Flames spewed out of a blasted hole in the front and the tires were shredded, but other than that, the hull was intact. I opened the rear hatch and felt a blast of heat and smoke pour out. While climbing inside, I let the air cycle, hoping to filter out some of the smoke before sealing myself inside.
All of the electronics were dead. Several panels in the front command section were burning, and the corpses of their operators were still in their seats, twisted and mangled from the kill shot.
Attached to the rear wall was a small medical kit, and I tore it open, trying to find anything I could use to stop the bleeding. The contents were meager at best, having already been used extensively. I found some bandages and a small mirror and decided to try and make do with that.
I positioned the mirror on a ledge and pulled the armor panels off. It was still extremely cold, but the fires helped a tiny bit. There was a bit of silver at least 4 centimeters in, and I could tell it was the tail of the bullet. I couldn’t even pretend to reach it with my fingers, and there was nothing else in the med box.
Cursing repeatedly, I looked about for anything I might be able to use to remove the shot. I found a toolbox behind the driver’s seat and kicked its lid open. A pile of random drivers and knives were thrown in along with a pair of long pliers.
I could feel death itself laughing at me. “Oh hell no,” I growled, but I didn’t have a choice. I released my hand from my shoulder, picked up the heavy duty pliers, and held them in an electrical fire for a moment. I was getting faint and couldn’t waste any more time. Turning back to the mirror, I gritted my teeth and lined up my shot. I only had one chance to do it before passing out from the pain.
Taking a deep breath, I plunged the mass of forged steel deep into my shoulder, trying to reach the bullet’s tail. My eyes watered up, and I went on feeling alone, hands shaking and heart racing, I twisted the jaws around looking for my target, finally felt it, got a firm grip, and yanked it straight out.
The shiny, blood-covered mass was huge and clearly mashed up from its path through my suit. I dropped it, reheated the jaws, and hit myself with it one more time to seal the wound shut. I suppressed the incapacitating pain and quickly pulled my armor back on, sealing off the bullet hole from the elements. Feeling was slowly returning to my right arm, but it still continued to hang limp.
Half staggering, I retrieved my rifle with my left hand and kicked the rear hatch back open. The move was too much for me, and I fell out through the doorway onto the ground. The cold returned, but I could feel two sets of hands on my arms lift me back to my feet. I forced myself to focus, and I could see a human soldier to either side of me and more to the front. Through the ice, I could see many more standing ready. All their eyes were on me.
I looked between them. “What now, sir?” one asked.
“Where is our evac?” came another voice.
“There is no evac, they left us!” a third spoke up.
“That’s the last time you say that. I’ll get us out of here,” I stated sternly with my strength returning. For the first time, I felt like I was taking charge of lives in addition to my own. “I’m not about to let us die like this.”
Wiping the ice and dirt away from my visor, I stood taller and took a few deep breaths, letting my mind grasp the current situation. I couldn’t see more than a few meters in any direction.
“Does anyone know where we are?” I asked the crowd.
“About 900 meters from our landing site. It’s near one of the outlying domes and much farther to the center node.”
My first thought was to get everyone out of the elements, especially since I didn’t know how many heavy arms the aliens still had left.
“That’s where we’re going,” I announced, looking back to the soldier who had just addressed me. “Can you give me a heading to the dome?” I asked.
He glanced about and pointed with the blade of his hand to the left. “This way.”
“Good.” The pain in my arm continued to subside. “Everyone, we’re moving out. Move as fast as you can. Shoot anything that isn’t human, but don’t stop to engage. We haven’t got any time to waste.”
I charged out into the darkness with the rest in close formation behind. Leaning deep into the icy wind, I could barely stay on my feet, but I didn’t dare slow down.
I could hardly see the ground before my feet as I ran. The light from my helmet’s lamp reflected back into my eyes through the snow, and I squinted to make out features on the ground. In the distance, something bright orange began to glow. We got closer and I saw it was a crashed gunboat, half engulfed in thick flames.
“How far are we from the dome?” I asked our guide.
“Another 100 meters.”
“Continue on, breach and clear out the entire place. I’ll meet back up with you soon.”
I took five soldiers and a combat engineer with me over to the wreckage. The wings were completely destroyed, but the bridge and most of the body appeared intact.
“We need to get on board,” I said to the team, searching for a hatch that wasn’t burning. “We need to get in touch with the colonel and have him pick us up before he leaves.”
“Why did he go?” one of the soldiers asked while scanning the skin of the ship. He turned to me and saw I was already staring back.
“It’s complicated. You’re better off not knowing right now.” I looked back to the wall of metal beside us. “I think this is it,” I announced, pointing to a protrusion about 10 meters above our heads. We slung our weapons and climbed up to the entrance. I reached the door first and only applied a small amount of pressure before it gave way. The others followed me inside.
“What are you looking for? I don’t think that the bridge will be operational” the engineer asked, scanning the smoky interior for any sign of activity.
“Is there a back-up communication relay?” I asked as we moved along. “Something that could have survived the crash? Anything we could use to contact the fleet?”
“Well, the main relay would be on the bridge, but there are two self-powered stations, one at either end of the ship. They’re self-sufficient and one of them might reach the fleet.”
“That’s what we’ll head for,” I ordered, and stepped aside.
We went up the service stairs behind the bridge and crossed over the rear aircraft hangar on a sealed catwalk. Looking down, I saw crates of equipment thrown all over the deck and a few pulverized bodies. Fires burned all over and flames spouted forth from busted pipes in the walls. Four fighters were tethered to the floor, but they were damaged beyond repair from the crash.
“Here we go!” my engineer exclaimed as he passed through another set of airtight doors. Up a few more steps, we found our destination, kept in pristine condition. Several workstations were positioned around a center console, along with thick airlocks which led to service corridors. Our new leader powered up the command station and entered a series of commands.
“It’s still working. I think we can reach the colonel’s ship.”
“Raise him. Get us in touch with everyone in orbit!”
He busied himself with the controls, talking out loud, half to himself. “This should do it. I’ve got it set on all-call. It will be picked up by everyone still in orbit.” The engineer switched on the speaker beside his hand.
A loud squeal and heavy static emanated from the speaker for a few seconds before I could make out voices from what felt like across the universe. It was the colonel, frantically giving orders to his crews. They were under attack.
“Where’s the mic?” I asked the operator, who pointed to a black ball above the speaker.
“Just speak near it,” he advised.
“Where’s the colonel?” I asked into the ether. “Where is Colonel Wolf?”
“I’m right here.” I heard his voice come in loud and clear. “Who is this? What’s your situation out there?”
“Wolf, it’s Grant. You sonofabitch, you left more than a hundred men on the ground with me. Get
back down here and pick them up.”
“Grant, what the hell are you still doing alive?”
“I guess you can’t do a gaddamn thing right. If you want to give it another try, go for it. Come back and try to kill me again, but don’t leave a full battalion here to die.”
“I’d be happy to oblige your request, but you’re going to have to make do. We are under heavy attack up here!”
I shook my head. “Don’t even try it. Get back down here NOW!”
“You want to call me on this?” I heard muffled speech between the colonel and someone else before he addressed me again. “Set your equipment to receive a mission data file.”
I looked over to the engineer. He entered a series of commands before looking back. He nodded slightly. “Go ahead.”
The station’s screen switched to a map showing space above the moon. Lights on the surface indicated the positions of the domes. Two orange blips sat beside the dome’s locations. A green arrow far above the surface showed the slowly spinning mass of our command ship. A few dozen numbers and various statistics plotted themselves to the side. Twenty red targets whirled around it.
My engineer looked over the readout. “They’ve lost their shields and an engine.”
“What did they get hit by?” I asked him.
“I don’t know.”
I raised the colonel again. “What the hell are you doing up there?”
“We’re going into hyperspace. It’s our last chance.”
The engineer tapped the screen. “He’s not kidding. If they take another hit they’re not gonna be able to navigate once they make the jump.” His eyes widened. “They’re jumping out . . . shit. They’re flying blind.”
“What?” I tried to comprehend what I was seeing on the screen as the green arrow flickered out of view.
“Their computer just reported a quantum guidance failure in the light engine. They’re not going to be able to steer, maybe not even stop.”
I shook my head. “We’re going to need another way out.”
15
The engineer continued to watch the data feed. “We’ve got thirty-three targets inbound from orbit and at least that many more on the ground coming straight for us.”
“We’re sitting ducks in here. We’ve got to move out.” I looked over at the screen and pointed to a signal coming from an adjacent dome. “Is that another ship?”
“Yes. For whatever reason it was left grounded. I’ve got no reading on crew, but its hull is intact.”
“Would we have a better chance of getting out of here using it?” I asked.
“Probably, but I don’t know if there will be any pilots. I might be able to get us off the ground, but I won’t be able to fly it for shit.”
I thought for a moment. “That will be all we need. Can we contact the fleet from here?”
“We should be able to, but we won’t get a clear signal through the atmosphere. If you record a message on a probe, we could launch it and have it transmit from space.”
“There’s no way their flyers will let anything past them. I’ll get on that. You stay here and get a probe ready.” I looked back between the others. “The rest of you follow me.”
I led the bewildered squad of soldiers back across the bridge to the forward end of the ship. We descended a long case of stairs still going forward, passed the entrance to the bridge, and ventured deeper into the ship.
“If I remember,” I said, “This should take us straight into the forward cargo bay.”
“What are we looking for?” one of them asked.
“Anti-air guns,” I responded. “They were loaded up for the mission, but we never encountered any aerial resistance during the assault. I don’t think our guns were deployed, so if we’re lucky there might still be a few operational in the bay.”
I walked around a burning hole in the ceiling with a dozen sparking wires draped out of it.
“This should be it,” I announced, as I pulled open a heavy set of blast doors that entered into a massive room. Only a few lights were still functional, but in the shadows were parked two anti-air batteries and a single heavy transport. I felt a pang of hope in my chest. “Gentlemen, we’re in business.”
Orders went to the first two men who caught my eye. Each took a battery, and I climbed into the transport. I kicked on all the engines, and the cockpit screens came alive. Likewise, I warmed up the roof cannons.
I contacted my engineer one more time. He had the probes ready to launch, so I gave him the message and told him to stand by to launch. He had already gotten the forces in the dome ready to move back to our position.
“The rest of you,” I addressed my other drivers, “I’m going to blow open the loading doors and take out any land targets I see. Follow me and immediately engage everything in the air. Ready, go,” I stated, and proceeded to punch the far wall full of holes from the guns on the roof.
My transport lurched forward and with a defining crunch, burst through the doors and plowed into the deep snow building around our crash site.
“Follow me,” I ordered and drove straight out away from the wreckage. There were no ground targets on my radar, and I couldn’t see anything through the windshield. From the rear camera displays, I saw the batteries deploy and begin launching fiery bolts into the night sky. Even in the midst of the storm, I could see them ride high into the air.
“Hold here.” I cut the wheel sharply and turned back to the dome. One hatch had been blown apart, and I figured that was the battalion’s entrance point. Even from my seat above, I could clearly see two kneeling lines of soldiers along the walls. I kept the engine running and lowered the rear boarding platform. In the same two lines, they filed up into the cabin.
The first six took positions at the gunner's stations along the walls, operating the cannons on the roof. It didn’t take long for the rest to follow. In seconds, the entire space was packed with soldiers, weapons, equipment, and artifacts.
Almost on cue, my engineer came in on the radio. “Sir, I’ve launched all twenty probes. I think at least half made it through.”
“Good. Drop what you’re doing and go back to the side entrance. I’ll pick you up there. We’ve got to get moving,” I answered, and shifted into gear, tearing up the ground beneath. The tires caught and shot us forward, back over to the crashed gunboat.
With the help of several large spotlights mounted all over my field of view, I saw the dim outline of my missing soldier. Leaning back in my seat while dropping the plank again, I addressed the others. “We’ve got one more coming on board. Get him up here as quick as you can.”
The frost-coated engineer slid into the co-pilot’s seat beside me. “The call’s been made.”
“Good,” I acknowledged. “Can you navigate for me and watch the front cannon?”
“Sure thing. What is your plan from here?”
“I’m guessing it will take approximately two hours, twenty minutes for the fleet to receive our broadcast. They are required to respond to all Priority One distress calls within one hour of transmission receipt. A return flight will probably take an hour and a half. How am I doing?” I asked.
“That’s almost precisely correct.” Even through a tinted visor, the man’s surprised tone of voice was clear.
“That means we need to survive down here for about five hours before we can make a run at orbit,” I answered as I pulled the transport back between the two anti-air platforms. They were still firing intermittently.
“How long will it take for us to drive to the other ship?”
My new navigator checked the map. “About thirty five minutes best-case.”
“Then plot the course. The gunners will follow us.”
“That’s good to hear. We’ve got contacts bearing down on our position from the south and from above.”
I looked over at the map to see a dozen targets closing in on us. “Dammit all!” I growled, and turned to the other gunners again. “We’re moving out, enemy contacts are inbound from mu
ltiple directions, take them out!”
We forged a new path across more unforgiving terrain, with me trying to keep up with the winding directions I was being given. After only ten minutes, I heard half the gunners light up their weapons and begin engaging the incoming ground forces. It seemed we spent an eternity along that road, but after almost forty-five minutes, we were within sight of our target.
Light poured out from windows, it was still perched upright on its landing gears. Everything looked perfect on first inspection.
“Why would they leave it?” I asked.
“I don’t know. There was nothing about it in the log I saved from the colonel.”
“Hmm.” I pondered it for a moment as I slowed the transport to a stop. Getting on my feet, I addressed the rest of the soldiers.
“If you’re not on a gun, you’re getting off. We’re going up to the other gunboat. If you find any more vehicles in the bay, deploy them in a perimeter outside. We’re going to be here for another four hours before we can launch. Don’t let them get a shot at our ticket out of here. You-” I pointed at my engineer, “You’re coming with me.”
We passed through the lower vehicle bay, which still housed another two anti-air guns, a transport, and several other smaller support units. Here, there were no fires burning, no debris flung across the floor, not even a spark. Up an identical set of stairs, we ascended and passed into the same long hallway. After traversing it, I made the turn to the bridge.
“Where are we going?” my engineer asked.
“Well, you’re going to the pilot’s station momentarily, but first we need to figure out how to turn this thing on.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. I can’t fly a damn ship!” the engineer stopped in his tracks.
I stopped as well and looked back at him. “Soldier, what’s your name”
“Lash, sir. Sergeant Michael Lash.”
“Well, Sergeant Lash, I appreciate all of your help so far today, but if you don’t do this, we’ll all still die here.” I cocked my head and leaned in closer to his face. “If you’re not up for the challenge, at least troubleshoot the ship for me and I’ll fly it. I’m not letting that prick Wolf have the last laugh and send me to the grave. Also, if you impede my work in trying to do this, I’ll kill you where I stand.”
MissionSRX: Confessions of the First War Page 11