Part II – Futuristic version – SciFi.
Special Marine Hua Jin rides through the lanes, the ancient Harley she stole from the Autarch Voss, straining against the tug of Voss’s traction beam, and the noise of the gathering ion storm, her left arm trailing behind her like a rag in her slipstream, a pattern of needle points in her rapidly deadening shoulder, where the darts from the Dzarb caught as she cut through their line. Her black uniform flaps noisily in the wind, as fronds from the roadside vegetation slap against her thighs. Tucked in her breast pocket below the gold and red dragon insignia of her unit, nestles the thumb drive containing the data Voss needs to set the planet-breaker device in motion.
A Dzarb soldier drone rushes from a hedge, its grasping tentacles and slavering bi-fold maw full of intent. Jin drives straight over it with her engine thundering.
With a crooked grin on her face, she yells, “Hell yeah, no-one messes with the corps.”
On she rides as the rain starts to fall, urging her antique motorcycle into cylinder straining effort. The lane narrows and the glaring Dzarb eyes give way to the glow of a marine picket line out on the northern quadrant.
“Nearly home,” she gasps as the jungle gives way to houses, and the dirt track eases into tarmacked streets. She pulls up alongside the mess hall where her unit is billeted with a shower of sparks from her shredded tyres and falls from the growling bike straight into the arms of Sergeant Una Lightbearer.
“You’re injured,” Una says, her eyes wide with concern.
“I’m good, no little Dzarb splodge is gonna stop me,” Jin says, her tone defiant, a stark contrast to her eyes, which say “help!”
“Where’s the Captain?” Una yells as a furious gust snatches her voice away.
“Don’t know. He gave me the memory key and disappeared into this gas Voss is spreading across the landscape,” Jin shouts. She hands the key to Una, a dull red glow emanating from its surface, just as her knees buckle.
“God dammit!” Una exclaims looking at the key glowing in her hand. She tucks it into the pocket of her combat utility bag and catches Jin before she falls.
A marine appears, cutting a swathe through the fog as she flies a hover board across the barracks square. It’s Isabel Solis, General Page’s chief of staff. She projects a forcefield around the two women and says, “You should get her inside. That dart wound is going to need seeing to.”
“What about the captain? He’s still out there,” Una says. She looks the marine in the eyes, hoping to convey a sense of urgency.
“The captain can look after himself, so I wouldn’t worry too much,” Solis says, tugging at Lightbearer’s sleeve.
The tempest bucks and blows as the three stagger towards the welcoming lamps of the mess. Jin stumbles over a loose branch, and they can hear laughter echoing on the wind, as Una scoops up her fallen friend, carrying her bodily to the doors.
The two women tumble into the warm embrace of the bar, still surrounded by the forcefield generated by Solis. Private Kirk rushes forward to catch them but bounces off the force field, his powered armour taking lumps out of the flagstones as he crashes to the floor.
“Oye, mind the décor, already. I’ve only just had it done,” squeals Corporal Pendrake from behind the serving counter
“It’s okay, Gareth,” says a voice from the rafters to Pendrake. General Ellis descends on a hover ramp, her rifle still ready.
“Sorry General, but those tiles cost me a bloomin’ fortune,” Pendrake moans. He puts down the glass he’s polishing and vaults the counter.
“It’s not like you’re paying for it,” Ellis states flatly. She waves a hand at Solis and the marine releases her force-field, causing Una and Jin to stagger forward. Kirk picks himself up and with a single stride, catches them with one big arm.
“Specialist Jin, you look screwed, girl,” he intones, his deep baritone resonant, and his eyes cavernous pools of concern.
“Way to go stating the obvious, big man,” Jin says as she faints to the floor, the colour draining from her face.
“Get Doctor Schwartz, quickly,” snaps Ellis to Solis. She cradles Jin’s head and wipes the sweat from her brow.
“Already here,” a rich, educated voice chimes as the tall shape of Doctor Elaine Schwartz dashes across the floor, her medical bag clutched in one hand.
Elaine drops her bag alongside Jin, and rips open her sleeve to reveal the holes where the Dzarb darts have sunk into her arm. “We need to get these out. Hand me your dagger Solis, will you?”
“Here you go,” Solis says as she unsheathes her knife, a wickedly curved Khukuri style blade.
Elaine grasps the handle, a gleam in her eye.
“Nice,” she says rubbing an alcohol swab along its length.
“Careful, you could do some damage with that, it’s monofilament titanium,” Solis says, one hand extending tentatively.
“Just getting the bugs off it,” Elaine says.
“Just saying,” the soldier replies as she holds up her three-fingered left hand.
Una finds she cannot look away as Elaine stabs the point of the knife into Jin’s arm, carving through the muscle until it finds the darts. With a deft flip, she flicks each one onto the floor.
Elaine holds a gauze towel over the wound as she digs in her bag.
“Ah, here it is,” she says triumphantly, waving a bottle with a big yellow hazard warning label on its fascia.
“Are you sure that’s the right stuff?” Una stammers. She points at the label.
“Oops,” Elaine says, with a sheepish grin. She drops the bottle into the bag and pulls out another one. Judging by the plain buff label, this one has less obviously lethal contents, reasons Una.
“Excuse me,” says Kirk.
“You know, I think she’s going to make it,” Elaine says happily, as she applies the anti-toxin salve to Jin’s wound.
“Thankyou modern medicine,” Elowen breathes, a broad smile on her face.
“Can I just say something?” Kirk says, his brows furrowing.
“Can you just hold this, here, Una?” Elaine beckons the young special forces sergeant to her side.
“Yes. Like this?” Una says, pushing the pad the doctor gave her hard against the wound.
“Hey people, aren’t we forgetting something?” Kirk growls.
“Not so hard,” Elaine says, tugging gently at Una’s hand.
Kirk stands up to his full six feet five and stamps his powered armour foot on the flagstones. The mess hall shakes, tables overturn, and glasses fall to the floor. “CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING!”
“There’s no need to shout, private,” Una turns on the big soldier angrily.
“Aren’t we forgetting about the Captain. He’s in the shit right now?” Kirk says, his voice softer, but still full of steel.
Una looks shamefaced. “You’re right, of course. I’m sorry for raising my voice like that.”
“Someone needs to go and get him, or at least provide him with back-up,” Solis says, cleaning Jin’s blood from her blade.
“That someone should be me,” Kirk says, slapping his chest with his fist.
“I’m sorry, private, I’m going to have to pull rank. I’ll ride out and find the boss,” Una says.
“Yes, you’re needed here,” Solis agrees. She’s never seen anyone stomp Dzarb with quite the ferocity, and if she is totally honest, quite the glee, of the big soldier.
“But I have the equipment and the training,” Kirk asserts, jutting out his jaw belligerently.
“Agreed, but we can’t afford to lose you, Kirky-baby,” Jin says, raising her head, her eyes clearing and a wan smile crossing her lips.
“Perhaps, I can be of service in this matter,” a voice echoes through the bar. The three marines tense, and Solis draws her knife as Tony the Boneman drifts into the room, his pallid features fixed in a devilish grin.
“Tony! You’re back,” yells Una, with a happy smile.
“Indeed,” Tony says, putting his eight barrelled laser down against the bar.
“I like the threads, Boneman,” Jin says. She indicates the black, one-piece powered combat suit.
“Yes, it’s better than my old body,” he replies with a wink. “In every fucking way.”
“Can you turn down the volume, big man? It gives me the willies,” Elaine says, guardedly.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m still getting used to it,” Tony says. He taps his wrist control, and his volume returns to normal. Well, as normal as a cyborg special forces killing machine can be.
“That’s better,” says Ellis, her shoulders relaxing. She nods at Solis, who sheathes her knife.
“I thought, General Staff had retired you,” Solis says, raising an eyebrow.
“I’m doing this out of the goodness of my heart. That and it was re-enlistment or live out my life in a jar,” Tony replies.
“Good oh, so what’s the plan?” Una says.
“The Dzarb hold no threats I fear. And this upstart kid genius has yet to gain access to the detonation key, I see,” he replies, nodding in the direction of Una’s bag. His deep penetration vision always gave Una the creeps.
“Can you overcome him?” Ellis gasps. Since Malachai Voss defeated the entire 4th Marine Brigade with his Dzarb drones, stealing their weapons and armour, his power has grown exponentially.
“Piece of cake, actually,” Tony preens.
“What if he tries to zap you, Boneman?” Jin says, her voice still weak, but echoes of her determination laced in every word.
“I’m powered by an anti-matter generator,” Tony states matter-of-factly.
“He has a point. If Voss tries to zap him, we could end up with some very bad things going down,” Elaine agrees.
“Very bad indeed. And I suspect you’ll be busy for weeks picking up the bits left behind for processing,” Tony grins again, and everyone shudders.
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