by Tripp Ellis
An instant later, the attack fighter exploded. A giant amber ball of flame rolled into the sky. Bits of metal and debris spewed into the air. The ground rumbled.
That was going to attract attention.
My health was down to 69%. I had felt twinges of pain, but didn’t pay it much attention. The shrapnel from the incident must have caused more damage than I realized. On the positive side, I didn’t have to deal with first-aid. In this world, I didn’t need to dress wounds. I didn’t need the corpsmen to patch me up. I was either alive, or I was dead. Regaining my full health was just a matter of waiting long enough, or finding a health pack.
The game showed visual indications of trauma, such as blood splatter. But as I looked over my body, I didn’t have any wounds to speak of.
“There are likely more where those came from,” Titan said, making reference to the downed fighter. “We should get out of here.”
We headed east across the meadow. This time, I was keen to avoid the woods to the north. I needed to get back to the enemy FOB as soon as possible and rejoin the fight—if it wasn’t already over. But a wall of granite stood in my way.
The sheer cliff faces of the mountains towered above me. I could either head north and go through the ravine again, try to climb over, or find another way around.
I gazed at the steep slope, contemplating the climb. There were tiny ridges and fissures in the rock that would allow one to ascend the mountain. But it would take skill, dexterity, and luck. I felt like I was lacking all three of those.
I headed south, searching for another possible route. After several hundred yards, I found an entrance to a cave. I flipped on the tactical light mounted on my rifle. The beam of light slashed the darkness. I pushed into the inky blackness with my weapon in the firing position.
“I don’t know if this is such a good idea,” Titan said, gliding behind me.
“Why?”
“If you think the forest is bad, you’re going to love this.”
I cringed. “Stop trying to scare me.”
The dirt crunched underneath my boots as I attempted to step softly. The beam of my flashlight panned from side to side, bouncing off the slick walls of the cave.
“This could very well be a dead end,” Titan warned.
“This could very well lead to the other side of the mountain.”
“This could very well get us killed.”
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the dark?”
“I fear nothing.” Titan activated his floodlights, further illuminating the area.
The cave narrowed as I pushed deeper inside. Ahead, I noticed an eerie blue light spilling into the passageway. I followed the passageway until it opened into a large cavernous area. Stalactites hung from the ceiling. The crystalline rock glittered with reflective light. Drops of water dripped into a large shimmering pool. The source of the blue light was a glowing energy orb that hovered on a small island in the center of the azure pool. It was a swirling mass of energy with spiral arms reminiscent of a galaxy. I imagined this was what the universe would look like when compressed to the size of a bowling ball. Perhaps a fraction of a second after the Big Bang. It felt like creation itself. My face twisted up, perplexed.
“What the hell is that?”
“That’s an extra life,” Titan said.
A grin curled on my face. “Looks like I’m getting wet.”
“You might want to give it a little more thought.”
My face twisted at Titan. “Why?”
“They are a temptation not without risk.”
“It’s just a little water. What could go wrong?”
I surveyed the pool, assessing my surroundings for potential threats. It looked like an easy grab. But Titan had me second guessing myself. The last thing I needed was to get myself killed being greedy. But an extra life was tempting.
34
Combat water survival. It’s something every Marine must master. Learning to not only navigate aquatic obstacles, but to survive and thrive in the water. The goal is to make combat operations in water become second nature. As a Space Expeditionary Fleet Marine, we never knew what kind of environment we were going to get thrust into. Swimming across the pond for an extra life didn’t seem like that big of a deal. But this wasn’t the real world, and it certainly wasn’t the aquatic center back in recruit training. I had no idea what was lurking below the surface.
Titan glided over the water, surveying the depths. He scanned every inch of the pool. “It looks clear. But I still advise against it.”
I set my weapons on the shore and peeled off my battle armor. Most modern weapons were waterproof. Some required the upper receiver to be drained before firing. Others were ready to go straight out of water. Some could fire submerged, but had trouble cycling. It was hit or miss with plasma rifles. If water breached the charge mechanism, it was game over for the rifle. But it really didn’t matter what type of weapon you had, firing underwater often produced less than desirable results. At least, that was my experience in the real world. I assumed it would be similar here.
I stripped out of my boots and fatigues, down to my skivvies. I preferred not to slosh around in my boots for the next several hours. I grabbed my black, anodized steel tactical knife from my belt, and marched into the water. I gripped the blade of my knife between my teeth.
The area near the shore was shallow, but quickly dropped off. Within a few paces, I was in the deep end. The water was surprisingly warm. It must have been fed by a hot spring. It almost felt like taking a mineral bath at some luxury spa. The soothing warm water was relaxing. But my little vacation came to an abrupt halt. Dozens of snakelike creatures emerged from various holes under the surface. They swarmed the water around me—black vipers of death. They had serrated, shark-like teeth, and their form reminded me of moray eels.
“I told you this was a bad idea,” Titan said as he hovered above the water.
I hated snakes and slithery things. There were more than enough to go around back on Kronos 6.
I swam as fast as I could toward the center island. My arms pulled me through the water, my legs kicked frantically. The splashing seemed to excite my newfound slimy friends. They swirled around, darting erratically, sizing up their prey. It seemed like they didn’t know what to make of me at first. Perhaps nobody had been stupid enough to enter the pool before? It didn’t take long for one of them to gather the courage to strike.
I felt sharp teeth penetrate the flesh of my ankle. I flailed my leg, trying to get the beast to release its grip, but it was dug in like a tick. My health had dropped to 42%.
I slashed at the creature with my knife. The blade pierced its skin and damn near cut its head off. Crimson blood filled the water like a thick cloud. The snake twisted and squirmed. I peeled its jaws free and flung the wounded creature away. Its body splashed against the surface of the water, before sinking into the abyss.
The other snakes attacked it, devouring its flesh within seconds. For the moment, they seemed preoccupied with their new meal. It allowed me to swim to the center island and pull myself ashore.
I stepped into the glowing ball of energy. It felt amazing. A rush of endorphins washed through my body. It was like a drug. And I was high for a moment. My health skyrocketed to 100%, and an additional life was added to the queue as well as a +1 skill bonus.
The downside was that without the glowing light from the energy orb, the cavernous space was now pitch black. I still needed to get back to shore, and that was probably going to cost me every bit of life that I had gained.
Titan’s floodlights were the only source illuminating the area.
“Got any suggestions on how to get back?”
35
I reached up and grabbed a stalactite that hung from the ceiling. It felt slimy. I tightened my grip and reached for another. I pulled myself up, my feet dangling above the ground. The conical shape, and the slick texture, made it difficult to hang on. I swung my hand to the next stalactite. Now I was hoveri
ng over the water.
I tried to keep momentum up, swinging from one stalactite to the next, like Tarzan swinging through vines in a jungle. The snakes swarmed like piranhas below. With each grasp, I was constantly fighting the downward pull. The key was to keep moving. The surface of the stalactites were rubbing my palms raw. My forearms burned. My grip progressively grew weaker. I was nearing the shore when I lost my grip.
I plummeted toward the water, splashing down like I had done a cannonball from a high dive.
The horde of snakes swam toward me.
I pulled myself through the water, swimming as fast as I could. I kicked and splashed, and my arms and legs burned with lactic acid. I pulled myself to the rocky shore as dozens of aquatic monsters nipped at my heels. I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I watched the frenzied creatures turn on one another.
“Maybe next time you’ll stay out of the water?” Titan said.
“I made it back alive,” I boasted.
“Barely.”
Without out a towel, I had to drip dry—but the dry part was elusive. I pulled my socks on over damp feet. Once I had donned my fatigues and battle armor, I grabbed my weapons and proceeded on.
The cave weaved through the underside of the mountain. After marching for a while, my flashlight beam slicing the darkness, I caught sight of daylight spilling in through the mouth of the cave. I picked up my pace, jogging toward the exit, my boots crunching against the stone floor.
The passageway opened on the east side of the mountains. From this position, I could see the enemy FOB in the distance. There was a small forest between here and there. Another set of mountains surrounded this valley. Black smoke still billowed into the sky from the initial attack on the enemy’s ammo crates.
I scanned my HUD, but I was still too far out of range to connect with the rest of the platoon. I had lost their signal the moment I entered the cave. I had no idea if they had accomplished the mission objective or not, but I figured I would get a notification in my HUD if they had acquired Doctor Carver.
There was no such update. My mission objective remained the same.
I pushed forward into the forest with caution—I had no desire to run into another Ryvok. I crept through the woods, careful not to make a sound. As I reached the enemy camp at the other side of the forest, there was still no sign of my new platoon.
Four gunships were perched in the meadow. They were all loaded with missiles and plasma cannons, ready to inflict damage. Beyond them were the rows of structures that made up the barracks, tactical operations command center, and Doctor Carver’s holding cell. A maintenance tech was attending to one of the gunships.
I sneaked across the meadow and took cover behind one of the ships. I slung my rifle over my shoulder and drew my tactical knife. My eyes scanned the area to make sure no one was watching. When I was sure it was clear, I sprang into action, dashing toward the maintenance tech. I came from behind and slit his throat before he knew what hit him. Warm blood flowed over my hands, and his body collapsed to the ground. He hadn’t uttered a peep.
I wiped the bloody blade on my pants and re-sheathed it. I grabbed the corpse and pulled him into the gunship—I thought a corpse might draw some unwanted attention, despite the fact the FOB was littered with them. The camp was still reeling from the earlier attack, and even though unsuccessful, my platoon had left their mark. There were plenty of dead Skrag soldiers strewn about the camp.
I moved to the weapons locker in the cargo bay and grabbed extra magazines, smoke canisters, and thermal grenades. My HUD displayed my new bounty.
I slipped out of the fuselage door, pulled the pin, and tossed a grenade inside. I ran toward the structures for cover. I was going to create a diversion of my own.
I had roughly 6 seconds before the grenade exploded. It tore apart the fuselage, twisting the bulkheads like they were paper. A brilliant orange ball of flames rolled into the sky. Metal and debris splintered in all directions.
I dove to the ground for cover behind one of the prefabricated buildings. A moment later, stinging metal rained down. A hail of molten hell.
The explosion cooked off several missiles that launched into the camp. Sparks and flames spit from their tails leaving a trail of grey propellant that hung in the air like smokey cotton balls.
The cascade of explosions rocked the camp, incinerating several structures.
Fire.
Smoke.
Chaos.
Skrag soldiers scurried about in a panic.
I sprinted down an alleyway between structures, avoiding the main paths, keeping out of sight of the soldiers that were rushing toward the commotion. I wasn’t going to be able to stand and fight these goons toe-to-toe. I needed to get in, grab Carver, and get out. Otherwise I was going to burn another life and end up back at the ODV pod empty-handed.
36
Titan hovered high above the base, getting a bird’s eye view. He relayed intel to me, helping me avoid roaming squads of Skrag soldiers. I was in an alleyway not far from Carver’s position.
The two goons guarding Doctor Carver were on high alert. Their weapons were in the firing position, and their heads were on swivels, scanning in all directions.
I angled my weapon around the corner and lined one of the guards up in my sights. My finger squeezed the trigger, unleashing a flurry of plasma bolts. Before the goon even hit the dirt, I had his partner dead to rights. With the reticle square on his skull, I fired off another flurry of rounds.
The two thugs hit the dirt before they had a chance to return fire. The ground drank up the blood that oozed from their carcasses.
I raced down the path, deactivated the force-shield that confined her, and pushed into the structure.
Carver looked startled at first, then relief washed over her face. Her blue eyes gazed at me through her glasses. She was like a hot librarian. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She had full lips and smooth skin. She wore a white lab coat that hid her remarkable assets.
“I’m going to get you out of here,” I said.
She looked skeptical. “Do you have a plan for that?”
I shrugged. “Not really. But plans were meant to be broken anyway.”
She didn’t look thrilled. I could tell she was a woman who liked to be in control. As a scientist, everything needed to be just so. She was precise. Exact. Meticulous.
In the Marines, I quickly found out that no plan ever survived the enemy. Things change. Marines improvise, adapt, and overcome. To be honest, I hadn’t given much thought as to how I was going to get out of the camp. I had only thought casually about how I was going to get in.
Parker’s voice crackled in my ear. It was perfect timing. “Newbie. Where are you?”
“I’ve got Carver. But I need a little assistance. I’m still in the camp. Where are you?”
“We all got wasted on our first attempt. I’m trying to regroup with the others. The platoon re-spawned in different locations.”
“Well, if you could find a way to keep these goons occupied, I’d be forever in your debt.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Titan, how’s it looking?” I asked.
“It’s looking like you should exfiltrate. Based on my observations and predictive modeling algorithms, I’ve mapped an exit path that should bring you in contact with a minimal amount of enemy forces. I’ll send it to your HUD now.”
“Roger that.” I was beginning to like the little guy.
“Is that my assistant, Titan?” Carver asked.
I nodded.
“Thank God.” Carver breathed a sigh of relief. “Where is he?”
I pointed to the sky. “He’s taking an overwatch position.”
Her blue eyes widened. “What?” She wasn’t pleased. “He shouldn’t be this close to danger.” Carver clenched her jaw. “You’re a fool!”
“What is it?”
“He contains sensitive data.” Her eyes burned into me with contempt.
“How
was I supposed to know? He sure as hell didn’t say anything.”
“Can we please get out of here?” She was exasperated.
“I don’t know, I’m contemplating leaving you here.”
She scowled at me. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
Titan’s escape route transferred to my HUD.
“Titan, is it clear?”
There was an uncomfortable pause.
“Go. Now!” Titan’s voice filtered back.
“Come on,” I grumbled. “Follow me. Stay close.”
We eased out of the detention structure and headed west. I followed the path that Titan had laid out, twisting and turning through the maze of structures. I rounded the corner and found myself face-to-face with an enemy pawn. I squeezed the trigger and filled him full of plasma bolts. What was left of his vaporized body crashed to the dirt.
Carver shrieked in terror.
I grabbed her hand and pulled her along. She jerked it free. We had gotten off to a great start.
“Usually, people are happy to be rescued,” I muttered.
She didn’t say anything, but I could feel her scowl burn into me.
I kept moving down Titan’s path. It felt like some type of cheat-code, avoiding the enemy NPCs. I heard the clatter of gunfire and the rumbles of explosions on the northeast end of the camp. I assumed that Parker and her platoon were making an attack to draw attention.
I met with little resistance as I navigated the path that Titan had created. Carver and I held up at the west end of the base, waiting for the opportune time to dash across the clearing to the tree-line. I tossed out a few smoke grenades.
THUNK!
THUNK!
The grenades popped. White smoke billowed out, obscuring the area. I grabbed onto Doctor Carver’s arm and pulled her into the thick, milky haze. This time she didn’t jerk away. It was impossible to see anything with the thick smoke. And at this point, she certainly didn’t want to get left behind or lost in the soupy air.
