fanfic_name = And Thunder Rolls

chapter = 11

author = Adam Scott

Rating = O18

Type = Alternative Universe

fanfic = Chapter 11 - Some Dreams Do Come True



        A buzzer goes off, then again only longer. Then a blinding stream of light pierces the darkened ready room. Once my eyes adjust I see Tami standing in the doorway. "We're ready to enter orbit Sir" she says. "Ok. I'll be right there" I groggily reply. I straighten out my jacket and put on my hat to hide my bed head. There is a small sink in one corner so I splash a little water on my face to help drive away the circles under my eyes. Then I walk out to the bridge.



        Tami gives me a quick run down of the situation. "There are tiny sources of light coming from the surface of Triol but we aren't receiving any signs of electronic devises or machinery, nothing, total silence." I nod my head, "and the scout team is ready, Sir" announces Tami. I give the order to launch. The Skull and the Red Griffins, in Alpha/Beta combo's take point with Captain Vince Grant and the SOC (Surface to Orbit Command unit) following close behind. Col. Edwards is also onboard, commanding the ground forces. They are going to use the new Cyclone body armor/motorcycle developed by Dr. Lang and General Reinhardt.



        The small force approaches the planet with caution. The lack of electronic signals doesn't mean there aren't hostiles still present. Soon they broach the atmosphere and we temporarily lose radio contact. Our only indication of where they are is the glowing trail of superheated ions they leave behind. A few minutes later we regain radio communication. They are approaching the highest concentration of lights and touch down a few kilometers away to approach from the surface. The Cyclones take the lead, the fighters stay back with the SOC to provide protective cover. Video transmissions from the SOC show a world that has been recently thrown into a nuclear winter. Everything is frozen, the surface temperatures are well below zero. All atmospheric moisture is gone, crystallized into a thin layer of frost that coats everything. Even though the flora and fauna are destroyed the residual oxygen levels are still relatively high, which means that they haven't been in this state for very long.



        The first pair of Cyclones reaches visual range of the lights. It isn't a fire or electric lights but a biomass formation, emanating heat and light. Oxygen levels around the formation are sky high, almost volatile. As a precaution all mecha switch to battery, a reflex reactor in that rich of an oxygen environment can be explosive at best. The SOC finally arrives on scene. Faint life readings are directly below them. Max and Miriyas' squadrons begin a sweep of the area to check for a way in. We don't have the equipment to tunnel down the one kilometer to the source of the readings.



        In the mean time the ground troops set up a perimeter and the SOC settles into command mode, raising its vast array of sensors and communication equipment. Once in position it starts a more through sensor sweep. After several moments the readings come back in. The life forms are defiantly humanoid, but they are in poor condition.



        Max reports in that there is an apparent entrance to the underground tunnel system about 40 clicks to north of the SOC's position. Edwards and a squad of cyclones head in that direction to secure a path. Vince and the SOC follow shortly behind.



        Dr. Lang joins me on the bridge after going over the initial sensor readings. "Admiral," he says, "This is just a hypothesis but I believe that the biomass projections are an advanced form of proto-culture. I would even venture to guess that they are an incubator of some sort but to what purpose if have no idea"



        We stare at the video screens, monitoring the activities on the surface. Col. Edwards and the Cyclones enter the tunnel system slowly, keeping an eye out for anything out of place. The video feed starts to deteriorate the deeper they go in. Reinhardt orders Vince to boost the signal, which helps a little but not much. Soon, all we are left with is the sound of armored foots steps and the occasional status report.



        Deeper they go, Edwards reports that the walls seem to be glowing with the same eerie light as the formations above. Deeper and deeper into the caverns they progress. Sensors onboard the SOC show them only a few hundred meters from the closest  life forms but Edwards and his team cannot see them yet. Then an explosion thunders through the speakers accompanied with the sound of weapons fire. The platoon is in total chaos. The sensor displays light up with activity and too many contacts to track. I hear one of the privets shout "They came out of the walls!" then his voice was silenced after a deafening blast. Edwards and the few surviving soldiers are forced deeper into the caves. The life readings on their sensors now they run for their lives towards them.



        Whatever was chasing them, stops short and our video feed returns. It will not approach the area where the humanoid life forms reside. Edwards and the remaining Cyclones enter the small chamber. Inside they discover what appear to be four humans, two adults and two children. They are barely clinging to life. Obviously starved and dehydrated. Something about this room has protected them from the creatures outside. One the life forms stirs and begins to speak in a confounding tongue. Exedore is brought in to translate but even he has trouble deciphering it at first. The humanoid just keeps repeating the same verse over and over again, perhaps, hoping that we would understand.



        Then I saw something for Edwards that I never thought could happen, compassion. He bent down and picked up one of the children and cradled it to his body. Then he set's it down, the child letting out a small gasp as he did. The Colonel, hardened as he may be, shed a single tear from his good eye. He quickly wiped it away and rallied his remaining troops. They had to get these people to Vince and the medical staff aboard the SOC.



        With communications reestablished, Max lead the squadron of Alpha's, in battleoid, down the same shaft, there would be no surprises this time. Swiftly they went, until they finally reached the main chamber. Sitting there, with its back to them watching the passageway to where the humans were trapped, was the creature with a purplish metallic hue with large sweeping shoulders and short but stout legs. The head could not really be seen, hidden by two large projections from its shoulders. Max signals the squad to spread out and take cover. Once they were in place he lays down cover fire. The creature spins around in response.



        Watching the monitor I freeze, my heart skips a beat and I can feel the blood drain from my face. The creature is the one from my dreams, the one that has tortured my every waking moment for so long now, the one that I must destroy and all of its kind.



State = Continuará/To Be Continue

feedback = Sí/Yes

email = jscott_73ATyahoo.com