CHAPTER 5
2237
Titan II Space Station
Earth’s Orbit
Bethany sat on the floor, trembling and wide-eyed. Lily stood frozen in shock, tears flowing down her face as her teeth chattered. Sayeed’s eyes were wide too, not with fear but rage at the vilis standing before them. It was black from head to toe, with skin that looked like slime. Sayeed had seen enough to know that the skin was in no way soft; he had watched it cutting through battle armor like tissue paper. The huge scar on his back was a constant reminder. There was no emotion in the vilis’s hollow black eyes, but Sayeed knew it would only take one wrong move for it to tear them to pieces.
“Don’t move,” Sayeed mumbled with gritted teeth.
The vilis was slightly taller than eight feet from the ground and about as wide. The humans had classified this type as a D-class vilis. It was smaller than the twenty-foot C-class, the also twenty-foot B-class, which was nicknamed ‘Black Death’ for the spikes on its back and the constant black cloud it exuded, which rapidly aged anything it touched. Even as the smallest type, the D-class vilis was deadly. Its claws would cut through a man like a hot knife through butter, and, despite their size, Sayeed had seen them swallow vehicles. The creature had torn through a six-inch thick wall of steel, opening it like a carton of milk. It seemed passive, but they always did. Their faces were not unpleasant, but their bodies were the stuff of nightmares. Most vilis walked on all fours but sometimes, particularly in combat, they stood on their hind legs and attacked with their other limbs.
What made the vilis so dangerous was not their size. It was that projectiles did not affect them. Low caliber rounds simply bounced off their skin; high caliber rounds penetrated but were absorbed, seemingly having no effect. Energy weapons affected them, and flames could damage and even kill them. Bullets, however, looked like pebbles dropped into water. It was as though they were liquid and solid at the same time. To address their durability, Titan developed explosive bullets, which had been more successful in repelling and sometimes killing them. It had also become apparent that the creatures weren’t mindless drones, as had been suspected during the first wave. Each vilis could observe, improvise and make individual decisions. They had a hierarchy and respected that hierarchy. Some vilis had even been observed resorting to physical attacks to settle disagreements amongst themselves. Unfortunately, any attempt to establish communication had failed.
As Sayeed stared at the creature, he considered every possible tactic, but he couldn’t envision an outcome where all of the humans survived. The vilis took one step closer and stopped. Sayeed did the same, taking a single step forward. He wondered if the vilis was afraid in such a tight space. Sayeed had never faced one of them in a confined space, and he suspected the vilis had never faced a human in one.
“Get back in the hole, slowly,” Sayeed whispered. He was sweating profusely, and despite his bold body language, he was shaking inside.
Bethany got up slowly, with help from Lily. Without taking their eyes off the creature, they made their way to the ladder that brought them into the room. Bethany climbed first but stopped before her head could enter the hole.
“What about you?” Bethany asked, almost choking on her tongue.
“Go!” Sayeed whispered back, sharply.
Bethany climbed up into the hole, followed by Lily. The vilis watched them climb. When they disappeared from view, it turned its gaze back on Sayeed. It took another step forward, but Sayeed took a step back toward the hole. He couldn’t run. If he tried, it would tear him to shreds before he could reach the ladder. Fighting would have the same outcome. Sayeed took another step backward, and the vilis took a step closer and stopped. It tilted its head and looked past Sayeed to the hole that the others escaped through, then back at Sayeed.
“Crap…” Sayeed mumbled. The vilis knew he was trying to distract it and the creature grunted sharply. It sounded like it was scoffing at him. Sayeed’s chest tightened. Running was his only option. He clenched his fist and pounded his chest three times, then roared at the vilis. The vilis stood on its hind legs and roared back. As the vilis raised its front limbs, Sayeed turned and sprinted for the hole with all his strength. The delay as the vilis placed its forelimbs down gave Sayeed some extra time. As he ran, he prayed to his god that the delay would be enough. The vilis charged after him. The D-Class vilis was faster and more agile than the other types. Sayeed glanced back over his shoulder and immediately regretted it when he saw how close the creature was. He knew there was no chance of outrunning the creature but he had to try. He preferred to die trying than to give up.
Mere feet from the hole, Sayeed heard gunshots from behind him. He looked back but couldn’t see anything. The creature’s enormous body was blocking his view. It stopped chasing him, turned around, then roared. Sayeed saw soldiers in exo-suits firing explosive rounds into the creature. He jumped onto the ladder and climbed up it as the soldiers battled the creature.
When he emerged in the engine room, he found Bethany sitting on the floor, staring blankly at the wall, and Lily beside her, pale with horror. They must have thought he was dead. They heard his arrival and turned to look at him. Bethany jumped to her feet and threw her arms around Sayeed. He returned her embrace for a moment but quickly pulled out of it. Bethany looked at him, eager to learn how he got away. Sayeed couldn’t speak and tried to calm his breathing. He walked past Bethany and made his way toward the elevator.
Bethany and Lily followed. They entered the elevator and returned to the residential level of the station. As they stepped out of the elevator, Ethan ran toward them, carrying a Crusader B12EX rifle. It was the most effective assault rifle the humans could use against the creatures.
“Where the hell have you been?” Ethan exclaimed. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you! I don’t know how, but the vilis made it onto the station.”
“We know,” Sayeed replied, wearily. “How many are there?”
“Scanners have picked up more than a hundred. They aren’t attacking us; they’re attacking the station, disseminating hull piece by piece. For now, thankfully, only on the outer layers.”
“But why?” asked Bethany.
Ethan shrugged. “I’m not a vilis psychologist. I was hoping you'd be the one to tell me, Clarke. You and Isaac are the only scientists alive who studied them. I just came to make sure you people are safe before I join the others.”
“Join the others to do what?” asked Sayeed. “We can’t fight off a hundred vilis. What happens if we lose the station?”
Ethan shook his head. “I don’t know. That’s why losing is not an option.”
Bethany burst into laughter and Sayeed, Lily, and Ethan turned to glare at her. “I’m sorry,” she said. “We aren’t winning anything here. We have soldiers who haven’t had combat experience in almost thirty years, and mechs we can’t use without blowing apart the station ourselves.”
“Are you saying we shouldn’t fight?” asked Ethan, angrily.
“I’m saying we should pack up and leave. I need to talk with the Chief.”
“Not happening.”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Guys,” Lily interrupted. “I think we should find Isaac and make sure he’s okay.”
“That I can help with.” said Ethan.
Ethan entered the elevator and punched the button to the command level of the station. They rode it together as it moved upward and eventually stopped. The door opened and Ethan led them into the hallway, passing several soldiers, who saluted Ethan as they ran up and down the chaotic hallway. Ethan walked to a blue door and ran his access card over the terminal. It buzzed and flashed green, then the door slid open. Inside the room, Isaac had his head on the table and was covering his ears with his hands. He noticed the door opening and looked up, then sat up straight when he saw his friends.
“What’s going on?” he asked. It was the second time the alarm had sounded in the past twenty-four hours; something serious must have been happening.
“We’ll explain on the way,” said Sayeed as he yanked Isaac up. “Can you walk?”
Isaac nodded. He looked at Ethan with confusion; he had never known Ethan to break rules or regulations. He was the definition of a boy scout and Isaac didn’t know what to make of Ethan breaking him out. As they were about to leave the room, Ethan turned and walked to the wall opposite the door. He moved his face closer until his nose was almost touching the wall, then placed his hand on it. He tapped his finger on the black glass twice and it became transparent, giving him a view of the control room. From their vantage point, he saw the Chief of Station, standing with his hands clasped behind him, overseeing the control operatives as they worked. There were several large screens on the surrounding walls, displaying live feeds of soldiers in exo-suits, engaging the vilis in different areas of the station. Bethany approached Ethan, breathing heavily.
“I need to speak to him, Ethan,” she said. “Our survival might depend on it.”
Ethan nodded. He led them out of the room and down to the control room. The door was large and reinforced, guarded by two armed soldiers in exo-suits. When Ethan approached the door, one of the soldiers stepped in front of him. They gave Ethan a delayed salute, while also showing signs of confusion.
“They’re not allowed on this floor, sir,” said the soldier.
“Out of the way, soldier,” Ethan responded. “They’re here because they need to be.”
The guard backed away and the door hissed open. Ethan led them inside, entering below the platform Captain Anderson was standing on. Ethan walked up the stairs to him. Anderson didn’t appear happy to see them.
“Who authorized their release?” Anderson demanded.
“I did,” Ethan answered.
“You did. Without consulting me?”
“I wasn’t aware of their arrests, sir,” Ethan answered, unconvincingly.
Anderson’s face hardened. “Have you forgotten your place, Ramirez?”
Ethan looked down at the metal floor. He had never broken the chain of command before. Worse, he greatly respected Captain Anderson. Anderson knew loss better than any of them but, despite it all, he never forgot his duty to the station and to the people who inhabited it. Ethan hated speaking dishonestly to him. He took a step back from Anderson.
Bethany moved toward the Captain but stopped short. “How did the vilis get inside the station?” she asked. “Did they come through the breach?”
Anderson glared at her, then looked at Ethan. “Lock these people in the brig. I’ll deal with you later.” He turned back to the control operatives.
Sayeed grabbed Anderson by the collar and shoved him back against the guardrail. The control room workers let out a collective gasp as they looked up at the platform. Ethan moved toward Sayeed but stopped short. He looked at Bethany, shook his head, then turned to the control operatives and pointed at the screens. They slowly turned back around and continued their work.
“You’re going to regret this,” Anderson said, glaring at Ethan, who couldn’t make eye contact. “You better hope we don’t survive this because you’re going to spend the rest of your lives staring at a cell wall.”
Bethany stepped closer to Anderson. “How did the vilis get here?” she repeated.
Anderson shoved both hands forward. Sayeed had underestimated the Captain’s strength and stumbled back, almost falling over. Anderson went after Sayeed in a rage, but Bethany stepped between them and closed her eyes, expecting Anderson to hit her. Anderson stopped, grinding his teeth and staring at her with bloodshot eyes. He dropped his shoulders and tried to slow his breathing. He looked down and shook his head.
“There was another breach,” he explained, “but we didn’t spot it at the time. It barely registered on our scanners. It opened at the same time as the breach in the server room. We think they came through it.”
Bethany opened her eyes slowly, relieved that the Captain was willing to talk to her. “So the breach came from Earth?”
Anderson shook his head. “No.”
“Where, then? Why was the Vindex armor there?”
Anderson glared at Sayeed, then Ethan, and then shifted his gaze back to Bethany. “I’ll tell you what I know. Contrary to the official story, the vilis didn’t originate on Earth. They came through a breach at the bottom of the ocean.”
Ethan frowned. “You mean the vilis didn’t just wake up one day and decide to attack us? That they were sent here?”
“I don’t know,” Anderson replied. “This time, it sure as hell feels like it.”
Bethany grabbed the guardrail and watched the large screens as soldiers died at the hands of the vilis. “They’re getting slaughtered. We can’t win.”
“You’re right, we can’t,” said Anderson. “But our contingency plan is coming.”
“The superluminal ship?”
Anderson frowned at Lily. “Yes.”
“How many people can it hold?” asked Bethany.
“Not enough. Five thousand stasis pods and a thousand active passengers. Evacuation has already started. I didn’t make a ship-wide announcement because we can’t have people trying to rush the hangar. There isn’t enough time or space to evacuate everyone.”
A huge explosion sounded in the distance and the entire station shook.
“They’re after the engines,” Anderson continued. “Soon, they’ll take out the life support systems, and you know what happens then.”
“Where’s Riley?”
Anderson paused. He gripped the rail and looked down. “He’s on Exoginos, a rogue planet on the edge of the known galaxy.”
“Is that where we’re headed?” asked Sayeed.
“We don’t have enough data to know if the planet is even habitable,” Anderson grunted. “There’s another solar system. Three of its sixteen planets have favorable conditions. That’s where we’re headed.”
“What about Riley? We can’t just leave him there!”
“Riley’s one man, Bethany.”
“The things he wrote in his journal, are they true?”
“What things?”
“Did you send him to the past?”
Anderson tightened his lips. He was about to answer when the control room door opened. Five men in exo-suits entered. They saluted Ethan, then the Captain.
“The ship is ready, sir. Five thousand passengers in stasis, eight hundred active. All systems are hot and ready to depart.”
Anderson nodded. “Issue the retreat order. Get our men and the control operatives onto that ship at once. Anyone not on board in ten minutes is getting left behind.” He turned to Bethany and the others. “You all have seats on the ship. Right now, I’d rather leave you behind but you’re essential personnel, so you’re coming.”
The soldier acknowledged the command, then passed the order to his men. Two of the five soldiers stayed and the other three hurried out of the room. The two that stayed began directing the control operatives out of the room. The operatives quickly left their workstations and made their way out of the door in pairs.
“What about the others?” Bethany asked. “Are we just going to leave them to die?”
Anderson stiffened. “What do you want me to do? I already told you about the ship's limited capabilities.”
A thunderous growl filled the air, making the hair on the backs of their necks stand up. Everyone froze and looked around, trying to determine the source of the noise. It was close. Something struck the wall from the other side, hard enough to make a dent and knock everybody down. It was twelve inches thick, made of reinforced titanium alloy, and it caved in. Before they could get back up, it hit again, this time tearing the wall. A black, hollow eye peered through the opening. When the people in the control room saw it, they screamed and panicked. The beast roared and hit the wall again, making the hole bigger. Everyone ran toward the door. The soldiers ran up the platform and led Anderson, Bethany, Isaac, Ethan, Sayeed, and Lily away from the main door to a different wall. Ethan pressed a hidden button on the wall and a secret door opened. The group went through it and emerged into a hallway. Sayeed and Ethan exchanged glances, then turned and ran back into the room. The beast’s head was sticking out of the hole as it continued trying to rip through. Ethan opened fire. Sayeed ran to the entrance and guided the crowd to escape through the secret door. A soldier threw a shotgun to Sayeed. He caught it, racked it, and opened fire on the monster.
Everybody made it out through the doors before the creature could tear its way into the command room. Sayeed locked the main door and ran through the secret door, followed by Ethan, who locked it behind them. They chased the others on their way to the hangar. There was a loud thud on the wall behind them.
Ethan and Sayeed eventually reached the hangar. The others were already boarding the ship, which was black with a sleek hull. Its design was oddly similar to the head of a vilis. Written on the hull, near the front of the ship, was its name: KERAVNOS.
The ship was powering up, but the hangar door was still opening. A few soldiers were waiting outside the ship for Sayeed and Ethan. As soon as they were aboard, the door began closing. Before it closed completely, the vilis tore through the wall into the hangar, charging at them with all its strength. Ethan, Sayeed, and the soldiers opened fire, slowing it enough that the door could close completely. The Keravnos zoomed through the open doors and off into space, leaving the beast to growl as it watched the ship disappearing beyond its reach.
All the lucky evacuees could, was watch the tens of thousands left behind being slaughtered at the hangar entrance.
Titan II was gone, falling apart in chunks, before Keravnos could leave it's visual range.
There was no way back now.