Henderson Applied Genetics: Hell Inbound -5
08 Sep 2023Wild Jim Gruden
Part 4: SmithWe only had the still working for three weeks. While out on patrol, Gulati and I were replacing the power cells for the still’s heating element when Hell decided to pay us a visit. I saw the first signs while loading the old power cells on my scarab. A dark speck, just above the horizon to the east and moving in the direction of the Henderson genetics facility, which was about five kilometers south of us.
We were expecting a supply shipment so I did not think much of it at first, but whatever the speck was, it approached too fast and at too shallow of a trajectory.
I grabbed a pair of binocs to get a better look and keyed my helmet mike. “Control, Gator One.”
Smith answered the call. “This is Control, go ahead Gator One. What’s up, Jim?”
I zoomed in with the binocs. “I think our supplies are inbound. Looks like a krait approaching from your northeast, maybe 10 klicks out but it’s not in the usual flight path.”
“Can’t be. Supply ship got here about five minutes ago. You sure about the krait? I’m not seeing any contacts.”
A sudden pressure wave from ship engines racing less than 50m overhead knocked me against the scarab. Orange dust swirled chaotically around. Grit and small pebbles tik-takked against my helmet visor. I caught a glimpse of the the python’s hardpoints deploying through the heat blur of its glowing blue engines. The engine roar was muffled by the the thin atmosphere, but in the angry growl I heard the song of waking Valkyries.
Gulati rushed from the cave where we had hidden the still. “What the hell is going on!”
“Control! Two hostiles inbound from north and northeast, five klicks!” I started clambering to get in my scarab. “Gator One and Gator Two inbound, ETA 8 minutes!”
Gulati rushed to his scarab, cursing. We did not expect or wait for the reply from control. They were about to go hot and had bigger things to worry about than acknowledging our return.
Part 6: Call of the Valkyries