28 Spectral Assailants

Beneath the land of Gaia-Seven, under its barren soils, there was an ancient underground research facility. It was an entire system hosting hundreds of various laboratories-each constructed for different research purposes, even other than the fields of biology, altogether with neurology, the whole facility was built for. Among those were a series of large laboratories, which were dedicated to the research on bio-tech integration. So far, the facility as a whole had succeeded in coming up with a multitude of cutting-edge technologies. And yet, out of those scientific discoveries, some even more successful were further developed here, applied to the bodies of various life forms.

One of the sector's greatest, by far the most astonishing accomplishments was the appliance of holographic technologies on living beings; this included human beings as well. By integrating the holographic control system into the nervous system, as well as implanting a number of tiny projectors beneath the dermal layers, a life form could generate multiple holograms on its own, even in various sizes and shapes, without a help from any other apparatus outside the host's body. Along with it, another greatest discovery would be the invention of Solid Holographic Projection Techniques-shortened as SHP techs. Using the technology, holograms were no longer merely projected upon the surface, but rather 'materialized' in the real world, while each of them having its own physical mass. Although the SHP techs itself was yet to be fully developed, still the possibilities, the wonders it would bring about near future, were limitless. It could well mean a massive workforce for any kinds of huge projects, a defense system that would physically block off any of missile attacks, a police force to ensure public security, and even an army of well-trained soldiers.

At present, the entire place was flooded with loud, humming sounds of large mechanical devices and computers inside. Yet, aside from the machine-made noises, there was occasionally heard a certain voice-a man's voice, specifically-coming out of the speaker, hanging at the top of a dome-like ceiling. The voice was, seemingly in an urgent manner, giving out a series of verbal commands to the machines there. For each and every orders they were given, The machines obeyed their master without questions, while firing up their circuits to extreme.

"No, no, no... Getting AE-12 Holographic Defense Systems online, now. We're in a pinch here, guys, and gimme the coordinates ASAP!" Hurriedly, Dr. Becker made a request to his colleagues.

Aelthred was getting late-way too much late, considering the whole distance it would take for them to reach here. Gael and her team kept pushing the brute to the corner. However, they all knew that it should not be long before the beast would regain its spirit and lunge at them any moment. They had somehow, seemingly, gained an upper hand at first, but then the beast was now climbing up its way to the higher ground. Their enemy growled, and snarled threateningly as if it were recovering its will to fight on. Gael needed her reinforcements immediately. She was no longer confident if she would be containing the terrible beast any further.

As expected, the beast soon broke free of its confinement. Instinctively, it leapt straight away onto the enemy leader, Gael, so as to butcher her and cripple their chain of commands. She swiftly dodged its vicious claws. Yet, having failed to assail her, the beast then disappeared into the dark, possibly waiting there for another chance. Once more the beast was now let loose amidst the darkness ahead, where even their finest night-visions could not get through. Now that their number dwindled by one, they could not afford to lose any other comrades. Knowing this, Gael ordered her warriors to fan out again, this time instructing them to maintain their minimum distances between each other.

They proceeded further deep into the dark, carefully moving their feet onward. With their swords sheathed in, two of them were holding their handcannons with both hands, aiming their weaponry around every corner. The rest, Gael and her other warrior, were clutching the grips of their plasma-bolts on their left hands, while each holding the melee weapon on the other side. A moment of silence came by. At the very moment, no one knew for sure who was the hunter and who was being hunted. Amidst the dark, it was no use to draw up such distinguishment; the hunter would become the prey, and the hunted would soon transform into the hunter at any time, even without recognition.

Now, it was taking the role of their terrifying predator. The next one to strike down was a gunman to the right. Continuing its assault, the beast jumped off from the ceiling, coming down fast on the target below. Surprised, the enemy barely escaped its fury from above. He then aimed his handcannon on the beast, and pull the trigger without hesitation. A couple of 12.7mm rounds were hit upon the monster's shoulder. Bearing the pain, however, it had managed to knock off the gunner's war-gear, and smashed him right into his torso with its knuckle. The warrior was knocked heavily onto the floor. While he was trying to raise himself up, getting over the concussion, the other warriors gave him a covering fire. Avoiding lasers and bullets, however, the brute leaped over the enemies, and shoved its claws into the foe's chest upon landing.

Another one died on the cold ground, with his valiant soul leaving the earth and the blood spurting out of his chest. Now there were only three of them. At this rate, they would never be able to survive the terrible beast, let alone avenging their fallen comrades. Both their lives and honor were at stake. Nevertheless, Gael did not lose her heart yet. Deep inside her soul, she knew that she could not afford to lose this battle at all. She needed to wreck her vengeance upon the foe. Then, she should be bringing its head before the whole Empire, claiming her bounty. And for that, she should be earning everlasting fame and glory. In the end, she shall be the one who would have everything in her grasp. Fury and eagerness surging from within, Gael cried to her comrades.

"Avenge thy brother-in-arms! Be brave, and smite the brute down at all cost!"

In the meantime, inside the church's large corridor Prince Aelthred and his warriors were fighting off their unknown enemies, suddenly appeared before them. Nearly a company of them, they were not like any other troopers he had ever met before. They all had their war-gears, equipped with proper poly-mails, and they were disciplined well enough as soldiers. Still, something was off with them. Everytime one of them was brought down, the body just dispersed in thin air, without leaving a trace of blood. Even more, whenever they radioed among themselves, there were only statics and noises, not any of human voices. Nevertheless, they were the enemies to be reckoned with; that was for sure. Despite their strangeness in nature, Aelthred did not let his guard down. He then ordered his squad to keep on the assault while in cover.

"My lord, time is of essence; our scouts direly need our support there. We have to get to them as soon as possible."

The quickest way for them to repel the enemies, would be getting into their close quarters. For now, the barbarians could hardly get an upper hand against their foes with ranged weaponry; were their numbers to be rising, so would their firepower as well-exponentially. However, the cramped hallway was just large enough to accomodate all the combatants hereby present, therefore making Aelthred's squad hard to use their turbo-boosts nor even to jump a great deal. There should be some other way to get through this-so was the dire hope of Prince Aelthred at present.

'Gael needs our help, or else she shall die at the hands of the vile demon.'

Desperate, while stuck behind covers, a certain idea suddenly crossed his mind. He then looked down on his wrist. There, among the sockets of his rugged belt, he saw what would be his breakthrough for the situation.

The shield of Ecg-theow. An ancient shield-generator that had been passed down for many of past generations. It was one among the most venerated, by far the mightiest family heirlooms since the ages of his ancestors. With its small reactor powerful almost as a nuclear plant, once activated it generated an impenetrable force-field barrier even a laser cannon could not punch through, while lasting for more than a month. At this point, the enemies were generally lacking of heavy weapons, only carrying small arms. A few number of them might have a LAW(Light Anti-tank Weapon) at their disposal, but the risk was still affordable-considering how precious the time was to him now.

As the ancestors had generously granted him a wisdom, he was no longer afraid nor worried. He was now fully determined. Aelthred soon activated the shield-generator. Checking out the shield's status, he then rushed onto the enemy line, roaring like a madden beast. The holographic soldiers poured out all the lasers and bullets they could give to the Prince. However, such was futile before the mighty electric shield he was wearing on; it absorbed all of them coming at him. Only around 20 to 30 meters left ahead, one of the holograms shot its anti-material weaponry despite the safety distance. The rocket hit the target, while blowing off the other holograms in vicinity.

The next thing they were seeing, however, was Aelthred butchering them without mercy. The ancient heirloom saved his life. As the courageous Prince broke the line, there came in the rest of his squad to finish off the opponents in melee. Swiftly, they spread into the enemies, cleaving and smacking the foes who stood in their ways. In close combat, the holograms were no match for the raging barbarians in exo-skeletons, no matter how skillful they were mere as troopers.

"Gruhngar, take care of the rest. I shall be on my way to aid our siblings-in-arms." Aelthred ordered.

"Affirmative. May the Divines bless you, my liege."

Along with two warriors, the Prince broke away from the scene of combat. Following the distress signal, they rushed to the location of their comrades in trouble. No matter the adversities, they shall save their brethren at all costs. No matter how tenacious their foe would prove to be, they shall be spilling its marrow on the barren land. In the end, they shall be victorious over everything; the eternal glory shall be theirs.