AMP Rebellion (14 page)

The detonation of a TIG sealed the Major's fate. York thrust her battle knife into the Dakar's lower chest as she again covered his scream with her free hand. After a quick twist she was on the next Dakar with Frost on her heals.

The local Dakar were quickly dispatched. I again gave the command to clean the area and again the bodies were stuffed out of site.

I spoke, "Everybody take a solid position and take five. I'm calling in for status and to let the Colonel know we are almost ready. Anyone else have anything we should report?"

Frost spoke, "Tell 'em York bagged a Durian! The Ghouls will love that!"

I nodded to Frost and got on the comm. The Colonel was alerted to our new position and began to stage his men for an assault. I sat back against a wall to rest. Rodriguez sat next to me with her AK at the ready.

Rodriguez spoke, "Can we take off the suppressors Sir. I kind of miss the noise."

I spoke up, "Suppressors off everyone. We aren't going to need them anymore. From here on it's going to be all out. Check your clips and once this starts I want a TIG out every two minutes. I don't care who’s it is. Just keep them coming. And one at a time as we have our limits."

I let out a sigh as the nervous energy began to build. There was a garrison of Dakar on Uriah-5. We were about to piss them all off. I took my rest while it was available.

The hallway floor was cold and hard. I remembered playing on it as a kid. The hallways of the Grid were familiar to me, like an old friend come to visit. We were four minutes into our five minute rest when Frig came on the comm.

He had status of the Dakar force just below us. As he talked, a Dakar soldier rounded the corner of an adjacent hallway to the one we occupied.

The Dakar let out a scream. "Huuummmaaaannnnss!!!"

Frost quickly ended his song.

Commotion could be heard from two levels below as the Dakar forces were now aware of something happening from just above their position. Commands were screamed as soldiers assembled and began their march up the ramp.

Rodriguez spoke, "Sir, now would be a good time to let the Colonel know he has his distraction. If there are several hundred garrisoned there we are going to have a tough go of it waiting on the Colonel."

I replied as I removed the suppressor from my AK, "Unfortunately Maria, I think we would be ecstatic with several hundred. The latest scan from Frig put that number at over a thousand. We were supposed to alert the Colonel 'before' we attacked. We have no choice but to hold now!"

I continued, "Everyone! Listen up! Take off those suppressors and let's make some noise! It may help the Colonel get here sooner if they don't hear him coming. And keep in mind, they can't come any faster than those stairwells and ramps let them. We have the high ground, the weapons and the information. We know them, but they don't know us. And make every shot count; our ammo supply has definite limits!"

Frost spoke, "TIG away!"

Pop!

As the first Dakar soldiers came into view on the stairwell Corporal Mendez and Private Hallis opened up.

Ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak!

The troops on the stairwell came to a halt as they pulled back their wounded. The soldiers on the ramp continued their slow climb.

Frost spoke as she squatted just back from the stairwell rail, "Wait for it. Wait... Ahhhhiiiieee!!!"

At the same instant Frost, Rodriguez and York all rose and charged down the ramp.

Ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak!

Mendez leaned in as I looked on at the female tornado moving down the ramp. "It’s frightening Sir. I will be having nightmares about those three!"

I stood and fired four rounds at the Dakar who were again attempting to move up the stairwell.

Ak-ak-ak-ak!

Several seconds later, bright flashes could be seen from below. The three women of my squad were taking laser fire. As they came storming back up the ramp, yelling and waving their arms, I stood and pulled out a standard grenade. The pin was yanked and the grenade thrown down the ramp just over the girls heads. It skidded repeatedly off the outer ramp wall as it went.

Booom!

Screams could be heard from below as we made our retreat towards Uriah-8. Mendez popped off another standard grenade as we ran.

Booom!

Again screams of agony could be heard as the shrapnel took its toll. When we reached the eighth level York grabbed the edge of the wall and spun herself around in the doorway to face the oncoming horde of Dakar.

York spoke, "Sir! We need to take a defensive position or they are going to run us up and into certain trouble. There will be reinforcements coming down from above, probably within minutes. We need to stake out our claim and hold it Sir!"

I concurred and the squad quickly took a defensive position around the Uriah-8 doorway.

I turned and gave Mendez an order, "Check those doors and see if there is an open room. I want a place to fall back to if we have to."

Mendez replied as he turned away, "Yes Sir!"

The battle suddenly quieted as the Dakar force approached our position. York pitched a grenade over the stairwell rail. Screams could be heard from below as Dakar troops attempted to scatter.

Booom!

Laser pulses were soon striking the walls just in front of our position as the Dakar on the ramp continued their climb. Two more grenades were loosed, followed shortly after with a new TIG.

Booom! Booom! Pop!

York turned as the Dakar once again regrouped. "Sir, just aim for the center of their torso, that's the biggest target and it seems to do the trick. As far as a fighting species goes Sir, they ain't very hardy!"

As York turned back, a Dakar laser bolt came upwards, searing off her right arm just below the shoulder. The arm fell to the ramp floor and began to slowly roll away. York fell backwards looking at her missing arm in disbelief. The laser cut had been clean, cauterizing the wound as it severed her arm.

York leaned forward in an attempt to grab her rolling arm. A second Dakar laser bolt then sliced off her other arm as she stretched it outward, grasping for her first. The second arm began to roll down the ramp after the first as York fell forward, banging her forehead on the floor. Frost grabbed York by the legs and pulled her back behind the doorway opening.

As Diane York’s arms rolled down the ramp the Dakar opened fire with their lasers, chopping the rolling arms into smaller pieces, which themselves began to roll faster.

Two more grenades went down the ramp, again halting the Dakar advance.

Booom! Booom!

York rolled over and sat up. "Maria, can you reach my arms?"

Rodriguez replied, "Oh no. I'm sorry Honey, but those arms aren't coming back. We'll get you fitted with some nice prosthetics when we get back."

York replied with a distressed look on her face, "Well what am I supposed to do with these short stumps in the meantime? I can't fight like this!"

Maria replied, "Honey. You gotta sit back and chill. Mendez! Get her up and back into that room!"

Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak!

The Dakar continued their slow advance. We had no view down the staircase as our position by the door restricted our sight. As Mendez stood York up, two Dakar soldiers popped their heads over the stairwell rail and fired their lasers, sheering both of York's legs off at just above the knees. She fell to the floor as her once attached legs folded underneath her.

Ak-ak-ak-ak!

The Dakar soldiers fell backwards on the stairwell as Rodriguez pitched a grenade in after them. At that moment the Dakar advance ground to a halt as gunfire could be heard coming from below. The Colonel and his men were moving up.

I got on the comm. "Frig! I need you to open a portal on Uriah-8. We need to send York through."

Frig replied, "I need an exact location Sir. Precisely where are you?"

I replied, "We are in the doorway of Uriah-8. But we have a room across the hall, looks like U8206. Can you open it inside that room?"

Frig replied, "Give me a moment to calibrate Sir and I will have it open. Prepare York for transfer."

As the others held our position at the door I scooped what remained of Sergeant Diane York up into my arms and heaved her onto my shoulder. Once in the room I waited for the portal to open. Mendez came up behind me with York's severed legs.

I raised Frig on the comm. "You got anyone on that side to give you a hand? We are going to have to pass her through to you."

Frig replied, "I have two men here to help Sir. Just be careful that she doesn't touch a side."

York spoke, "Well this is about as embarrassing as it gets Sir. I'm being passed around like sack of gear. And Mendez! Be careful with those legs! I want those reattached!"

When the portal widened to its largest size I passed York through to the hands on the other side. Mendez passed through the first leg. As he passed the second through the portal closed around it, touching it briefly on the side. The leg was instantly frozen as it came in contact with the absolute zero temperature of the outer edge of the portal.

York yelled through, "Mendez! I am going to kick your ass when I catch up to you!"

Mendez smiled as he looked through the small portal at York and her stumps. "Sorry Diane, but you won't be kicking it with that leg. Hahahaha!"

As the portal closed I turned to Mendez. "Wow. That was a pretty cruel joke to make when she just lost all her limbs."

Mendez replied, "Sir, York doesn't give a crap about that. She's just embarrassed that she had to leave the field of battle. She has always fought until the end Sir. The trauma of leaving is what's weighing on her mind."

Rodriguez called out, "We need some help out here! They are coming back!"

Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak-ak! Ak-ak-ak-ak-ak!

I took up a firing position from the room doorway that offered a covered advantage when it came to defending the stairwell. I pitched my remaining TIGs and grenades to Rodriguez as she, Frost and the others continued to hold the Dakar off through the doorway.

Several minutes passed before I was startled by a hand on my shoulder. "Sir, Dirk Stanton, we have eight coming through the portal along with supplies. Tell us where you need us Sir."

I replied, "Glad to have you here Dirk. Take three each and start moving down the hallway in either direction. Find a good spot to defend and take up a position. Put the other two on this door, one up on this chair so he has a view down into that stairwell. Have him shoot anything that moves."

The ends of the hallway were soon defended and I carried a supply of TIGs and grenades to my team.

Rodriguez spoke, "They are pushing hard Sir, but taking heavy casualties. If they get up enough guts to rush us we are in trouble."

I replied as I sat four packs of grenades on the floor behind us, "We have supplies. What do you say to us coating that ramp and stairwell with grenades? If we start to run short we can ask for more. We may not get any more, but we can ask."

The pins were pulled on six grenades. Screams could be heard after the detonations began. The Dakar advance came to an immediate halt as the onslaught of grenades continued. As the Dakar attempted to regroup we began to move down the ramp. The grenade assault continued.

Frost spoke, "Sir, looks like they are moving down. This might be a good time for one of York's rampage charges. If we can keep them scattered I think we can push them all the way down to Uriah-5. That could give the Colonel the break he needs to get up that ramp."

I replied, "You heard the lady people! Let's move! And keep those grenades flying. I want to see Uriah-5 in five!"

The squad got to its feet and began to force our way down the ramp. As we rounded the ramp swirl to the Dakar's previous position it was a sight of horror. Dakar blood and guts lined the walls and ran in streaks down the ramp. The walls and floor were pock-marked with indentations from the grenades. Whatever substance the Grid was made of was tough. It had lasted us for a thousand years; minor damage was not going to change that.

Injured soldiers had been left behind as the overwhelmed Dakar troops moved down the ramp towards the safety of their larger force. Prisoners were not taken as we advanced. A large number of bodies had been piled up along the inner rail of the ramp. The Dakar had been taking a severe beating in their attempts to push us up the ramp.

Mendez spoke, "Sir, that's Uriah-7. I suggest we ask Stanton to send two of his men down to secure that hallway."

I took Mendez' suggestion and two Marines came down to guard the doorway as we continued pushing downward. Resistance began to pick up as we approached Uriah-6. Halfway down the ramp our progress stopped. Laser fire began to pick up.

Frost spoke, "Sir, we are down to our last satchel of grenades. It's time we had a resupply if possible. These will be gone in a few minutes. And I don't like the number of laser blasts we have coming up that ramp Sir. I would say they are beginning to pick up a lot of support."

I replied, "We need to push through this last blockage Frost. We only need to disrupt their defense down there for a few seconds to give the Colonel time to take that doorway. If he can push them back into that hallway he can hold the trans-way and move his whole force forward. I am open to suggestions as to how we accomplish this last push."

I raised Frig on the comm, "Frig, we are hitting big resistance going from level seven down to six. Got any suggestions?"

Frig was silent for a moment and replied, "I will see what I can do. How are your supplies holding up?"

I replied, "We are beginning to run low. One of Stanton's men is bringing down the last two satchels now. That should give us another five or six minutes, then, we are out."

Frig turned to the other men in his lab for a discussion. When he was done talking to them he turned back and pressed the comm button. "Sir, I will do another drop of supplies on Uriah-7. Following that we will attempt a disruption on Uriah-5. I will coordinate the timing with you and the Colonel so that you might make a push at the same time. I will let you know when our surprise is imminent."

I replied, "Sounds good. Just make it quick because they are beginning to push back hard on us."

Mendez continued with a grenade every fifteen seconds. The searing bolts of laser fire continued to scar the wall of the ramp, moving ever closer to our position as the Dakar pushed upwards.

Stanton's men then backed into the doorway behind us.

Sergeant Horn yelled out, "Sir! We have a couple dozen Dakar advancing down the hallway! We have to move back up the ramp Sir!"

Horn pitched a grenade down the hallway in each direction.

Booom! Booom!

I yelled as I stood to move back, "Enemy coming from the halls! Let's get started back up the ramp! We can't hold this position. As we began to move up the ramp I glanced back at the doorway as a portal materialized. Four satchels of grenades dropped through before I could get on the comm.

I spoke, "Frig! Stop the supplies! That position has been overrun. We are moving back up to eight. Try to resupply us there."

Frig replied, "Sorry for the delay Sir. We lost a generator on our end. I have had to siphon power from the ship to open this portal."

I hesitated on the swirl of the ramp where I still had a view of the satchels of grenades laying on the floor by the Uriah-7 door.