With a roar of displaced air and grinding gears, the blast shields protecting the gun emplacements retracted, and the defensive batteries opened fire. A river of hot lead and explosive ordnance spewed forth at the oncoming creature.

It barely stumbled. What didn't explode harmlessly against its armored carapace whistled by as its eldritch powers deflected the bulk of the barrages.

Attack helicoptors and missile-laden jets zoomed by, but they were mere gnats to the attacker. It lumbered ever closer to the fortress.

General Davis grimaced as a swipe of its claws downed an entire Blackhawk squadron. It wouldn't be long before they were overrun.

He gestured at tactical. "Signal the silos," he ordered. "I want the president on the phone right now. Tell him I want permission to deploy our nuclear assets."

Millions of lives were at stake. Unchecked, the abomination would wipe out the entire United States and everyone in it. He was the last line of defense.

He hoped to God the nukes would work. A clawing doubt in his mind told him otherwise.