Space Shift Stories: McGuffin 45

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome

When you fall down after the floors crumble. You should always pray that there is no spikes or long distance between the next floor. Because if either of those are present well you could see how crappy you life was. Which basically means you're dead. but good thing is I have safely landed on my back on what seems to be about three meters drop. I could see the hole where I fell down which is the only light source from where I am currently situated. Around me was pitch black. Korva peeped through the hole concerned either for me or the orb.

"Rover you still alive?" He shouts with concern.

"Yes." I groaned, I pulled up a glow stick in my bag and turned it on.

"Are you alright? What about the orb?"

"I'm fine, my pride isn't and as for the orb" I loosen my grip to inspect the orb "Still looks fine to me"

"Give me a sec, I'll pull you out of there"

Korva prepares his grapple gun to create a rappel for me but the ground shook. His expression changed from relieved to worried. The walls revealed machine guns that aimed at him and fired as soon as they got a lock on him. Korva was quick on his feet to slide to the corridors where the bullets could not hit him. He covers his head as dust and debris fall down. He took a quick glanced and saw that his cover was almost destroyed which made him back off a little bit.

The sound of the guns was to loud like a marching band on early morning. I wanted to ask if Korva is safe but the sound was too loud. A whirling sound can be heard from my location. I stand up and as if on cue the lights opened from where I am frightened by what I saw. Six cryotubes with the frozen wolf creatures. The cryotubes turned off and drained itself of the fluid it stored inside. They lit up a color of green and the glass slowly lifts up and the wolves took small fragile steps. I gulped in fear as the fragile steps have gained strength. The wolves started to growl either for hunger or for anger, but maybe both.

"Korva if you're alive there change of plans. Find an exit and meet me the on the surface." I shouted.

The wolves howled, I waved the glow stick, their heads followed it. I tossed it away and ran like hell. Luckily the wolves chased after the glow stick, but they turned their attention back to me. I ran through the halls while picking put broken pipe and debris to throw at them hoping to slow them down. But they just dodge it or feel nothing at all.

Korva still pinned downed pulled out his gun and blindly shot at the turrets. After five or six shots the turrets powered down. He look at his handy work. But there was no time to celebrate as the ceilings deploys drones. Before he could shoot them the drones opened fire. It gave him no choice but to run away, he ran on a zigzag hoping not to get hit. The drone continued shooting at him but it also deployed missiles. Which he dodges with efficiency.

The lead wolf chasing me is almost near me. I sprinted faster but the wolf was the fastest. He tripped me and he lunged over making me his first meal in how long his cryosleep was. But I saw a steel pipe which I quickly used to defend myself against its bite. I swung it away and got up, I smacked the wolf down and swung it to his friends to give myself distance and I ran again.

Korva could see an open hangar door a few meters which could take him to the surface. He could fire his grapple gun which would guarantee his safety. All he has to do is not to get hit because the drones' missile was missing Korva. But one unfortunately hit near his foot, the explosion knocked him down. The explosion threw the gun out of his hand, the drone halted and looked at him. It waited a moment either to reload or assess the target.

The drone approached him while it reload. Korva looks at the flying death machine, he spots a small piece of metal near him. The drone begins to fire but he hurled the metal on the drone's motor. It caused it to spin uncontrollable and crash. The crash was to violent that it ignited the remaining missiles inside the drone. It blew up creating a big hole on the ground.

I have made quite a distance between the wolves. Suddenly an explosion hits the ceiling, and rocks fell from above. The damage was huge as it tore the ceiling and the walls revealing the open hangar. Luckily my momentum did not stop which gave me enough distance to keep myself safe. The rubble killed the lead wolf and separated me from the rest of the pack. The remaining wolves are now pissed as they try to clear the path. I try to look for a better option against these things.

I saw Korva rappel up the surface. "Korva! Toss me the grapple gun!" I shouted trying to get his attention.

"Toss me the orb, I'll toss you the grapple" He replied

"Not gonna happen pal!"

"This is no time to argue my friend"

"Toss me the grapple and I'll toss you the orb" I insisted,panicking.

"Toss the orb first. Final offer" He demanded.

The wolves is nearly done clearing the blockade and is enthusiastic about eating me. I had no choice but to toss him the orb, which landed a few steps from him.

"Rover, thank you so much for helping me on this job. I'll never forget this" He said as he got closer to the orb.

"What are you doing?"

"Showing you an occupational hazard"

"You can't do this"

"Yes. I. Can"

He kneels down to grab the orb,he looks at me with mockery one last time. I flicked my wrist, my holowatch HUD popped out. His expression changed that of confusion and terror. He glanced over his shoulder, he saw the wristband I used to grab the orb attached in his back. He tried to remove it but I pressed my holowatch which activated the wrist band.

He was yanked out from the surface to my area with great force. He continually moved close to me. I snatch his grapple gun, he kept moving farther until he stopped near the wolves. He tries to get away but he can't. He looked at the dead wolf and saw the thing that is pulling the wristband.

"Why are you doing this?!" Korva panicky asked.

"Showing you an occupational hazard. And securing my exit" I replied waving him the grapple gun.

The wolves finally cleared and they walked in one by one, they saw Korva lying helplessly on the ground. They wasted no time in eating him, he screamed in pain, he tries to defend himself but the wolves was too strong for him.

I prepared the grapple gun and rappelled to safety. The wolves bit off Korva and his gear, one of the wolves bit the grenades which caused an explosion. The explosion pushed me a little bit but I grabbed on the ledge and pulled myself back up.