Gardens of Destruction
CHAPTER 28

Hours had passed since their retreat, a labyrinthine journey marked by disorienting twists and turns. Yet, each time, they found the correct path due to the markers left. Their progress towards the exit was cautious and slow, haunted by the anticipation of an ambush or another onslaught from the twisted humans. The silence was oppressive, a heavy blanket of stillness where no creature stirred, no sound dared break the eerie calm. Captain Mark’s anxiety heightened with each step closer to the exit; he sensed danger lurking, its form elusive, yet unmistakably present. His heart pounded, not with the adrenaline of battle but with a constricting fear that tightened its grip the closer they got to the exit.

Out of nowhere, a creature the size of a minivan leapt into the midst of the moving squad. In the enveloping darkness, it vaguely resembled a colossal spider. Before anyone could react, its razor-sharp metallic legs sliced two soldiers in half.

What followed was less a battle and more a massacre. The creature leaped high, vanishing into the shadowy dome above, and with each landing, it inflicted more casualties. It shot long spikes from its body, causing excruciating pain upon impact. The air was filled with screams, gunfire, and the mingling scents of blood and metal.

Mark fired and moved position after each burst, but bullets seemed to have little effect on the creature. Even a grenade barely scrathed it. The thing systematically slaughtered the squad, one by one. Even their armored vests couldn’t stop the penetration of its blade-like limbs. A soldier with a rocket launcher managed a direct hit, but the creature only faltered for a few seconds before dismembering him with a calculated leap.

“Find cover! Avoid direct contact!” Captain Mark yelled to the survivors.

But he soon realized that there was no chance of escape.

It didn’t take long before all his men were dead. Mark, miraculously unscathed with serious injuries, was the last standing. The creature, having finished with the others, turned its cumbersome attention towards him. Mark slowly shed his riddled gear, which was now more a hindrance than protection, and clutched only his knife.

“Come on! This will be my last fight, and I’ll finish it like a true warrior!” he whispered defiantly to the strange entity, which seemed to study him curiously, not rushing to attack. Suddenly, it lunged forward, but Mark was ready and parried the blade-like appendage. He rolled on the ground, then quickly stood to face the next assault. A slight burning sensation in his arm revealed that the creature had grazed him with its sharp edge.

Frozen in place, Mark witnessed a human silhouette leap from an ‘entity’ onto the creature, plunging a long blade into its back. The creature emitted a sound like scraping metal mixed with a strange whisper, tried to shake off its assailant, and spun around in confusion. The figure leaped off and effortlessly severed one of its legs. The creature screamed and fled, limping away in panic.

“We must leave before it returns!” shouted the stranger with a strong accent, and Mark recognized the towering figure of the Russian.

“Andrey?” Mark exclaimed, surprised by his sudden appearance.

“No time for talk, move now!” Andrey grabbed Mark’s shoulders and pulled him towards the exit.

“The others...” Mark tried to resist, but Andrey’s iron grip dragged him towards the exit.

“There will be no survivors, trust me, I’ve seen enough here. You can do nothing for them!” Andrey replied softly, yet firmly.

Mark and Andrey raced towards the exit, their footsteps echoing in the eerie silence of the alien structure. The urgency of escape eclipsed all caution; their sole focus was on fleeing the infernal labyrinth. But as they sprinted, the monstrous entity they had thought vanquished renewed its pursuit with terrifying swiftness. Andrey, in a moment of quick thinking, yanked Mark into a peculiar tunnel beneath a mound-like formation, a sanctuary too narrow for their colossal pursuer.

As they navigated the tunnel’s winding path, they stumbled upon a cavernous chamber, its appearance halting them in their tracks. Bizarre seahorse-like creatures stood motionless, their eyes wide in the glare of their flashlights. Instinctively, Mark reached for his weapon, but Andrey’s firm grip stayed his hand. With cautious steps, they edged around the perimeter, avoiding the creatures’ blank stares. The tunnel on the far side offered them a path to continue their escape, and they slipped away unnoticed.

Back in the open, they quickly oriented themselves and dashed towards the exit. Their breaths came in ragged gasps as they felt the fresh wind from the forest, a stark contrast to the stifling air of the structure.

“Call the cars, have them ready to go immediately,” Andrey whispered firmly to Mark.

“You think they’ll chase us outside?” Mark pondered, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Their answer came in the form of a metallic, whispering sound echoing from the entrance. Mark wasted no time; he radioed the waiting vehicles, urging them to be on high alert. As they sprinted towards the cars, Mark noticed Andrey still clutched the same blade that had felled the creature, its strange tendrils embedded in the flesh of his hand.

The vehicle awaited them just beyond the fence, engine humming in readiness. “Drive to the base, now!” Mark commanded.

“But... the others?” the driver asked hesitantly, a flicker of hope in his voice.

“There are no others; we’re all that’s left. Everyone else is gone. Step on it, damn it!” Mark barked, his tone heavy with loss.

As the car tore through the forest path, Mark caught sight of three nightmarish figures emerging into the moonlight, including the one-legged monster. Panic gripped him for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.

“If you want to live, drive like hell!” he shouted to the driver, who finally realized the gravity of their situation.

The chase was relentless, but once they hit the asphalt, their speed gave them an advantage. The creatures, less adept on the smooth surface, fell behind.

“We’re almost there,” the driver muttered under his breath, eyes fixed on the road ahead.

As they neared the base, the sound of helicopters filled the air. “Do you see them, sir?” Mark asked over the radio.

“Yes, orders to fire have been given,” Patterson confirmed. “We’ll cover you.”

The choppers engaged, raining down rockets and gunfire on the pursuing entities. They slowed but did not fall, continuing their relentless pursuit. Finally, as Mark and Andrey reached the safety of the base, the creatures halted their chase, beaten back by the barrage of fire from above.

The jeeps hurtled through the base’s portal, careening past the tank line with desperate velocity, and skidded to a halt inside the compound. Mark and Andrey leaped out, turning back to witness the unfolding carnage. Tanks blocked the entrance with their massive bulks, creating a formidable barrier. Yet, the creatures, though visibly affected by the onslaught of rockets, pressed on with undiminished ferocity. Suddenly, a volley of cannon fire erupted from the tanks, striking several creatures directly. The impact sent them sprawling backwards, seemingly lifeless, but moments later, they rose again, as if reanimated by some unseen command. Then, as abruptly as they had attacked, they retreated back into the darkness. The general ordered no pursuit.

Exhausted, Mark and Andrey collapsed on the grass. After a brief, eerie silence, Mark spoke up, “Lieutenant Lipov, why did you save me? You could have waited for the chaos to subside and escaped alone.”

In a voice tinged with a light smile, Andrey quoted from a book, “You know, captain, death always stands to your left. Just turn sharply, and you might catch a glimpse of it in your peripheral vision!”

“Have you seen it, lieutenant?” Mark inquired.

“All the time!” Andrey replied, his smile lingering.

He looked at Mark, expecting more questions, but receiving none, he continued, “You went to save her, didn’t you? I saw how you looked at the child, captain. Such tenderness is rare in a soldier’s eyes. Maybe you deserve to live? Or am I mistaken?”

Mark didn’t respond, his eyes moist as he gazed into the clear, cloudless sky, lost in memories. After a pause, he asked the lying soldier beside him, “How did you end up inside?”

“Don’t ask. I’ll tell you some other time. Right now, I want to take this off.”

And just as he said that, the tendrils detached from Andrey’s arm and, along with the blade, morphed into a harmless, transportable form.

“What the devil is that?” Mark pointed at the peculiar metallic object in the lieutenant’s hands.

“It’s a souvenir!” Andrey chuckled, still breathing heavily. “I’ll take it home to the kids as a gift! And don’t tell the general about it... please!”

Mark mustered a smile, “General Patterson doesn’t need to know what souvenirs you bring back for your kids, lieutenant! Not every day one goes on an ‘excursion’ to an alien ship.”

Both soldiers continued to laugh softly and hoarsely, lying breathless on the cold, damp grass.

***

The New Ones were here, they had come, they had left, but had they really left? Sorrow. They couldn’t, wouldn’t, didn’t accept – why did the others destroy? There had to be Creation! As it should be, as They wanted it!

The Sh’ur made it happen, but did they understand the awakening? Maybe they did? They felt her, desired her. The Other One was beautiful, different... yet untamed!

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