by G J Ogden
What the hell are we doing here? he asked himself. We came to rescue these people, not slaughter them!
A low rumble in the distance caused him to rise up, alert to a potential danger. He stayed low, crunching shattered fragments of stone beneath his boots and looked out over the sprawling plains that they had traveled along to reach the mountain. At the foot of the mountain he saw the two UEC transports accelerating away rapidly, leaving trails of dust behind them like plumes of smoke.
Page cursed and activated his PVSM, hoping there was still a chance he could get a signal to the transports and make them turn back, but the sharp clack of rock falling onto rock caused him to spin around. A cluster of loose stones were rolling down the slopes beyond the plateau, as if they had been disturbed or kicked loose. But by what? Page sensed danger. In the entire journey to the foot of the mountain, he had seen no animals; the only things he knew that still lived were either genetically deformed or survivors from the space station, and judging by the pile of bodies, he wasn’t confident that this could be the latter.
Staying low he circled around, staying close the side of the mountain, and moved to the rear of the plateau in order to get a better view of the slopes beyond. Taking cover behind a large boulder he saw a figure moving in the distance, perhaps twenty meters away; instinctively he reached for his sidearm, forgetting it was no longer there, and he cursed again. The figure stumbled and fell onto its back, kicking more loose stones down the slopes, but also giving Page a clear view of who this stranger was; his UEC flight suit was unmistakable. Page’s fear vanished, but his alertness remained; somehow this man had escaped death or capture at the hands of Page’s unit, and was now making his way back to the others. All Page had to do was follow.
He stepped out from behind the rock and began to pursue the man, taking care not to make the same careless mistakes, so as not to give away his position. As he climbed over the boulder he caught one last glimpse of the pile of corpses and froze as shame and guilt gripped him once again. His mission had been to rescue Kurren’s family and recover the survivors so that they could face justice, but already this mission had failed, and the evidence was piled up in front of him. He knew he had no choice but to pursue this man, but to what end? He was no longer sure, but it was either that or remain where he was, alone on the mountainside, waiting for his genetic code to slowly be corrupted by the toxic radiation that now filled his lungs with each breath. He forced himself to look away and then resumed the pursuit, staying either in cover or in shadow.
The UEC pilot was moving hastily, making no effort to conceal his movements, seemingly unconcerned with the prospect that anyone could be following him, which made it easier for Page to pursue undetected. After about ten minutes Page saw the man climb up a steep section that appeared to lead to a dead end, blocked by dense overgrown trees and bushes, but instead he pushed through and disappeared. Page waited for a few seconds to see if the man would come back out again, having realized his error, but when there was no sign of him, Page pushed on, scrambling up the incline as quickly as possible, concerned his delay might have caused him to lose the trail. He reached the top and, breathing heavily and aching even more so, pushed himself through the bushes and onto a hidden plateau where Lieutenant James Aster was waiting for him, weapon in hand and aimed directly at him.
“Stop right there!” Aster shouted and Page froze.
Page held up his hands. “Take it easy, I’m not armed.”
“Neither were the thousands you killed on the space station,” growled Aster. “It didn’t seem to worry you then. Killing unarmed, innocent people, I mean.”
The image of the dead bodies piled up on the plateau flashed into Page’s mind. “I didn’t kill those people.”
“It doesn’t matter if you pulled the trigger or someone else,” said Aster stepping closer and aiming the weapon directly at Page’s heart. “You’re just as guilty.”
“Maybe I am,” said Page, and he was surprised by his own response. “I’m sorry about the space station, I really am; I believed in reconciliation, but that’s not how this went down.”
Aster laughed. “You believed in peace?” he scoffed. “Coming all the way down here to finish the job doesn’t seem like the act of a peace-loving man to me.” Page stepped forward and Aster quickly chambered a round. “Another step and you’re dead.”
“I’m not here to kill anyone,” said Page, holding fast. “My orders are to recover the survivors so they can face justice for treason, and to rescue General Kurren’s family.” Then, with more bite he added, “You know, the innocent woman and two small boys that Commander Salus abducted to use as a human shield, after failing to take over the UEC?”
Aster shook his head. “You’re an idiot,” he spat. “They chose to come with us, to get away from Kurren, just like the others. But you just blindly sucked up his lies, didn’t you? That man doesn’t want justice, or peace; he only wants to win, at any cost, and you’re just his puppet, doing his dirty work.”
Page dropped his hands to his side, but did not chance another step forward. He wanted to fight back, to tell this man that he was the liar and a traitor, but the truth was that he wasn’t sure he believed that anymore. None of this mattered in his current situation, though; all that mattered was that he had a gun pointed at him, and no options.
“So what now?” said Page. “If you shoot me, you only prove that you are the enemy, and Kurren will never stop hunting you. You have my word that if you return, you’ll get fair treatment. It’s your only choice.”
Aster swallowed hard. “No. No, it’s not…” and then he fired.
The force of the impact knocked Page over and he landed heavily on his back. He groaned; it felt like someone had rested a heavy weight on his chest. His armor crackled and fizzed where the round had penetrated, severing circuitry, but it had not pierced through completely. He tried to push himself up, but then his body was cast into shadow and he looked up to the see the UEC pilot standing over him, weapon pointed at his head.
“You don’t have to do this!” Page begged. “I’m not your enemy.”
“I’m sorry,” Aster replied calmly. “But I can’t take that cha…”
Page didn’t wait for Aster to complete the sentence; as soon as he heard, ‘I’m sorry’, he knew that he intended to kill him, and swiftly kicked Aster’s legs out from under him. Aster fell but managed to keep hold of his weapon and quickly regain his footing, but not before Page was also on his feet. Aster swung the weapon back towards him, but Page blocked and smashed Aster’s hand away, the hard blue armor crushing his fingers against the grip. Aster cried out in pain as the sidearm discharged into the air and then flew out of his grasp and into the dirt beyond the reach of both of them. Page followed-up, punching Aster in the chest and sending him stumbling backwards.
“Stop!” Page shouted, “We don’t have to fight!”
Aster ignored his pleas and charged forward, launching a kick at Page, which he dodged. Aster followed with a backhand, but it merely bounced off Page’s armor and caused his own arm to throb with pain.
Page remained on the defensive; looking for an opening to subdue or restrain the man, rather than take more aggressive measures, as more punches and kicks came his way. He blocked them all and then when his attacker left himself open, stepped in and struck cleanly with a forearm, forcing Aster to back away. Blood poured from his split lip.
“Give it up!” Page begged again. “I promise, as my prisoner, you will not be harmed.”
But Aster was now furious, and embarrassed at being so easily bested. Rage led him to lose control; he cried out at Page with an animal-like roar and then made a frenzied charge towards him. Page stood his ground and allowed the man to build up speed, and then swiftly dodged aside and struck Aster in the back, sending him tumbling out of control, the momentum carrying his body through the dense undergrowth that formed a perimeter around the plateau and down the sheer rock face on the other side. He heard distant cries of pain
and then there was silence. Page ran back through the bushes and skidded down the slope, looking for Aster. After a few seconds he found him, prostrated against the rocks below, an expanding puddle of blood pooling beneath his head.
“Damn you!” Page called out, kicking the ground. “You stubborn fool!”
More cautiously now, Page made his way over to the body and knelt beside it. His eyes were still open, so Page gently closed them. He remained there for a moment, unsure of what to do next, or what to do with the body. The soldier in him said to check his pockets, and check his PVSM, but it seemed wrong and disrespectful somehow. This man was UEC. How had it come this this? Page wondered. They had been so close to peace and reconciliation; had it really been true that Archer had deceived them all and conspired against his own people? Kurren had made it sound so plausible, and he had the backing of the government, including Kuba. The records confirmed everything he had been told, but his gut now told him they were wrong.
Page took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He reached into the man’s right breast pocket and removed his ident card. “Lieutenant James Aster,” he said out loud, and then he looked at the man’s face. “I’m sorry, James Aster.” Placing the ident card on the ground to his side, he reached over and held up Aster’s left arm, inspecting the PVSM, but like his skull, it was smashed beyond repair. He gently lowered Aster’s arm back to his side, stood up and rubbed his eyes. His situation was no less precarious than it had been earlier, but in addition to his growing concern about the mission, the danger of attack, and the looming threat of G-DARP, there was also a death on his conscience. It had been self-defense, Page knew that, but it didn’t change the fact that UEC Lieutenant James Aster was dead and that he had killed him.
He turned and looked back up at the plateau above, though from this vantage it was impossible to see. Had it been intentionally hidden from view? he wondered. He looked back at Aster and saluted; it seemed like a futile and almost comical gesture given the circumstances, but he felt like he had to do something to pay his respects, even if it was a weak gesture. He turned back and climbed again up the steep slope, pushing through the shroud of vegetation and onto the plateau. Aster’s sidearm lay in the dirt in front of him; he bent down to pick it up and pain spasmed throughout his body, especially in his chest. He looked at the weapon and then at the hole in the chest plate of his armor, and marveled again at how close he had come to death. Page made the weapon safe and examined the clip; there were seven rounds remaining. Better than nothing, he said to himself, and placed the sidearm in his holster. Next, he initiated a hit of pain meds from his PVSM, which took the edge off straight away, but a bioscan had highlighted a couple of broken ribs and other compound fractures that would need more deliberate attention at some point. For now, however, all he was trying to do was survive for another hour.
“So, what’s special about this place?” Page said out loud, looking around the plateau, trying to spot anything unusual that would give a clue as to why it had been hidden from view. If it was a natural hideaway then nature had designed it extremely well. Directly opposite where he stood was a near vertical rock face that was concealed beneath long, dangling leaves and branches from a tree that was growing out of the mountain a few meters up the face. Page’s curiosity was sparked and he walked towards it to investigate; pushing through the evergreen leaves and into a hidden space, behind which was a stone-colored door resting ajar. Page drew the sidearm from its holster, loaded it, pushed the door open wider and stepped inside.
Light scattered through the leaves of the tree overhanging the doorway, dimly illuminating a tunnel that dipped steeply into the mountain. Page ran his gloved hand across the stone wall; it was rough-cut, but from the consistent shape of the tunnel it had clearly been carved out by machine. His eyes began to adjust to the darkness and he realized that the tunnel was lit by luminescent light strips that ran along the length of each wall. He moved further inside, treading as softly as his armored, blue boots would allow, until the tunnel opened out into a cave.
“What the hell is this place?” he said out loud, but though he had spoken quietly, his voice seemed to be amplified by the wide cavern, and he cursed silently for being so careless. He stalked deeper into the cavern and saw a simple bridge that crossed a deep chasm and appeared to lead to a large, open hatchway. He was about to cross the bridge when he heard voices coming from inside the hatch. His heart began to thump, and he looked around the cave for somewhere to hide, without luck. Hearing the voices get closer, he chose to retreat back to the tunnel mouth and saw an alcove that would conceal him from the view of anyone approaching from the cavern. He crept inside, flipped off the safety on his sidearm, and waited.
Chapter 26
Maria Salus stepped across the bridge and stood beside Ethan. “That’s the last group now in decontamination,” she said, sounding contented. “Let’s return for Aster and the others, and close up, before Kurren gets here.”
“Have you heard from Aster?” asked Ethan, matching Maria’s brisk pace, as she began making her way back towards the sloping tunnel that led to the concealed plateau outside.
“No, but this piece of crap can barely get a signal out when we’re standing toe-to-toe,” said Maria, jigging her left arm from side to side, as if shaking the rudimentary PVSM would make it work better.
“Let’s hurry then,” said Ethan, stepping out ahead of Maria and entering the tunnel first.
Suddenly, Page sprang out of the alcove and swiped Ethan across the side of the head with the sidearm, knocking him to the cold cavern floor. Page then swung the weapon towards Maria, but even though there was barely a second between the two actions, Maria instinctively blocked Page’s hand and stripped the weapon from his grasp; it clattered across the cavern floor and slid out of reach towards the bridge.
The speed of Maria’s reaction surprised Page and he was momentarily stunned. Maria seized the opportunity and shoved him hard in the chest, sending the soldier staggering back, and then ran for the weapon, but Page’s armor prevented him from being winded and he rapidly caught up with her and wrestled her away, attempting a choke hold. Maria slipped out of the hold – the shiny blue armor sliding smoothly across her olive overalls – and elbowed him hard in the side. Page reeled back and grasped his bruised and broken ribs, while Maria also cried out, her elbow throbbing from striking armor instead of flesh. She shook away the pain and then raised her guard, poised and ready to strike.
“Stop, we don’t have to fight!” Page called out holding up a hand, but Maria had recognized the vibrant blue armor now, and knew it could only be one of Kurren’s men.
“Fight or don’t fight, Blue Boot; you’re still going down,” snarled Maria and then, adjusting her strategy to account for fighting an armored opponent, she kicked Page’s right knee to knock him off balance, and followed with a powerful straight kick to the sternum. Page stumbled back again but did not fall. Maria pressed her attack, but this time Page anticipated her moves and blocked them, countering with fast, accurate punches. Maria dodged and then was forced to block, though even blocking Page’s armored fists was excruciatingly painful. Page attacked again, but overextended and Maria used the heavier soldier’s weight and momentum to throw him across the cavern floor. The sharp crack of Page’s armor clashing against rock reverberated around the cavern, and he slid along the damp stone floor, falling further into the depths of the cave.
Page got to his knees and spat blood; his chest and ribs felt like jelly. Then he saw his weapon, shimmering in the cool glow of the cavern lights and scrambled towards it, grabbing it before Maria could stop him, and then aiming it at his combatant with murderous intent. Maria stopped dead in her tracks and cursed as Page climbed gingerly to his feet, but stood hunched over, unable to balance on his injured knee. He tasted blood and, probing the corners of his mouth with his tongue, felt a loose tooth that was hanging on by the thinnest strand of tissue. He spat out the tooth, along with some red-stained saliva, which splattered
on the cavern floor.
“Please stand down, I don’t want to do this,” Page said, trying to sound calm and assured, but Maria could see that he was clearly rattled. The numbness around his jaw made his voice sound strange, and his hand was shaking from a mixture of adrenalin and exertion.
“What is your name, soldier?” Maria replied, but where Page’s voice had wavered, Maria’s was rock solid, like the cavern around them.
Page was impressed with Maria’s composed response, but he also understood her tactics well. She was attempting to make a personal connection, because it was harder to shoot someone when you saw them as a person, rather than just another soldier. He wasn’t a fool, and he had no intention of shooting Maria, unless she gave him no choice, but he was also hurt and winded, and so used the opportunity to recover his breath.
“My name is Captain...” he began, but then realized his error, “I mean Major Page.”
Maria stood, hands on hips and shot him the sort of derisory look that she might have given a rookie flight cadet. “So, which is it, captain or major?”
“Major,” Page replied, this time more assertively. “My name is Major Karl Page.”
“A recent promotion, I take it?” Maria continued. “One of the mighty General’s newest lapdogs?”
He knew she was trying to get a rise out of him, to unbalance him so that he would be more likely to make a mistake or rash choice. But the comment stung, nevertheless, and it showed in his expression.
“I’m no lapdog. I’m just doing my duty,” he replied. “My orders are to bring you and the surviving UEC defectors back to face justice. I’m also here to rescue General Kurren’s family, who you abducted.”