The Fall - Part V
As quiet as she tried to be, the creature stopped in its tracks and slowly turned around. Its eyes lit up with inhuman pleasure as it saw CJ. “My master foresaw your arrival and sent me here to watch for you. He knew you would attempt to disrupt our power.”
CJ swallowed and cleared her throat, “Well, of course he foresaw. He attacked our home.”
“Because you stand in the way of our Grand Cause. No one must be allowed to stop us.”
“Yeah, we’ve heard that often enough.”
Its ears twitched. “Enough talk. I will give you one chance to join us. The rewards would be great.”
“No thanks. I prefer my world un-dominated.”
The beast snarled, then threw its head back in a chilling howl before charging for CJ.
“Cynthia! Down!” Without looking back, CJ dropped to the floor as her companions opened fire on the beast. Most of the bullets bounced off the armored chest plate the beast was wearing. As bullets neared his head, a glowing hemisphere sparked as the shots bounced. This registered in CJ’s mind at the same time as a faint glow from what she thought was an ornamental jewel. Quickly, she threw the rod end over end at the creature’s chest. It missed the jewel-like setting in his armor, but had the intended effect.
The chest plate started to spark. The creature looked down at the dent in its armor, “No! My vestments!” The sparks erupted all over it and it howled in pain, before it cut off into a gurgle as it collapsed into a smoking heap on the floor.
Carefully, Hitomi went up to it and nudged it with a foot, then felt around its neck for a pulse. “At least I think it’s a pulse.” She shrugged. “C’mon. Let’s get this done before Barky here wakes up again.”
The four of them walked into the generator room, and were enveloped by heavy thrumming sound that they felt more than heard. CJ winced, her hearing more sensitive than the others. “What is it?” She had to shout to be heard.
Hitomi shook her head. She looked as if she was having trouble understanding what she was looking at. It looked not right in some undefinable way. Hitomi circled the machine and was studying it intently, most likely committing it to memory for later. Soon, she shook her head as if to clear it and gave a thumbs up. They wasted no time in planting the C-4 around the room. When they finished, CJ stood for a moment.
“You okay, partner?”
CJ nodded, “Yeah. Should we get out of here?”
Buck nodded, and gestured toward the door, not even attempting to speak over the thrum. As they walked out of the room, Hitomi toyed with the detonator as she looked back at the massive machine. Alana gently turned HItomi back and out the door.
CJ swallowed and cleared her throat, “Well, of course he foresaw. He attacked our home.”
“Because you stand in the way of our Grand Cause. No one must be allowed to stop us.”
“Yeah, we’ve heard that often enough.”
Its ears twitched. “Enough talk. I will give you one chance to join us. The rewards would be great.”
“No thanks. I prefer my world un-dominated.”
The beast snarled, then threw its head back in a chilling howl before charging for CJ.
“Cynthia! Down!” Without looking back, CJ dropped to the floor as her companions opened fire on the beast. Most of the bullets bounced off the armored chest plate the beast was wearing. As bullets neared his head, a glowing hemisphere sparked as the shots bounced. This registered in CJ’s mind at the same time as a faint glow from what she thought was an ornamental jewel. Quickly, she threw the rod end over end at the creature’s chest. It missed the jewel-like setting in his armor, but had the intended effect.
The chest plate started to spark. The creature looked down at the dent in its armor, “No! My vestments!” The sparks erupted all over it and it howled in pain, before it cut off into a gurgle as it collapsed into a smoking heap on the floor.
Carefully, Hitomi went up to it and nudged it with a foot, then felt around its neck for a pulse. “At least I think it’s a pulse.” She shrugged. “C’mon. Let’s get this done before Barky here wakes up again.”
The four of them walked into the generator room, and were enveloped by heavy thrumming sound that they felt more than heard. CJ winced, her hearing more sensitive than the others. “What is it?” She had to shout to be heard.
Hitomi shook her head. She looked as if she was having trouble understanding what she was looking at. It looked not right in some undefinable way. Hitomi circled the machine and was studying it intently, most likely committing it to memory for later. Soon, she shook her head as if to clear it and gave a thumbs up. They wasted no time in planting the C-4 around the room. When they finished, CJ stood for a moment.
“You okay, partner?”
CJ nodded, “Yeah. Should we get out of here?”
Buck nodded, and gestured toward the door, not even attempting to speak over the thrum. As they walked out of the room, Hitomi toyed with the detonator as she looked back at the massive machine. Alana gently turned HItomi back and out the door.
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