The Battle for the Ringed Planet (16 page)

“A little scuffed up for spit and polish, fleet … where’s your Hawkeye?”

“It blew up real good.” He winked at Siiri.

“That was your little show earlier?”

“Trigger happy ‘God of War’ thought we were the enemy.”

 “Aren’t they all …” then the marine caught Siiri watching with a curious expression, “What are you staring at?” The blonde haired girl shrunk back behind Torian at the sudden harsh tone.

“Easy, she’s had it rough.”

“Yeah? I just lost my company.”

“What happened?”

“How should I know? They just clamp me inside. All I heard was something about coming around and then a nose dive.”

“You entered city air space, there’s a shield. I’m sorry about your friends, but I can relate.”

“Don’t matter, I transferred companies 2 days ago, didn’t know them well.”

The young man in the dirty blue flight suit extended his hand, “I’m Specialist First Class Torian McCallum.”

“Right, private slick sleeve May Xiong here…” she waved his hand away, “so what’s her story, she ain’t military.”

“Did they tell you everyone was dead down here?”

“It ain’t true, I gather.” May snorted.

“I’m Siiri Lauronen, you’re …”

“What, you never seen yellow before?” the tall woman snarled.

Torian turned and stared at the wreck as Siiri stammered, clearly intimidated by the tall female soldier, “I … I’m sorry, not in person …”

“Listen May, we’ll be heading south where I think our lines are located. You can come with, but we won’t be staying there.”

“Where else is there to go?”

“Siiri and I are going to find out how to deactivate the shield around the city.”

“The two of you?” May was skeptical.

“That’s right, we have intel, but only she can do it.”

“What kind of shield is it that kills everyone except me? And, well I guess you two.”

Siiri glanced at Torian, who remarked, “It’s complicated and I don’t understand it. Now if you’re a poster soldier and want to go back to your unit …”

“I’m not really looking forward to going back there, if that’s what you mean.”

“We could use you, it might be dangerous.”

“And desert? They dump you out of an airlock for that.”

“Not if we get the codes for the shield, and show them the tunnels underneath. You might get a nice big gong out of it.”

“Like I need one of those, but technically you outrank me.”

Laughing Torian started towards the crashed Spacemaster, “It’s up to you.” Siiri ran to catch up with the young man glancing at May nervously.

“Tunnels?” She walked behind the two.

“They’re under the city, and they lead to the Outlawed Lands.” Siiri added, glancing back.

Approaching the huge spacecraft, with the box shaped rear angled high in the air, the nose buried in pavement, Torian put his hands on his hips. Smoke rose from the crumbled cockpit in the front and one of the engine nacelles underneath.

“Torian, you’re not going in there, are you?” Siiri voiced concerned.

“Don’t look at me, there’s a 100 dead bodies inside.” May folded her arms.

“He just lost all of his friends on the Callisto.” The blonde haired girl shot back.

With a touch of annoyance, Torian sighed, “We need supplies and weapons. May, how did you get out?”

“Door on the other side.”

“Ok, I’ll be right back.”

“Be careful, Torian.” Siiri called after him.

“Come on blondie.” May started following.

Around the other side of the stricken vessel a few meters from the shattered glass doors of the main shopping center entrance with the statue of a blue heron overhead, Torian dropped his pack and climbed up indented steps to a small door that hung open.

May and Siiri stood watching and the tall dark olive skinned women spoke, “So, how long have you known him?”

“Um … since yesterday morning.”

“He found you?”

“It’s a long story …”

“There are more of you? Surviving city dwellers?”

“Yes, but they are hiding now.”

Torian appeared in the entrance, “Here!” Siiri immediately stepped up and he handed her down two assault rifles and green web belts with magazines, “Got some more in a minute. One of those rifles is yours, attach your Con.”

“What about our signature?”

“Well …” he scanned the sky from the doorway, “I figure we’re close enough to our lines and fighters can’t get us. Enemy artillery may be, but they’re more interested where the marines are landing.”

“Ok, Torian.”

“Be back in a moment.” he ducked inside the wrecked spacecraft.

The tall tan skinned marine watched Siiri work with the assault rifle, “So you spent the night?”

Siiri checked her Con, “Yes.”

“Ah, I get it.”

“No! We didn’t sleep together!”

“Why not, he’s cute.”

“I just met him.”

The dark eyed girl shrugged, “Just asking,” and she grinned a little.

They waited in silence for a moment while Torian worked inside, and then Siiri glanced at May, “How did you become a marine? I mean, Torian was conscripted, was it the same for you?”

“No, I had a choice.” then May laughed.

“What’s funny?”

“Serve 3 earth years in the marines or 5 in prison.”

“Oh…” Siiri replied in a small voice, “You were a criminal?”

“That’s right.”

Just then, Torian appeared in the doorway again with two marine backpacks and bedrolls and Siiri stepped closer reaching up to take one. He then climbed down.

“It’s really bad in there.” he coughed and bent over for a moment breathing in the fresh air, then he retched a bit, spitting up on the cracked pavement.

“Torian, are you all right?” the blonde young woman touched his shoulder.

“I think so. It was hot in there, and all the bodies were bloating.” then he knelt beside the back packs, bedrolls and rifles, “Siiri, take off your backpack.” He opened one of the marine packs and started taking out excess equipment.

“Robbing the dead?” May remarked.

“Do you have all your equipment?” he snapped at the marine.

“Yes sir!”

“Don’t officer me.” shaking his head he reached over and helped Siiri with the contents of the marine backpack, “We don’t need that, here, take this one and put on the combat webbing with the ammo pouches.” Then he handed her some magazines, “No grenades for you.” He clipped a couple of the round green objects on his webbing belt.

“Can she shoot one of those?” May peered at the blonde girl wielding the deadly weapon with skepticism.

“She’s already earned her combat medal.” Torian replied dryly and Siiri glimpsed up with a distant look.

With the green, black, and brown camouflaged backpack, webbing, bedroll, and coal black assault rifle, Siiri looked weighted down, but as Torian adjusted the straps she didn’t show any strain.

May nodded with approval, “Stronger than I thought, blondie.”

When Torian finished with his own equipment and weapon he checked Siiri’s rifle and nodded with approval pleased that she had assembled the Con correctly, “Targeting is the same as the pistol.”

“For a space jockey, you know a lot about marine stuff.”

“I started out as a marine before I was pulled out for the LRRS gig.”

“Oh? Which unit?”

“2nd Battalion, 7th Confederation Marines.”

“Red Devils, I heard of them …tough outfit.”

Wearing camouflaged webbing and green backpack straps over his navy blue flight suit, he chuckled, “Not like the Dragons...”

“He is tough.” Siiri added.

“And I bet that’s the way you like them,” May winked at the girl who then turned a shade of red.

Growing impatient Torian started for the shopping mall entrance, “Let’s find that tunnel.”

Six sliding glass doors under the statue of a Blue Heron were all smashed so entry into the mall was not an issue as boots crunched fragments. Inside they illuminated the darkness with small but extremely bright flashlights while the two military personnel and Siiri studied their Cons embedded in their deadly assault rifles.

The hallway of the shopping center, devoid of human remains, lined with shops sealed with metal bars covering the glass display windows, had been looted many times. A few of the gates covering display windows had been smashed and contents of some stores spilled out into the hall while others had been completely pillaged. All three walked through the abandoned corridors, stopping occasionally as creatures, rats and raccoons, scurried passed.

“Holotorium that way and food court upstairs,” May noted from her Con.

“I could use a burger right about now.” Torian grumbled.

In the center of the large shopping complex, there were signs of recent activity, containers and packaging lay about from the stores carried to a large round area. Above was a huge cone-like shattered glass ceiling with statues of blue herons flying still hanging and on the floor a geyser like fountain, long dry.

May placed the butt of her rifle on her hip, “Looks like this was some place at one time. Bring your kids shopping …” then she stopped in mid sentence glancing around with a sad expression. The tall woman lowered the rifle and sat on the edge of the fountain with a far away look.

Momentarily puzzled watching May, Torian turned his attention to a door on one side of the central hub where many plastic and rotting cardboard boxes were piled, “That looks like it.”

While May sat staring up at the lifeless Blue Herons, forever suspended Siiri moved closer to Torian and whispered, “I don’t like her.”

“I’m sure she grows on you after a while … a long while.”

“She had to join the marines or go to jail for a crime.”

Raising his brows, Torian remarked quietly, “Really? I heard some worlds do that, force criminals to enlist. Not Kanata. Then again, if I refused, they would have sent me to jail anyway.” Then May let out a long sigh and got to her feet walking over towards Siiri and Torian.

“Well?” the tall brown almond eyed marine stood next to Torian, with her long black hair hanging loose after removing her helmet and attaching it to her webbing.

“That door, stairs, but it’s sealed from the other side,” he pointed to a metal door with no handles.   

“Then shoot it.”

“I was going to let Siiri do the honors, she could use the practice.”

“Well, blondie, we’re waiting.”

Standing a good ten meters from the target the slim girl aimed the charcoal black rifle and fired a short burst, disintegrating the door.

May nodded with approval, “Like a pro, want my spot when we get back to the lines?”

“No thanks.”

Torian was already ahead of them kicking blackened metal fragments and shining his light down the stairs, “Come on.”

All three descended into another room in the basement and wound their away following drag marks of equipment hauled away by Siiri’s people until they found another locked door. Blasting that away, more practice for the blue-eyed girl, they finally found the tunnel and stepped down with flashlights attached to their rifles brightening the way. In single file, Torian led in front with Siiri right behind glancing back warily at May who had to duck due to her height. After close to an hour pangs of hunger interrupted his train of thought and he looked back.

“Anyone hungry?” he asked.

“Starving.” Siiri replied.

“Yeah, what she said.”

Against the smooth walls of the tunnel, they all slumped down pulling out rations from the marine backpacks. Torian rifled through his pack and then groaned.

“What?” Siiri glanced over.

“I forgot that these are Dragon Marine rations.”

“Mmmm, yummy for my tummy.” May grinned.

“Let’s see … rice with chicken, rice with pork, rice with crab meat, rice with shrimp …I hate rice. Don’t you people eat regular food like steak and potatoes; I mean how do you get so big?”

“Missed that lecture on cultural sensitivity, Space Jockey?”

“No, I’m pretty sure I slept through it.” he dug around in his back pack and then leaned over and checked inside Siiri’s pack, “I know I had some rations from the Hawkeye … here…Mmm, beef stew.”

“That will make you fat,” the marine remarked.

“No, it will make me full.”

Siiri giggled watching the two of them, “What does the rice taste like?”

“Here, this is rice and shrimp, you’ll love it,” May handed her a brown cube.

“Don’t corrupt her,” Torian warned as he pulled out a small metal tube about ten centimeters long and a square plasteel bowl for his mess kit. He took out the small beef stew cube from a clear packet and inserted it in the top of the tube holding his square bowl underneath. When he pushed a button on the side it vibrated and out the other end came out steaming hot chunky beef and potatoes in gravy filling up his bowl. The dark haired marine inserted a cube in the mini-food processor and filled her mess kit with steaming chunks chicken with rice in a sauce.

“All right, how does this all work?” Siiri held up the cube May gave her and several clear packets each containing three other cubes inside and writing on the outside.

“You got a main meal, a fruit, and a drink, coffee or juice.” Torian showed her, “And this is the processor.” He held up the tube that came with each ration box.

After she filled her mess kit with the rice and shrimp, Siiri dug in with a spoon, “This is good! How could you not like this Torian?”

“It’s political.” May grinned.

Looking confused Siiri swallowed another bite, “I don’t understand.”

“Half of earth eats red meat, wheat, and potatoes, and the other, the healthier half, eats fish, chicken, pork and rice.” she pointed with her spoon, “His planet supplies half of all the wheat and a good fraction of the potatoes and barley for earth and the colonies and my planet supplies rice. Isn’t that right, Space Jockey?”

“I think you flunked your galactic economics class.”

“And you probably slept through yours.”

Chapter 12: Tortured Soul

After dinner, they felt better and spirits were higher. Passing a couple of tunnel branches Torian kept south, but was surprised at how huge the spider web of passages spread under the city, some above and others below the sewer system. A couple of hours later they were under the southern outskirts of the city.