Landfall: The Ship Series // Book One

by Jerry Aubin

  Zax gaped in awe as he could never escape being astounded by the simple existence of something so massive which had been forged by humans. His appreciation of the Ship was forgotten a moment later, though, when the shuttle’s destination came into sight. The planet wasn’t nearly as beautiful as the images Zax had seen of Earth, but unlike humanity’s long dead home world, he would tread upon this one’s dirt and breath its air.

  A few mins later Zax’s window glowed from the glare of superheated plasma as the shuttle burned an entry hole through the atmosphere of the planet. He closed his eyes and rested—basking in the good fortune which had led to this opportunity and giving only the slightest passing thought to how Kalare had been robbed of it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  These little guys can fly!

  Zax slipped into his ChamWare with only a few critical, yet embarrassing, hints from Mikedo. The suit included biological componentry to handle the processing of sweat, urine, and feces, and Zax had a hard time getting the crotch bits aligned just right. The control unit proved hefty, but Zax started to forget about it once it was properly strapped to his back. He was particularly impressed by how the suit’s visor made Mikedo appear in front of him as if she wasn’t wearing the invisibility suit at all. He lifted the visor and she disappeared until he dropped the visor back over his eyes.

  Once fully dressed and configured, Zax and Mikedo filed down to the main deck and listened to the major’s mission briefing.

  “You all know about our alien friends who beat us to this rock. Our primary mission over the next two days is to gather firsthand intel to help determine how we’re going to clear them out. The Captain says we’ll Landfall here come hell or high water, so the only question which remains is how quickly we can exterminate these bugs for her.”

  The major paused for a moment while a projection of the planet was displayed and zoomed into the smaller of the two land masses. “The bugs are centered around two settlements. The smaller one is marked LZ1 and the larger one is LZ2.

  “Landing zone one is a half klick to the east of the alien’s smaller compound. Scans and drone surveys have shown there are only twenty or thirty bugs at this location. There are a couple dozen structures and almost all of the alien activity is centered around three of them. Ship records show we’ve never seen this sort of population pattern from these aliens before, so the intel weenies are particularly interested in what we can learn around there.”

  The major pointed at various groups of Marines as he gave his dispersal orders. “First Platoon is going to head around the north side of the settlement while Second Platoon heads around the south. Third Platoon will head straight on in. You all know what kind of stuff we’re looking for. Keep your eyes peeled and your helmet cams focused on what will be most valuable for the intelligence teams.

  “One last thing.” The major stood to his full height and raised his voice. “I know we’ve been told this planet only has worker bugs because no warriors have been spotted. The workers ignore humans, but we’re still in our ChamWare for a reason. If I see any of you acting like this mission is a stroll through the woods, I’ll kill you myself. Get the rest of your gear and be ready to hit the dirt in a few mins.”

  The major gestured for Mikedo and Zax to approach. “Against my better judgment I’ve agreed to the Flight Boss’s request that you two join Third Platoon and go straight into the bug compound. Just remember—I was dead serious back on the Ship when I gave everyone permission to do whatever’s necessary if you interfere with our mission.”

  “Understood, sir,” Mikedo replied crisply. “You and your team won’t even notice the cadet and I are with you.”

  “Unlikely.” The major scowled and strode away.

  Mikedo turned to Zax and opened her mouth to speak but stopped when a sergeant approached. It was the same one who had asked the question about the carnivorous trees during the mission briefing.

  “Excuse me, ma’am. Sergeant Yolis, Third Platoon. My commander, Lieutenant Isoria, has asked me to shadow you two while we’re down on the planet.”

  The sergeant was not quite as big a specimen as Zax’s Marine instructors had been, but he wasn’t far off. His jet black hair was cropped closely like so many of the other Marines wore theirs. While introducing himself, he had gestured over to a Marine lieutenant who Zax had already noticed on the other side of the shuttle. She was as tall as the sergeant though did not have anywhere near as much mass. She had stood out because her blond hair was pulled back in a long ponytail which Zax believed was against regulations in both its style and length. He needed to just give up on deciphering the unwritten rules of being a Marine if he wanted his brain to hurt less.

  “If you wouldn’t mind, ma’am, I’d like to perform a quick review of your gear.” The sergeant’s demeanor was as pleasant and polite as the major’s had been disagreeable and rude. “I realize you’ve probably been part of a rodeo like this before, but I hope you can understand we’d rather be safe than sorry.”

  “By all means, Sergeant. I appreciate the double-check.”

  Mikedo slowly rotated as the sergeant gave her chameleon suit a quick once over. He then did the same with Zax. “Everything is fitted and configured properly, ma’am. If you two would please follow me, we’re going to form up over here. Third Platoon will be last off the bus. We land in ninety secs.”

  Zax had lost track of the time and was shocked they were so close to the surface. For most everyone in the Flight Corps, the idea of landing on a planet filled them with terror because it meant they had gotten bounced out of the Crew and dropped into a colony for the rest of their lives. Zax, on the other hand, was about to experience the surface of a new world while safely encased in Marine ChamWare and with a guaranteed ride back to the Ship. He was participating in a recon mission which would scout out an alien encampment in advance of an extermination force. His mouth was dry and his hands were clammy, but the feeling in his belly was excitement and not dread. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing in an effort to not be overwhelmed by the moment.

  With a jolt, the shuttle touched down and an instant later the loading bay door dropped to the ground. A half dozen sergeants barked orders and Marines poured out of the craft. A sharp nudge in his back made Zax move forward to join them.

  The natural sunlight was momentarily blinding, but Zax’s visor quickly compensated and his view was soon unhindered. Two-thirds of the Marines had already disappeared into the jungle while the remainder, Third Platoon, were arrayed in a loose defensive posture around the landing zone. The shuttle door closed and the craft took off. Since these aliens weren’t known to have any form of flying craft or detection technology, the pilots had the luxury of orbiting lazily around the rally point while they awaited rendezvous with the Marines in 120 mins.

  Zax had ignored the background chatter on his suit’s commlink, but then Sergeant Yolis’ voice cut through. “Lieutenant Mikedo—you and the cadet will be sticking with me, and we’re going to be near the rear of the formation as we head out.”

  Zax gaped at the massive trees. They towered above the ground like nothing he had ever imagined. He tried to locate the top of the nearest one and estimate its height but quickly gave up and stared back down at the ground when he was overwhelmed by vertigo.

  The ground beneath his feet was only dirt, but it was alien dirt. Zax yearned to remove his gloves and run his fingers through the stuff. He wished he could ditch the suit altogether and immerse himself in the planet. In particular, he ached to experience the warmth of the sun on his face. Zax contemplated lifting his visor just for a quick sec until an excited voice shattered his reverie.

  “Hey—watch this! These little guys can fly!”

  Zax looked over at a Marine private who stood five meters off to his right. The Marine had picked up one of the small grazing animals and it sat docilely in his arms. Once he had an audience, the private heaved the creature through the air at one of the large leaves. Its panicked bleats were
muffled when the leaf snapped shut around the beast. The tree sprang into motion and the creature was transferred from leaf to leaf until its journey, and its life, ended near the top.

  The sergeant’s voice quickly halted the laughter of the Marines who witnessed all of this.

  “What are you thinking, Private? If the major witnessed that stunt, he’d have your head! All of you—the lieutenant is heading towards the settlement. Get moving! I’ll take up the rear along with first squad and our guests from Flight.”

  The private smirked but turned and made his way west towards the settlement. Zax despised the Marine’s gratuitous cruelty but appreciated the graphic reminder about the planet’s dangers and the need to stay clear of the leaves. Mikedo turned to follow the Marines, and he fell into step behind her. They all disappeared into the jungle and left the landing zone vacant behind them.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Are you OK, cadet?

  The alien settlement didn’t look like much of anything. A large clearing had been carved out of the jungle and populated with a couple dozen buildings. ‘Building’ was probably the wrong word to use since it actually seemed more like giant dirt clumps had been randomly scattered on the ground.

  Sergeant Yolis called the group to a halt. “We’re going to break up and check each structure. You should note all of the bug activity at this location is focused on the handful of buildings which are on the western edge of the settlement. We’ll check those last as we prepare to leave. That way we’ll have gathered as much intel as possible if anything crazy happens and we have to hightail it to the rally point. Squad leaders—you have your assignments. Lieutenant Mikedo—you and your cadet are with me.”

  Mikedo and Zax fell into position behind the sergeant and followed him towards an empty structure. Zax had studied the construction techniques of this species after the mission briefing and learned their buildings were formed from partially digested biological material. He had laughed at the realization his first alien encounter would involve buildings made with alien puke. The ant creations were all curves and rounded edges with never a straight line to be seen. An initial handful of small buildings were typically expanded upon through the years until they all merged into labyrinthine structures.

  They approached their target building and Sergeant Yolis signaled for Zax to halt. The Marine gestured for Mikedo to follow him inside and pointed for her to scan the right side of the entryway while he eyeballed the left. Zax waited just outside the entrance and watched the deserted area around them until the sergeant called “All clear” from inside.

  Zax entered and was immediately struck by how the structure appeared even more primitive on the inside than it was on the outside. It was nothing more than a larger version of the ant mounds he had seen on the Ship. There were two small passageways which led away from the main entrance and Mikedo strolled out of one while the sergeant exited the other a moment later.

  Mikedo grinned at him. “What do you think of your first alien adventure, Zax? Not very exciting to look at, huh?”

  “Yes, ma’am. It’s nothing but a giant pile of bug barf. Where do the passageways go?”

  “Actually, it’s just a single passageway which begins and ends here. No apparent reason for building it, but then I don’t pretend to understand how these bugs think. If they even do. Maybe some day the exobiology team can explain why an alien race, which must be relatively advanced given how frequently we’ve seen them across the universe, can appear bereft of technology when we observe them up close.” Mikedo turned to Yolis. “Sergeant—nothing much here. Shall we head to our next target?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Teams have almost finished checking the newer buildings and all of them match this one—simple and empty. We’re going to converge on the older structures where the drones have recorded all of the alien activity. Stay close and keep alert as we expect to run into workers once we reach the other side of the settlement.”

  Zax followed the sergeant and Mikedo as they exited the structure and weaved their way past various buildings towards the western edge of the clearing. He sweated profusely as the temperature climbed inside his suit. He had originally blamed the increased heat on being inside a building where it was even warmer than the jungle, but his discomfort did not abate once Zax got outside. He opened a private channel to Mikedo.

  “Are you hot? I’m starting to get uncomfortable inside this thing.”

  “A little warm I suppose, but nothing more than you would expect after walking around in a jungle. Give yourself a little longer to adapt, Zax. If you’re still having issues when we get to the rally point, we can ask the sergeant to check out your suit.”

  Zax wasn’t entirely convinced about Mikedo’s plan but didn’t want to make a fuss and nodded in agreement. A few mins later the group reached the western edge of the settlement and its three older structures. They gathered around Lieutenant Isoria along with the rest of the Marines, and Zax heard her speak for the first time.

  “I’ve been here observing while all of you were checking the newer buildings. Very light bug action, but we’ve seen a few. All of them entered the westernmost structure. I want first squad to set a perimeter around that building while second squad goes inside. Third squad—I want you to split up and check out the other two.”

  The Marines dispersed to carry out their orders, and Sergeant Yolis addressed Mikedo and Zax. “I’ve sent the rest of the squad to check out the larger structure, and we can scout out the small one.”

  Zax found it a little odd how the sergeant scouted along with the two guests from Flight all by himself, but he assumed it was an indication as to how low pressure this mission was for the recon Marines. The three of them walked towards a building which seemed different than the rest. Whereas the other buildings appeared perfectly organic with no signs of right angles, this structure had a hint of straight lines deep underneath its outer shell. Once again, Mikedo and the sergeant entered first and Zax hung back until they announced an all clear.

  Unlike the first building, this one was not entirely empty. There was a small mound inside which might have once been a table of some sort. It was covered with so much of the bug’s construction puke it had become a nearly indistinct blob. Without thinking twice, Zax took the butt end of his blaster and smashed it repeatedly against the top of the mound. The organic material split and flaked as Zax pounded away.

  The sound of Zax’s banging brought Mikedo running back into the main room just as a final piece of material fell off and revealed what appeared to be stainless steel underneath. She did a double take and called out. “Sergeant—check this out.”

  The Marine was already walking into the room and he approached the mound. Before he got there, he closed his eyes for a moment and focused on his Plug. “We’ll come back and check this out later. There aren’t any aliens visible in the other buildings, but one of the structures includes an entrance to an underground tunnel system. The lieutenant is sending some folks down and I need to get over there.”

  Zax’s heat stress had worsened after his vigorous smashing with the blaster, and he stumbled to the ground as they exited the building. Mikedo called out over the public channel.

  “Are you OK, cadet?”

  “Ma’am,” Zax panted as he staggered to his feet, “it’s so hot inside this suit I’m having a hard time breathing. It’s way worse than when we talked about it earlier.”

  Sergeant Yolis hustled over to Zax. “You can cook your brain inside one of these suits if it malfunctions. Let’s get you vented.” He lifted Zax’s visor and unzipped the front of his suit.

  The fresh air on his face was glorious and Zax swore there were waves of heat emanating of his chest once the zipper was down. The raising of his visor, however, rendered the sergeant and Mikedo invisible.

  “This is pretty freaky—I can feel your hands moving around on my suit, but I can’t see anything.”

  The sergeant removed his own visor and his face floated in midair. He must have been
down on a knee because his head was at the same level as Zax’s as he smiled at him.

  “Which do you think is weirder—getting handled by the invisible man or the disembodied one?” The sergeant started to laugh, but then stopped and focused on his Plug.

  Zax gazed through the sergeant’s transparent body and spotted an alien warrior running out of a structure behind him. The giant ant’s red and green stripes were a blur as it moved even faster than the one in the briefing video. The creature raised one of its blade weapons as it charged towards them. Zax called out a warning, but Yolis was already spinning around. The Marine’s reaction was too late, and a blade sprouted out of his back as the sergeant collapsed to the ground.

  An invisible blaster fired directly in front of Zax. Mikedo must have jumped in front of him to shoot at the alien. It went down in a heap, and then Mikedo’s visor was off and her face appeared in front of his.

  “Run and grab some cover just inside the tree line over there! I’ve got to take care of the sergeant, but there’s help on the way and I’ll come find you in a min!”

  Mikedo’s face disappeared once again. She must have reached down and lowered the sergeant’s visor because he was once again fully invisible as well.

  Zax ran to the tree line and found a place to hide behind a fallen tree covered in moss and small vegetation. He caught his breath for a moment and then peeked out over the log. He didn’t see anything back towards the buildings, and there was no noise whatsoever.

  The empty landscape was transformed when Zax lowered his visor. He counted five Marines who had joined Mikedo. Four of them stood in a defensive formation while the fifth assisted her in tending to the sergeant’s wounds. The suffocating heat returned as soon as his visor was down, so Zax quickly pushed it back up.

  Zax settled back against the log and accidentally dislodged one of the bushes which covered it. The falling vegetation tore away dirt where its roots had previously found purchase on the log. The missing soil revealed something like transparent titanium or some other artificial material. Zax bolted upright and tore into the remaining plants.