"The Reunion"
Episode 205 – "Another Chapter Begins"
D-Minus 4 Days
"Dizzy was an emotional wreck now. Unfortunately after the war it was a common thing among veterans. No branch, nor any squad, was exempt from the later casualties and victims of the war. The psychological effects left on people drove many to suicide, insanity or simply they just had the standard post traumatic flashbacks into their past; mostly some of the most stressful points. These problems have all been dealt with and are down to nil in the modern world.
But Isabel's problems were different. The war had only minor effects on her psyche, and her brother vouched for that. Though he said they talked sparingly, he knew she was too strong to let the war get to her. Her troubles reached deeper into the human heart. The loss of two loves can drive anyone into utter confusion and despair, I know this all to well."
- Dr. Robert "Paperboy" Higgins, from: The Roughneck Chronicles
EARTH
Johan Nietzsche looked over the slopping hills of green grass in his native Austria. He'd only been 5 when the war had ended, but he remembered their bloodstained past. He remembered the smell of rotting flesh, human and bug. The noon sun shown down on him in all its magnificent glory and allowed him to feel a warmth that many said had been taken from him. The wind blew softly against his face and he closed his eyes as the smell of fresh spring flowers filled his mind.
His long brown hair blew in beautiful waves that all women found absolutely invigorating. He opened his eyes back and looked back down on the grass. His vision wandered slowly over the massive structures that had been erected to house the five hundred thousand troops that had been called into duty over the past week. In the areas directly around the camp, the grass had disappeared and left only the bare brown dirt beneath.
The long coat he wore blew out behind him as a gust of wind found its way down the mountains to his east and the transport lifting off for space. He watched as it soared over his head and kicked up dust all around and his hands found there way to his collar which he pulled closer about his neck.
He hated the bugs. They cause the destruction of so much, even now. He turned his back on the camp and made his way back to the city, where more and more troops were massing. He was tired of the war.
* * * * *
"'You don't know the truth!'" Gossard yelled stepping down from the transport onto the hard cement of the space port in Geneva, in full powered armor. He held his duffel bag over his shoulder lightly and moved quickly away from the transport. Doc, Zim and Max followed closely behind, along with another two dozen troopers. "What's that supposed to mean? I know about the baby, and the divorce, what else is there to know?"
"The circumstances!" Doc yelled over the whine of transports landing and taking off.
"Well do enlighten us." Came Max's sarcasm. Zim quickly taught him his error with a quick kick in his rear that sent him stumbling across the tarmac.
"Stow it trooper! That's classified!" Zim ordered.
"How is that classified?" Max asked.
"Need to know basis." Contempt was all Max had received for the past day, and Zim wasn't about to stop.
"And let me guess, I don't need to know?" Max rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Maybe you can learn something!" Zim said in mock astonishment. "Maybe I did knock enough into your head in boot." Max bit his lip and the four slowly walked across the tarmac to the registration building that had been set up to allow for troopers to receive their ship assignments and departure times. Though they already knew there's, for logistical purposes, the four were forced to sign their way through.
The Roughnecks laughed and joked about old times and their lives since all the way through the registry building, which was little more than a temporary plastic box filled with equipment of various sorts. Along the back wall were about thirty small computers where the troops signed their names and were spit their orders from the small printers.
"Anyone heard from the paper boy?" Gossard asked signing his name and taking his order slip that came out. He looked at the sheet and chewed his lip for a second.
"About a week ago," Doc said taking his slip. "He was there when Sanchez died." Max stepped up and took his slip.
"Bout time the old man bit the dust."
"For once I agree with you Brutto." Zim grabbed his slip and crumpled it in his hand. "But for different reasons." He threw it behind his shoulder.
They walked out into the city where transports were waiting to take them to the massing point ten miles outside the limits. Troops were climbing up into the back of trucks while clerks checked off each troops name on their data pads.
Zim was the last to step up into the truck where he sat onto the hard metal with a huff. As the truck started up and began to rumble off the street towards the rallying point.
* * * * *
It had been just two hours before, dawn in San Francisco. Zim, Gossard and Doc had arranged for a special meeting of sorts to take place just south of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was cool and the smell of the sea was all about them. The sun was beginning to smile over the city horizon when she arrived. She was still beautiful, maybe more so since she'd calmed down after the war. She walked slowly out to the three of them who were standing looking out over the bay.
"Hello Rico." Zim said after a moment of stillness. That immediately turned the mood sour and Dizzy's words were like a hissing poison.
"That's not my name." She spat. The venom and strength sunk into Gossard and Doc who quickly turned around, startled more so by the nature of her response that from the act itself.
"Only by a simple choice." Zim replied.
"A choice I made a long time ago." She breathed heavily for a second. "Did you call me here to open wounds I had to force to heal?" She looked at the three of them then let a faint smile crease her thin lips. She hugged Goss then Doc and stared at Zim's back. "I've missed you guys."
"We've missed you too." Doc said. "How have you been? Everything okay?" He cast a quizzical eye over her figure.
"I'm fine, been so for about five years." She bit her lip and looked away towards the bay.
"We're here to talk Dizzy." Gossard said stepping forward putting his hand on her chin and redirecting her gaze back to them. "And the answers aren't there, I know, I've looked."
"I haven't." She said holding the tears back. She sniffed and wiped her nose.
An uneasy silence settled and Zim finally turned around. "I know your messaging service works. Why don't you use it?"
"Another choice I made." She said softly.
"A long time ago?" he brought her close and hugged her to his chest.
"Daily. When the need arises." She said sobbing into his white shirt. She broke away after a moment and wiped her eyes clean. "But I never delete them. That would hurt too much."
Gossard stepped forward and put his hand on her shoulder. "You really shouldn't introvert yourself so much. We're your friends, your-"
"Family?" She interrupted. "I know that. You and my brother are all I have left."
"So why did you drive away the one who cared the most about you?" Zim asked. She shot him an icy glare that made him step back a second. The sun was now halfway above the horizon, casting down warm reds, oranges and yellows.
"It was a mutual thing." She said turning her back on him. She slowly hugged herself and looked up at Doc.
"You know what happened. Why do we always have to go through this?" She asked stepping past him.
She walked towards the woods then fell to her knees sobbing. Zim and Gossard began to walk after her but Doc stopped them.
"She's right." He said with a sigh. "This happens every time she and I try and meet for a check up."
Gossard looked at her as she sobbed, pity filling his voice. "What happened exactly?"
"Rico was called back into action three years after the end of the war when there was that attempted brain coup on Planet P. Dizzy was six months pregnant at the time. Of course there was no way for Rico to be there for its birth and it was born without its father being within twenty light-years.
"The baby was born with an extreme case sickle-cell anemia and high blood pressure. After several failed attempts to help it through medications and two operations, the baby died at three weeks old. I had been on top of the case and unfortunately could do nothing to save it, that's the one no one knows about, she wanted me to keep it secret. Dizzy didn't want sympathy; she wanted her baby and her husband back.
"When Rico heard about it, he went into a depression and buried himself in his work. He stopped calling, never wrote, and for three months, didn't answer any calls from anyone. Dizzy ended up holding a lot of anger towards him for not being there, even though it was not his fault, and for his somewhat selfish attitude on the matter. She had divorce papers sent to Rico and he was forced to eventually sign them." He said stepping back and looking at Dizzy who was had buried her face in her hands. "They haven't spoken in years. But from what I can tell, he's always trying."
Gossard looked at his feet, his words caught in his throat. "I didn't know it went that deep."
"Few do, she didn't want anyone to know. Rico doesn't know who knows and who doesn't, that's why he hasn't been back to Earth in five years; he doesn't want to know, he doesn't want the pity."
Zim chewed on his cheek for a moment then looked up as if he had been stabbed with shock-stick. He pushed Doc aside and stomped over to Dizzy at a quick pace.
"On your feet soldier!" He ordered grabbing her by the arm and forcing her up. She found her footing and looked at him astonished, tears still streaming from her eyes. "What is this crap you're doing? My soldiers do not cry!" He released her arm.
"I am not one of your toys anymore 'Charlie'!" She yelled back, pounding her fist into his chest. "I'm not a soldier! I'm not a trooper! I'm not a Roughneck!"
"Then what are you?" He ordered.
"I don't know!" She cried, her cheeks being flooded with tears of anguish and pain. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because little lady, you need to get with the picture!" He glared down at her and bent his head down to her eye level. "Do you get me trooper?"
She looked away from him. "I don't have time for this." She began to turn away but was held by a firm grip on her arm. She turned back to see Zim holding onto her.
"I did not give you permission to leave." He said calmly.
"Let go of me Charlie!" She yelled.
"Zim-" Gossard was quickly cut off by Zim's other hand stiffly rising. "I hope he knows what he's doing." He mumbled.
"Me too." Doc echoed watching the scene in front of them.
"Do you have some pressing appointment to attend Rico?" He asked holding her in place.
"That's not my name dammit! Stop calling me that!" She yelled, the water returning from her eyes.
Zim held up a small pad in front of her face. On it was a public ID profile on her. It included height, weight, eye color, hair color, home address, next of kin, and most importantly, name. "What does that say?"
Dizzy's mouth slowly fell open and her face turned pale, her hardened eyes turned soft again. She stopped struggling and her arm was slowly released.
"He doesn't know that. Does he?" Zim asked softly. Doc and Gossard were behind wondering exactly what had just happened. "You never sent those divorce papers in; or am I wrong?"
"No." She said softly turning away in shame.
"Then why the charade? Why the games? Why the endless cycle of pain you two are putting each other through?" He asked looking down on her
"I didn't start this." She said.
"Neither did he."
"He didn't help it much." She said stepping past him and looking out at the sun, which was now barely above the horizon.
"Neither do you."
"How do you know so much?" She bit turning back to him.
"You forget who I am." He said turning to face her and the sun. "You forget what information I can get."
She looked him in the eye. "Are you spying on me Charlie? Because that would be a serious misallocation of military resources, wouldn't it?"
Zim smiled. "You know better than that."
She looked at him for a moment. "You did come here to open wounds back up."
"No Dizzy, I came here to try and close them for good." He said softly.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"We're shipping out. For Tophet. I know you've seen the news."
"Yeah, a possible large scale bug attack. Is it true?"
"Yes, and its not an attack, its an invasion. We don't know where they're hitting, or when. But we know its going to be several planets, and soon." He took a breath. "Dizzy, we don't know what's coming, we don't know what's going to happen, don't throw away your last chance." He looked down at his watch, it was time to leave.
"Last chance for what?" She asked. Zim motioned and Doc and Goss joined him. The two embraced her quickly and turned away.
"Good bye Dizzy." Gossard said rubbing his hand through her hair and stepping away.
"Bye Diz." Doc followed, kissing her softly on her cheek. "Take care of yourself." He turned his back on her and walked away. Zim looked down on her.
"Last chance for what?" She asked grabbing his shirt.
"In war, people die." He said simply. "I never got to say good bye to Jean, or tell him how good of a friend he was. Don't make my mistake." He grabbed her and held her for a moment and then joined Gossard and Doc at the small car and left for the transport where Max was waiting.
Dizzy had stayed at the over look, looking out into the blue waters, where she'd lost so much before. The same waters where she'd lost the man who had been her father for three years of bloody combat, and her teacher. The waters that took and didn't return, much like time itself. She waited for two hours before returning home.
* * * * *
The truck sped through the streets of Geneva for about twenty minutes before exiting the city limits and quickly coming out into open land. It then only took another ten minutes until they reached the camp. Small temps had been set up to house and feed the soldiers over the coming days while their final orders were processed. The Roughnecks, the Wolves and a handful of other squads were the only ones shipping out immediately, most of which were on board the Jean Razak, heading for Tophet to rendezvous with the Threshold and other ships. From there, they would move to the sectors where it looked like the bug invasion was going to hit heaviest.
Zim, Max, Goss and Doc all jumped down from the truck and slowly began to trek to the launch pads that had been fashioned. All around, they saw mostly young faces. Kids who had never seen real combat with the bugs, just the controlled battles in boot, maybe a little more. But it was different when your enemy wasn't fitted with a device the DI could activate that would destroy the creature if the situation got too dicey.
All were about some task or another, most of it seemed to be inventory. SICON had a lot of dust to clean off before all squads could be fully assembled, and that was still a good three weeks away. Zim shook his head.
"What?" Max asked seeing the action.
"We're not ready." Zim said surveying the green troops that came into his view. "We're not going to be ready when they hit."
Max sighed. "The ones coming out rely too much on their weapons, rather than their guts."
Zim laughed out loud. "Son, we all do. It's something that eventually grows on us and we forget our earlier faults."
Max thought about it for a second. "I guess you're right."
"I've been doing this for a lot longer than you, I know." He said. They reached the pads and saw that the mechanics were working on a transport, its engine casings removed. Gossard walked up and looked over the work being done.
"What's going on?" He asked a mechanic stepping down from the right engine.
"The fuel injectors are offline, looks like bad wiring in the secondary relay switch." He said stepping past Gossard.
"What about the primary?" he asked which brought a laugh out of the mechanic.
"The primaries were shot when the secondary's overloaded them. They were trying to reroute power on the descent and bam! There they went."
Gossard looked over the casing. He grabbed a handful of wires and pulled them down. The mechanic jumped and ran back to him.
"What the hell are you doing?" He asked slapping Gossard's hand.
"You're trying to reroute the power flow through the primary feeds for the ignition?" He asked looking back into the engine.
"Yeah! We think it'll work." He was becoming agitated. "You want to stop messing everything up and let me get back to work?"
"Sure, go ahead, but I won't be riding on that crate." Gossard turned and saw that Max and Doc had separated from Zim who was left alone with his arms crossed and a grin on his face. Gossard gave him a quick smirk and wink then began walking towards him.
"Why not?" The mechanic asked grabbing Goss's shoulder.
"You're going to be sending to much power through the ignition. What it's going to do is end up releasing too much fuel from the over load and you'll get a nice explosion before take off." Gossard smiled. "At least that's the possibility. But we're not in a huge rush to leave the planet. Now say if there were three dozen bugs coming after me, I'd jump on a nuke if I thought it would get me out of there without becoming a Brain's snack." He winked at the mechanic. "But we're not in that sort of situation. Have fun fixing it right."
He left the mechanic to think while he returned to Zim.
"Where'd the others go?" He asked.
"Max went to make a personal call and Doc was hungry. They've got fifteen minutes before I told them to meet me back here." Zim looked down at his watch. "You've got ten minutes left if you want to try and do anything."
Gossard looked around. "That thing won't be ready for at least thirty minutes. I caught him trying to take a dangerous short cut. He was giving us a fifty-fifty chance of making it into space."
Zim looked back down at his watch. "Nine minutes."
Gossard sighed and began to scan for the communications tent. He found it with a surprisingly small crowd. He looked back at Zim and made a break for the tent.
* * * * *
The inside was a jumble of communications equipment hooked to satellite transmitters. Max was sitting at one terminal watching the screen as it dialed the number he put in. The line at the bottom of 'dialing..." was going into its second minute and he was beginning to think that his call would never go through until it finally changed to 'connecting to recipient...' which was replaced quickly by his father's face.
"Max!" Brutto exclaimed into son's ear. Behind him Max could see it was day in Hawaii through his father's glass wall at SICON HQ.
"Hey dad, how's it going?" He asked speaking into the small microphone that had been fitted around his head to allow for maximum privacy in the environment.
"Not bad, where are you at?" He asked trying to look around him.
"You know I can't tell you." He smiled. Brutto shrugged.
"Oh yeah, I forgot." He looked into his son's eyes. "Just a quick 'hello'?"
Max looked down for a moment. "You know what's happening don't you?"
"Yes, I do. You setting out?"
"Yes, sir." Max replied softly.
"Tophet I'm assuming?" He asked again.
"Perhaps. I know that I'm not going to be back anytime soon." He said.
"Max, I know that you're probably very scared right now." His father said calmingly.
"Not exactly scared. Not scared of leaving," He corrected.
"Scared of not coming back." The father finished. "You've never had to engage in battle off planet, it's a scary thing if you've never done it, but that shouldn't be something you have to worry about."
"Why not?"
"You're dropping with the best son." He said with a smile. "You'll always have someone watching your back."
"Dad, I..." Max tried.
"I know I haven't been there for you Max, not like I should've been when you were younger. And I'm sorry that things didn't work out between me and your mother, but I want you to know, that no matter what happens, I love you, and I'm extremely proud of you."
Max let the words hang a moment. "I know dad. You know I feel the same way."
"Yeah, I know." Brutto sighed. "Look, I've got a lot of work to do, keep in touch and take care of yourself."
"You know I will. Good bye dad." Max said and cut the link. He took the headset off and stood. He wiped the moistness from his face and made his way back to Zim. On his way out he bumped into Gossard who was in a rush. They looked at each other for a second.
"Better hurry up man, we don't have much time left." Max said stepping out of his way and letting him get to the terminal he'd just used. He turned back, his face against the sun and made his way for the pad.
* * * * *
"Come on, come on." Gossard said, tapping his foot against the ground. Finally Jess's face appeared on the screen.
"JEFF!" She yelled, sending an excruciating pain through his ears.
"Yeah, its me, I might need a hearing aide now though." He smiled warmly at her. "How are you?"
"Oh, I am great!" She said with a huge smile. Her black hair was flowing in the wind; Gossard could tell that she was out at sea. "Trying to make a big catch for a party Sam is having tomorrow." Gossard bit down on his tongue on the mention of that name. Sam had been Jessie's previous boyfriend before Gossard had gotten out of the service and bought the boat in Tijuana where he had made his living before all of this. Sam had beat Jessie before, and Jeff had promised him of certain unpleasant things that would happen if he ever laid another hand near her.
"I know you don't like him," she covered quickly. "But it's a harmless party, for his brother's birthday."
"Well, I know you'll be careful." He said soothing her nerves slightly.
"Of course I will." She smiled and let the silence linger before coughing slightly. "So, when are you going to come back?" The excitement had now been replaced with worry.
"You know I don't know that." He said pitifully. "I wish it was right away."
"Well just you remember, you promised me you'd come back. You have a wedding to help me plan!" She said holding her left hand up to the screen.
"I know, I know." He said, again, an awkward silence took the conversation by force.
"I don't know what's going on Jeff," The worry was now making her voice shake. "And I'm scared. Just please come back to me."
"I promise I will Jessie." He said. She kissed her fingers and pressed them to her side of the camera while Jeff mimicked the gesture. "I love you."
"I love you too." She said her voice quaking from the fear and sadness that had overtaken her.
"I have to go, I'll come back, I promise." He cut the screen and sat there for a few moments, looking at the SICON insignia. He threw the headset down and ran his hands through his hair and stood.
"Excuse me sir," A familiar voice said from behind. "I know its not my place to say anything in your affairs, and I didn't mean to hear you, but I don't believe that's a promise you can truthfully make."
Gossard turned to see Higgins looking at him, a grave look on his face. Gossard smiled and grabbed him and gave him a quick hug.
"It's good to see you Higgins." He said releasing him. "Here to make a report?"
"Where is everyone else?" He asked looking around.
"At the pad, waiting to leave." He said directing him towards the pad. They exited the tent together and made their way in between the multiple troopers milling around. "Are you going to answer me?"
They reached the others who were all happy to see the Paper Boy present. "I was assigned to the Wolves." He finally let out.
"The Wolves,"; "That bunch of pups?"; "Too many greenies!"; "I doubt they know what a bug still looks like." Came the multiple responses all at once.
"Yeah, I know, but FEDNET wanted me placed with a different squad this time, they felt the Roughnecks would be old news." He said. He pointed out his squad which was waiting a dozen yards away.
"That's what you get with non-coms, what do you expect?" Zim said. "Why put good squads back together when you can just mess things up worse than they already are?"
"Because then that prove that we're wrong; INTEL isn't run by the monkey's!" Doc said.
A loud horn split the air followed by a voice: "Departure for the Jean Razak in two minutes at pad 2. Repeat, departure for Jean Razak in two minutes at pad 2." The speaker cut and they all turned to look at the transport. The mechanics were putting the casings back on and making final checks on it.
"Why do I have such a bad feeling?" Gossard asked rhetorically.
"It could be worse." Doc said.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, you could have to sit next to the serge's old man; instead you've got the clone."
"Hey!" Max yelled. "My dad could still kick all of your tails!"
"Zip it up troopers!" Zim ordered. They all looked at him, then at Higgins who wavered after a second.
"I have to join my squad; I'll see you on the ship guys." He said breaking away and rushing for the Wolves. Lieutenant Breckenridge gave him a quick slap across the back of his head ordered him into formation.
Zim and the others grabbed their gear and slung it over their shoulders.
"Hear we go gentlemen. Time to travel back into the valley." He said. They all took one last look around the camp. "Every body ready?"
"Roger!" Goss said.
"Ready and somewhat willing." Doc chuckled.
"Not like I have a choice." Max said gripping his bag tighter.
Zim looked over them and grinned. "Good to be back with you guys." He did a quick about-face to put the transport directly ahead of him. "Roughnecks!"
"HO!" Came the unanimous call.
"Roughnecks: embark!" Zim sounded. The four marched solidly to the transport and climbed in, followed by the Wolves. The doors shut and it took to the sky.
LOVEL A-19
[Hear my call,] she said in her mind. [My general's, hear my call.] She quickly repeated. She was answered with hundreds of courteous returns.
She looked out her mind's eye into the asteroid field beyond. He transports were busy moving about, deploying troops to certain rocks, others loading to depart to the Terran systems. The darkness of her hatchery did not distract her in the slightest from seeing all that was within her reach. She could see her transports moving through the star, getting ever closer to their eventual targets.
[Now is the time in which we must be solid.] She let the words hang for a moment. [We are about to launch an attack against an enemy that is strong and resilient, but he has made a mistake. He let his victory against my mother make him lazy, and thus, he is vulnerable. As we speak, he has already begun to try to initiate counter measures to combat us.
[We must be quick in our attack, efficient. Our armies are not what they were, but we still outnumber them drastically. We have only a short amount of time and must crush them with one decisive blow. After taking their outlying bases, we will hit their hearts.] She let her mind wander momentarily as she felt a ping of a psychic call, warning her. It let her know that her time is drawing close; that she will not prevail.
She shook her head and laughed. She turned her thoughts back to her generals. [Our enemy is already trying to defeat us. He should arrive within a days, and then, we shall have their greatest weapon against us.]
[Is he coming en masse?] Several asked at once, concerned for her well being, or maybe just their own.
[I am unsure, but if he is, none will survive save him. If not, he has made a foolish choice.] She turned and saw him coming ever closer. Closer fool, closer. She thought.
[You all have your orders.] She finished and cut her links. She turned her thoughts in on herself and let her body loose, releasing eggs quickly. Her queen spawn on other rocks would be picking up the pace and laying more and more for her war machine. She smiled to herself; things were going exactly her way.
EARTH ORBIT
The transport slowed to a complete stop in the massive hangar of the Jean Razak then finally settled to the ground. Deck crews rushed up to it to secure and begin their routine checklists over the systems. When the doors parted Gossard was the first out; stumbling and running for safety.
"It's gonna blow!" He yelled jumping behind several fuel containers. Crews began to look around worriedly then went back to their duties when Zim, Doc and Max all exited calmly.
"Hey look where you're at Goss!" Doc yelled laughing. The three stepped out of the way as the Wolves exited. Lieutenant Breckenridge looked at Zim.
"Charlie Zim," he said gruffly. He was about as tall as Zim, and as large. The two shook hands after a moment. "I never thought I'd see you going back into combat."
"Me? Ha!" Zim retorted. "What about this batch of greenies you've got here?"
Breckenridge looked over his troopers. "The best you can get these days. Hand picked them myself when I was reactivated last week. One of the benefits of being a war hero I suppose."
"One of the many." Zim said.
"You hooking up with Rico, or is this your squad now?" He asked. Max and Doc were laughing hysterically helping Gossard up from behind his spur-of-the-moment shelter.
"Still not what I want." Zim said simply. "Jonnie's the leader, not me."
"That's what I always figured." Breckenridge patted Zim on the shoulder. "See you around, work to do with the squad. Training."
"Fun." Zim remarked. The two split to their own directions. Zim joined the other three who were laughing about the incident.
"I swear; I haven't seen you move like that since Tophet!" Doc laughed.
Gossard rubbed his neck shyly. "I wouldn't expect to see it too much."
"I would." A voice came from behind. They all turned around and saw Admiral Carmen Ibanez.
"Atten-TION!" Zim barked, bringing all the officers near them to a stand still until the realized that it was the Admiral. They went about their business while the Roughnecks remained in place. Carmen giggled slightly.
"At ease Lieutenant." She said stepping before Zim directly. "We're on a low with formalities on board this ship."
"I see," Zim eased up, as did the others.
She smiled. "Its good to see you guys."
Zim returned the gesture. "I have to get our gear unloaded ma'am."
"I understand." She stepped out of his way and let him back to the transport. Doc and Goss approached her with enthusiasm while Max just sort of pushed his way through them.
"Admiral Ibanez," Doc said. She quickly embraced each of them.
"Back to carrying our sorry tails around huh?" Gossard asked.
"I suppose, but this time I think I have a bigger ship." She waved her hand across the entire hanger.
"It would look that way, wouldn't it?" Gossard answered.
"You guys have a lot of work ahead of you." She said. "You'd best get started. We're setting out in two hours. Make sure you're ready."
They both saluted. "Yes ma'am." Carmen turned and left the hangar to return to her job.
"She's still got that figure." Doc said following her with his eyes.
"Gossard, assist Brutto with the gear!" Zim barked.
"No problem." He said sarcastically. "Can't the big bad sergeant handle it himself?"
The three were startled by the sound of Max yelling followed by what sounded like flesh against flesh. They turned to see some mechanic sprawled on his back. Several were quickly coming to their friend's aide. Zim cast a sideward glance at Gossard.
"Oh come on, he can finish his own problems!" He yelled moving into position to come to Max's defense.
Zim turned back to Doc, and smiling left the hangar, just as Doc was forced to jump in to get Max out. While he'd enjoyed his life after the war, it felt good to be amongst friends again, even if he hadn't been with them that long during the war.
The ship set out on schedule, never receiving the publicity he deserved many felt. He left Earth's gravitational field on schedule and enter star drive shortly after. At maximum speed it would take three days to arrive at Tophet. Too little, too late.
"... [they] obeyed the great field marshal. Rank and file
streamed behind and rushed like swarms of bees
pouring out of a rocky hollow, burst on endless burst,
bunched in clusters seething over the first spring blooms,
dark hordes swirling into the air, this way, that way—
so the many armed platoons from the ships and tents
came marching on, close file, along the deep wide beach
to crowd the meeting grounds, and Rumor, Zeus's crier,
like wildfire blazing among them, whipped them on. 110
The troops assembled."
The Iliad - Book Two: The Great Gathering of Armies; Homer
Episode 205 – "Another Chapter Begins"
D-Minus 4 Days
"Dizzy was an emotional wreck now. Unfortunately after the war it was a common thing among veterans. No branch, nor any squad, was exempt from the later casualties and victims of the war. The psychological effects left on people drove many to suicide, insanity or simply they just had the standard post traumatic flashbacks into their past; mostly some of the most stressful points. These problems have all been dealt with and are down to nil in the modern world.
But Isabel's problems were different. The war had only minor effects on her psyche, and her brother vouched for that. Though he said they talked sparingly, he knew she was too strong to let the war get to her. Her troubles reached deeper into the human heart. The loss of two loves can drive anyone into utter confusion and despair, I know this all to well."
- Dr. Robert "Paperboy" Higgins, from: The Roughneck Chronicles
EARTH
Johan Nietzsche looked over the slopping hills of green grass in his native Austria. He'd only been 5 when the war had ended, but he remembered their bloodstained past. He remembered the smell of rotting flesh, human and bug. The noon sun shown down on him in all its magnificent glory and allowed him to feel a warmth that many said had been taken from him. The wind blew softly against his face and he closed his eyes as the smell of fresh spring flowers filled his mind.
His long brown hair blew in beautiful waves that all women found absolutely invigorating. He opened his eyes back and looked back down on the grass. His vision wandered slowly over the massive structures that had been erected to house the five hundred thousand troops that had been called into duty over the past week. In the areas directly around the camp, the grass had disappeared and left only the bare brown dirt beneath.
The long coat he wore blew out behind him as a gust of wind found its way down the mountains to his east and the transport lifting off for space. He watched as it soared over his head and kicked up dust all around and his hands found there way to his collar which he pulled closer about his neck.
He hated the bugs. They cause the destruction of so much, even now. He turned his back on the camp and made his way back to the city, where more and more troops were massing. He was tired of the war.
"'You don't know the truth!'" Gossard yelled stepping down from the transport onto the hard cement of the space port in Geneva, in full powered armor. He held his duffel bag over his shoulder lightly and moved quickly away from the transport. Doc, Zim and Max followed closely behind, along with another two dozen troopers. "What's that supposed to mean? I know about the baby, and the divorce, what else is there to know?"
"The circumstances!" Doc yelled over the whine of transports landing and taking off.
"Well do enlighten us." Came Max's sarcasm. Zim quickly taught him his error with a quick kick in his rear that sent him stumbling across the tarmac.
"Stow it trooper! That's classified!" Zim ordered.
"How is that classified?" Max asked.
"Need to know basis." Contempt was all Max had received for the past day, and Zim wasn't about to stop.
"And let me guess, I don't need to know?" Max rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Maybe you can learn something!" Zim said in mock astonishment. "Maybe I did knock enough into your head in boot." Max bit his lip and the four slowly walked across the tarmac to the registration building that had been set up to allow for troopers to receive their ship assignments and departure times. Though they already knew there's, for logistical purposes, the four were forced to sign their way through.
The Roughnecks laughed and joked about old times and their lives since all the way through the registry building, which was little more than a temporary plastic box filled with equipment of various sorts. Along the back wall were about thirty small computers where the troops signed their names and were spit their orders from the small printers.
"Anyone heard from the paper boy?" Gossard asked signing his name and taking his order slip that came out. He looked at the sheet and chewed his lip for a second.
"About a week ago," Doc said taking his slip. "He was there when Sanchez died." Max stepped up and took his slip.
"Bout time the old man bit the dust."
"For once I agree with you Brutto." Zim grabbed his slip and crumpled it in his hand. "But for different reasons." He threw it behind his shoulder.
They walked out into the city where transports were waiting to take them to the massing point ten miles outside the limits. Troops were climbing up into the back of trucks while clerks checked off each troops name on their data pads.
Zim was the last to step up into the truck where he sat onto the hard metal with a huff. As the truck started up and began to rumble off the street towards the rallying point.
It had been just two hours before, dawn in San Francisco. Zim, Gossard and Doc had arranged for a special meeting of sorts to take place just south of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was cool and the smell of the sea was all about them. The sun was beginning to smile over the city horizon when she arrived. She was still beautiful, maybe more so since she'd calmed down after the war. She walked slowly out to the three of them who were standing looking out over the bay.
"Hello Rico." Zim said after a moment of stillness. That immediately turned the mood sour and Dizzy's words were like a hissing poison.
"That's not my name." She spat. The venom and strength sunk into Gossard and Doc who quickly turned around, startled more so by the nature of her response that from the act itself.
"Only by a simple choice." Zim replied.
"A choice I made a long time ago." She breathed heavily for a second. "Did you call me here to open wounds I had to force to heal?" She looked at the three of them then let a faint smile crease her thin lips. She hugged Goss then Doc and stared at Zim's back. "I've missed you guys."
"We've missed you too." Doc said. "How have you been? Everything okay?" He cast a quizzical eye over her figure.
"I'm fine, been so for about five years." She bit her lip and looked away towards the bay.
"We're here to talk Dizzy." Gossard said stepping forward putting his hand on her chin and redirecting her gaze back to them. "And the answers aren't there, I know, I've looked."
"I haven't." She said holding the tears back. She sniffed and wiped her nose.
An uneasy silence settled and Zim finally turned around. "I know your messaging service works. Why don't you use it?"
"Another choice I made." She said softly.
"A long time ago?" he brought her close and hugged her to his chest.
"Daily. When the need arises." She said sobbing into his white shirt. She broke away after a moment and wiped her eyes clean. "But I never delete them. That would hurt too much."
Gossard stepped forward and put his hand on her shoulder. "You really shouldn't introvert yourself so much. We're your friends, your-"
"Family?" She interrupted. "I know that. You and my brother are all I have left."
"So why did you drive away the one who cared the most about you?" Zim asked. She shot him an icy glare that made him step back a second. The sun was now halfway above the horizon, casting down warm reds, oranges and yellows.
"It was a mutual thing." She said turning her back on him. She slowly hugged herself and looked up at Doc.
"You know what happened. Why do we always have to go through this?" She asked stepping past him.
She walked towards the woods then fell to her knees sobbing. Zim and Gossard began to walk after her but Doc stopped them.
"She's right." He said with a sigh. "This happens every time she and I try and meet for a check up."
Gossard looked at her as she sobbed, pity filling his voice. "What happened exactly?"
"Rico was called back into action three years after the end of the war when there was that attempted brain coup on Planet P. Dizzy was six months pregnant at the time. Of course there was no way for Rico to be there for its birth and it was born without its father being within twenty light-years.
"The baby was born with an extreme case sickle-cell anemia and high blood pressure. After several failed attempts to help it through medications and two operations, the baby died at three weeks old. I had been on top of the case and unfortunately could do nothing to save it, that's the one no one knows about, she wanted me to keep it secret. Dizzy didn't want sympathy; she wanted her baby and her husband back.
"When Rico heard about it, he went into a depression and buried himself in his work. He stopped calling, never wrote, and for three months, didn't answer any calls from anyone. Dizzy ended up holding a lot of anger towards him for not being there, even though it was not his fault, and for his somewhat selfish attitude on the matter. She had divorce papers sent to Rico and he was forced to eventually sign them." He said stepping back and looking at Dizzy who was had buried her face in her hands. "They haven't spoken in years. But from what I can tell, he's always trying."
Gossard looked at his feet, his words caught in his throat. "I didn't know it went that deep."
"Few do, she didn't want anyone to know. Rico doesn't know who knows and who doesn't, that's why he hasn't been back to Earth in five years; he doesn't want to know, he doesn't want the pity."
Zim chewed on his cheek for a moment then looked up as if he had been stabbed with shock-stick. He pushed Doc aside and stomped over to Dizzy at a quick pace.
"On your feet soldier!" He ordered grabbing her by the arm and forcing her up. She found her footing and looked at him astonished, tears still streaming from her eyes. "What is this crap you're doing? My soldiers do not cry!" He released her arm.
"I am not one of your toys anymore 'Charlie'!" She yelled back, pounding her fist into his chest. "I'm not a soldier! I'm not a trooper! I'm not a Roughneck!"
"Then what are you?" He ordered.
"I don't know!" She cried, her cheeks being flooded with tears of anguish and pain. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because little lady, you need to get with the picture!" He glared down at her and bent his head down to her eye level. "Do you get me trooper?"
She looked away from him. "I don't have time for this." She began to turn away but was held by a firm grip on her arm. She turned back to see Zim holding onto her.
"I did not give you permission to leave." He said calmly.
"Let go of me Charlie!" She yelled.
"Zim-" Gossard was quickly cut off by Zim's other hand stiffly rising. "I hope he knows what he's doing." He mumbled.
"Me too." Doc echoed watching the scene in front of them.
"Do you have some pressing appointment to attend Rico?" He asked holding her in place.
"That's not my name dammit! Stop calling me that!" She yelled, the water returning from her eyes.
Zim held up a small pad in front of her face. On it was a public ID profile on her. It included height, weight, eye color, hair color, home address, next of kin, and most importantly, name. "What does that say?"
Dizzy's mouth slowly fell open and her face turned pale, her hardened eyes turned soft again. She stopped struggling and her arm was slowly released.
"He doesn't know that. Does he?" Zim asked softly. Doc and Gossard were behind wondering exactly what had just happened. "You never sent those divorce papers in; or am I wrong?"
"No." She said softly turning away in shame.
"Then why the charade? Why the games? Why the endless cycle of pain you two are putting each other through?" He asked looking down on her
"I didn't start this." She said.
"Neither did he."
"He didn't help it much." She said stepping past him and looking out at the sun, which was now barely above the horizon.
"Neither do you."
"How do you know so much?" She bit turning back to him.
"You forget who I am." He said turning to face her and the sun. "You forget what information I can get."
She looked him in the eye. "Are you spying on me Charlie? Because that would be a serious misallocation of military resources, wouldn't it?"
Zim smiled. "You know better than that."
She looked at him for a moment. "You did come here to open wounds back up."
"No Dizzy, I came here to try and close them for good." He said softly.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"We're shipping out. For Tophet. I know you've seen the news."
"Yeah, a possible large scale bug attack. Is it true?"
"Yes, and its not an attack, its an invasion. We don't know where they're hitting, or when. But we know its going to be several planets, and soon." He took a breath. "Dizzy, we don't know what's coming, we don't know what's going to happen, don't throw away your last chance." He looked down at his watch, it was time to leave.
"Last chance for what?" She asked. Zim motioned and Doc and Goss joined him. The two embraced her quickly and turned away.
"Good bye Dizzy." Gossard said rubbing his hand through her hair and stepping away.
"Bye Diz." Doc followed, kissing her softly on her cheek. "Take care of yourself." He turned his back on her and walked away. Zim looked down on her.
"Last chance for what?" She asked grabbing his shirt.
"In war, people die." He said simply. "I never got to say good bye to Jean, or tell him how good of a friend he was. Don't make my mistake." He grabbed her and held her for a moment and then joined Gossard and Doc at the small car and left for the transport where Max was waiting.
Dizzy had stayed at the over look, looking out into the blue waters, where she'd lost so much before. The same waters where she'd lost the man who had been her father for three years of bloody combat, and her teacher. The waters that took and didn't return, much like time itself. She waited for two hours before returning home.
The truck sped through the streets of Geneva for about twenty minutes before exiting the city limits and quickly coming out into open land. It then only took another ten minutes until they reached the camp. Small temps had been set up to house and feed the soldiers over the coming days while their final orders were processed. The Roughnecks, the Wolves and a handful of other squads were the only ones shipping out immediately, most of which were on board the Jean Razak, heading for Tophet to rendezvous with the Threshold and other ships. From there, they would move to the sectors where it looked like the bug invasion was going to hit heaviest.
Zim, Max, Goss and Doc all jumped down from the truck and slowly began to trek to the launch pads that had been fashioned. All around, they saw mostly young faces. Kids who had never seen real combat with the bugs, just the controlled battles in boot, maybe a little more. But it was different when your enemy wasn't fitted with a device the DI could activate that would destroy the creature if the situation got too dicey.
All were about some task or another, most of it seemed to be inventory. SICON had a lot of dust to clean off before all squads could be fully assembled, and that was still a good three weeks away. Zim shook his head.
"What?" Max asked seeing the action.
"We're not ready." Zim said surveying the green troops that came into his view. "We're not going to be ready when they hit."
Max sighed. "The ones coming out rely too much on their weapons, rather than their guts."
Zim laughed out loud. "Son, we all do. It's something that eventually grows on us and we forget our earlier faults."
Max thought about it for a second. "I guess you're right."
"I've been doing this for a lot longer than you, I know." He said. They reached the pads and saw that the mechanics were working on a transport, its engine casings removed. Gossard walked up and looked over the work being done.
"What's going on?" He asked a mechanic stepping down from the right engine.
"The fuel injectors are offline, looks like bad wiring in the secondary relay switch." He said stepping past Gossard.
"What about the primary?" he asked which brought a laugh out of the mechanic.
"The primaries were shot when the secondary's overloaded them. They were trying to reroute power on the descent and bam! There they went."
Gossard looked over the casing. He grabbed a handful of wires and pulled them down. The mechanic jumped and ran back to him.
"What the hell are you doing?" He asked slapping Gossard's hand.
"You're trying to reroute the power flow through the primary feeds for the ignition?" He asked looking back into the engine.
"Yeah! We think it'll work." He was becoming agitated. "You want to stop messing everything up and let me get back to work?"
"Sure, go ahead, but I won't be riding on that crate." Gossard turned and saw that Max and Doc had separated from Zim who was left alone with his arms crossed and a grin on his face. Gossard gave him a quick smirk and wink then began walking towards him.
"Why not?" The mechanic asked grabbing Goss's shoulder.
"You're going to be sending to much power through the ignition. What it's going to do is end up releasing too much fuel from the over load and you'll get a nice explosion before take off." Gossard smiled. "At least that's the possibility. But we're not in a huge rush to leave the planet. Now say if there were three dozen bugs coming after me, I'd jump on a nuke if I thought it would get me out of there without becoming a Brain's snack." He winked at the mechanic. "But we're not in that sort of situation. Have fun fixing it right."
He left the mechanic to think while he returned to Zim.
"Where'd the others go?" He asked.
"Max went to make a personal call and Doc was hungry. They've got fifteen minutes before I told them to meet me back here." Zim looked down at his watch. "You've got ten minutes left if you want to try and do anything."
Gossard looked around. "That thing won't be ready for at least thirty minutes. I caught him trying to take a dangerous short cut. He was giving us a fifty-fifty chance of making it into space."
Zim looked back down at his watch. "Nine minutes."
Gossard sighed and began to scan for the communications tent. He found it with a surprisingly small crowd. He looked back at Zim and made a break for the tent.
The inside was a jumble of communications equipment hooked to satellite transmitters. Max was sitting at one terminal watching the screen as it dialed the number he put in. The line at the bottom of 'dialing..." was going into its second minute and he was beginning to think that his call would never go through until it finally changed to 'connecting to recipient...' which was replaced quickly by his father's face.
"Max!" Brutto exclaimed into son's ear. Behind him Max could see it was day in Hawaii through his father's glass wall at SICON HQ.
"Hey dad, how's it going?" He asked speaking into the small microphone that had been fitted around his head to allow for maximum privacy in the environment.
"Not bad, where are you at?" He asked trying to look around him.
"You know I can't tell you." He smiled. Brutto shrugged.
"Oh yeah, I forgot." He looked into his son's eyes. "Just a quick 'hello'?"
Max looked down for a moment. "You know what's happening don't you?"
"Yes, I do. You setting out?"
"Yes, sir." Max replied softly.
"Tophet I'm assuming?" He asked again.
"Perhaps. I know that I'm not going to be back anytime soon." He said.
"Max, I know that you're probably very scared right now." His father said calmingly.
"Not exactly scared. Not scared of leaving," He corrected.
"Scared of not coming back." The father finished. "You've never had to engage in battle off planet, it's a scary thing if you've never done it, but that shouldn't be something you have to worry about."
"Why not?"
"You're dropping with the best son." He said with a smile. "You'll always have someone watching your back."
"Dad, I..." Max tried.
"I know I haven't been there for you Max, not like I should've been when you were younger. And I'm sorry that things didn't work out between me and your mother, but I want you to know, that no matter what happens, I love you, and I'm extremely proud of you."
Max let the words hang a moment. "I know dad. You know I feel the same way."
"Yeah, I know." Brutto sighed. "Look, I've got a lot of work to do, keep in touch and take care of yourself."
"You know I will. Good bye dad." Max said and cut the link. He took the headset off and stood. He wiped the moistness from his face and made his way back to Zim. On his way out he bumped into Gossard who was in a rush. They looked at each other for a second.
"Better hurry up man, we don't have much time left." Max said stepping out of his way and letting him get to the terminal he'd just used. He turned back, his face against the sun and made his way for the pad.
"Come on, come on." Gossard said, tapping his foot against the ground. Finally Jess's face appeared on the screen.
"JEFF!" She yelled, sending an excruciating pain through his ears.
"Yeah, its me, I might need a hearing aide now though." He smiled warmly at her. "How are you?"
"Oh, I am great!" She said with a huge smile. Her black hair was flowing in the wind; Gossard could tell that she was out at sea. "Trying to make a big catch for a party Sam is having tomorrow." Gossard bit down on his tongue on the mention of that name. Sam had been Jessie's previous boyfriend before Gossard had gotten out of the service and bought the boat in Tijuana where he had made his living before all of this. Sam had beat Jessie before, and Jeff had promised him of certain unpleasant things that would happen if he ever laid another hand near her.
"I know you don't like him," she covered quickly. "But it's a harmless party, for his brother's birthday."
"Well, I know you'll be careful." He said soothing her nerves slightly.
"Of course I will." She smiled and let the silence linger before coughing slightly. "So, when are you going to come back?" The excitement had now been replaced with worry.
"You know I don't know that." He said pitifully. "I wish it was right away."
"Well just you remember, you promised me you'd come back. You have a wedding to help me plan!" She said holding her left hand up to the screen.
"I know, I know." He said, again, an awkward silence took the conversation by force.
"I don't know what's going on Jeff," The worry was now making her voice shake. "And I'm scared. Just please come back to me."
"I promise I will Jessie." He said. She kissed her fingers and pressed them to her side of the camera while Jeff mimicked the gesture. "I love you."
"I love you too." She said her voice quaking from the fear and sadness that had overtaken her.
"I have to go, I'll come back, I promise." He cut the screen and sat there for a few moments, looking at the SICON insignia. He threw the headset down and ran his hands through his hair and stood.
"Excuse me sir," A familiar voice said from behind. "I know its not my place to say anything in your affairs, and I didn't mean to hear you, but I don't believe that's a promise you can truthfully make."
Gossard turned to see Higgins looking at him, a grave look on his face. Gossard smiled and grabbed him and gave him a quick hug.
"It's good to see you Higgins." He said releasing him. "Here to make a report?"
"Where is everyone else?" He asked looking around.
"At the pad, waiting to leave." He said directing him towards the pad. They exited the tent together and made their way in between the multiple troopers milling around. "Are you going to answer me?"
They reached the others who were all happy to see the Paper Boy present. "I was assigned to the Wolves." He finally let out.
"The Wolves,"; "That bunch of pups?"; "Too many greenies!"; "I doubt they know what a bug still looks like." Came the multiple responses all at once.
"Yeah, I know, but FEDNET wanted me placed with a different squad this time, they felt the Roughnecks would be old news." He said. He pointed out his squad which was waiting a dozen yards away.
"That's what you get with non-coms, what do you expect?" Zim said. "Why put good squads back together when you can just mess things up worse than they already are?"
"Because then that prove that we're wrong; INTEL isn't run by the monkey's!" Doc said.
A loud horn split the air followed by a voice: "Departure for the Jean Razak in two minutes at pad 2. Repeat, departure for Jean Razak in two minutes at pad 2." The speaker cut and they all turned to look at the transport. The mechanics were putting the casings back on and making final checks on it.
"Why do I have such a bad feeling?" Gossard asked rhetorically.
"It could be worse." Doc said.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, you could have to sit next to the serge's old man; instead you've got the clone."
"Hey!" Max yelled. "My dad could still kick all of your tails!"
"Zip it up troopers!" Zim ordered. They all looked at him, then at Higgins who wavered after a second.
"I have to join my squad; I'll see you on the ship guys." He said breaking away and rushing for the Wolves. Lieutenant Breckenridge gave him a quick slap across the back of his head ordered him into formation.
Zim and the others grabbed their gear and slung it over their shoulders.
"Hear we go gentlemen. Time to travel back into the valley." He said. They all took one last look around the camp. "Every body ready?"
"Roger!" Goss said.
"Ready and somewhat willing." Doc chuckled.
"Not like I have a choice." Max said gripping his bag tighter.
Zim looked over them and grinned. "Good to be back with you guys." He did a quick about-face to put the transport directly ahead of him. "Roughnecks!"
"HO!" Came the unanimous call.
"Roughnecks: embark!" Zim sounded. The four marched solidly to the transport and climbed in, followed by the Wolves. The doors shut and it took to the sky.
LOVEL A-19
[Hear my call,] she said in her mind. [My general's, hear my call.] She quickly repeated. She was answered with hundreds of courteous returns.
She looked out her mind's eye into the asteroid field beyond. He transports were busy moving about, deploying troops to certain rocks, others loading to depart to the Terran systems. The darkness of her hatchery did not distract her in the slightest from seeing all that was within her reach. She could see her transports moving through the star, getting ever closer to their eventual targets.
[Now is the time in which we must be solid.] She let the words hang for a moment. [We are about to launch an attack against an enemy that is strong and resilient, but he has made a mistake. He let his victory against my mother make him lazy, and thus, he is vulnerable. As we speak, he has already begun to try to initiate counter measures to combat us.
[We must be quick in our attack, efficient. Our armies are not what they were, but we still outnumber them drastically. We have only a short amount of time and must crush them with one decisive blow. After taking their outlying bases, we will hit their hearts.] She let her mind wander momentarily as she felt a ping of a psychic call, warning her. It let her know that her time is drawing close; that she will not prevail.
She shook her head and laughed. She turned her thoughts back to her generals. [Our enemy is already trying to defeat us. He should arrive within a days, and then, we shall have their greatest weapon against us.]
[Is he coming en masse?] Several asked at once, concerned for her well being, or maybe just their own.
[I am unsure, but if he is, none will survive save him. If not, he has made a foolish choice.] She turned and saw him coming ever closer. Closer fool, closer. She thought.
[You all have your orders.] She finished and cut her links. She turned her thoughts in on herself and let her body loose, releasing eggs quickly. Her queen spawn on other rocks would be picking up the pace and laying more and more for her war machine. She smiled to herself; things were going exactly her way.
EARTH ORBIT
The transport slowed to a complete stop in the massive hangar of the Jean Razak then finally settled to the ground. Deck crews rushed up to it to secure and begin their routine checklists over the systems. When the doors parted Gossard was the first out; stumbling and running for safety.
"It's gonna blow!" He yelled jumping behind several fuel containers. Crews began to look around worriedly then went back to their duties when Zim, Doc and Max all exited calmly.
"Hey look where you're at Goss!" Doc yelled laughing. The three stepped out of the way as the Wolves exited. Lieutenant Breckenridge looked at Zim.
"Charlie Zim," he said gruffly. He was about as tall as Zim, and as large. The two shook hands after a moment. "I never thought I'd see you going back into combat."
"Me? Ha!" Zim retorted. "What about this batch of greenies you've got here?"
Breckenridge looked over his troopers. "The best you can get these days. Hand picked them myself when I was reactivated last week. One of the benefits of being a war hero I suppose."
"One of the many." Zim said.
"You hooking up with Rico, or is this your squad now?" He asked. Max and Doc were laughing hysterically helping Gossard up from behind his spur-of-the-moment shelter.
"Still not what I want." Zim said simply. "Jonnie's the leader, not me."
"That's what I always figured." Breckenridge patted Zim on the shoulder. "See you around, work to do with the squad. Training."
"Fun." Zim remarked. The two split to their own directions. Zim joined the other three who were laughing about the incident.
"I swear; I haven't seen you move like that since Tophet!" Doc laughed.
Gossard rubbed his neck shyly. "I wouldn't expect to see it too much."
"I would." A voice came from behind. They all turned around and saw Admiral Carmen Ibanez.
"Atten-TION!" Zim barked, bringing all the officers near them to a stand still until the realized that it was the Admiral. They went about their business while the Roughnecks remained in place. Carmen giggled slightly.
"At ease Lieutenant." She said stepping before Zim directly. "We're on a low with formalities on board this ship."
"I see," Zim eased up, as did the others.
She smiled. "Its good to see you guys."
Zim returned the gesture. "I have to get our gear unloaded ma'am."
"I understand." She stepped out of his way and let him back to the transport. Doc and Goss approached her with enthusiasm while Max just sort of pushed his way through them.
"Admiral Ibanez," Doc said. She quickly embraced each of them.
"Back to carrying our sorry tails around huh?" Gossard asked.
"I suppose, but this time I think I have a bigger ship." She waved her hand across the entire hanger.
"It would look that way, wouldn't it?" Gossard answered.
"You guys have a lot of work ahead of you." She said. "You'd best get started. We're setting out in two hours. Make sure you're ready."
They both saluted. "Yes ma'am." Carmen turned and left the hangar to return to her job.
"She's still got that figure." Doc said following her with his eyes.
"Gossard, assist Brutto with the gear!" Zim barked.
"No problem." He said sarcastically. "Can't the big bad sergeant handle it himself?"
The three were startled by the sound of Max yelling followed by what sounded like flesh against flesh. They turned to see some mechanic sprawled on his back. Several were quickly coming to their friend's aide. Zim cast a sideward glance at Gossard.
"Oh come on, he can finish his own problems!" He yelled moving into position to come to Max's defense.
Zim turned back to Doc, and smiling left the hangar, just as Doc was forced to jump in to get Max out. While he'd enjoyed his life after the war, it felt good to be amongst friends again, even if he hadn't been with them that long during the war.
The ship set out on schedule, never receiving the publicity he deserved many felt. He left Earth's gravitational field on schedule and enter star drive shortly after. At maximum speed it would take three days to arrive at Tophet. Too little, too late.
"... [they] obeyed the great field marshal. Rank and file
streamed behind and rushed like swarms of bees
pouring out of a rocky hollow, burst on endless burst,
bunched in clusters seething over the first spring blooms,
dark hordes swirling into the air, this way, that way—
so the many armed platoons from the ships and tents
came marching on, close file, along the deep wide beach
to crowd the meeting grounds, and Rumor, Zeus's crier,
like wildfire blazing among them, whipped them on. 110
The troops assembled."
The Iliad - Book Two: The Great Gathering of Armies; Homer