Nick Thomas - Battle Earth VI

The door swung open, and Taylor stepped out quickly. He expected to have to fight his way out of the doorway, but there was nothing. Not a single sign of life. He signalled for the others to join him.

"How much further do we need to go?"

"Just another hundred metres should do it."

"Should?"

Jafar nodded.

They continued on down a broad corridor with four metre high ceilings. Tracks lay along the floor that looked as if they were some kind of tramline for moving heavy goods. They covered half the distance they needed when they reached a bend. Time was short, so they blundered on without checking blind corners. As they took the bend, shock nearly stopped Taylor's heart, and they came to a halt. A dozen Mechs were marching towards them. Their weapons were lowered, and it was clear they were as surprised as each other. Neither moved for a few seconds.

Jones was the first to fire, and it was the signal for the others to join him. Outnumbered three to one, the Mechs didn't stand a chance and only managed to fire off a few pulses before they all lay dead from the devastating volley. Taylor looked back, and to his amazement and delight, they had not taken a single casualty.

"That was as much luck as anything."

None of them were in any doubt. They were just glad to be alive.

“This is the entrance to one of the main crossroads of the tunnel system. Your nuclear weapons will yield maximum effect here."

"I can't believe we're gonna get away with planting these. How are they not on to us yet?" asked Jones.

"They will be," replied Jafar. "That gun battle will not have gone unnoticed. We have to hurry."

They got to a jogging pace. The corridor opened out as Jafar said into a huge five way crossroads with a domed roof. It was completely empty, but Taylor noticed the tramlines from every corridor converged at centre.

"Why is there no one here?"

"This is a main storage facility. Everything stored here will have been loaded ready for the weapon."

"What does it fire, this thing?" asked Jones.

"I have no idea. That is a secret Demiran and his ancestors have kept well guarded. That secret maintains the power they have."

"Then it will die with him," replied Taylor.

"We can only hope," Jones added.

The nukes were carried into the crossroads area. Jafar was pacing around the huge room until he found what he was looking for.

"Over here!"

He reached down and pulled up a hinged handle on the floor, yanking it hard. A several metre long and wide hatch opened, and he spun it over on its hinges.

"This is a maintenance access point. They will be safe here."

"Right, get them inside, boys!" yelled Taylor.

Come on, come on, he thought. This might actually work.

"Set the timers for five minutes."

"Five? Cutting that a little fine, aren't we?”

"Jafar said the machine needs three minutes to fire up once the power is going. We have no idea when that will happen, so I want as short a fuse as possible, Jones."

"We could just detonate remotely?"

"No, we can't risk it. If we die trying to make it out of here, or the signal somehow gets jammed, it'll be all over. These nukes going off is the number one priority. Us getting out alive is insignificant by comparison. If we can, we will."

"Well, aren't you a joy to be with today?"

"Hey, this isn't on me. I didn't turn up to Earth on this fucking monstrosity to try and end humanity. Find Demiran, and take it up with him."

"I intend to."

Taylor looked up to see the smile had gone, and he was being deadly serious. He patted Jones on the shoulder and stood up beside him.

"We'll get the bastard, and we'll get him together, unless these nukes fry him. We can only hope."

"No, it can't be that easy. Someone like Demiran, he won't go down like this. We may destroy his ship, his fleet, and even his army, but when it comes down to the bastard himself, it's gonna be a job for our own hands."

Taylor could see the bitter hatred in Jones' eyes, and he wished there was a way to console him, but only the death of Demiran would satisfy his desire.

"We're good to go."

The call came from Silva, so Taylor knew he would not need any confirmation.

"All right, let's blow this hunk of junk!" Rains shouted.

"Set the charges and be ready to move!" yelled Taylor.

"Charges…armed!" Silva called out.

"Let's go!"

Taylor was first to get moving with Jafar close by his side. In just ten seconds at a sprinting pace, they reached the bodies of the Mechs they had slaughtered. Their Reitech suits were now being used to their max, providing a rapid sprint. They reached the secret access door they had left open and thundered on through. There was no need to cover their tracks any longer. They were running for their lives.

They were nearing the end of the passageway but none had slowed down, not even Jafar who was at their head. He hit the doorway at a full sprint and smashed the door from its hinges. It bounced off the opposite wall. Taylor was out a second later and saw Jafar barrel into a roll, hitting the wall and rolling back onto his feet. Mitch had already caught the glimpse of movement when a pulse soured down the corridor between the two of them. He ripped a grenade from his webbing, tossing it quickly at the enemy soldiers and following it with several bursts.

It forced the creatures to duck for cover, and that gave the rest of the platoon enough time to get out of Demiran's no longer secret passage.

"Keep moving! Run over them!" Taylor ordered.

Just three Mechs had targeted them, and they were directly in the path they needed to get back to the Stallion. They didn't have shields, but they still advanced shoulder to shoulder at speed as if they did. Without the shields to provide cover, they used a wall of fire to do the same job. The Mechs huddled for their lives behind a small barrier, not able to raise their bodies without being instantly killed.

Taylor and Jafar reached the barrier and leapt onto it. They hadn't stopped firing as they closed the distance, and merely put their weapons over and kept firing until all three were dead. They had stopped for just a second to ensure the job was done before continuing on at a sprint. Taylor lifted his watch to see a minute and a half had passed. They were on the home run now; the long, broad corridor that took them directly to the half wrecked room where the Stallion awaited them.

"My bird better still be there!" yelled Eddie.

Nobody responded. They all knew their survival now relied entirely on that ship and it being in the state they had left it. They kept running and hoped for the best. Taylor reached the door to the room first and stopped as he entered. He half expected to run on to a firing squad or find just empty space.

"What is it?"

Eddie pushed his way to the front.

"Oh, baby! I knew you'd be there for us!"

He turned to the others who were still in as much shock as Taylor.

"What are you waiting for? Let's get the hell outta here!"

He rushed for the Stallion with the others close behind. Jones waited at the door, pulling it shut as the last of the platoon got aboard. He turned to call that they were ready, but Eddie hadn't waited for them. The engines were roaring, and they were lifting off.

"No need for secrecy anymore, hit it!" Taylor shouted.

The craft banked quickly, and Eddie quickly cranked the power up to full. They soared out from the gaping mouth of the wreckage. Taylor looked at his watch once again. There was one minute left.

"Fuck, this is gonna be close."

"Have faith, Colonel. You've done your part. Now let us do ours."

"We've got incoming," said Perez.

Eddie brought it up on the display,which was one of the only other things they had got working for this very situation.