The Planetsider Trilogy: Complete Boxed Set: A Post-Apocalyptic Military Action Thriller by G J Ogden

Author:G J Ogden [Ogden, G J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ogden Media Ltd
Published: 2019-03-30T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Page watched the toxicity indicator in his visor finally drop to low amber – the lowest they could expect while planetside – and then removed his helmet. Air hissed through the seals as it slipped away from the mounting in his suit’s collar. He placed the helmet on the table in front of him and breathed deeply, stretching his neck muscles, which were tense and aching from the battle, and then rested forward on the table, letting out a relieved sigh.

The table that Page was leaning on was one of several that had been brought onto the central deck from the larger UEC ship that was secured on the western landing pad. In the two hours since the battle had ended, they had succeeded in locking down the space port, sealing external vents and hatches, including closing the external roof covering, and had enabled a number of vital systems. The most important of these was air filtration, which had pumped out the toxic dust and made the environment breathable without need for their helmets and oxygen systems. They had also cleared away the rubble that cluttered the central deck and turned the space port into a makeshift command post; a base of operations, for however long their stay on the decaying planet lasted. The addition of recognizable items from the UEC base, such as tables, chairs and also the much needed canteen station, made this unfamiliar place seem more hospitable. But even though Page had welcomed the opportunity to savor a hot drink, he was more relieved that the others had finally finished removing the bodies, throwing the carcasses over the perimeter wall of the western landing pad, which was suspended twenty meters above ground level on a pillar. Thirty eight enemies had been killed, and as each one had been discarded, the vile mountain of flesh on the dirt below the platform had grown taller.

Page wasn’t sure that ‘killed’ was even the right word to use. He wondered if they had ever really been alive in the first place, at least by any definition of life that he understood. But it wasn’t just the genetically deformed that counted among the dead; in total, they had lost seven soldiers, including two from his own squad, reducing their strength to thirty, and this was before they had even left the space port. Page shuddered; a more chilling thought was that he knew it could have been far worse. If the power had not returned when it did, or at all, who knows how many more would have been lost.

Page picked up the metal mug from the table and drank deeply, feeling the comforting warmth of the liquid slipping down his throat.

“You look like you could use something stronger, Major,” said Kurren from behind him.

Page had not heard him approach and quickly placed the mug back down on the table and turned around, standing to attention. “Yes, sir. But this is good for now.”

“At ease, Major,” said Kurren. “A contact like that would shake any man.

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