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  “Yes, Admiral, that’s correct,” said Davies. “But it also means we only have one structure to disable, rather than five.”

  “That’s not much comfort, from where I’m sitting,” said Stansfield.

  “Is there any sign of it powering up, Admiral,” said Ten, “or making any other changes?”

  “Negative, Marine X, it’s just sitting there at the moment. And that pulse that we’re monitoring has got more persistent. Are you still hearing it in the sphere?”

  “Loud and clear, sir,” said Ten. “It’s ramped up now the spheres have come together. Do we know what it is yet?”

  “Negative,” said Yau. “We’re still working on it. It seems to be some kind of signal, but it’s nothing we can decipher using our standard databases. There’s no precedent for a sound like that.”

  “So what’s the plan?” Conway asked. “Now that things have changed again, I mean.”

  “Liaise with Lieutenant Yau,” said Stansfield, “and take control of the Sphere. Stansfield out.”

  The Admiral dropped out of the channel, and Conway exchanged meaningful glances with the rest of the team.

  “Take control?” she breathed, shaking her head. “Any ideas?”

  “I’m going to work on the control panels,” said Davies. “If I can hack into its central system, maybe we’ll have some options.”

  “I’m gonna explore,” said Ten. “And keep an eye on the Mechs, especially now that the five Spheres have joined together.”

  “Agreed,” said Conway, “and take Jackson with you. Gray and I will try to find Davies and a way out. There’s no point in Davies working his magic if we can’t even find a key for the front door, and I’m guessing the shuttle is toast. Did you hear that, Davies?”

  “Yeah, I heard. I’m located by the energy core. The control units have reassembled all around it now, so you shouldn’t find it too difficult to locate me,” said Davies. “It must all be joined up in some way.”

  Jackson strode over to the doorway and triggered the control. The door slid open, and he peered out into a long corridor.

  “Death surely comes for us,” he intoned as Ten joined him, “and yet what else is there to do but wait?”

  “Yeah, I’ve got a few ideas about that,” said Ten as the two Marines disappeared down the corridor.

  Conway and Gray checked their weaponry; then they set off in the other direction, heading across a long, suspended walkway. The core was a hundred metres away, a giant structure that held all the important systems. And, somewhere, Davies.

  “Lieutenant,” said Conway, “can you get me a location for Davies? Any joy from his HUD, can you get a fix?”

  “Checking for you now, Trooper,” said Yau. There was a moment of silence, then, “I’ve sent a plan to your HUD. It’s going to be a bit like hide and seek, I think. It’s difficult to get a sense of the orientation.”

  “Thanks, sir, we’ll take a look.”

  “Good. Let me know if– what the fuck is that?”

  “Sir?” said Conway. The channel to the bridge was open, but the lieutenant wasn’t answering.

  “Lock down the bridge,” shouted a voice in the background.

  “Security to the bridge, Charlie Team to the bridge,” said another.

  Stansfield was issuing orders, but the entire bridge sounded like it was in a state of panic.

  “Sir? What’s going on? Sir?”

  But from the bridge came only the sounds of gunfire and screaming.

  14

  “Bollocks, we’re on the wrong level,” said Kearney. “The Unborn’s on the bridge!”

  “How the fuck did it get there so quickly?” said Hunter as the team broke into a run.

  “No idea,” snapped Kearney. “They’ve summoned a security team, but we need to go.”

  Behind them, the Marines of their teams followed with weapons readied, all braced to deal with the final Unborn.

  Lieutenant Yau joined the channel, his voice a whisper but his tone urgent and fearful. “This is like nothing we’ve seen so far,” he hissed. Then there were screams, and then just silence.

  “Sir, are you okay?” said Kearney as she slammed through a door into a stairwell. “What’s going on?”

  “Still here,” said Yau, “but damn it, guys, get up here. This Unborn thing has an OctoBot on its head and another four around its chest. They’ve got needles stuck into it. It looks like somebody rolled their construction kit in a ball of dough! What a freak of a creature.”

  “What’s it doing, sir?” said Kearney, trying to get the Lieutenant to focus as she sprinted up the stairs. There was only one thing worse than an Unborn roaming around the ship, and that was an Unborn with five OctoBot brains.

  “It’s trying to get to the main computer banks, we have only sidearms, and that thing’s skin is so thick we’re barely tickling it. It’s killed Khan and Florence already.”

  “What about the admiral and Commander Vernon?” said Kearney. “Are they okay?”

  “Yeah, they’re holed up in the admiral’s ready room. They got caught there when the creature came in. What’s taking you so long?” Yau asked.

  “We’re using the stairs,” said Kearney, “most of the elevators are still out. With you in a few minutes, sir. Stay safe!”

  “Did you hear that, Hunter?” said Mason. “This is a hand job, and you’ve got permission to do it on duty.”

  “Very funny,” snapped Hunter. “I hope Stansfield’s keeping track of how much bloody trouble my so-called illegal arm has got us out of so far. If I wasn’t such a generous soul, I’d have told him to get stuffed the minute he threatened to blow this thing in my head.”

  “He’s softened already,” Mason replied as they raced up the last flight of stairs. “His bark’s worse than his bite. I’ve known people like him before. Once he knows he has your loyalty, he’ll relax.”

  “But does he have your loyalty, Hunter?” Kearney asked.

  “We’re here,” said Hunter, avoiding the question.

  They jogged towards the bridge and into a scene of horror. A severed arm lay in the corridor outside the bridge, along with a head and a booted foot. It was like some awful version of Hansel and Gretel, with body parts instead of bread crumbs.

  “Anyone you know?” asked Mason as they sidled closer to the doors.

  “Thought it was Vernon,” muttered Hunter, nodding at the foot, “but I think he was taller.”

  “Marine uniform,” said Kearney, ignoring Hunter’s joke. “They’d better have been clones. I hope we’re not losing lives here.”

  “They still get to experience the death, even if they’re clones,” said Hunter. “They remember the pain if the backup works correctly.”

  “I know how it fucking works,” snapped Kearney.

  “I think I’d want a few memories erased if I got torn to pieces,” said Mason, nudging the arm aside. “I don’t fancy having my limbs ripped off.”

  “Better stay focused, then,” said Kearney. She peered around the doorway into the bridge. Lieutenant Yau had taken cover behind his console, and he glanced over as Kearney gave him a nod to acknowledge they’d seen him. Yau’s face was pale and splattered with blood, as was his uniform.

  “Blood everywhere,” muttered Kearney, scanning the bridge.

  Yau’s description had been correct; this Unborn wasn’t one of the wild, bestial creatures they’d seen in the cloning bay. The OctoBots had hijacked the body, and this beast was altogether more intelligent. It still had its immense strength and ferocity, but this creature had a plan and a strategy.

  “We’re at a bit of a disadvantage,” said Kearney. “All the entrances to the bridge are open after the last Mech attacks, so we can’t corner it. We can’t use Mason’s explosive skills, or we’ll damage critical equipment. Our only hope is if Hunter can get a clean shot to the head.”

  “And that still leaves us dealing with the OctoBots, right?” said Hunter. Kearney nodded.

  “Is it trying to acc
ess the control area or the comms systems?” said Mason.

  “I can’t tell,” replied Kearney. “Both, maybe?”

  “That thing has five brains now,” said Hunter as he powered up the microwave laser in his arm. “Hellfire, with an intellectual capacity like that it might even have a fucking clue how to complete a Sudoku puzzle!”

  “Shit,” said Mason as he checked his weapon again, “imagine a creature with the intelligence required to understand the offside rule. It would be an unbeatable enemy!”

  Hunter laughed, but his humour died when there were shots fired by a Marine who’d managed to conceal herself on the bridge. The creature screamed and charged across the room. Before Kearney could react, the Unborn had seized the Marine and pulled her body apart. Her still-screaming upper torso was flung out of the entrance where Charlie Team were taking cover, to bounce across the floor.

  “Fuck, please let her be a clone,” Mason said, unable to tear his eyes away from the Marine’s tortured face.

  “She’s a clone,” said Kearney grimly, putting a bullet through the Marine’s head. “That’s a modern uniform from Colossus, and they’re all clones. Vengeance’s crew look like they missed a decade’s worth of fashion supplements.”

  “Shit, we’ve got company,” said Mason. With all the Marine resistance on the bridge now dealt with, the creature had sensed the shot in the corridor and was making its way towards them. And to get there, it was going to walk right past Yau.

  Kearney mouthed at him from the entrance, and he mouthed back with what looked like an Oh fuck!

  “Time to do your thing, Hunter!” said Kearney.

  “Roger,” said Hunter, nodding.

  But the creature was too fast and too smart. It had spotted Yau, and it grabbed the lieutenant, picking him up with one arm. It roared at him and opened its massive jaws as Yau tried to prise himself out of the monster’s hand.

  “Hey, over here, fuckface!” yelled Hunter, stepping out in front of the creature with his arm set to fire. The creature roared and swung Yau around, blocking Hunter’s shot.

  Then Kearney appeared behind the beast. Hunter did a double-take trying to work out how the fuck she’d got there.

  Kearney fired at the Unborn’s back, her rifle on full auto as she blasted its armoured hide, emptying the magazine. The Unborn screamed as Kearney reloaded, still using Yau as a shield and swinging wildly around as it backed away from the two Troopers.

  Kearney changed her strategy, aiming instead for the OctoBot clamped to the back of the Unborn’s head. Her shots shattered the Bot’s casing, and it detached itself and dropped to the ground, leaving a trail of fluids as it crawled away across the deck.

  “This bloody thing is using Yau as cover for its head,” said Hunter “I can’t get a clear shot.”

  Yau screamed as the Unborn threw him around like a doll.

  “I’m going for the admiral and Commander Vernon,” said Mason. “I’m leaving the beast to you.”

  “That’s right, Mason,” said Hunter, “save the suits, don’t mind me!”

  “Er, it is actually military protocol, Hunter, but maybe you don’t remember that bit of your oath?”

  “Easy to forget the details sometimes,” grunted Hunter, his pistol now in his other hand as he sought a way to free Yau.

  The lieutenant still alive, but he was tiring fast. They’d not seen behaviour like this from the other Unborn. It wasn’t using just anyone as a shield; it had chosen Yau deliberately, as if understanding that an officer might have more value alive than if it just tore out his neck.

  Mason skirted the bridge towards the ready room as armoured Marines moved in behind Hunter and the Unborn backed away. Hunter had his weapon trained, waiting for a moment when the beast’s head became exposed.

  Then the creature suddenly switched tactics.

  Two OctoBots, one from each side of the Unborn’s head, detached themselves and jumped at Hunter. Primed to shoot at the monster, a straightforward attack was the last thing Hunter expected.

  The OctoBots were clearly coordinating their actions. One clamped itself to Hunter’s face and impaled him with its needles, paralysing him instantly. The other settled on his back and sank its needles into the flesh of his shoulders. Hunter screamed once; then he fell silent.

  Kearney aimed, looking for a shot at the OctoBots, but she couldn’t fire without hitting Hunter. Then there was a roar as the Unborn hurled Yau, sending him crashing into Kearney and knocking her to the ground.

  The Unborn followed, charging across the bridge. It roared again, no longer concerned with human shields now that Hunter had been turned.

  “Move,” shouted Kearney as the Unborn stormed towards them. She pushed Yau away and heaved herself to her feet, firing three more shots. Her efforts had no observable effect on the raging mass of flesh and Bot; then its swinging fist smashed into her shoulder and hurled her back over a console.

  The Unborn screamed and turned as Mason fired at it from across the bridge.

  “Get up,” he yelled at Kearney. Yau was with her, blood soaking his tunic as he tried to pull her upright. “Lead it away,” shouted Mason, gesturing at an open door. He fired again as the creature charged.

  “Shit,” said Mason as he backed away, still firing.

  But now Kearney was upright again, just, and she pulled out her pistol, wiping away the blood from a gash on her forehead.

  “Over here,” yelled Kearney, firing wildly at the beast’s back. Her head was spinning so much she wasn’t sure what she was hitting. Yau joined her, making as much noise as possible to attract the Unborn’s attention.

  The beast skidded to a halt, turned, and charged back at Kearney as she backed into the corridor.

  “Hunter, some help,” shouted Kearney as she retreated. But Hunter just stood there, as still as a statue, not even watching what was going on.

  Then Kearney caught her boot on a corpse and fell back onto the deck. The Unborn screamed in triumph as it bore down on her, sweeping past Hunter as if he wasn’t there. Mason fired again, stepping forward to place his armoured bulk closer to the beast as the Marines tried to herd it in from the other side of the bridge. Vernon joined him, retrieving a weapon from a dead Marine and sending a volley of rapid fire to infuriate the creature.

  Stansfield ran to his command console and hailed Orion. The battleship might be stuck on the other side of the portal, but if they had any old craft on board, a rapid deployment of troops to Vengeance might turn the tide.

  Hunter finally moved, taking a step towards Stansfield. His cybernetic arm came up, jerking as it moved, as if it wasn’t under his full control.

  “Take cover,” yelled Vernon, pulling Stansfield to the deck behind the console. Hunter’s microwave laser pulsed and sliced a hole through Stansfield’s command chair, and into the deck beyond.

  Then the Unborn screamed and charged across the bridge at Vernon. The commander fired again as he shielded Stansfield.

  Hunter’s arm flashed around until it pointed directly at Kearney, but the laser’s power pack had been depleted and it did nothing more than click harmlessly.

  The Unborn loomed over Vernon, smacked away his ineffective pistol, then grabbed him by the collar and pulled him to its chest. For a few seconds Vernon struggled against the Unborn’s grip; then he screamed as he was absorbed into its body, unable to move or escape.

  An OctoBot detached itself from the Unborn and scuttled quickly to clamp itself to Vernon’s head. It released its needles and plunged them into the commander’s skull.

  Kearney screamed, and Mason raised his rifle, unsure what to do. Then Hunter brought his pistol up and fired. Bullets pinged from Mason’s armour as Kearney and Yau dived for cover.

  By the time they were back on their feet, Hunter and the beast had gone.

  15

  “What the fuck just happened?” asked Mason. He was standing at the edge of the bridge, staring around at the corpses as he reloaded his rifle.

  “I’m n
ot sure,” said Lieutenant Yau, limping in from the corridor. He slumped down in a chair as Marine medics began to work their way through the injured. “I think Hunter’s been hijacked by the OctoBots. They’ve overpowered his brain or something. As for Commander Vernon...” he paused, unable to find the words. He shrugged, then grimaced in pain and clutched at his ribs. “Looked like the Unborn subsumed him into its body,” he managed.

  Stansfield swept aside a medic as he crossed the bridge. “I’m fine,” he growled, “see to the others.” He looked around, face smeared with blood and uniform torn and dirty. “We’ve sustained heavy losses. I’m going to ask Orion to send a relief bridge team.”

  Yau could only nod as a medic lifted his arm and sprayed first antiseptic, then anaesthetic, then a thick layer of plasti-skin.

  “You need to be in the infirmary,” said the medic firmly, but Yau shook his head.

  “Can’t,” he said, “need to be here.”

  The medic tutted and fussed, scanning Yau and shaking his head before uploading a short report and moving on.

  “I’m pleased you made it, Lieutenant,” said Stansfield to Yau, “but we need to get a grip on this disaster before it deteriorates further. What’s your analysis of our exposure with Hunter and Vernon?”

  “Too little data on Commander Vernon,” said Yau, “but Hunter looks like a straightforward sequestration. The OctoBot is in control.”

  Stansfield grunted.

  “Hunter could be a problem, sir,” said Mason. “If the Bots gain access to his brain, they might learn things we don’t want them to know.”

  Kearney was silent and thoughtful. She didn’t want to make Hunter a target.

  “Agreed,” said Stansfield with a slow nod. “But he wasn’t totally under their control. He hesitated, resisted, when the Bot tried to kill me.”

  “Did he, sir?” said Yau sceptically.

  “Either way,” Stansfield went on, “we have a literal kill switch. If Hunter is truly lost, we can take him out remotely.”

  Mason was shocked. “You wouldn’t blow his head up, surely? Not after everything he’s done for this crew.”