Read Online Warblegrub and the Forbidden Planet by Andrew Barlow - Free Book Online
Authors: Andrew Barlow
Tags: Cli-fi
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selection of tattered dresses.
Hearts pounding, eyes darting in every direction, they bunched together in terror. A crow cackled at them from the rubble and they shrank from it. The Sergeant drove it off with a stone then hurried the company on, into another canyon where the river plunged over a weir. The churning waters boomed, the air was cold and thick with spray and the soldiers gasped for breath as the Colonel studied the canyon walls.
“Is there enough rope?” he asked the Sergeant.
After a quick check of the company’s packs, 236 nodded confidently then led the company on into the nearest building, a huge complex of shops and offices. The Colonel lingered a moment, his expression doubtful.
Crossing a spacious entrance hall, they passed a cafe, several boutiques and thickets of artificial plants in huge marble pots. Apart from thick curtains of cobwebs, the building looked closed for the holidays. Signs on the walls directed them upstairs past shops, a restaurant and a cinema, towards offices and apartments on the upper floors. They entered a large, open-plan office on the fourth floor and the meagre daylight revealed spiders crawling all over them.
“What the hell are they?” demanded Private 941, frantically brushing them off and stamping on them.
“Arachnids,” replied 395.
“A-what-nids?”
“Spiders to you!”
395 dangled one from his index finger and it lowered itself to the ground on its silken thread and scuttled off. He managed to rescue several more before 941 could use his boot.
On the far side of the office, the Sergeant smashed one of the windows with the butt of her gun. Crowding round, the soldiers looked down into the thundering waters and shivered. Peter pushed them aside and studied the office block on the opposite bank before attaching a coil of rope to the Redeemer and firing a harpoon that punctured the wall just above the footpath. Fastening the other end of the rope to a pillar, he tested it, then used his belt as a handle and slid swiftly across. Sergeant 236 followed next then Privates 856, 207, 312, 941, and 749.
Private 2144 started across with the ease of one who came from a settlement camp on a planet of mountains and ravines but before he was halfway, his comrades heard a rush of footsteps above their heads. Gunfire erupted from the far bank, as Fardelbear leapt from an upper storey window and sailed across the river, startling Private 2144, who let go of his belt. Fardelbear landed on the opposite side and darted into the office block, and 2144 was carried away, tossed about in the swirling waters while his comrades looked on helplessly.
The Colonel ordered them on and the next soldier crossed without incident. Alex followed safely but when another started down the rope, Fardelbear dropped from a window above the Sergeant’s company and scattered them. With the monster waiting for him at the other end of the rope, the unlucky soldier let go and followed 2144 into the torrent. Turning on the Sergeant, Fardelbear was surprised when she attacked him first, slashing at him with her machete. Before he could recover his balance, Peter fired a jet of flame that engulfed him. For an instant he was disorientated and the Sergeant struck again, launching a flying kick that sent him toppling over the low rail and into the river. With his many arms flailing, the raging waters tossed him about and carried him away.
Another crossed and another but before 395 and the Colonel could follow, drumming feet sounded once more above their heads and Fardelbear reappeared, leaping across the river again. He snatched up Alex before anyone could react and vanished into the office block. This miraculous reappearance stunned them all but only 395 noticed that this Fardelbear seemed different, appearing a paler colour than the one who had fallen in the river. Still pondering this, he made the crossing, quickly followed by the Colonel.
Hurrying along the riverbank, they found an alley that led to
Hearts pounding, eyes darting in every direction, they bunched together in terror. A crow cackled at them from the rubble and they shrank from it. The Sergeant drove it off with a stone then hurried the company on, into another canyon where the river plunged over a weir. The churning waters boomed, the air was cold and thick with spray and the soldiers gasped for breath as the Colonel studied the canyon walls.
“Is there enough rope?” he asked the Sergeant.
After a quick check of the company’s packs, 236 nodded confidently then led the company on into the nearest building, a huge complex of shops and offices. The Colonel lingered a moment, his expression doubtful.
Crossing a spacious entrance hall, they passed a cafe, several boutiques and thickets of artificial plants in huge marble pots. Apart from thick curtains of cobwebs, the building looked closed for the holidays. Signs on the walls directed them upstairs past shops, a restaurant and a cinema, towards offices and apartments on the upper floors. They entered a large, open-plan office on the fourth floor and the meagre daylight revealed spiders crawling all over them.
“What the hell are they?” demanded Private 941, frantically brushing them off and stamping on them.
“Arachnids,” replied 395.
“A-what-nids?”
“Spiders to you!”
395 dangled one from his index finger and it lowered itself to the ground on its silken thread and scuttled off. He managed to rescue several more before 941 could use his boot.
On the far side of the office, the Sergeant smashed one of the windows with the butt of her gun. Crowding round, the soldiers looked down into the thundering waters and shivered. Peter pushed them aside and studied the office block on the opposite bank before attaching a coil of rope to the Redeemer and firing a harpoon that punctured the wall just above the footpath. Fastening the other end of the rope to a pillar, he tested it, then used his belt as a handle and slid swiftly across. Sergeant 236 followed next then Privates 856, 207, 312, 941, and 749.
Private 2144 started across with the ease of one who came from a settlement camp on a planet of mountains and ravines but before he was halfway, his comrades heard a rush of footsteps above their heads. Gunfire erupted from the far bank, as Fardelbear leapt from an upper storey window and sailed across the river, startling Private 2144, who let go of his belt. Fardelbear landed on the opposite side and darted into the office block, and 2144 was carried away, tossed about in the swirling waters while his comrades looked on helplessly.
The Colonel ordered them on and the next soldier crossed without incident. Alex followed safely but when another started down the rope, Fardelbear dropped from a window above the Sergeant’s company and scattered them. With the monster waiting for him at the other end of the rope, the unlucky soldier let go and followed 2144 into the torrent. Turning on the Sergeant, Fardelbear was surprised when she attacked him first, slashing at him with her machete. Before he could recover his balance, Peter fired a jet of flame that engulfed him. For an instant he was disorientated and the Sergeant struck again, launching a flying kick that sent him toppling over the low rail and into the river. With his many arms flailing, the raging waters tossed him about and carried him away.
Another crossed and another but before 395 and the Colonel could follow, drumming feet sounded once more above their heads and Fardelbear reappeared, leaping across the river again. He snatched up Alex before anyone could react and vanished into the office block. This miraculous reappearance stunned them all but only 395 noticed that this Fardelbear seemed different, appearing a paler colour than the one who had fallen in the river. Still pondering this, he made the crossing, quickly followed by the Colonel.
Hurrying along the riverbank, they found an alley that led to
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