AMP Rebellion

by Stephen Arseneault

  York spoke, “Well go on. I got this.”

  The statement caught me a bit off-guard, so I stepped past her into the hallway. She gave me one last look and then closed the door.

  Pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft! Pffft, pffft,pffft, pffft,pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft. Chk-slk-click-chk. Pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft!

  Nearly a minute passed before the door opened and York stepped out into the hall. The team stared in her direction.

  York spoke, “What? They were a liability… they invaded our home… they have killed our people!”

  I held up my hand to quiet her as I replied, “It’s OK York. I just wasn’t expecting that. What was the extra time for?”

  York responded, “I took their blasters and laid them in a pile by the door. If we have to come back this way for some reason they will be there for our use. Was common practice back in the Marines.”

  I replied, “If it’s any consolation York, I like your thinking. We are at war. And with our current mission you were exactly right. They were a liability. Let’s put this to bed and move on.”

  I looked around at the others. “Anyone have a problem with that?”

  Frost stepped up with a grin. “I’ll take point next Sir. Yorkie is having too much of the fun!”

  We moved back into the trans-way with Frost leading the way. York picked up the rear with a frown on her face.

  I turned to her and spoke, “You aren’t being punished York. I actually like having Frost up there where she’s not trying to grab my ass.”

  York replied, “It’s not that it hasn’t crossed my mind Sir. I just prefer to be invited. You aren’t inviting me are you Sir?”

  I looked back down the ramp as I continued to walk. “I hesitate to say no to you Sergeant after the way you handled those Dakar back there.”

  York chuckled. “No worries Sir. I was just taking care of business. If I don’t at least give you a little bit of a hard time Rodriguez and Frost are going to hassle me about it. I don’t mean any disrespect with my joshin’ Sir.”

  I replied, “None taken York. Just keep doing what you are doing.”

  When we reached level Uriah-11 Frost held up her hand, stopping us just short of the doorway. Two Dakar could be heard talking in the outer hallway as they approached. Frost signaled and we each moved over against the outer wall of the ramp.

  Frost knelt with her AK at the ready as the two Dakar entered the trans-way. They were deep in their conversation as they turned and began their way down the ramp without noticing the dozen Humans crouched against the wall behind them.

  A Dakar private spoke, “Sir, we have been on this station for weeks now and the Durians are calling all the shots. I don’t understand why command doesn’t throw them out.”

  The second soldier was a Dakar lieutenant. “Private, you might want to keep those thoughts to yourself. Command has their reasons. They will let us know what is happening when they are ready. Until then, just enjoy the fact that we are not getting shot at.”

  The private chuckled and replied, “Shot at? By who, Humans? Hahaha. They rolled over when we came on-board. What other species have we fought with that has done that? These Humans aren’t so bright if you ask me.”

  The Dakar soldiers made their way down the ramp and out of sight. As everyone stood I turned towards York. She was sliding her battle knife back into its sheath.

  York looked up at me. “What?”

  I glanced down at her knife.

  York shook her head. “We can’t very well use these guns in the trans-way Sir, would risk giving us away. That and the fact that I don’t want Frost baggin’ ‘em all Sir.”

  York smiled as we continued slowly down the ramp. As we reached the deck of Uriah-10 the Dakar soldiers stationed on the level below could be heard talking. We waited patiently as we listened in. If the conversations were “everyday” we would be able to take them with complete surprise.

  A Dakar spoke, “I had a model five when I was a youth. I dropped it in a bowl of Hicka broth and it was of course ruined. I was on track for receiving a model 16 AI, but my teachers lost trust and I was sent to boot school.”

  Another Dakar replied, “Jufis, you are too dumb to have had a model 5. You are making up stories. Your father was a booter and you are a booter.”

  The Dakar replied, “No, honest. I was all set to go to flight. That stupid broth. It ruined…”

  A Durian stepped up to the conversing soldiers, “Who is in charge here?”

  A Dakar sergeant spoke, “I am Sir. How may we be of assistance?”

  The Durian Helgron grabbed the much weaker Dakar soldier by the neck and pulled him to his face.

  The Durian spoke, “No, I am in charge here Sergeant!”

  The Durian released his grip as he pushed the Dakar sergeant away.

  The Durian continued, “You are sloppy. Ill prepared to fight. We have had a growing number of rebellious outbursts from the Humans below.”

  Another Dakar spoke, “If they are acting up why do we not just kill them?” The Dakar looked around and smiled.

  The Durian flipped his arm quickly, slapping the Dakar soldier across the face. The smiles on the other soldiers quickly disappeared.

  Again the Durian spoke, “We are at war! These Humans cannot be trusted to remain idle. They will attack. And when they do we must be prepared if we are to hold this station. I expect patrols of these corridors and of this trans-way; two men to each team. Random checks.”

  The Durian looked directly at the sergeant with a seething expression. “Sergeant, if I find things are not as they should be when I return you will pay a heavy price. Leadership comes with responsibility. And that current responsibility is to me.”

  As I looked around, York had moved over to the stairwell and pulled out a TIG.

  York spoke, “It’s a Durian Sir. We can’t let him just walk away. He sounds like the only one there that knows what he’s doing.”

  With that York pulled the pin on the TIG. After a four second count she released the negative ion grenade. After falling the 30 meters to level Uriah-9 the grenade went off.

  Pop!

  York was quickly on the run down the ramp. I followed with the remainder of the team. As we rounded the last swirl the first of the Dakar came into view.

  Pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft!

  Three Dakar fell hard back into the doorway as the other Dakar scrambled; their ion blasters seemed to have no charge. As York approached the Durian pulled his battle knife and hissed. York followed suit without missing a step.

  At the last second the Durian swung his blade at the charging Human. York dropped, rolled and came up under the Durian’s right arm with her own battle knife. The Durian attempted to let out a squeal as Sergeant Diane York placed her free hand over his small mouth.

  York spoke as she looked into the now panicking Durian’s eyes, “Get off my station lizard!”

  With that comment York twisted the knife, pulled it from the Durian’s limp appendage and thrust it hard into his forehead.

  Frost was next to unload.

  Pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft!

  Two more Dakar soldiers dropped to their knees as the others backed into the hall. The assault was upon them before they were able to react.

  Frost spoke, “Yorkie bagged a Durian! I am jealous!”

  Rodriguez was next up with her silenced AK.

  Pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft!

  Another Dakar fell backwards.

  Rodriguez spoke as she looked at the next Dakar, “Did you say something?”

  Pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft!

  Frost replied, “And her hair was still perfect!”

  The carnage ended with a dead Durian and a dozen dead Dakar soldiers. The fight was over before anyone but the three female Marines had fired a shot.

  Frost turned and smacked my right buttock with her left hand.

/>   Frost spoke, “That’s how the ladies do it Sir, quick and dirty!”

  I moved forward before Frost could fully take hold.

  I spoke, “OK. Let’s find an empty room and move these bodies out of here before they completely bleed out. And look for something to wipe up the trails with. If we get more visitors to this level we don’t want them rushing after us.”

  Corporal Mendez spoke, “We aren’t going to be able to clean this up Sir. There is too much.”

  I replied, “Do what you can Corporal, anything is better than nothing.”

  When the bodies had been stuffed away we again moved into the trans-way and continued our way downward. As we approached level Uriah-8, two Dakar soldier were coming up the ramp towards us. We were caught mid-swirl with nowhere to hide.

  The first Dakar spoke, “They were coming down from 14. The Major said they left ten minutes ago. Level nine isn’t answering their comm. Let’s just do this and get back.”

  The second Dakar replied as they continued upwards, “I don’t care for the Major. She is too…”

  York opened fire first.

  Pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft, pffft!

  The two Dakar fell backwards, but not before their commanding officer on Uriah-7 heard the commotion.

  York took off into a full run down the ramp spirals as the Dakar Major spoke into his comm. “Fepa…. Fepa? If you and Mina are screwing ar…”

  The Major dropped his arm and reached for his blaster as York charged in.

  Pop!

  The detonation of a TIG sealed the Major’s fate. York thrust her battle knife into the Dakar’s lower chest as she again covered his scream with her free hand. After a quick twist she was on the next Dakar with Frost on her heals.

  The local Dakar were quickly dispatched. I again gave the command to clean the area and again the bodies were stuffed out of site.

  I spoke, “Everybody take a solid position and take five. I’m calling in for status and to let the Colonel know we are almost ready. Anyone else have anything we should report?”

  Frost spoke, “Tell ‘em York bagged a Durian! The Ghouls will love that!”

  I nodded to Frost and got on the comm. The Colonel was alerted to our new position and began to stage his men for an assault. I sat back against a wall to rest. Rodriguez sat next to me with her AK at the ready.

  Rodriguez spoke, “Can we take off the suppressors Sir. I kind of miss the noise.”

  I spoke up, “Suppressors off everyone. We aren’t going to need them anymore. From here on it’s going to be all out. Check your clips and once this starts I want a TIG out every two minutes. I don’t care who’s it is. Just keep them coming. And one at a time as we have our limits.”

  I let out a sigh as the nervous energy began to build. There was a garrison of Dakar on Uriah-5. We were about to piss them all off. I took my rest while it was available.

  Chapter 14

  The hallway floor was cold and hard. I remembered playing on it as a kid. The hallways of the Grid were familiar to me, like an old friend come to visit. We were four minutes into our five minute rest when Frig came on the comm.

  He had status of the Dakar force just below us. As he talked, a Dakar soldier rounded the corner of an adjacent hallway to the one we occupied.

  The Dakar let out a scream. “Huuummmaaaannnnss!!!”

  Frost quickly ended his song.

  Commotion could be heard from two levels below as the Dakar forces were now aware of something happening from just above their position. Commands were screamed as soldiers assembled and began their march up the ramp.

  Rodriguez spoke, “Sir, now would be a good time to let the Colonel know he has his distraction. If there are several hundred garrisoned there we are going to have a tough go of it waiting on the Colonel.”

  I replied as I removed the suppressor from my AK, “Unfortunately Maria, I think we would be ecstatic with several hundred. The latest scan from Frig put that number at over a thousand. We were supposed to alert the Colonel ‘before’ we attacked. We have no choice but to hold now!”

  I continued, “Everyone! Listen up! Take off those suppressors and let’s make some noise! It may help the Colonel get here sooner if they don’t hear him coming. And keep in mind, they can’t come any faster than those stairwells and ramps let them. We have the high ground, the weapons and the information. We know them, but they don’t know us. And make every shot count; our ammo supply has definite limits!”

  Frost spoke, “TIG away!”

  Pop!

  As the first Dakar soldiers came into view on the stairwell Corporal Mendez and Private Hallis opened up.

  Ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak!

  The troops on the stairwell came to a halt as they pulled back their wounded. The soldiers on the ramp continued their slow climb.

  Frost spoke as she squatted just back from the stairwell rail, “Wait for it. Wait… Ahhhhiiiieee!!!”

  At the same instant Frost, Rodriguez and York all rose and charged down the ramp.

  Ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak!

  Mendez leaned in as I looked on at the female tornado moving down the ramp. “It’s frightening Sir. I will be having nightmares about those three!”

  I stood and fired four rounds at the Dakar who were again attempting to move up the stairwell.

  Ak-ak-ak-ak!

  Several seconds later, bright flashes could be seen from below. The three women of my squad were taking laser fire. As they came storming back up the ramp, yelling and waving their arms, I stood and pulled out a standard grenade. The pin was yanked and the grenade thrown down the ramp just over the girls heads. It skidded repeatedly off the outer ramp wall as it went.

  Booom!

  Screams could be heard from below as we made our retreat towards Uriah-8. Mendez popped off another standard grenade as we ran.

  Booom!

  Again screams of agony could be heard as the shrapnel took its toll. When we reached the eighth level York grabbed the edge of the wall and spun herself around in the doorway to face the oncoming horde of Dakar.

  York spoke, “Sir! We need to take a defensive position or they are going to run us up and into certain trouble. There will be reinforcements coming down from above, probably within minutes. We need to stake out our claim and hold it Sir!”

  I concurred and the squad quickly took a defensive position around the Uriah-8 doorway.

  I turned and gave Mendez an order, “Check those doors and see if there is an open room. I want a place to fall back to if we have to.”

  Mendez replied as he turned away, “Yes Sir!”

  The battle suddenly quieted as the Dakar force approached our position. York pitched a grenade over the stairwell rail. Screams could be heard from below as Dakar troops attempted to scatter.

  Booom!

  Laser pulses were soon striking the walls just in front of our position as the Dakar on the ramp continued their climb. Two more grenades were loosed, followed shortly after with a new TIG.

  Booom! Booom! Pop!

  York turned as the Dakar once again regrouped. “Sir, just aim for the center of their torso, that’s the biggest target and it seems to do the trick. As far as a fighting species goes Sir, they ain’t very hardy!”

  As York turned back, a Dakar laser bolt came upwards, searing off her right arm just below the shoulder. The arm fell to the ramp floor and began to slowly roll away. York fell backwards looking at her missing arm in disbelief. The laser cut had been clean, cauterizing the wound as it severed her arm.

  York leaned forward in an attempt to grab her rolling arm. A second Dakar laser bolt then sliced off her other arm as she stretched it outward, grasping for her first. The second arm began to roll down the ramp after the first as York fell forward, banging her forehead on the floor. Frost grabbed York by the legs and pulled her back behind the doorway opening.

  As Diane York’s arms rolled down the ra
mp the Dakar opened fire with their lasers, chopping the rolling arms into smaller pieces, which themselves began to roll faster.

  Two more grenades went down the ramp, again halting the Dakar advance.

  Booom! Booom!

  York rolled over and sat up. “Maria, can you reach my arms?”

  Rodriguez replied, “Oh no. I’m sorry Honey, but those arms aren’t coming back. We’ll get you fitted with some nice prosthetics when we get back.”

  York replied with a distressed look on her face, “Well what am I supposed to do with these short stumps in the meantime? I can’t fight like this!”

  Maria replied, “Honey. You gotta sit back and chill. Mendez! Get her up and back into that room!”

  Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak!

  The Dakar continued their slow advance. We had no view down the staircase as our position by the door restricted our sight. As Mendez stood York up, two Dakar soldiers popped their heads over the stairwell rail and fired their lasers, sheering both of York’s legs off at just above the knees. She fell to the floor as her once attached legs folded underneath her.

  Ak-ak-ak-ak!

  The Dakar soldiers fell backwards on the stairwell as Rodriguez pitched a grenade in after them. At that moment the Dakar advance ground to a halt as gunfire could be heard coming from below. The Colonel and his men were moving up.

  I got on the comm. “Frig! I need you to open a portal on Uriah-8. We need to send York through.”

  Frig replied, “I need an exact location Sir. Precisely where are you?”

  I replied, “We are in the doorway of Uriah-8. But we have a room across the hall, looks like U8206. Can you open it inside that room?”

  Frig replied, “Give me a moment to calibrate Sir and I will have it open. Prepare York for transfer.”

  As the others held our position at the door I scooped what remained of Sergeant Diane York up into my arms and heaved her onto my shoulder. Once in the room I waited for the portal to open. Mendez came up behind me with York’s severed legs.

  I raised Frig on the comm. “You got anyone on that side to give you a hand? We are going to have to pass her through to you.”