by Jack Hunt
The operation was straightforward. They were to move in on a heavily guarded outpost where an AI REP was being held. They were to take out those guarding her, enter the building, find the REP and get to the rendezvous point for extraction.
What they hadn’t been told was the Echobi AI’s knew they were coming. The entire mission wasn’t meant to go off without a hitch, it was designed to see how they would respond to pressure, stress and dangerous situations. He wanted to see if they would work together, which ones would clam up, and those who might act impulsively.
What they also didn’t know was that very few made it to the target, and none had ever made it to the rendezvous point. Though they couldn’t die, they would feel pain though the VR skintight suit that was created to work hand in hand with the simulation. If they were shot, it would engage nerve endings, and depending on the level of damage, it could even prevent them from using a limb.
Reid watched intently as they moved in a diamond formation through the jungle environment towards the target. They hadn’t made it fifty yards when a Taurgon came soaring through the air. All of them unloaded on it, and it collapsed with blood oozing from it. They stared at it as if they had completed the battle. Their confidence was short-lived. Five, ten Echobi AI’s began firing upon them as another two Taurgons came into view.
“Take cover,” Viper yelled. “Phantom, take those assholes out while we deal with these six-legged freaks.”
Phantom broke away from the group and began climbing up a steep embankment trying to reach high ground, somewhere he could use the sniper plasma rifle and pick them off one at a time. Bulldog reached over his back and pulled out a TL2 that was a pump-action grenade launcher. He unloaded four projectiles that exploded upon impact. One of the Taurgons was torn apart in midair, its body disintegrated.
The rest continued to hold their ground behind thick trees and unload round after round at the Echobi, as well as the Taurgon that was still barreling towards them, zigzagging and adjusting to whatever they threw at it. It seemed to have learned from the mistake of the one that Bulldog had taken down.
Viper heard the snap of a ballistic sniper rifle. Phantom threw up fingers to indicate how many were left. They must have thought they were doing well, until the Echobi started implementing cloaking.
“Where did they go?” Priest yelled, scanning the surrounding area. No sooner had he spoken when a round from a high-energy pistol struck him in the center of his helmet. Reid knew it wouldn’t have hurt, but it would have knocked him unconscious. On the screen before him, he saw a blue blip go out. Their suits let off a blue glow up so he could see which of them were still in the fight. It dimmed when hit, and went out when a shot would have killed them.
“Priest!” Skinner shouted running towards the Echobi firing like a wild man with zero thought for others. He was acting on pure emotion. The AI turned its head for but a second before it was ripped apart by a cluster grenade. Skinner didn’t even stop, he moved through what remained of the Echobi and continued using an eraser full-auto energy rifle with laser precision accuracy. Reid noticed that even though he moved like a reckless fool, his aim was damn near perfect. Run, walk, jump, it didn’t matter to him, he was cutting through them like a hot knife, and maybe he would have taken down the entire first wave, if it wasn’t for another Echobi appearing in front of him. One second it wasn’t there, the next it was. Skinner was moving so fast that he ran right into its reaper, a blade that resembled a machete but was made from plasma. Phantom got a bead on the Echobi and took him down with one round. With two of the team down, their simulated deaths caused panic in Woodpecker and he was so shocked by what he was seeing that he didn’t see a Taurgon spit its venom all over him.
One by one Reid watched until he had to place a hand over his face.
They weren’t ready.
This was absurd.
He didn’t even wait until the last one was dead before he put a stop to it.
He tapped the officer beside him on the shoulder and told him to reset the system. He gave a nod, swiped the control panel in front of him and everything returned to an empty room. Those who had died in the simulation would get up off the ground feeling nothing more than a slight vibration in their body.
“Let them out and tell them go get some chow.”
“Sir, aren’t you going to speak with them?”
“What’s left to say?”
He turned and left the command room feeling frustrated. He was done trying to work the impossible. No team had ever been trained in a matter of three days. It’s not that they weren’t trained as marines. They had already been through boot camp, graduated and seen years in the field. It was just that they hadn’t fought an enemy like this. They hadn’t been trained like an SOSR. Watching them get obliterated only brought back the horrors of war from four years ago.
He needed to go over the head of Kane and speak directly with the admiral.
Chapter Twelve
The joint chiefs of staff were gathered together when Reid burst into the room. Two MP’s were doing a poor job of holding him back. Had the events transpired at any other point in his career, he would have approached things differently but four days away from retirement, he couldn’t give two shits about protocol or hierarchy. The look of shock on the face of Admiral Ramon was only matched by the surprise of those in attendance. There were six of them gathered around a large board table. Reid’s eyes fixed on Kane first. He kind of figured he would be here.
“What on earth is going on?” the admiral bellowed as he rose to his feet.
“Sir, I’m sorry, he wouldn’t take no for an answer,” a flustered MP said.
“Seems about right,” Kane added, looking at Reid with amusement.
Reid tossed his arms outward. “I’m done, Admiral. If you want to toss me in the brig for disobeying an order, go ahead but this is insanity. I am not placing my life or their lives in jeopardy because the UEDF won’t risk sending in a real team.”
“You don’t have any choice in the matter.”
“Of course I do.”
“Things have escalated. They have abducted the ambassador.”
Reid stared blankly back at him. He nodded slowly allowing the full weight of this revelation to sink in.
“You said the threat level wasn’t anything to be worried about. You said you were sending in a team that was nearby.”
“They shot down the helitank. The extraction failed. That’s why you have been training this team.”
He scoffed. “Training? You can’t call this training. It’s like tossing a bunch of children in the deep end of a pool and hoping to god that they can swim. Well, let me tell you, they just drowned. It doesn’t matter how much they know about this enemy. They aren’t prepared to go up against them. Hell, whatever team you sent in for the extraction didn’t last, so why on earth do you think we will?”
The admiral came around the table and approached Reid. He dismissed the MP’s and they left the room.
“Careful, Lieutenant.”
“I’m sorry, sir.” He sighed. “What do we know about the current situation?”
“A member of the Echobi who had been working closely with Benja has told us that the ambassador and two of the protective division are alive, the rest are dead. He’s not sure if Sophie is among them, that’s all he’s heard.”
He stared at him blankly. “This militia. How many?”
“We don’t have a number on how many were involved in the attack. The embassy has been destroyed and all ties with Earth have been cut, that includes Benja who was murdered. We are monitoring the situation closely and fully expect that they will be making a request over the next forty-eight hours.”
Reid ran a hand over his face, it felt like he’d been thrown into a vise and the world around was clamping down from both sides.
“Any idea where they are being kept on Drozleon?”
“Yes, in a militia compound. Kane will bring you up to speed on the specifics.”
> The admiral dropped his head for a moment, an expression of concern, maybe guilt spread across his face.
“I know this not the kind of operation you are used to going on but we have no choice here. This isn’t some insignificant race on the perimeter of the solar system that wouldn’t be missed if we nuked their planet. The Echobi have strong ties with neighboring planets. We bring a war against them, and we will be starting a planetary war and one that Earth would lose. This isn’t just about saving the life of the ambassador, your daughter or those that survived. It’s about saving lives on Earth.”
“Our defense system could hold off an attack.”
“Not of the magnitude they could bring. Lieutenant, it’s a volatile situation and one that has been getting worse by the day. When we first arrived on Drozleon, though initially hostile, the chancellor was genuinely responsive and curious to know about our ways. There was a good sense that if we managed to establish a cooperative relationship with the Echobi, Earth might be able to bring together other species in the solar system by having the Echobi as our ally. For a time that seemed possible. Benja, and several key figures were able to help the Echobi see that we were not trying to take over but simply looking to understand and unite with them.” He paused for a moment to take a breath. “Having an outpost on Drozleon allowed us to strengthen those ties, dispel propaganda that had been spreading about Earth.” He put up a thumb and finger and brought them close together. “We were this close to bridging the gap between us and them but not everyone was on board. This militia has ignited a civil war. Hundreds of their own people have been killed. Ambassador Powers went in hoping to change that.”
“Admiral. Give me my men and we will handle this.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because they were in the helitank that was shot down,” he said.
Reid staggered back a little, raising a hand to his temple.
“What?”
“I’m sorry, Lieutenant.”
Reid steadied himself against the table. He had worked with those men for years, many of them he’d known since his own time in the academy. They were more than friends; they were like brothers to him.
“I don’t understand. You said they had been assigned to a different op.”
“They had. They were the closest team to Drozleon. We didn’t think we would have to send them in.”
“Who ordered the extraction?”
“I did,” Kane said. Reid’s eyes flitted over to him. Anger welled up.
“He did it with my approval,” the admiral said quickly noticing the tension building between him and Kane. “Their families have already been notified.”
The admiral sighed and turned to Kane. “Your team will be leaving in the next few hours. In light of the recent development, we will be sending warships with you to Territory 32. They will remain outside of the planet and will provide the necessary cover so you can enter.”
“Why not just have them attack?”
The admiral glanced back at him. “Didn’t you hear what I just said? We are trying to win the hearts and minds of these people, not destroy them. We need them as an ally.”
Reid scoffed and turned to leave.
“Lieutenant, where are you going?”
“To tell my team to contact their families now. The UEDF just signed their death warrant.”
Chapter Thirteen
Ambassador Powers was dragged before Draskan. Her knees scraped across the bamboo-like walkway that threaded between towering trees. No mercy was shown to women. She had already received a beating at the hands of his men, along with Sophie and Thompson, the sole survivors of her protection team. With her face swollen and bloodied, droplets trickled off her chin.
“The women of your planet aren’t very strong. Why is that?”
Powers coughed and spluttered as she tried to catch her breath. She must have looked at one of them the wrong way as they had taken a few extra minutes to make her understand her place.
“You’d be surprised at how resilient we are.”
Draskan sat in a chair that looked as if it had been carved from the bones of men. She glanced up briefly but looked away in disgust. He was eating some kind of flesh by carving off strips with a knife and devouring it the way a human might slice an apple and eat from the blade. Powers understood the culture more than any others that had visited the planet. She had spent a great deal of time learning from Benja and understanding the differences between the Echobi and humanity. They didn’t operate like Earth. Every Echobi that was born was thrust into a life of war from the early age of ten. Age meant very little to them. The very concept of a child learning to kill someone wasn’t considered bad but honorable. By the age of thirteen most had already killed their first, and they were well on their way to becoming an Echobi soldier by the age of sixteen. The Echobi didn’t have a military academy like Earth did. Life was their academy.
“What do you want?” she asked him.
“Peace.”
“You have a strange way of going about it.”
He leaned forward on the bony chair. The room she was in was dark. The only light seeped in through gaps between branches. Green vines twisted up around them like military camouflage.
He grinned, as he tore off another chunk of flesh. The Echobis’ teeth were similar to humans and yet sharper. This wasn’t something they did to themselves the way an African tribe might stretch out necks or pierce skin to scar it, they were born that way. Two lower and upper teeth protruded out the sides of their mouth. Their arms extended down to their knees and their hands sported claws like a bear. It was ironic to think that even though they were made for war, they hadn’t begun that way. Benja had gone to great lengths to prove this to Powers by showing her records of how they were a peaceful planet until they were driven to war out of pure survival. Their distrust came from repeated attacks. It was because of this that Powers believed her work was not in vain. Though many saw other species through the eyes of history, some believed that change was possible. Benja was one of those. An idealist, some might have said. Given to the belief that a time could come when the Echobi would unite and find strength in others beyond war.
“Why did you kill Benja? Why are you killing your own people?”
“Because they are weak.”
“Is it weakness to believe that the Echobi can be more than just warriors?”
“Don’t pretend to think you know who we are.”
“I know who you are. And this is not it.”
Draskan rose from his seat and stepped down from a small platform that had been created to elevate him above those brought before him. He drew near to Powers and she could feel a shot of cold fear go through her. It was hard not to be intimidated by their stature and muscular figure. Their dark eyes were as black as space. Only when the light hit them could she see her reflection.
He crouched down beside her and sniffed. “I smell your fear.”
Emotions were another area in which they were different from humans. Instead of seeing fear, confidence, joy or peace in another’s expression, they could pick up on it the way a dog might. It was a sensation.
“That’s good. You should be afraid. Come with me.”
He rose up and walked towards an open doorway. Beyond it was the vast jungle. He looked back and yelled, “Now!”
She hauled herself up and walked outside joining him on a platform that overlooked a three-hundred-foot drop. She wasn’t scared of heights but their planet certainly took some getting used to. For a world where the people mainly lived high above the surface, it might have seemed that the largest number of deaths would have been from falls. It wasn’t. It was from war.
“Look around you, Ambassador. What do you notice?”
“Plant life, streams, trees, people. So?”
“This exists because we fight to ensure that it exists. We don’t wait for others to come and attack, we take the war to them.”
“I understand your peo
ple have known loss, Commander, because others have come and killed your kind but doing the same is not the way.”
“It has always been the way.”
“Not always,” she replied reminding him of early history.
He cast a look of disdain.
“It’s what must be.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
He smirked as he leaned against a barrier. The thought went through her mind to thrust her body into him but there was no telling whether he would go over and if he did, whether he would die. They knew their way around trees like their back of their hands. She had seen them dive from great heights and land on the ground with all the elegance of an Olympic gymnast dismounting from high bars. Their upper body strength was unlike anything she had ever seen.
“We can work together. Your people must be tired of losing lives in wars that could have been prevented.”
“We don’t lose people, Ambassador. In our culture, it’s an honor to die in battle.”
Powers knew she wasn’t getting through to him. He had a one-track mind. He saw only antagonists instead of allies.
“Benja didn’t think so.”
“Benja was a coward, and so are those who turn. Do you want to see what we do to the cowards?”
“I’ve already seen it.”
“Then you will see again.”
He led the way along a narrow path that wound its way down around a huge tree that would have made Earth’s California redwoods look like saplings. Several of Draskan’s men accompanied them. No words were exchanged as they crossed from one tree to the next by way of rigid walkways. The wood beneath their feet formed a large network, the leaves of the trees created a canopy that blocked out much of the light. Hanging from branches in different places were makeshift lanterns filled with Carabols, an animal much like the firefly, except it never turned off its light. Its entire body glowed a warm yellow from the day it was born until it died.