Chapter I
1072 Words
Stellar anomaly.
Mechanized battalion 45-B HQ, England, January 17, 2095.
(Zack Johnson, 23 years old, adoptive son of Silas Esino)
*Alarm sounds*
Zack: mmm...
*Alarm sounds louder*
Zack: ahh! Alright, I get it!
*Alarm goes off*
Zack: *scrubs his face* dammit...
Laziness floods my whole being, but it vanishes in the moment I see my clock strikes the 1456 hs, 4 minutes before the party in honor of my father.
Zack: shoot, I'm late!
I completely forgot that meeting, and because of that I resumed my service in the army a few days ago, a big mistake from my part.
I grab my uniform and dressed quickly, being a requirement in the unit, it was no problem, then I go out to the main hangar and salute my squadmates and mechs in the area. Before leaving I get interrupted by my leader, brigade commander John Liberty.
John: halt.
Zack: commander, sir.
John: where are you going that faster private?
Zack: just put it on my expedient, I gotta go now.
John: if it is for the party, I'll let it pass. I understand you want to keep your service on a roll this year, but I'm sure your father wants to see you.
I really wanted to keep my on-time streak going, but, family comes first.
Zack: thanks for understanding.
I resumed my way to my Mech-Armor, until I felt the commander said something.
John: oh, and... give him my respects, without him, I think the technological superiority will remain as a dream.
Zack: I will.
John: good luck.
Zack: thanks.
Red: oh hi Zack, something on your mind?
Zack: yeah, I got to see my father on the A.R.D.A.
Red: alright, it will be a pleasure taking you there.
Red's visor turns off and proceeds to activate the manual mode, which allows the pilot to control the armor like it was a second skin. Although the attachment may seem strange to some.
The alloy of which it is composed is very malleable, therefore, it can be separated very easily through a very simple system of magnetic fields.
I enter the floating panels and place my feet inside the boots, then the panels return to their original shape and seal the armor, activating the visor again.
Red: Mech-Armor BT-44, sealed. Initiating interface.
Zack: thrusters at full power.
Red: right away.
So I take off, and in seconds I find myself soaring through the sky, a group of birds and whitish clouds surround me in the course of this fateful sunset.
Zack: *takes some air and exhalates* nothing like flying over the Atlantic on a sunny day, what do you think Red?
Red: you seem to enjoy it, the caribbean coasts are wonderful on this times. Just a suggestion for later.
Zack: four years of service, and I never think of visiting America. Yeah, write it down for later.
Red: sure... mmm, uh one moment.
Zack: what's wrong?
Red: detected anomaly on the stellar cuadrant SC-89.
Zack: 89... that's Jupiter, but... mmm expand report.
Red: sure.
An image unfolds in one corner of the visor, revealing strange elongated shapes traversing the gaseous planet, they looked like ships or something.
Zack: who send this?
Red: the NASA itself, they consider it dangerous 'cause its trayectory and route is pointing to here, more precisely to Mars.
Zack: I get it, send it to Liberty, and that he communicate it to the colonel Pentecost. I hope they don't need me to investigate.
Red: they already receive it, and... they are here right now.
Two more frames open with the faces of my commander and colonel Pentecost, looking somewhat worried but with a serious expression.
Zack: oh, s-sir and... commander... what a... nice surprise.
Pentecost: get to the point.
Zack: yes ser, umm... the NASA send this footage captured on the SC-89, they believe that this objects can be a possible menace 'cause of it trayectory.
John: yeah, I've seen the video. But we cannot alert and evacuate the mines of Mars just for this. We need more data.
Pentecost: agree, but in the case of being a menace, we would be risking the thousands of lives that reside in the colonies.
Zack: but why you would need my help, my area is terrestrial not spatial.
John: Zack, you are one of the best in the unit, you deserve even an ascend. That's why I trust you this mission.
Pentecost: I'm sorry for having to ruin your meeting, but this is a planetary security issue, also, it was your to decision continue your service this year. You could lose your title for disobeying a superior.
Zack: yeah, I know... *sigh* orders received sir, I'll gather a team and go there as soon I can.
Pentecost: that's what I wanted to hear, good luck soldier.
John: the 44 squad of Delta company will escort you and give you support, the meeting point is the south connector of the Orbital Network, don't fail me.
Zack: I won't sir, see ya.
John: good.
Red: communication finished. I'm sorry you have to do this.
Zack: nah, don't worry. I got in this, and now I have to do my duty. Let's do it at once.
Red: alright.
Zack: prepare to ascend, it will be tough because of the speed.
Red: respirator sealed, internal oxigenación system connected.
I began to tilt my course upward until I was vertical, on my way to the iron ring, the Orbital Network.
Red: 180.000 meters, incoming transmission.
Checkpoint: Mech-Armor BT-44, serial number 996 785 443, this is a restrinted area, identify yourself.
Zack: private Johnson, british mechanized battalion 45-B. I got authorization class S.
Checkpoint: class S comfirmed, good luck up here.
Red: channel open.
Jacobs: look who arrived, the prodigy boy of Silas.
Zack: *laugh* yeah, that guy.
Rogers: we don't need you here, but, you're the living trophy of the commander. We don't have choice, I give you the command of this operation.
Zack: thanks captain. Alright, listen up.
We will board the transport and go to Mars, this is a recon mission, explore and report.
Williams: yeah, sounds good. Not bad kid.
Pilot: VA-70 here.
Zack: ok, everybody inside.
Jacobs: yes sir.
Williams: fine.
Rogers: right away.
The hatches open, and we enter the ship, the pilot welcomes us kindly and sets the navigator to Mars, I hope I do not meet enemies from another world sincerely.
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Next chapter: The final frontier.
- Writer
