"Sienna 5, this is Control. Please advise"
"Control, Sienna 5 here. On approach, landing in 4, Sector 7 clear. Over"
"Roger that Sienna 5. Over"
The Eldritch Admiral rubbed his forehead. It had been 3 days since the last transmission from the refinery station on Haven; this shouldn't be happening. The bridge main deck bustled with activity as junior officers monitored the progress of the transport pods plummeting to the surface below. Haven? That was a misnomer if ever there was one. All clear they’d said, then the weird reports had started coming in… He checked the transcript for the umpteenth but it yielded nothing new. His earpiece clicked and interrupted his thoughts…
"Control, this is Sienna 5. Teams 1,2 and 4 deployed and moving out. Team 3 hit hazard on landing and delayed, will catch up imminently”
“Control here. Roger that Sienna 5. Look for the signs.”
A period of quiet now hung over the bridge, telltale clicks and beeps confirmed the vidcams were working and vital signs fully operational.
“Sir, Team 3 report Walker damaged on entry and the team are affecting repairs immediately, do you want to hold back the others until they are ready?”
“No. Send them in, we need to know.”
Teams links now kicked in, they were so near the compound radio silence wasn’t required. It made no difference anyway, they were bugs for God’s sake, how could they possibly listen in to the comms signals?
http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/stenic... “Sienna 5, this is Recon 1. Approaching now… Jeez, are you getting this? Looks like some one’s taken an enormous set of keys to the walls and scratched hell out of them. Closing to Transport pad now, it …” Crackling filled the air and cut off the transmission for an instant. “Hell! The wire’s still partially active. We have critical wounded, repeated critical wounded, please advise”
“Recon 1, Sienna 5 here. Looks like the wire’s recognition override failed. Form local perimeter and await relief.”
“Sienna 5, Team 4 here. We have a view on Recon 1 but it’s not clear. We are getting some form of interference”
“Sienna 5, Team 2 here. We see you. You have some cloudy haze descending around the squad… Oh my God. Get out of there!! Move damn it! It’s eating the armour.
“Control here. What’s happening damn it? The signals are breaking up from Team 4.”
“….4 here… noxio…fu… pervading … AFVs…che suits ineffe… can’t breath… major mal… down….” Silence .
“Team 2 here. Those AFVs look like shells…they’ve been stripped. But looks like some survived, are we getting any signs?”
“Control here. Minimal readings, squads 2,6 and 9 out. Squads 4 and 8 weak signal. What’s that Sienna 5? There on the right of the screen. See it? The ground’s moving!”
“Sienna 5 here. We are seeing it too… The ground’s just collapsed! It’s the bugs, they are every where. Right on top of 4.
http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/stenic... “Team 4. Come in. Come in Team 4!!”
Nothing.
“Control here. 4 are gone. Bugs are moving. Adopt perimeter formation now!”
“Team 2 here. There’s thousands of ‘em. Fire for effect, here they come.”
Removed from the scene the Admiral found it surreal. One moment Team 4 are there, then a gas cloud appears, then critters as far as the eye could see. Then nothing. Now the screen showed a black mass flowing over the ground towards Team 2. Here and there flashes fizzed on the screen as rounds tore into the bugs. Small arms fire shredded bugs but it was like punching holes in jelly. He watched as a squad poured out of an IFV as it too seemed to melt like those in Team 4. For a moment he felt a swelling of pride as his troops stood their ground and exacted a heavy toll from the bugs, but then the tide rolled over them and they too vanished from view.
Their valiant sacrifice allowed the remains of Team 2 to seek cover in the farmed fields past the refinery and take up defensive positions. The bugs stalled and milled about, the half of them that were left seemed to be wounded or in a confused state. As he watched a new noxious cloud appeared over Team 2 but the wind caught it and gently blew it north saving his forces.
Team 3 intercom buzzed; “Team 3 here. Request engineer support, Walker inoperative.” Blast! 3 were still out of the picture.
“Team 1 here. Advise we have sight of swarm, firing for area effect on my mark…. Now!”
Whoomph. The ground burned as the screens showed the incandescent glare of the artillery shells raining down on the bugs. Soon all that was left was as mattering of mangled critters and bits of carapace.
http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/stenic... “Control. Sienna 5 here. We are getting more groundswell, request Orbital strike.”
“Negative Sienna 5. Proximity too hazardous. Proceed as advised.” The ground erupted even as he finished. Hordes of the things poured out of holes that were not there seconds ago. The grey amorphous mass raced toward the SPGs and stripped them in seconds. There was nothing he could have done, even the Orbital would have taken 30 seconds to hit planetside, it would be hitting right about…. Now. Even so it’s not going to look good.
“Recon 1 here. Where the hell are you guys? We have company, request immediate evac… Ahhh Hell! Here we gooooo! Pull back, on me …. Left now… no leave him, he’s gone… there that room.. WTF?! You want me? Come and get me you mothers!!!......................................”
“Recon 1. Sienna 5 here. Come in Recon 1. Recon?”
“All units, Sienna 5 here. Evac immediate. Pull back by squads, watch the refinery, they seem to be more interested in that. Head to sector 15 for pick up. On me now!”
http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/stenic... “Control. Sienna 5 here. ETA to evac sector is 6.5. Request nuke from orbit in 7.”
“It’s the only way to be sure.”