by Jan Domagala
“Actually, sir, we’ve arrived,” Artie said.
“We’re here?” Jake said walking up to the forward viewscreen, his stride urgent.
The view displayed on the screen was of a planet orbiting a Sol type star, a bright blue orb floating in the inky blackness of space. Clouds could be seen quite clearly over land masses that stretched over vast areas of the planet indicating it had an atmosphere possibly like that of Earth’s.
“Where are we?” Mack asked as he stood beside Jake looking at the screen.
“Sir, this is the planet Talipso.”
“Why are we here?” Jake asked.
“I traced the engine signature of the shuttle that visited the station to here. It appears to be a Cartel stronghold, sir,” replied the AI.
“Okay, see if you can locate the Garrisons and then give me everything you have on the planet,” Jake said.
“Affirmative, sir. According to records it is an ‘E’ class planet with a population of approximately twelve million, although those records are not accurate.”
“In what way?” Mack asked.
“The population count is wrong, sir, but that is not surprising as these records are decades old. I’m reading more than twice that number in this city alone. There are six other cities on this landmass and others on the rest of the world. They rely on trade with other planets in this sector and other Independent Worlds and the Cartel seem to afford them some protection, but at a price.”
“Protection from what or whom?” Mack asked.
“Them of course,” Gina replied as she came onto the bridge. “It’s a protection racket,” she elaborated.
“What else, Artie?” Jake asked.
“I have located the Garrisons, sir,” the AI said.
“Where are they?” Jake asked.
“In a settlement just outside of the city, sir, but they are exhibiting no signs of life.”
Mack stepped forward, “Are you saying they are dead?”
“I have located their DNA on the floor of a habitat in a settlement outside of the city but I cannot find their heat signature or heartbeats. I am afraid I can only surmise that we arrived too late to help them.”
“Holy crap,” exclaimed Gina angrily slapping her thighs as she turned from the screen.
Jake looked down as he tried to contain his anger. He was too late to save them. The thought of them dying so far from home and in terror from being abducted, tore at his soul. He had sworn to protect the innocent and yet he had been unable in this incident.
Taking a deep breath he calmed himself, they must go on. There was still much to do.
“Okay, there’s nothing we can do about that now so let’s move on. Artie what do we know of the Orion Cartel?” he asked.
“We know it is a criminal organisation that preys on the colonies in the Independent Worlds Sector. They are a paramilitary outfit of unknown numbers and capability.”
“Is that it?” Joe asked.
“There is nothing much on record about their activities, sir. Until this incident it was rare for them to stray beyond their usual territory,” confirmed the AI.
“Okay people, as much as I hate to admit it but we are going in blind on this one. Normally we have intel from on the ground so we know what we’re dealing with, but in this case we’ll have to gather the intel as we go. You know what that means guys, stay frosty and watch each other’s sixes,” Jake said.
His speech garnered concerned glances from all around him, which was only to be expected. He knew though that when the time came to act they would all work as the team they were, including their temporary recruit, Alex Thorn.
“Okay then, let’s suit up and get ready,” he said with a grim finality.
17
The Genotian starship exited the hyperspace window above the Talipso system. It was a starship that had seen many years’ service and had been commandeered by the Separatist Movement.
“What the fuck are we doing here?” Black shouted as he entered the bridge.
“We’ve still got contacts in the Home Guard back home and they informed us that Garrison was dealing with the Orion Cartel. We traced the engine signature of a craft that visited the station to here and this is supposed to be a stronghold of theirs,” replied Johan Wenger, one of the men who freed Black from captivity. He and his brother, Lucius were part of the Separatist Movement and also in the Home Guard which was how they had commandeered the use of the starship. It was one of the few remaining Batista class star cruisers and it was crewed by one hundred and fourteen soldiers who were all loyal to the Movement.
Colonel Black was a legend to the Movement; having fought in the war against them he chose their side at the end and now, under deep cover, he was the soldier they all wanted to be. His recent behaviour though was proving to them that he was perhaps not the legend they all thought but human too, just like all of them.
He hadn’t fallen from his high pedestal just yet but he was definitely tottering on the edge.
“And what exactly are we looking for?” Black ranted.
“The ship you say you saw on the station which brought your men back from there.”
“It was a rhetorical question you dumbass. What about the Orion Cartels, aren’t you worried about them seeing as how they run this entire sector?”
Johan felt his face flush with anger; the Colonel really was pushing him to his limits here. He couldn’t understand why those in the Movement held him in such high regard. His military record was exemplary, of that there was no doubt, but as a man his manners could do with some work.
Black saw Johan turn to face him and the look in his eyes told him he was about to blow. If he wanted these people on his side then he had better watch his attitude. They had sacrificed everything for him and the Movement so he owed them much. His rank meant nothing here as this was not strictly a military operation, they were all soldiers granted, but they were not at war, not yet. If not for them though he would be languishing in a penal colony right now waiting for his death sentence to be carried out.
He held up both hands in front of him and said, “Look Johan, I’m sorry for that, it’s been a long journey and I’m cranky. I’m eager to get to grips with Alex Thorn and those who helped him.”
“Let’s be straight here, Colonel, we’re here for that serum, nothing else. That serum is the key to us winning the next civil war and I’m not leaving here without it. The Movement seems to think you have value to this mission and that’s why you’re along. My priority is that serum, if in getting it you get to face Thorn then consider it a bonus, but get this right, if your actions detract from this mission in any way I’ll drop you myself. Are we clear?” Johan said as he stared the taller man in the eye.
Black smiled then and said, “Boy, you’ve got balls, I’ll give you that. As for dropping me, I seriously doubt it but kudos for guts. Now shall we get started?”
He saw Johan swallow as he had allowed him to not have to back up his threat just in case any of his men had been watching. It’s never a good thing to disgrace a leader in front of his men; it ruined the chain of command. Johan turned away from him and said, “If you’re so valued, let’s see what suggestions you have about how to proceed.”
With a half hidden smile Black said, “You need to tap into all local communications down there to see if you can pick up any chatter about who we’re after, the serum, anything pertaining to our search. Once you have that you can locate where they are and then we can plan our next move. Don’t do anything without the proper intel, it would be suicide otherwise.”
“Damn Colonel, you have your uses after all,” Johan said with a broad grin. He accessed the computer and began a search as suggested.
“This could take a while, I’ll be in my quarters, when you find anything let me know,” Black said as he turned and left the bridge.
18
I
They assembled in the aft bay where the Switchblades were docked.
“We’re going down on
those?” Alex asked when he saw the slim craft on the deck of the bay.
“Yes, we can leave while in orbit and fly down to the co-ordinates Artie has given us,” Jake said.
“I love these things,” Alex said, his smile broadening as he couldn’t contain his enthusiasm.
The speakers in the wall came alive with Artie’s voice booming out, “Sir, I have just picked up the arrival of a Genotian cruiser through a hyperspace window nearby. It has since taken up position in orbit around the planet below. According to records it was commandeered by the Separatist Movement,” the AI said.
“Are they aware of us, Artie?” Jake asked glancing at everyone present.
“Not yet, sir, but the moment you exit the docking bay you will appear on their sensor screens.”
“What’s a Genotian cruiser belonging to the Separatist Movement doing all the way out here. I thought the civil war was over?” Mack asked.
“It is, but there have been rumblings that they are still there just waiting for a chance to make another attempt,” Alex explained.
“It’s too much of a coincidence to ignore,” Gina said. Joe and Alex nodded in agreement.
“Okay, our priority has changed due to the intel Alex gave us about the serum, and what Artie just told us. We have to locate it and destroy it before those Genotians arrive. We know what we have to do. It’s coming up to three a.m. down there so they’ll be sleepy. We use that to our advantage,” Jake said looking at them all one by one.
“Any questions?” he added.
When none came forward he said, “Right, let’s do this.”
They each boarded a Switchblade and ignited the engine as the clear Plexiglas cover came forward to seal them inside. Jake gave them all the thumbs up sign as he activated the door release that opened the hatch to outer space. By this time each rider had their Switchblade in the air hovering just above the deck. Jake led the way and they headed out the hatch into space towards the planet’s surface.
II
On the bridge of the Genotian cruiser Johan saw the five tiny vehicles suddenly appear on his sensor screen.
“What the... Where the hell did they come from and what the hell are they?” he muttered as he calibrated the sensors further to get a better reading.
The sensors honed in on the retreating images and the computer enhanced them and displayed them on the large forward viewscreen.
“Got you!” he said when the images showed the Switchblades clearly. “Let’s see where you go,” he added.
III
The quintet flew through the atmosphere keeping the engines on stealth mode so they would not be heard.
Jake led them to the ground outside of the largest settlement where the Garrisons had been kept. Sand dunes rose high into the night sky and the five of them landed behind one of the smallest.
After dismounting they ensured the sleek craft would not be found by activating the camouflage circuit. This distorted the image of the craft so that it appeared to blend in with its background.
Jake motioned for them to proceed as he led the way to the top of the sand dune. He lay on his stomach as he viewed the settlement through his helmet’s enhanced vision visor.
The settlement before them was a series of curved habitats linked by tubular tunnels that ran between them. In that way the inhabitants could travel inside the settlement without venturing outside in the harsh desert environment. It also meant there were no guards outside. It didn’t mean though there was no security in place.
A series of small lenses were situated on the outside of the habitat ring facing towards the desert. These lenses would pick up any movement out there and relay the images to a monitor somewhere inside.
Accessing a battlecom channel whereby only those involved in the link would hear the conversation, Jake said, “Move in slowly, keep watch for any movement. Joe you take care of any monitors.”
“Copy that,” Joe said.
On his command they moved over the dune keeping low to the ground to minimise their profile.
Joe moved off to the right where he’d spotted the first monitor. It was perched high on top of one of the habitats to gain a better view of the desert. Taking careful aim with his Remm M25 he fired a single shot taking out the camera.
Jake led the rest around to the front of the nearest habitat and halted them. They all pressed up close to the walls of the domed structure. In the dark of night the only illumination was from the bright light of the moon overhead, which cast shadows across the settlement.
They found the entrance quickly and Mack made short work of the locking control. The door slid into a recess in the wall allowing them inside.
Jake went in first, his assault rifle held up against his shoulder as he sighted through the computer-controlled lens on top. He moved into the chamber followed by Gina, Mack and finally Joe. They all fanned out, each taking a segment of the room looking for targets.
The room was segmented into different rooms with simple dividing walls to separate them. The entrance into the habitat was merely a hallway that circled around the inside of the structure with doors spaced at regular intervals for each room.
“How do we know where they’re keeping the serum?” Mack asked.
“Look for the lab,” Joe said.
“I doubt they’ll have anything like a lab here,” Alex said.
Jake looked at him and asked, “What do you suggest?”
“We find the leader of this settlement, they’ll either have it or know who has,” Alex said.
They all nodded in agreement.
Jake said, “But how will we know who the leader is?”
“They’ll have the largest quarters,” Gina said with a raised eyebrow, she was surprised none of the others had realised that fact.
“Okay, no noise, fan out and find them. Take a door each and if they’re not here we move on to the next habitat,” Jake instructed.
Without another word they all went off around the corridor searching for their target.
19
I
Black sat in the front row of the shuttle wearing used battle gear along with the rest of the Marines. They had left a skeleton crew on board the cruiser just in case. On his hip was a Sig P900 sidearm and in a rack fitted to the side of the hull was a row of Remm Mk II pulse rifles.
The shuttle hurtled towards the surface of the planet to the same location Johan had seen the signals heading towards.
“Is this really the best you could do?” Black asked as he checked out his gear with a frown. “Some of this stuff is older than I am,” he added with a sneer.
“We use what we can get our hands on and as you know, since the war, resources are tight,” replied Johan.
“I just hope these weapons don’t blow up in our faces that’s all,” Black said accusingly.
“They’ll do the job, you just worry about doing yours,” Johan snapped back with some finality.
“Tell me Johan, knowing what that serum did to those poor bastards on the station why would you want to use it on your own people?”
“Garrison was supposed to make it more usable. If he failed then we can use it as a biological weapon against those we fought the last time,” Johan replied coldly.
“I admire how you could say those things and still keep a straight face. Bravo, you are joking of course, right?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“Are you serious, you would jeopardise every living soul on your home world? Not even you are that stupid,” Black sneered.
“We’ll see. I’m prepared to do what needs to be done to win this war.”
“You’re not at war, not yet. Too many people died in the last one, do you really want to subject your people to more of the same, or even worse?”
“I thought you were loyal to the cause?” Johan argued.
“I am, but we had our shot and we lost. Time to move on.”
“Why did you come on this mission then?”
“Mission, this isn
’t a mission it’s suicide and I didn’t have a choice, you rescued me from captivity, remember?”
“Well, now you’re here why not do your best and maybe you’ll come up with a way to prevent all those deaths.”
“This is a recipe for disaster. When the shit hits the proverbial don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Black said and turned his head to look out the porthole. He had a feeling of dread creeping up on him. He had seen a Berserker up close and personal and had no desire to repeat the performance.
He suddenly had a sweeping sensation that they were all going to die.
It was a feeling he could not shake.
He just hoped he was wrong.
II
Gina was the first to stumble upon the Garrisons.
She found them in one of the smaller habitats on the floor lying in their own blood.
Her eyes welled up with tears. The two of them looked terrified, their expressions of horror frozen at the time of death. As she looked on she saw that the daughter was terribly young, no more than thirteen years of age.
Through the battlecom channel she said, “Boss, I’ve found them.”
III
Black felt his pulse quicken as the shuttle came in to land.
The early morning light was throwing long shadows across the ground as the door opened to allow them to exit the vehicle.
He was out of his seat and aiming his pulse rifle before him as he reached the ramp.
“I’ll take point,” he said and led the way down the ramp.
IV
Gina’s attention was on the two dead bodies. She was totally engrossed in the horror of their deaths. There was so much blood that she wondered where it all came from. She did not see the other two occupants in the room until she heard something that chilled her blood.
Deep in the shadows of the room a roar like a wild animal emanated. She stared into the depths of those shadows allowing her enhanced vision to focus on whatever it was making the noise.
Slowly a form began to take shape as it emerged from those shadows. It was tall, well over seven feet and thickly muscled. Clothes hung on its body in tatters as if it had suddenly grown larger and they were unable to fit its new frame.
