Rift warrior the techbor.., p.1
Rift Warrior: The Techborn, page 1
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RIFT WARRIOR #1:
The Techborn
by
B. V. Larson
Rift Warrior Series:
#1: The Techborn
#2: Ghost Signal
#3: Depths of Tamil
#4: Tyrant of Jarl
Copyright © 2024 by Iron Tower Press, Inc.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Author’s Note:
RIFT WARRIOR #2: Ghost Signal
Bonus Chapter 1
Bonus Chapter 2
Chapter 1
I woke with a jolt—and that hurt. Everything hurt.
My eyes creaked open, and I was immediately blinded by harsh white light. I blinked hard, trying to get my bearings. I was in some kind of isolation chamber, naked except for a flimsy gown.
There was a bandage on my abdomen, and my fingers came away bloodied when I poked at it. That wasn’t right…
Then I heard a funny sound. Was that a scream?
Fragmented memories started coming back. Playing as on-site lab security, I’d been called to Lab 12, investigating reports of an escape. Why did it always suck to be the first responder?
What in the hell had escaped? Something that wasn’t supposed to be there in the first frigging place, that’s what. They’d called it a “novel alien threat.” That usually passed the censors when it was time to fill out the damage reports.
In Lab 12, I’d been ambushed by some fucking bug. I’d never seen the species before. Next thing I knew, I woke up here.
One of those things must have laid an egg in my guts. The doctors would have called it some kind of parasite—but I knew an egg when I saw one. Or rather, when I felt that hard lump under my skin.
I forced myself to sit up. That wasn’t a happy time for Dane Tanner, I promise you that. My head spun. I held still, gripping the edge of the bed with fists like two clamps until the world stopped moving.
That’s about when I noticed the door to the isolation chamber was ajar. That was wrong—on several levels. I figured it had to be propped open… defeating the whole purpose of “isolation.”
I eased myself off the bed, legs unsteady. I opened a creaky locker with some of my things in it, making enough hinge-groaning racket to wake the dead. Why was it so damned quiet? Everybody couldn’t be gone—could they?
A uniform was hung in the closet. I dragged it on. The fabric was ripped up and stiff with dried blood.
The lab outside was a wreck—overturned tables, smashed-up science shit, splatters of blood. No sign of the doctors or nurses who had been swarming around me before I went under.
Something bad had happened while I slept. I didn’t have to be a detective to figure that out.
The scientists were gone, too. Either dead or taken away… But taken by who? Government staffers? That was doubtful. It was probably the things that had put that parasite in me.
My brain was clearing, and I now had a serious thought: I needed a weapon, and I needed it yesterday.
I staggered through the carnage, searching for anything I could use to defend myself. I yanked open cabinets and swept aside broken glass.
Finally, in an overturned surgery cart, I found a laser scalpel. I hefted it in my fist. Better than nothing.
The molecular printer hummed as I ran it over the angry red gash in my stomach. At least one piece of equipment in this place still worked. I winced as the beam knitted my skin back together. The sensation was like having a hundred fire ants march across your guts. But I’d take the pain over bleeding out any day.
I set the printer wand down, examining the fresh pink scar. It would have to do. I didn’t have time for anything pretty. Not with the sounds I was hearing outside the operating room door.
Shuffling footsteps. Clicks that didn’t sound human. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I knew those sounds. I’d heard that kind of weird shit before, on a dozen worlds. Most aliens looked like bugs to me. The kind of creatures that saw humans as nothing more than meat.
I wondered why that was… but I didn’t wonder for long.
Instead of daydreaming, I gripped the laser scalpel tighter. The noises were getting closer, so I positioned myself against the wall by the door, trying to control my breathing. In...out. In...out. Staying cool was half the battle in a situation like this. People who freaked out and pissed themselves died fast.
Questions hammered in my skull as I waited. How long had I been out? Were there any survivors? What the hell had the doctors pulled out of my guts?
I shook my head. I could worry about that later. Right now, I needed to stay alive and get out of the Complex.
That’s what they called this place, anyway. That was the official name, “The Complex.” Maybe it sounded nice on government spreadsheets. It certainly didn’t sound like a vast, half-illegal installation dedicated to making a buck out of alien genetics.
This place was big, too. I’d never even seen half of it. I used to be Special Forces, but now worked as a frontline security guy with a beat to walk. A very unusual government project assignment. Lab 11, Lab 12 and, you guessed it, the imaginatively named Lab 13 were my responsibility.
You would have thought that thirteen would have been my lucky number, the one where I got my guts chewed into—but nope. It was Lab 12 that had screwed me. Go figure.
The funny footsteps stopped outside the door. I held my breath. A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead.
This might be it. It had to prepare to fight or die. The story of my life.
I adjusted my grip on the laser scalpel, thumb hovering over the activation button. The door creaked open. I tensed myself, ready to spring.
A figure stumbled through the doorway, and I lunged, thumbing the scalpel to life. It flashed bright and hot.
A shriek pierced my ears, and I pulled back at the last second.
It wasn’t one of those things at all. It was a woman—young and good-looking—wearing a tattered nurse’s uniform. She stared at me with wide, terrified eyes.
“Please, don’t hurt me!” She threw up her hands, cringing away.
I lowered the scalpel slowly. I recognized her now. Nurse Lazar. Tina, I think her name was. She’d been there when they put me under.
“Tina, you’re okay…” I kept my voice low since there was no telling what else might be creeping around.
She looked at me without recognition. I was a little bit offended, we’d talked a few times. Sure, I was just the security guy, but—never mind. Maybe she was too freaked out. In shock, or whatever.
Tina had tears streaking her face. “I... I hid. When they came… The doctors, some ran off. But others...” A sob choked off her words.
I stepped closer, scanning her for injuries. She seemed okay. Shaken up, but in one piece. Lucky.
“What are they?” I asked her. I needed some intel, and she was the only source I had.
“I don’t know. One minute everything was normal, you know, but the next...” She squeezed her eyes shut for a second before continuing. “They were everywhere. Killing everyone. I ran. I thought...”
Her eyes darted to the scalpel, still humming in my hand. She looked like a cornered rabbit. I thumbed the laser off and tucked it in my pocket. I didn’t need her freaking out any more than she already was.
“Okay. You’re okay, now,” I said, hoping to sound reassuring. Comforting scared women wasn’t exactly my strong point. Give me a firefight any day.
I moved past her, out into the hallway. The lights flickered, casting weird shadows. Smears of blood painted the walls. I grimaced. This just kept getting better.
“Is there anyo ne else? Any other survivors?” I glanced back at Tina.
She shook her head numbly. “I don’t think so. They’re all...” A whimper escaped her.
Great, it looked like it was just the two of us. I rubbed a hand over my face. My stubble rasped against my palm as I wondered again, how long I’d been out.
“Right. Okay. We need to get out of here. Find help.”
I started down the hall, senses straining for any hint of movement. I could hear Tina behind me, her breath coming in hitches and starts. I didn’t blame her. This was the stuff of nightmares.
Something caught my eye as we passed the medical staff room. I held up a fist, signaling for Tina to stop. She bumped into my back, yelping. I shot her a look, and she clapped a hand over her mouth.
I eased the door open, scalpel at the ready. The room was dark with emergency lights casting a splotchy red glow. Shadows pooled in the corners. I swept my gaze over the scattered furniture, the overturned lockers. And then I saw it.
In the center of the room, suspended from the ceiling by glistening strands, was a cocoon. Inside I could see a figure was trapped, silhouetted by the fluttering lights.
My gut churned. What the hell was this? Some kind of nest? A breeding ground for alien creatures?
I approached cautiously, scalpel held high. The figure in the cocoon wasn’t moving. Was it dead? Or maybe one of those things waiting to spring out?
I reached out and touched the webbing. It was sticky, elastic. I grimaced in disgust, but I couldn’t just leave whoever was in there. What if they were still alive?
I set to work, the scalpel flashing as I cut through the strands. They sizzled and snapped, falling away in clumps. A stench like that of melted plastic filled my nose.
Finally, I had cut a slit big enough to haul the figure out. I reached in, grabbed an arm, and pulled. The cocoon gave way with a wet tearing sound, and the figure slumped into my arms.
Her eyelids fluttered. She moaned softly. It was a woman—but not just any woman. It was Tina. The real Tina. Her face was pale, her uniform shredded, but she was breathing. I lowered her gently to the floor.
I glanced over my shoulder at the other Tina, the one who had followed me. She stood in the doorway, eyes black pits in the shadows.
Understanding crashed over me in an icy wave. It had been waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The scientists called this kind of freak a doppelganger—whatever the hell that was.
I surged to my feet, scalpel crackling to life. Not today, you tricky bastard.
The fake Tina’s face split into twin rows of needle-like teeth. These glinted in the emergency lights. I snarled a curse. A goddamn alien trick—I should have known. I lunged, scalpel flashing.
The creature was fast, but I was faster. Laser met flesh and sizzled. It screeched, an inhuman sound that made my skin crawl. Black blood sprayed the walls.
I hacked and slashed, with all my rage and disgust fueling my swings. This thing had worn Tina’s face, used her to get close to me. Fury boiled in my veins, and it didn’t die easy.
Tina—the real Tina from the cocoon—whimpered behind me. I spared her a glance. She was struggling to sit up, eyes wide with horror. I turned back to the creature, lip curled. I wouldn’t let it near us again.
The thing took a swipe at me, claws extended. I ducked, felt the wind of its passing. I jabbed the scalpel up, into its throat. Finally, a soft spot. It gurgled, black blood bubbling. I yanked the blade free and swung again. And again.
Finally, it lay still. I stood over it, chest heaving. The scalpel dripped in my hand. Damn, these things were tough. I had to get Tina the hell out of here before more showed up.
I went to her, and I crouched down.
Her uniform was in tatters. She cringed away, arms coming up to cover herself. Her breasts were out there and singing, but I only looked for a second. I didn’t want to seem like a pervert. Hell, her pants were missing, too. Maybe these aliens liked to get down to the skin to copy a person.
“Hey, easy. It’s me.” I kept my tone soothing. I got the feeling I’d freaked her out a little by going gonzo on her twin.
Tina blinked at me, slowly lowering her arms. “Mr. Tanner? Is it...is it really you?”
“Yeah, it’s really me.”
I held out a hand. She thought about it for a few seconds. Then, she took it. Her fingers trembled against mine.
I pulled her to her feet. She swayed, legs buckling. I caught her, throwing her arm over my shoulders. She sagged against me, weak as a kitten.
“I’ve got you. Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
I half-carried her out of the room, down the flickering hallway. She was light up against me, barely a burden at all. I needed to find her some clothes. And a place to hole up until I could figure out our next move.
A supply closet caught my eye. I shouldered it open and eased Tina down to sit on an overturned mop bucket. She huddled there, shivering. I shrugged out of my jacket and draped it over her shoulders. It engulfed her, but at least it was something.
I crouched in front of her, hands on my knees. She met my gaze, a spark of her old self surfacing. “Tanner, what...what’s happening? That thing looked like me...”
“I don’t know. But I’m going to find out. I’m going to keep you safe. I promise.”
Chapter 2
I found a white lab outfit for Tina. It was better than my jacket. After the quickest of glances, I turned away while she changed, covering up that gorgeous, tanned ass.
When she was ready, I took her hand, and we crept down the hallway.
The building was too damn quiet. The back of my neck prickled with seasoned anticipation. I kept expecting one of those alien bastards to come scuttling out of the shadows. But we reached the containment module without incident.
I shouldered open the door, laser scalpel at the ready. The room was filled with alien plants, slowly undulating in their glass tanks. Bioluminescent flowers cast a shimmering glow. I didn’t like it, but it was better than the hallway.
“We can hide in here for now,” I said. “We need to catch our breath and figure out a plan.”
Tina nodded. She looked pale and scared shitless in the strange light. I found a spot against the wall and eased us down to sit. The plants loomed over us, leaves rustling.
“What are these plants doing here?” Tina asked.
“It wasn’t just the animal types that got out, I guess,” I said. “Just ignore them—but don’t touch anything, in case they’re poisonous…”
She scooted her butt up next to mine. I was too keyed up to enjoy it properly, but it did feel nice.
I’d thought of asking Tina out for a date over the last month or two, but I hadn’t wanted to get fired. You weren’t supposed to date coworkers at the Complex, and my supervisor already hated me. Right now, though, I was thinking it might have been worth it.
“Dane...” Tina’s voice was barely a whisper. She was staring at some of the plants, the ones that rustled in the corner. “I think there’s something in the storage closet. In the back. I heard it earlier, when they had me.”
“What closet?”
“Behind that plant.”
I followed her gaze. Sure as shit, there was a plain metal door at the far end of the room behind one of these jungle vines. Even as I watched, it shuddered, and a hollow boom echoed through the room as something slammed against the other side of it.
Once. Twice. The walls shook, and gritty dust fell from around the door’s frame.
Damn, how did it know we’d spotted it? Were the plants playing lookout? I hated alien life—you couldn’t know what it was going to pull next.
One of the plant tanks cracked, and viscous fluids leaked out.
“Time to go,” I said. I hauled Tina to her feet, and we ran for the exit.
Behind us, metal shrieked as it tore apart. I risked a glance back. The door had buckled inward, ripped half off its hinges. A dark shape oozed through the gap, all writhing tentacles and glistening skin.
“Move!” I shoved Tina through the door. She stumbled but kept on her feet. We raced down the hallway.
Wet, squelching footsteps sounded behind us. Gaining fast. I didn’t look back. I didn’t want to see what was chasing us.
We rounded a corner. Tina skidded and almost went down, but I caught her and hauled her back up. I could feel my heart pounding with the adrenaline. That thing was right behind us. I could hear it, feel it. A wave of cold, alien horror, reaching out to swallow us whole. Well, fuck you alien monstrosity. I wasn’t about to be eaten without a fight.
