Date: 176UY 7/21
Mission: Codename Ashes
Objective: Classified
Source: Classified
Location: Classified
Operators: Firefight Team BA65(II) Nickname: Acid Rain
Team Members:
Name: William Hestle
Role: Team Lead
Sex: Male
Age: 34 Universal Years
Time Served: 5 Universal Years
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 183lb
AI: LI373 Nickname: Lincoln
Home world: Gramen
Previous Employment: Game Captain
Name: Krazit Larmen
Role: Gunner
Sex: Male
Age: 27 Universal Years
Time Served: 2 Universal Years
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 204lb
AI: LE552 Nickname: Lee
Home World: Gaidis
Previous Employment: Private Security
Name: Samuel Settler
Role: Gunner
Sex: Male
Age: 23 Universal Years
Time Served: 2 Universal Years
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 215lb
AI: LL551 Nickname: Lola
Home World: Milson
Previous Employment: Interplanetary Guard
Name: Cage Shade
Role: Gunner/Medical
Sex: Male
Age: 29 Universal Years
Time Served: 2 Universal Years
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 201lb
AI: LO564 Nickname: Leo
Home World: Tumbar
Previous Employment: Containment Control
Name: Michael Hunter
Role: Gunner
Sex: Male
Age: 36 Universal Years
Time Served: 2 Universal Years
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 210lb
AI: LA536 Nickname: Lance
Home World: Tern
Previous Employment: Unclassified Criminal
Name: Tem Gulick
Role: Gunner
Sex: Male
Age: 26 Universal Years
Time Served: 1 Universal Year
Height: 5’7″
Weight: 170lb
AI: PE901 Nickname: Peter
Home World: Classified
Previous Employment: Classified
Name: Pik Surl
Role: Overwatch
Sex: Male
Age: 32 Universal Years
Time Served: 4 Universal Years
Height: 5’6″
Weight: 165lb
AI: HR424 Nickname: Henry
Home World: Wostin
Previous Employment: Retriever
Backup: Strafe Squadron SQ85 Callsign: Eagle 5
Orders: In and out. Silent. Engage only when necessary.
Insertion Time (local): 3427
Contact: Cunning
Success Confirmation: Response: Quick
Failure Confirmation: Response: Rotten
Abort Command: Holiday
Compromised Callout: Response: Emerald
Emerald
176UY 7/23 0354
Mission clock 3927
“Intel says the target should be in that building there,” William says, pointing at the 3-D map of the grid-like city projected on the floor. The transparent shape of a thirty story office building sits in the middle of a group of nearly identical towers. A small children’s toy sits right under the base.
“Our host has confirmed this information for us,” the team lead continues. “Lincoln is working on hacking their systems wirelessly and getting us a layout, but we cannot afford to wait. Pik, I want you on this roof here, it’s tall enough you should have a good vantage point. The rest of us will wingsuit in from the same roof and onto the target building. We’ll clear out the twenty-eighth floor room by room. Everyone understand?”
The rest of the team, myself included, nods.
“Good. Let’s move quickly, but remember that gravity is a bit stronger here, so don’t push too hard. Let’s get this done before the sun comes up.”
The room goes dark as Pik shuts off the hologram. I take a long breath and grasp the grip on my SH-19 UMBRA. The battle rifle weighs heavily on my arms, the increased gravity taking its toll. When I finish my breath, I start toward the door on the opposite side of the room. Three sets of frightened eyes watch my progress. The bound forms of a man, woman and child kneel against a wall.
“Take care of them Cage,” William orders.
“Sir.” The man says and I hear him walk up behind me. I pause at the door as he speaks again. “This is going to pinch. You’ll wake up in a couple of hours right here. Sleep tight.”
The soft noise of gentle squirming reaches my ears as each member of our host family gets dosed with a knockout agent. When Cage says they’ve been untied, I crack the door and stare out into the street. Nothing moves in the wide avenue. Silence reigns in the space between sleek metal houses that stand only feet apart. Dim white lights hang at regular intervals over the perfectly straight sidewalks. The black sky is void of stars or moon.
“We’re clear,” I whisper.
“Go,” William says.
Raising my UMBRA, I push the door open farther with my elbow. I stare over the sight of my rifle and move into the open. My eyes don’t wander up the street even when the rest of my team follows me out of the building. I reach the end of the wall next to me and stop before looking back. William pauses next to me and places a hand on my shoulder.
“Hang back,” he says and waves the others ahead.
I lower my rifle and watch them pass. “What’s up?” I ask as we take the rear.
“I want you to keep an eye on the kid.”
“He’s been with us for over a year.”
“But he didn’t train with us and I need this to go smoothly.”
“And you still don’t trust him.”
“That tends to happen when I can’t read half their file. Just watch him.”
“Yessir.”
“Oh, and Samuel, plug her in.”
I nod and William picks up his pace to get back to the front. With a sigh, I reach back behind my neck and grab the chip that dangles from a strap. I hold it for a moment before pressing it against the back of my head. My mind goes blank for a second and I close my eyes, then my thoughts return, focused and peaceful.
You’ve got mail, a sweet voice says in my head. You’re right, we’re on mission, it can wait.
Stay on track Lola, I say.
Yep, she responds. Give me a moment to take stock of equipment and surroundings. Alright, I won’t distract you anymore. Go get ‘im.
I lower myself almost into a crouch and move to keep up with my team. My steps are slow and calculated, barely making a noise in the early morning stillness. I keep my eyes moving, bouncing from one stark façade to the next. None of the identical, square windows show signs of life. Down the street, not a single of the short trees native to the area stand to distract me from the manufactured city glowing in the artificial light that threatens our secrecy.
“Halt, eyes up,” William’s voice sounds in my ear.
I drop to one knee and raise my rifle to the dark sky. Through the sights, I allow myself a moment to search the blackness for a hint of this planet’s twin, of my home. Before my moment yields results, it is interrupted by the whining of short-ranged engines.
A small craft appears over the roof of a building across the street. Blinking red lights illuminate enough of it for me to see what it is. Short wings protruding from the top give a place for the VTOL engines to mount. The body beneath the wings is boxy and metallic, much like the buildings below. The sides are wide open, allowing me see the armed men standing inside.
“Do you think they know we are here?” Cage asks through his headset.
“No, they’re Interplanetary Guard. Probably on their way to the docks. We are close to facing Tern, so a cargo ship is probably preparing to leave,” I say in a hushed voice, allowing microphone on my throat to amplify the words in my team’s ears.
“Know any of them?” Tem asks from his position directly ahead of me.
“Doubt it,” I say, but try to see the guards through the distance and darkness anyway.
“Let’s go,” William says as it vanishes over another residence. “There’s a light on ahead, activate camo.”
I watch as Tem touches the side of his belt. As soon as skin makes contact with metal, the shadows around him begin to move. They are pulled over him like a blanket, welcoming him as their own. Then they go still, leaving barely a trace of the man they hide.
A moment later his outline lights up blue. I blink to adjust to the false color projected on the lenses of my glasses. One by one, the other members of the team change color. I press the link in my belt to follow their lead. Nothing appears to happen after the belt makes a quiet humming noise, but I know I am now shielded from unwelcome eyes.
William orders us moving again. We walk slow, careful not to outpace the effects of our camouflage. Time drags even slower, seemingly weighed down by the gravity that tires my legs as they carry me past an endless wall of metallic buildings. I try to remember every turn — first left, right at the street clock, left at the dim light, straight past the metal house, left at the metal house — but give up quickly, trusting Lola will be able to guide me back if I need her to.
I’ve got it, Lola says. Plenty of satellites telling me where we are.
And where is that with respect to our target building? I ask.
Just around the corner. No sooner does she finish speaking than we step around the edge of another shining house. The walls of metal at the end of the street to my left shoot up well above any we’ve passed so far. Giant sheets of glass gleam in the lamp-lights, almost indistinguishable from the metal they are gripped by. The unchanging surface of the massive building climbs well into the blackness resting above the city. The only clue as to the location of the roof is a pair of slowly blinking red lights I have to bend my neck way back to see.
“There’s where we jump,” William says into his mic. “We’re gonna need to get to the roof. Lincoln has already picked out a route.”
Suddenly, a light red skeletal blueprint of the building I’m staring at appears at the edge of my vision. I focus on it just in time to see it zoom in on a door at the base.
“Our entry point is here,” Lincoln’s voice takes over the radio. “Simple keypad lock that shouldn’t take but a second to hack. From there we’ll have quick access to the emergency staircase here.”
The blueprint moves again, tracing the path he is describing.
“According to their logs,” Lincoln continues, “we should have a ten minute period for the first half and another overlapping ten minute period for the second half of the floors. At best we’ll have seventeen minutes to make the climb without risking getting caught by a guard. That’s three stories a minute minimum. Hope you’ve all kept up with your PT. This extra gravity will take its toll. Once at the top I will be able to take care of any surveillance on the roof.”
“You heard the bot. Keep our pace to the door and we’ll go on his call,” William orders and starts down the avenue. As he does, the blueprint zooms out to show the street leading up to the building. Seven blue dots blink at the edge of the map. The door we are headed for lights up scarlet.
I shift my attention back to the real street. Despite what he said, William moves us faster now. Our motion is still smooth enough for the camouflage to have effect, but our footsteps echo threateningly in the otherwise silent night. I focus on limiting my audible signature while still keeping up with Tem.
The towering structure gets more daunting with every step. I’ve been in many of the kind, but never to sprint up one, only to jump right back off the roof. The thought of stepping into the open air with nothing but some cloth between my limbs speeds my already racing heart. I take a deep breath to control it. An abrupt peace takes over my mind as Lola soothes my thoughts.
My heart begins to calm down in time for our paces to slow near the edge of the building. We hug the wall and move carefully around the windows. We may be nearly invisible, but a sudden darkness moving in front of the glass might draw attention. It’s easy dodging the shining glass as it lights up green in my glasses.
I glance back up at the blueprint. The seven dots glow just around a corner from the red door. Mentally, I rotate it so I can see the whole building from the side. Its fifty floors seem even taller now that the climb is nearer.
William doesn’t hesitate to take the corner. He stops us only once we reach the door.
“Silence once the door is open. We clear the base, then hoof it to the top. Mike, you take the lead. Cage, after him. Then Kraz, Pik, Tem and Samuel. I will take the rear,” the team lead says.
“I think Pik should go first,” Mike says. “He’s used to a bit more gravity.”
“Exactly, he’ll outpace the rest of us if he’s ahead. Take the lead.”
Mike nods. “Sir.”
“Ready,” Lincoln says after a moment of silence. Mike takes up position just outside the door. Cage stands on the other side of the frame, hand hovering over the handle. The rest of us line up in order behind Mike. The keypad next to his elbow glows blue, disintegrating the shade around him.
“Camo off. Mike and Cage, night vision on,” William says. One by one, each of our forms reappear out of the darkness.
“Go,” Lincoln orders. Immediately the keypad blinks green and Cage shoves the door open.
Mike raises his rifle to eye level and steps through the doorway. Cage waits for him to pass through, then does the same, aiming at the opposite side of the small room that waits inside. Kraz follows them through, his weapon lowered, but ready. By the time Pik goes through the door, Mike and Cage confirm it is “clear.” Tem keeps his UMBRA in hand as he disappears into the building. I grasp my rifle in one hand and place it against my back. A strong attractive force activates and holds it in place when I remove my hand.
“Set the pace Mike,” William orders as I step out of the dim street lamp light and into the dark building.
I barely get a moment to take in the plush, carpeted stairwell before it is my turn to sprint up the steps. My legs scream at the first one. I make a mental note to increase my gravity in training sessions and in the ship.
The first couple of flights steadily get worse, the screaming in my muscles turning to indescribable agony. I do my best to focus on the muffled pounding of boots on carpet as it echoes up the empty building. Eventually the pain begins to fall into nothingness. I vaguely register each heavy footfall that sends vibrations up my body through my aching chest. Every breath comes at a cost, tearing at my throat and fueling the flame burning behind my ribs. By the time we reach the half-way point, all I know is the taste of metal and sensation of burning.
Much to my relief, Lincoln orders us to stop on the thirtieth floor. “The guard changed his route. Back down a couple of flights, he’s headed our way.”
“We don’t have time for that,” William says. “Mike, knockout shot.”
“What do you mean we don’t have time? We were hurrying so this didn’t happen, now we can take it slow,” Mike says.
“I’m getting reports of the authorities on the move. I don’t know if they have been tipped off about our presence, but we need to hurry in case they were.”
“But-”
“Mike.”
“Sir.”
We all drop to one knee. Mike pulls his UMBRA from his back and aims it at the door. The next fifteen seconds are filled only with the heavy sound of our labored breathing. My leg begins to cramp, spasms threatening to push me out of my still stance.
Finally Lincoln warns us that the guard is approaching and the door opens. The man that steps through is dressed in a black suit with only a pistol on his waist. His hand holds a communicator to his ear. “The trip will be over before you know it buddy,” He is saying. As soon as the door begins to swing shut behind him, he stops speaking and his eyes widen. Mike stares at him.
“Mike!” William orders.
A suppressed shot bounces around us. Its noise is immediately taken over by the clattering of the communicator bouncing down the steps. Tem lowers his smoking barrel.
“I was going to take the shot!” Mike snaps.
“Like William said, we might be about out of time; we couldn’t wait. Let’s go,” Tem replies, sticking his rifle back into its place across his spine.
Mike doesn’t look satisfied with the answer, but he places his own weapon behind his back and starts back up the stairs, this time with a slightly slower pace. Not one of us utters a sound of complaint as we match his steps, but the pain is clear in the air. The short rest has pushed away the numbness and allowed the agony back in.
When we finally reach the door at the top of the stairwell, our pace has slowed considerably. With the threat of a guard showing up passed, the pain no longer feels worth it. Knowing we’ll need to fly to a hostile building gives us incentive not to use all of our strength. But we did use most of it, and when Mike shoves open the door and we all stumble through, most of us drop to our knees. Pik and Tem are the only ones that remain standing.
Our quick breaths disappear into the wind that races by with nothing to hinder it. From our position away from the edge of the roof, no other buildings are visible. Very little at all is visible. Without the street lamps to light the night, it is nearly impossible to see through. I embrace the feeling of solitude and slow my breaths to take in long wafts of the crisp air.
“Why the hell did we not get exos for this mission?” Mike asks when he begins to catch his breath.
“Because command hates us,” Kraz says through his own gasps.
“Because as sleek as they are, they aren’t built for stealth missions,” William says.
“Quit complaining, you’re supposed to be the elite soldiers of the universe,” Tem says, his breathing nearly back to normal already.
“Why aren’t you dying?” Mike asks. “Oh yeah, it’s because your home planet has strong gravity huh? Which one is that again?”
“Or I turn the gravity up higher for my PT. Nice try.”
“Alright, enough rest and conversation. Pik, set up where you can see the most of the target building. The rest of you, make sure you’re ready to fly,” William orders.
The blueprint vanishes from my vision, replaced almost immediately by a similar, but smaller one. This one is much less detailed, showing only the outer walls and stairwell and elevator shaft locations. A shorter building down the street lights up red.
“There’s the target. Lincoln has run into some serious security, which is more confirmation that we have the right building, but it also means we are going in blind. Our source said the twenty-eighth floor has an office somewhere in the middle marked with invisible ink. Your glasses have already been set to read it.
“Once we get on the roof, we will divide into pairs. Kraz, you’re with Mike. Tem with Samuel and Cage with me. We’ll clear the floor room by room. Our target likes to work late, so we expect there to be people inside. Knockout on unarmed personnel but feel free to kill any of his armed associates. Make sure our presence stays quiet as long as possible. As soon as you find the office, call for the rest of us. We grab the target and any files we can and escape whichever way is most convenient. Questions?”
“Yeah, if we expect people, why don’t I see lights?” Mike asks.
“They’re as secretive as us, they use one-way windows. Any real questions?”
The rest of us stay quiet.
“Good. Pik, as soon as you’re set up and confirm the roof is clear, we’ll go.”
While our Overwatch gets in position with his DMOTER, a longer ranged version of the UMBRA, I swap out magazines in my SP83 pistol; I slide the lethal out of the handle and eject the chambered round before I slap in the knockouts. I leave my rifle loaded with lethals.
Lola? I ask.
Yes Samuel?
The suit ready to go?
It is. And yes, the landing pack looks to be in better shape this time.
Thank you. I say, thinking about the last time I tried a speed landing from my wingsuit. The memory makes my back throb.
“Rooftop is clear,” Pik says.
“Alright, let’s go,” William orders. He steps up to the edge of the building and spreads his arms and legs. Kraz and Tem don’t bother waiting for him and sprint off the edge on either side of him with muted cries of glee. Cage shakes his head and steps up next to William. Mike waves at me to go ahead of him.
William glances sideways at Cage, then straight forward again. “I hate this part,” he mutters. Flaps of cloth shoot out between his outstretched limbs and he jumps off the roof. Cage follows suit.
I take the few steps to the edge of the roof slowly and stop with my toes hanging off. The drop beneath my feet makes me dizzy. Small points of light stick out in the world lost in darkness below me. Soaring above the sea of blackness, the members of my team that have taken the leap soar through the air like giant, oddly-shaped bats. Tem and Kraz weave from one side of the street to the other and back again.
With a deep breath, I turn to face the roof. The wind threatens to knock my off my feet and into the open air. Mike waves his hand, hurrying me along. I nod at him, then spread my arms and fall.
My eyes fall closed as the air rushes past me at a terrifying speed. The feeling of weightlessness is welcome after many hours of extra weight. But it won’t last long.
I mentally tell the wingsuit to engage and immediately regret allowing myself such a long free fall. As soon as the cloth springs out between my limbs, they are wrenched painfully upward. I force them back down and let the suit catch the air. Being unable to control upside-down flight, I tuck my arms in and roll before extending them again.
Only once I am flying the correct way around do I open my eyes. I quickly realize my mistake. One of the many towers around me charges at me. By the time I lean sharply to the right, I can see my wide eyes reflected in the dark glass.
It’s probably in your best interest to avoid buildings. I know they’re vicious, but you should be more agile than them, Lola says.
I don’t bother replying; she can feel how I feel about her input.
With the immediate danger passed, I focus on red structure ahead of me. There is nothing to distinguish it from the other bland towers aside from the color overlay. It has the same stark surface and cold feeling as the rest of the city and is nearly exactly the same height as its immediate neighbors.
Tem, who has pulled ahead of Kraz, is nearing the roof. He circles above it once before angling up, slowing down remarkably fast. The wingsuit retracts and he drops onto the building, rolling once to absorb the impact. A few moments later, Kraz rolls to a stop a few feet from him. William and Cage arrive soon after and land gracefully. My turn.
My last attempt at a landing tries to rise in my mind, forcing my heartbeat faster. Despite Lola’s assurance that my equipment is working properly this time, I can’t help but fear I will make a fool of myself and screw up my back again. But there isn’t another option.
Five feet from the roof, I lean back, coming almost upright. A whooshing sound comes from my belt and my momentum drops by a large fraction. A mere foot past the edge, the cloth between my limbs vanishes and I drop onto the gravel that coats the top of the building. I tuck and roll and come smoothly to my feet.
Mike lands at almost exactly the same time, and wastes no time walking to my side. He places a hand on my back. “Are you alright? Can you fight?” He mocks.
I elbow him in the forehead.
“Cut it out and get over here.” William waves us over to the door he is standing by. I rub my elbow and make my way over to him. As I walk, I examine the door. It is of smooth metal that is only disturbed by a padlock that holds it in its frame. There is no handle.
“Padlock. Old school and unhackable,” Mike says. “How we gettin in?”
“If the criminal has lockpicks from his days of crime, then we could pick it,” Cage offers. “Or there is a vent over there we could pop open and drop in stealthily. Or-”
William shakes his head. “Kraz.”
Kraz pulls his rifle off of his back and shoots the padlock. He steps forward and kicks the door in.
“Or we could just do that,” Cage finishes.
“You think too much,” Kraz says.
“Alright, weapons out, night vision on,” William says.
“Turn on your sensors so I can see through the glass,” Pik tells us from his perch.
“And sensors on. I’ll send a swarm. Silence inside. Let’s go.” The team lead pulls his UMBRA from his back and raises it toward the door. A moment later, he vanishes into the building. Cage enters right behind him. Kraz and Mike move in next. I take the rear, letting Tem go in ahead of me.
These steps we take slower, each of us on high alert. I keep my UMBRA lowered to avoid shooting my team, but my arms are ready to pull it up at any moment. My heart picks up speed despite my controlled breathing. I am seconds away from my first direct action in this shadow war, mere moments away from helping bring down a terror. This may only be the fringes of their operation, but I get to help bring it down.
Don’t get distracted. Focus on the job in front of you, Lola says. My thoughts are immediately yanked back to my current situation and calmed down.
Two flights down and we stop again. Our AI run a scan for security, but find none on the door itself, much to everyone’s surprise. William shrugs off the information and pushes the door open slightly. With his other hand, he tosses in a small capsule. As he lets the door fall shut, I see the mass seemingly disintegrate. What I don’t see is lights.
“Swarm in effect. No signs of life yet,” Pik tells us.
When he finishes, William points at Mike and Kraz, then motions to the left. He then points at me and Tem and motions right. We nod. I flip the safety off on my rifle.
William pushes the door completely open. Cage walks through, weapon raised. The team lead follows him through. I look past them into the dark level. The blackness suddenly begins to melt away, replaced by hazy blue. Walls and objects stick out, clear and white on the navy canvas.
Mike moves through the door and to the left of the first pair. Kraz enters right behind him. In the corner of my vision, the blueprint of the floor begins to fill in as the swarm does its job.
Tem steps through and to the right. My turn. Green lines appear in my vision, drawing a straight path from each of my teammates’ rifle barrels to their target. My own points at the nearest closed door as I leave the stairwell. I press another link in my belt to activate my sensor. William waves us forward.
Together, Tem and I move toward the door I am aimed at. His laser points down the hallway. When we reach the door, he turns toward it. I situate myself just beside it, my shoulder nearly pressing into the polished wood. His laser points at the jamb.
At his nod, I push down on the handle and pull the door open. He steps through and I cross his path as quickly as I can. My rifle points at the opposite corner, then the one next to me, then at the large wooden desk. Nothing.
“Clear,” his voice says in my ear. I mentally echo his statement, trusting Lola to relay the message.
We turn around and move back into the hallway. With William and Cage clearing the office across the hall, we start toward the next one on the right. This time his laser stays fixed on the door and mine wanders down the corridor.
We set up outside this second door as we did the first, with our roles reversed. The blueprint hovering in front of the frame tells me the location of all the furniture inside. I nod. The door opens and I step inside. My laser pauses on the far corner, passes over the large chair in the middle of the room, then stops again at the corner near the door.
We think our clears and move on.
The third door we move to breach is locked. While Tem examines the lock to see if he can crack it silently, I call up the feed from the swarm that has already moved through. No signs of life appear in the video. I peer through the window for a second opinion, then wave Tem on when it yields no new information.
He nods and starts back down the hallway. A few moments later he pauses at the edge of an intersecting corridor. I stop right behind him and point my barrel across our hallway and toward the other. With my right hand, I tap his shoulder, then immediately grab my rifle again. He steps out around the corner. I follow right behind, scanning the intersecting hall as it comes into full view.
The vein of the building is completely empty. Still no sign of the life we expected. I look over my shoulder to see a pair of huge floor-to-ceiling windows. The view through them is bland, just another dark building a few feet away.
Just then we are interrupted by William’s voice. “The swarm found it. You’re closest Samuel, Tem.”
A large room on the blueprint a few offices down from us blinks red, then another video feed appears in my vision. A solid looking metal door fills the feed. There are no markings on it aside from a white, glowing letter ‘S’. It appears to have been spray painted on.
“The swarm can’t get in, some sort of nano-shielding surrounds the room. We’ll be going in blind. Wait for us to get there before going in,” William finishes.
Tem takes off down the hall. Completely ignoring the rest of the doors, he moves as quickly as he can without making more noise. I curse silently before chasing after him. The room is situated on its own between two corridors, the nearest of which Tem walks across without so much as turning his head to the side. Luckily for him, when I do, I see nothing but a single potted plant.
“What are you thinking?” I hiss when we stop at the door, deciding an audible tone would convey my thoughts better than thinking them to him.
“I’m going in,” his voice says in my head, though his lips don’t move.
“William said to wait.” I switch back to silent conversation.
“I’m not waiting.” He places his hand on the side of the door, where the handle should be. The silver metal suddenly lights up red, nearly blinding me. When my eyes adjust, I see blue letters in the center of the sea of light:
Welcome Tem Gulick
“What the-” I barely get out before the door is open and he is rushing through. I bite back my curses and step through after him, my UMBRA raised.
Once again, the scene that greets me is not what I was told to expect. The large room is stark white and lighted, as I can tell when my night vision quickly shuts off. The only thing not white in the bland office is the pitch black UMBRA mounted on the wall behind a large pale desk. I grip my own version of the weapon tightly.
Beneath the rifle, sitting on the desk, is a large metal cylinder with two raised lines running parallel down its length. My heart drops when I see it. To the casual viewer it could be anything, but it’s shape is unmistakable to a trained agent.
“The target isn’t here,” I say into my mic, breaking the silence order.
“There’s nothing in the room?” William asks, leaving the subject of our preemptive breach for later.
“There’s something here.”
“What is?”
“A bomb.”
“A what‽”
Our handlers have been contacted, Lola says.
A moment later a new voice sounds in my ear. “Cunning.”
“Emerald.”
Silence. My eyes don’t drift from the white weapon as the lack of words rings loud. I can only imagine what is going on on the ship sitting in space above us. Men at holographic screens are probably scrambling to bring up my video feed and the 3-D rendering offered by my sensor. The officer in charge of our mission is probably barking orders, trying to confirm my statement and figure out where we went wrong.
Finally my running mind is forced back. “Holiday. Get out of there Acid Rain,” our handler says.
“You heard him, bail,” William says. “The roof is quickest, go!”
“And we’ve got company below,” Pik adds to the problem.
I spin around and shove Tem toward the door. He obeys my violent command without question, hoofing it through the open frame. In the hallway, he veers left toward the stairwell we entered through. I stay right on his heels.
We don’t make it far, however, before an uneasy feeling fills me, just to the cross-hall.
Samuel… Lola says. For the first time ever, her sense that mixes with mine is one of fear. My electronic companion’s emotion feels more real than my own as she feeds my brain her lock on an incoming signal.
I reach out and grab Tem’s shoulder, turning him so his back is toward the massive window a few feet away. With all my strength, I shove him toward them, simultaneously tapping a link in his belt. Small jets activate on his hips. The wingsuit landing equipment shoots him backward. With the double propulsion, he smashes right through the glass behind him.
I barely get a glance at his wide eyes and gaping mouth before a searing heat plays on the side of my face. The accompanying noise strikes my ear. My feet leave the floor and my mind shuts down.
Emerald has been confirmed. We’ve lost contact with Acid Rain.
Reports of an explosion are in. Scanning for survivors.
Our signals are not getting through.
Prepare Forlorn Rangers DE34 for extraction.
For more, read Operation Ashes Part 2