FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Not all change is for the better, in fact, most of the time it sucks.

In Utter Darkness: Chapter 4: Escape

Date: (Unknown)

Location: Davidson Civic Center (Unknown)

"I don't like this, not at all," murmured Janko as we moved further down the hall. "What part?" I queried, "The fact that we haven't been caught, we haven't run into any resistance, we actually survived while so many didn't, or that we are turning into freaks?" Janko looked at me sharply and said, "Ah, you perhaps feel a little different too?" "Yeah," I replied, "It is one of the reasons I am a little antsy right now." "I understand how you feel," he responded, "It worries me, especially since it has started after our little injection." Arlen was silent the entire time through this exchange but I could tell he was pondering something along the same lines we were. He held up his hand to be silent, we had approached what we hypothesized to be the last detention block.

Arlen took the lead with the pipe dwarfed in his massive hands, but all that greeted us was silence. I shuddered as I walked down the hall wonder if anyone had been kept here and if so had anyone survived. There was nothing here but the detritus of countless detained people, but unfortunately none of the living was here to greet us. Arlen frowned at this, "Jesus, thousands dead and only we remain. This is far beyond the scope of anything I could imagine." "That is just because you lack imagination," retorted Janko, "I thought you capitalist pigs could think of everything." Arlen turned red at this, "At least it's better than having no heart you communist filth!" "Oh shut up, assholes," I piped in, "I thought pigs and filth went along well together so shut up before you get us all killed." They looked taken aback at this but thankfully remained silent. It still didn't stop them from glaring at each other. "Let's move," I called, "We need to find anything useful we can before we get the hell out of here." I was personally surprised that I had taken the lead here but they were too busy growling at each other like petulant children to complain. I just sighed and walked towards a place I would rather not return...the lab.

Once again there was nothing. Not a single alien here even though it was bustling with them such a short while ago. I frowned at this but was pleased to note that their displays were still operational. Not that I could read any of it but it lessened the sense that something was out of place, even for such strange events as those that had occurred such a brief period ago. I peered at the display in front of me as if it could reveal its secrets to me when suddenly my vision shifted and it felt as though I could almost read what was there. Surprised I tried to refocus on the images but the feeling left just as fast as it appeared. I grunted and stared at what passed for a "keyboard" with the aliens, just a floating panel with all kinds of odd symbols on it, and once again got the odd feeling that I "knew" what the characters meant. This time, I ran with the feeling and started punching keys that "felt right" until I reached a screen that left one of the buttons flashing. I started at it for a split second, looked around to verify that Janko and Arlen were busy examining our way out, and then pushed it.

I knew I had done something right when all the displays went dark and a crystal that made up part of the system started flashing a light blue color. I shuddered eerily, both at the color that reminded me of what we had gone through, and that I may have just read alien text. I placed the crystal, which was no bigger than my thumb, into my jeans pocket and rejoined the others. Arlen acted oblivious that anything had happened, but Janko just looked at me, then at my pocket and I thought I saw his eyes flash amber for a moment before he turned back to Arlen and resumed their conversation. "That may work," said Janko, "but what we don't know is whether the reaction scales with size or not." What they were talking about what our way out of the lab. Over a very large set of doors was a barrier facing us with a generator on the other side and they were trying to figure out the best way to blow it. "I suppose you two could find cover," Arlen offered, "Then I can overload it and find whatever I can to hide behind." I shrugged, "Whatever works, just be careful." Arlen nodded his assent and Janko and I quickly moved behind the containment vessel where I had been thrown after being injected. Arlen gave us a thumbs up which we returned and he moved into position, hopefully our escape was near.

Through the clear material I watched as Arlen drew back his arm and jammed the jagged pipe through the barrier into the field generator. Arlen quickly hurried back to us but I watched mesmerized as I got a look at what the barrier did to offending objects that were imbedded into it. The field was burning through the pipe that was caught in the barrier cutting it into two pieces. The smaller piece was stuck in the overloading generator and the larger piece, on our side of the barrier, was probably going to become shrapnel in a few seconds. Right as Arlen reached us the thing blew, and what do you know, it does scale with size. The pipe I was concerned about was now sticking out of the cylinder we were crouched behind and nearly all of the displays had been destroyed. My ears still ringing I turned to Arlen who just sat there grinning. "Haha, I haven't moved that fast since basic training," he roared, "just glad that thing wasn't even more powerful." "Hush," replied Janko and Arlen was about to yell at him when we all heard it. A blissful sound, a sound I thought I would never enjoy hearing...gunfire.

We sprinted to the door only to find yet another obstacle in our way. This time the barrier was pointed away from us with the generator on our side. Arlen just sighed and went to retrieve his trusty pipe from the containment chamber. "Fucking getting sick of these things," he lamented, "I swear I hate aliens." As he prepared to destroy this generator as well I saw Janko's eyes flash amber again right before he grabbed Arlen's arm. "Be silent," he hissed, "Don't blow it yet till I tell you." Arlen had just seen Janko's eyes and I could see the question forming on his lips when Janko lifted four fingers, then three, then two, and finally one. Arlen jammed the pipe the pipe into the machine right as the last finger fell and we moved back a few steps just in case the thing didn't fire forwards as planned. It went off spectacularly, shearing the second set of doors that were blocking our way and as we carefully peaked out, appeared to have a secondary effect that had both Arlen and I staring at Janko in amazement.

When the generator blew it had caught about four of the soldier aliens and one hollow one that were either going to join the fight against what we thought was our rescue, or were coming to investigate the previous explosion we had caused. In any case it didn't matter what they were there for only that we had gotten to them first. I wondered if the amber eyes and order to wait had come from the "changes" that we were going through but I knew better than to ask. I figured the secretive Russian would tell us in his own time. That didn't stop Arlen from trying and the only response that he got out of the wily man was that he had "heard them" which I knew was bullshit. Janko finally ended the conversation by picking up two of the alien's energy weapons and tossing one to me. "You," he said, referring to Janko, "can use your damn pipe as you won't stop bothering me." Arlen just chuckled and retrieved the thing that was only about two feet long now. "Here," he whispered, handing me the small piece that had been jammed into the first large generator, "Just in case." "Thanks," I whispered back, "for this and for deciding to search the cell blocks for survivors." "Don't thank me yet, I may just be using you as a meat shield for my ass, from the sounds of it there is quite a fight going on outside," he responded loud enough for Janko to hear. I murmured my assent; it certainly was going to be a hell of a fight.

We stacked up on the main door leading outside. From here we heard countless automatic weapons, a deep throbbing like small cannons, multiple explosions and screams...and that was all on the human side. On the alien side there was the distinct whine of their energy weapons and chatter but something slightly more ominous. A deep roaring accompanied by massive footfalls and something that sounded like a jet engine on steroids were what faced us outside the door. Arlen blanched and whispered, "We are going out in the middle of a fucking crossfire! We will be ripped to pieces!" Janko just chuckled, his eyes glowing bright yellow and responded, "What type of soldier are you? I will see you on the far side my friend." And with that he opened the door and we entered the fight.

Arlen, crazy bastard that he was, immediately thrust his trusty damn pipe right through the chest of one of the avians in a move remarkably similar to what had transpired with the Hollow not too long ago. He immediately jerked it back out and commandeered the rifle before they even knew we were there or in fact before the alien had even let out its last cry. Janko and I, for our parts, set about causing chaos behind the alien's line and opened fire on their exposed backs. As I was firing I noticed the true nature of our situation and wondered if you could actually win. Arrayed against us were only about two dozen avians against the nearly fifty remaining human soldiers with two Strykers and two Bradleys supporting them. It wasn't the avians that had my stomach roiling in fear. It was the colossal creature with them that was winning this fight. The normal avians were only about nine feet tall in armor with the Hollows being slightly smaller and frailer. This thing on the other hand was easily topping twelve feet at a conservative estimate and was both quick, intelligent, and lugging around the largest "portable weapons system" I had ever seen. Suddenly I wished I was back in my cell as it didn't appear we had the firepower to take down this thick skinned monster.

Janko and I had also come to a crappy realization that Arlen had actually beat us to the punch at. The energy rifles were useless against the aliens' armor. Obviously they had designed their armor with actually encountering these weapons against them and all our shots were doing were dissipating into the crystalline structure of it and at lucky hits, chipping some pieces off. Arlen had already found this out and was busy crushing skulls with the pipe as we rapidly moved towards our potential saviors...if we could save them first it is. At Arlen's insane maneuver Janko just grinned wolfishly he eyes still glowing that odd yellow, "He'll make it," he muttered, "Nicely done of him." His eyes snapped to me and he barked, "What are you waiting for soldier? Get into the fight! Or are you a gutless civilian like all those who died in that chamber? Move!" I nodded at his words; I had survived this long when I didn't think I would, why not go out with a bang? I looked at the Titan and set my mind to the task, Giant killing.

As I sprinted towards the towering beast I felt my jaw lock, my muscles tense and my vision get slightly blurry before returning to something better than normal. I had no clue what I was going to do once I got to it but I felt no fear at that. I grinned recklessly as I fired from the energy weapon I held hoping to distract it from whatever my fellow comrades were doing. I felt stinging along my back and wondered if I had been hit and by what side but it didn't matter right then, all that mattered was reaching my target. It was going to be an interesting day.

I roared as I reached it, the sound seeming unfamiliar even to me. I had finally succeeded in gaining its attention as it quickly shifted its arm trying to shoot me with the cannon that was easily my size. I was later told I had a maniacal grin on my face that seemed to give the alien pause for a second but that pause would be fatal to it. I myself thought I was saved when one of the Bradleys opened fire with a TOW missile and the Titan quickly moved to avoid it and destroy the armored vehicle with just a few shots. It bought me the precious seconds I needed to slam into it to unbalance it. I didn't think it would do much and I was right in that but I got what I wanted. It grabbed me and brought me close to its face as if to look upon the foolish thing that had attempted to knock it over. I imagined it started laughing before it looked at my eyes and paused. Once again that pause would be to its detriment as I slammed the piece of pipe that Arlen had given me into its left eye. It screamed with such intensity that it felt my ears were bleeding and dropped me heavily on my back. It pointed its arm cannon at me and I knew it was my end, it was playing around.

In the end it was Janko who didn't disappoint me as a veritable stream of energy fire peppered it in its other eye, leaving it completely blind. It could still shoot though and was trying to do so when something that had considerable more mass than me entered the fray and actually managed to move the damn thing...Arlen. He was holding a Squad Automatic Weapon in his gigantic hands as he slammed his bulk into the Titan managing to unbalance even further...however he aimed wrong in the fact that he sent it crashing into me. I heard Janko cursing as it picked me up and proceeded to squeeze the life out of me. Janko and Arlen immediately moved to assist me but there wasn't much they could do, Janko opened fire upon the blind creature in a clever ploy to get it to shoot its energy cannon at him, it surprisingly worked but the Titan didn't realize that Janko was close to its own allies and managed to kill several of them instead. Arlen himself fired found after round into it but its thick hide prevented any from registering...it was going to fucking kill me with one hand!

As I was beginning to lose consciousness all that I had done the last day flashed through my head. I had "joined the military," gotten captured, lived when everyone else died, starting changing in odd ways, and here was another impossible thing happening to me. All my rage and all my frustration welled up in my throat as I did the last act of defiance I could. I spit in the Titans face. What I didn't expect though was what happened next. The saliva had an odd texture as it pooled in my mouth but I certainly wasn't expecting it to have the properties of napalm. A stream of fire leapt from my mouth and engulfed the things head in a fireball. It screamed in agony and dropped me again, winded I grabbed my energy rifle just in time to see a second TOW missile hit the thing in the chest. As the smoke cleared the Titan had a large hold in its chest but was still managing to fight. It raised its cannon and destroyed the second Bradley with a brief pulse from it. "Why won't this thing fucking die!" yelled Arlen, who had come my side to help me up, "it's the only one left!" I coughed as it felt like my throat had been completely crushed and Arlen helped me to my feet. "Where are you going," he called. "I am going to kill it," I rasped back as I ran towards the wounded giant. As I got close I tried once again to unbalance it, and this time it worked. As it fell I quickly scrambled up its chest and opened fire into its exposed chest cavity. The alien shuddered and collapsed as, finally, something vital was hit. Exhausted, I glanced up to see Arlen and Janko approaching me.

"Nice work," commented Janko as he approached, "You did it perfectly." I glared at him noticing his eyes were no longer glowing anymore. Arlen just gripped me into a bear hug and roared, "You bastard, you aren't just going to leave me all alone with that Russian prick are you?" I rolled my eyes at that one, as one of the army soldiers approached us. "Sir," he said addressing me, "We need to ask you all some questions." I nodded, rubbing my throat as the three of us moved towards the survivors. There weren't many left, perhaps 14 of the original group were left and several of them were injured. They gawked at us as we moved towards their commander and I noticed that several of them were staring at my eyes.

Oh boy, I thought to myself, maybe we will find out what the hell is going on with the world...

<<<>>>

Well folks, sorry to end on such a lame cliffhanger but I need to get some sleep for school and that was a natural stopping place.