A bright shine hit through his eyelids. With open eyes, he yawned from his sleep, rested and energized once more.
The officer stood at the entranceway.
"RISE AND SHINE" He yelled throughout the room. The others quickly woke up, getting out their beds hastily.
"COMMAND HAS ORDERED YOUR UNIT TO BEGIN SCOUTING FROM THE TRENCH WE RECENTLY TOOK, READY UP IN 15 MINUTES ABOVE THE BASE ENTRANCE!" His loud voice echoed out in the room. After a few seconds, the officer left.
Corbin began wearing his suit once again. Feeling weight begin lumbering on him from the gear.
In a minute or so, he was now ready with the others.
The crowd started exiting the entranceway, tens of jackboots stepped around sporadically from the sudden announcement to exit.
The unit marched back outside heading towards the lift. Their clothing was still dirtied, but their weapons were pristine and clean.
"Wonder if they have Novus tanks like that camp down south from here." Moris said, next to Corbin.
"Probably, we'll have more soldiers in the first unit with us to fight if that's the case, or second unit." He replied, his tone still hit by morning voice.
The lift filled up with soldiers, rifles clunked around in the tight space while they bumped with each other as more entered inside.
Muffled chatter filled the space, different conversations happening at the same time while the lift slowly rose up to the surface.
The gate grinded open once the lift reached to the top. Dusty wind slammed into the lift, hitting the soldiers inside, staring at the irradiated trench pathway outside. The officer stood at the side, under a tarp, carrying a compass and a small tablet.
"Just in time." The officer spoke, stepping out of cover for his figure to gleam by the irradiated sky's sun.
The soldiers stepped outside, standing on the wooden pathways laid out as it slowly sunk down from the weight. The day was bright, the sky above had a slight musty orange tint while the sun beamed down unopposed.
"We'll return to the encampment and advance forward on a recon mission. Twenty of you will be ordered to strap a rope onto your gear to know where we came from. If we locate a hostile location, we will engage once identified."
"Max, Hoffman, Frederick, Crosner, Brisa..." The officer continued naming more individuals, all who were called stepped forward in front of the unit. "Madeline, Josh, And (mc)." (mc) stepped forward last upon his name being called.
"Once we reach the encampment, second unit will strap the ropes on your gear. Begin moving." The ones who were called marched in front, behind the officer. The sun's rays hit every corner and crevasse of the trench. Soldiers raised their hands above their heads to try blocking the immense heat.
The ground was dried, those on the sides stepped onto the dried mud, forming footprints on the ground.
The new pathways were already completed, wooden pathways and supports along with a few dugouts and crates on the sides.
Soldiers patrolled around the encampment once they arrived. On the front trenchline, soldiers stood carrying ropes tied to wooden supports on the walls.
They approached, tying the ropes around and fastening it on them.
"Congratulations, you twenty are our pathway back." The officer said.
"Alright, let's head out!"
Soldiers started climbing out of the trench to the open field. The rope was long, a circular pile of it rested under the supports.
"Those who have ropes, join in with the unit." Corbin slowly rejoined back with the main unit.
The bootsteps echoed out as they marched in synch, tens to hundreds of footprints marked the ground behind them.
The soldiers marched in a square formation, their officer marched ahead of them. The dust winds began picking up, but the soldiers continued marching forward, vision became slightly obscured while they marched on.
Sun rays kept beaming down on the soldiers while they marched, exhausting them while they continued lumbering forward.
Corbin's rope continued extending with no sign of stopping as the dirt began burying it under while it dragged on.
In the distance, only piles of dirt for miles that seemed to never end.
Nobody spoke or talked to each other in the march, only the stepping of their boots creating any form of noise. All around, it was eerily silent, the dirt fields yielded no noise.
The unit stopped as the officer raised his hand, he retrieved his binoculars, peering off far ahead.
"There seems to be movement far ahead." The officer notified. He began writing something down on a piece of paper, he turned around, ordering a soldier to step forward.
The paper was handed to the soldier, with a brief talk, the soldier saluted and ran behind.
"Rest behind the mounds or in the craters until i order to leave." The officer commanded, the unit dispersed.
Resting behind firm mounds and deep enough craters. The soldiers walked different directions, taking position where they hid, still prepared with their weapons in case a fight begins.
The officer walked towards one of the mounds, staying by himself behind it with his binoculars.
The heat felt as if it was cooking them inside out, cooking them through the heavy layers of clothing while they hid. Soldiers covered their heads with whatever they can use, from their coats to just using their hands, frustrated by the constant boiling beams.
The soldier returned from his run, carrying a piece of paper in hand, hiding behind with the officer, he handed the paper.
"Everyone form up." The officer spoke in a quieter tone, no longer yelling.
The soldiers struggled to get up from the dirt, exhausted from sitting with little cover from the hot heat. They limped to formation, trying to stand straight and ready up.
"The orders have been given to advance, the second unit is on it's way while the third unit took up guard duty. We've been ordered to begin our charge. Rope carriers, remove your ropes and place them in a nearby crater, add any weight you can to it."
The rope carriers left, Corbin joined in with them, exiting through the other soldiers.