Read Beyond Hades: The Prometheus Wars for Free Online Page A

of those high-up know what's going on, but they've been ordered to remain quiet about the whole affair."
    "So much for freedom of speech," murmured Talbot.
    "Anyway, I've already said too much," snapped Captain Benedict, his tone once more commanding. "If you insist on wandering around, you might as well give me a hand. At least then I can keep an eye on you." His manner suggested there would be no arguing this issue, and Talbot meekly followed the captain back to the stairs, ascending them, and then continuing up the next set to the uppermost level of the thermo-carrier. By this stage, Talbot thought he might be immune to any more shocks.
    He was wrong.
    Arrayed before him were various laboratory work stations. Scientists in white lab coats glanced up and stiffened as Talbot emerged, but seeing Captain Benedict accompanying him they calmly resumed their work.
    Staring at the work stations, unable to tear his eyes away, their work seemed focused around the dissection of various creatures, things he had only ever heard of in fable.
    On the closest counter, he saw a squat figure stretched out, its chest ripped open, dead eyes staring at nothing. Although the upper body strongly resembled a muscular dwarf, its legs were completely covered in thick curly black fur all the way down to where the feet should have been. But there were no feet, the stumpy legs instead ended in cloven hooves.
    The face of the creature possessed nothing even remotely human about it. Fangs protruded from its elongated maw, and where the nose should have been there were merely two slits. The hairless cranium was topped by two barbed horns, coated in a gooey liquid which Talbot noticed the scientist avoiding with care.
    "It's known as a satyr ," said Captain Benedict beside him, "like the Greek God named Pan, apparently. This one was a vicious little bastard too; killed four of my men before we took him down with an RPG."
    Rocket Propelled Grenades usually served for taking out lightly armored vehicles or factions of troops, sometimes even aircraft. The fact that one had been used on this four-foot-tall creature, and yet it still remained in one piece bespoke the incredible toughness of these beasts.
    "They had to use a diamond-tipped saw just to penetrate the skin," continued the captain.
    "My brother spoke of these creatures in one of the few mythology lectures of his I attended," recalled Talbot, a note of sorrow in his voice. "He described them as peaceful creatures."
    "Does that fucking thing look peaceful to you?" snapped the captain. "The shit dripping from its horns lets them cut through a Humvee's armor like hot piss through snow. These scientists have no idea what it is, but it works like acid, except it's about a hundred times more potent than any acid on this planet. You don't want to see what it does to people."
    Talbot glanced at Captain Benedict and saw a twinge of horror in his expression as he stared at the small creature. This thing had left a mark on the battle-hardened marine. Attempting to distract him, Talbot moved to the next station, gasping at what he found there.
    Arrayed here was a woman of astounding beauty, marred by the fact that her body below the neck seemed comprised entirely of broken and splintered branches. Withered bark sprouted from the woman's breasts, and moss rounded the mound between her legs. The wood itself appeared sickly and rotten, and part of the left leg deeply charred and burned.
    "Gorgeous, isn't she?" asked Captain Benedict. Talbot gazed at the face and nodded. "It's called a dryad, another supposedly peaceful creature from Greek mythology. This thing tore through half a squad before they were able to take it down with a combination of incendiary grenades and heavy suppressing fire. It was brought in just before we arrived at Quantico."
    Talbot peered at the trunk-like torso of the dryad, trying to find evidence of bullet wounds, or holes, or whatever heavy suppressing fire would do to a sexy walking tree.