The Tales of Raythia: Trojan Horse | Chapter 1: "Ambush"

The Tales of Raythia

Trojan Horse

Chapter 1  -  Ambush

    “MOOOV-“

    WHUM-WHUUUMPH!

    Whatever Sergeant Fenrick was trying to say was lost in a deafening explosion. The grenade going off at his feet cut the man short in more ways than one before near-simultaneously detonating the fuel tank of the jeep he had been trying to take cover behind. The ensuing fireball billowed and burst, creating a column of flame and smoke that shot up into the desert sky.

    “FUCK!” Olvera assessed intelligently.

    The Sergeant hid behind the low wall. Next to him, Pvt. Johnson panted and coughed trying to get his breath back. The explosion had clearly knocked the wind out of him and his head was likely ringing just like Olvera’s. All around them, rifles chattered and barked as rounds chewed up the stone walls and buildings.

    Shit had gone sideways quick.

    “WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?” Olvera bellowed over the sound of gunfire.

    “PEOPLE ARE FUCKING SHOOTING AT US!” Pvt LeRoux shouted from a few dozen meters away.

    As if to punctuate her point, Spc. Merrick popped up over the wall next to the Automatic Rifleman, trained his M24 on something, and fired a single, booming shot before ducking back down.

    “NO FUCKING SHIT!” Olvera snapped.

    “Hey man, stupid questions get stupid answers.” Johnson coughed out as he primed his M320.

    Olvera growled but said nothing further. Now wasn’t the time.

    Staying low, he rushed past the still recovering Grenadier Rifleman over to the other two in his FireTeam. Merrick and LeRoux were trading off popping up over the wall to take pot shots, Merrick with his long-range M24 rifle and LeRoux with her M249 throwing every piece of lead known to man down range at whatever poor sap was in the building down the street.

    The Team Leader couldn’t help but be amused at the difference.

    “What’ve we got?” he asked as he reached the two of them; a moment later joined by Johnson.

    “Three hostiles.” Merrick reported coolly. “Two in the blown out three story at the far end of the street that LeRoux is turning into swiss cheese…”

    LeRoux roared as she popped up over the wall for a moment, letting loose another volley from the light machine gun.

    “…Got one more in the little two story on the west side here.”

    “Where’d the grenade come from?”

    “East side two story building. Had a couple in there but FireTeam Alpha started lighting them up the moment that their TL got hit.”

    Olvera grimaced but didn’t comment on that.

    “One in the west side?” Olvera confirmed.

    Merrick gave a nod.

    “Alright, that’s target one. We’ll move to clear and then deal with the building at the end. LeRoux: you’re gonna light ‘em up. Johnson: send ‘em a present while they’re reconsidering their life choices. Merrick: cover our move.”

    “Right.” They all said in unison.

    “Let’s go, Bravo.”

    Moving like four parts of the same organism, FireTeam Bravo quickly shuffled along the low wall to get a better vantage point on the western building that Merrick had indicated. They had trained relentlessly and knew they could rely on each other to be right where the other one needed. FireTeam Alpha was already dealing with the other side of the street and the booms and barks of gunfire were starting to die down just as quickly as they’d started moments prior.

    This was no longer an ambush.

    This was barely a training exercise.

    Olvera got to see a flicker of glass from a scope in one of the windows a moment before LeRoux roared again behind him. The lithe woman hefted the LMG and let loose a volley of hot lead that turned the building’s façade to dust and sprayed it with red hot tracers. A hollow Whump followed a second after the machine gun chatter quit.

    BOOOOOOM!

    The bullet riddled face of the building exploded outward in a spray of glass, concrete, and dust as Johnson’s grenade hit home.

    Olvera was already moving.

    The Team Leader moved behind cover, his M4 trained on the door to the building, flanked by LeRoux with her M249 ready and daring anyone in the building above to challenge her fury. A moment later, they would be joined by Johnson and then-

    CRACK!

    The report of Merrick’s M24 rifle told him all he needed to know even before the Marksman spoke.

    “Target neutralized.”

    “Roger. Move to Clear the building at the end. Stay behind cover.”

    One down, two to go.

    As FireTeam Bravo moved down the decimated street past the convoy they’d been a part of only a few short minutes before, Olvera got glimpses of things in the wreckage. Shattered stone. Wrenched and bent metal. Small fires burning. Scraps of paper and cloth. A human hand. All pieces of a world destroyed but endless war. Endless fighting.

    Endless chaos.

    More rifle fire could be heard chattering away here and there from the building they were approaching, but it was quickly dying down; becoming more sparse as those that would use them against his team were snuffed out. Frantic bursts of rounds and suppressing fire were coming from the third floor, but nothing hit near them. Compared to the sounds battle earlier, it was practically peaceful.

    “Alpha moving to Clear.” came through clearly in his earpiece from PFC Talbot.

    “Roger. Bravo moving to Overwatch.”

    Up ahead, the now three-man FireTeam could be seen appearing from an alley to their right, bridging the gap and kicking in a wood door of the building before disappearing inside. PFC Talbot now lead after Sgt. Fenrick’s unfortunate demise.

    Olvera and his team quickly spread out, their backs to the stone, watching for anyone else who would dare try to continue the fight.

    No one did.

    And they didn’t have to wait long.

    Several brief exchanges could be heard from the building above, but it only took a few moments before Tablot spoke again.

    “Targets neutralized.”

    “You alright, man?” Sgt. Olvera asked with a grimace.

    PFC. Talbot let out a deep sigh and nodded, glancing up at him as he spoke. The Team Leader for FireTeam Bravo was dirty, covered in dust and mud with streaks of sweat cutting deep grooves in the mess on his brown skin. Olvera’s dark brown eyes were hard set, clearly feeling just as worn as he was, and the TL’s thin black goatee and mustache were matted despite their short length.

    “Yea, I’m okay.” Talbot said softly.

    “I’m sorry about…”

    “I know. I know.”

    In his hands, Tablot held his former Sergeant’s dogtags; gently rolling the little piece of metal between gloved fingers.

    There was nothing more to say.

    Tablot glanced out as the convoy rolled along. They were out of the city and rushing through open terrain towards Bawaba Air Base. They’d be there in just a few minutes.

    Safe and sound.

    For everyone but Fenrick.

    Talbot and Olvera locked eyes again. They just sat there and stared at each other, both of them clearly debating if there was something that could be said here. If there was some way to make the other feel better about the situation.

    There wasn’t.

    They rode in silence until crossing the fenced walls of Bawaba Air Base when Olvera finally spoke up.

    “At least…” Pvt. Johnson spoke up from a few seats down.

    “Don’t say it, David.” Talbot said shortly.

    “I was just gonna…”

    “Don’t say it.” Sgt. Olvera echoed, more sternly.

    “Come on, I was just gonna say that at least things can’t get any worse today.”

    Reaching over from across the aisle, Pvt. Stamovich slapped the burly black man on the head to the grunts and groans of the two fireteams.

    “You HAD to say it, didn’t you?” she growled.

    “What? I’m just saying…”

    “We all know what you’re saying, Johnson.” Pvt. Jimenez barked from down the way. “And we’re saying that you’re inviting bullshit when you say shit like that.”

    The two teams nodded and muttered in agreement.

    “Oh, come on!” Johnson replied dismissively.

    “Look, man.” Merrick commented quietly. “If you ain’t learned by now, saying shit like is just asking the universe to dump shit in your lap.”

    “You too, Merrick?!” Johnson glanced over in surprise. “Never took you for the superstitious type.”

    “It ain’t superstitious if it’s true.” Stamovich snapped.

    “Enough!” Olvera barked. “I don’t care if you’re superstitious. A man died today and you’re gonna shut the fuck up or I’m gonna break my foot off in your ass.”

    “Yes, Sarge.” Johnson muttered.

    And they did.

    A few minutes and a squeal of brakes later, the teams were clambering down out of the transport onto a hot airfield. The sun shone brightly overhead, the whole place stunk of jet fuel, and the heat was terrible. And, to their surprise, their non-comm was standing there waiting for them, eyes locked and jaw hard set.

    But, to Talbot’s surprise, the NCO didn’t approach him.

    “Sgt. Olvera.” The non-comm said in a clipped tone. “I know you just got back, but you and FireTeam Bravo have a second assignment that must be carried out immediately. Please follow me. FireTeam Alpha, hit the mess and get cleaned up.”

    Olvera looked shocked for a brief moment before giving a curt nod, adjusting himself, and following in behind the NCO. Merrick was right behind him as was LeRoux. Only Johnson lingered with a look of shock before Stamovich leaned over with a smile.

    “See, I was just saying…” she said mockingly before smacking him upside the head again. “It ain’t superstitious if it’s true. Enjoy your assignment. After all, things can’t get worse today.”

Nemesis - Betrayal

Copyright 'Captain' from Nemesis by Awakened Realms.

    The klaxon’s call fell away in rush.

    The screaming, blaring siren had filled his ears nearly non-stop for the last hour since waking cold and confused in the hibernatorium. At the time, even facing down the mutilated body of one his crew, the captain had known what to do.

    The sirens’ call was a call to action.

    A call that his ship was in danger, his crew was in danger, and he had to act to keep them safe.

    There were a few components to deal with first, however.
    First, whatever was responsible for the emergency, whatever intruders had found their way on board: they had to be dealt with. A full purging of the airlock system could be useful and could be triggered remotely for once his crew was back in cold sleep. Hell, the jump to hyperdrive itself might be all he needs to turn whatever beasts had made this mess into a fine stew on his walls.

    But, if he was going to deal with the intruders, he had to insure the ship was in good shape. He had to check the fire suppression systems to make sure nothing was severely damaged and the ship wouldn’t burn up while they were all asleep. He had to make sure the engines were functional. And he had to make sure they were still en-route for Earth.

    Easy.

    But that was an hour ago.

    The surgical room had seemed like a boon in the chaos the crew had found themselves in. It had already been used successfully by several of the crew, the captain included, to remove the monstrous little beasts that implanted themselves inside a human host. But modern medicine is two steps short of a miracle and he and the lead scientist were then resting after their impromptu surgery.

    And then the wall was gone.

    One moment they had been laying there, pain-killer still rushing through their brains, quietly discussing what the best next step was in getting to the fire suppression systems, when the wall simply wasn’t there anymore and the captain was staring past it into a void of blacks and greens and dripping things.

    A monster unlike any other.

    While the captain still knew what he needed to do not only for his own survival, but the survival of all the men and women under his command, it didn’t mean he was thrilled about it.

    The other monsters they’d seen up til now had been terrifying, but feasible. They were all sharp edges and smooth surfaces; an amalgamation of carapace and claws and fury. They were big, easily 8 feet tall, but management. This one, on the other hand, the one that stood before the captain and his crew mate, was a whole different category all together.

    If this was anything, it was the other uglies’ mama.

    Tendrils of thick, viscous slime splattered across the shattered remains of the interior wall leading back towards Cargo Room Alpha. This beast was unlike any before it; hunched and in the cramped cabin space, the captain felt it had to easily stand a good fifteen feet or more if it could stand up entirely in the smaller space. It had torn through the interior wall as easily as a child tears through tissue paper and now the eyeless beast seemed to be transfixed on them, slowly crawling through the cramped space and seeming to fill the entire surgical room with its seething black mass of spikes and armor.

    “No. Not thrilled about this at all.” The captain grumbled as he slipped his cigarette, one of many antiques he cared, back into his mouth and took a long drag.

    “W-what?” the lead scientist nearly whimpered. “Thrilled? What are you talking about?!”

    The captain grumbled and shook his head, drawing the old six-shooter from his side. The weight was satisfying in his hand and the draw of cold black metal against worn leather was a comfort.

    He focused on that.

    Not on the towering beast drawing in around them.

    “Get out of here. Get to the escape pods.” The captain said through a smile, his breath hissing out in streams of white smoke. “I’ll meet up with you once I’m done with this one.”

    The scientist stared, open-mouthed at the captain.

    And the beast lunged.

    “NOW!” The captain bellowed, firmly shoving a foot in the wheelchair-bound man’s chest and rolling him away against his will before diving in the opposite direction.

    The beast bellowed and roared, slamming computer bays and destroying sensitive equipment. It fell short of the captain, being unable to maneuver in the small space. Its sharp, elongated tail bashed about and, a moment later, there was a scream for the scientist. However, as the captain tried desperately to spot the man behind the seething mass of anger and hatred, the other man quickly disappeared down a side hall and away from the chaos.

    Good.

    “Over here you ugly, son-of-a-bitch.” Motioning with his pistol and pointing it directly at the thing’s opening mouth.

    BOOM!

    In the small space, the antique revolver’s shot seemed to explode like a cannon. The round punched a whole clean through the monster’s fangs and exploded out the other side with enough force that the captain briefly worried he might break the very engines he just checked on.

    Whatever.

    BOOM!

    The creature’s screech of pain was so loud that the air rushed from his lungs with the force.

    Whatever.

    BOOM!

    The beast whirled and lunged. Despite the awe inspiring size and the absolute destruction the creature wrought, the captain quickly realized his own advantage. While the creature had seemingly unparalleled strength, the sheer size worked to a disadvantage when trying to operate in the smaller surgery room. Were he in the Cargo Bay that it had come from, he didn’t doubt it would probably already be done with him and moving on to the scientist who had fled.

    But they weren’t there.

    They were here.

    BOOM!

    Each shot was careful.

    Each shot was clean.

    Each shot ripped clean through the inky black carapace with satisfying crunches.

    BOOM!

    The beast hit the ground, shaking the very ship beneath his feet. It weakly clawed towards him, unrelenting; hissing and gurgling as it went.

    “That’s what I thought.” The captain said. “You came in here talking a big game. Acting like you own the fucking place.”

    The beast dragged itself closer.

    “But I have news for you.” He continued. “You need to figure out who you’re fucking with before you try to take a man’s ship. Choose the wrong man, and you’re in for a bad time.”

    The monster was almost on top of him.

    But close enough.

    “Sorry, friend.” He said, almost placing the revolver’s muzzle against the hard shell of the hissing monster. “But I’m the captain. Now get off my fucking ship.”

    BOOM!

    The beast stopped crawling.

    For a long moment, the captain simply stared at the mountain of a creature before him and how its black carapace filled most of the surgical room and said nothing. His breath escaped him in a long, slow sigh and then the smile reasserted itself.

    “That’s what I thought.” He muttered, wisps of smoke trailing out with each word.

   Flipped open the weapon, the captain reloaded the antique six-shooter with renewed confidence. If he could take down something like this, there was nothing to stand in his way of dealing with the rest. He just had to make sure they got home safe though.

    Everything was going to be fine after-all.

    With a quick shuffle around the gargantuan corpse, he made his way after the lead scientist and, with a turn and a quick run here and there down a few darkened hallways, he found the fire suppression system.

    But something was wrong.

    Stepping into the bay of computer terminals, the starboard door behind him suddenly slammed shut.

    And then the bow door.

    And the port.

    And the stern.

    “Sorry about this.” a familiar voice chided over the intercom.

    The soldier.

    They had woken up together but the coward of a man had run off the moment they had woken up to ‘check something’. The man had been added to the company roster a day before launch for ‘additional safety’ and disappeared the moment they needed someone with his skills.

    Skills at killing and little else.

    At the time, the captain had been pissed that the man with the biggest gun and the most training to use it had suddenly run away.

    Not things made a bit more sense.

    “You have to understand. They paid me a lot of money…” the man spoke over the tinny intercom.

    “The fuck are you talking about?” asked the captain as he approached the port side door. The lead scientist, to his surprise, was looking back at him through the viewport, fear in his eyes. “What are you doing with the door systems? I already dealt with that thing back there.”

    “Oh, I know. I was watching on the monitors. Quite impressive.”

    “Then what the fuck are you doing?”

    “My job.”

    Of course you are.

    A new klaxon suddenly sounded in the room, replacing the one from before. Cycling red and gold lights threatened any space faring man’s worst nightmare.

    His worst nightmare.

    The lead scientist was now in a panic. He was screaming for the mechanic who the captain could see, but not hear, running down the hallway towards the closed doors.

    “Your job.” The captain said with burgeoning anger. “You the one that let all these monsters on-board then? You the one who killed all my crew?!”

    “No.” came the clipped response. “That was just a useful distraction.”

    “Then what’s your job?”

    “You.”

    The captain closed his eyes.

    Through the pressure doors, he felt like he just might be able to just hear the sounds of the panicked screams of his crew. He could see them on the other side of the door frantically tearing at wires near the door panel.

    They were trying to save him, their desperation clear by their frantic motion.

    They knew what was coming and so did he.

    The fire suppression system, like any critical control circuit on his ship, was directly linked to a local airlock cycle system. The idea was to all for critical circuits to be replaced completely when needed and, in the instance of catastrophic fires or intruders on a ship, the air could be cycled out as an absolute failsafe in key locations.

    Kind of an ironic location given the circumstances really.

    “Who paid you?” the captain asked simply.

    “If you must know, it was your father. But he has the entire backing of the board, so really take your pick on who you want to blame.”

    “Makes sense.”

    “If it’s any consolation, I really did respect you. Takes guts to do what you did. And that was before you killed that thing back there.”

    “In that case, let me ask for a favor.” The captain said coldly.

    “I’m not stopping the cycle.”

    “I’m not asking you to, you dumb son of a bitch.” The captain growled. “I’m just asking that you make sure my people get home. And make sure these things don’t.”

    There was silence over the intercom for a long period before it crackled back to life.

    “You have my word.”

    The captain glanced back through the viewport. The scientist was crying. The mechanic was desperately tapping something on a tiny wrist computer. Cables were strewn everywhere.

    It didn’t matter though.

    Time was up.

    “One other thing.” The captain said softly as he looked up towards the fissures forming in the airlock seal.

    “Yea?” came the tinny voice.

    “You’re a real piece of shit.”

    “Yea. I know.”

    The air rushed out.

    The captain flew towards the void.

    And the klaxon’s call fell away in rush.

Alone I Walk - Chapter 1

    "CECILIA!"
    Cecilia's eyes snapped open in a start, her breath hitching in her chest.
    The world was black.
    And cold.
    And wet?
    Come to think of it, the black, cold, wet world seemed to smell distinctly of road tar and asphalt. Maybe just a hint of tire rubber too.
    Pushing up off the street, Cecilia sat up and looked around her. From the looks of it, she was on a back road somewhere, a darkened forest pushing in on either side of the slick two lane blacktop. The sky above was still and black and a gentle fog creeped through trunks nearby.
    Nothing moved.
    "Hello?" she called out, scanning the trees beyond. "Is anyone there?"
    No answer.
    Glancing around again, it occurred to Cecilia that she couldn't seem to remember how she got here. Or really even where here was. It didn't look completely unfamiliar; at least it didn't seem she was far from home. Unfortunately, once you've seen one North Carolinian back road, you've seen them all.
    Standing up, she tried to find something to follow. Some sign of civilization or where she was. Some person or place or thing or...something. Any noun might suffice.
    Where was she?
    Last she could remember, she had been driving home with her sister. They had been out that evening drinking and then...Nothing. She tried to think, to remember where she had been, but it slipped away like water in her hands.
    Had she been drugged?
    "Hello?" she called again.
    No answer
    "Guess I'm walking."
    Reaching into her pocket to fish out her phone for the GPS, but she came up empty handed. Just a hint of panic started to boil up. She couldn't find it.
    Where was her phone?
    And where was she?
    "Ok, calm down." She whispered to herself. "Just follow the road. Get to a gas station or something, figure out where you are, get a ride home..."
    A piercing howl split the silence of the night. It was long and forlorn, carrying on the wind interminably, spreading from one side of the road until it echoed and mingled off every tree trunk all around her. Just as quickly, it cut off and faded into nothingness.
    Cecilia had never heard a cry like it before. It sounded almost like a wolf howl from movies, but there was something...off about it. The cry didn't seem entirely animalistic. Almost like a person doing a disturbingly good impression of a wolf howl.
    "Ok, maybe a little less calm. Get to a gas station sooner rather than later."
    She glanced up and down the road again and, with no direction in mind, took off at a jog.
    The asphalt felt slick beneath her shoes and they squeaked and squicked with each footfall. The sound echoed off the trees and only added to her anxiety. What was that howl? Was something following her? What if she couldn't hear it coming?
    And what are you gonna do about it? she thought to herself.
    It's not like she knew what to do if she ran into a wolf in the middle of the night. She was a dental assistant barely out of college. Hell, she didn't even have her phone on her. If she ran into a wolf, the best she could hope to do would be to climb a tree and hoped someone drove by and saw what was happening.
    The thought pushed her on and her jog soon became a run. Maybe it was the adrenaline, but she felt good. Strong. Her lungs weren't even burning. She hadn't run since high school but apparently it stuck with her.
    And, soon enough, she could make out a faint light over the treetops.
    A few minutes more and the woods parted suddenly on her right to reveal a 24 Hour Diner. The iridescent sign buzzed in the still air, a few moths flitting and zipping around it, claiming "Best Waffles in Town". A couple cars sat out front and she could make out someone moving inside through the windows.
    And then the howl.
    It came on again just as suddenly and frighteningly closer. It seemed almost like it was directly behind her and Cecilia jumped in surprise. However, when she turned to face the creature, it cut off sharply.
    There was nothing there.
    She sprinted the remaining distance to the diner door and slammed the door behind her, staring out through the glass to the woods beyond.
    Nothing moved.
    "Miss?" a soft voice called from the dining room.
    Cecilia pulled her eyes away from the darkened woods to look at the man who had spoken. A thinner man, a waiter, was standing there. He was middle eastern by the looks of him. Maybe Egyptian? A little gaunt but a nice enough smile with dark hair and eyes.
    "Y'all right?" he asked.
    "Did you hear that thing?"
    The man approached her to look through the glass to the woods beyond. As before, nothing moved. He glanced back down to her with a sympathetic smile. A nametag on his chest read "Ammon."
    "Can't say I did." he confessed. "What'd it sound like?"
    Cecilia shook her head.
    "No idea. A wolf or something."
    "Ain't no wolves in these woods, ma'am." He said with another soft smile. "C'mon. Let's get you warmed up. Coffee?"
    She glanced outside again. She wasn't hungry, but she felt safer being in here. She wasn't going to say no.
    "Y-yea. That would be nice. A phone as well?"
    Ammon lead her back into the sitting area and quickly poured a cup of coffee in a plain white mug. He set it in front of her and then reached back to grab a wireless phone of the ringer, setting it next to the mug.
    "Break down?" he asked.
    She shook her head, grabbing up the phone and starting to dial her sister.
    "I...I honestly can't remember."
    Ammon looked at her with worry but asked nothing further as she held the phone to her ear.
    Ring. Ring. Ring.
    "Hey this is, Sarah! You know the deal. BEEP"
    "Sarah! It's Cecilia. Hey, I think something happened. We were driving home last night and I just woke up in the street. I'm at a diner on..." she turned to Ammon. "Where am I?"
    "Chapel Grove. Outside of Gastonia."
    "Chapel Grove, outside of Gastonia." she parroted. "I can't find my phone either. I'm gonna try and get a cab or something. I'll see you soon. Bye."
    Hanging up the phone, she handed it back to him.
    Ammon took the phone and hung it up. As he did, she noticed a single tattoo on his inner arm. It was solid black with hard edges and looked almost like an Egyptian hieroglyph of a dog or something.
    "Thank you." she said.
    "Of course. Lost yer phone too?"
    Cecilia nodded.
    "Yea. I think something happened. I just don't know what to do."
    "Bad luck. Where ya coming from?"
    "Lincolnton. We were at a bar in Gastonia." she commented. "I remember driving home but nothing else. I'm-I'm wondering if someone gave me something but I can't remember past that."
     Ammon nodded.
    "Well, yer not far from home but seem like yer headed in the wrong direction. Why don't we get you sorted out and we'll get ya a ride back home."
    "I can take her." a new, third voice added from directly behind her.