Chapter 3: Assault

Houston, Texas, Earth.  Mars data transmission station.

 “Janet, check this out. E-messages are backing up.”

“Have you checked telemetry?”

“Yes, just now. I ran a check on the satellite system and it tracks all the way to Mars. Someone up there must have fell asleep.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. Even if someone was asleep at the wheel, the messages still should be automatically transmitted where they’re supposed to go.”

“Naw, NASA set it up to have the messages sent in bursts to save energy. Some one on Mars has to be there to send the correct code back to signify that they’re ready to receive.”

“And you haven’t got that code yet?”

“Nope. I checked solar radiation levels and there isn’t a storm due for two months. I don’t know what’s causing them not to respond…”

New America, Mars. Fort Dix II.

“Well, somebody has to get through to Earth. Whatever the scientists dug up at the mine has already torn through three patrols.”

“Major! I have the Armored squad ready to go, sir!”

“Finally! Now we’ll show that… Whatever…  That NOBODY messes with the NAMC and gets away with it. Have them deploy outside the main gate in a sweep and scatter pattern.”

“Yes, Sir.“

“Private. Bring it up on video, I want to see what’s causing the ruckus. And you, try to patch me through to Earth, again. We’re gonna need some more recruits.”

“I’ll try, sir, but there seems to be a lot of interference in the transmission.”

“Switch to another satellite, soldier.”

“Sir, tried that, sir. Didn’t work any better.”

“Private, I want you to access channel Bravo Delta 5.”

“Sir, I’ve… never heard of that channel before…”

“It’s for emergencies only, private. I WILL get a message through to Earth.”

“Sir, switching now, sir. Signal is clearing a little… Sir, are we still accessing MarsSATone?”

“Private, some questions are better left unasked! Keep it under your helmet, but the Marine Corps privately put a stealth satellite in orbit for just this sort of event. And, to monitor the rest of the solar system for… Unfriendly Flying Objects, if you understand me, Private. Now forget ALL about this conversation!”

“Sir, forget about what conversation, Sir?”

“Very good, Private! Private Johnson, any luck on bringing up the video display?”

“I think I have it well enough to make out most of what’s happening but I can’t get sound, Sir”

“Set it up for the ThreeD table and make it as clear as you can get it. I want to see my boys in action!” While one Private was accessing the secret Marine satellite to punch a message back to Earth, the other set up the ThreeD table as the Major and his staff gathered around. The voices of squad Captains could be heard directing the troops through the complicated sweep and scatter pattern.  “OK, troops!” the Major addressed the far ranging, armored Marines,  “Be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. Whatever tangled with the other squads is something we take VERY seriously. I want any data that you can give me on the threat-level out there. Oh, and after you have the data… Destroy it! Nothing messes with the Marines and gets away with it.”

Private Osaki had just started the third left turn of the sweep and scatter patrol and was trying hard to remember the next phase of the pattern when he noticed something moving in his direction across the Martian desert. “Captain, I have positive location on the hostile. It’s NNE from my position at a range of 6 Km and moving… I mean 4 Km… no 3KM… that can’t be right… sir it’s moving too fast…  sir… sir, it’s… OH GOD… AHHHHHHH”

Private Osaki’s death scream echoed throughout the command center as everyone dropped into silence. The Major spoke first, “Have the troops converge on the hostile’s position in half-moon formation. I don’t want any crossfires out there. And make sure the rest of the troops are in full armor before they tangle with it.”

“Sir, Osaki was in full armor, sir”, one of the captains said quietly.

The Major turned on the Captain and shouted, “Are you trying to tell me that something just destroyed a Marine in full combat armor… Armor that can sustain deep space for ten hours… Armor that is bulletproof, laser-proof, even Neutrino-proof? Armor that increases the wearer’s strength ten-fold? Is that what you’re trying to tell me, CAPTAIN?”

“Sir”, the Captain spoke quietly, “Osaki was rated number one in every armored test. He knew how to operate a suit, sir”

“Then”, said the Major as his face paled, “maybe we had better have the troops regroup and attack as a unit.“

“Major, we have three more men… make that four men down already. Whatever is out there is mowing through them like a scythe through neo-wheat.”

“OK, Have the troops fall back to the main gate. I want to hold whatever it is there. Has anyone thought to mobilize the assault vehicles? NO? Get them moving, NOW! I want every able-bodied Marine suited up and ready for battle, NOW! Private! I want ThreeD and I want it now!”

“Sir, I’m trying… Here it is…” The room fell silent as the lights dimmed and the ThreeD image sprang into view.

“That can’t be right, Private. That… ‘Thing’… would be over two stories tall and the way it’s moving… It’s too blurry to be anything but a dust storm. Have the men fall back to the main gate and we’ll wait ‘til it passes… What did you do, Private? I didn’t tell you to change the orientation of the storm.”

“Sir, I didn’t adjust anything… The ‘storm’ just moved into a flanking position of troopers Arexl, Cain and Morse. It’s… It’s tracking them somehow…”

“Private, How could a dust storm track an armored trooper? I want a close up, NOW. I want to see this ‘storm’ try to attack three of my Marines.” The view scaled down to 50m above the surface, just high enough to keep the troopers in view as they headed back to the main gate. “Notify those troopers that a dust storm is rapidly approaching their position, Captain.”

“Sir, I’ve been trying and they won’t respond. Something is letting us hear them and not letting them hear us.”

“You get a message through to those troops, Captain… Someone might be using the storm as a cloak. I don’t want my boys taken unaware…”

“SIR! You’d better see this, sir!” All eyes snapped to the ThreeD table as the view dropped to 30m above the surface. The troops could be seen sprinting toward the main gate. Suddenly a black shape appeared behind the last trooper and with a swipe cut him in half at the waist. The other two troopers dropped and rolled and came up firing. The first fired a laser-rifle and the second pumped 3 grenades from a shoulder mounted assault weapon. The shape paused and seemed to shrink, then a cable sprang out and impaled the laser trooper. The grenades had no effect and the last trooper switched to machine pistol. The rapid-fire bursts could be heard from the speakers as the trooper’s voice carried over the din.

“You SUMBITCH! Eddie was my best friend! I’ll kill you and eat you for what you just did!” Still firing, the trooper advanced on the shape. The shape condensed a little and the cable was withdrawn from what was left of ‘Eddie’. The trooper fired his last burst from the assault rifle and drew his handgun, firing a round with every step he took closer to the shape. Slowly the fog surrounding the shape cleared to reveal a being that looked like a two-story-tall wolf with a spider’s head. Instead of fur, it had one-eyed snakes that moved almost hypnotically over its body. The being walked on four rear legs and kept multiple arms up off the ground. The trooper yelled, “I don’t care how ugly you are, I’m gonna bar-b-que you, TONIGHT!” With a scream he drew his combat knife and using the hydraulics of his suit, leapt up in the air. The being never moved, except that two arms/tentacles shot out and grabbed the trooper in mid-air by the arms. Then with a metallic groan, one of the trooper’s arms was pulled off and the being brought the rest of the trooper up to its mouth.

Everyone in the control room paled as these chilling words could be heard like an echo in everyone’s mind:

“SOOOOON WE WILL RETURNNN TO THE PLANET OF OUR BIRTHH… AFTERRR WE HAVE EATENN EVERYTHING HERRRE FIRSTTTT…”

Continued in issue #3