by John Walker
No one spoke up.“Good, time’s running short. By twos, get to the site. I’ll take lead with Gorman. The rest of you follow and spread out. We’re not taking any more casualties from splash damage shit. Now move!”
Heat initiated the first jump and headed back toward the facility. They were there in five boosts, back to the cover they took while gathering intel. The tank was on the far left behind a wall of cracked rock. Both turrets were closed up and the sound of battle back at the shuttle echoed eerily around them.
“Alright, tank first,” Heat said.“Gorman, let’s take down that wall and see if we can’t give ourselves a little terrain advantage. Ready? Fire!”
They both took aim and blasted the rocks, aiming low. Dust exploded into the air as the top tumbled down. Some of the heavier boulders danced off the surface of the tank, clanging noisily. The cannons fired, blasting the offending stones while moving swiftly to avoid being buried.
While the thing survived the assault, it didn’t come away unscathed. Massive dents occupied the top and the canisters that likely held missiles were totally crushed. It moved swiftly though, barrels swiveling on a turret as it scanned for enemies. The AI must’ve understood what such an attack meant and so it tried to locate a threat.
“Anyone with rockets left, give those treads a good blast!” Heat gestured. He used his targeting computer to get a lock and fired three of his own. They slammed home along with several others, dislodging one of the wheels. The vehicle stopped there but it turned in their direction and opened fire.
None of the marines were close enough together to give the vehicle a good target and as they sprung into action, they were able to keep moving fast enough to avoid the shots. Hopping from cover to cover, they kept out of its range while returning fire. Heat was about to give another order when someone leaped from the rocket and sailed straight for their target.
Gillet dropped two grenades on the target and fired straight down before he cleared it. When he hit the ground, he rolled, coming to a halt beside a boulder and out of sight of his unit. The grenades exploded, sending the tank five feet into the air. When it came down it landed on its side and teetered for several seconds before flopping over onto its roof.
A fire burned on the bottom and though the turret managed another shot, something blew within it. The debris went in every direction and a chunk of metal embedded itself a good six inches into a rock only feet from Heat’s head. It might’ve had enough velocity to go through his armor but he didn’t really want to think about it too much.
“Report,” he called out.“Is everyone okay?”
“I’m good,” Gilletsaid, waving from his position. Heat planned on having a talk with him later in private about the foolhardy maneuver but just then wasn’t the time. Bosh was the only one who didn’t immediately reply.
They found him lying down, life signs steady but he’d taken a shot to the leg. His armor was scorched but still attacked.“You’re lucky you didn’t lose that limb,” Gorman said.“Can you walk?”
“My armor seems to be frozen up, sir.” Bosh shook his head.“I’m trying to get the joints undone without getting out of the suit.”
“Stay in there no matter what,” Heat said.“The atmosphere here says it’s okay but I’m not taking any risks.” He got Vine on the com.“You guys okay?”
“Package still secure. We’ve got the shuttle and the men are all aboard. Do you need us over there?”
Heat considered it for several moments. It would be nice to get the shuttle in place quickly but the drones made it impossible. They’d have to cross the bridge of moving the Orb when they came to it.“No, stay where you’re at. We’re trying to infiltrate the facility now and when we’re done, we’ll need evac. Start thinking about how that’ll work.”
“Understood, sir. We’re on standby.”
Heat raised the Gnosis. He needed to give them the briefest update before proceeding with the mission. He was surprised when Commander Bowman’s voice piped on the line. They’re serious about this if he’s in charge of the field op.“Commander, this is Gunnery Sergeant Heathrow reporting in.”
“What’ve you got?” Vincent asked.
“Lieutenant Topper is KIA. We are proceeding on the mission. I’ve assumed command.”
Vincent sighed.“Understood. Let me know if you need anything. How close are you to the objective?”
“There’re only a few more obstacles to clear but we’re almost there.”
“Alright, soldier. I’ll wait to hear from you. Bowman out.”
Heat turned to the others.“Gillet, get Bosh out of the line of fire. As soon as he’s in cover, let’s pound those turrets and make sure they never open up again.” He waited for his man to be clear of the combat zone then marked the targets, giving each man a designation through their HUDs. A green light in their helmets indicated it was time to shoot and they let loose.
Both turrets popped up the moment they took damage, spinning wildly to find a target. The marines attacked at enough distance that it bought them some time before the emplacements were able to zero in on their attackers. By the time they took aim, it was too late for them.
The left gun went first, fire bursting out of it like a cheap firework before the gun slumped in its encasement. The other one fired several shots, seemingly at random. Heat guessed they took out its targeting module. They all directed their fire and it slumped backward, hanging by a couple of wires.
“Scanning,” Gilletsaid.“I’m not picking up any additional weapons here.”
“Let’s move.” Heat led the way, walking instead of using the jump packs. He took the stairs three at a time, allowing his gun to lead the way. The sounds of battle continued in the direction of the shuttle, giving him some confidence that they still had a while to go before they would be attacked again.
They arrived at the turrets, checking them over to ensure they were truly destroyed. Both of them were smoking and one was in pieces. They’d done their due diligence in that regard. Heat had them bring Bosh over and helped him to sit up in some decent cover. Once he was secure, they turned their attention to the doors.
The monolithic entry towered over them with a panel on the left sticking out of the otherwise smooth surface. Heat and Gorman approached, looking it over. A number of lights flashed over the surface of what looked to be an input device and the wall itself was a screen with various characters spread across it.
Gorman spoke up.“This panel’s been used recently. Look at the dust around the edges and how it’s clean in the middle here and here.”
“They probably tried it before the turrets tore them up,” Gilletsaid. He gestured to the bodies.“These guys were too close to the weapons to get away easily. It would make sense.”
“Doesn’t matter one way or another,” Heat replied.“Can you get us in, Gorman or do you need help from the ship?”
Gorman hesitated to respond, standing before the panel for a good twenty seconds. He finally shrugged.“I’ve run a scan but yes, I think I’ll need some help. I’ll get a line to the Gnosis right now. Watch my back, huh?”
“You heard him,” Heat said.“We’ve got aliens and drones still out here. Spread out and take up positions. We’re not quite done so don’t relax just yet. I anticipate at least one more rush before we get in that door and God knows what happens when we’re through. I’m not able to scan the interior of this facility so it’ll be exciting.”
“Yeah,” Kelly said,“this trip has been so boring already, am I right?”
Some of the men chuckled, probably a much needed moment considering all they’d been through. Heat smirked as well, turning his attention outward. When the attack came, he wanted to be ready and he didn’t have to wait. The moment Gorman touched the panel, they heard a high-pitch sound in the air: more of the drones.
“Alright,” Heat shouted.“Looks like the first fight comes from above. Aim high folks and get your asses ready. These things may not pack a hard punch right away but they shoot quickand the
re’s plenty of them.” A dozen black dots appeared over a rise, flying swiftly in their direction.
Well, shit. Heat dropped to a knee and took aim.
***
Cassie’s station had two screens and she dedicated one of them to reports of the action going on outside. Mostly, she was concerned with how the Gnosis was doing. Their maneuver to get near the moon kept them moving fast enough to make them a difficult target and though the enemy had fired several times, they continued to miss.
Small favor there!
However, they’d be slowing down as they drew closer to all the rocks. Flying around those asteroids would likely be the most profound test of Zach’s skills he had ever experienced. Cassie ran a private simulation and discovered that the medium sized chunk of debris would be enough to easily penetrate their hull and if it hit too hard, it could go right through shields.
“Banking,” Zach said.“This will let us slide in near the moon and allow us to have forward facing fire on the enemies.”
He’s flying in backwards!? Cassie bit her tongue. The man spoke like he’d done it a million times and he sounded confident. No one else said anything so either they trusted him completely or they didn’t know exactly what to say about it. Regardless, if it worked, she planned on buying him a drink… and possibly a fruit basket.
Salina broke through her thoughts, announcing to the bridge,“I’ve mapped the paths of the different asteroids. They’re in your console, Zach.”
“Thank you,” Zach muttered.“Yep, I’m matching speed of the biggest one… and we’re… about… there.” The ship shook for a brief moment.“That was us skimming orbit. The moon’s not that big but it’s still got some pull. We’re now moving amongst the rocks and I’ll have to adjust speed in… two minutes… to avoid being hit.”
“Excellent,” Desmond said.“Distance to targets?”
“They’re closing,” Salina replied.“They’ll have a firing solution…” A blast erupted on the screen and narrowly missed them.“Now.”
“Uh huh.” Desmond shook his head.“Return fire, Zach. We should have the advantage now when it comes to targeting so hit them with everything you’ve got.”
A communication came through on Cassie’s terminal and she leaned toward her screen, boosting the gain. The enemy signal still ran strong and her translation device wasn’t quite finished but this wasn’t them. It came from the planet’s surface. It took her a moment to clean it up and even when she did, static surrounded the words.
“This is Sergeant Gorman, requesting assistance. Do you read?”
“I read,” Cassie replied.“This is Agent Alexander. What can I do to help? Do you need reinforcements?”
“Negative, I am at the facility which we believe to house this planet’s Orb. I’m at a panel and I do not know how to get through. To make matters more complicated, we are under attack down here by drones. Can you assist?”
“Yes!” Cassie paused as the enemy’s communications went silent. The feedback on her application indicated that they hadn’t discovered it but something had gone wrong. It sent back messages suggesting they were no longer transmitting. A paranoid thought took her and she checked to see if the aliens had found a way into their systems.
Their network appeared to be clean and Cassie believed she knew what to look for. Of course, if I don’t, there’s not much I can do about it. She turned to the satellite she’d deployed and connected up to it, boosting her signal so she could help the marines. While it established a connection, she turned in her seat.
“Captain,” Cassie began,“I’ve got some news.”
“Go ahead.”
“The marines have made contact with me. They are at the door to the facility and are requesting assistance getting in. I’m establishing a connection now. However, they are under assault by drones.”
“Okay, that’s partially great. It’ll help when the bombers take out that platform.” Desmond paused.“Was there something else?”
“Um… yes, I seem to have lost connection with the aliens. I was translating their communications but it suddenly went dark. I don’t think they discovered it but to be honest, that’s the only logical explanation.”
Desmond sighed.“Understood.”
“Direct hit!” Zach shouted.“I think their shields held though.”
“They’ve taken out several of the rocks,” Salina announced.“I’m recalculating the courses now… um…”
The ship shook violently and Cassie had to grab her console tightly to stay in her seat.
“What the hell was that?” Desmond asked.
“One of the rocks was sent off course by an alien attack,” Zach replied.“It was moving fast. Shields held in that section. I’m altering our course and firing again. I might be able to finish this guy off in two more volleys but he’s wily as hell. My first attack hit him hard but they’re starting to throw themselves around out there. The ride for the crew must be terrible.”
Cassie established a connection with the marine’s computer and saw through his helmet on her secondary screen. There was a three second delay, which frustrated her. If only she’d deployed the satellite closer to the planet but that hadn’t been its purpose. She needed it only to boost her ability to get the application sent to the ships.
“Okay, Sergeant. I’m seeing what you’re seeing and running a scan.” Cassie paused.“Tap the left hand corner twice. Note that we’re on a small delay so wait for my response before doing anything else.”
On the screen, she saw blasts hit the wall a few feet from Gorman. To his credit, he didn’t even move let alone jerk around. That level of courage under fire came from nerves of steel. She put herself in his shoes and doubted she would’ve been so calm. The Gnosis crew sincerely impressed her.
“It’s done,” Gorman said. His voice transfer didn’t seem to be experiencing a delay, which made it easier to offer support.“The screen’s lit up.”
A few moments later, Cassie saw what he described. The screen came online with text all over it. She turned to start her translator but paused, frowning at what she saw. Their opponents had got their first and already bypassed the security. Unless the inhabitants of that world used the exact same alphabet.
Cassie ran the already built text translator and smirked. They had gotten through and the application remained on the console. It was set to open the doors again in nine minutes and forty seconds. However, they did have an override.“Hit the bottom left of the panel then swipe to the right. When you’re done, tap the upper right and hold it.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Another hit,” Zach said.“Whoa! They’re really returning fire now! And…” Another hit on the ship made the lights flicker overhead.“One hit out of well over a dozen. However, many of the rocks around us have been destroyed.”
“I’ve got the path for another group,” Salina said.“Sent you the coordinates.”
“We’re on our way.”
“When will these open, ma’am?” Gorman asked.
Cassie didn’t have an answer but she knew they’d initiated the same sequence the aliens did.“I’m… not entirely sure. But that’s how they did it. I’m sorry I can’t be more specific. However, you don’t have to stay at the console anymore. You can get some cover and fight back until they open.”
“Roger that,” Gorman replied.“Thank you for the assist.”
“They’re almost through,” Cassie said.“But the drones must be dealt with. It’s getting hairy down there.”
“Vincent, follow up with Rhino,” Desmond said. Another blast took out one of the asteroids nearby.“Zach… our advantage is dwindling.”
“I’m working on it, sir.”
“Work harder. We have to even the odds before leaving this moon’s orbit or we won’t stand a chance.”
Chapter 9
Heat fired several shots before jumping out of the path of an incoming drone. It strafed the area he was just standing in, causing great plumes of dust and rock to dance in the air.
He spun in place as he landed, firing at it as it banked to the right and moved for another attack vector. He missed and didn’t have time to shoot again before the next ship came at him.
“Hey,” Gorman’s voice came over the com,“I spoke to the Gnosis and the doors should open soon. She knew how to get through.”
“Great,” Heat grunted, avoiding another attack.“Couldn’t happen fast enough. How long?”
“I don’t know specifically but I’ve got other news. The aliens made it in there after all.”
“How the hell did they get past the turrets?” Heat took some shots at another drone, this time catching it on its side. When it tried to turn to avoid a cliff, the flap moved but it didn’t provide it enough motion. Slamming into the rocks, it exploded, fire spilling down into the dust.“Those things were definitely still active.”
“If they’re in there, we can ask them,” Gorman replied.“But… oh shit!”
Their conversation ended as they both had to fight for their lives. If these drones are allowed to keep going, it won’t matter if those doors open. We’ll be long dead. Hurry up, you ancient alien tech pile of crap! Hurry!
***
Energy bolts flew past Nolan’s cockpit, drones blasting away at him. His defenses fired back, catching one immediately and chasing others. The rest of Rhino Squadron was faring pretty well but the number of ships attacking them intensified the closer they got to the platform. Luckily, the automated ships didn’t seem programmed to simply ram them.
Such a ploy would’ve been difficult to counter.
Vincent pinged him,“How close are you? The marines are getting hammered on the surface by these things and it looks like your platform might be the only thing left controlling them.”
“We’re nearly there but we have to get close,” Nolan replied.“If we fire too far out, we’ll give them plenty of time to shoot down our ordnance and that would end this run really fast. Believe me, no one wants this thing taken out more than me. They’re all over us out here and Charger’s got their hands full too.”
