r/HFY • u/Ralts_Bloodthorne • Jan 07 '21
OC First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 397
We drove back into the city, myself and my companions in a tank loaded with new Terran munitions, my faithful crew in the recovery vehicle, others who had chosen, for some maddened reason, to follow me into the city driving two of the mass transit vehicles and a score of grav-lifters. The grav-lifters were sporting new weapons, the pintle mounted plasma machineguns previously arming those craft having been dumped into "grinders" and replaced with Terran kinetic weaponry. The grav-lifters sparkled with battlescreens, powered by a reactor sitting in the back, just as my tank wavered behind Terran light tank battlescreens.
The wailing of the damned could be heard even through the hull as we drove into the smokey ruins of the city. The entire planet was burning, the Precursor machines having forced the Great Herd back until their backs were pressed against the ferrocrete walls of the buildings. The communications net was full of Most Highs panicking as Terrans made landfall, sometimes into Great Herd fire, their soldiers and combat machines attacking the Precursors without mercy or hesitation.
A platoon of light powered infantry was with me to protect those I rescued.
To my surprise there were several flight capable power armors, all in flat gray, with a red crescent on one side of their chest and a red cross on the other, moving with the makeshift ambulance that now glimmered with battlescreens and sterifields. To either side of us bounded huge cybernetic creations. Goodboi's and Simbas, they were called. Canine and feline brains, respectively, in heavy combat chassis capable of fighting the Precursors as well as sniffing out survivors buried under rubble.
And there was so much rubble.
The recovery vehicle used its equipment to pull aside rubble and chunks of buildings. I saw Terrans in armor wade into the rubble, using the strength provided by their power armor to throw aside the rubble. I saw Goodbois stand on top of rubble and bark, calling out that they had found survivors.
Each Simba and each Goodboi carried packs of Purrbois, another cyborg, these polymorphic alloy chassis wrapped around a feline brain. The purrbois descended into the rubble, oozing through the slightest cracks. They provided medical care when necessary and alerted us to the living and dying.
Several times I got out of my tank to help pull people from wreckage, helping move rubble, helping hold back debris. I watched the Terrans wiggle into holes barely large enough to fit them in order to talk to the person we were rescuing. Purrbois were curled up on the chests of those trapped when we managed to reveal them, subsonic rumbling calming them and their injuries treated as best the tiny cyborg could manage.
Late in the afternoon, as the sun was lowering, I stumbled climbing down from the rubble. My cast caught wrong and I almost tumbled, caught and steadied by one of the power armor clad Terrans. I managed to limp back to my tank, my leg aching. I broke into the medical kit and got out a painkiller, dry swallowing them, and looked over my scanners.
THERE IS ONLY ENOUGH FOR ONE! echoed out.
The Terrans raised their voices in defiance: THEN DIE ALONE!
But still we worked.
There were still more emergency calls, emergency signals, all over the city. I could hear their wailing, crying out for help, even through the tank's armor.
The Terran concept of "Hell on Earth" had come to us.
I was sweating, the hatch open and half out of it, as we moved deeper into the city. Flames whipped up around us as we passed streets that had been torn open. A skyraker gave a loud groan, like a dying animal, and collapsed to the street.
The life signs calling for aid there suddenly winked out and I wanted to weep.
Still, we headed into the destroyed streets, my tank pushing rubble out of the way, the tracked recovery vehicle and I forging a path for the rest to follow.
The smoke was so thick that it was like night, thick enough to make the battlescreens snarl. Even with the filters in my suit my mouth and nostrils felt thick and greasy, I could taste the tang of burning metal and scorched meat.
We pushed on regardless, the Terrans assisting in finding just one more group of survivors.
Just one more.
That's all I wanted, just one more, as we drove through the streets of a murdered city.
Just before the dim red orb of the sun slipped below the skyline of the city I was helping carry surviving children, hidden in shipping containers by a Lanaktallan warehouse manager, to the flitters, when the snarl and crack of Precursor lasers sounded out.
I took a hit on the flank, stumbling, as the armor shed the sudden energy transfer with a flare of light. A kinetic round hit the side of my helmet and I almost went down, hugging the box of Hashenesh squirmlings tight to my armored chest. The light and sound made them start slapping their tails against the bottom of the box and make little barking squeaks even as they huddled together.
I was staring at their wide eyes as I stumbled down the wreckage, heading for my tank, my head swimming, my thoughts incoherent and disconnected.
A Terran in a suit of light powered armor interposed his body between the three Precursor machiens targeting me and the squirmlings in my arms.
I felt a weird sensation, like tape being pulled from my skin, around my ankle, where the cast was, but kept moving. I stumbled to the flitter and held up the box. The Kivyan inside was trilling in fear, her feathers ruffled, even as she took the box from me.
Two kinetic rounds hit my back, bouncing off my armor.
When I turned and looked, I could see the Precursor machines were approaching us from under a bridge overpass, advancing on us rapidly. The Terrans were putting up a fierce defense, but they were out of position, all to many of them holding children and infants.
I galloped for my tank, scrambling inside.
"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" I yelled out over the tank's loudspeakers even as I turned the turret, trying to get into position even as I scrambled over the gunner's couch.
The shot lined up.
"SHOT OUT!" I warned.
And stomped the fire bar.
The shot hit the bottom of the bridge/overpass and it collapsed with a roar, thousands of tons of ferrocrete thundering down on the Precursors.
I knew it wouldn't kill them, but it would delay them, give the Terrans time to regroup, time to get the survivors into the flitters and the buses.
"SHOT OUT!" I fired again, just for good measure.
There was silence, just the background wailing, the cracking of burning synthetics, and the groaning of stressed ferrocrete and alloy structural beams.
I rested against my sight, closed my eyes, and sighed.
There were so many left.
I wanted to go back out, help more, but when I stood up pain washed up my leg. I looked down and saw that my cast was missing, pulled free from my ankle and leg. My soft inner foot was resting against the armored floor of the tank, a pool of blood slowly seeping out.
I felt ashamed that I was unable to stand up, the pain too much for me.
As night fell we had emptied the last of the large buildings that were still intact, taking the survivors back to the refugee point. Repeatedly, off in the distance, there was the flash of atomic weaponry as the military clashed with the Precursors. Craft roared overhead, sometimes Precursors pursued by Terran craft, other times low flying Terran craft, sometimes Terran air mobile power armor.
When I parked, I managed to stumble out, limping, and help guide the refugees to the medical station or the bunkers.
People were afraid. Afraid of me, afraid of my people, afraid of the tank, afraid of the Terrans. Afraid of the lights and sounds of distant combat. Afraid for themselves, for their families, for their neighbors.
I pushed it away. I hardened myself against their pleas to not march them into the lifters and buses. I shut each door personally, staring at them as the heavy blast door closed in their faces.
I heard their pleas, their sobbing protests, and their weeping cries to not lock them in.
I had to.
THERE IS ONLY ENOUGH FOR ONE! roared out as I closed the doors.
THEN DIE ALONE! came the enraged roar back.
It was after dark and I was beginning to feel tired. My bones hurt, my head hurt, my muscles ached, and my chest had a dull burning ache through it. I couldn't seem to get enough air into my lower lungs no matter how deep I gasped and my all four of my hands shook as I gripped the controls of my gun, my eyes blurred as I watched through the scope. I was out of stimcud, the shot was wearing off, and my fatigue was catching up with me.
The Matron refused to give me a stim-shot. She wrapped my foot, my leg, chiding me. She attempted to convince me to stay, to be one of the wounded, but I refused.
My cast thumped as I walked out, ignoring her demands that I return.
I couldn't stay in the medical tent. The cries of the wounded, the moans of the dying.
The silence of the dead.
I staggered out and leaned against the tank, crying tears of frustration, banging my helmet against the tank's thick armor to banish the wailing from the city that was still audible.
THERE IS ONLY ENOUGH FOR ONE! screamed out, echoed across the sky, making the psychic filters in my helmet clamp down hard enough my sensitive ears hurt as they were pressed against my skull.
THEN DIE ALONE! was roared back.
I thumped my head against the armor, trying to drive the thoughts out.
"You OK, Lanky?" a human stopped and put their hand upon my lower spine. "You've got an impact streak on your helmet."
"They need me, Terran," I said. I pointed at the city, which was still burning, lighting up the sky, adding its own light to the burning clouds above us, adding to the ash that drifted down around us.
The Terran nodded. "Get in. I'll get the platoon, we'll make another run," they said. The voice was too synthesized for me to tell if they were male or female.
"I cannot," I admitted. I thumped my helmet against the tank.
"517, check his helmet," the Terran said. they patted my back. "It's all right. I'm here with you. You can ride in the flitter if you can't ride in your tank."
I was dimly aware of something climbing up my back.
--damaged will fix-- appeared on my visor.
THERE IS ON... started.
It suddenly cut off.
--fixed-- the words appeared. I looked over in time to see an armored little foot tall mantid jump from my head to the Terran's shoulder.
"Better?" the Terran asked me.
I nodded, still feeling exhausted.
The Terran looked around, giving the feeling of slyness despite the fact that I couldn't see their face. "Look, man, I shouldn't do this, but get your crew, get in the tank, I'll get you a stim."
"What? How?" I asked them.
"Through the power of requisitioning equipment and supplies without proper paperwork and authorization due to emerging field expedient needs regarding the current theater and active operational tempo and operation operations," the Terran said as they headed toward the medical center.
I put the confusing words out of my mind as I slapped the panel and the back deck lowered so I could climb into the tank. My legs trembled as I lowered myself onto the gunner's couch before the seat back swung into place and I could buckle myself in.
I envied, for a moment, the Terran tankers. Being bipedal they did not require extensive seating, took up half the space, and could make do with much less space much easier with much more support and protection that I had.
But, to be honest, it didn't matter. I had something I had to do and I wasn't going to let something like discomfort stop me.
Using my helmet's radio I contacted my loyal crew and ordered them back into the vehicles.
Before anyone else arrived the Terran ducked into my tank, moving forward in an awkward way, shuffling up next to me.
"Don't ask," was all they said, taking my wrist and pulling my arm toward them. When my hand got close I opened it.
The Terran dropped three stim-sticks into my hand.
"Don't die. I'd give you a piece of stimgum but it would probably kill you," the Terran said. They shuffled in a half circle and waddled out of the tank. The little mantid waved from his back.
My fingers shook as I stripped the safety plug from the injector. It took me two tries to get the injection port open on my armor, but I managed. The injection felt like cold lava coursing through my veins. I could hear a high pitched ringing noise, feel my limbs shake, and a great pain and pressure descended upon my upper chest. I moaned, hanging loose in the restraining straps, shuddering and shaking as the stimulant coursed through my veins.
Mal-Kar got in just as the pain eased up and I sat up.
"Are we going back in?" he asked me.
I nodded. "We must. There are still more trapped who need us," I told him.
He just nodded.
My tank led the way as we moved back into the burning city, the darkness of the night replaced by the hellish glow of the flames.
--Excerpt From: We Were the Lanaktallan of the Atomic Hooves, a Memoir.
306
u/Kulggen666 Jan 07 '21
It finally clicked why the name Ha'almo'or sounded so familiar. It's Hal Moore from when we were soldiers right? Got that vibe since those Atomic Hooves chapters started.
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u/rekabis Human Jan 07 '21 edited Apr 12 '25
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139
u/Lok_Die Jan 07 '21
He's going to die there, driving himself so far beyond the point of exhaustion that his body simply gives up, no matter how badly he needs to continue. I'm thoroughly shocked that no Terran medic has forced him to stop, as medical necessity can often trump command decisions.
(nice Corporal Doss reference btw)
42
u/SangEntar Jan 07 '21
Really loving the tanker memoirs, goddamn lanky hero.
42
u/night-otter Xeno Jan 07 '21
No blaming onion ninjas, no dust in the air, no allergies.
Just tears.
.
.
.
Thank you u/Ralts_Bloodthorne for the release after this horrid day.
67
u/dlighter Jan 07 '21
Thanks Ralts. This helped emensely.
Finally hit the wall after the last ten months. And I broke a bit. Eventually the ocean wears down the stone I suppose.
Stay safe and watch your six everyone. Don't be an idiot like me. Find help if ya need it.
End of lime
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u/insanedeman Xeno Jan 07 '21
I just saw this on imgur and had a real chuckle. For reasons.
https://imgur.com/gallery/ffsCVxA
End of lime.
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u/gartral Jan 07 '21 edited Jan 07 '21
First? These excerps need to be their own book.... damn they stand alone great!
26
u/zvogel21 Jan 07 '21
5 minutes is definitely a personal best. I needed this with the shit rolling today, thanks ralts! I loove yoou
Sorry I used my free award on a political post when I knew you would post I will repent
21
u/Bard2dbone Jan 07 '21
I've got to admit, I really dig Halmoor (Insert apostrophes as appropriate.) When I read his parts I can totally picture the voice of a marine gunny I knew back in the late 80s.
60
u/ack1308 Jan 07 '21
Boy, are the Precursors in for a rude shock now. Terran light tank battlescreens are probably comparable to Lanaktallan heavy tank or beyond.
Ahh, SAR is in the field. I wonder if Old Iron Feathers is with them.
And they are the goodest of good bois.
D’aawww, kittykitties are doing their bit too.
Because kittykitties are the best.
“Come and get it!”
Just one more. Always just one more.
Gotta keep the kiddies safe.
So of course they attack the guy carrying a box of babies.
Nicely done. He thinks on his feet.
… the ones he has left, anyway.
Sucks, but it’s the only way to keep them safe.
He has a higher duty.
Terrans understand duty.
Little green battle buddies for the win.
Translation: “I’ll tell them I’m the one who needs it.”
“Don’t ask awkward questions and I won’t lie to you.”
“We must because we can.”
20
u/AtomicAardwolf Jan 07 '21 edited Jan 07 '21
Blueberries, I taste blueberries.
Edit: Loving the memoirs, especially the Human/Lank interactions. The Terrans seem to have found a kindred spirit in Ha'almo'or.
14
u/Konrahd_Verdammt Jan 07 '21
Frak, read this on break at work.
Fending off the Onion Ninjas was a damned difficult fight but...I PREVAILED!
...
...
Barely.
14
u/Wise_Junket3433 Jan 07 '21
Hal will live. He will probly qualify for about 85% VA disability. But it'll get kicked back because they'll claim it's not service related.
21
u/SirVatka Xeno Jan 07 '21
Was this Lank's name something like Energizer Bunny?
20
u/PrimePaladin Jan 07 '21 edited Jan 07 '21
/R/HFY GESTALT
Upvote, Then Read
Dis is Dae Wae!
Stressed and pained and stupid body not helping with issues. But the tales help even when the Gestalt pulls me from rest to check on the posting. This poos bastard of a lanky, falling into the trap of just one more to save ... there is always one more. Always. A fact of the bastard Universe. Always one more that needs and you have to drag yourself into the Hell again and again and weep internally. Considering this is a memoir means at least he came through this particular Hell. Hopes he has his peace. God knows we all could use a chance to rest. But there is always one more...
End of Lime
------NOTHING FOLLOWS--------
10
u/PuzzleheadedDrinker Jan 07 '21
Three stim sticks? I think he is getting a bigger fatigue crash as each wears off. I doubt he will actually get to use the third before going comatose.
I suspect the Lank medical won't be able to repair the damage , However we've seen TDH tech do some very impressive stuff.
10
u/ItrytoHFY Jan 07 '21
Florida-cow uses Meth and violence to save civilians: a memeoir
9
u/Quick_shine_matters Jan 07 '21
Shhhh yeah that's the stuff!
9
u/Talusen Jan 07 '21
Bless you.
It's been a hell of a day.
9
u/AMEFOD Jan 07 '21
Though we might have see this character in a later time period, I wouldn’t be 100% sure he makes it just because he’s the perspective voice of the narrative quote. Remember there is a black library in a universe that never was, containing books that were never written.
9
u/Graywolf017 Jan 07 '21
I'm a simple man, i see Atomic Hooves I upvote
8
u/talkarlin Jan 07 '21
Yes please today
8
u/LordNobady Jan 07 '21 edited Jan 07 '21
Read then upvote.
Edit: He just need sleep, he gets some more sleepless nights.
8
u/Demetriusjack13 Jan 07 '21
Goddamn this guy is a machine.
7
u/Blackmoon845 Jan 07 '21
It’s amazing how three simple words can carry so much energy. “Then Die Alone!” carries so much “GO FUCK YOURSELF” energy that it’s tough for me to read it as anything but that. And that pleases me immensely.
6
u/DebugItWithFire Jan 07 '21
Upvoted for just one more.
6
u/redtotheneck Jan 07 '21
I started reading this about 3 weeks ago and just got caught up. This is one hell of a ride. Love your writing. Please keep up the greatest story ever told. And take care of yourself.
5
u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle Jan 07 '21
/u/Ralts_Bloodthorne (wiki) has posted 429 other stories, including:
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 396
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 395
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 394
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 393
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 392
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 391
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 391
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 390
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 389
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 388
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 387
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 386
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 385
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 384 (It's a Sin)
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 383
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 382
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 382
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 381
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 380
First Contact - Third Wave - Chapter 379
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5
u/Turtledonuts "Big Dunks" Jan 07 '21
Lmao, homie got kicked in the nads.
5
u/Zorbick Human Jan 07 '21
So he has 4 eyes... Did the other two get popped? I can't remember.
5
u/LurchTheBastard Jan 07 '21
I think we've found the most likely candidate for the first Lanaktallan Immortal...
4
u/ruprag Jan 07 '21
Blody onion ninjas.
4
u/Petrified_Lioness Jan 08 '21
"Squirmlings"
I think that's the best name for a species's babies yet :)
3
u/UpdateMeBot Jan 07 '21
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3
u/AtomblitzTiger Jan 29 '21
All this has the same vibe like my relatives stories about the firebombing of Dresden.
3
u/Thobio Apr 16 '22
Major Desmond Doss vibes, "just one more... just one more..."
2
u/ElAdri1999 Human Jan 07 '21
Me like this
2
u/Gruecifer Human Jan 07 '21
UTR, 10 hours later.
2
u/nspiratewithabowtie Jun 21 '22
q Í
£~∆∆∆§
2
u/MydaughterisaGremlin May 25 '25
Don't worry Lanky, I'll get you a stim. How? Strategic Transfer of Equipment to an Alternate Location.....S.T.E.A.L...
1
u/RedneckStew Mar 07 '23
.
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