Life On Helghan

Chapter 3.

Here it is, and you may be surprised with how it goes.

We left the building and I asked "OK patrol? Where do I go?"

The captain chuckled "Stick with me, fuck knows if we get attacked I'd like some backup on hand."

"Isn't that a bit disorganized?"

"Nah, more than enough sentries here to spot any advancing ISA detachments."

"OK."

We settled into the patrol and eventually we'd gotten around the bridge so many times I thought I was gonna die of boredom so I decided to ask the captain something. "Sir, what else do you know about Colonel Radec?"

He seemed to choke on the question but I persisted

"Sir?" So he began.

"Well he's the leader of any and all Helghast forces in Pyhrrus, he even founded a school for soldiers, anyone who excelled through training got admitted, I managed to get in and...well let's just say there are a few more reasons why I'm so afraid of him besides what you already know, he even managed to worm his way into becoming part of the Autarch's elite guard, a position I wanted and not because I love our alimighty Autarch just because I wouldn't be on the fucking battlefield risking my life and my family's welfare. That enough for you?"

"Sorry I didn't know you'd get upset."

"That's all right."

We carried on with the patrol chatting basically for about an hour or two until Radec's voice rang on our radios

"Troops, we're expecting company, an ISA attack force have been spotted advancing on the bridge, everyone report to predetermined defence positions and await further orders."

"All right then, let's fucking 'ave 'em! Lente follow me, I've got a better use for you."

I followed him up to the top of the command post and we both went right past Radec and he stopped us again.

"Men wait, what are you doing?" The captain explained quietly to the colonel and he just said "All right." Then looked at me and left. The captain moved past me and I followed him up some stairs, a lot of stairs and when we finally reached the top my calves were aching. "All right Lente grab the sniper rifle and hang on till your relief sniper gets here."

"Yes sir." The captain left and I picked it up and settled on the edge of the fence, I was standing there for about 5 minutes shooting when I saw someone I recognized through the scope.

It was the four-man unit that had been haunting my thoughts on the way to the Square and I realized I finally had the chance to put the bastards down, but while I was lining up a shot on the big guy guess who arrived, my relief sniper. The idiot just grabbed the rifle out of my hand while I had my eye in the scope, I nearly punched the bastard for not just stealing my opportunity but also hurting my eye, I looked back and saw one of the APC's blow up and one of the unit members jump over the side of the bridge, I went back downstairs to the exit and was just about to go outside onto the bridge when a tank shell hit the ground right in front of the exit and it was just a hole, at that point I had no idea what to do so I just stood rifle in hand staring at the hole, I eventually came to my senses and decided to get on the radio. "Private Lente to captain Hakha, come in."

The captain answered "Where are you? I was ordered to fall back with my unit to prep the defence tower."

"I'm stuck inside the command post at the exit, I can't get out because there's no bridge in front of me to walk on."

"There's an emergency exit to this side of the bridge in the back, find it and report to me, we're all in view of the exit prepping the tower."

"Yes sir."

I checked around and eventually found the exit, outside I could see soldiers scurrying about with power packs and wire cables and plugging them into what looked a manhole. I went over to the captain "Sir sorry I'm late"

"Grab the gear and get it set up on the tower."

I looked at the manhole cover.

"Sir, it's a manhole."

"Yes but it's what's underneath the manhole is what we're powering up."

I admit I was exceptionally stupid with what I said but didn't let it bother me and got started, I ran over to the truck everyone was unloading and picked up a mini-transformer and some sort of blue material, it looked like plastic but the soldiers I could see were dropping it down a tube they'd inserted into the manhole.

I guessed this stuff was the power source and soon found out for sure, luckily I decided to grab separate small pieces of the stuff and made the mistake of trying to run to the manhole with my hands full, I dropped one piece of the material and upon impact with the ground it triggered a small electrical explosion, I hadn't noticed it drop so luckily I'd run out of lethal range before it hit the ground, but as I was running I felt a weak electrical current move up my left leg, it hurt me so I turned around after dropping the rest carefully but quickly and raised my rifle expecting the enemy but to my surprise there was nothing except the piece of petrusite I'd just dropped, I picked it up and threw it discreetly so no one would notice, when it hit the wall of a building there was a ridiculously large electrical explosion for such a small piece of material, I turned round pondering and grabbed the stuff and took it to the manhole then decided to go ask the captain what the fuck this stuff was.

"It's called petrusite, it carries an insane electrical charge we use it as a fuel source and now a weapon, I haven't seen this stuff in effect before and to be honest I'm half hoping the ISA get across the bridge just so I can see the fireworks."

He addressed the men. "OK boys I think that's enough petrusite in the tower, start placing the compensators and make sure you place the conductors around the tower's core otherwise the explosion'll be just big and not powerful enough to kill a man let alone destroy their tanks and APCs."

I know this is pretty short but I've actually hit a rut on this particular part so I decided to end the chapter here while I spend some time trying to think, I know I said no suggestions lol, but I would appreciate some help on what happens next.