Uprising: The Last Empire by Nick S. Thomas

Author:Nick S. Thomas [Thomas, Nick S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Swordworks
Published: 2019-07-04T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 4

Lee had been waiting anxiously for hours in the back of an Otter. The door had been left open for airflow, but it wasn’t helping much. At least he was in the shade. Corporal Griffin and Rusu had been posted guard over him; though clearly saw him as no threat. He wasn’t even restrained. Not that they needed to. There was nowhere to run. Even if he wanted to escape, the alternative was bloodythirsty Prians, many of whom would want him dead more than the General himself. He could hear footsteps. Colonel Rossman appeared at the doorway and climbed aboard.

“Finally, can you get me out of here yet, Sir?”

“Sorry, but the General’s orders stand. You disobeyed direct orders, and you must face the consequences.”

“And the General? Will he face the consequences of leaving Marines behind to die? I did my duty. Who will call him accountable to do his?”

“That’s not the way it works, and you know it.”

“So, he’s held to a different standard to us?”

“Of course he is. He’s our commanding officer.”

“He’s a disgrace to the Corps, and you know it.”

“Corporal, you cannot…” Rossman tried to scold Lee, but he interrupted him once again.

“The hell I can! You got me here knowing I was a Marine you could depend on. I know all that bullshit about my cousin you fed me is true, but it’s a half-truth. You needed Marines that were reliable. You expect that of us, and we expect it of those we follow.”

“You may expect it, but you cannot demand it. That’s not your choice.”

“Tell me, how can a Marine be expected to respect an officer who will not hold themselves to the same standard they expect of those under their command? What does that say about them, and the orders they give? We’re too late going to Delphi, and you know it. Our recon mission was a farce. It proved our intel was wrong, and that we were in the shit a lot deeper than anyone thought, and what did the General take from that? Nothing. When will he answer for that?”

“That remains to be seen,” replied the Colonel wearily.

“What do you mean?”

“The General’s not in good shape.”

“Sir, I thought he was just suffering in this heat,” Griffin said.

“He’s being looked at right now. The heat isn’t helping, but his health is far worse than that. He’s suffering from Hylexion, a local disease that is particularly unpleasant.”

“Aren’t we vaccinated for all that?”

“Yes, but cases have been known among Marines. The doc speculates that the General’s lack of exposure to the conditions here have made him particularly susceptible.”

“Will he make it?” Lee asked with honest concern in his voice.

“Quite honestly, we really don’t know. He’s undergoing treatment now.”

“How long until we know?”

“Five days.”

“What will happen in five days?” Griffin asked.

“The General will either pull through or he won’t.”

It was a shock to them all.

“The mission, it can’t wait that long. We’ve wasted enough time already,” said Lee.

“I can’t agree more, but we aren’t going anywhere. The General cannot be moved in his current condition, not even by air.

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