“We’re approaching the Queen’s chamber.” Schafer said calmly to Hill.
The pair fought their way through the nest of Lisks.
“What exactly are we lookin’ for again in the chamber?” Hill asked as he pulled a small Liskling off of his helmet.
“We need a vile of whatever fluid is in their hatching pool.” Schafer replied, annoyed that Hill already forgot what they were supposed to be doing.
“And what exactly is that supposed to do for us?” Hill replied snarkily. “I mean, I’m just tryin’ figure out why we’re playing errand boys and riskin’ our lives for a damn egghead.
“That foundation scientist said that… hold on... I gotta reload.” Shafer said as he slammed a fresh magazine in to his pulse rifle. “That scientist said it could hold the key to reversing the infestation and turning people back to humans.”
“Help me! Please! I can hear you! Please help me!” a voice echoed through the tunnels.
“We better go check that out.” Schafer said.
The pair fought their way towards the sound. The screaming got louder as they closer to it. The two got to the source of the sound but found nothing.
“Up here! Above you!” the voice cried.
The two looked up and saw a man half encased in the fleshy walls that coated the tunnel.
“Well, that looks like a bummer” hill said, forcing back a laugh.
“C’mon, help me get this guy freed.” Schafer said.
The two used the bayonets on their rifles to dig out the man entrenched in the ceiling. Soon after the man fell to the floor.
“And to whom do I owe the pleasure?” Schafer asked the man.
“My name is Dr. Anders. I was collecting field specimens for the foundation when I was surrounded and dragged off here. Thank you for saving me.” The scientist replied.
“You know anything about the hatching pool, Doc?” Hill asked.
“Only that it is guarded by a Queen.” The scientist responded, clearly eager to leave.
“A Queen?” Schafer asked, confused.
“Yes. Each hive cluster has its own Queen.” The scientist answered, confused the two didn’t already know this.
“Well, this whole fiasco just got a lot spicier.” Hill said.
“Well Doc, we’ve got to go to the Queen’s chambers to get some things for your boys back at the foundation. I reckon if you just file the trail of bodies back to the entrance you’ll be just fine.” Schafer said, motioning Hill to follow him forward.
The pair headed on deeper in to the hive cluster, opposite the direction of the scientist. They approached a large open room. Stopping at the entrance, the two peered inside. In the middle of the room was a huge, grotesque monstrosity. It was pulling eggs from a pool of green liquid putting more in to take the places of those pulled out.
“That must be the Queen.” Hill said.
“And that must be the hatching pool.” Schafer replied. “Alright, I don’t much feel like getting’ my boots dirty, so let’s see what this device those Foundation boys cooked up can really do.”
Schafer pulled out a small handgun looking device from his belt. He pointed it at the Queen and squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened.
“I think it’s broken.” Hill blurted out.
“Now hold on, I think it’s charging.” Schafer retorted.
Schafer kept the trigger held down for what felt like an eternity.
“Yeah, uh… I don’t think it’s working, Schafer.” Hill commented.
“Shut your mouth, Hill!” Schafer snapped. “Just give it few mor-”
A blinding light flashed from the end of the device and burned a truck-sized hole through the Queen and the side of the cluster, revealing the sky outside.
“Well then….” Hill said, amazed at what he just witnessed.
“We should, uh… go get that sample now…” Schafer said, still in shock.
Author's Note
In the original story, demigods and demons come together to an elixir of immortality at bottom of the ocean. Along the way they release some deities from the ocean. Eventually, they release a pocket of acid that Shiva had to stop. Then they got to the elixir of immortality. I made the demigods two characters from an earlier story I wrote. I made the elixir a material needed to make a cure. I made the acid a large monster. I replaced Shiva with a dope laser gun.
References
Kincaid. Tales from the Indian Epics
The pair fought their way through the nest of Lisks.
“What exactly are we lookin’ for again in the chamber?” Hill asked as he pulled a small Liskling off of his helmet.
“We need a vile of whatever fluid is in their hatching pool.” Schafer replied, annoyed that Hill already forgot what they were supposed to be doing.
“And what exactly is that supposed to do for us?” Hill replied snarkily. “I mean, I’m just tryin’ figure out why we’re playing errand boys and riskin’ our lives for a damn egghead.
“That foundation scientist said that… hold on... I gotta reload.” Shafer said as he slammed a fresh magazine in to his pulse rifle. “That scientist said it could hold the key to reversing the infestation and turning people back to humans.”
“Help me! Please! I can hear you! Please help me!” a voice echoed through the tunnels.
“We better go check that out.” Schafer said.
The pair fought their way towards the sound. The screaming got louder as they closer to it. The two got to the source of the sound but found nothing.
“Up here! Above you!” the voice cried.
The two looked up and saw a man half encased in the fleshy walls that coated the tunnel.
“Well, that looks like a bummer” hill said, forcing back a laugh.
“C’mon, help me get this guy freed.” Schafer said.
The two used the bayonets on their rifles to dig out the man entrenched in the ceiling. Soon after the man fell to the floor.
“And to whom do I owe the pleasure?” Schafer asked the man.
“My name is Dr. Anders. I was collecting field specimens for the foundation when I was surrounded and dragged off here. Thank you for saving me.” The scientist replied.
“You know anything about the hatching pool, Doc?” Hill asked.
“Only that it is guarded by a Queen.” The scientist responded, clearly eager to leave.
“A Queen?” Schafer asked, confused.
“Yes. Each hive cluster has its own Queen.” The scientist answered, confused the two didn’t already know this.
“Well, this whole fiasco just got a lot spicier.” Hill said.
“Well Doc, we’ve got to go to the Queen’s chambers to get some things for your boys back at the foundation. I reckon if you just file the trail of bodies back to the entrance you’ll be just fine.” Schafer said, motioning Hill to follow him forward.
The pair headed on deeper in to the hive cluster, opposite the direction of the scientist. They approached a large open room. Stopping at the entrance, the two peered inside. In the middle of the room was a huge, grotesque monstrosity. It was pulling eggs from a pool of green liquid putting more in to take the places of those pulled out.
The Queen
“That must be the Queen.” Hill said.
“And that must be the hatching pool.” Schafer replied. “Alright, I don’t much feel like getting’ my boots dirty, so let’s see what this device those Foundation boys cooked up can really do.”
Schafer pulled out a small handgun looking device from his belt. He pointed it at the Queen and squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened.
“I think it’s broken.” Hill blurted out.
“Now hold on, I think it’s charging.” Schafer retorted.
Schafer kept the trigger held down for what felt like an eternity.
“Yeah, uh… I don’t think it’s working, Schafer.” Hill commented.
“Shut your mouth, Hill!” Schafer snapped. “Just give it few mor-”
A blinding light flashed from the end of the device and burned a truck-sized hole through the Queen and the side of the cluster, revealing the sky outside.
“Well then….” Hill said, amazed at what he just witnessed.
“We should, uh… go get that sample now…” Schafer said, still in shock.
Author's Note
In the original story, demigods and demons come together to an elixir of immortality at bottom of the ocean. Along the way they release some deities from the ocean. Eventually, they release a pocket of acid that Shiva had to stop. Then they got to the elixir of immortality. I made the demigods two characters from an earlier story I wrote. I made the elixir a material needed to make a cure. I made the acid a large monster. I replaced Shiva with a dope laser gun.
References
Kincaid. Tales from the Indian Epics
I love your take on this story! I too found that bit from our reading (where Shiva saves the day) interesting, and I'm glad that someone decided to write about it! And, of course, I'm appreciative of the replacement of Shiva with a "dope laser gun," even if I really liked Shiva's presence in the original.
ReplyDeleteGreat work!
Hi Chris! This was such a cool story, I loved the sci-fi take you put on it. It was a fun twist! I could easily picture the scene from your writing, it was almost like a scene in a movie or a video game, I like your writing style too, really fun story to read! Good job!
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