[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

structure within the Separatist community. There were weapons stockpile
efforts and occasional terrorist activities against American outposts in the
outer system outposts like the massacre at Kuiper Station. After seventeen
years of the desert war between 2336 and 2352, an uncomfortable peace had
lasted a decade or two depending on which history book you read and then
Elle Ahmi, the general of the Desert Campaigns, finally rose to absolute power
Page 27
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
within the Separatist
Union. It was unclear how exactly that had happened. Peace had been unraveling
for several years and skirmishes were popping up throughout the system. And so
once again Alexander was called back to
Mars, but his time as a diplomat and not as an armored e-suit Marine.
Alexander had fought politically to aid in the peace process and that was why
he was on Mars again, he thought. But there was always the nagging thought in
the back of his mind that he was just a bone thrown by President Alberts and
the
Dems of the House to appease the snapping dog of the GOP and the Independent
Party. The last time he had been on Mars he was wearing jumpboots and a USMC
armored e-suit, but that had been over thirty years before. It didn't matter.
There is no such thing as a former Marine
, he thought to himself. He would not let his family be killed as a spectacle
for terrorists.
There's no way to get out to the evac?
Perhaps, but the Marines are cut off from us, sir. The MNN reporter Gail
Fehrer reports enemy mecha positioned along the remains of southern travel
tubes and on the periphery of the dome. We would either need to go a long way
around them on the outside or over or under them, Abigail explained.
Can't we get an evac to the main dome?
Apparently not, Senator. Without fighter support the Separatist mecha is
bringing down most air transport.
Shit! We can't just sit here and wait to be captured. Been there and done
that, got the freaking T-shirt.
I'm not spending time in a Separatist prison or getting us tortured to death.
Moore rubbed his nose and eyes with a thumb and forefinger as he let out a
short sigh. There had to be something he could do besides sitting around with
his thumbs up his ass.
The Marine AIC says the best bet for civilians is to hold tight.
file:///E|/mIRC/download/[Travis%20S.%20Taylor]%20One%20Day%20On%20Mars/141655
5056___4.htm (10 of 11)30-10-2007 22:50:02
- Chapter 4
Did you explain to them who I am? Did you explain to them what would happen to
us if the Separatists take us captive?
Yes.
Shit.
Yes, sir. Shit.
All right, tell them we are coming to them and not to leave us.
Moore had made up his mind. Sitting around couldn't be the safest thing to do.
Download me as detailed a set of maps of Mons City as you can get. I mean down
to the architectural and engineering drawings if you can get them. Street
maps, tunnels, sewers, power conduits, everything. And get me the coordinates
for the evac ship.
Yes, Senator. But with the global down, I'm not too optimistic on the maps.
Just do what you can. Try the local library.
Senator, the Marine AIC says that you should stay put.
Abbey, I don't take orders from the Marines and haven't for a long damned
time. You tell them that we are not going to sit around here to be taken
hostage. We are coming to them if they can't get to us!
Yes, Senator.
Alexander glanced around the adventure store at the adrenaline junkie
paraphernalia available. Then he thought of his wife and daughter being
tortured to make him do and say things he shouldn't, which was exactly what
the grunt Separatists would do to him if they caught him here. Who knows, they
might just torture and kill all three of them for show like they did poor
Congresswoman Zander on Kuiper Station.
The gruesome video of them chopping her hands, then arms, and then legs off
Page 28
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
with a laser welder flashed in his mind for a split second. The welder
cauterized her wounds so she didn't bleed to death and the Seppy doctor
administered adrenaline to her to keep her conscious. Then finally, Elle Ahmi
appeared on video with that long brown hair trailing out from under her red,
white, and blue ski mask and doused the poor congresswoman in alcohol. Ahmi
then calmly and nonchalantly set her on fire.
No sir, he was not going to let that happen to his wife and daughter! Though
he didn't expect Elle Ahmi would be a problem. Nobody had heard from her since
the assault on the Belt three years ago. There were rumors that Ahmi was dead
or had left the system. But whoever was leading this faction of the
Separatists would be just as nasty, for certain. Alexander knew they had to
escape.
But there was no way to cover the tens of kilometers to the evac point in
time. The roads were likely destroyed, blocked, or any traffic on them being
shot. Stealing a hovercar was probably not a good idea.
Flying was out. Any vehicle using that much power would set off all sorts of
sensors.
Think, Major
Moore! What would a good Marine do?
Alexander picked up a pair of jumper hiking boots, and began eyeing the
gliderchutes on the far wall of the store.
Abigail, is there a way to get to the outside top of the dome?
Perhaps, Senator. I will see what I can find out.
"Reyez, my good man, have you ever done any base-gliding off the dome?" He
grinned at the store manager while trying to ignore the look his wife was
giving him.
Oorah!
he thought.
Back Next
|
Framed
file:///E|/mIRC/download/[Travis%20S.%20Taylor]%20One%20Day%20On%20Mars/141655
5056___4.htm (11 of 11)30-10-2007 22:50:02
- Chapter 5
Back Next
|
Contents
file:///E|/mIRC/download/[Travis%20S.%20Taylor]%20One%20Day%20On%20Mars/141655
5056___5.htm (1 of 6)30-10-2007 22:50:02
- Chapter 5
Chapter 5
9:45 AM Mars Tharsis Standard Time
"Oorah!!! Take that, you goddamned Seppy motherfuckers!" Sergeant Clay Jackson
shouted as he brought down three support troops for a drop tank about seven
hundred meters down Lowell Street, the last rounds from his railgun punching
through the Separatist armored environment suits with little effort.
Jackson could see the midsection of one of the soldiers splatter red against
the brick behind him. The enemy soldier fell forward dead. The return fire
that had been chewing up the street and building behind the sergeant finally
ceased. He looked down the side at the garbage truck he was perched on and saw
several railgun pellet entry holes. The wall of the building behind the truck
was blown to pieces.
Fortunately, the drop tank hadn't taken him seriously, yet. Sergeant Jackson
had only had to deal with the ground troops.
Page 29
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Sergeant Jackson!" Marine Second Lieutenant Thomas Washington called out over
the deafening crunching and whirling sounds of the collapsing skyrise building
down the street. Dust plumes and a rolling cloud of debris washed down the
main street of the southern borough of Mons City. He looked over the body of
Private Allfrey as he knelt by him. The unfortunate private had taken the
brunt of support fire as a drop tank landed across the street from them. The
second lieutenant had the presence of mind to take cover. The private had
frozen. Then he died.
Shit! Shit! Shit!
he thought to himself as he gathered the private's ammo and ordnance, snapping
the containers on the pack belt of his armored e-suit. The dust filling the
air from the crashing buildings blocked out most of the sunlight, and the
small white light diode lamps of the suit helmet cast a cold still deathly hue
on the dead private's face and the red blood oozing from the corners of his
mouth. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]