'Quit your whinging, gunner. Show the squishies that you're the best soldier here.' Yelled Devon, her fully-automatic shotgun sending 10mm grenade after 10mm grenade at the enemy.
'Do you tin jockeys gob off all the time or what? Shut your traps and bloody shoot. Only talk to actually, you know, pass on real information.' Snapped a harassed-looking lance corporal.
'You do know who you're taking to, don't you?' Devon shouted as everyone around her opened fire.
'You're attached to my squad. I don't give a rat's arse who you are. Shut the fuck up '
Devon was about to reply when she felt a hand on her arm, 'Leave it boss, the man's got a job to do. And he did rescue us.'
Biting her tongue, she settled for popping the spent drum from her shotgun before settling another in place. 'Fine.' Lacking the HUD of the infantry, she rose up behind the barrier they were defending, laid her sights over the next charge that was heading their way, and opened fire.
#
Dust drifted down from the ceiling as the beleaguered defenders set defences around the last reinforcement point. All others had been destroyed or captured. Troops were cut-off from each other all over the base, still resisting. Still dying. The last attack by the enemy had been relentless. They knew that victory was within their grasp. All they had to do was get people inside the control centre who could survive for five minutes. That or completely destroy it and capture the base that way.
'Three minutes until reinforcements get here.' Windsor said hoarsely as yet more dust drifted down, shaken loose by an explosion deep in the base, 'those suicide bots were a good idea. And the BIO WIRE. Weren't expecting that were they!' Evil chuckles filled the room. An Upvote had granted them the weapon, which Devon had been more than happy enough to deploy in the corridors. Screams still rang out from NAC troops caught on the periphery. It had bought them a much-needed reprieve.
There was the sound of bugles, whistles, cheering Ken and women. It was the sound of the enemy gearing themselves up for another attack.
'Ladies and gentlemen,' said Devon, 'it has been an absolute honour to serve alongside you. For those who are 49ers, know that your names will be forever remembered and be glad that you are finally released from this living hell. Those that are going to respawn somewhere in Spain, make the bastards pay. All of them.'
There was a chime as the reinforcement counter reached zero. All eyes turned towards it, wondering how many more fresh recruits would be able to deploy before the next attack. It opened, spewing battle suited figures, visors raised as they scanned the room.
'Ah, Devon, very good,' said a figure immediately arriving on their heels.
'Colonel Clark? What the hell are you doing here?' Blurted Devon. Turning she looked over at a just as stunned Hotston.
'Well, the good news is that we're here to reinforce you. Bad news is just that.' His mouth turned down as he stepped out of the way of the point, allowing more reinforcements led by Menefee to pour through.
'How?' whispered Hotston.
'We pulled a few favours. Threatened to launch an attack on our closest allies if we weren't allowed to join you.' Said Clark, a wide smile on his face.
'What's the bad news sir?' Asked Hoffmeister as soldiers continued to pour through.
'The bad news is that the Spanish are going to fire a kinetic round at the base as soon as this room is lost.'
Silence greeted him.
'Can't have that happening to you without knowing. After all, you're my best troops don't you know,' Said Clark, 'We're here to die with you. Maybe kill a few more of the enemy. I get the feeling the Spanish are very angry at our threat.'
'Die with us?' Gasped Devon.
'Yes. There's no way out. You know that,' he smiled sadly as she nodded, 'We're all volunteers. All 49ers. Thought it would be the decent thing to do. Command wanted to keep sending the young ones through. Wasn't their finest moment.'
A beep sounded, interrupting him. Frowning, he looked down, tapping at the keyboard on his HUD. 'Bastards.' He breathed, 'They've fired. The temptation was too much. See that most of the 9th Corps will be wiped out as well. Going to be an utterly marvellous show. Shame we'll miss it.' He smiled and gave a double thumbs up.
The ground heaved and with that the dreaded number 50 appeared on many HUDs throughout the base, 49ers and NAC alike.
A few 49ers, those with lives still remaining, sobbed as MISSION ACCOMPLISHED displayed on their HUD, along with the words WELCOME BACK TO THE UK. PREPARE TO SPAWN.
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That's why you, our dedicated readers, are so important. Big publishing houses will have their fans, but we like to believe that ours are dedicated to reading the next book in the Hotston Oligarchy series, or catching up on the misery Sylvester likes to inflict upon Blaise Maximillian or the members of the 49ers.
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Thank you very much, Matthew and the Alternative Realities team.
Alternative Realities Books
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For 8 long years the Great War has raged. Blaise Maximillian has been there from the start. A bright-eyed and fearful young Ensign, the realities of war change him into a hard-bitten soldier and an even harder policeman.
Detective Inspector Blaise Maximillian of the Combined Imperial Special Intelligence Bureau, now works to protect the British Empire any way he can. Nothing will stop him from carrying out his duty. Not the law, not morals, not even ethics. A flawed man, he will do anything it takes.
For 8 long years the Great War has raged. Blaise Maximillian has been there from the start. A bright-eyed and fearful young 2nd Lieutenant, the realities of war change him into a hard-bitten soldier and an even harder policeman. Leading men and women into battle, he confronts a German army that becomes ever stronger, ever more advanced.
Britain needs heroes. Heroes like Laura Miles and Wez Broglino, armour hunter-killers during the Siege of Paris, then agents of the resistance group called the 'Department of Accidents'.
This is alternative history as you'd never have thought.
Summer's End wants to see the end of the world. It's the country that can't stand its own prosperity, the man who refuses to abandon his son, the rulers who refuse to give up their power or those who don't know when enough is enough. Each and every story in this collection explores how golden ages end, how great civilisations fall.
Featuring stories from award winning authors such as Adrian Tchaikovsky, Gaie Sebold, James Brogden and Sarah Cawkwell, this strange and wondrous collection of world's ending will make you thankful for what you've got.
Helena is one of the Oligarchs, genetically-enhanced, centuries old families who rule the world. As a new world war begins, she is ordered to find a boy who could save the human race from genocide. Yet all is not as it seems; Helena finds enemies on all sides, intent on bringing about the war with all its horrific consequences. To make matters worse, Helena's own integral AI challenges both her motives and her identity. Yet she has no choice but to accept its treacherous aid if she is to have any hope of surviving those who want her dead.
War has come. The megacorporation Indexiv is swallowing up rivals without serious resistance. Helena Woolf's father might be the only person who can stop them except he w
ent into hiding from his own side a century ago. Throw into this mix a third side, one intent on freeing itself of the Oligarchy and Helena is propelled into finding her mother, who may just know where he went. Except Edith is slumming it in the midst of a genocide, refusing to cooperate with anyone on anything while she satisfies her own lusts. Helena is going to have to risk everything to persuade Edith to help. Even if she does there's no guarantee that any of them will make it out of the war alive because this is a people's war, a war of rebellion against the 1% and Helena is very much in their sights.
It's 2100, in a VR game called World Domination, a game designed to eliminate civilian, technological, fiscal and environmental loss but to still cater for the warlike nature of humans, all of the troops are hard-wired into their harnesses.
The rules were simple, survive 100 battles and you're free. Die 50 times and you'll receive a lethal dose of poison administered by the game, as war must always have consequences. Take on a Special Mission and and you'll gain 1 extra life, mission credits and valuable power-ups and special weapons. But now, on the brink of defeat, European High Command has decreed that soldiers who hit 49 deaths are to be kept permanently in the game. The 49ers is a regiment of Last Chancers, doing whatever it takes to stay alive.
It's 2100, France has been devastated by nuclear explosions, and ChinKor Republic troops are searching for those responsible. Trapped in France, the 49ers must team up with Russian special forces, the feared Spetsnaz, to escape the devastation. Together they will wreak havoc as they blast their way through the enemy forces.
Trapped in an MMO where losing 50 lives means permadeath, war is anything but a game.
Devon's Demons have escaped from France into Spain. Expecting to go home, they are instead thrust into a new war against a new enemy, the North African Coalition. Forced into the Spanish Foreign Legion, Devon and her people find themselves up against an elite unit that seems to know their every move.
Trapped in an MMORPG that has replaced "real" war, Devon and her people are forced to fight, time and time again. Lose 50 lives, and they die, permanently, killed as they float in their immersion capsules.
Founded in 1918, Shadow Company is a secret organisation of men and women who have officially died in the service of their country. Sent to do the jobs that the British Government can't afford to be implicated in, they tread where the SAS daren't.
Omega Team is sent to Kolkata to retrieve a scientist who says he has proof as to the origins of the 'Christmas Flu', a pandemic that has brought the world to its knees. A simple retrieve job turns into a fight for their lives as they battle enemy special forces within the scientist's hotel.
Faced with desperate odds, can Team Omega complete the mission and survive to fight another day, or are their deaths finally going to become reality?
49ers Unit Badge Artist
Marc Ducrow - Cover artist for Alternative Realities
Marc Ducrow
Born in Birmingham, UK
Lives & works in South Cornwall, UK
Marc is an illustrator / writer working on many indie comic books and graphic novels amongst fantasy book covers, logo designs and tattoos.
Marc has been travelling the Uk networking and showing his work for several years now and is very much in love with what he does for a living.
His latest project, the Standing Tall comic, can be found here:- https://www.facebook.com/standingtallthecomicbook/
W: http://www.marcducrowart.co.uk/
Devon's Demons: A Permadeath LitRPG LitFPS Novel Page 17