L H A { 1 - 1 }
I awoke with a jerk and groaned as my head slammed against solid metal which caused a stab of pain to travel through my body forcing my eyes to squint tightly until the pain passed. I sighed a little then opened my eyes slowly allowing my eyes time to adjust from the darkness behind my eyelids to the light that bathed me and the other soldiers around me.
The truck was extremely old, probably a relic from some war that happened before my time. The engineers had managed to piece the vehicle together good enough to have it working as a transport for us. I held my tongue when it came to the doubts that swam through my mind. Parts of the floor beneath our feet were gone, leaving the ground beneath us highly visible, the sight unsettled me a bit and I quickly laid my head back against the bar my head had hit a few moments earlier, my eyes starting to close as I heard a chuckle from my right. A low growl coming from me in response.
I was about to speak when the squad leaders voice broke the silence and stopped the chuckling "Stow it Halver!" I smirked enough for the male named Halver to see. Served him right. I had come into the group as a form of replacment for the team's recon trooper. I had asked a few times about the whereabouts of my predecessor but I only received sad expressions or the usual None of your buisness, response_._ After a while the squad leader told me to just drop the topic and leave it alone. A part of me wanted to know the reason but I was smart enough to know when to let something go.
My mind had nearly drifted to sleep when I heard a knock coming from the cab of the truck, the sleep instantly vanishing from my mind as the more duty oriented part of my mind took over. I felt like I was ready for what was to come but I still had that queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I cleared my throat and concentrated on what I had been trained to do. Relay messages, watch feed from the satellite we had taken control of and pretty much just stay out of the way of the real soldiers.
I mentally scoffed at that thought. Real soldiers. That had been the way I had been spoken of, more of a burden than anything. I rolled my eyes as I turned my body to the right, giving my right hand enough room to grab my RASR {Ranged Assault and Supression Rifle.} I didn't care much for the science behind the weapon but I knew enough to tell anyone that it was a good weapon, even if it was extremely slow firing. It used a single large round that could, according to our scientists, shoot the T off a tank before it saw you. Whatever that meant.
After I checked the weapon to make sure it was fine I reached into the ammo compartment along my right leg and grabbed the bullet. I looked it over a bit, I was surprised that this one little shell could be fired three times before needing to be reloaded. It was too bad that each shot after the first was considerably weaker then the last. I shook my head a bit sadly as I closed the ammo compartment that hid in the armor along my right leg then lifted the rifle to look down the green sight, glad to see that the crosshair moved with my eye.
I had to admit, the tech was amazing even if I didn't understand it. Weapon checked and ready I placed it back on the rack to my right and grabbed my helmet. It was small but managed to protect the top half of my head while a, supposed, bullet proof glass crossed the front of my face projecting a heads up display that used the entire glass surface. I looked to my right and watched as a green outline appeared on those near me. I turned my head to look out the back of the truck and watched as a line crossed the glass faceplate and outlined each tree, rock and blade of grass.
In the back of my mind I felt as if I could see everything at once but when I viewed the screen I saw only what I would normally see. It was a weird feeling. Some had compared the feeling with something called scope-eye where someone saw down their scope even after they had stopped looking through said scope. I didn't know what people called what was happening to me but I didn't mind the effect. I felt like I could see everything and with my role in the team that felt more like a advantage than a problem.
I tightened the clasp on the armor that covered my wrists before checking the pauldron on my left shoulder then made sure the armor covering my thighs and ankles were tight. I was no where close to being as armored as the others around me and I knew that. Where i only had mediocre armor they had full body armor that made them look more machine them human. I was certain I had one advantage over them. I was more agile and quicker.
I grimaced at that thought. Better to be quick and dead than slow and dead, I remembered a scientist at the facility saying. Another thought quickly passing through my mind as I watched the others around me, At least I dont wear my coffin. I shook my head and watched as two of the soldiers just sat there. They were as unarmored as I was and I knew why. They were left-overs from a previous war. More like robots than actual people yet not people. They seemed more like animals. The two stuck together no matter were the other went. Both appeared to be female in appearance.
I had questions about them but I had been straight up told not to get close or bother them. Apparently they were irradiated to a point that coming into contact with a human would kill them. Which was probably why the soldiers gave them such a wide berth and kept the animals back near me. Upon remembering the irradiated part I slid a bit closer to the soldier next to me, my eyes catching a sort of sad expression on the lion-like females face before she began to look at the other female, who looked similar to a wolf, the wolf nodding before lowering her head.
For a moment a small amount of sympathy mixed with pity went through my mind before i shook my head. I didn't understand why such creatures were employed by the ESOE goverment. Maybe the creatures would have been better left where they had been found instead of having them waste what was left of their life in the military. I found myself staring at the two females, wondering just what the creatures were capable of. Their minds seemed blank and that was about all I read from them. I shook my head again, letting my mind go back into the empty calmness that I tried to keep it in.
I had become a recon unit because of my...I stopped my line of thinking there for a moment as I moved my hand up to rub the back of my neck. Abilities, I thought to myself. That was the best and only real way I could explain it. I had been told that they were inherited but others theorized that I was as irradiated as the creatures that I had just pitied and held sympathy for a few moments earlier. Tests had been run and they had come back negative. I wasn't irradiated. The scientists did find something in my body that they wouldn't tell me about and instead told me I was fit for service in the military. From there I went through almost three years worth of training to control my innate abilities.
It ate away at me whenever I saw the scientists looking at me and whispering to one another. Like everyone had a secret that they weren't going to tell me. I wasn't sure why but the thought annoyed me a bit. After a while the scientists stopped and I went on with my training.
By the time I was finished I had been told that I had a affinity for reading emotion and generating energy. At that thought I lowered my head to look at the bracers on my wrists. I had spent another year at a facility learning to use the bracers. If i concentrated enough I could manifest a kind of mental blade that cut through almost any material. I wasn't the only one who could do it so it wasn't much of a shock to the scientists. I was labeled from there and had the bracers fused to my wrists before being sent out for my first tour.
I shook my head again. I didn't have time to pity anyone considering I had my own problems. I cleared my mind again and let out a yawn before starting to stand. My eyes blinked in shock as things began to slow down. I felt something, a kind of dejavu hazed through my mind before my mouth opened and the word "MINE!!" spout forth. I felt shock mix with fear, annoyance, and disbelief before I felt a severe amount of pain. It was near blinding.
I sensed the explosion before I felt it and before I could react my mind acted and instinctivly forced energy through my body and sent me flying from the vehicle. A groan escaped my mouth as I hit the ground hard and rolled a few times. When I stopped I looked back towards the truck, or at least what was left of it. I closed my eyes and concentrated, clearing my mind of my own thoughts as I felt for the thoughts of others. It was there. I felt mainly pain. With the pain came emptyness. I opened my eyes and let my mind rest for a brief second before I mentally yelled at myself to get up.
I didn't know what to do. I wasn't a leader, if someone was alive as I had felt in my mind then they would know what to do. I needed to search for who ever it was and find out what to do from here. If anyone was left in the truck there was no hope of finding and burying the bodies so there was no reason to stick around. I felt oddly cold about the whole situation. I didn't know anyone in the fire team. Their deaths seemed more like watching something on TV. I was alive and that was what counted.
I didn't allow my mind to think any further then that. I knew if I kept going with that line of thought I would start questioning my morals and right now that would just cause me more confusion. I organized my thoughts into something I could follow. Survivors. With that I brought up my HUD and looked for signs that any armor or chip was still active. I saw four green dots on the map. I was one. There were two chips and a active armor system. I checked the map and saw that it was a good fifty feet within the forest. I blinked surprised. I wasn't the only survivor but why were they in the forest?