Chapter 45

Private Viradne

Chu Shen was asking the computer questions left and right. The hologram displayed a 3-d image of a s.h.i.+p. It had no scale but it was tear drop shaped. The top was round and bulging but the bottom was flat. All over the s.h.i.+p was hatches of various sizes though at the bottom under the pointed front was three large hatches and the top had a single oversized hatch.

This s.h.i.+p was what Chu Shen was currently on. The hatches on the flat bottom held mining tools to dig the s.h.i.+p into the ground for fortification. The large hatches were used to release the troops and the rest was for the s.h.i.+ps guns and anti-fighter missiles. The s.h.i.+p itself was faster than anything but a fighter so it was only equipped for anti-fighter and anti-personnel duty as the compute had explained to Chu Shen.

The hologram switched to a display of a rifle. In a couple minutes it switched to other handheld weapons. Chu Shen was just starting to study the automated suits used for combat when all of a sudden he felt a strong sense of dizziness. He fell down on the ground. Inside the Voids Hand Ti Wu sensed this and stood up from his meditation.

The sensation pa.s.sed after a couple seconds. He looked up at the ceiling. “Computer, why did I feel dizzy?”

“The cause of dizziness was from the exit of hypers.p.a.ce. Upon exiting various side effects such as nausea, dizziness, vomiting and other symptoms may appear. Studies show that after ten or more hypers.p.a.ce exits and or entrances the side effects will have a diminished or no effect.”

Upon hearing this Chu Shen and Ti Wu was relieved. It was a temporary effect and not intentional.

“Warning. We are entering Getrin’s atmosphere to confront the bugs. ETA until bugs touchdown on planet is fifteen minutes. ETA until landing on Getrin will be updated when the information is available.”

Chu Shen sat down on his bed. He looked up at the ceiling. “Computer can you explain what exactly the bugs are?”

“The bugs are a series of genetically engineered soldiers that resemble insects made by the K’ateesh. These soldiers come in various forms and have been repeatedly sent to try and destroy humanities grip on various star systems. The conflict arose whenever the K’ateesh were discovered by a colony group."

"The K’ateesh believe they should be the only intelligent beings in the universe and have aggressively wiped out any other species they find. Because of the fact that both species live on the same type of planets and value most of the same resources, both try to engage on the ground instead of commencing orbital bombardment to preserve those resources.”

"However. The K'ateesh have been deemed a cla.s.s 6 threat since they cannot threaten humanity as a whole. On the edges of civilized s.p.a.ce such as this technology is very poor. Because of this the K'ateesh and the bugs are at a stalemate with humanity however if the decision to wipe out the K'ateesh makes it through Human s.p.a.ce Council board then it could be accomplished in a matter of days."

Chu Shen nodded. So the bugs were just puppets and they were the aggressors. Politics was the only thing slowing down the annihilation of the bugs. “How do the bugs act, what do they look like, and what are their weapon capabilities.”

“The bugs are mindless creatures. The K’ateesh won’t make an intelligent soldier since it is against their belief so instead they program them to instinctively attack anything not like the K’ateesh or themselves. Certain bugs such as the plasma bugs specifically target only airborne targets while the drone bugs attack anything on the ground.”

“The bugs have various looks based upon their function. Drones are six legged creatures with a hard exoskeleton. Their front two claws are extremely sharp and as hard as steel. The plasma bugs use an organic process to create b.a.l.l.s of plasma and launch them into the air. Some plasma bugs are as big as this s.h.i.+p and are capable of launching plasma into orbit. Warrior bugs are the same as drones but have enhanced capabilities. The scout bugs are…”

Chu Shen paid attention to the various different types of bugs as their image popped on screen while the computer explained their capabilities. After all he would soon have to fight them.Halfway through the list there had been a thud and then a series of sc.r.a.ping and grinding noises. The computer told him they had landed on the planet and was fortifying themselves.

The computer finished the explanation eventually after 20 minutes. The list of bugs was extensive. Most of them though Chu Shen felt confident in handling.

While Chu Shen was contemplating the future battle, unknown to him it had already started.

HISS PSEEW PSEEW BANG SCREE CLACK CLACK WHOOSH

The battleground was a mess of noises. Energy beams shot out with a pseew while the needles hissed through the air. Mortars were launched landing with loud bangs. The bugs screamed out in anger and pain as they were shot, burned, blown up, and burned again.

The floaters whooshed through the air and explosions rocked the ground where they flew over. They were purely atmospheric bombers and were far more nimble than the s.p.a.ce fighters were planetside.

The bugs so far were drone bugs. They were a blue green mottled color. The bugs were as tall as a man and twice as long. They looked similar to a giant c.o.c.kroach but the head was raised up and looking towards them. In front of the head was two black arms that ended in blades. The reach of the blades was almost 1 meter.

Private Viradne was a heavy infantryman. The bugs came in a huge wave. At first they were dark colored blurs in the horizon. He, along with his entire squad had fired the second they were in range. The c.o.c.kroaches required several rounds to kill each one and it was almost impossible to target a single one in such a huge horde.

The bugs left mounds of bodies piled up as they ran towards the barricaded ground troops. Explosions sent up huge amounts of bugs flying through the air. Private Viradne confirmed killing at least 200 bugs by himself. Bits of antennae and exoskeletons flew upwards, green blood splattered everywhere. But the bugs kept coming.

They could afford the losses. The breeder bugs just kept making more. It was like a swarm of rats. The landscape was like a desert previously. Only red sand and orange rocks popped up out of the plains. Now it was more like a horror film.

Private Viradne fired his needle gun. His implant synced with his targeting system. HISS HISS. The needles shot outwards and buried themselves into the exoskeleton of the bugs.

The s.h.i.+p’s guns were firing behind him. The noises from all the heavy fire and explosions would have been deafening if his suit didn’t isolate the noise. The bugs got closer and closer. Soon they were no longer 800 meters (half a mile) away but now 100. The bugs were reaching the edges of the barriers.

“AAAAAAAGH” “GET IT OFF ME!!!” “EAT THIS YOU F*CKERS”

Shouts came from the soldiers as they were swarmed by the bugs. Private Viradne saw a bug running towards him, less than two meters away. He fired his gun and the bug fell backwards from the impact. Three more climbed up to join them.

He kept firing killing two but the third got close enough to swing its bladed appendage at him. He ducked underneath it but was. .h.i.t by the bug’s body. It hadn’t stopped running at him. He flew backwards losing his gun. The bug landed on top of him.

“AHHH” Private Viradne screamed in rage. He deployed his suits vibroblades. The half a meter long blades came out of his forearms. The blades hummed as it vibrated over 10,000 times a second. He swung upwards at the bug’s body. It came apart in a shower of green blood and guts. The bug squirmed around as it tried to kill him. Using the vibroblade he cut the thing in half, emerging from its b.l.o.o.d.y body.

Standing up he saw that there were another thirty bugs on the platform with him. His four squadmates were fighting with them, barely holding them off with their vibroblades.

Another five of his squadmates were on the ground. One had a chunk of his suit missing. He was shaking and having a seizure. The radiation was frying his brain. Unseen to Private Viradne was the boils that appeared on his skin as the radiation attacked him. The others were either in the same condition or they were being eaten by the bugs.

Private Viradne was shaken at the sight of his teammates being eaten. He withdrew his vibroblades, reached down, grabbed his needle gun and started firing. He drew the attention of five drone bugs. The ran towards him. He sprayed them with needles slowing them down. Suddenly his gun stopped firing. Warning. Ammo has been depleted. His implant toned in his head.

The bugs were getting closer. Only one had died. Two simultaneously swung their blades at him. Knowing he couldn’t dodge he deployed his vibroblade and blocked their blades with it. Another two bug blades buried themselves in his chest and leg. Refusing to give up he leaped forward, cutting off one of the insects head. He cut off all the legs on the side of the other bug. More and more blades stabbed into him.

He laughed. “HAHAHA. You’ll NEVER eat my you D*MN bugs!” With that he activated his suits self-destruction option. The nuclear battery in his suit overloaded. It exploded, destroying all 30 bugs on the platform, his squadmates, and another 20 bugs in the surrounding area.

Amidst the incinerated section of the fortification and the sundered, b.l.o.o.d.y bits of metal, bug parts, and human limbs came another 100 bugs.

This was war.