The Milky Way Saga: Cities to Embers (Book 1 of 3)

Chapter 03: Last One Out's A Glass Egg!

09:42 January 15th, 2160

This thing is ugly. Not just kinda ugly, but the kinda face that would make someone lose their lunch if they came up on it too fast. It had an elongated snout, like a dinosaur. and very large teeth, the bottom row of which poked out of his mouth. He had long, skinny arms with huge paws? No, more like claws with a palm.He stood at over eight feet tall, and that was with his knees bent. He had a long, snaky neck and big pink eyes. He wore body armor that covered his scaly body. IT was Blue in most spots, but also a weird color, one I've never seen before. It was like a mixture of green and purple, but at the same time it wasn't either one. Just it's own unique color, like it was too magnificent for human eyes. But there it was, for my eyes to behold. Mesmerizing... mesmerizing... mesmerizing... mesermseringg... mersmseizgni...

He was on me so fast that my only thought was to duck, so I did. I barley missed his giant hand coming down on my head.it demolished the computer board it hit, and let out a scream, Like it was hurting him. He pulled free as I reached for my PH-46 Side Arm, and it wasn't there. "Damn!" I jumped to the left as he began to charge at me. I got up and found the exit, so I ran for it.He grabbed me as I reached the door and threw me on my chest, knocking the wind out of me. I stood as I gasped for air. He walked over to me and I kicked him in the left knee, and he went do with a SKRAAAAACK!, and then something in Latin, I'm sure. It seems to be what they speak. He threw his weapon, something I'd never seen before. It was a bright yellow, not gold, yellow rifle-looking thing. It had a large funny shaped handle and a short barrel. it had a thick body. I put my hand around the handle and thought Shoot!

Again, the Fizzle-pop sound, like a hum of a huge vibration then a long bap sound. The projectile left the gun so fast, and with so little kick that I wasn't sure it happened. Not until, that is, until I heard a loud thud and cracking sound. The Denizen hitting the metal floor, and breaking it when its heavy head finally hit. Whoa.

Then a loud grumble, so loud it hurt my ears. The ship started to shake and I looked at the Denizen, his chest was glowing red, and projecting a red hologram. Again, something in Latin and I was a little too shaken up to try to read it. I stated to the exit; maybe there is something I can get into, a ship or something, get off this little remote rock and hook up with some actual colony. definitely not in the Master System, huh, such a big name for such an insignificant system...

I started out into the hall, I found the doors and right outside was the ship that the officials were in to come and get me. But then, where are the officials?

I heard a snap and an inhuman crunch and slurp as one of those things passed in front of the door way, holding was I guess was a leg that belonged to one of them. What the Fuck? I continued walking, slowly, keeping quiet until I reached the end of the hall, I peeked around and counted three, all unarmed, all eating other human beings. Well, at least She didn't go out like that. I decided to do the one thing I was trained to do: Kill.

I jumped out of the hall, into the open reception room and opened fire. I killed all three fairly quickly. I smiled, thinking I was so cool, taking down four for four on the ugly asshole team. But then I instantly regretted going all Guerrilla. At least seven more were in the hall that was heading East of the other one I'd just jumped out of. Shit. I hopped back around the corner of my hallway, and crouched as round after scorching hot laser round whizzed by my face. it ceased, I heard foot steps- or what you could call footsteps- coming my way. I turned the corner and shot five more in a barrage of lasers. Screams and howling is what came from the rest as they came charging at me. I rolled by the two other were left, these were wearing different color armor, it wasn't a color I recognizes, but it was different from the others, Maybe superiors. I ran for the door and then the Microship, a small, four to five man ship, great for short travels. It had a name on it's side. It said MWR Last One Out. A Government ship? To get me off this rock? Earth is light-years away. Would they risk the enemy being able  to use our Jump-Slots? Could the enemy use our Jump-Slots?

I got into the ship. Papers, folders and more papers all had things written about me on them: about my parents, Ember II, the Waard family, The Navy, all of it. Like looking at my life in text form. I called out, "Shipbored AI, say I?" There was no answer. "Shipbored AI, please say I."

"I. Hello, ISAAC FREE. How are you today?"

"Peachy keen, can we get off this rock?"

"Request confirmed. Now leaving Destiny, DREADNOUGHT III, of the MASTER System. Destination, captain?"

"Um- Earth, Sol System."

Request Denied. Please select a new destination." What do you mean request denied?

"Shipbored AI, override serial code IF-0789124."

"...Override confirmed. Destination, Captain?"

"Earth, Sol system!"

"...Request Denied, captain. Please select a new destination."

"GODDAMN IT! I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!"

"Command invalid."

"Alright, what did he say it was... Shipbored AI, override serial code JF-0001239"

"...Override confirmed, Hello GENERAL JOSEPH FORD. How are you today?"

"Fine. Set destination to Earth, Sol system."

"...Request confirmed, General. We will jump in approximately 45 seconds."

That's when I saw what had hurt my ears earlier. A ship so large and black that words do not do it justice. It was one theirs. This thing was at least a third the size of Pluto. It hunkered over the land that just five minutes ago I was at, and it did so in a hurry. It covered the Destiny Colony. There had to have been 200 people down there, far away from the isolated hospital I was at. 200 innocent lives of men, women, children. Old and young, sick and healthy. and I knew what was coming.

About two seconds before we jumped, time slowed down so much that a millisecond felt like hours, as I watched a beam of light fall - it looked like it fell from the ship - from the underbelly of the ship and plow into the earth of the planet below. flames and molten rock bubbled up along the surface like a sunspot would in the videos they showed us as kids in school. and just a few seconds later it was moving West, and you could see it. the now flattened molten glass surface of the planet. no sign of life in fifty mile radius. It was that moment that I realized what we were up against. Not Insurrectionists, not rebels, not even our own government, but something none of us can fight.

Extinction