Marine Summer: Year 2041

by B. E. Wilson

  “Suit back up!” he said.

  “What’s up?” Hunter asked.

  “We have some unwelcome visitors in the vicinity.”

  “How many?” Boom asked.

  “Don’t know, but rest assured we’re gonna find out,” Motown answered as his Suit closed.

  “Look alive, people! This is not a drill!” Hunter said.

  “Fuckin’ A, we haven’t seen any action in six months. Let’s do this shit!” Bob said as she disengaged her rifle from her chest, petting it like she was holding a brand new kitten.

  “Kid, you’re in the back. You do not engage by any means. You are just an observer at this point. Stay on Brain’s six and don’t fuck up; where he goes you go. Copy?” Motown said, his hand clanging against my shoulder armor as he patted it.

  “Yes, sir,” I said, my disappointment hidden by the digital voice.

  “Brains, tune in to Command and lock down their last known coordinates. Two clicks out, we’ll engage camo. Nobody fires. This is strictly recon. That’s an order!” Motown said.

  “I got ’em, northeast, twenty clicks. I’m sure they saw our birds and might be heading this way,” Brains said.

  “Copy that. You and the new guy hit the crest of those mountains. We’ll need an eye in the sky. Hunter, you take point. Let’s move it out!”

  Climbing up the mountain was a cinch; fighting my fear of heights was not. I focused on not falling as Brains strolled on like it was nothing, his eyes mainly focused on the computer that jutted out from his chest armor.

  “Brains to Motown, setting up grid now,” he said as a small compartment opened from his pack. A small clear drone hovered out and set course over the valley to our right. Light green lines appeared beneath it as it masked the rest of our team, covering a radius of a few kilometers.

  “Hey, won’t that give away their position?” I asked.

  “Open your shield, genius,” he laughed.

  With my shield up, I couldn’t see the grid; it had vanished.

  “You can only see it through your hud. Now if a bad guy enters our little dome of protection, he’ll appear to be a fuzzy red cartoon character. Those are the ones we want to kill, the red guys.”

  It wouldn’t take very long before Hunter spotted a roving patrol.

  “Camo on now,” his voice said over the comms.

  Following Brain’s lead, I hunkered down against the mountain peak, fascinated as the Suit mimicked the rock wall to our backs. His helmet turned blue to match the spring sky as his head poked above the peak’s highest point.

  “Now what?” I whispered inside my helmet.

  “We wait. Why are you whispering?” Brains mocked me. “They can’t hear us, the helmet blocks all sound from exiting.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t know,”

  “Shut it you two!” Hunter said. “Keep moving that drone, unhide them, and show me their positions.”

  “On it,” Brains complied.

  As the drone silently flew past the patrol, red blips started appearing. I counted twenty, plus the remains of a downed aircraft appearing in the back of a gully.

  “Sitting ducks,” Motown said.

  “Uh-oh, they’re on the move. And headed right at you,” Brains informed them.

  “Out of sight, out of mind. Take cover in the thick foliage and let them pass,” Motown said.

  We continued watching as the team took sides, putting the first patrol of four in a cross-fire situation. Brains moved the drone to follow their path.

  “Shit!” Brains said. “They know we’re here. We’re about to lose the goddamn drone.”

  Before the first patrol of aliens realized they were being watched, the second patrol discovered our drone flying overhead and took aim at it. As a fireball erupted in the sky, the grid faded away, hiding all enemies from our view high on the mountain.

  “We are blind. If you’re taking out the first four, now is the time!” Brains suggested. “I can’t see the others’ location.”

  The first patrol took a defensive position, circled with their backs to each other, and stood ready for a fight.

  “Hunter, do you have eyes on the others?” Motown asked.

  “Negative, I have only the four tangos between us.”

  “Okay, we could be in a world of hurt here if this goes south. Let’s drop these four quickly and get back to the bush. Camo won’t do much good if we’re still exposed in this clearing. So, on my mark,” Motown said.

  The aliens were becoming restless. As soon as they stepped out of formation to search, Motown gave the order.

  “Now!”

  It was like a blur—I could hardly make out the team as they sprang from the covering vegetation. No shots were fired, but four kills lay on the ground before I knew it, stabbed and bleeding out as the team disappeared back into the forest.

  “Status, Brains!”

  “No other visible bogeys at this moment, stand fast.”

  “I got one,” Hunter said. “Fuck that, I got lots of tangos heading our way.”

  The group that shot down the drone was about to join the other party. What we had thought was 20 turned into about 40 as Hunter called them out. Our view still obstructed by the canopy of limbs and young leaves. I took a step to the right to get a better look and dislodged a few loose rocks. They tumbled down the slope, giving away our position.

  “Aw shit,” Brains said as the enemy rounds started pounding our location. “Get to cover!” he screamed, leaping over to the other side of the peak.

  Leaving me to fend for myself, I started to descend the mountain. Moving more quickly than I had anticipated, I was at the timberline and back under cover in a couple of seconds.

  “Nice job, dickhead. Why don’t you send them an invite next time?” Boom said.

  “Shut it, we got bigger problems,” Motown cautioned. “Here they come.”

  “I got something for them. Let ’em get a few more feet and…”

  “Don’t do it yet. Wait for it, Boom,” Hunter said. “I only see two tangos. Don’t waste a shot.”

  I now had a clear view of the action. Two heavily armored aliens stood at the edge of the clearing, partially hidden behind standing timber. One signaled back, as if to tell the others to advance. As soon as he took the first step out from behind the tree, Hunter gave the go ahead and Boom shredded them, firing a rocket grenade that sent their carcasses flying back into the gully when it exploded.

  “Light ’em up!” Hunter gave the order.

  They stood four abreast, firing round after round into the trees as they slowly and cautiously advanced. From my vantage point, I watched as trees toppled over like dominoes collapsing, leaving nothing more than a brush pile the size of a football field. When it was all over, the gully looked like a hurricane had blown over every tree. Stumps were uprooted, with clumps of fresh dirt dangling in the air. Red-hot barrels steaming in the spring air were now silent as every last round had been spent, exterminating everything in the forest, which had been transformed into an alien graveyard.

  “Now that was fun,” Boom said triumphantly. “Let’s do it again!”

  “Is it clear? Can I come out now?” Brains nervously asked.

  “Yes, you’re clear. Everyone, regroup at my location,” Motown commanded.

  Brains flew down the mountain beside me in a sprint to meet them. As I stepped out from behind a tree, the Suit’s hud alerted me to danger, signaling that there was a troop ship cresting the opposite ridge.

  “We aren’t done yet!” Hunter said, pointing to the debris.

  Fifteen or so aliens were emerging from the remains of the collapsed forest. My hud went haywire trying to target them all while keeping a fixed point on the troop ship.

  “Ship at your three o’clock sir, angle high!” I said over the comms to Motown.

  “Well fuck me running! Circle up, hold this position. Butler, you’ve got rounds. Pick off the ones in the brush before they get to us.

  Raising my rifle, I synced in wit
h my hud. I popped off a shot at the one closest to me. He flew about ten yards back into the brush. Numbers two through five were easy kills, sitting ducks as I picked them off. Number six was lucky. As I squeezed the trigger, the weapon only clicked. Squeezing it again, I found that it was soft.

  “Weapon malfunction,” Rita said, informing me of what I already knew.

  The crew ship started releasing more soldiers into the gully to support the others. Our team was strongly outnumbered.

  “Switch to pistol!” I said, throwing the rifle down to my right and pulling the pistol off my hip.

  “Pistol magazine malfunction,” she said.

  “Release nano-bots to repair!”

  “Releasing nano-bots will require operating at thirty-five percent of battery during repair. Would you still like to perform this action, Drew Butler?”

  “Negative.”

  I needed to think quickly. The troop ship was closing in rapidly.

  “Any day now, Butler!” Hunter said.

  “Weapons malfunction sir! What do I do?” I asked Motown.

  “Get down here and get ready to fight!” he screamed back.

  My heart felt like it was beating out of my chest. I could feel beads of sweat dripping down my face.

  “Heart rate at 120. Are you in distress, Drew Butler?” Rita asked.

  “I’m fine,” I answered, breathing heavily.

  “Heart rate at 140.”

  I needed to calm down, get in the action! I thought.

  “Heart rate 185, 190, 200—showing signs of cardiac arrest. Alerting medics.”

  “Negative Rita, stand down!”

  I could feel my limbs starting to shake uncontrollably. I heard faint sounds in my ears of “Get down here,” and “Butler, now!” I felt myself starting to black out.

  “Experiencing strange vibrations,” Rita reported as my shakes became more violent. “Power supply is now passing one hundred percent and reaching hazardous levels. Shall I start shut-down procedures?”

  “No!”

  I’m not sure if I passed out or what happened. All I know is that when I awoke, it was silent until the Brain’s voice came through. “Back up is twenty minutes out!”

  “We don’t have that much time. We need to find the back door,” Motown responded.

  Looking down, I saw them engulfed by enemies. It was close combat as they attempted to fend off the alien attackers.

  “Fucking rookie is a no-show!” Hunter screamed. “Good call Motown, letting that loser in our ranks. Epic failure sir! We’ll die because of him!”

  “I’m still your superior officer. You will keep fighting and show me the fucking respect I’m owed!”

  “Help!” Bob screamed as five tangos pinned her down, clawing at her suit.

  My arm was free now. I reached for my ax and let it expand. With one jump, I descended the side of the mountain, landing just a few meters from her. With two strides and a huge swing, the ax split two of the alien bastards in half. Ducking as one took a swing at me, I punched it square in the chest, denting its chest armor and watching as it flew backwards into a ditch. Reaching down, I flung another one straight up into the air like a Frisbee. The last remaining assailant stood to fight; when he rushed in, just before he could make contact, I ripped off his chest plate and stabbed him with the spike of my ax, lifting him over my head and depositing him in a heap behind me.

  “Holy shit!” Bob said, her cold masked face looking up at me.

  “Over here, guys,” Brains said, frantically swinging a short sword to ward off attackers.

  “I got one,” Hunter said, pulling back an enormous bow and shooting a titanium arrow. The recipient was only stunned as the arrow stuck in its armor, sending it staggering back.

  Motown rushed in with a Katana, turning the blade sideways and driving the arrow home.

  “Keep fighting!” Motown screamed.

  I had adrenaline and strength like I’d never felt before. My Suit was quicker and faster than the others’. I leapt over Motown and took down the next two aliens, pinning them down into divots in the earth, crushing the alien steel into their chest cavities. It was like time slowed down for me as I advanced. I knew each move those bastards were going to make before they did. With nothing more than my ax and my hands, I plowed through them. I had no idea where my teammates were; I was immersed in fighting the enemy. It wasn’t till I stood alone at the end of the clearing near the crater Boom’s grenade had previously made, that I realized I was now one with the suit. My back to the team, the Suit mimicked my motions as I breathed, rising and falling with each breath.

  “Did you see that?” Bob asked.

  “How could I not?” Hunter replied.

  “Rita, face shield up,” I instructed her. I breathed in the fresh spring air, filling my lungs as I tried to calm myself.

  The cool air filtered into my helmet, chilling my face. I heard the sounds of baby birds chirping the first time, their song echoing off the rock walls.

  “His suit’s glowing red,” Brains said, astonished. “How’s that possible?”

  “He’s a perfect fit, told ya Hunter. Eat your words buddy, eat your words,” Motown sounded off triumphantly.

  “I’ll be damned…” Hunter said.

  “Kid, you okay over there?” Motown asked.

  I turned around to answer, but all I could see was that the beautiful Colorado terrain was now nothing more than an orange blood-soaked slaughterhouse. Carcasses were everywhere, sprawled about, slashed in half. Shredded enemy armor was crumpled and flung into trees, rattling like wind chimes. The team stood together at the back of the clearing, stunned from the spectacle they had just witnessed.

  “Kid…you okay?” Motown hesitantly asked again.

  I snapped to attention and saluted, “Yes, sir!”

  “Good, good…at ease,” halfheartedly returning the salute. “Brains, what was the kill total?”

  “Ten for us, and—this can’t be right…” he said, looking at his screen. “Eighty for him.”

  “What’s the previous record?” Motown asked.

  “Twelve…Bob had twelve. Holy crap, he beat Bob’s record, by a fucking lot!”

  “Thanks Brains,” Motown said.

  “We got company!” Hunter yelled interrupting him, as the other Suit team appeared on site.

  They were locked and loaded as they breached the tree line with guns drawn. But they stopped cold at the sight of the slaughter before them.

  “Stand down, men,” the other captain said to his men. “My god!” he said, gawking at the carnage. “What in the hell happened here?”

  “Face shields up!” Motown ordered our team. “Just a little battle is all, just a little battle.”

  “Didn’t you call for support?” the captain asked.

  “At first. Then we took matters into our own hands when you boys were late to the dance,” Hunter smiled.

  “And it was one hell of a dance!” Bob chimed in.

  “Roger that, devil dogs!” the captain acknowledged. “Sergeant, get two men on either side of this location. We need eyes in the sky. Corporal, start sifting through this mess for intel; salvage anything we can take with us. Captain, do you and your men need to rearm?” he asked Motown.

  As she walked by the other captain, Bob clanked her hand off his groin, giggling as he flinched, and saying “I got your men right here.”

  “Yes we do, thanks captain,” Motown answered. “Sorry, she gets tempremenstrual.”

  “Roger that. We’ll hold this position,” he said, still watching Bob walk away, slightly confused.

  “Let’s double-time it people. Reload and get back here ASAP!” Motown said.

  We didn’t make it far before the other teams turned up. Sergeant reported another crew ship was closing in fast. Our break would be short lived. We still had no ammo, but we returned and prepared to fight.

  “Defensive positions!” the other captain ordered.

  “Negative!” Motown shouted, “This i
s my LZ! Butler…attack them on top of that mountain!”

  “Yes sir!” I was off, scaling the mountain.

  “What are you doing? You’ll get that Marine killed!” the Captain said.

  “Nah, he’s just gonna kill some bad guys. Watch!”

  “He doesn’t have any fucking ammo!”

  “Well, the bad guys will live a few seconds longer then,” Motown chuckled.

  As the nose of the ship breached over the peak, I made my move, leaping high in the air digging my claws into its underbelly. My Suit mimicked my location and camouflaged me as I hung effortless against the smooth dark surface, clawing and ripping to gain entry. The ship’s guns took shots at the evading targets on the ground.

  “Today, Butler.” I heard Motown’s voice in my earpiece.

  As the rear bay doors opened, I finally made my way into the ship, pulling myself up through the hole I made and taking position behind the awaiting forces as they prepared to drop. Unaware of my presence, I had the advantage as I started dissecting them. To my surprise, they were unprepared; most of them were still putting armor on. I was having my way with them.

  “We need to help him!” the Captain shouted.

  “Calm down sugar tits,” Bob told him. “Sick ’em, Butler!”

  Alien body pieces fell out the bay door, littering the mountainside. A couple of them jumped out to avoid my ax; their bodies exploded on impact, pierced by the jagged edges of the ancestral rock.

  I could hear the other Captain across my comms. “What is this? Why don’t we have these capabilities?”

  Playing it off like it was nothing, Motown answered, “Same Suit, same skills…it’s no big deal really.”

  The last two to die were the pilots. Their deaths were quick and merciless. The crew ship went into a slow spiraling descent, finally crashing on top of the previous blood soaked battlefield.

  Climbing from the wreckage of crumpled alien steel, I was met by the other captain.

  “How are you still alive, Marine?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “I don’t know, sir.”

  “Well it’s the damndest thing I’ve ever seen, son. Hell of a job. Oorah!”

  “Thank you sir. Oorah!”

  “All right, Motown, this is your piece of real estate. What’s your call?” the captain asked.