Heavy Metal Thunder by Kyle B. Stiff Read Free Book Online

(Handgun, bulk 2)
    5 Handgun Bullets (bulk 1)
    Stellar Corp Law
Enforcement Uniform (bulk 2) (Damaged and bloody.)
    Steel Baton (Mace, bulk 2)
    When you are ready to hit the all-you-can-eat buffet
(and scoop up some XP), turn to section 260 .
     

51
    The drills spin and rise as you lower yourself
towards the thing. You bring your weapon up and, with a mighty yelp, bring the
thing crashing into one of the drills. It is instantly caught and disappears
into the deconstructor’s mouth, sending you spinning around wildly.
    Panicking, you lamely search for the grappling
harness mechanism so that you can rise out of the way - then you feel a
terrific yank as the drills churn up your body, squishing it into goo. Your ear
and part of your brain hang in the air for one moment and you hear the guard
scream, “GOD DAMN THAT’S DISGUSTING!” and then the rest of you splatters on the
wall.
    You have died in the mouth of a merciless machine…
another victim of the ghost station.
    THE END.
     

52
    The insistent voice of your training filters through
your shattered memory. You know that the Invaders brought with them all manner
of strange lifeforms , and it is impossible to tell
which of those developed naturally or unnaturally. Many of them were dumped
onto Earth, including savage creatures trained to sniff out pockets of
resistance. If this creature is here then it is here for a reason that works to
the advantage of the Invaders.
    Suddenly, you have the idea that this organism is a
sort of supply depot. Most ships, Invader and human alike, are made in space
and are bound to space; ships that can land on and leave planets are very
expensive to make. Most likely this strange organism has been developed or
harnessed for the creation of food by some chemical process. Ships come by and
feed it some sort of fertilizer, then hack off bits of the animal to eat.
    Moreover, if the sleeping behemoth was developed
unnaturally, you think that there is no reason why it could not be used to
create supplies other than food - including water, liquid hydrogen and other
fuels, oxygen, et cetera.
    As strange as it is, you decide the thing is an
alien farm floating in the vacuum of space. You gain 1 XP for the use of
your training.
    If you wish land on the surface of the creature,
while being careful to pick a spot away from the long tentacle-growths, turn to
section 181 .
    If you wish to avoid touching the surface, you can
fly around the thing close enough to get a good look by turning to section 356 .
     

53
    The ship docking bay is a huge, steel-grey room
hundreds of feet high, thousands of feet long. It is full of ships of varying
sizes; larger ships, either owned or commandeered by Stellar lawmen, are ringed
with men in riot gear holding off both hijackers and beggars with equal
brutality, while smaller ships are being fought over by armed civilians. But
the bay is not a complete warzone, for you see many people buying and begging
their way onto ships while others are hauling goods in the hopes that they can
work their way onto an escape ship.
    The whole scene is surreal, like images from a
normal workday played at double- or triple-speed, except for the fact that
dozens of corpses litter the ground. And it is impossible to hear anything over
the constant guttural shouting, save for the occasional bark of gunfire.
    You realize the situation could be dangerous, very
dangerous. Might have to become a monster , you realize, if I want to
save my humanity . You look down at your space suit and a great fear grips
you. There is no doubt in your mind that the Black Lance Legion have programmed
you to protect it, for the thought of it becoming damaged beyond usefulness
seems worse to you than death itself.
    You must now make note of your Suit Durability (or SD ). Your infantryman space suit has 3 SD points, which is its starting amount as well as its maximum amount. When
your suit is damaged, its SD will drop. When you fix it (for example, with the Sticky