The 122nd
Chapter Fourteen: The Meeting
The admiral stood behind an oval table and looked at captain Bryan as he entered the room. The oval table was large and a dark brown wood color, though Bryan knew it probably wasn't wood. The room contained a holographic projector from the ceiling which was displaying the open grass field and the cave. Private Brandon, private Paterson, and corporal Landon were also in the room along with the admiral. Corporal Landon was sitting in a wheel chair and he was wearing a white gown from the medical lab. Bryan knew Landon was still hurt and that he was here only for the meeting. Bryan looked at the faces of Brandon and Paterson, hoping they would be grateful for what he had done yesterday. They both had somber looks on their faces and the feeling of support slowly faded away. It was only Landon looking at Bryan and smiling that kept Bryan's hopes alive.
Admiral Richard looked at Bryan in a serious face and said "Just on time, captain." Bryan smiled hesitantly and stood there in his uniform. The admiral stared at him and said "Are you going to take a seat or just stand there?" Bryan nodded his head nervously and walked over to an empty chair across from the admiral. Brandon and Paterson were seated to Bryan's right, on one end of the table, and Landon in his wheel chair on the other opposite end. Bryan took his seat as he felt his heart racing because of his nervousness. The admiral walked over to the door that Bryan had used to enter and he closed it, locking it with a tap of a key which responded by a beep sound. The admiral walked back over to his side of the table and paused, thinking of what to say. There were papers shuffled on his side of the table and Bryan guessed they were reports. The admiral sighed heavily and slowly walked toward the wall where the projection was being casted. His figure interfered with the projection and Bryan saw part of the image on his back. The admiral stood there for a solid two minutes before he turned around. He looked at Bryan and Bryan returned his stare, still in fear of what would happen.
Finally, the admiral said "We know what happened yesterday. The mission and it's outcome. We had tracked your progress using the satellite and through a camera that one of your soldiers had. Unfortunately, because of the storm and the location, we were unable to read any signal at all or receive any transmission from your team, captain." Bryan held his breath and he listened to the admiral explain the mission to him. Bryan suddenly felt like a pawn in a chess game. The admiral continued and said "Also, I've requested private Brandon and private Paterson to write out reports of what happened yesterday. I spared Landon the effort based on his injuries." The admiral looked at Landon who looked down. The admiral smiled and then let his smile fade away quickly. "I nor anyone expected what your team encountered down there, captain. If I had known what was out there, I would have sent you on a different mission." Bryan didn't respond or have any expression on his face. Bryan only listened to the words admiral Richard was saying.
The admiral looked at the messy pile of papers on the table and removed one of them from the pile. Richard glanced at the paper and then and the four men sitting at the table. As he looked at the paper, he said "This report was written by private Paterson. I want you to review it, captain." Bryan glanced at the paper that the admiral had offered to him. He took the paper that he offered and placed it on the table nervously. Bryan began to read the report that Paterson had written about his progress in the cave. It was detailed about the patrol outside before they had entered the cave and it also explained how Bryan reacted to the hostility within the cave. Most of the content in the paper was about what had happened, but Bryan picked up slight traces of resentment from Paterson's writing. Bryan noticed one line in particular that said that he looked like he was scared and ready to panic. Bryan made a straight face and held back the urge to give Paterson a dirty look.
Bryan finished reading the entire report and looked back up at the admiral, who was adjusting the holographic projector. The admiral said "I'll be just a minute." Bryan nodded his head as he rested the document back onto the table. Bryan glanced at Paterson who was idle at his seat. He was twirling his fingers and he seemed fidgety. Bryan felt like slugging Paterson with his fist but he looked back down at the report instead to avoid sparking a confrontation. Richard finally finished tampering with the projector and said "We monitored your progress. If you look at the projection - " Richard pointed toward the middle of the open field in what was a satellite view of where the mission took place. "- you can see where the drop-ship set down. It immediately lifted off again and if you zoom in, you can see figures emerging. That would be you and your team, captain." Bryan watched carefully as the projection zoomed in and, indeed, he saw the heads of several men. The admiral continued "When you finished your patrol in that clear open space, you went inside a local cave to evade the oncoming weather conditions, which does degrade the quality of the images. We weren't able to track you beyond this last image of you entering the cave, but from what we do know -" The admiral paused and touched the back of his neck with his hand. "- you weren't alone."
The admiral turned off the holographic projection and looked at each and every member of the meeting. Admiral Richard then said "Private Brandon's report was more supportive of the captain than was Paterson's report. I have yet to see what the rest of the soldiers have to say about it, but from these two reports alone it is clear that you were not alone down there. What you encountered was something no one else has seen before." Brandon inhaled deeply through his nose and Landon seemed to have that worried expression on his face. Paterson didn't have any expression on his face and Bryan sat there with his hands on his lap and his back straight up listening attentively to what the admiral was saying. "The projectiles that wounded corporal Landon came from some large beast or creature. We believe it was fired from a tail based on the way it breaks off at the handle." The admiral took a barb from his pocket. It was inside of a plastic bag like those used in investigations. It contained red blood on it and Bryan glanced at Landon. He was alert and listening.
The admiral put both his hands on the table as he glanced up at the wall behind Bryan. "We'll continue this meeting at a later time. I will send a written notice as to when it will be at. For now, I need to get ready to brief the remaining soldiers from your team captain. What was said in this room does not escape this room, understood?" Everyone nodded their heads and said "Yes sir." The admiral turned around, faced the wall, and said "Dismissed." Everyone except for Bryan began to make their way to the entrance. Bryan looked at Landon who was slowly making his way to the door and Landon smiled at him. He couldn't help but smile back at him and Landon said in a soft voice "Thank you, sir." Bryan remained smiling and felt honored. Landon finally left the room and it was only admiral Richard and captain Bryan remaining. Richard turned around after a minute and looked at Bryan. Bryan locked eyes with Richard until he heard the door reopen. When Bryan turned around, he saw private Mike walk into the room. He looked at both Bryan and Richard as he stood there. Admiral Richard said to Bryan "We are done, captain." Bryan bit his lower lip, said "Yes sir", and walked out of the room. The door closed behind him and Bryan pondered whether it was his fault or not.
Admiral Richard looked at Bryan in a serious face and said "Just on time, captain." Bryan smiled hesitantly and stood there in his uniform. The admiral stared at him and said "Are you going to take a seat or just stand there?" Bryan nodded his head nervously and walked over to an empty chair across from the admiral. Brandon and Paterson were seated to Bryan's right, on one end of the table, and Landon in his wheel chair on the other opposite end. Bryan took his seat as he felt his heart racing because of his nervousness. The admiral walked over to the door that Bryan had used to enter and he closed it, locking it with a tap of a key which responded by a beep sound. The admiral walked back over to his side of the table and paused, thinking of what to say. There were papers shuffled on his side of the table and Bryan guessed they were reports. The admiral sighed heavily and slowly walked toward the wall where the projection was being casted. His figure interfered with the projection and Bryan saw part of the image on his back. The admiral stood there for a solid two minutes before he turned around. He looked at Bryan and Bryan returned his stare, still in fear of what would happen.
Finally, the admiral said "We know what happened yesterday. The mission and it's outcome. We had tracked your progress using the satellite and through a camera that one of your soldiers had. Unfortunately, because of the storm and the location, we were unable to read any signal at all or receive any transmission from your team, captain." Bryan held his breath and he listened to the admiral explain the mission to him. Bryan suddenly felt like a pawn in a chess game. The admiral continued and said "Also, I've requested private Brandon and private Paterson to write out reports of what happened yesterday. I spared Landon the effort based on his injuries." The admiral looked at Landon who looked down. The admiral smiled and then let his smile fade away quickly. "I nor anyone expected what your team encountered down there, captain. If I had known what was out there, I would have sent you on a different mission." Bryan didn't respond or have any expression on his face. Bryan only listened to the words admiral Richard was saying.
The admiral looked at the messy pile of papers on the table and removed one of them from the pile. Richard glanced at the paper and then and the four men sitting at the table. As he looked at the paper, he said "This report was written by private Paterson. I want you to review it, captain." Bryan glanced at the paper that the admiral had offered to him. He took the paper that he offered and placed it on the table nervously. Bryan began to read the report that Paterson had written about his progress in the cave. It was detailed about the patrol outside before they had entered the cave and it also explained how Bryan reacted to the hostility within the cave. Most of the content in the paper was about what had happened, but Bryan picked up slight traces of resentment from Paterson's writing. Bryan noticed one line in particular that said that he looked like he was scared and ready to panic. Bryan made a straight face and held back the urge to give Paterson a dirty look.
Bryan finished reading the entire report and looked back up at the admiral, who was adjusting the holographic projector. The admiral said "I'll be just a minute." Bryan nodded his head as he rested the document back onto the table. Bryan glanced at Paterson who was idle at his seat. He was twirling his fingers and he seemed fidgety. Bryan felt like slugging Paterson with his fist but he looked back down at the report instead to avoid sparking a confrontation. Richard finally finished tampering with the projector and said "We monitored your progress. If you look at the projection - " Richard pointed toward the middle of the open field in what was a satellite view of where the mission took place. "- you can see where the drop-ship set down. It immediately lifted off again and if you zoom in, you can see figures emerging. That would be you and your team, captain." Bryan watched carefully as the projection zoomed in and, indeed, he saw the heads of several men. The admiral continued "When you finished your patrol in that clear open space, you went inside a local cave to evade the oncoming weather conditions, which does degrade the quality of the images. We weren't able to track you beyond this last image of you entering the cave, but from what we do know -" The admiral paused and touched the back of his neck with his hand. "- you weren't alone."
The admiral turned off the holographic projection and looked at each and every member of the meeting. Admiral Richard then said "Private Brandon's report was more supportive of the captain than was Paterson's report. I have yet to see what the rest of the soldiers have to say about it, but from these two reports alone it is clear that you were not alone down there. What you encountered was something no one else has seen before." Brandon inhaled deeply through his nose and Landon seemed to have that worried expression on his face. Paterson didn't have any expression on his face and Bryan sat there with his hands on his lap and his back straight up listening attentively to what the admiral was saying. "The projectiles that wounded corporal Landon came from some large beast or creature. We believe it was fired from a tail based on the way it breaks off at the handle." The admiral took a barb from his pocket. It was inside of a plastic bag like those used in investigations. It contained red blood on it and Bryan glanced at Landon. He was alert and listening.
The admiral put both his hands on the table as he glanced up at the wall behind Bryan. "We'll continue this meeting at a later time. I will send a written notice as to when it will be at. For now, I need to get ready to brief the remaining soldiers from your team captain. What was said in this room does not escape this room, understood?" Everyone nodded their heads and said "Yes sir." The admiral turned around, faced the wall, and said "Dismissed." Everyone except for Bryan began to make their way to the entrance. Bryan looked at Landon who was slowly making his way to the door and Landon smiled at him. He couldn't help but smile back at him and Landon said in a soft voice "Thank you, sir." Bryan remained smiling and felt honored. Landon finally left the room and it was only admiral Richard and captain Bryan remaining. Richard turned around after a minute and looked at Bryan. Bryan locked eyes with Richard until he heard the door reopen. When Bryan turned around, he saw private Mike walk into the room. He looked at both Bryan and Richard as he stood there. Admiral Richard said to Bryan "We are done, captain." Bryan bit his lower lip, said "Yes sir", and walked out of the room. The door closed behind him and Bryan pondered whether it was his fault or not.