Unit 37: Rescue at Kilter Field

Chapter 8

Arles came over the comm. "Bri?"

Bri's overlay was in the middle of a systems check across her weapon. "I'm here." The indicator flashed ready then switched the overlay to a map view of the pumping station. She zoomed in on the front gate. It was wider than she wanted.

She took a deep breath and steadied the scene in her optics.

"We need to do this today, folks!" Arles clapped her hands together and Unit 37 dashed forward in opposite directions.

Biloxi and Arles were Alpha Team. They would take the west gun emplacement while Bravo (Little, Thelia, Pauly, and Kat) worked east.

Bri swung her rifle from right to left.

A pair of Earther marines worked their way down the wall toward the gate. Their weapons were shouldered and one was lazily running his hand along the wall as he walked. Her optics put them out of Bravo's immediate concern and Bri kept moving.

She couldn't see the eastern gun emplacement from her hole, but she could see just past it all the way to the western gun. She swept down toward Arles and Biloxi, moving through a little clutch of trees.

Three marines were moving toward them. There was no way they wouldn't spot Arles and Biloxi. Bri sighted on the first marine's helmet. Her overlay flashed green and she felt her exo adjust and stabilize the gun. It was intrusive, it felt strange to have your own body work outside of your will, but it was also comforting, knowing that you had an edge.

"Don't" Arles came over the comm and Bri saw that her and Biloxi had found a place to hide.

Bri's visor flashed and she glanced up. Two Earther drones, little round sensor arrays that used micro jets to hover, were zipping toward them. She got to one knee and brought her rifle to bear. The overlay squared the target and flashed yellow.

The drone stopped for a moment and then turned in midair, like it was looking for her.

She couldn't lock on. She laid her sights on the first drone, and fired.

The drone ducked the shot. And now they had her.

The drone opened a panel and a bright green laser began to scan the ground, coming toward her like a wave.

She looked at Biloxi and Arles, they were still hiding from the marines that were walking by and there was no guarantee they knew about the drones at all.

The green field moved forward and Bri knew that if it got to her, the little round ball of Earther love was going to tag her. She laid the crosshair of her optics on the drone. The green light was getting closer. Her visor flashed yellow. Her exo was useless for some reason. She watched as the little hover jets fired and the drone bobbed up and down slightly. She took a breath and squeezed the trigger.

The light disappeared and the drone flew back into the trees out of sight.

As soon as the second drone turned, her visor flashed green, the rifle sighted, and she sent it into the trees as well. The marines were far enough by then that they didn't notice.

"Nice," Biloxi waved back.

"Move," Arles barked.

The two of them broke from the trees and began to push up toward the gate. Their feet padded across the dry broken dirt of the lakebed fast enough to leave their own little scribbles of dust in the breeze.

She swept the rifle toward Alpha but couldn't see anyone. Their green circles were still on the visor, they were just out of sight and obviously running silent. She wished they had a drone, something that could give her a better view.