Chapter Ten: A Small Victory

They crossed the wall, but just barely. The nose of the helicopter was pointed at the ground now.

‘Pull up!’ Jason said.

‘I’m trying!’ the pilot replied. Jason held on to the rail above him and braced for impact. The pilot managed to correct the angle just enough in time. The helicopter slid across the helipad on its nose. The glass shattered and Jason was thrown out of the cockpit, where he cut himself on broken glass, and rolled across the ground. A group of medical personnel moved across to him. Jason was seeing double. He could see the helicopter was smoking, he tried to push the medics away but a soldier held his arms. The doctors assessed him there. They tested his eyesight which had already begun to sort itself out, one of the doctors even fixed up a nasty gash he had across his forehead.

‘Apart from the cuts and the gash on his forehead, there’s nothing physically wrong with him,’ one of the medics said. ‘How do you feel?’ they asked.

‘Fine’ Jason answered.

‘He could be concussed, but we don’t have time to test for that. As long he can walk straight, I’m happy to let him go’ they pulled Jason up. He was unstable and wobbled for a bit, but eventually managed to walk straight.

‘Jason, listen to me. Get your weapon and meet Sergeant Williams and the East wall. Intel says that’s where the Tallentiri are coming from, so we need people on that wall. Understand?’ Lieutenant Spire said.

Jason nodded.

‘Yes sir’ Jason replied.

‘Then go’ Spire told him. Jason left and made his back to his quarters. Everyone was there including Celeste.

‘Shouldn’t you be in the science lab?’ he asked.

‘Shouldn’t you be out there?’ Celeste replied.

‘The Barracks could be under attack. They needed everyone inside’ Jason said, grabbing the Aug he’d propped against the wall that morning.

‘Do they want us?’ Sarah asked.

‘I don’t know. Claire, have you found anything?’ Jason asked.

‘Not yet’ Claire answered.

‘Ok, well keep searching,’ Jason told her, stepping outside. ‘Lock the door’

‘Why?’ Celeste asked.

‘There’s no time to explain, just do it!’ Jason yelled as he closed the door. He heard it lock and then left for the east wall.

‘Jason, there you are. Get up here!’ Williams shouted from the top of the wall. Jason climbed the ladder and walked over to him.

‘I can’t believe you survived that crash. Anyway, we’re about to deploy the Bastion shield. But we can’t guarantee that it’ll hold under heavy fire from the Nexus, and other rescue parties are saying that the Tallentiri have weapons more deadly than their talons’ Williams said.

‘If the shield fails what happens then?’ Jason asked.

‘If that happens, we buy as much as time as we can to evacuate as many people as possible. But we shouldn’t need to. The perimeter is mined plus all automatic defences are fully operational’ Williams said. A bright, blue beam shot straight up from the centre of the Barracks. Then they saw a blinding flash of white as the beam became something like a sphere, enveloping the Barracks in an opaque blue barrier. An army of Tallentiri appeared over the dunes. Hundreds of insectiod people, the sunlight reflecting off their black exoskeleton. Williams picked up his radio.

‘Activate the Hell storm platform’ he said. A large, rectangular platform emerged out of the dune. On it there were three, clearly, heavily armoured cannons.

‘They’re not the only ones with deadly weapons. The sonic cannons will bring them into the firing line and the plasma cannon will finish the job’ Jason was confused.

‘Won’t the Bastion stop our fire as well?’ he asked.

‘No. it’s been modified to let our fire pass through’ Williams said. Out of nowhere a thick yellowy-orangey beam, passed through the shield from outside and destroyed all three cannons.

‘What the fuck was that?’ Jason asked.

‘I don’t know, but definitely not human technology’ Williams replied. The Tallentiri reached the shield and could advance no further. The Bastion stopped them from physically passing through. They stayed there. Scratching their talons against the shield but moved, nowhere. The Tallentiri had no choice. Their assault had been cut off. With no other option, they turned their backs and left. One side of the battle had been won, but the Nexus were putting up a fight. They were determined not to be beaten. At the northern gate, the Nexus were almost through.

Chapter Nine: The Search

Claire and Sarah had been released from the Hospital wing that morning and had stumbled into their quarters with Jason and Celeste, who were sitting at the table contemplating their new duties.

‘Hey’ they both said as they entered. Jason and Celeste looked up.

‘Hey’ Jason said and Celeste replied together. Sarah’s leg had been put in a cast and she was given crutches. Claire’s leg was heavily bandaged and she too was on crutches. Jason got up and approached Claire.

‘Claire’ he said.

‘Yes’ she replied.

‘I know you used to be good with computers, are you still good with computers?’ Jason asked.

‘Yes, of course I’m still good with computers’ Claire said, a little annoyed.

‘Good. Take a seat. I need you to do something’ Jason said. Claire hobbled over and sat down at the table while Jason walked over with the envelope.

‘What’s this?’ Claire asked.

‘That’s what I was hoping you could tell me’ Jason said.

‘Why do you need me to find out?’ Claire asked him.

‘After my meeting with the General, Celeste and I went to my dad’s old quarters and found this,’ Jason said opening the envelope and showing her the contents. ‘Letters, numbers, forms that make no sense to me. All I know is that they’re important and that someone else is after them. If I know what they are, then maybe I can figure out why someone’s after it’ Jason told her.

‘So you’re asking me to-‘

‘To look into it, yes’ Jason said.

‘You’re sure?’ Claire asked.

‘Yes. Just do it quietly’ Jason said.

‘We’d better go’ Celeste announced. Jason looked up.

‘Yes, we should’ Jason replied.

‘Go? Go where?’ Sarah asked.

‘Well, Celeste has been put in the Research Lab, and they’ve got me in a search team to look for survivors’ Jason said and he left with Celeste. When the door was closed behind them, Celeste spoke.

‘Wanna fill me in?’ she asked.

‘Claire and I went to the same school. She was one of the best hackers there’ Jason answered.

‘And why do you need a hacker?’ Celeste asked.

‘Well, the only thing I’ve been able to come up with is that the details of those papers are not something that I’m supposed to have access to. Dad will have encrypted them to protect himself, but the unencrypted version will still be in the military network’ Jason said.

‘Are you insane?’ Celeste whispered. ‘If Claire gets caught, she will go to jail for the rest of her life’

‘Right now, I doubt being free is safer than being in jail. If anything it’s more dangerous. Besides, she won’t be caught’ Jason told Celeste.

‘Ok then, if that’s what you think. Anyway, I’d better go’ Celeste said as she turned on her heel and left.

‘The General doesn’t want you handling a gun, other than your own, outside of the firing range. You’re going to be up in the air, so your Aug A3 is useless or not as efficient. Instead you’re going to be our eyes. Not only will you be looking for survivors, but you’ll be guiding ground forces around Tallentiri patrols. They know we’re active now, so they will be looking for us’ Sergeant Williams told him. ‘And don’t worry, you’re not the pilot, you’re just a spotter’ he added. Jason had arrived at the Helipad and was given the job of watching over the ground forces. Jason clambered in and the 5300X powered up and took off. The landscape surrounding the Barracks opened up around him. The helicopter flew off, ahead of the ground teams.

‘Falcon Three, come in’ said a voice over the radio.

‘Command this is Falcon Three, over’ the pilot said.

‘We’ve received confirmation that there is a Tallentiri strike force en route to the Barracks. We need you to turn your ground forces and yourself around and head back to the Barracks’

‘Hang on a sec’ Jason said.

‘Command, Stand by,’ the pilot said before turning to Jason. ‘What is it?’

‘I think I see survivors. Two clicks, dead ahead’ Jason answered.

‘I don’t think so. Too many of them. Way too many of them’ The pilot said.

‘Then what are they?’ Jason asked. They watched the group and the pilot gasped.

‘Command, we have Nexus forces en route, approximately two kilometres, directly in front of us. Request permission to engage’ the pilot said.

‘Negative Falcon Three. You and your ground forces must return to the Barracks. We’ll deal with Nexus later’

‘Copy that. Falcon Three out,’ The pilot said, before turning and nodding at Jason. ‘Pass the message on, leave the Nexus forces out of it’

‘Sergeant Williams, do you read?’ Jason said into his radio.

‘We read you Jason’ Williams replied.

‘Command wants everyone to return to the Barracks. They’ve received confirmation that a Tallentiri strike force is en route’ Jason said.

‘Copy that. Returning now, ETA three minutes’ Williams replied.

‘So what’s the Nexus?’ Jason asked. The pilot sighed.

‘They were originally a Peacekeeping force. Formed in secret by the Federal Government shortly after the National Riots of twenty fifty-eight. Two years later, they were sacked by the same Government. It was suggested that some of their agents were passing information to the Saudi Arabians. Now they’re a private military. Killers for hire’

‘Who hired them?’ Jason asked.

‘We don’t know. All we know is they have very deep pockets. They’ve got billion dollar weaponry. Better weapons than what we have. We’ve had skirmishes with them before, very few of our people have survived them’ they were almost at the Barracks now. Then they heard the sound of metal hitting metal.

‘They’re firing at us. It’s ok, we’re going to make it’ the pilot said. Suddenly there was an explosion and alarms.

‘I thought you said we were ok’ Jason said.

‘We are. We’ve just lost tail rotors, but I can still land’ the Pilot said.

‘Why do I sense there’s a “but”?’ Jason asked.

‘This is the first time I’ve tried it’ The pilot said.

Chapter Eight: Collection

When Jason walked into the Hospital wing, Celeste was sitting in a chair in what appeared to the waiting room. The white walls surrounded them and the tall ceiling tried to project an air of sanitation, Jason felt dirty; and not just because he hadn’t had a shower since surviving the bombardment. He already had a distrust of military at the Barracks.
‘Hey’ Jason said as he sat down to next to Celeste.
‘Hey’ Celeste replied tonelessly.
‘What’s going on? I thought they’d just put Sarah’s leg in a cast’ Jason asked.
‘Yeah, so did I. Apparently they needed to break her Fibula as it was cracked and they couldn’t fit together correctly. Sarah wouldn’t let them near her leg, so they put her under anaesthetic’ Celeste replied with a hint of anger in her voice.
‘And Claire?’ Jason asked.
‘I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything since we got here’ Celeste told him.
‘Ok. Well, as you can probably tell, I’m in desperate need of a shower. There is one thing I want to do first though. You wanna come with?’ Jason asked, standing back up. Celeste nodded.
‘Sure. It beats sitting around here’. Celeste followed Jason as they made their way across the courtyard to the West Wing. There were two guards outside. When Jason tried to enter one of them pushed him back.
‘Authorised personnel only’ they said.
‘But I am authorised’ Jason told them.
‘Identification? ’ the other responded.
‘General Carson gave me the key to Colonel Blake’s room. It’s on the second floor, room two thirty-two’ Jason told them, taking out the key.
‘So you are…’
‘His son. Are you going to let me in or not?’ Jason asked. The guard stepped aside.
‘Thank you’ Jason uttered as he led Celeste through.
‘What was that about?’ Celeste asked.
‘No idea. They’re probably just uptight because of the invasion’ Jason replied.  Together they entered the lift at the end of hall and stood in silence as the metal doors closed.
‘So what do you think he left here?’ Celeste asked him and the elevator shook.
‘I don’t know, it could be anything’ Jason replied.
‘Did you know him well?’
‘Not really, no. He was the kind of man who liked to keep secrets’ Jason replied as the doors opened revealing a long hallway with a white ceiling, black carpet, brown walls and light brown doors. The doors had a small piece of silver on them with the number stencilled in. The door closest to them read two hundred and sixty-one. They walked down the corridor and found two hundred and thirty-two and Jason unlocked the door. The walls of the late Colonel’s old room were an off-white colour and the bright afternoon sunlight spilled in through the arch windows at the end of the room which was long and very large. The timber floor shone with the iridescence that the light provided. Strangely the objects in the room were a large desk which was neatly cleaned; all his books stacked, no dust on the polished wood. It looked brand new. The chair also looked new, like it had never been used before. Closer to them was a three seater couch, a Jarrah wood table; on which sat a glass chess set, and a singular reclining chair, made of leather. There was a TV attached to the wall on the opposite side from the couch. There was a doorway which led to a bedroom, as Jason knew perfectly well but he felt compelled to open it anyway.
‘Hey, Jason?’ Celeste called out. Jason turned. Celeste had walked over to the desk and was looking at a picture. ‘What’s this?’ she asked. Jason walked over and had a proper look. It was obviously a younger Jason in the picture. There was also a woman, with wavy dark blonde hair and hazel eyes. She, as well her husband, was smiling with their son, clearly happy.
‘That was taken on my eighth birthday. Probably the last day we actually spent together as a family. After that dad was either here or on assignment’ Jason told her, smiling slightly himself.
‘You look so happy’ Celeste said.
‘Yeah I was,’ Jason replied, sitting down in the chair. He sighed. ‘You know, I remember being in here when I was, I don’t know, twelve or thirteen. He’d come back from training a group of soldiers and we’d just sit and play chess. I never beat him, because I couldn’t. He was an excellent chess player. He actually won a few tournaments, but that was before he joined the military’ Jason said as his bottom lip trembled. He opened the top drawer and found nothing except for a few pens and loose sheets of paper. Jason closed it and opened the second drawer and found a large yellow envelope. Jason opened the envelope and pulled out several sheets of paper.  Some showed letters and numbers which made no sense to him. Others were formal papers with directions to certain places. Jason was about to put back the envelope when he felt something else inside. It was a note.
‘What does it say?’ Celeste asked seeing Jason reading it.
‘To Jason, I can’t tell you exactly what this envelope means, but in time you’ll know. All I can say is it’s very important. I’m sure you can figure it out. Love, your father’ Jason read.
‘What the hell does that mean?’
‘He knew he was going to die’ Jason said closing the envelope and placing it on the desk. He then opened the third and last drawer, revealing his father’s service revolver, which Jason immediately pocketed. That was when they noticed the rattling of the door handle. Jason quickly got up and pushed the chair in before walking fast towards the bedroom, taking the envelope with him, signalling for Celeste to follow him.
‘Little fast isn’t it?’ Celeste whispered.
‘Not funny. No one’s supposed to be here except for us,’ Jason whispered back, crouching against the wall. ‘Now stay quiet’ he added. Just as Celeste crouched next to him the door opened and someone walked in and started opening the drawers at the desk. Jason took a quick look around the corner. All he could see was that the person was a tall male.
‘Damn it!’ The man exclaimed as Jason moved his head back behind the wall, closing the drawers.
‘It’s not here’ the man said.
‘You’re sure?’ said a voice over a radio.
‘Yes. They must’ve moved it. What should I do?’
‘Get out of there. Make sure no one sees you. Return to your position and await further instructions’ said the voice. The man left without a word.
‘Come on. Let’s go’ Jason said peering around the corner. The door was closed again. Jason opened it and looked outside. The man had disappeared. Together Jason and Celeste walked back to the elevator. When it reached the bottom they went to their quarters and that was when they spoke, after Jason closed the door.
‘Well that was interesting’ he said.
‘What?’ Celeste asked.
‘Someone else is after the envelope’ Jason replied.
‘Yeah’ Celeste replied, distractedly.
‘I’m going to take that shower. You do whatever you want’ Jason said as he turned and headed towards the bathroom and turned on the water. When he left, twenty minutes later and walked back out, Celeste had fallen asleep on the three seater couch. Jason smiled before pulling the blanket off one of the beds and placing it over Celeste’s body. He then, even though he had no idea why, kissed her forehead. Jason then walked over to and collapsed on his bed, pondering the reason as to why anybody would the envelope.

Chapter Seven: The Campbell Barracks

‘How far away are they?’ Celeste said, carrying Sarah over to them.

‘A couple of minutes’ Jason replied.
‘We’ve got company!’ Sarah yelled. And indeed they did. Tallentiri were appearing again in all directions. Jason quickly delved into his bag and pulled out two pistols.
‘You two know how to use these?’ both Celeste and Sarah shook their heads. Jason cocked both pistols.
‘They’re already loaded. All you need to do is point and shoot. They both took one and Jason opened fire. Tallentiri were slightly apprehensive, but angry and soon they were swamped. Jason took a quick look at where they Helicopter was. It couldn’t be more than thirty seconds away.
‘I’m out!’ Celeste screamed at him.
‘We just have to hold out for thirty seconds!’ Jason yelled back, reloading. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of shooting at these things the strong wind of the Helicopter’s Main Rotor Blades spinning embraced them as it landed in the basketball court behind them.
‘Go!’ Jason said. ‘Move now’ bullets whirred past him as he pulled Claire’s unconscious body towards the Helicopter. The soldiers helped them in and when they were up in the air, safe, Jason leaned back and sighed.
‘You’re Colonel Blake’s boy, aren’t you?’ one the soldiers said to him. Jason nodded
‘He was a good man. Strong fighter’
‘You knew him?’ Jason asked.
‘I served with him. Saved his life in fact; Saudi Arabia twenty fifty-four’ the soldier responded.
‘Sergeant Williams right?’ Jason asked.
‘The one and only’ Williams replied. Jason noticed Celeste looking out the side. It was early afternoon. The high sun lit up everything they could see. Destruction everywhere; buildings destroyed. People who were outside when the bombardment began lay dead in the streets.
‘Where are you taking us?’ Celeste asked.
‘Campbell Barracks in Swanbourne,’ Williams answered. ‘We were supposed to find more survivors, but she needs urgent medical attention,’ he said, pointing to Claire. ‘It’s safe there’ they flew a little further and heard the pilot talking through his radio.
‘Falcon One to Command, come in’
‘We read you loud and clear Falcon One’
‘We’ve done a recon as requested and found four survivors. Request permission to land’
‘Negative, Falcon One. Turn around and find more survivors’ Sergeant Williams turned and grabbed the radio.
‘Command, this is Sergeant Williams. One of the rescued survivors requires urgent medical attention. We also have the son of the late Colonel Blake’ Williams said. There was silence for a moment and then.
‘Copy that. Permission to land granted. Proceed to Campbell Barracks’
The Barracks unfolded itself in front of them. A large rectangular structure built into the dune just a few hundred meters from the ocean. There were several roads leading to a helipad in the centre of the courtyard.
‘Once we’ve landed, you two,’ Williams said gesturing at Jason and Celeste. ‘Will be given a quick tour of the Barracks, and be given a list of duties. The other two will be taken straight to the medics. That leg of yours needs fixing’ he added looking at Sarah. Once they landed, they were hurriedly ushered off, Claire was stretchered off and Sarah was helped by the medics to the Hospital wing.
‘Jason,’ Williams said. ‘This is Lieutenant Spire. He’ll take you on the tour’
‘Thank you, Sergeant. You’re dismissed,’ Spire said in a gruff voice; Jason could immediately tell that he either hated his job, or hated Sergeant Williams. ‘I’ll just show you the main sections that you’ll need to know; your quarters, mess, etcetera. Hospital wing is straight through those glass doors behind me. Follow me and please do not wander off’
Spire lead them to the mess hall first, a large room with a high ceiling, several tables with benches and something resembling a buffet at the end. He then showed them to their quarters which were almost exactly like a small house, except there was no Laundry. Spire explained that the military deals with that.
‘Ok,’ he said. ‘That’s basically it. If you can’t find anything, ask a guard. The General did ask to see you Mr Blake. He has some personal affects that your father left here’ Jason gestured for Celeste to follow him but Spire stopped her.
‘Mr Blake only’ he said.
‘I’ll go and see Sarah then. And she left. Spire then lead Jason into the lower floor of a tower and escorted him to the top floor where he was pushed into a room, alone.
‘You know, your father was a good man. Certainly didn’t deserve what happened to him,’ came a voice. Jason stepped forward and a man in his late fifties stepped out of the shadows in military camouflage. ‘But he, like all soldiers, knew the risk with war. Victory cannot be obtained without loss of life. Death is necessary to be victorious. Do you understand that, Jason?’
‘Yes General Carson’ Jason replied.
‘Good. The things your father left here have been kept in his quarters on the second floor in the west wing, room two hundred and thirty-two. Here is the key. While you are here, feel free to wander around the Barracks, use the firing range as you please. There is one thing I must tell you though. Do not enter the top floor of the science lab’ General Carson told him.
‘Why General?’ Jason asked.
‘They’re researching a potential way to fight the Tallentiri on a biological level, unfortunately the stuff they’re working with is potentially lethal to humans at the present time. Therefore, only those working on the project, are permitted to enter. Do you understand?’ Carson replied. Jason nodded.
‘Good, then I shall leave to do whatever you please’
Jason turned and left and headed straight for the Hospital Wing, knowing that something was going on, on the top floor of the science lab.