Chapter 9
In The Dust, a helicopter flown through the vast space. Hyperion yellow was the colour, it had all manners of weapons on the flying ship. In it were six soldiers, well trained and armed for a mission. Two were piloting the helicopter while the other four just waited to be briefed by their commander.
The first pilot looked into his main controls, turning a few knobs and pushing a few buttons. "Fuel is optimal, engine temperature optimal and mechanical parts are primed. Captain, we are few miles on the AO. Advised to suit up and start the mission."
The second pilot nodded and made a few adjustments on her part of the controls. "We will prep up around five, speed up then make a stop on top of the AO."
"You got that Captain." The first pilot said.
The female captain wore off her pilot helmet and put it at a proper place that was beside her seat. Her short hair flowed out and landed on her shoulders with an age oak colour. With a scar on her cheek, she wore shades. She stood up from her seat and went to the back to meet her team.
"Alright boys and girls, we got a mission." She arrived to the back and her team stood up. "This one came from the second highest, big guy Reus, our new CEO. Just from the guy that gives us the mission we know how important it is. So forget about anything and focus on the mission. We'll be arriving to the AO in a few minutes and before we do the mission, our CEO will make the briefing himself."
Her team readied their guns and wore their helmets. They checked their magazines in case some of them had not been filled. Boots were laced nicely tight so that no errors happened. She looked at her team and she was confident that she was the team for the mission.
"Captain, we got some messages incoming from HQ." The pilot informed.
"Then patch us up." She ordered.
The windows of the helicopter were covered by a black canvass, resulted the passenger space to be pitch black. At the ceiling, was a round lens that faced downwards. It emitted blue light and soon a shape was formed. It was a hologram of a man, wearing a proper uniform with medals on his chest. It was the new Chief Executive Officer Reus. The man stood straight with his hands crossed together; he was not in a good mood.
"Team, huddle up!" The captain ordered.
Her soldiers stood up and surrounded the hologram, ready for the briefing.
"Captain Alex O'Riley at your service sir!" The captain saluted and stood straight.
"Hyperion Specials, ready for operation sir!" The rest of the team said.
A smile formed at Reus' mouth, a soldier's enthusiasm never gets old. He cleared his throat to change the mood and it effectively did.
"Call sign Thunder." Reus spoke. "Captain O'Riley, you got a big task today. I hope you and your team are ready for the task ahead."
"Hyperion Specials are not just special by the name sir."
"That's what I want to hear." Reus nodded. "The task ahead is a kill order, simple and clean. Someone that is similar looking to our previous Chairwoman Alesia, may her soul rest in peace, is trying to use her looks to topple our company. As you know, it has been three month since her death and we don't want an impostor to desecrate her legacy."
"Search and destroy then."
"Let's make this simple and quick Team Thunder, don't need to prolong more than it should. But I have to say one thing, you're not the first team I task on this mission. This mission is not as simple as you think. We send three task force before this and none of them came back. Once you finish killing the target; proceed on Search and Rescue. If there are survivors, bring them back."
"And if we fail?" O'Riley asked.
"You're sacrifice will remembered." Reus said grimly and his hologram instantly disappeared.
The canvases were raised and light enter the helicopter passenger space. Team Thunder was silent after hearing the last message by the newly elected CEO. The soldiers looked at each other then finally to the team captain. Her face was serious; she took off her shades and folds it properly. Team Thunder waited for a response from Captain O'Riley.
"We arrived at the AO, Bird on standby Ma'am." The main pilot said.
It broke the silence and that's what the captain needed. She took a deep breath and looked at each soldier under her command with unwither commitment. "I take call sign Thunder 0, the rest decided by their age. The younger gets a higher number. The game plan is that we split and search.
Her soldiers gave undivided focus and nodded while they're briefed.
"Divide and conquer. Find the target and eliminate without any consideration. Weapon type fire, choose any weapon that suits you with the exception of sniper rifles and rocket launchers. We will bring Special Package with us, package will only activate after the party stops without us. "
All soldiers nodded without any doubt in their hearts. They were Hyperion Specials, they were special for a reason. The helicopter door slid opened and Thunder 0 stood at the very edge, looking at the bottom below of Maniac's Mine. She glanced back to see her crew, they all nodded to her in confidence.
One of the soldiers took out a black box and set it up at the centre of the helicopter. The soldier opens a console and coded the black box, making some adjustments to the black box settings. Done with the work, the soldier gave a thumb up. Thunder 0 moved aside and gave a nod. Two soldiers started to push the box out of the helicopter. The black box called Special Package went down to the dark abyss of Maniac's Mine.
"God speed Team Thunder." The pilot gave a thumb up.
Thunder 0 nodded. She then jumped from the helicopter and went into Maniac's Mine. Her crew followed behind, creating a train of humans falling down to the mine. All five soldiers went; the pilot closed the door and manoeuvred his helicopter back to the nearest Hyperion base.
…..
Freefalling down, they achieved an elevation required them to open their parachute. All five synchronised and they landed on the floor without any problems. Special Package at the centre, Team Thunder surrounded it. They wore off the parachute pack and put it away. Everything was pitch black; nothing in front of them could be seen with their naked eyes.
"Holy fuck, can't see anything." Thunder 2 said.
"That's why you have flashlights." Thunder 1 answered.
"This is the deepest part of the mine Thunder 0." Thunder 3 informed. "At least one kilometre down, are you sure we are capable of being extracted after the mission is finish?"
"A Surveyor can pick us up." Thunder 4 answered.
Thunder 0 took out a flare and red fire came out of the tip of the cylinder. She put the flare on Special Package and pointed at it. "Centre point, keep your head up and remain separated until the target objective is eliminated."
Thunder 0 digistruct her rifle into her grasps. Turned the flashlight on and went to the dark recesses of the mine. "Thunder out."
All team Thunder looked at their captain, they turned they flashlights and went on their separate ways.
…..
Command Centre was the root of all strategic military operations administrations in Hyperion Military division for Pandora. The room was the place where Hyperion generals and admirals would discuss and plan any work that involves the military. Reus, the new CEO of Hyperion, was present at the room. He wanted to see the operation on Maniac's Mine through his eyes and wanted to see the result at the very moment. Not during his work at his office in Helios Space Station or HSS.
Command Centre had all manner of things that was top of the line tech and also not yet seen in the civilian market. The whole room currently filled with officer on the computers, headsets on their ears and operations on their mind. Countless of screen showing many information; from their Surveyors to the weakest Loader Bots. Now all the screens were showing the current operation of Team Thunder, under special orders, Team Thunder was priority number one.
Reus walked to a special room, a meeting room with better accommodations for the executives to sit and observe operations. A spacious room with a few leather chairs; a big wooden table and a few drinks. Blake, the new Chairman of Hyperion, waiting anxiously at the room. Reus entered the room and went straight for the drinks.
"Took you a bloody while." Blake said.
Reus went for whiskey and filled in a glass. "The only thing that you need to do Boss, is just sit down and be patient."
"It's the fourth team and Alesia is still not dead. I have every right to worry."
"I was the one that started the job and I always finished it clean." Reus sipped his whiskey. "So let me do my job."
Reus sat beside Blake and looked at the screen. A live feed of Thunder Team at Maniac's Mine. Blake was already sweating as if his wife was about to deliver a baby. While Reus was hiding the anger that was building inside. His former Boss was not dead yet and proved to be a stubborn predicament.
"You want to know something Blake?" Reus looked at Blake.
"What?" Blake spoke.
"These Hyperion Specials are trained personally by me. So you don't have to worry about it." Reus stated.
"That also means if they fail, you and I failed." Blake gave another perspective. "And if you and I failed, I'm not going to think about it of what happens next."