elevator and the wall and now dragged against the stone surface like a fingernail on an oversized chalkboard. Whatever it was, Jenner prayed that the elevator would hold out until they reached the bottom.
The truck lurched hard and the ring of steel on steel shuddered through the cab. Jenner sucked in his breath, a fresh stab of fear piercing his heart. Motion stopped. A series of smaller clangs followed in tight sequence as pneumatic clamps locked the elevator into place.
Jenner exhaled a long overdue breath. We made it.
He fumbled for the seatbelt latch but his left arm failed to work properly. Pain lanced up his entire left side as his weight shifted. In growing frustration he dragged a trembling right hand across his body to reach the aluminum clasp, which popped open with a sharp click. Jenner turned to paw at the door handle when a flashing screen caught his eye.
"Huh?" Jenner's hand froze, fingers brushing the door latch.
"What?" Briggs' lips moved, though his eyes remained closed.
"Sensors. Somethin' in the tank."
Jenner cursed quietly and blinked hard, trying to clear the cotton from his mind. He reached out with his right hand and tapped a command on the console. Glyphs skittered across the screen.
Briggs opened his eyes and with a wheezy groan leaned across the center console. "Dammit boy, it's just--" Briggs' words trailed into silence. Vibration patterns emanated from inside the tank, distinct patterns. Jenner watched as the computer filtered for echo and reflection, resolving six rough forms in the center of the disturbance. Forms with arms and legs. Jenner saw Briggs' eyes go wide.
"Briggs?" Jenner's voice was hesitant; the warning light in the back of his mind had already kicked into overdrive. "Briggs, what the hell is that?"
Briggs' left hand slammed against the dash and the cab's rear door slid open. "Get in the back!" he shouted as he grappled with his seat restraints. The voice carried a ragged note of terror.
Raw fear burned bright in Brigg's eyes. In the space of a single heartbeat, that fear jumped across the cab and buried its frigid claws along the length of Jenner's spine. The icy touch was numbing. No thought, only the need to move.
Jenner's broken left arm folded back under his weight as he scrambled for the open rear door. He pitched forward and his head crashed with a thud between the seats. For a moment he was wedged in a ridiculous, face-down posture. Panic-driven limbs flailed madly and somersaulted him through the narrow doorway. He hit the base of the gravitic couch with a thud.
"Help me!" The ragged timber of Briggs' voice spiked as he shouted from the cab. "Dammit boy, gimme a hand!"
Jenner flopped to one side and looked through the door, past Briggs. Across the cab a brilliant flash of red pulsed angrily:
WARNING
The dash seemed to draw away as Jenner's world stretched out into an edgeless blur. A hand beckoned with surreal slowness. Eddie's fingers-- no, Jenner shook his head, Briggs, Briggs' fingers dripped with dark blood. The old man's face looked back, eyes wide with terror as the claxon droned.
WARNING WARNING WARNING
Jenner banged the switch and the compartment door slammed shut. Tears ran down his face as he fell back into the darkness, away from the screams and the pounding at the door. When the explosion tore through the heart of the truck, even the screams were lost.
CHAPTER 6
The squeal of failing metal mixed with the moans of the dying. In the darkness overhead, a transformer blew out with a shotgun report and sparks rained down through the catwalks. Somewhere in the distance a siren howled mournfully.
The truck lay dead. Strips of linear shaped charge inside the tank had cut an instant doorway through her side, the edges of the gaping wound curled back like bits of torn paper.
Steam parted as an armored form emerged through the hole, oblivious to the Hex that streamed off of grey armored skin. Dan Ridgeway climbed out of the wreckage and fired a
The truck lurched hard and the ring of steel on steel shuddered through the cab. Jenner sucked in his breath, a fresh stab of fear piercing his heart. Motion stopped. A series of smaller clangs followed in tight sequence as pneumatic clamps locked the elevator into place.
Jenner exhaled a long overdue breath. We made it.
He fumbled for the seatbelt latch but his left arm failed to work properly. Pain lanced up his entire left side as his weight shifted. In growing frustration he dragged a trembling right hand across his body to reach the aluminum clasp, which popped open with a sharp click. Jenner turned to paw at the door handle when a flashing screen caught his eye.
"Huh?" Jenner's hand froze, fingers brushing the door latch.
"What?" Briggs' lips moved, though his eyes remained closed.
"Sensors. Somethin' in the tank."
Jenner cursed quietly and blinked hard, trying to clear the cotton from his mind. He reached out with his right hand and tapped a command on the console. Glyphs skittered across the screen.
Briggs opened his eyes and with a wheezy groan leaned across the center console. "Dammit boy, it's just--" Briggs' words trailed into silence. Vibration patterns emanated from inside the tank, distinct patterns. Jenner watched as the computer filtered for echo and reflection, resolving six rough forms in the center of the disturbance. Forms with arms and legs. Jenner saw Briggs' eyes go wide.
"Briggs?" Jenner's voice was hesitant; the warning light in the back of his mind had already kicked into overdrive. "Briggs, what the hell is that?"
Briggs' left hand slammed against the dash and the cab's rear door slid open. "Get in the back!" he shouted as he grappled with his seat restraints. The voice carried a ragged note of terror.
Raw fear burned bright in Brigg's eyes. In the space of a single heartbeat, that fear jumped across the cab and buried its frigid claws along the length of Jenner's spine. The icy touch was numbing. No thought, only the need to move.
Jenner's broken left arm folded back under his weight as he scrambled for the open rear door. He pitched forward and his head crashed with a thud between the seats. For a moment he was wedged in a ridiculous, face-down posture. Panic-driven limbs flailed madly and somersaulted him through the narrow doorway. He hit the base of the gravitic couch with a thud.
"Help me!" The ragged timber of Briggs' voice spiked as he shouted from the cab. "Dammit boy, gimme a hand!"
Jenner flopped to one side and looked through the door, past Briggs. Across the cab a brilliant flash of red pulsed angrily:
WARNING
The dash seemed to draw away as Jenner's world stretched out into an edgeless blur. A hand beckoned with surreal slowness. Eddie's fingers-- no, Jenner shook his head, Briggs, Briggs' fingers dripped with dark blood. The old man's face looked back, eyes wide with terror as the claxon droned.
WARNING WARNING WARNING
Jenner banged the switch and the compartment door slammed shut. Tears ran down his face as he fell back into the darkness, away from the screams and the pounding at the door. When the explosion tore through the heart of the truck, even the screams were lost.
CHAPTER 6
The squeal of failing metal mixed with the moans of the dying. In the darkness overhead, a transformer blew out with a shotgun report and sparks rained down through the catwalks. Somewhere in the distance a siren howled mournfully.
The truck lay dead. Strips of linear shaped charge inside the tank had cut an instant doorway through her side, the edges of the gaping wound curled back like bits of torn paper.
Steam parted as an armored form emerged through the hole, oblivious to the Hex that streamed off of grey armored skin. Dan Ridgeway climbed out of the wreckage and fired a
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