Natural Selection: Origin
MistenTH
Join Date: 2003-01-01 Member: 11706Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
Join Date: 2003-01-01 Member: 11706Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
Foreword:
Dear all, this is my first piece in the natural selection universe. I was inspired to write in it due to a mixture of the existing story, my own experiences and need, and in part, the inappropriate portrayal of the TSA in most of the fanfics here.
I have tried my best to corellate my story with what currently exists in the Natural Selection canon, i.e. the World section of the website.
Please critique my work. There will always be need for improvement. I may rewrite parts of the story at the later date, as I feel that in my urge to rush to the meat of the story (human vs kharaa), I have skipped over much of the backstory.
If you find any discrepancies with the dating, or facts from the NS universe, please let me know as well. I'd also like to add technical details in future.
This is of course, very much, a work still in progress.
Without further ado, I present to you a portion of the first chapter of NS: Origin.
Dear all, this is my first piece in the natural selection universe. I was inspired to write in it due to a mixture of the existing story, my own experiences and need, and in part, the inappropriate portrayal of the TSA in most of the fanfics here.
I have tried my best to corellate my story with what currently exists in the Natural Selection canon, i.e. the World section of the website.
Please critique my work. There will always be need for improvement. I may rewrite parts of the story at the later date, as I feel that in my urge to rush to the meat of the story (human vs kharaa), I have skipped over much of the backstory.
If you find any discrepancies with the dating, or facts from the NS universe, please let me know as well. I'd also like to add technical details in future.
This is of course, very much, a work still in progress.
Without further ado, I present to you a portion of the first chapter of NS: Origin.
Comments
<b><u>One</u></b>
<i>0547 Hours, 02.05.2151
United Americas Outpost 23A, Planet Lentinel
Current site of dispute between Gigacorp Mining Inc., and local inhabitants</i>
The explosion of a mortar round woke 2LT Alex Davidson from his uneasy slumber. It took a few moments before the full import of it manifested in his brain.
<i>We're under attack.</i>
Immediately alert, Alex quickly pulled on his combat gear within seconds and headed for the exit of his bunker. There was no need for him to dress. None of the 50 men under his command had slept out of fatigues for the past week that they had been assigned to protect this hell hole. Of those that remained.
He stepped out into chaos. A fire was burning merrily where the Command Post was, providing illumination in the early morning shroud.
<i>Illumination that silhouettes us as targets.</i>
A firefight was already underway between the guards and whoever was attacking them. Squad leaders were rallying their men out from their accomodations, directing them to pre-determined defence zones.
As the officer commanding, it was Alex's job to direct his troops, to where they were most needed. Unfortunately, the CP was down, along with its holographic coordination package. Alex cursed under his breath and headed straight to where he could hear the most gunfire.
"This is 23 Limma to all stations, sitrep, over!"
"23 Limma, 23 Alpha, north sector clear."
"Limma, Bravo, sporadic fire east side!"
"23 Limma, Charlie here, under heavy fire, we need some goddamn help now!"
Alex slid into the trench, the men not acknowledging him as they fired on targets he could not see. A machine gun opened up from parts unknown, jerking one of the troopers two positions down against the trench wall, his face a bloody red mass of flesh and shattered bone.
"Sarge! Pete's down!" The trooper next to the downed man cried out as he hugged the limp corpse, heedless of the copious amount of blood that was spilling onto his fatigues.
"Damnit!" A loud voice boomed next to Alex. "Limma where's that backup, we're getting torn to shreds out here!"
Alex turned to face Sergeant Hills, and yelled over the din of the firefight.
"I'm right here, keep your men fighting, I'm calling in backup!"
Hills stared at him briefly, then ran down the line, directing fire and firing himself as needed. Alex ordered Alpha to send down two fireteams to assist, then raised his M5 assault rifle to his shoulder and began firing upon the flashes of light in the distance. He fired off a three round burst, and another, until the light he was targetting stopped winking. Whether he made a kill or the enemy had moved on, he could not tell.
"GET DOWN!" Someone screamed, as an object with trailing smoke behind it whooshed towards their position. Alex barely had time to react as the anti-tank round slammed into the ground near the trench, sending dirt and deadly shrapnel airborne. Screams filled the air directly behind him. The reinforcing team from Alpha had been caught exposed before they could enter the trench.
Filled wth rage, Alex stood up, rested his elbows on the ground, flicked his selector to full automatic, and filled the air with deadly lead, as well as curses. He saw a few shadows move in the vegetation in front of him, then they were gone. His heart pounded in his ears as he reloaded his rifle. His sudden frenzy past, he realised what had happened.
"Cease fire! Cease fire! They're gone!"
Alex felt utterly exhausted as he took stock of the situation. At least 3 men dead. The worst contact yet.
<b><u>Two</u></b>
Hills growled. "Dispute's between the Corp and the colonists, so why the hell are we doing here. I tell ya, those Corpers are just using us to preserve their bottom line. Don't need to pay any mercs if they got good ole UA Army dolts to act as a shield for them."
"LT, why in blazes are we defending from this location in the first place! There are better positions we could use, like near those hills, instead of this freakin' excuse for a target range," Sanders, the Bravo squad leader said furiously.
Deep down, everyone knew the reason. Most of all Alex. The UA was profitting handsomely from Gigacorp's venture here, and so they agreed to send down a platoon to safeguard the mine from "ungrateful rebels". The lives of 50 men for hard cash. Alex knew the history of big corporations trampling over human rights in their quest for bigger profits. It was history 101 back in school. The same situation had likely happened on Lentinel, and the colonists were angry enough to take up arms. Except that he and his men were involved in this middle of this stupid conflict, losing their lives for no reason whatsoever.
Alex also knew the answer to Sanders' question. Command had picked the location for them. Desk bound staff officers deciding the fate of the troops who would actually be on the ground defending. They picked the location not because it was the best one to defend from, but the best one to cover all approaches to the mines.
He wanted to shout and rage, to agree with his Sergeants, to rant about the stupidity of their situation. However, he was from the UAA Officer Corps, and he was honour bound to uphold it.
The lie stuck in his throat, but he had no choice but to say it. "Gentlemen, we're here to keep the peace, and this is where Brigade wants us. Orders are orders."
"Until someone puts a bullet in your head," Hills muttered.
"Watch your mouth, Sergeant. I don't like it either, but this is the military. New orders. Apparently the higher-ups are looking for a way out of this fiasco, and they've called in the TSC to sort out this mess. The TSA will touchdown 15 hours from now to salvage the situation, and we are to cede authority to them the moment they arrive."
"Heh, don't see how they're gonna fix something that we've been stuck in for a week. Do we get to pull out?" Sanders asked.
"No."
"Bastards."
Alex felt exactly the same way.
The TSA birds appeared out of nowhere, their engines screaming as they rapidly descended. The trio of dropships unloaded their contents within a minute, and were up and away like bats out of hell. Alex whistled as he focused his macro-binoculars on the TSA force. There was no mistaking who they were. Their signature nano-armour, real, life-saving armour, not the flimsy vests the UA forces were issued, blended in well with the terrain. They moved confidently, setting up their encampment while watching for threats.
"Eh LT, you might want to look down," the trooper in the observation post whispered, with a tinge of fear.
He did. A red dot was dancing over his chest.
"Jesus!" Alex swore as he quickly hit the deck. He took in a few deep breaths, got himself under control, and stood up again. The TSA was a galaxy-wide peacekeeping force, the closest thing humanity had to a neutral watchdog. He should not have anything to fear from them. He shuddered as he focused his binoculars on the TSA camp again.
This time, he saw the sniper. He was in a half-crouch, deliberately exposing himself for Alex to see. The bastard had a grin on his face, and was waving at him. Then, a brilliant ray of red light danced up into his field of vision.
Alex knew what was going to happen next, and quickly shut his eyelids before the intense beam could blind him. Modern medical technology could reverse the condition, but he rather not go through the hassle of the operation, and the procedure of claiming the expenses.
"Alright, I got the message," Alex muttered as he turned to leave the observation post.
"What did you say Sir?"
"Nothing, nothing at all."
<b><u>Four</b></u>
The TSA fighter circled the area lazily, then began to broadcast from its external speakers.
"All forces, this is Captain Darren Oliverio from the Trans-System Authority, acting on behalf of the Trans-System Council. By agreement from the President of United America, and CEO of Gigacorp, we are here to defuse this stand-off. We request the colonists of Lentinel and Gigacorp to send a representive to our camp 2 hours from now to discuss this volatile situation. None of you want to continue this pointless bloodshed. All affected parties may tune in to VHF 500.43 to listen in to the talks. We will see you in 2 hours' time."
Alex repeated the Captain's words in his head again. They were even, well-meaning words. No threats, no posturing to show who was in charge. Surprising for a military officer.
No, surprising if he was a military man from the UA armed forces.
Two hours later, everyone in outpost 23A not on duty was looking in the direction of the TSA camp, with their viewers tuned to the given frequency.
2 parties bearing white flags marched from opposite directions to the TSA camp. One from the town, and one from the Gigacorp mines. Alex swept his binos over the two parties. The Gigacorp party's representive was a beautiful lady dressed in a no-nonsense suit, but one which exposed her shapely legs. Alex snorted. The Corpers were apparently going to try to charm the pants off the TSC diplomat. Alex turned his attention to the colonist party, and was surprised to see that their rep was none other than the idealistic young leader of the entire colonist movement, Kevin Conners. The boy had guts. Even the planetary Gigacorp supervisor elected to send out his minion rather than expose himself to danger. If the Corpers could assassinate Conners, it would be a major coup for them.
Alex could literally feel the tension in the air, and an overwhelming sense of dread filled him. His gut told him something bad was going to happen. It was not what he expected.
The crack of a sniper rifle, followed by a distant scream from the Gigacorp mine filled the air, and Alex quickly shifted his binos in that direction.
"Holy, did you see that! I've never seen such marksmanship!" A trooper murmured.
Alex had not, either. A man was prone on the ground, dressed in camouflage gear, a sniper rifle by his side. If not for him writhing in pain, clutching his bloody hand and screaming, Alex would never have seen him.
"This is Captain Oliverio of the Trans-System Authority. Do not be alarmed. We have disabled a sniper, who had hostile intent to shoot one of the representatives. We beseech you not to take any further action. Please tune in to ..."
The captain's words were drowned out by an angry uproar as a group of armed colonists began jeering at the Gigacorpers, and began firing with wild abandon. The unarmed representatives on both sides were clearly alarmed, and began to take cover. The defence turrets at the Gigacorp mine were coming online, ready to unload their lethal payload. The cease-fire was about to degenerate into a bloodbath.
"The poor sods are trapped in this middle." Hills remarked.
"Just like we were, let's see how they're gonna handle it," Sanders said.
Light strike buggies from the TSA camp moved out in both directions. Apparently they were going to pacify both sides at the same time.
Their move struck Alex as suicidal, but he hoped they would prevail. Something else occurred to him as well. Command would never authorise him to carry out such an action, especially one that would cause damage to Gigacorp. The TSA had already done so.
"They might be able to take out the colonists, but the group heading to the Corpers is gonna be shredded by those turrets. Charge of the light brigade all over again," Hills observed.
Four TSA fighters materialised out of nowhere, their engines screaming as they headed towards the mines at a velocity that could be best described as a set-up for a collision course. Missile plumes blossomed from their wingtips, sending AGMs towards the defence turrets. All seven turrets exploded in a hail of debris and wreckage as the fighters passed overhead, causing every tall structures in the vicinity to shake violently as the super compressed air from the pass stressed them.
The TSA forces did not dismount so much as leapt from their still moving buggies, taking out hostiles with frightening ease. Alex's guts went cold when he saw a trooper open fire on a Corper who had his hands raised.
<i>He couldn't have...</i>
Alex kept his eyes glued to the action, aware that the soldiers around him were shouting excitedly and snatching Binos from whoever they could.
No, he didn't, Alex thought, relieved. The target was a Corper firing from a window behind the first Corper. That man went down before he could fire a second burst.
Alex frowned as he zoomed in on the bodies on the ground. Few of the Corpers were wearing body armour, but he could see little blood oozing from their riddled bodies. Yet, they lay as still as the dead.
<i>Non-lethal ammo. Probably drug-induced coma.</i>
That impressed Alex even more, as he had fired such rounds before. They had poor range and could skewer your aim.
If the UA Army ever had to go up against the TSA, Alex would be the first to surrender, rather than lead his unit to be massacred.
He cracked a smile. Command would probably throw him into detention if they ever knew that.
He watched the TSA troopers perform their fire manoeuvres, never leaving anyone uncovered. They leapfrogged forward with frightening speed. He saw a squad of four perform a door breach, completing the advanced manoeuvre in under two seconds.
It was another few minutes, but silence reigned once again. The armed colonists had apparently surrendered the moment they saw the fighters take out the turrets with ease. A long line of mercenaries that the Corpers had hired were face down on the ground, watched over by TSA troopers.
Suffice to say, the talks were completed in record time, with the TSC diplomat pointing out several "inconsistencies" in the policy Gigacorp had used for Lentinel that went against the Charter. Penalties were imposed, hands were shaken, and another chapter in the annals of the TSA was written.
Alex was determined to begin yet another.
<u><b>One</b></u>
<i>0759 Hours, 10.05.2151
Trans-System Authority recruiting office, New Manhattan, United America Space</i>
Alex was the first person waiting by the plain door as it opened at exactly 0800, as stated. No one else was behind him.
At the end of the conflict on Lentinel, he knew what he had to do. At the first opportunity, he took a leave of absence from the UAA, and headed here. To where he wanted his future to be.
The recruiter eyed Alex, then beckoned him in.
"Identidisc, and have a seat."
Alex handed over his identification, and sat down, parade ground straight. He quickly appraised the middle-aged man in front of him, a habit that came from countless compulsory interviews that he had to conduct for the men under his command.
<i>Fit, weather-beaten. The scars on his arms and face definitely came from combat. And his eyes...he's seen death. More than any one man should. </i>
A complete contrast from the UAA recruiting office, where he was greeted by a lithe, pretty receptionist, and the walls wallpapered with posters proclaiming how serving with the UAA would not only be doing your nation a service, but would see you through tertiary education and let you see the galaxy, to boot.
The recruiter raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
The computer finally decoded the data and the recruiter finally spoke.
"Alex Davidson, born on this very planet, in the year 2130. Living with a brother and sister, as well as parents. Decent grades in school. Clean record. Hmm... all the schools you attended are all-american. Don't suppose you're racist."
"No Sir, why would I be?" Alex replied, feeling a little confused by the question.
"No need to be so formal son, just call me Don. And you sure you're in the right place? Cause you don't seem like it."
"No Sir, I mean Don, I do want to be here. To join the TSA, I mean."
"For an eager beaver, you sure did your homework. Come back another time when you know what you're getting yourself into."
Don walked into the back room, leaving a very perplexed Alex alone in the front office with his thoughts.
<i>0759 Hours, 11.05.2151
Trans-System Authority recruiting office, New Manhattan, United America Space</i>
Alex was not alone this time. A nervous young man was there, bouncing from foot to foot. He looked like he was straight out of college.
"Hi," Alex greeted warmly, extending his hand towards the other person. "Here to join the TSA too?"
"Hey man, yea haha. For peace, justice, and liberty," he replied cheerfully as he shook Alex's hand. "To make things right," he said almost inaudibly, a statement that Alex was not meant to hear.
He bounced about a bit, then slapped his head. "Oh yea, I'm Lazerus, what's yours?" He was cheerful again.
Alex's curiosity was piqued, but he chose not to push the question. They had only just met and may never see each other again. "Alex," he said simply.
"Hah, yea great name man, pleased to meet cha Alex!"
Alex just smiled.
The door opened. It was 0800. Don gave a nod to Alex, then motioned Lazerus in first. Alex took a seat in the waiting area, and tried to listen in. The soundproofing made it an exercise in futility. He turned his thoughts back to why he had failed Don's expectations yesterday. No. The TSA's expectations. He had indeed researched everything he could on the TSA beforehand, but had left out that one important bit of information.
His turn finally came. Lazerus had gone into the back room, and Alex was seated in front of Don once again.
"Welcome back, son." Don said, and waited expectantly.
Alex took a deep breath. "The TSA will be an organization that every government and corporation will allow on their ships, stations and outposts - and trust not to exploit such access. It will be the only armed force whose soldiers are screened for fanaticism, racism or behavior-altering national bias..."
"Right, I know you can recite the Charter like some 3rd-class poet. Now, again, what it really means."
Alex gritted his teeth. He was screwing up again. He took a moment to compose himself. "I want to join the TSA because it helps people. It doesn't care what race they are, how big their wallets are, how many guns they have. The right thing is all that matters. And the TSA always gets the job done." Alex thought for a moment. "For peace, justice and liberty."
Don snorted. "That last bit was corny, but I'll let it pass." He fixed Alex with a stare. "You're also currently a 2LT with the UAA, so why do you want to jump ship?"
Alex looked into Don's eyes, and almost flinched from what he was reading from them. "Don, I've stated my goals. The UAA doesn't fulfil them. It's a career army, like those damn Corps out there that prioritise profits over people. I don't want to be someone's pawn. I don't want to die just to accomplish someone else's political goal, or as a sacrifice just so some staffer can get promoted."
The fact that Don had noted his military career on the first day and remembered it now showed how sharp he was. Alex also noticed that Don was now giving him his complete attention.
"Alex, you do realise that if you get into the TSA, you'll be a trooper, just like everyone else. You won't be an officer like you are now. Probably get paid less too."
"Exactly 1053 creds less. But that doesn't matter. I want to be best I can be." Alex swallowed. "To be with the best."
"You do know that every power-hungry sonafabitch, every money-grubbing mongrel out there is out to gut the TSA for the work we do."
"I do. And If I cared, I wouldn't be here."
The rest of the interview went smoothly, and after filling out some forms and committing his signature and retinal, he was free to leave. The TSA would contact him if the organisation wanted him.
Lazerus was still at the terminal typing as Alex left.
<b><i>Two</i></b>
<i>Strange happenings have recently been reported in the Ariadne Arm, the new frontier for human exploration and colonisation. Affected colonists and crew have reported that xenoforms had invaded the ships or stations that they inhabited, forcing them to evacuate. However, none of the refugees have any concrete recordings or evidence of such creatures.
Government and Corporate spokesmen have ridiculed these statements, calling them nothing but a hoax by "unruly elements" of humanity to profit from the situation.
Such a situation has happened before. We refer to the UFO scare of 2142 in the Taiwanese Republic. A cult group made use of advanced nano-technology and cosmetics to simulate an alien invasion, causing city officials to evacuate the city in a panic. However, when security forces moved in, all they found was wide spread looting and a very insulting holographic recording left behind by the cultists. To this day, none of the perpetrators have been found.
However, a signifcant number of ships and installations in the Ariadne Arm have reported such findings, or remain uncontactable. Organisations such as the N.F.O., who have been greatly affected by this will be sending in security teams to ascertain the situation within the month.
In other news...</i>
anyway, i think you depicted the TSA very well and accurately. Character development was great and you really bring Alex to life. The way you depicted the TSA is very interesting. It's like they fight just for the good of the world and they get the best. A different perspective from most of the stuff here.
action was just right with a good pace. Espcially the opening chapter. The sense of confusion created was very well-done. keep up the good work! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<i>1031 Hours, 01.01.2152
Trans-System Authority Academy, Concord Station, Yamova System</i>
"Come along, Lazerus, we're late for class already. Hurry up!" Alex growled, annoyed.
"Yea, yea, comin' man. You could have gone first without me, ya know?" Lazerus replied distractedly, tugging at his uniform.
"Then you'd take even longer to get here and you'll be drummed out."
Alex looked around the academy, and felt utterly content. When the TSA first got back to him, it was "with great regret that we are unable to accept your application at this time due to overwhelming demand. You are, however, on our waiting list, which is currently 4 years long. In the meanwhile, if you would like to support the TSA, enclosed within are details on how to join the Constellation."
Alex had been devastated. He carried on in the UAA for another three months, and was dishonourably discharged for being insubordinate to a superior officer. He mucked around in civilian life until the notice came in. He had been ecstatic, and his family had been happy for him. They did not view their son and brother carrying on in another, even more hazardous military occupation in the same light as Alex did, but they gave their support.
He remembered the trip in-system, how simple it was. Most colonised systems were flooded with space traffic and satellites, and the planets literally glowed from the light emissions that metropolises produced. Yamova looked like a simple agricultural backwater system.
Alex did not let that innocence fool him. He picked out the interceptors, Repellers, shadowing their shuttle in, the Trebucket platforms guarding the system. The ghost-like TSA marines who boarded the shuttle to conduct an impromptu spotcheck erased the ignorance from the rest of the cadets.
The training programme was incredibly relaxed as well. No drill sergeants were around to bark at the cadets, to force them into a regime, unless it was vital, like combat drills. The cadets were simply given a timetable to follow, and had to discipline themselves to follow it and perform. Those who did not, disappeared the next day. No one said anything.
Alex had been surprised to find Lazerus on the same shuttle flight in, and they opened up to each other a little. They talked about family and their aspirations, and Alex found Lazerus to be very likeable. However, he was a little sloppy. Like now.
"Cadets Davidson and Cristan, glad you could join us. You have a reason for being late?" The instructor queried them when they entered.
The rest of the class looked at the two of them, making Alex very uncomfortable.
"Sir, no excuse. I accept full responsibility. Permission to join the class." Alex stood stock still, awaiting the instructor's orders.
Lazerus, on the other hand, was a bundle of nervous energy. "S,Sir, the fault is mine. I hadn't completed my previous assignment and didn't notice the time. I told Alex to go on first, but he stayed to help. He's innocent!"
Alex sighed, <i>now you've done it.</i>
A deathly silence prevailed, like a black hole sucking in all light. The instructor finally broke it.
"Class, if you're told to be at a position at exactly 1030 to provide cover for an assault, your being late, by even a minute, will jeopardise the entire operation and cause unnecessary deaths. This is unacceptable."
Alex shifted about uneasily. Lazerus looked like he was trying to shrink unto himself.
"Yet, looking out for your buddies is important as well. In that same scenario, if you leave a buddy behind, your covering fire will never be as effective. And that could be worse. Assuming you two are telling the truth. Now sit down. And try not to doze off."
Light laughter rolled out from the class, and Alex found a seat, relieved.
<i>Welcome back once again to the G.N.N. This just in, ground breaking news from the Ariadne Arm. Security forces from the N.F.O., U.A., Galspan Shipping, Mongolian I.S. and numerous other organisations and governments have just reported their latest findings from the sector.
Massive casualties have been taken by their combat ready troops, with wounds inflicteded by tooth and claw. Others have horrendous disfigurements from acid burns. The few survivors tell a tale of horror, of fast moving creatures that can disembowel an armoured soldier in a single swipe, of uncontrolled infestation in the installations that they were sent to recover.
Academics throughout the galaxy have been stunned by these revelations. To find out more on whether humanity has met its match in the stars, tune in to Talking Point at 9am, Galactic Standard Time. To listen in on whether we could negotiate with this new race, tune in to Both Sides of the Coin at noon, Galactic Standard Time.</i>
<i>1400 Hours, 27.02.2152
Training Ground Floral, Yamova 2, Yamova System</i>
Alex tasted mud once again, as he threw his body onto the ground to avoid the firecracker that narrowly buzzed overhead.
<i>Whoever named this training field ought to be shot.</i>
Alex's class of 12 cadets were down here on their first tactical training after all the drills and classes back at the Academy. It was their first real test, and unfortunately for them, it was being conducted by the legendary Sergeant Haverhill.
The mission was simple. The cadets were to be inserted via Dropship, then recon and destroy a hostile encampment. A standard operation, with steps outlined by the book. That is, until their dropship was detected and 'shot down', wrecking most of their heavy equipment in the process. Then, ground forces began opening fire on them.
The firecracker exploded in cheerful technicolours as Alex made his next move, bounding to the next cover in sight, a large tree. Which happened to have its large roots jutting out from the ground, causing Alex to wince in pain as he landed forcefully on them.
Two-thirds of the class took turns covering and bounding forward, while the remaining third had slipped off to find a good flanking position.
A heavyset Indian cadet by the name of Dharshanth had been assigned as squad leader for this operation. He had immediately ordered the class to fix and flank the enemy.
When the element of surprise is lost, a soldier's best allies are speed and aggression. Fine in theory and practice, until you consider that both forces were schooled in the same way, by the same organisation.
One of the squad status lights on his HUD winked out, indicating that someone had been taken out. Alex ignored it, and focused on firing down the sights of his AR15. The hostile was dashing towards cover, but a quick burst from Alex's rifle downed him. The hostile's Tactical Engagement System Vest glowed red, indicating that he was KIA. His kill plopped down onto the ground with a dejected look on his face.
"This is Red Lead, the Blues are deploying skimmer mines... I repeat, they are dep...." the transmission from Dharshanth cut off abruptly at the same time as did the three status lights of the flank team.
<i>****. Think. Lead is down, someone has to take command before we get wiped out.</i>
"Red 7 to all Reds, I'm assuming command! Fall back to rendezvous Theta, deploy smoke and withdraw under cover NOW!" Alex yelled over the commlink.
Alex jerked his smoke grenade out from his grenade pouch, primed and tossed it towards the enemy. As the smoke built up and turned day into twilight, Alex made a run for it. A toy hover car with a smiling Mickey Mouse painted over its shell was right in front of him.
"****!" Alex swore as he hastily converted his stride into a kick that sent the damned automaton flying into a nearby tree before it could "kill" him with its simulated payload.
Alex felt a moment of guilty pleasure, which was replaced by stars when he collided head first into another trooper. Their rifles clattered into the damp undergrowth, and they both stared at each other for a moment. Both noticed the differing force symbols on their armour at the same time. The Blue trooper scrambled to his feet, withdrawing his sidearm at the same time.
Alex did not bother with his. He lashed out with his foot, knocking the Blue back onto the ground. Alex quickly pounced onto the Blue, making use of his greater size and bulk to pin him, and tried to push the close combat kill button on the Blue's armour. The Blue would not go easy. They grunted with their exertions, and Alex felt dizzy as the Blue changed his center of gravity and managed to reverse their positions. Gritting his teeth, Alex headbutted the Blue, causing him to shriek out shrilly in pain. Seizing the opportunity, Alex broke out of the Blue's weakened grip and went for the kill. The Blue's armour glowed red.
They both panted heavily, all the while staring at each other. The Blue ripped off his helmet and glowered at Alex.
"Cheap trick there. You were mine, you bastard!"
It took a moment for Alex to register the words, as he realised that the Blue was actually a chinese woman, and even with her face being contorted by rage, was rather pleasing to look at.
"All's fair in war," Alex managed to stutter out, before grabbing his rifle and making a run for it. He still had a mission to carry out.
"I'll get you next time, just you wait!"
Alex just ran harder.
His chest heaving, Alex finally left the sounds of gunfire behind and crashed through some tall grass to reach the rendezvous point, and was greeted by the business end of an AR15.
"Phew, hey guys! Alex's here!" the cadet called out.
The other four survivors were in all round defence, waiting for stragglers to arrive.
"Anyone else left?" Alex managed to gasp out in between his pants.
"Negative, you're the last one," Zanders, one of the other survivors said.
"Dangit! Trust Haverhill to come up with a stunt like this. We're screwed man!" Lazerus complained.
Alex was immediately glad that his friend had survived the fiasco. Now they had to make sure they would survive this. Five of them left. Limited equipment. The enemy was alerted to their presence and would be actively hunting them.
<i>Wonderful. Think. Tactics.</i>
"The situation is FUBAR, but we've got to salvage it. The bastards think they have us on the run, but I think we can win this scenario by being unpredictable," Alex started.
The others listened in with keen interest, eager to repay the Blues.
"Our mission is to wipe out their camp. They know how many guys we're down. So they'll only have a skeleton team in place to defend it while the rest of them are out hunting. If we can find it and take it out, we win this."
Jeff, a lanky athlete, spoke up. "Sounds crazy, but I'm in. They'd probably not expect it."
Zanders agreed, "do it in the day too while the rest are out hunting."
They patrolled during the day, and rested during the night when it was too dark to see, even with nightvision mode. Few words were uttered between them, not wanting to risk detection either by sound or through electronics. By the second day, they found the Blue camp. The training field was not too large, and the camp blatantly obvious.
Stacks of unmarked wooden crates littered the camp, and four medium-sized tents dominated the simple camp. A pair of Blues were seated in the middle of the camp, facing opposites sides. They had piled up some of the crates to give them cover, but otherwise looked utterly bored at having been left behind to hold the fort. Several day-glow green disney hovercars littered the perimeter as an additional defence, but the Reds quickly marked out their locations.
A plan was quickly formulated. Jeff and Dante, the team's two best shooters would eliminate the two guards, then target any pseudo skimmer mines they could see. Zanders would station himself on the other end of the camp and act as look out, just in case. Lazerus and Alex would clear what mines they could, and take the camp.
Zanders' status light winked once.
"Ready, Laz?"
"Yea man, let's do it!"
"Execute!"
Four shots were fired at the same time, immediately killing both Blues and destroying two of the skimmers. More shots rang out as Jeff and Dante targetted Skimmers, which were now active and heading towards the running Alex and Lazerus. Sharp shooting by all four quickly disabled all the mines, and the two assaulters ran over to the Blues.
"Hey dudes, sorry we took our time, took the scenic route, ya know," Lazerus grinned as he removed the mock grenades - memory storage spheres with some modifications - from the Blues' pouches and primed them.
The two KIAs just glared, too shocked and angry to speak.
"Let's blow the camp and exfil, stat," Alex reminded his partner.
The pair tossed back four of the pseudo explosives as they ran back to the cover of the trees. The objective was destroyed. They had done it.
"Incoming, Blues are coming back!" Zanders called out suddenly over the commlink. They must have rushed back the moment they heard gunfire.
A long burst came from Zanders' direction, followed by several other ARs opening up. Then, silence. Zanders' status light winked out. Alex cursed and hoped Zanders had managed to thin the number of Blues.
They linked up with Jeff and Dante, their expressions grim. Wordlessly, the four remaining members of Red team slipped into patrol formation, leaving enough distance between each member to avoid losing more than one trooper to an ambush. The exfil point was just four kilometres away from their current location. The whole team tensed and halted several times as they heard man-made noises in their vicinity. Nothing came across them, however.
Finally, they reached the exfil point after ten, grueling hours. Alex called it in.
"Red Force, Blue Force, cut exercise, form up at Blue camp," Sergeant Haverhill's voice came in over the commlink.
All twelve status lights came back on on Alex's HUD, and winked off acknowledgements in rapid succession.
"Oh man, now we gotta hump all the way back there!" Lazerus groaned.
The other three said nothing, but felt exactly the same way. It took them half an hour to return back to the camp.
Sergeant Haverhill was waiting, with the other members of the two classes seated around him as the four Reds joined in.
"Alright, debrief. Good decisions by both squad leaders at the start of the exercise. Too bad Blue's one countered Red's."
Dharshanth nodded, clearly embarrassed by being taken out so early in the scenario.
"Blues, you got cocky after that. Left the camp wide open. Reds, scored well on the attack. Orders were to recon and destroy the camp. So what did you see before you torched this place?"
Alex described their observations.
"Good, so you're telling me you ain't blind."
Alex groaned inwardly, knowing that the TSA had sprung another surprise on him again. He did not answer.
"Did you look inside the boxes?" Sergeant Haverhill pried open one of the boxes and pulled out a stuffed toy. He then pulled out a printed piece of paper from the crate. "Congratulations, you blew up an animal smuggling camp, without knowing it! If you'd bothered to check, you'd have known that these are an endangered species of dwarf Flamingo, prized for their medicinal extracts, and for the black market."
Alex's jaw dropped. This was ridiculous. Yet, it made sense. The TSA was full of surprises.
Sergeant Haverhill spoke up again. "All in all, you cadets won some, lost some. Overall, I'd say both classes fouled up. In a real situation, you'd be dead. You're using your training, but not your head. Now, I have good news and bad news."
"The bad news is, the dropship isn't able to make it to this location due to hostile anti-air. So we're all gonna hump through 20 kilometres of lovely, insect-ridden jungle to reach the next possible exfil point."
A chorus of groans erupted from the class.
"What's the good news, Sarge?" someone asked.
"I'm joining y'all cause I need the exercise," Sergeant Haverhill said cheerfully.
Alex was picking up his gear when he felt a piercing stare upon him. It was the chinese woman from Blue team. He ignored her, and got ready for the long trek back.
<b><u>Three</u></b>
<i>Welcome back to the G.N.N. The situation in the Ariadne Arm has deteroriated beyond the control of the authorities within it. The Trans-System Council has declared an emergency, blockading the sector from the rest of human civilisation.
Shortly after this announcement, TSA Admiral Rathine Studaber made an announcement and appeal to the TSC.
"Honoured members of the Council, although the situation is grave, we cannot abandon all those people to die. The death toll will be enormous, and we cannot possibly call ourselves human if it occurs. The alien threat is grave, and we must ask ourselves this: What happens when they come after us? If we do not meet the alien threat now, then we will be ill-prepared to handle an invasion when, not if, one occurs. The TSA is best equipped to deal with this unorthodox threat."
"I propose a new force, the Frontiersmen, formed from the best of the TSA. Let us be the force, standing on the edge of the unknown, between all of humanity and whatever would threaten it."
Within a week, a record for the bureaucratically laden TSC, the Frontiersmen Charter was drafted and approved. The TSA has been given carte blanche to form this new force, to defend humanity from the unknown. We do not know if they will succeed, but we wish them the best. For all our sakes.</i>
<i>1800 Hours, 28.03.2152
Trans-System Authority Function Hall, Concord Station, Yamova System</i>
Alex was filled with pride as he stood with the rest of the cohort on graduation day. It had not been easy. It had been the most mentally and physically demanding training that he had ever been through. Though short by comparison with other armed forces, he was certain that what the programme lacked in allocated time, was made up by effective and focused training.
Not everyone had made it. Zanders had dropped out a while back, unable to take the strain of command when he was made squad leader. Others had been told to pack for being too quick to anger, for being disrespectful to other cultures. Still others had been told to leave for not being good enough. Clearly, the TSA accepted only the best.
Of the 800 that first entered the academy, only 372 remained. 372 souls, trained by the best, to be the best. To uphold the Charter, to fight for galactic peace through deadly force. The instructors who had shared their knowledge, built these young men and women up into what they were today, lined the stage, appraising the new troopers in a different light.
Not as cadets, but as fellow comrades-in-arms.
"Cadets of the 157th Cadre, today is a day that you will fondly remember. Today is the day that we welcome you into the ranks of the TSA, the force behind the law and order of the galaxy. Let it be known that as members of the TSA, you will be treated as fearsome adversaries, be treated with suspicion, and also, be treated with respect."
"After this ceremony, you will be dispatched to other training schools for advanced training, or to an active unit to contribute to the greater whole. There is, however, another option open to volunteers. All of you know about the Ariadne Arm. All of you know about the Frontiersmen. You may opt to join this new force as well."
"But, for now, your instructors will issue to you the badge of the TSA. What you have earned. Just remember, it is harder to keep than it was to obtain."
Words of congratulations and acknowledgement broke out between the former cadets and their instructors as they were issued their badges. Any animosity that was formed during the training was washed away in a tide of joy. A good thing too, as many of the instructors would be rotated back into combat units once again.
Alex was brimming with positive energy, with the feeling of invincibility and achievement as Sergeant Haverhill came up to him. The Sergeant pinned the badge onto Alex's uniform firmly, but smoothly. The inverted dagger, with out-stretched wings on the sides, on a cool blue background.
"You're one of the best I've trained, son. You'll go far if you don't get yourself killed first."
"Thank you, Sergeant," Alex grinned.
"Have you thought about where to go from here?"
Alex thought back to the first days when he stepped into the TSA recruitment office. When he bared his soul to a complete stranger, to do what it took to help right people's lives.
"Yes, I have. I want to join and form up with the Frontiersmen," Alex replied, with utter conviction.
<b>TSA Deliverance-Class Frigate</b>
This aging Expansionist Era warship is the vessel of choice for the Frontiersmen. Refurbished with the latest, state-of-the-art engines, weapons and equipment, it is designed for long space patrols and rapid deployment of Frontiersmen platoons to infested installations and ships.
This 600m long warship has powerful engines and shielding, but limited weaponry. Instead, the original torpedo racks and ion focusing machinery have been replaced with cavernous hanger bays, capable of holding up to two squadrons of strike craft and ten dropships.
<b>Frontiersmen Rapid Action Teams</b>
When a distress call is received, FRATs are dispatched to the hot zone to salvage, and if possible, take back the affected installation. FRATs consist of 15 Frontiersmen and their equipment, delivered into dropzones on Seahorse-class dropships. Each FRAT may also be escorted by up to two strike craft.
This platoon of 15 Frontiersmen is divided into 3 squads of 5, with a nominal commander selected from any member of the team, depending on whose knowledge is appropriate for the situation. There are no fixed chiefs and indians in these teams.
<b>Frontiersmen Engagement Policy</b>
The Frontiersmen are on a first-response policy. When the first alien threats were encountered, TSA 'observers' followed combat troops into the Ariadne Arm. Their subsequent experiences and knowledge have shaped the rules of engagement for the Frontiersmen.
One, to only attempt an action on installations and vessels with a level one infestation.
Two, to engage only with the full support of the installation's or ship's owner, and their cooperation.
Three, permission to use whatever means and resources necessary to quell the threat.
Four, to pull out and execute destruction of said vessel should the infestation be uncontrollable.
Five, upon a successful operation, the right to keep equipment generated from the conflict.
Six, to wipe out the alien threat with minimal human fatalities, military or civilian.
If the alien threat is deemed surmountable, but additional forces are required, or if the installation is too massive, additional FRATs may be called in to assist at the commander's discretion.
anyway, about your chapter above. really liked the training mission. it did not have a lot of detail btu somehow, managed to keep ti fast-paced and was enjoyable. it also really showed Alex's leadership qualities. another unique look at the TSA;s training.
Hang in there, almost at the NS part of the story (not to say the whole story isn't about NS, but the part you folks recognise).
<b><u>One</u></b>
<i>2127 Hours, 17.06.2152
Ocean's Grace, Deliverance-class TSA Frigate, Yamova System</i>
Alex felt a surge of exhilaration, and a tinge of fear as he moved through the corridors of the frigate. He was going to be in combat again. Against an unknown alien threat, but with the best comrades a soldier could have. His free hand brushed over the Frontiersmen badge, a silver hexagon filled with brilliant stars, affixed side by side with his TSA badge. Lazerus, his good friend, was keeping pace beside him, in awe of the mean machine that would be carrying them to do battle.
"Look at this thing man, never seen anything like it before. Those alien freaks are gonna wish they never messed wi...OU!" Lazerus yelped as his head banged into a loose bulkhead, a result of damage from some historic battle.
"As long as it does more damage to them than you, I'd be happy," Alex said wryly.
The ship, just like his training and the TSA as a whole, was composed of the old and new. With the new Frontiersmen Charter bringing in badly needed funds, the engineers and support stuff began a massive upgrading process, breathing new life into old hulks and equipment, while bringing in toys that were not even supposed to exist out of proto-labs. His Frontiersmen training had used life-like dolls and advanced holometric battlescapes to simulate a hostile situation, whereas his TSA training used cheap toys, outdated laser tagging systems and blanks. Regardless of their origins, all of the pieces fit together to form one lethal package.
The two men arrived at their quarters, where their squad would be housed for the next few months. The other three members of the squad were unpacking their gear as they entered.
"Welcome to our home away from home," Jeff Parker grinned infectiously.
"Not that we had any home in the first place," Yusof countered, a polite and friendly Malay whom Alex got to know from Frontiersmen training.
The last member of the squad just gave them a smile, and carried on with unpacking. He was Kevin Conners. Alex had been surprised to see the young man when the five of them were first grouped into their squad. After some thought, it did make sense. The TSA had impressed Alex. No doubt, the TSA saving the lives of his fellow colonists would have had an even greater effect on Kevin. Alex never mentioned that conflict to Kevin though, preferring to keep things simple between them.
"Alright guys, we'll be meeting up with the rest of the team in an hour's time, so get your gear squared away, and put on your best dress clothes," Alex said.
The others acknowledged him, and carried on. At the end of Frontiersmen training, Alex had been chosen as Squad Leader for his leadership and coolness under fire. Not by their instructors, but unanimously from within the squad. Squads trained and lived together, but teams did not. While individual squads were never separated unless the training called for it, they rarely saw the same squads training with them. Today would be the first time the team would be assembled together.
"Ladies and Gents, this is the Captain of the Ocean's Grace. We will be underway in 45 minutes, destination Ariadne. If you have any matters left to attend to on Concord Station, this will be the best time to do so. I don't expect us to be back for a few months. That is all."
When the appointed time came, a low thrumm reverberated through the vessel as her engines were brought online. The Ocean's Grace slid away from Concord Station, and oriented her bow towards the Yamova gate. The energetic particles in the gate jumped excitedly as the Ocean's Grace approached. To an observer, the vessel would seem to elongate and compress at the same time. Then, with a blinding flash of light, the Ocean's Grace was on her way.
The transition signalled that it was time to meet with the rest of the team. After a quick consultation with the ship's deck layout, the squad was able to find the small conference room with little difficulty. 12 other Frontiersmen filed into the room, filling it to capacity. A grizzled Sergeant took the stand.
"At ease. Ladies and Gents, welcome. This is the first time we're together, but it won't be the last. I'll keep this short and sweet. We are Epsilon Team, our callsign in the field. I'm Sergeant Wallace, squad leader of first squad, and overall in command. Sergeant James leads second squad, while Corporal Davidson commands third squad. Over there in the corner are our two resident wrench monkeys, fresh out from the engineer corps, Alexi and Garnett."
"Many of you have never seen action with the TSA before, and so I want to make this clear. No heroics. We've got a great team here, and I don't want to lose anyone. This conflict is a whole new ballgame. A foe we've never faced before, requiring a totally different set of skills and behaviour to combat. Take the next few minutes to recognise each other, before I delve into operational details to improve our chances of getting out alive."
The remaining team members took turns introducing themselves. Luke, Smithy, Denise, Yazid and Kenichi were the names and faces that Alex managed to commit to memory. He would have to get the others later. The last person at the table spoke up.
"Alice Chen, and I hope this won't be one of those units where I'm one of the few females that everyone hits on," she said, her expression stern. Some laughter broke out, but it was subdued in the face of her no-nonsense tone.
Alex did not laugh. He recognised her. She was the cadet he had wrestled with back at Floral field. That fact was not lost on Alice either as a sign of recognition flashed across her face.
Before either party could begin to mouth a word, Sergeant Wallace started to speak again. As before Alex ignored her, but there was no mistaking the look of pure hatred she was shooting at him.
<i>What did I do to deserve this? </i>
<b><u>Two</u></b>
<i>0125 Hours, 21.06.2152
Armoury, Ocean's Grace, Deliverance-class TSA Frigate, Ariadne Arm</i>
Alex snapped on his personal armour, and fastened his utility belt. He checked his CZU Light Machine Gun, and secured it to his armour. An equally brief check of his Cx10 sidearm, before holstering it. He filled his pouches and ammunition storage with the standard gear, then piled on even more equipment and ammunition. There was no limit to what a Frontiersman was allowed to bring, if he felt it was necessary.
Other members of Epsilon were doing the same, while still others were loading heavier equipment and munitions on board the Falcon, their ride to the infested ship that had sent out a distress call a mere ten minutes ago.
"Mount up Epsilon, we leave in three!" came the bass voice of Sergeant Wallace.
The egress hatch slammed shut and sealed the dropship. The engines came online, a loud, pulsating roar. The dropship's engines rose to a whine, threatening to shake it apart, then catapulted it out of the Grace's hangar bay.
"Listen up!" Sergeant Wallace voice came over the intercom. "Situation - A mining vessel on its way back home called in a distress 15 minutes ago. Her captain reported xenoforms attacking the crew, but they are still holding out in the bridge and crew quarters."
"Mission - To dock as close as possible to the survivors, and evacuate them. Following which we will sweep through the ship and eliminate all hostiles. Should the situation be too hot, we will either pull out or call in reinforcements."
"Operation - All squads will locate a suitable base of operations. First squad will establish a base of operations. Second squad will locate and evacuate any survivors. Third squad will conduct initial recon, but hold until the rest of the team is ready. Questions?"
There were none.
"Alright! Lock and load, let's do this people. ETA is 25 minutes."
keep it up! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<b><u>Three</u></b>
<i>0154 Hours, 21.06.2152
On Approach to Meotelog Co. Miner 54X, Ariadne Arm</i>
"Insertion point will be an escape pod hatch near crew quarters. I'm marking the location on your Tac-maps, lifeform sensors show clear. Prepare for infiltration Frontiersmen," came the voice of LT Pulloc, their pilot.
The dropship's welders fired up, slicing the exterior-based escape pod off cleanly. There was a thunk as the dropship made physical contact with the mining vessel.
A hiss of pressurised air began to fill the airlock between the two ships.
"Remember, if it ain't human, shoot it," Sergeant Wallace said a final time.
The door slid open, revealing the red-lit interior of the mining vessel, a sign of an onboard emergency.
Alex slid through the door and to the left, while Lazerus took the right. Jeff and Yusof did likewise to the opposite end of the room, while Kevin kept an eye on the vents in the immediate area.
The other two squads disembarked, followed by the engineer team.
"We'll head to the Operations Centre and plug in there," Wallace announced as a blue waypoint appeared on the team's HUDs.
Waste gases hissed from broken tubing. The gunmetal grey walls were coated with condensation, a clear sign that the environmental system was breaking down. They headed up a flight of stairs and made the final turn towards their objective.
"Contact," someone announced, as a burst of gunfire raked the doorway they had entered from.
A splattering of greenish blood rewarded the trooper's aim, streaked across the metallic floor in the same direction as the bullet that had propelled it.
No body.
"Level one lifeform, skulk," the trooper said again. All of them had read and re-read the after action report of Sanjii. It seemed more comforting now that the aliens had names, not that it made them any less deadly.
"Primary objective first," Sergeant Wallace stated.
A pillar with security displays blocked their line of sight to the Operations Centre. Streaks of greenish blood were splashed over the walls, spent shell casings and bullet holes spread about the room randomly. A pair of skulk corpses lay motionless on the floor, their hides perforated by small calibre rounds.
A trooper crushed its neck with his boot to make sure.
A trail of human blood led into the Operations Centre.
Luke, squad one's slicing specialist began work on the access panel while Sergeant Wallace tried to contact any survivors.
"We're a rescue team from the TSA. Anyone in there?"
Silence.
"One will breach, Two standby, Three rear guard," Wallace ordered.
A trooper primed a flashbang and tossed it into the room as Luke hit the access panel. A blinding flash followed, and then squad one was in. Two followed immediately. A string of colourful curses erupted from the breach teams.
Alex sneaked a glance into the room, and felt his stomach turn. The crew here had formed defensive barricades, but these proved to be their undoing. The metal grating over the room's sole vent had been ripped apart, permitting skulks easy access. Unable to target their fleet foes, the crew here had been massacred. Guts lay strewn about like an overturned plate of spaghetti, while ravaged limbs littered the room, detached from their owners, pistols still held in death grips. A single dead skulk lay in the middle of the room, its eyes still open, in mockery of the defence the men had put up.
After a moment of shock, the team got down to business. Luke quickly brought the command station on-line.
"Starting the initiation dance...we're in. Flushing system with military nanos, limited functionality coming on-line," Luke reported.
"Who's got experience with this class of vessel?" Sergeant Wallace asked.
Kenichi rose his hand. "I used to work on one, exact same model."
"Right, you're commander. Alright team, stage two, let's go."
Nanite sparkles and their characteristic activation sound flooded the room as the first squad set up the base. Third squad moved out.
"Commander, where do you want us?" Alex queried.
"Two will handle survivors and the bow of the ship. You guys head here, towards the cargo hold. There's a resource node we'll need, and it's a nexus of passages to both ends of the ship," came the reply.
A blue waypoint lit up on their visors.
The emergency lights cut off and the normal lights began running again as Kenichi brought systems back on-line. The ship seemed perfectly normal, except that no crew were about. It was quiet. Only Alex's own breathing and the sound of their armoured feet broke the silence.
<i>Click click click.</i>
Everyone's guns snapped up, ready to fire at the slightest movement. Nothing. The squad moved on.
Yusof's LMG suddenly opened up, followed by an "<i>urk</i>" from him.
Alex whirled around, spotting a greenish spray of blood at the end of the passageway where Yusof had hit an offending skulk. That passageway lead to the ship's mining drill and scoop. Alex mentally filed away that location.
"Skulk peeked its head out from the corner. Took the shot," Yusof spoke.
"You hurt?"
Yusof ran his fingers over a small pit in his armour.
"Negative, but something hit me hard in the chest, the armour took the brunt of it."
With nothing further to discuss, the squad moved on. They soon reached the cargo hold. Following the same drill, they quickly secured their entrance.
Securing the room, however, would take much more effort. The hold was massive, filled almost to the brim with ores mined from the nearby asteroid field. The room was generally well illuminated, save for a few areas where the lighting had failed. Whether due to the Kharaa or by poor maintenance, they could not tell.
Kenichi's voice lit up the comm. "Resource node's in the corner in the hold itself, down below. It's where we'd manufacture scanning and cleaning equipment to sort out the ores."
An old, barely functional mining manufacturer sat on the node. With a mechanical sigh, it contracted and disappeared into thin air as Kenichi recycled it. A sparkle of nanos followed, and the ghostly outline of a TSA resource tower appeared.
"Authorise its construction, then move on to fuel storage."
Another blue waypoint materialised on their HUDs.
"Laz, build it. Kevin, set up the sentry here. We're probably gonna pass through this place pretty often, be best to secure it."
Lazerus began humming a little tune to himself as he absent-mindedly responded to the machine's queries. Kevin set up the sentry on a tall heap of rocks, nearly up to the catwalks where they had traversed from, where Jeff was currently keeping watch.
"Three squad, three squad, I read multiple signals converging on your location. Four, five, six..." Kenichi's voice trailed off.
"Acknowledged," Alex responded, his voice wavering. Just a little.
Kevin's sentry came on-line, its nominal pinging replaced by the frenzied variety.
"Lazerus, up on the catwalks with Jeff. Yusof, Kevin, with me, on the ground!"
The words were barely out of his mouth when the room erupted in a cacophony of gunfire, as the frontiersmen engaged targets as they presented themselves.
The skulks, too many to count, burst out from doorways and unseen vents. In a small portion of his brain, he idly wondered how they managed to open those doors. The world slowed as personal nanos flooded his system with calculated amounts of adrenaline, as well as other drugs designed to enhance human reaction and responses. The same would be happening to the other Frontiersmen.
Three skulks were making a beeline towards Yusof, who had been firing from behind a stack of crates. A couple more were heading straight for Jeff and Lazerus, not on the catwalks themselves, but along the walls, on the ceiling. Their gunfire stitched along the skulks' path of travel, but were always behind by just a hair.
"Reloading!" Alex heard Jeff call out.
He saw a skulk make a leap towards Yusof, but suddenly reversed direction as a burst of accurate fire from Yusof met it mid-flight. The sentry dropped another. Then, the third was upon him, jaws snapping once, and missing. Yusof dropped his LMG and reached for his sidearm, while leaping backwards, trying to bring his pistol in line with the skulk's snout. The creature snapped at his leg, gorging chunks out of the nano-reinforced titanium alloy. Yusof's trajectory prevented the skulk from biting the same spot a second time, instead letting it sink its jaws into his calf.
Kevin was running towards Yusof, firing from the hip, riddling the beast with bursts from his LMG. Visibly trembling, Yusof raised his pistol in Kevin's direction, causing a momentary look of alarm on the latter's face, but dispatching a skulk which was closing from the rear.
All this Alex noticed from the corner of his eye. His own personal demon darted from cover to cover, always a millimetre ahead of his bullets. Cursing, Alex ejected his spent magazine, sliding it facing upwards in his ammo pouch, and pulling out a fresh clip in the same motion.
It was uncanny, but the skulk picked the exact same time to dash straight at him. Backpedalling, Alex rammed the magazine in, cocked his LMG and fired a burst point-blank into the skulk, so close that he could feel wind as it violently snapped its jaws closed, it's sharp sword-like legs reaching for his neck.
He was rewarded by a spray of greenish blood, splattering over him, obscuring his visor. Cleansing nanos energised, and began sweeping the goo away as Alex kept firing. The body slammed into Alex with the force of a ball being thrown by a body builder, but it was no longer capable of murderous intent. The limp body just slid off his armour after impact.
He snapped a long burst at a skulk that was attempting to breach Jeff's and Lazerus' position from below. The skulk jerked as bullets punched through its body, then began to fall like the leaves in Earth's autumn. Its corpse crashed to the ground in a bloody heap.
Alex scanned the room for more threats, and spotted a solitary skulk at the far end of the room. It let out a long, fury-laden snarl, and ran for the safety of a ventilation shaft. Four lines of bullets tracked it to the ceiling, and the heavy crack of a pistol joined in. The heavy slug punched through the creature's leg, severing it and sending it falling back into the cargo hold. The rest of the body did not follow.
A glance at his mission clock showed that the contact had lasted less than 20 seconds. He checked his ammunition. He was down to three full magazines. One of the squad status lights was yellow, indicating injury.
Alex blinked. Yusof. He had lost his focus back there.
Shaking his head, Alex headed towards Yusof, where Kevin was trying to staunch the bleeding with a pressure bandage. Yusof was still conscious, but his eyes were closed, his lips mouthing inaudible words that Alex could not understand.
"Laz, Jeff, status."
"In the green. Low on ammo, standing by," Lazerus answered crisply.
"Commander, squad Three reporting in. Kharaa driven off from our position. One casualty, non-fatal, requesting medpack. Need immediate resupply as well. Estimate 10 packs," Alex transmitted.
"Good to hear from you, stand by," Kenichi's voice came over the comm, his relief palpable over the comm.
Nanite sparkles sizzled into existance above them, and the requested equipment fell to the floor where they were.
Alex grabbed the medpack, hooking it up into the medical port at Yusof's leg. The small diagnostic screen lit up, indicating it was live and ready to treat.
<i>Initialising...
Analysing patient...
Analysis complete, significant muscular and soft tissue injury on left calf and thigh, no bone injury...
Administering clotting agents, administering synthetic blood, administering reconstruction nanites...
Treatment successful, remaining charge 10%, insufficient for next treatment, shutting down.</i>
The medpack deactivated itself, and Kevin tentatively removed the blood-soaked bandage from Yusof's leg. New pinkish, hairless skin replaced what was once a bloody mess of ripped tissue and muscle. Yusof opened his eyes, gasping for air.
"That hurt. Thank you, my friends," he managed, and using Kevin for support, got on his feet, stumbled, but otherwise remained standing.
Alex tossed four packs of ammunition up to where Lazerus and Jeff were standing guard, then settled himself. From the selection screen, he selected CZU LMG, without magazine. More rounds would be created if he did not request for a magazine. The ammo pack vibrated in his hand as the construction nanos inside complied with his request. Once it was done, a small port slid open, revealing shiny, bronze-tipped bullets.
He triggered the second pack, then reloaded his spent magazines by hand. The spare rounds he kept in an empty pouch. Another glance at his mission clock. Elapsed time, one minute. He was pleased.
"Yusof, status?"
"My leg is a little sore, but I am good to go," Yusof acknowledged.
"Too bad we don't have a welder to repair his armour. He'll be vulnerable there," Kevin commented.
"I guess I will have to avoid getting bitten anymore then," Yusof replied, a grin on his face.
Satisfied with his squad's condition, Alex called it in.
"Commander, we'll be moving on to the waypoint."
"Negative, negative. Hold position, One squad is coming to back you up. Sit tight," Kenichi's voice came over the comm.
"Acknowledged."
The five members of squad three took up defensive positions, alert for new threats, and settled in for a long wait.
"Acknowledged," Alex responded, his voice wavering. Just a little.
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The five members of squad three took up defensive positions, alert for new threats, and settled in for a long wait. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Thoroughly brilliant story, just the one real error i could find, midway through the story Alex's squad switched to squad 2, but were then back to squad 3 at the end. Can't wait for more.
Heh I know it's been a long hiatus till now, but hey, I'm not being paid by the hour, am I <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<b><u>Four</b></u>
"Expecting trouble?" Lazerus asked as he pointed to the Javelin guided missile launcher Alexi had slung on his shoulder.
The Russian gave him a smile that was all predator. "No, no trouble. Just some fireworks to celebrate."
Lazerus nodded as if he understood. "I see."
"Snap it up, let's move," Sergeant Wallace said as he stepped into the cargo hold.
The eleven Frontiersmen split into their two component squads, with Alexi protected in between them. The access hatch leading towards the engines swung open creakily as Kenichi authorised access.
"Watch your step. I'm getting real bad interference with the nanogrid here. I won't be able to give much warning," Kenichi's voice crackled into their comms.
"Acknowledged," Sergeant Wallace and Alex said in unison.
The lighting towards the stern of the ship was erratic, tossing shadows about like frenzied ghosts. Mechanical tools and documents littered the work areas the team passed through, as if a child had thrown a temper tantrum and no one was on hand to pick up the pieces. A few mutilated corpses were to be found at every doorway leading towards the bow of the ship.
Alex stared at one of the dead crewmen. His intact eyes still conveyed a message, one of betrayal. It was likely that the captain had ordered a full lockdown to contain the threat, trapping these crewmen and sealing their fate. Little good that did, considering the labyrinth of access tubes and ventilation shafts that ran the length of every ship.
<i>Hrm, hrm, hrm, hrm.</i>
"What was that," Smithy of One squad whispered, his voice carrying down to the Two's.
"Sounded like...chuckling to me," Luke from One squad ventured.
Sergeant Wallace shot the two of them a nasty look, and the team carried on patrolling.
"Resource node, dead ahead. It's vacant, hold on," Kenichi said.
Bright sparkles descended from the ceiling, indicating the nanogrid was at least functional in this area. The outline of a resource tower appeared once again. The nanite sparkle also revealed a pair of glowing yellow eyes looking straight at them from atop one of the fuel storage tanks.
The point men of One squad brought their LMGs to bear.
"Gone. That my imagination?" Smithy's voice carried down the room again.
"Defensive positions, let's get that tower operational," Sergeant Wallace said calmly.
"Sarge, something just hit me in the leg, felt like a hammer. Armour diagnostics report no breach," Luke said again.
"Let's move on, we're done here," Sergeant Wallace said as the resource tower began pumping nanosludge up from the storage tanks below.
The team moved on again, the <i>thrumm</i> of the engines growing louder as they neared the engine room. The ambient temperate was certainly going up a notch too, as Alex felt a bead of perspiration roll down his cheek.
"Do you feel that we're being...watched?" Lazerus whispered.
Alex turned his head to reply to Lazerus, and caught sight of a dark blur cutting in from some shelves he had passed by a moment ago.
"Hostiles incoming!" Kenichi's voice boomed over the comm unnecessarily as Alex brought his sights up.
The last man in the line was Yusof, and the skulk was heading straight for him. Impossibly quick, he had already begun to react to the warning, spinning around, his LMG snapping into firing position.
It was still too late. The corridor was cramped, the ceiling low, the distance too short. A sickening crunch echoed through the metal hallways, before it erupted in a cacophony of gunfire. Jeff moved to Yusof's side, brutually mowing down his attacker in the process. Lazerus quickly dragged Yusof to the middle of the formation, while Kevin moved up to Jeff's side to complete the defensive line.
More skulks had followed, but with the Frontiersmen prepared, their twitching corpses slammed into the ground as they were gunned down in mid air. The same confined space that allowed them to take down Yusof also worked against them. There was little need to aim. A scream of agony came from the front; Alex knew another Frontiersman had been mortally wounded.
Jeff crouched, desperately reloading his spent magazine as another skulk sprinted towards them at frightening speed. Lazerus fired off his last few rounds, causing spurts of blood to erupt from the creature's body. It staggered as the rounds drove themselves into its flesh, but it was still very much alive. Alex aimed carefully, sending a hail of bullets over Jeff's head and into the skulk, shredding its snout beyond recognition.
Then, Alex was falling forward, felt rather than heard the screech of tooth against nanoplate. A LMG behind him opened up, and he felt thumps against his armour. Alex turned around, and saw Alexi's still smoking LMG pointed towards him. A skulk with its tail blown off lay at his feet.
A sense of dread filled Alex as comprehension dawned upon him. His left hand reached towards his back, came into contact with a warm, viscous fluid, and closed around a smooth object that was protruding from his armour.
Alexi gave him a grin as Alex tugged hard at the object, pulling out a sharp tooth.
The substance that coated his hand was milky, not red. It was not his blood.
"Commander, we have two men down, requesting medpacks!" Sergeant Wallace hollered over the comm.
"Too dangerous! Medevac to the fuel transfer station, 50 metres ahead. I'll drop a phase gate there," Kenichi replied, clearly shaken.
Acknowledgements pulsed over the comm, and the Frontiersmen moved out in formation, with the wounded in the middle. It was beginning to get hot, and hisses of pressurised steam escaped from damaged piping. Alex kept his eyes peeled and ears strained, but no further attacks came. He heard grunts and the clicking of sharp feet, but none ventured close to the team.
"Stand by, you're almost there, I'll try to bring up the emergency lighting," Kenichi said.
Lights flickered to life as electricity ran through their slumbering circuits, illuminating the fuel transfer station.
"Bacterial mat," Kevin whispered, as he toed a greenish carpet that blanketed every visible surface in sight.
A phase gate materialised in a shower of sparks, and the Frontiersmen got to work. A scanner sweep went off in the adjacent engine section.
"Heads up, there is a hive, I repeat, a hive near your location. Looks pretty bare, but multiple skulks are running around. I have enough resources for a siege, stand by..." Kenichi radioed in again.
The phase gate hummed to life, Denise deployed her sentry turret, a turret factory sparkled into existance, and two members of Two squad phased in, ready for action. Jeff and Smithy dragged their injured squad mates through the phase gate.
One of the new arrivals recoiled as though punched as the sound of super compressed air being expelled was heard. Without thought, Alex decided that that meant the Frontiersman was doomed. Momentarily stunned by his own conclusion, he did not notice the first bursts of gunfire raking the walls. Thinking would have to wait, there was a battle to be fought.
one thing im wondering, why is it too dangerous to drop the med packs at the end of the chapter.
Because it takes some time to apply the MedPacks and they might require two more Frontiersmen to administer them. Two guns that would be firing too slowly.
That is my guess, anyway.
A couple of things spring to mind after reading this.
a) Excellent. This is on par with much of the published scifi I have read. And I have read a LOT.
b) The first turret, Kevin's, they set up. What is powering it?
and finally,
c) <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->resource tower appeared once again. The nanite sparkle also revealed a pair of glowing yellow eyes looking straight at them from atop one of the fuel storage tanks.
<i>The point men of One squad had too, as LMGs were brought to bear.</i><!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The italisized (sp?) part I simply don't understand. Might be me.
Let me just say one more time: Excellent.
I really like that you keep it as close to "canon" and gameplay as is possible while taking certain liberties for the sake of "realism" and atmosphere. The MedPack part outlines this beautifully. Great work, I hope to see more asap. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Turrets > In my story, turrets are capable of operation on their own without a turret factory. The TF is only to manufacture them. As long as the nanogrid is active in their area, they can receive power and fresh ammunition. This was the way turrets used to work a long time ago, as well.
Silverwing > Yea upon review, that portion is a little unclear. My intention was for Alex to have seen it, but I didn't write that in. So it would be "Alex saw it, so did the others." I'll decide how best to change it. Thanks for the feedback <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
My progress will be a little slow for the next week (yes I know I had a 2 month break) cause I'm just settling into Uni life and don't have any extended period of free time yet.
Till then!