Earth Defense Force Facility Lunar L.E.N.K. station, was struck recently by a brutal explosive attack. Those caught in the blast are presumed to be General Claxon and other high ranking officials. Though at this time no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, this statement has been released from the head of the Martian Garrison. "Ships have already begun to dig through the debris with haste, we hold some hope that there may yet be survivors."- Aliana Perlium Martian Insider.
I awoke unsure how much time had passed, but the air was thin and stale. The blood from my head softly floated away from my face and slowly toward the ground. I vaguely remember feeling as if I was levitating only to realize, I was floating in the low gravity, bouncing ever so slightly off the floor. Looking around was pointless the lights had all gone out and even the emergency lighting seemed dimmed or covered. When my faculties started returning I attempted to pull myself to my feet, pointlessly looking toward where I believed the Atrium was cracked. Instead only rubble surrounded me, my movement was met with a weight, accompanied by a pinching pain above my left knee and below my right. Reaching back I felt the edge of the crate that had pinned me to the floor.
I couldn't move my legs so I moved my arms slowly, I patted around looking for anything, a spark of hope. I found it in a broken guide rail fallen from the upper Atrium. Luckily I payed attention in survival training, I knew even if I got free it would be a fight to survive. With a heave, I shoved the broken rod against the floor and my side, to get it under the debris. I remember screaming and cursing as the broken guide rail cut my leg on the way down. Using a piece of broken concrete I made a simple fulcrum, using this I lifted the debree just enough to get my leg free. I remember shifting my weight onto my right arm holding down the fulcrum pulling free my legs. The debris fell back the few inches I had made for clearance. A lot of it I don't remember. The smell of dust and smoke, the heat coming off a fire burning nearby. I managed to find my feet again closer now to the exit hatch, as I remembered. Weak, I tried to make out the door. Yet all I found was more rubble blocking the way. Realizing I wasn't getting out this way. I lowered myself slowly and pulled my dress jacket off. Shredding the coat I made a few bandages, fastening them around my open wounds from the explosion.
Everything was mostly wrecked, I slumped to the floor and I remembered observing the fire nearest to me for an impossibly long time. I was shocked back awake by a sudden impact to my head, confused I attempted to stand. I Only managed to flail and curse on the ground. I finally noticed were the blow came from, Clemmons was looking teary eyed but babbling "George! Thank the stars. I thought you were dead." She shifted a large sack or so it seemed at the time off her back.
The next thing I remember was being propped up. " Good your awake, listen if you can hear me we need you now Jurgen. Fuck come on George." I remember coughing heavily as I responded. "What, what is the O2 levels?" Clemmons shuffled for a moment accessing her Talis I assumed. "50% and dropping there is a leak, we." "We, have five hour max." I croaked out in between coughs. I looked around again squinting in the darkness only illuminated by the random fires. "Make that four hours". I remembered commenting. "The fires will eat up the oxygen supply fast, we need to start putting them out." I remember heaving from the choking feeling, from the smoke and thinning air. "How many people are on their feet?" I watched as Clemmons hurried for her canteen, passing it to me before she responded. "The High Brass and some of their staff were limping away and gathering behind the debris before the second explosion. I haven't seen them since, Barts out cold, the big lug, but otherwise uninjured, the rest of the unit scattered off the stage so fast." I instinctively attempted to pull up my Talis Chip but was met with a fierce migraine. "Put out what fires you can reach I'll watch Bart and make sure he doesn't slip away." "Your not looking so great either George." "Just go Clemmons that's a order we need to buy time." I watched Clemmons hurry off dousing all but one bit of burning debris she kept as a torch as she ran.
It was horrible, I watched as my unit was destroyed again, and again I was powerless to do anything to stop it. I wrapped the jacket blanket Clemmons fashioned around Bart, whose chest rose weakly. Hoping it would bring him some warmth or comfort. A period of time passed that felt like forever, waiting to see if the dome would collapse fully. The anxiety was like sitting In a bath of Martian sand mites. I started to test my own strength again, one leg couldn't support weight, the injury just above the knee. With debris abundant I fashioned a makeshift crutch and splint. Now mobile I pulled Bart to a safer spot. My only thought was reaching a comm relay, If they knew there was survivors they may be able to get them out before oxygen levels ran out.
Determined, I steadied myself and headed for the opposite side of the Atrium. Ripping up another piece of my shirt, I made a basic cloth mask and soaked it in some water from Clemmons' Canteen. After fastening it to my head I attempted to discover a path through the rubble. Besides the large columns the lattice reinforcement for the dome itself was severely destroyed. Pieces lay a skewed all about the Atrium making my path almost impossible. Impossible may be a bit harsh but it took me hours to cross. While limping I managed to get through some smaller crawl spaces. I hoped the other side would be the door or at least a console. Yet what I found was neither, well not at first. As I cleared the debris, I saw a few figures standing near the ramp to the doors. Hopefully it was other members of Squad A. I hobbled forward. "STOP!" A shout came from a voice a I didn't recognize. "Whoa okay, I'm a soldier like you, George Jurgen Squad A Training regiment." I quickly shouted out not waiting to be asked. "I said Stop there! Mathews did you get the damn door yet?" I heard him shout into a small black box I assumed was an antiquated com. The light was barley shining from the safety lights, but I could see he was armed. "We gotta go." Came a calmer familiar voice behind him. "There is a survivor here." The man infront of me responded. "Who the?" The tall large figure pushed past his ally. "Holy blistering hell, has some other worldly force delivered my quarry to me?" Barstows oddly worldly taunt was unexpected. "Barstow?! What are you doing?" "I told you back at camp I worked to get here. You just got in the way, Now be good an," I rushed him mid speech not even letting him lift his rifle. I smacked it out of his hand with my crutch, crashing into Barstow with my full weight. I widely struck at him, garbing at his holster. Unaware of his missing sidearm he threw me to the side. Reaching for his rifle quickly his partner had already taken aim. Three shots rang out. Two people fell in front of me, I was already on the ground but felt as though a large animal had kicked my chest. This grew worse with the first impulse to inhale. It was sharp and searing, simultaneously bringing my eyes to water and and my limbs to constrict. I remember holding the bullet wound on my side. With Talis still not working, I could only guess at the damage through the pain. Shaking, I dragged myself behind the debris I had crossed to get here. I peaked out trying to focus on something to keep from passing out. "Hey, Barstow you alive?" Silence. I sat there for a bit not knowing if they scurried away like I did. I remember someone running toward me, the sudden jolt of the sealing gel used to stop bleeding.
I awoke to the beep of my vital monitor and the soft green glow of the Talis chip restarting. I had set straight up in bed, causing a nurse to spill the tray she was carrying, startled she had ran off. Not a few moments later the doctors rushed in. For the next few hours no one would answer or acknowledge my questions. Instead, they flipped through my paper work, between themselves giving each other the proverbial pat on the back, for me being alive. Once the initial rush calmed down someone finally explained to me that I was at the Stragen a medical frigate currently orbiting Earth. He explained, "You and fifteen others were dragged out of the L.E.N.K. station, some others have recovered but many were not so lucky. After they pulled you and then others free an explosion ripped the Atrium apart." "An explosion! Another one!" I stood up quickly, causing my legs to buckle, instantly dropping me to the floor. "What?! What did you all do?!" "Nothing! You have been in a coma for a week, your muscles may take a bit to respond." He maneuvered himself to my side. "Now just try to prop yourself up. I will help." As Instructed I grabbed the bed rail and pulled myself to my feet slowly. When I slipped he caught me and helped me onto the bed. "Where is my unit? Did anyone make it?" "A few did. Some have recovered but others I can't say. You should rest I'll tell the M.Ps. waiting that you're awake, they can answer some of your questions." The younger doctor nodded and left quickly, obviously not wanting to bear any bad news.
The M.Ps. entered not long after. They first asked a bunch of questions about the terrorist who planted the bombs. I layed out the whole scene a dozen times till it was burned into my mind. They were highly interested in the few second of exchange I had with them. Once they were finished I hesitated to ask. "How many of my men made it out?" They looked between each other. "You and Officers Clemmons and Bart, were the only members of squad A recovered before the final blast." They explained a bit more about what happened, but I was not listening. Instead the faces of my unit, their voices, passed through my mind. I did not want to care but I did. These men I had trained and even fought with. Now they were gone, not taken by a soldier. Nor a battle or war, but by sedition and cowardice. My mind combed for anywhere to place the blame, it did not take long for me to find it. Barstow! He had defiantly orchestrated this attack. Looking around through rage and tears I realized I'd have to walk again before I could hunt him down. Yet again, I found myself unable to move, having to be helped to do even the most basic tasks. I was letting my mind wander back to that day with The General, all this for one mission? As the question burned in my mind the door slid open, I remember as it startled me causing me to spill my water, which quickly soaked the linen of my bed. Standing in the door was General Namenda, "Jurgen, good to see your awake.' She made her way into the room standing next to my bed. Her face was hard, masking any emotion, still something stood out like a crack on a perfect sheet of glass. "I spoke to Clemmons, she reported five soldiers set the charges then disappeared." "So your just going to barge in and ask some questions? I gave my reports to the M.Ps." "No, but I understand your irritation. I'm here to give you information." I stayed silent only responding with a uneasy patience. "We have found ties between Barstow and a number of soldiers deployed here at the L.E.N.K. facility. We believe these men are behind the attacks." "Even if he had officers help, Barstow couldn't have organized this." I stated bluntly. "You're right, we currently have a theory that an anti Cirin terrorist organization located somewhere in the ring worlds funded the attack. Possibly in response to a report that has received almost no coverage. The report states a vessel of unknown type left a derelict mining outpost in the asteroid belts. The vessel, we concluded, traveled the distant to Uranus, soon passing a large mining colony, and the vessel was investigated by the colony, per a sent message as to the sighting. There were no survivors of said mining colony. Oddly, I have been told to inform you that your quarry is in flight?" "Larson. Damn him." "Larson as is now second seat High General Larson?" I groaned as I sat up. It all seemed clearer now. "Did Barstow escape?" I asked changing the subject. "Y..yes we believe he was the one to set the final charge, he escaped using the shuttle you brought from the P.T.S." "Of course he did the bastard, how about the other, I know I hit one at least?" "Actually you fired two rounds each struck two different people. We only know one was Barstow as we have his DNA on file." "And what of the facility soldiers? There were what a hundred and fifty men here?" "Three hundred, a small team broke Barstow out of the brig at eleven hundred hours. The team of twelve then assumed uniform and infiltrated a secure sub command terminal in an airlock junction." She stopped for a moment adjusting the tablet she was reading the report from. "According to security logs at twelve hundred hours the infiltrators began venting large portions of the atmosphere from key sections of the facility." "So there was no one to come help." I said mostly to myself as I sat back. "Well that's what we know. Listen I'm only here because you and your unit have proven just how valuable a good squad can be. I can't offer much but whatever you need let me know Jurgen." General Namenda stated as she turned and left, a concern in her voice I didn't quite expect.
My working theory at the time was that Larson had gotten impatient, and or, the Alien tried to run. Either way, he ordered the attack that left the civilian base destroyed, and in turn caused this retaliation by Barstow, who's father owned the attacked facility. Weather he was aware of it, this retaliation, also may have magically lifted him from isolation in Lab H. Of course, I'd have to recover before I could look him in the eye.