Chapter 28 – The Eastern Base [Part 1]

Sitting patiently at the desk with 10 of his 15 screens black, Zulu was accessing the battle plan headquarters had made for the re-enforcement deployment. It was simple and it was easy, something that he approved of, but there was one thing that troubled him.

Only the bare minimum number of fighter planes, and air to land aircraft were being deployed alongside the transports. There were no back up plans, no contingency, everything seemed to hinge of this one thing working.

True though it were, nothing really could go wrong with the plan. It was solid. Send in over 800 air units for immediate relief. Then another 400 if more is required and 2000 via land as the first air units move out. The base under attack had multiple inner walls, so having its centre cut off was trouble, but trouble that can be dealt with. The base’s troop count was that of over 6 thousand, not small by any means.

‘Hey hey,’ Ten cheerfully turns on the two outer left screen and changes the two screens next to it, ‘Look at this!’

Diverting his attention away from the troop deployment, plan layouts and drop locations, Zulu turns to see the four screen Ten indicates. Of the three gigantic worms, two were moving without any trouble, constantly jumping and diving as if they were in water.

The third, it had stopped diving.

Give me a better angle

Two screens on the outer right turn on alongside with the two screens next to them flicker, for the first couple of seconds hundreds of lines of codes dyed in green scroll pass and then blink to reveal four different moving video feeds. Each video feed displaying, squad members, radar, map and targeted location.

The first screen he sees is that of someone on climbing a ladder, hurrying to get to a specific location.

The second was someone on ground level, under fire and seemingly asking for backup. The tail end of the worm can be seen on the person’s view, struggling to move, looking like a fish flaying out of water.

The Third person was on a rooftop, running and jumping alongside three people with no helmets, not firing and ignoring those the person saw in need of help. The heart rate was steady, not panicked. It seemed as if the person knew what needed to be done.

The fourth was in a tower, looking as if the person was lying down and firing with a sniper. The frontal position of the worm could be seen, surrounded by people and under a constant barrage of bullets that seemed to do something, but have little effect.

Scratching his chin, he watches them move, run, dodge and fire as he decides on what to do. Typing on the keyboard he alters all the other screens except for the one directly in front of him to rotate between different video feeds to get a constant real time footage of both friendly and monster movements.

What is that thing?

‘The worm?’ ten questions in a thinking posture before smiling, ‘It’s a worm!’

Slamming his fist on the table in annoyance, “Stop messing around!” he states and sees ten’s figure fall to the table on her side, curled up in a ball, as if she was in pain.

Seeing this happen, his annoyance quickly goes away to become that of surprise, finding that once his annoyance was gone, she stopped struggling.

Getting to her small feet, ‘Four said she got rid of that feature,’ she sniffs as silver metallic tears drop from her face and land at her boots to be reabsorbed by her body

Diverting his attention back to the screens, evidently she was lying,

Wiping her tears from her face, ‘You wanted to hurt me!’ she cries changing the top screen to be that of information on the worm

Ignoring her comment he looks at the changed screen.

[table=#899ca4]Clitellata LumbricusAlso known asWormBiopsyUncompletedFeaturesEarthworm like appearance

Seen to be over 50metres in lengthFactsSeen to be a creature used for tunnelling purposes[/table]

Frowning at the complete lack of information, Show me information on the other creature

[table=#899ca4]Vespoidea FormicidaeAlso Known asTri - legsBiopsyCompletedFeaturesSix shelled limbs

Three limbs upon the torso

Three limbs upon the waist

Small oval shaped head

Brown in colourOutfitHelmets and chest/back guards

Rifle with needle like projectiles

Retractable blade attached to arm not operating rifleFactsMost numerous foot soldiers

Combat skill differ from individual to individual, however on average they are all exceptionally skilled with both blade and rifle

Commonly seen staying on all limbs, but when in combat it may stand on three and fire from a higher vantage point

Seen to prefer to get in close and thus is always pushing forward in conflict

Possess no heart, how blood successfully circulates is unknownWeaknessStandard shot to the brain kills it, but often require multiple successful hits due to helmet

Requires multiple shots to the chest[/table]

Nodding at the information, Is there any others that I should be aware off?

Not getting an answer the screen simply changes.

[table=#899ca4]Laurasiatheria ChriopteraAlso Known asBatsBiopsyCompletedFeaturesleather, rubbery skin

Four limbs

Wings that resemble a bat

Wolf like head and face

Strong, sharp claws

Black in colour

Able to release a cloud of black smoke.OutfitHelmets, wing and torso guardsFactsMost common air unit

They tend to attach themselves onto aircraft and tear apart components with their claws, typically rendering the aircraft useless

Avoid battle at night without proper equipment, the black smoke that surrounds them almost makes them invisible at nightWeaknessStandard shot to the brain kills it, but often require multiple successful hits due to helmet

Requires multiple shots to the chest[/table]

Sighing at seeing what it’s capable of, he turns his attention back to the four constant video feeds.

From the angles given, the two worm that were once constantly diving had disappeared, but the third still laid trapped.

Do we have video of how the worm was captured?

Receiving no reply, one video streams start playing replacing four screens on his left. Sitting down and staring around a corner, the individual was waiting alongside two others for something.

Is there audio?

Again receiving no reply, the audio blares on, loudly at first, giving him a startle before settling down to a more comfortable range.

“Will this actually work?” The one whose video feed was being played asks.

“Don’t doubt the plan private,” Lucy comes on screen with no helmet and drops an additional five small shotgun like rifles on the ground, “By design these things are made to catch a falling object.”

“Designed to catch people Corporal!”

“Don’t doubt the plan,” Lucy repeats sliding one of the shotguns to another helmeted individual, “You’ve only used these in training.”

Staying quiet the individual moves forward and picks up two mini shotguns.

The video feed cuts off then changes to another location. This time in an open area with gravel ground. Again the individual waits alongside two other individuals, but with two shotguns like rifles in hand.

“Remember guys,” Samuel voice comes from off screen, “Any of you miss and this won’t work.”

The video feed begins to shake and the individual drops his gun.

“Pick that up now!” Samuel shouts loudly and fiercely before running onto and off screen, carrying two of the same things that the individual dropped.

Falling down and grabbing the dropped rifle, the individual grumbles inaudible words, as if complaining before struggling to get back up and chase after Sam.

The video feed changes again, but this time to be with a group of what seemed to be a dozen people.

The feed is shaking heavily and the individual with majority of those around are on the ground.

“Get up! Get up!” Matthew voice shouts over the shaking, “Move!” he shouts and a small image of him can be seen grabbing people, “Move now or die!” he screams one last time before leaving them and bolting away.

The ground underneath the individual collapses in on itself. The audio feeds cuts off at this point, to avoid hearing the screams of those that are falling. Through the video feed, the individual is repeatedly firing his rifle away below, firing at the row upon row of teeth that is jumping up and swallowing them.

With the sudden cut due to the individual’s death, the feed changes back to the first one. Though the group of people present is now much larger than the two that were originally there. Lucy can be seen in the front guiding them towards the worm that is high in the air.

A bright flare that is just barely visible appears high in the air and the direction that the group were running changes to that location.

“Quickly now,” Lucy shouts with heavy breathing, “Its hit its peak height!”

The feed changes again.

The individual is upon a roof top, in a line with people too numerous to count.

“There!” Samuel shouts before firing his shotgun alongside everyone else, releasing small ball like projectiles that expand once it hits the ground to create a jelly like blob.

The individual drops his shotgun and picks up another, firing it at the same location, once done a group of people lead by Lucy can be seen appearing from around a corner. Immediately stopping and firing at the exact same location. Making the blob of jelly expand.

“What now?” the individual ask Samuel

“We wait,” He replies starting to climb down, “And get the hell away from here before that lands!”

Reverting back to an aerial view, The worm is seen jumping high into the air, then falling and landing in the substance perfectly co-ordinately placed by those on the ground.

Looking back to the four live feeds playing on his right, “That was really damn impressive,” Zulu comments watching them struggle to keep their position on it.

Checking the screen directly in front of him, “But they are still losing ground.” He mumbles before asking, Can I speak to them?

Again receiving no reply, “Ten?” he calls out and looks down to see her sitting whilst turned away from him.

“Ten,” he repeats whilst tapping the side of her arm, finding that she burst apart and metallic sand attaches itself back to his arm.

Sighing, “I’m sorry Ten,” he pauses, “But you were out of line.”

‘I was not!’

Grinding his teeth, “I am sorry about hurting you…I did not know it was possible.”

Not getting a reply, “Can we talk about this later?” he pleads agitatedly, “People are dying.”

Creating an image of herself again, ‘You were never that mean to four!’ she speaks out.

“Zag knew when to be serious and when to not be!”

Fidgeting whilst standing, she doesn’t reply but instead looks downwards.

“Though she has always been a bit extreme,” he exhales, “Anyway, can I communicate with them?”

Nodding, ‘You can’ she answers.

“Good, can you tell me who they are?”

‘Why does it matter?’ ten asks as green symbols start passing by on the screens.

Looking at the screens, and waiting, “They may die, the least I can do is know their names.”

‘Four never did that’

Smiling a sad smile, “Zag did other things.”

A video feed starts playing, showing a person watching eleven people put on their helmets in some plane.

“What is this?” Zulu asks, as it was not what he requested.

‘Something you might want to see’

Annoyed, but staying patient, as he doesn’t want to lose his A.I he watches the feed as the audio turns on.

“Go!” a voice that seems to come from a P.A system sounds out, crisply and angrily.

“Damn it,” the individual the feed was playing through comments letting go of their grip upon two bars to fall back and out off a plane.

Blurry black figures of creatures soon become visible upon the plane, “Bats,” the individual mutters and turns around to see what’s below.

Countless numbers of planes, surrounded by black figures were spiralling both upwards and downwards, acidic green projectiles were seen hitting and missing.

“What is this?” Zulu questions.

‘It’s Delia’s Video feed.’ Ten responds

Immediately getting off his seat and heading to the door, ‘Plane at hanger 85, I got a plane out of storage for you’

A/N

Now that i look at it, this chapter should've been before the previous one. The pacing would have been a lot better. For that mistake, i am sorry. *Bows* But hey, amateur writer here xD

@ admira, i've taken up your suggestion. '...' will be Ten speaking when in physical form as it is only Zulu that can hear her. Thank you.

Colour for the things that appear on screen changed because the site is about to undergo a new code format. I may find a way to get it looking like before, but that will be when i got more free time ~

Was the changing video feed overly confusing?

That being stated, Hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you for reading and i'll see you all next time ^.^