Talbot made an effort not to flinch from the Admiral’s apoplectic rage. Most of the venom probably sprang from how powerless he must have felt. All Talbot could do was weather this storm and prove everybody wrong on Avari. Sitting there in an Irian interrogation room, chewed out by the Admiral of the Terran fleet, Talbot was filled with a furious thirst for revenge. He couldn’t wait to climb back into that Immersion tank.
Of course, he still had to endure Admiral Gann’s final salvos.
“My analysts tell me the Irians found a schematic for a long-range harpoon,” Gann said. “You’ll need to watch out for those.”
“Thank you, sir,” Talbot said with more sarcasm than he intended.
“Watch your tone, Major.”
Talbot paused, then decided to go for broke. He was tired, shattered and needed someone to dump on. It may as well be his commanding officer.
“What you just said is the only useful information you’ve given me,” Talbot ventured. “Amazing, really.”
Gann’s face turned a dire shade of purple.
“You little fuck,” he breathed. “Once you’re done here, consider yourself court-marshaled.”
“I welcome it, sir,” Talbot said, letting his own anger and frustration bubble over.
The pair simply stared each other down for several moments. It felt ridiculous, but then again male aggression was vaguely absurd.
“Get out,” Gann said eventually. “I can’t look at you any more. As far as I’m concerned, you’re no longer a soldier, if you ever were. You’re just a jerk who scored highly on a few dubious tests, that’s all. Dismissed.”
“I won’t bother saluting, Admiral,” Talbot said smoothly as he stood. It had felt good to unload on Gann, and he walked away feeling better than he had for several hours.
Finding a Terran sentry in the corridor, Talbot asked to be taken to a resource room.
“But sir, all Terran personnel are to rendezvous in the hangar -”
Talbot ignored the man’s protestations and found a suitable room himself. It was a simple enough affair - a long, low table and several curved, uncomfortable Irian chairs. A depression in the center of the table suggested projection technology, but it took Talbot a few minutes to activate it. Of course, the data was Irian, but the universal symbology was surprisingly easy to comprehend.
It took over an hour, but Talbot eventually found an index of planetary bodies in the Alpha Centauri system. Irian scout vessels had accumulated an impressive level of detail. Talbot zoomed in on Avari, a planetoid covered in thick, lush vegetation. It was unusual for a planet to be dominated by a single biome, but that only increased Avari’s appeal as a colonization prospect.
There were vast biomedical resources down there. For the Terran Republic, who still hadn’t quite gotten a grip on all the various forms of cancer, Avari represented a treasure chest beyond its wildest dreams. Talbot tried not to let a sudden sense of pressure get to him as he studied the planet’s surface. He wasn’t yet sure where the battle zone would be located, but he was determined to get a feel for the terrain.
His wrist pad chimed - the game officials were asking him if he’d like to nominate a spawn point for tomorrow’s game. A number of waypoints projected themselves. Talbot selected a location he’d just been surveying using the Irian data. The wrist pad projection turned green and faded.
Talbot zoomed in so close he was practically inside the Irian light projection, at one with its molten core. He wasn’t sure how long he stayed hunched over the table, lost in the intricate light filaments drifting in front of him.
Talbot was woken by a soft chime. A female Irian voice announced something over the general com. He could only assume that the Terangdor had made orbit over Avari. It was time to venture forth once again. No doubt Ashby and his legion had slept well, snugly wrapped in their decisive victory.
Talbot stood with a grimace of pain, his neck as stiff as a board. He didn’t mind the discomfort - in many ways he needed a reminder to try and stay in the moment. He would need to be at his best very soon. He accosted the first Irian he saw in the corridor and motioned that he needed a shower. The puzzled Irian directed him to a locker room, where Talbot stripped down and stood underneath a lukewarm, strangely perfumed jet of water.
It wasn’t quite what he was expecting, but once he was dressed he felt clear-headed and refreshed. He was still hungry, but that couldn’t be helped for now. Entering Immersion with a belly full of strange Irian food was probably not a good idea.
The hangar was steadily filling with troops from both sides of the virtual war. Talbot felt a sudden stab of pride as he watched his navy-suited comrades filing in and taking positions by the Immersion tanks. He scanned his crew with hungry, questing eyes - including himself, fifty-five remained from the first mission. Forty-five had been lost, including the vast majority of commando units. Not a great butcher bill by any stretch, but it could’ve been worse.
Talbot counted seventy-six Irians standing rigidly to attention, including Ashby. They would haave a decided advantage on Avari. A number of Terran soldiers were looking at Talbot with a mixture of relief and disdain. No doubt they were wondering where he’d been all night. Admiral Gann and Terran High Command were already seated on their obs deck.
When he saw Talbot, the Admiral looked like he might be sick. Grinning like a wolf, Talbot climbed his ladder and stripped naked. He felt surprisingly good, but didn’t quite trust the feeling. Either it was genuine inspiration or he was sinking in a sea of delirium. He eased himself into the Immersion gel without being invited. His Irian technician rushed over to fiddle with a diagnostic pane.
Looking through the hazy sheen of lemon-colored gel, Talbot could see the Irian High Chancellor’s mouth moving way up on the central obs deck. No doubt his behavior would be viewed as unacceptably belligerent, but Talbot didn’t care. Wasn’t he effectively a civilian now anyway? He should be charging the Republic for his efforts.
As Talbot drifted, he contemplated the launch point he’d nominated for Avari. It was right in the middle of a dense vegetation patch. Apart from that, he wasn’t quite sure what to expect. There was every chance Ashby had chosen the same location, but Talbot was hopeful he’d outsmarted the crafty Irian this time round. For starters, the reedy thicket that he’d chosen was the last place a beleaguered attack force would chose to disembark. With any luck, Ashby would be miles away when the game resumed.
Darkness folded in on the edge of Talbot’s vision as the Immersion technology began to kick in. He felt his body tense - there was so much riding on this. He wasn’t even sure if his troops would still be responsive to him. Admiral Gann might have leaked the news that he was no longer a Terran marine, hoping that someone else rose up to take his position.
Thankfully, the game didn’t work that way. Talbot had already accumulated perks that would directly benefit those around him. He was the only one who could level up all three Terran skill trees. All he had to do was act authoritatively and things should be fine. As long as no mistakes were made this time.
13
Talbot gradually became aware of graduating shades of green. He was surrounded by seven-foot reeds swaying in a stiff breeze. The ground was marshy and soft. A cloud of bugs began nipping at his exposed face and hands. Cursing, he checked his assault rifle and primed it for action.
“Where are we?” a marine called.
“I can’t see anyone!” yelled a second.
“Steady,” Talbot said. “This is the location I’ve chosen. Everything is as it should be. Porter!”
“Yes sir?” came a distant voice.
“Path-find a way out of here. Fire a shot at regular intervals so we can follow you. Engineers - start thinking about a natural repellent for these fucking bugs. Move out.”
Talbot stood still and took a long, deep breath. The Irians might well be near, just waiting to pick the Terrans off. A shot rang out to the west - Porter was already doing his job. Talbot breathed out in relief and pus
hed his way through the dense thicket. The humidity was already stifling, and his face felt like a mass of blisters.
At length he caught up with a few of his troops. A second rifle shot rolled in from the northwest, signaling a change in direction. Excited voices erupted less than twenty yards to Talbot’s left. He pushed through the reeds and came across a very welcome sight indeed - a pair of engineers had stumbled across a beacon, which was now glowing navy blue.
“Our first Avari beacon,” he said in a voice thick with emotion. Now this was more like it! He checked his wrist pad - only captured beacons were visible on his map display. A glitch in the system or an intentional increase in difficulty? Talbot could only hope it was the latter, otherwise the Irians would have an unfair advantage.
The thrum of an engine was an even bigger surprise. Talbot side-stepped out of the way as a growling quad entered the clearing, flattening the reeds with impunity.
“Looks like we got some new gear,” Wilkes said from behind the wheel. His grin was infectious.
“Was there anything else?” Talbot asked.
“Not that I know of.”
“Ping your position on the map display and I’ll send a quad straight to you.”
Talbot winked at Wilkes. “Looks like you’ve got your first cargo run, soldier,” he said. “Meet us at the northern swamp perimeter.”
Wilkes saluted and launched the quad into the thicket. Talbot and the engineers continued north west, guided by more of Porter’s rifle blasts. At length they reached firm, open ground. Several soldiers swatted irritably at bugs in the shade of a bulbo tree.
The quad rumbled into view, loaded with metal sheets, a few bricks and a multitude of tools.
“Good job, Porter,” Talbot said, shaking the scout’s hand. “We’re gonna need you over the next three days.”
Porter nodded, chuffed. “No problem, sir.”
Talbot heaved a sigh of relief. The first phase of the Avari mission had been executed flawlessly. The soldiers had captured a beacon, regrouped, collected their gear and, most importantly, seemed inclined to stick with Talbot for the time being. He still had a lot of work to do to prove he had a blueprint for victory. He needed to give his people a reason to believe.
The first day of this jungle mission was critical. Talbot made eye contact with his squad leaders and drew them into a huddle. Fielding gave no indication she’d been worried about him, but he could tell that she was furious. Things seemed irreparably broken between them, but there was nothing Talbot could do for now. He’d let his emotions get the better of him on Regal and he wasn’t about to repeat the mistake.
“Well done, guys,” he said with genuine appreciation. “The troops look keen and sharp. I apologize for not being around last night. I had some planning to do.”
Wilkes and Quantum nodded understandingly, while Fielding looked away.
“We need to stay mobile,” Talbot went on quickly. “Beacon locations aren’t available this time, which means we need to move as quickly as possible to sweep the region. With any luck, the Irians won’t be able to find that one in the swamp, and I certainly don’t have any spare troops to leave behind. The only question is - which way do we go? All we know is that we’re in the northeast corner of the battle zone.”
“I think we should head south, around the marsh,” Quantum said. “I saw the Irian thopter on the western horizon.”
“Agreed,” Fielding said. “The terrain seems to undulate in that direction anyway.”
Talbot looked at Wilkes, who shrugged.
“Sounds good to me,” he said. “The troops are bright and energetic, but the humidity’s a killer. If the water’s flowing south, that’s where we should go.”
“South it is then,” Talbot said thoughtfully. “But we move with extreme caution. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ashby is waiting for us. Move out. Wilkes on point.”
The troops were willing. The Terran host made excellent progress over a lush grassland. Talbot noted that his squad leaders seemed to appreciate the collegiate decision making process. It gave them more ownership of the mission. The entire group seemed to grow in confidence as a result.
Talbot was drenched in sweat by the time the army had traversed the grassland and reached the edge of thick jungle. Thankfully Wilkes was right about the water supply. The increasingly drained soldiers had recourse to a delightfully fresh brook that joined them on their way south.
The morning wore on. Even with a diligent scout standing at the rear of the quad, scanning the verdant landscape in all directions, no beacons could be seen. Talbot was desperate to knock over as many as possible while his troops had energy and drive - this mission was all about dexterous movement through challenging terrain.
To add to his worries, the introduction of thick jungle posed logistical issues for the quad. The thing was certainly a snub-nosed brute, but there was no way it was getting through the vine-draped thicket. In the end Talbot decided to set up base camp a few yards within the tree line and close to the water supply. He left two engineers to set up light defenses and guard the raw materials. There was no point lugging it through the thick vegetation. Talbot hated to lose two soldiers but it seemed to most prudent course of action.
The host pressed on through the jungle. The going was tough, particularly with all manner of alien insects and critters wanting a piece of them, but Talbot was glad to see his engineers accumulating XP as they went. Those specializing in ecology had a particularly productive time, discovering an effective bug repellent from tree bark and a stimulant from small red fruit.
The jungle sojourn was surprisingly brief. The scouts in the vanguard of the column passed word to approach with extreme caution. Talbot and Wilkes had the troops bunker down in the thick shrubbery, then they commando-crawled to the forward position. Porter handed Talbot his binoculars - the path ahead tumbled into a deep ravine. The bottom was dark and shadowy, but Talbot could see flowing water.
“Well spring,” Wilkes murmured. “Perfect place for a camp.”
“Perfect place for an ambush,” Talbot countered, scanning the ridges to either side. No enemy activity that he could see, but that didn’t mean the Irians weren’t there.
“There’s something else,” Porter said in a tight voice. “Look carefully at the far end.”
Adjusting his nocs, Talbot swore under his breath. A green beacon taunted them from the dappled shade of light woodland. Couldn’t have been more than three hundred yards to the south. Talbot resisted the immediate impulse to send a scout party through the gorge.
“Hold,” he said, more to himself than anyone else. “We make ourselves invisible and sit tight.”
Wilkes spread the word in no uncertain terms. The human host melted back into the jungle with admirable proficiency. Not even Talbot could spot them. He withdrew under the drapery of a lion fern, ignoring the stings of persistent mosquitoes.
One hour passed, though it felt like two. Talbot lost count of the number of times he checked his wrist pad to see if his quad sentries were still alive. At length the drone of a thopter rose to the south.
“Irian,” Porter whispered to Talbot’s right. “You were fucking right, sir. Pardon the language.”
“That’s all right, Porter,” Talbot said through a grin. It was another one of those defining moments. That bastard Ashby was waiting for him above that ravine, he was sure of it. Since Talbot clearly wasn’t taking the bait, the aliens had a clear decision to make. Waste more time here, or withdraw to the south. What Talbot didn’t like was following Ashby’s trail - who knew what manner of traps lay in wait for them in that ravine. The alternative was to backtrack through the jungle and head west. That would take time, and give the enemy another advantage.
In the end Talbot decided on a crafty compromise. He waited until he
was sure the enemy had moved on, then split his forces into two groups. One took the left ridge, the other took the right. Talbot followed the latter group. There was evidence the Irians had recently held positions up there.
“Sir,” Porter said urgently, looking over the lip of the chasm. The beacon they’d spotted earlier lay on a bed of needles far below them.
“Do we have rappel gear?” Talbot asked.
“Standard scout kit,” Porter said, already laying his gear out on the rock.
“Do it,” Talbot said. “Two of you. Watch for traps.”
Talbot peered into the ravine as the scouts lowered themselves down. They launched themselves off the jagged rock with elite skills, reaching the bottom without incident. The beacon turned a shade of navy blue as they approached. Porter took a moment to scan the ravine before climbing back up.
“Good job,” Talbot said. He was growing addicted to seeing navy blue beacons.
“The ravine is riddled with traps,” Porter said. “I can’t see anything obvious, but the Irians definitely altered the terrain.”
“What now, sir?” Wilkes asked, his face smeared with sweat and dirt.
Talbot looked across the ravine. Fielding, Quantum and their troops stood partially concealed on the opposing ridge.
He motioned for the others to hard march south and regroup at the first available opportunity.
“If we’re gonna follow the Irians,” Talbot said to Wilkes, “we need to do it fast so they don’t have time to prepare for us.”
Virtual War: Alpha Centauri (A LitRPG Novel) Page 8
