Chapter V

Chapter 5

In the Present

Operation Achilles

August 1, 4030

1214 Hours

Lexus, Earth

"We're gonna fuck em up," Kelly mouths, finishing with a wink. And while Kelly intends this to be a happy moment. It's not. As all it does is remind Jaycee of once was and what will never be again.

Jaycee looks away, offering a smile at his new girlfriend. Tina. The girl who's been so kind to him. He hopes Kelly twinges at his smile for Tina; pissed off at the fact he moved on.

And yet the moment he leans in for a kiss; he thinks back to his dreams that Kelly destroyed.

Dreams of Kelly and he on earth, night after night, sleeping under the stars. Dreams of the war being over and he, a hero that Thomas never could be. And then he would retire, quietly, learning to farm the land with his beautiful bride—Kelly—at his side, and a baby to follow. And Kelly had to ruin it, all to ride Shawn's dick. His 'best' friend.

Maybe that's what hurts the most. The fact his best friend was the one who would sneak into her room and fuck her—while he slept peacefully entirely unaware a chamber over.

Enough of that talk.

He swallows hard. He grips his rifle tighter with his right hand. His eyes wander to Shawn who sits next to Kelly.

-STARTI-Shawn hasn't a clue. Oblivious. I didn't even get a sorry.-END-

Shawn is focused. His eyes stare at the worn boots of the soldier across from him. Adam.

The pod shakes. And Shawn looks up.

He's smiling. His composure is calm—ignorance or confidence of which Jaycee cannot tell.

But to Jaycee, what's telling is the fact Shawn doesn't even blink his way.

Shawn is too busy salivating trying to emulate the man in front of him.

Again. Adam.

Adam, as old as a dinosaur and one of the very few soldiers left who fought for the enemy of the Colony wars—the Anchoras.

A war where Humans fought Humans.

A war that created the United Universe, the current banner the citizens of the universe fight under.

"You look eager, boy," Adam calls to Shawn. Shawn shrugs his shoulders.

"I'm excited,"

"As you should be." Adam scans the pod, looking down at his subordinates. All young. All foolish.

His eyes stop to his section leader. Captain Ealy. The only other war hardened individual in the pod. A once enemy, now friend.

"They don't make soldiers like they used, to, do they?"

Captain Ealy smirks beneath his helmet. He tilts his head.

"No, they do not. But what can you do with twenty-two million dead?" Ealy asks as he swallows the tension and uneasiness in the air.

"All the real soldiers died years ago, on the mountains and fields in Australia."

"and two more soldiers and eight fools will follow next," Adam adds,

"Please, can we please not talk about that?" A man with a soft whimper speaks—all eyes fall to the lankiest, nerdiest soldier in the section.

Fen. Private Fen is upset, clenching his service rifle as tight as a teddy bear, and looking as frightened as a rabbit. Fen isn't a soldier; his movements are clumsy and that of one who lacks coordination. But it's his brain that makes him worth the investment. He is an able-bodied strategist with an uncanny ability to come up with plans that could fool any enemy on the spot. Proven by the numerous times, during training, he managed to stump the very experienced Adam and Ealy.

"So, Fanny Pack finally decides to speak," Shawn says,

Everyone in the pod chuckles.

Fanny Pack.

Fen's more than adequate nickname.

Fen presses his glasses up the rim of his nose. His mind occupied with survival percentages. He was trying his best to hold off on it. But now, with the mention of twenty-two million—his mind is occupied.

-STARTI-But what's even the point? -END-Fen can't help but think. After all, twenty-two million soldiers have dropped, and only one has come back; Thomas Deliah.

In other words, he's a dead man.

We're all dead. Why did I agree to join the war after my brother? Why, in honour, was I a blind fool?

"Yeah I spoke, but I'll shut the fuck up now. No reason to speak since we're all dead."

Fen's eyes dim. He doesn't like the word dead. Because a little bit of him finds that idea abstract. No one really processes death, until they're. . .well. . . dead.

Adam will protect me though, right? My precious Adam.

My precious lover—the only reason I'm here.

The pod shakes. Adam and Fen lock eyes. Instant connection. Just like always.

Just like—

* * *

There is a room. The lights are off; the sole light coming from a long hallway. A small room, small enough to house a single bed and a locker.

And on that bed is a young man crying, softly. He doesn't want the others to hear. He doesn't want the other soldiers to hear him crying. Because if they heard him crying that would mean—

"You're a weak man. Not a soldier."

Fen tightens up at the sound. His eyes shoot awake. He knows that voice. That's the voice of his superior—Adam.

Fen jumps to his feet off the bed. He turns to the open door. His body pin straight. There, Lt. Adam is leaning against the open door; he's wearing his United Universe uniform. A red top and bottom with a black beret. His silver hair shines in the light.

"I am a weak man, sir!" Fen answers; his body a stiff and tall as a pole.

Adam steps towards Fen until they are inches from one another.

Adam can feel the fear seeping off the young lad; from the way the recruit's shoulders and chest tightened, to his breath that is no longer smooth.

Adam, in a low whisper, "Why are you here?" he asks, extending a thumb to wipe the tears beneath Fen's cherry red cheeks.

Fen's teeth chatter. He inhales deeply and exhales, calming himself.

"I'm here because of my brother, Second Lieutenant Gregory Matthews."

Adam raises a brow, nodding subtly.

"Ah, Second Lieutenant Mathew. Explains a lot. I guess being pathetic runs in the family. I heard he didn't even last the night until he blew his brains out."

This hits Fen home. His breath stops—his eyes tighten. Adam can see this change; how the sniffles stopped. Mucous drips down Fens nose, as he continues to stand straight and firm.

"If it makes you feel any better, most of them didn't survive last night. And the hourly reports coming in, tell that the database they secured was successful. However, the building exploded upon the upload link. We only recovered half the data. The rest of the troops will not survive the afternoon. But you expected that, didn't you?"

"I. . . I already crunched the numbers," Fen drops his eyes, he looks defeated as silent tears fall to the floor.

"My file tells me you're too smart for your own good. So look here," Adam says, hooking his finger and pulling Fen's chin up to meet eye to eye.

"Get used to the pre-funerals. Enjoy yours, because you are here, and your head is next on the chopping block."

Fen opens his mouth wide. He's about to speak. But then it hits him. The dreaded image of yesterday, as Fen, with not a family to call home—watched as his only brother walked onto a black hawk carrier class, waving goodbye. Fen laughs as tears fill his eyes.

"I'm not crying because my brother died, sir."

And to this, Adam raises a brow; curiosity spiked that Fen is less feeble than he appears.

"Alright," Adam smiles.

"I'm listening, then why are you crying."

"I'm crying, because when I die, then all this bullshit my family has gone through, from the dawn of time, to escaping Earth and landing here, will all be for naught. As I am the final living member of my bloodline."

"Well," Adam smiles, slapping Fen's shoulder.

"I can't help you there. But whether you died today, or in fifty years, last time I checked, gay dudes don't reproduce. So sounds like your family was fucked war or not. So again, try turning off the brain sometime, and you may find life get's a bit easier to swallow death."

* * *

After that incident, Fen and Adam remained close, and Adam took it upon himself to stay late and train Fen to become the best soldier he can be. And while Fen never amounted to a great soldier, his great mind—again was his strength. But even if he was dumb, Adam would have helped him.

Why? Because Adam knows what it's like to lose a family. He knows what it's like to feel to watch his civilization burn. To watch as your home became a mortar pit and the high school you graduated from turns from a building of education and dreams—to a mass grave.

All because the Anchoras and Unifers couldn't get along.

Fuck Mars.

"Chin up, Fen. Today you make your brother—"

The pod shakes, drowning out the end of Adam's sentence. However, it brings Fen back into the fight. Fen inhales and exhales.

Yes. We are on our way to the city of Lexus. We are on our way to war.

Fens eyes fall to the patch on his chest.

The patch of the United Universe. Fen shakes his head. Because of this damn fucking symbol, I'm on my way to fight a damn enemy, we have no knowledge of how it came to be. Fighting a damn enemy, we have no knowledge on how it runs or how it operates.

All we know is they are giant, thirty-foot-tall black machines.

That he is on his way to die.

"We're all fucked." Fen wipes his sudden, rising tears—of which he can't control. He's starting to draw a crowd; eyes of Captain Ealy stare at him.

"Everything will be okay," Adam says, exchanging a smile. "you've trained for this, remember?"

Fen nods profusely, wiping his nose on his sleeve. Wiping his eyes. He's trying to calm himself. He knows he's becoming a problem. A distraction from the tactical objective. The team.

Fen swallows his tears and wipes his eyes and nose.

"Yeah, everything will be okay,"

Adam, nods and smiles, happy Fen has come to his senses. And yet, guilt crawls at the base of his throat. Adam drops his eyes to his feet. He clenches his rifle between his legs.

He knows that guilt all too well.

You will do great Fen. You will survive. Even if I'm not beside you.

He looks up at his lover, once more. And idea pops in his head.

"Tell me Fen."

Fen looks towards Adam, interest piqued.

"An Enemy MECHX approaches from the front. He's wielding a large, two-handed battle-ax. He stands fifty meters from you—" Adam looks around the pod, his eyes falling to potential candidates that will be with Fen when He, Ealy, Shawn, and Jordan abandon them. "Kelly and Jason."

Fen perks up at the Question. His brow tightens, his shakes halt. He's thinking hard now.

His eyes fall to Jason and Kelly. He thinks back to their scores during the Simulation. Jason is quite fast. However, he's short-winded. Physically, the average soldier. Nothing special. And his brain? Limited. But he's a blind follower, he won't question anything. A perfect soldier in that regard. Kelly, on the other hand, is quick, agile, and dumb. She doesn't think. She reacts.

"I'd have Kelly with the rocket launcher. Except, I'd load it with smoke, instead of an EMP rocket. Jaycee and I would take point trying to close the distance. I'd try my best to bait the MECHX to swing."

"And why's that?" Adam asks—determined to see Fen visualize the successful battle; instilling confidence in himself and his abilities.

"Well, the flaws of the enemy MECHX, is at the head, hips, and shoulders. Once the MECHX swings, especially with the long battle-ax, it leaves him vulnerable to short range attacks. Since three of us are unable to take down the machine, our best bet would have him swing and then focus a volley of Electromagnetic rounds onto the exposed hip. This would hopefully be enough time to have Kelly launch a sufficient amount of smoke rockets to cover our escape."

Adam nods, "I like it. Nothing complicated."

Fen smirks, "Complicated plans breed complicated problems, remember?"

"You learn well," Adam chuffs,

And Fen laughs, "Only from the best,"

Adam suppresses his sense of betrayal growing.

It's Fen's smile that has Adam looking away. He doesn't want Fen to see him like this.

I don't want Fen to remember me like this.

Adam grinds his teeth, gnawing on his inner cheek.

I promise I will see you again. I need you to survive for me. I need you to live and not give up.

Adam senses Ealy staring down at him. And when Adam looks up at Ealy, he's met with a bitter glare, fumes, and boiled blood.

Adam nods and pursues a quick glance over at the companions he's going to stab in the back.

The companions who, the moment the pod doors open, and they come into contact, he'll be sending to die—while he runs.

To surv—The glass panel to the outside world cracks under the pressure and heat. The onyx pod passes through the clouds. The city of Lexus is now visible, the tips of the tallest buildings germinating through the bottom edge of the window; growing as time passes.

Kelly, parallel to the window reflects the horror of the outside world.

"The city's burning."

She squints her eyes. Her left leg begins to bobble; turning to Shawn beside her, who looks out the window, and back to the floor.

He's trying to remain calm.

"Everything is on fucking fire and—"

Kelly swallows hard—a pod collides with the side of a building, exploding into flames.

Splat.

"It's going to be okay," Jaycee whispers; jumping at the opportunity to ease his ex-lover.

Kelly smiles awkwardly. and then laughs.

"Oh god, I. . . I just pissed myself."

Those people. They. They just died.

Her thin pink lips scrunch together.

Jaycee reaches out and clenches her hand.

"Thank you, " she whispers,

Shawn perks his ears up at the interaction. His eyes lock to Kelly and Jayson holding hands.

Above them, the red interior lights turn green; flashing three times. The Pod computer declares a vocal announcement.

"Pod is now entering Phase three. Distance to the impact zone: One minute."

Captain Ealy looks up at his troops, gazing across the soldiers. Twenty eyes fall on him.

"Remember we're dropping on a hot zone. Take this last minute to double check your gear and the upload link-grid location on your chest rigs. Remember your mission. We need that beacon destroyed. If all else fails, fight till the death and bring as many MechXs as you can down with you."

"Hu-ah!" The pod responds back, each now taking the time to assess their equipment.

Above them, the lights flicker, the pod shakes.

Turbulence.

"Remember why you're here. Remember what you've trained for. Remember to be fearless!" Captain Ealy says, holding up both his clenched fists. His left hand to his left shoulder is scar tissue; the muscle of his forearm almost gone. He likes to tell Jaycee and his company that it looks worse than it is; but Jaycee has come to notice that while Ealy is left handed, he performs most, if not all, fine motor skill tasks with his right hand.

"When we land, I beg you to take a look at what you've become. Take a look at your skills, look inward at the fear you've conquered, and understand that this is where we turn to fight, where we turn to regain Earth. Remember your comrades, protect one another, and above all else, survive!"

"HOORAH!" they scream.

And for a moment, the reality of falling to Earth is overshadowed by their companionship; their love for one another.

For a brief moment, Jaycee feels right at home.

I wouldn't want to die with anyone but these men and—-

Tina reaches across her chest and pulls Jaycee towards herself; kissing him—

The pod lights flash red, and the computer begins to wail.

"Unplanned impact—"

Tina and Jaycee pull away, both staring at one another with boggled eyes.

-