2288: The Skotadian Experiment Read online

  As each of the team moved into position their concern that they may be walking into a trap was rising. It was Blue Team that took on the enemy first. They were given the task of going into the tunnels and clearing it out. Although the tunnels were dark the team had night vision which gave that eerie view that everything was “green.”

  “Oh my god! My team!” Martinez cried as he heard their cries over the radio.

  “Martinez . . . hold your ground!” Jaguar 42R mentioned over the radio.

  “My team needs me!” Martinez cried out. He could not do his duty while his team is being butchered.

  “Dominic! Dominic!” Ramirez almost yelled at him.

  “He’s being a typical Skotadian.” One of the Dragon Clones mentioned over the radio. It caused the other Dragon Clones to laugh (or to chuckle).

  “I’m here.” Martinez mentioned as he got to where his team was.

  “Thank god. We need you on point.” Sanchez mentioned.

  The tension was high as Blue Team went into the dark tunnel. It was wide enough for two of them to stand shoulder to shoulder. What irked them was the fact that the lab was using a screen with an image upon it. Regardless of what it showed it created confusion for the team. Are they looking at a wall, or a screen that is hiding a corridor? They had no experience in dealing with this type of Skotadian tactic. What made the Skotadian trick a basic nightmare is the fact that the screen has nanites that repairs any holes in it. The enemy shoots at you, the nanites repairs the holes, so you therefore can’t see who’s doing the shooting. Only a EMP burst could destroy the nanites. But using a EMP burst may render sensitive equipment useless, including your own.

  “Goddamn it. I really do hate this wretched Skotadian trick.” Kaminski mentioned as he realize that he just bumped into one of the screens.

  “Yeah, you’re not the only one.” Coté added.

  “Watch and learn.” Sanchez responded. She then took out a smoke grenade and then threw it down the hallway. As the smoke particles interacted with the nanites on the each one of the screens it created a strange (but easily visible) distortion on the screen.

  “Amazing. It’s still true that low-tech defeats high-tech.” Martinez responded. After he said that the Fiends really let them have it.

  The Fiends came at them from all sides. It’s what those tunnels were designed for. Confuse the enemy and then to lead them to a kill point where none will survive. Blue Team is running the risk of being wiped out.

  “Fuck this shit!” Coté yelled out in frustration. She then threw an EMP grenade which disable the screens.

  Coté’s action, although very brazen and borderline stupid, it gave the team the victory that they desperately needed. The Skotadian engineers who designed such a facility never assumed that a loser team would be sent in. How could they? Coté may have given the team the edge that they needed but it was at the expense of their radios and other very sensitive equipment.

  With Martinez on point he’d made any rush at them near pointless. Each and every shot was a kill. But he couldn’t be where the team needed him the most—everywhere in an effort to guard each point. Although the team was able to hold it’s ground quite well it was only a matter of time before the obvious occurred. And it told them that they have to keep on moving or they will die there.

  “I’m hit!” Hoffneisten cried out.

  “How badly!?” Sanchez asked him.

  “I can make it.” Hoffneisten responded. When Sanchez turned to look at him she could tell that he was in a bad condition and needs immediate help.

  “We’re pushing them back!” Nguyen cried out as he rushed the enemy position.

  “Binh get back here now! Goddamn it!” Sanchez yelled at him. She could tell that he was running into trap.

  Binh Nguyen fought hard before he was killed. He managed to keep the enemy focused upon him long enough (including engaging them in hand-to-hand combat) that it allowed Blue Team to turn the table. Ten minutes later it was all over and Blue Team emerged victorious. They finally secured the tunnels and found the control room to disable all the security screens within the tunnels.

  “Theresa!” Sanchez called out to her.

  “Yes ma’am.” Van Hoven responded.

  “Take Sean (Hoffneisten) back to base camp and inform them of our situation.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  Green Team had the misfortune of kicking-in-the-door since they had to take on the main building and go through the lobby. After Caparzo threw a grenade to bust out the windows of the entrance all hell broke lose. It took five minutes for the team to get inside the lobby and another eight minutes before the lobby was secure. As luck would have it none of them was wounded let alone killed. They then moved on take the security station which, despite the enemy (all Skotadians), was quickly overrun.

  “You guys are with Lenkov and Omori, aren’t you?” The Skotadian officer asked Green Team. All of those Skotadians surrender with no losses on their part.

  “Maybe, why do you ask?” Nakada asked him.

  “We’re just doing our duty. Each of us want to go home to our families.”

  “And you shall. Return to the garage and you and your team will be treated fairly by Lenkov and Omori.” Nakada responded.

  “Arigatou.” The Skotadian officer said to Nakada.

  “Doitashimashite.” Nakada responded.

  Nakada knew that it would not do him any good to ask what they should expect there since Skotadi don’t tell their people everything. And it didn’t take long for the Fiends to come out and attack Green Team. With a certain viciousness and a absolute carelessness to human life, or that of their own, the Fiends made their attack. Green Team held their ground and being far more than capable of defending the lobby than the Skotadians who they overcame, they will make it near impossible for the Fiends to retake the lobby. It did dawn on the team that they are seriously outnumbered and they will lose people. But they had a job to do.

  “Grenade!” Kim yelled out as he threw himself on it to save the lives of his friends.

  “Goddamn it to all hell! They’re trying to flank us!” Brewster yelled out. Both him and Choy ran to secure their right flank. Eleven minutes later it was all over with the Fiends being defeated and both Brewster and Choy was dead.

  “Ma’am . . . we’ve secured the lobby. And ma’am, Green Team is finished.” Nakada said with a very heavy heart.

  “Understood. Who’s left?” Vaistll asked.

  “Just me and Caparzo.” Nakada said on the verge of tears.

  “Understood.” Vaistll responded.

  Although White Team was given the task of defending the main base (monorail station and the parking garage) and it didn’t take long for the Fiends to attack their positions. It was the sole reason why Jaguar 42R needed Martinez on the top level of the parking garage. It was so obvious that the main base would be attacked. But he knew that White Team’s job will be more difficult, but not impossible. And as luck, and as his foresight will have it, Jaguar 42R saw the obvious conclusion of the battle. All Fiends eliminated with no losses or wounded on the part of the defenders.

  “Jesus effing Christ. We are being eliminated.” Lucarelli mentioned when he heard the fate of Green Team.

  “So what will be done with them?” Cole asked someone.

  “Who the prisoners? Knowing Lenkov he probably will have them honorably discharge and allow them to return to their families.” Bryce responded.

  “What? I kind of figure that. No, I mean with Green Team.” Cole responded. No one said anything because they didn’t want to contemplate such things.

  Red Team was not given the task of kicking in anything. No they would later realize that they had to break down the gates of hell and fight the legions of the damned on their own turf. Like the Dragon Clones, who was using the security tunnels to sweep and clear all enemies out of the lab complex, Red Team had to penetrate the facility by going through a strong point. Once they have completed their task everything after
that is a simple mop up operation.

  “Holy shit!” Ellis shouted when a RPG landed near him.

  “Are you okay!?” Wexler asked him through the radio.

  “Yeah. Those damn sons-of-bitches just blew a hole in the fucking floor. Shit far! They’re down there! Goddamn it to all hell!” Ellis responded. The Fiends was below him shooting at him through the hole in the floor.

  “Hold on, I’m coming!” Moriarty said through the radio. He was the closest to where Ellis was and he knew that he needed to engage the enemy on the same floor. It took no more than eight minutes but between the two of them they were able to defeat the Fiends. But there was one problem.

  “Sir . . . I’m hit.” Moriarty informed Ellis.

  “How badly?” Ellis asked.

  “Sir . . . I . . . um . . .” Moriarty was saying.

  “Shit.” Ellis said under his breath. Once Ellis got down he could tell that Moriarty was hit badly. “Oh Philip.” Ellis said after he examined him.

  “It’s okay sir. And thank you for always being good to me.” Moriarty responded. He knew that if he didn’t get immediate help that he would die within the hour so he wanted to make his peace.

  “Lieutenant!” Ellis cried out over the radio.

  “Go ahead.” Hayes responded.

  “Moriarty is hit pretty badly and needs immediate evac!”

  “Understood. One moment please.” Hayes responded. For the first thirty-three seconds gunshots could be heard. Hayes then sent a map that he ran across that showed that there was a nearby sickbay. Ellis then took Moriarty there.

  “We need help . . . immediately! We’re pinned down!” A Dragon Clone shouted over the radio. There was so much commotion that he could barely be heard.

  “I’ll help! I’m nearby!” Bernstein mentioned.

  “No wait! What was his name again? Luis! Wait! Luis!?” The Dragon Clone shouted at him. But Bernstein wouldn’t listen. He will prove to everyone that Task Force ZH-3C is no loser team. It still burned him up.

  As Bernstein rushed the Fiends position he was nearly killed on two occasions but he was able to get to a corridor. Once there he threw a grenade and carefully shot at any Fiend that he saw. When he heard the Dragon Clones rush the Fiends position he threw another (which was his last) grenade at the wall so that it would bounce off of it and go to where the Fiends may be at. (It did nothing but damage a wall.) He then rushed the Fiends only to find out that he ran out of ammo and had to reload.

  “You honor us. We honor you.” The Dragon Clone said to Bernstein as he was holding his hand. After Bernstein reloaded his weapon he was only able to get off a couple of shots before he was shot in the throat. While the Dragon Clone was holding his hand Luis was doing the dead man shake. “Your Task Force is no loser team.” The Dragon Clone said to Bernstein before he’d died. The comment caused Bernstein to smile.

  “Be advised that Luis Bernstein sacrificed his life so that we may complete our mission. We mourn your loss.” A Dragon Clone stated over the radio.

  As that group of Dragon Clones moved on to their next objective, which was the kitchen, they learned that all the scientists who was station there at the lab complex was taken to the kitchen and murdered in cold blood. As they were fixing to leave the Fiends made their attack. With some of the Fiends coming down on ropes and busting through the windows (all was killed), more coming through the back part of the kitchen, and more coming through the front door, all ten of those Dragon Clones was yet again pinned down with no hope of escape. And as before, it was a member of Task Force ZH-3C that came to their rescue.

  “Are any of guys still alive?” Guerrero called out to the Dragon Clones. But he got no response. “Holy shit!” He cried out as four wounded Fiends came at him. He quickly did away with them only to discover that all the Dragon Clones was killed.

  “Hey which one of you guys is closest to Team C?” Jaguar 42R asked.

  “I am. Why?” Hayes responded.

  “They’re not responding.”

  “Alright. I’ll go take a look.” Hayes responded.

  When Lieutenant Hayes got to where the Dragon Clone team was he discovered that all of them was killed in a ambush. He then realized that he fell into a trap and had no way of escape. He threw a grenade near a window, and ran jumped out of it. He took a couple shots in his helmet as he was doing that. All other shots missed him. Luckily for him he was only on the second floor. But unfortunately the Fiends was right on his tail. He ran for dear life and whenever the chance would present itself he would take up a strong defensive position and kill as many enemy as he could. His only option was to go to where White Team was, but that was quite a run. He was hit two more times in his helmet and feeling punched drunk, and not knowing was he wounded, he had to keep going. As he got near enough to White Team’s position, and with them opening fire on his pursuing enemy, a Fined fired a RPG at him.

  “RPG!” Weng shouted out. It caused Hayes to dive into White Team’s position as the rocket landed behind him.

  “Sir, are you alright?” Cole asked him surprised that he was still alive. Hayes didn’t respond because he was touching his face to see if he was wounded. He was also too stunned to respond.

  “Sir! Are you alright!?” Cole asked again.

  “I need you to take the APCs down the road several meters and line them up bumper-to-bumper in a perpendicular fashion. Place two more in the same fashion between the monorail and this building.” Hayes ordered him.

  “Sir . . .?” Cole said confusingly.

  “Do it! Do you seriously believe that it is all over!? We need to hold this position until reinforcements arrive, or we’re dead! Do you understand!?” Hayes asked him.

  “Yes sir.” Cole responded.

  “Then do as I say. I then want you to take the vehicles in this garage and put proximity explosives in them and then place the vehicles in a strategic location around the monorail, the parking garage and several meters in front of the APCs. I then want you to destroy the monorail track. Go to the building that Team A went into, bust out all the windows on the second floor and do the same with the building that Team C went into. I then want you to place our wounded in the rooms with the busted out windows. Give them enough ammo to hold off any counter attack. As soon as the lab is taken, and as soon as you can, destroy the tunnel under those two buildings. Make damn well certain that nobody can reopen them. After that, I want those APCs manned. Do you understand me!?” Hayes ordered him.

  “Yes sir.” Cole responded.

  “Then get it done, now.” Hayes ordered him.

  Neither Vaistll, nor Taylor or Ramirez said anything about Hayes plan. They knew that there is a strong possibility that Dark Core will send someone (or anything) and retake the facility. Dark Core will stop at nothing to have it retaken. Time is precious and Task Force ZH-3C have already lost people. And it’s still not over.

  “Oh god . . . I’m hit!” Trivelli called out. He finally was able to take the main office in the administration building when a group of Fiends came in. Although he killed them he will not be able to withstand another attack.

  “I’m coming!” Blumenthal said over the radio.

  “No don’t. I think that they are trying to lure someone to me.”

  “I’m almost there.” Blumenthal mentioned.

  “No you dumb-ass. They’re using me as bait! Michael!? Goddamn it!” Trivelli, in a sad and desperate bid to keep his friend back, responded.

  When Trivelli heard gunshots he rushed out to save his friend only to take two more hits. The gun battle lasted for slightly more than seven minutes with neither side budging. But with the luck and skill of both Trivelli and Blumenthal they were able to overcome their enemy with only Trivelli being wounded. Both of them then left to take a nearby security station. Once they do it practically will be over for this station will allow them to transmit all security video footage to their teammates. As they came near they saw two Fiends coming to take the station. All four open fire when they
saw each other.

  “Dear god. I sure do hope that’s the last of them. Michael?” Trivelli said. He then turned to look at his friend only to notice that he was shot dead. Enzo let out a moan for his dear departed friend. He then limp over to the security station and gave his team as well as the Dragon Clones complete control over the communications. And with that, technically, the lab complex was taken.

  “What the hell? What’s going on up there?” Trivelli said when he saw the strange video that was coming from the TIA starbase.

  “Oh my god . . . no.” He stated when he realized what he was seeing. He then turned to look out the window and looked up at the sky. He knew, from the video images, what he was seeing—the memories of Sakura. And it told him the fate of Golden Hyperion. That world will suffer like there’s no tomorrow. All over that world one name was on everybody’s lips—Sakura. But it also told them that the TIA starbase is technically dead in the water. Dark Core scored a huge victory upon that day and everybody knew it.

  The God of All Monsters

  (1)

  Lieutenant Commander North just finished analyzing the data concerning Sakura and it didn’t look good to him. He stayed there as long as he could trying to figure it out so as not to cause any grief for Sayaka. Unlike his son (who is also serving on the Hammer of Doom as a Lieutenant), he is not much of a fighter. He cannot begin to image how much grief would come to Omori should anything happen to her beloved friend. But Omori is a typical Skotadian—so tough that you never notice their weaknesses. It is that Skotadian trait that makes them hard to beat in battle. Feared by all.

  But he also had the ship to defend and to protect. It was hard trying to juggle between the two tasks, but he felt compel to. Yes it meant a greater work load, but he didn’t mind. Most of the time he is too bored checking the computers, equipment and the like. So he always tries to keep himself busy yearning for his shore leave so that he can spend time with his son. Lately, for the past nine years, Dark Core has been restricting all shore leave. The only change that everyone knows about that could explain it is, that is when Infernus joined Dark Core. However, despite the dirty civil war within Dark Core itself, Infernus kept a low profile for the first four years. It seems like he was more interested in bringing peace to Dark Core as opposed to a power grab. (Most of them don’t care which it is and that is why Dark Core has a bad habit of losing members.) Although the current civil war is ongoing, Infernus does have the support of only 266 members as well as the first person who became a Dark Core member—Medusa Pandora. North, unlike his son, knew that these dirty civil wars never turns out well for either side.