Singularity Tower 02 by Deacon Frost

Author:Deacon Frost [Frost, Deacon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Obsidian Tome LLC
Published: 2024-07-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Well that’s cheerful,” Zee said. “Shit like this is why I got discharged from the Martian Navy… not that I was any good at being a soldier anyway.”

“I thought you got discharged for stealing your commanding officer’s personal data files and using them to blackmail him into giving you light duty while embezzling his funds?” Doc said.

Zee’s sigh was profound, but with it came a soft chuckle. “That too, Doc, that too.”

It was Pelas who cleared her throat and drew their attention. “Do we coordinate with the other teams?” she asked, changing the subject. “If they are Whelan, then letting them die out would certainly help our long-term position.”

Gideon let out a grunt, then tapped a few of the screens to confirm the readings he was getting. “We’re designated vehicle three, and our counterparts have already started moving. Vehicle two is in the lead, vehicle one following. I’m going to start us moving, and then we can determine what we do as we go.”

“Do we have maps of the tunnels?” Caprica asked. The question earned an approving sound from Esme. Gideon checked the screens, then shook his head.

“If we do, I don’t know how to bring them up. They’re using a color guidance system similar to their corridors. I’ve got a yellow arrow pointing toward the goal. It is currently curving toward the tunnel opening we need to take. What I do have is some kind of radar screen mapping the rock for several hundred feet out from the hull.”

“Hmm,” Esme murmured. “Likely we’ll gain a map that can be used for later missions in each area. That way when we survive and take each position, we’ll have an easier time doing it again. It gives the defenders an advantage from the start, since they’ll know the terrain better than the attackers.”

“It also encourages retreating, because counter-offensives are easier than blind advances,” Pelas said. “Certainly fits the theme of endless war.”

“But doesn’t that mean the person on point is always the one who knows the least?” Doc asked.

Zee let out a husky laugh. “Not incomparable to some true military operations. We’re not part of their actual military. Using us to probe the enemy preserves their own forces.”

“Not to mention puts us in the thick of fighting, which is the Tower’s goal,” Gideon added. “Okay, I think I’ve found a way to transmit the map to each of you. Let me know if it works.”

Fiddling with the commands, Gideon was able to use his cybernetics to guide his experiment. That let him connect to their comms and from there each person confirmed they had a feed pop up in the bottom corner of their helmet display. They also confirmed that they saw the first two APCs as moving blips ahead of them.

The tunnel began smooth and clean cut, but the farther they moved from their arrival zone, the more natural the walls appeared. Some spots soon grew narrow enough that the treads along the transport’s roof were grinding against the stone.

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