“The Humans Strike Back”
“Work faster!”, the combine soldier snapped at the scientist, burying the front of his weapon deep into Dr. Kleiner’s lab coat. “Forgive me”, he stuttered, “I simply lost track of the pumping interface systems, I will be regaining traction in a matter of moments.” The Combine shook his head “the inefficacy of you humans is intensely annoying”, then he merely grunted, turning his attention to the large blinding windows now suffused with the sun’ early light.
It had been an accident that allowed the pathetic humans to rebel, a leak in the modified water genome tanks that kept the remnants of humanity superhumanly fit and the Combine’s industrial centers up and running. After the Combine’s initial invasion, they drained the Earth of its water supply burrowing it underground in vast tanks so that it would be “purified” by the water filtration systems.
But somehow a leak had occurred, some suggested that one of the many alien parasitic ecosystems swarming underneath the Combine and human settlements, found their way into the tanks and mutated into what had been known as the “Hydras”, translucent blue, multi-tentacle creatures that inhabited any and all water sources left on Earth, grew so large and untamed that the tanks could no longer hold them, and the metallic structures broke under the pressure.
This leak caused an imbalance to the Combine’s own ecosystems, the modified genome water instead flowing copiously into the human settlements. While the Combine were recovering from this disaster, the humans were experimenting with the abundant genome substance. After awhile, they were able to produce clones, a mixture of Combine and alien hive technology. These clones soon evolved to the point that this was not anymore a war of attrition (the numbers of the city 17 personnel represented what cloning batch they originated from), but one of superior technology and tactical manipulation of the present circumstances.
However, the Combine were sensing victory, having infiltrated the rebel’s labs. Killing many of the science team members, and only leaving several of the senior researchers alive to operate the water propulsion systems. Dr. Kleiner was one of them.
A low rumbling sound from above alerted the Combine soldier to attention. Dr. Kleiner looked up, only to be rebuked by the soldier, who gave a savage gesture to continue his work. The soldier glanced up once again, only to see a large, black shape take the place of the vibrant blue sky. Within moments, he could here shouts and mangled radio transmissions, they were coming closer.
Suddenly, a loud harsh pounding of the air vents caused him to lift his automatic weapon. Without further warning, a deafening explosion showered clouds of dust and debris on top of him. Before he could recover, the black-clad soldiers of City 17 were on him, and his body smacked the far wall as they unloaded their weapons simultaneously on him.
One soldier turned his attention to Dr. Kleiner, who cowered for a moment before speaking. “M-may I be of assistance to you?”. For an answer the soldier pointed his weapon at the computer system resting on the ramshackle wooden desk, and unloaded his clip into the machine until it lay in a pile of pathetic twisted machinery at his feet. “I don’t think you will be needed that anymore”, the soldier said, giving a cruel smile. Dr. Kleiner simply nodded, following the soldiers out into the bright sunlight.
“Work faster!”, the combine soldier snapped at the scientist, burying the front of his weapon deep into Dr. Kleiner’s lab coat. “Forgive me”, he stuttered, “I simply lost track of the pumping interface systems, I will be regaining traction in a matter of moments.” The Combine shook his head “the inefficacy of you humans is intensely annoying”, then he merely grunted, turning his attention to the large blinding windows now suffused with the sun’ early light.
It had been an accident that allowed the pathetic humans to rebel, a leak in the modified water genome tanks that kept the remnants of humanity superhumanly fit and the Combine’s industrial centers up and running. After the Combine’s initial invasion, they drained the Earth of its water supply burrowing it underground in vast tanks so that it would be “purified” by the water filtration systems.
But somehow a leak had occurred, some suggested that one of the many alien parasitic ecosystems swarming underneath the Combine and human settlements, found their way into the tanks and mutated into what had been known as the “Hydras”, translucent blue, multi-tentacle creatures that inhabited any and all water sources left on Earth, grew so large and untamed that the tanks could no longer hold them, and the metallic structures broke under the pressure.
This leak caused an imbalance to the Combine’s own ecosystems, the modified genome water instead flowing copiously into the human settlements. While the Combine were recovering from this disaster, the humans were experimenting with the abundant genome substance. After awhile, they were able to produce clones, a mixture of Combine and alien hive technology. These clones soon evolved to the point that this was not anymore a war of attrition (the numbers of the city 17 personnel represented what cloning batch they originated from), but one of superior technology and tactical manipulation of the present circumstances.
However, the Combine were sensing victory, having infiltrated the rebel’s labs. Killing many of the science team members, and only leaving several of the senior researchers alive to operate the water propulsion systems. Dr. Kleiner was one of them.
A low rumbling sound from above alerted the Combine soldier to attention. Dr. Kleiner looked up, only to be rebuked by the soldier, who gave a savage gesture to continue his work. The soldier glanced up once again, only to see a large, black shape take the place of the vibrant blue sky. Within moments, he could here shouts and mangled radio transmissions, they were coming closer.
Suddenly, a loud harsh pounding of the air vents caused him to lift his automatic weapon. Without further warning, a deafening explosion showered clouds of dust and debris on top of him. Before he could recover, the black-clad soldiers of City 17 were on him, and his body smacked the far wall as they unloaded their weapons simultaneously on him.
One soldier turned his attention to Dr. Kleiner, who cowered for a moment before speaking. “M-may I be of assistance to you?”. For an answer the soldier pointed his weapon at the computer system resting on the ramshackle wooden desk, and unloaded his clip into the machine until it lay in a pile of pathetic twisted machinery at his feet. “I don’t think you will be needed that anymore”, the soldier said, giving a cruel smile. Dr. Kleiner simply nodded, following the soldiers out into the bright sunlight.
!
