Cronos: The Orion Project

Chapter 50

Lucas slammed his fist against the wall as he watched as a single, small craft ejected from an emergency port and sped off towards the surface. The metal crumpled under his strength.

"Damnit! And they were the last ones left! Agh!"

"Well, other than three people getting away, I'd say our mission was a success." Devon said as he looked over the carnage behind them. "You set the charges?"

Lucas scoffed. "Of course! I wanna see this place burn!"

The final room they cleared was once pristine and clean with neat stacks of reports and books on the tables around them. Now, it was disheveled. Blood painted the walls and floors, while corpses were scattered around the room. Most died quick deaths, but a few fought back and were met with no mercy. Their bodies were twisted beyond recognition and one was even stuck to the ceiling.

"Well, let's meet up with Eune and Alyssa. I want to get back to Orion soon." Rose said as she used the inside of her elbow to wipe the blood off her sword.

"Eune? We've finished up here and we're on our way. Do you read?" Devon asked over the comms.

Silence followed his request. Devon glanced at Lucas and Rose. He tried again.

"Eune? Eune, are you there?"

Silence followed again and Devon switched to radioing Alyssa.

"Alyssa? Alyssa do you read me?"

She groaned and then hissed in pain. "Devon..."

"Alyssa? Are you alright? Where's Eune?"

"Get here....now..." the line went dead and the trio burst into a sprint to the hangar. Devon followed a waypoint directing them to the duo.

"What's goin' on?" Lucas asked. "Can they not handle securing a damn hangar for longer than five minutes?"

"You can ask them when we get there." Devon replied.

In minutes they reached the hangar. The sight they were greeted to was nothing like they were expecting. Eune was lifted in the air by the disfigured person clad in armor. Their hand was easily twice the size of his head and it was locked around his throat. He screeched out a horrible noise as he clawed at the hand around his neck.

"Eune?!" Devon called out.

The figure slowly turned to the trio and it quickly chucked Eune into the wall beside Alyssa. His screams of pain went silent and Alyssa could barely crawl over to him to check on him.

"Alright ugly," Lucas taunted. "Time for you to pay your dues."

Lucas dashed forward and in two strides was close enough to swing his downward towards the person's head. His blade stopped centimeters away from the rotting flesh on its forehead and he suddenly dropped his axe.

"Lucas?!" Rose cried as he clutched at his head in agony.

"Arrrgg! What-?! Get...the fuck....outta my....head! Aaggh!" He cried.

"Enemy....must....face death." A voice echoed in Devon's head. He turned around, startled.

"Did you hear that?" He asked Rose.

"Yeah...did it come from-" she was cut off by a searing, stabbing pain in her mind and she fell to her knees.

"Rose!" Devon hurried over to her side, trying to help.

"Get....that...thing! It's...attacking my...mind! Aahhhh!"

"It is a telepath! Youngling! It must die or your friends will perish!" His bond urged.