Quick note about this story. It's based on an entry of mine to a short story contest that OOO had posted quite some time ago, which can be found here (http://steamcommunity.com/app/99900/discussions/0/1327844097118570993/). I've been asked by my guild mates to expand the story, which is what is shared here. I hope you'll enjoy the story as i write it. Not set schedule to when I release each chapter, but I'll try to link to each previous one. Constructive feedback is appreciated!
Chapter 1 - Time to Drop
He's standing at attention with Grantz. It was always him and Grantz that were first on the deck, ready for muster. They are both the model soldier, always prim and proper. Their uniforms cleaned and their weapons well oiled. Only two between the squads knows him by his real name, everyone else calls him by his call sign, Conundrum.
It was Grantz that told everyone from day one that his name was Conundrum. They were friends before they joined the service and have never left each other's sides. Conundrum became his name due to his habit of his deep philosophical questions he'd randomly ask. Grantz would joke about how Conundrum would just shoot of a question while standing in line about something with life and would confuse the drill sergeants to the point that they would make him drop if he opened his mouth without being asked a direct question or given an order. Anything besides "Sir, yes sir!" meant 50 pushups right then and there. It didn't take long for the nickname to stick.
It was Conundrum that convinced Grantz to join the Skylark mission. Named after the ship that would carry them to the stars! Grantz was reluctant to leave. Not because he had family to worry about. His parents had died years ago and he was always too focused on the mission to think about a relationship. No, if he had to be honest with himself, unknown made him nervous. Years of military training with knowing the mission and the area, going out to uncharted space was like going into the field without a briefing. Of course, no one but Conundrum had ever know that. As the soldier he is, Grantz doesn't open up. That's what gave him his fire though. When things got tough, he'd take those emotions and turn them into fuel to drive him to see the mission through. That is why Euclid chose Grantz for the Alpha Squad Guardian role. Few were as selfless and determined in battle.
Conundrum let a smirk cross his lips as he heard the familiar footfalls of Parma, his daughter. His only reminder of the past, besides Grantz. He couldn't have been prouder to hear that Parma was selected for the Skylark mission too. He was sure that she overheard his talks with Grantz and made a push to excel in her training to join the mission as well. She's always been keen on following in his footsteps. While he was hesitant at first with Parma showing interest in joining the military, he learned quickly that he had raised her well. It didn't take long for the family genes to show themselves as she was the top of her platoon and an ace at reconnaissance. Of course he was proud that she took the top spot in Alpha Squad as their chosen recon. No one did a better job!
Due to his age, Conundrum couldn't make Alpha Squad. Not with his long-time friend Grantz being just a little bit faster than him, having just a little bit more stamina. He felt disappointed when the selection was made, but he knew he could trust Parma in Grantz's hands. Nah, he learned enough that being in the top spot wasn't what he was best at. No one was more consistent than Conundrum. He was always ready to jump in to clean up after Alpha and give Grantz a playful elbow jab with the remark "I'm always here to clean up after you!"
As Euclid and Hiden walked out, the looks on their faces told everyone in Alpha and Bravo Squads that something was serious. They were all ready for it. The Skylark's systems had been acting up for a almost a week now. A week where the Skylark has been in orbit of a strange planet. This was the day, Conundrum knew it.
"Attention!" shouted Euclid. Both Euclid and Hiden stopped in front of their squads, shoulders squared and faces determined. "Alright squads, today is the day we drop planetside. I'm sure we all knew it we'd get the orders soon since the Skylark has been having system issues. Our job is to recon the area and find out the source of the disruption. Alpha Squad will be the first to drop, with Bravo on stand by. If Alpha gives the signal, Bravo will also drop. We don't know what's down there, we are going in blind. We are planning a two week mission before we head back to the drop zone to secure the area and wait for additional orders. There won't be any comms between us and command, so Alpha will be dropping recon modules with basic intel on the area and status of Alpha. We will drop a module once per day. If something were to happen, Bravo and any other forces will then follow the modules. Of course, if the Skylark's comms come up before we get back to the drop zone, we'll communicate with command and follow any additional instructions."
Euclid took a moment to look at his troops. "Is this understood?" asked Euclid. "Sir, yes sir!" came the reply from the two teams. He nodded his response. "Good. Alpha, we drop at 1000 hours. Go gear up and get to the drop ship by 0930 for our final briefing before going planetside. Dismissed." Everyone gave a sharp salute and headed to the lockers. Once through the door, Conundrum caught Parma's attention with a cough. She turned around and looked at her dad with confident eyes. "Good luck down there. I'm sure you'll do a damn fine job keeping them safe. I'll be ready to get down there once the orders come through" Conundrum told her. Her face softened into a smile and punched his shoulder. "You worry too much, we'll be just fine. It'll be a simple camping trip, just like we used to do!" She replied. She headed towards the lockers to suit up.
It took four weeks before the comms systems were back up, it took a day before there was concern about Alpha Squad. A whole damn day for Bravo Squad to sit on hand, waiting to hear about their brothers-in-arms. It was around 1300 hours when the alarm sounded and Bravo went out for muster. Hiden was ready for them, his face grim. "We can't reach Alpha. The engineers don't know why, so command is sending us planetside to find out what's going on. We'll be dropping at 1400 hours, meet at the drop ship at 1330. Dismissed!" Bravo was only too ready to go planetside. They were all at the drop ship ready for orders by 1310. Conundrum was worried, but he did his best not to show it.
As Bravo squad stood in formation near the drop ship, Conundrum could feel the worry and uneasiness of their mission radiating from everyone in the squad, including Hiden. One of the ship’s engineers walked up to the squad, his steps unsure as he approached the elite unite. He coughed into his hand and spoke. “Ahem. Pardon me. Yes, so, something strange is going on and we aren’t sure what the cause is. As you know, the comm units that are installed in your helmets are designed to survival extreme conditions, the only real cause for failure is due to a dead battery. This can’t be the case with Alpha Squad’s non-communication as we always replace the batteries before a mission, even if the batteries test full. Stay safe while you’re down there!”
Hiden looked over to the engineer and gave him a nod as a sign he could go. The engineer nodded back and scuffled off only too quickly, glad to be away from the intimidating squad. “Right. As you heard, something isn’t right with this situation and it’s our mission to find Alpha Squad, or what... remains... and report back. The only intel is what the surface scanners can pick up is a shifting surface of various climates. We are under orders to dispatch any hostiles we find, capture for intel when possible. Our brothers and sister is down there, and I want to know what happened to them!” Hiden said the last part with a growl. Someone just messed with his family and he isn’t going to stand for it!
“Sir, yes sir!” shouted Bravo squad in unison. Their uneasiness vanished as they all knew that they were going to save their family. Heaven help those in stood in their way, especially once Conundrum’s blood started boiling. Whatever was on the surface was going to be surprised.
They were all strapped in and ready to go. Conundrum always felt nervous before a drop. Not usually due to worry, but this time, worry was front in his mind. Of course his daughter was in his thoughts, but also his brothers-in-arms. They trained together during the long trip to get out here. It’s not possible not to get close to all of them and then not worry when they aren’t responding. He checked his armor and ensured his equipment was properly secured to try to keep his mind distracted.
Across from him sat Hiden, who always sat next to the door. This is how they trained, the Guardian and the Leader were the first off to set up a defensive zone once they hit the LZ, with the Recon and the Technician acting as spotters for danger and to find a path into cover. As Conundrum finished checking his gear for the fourth time, he glanced over to Hiden briefly, who returned the glance with a nod. Hiden understood and feeling the same anxiety as him, Hiden was just better at hiding it. Conundrum let out a deep breath as the drop ship moved from the prep bay to the launch bay.
He got a playful punch in his left arm. Conundrum looked over at Jamel, Bravo Squad’s Recon. Jamel beamed at Conundrum and said “C’mon gramps, you know they’re alright down there. After all, it’s not like Alpha Squad is full of rejects like Bravo is, right?” Jamel is the unit’s jokester. As a Recon, I thought their goal was to get in and out quietly. Somehow, Jamel always got into trouble when scouting, but damned if he didn’t know how to get out of them. Conundrum could hear Hiden roll his eyes at the comment and let out a sigh.
“Great motivational speech there Jamel! I almost feel confident that you’ll make it back to the ship after the mission is over now,” says Kendreck, the Technician. Her being smart goes without saying as the squad’s tech and field support. Conundrum was glad Kenreck was assigned to Bravo, he prefered her over Rulen because Kendreck had more empathy, which gave Bravo and edge in unusual situations. Rulen tended to hesitate when he couldn’t rationalize what was going on. Euclid had to keep a close eye on Rulen, but Rulen was the ideal choice to get through computer systems, which this planet they were about to land on had plenty of.
“You know I’m the best for pre-mission prep talk Kendreck! It’s how we always get back without a casualty,” replied Jamel with a smirk. “That’s good for you, isn’t Jamel!? After all, you’re the one that tends to get us into trouble, it’s only fair you get us out! Isn’t that right sir?” Kendreck looks over at Hiden for confirmation. Hiden can’t help but chuckle and looks over at the two. “I can’t argue with those facts Jamel.”
Conundrum turns his focus on himself as the ship begins to shake during entry into the atmosphere. He begins to go over the mission details to prepare himself mentally as well as to keep the dread at bay. It’s difficult for him to get out of his head the comment that the intel guys provided during the briefing. “We are confused as to why we can’t get a hold of Alpha. The comlinks that both squads used were built to withstand just about anything and we don’t see anything that would be causing interference. We should be hearing from them, and we don’t know why we can’t.”
A loud buzzer sounds in the drop ship. “Alright squad, we’re 30 seconds out from drop. Do a final check of your equipment and prepare for a hot LZ. Entry formation as we trained.” he says to the group and taps his helmet twice. The rest of his orders go over the comlink. Conundrum thinks for just a moment “I hope our’s won’t go out while we’re here.” “Jamel and Kendreck, find us a high point to get to quickly for recon and to set up base camp.” They nod in acknowledgement. Hiden looks at Conundrum then. “We’re the hammer, get ready.” I nod my response as I grab my shield and unfasten my sword from the bulkhead. I roll my shoulders and take a few deep breaths, landing just seconds away.
There is a loud thud and tremor through the drop ship as it hits land. All thoughts Conundrum had are instantly gone as he releases his straps and jumps down the ramp once it’s open. He activates his shield once his boots hit the ground and braces himself for impact. Within a heartbeat, Hiden is at his back, his pistols pointing out. Jamel and Kendreck jump out a second after Hiden and crouch on opposite ends of the shield barrier. All of them are caught off guard at what greets them… nothing.
After a few heartbeats, Jamel stands from his crouch. “Scanner is reporting no threats in the immediate vicinity sir.” Hiden steps away from Conundrum and starts to really look at their surroundings. He lets out a breath and lowers his pistols. “Roger that Jamel. Looks like we’ve got ourselves a lucky break and can set up base camp without being shot at. Conundrum, drop your shield and help Kendreck setup camp.” Hiden turns around to look at the group as he says this. He then looks to his right and points up at a nearby hill. “Jamel, run your scans from up there and shout if anything comes within a half click of us.” Jamel nods and runs over to the hill. Hiden takes a moment to look down at a nearby valley from their vantage point. “It looks better in person than it does from the ship. Looking from orbit doesn’t do it justice.”
From the top of the hill Bravo Squad landed on, they can see for miles at the countryside. They landed in a lush and green biome, full of trees and flowers. They can make out some wildlife as well as what could be a town further down the valley. “Looks like we’ll have a busy day tomorrow Bravo. Jamel, I’ll need you to scout ahead and see if that’s a town at the end of the valley first thing in the morning. In the meantime, scout the perimeter and set up your warning devices.” “Yes sir.” replies Jamel over the comlink.
It takes Conundrum and Kendreck about an hour to get base camp fully up. Cots and tents for each member as well as a mobile arsenal chest to store their extra gear. As the sun starts to set, Kendreck starts a fire while Conundrum pulls out their dinner. As Jamel jumps from a nearby ledge, he comments “mmm, those MREs sure smell good there gramps! I hope you saved one for me!” “I’m glad you like my cooking, I’ll make sure to put aside any leftovers just for you!” replies Conundrum as he tosses the MRE over. “You shouldn’t do that, it might make me groggy in the morning, I don’t want to get caught by the locals again,” jokes Jamel as he sits down next to the fire. Hiden hands out canteens as Kendreck stokes the fire.
Hiden looks out at his squad as they eat their dinner, his sitting at his feet. “While everything looks nice, make sure you don’t drop your guard tomorrow. Something happened to Alpha and we don’t know what yet. Jamel, do you get a reading on their drop ship?” “Negative sir. No readings from Alpha yet” replies Jamel. “Alright. We’ll check out that town tomorrow and see what intel we can get there. Then we’ll report back to the Skylark.” “Roger sir” replies Bravo.