“No, sir!” The startled man answered.
“Then turn around, walk away, and do your freaking job!” His eyes met mine and he backed away.
“Yes, sir. Sorry!” he responded and went back to his post.
I stared him down as he quickstepped away before returning to the terminal.
“Anything yet?” I asked.
“There was one entry on a similar object,” Lash announced. “Sol Bravo, on Ares. We assaulted it nine months ago but found only a single hardened facility. Ground forces were able to breach the perimeter on the first day but were all killed within hours. Afterward, multiple defensive systems came online and took out everything nearby. One ship was stationed there to deal with them. They took a position 50 k’s away but haven’t had any action since.”
“Nothing?”
“No. Nothing’s come in or out. They haven’t tried to escape, attack, or anything. Nothing’s left the planet at all.” Lash brought up a picture from their report. “This was from the first assault.” It was a helmet cam’s shot of a large black object covered in the same strange writing. “They called it an ‘inscribed stone.’”
I considered the find. “We’ve got to get over there and check it out.”
“Do you really think that’s possible? They haven’t been able to breach the site for nearly a year.”
“Well, we don’t have a choice. The other site is sealed, and there’s no way the commanders would let us go back there. We’ll put some gear on a supply ship, and I bet we can make it to Bravo under the radar.”
I stood up. Lash still looked stunned.
“Get a copy of that file. I’ll get a ship and call you later.”
18
The supply director’s office overlooked the main landing bay on the capital ship. There were several dozen desks populated with nameless, low-ranking soldiers shuffling their plans about. A glass wall on the far side ran the entire length of the room and gave a spectacular view of the hangar floor below. Hundreds of pallets and vehicles were lined up all over, most on their way to certain destruction.
The director, a major who looked like he had been in the position a bit too long, greeted me moments after I entered.
“Captain, what can I do for you?”
“I need a transport to Bravo-Four. About a hundred soldiers, their ground transportation, and equipment are coming with me.”
The major nodded. “Bravo-Four. We can do that. We send a ship past there about once a month to drop equipment and cycle troops.” He looked over a schedule on his computer. “The next one will depart from here in about a week. Should I reserve the space for you?
“I was thinking more along the lines of six hours.”
He looked up, about to object, when he realized I wasn’t joking.
“Captain, that’ll be rough. We normally require at least four days to prepare a crew for a run.”
“I don’t care, that’s what I need. Give me a skeleton crew and a durable ship. I’ll be landing under fire, and I’ve got soldiers waiting for me as we speak.” I embellished the situation a bit.
“If that’s the case, there should be units closer to assist. What makes you think you’re so special?”
“Let’s just say it’s some particular experience that they’re lacking.” I glared at the major, letting my eyes all but leap out of my head and strangle him. Our thoughts met, and he was on the page with me.
“I’ve got a damaged transport shuttle coming out of repair today. It’s a bit worn, but the weapons were just upgraded. It’ll get you there and back again even while being shot to hell.”
“We can work with that. How soon?”
“I can start loading you in five hours at Bay Eight.”
“That works. I’ll see you then.” I turned to leave.
“Need anything else?”
“Just the soldiers.”
I didn’t think there’d be too much of a problem there as I wound my way back around the ship to the crew’s barracks. According to Lash, the survivors from my last mission had been given isolated quarters to keep them from talking. It obviously wasn’t a prison sentence, but by this time, I wouldn’t put much past our leadership.
Kicking open the door to the central living area, I easily saw one hundred fifty faces staring back. Most dropped whatever they were doing and formed a circle around me.
“This is some bullshit, sir.”
“What are we going to do?”
Only a few of them spoke up.
“We’ve got no official orders,” I replied. “There were some artifacts on the planet that I think deserve a bit more consideration. Bad news: they were destroyed but I’ve found some others on Bravo-Four.”
I looked among the men and saw no expressions change. “I’m only asking for volunteers to help assault a compound from the air, find the artifacts, and free up the additional forces guarding the site.” I saw numerous nods among the group.
“How soon are we leaving?” one asked.
“Be ready to roll at Bay Eight in four hours.” I thought about the report from the first assault, but I didn’t want to scare them away. “I’m not going to blame you if you don’t want to go. It’s going to be rough.”
I called Lash on my way to the armory and gave him the same schedule. He agreed to tag along as well. I didn’t quite know what he would bring to the mission, but I knew I’d rather have an extra man than none at all.
I heard my equipment was packed away in the main armory. Countless personal lockers were arranged in lines at least several hundred units long. After a brief search, I found one stamped with my name. Opening the two massive doors, I saw my standard armor mounted to the left, with a few shelves and racks to the right holding my weapons.
One more time, the armor went on. I could see places where holes had been welded over, and I remembered each shot in excruciating detail. Several plates still had the faint outline of blood stains from the bastard colonel’s shot, but once I got my helmet on, at least all the systems checked out and it stayed pressurized.
The weapons were a welcome sight. The combat rifle, battle rifle, pistol, and the axes were ready and waiting for me to put them to use once more. I hooked them up to my armor and picked up a triple load of ammunition on my way out the door.
As I was leaving, I passed many of my soldiers on their way to suit up. I guessed it would give me about twenty minutes of peace to think up a plan of attack. My mind traced over the entries from the computer time after time. There weren’t many details. The log didn’t have any maps of the planet or area of interest, but it did have coordinates which would only be useful once we were in orbit. I didn’t like the prospect of having to plan the entire operation once we had already committed.
There was a full-sized off-road transport vehicle waiting for me at the edge of the bay, but no ship yet. The truck was larger than the ones we drove on the last operation and looked like they could survive a direct nuclear strike. Easily 60 meters long and bristling with weapons, I liked where our odds were going. Boarding from the loading ramp on the back, I checked out the driver’s station, moving through the extensive passenger section along the way.
Before me were four rows of heavy-duty side-facing seats in rows of about forty. I couldn’t quite make them all out in the dim light. Thick harnesses were in place above each seat back, giving the whole room the feeling of a deranged, militaristic amusement park ride.
The captain’s station had room for three: a driver, assistant, and commander. I could see multiple weapons controls built into the various consoles, and despite the newer platform, I could still see similarities to the other trucks. In addition to cannons, we had cruise missile launchers packed into the roof, ground and air radar, tow cables with a harpoon, and an active denial transmitter.
From my vantage point looking out through the windshield, I could see our ship move into position in the bay. The crew parked it right in front of me, dropping the loading ramp only a few dozen meters away. When
compared alongside the other ships I had seen so far, it was far from the biggest. The cargo bay – which looked to take up most of the craft’s mass – looked only marginally bigger than the truck I was sitting in, and I had some serious doubts about it being able to fit.
The driver appeared a minute later, and with less than a little persuading, allowed me to drive our little eight-by-eight up into the dropship’s cargo bay. When I emerged from the cabin, I watched the steady stream of soldiers begin to climb the plank behind me. I checked the clearance of the roof while waving them past. Even though it looked tight from outside, we had easily enough space to fit a few more of the trucks all around.
My men dropped most of their gear off in the truck since I didn’t want them wasting time on the short flight moving about. They were all set, but the ship looked pretty rough.
It was outfitted like a dingy prison. The lights in the bay weren’t overly bright and the smell of petroleum got stronger the farther I journeyed into it. There was no rust on the walls, but dents and scrapes were on every surface. Things were hit or miss on the bridge as well. I spied some seats and stations with crude repairs, but most of the consoles and stainless steel controls looked brand new.
The crew at the moment consisted of a single pilot and his navigator. They made it clear that the ship was going to be run by a skeleton crew and that we should be happy we even got that on such short notice. I didn’t know what the pilot had waiting for him before I called, but it’s not like I felt any remorse.
We left on time and had only slightly over a day before our scheduled drop into the other system. The distance was less than half the trip to Earth and with less debris in our path.
It took more than two hours before Lash finally asked the question I’m sure had been burning in him. He caught me staring into space while seated in the hangar beneath the shadow of our truck.
“So, the plan is to find all the artifacts we can and then decipher their meaning?”
I nodded. “That’s the idea.”
“Forgive me, sir, but how are we going to pull off the attack?”
“It’ll be a trick. There’s no data on the structures, but I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”
“With a ship already there and not able to penetrate the defenses, how do you think we can do any better?”
“It’s our mission to do it. We’ll find a way. They couldn’t find a way because their mission was to keep the aliens cut off, which they are doing. What we’ll have to do is make a tight orbit, make contact with the ship on the first pass, and engage on the second.”
Lash mulled over the idea. “That’s not much to go on.”
“It’s enough. I already briefed the pilot and he agreed with me, too.”
The sergeant picked my brain a while longer until the pilot called for my presence on the bridge.
I felt the ship lurch beneath me. “I’d say that’s our last jump. You’d better get ready.”
My pilot, a Lieutenant Ward, was obviously growing anxious with flying in the dark. I thought I had got my point across before when I nearly threatened him the first time.
“Grant! It’s about time you got here. We’re going to be in the system in less than a half hour.”
“So you’re saying I’m twenty-eight minutes early. Calm down or this isn’t going to work.”
“How’s that?” Ward responded.
“If you waste my time like this again, I’ll make sure you land with us,” I growled, glaring at him.
That shut him up good. Ward turned around and went back to work. I don’t think he made a sound for another twenty minutes. I used the time to learn whatever else I could about our impending situation.
On the ground, Commander Renault had a pretty diverse set of equipment onboard his ship. He had only a small infantry force but made up for it with his ranged weapons. At last count, he had two dozen artillery pieces at his disposal, four gunships, and enough ammunition to level a city. Unfortunately, the alien facility was so heavily defended that they couldn’t put a single round on target.
I found it hard to believe that they could counteract every payload in our arsenal. It’s not like that swayed me. Rather, it only meant we’d have to use something bigger.
The facility was constructed like a massive eye: There were two main semi-circular structures enclosing a central courtyard. The structures had about five stories exposed above ground with only the lord knew how many beneath. From what I could tell from the images, Renault’s forces had assaulted the north side and subsequently had been exterminated.
Time got away from me and before I knew it, we were within thirty seconds of our orbit. I waited at the comm. station and keyed the transmitter the second we dropped into space.
“Bravo-Four Ground forces, this is Sergeant Jeff Grant aboard Transport Shuttle 9-5. We’re here to give you a little help with your infestation problem.”
“Standby, sergeant, while we confirm mission.” The response was typical.
“You won’t. We’re here off the books and don’t have much time. We are taking one orbit, then assaulting on the next pass,” I responded, probably turning their command center on its head.
“Sergeant, this is Commander Renault. What exactly are you planning to do?”
“We’ll be dropping in on the compound in minutes. We could use some assistance.”
“All forces have been scrambled to support. Attack from the south and stay as low as you can. That’s where we’ve estimated their defenses to be minimized.”
“Roger that,” I answered. “We’ll be right there.” I dropped the mic and turned to the pilot.
“Are you tracking with me?” I asked him while issuing the launch order for our company.
“I’ve got it, but it’s not going to work. If their layout is right, there’s no way this ship can survive a combat landing and offload your men.”
I considered the implications. “Could you do a flyover?”
“Hell no. They’ve got enough guns down there to tear us apart.”
“How about half of one?”
Ward’s eyes widened. “No way.”
“B.S. You’re going to crash the ship into the side of the structure. Set all our weapons to auto-fire, full shields, full throttle. We’ll drop the truck out the back and follow it in at the end.”
“You’re insane.”
“We’ve come this far. Unless you’re going to tell me a better way to do it, you better be getting it done.” I stood up and stared him down. “Release everyone from their stations and have them rally at the truck. Once we’re set and start taking fire, get down there and we’ll drop out.” I could see by the fear in his eyes that he understood.
The soldiers were already strapped into the truck’s seats by the time I got to the landing bay. I gave them a ten-second briefing – basically ‘land-search-and-destroy’ – before moving up to the driver’s seat.
I strapped on my equipment and secured my weapons to my seat. Something rumbled behind me and I could see that the lieutenant had dropped the rear loading ramp for our exit. From the rear camera feed, I saw the ground rushing by right beneath us. I disconnected the straps holding us down at the rear axles.
“Weapons online!” Ward shouted through the dash feed. “I’m on my way back!”
I could feel a dozen distinct rumbles as each of the external cannons flared up and unleashed a barrage upon our target. The entire place shook with a fury not only from our shots, but from incoming blasts hitting our shields and the thick atmosphere tearing over our skin.
I felt a massive explosion somewhere outside and the ship shook with a tremor. The real driver next to me swore.
“What the hell was that?”
Looking over the controls only confirmed my fear. “We lost an engine. A shot must have gotten through.”
“Already?” he said in disbelief. “We’ve still got a hundred k’s to go. There’s no way we’re going to make it. We’ve got to ditch it NOW!”
&nbs
p; “Wake up! If we drop now, we’re not going to have the initiative for our attack! They’ll destroy us.”
The driver’s hand wavered over the kill switch.
“Don’t even think about it!” I ordered, but it was too late. Another shot impacted and he freaked for a moment and nailed the switch.
The holds gave way and the truck began to slide about the bay, only a meter or so at a time at first until we rocked more and began to slip toward the hatch. We still weren’t close enough.
“You idiot!” I yelled and tried to shut out the din. I thought for a moment longer. “It can drag us!” I stated, and punched the launch for our tow cable. It instantly shot out a harpoon the size of a small car toward the far wall.
My mind was so preoccupied that I didn’t even notice Lieutenant Ward running across the bay floor right in front of us. The projectile hit him in the stomach, sliced him clean in half, and continued on to the far wall. It slipped through several layers before embedding in the structural frame of the ship.
Ward barely hit the ground before our rear wheels dropped off the ramp. Two more explosions rocked the ship and tossed our truck sideways off the back. We hit the ground not on the wheels, but flat on our side at more than 200 kilometers an hour. I tensed up all over, seeing the ground through the windshield spin all about and feeling every system in my body call for adrenaline. Everything loose in the cabin went flying, including at least one soldier in the back who didn’t strap himself down tight enough.
I saw the mess through a camera feed, and I shouted over my shoulder for my men to secure the unlucky ones. Looking back, I saw us approaching a huge rock formation sprouting from the ground. Now on our roof, it quickly filled my view.
“This could be it!” I announced, and prepared to cut the line.
We hit the formation full force and flipped about again, landing right side up on our wheels. I didn’t think any more and severed the connection. Our speed instantly dropped and the smoking ship barreled on ahead. In the distance, I could see the alien facility rising from the ground, spewing fire from its defensive weapons all around. The ship still had its telltale shimmer from the shields, but even they were flickering and letting more shots through.
MissionSRX: Confessions of the First War Page 14
