"Another retrieval ship will be here soon, so please stay calm," Zander said, hoping what he said was true. The murmurs from the scientists told Zander that he should look outside, and look outside he did over the intercom. Outside dozens of warriors had surrounded the building, and were looking for ways to get in. they bashed and hacked at the metal doors angrily.
"Everything is under control," he said.
Gossard looked down the cliff and surveyed the area. Warriors had surrounded the building and were now creating ways inside.
"Place crawls sir," Gossard said as he got back to his feet facing Razak.
"Big surprise, Fleet says there's a long delay getting into Quad 18, mucho bug activity," Brutto said.
"We can take them sir," Rico said stepping in.
Dizzy shook her head at the statement. She didn't know if he was trying to be like that retard Goku, or if he was trying to impress that bitch Carmen. Either way, it wouldn't do anybody any good, and as if in reply to Rico's statement, Plasma bugs began firing again. The sounds of exploding ships and the screams of dying men and women rang out in the night sky. There wouldn't be any air support for a long while, not while the plasma bugs dominated the area, and Razak knew it.
"Troopers, first priority is to clear a corridor for air support!"
"But we have to get those civilians out sir," Rico said. Razak glared back at him for a moment, but he knew he was right. They were indeed closer then anybody else. He turned to Jenkins.
"Jenkins, what's your read?"
Inside the outpost several warriors had finally made it through. The alarm rang aloud. Carmen was looking at a few graphs when she felt, rather then heard something behind her. She quickly cocked her gun and turned to fire.
"Major!"
"Lieutenant did I scare you?" Zander asked as he neared her. Carmen breathed out before she answered.
"No, sir. I just didn't want to shot you accidentally sir."
"There's no need to address me when we're alone," he said as he inched his way closer. It made Carmen's heart skip a beat. He was getting a bit too close, so close that she could see the bulge growing in his space suit.
"Call me Zander."
"I'm not sure I can do that," she said as she stepped back a bit. "I should go and check on the others.
"Yes," Zander said leaving the position he held. "I need you to get on that radio again, get in touch with command and see what's taking them so long."
"Yes sir, Zander."
Carmen quickly past him and went for the radio. At the same time she felt a wave of relief.
Razak's call? Rico wasn't to sure that climbing a mountain was going to save the civilians inside the outpost. He and Carl were now responsible for a maruder which hung on cables Rico and Carl occupied. Brutto's orders. He huffed to himself. This isn't what he signed up for. The only person having any fun out of this was Goku, who was climbing up right beside him, smiling.
"At first I was disappointed that I wouldn't have any sort of challenge, now I'm glad that I'm here with the MI."
"Please Goku, not now," Rico said.
"Aw Rico smile a bit, I know everything's hard right now but it'll all work out soon, I promise."
Rico sighed. For some reason Rico felt that there was some truth to what he said.
"At the very least Dizzy's having some fun. Ha, ha."
He looked up to see Dizzy climbing mighty fast up the mountain, telling Gossard that he was getting slow. Goku continued his climbing up the mountain to keep up with the others.
"That Goku has a real mental problem," Carl said. "I have no idea why you hang around him at times Rico."
"Carl not you too, he's not a bad man."
"Maybe not intentionally, but mentally yes. He fights and kills bugs with his bare hands and I can see that's he's influenced you to try to do the same. I'm worried about you Rico."
"Well when Goku's around there isn't any need for worry."
The maruder hit a few stones and several rocks fell on the suit, earning the two a yell from Brutto.
"Hey Rico! That suit is worth more then you and your freaky pal there put together! Get focused or the damage is coming out of your pay!"
Rico shook his head.
"Nothing from nothing leaves nothing, besides he witnesses Goku in action and the only he says about him is how great he is," Rico whispered.
"What was that Rico?!"
"Nothing."
Rico's intercom then clicked to life. Carmen's voice was on the other end.
"Carmen!" he whispered to himself.
"McHenry outpost to Fleet command, come in Fleet Command. This is an emergency do you read?"
He instinctivly went for his radio, but stopped himself.
"Damn it, LT said no radios."
He scanned the area and his heart nearly stopped with fear. Several warriors had managed to break into the compound and one of them was heading straight for Carmen, unaware of its presence.
"Carmen look behind you damn it!"
Goku looked down at Rico.
"Rico are you okay, is someone in trouble?"
Stones once again fell on the maruder.
"Someone will be in trouble if something happens to that suit!" yelled Brutto, "you just mind yours Goku, someone will call for you when the moment's right!"
Rico didn't respond, only looked in horror as the warrior moved in closer without a sound. He had no choice. It was now or Carmen was dead.
"McHenry outpost, Carmen do you read?!"
"Rico, is that you?!"
"Get out of there now, bug behind you!"
Carmen turned back just in time with her gun in hand to see the figure of Zander walking in the room.
"You get anything?"
"Get down now!"
Zander quickly moved aside as Carmen shot relentlessly at the warrior. It fell down and Carmen pressed the close door button, crushing it. Zander recovering from the shock stood up huffing and puffing.
"You did warn me not to sneak up on you."
"Yea I did, I suggest we find a stronger defensive area and relocate the civilians."
Rico got on the radio again after hearing gunfire.
"Carmen, are you okay?"
"I thought I said comlinks only private!" came an angered, venomous voice, and Rico knew who the voice belonged to.
Inside the compound, it didn't take long for the warriors to start combing the inside. Carmen and the other fought their way up. They managed to make it inside a dim lighted room above the area now occupied by the enemy.
"Inside quick!"
The civilians ran inside like men possessed as Zander held off the warriors. Once they were all inside, he went inside, shutting the door quickly behind him.
Razak gave Rico a fierce shove almost knocking him off his feet.
"You had better check yourself from the neck up mister, you have put this entire squad at risk!"
Rico gulped as he fought for words to defend himself.
"Bugs were in the building sir, lives were at stake, I felt it was the right thing to do."
"War is not about feeling private! Bugs have antennae! If your communication gave away our position no one is coming out of that compound alive!"
With that said, Razak left Rico sulking. Rico still wrestled with what happened though. Did he really put the entire squad at risk? After all, they did have Goku with them. If bugs did happen to come for them, Goku would always be there to protect them. Something however, told him that he shouldn't depend on Goku forever. Not even he could be there everyday. Rico looked up after hearing a noise, like some kind of mouse. He knew there were no mice on this planet, so what could the squeaking noise be?
"Bugs! Bugs!" Doc shouted as he fired. Bugs were crawling down the mountainside. They were brown, small bugs almost the size of a human waist.
"Bugs have antennae!"
Perhaps this was his fault. Maybe a higher class of bug picked up his frequency and told the other bugs where they were. Maybe warriors were now on the mountain. Maybe if he had stayed off the radio and left Carmen for dead then maybe….No! He had saved lives, he wouldn't think like that. These bugs reminded Rico of potato bugs found in the soil back on Earth. The little nobbers were always found in the soil whenever Rico's mother dug in the garden. They'd roll up into a ball to make themselves look like little pellets in the ground, only these potato bugs had stingers. One of them hopped onto Gossard who started shooting madly to get it off.
"I got you covered!"
Goku was quickly at Gossard's side. He kicked the bug, and Goku chuckled to himself as it went sailing out clear into the distance almost like a rocket shooting into space. Gossard couldn't help but stare at him wide eyed as Goku helped him up. Higgins hadn't hesitated to film the entire thing. The potato bugs began to crawl downward toward the maruder. Carl shot two of them but the other cut on the cables. The maruder dangled limply as Carl hung on for dear life.
"Carl!"
Rico was there in an instant. He climbed down and shot of the remainder of the bugs. He knew he had to act quickly because Carl began to slip.
"Hang on buddy!"
He shot the other cable, the suit fell, and the resulting explosion told him he wouldn't be paid till he was eighty. Oh well, at least Carl was safe.
"Thanks Rico, I owe you."
"No you don't Carl, that's what friends are for."
They climbed back up to the top and no sooner did they reach the top Brutto was there to greet them.
"Rico, Jenkins! That suit was your responsibility!"
"Sir, I thought that…."
"You don't think trooper, you follow orders!"
Brutto felt something strong grab his shoulder.
"Wrong Sergeant, private Rico used his head to determine a course of action." Razak turned his gaze to Rico. "This time, it was the right one."
Rico felt a wave of gladness race through him, glad that he had finally done something right. He knew that he was going to make it through this whole thing. Goku turned to Razak after peering down the mountainside.
"Ah Mr. Razak, those bugs are pouring inside the compound down there."
"I'm aware of that Private Goku."
Suddenly, bluish white plasma shot from out of nowhere. Higgins climbed up a bit and discovered the source. Plasma Bugs. The other Roughnecks joined him and shook their heads. Razak turned his attention to Gossard.
"Tactical assessment?"
"Small plutonium charges planted underneath their shells. I'm all good to go sir!"
"Gossard you're fast enough," Razak said. "you'd never make it.
"I'll go, I'm the fastest one you've got." Rico said.
"Are you sure Rico, I can definitely do it!" Goku said.
"No offense Goku but we can't depend on you all the time. Besides one punch from might light up the entire place bud taking you with them, I'll go."
Goku nodded.
"Then it's agreed, Rico will go. Be careful private."
Inside the compound Carmen and the others were fixing small explosives to defend themselves. Their ammo was all used up and the flame-throwers were all on E.
"Okay, this should work," one of the scientists said.
"I'm not looking for it should, I'm looking for will!" Zander said as he fidgeted with the trigger. To his horror, the warriors succeeded in breaking threw the glass window. The group threw the make-shift grenades and retreated to the vents above them. The small explosions kept the warriors back but not for long. As Zander made his way up, a warrior jumped up and dented the vent, nearly impaling Zander.
"Woah that was too close!"
Rico dashed as quickly as he could out into the field. Gossard had told him to press the red button to release the safety on the bomb and once started, the countdown could not be deactivated. He activated the bomb and threw it under a nearby plasma bug. Now he had sixty seconds to get his ass out of there. A swarm of warriors saw this too and were really angry. They charged Rico who turned and ran. Rico ran as fast as his suit would allow, but the bugs were faster still some of them intercepted Rico he stumbled back at bit.
"Oh shit!"
There was then a barrage of shots from the Roughnecks covering him, allowing him safe passage back to the squad. Rico looked at his clock, only fifteen seconds left. As the swarm neared, the Roughnecks fired on the bugs, aiming for their nerve stims to take them down completely. Then the squad fell back. There was a loud boom and the squad ran and jumped off the mountainside. They fired hanging cables to catch themselves as the large fireball from above engulfed everything. Goku gave Rico a thumbs up. Rico merely smiled back at him. He was proud of what he did, and he knew that more success was soon to follow. Razak got on the intercom and contacted blue leader.
"Blue leader, airspace in quad 18 is clear."
"Roger that Alpha team, I'm moving in."
The group got above the heliport in the compound and shut the metal door behind them. Carmen looked toward the sky to see a ship descending toward the heliport.
"Alright."
There was a loud, bursting sound as a warrior ripped open the metal door. Carmen using the last of the fuel for the flame-thrower flamed it quickly. After that the flame was gone.
"Shit!" she said as she saw more warriors come forth. The ship landed and opened its doors and walking bridge.
"Someone call for a cab!?"
"You're a bit late!" Zander said as he ran inside. The man at the door fired to keep the warriors back, but there was nothing he could do for one of the scientists. A warrior snatched him of walkway and threw him to its comrades. They wasted no time in impaling him several times before ripping him to shreds. Carmen ran inside the ship as the walkway withdrew from the ground. The doors closed and ship shot into space.
Rico looked on as the ship shot out into space. He was glad that Carmen had gotten out safe and sound as he witnessed the base overrun by bugs. Carl walked up behind Rico and patted him.
"You're the one who saved them all Rico, she just doesn't know it yet."
"But we know it." Dizzy said.
"Yea Rico, you're a real trooper. Once she finds out she'll be real thankful," Goku said patting him. Razak then stepped toward to the squad.
"What the hell do you think this is apes, R&R?! Move out!"
"Sir yes sir!"