Aeris - Guardian Force - 4. Act 2 – Prelude to War Part 2

Chapter 9:

The flight to the surface of the planet was delayed but without any major incidents. Aeris wasn’t sure if Doctor Thomas had purposely stalled them, or being overly cautious. After the Prometheus made orbital geo-sync, Ops reported a surge of an unidentifiable energy source coming from the central tower of the target city. After reviewing, Doctor Thomas reported it was the same energy source encountered on Vargus, and “was nothing to be concerned about.” Still, Aeris couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

The assault shuttle touched down east of the city. Fireteam Phoenix, led by Aeris was the first to depart the shuttle, followed by the rest of the First squad. Aeris stood out from his squad mates wearing his Guardian Force armor, but the Stellar Marine Corps were decked out for battle as well. All of them wore environmental, light power armor, which enhanced their strength, reflexes, and assisted with jumping/climbing with mini-jet thrusters; however Aeris’ contained state of the art sensors, and enhancements the standard troop armor lacked.

“Fan out, set a perimeter around the shuttle. Second squad, on deck, and move out on my mark,” Aeris commanded over the Tactical Network.

“Mark!” The second squad moves quickly down the ramp and takes up positions where the first squad already was, relieving them of sentry duty. Being relieved, the first squad fans out and investigates the immediate drop zone area. The landing is large enough for four of the standard assault shuttles sitting in a diamond formation, with room to spare all around. It dwarfs the lone shuttle, which sits in the middle of the clearing. Trees of a variety that resembled Maples, surrounds the field, with some disused buildings off to the north, and west towards the “airfield.”

Fireteam Phoenix moves ahead along the roadway, stopping every so often to examine their surroundings. “All clear to the tree line,” Aeris radios back. “Second Squad will escort the science team behind us, at a thirty-minute lag. Phoenix we’re on point, the rest of the First squad, will flank us at 50 meters north and south.”

The roadway continues on into the forest of familiar, yet exotic flora. The trees resembled Maple, Pine, Oak, and Dear Ear, but have different hues than the norm. Vibrant Reds, Blue, and Purple, intermixed with Earth-standard Green created a forest that looked like it could have been dropped into any toddler’s cartoon show. Passing under the canopy, they started seeing signs of life. A “creature” that looked like a Dragonfly, flew from one bush to another in the underbrush. However, this one was a foot long and had a wicked looking stinger at the tail. “Dr. Thomas and Prometheus… I’m sending a video uplink to you now,” Aeris radioed.

“We’re receiving the link,” Lt. Danvers replied from orbit.

Aeris resumed walking in an orderly search pattern with the rest of his Fireteam, as they made the trek towards the City’s Center. Stopping randomly to scan the area around them, it was slow going for the next hour it took to reach the outskirts of buildings. Passing into what looked like an industrial zone; Aeris orders his team to scan the buildings as they pass along.

“Commander Aeris,” Private Jeffers says over the TacNet, “These buildings are empty. This one here looks to be made of a single piece of concrete and it seamlessly transitions to glass for windows. Scans are showing no cracks, or fault lines. Looks clean as a whistle too, unlike those buildings by the airfield. Detecting energy, but the main door is secure.”

“Noted, let’s keep moving squad.”

~.~

Five hours pass, as the two squads, and the science team all make their way to the central tower. The city’s center appears to be an obvious governmental zone, with what looks like several different businesses and government offices, around the central spire that towers above all other buildings. The sleek designs of the buildings show a building plan boarder lining on obsessive, which stood in contrast to the reclaimed outskirts. So far all the buildings had shown the same features: perfect geometrical patterns, clean and unscathed, seemingly made from one continuous material type, which flowed into other types. All were powered by that strange energy source. All were locked.

“Someone sealed these buildings, like a Jovian girl’s pussy.” One of the Privates said, nervously.

“Knock off the chatter. Remember we have ears in the sky. Don’t embarrass the Corp in front of those Fleet tugboat fliers.” The Sergeant rebukes.

“Sorry, Serge.”

Aeris knew they were nervous. He was as well. A plaza sat before the central tower, framed by greenery, and dotted with memorials. Aeris cautiously approached one that had alien writing upon it. The same alien writing he saw on Vargus. “Prometheus, this is Aeris. Call off the launch of the other search squads, recommend going to combat condition, Charlie. Second Squad and Science team hunker down and wait for immediate evac from our landing shuttle. Shuttle command, pick them up immediately and return to orbit. Prometheus, launch us a pickup shuttle now.”

A chorus of overlapping commands and acknowledgments ring in his ears as the humans all spring into action. “First squad fall back to the plaza, and set up defensive positions,” he orders in the chaos. The Fireteams converge at the plaza, in less than five minutes. “We’re missing two from First Squad. Has anyone seen Private Jeffers and Corporal Sullivan?”

“Negative, sir; no one has seen them since we broke to scout the area. Those two were to check out the other side of the tower,” the Sergeant from earlier replied.

“Damn it… First Squad, let’s go find them, or what happened,” Aeris ordered. “Prometheus, we have a situation on the ground. Two members are missing, searching for them now.”

“Rodger Commander, I’ll have your retrieval bird on standby, and routing two fighters to cover your location,” Lt. Danvers replied.

“You need me up there,” Dr. Thomas broke into the TacNet that Aeris was using with the ship in Orbit. “I can help with the search.”

Aeris kept his anger in check, as he ran in covering formation with the remaining soldiers of First Squad to the rear of the central tower. Using, his neural network to access a private channel with Doctor Thomas, Aeris replied in a calm but assertive voice, “Alright Shane, no bullshit. What the hell is going on? What haven’t you told us? And by God, if you knew something and withheld it and these soldiers are dead… I don’t care how much we’ve slept together and what I feel for you, you will pay.”

“I know you’re mad Aeris…”

“Cut the shit, and answer the questions, Shane. Or, you’ll be taking the trip back to orbit under arrest.”

“Fine,” he paused, “you already cost me my marriage, why not my career, and freedom. FleetCom, and I deciphered the alien language on Vargus, enough that we have a working knowledge of how to read it, and communicate. We even cracked into one of the devices we found. Yes, it was a type of computer and some sort of Matter Transference device. Though we could never get that to function. The best we learned was that Vargus was part of a networked series of planets, and that was some sort of retreat. Like a vacation destination. The last time it was used was the day the colonists disappeared, and this planet was the destination.”

Rounding the corner, Aeris and the remaining soldiers of First Squad, come to a halt, and survey their surroundings, “Anything else, Doctor?”

“Nothing that can’t wait for a less stressful time.”

Switching back to the full TacNet, Aeris relays his commands. “Request denied Doctor Thomas. You’re too valuable to risk. Use a remote connection to observe. Second Squad, make sure the good Doctor is protected till you get back to the ship. First Squad, fan out 2x2, search pattern delta. Use mini-drones.” Aeris shuffles ahead gesturing two soldiers to follow him.

~*~

*Something is wrong,* the Pilot comments, *Look at how those smaller ships are being recalled, and those two look like attack craft headed for entry.*

The alien Doctor watches from his command station. He nods to his companion in agreement but does not engage in conversation. Instead, he taps into the feed from a stealth probe they launch, when the first shuttle landed. The feed is in crystal clarity, and real time, as it passes over the landing zone of the Human shuttle. He watches as the small Human patrol moves, ducking and covering to head behind the central tower, and how they are surveying their surroundings, *You’re right. They are pulling out, and quickly too. That armored one is different than the others. Check our database, and see if we’ve encountered it before.*

The Pilot, keys in a command, running the search, *Yes, Lord Doctor, we’ve encountered a Human in similar armor before. It was part of the second grouping we took from the Refuge the Humans defiled. The Science Division’s notes show it had physical enhancements, through implants and genetic modification. A true warrior among warriors… If you can say that about a Human.*

*It appears to be in charge of these vermin. Mark it collection, if it can be separated from the others, good. If not, then collect it in their midsts.*

*As you wish Lord Doctor.*

The alien doctor turns his attention back to the two specimens the Tower’s automated defense systems have already captured. Each of them, have been placed under a sleep spell, before being hooked up to an Automatic Research Station (ARS). *Hmm. This one has some significant implants. We’ll want them for further analyst after extraction.* He keys the device Corporal Sullivan was strapped on, to start its process of dissection, and extraction. The alien sits back and watches the live feed with a clinical detachment.

*I fitting end for a heretic warrior.*

Grunting a non-committal response was all the Doctor did, as he continued to issue directions to the ARS.

~*~

Gunnery Sergeant Raynes looked confused, now that the firefight was over. One moment he was following, Aeris and another squad mate, the next some strange drone came out of nowhere, tagged the Guardian Force officer with a light beam, and the next Aeris was missing in a surge of silver light. The drone, which appeared like a fixed wing bird of prey, then turned and open fired on his squad. They had brought it down, and are now collecting the tech, as S.O.P. dictated, but now he was worried. “Prometheus, this Gunnery Sergeant Raynes. I am now in command of the Ground forces. Something happened to Commander Aeris.”

“Gunny, this Admiral Franks. Define ‘something’?”

He related the full details of what happened, and the aftermath, “That’s it, Admiral. I got the boys here, hunkered down, but I’m gonna request an immediate reinforcement of forces…”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Dr. Thomas broke in, “that was a Matter Transportation beam Aeris was hit with. It’s what the Inhabitants on Vargus were spirited away with. He can be anywhere by now.”

“Alright. Gunny, hang tight. We’re sending in the Drop Ship, and pulling you all out. Dr. Thomas, you have a shit ton to explain when you get back on board,” Admiral Franks commanded.