500: An Anthology of Short Stories
Vanguard

“Ohfond! Get your ass in gear, on the double!”

“Sir! Yes, sir!” Cadet Ohfond responded automatically, hauling his bulging pack higher up on his back while adjusting his sleeping roll. The weapon in his hip holster was riding low, but Ohfond had no time to readjust it.

“I doubt you’ll even make it up this hill, but by the blue tits of the Shaper, I’ll make a soldier out of you yet!” Sergeant Tanira screamed inches away from the sixteen-year-old’s face. Ohfond dared not wipe away the sergeant’s spittle.

As Sergeant Tanira moved down the line of trudging cadets to harass the next one, behind Ohfond Cadet Glayven said, “I hate that we’re the vanguard on this planet. I heard that the inhabitants are Soul Suckers.”

“What’re you on about now?” Ohfond said, rolling his eyes as he continued the strenuous uphill march. Glayven was infamous for spewing fantasies as if he were a marketing agent for some pulp fiction publishing house.

“Yeah, for reals. Dunlevy tol’ me he saw a internal memo ’bout ’em. ’Parently,” Cadet Glayven paused for breath before continuing, “if they get a-hold of you, they suck your soul out your eyes and leave you a lifeless husk.”

“And I’m a farting duck’s uncle,” Ohfond responded sarcastically.

“I’m tellin’ you, Ohfond, if you see one of ’em Soul Suckers, don’t look at ’im. Run the other way, brother. Just run.”

The entire squad finally reached the top of the hill. They were struck dumb by the alien sight that met them.

The tor dropped away abruptly into a perfectly circular valley, but that wasn’t what made the young men stare in mute astonishment. It was the incongruous beauty of the valley that left them speechless.

Whereas most of the planet was a world scoured clean of fauna or flora, this valley was a verdant pond overflowing with vegetation and lifeforms. It was as if nature had pulled herself entirely back to this one spot to run rampant with life.

“Sergeant Tanira?” Ohfond said hesitantly. “What’s that purple glow up there on the left edge of the valley?” he asked. He was pointing at a ball of light that swelled and ebbed, as if beating in time to some unknown rhythm. The centre of the purple sphere glowed an ominous scarlet.

Before Sergeant Tanira could respond, the throbbing orb exploded, expelling thousands of sparks that streaked like blazing comets towards the silent squad.

“Soul Suckers!” Glayven shrieked before running in a full panic down the rocky knoll.

He barely made ten feet before one of the missiles struck him in the back, hurtling him to the ground. The rest of the squad was swiftly engulfed by the bright swarm.

When the effulgence enveloping him transformed into two enormous eyes, Ohfond faced the stark reality that Glayven had for once been telling the truth.

“Sacred Shaper, I should never have left Venus,” was the last thought the young cadet had before his soul was mercilessly sucked from him.