Emergence: Chapter 63

“Fall back!” Admiral Fairns's voice pierced even the sounds of fighting. While the dead were silent, the living were not, grunting in pain, gasping in agony and screaming in death. “Get the injured back to the camp! We can barricade them out! I'll take the injured back to the camp, if the rest of you can hold them off!”

“He's a shit Admiral, isn't he?” Maron muttered to Trexor.

“Just a bit, yeah.” Trexor said sardonically.

Fairns gathered the inured towards him. “Go!” Otor yelled to Fairns.

“Take Disa and her kid too!” Trexor ordered Fairns, whilst beheading a Xaosian in front of him, showering him in blood.

Fairns led the injured away from the fighting, leaving Tya, Trem, Trexor, Otor, Rals, Maron and a few other fighters to try and hold off the dead horde.

Otor seemed to be struggling; the AI was sending more after him than it was anyone else, and he was soon buried beneath them. He shook them off at first, before he was brought down by them. Trexor ran over, sword swinging. “Otor, hold on!”

Trexor slammed his sword into one of the Xaosians, knocking him down and away from Otor, who was screaming in pain now. Trexor drew his gun too, firing at the Xaosians swarming Otor, who was still fighting, but only barely. Trexor threw the last one off of Otor and knelt down to his bleeding body. “Otor?”

“Trexor.” Otor groaned, coughing blood. “I think I'm dying. They really did a number on me.” They had; his throat was mangled with bite wounds, his exoskeleton was torn to shreds and he was bleeding from his eyes. “A lifetime of torture, I knew I wouldn't die nicely.” He chuckled. “Shoot me in the face Trexor. It'll stop me coming back to haunt you.”

Trexor shook his head. “I can't kill you.”

“You need to!” Otor croaked, blood spitting from his mouth.

Trexor sighed and closed his eyes briefly. He took a deep breath, aimed the gun. Looking away, he pulled the trigger and, even over the noises of the fight, he heard the splatter of Otor's ruined face. He turned away, refusing to look at his ally's injuries, and hoping that he did the right thing.

“Everyone, fall back to camp!” Trexor called. “We can't hold them off forever.”

The others responded with shouts of what sounded like agreement. They ran from the horde, which didn't run after them; they didn't need to. To be honest, Trexor wasn't sure if their deteriorating muscles could manage running. Maron and Rals ran together, it was clear that Rals was slowing down to stay with his older friend. Trexor gave a small smile; that was kind of adorable. Tya and Trem ran together; they didn't know each other, but they needed protection in number, especially with Trem's limp.

The others followed behind, but Trexor didn't know them; just nameless faces in a sea of bodies. He was glad he didn't know their names; that way he couldn't feel as bad as he did about Otor. He was sure he could feel tears brewing in his eyes, but never releasing them from his heavy-feeling eyes. He caught up with Maron and Rals.

“Where's Otor?” Maron asked.

“He...he's dead.” Trexor said solemnly.

“Well, that was unexpected.” Rals said. “Thought if anyone survived, it'd be the Adjeti.”

They ran in silence until they reached the camp. There was even more injured now, but the less severely injured were erecting a barricade to keep the horde out. “Admiral!” Trexor called. “Any plans now?”

“The only thing I can thing of is sending a small team into Tapal and sending a communication to New Orbus, requesting help.” Tya suggested.

“Yeah, good luck getting to the radio tower.” Fairns snorted. “But, I guess it's the best idea we've got. I feel we should split into two smaller groups. Maron and Rals, and Tya and Trexor.”

Trexor nodded. “That makes sense. We can sneak around the horde due to smaller numbers, and if one team gets taken out, then we still have a second chance.”

Maron nodded. “That's true. Also, we work well as a team,” he pointed at Rals, “I assume you and Tya do too. And none of us are too badly injured, so we should do fine.” He turned to Fairns. “You may have to tell me where this signal tower is, though.”

“You know where the military base is?” Trexor asked.

“The one surrounded by a ravine of sorts?” Rals piped in.

“Yeah, that one.” Fairns responded. “It's in there, the controls are on the top floor.”

“Alright.” Maron said, checking his weapon. “Everyone's weapons OK?”

Rals and Tya nodded, but Trexor needed a new gun, which he got from one of the other fighters.

“Good luck everyone.” Fairns hung his head in respect. “I really hope you can do it.”

“Yeah,” Trexor nodded, “So do I.”