Beyond Light

Back on Action.

The blue skies of Vita Nova thundered as the black Beyond Light broke through them, passing over the rings on the exosphere. The orange, 10 feet tall stalagmites covering the landscape broke with a sonic boom, and the green grass vibrated, blue and red particles flying away. Yellow pollen made a mini swirling storm as the ship’s propulsors shot heated air down.

“ETA for designated LZ on 15 seconds,” informed Flight Ensign Mike Sean. “Commencing unlocking operations for hatches 01 and 02 on the first deck. Ready for vehicle and troop deployment.”

“Wow, Mikey, seems you’re beginning to take your job seriously,” mocked Jeffrey. The com. channel was unintentionally open, making everyone connected able to hear them.

“Oh, c’mon. I might not look like I’m on it but I always give my 110%. They wouldn’t have selected me if I didn’t. By the way, have you seen that girl that works on the supply bay? I’ve heard she—”

“Closing channel number 03,” announced LIBRA. The soldiers around John could not help but giggle.

The Beyond Light’s propulsors softened, making the ship remain stable at ground level. Two deploy ramps hissed from her belly, shooting white steam as they lowered. Light entered the Vehicle Deposit, and V99m’s, Tortoise tanks, a Paladin mech, troops, and some Quokkas descended to the grass below.

“Good luck, John,” said Mike. “We’ll return to orbit and keep supporting you. Jeffrey and Xi will assist you with the usual. Make me know when you’re ready to leave."

“Thanks, I’ll keep you updated. Good luck back on orbit,“ John pressured his blue-visored nightingale helmet. He launched a hand gesture to the INA soldiers behind him to follow.

They adjusted their TR6 assault rifles and jumped to the grass, dressing in their olive-green, light-armored combat dress uniforms. They wore the standard round K1 helmet, which didn’t look much different from other helmets used five centuries ago, except that they isolated the soldier from their environment, having a round, transparent visor that reached the level of the neck.

John jumped behind them, leaving the dark and metallic interiors and stepping on the alien nature. White light dazzled on his visor, and then the vast panoramas of vivid green appeared. The pollen had calmed, although it was a mess of blue and green particles sparsed all around, just if a Jovian parade had passed there.

He left the shadows of the Beyond Light and looked up. The clouds above were broken and distorted. He wanted to gaze at those plains of flat mountains and giant stalagmites, but there was a job to do. His troops were waiting for orders.

The deployment consisted of two Tortoise tanks of double cannons, four V99m’s; 24 ANF and INA soldiers, 12 combat drones, and two Fireflies. There was also the cherry on the cake: the DEFENDER.v4 Potentiated Heavy Platform, or Paladin, which John himself was going to pilot. Technicians and drones checked its hydraulic systems and reloaded its cannons.

The Beyond Light’s engines rumbled in transparent light, and the kilometric ship began to take off once everyone was down. She shot away more blue and red particles mixed with pollen as she rose to the sky.

The soldiers around didn’t pay much attention, but John felt glad. Not glad for being left into that planet —which he wouldn't have minded if there wasn’t any threat or a mission to do— but glad for being on combat again.

If he didn’t like something about the Navy, it was how powerless you could feel as an individual. Before becoming the captain of the Beyond Light, being aboard a spaceship made him feel unable to do anything other than collaborate to put to work the bigger machine, having no personal power to make the difference.

But the ground was different, having a good rifle and armor. His high-rank offered him relative protection, but he always knew that his place was on the action, not behind the lines. Sometimes he regretted not staying on the SolOps.

He bypassed 2 V99m’s and moved to the Paladin mech. The tall and bulky figure of Sargeant Williams stood next to it, organizing troops around. The soldiers around did the salute as John approached.

“I see you’re making sure my horse will run the best race,” he did a casual salute.

“And the most violent one too,” Derek saluted too. “Your new body's ready to rock, cap. Gotta say you requested quite a good number on the ground.”

“When you don’t know what you’re facing, it’s better to have more than less,” replied John. “We’re getting inside of there. Are our people ready?”

“As ready as you are. Tell us and we commence.”

John nodded, but he wanted to dedicate some words to his people before starting. He raised his voice. Everyone deployed around directed their attention at him.

“Attention! Our mission is going to be simple but dangerous. In order to reach the origin of the Eternity of Return’s signals, we need to get inside that artificial tunnel at the bottom of that canyon. It appears to be guarded by robotic units of unknown origin, and we don’t know whether they are hostile or not.”

Not everyone was going to go inside, but he wanted to make the mission as clear as possible to them. He continued.

“We’ll be divided into two teams. Team Alpha, you are the team composed of marksmen, snipers, and the Tortoise tanks. You’ll stand on the canyon and its surroundings to offer cover and assistance. It’s your job to secure and hold the area.

As for us, Team Bravo, we are composed by this destruction machine right behind me,” He signaled the DEFENDER.v4, “the V99m’s supports, and anyone who got selected for shock and assault. We’re going down there, and if those robots don’t let us in, we’ll make our way inside. Expect resistance.”

“Does anyone have any doubts?” continued Sergeant Major Williams. No one said anything, like warriors ready for combat. No one selected for BLACKCAT was a rookie who needed to be supervised.

“Very well. I wish good luck to you all,” said John, and the troops broke their formation and rode their vehicles, prepared their weapons, and began their way to the hill at their right where the giant canyon was carved.

“Well, time to rock,” John put his hand on Derek’s shoulder and moved to the bulky titan of 53 tons, which had its legs contracted to the ground.

He climbed through the beamed structure on its torso and entered the cockpit. The hatch pressurized and sealed him inside. He put his legs and arms on the manual controls. The system screens turned on in blue light, and a green light beeped as the platform connected to his biochips. He gained neural control of the power mech.

It was like magic; with just thinking, he could move each of his new four metallic limbs, with the same precision and swiftness as if they were his very organic limbs. He straightened up, and the platform reached its maximum height of 6.2 meters.

He then raised the right arm, and the mechanical part showed 13mm Kinetic Rotatory Guns and 14U plasma cannons. His left arm had a lighter 5,5mm gun installed, as well as a deployable static energy shield.

The HUD on his nightingale suit then connected to the mech, and the basic info about his systems got displayed on the screen: his shield counters; vital signs; ammunition left; thruster capacities; heat-detection systems, etc.

It was a war machine. He understood why Mike always wanted to get into one.

“Seems like it fits you more than well,” said Derek, looking like a dwarf at the level of his mechanical legs.

“Big guy, get aboard,” spoke Doctor Winslow as a green V99m of open windows halted next to him. “I need to be on the ground and someone needs to operate this thing.”

Sergeant Williams boarded it and took control of the back turret from inside. “Hold on, cap. A Firefly will come and deploy you to the bottom of the canyon.”

“Eh, there’s no need for that. I can do it myself,” John ignored the TT-22 hovering above him. and with only thinking about it, the Paladin’s legs moved.

He marched up to the canyon, bypassing squads and V99m’s. He reached the edge where the boulders they used to hide before stood. It was a fall of 100 meters. He jumped, and the thrusters countered gravity to make the fall softer.

A clap of thunder rumbled. Water, rocks, and dust splashed away, just as if someone had shot a missile down.

He whistled to himself. “Now these are good shock absorbers.”

Two fat Fireflies appeared above. They descended on the canyon and deployed the V99m’s, and Team Bravo's infantry squads. The small figures of Team Alpha were at the edges above, descending through ropes to the cornices and niches, and getting their weapons in position.

“Everyone’s ready, Commander,” said Derek. “advance at your will.”

John nodded, the blue information shining on his face. The images of Flight Lieutenant Emmerson and Flight Colonel Xi Liang appeared on small squares.

“Commander?” said Jeffrey. “The signals keep coming on stronger and stronger from that place as time passes. I’ll mark it on your HUD again.”

The triangle mark appeared, signaling the hexagonal tunnel 300 meters ahead.

Xi spoke. “It appears that there’s some heavy blockage down there that inhibits transmission. Might be the cause of why we can’t hear anything.”

“Will we lose connection once inside?” asked John.

“Unlikely,” responded Jeffrey. “It will distort and the quality might drop, but you should be fine as long as you don’t disconnect. Oh, and the combat drones can amplify our signals and update you with more precise locations. Try to protect them once inside.”

Eight black figures of four propulsors flew past him, with the speed of a bat and the grace of a cat. They hovered near, waiting for him to advance.

“Alright, got it. Keep us informed,” replied John, and the two men disconnected. “Alright, Team Bravo, be ready to engage,” he sauntered through the boulders to reach the end of the canyon, crushing rocks on his way.

“Copy that, Commander,” a masculine voice responded. “Team Alpha on position and ready for possible engagement.”

Everyone advanced. What would they find inside? Some told John that going inside there was a bad idea. Why get inside the wolf's mouth? They were facing an enemy they knew nothing about.

And John partially agreed with them, but they didn’t have any other options. With those alien beasts roaming the system, they had to take advantage of the calm as much as they could.

Drones could be easily intercepted inside, and they could not fill the roles of normal infantry and heavy weapons. Soldiers needed to be inside, as combat was likely imminent. Even if those robots weren’t hostiles, if the Eternity of Return's crew was inside, then chances were those giant Insectoids were there too.

That was the reason why he requested a heavy team. If the wolf dared to bite, he would cut his own mouth by biting a sharpened piece of metal. And no one there was less than sharp.

John wanted to be there too. If Blair was alive, it was going to be he who saved him.

The two suns illuminated, but no signs of movement came from the hexagonal tunnel. Ambushes could occur at any moment...