The 122nd
Chapter Four: Arrival
The drop-ship was already in the air and everyone was accounted for. Take-off was always a thrill to Bryan and this was no exception. As the drop-ship began it's smooth ride towards the drop zone, Bryan thought back to who he had accounted for before everyone was loaded into the drop-ship. The drop-ship itself was shaped in a long oval shape with the head housing the pilot and copilot, the mid-section containing the passengers, the rear having the rear wings shaped up and sideways, and the wings looking like a high-powered jet plane with numerous missiles attached and hidden within the design of the engine compartment. Everyone had taken a seat within the drop-ship on opposite sides of the interior wall and the only sign they could all hear, excluding the pilot and copilot who had the cockpit window, was the constant hum of the engine and the whoosh of the wind.
The manifest of the crew was as followed: There was private Brandon, who he had encountered before the admiral had arrived. He appeared to be a light hearted fellow but it was still too soon and early to make a judgment about him. There was private Tom and private Rob, who appeared to stick together quite a bit. There was private Vernas. He was tall. About 6'2" he had estimated. Private Gonzalas seemed to be the one who blended in with the rest of them and he had a confident personality. There was private Mike, who was of dark complexion but powerful indeed. He knew that he was strong and definitely capable of pulling the team through. There was corporal Landon, who seemed to have a slight air of leadership and authority, not to mention his slick black hair. Everyone else who was on the manifest seemed quiet or nervous, but he was able to recall their names. Private Jones, private Paterson, private Hutchison, private Sawyer, private Jake, private Travis, and private Cline. A total of fourteen soldiers, excluding himself, the pilot, and the copilot. The pilot was a female flight officer named Christy. She seemed honest enough, but Bryan had his suspicions about her and how well she could be depended on. The copilot he didn't catch a glance of but he knew that he was a male.
Aside from that, everyone in the passenger section of the plane seemed to be relaxing and talking amongst themselves. Bryan looked at the pistol he had armed himself with prior to boarding the drop-ship. It was black in color and had a good, reliable weight to it. He made sure to equip himself with at least a pistol before heading to this mission. Bryan didn't want to risk finding another band of nomads again.
It didn't take long before the drop-ship speaker announced the female pilots voice. "We've reached the drop-zone. We'll be dropped you all off as soon as we get our landing gear up and find a suitable location to land in." Bryan took his seat next to corporal Landon and glanced among the faces. Private Rob and Mike were the ones to glance back at Bryan. Private Gonzalas seemed to be sitting there zoned out. Vernas seemed to have closed his eyes and Bryan knew he was dozing off. Bryan made a head motion to corporal Landon and said "Wake up Vernas. We're about to head out. I don't want him asleep when we go in." Corporal Landon nodded his head and shouted to private Paterson, who sat next to him, "Paterson, wake up Vernas!" Paterson looked at Landon for a moment. He then bumped his shoulder on Vernas's side. Vernas, not too pleased with the hit, winced at the surprising hit he gave him. Bryan chuckled as he witnessed Vernas give Paterson one of those evil looks that would make him regret ever doing it.
Within those minutes, the pilot once again spoke through the speakers. "We've found a suitable landing grid and we will be landing in approximately three minutes. Buckle up everyone." As the drop-shop rocked and shook from the turbulence, Bryan planned out how he would go about evacuating the passengers. He figured the corporal would take squad two and go out first, followed by himself and squad one. Both squads would set up a circle defense around the drop-ship until it took off again. The drop-ship would definitely be nearby, but just not at the mission area itself. He calculated the time it would take for all of this to take place and he estimated a good three to five minutes is all it should take.
As the three minutes finally came, Bryan felt the drop-ship descend. Before the drop-ship landed on the ground, Bryan shouted "Corporal, take position by the door. Private Cline, I want you with him as well - other side of the door." The two followed his order and they took position at both sides of the door. As he felt the drop-ship finally landing, the pilot chimed in, "We're on the ground, cleared for depature." Bryan then saw Landon open the passenger door and without any hesitation, Bryan shouted the order. "Lets move out!"
The soldiers sitting on the passenger side of the door went out first in a line followed by the ones on the opposite side. Bryan evacuated after them and lastly, corporal Landon and private Cline. Bryan immediately shouted, "Circle formation around the drop-ship. Be alert everyone!" They did as he commanded and within a matter of minutes, he felt the drop-ship was secured. The roaring of the engine was in his ear. Bryan shouted onto his radio, which he took before leaving the drop-ship, "Take off and take point pilot." The pilot acknowledged him and replied "Yes sir." Seconds later, the drop-ship rose in the air again and everyone watched as the ship slowly ascended back into the air and turned around until it went beyond the trees and out of sight. Bryan shouted into the radio, "Stay on point until we're ready for pick-up." The pilot responded again. "Yes sir."
Bryan exhaled heavily as he then focused his attention to the soldiers, and then to the surrounding landscape. True to the admiral's word, it was an open space filled with grass. It looked to be about three miles in length and width and it was surrounded by tall trees that would appear to be pine trees if compared to the ones on Earth. The sky was a sort of overcast gray and he could feel the strong wind gusting at his skin. He glanced at the soldiers momentarily. Captain Bryan than shouted, "Tune your radio frequencies for incoming squad commands." The soldiers seemed to adjust their helmets that they all had on and confirmed, one by one, when they did so. When every voice had spoken, Bryan acknowledged by saying "Good." Bryan shouted over the radio, "Private Brandon, Tom, Rob, Vernas, Gonzalas, and Mike are with me. We will be squad one. Corporal Landon, I want you to lead squad two with the remaining soldiers: private Jones, Paterson, Hutchison, Sawyer, Jake, Travis, and Cline." Bryan heard the corporal reply "Yes sir." Bryan continued "Squad two is to take the lead followed by squad 1. We'll go slow and cautiously and we'll patrol the area around the cave first. As soon as things are clear for a while, we'll settle into the cave and keep our eyes open for any hostile threats out here. We only have five hours out here. Lets make the most of it."
Bryan hoped that those five hours would pass as quickly as possible...
The manifest of the crew was as followed: There was private Brandon, who he had encountered before the admiral had arrived. He appeared to be a light hearted fellow but it was still too soon and early to make a judgment about him. There was private Tom and private Rob, who appeared to stick together quite a bit. There was private Vernas. He was tall. About 6'2" he had estimated. Private Gonzalas seemed to be the one who blended in with the rest of them and he had a confident personality. There was private Mike, who was of dark complexion but powerful indeed. He knew that he was strong and definitely capable of pulling the team through. There was corporal Landon, who seemed to have a slight air of leadership and authority, not to mention his slick black hair. Everyone else who was on the manifest seemed quiet or nervous, but he was able to recall their names. Private Jones, private Paterson, private Hutchison, private Sawyer, private Jake, private Travis, and private Cline. A total of fourteen soldiers, excluding himself, the pilot, and the copilot. The pilot was a female flight officer named Christy. She seemed honest enough, but Bryan had his suspicions about her and how well she could be depended on. The copilot he didn't catch a glance of but he knew that he was a male.
Aside from that, everyone in the passenger section of the plane seemed to be relaxing and talking amongst themselves. Bryan looked at the pistol he had armed himself with prior to boarding the drop-ship. It was black in color and had a good, reliable weight to it. He made sure to equip himself with at least a pistol before heading to this mission. Bryan didn't want to risk finding another band of nomads again.
It didn't take long before the drop-ship speaker announced the female pilots voice. "We've reached the drop-zone. We'll be dropped you all off as soon as we get our landing gear up and find a suitable location to land in." Bryan took his seat next to corporal Landon and glanced among the faces. Private Rob and Mike were the ones to glance back at Bryan. Private Gonzalas seemed to be sitting there zoned out. Vernas seemed to have closed his eyes and Bryan knew he was dozing off. Bryan made a head motion to corporal Landon and said "Wake up Vernas. We're about to head out. I don't want him asleep when we go in." Corporal Landon nodded his head and shouted to private Paterson, who sat next to him, "Paterson, wake up Vernas!" Paterson looked at Landon for a moment. He then bumped his shoulder on Vernas's side. Vernas, not too pleased with the hit, winced at the surprising hit he gave him. Bryan chuckled as he witnessed Vernas give Paterson one of those evil looks that would make him regret ever doing it.
Within those minutes, the pilot once again spoke through the speakers. "We've found a suitable landing grid and we will be landing in approximately three minutes. Buckle up everyone." As the drop-shop rocked and shook from the turbulence, Bryan planned out how he would go about evacuating the passengers. He figured the corporal would take squad two and go out first, followed by himself and squad one. Both squads would set up a circle defense around the drop-ship until it took off again. The drop-ship would definitely be nearby, but just not at the mission area itself. He calculated the time it would take for all of this to take place and he estimated a good three to five minutes is all it should take.
As the three minutes finally came, Bryan felt the drop-ship descend. Before the drop-ship landed on the ground, Bryan shouted "Corporal, take position by the door. Private Cline, I want you with him as well - other side of the door." The two followed his order and they took position at both sides of the door. As he felt the drop-ship finally landing, the pilot chimed in, "We're on the ground, cleared for depature." Bryan then saw Landon open the passenger door and without any hesitation, Bryan shouted the order. "Lets move out!"
The soldiers sitting on the passenger side of the door went out first in a line followed by the ones on the opposite side. Bryan evacuated after them and lastly, corporal Landon and private Cline. Bryan immediately shouted, "Circle formation around the drop-ship. Be alert everyone!" They did as he commanded and within a matter of minutes, he felt the drop-ship was secured. The roaring of the engine was in his ear. Bryan shouted onto his radio, which he took before leaving the drop-ship, "Take off and take point pilot." The pilot acknowledged him and replied "Yes sir." Seconds later, the drop-ship rose in the air again and everyone watched as the ship slowly ascended back into the air and turned around until it went beyond the trees and out of sight. Bryan shouted into the radio, "Stay on point until we're ready for pick-up." The pilot responded again. "Yes sir."
Bryan exhaled heavily as he then focused his attention to the soldiers, and then to the surrounding landscape. True to the admiral's word, it was an open space filled with grass. It looked to be about three miles in length and width and it was surrounded by tall trees that would appear to be pine trees if compared to the ones on Earth. The sky was a sort of overcast gray and he could feel the strong wind gusting at his skin. He glanced at the soldiers momentarily. Captain Bryan than shouted, "Tune your radio frequencies for incoming squad commands." The soldiers seemed to adjust their helmets that they all had on and confirmed, one by one, when they did so. When every voice had spoken, Bryan acknowledged by saying "Good." Bryan shouted over the radio, "Private Brandon, Tom, Rob, Vernas, Gonzalas, and Mike are with me. We will be squad one. Corporal Landon, I want you to lead squad two with the remaining soldiers: private Jones, Paterson, Hutchison, Sawyer, Jake, Travis, and Cline." Bryan heard the corporal reply "Yes sir." Bryan continued "Squad two is to take the lead followed by squad 1. We'll go slow and cautiously and we'll patrol the area around the cave first. As soon as things are clear for a while, we'll settle into the cave and keep our eyes open for any hostile threats out here. We only have five hours out here. Lets make the most of it."
Bryan hoped that those five hours would pass as quickly as possible...