Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:00:24 -0700 (PDT) From: Gene McEnnis Subject: Infected Heartstrings - Chapter 17 *Disclaimer:* If you are not permitted to read stories of this nature please refrain from reading further. No part of this story may be sold or replicated without express permission of the author. ************************************************************************ Chapter 17 The moonlight was all but drowned out by the light of the fires that raged across the landscape, even tinging the moon with its hungry, searching fingers. Small figures moved stealthily through the rubble that was once Regional Base 4759. A temporary assignment for most, a home for others, 4759 was now reduced to piles of smoldering rubble and no more than a gaping pit of darkness. "There's no telling what the situation is down there," a grey haired man called back to the others. His dark goggles obscured most of his face save for his scruffy gray hair and whiskers. As they moved through the debris, a bulkier man stumbled and hung back. Most of the group forged ahead, save for one soldier who separated from the others. Running back, he struggled to help the other man to his feet. "You shouldn't even be here, love," Wade muttered softly, looking down at the other man, lips thin from the tension. Allan laughed once, "Can't let you have all the fun now, can I?" "There's no fucking fun here, and you bloody well know it," Wade rounded on him as they struggled to catch up to the rest of the group. Wade paused, not daring to look the other man in the face, "Did.. Did they manage to get all of it out, in the end?" he asked, watching the ground instead as they kept moving. "I can't believe this used to be our home." "Allan..." Wade muttered, "I need to know you're ok." Slapping Wade hard on the back as he moved to stand with the others again, he muttered, "You're not getting rid of me this easy." For a moment Wade hung back-the tiny hairs on the back of his neck bristling in the wind, as if some ethereal master were stroking a favorite lap dog. Finally, adjusting his goggles, he raced forward to be briefed on the plans. Reaching the side of the hole, he could no longer see the dim glow of flames that were there only hours before. It seemed that the fires had disappeared beneath the surface. 'How the hell did that happen?' he wondered. "Good of you to join us, princess," Corrigan spat a wad of greasy black fluid into the night. "As we was saying, Emerson here will be carrying the detonators into the hole here with us." At mention of his name, a lanky kid straightened up as if poked hard in the ass. "We're to find as close a thing as there is to the main heart or brain - or whatever the hell this thing has - drop the bombs, and get the hell out of there." "Sounds like a regular party with you, doesn't it, Corrigan?" Allan muttered quietly with crossed arms. "Something the matter, soldier?" the officer asked loudly, causing all eyes to round on the blond for a second. Allan just shook his head slowly. "Not a thing...Sir." "Good," Corrigan spat again, the gap in his teeth seemed to be more pronounced with the strained light. "I don't have to tell you that we have one shot at this." Everyone shifted nervously as he spoke, as if they all knew what was coming next. "Chances are good this is the one shot we got!" he watched everyone as he spoke, as if daring someone to look back, to question his authority for even a split second. "By last count this thing has tapped pretty far into the core of the planet and it's wreaking holy hell on the data communications infrastructurethe planet over. Not to mention that long-range sensors told of us at least three more of these cocksuckers heading this way. That was before it all went off-line." Corrigan kept talking, but Wade's mind wandered. He looked back at his lover who was absently massaging his bandaged shoulder. Allan's face was a mixture of pain and something else... Something didn't feel right. "Wade!" Corrigan barked, "Quit making with the sappy eyes, and ready your unit!" "R...Right," he replied, flicking the switch on his oval shaped belt buckle and quickly punching in the controls. A dim light hummed to life, as the buckle itself glowed. The hum and the light quickly died away, replaced by an odd, tingling weight inside his gut, almost as if he was trying to move some kind of an electric gyroscope embedded deep within his body. "Now's not the time to lose focus down there," Corrigan snapped, looking now at the group. "There's no telling what shit we'll find in this hell hole. Stay sharp and-" he glanced back, "-for fuck's sake don't go and get yourselves dead. Not until we finish the mission, at least." Allan smirked as the first wave of soldiers leaped over the side of the gaping hole and into the darkness. "Looks like it's our turn, love," he whispered, looking back at Wade with a wink. "Just be caref-" Wade tried to call out, but Allan was already over the edge. Quickly, Wade lowered his goggles before he too jumped over the edge and into the gathering darkness. With limbs outstretched, his heart racing and the wind rushing past his face, he could almost forget the insanity of the past few days-hours even. In seconds, Wade could feel himself slow before finally the belt dragged him to the outer edge of the hole, as though gravity itself was stood on its head. Wade effortlessly landed in a crouch on the sheer wall of the hole, quickly moving into position. "Where the hell are the fires?" He heard Allan mutter over the built in intercom. Wade quickly adjusted the volume to hear the others as they fanned out and started their descent into the depths of the unknown. "Doesn't matter now," Corrigan answered back through the video-com, "The main thing, is to blow these bastards off our planet." Corrigan sighed, "If we'd done this properly in the first place..." "Won't this take out the entire area in the explosion?" Someone asked. "Not to mention potentially disturb the mantle if it goes deep enough," a female soldier to the left remarked. "Not our concern," Corrigan grunted. "But this could mean untold of disasters and-" "We're not paid to think!" Corrigan snapped, "Do you want to save an area just to lose the whole planet!? It's not as if this isn't already a disaster." Silence was the only reply. That is until, "Sir!" Emerson called out, "Sir, I think I've found something." "Patch it through to the visual read-out, you fuckin' moron," Corrigan hissed. "And try not to jostle around too much, or you'll blow us all to rat shit, boy." "Can that really happen?" Wade asked on a side channel between himself and Allan only. No answer. "Allan?" Only the sound of labored breathing came back as an answer. "Allan!" Wade hissed, "Shit Allan are you alright?" "...I" "Do you need me to-" ""I'm fine, Wade!" Allan snapped, jerking back to reality. "I'm fine dammit. You're not my mother." "......." "What do you guys make of this?" Emerson asked asked, snapping Wade back to the mission at hand. An image of hard silver metal protruding from the rock at odd angles and shapes popped up on the visual readouts of the goggles. "Looks like a part of the creature," one of the other soldiers replied. "How can that be?" Emerson answered, "This looks like solid metal. The creature seemed to be more f...fluid-like, from the satellite recordings we saw." "Doesn't matter what the hell it is," Corrigan said. "Everyone, move deeper and stay sharp! That's an order." "But sir," Emerson replied, "Shouldn't we get a sample to take back?" "I said, move out," Corrigan glared a hole into the side of the man's head, "You can pick flowers on the return trip. If you're still alive, that is." Even through the video displays Wade could hear Emerson swallow hard before nodding once, briskly. As they moved deeper into the festering bowels of the gaping hole, Wade could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end once again. With each dip and odd piece of metal that they found his heart skipped a beat, and he kept looking forward with growing despair. 'What more can happen to us now?' he kept asking over and over in his mind, as if somehow someone would answer back if only he asked enough times. Wade shook the stupidity from himself just as Corrigan hissed to stop. "What the....Fuck?" Emerson gaped staring blankly ahead. "I....I..." he stammered. Deep below them, the hole seemed to open up into a cavern of writhing liquid, shining and pulsing, even in the dim light. Through his goggles, Wade could see the colors of the liquid deep below... It looked similar to the creature they had seen earlier that night. Wade clenched his eyes shut, as he tried to block the image of that unnatural creature from his vision. It was a sea of golden amber. "Looks like you got to see your 'fluid' after all, eh Emerson?" Allan smirked. "Enough pillow talk, ladies," Corrigan huffed, "Regroup in formation on the cavern wall. Forty-five degrees west from our current position" Wade had barely enough time to register the location of the interior cave that Corrigan meant, before he heard his name called amongst the others as the first wave. "Move it!" Corrigan snapped. Wade, along with three others, detached from the wall and began the free fall towards the small cavern just clear of the churning liquid. Tapping new controls into his belt, Wade felt the effects of a gravity subverted yet again as he was pulled, as if by an invisible hand towards the outcropping. Expertly, he landed with a crouch, flanked by the other soldiers to either side. The mouth of this new cavern seemed to be calling out to them, as if it had expected them all this time and was eagerly awaiting its next meal. Wade swallowed hard and readied his weapon. Mere seconds later, the rest of the company landed silently behind them as the first wave of soldiers moved into the cavern. Because this new cave descended at a normal angle, one by one the company shut off their personal gravitation devices embedded within their belts. Each soldier kept their weapon at the ready, desperately trying to scan the shadows as if their firearms, too, were just itching to get some action. As they walked in silence, Wade could see that Allan was falling out of formation-openly clawing at his dressed shoulder wound in desperation. Wade flickered on a channel between the two men for a second. "You shouldn't be here," Wade repeated, "I have a bad feeling about this..." "I already told you. You're not my mother, dammit!" Allan hissed. "Quit smother-loving me already. You're making me sick." With a small flick, Allan's twisted face disappeared from his monitor. Wade's mouth hung open as if words were just resting on his cherry lips. "Wade!" Corrigan hissed, . "You're falling behind! Stay in formation, you bastard! I don't need any fuck-ups." "...R...Right," he replied. As they moved ever deeper, the walls themselves started oozing out streamers of golden liquid from every crevice. "Sir?" Emerson asked quietly," Sir I have a bad feeling about this." The liquid had now started to pool around their feet as they walked, running quickly down the trail as if daring them to move faster....deeper... "We're not here to nurse your bad feelings, kid," Allan replied, "We're here to do a job. If you can't man-up enough for it, you and Wade here can pack up and leave." "....I..." Emerson stammered looking over to Corrigan. "What he said, kid," the old man grunted in reply. For a brief moment, Corrigan's eyes met with Wade's, leaving open something that no longer needed words. Wade clenched his eyes shut for a second before pushing forward. His heart felt hot in his chest, as if threatening to burn him from inside. In mere moments the cavern opened up into a larger room. A room covered in strange outcroppings of metallic structures in various odd shapes and random disarray that some might have thought artistic, at one time. They looked oddly out of place near the freshly cut, yet almost smooth, rock and boulders. In the center there was an oddly shaped structure that appeared somehow more solid than the others. "What's this?" Wade asked aloud. The soldiers moved as a group into the expansive room and, after scouting the area, took their respective positions around the main structure. Each one on guard and alert for the slightest change in the surrounding environment. "It's what we've been looking for," Corrigan smiled through the intercom display. He looked almost lupine as he grinned from ear to ear. "It looks almost like the top part of a rocket of some sort," Emerson gaped, staring at the structure with an almost manic fascination. "Enough foreplay, Emerson!" Corrigan snapped, "Hook up the damn bomb and let's go!" As Wade was keeping guard, something was bothering him. He looked back, trying desperately to catch Allan's attention, when something moved in his field of vision. He quickly snapped his weapon forward. There, along the floor, tiny streamers of liquid were racing forward and toward the center. Toward Emerson, as he busily worked to strap the bomb on to the alien technology. "Emerson!" Wade screamed, "Emerson Run!" But it was too late. Wade watched as thin streamers of golden liquid gathered from the floor, and from the seemingly solid piece of rocket, lancing through Emerson's startled body in a hundred different directions. The thin streamers of liquid hung in the air as they pierced the man's body, leaving him slumped forward like a lifeless puppet before, all at once, the streamers instantly retreated back to the pools they came from. As Emerson fell, droplets of his blood danced in the air like remnants of his heart's last song. He was dead before he hit the ground. "Shit!" Corrigan snapped, "Open fire! Open fire, dammit!" Soldiers scrambled to the side and, with that one order, the entire room was awash in the sound of plasma rounds being fired into the hideous golden technology and the thin streamers of gold on the floor. Not far below, Emerson's body looked up from the ground, his arm still draped protectively over the small explosive unit, despite his death only moments before. Wade's pulse quickened as he managed to scream out at the last second, "Get down! Move!" as razor thin projections of seemingly liquid gold lanced throughout the room, as it had done for Emerson only seconds before. Wade hit the floor and quickly rolled out of range. "Allan!" he bellowed into the com-link. Three soldiers were sprawled on the floor, the red blush of their blood was now mingled with the golden liquid. As suddenly as it had begun, the deadly storm of razor-like liquid died down. "Report in," Corrigan called. "H... Here..." Wade replied. "I'm here..." Allan coughed. After a brief moment, Corrigan finally swore, "Shit...." As if that would convey all that was needed. A bristle of air seemed to pass through the chamber as the piece of golden machinery bubbled upward. "It's not over yet," Corrigan gritted his teeth. "Wade!" he called. "...sir?" he replied. "Get the bomb from Emerson's body," Corrigan said quickly, readying his weapon, "It doesn't look like it was hit in the attack." Rising up from the remnants of the old rocket, a vaguely humanoid creature quickly took form. It was similar to the monster that attacked the facility only hours ago, only smaller and looking somehow more nimble - and thus more deadly. "We'll distract this bastard here," Corrigan spat. "Come on!" he screamed, firing three quick shots at the creature. As the creature charged the two men, in its arms forming up as deadly golden lances of twisted liquid metal raised for the kill, Wade vaulted forward and landed near to what was left of Emerson. "I'm sorry," he whispered, quickly retrieving the bomb from what was left of the man's equipment. It appeared that the body and the small explosive unit weren't damaged in the maelstrom of plasma fire. He flicked open the side switch. Three small feet descended from it, as Wade placed the bomb gingerly onto the rocket. Swallowing hard, he braced himself for the same deadly needles that had killed his comrade, but nothing came. Wade was so focused in fixing the explosive to the remnants of the rocket, he hardly heard the screams of the other men until it was too late. Wade looked up just in time to see the metallic gold creature high in the air above him, descending quickly with its deadly lances, poised to strike. "WADE!" Allan screamed. Wade rolled backwards, and had just enough time to try to grasp the razor-sharp metallic growth before it plunged through his body. For a split second he could feel the force behind the creatures attack. His gloves held the lance-like blade for a moment before it began to bite into his hands, blood streaming down the length of the blade, dripping onto the ground. The creature's face stared at him for a moment. Within the patchwork of negative space and twisted, liquid metal, Wade could almost see the creature trying to think, weighing its options as it was poised for the kill. It was at that moment that Wade realized that the creature was no longer trying to eviscerate him. Instead, it almost seemed to be waiting for something. 'What the...?' A thin sliver of light suddenly filled the room, bursting from the once golden piece of rocket material. It started at the top and quickly descended down the length of the broken rocket machinery, changing it into a glistening sphere of silver that slowly coalesced into solidity once again. The bomb was nowhere to be seen. It was at that moment that the creature turned back to its prey. It mere seconds the lancet of gold was reformed into a thin, glistening needle the length of Wade's whole arm, before the creature plunged it deep into Wade's shoulder. Wade could feel it pierce through flesh and bone. It was cold; so very very cold. He tried to scream through the pain, as a thin bead of blood escaped his lips. Wade struggled instinctively against the creature, however he could feel his strength waning, and his body becoming heavy. A cold deadness began spreading through his shoulder and down into his chest with each beat of his heart. He thought he heard someone screaming his name, and for a brief second he could almost swear that he could see sadness, an almost human-like sadness, deep within the golden metallic face of his attacker. In mere seconds the creature removed the needle and vaulted backwards to stand beside the shining silver sphere. Wade struggled to sit up, clutching at his wound with one arm, as he too spilled blood onto the cold, hard rocks below. By this time, Allan and Corrigan had made it over to him, and were laying down cover fire. However, the creature did not seem to notice, or care, as it too became a deathly cold silver, dissolving into a silver liquid and streaming into the sphere, as if sucked up by a million tiny silly straws high into the air. "Wade," Allan was almost sobbing, "Wade hang in there." Allan reached down and was trying desperately to pull his lover to his feet. "Al...lan..?" Wade asked, his voice soft and searching. His goggles were strewn over his face. "Allan, why....what're you...?" he asked. Corrigan stepped between the two men and the silver sphere, "Take Wade and get the fuck outta here!" he growled. "...But," Allan said. "I said, move it!" the older man snapped. Allan just nodded. "It's not done, is it?" "Not by a fucking mile," Corrigan replied, as silver liquid streamed out from the sphere and over to the fallen bodies of their comrades. "C...Corrigan...." Wade whispered, as Allan propped him up by the shoulder. "Corrigan...the bomb...I" One by one the silver liquid swallowed up their comrades, only to have them slowly and impossibly surface out of the thin layer of silver that coated the ground, as if held up by an invisible puppet-master. Each of the soldiers stepped forward covered in silver metal and black spidery veins. A look of cold, hard, death marred their once vibrant features "Fall back, dammit! Fall BACK!" Corrigan yelled as he ran forward, both guns blazing. The noise filled the entire cavern, as Allan tried to limp both of them out of the immediate battlefield zone. As they limped forward, they could still hear the sound of the battle being fought only a short distance behind. It echoed in Wade's heart and made him feel heavier, somehow. After what felt like forever, Wade managed to marshal enough strength to speak. "Allan...I....." A moment passed before Allan stopped walking. "It's not your fault," he said finally. "But that bomb....I" Allan took his arms off of Wade and propped the other man against the far wall. "It wouldn't have saved you," Allan replied scratching at his shoulder. There was something in his voice that didn't sound quite right.... "We've fucked it all up, Allan. What'll happen now? To Corrigan?.....To us?" "To us, lover?" A hideous voice rang out, like metal grating on metal, as Allan turned and lunged forward at inhuman speed. It was already too late for Wade to react. He too injured, too worn and weary. And Allan was simply too fast. "....A....Al..." Wade gurgled, but the other man merely sneered, holding up his former lover with one hand as if he were no more than toy, a limp, soulless little doll. "How funny that this one would pick you, isn't it?" Allan smirked. "...Ughhhh...." Wade struggled desperately, but he was still too weak. Still too drained. His legs were dangling and he could feel his thundering in his chest. "Hmmph," Allan's eyes narrowed. Gone were his beautiful blue eyes, replaced by sickening pools of yellow and black. Slowly but surely the bandage on his shoulder slipped away. Even in the dimmed light cast by the plasma fire and reflections off of the now silver lake of liquid metal only feet away, Wade could see the sickening metal striations of silver and black that lined Allan's shoulder. They were rapidly spreading across his body, etching into the flesh and sinew. With his other hand, Allan reached forward and gripped Wade's hurt and bleeding shoulder. "Hmm? What's this?" he asked lightly as he gripped and slowly crushed the shoulder with incredible strength. Wade tried to cry out in pain, but only a silent scream left his lips. Leaning in close Allan whispered, "Looks like we'll be seeing you soon, lover." As darkness reached up to claim him, eager to drown him, he could still hear Allan's insane laughter echoing deep within, as slid down thewall and collapsed onto the cold earth. ************************************************************************ He could hear the vague sounds of voices in the distance, and felt something warm. He tried to blink, to sit up but something prevented him. As he fell back down, he struggled to hear that one familiar voice. Something was wrong. That voice was gone. "Allan!" Wade gasped, sitting bolt upright this time. His head ached, and after a few seconds, he could make out the small glow of a nearby fire. "Easy, kid," a gruff voice answered, "stay calm." "What?" Wade shook his head. All at once, memories started coming back and a shadow fell over his face. His grew cold, despite the fire, and almost unconsciously tucked his legs up into his body. "How long.... How long was I out?" he asked finally. "About a week now," Corrigan replied, running a dusty hand through what was left of his hair. Nearby, Wade's eyes could make out the forms of various other sleeping people, debris and bits of scattered papers, discarded rations and weapons. Everyone seemed to be wrapped in bandages, most of them were wet, and blackened red, like spoiled fruit. Wade ran a hand over his shoulder. It was covered in a gauze and wrapped, but he could still feel where the cold metal had pierced his body. He could also still feel Allan's last lingering touch. He could still see those eyes, cold and somehow long dead. "What happened down there?" Wade asked the other man softly. Corrigan leaned back against a small chair and, for the first time, Wade could see that the man was missing most of his left arm. Wade shuddered. "Well," the old man replied, "the mission was an unmitigated failure. We were taken by surprise and lost everyone, except the two of us." Wade leaned forward and hugged his legs, "Not...not all of us." "Did you say something kid?" Wade shook his head. "Where'd you find me?" he asked, "How the hell did we make it out of there?" Corrigan smirked, "That tale of heroism and bravery will have to wait for another night, my young friend. It was an epic battle of-" "Allan?" Corrigan stopped, his normally bright eyes grew dull for a moment. Finally, the old man shook his head slowly. Wade inhaled sharply, holding his breath as if his world depended on it. "I'm sorry, Wade," Corrigan said, resting a hand on Wade's for a second. "I have some idea of how much he meant to you." Wade was unable to look at the other man. He didn't dare show this moment of humanity and weakness to the other man. Not to Corrigan. "What do you think happened," Wade asked, looking at his bandaged hands. "You know when it shifted... When it changed. Before..." Wade's voice trailed off, and he clutched his shoulder protectively Corrigan got up and shook his head slowly. "Get your strength up, kid," he said, looking first at the fire, then to the other people. "It's a whole other world out there now, and we need everyone we can get." "Sir," Wade shifted around until he could see the other man properly. "We both know what we saw down there. Why the hell did you take me out of there after you saw the others change like that? You saw how it took the others." "We still don't know what this thing can do," he said. "But Allan said....I...." Wade's eyes grew wide. "We...we saw what it did. They all got up....and...." Wade sighed and sat back, staring at the wall with dead eyes. "Why save me and not..... I mean, and not...." Wade's whole body shook as he looked down at his hands as if they too would become like those... those things. Corrigan looked down at Wade. "Just like...." Wade was shaking now, trying desperately to hold back the tears, "Just like...." After several long moments, the old man merely sighed. "Get some rest, kid," he repeated. Without another word, the old man turned and limped off into the darkness beyond the reach of the firelight. People looked up as he passed. Some even tried to smile. Wade looked down at the fire for a long time after Corrigan left.,He could still see those eyes looking back at him. "Looks like we'll be seeing you soon, lover...." "Seeing you soon, lover...." "Seeing you soon....." "Seeing you....," They seemed to be saying over and over again, as if tormenting him with what they held. With what they knew... Why the fuck did it have to turn out this way? What use was love, in the end? ************************************************************************ Author's Note: Sorry for the delay people. I hope that if you're still reading this that you're enjoying the story. Not many chapters to go before the big finale. Have you figured it all out yet? Corporeal09@yahoo.com Again my thanks go out to Kane for fantastic editing!! Couldn't do it without 'cha! Cheers, Gene