Garden of Lights

Zero

Mathew's Garden

Darkness, the song of things, the chattering of smaller things. This time did not last long here, perhaps two hours at this stage of the season. Only a short while to see the stars. At the end of those hours the twinkle of the stars washed away as the lamp flowers opened.

What did it say about a people who would settle such a place? Who would see this as beautiful and name it a garden?

What did it say about one who would take their money and defend it?

Hu's head swivelled at a slight sound. The trope's scout was named Feng. Feng was sheathed in the flesh of a nocturnal predator. The animal had been cored and the core replace with the machines that were him. Feng had another body for daylight scouting, one of the far more formidable creatures that sunlight and the high tide allowed in shore.

"They have just entered the habitation." said Feng. "They appear to be taking a different route from the one we planned."

"They don't fully trust the locals. They tell them less and less." Hu rose too her feet. "We will reposition, catch them as they leave the target rather than on approach."

"Unfortunate for our allies." Feng slipped back into the foliage.

"Then they should become better spies." Hu said. The wires that linked the trope together detached with a click. In the distance signal was rising, scattered and indistinct. The enemy. Hu shaped to better move through the forest and slipped back towards town.

I

Razor-Six Actual was dreaming. In her dream she was sixteen and aboard a sailboat. Her girlfriend of the time was beside her. She missed that girl. They'd parted amicably enough for a first relationship breakup. She should send her a message some time.

Something broke the water to the side of the boat and her girlfriend pointed. A school of shell sharks gleamed copper as they rose out of the water all around the boat, rocking it. Her girlfriend hung on and . . .

Razor-Six Actual opened her eyes, blinking up at her aid who was shaking her. "Sorry sir, but it's an emergency."

"Ugh." Six Actual said. She walked to the rooms closet, pulling on a uniform body suit. It was hot in the bunker and she was sweaty. There would be no time to shower. "What's the situation?"

"The raid into Saltlick went bad. The Huskies say they have a platoon pinned down in the city, plus the crew of a downed extract bird. The situation on the ground is confused. We've completely lost connection with the surveillance systems in Saltlick. The intelligence cell is saying jamming. Also something shot down the Hampshirite UAV."

Not a typical insurgent attack then. Not that a typical insurgent attack could pin a full platoon of Hampshire's regulars down anyway.

The pair walked out of Six Actual's quarters and into the bunker's command centre. There was no ceremony or salutes, everyone was too busy. Only the duty officer stood too hand command over to Six Actual as she entered.

The big central board defaulted to a satellite view of Saltlick. The town was a oblong mass of compounds and walled gardens on raised platforms, divided by tide channels and pools. Four large roads on causeways bisected the town in a cross pattern. At this time of night they were bone dry and well lit by the lamp flowers that festooned everything.

Tonight the plants had competition. Fire rose from a burning VTOL, its sleek shape destroyed by fire and impact. "The crew survived that?" Six Actual asked.

"The Huskies report they dragged the crew clear before it exploded." The duty officer responded.

Six Actual checked her overlay. She had three QRF elements on hand that could respond immediately. An airborne special rescue team from 21st special purpose group, an air mechanized company from 1st Division's 8th battalion and a pure mechanized company from the 5th Marine independent brigade 2nd battalion. All elite forces. . . but what exactly was loose in that town? The intelligence picture was frustratingly vague. Nothing they had suggested something that had the capacities to do even what had happened so far, yet it had happened despite them.

"Alright. Authorize Phantom to insert." Phantom was the SRT. "Cottonmouth is to mount a feint against the inland part of the city to draw the attackers attention while Shark inserts from the coast and secures the area." She looked up at the board again and frowned. "How long until we get drone coverage back?"

"Four minutes sir. We're moving a stealth drone in the Isles. It'll be three minutes ahead of the SRT.

Maybe then they could find out what the hell was going on down there.