“Wow,” said Dart.
The roof looked like a natural sky and even showed a sun as though they were on Earth, but they all knew from their approach to the surface that it had to be artificial. It was like some kind of lavish paradise resort.
“What the hell is this place?”
“What it was going to be was a retreat for the wealthiest and most private billionaires, a most exclusive resort. So exclusive nobody ever knew its location. Giving its guests the ultimate protection from the outside world. No press, no work, no hassle, and no stress. The brainchild of Milo Rivers, it was to be his Atlantis.”
“The inventor?”
“One and the same, Dart.”
“You know this guy?” Taylor asked.
“Not personally, but you’d have to have lived in a cave for the last ten years to not know that name.”
Taylor glared at Dart, and he soon realised his mistake.
“Sorry about that, Colonel.”
Taylor didn’t care that much, and it amused him to scold Dart occasionally for all of his cheekiness.
“Milo Rivers was the man everyone wanted to both love and hate before this war began,” said Rogers, “A self-made man, a genius playboy with a seemingly endless passion to strive to bigger and better things. He isn’t like the rest of us.”
“So you do accept that some of us are just made differently?”
“Maybe, Colonel, or maybe Rivers just doesn’t see any limits, and that’s why he is able to achieve so much.”
“So where is this Milo Rivers now?”
“Right where I am supposed to be,” a voice called out to their side.
A man approached with a smile on his face. He was maybe in his forties and in good shape. He had perfectly slicked hair and wore a white lab coat over a well-cut and tailored black suit. He face lit up with excitement at seeing Taylor. It was a boyish excitement, and yet behind his eyes was the fire clear as day for all to see. This was a man driven to go to lengths that few beings ever could, or would.
“Welcome to Atlantis, Colonel Taylor. I am Milo Rivers,” he said, shaking Taylor’s hand.
Dart was speechless, but to Taylor he was just another new face.
“I’d say I was glad to be here, but honestly, I am not even sure what here is, or what it is you are doing. And until a few seconds ago, I’d never heard the name Milo Rivers.”
“No offence taken. As far as the universe is concerned, I died out here in the wilderness working on some crazy new idea.”
“The reality is that Mr Rivers is one of the Alliance’s best minds, and also one of its best kept secrets, just like this facility.”
“That’s right, Colonel. Everyone here has been here since this facility was opened. For both the benefit of our work and the security of this facility, the only people who come and go are the Captain here and a handful of others that he works with. We are dedicated to our work.”
“And what is that exactly?”
“Making the future,” he replied with a smile.
He threw his arm over Taylor’s shoulder and led him down an aisle as the staff went on oblivious to his presence.
“Advanced weapons and armour have been at the heart of what we do here since the beginning, but it is still early days.”
“Early? If we don’t turn things around pretty fast, they’ll be our only days.”
“Yes, the Captain warned me to expect this kind of cynicism from you.”
“It’s easy to be positive from backstage, not so much when the shit is being thrown right at you.”
“No doubt, and I sympathise with your situation more than you know, Colonel. My only son was killed on the third day of this war. He was all that was left of my family, and ever since that day, I have dedicated my life to the war effort. I will fully admit to you now that I was sceptical of your part in this conflict. I am about innovation and taking leaps forward. I thought you were a step back for the Alliance, but I was wrong, and I fully admit it.”
“Can’t say I was thrilled to be brought back either, Milo, but sometimes you have to deal with the curveball that life is and just run with it.”
“That is something we can certainly agree on, Colonel.”
“Mitch,” he replied.
“Mitch. Personally, I still believe that the future of combat is in autonomous drones. Now I know they have existed for some time…”
“Yes, they have, and they are shit.”
“Everything has to start somewhere. The rifles you now use, they are a marvel of modern technology. The first guns were quite frankly as dangerous to the user as they were to the enemy.”
“You won’t ever replace a man with a machine.” Taylor sounded angry.
“That remains to be seen, but certainly it must take a backstage for now. We are a way off the future I envisage, but it is coming, I promise you.”
“He’s rarely wrong, Colonel.”
Taylor grimaced at Dart, but the pilot didn’t back down.
“Hey, the guy is a legend, just like you,” Dart said, shrugging off Taylor’s condemnation.
“Whatever you think the future might or might not be, we have to survive long enough to get that far. So which of us is right really doesn’t matter. What matters is the here and now. What can you do for me that will make all the difference?”
“Straight to the point, I like that Colonel, and it is nothing less than I would expect of you. You will forgive me, but I am not acquainted with your background like the Captain is. As much as our history is important, I always preferred to look forward, and not back. You are the subject of history books that I loathed as a child.”
“I never cared much for it either, and I never wanted to be on those pages. So let’s forget the past and move forward.”
“Excellent. Now Colonel, the one thing I know for certain is that no human can beat Bolormaa in personal combat, and supposedly no ballistic weapon can penetrate her armour or skin.”
“Yes.”
“Well, the first thing to know is that, well…that is simply a myth. Everything can be penetrated, everything can be destroyed, and everything can be killed.”
“Yeah, I used to think so, too.”
“But if you are going to be capable of such a task, you need to be better. Not just better than any human, but better than anything else out there. That suit you wear,” he said, pointing to the exoskeleton armoured suit, “That is nothing. You need to be stronger, faster, and simply better.”
“No shit.”
“Well, Colonel…Mitch, I am here to give those things to you.”
“Bullshit…”
“Please, if you may,” he said and led Taylor towards the arena.
“Step inside…”
Taylor looked in at the man and woman inside who had stopped what they were doing as he arrived. They wore suits a little like his, but sleeker and more form fitting. They were so beautifully moulded they looked like more of a fashion statement than serious hardware.
“Sergeants Maloney and Pitt,” said Rogers, pointing to the man and woman respectively.
“Unarmed, see if you can take them down, Colonel. They are fine fighters, but not of your calibre. They’ll even come at you one at a time to make it a fair fight.”
Taylor smiled as he took off his rifle and pistol, handed them to Babacan, and stepped into the arena.
“You really want some of this?” Taylor asked, a cheeky smile on his face. He paced casually around as though he owned the place and saw no threat at all.
“These games are all fun and good, but when I am done with these kids, the adults are gonna have to talk.”
He faced off against the woman before rushing at her with all his speed. He was keen to end it quickly and prove his point. She didn’t move until the last moment, millimetres before his right hand was to connect with her face, and put her lights out in one fell swoop. It would have been fast enough to put down any human he knew, even Jones. He wasn’t holding back, but to his surprise, she
slipped aside and struck his flank. Even through the armour he felt the blow, and he shot bolt upright before she swept his legs. He crashed down like a rookie being beaten by his new drill sergeant.
He snapped back onto his feet to save his dignity, telling himself it was a fluke, but deep down, he knew he was lying to himself.
What the fuck is this?
He shook his head and concentrated on what he was doing. He had gone in cocky with arrogant and over confident aggression before, and he wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice. He approached slowly with his guard up, finally jabbing smartly and with precision. He was taking the fight seriously now, but the woman ducked and weaved, and he just couldn’t find his target. After the fifth punch, he stopped briefly, and she smiled as if taunting him.
“Enough playing, Sergeant. Let him have it,” announced Rivers.
Her smile turned to scorn as she concentrated and changed her tone entirely. She meant business, and in that moment, he knew he was in trouble. Just as he had known when he squared off against Bolormaa and had seen the true extent of her power. She jabbed towards his head, and his hands went up instinctively, but it was only a feint. He’d fallen for the simplest of moves, but delivered with the most amazing turn of speed and precision. Her right fist, encased in an armoured glove, struck the armour on his chest, and he was launched through the air.
For a moment Taylor was stunned and didn’t know where he was. He gasped for air and found himself on his side against the wall of the arena.
“Colonel, oh, my god, I am so sorry!” Pitt yelled as she rushed to him.
She helped him to his feet, but he was still stunned by the whole experience. He looked down to check that his body was still intact, finding a substantial dent in his armour.
“I am sorry, Colonel. I had no idea the Sergeant would use the suit to its full extent,” said Rivers as he rushed to his side.
Taylor’s confusion soon turned to a smile as the reality of what had happened was setting in.
“Whatever that equipment is, I want it.”
Chapter 3
“Load up, come on, you apes, we have a job to do!” Jones yelled.
He smiled to himself, realising he was trying to act the part of Taylor and fill in for his best friend. He looked around as if marvelling at those under his command and all that he had made of them when he suddenly stopped dead. Taylor was approaching, hobbling on a crutch. He smiled, but that smile soon faded away. It wasn’t Taylor at all, but Sergeant Bradley. They had done such a good job of creating Taylor’s body double he often found himself forgetting upon first sight. It was a huge disappointment, and he would give anything to have Taylor back at his side. It seemed that the universe was conspiring to keep them apart.
Bradley smiled and gave a friendly mock salute as he hobbled in. It was a bad attempt at trying to convey the friendship they had forged so strongly in the fires of war. That wasn’t him, and it made Jones cringe to see such a bad act. He expected better.
“Captain, how are things?”
Jones leaned in close so that nobody else would hear what he had to say.
“They could be better. That is one piss-poor acting job. Taylor is a badass and a son of a bitch. He isn’t some slacker of a desk driver who wants to play at war. For God’s sake, man, you are not that either. You are a combat veteran, so start acting like one.”
His face turned serious, and it was very clear he was as disappointed in himself as Jones was.
“I am sorry.”
“Don’t be. Don’t be sorry. Don’t be anything but Taylor.”
“Yes, Si…”
Jones’ eyes turned to anger as the words were leaving his mouth, and he soon held his tongue.
“What did I tell you? Taylor is a great guy, but he is also as arrogant and cocky as his reputation would suggest. He doesn’t piss around. He doesn’t mince words and be all touchy feely. He is the toughest bastard I have ever had the privilege of knowing. So suck it up, and start acting like a legend.”
Bradley recoiled, nodded in agreement, and straightened himself up, coughing to clear his throat. Jones did feel sorry for the Sergeant. It wasn’t a job he would ever want, nor feel remotely capable of accomplishing, and yet going easy on him would serve nobody.
“Hey, Colonel, nice to see you back on your feet! When are you coming back?” one of the marines asked as he passed by.
“Soon as I can!” Bradley roared.
His voice was at least well prepared, and for a second Jones was able to believe the fantasy, but then it struck him once again. That it wasn’t his best friend before him, that he wasn’t going to see him anytime soon, and he had to keep up the farce and lie to their entire Regiment in the meantime.
“Take it easy, and don’t push yourself,” said Jones.
The roar of an engine drowned his voice out. Another craft came in to land at a reckless speed that none of their pilots would. He looked upon it angrily, preparing himself for the condemnation he was about to place on the pilot, but as the ramp lowered, his eyes widened. He recognised a man instantly, a man he admired and hated all at the same time, for both a hero and a villain wore that face.
“CJ,” he muttered and tried to compose himself.
“What?” Bradley asked.
Then it struck Jones how difficult a situation Bradley was about to be put in. He needed a lot more time to become comfortable with playing the part of Taylor, and this would be one of the biggest challenges he would have to overcome. He could see the look of fear in Bradley’s eyes. The Sergeant clearly knew the trouble he was in, and recognised CJ as easily as he had done.
“What do I do?”
“Stand your ground. Taylor wouldn’t take any shit from him, but whatever you do, do not pick a fight.”
“And…and if he picks a fight with me?”
“Don’t rise to it, but don’t show weakness either. You can’t beat him, so don’t even try.”
“I am well aware of that. What would Taylor do?”
“Taylor would likely kill him given half the chance, and so would I. But as much as I hate that asshole, he is an asset to this Alliance, too.”
Bradley looked completely unsure of himself, and Jones didn’t blame him, but he didn’t know what else they could do.
“Well, well, Taylor. I am going to kill you before this war is over, but it seems like someone else is already doing the job for me,” said CJ as he approached.
Ah shit, Jones thought.
“You don’t impress me. You’re nothing more than a prison reject who will be sent right back where you belong once the Alliance is through with you,” snapped Bradley.
CJ laughed in his face, and then he hesitated and stopped, seeming to spot something in Taylor that was just a little bit off.
“I’d have thought a man who prides himself on his moral principles would have dealt with me personally, not have the system do the job.”
“You aren’t even worth it.”
CJ wasn’t buying it, and he strode up to Taylor to square off against him.
“Why not sort this here and now?”
Jones could see Bradley was in trouble, and their whole rouse was at stake. CJ could see something was wrong, but he couldn’t pinpoint it. Jones knew he had to act fast, for all their sakes.
“Give the Colonel a break. He’s been through more than you could ever hope to survive,” he growled.
CJ didn’t even turn to face him. He looked around slowly with scorn and disgust as if he saw nothing in Jones at all.
“Ah, yes, the sidekick, and ever in Taylor’s shadow, just like your ancestors. How does that feel?”
“A lot better than being despicable scum like you.”
CJ grinned and looked back to Taylor.
“Are you going to let your little bitch do all your fighting for you?”
Bradley didn’t know how to respond, and Jones could see he was intimidated by CJ. He looked around and plenty of others on the hangar deck were starting to t
ake notice. Whatever went down, dozens would witness it, and there would be no way to contain the story. It was on the cusp of falling apart, and Jones was the only one who could do anything about it. CJ put a hand on Taylor’s shoulder, the side that had been wounded, and applied just a little pressure. Bradley winced as if to play along with the part, but it would only last so long.
Jones couldn’t take it any longer. He was the only one in the room who knew Bradley’s secret, and so he alone who could protect it. He raced forward, grabbed CJ, and pulled him around, punching him square in the face. CJ staggered backwards, as much in surprise as from the actual power of the blow.
“Well, well, you have found your balls, after all,” he replied with a smile before coming right back at Jones. He punched, and Jones parried it, but a knee smashed into his stomach. Even though his armour took the brunt of it, he was still driven back. In that moment as they parted, he was aware of how quiet the hangar had become. All eyes had turned to their fight. It was the last thing he wanted, but all he could think of to get the attention of both CJ and everyone else away from Bradley.
CJ let out a cry as he rushed forward and punched towards Jones’ face. He voided it and counter punched, but as CJ came back up, he drew a knife and slashed it across Jones’ face. The superficial wound stretched from his left ear to just below his eye. It was a sadistic and unnecessary move, and it made him angry, precisely as CJ wanted. He rushed forward and took hold of CJ’s knife hand as it was thrust at him. He delivered an elbow into his jaw and a back fist followed it. CJ let go of the knife but delivered a powerful push kick in return, launching him back, and he crashed over a mechanic’s workstation.
He was back on his feet in no time, but that made his blood boil, and he stormed towards the clone of his ancestor. As he did so, a voice boomed about the room.
Battle Beyond Earth: Deception Page 4