Chapter 38 – Predator & Prey

Mk23 -IRJ Droplet – Class 7 – Carpe Victoria (Wrecked)

Sector - Unknown

Planet - Unknown

13th November 2342 (BSST)

To my horror, my rest is disturbed no later than five minutes after I sit down, I had just managed to catch my breath whilst the jitters of the adrenalin wearing off had started, when I heard it.

The sound I most dreaded pierced the silence, interrupting my ever-slowing breaths for a second.

It rang around my ears, disorienting me, singing its sorrowful tune in my head like the backing track to a tragedy.

The adrenalin thundered through my veins again, powered by my pounding heart as it raced to ready me.

I felt it rejuvenating me, filling me with energy as I prepared to deal with the monsters yet again.

I took a few calming deep breaths, settling into a state of serene patience as I waited for the confrontation that was sure to follow.

The pain of my injury no longer a consideration, not even a thought in the back of my mind. I was ready for battle now, with grim determination I felt myself smiling, this is what I lived for, the moments between life and death. That perfect shade of grey that slowly closes in on you like a curtain descending.

In those brief, perfect moments where you get to decide on which side you stand is where I feel alive.

Do you fade away, a mere memory to the crowd?

Or do you step out in front, brave and bold?

I choose to step out and continue the show, it takes energy and dedication, but the exhilaration empowers me, I love it!

I love it, for the preceding moments, but when they barrel out of the tree line at me that love quickly tuns back into fear and adrenalin. My already pounding heart goes into overdrive knowing this is it, all or nothing. It’s life and death for me but just a small part in their game, their hunt, I’m nothing.

There are five of them, drawn to the sounds of the earlier battle, they charge like a line hoping to coral me into the net of danger, like a fly caught in the web, they try to draw me in like the spider.

As they get halfway across the clearing they fling themselves through the air in a poor imitation of a cat’s pounce, a mistake.

As they fly through the air at me, I take a step forwards and duck under the swing of the first one slashing at him with my sword and tearing out a chunk from the ribs.

Knowing that when they land I’ll have to compete against five I take off running, through the forest in no particular direction, just running to escape or to find somewhere better than a clearing where they can all get to me at once.

The branches and plants tear themselves across my vision, lacerating the face mask and taking off small flecks of paint that dance across my vision. The sharp leaves etch lines in the armour, like an engraving.

The constant battering by the branches as I crash through the undergrowth with clumsy, unrefined movements - like a bull in a china shop - takes its toll on me as I feel my muscles begin to tire.

Breaking through the forest in the way I am leaves a very noticeable trail and I think it unlikely that I will end up losing their tail.

Sure enough, they follow me easily, slipping through the forest with the natural grace of a top predator, whatever was done to these people - whilst horrible and unimaginable – was remarkably effective.

They had turned (fairly unathletic) people into killing machines: so far advanced from the people they had come from to be unrecognisable.

Remarkable!

The creatures gain on me though, edging ever closer, their foetid stench emanating from their black, oozing maws clasp at my heels as the powerful legs stride to catch up to me.

Their rasping tongues slide over the needle like teeth that spew their vitriolic intent over me in frenzied passion. A cloying fog, it rolls over me, consuming me in its deathly embrace, as a spider bundles up its prey to start digesting it, I feel trapped and helpless.

I press on regardless of the feelings blossoming within me. Helpless! Pointless! Why try? Only delaying the inevitable! Die! Die, die, die. It yells out at me, trying to convince me to surrender to it.

“Never!” I roar back, defiance, my very essence.

I quench the feelings down in the rhythm of my running. The relentless pounding of my feet as they march onwards carrying me over the leaves and roots, over the hillocks and mounds, through the ditches, dips and valleys and across the streams and sands and swamps.

Though the monsters gain ever closer. Closer and closer! Despite my best efforts.

I risk a glance over my shoulder, twenty metres. Soon… soon I will have to turn and face them, engage in a fight.

As I run onwards I spot something in the land, the ditch, the big ones. Perhaps another five hundred metres away. I focus, my vision narrowing to include the ditch and the land in between and nothing else, my hearing shuts out all the sounds, even the pelting rain and howling winds are ignored.

I leap the various fallen trees and debris that the wind has ripped around, dodge as many branches as I can and clear the pools of water that have collected in the natural dips as I make my way there.

By the time I get there the humanoids are nipping at my heels, literally in this case not figuratively. I collapse into a slide as I go down the bank one foot tucked under me to rest on and one foot bracing my decent kicking up the mud.

As I slide down I lash out with the sword at them as they prepare to jump having expected that of me, I end up catching one of the beasts in the neck and splitting it open along the belly as it clears me, the blood from its wound gushes out showering me in crimson rain that sloughs off me in waves. The beast crashes to the floor rolling and sliding away to lies still.

The rest clear me easily, though the last one stops in time to try leaping down upon me. It must have been a fool as a human to do this as I just aim the sword up and brace it on the floor letting the brute impale itself on the sword.

I get hit by its death-throws and it flings me clear, ripping out the sword as I go flying away, leaving a terrible abdominal injury that cripples it. I spare it no thought as I leave, letting it die in this pitiful state.

I carry on running along the bottom of the ditch, the remaining three take up the pursuit once again. One of them is the one I had injured at the start, the blood drips down it, painting its side, like a gladiator as it presses on.

I don’t get far before they catch me again, lashing out and swiping at me from the right. I duck the blow, rotating underneath its arm and strike with all the power I can muster, driving my left fist into the beast’s armpit.

The punch has perfect form, connecting straight rather than slapping, with the bones of the knuckles lining up with the wrist, elbow and shoulder, stacking the bones to provide enough power to knock it back.

As the humanoid stumbles back, it falls into the path of the other one, annoyed at the obstacle it slashes through its comrade’s neck, decapitating it before rushing me, the already injured one watches on unmoved.

Having tasted my steel, it knows to be wary and as such it will be much more dangerous.

The chase continues as I turn to run again, with the ditch being fairly clear of debris my pace picks again and given the head start I have, it takes them a few minutes to catch up to me again.

By the time they get to me I’ve ducked back into the forest and I have to duck behind trees to avoid them.

We come to a point where I recognise the landscape, the crash site comes into view, the clearing starting to repopulate with life after such a long time. I don’t have time to look, but a quick glance as I sprint by tells me this much.

As I run, a plan comes to mind, along this route there is the cliff that I spent the first night on. Perhaps I can knock the off it.

It soon comes into sight and I make a break for it using up the last dregs of battery as I make my way over to it with all haste, I pull away from the humanoids a little.

Enigma directs me to where the ledge is with a small mark on my HUD.

I slow to a stop at the cliff edge and turn looking back at the monster racing towards me.

At the last second, I drop down to the ledge and drag the monster over the edge as it reaches for me, the claws dig in deep clamping down on the suit.

To my surprise and dismay, the claws start to pierce the metal arresting the beast’s momentum as it slows to a stop searing through the metal.

I stare into the dark pits of its eyes as it looks back at me, clinging on with determined glee. In the cesspools of its vacant stare I see hatred and bitterness personified. It grins with a malicious note, as if it would love nothing more to strip everything from me, to flay me alive and torture me, exacting all of me in the final moments of my life.

The beast, sensing my turmoil makes its move pulling itself up and reaching out at me.

Since I’m holding on to the cliff with my right arm and its got hold of my left I do the only thig I can do and detach the left arm of the suit. With a hiss the limb detaches and the pressure escapes as the metal bolts blow and pepper my shoulder with metal fragments that burn and sear into my flesh. With a jolt I feel the suit arm slide over my own scratching at the skin as it falls away, taking the humanoid with it to the floor below.

It splatters on the floor like a over ripe tomato painting the rocks and gravel with a fine red mist that slowly settles, layering the rocks with the crimson patina that will be swept away by the wind and rain in minutes.

A howling roar rips me from my reverie and I’m suddenly reminded that the last one is waiting for me up above.

When I climb up however it sees me clearly and growls, not intimidated I take a menacing step forwards and like a frightened animal it flees, terrified. Though intelligent and fierce, they are nothing more than primitive beasts ruled by instinct, the ghosts of memories may aid them, but it doesn’t control them and apply enough pressure and they break, just like all animals.

When I’m sure it is gone, I collapse to the floor breathing heavily, laying down I open up my ribcage and breath deeply, the adrenalin seeps away leaving me shaking and exhausted. I’m bone tired and my weary body doesn’t obey my commands, my eyelids start to close, and I mumble to myself…

“I’m sure a quick nap will be fine.”

What’s the worst that can happen? Sleep claims me moments later.

“Ronj…” the voice tells me before everything fades away.