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Authors: Chris Hechtl
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terrified expression
was all Mitch needed to know. “Damn, Command, Security Alert. Visual search the
unknown’s back trail.” He watched, but the computer balked at the command.
“Unknown parameter set. Redirect
please,” the AI responded, beeping angrily.
Mitch accelerated. “COMMAND!
Security Alert!” He pursed his lips in thought. The man suddenly looked over
his shoulder, and then tried to run faster. Blurry shapes could be seen behind
him. The depth of field matrix was tuning them out.
“Command, visual pull back.
Reorient one hundred meters around unknown,” Mitch ordered. The screen blurred
then focused again. He could see the distant shapes of raptors, raptors moving
at cheetah speed.
“Go, go go!” he said to the guy,
pushing the accelerator pedal to the floor, watching as the ran for his life,
instinctively knowing it won’t be enough. The man looked over his shoulder and
stumbled over a rock, he went down flaying. “DAMN!” Mitch screamed, pounding
the horn. “Get up get up!” The horn blared again, but the raptors weren’t
dissuaded. One got within striking range and leapt. The spear lanced up,
catching the raptor in the abdomen and spearing it before breaking under the
weight. The raptor fell beside the man, cawing and coughing. He scrambled to
get up, but with his back turned a second raptor broke through the grass close
enough and leapt, toe talons gleaming. The man went down with a muted cry as
the raptor tore into him.
Frustrated tears well in Mitch's
eyes as he pounded the steering wheel. “Damn damn damn!” He was so close, but
so far. A kilometer to go. The rest of the pack surrounded the kill, sickened
he watched as one tore into the man and ran off with a hand flopping in its
mouth. Cold rage washed through him. He pulled out the Barrett and flipped the
safety off.
He pulled up three hundred meters
away, deployed the robot for local defense and then popped the top hatch and
set up. Coldly he watched through the scope, fingering the trigger gently until
he had a good bead. He let out his breath and squeezed as he was taught, the
loud bark of the rifle was a surprise to him as much as the animal the poison
dart hit. The raptor went down thrashing. Cursing he fumbled the earplugs into
his ears then lined up for a second shot.
The other raptors were looking
around now, he was still downwind of them, so they didn’t have his scent. They
could probably see him, but they might not associate him with the shot.
Flipping the bolt back and forth, he felt the hot brass drop onto his arm then
fall into the truck. He lined up for the second shot, found a nice female and
popped her right behind the arm about mid chest. She went down but he didn’t
pay attention, already lining up on the next animal. With cold precision he
popped three more before they locked onto him and the report of the rifle. Six
more raptors were left, including the returning juvenile. He wanted them all,
but the adults were the priority.
They began to caw and posture, a
fifth shot took another down right in the front of the chest near the breast
bone. Five to go. Another shot, this time the animal moved it only caught the
shoulder. It still went down however, the fast acting poison kicking in, not
even giving it time to kick before it died. He had five more shots before he
would have to switch ammo. The robot stomped up in front of the truck,
posturing itself, arms moving out from the body, legs apart, and torso hunched
down. He adjusted his aim around the robot, lined up for another shot but the
animals were charging.
Even though they had just been on
a chase and kill they still moved fast he realized. He swore as one shot
missed, digging into the dirt near its foot where he thought the animal was
going to be. It had swerved at the last second, spoiling his aim. The next
caught one as it moved around a rock. The juvenile jumped onto the rock and
paused, he clipped it dropping it to writhe and freeze in the grass in
was all Mitch needed to know. “Damn, Command, Security Alert. Visual search the
unknown’s back trail.” He watched, but the computer balked at the command.
“Unknown parameter set. Redirect
please,” the AI responded, beeping angrily.
Mitch accelerated. “COMMAND!
Security Alert!” He pursed his lips in thought. The man suddenly looked over
his shoulder, and then tried to run faster. Blurry shapes could be seen behind
him. The depth of field matrix was tuning them out.
“Command, visual pull back.
Reorient one hundred meters around unknown,” Mitch ordered. The screen blurred
then focused again. He could see the distant shapes of raptors, raptors moving
at cheetah speed.
“Go, go go!” he said to the guy,
pushing the accelerator pedal to the floor, watching as the ran for his life,
instinctively knowing it won’t be enough. The man looked over his shoulder and
stumbled over a rock, he went down flaying. “DAMN!” Mitch screamed, pounding
the horn. “Get up get up!” The horn blared again, but the raptors weren’t
dissuaded. One got within striking range and leapt. The spear lanced up,
catching the raptor in the abdomen and spearing it before breaking under the
weight. The raptor fell beside the man, cawing and coughing. He scrambled to
get up, but with his back turned a second raptor broke through the grass close
enough and leapt, toe talons gleaming. The man went down with a muted cry as
the raptor tore into him.
Frustrated tears well in Mitch's
eyes as he pounded the steering wheel. “Damn damn damn!” He was so close, but
so far. A kilometer to go. The rest of the pack surrounded the kill, sickened
he watched as one tore into the man and ran off with a hand flopping in its
mouth. Cold rage washed through him. He pulled out the Barrett and flipped the
safety off.
He pulled up three hundred meters
away, deployed the robot for local defense and then popped the top hatch and
set up. Coldly he watched through the scope, fingering the trigger gently until
he had a good bead. He let out his breath and squeezed as he was taught, the
loud bark of the rifle was a surprise to him as much as the animal the poison
dart hit. The raptor went down thrashing. Cursing he fumbled the earplugs into
his ears then lined up for a second shot.
The other raptors were looking
around now, he was still downwind of them, so they didn’t have his scent. They
could probably see him, but they might not associate him with the shot.
Flipping the bolt back and forth, he felt the hot brass drop onto his arm then
fall into the truck. He lined up for the second shot, found a nice female and
popped her right behind the arm about mid chest. She went down but he didn’t
pay attention, already lining up on the next animal. With cold precision he
popped three more before they locked onto him and the report of the rifle. Six
more raptors were left, including the returning juvenile. He wanted them all,
but the adults were the priority.
They began to caw and posture, a
fifth shot took another down right in the front of the chest near the breast
bone. Five to go. Another shot, this time the animal moved it only caught the
shoulder. It still went down however, the fast acting poison kicking in, not
even giving it time to kick before it died. He had five more shots before he
would have to switch ammo. The robot stomped up in front of the truck,
posturing itself, arms moving out from the body, legs apart, and torso hunched
down. He adjusted his aim around the robot, lined up for another shot but the
animals were charging.
Even though they had just been on
a chase and kill they still moved fast he realized. He swore as one shot
missed, digging into the dirt near its foot where he thought the animal was
going to be. It had swerved at the last second, spoiling his aim. The next
caught one as it moved around a rock. The juvenile jumped onto the rock and
paused, he clipped it dropping it to writhe and freeze in the grass in
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