Joined In Battle

by Toby Neighbors

  “It’s not that difficult,” Dean argued. “You drop an electromagnet down, lift the cap from the pod, we flush the creature out, and you return the cap. Simple.”

  “Easy for you to say,” Chappelander argued. “You aren’t the one taking all the risks.”

  “Excuse me?” Dean said, having to force himself not to shout. “Did you really just tell me I’m not taking risks? Are you insane, Lieutenant?”

  “Let’s all stay calm,” Anders intoned.

  “I have an idea,” Dean said. “Why don’t we let Sergeant Fennes handle this. I’ve got a feeling she’s more equipped for this type of mission.”

  “Sergeant, join us please,” Anders called out.

  Dean knew that Sergeant Margot Fennes was an experienced operator. EsDef policy was only to allow officers to pilot shuttlecraft with humans involved, while the enlisted personnel were in charge of unmanned drones, such as the maintenance craft on the Hannibal. But Dean had a feeling that Fennes wouldn’t balk the way Chappelander had. The lieutenant had successfully piloted the shuttle to the mining platform, but it hadn’t been an easy trip.

  “Yes, sir?” Fennes asked.

  Dean had decent reception and could see the other people on the Hannibal gathered around VA Anders’ station on the bridge. The vid feed was on his TCU and only he could see it. The battle armor allowed him to have a private conversation with command while in the middle of a crowd.

  “Can you pilot the shuttle?” Dean asked.

  “I’m not allowed, sir,” she responded. “But I’m qualified.”

  “We aren’t talking about you moving people,” Anders explained. “We need to use the shuttle to hoist a section of the mining platform once the workers disengage it.”

  “Oh sure, I can do that,” Fennes said.

  “It’s dicey down there,” Chappelander snapped. “You’ll be flying in less than ideal conditions.”

  “But I just need to remove something and perhaps bring it back. It shouldn’t be a problem,” the O&A sergeant said.

  “Great,” Dean said, feeling a sense of relief.

  “If she crashes the shuttle, you’ll be stuck down there,” Chappelander said.

  “The mining company has shuttles, Lieutenant. I wouldn’t put my platoon at risk. Can we please check our egos and focus on getting this job done?”

  Chappelander didn’t say another word as Sergeant Margot Fennes got up to speed and began planning for the job at hand. Dean was certain the pouty lieutenant was there watching his subordinate and hoping that she failed, but Dean had no time for petty rivalry between the operators. They had a job to do, and he was intent on getting it finished.

  “We have what we need,” Hankins said as he and his companions returned to the commissary.

  They wore thick coveralls, work gloves, and full-face oxygen masks. Each man had a large satchel full of tools.

  “Alright everyone, we’re ready to get started,” Dean said over the open channel. Everyone has a job to do, and I want you ready. No surprises.”

  “Let’s just hope that xynodrex cooperates,” Landin said.

  “I’ve got eyes on the old girl,” Ghost spoke up from the refining section of the platform. “She’s happy as a pig in a wallow.”

  “Old girl?” Harper asked.

  “The xynodrex are unisex creatures,” Lieutenant Myers said. “Sergeant Bradus is both right and wrong simultaneously.”

  “See that,” Ghost said. “I’m right.”

  “And wrong,” Harper said.

  “Adkins, are you ready?” Dean asked.

  “Yes, sir,” the HA Corporal said.

  “Okay, let’s do this,” Dean ordered.

  Chip Hankins, Barry, and Al were escorted by Dean, Loggins, Landin, Chavez, and Tallgrass. They made their way to the refining section of the mining platform without incident and hurried down to the far end. Dean joined Ghost and Harper, who were watching the xynodrex, which was hovering near one of the refining processors, ignoring them. The creature was hard to see; only the lights inside its transparent body were visible in regular light. Dean was forced to switch to infrared to get a better look at the alien. Its tentacles were wrapped around the refiner, and most of its gelatinous body was pressed against the machine.

  “What’s it doing?” Dean asked.

  “My guess?” Ghost said. “Sucking the gas out of that processor.”

  “Captain, is it really possible that it entered through the exhaust vent?” Harper asked. “I can’t imagine it being small enough.”

  “Well, we know that they feed on different types of gases,” Dean said. “And this platform works through a great deal of gas, separating the different types from the planet’s atmosphere. If it had a steady diet of the right gasses, it might be possible for it to grow very quickly.”

  “Could there be more of them?” Ghost asked. “I mean, those workers saw strange things at different places on the platform. Could there be more roaming around this place?”

  “This one is too large to roam anymore,” Dean said. “That doesn’t mean it didn’t explore. It might not have been strong enough to find a way to the gas inside the refinery until recently.”

  “It caused an explosion from leaking methane, too,” Harper said.

  “Yeah, that worries me a bit,” Ghost said. “If it attacks us and it survived an explosion, I don’t give us much of a chance with these pop guns.”

  “I’m hoping we can lure it out peacefully,” Dean said.

  “Yeah, ’cause OWFR is all about peaceful solutions,” Ghost said.

  “Maybe we try something new, like everyone going home from this tour,” Dean suggested.

  “I’m for it,” Harper spoke up.

  The work of disconnecting the end cap from the refinery section couldn’t take place with hydrogen in the air. One spark could have set the hydrogen off and caused the entire platform to explode.

  “We’ve got the refining section sealed,” Adkins said from the control booth back in the commissary. “Venting atmo now.”

  Dean heard the air being pulled out of the space by large fans. The system wasn’t strong enough to create a true vacuum, but the sensors on his suit soon registered that the air was safe enough for the miners to begin their work.

  “Hankins, your team is a go,” Dean said.

  “Got it, Captain.”

  It took the workers two hours to remove the huge bolts that held the convex end cap onto the refining section of the platform. When they were finished, Tallgrass and Landin used compressed air jacks to push the section free.

  “Electromagnet is locked in place,” Sergeant Fennes said. “Moving the end cap now, over.”

  Dean had been impressed with the sergeant’s confidence. She didn’t complain about the complexity of the mission, nor did she seem intimidated by the responsibility. Landin and Loggins escorted the workers back to the entrance of the refining section, while Chavez and Tallgrass joined Dean, Ghost, and Harper.

  “Door’s open,” Chavez said. “Any chance she’ll just float away?”

  “Doesn’t look like it,” Harper said. “It hasn’t moved from the refinery.”

  “Adkins,” Dean spoke up. “Vent the refining processors.”

  “Roger that,” came the big HA corporal’s reply.

  Dean heard more venting, and after a few moments the xynodrex began to move.

  “Alright, let’s make sure she goes the right way,” Dean ordered.

  The five Recon troopers spread out in a line and began waving their arms and shouting. Their battle armor multiplied their efforts as the external speakers were increased to maximum volume. Just as Dean had hoped, the jellyfish-like alien moved away from them. It went from its place on the third processor to the fourth, searching to see if the gas it coveted was available in the refining processor.

  “Advance,” Dean said.

  The five-member squad moved between the third and fourth refining processors. Once more they waved their arms and shouted, trying
to herd the creature out of the mining platform. It was slower to move away from the empty processor. Dean got the feeling it wanted to try the other processors but was intimidated by the commotion the squad was making. Finally, it began to drift toward the opening. Dean was frustrated that the end cap was only as large as the narrow walkways that connected the sections of the mining platform. He wasn’t even certain the bulbous creature could squeeze through.

  “Advance,” Dean ordered again.

  They moved toward the creature slowly, and it retreated before them. For a few minutes, Dean had hope that the creature would actually leave the mining platform willingly—but then the internal lights began to glow and flash brightly, filling the dim rig with strange light.

  “Switch to infrared,” Dean told his companions. “Don’t let it touch you.”

  The refining section was much larger than most of the other parts of the mining platform. The refining processors were tall machines, and even though Dean’s specialists were waving their arms and shouting, the xynodrex charged toward them. It flicked all of its tentacles behind it, which caused the bulbous creature to shoot forward. Fortunately, it seemed reluctant to touch the Recon troops and shot over their heads.

  “Holy shit!” Ghost shouted.

  “What now, Captain?” Chavez asked.

  "I have an idea,” Dean said. “Everyone fall back to the other side of the section. And be careful near that xynodrex.”

  They passed the strange alien. Dean recognized the posture of the xynodrex. It reminded him of a toddler who was intent on not leaving its room. The xynodrex had wedged itself into a nook in the far wall, its tentacles wrapped around every available surface. When they reached the rest of the platoon and the workers near the hatch that led back to the main part of the platform, Dean began trying to concoct a new plan.

  “Well, that wasn’t what I expected,” Ghost said. “That thing can move when it wants to.”

  “It’s best that we remember that,” Dean said, turning to Hankins. “How do you work on the upper sections of the refineries?”

  “We climb up the outside or use ladders.”

  “Do you have some kind of extension rods or poles that we can use?”

  “Oh yeah, sure, we have some.”

  Hankins led Dean over to a storage compartment and pulled out four telescoping rods.

  “Do you have lights that attach to these?” Dean asked.

  “We have utility lights,” Hankins said, pulling out an object that was larger than a flashlight but similar in shape.

  Dean clicked the utility light on and was pleased to see that it was very bright.

  “Perfect. Attach them to the rods and extend them as far as they’ll go,” he ordered. “I want Loggins, Tallgrass, Harper, and Landin each with one of these rods. Lead with the lights—we’ll try to scare it out. Don’t get too close; I’m sure our armor will protect us from the tentacles, but let’s not put it to the test. Staff Sergeant, Ghost—we’ll be covering the others with our pistols. If it tries to fight them, we open fire. Everyone understand?”

  They all replied affirmatively and slowly started back through the pod. Dean was right behind Loggins, hoping that he was a reassuring presence to the young FAS private. The new addition to the Wolfpack didn’t seem as frightened as before, but he wasn’t brimming with confidence either. The lights on the telescoping rods filled the chamber with light. Dean could see just how dingy the space truly was. The large metal sections were roughly welded together, and the ceiling looked dirty in the strong light.

  “Careful,” Dean said when the xynodrex came into sight.

  He had to use infrared vision to see the creature’s heat signature. Its transparent body and flashing lights made him feel vulnerable. The targeting reticle was on his HUD as he raised his sidearm and took aim at one of the bright red tentacle arms.

  “Alright, let’s make some noise,” Dean ordered.

  The specialists began shouting and waving their lights. The xynodrex quivered but didn’t leave the nook.

  “Tallgrass, get closer,” Dean said.

  Chavez was right behind her, a pistol in each hand. She waved her light toward the end of one of the tentacles, and to everyone’s relief it pulled back.

  “Keep going, we’ve got to get it moving,” Dean ordered.

  Three more tentacles retracted before the creature decided to find another hiding place. It shot out of the nook and wrapped itself around the top of the nearest refining processor. Dean was in awe as the bulbous creature flattened its body, decreasing in size and twisting around the pipes and chambers on top of the processing unit.

  “Damn, how do we get to it now?” Landin asked.

  “It’s afraid,” Tallgrass said. “It doesn’t know we’re trying to help it.”

  “At least it can shrink down small enough to get through the hatch,” Ghost said. “If we can get it there.”

  Dean toggled on the open frequency on his comlink.

  “Lieutenant Myers, is there any record of the xynodrex communicating with humans?” Dean asked.

  “All attempts at communication have failed,” the encyclopedic lieutenant replied. “The xynodrex appear to commune with others of their kind throughout space, but scientists have yet to discover how they communicate or what type of messages their satellites are meant to send or receive.”

  “Well, that leaves us two options,” Dean said. “Will your lights reach it?”

  “I think so,” Harper said.

  She moved to the refining unit just ahead of the others, holding her light as high as she could get it. To everyone’s surprise, the xynodrex lashed out with one transparent tentacle. Electric blue light flashed through the long limb, and Harper’s utility light went flying through the air.

  “Ghost,” Dean said.

  The sniper fired a single shot with his sidearm. The pistol report was nothing more than a metallic chunk! Lights flared on the xynodrex and it tried to shrink back, away from the humans.

  “Can you tell if it had any lasting effect?” Dean asked.

  “It felt it,” Ghost said. “Otherwise it seems fine.”

  “I say we tranq it up there and send Ghost to push it down,” Landin said.

  “Use the lights again,” Dean said. “We don’t want to hurt it if we don’t have to.

  Landin, Tallgrass, and Loggins waved their lights at the creature, which jumped down and scooted along the metal grate flooring toward the hatch.

  “Move, people. Scare it through the hole,” Dean ordered.

  They all ran forward, shouting and waving the lights. The xynodrex broke for the hatch but stopped just inside it. The creature’s arms spread all around the opening. Dean was afraid to shoot it with more tranq darts, fearing that the sedative might cause the xynodrex to fall to its death.

  “Keep moving,” Dean said. “Don’t let it come back through.”

  They waved the lights as they approached. Ghost and Chavez kept their weapons trained on the creature. The lights inside the transparent body flashed on and off, switching colors in a dazzling display, but the Recon specialists kept moving steadily closer. Then Dean felt, more than heard, a deep rumble. Loggins was closest to the creature, directly in front of the hatch, shouting as he waved his light. A yellow liquid came squirting from the creature, pelting the unsuspecting private and covering him with a thick gel, just before the xynodrex jumped from the platform.

  “Oh god!” Loggins shouted as he dropped to the deck.

  “Move him back!” Dean ordered Ghost and Harper. “Sergeant Fennes, we are clear. You can lower the cover back to the pod, over.”

  “Roger that. Returning the end cap now, over.”

  “Hankins! We’re clear. Get up here.”

  “What is it?” Loggins shouted. “Am I dying?”

  The other specialists were all laughing. Chavez bent over the unfortunate Loggins and said, “You’re not dying, private. You just scared the piss out of that alien, that’s all.”

  “
What?” Loggins said, but everyone was laughing too hard to answer him. Even Dean couldn’t help but chuckle.

  Chapter 12

  The hardest part of the mission on Faraday was cleaning up the goo that had been excreted onto Private Cody Landin. Sergeant Fennes had no trouble getting the end cap back on the refining pod. An hour later, the mining platform was secure and Dean’s platoon was strapping back into their shuttle. The flight from the mining platform back to the Hannibal was uneventful, and by the time they were secure in the ship’s tiny hangar, the mining company was sending men down to get work restarted on the mining platform.

  “Excellent work, Captain,” Anders said as Dean stepped off the shuttle and pulled his TCU off his head.

  “Thank you, Admiral. It’s always good when we come back in one piece.”

  “EsDef will be pleased. I’d dare say they’ll use your actions to promote their message of peaceful co-existence with other species.”

  “Maybe. I’m just glad we could get the creature off the platform without having to hurt it.”

  “You deserve a reward. I’ve asked Corporal Franklin to prepare a special meal for your platoon.”

  “They’ll appreciate that,” Dean said sincerely.

  “I wish you could have a little more leisure, but we’ve gotten a call from the Beru system. The colony on Lars is in distress.”

  “We don’t need a break,” Dean assured Anders. “A good meal and a short nap and we’ll be ready for the next mission.”

  “I hope so, Captain. We’ll reach the Beru system in just under twenty-four hours.”

  Dean wasn’t happy to be jetting off on another mission, but he had to admit he preferred action to training. His platoon had done well on Faraday, and he felt reasonably certain they were ready for whatever might be waiting for them in the Beru system. He sent his team to the small mess hall, where they enjoyed huge bowls of steaming jambalaya with skillet cornbread. They laughed and ate until they were stuffed, and then Dean stood up.

  “Alright, we’ve got orders,” he said, as the platoon quieted down. “We’re on our way to the Beru system. There’s trouble on Lars. I don’t know anything about it yet, but we’ll be there in less than twenty-four hours. I want everyone asleep for the next eight hours, then you will eat again before seeing to your armor and weapons. I can’t imagine we’ll have two easy ops in a row. I want you all locked and loaded before we arrive in system. Any questions?”