Metal Warrior: Steel Cage by James David Victor

Metal Warrior: Steel Cage by James David Victor

Author:James David Victor [Victor, James David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: N15
Publisher: Fairfield Publishing
Published: 2021-04-13T04:00:00+00:00


12

Hostile Environments

BWARRR!

The resounding horn call of the hunters rang out across the forest, greeting Dane and the racing hunting band as they drew closer. Only now, the sounds were also mixed with the undeniable screams of terror and rage.

“Ch-krrr!” One of the small aliens in Dane’s party uttered a sharp shout of alarm. There was a resounding crack straight ahead of the marine on the path as a burning tree plunged toward him.

“Frack!” Dane saw the blackened bark and the flaming tinder leaves a moment before the tree struck. He leapt, crashing into the bushes and vines to one side as the ground shook under the impact.

“Urgh . . .” Dane rolled, pushed himself up, and saw that all around him the forest was burning.

Flames, shot out from the plasma cannons mounted on the floating Exin hunting platforms, were now racing up the trunks of ancient, generations-old trees. Luckily, much of the forest floor was damp, so the fire did not spread easily or in rolling curtains of inferno, but instead clung to the trees that had been struck. Soon, however, it began to spread through branches…

Entangled branches that held small huts and house shapes, Dane saw. There were aliens up there, people, racing along branches and leaping from one blackening tree limb to another, clutching woven bags to themselves or the smaller, squirming bodies of crying infants.

How could they . . . Why . . . Dane felt the shocking, numb kick of horror at the sight, but had no time for paralysis as there was another whoosh from beside him when another tree was hit.

“Tk-kr!” Dane heard a scream and turned to see a small shape, high up in one tree that was already burning at its base, and the neighboring trees were similarly aflame. He saw the creature looking first one way and then another, unsure of where to leap.

“Here!” Without thinking, Dane raced toward the conflagration and waved his arms, holding them high. “Jump! I’ll catch you!” he shouted and saw the hesitation in the small alien’s eyes at this tall alien homo sapiens shouting up at it in an unknown language.

“Ch’krrr!” Another screech from nearby, and Dane turned to see that the older female alien was there, beckoning and gesturing to the smaller alien above.

“Jump—you can do it!” Dane was calling, and, seemingly emboldened by the elder’s insistence, Dane saw the smaller alien take a breath and jump . . .

“Oof!” The alien fell the fifteen feet or more to crash into Dane’s arms and drive them both to the floor with a painful thump. It was a lucky thing that the alien was so light, as Dane was sure that if they had been human-sized than the creature probably would have broken his back on the way down.

“You’re okay, you’re fine . . .” Dane was gasping as the alien sprang up and chittered at him in wonder, before fleeing into the forest.

I guess that counted as a thanks. Dane scrabbled to his feet



Download



Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.