A Rain of Demons

  A Rain of Demons

  Pox War Runners Episode 5

  By

  Joshua Done

  Edited by

  Tanya Andrious & Jana Miller

  Table of Contents

  1

  2

  3

  4

  Thank you for reading!

  About this eBook

  1

  Morning brought detonations in high orbit as the Tarin’Tal fleet moved closer and began a long range bombardment of the planet. There was no chance of the Relentless breaking the siege for our escape now. As it stood Suzie and I were trapped on New Croatia. I had a few gold pieces on me but most of my money and spendables were still on the ship, which was uncomfortably exposed on the capital’s landing pad.

  Our door was open to let the air flow into the room from the halls. The windows were locked down and the only airflow in the building was from its own circulators. There wasn’t anything toxic outside yet, but the results of orbital bombardment were never pretty, whether it was from alien weaponry or the debris of the local city the air during a siege could never be trusted.

  A soldier came through the door without so much as a knock and I felt my hand twitch and had my firearm ready to blast his liver. He, for his part never noticed, and I holstered the weapon in a dismissive motion. “Yah?” I asked as Suzie came through the connecting door between the two internal rooms.

  “Bernard said that the town’s pretty much on lockdown but you can probably find some food and basic supplies in the main bazaar, there are always some diehard shopkeepers that are open rain, shine, or shells.”

  “Good to know,” I said. “So I take it to mean that Simmons has no need of us.”

  “Not so Sir.” He said, handing me a communicator. It was an old school edition that relied on heavy radio transmission that could cut through the Tarin’Tal’s attempt to scramble everything in the more subtle side of the EM spectrum.

  Government buildings, no matter what century, nation, or civilization, so long as they are human, could always be relied on to have interior maps every five feet and we made our way to the street floor in short order. The soldier had been right and the street was entirely deserted, it was even complete with the obligatory bundle of paper blown across the street by the whispering wind. “Wow, I’ve never seen such a big city with so few people before.” Suzie said.

  “Oh the city doesn’t have any less people,” I said. “They are all just in bunkers, basements, and locked homes. There is no way they don’t know about the aliens in orbit and they don’t want to be in the streets when the bombs fall.”

  “Will it make any difference if they are in their homes or at work?” Suzie asked.

  “Yes,” I said. “It will. They don’t have to run through crowded streets and risk being trampled by crowds or shot by aliens. They don’t have to worry about where their loved ones are, and they can have the comfort of their homes and families instead of the fear and pandemonium of the invasion.”

  “But the real danger is bombs right? Wouldn’t they be trapped if a bomb hit their house?”

  “Yes they would, but where else are they going to be?” I asked her

  “Fighting.” she said emphatically. “Killing the people that came to kill them.” I rustled her hair.

  “You think a lot like your Dad.” I said. “And me.” I took a moment to breath the unfiltered air of the planet. Even though I’d had a full night’s rest I was already tired, it was the high gravity of the planet. Every step felt like I was carrying a heavy pack on some sadistic training exercise. Suzie, however, didn’t seem to notice.

  “Well someone’s open.” Arms spread wide as if she were running a hop-scotch line Suzie began tearing down the allies and corridors at a speed that would have been reckless for almost anyone else. I was hard pressed to keep pace. “Gai-pen.” She shouted gleefully! “I can smell Gai-pen.” Gai-pen is a combination human-illani dish that mixed the sweet and spicy nature of Mongolian chicken with a Smokey and barbequed flavor of a dish native to Lintalla. The resulting concoction was so tasty that it quickly spread to every human population experiencing even the tinniest contact with the Empire.

  It was only seven blocks until we found the only restaurant that was open in the entire market. I had seen a few ammo shops and weapon smiths that had caught my eye along the way and made a mental note to come back through them on our way back. They were sure to have a few meal packs incase everything got really hariy. The Gai-pen was good, not the best I ever had but food was food. Despite the circumstances the shop owner had a healthy line, I guessed there was a certain value in comfort food when your world was in danger.

  2

  “Hello there!” The owner of a shop called ‘Freddie’s firearms and tools of deadly destruction’ and the man was a colorful of his shop-name.

  “What are you doing still open?” I asked, “Not that I’m complaining.”

  “Rumor has it there’s a war on.” The man cackled. “That is relevant to my interests… and the interests of my customers.”

  “You aren’t scared of getting caught in the mayhem?” I asked.

  The man took a long pull from a stem stick before responding. “Nah, I live below the shop and I haven’t had any relatives since the exodus. So Its not like I’ve got much to worry about. Jimmy there is the closest thing to family I’ve got.” A young man who was lifting boxes of amo in a corner of the shop that apparently doubled as a supply cabinate waved in acknowledgement.

  “Fair enough. So what’s Walsh ammo going for these days?”

  “Imperial or Alliance?” He asked. I unholstered my weapon and popped out the mag and tossed it to him.

  “Imperial multi-mag.” I said. “’Should take both types.” The shop keeper whistled in admiration.

  “I haven’t seen one of these in a while. Gyro-stabilizers both vert and horizontal, infusers, negates, and a spinclip round picker. How did you come by it?” He handed the clip back, being careful as if it were a china doll.

  “Walsh is a family friend. The old man gave it to me for my eighteenth; it was an ascension present.”

  “Quite the gift, I hope you appreciate it.”

  “That I do.” I said nodding. “It’s saved my life eight- no, nine times now.”

  “I don’t have any doubt of that.” The man started rummaging through some boxes until he came out with a locked mettle case. “I’ve only got long fives and shot shock rounds for any Walsh anyway.” He said. “But for a hundred and twelve krone its all yours.”

  I popped open a sack of Imperial coinage and held up two Denarii. “How about two Imperials?” I asked. I didn’t know the exact exchange rate for krone-denarii, it was hard enough keeping up with Alliance credits as it was but I figured the D-K rate was at least sixty to one.

  “Done.” Freddie said and I tossed him the coins and he handed me the box. I refilled my amo pouches and drop clips and felt a sigh of relief as the comfortable weight tugged slightly on my belts.

  “Here you are,” I said, handing him the box back. “I don’t need that. Hay.” I said looking around one of the long Isles, “you have any meal packs? No telling how this whole mess is going to turn out and I want to make sure the little one gets three square.”

  “Sure do.” Freddie said, reaching behind the counter and pulling out a small duffel full of packs. “One Denarii,” I offered.

  “One and a half.” He came back.

  “One, denarii and two pieces, final offer.” Freddie chewed his lip in mock revulsion before agreed.

  “Fine, but only for the little one.” I tossed him the three coins and picked up the duffle. “You two be safe out there. Don’t let him get himself shot or eaten ye hear.” He said to Suzi
e, tossing her a candy bar.”

  “I’ll try she shouted back, stuffing the candy into one of the pockets on her cargo pants.”

  “You aren’t going to eat that?” I asked as we walked.

  “Well you aren’t eating the meal packs. I may want it when the airs dirty and the foods crap.”

  “Smart girl I said. Lets hurry, I just got a bad feeling.”

  “You mean the one where the hair on the back of your neck stands up and your bones itch.” I glanced down at her, quickening my pace.

  “Yah, that one.” I agreed. She stuck out her lower lip.

  “I hate that one, and I have it too.” I glanced up, something was decidedly not right, and kids were always more sensitive to pressure changes. At least that’s what they told us in school.

  “No troop ships.” I said. “Even in this gravity we would have felt the gravity shift like before.”

  “What if they don’t jump into the air?” She asked.

  Crap. I thought. That had to be it. They were breaking atmosphere without using the smash and toss tactic. I hit the communicator Bernard’s man had given me. Nothing but static came from the device.

  “Why isn’t it working?” Suzie asked as she rushed to keep up as I began running.

  “It may cut through long range jamming.” I said. “But its no good against anything within a few dozen miles. Keep low and silent.” Within moments I could hear the orbital batteries going off again and the booms of aircraft breaking the planet’s sound barrio flooded the city.

  “Keep to the walls.” I said as a small clump of people went running by from who knows where to reach some place that they certainly thought was better than where they had come from. That was part of the problem in battles and sieges. People are always either too scared to move, or think that the grass is greener in somebody else’s bunker. Neither is smart.

  I hadn’t heard any impacts or crashes, but that didn’t mean Tarin’Tal hadn’t entered the city. Validating my fear a squad of three of the bruits ran into the intersection before us. I put my hand behind me and froze. We were partially hidden by a restaurant’s tables but they wouldn’t do anything to protect us if the aliens opened fire. This keeps happening. I thought in frustration. If only I’d listened to my Dad and bought myself some armor, even a light suit, before taking jobs in pox space.

  The bull pointed down another alley and the two smaller creatures began barging down the road at his command. The bull was huffing and puffing but I didn’t think it was from running or even the planet’s heavy gravity, he was taking in the scents of the area. I prayed that ours wasn’t distinct enough for him to find us. For my part I was already sweating profusely. I glanced down at Suzie, who while breathing heavily, seemed otherwise unfazed by the extra exertion in the high gravity.

  Common you brute, I thought. I dare you to find us. Make my day. Somehow I was trying to use my internal thoughts to work reverse psychology on the hulking menace. Stupid? Yes. An excellent coping method? maybe.

  The ‘Tal let out a snort when a crash came from the ally and rushed down after its subordinates while shouting something in their rumbling language.

  I started following them but was stopped when Suzie started pulling on one of my ammo clips. “You want to follow them?!” The little girl may be tough and have a mean streak for revenge, but the Tarin’Tal did brutally kill her parents almost before her eyes, and they terrified her.

  “Best way to stay out of the way of other parties,” I said. “Besides, we might be able to pick them off if they’re careless.” That hit a cord with Suzan and a gleam of determination returned to her eyes.

  “OK.” She said, pulling out a device from her backpack and strapping it to her wrist.

  “I haven’t seen that before, what is it?” Suzie started pushing some buttons on it as we walked. “It’s the spider bot,” She said. “First thing my Dad’s program taught me was how to rearrange it with a few of the other of the things in the box to make this. I just finished it.”

  “It’s not tested yet is it?” I asked

  “No.”

  “What does it do?” I asked.

  “It throws stuff.” She said.

  “Like with a gravity blast?” I asked and she nodded vigorously. “Hmm… well don’t use it unless you have to. We have no idea if it will work or even backfire.”

  “OK.” She said disappointed.

  “Well test it when we don’t have to worry about giant aliens eating our guts.” Either our conversation was too loud or we had followed the creatures too quickly or maybe even the wind had shifted, but the crashes of a Tarin’Tal moving through the cramped alley started getting closer. We hunkered down behind a disposal bin and waited, praying the creature would get bored or called back by the others before it reached us.

  I motioned for Suzie to stay put and slowly made my way to the other side of the crate, waiting for the ‘Tal to reach us. With a final crash the alien, one of the smaller minions from earlier, bowled through a final stack of supplies the store owner had been receiving when the siege began and stood looking down at me. “Hi,” I said. “How are you doing? Have fun ravaging the livelihoods of some innocent saps?”

  The beast growled down and at me and said something in its own language. The sound, of course, came out more like grunts, growls and elongated versions of such than words, but such was the difference between different species and languages. I fired off three rounds into the beast’s chest. They were the short-range version and didn’t make much sound. Thank God for the round picker.

  The thing roared and I expected it to topple in a pile of its own gore. But I noticed the creature wasn’t bleeding nearly as much as it should have been. A cold wave hit me, were the short range rounds Imperial or the long? Alliance close range were made for humans, not ‘Tal and would barely break skin on the aliens.

  The alien didn’t give me a chance to come to a conclusion, let alone switch to plasma or long range rounds. A massive claw-clad paw-hand slammed into my outstretched arm and I felt something pop. The pain was excruciating but I didn’t think it was broken. My gun was gone. Fallen Earth! I thought, my gun! Where was my gun? Another a pile driver of a blow hit me in the head and things went really fuzzy really fast.

  I heard a voice as if it was from a long way off and down a tunnel. “Get away from him.” It shrieked. Suddenly the shadow was gone and there were loud crashes. The world stopped spinning and my vision cleared. Suzie was standing in front of me and had her arm pointed at the far wall which happened to have the lower half of a ‘Tal protruding from it.

  “What?!” I asked.

  “It works!?” Suzie shouted. “It really works!” The ‘Tal began pulling back from the wall, blood matted its fur and its growl was burbling from blood in its lungs but it was still a serious threat.

  “Great,” I said. “Hit it again!”

  “OK!” She shouted and hit the button on top of the device again. There was a tracer flash of distortion in the air between Suzie and the monster and then the ground and building around the ‘Tal crushed down as it a giant invisible hammer had slammed into it. The ‘Tal moaned once and then died.

  “Right.” I said getting up, ignoring the dust and rubble as it slid off me. “Lets get back to the command center and figure out what’s going on.”

  “OK.” She said enthused, kicking the dead alien in the leg as we went past. I don’t know what happened to the creature’s companions, but there were several detonations from deeper down another courtyard and I prayed whoever the creatures had come across had enough firepower to take on the aliens. I had to get Suzie to safety.

  It didn’t take us long to reach the bottom floor entrance that we had left from this morning. Unfortunately it had another squad blocking the entrance. Well, not so much as blocking but pounding away at it with a full bore kinetic cannon. We couldn’t go back, more ‘Tal were filling the city every minute and if things went from bad to worse we would need to reach the Vermillion, and the direct
trans-hubs were in the building. I looked down at Suzie. “How you feeling?” I asked in a hush.

  “Like some more payback.” She said grinning and holding up her mettle-encased forearm. I nodded.

  “Three, two,” I counted, “one!” We both stepped into the street and Suzie unlashed her grav-weapon. All three ‘Tal were thrown into the wall they were attacking. One fell into the still active stream of their weapon aimed at the door, it cut him cleanly in half. I double tapped both of the others before they could recover. I had switched to the powerful long range rounds and each impact to the brain could have killed its target by itself, but rules are rules for a reason and I ensured all three were as dead as could be. I flipped off the kinetic weapon and shot its control circuits, rendering it inoperable for any more of the aliens.

  The door was nothing but melted slag but the alien weapon had succeeded in cutting a two food circular hole in the door; not nearly big enough for the aliens but enough for us to slip through. “That was fun.” Suzie said. I didn’t think it was healthy for a kid to consider killing fun, even when those being killed were ruthless aliens bent on massacre and subjugation, and I made a mental note to talk about it with her later.

  No sooner had we made it inside the complex than a squad of half a dozen soldiers came barging down the hallway shouting obscenities and commands until they realized we were human and not nine foot tall aliens. “I’m Captain Grumman of the Imperial Mercenary Command. Where is Simmons or Bernard?” I asked.

  “Uh…” the commander of the squad spoke into a hardened comm. device. “This is S5 to Delta Yellow.”

  “Delta Yellow here, go ahead.”

  “I have Imperial civies here, a Grumman for the Governor.” There was a pause on the other end.

  “Code 97 S5, Delta Yellow out.”

  “You are gung-ho for code now?” I asked the soldier.

  “The advisor’s idea. The governor liked it a lot.”

  “Apparently. I agreed, does 97 mean you’ll tell us where to go?” He nodded.