catching it near his side before the muzzle could hit the ground. As Trix popped back into the hall and let another magazine rip through her Chanet, she saw Remi prime a proximity mine and launch it at their attackers. Trix smiled as the little ball bounced toward them. The mine banged loudly, followed by an even louder sucking pop. It sounded like someone was sawing a tree trunk with a vacuum and a chainsaw.

Remi dashed into the corridor during the temporary lull in firing brought on by the mine-turned-grenade and skidded to a halt near Ida. When the smoke cleared, Trix saw that one of the robots was motionless and down, another spinning wildly and the source of the weird popping. It looked like something in its ball had malfunctioned and sparks flew as it twirled. The third had retreated behind a console array and Trix began snapping bursts at it with the remainder of her mag. Just as her SMG clicked up dry, Remi sprinted past with Ida over his shoulders. Trix put her back against the open door and watched with growing concern as Remi tried to revive the construct. She appeared to be unconscious for the second time and Trix figured she would be pretty mad about it when she woke up. If she woke up.

"Use a bomb," Remi ordered, gathering up his rifle and waiting at the edge of their cover. Trix had one primed and ready two seconds later and turned the corner with him, hurling her little projectile at the last place she had seen the robot. Remi's Garr opened up and Trix cheered as one of his rounds struck the machine in the face, causing its glowing riposte to go screaming into the ceiling. Her mine landed a little farther down the hall, active now that it had struck once. The only problem was that the robot was too far away to trigger it. She cursed and made a snap decision, bursting out of the doorway at a crouch and letting her SMG chew up the enemy's cover. She heard Remi tell her to stop but didn't acknowledge it and dropped her weapon as soon as it came up empty. With a whoop, her pistol was in her hand and she was cracking off three-round bursts, still charging forward.

This mad frontal assault was more than the robot was willing to suffer, just as Trix had hoped. It fired another purple beam at her but missed by a few yards. Then it was retreating speedily on its ball, its upper body still rotated toward them. The viridian glow was just charging up on its right arm when the mine burst with a thwack. The impact immediately reversed the machine's momentum and it came flying back toward its fellows, splitting in two when it landed. Remi rushed past her as she did a little victory dance. He stopped two feet from the injured robot, his rifle smacking copper-jacketed lead into its head and torso until it stopped moved. Trix surveyed the damage, metal everywhere spewing sparks. The console array that she had flushed the last survivor out of had at least two punctures in each viewscreen.

"Ida," they said in unison.

"I'm ok," Ida croaked over the comm.

Trix beat Remi back to the room, rushing to the downed construct's side. She bent over and tapped Ida's visor, hoping for a view of her face.

"It's not working," Ida began. "I didn't want to distract you during the remainder of the fight, but my armor is not responding at all. Those green discharges must have paralyzed it in some way."

Trix saw scorch marks on Ida's left breast and hip and realized that she'd be hit by at least two of the balls.

"Does it hurt?" Remi asked.

"Negative. My body is responsive and appears fully functional."

Trix fumbled with the helmet, her fingers finding the four clasps for manual removal. It was rare for a suit to have a power failure, but it was always possible to remove it by hand just in case. When she lifted the construct's head and slipped the helmet off, Ida looked up at them with a smile. Her hair was dark brown with sweat and matted around her face, but she still managed to look fetching. The bright green eye color she had recently acquired was blurred a bit by tears. Trix thought it was relief though, not sadness.

"I'm glad you're ok," she whispered.

Remi was getting to work on Ida's arms, disconnecting the main armor from her priming suit. The Sariin gear hugged her curves but was also well-padded and its clasps were easy to access if you knew where to look.

"Why was your microphone working?"

"Everything internal to the suit was still working. HUD, communications, environmental, all fine. It was just that I couldn't move my limbs, like the armor's joints had been frozen in place."

"I've never seen technology like that," Remi mused. "Even the slumpers use primarily kinetic weapons. Bullets and bombs, not lasers. The closest thing we have to what those robots were shooting are energy whips. On the ground at least."

"I'm guessing that there is something in the charge that interferes with the target's surface. Like a paralytic that only affects external functions so that the target can then be interrogated when the process is reversed, or wears off," Ida suggested.

"How does it work?" Trix asked, not happy at the thought that one or two hits from a green ball could render her armor useless and trap her within.

"I have no idea," Ida replied, a little worry seeping into her tone.

"We need to get back to the buggy, I think. Without armor, Ida would be directly exposed to the non-lethal ammo." Remi suddenly fell forward. He had been putting most of his weight on pushing at Ida's leg to get the armor removed.

"It's working again," Trix stated with a huge grin.

"Yeah, yeah," Remi grumbled as he sat up.

Ida stood and took stock of her gear. Trix handed her pieces and watched their work of the last few minutes go right back onto the construct. Remi was poking his head into the hallway, presumably searching for more angry robots.

"I was unable to move for nine minutes, twenty-four seconds," Ida informed them. "We have a time frame for that weapon, or a basis for one. Without further data, it would be hard to make an accurate assessment."

"I'd like to avoid further data, Ida," Remi said. "I don't see reinforcements coming. With all the noise we made, I would have expected it by now if it was coming."

"Will it be safe to head back to the technical?"

"Who knows," Trix replied. "Unless you want to lock up the door and try to figure out that bed, I vote for buggy."

"Same here," Remi agreed.

"The buggy seems like the best option for a secure rest. I don't think we will be able to exit the facility easily without whatever is in control letting us. The ingress doors were quite thick."

"Yeah," Remi mumbled, slinking into the hallway. Trix followed after, mimicking the way he hugged the right wall. He paused at each doorway to check behind them, ready to burst in for cover if needed. The trip back up the corridor was uneventful, and seemed much shorter this time around. Remi paused at the door and held it slightly ajar for Trix.

"One, two, three!"

She burst through as he swung the door wide. Their buggy was parked near the center of the large dock-like room. On first glance, she didn't see anything abnormal. Then, a bluish appendage appeared for just a second, visible only briefly in the gap between the underside of the buggy and the floor.

"Hey!" she screamed, running wide around the edge of the room with the buggy as a central axis.

"What is it?" Remi asked, sprinting to her side.

Trix saw the thing dodge into a previously hidden doorway. All around the room were little docking ports for vehicles of some type. They had assumed that they were only for providing fuel, fluid for maintenance, things like that. As the dark blue thing rushed into a hatch, Trix couldn't help but think that it looked quite spider-like. She got the impression of an ovoid torso which was supported by at least four legs, scurrying with a loping gait. She hadn't seen a distinct head or arms, but from its physique, it had been roughly human-weight if it wasn't extremely dense.

"Did you see it?" Trix asked, looking between Remi and Ida.

"Only for a second," Remi replied. Ida just shook her head negative.

"I wonder what it was..."

"Alien," Remi whispered, "and not a slumper. This thing was totally different. It looks like there are two unique types of sentient aliens on Terra-33, if we can assume sentience from what we've seen in this facility."

"With absolute certainty," Ida interjected. "The level of technology is far beyond simple tools and structures. What we've been referring to as sentience is incorrectly labeling an advanced species' ability to create civilization, communicate, et cetera. Sapience is really what we are referring to: wisdom, morals and intelligence; sapience is essentially what separates human from animal, the personhood of the being in question, if you will. The animals we call yetis are most certainly sentient, but they don't display the traits of sapience. Both the slumpers and this mystery species we've found here do."

"The more important concern for us, is what was it doing to our buggy?"

Ida and Remi both shot glances at Trix. It was fairly obvious they hadn't considered that path yet, caught up in speculating about the alien. Trix activated her scanner and let it analyze the various parts of the vehicle. She assumed Remi and Ida were doing the same, and after a few moments, her scanner reported nothing amiss. On a whim, she opened the cargo bay door and stuck her head inside. The scan of the interior looked clean as well.

"Trix! What if it had wired an explosive?"

She shrugged. "Looks like it didn't, interior is normal. Maybe it was just taking notes on an alien sapient life form."

"We do need a rest. I need food and drink, something with carbohydrates. I would also suggest we cover a sleeping period if anyone is tired," Ida offered as she opened the passenger door.

"I'm not sleepy," Trix and Remi said in unison.

"Jinx!" Trix cheered gleefully. "You owe me an orgasm."

"I thought it was a Coke?"

"Nah, we don't have any of that. I'm surprised they can still make that stuff with all the health regulations that have been imposed on it."

"Someone started a small manufacturing facility here. I heard that he's using native ingredients and yeast to create the carbonation instead of CO2."

"Probably a hell of a lot safer than the chemical crap they used to sell on Earth!"

"I'm getting on the gun," Remi said, climbing up to the machinegun nest. "If that thing comes back, or more angry robots, I want to be ready. Pass me up one of those self-heating breakfast meals. Those are surprisingly good."

"I like the country-fried steak one," Trix replied as she rummaged around in the backseat. "Looks like we got a few of those. Here's a breakfast box. What do you want to drink?"

"Coffee," Remi said. Trix heard the sound of the little tab being ripped away from the food box, then the buzzing of the internal heater warming up. She handed up a cylinder of coffee and snatched her own. Her SMG was lodged securely between the seat and the side panel, ready for action at a moment's notice. Ida was sitting in the passenger seat, her eyes closed.

"You ok?" Trix asked, lightly touching the construct's armored shoulder.

"Hmm, yes, thank you. I was just meditating, trying to reacquire my focus."

"I'll leave you to it," Trix replied.

Despite the excitement of being shot at, and shooting back, Trix felt exhaustion begin to creep up her cheeks. It was like a ball of the stuff was lodged in her brain stem and it was expanding out to reach her eyes. She hit a button series on her left arm, issuing the Offline command to her teammates. If they needed her, they would let her know, but at least she had until then to rest.

§

"Trix, wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open as Remi's hand and words caressed her into consciousness. She had removed her helmet and gloves, and saw that his face was also exposed. Sensing a rare opportunity, her hand whipped out and caught his hair. The expression of surprise on his face made her laugh and spoiled the first few seconds of the kiss. When Remi pressed his tongue into her mouth, the humor was gone. Trix felt herself tingling already, her neglected body wanting to be done with this vigilance and violence, then get back to being able to be naked.

"Hey," Remi said, breaking the kiss.

"Hey," she replied throatily.

"We found something like a latrine, if you want to relieve yourself."

"Sure. Did the alien come back?"

Remi frowned. "Nope, but we decided to go after it."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Here I'll come with you and tell you the plan. This way."

He led her out of the buggy and to one of the little docking stations that peppered the walls. Beside the nozzles and panels, there was a small hatch set into the floor. Trix jumped down, not bothering with the ladder. The room was fairly cramped but she could see that it looked like it was designed to access the undercarriage of a vehicle that was parked above. Remi led her through a little doorway and into a bathroom, of sorts. The toilet was a squat cylinder that tapered down into a little pipe in the center of the bowl.

"I don't suppose we have any toilet paper," Trix said with a sigh. Remi reached into a pouch on his belt and removed a tightly rolled, fist-sized chunk of soft, white paper. Trix felt her eyes widen in surprise and appreciation.

"I never go to the field without some, even in my construct."

"Smart! Now go away for a while, you can talk to me through the hatch."

When Remi had climbed up, she began removing her armor. Sitting on the toilet was surprisingly comfortable, it was sized just about right, even if it was a little cold.

"Ok, now tell me about the plan."

"So, beside the toilet area is another doorway which leads into a small hall. We had to pry the door open but it looks like we can proceed that way. The cover is minimal, so we won't want to get caught in a firefight there. Ida and I both think that the best option is for us to try to hunt down this alien and talk to it. Outside, we don't know if the slumpers are gone, and they're one hundred percent aggressive, where this alien seemed fearful. Probably because it is outnumbered."

"Do you think it controls the robots or are they an automated defense?" Trix asked, pitching her voice up.

"Don't know. Probably automated, why wouldn't he have escorts if they're under his control?"

"You're assuming that it is a he."

"Maybe I just like pronouns," Remi replied.

Trix giggled quietly.

"What?"

"'It' is a pronoun," she yelled up through the hatch.

"No it's not! Is it... Ida!"

Trix laughed again as Remi's boots clanked on the ceiling/floor overhead. She had been able to expel the worry that had been nagging her about her suit's waste removal capabilities, which made her happy. It would have seemed like such a minor thing, from outside looking in. But when you were the one that had to worry about the consequences... Trix shuddered and finished wiping, then searched for a flush valve. Not finding one, she stood to get her armor back in place and the toilet made a happy gurgling sound behind her.

"Cool," she remarked absently, fitting her waist piece around her belly. It wasn't long before she was fully sealed, the suit feeling like a second skin again. At least the compensators and servos make it lightweight, powered on.

"Trix!"

"Yeah?" she asked, grabbing onto the ladder and climbing toward the circular hatch.

"Want to blow something up?" Remi asked, extending his hand.

"Sure," she said with a wink. "You found out that 'it' is a pronoun, didn't you?"

"Yeah," he grumbled, looking at her sheepishly.

Trix tried to restrain her smile by biting on her lip but she knew that she probably looked ridiculous. "What are we blowing up?"

"The door that leads to the hallway in the repair bay that the alien escaped from. It's locked from the inside."

"Makes sense. I get to push the button?" she asked happily.

"Sure, Ida is setting a shaped charge now."

"Where is she putting it on the door?"

"At the handle actually. You think that's ok?"

"Yeah, these doors seem pretty sturdy. I was going to suggest that the hinges seem like a bad idea." Trix shrugged. "At least with the handle, we can hope to blow out the whole locking mechanism."

Ida climbed into view, her helmet and shoulders clearing the hatch entry.

"Ready."

The construct handed Trix the remote and climbed out. They walked back to the buggy and geared up again. Trix pushed the button as soon as they had turned back toward the hatch. A loud bang echoed up, followed by a puff of dust and smoke. Then Trix heard a clanging and figured that they had at least blown the door open. When they got down the ladder, she found out that the door had actually been ripped inward, and the clanging was it bouncing off the now warped wall.

"Let me lead," Remi said.

He pushed his way through the floppy barrier. Trix saw a T intersection ahead, the corridor a smaller version of the one that they had recently traversed. Lights above snapped on as they moved along underneath them. This time, the corridor lit about twenty yards ahead of them but the effect was still disconcerting. The aliens must be quite concerned with power, Trix thought.

"We've got company heading this way."

Trix saw that Remi was right, far down the right branch of the T, lights were activating. She pulled the last of her mines from their pouch and tossed all three down the hall after enabling them.

"Let's move," Trix said, taking the lead down the left branch.

They ran, Trix leading with her SMG primed and ready. Eventually they came to a ramp with a smooth, 20 or 25 degree incline and followed it up. The hall took an abrupt left and opened up into a huge, domed room. There was a pillar in the center of the round space, lit with blues and greens and blinking amber LEDs. Trix hit her forearm to trigger the analysis function of her armor's scanners. It wasn't as robust as the electronics suite built into a bird, or even their buggy, but in just a few seconds she had a result.

"Electronic, powered, likely a communications array of some sort."