“Green, report,” she asked.
“We’ve entered the complex, no contact, over.”
“Jones, report.”
“Light resistance, one enemy down, and we’re pursuing another, over.”
She shook her head. “This all just seems too easy.”
Taylor nodded in agreement.
“All units proceed with caution.”
Taylor stepped up and led his platoon forward with Chandra just a few metres away. He quickly caught sight of a fine trail of blue blood running down a broad corridor further into the huge complex. The two platoons continued after the blood in two columns. The blood trail grew as they reached the entrance to a conference hall. Taylor turned and signalled for them to form up by the entrance. He peered around the doorway and could see the wounded creature laid out on a broad table with the other two trying to stop the bleeding.
The injured creature writhed in pain but made no sound as the other two used what looked like heat torches to seal a wound. The scene made him freeze for a moment. It was eerily reminiscent of scenes that had become familiar to him during the war, but never of the enemy casualties.
He looked away for a moment. He couldn’t help but feel it was wrong to try and harm them when they were helping a fallen comrade. For the first time ever, he was beginning to see them as soldiers, rather than faceless aliens. As he sighed at the idea of the death and loss on both sides, his helmet tapped the doorframe. He quickly looked up to see the Mechs inside the room were reaching for their weapons.
Taylor snapped out of his hazy state and jumped through the open doorway. His rifle was firing before his second foot was through the doorway. The first Mech was hit by half a dozen rounds to the chest, and it smashed down onto the hard floor. Just as the other was lifting its weapon to fire, it too was riddled with gunfire from the Major’s platoon as one by one they rushed into the hall.
Gunfire ripped through the previously tranquil room as sparks flew, and the last creature finally slumped heavily to the ground. Taylor lowered his rifle and stepped closely towards the wounded Mech on the table. He could see it posed no threat to him and made no attempt to fight.
Chandra stepped through into the room to witness herself what had unfolded. She stopped and gasped at the sight of the creature taking its last few breaths. Its helmet visor was off, and they could see the struggle to breathe until it finally gave up and laid to rest.
“It seems…”
“What?” Taylor asked.
“So human.”
Taylor could do nothing but stare at the corpse. The room was silent as the dozen other soldiers who had entered stood solemnly at the bloody sight before them.
“We’ve got contact, Dining Hall B, floor two!” yelled Jones down the mic.
They could hear gunfire over the transmission and the faint echoes through the building.
“Enough, let’s get on mission,” whispered Chandra.
They turned and rushed out the door together. Boots echoed down the long corridor as they jogged at the fastest pace they could risk in an urban combat zone. Taylor stopped as he noticed a map of the facilities on a wall beside them.
“Two entrances to that hall, Jones probably went in through the eastern entrance.”
“Good, head to the other door. Lead the way!”
He leapt forward and picked up the pace. They were all well aware that it wasn’t sensible to rush into danger, but neither could they leave their comrades alone. Taylor reached the stairwell and launched up it three steps at a time. The gunfire was close now. Light seeped out from under a doorway up ahead as the guns roared. The walls were solid; they couldn’t see into the room.
Taylor leapt to the other side of the doorway and beckoned for the others to form up either side, ready to breach. Within a second, they were in position.
“Three, two, one! Taylor shouted.
His voice could barely be heard over the battle that was being fought within. He fired two shots into the locking mechanism, as did Lam on the opposite side. The large bore armour-piercing rounds tore through the centre of the double doors, leaving a hole the size of a football.
“Go!” he ordered.
The two of them barged through the door like raging bulls, forcing the doors to launch from their hinges. Taylor spotted the dug in Mechs immediately and could see they had a good view of the creatures. Despite this, he continued to spread out into the room to allow further troops to join the fight. He rushed up and crouched behind a broad counter, lifting his rifle to fire.
Gunfire cracked behind him, and the advancing troops fired as they passed through the blown entrance. Taylor could see Jones’ platoon was dug in the other end of the room and unable to advance. He took aim at the nearest creature. He had a clear view of its flank, fired three rounds into its chest, and a last one through its faceplate as it twitched from the first three. Out of the corner of his eye Mitch could see the other Mechs taking cover.
“Grenades!” he shouted.
He pulled a frag grenade from his webbing and twisted the cap. He looked around to see that three others were waiting for his command.
“Now!”
The four grenades were launched into the air in almost perfect synchronisation and tumbled over into the Mech positions. They hunkered down for cover as the explosions shook the room, and part of the ceiling near them caved in. Taylor jumped up and leapt over the counter top, advancing on the enemy positions with his rifle at the ready.
Chandra looked over the defences to see Mitch had jumped ahead quicker than any of them were able to follow. She saw him fire two shots into the ground, and as she drew nearer, she could see the body of one of the creatures lying lifeless at his feet. Another lay dead close by. She caught a glimpse of movement, turned quickly, and fired at another creature that was trying to get up from the ground.
She nodded at Mitch, and they both knew each other’s thoughts. The grenades were not powerful enough for the enemy they were fighting, and they were not going to take the chance that any had survived. The two officers moved up to the bodies of the other two creatures and fired several rounds through each of their faceplates until they were satisfied it was over.
They stood for a moment, marvelling at their work as Captain Jones approached their positions. Before he could open his mouth, a signal came over their intercom from Lieutenant Green.
“Tracking three hostiles into the basement in the north west of the building, over.”
“Hold tight, we’re coming,” replied Chandra.
She turned and led the way without as much as a word to the troops. As they jogged down the corridors to meet with the others, she noticed specs of blue blood on her arm. Taylor also saw where the spray had coated both of them. He looked at it at first with disgust and then sadness. He was reminded of the scene in the conference hall just minutes before.
Up ahead, they could see Green and Silva, and they had a wounded soldier being attended to.
“Any other casualties?” she asked.
“No, just one wounded. He’ll be fine,” replied Green.
“Good.”
She looked down at the stairwell close by. It appeared to disappear into darkness.
“This where you last saw them?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Any other sightings of the enemy?”
He shook his head.
“Jones, you and Yorath are to continue to sweep the rest of this building. Get on it.”
The Captain nodded and liaised quickly with Yorath before rushing off to continue his search.
“Any other ways down there?” asked Chandra.
“One fire escape from what I can see.”
Taylor looked over at the doorway to a nearby elevator.
“What about that? It goes down below?”
Chandra lifted up her Mappad and carefully studied the limited diagrams they had been given of the layout.
“Not that one, but it looks like there is a freight elevator not far from here.”