Author: Rattler3
1040 Views
1 Comments
|
“8…9…10…” Sgt William Mackenzie, nicknamed Mack counted off. Mack was definitely a bigger fellow. Weighed in at just over 200 pounds, but he was only 5 foot 10. And, as it seems with most big guys, he’s also got a heart of gold. He hated killing, but he was all for freedom. I was doing chin-ups. Hard stuff, but it helped in the field. As he said 10, I dropped down to the ground.
“Your turn Mack,” I said slowly. We had a running bet between us. Now he’d do 10. Then he’d drop, and I’d go up, do 10 more. The lead guy got to decide if it was pull ups of chin ups. If I did 10 and he couldn’t equalize me, I won. If I dropped before 10, and he beat it, he won. We didn’t have much riding on it. It was just a simple bet over who got the better set of rations.
The way it worked was rather simple for rations. We were based in a smaller squad of 6. It was a tighter nit squad then most, doing minor operations. We operated with a deliverer and an AMS… We got 6 ration packs, and some of them were good, some of them were bad. All 6 of them were always different… we were still puzzling out why or how that happened… but we didn’t care. Either way, the winner got the choice of which of our 2 he wanted.
He jumped up, and started. I counted slowly. He hit 10 and dropped down, grinning.
“Get back up there, skinny boy.” I grinned back at him. My nickname was Rat… not even sure why they gave it to me, what with my name being Jon Heard. I was the complete opposite of Mack. Barely 160 pounds, 6 foot 2… tall, lean and rather skinny compared to the others… But I was in better shape then most guys in the New Conglomerate. I could outrun and out-sprint pretty much any person in the NC… what Mack accomplished with brute force, I did with finesse.
We went on until the 26th… I finally dropped. Mack grinned. It was the rare day that I actually won. I have to break 30… not an easy task… in fact, I was usually done by 20, but kept at it after, just so Mack wouldn’t razz on me. He easily jumped up and did the 10.
“Rations are for me again boy,” he said, grinning widely. I let a grin out too.
“Ya… just try me at running… I’ll show you.” He shook his head and headed off to the showers. He didn’t like running, not one bit. I myself was going to hit the track for a quick kilometer before heading back to the lockers.
When I ran, it freed my up to think. The steady pounding of feet, the rhythm of breathing… they all relaxed me. Any time I needed to think I’d run. Right now I had no real thing to think about, and this of course drove me crazy. Today we were off duty… we’d been in thick fighting for the last week, and command finally got around to giving us a break. But tomorrow we were back in the thick of it… and more death.
Being a grunt is not much fun. You die the most there. Respawning wasn’t fun. People had different reactions to be respawned. For most, it was fine. For others, they had problems. Only 2% of people had serious problems, and I was among them. Every time I was respawned, I had a light headache. Not a big deal… but the reason for this headache is that my brain… never stops being rebuilt. It’s continuously being rebuilt by the nano-bots. The scientists and docs don’t know how, or why, but it’s potentially fatal. It would take about a day for me to die… during which time the pain steadily increased. I shuddered in memory of the first time I respawned… not a path one wanted to go down. It was easily fixable simply by having a medic look after me. That’s why I decided to get training in the Medical Applicator, and later, advanced training. It meant that when I respawned, instead of waiting for a medic, I could spend 30 seconds and fix myself. Much easier.
I finished my run and check my time. I carried a stopwatch with me, always wanting to know how I was doing. 1 minute 45 seconds… little bit on the slow end… but I hadn’t been at a full sprint.
I jogged into the locker room, showered, and got changed. I headed down to the room where our group generally hung out. It was one of those general lounge rooms… there was thousands of them in the sanctuary and throughout the world in various sizes. Our group shared one with another squad of D2A generally when we were off duty. That other squad was still on duty however, so we had the place to ourselves. I walked in and waved off a salute to an outside… ranked lieutenant. Didn’t know him, didn’t really care either. I walked over and lay down next to Bishop, our hacker. We didn’t know her real name… and whenever we asked she just retreated away from the conversation… we just accepted that and moved on. She was lean, and had eyes that just screamed for attention. The deepest most luscious azure eyes you’ll ever see… they drew you in, and I knew several enemy soldiers, when they looked at her up close, just stood there in awe as she cut them down. Either way, she was as good a fighter as any one else. She was watching some old movie or another from earth. Didn’t recognize it, didn’t care. They were usually cheesy. Having nothing better to do however, I sat and watched them.
“Rat, hey Rat, get your ass over here.” I looked up as I heard my name. Our Squad Leader, TJ, motioned me over. He was as plain as plain could be. You stuck him in a civvy suit, no one would be the wiser… put him in a scientist coat, you’d think he was a scientist… I slowly got up and walked over to him and the LT he was sitting with.
“Sir?” I said simply, at ease. Because we were out of uniform, we weren’t required to stand at attention unless called to attention. The ‘at ease’ position worked fine.
“Jon, this is Lieutenant Brad Donnelly of the ISF. He has some questions for you about Brewer.” Brewer was our AMS driver… he was similar to TJ, a plain, normal fellow, just joined our squad 2 weeks ago after our first AMS driver went insane... bad business there. And if ISF, the Internal Security Force, was checking out Brewer… well, it could be routine, it might not be. The ISF was a most ruthless organization, charged with finding spies and other types who were working against the NC from inside… no one actually liked any ISF agents… everyone pretended to though.
“I’ll be happy to help in any way I can,” I said simply.
Donnelly simple nodded while he checked his data pad. “You’ve known Brewer for 2 weeks now, correct?” I nodded my head. “And during this time, he has followed orders willingly and excitedly, correct?” I hesitated slightly, thinking.
“Uh, no sir. There was one occasion where he was asked to run over a Terran Republic soldier were he sounded a bit downtrodden… as if he didn’t want to.” Donnelly scribbled something I couldn’t see… didn’t matter. “Other then that, he’s followed orders as good as the rest of us sir.”
“How many times have you fought the Terran Republic when he was with you.” I thought for a moment. “I… I can’t remember sir. I think 1, maybe 2, battles. The Sergeant here would know better.” Donnelly nodded. He’d probably already talked to TJ, just was confirming some of it.
“In your estimation, what would you rate his loyalty to the NC as.” The question startled me. I’ve been interviewed by ISF agents twice before this over an individual, and neither time had they been so blunt. I considered my answer slowly while Donnelly waited patiently.
“Well sir, it would be tough to say. My experience with him is minimal, as is my knowledge of him. I would say that he would probably be as trustworthy as the rest of us. The one incident he may of recognized him as an old friend… But I’m not qualified to tell you this sort of stuff.” He nodded slowly before turning back to questioning me. He drilled me for another 5 minutes before waving me off. Strangely enough he talked to no one else before leaving.
“Sarge, what was that about?” I asked.
“No idea Rat… lets forget about it and have some fun. Mack should be getting here any minute, as should Brewer… Poker time, I want your wages Rat.”
Behind me I heard a snort. “You gonna let me play this time,” said Bishop gently.
“Hell no… you’ve taken enough of our money I think,” I said simply. Over the last 2 months, I’ve lost 4 weeks wages to her… As had the rest of our team.. The rest of us were pretty evenly matched. “Hey, where’s Wolf?” I was referring to our last member of our team. She was a cloaker… everyone hates cloakers. I myself didn’t really have anything against them… though I knew Bishop did. Wolf liked to work with a repeater pistol whenever she could. She would hang back at a distance and pick people off who were already injured. She was good at it too.
“I’m right here.” I glanced around quickly towards the back of the room, where Wolf sat in a small chair in the corner, reading some book.
“What the… How long you been here?”
She shrugged. “Got here when that ISF guy left.” I shook my head and sighed. Even when she wasn’t in her suit, she still sneaked around, and I got the feeling felt exposed when she wasn’t hiding or something like that. She was always in corners and stuff.
At last Brewer and Mack showed up. Just as we sat down to start playing our buzzers went off. Every soldier wore a small pager like device just in case they were needed. As it turns out… we were needed. We immediately scrambled up and sprinted towards the Armory. There I grabbed my Reinforced Exosuit, a Gauss Rifle and a Sweeper Shotgun. I pocketed some clips for them, as well as grabbing a medical applicator and a Nano Gun.
I was the third one out after Brewer and Wolf. We headed over to the central office, where we were directed down to a smaller briefing room. Inside, no one was there… Just as Bishop, the final person, sprinted in at a full run, a door on the opposite side of the room slid open to reveal Brad Donnelly.
Now this makes you wonder. Its not very often that an ISF agent plans a military op… in fact, they almost never happen. One of us could be a traitor… but then there would be other guards around I guessed.
“Alright, I’m going to keep this short and simple. As of 2 hours ago, a tower within our sanctuary came under attack. We’re not sure who, or what even did it. The area has been EMPed, and at the same time, an attack took place on our security facility… we don’t know what’s going on. It’s not anywhere near the front lines… but we want to find out what happened. Now, my orders are to keep this quiet. That is why your all we’re sending in. If you need more forces… well, to be honest, the NC and VS are pushing on us so hard, we couldn’t send much. We’ve already called up almost all off duty squads… all we have left is a 2 squad element of 17 people… and there mostly green still. Get this done quietly, and quickly. Failure is not an option here. TJ, you already have the data you need. If you need anything… except for more men… I’m here and You’ll get it. Understand?” TJ nodded and we all stood and saluted.
The rest of the briefing was standard. We were going to take the normal deliverer and AMS… We were going to stop 1 kilometer out and let Wolf scout out a good AMS location. Brewer would cover her with his Sniper Rifle. Then we’d move in. We mounted up quickly, and TJ started driving, Brewer in tow. We hit the kilometer mark, and we stopped. The AMS was deployed, while Brewer deployed in a nearby tree and Wolf set out. Me and Mack were the deliverer gunners. We kept a careful eye for enemy cloakers.
“Rat, hey, Rat.” I check my comm. It was Mack.
“Ya Mack?”
“Did you see the glimmer… to the NW… I think we have a cloaker.” I didn’t do any sudden movements, just kept on looking normal. Mack did the same thing besides me. I slowly turned towards it and saw the slightest of shimmers.
“Bingo… Cloaker. TJ, cloaker to the north. He’s creeping up on you Brewer.” I heard 2 double clicks on my comm, signifying there reception. Slowly TJ strolled out towards Brewer while Brewer paid no attention to the cloaker.
“Sarge, you have it?”
“Nope.” I cursed… I’d lost him behind some trees.
“Mack?”
“Negative,” he replied.
TJ’s voice rang out over the comm. “Bishop, get over here… Spread out, stand by on the darklight.” 30 seconds later and they were both by brewer. A green Glimmer flashed out.
“BINGO, CE,” I called out as I lay down a pattern of fire in the general area. I saw Brewer turn on her Darklight and pull out her Jackhammer, firing off. I aimed in the same general direction.
“Cloaker down,” she said finally.
She walked over to him… When a spitfire turret popped up right in front of her. It immediately locked onto her and opened up. At 5m, it couldn’t miss. The armor stopped the first few, but I saw her stagger as more lit into her until at last she dropped and it stopped, searching for a target.
“Stand still all, no MT,” ordered TJ. Without a Motion Tracker, it wouldn’t be able to lock on unless we moved. Me and Mack lined up on it. “Stand by Mack… 3, 2, 1.” At one, we both opened up on it. It got off 3 shots at us before it exploded brilliantly, maiming Bishops body, just as she came out of the AMS, looking peeved.
Her curses lit up the comm for the next 20 seconds.
“TJ, this is Wolf. Tower spotted… It’s Terran. I have an AMS spot. We have… There are 2 MAX’s and 6 Infantry outside of the tower. Unknown inside, theres to much Automated defense.” TJ cursed at this news.
“Alright, Load up. We’ll have to use the deliverer to keep them pinned inside. I don’t think we’ll be able to take it. We can at least hold it until we can get some more.” The other loaded up, and we headed off. Our deliverer went in all guns-a-blazin while the AMS deployed, drawing them off. Both of the MAX’s were Anti-Infantry MAX’s… easy meat. The first one died on our one pass, the second one on the second. The rest of the infantry made it to cover however, so TJ stopped the deliverer.
“Bishop, on the ground. Help us hunt them down.” She hopped out and moved to cover with her Jackhammer at the ready. We moved out, waiting for Bishop to flush one out. She did so after 5 minutes of circling. We mowed him down. Brewer and Wolf kept watch on the tower while we did this.
After 20 minutes, we got the 6th and final soldier. Bishop died twice… but our AMS kept her in action.
We pulled up to the tower and stopped the deliverer while Brewer brought the AMS in closer. TJ set up a motion sensor… the only CE equipment he was authorized to use, and it revealed there was 7 softies and 3 MAX’s inside… Unknown where.
TJ laid out the plan shortly and quickly. “We enter from the northern door. We then head downstairs and destroy the tubes and equipment terminals. Bishop will hack out a MAX for Brewer here and we’ll use it to hold out against there probable counterattack. Wolf, your on AMS guard duty.”
We broke up and assembled at the door. On TJ’s order, Bishop hacked open the door and Mack charged in with his Jackhammer. We were met by no one. He proceeded down to the next staircase. Again, no one. I set up to cover our back’s while the rest headed downstairs. They reached the bottom and split up to cover the tubes while Bishop hacked a terminal. A few seconds after they disappeared from view I heard the roar of a Jackhammer and the stream of a Mini-Chain gun. I couldn’t see what happened as I was watching the top, but it stopped seconds later. I risked a peak. The only person I could see was Bishop, whose body was riddled with Machine Gun bullets. Her eyes actually looked like they were staring at me. Then she blinked.
I immediately pitied her and wanted to shoot her to put her down. Being alive with that many bullets must hurt like a bitch. But then the TR would charge up and kill me. I decided to play it safe. I pulled out a pair of plasma grenades, primed them, and chucked them down the stairs. I then grabbed my shotgun and charged down. There were 4 softies at the bottom. 1 of them was killed with my initial grenade, another 1 died just as I reached the bottom. The other 2 were searing green with plasma. Unfortunately, there was 1 to my right, and 1 to my left alive. I shot the one on my left first, then shifted to the right. I squeezed the trigger and at the same time felt bullets digging into my left side. I pulled the trigger a second time before dropping to the ground. The TR soldier continued to fire off into me. However, as I’d dropped to the ground I’d lined up on Bishop’s head and pulled the trigged with the last of my strength, snuffing out this body at the same time my own gave out.
I respawned… approximately 20 seconds later, grabbed my shit, healed myself with the Applicator and headed downstairs. The other 3 had already reached the bottom… probably at the same time I’d died they reached down there. The 4th TR was dead on the ground, and several recently spawned TR had been dropped as well. I looked at one of them whose face hadn’t been blown off just as the others destroyed the second tube.
“Hey, wait a minutes… I recognize this guy,” I said slowly. “It’s Thatcher from Delta Company of D2A…” I checked the other bodies… all of delta company. “Sarge, what’s going on here.”
He shrugged. “No idea… our job is to take this tower. Theres 3 MAX’s and 3 softies to deal with still…” As if summoned 2 TR MAX’s clumbered up to the top of the stairs and locked down. We scattered and the Dual Cyclers opened up. Mack got caught with some shots, but I healed and fixed him up. TJ grabbed a Deci, as did Mack. They each fired off one shot before retreating behind cover. I couldn’t heal TJ, because he was on the other side of the tower, but I did heal Mack. They got off a second Deci before TJ died.
“Incoming Infantry,” warned Mack. I readied my Gauss. 3 infantry and the third MAX came down the stairs. I ripped bullets up the first one as he exchanged blasts with Mack. He dropped. Bishop took on the second one and the third one finished off Mack. I put down the last one, turned around… Right into the barrel of a Dual Cycler.
I came to again at the AMS. I was a bit more shaken this time, but I managed to get my stuff and fixed my head. I headed back downstairs to fine 3 dead MAX’s. TJ and Mack had finished them off. Bishop rehacked the tower, as me and Brewer took photos of all the enemy soldiers faces. It was weird to see 2 Thatches lying next to each other. Most bodies Deconstructed in busy warzones to fix the earth or something like that from the damage we did… however, in a small battle like this it took a long time for the bodies to disappear.
Either way, we called up Donnelly, and he ordered us back to base and to speak to no one about this event. We showed up 20 minutes later and we were immediately hustled off by some clerk to a briefing room.
As soon as we entered and sat down, he started speaking.
“What you saw today is never to leave your squad. If any officer asks why you procured equipment today, you are to direct them to me. Do you understand? It is the HIGHEST treason to tell anyone. Now, I will tell you what you already know… just to clear your minds from thinking about it.”
“The TR have been planting spies among us for quite some time. By some coincidence, a large number were in that particular squad. They subverted the remainders of the squad. They did this all to test our defenses here. They’ve discovered they can in fact strike within our sanctuaries… However, we also have learned that we are not safe here. Defenses will be updated and upgraded, this place will be looked after. The NC will not fall to the TR. I’ve given you 2 additional days off for you fantastic job today as well as some performance bonuses. Now, questions? None? Dismissed.” He said it and turned and walked away.
We headed back to the armory and got into normal dress before heading back to our lounge. I checked my accounts, as did the rest of the group.
Beside me, Mack whooped out, “SWEET.” I felt much the same myself. 2 months pay. AND we were entitled to a real meal tonight. Not just warm non-rations, REAL FOOD. That was extremely rare now. Earth food was gone, but there was still food that was good to eat. It was just expensive, rare, and hard to get. Getting a full meal was amazing. They’d just bought a lot of loyalty…
The day turned out great. Sure, we killed former friends… but they weren’t true friends, were they? Good food, lots of money. We even let Bishop play some Poker… This fight was over… but there would be more. But we had a reason.
Freedom.
Planetside and Auraxis are copyright, 2003 by Sony Online Entertainment. All rights reserved.
|
