Havoc Squad: Armor Brigade Book 2, page 2
“It’s on the Montgomery Heights, just a little over thirty kilometers from where it first came down.”
“I know where it is,” the General said. “I’m more interested in what it is.”
Swift cleared his throat. “I took readings at the original site,” he explained. “It’s a mineral-based alloy that consists of elements we have yet to find.”
“On Fiona Grand?”
“Anywhere, General. It’s a genuinely unknown substance. We’ve never seen anything like it.”
“In what way?”
“Well, first of all, it’s incredibly durable. Not many substances can withstand the heat of planetary atmospheric entry without showing any signs of damage.”
“But your troopers damaged it with plasma rifles?”
“That was the idea, but from the photos I’ve seen the plasma didn’t so much as leave a mark on the object.”
“Alright, continue,” the general ordered.
“Well, it’s also a remarkable power conduit. The disk was drawing energy from the ground. And not just a little, but significant power.”
“How?”
“I have no idea,” Captain Swift said with a grin. “It’s a truly remarkable object.”
“Is it a ship?”
“I don’t think so.”
“What then?” the general asked.
“I can only speculate…”
“That’s what you’re here for.”
“Well, it seems to me that it must be a portal of some kind.”
“What are the possibilities?”
“The most likely would be that it is a wormhole generator. Although that sort of device should require obscene amounts of energy to open.”
“You said it was drawing significant energy from the ground.”
“Yes, General, I did say that, but according to physics as we understand it, a wormhole would require more energy than most stars possess. We’re talking about bending the fabric of space. That’s no small feat. And we’ve not witnessed it anywhere in the natural universe.”
“But the race that created the disk could have found a way,” the general said. “Maybe even one that uses significantly less energy than we suppose.”
“That’s possible,” Malcom said with a grin. “To be honest, I’m dying to find out.”
“What are the other possibilities?” Song asked.
“Well, it’s possible that it’s a portal to a new dimension.”
“Something outside the four dimensions we know about?”
“That’s correct. We know there are others, but we’ve never found a way to look into them, much less cross over the boundaries that separate them from the four dimensions we live in.”
“Anything else?”
“I suppose it’s possible that it’s a portal through time,” Captain Swift said. “But that’s not very likely.”
“Why do you suppose that?”
“Because that wouldn’t explain the mystery elements,” Malcom explained. “Or why the creature came through so quickly.”
“You’re supposing that the time portal theory only works to connect us to the past?”
Malcom shrugged. “It wasn’t a sentient being that came through,” he said. “We know that in the distant past there were massive animals roaming the goldilocks planets. I’d say that dragon thing was one. Plus, there’s the fact that human mythology includes such creatures. The ancient tales include giant serpentine creatures that fly and breathe fire. The past seems more likely than the future.”
“What’s your best guess?”
“Interdimensional portal would be my guess, but it’s just that. Just a guess.”
“How could we prove your hypothesis?”
“The easiest way would be to send someone though it,” Captain Swift said.
“Yes, that was my thoughts exactly. But we don’t know what’s on the other side of that portal. Stepping through it could kill whoever tried.”
“Yes, General.”
“Or, perhaps trap them on the other side?”
“Yes.”
She took a deep breath. “Were there any signs of radiation or biological agents from the creature? Say, on your trooper who was in physical contact with it.”
“PFC Cosmo Frost was wounded in the fight, but has no signs of any infection or exposure to a toxic or xenomorphic substance. He’s in quarantine at Hawkstone, but I did the examination of his MAL Armor myself. It’s clean.”
“As far as we know,” General Song pointed out. “It’s possible that our scanners wouldn’t even pick up an alien substance. The device wasn’t picked up on radar. If it hadn’t gone blazing across the sky we might never have known it was here.”
“True,” Malcom said.
“In that case, I think our only option is to send your man through the portal.”
“Private Frost?”
“With his drone. He’s proven himself to be a capable Battle Trooper. He was responsible for taking down one of the Ma’Tis heavy weapons vehicles outside Hillsdale, correct?”
“Yes, General, he did that.”
“And he was heavily involved in stopping the creature,” she continued. “His valor is unquestionable. Do you think he would have an issue going through the portal?”
“If it’s even possible,” Swift said. General Song just gave him a stern look. “No, General, he wouldn’t hesitate.”
“Then you have the ball, Captain. I’m putting you in charge of researching the anomaly. And if it opens again, we are sending your man through it.”
“Yes, General,” Captain Swift said, feeling a cold shiver run down his back.
“I know that command isn’t your ultimate goal, Captain Swift, but let me give you a piece of advice. Don’t hold onto the troops you command so tightly. Sending our Battle Troopers into harm's way is what we are trained to do. Eventually, you’ll have that responsibility. Sometimes they don’t come back. And while it’s only a last resort, sometimes we send them in knowing they will die. You should be prepared to make that sacrifice, Captain. Otherwise, you’ll fail in the military, and the decisions you have to make will haunt you for the rest of your life.”
“Yes, General,” Swift said. Her pep talk wasn’t making Malcom feel any better.
“Besides, you and I both know this is an opportunity of a lifetime. So make the most of it, Captain.”
“Yes, ma’am!” he said, returning to a rigid attention posture and saluting.
“That’s all, Captain. But I want reports at least twice a day, and more frequently if you make breakthroughs.”
“Yes, General. I’ll make sure you are always aware of our study and preparations.”
“Very good. You are dismissed.”
Malcom Swift turned on his heel and left the office. He was both excited and concerned. Sending Cosmo through the portal had huge potential for helping Malcom understand the alien object. But it was also incredibly dangerous. Still, it wasn’t his order, and while he stood to benefit from it, he could tell himself that he wasn’t responsible for whatever happened. But the cold chill didn’t leave him. Not even the warm sunshine and the beauty of the capital city could sweep away the feeling that he was meddling with things that were best left alone.
CHAPTER 3
The alien object was a perfect circle perched upright on the edge. When Captain Swift arrived on the site there was already a strong military presence in the area. The ring was up on a slight rise. There were trees on the lower portions of the slope, maple and oak with brightly colored autumn leaves wavering in the breeze. They were far enough from the coast that Swift couldn’t smell the salt water, but the grass on the hills and open areas of land was hardy and thick-bladed. It was a dull color too, the type of grass that could survive when salty moisture from the sea was blown inland by strong breezes.
An array of military tents were set up, along with standard camp stations such as a chow pavilion and a latrine area. There were dozens of generator trucks with big solar sails and wind turbines to capture as much energy as possible. The command center was in a long, hover-vehicle, with computers, radar, communications, and reinforced armor for protection. It was Malcom’s first stop, and he wasn’t surprised to find Major Nigel Zukov in charge.
“Well,” the major said with a frown on his face, “looks like you got your wish, Malcom.”
“Yes sir, Major,” Swift said, trying not to sound like he was gloating. “When did it open?”
“Can’t say,” Zukov said, looking at a large display screen on one wall that showed the alien ring. “It was just like this when we arrived. Captain Katrina Sorling is bringing in a full battery of long-range plasma artillery cannons. Let’s just hope nothing comes out of that thing before she has her guns in place.”
“I have orders to study it,” Malcom said. “There’s so much we can learn from the technology.”
“Stealing tech, that’s not surprising,” Zukov said. “Given your record.”
The command station was full of people at the various consoles. Malcom didn’t like airing dirty laundry in front of people he didn’t know, or subordinates he was in charge of. Still, Zukov was his commanding officer, even if there was bad blood between them. And Malcom was a captain, not just an officer candidate anymore. It had been over a decade since he had gone through OTS where he and Nigel had butted heads for the first time.
“Major, I have orders from General Song herself. This is first contact with an incredibly advanced species. We have to take advantage of the opportunity.”
“And while you were busy studying the object, my Battle Troopers were giving their lives to stop the thing that came out of it.”
“I’m aware of that fact, just as I’m sure you are aware that it was my men who drove the beast into the sea.”
“Your men,” Zukov sneered. “They got lucky, that’s all. Mechanized Battalion is still the elite division, Swift. Don’t forget that. Just because your science experiment has the general’s favor at the moment doesn’t mean you’re going to replace us.”
“No one is talking about that,” Swift said.
“You’re damn right about that,” Zukov said loudly. “And I’m in charge of this operation.”
“Of course you are, sir. I’m just here to study the object.”
“Then get your gear set up,” Zukov said. “But we aren’t going anywhere near it until the guns are in place. If something else comes out of that thing I’m going to have it melted into slag.”
Malcom wanted to argue that Zukov was getting ahead of himself. Destroying the alien ring would be a mistake he would never recover from. Not that Malcom cared about Nigel Zukov’s career. They had been equals once, but Malcom had been recruited into the Strategic Development Division, and Zukov had gone straight into the Armor Division. His combat experience had resulted in a faster move up the career ladder, while Malcom had spent years developing the HAVOC units he was in charge of. The Heavy Arms Vehicles for Offensive Combat, HAVOC, were essentially fast-moving land drones that could be used in a variety of ways. They were controlled locally by Battle Troopers in the advanced MAL Armor that Malcom had also created. His troopers were faster and more protected than a trooper in a MECH. And in combination with his HAVOC drones, they were much more powerful too. Unfortunately, he only had two units at his disposal, and despite having turned the tide in two separate engagements, they weren’t getting the support Malcom had hoped for.
Robots with the ability to kill had been outlawed before mankind had even branched out across the galaxy. His drones were right on the edge of that long-held statute. They couldn’t function without a human operator, and the short-range communication setup required their operators to be within a hundred meters of one another. It was, in his mind, a perfect combination of might with minimum risk to the operator, and absolutely no risk of the drone getting out of control. But getting the brass to see things the way that Malcom did was becoming more difficult by the day. And Major Zukov would never respect anything Malcom was involved with. Of course it didn’t help that the HAVOC Operators would eventually replace the MECH Battle Troopers. And Zukov could feel the threat. He had worked to become the leader of the army’s most elite fighting force, and he couldn’t see Malcom as anything but the enemy.
“I hope you don’t mean that,” Malcom replied to Zukov. “I’ll start preparing my equipment. We’ll need to erect a containment area around the anomaly. We can do that with the HAVOC drones as soon as they arrive.”
“No one goes near it without my express permission,” Zukov snapped. “Are we clear, Captain?”
“Yes, sir,” Captain Swift replied. “Crystal.”
“Very well, you are dismissed.”
Malcom couldn’t wait to get out of the command center. That was Zukov’s territory, and Malcom wasn’t interested in playing power games. The real prize was up on the hill. And the sooner he could continue studying the alien ring, the better.
Two days passed before Malcom got his chance. PFC Henry Dyson arrived with both of the operational HAVOC drones shortly after Malcom reached the site, but the artillery took longer. And Major Zukov wouldn’t let Malcom begin his work with the alien device until all three platoons of artillery were in prime position to destroy anything that came out of the upright hoop.
Swift was relegated to long-range observation and testing, taking soil and air samples, along with standard full spectrum imaging that included thermal, infrared, and electromagnetic. Most of it was useless information. Malcom wrote reports for General Song, but there wasn’t much to explain. Dyson was in full MAL Armor and stayed with the HAVOC drones, which had call signs Nut and Bolt, respectively, until Major Zukov gave the order to begin his examination up close.
“All units are in position and ready to fire on your order, Major,” Captain Katrina Sorling reported.
“Very well,” Major Zukov replied, sounding as if the news were negative. It seemed to Malcom that he couldn’t stand turning things over to the research team. “Captain Swift, you may begin your study.”
“Thank you, Major,” Malcom said. “Private Dyson, get the containment area set up.”
“It’s about time,” Dyson said. “I’ve been sitting on go for two days.”
He meant what he said. Henry Dyson had been given control of both of the HAVOC drones, along with the materials that would be used to surround and cover the alien device. It was from some other place, although where exactly was unknown. No adverse effects or alien bacteria had been detected after their fight with the dragon that Malcom believed had come through the portal, but they weren’t taking any chances. The easiest way to defeat the humans on Fiona Grand would simply be to release a deadly microscopic virus onto the population and let it spread. Their precautions were an effort to prevent that sort of biological attack.
While the drones carried up the heavy equipment, Malcom suited up in MAL Armor to begin the work of finding out exactly what they were dealing with.
CHAPTER 4
“Nothing works,” Captain Swift sighed. His image was floating above the conference table where General Davina Song was gathered with her cabinet of senior officers.
“So we don’t know what it is or what it does?” General Augustus McShay said. “Wonderful.”
“That’s not exactly true,” Malcom explained, as General Song paced the room. “It’s definitely a portal. My readings suggest that it’s drawing about eight kilowatts of power from the ground it’s mounted in. That’s significant, considering the fact that we haven’t learned how it’s doing it, but I’m convinced it’s not enough to be holding open a wormhole.”
“Maybe it just connected with something that was already here,” General Ned Toliver suggested. “A passage through space and time, perhaps?”
“That’s highly unlikely,” Malcom explained. “To our knowledge the device wasn’t guided. And the dragon moved it from the dunes up into the hills.”
“Maybe the whole planet is on some sort of space highway,” General Linn Ming said.
“That’s not how interstellar travel works,” Toliver said with a note of condescension in his voice.
“Just because it isn’t the way we do it, doesn’t mean someone, somewhere, hasn’t developed a different method,” Ming argued. “We have to consider all the possibilities.”
“If not a wormhole, then what?” General Song demanded.
“My guess is it’s a dimensional portal,” Captain Swift’s hologram said.
“We travel through hyperspace,” Toliver said. “Which is really just scientific slang for moving through a fifth dimension.”
“The dimensions we know of have no matter,” Julia Eclair said. “No space as we understand it.”
“That’s true,” Captain Swift said. “This, I believe, is something new. The dragon that passed through it was physical and large. I can attest to that personally.”
“You’re suggesting it’s a place?” General Song asked.
“Yes, General,” Swift said.
“And we should be able to go there?”
“That’s correct.”
“But your tests have all failed,” she pointed out.
“There is a breakdown in the connection,” Swift said. “Probes and drones go through, but they lose contact with us immediately, and they don’t return.”
“For all we know they’re crushed by some unforeseen force,” Toliver said. “That portal could be like a black hole, which contains the most powerful gravitational forces in the known universe.”
“But the creature wasn’t crushed,” General Song said.
“Maybe it was able to endure much greater forces than we can,” Toliver argued.
“It flew,” General Ming insisted. “We’ve all seen the video. It had delicate wings that wouldn’t operate in strong gravity, perhaps not even survive without being snapped off.”
“Just because it could fly here doesn’t mean it could fly everywhere,” Toliver sneered.
“We’re getting off topic,” General Song snapped, silencing her cabinet. “The point you’re getting at, Captain, is that you want to send a person through the portal. Correct?”
