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.Tho'Mos appeared at his side, avoiding the pool like he knew it was there.“Quietly,” he whispered, again helping Daniel clear of the small pool, “around the side,” Tho'Mos lightly pushed him towards the trees and vines surrounding the small clearing.Daniel stepped through the sparse undergrowth as swiftly, and quietly, as possible, keeping one eye on the hideous creature as he made his way around the edge of the clearing.A twig snapped beneath his foot.The creature's head swiveled in his direction, releasing an ear shattering howl.A green laser bolt tore through the creature’s chest, the howl turning to a grotesque gurgle as an orange cloud exploded from creature's dying flesh, filling half the clearing.“Go and don't stop!” Tho’Mos shouted, aiming at another creature who dove from the canopy high above.Daniel didn’t think twice, dashing between the pools, avoiding the soft soil at their edges, in the direction of a break in the tree line on the far side of the clearing.A pained grunt echoed the air behind him.But he didn't stop.he didn't care.I will live, no matter the cost.He burst through the opening, but found it quickly narrowed, a rotting tree fallen across the path.He climb over its enormous trunk, digging his nails desperately into the wood as the sounds of his pursuers breaking through the jungle attacked his ears.He slid headfirst down the opposite side of the trunk; somersaulting to his feet as his adrenaline took fully hold.The jungle once again became dense, forcing him to fight through tall, dense bushes.A creature crashed through the jungle before him.It’s over, he cringed, falling back into a bush as a family of deer broke through a gap, revealing an animal trail just beyond.He scrambled back to his feet, wildly throwing aside the leaves that blocked him from his salvation, then broke into a mad sprint.The trail curved, and before Daniel could react, he slammed into a hazy wall, bouncing back almost an entire meter.“Gah,” he moaned, darkness threatening to overtake him as stars filled his eyes.But a primordial screech broke through the darkness, clearing his mind.He groped desperately at the hazy wall, trying to find a way through.But he'd been too late; the containment barrier had been activated.They'd left him behind.Another screech rose from the dense undergrowth to his side, a howl responding from the other.He pulled free his laser arc, aiming in the direction of the first howl, pushing his back flush against the hazy wall.Daniel fired at the first sign of movement, the laser bolt catching Tho’Mos as he broke through the brush, onto the path.The bolt continued through the jungle behind him, striking a creature that pursued, its gurgled screech telling Daniel of its fate.Tho'Mos tumbled to a stop at Daniels feet, recovering without pause, apparently unaware of his now missing hand.“Damn, thought we'd have time to get through before they activated it,” Tho’Mos grumbled, placing the stump in his pocket while running his fingers over the hazy wall.Daniel stared in disbelief.Is the old cook in shock? He wondered.Tho'Mos noticed Daniels confused stare, showing a bloody smile with a few missing teeth.“Don't worry, lad, I lost the nerves in my arm when a NSD breached and I was too close when the containment collapsed.I don't feel nothin',” Daniel stared at the old man and shook his head; finding that he really didn't care.“What now?” he asked.“I think we can ride that.if they have room,” Tho'Mos pointed towards the sky, where an assault shuttle hovered silently, a hundred meters above their heads.A landing tube shot out from its base and stuck into the ground a few meters up the path from where they stood, knocking them both back into the hazy wall.Two ABF Battleguard's, the primary fleet and ground troops of the NHA, in full combat armor, a smooth metal bodysuit of tilitium reactive programmable matter that encased the entire body, and combat arcs, the much larger, and more powerful cousin of the laser arc, emerged, leveling their weapons.Tho'Mos raised his arms and Daniel looked at him, then at the ABF Battleguards in confusion.“Raise em’, lad, we ain't gettin' out of here unless were scanned,” Daniel reluctantly obliged.One of the battleguard's slowly approached, brandishing a genetic scanner, which he touched to Daniel's, then Tho'Mos's skin.Hidden words passed between the two as they lowered their weapons and pointed to the landing tube.Daniel sighed his relief, rushing into the tube and floated up into the shuttle.Once onboard, a crewmen led him and Tho’Mos to the packed troop compartment, where he wedged himself between two female battleguards.As he recounted the horrible events he’d been forced to endure, he started to wonder who was responsible; someone just has to be, he knew.“You know who,” a voice echoed in his mind, born of his BC node.He scanned his surroundings, concentrating to try to find who was responsible for connecting to his BC node without permission.“You will not find him here,” the voice cackled.“Who? Who is responsible?” he asked, no longer caring about its source.“Only one man is responsible for this, for the failure of your perfect plan, for the destruction of the TSB Earth Base, for everything that has gone wrong since he arrived, Daniel, and you know who this man is, Daniel, you know him quite well, indeed, Daniel,” the voice explained.It’s right, I do know, he seethed, why haven’t I realized it sooner, he wondered.But that didn’t matter anymore
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