ftp.wwiv.com/ftp.wwiv.com.zip/ftp.wwiv.com/pub/BBS/KBCOS3.ZIP/TEXT.ZIP/COZ22.BBS

File List | 1995-04-06 | 28KB | 644 lines

                           Zero Dead

                              by

                            Ken Rand



C"I heard a dozen rumors so far about how come the Sarge
Cain't had any fatalities in his squad," the new guy, a private
Cwith a handlebar moustache, said.  "I figured it was cause his
Coutfit didn't see no action.  Until this mission. "  The grunt---
CLooney, they called him; nobody remembered his real name--shook
Chis head in awe.

CThe air conditioner hummed softly in the company's tiny
Cmess inflatable.  The ports were double-sealed against the heat
Cof the late morning sun burning off the jagged volcanic rock
Cand the annoying buzz of puffer flies.

C"Sarge don't encourage a lot of talk about it, Shoki-
Cbreath," Private Keel said.  "So you best stifle unless you
Cwant to be the first fatality.

CThe other grunts gathered in the mess bubble laughed
Cbecause Keel was more or less the squad's unofficial clown and
Cwhatever he said was supposed to be funny.  His reputation came
Cmore from the nasal whine produced by his cheap prosthetic nose
Cthan from his wit.

CCorporal Hines didn't laugh, not like the others   He'd
Cheard rumors too, about a young recruit's first battle, a
Cmomentary cowardice, a massacre, a year in rehab.

CHines led the squad in Harry's absence and though he'd
Cnever felt the anguish he knew drove Harry, he took the
Cresponsibility seriously.  With the Sarge's retirement, the
Cresponsibility loomed even more.  His gut felt cramped.

CIt took a while before the grunts, one by one, noticed
CField Sgt. George "Harry" Horiuchi standing just inside the
Cinflatable's inner seal.  Nobody saw him enter.  A big guy, but
Che knew how to be quiet.  A survival trait.

CTheir raucous guffaws subsided into embarrassed titters and
Cthen respectful silence as Harry surveyed the interior without
Cexpression, his beefy hands on his hips.

CNavy and gold bunting, stolen from company stores, draped
Cthe otherwise colorless, rubbery walls.  Letters on the far
Cwall read "Good Luck Sarge" in the Corps' colors.  Somebody had
Ccut up a dress uniform to make it.

C"I'll be zapped," Harry whispered in awe at the spectacle.
CHe scratched at the hole where his left ear had been.  A
Ctattooed orange flame emerged from the hole and spread up the
Cside of his bald, round head.  His enhanced hearing, like the
Cmissing ear a souvenir of a long ago battle, was the only
Caugmentation he allowed himself.

CSomebody had made a cake, or what passed for one.  It sat
Con the center table flanked by plates and forks.  Tiny
Cspikeweed sticks on the cake made do for candles.  Twenty-two,
CHarry guessed without counting.  Ten of that as squad leader.

CBet Keel has a flask of stout to wash that down, Harry
Cthought.

C"Who's got perimeter? " Harry said at last.

CThe squad had just come back down valley to company HQ
Cafter zapping the last of the downed Shoki gunship crew in the lava
Cbeds 20 kloms east of company HQ and 70 kioms east of
CTranquility Homestead.  HQ had put up their own perimeter when
Cthey'd landed between the enemy and the colony.  Standard
Cdefense.  Manned patrols, smart-wire at both two and four kioms
Cout, roving Shoki-sniffer mechs farther out, and satellite
Crecon.

CStill, Harry always insisted on setting up his own
Cperimeter, even if it duplicated other commands, even his own
Ccompany's.  Harry was a survivor.  That's how he'd lived long
Cenough to retire.

CEach man and woman in the squad respected him for his
Cdiscipline.  In more than two dozen firefights on a dozen
Cworlds, nobody had ever died in Harry's squad, a record in the
CCorps.

C"Perez and Tombardi," Hines said, all military.  "I got
Ctheir beepers here."  The corporal pointed to the vitals alarm
Con his belt.  "AV monitor's there," he pointed to a corner
Ctable.

CHarry looked at the AV and saw just one red dot on the
Cscanner.  Then he looked at Lombardi's screen and suppressed a
Csmile.  He saw on the screen, through Lombardi's helmet cam, a
Cclose-up of Perez's butt as she moved along the path two meters
Cahead.

CCan't blame him.  She does ham a nice looking butt. For a
CMarine.

CHe stepped to the console and keyed audio.  "See any Shoki,
CTombardi??

C"Ceez, Sarge--" the screen image of Perez's backside jumped
Cas Lombardi started.  "You 'bout scared the pies out of me."

CPerez swore.

CBehind Harry, the squad laughed.

C"Separate," Harry ordered.  "Perez, down valley north
Cslope.  Lombardi, down valley south slope.  Watch the trail."

CBoth acknowledged and their pipe on the scanner split.
CHarry stepped over to poke a stubby finger in the brown
Cfrosting on the cake. Troop ration chocolate mixed with native
Choney.

CNot bad.

C"Hey, Sarge," Looney asked, "how come you sent them
Cdown valley?  If there's any Shoki left, wouldn't they be east
Cof here?"

C"No Shoki left," Harry said, sucking on a finger.  "I need
Cthem down valley to protect me from you jerks when I ride out of
Chere."
CThe squad laughed again.

C"Real reason," Harry said, "is that company security is
Cthin at that end."

CSeveral heads nodded.

C"Anybody got any Teenan's Blend?" Harry asked.  He feigned
Csurprise when Keel boldly produced a flask.  The concoction
Ctasted almost like Harry's favorite whiskey, but it burned too
Cmuch and Harry had no desire to find out what it really was.

CThe party lasted almost a half hour.  Harry timed it.  He
Cnoted with silent pleasure nines kept Perez' and Lombardi's
Cbeepers on his belt and kept an eye on the AV the whole time.

CYou'lI be okay, Hines.  Just remember they aren't numbers.
CThey're People.  And they're yours.

CHarry suddenly felt tired.  He turned his mind away from
Cthe grunts toward the future.  Toward home and the Beltway,
Cwhere he'd enjoy a few years with his daughter's kids.

CGrandpa.  Geez.

C*******************************************************************
CThe saddle on Harry's triloper creaked as the animal
Cscrambled up a steep part of the trail inside the gully lip.
CThe 'loper bleated in alarm as the dirt wall gave way and she
Cstarted to fall backwards.  She snapped her long prehensile
Ctail over the gully rim above her, groping with the three-
Cfingered tail tip for something to grip.

C"Steady, Trigger," Harry coaxed as the 'loper struggled.
CHarry stood upright in the saddle, ready to jump free if the
C'loper fell.  But her tail went stiff as she firmed her grip on
Csomething stable above, beyond the gully rim, and she uttered a
Chuman-like sigh of relief.

C"Good girl, Trigger.  Now pull us up."

CThe 'loper dug into the hillside with powerful kicks from
Cher huge hind legs and grasped at loose black dirt with her
Ctiny forearms.  Her bleats came in puffy gasps as she struggled
Cup the oozing slope.

CWhen he got to the top, Harry looked back.  The narrow
Ctrail, as bad as it was, had provided the best available path
Cinto the lava fields.  Still, it had been difficult to
Cnegotiate on the way up from the settlement to the point where
Ccompany HQ was established.  Now it was worse.

CHe radioed HQ and warned them about it.  Most of the
Ccompany would be evacked by airtruck tomorrow, but they
Ccouldn't fly out the 'lopers they'd commandeered for the
Cxenohunt.  Their weird body chemistry prohibited tranks.  While
Csteady on unstable, rocky ground, they freaked when airborne.
CSomebody'd have to ride them out, and they'd have to be extra
Ccareful around the slide.

CHarry muttered to his 'loper soothingly until she calmed
Cdown.  Then he turned her down valley and resumed his trek to
Cthe settlement he'd just helped save, and the shuttle landing
Cpad on the settlement outskirts.

CHarry's unit had been ordered planetside when a Shoki pilot
Chad tried to land his crippled gunship as close to the
CTranquility Homestead as he could.  He came down in the lava
Cbeds some 70 kloms east of the town, which sat between the lava
Cbeds and a vast fertile prairie to the west.

CThe Shoki knew the act would divert, troops to the surface
Cwith a few hundred support personnel and a couple million tons
Cof equipment, ground and orbital.  The effort would account for
Cmany humans removed from the fight in the outer system.  It was
Cdamn good military strategy; not bad for one crippled gunship.

CAnd if the humans didn't send a team to suppress the
Csurvivors or the downed craft, the Shoki would head for the
Ctown, burn it and the crops.  The thousand settlers--alien
Cinvaders, to the Shoki--would be cut to pieces.

CSo a company was dispatched.  Marines.

CBut the lava beds in the highlands above the town gave
Clogistics and recon nightmares.  Caves and deep crevasses
Cundercut the ground, and boulders as big as APCs pocked the
Csurface.  No armored vehicle of any kind could penetrate it.

CHot spots--periodic geysers, mud Pots, thermal pools--gave
Corbital recon fits.  And the ground was rich in metal deposits,
Cthe kinds that looked like Shoki bodysuits on recon screens.

CSo infrared and metal scans were out.  Ditto mobile heavy
Carmor.  And the Shoki were picking off helios and low-level
Cattack jets with seeming impunity.

CThe shoki had split up.  They'd have to be dug out one by
Cone.  After securing the village perimeter, grunts would have
Cto go in on 'lopers and ferret them out.  A grunt's worst
Cnightmare: face to face combat with the Shoki, the most brutal
Cenemy the Corps had ever known.

CThere had been six on board the downed craft, recon said.
CThey presumed all survived.  One was bad enough, but six was a
Cdisaster.

CWorse: recon said they found empty bodysuit racks on the
Cdowned ship.  Each Shoki wore personal armor that made him as
Chard to take out as a tank.  The semi~mechanized suits also
Cprovided as much firepower as a Corps light assault skimmer and
Calmost as much speed, even over rough terrain.

CWith nerves as taut as smart-wire, Harry had led his grunts
Cinto the field on lopers commandeered from the colony.

CThe 'lopers adapted quickly, and the grunts required little
Ctraining to ride them.  The animals were intelligent--smarter
Cthan officers, Keel said--and they withstood the rigors of
Cfield combat like born Marines.

CBut the grunts were aware the odds in a shootout favored
Ctheir enemy.  On each patrol, everyone boosted all systems to
Cthe max allowed by med tech.  They took back-up med packs in;
CHarry was determined, once again, to keep his people alive.

CIt took Harry's and three other squads almost a month of
Cconstant patrols to ferret out the last Shoki.  Cost: nine
Cdead, 14 wounded.  From Harry's squad, no fatals.  Kissling,
Cchin and Shaughnessy took wounds, but they'd recover.

CNow Harry was going home, the responsibility for people's
Clives no longer weighed on his shoulders.

CHe scratched at his ear hole as another wave of unwelcome
Cmelancholy overtook him.

CI've taught Hines everything I could think of.  Is it
Cenough?
CHe didn't want to retire--what would he do?  But when med
Ccommand gave him the news six weeks ago that this would be his
Clast mission, he started looking to the future.  He'd survived
Cthe Marines, and he'd survive retirement.

CSo he left the squad early in the morning, right after the
Clittle party in the mess bubble.  He'd planned it this way.
CTake the first 'loper out, scout trail.  Travel alone, which
Cwas okay now that the Shoki had been ashed, and the battle of f-
Cplanet was over.  Take his time, relax.  Allow himself a little
CR-and-R.  He'd still catch the up shuttle before dark, a day
Cbefore the squad.  Never see them again.

CBest way to go.

CThe HQ complex of inflatables and gear sat in a small
Cclearing in the lava field.  When he left, he quickly lost
Csight of it in the jumble of hillocks and rocky terrain.

CHarry was twenty-five kloms out, midway between HQ and the
Ctown, when the 'loper halted on the trail with a nervous chuff.
CHer flanks quivered as she sniffed, first at the narrow, rocky
Ctrail winding ahead, then at the trail behind her, up a steep
Cslope on her right, and down into the blackness of a deep
Ccrevasse on her left.  Her tail whipped in agitation.

C"What the--?" Harry cut himself off instantly on guard.
CHe brought up his short-range pulse rifle in a flash, flicked
Coff the safety and set charge for armor piercing.  He scanned
Cthe terrain, shifting his weight in the saddle nervously away
Cfrom the chasm on his left, its bottom hidden in darkness.

CThe sun at Harry's back brought sweat to his head, making
Chis ear hole itch.  The sky was cloudless, a pale blue Harry
Chadn't seen since the last time he visited Earthome.

CSomewhere among the blood-red volcanic rock jumble, a
Cskyling whistled.  High above, a sunhawk circled.  A box lizard
Cscuttled into its borrow near the path ahead.  Chuckleweed
Cclumps shuddered in a faint breeze.

CBut his enhanced hearing detected no other sound.

CStill, Harry was alert.  Instinct had saved him and his
Ctroops in combat many times.  He trusted that quiet but
Cinsistent voice in the back of his bald head more than he
Ctrusted any officer.  That voice now screamed:

CBut how?  What?

CHarry tapped the sandcat sniffer on his wrist.  The gauge
Cheld steady.  No big carnivores in the area.

CA wingenake wouldn't frighten the thick-skinned 'loper.
CMost other predators were nocturnal.

CWeren't they?  Had the settlers failed to catalog some
Cdanger in the three years since they'd made planetfall?

CAs a flash of clarity jammed his heart into his throat,
CHarry put a name to the as-yet unseen threat:

CShoki.

C"HQ, this is Hori--"

CThe distress call died in an involuntary gasp as he heard
Cthe rumble of loose rock grating somewhere on the steep slope
Cabove him.  The 'loper screamed as Harry stabbed his spurs into
Cher sides.  She jumped forward, but the cascading rocks caught
Cher haunch, twisting her feet from under her, and she plunged
Cbackwards into the pit, scrambling as she fell.

CAs he disappeared down the hole, Harry caught a brief
Cglimpse of the Shoki silhouetted against the sky.

CSix!  We got all six. damn it!  Where did he come from?
CHow many more?

CAs he fell, Harry swore he'd kill somebody in recon for not
Cdetecting a seventh Shoki on the gunship.

CMarry's mouth, nose and eyes filled with dust as he
Ccascaded down the crevasse, the 'loper just below him bleating
Cin terror.  He bounced of one wall in the narrow space and
Cthen the other, being knocked from side to side, trying to stay
Cupright, trying to break his fall without breaking an arm or
Cleg.  The fall seemed to go on forever.

CHe slammed into a rock outcropping and felt his rifle strap
Ctear loose, nearly pulling his arm from its socket.  The weapon was
Cgone.  He cried out in pain.

CThe cry cut off as he jolted to a stop.  The abrupt stop
Cknocked the wind out of him, but it was soft; he'd landed on
Cthe 'loper.

CA steady mist of fine sand continued to rain down into the
Cpit.  Harry rolled of the 'loper, gaining his feet on a nearly flat
Csurface.  The 'loper also staggered upright, sneezing in
Cthe dust and shaking her head.

CFor a moment, Harry worried the powdery grit would drown
Chim, but it slowed to a trickle when it reached his knees.
CUsing his fingers over his nose as a filter, he looked around.

CHe was alive, but he hurt all over.

CHe had broken ribs, bruises, minor cuts.  His shoulder
Cburned where the rifle strap had been ripped away, but it
Chadn't broken or dislocated.

CThe 'loper looked dazed, frightened.  She whistled with
Ceach labored breath, the sound like a broken pipe.  One forearm
Cdangled, obviously broken.  The saddle hung loose at her side.
CRipped to shreds, it had probably helped save her from more
Cserious injury.  Gobs of flair had been scraped from her hide.

C"You got thick skin, eh, Trigger?" Harry said, stroking her
Clong muzzle, calming her.  "Like me?"

CThey stood in a long cavity like a volcanic bubble
Cunderground, with high, sandy walls and a relatively flat
Cfloor.  It was about three meters wide.  Harry saw no light
Cabove him from where he'd fallen.  He could see the 'loper and
Ca few meters of the chamber walls in a dim light from a source
Cbeyond a curve at one end of the crevasse.  They'd be able to
Cwalk out.  Maybe.

CThe rifle lay buried somewhere in the powder like sand,
Csettling around his feet with a soft hiss.  He was unarmed.

CHis helmet was gone.  Harry didn't remember losing it.  His
Chead hurt.

CThe field pack, with the medkit, was also gone.  A sharp
Cpain stabbed his lower ribs.  He gritted his teeth, realizing
Che'd have to endure the pain until help arrived.

CHelp.

CGrunts should arrive within minutes.

CHis comlink was lost with the helmet, but his vitals tap
Cstill clung to his chest and was still sending.  Could the
Csignal penetrate the rock around him?

CHarry tried to slow his breathing, to think.

CHe couldn't call for help, but his interrupted call would
Cscare hell out of Hines, or whoever monitored.  If HQ read his
Cvitals, they knew he still lived.  If not, if his monitor read
Cflatline, alarms would sound.  In any case, they were probably
Con their way before he hit bottom.

CI'm still alive.

C"Geez," Harry gasped in sudden, shocking realization.  The
Cgrunts were coming.  They didn't know a Shoki waited for them.
CAnd he couldn't warn them.

C"You damned son-of-a--" Harry spat as he began digging
Cfrantically in the dirt, looking for the com, gritting against
Cthe pain in his ribs.

CThe Shoki could have killed Harry on the trail if he'd
Cwanted to, but he hadn't. The slide had been engineered to send
Csome hapless grunt into this pit. The Shoki likely figured the
Cslide wouldn't kill his victim. He figured the active vitals
Cwould summon more victims into an ambush.

CHarry had drawn the short straw.

CDoes he know the other six Shoki are ash?  Has he waited
Cuntil our guard dropped?  That's impossible.  Isn't it?

CHarry gave up the search for the com.  He led the still-
Cwhimpering 'loper toward the light at the tunnel's end.  He'd
Clost his sense of direction in the fall, but he guessed the
Cunderground cavity ran east-west, parallel with the path.  The
Ccavern floor tilted crazily, slanting up then down, curving one
Cway then another.  He became disoriented.

CMaybe he'd luck out, emerge from the hole and find high
Cground, above the Shoki.  Get the drop on him, and-

CI'll tell him one of Keel's jokes. Bore him to death.   No
Cweapon.  Against a shoki in a body suit.  The Shoki would take
Cout Harry and half his squad, starting with Lombardi and Perez.
CThe two would arrive first, since they were closest when the
Calert sounded.

CThey'd respond, Harry had no doubt.  The whole squad would.

CI've got to stop them.  Turn them away.

CFifty meters down the crevasse, around a corner, Harry saw
Ca large, bright angular hole of light ahead.  He retreated a
Cfew paces, tethered the 'loper to an outcropping and returned
Cto scout.

CAt the lip of the man-sized hole, he listened, his enhanced
Chearing at peak performance.

CNothing.  Then again, how quiet could a Shoki be, waiting
Cto zap him?

CHe cautiously poked his head out the hole and looked
Caround.  He was just above the trail on a gently sloping
Chillside.  He could see a couple hundred meters of trail in one
Cdirection but only a few dozen meters in the other.  The sun
Ctold him the long view was back trail, toward HQ.  He heard
Cseveral 'lopers riding hard from that direction, maybe three
Ckioms out, before he saw their dust.  Two minutes, tops.  No
Csign of the Shoki.

CHe touched the vitals tap on his chest knowing the grunts
Cwere homing on it.  He'd have a good view of the massacre when
Cthe Shoki opened fire.

CNo. damn it.  I promised: Everybody

CAnd it came to him: The vitals.  He ran back down the
Ccorridor to the 'loper.  At her side, he ripped the vitals tap
Cfrom his chest, gasping at the sting.  He quickly jabbed the
Cprobe needle into a torn spot on the 'loper's flank, tugging on
Cher reins when she tried to jerk loose at the sharp stab.

C"Sorry, Trigger, " he said, "but we need you."

CHe led her to the cave's mouth and gave her a kick in the
Crump.

C"Go!"

CShe barked in complaint and dashed into the open.  She ran
Ca few meters toward the approaching 'lopers, then stopped
Cabruptly and changed direction.  She ran ninety degrees away
Cfrom the trail, dancing among the uneven boulders, disappearing
Cover a low hill to the north.

CCome on, you.  Take the bait.

CIn a moment, Harry heard the grunt team turn off the trail
Ctoward his 'loper, following the vitals attached to the animal,
Cfor the moment thinking it was him.  They had come so close.
CSo close.

CA second later, he heard the Shoki move.

CHe ducked his head back into the cave mouth.  Had the Shoki
Cseen him?  He got ready to run back into the cave.

CHarry's enhanced hearing told him the Shoki had emerged
Cfrom hiding, out of sight but only a few dozen meters down the
Ctrail--toward the town.  And the Shoki was headed for the
Cgrunts.  With the speed provided by his suit, the shoki would
Covertake the grunts soon, still get his body count.

CTiming meant everything now.  And luck.

CHarry ticked off the seconds.

CGive me a hundred meters.  That'll do.

CHe took some deep breaths, gathered himself and launched
Cfrom the cave opening, just like a glide jump from an assault
Cskimmer.  Yelling as loud as he could, both to attract the
CShoki's attention and in agony from the shooting pains in his
Cside, he ran full tilt up the trail, toward HQ.

CDid the Shoki hear?  Would he turn, abandon the grunts and
Cgo after him?  How soon before the grunts caught on to his
Cdiversion and rallied?

CIf the Shoki came too soon, Harry's back presented an open
Ctarget.  But he kept yelling, running and dodging, waiting for
Cthe Shoki shot, hoping to buy enough time for the grunts to
Cintercept.

CThe shot could come any second, and he still had several
Cmeters in the open before he reached cover.  Each step was an
Cexplosion of agony.  He didn't dare look back.

CJust a few more seconds.  Just a few-

CSuddenly, the dirt in front of Harry spouted flame from a
CShoki pulse blast, scorching his face, knocking him off his
Cfeet.  He scrambled up, stumbling forward-

COkay. I'm dead.  Better me than--

CHarry blacked out in the concussion from the second blast.

C"Smart move, Sarge," Hines said, "sending your vitals off
Cwith that 'loper.  Almost too smart.  It took us a few seconds
Cto catch on."

C"So who zapped the Shoki?" Harry asked the image of Hines
Con his com.  Harry was in hospital bay aboard the Phoenix,
Cwaiting for the ready light for the jump to the Beltway.  Hines
Cwas back on the Cheyenne, waiting re-assignment.

CHines wore sergeant strips.  Harry wore a regeneration vat
Cfrom the thighs dawn while he grew new legs.

C"Annie Oakley," Hines said.  "Fried Shoki in the half-
Cshell.  We were lucky the Shoki was only partly suited up.
CLucky with our timing too.  We figure she hit him just as he
Cfired that last shot at you.  Saved your ass, if not your
Clegs."

CHarry smiled.  Perez.  Best shot in the Corps.

C"How many other Shoki did we have?" Harry asked.

CHines shook his head.  "Just the one.  Static says it was a
Chitchhiker, just our bad luck.  So what?  Recon has some
Cexplaining to do, I figure.  And about your zero dead rep--"

C"Look, 'rifles.  It's more than just numbers, you know--"

C"You screwed up, Sarge."

C"'What?"

C"You heard me.  The Great Field Sergeant George Horiuchi,
CBring-'em-Back-Alive Harry, Mr. Zero Dead, medal winner and
Chero, toast of the Corps.  You screwed up.

C"What are you talking about?  who'd we lose?"

C"You remember Trigger?"

C"My 'loper?"

C"Shoki got her," Hines said.  "Sorry, Sarge, but I figure
Cthat blows your record."

C"Hines, Trigger doesn't count."

C"She was under your command, right?"

C"Yeah, but she wasn't people."

C"I know.  You treated her like a Marine, so I say she
Ccounts."

CHarry then noticed Hines had been suppressing a grin
Cthroughout the talk.  He thought about it, then shrugged.

C"Okay, smart ass," he said.  "One dead.  Figure you can do
Cbetter?"

C"I know I can.  After all, I trained with the best."






CTHE END


CCopyright by Ken Rand
Cfrom Cosmic Debris #3
_______________________________________________________________________________