by Jack Hunt
Video feeds gathered from the embassy had streamed back some of the protests and outbreaks of violence. The Echobi people were starting to pay attention to the rebels, she thought, and while not all of them agreed, it didn’t take much to rile up a group and get them to attack.
Being ambushed wasn’t what bothered her. Not having enough troops in the immediate area was what made her nervous. The few that had been present at the embassy had pulled out when violence spilled into the streets and rebels had taken down two convoys of marines.
The planet itself was a jungle, overgrown and out-of-control. Not even the jungles of Earth could come close to theirs. The entire planet was like the Amazon rainforest, except their trees were like three hundred foot skyscrapers. Many of the cities were formed out of the thick-knotted roots and branches that were tougher than any Earth-like plant. There were few flat plains, except in the city of Trillium and the mountainous regions, which were almost smothered by vast greenery. They were a species that didn’t believe in cutting back trees unless it was essential. In their mind, each one contained a spirit. It was a living being, and to move or carve into one without asking for permission was unheard of. The unrest had started when Earth had decided to build an embassy right in the heart of their city. Humans weren’t ready to make their home in the trees like the Echobi did. Instead, humanity brought in its machines and created an eyesore on the ground that meant taking down trees. The animosity towards humanity was not because a few trees were destroyed; it was because humanity had shown little regard for their culture and way of life.
Sophie had wondered if they had created the embassy in the trees the way the Echobi did with their homes and business, or even if they had remained in the sky and made visits to the ground, they wouldn’t have had issues. It was a little late now.
All of Earth’s military craft would land on top of the embassy. Prior to it being built, they had to dive into the planet because there was nowhere to land. Since that time, the Chancellor had agreed to clearing away a portion of the plant life, which of course only added fuel to the flames of what was already a volatile situation.
“Take us down on the north pad,” Thompson said to the crew.
“Aye, sir.”
Sophie made her way up to the front of the craft and looked out the viewscreen. As usual, there was a group ready to welcome them. Each time they visited they brought supplies, food mainly. It wasn’t that they didn’t eat the same food as the Echobi but it was an acquired taste and there was nothing like a piece of home.
“Forcing down.”
The boosters hissed as they reversed and lowered slowly. The clunk of the landing equipment and the shudder of the craft settling brought them into the present moment. She made her way back, along with Thompson and Stansfield, and hit a red button to bring down the deployment ramp. There was no whining or hissing noise that other craft may have made. This was a well-oiled machine that used advanced alien technology. Other than the hum of the burners, it was as quiet as a mouse.
All the marines stood to their feet and waited for their suits to acclimatize to the atmosphere of the planet. Outside they could hear the buzz of the jungle. Unlike Earth’s jungle that was filled with monkeys and all manner of birds, they had nothing like that. It was filled with the strange and unusual, from oversized insects and multicolored animals to night crawlers. In addition, even more unknown dangers lurked in the shadows.
It was mandatory that her unit sat in on an hour-long course that detailed the kinds of dangerous plant life, and creatures that they were liable to encounter. Even with that, nothing could have prepared them for what they saw. Two men were killed on the first visit by a Gargantuan. Its ability to blend in with its environment made it one of the top three threats, but its size, thirst for blood and ability to camouflage itself was what made it a force to be reckoned with.
“Let’s go,” Sophie said as she raised her EM5 assault rifle and ambled out, keeping her eyes on the internal map shown in her HUD. Outside, trees towered over them like fingers raised to heaven. Ambassador Powers followed closely behind, hedged in by the marines from all angles. A diplomat from Earth by the name of Ray Wilcox immediately greeted them. Along with him were two Echobis. It never ceased to amaze her how threatening they looked. Towering above humans, they were close to eight feet high, bipedal, rough-skinned and having an almost reptilian appearance. Their hairless, smooth craniums divided into three parts and stretched back into points behind their head like a jester’s hat. Their eyes were black, surrounded by a luminescent yellow, and their skin was freezing cold to touch. They carried numerous weapons, one of which was a blade that when pulled could extend into a device like a whip, capable of tearing apart their attacker at a distance. It reminded Sophie of a scorpion’s tail when fully unleashed. The rebels she had seen wore a metallic armor that wrapped their body the way an ancient Egyptian would mummify the dead.
“Greetings, Ambassador,” Wilcox said.
The Echobi greeted her by placing their palms out in front of them as if they were about to catch a ball.
“I gather the journey was pleasant?”
She gave a nod.
“We have much to discuss. Come quickly, it’s not safe to be out here.”
Everyone moved fast towards an opening.
“Have you come under fire?” Powers asked.
“Not as yet but trouble is brewing in Trillium.”
Trillium was the city of the planet. Unlike Earth that had major cities in many areas, they had only one, everything beyond that was towns and villages.
Chapter Three
UEDCC, Territory 1
48 Hours Later
“You wanted to see me, Admiral?” Lt. Reid said, opening the door into a boardroom on the United Earth Defense Command Center. There were twelve of them in operation, located in various positions around the Earth, as well as a thirteenth on the moon itself. Like huge cities in space, they acted as central hubs for recruitment, training, technological development and defense.
Admiral Ramon was sitting at a long white table with a handful of officials that Reid recognized from his work over the years, both in the field and assisting in the training of new recruits. Each of them was dressed in a dark navy-blue, tight-fitting uniform. It was the typical attire for those in positions of authority.
“Ah yes, come in, Lieutenant.”
A few of the men eyed him as he walked in and stood to attention.
“At ease. Take a seat.”
He sat on a perfectly smooth, molded chair as Admiral Ramon went over to a machine they used to create coffee. Everything they ate or drank was contained inside a bottle, silver packaging or a bar. All of it was a bioengineered algae that was produced in bioreactors instead of on farmlands. An entire meal was filled with more than enough nutrition to last twenty-four hours. Once used, the bottle could be melted down and reused. It cut down on the amount of waste and far less resources were used while out in space. For those living on Earth, agriculture was still available and used as a means of providing food, though more people were turning to the alternative form by the day.
“I heard the mission went well.”
“Yes, there was no loss of life,” Reid replied.
“Good.”
He returned to the table with a bottle that was piping hot and he took a seat.
“How’s Katherine?”
The very mention of her name brought up a whole range of emotions. Though they had been together since they were eighteen, he had only got married to her eight years ago when he turned thirty-one. Their marriage lasted all of two years before she filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences.
The arguments they had in those final days came flooding back in. Even though Katherine knew what she was getting into marrying a soldier, she never fully understood how hard it was going to be. In 365 days, he had only returned to Earth for five of them. While she was able to visit him at one of the command stations, her life was on Earth. She didn’
t want to raise Sophie in an environment where battle and the fear of war were the only discussions around the table.
Sophie was born not long after he had joined the UEDF. Twenty years ago, Reid thought that he would get to travel home more often but it never happened. There was always something that would come up; a new mission, an operation that needed his oversight or new recruits to train. The reasons for not coming home soon became more frequent and the number of calls from Katherine eventually dwindled until he was served divorce papers.
While they attempted to maintain a good relationship for the sake of Sophie, he would have been lying to say that their communication wasn’t strained. It had only got worse over the past year when it came to his attention that she had started dating again, however this time, it was with Captain Logan Kane, Reid’s commanding officer.
Logan had been a friend of his for as long as he could remember. They had grown up in the same rough neighborhood of Philadelphia, both aspired to join the UEDF and they even went through training together. After Reid was passed over for the position of captain four years ago, things between them took a nosedive for the worse and their long-term friendship soon fizzled out.
The irony was, as a captain he would have been able to be home more often, and now his former friend was giving Katherine what she wanted and so much more. Logan wasn’t one for rubbing it in, neither did he gloat in being promoted to the position of captain. The only reason they chose him over Reid was because it had come to their attention that Reid had got into a scuffle in a local bar in Command Center Four. A drunken brawl they called it; an inability to maintain the high standards that were required of a captain.
It was just another kick in the jaw and only made worse when he learned that Logan was boning his ex.
“I haven’t spoken to her in a while, sir,” Reid replied.
Ramon nodded and cast a glance at the others.
“I see you have seven days left until you retire, what are you going to do with yourself?”
He chuckled. “I’ve been asking myself that for the past five years, sir. I’m really not too sure. Perhaps I’ll buy a cottage by a lake, or take up a hobby.”
“Have you considered training the next intake of SOSR’s? You have a lot you could teach them.”
“I think my time of teaching is behind me, sir.” Reid looked over at the others and his brow furrowed a little. “If you don’t mind me asking, I gather I’m not here to chat about my retirement. Was there something in particular you wanted?”
He nodded. “Yes, we have a mission that we need you to undertake. I realize that you are only seven days out from being honorably discharged and under any other circumstances we would give this to another team but right now we are balancing on the edge of what may very well become a planetary war.”
Reid looked at the others who stared back at him stone-faced. He was really hoping for some rest and relaxation after the missions he’d been on over the past few months.
“This morning at 0600, our command center picked up a distress signal coming from Territory 32, on Planet Drozleon. We need you to prepare a team to be ready to go in for an extraction.”
Reid nodded, though inwardly he was giving him the finger.
“Seems like a fairly straightforward op. When do you want my team to go?”
“Your team won’t be going with you.”
“What?”
“They have already been assigned to a different operation in Territory 33.”
“No offense, sir, but the reason we were able to snatch Akeo was because of my men. If I don’t have them, who do I have?”
“A new team. You can be assured that whatever you need to accomplish this mission will be at your disposal. Of course, you will be required to bring them up to speed on what is involved with the current threat, and ensure they receive the proper training to prepare themselves for this species.”
“How long do we have? Thirty days?”
“Seventy-two hours.”
He shot back, “Are you kidding? Sorry, I mean, sir, even for my team who have been all over this solar system, that is tight but you are expecting me to be able to get a new team ready in a matter of three days?”
“Trust me, Lieutenant, you will have their full cooperation. Now I need you to meet with Captain Kane at 1400 hours today in Sector B, on Command Center Six. He will fill you in on everything that is required.”
“Kane? Sir, I would prefer if you would assign a different captain.”
“Is there a problem?”
“I’m not sure how familiar you are with my personal situation but I don’t feel comfortable having him involved in this mission.”
“Clarify.”
Reid ran a hand over his tired face. He could still smell the blood of a Mayoan on him. He desperately needed a shower, chow and some sleep. This was the last thing he wanted.
“He’s dating my ex. Actually, he’s engaged.”
The admiral breathed in deeply. “I understand. Unfortunately, Kane and you are the only ones currently available for this op. If there was another captain available, I would be more than happy to make the change.”
“May I speak frankly, Admiral?”
“Go ahead.”
“I don’t need a captain. I’m my own captain.”
He scoffed and shook his head. The others in the room looked just as amused. “That’s right… you were passed over, weren’t you? I’m sorry, Lieutenant, but for now you are going to have to deal with this. It’s very possible you won’t even have to go in. As it stands we are waiting to see if a nearby squadron can reach them.”
“And if they can’t? Isn’t there someone else who can take on this mission? Surely there are countless men who could lead this team. I’m seven days away from leaving.”
Reid was pulling everything out of the hat in an attempt to wiggle his way out. The thought of them placing his life in jeopardy, days before retirement was a slap in the face, but then throwing Kane into the mix was enough to drive him over the edge.
“Lieutenant, I don’t give two shits if you are one hour away from retiring. While you are in the UEDF, you will do as you are instructed, do I make myself clear?”
“Yes sir.”
“You are dismissed.”
Reid rose to his feet, gave a salute and exited quickly before they could add any more shit into the mix.
Chapter Four
UEDCC Six, Territory 1
1400 Hours
Coffee in hand, head held high, Alex Reid made his way to Sector B. He was to meet Captain Kane at 1400 and later be introduced to the team that had been assigned the mission. It had bothered him to no end that the admiral wouldn’t change his mind about Kane. He could deal with a new team but Kane? He was liable to smack him in the mouth. He’d been meaning to do that ever since he had got word that he was seeing Katherine. It wasn’t something you did to a friend, especially being as he had already taken the rank that he’d been vying for.
UEDCC Six was essentially a small city in space surrounded by a dome that protected the inhabitants both from attacks and from the vacuum of space. Only once had the dome of a command center been breached by a stealth alien attack. Hundreds were killed but valuable lessons were learned that day, lessons that would change the structural way that command centers were created. Now they consisted of three domes. The outer dome was the hardest and invisible to the eye. It essentially worked off the same shielding technology that craft used. The second dome could withstand a nuclear blast, and the third was to give occupants plenty of time to gear up and escape. From inside the enclosure, it looked no different than being on Earth. From the sky, to clouds, birds, and even the rain, all of it was artificial. An entire team had been assigned to ensure the place resembled Earth as closely as possible, as for some it would be the last time they would return to anything like Earth in years, if at all. Most marines didn’t last long in the UEDF. They all knew that when they signed on the dotted line. Marines were like celebrities
. Many aspired to be one but few made it through the grueling training. Those who did had to put in a good five years of work in the field before they could be considered for SOSR teams. That could range from doing nothing more than being stationed on some planet in the middle of nowhere protecting a water source, to fighting on the front line in war-torn countries. Not everyone wanted it. SOSR training was extensive, rigorous and capable of breaking down even the hardest marine. And yet it had been for this reason that Reid aspired to become one. It was the challenge. And the admiration that came from being part of an elite fighting force. But beyond that, it was that he would be remembered for his exploits, and his name would be engraved in the Halls of Records.
As the E5, a vehicle that didn’t require a driver, brought him to the barracks, he was concerned that he would lose his shit. It had been two years since he’d seen Captain Kane and at that time high officials and the admiral surrounded him, so his inclination to knock him on his ass had to be subdued.
“Sector 4. Have a good day, Lieutenant.”
E5’s operated using artificial intelligence. Not only would they drive you wherever you needed to go but they would carry on a conversation, just like any human would. Human experiences both good and bad had been integrated into their programming to ensure the ultimate experience. On Earth E5’s had been around for years, though theirs were limited to driving and communication. E5’s on command centers were fully weaponized in the event of a breach.
Barracks, or what they liked to call temporary housing, looked like huge white domes constructed out of a thin but durable material that could be set up faster than the old-school self-erecting tents. Small holes in the ground released a liquid that worked much like tiny magnets. A design would be projected using lasers, and the liquid material would form into the shape. How they managed to get it all to work was anyone’s guess. But from what he’d been told it relied on magnetic material. It took less than a minute to erect, and each one could house up to two hundred recruits.