Marooned: Legacy War Book 4

by John Walker

  They started down the way with the wall to their left. The lack of sound pressed against Cassie’s ears. If not for the breathing of her colleagues so close by, she would’ve felt totally isolated. Combined with the darkness, even in the vast expanse of the room, she began to feel claustrophobic.

  Heat held up his hand for them to stop and Cassie nearly bumped into him. He advanced forward, craning his neck to see something. “Found an ingress up here. Looks like we located the door we were hoping for.”

  “And hopefully,” Gil said, “it will open for us just as the other one did.”

  Cassie moved closer, holding her tablet out in front of her. Nothing seemed to happen. The energy readings remained static until Heat stepped in front of the doors. The meter began to climb and it seemed likely Gil was right. The door was about to open. But instead of the quiet hiss they heard at the front, a bone jarring clunk vibrated the floor.

  “What the hell?” Gorman called out a moment before lights burst to life overhead, illuminating the entire room in a brilliant white glow. A dais sat to their left opposite the front door with a set of stairs leading up to it. The middle of the room was made up of dozens of tiles, each one meeting the other with a fine seam between.

  “That was not supposed to happen,” Gil said in a calm voice that drew an angry expression from the marines. “I suppose we now know how to turn on the lights … Perhaps.”

  “We don’t know how to do anything!” Heat shouted at the doctor, gesturing to the ceiling. “None of us flipped the switch for those. I walked in front of a damn door, man!”

  “Stop it!” Vincent said. He didn’t shout but the command authority in his tone settled the situation. “I’m not going to tell you again about outbursts. It’s not productive to start yelling at anyone so keep your cool. There’s an explanation to what we’re seeing here and if you’d give the doctor and Cassie a chance, they’ll figure it out.” He paused, turning to Gil. “Right?”

  “Of course.” Gil shrugged. “We must investigate and find how this happened. Perhaps we discovered a pressure plate or something along those lines. Or it must be motion sensitive. Hm.”

  “What?” Vincent asked. “You look like you’ve got another idea.”

  “Perhaps someone turned them on.”

  A chill ran down Cassie’s spine. He didn’t mean them. If the facility was occupied, then someone might be watching them, waiting to see how they responded to the situation. The lack of violence offset the scary notion that someone sat around in there quietly observing them but only a little.

  “I don’t know,” Cassie replied. “This feels automated to me. Why would an intelligent species lead us on?”

  “Because they don’t think we’re worth talking to,” Gorman said. “Because they think they’re better than us. We might be little more than animals in their eyes. Consider evolution and what it might mean for some beings out in the middle of nowhere.”

  “He has a good point.” Gil pointed. “I do not think we will have to wonder for long though. Look at the tiles.”

  Cassie followed his gesture and her eyes widened. Blue light burst from the seams of several of the tiles until all of them seemed to glow. Gorman and Heat exchanged glances. Vincent held up his hand to stave off any comments even as each of them stepped back toward the wall.

  “Not sure what that means,” Cassie said, “but I’m thinking we don’t necessarily want to walk on them.”

  “You might be jumping to a conclusion,” Gil replied. “I think we might have to in order to proceed.”

  “What?” Vincent sighed. “Do you think it’s some kind of test? Or the method to get through the door?”

  “Think about it.” Gil smirked. “If you set up a temple to protect your technology, you would have security to protect it, would you not?”

  Cassie ran a scan over the floor, frowning at the readings. Power emanated from the tiles, each one producing a different amount. She put them on a percentage scale to differentiate them, with the lowest being at ten and the highest at ninety. Moving over to Gil, she showed him what she found and he began his own tests.

  The marines became restless while they worked but they held their peace. Apparently, Vincent was able to keep them quiet after all. Still, they wouldn’t want to stand there forever and Cassie recognized the need to hurry. Especially when she noticed the room temperature begin to rise.

  At first she thought she might be crazy but then her computer showed it was already twenty-degrees Celsius. Two degrees in a few minutes. Either the power from those tiles was just that hot or the increasing warmth was part of the security protocol. Depending on how fast it started to climb and how high it went, a timer may have started.

  “I’m sure you can feel the difference in the room,” Cassie said. “Gil, what do you have?”

  “There are one hundred total tiles in the room,” Gil replied. “Many of them are giving off an enormous amount of power. Those that are at the lowest might be safe for a living being to touch but those on the higher end …”

  “What?” Heat asked. “What about them?”

  “They will likely incinerate anyone who sets foot on one.”

  Gorman’s shoulders slumped. “Thank God we didn’t wander out there earlier, huh?”

  “So what do you think?” Vincent asked. “Do we have to … I don’t know … step on the ones that are habitable? Do you think there’s a specific order?”

  Gil nodded. “Yes. But it should not be overly complicated. The first of those tiles is in front of this door. I can map the path to the center but I’m not sure what the point will be when we get there. Of course, we likely do not have a choice and must try it.” He stepped closer to the edge and held his device over the tablet and hummed. “We have a problem.”

  “You think?” Heat muttered.

  “What is it?” Cassie asked.

  “We cannot bring our computers onto the tiles. Look.”

  Cassie joined him as he held it over them. The screen glitched out, making it impossible to read anything. “Great.” She turned to Vincent. “Someone’s going to have to go out there and be guided by us back here.”

  “Fantastic.” Vincent turned to the marines then looked back at Cassie. “I can do it.”

  “No,” Cassie said, shaking her head firmly. “You’re in command. We can’t risk you.”

  Heat raised his hand. “I can go. I’m sure it won’t be that big of a deal.”

  “Your feet are too big,” Gil replied. “The tiles are not small, but if you make a mistake, it could result in injury. No. I believe the only choice is for Agent Alexander to go.”

  “No way.” Vincent stepped forward. “Out of the question. I can do this, believe me.”

  “You’re in the same boat,” Cassie replied. “Just … I’ve got it, guys. I’ve been through worse obstacle courses.”

  “Were the ones back home designed to incinerate you?” Gorman asked. “Cause if so, your AIA school sucked.”

  “No, but …” Cassie shook her head. She handed her tablet to Gil. “I’ll be back for that shortly. Which one do I start with?”

  “Wait!” Vincent stepped forward and took her arm. “We can find another way. I’m sure of it. We just need to … I don’t know, hack the system somehow. Find an interface … a link … anything besides sending someone into a death trap. Think this through, guys. I’m certain we’re overlooking something.”

  “We cannot ignore the fact the heat is rising,” Gil said. “And it seems quite clear the way forward is through their maze. I am not pleased, but this is not uncommon for places such as this.”

  “Great.” Vincent looked Cassie in the eyes. “Be careful. I’m serious.”

  Cassie smiled at him, trying to put some courage into her expression. “I’ve got this, commander. I’ll make it.”

  “Okay …” Vincent stepped away. “Gil, I trust you’re going to be giving directions?”

  “Indeed.” Gil stepped forward. “The highest power tiles will
likely kill you instantly. The others should only burn or possibly shock you. I would not count on your boots preventing the damage or even lessening it. Listen to my instructions before proceeding. Though I have a bad feeling we will only know about when we start.”

  “What’s that?” Cassie asked.

  “When you set foot on a tile, I believe you will only have a few moments to move to the next one.” Gil scowled at his tablet. “I glean this from the fact that each of these seems to have a variable power reading. They could increase from pressure. I suppose we have made the right choice for another practical reason. You are the lightest of us.”

  “Glad I didn’t have the extra helping at lunch,” Cassie muttered. She approached the first tile. “Want to tell me the next tile to go to after this?”

  “Advance one tile ahead. After that …” Gil shrugged. “I will have to direct you. Are you ready?”

  “Sure …” Cassie drew a deep breath and let it out, clearing her mind. She focused on the first tile, one which she thought looked quite large before she had to set foot on it. Now she realized it would barely hold both her feet at the same time. “Here I go.” She stepped out, poising on her toes to make minimal contact with the tile.

  The second she committed her full weight to the movement, the floor sunk half an inch and the lights around her began to glow brighter. She felt the stone heat up through her boots, just a hint at first but it rapidly increased. In a few moments, it would be unbearable, potentially catching her clothes on fire if she remained.

  “Which way?” Cassie shouted. “We don’t have a lot of time on each one!”

  “Forward!” Gil cried.

  Cassie stepped off the stone and onto the relatively cool tile. The light behind her faded just as the new one burst to life. Gil told her to step left and she did, moving sideways and remaining on her toes. She got off that one before it became warmer but when she moved, she got too close to an adjacent square.

  The scalding heat emanating from it made Cassie wince but she forced herself to remain still. Gil yelled at her to move forward and she complied, then right. She paved a winding path toward the front but then had to veer almost to the front door before moving back toward their objective.

  Moving through the room seemed to take forever but she figured she’d been out there for less than two minutes. Every step took her further away from safety, further from any hope of getting back if Gil somehow maneuvered her into a dead end. The possibility of dying on that floor struck her suddenly and she had a hard time remaining focused.

  It won’t happen, Cassie thought, fighting through the growing sense of panic. Gil’s got the path and you’re doing fine. Just stay mobile.

  The center loomed ahead and as Cassie drew closer, she noticed it was a touch larger and not glowing at all. Whatever was going to happen would soon but in her excitement to get to the end, she misstepped onto the wrong tile. A lance of burning pain shot through her foot into her knee and hip.

  Crying out, Cassie exerted every ounce of discipline she could muster to avoid falling over. That would be a fatal mistake. “No! I said RIGHT, Agent!” Gil’s annoyed tone angered her but she didn’t say anything. Following his instructions got her back on the path but she was limping now. Her foot felt numb and her calf ached.

  “Cassie!” Vincent shouted. “Are you … are you okay?”

  “Do be quiet, Commander,” Gil complained. “Do not interrupt this process.”

  The last bit of path took her all the way around the middle stone and when she reached the final one, it sunk nearly half a foot into the floor. “What the hell is happening, Gil?” Cassie shouted. “Should it be doing this?”

  A click beneath her made the stone tremble for half a second and the middle stone dropped suddenly. Cassie gasped at the sudden motion but then a console rose up from the floor, the surface lit up with a large, green light to the left. English appeared above it, two words that made her scowl.

  Open Door.

  “We have a problem.” Cassie tapped it and the door they needed opened. The lights around every tile disappeared and the heat in the room leveled out. She turned to look at the others and gestured to the console. “This thing showed me instructions in English.”

  “What?” Heat scowled. “How’s that possible?”

  “It may read brainwaves,” Gil replied. “Had I gone out there, it is likely I would’ve seen it in my language.”

  “Come back!” Vincent called. “We need to look at your leg.”

  Cassie limped back but her leg started to feel better when she walked normally. When she cleared the tiles, Vincent dropped down and ran a scan over her. It took a good twenty seconds before he straightened up. His expression contorted into one of concern but he showed her the readings.

  “You should be fine,” Vincent said. “Looks like whatever happened to you went straight to the nerves. You’ll walk it off and be fine shortly.”

  “Thank God for small miracles,” Cassie replied. “Thanks.”

  “No problem.” Vincent turned away. “Let’s move out. I want to be done with this place as soon as possible.”

  “We should not be too hasty,” Gil said as he took up the rear. “After all, there is a good chance we will identify another such puzzle … another challenge to overcome. And if I am correct, it will likely require a different set of skills or cooperation. Whoever built this place may have used it for a rite of passage.”

  “That makes sense to me,” Gorman replied. “I’ve read about all kinds of cultures having crazy hard trials for their people to ascend to different castes. Maybe we were pulled down here to prove ourselves worthy of something.”

  “Like what?” Heat asked. “The right to get the hell off this planet?”

  “Or something more potent,” Gil answered. “Power … knowledge … a partnership with these people. We will not know until we are free and clear of their tests but one thing is certain: we are in this for the long haul.” He gestured behind them and Cassie looked at the door. It closed behind them with a hiss, just as the front door had.

  Chapter 8

  Fielding received the order to attack with everything they had. They were authorized to do whatever it took to stop the enemy from using their heavy weapons on the Gnosis and he fully intended to take advantage of that offer. Considering the emplacements the mercenaries were planning to use weren’t easily moved around, maneuverability would be key.

  “Listen up,” he spoke to the others, plotting out the attack on the fly. Scans gave him a good idea of where each of the weapons were located. Since each was aimed at the ship, they would be open to rear assault and that made the marine jump packs an incredible advantage. “We need to take these weapons out ASAP.”

  “Why not confiscate them?” Gillet asked. “We could turn them on the enemy.”

  “No point,” Fielding replied. “Our ships are taking on their base right now. We need to kill the enemy and remove their teeth. I’ve marked the locations of where these guys have clumped up. Spread out and prepare to hit them hard. Use rockets if you still have any and blast away. If they get those turned on you … Well, you saw what the cannons can do.”

  None of them wanted to end up like Singer and his death motivated the others to do some serious damage. Fielding gave them the go order and readied himself for his own part to play in the assault. He gave a last update to the Gnosis bridge that they were initiating an attack plan then engaged his jump jets.

  Hurling over the edge of the hull, he saw the wide expanse of trees and green ground blur beneath him. They were exposed in the air but moving swiftly enough to be difficult targets. As he plunged downward, he hit the rockets one last time to break his fall and spun in place, weapon at the ready.

  Mercenaries opened fire and he dashed to the side, shooting back. He made it to a particularly large tree and paused there, taking stock of his opposition. There were six of them and they manned one of the cannons. His scanner showed they were trying to turn it around, mean
ing he didn’t have time waste.

  Popping out, he threw a grenade and opened up, putting two rounds into a target’s skull and clipping another in the arm. He reclaimed his cover just as his explosive went off. Someone screamed and he glanced again, noting he’d reduced them to one person. The big gun was in two pieces and his last target lifted a pistol to get off a final shot.

  Fielding finished him before he could pull the trigger then checked his scanner for his next destination. A red mark appeared on his HUD, indicating an incoming projectile. He used his jump jets, hopping a good ten feet from the point of impact. When it exploded, it caught the nearest tree on fire.

  Beams brightened the sky to his left and right, narrowly missing him as he plunged toward the ground. Impact made him sink a good three inches into the ground. He hustled to a nearby tree and took cover, checking his sensor to see how many assailants he had to deal with.

  Three soldiers stood roughly twenty yards away and they had decent cover behind some toppled stones. Fielding marked their location for the other marines then checked their progress. They were causing considerable havoc with the enemy forces but they were dramatically outnumbered.

  Fielding established a connection with their air support. “Mustang One, this is the ground force. We need some backup. What’s your current position?”

  “We’re hitting the enemy stronghold,” Dennis replied. “Ten seconds out.”

  “I’m going to mark the area we need you to lay down some fire when you get back.” Fielding instinctually ducked when his cover came under heavy fire, the wood splintering and complaining from the assault. “Stand by!”

  He brought up his overhead map and picked the heaviest concentration of soldiers. Those he marked and sent the signal to the other marines so they knew what areas to avoid. Providing they hurried, the mercenaries would be routed quickly enough. Especially when they didn’t have any shelter to hide in.

  “Status update.” Fielding peeked out and returned fire on his three targets, blasting away at their cover. It made them duck so he remained visible, waiting for one of them to poke his head up. It took a good five seconds before one peeked, just revealing his forehead and eyes.