We walked along the edge of the forest with the desert dunes on our left, eyes open for any movement. I could hear the buzzing of insects and loud animal sounds coming from within the forest. We would eventually, after 5 kilometers, turn and venture into the forest and form a rectangle when we were done patrolling. That was until the reports started coming in from the escort platoon of huge bugs and possibly a snake measuring 15 meters long within 20 meters of entering the forest.

The second Lt conferred with GySgt Earl and it was decided to change the patrol to cover the desert instead. When the scientists were done collecting samples the two platoons would combine and enter further into the forest. When we hit 5 kilometers (klicks) we turned left into the desert.

It must have been miserable for the men as they slipped and sunk they’re way through the sands, as the sun mercilessly beat down upon us. The heat didn’t affect me at all and I had no need for water so walking through the desert was a pleasant experience for me. Of course I would never tell the marines that, they already hate my guts and i felt no need to add fuel to the flame.

It happened after we had passed the LZ and were heading in towards the forest. Right as we neared the forest a subtle shifting in the sand near our right leading element attracted my attention.

The marine was too close to it to stop and as I yelled out a warning the sand seemed to explode outward as the creature lurking beneath attacked. The world slowed down as I acted my proto brain and got a clear look at the creature who had grabbed onto the marine’s leg.

For lack of a better description it was a sand colored spider, if it can still be called a spider when it’s the size of small car.

The thing was slowly, at least to me, dragging the marine back into its lair. If it succeeded in its endeavor I didn’t like the odds of the marine surviving. I spun towards it bringing the pulse rifle to bear on this monstrosity, even with my enhanced speed it had nearly made it back to its lair.

My pulse rifle sputtered, sending forth bright bursts of light towards the creatures head. It connected, burning into its brain and killing it instantly. I noticed a few more bursts of light connecting with it a few seconds after it died. I ran towards the injured marine and dragged him away from the still thrashing corpse and towards the platoon.

I could immediately tell that the marine’s right leg was broken from the force of the charge and the subsequent jerk towards the spider. Earl ran up to me along with a medic. I let the medic do his work on the injured man as Earl looked from the twitching corpse to me.

“I have to thank you for that. I’m not sure we could have saved him if you hadn’t killed this beast.” He shudders, “I really hate spiders.” “It’s no problem at all, it’s what I signed up for when I asked Cpt Green to put me with you guys.”

“Still without that shot Carl wouldn’t be here. Although it still won’t get you out of fighting against our simulation, probably have to compensate for your reaction time though.”

I smile and then spot something that could be important behind the now still spider. Pointing at, what I now assume to be a cave, I ask Earl, “Do you have any drones you could fly into there? I think that might be a cave behind the spider and it could be useful to get some info on the interior.”

Earl yells out for a drone but before it leaves I link to its frequency so I can see what it sees. The drone leaves us and goes down into the hole, dropping micro relays every so often so there is no signal interruption from the rocks. The drone goes ever deeper into the cave passing by side branches and continuing down the main tunnel.

Finally after nearly half a mile of twists and turns the drone reaches a large cavern and what I see there sends a shudder down my spine, and any sane human being. For in this cave there are thousands upon thousands of spiders, all the same size and shape as the one I killed. If that’s not bad enough they seem to be agitated and even worse they seem to be moving towards the tunnel the drone came from, a crawling hairy mass of legs, eyes and mandibles.

In a controlled but firm tone I address Earl, “we need to get back to the ship right now, call everyone back and get ready for lift off.” I think I handled that well but the tech guy that was watching the feed as well says what I really want to say, “HOLY FUCKING SHIT, there’s thousands of them down there and they’re coming right for us.”

‘Nicely delivered nameless peon.’

I pick up Carl and hoist him over my shoulder, fireman carry style, as we begin an organized advance to the rear (Run like fucking hell) and the second Lt radios in to report the situation, along with sending the video.

I can hear a lot of swearing as people see the video and begin to run even faster to get away from this soon to be hellhole. We are about half way back to the LZ when the first of the hairy mass bursts from the cave and begins to spread outwards.

‘Damn these things are fast, they’re going to catch us before the LZ.’ I convey the info to Earl and swearing he calls in for a hot pick up. 3 klicks away the 2 drop ships lift off the ground, one with its ramp still open, and fly towards the running marines.

I could see the dropships fast approach towards us as we raced away from the horde. One dropship turned sharply, blowing sand everywhere, presenting us with its open interior just a couple hundred meters ahead. The other one roared above us and I could hear the chain gun spitting out a lethal storm of metal towards the approaching horde. The timely arrival of the dropships had allowed everyone to get aboard and no sooner than the last marine jumped inside than it took off. Through the closing gap I could see the spiders behind us waving their front legs as though angry at the loss of their prey.

I turned to see Earl also looking through the gap and when it finally closed he muttered to no one in particular, “I fucking hate spiders.”