Chapter 40: The Final Breach

The good mood created by the successful repair and relaunch of the Wolf attack force lingered throughout the next week. Admiral Himmel was extremely verbose in his praise when we reported that all ships had boosted for Borneo after only six days, and General Montgomery added his own words of praise after our detailed report crossed his desk.

Our promised spares arrived, and while it was not a full shipload, half of one container had been filled with a variety of whiskeys, vodkas and beers, which brought a cheer to the men of the colony who had long expressed distaste for the flavor of the replicated alcohols. Yvette and the other female sponsors did request and receive a promise that we'd save some for the pregnant female concubines, but the night after the AKF Dogsled left there was a wild party in the Recreation hall.

After that things had settled down, and while I continued to serve time at the various stations I found myself spending considerable time in my pod, massaging and relaxing my concubines who were uncomfortable with their near-term pregnancies. It was during one afternoon as I was giving Tina a slow foot massage that the alert began to ring out.

"The colony ceiling has been breeched. Acidic atmosphere is seeping in, the breech is currently expanding and acid will begin pouring through in five minutes," the AI reported dispassionately.

"Damn!" I shouted. "What happened?"

I was scrambling to get clothing on as the AI reported. "During a fight at the far side of the colony a grenade launcher brought down a section of the ceiling. The atmosphere has found the breech and is now flowing into the colony."

"Are we safe?" I asked.

"The acid cannot penetrate the heavy pressure doors separating this section of the colony from the area with the breech, but the pod doors over there will not hold. The colony power supply and AI are protected, but all citizens and concubines outside the pressure doors will die before the breech can be sealed and the acid neutralized," the Ai reported.

"Fuck!" I cried as I struggled into my clothing. "AI, give me the entire enclave."

There was the now familiar ping and I started shouting as I dashed towards the pod door. "Everyone, the barbarians finally brought the ceiling down! I'm going to offer them refuge, but that means I need all citizens and concubines at the pressure doors and prepared to handle any problems. Terrence, get to the armory and start handing out guns. Debby, Xavier you two are the fastest getting into battle armor, get it on just in case. Leave any pregnant concubines at home for this one!"

I was rushing out the door and found Brittany and Kitty following me. "We'll help!' Brittany cried as we passed through the outer door of our double pod.

I didn't even nod as I saw Tamara, Tiffany, Claire and Craig appear from their passage. The twins looked scared, but Craig proved to be rather calm. "Let's go, its just crowd control," he cried.

We continued towards the command post and I called out. "AI, give me the entire colony!"

This time there was a longer wait and we had arrived at the command post doors when I finally heard the ping. Brittany dashed past crying. "I'll get you a weapon," as I took a breath.

"Everyone," I called out. "The ceiling in the colony has been breeched and the atmosphere is pouring in. If it touches you, it will kill you, and it will eat through any pod doors. We do have protection behind our heavy pressure doors on this side of the colony. If you run to us we will allow you to enter, but be prepared to face justice if you do. AI, open all pod doors on that side of the colony, they won't protect them, and this might allow the concubines to make it here."

I paused and then remembered something. "One last thing, anyone who attempts to carry a weapon into our enclave will not survive the experience. If you have one, drop it while you run."

Brittany handed me a flechette gun and I dashed to the crossing where I found our first door open and Yvette already giving orders. "All right, we all know the score. Brad! Timothy! Get halfway up the passage and shoot anyone who is carrying a weapon. Barbara, Mike! You'll be handling any women who arrive, route them down the new passage and have them wait against the wall. Men get routed to the left, Tyson you take charge of that, grab people as you need them."

Yvette nodded at me as Shawna dashed up. "I'll get the medical pods up. I expect we might get a few abused concubines," Shawna told us. "I have David bringing a pair of gurneys over."

I nodded and called to Yvette. "Let's get two more gunners into the hallway for now. Hopefully Debby and Xavier can break the fifteen minute suit up record."

I heard a giggle and turned around to see Debby striding forward in her armor. "I was practicing aiming with Linus and was already in my armor," she said unnecessarily.

"Thank god!" Yvette said.

I nodded. "Debby, get up to where Brad is and watch for weapons. No one with a weapon is to pass our middle door without dropping it. Shout to warn if you need to, but do not let anyone past that point with a weapon."

The girl nodded gravely and strode forward, her armor moving smoothly.

At first there was no movement in the hallway. Yvette and I watched the monitors and listened for sounds, but other than the occasional short burst of gunfire the hallways remained quiet. I was about to ask the AI for status when we heard a faint, but gut-wrenching scream of pain and terror that all too quickly cut off.

We looked at each other but the scream was faintly followed by a cry of. "Fuck! That green fog does kill!"

We tensed and then heard a female wail of terror echo for a moment before dying out in a faint gurgle of pain.

"Well, we've confirmed that it's coming," Yvette said.

I nodded. "It doesn't sound good. Hopefully at least some have started running this way."

As I said this a pair of young woman, gaunt and naked appeared in the hallway and rushed past our forward sentries. Brad and Timothy barely glanced at them before turning back to the front and watching the passage again, but I ended up catching one of the girls as Tiffany snared the other.

Barbara was immediately at my side. "Gina, take the girl from James and bring her over to the wall, let's get them checked for injuries and calm them down. Where is Robert! He was supposed to bring some tea to help calm people!"

Yvette snorted. "Calm is going to be in short supply around here for a while."

Just then we heard Debby cry out. "Drop the gun!"

We looked up to see Brad and Timothy tense. There was a moment of silence and then Brad brought his flechette gun up and fired a short burst. I glanced over at the viewscreen to see a man slumped against the wall just outside our walls still clutching an assault rifle."

"Damn! AI, give the colony again!"

The wait for the ping seemed even longer and the AI reported. "Acid flows have cut off some sections of the colony already. I am losing many of my speakers."

I nodded as Yvette hissed. "Everyone, we've only got two refugees so far. And one idiot decided to test the no weapons policy. You don't have time to argue, some sections of the colony are blocked off and anyone in those sections is as good as dead. Get over here now, we have to close the doors when the acid gets too close!" I called out.

I leaned back as Yvette looked up. "AI? What about our ventilation system, can the acid reach us through that?"

"No," the AI responded. "The Enclave is on a separate system with the terraform air exchanger. No outside air can enter your enclave."

I could hear Amanda snort. "Oh good! I haven't had to breathe the same air as those monsters."

I could hear her mother hiss, "Amanda!" but a shout from the hallway focused my eyes back down the passage.

There was a bit of commotion and a series of five figures appeared in the hallway, running for their lives. Three were naked females, but the other two were clothed males, although this time both paused to throw guns to the ground next to the fallen body. As they did the three women pulled ahead, screaming in terror.

The women reached us and collapsed to the ground. One, a slim dark haired woman, had huge cuts on her back and I turned to find David pulling up a gurney. "We'll get her to a pod and get those checked!" he cried.

I stepped aside to let them lift the woman into the gurney as the two men finally arrived at the door. The smaller actually collapsed just short of the door itself, and was pulled inside by Linus and Nathan. The other stopped and looked around at everyone with a superior, smug expression.

"So the mice let me in," he growled.

I pointed to my right. "Wait over there. Once we have saved all we can, we'll talk."

The man laughed. "Oh, I'll wait, but the talk will be about how you'll be kissing my ass!" he crowed. "None of you can stop me!"

He strutted over as I glanced at Linus. "This man has been beaten," he replied. "I get a feeling he was no longer a willing participant."

The man just groaned. Linus and Nathan carefully shifted him down the side hallway and laid him down on the floor, checking him for injuries.

I was looking back down the passage, and noticed another pair of women racing towards us when a burp of a flechette gun firing caused everyone to look to the right. The man who had been strutting only a moment before was sliding down the wall, his chest a bloody, ruined mass.

"But you're my Kitty," he whispered at my young concubine as she stood impassively, still holding the weapon which had ended his life.

I was about to ask her why when she snorted. "Dennis does not walk inside these tunnels."

The hiss from Yvette and Terrence matched mine and Yvette sighed. "I think we'll go with no punishment on that count."

A nervous laugh went through the assembled crowd. I looked over at the screen so see three more figures dash past our outdoor door, but as they did a green haze entered the picture and began oozing across the screen.

"Damn!" I shouted. "Brad, Timothy, we're out of time, come back. Debby, your armor can take the acid, as you know, but we'll need to close this door, so don't wait too long."

Brad and Timothy turned and ran for the crossing. I could see that the three figures were past the middle door and shouted. "AI, close the outer and middle doors, and if you can start a breeze to keep the acid away from this door."

There was no response from the AI, but the two doors began to close. Yvette watched and worriedly commented. "With how strong that acid is, won't it eat the seals on the doors and be able to seep in?"

"Negative," the AI as two of the three runners passed Debby and she started to walk backwards to exit the hallway. "Both doors use a metallic sealing system that is resistant to the acid and can be renewed constantly by the repair systems."

I sighed and looked back at the last runner screamed in agony and fell into Debby's arms. 'Debby! Grab the girl and run!" Terrence shouted.

Debby turned and used the boosted muscles of her armor to start a fast run. I watched for a moment and shouted when she was about twenty feet from the room. "AI! Start closing the door!"

The green haze had slowed its advance, but Debby was just barely outdistancing it as the door started to close. Everyone held their breath as she paused for a moment and then used a mighty leap to pass through the closing door opening and sprawl on the floor, sending the woman she had been carrying tumbling down the hallway.

Jacques immediately jumped to check on the woman. He turned as if to call for a gurney, but then looked back at the woman and sighed, gently closing the woman's eyes. Now that the door was closed I was able to take a closer look and both of the woman's legs had been stripped of their flesh, I did not require the sad nod from Jacques to realize that she had not survived.