Book 3: Chapter 157: Into the Abyss (Finale)

Book 3: Chapter 157: Into the Abyss (Finale)

USD: 2 Days Since Comm Failure

Location: Nu Crateris, Outer System, Hades Interior, Near Alpha Site

As SR Hot Pursuit left the Alpha Site warzone behind, everyone had their attention glued to the pings of explosions and weaponry on their sensors. As they ventured further, the sounds of battle became more muffled, absorbed by the D-field surrounding the ship. Tension hung thick in the air, as everyone remained vigilant for potential hostiles as they moved further from Heeler's fortress factory.

Flash-bag creatures were nowhere to be seen; Heeler's drones indicated that the nearest ones were much further away. Lavigne ordered Daniel to deploy the recon drones.

"How long do you reckon these will last?" Morrison asked skeptically as he watched them zip away.

Lavigne replied confidently, "Heeler has restocked them with EMF resistant models. They should hold up better."

Morrison grunted and nodded.

As they dove deeper into Hades' abyssal tunnels, drone gunships maintained a protective formation around SR Hot Pursuit. The navigation screen displayed their course: fifty kilometers through three turns of labyrinthine corridors. Lavigne noted that gravity would be lower there, allowing for easier maneuvering.

Morrison reported increasing numbers of volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere, a sign of biological activity. Lavigne nodded, acknowledging this information.

"We're on the right course then," he commented grimly.

As they continued their descent, Heeler's growling voice came through the comms. "I will be sending reinforcements soon. The nest produces one gunship every few minutes. I shall dispatch squads to join the assault as squadrons become available."This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com

SR Hot Pursuit cruised through the darkness; remnants of dead abomination floaters evident from where their scout gunships had cleared them. Ruined sections of twisted metal covered the walls like an unending city of buildings all lifeless and black.

Morrison reported energy signatures dotting these desolate constructs. "I'm picking up a lot of readings here, Lieutenant."

Daniel chimed in, explaining the situation. "Those are reactor modules; most are offline but on idle mode, similar to the one at Alpha Site."

Morrison grumbled, "There's so many of them. What do you make of it, Lavigne?"

Lavigne acknowledged their numbers and theorized aloud. "This place might have been a battlemoon an ecumenopolis with more power and facilities than you can imagine, like Luna or Solaria. The aliens the expedition discovered in the ruins could likely have been its inhabitants."

"Think these abominations devoured them all?" Daniel asked.

Lavigne shrugged. "We can't know for sure unless we find historical records."

Morrison jokingly chimed in, "Maybe these abominations were their life support systems and mutated enough to eat all their residents."

A tense silence followed before Lavigne replied, "It's not out of the realm of possibility But let's focus on our mission for now."

They continued through the darkness. Halfway to their destination, they detected weapons fire ahead.

Heeler's voice came through the comms, warning them about the ongoing battle. "The gunships ahead of your position are still fighting towards the hive. Be cautious; evidence indicates that the creatures are planning to flank you as you advance closer."

Taking heed of Heeler's warning, Lavigne nodded. The tension was palpable as each crew member remained vigilant while they approached the conflict zone.

As they drew closer to the fray, a cacophony of weapons fire was detected, and their sensors provided a clearer picture of the situation. The scout gunships were blasting away flash-bags with ease - explosions interspersed with high-pitched screeches from the dying aliens.

The screeches were new. Lavigne looked at his console and noted that Heeler had provided some kind of translation program that could read the EMF waves--supposedly. It only sounded like the madness of monsters to him.

As they reached the skirmish, SR Hot Pursuit's escort ships began to engage in combat. Carefully picking off enemies from afar, the heavy quad railgun cut through alien flesh with ease as they carved a path through the alien forces toward their nest.

Without warning, a new type of abomination ship appeared fast and small, with sharp blades for wings. It swiftly sliced one of their lead gunships in half before anyone could react.

Lavigne shouted an order as point defense weapons engaged. "Analyze that new type of enemy!"

It was incinerated by a laser before it could close in on them further - its remains scattering across the tunnel like ash caught in a breeze.

Lavigne ordered the ship to turn, aiming their thruster cone towards the monstrous abomination that had nearly destroyed them. Lavigne watched with grim satisfaction as the ship unleashed a torrent of relativistic plasma upon it.

The searing plasma burned through the abomination's flesh like a hot knife through butter, melting away layers upon layers of writhing tentacles and grotesque growths. The creature thrashed in agony as it was consumed by flames hotter than any star.

No one had time to breathe, as the gunships took out the turrets around the hive entrance. Lavigne couldnt shake the chilling feeling that it was an organic copy of the same strategy that Heeler had used at the Alpha Site.

As they pressed inside through the narrow entrance, a massive organic structure that seemed to stretch on for kilometers. It pulsed with life as all kinds of alien ships and creatures were being grown in large sacs. The walls were lined with countless tentacles, writhing in unison like a nightmarish symphony.

Lavigne's gaze remained fixed on the hive as he tried to comprehend its purpose. Heeler had confirmed that this was their command center and breeding ground rolled into one horrifying entity.

The crew members exchanged uneasy glances, each realizing that they had stumbled upon something far more dangerous than they could have ever imagined. Morrison murmured under his breath, "I've seen some messed up stuff, but this takes the cake."

Lavigne steeled himself, knowing they couldn't afford to let fear overtake them now. "Target the main source of EMF waves," he ordered. "Well dig it out with explosives if we need to."

Flocks of alien creatures flew through the air in challenge, their twisted forms casting eerie shadows onto the tunnel walls. Larger abominations stirred from their slumber, awakened by the chaos unfolding around them. In the distance, Lavigne spotted another giant abomination, half-grown and encased within a massive sac on the floor of the tunnel. The sight sent a chill down his spine.

The escorts entered first, their PDC-Ks and railguns blasting away at the smaller abominations with deadly precision. The flak gunship fired in every direction, creating a storm of destruction that tore through countless enemies. Lavigne's eyes darted to the squadron readout as it reported ammunition levels dipping to 30% across almost every unit a sobering reminder of just how dire their situation was becoming.

As if in response to his growing concern, their reinforcements darted in as a second wave. Their arrival bolstered the weight of fire spat out by Hot Pursuit and its escorts, providing much-needed support against the seemingly endless tide of horrors.

The corvette's main railguns and weapons began punching at the hive's central nexus, determined to strike at the heart of this nightmarish place. Each shot hammered into its target with devastating force and sent tremors throughout its structure.

Lavigne couldn't help but be awestruck by the sheer scale of destruction happening before him. The rest of the crew were silent, perhaps echoing his thoughts.

Lavigne's gaze fixated on the hive nexus, a pulsating mass of organic matter and alien architecture that formed the heart of this nightmarish stronghold. Intricate web-like structures spanned the walls and ceiling, interconnecting every part of this grotesque hive.

As explosive railgun shells tore into the nexus, it shuddered violently under their relentless assault. Deep gashes opened up on its surface, revealing layers upon layers of writhing tendrils and unidentifiable organs. Rivers of viscera poured out from these wounds, spilling onto the floor below in a sickening cascade.

A mangled shriek erupted on Lavigne's translator program, an unintelligible scream that sent chills down his spine. He knew they were hurting it - but was it enough?

Their drone escorts began to falter, one after another falling prey to the abomination creatures that swarmed them with ruthless savagery. A flash-bag appeared from out of nowhere and detonated underneath the squadron, scattering their drone escorts like sparks from a dying fire.

Hot Pursuit smashed into the hive roof as chaos ensued within its hull. Thousands of small abominations boarded the ship through newly-formed breaches, scuttling through corridors with frightening speed.

"Daniel! Deploy our drones!" ordered Lavigne, desperation evident in his voice.

The drone bay erupted with activity as thousands of mini combat drones swarmed out from their storage bays like angry hornets, zipping through every nook and cranny within Hot Pursuit to confront the boarders head-on. Their rapid-fire weapons made quick work of many smaller abominations that dared invade their home.

On the bridge, a creature smashed through a ceiling panel, only to be met by Morrison in his power armor. He moved with surprising agility, crushing the intruder in a display of raw strength before it could pose any further threat.

Despite the chaos aboard the ship, the railguns continued their relentless barrage on the hive nexus. Daniel reported, his voice tense but hopeful, "Lavigne, the EMF signal is weakening!"

The hive nexus shuddered and sensors flashed as they were blinded by an extremely powerful EMF wave that rippled through the cavernous chamber. The wave caused the Hot Pursuit's D-field to flicker and burn with energy, casting eerie glows across its hull. A warning appeared inside the bridge from the ship's computer.

|Warning: Radiation levels increasing. |

Just as suddenly as the burst had begun, the hive brain went dark. The organic light that had filled the nightmarish depths of the hive was extinguished in an instant, plunging everything into darkness save for what was illuminated by the ship and drone spotlights.

Confusion reigned among the smaller abominations. They staggered about, disoriented and seemingly drunk some even turning on each other in their mindless state. The larger ones fell to the tunnel floor with heavy thuds and crashes, no longer moving. Those still growing within their cocoons began to dissolve, their forms collapsing into a repulsive slurry.

Daniel's voice was ecstatic, "The EMF signal has ceased completely!"

Cautiously optimistic, Lavigne took stock of their situation. Hot Pursuit was in shambles dead or dying organic things littered its corridors and exterior surfaces.

Out of their once-mighty drone escort, only a dozen drones remained out of hundreds; they hovered protectively around the battered ship despite their sorry states. The heavy gunship limped nearby with two spikes protruding ominously from its flanks that trailed black smoke.

"Navigation, plot a path to return to the Alpha Site," Lavigne ordered firmly.