“Oh, it won’t be me who takes the beating this time,” Donny snarled.
“You want a fair fight?” Nick asked. “I’m game. We’ll be back from air training on Delphi Brown in two weeks. Why don’t we settle this then?”
“Two weeks,” Donny said. “I can wait. But if you try to hide from me, kid, I’ll find you. My team will hunt you all down. There are places on this station that make the pit look like paradise. You may all just disappear completely.”
“We don’t run from blowhards like you,” Ember said in a steely tone.
“Or hide behind our friends,” Jules added as she stared at Gorman.
“This time you’ll be the one in the med bay, Nichols,” Donny said. “You can count on that.”
“Whatever,” Nick replied. “You got what you wanted. Go find someplace else to drink.”
“I’m going to tune you like an old-fashioned radio,” the older man said with a smirk.
He stood up and walked away. Gorman hurried to catch up. Ariel Summers got up too, but she stopped long enough to apologize.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “He’s like a dog with a bone.”
“He has a lot of pride,” Nick said. “Can’t let me make him look bad.”
“He’s not usually like this,” Ariel said. “I’ll make sure the fight is fair. Good luck on Brown. Redstone is a lot of fun.”
She left, and Nick was once more alone with his friends, but the festive mode was ruined.
“You know he won’t fight fair,” Kal said. “A guy like that, all he cares about is inflicting pain.”
“You shouldn’t have volunteered to fight him,” Ember said. “We could get into a lot of trouble. Maybe we should tell Gunny Tveit.”
“No,” Nick said. “I’m not running from this.”
“He’s out to hurt you, Nick,” Jules said. “Maybe even cripple you if he can.”
“So you’ll have to kick his ass,” Ty said. “That’s the only kind of message fools like that understand.”
“And what happens if we get caught?” Ember said. “We could get into a lot of trouble.”
“That’s why you won’t be anywhere near the fight,” Nick said, trying to sound calm.
“Dude, you know we aren’t letting you face that goon alone,” Kal said.
“No way,” Ty agreed.
“He won’t be alone,” Jules said. “Even if you managed to beat him, his friends would intervene. We can’t let you go by yourself.”
“Look, this whole thing is ridiculous,” Nick said. “And chances are, by the time we get back, they’ll be gone on a mission. Calloway only has a few months left before his enlistment is up. I’m guessing nothing will come of it.”
“And if it does?” Ember asked.
“Then we’ll deal with it,” Nick said, trying to sound confident, but his mouth was dry and his heart was beating too fast. He felt shaky, the way he always felt confronting a bully. It was the right thing to do, and most bullies backed down when they saw he wasn’t scared of them, but it was frightening just the same. Donny Calloway wanted to hurt Nick, and he couldn’t pretend that didn’t scare him a little.
“Nick’s right,” Kal said. “We stick together and no one can hurt us.”
“So we just pretend this didn’t happen?” Ember asked. “We’re supposed to act like that guy didn’t just threaten Nick?”
“No, we’re supposed to keep our eyes open,” Nick said. “We’re supposed to be smart, stay together, and do the right thing.”
“What’s the right thing?” Jules said. “If you fight him, you could get kicked out of Recon. Maybe even drummed out of the PMC.”
“We should tell someone,” Ember insisted.
“The right thing is not letting a bully intimidate us,” Nick said. “We have a right to stand up for ourselves and to stand with one another against any threat.”
“Isn’t that risking a lot?” Ember said. “He’s dangerous.”
“Everything we do here is dangerous,” Nick said. “But so are we.”
“Hell yeah!” Kal said.
“I’ll drink to that,” Ty said lifting his glass.
“To being dangerous,” Jules said.
“Dragon Team Seven,” Nick said.
Chapter 20
After a solid night of rest, Dragon Team Seven boarded a shuttle and was ferried down to Delphi’s Brown planet. It was an arid world with very active tectonic plates. The planet was covered with volcanos and towering mountains where the tectonic plates smashed together. Most of the planet’s water was in aquifers deep underground, where it had little chance of evaporating into the air.
Wind storms were frequent and violent. They whipped sand and grit, sometimes even small stones, at speeds over a hundred kilometers per hour. Lightning strikes added to the danger; fortunately, there was little flora to catch on fire. It created a beautiful, if austere, landscape for the residents of the training facility called Redstone.
Most of the structures in the community were constructed using the local rock. Pit houses were the norm, and each with tall metal lightning rods to keep the structures safe and to help supplement the community’s power. A large solar collection cell collected power from the long days of full sunlight. Geothermal power supplemented the long, rectangular hydroponics buildings that grew food for the community and for the Foundry in orbit.
“Wow, this place is really amazing,” Jules said when they stepped off the shuttle and got a look at Delphi Brown.
“Kind of sparse, isn’t it?” Ty replied.
“It’s like the desert back home,” Jules said. “I always wanted to go there.”
“The cliffs are spectacular,” Ember said.
Tall vertical cliffs of red sandstone surrounded the community on three sides. The streets were neat, and a few hardy trees had been planted in the green space, along with a gray, green moss that drew up water from the ground to give the center of the little community a refreshing, verdant quad that reminded Nick of pictures he’d seen of universities before they were all shut down and higher education was unified in virtual schools accessible to people around the world.
“We’re in here, Team,” Gunny Tveit ordered, leading the way toward one of three tall buildings.
“It’s strange to think of worlds like this,” Nick said. “So much space and so few people.”
“It’s a shame the Proxy don’t relocate more of us,” Ember said. “They could build a stronger alliance with just a little concession on their part.”
“They like keeping Earth crowded and desperate,” Kal said. “It gives them a stronger bargaining position.”
They walked into a building that was shadowy and cool, despite the tall ceilings. There were racks of gear along the walls, and several large enclosed training areas.
“Dragon Team,” said a man with no hair and a large, hawkish nose. His dark black skin blended with the BIO-suit he wore. Walking out of the shadows, it almost seemed like he simply appeared out of thin air. “I’m Master Sergeant Nodoro. Welcome to Redstone. Barracks are on the second floor. Stow your gear and we’ll get started with your training.”
“Yes, Master Sergeant!” they all replied in unison.
Gunny Tveit led them to a staircase along one wall. The central part of the building was open, and Nick could see a big fan spinning lazily in the roof. It drew air from outside into and up through the building.
“The breeze is nice,” Ty said.
They were all in BIO-suits and fatigues. The Brown planet was hot for the most part, with the sun almost constantly heating the rocky surface from above and geothermal activity heating it from below. The surface temperatures were not unlike deserts on Earth, but in the building where the sun was kept at bay and air was continuously drawn up through the structure, it was much more comfortable.
They dropped their rucksacks on a row of bunks in a small barracks-style room on the second floor. There was an exercise station alongside a recreation space on the opposite side of the
second floor and a shared bathroom facility.
Back on the ground floor, the team was stripped out of their fatigues and fitted with flight suits, simple one-piece garments that zipped up the front but equipped with loops and harnesses for a variety of additional gear not standard on their battle armor.
“Alright, everyone’s dressed and ready to learn,” Master Sergeant Nodoro said with a wide smile that revealed his bright white teeth. “Today we go over the basics of body control in free fall. These vertical wind tunnels will simulate falling through atmo. You will learn how to control your body, move through the air like a bird of prey, and most of all, overcome your fear of heights.”
They donned helmets and began their first lesson. Master Sergeant Nodoro went over the basics of body control in a free-fall environment. They practiced body posture on small dollies where they arched the backs and used their arms and legs to gain control of their movement. Eventually, they were allowed into the wind tunnels in pairs where they rose up and down through the billowing air, using just their bodies to balance and control their motion. It was a fun but exhausting first day of training.
Once the session ended and the sun began to set, the trainees were allowed to explore the town of Redstone. There was no mess hall, just a simple cafe and two saloon-style taverns. The locals were mostly longtime PMC veterans. Some helped with air training, others worked in the hydroponic buildings growing food or tended the small herds of domesticated animals harvested for food at various times throughout the year.
Everyone in the small community was friendly and open. It felt like being on a vacation in a resort town, not a training school on an alien planet. There was no need to stand guard at night. Their group was the only Recon team in training at the community, and the entire facility was reserved for their use.
The next day, they put their training into practice. They learned how to properly pack and test a parachute, then loaded into an atmo flyer. They flew up four thousand meters, and things got exciting.
“Are we really doing this?” Kal asked.
“Of course, we are,” Jules said.
“Seems absurd to jump out of a perfectly good plane,” Kal went on.
“Fear is part of the process,” Master Sergeant Nodoro said. “You wouldn’t be human if you weren’t scared a little.”
“What happens if our chutes fail?” Ty asked.
“Use the emergency chute,” Nodoro replied.
“And if that fails?” Kal asked.
“Pray,” Nick said with a grin.
He was trying not to show how nervous he was. The plane had windows, and the side of the fuselage was open. Air rushed through the small plane, and everyone was on edge.
“Alright, everyone, it’s time,” Nodoro said. “Remember, take hold of this safety bar. Step out onto this support, and when you’re ready, just let go.”
“What if we can’t?” Kal asked
“Then I’ll help you,” Nodoro said with a grin.
“Gunny, is he for real?” Ty asked.
“Don’t be a baby,” Jules remarked. “I’ll go first.”
Nick marveled at his friend’s courage. Master Sergeant Nodoro double-checked her flight suit and parachute, then helped her move to the door. She sat on the deck with both hands on the safety bar.
“Give yourself a moment to adjust to the friction of the air,” Nodoro said. “Then move into position.”
Jules nodded, then slid her feet out the door. They immediately blew back toward the rear of the plane. Nick’s stomach was tight, and Ember had one hand on his shoulder, her fingers pinching him tightly.
Jules adjusted her body and pushed her feet through the blast of wind from the plane’s movement until she could settle them on the support. Then she swung her body out. Nick’s stomach was in his throat as Nodoro gave Jules a thumbs up. One second she was there, and the next she was gone. Nick, Kal, and Ember craned their heads to see out of the plane, but Ty stepped up.
“I’m next,” he said calmly, but Nick recognized a tightness to his voice that revealed his fear.
The plane was making a long, slow loop, and Nick was relieved when he saw Jules’s big green parachute open below them.
“She’s okay,” Nick said.
Ember nodded but didn’t speak. He thought she looked pale. Ty shimmied out into position, his long arms and legs at full extension as the wind slammed into him. Then he, too, was gone, falling through the air. It made Nick feel queasy, but there was no escaping the fact that they would all jump.
“Who’s next?” Nodoro asked.
“Me,” Nick said.
Ember had to let him go, and he moved toward the doorway. Nodoro went over the procedure with him again, and Nick took hold of the safety bar. He had endured fear many times since joining the PMC. He had been shot at by aliens with spear guns, chased through an alien city by a security drone, twice he had been attacked by animals intent on making him their next meal. Through all those encounters, he had conquered his fear, but preparing to jump from the airplane was much more intense. His heart was hammering in his chest, and his entire body felt weak.
When he slipped his feet out of the plane, the force of the wind seemed ridiculous. It made Nick wonder how anyone had ever conjured up the nerve to be the first person to jump from an airplane.
“Don’t worry, kid. We’ve been doing this for centuries,” Nodoro said with a grin.
Nick nodded, then forced his feet toward the support that stuck out just below the deck of the airplane. He had to slide his hands over, and his legs were shaking hard when he finally swung his body out into the wind. He hung there, his feet on the support below the door, his hands clinging desperately to the bar near the top. He felt like a human sail caught in a hurricane. His mind was locked for what seemed like an eternity between the desire to get safely back into the plane and the reality that he couldn’t.
Finally, he looked over at Nodoro. Ember was there, and Kal and Gunny Tveit. The master sergeant gave him a thumbs up, and Nick let go.
Chapter 21
The world spun out of control and Nick feared he would be sick. It was as if he had been cast into the middle of a maelstrom. The wind felt like it was going to rip him apart and howled outside his helmet. His breathing was ragged, his eyes squeezed tightly shut, the sheer panic was overwhelming.
No thought broke through the terror in his mind, but his body began to react to the training. It was sheer muscle memory, but his back arched, his arms spread wide, and before he knew it, he had begun to balance his body on the rush of air that pressed against him.
Nick’s eyes opened; the world looked like a distant place below him. He couldn’t make out details, just fields of open space and irregular features marking the land. As his senses came back to him, Nick caught sight of the altimeter that was counting down on his wrist-link. It was almost time to pull his chute.
Moving his hand toward the handle on his chest made him wobble, and fear shot through his body like a bolt of lightning, but he corrected his weight distribution and held on to control his fall by the slimmest of margins. When his fingers wrapped around the handle that released the chute, he felt a surge of confidence. He pulled and heard the reassuring ruffle of the chute springing out.
The sudden pressure of gravity as the parachute opened and vastly slowed his descent was overwhelming, like a giant, invisible hand pressing down on him. The safety harness built into his flight suit held him securely, but it was not a comfortable moment. Fortunately, the pain and pressure didn’t last long. With the chute open, his world went from out-of-control to almost what Nick would consider fun. He still felt fear at being so high off the ground, but as the wind blew across his face and the gentle movement of the parachute carried him through the air, he also felt a thrill of excitement. From below him, he heard whoops and exclamations from his friends. Jules was already on the ground, he could see her far below, and Ty was angling his descent toward her.
Nick tried to look up, to see if Emb
er or Kal were above him, but all he could see was the parachute. Even the plane was out of sight. As his heart rate slowed, he actually enjoyed himself. His mind went over their landing procedures, and as he neared the ground, he pulled on the chute’s handles, flexing the silky sail over his head and slowing his descent so that he hit the ground with almost no force at all. His knees bent to absorb the impact and he nearly fell, but he managed to keep his feet as his parachute collapsed behind him.
“Man, what a rush!” Ty said. “That was awesome!”
The big man was bundling up his chute, and Jules already had hers gathered in her arms.
“What’d you think, Nick?” Jules called out. “Ever experience anything like that before?”
“No,” Nick said, feeling a little giddy that he had actually jumped from a plane and survived.
“Here comes Ember,” Jules said, pointing up.
Nick cocked his head back and saw his friend floating peacefully down. She landed nearly a hundred meters from the others, but the land was flat and open, with nothing to block them from one another. Nick began gathering up his parachute and glancing up for Kal.
“There he is,” Ty said, pointing up.
Nick could see a chute high above them.
“He must have taken his sweet time,” Jules said.
Almost immediately, two more chutes opened above Kal. Nick guessed it was Gunny Tveit and Master Sergeant Nodoro. Ember was hiking toward them, her parachute bundled in her arms.
“What’d you think, Em?” Jules called out to here.
“Craziest thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “It was amazing.”
“I know,” Ty replied. “I felt like I was flying.”
“Flying, falling, they’re pretty much the same thing,” Nick said with a chuckle.
“You look pale, Nick,” Jules said. “You okay?”
“Scared witless, but fine,” Nick said.
“I was scared too,” Ty said. “But once that chute opened, I felt more free than I’ve ever felt before. Like I truly could do anything. It was liberating.”
The four friends were standing close together when Kal landed. Nick saw his friend struggling. He luffed his parachute too soon and dropped nearly two meters. Kal hit the ground and fell to his knees but didn’t seem to mind at all.
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