CHAPTER 4: DEPLOYMENT:
"We're entering stealth mode," the Master Sergeant's voice called back to the overshadowed hold. The sickly emerald illumination barely made out the Troopers' frames. Yet a shallow outline was all the Colonel needed to recognise his compatriots, not that they or he had moved anywhere since the shutters closed. Each of them were seated, most likely with stiff joints as well. They had been dormant here for how many minutes, hours more likely. An electric surge filled the air as Senior Airman Pennon twisted a knob on the front panel of the cockpit. The jolt was almost silenced by the whirling rotors and spiralling blades. There was a brief blue spark from the frames connecting the shutters to the helicopter's hull.
Pierce's voice almost whispered through the resonating noise, perhaps so only that her squad could hear, "I love stealth..."
"Me too," Slick quietly replied.
A loud chuckle rose from Swift and she reciprocated to their comments, "No surprise there for you sneaky sods."
"Our job description entails it," Pierce lightly retorted.
A snicker crept from Charr as his hands softly massaged the butt of his plasma rifle, "Who doesn't love invisibility."
"Okay," Twitch softly intervened beneath the vehicles noise, "I get Slick and Pierce wanting the camo, being out residential sniper and stealth operative. But Charr, you're demolitions, what the hell do you need it for?"
"Setting up a minefield right under the enemy's nose, that has it's own joy," by the tone of his voice it was evident that Charr held a grin, "but that's for when I'm in a patient mood."
"All your moods involve you stacking up on grenades and RPGs while on the field," Haze spoke up dryly as he glanced to the cockpit.
"Hell yeah," was all that came from Charr.
"We're approaching Beta Zone," the Senior Airman broke his silence with an electric crackle, "and for future reference, we'll be stationed at Delta Zone."
"We caught that from the Commandant, sky-clad!" Charr yelled to the pilots as Haze wedged himself from his seat.
His green eyes caught a glare from the Master Sergeant to the Airman upon stalking from the chairs. Once he was clear of the seating arrangement, Haze glanced back to his Troopers and shouted, "Captain, Corporal!" Slick and Pierce twisted to him as he spoke, "After I perform a sweep of Beta Zone we'll link up at Gamma. From there we'll regroup and await further orders, clear?"
Pierce yelled back, "Clear, sir!"
"Good," Haze gave a silenced mumble before he stomped to one of the concealed shutters. He grabbed a hook from his utility belt and a fine metallic wire lashed out with the tug. Haze clipped the hook to curled steel bar that curved from the shutter's frame. Once a solid click echoed from the metal loop Haze turned back to the cockpit, "HIT IT!"
The Airman forced his fist to one of the buttons on the control panel, with an electric whirl and the shutters tore open right before Haze. A forceful burst of wind whipped over the Colonel's form, the remaining Troopers churned to the elemental exposure. Haze clutched his belt's harness, his knees partially bent as he started to count in his mind, "Three..." the Master Lieutenant navigated through the empty night sky, he grudgingly balanced the air craft in midair, "two..." Haze leant forward, his green eyes caught a glance of the overshadowed greenery below, the darkness concealed the grass and stone like camouflage, "one..."
Haze's boots left the metal interior and he entered the skin slapping skies. Gusts lashed out at what seemed like an eternity. Eventually he crashed to the earth in a jagged crouch. His green eyes force back up to the air, the assault helicopter was nothing more than a sightless mass in the air, courteously of the stealth camo. A brief static filled his ears, the Master Sergeant's voice rippled with a chill, "Colonel, do you copy?"
"Copy Sergeant," Haze mumbled with a hand coming to the flank of his ballistic helmet, the other came to his harness' line, "detaching..." and with a firm snap the steel line retracted to the air, vanishing to the silhouette helicopter, "Now. Patch me into command."
"Yes sir," a disengaged click followed and his voice ceased. Haze reached for his holstered rifle, withdrawing it with both hands.
The barrel crossed his waist, "Colonel," crackled Commandant Kage's voice, "do you read me?"
"Yes sir," answered Haze briskly, "I've just landed in Beta for covert fact finding."
"Affirmative Colonel," Kage coughed out with a thick buzz, "we will activate your HUD now..." The inside of his visor gleamed with a silver glow, illuminating the outline of the tree trunks and stumpy shrubbery. "The newest addition to the TTC's Heads-Up-Display is an ammunition count." At his words a pair of crimson digits appeared in the bottom right corner. Haze read a bloody sixty. "This will only read your Plasma Rifle, standard issue zappers and any other Techno built armaments. So if you are forced to employ virt firearms, you will need to heed its ammo."
"Forgetting my shield, sir?" Haze asked dully after a few moments of the distant wind.
A burst of electricity surged out from the helmet. Haze's body shook, then he blinked. In the opposite corner of the visor appeared a parallel blue bar. Kage's voice returned sternly, "As you already know, your personal shield is powered from your helmet's energy unit. Lose your helmet, and you lose your shield."
His green eyes narrowed to the repetition, "Any up grades to these doodah?"
"On top of soaking up zapper fire and plasma, it will also reinforce your armour against bullets and repel bludgeons and blades. I'll patch you into Captain Cyphris, the equipment specialist for this Op. He will cover any issues you may have with your current gear from here on out."
"Yes sir," droned out Haze as he straightened into an upright stance.
Another electronic whiz beat to his eardrums and a meek male voice filled the sudden silence, "Colonel..."
"Evening Captain..."
"Now for Beta Zone, you will need to rely on your stealth camouflage." There came an awkward cough, "To my knowledge you are fairly inexperienced with this device, so allow me to explain a few things."
"Is this really necessary," asked Haze with a growing dreary tone.
"Uh... yes." The Captain spoke with a slight irritation, "The stealth camouflage unit is a very delicate piece of machinery. When active it will bend the light around you, making you completely invisible to the naked eye. But it will deactivate if you are victim to enough force, such as being shot. And if you survive and neutralise the shooter, you'll need to reactivate it manually."
"Anything else?"
"Yes," Cyphris gave a subtle pause, "while in stealth your shield will be inactive. So avoid getting hit."
"Affirmative Captain," Haze balanced his rifle in a single arm, touching the silver band on his forearm. The fingertips pressed to a sleek dome. White bolts surged from the wrist guard, absorbing into the armour and helmet and his flesh evaporated into the darkness.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Feel good to be on land," the words crept from Charr's mouth as his brown eyes starred through the glowing visor. Boots crunched to the stony road. The silver glare lit up the distant city, inclined buildings rose from the earth below. Spray painted tags could be made out on the scorched walls. Charr gazed down to the path ahead. A dirt track curved downwards, vanishing behind a mob of overgrown shrubbery. Over shadowed trees lingered behind them, the Major turned his head sideways, catching glimpses of Swift and Twitch.
The Corporal's voice blew with the breeze, "Now remember what the Colonel said about not ruining our time off the ship..."
"As long as he doesn't bounce the local matriarch," Swift retorted from the other side of him, clicking fingertips to her helmet's temple, "this is Lieutenant Swift to TTC Command, do you read me?"
"Lieutenant," answered a voice over the COM, "this is Commander Chopper of Techno Trooper Corps Command, reading you loud and clear. What's your position?"
"I'm at the DZ with Major Char and Corporal Twitch," Swift answered, "awaiting to advance with Alpha Zone in..."
A crackle buzzed over the Troopers' helmets and Pierce's stern voice interrupted Swift, "Captain Pierce and Sergeant Slick signing in at the outskirts of Gamma Zone."
"Copy that," responded the Commander's voice, "Captain, Lieutenant, Cyphris has logged off from the COM to remotely reroute power to the satellites so we can make a trace on Lord Ram, General Jay and Mega."
Twitch spoke up then, "What about Haze?"
"The Colonel has entered Beta Zone and initiated radio silence. He will report in once his reconnaissance has been completed."
Charr mumbled with a grunt, "Or until he needs rescuing..."
Swift caught a male chuckle over the COM, recognisable as Slick, followed by a set of solid clicks. Spoke with a familiar irritation "Pierce, don't shoot our team-mates damn it..."
"A temperamental sniper and a psychotic demo-expert," Twitch grumbled now, he glanced to Charr but spoke to Swift, "no wonder Haze went in alone..."
The Lieutenant shook her head, "Commander, awaiting orders."
"Proceed into Alpha Zone as you see fit." Returned his voice, "from there advance to Techno HQ and the research centre, and find out what happened. Commander Chopper out." An extricate click ran through their headsets.
Swift looked between the two men, her gloved hands unholstered and gripped her rifle and she marched down the slope, "All right gentlemen, we don't know what kind of resistance we could run into out here, so let's do this slow and easy. Form up on me."
Twitch and Charr clasped their own firearms, balancing with both arms and they followed her flanks. The Corporal spoke lightly, "Just how will we get through the Zone and into the bases?"
"Metropolis' like this city usually have a sewage system that our occupation forces use for emergency entry and exits," Swift answered with her eyes on the path ahead, "we can bypass the surface if we go underground."
"And if there's not one, then we can use our stealth camo," Charr added dryly.
"Yeah," her voice turned still now, not before giving a fierce grunt, "now shut up!"
