...*...*...*...*...
Jethro got to the other side of the cliff wall and looked around as he unclipped. “Going to anchor?” Hurranna asked.
“No. Stay here.” He waved and then moved off. He crested the second small rise easily, without the need of his climbing gear. Really, Rigatoni's group had it a hell of a lot easier than they did. So what was keeping them? He turned to see most of the platoon had made it to the top and was now coming down.
“Anything?” he asked over the open channel.
“Thought I had something on guard. Computer said it was a signal, but it was bounced around the rocks and I couldn't make it out,” Ox reported from the top of the cliff. He was staked out there, staying on the high ground so he could relay a signal if needed. He'd already set the emergency rocket off. Hopefully the cavalry would be coming soon.
“Getting something,” Senjix the cheetah scout said. He paused and turned. “Coming from that direction. The plumes.” Jagged rocks were in the way. They looked like a forest, or stalagmites in a cave. He grimaced. The jagged cones towered over them, making it hard to get a sight line of the surrounding terrain.
“Quake!” Senjix said, grabbing the nearest rock.
Jethro froze then felt something below his feet move. It felt wrong, like it was ballooning under his feet. He instinctively dropped into a forward roll just as something erupted where he had stood.
A plume of gas blasted into space where he had been. After a moment it cut off. He got up and looked around warily.
“Like walking in a minefield,” Senjix growled.
“Which explains why Rigatoni is late maybe,” Jethro growled turning to face the cliff. He tried to get a signal then grimaced and walked through the rocks until he could get line of sight to Ox.
“Ox relay broadband. Area is a minefield. Gases erupt from ground during quakes. Tell everyone to watch where they walk. Get an update to Valenko.”
“Roger,” Ox replied.
Jethro turned to the cheetah. “Now you were saying you got something?”
“Yeah,” the cheetah said. A file appeared on Jethro's buffer. He grunted and opened it. A static filled frantic voice called out for help. The signal was badly distorted and broken. He grimaced and turned. “Ox shunting a file to you. We definitely have an emergency situation. Looks like we're off the hook.” He looked around. “We need a better way of navigating this mine field. Or avoiding it all together if possible.”
“Probably what Rigatoni should have done. But this is right in a straight line from his drop point. Wanna bet he tried to run the gauntlet anyway?” Senjix asked.
“No. Can you feel these quakes? Eruptions?”
“Yeah. About a second before they happen. I bet Ox or someone who can hear subsonics can do better though,” the cheetah said. He stood and shouldered his rifle. Jethro thought for a moment. Taurens may look like classic Terran fantasy brahma bull minotaurs but outward appearances were just that. Appearances. They were omnivores like over seventy percent of all sentients. They usually spoke in subsonic ranges. They could feel subsonic messages in their hooves.
Ox's voice cut through their talk after a moment. “Firefly has responded to the mayday. They are two hours out. They were checking another rock nearby and running a shuttle exercise.”
In other words they were on their own for now. “Wonderful,” Jethro sighed. “So until then we're it.” He grimaced looking around. He blinked as an IFF pinged on his HUD. After a moment Letanga came out from behind a series of rocks into the open.
“It couldn't have taken them all out. You'd think someone would have had the sense to go for help,” Sergei said looking around.
“I found a body. Impaled on the rocks. Recruit,” Letanga reported. He shook his head. “Dead. Suit was too torn up to save her,” the sniper sighed. “Pieces of gear everywhere. From the looks of it one of those eruptions got a good chunk of the platoon. Maybe the entire platoon. Some may have gone Dutchman.”
“Sending them up and then into the jagged rocks like a wave,” Déjà said over the team push. “I've seen it happen.”
“Quiet,” Valenko said. He was at the cliff top. “Scouts out, find us a way through these rocks. Scale them if you have to. Ox get a signal to higher. Tell them Alpha is down and we may have multiple Dutchman issues for them to look out for.”
“My way is a dead end,” Letanga said shaking his head. “Overhang on three sides. Sheer, can't get a grip.”
Jethro paused, pulling up a map of the terrain. He grimaced and then opened a channel to Ox. The Tauren panned his camera slowly over the field.
“Like a maze,” Hurranna hissed. Jethro realized Ox was broadcasting the signal to the entire team. He opened an audio channel.
“Everyone listen up. Hurranna's right, it's a maze. Treat it like it is. Letanga found a body here,” he pointed to a path and highlighted the leopard's aborted path.
“Actually here. I see where you’re going with this,” Letanga said, uploading his map. “Each of us take a path virtually, run it like a map game the gunny gives us. See who can find a path out of the maze.”
“But they may be somewhere inside.”
“And we won't know where until we find the safe path. If I was Rigatoni I'd have mapped a path before entering this mess,” Valenko said nodding. “Good thinking. I'll see if I can get an idea from his perspective.”
...*...*...*...*...
After a few minutes Betty raised a hand and then dropped it again. “Thought I had it,” she grimaced.
“I think I do though,” Shiku said raising his hand. He highlighted a path and shot the file to the team. Jethro watched as a red line ran through the forest of rocks.
“Which may... yes, it does match up with my recreation of his thought process on the other end,” the grizzly said, overlaying another line. It matched the fox's.
“All right people, scouts follow the path, watch for unstable areas and keep an ear out for anyone. Ox, stay where you are,” the bear looked up to the cliff. “Sergei, give him your rocket.”
“Right,” Sergei handed the Tauren his rocket and then started down the line. “Be at the bottom in a moment,” he growled.
“Everyone keep a lock on each other and Ox. Ox you're our anchor and our eyes and ears to Firefly. Squirt a signal with an update now. Give them updates every ten.”
“Roger,” the Tauren replied. “Done,” he said after a moment.
“Good. Let's move people.”
...*...*...*...*...
They found several bodies after a few minutes of exploring on the path. “Done and done. Damn,” Hurranna hissed. “God, nasty way to go,” she said, sucking in a breath. She looked down at the broken visor and then away. Luckily the face was in shadow.
“I think I'm going to hurl,” Betty choked out.
“Don't. Breath. Breath deep. Suit ramp up her oxy and supply nausea suppressant,” Valenko ordered. “Betty don't look. Keep an eye out.”
She grimaced and then turned. “They've been dead a while boss. About two hours or more,” Jethro said.
“Hey what's going on there?” Betty said pointing to a sunlit patch of ground. It glittered. The others turned to her.
“See something?”
“Yeah, something's going on just under the surface.” She grimaced, switching her view to thermal. “Yeah, boiling... just under the surface like a pimple.”
“Everyone watch out!” Jethro snarled, pulling the simian away from the patch. Valenko fell into a crouch as the ground erupted. Gas spewed out to the heavens. Some of it fell back, drifting like snow.
“Careful. Don't let the crap get on you when it's warm and liquid. When it gets in the shade it'll freeze and may crack your suit,” Zebo cautioned urgently.
“Right,” Valenko grimaced. “You stay here.” He pointed to one of the heavy worlders. “You go back until you're just in line of sight of her and then stay there.” He grimaced looking around.
“You are forming a daisy chain?”
Jethro asked.
“Yes.”
“I've been leaving signal repeaters. I'm out though. I've got the others laying theirs now.”
“Now you tell me,” the bear growled. “Cancel that,” he growled, waving to the two heavy worlders. “Ox can you read?”
“Barely boss,” the Tauren answered. “I'm getting some scatter.”
“Close enough to work. We've got more bodies. Also another eruption.”
“Spotted it.”
“Make a note. Bodies are near this location.” He turned to the heavy worlders. “You two police the bodies. Get them ready for recovery.”
“Boss signal coming in. We've got a survivor,” Senjix reported over the com. “SNAFU. Situation is normal, all fracked up. Very screwed up. You want the low points?”
“Upload the report and then give me a fast verbal,” the bear growled.
“Rigatoni and most of the platoon got blasted. Some like Rigatoni ended up down a cleft when they came back down. Others were sprayed here there and everywhere. The survivors are trying to get the others out but there are a lot of injuries and suit breaches.”
“Suits will handle them,” Valenko replied, dismissing the problem.
“Not a lot all at once. Compound fractures that pierced the skin suits are some of the worst. Rocks and impalement are some of the more major ones. A few people landed on their visors and cracked them too. Suit can't handle that.”
“Ew, nasty,” Betty said, shaking her head.
“Lead us,” The bear said grimly, motioning them to move out.
...*...*...*...*...
They rounded a pair of stalagmites to find a pair of suits waiting. Jethro had made it ahead of them and was interviewing the scout who had left to find help.
“Why didn't you signal for help?” he demanded.
“Can't. Rockets are... down there,” the survivor pointed to the open cleft. Jethro looked up to the stars and then down to the ink black cliff line and grimaced.
“Pull it together marine, we've got to get your team mates out,” he growled and then got up. “Boss this sucks.”
“Vacuum usually does,” Valenko said looking around. Several other survivors waved weakly. Most were lying down or against a rock holding limbs. The leopard, Letanga was near the cleft edge looking down.
“Careful, the side is unstable. We lost a guy who got too close,” a marine cautioned. The leopard waved as rocks moved under him to fall below.
“Yeah,” he grimaced and then looked up. His golden eyes locked onto the bear. “They are well and truly stuck in a crack boss. About fifty meters down. There is a lot of debris on top of them as well keeping them there.”
“Oh lovely,” the bear growled. He started to come forward but the leopard motioned him to stop.
“Stay. It's unstable even with my mass. You'd bring the entire house down.”
“Okay. New plan,” the bear looked around. “Anyone?”
“Rappel down of course,” Jethro said. He was already pulling the bundle of line around his torso off. He went over to a stalagmite and dropped one end, and then played it out as he walked around. When he got back to the end he had dropped he tied it to the long end.
“Even your weight would drop crap down on top of them,” Hurranna growled. She took the line. “I'd better do it,” she said, shrugging off her ruck and then clipping in. Jethro stopped and looked at her.
“You sure?”
“Yeah,” she said, not sounding at all sure. She walked back towards the cliff edge. She leaned backwards, dropping the excess line behind her. She looked down. “I can see seven or eight down there. Drop the repair kit when I'm down.”
“Right.”
“This is such a bad idea,” she breathed and then stepped off. They could hear scrabbling over her radio link and then static.
“Line of sight broken,” the suit reported. Valenko grimaced. He looked around. “Jethro get someone up that stalagmite overlooking the cleft. And get an update to Ox.”
“I'll do it,” Letanga said. He went over to the cone and ran line around it, then climbed it like a human would an old world electrical pole. When he got to the top he wrapped his legs around the spike and waved. “Update sent. Hurranna can you hear us?”
“Gotcha,” she said. “Should have set up a repeater on the cliff edge,” she muttered. “Wait how are you...” She looked up to see the leopard on top of the just visible stalagmite. He waved to her. “Fucking show off,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I go down you go up. You know you're kinda lost right?”
“Signal dumpkov,” he retorted. “To you and to Ox.”
“Oh,” she grimaced in embarrassment for not picking up on the obvious. “Well, we've got survivors. Kicking even,” she reported. Rigatoni groaned. “But injured. I don't think they will be of much help getting them out of this mess.”
“Figures. Lying around on the job,” someone joked.
Jethro shook his head as he looked around. “Boss I suggest we get the survivors moving out to the drop off point now with escort and litter support.”
“Good idea. Though I don't like the idea of splitting up,” Valenko sighed. “But needs must. Get on it.” He turned to Sergei. The Liger nodded and then started pulling stretcher packs from some of the teams rucks. A few of the team noted it and followed suit. In a few minutes they were ready.
“Moving out now. See you at the LZ,” Sergei growled as he moved off.
“Boss, there isn't much I can do for them down here. I've patched what the suits couldn't. Lot of vacuum burns and compound fractures. Real nasty ones,” Hurranna reported a few minutes later.
“Can they be moved?” Valenko asked.
“They'll have to be won’t they? Some are just about out of juice and air.”
“Right,” the bear sighed, looking around. He shifted his back and then pulled off the ruck. “Jethro get her spare power and air packs. I'm going to set this temporary shelter up.”
“Right. I'll send down some litter packs as well,” Jethro nodded.
“I'll go.” They looked over to Senjix. “I'm one of the lightest here.”
“Hey!” Betty protested.
“I highly doubt you could handle what's down here honey,” Hurranna said. “Lots of bodies. Lots.”
“Um...” Betty was clearly torn between duty and fear.
“Senjix go,” Valenko said, not looking up from the emergency pack. “Déjà...”
“Went with the stretcher team,” Jethro reported. He uploaded an updated TOE.
“Right.”
“First one is ready to come up,” Hurranna said after a moment. They turned to the cliff face.
“You sure?” Jethro asked.
“As sure as I can be. I'm linked into the cliff face. I'll anchor for stability. Pull.”
“Roger,” Jethro pulled hand over hand. After a few moments a hand weakly appeared on the edge. It grabbed the rock but it crumbled.
“Hey watch it!” Hurranna protested as rock fell down on her and Rigatoni. “Rigatoni is out. Suit and implants say broken neck. The suit and his implants are all that are keeping him alive.”
“Which means if we move him the broken bits could sever his air way or spinal column killing him. We need a backboard and neck brace,” Valenko growled.
“Which isn't going to happen. He's in a suit remember?” Hurranna sighed.
“I'm at the bottom,” Senjix reported after a minute. He had climbed down the other side, running his own line.
“Damn,” the survivor muttered. Jethro pulled him to stable ground and then went over to him.
“You okay?” he asked, checking the man's suit vitals.
“No,” the marine said and then passed out. Jethro grimaced. The guy had compound fractures in both legs and one arm.
“Suit administer pain blocks. Do it for all injured,” he looked over to Valenko for confirmation. The bear nodded.
“Approved. Do it,” he growled. “Get him over here.” He motioned for the vic
tim.
Jethro grabbed straps on the man's shoulders and dragged him across the broken ground to the bear. Valenko immediately got to work on the suit.
“Ready yet or are you taking a tea break?” Hurranna asked sounding sarcastic. “It's getting lonely down here. No offense Senjix, you're just not my type. Neither are the baldies here, even if they could get frisky.”
“Which they aren't in their conditions,” the cheetah meowed. “I've got my stretcher kit out. We're securing Rigatoni to it now.”
“I've pulled the packs from the others. All the live ones anyway,” Hurranna reported. “We're using their stretcher packs. Those that survived.”
“Right,” Jethro turned. Together they got back to work.
...*...*...*...*...
Two hours later Sergei arrived. He looked around and whistled. “Been busy,” he nodded in approval.
“Where are the others?” Valenko asked.
“Left Ris'ha and Déjà and a few of Rigatoni's boys and girls with the injured at the LZ. Ox set the other signal rocket off with an update.”
Valenko sighed, sitting back. “We've lost one. Rigatoni died on the way up,” he grimaced. “We couldn't do anything even if we wanted to,” he said softly.
Sergei flinched and then sighed over the link. “Right. Let me lend a hand there.” He pushed a tired Jethro and Letanga away from the line and began to hauling hand over hand. He changed his stance to a more stable one then continued.
“Thanks,” Letanga panted. “Quite a work out,” he said. He got on his belly then crawled to the edge of the cliff. Jethro opened his mouth to protest but the leopard snapped a safety clip to the line when he got to the edge.
“Almost there,” he said. He looked down and then back to the group. “Last injured coming up. Are we pulling the dead?”
“Marines don't leave their own,” Valenko growled. Jethro nodded. He looked up to the repeater the leopard had left at the top of the stalagmite. “You two get the dead ready for movement. We're not leaving them. Check under them and under the debris just in case someone is still alive under them buried but out of contact.”
Jethro Goes to War (Wandering Engineer Jethro's tale) Page 17
