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CHAPTER FIVE
0630 Hours, July 12, 2519 (Military Calendar)
Epsilon Eridani Syste Preserve, planet Reach John held on tight as the dropship accelerated up and over a jagged snowcapped e The sun peeked over the horizon and washed the white snoith pinks and oranges The other members of his unit pressed their faces to the s and watched
Sam sat next to hiht"
"You’ll lose," Kelly said She leaned over John’s shoulder to get a better look at the terrain "I’m a dead aim with snowballs" She scratched the stubble of her shorn hair
"Dead is right," John muttered "Especially when you load them with rocks"
CPO Mendez stepped froer compartment The trainees stood and snapped to attention "At ease, and sit down" The silver at Mendez’s terown to a band across the side of his closely shaved hair, but if anything he had gotten stronger and tougher since John had first laid eyes on hie" Mendez’s voice easily penetrated the roar of the dropship’s engines He handed a stack of papers to Kelly "Pass these out, Recruit"
"Sir!" She saluted smartly and handed one paper to each of the seventy-five children in the squad
"These are portions of ion You will be set down by yourselves You will then navigate to a marked extraction point and ill pick you up there"
John turned his er map--no drop or extraction point ate without a reference point? But he knew this was part of the ," Mendez said "The last trainee to lanced out a"And it’s a very long walk back"
John didn’t like it He wasn’t going to lose, but he didn’t want anyone else to lose, either The thought of Kelly or Sa all the way back made him uneasyif they could make it all the way back alone over those mountains
"First drop in three minutes," Mendez barked "Trainee 117, you’re up first"
"Sir! Yes, sir!" John replied
He glanced out theand scanned the terrain There was a ring of jagged mountains, a valley thick with cedars, and a ribbon of silver--a river that fed into a lake
John nudged Sam, pointed to the river, then jerked his thumb toward the lake
Sam nodded, then pulled Kelly aside and pointed out theKelly and Sam moved quickly down the line of seated trainees
The ship decelerated John felt his storound
"Trainee 117: front and center" Mendez stepped to the rear of the compartment as the ship’s tail split and a ramp extended Cold air blasted into the ship He patted John on the shoulder "Watch out for wolves in the forest, 117"
"Yes, sir!" John looked over his shoulder at the others
His teaot his e
He ran down the raines roared to life and it rose high into the cloudless sky He zipped up his jacket He wore only fatigues, boots, and a heavy parka--not exactly the gear he’d pack for a prolonged stay in the wilderness
John started toward one particularly sharp peak he had spotted from the air; the river lay in that direction He’d follow it downstreah the woods until he heard the gurgling of a streah to see the direction of the flow, then headed back into the forest Mendez’s exercises often had a twist to them--
stun uns during parade drills And with the Chief up in that dropship, John wasn’t about to reveal his position unless he had a good reason
He passed a blueberry bush and took the time to strip it before he moved on
This was the first time in months he had been alone and could just think He popped a handful of berries into his ht about the place that had been his home, his parentsbut more and more that seemed like a dream John kneasn’t, and that he had once had a different life But this was the life he wanted He was a soldier He had an important job to train for Mendez said they were the Navy’s best and brightest
That they were the only hope for peace He liked that
Before, he never knehat he would be when he grew up He never really thought about anything other than watching vids and playing--nothing had been a challenge
Now every day was a challenge and a new adventure
John knew ht he could have learned at his old school: algebra and trigonos He could string a trip line, fire a rifle, and treat a chest wound Mendez had shown hi with his head, too
He had a family here: Kelly, Saht of his squadoing to be left behind There had to be a way to get the to leave if he couldn’t figure it out
He arrived at the edge of the lake; stood and listened
John heard an owl hooting in the distance He marched toward the sound "Hey, owl," he said when he was close
Sarinned "That’s ‘Chief Owl’ to you, Trainee"
They walked around the circu the rest of the children in the squad John counted theether," Kelly suggested
"Good idea," John said "Sam, take three and scout the area I don’t want any of the Chief’s surprises sneaking up on us"
"Right" Sam picked Fhajad, James, and Linda and then the four of them took off into the brush
Kelly collected the map pieces and settled in the shade of an ancient cedar tree "So, and some are copies," she said, and she laid thee Got it--this is the lake, the river, and here" She pointed to a distant patch of green "That’s got to be the extraction point" She shook her head and frowned "If the legend on this et started"
John whistled and a moment later Sam and his scouts returned
"Let’s ued They fell into line behind Kelly as she navigated Sam blazed the trail ahead He had the best eyes and ears Several tinaled everyone to freeze or hide--but it turned out to be just a rabbit or a bird
After several , Sam dropped back He whispered to John, "This is too easy It’s not like any of the Chief’s nor that, too Just keep your eyes and ears sharp"
They stopped at noon to stretch and eat berries they had gathered along the trail
Fhajad spoke up "I want to know one thing," he said He paused to wipe the sweat off his dark skin
"We’re going to get to the extraction point at the sa left behind? We should decide now"
"Draw straws," so left behind We’re going to figure a way to get all of us out"
"How?" Kelly asked, scratching her head "Mendez said--"
"I knohat he said But there’s got to be a way--I just haven’t thought of one yet Even if it has to be ets back to the base" John startedtime"
The others fell in behind hiether and the sun turned the edge of the sky red
Kelly halted and motioned for everyone else to stop "We’re almost there," she whispered
"Me and Sam will scout it out," John said "Everyone fall outand keep quiet"
The rest of the children silently followed his orders
John and Sah the underbrush and then hunkered down at the edge of a rassy field; her floodlights illu for thirty arettes and passing a canteen between thenize them?" he whispered
"No You?"
Sam shook his head "They’re not in uniform They don’t look like any soldiers I’ve ever seen Maybe they’re rebels Maybe they stole the dropship and killed the Chief"
"No way," John said "Nothing can kill the Chief But one thing’s for sure: I don’t think we can just walk up there and get a free ride back to the base Let’s go back"
They crept back into the woods and then explained the situation to the others
"What do you want to do?" Kelly asked hiht he had an answer He looked around and saw everyone atching hi for hi
"Okaywe don’t knoho these men are or what they’ll do when they see us So we find out"
The children nodded, see to do
"Here’s how," John told them "First, I’ll need a rabbit"
"That’sto her feet "I’e of theand hide nearby and watch In case anything happens to you, I’ll report back to the others"