INTERSTELLAR NIGHTMARES - DISTANT TERROR

Chapter 8

   As I pushed through the rock, the inside of the drills grew hotter until I stopped to cool them down every few seconds. With Kurt and Morris behind me, we trudged up through the cliff. We eventually broke through the surface and I smoothed out a way so we can all simply walk up and out of the hole.

   "There we go," I said as I put away the drills and wiped my brow. The humidity made a film of sweat accumulate across my head to the point every wipe seemed to remove nothing. Kurt soon came up with Morris.

   "Quick work of the dirt! Now for that leg," Kurt directed, looking around. "There!" he shouted as he walked towards it. I followed them to the leg, where I dug it out of the ground and looked over the edge.

   "I'll toss it down for us," I informed them as I tossed it over the edge. It disappeared into the growing shadow of the cave as the flares Fredrick had set are now fizzling on its last seconds of life again.

   "Let's get back down there," Morris groaned, "the leg won't fix itself." Kurt nodded and looked to me before he started off for the hole again. I joined back with them as they went, along with a grim warning.

   "Alright, team," Mission Control called, "looks like we disturbed a nest of macteras... they must've caught your scent. Eradication protocol, team!" Kurt looked back to me, and I looked to him. "Fuck me," he groaned, "What the hell is a mactera?"

   I combed my brain for a moment for an answer, soon getting it. "You remember that flying thing that shot that barb at us?" I asked. Morris's face dropped slightly as he looked at the both of us.

   "You're kidding, right?" he asked, "Me and Kurt don't have the mobility for this shite." I nodded, then looked to my CRSPR. "You guys might not have the mobility," I echoed, "but I may have the firepower to take them out of the sky before they spit on you guys." The two looked to one another as Kurt thought to himself.

   "I'll leave you up against the Mini-M.U.L.E.," he explained to Morris, "and if any of those flying sons a' bitches look at you, I got my SG to toss near you. Moleboy and I will be taking them down, you can join if you want... but if you're too weak, then don't." Morris took it all in and looked a bit worried... but he nodded softly. "Alright... I'm putting my trust in you two. Don't have me die down here," he sighs.

   We soon reached the Mini-M.U.L.E. and Kurt put Morris down against it. I ran and snatched the leg as I heard my earpiece click on. "Get to cover, the mactera are here!" Mission Control shouted in warning.

   I ran as fast as I could, quickly reaching the two and giving Morris the leg. He immediately got to work fixing the leg to the Mini-M.U.L.E. as the air filled with buzzing.

   I looked around in the now dark area above, seeing no glowing in the dark. The darkness almost felt like it was choking me how thick it was. Not even an inch ahead can be seen, even though the flashlight is on.

   "Loogie!" Kurt shouted as he yanked me back. I jumped and yelped out "Hey! What the hell!?" before seeing a yellow-green glow fly into where I stood.

   I looked back at Kurt, who had fire his revolver as soon as I turned. The bang was so loud that I went deaf in my left ear for a moment, but I was happy to see one of the mactera fall from the sky with a dull glow the same color as the projectile was.

   "Thank you!" I responded after, more as an apology for shouting at him. The glowing internals then slowly faded into the dark as we looked around in the sky.

   "Here!" Morris shouted, pulling the pin off a flare and tossing it. The area around us lit up with a somewhat good red light. A black mactera was flying just ahead of us, their glowing weakspot covered by a thin looking carapace. I immediately shot my CRSPR up toward it and pulled the trigger.