Primal Link 2 by L Bowers & Justin Sloan

Author:L Bowers & Justin Sloan [Bowers, L & Sloan, Justin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Elder Tree Press
Published: 2020-07-30T16:00:00+00:00

15

Goshawk

“What. The. Hell?” Kopf asked. “I think I would have preferred clowns.”

“Those aren’t the cards we’ve been dealt,” I said. “Everyone be ready. We have company this time around.”

“Good,” Pruise said. “The last hike was boooriiing.”

“Enough chatter.” I felt like a complete dickbag for doing it. “Time to be serious. Maintain radio silence unless something critical has to be said.” A chorus of “Aye, Sergeant,” came back.

Kopf took the lead, moving down the hall and away from the safety of the dropship. The roar didn’t come back as we traveled. Twenty feet in, the passage ended.

“Dead end, boss,” Kopf said.

“What?” I said in surprise. “So soon? we haven’t even lost comms with the dropship.”

The hall ended in a wall that was only visible when I was within a few feet. That was odd, since our suits’ IR lights traveled farther than that. I checked my map, and used the pad on my arm control, the map now visible in my HUD. It showed me what I suspected I would see.

“I think it’s an illusion.” I pressed my hand against the wall. My arm kept going, and the wall rippled. I quickly pulled my hand back. I didn’t have to be a horror movie paranoiac like Kopf to want to be cautious.

Kopf moved to stand next to me facing the faux wall. “Should I go in?”

“Hold tight.” I went to work on my pad and HUD.

A link to one of the drones was established. I reached back to pull it off my waist and winced. The pain from my neck and back had subsided, but they still hurt. I moved slower as I pulled the drone from my suit and pushed it through the illusion.

I didn’t dare do an active ping, not after what happened to all the drones on the planet. It was set for passive audio scanning. Since the hall was silent, there was no input. I bent at the knees and let the drone fall from my grip when it was a couple of inches off the ground. It clunked as it hit and rolled forward, then disappeared from sight.

Dropping it worked. The sound bounced down the hall and built a picture of what was in the path of the sound waves. The black-and-white image contained my three Marines and me. Aside from the walls, deck, and ceiling, there was nothing else. “Coast is clear,” I said. “Let’s move out.”

Kopf passed me as I bent to retrieve the drone. I felt another sharp stab of pain as I stood with the machine cradled in my arms. “Hey Aspen,” I thought. “I thought you healed me. What gives with the back?”

“I don’t know,” Aspen replied. “I don’t feel as strong as normal, but that shouldn’t stop my energy from infusing you with healing power.”

“Damn. We’ll have to figure it out another time.” Keeping up was becoming a struggle. My suit’s weight was almost nonexistent in the low gravity, but the drones pulled against my gear in a way that put additional pressure on my back.

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