Out of Space

Chapter 19: Ruins

A massive wolf, with a streak of silver fur on its back, its ivory tusks spanning over 2m, walks out of the tree line, sniffing the air. It stood upright, over 4m tall, and shook its self, displaying its impressive silver blue mane. Walking over to a spot of trampled and torn grass, it lowers its snot and sniffs the ground, before looking up at a trail leading towards the other side of the field.

The next few days at the base, the higher-ups ran several unexpected drills, some in the day, others in the middle of the night or just before dawn. A typical day at Blake's World lasts 27 earth hours, and the crew kept the days, weeks, months and time similar to Earth. The drills differ from an attack to the base, to biological outbreaks.

"They are starting to shape up properly," SSGT Pike says, as he stood before the tactical screen in the bridge watching the hive of activity at the base with the ship's cameras. He glances at his wristwatch timer, 9 mins 11 seconds. "Better than before, Sirs. Before, they took over 19mins to get into action." SSGT Pike says to Blake and Ford watching the action next to him.

"Good work Staff." Blakes watches in approval. "Making sure the men know what to do in an event of an attack." He watches the crew in the base drawing weapons and getting to their assigned positions. Simulated explosions popped here and there within the base compound. "Alright. End the exercise, and let the men stand down." He looks at the clock displaying the local time, 4:46 am.

"Thank you, Sir!" SSGT Pike did a parade ground salute and turn before exiting the bridge.

As the day started, work was divided into construction, foraging, security, production, and surveying. Constructions teams worked on building the infrastructure of the base, like the perimeter wall, or digging the newly approved 8km long trench to lay a water pipe to the deliver fresh water to the base. Other teams foraged for food like carr-atos, patrol the perimeter, creating cement, farming and exploring their surroundings.

Communication officer Clara sniffs a yawn as she sat at her console monitoring all communications in the base with the different teams work out in the fields. So far, all the communications traffic mostly involves mundane reports. She looks at the time, another 2 hours more to shift change. She sighs and leans back in her seat, wishing time could pass by faster.

Her console suddenly flashes an incoming transmission. "Base over." She taps the connect icon.

"Dog 4 to Base over, we ah, found something here." Clara leans over her console and waves to the XO, getting his attention.

"Dog 4, please report your current location and status." Clara continues, she pulls up the operation chart of the day, finding out who is Dog 4 and his team. "Sir, it's Cpl James's team. They are supposed to be surveying the North sector, grid H4." Clara said as XO Ford stood beside her.

"Base, Dog 4, eh we are at grid H4-B-3, over."

"Dog 4, Base, what is the situation, over."

"Base, Dog 4. We found some ruins of some kind over. Requesting orders over."

"Dog 4, this is Base, standby over." Clara looks up at XO Ford, waiting for his reply.

"Tell them to hold, we will dispatch more support his way," Ford said after deciding a moment.

"Dog 4, Base. Hold your position, back up and support on your way. Over."

"Roger Base, Dog 4 over and out."

"Get the Captain," Ford said to Clara.

Cpl James ended the call with Base and looks at the moss-covered ruins. A four stories tall tower-like structure made of stone, with the local flying creatures flying in and out of the crumbled roof. Several other collapsed structures surround the tower but nature has reclaimed most of it, only a few remaining walls remained standing. The techies were looking over the entire site, trying to determine how large the structure was, while the rest of his team were on alert, watching their surroundings of any danger.

He removes his gloves and touches the surface of the structure, feeling the rough stone surface. Who built these, he wondered, and if are they still around.

Suddenly yelling and sounds of gunfire erupted from the ruins. James turns and rushes towards the direction of gunfire, speaking into his comms as he ran. "What's going on? Who's firing!"

He saw 2 of the techies scrambling out from a lichen-covered building with a collapsed roof, next to the tower, 1 of them was firing his pistol wildly behind him. James quickly ran towards them, shouting. "What is going on?"

The techie yells something incoherent while continuing to firing into the depths of the ruins. James, losing his patience, jerks the techie's weapon away from him and slaps him. "Calm down!"

The wide-eyed techie blinks several times before saying "Monsters, little green monsters! They got Kristine!"

James quickly ordered the security team to stay on alert, and waves to 1 of the security guys in his black riot gear over. "Karl right?" James confirms his name, "You know how to do an entry?"

Karl nods, he checks his shotgun is loaded and follows James to the entrance of the ruins. James directed Karl to enter first with his shotgun, while he slings his M7A1 and draws his Glock 88 out.

With his left hand on Karl's shoulder, he grips Karl's shoulder to indicate Kal to advance. Both of them enter in step into the building with their weapons on the ready.

Even with part of the roof collapsed inwards, the shadows cast by the overgrowth and partially standing walls blocked most of the sunlight. A strong smell of rot and wet mud greeted both of them as they shone their flashlights left and right. Several empty bullet casings shattered all over the moss-covered stone floor glittered from their flashlights. Signs of struggle could be seen from the clumps of dirt and moss torn from the stone slabs.

"Corporal," Karl calls out. He directed his light to a small opening at the back of the building where a pile of stones sat. "Looks like a way in."

James crouch down and shines his light in, he couldn't see all the way in but the ground clearly shows signs of something heavy being dragged and other prints trampled all over.

"Damn," James report his situation to Base and quickly makes a decision. "Let's go in after them."

He tells the rest to wait for the backup at the entrance of the tunnel while he and Karl will advance into the tunnel to save the techie.

"Let's go!" James tells Karl, and the 2 of them bends down low and enters the tunnel.

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