Chapter 1 - The Unexpected

  “CQB is always hell to deal with one second it’s calm the next it’s chaos. That’s why we drill so much so we don’t have to think before we act, but if there’s even a chance that what you are about to shoot at is a Vanguard. Start praying because you won’t live long enough to apologise!” - Captain Bentham, training recruits two weeks before his death, resulting from firing in a panic at Wolf Queen.

  We began hustling down the corridors, clearing rooms at a quick pace. Charlie is now split with Hands with Alpha and Sticky with Bravo.

  Once we started down a slight incline, we saw 2 heavy military bots moving down the inclined corridor in front of us. They didn’t seem to notice but knowing those types of bots, their sensors had definitely picked us up, but were ignoring us for a more pressing threat.

  Upon levelling out into another corridor we heard further gunfire as the bots in front of us opened up as well while moving around the next intersection to the right.

  As we were inching closer to the source of the gunfire and the area the bots just passed, one of the bots flew back into the wall broken with 5 jagged rents torn out of its front panel and inner circuitry.

  Everyone in the party froze and aimed at the corner waiting for something to come around the corner, the gunfire then stopped dead which was frightening than anything.

  Nothing small could have made a dent in those bots before it was mincemeat; it had to be a model in the high teens at least to do this sort of damage and absorb it. We had to hope it took enough damage to either expire or go down to our small arms.

  We started to hear faint crunching noises from up ahead around the corner, then a snap. Whatever was ahead was definitely beginning to devour what was left from the search and security teams.

  “Turn on augs now, I don't care about what the client says about avoiding detection by using old tech. Teach try to reach Rider 1 and let them know the situation.” Michael whispered.

  Thinking towards the augs to turn on, my HUD flashed up and started to show the rest of the team in an augmented blue. I went through my list of contacts until I found Chris and tried calling him.

  Subvocalising like I’d been taught, though I hated the weird talking without letting air out in the back of my throat.

  “Brick what’s the situation with you? We’ve got both teams likely KIA, a security lockdown and a probable higher number model in here with us.”

  “Teach repe.. gett… up hearing thi… wor.. dicey.. mult.. mod.. swarm…” The garbled static was coming through.

  “Not good boss seems like the relays on the riders aren’t getting through all the intervening rock. I’m getting garbled transmissions even over the aug line, but it sounds like they’re busy themselves. We’re out of time roving hunter swarm seems to have found them.” I whispered to Michael

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  “Not going to get help then,” He paused, and we all strained to hear what was going on up ahead, still hearing crunching and tearing that set my nerves on edge.

  Watching an antithesis devour someone was never pleasant since they left absolutely no biomass and that’s all, everything was to them biomass for the hive.

  We didn’t hear it slurping up the blood that was going to be coating everything so that meant, as callous as it was that it was still being distracted by the security and search teams.

  “Still sounds like only one model regardless of what type, we’re going to have to try engage whatever model is there before trying to get out of here, everyone move and get in a stable firing position before anyone engages Minstrel, Hands prep a couple grenades don’t drain the full supply unless needed we’re going to have to fight to get out of here as well.”

  “Copy.” We all said,

  “Been a fun time Teach.” Minstrel said in a low voice and damn it, the kid was only 16 years old and now he was probably going to die next to an old fart like me, that’s on my last legs anyway.

  Whilst everyone was mentally preparing themselves to possibly be ripped to shreds if the model wasn’t either damaged enough or our small arms weren’t enough to kill it. I checked the grenade pouch on my belt and quickly pulled out part of the Kevlar cord meant for strapping heavy equipment to my back and tied the pins together.

  “You’ll get out of here yet, kid if I have anything to say about it.” I muttered to myself.

  We all at once moved around the bend in the corridor and saw a grey mass of wiry fur crouched over one of the corpses, it froze as we came around and levelled our guns at it, it didn’t look like any model I’d ever seen or heard off they were usually dark brown and green and stripped bare down to the equivalent of muscle and bone with no skin covering them.

  Then it began to stand i first noticed was the triangular ears on top of the head then the main part of it resolved into a long torso around twice as wide as any of ours tapering into a thinner waist with some sort of torn clothing hanging in tatters over it with bushy tail sticking out of a hole clearly cut for it and heavily muscular legs bent back at the knee and then bent back forward into long feet and wickedly sharp claws.

  Turning around towards us, we saw a face which was like an old-world Irish wolfhound muzzle being long and with hair drooping down over the mouth. There were bright yellow irises inset into oddly human eyes. Currently, the face was completely coated in bright red blood from the unrecognisable corpse of the security team member it currently had clutched in its hands.

  Before any of us could squeeze off a shot, a ping sounded on our augs, and not only did the creature get outlined in a blue glow, but voices also appeared in our aug channel, saying.

  We are inclined to avoid further loss of human life by requesting that you not open fire on our vanguard, as this will be bad for your health.

  A motherly voice spoke up.

  As the last group of humans found out, if you are otherwise inclined, I will gladly add you all to my current Darwin Awards compilation.

  Another said almost like it had squawked the words out.

  Please, sisters do not intervene. It is in the natural order for them to choose their fate.

  A final voice spoke in a wild manner of a younger woman.

  “Hold fire!” Michael immediately said.

  We all took our fingers off the triggers but kept the guns raised.

  A very wise choice, your group may be of use in a fight if they follow orders this well and they don’t let their guard down immediately.

  Croaked the second voice again.

  We looked to the now towering creature in front of us that was still staring with those yellow eyes at us while it sniffed the air and its ears rotated slightly, then it sneezed and shook its head, dropping the security guard.