Origins Read Online Free

in the storm – began to move on the site.
    James cursed over the comm. Scorpio One fired off a couple of Banshee missiles, unsuccessfully seeking to chase the source of the attack, and lifted skyward.
    â€œ
Scorpio One pulling out—
”
    â€œ
Copy that. Two has evaded further anti-air fire…
”
    â€œâ€¦
Tagging multiple tangos on east wall. Looks like a laser cannon—
”
    The other ships started to do the same: hulls occasionally flickering with incoming small-arms fire.
    If we wanted to stay operational, we needed to get moving.
    â€œLegion, move on that satellite dish,” I ordered. “All other squads, take immediate cover.”
    I hunkered down behind the light cover and started to plan our next move. Spy-feeds from the stealthship that had scoped the outpost were superimposed onto the interior of my helmet face-plate, demonstrating where we were supposed to be.
    â€œLooked a lot smaller from orbit,” Martinez said, gruffly. “And when there weren’t people firing at us.”
    â€œDo you get that a lot?” Jenkins asked, ducking back as a grenade exploded on the other side of the dish. Hot frag showered the area, sparked against our shields.
    â€œThey weren’t supposed to know that we were coming…” Mason said.
    â€œDevil’s eyes are everywhere,” Martinez said with a shrug.
    â€œDoesn’t matter,” I said. “Getting these buildings pacified and searched; that’s what we’re here for.”
    The outpost was situated between two mountains, criss-crossed by gantries and metal catwalks that provided numerous defensive posts. The scant overground constructions were all snow- and ice-covered; metalwork made brittle by constant exposure to the elements.
    Mason knelt beside me and reached into the deep snow with her gloved hand.
    â€œSo this is snow…” she said, almost wistfully. Although Mars was mostly terraformed, it was a planet without such a weather system. “I never thought that I’d get the chance to see it. Almost pretty.”
    â€œIf it wasn’t so fucking cold,” Martinez added. “Not like home at all. You ever heard of a simulant getting frostbite?”
    â€œNo,” said Mason, “but I think I’m about to be the first.”
    â€œNot this again,” Jenkins said. “And for your information,
this
is most certainly not snow. This is an impression of snow. Check your wrist-comps for the chemical composition. There’s barely any H2O in it.”
    â€œShe’s from California,” I whispered, as I tried to get my bearings, decide where we should be heading. The cold was numbing, seemed to slow my thought-processes. “I guess she knows all about snow.”
    â€œBetter than these two off-worlders,” Jenkins said.
    A stream of hard rounds hit the snow beside me.
    â€œHow many shooters we got out there?” I asked.
    â€œI’d bet less than a hundred,” Jenkins said. “Fifty on it.”
    â€œI’ll take that bet…” Martinez said.
    â€œButton it, troopers,” I said. “We need to act fast. Drones away. Directive: identify and flag hostiles.”
    The Lazarus Legion deployed their surveillance drones. A dozen autonomous flying units detached from our backpacks and sailed out into the snow. Even as I watched, two were caught by gunfire, exploding in a hail of sparks. The others began painting hostiles. Almost immediately, ghostly green figures appeared on my HUD.
Ah, that’s better: I can see them.
The drones sent back heartbeat, heat signatures, the whole deal. The info-streams combined with those of the rest of the strike force.
    Martinez, back against the dish, clucked his tongue. “You owe me fifty, Jenkins.”
    At least two hundred bodies were circling the compound, converging on our location.
    Jenkins checked her plasma rifle. “Tell you what, I’ll pay you in Venusian dollars.