Deus Ex Machina (Watty 2012 Entry)

Prologue

PROLOGUE

TWO PEOPLE SAT IN THE SMALL SPEEDER. The woman in a pitch black suit as dark as the night sky. Its slick surface reflected the dull light of the ceiling panel as it wrapped around her slender body. Her shades and suitcase matched the onyx color while her short hair ran straight before forming curls around her shoulders. Her style mimicked the very speeder the occupants sat in; midnight black and thin like a dart, designed to move unseen in the darkness.

Next to her sat a man in a white suit and hair that matched it. Deep wrinkles cut into his dark skin like rivers in a canyon. Both stared down the other, mere feet apart with unwavering eyes. Muscles tense, as though expecting the other to strike out. “What’s the rest of the profile?” Ghost said as she shifted her shades.

“Family is deceased. No relatives that he keeps in contact with. Had severe depression and was put into an institution several years ago, but he has recovered.”

            “Institutionalized?”

“From his family. Lost his wife and child to the bugs, root of the problem. Why he joined the military. But it’s in the past now.”

            Ghost gave a brisk nod. “Nobody will notice if he’s gone?”

            “No.”

            “Then it’s settled. Make it happen.”

            Ghost slid as she moved for the door. “Wait, what about—”

            Ghost stopped as she pulled out a holophone. She tapped several icons and said, “It’s done. Pass her over.”

            The dark man snatched the device as he rose it to his ear. “Daddy?”

            He sighed in relief to the sweet voice of the girl. “Hey baby, how are you?”

            “I’m fine. When are you going to be here?”

            “As soon as I can sweetie, it’s just a bit complicated. But once Daddy gets through with everything, he’ll be there, ok?”

            “Ok Dad.”

            Ghost shut off the link. “Content?”

            He handed back the holophone without saying a word. Ghost left the vehicle with a subtle glance at the street around them as she glided to another speeder, identical in design. The dark man waved to his driver, who had been standing in the street, to enter the speeder. “Where to sir?”

            “Just drive. I’ll tell you on the way.”

“Get your ass off the ground!”

Ringing. Everything was silent. Screams as his hearing came back.  Smoke and burnt flesh filled his lungs as a mist of both engulfed him. Chunks of bloody flesh blocked portions of the gray sky above. Rumbling. Burning in his left arm. Jarkus yanked Bannon off the ground as he snapped back into the world around him.  The shredded corpse of the warrior bug atop him crumbled to the ground as Bannon snatched his assault rifle from the rubble-strewn street. Cracked buildings surrounded him in parallel fashion down the road while dozens of corpses, both men and bug, lined the streets. Rumbling. Another volley of spores eviscerated men and alien alike. “Of course it’s fucking hot!” Iziah shouted as the ground erupted ten yards to his left.

            Three warrior bugs erupted from the hole. The acid that dripped from their arm mounted bioweapons dug inches into the crete surface of the street. Roars rang from their six hinged jaws that opened like grotesque flowers, revealing hundreds of sharpened teeth. Dozens of beady red eyes stared down their targets from their oval heads as they launched from the ground to the walls of buildings with their muscled bodies. Hooks on their claws let them grapple the building as their slick hides changed colors to match the walls. In an instant acid spores pounded the squad as they returned fire, beams digging into the rocky flesh of the bugs.