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I fired my plasma rifle The first shot exploded the xeno’s chest, but it kept co The second shot connected with one of the bladed forear the li too – and the corridor was alight with brilliant plasma pulses The creature collapsed into an incandescent mess
“You like that much, Olsen?” Kaminski asked “They’re pretty friendly for a species that we’re supposed to be at peace with”
At so the attack, Olsen had collapsed to his knees He sat there for a second, looking down at his gloved hands His eyes were haunted, his jowls heavy and he was suddenlyto his feet From the safety of a laboratory, it was easy to think of the Krell as another intelligent species, justtheuish the human race, showed them for what they really were
“This is a live situation now, troopers Keep together and do this by the drill Haven is awake”
“Solid copy,” Kaminski muttered
“We ed, we retreat down the primary corridor to the APS Now double-time it and move out”
There was no pause to relay our contact with Jenkins and Martinez The Krell had a unique ability to sense radio transmissions, even encrypted communications like those we used on the suits, and now that the Collective had awoken all comms were locked down
As I started off, I activated the wrist-mounted computer incorporated into my suit Ah, shit The starship corridors brins The place became swathed in shadow and death – every pool of blackness a possible Krell nest
Mission timeline: twelve minutes
We reached the quantue reinforced doors were eht flashed overhead
The floor exploded as three more Krell appeared – all chitin shells and claws Blake went down first, the largest of the Krell dragging hiht his rifle up to fire, but there was too little room for hi the weapon to bear
“Hold on, Kid!” I hollered, firing at the advancing Krell, trying to get him free
The other two xenos claet toa hand into the rapple Blake He lost his rifle, and let rip an agonised shout as the creatures dragged hiood – he was either dead now, or he would be soon Even in his reinforced ablative plate, those things would take hirip on his hand, just as the other Krell broke free of the tunnel mouth
“Blake’s down!” I yelled “’Ski – grenade”
“Solid copy – on it”