sift through the data gathered during the crash. It took only seconds for the system to find the most likely explanation to his indirect query. The data showed that the transport craft broke apart in midair and ejected all of its occupants. Just before Duntan had impacted the ground at terminal velocity the suit had registered his loss of consciousness and used its own logic processor to activate a repulsor field around Duntan, greatly diminishing the speed at which he hit the ground. Usually the field is activated only during a controlled descent in high altitude covert drops, but had worked sufficiently well in this instance.
A diagram of the entire suit appeared on the screen beside the diagnostic window and let Duntan know about its current condition. Besides a few minor external systems there was surprisingly little damage to the suit’s usability. Some of the armored nanofiber weave had sustained some damaged along the limbs, but was actually in the process of completely repairing itself. As he looked over the data, Duntan realized that he hadn’t even inquired about his own health condition. It only took another thought to bring up the internal vitals monitor, which did a thorough body scan and assessment of the soldier wearing the suit. The scans appeared on his HUD and indicated that he had suffered a minor concussion and multiple bruises throughout his body. Other than that his condition was coded green, meaning full operational status.
With relief Duntan finally tilted his head and reached out to grab the large piece of transport fuselage that covered his lower half wit h both hands. The suit’s fiber structure contracted like muscle and allowed him to use only a small amount of effort to lift the piece and heave it away from himself. With the weight lifted off of him, Duntan sat up and finally took a good look around. There was debris strewn in all directions, sticking out of the soft ground at weird angles, where it had impacted at high speeds. Off in the distance the sun had already risen, but was partially obscured by large plumes of smoke and dust from multiple missile detonations.
“Ye ah, I’m just fine Captain,” Colonel Slaige finally answered with a sign as he pushed himself to his feet and stood up from the small crater his fall had created, “give me a sitrep.”
“ Still working that out, sir,” Weslow acknowledged as he came to a stop beside the colonel, “we were hit by the concussive wave from those detonations, but Daisy and I were able to get the Buzzard stabilized. At least before it got hit. Not sure by what, though, sir. All I know is that she came apart quickly after the hit. The system auto-ejected both of us right after that.”
He paused and looked around slowly, studying the area around them. The place looked like a warzone with the earth scorched black underneath them and toppled trees all over them, knocked down by the raining metallic debris. Duntan’s eyes finally settled on the mountain range to their east. He ran his eyes up towards the summit from which they had escaped only a short while ago and noted the complete change in scenery. No longer was the pinnacle covered in beautiful white snow, instead that entire part of the mountain was an irregularly shaped, black and gray, half-molten mass of rock.
“We tried to raise command on comms, but nothing went through. ” The pilot continued. “I think they got the Cave, Chief. I sent Daisy to check it out though, maybe she’ll run into some friendly units that made it through all that shelling.”
Duntan gave a small nod, knowing that sending a pilot alone through a warzone probably wasn’t the best of ideas, but also seeing that their options were limited for the moment. If the TACCOM they all referred to as the Cave had indeed been destroyed, Duntan would have to try and locate the second most senior surviving officer and receive new orders. Until other military
A diagram of the entire suit appeared on the screen beside the diagnostic window and let Duntan know about its current condition. Besides a few minor external systems there was surprisingly little damage to the suit’s usability. Some of the armored nanofiber weave had sustained some damaged along the limbs, but was actually in the process of completely repairing itself. As he looked over the data, Duntan realized that he hadn’t even inquired about his own health condition. It only took another thought to bring up the internal vitals monitor, which did a thorough body scan and assessment of the soldier wearing the suit. The scans appeared on his HUD and indicated that he had suffered a minor concussion and multiple bruises throughout his body. Other than that his condition was coded green, meaning full operational status.
With relief Duntan finally tilted his head and reached out to grab the large piece of transport fuselage that covered his lower half wit h both hands. The suit’s fiber structure contracted like muscle and allowed him to use only a small amount of effort to lift the piece and heave it away from himself. With the weight lifted off of him, Duntan sat up and finally took a good look around. There was debris strewn in all directions, sticking out of the soft ground at weird angles, where it had impacted at high speeds. Off in the distance the sun had already risen, but was partially obscured by large plumes of smoke and dust from multiple missile detonations.
“Ye ah, I’m just fine Captain,” Colonel Slaige finally answered with a sign as he pushed himself to his feet and stood up from the small crater his fall had created, “give me a sitrep.”
“ Still working that out, sir,” Weslow acknowledged as he came to a stop beside the colonel, “we were hit by the concussive wave from those detonations, but Daisy and I were able to get the Buzzard stabilized. At least before it got hit. Not sure by what, though, sir. All I know is that she came apart quickly after the hit. The system auto-ejected both of us right after that.”
He paused and looked around slowly, studying the area around them. The place looked like a warzone with the earth scorched black underneath them and toppled trees all over them, knocked down by the raining metallic debris. Duntan’s eyes finally settled on the mountain range to their east. He ran his eyes up towards the summit from which they had escaped only a short while ago and noted the complete change in scenery. No longer was the pinnacle covered in beautiful white snow, instead that entire part of the mountain was an irregularly shaped, black and gray, half-molten mass of rock.
“We tried to raise command on comms, but nothing went through. ” The pilot continued. “I think they got the Cave, Chief. I sent Daisy to check it out though, maybe she’ll run into some friendly units that made it through all that shelling.”
Duntan gave a small nod, knowing that sending a pilot alone through a warzone probably wasn’t the best of ideas, but also seeing that their options were limited for the moment. If the TACCOM they all referred to as the Cave had indeed been destroyed, Duntan would have to try and locate the second most senior surviving officer and receive new orders. Until other military
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