by Ken Lozito
“Boone and Poe, obviously, and Grizzly,” Connor said and made a show of surveying the rest. “Bling,” he said.
Boone and Grizzly started clapping as the very surprised Sean Quinn joined the others.
“You’re now my sharpshooters. You will train with me using the M-Viper and we’ll focus on vantage points and other tactics unique to that kind of weapon. Rejoin the others,” Connor said. After his sharpshooters got back in line, Connor continued. “Now that you’re well rested, we’re going to go for a nice run. From here on out you’ll be armed everywhere you go. For today, it’s going to be the CAR-74, and tomorrow it will be something different. Before we start our run, I’ll open up the floor for a couple of questions,” Connor said.
“Sir,” Owens said. “What does CAR stand for in the CAR-74?”
“Good question. CAR stands for civilian assault rifle and the number is the series number,” Connor said.
Deacon smiled and raised his hand. “Sir, is dinner soon? I’m starting to get hungry.”
This brought more than a few laughs from the other recruits.
“Thanks for volunteering, Hot Rod,” Connor said.
Deacon’s face became pale. “Sir?”
“You’ve just volunteered for cleanup duty in our mess hall for the next two days. It comes with the added benefit of eating last,” Connor said.
“Yes, sir,” Deacon said.
“Recruits, be sure the safety on your rifles is on. Our run is going to be a little more scenic this time,” Connor said.
He nodded to Diaz.
“Recruits, form two lines,” Diaz ordered.
Connor took point. He had the surveillance drones in patrol mode, but there hadn’t been enough time to allow the system to mature. Regardless, they were armed, and he and Diaz had already been to the area they were going to run to before they brought the recruits here. Connor set off at a slow pace down a rough trail that took them into the forest. As the forest thickened, shafts of sunlight poked through the canopy high above them. Connor glanced up and saw several creatures moving near the treetops. Their long arms were used to grasp thick vines and swing among the dizzying heights. Connor pulled up a drone feed on his internal heads-up display to get a closer look at them. The tree creatures looked to have thick skin that was a mix of grays to pale yellow stripes going to their elongated, three-fingered hands. Each finger looked as thick as his forearm. The lower half of the creatures’ bodies split into two thick tails. Their ears ended in a point on either side of their reptilian faces. One of the creatures carried a smaller version of itself. The creature swung its young onto its back, where it held on, and then the group followed Connor and the recruits from the lofty heights of the treetops.
“We’ve got company,” Randle said.
“Bull, put your gun down,” Marten hissed at him.
“Won’t they attack us?” Randle asked, clutching the weapon to his chest.
“No, they’re just watching us,” Marten said.
“Boone is right, you should listen to her,” Connor said.
Randle lowered his gun and kept running. “Yes, sir.”
“What are they called?” Deacon asked.
“They don’t have a name, just a designation. TCL, for tree climber, large, and I can’t remember the number associated with it. I do know they pretty much stay in the trees but can come onto the ground and use their split tails to move them around,” Sean Quinn answered.
The tree climbers kept up with them.
“This is our new home. We need to learn to survive here. As part of our training, we’ll be going outside the camp a lot, and eventually we’ll be spending multiple nights away from camp,” Connor said.
“Oh boy, I can’t wait,” Deacon said with mock enthusiasm.
“You’ll be fine, Hot Rod. I’ll protect you,” Marten said.
“I always like a strong woman to keep me safe and warm,” Deacon replied.
Several of the other recruits laughed. Connor used his implants to connect to a drone ahead of them that was located in an open plain similar to where they’d made their camp. After thirty minutes of navigating the rocky terrain of the forest path, they emerged onto a grassy field. The field led to a shallow valley, and Connor stopped running.
Ramirez gasped and pointed down into the valley. Two hundred yards away moved a herd of long-legged creatures that had thick, muscular bodies on top and were covered in shaggy brown hair.
“They’ve got to be twenty feet tall, maybe even taller,” Ramirez said.
“Look how many of them there are,” Blake said.
One of the creatures swung its head toward them. The short tentacles along its mouth gave it a bearded look. The creature blew out a blast of air and the call was taken on by the others.
“We don’t want to get any closer,” Sean warned. “They’ll leave us alone if we don’t bother them, but the alphas will defend the herd.”
Another creature made a sound that reminded Connor of a deep horn blast. The herd perked up at this and started running away from them.
“Looks like we spooked them,” Owens said.
Connor frowned and tried to see if there were any drones on the far side of the valley.
“They’re not frightened of us,” Marten said. She raised the scope of her rifle and peered across the valley.
Connor couldn’t hear anything but the pounding legs of the giant creatures as they sped away.
“How fast can they run?” Randle asked.
“They can get up to a hundred and thirty kilometers an hour on an open field like this,” Sean said.
“You know an awful lot about the creatures that live here,” Randle said.
“Sergeant Diaz, we might have a planetary expert in our midst,” Connor said.
A piercing scream echoed throughout the valley. Across from them, one of the long-legged creatures was pulled down by a group of spotted predators. They’d darted from the forest on the other side and sunk their claws into it. The predators looked as if they wore the pelt of a leopard that gave way to black skin and two sets of arms.
The long-legged beast had bleated a final cry before the spotted predators silenced it with harsh growls.
Connor looked at Sean. “Know what they are?”
Sean Quinn squinted his eyes and then shook his head.
“Boone?” Connor asked.
“No, sir, we haven’t encountered those before,” Donna Marten said.
“That’s our cue to leave. Sergeant Diaz, take point,” Connor said.
They quietly withdrew back into the forest. Connor was about to turn around and follow the others when he caught sight of a spotted predator that wasn’t feasting on the fresh kill. It was facing him.
“Shit,” Connor said.
He raised his rifle and looked at the creature through his scope, taking off the safety and silently pleading with it not to attack him. It had no element of surprise, and no ambush predator would run across a field to attack its prey when there was a fresh kill waiting to be eaten.
The predator’s muscular chest heaved as it drew breath. It had a set of smaller arms, followed by a set of longer arms behind it. The shoulder joint for the second pair of arms angled forward, and Connor was willing to bet that it could use those arms to help it run faster—a lot faster than Connor could ever run, that was for sure. There was no doubt in Connor’s mind that the predator was looking at him. There were thick protrusions from the creature’s cheekbones, which ended in red, giving it the look of fresh blood from its latest kill. Connor shivered and slowly eased his way backward. He’d thought the berwolfs were the apex predator in this area, but he might have been wrong.
As soon as Connor was within the cover of the trees, he turned around and ran, eager to catch up with the others. He tasked a drone to follow that creature and kept the video feed on his internal heads-up display. It hadn’t followed him, but it definitely noticed him. He didn’t know if he was seeing the curiosity of encountering a new life for
m or whether that creature was judging how much of a threat Connor was. Either way, he didn’t want to find out, especially since he was armed with only a civilian hunting rifle.
18
That evening they had their first hot meal and the recruits also got their first taste of free time to eat and shower, which they all took advantage of. The only one pressed for time was Henry Deacon, whose comments had landed him on cleanup duty.
They met again for further instruction, as well as information regarding the expectations Connor had for his Search and Rescue platoon. The class environment was more interactive since each recruit had professional experience in their chosen field that applied to what Connor was trying to accomplish with them. Nate Poe and Donna Marten had both been on security details, rotating through the research bases. They had an excellent working knowledge of the creatures and plants they should be careful of and things that weren’t a threat. Much to Connor’s surprise, Sean Quinn possessed a breadth of knowledge about the planet and its creatures. Admittedly, Connor had mistaken the sandy-haired youth for just another kid, but he’d proven to be intelligent. Given Sean’s parents, Connor supposed he shouldn’t have been too surprised.
Over the next few days their time was broken down to physical training followed immediately by weapons instruction that included hand-to-hand combat. They also hiked into the forest beyond the camp. There were no reports from the drones about the spotted predator they’d encountered in the valley, but Connor still stayed away from the valley just to be on the safe side until the recruits were more experienced with their weapons.
They’d built elevated platforms inside the camp, where they’d practiced rescue scenarios of extracting trapped victims. As they were completing their second round of PT one day, a small cargo ship flew over the horizon. The wings folded upward and the pilot landed the ship in the marked area of the camp.
The cargo doors opened, and Diaz had the recruits start offloading the containers. Connor approached the side hatch, where Noah Barker exited the ship, followed by Ashley Quinn. Her gaze narrowed when she saw him. Ashley glanced to the side and saw her son offloading the plane. Her gaze softened for a moment and then she turned to Connor.
“Noah explained what happened,” Ashley said.
Connor nodded and glanced at Noah. He was carrying a backpack and glanced around the camp as if he were deciding whether he could get back on the ship.
“Welcome to Search and Rescue. You can stow your gear in the tent and then meet up with the rest of the recruits when we assemble,” Connor said to him.
Noah, recognizing a dismissal when he heard one, left Connor alone with Ashley.
“Sergeant Diaz,” Connor said, “can you send Recruit Bling here?”
Ashley frowned in confusion until she saw her son running toward them. Sean came to a stop and snapped a salute at Connor before standing at attention.
“At ease. Give your mother a hug,” Connor said.
Ashley pulled her son into her arms, and Connor took a few steps away to give them some privacy. He glanced over and Ashley was speaking in a stern tone to her son.
Connor caught snippets of the conversation. There were a few “crazies” and “your fathers” worked in.
“Connor, would you come here?” Ashley called.
Connor walked over and she had Sean give them a moment.
“How could you let this happen? This isn’t what I want for my son,” Ashley said.
“By the time I noticed he was here the ship had already gone back to headquarters. Training my recruits was more important at the time,” Connor said and stepped closer. “Look, if he’d been hurt I would have called in a transport for him. He wants to be here. Believe me, I tried to dissuade him from training with us.”
Ashley shook her head. “Yes, I’m quite aware of the level of training you’re subjecting your recruits to.”
Connor frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Come on, Connor, we’ve been keeping an eye on you. I’m not disputing your training methods. You have specific goals you’re trying to achieve, and as an expert, I recognize that. But as a mother, it’s tough to see. Why is Sean given double the punishment? Couldn’t you take it easier on him?” Ashley asked.
“No. He locked himself in a storage crate to get away from special treatment. He did that to get away from the fact that you and Tobias are the head of the colony and Sean gets special treatment because of it. The fact that he handles everything I put him through is a clear indication of the man he wishes to become,” Connor said.
“I think you underestimate how influential you can be. He’s still a boy,” Ashley said.
“He’s almost eighteen. Old enough to be counted as an adult,” Connor said.
Ashley scowled. “What do you know about—” she began to say but stopped herself from speaking.
“You were going to say: What do I know about being a parent? Not nearly as much as you. You know that,” Connor said and squelched the pang of regret that threatened to rise up inside him. “But I know about training soldiers. Your son has what it takes.”
“We didn’t bring him here to become a soldier,” Ashley said.
Connor sucked in a deep breath. Ashley’s maternal instincts were in high gear, and this was an argument he couldn’t win. He turned toward Sean and waved him over.
“Wait. I’m not finished speaking to you,” Ashley said.
After nearly a week of being conditioned to follow orders, Sean Quinn was already coming toward them.
“Sean, your mother has made it quite clear that she doesn’t want you here. Before you decide what you want to do, there’s something I want to say to you,” Connor said.
Sean glanced at his mother and then back at Connor. “Yes, sir?”
“You’ve recognized that you’re at a crossroads in your life and that it’s time to start forging your own path and have a say in what your life is to become, whether it’s here or some other part of the colony. I have one question for you, and whatever you decide will not influence my opinion of you. Understand?” Connor asked.
“Yes, sir,” Sean answered.
“Do you want to be known as the governor’s son or Sean Quinn? Because the governor’s son has no place on the Search and Rescue team, but Sean Quinn can earn a spot. Your actions over the past week have given you the right to try to be here in a more official capacity. That’s all I wanted to say. I’ll leave you to your mother and wait to hear your decision,” Connor said.
Connor started to walk away, but before he could get too far, Sean called out to him.
“Commander, I’d like to stay, sir.”
Connor glanced at Ashley. The chief of medicine was seething, but when her son looked at her, she smiled at him.
“I’ll tell your father your decision. I don’t have to tell you that he won’t like it, but I’ll share your reasons with him,” Ashley said.
Sean’s eyes lit up and he gave his mother a peck on the cheek.
“Be . . . careful,” Ashley said quietly.
“I promise I’ll look after him,” Connor said.
“I’m sure you will. Would you mind walking me back to the ship? There’s something I’d like to talk to you about,” Ashley said.
“Of course,” Connor said.
He followed Ashley back to the ship and she led him up the loading ramp beyond where the recruits were finishing offloading the ship. Once they were alone, Ashley spun around and punched Connor right in the stomach.
Connor doubled over, gasping for air. Ashley loomed over him with a satisfied smirk on her face as he straightened up.
“As a mother, you owed me that and you know it,” Ashley said.
Connor sighed and nodded. “Alright, I’ll give you that, but I meant what I said about your son.”
“Oh, I know you believe it. Somehow Sean has come to idolize you. While I do think you’re one of the good ones, you have a more dangerous side that I’d rather my son not emulate,” Ashley said
.
“This is supposed to be a place for fresh starts. I have a past that I won’t apologize for. I’m here, and I’m doing the best I can to contribute to the colony.”
“I know you are. That’s the only reason I’m letting Sean stay here.”
“Oh really? I don’t think you’d be able to stop him. Not anymore.”
The pilot stuck his head out of the cockpit. “Ma’am, we’re ready to go.”
“That’s my cue to leave,” Connor said.
“Oh, I do have an update for you. Noah will be here for the duration of the training. And I’m showing that you requested one of the Hellcats for training purposes?” Ashley asked.
“It’s a troop carrier vessel that I know is on the Ark. We’re Search and Rescue, and I want that to be one of our primary vehicles. We can rotate the ATVs as needed. Most of them know how to operate those anyway, but the Hellcat is different,” Connor said.
“Who’s cleared to fly it?” Ashley asked.
“Well I am, for one, and Juan Diaz for another. Unless you want to officially transfer a pilot to my group?” Connor asked.
“Nope, not yet. I’ll see to it that you get your Hellcat, but it will take a few weeks,” Ashley said.
“I appreciate the effort,” Connor said.
Ashley narrowed her gaze in mock vehemence. “Don’t try using that charm of yours on me. Now get out of here.”
Connor laughed and wished her well. He exited the ship and cleared the area, waving to the pilot as he went. The pitch of the repulsor engines increased as more power was pumped into them and the ship rose into the air and sped away.
The recruits were moving the cargo crates over to their supply area.
“Commander,” Diaz said.
“What is it, Sergeant?”
“Does this mean Recruit Bling is officially part of the Search and Rescue platoon, sir?”
The nearby recruits, including Sean Quinn, stopped so they could listen.
“Affirmative, Recruit Bling is part of Search and Rescue now,” Connor confirmed.
Compton hooted loudly and gave Sean a healthy slap on the back. The sentiment was shared by the other recruits. Diaz walked over to Connor and barked for the recruits to get moving.
