As Good as Dead

by O. J. Anderson

Chapter 9

Khoeler Mountain D.U.M.B.
Sub-level 3

Jack Creed and his men have killed about a hundred gray aliens/demons/Zetas. Close to a hundred more are chasing them through the base. These too will die, shortly. But now Jack is looking for the exit; he and his team are running low on ammo and frags. Only one more targeting puck to place.

They hang a left at a four-way intersection. Two men drop back, wait a second, then poke back around the corner, one high, one low. They toss two frags each, then rip off long bursts. Shred a dozen demons.

This part of the base is finished. Operational, but they have not come across a single human yet. They have seen signs of human presence, just no humans. Maybe they’re all on vacation, or down at the bar getting faced. Maybe they’re all dead. Jack doesn’t know and doesn’t really care, he only wants to destroy the place and everything in it.

He has ascertained from this rampaging recon throughout the facility that this base is merely a fallout shelter. It has no major weapons systems, manifestation systems, or command and control systems at this point. It seems to be intended only for survivability, but for whom is the question.

The men take a right. Still following the signs directing them toward the escalator shaft. They can see it up ahead now. Through the double doorway, into a darkened concrete tunnel. Jack leads the way out onto a large docking area with yellow and black safety strips near the edge of the tunnel railway.

Smith and Jones have the door secure. Firing carefully aimed head shots at the swarm of demons clamoring after them.

Across the tunnel, on the far wall, is a large number 3. The steeply graded shaft goes deeper, down into total darkness, but they won’t be going down there. Jack takes his remaining targeting puck, arms it, sets it to alternate, and rolls it down the shaft.

There are two sets of rails, but no car in sight. On the wall is a box containing a large button. Jack slaps it. A bell sounds, followed by a whirring noise. Then the cable running between the tracks begins to move.

A grenade goes off in the hallway. Smith and Jones high five each other.

Jack looks over the edge of the loading dock and sees that the cable is moving downhill, meaning the car is coming from above. He decides to intercept. They need to get topside ASAP to establish radio contact with the demo team.

“Let’s move!” he shouts. “Three and three overwatch.”

Jack and two other men move out into the shaft and scramble up the concrete slope. Three stay behind on security. The lead team will move up one hundred meters, then pull rear guard duty as the next team moves up.

There is a yellow rotating light up the shaft. Distant, but moving toward them.

Movement here is hard going. The concrete floor slippery. Nothing but the rails embedded into the slab and the occasional cross member to grab on to. One false step here and you’re automatically a contender for the world’s longest buttslide record.

Jack calls a halt. The three men set up the overwatch on the near side of the tunnel. He checks the progress of the car, then radios to Rivers to bring it up. Things will be dicey from here on, after they give up the door position; the demons will also have access to the escalator shaft. And though they’ve proven they can’t shoot worth a rusty penny in Kowloon, even a blind cat trips over a dead mouse if he keeps at it. The ricochet effect here is highly insalubrious.

Once he sees his men cross the shaft, Jack trains his weapon on the corner of the dock area. Anything that crosses the yellow/black safety strip gets shot.

Lucky, from the maneuver team, stops momentarily to humchuck a frag back at the docking area.

Three seconds later: a red flash, a kaboom, and a gasp of ejecta shooting across the shaft. The demons still don’t have the common sense to stop chasing the team. Probably because they don’t feel pain and they don’t really die. But they’re still making no progress whatsoever other than laying themselves to waste. It’s a valuable insight into their mentality, Jack thinks.

Doc taps Jack on the shoulder. Says, “Ride’s here, boss.”

“Right.” Jack stays on security with Rivers. Tells Doc to get aboard. Jack then squeezes off a few rounds at alien heads, now crowding onto the dock.

Doc moves farther up the shaft. Climbs into the car. It’s a flat platform with seats and a control unit at the front. He pulls the level to stop the car, then lies flat at the rear of the car and takes up security on the Level 3 dock.

Rivers climbs aboard next and takes a position next to Doc. They begin firing.

Jack is the last one in. He sets the car back into motion down the shaft to pick up the maneuver team. It’s a short trip. He pulls the lever. Stops the car. Three men jump in.

“Two down. Four up,” Jack says, meaning the threat from below is far less than the unknown threat from above. They are now protected from fire from below by the solid base of the rail car, and the gray demons will have a difficult time chasing them from now on; only need two men to suppress that avenue. However, what they will run across as they climb the shaft is another story. Four men train their weapons up the railway.

* * *

Proceed to Chapter 10...