The inner part of the glass dome was a time-capsule. Its arboretum enclosed the colony's enormous structure and with it a vast collection of Earthly plants and trees. The dome itself appeared unmaintained, old. It had lost its clarity to smears of crusty dirt and a thin sand dusting. Its grimy shell kept the sun's rays from entering unopposed. Instead a soft darkness fell over the plant life inside.
It reminded Matthias of a stadium but it stretched across for miles, encased in glass. In its center was a tower complete with an array of satellite dishes and antennas. The tower reached high above but it appeared distant, peeking into view but just barely. It told him the center was miles from the closest outer wall to him -- the colony was massive and its walls had a curvature so subtle it deceived the eye.
It still amazed the Sergeant but it was the new wall being built around the colony that robbed him of his attention. Beneath the basking floodlights men in bulky exoskeletons appeared robot-like as they paced stiffly about. It allowed the builders to lift heavy materials on their own and place them with greater precision and reduced risk. And they did. One man hauled a beam to the site on his own, and it seemed effortless.
Matthias knew their usefulness personally. Carrying equipment up the barren hillsides of Mars would not have been as easy without them. But they were somewhat cumbersome. The skeleton didn't come into contact with the user's limbs, and instead it bulged out over the extremities, leaving a space inbetween to avoid pinching the skin when they moved. A small pack on the back powered the suit.
Between them motivated men hollered and directed heavy machinery. The rumble of the vehicles was loud and the growl of their engines worse. There was a ceaseless clanking throughout the night. And the thunder of falling materials. The hammering of steel.
But it was the building mechs that demanded mention. Hulking metal beasts on two wide legs holding a box of a body perhaps fifteen or more feet in the air. It felt like the earth rumbled a bit when they walked passed with long steel beams clasped tightly between claw-like phalanges. But the models differed. And Matthias had seen one with an excavation wheel at the end of its arm. The wheel rotated a series of buckets that scooped up materials as it turned.
Matthias headed for the colony.
"They want to build a new wall." said a young man walking beside Matthias, perhaps a feet or two ahead. His voice was muffled by the sound of construction and the two maneuvered around builders pushing along materials to the site. The boy looked no more than seventeen and he didn't look like a soldier, though he wore the armor and cradled a railgun. He had soft teenage features but he rivaled Matthias in height, falling just short of the Sergeant. The boy snickered: "They're building a wall to feel safe, like it's going to stop whatever is out there."
He had identified as Jani Marek, a freshly recruited Private. And he talked a lot for a soldier. He hardly ever addressed Matthias, a Sergeant, properly and behaved arrogantly and carelessly. He was lucky to be under Matthias' command. The Sergeant ignored much of what he said, instead choosing to fight the protests his side mounted every time he took a step toward the colony.
"A wall ain't gonna stop the monsters or whatever." the boy rambled on, leading through the maze of tents. "A bullet will though." he said ominously and confidently. "That's why I joined up.. for the guns, they make me feel safe."
Matthias rolled his eyes and kept moving. "We need to be ready, right Sergeant?" Jani looked back over his shoulder. He treated Matthias like he was his friend, like they hadn't just met. He showed no respect.
"Right." uttered Matthias.
"Fuck yeah." Jani continued. "We Martians, we know war." he said, clutching to his railgun tighter. "Bang, bang, dead alien." he shook his gun. "Some of the civilians know that." the boy added. "They're asking to be armed. First thing I did, I went to arrest this guy who had a pistol somehow. He said a Peacekeeper had sold it to him." he chuckled. "So I told him to give it up and he said 'no', so this Tyrsman whacks him in the back of the head." Jani laughed. "He gave up the gun then." he said with a smile. "But they ain't found who sold it."
Matthias knew the Tyrsmen. He remembered their shadowy figures moving in the night behind rocks in the Martian terrain. Their black armor was an image hard to forget. He had lost a lot of friends to them. And he could still see their killers vividly when he thought about them. Not their faces, but their dreaded armor. Now he walked among them.
"Fuckin' badasses." Jani said in admiration. Matthias excused the boy's ignorance and moved onward.
The colony's outer walls appeared perfectly horizontal standing just outside of them. It was hard to believe the structure was round. The entrance was crawling with soldiers and their encampments. And like the civilian camps, the air was choked with tension - perhaps more so here. Matthias had experienced it already. There were two command tents for every civilian tent, and every commander contradicted the next one's orders. The grunts seemed to follow whoever they respected, regardless of rank.
Matthias had chosen to follow Gunnery Sergeant Adams, though it had little to do with respect, and more with necessity. He was amongst the few leaders willing to send men into Landfall in search of supplies to replace what had been lost. The rest argued there was nothing to be found, or that sparing men to go in was a risk. And that it was, with talk of irradiated halls and dangerous plant life.
The duo made their way through one of the entrances -- large metal sliding doors long-conquered and corroded by algae-like vegetation that covered it so thoroughly the doors were jammed half-closed. The soldiers had pried it open when they first arrived. "Fuckin' shit, sir." Jani cursed with surprise, his eyes shooting wide open as he pushed aside the dangling green curtains of alien flora. "You won't believe this."
Matthias followed.
Long vines drooped down from above and bridged from one tree to the next. A familiar soil was covered in green plants with not a barren spot in between, and man-made ponds of murky water gave the overgrowth pause. Tall trees with wide trunks towered over the men and their branches smacked against the inner part of the glass enclosure, reaching high enough to meet where it curved over the colony itself.
Banyan tree roots snaked across the ground and along the walls. The thick roots had crushed the barriers that once separated one biome from the next, and paved the way for the jungle to consume them. The tree roots and branches reminded Matthias of books he had read on Earth's mythologies -- like Kraken crushed and swallowed ships whole, the jungle had done the same here.
"This is crazy." Jani spoke up again, ripples drawing across the surface of the water behind him. The pond itself smelled foul. "You seen shit like this before, Sergeant?" he asked curiously. Matthias shook his head. There were few things more alien to a Martian than dense vegetation. Matthias had seen pictures and videos of Earth's jungles, but they failed to give the real thing any justice. "Fuckin' awesome." Jani smiled.
"Let's move." Matthias ordered. The path leading to the colony's entrance was barely visible under tangled roots and plants. He tripped on one and cursed under his breath. Jani chuckled and followed.
Some plants along the path were snapped and clearly cut; the soldiers had hacked their way through the first time. At the end was a group of men. Gunnery Sergeant Adams stood authoritatively in the company of several other Peacekeepers and two Tyrsmen in their black armor. "There's our guys." Jani pointed out.
Gunnery Sergeant Adams was a Peacekeeper and a short man of broad shoulders. His hair was an uninteresting red-brown military buzzcut and his jaw was wide and boxy.
Moving closer, Matthias realized there was a confrontation. Adams and his three men were cornered against the entrance by a group of five Peacekeepers, but the Gunnery Sergeant seemed unfazed. The exchange was loud but Adams ignored it and waved Matthias and Jani over as they neared. "You're late, Sergeant Mackinen." he said merrily. Adams' sudden change of attention prompted the opposing men to look back over their shoulders and cease arguing. But they were persistent, and it wasn't long before they were back to pestering the Gunnery Sergeant.
"You cannot enter." one of the soldiers said with a commanding tone. He and his men stood in front of Adams with their railguns readied. "Major Hoffman has prohibited unauthorized entry."
"Then it's a damn shame Hoffman has you clowns to enforce his orders." Adams shot defiantly. He didn't seem worried. And he didn't look like he was intimidated in the least. To him, these men were a joke and so was Major Hoffman. You could almost see the humored smile behind a fake look of anger. "Tell Hoffman he can go fuck himself."
Matthias and Jani pushed their way through the Peacekeepers and joined the men behind Adams. The Tyrsmen gave Matthias a look that said they weren't impressed and two exchanged whispers and a chuckle. One of them was a slim Slavic man of bony facial features. The other was broader with fat. Next to them was a short boy about the same age as Jani, who was also part of their team but was a Peacekeeper himself. He looked reserved and timid and could hardly hold a stare.
"Sergeant Mackinen," one of Hoffman's Peacekeepers reached out. "We will be forced to arrest anyone who follows this man's orders." he said calmly. "But no action will be taken if you step away now, please comply."
Matthias knew supplies were dwindling and believed it necessary to scavenge the ruins. He stood firmly by Adams. Jani was shaky, unsure. And the timid boy next to him looked ready to abandon them and comply with Hoffman's orders, who ever that was. The Tyrsmen were clearly bought. "We need those supplies, Hoffman knows that." Matthias said, attempting to defuse the situation.
"There are no supplies inside, Sergeant." one of the soldiers replied. "Adams, your men are more useful securing the wal-"
"You fuckers want to die, huh?" Adams cut in, stepping forward to face the soldiers more closely. Hoffman's forces stepped back and the grip around their guns tightened. They were ready.
"You threatening me, Gunnery Sergeant?" the leading soldier asked. He looked ready to strike Adams down. Adams himself laughed.
"No-no-no." the Gunnery Sergeant waved his hand dismissively. "You'll die when there aren't any supplies left to keep your ass alive." he clarified. "You ought to be thanking my men in advance." he said. "A bunch like you can't possibly have long to live either way, but whatever these men find might prolong your stupid fuckin' existence."
Hoffman's Peacekeepers said nothing.
Adams turned to face his men casually. "Go on." he ordered them. "I'll turn the power on once you're inside." Adams assured. "Bring back anything usefu-"
"Sir!" one of Hoffman's soldiers called again as Matthias and the rest were beginning to head for the entrance. "Step away from the doors!" he ordered. Adams turned to face them and saw that their weapons were now raised. It seemed insulting to Adams. His face drew up an enraged grimace and he stepped toward the soldiers. They stepped back and took aim. "You're under arrest, Gunnery Sergeant!"
"You fuckin' little shits." Adams spat. His hand reached behind him slowly. The soldiers eyed him nervously. A knife revealed itself tucked behind Adams' pants, and his hand was close to reaching it. Even his own men were scared to think of what he would do with it. Matthias' heart skipped a beat and he considered stopping the Gunnery Sergeant before he got them all killed. "Drop those fucking guns or I'll shove them up y-"
It was then that a bone-chilling roar entered the building and resonated throughout, followed by human screams and a cacophony of gunfire. The men froze and a gasp escaped Jani. Everyone went pale, even Adams. And the soldiers were disarmed by the sound alone. They lowered their weapons and rushed out to see what was happening, completely forgetting about Adams and the rest.
Matthias' heart began to pound more rapidly. The thought of running out to find Katherine crossed his mind for the first time since their last talk. But he stood his ground, even as his body began to tremble with fear and adrenaline.
She would be safe, he told himself.
They had heard of the alien predators beyond the wall, and it sounded like they had returned. It felt like it would be the right thing to run out and help, but every one of them was scared to do so. "Go." Adams finally spoke up. "Go inside."
I voiced my concerns on Steam. We want to avoid certain technologies that would either unbalance things on a player level, or strip the RP of its survival aspect. I feel androids should be treated the same way. Plus, androids are plain weird.
If we can find a good balance and at least two people in the Concordance agree, then I wouldn't mind. But I don't like the idea of androids walking around with physical and technological advantages.
And the idea of roleplaying as an android is massively boring to me. As I said, I'd rather read about a human fearing for its life and all the emotions involved, than an android calculating its survival rate as being low and taking evasive action to prevent its termination. But I guess that'd be Cheesy's problem.
I would expect some forms of AI could exist but nothing too crazy.
I'm a little 'eehh' on androids though. I'd be cool with robots if you can give them a civilian use/reason for them that makes sense. Robots that help the disabled or something, for example. The military may also use some robots as pack-mules too. But this being a colonization mission I'm not sure those would have been brought along in any significant numbers.
Besides that, we'd probably have mechs and exoskeletons used for heavy-lifting.
Sunset on Invictus seemed to be the calmest, most beautiful gift the planet had given its new arrivals. The dimming skies were a twirl of contesting colors. It was as difficult to explain as it was to comprehend. The colonists were accustomed to blackened skies devoid of color, where even the shine of distant stars were a rare sight long defeated by the overpowering lights of Earth's megalopolises.
But here, stars were an early and guaranteed sight amid twisting purples and blues smeared across the sky. Innumerable stars and a marvelous collision of colors streaked and blended to create a breathtaking aurora borealis effect. Greens and reds and yellows all danced in a grand display of the planet's beauty.
It was a peculiar thought to Matthias, as he stared into the cosmos. Most of these colonists had never seen stars in the night sky. Many of them ignorantly attributed this wonder to this new alien world, not knowing their own homeworld was capable of such beauty where no lights shone to oppose it.
The soldier in him admired this unconquerable planet. Unimaginable things waited beyond the walls. Dangers one could not begin to understand. Fears the colonists drove themselves crazy with during the day were extinguished with the coming of night. It froze them with amazement, dismantled their guards, doused their worries and tamed their hearts. Groups of them gathered to sit on the alien soil in admiration, their eyes set high as they pointed to the heavens.
If Invictus wished to exterminate the colonists, nighttime was the perfect distraction. The perfect deception. And Matthias knew the power of deception.
"I'd sit on top of father's car." Matthias recalled with a snicker. Katherine laid beside him, their bodies sunken slightly into the alien soil. They still didn't truly understand what it was, only that it looked and felt like forest moss. Like sponge almost, soft. Like the sky, it was a mix of colors. Green in places, yellow in others. Crimson and even black. It was funny to watch as colonists kept to the familiar green while actively avoiding the patches of red and black. Everyone seemed to universally agree those couldn't be good to step on. Matthias laughed to himself whenever he'd see them maneuver around the darker bits of vegetation.
"He hated that." he said, his eyes set on the dimming skies. "'Said it'd dent the car.. or break the windows." he continued, Katherine listening in between chuckles. "But we didn't listen, and we'd lay on the windshield staring up at the sky."
"And it was like this?" Katherine asked with a tone of disbelief. She had never seen so many stars. "I don't believe you." she laughed softly.
"Yes, ma'am." Matthias confirmed. "Well.." he stopped himself.. "Not like this." he clarified. "Not this many colors. But as many stars. And we'd look for the brightest.. and try to guess which were planets, which were satellites."
"You were lucky." she said enviously. It wasn't a common sight in Warsaw. "I would have never gotten anything done had I lived on Mars."
"It gets old, ma'am." Matthias assured with a sigh. "I was bored of it by the time I was seven." he laughed with a shrug. "By then Martians have better things to do. Like wrestling Martian polar bears."
She laughed, giving Matthias a friendly shove on the shoulder. It was careless of her, but she had forgotten his injuries and the young soldier let out a pained but silenced grunt, clutching his shoulder tightly. "I'm sorry!" she gasped, rubbing on his shoulder briefly as if it would ease the pain. Then she chuckled again, her face mocking him. "I guess Martians aren't so tough." she teased. "You big baby."
"We're tougher than anyone on Earth or Luna." he shot back jokingly. It might have been true. In his face alone, she could count three painful-looking bruises and a small scar on his cheek. Yet he hardly complained.
Their eyes shifted back to the display above.
"Careful there, Martian." she warned him. "I know where to hit you." she threatened.. "The next time you call me ma'am."
Matthias smiled but offered no response. It seemed right to him, to address her that way. It was polite. And he had been trained to be polite, respectful. The military had showed him a life of service to the state and public. It was right to show respect to those he served.
It bothered him how superficially unconcerned the colony appeared. But he could feel the true nature of things. The air was tense and an ever-present worry polluted the camps surrounding the main structure. He had heard the misty rumors of attacks on patrolling soldiers. He could feel the stress and frustration the colonists shared. And Katherine had informed him of the whispered talks amongst doctors and other former personnel she had spent time helping -- resources were dwindling.
It seemed every officer had different orders, different priorities. They all contradicted each other. They owed Captain Homsy their lives - and he admired the man - but he wondered if the Captain had unknowingly doomed them too. These people were without a leader, without direction. And it worried him.
"Hannibal was the same, on Mars." Matthias began, his voice dull and quiet. It startled Katherine and she uttered a low "Hm?" at the sound of his voice. "The insurgency.." he recalled. "It didn't start all of a sudden -- It was gradual." she listened. "Disagreements turned into protests.. protests turned into riots.. riots turned into bloodbaths."
Katherine listened without interruption. She was curious. It was clear to her something had occurred on Mars, and Matthias carried the burden. She wanted to help. And now he was speaking about it. When it seemed like Matthias would abandon the subject, she pushed it along. "Why?" she asked simply.
"I don't know, ma'am." he said. She held the urge to shove him and listened. "Politics." he guessed. "They called us oppressors."
She recalled the same back on Earth. Government surveillance, checkpoints. Her own brother was detained, twice. She could relate and it was hard for her to blame the people of Mars for opposing it. "Maybe they were right." she said thoughtlessly, and she believed it firmly.
"Hannibal burned, ma'am." Matthias said, annoyed. He felt strongly about this, and spared little sympathy for the rebels and their supporters. This much was clear. "They burned it down." he continued, in his voice a tint of aggression. "One-hundred-forty-seven." he said bluntly. "That's how many people died on that transit, in the first bombing."
"I'm sorry." she said, taking it back. It hadn't been her intention. She condemned the attacks. She wished she could have taken her supportive words back.
For someone who's job was to speak to others and help them get through their problems, it had been a poor choice of words. Her comforting words had brought ease to some colonists after the landings, but Matthias was difficult to speak to. Somehow.
"Two-hundred-seventy-five in the second." Matthias continued. His voice still had a tint of anger but his eyes were set on the sky. "Ma'am." he turned his head to face her. His tone was now heavier, his words carrying more weight. "I waged war for those people." he said strongly. "I didn't wage war on them." he sat up with a pained grunt. "Don't call me an oppressor."
"I didn't mean to. I'm sorry." she tried to defuse the situation, sitting up. It seemed the topic had escaped her again, this time for her own use of words. "I-"
"These people..." he gestured around him. "They need to be protected, secured." he said. "They need to be given reassurance, they need to feel safe." he stood up with a deep breath and a noticeable struggle. "Or things will get worse."
Sometimes, there wasn't a doubt on his mind. He had served the right side on Mars. But his regrets were many. There was a burden he carried alone, one that he didn't want to share.
Hannibal had burned to the ground because it reached an irreversible point, he told himself. And he watched helplessly as it did. And it sparked a war. But he wouldn't sit idle again. "My injuries are minimal." he said with a sigh. "I'm fit for service, I can help."
"No." she doubted with a hint of distress and concern. "You can hardly walk, dude." she said less ladylike. It showed her young age.
"I'm perfectly fi-agh." he complained, stepping away. His face turned into a grimace and he clutched his side. "I'm fine."
"Let the others handle it." she advised. "You can't-"
Matthias turned again to face her. "Lady." he said. "I'll do whatever the fuck I want."
Hey, Vilage. Googer and I agree you need to make a layout map of Landfall. You have mentioned a lot of areas. The camps, the cafeteria, the irradiated/toxic areas, but I have no idea where any of it would be. It'd help with posting while in Landfall if we had a better idea where everything is.
A red curtain had fallen on the horizon; Olympus Mons was a wall on the edge of the red planet. The 6'2" Matthias was an insignificant speck on the side of this giant, and he could feel it whenever he looked to the summit and realized they were no closer to it than they were hours ago. It felt like a chase more than a climb.
The terrain looked the same, always. Red rock covered with a thin, white snow dusting. It was hard to tell if they were going anywhere, or moving in place. But they had to be making progress, he'd tell himself. They rode on all-terrain vehicles. Infantry fighting beasts plated in metal. Eight wheels and a suspension that made the ride as smooth as the clouds they drove through.
"She's mocking us, boys." Matthias called to his crew inside the armored vehicle. He sat by the hatch at the top of the tank, his body secured by a harness. It kept him from falling due to the harsh terrain, but he could still feel the bump and jolt that came whenever the wheels struggled over a stubborn rock.
Gusts of wind blown from the lower altitudes climbed their way up the colossal mountain and cooled on their ascend, creating clouds that drifted across the giant's surface - and through which the armored vehicles often drove, obscuring visibility. The same gusts of wind sent rust-red Martian dust into the air, some pebbles striking Matthias' oxygen mask and bouncing off harmlessly from the crystal-clear face-cover that supplied the soldier with enough oxygen to survive at these altitudes.
"She's not mocking us, Sergeant." called back a member of the crew - Mills -, his voice muffled as it came through the radio. "It's your brain messing with you." he continued. "The top is thirteen miles from the Martian datum. It doesn't help that 'Mons is a shield volcano over three-hundred miles wi-"
"Spare me the details, Mills." Matthias stepped in. Mills was the brains of the group. It wasn't uncommon for him to bring up details the crew cared little for. As a soldier, he was young and inexperienced, but so was everyone else there. "The hell is a datum?" another asked.
"It's really big!" Mills simplified. "Looks smaller and closer than it is."
"Yeah?" another spoke up enthusiastically. "Well.. we're coming for her!" Kamarov said. He had always been joyful, care-free. The crew hated him for it, but they couldn't function without his optimism, and they knew it. "Time to conquer the God of War."
"The God of War's been kicking our ass for months now." Matthias cut in. "We lost Bonheur, remember that." he said over the sound of the engines. Around him, in front, on the sides and on the rear, dozens of other armored vehicles kicked up red dirt as they pushed onward, long dust trails being left in their wake for others to deal with. "Maybe we need the God of War on our side to end the insurrection."
There was a brief silence. Perhaps the others had given their fallen some thought. And then: "The God of War can suck my big-ass ****." came the voice of Jackson. The others laughed, and even Matthias spared a humored smile. "Planetary ****-sucking inbound." Jackson added.
"Jackson.." Matthias called. "You might make some progress with the ladies if you stopped tackling every obstacle with your ****. I'm sure they'd appreciate it not looking like hammered shit." he shot.
"Why are you so concerned with my ****, Mack?" Jackson countered. The crew laughed. "All I know is: the biggest mountain in the solar system has a hole at the top." he said. "And I'm gonna fuck it."
"It's actually the second biggest in the solar system." Mills cut in. "And the "hole" is called a calde-"
"I don't give a damn, you dork." Jackson stopped him. "I'm gonna fuck it for all the trouble it's given us."
"It wouldn't be the ugliest thing Jackson has fucked.." Kamarov joined in.
"Don't talk about his mother like that, Kam'." Matthias laughed. Jackson laughed too, as bitter as it seemed.
Visibility had since plummeted. The Martian dust had joined forces with the passing clouds to create a natural barrier through which the vehicles had trouble traversing. Matthias could feel the wind's attempts to yank him off the vehicle. His uniform rattled with the strong blasts of air and rock pebbles stung his exposed skin. The armored carrier whimpered a metallic tink and clank whenever a sizable stone struck its flanks.
"Mack - Sergeant." the driver - Martinez - called. "You see anything up there?" he asked with a tone of uncertainty. "I'm driving blind, man."
There was a purpose for Matthias sitting on the top of the vehicle. Their oxygen masks doubled as visors capable of distributing information to troops on the battlefield via an integrated interface. In addition, the mask could be switched to thermal vision, allowing Matthias to see through the dust. The drivers were issued some too, but an elevated view of the terrain was often preferred. "I'll activate thermal." he said. "Hold on."
The scene before him changed in a flash. The outlines of rocks and other obstacles were a bright white. The inner parts were filled with shades of gray and black depending on the heat it gave off. And it seemed clear. The path was a bumpy one but nothing that wasn't expected. Nothing that could stop the all-terrain vehicle or seriously damage it. "You're clear, Martine-"
"Who-whoa!" Martinez panicked. "Watch this asshole on our six!" he advised. "Wave him off! Tell him to fuck off!"
Matthias spun around to face the rear. His legs wobbled as he put down weight on them to pull himself up in order to see beyond the anti-infantry gun emplaced at the top of the vehicle, towards the back. The outline of an armored vehicle much like their own came into view almost immediately. It drove erratically, swerving from side to side and closing fast. Like it wanted to ram the back of Matthias' transport. "Back up you crazy asshole!" Matthias shouted, waving his free arm around to signal the vehicle away from their own. He held on to the turret with his other hand.
"That fucker must be driving without thermal." Jackson commented.
"Or he's fucking with us." Kamarov added.
The men inside could only sit in their harnesses and watch as another armored truck threatened to end their trip short. "Permission to blast this motherfucker with the Vulcan." Jackson requested semi-seriously. The anti-infantry gun could spit enough lead to do some damage to even armored vehicles.
"No!" the rest replied in near unison. "What are you, fucking crazy?" Martinez said.
"No.." Jackson replied. "But he is."
Metal met metal, and with a loud crash, as the armored vehicle slammed against the back of their own. It came without warning. Even with the reckless driving, no one expected a collision. The doors at the back took the brunt of the impact but held sturdy. A sudden jolt pulled the crew from side to side, their bodies only held in their seats by their harnesses. "Fuck!" Mills shouted in frustration.
Matthias had nothing to hold him in place when the impact came, and he watched helplessly as the vehicle slammed into back of the one he stood on. Swept off his feet almost immediately, Matthias fell hard against the armored vehicle's metal surface. A hard "Phfha!" escaping him as the air was knocked out of him. He still laid on his stomach when the transport behind them swerved to the side again - perhaps realizing they had struck another - and sped up. Matthias simply watched and held on to whatever he could. His harness would keep him from tumbling off the vehicle, but it wouldn't stop him from being slammed against it every time it drove over a rock.
"You okay, Mack?" someone called from inside.
"Ye-yeah!" Matthias replied, slowly rising from a prone position. His eyes were set on the transport carrier that struck them. It sped alongside them. Its eight wheels kicked up a barrage of rocks as they overtook Martinez' vehicle. And then it swerved in front of it. And its wheels kept spitting rocks. Launching them in a steady stream. Matthias was on his knees when the rocks began to sting against his uniform and exposed skin. A stinging, whipping pain when they failed to enter skin. A piercing, poking pain when it pierced it.
He closed his eyes and tried to shield himself with his hands but it was too late before a rock slammed against his plexiglass mask and a crack drew itself across it. His oxygen was quick to escape, and by the time the transport had sped off, Matthias was without any breathable air.
He gasped for a breath and it failed to fill his lungs.
Landfall, Invictus, Present Day
The pain was familiar. A throbbing pain at his temples. A stinging pain as sweat traveled down his sides into a wound. But it was worse than he had felt before. His body was numb. An unbearable ache had built inside his head. He felt unbalanced. Even though he laid on something, it felt like he'd fall over any second. He felt nauseous. A general pain across his entire body. Like his bones would break with the smallest movement. Like his skin had been torn in places and an oozing wound demanded treatment through bouts of pain.
Most of all, he felt weak.
His eyes were slow to open, and slow to see. Everything was black for a moment and his heart skipped a beat at the thought of having gone blind. His body jolted as he awoke and he took a deep breath. Still laying on his back, he realized he was being carried. He moved up and down with every step. A hospital bed, perhaps. One without wheels. When his eyes opened and he could finally see, they protested. A throbbing pain befell his eyes and they closed shut again as a wave of heat fell over his body.
The sun. He was on Invictus.
He tried to open his eyes again, but to no avail. So he tried another time. Each time he was took weak. His eyes too tired, the sun too direct, too powerful. Distant calls could be heard, but he paid no mind to them. Then he tried to open his eyes again and the throbbing pain on his eyes was gone. The sun was gone. A shade drew over him. He could hardly make out what it was but he knew it was human. A smile drew across the female face and the red in her hair became visible as the sun's rays peeked behind her.
It wasn't completely clear, but it didn't have to be. He knew who she was.
1
Space colonization RP, very gud.
0
0
The inner part of the glass dome was a time-capsule. Its arboretum enclosed the colony's enormous structure and with it a vast collection of Earthly plants and trees. The dome itself appeared unmaintained, old. It had lost its clarity to smears of crusty dirt and a thin sand dusting. Its grimy shell kept the sun's rays from entering unopposed. Instead a soft darkness fell over the plant life inside.
It reminded Matthias of a stadium but it stretched across for miles, encased in glass. In its center was a tower complete with an array of satellite dishes and antennas. The tower reached high above but it appeared distant, peeking into view but just barely. It told him the center was miles from the closest outer wall to him -- the colony was massive and its walls had a curvature so subtle it deceived the eye.
It still amazed the Sergeant but it was the new wall being built around the colony that robbed him of his attention. Beneath the basking floodlights men in bulky exoskeletons appeared robot-like as they paced stiffly about. It allowed the builders to lift heavy materials on their own and place them with greater precision and reduced risk. And they did. One man hauled a beam to the site on his own, and it seemed effortless.
Matthias knew their usefulness personally. Carrying equipment up the barren hillsides of Mars would not have been as easy without them. But they were somewhat cumbersome. The skeleton didn't come into contact with the user's limbs, and instead it bulged out over the extremities, leaving a space inbetween to avoid pinching the skin when they moved. A small pack on the back powered the suit.
Between them motivated men hollered and directed heavy machinery. The rumble of the vehicles was loud and the growl of their engines worse. There was a ceaseless clanking throughout the night. And the thunder of falling materials. The hammering of steel.
But it was the building mechs that demanded mention. Hulking metal beasts on two wide legs holding a box of a body perhaps fifteen or more feet in the air. It felt like the earth rumbled a bit when they walked passed with long steel beams clasped tightly between claw-like phalanges. But the models differed. And Matthias had seen one with an excavation wheel at the end of its arm. The wheel rotated a series of buckets that scooped up materials as it turned.
Matthias headed for the colony.
"They want to build a new wall." said a young man walking beside Matthias, perhaps a feet or two ahead. His voice was muffled by the sound of construction and the two maneuvered around builders pushing along materials to the site. The boy looked no more than seventeen and he didn't look like a soldier, though he wore the armor and cradled a railgun. He had soft teenage features but he rivaled Matthias in height, falling just short of the Sergeant. The boy snickered: "They're building a wall to feel safe, like it's going to stop whatever is out there."
He had identified as Jani Marek, a freshly recruited Private. And he talked a lot for a soldier. He hardly ever addressed Matthias, a Sergeant, properly and behaved arrogantly and carelessly. He was lucky to be under Matthias' command. The Sergeant ignored much of what he said, instead choosing to fight the protests his side mounted every time he took a step toward the colony.
"A wall ain't gonna stop the monsters or whatever." the boy rambled on, leading through the maze of tents. "A bullet will though." he said ominously and confidently. "That's why I joined up.. for the guns, they make me feel safe."
Matthias rolled his eyes and kept moving. "We need to be ready, right Sergeant?" Jani looked back over his shoulder. He treated Matthias like he was his friend, like they hadn't just met. He showed no respect.
"Right." uttered Matthias.
"Fuck yeah." Jani continued. "We Martians, we know war." he said, clutching to his railgun tighter. "Bang, bang, dead alien." he shook his gun. "Some of the civilians know that." the boy added. "They're asking to be armed. First thing I did, I went to arrest this guy who had a pistol somehow. He said a Peacekeeper had sold it to him." he chuckled. "So I told him to give it up and he said 'no', so this Tyrsman whacks him in the back of the head." Jani laughed. "He gave up the gun then." he said with a smile. "But they ain't found who sold it."
Matthias knew the Tyrsmen. He remembered their shadowy figures moving in the night behind rocks in the Martian terrain. Their black armor was an image hard to forget. He had lost a lot of friends to them. And he could still see their killers vividly when he thought about them. Not their faces, but their dreaded armor. Now he walked among them.
"Fuckin' badasses." Jani said in admiration. Matthias excused the boy's ignorance and moved onward.
The colony's outer walls appeared perfectly horizontal standing just outside of them. It was hard to believe the structure was round. The entrance was crawling with soldiers and their encampments. And like the civilian camps, the air was choked with tension - perhaps more so here. Matthias had experienced it already. There were two command tents for every civilian tent, and every commander contradicted the next one's orders. The grunts seemed to follow whoever they respected, regardless of rank.
Matthias had chosen to follow Gunnery Sergeant Adams, though it had little to do with respect, and more with necessity. He was amongst the few leaders willing to send men into Landfall in search of supplies to replace what had been lost. The rest argued there was nothing to be found, or that sparing men to go in was a risk. And that it was, with talk of irradiated halls and dangerous plant life.
The duo made their way through one of the entrances -- large metal sliding doors long-conquered and corroded by algae-like vegetation that covered it so thoroughly the doors were jammed half-closed. The soldiers had pried it open when they first arrived. "Fuckin' shit, sir." Jani cursed with surprise, his eyes shooting wide open as he pushed aside the dangling green curtains of alien flora. "You won't believe this."
Matthias followed.
Long vines drooped down from above and bridged from one tree to the next. A familiar soil was covered in green plants with not a barren spot in between, and man-made ponds of murky water gave the overgrowth pause. Tall trees with wide trunks towered over the men and their branches smacked against the inner part of the glass enclosure, reaching high enough to meet where it curved over the colony itself.
Banyan tree roots snaked across the ground and along the walls. The thick roots had crushed the barriers that once separated one biome from the next, and paved the way for the jungle to consume them. The tree roots and branches reminded Matthias of books he had read on Earth's mythologies -- like Kraken crushed and swallowed ships whole, the jungle had done the same here.
"This is crazy." Jani spoke up again, ripples drawing across the surface of the water behind him. The pond itself smelled foul. "You seen shit like this before, Sergeant?" he asked curiously. Matthias shook his head. There were few things more alien to a Martian than dense vegetation. Matthias had seen pictures and videos of Earth's jungles, but they failed to give the real thing any justice. "Fuckin' awesome." Jani smiled.
"Let's move." Matthias ordered. The path leading to the colony's entrance was barely visible under tangled roots and plants. He tripped on one and cursed under his breath. Jani chuckled and followed.
Some plants along the path were snapped and clearly cut; the soldiers had hacked their way through the first time. At the end was a group of men. Gunnery Sergeant Adams stood authoritatively in the company of several other Peacekeepers and two Tyrsmen in their black armor. "There's our guys." Jani pointed out.
Gunnery Sergeant Adams was a Peacekeeper and a short man of broad shoulders. His hair was an uninteresting red-brown military buzzcut and his jaw was wide and boxy.
Moving closer, Matthias realized there was a confrontation. Adams and his three men were cornered against the entrance by a group of five Peacekeepers, but the Gunnery Sergeant seemed unfazed. The exchange was loud but Adams ignored it and waved Matthias and Jani over as they neared. "You're late, Sergeant Mackinen." he said merrily. Adams' sudden change of attention prompted the opposing men to look back over their shoulders and cease arguing. But they were persistent, and it wasn't long before they were back to pestering the Gunnery Sergeant.
"You cannot enter." one of the soldiers said with a commanding tone. He and his men stood in front of Adams with their railguns readied. "Major Hoffman has prohibited unauthorized entry."
"Then it's a damn shame Hoffman has you clowns to enforce his orders." Adams shot defiantly. He didn't seem worried. And he didn't look like he was intimidated in the least. To him, these men were a joke and so was Major Hoffman. You could almost see the humored smile behind a fake look of anger. "Tell Hoffman he can go fuck himself."
Matthias and Jani pushed their way through the Peacekeepers and joined the men behind Adams. The Tyrsmen gave Matthias a look that said they weren't impressed and two exchanged whispers and a chuckle. One of them was a slim Slavic man of bony facial features. The other was broader with fat. Next to them was a short boy about the same age as Jani, who was also part of their team but was a Peacekeeper himself. He looked reserved and timid and could hardly hold a stare.
"Sergeant Mackinen," one of Hoffman's Peacekeepers reached out. "We will be forced to arrest anyone who follows this man's orders." he said calmly. "But no action will be taken if you step away now, please comply."
Matthias knew supplies were dwindling and believed it necessary to scavenge the ruins. He stood firmly by Adams. Jani was shaky, unsure. And the timid boy next to him looked ready to abandon them and comply with Hoffman's orders, who ever that was. The Tyrsmen were clearly bought. "We need those supplies, Hoffman knows that." Matthias said, attempting to defuse the situation.
"There are no supplies inside, Sergeant." one of the soldiers replied. "Adams, your men are more useful securing the wal-"
"You fuckers want to die, huh?" Adams cut in, stepping forward to face the soldiers more closely. Hoffman's forces stepped back and the grip around their guns tightened. They were ready.
"You threatening me, Gunnery Sergeant?" the leading soldier asked. He looked ready to strike Adams down. Adams himself laughed.
"No-no-no." the Gunnery Sergeant waved his hand dismissively. "You'll die when there aren't any supplies left to keep your ass alive." he clarified. "You ought to be thanking my men in advance." he said. "A bunch like you can't possibly have long to live either way, but whatever these men find might prolong your stupid fuckin' existence."
Hoffman's Peacekeepers said nothing.
Adams turned to face his men casually. "Go on." he ordered them. "I'll turn the power on once you're inside." Adams assured. "Bring back anything usefu-"
"Sir!" one of Hoffman's soldiers called again as Matthias and the rest were beginning to head for the entrance. "Step away from the doors!" he ordered. Adams turned to face them and saw that their weapons were now raised. It seemed insulting to Adams. His face drew up an enraged grimace and he stepped toward the soldiers. They stepped back and took aim. "You're under arrest, Gunnery Sergeant!"
"You fuckin' little shits." Adams spat. His hand reached behind him slowly. The soldiers eyed him nervously. A knife revealed itself tucked behind Adams' pants, and his hand was close to reaching it. Even his own men were scared to think of what he would do with it. Matthias' heart skipped a beat and he considered stopping the Gunnery Sergeant before he got them all killed. "Drop those fucking guns or I'll shove them up y-"
It was then that a bone-chilling roar entered the building and resonated throughout, followed by human screams and a cacophony of gunfire. The men froze and a gasp escaped Jani. Everyone went pale, even Adams. And the soldiers were disarmed by the sound alone. They lowered their weapons and rushed out to see what was happening, completely forgetting about Adams and the rest.
Matthias' heart began to pound more rapidly. The thought of running out to find Katherine crossed his mind for the first time since their last talk. But he stood his ground, even as his body began to tremble with fear and adrenaline.
She would be safe, he told himself.
They had heard of the alien predators beyond the wall, and it sounded like they had returned. It felt like it would be the right thing to run out and help, but every one of them was scared to do so. "Go." Adams finally spoke up. "Go inside."
0
0
If we can find a good balance and at least two people in the Concordance agree, then I wouldn't mind. But I don't like the idea of androids walking around with physical and technological advantages.
And the idea of roleplaying as an android is massively boring to me. As I said, I'd rather read about a human fearing for its life and all the emotions involved, than an android calculating its survival rate as being low and taking evasive action to prevent its termination. But I guess that'd be Cheesy's problem.
0
I'm a little 'eehh' on androids though. I'd be cool with robots if you can give them a civilian use/reason for them that makes sense. Robots that help the disabled or something, for example. The military may also use some robots as pack-mules too. But this being a colonization mission I'm not sure those would have been brought along in any significant numbers.
Besides that, we'd probably have mechs and exoskeletons used for heavy-lifting.
0
0
0
Sunset on Invictus seemed to be the calmest, most beautiful gift the planet had given its new arrivals. The dimming skies were a twirl of contesting colors. It was as difficult to explain as it was to comprehend. The colonists were accustomed to blackened skies devoid of color, where even the shine of distant stars were a rare sight long defeated by the overpowering lights of Earth's megalopolises.
But here, stars were an early and guaranteed sight amid twisting purples and blues smeared across the sky. Innumerable stars and a marvelous collision of colors streaked and blended to create a breathtaking aurora borealis effect. Greens and reds and yellows all danced in a grand display of the planet's beauty.
It was a peculiar thought to Matthias, as he stared into the cosmos. Most of these colonists had never seen stars in the night sky. Many of them ignorantly attributed this wonder to this new alien world, not knowing their own homeworld was capable of such beauty where no lights shone to oppose it.
The soldier in him admired this unconquerable planet. Unimaginable things waited beyond the walls. Dangers one could not begin to understand. Fears the colonists drove themselves crazy with during the day were extinguished with the coming of night. It froze them with amazement, dismantled their guards, doused their worries and tamed their hearts. Groups of them gathered to sit on the alien soil in admiration, their eyes set high as they pointed to the heavens.
If Invictus wished to exterminate the colonists, nighttime was the perfect distraction. The perfect deception. And Matthias knew the power of deception.
"I'd sit on top of father's car." Matthias recalled with a snicker. Katherine laid beside him, their bodies sunken slightly into the alien soil. They still didn't truly understand what it was, only that it looked and felt like forest moss. Like sponge almost, soft. Like the sky, it was a mix of colors. Green in places, yellow in others. Crimson and even black. It was funny to watch as colonists kept to the familiar green while actively avoiding the patches of red and black. Everyone seemed to universally agree those couldn't be good to step on. Matthias laughed to himself whenever he'd see them maneuver around the darker bits of vegetation.
"He hated that." he said, his eyes set on the dimming skies. "'Said it'd dent the car.. or break the windows." he continued, Katherine listening in between chuckles. "But we didn't listen, and we'd lay on the windshield staring up at the sky."
"And it was like this?" Katherine asked with a tone of disbelief. She had never seen so many stars. "I don't believe you." she laughed softly.
"Yes, ma'am." Matthias confirmed. "Well.." he stopped himself.. "Not like this." he clarified. "Not this many colors. But as many stars. And we'd look for the brightest.. and try to guess which were planets, which were satellites."
"You were lucky." she said enviously. It wasn't a common sight in Warsaw. "I would have never gotten anything done had I lived on Mars."
"It gets old, ma'am." Matthias assured with a sigh. "I was bored of it by the time I was seven." he laughed with a shrug. "By then Martians have better things to do. Like wrestling Martian polar bears."
She laughed, giving Matthias a friendly shove on the shoulder. It was careless of her, but she had forgotten his injuries and the young soldier let out a pained but silenced grunt, clutching his shoulder tightly. "I'm sorry!" she gasped, rubbing on his shoulder briefly as if it would ease the pain. Then she chuckled again, her face mocking him. "I guess Martians aren't so tough." she teased. "You big baby."
"We're tougher than anyone on Earth or Luna." he shot back jokingly. It might have been true. In his face alone, she could count three painful-looking bruises and a small scar on his cheek. Yet he hardly complained.
Their eyes shifted back to the display above.
"Careful there, Martian." she warned him. "I know where to hit you." she threatened.. "The next time you call me ma'am."
Matthias smiled but offered no response. It seemed right to him, to address her that way. It was polite. And he had been trained to be polite, respectful. The military had showed him a life of service to the state and public. It was right to show respect to those he served.
It bothered him how superficially unconcerned the colony appeared. But he could feel the true nature of things. The air was tense and an ever-present worry polluted the camps surrounding the main structure. He had heard the misty rumors of attacks on patrolling soldiers. He could feel the stress and frustration the colonists shared. And Katherine had informed him of the whispered talks amongst doctors and other former personnel she had spent time helping -- resources were dwindling.
It seemed every officer had different orders, different priorities. They all contradicted each other. They owed Captain Homsy their lives - and he admired the man - but he wondered if the Captain had unknowingly doomed them too. These people were without a leader, without direction. And it worried him.
"Hannibal was the same, on Mars." Matthias began, his voice dull and quiet. It startled Katherine and she uttered a low "Hm?" at the sound of his voice. "The insurgency.." he recalled. "It didn't start all of a sudden -- It was gradual." she listened. "Disagreements turned into protests.. protests turned into riots.. riots turned into bloodbaths."
Katherine listened without interruption. She was curious. It was clear to her something had occurred on Mars, and Matthias carried the burden. She wanted to help. And now he was speaking about it. When it seemed like Matthias would abandon the subject, she pushed it along. "Why?" she asked simply.
"I don't know, ma'am." he said. She held the urge to shove him and listened. "Politics." he guessed. "They called us oppressors."
She recalled the same back on Earth. Government surveillance, checkpoints. Her own brother was detained, twice. She could relate and it was hard for her to blame the people of Mars for opposing it. "Maybe they were right." she said thoughtlessly, and she believed it firmly.
"Hannibal burned, ma'am." Matthias said, annoyed. He felt strongly about this, and spared little sympathy for the rebels and their supporters. This much was clear. "They burned it down." he continued, in his voice a tint of aggression. "One-hundred-forty-seven." he said bluntly. "That's how many people died on that transit, in the first bombing."
"I'm sorry." she said, taking it back. It hadn't been her intention. She condemned the attacks. She wished she could have taken her supportive words back.
For someone who's job was to speak to others and help them get through their problems, it had been a poor choice of words. Her comforting words had brought ease to some colonists after the landings, but Matthias was difficult to speak to. Somehow.
"Two-hundred-seventy-five in the second." Matthias continued. His voice still had a tint of anger but his eyes were set on the sky. "Ma'am." he turned his head to face her. His tone was now heavier, his words carrying more weight. "I waged war for those people." he said strongly. "I didn't wage war on them." he sat up with a pained grunt. "Don't call me an oppressor."
"I didn't mean to. I'm sorry." she tried to defuse the situation, sitting up. It seemed the topic had escaped her again, this time for her own use of words. "I-"
"These people..." he gestured around him. "They need to be protected, secured." he said. "They need to be given reassurance, they need to feel safe." he stood up with a deep breath and a noticeable struggle. "Or things will get worse."
Sometimes, there wasn't a doubt on his mind. He had served the right side on Mars. But his regrets were many. There was a burden he carried alone, one that he didn't want to share.
Hannibal had burned to the ground because it reached an irreversible point, he told himself. And he watched helplessly as it did. And it sparked a war. But he wouldn't sit idle again. "My injuries are minimal." he said with a sigh. "I'm fit for service, I can help."
"No." she doubted with a hint of distress and concern. "You can hardly walk, dude." she said less ladylike. It showed her young age.
"I'm perfectly fi-agh." he complained, stepping away. His face turned into a grimace and he clutched his side. "I'm fine."
"Let the others handle it." she advised. "You can't-"
Matthias turned again to face her. "Lady." he said. "I'll do whatever the fuck I want."
0
0
0
0
Aaron threw away a perfectly good opportunity to use a railgun-sniper when he equipped Len with what sounds like a pretty generic high-powered sniper.
Aaand..
I posted.
This should be the first of several flashback posts on Mars' Olympus Mons. But I'mma space them out.
1
A red curtain had fallen on the horizon; Olympus Mons was a wall on the edge of the red planet. The 6'2" Matthias was an insignificant speck on the side of this giant, and he could feel it whenever he looked to the summit and realized they were no closer to it than they were hours ago. It felt like a chase more than a climb.
The terrain looked the same, always. Red rock covered with a thin, white snow dusting. It was hard to tell if they were going anywhere, or moving in place. But they had to be making progress, he'd tell himself. They rode on all-terrain vehicles. Infantry fighting beasts plated in metal. Eight wheels and a suspension that made the ride as smooth as the clouds they drove through.
"She's mocking us, boys." Matthias called to his crew inside the armored vehicle. He sat by the hatch at the top of the tank, his body secured by a harness. It kept him from falling due to the harsh terrain, but he could still feel the bump and jolt that came whenever the wheels struggled over a stubborn rock.
Gusts of wind blown from the lower altitudes climbed their way up the colossal mountain and cooled on their ascend, creating clouds that drifted across the giant's surface - and through which the armored vehicles often drove, obscuring visibility. The same gusts of wind sent rust-red Martian dust into the air, some pebbles striking Matthias' oxygen mask and bouncing off harmlessly from the crystal-clear face-cover that supplied the soldier with enough oxygen to survive at these altitudes.
"She's not mocking us, Sergeant." called back a member of the crew - Mills -, his voice muffled as it came through the radio. "It's your brain messing with you." he continued. "The top is thirteen miles from the Martian datum. It doesn't help that 'Mons is a shield volcano over three-hundred miles wi-"
"Spare me the details, Mills." Matthias stepped in. Mills was the brains of the group. It wasn't uncommon for him to bring up details the crew cared little for. As a soldier, he was young and inexperienced, but so was everyone else there. "The hell is a datum?" another asked.
"It's really big!" Mills simplified. "Looks smaller and closer than it is."
"Yeah?" another spoke up enthusiastically. "Well.. we're coming for her!" Kamarov said. He had always been joyful, care-free. The crew hated him for it, but they couldn't function without his optimism, and they knew it. "Time to conquer the God of War."
"The God of War's been kicking our ass for months now." Matthias cut in. "We lost Bonheur, remember that." he said over the sound of the engines. Around him, in front, on the sides and on the rear, dozens of other armored vehicles kicked up red dirt as they pushed onward, long dust trails being left in their wake for others to deal with. "Maybe we need the God of War on our side to end the insurrection."
There was a brief silence. Perhaps the others had given their fallen some thought. And then: "The God of War can suck my big-ass ****." came the voice of Jackson. The others laughed, and even Matthias spared a humored smile. "Planetary ****-sucking inbound." Jackson added.
"Jackson.." Matthias called. "You might make some progress with the ladies if you stopped tackling every obstacle with your ****. I'm sure they'd appreciate it not looking like hammered shit." he shot.
"Why are you so concerned with my ****, Mack?" Jackson countered. The crew laughed. "All I know is: the biggest mountain in the solar system has a hole at the top." he said. "And I'm gonna fuck it."
"It's actually the second biggest in the solar system." Mills cut in. "And the "hole" is called a calde-"
"I don't give a damn, you dork." Jackson stopped him. "I'm gonna fuck it for all the trouble it's given us."
"It wouldn't be the ugliest thing Jackson has fucked.." Kamarov joined in.
"Don't talk about his mother like that, Kam'." Matthias laughed. Jackson laughed too, as bitter as it seemed.
Visibility had since plummeted. The Martian dust had joined forces with the passing clouds to create a natural barrier through which the vehicles had trouble traversing. Matthias could feel the wind's attempts to yank him off the vehicle. His uniform rattled with the strong blasts of air and rock pebbles stung his exposed skin. The armored carrier whimpered a metallic tink and clank whenever a sizable stone struck its flanks.
"Mack - Sergeant." the driver - Martinez - called. "You see anything up there?" he asked with a tone of uncertainty. "I'm driving blind, man."
There was a purpose for Matthias sitting on the top of the vehicle. Their oxygen masks doubled as visors capable of distributing information to troops on the battlefield via an integrated interface. In addition, the mask could be switched to thermal vision, allowing Matthias to see through the dust. The drivers were issued some too, but an elevated view of the terrain was often preferred. "I'll activate thermal." he said. "Hold on."
The scene before him changed in a flash. The outlines of rocks and other obstacles were a bright white. The inner parts were filled with shades of gray and black depending on the heat it gave off. And it seemed clear. The path was a bumpy one but nothing that wasn't expected. Nothing that could stop the all-terrain vehicle or seriously damage it. "You're clear, Martine-"
"Who-whoa!" Martinez panicked. "Watch this asshole on our six!" he advised. "Wave him off! Tell him to fuck off!"
Matthias spun around to face the rear. His legs wobbled as he put down weight on them to pull himself up in order to see beyond the anti-infantry gun emplaced at the top of the vehicle, towards the back. The outline of an armored vehicle much like their own came into view almost immediately. It drove erratically, swerving from side to side and closing fast. Like it wanted to ram the back of Matthias' transport. "Back up you crazy asshole!" Matthias shouted, waving his free arm around to signal the vehicle away from their own. He held on to the turret with his other hand.
"That fucker must be driving without thermal." Jackson commented.
"Or he's fucking with us." Kamarov added.
The men inside could only sit in their harnesses and watch as another armored truck threatened to end their trip short. "Permission to blast this motherfucker with the Vulcan." Jackson requested semi-seriously. The anti-infantry gun could spit enough lead to do some damage to even armored vehicles.
"No!" the rest replied in near unison. "What are you, fucking crazy?" Martinez said.
"No.." Jackson replied. "But he is."
Metal met metal, and with a loud crash, as the armored vehicle slammed against the back of their own. It came without warning. Even with the reckless driving, no one expected a collision. The doors at the back took the brunt of the impact but held sturdy. A sudden jolt pulled the crew from side to side, their bodies only held in their seats by their harnesses. "Fuck!" Mills shouted in frustration.
Matthias had nothing to hold him in place when the impact came, and he watched helplessly as the vehicle slammed into back of the one he stood on. Swept off his feet almost immediately, Matthias fell hard against the armored vehicle's metal surface. A hard "Phfha!" escaping him as the air was knocked out of him. He still laid on his stomach when the transport behind them swerved to the side again - perhaps realizing they had struck another - and sped up. Matthias simply watched and held on to whatever he could. His harness would keep him from tumbling off the vehicle, but it wouldn't stop him from being slammed against it every time it drove over a rock.
"You okay, Mack?" someone called from inside.
"Ye-yeah!" Matthias replied, slowly rising from a prone position. His eyes were set on the transport carrier that struck them. It sped alongside them. Its eight wheels kicked up a barrage of rocks as they overtook Martinez' vehicle. And then it swerved in front of it. And its wheels kept spitting rocks. Launching them in a steady stream. Matthias was on his knees when the rocks began to sting against his uniform and exposed skin. A stinging, whipping pain when they failed to enter skin. A piercing, poking pain when it pierced it.
He closed his eyes and tried to shield himself with his hands but it was too late before a rock slammed against his plexiglass mask and a crack drew itself across it. His oxygen was quick to escape, and by the time the transport had sped off, Matthias was without any breathable air.
He gasped for a breath and it failed to fill his lungs.
Landfall, Invictus, Present Day
The pain was familiar. A throbbing pain at his temples. A stinging pain as sweat traveled down his sides into a wound. But it was worse than he had felt before. His body was numb. An unbearable ache had built inside his head. He felt unbalanced. Even though he laid on something, it felt like he'd fall over any second. He felt nauseous. A general pain across his entire body. Like his bones would break with the smallest movement. Like his skin had been torn in places and an oozing wound demanded treatment through bouts of pain.
Most of all, he felt weak.
His eyes were slow to open, and slow to see. Everything was black for a moment and his heart skipped a beat at the thought of having gone blind. His body jolted as he awoke and he took a deep breath. Still laying on his back, he realized he was being carried. He moved up and down with every step. A hospital bed, perhaps. One without wheels. When his eyes opened and he could finally see, they protested. A throbbing pain befell his eyes and they closed shut again as a wave of heat fell over his body.
The sun. He was on Invictus.
He tried to open his eyes again, but to no avail. So he tried another time. Each time he was took weak. His eyes too tired, the sun too direct, too powerful. Distant calls could be heard, but he paid no mind to them. Then he tried to open his eyes again and the throbbing pain on his eyes was gone. The sun was gone. A shade drew over him. He could hardly make out what it was but he knew it was human. A smile drew across the female face and the red in her hair became visible as the sun's rays peeked behind her.
It wasn't completely clear, but it didn't have to be. He knew who she was.
"Ma'am..."
0