Our ship hit the side of the wall only a story or so up, disappearing into the side of the structure and erupting into a massive fireball.
“Where are we entering?” the driver asked.
“Where do you think?” I asked hypothetically. He got a look of dread on his face as I slammed us full force into the sloped wall and hopped the edge into the cavity formed by our decaying ship’s remains.
We nearly drove right back into the hangar when I cut the wheel to the side and smashed through the ship’s fuselage into the alien complex. It took three walls until we came to a complete stop. I didn’t miss a breath, immediately unhooking myself and dropping the rear plank.
“EVERYBODY OFF!” I shouted on my exit.
The driver stood up to leave as well.
“Not you,” I ordered, pointing. “Stay here in case we need to move out in quick order. Make sure we’re ready to move.”
19
I passed the rest of the soldiers as we exited the truck and rushed down the hallway deeper into the facility. The place was filled with smoke and fires, but no resistance. I could tell we were circling about the structure as the room veered slowly to the left.
Everything was bathed in an extremely white light recessed into the corners of the ceiling, at least three feet above our heads. We passed several doorways to either side, and squads broke off at each one to inspect. The walls were wider than I expected, with the doors especially so. The floors were made from medium-tan stones, the walls built with a brushed gray metal.
In less than five minutes from our entrance, I began to hear shots outside. Blasts reverberated through the walls and I knew that Renault’s forces had finally punched through their defenses. The lights flickered as more rounds impacted above.
I continued to run down the hall and had dispatched only a dozen or so stray aliens before I reached the end. Abruptly, the hall closed off at a solid stone wall. The last creature struggled on the floor a dozen or so meters back, and I finished it off with a single round to the head without even raising my rifle. The rest of my team began to filter back to me in the moments afterward, and I planned our next move.
We were obviously at the end of the southern structure without a good way to keep going. I decided to call in a favor.
Commander Renault was easy to reach, and I arranged a heavy artillery strike on top of our current position. He gave me two minutes to evacuate before his men adjusted to the new coordinates. I closed my channel to his ship and looked at my soldiers positioned around me.
“Fall Back!” I ordered.
While on the move, I called the driver and told him to meet us on the ground outside. I figured the defenses would be degraded enough to significantly increase his chances of survival. He complied and reported that he was on his way.
Once we were far enough away, I looked about the others.
“Report. What do we have?” I asked to the crowd.
They began to speak up in turn. Most had found very little in the way of resistance, as had I, and didn’t have much to say. “There’s glass along the inner walls,” one corporal announced.
For whatever reason, I filtered out his voice above the others. “Say again,” I said, pointing at him.
“Sir, every room along the inner wall is fitted with glass windows.”
The report from before never mentioned this, and I certainly didn’t expect such a flaw on a hardened facility. “Can you see to the other side?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Take all the snipers we have and set up along there. When we get to the other side we’ll need you to give us cover fire.” I barely gave the order before it felt as if the world was crashing in on our heads.
Even though we were far down the hall, the artillery shots blew molten bits of metal, fire, and smoke past us. Cracks formed in the foundation under my feet, and the entire compound shifted as parts broke off and spilled onto the desert floor outside.
“Move!” I shouted out, and sprinted back down toward the action. With another rumble, I saw daylight fade in through the dust, and I kept moving.
I made it to the edge quickly and saw that the shots had both given us a collapsed ramp to the ground, and it had thrown enough debris about outside to give us cover when moving to the other side.
There might have been an entrance below us before it was flattened on the south side. The north side certainly had one. Ten openings resembling vehicle bays lined the bottom floor on the far side, each barricaded with a significant force of alien defenders. Now things were going to get interesting.
I gritted my teeth while sliding down the collapsed structure and dropped behind a large stone. Looking back, I saw at least four of my soldiers take shots from the other side as they scrambled for cover. Keying my radio, I put in a call to the commander again.
“Renault, this is Grant. We’re outside but we’re probably gonna get pinned down out here. They’re dug in good on the other side, but we can’t risk a lot of damage to the building.”
“Roger that Grant,” he responded. “We can’t get a shot off from here, but I’ve deployed gunships to assist. They might have a better angle for you.”
I acknowledged, stood slowly, and peeked over the top of the stone I was hiding behind. I could hardly see the other side, but from the fire the aliens were putting out, it looked like they could have easily outnumbered us. Behind me, my soldiers cleared the ramp and most had found semi-decent cover of their own.
Concentrated fire was coming from the third entrance from the left, which had at least three mounted weapons shooting nonstop. If it kept up, we wouldn’t survive until the gunship arrived.
I keyed my radio, “On my mark, engage third bay from the left! Fire three second sustained burst!” I switched to my battle rifle for the extra punch. “Engage!” I shouted, stood and leaned into the weapon.
Fire spewed forth and the alien bay lit up like a Christmas tree. Sparks and stone chips leapt from every surface on the far side, and I aimed directly into the ball of fire that still shot back. Something hit home, and the bay exploded in a dark crimson ball of flame, blowing equipment and corpses out onto the plain.
“Move out!” I ordered again, and gained a few meters to another stone before the stunned aliens resumed their defense. Spotting a better position, I had three nearby soldiers provide cover while I sprinted out and hooked to the right. The four of us took positions behind a long, crumbling wall and indeed had a better shot to at least three of the opposing bunkers.
“Sergeant Grant,” an emotionless statement came through my headset. “This is Reaper Gunship Tango-Kilo. We’re in range to engage on your command.”
“Good to have you. We’ve got defenders on a dozen north side entrances. Can you cover our approach?”
“Can do. Standby,” the pilot responded. Looking back, I could just see a speck of gray from his ship in the sky. A moment later, dozens of heavy munitions pounded the far complex, tearing into the walls all over and throwing debris all about.
“Tango-Kilo, you’ve got to concentrate the fire!” I shouted. “We can’t risk destroying the whole structure.”
“Roger that, Grant. The computer’s not tracking the target. I’m doing another pass.”
I winced as I took my first glancing shot off the rock before me. My shoulder burned from an impact, as did my head from getting smacked by a rock. I ducked to reload and regain my composure. Almost by accident, I looked past the soldier to my right to see a bright green laser point at his feet.
I shot back to reality and felt an energy surge through my body.
“REAPER! YOU’RE TARGETING US! BREAK LOCK!”
“Shit! I already let one go!”
Sprinting over to the lone soldier, I shouted back “TAKE COVER!” to the others. He looked up from his weapon just as I tackled him from the side. We tumbled clear over the barrier and rolled down to a stop out in the open.
We were still moving when the round struck behind us. Almost in slow motion, I
felt as if I was kicked full-force all over my body. My left eye went fuzzy and red as I tried to look around. Heavy black smoke poured from the crater, but I could see three aliens standing not 10 meters away in the open.
Still lying flat on my back I snatched up my weapon and drew a line across their masses. I ground my teeth together and fought through the pain. The first two dropped easy. The last kept on its feet; I concentrated on it until I drilled a hole clear through its chest and shot material out its back.
Behind them, the aliens in the last bay saw their fate approaching and quickly closed off their bay before I could switch my aim. The cowards! Between getting shot at by my own team and having them try and run, a burning rage came to life inside of me.
The chaos slowed to a crawl. The soldier beside me dove back behind the rocks and returned fire. More shots flew by me as I stood, oblivious to it all. I didn’t even think as I sprinted forward toward the stone wall to the side. As I ran, I cooked off a grenade before pitching it straight at my target.
It blew an inch from the stone and I couldn’t have been more than a meter out of the lethal range. The shock wave took my breath away, but I didn’t stop. With rock and metal still flying, I crashed through the hole into the structure. Dazed aliens struggled to their feet all around me, but I was too quick for them. The scanners in my helmet cut through the smoke, the flickering light giving me one more advantage.
I burned through thirty rounds taking out the aliens at range before drawing my sidearms to finish off the ones writhing on the ground nearby. Most had already suffered wounds from the blast, so they didn’t even put up a fight.
Moving deeper into the installation, I encountered more resistance and barely even slowed my advance. There was still more confusion outside as my men tried to join me, but I couldn’t find a way to the other bays to support them. The passage I was in only went straight into the building.
I stopped at my first bit of cover, a 30 centimeter supporting protrusion from the wall.
“This is Grant. I can’t reach you!” I radioed to the team. “We’ve got to find another way through.”
“Grant, this is Reaper Gunship. I’ve got a shot on the entrance. I can clear the way in.”
Taking a knee, I returned fire at an alien crossing the hall. “Roger that, Reaper. If you screw this up again, I will kill when I get back!”
“Understood. I’ve got clear shots at four more bays. Releasing ordinance.”
I held my breath, waiting for the blasts. Even anticipating the shock didn’t help. The concussion blew a wave of material down on me and threw me into the air. I felt a sustained roar to the rear and thought the whole place was coming down on my head.
Sergeant Lash’s voice came through the radio from the far side. “They just leveled the whole side of the building! There’s no place for us to get through.”
As much as I was happy to hear his voice again, it was not the situation I wanted. I cursed out the Reaper pilot for a good minute before I regained my composure and came back to my situation.
“Do you see any other way in?” I asked Lash.
“No, sir. There’s nothing that I can see.”
“I can’t believe this,” I growled. “Raise the transport on your radio. The corporal driving it pulled it out. He should be able to pick you guys up.” A stray alien soldier ran across the hall, and I put a burst into its chest, dropping it like a rock. “Have him take you to the west end. I’ll meet you there from the inside. Most of their mounted guns are down, and the sniper team on the south side should be able to cover your approach.”
“Can do. Good luck, sir.”
I ducked just as a shot carved away a chunk of stone inches above my head. Bits of metal in the hole glowed red through the smoke whirling about the hall, and I tried to place where the shot came from. Looking to my rear, a squad of four or so aliens took covered positions and opened fire.
Without time to return their volley, I dove to the ground and crawled between several other corpses, trying to shield myself. I knew I had to find a way out before I got pinned down, so I looked for options.
The hall stretched onward into darkness, but a few dim outlines gave the impression of doors on the right side. I picked my target, the largest one nearer my position, and made my move. I flipped myself over and pitched a grenade at my attackers before scrambling to my feet on the bloody mess they called a floor. I was already running before the charge detonated. The blast wave hit me and propelled me into the door, breaking all the hinges and latches as I tumbled through.
Gunfire from the other side was frantic and sporadic, so I figured they didn’t see where I ended up. My vision was still blurry from the shock, but I quietly took a position by the wall.
The aliens were approaching and were now only a few meters away. I heard more shots and saw them putting extra rounds into each body on the ground just to be sure. I spun around the corner and raked one burst across them, hitting all three of the squad’s remaining members.
There was no more movement, so I continued on my way. I remember telling myself that if I wanted to survive, I couldn’t keep drawing this much attention. Silently, I moved along the wall, up a spiraling ramp, and onto another open hallway on one of the upper floors.
I thought I had caused damage to the lower level, but it was nothing compared to the disaster I walked in on. Large sections of the walls had been blown in from Renault’s artillery attacking the mounted guns on the roof. Fires still burned all around, and aliens rushed about to extinguish them the best they could. They were unarmed, lightly armored, and alone. I smiled to myself, slinging my rifles and switching to the axes.
It was nothing for me to focus on the task at hand. With a dark rage rushing over me, I charged forward and laid into the nearest victim. Their shouts and gurgles barely rose above the ambient noise as I hacked my way down the line, taking out nearly a dozen before any saw me coming.
The last two creatures must have been hit by a flail of blood. They saw me approaching and turned to run. I dropped the blades, drew my pistol, and put two rounds through the backs of their heads. Each shot was far louder than I had anticipated. Standing stone still, I listened for any activity beyond the local damage.
Something in the back of my mind told me to hide, to get out of the hall. It was unlike most battlefield intuition I had felt before. I felt nearly ill and pulled to be somewhere, anywhere, else than where I was. Something was approaching.
I dove through a punched-out wall and found myself in a long room. It was framed with windows all down the far side and overlooked the courtyard. From the upper floor, I could see the transport making tracks across the landscape below. I only needed to hold on a little longer until backup arrived.
My hope was short lived as alien soldiers piled into the trashed room through multiple entrances. I ducked below the window frame just in time to avoid detection. They squared off, searching the shadows for any sign of me.
I dared not move a muscle since I didn’t see a way to take them all on at once out in the open. While lying there motionless, I considered my options. It didn’t take long to pare down my choices. The team of snipers in the other building was my only shot to make it out. Whispering into my helmet’s radio, I tried to get their attention.
“Grant, we’re right here,” they responded in a hushed tone matching mine. “The transport is in the clear. What do you need us to do?”
“I’m on the top floor, behind the windows facing you. There’s a ton of aliens here. I need you to engage them before they find me.”
“Roger that,” the soldier responded and paused. “I see you. There are at least twenty of them.”
“Take ‘em out. Shoot everything; I’ll stay down,” I ordered.
No sooner did the words come out that every panel of glass exploded inward as projectiles from the far side smashed through. The aliens instantly stopped their search and returned fire. Staying out of sight, I pulled up my rifle and engaged them as well.
Daring not to stand, even when I ordered a cease-fire, I got back into the hall and continued on until I found a ramp leading back down to the ground floor.
I lucked out this time and walked in right behind the alien’s firing line. Looking out from the shadows, I could see the transport out in the open getting lit up by the mounted weapons. The human soldiers were nowhere to be seen through the swirling dust.
A few bullets found their way through the holes in the wall, and I dared not approach any closer.
“Cease fire! I’m coming in from behind them!” I radioed to the whole team. Their shots continued for a few seconds more before tapering off.
I couldn’t hear them well over the din the defending aliens were making. They growled and shouted at each other while firing nonstop. It didn’t take much for anyone to see their fear. There were at least twelve of them, none of which looked my way, but were spread over at least a 30 degree sweep from my position.
Taking a deep breath, I took a knee at the corner and aimed over at the leftmost victim. Just as I pulled my trigger, a weapon cracked behind me and I felt a shot slam square into my back. My armor took the damage, but the force laid me out on the floor in the open.
An alien clambered up behind me, shrieking in whatever it called a language. I drew my pistol and put one round into its skull, splattering half of its head on the wall. I spun about and put another round into the first alien to look back at me.
Seeing this becoming real ugly real fast, I switched back to my rifle as the others became aware. I didn’t stop to aim and instead planted a grenade into a group of three aliens manning a position. The blast took out the wall behind them and sliced them apart. Before it landed, I had already engaged the remaining fighters.
MissionSRX: Confessions of the First War Page 15
