9 The Third Shift

After the briefing ended, Hayashi, Burns, and Donovan met up in a corner of the briefing room. "I didn't see Elizabeth or the Diego brothers anywhere" Donovan said. "I did see some new faces though. Some of these people were recruited recently. If we're going to form a team, we should grab some more people, especially anyone who can use support magic."

"I don't think we should be focusing on that right now" Burns said. Hayashi nodded in agreement as the Erratic Jack continued "We've just been informed a Third Shift is coming. Until we've survived it, it's best not to assume anything."

"Perhaps you're right" Donovan conceded thoughtfully. "Still, it won't hurt to learn more about who else is here. I'll go make the rounds."

Finished speaking, the Steam Jack walked off. Rather than worry about trying to form a team or considering the battles ahead, Burns wandered around till he found a bunk to rest on. He'd had his sleep interrupted earlier and now that he had the time, he'd rather just get all the sleep he could.

Several hours later, in Earth's orbit, the alien gateway's stealth technology failed completely. For a moment nothing happened. Then a massive wave of energy surged out from the alien construct, expanding to cover the whole solar system within minutes. The Third Shift had come.

As soon as the wave of energy was sent out from the gateway, it began changing, forming a new shape. When it stopped changing it actually looked like a gateway. The now circular construct released a much smaller amount of energy, creating a green, shimmering field. From this field, gargantuan orbs of purple light shot outwards, plummeting towards Earth. The orbs crashed into cities around the world, demolishing them instantly.

Now landed, the purple orbs began to fade, until only a barely visible, transparent field of energy remained where the orbs had been. Within the energy barrier, pulsating masses of flesh rhythmically expanded and contracted. The alien bases, cocooned in purple energy, were surprisingly organic structures.

Deeper inside the Dallas base, Treevallion Sindra began taking control. As a leader caste of the Neethloh, his physical body was completely integrated into the Nest-Ship. With simple thoughts, Sindra first activated the Nest-Ship's defenses. The outer wards' energy had been mostly depleted from the landing but the inner wards remained strong. Poisonous gases began spewing from sac-like organs in the Nest-Ship's winding passages, making any intrusion more dangerous for natives. Countless bladed limbs and acid launchers twitched as they were moved into automatic defense mode. At the heart of the Nest-Ship, the troop portal opened. Everything was ready.

Waves of twelve-limbed Nest-Stalkers sprinted out first. These warriors, wrapped in color-shifting exoskeletons, were the Nest-Ship's sentries and, should the need arise, the main defensive units. They scattered throughout the Nest-Ship, burrowing into floors, walls, ceilings, and patrolling everywhere. Any intrusion would be detected by them.

From the portal next came the Sky-Watchers and Sky-Terrors. Sky-Watchers were six-winged creatures inundated in roving eyes, waving antennae, and salivating mouths filled with long, purple tongues. Despite their strange shape, the creatures managed surprising speed, quickly flying out of the Nest-Ship. Following them were the Sky-Terrors. These gargantuan, worm-like beasts struggled to escape the confines of the Nest-Ship's tunnels even with their mucus covered hides. Once they'd finally exited, the giants rose into the air, using potent magic to fly effortlessly. Long after the portal stopped producing Sky-Watchers, more and more Sky-Terrors emerged from the portal's green light.

Everything seemed to be going well as far as Sindra was concerned. Then the outer wards collapsed. Waves of drones flooded into the Nest-Ship, in many forms. The surging machine horde launched into fierce battle, fighting their way into the Nest-Ship. From the tunnels of flesh, scythe limbs and globules of acid assaulted the intruders. Hidden Nest-Stalkers launched corrosive beams of green energy, melting friend and foe alike.

The Sky-Terrors unfortunate enough to still be inside the Nest-Ship found themselves easy prey; they died helplessly. Even as the drones pushed the fight to the inner wards, more Nest-Stalkers emerged from the portal. Eventually the inner wards collapsed, but by then the tide was already turning. With the greater numbers on their side, the Neethloh were able to destroy the last of the enemy forces.

Sindra ensured more Nest-Stalkers reinforced the Nest-Ship before resuming the summoning of Sky-Terrors. With the wards gone, the Nest-Ship was far more vulnerable than before. Sindra wished better troops were available. Sadly, this world had only been infused with just enough spiritual energy for weak races like the Neethloh to begin the actual terraforming process. Even if this world was able to sustain tier two spiritual energy, the Neethloh wouldn't have a chance at residing here. Until all the planets and moons were habitable, they'd be prevented from establishing a colony and even then it'd cost them. The Neethloh commander could only accept this plight and refocus on the task at hand.

Unbeknownst to the alien invaders, who had turned their attention to the air, a great threat lay in wait below. All the information the first drones had acquired was transmitted below, feeding into the drone control centers. Although the people hidden below were unconscious, a result of the Third Shift, the data was automatically analyzed and processed. Protocols were modified even as factories produced new drones, configured to be even better fighters than before. Soon, the next wave would be ready.

Burns opened his eyes and observed his surroundings coolly. He instantly recognized the sterile, gray walls of Crimson Valley, the research facility he'd spent most of his life in. It didn't look how he remembered it though. It wasn't the pristine, well-lit hub of top-notch scientists, technology, and magic he recalled. Nor did it resemble the smoking ruins he'd escaped from as his magic tore anything and everything around him to shreds.

The Crimson Valley facility he now stood in was an altogether different place, eerily familiar but strangely warped. The lights flickered on and off. Blood dripped down the walls, the source hidden by long, foreboding shadows. Every time he saw them, the floor tiles' had a new rorschach pattern. Shards of broken glass reflected the faces of phantoms, figures from his past.

Head Scientist Mercer, the always smiling demon who'd haunted his dreams as a child appeared first. Doctors, guards, even those friends he'd outlived visited him, calling from their graves. Burns left them behind. They were long dead and he was not.

Burns wandered through this netherworld, unperturbed by the disturbing imagery. This was where his innocence died and the Jack was born. Burns visited the cell he once lived in. Here, in this animal pen, he'd named himself. Kaiser for his ambition, Burns as a reminder of what he'd lived through.

As he traveled through the facility it began to shift. From an Aceron design, the place took on a Milestone Technologies layout. This place was the bunker he'd stolen, although it too was changed. Burns watched as phantom researchers created the parasite now living in his blood, Jimmy. He watched as the parasite took bodies and killed minds. He watched as the orange, liquid-based lifeform shot into his nose, trying to end him too. Even as the liquid entered him, he felt the chains wrapping around the foreign presence. His body became a prison from which there was no escape.

The Milestone bunker faded away as Burns traveled deeper. From walls of painted concrete, his surroundings became slick stone. Darkness consumed him. For a time only the sound of his footsteps accompanied the Jack. Then he arrived.

A single beam of light illuminated a small portion of the hulking mass waiting in the center of this abyssal cavern. The Jack could see a cancerous, bulging lump of tumorous flesh, wrapped in polished, steel chains. He could hear breathing, the heavy chains rustling, and smell the putrid air. Though he couldn't see it, he knew a great behemoth lurked in the absence of light, a manacled inmate who'd been locked away in these forgotten depths.

The Jack stepped forward and reached out, touching the thing. The creature reacted forcefully, twisting and squirming with rapid violence. In response, the chains mercilessly squeezed the thing, quelling all movement. Then the chains shot towards the Jack, piercing his heart and skull. Anchored into his flesh, it dragged the hidden beast towards him, into him. . .

Then he woke again.