Solar Warden by Jakob Waechter (best authors to read TXT) 📕

Ryan stepped into the hangar. His weapon was lowered.

The alien was a Gray. Naked but bigger than the one they knew. About one point eight meter. The face looked grim.

“Hello, I'm Major Ryan we come in peace,” Ryan said and slowly walked forward.

Caine waited in his cover position. There was a noise behind him.

“Welcome to Eden Major Ryan,” the alien replied while the drone was nearby following the conversation.

Caine turned to look back.

All of a sudden the contact to the first drone was lost.

“What happened?” Owens was asking who also followed the feed.

“Signal lost. Archer send the second one.” Newman ordered.

Archer used the manual control and took the left corridor. He strafed around the corner.

There it was!

An over two-meter-high reptilian creature. Bread and strong with a head similar to a turtle. The rest more gorilla like with reptilian skin. Naked but armed with a rifle like weapon. The weapon was bigger than a standard rifle fitting for the creature’s size. It was now targeting at the drone.

With quick reaction Samuel reversed the direction and moved down. The weapon fired a fast moving white energetic lighting beam. It missed and the comet like thing hit the wall were it with some sparkles and fluctuations vanished. Whatever it was, it seemed not to do much to the wall. Samuel had no time to check that but it was recorded. He now was busy to escape unharmed with the drone.

“Newman get your weapon ready. Archer move the drone back into the hall, hide it somewhere there. Then get also your weapon ready,” Owens ordered who now took the charge.

Another shot went through the corridor as the drone changed the direction to move into the corridor of the probable lifts. Then the alien creature went around the corner already running and targeting for the drone.

Owens started to fire and hit the creature which was now trying to evade. A second creature came around. Newman also fired some shots with his P-90. Both aliens fired. In a reflex both, Newman and Owens, turned away.

Newman was on the right side of the corridor while Owens was on the bottom left. The shots missed and hit the ground behind. Newman turned back to fire some uncontrolled shots. The huge aliens closed in and returned fire. Newman knew there was not much time to target and went back.

Now Owens rolled back to his Mk 48. The hit one creature was moving slower on the left side. While the other was running and passing the other on the right. Owens started to fire further hitting the left one. It tried to fire back but then a hit in the head seemed to finished it off. However, Owens could not realize that while continuing firing.

Newman was stepping to the side to fire again. The other alien was on the run at the end of the corridor. It did not aim. Then it moved to the right. Newman fired he could not see if he hit. The creature moved out of sight for him and then also for Owens which now realized his target was done.

“What is the other doing?” Owens asked after stopping firing.

“He is moving to one of the rooms on the right. I check,” Samuel was dropping his HK MP7 and controlling the drone with the open laptop for better view into the room.

“We are not able to go after him. Our position is also not the best anymore,” Newman mentioned.

“There is one of the bigger devices opening in the room. It is stepping in there. This seems like an…” Samuel waited to figure it out. Then a signal alert went in. A command over fiber optics. Samuel checked it. Which was a possible door look. The command was simple containing only a bit. He went to the door it didn't open. So he decided to try to send the same command with the inverse bit. “They locked the door. I try unlock it.”

“Damn an armor suit,” Newman figured out while checking the drone feed through his helm display. “He is already putting it on. This seems to go fast. Very fast. Better we get out of here.” He turned off the feed.

Samuel opened the panel. “I have to cut the connection then I can try to unlock the door.” He sent the inverse bit after unplugging a cable. Then went for the door. “OK, it's open again.”

“Get your stuff and run out of the door then left,” Owens ordered which was standing up with the machine gun.

Samuel used his laptop as tablet to check the drone feed. He was already out of the door. “Guys move faster he is at the corridor.”

Owens dropped the heavy gun to speed up. Newman went around the corner seeing Samuel dropping the laptop. He dropped his gun, the laptop was in his backpack. Then Owens came around. All sprinted left to the forest, knowing where to run not getting in the line of fire.

The door closed and opened up again. A mighty armored creature was now at the door. The armor looked not very massive. One shot went off against the armor and bounced off. The creature reacted to its new target. Another shot went off. Then the alien fired back to its new found target. It was out of the door on the move, slowing a bit down and firing. Further shots and burst of shots went off. Bullets bounced off the armor. The creature seemed to have problems deciding the targets. Then it started just to fire around. In all this shooting, now a much louder single shot went off. The creature stopped advancing. It seemed to search for a specific target. Then another one of this louder shot went off hitting the head of the creature. It finally went down.

“Secure the area. SW-2 move to the door then cover the corridor. SW-4 check the creature. SW-1 and 3 hold position,” Knight ordered over communication. “When the corridor is secured SW-5 get your equipment.”

The teams executed the order and two minutes later the corridor was secured. Samuel picked up his laptop. It seemed undamaged. He checked for the drone. The feed was still there. No one was in the hall to see.

One of the SW-4 members took the alien rifle. He targeted further away to the ground and tried to fire. It worked. They inspected the target location. There was not much to see from the impact.

Newman joined them. “Can I check the weapon?”

After a while he found an interface behind a cover to change the probably setting of the blast. He changed it from low to middle. The weapon was heaver then the ones they used.

“OK. Try again. But don’t fire it at a close target.” Newman gave the weapon back.

The soldier fired at a nearby tree. From their position they could see a black round area where the blast hit. They went closer to inspect. A part of the wood was burned in from the impact. But it did not burn through. Still the deepening was bigger than the barrel of the rifle where the comet like thing left.

“Could be useful,” the soldier mentioned. “We should figure out how many shots it has.”

“I will check. But it seems there is no status display for that.” Newman got the weapon again and a problem to solve.

Knight let the teams advance into the bigger hall which he wanted to secure. He went in to check the situation.

“There is only one such devices which held the armor and help to put it on. But there is other technical stuff we should figure out what it does,” Freeman the leader of SW-2 reported.

“We secure this hall further,” Knight informed and switched to wireless communication. “SW-4 when verified the creature is dead join us in the big hall. Newman and Archer I also need you here to check the devices. SW-1 secure the entrance hall and the corridor with the sniper rifle.”

Newman went into the hall with one of the SW-4 soldiers which was now equipped with the alien weapon.

Knight looked at the one which was carrying the weapon.

“Sir. I upgraded my weapon,” the soldier told proud.

“You know how it works?” Knight asked.

“Newman found the important things out. I have 102 shots at the higher middle settings. Guess it can shot holes in the wall in higher settings,” the soldier replied.

“Good, try it on the right wall there,” Knight pointed the direction where no one was standing.

The soldier modified the setting two levels up. Then targeted the wall and fired. The blast burned through the wall and went for the forest. They could not see where it ended.

“Impressive. But it would be good if it melts the wall not completely if we use it in here,” Knight noted. The soldier lowered the setting one step and fired again.

“Good, now check what setting you need to penetrate the armor of that creature.” Knight had now a plan in mind.

“Yes, sir.” The soldier went out.

Newman and Samuel were checking one of the devices. It helped much knowing most of the symbols.

“Newman can we figure out what happened with the others and the drone?” Knight asked.

“If we send our second one we might lose it. I think they had blocked the communication. I don't know if they still do it in that area. SW-4 told me our weapons do not penetrate the armor. Except the Barrett,” Newman replied.

“Yes, the armor is a problem using grenade launcher indoor is also not the best solution. But we must figure out what happened with the others. Your primary order is to find a connection to hack into their system. Some camera feeds and more intel would be good or at least to know where they have our people. Do you have any further suggestion?” Knight waited.

“Well, strange is that the aliens had the weapons on the lowest settings. I don’t know what it does to us. Maybe it kills by shock or it just stuns with different effects till someone gets unconscious. Similar like our microwave rifles. We also could check the records we have.”

“Well, we have seen the live feeds. Checking the records costs time which you need to figure out how to hack in. You have to decide what’s more effective if Archer helps you or checks the records. I plan to use the alien weapons we have now and search the others.” Knight did not want to wait too long.

“We still have Owens or any other soldier with a not so effective weapon to check the records,” Archer suggested.

“Don't you need your laptop?” Knight asked.

“One is enough at the moment the second gives us not much speed up here,” Newman replied.

“Well, the MK48 is still good for distraction and on the unarmored it did its work. I find one for the records and send him to you. Focus now on the possibility to hack in.” Knight walked to the entrance hall.

The soldier with the alien gun was joining him.

“Sir, I had to use the setting which penetrates the wall,” he informed Knight.

“Then we have to act careful. OK. Wait here I have a plan.” Knight switched into wireless. “SW-4 and all team leaders to me in the entrance hall.”

“Captain it seems they have encountered the aliens we have verified an alien body and weapon signature. They still have not reported. Maybe they are busy with the situation,” Clark informed.

“How long for our science team to finish their drilling?” the Captain asked.

“Two hours to go at best. Should we ask for an update?” his tactical officer informed.

“Not yet we have not enough information. But in 10 minutes I want to consider to warn them about a changed situation. Till then I hope we have a report,” the Captain replied.

“SW-4 will use the alien weapons, both are working. You have to decide if you want to use the armor penetration option