Once we're making our way through the routes, my map keeps popping up with different information. Apparently as the turn coat, I was privy to more information than the others. While my map would look like everyone else's, there were spots that would flash with different information. Lonely sentries, an extra patrol and their paths, all of these things were now visible to me.
This was going to be easier than I thought. We moved fairly steadily, since I knew I couldn't make it obvious, until we got to the lone sentry in one of the buildings. I sent one of the team members to be on point and scan the next corner. The poor thing made some noise before putting their head around the corner and immediately digitized away. The sentry came around the corner and caught two more still shocked that their team member just disappeared. They followed their team member and the others quickly began to take him out with a few short shots concentrating on his head and torso.
"MOVE!" I command them to get out of the area we're in now.
Shots fired inside a building will put any one who heard these shots now on high alert. In fact, it has just drawn attention to us being here. As we are moving to the next floor up to take the balcony to the next building across the alley. Before we could make it to the other balcony though, I discovered Tarchen's biggest mistake.
There were no magical wielding members on this team. Even the ones who had been taken out were not able to snap. I was the only one. As they scramble to find anything to help them make it across the ten foot gap, we start to hear more gunfire.
"Be quiet! Head up higher." I instruct them knowing that the best they'll be able to do is make a knotted swing of sorts to get across. I make them move upstairs keeping our eyes open for enemy soldiers, but my map is showing them moving towards the route Tarchen's group was going. Not knowing if they were in trouble or not, I had to fight my first instincts to go help them out.
Then thought about it another second....
"Change of plans. Tarchen's team is in trouble. Let's go help them out flank the forces from behind." I tell my six remaining members.
"What? That's not our priority for this mission." One of them tells me sounding confused.
"We have to keep moving and rescue the hostages." Another one speaks up, still tying together some drapes that they had torn down to get across.
"What if that was you over in that group?" I ask them.
I get silence for a minute and I think I'm winning them over.
"What if we were part of the hostages too? They didn't choose to be here. We did, even with knowing the chance of something like this happening." One of the guys steps forward and starts to tie off his part of the makeshift swing.
"I suggest we keep moving, Major General Sin, Sir. This could give us the advantage of rescuing them with little to no issues of remaining patrols and we're wasting valuable time. Sir"
They continue to tie together their "rope", several testing it by tugging in unison. The guy goes first jumping with it tied his equipment harness, out as far as he can. He misses the balcony at first but does manage to swing with a little help from us up top.
He secures the other end to the other balcony, running to the next floor down. He motions the all the clear and the rest of us shimmy down, him helping us get our feet on the rails to get down.
I get a red flagged message pop up on my screen.
*13 team members have perished.*
I look around at my team members and know that it's a message just for me. We make our way to the building next to the dock without any more issues. Once we arrive there, we realize that we may be in over our heads unless another team shows up.
Outside the building is about fifty enemy soldiers who have set up a rest camp. Many are lazing around doing menial tasks. It was still too many for us alone to deal with. To make matters worse, these simulations didn't give us any of the weapons we'd use in these types of situations. No grenades, no flash bangs, gas, nothing but our rifles and our minds.
"This is impossible with only us! We don't know if anyone else made it to the other building and no one from Tarchen's team has arrived here either. What should we do, Major General?" They turn to me, looking for an answer.
"Ah.. hell..." I mutter under my breath, as my jaw shifts sideways in irritation. "Give me a minute, let me look things over with the information we have right now."
I pull up my map for me to view and quickly send a typed message to the control room.
*CR DM*
Are my real life abilities of regeneration active in this simulation Sin
As I'm checking the map and marking the areas where the other soldiers are, my screen gets another incoming message.
*MG Sin*
Yes what do you mean by the acronym DM
CR messages are always direct messaged
CR
I pause blank faced, trying not to crack a smile. I message back quickly.
*CR*
DM Dungeon Master
not direct message
Sin
After making my marks on my map and considering I have ace up my sleeve, I quickly throw out a plan at them.
"Let's try to see if we have any movement from the Briggs team. Anyone know basic Morse code?" I ask around.
"No, but our visor computer will decode it for us and tell us what to do."
"...."
'You're shitting me?' Is all that runs through my head momentarily.
"Okay, but you should commit to memory Morse code. If you get into a situation where your helmet doesn't work, you'd be screwed. Aside from that, I need someone up there trying to signal our other team, IF they see someone. The message will be, SAVE ORDER NOT SIN. Repeat it until you get the confirm. One other person needs to go up there to help be a spotter and stop the flashing if need be, as to not give away our location to the soldiers outside."
I pause gathering my thoughts a second before continuing.
"So, here's the plan."
We argue for a minute over my plan before I finally pull rank and order them to follow it. Two went upstairs and began trying to spot the other team members. While we wait, I'm scoping the camp site out to plot the best course of action for me to take. I also take notice of the light whispers of conversation behind me.
"I don't know why we're not allowed to communicate with other teams in the field during these simulations. We'd have com's on an actual mission and then we wouldn't have to do all this extra stuff."
I grimace, annoyed and chew on the inside of my lip before turning to the ones behind me that we're talking.
"You know, you're right, for the most part. There are plenty of missions that'd you would be using com's and other equipment that would make these things a heck of a lot easier. However, there are the missions that seem like a walk in the park, until you find out the park is in hell and the only way you get a ride out of there alive is if you're smart enough with what you may have left."
I take a look back out the window and continue on.
"These sim's are meant to not make you reliant on the tech, but your instinct, knowledge, and how you're able to apply and implement that into the situation. If you are too reliant on the tech, you'll find yourself in a real bad situation. Trust me when I say, luck is a two sided coin toss and most of the time the game is rigged... and not in your favor."
I turn back and give them a pointed look before the two from upstairs come down almost running.
"They got the message and sent one back, CO PLUS TWO W US COPY PROCEED. They had been signaling a flash trying to see if anyone else had made it this far before proceeding."
I smiled a bittersweet smile at all of them before nodding, motioning them to start moving towards the way out.
"You know what that means men, time for you to go rescue the hostages. Now, go!" I order them and they get going while I turn back to the window.
"Well, looks like I'm going to have some fun and work off some steam after all." I mutter to myself as my bittersweet smile turns maniacal, making my eyes twitch and cock up in piqued amusement.