Reclaim: Books 1-3

by J. A. Scorch

  The connection cut out. The UEF logo jumped up and replaced the visual of Doctor Hoang's face. Teve had never wanted to kill anyone more in his life. He promised himself he would never shake the doctor's hand, no matter what the cost might be.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Multiple beads of sweat fell from Porter's forehead as he helped guide the oversized gun along to the next fight. The bleeding on his bicep had gotten worse, but he didn't have time to waste wrapping it up.

  The ten-barreled autocannon Phillips pulled from one of the Stalkers had proved its worth several more times as Porter killed another six Stiltz with the powerful weapon.

  "Up here," he said to Phillips. Cannon, Briggs, and Smith tagged along, finding more rifles and ammunition from fallen MAF soldiers as they went. They all armed themselves as best they could. Phillip's remaining mechanic had taken a bolt to the leg and had to stay behind. He would survive, but he could no longer help.

  "Do you hear that?" Phillips asked.

  "Hear what?" Porter replied as he reloaded his rifle.

  "Coming from engine maintenance. Sounds like the Zeal found a weak spot."

  "What does that mean?"

  "It means we better hurry unless we want this ship to be dead in the water. I guess this is how the Zeal destroyed our other carriers."

  Porter gave him a nod and ordered his three to scout ahead. He didn't enjoy sending Cannon into harm's way, but she was a solid shooter. Her skills as a pilot transferred over to soldier with ease thanks to her peak physical fitness.

  The three charged ahead while Porter and Phillips continued to move the heavy weapon along the corridor. Despite the gun needing three people to smoothly operate it, Porter and Phillips had no choice but to make their modified weapon work. They were also running short on ammunition, not being able to take a full load due to the setup only being intended for testing purposes.

  "Captain," Briggs said over the comm.

  "What have you got?"

  "Six Stiltz fighting engineers. It's a one-sided battle. We better hurry."

  "On our way. Pick up the pace, Phillips. We've got more of your kind in there dying."

  "Yes, sir," he said, accelerating the cart to maximum speed. The battery hovered at ten percent, threatening to die.

  "Just around the corner and we'll find a place to shoot—"

  A deep clunk vibrated through the floor as one of the cart's wheels snapped, ceasing the gun's movement.

  "Shit. Just what we need. How bad is it, Specialist?"

  Phillips was already inspecting the wheel. He looked up to Porter. "Bad. Worse than bad. Two broken wheels."

  "How does this happen? I mean, isn't that what this thing is supposed to do?"

  "Not like this. The cart's purpose is short length transportation to a powered lift. It was never meant to be driven around the ship like this while firing. I was hoping it would last longer."

  "Christ," Porter muttered. "She's dead in the water. And there's no blast door to shoot against. Time for plan B, I guess." He pulled out his sidearm and handed it to Phillips before grabbing his rifle from his back.

  "What's this for?"

  "What do you think? Shooting. We have to kill these aliens before they destroy the ship. Now, you’re an engineer. What would their primary objective be in the room ahead?"

  Anyone could see Phillips was trying to wrap his head around the problem. He didn't answer back, babbling to himself instead.

  "What are you saying, Specialist? I need you to speak out loud. We have to kill these things now while we can. Come on."

  Porter grabbed him by the bicep and began dragging him to the entry to engine maintenance. Inside was a tall room covered in catwalks and piping. Thick, square boxes surrounded by cabling held critical components of the ship. Porter had no idea what he was looking at. Cannon, Briggs, and Smith sat inside, waiting for the big gun to come rolling in.

  "Where's the autocannon?" Briggs asked.

  "Dead in the water. I'm afraid we're going to have to do this the hard way."

  "Suits me. At least this way I can shoot these pricks instead of just pissing them off."

  "Shit," Smith said. "Over there." He pointed down to a Stilt about to kill two engineers hiding in a corner.

  "Let's go," Porter said. "We'll break off into teams. Cannon, Phillips. You're with me. We'll take care of this one. Briggs, Smith. You two distract the others. We'll join up with you soon and finish them off."

  Everyone nodded and moved into their respective positions except Phillips. Porter grabbed him by the shoulder and said, "Just follow my lead and try not to die. Don't shoot me in the back, either. I want you to provide covering fire. Do you remember your training?"

  "Long time ago, now, but yeah I do."

  "Good, then you know how to use this thing. Take these two magazines. They’re all I've got left." Porter slapped him on the arm and moved forward while staying down. They needed to charge down a noisy flight of metal steps to secure a decent drop on the Zeal. The Stilt was almost on top of the two engineers ducked behind some ill-fitting cover.

  Across the way to the left, a small group of engineers was trying to fight back with pistols and loud words against five Stiltz. Judging by the number of dead humans to dead Zeal in the room, the battle wasn't going well.

  Porter lined up the lone Zeal and shot it in the back with a short burst, enough to grab its attention while Cannon and Phillips moved out. "Go, go, go. I'll keep it busy. Briggs, Smith. Head to the lower level." He fired off another volley at the single Stilt. Half of his bullets missed. "Dammit."

  The alien returned fire, spraying bolts over Porter's head, forcing him to duck down behind a plate on the catwalk railing. The shots hit the metal barrier and sparked with a splash. Porter could hear the damage being done to the structure. After a few more hits, the paneling would crack in half, so he rustled up the courage to roll back and away to confuse his attacker.

  After Porter had recovered from his desperate move, the cover fell away, splintering to pieces. Smoke poured out from the panel as the metal smoldered. He found himself feeling half mesmerized by the sight until he remembered the task at hand. He shuffled forward and fired off another burst at the Stilt at the same time Cannon let out roughly ten rounds of rifle fire at its chest. The alien fell back and decided to redirect its attention to her.

  "Nicole. Drop down," Porter shouted. He shot a few quick bursts at the Stilt as Cannon and Phillips fell behind a ventilation unit. A stream of bolts slammed into the metal frame of the box and sparked out.

  Porter fired off the rest of his magazine and slapped in another one. The standard rounds used on board fragile ships were no match for the aliens’ armor plating. "Die you son of a bitch," he shouted as the metallic beast finally dropped down to its knees. A quick follow up by Cannon sealed its fate as Porter charged down the steps loading up another magazine.

  "Come on," he said. "We better help out Briggs and Smith before they get overrun." Porter ran a swift check on his ammunition belt. He was down to three magazines. He spied ahead to see Briggs and Smith ducking for cover as the five aliens continued to dominate the room.

  "How the hell are we supposed to do this?" Cannon asked.

  With a shrug, Porter had no answer. Their bullets were no match for the autocannon's ability to shred the Stiltz into confetti. "All we can do is keep them busy. Come on." He ushered her to move. The only hope he could cling to was the knowledge that there were a few other people in the room to even the odds. By the time they took out a few of the Stiltz, Porter's ammo supply would have him throwing rocks to sustain the pressure.

  He took up a position not far from Briggs and added the noise of his rifle to the mix. Cannon did the same while Phillips arrived in spirit, not wanting to fire his sidearm.

  "We can't do this for much longer," Briggs said as an approaching Stilt less than 100 meters away dropped to the ground. Four aliens still stood firm, shooting bolts in their general direction. Smith popped up to f
ire off another burst when two rods struck his body. He fell to the floor without a sound.

  "Smith," Porter yelled. He charged over to the pilot and checked the damage. The cadet rolled around with a groan and reached up to his chest. "Don't touch your wounds."

  "No," Smith uttered. "I'm fine. Take a look."

  Porter narrowed his eyes as he lifted Smith's shirt to see he was wearing heavy-duty body armor. The two bolts sizzled away in two large cracks in the protective layers that saved his life.

  "Lucky bastard. Where did you get that?"

  "Gift from home. My mom insisted I wear it. I guess she was right."

  "Holy crap. Well, Cadet, time to get up and put that armor to use. We've got some Zeal to deal with." Porter hoisted him up and returned his fallen rifle. "Keep shooting. We need to take this room."

  Smith took back his weapon and aimed it down the line, firing off a few bursts a moment later. Porter joined in and pushed the lead Zeal back with a few direct hits. "Nothing but bullseyes," he yelled. He sank back down and hailed the engineers across the way. "Engine Maintenance. This is Captain Porter. Acknowledge."

  A few seconds later, his comm chirped away with a desperate voice on the other end. "Captain. This is Corporal Tunney. Thanks for the assist. We were pretty screwed."

  "Happy to help, Corporal. We're running low on ammo, so I need you to do something for me."

  "Anything, sir. We're at your command."

  Porter nodded his head. "Good. Now listen up. This might sound a bit weird."

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The Humvee bounced its way into an underground base Teve had never laid eyes on. Similar to Phoenix, located in Hidden Springs, the installation spiraled its way down under the soil into a concrete labyrinth of dimly lit passageways. The Humvee came to a stop at a chain-link gate.

  "Welcome to hell, Private," one of the guards said.

  "Private? I think you mean Sergeant, asshole." The guard leaned in toward him, his black gas mask reflecting the confusion on Teve's face.

  "That was your former rank, Private. Now you are a soldier in the United Earth Special Forces. The only reason you haven't been reduced to a dirt-eating recruit is due to your service record."

  "Special Forces? I didn't sign up for any Special Forces."

  "Not my problem. You're here. My e-slate says you're a goddamn private, so that's what you are."

  "This is bullshit. I—"

  The guard silenced Teve with a quick shock in the stomach, enough to stop him asking another question. "From here on out, you will not speak unless spoken to. You're back to basics. As soon as we move through these doors, you will disembark."

  Teve didn't say another word. Instead, he gave the corporal a long stare, communicating his disdain for the man as he took note of his nametag: Prescott.

  The truck rolled forward under a low-hanging ceiling. He could easily breach the thick gate given his recently acquired abilities.

  Climbing out of the Humvee as best as one could in heavy restraints, Teve soaked in the dank environment as Prescott shoved him forward. More concrete walls met him head on, splintering off in all directions. Some going up, some going down.

  "Welcome to Pendle: home to the UESF. Follow the green line. Do not speak. Do not touch anything. Do not breathe louder than necessary. Understood?"

  Teve shook his head as he gazed around. There was no one else around to listen to Prescott's words. A jab in his ribs followed up by a few seconds of electricity reminded Teve that he needed to answer the corporal. It was like he was back in basic, being shouted at for hours on end for a scuff mark on his boots.

  "Do you understand?" Prescott yelled.

  "Yes, Commander."

  "Better. Now get the hell out of here before I jam this up your ass."

  "Yes, Commander," Teve said knowing the drill. He thought about snapping the corporal's neck in three places before he hit the ground. The rest of the guards in the Humvee would be a breeze, but the same thing stopped him as it always would from now on: Mish. She was still under Hoang's control. Even if his compliance at Pendle was for nothing, Teve had to cling to the slightest hope his actions might help her.

  Never in the three years since the Zeal invaded the planet did he imagine fighting the war on two fronts: one against the alien invaders, and one against his fellow soldiers. With a new war in mind, he followed the green line down a narrow passage.

  The dusty hallway seemed to stretch on for an eternity as if the entrance to Pendle was nowhere near the actual complex itself. Escape from the dungeon of a prison would be hard, maybe impossible.

  After a while, the green line brought him to a small foyer area with a lone desk, leading straight to a seat opposite a person wearing a biohazard suit. Teve figured this would be the next jerk he'd be adding to his kill list. He was starting to run out of space in his mind to allocate such things.

  "Hello, Private. Take a seat." A woman's voice came through the mask. It was hard to tell based on her face alone, but Teve could make out the softer features of a blonde woman in her fifties, a short one at that.

  "This isn't a trick or anything so dramatic. Please take a seat."

  Teve slowly moved up to the desk and chair, realizing each item was the kind of equipment one might have found at a local high-school before the invasion. The telltale signs of scratched-in initials and scuff marks from years of oily contact were ever present.

  "Please," the woman said with an open palm gesturing toward the chair. "Sit down."

  Teve gave her one last stare to size up the only person in the room. How they managed to put so much faith in the constant threat of harming Mish was beyond him. He grabbed the seat using both hands. His cuffs were still firmly strapped to his wrists.

  "We'll have those off in a moment. First, we need to chat."

  Teve let out a huff. "Listen, ma'am. I've been talking to people too much lately if you know what I mean. And I gotta tell you, it never really goes that well."

  A smile came through the biohazard window. "I understand your concern, Private, but I can assure you everything will make sense once we are through chatting."

  With a shrug, Teve accepted her assurance and leaned back to show her he was ready to hear the next sales pitch.

  "First off, welcome to Pendle. My name is General Rebecca Aron of the UESF. I am the commander of the base."

  Teve sat up a little. He thought she was just some administrative buffer before he met the next lot of assholes to rule his life.

  "I can imagine you must have a few questions given the means in which one would enter this facility."

  "No kidding, ma'am," Teve said.

  "Well let me start off by saying that everything you have been through is for the greater good. Now before you decide I'm no different to the people who brought you here, let me fill you in on what Pendle is and what Pendle isn't."

  If Teve could cross his arms, he would. He knew what was coming next: a long-winded speech about what humanity needs to win the war and more importantly what the UEF must achieve.

  "This facility is not a prison. I can't stress that enough. What is it then, you ask? It's a secret training ground for the elite among us capable of fighting the Zeal without fear of defeat."

  "Am I free to leave Pendle? Otherwise, I fail to see how this place is any different to Black Forest."

  "Did you ever leave Phoenix, Private?"

  Scoffing a little, Teve said, "That was a real base. We were serving the country to fight alien invaders. Not sitting inside small boxes to be poked and prodded for experimentation."

  "But, you could not leave that base. In fact, the only time they let you out was to fight an enemy that could easily kill you."

  Teve half smiled. He let Aron win. There was no point in arguing with the commander about the secret prison you were about to be deposited into.

  "Pendle is something else," she said. "For the last year, the UEF has been gathering together a force to be reckoned with. And not just here, b
ut the world over."

  "Are you saying that this weird shit isn't just confined to Los Angeles?"

  "Not at all, Private. In fact, almost half of the active bases fighting the Zeal have a Black Forest and a Pendle. The project is an all or nothing solution. We want these aliens gone from our planet."

  "So why the secrecy then?"

  "Good question. I can answer that for you in one word: Mars."

  "Mars? What do you mean?"

  "Well, there's more to it than that. Mars isn't aware of this project. They are the current superpower between our two worlds, and the UEF could not afford to have such discoveries involving the Zeal out in the open. At least not yet."

  Not realizing he had moved to the edge of his seat, Teve tried to run a hand through his ruffled hair, but the cuffs prevented him from doing so without looking like a fool.

  "So we're just gearing up for the next war before we've even attempted to deal with the aliens overwhelming the planet?"

  "Seems obtuse, doesn't it, but at the end of every war, you must consider even the greatest of allies as tomorrow’s enemies. It's in our history as a species."

  "Jesus. This is—"

  "A lot to take in, but there's more. Please listen." Aron shuffled in her seat and cleared her throat. "A year ago, the UEF started noticing the aliens were capturing soldiers as much as they were killing them. We had no idea why until the discovery of the Zeal intention to create a hybrid army of human-Zeal soldiers capable of travel beyond the bases and occupied cities the aliens controlled."

  "You knew about the control? And the Zeal weakness? Why was I sent on a mission to find the head of the UEF's son?"

  Aron glanced down at the desk and clasped her hands together. "A misfortunate breakdown in communication, I'm afraid. The head of the UEF wasn't privy to this discovery. In fact, only a select few above him knew of the alien experiments. General Miller doesn’t know the full story and was possibly trying to save face with the loss of Adams. He unintentionally sent you on a mission you could never have achieved. The Zeal limitations had been somewhat known to a select few back then. Unfortunately, those in control felt it was best left unknown to the common bases."