Chapter 10: Chapter 10 – Upon deaf ears

Chapter 10 – Upon deaf ears

“You don't understand! You cannot land that ship under any circumstances! A-are you listening?!”

The line paused for a few seconds as the panicked Lioness made her case over the intercom. The last few hours had been spent painstakingly inching across the city in her wounded state and climbing the somewhat rickety ladders to the tallest part of the entire city, the comms centre. It was no more than a couple of rooms on top of a massive set of metal scaffolds, with many sets of aerials, dishes and wires hanging from its extremity.

She'd always wanted to come up here, the view was actually spectacular as the city was mostly built quite low to the ground and the comms tower literally towered above everything by a significant amount, giving it a beautiful view over the surroundings in every direction, including the glorious sun-rise that was pouring in golden light through the windows- and the freighter which was currently descending slowly towards the drop pad on the city outskirts. Under different circumstances, this would have been a lovely way to spend a morning, but right now the wounded and absolutely exhausted Lioness was sitting in a rickety office chair, glued to the control panels in front of her and trying with all her might to stop the ship from landing, the fate of the entire sector, all the surrounding space stations and planets depended on it. Without warning, the intercom buzzed alive again and a new voice crackled through it.

“This is the Captain speaking, my officer has passed the communication over to me. Who am I speaking with and what appears to be the issue?”

“Captain! My name is Oxyi Vennit, I'm a security expert and the last person alive in the city, I-i-i must insist that you do NOT land that ship!”

“For what reason Miss Vennit?” The captain spoke sternly through the intercom and didn't sound impressed.

“J-just Oxyi is fine. Captain, I don't even know where to start but the entire planet is compromised, I have spent the last few days under constant assault and I nearly died last night-”

“Oxyi, I need you to understand my situation here.” He interrupted abruptly. “I have 20,000 refugees from a Devils Meltdown a couple stops back, they urgently need somewhere to stay and they're insisting I land. They have little food and cannot stay aboard this ship much longer. I understand the settlement has been abandoned and it sounds like a perfect fit. If you're struggling with a few bandits or pirates, we have a guard unit on board and i'm happy to dispatch them to clear out the issue, I will delay this journey to ensure the safety of the people on board, but there is no where else they can go.”

“Captain, I can't overstate the scale of the issue, theres thousands of them, they took everyone here who didn't run! The city is fucked and i've been shooting my ass off to survive! If you land, they'll get your ship and the people on board and-and that means they can start attacking the nearby systems!” Oxyi was nervously fidgeting with the cable between the headset and the control panel, her foot bobbing anxiously. “People have been disappearing for months now and we found where they were going and-and-and I think they've been infected with something that's driving them crazy because one of them tried to hump my leg and I used to know him but he was different and I shot some people in a forest and-and-and they grabbed me from behind and my friend gave himself up for me and if you land that ship then it'll all be for nothing! It can't be for nothing, Captain... Please...”

She knew she rambled the last part but she couldn't help herself, this was the most important conversation of her entire life and the weight of the last few hours was really hitting her... she clutched the headset strongly, listening closely for any sort of response...

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Diego's ears bolted up and listened closely, as the others were celebrating their escape, enjoying the crisp outside air and wondering what next to do, he could very clearly hear multiple sets of engines in the air. The distant rumble of the freighter engines was clearly audible to him, they were loud, heavy and powerful, designed to lift hundreds of thousands of tons of ship and cargo, sturdy and reliable. Behind that though, there were more rumbles through the sky, something leaner and faster...

His thoughts were suddenly clarified when the trees around them shook violently and two low flight assault craft hurtled by, disappearing out of vision as fast as they appeared, shocking the group into silence as they roared overhead. He couldn't be sure, but he was absolutely convinced that they belonged to the Draconic Alliance, judging from the shape and the hazy cobalt coloured plasma trails their engines left in the air.

It took the group only a couple of seconds to notice the palpable anxiety rolling through the male as he thought about what that could mean.

“You alright, Diego? Any idea what that was about?” Trent asked, quickly coming over to the lizard, the others following him.

“I think that was the DA...” He was worrying more with each passing second as he connected possible ideas in his head.

“Do you think they're here to help with all this shit?” Geralt pondered, checking around to see if they'd been followed out of the dungeon. “Finally put an end to it?”

“Maybe they've seen whats going on?” Tivy skirted right up to Diego and gently grabbed his hand, trying to comfort him.

“They've seen something alright.” Diego remarked pessimistically, frowning. “I think they might be here for me...”

“For you? You're wanted by the DA?” Geralt questioned but didn't seem too alarmed.

“Yeah. I can't believe it at this point, but yeah.”

“What for?”

“Long story. Too long. I need to get out of here, I'm not letting those bastards take me.” Diego did an inventory check in his head and was thinking of how best to get everyone out. For some reason, Diego had expected the team to kick off or abandon him, but they all stood there and smiled warmly.

“That was the plan, right?” Trent patted his shoulder in a reassuring fashion. “We're not friends of the DA either, doesn't matter why they want you. We're sticking together and getting out.”

“Right! Fuck the DA!” Geralt nodded enthusiastically. “They're not getting my boy Diego.”

“Fuck the DA!” Tivy leapt into the air, pumping her fist dramatically.

Behind them all, Plasia remained silent, her face covered with worry similar to Diego's but she remained quiet, fidgeting nervously and looking at the male occasionally.

“So what are our options then?” The lizard felt empowered by his companions trust in him, but he was closely watching the nervous alien as he spoke.

“What about the Freighter?”

“We can't. If Leech is anywhere close, Plasia will lose herself and turn on us, we have to keep her away from Leech. That means getting her as far away from this place as possible.” Diego stated firmly, he was serious about getting Plasia to safety and that meant taking her condition into account.

“OK. I bet the freighter's screwed anyway, this lot haven't failed to subdue anything they've attacked so far. Getting out of here is by far the best choice.” Geralt shrugged,

“You guys good at long journeys?” Tivy asked, plotting something in her head. “I know of an outpost right out on the coast, its like three days drive from here but it had a small space dock and a little fighter jet, would be enough to get us off the planet if we get cosy?” She rather liked the idea of being squished in with the guys.

“That... would work.... we literally just need to get off the planet. Theres a few space stations and mining outposts in the system, we can stop at any one of those and go from there!” The group began to fill with excitement again at Tivy's suggestion as Trent planned further.

“Well, what are we waiting for?! Lets play it safe, stay away from these fucks and find us a vehicle!” Geralt turned on the spot, ready to head off immediately and the others almost joined him until Diego blurted out suddenly.

“Wait... I... I need to find Seeth too. I can't leave her behind. I said I'd help her and I meant it.”

“Diego... I get that this is what you do... but with all due respect, we have no idea where she even is...” Trent seemed genuinely sorry to try and convince Diego that it was a bad idea.

“You don't know how involved she is with this stuff either... How do you know shes not the one leading the attack on the freighter?” Tivy was almost pleading with the lizard, she was desperate to leave and didn't want to risk any more than she had to.

Geralt placed a hand firmly on his shoulder, he understood.

“As much as I get it, Trents right. Without knowing where she is, we can't do anything... I need to find my daughter, but I can't do it naked in the forest with a rifle that I barely know how to use... we can come back with reinforcements!”

“I- I just... I said-” An internal struggle played out right in front of the group, it was painful to watch him battle himself in such a manner... There were a million reasons to leave and only one to go back... Diego turned towards the group and went to speak before noticing Plasia was welling up with tears again, her fidgeting was reaching hysteria levels as her hands shook and wrapped around one another endlessly. “Plasia...? Whats going on? You OK?”

“I know where she is...” She stammered out, whimpering sadly. She pointed at her wounded face. “S-she did this to me... I remember what happened.”

“What?! Why?! I thought you two were friends?!” Diego recoiled in surprise, reaching over to the weeping alien and holding onto her arms to calm her down.

“W-we are friends. She didn't hit me... she hit other me...”

The group went silent again, listening closely to her words.

“S-she came down into Leech's lab just before I bumped into you... She was screaming at Leech, told her that she needs to stop all this corrupting stuff... They were fighting... I jumped on her and she hit me through a wall...”

“Through a wall?! How badly hurt are you?!” Diego was becoming increasingly alarmed at Plasia's words.

“I'm fine... Diego- She needs help. She's in trouble...” She broke into a full wail, her chest shuddering as she continued to try and get the words out. “I don't know what happened between her and Leech but as I was running a-away, I s-saw Moltezz heading over... Moltezz is so strong, Diego... she can't fight that... Moltezz doesn't take kindly to people who betray her...”

The group turned to look at one another before looking back at the lizard... they knew what was coming... a mix of feelings spread through them but no one was happy at the revelation.

You are reading story Sweet Venom – Rebroken at novel35.com

“I'm going back.” He stated firmly once more.

“I'm not!” Tivy shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes now. “I can't do it! We've just escaped! I can't go back in!”

“Me neither, I'm sorry Diego, I can't bear that right now... not to rescue another one of these things...” Geralt motioned towards Plasia.

“I'm not asking you to.” The lizard's body sparked with energy as he prepared some psyonics. “This is my battle, I'm not asking any of you to fight it for me. Plasia, I want you to stay here with these guys and keep everyone off them with your weird control thing, its too risky to have you come back into the dungeon. Guys, you need to keep an eye out for Leech, if she gets to Plasia then her other side will come out and things will turn bad. If Leech turns up, you run. If i'm not back in one hour, I've failed and you should leave without me.”

“Diego... You can't- What about the DA?” Trent to try and convince him once again but was cut off by the lizard.

“Trent, do you trust me?” He held out an armoured hand to the fox.

“I do.” He responded immediately, not a single doubt in his head.

“Then i'm asking you to trust me again. I mean it, if i'm not back in an hour, you guys take Plasia and you get the hell out of here. Keep each-other safe.”

The lizard went to leave but felt the fox pull him back and throw his arms around him, Geralt and Tivy both joined him, hugging the lizard close. Then Plasia shyly waddled over and engulfed the group in her grip, squeezing them all. They all broke away after a few seconds and nodded in agreement with the plan.

“You better make it back Diego. Tivy wants another cuddle!” Geralt laughed, just about controlling his tears.

“Be safe, Diego! You promised us too!” Tivy squeaked, giving Geralt a little thump in the leg.

“You're absolutely crazy dude.” Trent laughed in disbelief. “I can't believe you're actually going back in there. In spite of the DA turning up too, you're on another level.”

“Yeah, me neither. But I believe in her, Trent. I had a connection with her. I can't give up on that just because its easier to do so... She needs me right now, I can feel it. One hour, then you guys go, right?”

“Everyone needs you right now my friend. Do what you gotta do.” Trent took a deep breath and patted him on the shoulder.

The group nodded together, watching the lizard turn his back and jog off into the treeline, back the way they came.

“So... we actually leaving in one hour?” Geralt asked, feeling like he already knew the answer.

“Not a chance in hell.”

The lizard ran off into the depths of the woods once again, knowing he was going in alone, without Plasia to keep Slaves and Nodes off him, right back into the cage he'd just broken free from... His pace increased, he roared into the air, psyonic plating forming around his body and making him sprint even faster, he drew his sword from his back and charged towards the wrecked factory, his grip firm and steady, blood pumping hot through his veins, failure was not an option.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Back in the comms tower, out of the corner of her eye, Oxyi spotted two moving objects in the sky, descending quickly toward the ground in the middle of the forest, it looked like two assault ships due to the speed of their descent, much smaller than the freighter, usually used for transporting hit squads of marines.

“Oxyi, what exactly has happened here? If I don't drop these people off here its going to cause serious issues, my ship is full and the next stops are high traffic areas, no where else has the capacity for this amount of people, I already called it in and asked, this is the best shot these people have at surviving.”

“Please! You can't! They've taken everyone! There's no one left! Someone came to help me and they fucking took him too! I can't let you land that ship, captain! You're literally going to feed them more people!”

“Who took your friend, Oxyi?”

“I-I don't know what to call them! They're like zombies! But theres aliens too, they're big! They're really strong! They control people! Fucking Controllers or something?!!”

The line went quiet once more, after a couple more minutes of anxiety filled silence, Oxyi spoke again, desperate to move the conversation forward.

“Captain! If you land-”

“I don't believe you.”

She paused, voice creaking as she comprehended what was just said. It felt unreal.

“CAPTAIN! I DIDN'T RIG MY APARTMENT WITH EXPLOSIVES FOR FUN!” Oxyi yelled down the microphone, tears once again stinging her eyes.

“Oxyi, you are an exceptional actor, I truly believe you believe every word you're saying. But I can see people waiting on the drop pad and i've just been informed that two light craft have entered the atmosphere and are landing somewhere close. Your story doesn't make sense, my colleagues believe you're a claim hopper and you're trying to salvage this city for yourself-”

“NO! NO! YOU CAN'T LAND, CAPTAIN! THEY TOOK EVERYONE AND TRANSFORMED THEM INTO PUPPETS!”

“I will utilise the guards on board to deal with this, if its even true. These people have no where else to go Oxyi. Its your word versus what my crew can see and the 20,000 refugees onboard.”

“YOU WILL DOOM THEM ALL, CAPTAIN!” Oxyi screamed down the microphone, standing from the chair in anger. “IF YOU LAND, YOU WILL KILL EVERYONE ON BOARD AND EVERYONE IN THE SYSTEM! THEY WILL COME FOR YOU!!! DO YOU HEAR ME?!”

The Lioness stared out from the Comms room in sheer horror as the freighter began to descend.

“I don't have time to argue. We're on a timer here, I trust in my crew. We will handle this.”

“IDIOT MAN! YOU'RE FEEDING THEM! YOU'RE GOING TO MURDER HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IF YOU LAND THAT SHIP!”

“I'm sorry Oxyi. Please remain calm, I'm sure its not as bad as you think-” He sounded unsettled but pressed on anyway.

In a fit of rage, she threw the headset across the room and hammered on the chair with her fists, looking out over the ship as it continued with its landing procedure.

“I... I can't stop them... I can't do anything right...” she gazed vacantly out the windows, utterly defeated, surveying the cityscape. “There's nothing I can do... is there?”

The second room in the comm tower was a break area, with a small kitchen, rest room and a sofa, a quick look in the kitchen revealed some spare bottles of beer which the Lioness cracked open with a shaky, bloodied hand and she returned to the main room, collapsing into the office chair and staring out across the landscape. The beer stung her throat as it went down, still sore from her fight earlier but she didn't care. She would watch the planet fall a second time from here, there was nothing else to be done...

 

------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Smarten up folks, we're about to land in two minutes.” The DA captain tapped on his gauntlet to ensure he was connected to the second ship, which came through correctly. The assault crafts were rapidly descending, finding a gap in the treeline to land not to far away from the abandoned factory. Within each craft was a squad of 20 soldiers, each with a captain who's armour had a white helm to indicate their rank.

“Team A is breaching first, I want the laser drills down fast and burrowing within 30 seconds of landing, we want a nice smooth tunnel to the agreed entry points, we're hitting them fast with the element of surprise, weapons hot on entry. This is a smash and grab operation with a secondary objective that team B will be looking into. Team A, you're looking for the target, we've got several disabler specialists in the squad with anti-psyonic equipment in place. He's a Roamer Tanner, Coralith Komodo, black skinned, purple eyes. He was recorded on the freighter schedule and we've tracked him underground to the complex we mapped earlier. His status is unknown but he's wanted alive. Scyler, what's the secondary objective?”

“The planet has been effected by some sort of anomalous infective entity, we're unsure about the details yet but everyone needs to have their Envirashields on at all times. Locals have been disappearing or abandoning the planet, we're not here to neutralise them, just to gather data. Team B has already been briefed on what to do, we'll be taking samples and looking for data to bring back. Weapons free on any infected targets. We've got our own breach point but lets keep pace with team A, drill out and deployed within 30 seconds.”

“Finally, both myself and Scyler have anchor stones back to the ships, if things turn bad, we'll shatter them and teleport everyone out. Scramble code is 'Nile' for team A and 'Diver' for team B, if you hear those words respectively, immediately return to your captain for wormhole extraction.”

The soldiers all nodded and prepared to land, each dressed in DA mesh armour, with powered shields and Vulcan weapons, their shields hummed with power, weapons whirred to life and prepared to spit death. Smash and grab.

You can find story with these keywords: Sweet Venom – Rebroken, Read Sweet Venom – Rebroken, Sweet Venom – Rebroken novel, Sweet Venom – Rebroken book, Sweet Venom – Rebroken story, Sweet Venom – Rebroken full, Sweet Venom – Rebroken Latest Chapter