( Please Note: This is a work of science fiction with a mix of realistic fiction. If anything resembles real world places, people, or weaponry, it is NOT intentional. Thank you and I hope you enjoy this.)
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The freefall, the feeling of being free, it is always exhilarating. Maybe that's why I enjoyed doing what I do. Because it always gets my blood pumping and makes me feel alive.
The back end of the plane opened and the noise got louder. Before me was the inky blackness of the open air. A smile found its way onto my face as the light went green. I walked to the opening and turned around. I had about a minute before the actual jump.
"We came here to do a mission. We came here to find our desire and will to live! Our country called us here and we answered that call! This patch on our shoulders is our life! Make sure you earn it today! We are..." I jumped out and heard over the comms as my squad followed, "The Fanged Pack!"
We were about 40,000 feet up, right under the outer atmosphere. I think? It didn't matter. The fall is all that mattered. It was the calm before the storm. And this storm... We were going to make it.
I didn't keep track of how long we fell but once we hit 7,000 feet, we opened our chutes and glided the rest of the way in under the radar. Luckily this base had no AA guns or flak guns. We would have been torn to shreds if that was the case. Our landing zone was an open field about a klick due north of the base. We would have to travel south to reach it and hopefully not be discovered. A bit of time later, we landed. The surrounding area was calm and clear. Good. We gathered our chutes and stuffed them back in the packs, nothing was to be left behind. Gear was rearranged and set to where it needed to be. After the five minutes it took, we headed out.
"What's the deal? It's quiet," Mason muttered.
"Radio silence Mason," I mumbled.
"Nerves." Mason.
We continued on and before we knew it, the base was before us. No lights, no patrols, no people. Red flags were raising up everywhere. Not only that, technically, our landing zone was in the patrol region of the base. Yet no one was there.
"This is bad," Lag.
"I said silence."
We moved out. No sounds from inside and none from outside. This wasn't a good place to be. Our light steps were all that was heard as we moved to the main compound. A small scope was moved under the door. Clear. A silent push on the door and we were in. Still clear.
"Nothing is this easy," Raptor.
"Keep quiet and keep moving." My tone was getting harsher. I had the same feeling.
A few minutes later we were in the research department and Lag was getting to work. Everyone else took up positions around the room. The whole place was still silent.
"Rak, this ain't good," Celes, "This is bad."
"I know but we got a job to do and we will see it through."
Lag noticed it first. A small red light on his screen, part of a system he installed in his computer. His eyes shot wide open as he looked up.
"Alarm!" He hissed out. All of us tensed up. Now we knew why, it was a set up.
"F*ck." We all said it as the lights shot on and blinded us. It took five seconds for our vision to return and another ten seconds for Lag to shut everything down. Two seconds after that, with Intel in hand, we were moving hard and fast out of there. As soon as we breached the main doors, gunfire from in front lit us up. I backpedaled into the inside and leaned on the wall. The only other one who got in was the Helion herself, Celes.
"Sh*t! What the f*ck!" She swore. I looked down and saw my blood pouring out of me. I was hit and it was a vital spot.
"Survive," I said as my body dropped to the floor.
"Rakon!" Celes cried out.
The blackness was moving in on my vision. I could barely see Celes moving towards me before she jerked to the side and fell. Half of her skull was missing. My head dropped. I could only look at my own crotch. The thought that I didn't get any fun lately was the only thing in my head as my consciousness faded.
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"Good. Administer the shot to all of them."
"Even the brainless one?"
"If this works then yes."
"Alright doctor."
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A year later.
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"Rakon, can you hear me?"
"Squad leader?"
I heard voices. I couldn't place them. Why am I so foggy? The hell was this?
"Open your eyes Rakon!"
"Come on man! Don't leave us behind!"
I felt a shove and my eyes snapped open. Only for me to close them. Who turned on the lights?
"Hey man. Keep them open."
Who was this...?
"Everest."
Everest? But we were killed.
"Just flesh wounds."
Celes? Her skull was gone.
"Open your eyes. It's gonna suck but open them."
I slowly opened my eyes. The d*mned lights were bright. Slowly my vision came in. In front of me were six babies. Wait. Babies? And behind those babies were my squad mates. But how? I looked around and saw nothing I recognized.
"Where are we?" I asked.