The controls were jammed, rendered unresponsive by the high emergency protocol that had locked down the whole building. It was going to take more than a basic hack to get it open. Tyco stepped back and slammed the panel with the butt of his rifle, the impact deafeningly loud in the cramped quarters.
“Cap – “ Hog started. “There are other ways – “
But Tyco grinned at her easily, without a trace of anger on his face. He reached back and flipped up the broken panel with a deft hand. “Had to get it loose.” He said, ripping out the wires and connecting them directly to his wrist display. He waited until the display beeped in response, then keyed in a long override code, reading each digit from his rifle display. The controls whirred to life, processing the code as it sent. The facility groaned loudly around them, the shivering metal audible over their expectant silence.
“Chip - ?” Hog asked quietly, staring back down the corridor.
“Nothing.” He answered casually, shrugging as he smoked. “The wind.”
The gate unlocked loudly in front of them, its large metal doors pulling apart with a shuddering groan. Blinding white light poured through the opening. Tyco stepped back instinctively, shielding his eyes, stepping quickly to the side and out of the line of fire. The team took up positions along the wall behind him, guns raised and ready, advancing towards the door.
“Chip - ?” Hog asked, nervously.
“Can’t see shit,” Chip cut her off, and then added, with bitter sarcasm, “Cap.”
Ghost flicked his safety off and moved in.
“Sir, do you see anything?” He asked pointedly. Tyco didn’t respond, and he repeated “Commander?”
Tyco shook his head, finally, staring into the bright white space beyond the gate.
“Negative.” He said at last, stepping forwards into the open passage. “It’s empty.”
He walked into the light. The team followed quickly, their eyes adjusting slowly to the blinding brightness.
They found themselves stepping across the shining white floor of a laboratory clean room. Bright overhead lights shone down on gleaming counters, sparkling off of floor-to-ceiling computer displays. Heavy reams of old-fashioned print materials were stacked high, spilling wild and disheveled across every surface in a manic frenzy.
But the room was empty, each footstep echoing hollowly off the walls. There was no indication that it had been anything other than deserted for weeks, even months.
“What are we looking for here, sir?” Hog asked quietly.
Tyco grimaced. “Not sure.”
He touched the nearest computer display, bringing the dark, gently buzzing screen to life. A security prompt appeared, blinking white against the black background. Tyco once again entered his override code meticulously, making certain each digit was correct. The displays surrounding the team flickered to life one by one as the computer processed, the sparkling white monitors turning on and making the room even brighter. In the middle of each one was the jagged infinity design, unbroken like the one that had crowned the building outside. Tyco ignored it, focusing instead on the message blinking at the center of the display.
‘ENTER PARAMETER’, the basic grey database screen prompted, the message repeated on every monitor around the room. Tyco typed in ‘MAP-11’.
The troopers waited tensely, each staring at a different screen around the room in anticipation. The displays flickered once in unison, blinking on and off, then presented a small, neat message in the middle of their screens.
There, in small white letters against a red background, were the words ‘INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE.’
They stared at the monitors, open-mouthed and disbelieving. It was a joke, an awful piece of gallows humor too grim even for their dark humor. Anger flashed in Tyco’s eyes as he stared at the screen, and his knuckles whitened around the grip of his rifle.
“God damn it.” Chip was the first to move and he moved violently. Turning toward the desks, he reached down and flung a heavy sheaf of paper across the room, its thin white pages fluttering down onto the floor. “Once, just once, I fucking swear – “ He whirled and slashed at a chair, kicking it over and sending it crashing into a monitor. “Just once give us a fucking chance!”
His anger had flashed suddenly, without warning, though it did not come as a surprise. Everyone was weary of the mission, frustrated and angered by their ineffective deployment. The loss of their friends and comrades had come into painful relief with the loss of Ringo, and now, their betrayal by the Admiralty’s need-to-know discretion had poured salt in an open wound. Each of the troopers felt Chip’s anguish, and they watched mutely as he tore through the room. The red-tagged clearance message blinked mockingly through the splintered glass.
“Just once!” Chip stood over the papers, his face distorted in a mask of fury.
“Chip.” Tyco said, calmly. “Have a fucking smoke.”
Chip stared at him hatefully, his chest heaving and hands shaking against his rifle. “Yeah,” he said, at last, taking a deep, heavy breath. “I should do that.”
“Gentlemen.” The voice came from the passage at the far end of the chamber. A large, hulking figure emerged from it, stepping out into the light. The man was dressed in a white lab coat too small for his mass, disheveled and dirty, his voice thinner and higher-pitched than the body that produced it suggested. But his eyes sparkled with amusement. “There’s no need to do that.” He said, smiling smugly from person to person. “I’ll come quietly, I promise.”
They stared back at him, unsmiling and unamused. Chip drew his pistols instantly, pointing them squarely at the intruder’s head. Hog and Mac followed suit. Ghost hung back and kept his rifle low, but his eyes stayed fixed on the newcomer’s every movement.
The man stopped in his tracks, but the amused expression remained on his face as he looked around the room.
“Who are you?” Tyco asked, stepping forward with a steady grip on his rifle. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m – a researcher.” The man said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Dr. Ethan Shelley. I came down here when the fighting started.”
Tyco stared at him, sizing him up, considering the likelihood he was telling the truth. On this planet, given what they’d seen so far, it wasn’t high, and the man’s dirty, ill-fitting clothing didn’t help his case. The doctor stared back, meeting Tyco’s wary eyes, smug and unintimidated. If he was lying, he was being cold-blooded about it.
“Show me.” Tyco growled at last, motioning him towards one of the working monitors. They had blacked out since Chip’s outburst, resetting to their welcome screen.
The doctor nodded evenly, his eyes drifting slowly back towards Chip’s pistols. “Would you mind?” He asked, motioning for the troopers to lower their weapons. “I assure you, I’m not a threat.”
Tyco nodded warily. “At ease.” He said, with a quick glance at the team. They obeyed, lowering their weapons slightly and backing away. Shelley stepped towards the monitor, tapping quickly to bring up the login prompt. His fingers flew across the screen with practiced ease. He entered his code quickly and submitted with a flourish, turning away from the monitor with a look of expectant triumph.
The team was silent, waiting cautiously on the result. The screens around them flickered and reloaded, then faded into a solid, unchanging black.
“Cap - ?” Chip asked, his grip tightening on the pistol in his right hand.
But the monitors came to life again, bringing up the same welcome screen that Tyco had encountered.
Tyco nodded approvingly and looked back at Chip. “At ease.” He said, again, with a bemused smile on his face.
“Satisfied?” Shelley turned to face Tyco, doing nothing to hide the amusement on his face.
“No.” Tyco answered, ignoring the doctor’s mocking, condescending tone. “Where’s the weapon?”
The smile on Shelley’s face dimmed, but he held his expression, bluffing bravely. “What weapon?” He asked.
Ch
ip growled in the silence behind Tyco, shaking his head. He was decidedly not in the mood.
Tyco, too, was unconvinced, and he pressed the point home firmly. “Our orders are to proceed to coordinates 55’64”, 45’50”, locate military installation, locate weapon designation MAP-11, and neutralize.”
Shelley nodded slowly, considering the information. He waited a long time before answering. “Those are the wrong coordinates. ”
“Now there’s a surprise…” Hog muttered sarcastically, shaking her head.
“The weapons research facility is under the mountain,” He continued. “But I’m sorry, Captain, there’s nothing there.”
Tyco stared at the man curiously. “What do you mean, nothing?”
Shelley shook his head and shrugged. “The city’s been overrun for days – weeks even. Whatever was in there, whatever they’ve sent you for, it’s gone.”
Tyco cocked his head to the side and frowned. “We’re going to have to confirm that.”
“Captain – “ Shelley responded, but Tyco interrupted him.
“It’s Commander.” He said. “And my orders are specific. We are going to proceed to the correct coordinates and find that device. Or what’s left of it.”
Shelley nodded slowly, considering Tyco’s position. “It’s not safe.” He said, at last, with the thin, creeping edge of fear in his voice.
Tyco smiled. “That’s why they sent us.” He answered. “We’ve got a job to do here, and we aim to finish it.”
“You’ll die.” Shelley said, staring from one trooper to the next. “All of you.”
“With all due respect, you’re not doing all that well in here.” Tyco said, eyeing the man’s dirty, disheveled clothes. “How much longer will your supplies hold out?”
Shelley sighed, conceding the point unhappily. “I was hoping you’d show up a little earlier.” He grumbled unhappily.
“We apologize.” Tyco said, with a weary smile on his face. “But we’re going after that weapon, doc, and you’re taking us to it.”
“With all due respect, Captain.” Shelley began. “I am not doing anything of the sort.”
Tyco considered the man’s words carefully. The tone of superiority that their subject had adopted, that he could ignore. But the hesitation, the refusal to help, that was beyond him.
“Now listen up.” He said, at last, glaring across the room at the doctor. “We’ve come a long way today. We’ve lost three-quarters of our unit. We’re tired, we’re bloodied, and we’re angry.” He paused, picking his next words carefully. “But we were sent here for that weapon. And we are not about to stop looking for it because it’s unsafe. Now, you can help us with that, and we can get you off this rock when we’re done, or you can take your chances down here alone, but I’m not interested in discussing this any further.
Having said his piece, he turned on his heel and headed towards the open hallway, leaving Shelley with the unhappy, sneering troopers.
“You peasants.” He growled, shaking his head in fury. “You ignorant grunts.” He trembled in anger, his face flushing a deep, indignant red, but he said no more. With a last venomous stare at the troopers before him, he followed Tyco out into the hallway.
Chip turned to Hog, his eyes sparkling with anger and excitement. “He won’t last ten minutes.” He said, quietly, but loud enough for Shelley to hear.
Hog spit. “Optimistic, Chip?” She asked, lips parted in a wide smile that showed all of her teeth. “That’s not like you.”
“Mac, Ghost, you’re his escorts.” Tyco called from the hallway. “Keep him safe.”
Ghost nodded evenly, as if he’d expected it, but Mac hesitated, looking up at Hog and Chip, unwilling to lose face by babysitting the doctor.
Chip smiled back at him, watching the white lab coat disappear down the darkened hallway.
“Go on Sugar, you’re on the clock.” He said, and chuckled as Mac turned to follow.
TWELVE: THE EXTRA MILE
The elevator slid open to reveal the decimated lobby as they had left it. Chip was first out through the broken outer elevator doors, cautiously sweeping the open floor. Hog followed him, smiling as she made a show of rubbing her hands.
“Sure beat the ride down, didn’t it?” She laughed. Chip nodded gruffly in response.
“Don’t mention it.” Shelley said smugly, and patted him on the back, pocketing his access card.
Chip scowled and turned away. “I won’t.”
“Well, Doc,” Tyco said, scanning the open square through the broken lobby windows. “Thanks for coming out.” He glanced at the doctor quickly, sizing up his physical conditioning. “How quick can you move?”
“I can keep up.” Shelley said stiffly.
“Do that.” Tyco nodded, pushing past him towards the stairs leading out of the building with new urgency in his step. Hog fell into step, following closely on his heels.
Shelley, wedged firmly between Mac and Ghost, jogged down the steps in time. The heat that hit him as they stepped into the sunlight brought an immediate, deep flush to his cheeks, but he barely noticed. The heads impaled on the flagpoles above him had caught his attention.
“Charming.” He said, and shuddered. He turned away with a grimace and moved on down the stairs.
Chip stopped short at the top of the staircase, waiting inside the overhanging shade and staring cautiously up at the surrounding rooftops with a suspicious eye.
“Cap – “ he said, warningly.
“You see something?” Tyco asked, stepping cautiously behind cover.
Chip nodded uncertainly, pausing as he made up his mind. “Not sure…” he said quietly, running his eyes along the roofs of the facing buildings.
The group froze in place, staring at Chip, waiting for his final word as he looked out towards the rooftops. The flag flapped loudly overhead, punctuating the tense silence of the empty square.
“How far is the objective?” Mac asked quietly, tension telling in his voice.
Before Tyco could answer, a flash came from high above, followed immediately by an angry buzz. Something knifed through Mac’s cheek, exploding through the back of his head and dropping him hard to the pavement. He was down before anyone could move, thrown violently to the ground by the force of impact.
“Cover!” Tyco shouted, and the team broke immediately. Ghost pulled Shelley bodily with him, pushing him face-first into the dirt behind a small stone ledge.
Chip stayed where he was, crouching low in the shadows, searching the rooftops calmly and methodically for the source of the shot.
Hog dropped to the floor and crawled towards Mac, keeping herself as flat as possible to stay out of the firing line. She raised her head cautiously as she approached, checking the extent of the Mac’s wound, hoping for the best.
“Mac, buddy, you there - ?” She asked, but the words caught in her throat as she saw the wide puddle of blood underneath his motionless head. Without stopping, she crawled towards him, taking cover tentatively behind his fallen body. She reached over him quickly, stripping his rifle and ammunition from his grasp before reaching up to his neck for his dog tags.
She scrambled back to cover quickly, holding Mac’s gun and ammunition. Expecting a shot at any second, she slid the last few feet, coming to a stop breathlessly next to Tyco.
“He gone?” Tyco asked as she landed next to him. It was more of a statement than a question. Hog wordlessly handed him the tags in mute answer, nodding calmly. Tyco took them with a heavy sigh, stowing the tags in his side pocket with the others. He looked up across the square and found Ghost watching him. Meeting his eyes, he shook his head in grim commiseration. This was not how he wanted to start their advance through the city, and he turned to look back at Chip, checking on his progress –
Just as his rifle cracked loudly from the lobby. A figure detached itself from the roof of the facing building falling through the air with the grotesque, rag-doll grace of a corpse. The rebel sniper was dead long before he hit the ground with a
satisfying thump.
Chip stood and reloaded. “We’re clear.” He announced, striding easily past Mac’s body and out into the square.
Tyco stood slowly, dusting himself off. “Safe to say that’s not the only one around.” He said. “We better move.”
“Where to, Cap?” Hog asked.
Tyco stopped and turned to look for Shelley. His eyes settled on Ghost, who was still lying physically over the doctor, protecting him from gunfire. “Let him up.” Tyco said. “We need him.”
Shelley stood with effort, dusting himself in frustration.
“You alright, Doc?” Tyco asked.
“Of course.” Shelley answered. “Why wouldn’t I be? I have the finest escort in the system. One of them is dead.” He glanced down and glared at Mac’s body, snorting derisively. “It’s all so inefficient…”
“Doctor, if you don’t want to join him, give us a destination.” Tyco’s tone was steady, but pointed. It brought Shelley back to life.
“Of course.” He said, shrugging off his disgust and regaining his composure. He pointed towards the massive stone structure carved high into the rocky mountain overlooking the city with a detached, matter-of-fact air. “That’s the research facility, up there.”
“Some hidden facility.” Chip snorted.
“Did you think it was there?” Shelley shot back immediately, and Chip fell silent.
Tyco stared up at the facility, mapping out an approach in his head. The hillside was steep, high above the city, and isolated. The highway was no good; uncovered and flat, with open firing angles from halfway across the city, it would be suicide. The relatively modern, built-up business district, with its wide boulevards and near-unlimited sniper perches on rooftops and through windows, wouldn’t be much better.
Hard Drop Page 11
