Injection: Tides of War

Chapter 2

The DEITY and, apparently, the only surviving special forces member took caution as they traversed the shifting sands of the coastal dunes. Explosions and turret fire tended to give away those attempting to remain under the veil of stealth. A MALMAL scouting party would most likely be heading their way to investigate the wreckage of an enemy aircraft. They needed to move fast. So, taking an indirect route, they continued on toward the outpost marked on Rew's digital map.

Shan Li regarded her bloodied bandages as they trudged along, deep in thought. The Darkpathe had been torn apart with shocking precision. At that altitude, the aircraft should have been cloaked by the thick cloud cover. Had MALMAL expected their approach? It didn't seem likely, but Shan learned long ago not to discount the capabilities of rival governments.

"This place is actually quite beautiful if you stop to take in the scenery," Rew said as they crested another dune. He was right, in a way, this region did have a certain beauty unlike anywhere else in the world. Long after The Blackout eclipsed the landscape in pitch-black darkness, life had adapted here to survive. Various plants and animals began to develop bio-luminescent features, giving off a soft glow in order to achieve their basic survival needs.

What the young soldier now referred to was the shimmering mangroves populating the marshlands to the east. Shan scanned the low-lying trees for a moment, lost in their radiant glow. She realized that the large mass of mangroves were what brightened this region, allowing them to see unaided in their dim light. It reminded her of a moonlit night. She shook her head, tearing her eyes from the view.

"No time to stop," she said. "How much further, rookie?"

Rew brought out his Mobile Projection System, or MPS, and used the handheld device to render a three-dimensional image of the surrounding five mile radius. "Looks like it's not even a mile from here," he said. "Hmm, doesn't seem to be very fortified either. Do you really think they'll put up much resistance?"

Shan leaned in to get a better look at its pixelated structure. It was relatively small for a military outpost: one rectangular building surrounded by a dozen, or so, fence-like barricades.

"These images are not in real-time. See," Shan said, indicating the area of the map they had left behind. "The turret placements aren't showing up. We have to assume the outpost's defenses have also been upgraded since these were taken."

"Say, do you know how they get these images? I've heard of The Satellite and what it's capable of, but with the clouds... it doesn't really make sense. The Satellite can't produce these maps, can it?" Rew asked, closing the MPS and returning it to a pocket on the front of his combat vest.

"Above my pay grade," Shan said.

"Wait... you get paid? They told me that–"

"Shut it," Shan said, cutting him off. "Listen."

A low rumble resonated from beyond the dunes to their right. With no luminescent plant-life in that direction, it left the landscape cloaked in darker shadows. The rumble intensified until it became a symphony of growls and roars. A soft golden light began to blossom over the sandy horizon. It wasn't until the first hovercraft crested that Shan knew what was happening.

"Get down," she said, yanking him by the arm to lie prone beside her. Sand filled her chest plate and shin guards as she shimmied further down. Fear wasn't a factor in her decision to hide, but that didn't mean it was nonexistent. Not being afraid of an honorable death was one thing, but the thought of an agonizing demise after months of torture and interrogation happened to trigger a primal need to survive.

"MALMAL scouting party?" Rew asked in a whisper.

"No. Lumineers," Shan replied, her voice hushed. "A rogue group of raiders and extremists. They capture travelers and torture them until they give up any valuables or loved ones that might have a worthy stash. They must have seen the explosions. It's best if we just let them pass."