Casserine (10 page)

“I heard he killed the pirates in the warehouse with a knife,” Adrianadded.

‘Tea,” Corey chuckled. “They were like sitting ducks, from what the guys on the Cruiser told us. The more time in the gravity, the slower they moved. He carved them up until the last guy gave up trying not to blast him, and Jake still managed to gut him after the guy put that furrow in Jake’s head. When he brought down the Fuel Pirates’ ship with that MAG50, saved your butt, and then captured the rest with the threat of blowing them up in your living quarters, he cemented his name in the Jarhead Hall of Fame. Do you think he would have really blown up the living quarters to get them?”

Adrian began laughing. “I told him, ‘Jake, don’t you dare blow up my living quarters’.”

Byers burst into laughter, clapping Adrian on the back again. “Oh God, I would have paid real money to have seen Jake’s face when he heard that. I…”

“Your attention please,” Major Stedman said loudly, bringing the room to silence instantly. “They’re ready to begin the movie. Please stay put. Major Matthews will be speaking to you for a moment afterwards.”

Starship Troopers
began without further fanfare. It had been converted into a hologram projection, which could be experienced from all around the center table. At first, the movie drew many laughs, and catcalls. Some of the crew were commenting jokingly about Jake’s choice of movies.

Jake, for his part, laughed as hard as any of them at some of the show’s opening scenes dealing with space age boot camp.

When the Bugs attacked the Marines in the movie, there was raucous laughter. Adrian had started to chuckle when she heard a gasp from Corey, who now sat gripping the sides of her chair, white faced. Adrian looked behind her, where Stedman and Jennings were enjoying a laugh at the old movie monster menace. In front of them, Jake, Dougherty, Stassinas, and Russell sat in stunned silence, leaning forward with their fists clenched in front of them. By the end of the movie, Corey had turned away from the hologram images, cringing even at the sound. Adrian put a hand on her arm, and Corey turned a terror stricken face towards her friend.

“What’s wrong Sara? Tell me,” Adrian whispered.

“Christ, Byers, the things on Omaha were just like those Bugs in themovie.”

Adrian looked back at the final scenes in horror, thinking it could not possibly be true. Tim had turned away, as he sat next to Jake, and lifted his drink cup to his mouth with a shaking hand. Stedman and Jennings had begun to realize something was wrong, as Jake, Russell, and Stassinas watched the rest of the movie in a tense, frozen posture. Someone illuminated the room again at the end of the movie, as most of the crew were laughing and joking around. Jake stood up and went to a speaker’s podium, which had been set up off to the right side of the mess hall, where everyone could see him. He held up a hand for silence. The grim look on his face did more to hush the room than his gesture.

“As some of you know, Captain Corey, Chief Warrant Officer Russell, Chief Stassinas, and Chief Dougherty joined me in a little exercise on the Omaha Mining Colony. General Risling also did some time there, and he sent us this movie to watch,” Jake explained. “He told me I was to talk to you all after the movie as if I would know what to say. After seeing this old movie, I know what he meant.”

Jake’s hands closed around the border of the podium, as he leaned on it. “I am to inform you the Tennyson will be going to the new mining colony at Bougainville. There has been another Bug attack there, just like at Omaha. Five hundred men, women, and children died before they could leave the surface on the escape craft.”

There were gasps as the Tennyson crew remembered the horror stories, which still were whispered in hushed tones about what happened on Omaha. Jake went on.

“I was ordered to let you all know about that, and one other fact.” Jake straightened a little. “Those things at Omaha were exactly like the creatures in tonight’s movie.” He paused as crewmembers leaped to their feet and others shook their heads in disbelief.

“The Bugs on Omaha didn’t spit rocks into orbit and destroy our ships, nor did they drag us down to their Queen to have our brains sucked. They fed on us. Yes, they ripped us apart like the ones did to the Marines in the movie, but they also ate us. They attacked in hordes from right under our feet, and boys and girls, they looked just like those creatures in
Starship Troopers.
I have no idea how such a vision could have been foreseen hundreds of years ago, but the special effects in the movie look uncannily correct. Although I am sure if we froze each frame and my fellow Omaha adventurers at the Command table were to go over them closely, we could remember some differences.”

“They attacked in hordes, only we had no warning, or very little. They welled up out of the ground like lava from a volcano, wave after wave. They did not have tank like creatures as in the movie, or flying ones, thank

God; but unlike the movie, the Bugs on Omaha did not hesitate for a moment, except when they were feeding.”

A female Lieutenant, wearing communication’s designation stood up near Jake. “Sir, why show us an old movie, and not reference from the real thing?”

“All video reference to the war on Omaha was destroyed Lieutenant, or General Risling would have sent it out. God only knows how he came across this old video. General Risling ordered me to contact him directly after I returned to Casserine, after showing the movie. I am sure he will be conversing with Major Stedman too.” Jake looked back to where his fellow Veterans from Omaha sat in grim silence, and addressed them directly. “Did I cover the basic details correctly? Do any of you four want to add anything?”

Captain Corey stood up. “I hope we have a better plan for Bougainville than using the Marines for bait.”

Jake smiled for the first time since the movie started. “Me too, Sara, me too.”

Chapter 9 

Bougainville

“Hello Jake,” Risling said, as his image cleared on the screen in front of Jake. “I take it you have watched the little gem of a movie I scrounged up for your entertainment. If not for my having succumbed to this old video thing I picked up from you and Byers, I would never have stumbled on it. I broke out in a cold sweat when I saw it.”

“General, have they moved on Bougainville?”

“We have one of our Star Battleships, the Gallant, in orbit with five Marine regiments on board. They have everything we did not have on Omaha until the end: MAG50’s with special warheads, state of the art particle beam blasters, and a hell of a lot of surface craft that are impenetrable.”

“So, we don’t plan to use the Marines as bait this time?”

Risling laughed. “No Major, but we have an added fear this time. Our lab boys believe these things may have some sort of group consciousness, and they may be spread out all over this sector, because of the similarity of conditions on this range of planets in the Omaha quadrant. We have no idea when the Crystal deposits on Omaha will run out, and with the colony expansion plans we have in progress through the Jump Gate, our requirements for more fuel cells has jumped exponentially. The manufacturing and processing plants on Omaha have revolutionized our capabilities, not to mention our supply lines. They have even begun to have breakthroughs in atmospheric filtering, using the crystal technology.”

“In other words,” Jake mused, “they think these things are native to the region, and they have some way to mentally stay in contact. Lastly, we can’t avoid them if we plan to continue mining.”

“It sounds far fetched, but the Bugs should never have been able to get at the Bougainville colonists before they escaped off world. The survivors told us the Bugs attacked as if they knew the colony had an escape craft. They sealed off the escape ship with a horde of the things, while the rest attacked the colony. If not for the Marine detachment there, the colonists would never have broken through to the ship.”

“How did they feed on so many before the grunts broke through,” Jake asked, his fists clenching in front of him. “I thought we were using a habitat technology, impervious to attacks by any kind of creature, since the Omaha experience.”

Risling leaned back, and closed his eyes for a moment, as if trying to figure how to explain the situation. He straightened once more and folded his hands in front of him. “The Bugs sent in sappers to infiltrate the quarters, and hold the hatches for the horde. Larsen saved the colony.”

“Deke Larsen?” Jake exclaimed. “Deke and I are close.”

“I’m sorry to tell you this Jake, but Larsen died at Bougainville. He saw the swarm, and managed to get his squad together while the Bugs were laying waste to everyone moving. His squad opened up with the particle beam blasters, and he set up a MAG50. Larsen knew their only hope was to reach the escape ship. He blew out the enclosure nearest the escape ship, where the horde had its densest swarm.”

“With his squad vaporizing everything in sight,” Risling went on, his voice choked with emotion, “Larsen screamed, beat, and kicked colonists through his makeshift escape hatch. The Marines retreated around them, blasting as they went with every weapon in their arsenal.”

“Jesus,” Jake whispered. “Deke went with me into the nest. We went through boot camp together, and the whole shit storm on Omaha.”

“The Bugs covered the escape ship,” Risling went on. “All Larsen and what was left of his squad could do was use their hand held energy weapons to shoot their way into the ship without damaging it. They held the entry hatch until the colonists were able to get in. All but two of the squad died at the hatch, including Lieutenant Larsen. The colonists escaped the surface. The pilot flying the escape craft turned to, and annihilated the bastards with the ship’s pulse cannons, until they fled into the ground. One of the Marine’s had to beg him to leave the surface, using the wounded to convince him to go.”

“Tea!” Jake said, striking the desktop in front of him. “Okay General, I know you didn’t lay this shit on me just for the hell of it. What’s the bottom line?”

“We have another Star Battleship in route to Bougainville right now, where they will stay in orbit until further notice. You will proceed to Bougainville, and assume command of all Marine Regiments in orbit there, Colonel Matthews. I am giving you a field promotion, which will be permanent. I have permission from Command to promote you temporarily to Brigadier General for your arrival on the Gallant, to assume command of all forces on this mission. The Queen down there will have repopulated the planet in anticipation of another Omaha. I expect you to disappoint her.”

“You got that right,” Jake said through clenched teeth. “The only thing she’ll see similar to Omaha is when I slice into her God Damn head with my Gear Knife.”

“I meant for you to command this operation, Jake, not lead it.” Risling watched Jake’s features draw into a solemn mask, and his hands grip the desktop in front of him. Risling heard the desk material begin to crack.

“Either I command this operation as I see fit, General,” Jake said fiercely, “or you may have my resignation immediately.”

Risling nodded. “I would not send any other man to lead those Marines. Do so in any way you feel necessary.”

“Then I’m your man,” Jake said quietly.

“I will inform Major Stedman of all the details, and that she will be leaving as soon as you are ready.”

“I’m ready now, General.”

“Get some sleep, Jake, and say goodbye to Lieutenant Byers properly. Those Marines on the Gallant will not be moving until you say so.”

“Aye, aye Sir,” Jake replied.

“Good luck, Jake,” Risling said. “I will talk to you when you reach the Gallant. Risling out.”

Jake watched the blank screen for a moment, as he calmed himself down, and turned off the com unit. He left faint impressions of his hands in the edges of the desk, with small spirals of cracks, emanating outward from where his hands had been in contact with the desk surface. He stood up stiffly, realizing his whole body had been tensed through the entire conversation with Risling. When he turned, Adrian stood at the doorway, tears streaming down her face.

“You realize of course,” Jake said, as he walked over and took her into his arms, “this conversation was for my eyes only. Apparently, you have decided to ignore the Casserine command structure once again.”

Adrian began to cry. Jake lifted her easily up into his arms, and carried her into their bedroom.

Major Stedman walked up alongside Chief Tim Dougherty, as he watched from the viewing port in the hanger bay. Jake Matthews exited the Casserine living quarters with an equipment bag. Tim noticed his commanding officer, and began to jump to attention for a salute; but Stedman shook her head.

“At ease, Chief,” Stedman said joining the Chief at the viewing port. “I see the General, but no farewell party.”

“Jake. I mean Colonel Matthews, is probably in the doghouse,” Tim replied, chuckling. “I doubt Lieutenant Byers took the news very well.”

“She must realize the gravity of the situation. General Matthews is a Marine, not a civilian.”

“I like the Lieutenant a lot, Ma’am,” Tim explained, “but in the case of the newly promoted Commander of our task force, her priorities tend to get jumbled up.”

Stedman nodded in agreement. “Understandable, but.”

The Commander of the Tennyson paused as Jake made it to the gangplank and turned abruptly as if called. A scantily clad Lieutenant Byers came hurrying towards him from the steps of their shared quarters. Jake dropped his bag and met her halfway. Their passionate embrace caused a hurried turn about from the viewing port for the Chief and his Commander.

“Well, that looked like a proper goodbye, Chief,” Stedman said, a knowing smile spreading slightly at her mouth.

“And then some, Skipper,” Dougherty laughed, “and then some.”

The two of them walked over to the entry port, awaiting Jake’s progress through the gravitational and atmosphere locks. He stepped through the hatch moments later, setting his bag down, and snapping to with a stiff salute.

“Permission to come aboard, Ma’am?”

Stedman returned the salute briskly. “Permission granted, General.”

She stepped forward and held out her hand. “Congratulations on you promotion, Sir. We are all pleased to have you on board for this mission.”

Jake shook her hand, as he heard the ship readying to leave land dock. “Thank you, Jan. Would you excuse me for a moment.”

“Of course, Sir,” Stedman replied, as Jake gave Chief Dougherty a playful shove. Tim had smilingly blocked Jake’s way to the viewing port.

Jake hurried over to the viewing port as he felt the Tennyson begin to lift slowly. Below, Adrian had retreated to the porch of the living quarters, and stood with her arms folded over her chest in the chilly atmosphere. Dougherty walked up next to his friend, as Adrian saw Jake’s face in the port. She promptly spun around, and pulled up her negligee, bending forward slightly as she stuck out her bare bottom, mooning him.

“Why you little… minx,” Jake exclaimed, placing his hand on the port surface, as Tim clapped both hands over his mouth to keep from laughing, and turned away again from the port.

Adrian turned as she heard the Tennyson move away, giving Jake a small wave of her hand, and then held it out to him. Jake placed both of his hands on the port, as Adrian’s figure receded into the distance. Tim put his hand on Jake’s shoulder in commiseration with his friend.

“She’s a hell of a woman, General.”

Jake turned finally from the port, and with a curt nod of acknowledgement, he walked over and retrieved his equipment bag. Stedman had remained where she was, as her Executive Officer took the ship out into space to begin the journey to Bougainville.

“The Chief will show you to your quarters, General,” Stedman said. “Please let me know if there is anything we will need to discuss before reaching the Gallant.”

“I will get squared away, Major, and then come and see you,” Jake replied. “How many Drop Ships have you?”

“Two of our own, and three we were ordered to transport, along with the cargo of fuel cells.”

“Good,” Jake nodded, “because we will need all of them. I need access to all updated technology designed for mining, and anything we have on what they have come up with for tracking the Bug nest from what little information they saved from Omaha.”

“I will put my Communications Officer on it right away, Sir, anything else?”

“Not for now,” Jake answered. “If you think of anything in the course of this operation you think I may have overlooked, please call me on it. I value your input.”

“Thank you, General,” Stedman replied. “One thing will have to be addressed. Captain Corey has been pretty shaken since seeing that movie. Could you talk to her? I had the Chief here try to have words with her, but he had no luck.”

‘Tea,” Tim acknowledged. “She’s got the heebie jeebies real bad, Sir. She wouldn’t talk to me or Chief Warrant Officer Russell.”

“Very well,” Jake agreed. “I will have a talk with her. Thanks for the heads up.”

“I don’t like shuffling off anyone under my command,” Stedman admitted. “Because of these special circumstances though, and the fact you know her so well, I thought you would be receptive to the idea of talking to her. She’s a fine pilot.”

“I agree. We were all shaken after that movie with what’s happened on Bougainville, except for the Chief here, who doesn’t have the IQ to know when to be scared.”

Stedman and Dougherty laughed in appreciation of the good-natured insult. Stedman gave them a little wave, and walked away to resume her duties. Tim gestured for Jake to come along.

“Do you think Sara really is in bad shape, Tim?”

“I don’t know for sure,” Dougherty admitted. “She’s stayed in her quarters since the movie. I was surprised when Major Stedman asked me to talk to her, because that would mean Sara had probably rebuffed an attempt by Stedman to talk. I gave her a call, asking if she wanted to talk, and she said no. Chief Russell gave it a shot with the same results. Maybe she just needs some time. Like you said, none of us felt real good after the news.”

“She saw a lot of Marines go down at Omaha, right in front of her eyes. I’m sure she figured she would never have to see that shit again. I know I didn’t,” Jake added, as Tim stopped in front of a cabin located within the Officer’s section.

“Amen, brother,” Dougherty replied fervently, gesturing Jake inside. “Say, will your leash stretch all the way from Casserine to the Gallant? I.”

“Very funny,” Jake said, as Tim laughed at his send up of the Matthews’ and Byers’ relationship. “Get out of here, and I’ll hook up with you later after I talk to Sara.”

“Aye, Aye, Sir,” Tim acknowledged, stiffening to attention with a smile. “You know of course you will not be proceeding to Bougainville without me, don’t you, Sir?”

Jake nodded. “I will want the premier Drop Ship gunner on board the one planting me down there. Any suggestions?”

“Ha, ha,” Dougherty retorted. “Not funny.”

“Dismissed Chief, I’ll see you later.”

Tim nodded, waving on his way out.