Earth Fall: Invasion : (Book One)
Page 20
Chapter Fourteen
The sun had come up, and Lisa was already watching her instruments. She was constantly changing the settings on the one she used to detect incoming survivors. So far there had been nothing. She wondered if the Trellixians being cold-blooded made them not register on the sensor.
“Still no sign of the aliens?” asked Private Peterson, peering over her shoulder.
Lisa shook her head. “I’m not sure this will even pick them up.” Lisa made some more minor adjustments and still the screen remained empty. That was comforting in one way and worrisome in another. For all she knew the enemy could be a few hundred yards away watching them. With a big sigh, she eyed the other sensor device still inside its case.
“What’s that?” asked Private Hambridge, pointing. “I’ve never seen you open it before.”
Lisa nodded, her focus on the case. “It’s to scan Trellixian technology down to its basic structure. I’m not sure about the science behind it other than it can detect Trellixian power sources and some of the alloys they use in their equipment.” The scanner she mostly used could also scan for Trellixian technology but not in as great a detail. She had used it once already to scan one of the alien shuttles.
“So both sensors basically scan for technology?” asked Peterson.
“Yes, and I was wondering …” Lisa looked from one sensor to the other wondering how best to use them in this situation.
“About what?” asked Peterson, stepping closer to the case.
Lisa shrugged. “This equipment is new to us. I got a basic demonstration in the lab but we really don’t know everything it can do. Plus we have very little information regarding the aliens and their weapons or body armor.”
“So what are you wondering about now?”
“Hmm,” Lisa said, with a smile and a tilt of her head. “Would this scanner be any use in locating Trellixian soldiers, I wonder?” She looked to Peterson, not really expecting an answer. “Captain Morrison said the aliens are encased in body armor, including a helmet and visor. There may be a power source of some type involved. I can’t imagine that armor being very light.”
Lisa stared at the second scanner, deep in thought. “Let’s take it out of the case and set it up on its tripod.”
It took a few minutes and several curious soldiers came to see what they were doing, including Lieutenant Symington.
“What’s that?”
“A special instrument for scanning and detecting Trellixian technology,” Lisa answered as she pointed it into the forest in the general direction they expected the Trellixians to come from. Its small viewscreen showed nothing. Lisa was disappointed. With a frown, she said, “But …” Her mind was racing as she recalled what she had been taught about the two scanners.
“But?” asked Lieutenant Symington, gazing at Lisa. “But what?”
“What if I hook it up to the other scanner?” Reaching into the case, she rummaged through assorted accessories and selected two cables and connected the two instruments together. Almost instantly a number of red blips appeared on the first scanners sensor screen, the one they had used to locate inbound refugees.
“What are those?” asked Lieutenant Symington, alarmed.
Lisa spent a few moments making some adjustments. The blips didn’t go away, just came in a little sharper. With deep concern she turned toward the lieutenant. “I might be wrong but I think those are Trellixian soldiers. The instrument is picking up some unidentified power sources about eight miles out.”
Lieutenant Symington spent a moment counting the blips. “There are forty-three of them. I’d better spread the warning. Private Peterson, you and Hambridge stay close to Captain Reynolds. If the fighting gets too dangerous all three of you are to pull back immediately. There’s an ATV behind our tents. Use it to get back to the second skirmish line.”
Private Peterson nodded and indicated for Lisa to get down inside the firing pit they had dug nearby. It was rectangular and had a camping stool and a small table where Lisa could put her laptop.
Lisa took a deep breath and climbed into the pit and sat down. She had hooked up her laptop to the sensor device. Sitting down, she was nearly a foot beneath the upper level of the pit. She noticed both privates checking their assault rifles and looking a little nervous.
“Have you two ever been in combat before?” she asked. Lisa knew the Rangers often went out on missions no one ever heard about.
“A couple times,” Peterson answered as he stood in the pit, staring toward the forest across the creek. “I was in Afghanistan for a tour and Hambridge spent some time in Korea.”
“If you want cold, go sit in a firing pit along the DMZ during winter,” Hambridge said with a deep frown. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been that cold. Hell, the MREs wouldn’t even stay warm.”
Peterson shook his head. “It’s better than Afghanistan. The sand gets into everything. Some days the sandstorms even blotted out the sun. Try eating an MRE covered in sand.”
Lisa shifted around, trying to get comfortable. She looked at the screen on her laptop. She was surprised at how rapidly the Trellixians were advancing through the forest. “It won’t take them long to get here,” she said. “They’re coming pretty fast.”
Peterson nodded and sent a report on his radio. “Captain Garcia says they’re ready and to keep him informed of how close the aliens are.” Captain Garcia was behind the skirmish line in a small command bunker they had dug out and covered with logs and dirt. From there he was in contact with all the commanding officers of the five companies of Marines and Rangers along the skirmish line.
Taking a deep breath, Lisa tried to focus on the job at hand. She was shivering slightly and it wasn’t from the early-morning chill. She was scared as very few military units had tangled with the Trellixians and survived. Trying to relax, she reminded herself these were the Army Rangers. If anyone could stop the aliens it would be them.
-
On his battlecruiser, Battle Commander Balforr stared at several viewscreens showing the central mountainous region in the United States. Reports indicated thousands of civilians and a large number of military units had fled there.
“Several of our troop units are reporting heavy resistance,” reported Second Officer Jaltor. “Battle Commander Jabale has directed several wings of attack craft to aid in destroying the opposition.”
“Send shuttle craft over that region and scan every part of it. A major command base has to be somewhere and that is the most likely location.” Balforr was determined to end the resistance on this planet once and for all. He was certain if he could locate this base and destroy it all resistance on the planet would collapse. “If necessary we will commit a number of battlecruisers to the search as well.”
“As you command,” replied Second Officer Jaltor.
Balforr shifted his attention back to the viewscreens. In every mountainous region of the planet Trellixian troops were moving in, searching for hidden civilians and military units. If this massive sweep worked within ten days the planet would be safe for the next round of colony ships. Balforr could then place this invasion behind him and move on to the next target on the Trellixian Empire’s list of needed habitable worlds.
-
Sergeant Anderson had just made it back to the skirmish line and been informed of the advancing Trellixians. He frowned, looking at the dug-in Rangers. “What about the people in the next valley?” he asked. “They could sure use those claymores.”
Captain Garcia gazed into the forest. He and Anderson stood in a trench next to the small command bunker. The Trellixians were still several miles away if Captain Reynolds’ sensors were correct. “Send two of your Rangers on one of the ATVs to the main supply cache to pick up the claymores. They can take them as far up the mountain as possible and then have Lieutenant Stein’s people come and get them. That’s the best we can do. I need every Ranger we have on the line for the coming battle.”
Sergeant Anderson nodded and hurried off, looking
for Privates Richards and Hastings.
-
All along the skirmish line, the Rangers and the Marines got ready. M240L machine guns were checked and loaded. Rangers and Marines in charge of detonating the claymores checked the electronic detonators. Mortar crews for the 60mm and 81mm mortars prepared to fire upon targets. Everyone was anxious since these were aliens they were about to engage. Aliens who had already conquered most of the planet.
M4s, MK 16s, and MK 17 assault rifles were checked, with bullets chambered and ready to fire. A few of the Rangers had MK47 grenade launchers. Four of these were set up in strategic positions covering the largest game trails leading through the area.
Across the small creek was a killing field. If the Trellixians appeared anywhere they would step into a deadly crossfire, or at least the defenders hoped they would.
-
Lisa watched her laptop as the Trellixians came nearer; they were already within mortar range but Captain Garcia was allowing them to come closer. Lisa grew more frightened with every passing moment. She looked at Privates Peterson and Hambridge. “What’s combat like? Does everyone feel as scared as I am?”
Peterson nodded. “Everyone’s afraid. You never know when there might be a bullet with your name on it. I’ve been in a combat situation twice and I’ve never been so scared in my life. You just have to trust your fellow Rangers. If we all do our part we should come through this.”
Hambridge nodded. “I never saw combat in Korea but I knew it could happen at anytime. The DMZ is like a war zone. For years people have been expecting war to break out there but it never did. It always seemed to be on the brink but no one ever crossed it.”
“Half a mile,” Lisa said softly, her throat suddenly dry.
Peterson nodded and passed it on. “Get ready,” he said, looking back at Lisa. “It’s about to get loud.”
Lisa took a sip from her canteen. Her hand shook slightly as she adjusted the screen to show a closeup of the inbound enemy.
-
“Mortars first all along the advancing Trellixian line,” ordered Captain Garcia. “High-explosive rounds. Keep firing until I say stop. Everyone else to fire when they have visual targets.” Captain Garcia was still in the trench with Sergeant Anderson.
Anderson nodded and passed on the order. “All mortars, initiate firing. Targets will be at 320 yards.” This was according to the latest information from Private Peterson. “Everyone else fire as targets become visible. Don’t let them get across the creek!”
-
In the forest explosions from 60mm and 81mm mortar rounds sounded. Moments later the M240L machine guns started hammering away as movement could be seen along the trails. Within minutes all the Rangers and Marines were laying down a withering rain of fire into the forest. Trees were blown apart, fires erupted, and smoke filled the air. The noise reached a crescendo that sounded like a constant roar.
“Targets are still closing,” reported Sergeant Anderson as he listened to Private Peterson in disbelief. “They’re not slowing down.” Peterson was relaying what he saw on Captain Reynolds’ computer screen.
“Stand by on the claymores,” ordered Captain Garcia as he peered across the creek, waiting for the first Trellixians to show.
He sucked in his breath as two armored figures suddenly appeared. The two aliens paused, looking across the creek. Weapon rounds were bouncing off their armor! There were two sudden explosions as several nearby claymores detonated. One of the Trellixians went down, not moving; the other aimed his weapon and fired. An energy beam lanced out toward the dug-in Rangers.
“Energy weapons,” muttered Sergeant Anderson as he heard a Ranger scream in agony. He held his shotgun in his arms. If a Trellixian got close enough he intended to put a slug in his head.
One of the M240L machine guns targeted the still-standing Trellixian, hammering away at its armor. For several seconds it seemed as if the rounds were having no effect while the alien continued to fire at the dug-in Rangers. Then the alien staggered and dropped to the ground.
“Damn!” uttered Anderson, staring at the two fallen Trellixians in shock. “Did you see how much firepower it took to bring those two down? No wonder our military units have been taking such heavy losses.”
The firing gradually died down and then came to a stop. An eerie silence hung on the battlefield.
“Private Peterson reports all contacts in front of us have been eliminated.”
“Take some Rangers and check those two aliens,” ordered Captain Garcia. “Make sure both are dead.”
Anderson nodded as he climbed out of the trench. He quickly led a squad of Rangers across the bridge to the fallen Trellixians. Upon reaching them he took his shotgun and fired a round into the visor of each one. “They’re dead,” he reported, looking back in Captain Garcia’s direction.
Garcia climbed out of the trench and walked to Captain Reynolds. He looked into the pit where she sat watching her computer screen. “There are two dead Trellixians out there if you want to examine them.”
-
Lisa nodded. She climbed out of the firing pit, followed closely by her two privates. She quickly disconnected the Trellixian technology scanning device from the sensor instrument. Private Peterson picked it up and soon all three of them were across the creek where Sergeant Anderson stood by the two downed Trellixians with his shotgun cradled in his arms.
Lisa fought an urge to get sick when she saw their caved-in faces from the shotgun slugs Sergeant Anderson had used to make sure the two aliens were dead. She took several deep gulps of air, trying to calm her stomach.
“Set the device up here,” she ordered Private Peterson. She then disconnected a small scanning sensor connected to the main device by a long cord. She turned it on and moved it across the dead Trellixian’s body, scanning all his equipment and weapons.
“What about this energy rifle?” asked Sergeant Anderson, poking it with his booted foot.
“I wouldn’t touch it,” cautioned Lisa. “The Trellixians wouldn’t want their equipment to fall into the hands of an enemy. If it senses someone else other than a Trellixian is touching it, there’s a possibility it might explode.”
Anderson moved his foot quickly back. “So we can’t use their weapons against them?”
Lisa shook her head. “No, at least not until we know more about them. I wish we could take this energy rifle to Professor Wilkens. He might find its technology useful.”
“You scanned it,” Sergeant Anderson said. “Will that help?”
“It might,” Lisa replied. “It depends on what these scans show.”
Anderson nodded. “It might be best for you to get back across the creek. The aliens know we’re here now and they won’t be taken by surprise on their second attempt to get across.” He also wondered who this Professor Wilkens was Captain Reynolds had just mentioned.
-
Captain Garcia had just received the casualty report from his Rangers and the three Marine companies. Fourteen Rangers and twenty-eight Marines had died. In several areas the Trellixians had managed to get across the creek. However, all forty-three Trellixians had been killed, most by mortar fire and the claymores. What concerned Garcia was the amount of firepower expended to take down the Trellixians: enough to have wiped out several battalions of regular human troops. He looked at Captain Reynolds and made a quick decision. He had been told by Major Dolan her life was more important than all the Rangers and Marines on the skirmish line.
“Captain Reynolds, I think it’s best if you pull back to the second skirmish line. The next attack will be much heavier and the Trellixians know where we are. I doubt if we can stop them from crossing the creek.”
-
Lisa hated leaving the Rangers. She knew many of them well after being with them for so many days in such close proximity. But she knew she needed to get the information she had scanned from the fallen Trellixians to Professor Wilkens. It was important to the war effort. “Yes, Captain,” she replied.
&n
bsp; “Private Peterson, make sure you and Private Hambridge get her back safely. Take the ATV parked behind the tents.”
“It’s the last one we have, sir,” Peterson said. “Privates Richards and Hastings took the other one.”
Garcia nodded. “I’m aware of that. If the Trellixians penetrate our line we’ll make a fighting withdrawal to our second line. We’ll try to hold them for as long as we can.”
Private Peterson nodded. “We’ll get her back safely,” he promised. He turned toward Lisa. “Let’s pack up your equipment.”
“I want you gone within the hour,” Captain Garcia said. “I don’t think we’ll have much longer than that.”
Lisa looked around. She knew she might never see again some of these familiar faces. Taking a deep breath, Lisa began packing her equipment.
-
Major Dolan was at the second skirmish line with Captain Grumman. They had two Ranger companies and two regular Army companies spread out along it. They were five miles behind Captain Garcia’s position.
“Captain Garcia held against the first Trellixian attack. He doubts if he can hold a second time.” Mark agreed with Garcia’s assessment of the situation. The Trellixians would hit Garcia again and with a much larger force. “He’s sending Captain Reynolds back. She managed to take some scans of the equipment and weapons from the two Trellixians Garcia’s Rangers killed near the bridge. As soon as she gets here I’m sending her back to base to transmit that information to General Mitchell as soon as possible. He will see it gets sent to the necessary people.” Mark had specific information on what to do with any information the three special captains gathered. “Where’s Captain Masterson?”