Invasion, In Reverse
Apr. 9th, 2012 05:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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windsofchange_homosapienI smelled fear, and it came from us. We couldn't approach the alien's base by vehicle, so we had to travel on foot--Nikki and Tobias couldn't risk being seen. It felt like we were being hunted. Twice we'd had near misses with... something, something large, slithering, and slimy. Again I wished that the lead on the warehouse had been completely right, or that the signal hadn't gone into the forest, only to vanish because of bad reception.
But finally, after half an hour of hiking, we were there. Before us was the base. It was well-hidden to be sure. Their metamaterial cloak was flawless--but they hadn't counted on me. I knew what 'trees' didn't have tree DNA. "Sixty meters ahead," I whispered, sinking into a crouch. Nikki and Tobias silently flew into trees, and Icestar started towards the entrance, taking out a portable hacking unit Tobias and Dave had cooked up. "A moment, Ice," I said, pausing. I turned to Nikki. "What you said... it's plausible. I find it more likely that they're testing the Inducer Spheres on the entire area, but if I'm wrong..." I trailed off. "Nikki, Tobias. If Ice and I... if we don't come back, run. Grab our families and Dave and run. Run, and don't look back. Ice and I programmed an emergency scenario into the Network. The command 'execute omega program' will help you get out." I walked away. I didn't want to say anything else, even though I should have.
"So, this is it," Icestar said as I got into the elevator with him. Tobias had already hacked it, and half a dozen other pieces of code that would royally screw up the alien's systems were lying in wait, ready to be sent. I slung my paintball gun across my back. Dave had constructed it, each round a core of thermite surrounded by a shell of nitroglycerin, itself surrounded by a plastic shell. Behind us, Nikki and Tobias were already setting up a piece of equipment that would allow us to communicate with Dave, who was still in his workshop.
"This is it." I took a deep breath and pulled out a syringe labeled 'adrenaline'. "Let's roll," I shouted as I injected the adrenaline, removing any limits my brain placed on my muscles and sending my heart into overdrive. Half a dozen warnings started screaming in my brain as the elevator began to descend. I changed to metal. The changes were 'locked' in place so long as I stayed there. That meant they wouldn't wear off... and it meant I'd stand a good chance of severe injury or death once I went back to flesh.
We didn't know which level we needed, so we had to go through every level. I was in front of Icestar; anything that attacked us would have to get through me first. And we expected lots of attacking. Probably using lethal (or, more likely, fatal) weapons.
When the elevator door opened, I stalked out. Security cameras swiveled towards me, but I launched paintballs at them. A quick scan revealed no dangers. "It's safe," I said to Icestar. He stepped out of the shadows of a pillar, tail twitching nervously. Mine was too, and my ears kept swiveling, wary of letting my guard down.
"Dave, turn off the lights," Icestar muttered, pressing a button on his earbud.
And the lighting system of an entire base flickered off. Emergency lights came on, to be sure--but they were dim, and the area was covered in shadow. I could see. Icestar could see, and could teleport. But the aliens--they'd have a rough time of it. Or so we hoped. Icestar's hands suddenly started fluttering. Something coming, he signed. I pricked my ears and focused. Whirring sounds. Lots of them. Getting closer. Icestar reached into a bag and pulled out a magnesium flare.
Barely consciously, my claws became unsheathed, and a snarl came from my throat. I'll hold them off. You get out of here. Things are going to get violent, I signed, and sprinted towards the machines as I opened fire, closing my eyes as the flare flashed brilliantly.
The first robot still intact, a levitating cube, never knew what hit it. I must have hit the thing at fifty miles an hour, and I did that with the force of a small truck. My claws ripped through metal, scrabbling frantically to get a solid hold. A whining sound cut through the roaring in my ears as the drone spun and listed, the engines trying to keep the drone aloft even with my added weight.
Heat coursed through me as the cube started glowing cherry-red. Hissing, I ignored the pain. I was metal, and it couldn't hurt me. Furiously, I bit down hard on a node on the top of the cube, and the lights covering the cube went dark as it powered down. I looked up from my kill, staring down the other cubes. They just levitated, not acting. Then my ears picked up the sounds of footsteps. "Robots sensed something," came a voice from down the hall. I could swear I recognized it. "Go guard the animals."
A lizard morph stepped around the corner, eyes widening as he saw me. "You," he spat out. I blinked. "I told them they should have killed you." Something niggled at the back of my mind.
He worked at the Change doctor's clinic, Duma whispered telepathically. Kill him-- My head suddenly filled with static, then silence. The lizard morph held up a small cube.
"No more conversations, I should think. And yes, your other side is correct." I raised the paintball gun and fired. My balls simply splashed against a shield of some sort. Calmly, the lizard morph strode towards me. As he did, the image melted, and I saw a human. But he wasn't quite... right. Proportions were off. His eyes blinked diagonally. "Yes, Jonathan. This is how I really look. This is where humans from my place have looked for centuries, as we desperately sought a way to avoid the end of the universe. And we found you, and what a gift we have in that. With our technology, who knows what we can achieve here? What we can build? What we can make?" A hand shot forward and lifted me. Another hand came forward, holding a small rod. "I am going to kill you, Jonathan, and I fear it will not be painless. You are going to die what will unfortunately be an incredibly painful death, and I will then--"
I bit him. Hard. On the left arm. My fangs sunk straight through his arm, breaking bones, and I snarled as a distant part of my brain screamed. But in the moment... I enjoyed it.
I don't recall what happened after that, only brief moments. My form wavering, becoming fluid to slip out of the alien's grasp. Me backhanding him into the wall again and again, his shield weakening each time. Thermite being useless against me. Robots destroyed in the crossfire. Holes melted in the floor.
Then I remember coming to my senses over a body. I didn't want to examine it; I knew what I'd done. Picking up the alien's gear and my own weapon, I continued down the hall. Icestar was gone, which was--I hoped--a good sign. "How are you doing?" I asked Icestar into my own earbud.
"Fine," came the furious whisper, "but where the hell have you been?" Unbidden, my mind flashed back. "I tried to call you ten times. There are patrols around. Can you take care of them?" Another unbidden image. I swallowed.
"Yeah," I said, trying not to start screaming. "Ice... they've got animals. My TNR colony... the cats have been vanishing lately, remember?" Icestar took in a hissed breath.
"Are you okay?"
"No. But I'll be fine." I smashed the cube. Duma's voice, frantic, came back into my head. I'm fine. Psionic interference. Turning on my metapower, I started tracking the raccoon dandruff in the air and the raccoon DNA on the floor.
But finally, after half an hour of hiking, we were there. Before us was the base. It was well-hidden to be sure. Their metamaterial cloak was flawless--but they hadn't counted on me. I knew what 'trees' didn't have tree DNA. "Sixty meters ahead," I whispered, sinking into a crouch. Nikki and Tobias silently flew into trees, and Icestar started towards the entrance, taking out a portable hacking unit Tobias and Dave had cooked up. "A moment, Ice," I said, pausing. I turned to Nikki. "What you said... it's plausible. I find it more likely that they're testing the Inducer Spheres on the entire area, but if I'm wrong..." I trailed off. "Nikki, Tobias. If Ice and I... if we don't come back, run. Grab our families and Dave and run. Run, and don't look back. Ice and I programmed an emergency scenario into the Network. The command 'execute omega program' will help you get out." I walked away. I didn't want to say anything else, even though I should have.
"So, this is it," Icestar said as I got into the elevator with him. Tobias had already hacked it, and half a dozen other pieces of code that would royally screw up the alien's systems were lying in wait, ready to be sent. I slung my paintball gun across my back. Dave had constructed it, each round a core of thermite surrounded by a shell of nitroglycerin, itself surrounded by a plastic shell. Behind us, Nikki and Tobias were already setting up a piece of equipment that would allow us to communicate with Dave, who was still in his workshop.
"This is it." I took a deep breath and pulled out a syringe labeled 'adrenaline'. "Let's roll," I shouted as I injected the adrenaline, removing any limits my brain placed on my muscles and sending my heart into overdrive. Half a dozen warnings started screaming in my brain as the elevator began to descend. I changed to metal. The changes were 'locked' in place so long as I stayed there. That meant they wouldn't wear off... and it meant I'd stand a good chance of severe injury or death once I went back to flesh.
We didn't know which level we needed, so we had to go through every level. I was in front of Icestar; anything that attacked us would have to get through me first. And we expected lots of attacking. Probably using lethal (or, more likely, fatal) weapons.
When the elevator door opened, I stalked out. Security cameras swiveled towards me, but I launched paintballs at them. A quick scan revealed no dangers. "It's safe," I said to Icestar. He stepped out of the shadows of a pillar, tail twitching nervously. Mine was too, and my ears kept swiveling, wary of letting my guard down.
"Dave, turn off the lights," Icestar muttered, pressing a button on his earbud.
And the lighting system of an entire base flickered off. Emergency lights came on, to be sure--but they were dim, and the area was covered in shadow. I could see. Icestar could see, and could teleport. But the aliens--they'd have a rough time of it. Or so we hoped. Icestar's hands suddenly started fluttering. Something coming, he signed. I pricked my ears and focused. Whirring sounds. Lots of them. Getting closer. Icestar reached into a bag and pulled out a magnesium flare.
Barely consciously, my claws became unsheathed, and a snarl came from my throat. I'll hold them off. You get out of here. Things are going to get violent, I signed, and sprinted towards the machines as I opened fire, closing my eyes as the flare flashed brilliantly.
The first robot still intact, a levitating cube, never knew what hit it. I must have hit the thing at fifty miles an hour, and I did that with the force of a small truck. My claws ripped through metal, scrabbling frantically to get a solid hold. A whining sound cut through the roaring in my ears as the drone spun and listed, the engines trying to keep the drone aloft even with my added weight.
Heat coursed through me as the cube started glowing cherry-red. Hissing, I ignored the pain. I was metal, and it couldn't hurt me. Furiously, I bit down hard on a node on the top of the cube, and the lights covering the cube went dark as it powered down. I looked up from my kill, staring down the other cubes. They just levitated, not acting. Then my ears picked up the sounds of footsteps. "Robots sensed something," came a voice from down the hall. I could swear I recognized it. "Go guard the animals."
A lizard morph stepped around the corner, eyes widening as he saw me. "You," he spat out. I blinked. "I told them they should have killed you." Something niggled at the back of my mind.
He worked at the Change doctor's clinic, Duma whispered telepathically. Kill him-- My head suddenly filled with static, then silence. The lizard morph held up a small cube.
"No more conversations, I should think. And yes, your other side is correct." I raised the paintball gun and fired. My balls simply splashed against a shield of some sort. Calmly, the lizard morph strode towards me. As he did, the image melted, and I saw a human. But he wasn't quite... right. Proportions were off. His eyes blinked diagonally. "Yes, Jonathan. This is how I really look. This is where humans from my place have looked for centuries, as we desperately sought a way to avoid the end of the universe. And we found you, and what a gift we have in that. With our technology, who knows what we can achieve here? What we can build? What we can make?" A hand shot forward and lifted me. Another hand came forward, holding a small rod. "I am going to kill you, Jonathan, and I fear it will not be painless. You are going to die what will unfortunately be an incredibly painful death, and I will then--"
I bit him. Hard. On the left arm. My fangs sunk straight through his arm, breaking bones, and I snarled as a distant part of my brain screamed. But in the moment... I enjoyed it.
I don't recall what happened after that, only brief moments. My form wavering, becoming fluid to slip out of the alien's grasp. Me backhanding him into the wall again and again, his shield weakening each time. Thermite being useless against me. Robots destroyed in the crossfire. Holes melted in the floor.
Then I remember coming to my senses over a body. I didn't want to examine it; I knew what I'd done. Picking up the alien's gear and my own weapon, I continued down the hall. Icestar was gone, which was--I hoped--a good sign. "How are you doing?" I asked Icestar into my own earbud.
"Fine," came the furious whisper, "but where the hell have you been?" Unbidden, my mind flashed back. "I tried to call you ten times. There are patrols around. Can you take care of them?" Another unbidden image. I swallowed.
"Yeah," I said, trying not to start screaming. "Ice... they've got animals. My TNR colony... the cats have been vanishing lately, remember?" Icestar took in a hissed breath.
"Are you okay?"
"No. But I'll be fine." I smashed the cube. Duma's voice, frantic, came back into my head. I'm fine. Psionic interference. Turning on my metapower, I started tracking the raccoon dandruff in the air and the raccoon DNA on the floor.
