"They'll be attacking soon," Doggie said. "Once they realize there are no more lightning bolts hitting them. We'd best set up defensive positions."
I looked over the tacmap. Industrial Sector Nine was a vast, sprawling underground series of caverns that interlocked with – it looked like at least four or five other Sectors. Maybe more – it was one complex map. A whole lot of roads and tunnels came together at one point. A key sector, a vital strategic point, an indispensible communications link. It would screw the Darks up good if they lost Sector Nine. Everything seemed to lead to Sector Nine.
"What the hell!" Smiley cried out.
"Hold it, it's a Bright!" Bees said.
A Bright in dirty silver armor approached us cautiously. Allies, allies, I am a Bright Knight, don't shoot please.
Approach, Bees telepathed. What is your name? Why did you not teleport with the others? I had him in my sights. Now what?
I am Willow. I failed to teleport. I failed my comrades, I failed my unit, I failed myself, in the crucible of battle. I am a hopeless fool. I've always had trouble teleporting. I tried, I tried, God knows I tried. I am a failure and a fool. My comrades are dying, in a perilous fight, and I have been left behind. Because of my own failures. Our squad tacmod Dolly was autotranslating his telepathed thoughts into Inter but I found I did not need her help. I was receiving his thoughts clearly.
"God is with us," Bees said quietly. "Thank you, God. Delta, God is right by our side. He has his holy hands on us, right now." Bees is going over the edge, I thought. She's lost it.
Stop sniveling! Bees telepathed to Willow. Be brave! God has guided you right to us. God has chosen you. You are a holy warrior. You are in the hands of God. Of all your comrades, he chose you. Now we are together, and we will do God's will.
What do you mean? I am a failure. I am disgraced. I am finished.
You are God's instrument, you fool! " Prof, Doggie, Bees. This Bright has a Battlestorm lightning gun. And Smiley has the chainlink. Prophet, how did you kill all those Darks? Tell us!"
"You have to hold the weapon rock steady," I said. "Penetrate the shielding with hyperdarts and auto xmax but hold it steady or it won't penetrate. Then cut through the armor. It can be done, but only if you are careful not to move the point of impact. Their shielding and their armor are both vulnerable. But you've got to be ice cold." I was starting to shake just thinking about it. And you have to be fully prepared to die, I thought. I didn’t add that part.
"Look at those Darks! Look at the eyemotes!" Doggie said. "They're swarming over Sector Nine. All those troops – they're headed for Zero Alpha Fourteen – where Breakblade is reinforcing." I was stunned by the images. Endless columns of armored Darks, hordes of Darks, on foot, actually running down the mine corridors, past burning buildings, headed for the action.
"Doggie, Delta, Prof." The Prof hesitated just a moment, then resumed, hard and confident. "Here's what we do. We attack. We're going to attack, right into Industrial Sector Nine, with Willow's lightning bolts and Smiley's chainlink tacstars cutting us a path. Our target is that giant installation at that major tunnel intersection – that appears to be the key. We will seize that objective and hold it and fire at anything that approaches, from any direction. That should cut off their forward units and block further reinforcements."
"Yes sir!" Doggie replied. "Delta, recon attack formation – now! Bees, switch with Smiley and join us at center. Bring Willow with you. You're in charge of him. Smiley, move to right with Scout, Arie and Prof. All right, Delta. Advance."
Advance. I felt good. I felt holy. Bees was right. This was God's mission. Delta's mission. Ten of us, against the Darks – thousands of them, tens of thousands. No matter. God is with us!
Δ
We advanced like a squad of ghosts, cloaked and shielded and twitching, running on ice-cold adrenalin and muffled rage, ready to lash out at anything we met. The boundary between Zero Alpha Eleven and Industrial Sector Nine was a narrow but open portion of the extended cavern that was partially blocked by the titanic shattered chunks of smoking rocks that had fallen down from the roof. There was a sudden silence from the enemy. Had they retreated back to Sector Nine? Shortening their lines, to better protect the advance of their reinforcements? If so, it sure wasn't because they were afraid of us. By now they must have noticed the lack of fire from the Brights in Zero Alpha Eleven. The cavern was now plunged into a total darkness except for the flickering of some distant burning wreckage.
"Delta, Prof. Remember the Dark probes and eyemotes cannot detect us if we're cloaked. The Darks can do that, but not their eyemotes. So we should be able to infil effectively if we can just avoid the Darks. Advance, advance. Head for that road tunnel, track nine three two on the tacmap." Even as he spoke a couple of Dark probes shot overhead, crackling, and we went to ground instinctively.
"Bees, make sure Willow is wrapped tight in that camfax!" Doggie ordered.
"Yes sir, he looks like a damned lizard," Bees said. "Doesn’t look like the probes spotted him." Willow did not have cloaking but the Bright lizard camo was exceptionally good.
We were right at the boundary of Sector Nine, creeping past those gigantic boulders. Sector Nine was blacked out except for a few muted fires showing through the choking dust that enveloped everything. We checked out our eyemotes. There were plenty of Darks out there.
"Follow me," Doggie said.
Δ
We lay on our chestplates, a squad of shadows, silent and still. Track 932 snaked past us ahead, and it was full of Dark troopers moving at double time, heading for Zero Alpha Fourteen, down the road to our right. I guess they were busy. They didn't notice us at all. Track 932 wasn't really a road, but it was the underground equivalent of a superhighway, used for those little air-effects mine cars as well as foot traffic. 932 was Dolly's designation – they didn't have traffic signs down there.
"All right, Delta," Doggie said. "Our objective is straight along this road to the left. Let that bunch go. We head down this tunnel on both sides and we hit whatever comes at us and just keep going until we reach our objective. Let's go."
We hustled over an open area and followed the road to where it became a tunnel again, cut out of the living rock, a wide tunnel plunged into darkness. The tunnel lights were all out but we could see just fine. Saka and Ice and I ran along the left wall, Doggie, Smiley, Bees and Willow charged up the center with Blackie running along beside them, evidently excited but silent. Scout, the Prof and Arie advanced along the right wall. The tunnel opened up again further away but for now we felt great knowing nothing could approach us from our flanks.
"Arie, seed us some mines," Scout ordered. Arie dug into his ratpack, pulled out a handful of antipersonnel mines about the size of grains of sand and threw them into the air like a cloud of dust. They floated down behind us to penetrate the surface of Track 932.
"All right, Delta," Doggie said. "Nobody's coming after us from the rear. And nobody's using this road until further notice."
"Attention Delta! Darks approaching!" Dolly warned us.
"Fire," Doggie said. We fired.
Smiley's chainlink tacstars and Willow's lightning bolts erupted simultaneously down-tunnel, the multiple flashes searing our eyes momentarily, illuminating every grim, filthy detail of that awful stone tunnel. I opened up with hyperdarts and auto xmax. So did everybody else. We continued walking forward, firing. Smiley continued hosing down the targets with auto tacstars, micronukes like the hand of God, hitting us hard with the concussion. Willow continued pounding the enemy with lightning bolts, deafening autoblasts, shaking the earth, shredding the target, annihilating everything. There was no return fire.
"Cease fire," Doggie said. "Advance, investigate."
A whole squad of armored Darks lay there shredded, all tangled up, armor sliced open, glowing white hot. Black blood poured out, smoking. Instant death, for them all. I knew the same thing could happen to us, the same way, if we weren't careful. But who the hell could be carefu
l in this madhouse?
God speaks, Willow telepathed. We are coming, Satan.
"Pick up those Battlestorms," Scout ordered. I snatched one up greedily – it did not appear to be damaged.
"Advance, advance. Go!" Doggie said. We hustled.
Δ
I have disabled the friend deflector, Willow telepathed. Now it will fire where you aim it – but you must aim it. I cannot change it to autotarget Darks. He handed me back the Battlestorm I had picked up from the battlefield. It was the only one that had survived our attack intact.
Thanks, Willow, I replied. I had seen Willow's face behind the faceplate. He looked like a kid, a midschool kid. But I guess we all looked like that, didn’t we? And we sure as hell weren't kids any more.
We paused for a mo, well dispersed, sprawled in a giant open warehouse amidst tons of dropboxes of unidentifiable equipment. We were out of the tunnel and well into Industrial Sector Nine. Somebody knew we were here, but they were having trouble finding us. Probes snapped and snarled overhead. Airburst shrapnel cracked the dark open from time to time. Recon probes floated leisurely overhead, flashing billion candlepower spotlights on and off at random to try and catch us. Little red lights blinked their way through the darkness, searching for armor.
"Hold your fire, Delta. They've lost us," Doggie said.
"Hey Prof, take a look at this," I said. I could hardly believe it. There were stacks of empty dropboxes, flanked by a disorderly pile of…
"Well I'll be damned," the Prof said. He was staring at the equipment next to the dropboxes. Steel coffins, cold and grey and grim. Identical to the two that had been used to transport, and kill, two of the Prof's assailants. There was no doubt about it.
"I guess we can close the case," the Prof said. "Not that it matters now."
Δ
Are you going to stay with us, Willow? I asked. We really need you.
I will stay with you until my death. That is my goal – to die, for God. To make up for my failed life.
That is my goal as well, Willow. My goal is to die defending my squad, Delta, my comrades. It occurs to me that people who are not afraid of death can accomplish wonderful things. Perhaps we should work together.
I agree. What shall we do?
If I am killed before you, I ask you to stay by my comrades and defend them from Satan.
Done. I will do that.
And what can I do for you, if you are killed first? I asked.
Tell Glory how I fought until the end.
Agreed. Agreed, my friend.
Δ
"All right, here they come – a whole gang," Doggie said. "We're closing on the target." Hot x tracks were falling towards us but it looked more like recon by fire than aimed fire. We were advancing down Track 932 past a massive stone building that appeared to be undamaged. Several giant rockborers sat abandoned by the side of the road. The tacmap showed a heavy force of…wait a frac.
"Attention, Delta!" Dolly announced. "Targets are Demons. Armored, shielded, armed with plasma battle rifles, safeties off. Fifty-two Demon troopers, moving at double time. Recommend canister darts to bring down the shielding, then chainlink tacstar, lightning bolts, auto xmax, fighting laser to penetrate the armor. Recommend immediate firing of ECP rounds to counter the plasma firing mechanism." I could see them now, a flickering green glow from the shielding.
"Do it, Delta!" I had fired an ECP round from my E before Doggie even said it. Bless the techs! We had fought these nasty little beasts before, but now we could disable their main offensive weapons before the shooting even started and then take down their shielding during the battle. Demons! The Darks must be running into trouble, calling the Demons to secure this area while they were fighting the Brights in Zero Alpha Fourteen.
"Take firing positions!" We dropped, well dispersed. I was cloaked, shielded, armored and very well armed. I slid the stock of the Battlestorm up against my shoulder. My E was secured to my chestplate should I need it. I was prone in the dark, up against one of those giant rock borers. The D's were hustling our way. Right down the center of the roadway. That Battlestorm lightning rod was so beautiful, so magnificent, I almost cried. I was so happy it was terrifying. My whole life flashed before my eyes. No, no, go away, it's not time yet. Just a little longer, let me pull that lovely trigger.
"Arie, you all right?" I asked on the net.
"All set, all set," he replied. "Be careful, Prophet."
"Let them get a little closer," Doggie whispered.
Wait for the command, Willow, I telepathed. I was twitching with tension.
Black Angel will tell me, he replied.
"Saint Michael, grant us victory!" Bees called out.
"Kill me, will you?" Ice growled softly. "Surprise – I'm back from the dead! And now I'm going to kill you. All of you!"
"Calm down, calm down," the Prof urged us. "Once you fire, continue firing until there is no further movement from the target."
Saka was mumbling to himself. I knew he was praying to Saka the Invincible and to a host of dead Assidic gods.
"Hey hey, let's dance. Come here, darlin', I got something for you." It was Smiley, chanting a popular love song, poised behind that horrific chainlink tacstar.
"All right, they've been alive long enough," Scout said. "Give us the word, Doggie. Give us the word." The D's were almost on us.
"Fire," Doggie said. We fired.
The world erupted before us, and it was as if we had just given birth to a new sun. Tacstars and lightning bolts and about a million deadly little canister darts blasted the target to smithereens, lighting up the entire zone and it sounded like an asteroid had just hit the planet and that titanic noise continued and did not stop. I was firing lightning bolts with insane glee – I felt like a god. Willow was doing the same and Smiley was spraying auto tactars over the target without pause.
"Keep firing, Delta!" I could barely hear him but didn't need Doggie's urging. These were the creatures that had killed Ice and Saka. I was going to keep firing until every last one of those ugly abortions was blasted to atoms.
"Advance, Delta!" Sure, I had expected that. Rolling shock – their worst nightmare. Not only were we annihilating them with our firepower, now we were attacking, coming right at them. Run you rats, run or die! I leaped to my feet and charged forward, still firing auto lightning. I was marching right into a nuclear holocaust – it had shot up to the cavern roof and mushroom clouds were swirling around over our heads.
"We're receiving fire! Xmax and laser. No plasma so far." Even as Dolly spoke, a burst of plasma shot towards us from the holocaust. At least one Demon had a functioning plasma stream. I targeted it as the burst hit us, a swirling blast of plasma hot as a sun, but then the source ceased firing and the plasma burnt itself out.
"Canister darts!' Doggie ordered. "Take down the shielding, then xmax for the armor. Smiley, Prophet, Willow keep blasting away, don’t stop for an instant!" We continued. We were cautiously approaching the burning holocaust, still hosing it down. As we entered the target zone we found ourselves walking through a glowing junkyard of shredded Demon armor and weaponry. The bodies were being consumed by the horrific heat which turned our A-suits white hot. The continuing impact of our lightning bolts and tacstars had almost deafened me despite Honey's best efforts to protect my hearing, but I could also hear the evil buzzing and pinging of the millions of deadly darts that were bringing down the D's shielding, and the unending eruptions of xmax as Delta went after the armor on any surviving Demons.
"Keep moving, Delta! Walk right through them. Canister darts and auto x. Leave no survivors!" We didn't need any urging. There was movement ahead of us. I sprayed lightning bolts wildly and the movement ceased. Honey was warning me about something at max volume, but I couldn't hear her. X was falling down around us, a barrage of xmax. Tacstars fell just behind us, blasting white hot, the concussion almost knocking me down.
"Under fire from tacstars," Honey advised. "Darks ahead, six Darks, shielded, armored, n
ow firing lightning." The bolts suddenly erupted all round us, shattering my ears.
"Advance, target those Darks, Smiley, Prophet, Willow, blast 'em!" Doggie ordered. Honey sorted out the targets for me. I carefully aimed and let loose with a mighty barrage of lightning. I stood there as calmly as if I were back on the range at Delta Hqs. I observed with satisfaction as my bolts impacted right on the Darks. Then Smiley's tacstars flashed to life, and Willow's lightning bolts hit them as well. Die, you bastards!
"All right, they're scattering. Delta, resume the advance toward our target! Recon attack! It's not far now!"
We marched down Track 932, invisible to our foes, blasting anything that moved. There was plenty of traffic on that route, mostly Darks and Demons on foot and sometimes workers in biosuits who were trying to escape, possibly because the caverns were losing pressure quickly. We killed everyone we came across, as quickly as we could. We left a grisly trail of corpses. Pretty soon armed and unarmed probes and tacstar missiles and lots of auto-x was following us along the road. Only the Darks could see us, and only if they were close enough, but we didn't let them get close enough before we killed them. So our cloaking was working just fine and the enemy only knew that something evil was coming at them along Track 932, even though they were not certain exactly what it was, or where it was.
Δ
"Darks. Look at that," Doggie said. We were scattered along the road, hidden in the deepest dark, but totally alert. It was momentarily quiet. A still, sinister pause. A few far-off spotlights flickered and faded. "Demons too! A whole swarm of them. They're at the crossroads. Looks like they're digging in." The Dark troopers and their Demon slaves were rushing around frantically, I noted from the eyemote view on my faceplate. Their camfaxed cloaks flapped behind them as they rushed to and fro.
"That's our fortress," Scout said. The Darks were setting up outside a large multi-storied building that certainly had a terrific view of the surroundings. That was our target – take and hold! I saw some Darks entering the main door.
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