by Todd Mcleod
“Well, here we go, Elvin. Let’s hope no matter what has come to this base is something that our people can still defend against.”
As they arrived in the compound, the smoke was very thick, and there was debris everywhere. They had to abandon their bikes and head deeper in on foot, taking what gear they could carry and moving cautiously. They were immediately greeted with the sounds of energy weapons firing, combined with the loud clashing of metal on metal and desperate screams. They could smell the sources of the fire and felt the echoing crackle of weapons fire. They struggled to clear their heads, the activity around them adding to a sense of urgency as they proceeded with the utmost caution. They found themselves in the middle of some sort of battle in a base filled with chaos and fire. They ducked through some debris from what looked like it used to be a storage facility. Fire licked at the roof, and it threatened to collapse it at any time. They had to move!
Vi checked what was left behind and failed to find much that might be useable. As she looked around, weapons were not hard to come by. A slew of fallen combatants and their pistols and vibro swords were all around. All they had to do was take one and start fighting. As they ran out and armed themselves, the crux of the problem became apparent. The aliens were everywhere and using guerrilla tactics to strike at the Humans before they could put up much defence. They were engaged in tight combat, and she had no way of knowing the full scope of the fighting, unable to communicate with each other due to the energy blackout.
“This is madness.” Vi ducked behind a broken wall. She checked her pistol and vibro sword, making sure they were ready for battle. The skin-tight body armour still bore the marks of their recent fighting. She noticed Elvin looking at her and could tell he was worried.
“Do we fight, or flee?”
Elvin tried to survey the situation. The fact there was no coordinated line of command made everyone fight where they could, and it was little more than chaos. They would have to choose a strategy soon and focus on the fight, or risk being flanked and cut down by the unpredictable forces. There was no way to figure out what the aliens’ plans were, and what they wanted. Elvin felt his emotions flood to the surface. He realised that he was frustrated and still had the rage inside him from what happened before.
“We fight. We have to.”
Vi nodded, and they watched carefully for an opening. Both had decided they didn’t need to care what tactics they used. They would watched each other’s back, just like in training.
“You ready?”
Vi nodded.
“Always.”
Elvin saw an opening and decided to push it. As the sides surged back in for another clash, he joined with the advance of the nearby Human guards, charging into the front rank of alien soldiers with his newfound vibro sword. He’d never actually killed before, never used a sword to draw more blood than a light wound.
“Fight!” Elvin screamed, trying to rally the broken and panicked guards. As he cut into the metallic bodies and severed limbs, he found there was something to it, something he could not place. As he cut and let his anger become determination, he felt a certain calm come over him. There was nothing but the battle, and he got lost in it. He used his considerable skill to become a blur of a madman with the new blade, using a laser pistol when alternating between strikes.
“Duck!”
Elvin did as instructed and missed the blow, just in time for Vi to counterattack. They worked together like a machine, and the other guards fought on in stunned amazement. Vi preferred to lead with her gun, defending with the sword, and staying at Elvin’s back. The pair making up for each other’s weaknesses and accentuating their strengths. A small group of Human cadets were following their charge as they cut deep into the ranks of the aliens. Impressed by their skill and savagery, they didn’t seem to care that they technically lacked any kind of rank to lead them. In such a chaotic battle those who could lead were valued, and those needing leadership were more than happy to follow. Before long, the aliens in the area were retreating, and no small amount of the victory belonged to Elvin and Vi, who helped turn the tide. As the aliens fled, they took a moment to catch their breath, the rage of battle still awash over both cadets.
“Where exactly did you come from?” A young female cadet came up to Elvin, “These things were on us. No one was prepared. We thought it was a drill until they killed our guards.”
“We were ambushed by one of the scouts,” Elvin explained, “Can you tell us what happened here?”
“My name is Cadet Willia. I can report to you if you like, Sir.”
“No need to call me sir. We are all the same rank. I’m Elvin, and this is Vi. We’re all soldiers fighting to save our home.”
“Sorry to interrupt, but I think I’ve got the drone back online,” Vi said as she managed to get Rover to reboot. “You operational, Rover?”
“I still resent that name, but it appears I am quite operational.”
“We’re in a real jam here. Any chance you can go up and get a lay of the land? Comms are completely dead, and we need all the information we can get.”
“Certainly. I will get all the intel that I can.”
“I might have something that can help.” Another cadet came forward, taking off a pack from his back, “My name is Brendan, and I’m part of the Engineering Corps. I have some modular drone weaponry I was able to salvage when the aliens hit the supply depot. I was trying to get it working as a gun mount.”
Rover flew up and over to the case as Brendan opened it. He attached himself and interfaced with a small weapon payload and aerial booster. He lifted up and tested the systems. “I wouldn’t say I could fight them off alone, but this will help.”
“Be careful, Rover,” Vi said.
“You care about the safety of a simple AI?”
“You’re the only AI we’ve got.”
“Thank you.”
Rover disappeared up into the sky to start his reconnaissance.
Elvin looked back to Willia. “Okay, report.”
“It happened so fast. One moment everything was fine. All was well, and then it happened. The comms system just went dead, and it was like everyone stopped to check. We were all looking at our devices, thinking it was a glitch or something. But then we heard a boom, and something launched. They were like small orbs coming up from hundreds of directions at once. The automated defence systems fired up as they should, but it was like they could not lock on. The devices seemed organic and non-complicated, and without the comms or manual targeting, the defences could do nothing. The devices hit the ground, and we all tried to get to cover, but they didn’t explode. They kinda just started reacting to the dirt, almost like a chemical reaction.”
“Is that what caused this dust cloud?” Vi asked.
“Precisely. The things they fired in were not bombs, but they made one hell of a mess. Visibility is still not good.”
“They must be rigged to react with something in the soil here. Even the concrete is made from compounds in the soil. This was well planned and meant to give them cover for what happened next.”
“They came in through the dust,” Brendan added, “We couldn’t gauge their movements or their number. Before any of us were ready, they attacked. It’s still going on.”
Elvin nodded. “Well, given this kind of thing, and the traditional rules for engagement, the likely plan is to regroup and fortify our assets. This command centre is all but lost, but there is a retreat position.”
“There’s an underground mag train nearby,” Vi said, “It’s unlikely the aliens would consider it a primary target. If we can reach it, we can evacuate and reunite with the others.”
“We’re going to abandon the base?”
“They have all but taken it, Willia,” Elvin said, “They were prepared and caught us unaware. We don’t have much left here. In a time like this the only resource worth saving is people. We’ll have the opportunity to fight back, but we have to give our people their lives to fight with. Gather a
ll you can carry of use, and we leave immediately.”
Chapter Five
Rover flew over the landscape, keeping an eye on where the cadets were so he could go back to them. Rover was unable to communicate with anything. It was as if nothing that could link up wirelessly even existed…though it was clear they still did. Without intel and other systems, he could only piece together what was going on by what he witnessed.
There were still a lot of pockets of resistance as alien battle squads continued the battle, some doing well, some not. Unlike the Humans, they seemed more than able to coordinate. Thus if one was routed, two more were called in to flank it. It was much too early to tell, but it was as though the Human forces were losing. Without the ability to coordinate or regroup, it was only a matter of time before they lost their numbers advantage and were brought down to defeat or capture. Many units had also fallen, and unable to fight or put up a defence, were surrendering. The aliens were rounding up those unable to fight and securing them in areas they controlled. Rover zoomed in low and watched as dozens of Human troopers were led away in chains, many showing wounds from the fighting.
From the assessment there were several dozen craters around the perimeter of the city. The aliens were likely inside, some larger for troops and some smaller for more specified attacks.They all had differing degrees of smoke rising from them which indicated they fell in a random order. With the inability to sense them accurately or communicate, this random bombardment likely added to the chaos, preventing anything close to a viable response against the alien invasion. Rover had a limited amount of tactical data, but none seemed to offer any insight about the situation. From the chemical compound shooting up dust, to the tactics, to wherever they set this up…it was unlike anything on the historical record.The aliens had no semblance of the rules of engagement, and no discernible tactics similar to those employed by Human forces.
Rover knew that this is when they should coordinate with command, ask for protocols, and go with them. However, since there was one Rover, they had to make do with their onboard AI. They were capable of adapting and working on their own, and that would be the only way to help those below. As there was no Navstar Network to guide them, the only intel would be line of sight evaluation. Rover recorded a complete image in his databanks of the current state of the base. It would only be accurate for so long, but it was the best thing the cadets and fleeing soldiers they were helping would have to aid them.
Rover knew the longer he was in the air the more dangerous it would become. If he were shot down, it would mean no intel for them on the ground. He took one last look around, recording as much data as his visual sensors could. He floated back down, reuniting with the others as they made way to their retreat. He moved in quickly, like a hawk swooping down on its prey, and landed near to Vi.
“Rover. We thought you’d been destroyed.”
“Of course not. I’m too busy to be destroyed.”
The helpful machine then shared all the information and remained ready to do whatever it took. It was programmed to protect Humans it served at all cost, and even though a simulated AI, it still felt honour and pride knowing it was doing its duty. The aliens had won, and it would still be a long fight for humanity. But as long as it had power, Rover would defend his masters.
As each of them spoke with the other survivors, the small robot tried to assess the strengths of his master. Vi was more than capable as a warrior. She had the weapons she had picked up and was adapting quickly to the necessity to use them for life and death. She was fast and swift, getting around the aliens’ tactics as she went, aiming to disable an alien’s ability to attack rather than bogging herself-down on kill shots. Vi had never been in a real battle before, but found it well within her skills. Rover could sense the fear in Vi, a fear caused by doubt. But it was that fear that pushed her on. This was not her homeworld, but it felt as much her home as Earth did. She had pride in it, and wanted to protect it and all the people on it. This drove Vi to fight harder, faster, and more skilled, pushing against the aliens in front of her, with Elvin and the cadets at her back.
Once they had finished listening to the report from Rover, they quickly realised their options were limited. The area was controlled by the aliens, and they had to leave, and fast. Rover rose up from the ground to scout for them, and off they went. The idea to take the underground train was still the most viable option, and they made their best course toward it, based on the map Rover had put together. They knew there were others scattered around, but any detour could mean they would fail. They had to be fast and pick their battles. They would save who could be saved, but had to weigh any deviations against their ongoing chances of success. They soon arrived at a cargo compound that served the underground train. It appeared mostly untouched and unlikely to trigger the aliens as being much of a strategic target.
Though there was not much activity where they were, mostly just a few alien scouts, the small group could not afford to relax. They could be attacked at any moment, and if they were, there would be no backup, no help…they would be on their own. Elvin and Vi wished their wise mentor Gunney was there. He likely had other issues…he was a leader, and his responsibility was far above a few lone cadets. All they could do was hope he was still able to fight, and perhaps see him at the fall-back position.
Elvin took up the lead and led the group into the storage compound. Main power was out and emergency lights on. The place was filled with cargo containers, and if they had more time it would be a good place to restock for the journey ahead. It was a risk they could ill afford, and they had to keep going.
“According to mine and Rover’s intel, the gate to the mag train should be on the other side of this compound,” Vi said, “We’re almost there.”
An explosion went off in the distance, shaking the ground and rumbling the walls. There were still aliens nearby and the invasion very much still in full force, despite the momentary quiet in the storm.
“Okay, we don't have much time.” Elvin opened the back door, and looked to the back courtyard and the wall beyond, “We’re very close to the train...if we can get to it we can lose them. That thing is fast. We can be hundreds of kilometres away before they know we’re gone!”
“The gate is closed.” Willia stepped out, “Without main power, we won’t be able to get it open.”
“The train is on its own power grid,” Brendan added, “The gate cannot be opened without the facility’s main power.”
“I can blow a hole in that wall,” Rover explained as he powered up his attached weaponry, “I will just need some time.”
“You got it.” Vi said, as she began to scale the wall and onto the roof, readying her gun to hold off the aliens that could now be heard filing in from the other end.
“I'll make a choke point.” Willia shut the door and jammed the locking mechanism, “They will have to come around one side or the other. I’ve got the right.”
“And I’ve got the left.” Brendan aimed his vibro sword in the direction of the oncoming attackers.
“We need to hold the line as long as we can.” Elvin looked back to the others, “We may be just cadets, but we’re also the finest cadets in the sector. We can do this.”
Vi smiled as she looked back. “Elvin is right.”
Two groups of armed aliens marched around the building. They had weapons drawn and were ready for action. Their armour was impressive, with extra plates along the torso, and they moved quietly, instantly betraying their skill and experience.
Willia moved in a blur, facing them head on, and not allowing them to use their numbers against her. Whereas they had high tech weaponry and armour, she had speed and skill. Her strikes were fast and powerful, and they cut through their defences, cracking through the protection and sending the attackers flying.
Elvin may not be a full soldier, but his limited experience more than made up for his lower rank. His vibro blade flew like a demon, overwhelming defences and cutting into alien after alien. Even
with the added burden of defending Rover, there was no stopping him.
Vi stood her ground on the rooftop, firing shots with deadly precision, alternating left to right, making sure to keep the seemingly never-ending supplies of guards off balance.
Brendan worked with Rover, drawing parts from his bag and arranging them with Rover’s tech to create a bomb powerful enough to punch a hole in the gate, and gain them access to the train tunnel.
They were a small group of cadets versus a hundred aliens, but for several moments they were like a defending army that would not fall. However lucky they were, however well dug in, nothing lasts forever. The aliens were tireless in their assault, pushing on and on against the cadets, crawling over the dead and wounded of their own ranks to strike at them. Some of the dead even rose back up after several minutes as though something inside was repairing them and bringing them back to life.
Willia was the first to fall, a blade making its way through and cutting into her bicep. She managed to stagger back and keep fighting, but with her wound could not keep her grip. To respond to the change in the battlefield, Brendan fell back, joining Willia, trying to give Vi less of an area to shoot around. The skilled shooter continued to rain shots down, but the aliens were now wise to this tactic. They set up their own forces with projectile weapons on either side of the courtyard. Vi was lucky for the first few shots, but soon a bolt hit its mark, piercing her side, and sending her to her knees. It was a glancing shot but enough to remind her that this position was no longer viable.
“Rover!” Elvin shouted, “How much longer?”
Rover whirled and managed a look back, but as he did, he saw a group of aliens had got past Brendan and Willia. They had their weapons bared and were ready to cut him down, lest he be able to finish his work. He considered for a moment. “I suppose now.”
Rover didn’t bother setting a fuse, didn’t worry about escape, and just activated his self-destruct; allowing it to explode, mixing with the explosives and cutting a massive hole in the wall. It sent stone and debris flying around. The smoke from the explosion obscured the battlefield, buying precious seconds for the cadets. Something pulsed inside Elvin’s helmet, and for a second he saw data streaming into his storage cells.
