Uncommon Loyalty

by Toby Neighbors

  “Kal, you okay?” Ty called out to his friend.

  “I’m... alive...” Kal said breathlessly. “That was the craziest thing I’ve ever done.”

  “And the coolest,” Jules said.

  Gunny Tveit and Master Sergeant Nodoro landed almost simultaneously on either side of Kal, who was still on his knees.

  “Good jump, Team,” Gunny Tveit called.

  “Get your chute bundled, Private,” Nodoro ordered Kal. “We’ve got time for two more jumps today.”

  Kal looked up in horror, and Nick’s stomach tightened in fright. He knew what he was in for, and while he felt slightly more confident than before, he wasn’t anxious to get back up in the air and do it again.

  “Outstanding,” Ty said.

  “Yeah, can’t wait,” Kal replied sarcastically.

  A land-based vehicle came gliding over the rocky terrain toward the group. It was a simple transport on repulsers that moved easily a meter off the ground. The group of jumpers climbed onto the transport with their parachute bundles. Twenty minutes later, they were on the flight line just outside Redstone, with their chutes repacked and ready for their second jump of the day.

  Once the plane had refueled, they went right back up and jumped again. Nick’s nerves settled for the second jump, and he was able to get out of the plane more easily. Even in free fall, he was less frantic, trusting that he could gain control. By the third jump, Nick even began to enjoy the process.

  The next day, they did higher altitude jumps out of drop ships that were exactly like the ships used on PMC missions. Diving out of a ship’s open hatch was in some ways more frightening, but in others more exhilarating.

  They practiced free falling in formations and parachuting down to specific locations. Every day they made multiple jumps and spent their downtime studying new techniques. On the fourth day, they geared up in armor with built-in wingsuit technology. Instead of leaping from a plane, they were transported up to a mountain cliff that rose hundreds of meters straight up.

  “Remember,” Master Sergeant Nodoro explained for the fourth time, “air currents and thermal updrafts can change your trajectory. Stay flexible and keep working toward the objective.”

  Their objective was a landing area six kilometers from the jump site. They would have to use the wingsuit capabilities of their armor to glide as far as possible, then deploy their chutes for quick touchdowns in the landing area. Base jumping was much more dangerous, and even though the group had spent the morning training in the wind tunnels, the margin for error was much smaller on an actual jump.

  “Don’t get cute,” Gunny Tveit said. “Rely on your training and you’ll be fine.”

  She activated the wingsuit on her armor. Webbing spread from between her arms and body. She ran and jumped off the cliff, activating the lower portion of her wingsuit that stretched between her legs as she fell. The group of trainees watched with a feeling of dread until Gunny Tveit shot upward, surfing on air and actually flying.

  “Who’s next?” Master Sergeant Nodoro asked.

  They all raised their hands.

  Nick liked riding the wind. Parachuting was exhilarating, but actually harnessing the wind and manipulating it to carry him where he wanted to go was the most liberating experience of his life. He not only quickly mastered the basics but also showed an instinct for the art of flying. He could stay aloft longer and control his speed and direction better than the others. It wasn’t a competition, and he didn’t feel superior, he just loved doing it.

  They ended the week preparing for HALO and HAHO jumps, but the entire group was given time off for the weekend. The boys spent most of their time off away from the town in makeshift all-terrain vehicles, which the locals built in their spare time. Nick, Kal, and Ty rented old-fashioned dune buggies and raced out into the wide open spaces away from the settlement. Ember and Jules stayed in the town, relaxing in a spa with thermal hot springs and mineral baths.

  In the evenings, they all met together for dinner and then joined the locals who spent most nights drinking and dancing in one of the two taverns. It was a festive weekend that ended much too quickly.

  First thing on Monday morning, the group gathered before dawn to prepare for their first HAHO jump.

  “Keep in mind the atmo is too thin to sustain you up there,” Master Sergeant Nodoro explained. “Without your helmet supplying you with air, you’d pass out before you could open your chute.”

  “And freeze to death too,” Gunny Tveit said.

  “So double-check your armor. Run your suit’s diagnostics, and triple check your chutes. One mistake is all it takes, people. There are no second chances.”

  “We will deploy here, seventy-five kilometers from the landing site,” Gunny Tveit said. “Nichols goes first, then we stack in his wake. Don’t bunch up. Just pretend it’s follow-the-leader, and if you get blown off course, use your helmet’s guidance system to get as close as possible to the landing site.”

  “And don’t forget to use the predetermined landmarks,” Nodoro added. “If your guidance system fails, you’ll still be able to find your way if you remember the terrain. Any questions?”

  There were none, and the team loaded up into the drop ships. The jumps the week before had all taken place around four thousand meters in altitude, but the high-altitude high-opening jumps would be almost three times the altitude. The sun was up when they reached the jump zone, and Nick didn’t hesitate when the green jump light lit up in the cargo area of the drop ship.

  “Go! Go! Go!” Master Sergeant Nodoro shouted. His voice was carried over the com-link, and shouting wasn’t necessary, but Nick didn’t mind. His heart was pounding as he ran to the end of the ramp and dove from the plane.

  He felt a slight shock seeing how far the land was below him. A signal sounded on his com-link, and Nick jerked the parachute release. After that, he let the wind carry him the nearly seventy-five kilometers to the landing site. It was the longest he’d ever been in the air, and while the wind sometimes tried to blow him off course, most of the jump was peaceful.

  The team that followed him had no trouble staying on course, and everyone landed without incident. In some ways, the jump was thrilling, but Nick didn’t think it compared to flying with his armor’s wingsuit.

  Next, they practiced high-altitude low-opening jumps, free falling for thousands of meters before deploying their chutes just two thousand meters in altitude. There were always variations, from stealth inserts to gliding missions using their wingsuits to carry them toward their goal before parachuting. They practiced night jumps, using their helmet’s readings to gauge altitude as they fell through the darkness, unable to see the ground below. With every jump, the team’s confidence in the techniques grew, and eventually, they completed their training with SOLO jumps, sub-orbital low-opening jumps.

  Almost the entire time of training Nick flourished, and the thought of meeting Donny Calloway was banished from his thoughts. But as the shuttle carried them back to the Foundry for a short break before they began their nautical training, Nick began to worry. It wasn’t just a fight, or even the fact that he would be breaking direct orders. Nick could conquer his fears and face his enemies, but rarely had he faced the reality that someone wanted to do more than best him. Donny Calloway wanted to hurt him, maybe even kill him. And the truth was, the older veteran was undoubtedly the better fighter. He had more practical experience than Nick. If it were just a sparring match, Nick could live with being outmatched, but he knew that Donny wouldn’t stop just because he tapped, or after he proved that he was the better fighter. Calloway was a bitter person who thrived on making other people suffer.

  “What are you thinking about?” Ember said quietly as they rode the shuttle back up into space.

  “Just things,” Nick said.

  “Do those things have a name?”

  “Nothing gets past you,” Nick said.

  “Come on, Nick. You aren’t really going to fight that bully, are you?”

&
nbsp; “I’m not going to back down,” Nick said. “If he comes looking, I’ll do what I have to do.”

  “That’s insane, and stupid. You know better,” she chided.

  Once on board the Foundry, they took their armor to the technicians for updates and adjustments. Nick felt nervous, especially when he caught sight of Ariel Summers walking toward them. She looked worried, and Nick was certain he knew why.

  “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news,” she said.

  “Don’t be,” Nick replied. “I knew it was coming.”

  “He said he’ll meet you in the service room, above the pit. Do you know how to get there?”

  “We’ll figure it out,” Nick said, his mouth suddenly dry.

  “I don’t agree with this, and I have no part in it. But he said if you’re not there in an hour, he’ll...”

  “No need,” Nick said. “I’m going.”

  Ariel nodded. Nick and his friends watched her turn and leave them alone in the passageway.

  “Nick, this is stupid,” Ember said. “Tell Gunny Tveit and be done with it.”

  “He can’t,” Kal said.

  “Of course, he can,” Ember demanded. “He has to.”

  “If he doesn’t show, Calloway and his goons will come after us,” Ty said.

  “No, if he explains it to the sergeant, she will put an end to it,” Ember insisted.

  “Think about it, Em. If he tells Sarge, what is she going to do? Even if she finds Calloway and his friends waiting for Nick, they haven’t done anything wrong. It’s our word against his. She’ll warn him not to do anything, then we have to worry constantly about them hurting someone.”

  “If you go face him, he’s going to hurt you,” Ember said.

  “He’ll try,” Kal said.

  “We’re all going,” Ty said. “That creep can take one crack at Nick, but if he tries anything, we’re stepping in.”

  “No,” Nick said. “I don’t want anyone getting into trouble on my account.”

  “You do know that he’s planning to hurt you really bad,” Ember said. “Maybe even kill you. Even with us there, he might succeed before we can stop him.”

  “If that’s the case, so be it,” Nick said. “I won’t run away from this.”

  “Run away from what?” Gunny Tveit said.

  She had appeared suddenly behind them without any warning. Nick’s heart was thundering in his chest, but Kal, as always, was quick on his feet.

  “I dared him to drink five beers in five minutes, Sarge,” Kal said. “I don’t think he can do it.”

  “No,” Tveit said. “He can’t. We’ve been called up.”

  “Now?” Nick asked.

  “Right now,” she said. “I don’t know what’s happening, but all Recon teams are on alert. We’re to report to the Ready Room ASAP. No downtime kids, we’ve got work to do.”

  Chapter 22

  “Uni Five,” Captain Dex’Orr said from the front of the room as a hologram of a strange-looking planet appeared.

  Nick was trying to listen, but he couldn’t help but be aware of the other Recon teams also in the briefing. Dragon Team Four and Dragon Team Thirteen were in the briefing, and Donny Calloway had already cast hateful glances at Nick and his friends.

  “It is a category four celestial body,” the alien officer continued his lecture.

  Nick had to wrack his brain to remember the different categories of planets. Category one was a solid body with little or no atmosphere or liquid water. Category two has atmosphere but no liquid water. Category three has atmosphere and water, along with life of some sort or that could sustain life. Category four has atmosphere and water but with a terrain that is hostile to life and habitation.

  “Looks like a pin cushion,” Ember whispered.

  “Note the spires,” Dex’Orr said, sounding more like a college professor than a military officer. “The dominant life form on Uni Five is a quasi-intelligent hive species called Isopterans. It was believed that Uni Five was once a vastly forested world, but the Isopterans eventually consumed all the biological matter as they built their towering spires.

  “These geographical features,” the alien said as the hologram zoomed in on what looked like incredibly tall, narrow mountains, “are built of petrified organic matter. The lack of flora has created an unstable atmosphere, with deadly storms. The Isopterans, having consumed all vegetative matter, turned on one another and now live by raiding other hives and consuming the captives.”

  “Sounds like an ideal vacation spot,” Kal joked.

  “Shut your hole, Phillips,” Gunny Tveit hissed.

  “Our initial scan of the planet found considerable mineral resources,” Dex’Orr explained. “And a mining interest was launched. An infantry presence was established to guard the mining operation, investment in equipment, and the miners. Raids were not uncommon but were repulsed for the most part. Recently, reports have come in of Isopteran swarms amassing near the mining site. The orbital station has lost all communications with ground operations, and a major attack is believed to have been carried out.”

  “More bugs,” Ty whispered.

  “Those miners are toast,” Jules agreed.

  “Your job will be to get on the ground and relay intelligence,” Dex’Orr said. “We have infantry and mechanized units inbound, but they will hold in orbit until you have established exactly what took place on the ground.”

  “Sir,” Gunny Tveit said, raising a hand. “Are three Recon teams necessary for a simple intelligence operation?”

  “No,” Dex’Orr said. “But there is a strong possibility that the Isopterans have taken hostages. If that is proven to be the case, your job will be to rescue the hostages and provide a distraction if necessary while the large forces make landfall. Any questions?”

  “What’s the atmo like?” It was a master sergeant from Dragon Team Four. “And the gravity?”

  “Nine-tenths of Earth’s gravity,” Dex’Orr said. “The atmosphere is mostly nitrogen and helium.”

  “Do these creatures burrow underground as well as build those towers?” Gunny Tveit asked.

  “That is correct, Gunnery Sergeant Tveit,” Dex’Orr stated. “As you can tell, the spires have suffered considerable erosion from the violent storms. Most activity by the Isopterans is currently underground, although there are signs that the spires are still in use.”

  “So we go in, find our people, and get out,” Donny Calloway said. “Any particular rules of engagement? I’m guessing we’re allowed to snuff these bugs?”

  “Lethal force is authorized, Sergeant Calloway,” Dex’Orr said. “But I remind you that fighting the Isopterans is not the mission. This is an intelligence and possible rescue operation, nothing more.”

  It was determined that Dragon Team Four would make the initial report, with Teams Seven and Thirteen providing backup if necessary. They had just enough time to collect their armor and weapons before the Proxy 2257B was scheduled to depart. Nick wasn’t thrilled about the idea of working with Team Thirteen, but he didn’t have a choice. And they were too busy to spend time worrying.

  The armor technicians had just made the final adjustments to their armor, which needed to be recharged and calibrated for the planet they would be entering. The techs assured them that the ship’s onboard technicians would be able to complete the preparations to their armor. Still, Nick felt awkward carrying his armor and weapons, while the other two Recon teams were suited up and only carried their helmets.

  “Looks like Seven got caught with their pants down,” Donny Calloway sneered as Nick and his friends entered the Proxy ship’s Marine quarters.

  “We just finished two weeks at Redstone, Sergeant,” Gunny Tveit said. “Give it a rest.”

  “We’re just having a little fun, Gunny,” Corporal Gorman said. “No need to get bent out of shape.”

  “Gunny Tveit,” said the master sergeant from Team Four. He was a broad-chested man with a thick mustache and dark brown skin. “I’m Ernesto Florez. Welcome ab
oard.”

  “Thank you, Master Sergeant,” Gunny Tveit said. “If you’ll show us to our quarters, we’ll get our gear stowed.”

  “Actually, this ship has a full complement of marines,” Florez explained. “There’s only one Recon-sized berth available. The rest are bunking out here in the common room.”

  “We’ll make do,” Gunny Tveit said.

  Nick looked around and didn’t see bunks. He guessed they would be sleeping on the floor in armor.

  “The hits just keep coming,” Kal whispered.

  “We’ve assigned the berth according to seniority,” Florez went on. “You have a bunk, Gunny, but your team will be out here.”

  “In that case, Master Sergeant, I request permission to stay with my team,” Gunny Tveit said.

  “You sure, Gunny?”

  “Yes, Master Sergeant,” Tveit declared. “I don’t mind roughing it, and I would prefer to stay with my unit.”

  “I admire that,” Master Sergeant Florez said. “We should be departing the Foundry now. ETA in the Uni system is seventy-seven hours. Get your armor to the techs and find a place to bed down for the evening. We’ll have an NCO briefing just after dinner.”

  “Roger that, Master Sergeant,” Tveit said.

  She led the way out of the common room and down a long hallway. It was the third Proxy ship Nick had been on, and he was surprised to find that while the 2257B was larger than Captain Dex’Orr’s ship, it was roughly the same arrangement. The common room, which was both recreation and mess hall for the marines on board, was much larger, but just down the corridor was both the medical bay and the technicians’ work space. The Proxy assured the team that their armor would be ready in a few hours, and once they had their weapons stowed in the ship’s Ready Room, Gunny Tveit led them back to the common room.

  The furniture had already been staked out by Dragon Team Four, and Tveit laid claim to an empty corner opposite from the food dispensers.

  “Man, this is some kind of messed up operation,” Kal grumbled as they sat at one of the dining tables. “Who has ever heard of marines having to sleep on the floor?”