D+05:10
Sergeant Rulmen of 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 55th Donegal Jump Infantry looked down again at the giant hole illuminated in the midday sun. “I feel really bad for the salvage guys on this one.” His team left their jump packs in the Karnov 15 meters distant, currently under the watchful eyes of their 2nd Platoon. The other broken mechs here were clear, no living pilots, no dead ones either. An Anhur had departed shortly before they arrived and he really hoped that VTOL didn’t have General Steiner inside, Colonel Specter scared him more than the Falcons did.
The rest of his platoon was setting up the rappel rig, their packs were for short hops over broken terrain they couldn’t scale a 12 meter vertical distance in a single bound. It was nice to not have the heavy pack on but he never liked trusting a rope either.
Looking back at his lieutenant he got the thumbs up and clipped himself in with the other six troopers in his squad. Securing his weapon and putting his hands on the rappel rig he backed up to the gap, “Remember drop down, land soft, unclip, spread then over-watch. 3, 2, 1”
Three lines had been strung down and the squad dropped hard at first friction breaking with their legs and the harness each of them wore. They dropped down, landing was solid, un-clipped and had their rifles out while the rest of the platoon followed. With everyone down his squad checked the mech, it was a gruesome sight Adam could have easily broken his back during that fall which is why a litter was being dropped down behind. The PFC he assigned to the cockpit looked his way, “Sarge, claw marks”
He looked closer at the armor that covered the FerroGlaz those were claw marks all right, “Elementals, El Tee we’re going to need the heavy weapons.”
LT Volgrin called it in and a crate was lowered down carrying LAWs every trooper grabbed a missile tube and squads began to fan out keeping visual contact with at least one other squad as comms were poor here. Their white rifle lights picking up motes of dust in the creepy, cramped corridors of the fortress even the noise of their boots seemed to be absorbed into the inky blackness. Lights looked up, down, left, and right regularly rotating to watch their rear and ensure the other squad was following.
Rulmen stopped at a recessed alcove, something caught his attention. The dust here had been disturbed recently and majorly but not by an elemental. He raised his fist to call a halt, the second squad stopped as well but remained quiet watching and waiting. “Abrams, get the hatch. Everyone else stay clear”
PFC Abrams did as ordered opening the heavy metal hatch which was still whisper quiet no creaking clearly maintained which was rather suspicious. The tunnel behind was empty and small but a man could fit in it, “Friendlies! Fifty-Fifth”
“No go away! Monsters will get you too.”
Rulmen knew Adam Steiner’s voice, very few people in the Commonwealth wouldn’t actually because he was so popular though he didn’t like it. He had served under this man for years but it sounded different, clearly he was in pain and something awful had happened to him if he was talking about monsters. There were no blood so the Elementals hadn’t gotten to him, they certainly wouldn’t have left if they had found him. This was something different.
Rulmen looked over to his squad, “Ready a stretcher,” addressing his Corporal directly, “Get the Medic here right away.” The man ran back the way they had come to get the LT and Platoon Medic.
The other Squad moved forward to ensure nothing snuck up on them while they were rescuing the General but they hadn’t heard anything he said. Rulmen passed his rifle to one of the squaddies and entered the corridor, he’d have to pull Steiner out himself it seemed.
Rulmen crouched and walked his way toward the bend where Steiner was sitting, his head was down due to the height of the tunnel but he looked blanched except on his left side which was covered in bruises. “General, we have to go. There are Falcon Elementals nearby.”
He looked over at the Sergeant his eyes were wide in terror, “No, all dead”
Sarge hadn’t been expecting that, “What do you mean all dead? Who killed them?”
His voice was tinged in fear and panic, no Clanner ever scared Adam like that before and he had fought and killed plenty of them, “All dead. Ripped to pieces by a monster. I saw it, I saw it all. Have you ever seen a man ripped in half?
“No”
“I saw a Minotaur do it. It was real. Looked just like the legends. So much blood. I didn’t know a body had so much blood.”
‘Minotaurs? I really hope he doesn’t have the Steiner madness too. We already have enough mad Steiners’
Volgrin had arrived, “Come on Sarge! Let’s go! Grab Steiner and pull his ass out so we can go home. I don’t like being exposed like this.”
“Come on Adam, you have to get moving. Rachel wants you back before dark.”
He appeared to come back to his senses ‘Thank God’ he had a hell of contusion on his head, that was going to be painful it might even slow down the invasion while he healed up, “Rachel?”
“Yes Rachel, come on. We’ll give you a ride back. Just a little bit further and we can treat those injuries of yours.”
“But the Minotaur?”
“Minotaur’s can’t fly or come out of the Maze. We can do both you’ll be fine, trust me.” Rulmen grabbed his shoulder in a reassuring manner and Adam followed.
D+07:48 - FCS Somerset Striker, 1st Somerset Striker Drop Base
Obersh Rachel Specter was watching over Adam now resting quietly after a harrowing ordeal in the field. Sergeant Patrick Rulmen was beside her continuing his debrief, "Minotaur?"
"That is what he said Colonel. I don't know if he was delirious in pain and imagining it or if it was indeed real but he looked awful scared in that tunnel. It could have been shock I'm not a Medic. I'm sorry i can't help more."
"You've done quite enough Sergeant. I can't verify anything and we can't send a team looking from the Eighth on monster hunting duty in that old fortress. I'd get a Section Eight for sure. We'll keep this off the official record."
