Living Metal

Living Metal

It hadn’t been hour since the attack. Two infantrymen remained tense against the trenches, the dirt was black with soot. The crash site nearby barely lit the equally blackened, smoke-streaked sky. Their escape pod failed them.

A yellow stripe lined the one side of the lieutenant’s bloody, soiled suit, he was clicking on the trigger of his rifle incessantly. They both clutched their rifles close. All the while, the ground rumbled with the sound of a million hooves. It was only a matter of time before those things found them.

It was empty.

They were well hidden by the mound of body bags and debris. It gave some warmth and cover while they seemingly awaited an impending ambush. He turned to the corporal next to him, the only other who survived. But the corporal’s complexion had become even more pale and ghastly than it was an hour earlier.

‘Hang in there!’ The lieutenant cried, his voice slightly muffled by the tempered glass that was a part of his helmet. The corporal turned weakly, his once brown pupils now colorless.

‘You…have…to…to…go.’

The lieutenant cursed, tapped the side button near his neck, a holographic image emitted on his bottom cheek.

‘Patrol 01 to Beacon!’ A pause. He cursed again. ‘Beacon HQ! Patrol 01 come on! Where the hell is that EVAC!”

Still nothing.

He dropped his hand. No, this can’t be it. Surely, they must live. He must find the others, warn them about the discoveries made in this forsaken place. What happened to his platoon when they found the lab. The evil done. The research files. A small device dangled from a carabiner clipped to his side as he held it in his palm.

‘Patrol 01 to Beacon HQ!” His assertive voice betrayed a crack. The corporal continued to mutter the same line, glossed over, losing consciousness. No, this can’t be it.

A series of flashing lights pierced the sky, followed by a shadow easing in on upon arrival.

It wasn’t the escort frigate he was expecting, but the lieutenant watched with growing elation as a small circle carved out exposing the harsh light within as well as the intricate tubular network of the titanic ship. He could barely see an outline of a platform making its descent from the opening.

It wasn’t their ship. But this could be their only chance.

‘Hey come on, grab my-‘ The lieutenant turned in time to watch the contents of the corporal’s face dissolve, falling back into the eye sockets, only to be filled with a thick, gleaming silver liquid moments later. The substance wrapped a glistening coat around the corporal’s stripped skull.

Oh no, it’s happening again.

The lieutenant watched with glassy eyes. He genuinely hoped he could've saved at least one person from his platoon. What an utter failure this has been, he forced down the lump in his throat.

The creature hissed with remnants of the corporal’s tone, bones snapped as it jerked up crookedly, turned towards him, staring hungrily. The papers, they were true after all. It snarled before lunging towards him with both bony hands, also coated in the same nameless substance.

The lieutenant barely dodged with a roll to the side, crashing against the dirt of the trenches, sending down a small slide, before hoisting himself up into a run. Chasing after the platform while being chased by the creature that continued snarling behind him.

His legs cramped, they were giving out, he was already exhausted from the fight, the adrenaline won’t be enough to save him this time. This simply can’t be.

A layer of debris appeared ahead of his path, blocking what looked to be a clearing ahead. With a thrust of all his remaining strength, he threw himself against the blockade, and managed to burst through, and rolled his way out just below the platform. He jumped up, reaching as far as he could with both hands. But it was still too high.

The hard drive.

He unbuckled the device from his side, and managed to hurl it over, it landed with a gentle thump on top of the platform. He looked back and scanned around to see that the creature was no in sight.

He continued to jump and reach.

‘Goddammit, just a little lower!” He cried. “Please!”

The platform stopped. It chimed with a series of beeps and tones, then emitted a sweep of light, scanning the surroundings with an opaque blue. All it revealed was the vast network of trenches, covered in debris, in death.

The light dissipated. The platform resumed with an ascent.

No. NO!

“Hey wait!” He continued to reach with no avail. Something hard and metallic tackled him, sending him toppling to the ground. He managed to roll over to see the creature returned with a raised, razor talon and speared through his suit, puncturing his organs, crushing and tearing his insides. The pain sang.

But his shrieks were shut out, as the cruiser above, with a roaring engine, sped off, vanishing into the darkness.