Blood in the Sand

Williamson, David, and Jacob members of the Resistance attempt to rescue people from certain death at the hands of R.O.S.S but at what price?

Sun pours through the cracks between my fingers causing me to squint at the bright light. The time has come; I hear the low engine rumble in the distance. "Alright guys this is our chance" I wait for a response... The radio crackles back in my hand.

 

"I have eyes on the transport"

 

"Ok good, so jet, trucks or the hovercrafts?"

 

"Just one hovercraft, and Will..."

 

"David, if we don't try they all die anyway. At least this way there are less casualties and those who die..." I paused "they die quickly."

 

"Lets just be careful."

 

"Of course you don't think I have a lot riding on this plan???" I lowered my voice "There are multiple people on that transport I care dearly for."

 

"Understood." David... Oh David, I know exactly what he is thinking. If they die... No, they won’t I have to think positively, I'm going to get everyone out of there.

 

"Jacob, you see the target?"

 

"Yea I do, are you and David in position?"

 

" We are. Take the shot when you have it." I pulled my helmet off the ground, the label rubbed out, all our supplies are funneled to us by the European union. They don't support R.O.S.S but have no way to wage full out war against them. Instead they supply us with equipment, food, water, whatever we need that they can smuggle to us. I brought it down on my head and waited for the click. *click* Sealed. I lifted my rifle and balanced it on the tip of the sand dune I was on. The carcass of a crashed shuttle gave me the perfect cover. I put my head to the scope and examined the landscape. There it is, the transport. The beast floated into view. A hulking hovercraft the size of maybe twelve football fields together, with six engines propelling it off the sand, is barreling down the canyon. The force emitted by the turbines blasts sand every direction leaving a trail behind the vehicle. I looked the east of my position and spotted David peeking out from behind a rock. His armor is impressive; we were give a few sets of plastoid armor, jet black. David had painted his armor brown and white to blend in with the sand and rocks and he had draped a duster over top of the armor making him look much larger than he really is.

 

“Hold Jacob, wait for it come into the open.” David crackled through my radio; I was surprised and also impressed at his sudden leadership. I looked over to the top of the canyon and spotted Jacob standing tall with a high powered RPG on his shoulder.

 

“I have a clear shot down into the turbines though, if I take the shot now-“

 

“No, wait until it gets into the opening.” David has a point but he also risks Jacob missing. If Jacob misses then has to try again but the transports guns will open fire on us all. But if he fires now then he risks making the transport crash into one of the walls of the canyon.

“Jacob, do you think you can make the shot once the transport reaches the dunes?”

 

“I can try I’ve never fired from that distance…”

 

“Will we have to try.”

 

“Jacob fire the second the transport passes the edge of the canyon.”

 

“Understood.”

 

“That’s still risky Will-“

               

“That’s an order.”

 

“yessir” I will lose all trust he has in me if this goes wrong.

 

“Ok, go for it.” As I took my thumb off the radio I looked back into my scope to the vehicle pulling past the edge of the canyon. Then I see the trail of a rocket lazily headed towards the transport. “Good shot, I think you-“ I saw the explosion of the engine before I heard it. The transport was smoking and rapidly barreling towards the ground. Suddenly four escape pods shot out of the transport right before it crashed two heading to the west and two to the east. They slid into the sand throwing parts of the pods in every which direction. “David, Jacob get the ones on the east.”

 

“Yes sir!” Came through the radio in unison.

 

“I’ll take the ones on the west.” I rose to my feet and began sprinting towards the pods, as I was running I watched the transport crash into the dunes with a magnificent thud, sand and debris was thrown in every direction before the vehicle promptly exploded. I was nearly a third of a mile from the transport but the blast still knocked me over.

 

“NO!” David was yelling through his radio. “What if they were… still inside!!??”

 

“Don’t think that David.” I rolled over and stood up. “They were on the pods. The records said there were only a hundred people on that transport, and those pods could take all of them.” I began running again. I was breathing hard and there were a million thoughts running through my head. Who was going to be in those pods. I know who I hoped would be, I knew who I wanted to survive, and I know who I wish hadn’t. “Jacob?”

 

“Almost there, I see two guards exiting the pod closet to me.” Jacob was a capable fighter, I trust that he can handle the pressure. “I got them for sure, I’m holstering my radio get back to you in a few.”

“David?”

 

“Same, I’m currently scoped in looking at three guards exiting this pod.” I continued until I threw myself onto the top of the last dune before the first pod on my side of the valley. I lifted my rifle and looked at the pod. A huge metallic cylinder with a few windows. The black metal shimmered in the desert sun. The door of the pod burst open with a puff of steam and two guards hoped out. Immediately the two men began looking around for whoever shot down their craft. They were in identical uniforms. Black knee-high boots with a white padded jumpsuit. They had helmets on, white with red lenses resembling that of a camera, supposedly eliminating the need for binoculars or scopes. I put the first guards head into the crosshairs of my scope. I took a deep breath and squeezed *BANG* The sound echoed throughout the dunes and the gun blast and recoil blasted sand away from the muzzle break on my rifle. The recoil blasted my cloak into the air for a second before draping back over my body giving me adequate desert camouflage. I looked at the damage I caused. The first guard’s head was blown clean off. There was a pile of gore and blood strewn across the sand in the path his remains flew. The second guard began running back to the pod for cover spraying widely in the direction he thought the shot came from. Unfortunately he was a little wrong. Before he could make it back to the pod a 50.Caliber round punched him through his side, going through his chest and right arm. He staggered to the ground and a pool of blood stained the sand around him.

 

“My guards are down.”

 

“Me too.”

 

“Same.”

 

“Approach with caution gentlemen.” I rose from my position and began towards the pod. As I got closer an officer of the ship peered his head around the corner and we saw each other. He promptly pulled his head back inside. I cautiously walked up to the side of the pod. “Listen up, give up now and we can talk.” My helmet distorted my voice and made it sound metallic.

 

“Ok! Ok! Just don’t shoot.” 

 

“Hands up.”

 

“I’m just a ship officer I am not affiliated with ROSS I swear.”

 

“Don’t matter, your shipping human beings to be killed.”

 

“I’m sorry, please!!” I punched him across the face and he was out cold after one punch. Coward. I grabbed some cord from my cloak pocket and bonded his hands and feet. I walked into the entrance of the pod and as my eyes adjusted I saw the wreckage. I scanned the interior of the pod. The roof of the pod was caved in at multiple spots, some had been crushed by the roof falling. People were saying things but I wasn’t listening I was looking for their release button. About fifteen people were in this pod. I’m not sure who is alive but there are defiantly survivors. I spied a release lever on the wall and pulled it. The harnesses on the seats came up and people started shuffling outside. Mostly silent but a few people said thanks.

 

“Gather up.” People began gathering around me. “My name is Commander Williamson, I am the head of the resistance. We are here to rescue you. I have some medical supplies at outpost delta that’s where we will head, but first we need to move to the next pod and rescue them too.”

 

“Uh… Sir?” A small boy maybe fifteen spoke up.

“Speak.”

 

“The pod that launched to our right was empty, no one got in it before they launched the pod.”

 

“Damnit, does anyone have a rough number of how many people got to the pods?”

 

“Maybe seventy, I’m not sure.” A tall girl, maybe seventeen? She sounded familiar. I looked her  over before realizing who she was.

 

“Why did you blow up the ship? You literally killed a ton of people?” Someone asked

 

“It’s simple. We would rather save many at the loss of some than no one at all.”

 

“But, what were you saving us from?”

 

“Ross”

 

“Ross fed us, sure we were slaves to them, but we were alive, and healthy and they said we were furthering human life.”

 

“Ross told you what? Where did they say they were sending you? To farms right?”

 

“Exactly what’s so bad about farming?”

 

“They aren’t farming food, they are farming you. Ross collects body parts and organs to further the life of their clients. People who can afford it can pay to be immortal.”

 

“What?”

 

“So tell me, would you rather be cut to pieces, kept alive on life support with no arms, legs, no liver, no stomach, and no eyes. Or die quickly in an explosion?”

 

There were ten people who survived the crash in that pod. After looking them over, I knew two of them before the war. It was quite a war. Elizabeth was a lifelong friend of mine, and one of the five I knew on the shuttle. The second was Freddie. He was one of my best friends. Before the war we would skate together, hang out, and we always had a good time. He had the coolest jeep… That’s two off my checklist.

“Lets move, were heading south to our outpost.”  I could hear my radio crackling. “Report.”

 

“I have twenty four survivors.”  Good. “I don’t recognize any of them but I’m sure one of you may.”

“David?”

 

“The pod I check was severely damaged there were at least thirty on the pod, there are seven still alive.” Not so good. “We have a bit of a situation too, there are two girls I think they might be twins, they refuse to leave the pod, and their friend is still in there. I check and she is dead. What do you want me to do?”

 

“Give them the radio.”

 

“Yes sir.” I waited a second before I heard sobbing come through the other end.

 

“Hello? This is Commander Williamson of the Resistance. I understand that you must be hurting right now, but understand you’re not the only ones to lose people. I’ve lost many friends during this experience and everyone who dies is on my shoulders. You have to go with Sergeant David, he is going to take you to safety, you can meet up with your other friends there I’m sure others you know survived the crash.”

“Sir, I think they understand they left the pod.”

 

“David, listen very closely. I have Freddie, and Elizabeth.” There was a long pause.

 

“Is she fine?”

 

“Yea, she is fine, and I promise you now that I will protect her, and all of them with my life, but you have to promise me you will do the same for your group and specifically those girls.”

 

“Understood.”

 

“Good, now get moving.”

 

“What was that about? I heard my name?” I turned around to see Freddie walking faster than the group to catch up to me.

 

“Yea, I did say your name I have a list of everyone on that shuttle and me and my men were trying to identify as many as possible.”  I didn’t want reveal who I was yet, everyone had been through some shock and I really didn’t want to add to the shock and give them something else to think about. After all, I’m sure they all think I’m dead.

 

                “Oh, cool. You really coordinate all of this don’t you?” He said that and made an expression swinging his arms around to emphasize all of this.

 

                “Sure.”  

 

                “So, you’re in charge of the resistance?”

 

                “I am.”

 

                “Then you might now of a few of my friends? They are said to be dead because they never got picked up by Ross, but maybe they fight for you instead?”

 

                “Possibly.”

 

                “So, I have a few names maybe you know them.”

 

                “Shoot”

 

                “Ok, so there is Dillon Freedman.” My best friend, still much alive, one of my three Lieutenants, they are my second in command. Dillon is a great man, a decent fighter and one hell of a mechanic. He puts together all the vehicles we use. “There is Pat Yevan” Dead, unfortunately Pat died in a skirmish a few months ago, still a sore spot for me, he was a good friend and a compassionate soul. “Jack Karion” My name, my real name. The one I sported before the war. “And Isabel Tericio” Alive, and someone I love very much, she is very dear to my heart. She is currently one of our head supervisors at the main camp, New Boston.

 

                “Alright, So from the people you listed I know them all. Dillon is alive and kicking he is one of my Lietenants. Pat is dead, I’m sorry. He was a driver for our supply lines and it got ambushed. Jack… I know of him he is alive, doing something. Isabel, she is the head Supervisor in New Boston.”

 

                “Pat… is dead?”

 

                “Unfortunately you are going to have to get used to stuff like that.”

               

                “Isabel, is at New Boston? What’s New Boston?

 

                “Eventually that’s where we will be heading, it’s an underground city. Ross can’t bomb what they can’t see. During a Tidal wave caused by mass bombings during the war this city, we aren’t sure what city it is to be honest, was covered in sand and dirt. We resettled the city underground. Making tunnels and various passageways that connect the rooms, and buildings of the city we were able to rebuild using nature to our advantage.”

 

                “I see.” He paused. “Where is Jack and Dillon?”

 

                “Jack is probably in New Boston somewhere, while Dillon… he is at Outpost Alpha in the North.”

 

                “Is that the front line?”

 

                “There isn’t really a front line, but in yes, I guess he is since Outpost Alpha is closest to Ross HQ.”

 

                “Alright, thanks. Um, how far are we from this place we’re going?”

 

                “Outpost Delta, and we are about a mile away.”

 

                “Ah.” Freddie stopped talking and slowed down to fall back with the rest of the group. After another hour or so of walking we arrived just outside Outpost Delta. The base was hidden behind larger rock formations creating a valley. The compound was surrounded by a canyon on all sides shielding it from the harsh desert winds, and the eyes of Ross military. What a sight, the place is really becoming run down. There is a wall surrounding the whole compound with short fat towers on each corner. There are barracks in the compound, about two hundred beds, plenty for the survivors. The barracks are your stereotypical barracks, airplane hangar style building. There is a larger building in the middle of the compound with a tall tower overlooking the settlement. That’s the outpost HQ, our CV radio, kitchen etc. are located within. I turned around to look over my whole group. They looked exhausted.

 

                “Welcome to Delta. If you could enter the building in the middle to get debriefed by Omar and Resharda, that would be appreciated.”  Everyone began shuffling towards the main building. I stood at the main gate which had been left open for us as everyone passed by me.

 

                “Update?” I said over my radio.

 

                “David and I rendezvoused at the southern canyon and are currently about twenty minutes away.”

 

                “Yea, we have a big group.”

               

                “Alright, Godspeed.”

 

                “Get some rest commander. I expect to not see you waiting for us.”

 

                “You can be assured that won’t happen.”

 

                “Ha, well anyway see you soon.” I holstered my radio and sighed. I leaned against the gate and finally let all my thoughts wash over me now that my duty was completed. I began thinking about revealing myself to my friends, seeing the other survivors, and seeing the twins. Ella, and Jeanne. What a day. A day I’ve been waiting far too long for.