by Jack Hunt
“Keep your eyes peeled.”
As they broke out into a clearing expecting to see a river, they soon realized it wasn’t visible. They found themselves on the lip of a huge gorge like the Grand Canyon. The sound of water came from far below. It had to be several thousand-foot down into pure darkness; only the loud crashing of water gave them any sense that life existed below.
“How did those drones miss that?” Skinner asked
Priest shook his head as he looked over the edge. “Moving too damn fast.”
“Okay, so how do we get across?”
“Map, give me a 360-degree overview of this area.” As the map pulled back and spun, Reid spotted an area a mile down where there looked to be a bridge.
“Let’s go this way,” Reid said, taking the lead.
When they made it to the area, the bridge wasn’t there.
“Are you sure you read the map right?”
“I’m positive. These are the coordinates.”
“My guess is your system is messed up,” Phantom said. He hadn’t stopped checking his since landing on the ground. He thought it was something that could be repaired.
Reid scanned around, double-checking that he hadn’t missed something. No, this was it. How could a bridge go missing? Slowly he shifted over to the edge of the gorge. It was like peering into a dark abyss. If it weren’t for the NIV that he had on, he wouldn’t have seen it. Against the side of the rock, clinging like an octopus might to a crevice at the bottom of the ocean, a black mass moved using what appeared to be large tentacles.
“Pull back!” he yelled.
He had barely uttered the words when it launched itself upward out of the gorge high above their heads. He spun his assault rifle up and loosed three rounds at the dropping target. It moved in the air effortlessly around the rounds and landed a few feet from where they were. All six of them began firing at it but the thing was lightning fast. No wonder the drones barely spotted it. It was hard to tell what the hell it was, as it seemed to change form. When it had been against the side of the gorge it looked like an octopus, when launched into the air it was like wisps of black smoke being shifted by the wind. It zigzagged towards and around them, knocking each of them into the air the way a bear might swat a fly off its shoulder. Reid landed hard and felt the wind knocked out of him. Priest rose fast gasping for air, scanning the area where he’d last been. No sooner had it appeared than it had vanished leaving each of them groaning. Reid turned 360 degrees.
“Threat?” he muttered in his HUD to get an estimate of where it had gone. Over his comms he got an answer. A hundred yards away, heading south. He breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever it was, it wasn’t a predator, no doubt it was just an animal that was spooked.
“Team. Status report.”
“Uh, I think I just swallowed my nuts,” Skinner said.
“You’re lucky, I think I might have broken a rib,” Woodpecker said appearing from above as his booster pack brought him slowly down.
“Sweet baby Jesus, I’m glad that’s gone,” Priest muttered staggering to his feet.
“Viper!” Phantom hollered making his way over to a tree which Viper had been slammed against. He dropped down to a knee and began checking her vitals.
Every exoskeleton suit had a self-administering health unit that could administer shots of stim medication if a soldier had suffered a minor injury. Cuts, grazes, bruising, anything that might have torn the skin. It was highly effective and the health unit could immediately clot minor bullet wounds. What it couldn’t do was save a person, or regrow a limb. Limb regeneration had been perfected and was used on veterans who had lost limbs in war and had managed to survive. But out here in the field it was basic medication, automatic rapid-healing stimulant drugs that the armor pumped into the body upon assessing the damage.
Viper snapped back into consciousness and began coughing. “Where is that bastard?”
That was the first thing that came out of her mouth. It made the others laugh but the laughter was soon replaced by an announcement that came over their HUD system.
Incoming threat, fifty yards and closing.
“Oh, you have got to be shitting me.”
“Lt. Look…” Bulldog went over to a log nearby and pointed to what appeared to be a trail of blood. Though the creature was dark in appearance, its blood glowed a rich purple.
“Blood.”
“I hope that’s blood and we aren’t that bastard’s way of jerking off.”
“Taste it and see,” Skinner said with a grin before bringing up his heavy assault rifle and peering into the darkness. All of them fanned out readying themselves for the next wave of attack. They couldn’t exactly form a defensive line in any one direction as one second they would see it on the map, the next it disappeared.
“Come on, you fucker!” were the last words uttered by Skinner before the monstrosity unleashed another ass whooping. It exploded out of the darkness. Though they were able to get off a few rounds into its morphing body, it moved too fast for them. What was strange was it didn’t seem to attack in a way that a tiger might, or a shark using teeth. It seemed to find pleasure in slapping them around like rag dolls. Whatever it was, it could bleed and if it could bleed it could die.
All hell broke loose again as it came through and sent Phantom soaring through the air. Skinner activated his booster and shot upwards to grab him before he landed. Viper rushed towards it from behind as it slipped in and out of the trees changing from solid, to liquid, and once again appearing like smoke above them.
Viper pulled off her chest two Rwings and tossed them at the creature before landing. Rwings moved through the air like boomerangs. Highly effective, an Rwing would wrap itself around the legs of an enemy and then crush them. The Rwings just went through the creature as it changed form at the last second. She tried again, this time withdrawing plasma daggers and leaping in the air at it. Again they just went through.
“Shit!”
“My turn,” Skinner said bring up his assault rifle and unloading a cluster grenade. “Grenade!” he yelled and everyone dropped to the ground as it exploded midair and tore through the beast causing it to cry in agonizing pain.
“Huh! Asshole couldn’t change in time.”
Not to be outdone, Bulldog stepped forward as the creature came back through knocking Woodpecker and Phantom down like bowling pins.
“Let’s see how this bitch handles fire.”
Bulldog pulled off his back an FV4 and cranked it. As the creature came back around to whip the rest of them up into another frenzy, Bulldog coughed out several bursts of fire and like throwing gasoline on a flame, the entire thing ignited and shrieked, zipping around in the air furiously. It banged against the trunks of trees like a pinball unloaded, only to collapse in a fiery mess on the floor. Bulldog unleashed another burst to make sure before stepping back from the fumes that were coming off it. They looked on as the ear-piercing sounds of whatever it was subsided and it succumbed to the flames.
“Holy shit, Bulldog, you just roasted that bastard like a marshmallow.”
He chuckled, looking all pleased. “Yeah. Who’s hot shit now, asshole?”
Bulldog leaned over it and spat. As he did the thing lurched at him in one final attempt to kill but its fucked-up limb slumped to the ground.
“God damn that thing stinks.”
It was hard to know what they were looking at as most of its body had been vaporized away by the heat of the flames. All that remained was a heavy mass that looked like a dark jellyfish that had been beached.
“Strange how it could change its form from solid to liquid and then gas.”
Priest made a gesture over it with the crucifix in his hand. “Rest in peace.”
Reid felt a bead of sweat run down his back, only to have it evaporate as his internal temp system kicked in and applied cool air against his skin. Reid stepped in and pulled at Viper’s armor; she was getting a little too close for comfort. “Stay back. Who knows what it is or if
it’s even dead.”
“Oh, it’s dead,” Bulldog said.
“I’m telling you, man, this planet is fucked up. Let’s hope to god we don’t see another one of those otherwise we are going to be damaged goods long before we even reach the package.”
Skinner dropped to his knees, yanked his helmet off, pulled out a canteen of water and sloshed some of the liquid over his camo face, then swallowed down some before putting it away. In the darkness of the jungle environment they could hear new sounds of animals and unknown creatures. There was no telling what else they were going to face, or if the next would get the better of them.
“Eagle, our sensors are reporting one of your soldiers isn’t at full capacity, what’s your report?”
“Eagle to Phoenix One, she’s doing fine, just a gash.”
The words of Kane echoed in his head. He was up there safe and sound while they were dealing with the worst that Drozleon could throw at them. At least he hoped it was the worst. The real fight hadn’t even begun yet. They still had to get through the Taurgons and the Echobi. As much as he wanted to be a captain at one time, he was pleased he hadn’t become one. There was something to be had in rubbing shoulders alongside a team, and facing death head-on with a soldier beside him.
“What is it?” Viper said getting close again.
“No time for a biology lesson. Let’s go.”
Chapter Seventeen
The sound of warships raining down an assault on the east side was their cue to move in. From the cover of the tree line, they saw Echobi firefighters rising into the air to bring the fight to the warships. It would draw the bulk of them away but not all of them.
“Bino,” Reid muttered. From behind his visor, the areas that his eyes fixed on changed to a zoomed-in version so he could get a better look at their defense. They knew they were going to have to go up into the trees but they first needed to check that the ambassador wasn’t on the ground. His eyes drifted over the area. They were still outside of range. They moved further in to get within range. Anyone of importance from Earth was tagged. Soldiers included. It was a means of being able to ensure that if they were taken or killed they could track and identify them.
“Skinner, what location have we got?” Reid asked.
“Approximately one klick from here, the eight tree, fourth level.”
“Phantom?”
“Six targets,” he replied.
As the sniper, Phantom would take out the initial threat of those guarding the area. Along with him would be Skinner, his spotter. Over the comms unit he could hear excitement in Skinner’s conversation with Phantom. This was what he loved. Killing. It didn’t matter who it was, as long as he got to kill he was as happy as a clam. How he managed to pass his psych evaluation was anyone’s guess.
“Move out.”
The rest of them pressed on as one by one Phantom silently took down the targets. At the foot of a soaring tree, each of them engaged grappling hooks. The sound of wire zipping in the air, and the sudden snap of sharp jaws locking on to bark was followed by them soaring upwards. Everything was going to plan. They moved as a unit and stayed camouflaged by the exo-armor’s adjusting camo. They had two types that worked effectively. The basic would adjust to the surrounding setting, meaning if they stood in front of a tree trunk their suit would change in color to reflect the same color as the trunk. If they were in deep reeds, it would adjust to that. The second was a way of bending light to give them a few seconds’ advantage over the enemy. It could adjust to make them look almost invisible to anyone who stepped out in front of them. It wasn’t entirely effective but if a person was looking out the side of their eye, and the soldier didn’t move, chances were they wouldn’t be seen. It let off a slight shimmering effect that could be compared to seeing heat waves dance above the ground on a hot day. It worked but not all the time.
The suits were battle ready and designed to automatically adjust to the environment and threat level. It didn’t require any work on their part, which meant they could focus solely on fighting, shooting and moving.
Once up to level four in the trees they navigated their way along a winding path that threaded its way around the trees. For a place that was supposed to be heavily fortified, it seemed like a walk in the park and yet Reid was on his guard. Everything could change fast in war. One second a buddy could be beside you, the next they might have a hole in their skull.
From his position, he could see between the branches a war being waged in the heavens above them. The sky exploded in color as hundreds of ships spun in a wreath of flames and crashed to the ground like meteors. Earth’s warships could take one hell of a beating. While the Echobi didn’t have large ships, the sheer number of firefighters was enough to bring down even the toughest battleships. They could outmaneuver and run circles around the largest of Earth’s fleet but that’s where their shields came in. It added an extra layer against the attacks and with multiple ways to attack from the front, side and behind, Reid knew that it would hold them at bay while they got in.
Reid motioned with two fingers and they crept forward blending in with their environment. Their suits changed with each new background.
“Bulldog, Priest,” he motioned for them to take the right side of a large hut that was built around the tree itself. The trunk penetrated straight through the center. The Echobi didn’t chop down trees to make room for cities and towns, they built them around them.
“Woodpecker take the left, and Viper, you’re with me.”
Reid entered through a doorway. He could smell the aroma of food and see pots on the counter as if someone had just abandoned their post in the middle of chow. By the crashing of firefighters above, they knew many wouldn’t be coming home. But the Echobi lived for that. It was the greatest honor next to beating their enemies to die in combat. Inside it was like a vast network of corridors that seemed to go on forever, and yet there were only so many rooms. They moved through at a fair clip until they got to the other side and joined the others crossing over another bridge-like structure.
They made no noise as they moved and all communication was done in whispers over the comms unit. Though they had made it this far, they knew it wasn’t going to be as simple as walking into an empty town and taking back Earth’s ambassador.
A sudden flurry of fire cut through the walls of the next hut they had entered. The holes in the walls dripped with acid-based plasma as their weapons unleashed hell on his team. What made it so deadly was if the initial hit didn’t kill you, the substance that made up each shot would burn through a suit. After the battle with the Echobi four years ago, Earth had redesigned their armor. Though they weren’t perfect, the new suits could withstand more and give a soldier a chance to get out, or neutralize a hit.
Another burst of gunfire.
All hell broke loose as chunks of wood spat in every direction. Reid kicked in a door and unloaded two rounds into an Echobi before taking a hit on the left side from another. Bulldog took out the one that had fired at Reid. Reid pulled a canister from his armor and sprayed it over the acidic gunk that was attempting to eat its way through his suit. It was like hitting it with liquid nitrogen, the gunk would change from neon orange to a white and then break apart and slide off the armor. In less than thirty seconds he had it off and had pressed on.
“Keep moving!” Reid yelled.
They knew they only had minutes before the others would be alerted to their presence.
“Skinner, give me a reading.”
“In the fourth room ahead and on your left.”
The Echobis’ living quarters was like entering a beehive. When viewed from above without the covering of brush and leaves, it would have been like looking down at a network of hives joined together. Finding anything inside them without the assistance of tagging technology would have been like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
As Reid stepped out into the corridor, a round narrowly missed his head by inches. He dropped and fired taking the legs out of an
Echobi. It writhed around in pain and Bulldog put it out of its misery. Behind him he could hear Viper, Priest and Woodpecker holding back an influx of Echobi.
“Move your ass, Lt,” Priest yelled. “Otherwise I’m going to be having communion with God himself.”
Bulldog and Reid unloaded a round at the lock on the door leaving a gaping hole. They burst into darkness. The entire room was green from NIV activation. Cowering in the corner lit up by orange was the ambassador, and…
“Sophie.”
“Dad?”
She looked both shocked and confused as he ran over and hugged her.
“I thought you were dead.”
There was no time to explain. “Phoenix One, this is Eagle, target is secure. Just getting confirmation.”
“Identity,” Reid muttered as his HUD fixed on the face of the ambassador. A swirling mass of faces belonging to people inside of Earth’s government appeared before him and connected with the tagging, then stopped. “Confirmation true. We are bringing back the package now.”
“Roger that.”
“Are you injured, Ambassador?” Bulldog asked.
“No, I’m good.”
In that instant over the comms unit Viper’s panicked voice came in loud and clear. “Lt, Woodpecker is down. Woodpecker is down.”
Then Phantom. “Reid, you better move out now, we have enemy approaching from the east.”
They hustled out of the room and Sophie mentioned Thompson. “I can’t leave yet. I need to find him.”
“Right now, we need to go,” Reid shot back.
“No. He’s with me.”
“Skinner, can you get me a trace on Thompson?”
“Give me a sec.”
Bulldog kept the ambassador behind him as he retraced his steps back through the network of wood and darkness.
“Lt. I’ve got a body on the sixth level but there are no signs of life.”
Reid looked at Sophie. “He’s gone, we need to move now.” He handed her his GX203 handgun and shouldered his rifle ready for what was coming. What occurred next happened fast as they raced their way back through until they met up with Viper and Priest. Woodpecker wasn’t dead but he was seriously injured in his right side. Reid took an arm and Viper took the other and they moved towards the opening only to find themselves hitting the deck as they came under fire.