Annihilation Saga IV - Fight and They Will Come Page 27

  “They figured out their rides aren’t available. When fleet took out their warships in orbit, they lost the means of being moved from a city they’ve conquered to a new one. They made the decision that they’d just walk to the next city and we caught them out in the open. They’re so accustomed to being indestructible that they made a huge mistake.” The squad looked at him and he saw they agreed with him. The platters were sitting ducks on the highways and thousands of them were massacred. Gibbon’s eyes narrowed as he smiled, “But all we did was take out the dumb ones. Those that are still alive are hiding in the cities they were attacking and we’re going to have to go in after them. Those platters are dangerous with a capital D!” He said with a pained expression.

  Gibbons looked across the three-miles at the towering spires of the defeated city. One thing about the platters, they didn’t leave any dead bodies to get in the way. All they left was a city vacant of life. Even the rodents and insects were consumed.

  “Sargent, everything in that city is dead. Why don’t we get fleet to collapse the buildings on them?”

  Gibbons turned to Private Agnof, “I know you don’t mind breaking a nail or two, Private. But finding them under the rubble is not something I’d want to do. They’ll have dug in and will come at you from the dirt under you. Besides, the Captain has heard that fleet is now neck deep in OA warships. Before this is over, the OAs may be collapsing those buildings on us.”

  Susan glanced at the city and turned back to Gibbons, “Why would we even go into the city if fleet loses this round.”

  “You need look no further than the platters that were caught out in the open; we’ll be sitting ducks for their warship’s blasters if we’re caught out in the open. If we go anywhere, we’ll teleport into a populated city and fight them there; maybe they won’t blast the city and lose their meal tickets.”

  Susan shrugged, and Mark Carter exhaled sharply, “Not all of us have your reflexes, Agnof.” Gibbons chuckled, Susan had taken out more platters than the rest of his squad combined. Boy she was fast! He was glad to have her. Gibbon’s expression turned neutral as he listened to his communicator. He exhaled slowly and said, “Agnof, you’re promoted to Sargent and will take command of this squad.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’ve just been given a battlefield promotion to Lieutenant and ordered to promote someone to replace me. The other four-squads in our platoon will be teleporting in to our location momentarily and I can’t hold your hands anymore. Get ready to move out, as soon as I get the platoon organized.”

  Susan pursed her lips and then shrugged, “Carter, you’ll take my place on the point.”

  “WHY ME?!”

  “Because your reflexes are as good as mine and you know it! I can’t be there and we’re depending on you to prevent a surprise from rearing its ugly head.”

  Mark sighed, “Yes, Sargent.”

  “The rest of you will split into two-four-man-lines and be prepared to move to the side instantly!”

  “What are you expecting, Sarge?” Private McKelvie asked.

  Susan smiled, “The Lieutenant was right. They’ll come at us from underground. I’ve activated my seismic sensors and if I tell you to scatter, do it! Or, you’ll be served on a platter. Better get something to eat while we have the time.” Sgt. Agnof sat down and took off her helmet. She began eating and wondered how many were going to make it out of that ghost city alive. She glanced to the left and right of her platoon and saw Red Warrior units teleporting in. It appeared Captain Tarangelo was moving the entire company into this sweep. She knew the…platters, she liked that name for the enemy better than OAs, were watching them. The element of surprise was gone. Oh, well. That’s a warrior’s life.

  • • •

  An hour later, the company was called into formation and Susan activated the squad’s frequency, “Now listen up and listen good! If I order a split, the two lines will move away from each other. The odd-numbered warriors in each line will turn and take on anything moving toward us from between our two-lines. The even-numbered warriors will face out from the center and fire at anything moving toward us, clear?!”

  The squad answered in unison, “YES, SARGENT.”

  “I’ve sent a coordinate to each of your teleport systems and if I tell you to BITE, DON’T WAIT!

  “YES, SARGENT!”

  “Mark, you can also issue the bite order if you detect something coming at us from in front of the squad.”

  “I’ll keep us out of trouble, Sargent.”

  “We’re depending on you, Mark!” Susan looked at the coordinates her squad was assigned and announced, “Teleport in thirty-seconds. Get in formation and move out immediately upon arrival.” Susan watched the countdown and then…her squad was inside the outer edge of the deserted city and moved quickly away from their point of arrival.

  • • •

  The squad moved quickly up the street and Susan saw that some of the squads were being attacked by platters coming out of the pavement under them. She ordered her squad to pick up the pace and they moved out ahead of the rest of Bravo Company. She saw the seismic sensor needle start moving out of the corner of her eye and shouted, “SPLIT!!”

  She went with the four-warriors to the left and Mark joined the four on the right. Suddenly, the street between the two-groups collapsed and platters rushed up out of the street. The even-numbered warrior faced the building on each side of the squad went to a kneeling position as they raised their Mag-Guns. Susan fired into the charging platters coming out of the street and, thank the one that constructed the Mag-Guns, they went to full-automatic and the charging, green platters were being blown back into the hole in the street. Suddenly, the warriors facing the buildings opened fire and Susan split her attention between the street and the buildings. The mass of huge green discs grew in numbers and Susan shouted, BITE!” The squad disappeared as a huge wave of platters rushed through their former position.

  The squad appeared a hundred-yards further up the street with one line facing toward the attackers and the other facing up the street ahead of them. Susan and Mark stayed between the ends of the lines facing the buildings. The Platters saw their target was now a hundred-yards further up the street and they turned and rushed toward the squad. Susan kept her kneeling position staring at the buildings, but nothing was coming out of them. She knew that if she turned to add her fire to the rear, if there were platters in the buildings, that was when they’re rush her squad. Noting was coming from the front of the squad and the seismic sensor was not moving. “Odd-numbers in the front, support the rear-line!” Two-warriors in the front-line turned and added their firepower to the rear line. The six-warriors were delivering a hail of projectiles into the charging platters and they were being blown back. Susan kept her focus on the building and saw Mark was doing the same. “Even-numbers on the front, be ready to support Mark and me.”

  The remaining two-warriors at the front of the formation waited and then the front glass from the buildings beside them shattered and Susan yelled, “NOW!”

  • • •

  The Platters would have overrun the squad if they had prepared to attack from the street in front of them…but they didn’t. It was over in moments. Hundreds of Platters were writhing in the streets and just outside the buildings. Susan saw the Platoon was in trouble and she ordered, “Original formation and move back!” The squad formed up and quickly ran back down the street and hit the attacking Platters from the rear. The Platters were caught in a devastating cross-fire and they hesitated. That small hesitation allowed the Platoon to reform and the carnage went to a higher level. The attack only lasted ten-minutes but more than two-hundred-Red-Warriors died. More than a thousand-platters were dead or writhing uncontrollably. The ones still alive were hit again and they stopped moving.

  Gibbons walked up to Susan and lowered his eyes, “Weren’t you concerned about ricochets hitting your squad, Sargent?”

  “Sir, if a Mag-Gun fires, it has a platter locked
in. We did what had to be done.”

  Gibbons smiled, “Send that formation you used to all of the warriors in the company.”

  “Yes, Sir.” Susan sent the recording out on the general frequency, as the Company reformed and started moving up the street. Susan saw the other squads were now using the formation she devised. The subterranean attacks by the Platters stopped an hour later. The Platters stayed in the buildings and the Red Warriors were being forced to go in to take them out.

  • • •

  Mark contacted Susan on the squad’s channel, “Sarge, Butch in the fourth Platoon tells me they just lost an entire squad.”

  “What happened?”

  “It appears the OAs had a large hole in the floor and waited for the squad to enter the main entrance. Once they were inside, they rushed up out of the hole and hundreds of them fell out of the ceiling on top of the squad.”

  “No one said they were dumb, Mark.”

  “Gibbons said we eliminated the dumb ones. How do we handle this?”

  Susan thought about it and called the squad over. She began issuing orders and looked at Makayla, “Can you do it?”

  “This involves impossible timing, Sarge!” Makayla replied.

  “That’s not an answer, private. Can you do it?”

  “Yes, Sargent.” Makayla looked at Private McKelvie, “You’ve got the back.” Al nodded and left running around the building with Private Lein. Susan looked at her and put her hand on Makayla’s shoulder, “We’ll just keep at it until we get it right, OK?”

  Makayla nodded and looked at Hank. He smiled and said, “Piece of cake.”

  The remaining six-members of third-squad went to the front of the building and paused at the entrance. Susan saw the seismic needed wavering back and forth and knew there was underground activity inside the building. She nodded to them and entered the buildings entrance with their Mag-Guns raised. They arrived in the middle of the huge lobby and stopped. Suddenly, hundreds of Platters came out of the floor and the high ceiling above them collapsed. Susan watched the Platters rushing in on them and she shouted, “BITE!”

  Makayla heard the order and yelled, “FIRE!” Two-seconds later she yelled, “BITE!”

  The Platters arrived in the center of the lobby, only to find the Red Warriors had disappeared. The Platters falling in from the ceiling landed on the ones in the lobby, just as the huge building collapsed on top of them. Makayla’s team had simultaneously cut the four-main-support-girders fifteen-feet off the ground with their shoulder blasters. The building fell straight down on top of the Platters still in the lobby.

  Susan watched the seismic needle and it wasn’t moving. If any Platters survived the falling building, they weren’t digging. The squad had teleported two-hundred yards up the street from the falling building and Captain Tarangelo teleported in a moment later, “Sargent, do you mind telling me why you just wasted a perfectly good building?” Susan told him and Tarangelo started laughing. He looked at Susan and said, “Carry on, Sargent.” He looked around and said, “This place could use some urban renewal.”

  He teleported out and Susan smiled; she liked this Captain.

  • • •

  Twenty-five-thousand-Red-Warriors dropped on the planet and half of them were dead within the first-four-days. But, like the OAs, the ones that lived were deadly. They learned how to fight the huge creatures and now the tide had turned. The OA organized attacks stopped and now the Red Warriors were seeking the individual OAs that managed to survive. It was during one of the searches that something remarkable happened.

  • • •

  Susan moved slowing into the building and her squad fanned out around her. They began kicking doors open on each side of a long hallway, as they moved their Mag-Guns from side-to-side as they rushed in the opening. If an OA was present, the gun’s scanner would lock on it. Susan kicked a door open and suddenly, an OA rushed at her from the far side of the room. Susan raised her Mag-Gun and the OA instantly stopped its charge. Susan’s reflexes were the only thing that stopped her from firing, but she kept the gun locked on the huge green circular creature. It remained still, and Susan wondered what in the hell was going on. Suddenly, the OA flipped over revealing its underside. Mark was looking over her shoulder and asked, “What is it doing?”

  Susan shrugged, “If I had to say, I think it’s surrendering.”

  “I didn’t think we were taking prisoners, Sarge.”

  “I don’t think the topic was ever brought up,” Susan replied. “Keep your gun on it.” Susan contacted Company Headquarters and a moment later, Captain Tarangelo teleported in.

  “What have you done now, Sargent.”

  “I’m not sure, Sir, but I’m thinking about keeping it as a pet.”

  Tarangelo shrugged, “Couldn’t be worse than a pit-bull.” He began talking over his communicator and a few minutes later, a Red Warrior Tech teleported in with a green-torch-light. He connected the torch to his armor’s computer with a cable and began flashing the torch toward the still motionless creature. The OA slowly flipped over and began changing color.

  The Tech looked at Tarangelo, “It wants to surrender, Sir.”

  Tarangelo shook his head, “Ask it how we can trust it not to attack us?”

  The Tech began flashing the torch and watched the OA respond. “It says that never in his species history had one of them ever surrendered. It really doesn’t understand what to do but doesn’t want to die.”

  Tarangelo rolled his eyes and looked at Susan, “Sargent, this OA is now your responsibility.”

  “WHAT?!”

  “You said you wanted a pet. Take it out into the clearing outside the city and post a guard. I wouldn’t recommend feeding it.”

  “Sir, I need to keep this Tech with me to communicate with it.”

  Tarangelo looked at the Tech, “Stay with her until she kills this thing or teaches it to bark.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Susan walked over to the huge OA and said to the Tech, “Ask it if I can get its promise not to harm any of us.”

  The Tech started flashing the OA and he said after the exchange, “It says it will not attack us.”

  Susan looked at the Tech, “Do you believe it?”

  “How in the hell would I know, Sargent. I know computers, but you know as much about them as I do, probably more.”

  Susan stared at the OA and said to the Tech, “Tell it to follow me. I’m taking it out of the city where it will be safe.”

  “Sarge!” Mark said loudly.

  “Mark, I just don’t take to killing for killing’s sake.”

  The Tech turned to Susan, “It says it will do as you order.”

  Susan looked at Mark, “I hope your reflexes are as good as I believe; if it makes a sudden move…”

  “I know, kill it!” Mark interrupted.

  Susan turned and walked out of the room. The OA rose slightly and followed her out. Susan said over her shoulder, “Third Squad, follow me.”

  They moved out of the building and several squads moving into adjacent buildings stopped in their tracks. One squad Sargent looked at Susan and she said, “Don’t ask!” They moved out into the middle of the street and had moved a hundred-yards, when an OA suddenly moved slowly out of a building next to them and then moved toward them. Makayla raised her Mag-Gun and Susan said, “Hold your fire, Private!” The new OA moved up to the OA behind Susan and she walked over to the Tech. Without taking her eyes off the OAs, she asked, “What are they saying?”

  The Tech looked at his face plate as his computer translated and he shrugged, “The new one wants to know what the first one is doing. It’s telling the new one that it doesn’t want to die. The new one says it doesn’t want to die either. Now the first one is asking if it can go with it to safety.”

  Susan looked up and rolled her eyes, “Why does this stuff always happen to me?” She exhaled sharply and said, “Tell it, OK.” Susan turned and started walking again. The two-OAs fell in behind her, as they sta
rted walking past the Red Warriors watching them with their mouths open. By the time they arrived at the edge of the city, more than eight-hundred OAs were following Susan out of the city. By the end of the day, every OA in the city had started moving slowly out of the buildings, and began following the route Susan took out of the city.

  Captain Tarangelo and Lt. Gibbons watched the parade and the Captain was shaking his head, “That’s some Sargent you have there.”

  “Sir, she seems to be in the middle of everything important that ever happens. Anyone else would have just killed that OA. Now, the fight here is over.”

  “It’s over pretty much everywhere on this planet, Gibbs.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve contacted Division Headquarters and told them what was happening. They sent out orders that any OAs moving slowly were not to be shot. Every OA in the surrounding cities are now walking in this direction. The Tech tells me that your Sargent captured the highest-ranking OA on the planet.”

  Gibbs stared at Tarangelo, “Do tell?”

  “What are we going to do with them?” Tarangelo asked.

  Gibbs shrugged, “Let Susan decide.”

  “Why?”

  “She’s won’t make a purely emotional decision, leave it up to her.”

  “Might as well; Division has no idea what to do with them. General Crandon does agree with the Sargent; he says prisoners should never be mistreated, no matter who they are.”

  “This is like trying to hold on to eight-hundred-Bengal-Tigers and hoping they don’t decide you’re their next meal.” Gibbons replied.

  “You’re preaching to the choir, Lieutenant. We’ll delay making any decision about them until this war is settled; one way or another.”

  Gibbs looked up in the sky; if Fleet lost the war, they might have to end up killing them anyway.

  • • •

  Susan looked at the Tech, “Why don’t you download the translation program and give me the cable.”

  ‘Why would you want that, Sargent?”

  “I can tell you’re as nervous as a cat being sniffed by a Pitbull. If I can see it, so can they. Besides, I think you’d rather get back to headquarters than be stuck out here in this clearing.”