Noah’s eyes widened even more. “Yes … yes … I can feel it. It’s right ... over … here.” He pressed his elbows to his sides, reaching forward with his forearms. Twin holographic controls materialized around both his arms, covering them entirely up to the shoulders. A holo monitor sprang into life in front of the Gunner’s eyes.

“Jesus Christ, this thing is crazy,” he blurted. “I got a crosshair here, and I can see everything around the ship. And I just barely qualify to meet the requirement: Gunner score ten.” He twisted his arms and his entire body swerved along with the chair as if he was manipulating an imaginary mounted cannon. “Locking onto the biggest ugly brute,” he said. “And … fire.”

Another low thud ran through the ship and everyone turned to look at the main viewscreen. An explosion hit the center of the amassed Warped. Several monsters were instantly vaporized and the rest were scattered by the concussive force, leaving behind another smoking crater. The entire Ferris wheel shook unsteadily.

“It doesn’t look too sturdy,” Lana said. “Don’t hit near its base again.”

“Just one more,” Noah said. “There’s a single level nine Warped out there if I don’t take it out I doubt our personal weapons will.”

“OK,” Nori said. ”One more shot.”

“Aiming …” the gunner said, his attention instantly focused on in his monitor. “And … fire!”

A second explosion tore through the monsters and the largest of them, a four-meter-tall behemoth fell down with a crater nearly severing his chest in half.

“Nice shooting, man,” Bulco said, clapping Noah hard on the shoulder.

“Thanks,” the gunner said, wincing in pain.

The Ferris wheel swerved unsteadily and several of the cables holding it snapped.

“It’s not going to hold much longer,” Lana said.

“I’m putting us down,” Nori said.

“What? No!” Diamond protested.

“Don’t worry. Have your people form a line at the cargo hold’s exit. Once we’re down the Warped will charge us. Mow them down as they approach. That should buy Martin and his people enough time to get down before it crashes. If the Warped get too close, I’ll just fly up and we’ll do it again.”

“Not a bad plan,” Diamond grunted in approval. He looked up to his men. “You heard her. Line up at the hold’s exit.”

“Bringing us about,” Nori said. She piloted the ship away, putting some distance between them and the monster army before lowering them down to the ground.

***

Bulco stood shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the guards, grasping a borrowed automatic shotgun loaded with Warped Buster rounds. He gave a silent prayer of thanks for the Tec that made the bullets compatible with any weapon of the same caliber.

The cargo door lowered to the ground, revealing the Warped barely two hundred meters away. Monstrous heads and eyestalks were looking their way, then the entire horde charged at them with murderous eagerness.