Atlantis Quadrilogy - Box Set

by Brandon Ellis

  The S.A.S.M. team stood atop the hill, studying the surrounding area. Nothing but miles and miles of foreign forest lay before them with a vast city tucked in front of a snow-capped mountain range. The city was their target, as that was the presumed whereabouts of Jaxx, where the last S.A.S.M. team located Defector Jaxx before things went wrong.

  They at least left the Secret Space Program with a map of their trek and findings. It had been conveniently downloaded into each of Fox’s team’s suits.

  God he wished he could just put a bullet in Jaxx’s head. Those weren’t his orders. Too bad.

  “Alive and well,” were the orders from Admiral Gentry Race.

  His stomach twirled at the thought of Jaxx getting hurt in any way; as if he was betraying a son or a friend or a kin. His stomach never cared about death, mutilation, or straight up murder. His mind knew what was right – to end Jaxx. His body wasn’t complying, drawing jitters upon jitters against his mind’s motives. He’d have to get a good, long vacation when he got back to Star Warden.

  His scanner beeped. Men – Taiyonians – were coming in hordes from the northeast.

  “Team S.A.S.M. Seven, this is team leader Bravo, dismounted movement northeast, coordinates nine-nine-four. Estimated company, the ORR counts two hundred and eighteen units heading in our direction, over.”

  “Positive. I have the read as well,” said S.A. Marley, second in command behind Fox. “Orders?”

  Fox pulled his sniper rifle from the back of his exo-suit and slapped his ion pulse rifle in its place, magnetizing it. “I’m going to tag a couple.” Which meant he’d down them, killing them, doing what he did best. “S.A. Gainer, follow suit. Let’s make ORR count less units on recall.”

  An S.A.S.M. team always carried two snipers, three heavy particle cannon soldiers, always using HPC-11-Rapid Fires small cannons that hung slack by a strap on each of the three designated member’s shoulders that when pulling the trigger could spark up an entire forest, creating an inferno if needed, and if a forest wasn’t near, they’d spark up whatever was in their way. Lastly, two soldiers in a S.A.S.M. team carried shock pirate guns, or in other words, ion grenade launchers that weren’t accurate, but always packed a punch.

  “S.A. Gainer, get in position and I’ll do the same.” Fox took a spot on the ground and lowered his sniper rifle’s bipod to the ground, stabilizing his rifle, then eyed through the rifle’s scope, sliding his finger a feather width from the trigger. He switched the scope to optic infrared, a better way to track, seek, and find an enemy. The scope automatically positioned the gun to the closest target, closing in on 1.9 miles away. A long shot, but doable. That wasn’t his target, though. He needed to shoot at the back of the pack, slowly picking one target off then the other before the rest of the force knew what was going on. If he hit the front, they’d all see and duck for cover immediately. Always a rookie move.

  The scope labeled each target by number count and corrected the line of fire in response to the planet’s current temperature and wind flow, making the pull of the trigger the only stress for a space marine sniper.

  Fox’s scope indicated the last enemy soldier in range being – ET Target 218.

  “Turn tracer fire off,” Fox told Gainer.

  “Tracer fire off, Sir. ET Target 217, locked.”

  Fox kept his eye on his target. “218, locked.”

  “Fire.” He pulled the trigger, the recoil of the rifle’s stock pressing against Fox’s exo-suit’s shoulder armor. On the optic scope’s infrared view, he saw the Taiyonian warrior – his target – fall to the ground and lay motionless. “218 down.” He shifted his rifle. “ET Target 216, locked.”

  “Fire,” said Gainer. “217 down. ET Target 215, locked,” replied Gainer.

  “Fire.”

  “Fire.”

  The triggers pulled, another warrior down and then another.

  Fox shifted his rifle an inch to the left. “Target 214, locked.”

  “Target 213, locked.”

  “Fire.”

  “Fire.”

  A pause.

  “What the fuck?” came Gainer.

  Fox wrinkled his forehead, an eyebrow raising. The targets stopped, froze in place, then continued trudging forward. “We missed. Target 214, locked.”

  “213, locked.”

  “Fire.”

  “Fire.”

  “Missed again?” asked Gainer.

  “What’s going on, Sarge?” inquired Marley.

  Fox checked his scope. “Targets were hit. Twice. I don’t...” he hesitated. “Hold on.” He pulled up his scope’s camera, watching the replay of his last target. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except that the soldier didn’t fall, didn’t die. He slowed the camera down, viewing the replay once again. Just before his ion blast hit ET Target 214, the Taiyonian brought his arm up and a hazy shield popped up out of nowhere, absorbing the shot, then the shield disappeared in the blink of an eye.

  These infantrymen were fast. And they must have shield technology embedded in them.

  “Fall back,” Fox said.

  “Falling back, Sir,” responded Marley.

  Fox stood and rushed down the hill, watching his helmet’s view screen indicators. His men were angling off, fifty yards from the next person, some fifty-one yards from the other, but no one was perfect. “Marley, take S.A. Jenson and S.A. Lewis to coordinates seven-seven-three and await my orders.”

  “Aye, Sir.”

  They detached from the team, heading northwest.

  “The rest of you,” called Fox. “Follow my –”

  A blast kicked up in front of him, lifting him off his feet and somersaulting him dozens of feet in the air and a hundred feet back, taking with him large clumps of dirt and rocks. His leg kicked a thin tree straight from its roots, toppling it over, his arms flailed, breaking branches from tree after tree.

  He cringed as he hit the ground, skidding into a boulder, bringing him to a quick halt. He went to stand but a heavy foot slammed against his chest, smashing him back to the earth. His helmet’s heads up display went static for a moment, then faded to black, an instant later blinking back on, all infrared off and normal view in its place.

  A man wearing a jump suit with Secret Space Program – SSP – symbols where a right shirt pocket would be loomed over him, a phaser in his hand, pointing it directly at Fox. He was surrounded by dozens of Asian-looking people wearing black pants and blue coats that flared into capes, lined in red. What looked to be technologically advanced bow and arrows were strapped to their backs.

  “Don’t move, Fox.”

  A tug pulled at Fox’s heart and he squinted, not knowing what that tug meant or why it came. It happened every so often when he was around Jaxx, and it happened again.

  Fucker.

  Jaxx bent down, compassion in his eyes. “You hate me. I don’t care. I’m not going to harm you and I’ve convinced my friends not to harm you either. Your men, on the other hand...they can’t know about the red cones. They can’t know what you and I know about them. They have to be eliminated.”

  31

  J-Quadrant, Solar System ~ Flood of Dawn, Callisto

  Fox moaned on the table, then twitched. His eyes were closed but moving rapidly as if he was watching a montage of action. Or, as Jaxx remembered from the hypnotherapy sessions with Dr. Donny, Fox was probably very much inside the action, experiencing it as if it was happening now.

  A strange pull invited Jaxx closer to Fox like a moth to a flame, generating a pulsing heat at his heart. He took a step forward, his mind wandering, wanting to know what Fox was seeing. Yet, how did he know Fox was experiencing a past memory?

  He took another step, his hand shaking as he lifted it over Fox’s chest. Like a positively charged magnet to a negatively charged one, Jaxx’s hand landed on Fox’s chest as if an extra-strength vacuum was on high, practically welding his hand in place.

  He tugged back, but his hand didn’t budge. He leaned to the side, gritting his teeth, pulling w
ith all his might, but it was as if his hand was attached to Fox’s chest with extra-strength super glue. It wouldn’t budge.

  Jaxx stiffened and unconsciously stood on his toes, his veins nearly popping out of his skin, a flash of electricity blasting through him. He opened his mouth, wanting to yell, to scream from the pain consuming him but silence, his voice was gone, inactive.

  A sharp breeze sung into his ears and he closed his eyes, only to open them a second later. He was holding a phaser, aiming it at Fox, his foot on Fox’s exo-suit, the Chi-like power racing through every cell of his body.

  He was strong and in control. “Leave, now.”

  Fox slowly shook his head, his external speakers on full. “My men are coming. Enjoy your last few breaths.”

  Jjjakhoo! Jjjakhoo! Jjjakhoo!

  HPC-11-Rapid Fires small cannons from Fox’s team, let loose a hail storm into the air and toward Jaxx’s tree-covered position. For a moment, silence, and then a flock of flying creatures screeched and fled from the treetops as the deathly quiet turned into whistling particle charges heading in fast.

  Jaxx went to one knee, his other foot still on Fox’s chest and placed his hand toward the incoming cannon fire, switching on an energy shield from a gold cuff on his forearm.

  An explosion, rocking Jaxx’s friends back into him, erupted against their shields, a plume of energy sucked in like a wind, trying to grab them, expose them to the incoming S.A.S.M. team. Then another hit and another.

  A few shields malfunctioned, turning off, leaving two Taiyonians defenseless. They brought their bow like weapons up, firing one photon tipped arrow after another in rapid succession. They bounced off the incoming S.A.S.M. team’s exo-suits.

  The S.A.S.M. team was fast, well-trained, and spread out. The closest soldier unclasped his IPR-8 from his back and zipped two quick shots at the two Taiyonians, landing with deadly accuracy. The two flopped to the ground, dead before they knew what hit them.

  More incoming fire and the rest of Jaxx’s little company held strong, their shields energizing around them, allowing them to release bow shot after bow shot, temporarily halting the advancing S.A.S.M.’s.

  Jaxx looked down, seeing the moss-like grass at his feet, a few red pinecones on the ground, but no Fox. A moment ago he had his foot on Fox’s chest. How did he not feel the guy’s escape?

  His heart pulsed and his mind’s eye expanded, seeing through Fox’s eyes. He pursed his lips and brought up his phaser, blasting toward the approaching enemy.

  “Mako-zan, Kiyo-zan,” he motioned toward two warriors in his group. “Fox is heading west. We need to stop him before he actually understands what to do with the red cones.”

  They detached from the rest of the group, moving swiftly through the forest, jumping over broken limbs and downed trees.

  Jaxx stopped, stretching his arms out wide. “Divert!” The Taiyonian war against the Kelhoon and the Secret Space Program had been intense and surrounding nature had taken the brunt of it all, including what was right in front of them – a roaring forest fire.

  “Call in Zan-Ops. We need to get this fire contained,” ordered Jaxx.

  Kiyo-zan, a strong, young man, lifted his wrist cuff to his mouth. “Sozoko mozi no kazai. Fukuma rete kudazai.”

  Mako-zan pointed his long arm to the east, his tall seven-three foot frame in a defensive crouch. “Fox-zan, azuma!”

  Fox was heading east, racing away from the fire.

  Jaxx tapped on his forearm cuff, bringing up a map of the terrain surrounding them, seeing a mass of infantry circling in on the S.A.S.M. team. “Kasai Company closing in. Do we have air support?”

  Mako-zan nodded. “Watashizachi za dekiru kaziri ozu.”

  Jaxx drew his mouth in a straight line and bit his lip. “That’s not much, but it will be enough. When is ETA?”

  “Ichibu.”

  “One minute? Too soon. That’s not enough time to retrieve Fox.” He paused, crossing his arms, watching the forest burn in front of him, anger slashing through him like a sword. He came here to help the Taiyonians against this illegal, uncalled-for invasion to steal natural resources. He wanted to choke Gentry’s neck. He wanted to kick the living shit out of Fox. He also wanted to save Fox, the mass-murdering fuck-head from himself. There was something about Fox. There had always been. There was a light not yet aflame in that guy’s heart. Jaxx could reach it. He could change the killer. He could turn Fox to the Taiyonian’s side. He knew it.

  “Relay for air support to delay another minute.” Fox was heading right for the trap they set. It was funny, here Fox came to extract Jaxx. And here Jaxx came to insert Fox into his resistance.

  Mako-zan spoke into his cuff, sending the message off to air support.

  “Let’s go.” Jaxx ran forward and away from the fire, heading in Fox’s direction. Off in the distance, they saw a heavy exchange between the S.A.S.M.’s and the Taiyonian men Jaxx left a short duration ago. The S.A.S.M.’s, though, were heading back. Were they going back to the dropship? This fast? They’d just landed. It wasn’t like an S.A.S.M. team to turn tail and run, leaving a mission without attempting to fully carry it out.

  Up ahead, a flurry of bombs detonated and Fox came into view as he was tossed high, flipping in mid-air.

  Jaxx ran faster. “Trap initiated, let’s take him. Get the e-straps ready.”

  Kiyo-zan held both hands together as he ran, his gold, metallic wrist bands ignited, and a long energy-chord manifested. He gripped the chord tight in one hand, pulling the bow from his back with the other hand.

  Jaxx scooped up a pine cone, took in a big whiff out of the top of it, then dropped it on the ground. Instantly, more endurance and strength came to him. He rounded a tree and saw Fox getting up, his exo-suit covered in black soot, a chunk of his leg armor hung by a sliver.

  Fox turned and in a quick motion, grabbed his IPR-8 and let off round after round, the gun jerking at every expelled ion charge.

  Jaxx and his buddies went into a defensive crouch and activated their shields, leaning into the concussive blasts.

  “Enough!” yelled Jaxx, pushing his arm outward, sending a mass amount of Chi. A flow of dirt erupted in front of him and a line of soil catapulting out of the ground, speeding toward Fox. Fox lifted off the ground and was pushed sideways several yards, again landing hard on the forest floor.

  Mako-zan smiled, then laughed, letting down his shield. Suddenly, a blast rocketed into Mako-zan and ripped through his upper back and out his chest. He took the hit well and stood his ground. He then gave Jaxx a stunned looked. His eyes rolled back and he fell face first, dead.

  Kiyo-zan and Jaxx twirled around, seeing an S.A.S.M. member heading toward them. In a few minutes, the entire Taiyonian Kasai Company would be here, but it wouldn't be soon enough.

  Jaxx slashed his hand in the air and the tree closest to the soldier sliced in half, then crashed down on the man, pinning him to the ground.

  Jaxx rushed Fox, performing a super leap, jumping much farther than any human could, landing on Fox’s back as the S.A.S.M. leader went to get up.

  Fox slammed back into the dirt, then twisted, pushing Jaxx off of him.

  Jaxx landed on his feet, eyeing Fox’s Oospor dropship only twenty yards away, powering up and about to lift off as a dust cloud started to form under it. Some of the S.A.S.M. team must have made it to the craft when Jaxx wasn’t looking and now were trying to get the fuck off this planet.

  Fox ran toward the dropship, detaching a percussion device from his leg armor and tossing it over his shoulder.

  Hitting the ground, the device lit up like a light, momentarily blinding Jaxx and everyone else in range, making a zeeeee sound until it rose into the air and spun, exploding shrapnel and neurotoxins throughout the area.

  Immediately upon hearing the burst, Jaxx fell to the ground and curled into a ball, lifting his arm out at the same time and engaging his shield. Pieces of thick munition pounded against his shield along with neurotoxin spray.

  A
few moments later, the debris and toxin pelting his shield died down to nothing.

  Jaxx got up, keeping his shield next to his body. Kiyo-zan was by his side, his shield up, safe as well.

  Jaxx took a deep breath. Fox was boarding his ship. Chasing him now would be of no use. He dropped his head, then lifted it, his mouth agape. He remembered something. Fox would be a sitting duck when his craft went airborne. A few Taiyonian starfighters were currently on their way to this location, ready to bombard the S.A.S.M. team. Once the dropship lifted off, a few ion cannon bolts and short range missiles would blink the starship out of existence.

  “Call it off.”

  Kiyo-zan blankly stared at Jaxx. Finally, he blinked. “Nani?”

  “You heard me. I said, call it off.”

  Kiyo-zan relayed the message through his wrist bracelet. He shot another look at Jaxx. “Doshite son’za koto o zimashita?”

  “Why did I call it off?” Jaxx searched his heart. “I don’t know.” He wanted to say because he was a dumbass, but that would be too simple, too easy. It was something intuitive, telling him that if they ended Fox’s life, a piece of Jaxx would end as well.

  Kiyo-zan paced a few steps to Jaxx and placed his hand on Jaxx’s heart. “Wakarimazu.”

  “Thank you for understanding.” Jaxx patted Kiyo-zan’s hand, closing his eyes, then taking a sudden quick breath.

  Opening his eyes, he was back in the dome, in the place called Flood of Dawn.

  A hand gripped his. It was Fox, still on the table, eyes narrowed. “You saved me. Why did you save me?” His eyes were sad, confused, darting left and right. “And why are those red cones important?”

  Jaxx shrugged, pulling his hand out of Fox’s grip. “I don’t know. They open up something in us.”

  “They open up your soul.”

  Jaxx spun around, seeing Liberty standing in an open doorway, Rivkah by her side. “Come with me. We don’t have much time. There is something important you need to read and then I ask you to help us battle.”