Read Online Dead Worlds (Necrospace Book 2) by Sean-Michael Argo - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sean-Michael Argo
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worked his way towards the Basin gate.
Samuel reacted with lighting fast reflexes, putting four single shot rounds into the chest of a Reeker who leapt out of a burning shanty. Whether it was an attempt to ambush the Grotto soldiers or simply escape the fire, Samuel could not tell. The shots caught the Reeker in mid-flight and sent him spiraling out and over the gangplanks.
Samuel and the troopers kicked down the door of a shack at the end of the gangplank network and shot the two Reekers hiding within.
The salvage marine couldn’t help but wonder what it must be like on the other side of this battle. The Reekers, regardless of what kind of reputation they had as a vicious downspire scavenger clan, were defending their homes from him, the armored invader from upspire. Samuel saw it in the eyes of the woman who lunged at him with a crude axe before he put a round through her throat and watched her tumble off of the plank, landing lifeless in one of the safety nets hanging below them.
He knew there had to be children somewhere in the settlement, silently thankful that he had encountered none and been forced to make the decision between following orders or disobeying. The burning buildings above were beginning to collapse. Soon all that would be left of the settlement would be the metal scaffolding and support beams. In a way the fire was returning the chamber to its original specifications, removing the makeshift Reeker settlement as if it was a parasite that needed to be burned away from the flesh to which it clung.
The roar of the flames had drowned out most of the fighting, though Samuel and his troopers were close enough to the firefight raging ahead of them that they could hear the telltale signatures of Reaper combat rifles.
At a signal from Samuel the troopers followed him through the smoke and netting until they came upon the Basin gate. It was far less impressive in size than Samuel had expected, though what it lacked in size it made up for in sheer macabre decoration. The gates were festooned with netting that was littered with the bones of dozens of human beings and other creatures; it resembled a great shrine of sorts.
It was the largest sewage hatch Samuel had ever seen, and having been deployed in downspire for months now, that was saying something. It sported a sturdy metal frame and a huge crank wheel that opened or closed it. In front of the gate was a series of concrete flood breakers jutting up from a shallow spillway, indicating that the tunnel itself was actually a drainage pipe that was used to relieve water pressure in case the Basin ever flooded. There was a small platform just above the gate that had been reinforced with pieces of sheet metal, wood, and wire fencing to create a machine gun nest of sorts. The broken bodies of several Reekers lay beneath the platform, with one even hanging off of the barbed edges of the platform itself.
Boss Ulanti and the remnants of her squad stood behind the modest protection of the platform. They were exchanging salvos with a small, but stubborn group of Reekers who seemed oblivious to the fact that their settlement was burning down and the battle was all but lost.
The Reekers were using the flood breakers as cover, and Samuel knew that if this standoff went on much longer it was likely that the Reapers would be overrun. Even as he watched, a Reeker broke from cover and rushed the platform. Before he was gunned down he managed to hurl a homemade explosive that detonated in mid-air and showered the Reapers with a cloud of shrapnel.
The marine standing closest to the blast was pulped by the force of the explosion, pierced by dozens of nails, ball bearings, and scraps of metal that had been packed into the explosive.
Once more Samuel felt a tinge of guilt and regret that he hadn't learned the man's name, even though he had been with Tango Platoon ever since the Baen 6 Reaper corps had received reinforcements following the battle on Tetra Prime.
Samuel and
Samuel reacted with lighting fast reflexes, putting four single shot rounds into the chest of a Reeker who leapt out of a burning shanty. Whether it was an attempt to ambush the Grotto soldiers or simply escape the fire, Samuel could not tell. The shots caught the Reeker in mid-flight and sent him spiraling out and over the gangplanks.
Samuel and the troopers kicked down the door of a shack at the end of the gangplank network and shot the two Reekers hiding within.
The salvage marine couldn’t help but wonder what it must be like on the other side of this battle. The Reekers, regardless of what kind of reputation they had as a vicious downspire scavenger clan, were defending their homes from him, the armored invader from upspire. Samuel saw it in the eyes of the woman who lunged at him with a crude axe before he put a round through her throat and watched her tumble off of the plank, landing lifeless in one of the safety nets hanging below them.
He knew there had to be children somewhere in the settlement, silently thankful that he had encountered none and been forced to make the decision between following orders or disobeying. The burning buildings above were beginning to collapse. Soon all that would be left of the settlement would be the metal scaffolding and support beams. In a way the fire was returning the chamber to its original specifications, removing the makeshift Reeker settlement as if it was a parasite that needed to be burned away from the flesh to which it clung.
The roar of the flames had drowned out most of the fighting, though Samuel and his troopers were close enough to the firefight raging ahead of them that they could hear the telltale signatures of Reaper combat rifles.
At a signal from Samuel the troopers followed him through the smoke and netting until they came upon the Basin gate. It was far less impressive in size than Samuel had expected, though what it lacked in size it made up for in sheer macabre decoration. The gates were festooned with netting that was littered with the bones of dozens of human beings and other creatures; it resembled a great shrine of sorts.
It was the largest sewage hatch Samuel had ever seen, and having been deployed in downspire for months now, that was saying something. It sported a sturdy metal frame and a huge crank wheel that opened or closed it. In front of the gate was a series of concrete flood breakers jutting up from a shallow spillway, indicating that the tunnel itself was actually a drainage pipe that was used to relieve water pressure in case the Basin ever flooded. There was a small platform just above the gate that had been reinforced with pieces of sheet metal, wood, and wire fencing to create a machine gun nest of sorts. The broken bodies of several Reekers lay beneath the platform, with one even hanging off of the barbed edges of the platform itself.
Boss Ulanti and the remnants of her squad stood behind the modest protection of the platform. They were exchanging salvos with a small, but stubborn group of Reekers who seemed oblivious to the fact that their settlement was burning down and the battle was all but lost.
The Reekers were using the flood breakers as cover, and Samuel knew that if this standoff went on much longer it was likely that the Reapers would be overrun. Even as he watched, a Reeker broke from cover and rushed the platform. Before he was gunned down he managed to hurl a homemade explosive that detonated in mid-air and showered the Reapers with a cloud of shrapnel.
The marine standing closest to the blast was pulped by the force of the explosion, pierced by dozens of nails, ball bearings, and scraps of metal that had been packed into the explosive.
Once more Samuel felt a tinge of guilt and regret that he hadn't learned the man's name, even though he had been with Tango Platoon ever since the Baen 6 Reaper corps had received reinforcements following the battle on Tetra Prime.
Samuel and
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