The Enclave

[fwolf]

The face of death

- How are you going, Friedrich? asks commander Schuler, in the communications channel.
- I dont pick nothing in the scanners, just the Wild ships, all wrath models
The ship get a heavy damage, bots and bats are used, but it survives the attackseveral Wild ships, dozens of them, against one single fighter. But the Wolfstorm resists, as perseverance is its mark.

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After all the Wild ships are destroyed, burning in green flames, Wolfstorm cruise until it finds a planet, marked as unknown in the scanners. Friedrich was in this sector several times in the past, always beating the Wild, but this timesomething different is picked in the scanners, something very small.
He track the object, its a small, black tetraedron, almost invisible in the middle of the ether and even for the scanners. Maybe one of the Wild pilots dropped it? There were several debris near the usual wrecks. He also collects some of these. Seems to be parts of a ship, but not the usual ships, not the wraths used by the infected.
Later on, in Freital base, a scientist analyses it.
Friedrich: - So what is that?
Scientist: - It seems to be a keyof alien origin.
Schuler: - Maybe a nomad artifact?
Friedrich: - Or maybe the lost fleet? asks Friedrich.
Scientist: - Nothis is completely new, the date is four hundred years old.
Friedrich, pointing to the debris collected: - And the piece of the ship? It shows a two headed eagle and a star, but is not of rheiland design.
Scientist: - This one seems to be new. My analyses revealed its just 40 years old. It was destroyed earlier, and theres dust typical from nomad cannons in the external hull.
Schuler: - Then, there was a battle.
Scientist: - A fierce one, I guess.
Friedrich: - I captured six infected pilots. Should I open the pods?
Schuler: - Are you crazy? The nomads will jump rightly in your throat.
Friedrich: - Ah, common Schuleryou known im no kid. Lets open it.
They go to the deck, where the escape pods are put in order. Friedrich press the button to open the first, but it dont work.
Friedrich: - Damn! Sh*t! What is wrong with this pod?
Deck officer: - Let me try to open it, sir.
The deck officer uses a tool to open it, but as soon as air go out of the escape pod, a horrible smell fullfill the ambient, the deck officer feels dismayed. The infected pilot jump on his throat, like a vampire, and bite him until he bleeds. Lots of blood slips through his neck and down his chest. Schuler is paralysed by fear, but Friedrich shoots down the military with a gun, the bullet going straigh in the forehead. Then a blue, deformed mass opens the chest of the military, spilling blood everywhere in large quantities, and his entrails with it. The nomad jumps to the ground. Friedrich is stunned for a second for such horrible is that creature, spilling a blue and green liquid to the ground. A marine runs to act, but the nomad runs and dodges his first shoot, then jump on his face, and he screens in terror. Friedrich try to have a good angle from the target, but he hesitates to shoot as he might hit the marine. He shoots, and miss. The marine bleeds from the bullet on his arm, as he try to get rid of the nomad suffocating him on his face. The nomad jumps on his throat, his face bleeds, the nomad pierce his shoulders and his chest, and then enter in. The convulsions are scaring. Friedrich shoots more, as the marine is at this time already dead. Blood and blue liquid fills the deck.
Schuler: - Whatwhat was that? I never saw such
Friedrich: - Its a nomad.
Schuler: - Yes, buthow he enters in
Friedrich: - Dont be stupid right now, commander.
Scientist: - Do you still wants to open the others?
Friedrich: - I will do that.
Friedrich takes the tool from the ground, then forces the door and opens it. The next infected dont jump on his throat in the first moment, as he seems to be still semi-conscious from the torpor of the pod gases. Friedrich shots him in the belly, and he falls.
Friedrich: - Call the doctors, bring him to the medical center.
Scientist: - How do you known the nomad hides a sensible part in the belly?
Friedrich: - I dont known it.
The doctors uses a drug that let the infected half conscious, but capable of talking. After removing the bullet and healing the wound, the doctors deliver him to interrogation.
Schuler shows the artifact: - Sowhat is this?
The infected is surprised by the presence of the artifact.
Schuler: - Will you answer the question?
Friedrich drowns him in a water vessel in the table.
Infected: - ArghI say- he is brought back, looks to Friedrich, then to Schuler: - Itsfrom a ship
Friedrich: - Nomad ship?
Infected: - No, it was inside a human capital shipcalled the Twilight.
Friedrich drowns him again.
Schuler: - This is a alien artifact.
Infected: - Yes, but was in a human ship. Its a shipfrom very far, they camefrom the Altair sector.
Schuler and Friedrich look to each other. The universe hides secrets of the most diverse forms.