"Finley you come with me." Adams instructed, "I need six guys to meet us by the communications base's front entrance," he said over his radio.
"Roger that," came the multiple confirmations.
"This is communications. The signals have stopped by a storage room. Strange, all I see is that shimmer, but infrared is picking up two large signals."
"Some sort of camouflage?" asked one of the eight over the radio while running towards the front entrance.
"If it is, it's way more advanced then anything we've got," came communications' response.
The eight marines met up at the front entrance, Adams instantly noticing that the six other marines had no real combat experience, excluding killing Aliens from relative safety.
"Finley, you take them three and go to the rear entrance. We'll converge on the signals from both sides," Adams ordered, while he and his own three entered from the front.
"Scanner active," Baseer, an Asian soldier, said.
A quick nod from Adams confirmed that he understood.
Blip.....Blip.....Blip.....
As the group of four walked carefully towards the signals Adams couldn't help but think that the scanners were good for nothing but scaring the crap out of soldiers. Such things didn't help soldier's chances of survival when surrounded by a bunch of Aliens as Adams had been many times.
"Anything?" asked Knight, another of the inexperienced soldiers, with apprehension deep in his voice and hands trembling slightly.
Knight had never been in a situation where he faced the possibility of coming face to face with the Aliens he had watched constantly attack the base from afar for the last two years.
"Negative," the fourth soldier on the team, Hartwell, responded.
Adams noticed that his three men were visibly trembling. Having no previous combat experience in such an environment they were holding up pretty well while walking through seemingly endless corridors, turning here and there only to find another endless corridor exactly the same as the last.
Adams had seen what could happen to those without proper training. Some would lose it and jeopardise the whole team. Adams had had to kill one of his own during the Alien Wars because of this. The soldier, a replacement for a lost team member, had started shouted incoherently and began firing his weapon at his own team. After everything he'd experienced that memory was something he couldn't put to the back of his mind at all times. Except right now.
Finley and his men were in the opposite side of the building quickly converging on the signals.
"Communications, info?" was all he whispered.
"The signals entered the store room and vanished. We have no trackers in those rooms."
'Great' Finley thought, not wanting to frighten the others, this was just what he needed. The store rooms were massive with two large doors connecting them to the main corridors.
"Alright guys don't get trigger happy. Our own guys are gonna be there too," he said, taking consideration of the visible tension in his three inexperienced men.
His men managed a quick nod of confirmation, while concentrating hard on the area in front of them, scanner ready.
"Picked up one signal exiting the room. No sign of the other. The signal is going east towards Finley's team," communications reported.
"Damn! It's moving away from us," Adams exclaimed.
"Alright Finley you take that one, we'll go for the store room." Adams instructed.
Things were already looking bad. With the teams split up they wouldn't be able to provide cover for each other.
"Roger." Finley replied, a steel calm in his voice.
"This is communications. We just lot visual of the store room. Damn! The cameras have been taken out. Some of our infrared trackers gone too."
Both teams paused at this.
Adams made a plan, "Okay, here's the deal. Communications both teams will meet you there. We can't go after the signals blind, too dangerous. Communications keep us informed. We're on our way up. Everyone understand?"
"Finley here, loud and clear, we're moving now. We're closer, should be there in two."
"We'll keep the doors closed till you get to us."
'Shit!' Adams thought. Things just got worse.
"Alright team, on the double, move it. Watch the scanner." Adams ordered.
Baseer was already on it, never letting his eyes off the screen except to make sure he was running in the right direction.
Blip.....Blip.....Blip.....
Finley's team reached communications.
"Boy are we glad to see you," Raul said with a sigh of relief.
The other two communications personnel were also glad to see the four armed soldiers.
Outside all around the base soldiers were apprehensive. Since radio frequencies had to be kept isolated no one knew what was happening inside the communications building, which also doubled as a storage warehouse, now almost empty.
Could it be possible that Aliens had managed to get inside the compound some soldiers wondered. Others were readying themselves and their weapons in case backup was needed.
"This is communications," the soldiers around the base went quite to listen, some nervously.
"Finley and his team are with us. Adams and his team are on the way. We lost the signals when some of our cameras and sensors went down. We need backup. I repeat we need backup. We say again, there are two unknown entities inside the building. We need a complete sweep of the building and surrounding areas."
At this various soldiers around the base radioed in confirming they were on the way.
Paolo took lead of the various soldiers. He was an Italian soldier in this army.
The army was made up from soldiers from all over Earth. Regardless of race or nationality as long as they could fight they were enlisted. Many weren't even born on Earth, but on the numerous colonies on other planets.
Many of these colonies had been destroyed during the Alien Wars. A lot of these soldiers were looking to avenge their families who had been killed at these colonies.
"Okay, keep it tight. We go in groups of four. We'll search from bottom to top. Keep all exits covered at all times," came Paolo's instructions to the various soldiers.
Paolo was just as inexperienced as most of the soldiers in the base but he didn't show any signs of being nervous. He held his machine gun with a steady grip.
The soldiers began the sweep of the building.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Colonel Gordon Rayner sat at his desk reading the latest ship status reports. He sighed heavily, the upcoming rescue mission heavy on his mind. Everything was set for the rescue. Now it was just a long six days wait, about to become five.
The huge colonial ship in which he currently sat carried thousands of soldiers and crew and hundreds of ships. There were ships of all kinds; dropships, gunships, bombers, scoutships, and more.
The company were taking no chances with this mission. It was too vital. Vital for the fight against the Aliens. Vital for the survival of the human race.
"Roger that," came the multiple confirmations.
"This is communications. The signals have stopped by a storage room. Strange, all I see is that shimmer, but infrared is picking up two large signals."
"Some sort of camouflage?" asked one of the eight over the radio while running towards the front entrance.
"If it is, it's way more advanced then anything we've got," came communications' response.
The eight marines met up at the front entrance, Adams instantly noticing that the six other marines had no real combat experience, excluding killing Aliens from relative safety.
"Finley, you take them three and go to the rear entrance. We'll converge on the signals from both sides," Adams ordered, while he and his own three entered from the front.
"Scanner active," Baseer, an Asian soldier, said.
A quick nod from Adams confirmed that he understood.
Blip.....Blip.....Blip.....
As the group of four walked carefully towards the signals Adams couldn't help but think that the scanners were good for nothing but scaring the crap out of soldiers. Such things didn't help soldier's chances of survival when surrounded by a bunch of Aliens as Adams had been many times.
"Anything?" asked Knight, another of the inexperienced soldiers, with apprehension deep in his voice and hands trembling slightly.
Knight had never been in a situation where he faced the possibility of coming face to face with the Aliens he had watched constantly attack the base from afar for the last two years.
"Negative," the fourth soldier on the team, Hartwell, responded.
Adams noticed that his three men were visibly trembling. Having no previous combat experience in such an environment they were holding up pretty well while walking through seemingly endless corridors, turning here and there only to find another endless corridor exactly the same as the last.
Adams had seen what could happen to those without proper training. Some would lose it and jeopardise the whole team. Adams had had to kill one of his own during the Alien Wars because of this. The soldier, a replacement for a lost team member, had started shouted incoherently and began firing his weapon at his own team. After everything he'd experienced that memory was something he couldn't put to the back of his mind at all times. Except right now.
Finley and his men were in the opposite side of the building quickly converging on the signals.
"Communications, info?" was all he whispered.
"The signals entered the store room and vanished. We have no trackers in those rooms."
'Great' Finley thought, not wanting to frighten the others, this was just what he needed. The store rooms were massive with two large doors connecting them to the main corridors.
"Alright guys don't get trigger happy. Our own guys are gonna be there too," he said, taking consideration of the visible tension in his three inexperienced men.
His men managed a quick nod of confirmation, while concentrating hard on the area in front of them, scanner ready.
"Picked up one signal exiting the room. No sign of the other. The signal is going east towards Finley's team," communications reported.
"Damn! It's moving away from us," Adams exclaimed.
"Alright Finley you take that one, we'll go for the store room." Adams instructed.
Things were already looking bad. With the teams split up they wouldn't be able to provide cover for each other.
"Roger." Finley replied, a steel calm in his voice.
"This is communications. We just lot visual of the store room. Damn! The cameras have been taken out. Some of our infrared trackers gone too."
Both teams paused at this.
Adams made a plan, "Okay, here's the deal. Communications both teams will meet you there. We can't go after the signals blind, too dangerous. Communications keep us informed. We're on our way up. Everyone understand?"
"Finley here, loud and clear, we're moving now. We're closer, should be there in two."
"We'll keep the doors closed till you get to us."
'Shit!' Adams thought. Things just got worse.
"Alright team, on the double, move it. Watch the scanner." Adams ordered.
Baseer was already on it, never letting his eyes off the screen except to make sure he was running in the right direction.
Blip.....Blip.....Blip.....
Finley's team reached communications.
"Boy are we glad to see you," Raul said with a sigh of relief.
The other two communications personnel were also glad to see the four armed soldiers.
Outside all around the base soldiers were apprehensive. Since radio frequencies had to be kept isolated no one knew what was happening inside the communications building, which also doubled as a storage warehouse, now almost empty.
Could it be possible that Aliens had managed to get inside the compound some soldiers wondered. Others were readying themselves and their weapons in case backup was needed.
"This is communications," the soldiers around the base went quite to listen, some nervously.
"Finley and his team are with us. Adams and his team are on the way. We lost the signals when some of our cameras and sensors went down. We need backup. I repeat we need backup. We say again, there are two unknown entities inside the building. We need a complete sweep of the building and surrounding areas."
At this various soldiers around the base radioed in confirming they were on the way.
Paolo took lead of the various soldiers. He was an Italian soldier in this army.
The army was made up from soldiers from all over Earth. Regardless of race or nationality as long as they could fight they were enlisted. Many weren't even born on Earth, but on the numerous colonies on other planets.
Many of these colonies had been destroyed during the Alien Wars. A lot of these soldiers were looking to avenge their families who had been killed at these colonies.
"Okay, keep it tight. We go in groups of four. We'll search from bottom to top. Keep all exits covered at all times," came Paolo's instructions to the various soldiers.
Paolo was just as inexperienced as most of the soldiers in the base but he didn't show any signs of being nervous. He held his machine gun with a steady grip.
The soldiers began the sweep of the building.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Colonel Gordon Rayner sat at his desk reading the latest ship status reports. He sighed heavily, the upcoming rescue mission heavy on his mind. Everything was set for the rescue. Now it was just a long six days wait, about to become five.
The huge colonial ship in which he currently sat carried thousands of soldiers and crew and hundreds of ships. There were ships of all kinds; dropships, gunships, bombers, scoutships, and more.
The company were taking no chances with this mission. It was too vital. Vital for the fight against the Aliens. Vital for the survival of the human race.