Chapter 3 –Secretorum Fidelium
September 8th, 2543 (12:20 Hours – Military Calendar)
Sol System, Earth
ODST Training Base "Camp Ravenport", Scaffel Pike Mountain, United Kingdom
:********:
Duncan quickly learned that 2nd Selection was a different type of torment than 1st Selection. While the first was a repetitive pattern of physical exhaustion, 2nd Selection was almost entirely mental.
On the first night of 2nd selection, the barracks had been silent when the instructors struck. Class 207 found themselves being thrown from their beds and rounded up. They were forced to sit through lessons on squad-tactics.
Unexpected exercises suddenly became the norm. The recruits could expect weapon's training at dawn, EOD Basics in the evening, then midnight lessons in asymmetrical warfare. It was believed that they were being prepared for real-world combat. Out on the frontlines, an attack could come at any moment and they had to be alert. Others argued that the instructors simply enjoyed torturing them. It was easier to hold both views as true.
Duncan had noticed the change in atmosphere in the barracks after the first week of 2nd selection. Unlike before, there were no foolhardy conversations from bunk to bunk or card games. Only silence. Everyone slept the moment they hit their bunks but were ready to spring into their fatigues at the first sound of the door.
Today the remaining 227 recruits were on Scafell Pike's southern face. They dawned their ODST training gear, the actual Shock Trooper BDU lacking some of the more notable functionalities like the TAC Map.
They were handed MA37 Assault Rifles loaded with Tactical Training Rounds. The plastic polymer rounds contained proximity fuses that dissolved the shells when they came within 10 centimeters of a surface, releasing red paint that locked down armor and dished out a paralyzing anesthetic.
The class were organized into their usual fireteams. Two fireteams each would comprise Red and Blue Teams. Both sides would battle in a round of Capture the Flag.
The arena was a square kilometer area within a valley on Scafell Pike's Southern Face. It was divided in two by the River Esk. Red Team would start on the northern side and Blue Team on the south.
Throughout the early morning, Duncan and the rest of Fireteam Charlie watched rounds of Capture the Flag from an upper observation deck. Red Teams won for the most part with a few scattered victories by their azure counterparts.
Then it was Fireteam Charlie's turn, and as luck would have it, they would be Blue Team. What added to a sense of impending doom was the fact Charlie Team's leader was none other than Cosmo. He was alright in other team exercises but he was more hard-pressed to adapt to new situations. Capture the Flag was one such scenario.
Fireteams Charlie and Lima would form Blue Team and would go against Fireteams Foxtrot and X-Ray as Red Team: 8 on either side and 16 in total.
The round had started half an hour ago. So far no one had made any moves.
Duncan crouched-walked to a birch tree and swiveled around the bark. His targeting reticle swept across the low-lying shrubs and trees as far as 50 meters. There was nothing.
"Anything, Iris?" Cosmo called in on the comms.
"Northeast is clear." He replied.
"Northwest is also in the green." O'Reilly added with a hint of irritation.
Blue Team's territory was still clear, meaning Red Team had yet to advance over the river whose edge was within their sights. Cosmo and the leader of Lima had agreed that Charlie would go on the offensive while the latter guarded the flag. But Cosmo was yet to even lead them across the Esk saying they needed to ambush Red Team's vanguard. It was a sound strategy. The only thing to dislike about it was the waiting.
"Maybe they're waiting for us just like we are." Stanton chimed in. "We might as well go or no one's gonna make a move."
Despite what Duncan had thought that night a month ago, Stanton had actually survived his encounter with Dalton. While the others wouldn't let him live it down, there was little he could do but ignore his own claim to fame and press on.
"No." Cosmo replied. "They'll advance. Iris, O'Reilly, you have the furthest post. You'll have to fall back if they come in force."
"But they're not 'in force' are they?" O'Reilly said. "In fact, they're not even he-"
"Tracking something." Duncan interrupted, spotting movement in a distant shrub.
"How far out Iris?" Cosmo asked.
Duncan focused his MA37 on it to follow. "40 meters and closing."
"I've got movement too." O'Reilly stated. "30 meters out."
Gunfire suddenly erupted in staccato bursts that echoed through the forest, causing Duncan to flinch. But there were no signs of TTR rounds hitting his position.
"Contact!" Cosmo shouted. "We've got a Hog bearing down on mine and Stanton's position!"
Duncan barely had time to react as figures emerged from the forest meters in front of him and opened fire. He threw himself back behind his cover as the training rounds crackled against the tough bark. "Secondary contacts! Two of'em!"
He snapped out to squeeze off several three-round bursts in the direction of the shooting. He fell back at return fire that exploded above the tree bark and coated it in thick red polymer.
Duncan could overhear firing on O'Reilly's comm. "Eejits! Red light on the Northwest. I've got a Binary pushing on my position!"
"Rendezvous at the den!" Cosmo said. "We'll hold them there!"
Duncan nodded. "Solid copy." He pulled out a Frag-grenade from his tactical vest, pulled the pin and tossed the grenade high behind him before bolting from his cover. He heard the grenade land on the ground followed by a thunderous WHAM. The explosion of red polymer shattered branches and covered anything within range.
He sprinted past the trees and burst through the shrubs, heading 70 meters southward. He came to an asphalt road that cut through the forest and started running across. The sound of engines caught his attention. He spotted the vehicle coming towards him. As if to confirm they weren't friendly, the gunner brought the turret to bare and opened fire. Duncan zigzagged as a stream of TTRs struck the tarmac at his feet.
He threw himself out of the way, barreled down the slight decline on the other side of the road and slid to his feet at the bottom. Then he was back to running.
"That must've been the Hog Cosmo was talking about." Duncan thought aloud. "Which means…" He switched to his comm.
"Is everyone at the rendezvous already?"
"Yah." O'Reilly answered. "So, hurry it up would you? We'd rather not risk a crossfire."
"On my way."
Duncan swerved around trees while stopping occasionally to make sure he wasn't being followed.
Soon the end goal came within sight: a hole in the ground. It was an old wolf's den a dozen meters north of Blue Team's Flagpole. A fallen beech tree right on the lip protected against frontal attacks while the circular rim could be used to similar effect on the sides. O'Reilly manned the eastern flank. Cosmo and Stanton were already behind the tree, weapons up. Duncan slid down the inside of the den to safety.
"Present."
"Hold tight." Cosmo said. "Lima's sending up reinforcements."
"Aren't they using our Hog to defend the flag?" Stanton asked. "We could really use that right about now."
O'Reilly laughed. "Stanton's got the right idea. I'd rather not take a face load of TTR from that turret."
"No time." Cosmo muttered. Aiming down his sites, he spotted the enemy Hog racing down the dirt road towards them. "Red Team's already here. Heads down, mouths shut and guns up."
O'Reilly sighed over comms. "Sure thing, ma'am."
The first shots rang out from the sides and hit the rim of the wolf's den where Duncan was. He could see the muzzle flashes coming from the tree line 10 meters away, as well as the 2 blue visors hiding in the shadows of distant oaks. He aimed his rifle and gave Red Team the same courtesy.
On the other side, O'Reilly sprayed the forest in wide sweeps, keeping the two other Reds pinned behind a boulder 15 meters away.
But the distance was quickly closing between the den and Red Team's Warthog. At 10 meters it skidded to a halt. The driver hopped behind it while the gunner raked their position with fierce suppressing fire.
Cosmo and Stanton took turns peeking out and trading shots but were forced to mostly stay down.
Duncan's assault rifle clacked empty. He ducked to avoid a burst zipping overhead and reloaded. "Where's that backup!?"
As if to answer his question, the two reinforcements from Lima arrived at a boulder near the den and exchanged fire with the enemy in the bushes. That helped alleviate the pressure on Fireteam Charlie, enough to merit the Warthog's attention. The gunner swiveled the hulking turret towards them but Cosmo took the opening and shot the man in the leg.
The gunner grunted but didn't fall. Another shot from Stanton knocked his legs out from under him and he fell behind the vehicle.
"The Hog's out!" Cosmo said and linked himself to Blue Team's comms so everyone could hear him.
"Lima 1, you copy?"
A female voice answered. "Go ahead Charlie 1."
"We've got Red Team's Hog pinned and they've committed most of their guys to the den. That means we have a window to capture their flag. I'm volunteering two of my guys but I'll need the two you sent me to take their place."
A brief silence later, Lima 1 replied: "That's not a bad deal Charlie, the best we have at any rate. My guys will move in on your signal."
Cosmo peered over his shoulder. "Iris, O'Reilly, you're our bagmen. We'll cover you. Hightail it further south ten hook around the fight to head for their flag. Lima-1, we'll need you running evac them with the Warthog in approximately 10 minutes." Cosmo uploaded a timer to Blue Team's heads up displays.
"Understood." Lima 1 said.
"Ready to leave on your go." Duncan quipped.
Cosmo nodded. "On my mark we give Lima covering fire. Three…two…mark!"
Charlie team rose from their cover and peppered the two enemy positions and the Warthog with a hail of TTR. The two from Lima ran over and slid into the den. They shuffled over until they were next to Duncan and O'Reilly.
"Alright." Cosmo said. "Again. Three…two…mar-"
A storm of return fire cut him off. The two flanking groups were pouring it on in retribution for the earlier suppression fire.
"Switch to grenades!" Cosmo said, pulling the pin on a frag and tossing it. Duncan and O'Reilly tossed two more over into the nearby forests. Three explosions thumped the Earth. The firing stopped.
"Go!" Cosmo shouted.
Immediately Duncan and O'Reilly crawled out of the den and ran for a boulder. They threw themselves behind it just as rifle fire spattered against the other side.
O'Reilly knocked his comrade on the shoulder and nodded toward the dirt road in front of them. "Lassies first."
:********:
The firefight continued to echo far behind them as Duncan and O'Reilly reached the River Esk. The river itself had at least 6 feet of grayish water running through. Further down the banks they spotted a wooden bridge linking the two sides, likely the same one Lima 1 would use for evac. Thankfully, there was a loose collection of rocks nearby sticking through the surface and forming a line of handholds to the other side.
"Hope you brought your trunks, Sunny Jim." O'Reilly said as he started wading into the water.
"No, just a 50-pound suit of armor." Duncan sighed and followed him in.
"Same difference."
The two clipped their rifles to the magnetic harnesses on their backs and started swimming from rock to rock, finding handholds in the slippery crags. Despite the current's constant push, they were able to grab their way to the adjacent bank.
They headed further north, Duncan on point and O'Reilly covering the rear. It was another 100 meters before they reached the flag so sprinted. There were two more Red Team members out there. Chances were high that they were waiting for them.
Soon, the two found it. Red Team's Flag stood in the center of a small meadow. The main problem was that it was hemmed in on all sides by oak trees; good cover combined with a perfect field of fire.
Duncan scanned around but couldn't spot any movement amongst the trees. Then movement above caught his eye. He squinted up to see O'Reilly slithering up the tree with ease. He perched himself on a branch and gave the thumbs up.
"I'll cover you from here."
"You really think I'm going out there huh?" Duncan asked.
"You really think we have enough time for me to climb back down in your place?"
"Fair enough." Duncan shrugged. He got onto his stomach and crawled through the knee-high grass. He thumbed his helmet seal, pulled it off and slowly held it up, turning it from one direction to the next.
Seconds past. At five, a burst of rifle fire pierced the silence and slammed against the visor in a bright red mist. Duncan lowered the helmet, examined the visor and put it back on to call in. "Should be 23 degrees northeast."
"On it." O'Reilly shifted his sights to the tree-line and focused in on an unusual bulge in the shadow of an oak tree on the meadow's opposite side. "You were off by about 10 degrees my friend."
"Noted."
O'Reilly pulled the trigger and sent half a dozen rounds into the shadow. A second later, the Red Team sharpshooter toppled over and lay still. "He's down."
"Copy." Duncan replied. By then he had already crawled halfway to the flag. He still didn't want to risk standing up until he got close enough. At 2 meters, he lunged up from the ground, grabbed the flagpole and yanked it from its holding. Immediately another burst of fire buzzed overhead, forcing him back into a crouch.
"I've got him in my sights, just run for it!" O'Reilly said.
Duncan raced for the tree-line. It was hard to see out his visor thanks to the red polymer on it. He went serpentine, ducking under rounds that whizzed overhead until he reached O'Reilly's position. O'Reilly unleashed a full clip in the direction of the firing before dropping out of the tree, landing next to Duncan.
Their mission clocks read '2 minutes'.
The two dashed away, maneuvering beneath the foliage, constantly watching for pursuers.
They reached their rendezvous point at the edge of the dirt road that sloped back towards the River Esk. They arrived just in time as their Warthog drove up to meet them. The driver, Lima 1, pulled in nearby, allowing Duncan into the passenger seat while O'Reilly manned the turret.
"Good work Charlie." Lima 1 said, nodding to the flag. She hit the gas, U-turned and accelerated them back down the road.
"The rest of Red Team are being held. Our only problem from here is that their Hog pulled out…"
As she was talking, Duncan could hear the whine of anther vehicle. He wasn't sure until they pulled over a crossway and drove past Red Team's Warthog coming down the perpendicular route.
"Enemy Hog at 3 o'clock!" O'Reilly shouted, swiveling the turret to the rear and firing into the vehicle's front. Lima 1 slammed the accelerator. Red Team's hog drove in close behind. The enemy gunner peppered the back of their hog with TTR. Duncan winced, ducking at the hailstorm coming their way.
They turned on a rocky embankment and swerved back onto the main roadway. The River Esk appeared with the wooden bridge leading to the other side.
Suddenly Red Team's hog pulled ahead. Duncan ducked beneath the dashboard as a hail of turret fire assailed the front. He saw Lima 1's head whip back painfully fast. She slumped back and her hands slipped off the wheel, but her feet stayed on the gas.
Duncan swiftly grabbed the wheel with his freehand and piloted the Warthog down the road. Behind him, O'Reilly managed to score a lucky shot on the enemy driver's back. The man seized up and forced his Hog to halt. The two gunners kept exchanging fire as Duncan got some distance between them. They bounced over the bridge and bounded to the safety of the other side.
He steered them along until they reached the final intersection. Lima 1 must have sensed it as well and eased her foot off the gas. Duncan carefully turned them onto the road leading back to home base.
"I see you guys." Cosmo said over comms. "Start easing down."
Duncan and Lima 1 did so and gradually brought the Hog to a stop. When they were still, Cosmo stepped out from the trees nearby and waved them over.
Without hesitation, Duncan grabbed the flag, leaped out and jogged back into the woods with Cosmo.
Much to his relief, Blue Team's flag was still there. Stanton and the others from Lima were absent, probably dealing with Red Team.
With all his might, Duncan stabbed the red flag into the ground next to theirs.
A moment later Dalton's voice boomed across the arena. A surge of relief washed over them all at the announcement.
"Round 7 Completed. Blue Team wins."
:********:
Once the day's exercises were done, Class 207 was dismissed for the night. Duncan decided he would call Erica while he could. He wanted to surprise her. But more than anything, there was a sneaking suspicion he needed to confirm. He went to the Recreation Center and got a Communication Cubicle for himself.
He typed her number onto the display screen mounted in front of the seat. In a few seconds, the call went through and Erica's face appeared. She looked slightly tired with bags under her eyes but her expression was lively. She wore a fitted red blouse which told him she was probably about to go to work soon.
"Hey honey!"
The warmth of her smile alone brought one to his face. "Hey babe. I'm sorry it's been a bit since my last check-in. The instructors have really been cracking down on us hard."
"I bet." Erica said. Her camera was positioned up with the apartment's living room windows behind her. But it was at an angle, set to show everything just above her chest like it always was. Duncan took notice.
"Slept recently?" She asked.
Duncan shook his head. "I could ask you the same thing."
"Guess the answer's a no from us both. My excuse is long work hours."
The conversation went on that way for half an hour with the two sharing what had happened over the last week in their lives. They would share an occasional joke about the crazier elements and persons involved. But Duncan never lost sight of his goal.
Erica was laughing now, ready to keel over as she turned pink. "To think O'Reilly actually asked you something like that. He's a real character, isn't he?"
Duncan grinned. "He sure is. Him, Cosmo, Stanton, they're weirdos all of them. They can hold their own out here though."
Duncan's voice started trailing off. His attention drifted towards the bottom of the screen. Erica must have noticed because she wrapped her arms around her chest and gave an amused smile. "Looking for something Mr. Iris?" she playfully intoned.
"Yeah…" Duncan replied. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Can I see the rest of you?"
Erica's face dropped to an unamused glare. She gave a long sigh. "Well, if you're trying to get me to take my shirt off then there are more romantic ways to go about asking. Either way, I'm no exhibitionist. You know I only like to flaunt it when you're here."
"That's not what I meant."
Erica could pick up the concern laced in his voice. Similarly, Duncan could tell she was getting nervous. He finally met her eyes. "Pull the camera back. Let me see your stomach."
Erica tensed up.
She hadn't been expecting him to ask for that. Her breathing grew shallower. The color visibly drained from her face and she kept looking down.
"Babe?"
At length she gave another lengthy sigh, this one more like a concession of defeat. She faced him full on. "I knew I couldn't keep it from you for long. Just long enough."
Without another word she got up and slowly unbuttoned her shirt to reveal her bare stomach. She looked perfectly normal, toned even. Then she turned to the side, allowing Duncan to see the unusual bump in her figure. The shock faded after a few seconds as he took in the sight of the bulge.
"Looks like you put on some weight there, Mrs. Iris."
Erica gasped, rolled her eyes and shook her head, a faint smile slipping back onto her face. "Yeah, you're a real class act Duncan. Did I ever tell you that?"
"I'm sure you have." Duncan laughed. Then the laughter between them faded. A tense silence took its place.
"How many weeks along were you by the time I left?"
"…About a month." Erica admitted. "I didn't even know I was pregnant until I took the test on the day of the funeral." She sat back down. "My doctor is advising me on everything I need to do to care for myself and…the little one."
Duncan gave a hesitant nod. He didn't say much else.
Erica took in a tentative breath and licked her lips. "I-, I would've told you but-"
"But you knew I would've stayed." Duncan finished, his voice coming out harsher than he had expected.
Erica bit her lower lip and could bring herself to say nothing more. Her throat was dry as her stomach knotted itself. She ultimately had to force the words out. "I didn't want to stop you from going out there. I don't know if you can forgive me for it, but frankly, I don't care if you ever do."
Confidence blazed in her eyes and she met Duncan's gaze head on again. "I wanted to help my best friend reach his dream, even if it cost me something to do it."
Duncan remained silent, taking in everything she was saying, quietly breathing in the new reality of his life. "Its not that."
Erica winced. "What?"
Her husband leaned into his lap, hands on his head. "Its just…that means that I won't be there for the birthday. I'm a dad and I won't get to hold my own firstborn for myself for…God only knows how long or if I ever will." He glanced back up and saw that Erica was starting to cry now.
"I'm sorry." Duncan apologized. "I-"
"There's nothing to apologize for." Erica said and wiped her tears away. "You made me a promise that you would come back. It still applies. You just didn't know that you weren't making it to me alone when you did."
That hammered it home. Duncan gave a shaky breath as he rose back in his chair, his pupils glazed and mouth agape. "…I did make it didn't I? Yeah…" He slowly calmed and leaned back into his seat.
A full minute of silence passed. Then a thought crossed Duncan's mind. "Boy or girl?"
Erica shrugged. "I'm still in my first trimester so there's no way to tell. I can give you a straight answer in a few more weeks. However, I can give you this." She touched something offscreen and a picture appeared on Duncan's screen. It was a picture of an ultrasound scan. He looked closer and could make out the bulbous head and short limbs of the figure reclining in Erica's womb.
"That's the little tike, huh?"
"In the flesh. Well, soon to be."
The sight was enough to warrant another grin on Duncan's face. "Thought of any baby names yet?"
Erica perked up. "Yeah actually. I was thinking of Noelle if it's a girl."
"And if it's a boy?"
Erica stopped to consider her next words carefully. "If it was a boy…I was thinking we could name him after your Father."
Duncan thought it over. "Noah?"
"Yeah. I mean, I'm open to other suggestions if you don't like it."
"No, Noah is fine. I like it."
At that, Erica's smile glowed with a renewed confidence. "I'd hoped you would."
They talked a bit more, considering their new lives as a fully fledged family. In their talks, the cold aftermath of the baby's reveal melted away and was replaced by the usual warmth between them. Both didn't realize how excited the other was to be a parent until the matter came up. While they were thinking on waiting another year, Noelle or Noah had other plans for them.
When they were finished, Duncan blew her a playful kiss goodbye before they signed off. He closed his eyes, then noticed that he had been unconsciously fumbling with the rock in his pocket. He strode out of the cubicle, his mind still swarming at the reveal.
Then the memory of his own Father's face flashed across his mind, the image that the officer's showed him and his mother.
He shook his head. "That won't be me." He swore to himself. "I'll fight and come back home." Fight. Come back home.
Secretorum Fidelium - Secrets of the Faithful