“Is all this really necessary?” she asked, gesturing to her outfit.
“Yes it is, unfortunately,” Keren shrugged. “You are going into rough terrain and this suit will protect your body from minor scratches and abrasions. Besides, they are standard issue to all of our operatives." As he spoke, Robinson walked over to his side and handed him the disk.
“Keep this on your person at all times Miss Hawks, and please do not lose it,” he said, placing the small plastic device into her hand. “Not only will it temporarily deactivate the energy shield, but the information it contains is of the utmost importance. It must reach Major Flanagan and Ms. Hawks.”
Keren gestured towards the oversized padded chair in the center of the room.
“Come sit.”
Laurina placed the disk into a hip pocket and zipped it closed. Satisfied, she walked over and eyed the recliner suspiciously. There were both body and arm restraints protruding from it that she hadn’t noticed earlier. Nearby Dr. Kelder stood at a console with a look of anxiety on his face. Reluctantly she sat and tried to prepare herself for what was to come.
Alright old girl. No sense crying about it now. Relax and get it over with, and we’ll see you on the other side.
Willing her body into a state of calm, Laurina allowed Kelder to secure her to the chair.
“Good luck, and be careful,” he whispered as he made a final adjustment. Soon the doctor moved back to the console and flipped on several switches. Immediately she felt an electric field surrounding her body. The intensity increased steadily, making her skin feel like there were ants crawling over her. Satisfied that all was ready, Dr. Kelder nodded to the Colonel.
“I neglected to tell you Miss Hawks” Keren suddenly announced. “There will be some …disorientation, but that will pass. Just remember your mission, to deliver the disk without fail!”
His silent assistant hovered next to Dr. Kelder at the main panel, and pulled down on a lever. Laurina reflexively closed her eyes, and a strange tingling feeling made its presence known within her body. Soon the intensity of the electric sensation began to increase exponentially, making her feel as if the ants were beginning to bore into her skin. There was no pain, but a noticeable pressure squeezed against her from all sides. A moment later the room seemed to pitch, and the young Brit felt as if her body were being ripped apart. Not limb from limb, but on a molecular level. Suddenly there was a sickening lurch and, even with her eyes closed, Laurina could sense that her surroundings were beginning to change.
Chapter 6
“So, exactly what the hell are we doing out here Sarge?” asked Specialist Nathaniel Hull as they pedaled closer and closer to their destination.
Sergeant Cyrus Briggs stared straight ahead as he maneuvered their craft toward the shadowy landscape of the Shrouded Isle, so named due to the thick fog that blanketed the landmass, making observation impossible.
“We are supposed to take readings around the island, Nathaniel,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Why do you think we’re carrying all of these electronics in this tub, Null,” Specialist Walter Boyd chided, indicating the packs in the center of the makeshift craft with a large meaty arm as he pedaled. “Damn. Don’t you pay attention at all to the briefings?”
Hull gave his companion a dirty look.
“Screw off Wall. If I want to know something about creampuffs and triple-decker sandwiches, I’ll ask you.”
“And If I want to ask a question of someone with a brain, I won’t ask you.” came the reply.
Briggs had had enough.
“Button it, both of you, ‘fore I throw both your sorry asses overboard!”
The two men fell into a brooding silence- each one eyeing the other but staying quiet.
The sergeant shook his head ruefully. From the time the three of them had arrived at Diamond Head and put the advanced pedal-powered craft into the water until now, his subordinates had been running their mouths. It was bad enough to pull this boring assignment in the first place. But to have these two assigned to him? Sure, they were both capable soldiers- above average in fact. And it was well known that in reality, they were the best of friends, but you wouldn’t think so by the way they berated each other at every turn. Someone higher up must’ve thought it was a perverse joke to assign these two to work together. While technically the Specialists performed their assignments in exemplary fashion, they constantly bickered with each other like an old married couple. And this time, the Aeternus Brass had made him the marriage counselor.
He hated it.
Nathaniel Hull was the Research Operations Specialist (ResOp). He was tall, spare and gangly, and his wheat colored hair gave him the appearance of one of the scarecrows on Briggs’ great-grandfather’s farm. His bland, questioning look, made him seem less than intelligent, which was why Walter corrupted his last name into “Null.” However, Nathaniel was extremely inquisitive, and he would constantly ask questions, trying to find out every detail and every nuance he could about a given subject or problem. His inquisitive nature made him perfectly suited for Research Operations. In spite of his appearance, he was near genius level, possessing an eidetic memory for facts and all manner of information, and could recall things at will. He had recently received an invitation to join a think tank sponsored by the Sempai led Institute of Creative Culture after his tour of duty with the Aeternus Military was completed. Anyone who underestimated Nathaniel’s intelligence due to his looks did so at their own peril.
Walter Boyd was the Technical Operations Specialist (TechOp). He was a 300 pound lump of a man who labored under the belief of his own mental and physical superiority. An expert in both high tech gadgetry and hand to hand combat; he was loud, brash and a bit of a blowhard, but his skills made him well able to back up his bravado. Like Hull, he was highly intelligent, and near genius level. He could fix practically anything, and had been tapped on several occasions to design vehicles for the Aeternus military. He was also a great guy to have in a fight, except for the fact that he would bore you to tears about his part in it afterwards. Because of his girth, Nathaniel always referred to him as “Wall,” to Walter’s eternal irritation.
Privately, Master Sergeant Cyrus Briggs of Aeternus Intelligence (IntOp) couldn’t help but think of these two jokers by the nickname given to them by the Aeternus rank and file soldiers, “Null and Void.”
A handsome, coffee skinned man with boyish charm, Briggs had worked hard in the Aeternus army to shed himself of his “pretty boy” image. He had honed himself both physically and mentally, to be the best soldier he could be, and was determined to make his family proud. During boot camp, he outworked every one of his peers, gaining in strength and agility, while sculpting his 6 foot frame to become the “Lean, mean, fightin’ machine” that his superiors so desperately desired in their men. He was an expert marksman and an even more formidable fighter than Boyd. However, his prowess was not limited to just the physical.
A “non-linear thinker” with a keen analytical ability, Briggs had a knack of solving problems in non conventional ways, which gained him the respect of his peers who referred to him as “the answer man.” Even his immediate superiors consulted him on occasion for particularly thorny problems. Kindly and humble, he was always there for his peers, and later, for the men he commanded. But no one mistook his caring demeanor for weakness. Anyone who attempted to intimidate, or out think him, quickly found themselves outwitted, outgunned and overmatched. After the encounter, some would quietly choose a different duty station, while others left the military entirely, unwilling to chance any more humiliation from this quiet man.
Eventually his abilities got him noticed by the Brass. Executive Officer Nehemiah Kuma himself, a hard man to impress at the best of times, recognized his officer potential immediately and took a liking to him. He carefully guided the young man’s career path over the last few years, placing him in situations that he thought would foster his leadership abilities, and bring out the best in him.
“I know it will be a challenge Cyrus,” Kuma would say. “But I have faith that you’ll shine. Besides, adversity builds character.”
…Which brought him to this Op, and his two bickering subordinates.
Glancing at them, he sighed. They weren’t bad guys. They were just irritating at times. He cleared his throat twice before addressing them.
“To answer your question Nate, I’ll reiterate our mission. Keep in mind that this is restricted Intel okay? The Seer in Preguntas contacted the Brass about a small but strange reduction of power emanations from Shrouded Isle. Our job is to measure and get confirmation of this. We were each chosen for this mission due to our particular talents, and we’re gonna put them all to good use. Now, are we clear on this mission?”
“Yes Sir!” answered Specialist Hull.
“Roger that,” affirmed Specialist Boyd.
“Good,” replied Briggs. “We’ll be arriving soon, so let’s get that gear unpacked and ready for use!”
“Yes Sir!” both men answered.
Chapter 7
Due to the extremely high salinity and acidic characteristics of the Canis Strait, other than several species of worms and cephalopods, there was not much sea life that existed there. The greenish black open waters of Nedara were known to be toxic to human life. In fact after five minutes of exposure, human skin begins to break down rapidly, and without chemical intervention, the victim would hemmorage to death. This necessitated the use of special protective suits to be worn when traveling on the strait. The water was also very hard on any material that rested upon it or over it for longer than 30 minutes, breaking down its molecular structure, and in the case of a watercraft, eventually rendering it non-seaworthy. This made water travel extremely hazardous.
To complicate matters even further, Core Conversion Energy was practically useless in this zone. Even the air above the water’s surface was such that any machine or piece of equipment running on CCE would be drained of power in a relatively short period of time. This made large vehicles unpractical and any smaller watercraft that dared to venture out into the deep had to be specially shielded, and be operated manually. The three Aeternus soldiers were in such a craft.
Along with the traditional metals and polymer plastics that most boats were built with, this one was lined with multiple layers of Endura, a material similar to Kevlar in nature, and finally covered in a seven layer skin of Elastec. If left in this environment however, even this bolstered craft, as tough as it was, would in time eventually degrade into un-usability. The lightweight 6 meter vessel was essentially a high tech paddleboat, where several members could sit in a special compartment, and while adopting a cyclist’s posture, they would operate pedals which would propel the boat through the water. The pedals were attached to a series of midsized paddles which were specially designed to channel and multiply each pedal revolution to create the most efficient use of the force applied. The resulting compounded effort could propel the craft to speeds of 10-12 knots under heavy exertion from one man alone. Doubly fast with two.
Specialist Boyd was especially proud of the vessel, since he had a major part in its design. In fact he was actually co-owner of the patent on Elastec. As they moved out, he called out to the Master Sergeant at the helm.
“How’s it handling Sarge?”
Briggs smiled. “Like a dream Walter. Like a dream!”
Nathaniel smiled ruefully. “C’mon Sarge, don’t say that. You’re just going to make him even more insufferable than he already is.”
“Can you say jealousy?” Boyd quipped. “I knew you could.”
Conversation between the men soon sobered as they approached their mist covered objective. Once the thick fog began to envelop their position, Briggs ordered them to reduce their speed. As the gurgling propulsion of the high tech craft slowed, and an eerie calm settled over the waters, words ceased entirely. Maneuvering carefully, the three men finally arrived at the coordinates of the five mile barrier around the Shrouded Isle.
Since time began, the island home of the mysterious figure known as the Guardian of the Source, and the WellSpring, source of all power within Nedara, had been surrounded by a force field to keep humans out, while birds and other wildlife could come and go as they pleased.
Over the millennia, many had tried to break this field. Most tried to attack it through the air without success. Several foolhardy men tried to make a surface approach using a combination of reinforced thick hulled skiffs and augmented swimmers suits. Unfortunately, not only did they fail to penetrate the island’s barrier, but the corrosive waters proved too much for their equipment, and as their skiff sank, the entire party suffered a grisly death. A few enterprising individuals had even designed a makeshift probe that was lowered into the toxic waters, along the edge of the field to see if it indeed ran down to the sea floor. However, each attempt met with failure as the camera picture would inevitably “wink out “after 10 minutes of lowering, with the force field present on the camera until the end. Eventually, no one even bothered trying anymore. It had become accepted fact in the consciousness of all Nedarans, that no one could gain entrance to this mysterious place. In fact, in the language of Nedara, the euphemism “trying to breach the field” became synonymous with attempting the impossible.
As hard as the three men tried, the island could barely be seen due to the dense fog bank that surrounded it at all times. Although it was a sunny day, the natural light was diffused by the surrounding mist, giving Briggs’ dark brown skin a grayish cast, and his two subordinates, the ashen color of the living dead. What little of the hilly shoreline that could be seen in the distance, looked to the soldiers like a gateway to the underworld.
The scientific equipment they carried, while powered by CCE, was heavily shielded as well, allowing them about an hour of use before all power was drained
“Commencing readings Sarge,” Nathaniel called out.
“Roger that.”
“Checking power emanations Sir,” Walt murmured, studiously observing his portable scanner. Briggs smiled. It was the most serious his two subordinates have been all day.
“Alright gentlemen. The barrier would normally be about t ahead at this point,” he announced. “I am going to guide us forward slowly, using your readings as a guide. I don’t have to say that I am counting on your accuracy.”
“Yes sir!” the two men barked, as they pored over their scanners.
Briggs tucked himself inside one of the two propulsion modules, and gently pushed the pedal by foot.
“Easing ahead at minimal.”
Several moments went by as the special craft slowly inched forward. But they met with no resistance whatsoever.
“Sarge, I’ve got no visual confirmation,” Hull said. “Usually at this range we should be able to see the water lap up against it, but I’ve got zero. No water displacement, no splashing, nothing.”
Boyd nodded as he spoke.
“He’s right, Sarge. Short range scanners aren’t picking up anything either and we are…about ninety meters inside the normal perimeter!”
Sergeant Major Briggs grunted in surprise. “Indeed? Well perhaps these strange waters are affecting our position. Continuing to proceed.”
Slowly he propelled them forward meter by meter, but still there was nothing to impede their progress. Twenty minutes later, he called out for more readings.
“I’m getting faint readings Sarge, but they are…” Nathaniel gasped. “This can’t be right. Damn, my unit must be busted.”
“What is it Specialist?”
“I see it too Nate,” Boyd called out soberly.
“Okay gentlemen…d’ya mind letting me in on this intel?”
“Er, right Sarge. Sorry,” the lean soldier apologized.
Walter shook his head. “It’s just that, it’s incredible Sarge. The Seer was right. The field is 4.8 kilometers ahead of us.”
“In other words, we’ve already come three kilometers within the shield’s normal placement.”
“Yessir,” the larger man affirmed. “But that’s not all…”
Nathaniel chimed in with amazement in his voice. “The field is shrinking as we speak Sarge. We’ll need to get right up on it for me to measure the rate of decrease, but it is definitely shrinking in size.”
“What’s even more disturbing is…well… sir,” Boyd chimed in again before pausing in indecision.
“What is it Walter?”
“Well Sarge, I can’t factually say for sure yet, but preliminary findings are showing that not only has the size of the island’s field decreased, but the power emanations from the island itself are dwindling as well. Both are continuing to decline at a steady rate.”
This was unheard of. It took Sergeant Major Briggs several seconds of silence to absorb the information, not to mention what their findings suggested. The implications were staggering.
“Alright gentlemen. I agree that these preliminary findings are incredible to say the least. However, I’d feel a lot better if we had some hard evidence to go along with these readings. I don't know how much time we have left before the equipment starts to degrade, so let’s make the most of it. We’re going right up to the barrier itself. Moving ahead at half speed.”
Briggs pumped the pedals faster, and the craft jumped into motion. The men could hear the cool salty breeze rush past the ear holes of their protective suits as the Sergeant Major exerted himself. The quiet aboard the craft was palpable, as the normally talkative Specialists were silent; choosing instead to monitor their equipment, while pondering the meaning of this new revelation. Soon, Specialist Hull called out.
“Now reading the barrier at one-hundred meters away Sarge.”
“Very good,” the Sergeant replied. “Slowing to minimal. We’ll let her momentum ease us in close.”
“Readings are strong, sir.” Specialist Boyd said.
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