Talbot rushed forward - through the hatch he could see Fielding, beautiful Fielding, standing high on the dam wall looking down at him through her rifle scope. He gave her a thumbs up and tried to push the quad back onto the reservoir bed. Too heavy. The sound of a second quad drew his gaze - it was Wilkes in the Terran vehicle. The commando skidded to a halt and rushed to help Talbot.
“Pity we can’t drive these fucking things,” he muttered, putting his back into it. The pair managed to roll the unit back from the maintenance hatch, where it rolled down the concrete slope. The hatch slammed shut and it’s edge glowed green. A number of metal groans echoed across the reservoir from the north.
“Sluice gates are finally opening,” Talbot said. “We need to get out of here.”
Wilkes took the wheel and Talbot rode shotgun. The commando drove with elite skills, guiding the quad down the steep reservoir embankment and across the floor.
“How did you get down here?” Talbot asked.
Wilkes simply pointed to the supply shaft in the center of the dam wall. Talbot grinned - these aliens had more than a few surprises in store.
A dull roar rose behind them, suggesting an enormous torrent of water. Talbot was amazed at how quickly the leading wave was cascading across the flat surface. The wave was tinged brown, suggesting it had picked up a century’s worth of detritus along the way.
Wilkes parked the quad in the bay and activated the lift. As they rose in the wall cavity, the leading wave smashed into the dam and roared up to meet them. The Terrans were showered with freezing cold water as they reached the supply bay on top of the wall.
Drenched, Talbot looked at Wilkes - that had been too close.
“Those aliens knew how to fill a reservoir,” he said dryly.
The Terrans were spread along the wall, watching the torrent in wonder. The entire reservoir was full of heaving dark water. The captured beacon wasn’t visible, which was a good thing. The Irians were adept in the water, but they couldn’t capture what they couldn’t see. Supporting Sanger by her side, Fielding joined the troops on the wall. She’d already splinted and stabilized the engineer’s leg.
“If only we had more medics like you,” Talbot said appreciatively, helping her lay Sanger down in the shade of the quad.
“Don’t get me started,” Fielding grumbled, though her tone was soft. It made Talbot wonder whether she was lost to him after all.
“You’d better come see this, Major,” Wilkes said, standing at the north balustrade.
The water in the reservoir was still agitated, but Talbot could make out some large objects bobbing on the surface to the north. He zoomed in his binoculars - they were sentinels! Three of them, dead for all money. Closer inspection suggested there were smaller bodies in the water too.
“The attack force they sent earlier,” Wilkes said. “The sentinel in the pumphouse was supposed to make it impossible for us to fill the reservoir. Thanks to Sanger, we had a head start.”
Talbot couldn’t help but grin with pride. Here was a perfect example of engineering expertise saving lives. Sanger’s hydrology specialization had paid off in spades.
“Ashby will think twice before underestimating us again,” Talbot said.
“What do you think he’ll do?” Wilkes asked.
“He’ll withdraw, consolidate his position,” Talbot said. “By my rough calculations he still has around thirty troops. Twice our force. All he has to do is hold those beacons on the plain and he’s won the battle. And the war.”
“True,” Wilkes said. “At he very least, I think we’ve nailed every one of his sentinels.”
Talbot nodded. “They haven’t gotten much value out of those units after all.”
“No way,” Wilkes agreed. “Makes losing the commandos sting a little less.”
“Don’t remind me,” Talbot said with a forced smile. “In any case, we should secure the high altitude beacons - if there’s any. They might give us a crucial buffer later in the game.”
“I see your logic,” Wilkes said, gazing up at the mountains doubtfully. “But it’ll take valuable time and what’s to stop Ashby ambushing us on the way down?”
“He’ll have problems of his own,” Talbot said cryptically. “Follow me.”
The pair headed west along the wall and into the control tower. Ideally, Sanger would be present to guide Talbot through the next few steps, but he’d memorized a few basic alien symbols. He accessed a sluice activation portal and successfully triggered the central mechanism. All sluice gates in the dam wall glowed green.
A chorus of shouts dragged the pair outside. The Terran troops were glued to the southern balustrade, where a cataclysmic roar could only mean one thing.
“You crafty bastard,” Wilkes murmured.
The dam wall was releasing as much water as its sluice gates would allow. Over a dozen tongues of white water cascaded a half mile to the parched plains below.
“Might have been fields once,” Talbot mused.
“Now’s it’s just mud,” Wilkes said mischievously.
The Terrans watched as the water finally reached the salt pan, where it sank beneath the hungry crust. Soon the flow would exceed ground capacity and create pools and lagoons.
“Sir,” exclaimed Gipps. “I can see the Irians.”
Ashby’s troops were indeed visible at the base of the mountain. They were heading north, ignoring the water completely.
“They’re making a point,” Talbot said. “Ain’t foolin’ no one.”
The Irian fortifications near captured beacons had either been swept away by the deluge or were sinking in the mud.
“Take them hours to set it all up again,” Wilkes said. “We probably have time to risk that climb, sir.”
“I’m game,” Talbot replied. “I just need to level up.”
He accessed his character screen and something made him select the sniper rifle perk. Being able to use Fielding’s weapon might come in handy later. Once he was done he looked around for his former lover.
“Fielding - how’s Sanger coming along?”
“With the medicine we scrounged on Avari, she’ll be on her feet within an hour.”
“You have twenty minutes,” Talbot said with a grin. “Wilkes - prepare the troops for mountaineering.”
The path from the western edge of the reservoir was steep and treacherous. Ice and snow wasn’t yet a problem, but the slope was comprised of unstable scree that demanded the closest of attention with each step.
The slow going filled Talbot with disquiet, as he knew that Ashby would be tempted to prevent the Terrans from descending the mountain. In that scenario, everything hinged on finding an alternative route back to the reservoir. Hell, a way down to the delta itself would be even better.
It was early afternoon by the time the Terrans reached the first of many ancient glacial valleys. Though it was a clear, sunny day with no inclement weather in sight, a thick dusting of powdery snow covered the ground ahead. Talbot was already feeling the cold through his thin utility suit - that wind was howling through the valley.
“Corbin,” he murmured, training his nocs on the valley ahead. “What can you see up there?”
“Silvano supports a cryptic ecosystem,” the ecologist replied. “Probably only a tenth of the wildlife we saw in the jungles of Avari. However … I think I can see something at the top of the valley. Large herbivores.”
It took an hour to climb the steep valley, but Corbin proved to be correct. A herd of heavy-set, four-legged creatures grazed the spindly grass that had breached the snow here.
“It’s getting dangerous out here,” Fielding said, her breath visible in the frigid air.
Talbot had to agree, but there was no immediate solution. Was there some way the crew could fashion an extra layer of clothing?
“What about the animals?” Talbot asked Corbin, who was distracted by something in a stand of stunted ghost elms.
“Already on it, sir.”
She’d found a carcass of
one of the yak-like beasts. A cloud of flies rose as they approached - a sure sign it was riddled with maggots.
“We can’t use this one,” Corbin said, “but holo-tags are lighting up like crazy around that thing. Well, for me anyway.”
Talbot nodded - here was another opportunity to capitalize on a skill specialization.
“What can we harvest?” he asked.
“We can use the oil in its skin to treat sunburn and fuel our fires,” she said. “The pelt can be crafted into high-altitude jerkins. Also, just one those healthy beasts has enough meat to feed us all for the entire battle run.”
“Good work, Corbin,” Talbot said. “I’ll get our resident hunter on the job.”
Within minutes Fielding was lying in the snow, her slender rifle balanced on a flat rock. One sharp crack and a “Silvian yak” over four hundred feet up-slope was toast. Despite the surplus of oil and meat, Fielding killed three more on Talbot’s instruction. It was the only way they could harvest enough skin to craft their cold-resistant clothing.
Gipps was assigned to production. He’d leveled up in crafting and was able to use the raw materials to fashion wearable furs from a makeshift workbench. He crafted fourteen furs from three animals - more than enough. Talbot was pleased to find that the soft, silky furs didn’t limit flexibility of movement.
Wilkes grinned at him. “Now we’re proper savages.”
“I like the sound of that,” Talbot said.
“One more thing, Gipps,” Wilkes said. “Last time I leveled up I got a schematic for improved bore grenades. Can you check if you received it?”
Gipps’ eyes glazed over for a moment.
“I have it,” the craftsman said. “All we need are the grenades themselves.”
Talbot handed over his pair of grenades and had everyone else do the same. Seventeen in total - not bad. It only took Gipps a few minutes to complete the job. Talbot claimed five improved bore grenades from the pool. They were larger and heavier than the previous model.
Talbot was about to call the squad to march when Corbin gestured from a copse of tangled undergrowth.
“This plant is adapted to the cold,” she said excitedly. “It breaks through the snow and sheds its tough exterior when the sun comes out. This way it generates accelerated photosynthesis.”
“All well and good,” Talbot said. “But can it help us?”
“Maybe,” the ecologist replied, stripping a pale length of vine with her pocket knife. “See how thin this is? It’s barely visible against the snow. Tough and fibrous, too.”
Talbot and Wilkes exchanged a look - experienced soldiers over many campaigns, they knew good trip wire material when they saw it.
“Where do we set up, sir?” Wilkes said.
Talbot grinned. He was now able to communicate in shorthand with the commando. They had Corbin cut several strips of fiber before taking them back down the valley to where the walls narrowed. They had enough fiber to set up a series of traps. Talbot attached bore grenades to the ends. They were dirty, nasty pieces of work, but Talbot wasn’t out to win a popularity contest.
The traps set, Wilkes and Fielding marshaled the troops to advance further up the pass. The small host marched single file through the snow until they reached a forest of blood red conifer.
“It’s so quiet,” Fielding marveled. “If we somehow win today, I’m gonna claim this spot for myself.”
“Wood cabin, log fire?” Talbot murmured. “I never knew you were the wilderness type.”
“I’m a career soldier, you know that,” Laura said. “But there’s always shore leave.”
Talbot chuckled at that, but he also felt a twinge of regret. He realized that he was far more disposed to a peaceful life than Laura was. The only woman he’d come close to caring about. If the Terrans won the right to colonize the Alpha Centauri, perhaps the war would end for good. Where would that leave a career soldier like Fielding? Hopefully not in a peacetime army. His war veteran grandfather use to claim that there was no worse thing.
The terrain leveled out as the host moved through the strangely beautiful crimson trees. Corbin harvested a bagful of seeds that boosted stamina. Talbot munched on a handful but he didn’t really need the boost. He’d slept like a savage, he looked like a savage, he’d already killed a sentinel. The Irians had lost several of their number but the Terran host was still intact. A host full of highly skilled specialists. All up, the battle for Silvano was progressing well so far.
The best was yet to come. Sanger obtained permission to break from the line and have a pee in the woods, but when she returned her face was pale and she trembled with excitement.
“A beacon, sir,” she said reverently. “Just sitting there under a blood-red tree.”
Talbot said nothing, just motioning for the hydrologist to lead on. The silver beacon, so serene against the snow, was well hidden from the central path and thus fairly secure. Sanger had thoughtfully left the honor of “turning” the sphere to Talbot, as was becoming tradition. He stepped into it with glee, knowing it was unlikely to be re-taken. That made it all the more sweeter.
“Should we keep pushing through the mountain pass?” Wilkes asked, admiring the navy beacon.
Talbot checked the sky - the weather was holding for now. It was already mid-afternoon, but the Terrans could find shelter further up if need be. Spending the night on top of the mountain was probably a wise move considering the Irian threat below them.
“Let’s keep moving,” Talbot said. “You never know, there might be another beacon up here.”
The Terran host marched for another two hours through heavy snow. The blood-red forest thinned as the slope increased yet again. In a way Talbot was thankful the snow cover was so thick - a thin layer of ice would’ve made this part of the journey treacherous. As it was, every soldier in the single-file column was attached to a long length of rope for security. As Alpha Centauri dipped behind the western peak, light and heat began to fade quickly.
The gathering dark was not without its charms. In fact, without the gloom, Fielding may well have missed the glowing orb sitting on the edge of a huge crevasse.
“There’s another,” she said urgently.
“Everyone stay back,” Talbot warned. “That snow looks unstable.”
He picked his way up the dangerous snow drift, doing his best not to look down into the fathomless chasm. The snow and ice down there glowed sky blue and bottle green. If Talbot wasn’t so intent on securing the beacon, he might’ve lingered to drink in its haunting beauty. Once the sphere was navy blue, he snaked back down the snow drift on his stomach. Wilkes clapped him on the back when he returned to the others.
“That’s three,” the commando said warmly. “Better still, I suspect they’ll remain ours.”
“You’re probably right,” Talbot said. “Unless Ashby is following us right up the mountain.”
“I doubt it,” Fielding said. “They were a long way behind when we got started.”
“Don’t underestimate those bastards,” Talbot said, scanning the mountain pass ahead. There was little point in attempting a night descent, so they needed cover.
“Where’s Porter when you need him?” Talbot muttered. The pathfinder would’ve been able to locate a suitable shelter.
“I can see a cave in the mountainside to the east,” Harris reported, squinting through the gloom.
24
Harris’s cave was certainly large enough, but it was also strewn with bones and stank to high heaven. Worse, it wasn’t quite dry. A film of ice on the ceiling began dripping on the soldiers as soon as they had a modest fire going.
“It’ll do,” Talbot said. “Try and get some sleep, people.”
“Think the owner of this cave is still out there?” Wilkes asked.
“I doubt it,” Corbin said. “Those bones aren’t fresh, suggesting the animal keeps a number of caves.”
Talbot was satisfied with that logic. Once everyone was settled, he ventured outside to see where Fieldin
g was. She was standing on a little snow drift, eyes locked on the aurora that stretched across the velvet sky like an ethereal necklace.
“There’s something about this planet,” she said softly, without looking at him. “I’ve never been colder in my life, but something up here is crawling under my skin.”
“It’s called frostbite,” Talbot said, giving her a little nudge.
Much to his relief, she chuckled.
“You did good, John,” she said, finally looking at him. “Anyone else might have given up by now, but you … well, let’s just say we’re lucky you’re a stubborn pain in the ass.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Talbot said. “Thanks, though. That means a lot. Especially coming from you.”
“We lost our way, didn’t we?” she murmured. It didn’t really need an answer.
As the pair enjoyed a companionable silence for the first time in days, Talbot wondered how Silvano’s real aurora stacked up against this one. Were the game designers guilty of embellishment, or were Alpha Centauri’s worlds truly this dramatic? For the first time he felt emotionally invested in the capture of the virgin system. Now that he’d witnessed all this primal beauty first hand, the idea that these vast landscapes could fall to the Irians was difficult to contemplate.
“Hold me, Major Talbot,” Laura said, stepping into him gently.
Talbot wrapped her in a bear hug, a “hello” after what seemed like an eternity apart.
“Welcome back,” he said. “I’m sorry for being a dick. I can’t help it. I’m a big, fat, fucking dick.”
Fielding chuckled, slapping Talbot on the arm to get him to stop.
“I’ll manage,” was all she said, but it was enough.
Talbot kissed her on the cheek. No matter what happened now, they’d cleared the biggest hurdle they were ever going to face.
He woke somewhere in the back of the cave. The floor was a mass of furs as the Terrans huddled together for warmth.
“Let’s get down that hill,” Talbot announced brightly.
The soldiers saw to their morning ministrations and were reported for duty within minutes. Wilkes laid several sides of meat on the smoldering fire, which made him the most popular squad leader in the history of soldiering.
Virtual War: Alpha Centauri (A LitRPG Novel) Page 15
