Eon

Chapter 4

The pale evening illuminated the sweeping hills that rolled onward as Kerry and those who had survived the incursion of the hut-village sped fast back to Camp One. It was morning by the time they arrived. Kerry left his companions without saying a word. The Insurgents watched him go, peering through black masks of cloth and iron.

Kerry heard faint voices as he neared the large tent on the hill of Camp One. He waited for a moment and then went forward, lifting the tent flap-door and ignoring the lone bodyguard who stood nearby.

Inside was Sam, his silhouette aglow as he stood before a hologram of Sergeant Williams, his visage blue and wavering. They both turned to look at Kerry. Williams sighed, tracing the outline of his bald head with his enormous palm. Sam eyes burned with hate but Kerry held his ground. The Insurgent master's face grew dark as he clenched his hands behind his back and turned to the Sergeant.

"If you are lying to me, Williams, then I have been misinformed," Sam said, his voice cutting through the air. "If I have been misinformed, then that directly influences the results of my mission. There is something else going on here, something that I should have known about the moment I was briefed. This planet's terraformation is beyond anything I have seen before."

William's did not waver, instead straightening himself and donning a stern mask, all of it reflected through the hologram. "We haven't given information that doesn't concern you, or the other Insurgents. Eon is just like any other planet. You will do exactly what you are told, and you will do it quickly. This is what we pay you for."

"We are part of the military," Sam said. "We deserve to be notified of any complications."

"The Insurgents are a tool, Sam. A pawn. If you truly think yourselves fit of military status than you would do well to do what you're told, when you're told. I admire your sudden patriotism, but that still does not mean you will be allowed to know everything that concerns Eon or any other sensitive pieces of intel concerning these missions."

Kerry watched the exchange silently, the makeshift lanterns placed throughout the tent emitting light which danced around his tattoos of flame and stars. Outside the returning Insurgents settled down, talking amongst one another in loud voices. A sudden din hung in the air, creating an atmosphere of anxiety, punctuated by the conversation taking place between the sergeant and the master Insurgent.

"I don't like being lied to," Sam said. "I don't like being led around."

Williams shrugged. "You will just have to deal with it. Continued scouting, continuing clearing the way for my men. You have your orders, and I expect you to continue carrying them out. Don't fail me now, Sam. You can't afford it."

The hologram blinked off and the room plunged into a dimness that created shadows throughout. Sam dipped his head low, staring at the ground, his knuckles white. Kerry stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"What the fuck do you want?" Sam screamed , turning towards Kerry in one swift motion. Kerry stood paralyzed, staring at his superior with a dumb, blank expression.

Sam closed his eyes and sighed. "Were you successful?" he asked.

Kerry muttered something, then cleared his throat again. His body was tense and rigid. "We did it, yeah," he said. "None of the natives are alive. But, Sam, something happened."

Sam peered forward. "What?"

"They were armed," Kerry said. He watched as Sam suddenly came alive with a newfound anger, making Kerry rush through his sentences. "We took them out, no problem, but they had guns Sam. Looked like fucking rifles to me, maybe even some AKs. They didn't manage to use them, but after our first attack two of the fuckers bombed us with mortar fire. How the hell would they get something like that?"