The Duke Nukem series is all about being a crude action hero, but the terrible things that happen to women are shocking. “Get our babes back” was the motto at one point. But what if one of these damsels in distress wanted to escape by herself? This is the story of Veronica Venom. It isn’t humorless, hopeless, restrained, or meant to arouse. It’s a short story about survival and our place in a cold universe.
Plus, there are lasers.
Catch up on last week’s chapter here!
Veronica Venom: Chapter 3
It started as a distant echo. Ratatata, like a drum line. The crash of cymbals and ringing of engines bounced and bent through the mushy halls. Is this what it is to lose my mind? She twisted her wrist and felt the rebar. For the first time she noticed a pool of blue flied running down her right side. The pain begged her mind to think, then perked up. Gunfire. She leaned to the extent of her bonds past a wall and a column, she saw a myth.
There had been another invasion, several years before. It was rumored that one man was able to quell the onslaught, kill the alien emperor and turn the invasion. She saw him on television once. She never believed it. She didn’t believe that the aliens could be defeated by taking out one. It didn’t make sense. It seemed like a lame conspiracy.Being taken and used as a planet. Then claim that we were able to hurt them enough with a single strike that they retreated. Not a face saver. He was here. It didn’t sound like he brought stretchers. Veronica felt as if she had been handed a silent rape whistle.
There is the steroid-injected framework from some county car show. Bleach blond buzz cut, leather suspenders with useless holsters, a wife-beater and camouflage pants. Carrying an over sized rocket launcher. Veronica deadpanned in pain and disappointment. Explosives in narrow corridors is the most idiotic thing she could think off.
Still, it lent her some hope. He made here, maybe real help would come. He shifted the weight of the barrel to smack a soft sack protruding from the wall and giggled at the jiggle. Maybe there was no defenses in the first place.
Veronica settled back out of sight. The sound of coos and women mumbling about their baby weight engulfed her once more. They lost their minds but they still called out with any language they could find. They called for help.
Two voices perked up above the rest. They were talking, directing their voices at a person instead of droning. “What is happening to us?” a soft voice squeaked. “I feel like it is coming.” Their words echoed solemnly in Veronica’s head, as she had allowed similar last words of others. A kindness, she hoped someone would do her the like.
The low voice responded through teeth of grinding rocks, “I guess, you’re fucked.” Veronica stared at the ground and asked herself why. Her eyes ached as small tears stalled just under her eyes.
She fought the urge to join the course of begging and despair. She tried to hide her head between her shoulders as the wave of moans gave in to bursting. The man began to yell, coxing the parasites to come out. The metallic clicking of the balls of teeth and needles groaned into consciousness. Sudden silence.
Silence was a rush of dry heat and fire. Veronica’s eyes rolled as deafness sweetly settled. Her weakened soft body was battered barreling waves funnelled through the narrow corridors. He had opened fire. Loose rockets bounced and bloomed into shock in the air that beat upon everything. One projectile found a wall next to a shaking girl in bikini bottoms. Ebony skin made pale by her burden. She hadn’t shown signs of bursting. Now, limp. A rocket was no means of salvation.
Heat stung Veronica’s eyes. She hadn’t realized just how much shielding she had been given tucked away in her crevice. The noise of dull impact died. The man coughed as he fought through some mucous that had be projected by the crawlers.
He left the room a bloody mess of red, green, and tan. Instead of girls with holes, there were pieces. The walls eerie glow started to fade and the tendons of the wall started to shrink and lose their luster. The hot wet incubation cooled.
Veronica Venom will continue next Monday!
Article by contributor Ray Richards.