Anomalous Trip (Part II)

[slicsinatra]

“Well we are across the river. Let’s find a tree line and set up a makeshift resting point and see if we can find Captain if he’s headed this way.”

[Dragnoxz]

Perhaps there are clearings with small tree lines, though there is dense forest this side of the river.

2nd Lt. Hyla: “I see their last known locations, their patterns of movement suggests they are hiding, but the captains is constantly moving. He’s going to have to cross the river soon, that direction.”

2nd Lt. Bardlaw: “I wish we could help without exposing ourselves.”

[slicsinatra]

“I could possibly climb up for a line of sight? I have the long range rifle.”

[Dragnoxz]

Hyla looks at you and holds up her rifle and taps the M-203.

2nd Lt. Hyla: “Coordinate, we’ll placed pops ?”

2nd Lt. Bardlaw: “We need to find the next river to cross. They’ll keep wormholing in moments from our last position. The videos show on the briefing have them about just under a minute behind. Cross a river and they’ll be delayed a few minutes. Help the captain cross with a rope ahead of time like we did and it’ll increase our distance so we can pop gas in a wide area and leave them guessing where to wormhole in again. We can piggyback drone across the river, walk the other team a safe path to us, and get more distance from this area.”

2nd Lt. Hyla: “I thought you were just a quantum theorist guy ?”

[slicsinatra]

“Let’s do that. I’ll secure the rope, Hyla you set up for gas and Bardlaw start with the drone. That way we have it ready. Let’s move, we don’t want to waste time. We got this.” I grab the rope and attach any hook that would help it secure to the bank.

[Dragnoxz]

2nd Lt. Bardlaw: “Captain. If you can hear us, I’m setting a waypoint at the river for you to cross. There will be a rope on your side to pull yourself across to our side. We will provide cover from concealment. They’ll know we’re here but won’t know where. Will monitor with drone.”

Captain Davis: “Thanks.” He says, breathing heavy.

Bardlaw gets the drone up and to the other side. It spots the tired captain about a mile out from the river. There are a few wormholes open near him, and a new opens up just behind him. Moments later a surge of swordsmen and axemen and other medieval style warriors begins to run out toward him.

The embankment has many exposed tree roots, perfect for tying on ropes.

2nd Lt. Hyla: “I can swim the rope across and pop the gas. It’s getting darker out too.” She waits for you to tie the rope.

2nd Lt. Bardlaw: “Yea, they’ll never see us.”

[slicsinatra]

“Don’t underestimate the enemy. If we can see them they can see us. General rule of thumb.” I tie off the rope. “I’m going to find somewhere to get these shots off. Don’t stray too far from each other, and I’ll attempt to do the same.”

[Dragnoxz]

2nd Lt. Hyla: “I read Sun Tsu.” She takes the end of the rope and swims across.

2nd Lt. Bardlaw: “Captain. Waypoint will be updated by Hyla, at the rope you’ll use to pull across. I’ll pull you while they cover.”

Captain Davis: “Aight.” He speaks out of breath.

After about 20 minutes, Hyla returns and you begin to hear pops of gunfire in the distant. Another ten minutes later and he’s at the embankment, looking for the rope. PAH ! Hyla fires an M-203 shell, and it lands in the trees behind the captain. You see other warm spots of enemy warriors running to him, and two hand waving beings, one about 70 meters left and right of him. You see the pulse from both of them as they launch a fluttering segment of a wormhole that almost resembles a whirlpool, the wider portion of the cone facing the target, which is the captain, the narrow tapering spout at its end resembling a small black hole. They hit the captain slightly off time. His excess energy device discharges, causing a loud flashing POP, like lightning, on top of his back. He is startled slightly, but shrugs it off. Hyla points her laser pointer at the rope. He grabs it, and jumps on the water and starts pulling. Bardlaw pulls him, causing him to make a significant wake in the water. There are several ripples in the water from the small humanoid creatures shooting those whirlholes at him and missing. The overflow device pops again. You see six of them shooting at him, and now a wall of barbarian like axemen and swordsmen are emerging from the trees and looking to the water. Two of them toss axes at him, missing. They don’t go in the water.

2nd Lt. Hyla: “Get them, the little s***s shooting s*** !” She fires with her suppresser on, dropping one of the six. Roll to hit if you fire at anything, and say what you are attacking.

[slicsinatra]

I shoot the closest ones to him first then the rest of the shots after they are down I will shoot at the ones firing at the Captain. 19, 13, 4, 17, 10, 20, 18, 15, 16.

[Dragnoxz]

First shot hits and drops one.

Second shot skims the flesh of the next one, but the third shot misses and zings off into the forest. The fourth hits and causes the second being to keel over and kick a little before resting motionlessly.

Fifth shot hits and it causes the being to limp away. As it stops to check its injury the sixth shot impacts its head, which causes a crimson mist to spray into the air like a brief cloud, dropping the being.

Seventh shot hits the upper torso of the next one and a flap of the creatures skin flips up briefly. The being stumbles back and falls.

Eighth by shot hits the next creature, and it stumbles. Ninth shot drops it.

Hyla continues to monitor the enemy and searches for more of the hand wavers. Bardlaw pulls the rope until the captain is on shore.

Captain Bardlaw: “Status ?

[slicsinatra]

“Few tangos down, my team is intact. What’s the marching orders?” I look for signs of the rest of the team as they did not come with him.

[Dragnoxz]

Perception.

[slicsinatra]

Perception 17.

[Dragnoxz]

You notice the captain being pulled up by Bardlaw, and Kyla continues to aim into the rivers water. A wormhole begins to form over the water other side of the river about ten feet from the edge, and a horde of warriors surges out right over the water and falls in. All you hear are splashes and occasional metal clanking on metal, and a random grunt, shout or gasp for air. They aren’t having a good moment as more and more rush out and fall on top of the now submerged warriors. Moments later, the density of warriors reaches enough that the pile of the ones below make a sort of drowning island of warriors as the ones above stumble around above.

Captain Davis: “Guys, we need to go, they’ll figure out they meet to adjust to reach this side.” He gasps as he breathes heavily.

2nd Lt. Bardlaw: “You’re injured, they’ll follow.” He takes out a hemostat and plugs a wound up. The captain grunts. “Turn on-“ he’s cut off.

Captain David: “I got it. I can move under my own power like before.” He activates his adrenaline and adjusts it to add caffeine from his implants. And drops a charcoal tablet in his device. “Give me a sec.” He takes a few deep breaths, then gets up with a silenced grunt.

The team moves into the forest.

Captain Davis: “Hyla. Point. We cross next river, move in 500 meter length zigzag, stagnated toward the left.” Which means every 500 meters adjust movement angle 45 degrees to the left, then right after 500, and so on. “Next river we cross we get bearings on position, and search for a town-town, not a village.” He stumbles on a root slightly (he missed his perception due to fatigue). “We need to form a plan to get the team together. We are spread out.” 

[slicsinatra]

I begin to head out I take rear security with my rifle and reload my weapon. “Where are their last known?”