Battle Beyond Earth: Insurrection (23 page)

"What did this?" Jones asked despairingly, as he caught up with Taylor. He took a knee and looked cautiously around the area, his rifle at the ready. Taylor could see the crater where the explosion had originated. It had launched the fallen marine several metres through the air, and a deep crater remained from the blast.

"Land mine."

"What? Surely not?"

"Yes," replied Hartley solemnly.

"From who?"

"This is Krys technology, and likely left over from the last war," said Babacan.

"We were so preoccupied with this spear and the Morohta that we forgot all the other dangers that exist in this world," added Jones.

The medic appeared at Harley's side, but he would not let go of the fallen marine for a while.

"Ground scanners on, let's not have another accident like this!" Taylor shouted to everyone.

He activated the device on his console that would scan the surface in a five-metre radius around his person. He bitterly regretted his mistake in not having done this when they landed.

It’s my fault. I should have thought of it.

Hartley was soon patched up. He looked sad for the loss, but he didn't take it out on anyone but himself.

"Let's get on with this mission, Sir," he said quietly.

Taylor nodded in gratitude for his resolve and gestured for them all to continue. He headed back to the main road where they had come from. Within two minutes the scanner on his arm began to bleep, signalling it had detected something. He raised his fist and brought them all to a halt. He drew out a mine clearer grenade from his webbing and rolled it across the floor in front of him. He slowly took a few paces back. The grenade ignited, with its signature deep pulse sending vibrations through any buried devices to ignite them. A second later the mine blew, just as the last had. A few shards of metal and rocks hit Taylor's shield, and dirt and dust settled over the top of him.

"Any more surprises we can expect to find?" he asked the Guardian.

"I do not know."

"Did you not fight in the last war?"

"Yes."

"And did you fight on this world?"

"For a time, yes."

Taylor shook his head. He realised he wasn't getting anywhere. He got up and pointed for them to go onwards. Another scanner began to bleep soon after, and it was Jones’ turn this time in a repeat of the clearing he did. Another three explosions rang out on their flanks as they made their way to the destination, when finally the three groups found themselves descending on one crossroads. Taylor’s console confirmed that it was their destination. He was looking around in every direction for something, anything. But all he could see was more dust and rubble.

"There’s nothing here," said Alita.

Taylor drew out the Aranui staff and paced around the perimeter of the crossroads.

"Any ideas?" he asked the Guardian, but there was no response.

He walked towards the centre of the crossroads, though it looked as bare and dusty as the rest of the road.

"There's nothing here, Colonel, what do we do?" Jones asked.

Taylor could see the exact marker on his console lay at the centre of the roads, and so he approached it cautiously with the staff held out as if it were hazardous material.

"What are we doing here, Colonel? There is nothing here! It is a waste of time," Hartley shouted.

It was apparent that the loss of his marine weighed heavily on him. Taylor knew he had to find some answers soon, or the mission would fail. He reached the centre of the crossroads and looked down. There was nothing but sand at his feet. He simply stood there, hoping for some miracle, as he was all out of ideas. Finally, he lowered the staff, and the base touched the sand. As it made contact, a light sparked as if the base had contacted metal and some electricity passed between the two.

"What the hell was that?" Jones shouted.

Taylor remained still and waited. For ten seconds nothing at all happened, and then a bright blue light appeared between his feet. It began to trace a line forward and then drew a two-metre circle in the sand around him. He looked up at Alita.

"Is this really it? she asked.

The ground began to rumble, and then a wide section in front of Taylor began to lower into the ground. The troops around him scattered as more layers in front of that dropped further down. A dust cloud was thrown up as they waited to see what was there. Then the dust began to settle, and a huge stairway beneath the surface was revealed to them. Taylor looked up at them all marvelling at the sight. It was giving them all hope.

"Could it be? Could it all be for real?" Alita asked again.

But no one had an answer. Taylor took the first step, and the others followed without another word. The stairway was cut from rock and appeared entirely natural, aside from the fact they knew it could not be; as it was created by some kind of mechanical mechanism they could not yet see. They kept descending until they were almost a hundred metres down, and the ground began to level out.

"Wow," Alita said, as the space opened up into a vast and high chasm. Orbs emitting light were fitted every five metres down either side of the chasm. Two narrow paths clung to each side, and the space between them looked like a dried up waterbed.

"Must have been some kind of underground lake," said Jones.

"What do we do now?"

"Looks like there is only one way to go, Alita," replied Taylor, and he went forward.

His team followed him while Hartley took the right side, though they appeared to be following the same route.

"Could this place really have remained secret all this time?"

"Not exactly the kind of place you would come looking, is it? An abandoned mining planet, and nothing left here but sand and wreckage," Jones answered her.

Taylor looked around. They were all starting to believe now. There was some hope, and he just prayed that it would be paid off in full. They got half a kilometre along the chasm when both paths joined and stopped before a tall steel door. Besides the lights, it was the first thing that was not created by nature since they had entered.

"You don't build a door like that unless you want to protect something valuable," stated Jones.

It was covered in a thick layer of dust and had clearly not been opened in living memory, at least a Human's memory.

"This mean anything to you?" Taylor asked the Guardian.

"I have never seen or heard of this before."

Taylor stepped up before the door, and as he got within arm's reach, a light flashed and a soldier was projected before them. He was wearing full armour from head to toe, and a cloak, as if in ancient ceremonial armour. It had the shape and size of the typical Aranui. It seemed to study them for a few moments before noticing the Guardian, but it said nothing. He then saw Babacan and still said nothing. Taylor glanced at the Guardian and then his people, but they all looked to him to make the first move. He lowered his rifle and addressed to the warrior.

"My name is Colonel Mitch Taylor, of Earth. I represent the Alliance of Human, Krys, Cholan, and Aranui peoples. I come here in search of the Pauri Tao."

Almost a minute passed before they received a response.

"The Krys are our enemy, and I do not know Human nor Cholan. But here you stand, a race I do not know, with both Aranui and Krys by your side? What trickery is this?"

"No trick. We are allied in a common cause to fight the Morohta, and their leader, Bolormaa."

The warrior was gazing across at his troops but snapped back to Taylor upon hearing those two words.

"The Morohta have returned?"

"Yes, and that is why we have come. We need the Pauri Tao. You know of its power. We will need it in this fight."

The warrior was silent and seemed to consider the information he had given. Taylor knew he had little else to offer and could not afford to risk offense by making a story up.

* * *

Song watched in horror as she saw the explosion ring out on their overview. She could see the fallen marine in close detail and his horrific wounds.

"I don't envy those who have gone down there," said Nichols.

"No, and something tells me this will not be our last casualty before we are free of this place."

They observed the entire events on the surface unfold and marvelled as the entrance to the underground vault was revealed, and everyone followed Taylor beneath the surface. Song didn't like this at all, not being able to see what was going on. A minute had past, and she was already getting anxious. She wanted to contact Taylor, but she knew she must let him work.

"Sir, I am getting some readings off the starboard side, ten klicks out," said Osborne.

"What? What kind of readings?" she snapped.

"Looks like a sort of engine signature, but it is so faint."

Song felt her heart drop, but she did not panic.

"Activate weapon systems! Launch all remaining fighters, and deploy marines at all sectors!"

The crew hesitated for just a second, as they could not see what she was getting at.

"Do it now!" she screamed.

Nichols quickly relayed the orders, but he still could not understand the Commander's concern.

"What is it?" he whispered to her.

"We are not alone here. The Morohta have come looking for their weapon."

"How can you know?"

But Song avoided the question.

"Osborne, bring us up a screen tracking that energy signature!"

"There is nothing there, Commander. I have already checked visuals."

"Just do it!"

The screen seemed to track through empty space. Suddenly, they noticed a glimmer as sunlight reflected off something and flared before them. For just a split second they glimpsed a ship that was less than half their size. It soared through space with utter grace as it made its way to the planet's atmosphere.

"Target that reading, lead by twenty metres, fire when ready!"

The gun batteries of the Guam opened up with a salvo. The first few shots found no target, but as they continued to trace the signature, a dozen impacts ignited on a ship. Its invisible shielding failed and so revealed itself. Another salvo caused several explosions on the surface of the hull before finally the ship came about. Several smaller craft dropped from it as it made its way right for them.

"Send word to Taylor. We are under attack by Morohta forces!" Song ordered.

But before the order could be acted upon, a hail of gunfire smashed into the Guam and battered here already weak structure.

"We have lost all communication, Commander," replied Osborne.

Another wave of gunfire smashed into them and rocked them where they stood.

"What do we do?"

"Only thing we can do, Captain Nichols, stand and fight. Give them everything we've got!"

* * *

Taylor still waited silently. He half expected to come under attack in any moment, and was already kicking himself for bringing Babacan along. It had never occurred to him that it would be a problem until now. At last the warrior responded with stern and succinct questions.

"Who sent you?"

"Irala."

"And who sent him?"

"His grandfather, Tane Mahuta," replied Taylor confidently.

The alien seemed a little alarmed and briefly hesitated, but then responded in a deep voice that carried through the chasm.

"I am Tane Mahuta."

The warrior’s helmet retracted to reveal an old and scarred Aranui elder. The Guardian quickly approached and held out its hand where Irala was projected. They looked at one another for a few minutes, as if communicating without speech.

"You trust this Colonel Mitch Taylor?" the warrior finally asked.

"Yes."

"You trust him with your life? And with the great responsibility that the bearer of the Pauri Tao must endure?"