"Gossard! Three o'clock!" Rico shouted out a warning as a bug rushed
up on Gossard. Gossard turned and fired just in time. He flashed a
smile back at Rico.
"Thanks, LT!" then he was off, fighting yet another of the bugs.
This mission had gone wrong from the start. Simple clean up had
turned into a battle where they were outnumbered terribly. The
retrieval ship hovered above, unable to land in the battle zone. It
would be touch and go to get everyone out of this one.
Rico's com link rang with the voices of his entire squad as they
shouted out warnings and help to each other. They had been fighting
for their lives for almost ten minutes. Ammo was running short, and
adrenaline was running high. There is only so long a man can live on
luck and adrenaline-- and that time had come. Rico heard Goss yell
T'phi's name, and turned to his left to offer assistance. He was
just in time to see T'phi crushed between the jaws of a warrior.
Rico fought his pain and sorrow down, and turned to help another
trooper. Max Brutto, just out of boot, didn't stand a chance against
the three bugs that converged on him. He was dead before Rico could
move towards him.
The retrieval ship hovered lower for an instant, than jerked up away
from the blast of a plasma bug. "Try to stay near the ship!" Rico
called. "If they come low again, grab hold and let them take you
off!"
Doc was the nearest to the ship. He dove for it at the next dip, but
missed. He swirled back to face his next attacker and wait for the
next chance. The plasma bug that had aimed for the ship missed and
hit Doc. His death was instantaneous.
Rico could see Carl out of the corner of his eye-- only one bug, he
would be fine. He turned to fight the latest wave of bugs that where
coming at him. A scream made him turn back to Carl, and Rico saw an
acidic spine sticking from his chest. He ran for Carl, yelling for
Doc. He tripped over Doc's charred body on the way. He looked into
his dying friend's eyes. How could he tell him that Doc was dead--
and with him, any medicine that would save Carl? He didn't have time
to. Carl's eyes glazed over, and Rico forced his feet to leave him
and go help the living.
Half of his squad-- gone, just like that. In a matter of moments. It
would be the stuff of nightmares later, but now, he was fighting for
the other half. He heard another distress call-- this one from Goss.
"Out of ammo, LT!" Rico swung to Gossard's side, and killed three
bugs that where surrounding Goss. He tossed a spare round of ammo to
him, and fired several shots into the rocks in case another bug
would pop out before Goss had loaded his gun. They did. Ten of them.
Rico got nine-- but it only takes one. Gossard was dead before he
hit the ground.
Rico saw a bright flash of light-- Higgins' camera, running without
aid. Higgins was at the foot of the tripod, a gun by his side and a
microphone in his hand-- a reporter to the end. Rico knew that Bob
was dead. With his death, it was like he could feel a bit of himself
die-- the childlike bit of himself. Just like Higgins, he had come
to face the hard truth of life-- and death.
Rico cast his eyes around for the remainder of his squad-- Diz was
holding her own under the ship, and Zim was backed up against the
rocks to his right, and-- that was it. That was all that was left of
the Roughnecks. Rico bit back tears and let out a roar of anger. He
ran to Zim, and together, the two of them started working their way
to the ship. It had dropped lines, and all they had to do was grab
those lines-- A swarm of hoppers dropped behind them. Rico's gun
gave out, and he started to run for the ship. He turned when he
heard Zim's grunt of pain. The swarm was on top of him, ripping him
apart. Rico had no weapon. The swarm left their dead prey and
started towards him. He turned and ran again. Only ten feet. Now
five-- he launched for a rope, grabbing on as the ship jerked yet
again. Dizzy yelled out to him, and he swung around to see that her
line was breaking. He reached out for her, her fingers inches from
his-- the line broke, and Dizzy fell twenty feet in to the swarm of
bugs.
Rico felt his heart break-- and his grip. He didn't care. His squad
was dead, and he wanted to die too. He let his fingers slide from
the rope-- strong hands reached down and grasped his wrists. He
fought the hands, wanting to die, but he was pulled into the safety
of the ship. They flew off, Rico sitting on the floor, letting his
tears flow freely down his cheeks.
Rico stood stoicly on the porch, dreading what he must do. He could
have sent a telegram, but somehow-- he wanted them to know that his
troopers had meant more to him. They had been his family too. The
door opened, and Rico faced Francis Brutto. The older man smiled,
then frowned at the look on Johnny's face. No words where needed,
but Rico started anyway.
"Francis Brutto, it is my regretful duty to inform you that your
son, private Max Brutto, was killed in action--"
The door's slam cut off the rest of his speech. It was ok, though,
Rico understood exactly what Brutto felt.
"I am sorry, Ma'am," Rico didn't know what was worse, the weeping
woman, or the children... "T'phi will be greatly missed. He was a
good man--" His voice broke, "and a good friend."
He had to go to each house-- Doc, Goss, Zim, poor young Bob
Higgins.... Then, the worst of all. He had to go to his own home
town. He had to tell his best friend's parents why their son would
not be coming home. He had to face Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins-- people who
had been like parents to him.
He had to do it, but he wasn't sure what was harder-- facing Carl's
living parents, or Dizzy's dead parents. He stood by their graves,
morning the loss of yet another of the Flores family. "I'm sorry."
he whispered to the graves, but then he changed his mind. "No, you
don't have to mourn for her. She is with you, now. Just me. I'm the
only one left to mourn... all alone."
He stood over their graves until his legs gave out, then collapsed
onto them. He lay there, rain gently falling, lulling him into a
deep, dark, sleep......
Rico gasped and sat up, his mind whirling, water pouring from him.
Where was he? He had gone to sleep, then-- He turned to look at his
wife, sleeping peacefully beside him. Where all veterans as haunted
as he was? Did Dizzy, lying so quietly beside him, ever suffer from
these dreams?
He turned over and tried to go back to sleep. He needed his rest.
The Roughneck's reunion was tomorrow, and he wouldn't miss it for
the world.
up on Gossard. Gossard turned and fired just in time. He flashed a
smile back at Rico.
"Thanks, LT!" then he was off, fighting yet another of the bugs.
This mission had gone wrong from the start. Simple clean up had
turned into a battle where they were outnumbered terribly. The
retrieval ship hovered above, unable to land in the battle zone. It
would be touch and go to get everyone out of this one.
Rico's com link rang with the voices of his entire squad as they
shouted out warnings and help to each other. They had been fighting
for their lives for almost ten minutes. Ammo was running short, and
adrenaline was running high. There is only so long a man can live on
luck and adrenaline-- and that time had come. Rico heard Goss yell
T'phi's name, and turned to his left to offer assistance. He was
just in time to see T'phi crushed between the jaws of a warrior.
Rico fought his pain and sorrow down, and turned to help another
trooper. Max Brutto, just out of boot, didn't stand a chance against
the three bugs that converged on him. He was dead before Rico could
move towards him.
The retrieval ship hovered lower for an instant, than jerked up away
from the blast of a plasma bug. "Try to stay near the ship!" Rico
called. "If they come low again, grab hold and let them take you
off!"
Doc was the nearest to the ship. He dove for it at the next dip, but
missed. He swirled back to face his next attacker and wait for the
next chance. The plasma bug that had aimed for the ship missed and
hit Doc. His death was instantaneous.
Rico could see Carl out of the corner of his eye-- only one bug, he
would be fine. He turned to fight the latest wave of bugs that where
coming at him. A scream made him turn back to Carl, and Rico saw an
acidic spine sticking from his chest. He ran for Carl, yelling for
Doc. He tripped over Doc's charred body on the way. He looked into
his dying friend's eyes. How could he tell him that Doc was dead--
and with him, any medicine that would save Carl? He didn't have time
to. Carl's eyes glazed over, and Rico forced his feet to leave him
and go help the living.
Half of his squad-- gone, just like that. In a matter of moments. It
would be the stuff of nightmares later, but now, he was fighting for
the other half. He heard another distress call-- this one from Goss.
"Out of ammo, LT!" Rico swung to Gossard's side, and killed three
bugs that where surrounding Goss. He tossed a spare round of ammo to
him, and fired several shots into the rocks in case another bug
would pop out before Goss had loaded his gun. They did. Ten of them.
Rico got nine-- but it only takes one. Gossard was dead before he
hit the ground.
Rico saw a bright flash of light-- Higgins' camera, running without
aid. Higgins was at the foot of the tripod, a gun by his side and a
microphone in his hand-- a reporter to the end. Rico knew that Bob
was dead. With his death, it was like he could feel a bit of himself
die-- the childlike bit of himself. Just like Higgins, he had come
to face the hard truth of life-- and death.
Rico cast his eyes around for the remainder of his squad-- Diz was
holding her own under the ship, and Zim was backed up against the
rocks to his right, and-- that was it. That was all that was left of
the Roughnecks. Rico bit back tears and let out a roar of anger. He
ran to Zim, and together, the two of them started working their way
to the ship. It had dropped lines, and all they had to do was grab
those lines-- A swarm of hoppers dropped behind them. Rico's gun
gave out, and he started to run for the ship. He turned when he
heard Zim's grunt of pain. The swarm was on top of him, ripping him
apart. Rico had no weapon. The swarm left their dead prey and
started towards him. He turned and ran again. Only ten feet. Now
five-- he launched for a rope, grabbing on as the ship jerked yet
again. Dizzy yelled out to him, and he swung around to see that her
line was breaking. He reached out for her, her fingers inches from
his-- the line broke, and Dizzy fell twenty feet in to the swarm of
bugs.
Rico felt his heart break-- and his grip. He didn't care. His squad
was dead, and he wanted to die too. He let his fingers slide from
the rope-- strong hands reached down and grasped his wrists. He
fought the hands, wanting to die, but he was pulled into the safety
of the ship. They flew off, Rico sitting on the floor, letting his
tears flow freely down his cheeks.
Rico stood stoicly on the porch, dreading what he must do. He could
have sent a telegram, but somehow-- he wanted them to know that his
troopers had meant more to him. They had been his family too. The
door opened, and Rico faced Francis Brutto. The older man smiled,
then frowned at the look on Johnny's face. No words where needed,
but Rico started anyway.
"Francis Brutto, it is my regretful duty to inform you that your
son, private Max Brutto, was killed in action--"
The door's slam cut off the rest of his speech. It was ok, though,
Rico understood exactly what Brutto felt.
"I am sorry, Ma'am," Rico didn't know what was worse, the weeping
woman, or the children... "T'phi will be greatly missed. He was a
good man--" His voice broke, "and a good friend."
He had to go to each house-- Doc, Goss, Zim, poor young Bob
Higgins.... Then, the worst of all. He had to go to his own home
town. He had to tell his best friend's parents why their son would
not be coming home. He had to face Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins-- people who
had been like parents to him.
He had to do it, but he wasn't sure what was harder-- facing Carl's
living parents, or Dizzy's dead parents. He stood by their graves,
morning the loss of yet another of the Flores family. "I'm sorry."
he whispered to the graves, but then he changed his mind. "No, you
don't have to mourn for her. She is with you, now. Just me. I'm the
only one left to mourn... all alone."
He stood over their graves until his legs gave out, then collapsed
onto them. He lay there, rain gently falling, lulling him into a
deep, dark, sleep......
Rico gasped and sat up, his mind whirling, water pouring from him.
Where was he? He had gone to sleep, then-- He turned to look at his
wife, sleeping peacefully beside him. Where all veterans as haunted
as he was? Did Dizzy, lying so quietly beside him, ever suffer from
these dreams?
He turned over and tried to go back to sleep. He needed his rest.
The Roughneck's reunion was tomorrow, and he wouldn't miss it for
the world.