The Last Hero (7 page)

Chapter 10: The March

T
hey ran, and they ran.

Nano reinforced legs and stamina carried them as CAL’s night vision guided their path through the moonless darkness. Trent held point with Sergeant Gabriel. He didn’t feel it was safe to stop until dawn broke.

Each squad took a turn on watch as the others grabbed some sleep. Thanks to the nanos, they only needed a few hours to recharge. Trent strolled across their small encampment, holding a MRG (magnetic rail gun) rifle on a shoulder while most still slept. He noticed Jones was awake.

Trent said, “Captain, I hope you got some shut eye. I noticed you were up a lot of the time. We have a long road ahead of us. I need you fresh.”

Jones stood up from the rock. Her tall frame surpassed Trent.

“No need to worry, sir. Even before our...improvements, I never needed a lot of sleep.”

He nodded.

“Should I wake the men, sir?”

Trent scanned the sleeping legionnaires, who blended seamlessly with the orange tinted ground.

“Let’s give them another couple of minutes. They’ve earned it. Have a seat, Captain.” Trent sat down on the rock.

Jones quickly obeyed.

“So, Captain...why did you sign up for this vacation?”

She stared at a tree.

“I used to think the answer to that was complicated. But I had a lot of time on that damn shuttle to think. Now I think it pretty bloody simple. My whole life, I never felt like I fit in. I imagine you can guess why. Growing up, there weren’t many girls my size. While they wanted to play house with their dolls, I was lining them up in formation for an attack. Hasn’t helped either that everyone assumes I’m a lesbian. The only place I ever felt like I fit in was the army.

“Then one day there wasn’t an army anymore, and I was right back where I started – feeling left out. When the chance to join the Legion came up, I knew I could belong somewhere again. I’m just looking for a place to fit in. It’s that simple.”

So under that tough mask you show the world, you are really a little girl looking for someone to play with. Not unlike the rest of us I suppose.

“You know, Captain I doubt you are al...”

A rumble off in the distance captured Trent’s attention. A second later, Jones’ ears zeroed in on it as well.

Jones asked, “What the bloody hell is that?”

The rumble grew closer.

Trent sprung to his feet, jogging toward the sound.

“CAL, ping everyone awake,
now
!”

Immediately the ground around him came to life as the camouflaged warriors rose from their slumber.

“All units, something is coming our way from the east. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta form a defensive line along those trees.” Trent pointed to the position, highlighting them to everyone’s CAL. “Echo, fall back twenty-five meters. Make damn sure our flanks are clear. Don’t let anyone, or anything behind us.
Move
. Whatever this is, it’s closing fast.”

A blizzard of blurs swarmed toward the line. Some lay flat while others found security behind trees. In moments, everyone fell in position. 

“CAL, zoom the visor view onto the source of the sound.”

What the...

Trent had trouble comprehending what came at him. When he joined the army, he knew he would see amazing things. When he “volunteered” for the Legion, he imagined the universe offered many incredible wonders. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he would be charged by a herd of giant pink turkey creatures.

“It’s a stampede! Prepare to fire on my mark. Echo Squad, split into two and move closer to our flanks. Give me a field of fire to ensure they flow around us.”

The giant pink turkeys charged forward as CAL told Trent exactly how far away the rampaging herd was. The trees prevented a clear field of fire. He held until they came to within thirty meters. Raising his MRG, he switched to full auto and yelled, “Fire!”

BB sized projectiles flew out the long barreled weapon. The small rounds lethalness came from its velocity, two point nine kilometers per second. The kinetic energy ripped apart anything it hit.

Another marvel of a buried defense program, the MRG represented the first rail gun sufficiently downsized to allow a single soldier to carry it easily into combat. Its full auto one thousand rounds per minute firing rate, and two thousand round magazine made it infinitely superior to energy weapons. A fusion battery in the grip supplied the necessary power to accelerate the tiny pieces of depleted uranium.

The MRG was a quiet weapon. It fired rounds with electricity and magnets not gunpowder. Even with this knowledge, he found the lack of noise odd as the damage from the units’ fire became evident on trees and charging animals that fell by the dozen.

He held down on the trigger, sweeping the barrel from side to side. The charging herd disintegrated before the formation’s unending volley. They kept coming, and Trent kept his finger pressed down on the trigger.

CAL flashed a warning,
Ammunition low!

The remaining number of rounds on the visor depleted so fast that he couldn’t read it.

Trent was so focused on firing that he failed to notice right away when he ran out of targets. He only stopped to think after the MRG ran dry.

Even with no shots left in the clip, he held the trigger firmly down as his heart raced. Finally, he managed to release his finger.

“CAL, give me a readiness report.”

Tense seconds passed as he waited.

I can’t have lost anyone to fucking giant, wild, pink turkeys!

Combat effective: Forty-eight.

Thank God.

“What the hell was that?” Simms asked out of breath.

“I am not sure,” Thomas answered. “Thanksgiving will never be the same for me.”

***

After days of running, they finally reached the mountain range that shielded them from detection on their shuttle approach. That didn’t make them much closer to their objective. The base was still days away from the mountains.

Trent didn’t know what season the red planet currently celebrated. Hell, he didn’t know if it ever snowed here. All he knew was the passes through the mountains were open and for that, he gave thanks. He had no desire to reenact Hannibal’s daring and brutal march through the Alps on the way to attack Rome. This mission had been daring enough to date. He figured it would get brutal soon.

Trent went up and down the single file column to monitor his troops, offer encouragement, and to be seen. With another kilometer before they reached the pass’s summit, Trent came up on Sergeant Roth, whose squad made up the rear.

“Status, Sergeant?”

“We’re as good as can be expected, sir.”

“Anything I can do for you guys.” Trent didn’t know why he asked. He didn’t have anything to give.

Appreciating the major’s good intentions, but understanding his limitations she laughed.

“Well...since you asked. I could really go for a shower and pizza. A beer would be nice, too.”

“Make that two of us.” Trent chuckled. “Tell you what, Sergeant. When we get back, the pizza and beer are on me.”

“A good reason to get off this Godforsaken rock.”

“Hold up, Sergeant.” He came to a stop, looking off into the distance dominated by numerous peaks radiating countless shades of red. They could be the Colorado Rockies in the summer if not for the red.

“Look out there. What do you see?”

She shrugged. “A bunch of funny colored rocks. Why? What do you see?”

“Your view is too narrow, Sergeant. What we are looking at has never before been seen by human eyes. Of all we have accomplished as a species, no one has ever seen this gorgeous view. Not until we came and saw it. I think that’s pretty awesome.”

“I see what you’re saying, sir. But honestly I would trade it all for a shower, and some beer and pizza.”

He laughed as he said, “You know something, Sergeant? So would I.”

The last of the column passed by shortly after they stopped to enjoy the view. Before turning to catch up, Trent glanced back to see Corporal Bitter far behind the group.

“Sergeant?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Why is Bitter dragging ass? Is she sick?”

“I don’t know. She hasn’t said anything...but she has been acting a little odd, now that you mention it.”

“CAL, give me a complete medical evaluation of Corporal Bitter.”

The message he received was not what he had been expecting.

You have got to be joking.

“Sergeant, we have a bit of a problem. I fully admit that I never saw this one coming.”

“What is it?” she inquired.

“It would appear the Corporal is...how shall I say...with child.”

Despite the camouflage, Trent could see the wheels spinning.

“That ensign we caught her with.”

“It would appear so. Though the paternity of the baby seems to be bit of a moot point, wouldn’t you say?”

“Yeah, particularly since when he pops through Alpha Gate he will have a nine year old kid waiting for him. And to him, it will have only been a month.”

Anna will be about twenty herself.

“I bet few people will be as shocked as Bitter was when she figured it out, or will be if she doesn’t know. I’m guessing that she didn’t see this in the cards.”

“What does that mean?”

“Remember what I said about personnel files being incomplete back on the
Commerce
?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, since you’re her sergeant, I can tell you. You are granted full access to her file.” He grinned. “Before coming along this adventure, the Corporal here was married...to a woman. She’s a lesbian, at least that’s what her file says. This is why just because I read her file, I couldn’t have seen the thing with the ensign coming. People are more complicated than files.”

“I see your point,” Roth said as Bitter caught up to them.

Trent said, “Oh, Corporal Bitter.”

“Yes,” she sucked in and exhaled a deep breath, “sir.”

“We need to have a little chat about the birds and the bees.”

The confused look Roth imagined was now on Bitter’s face caused her to burst out laughing.

***

With the mountains firmly behind them, the unit again dove deep into the cover and protection offered by the forest. CAL estimated another hundred kilometers remained, but moving more cautiously this final distance would take the longest to cross. 

Midway through the third day beyond the range, Trent was running point when CAL flashed a warning.

Alert: Movement ahead.

Without pause, he stopped and knelt down. He held a fist in the air, signaling the others to do the same.

“CAL, full scan on the movement.”

In a forest full of life, this process repeated itself dozens of time. Warning, stop, scan, and then proceed after CAL determined it was just another mindless animal. Trent expected the same result this time.

Scan complete. Enemy position ahead. Proceed with caution!

With his fist still in air, Trent changed the sign, ordering everyone to take cover, quietly sending forty-eight slightly blurred images moving behind rocks, trees, and bushes.

“CAL, ping the unit to let them know we have enemy contact. Ping Captain Jones, Sergeant Gabriel, and Lieutenant Simms to meet me up front.”

Three blurs cautiously made their way to Trent, where he waited behind a large boulder.

“What’s the situation, Major?” Jones asked.

“CAL says we have three Bearcats up ahead, about eighty meters. It doesn’t appear as if they know we’re here.”

Simms asked, “Should we try to sneak around them?”

Jones said, “I don’t like that idea, Major. They might run into us later. If they see or hear any of us, all they have to do is call it in to their base.”

“Agreed, Captain. We take care of them here and now while we have the advantage.”

Gabriel asked, “Should we take one alive?”

“We can’t handle prisoners. We’ll save that objective for the assault on their base. Here’s the plan.”

Trent took a moment to consider his options, which were few. He drew in a deep breath and released it.

“Captain, you stay here. Keep everyone quiet and under cover. Carefully arrange a defensive position just in case. Have a squad ready for rush support in case I call. Gabriel and Simms, you’re with me.”

“Sir,” Jones interrupted, “shouldn’t I lead the attack? It’s unorthodox for the commanding officer to leave the bulk of the unit behind to lead a small raiding party.”

“I appreciate your objections, and you’re right, this isn’t by the book. Nothing about this mission is by the book. I want to get a look first hand at the enemy to see what I can learn about them.”

“Understood, sir. We’ll have your back.”

“I know you will. Here’s their position.” Trent used his finger to draw the plan in the orange tinted dirt. “I want you, Gabriel, to approach on my left, about ten meters away from me. Simms, I want you to do the same on my right. CAL will keep an open link between us so we can coordinate. We’ll call our shots and fire at the same time. If all goes well, they won’t know anything happened until they’re dead. You got it.”