“I’ve got the ammunition,” Gloria said, lifting a case of the specially-packed explosive rounds.
“Good, let’s get to the Command Post,” I said.
We sprinted out of the armory. I slipped my helmet on and saw a countdown in red. There was just over two minutes left. I knew that going into the Command Post was useless. If Money had failed to convince Captain Rigel of the danger, I never would. Instead, we ran to the back, where stacks of crates had been neatly arranged. To my relief, there was no need to move the large containers. Someone had stacked them like a staircase.
We dashed up the crates, which wobbled slightly. The top of the Command Post was peaked, but not steep. I had to pull myself up the last meter, and by the time I was on the roof, there was only ninety seconds left. I quickly snapped the rail gun together, thankful for all the training Money had forced me to do with the exotic weapon. The battery supply fastened easily, and a tiny green light showed that the gun was operational.
Beside me, Gloria had the ammunition case open and held one of the explosive rounds out to me. I took it, set it carefully on the track, then focused on one of the many lasers. It came in from a large tree beyond the edge of the camp. I didn’t hesitate. My thumb pressed the trigger button, and the rail gun fired with a crack that sounded like a dry branch snapping in two. I didn’t wait to see what happened, but took the next round from Gloria.
The tree exploded, and the laser that had been pointed into the camp disappeared. I fired again. There were more gunshots in the jungle and shouts and wails from the natives. Below us, the concern was evident. Everyone was outside, looking around. A few of the Marines below us had helmets on and were pointing up at the lasers, but most had no clue what was happening.
In the Command Post, I heard Lieutenant Parks arguing with Rigel, but it was clear the CO wouldn’t call off the air strikes. I fired at three more lasers. There was less than a minute until the bombs would drop, and I knew it wasn’t enough time. There were more than ten lasers still shinning down through the mist. Suddenly, two went off on their own as I targeted a third. The seconds were counting down, and I heard the pilots questioning why their target locks were dropping off. I fired the Sharps LRRG again. The bloom of fire in the trees was shining around the Base Camp like candles at a vigil.
I had to shift on the rough surface of the roof, turning to get my next shot. On the com-link I heard nervous voices.
“Thirty seconds,” one pilot said. “Target locked. Target locked.”
I could feel death breathing down my neck.
“Are we going to make it?” Gloria said expectantly as I took another explosive round from her upraised hand.
I didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth. “Sure,” I said. “We’ve got this.”
“Command,” another pilot shouted. “We have bogeys! Repeat, we have something in the a-“
His voice was cut off. I heard more shouting and swearing on the command channel. The entire, ill-conceived operation was breaking down. I targeted the next laser and fired. But to my surprise, just as I pressed the trigger, the laser moved. It didn’t shut off like the others. It was still focused on our Base Camp, but it had dodged my shot. I led the moving target just slightly and fired again. This time the laser went out. Unfortunately, with only fifteen seconds left, and the other lasers starting move, I knew I couldn’t get them all.
I quickly laid another round on the track, but when I pressed the firing trigger, the green light just turned red. I felt my heart drop, and fear seized my mind in a death clutch.
“What’s wrong?” Gloria asked.
“Batter pack doesn’t have enough charge,” I said.
My fingers fumbled as I tried to unlatch the battery pack. I got it off and tossed it off the roof. Snatching up the replacement, I snapped it into place and took careful aim. It was my last shot. It took out another laser designator. But there were still three remaining.
I heard the pilots. Only one still had a lock and was in the air. The pilot fired, and there was nothing I could do. With three lasers on our Base Camp, I couldn’t hope to take them all out before the missile struck and killed us all. Instead I turned to Gloria.
“I’m sorry,” I said as I ripped my helmet off.
“We’re too late?” She asked, but didn’t need my answer.
She scooted toward me, and I wrapped my arms around her. I had never noticed just how complex the flecks of green and blue in her eyes were. She pressed her head to my chest, and I covered her as best I could. My feelings for Gloria were surging. I was so glad we were together at that moment, and yet in the back of mind was Aurora.
The explosion was so massive it set the forest ablaze, even though the missile was triggered above the dense canopy. The flying creatures that had attacked our drop ship when Spartan Company made the initial drop, had also collided with the bombers. The combination of lost targeting, and native creature interference had stopped the air attack. Only one missile was fired, and just before it made the final dive down onto the Base Camp where the laser designators were guiding it, a flying creature rose into the air and collided with the warhead. The explosion was spectacular and lit up the sky. The shockwave rocked the building I was perched on, and tears fell down my cheeks when I realized we had survived.
“Abort. Abort. Abort,” Major Westmore called over the com-link. “All bombers return to base. I repeat. All bombers return to base.”
“It’s impossible,” one of the pilots shouted. “There’s too many of them.”
I heard screaming and cursing. The sounds of death as the native creatures attacked the airships who couldn’t gain altitude quickly enough to avoid the large-bodied creatures. I held Gloria in my arms, and for just a moment, as my tension drained away and my fatigue rose up like a tidal wave, I fell asleep.
Chapter 40
I opened my eyes a moment later and found Gloria looking at me.
“Asleep while the world ends, eh?”
“I just closed my eyes for a second,” I said.
“You were snoring, Porter. Admit it, you fell asleep on me.”
“Not on you. It’s not like you’re making it out to be.”
“Oh, no, it’s worse. Any man who can sleep through an aerial bombardment on a hostile alien world is way too confident. I’ve got to play harder to get.”
We both laughed, then started the slow process of getting off the roof of the structure with our weapons and gear. I was so tired my arms and legs felt like rubber. I simply had no strength left. Just standing was a chore. By the time we reached the ground, a group of Marines were waiting. Most looked sympathetic, but others stared as if I had caused the apocalypse.
“Private Orion Porter?”
“Yes,” I said, as two of the Marines came and took the rail gun from me.
“You’re being detained. Please put your hands on your head and get on your knees,” the Marine who was obviously in charge said with sneer. He was a sergeant, but I didn’t catch his name. And honestly I didn’t care.
“Isn’t this a bit much?” Gloria snarled angrily. “Porter saved your lives. He saved all of us.”
“I doubt that very much,” the sergeant grumbled.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I don’t care anymore.”
“Well I do,” Gloria argued. “They can’t treat you like this, like a criminal.”
“Take her in as well,” the sergeant said. “Aiding and abetting.”
They actually used flex cuffs to secure our hands behind us. It was humiliating to be marched through the camp as if we had done something wrong. I felt bad for Gloria, but she marched like she was in a parade, with her head held high. Lights had been mounted to a group of buildings, and Captain Rigel was waiting, along with all the officers from the various platoons. Only Lieutenant Parks looked frustrated by the ridiculous circumstances. More Marines were gathered just beyond the circle of light, watching to see what was going on.
“Here is the instigator,” Captain Rigel an
nounced. “I’m not sure how you managed to cause so much disruption to a well-organized attack, Porter, but you won’t get away with it.”
“Captain,” Lieutenant Parks spoke up, “I believe Private Porter helped save this camp.”
“Yes, yes, we’re all aware of your feelings on the matter. But I am still in charge of this mission, and Porter is under my authority. Although, I will say he has acted much more like one of your spies, Lieutenant. Never-the-less, he is here, and we shall place him under arrest where he won’t cause any more trouble. Porter, you’re being charged with treason, among other crimes. You’ll be courtmartialed. Perhaps if you’re lucky, you’ll get to spend the rest of your pathetic life in prison, but treason is still a capital crime. Take him away.”
The smug sergeant who had arrested me shoved me toward the edge of the circle, straight at Lieutenant Parks. I had one second to ask the question that was on my mind.
“Wilkes?” I said softly.
Lieutenant Parks just shook his head slightly. The sergeant grabbed my arm again and back-handed me across the face. The blow stung and made me angry. But when I opened my eyes, I didn’t see the cruel NCO, but rather Gloria who wasn’t far away. Her head was down and tears fell from her eyes. I wanted to ask her what was wrong, or comfort her somehow. But deep down inside, I knew what was wrong. It was me. I was a man divided, and she deserved more than that. She deserved someone who would love her with his whole heart.
The sergeant shoved me again, and I was pushed through the crowd. I heard murmurs and questions. Most of the Marines didn’t know what was happening. I realized that most enlisted personnel knew very little about what their superiors were doing. The only information they obtained was what their immediate superiors gave them. For the most part, they had no idea that Gloria, Abe, and I had saved their lives on the jungle road, or that the Base Camp had almost been destroyed by the Fleet’s own bombardment.
I was led away to a double-ring of the flexible security fencing. I could hear the hum of the electrical current pulsing through the fence as we approached. The sergeant ordered the outer fence deactivated. It was opened, and I was led into the space between the two barriers.
“Both fences are hot with over a hundred milliamps of electrical current,” the sergeant said. “One touch and you’ll be barbecue, Porter.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said.
The inner fence was deactivated, and the sergeant opened it up. The space inside was three meters by two meters. Only one other person occupied the small space.
“Master Sergeant,” I said happily. “Good to see you.”
“Get in there, you traitor!”
The sergeant shoved me into the pen and closed the gate behind me. I heard the hum of current once more and looked at my new surroundings.
“Good to see you too, Porter,” Money said without getting up.
He sounded weak, and his face looked pale.
“Master Sergeant, are you okay?”
“I’ve been better,” he said as he pointed to his leg.
I could see the broken segment of arrow protruding from his bloody flesh. Fury rose up inside me. I could believe that Rigel would detain us, but to refuse medical treatment for a wounded Marine for any purpose was repugnant.
“They didn’t get you help?” I said, moving to his side.
“No, just locked me in here to shut me up,” Money said. “At least the bleeding stopped.”
“You need medical treatment,” I said, standing up. “Guard! Master Sergeant Eubanks is wounded. He needs medical attention now!”
“You don’t give orders, Porter,” the smug sergeant shouted at me. “You’ll get what we give you, and if you don’t watch your smart mouth, you’ll get more of the back of my hand.”
“This is against the Corps code of conduct,” I said. “You can’t just ignore a Marine in need of medical treatment.”
“Watch me.”
I squatted beside Money, who looked at me with a grin. “Nice try, Private. Now don’t do anything stupid for me. Try and tone down that need of yours to save everyone.”
He was sitting in the mud. We didn’t have a blanket or even a tarp to sit on. There was no cover from the elements, and the rain throughout the day had saturated the ground, which had softened into mud.
“Let’s clean it up,” I said, kneeling beside him once again.
“Do you have water? Or maybe some bandages?” Money asked.
I reached into my pockets. My weapons had all been taken, but I had a protein bar, some water purification tablets, and a pair of clean socks.
“These will have to do,” I said holding up the socks.
They were wet from slogging through the rainy jungle all day, but my pocket had kept them clean — at least cleaner than anything else I had. I wrapped one around his leg beneath the arrow and tied it off. Then I did the same with the second sock above the arrow, while Money slowly ate the protein bar.
“You sure you don’t want half of this thing,” he said.
“Positive, Master Sergeant. All I need is a little sleep.”
“Well what are you waiting for? We don’t have anything else to do.”
I stayed awake and as long as I could. Money fell asleep as soon as he finished the protein bar. I removed my boots and used them to prop up his wounded leg. It was warm, but the Master Sergeant was shivering. When I touched his forehead, I could feel that he was feverish. Eventually, I feel asleep too. When I opened my eyes again, the sun was rising, and the roar of large repulsers echoed across the camp.
“Someone’s coming to visit,” Money said, his voice barely more than a whisper.
“How are you feeling, Master Sergeant?”
“I’ve been better,” he said.
I called for more help, and was once more ignored. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the security fence was shut down and a group of Marines appeared. I saw the smug sergeant, but also an officer I didn’t recognize. It was a tall man with a bushy mustache. When he spoke, I recognized his voice.
“Bring them out of there,” he growled angrily. “This is the biggest farce I’ve ever seen.”
I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I was glad to see Major Westmore in the camp. I had no doubt that Rigel would spin the story until everyone believed he was the hero, but at least for the time being, he wasn’t the senior officer on station.
Money had to be carried from the security pen on a stretcher. I got my boots back on and was taken to a washing station. I stripped out of my filthy clothes and armor, washed, and was relieved to put on clean clothes again. The security team assigned to me took me to the mess tent. I was ravenously hungry and ate two helpings of powdered eggs, ham-flavored protein wafers, and stale toast.
Eventually I was taken back to the Command Post. All non-essential personnel were gone. Only Major Westmore, Captain Rigel, and Lieutenant Parks were inside. I glanced around, but no one had Command Helmets. It would have been impossible to eaves drop on the debrief about to take place. I was okay with that. I was even okay with being painted as the bad guy. If a court martial was in my future, I guessed it would be far away in a safer place, and that was just fine by me. I was ready to leave the jungle of Apex Venandi and never look back, which was why what Major Westmore said to me was so surprising.
Chapter 41
“Private Porter, I want to apologize for your treatment last night,” the Major said. “There was some confusion here at HQ over exactly what was happening. I take full responsibility for that snafu, but we’re going to correct things and complete this mission.”
I was so shocked, my mouth dropped open. Captain Rigel looked away angrily, and Lieutenant Parks just watched silently.
“The jungle road was a bad idea,” Westmore continued in his booming voice. “At least without air support. We’ll be switching to a two-pronged approach to the alien problem here on Apex. I’m dropping in two platoons on the mountain, while two more clear the jungle road to make way for support
. Once we have control of the volcano, we can send the mining ship down to collect the IX gas. I want you to help lead the ground operations on Mt. Zuko.”
“Sir, I... I’m not sure what to say.”
“No need to say anything, Private. Oh, that’s the other thing. We’ll need to bump you up to Sergeant so you can have the authority to get the ground forces organized. I’ll have my aid make a note of it.”
“Major, this is a colossal mistake,” Rigel said.
“No, Captain, your failure to let good Marines like Sergeant Porter help you complete the mission was the mistake. This man single-handedly rescued two NCO’s before we even got here. He rescued two more captives and saved the entire operation from total annihilation, twice. A promotion is the least we can do for him. And I’ll include that in my report.”
“You’re taking the word of Master Sergeant over that of a Captain in command on a foreign planet?”
“I’ve known James Eubanks for two decades, Captain. I’ve known you for two weeks. If Money says Sergeant Porter saved his life, twice. Then who am I to disagree. They’ve been here longer than the rest of us, and survived. The two of you nearly got the whole operation destroyed by our own bombers.”
“We rectified that situation, Major,” Parks spoke up for the first time.
“There was never any proof that the aliens turned our technology against us,” Rigel insisted. “And if they understood what it was, the reason for that lies with Porter. He traded military secrets with the Vena.”
“I’ve known officers like you for a long time, Rigel. Promotion is all you care about, but you’ll never make it far. You want to know why? Because you have no integrity. While you were down here holed up in your Command Post, I got reports from the survivors of Spartan Company. They don’t show you in a favorable light, Captain.”
“It’s jealously. They’re lying.”
“Funny how their reports all agree,” Westmore said.
“Because they concocted these lies to hurt me,” Rigel said.
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