image [https://i.postimg.cc/T14TMGbK/cygnus-attack.png]

Sigrid rolled Mei's battered toploader into the narrow choke point at the entry of the base, positioning it as an improvised barricade. She climbed onto the flatbed, rifle in hand, and looked out across the crater plains.

The first wave of hostiles was in sight; the golden carapaces of the insectoid alien creatures glinting bright in the sunlight. The sound of their movement was a chittering and scraping cacophony, growing louder as the swarm closed in.

"Pom, get up here!" Sigrid shouted over the comms. "This is going to get ugly!"

Pom scrambled up the ladder, took position beside her, and looked out at the advancing swarm. He swore under his breath. "It's a lot worse than the last time."

"No kidding," Sigrid muttered, knuckles white as she gripped her rifle. "Make your shots count."

ARI's voice came through their helmet speakers. "Engaging defensive protocols. Turrets now online. Armed drones deploying to suppress hostiles. Maintain positions at the eastern perimeter."

"Roger that," Sigrid replied, aiming her rifle down at the approaching swarm and checking the range. "We need to keep them behind the barricade, somehow."

"If only we had some incendiary grenades," Pom said wistfully, his hand instinctively straying to the pouch on his leg. "I'd love to toss some fire into that mess."

Sigrid raised an eyebrow, her gaze flicking toward the industrial plant behind them. "There should be plenty of flammable chemicals around. You think we have time for that?"

Pom shrugged. "Not much. ARI, we need something to even the odds. Can you—"

"Working on it," ARI replied, as its quadrupeds veered off and sped toward the industrial plant. "I will have a solution in about five minutes. However, I will not be able to resupply the turrets."

The swarm reached the edge of the perimeter like a tidal wave, the chittering of countless golden beetles filling the air. First, the line of automated turrets whirred to life, their barrels spitting out controlled bursts of fire. Beetles fell in droves, their bodies bursting into shards of crystal and flesh, but the swarm seemed endless.

Pom braced himself as the first wave hit. "Here they come!" he shouted, firing into the mass. His rifle bucked against his shoulder as beetles tumbled and shrieked under the barrage, their reflective carapaces no match for the high-velocity rounds.

Then, something new burst out of the swarm. Large and multi-legged, its segmented body shone like polished steel as it barreled toward the perimeter. For its size, it was fast and relentless; its armor shrugged off rifle fire with ease.

"We've got something big!" Pom called out, his voice tight with urgency.

ARI's turrets swivelled, concentrating fire on the new threat, peeling away metallic skin in glowing sparks, but it did little to stop the creature's advance. Two of the flying drones came around and focussed their laser beams onto a soft spot on the creature's thorax, firing relentlessly. Eventually, the chitin melted, and ichor-like material exploded outwards as the laser beam punched through. The creature let out a deep, guttural roar before collapsing into the sand, its bulk twitching violently. The swarm was undeterred, pressing forward in their hundreds.

"Aerial drones falling back to the base," ARI said, landing the drones at the charging stations in order to draw power directly from the base grid. Laser fire swept back and forth across the tide of creatures, but could not prevent some from reaching the barrier. These beetles were larger, their carapaces a dark, iridescent green. As they moved, they reared back, spitting streams of biting liquid that hissed and smoked upon contact with the metal frames of the barricades.

"Watch out for the spitters!" Sigrid yelled, ducking as a stream of acid passed inches from her face.

The acid began to eat through the sand-filled barricades, creating weak points that the golden beetles exploited. Pom and Sigrid fired desperately, trying to hold the line, but the swarm pressed closer.

Mei appeared out of the infirmary, her movements labored but determined. Her arm was bandaged, and her containment suit patched, but she carried her sidearm with steady hands. "I'm not sitting this out," she said over the comms, taking a position beside Pom.

"Mei, you shouldn't be here!" Pom shouted, his voice edged with panic. "You're injured!"

She ignored him, her face set with grim determination. "This is my fault. I have to make it right."

As the battle raged, another one of the massive chargers emerged and smashed through a weakened section of the perimeter. Its bulk tore through the sand-filled barriers, sending debris flying. The creature rushed into the shelter zone, its armored body crushing storage crates and knocking over prefabricated structures.

"It's inside the base!" Sigrid shouted, her voice tinged with desperation. "We can't let it get to the refinery!"

“ARI, where are those incendiaries?" Pom yelled, firing his rifle uselessly at the rampaging creature.

"Deploying now," ARI replied as its quadruped drones ran downhill from the refinery area, carrying barrels of flammable chemicals strapped to their backs.

Meanwhile, the charger smashing through one of the shelters with a guttural roar. Its massive mandibles crunched through the metal frame like paper, scattering supplies and equipment. It turned toward the infirmary, its movements slow and purposeful.

The quadruped drones did not hesitate. Two of these launched themselves straight at the creature, their metallic legs running as fast as they could on the hard ground as they covered the remaining distance.

"ARI, what are you doing?" Mei shouted, her voice hoarse, her eyes stuck on what was happening in front of her.

"Necessary measures," replied ARI.

The first drone attacked its side, and in the same moment, the barrel of the drone detonated into a fiery explosion. The charger was enveloped by the blast, shrieking while its metallic limbs wildly lashed about as the flaming liquid stuck to the vulnerable underbelly. The second slammed directly into the top of its head and then detonated.

The blasts cut through its armor; its plates burst apart in a deafening crack. The giant creature collapsed, its body quivering with strong contractions, while fire lashed at its carapace.

The flying drones dived into action, picked up the improvised incendiary devices, and scattered them across the thickest of the swarm. The ground flared as fire erupted in a dozen different places, burning down the golden beetles in masses. The fiery chemicals spread rapidly along the ground, cutting off the remaining beetles before they could breach into the base.

Pom shielded his face against the searing heat and spoke in a voice full of wonder and relief. "That… worked. ARI, you crazy bot, that actually worked."

When the smoke finally settled, there was almost complete silence on the battlefield but for a crackling of fire here and there. The perimeter of the base was in a mess-broken barricades, dented shelters. ARI's remaining drones hovered nearby, their optics still scanning the surroundings for potential threats.

Mei fell to one knee, her weapon slipping from her grasp. Pom knelt beside her, his face smeared with sweat and dirt. "You're not doing that again," he said, his voice barely above a whisper but firm.

Mei looked up at him wearied but determined. "I had to."

Sigrid slung her rifle over her shoulder. "We survived. That's what matters."

ARI's voice came through the comms. "Defensive measures successful. Remaining threats neutralized. Base perimeter integrity compromised. Recommend immediate repairs."

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Pom exhaled heavily, sitting back on his heels. "You know... I think we need to figure out why they came in the first place. This wasn't random."

Mei stared at across the plains, where the last embers of the battle glowed faintly. "They weren't just attacking," she murmured. "They might have suicided their entire hive. They were desperate—for something."

The question lingered in the air as the team regrouped. Sigrid exhaled heavily, glancing at Pom. "Let's get to work. This base isn't going to fix itself."

The team moved to begin the arduous task of repair and clean-up, but the memory of ARI's sacrifice lingered in their minds. For all its cold logic, the AI had shown an unsettling willingness to make the ultimate trade-off for the colony's survival Whether that was comforting or terrifying, none of them could say.

===

The hauler rolled upwards, its massive wheels kicking up clouds of dust as Elisa sat behind the controls. Ervin, seated beside her, stared at the horizon, his gaze distant. The successful mission to deliver Maximilian and Otto to the rover and recover a substantial number of drop pods had been rewarding. Essential supplies now filled the hauler's cargo bed, and they were finally heading home. As they made their way up the crater ridge, the comms reconnected ARI's drones to their counterparts in the base.

ARI's voice came through calm and reassuring. "Welcome back, commander. I must inform you that this base suffered a severe breach of hostile entities. Unleashed defenses were able to neutralize the threat. Repairs are underway.

As the base finally came into view, her relief slowly turned to shock. It was a mess, just a charred and battered mess, sand spilling out in uneven heaps around the perimeter. The charred remains of golden beetles littered the landscape, while the earth bore scorch marks where incendiaries had done their dirty work. Several buildings were similarly scarred-dented panels, smashed shelters, and scattered equipment.

"What the hell happened?" Elisa asked.

"Our vehicles were pursued by the native alien lifeforms after a mining expedition. When the crew attempted to make contact, they were attacked. Not long after, we observed an earthquake, after which a rather substantial alien force threw itself at the base. The swarm was repelled using various defensive measures, including incendiary devices."

"An earthquake? We also felt one.

"Restoration is within operational capabilities," ARI continued. "Once Maximilian and Otto return with the power regulator, the production chain will be fully operational. All damaged components will be replaced in due course."

Elisa nodded slowly, trying to suppress her frustration. "Fine. We'll focus on the next step. Let's unload these supplies and get things moving again."

===

In the infirmary, Mei and ARI worked with Sigrid far into their analysis of the air filter recovered from the rover. The device lay in a sealed containment unit, its surface covering itself with fine, red dust clinging onto it since its venture out in the Valley of Hope. Their delicate work inside the lab was dimly lite by the soft glow of its instruments.

Mei leaned over the sample, her containment suit crinkling softly as she adjusted the microscope. "There they are," she murmured. "Red spores, just like the ones we saw in the valley."

Sigrid peered through the scope, her brow furrowing. "Definitely spores. Their structure matches the ones we found on the plants, but they look like they've gone dormant. We will need to wake them up for testing."

"Proceed with caution," ARI said. "Dormant states can be deceiving. Contamination risks must be kept at a minimum."

Sigrid nodded and took a small sample of the spores, sealing it into a clean container. "We really should isolate these for further study. But there's something else of interest on this filter." She gestured toward another part of the sample. "Have a look at the particulates."

Mei moved the microscope to the indicated area and honed in. Her breath caught in her throat. "That is… not just sand." She worked the instrument, double-checking her readings. "These are radioactive particulates. Thorium, heavy elements."

Sigrid's face seemed to set in stone. "ARI, run a comparison analysis. Go through vehicle filters and payloads from expeditions in the last-"

Immediately, ARI's drones began to scan the fleet. After several minutes, the AI's voice confirmed its findings: "The presence of radioactive particulates is limited to two vehicles: the recovered rover and the toploader piloted by Maximilian. Both contain similar concentrations, suggesting proximity to the same source."

"It didn't come from the Valley of Hope," Sigrid said, leaning back in her chair. "It's the other hive. The beetles might be sitting on a deposit of radioactive materials."

"It is not merely a hive," Mei said, her tone grim. "It is a resource. With enough thorium, we could generate far more energy than the solar panels could ever produce. Enough to power the refinery, the cryopods, everything."

"But we would have to fight through the beetles to get it," Sigrid said. "And if the native residents will be defending it this aggressively, that won't be easy."

===

Sigrid and Mei came up to Elisa in the command center, where she was studying the damage reports with Pom and Ervin.

"Commander, we found something," Mei said. "The filters from the rover and Maximilian's toploader both have thorium particulates. Concentrations that might indicate a substantial deposit at or near the beetle hive."

Elisa's eyes flashed open, and she narrowed them instantly. "You are saying that the other hive could be on top of a radioactive hot spot?

Mei nodded. "It is a strong possibility. If we can secure the site, we could solve our energy problems for the foreseeable future.

Pom frowned, looking over at Elisa. "And at what cost? Those beetles sure ain't just gonna let us roll up to their hive to take whatever we want."

Elisa didn't say a word for a while. She studied the holographic map of the area surrounding them. "We need to confirm the deposit first. ARI, can you redirect one of your drones to scan the hive?"

"Yes, commander," ARI replied as a new icon appeared on the display. "Deploying reconnaissance unit now..."

She rose, tense but resolute. "If the deposit is there, we need a plan. This may be our best chance at stabilizing the colony, but we can't afford to lose anyone-or anything-else."

The team nodded in agreement as ARI's voice cut in, calm yet charged with analytical precision as it populated the map with new coordinates. "I have completed an analysis of the recent seismic activity. Using the time difference in which the earthquake's shockwave reached the base antennas and the hauler, I have triangulated the source to a location approximately three hundred kilometers north of the base. The epicenter appears to be situated at a cluster of rocky outcrops in that region."

Elisa leaned forward, glancing at the topographic data. "And the strange electrical noises? Anything on that?"

ARI spoke in a measured tone but sounded uncertain. "There were no electromagnetic signals in the seismic event, albeit apparent auditory phenomena. The electric noise is anomalous; it cannot be attributed to any geological or atmospheric processes that can be identified. It also seems to be purely an acoustic phenomenon, though its origin remains unexplained.

The team exchanged uneasy glances. Ervin crossed his arms, his voice laced with scepticism. "You're saying we heard something that wasn't really there?"

"Negative," ARI explained. "The noise was physically present and propagated through the air, but it did not correlate with any measurable EM activity. Further investigation would require direct analysis of the epicenter."

Elisa let her breath out slowly, her eyes drifting to the blinking icons on the map. "Plants, crystals, beetles, now this. Let's hope we can continue to ward off whatever this planet throws at us."