Valuable Intelligence
Copyright 2012 by Jason R. Martin
Smashwords Edition
Chapter 1
John Gallagher lay in the middle of an open field among green grass and blooming flowers. He was at peace. Feeling the warmth of the sun on his face, he opened his eyes to take in the beautiful day. A tall brunette woman approached him from across the field. She knelt down beside him. She reached out and gently placed a hand on his cheek. She was speaking, but he couldn't understand what she was saying. Her mouth was moving, but there was no sound. When he didn't respond, she placed her other hand on his shoulder and began to shake him.
“Sgt. Gallagher!! Sgt. Gallagher!! Sgt. John Gallagher!! Can you hear me?” John's mind was foggy. He was in a peaceful place and didn't want to leave. The tall brunette would not stop shaking him. He was starting to get angry! “What do you want!!” John yelled in response. “Leave me alone!!”
“I want you to wake up Sgt. Gallagher! It's me, Doc! Wake up please!”
“Wha...What's going...Doc...What's happened to me?” Sgt. Gallagher finally replied.
“You have suffered a mild concussion, two cracked ribs and a cracked left femur.” Doc replied.
“What? How? Where am I?” Sgt. Gallagher asked from his groggy, prone position.
“You are currently on refining and mining planet RM-772-24 conducting an important mission for the Fleet Marine Striker Battalion, Alpha Company, third platoon, third squad,” Doc said.
“Ok....Ok... Doc...it's coming back to me now,” Sgt. Gallagher said.
“Good,” Doc said. “You have been unconscious for quite some time. I have injected you with painkillers and healing nanobots. They have almost completed the healing process. Please remain still for a short while longer while they finish their work.”
“That won't be a problem, Doc. I feel like I was hit by a truck,” Sgt. Gallagher said.
“Not a truck Sgt. Gallagher. It was a building. The building we were taking refuge in collapsed on top of us. It suffered an almost direct hit from long range artillery.”
“The enemy knows where we are?” Sgt. Gallagher asked.
“Not likely,” Doc said. “The artillery was just firing in our general direction.”
Sgt. Gallagher admired Doc's clinical assessment of the situation, but that's what medical androids were built for after all. Their ability to diagnose and treat wounded FMSB Marines in extreme combat situations was common knowledge throughout the fleet. Doc had been with third platoon for almost three years now. About three years ago FMSB command deemed it necessary to replace human docs with medical androids. The human docs had suffered an extremely high mortality rate. They were being killed faster than they could be replaced.
Sgt. Gallagher had played an integral part in the usage of medical androids within the fleet. Doc had been the first medical android assigned to the fleet. His resounding success with third squad had led to the mass production and integration of medical androids into the FMSB. When a human doc was killed, he was now being replaced with a medical android.
Sgt. Gallagher lay on his back looking up at Doc. He wondered if medical androids would ever really be fully accepted by fleet marines. Even after three years some squads had difficulty accepting a non-human doc as a replacement. Over the years Doc and Sgt. Gallagher had become close friends. Third squad had grown to accept him and trust him with their lives.
Doc did look human. He was six feet tall with an athletic build, brown hair and blue eyes. Doc's body armor was identical to Sgt. Gallagher's except for its lack of name or rank insignia. Doc had a large black caduceus embossed on the chest and back of his armor. The caduceus made him easily identifiable on the battlefield as a combat medic. The armor was constructed of a charcoal gray metal alloy with black flexible joints. His helmet was also charcoal gray with a black visor. It housed the “Helmet Virtual Display” (HVD). The HVD was an important part of the marines’ armor. It allowed access to communications, weapons and many other advanced features. All FMSB marines wore the armor in combat.
Doc's voice brought Sgt. Gallagher out of his momentary reverie.
“Sgt. Gallagher,” Doc said, “The nanobots have finished their work.”
Doc bent over and helped Sgt. Gallagher to his feet. He stood and surveyed the pile of rubble that surrounded them. “How many wounded in third squad, Doc?”
“One,” Doc said.
“One!” Sgt. Gallagher said obviously stunned. “How can that be Doc? You said we suffered a near direct hit by long range artillery. How can I be the only one wounded?”
Doc was quiet for a moment then said in a low voice, “Because, Sgt. Gallagher, you are the only survivor of third squad. There is no one else left alive.”
Sgt. Gallagher was stunned into silence for a moment. Then he asked cautiously, “No one else survived? How can that be Doc? I survived, someone else must have I....”
“While you were unconscious, I searched the rubble. I located the remains of third squad, Sgt. Gallagher. You are the only survivor,” Doc said.
Sgt. Gallagher sat down on the nearest pile of rubble. Third squad gone, it couldn't be. They had been such a fine group of marines. Sgt. Davis, his second in command, had refused promotion and transfer countless times to stay with third squad. When he asked him why he wouldn't transfer and take command of his own squad, he always replied the same way, “This is where I belong; and this is where I'm going to stay,” stubborn and determined to the end.
Corporal Harris, third squad’s point man, communications and tech expert, was also gone in an instant. Cpl. Harris had been a real asset to third squad. He was on the verge of promotion to sergeant. Sgt. Gallagher would have enthusiastically recommended his promotion when the time came.
Lance Corporal Todd was the junior member of the squad. He had shown great promise. He always obeyed orders without question and did his best no matter what was asked of him.
“Sgt. Gallagher?” Doc asked, “Are you okay?”
Sgt. Gallagher didn't respond.
“Sgt. Gallagher?” Doc repeated. Doc knelt down beside him. Sgt. Gallagher turned and asked in a hushed voice, “How did I survive?”
“I was standing next to you when the building collapsed. I shielded you with my body,” Doc said.
“You shielded me? You saved my life you mean,” Sgt. Gallagher said.
“Yes, I did.” Doc said.
“Thank you,” Sgt. Gallagher said quietly.
“You are welcome,” Doc said.
They sat in silence for some time. Then Doc said, “We must go Sgt. Gallagher. Enemy patrols will be coming. They are searching for us.”
“Our mission is a failure.... I've lost third squad,” Sgt. Gallagher said as he looked off into the distance.
“Our mission is not a failure,” Doc said.
“What do you mean?” Sgt. Gallagher replied. ”I'm the only survivor. The intelligence was destroyed with Cpl. Harris.”
“That's true,” Doc said. “The original copy of the intelligence was crushed with Cpl. Harris. When the shelling started, Cpl. Harris uploaded the intelligence into my central processing unit (CPU) for safe keeping.”
Sgt. Gallagher was silent. Uploading classified intelligence to an android was a breach of security. Cpl. Harris had known this and had done it anyway. Thank you Cpl. Harris, Sgt. Gallagher thought to himself. I could always count on you.
“You have a copy of the intelligence?” Sgt. Gallagher asked.
“Yes,” Doc said.
“We still have a chance,” Sgt. Gallagher said. “Time till extraction, Doc?”
“4.27 hours” Doc said.
“We can make it... We might still be able to make it,” Sgt. Gallagher said.
Sgt. Gallagher stood up and regained his composure. The mission had to be completed. The members of third squad would not die in vain.
“Gather supplies from the dead,” Sgt. Gallagher ordered. He bent over, picked up his weapon and said dryly, “We're moving out.”
Chapter 2
Sgt. Gallagher let Doc gather the water, which was a total of two ampules. He took the ampules and snapped them to the rear of his armor. He had plenty of water if everything went according to plan. If they missed this extraction, it would be difficult if not impossible for FMSB command to send in another drop ship.
Sgt. Gallagher carried the standard weapon issued to all FMSB squad leaders, an over-under laser bolt rifle/grenade launcher. The laser bolt was on top with the launcher on bottom. He hoped their ammo supply would be sufficient. So far they had been lucky. Cautiously navigating the outskirts of this abandoned mining city, they had yet to see anything or anyone.
The enemy didn't have tracking satellites in orbit or any significant air power to speak of. However, they did have a superior number of troops on the ground and light tanks in certain areas. The best plan to make it off this planet was to move quickly and stay out of sight.
One thing in their favor was that their armor completely masked their heat signature. It also provided them with an “Active Cloak.” When activated the cloaking device could render them invisible for short periods of time. Sgt. Gallagher and Doc had used it many times in combat situations to evade and confuse the enemy. It had to be used sparingly however, due to its massive power consumption.
For some reason that he never understood medical androids were not allowed to have names or rank. Sgt Gallagher thought about this as they walked through the rubble. Androids were considered to be the property of whichever unit they were assigned. He glanced at Doc, a medical android, the only survivor of third squad beside himself. He didn't think of Doc as an android or property any longer. He hadn't for a long time. Doc was his friend and companion. At least he had survived.
It seemed like they had been walking for a long time when Doc broke the silence, “Movement, I am detecting movement, fifty yards out, three bogeys at ten o'clock and approaching fast. They appear to be reconnaissance drones.”
Reconnaissance drones and other types of drones were used frequently by the enemy. They were small, oval shaped, hovering drones. They were slightly larger than a human fist and covered with sensors. The weapons they carried were minimal. It wasn't their job to attack, only to observe and report. They were no doubt part of some enemy scouting unit sent to find them.
“I see them,” Sgt. Gallagher replied calmly. “Engage active cloak.”
Doc and Sgt. Gallagher disappeared from view. They could still see each other via their helmets’ virtual displays.
The recon drones were right on top of them. It was clear they had lost their target lock. Doc and Sgt. Gallagher were cloaked and standing still, so they couldn't be detected.
“Wait....Wait....Now!!” Sgt. Gallagher and the Doc moved from cover. Sgt. Gallagher shot down the two drones on the left. Doc shot the one on the right. They held their weapons at the ready, scanning the area for additional targets.
“Disengage active cloak,” Sgt. Gallagher ordered. They both reappeared, moving slowly forward to examine the remnants of the drones. Sgt. Gallagher pushed one with his armored foot. “They look like standard enemy reconnaissance drones. Did they get off a signal?”