Fortress Beta City (The Sleeping Legion Book 2)

by JR Handley

  Colonel Grigonna,

  Human Marine Corps

  Commander, 6907th TAC RGT

  * * *

  Lance looked from his Aimee to Thorn. He was surprised Thorn had requested a transfer, seeing how the old Marine wasn’t a big fan of change.

  “Your transfer request was approved. I’m happy to say you’re now the Whiskey Company First Sergeant. Mayer will be swapping with you. Is there anyone you want to bring with you?”

  Lance stood up and walked to Thorn’s doorway as the first sergeant made suggestions. As Thorn spoke, Lance had no doubt about the grizzled sergeant’s knowledge. Needing to save time, he told Thorn to do what he felt was best, but link information to his Aimee so he was aware of major changes. Thanking Thorn for has help, and willingness to swap with Mayer, Lance headed out the door. Thorn half-shouted at him as he walked away.

  “Sir, we will need to get Tech-Major Basil Terloar an AI. Is that something you can handle, or do I need to work my NCO magic?”

  Shaking his head, and replying over his shoulder Lance said, “Thorn, you may have some years on me, but I’ve got sources and intel you’d kill for. Maybe I’ll tell you about it when you’re older.”

  Lance chuckled as he marched out of the room. His chuckle was dwarfed by the bellow of his new first sergeant’s laughter.

  — Chapter 16 —

  Mid-Morning, Post-Revival Day 2

  1st SQD’s Sergeants Quarters, Beta City, Serendine

  Whiskey Co., 8th BN, 6907th TAC RGT

  Marching down the passageways of the habdisk toward his quarters, Lance was shocked by the way Marines were jumping out of the way. While Marines and cadets often stood for passing sergeants, this level of energy was entirely new for him. They were saluting so sharply he was afraid arms might get broken. He was pleased to see the pride in their eyes. A jolt of electrical current rolling up his arm from his Aimee reminding him to return their salutes.

  “Thanks, Xena,” Lance whispered.

  Prompted into action, he saluted several times until his arm began to tire. Stopping in the middle of the passageway, Lance punched a command into his Aimee to have Xena link his voice into the habdisk speaker system.

  “By order of Captain Scipio, this area is a salute-free zone for any officer below the battalion level,” Lance’s voice echoed through the habdisk. As quickly as he could, he continued on his way to his quarters.

  Walking into his quarters, he stopped as he heard First Sergeant Thorn’s gruff voice shouting about the new formation. Lance couldn’t believe how quickly Thorn had made his way over to the Whiskey Company barracks to assert his leadership. The sound of boots hitting the deck as Marines rushed to straighten up uniforms and get into the Company Ready Room reminding Lance of when he first arrived at Whiskey Company and had to square them away.

  That was me, just a few un-iced weeks ago, Lance thought.

  Turning back into his office, he spotted Basil looking at Digi-Pics of when Lance was a cadet. Lance snapped to attention and saluted his friend.

  “Good morning, Tech-Major Terloar, I trust you slept well,” he said, proudly acknowledged his friend’s promotion.

  “Reasonably so, Captain Scipio, though the details of the big drain project kept me thinking and calculating all night. We can’t all hide behind our brilliant AIs!”

  Basil had to stop, as Xena blared the sound of a slow clap over the room’s intercom speakers.

  “Besides, this whole Marine Technical Corps is so new, I’m not sure I actually out rank you. Yours is a combat command, while I’m just a lab rat with shiny badges and fancy uniform improvements. If you’re okay with it, let’s stick with first names for now.”

  “Sounds good to me, Basil. We’ll let the fools in the Diplomacy and Protocol Office sort out the new heraldry. Until then, every Marine on this base below the rank of Major will salute you, or I’ll break their skull open. You’ve come a long way from the starving Aux who pulled me out of a cryopod, and you deserve all that you have earned.”

  While Lance would never openly take credit for Basil’s ascension, he couldn’t help but feel a large amount of pride in being a driving factor in his success. Once a sniveling, starving, and frightened Aux, Basil now was an example of what humans could accomplish in this new Human Marine Corps.

  “Before we have a meeting with Colonel Gaarjar about draining the city, I’ve a gift for you to commemorate your promotion,” Lance said as he picked a metal box up off his desk and opened it in front of him for Basil to see. “I want you to have my original AI, Dante. It, like many AIs I’ve collected along the way, has been cracked. It has any feature you could want, up to the highest command level functions in the White Knight Empire. This AI was given to me when I left the Novice Barracks. I grew up with it, so a piece of me will always be with you.”

  Lance held the tiny, black chip out for Basil to take. He would miss Dante, but there could be no better companion for him than Basil.

  “I fear our promotions will mean we each go our separate ways, but with Dante as your AI, we go there together. Finally, here is a Digi-Pic of 1st Squad. It was taken just after we both joined. I thought it might be good for both of us to remember where we came from. I have the same picture here on my desk.”

  Basil took the Digi-Pic and looked at it. His hands quivered as he held it, and his chest heaved a few times as he fought back his emotions. Digi-Pics, for Marines who were in a constant state of transition, were treasured memories. This memory was something Lance knew Basil would display proudly for the rest of his life. If he would ever doubt his ability, he would look at the image of the insecure Aux he once was and find courage.

  Putting the Digi-Pic back into the box, Basil slowly inserted Dante into his Aimee. He acted as if the chip would shatter if he wasn’t careful. The screen on his Aimee flashed bright green, twice, as Dante began accessing higher functions. Lance figured with this new access, Basil was likely brainstorming a hundred new projects at once. Before Lance knew what was happening, Basil hugged him.

  “Thank you, Lance. This means a lot to me.” Letting Lance go, Basil straightened himself back up, took a breath, and his face became serious. “Now, let’s get to this conference so we can start draining the city.”

  Lance was shocked by the sudden display of physical affection, but touched as well. Not wanting the moment to become awkward, he turned to his desk and accessed the built-in tablet to ping Colonel Gaarjar. He was surprised at how quickly she came online. It seemed as if she’d been waiting for them.

  “Tech-Major, Captain, good morning,” Gaarjar said through the speakers in the room. “Where are we on the preparations to drain our city? I am looking forward to seeing you all physically, instead of via these cyber conversations and holographs.”

  “Likewise, Colonel. Our gear is ready to go,” answered Basil. “I’ve even been issued an AI, and now my pre-checks shouldn’t take more than an hour. I will be ready to go into the flooded passageways as soon as I suit up. I must caution you against attending, the waters are still polluted and toxic for Jotuns. I recommend sending a surrogate engineer and monitoring from your quarters.”

  Colonel Gaarjar’s response was immediate and final.

  “Tech-Major, Marine officers lead from the front. How can a Marine follow you if you’re behind them? I know that this is new to you, but your technicians will be inspired by your example. They will aspire to copy it, to emulate you. Make damned sure that example is a good one.”

  “Understood, Colonel. I was only being cautious. Your loss would weigh heavily on the Marines who rely on you. Not to mention how few Jotuns are still living here in Beta City.”

  Gaarjar’s large furry mouth widened and her sharp teeth gleamed. Lance assumed this was a smile.

  “We will take every precaution, but I will be there. Have teams clean up any water that rushes into the barracks when we open the hatches. All Jotuns on my side will stay suited up from the moment we breach the seal, until we are done sanit
izing. Jotun combat suits are viable for two weeks, so that’s our deadline. If we do this right, we should avoid bringing the Dual Plagues back to Beta City.”

  Lance watched Gaarjar’s tubular fingers point toward someone off-screen, giving them direction. Her large bearlike head nodded, then she continued addressing Basil.

  “In two hours, we both exit our habdisks and meet up in City Phase Unit 2. We know the 781st TAC Regiment died in the war, so we’ll scrounge from their FCB-316. Their old habdisk will lose power when we salvage their Micro FCBs. If there are any survivors, there will be enough residual power to hold them until the city is drained. Tech-Major, since you are closer to that City Phase Unit, you will leave in plus thirty. In exactly two and a half hours, I expect you to depart for Level 11. Take one section with you, consisting of two full fire teams. No side trips, no exploring, just meet us on Level 11. See you there.”

  Having said her piece, Colonel Gaarjar cut the communication feed. Basil thanked Lance again, then rushed out of the room to get ready to go. Lance smiled as he watched Basil tapping away on his Aimee, accessing new and useful information as he walked. Lance sat down in his chair and began accessing TO&E information to send one of his sections to join Basil on the mission. Xena cut in on the speaker system.

  Lance, I know you are fond of Basil, but you’re not just leading 1st Squad anymore. If you always assign missions to them, it’ll cause issues. The other squads will think you’re playing favorites, and 1st Squad will think you hate them. You must allow your male brain to think like an officer, and not like an overprotective squad leader.

  Having said her fill, Xena went silent and left Lance to make his first command decision since having set his new TO&E. Knowing this decision belonged in Thorn’s capable hands, Lance had Xena ping him with orders to have a section suited up and waiting to escort Basil on the draining operation. Trying to force the concern out of his head, Lance had Xena ping his new XO, Wires. He instructed Wires to start working her digital magic on the code that controlled the emergency surfacing command for the habdisks.

  After the command was sent, Lance looked at his copy of the Digi-Pic he had gifted to Basil.

  Be careful down there, Lance thought. You’ve come too far to fail now.

  — Chapter 17 —

  Mid-Morning, Post-Revival Day 2

  City Phase Unit 5, Beta City, Serendine

  Commander, 428th MER RGT

  Colonel Gashi Gaarjar, or GG as she enjoyed being called by those around her, slapped her Digi-Sheet with a long flexible finger to open a closed-circuit call to the newly re-designated First Sergeant, Harper Alloy. Knowing her to be a competent NCO, she trusted Alloy to have squared the engineering space in her absence away and prep her Marines.

  “First Sergeant Alloy, good morn. The new title sounds good on you, well-earned. I need you to have a section of Marines waiting for me, suited up and ready to go. I’m leaving the Naval Training Unit now and will be bringing several Auxies with me to the engineering habdisk. They have volunteered to be our new Mar-Techs. Arrange to have a section suited up and waiting for me by the exit to the engineering habdisk.”

  GG lumbered out of her makeshift office in the NTU habdisk to round up her Auxies after receiving confirmation of her orders from Alloy. She was certain these humans had the skills and potential to transition into Mar-Tech positions, and they’d be essential if Field Marshal Marchewka was going to convert the entire command to the new fire team tactics.

  Arriving at the door exiting the NTU habdisk with her Auxies in tow, a Spacer hurried over to her pushing an equipment cart. Abruptly stopping in front of her, the Spacer rendered a quick salute before speaking.

  “I have personally triple checked all the seals and gaskets on this armor, Colonel. Regardless, please check them again. You can’t be too careful,” the Spacer said. “Especially given the threat of this water to Jotuns.”

  GG slipped her four arms into her combat armor and checked that all the seals and gaskets were pristine and functioning. The second she finished, she sought out the Auxie Tarin Immerfroh, who was leading the group of Mar-Techs candidates. Once she found him, and saw he’d gotten the Auxies kitted up, she thanked him.

  “Auxie Immerfroh, have everyone line up by the exit for final inspection,” GG said as she turned to the comms terminal by the hatch. Pushing a button, Field Marshal Marchewka’s voice crackled through.

  “Colonel Gaarjar, how are your preparations going?” said Marchewka.

  “Field Marshal Marchewka, I am conducting a final inspection of combat armor, then we shall depart. Do I have your final authorization to begin this mission?”

  “This mission is yours. Be cautious, and keep two hands on your rifle and the other two on the clock. Time is not your ally.”

  Having received confirmation from Marchewka, and the acknowledgement that all remaining Jotun officers were in their combat armor, GG conducted a final inspection. Her four hands and twelve tubular fingers flowed over every crease, seal, and gasket, ensuring they were prepared for the contaminated water. When she concluded the inspection of a combat suit, a training weapon was provided to the wearer.

  “Inspection complete!” GG stated. “All hands, activate the magnetic assists on your boots and prepare to move out. Petty Officer Sherer, ensure non-armored Spacers are in a secure watertight space. I don’t care what’s on the other side of this hatch, you reseal it and begin decontaminating the water as soon as we push through.”

  “Tracking, Colonel,” replied Sherer through the comms link.

  “On my count, open the hatch – three, two, one!”

  The metal hatch hissed upward as a wall of raging water forced its way into the habdisk like an angry river. GG took two steps forward and leaned heavily into the flow as her boots magnetically gripped the deck. It only took a few minutes for the habdisk to be completely submerged. Cocooned in her armor, she could only see in the small cone of speckle filled light provided by her helmet. She knew her personnel had recently been instructed on combat armor optics, so like her, they saw the green backlighting of walls to assist in the low light.

  Two hands on a rifle, one on the doorway, and the other giving a thumbs-up, GG started out of their habdisk on Level 7. Each step being laborious, she led the detachment out of the NTU and into the passageway ahead. When the last Aux had cleared the hatch, the Spacers closed it behind them.

  With the hatch closed, the rush of water subsided, and the detachment de-magnetized their boots. Floating, they initiated the thrusters in their armor, and rocketed down the northwestern passageway toward City Phase Unit 3 where the 428th MER was housed.

  Deactivating her thrusters and initiating her magnetic boots, GG dropping to a knee. She raised one of her hands in a fist to signal a halt. There was movement ahead in the darkness.

  A cluster of figures slowly moved toward them. As soon as she could make out rifles and combat armor, the Auxies on knees to her left and right opened fire. Scoring direct hits, the incoming figures began spinning wildly as they continued their floating. With no fire being returned, they stopped and waited.

  “Scan for signs of life,” GG said to her AI.

  Colonel GG, there are no signs of life. These Marines have been dead for some time. Their suits appear to be maneuvering intermittently under auxiliary power, and are following whatever their last order had been before they all died, her AI replied.

  Switching her comms channel to the Local Battle Net created by their suits’™ close proximity, GG ordered, “Cease fire, cease fire, cease fire. These are the corpses from the mutiny. Once we drain Beta City, we can salvage any of their serviceable equipment and give these Marines a proper burial. Great shooting, but let’s try not to destroy everything floating toward us. Charlie Mike!”

  When none of the Aux moved from their cease fire position, GG tried again. “Charlie Mike! That means continue mission, or MOVE YOUR ASSES!”

  Mental inertia was hard to combat so GG used her extra arms to
push personnel forward and regain their initiative. As she thrusted down the passageway, she saw several partially decomposed, pale and waxy looking human corpses floating as if in zero gravity. Surrounded by death, darkness, and contaminated water, there was only silence as the group continued moving. Their formation grew tighter as they moved farther into the unknown, and away from the safety behind them.

  The human convoy of Mar-Tech Trainees reached the City Phase Unit that housed the 428th MER in good time. Standing outside of Habdisk 823, GG had her AI connect to the Marines inside, demanding entrance. As soon as the seal was breached, the Auxies pushed in, and GG’s Marines rushed out using the shuffle step they’d been advised worked best against the onslaught of rushing water. Once the clumsy process was finished, the hatch was resealed.

  The escort section’s commander, Corporal Ange, reported in as soon as his Marines had taken a defensive position around their new regimental commander.

  “Congratulations on your promotion, ma’am, you earned it. I’m sorry about your uncle, he was a great Marine, and he will be missed. We’ll escort you to the FCB on Level 11 and provide a security detail as ordered. Though, I suspect nothing’s left in this water save the spirits of our fallen brothers.”

  On Corporal Ange’s unspoken command, bolstered by untold hours practicing together, his two fire teams took up positions surrounding their regimental commander and began the journey towards City Phase Unit 2. GG felt more at ease being surrounded by trained Marines. While she loved Auxies, they couldn’t yet match the combat superiority of Marines.

  Moving faster than before, they made it out of their City Phase Unit, and into the multitude of tunnels connecting them. A halt was signaled when they came upon a narrow passageway blocked by metal and debris created by the battle fought there years before. Like all engineers, they used every opportunity presented to play with their explosives. Marine Gilmar Hyat was no different. He rushed forward to prime the target for detonation.