The Last Spartan: Different Paths

by A. E. McCullough

  * * * * *

  Iaido watched as the armored memory of himself moved through the alien landscape like a ghost. Turning to Talia he said, “This is very weird. I am both there and here.”

  Talia gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Yes but don’t fight it, let the memories flow. As the memories get stronger, you will remember other things than just what you experienced.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “You will begin to recall information and facts that you were told or things you assumed happened. Not everything in here is the truth. Only you can truly decipher the facts from the half-truths.”

  “Any hints?”

  “Only that you should trust your own judgment.”

  Iaido turned back to watch himself pause at a cliff, take one look at the thousand foot drop, make a slight adjustment to the inertia compensators and leap into the air.

  * * * * *

  Even as I made progress toward the target, I saw that the rest of my teammates were making their approach also. A few had paired up as they gotten closer and I noticed that one marker was vectoring towards my current path. With a thought, I highlighted the marker and all pertinent information popped up. It was the Sgt. Major.

  It wasn’t long before I saw him.

  Even with the chameleon program active on his ARC suit, it couldn’t fully hide his bulk in the alien foliage. The chameleon program was designed to shift the colors and thermal signatures of the suits, blending them in with the surrounding areas. Since the Sgt. Major stood at an even six foot five but weighed every bit of three hundred pounds of solid muscle, his suit was huge.

  Now that we were within line of sight of each other, verbal communication was allowed. The ARC suits could broadcast through a built-in laser tac-net that was nearly impossible to detect.

  “Greetings Sgt. Major.”

  “Achilles. Good to see you made it down safely.”

  Unconsciously, I rubbed the dent in my helmet made by the flying engine block. “I don’t remember much, other than the shuttles getting blown apart.”

  “Not much to remember. We were toast the moment we came out of hyperspace. The lizards had some way of tracking our ships.”

  “True… but that doesn’t change our mission… or does it?”

  The Sgt. Major’s shoulder-flaps popped open and closed. Since the ARC suits didn’t allow the normal non-verbal communication that people use; the shrugging of shoulders, nodding or shaking of the head, other non-verbal cues had been developed. Although the shoulder flaps were designed to regulate the speed and gain some control during a free-fall, the opening and closing of them while on the ground was the same as shrugging your shoulders. In other words, the Sgt. Major hadn’t received any official word on the mission but suspected that something was going to change. They had both been with the military too long to expect that the mission objective would stay unchanged after the debacle of our insertion.

  As we neared the target zone, the ground became wetter and more marsh-like until we found ourselves in a full fledge quagmire. The Everglades in central Florida had nothing on this swamp. External temperature readings showed that it was over one-hundred and twenty-five degrees with one-hundred percent humidity. Where the Everglades are full of greens and browns, this swamp’s foliage were reds and purples. It was also full of life; numerous reptiles crossed our path but the most annoying was this planet’s version of the mosquito. They seemed to be just as numerous and bothersome as their Terran cousins but where the earth bound mosquitoes were maybe an inch long, these were nearly a foot long. Fortunately for us, the ARC suits were resistant to the mosquitoes’ attacks since they tried time and time again to swarm the invaders. Even though the damn insects couldn’t hurt us, they were still annoying.

  Geographical scans of the planet surface made by the shuttles during insertion had been uploaded to the Myrmidons’ ARC suits before their destruction showed that the swamp was nearly the size of Texas and the Lemurian’s fortress almost in the exact center of the marshland. However, scans had also shown a secondary entrance into a cave system that ran underneath the fortress; this was the team’s current destination. Travel was hampered by the treacherous terrain but none of the Myrmidons complained.

  As we closed on our objective, I could see on my HUD that one pair was lagging behind the rest.

  With a thought, I brought up the information on the two laggards. It was Aeneas and Major McDowell. I realized that the only reason Aeneas would be lagging was that he was keeping up with the Major who was way out of his league on this insertion and was quickly proving to be a hindrance.

  Unfortunately, they weren’t close enough for verbal communications but their current path would take them through this general region. I pulled out a relay transmitter, stuck it onto a purple barked tree nearby and keyed the record button.

  “Major…due to our current situation and time constraints, I regret to inform you that the rest of the team cannot wait for you to catch up and will proceed with the plan as scheduled.”

  Pausing for a moment to check my chronometer, I continued. “By my calculations, we have less than two hours until planetary bombardment and the team needs to be in place to strike. At your current speed, you and Aeneas will not make it to the safe zone designated by Fleet. I would suggest that you both backtrack to a safer area and if possible secure some transportation off this mud ball. I suspect that as long as there are lizards around, it will be difficult for our pilots to land; therefore we will need an alternate transportation out of here. It is now your responsibility to arrange our exodus. Good luck, sir.”

  Sgt. Major Spenton said, “Good idea. The Major would’ve been more of a liability than an asset once we breech. Although, I am going to miss Aeneas’ skills once the fun begins.”

  “True, personally I would’ve rather had one or both of the twins with the Major but we have to deal with the situation as we get it.”

  “Ready to run? We have a lot of ground to cover.” The Sgt. Major dialed up the inertial compensators and began to jog.

  * * * * *

  Talia squeezed his hand to get his attention and asked, “I have a question.”

  Iaido shook his head slightly as he watched the ghosts of his past run off into the swamp. Turning to look at her, his mind noted that the black stripes were beginning to fade; not much yet but they weren’t as dark as earlier.

  “Yes ma’am, what do you want to know?”

  “How is that you two aren’t sinking in the marsh?”

  Iaido grinned and pointed at the armored figures. “ARC suits are a wonderful piece of equipment. Although, the suits couldn’t actually fly, they do have inertial compensators that manipulate gravity slightly. With a flick of a switch, the suits can increase their max by a factor of two or lighten itself by half; possibly more but the amount of energy needed to do that would be counterproductive.”

  “Why would you want to be twice as heavy?”

  “If we were set in place to receive a charge from a rushing horde, like the pass we were ordered to hold on Gilese. The increased mass helped anchor us in place to repel the attack.” He pointed at the two armor figures running lightly over the marsh. “And by lightening our mass, it allows the suits to more or less float on the surface. So, instead of trudging through the marsh, they can run on top of it; in theory, they could run across water. It also aids in finding a high position for doing proper recon or sniper duty.”

  Talia nodded. “I see. Those suits seem to be quite handy.”

  “They were our lifeline on many missions. Without them, we wouldn’t have survived most of the places the Coalition sent us to.”

  “Who is that?” asked Talia pointing at a third armor figure converging on the scene.

  Iaido studied the suit and even though he hadn’t seen him in over a decade, he recognized the figure. “That would be Hector, my brother and greatest friend.”

  “What happened to him?”

  Iaido shook his head. “I’m stil
l not sure.”

  “Then we must continue the journey. Relax your mind and watch the events unfold before you. Soon, you will know your past.”

  * * * * *

  All three groups arrived at the tunnel almost simultaneously and stared at the gaping hole before them. It was about twenty meters across and the marsh seemed hesitant to enter it. There was a gentle current of warm air rising constantly and the smell of decay assaulted their senses, even through the air filter in their ARC suits.

  I checked the chronometer; T minus thirty-two minutes till splash down. By this time, the Fleet had already popped out of hyperspace, launched their kinetic rounds at the targets and reversed course back into hyperspace.

  Since fixed defenses are in a set orbit, such as any ground based structures, they cannot dodge or change their position and this makes them easy targets for kinetic bombardment. Kinetic rounds are basically huge hunks of metal properly shaped to make them more aerodynamic. When fired from ships in high orbit or even several light years away, the kinetic rounds tend to gain velocity as they approach a planet’s gravity well. With the calculation power of some of the most advanced of A.I.s in the Coalition, the Fleet’s kinetic rounds are hyper-accurate and tend to drift off target only slightly, usually less than fifty meters due to environmental factors that no AI could anticipate. It was always that margin of fifty meters which caused ground units to be squeamish when the rounds were inbound. However, Myrmidons were different. Even though the natural fear responses of normal humans were programmed into them; the ability to override it was also enhanced. Being within the danger zone for a close fire mission would be just another day at the office for the Omega Squadron.

  Hector glanced at the sky. Hundreds of faint streaks of red which marked the incoming rounds could be seen. “Holy shit!”

  Castor and Pollux spun around with their THABs at the ready. Not seeing any enemies, the twins lowered their weapons as Castor asked, “What is it?”

  Hector pointed at the sky. “Either we are way behind schedule or the Squids are early.”

  Looking at the incoming bombardment, I began to run the calculations in my head. “Hector’s right…on both accounts.”

  Peruses added, “If my calculations are correct, we have twenty-five minutes until the first round lands.”

  Hector said, “I like your time better. I figure twenty-two minutes but either way, it’s time to move.”

  With a flick of my eyes and a simple thought, I divided my team and sent out assignments with our mission priorities in mind. Castor, Pollux and Peruses became Alpha team with the objective of taking out the sentries. The Sgt. Major, Diomedes and Odessyes were Beta team and were tasked as backup to Alpha and with placing mines throughout the fortress. The Major and Aeneas were Charlie team, tasked with securing transportation which left Delta team as Ajax, Hector and I to infiltrate the inner sanctum and retrieve the artifact.

  “Any questions?” I asked.

  No one said anything but then I didn’t expect any. We had similar missions too many times over the years not to know our roles.

  “Once anyone makes contact with the lizards or the rocks hit, communication blackout is lifted.”

  By this time, my own calculations backed up by my ARC suit’s onboard computer had calculated that the kinetic rounds would land in exactly nineteen minutes and twelve seconds. I shunted a countdown timer to my brothers and added, “We’re racing the clock. Let’s roll!”

  Without another word, all nine armor suits jumped into the darkness.

  * * * * *

  Talia squeezed his hand once more before asking, “How are you doing?”

  Iaido paused. Even at this moment, he felt himself falling through the blackness of the pit. Blind to what lay ahead but Iaido knew what to was about to happen.

  “It was a trap.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I remember.” Iaido wrenched his eyes away from the yawning pit to stare at his companion and smiled as he said, “I remember.”

  Talia graced him with a crooked smile. “That is good, very good.” She pointed at the henna stripes which marked both of their bodies. “We have time for one, maybe two more trips inside. Even when we are done, there may still be some gaps in your memory.”

  Iaido nodded. “I understand.”

  “Can you tell me what happens next?”

  “Yes. I remember that the tunnel lead to a trap. The bottom was covered in liquid and since we expected a pool of water at the bottom, we didn’t try to avoid it. Diving in, we quickly moved through the tunnels expecting resistance at any moment.”

  “That doesn’t sound like much of a trap to me.”

  Iaido shrugged. “That’s why it was so ingenious. The water had been infected with nanites.”

  “Nanites? What is that?”

  “Self-replicating microscopic androids with the sole purpose of devouring metal.”

  “Your suits!”

  Iaido nodded. “And our weapons. Luckily, the demolition compounds we brought along weren’t affected.”

  “What happened?”

  “We discovered our folly in our first firefight when Castor’s head was blown off. The blast shattered his helmet. As we returned fire, our guns began to disintegrate in our hands. Alpha team was completely destroyed in the first few seconds and Beta team was pinned down. As the rear guard, we had a moment to analyze what was happening and it became obvious when our suits began to fall off as we moved forward.”

  “How did you survive?”

  “The lizards might have guessed how we would infiltrate the fortress but they didn’t take into account the planetary bombardment. As the kinetic rounds began to hit, we could feel the ground shake with each impact. The lizards paused in their firing for a moment as one round landed directly overhead and collapsed part of the tunnel. Ajax, Hector and I scrambled through the falling debris to reach our companions but only Odysseus and the Sgt. Major were still alive.”

  With a squeeze of her hand, Talia conveyed the sadness she felt over him losing his friends but she didn’t interrupt as Iaido continued his story.

  “The cave-in also killed the lizards, so we were able to gather up their weapons and continued the mission. Of course, it was down to the five of us. I know that at some point we split up again, Ajax and Odysseus to rig the explosives while the Sgt. Major, Hector and I went for the artifact. But after that it’s all hazy again.”

  Talia nodded. Reaching up with her free hand, she drew a little circle on his forehead and said, “Let the inner eye guide you once more. Let the darkness fall away from your memories and the light of truth illuminate your past.”

  Iaido could feel himself falling back into his memories…drawing Talia with him.

  * * * * *

  This whole experience seemed so unreal for Talia.

  She had learned the techniques and rituals during her time in the Seminary. She had even performed it once on a fellow student as part of her thesis needed to graduate but this session was an entirely different experience.

  First, she was merging with a Terran which was strange its own right. Additionally, the memories he was experiencing were so violent, so raw… it unnerved her. Furthermore, the merging created an empathic bond between them allowing her to feel his emotions. She had to experience the pain of his brothers’ deaths, the excitement of battle and the fear of failure. These emotions were so much stronger than anything she had envisioned or experienced in her life.

  While she could also tell that many of the memories were both enlightening and painful to her guardian but this time promised to be different. His heart rate and respiration had increased drastically the moment he fell back into this memory. While Iaido’s perspective was personal, hers was as a spectator. Both were unable to affect the events but forced to watch them unfold before them. It was odd to say the least.

  As the five remaining Myrmidons painted their bodies with some sort of black paste, Talia could only guess at the properties it would o
ffer. Possibly it would act in a similar manner as the henna which protected them in the spirit realm but she refrained from asking Iaido at this critical juncture.

  Instead, she took to studying Iaido’s brother Hector.

  In many ways they seemed to be twins with similar builds and mannerisms even the way they walked. In fact, sometimes it was difficult to tell the two apart. They were both clean shaven and bald, with numerous scars all over their bodies.

  As the soldiers began to apply the paste, she noted how their personalities influenced their application.

  Sgt. Major Spenton, Odysseus and Ajax applied the paste in such a similar manner that it had to be the standard application pattern; a wide tiger stripe pattern that would break up their silhouette as they moved through the occupied fortress. Hector’s patterns consisted of several large X’s across his chest and face while he blackened in his legs and arms.

  Iaido, or Achilles as he was known as during this time, was completely different from the rest. He took extra care when applying the paste to his face. Leaving the edges and chin uncovered in such a pattern that the paste looked like a skull. For the rest of his body, he haphazardly smeared it all across his chest, arms and legs. Some areas heavy, some light and some not touched at all. The effect was such a random pattern that it seemed to mask his silhouette more effectively than anyone else, at least to Talia’s eyes.

  It wasn’t long before they were off, moving through the Lemurian Fortress like shadows. They took extra care to avoid confrontations as much as possible but whenever it was inevitable, they would attack so swiftly and efficiently that they overwhelmed the lizards before an alarm could be raised. With every encounter, the Myrmidons looted more weapons. Yet, they continued to rely on captured swords and knives.

  They became the silent killers….death incarnate.

  It was at this point Talia realized why the Grand Council of the Sylvan Empire truly feared the Terrans. Outnumbered and outgunned, they were forging ahead. Determined to complete their mission or to die in the attempt. She knew that no Sylvan would’ve even attempted this mission… much less continue under these conditions. It was this tenacity, this single minded focus on a goal which the Terrans showed, which frightened so many Sylvans.