Chapter 3: Casualties.
It didn't take long before we started to find signs of battle. Scorch marks on the walls and used power cells. It looked like there had been a war, yet I knew that this had to have happened in under 20 seconds.
We moved further, following the signs of battle. It isn't long before we see our first victim. A man missing his head and a leg, he looks like he has been torn apart.
"Fuck... What kind of fucking monster are we up against?" I mutter.
'If even the veterans who have been in the business for far longer than I have ends up like this, then what chance do I have?' I tighten my grip on my gun, my movements becoming slightly more sporadic due to my rising fear.
"Keep it together, recruit. You aren't gonna last long if you dont keep calm." It sounds from Seth.
"My name is Zach. Not recruit." I responded as we came upon another dead soldier, this one squashed.
"No, your name is recruit. Until we know that you will survive long enough for it to matter. Won't bother remembering the name of a man that can't complete his first encounter. That's how it is in space, cold and cynical. Get used to it boy." Seth responds in a casual tone, angering me. But i know he is right, at least 40 percent of all recruits fuck up in their first encounter. Which sometimes leads to lethal consequences.
"Fucking hell! Looks like they've been wiped out" It sounds from the front as we step into a room.
Blood and guts sprayed on the walls, several bodies lying in pools of blood on the floor. Barely recognizable, a mockery of the tough soldiers they once were. Boxes and crates spread out through the room, no doubt having been used as cover and protection.
'Doesn't look like taking a defensive approach helped.' I think to myself, with a tinge of mockery and self-deprecation.
"Count the torsos, see if any is missing. we already have a count of 2, they were 10 so lets pray that 1 or 2 escaped." The lieutenant says in a dark voice. A mixture of anger and sadness present in her tone.
We spread out keeping our eye out while a couple of our squad mates start counting bodies.
"Lieutenant! You've got to see this." One of the counters yells out. As he points to a corner behind some crates.
"Shit, what sick shit is this!" The Lieutenant remarks as she sees the gift the creature left for us.
Stacked in the corner is a pyramid of heads. Each with eyes open and a look of horror. Almost like they are pleading us to end their suffering.
I feel sick. My knees are weak, almost buckling.
"It's taunting us, it knows we are hunting it. And it feels superior, arrogant." It comes from my babysitter.
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"Sir, they are all here. No survivors." It sounds out 5 minutes later. Still recovering from my shock I look to my superior for guidance.
"Fuck, well lets find a better room to bunker down in and wait for the other squads. I'll contact command." She says while she leads us into a water storage room. 6 huge metal tanks line the walls and several smaller tanks in the middle. If we were fighting humans this would no doubt be a great place to hunker down.
"Command this is squad 4, squad 2 has been annihilated. The creature is assumed intelligent, as it set up a taunting gift for us. 5 heads wrapped in their own blood and guts." Our squad lead reports in. She sounds like she is on the edge of exploding. Every member of the squad giving her a bit more space.
"Report received. Stay safe lieutenant. Take every precaution, we can't afford to lose any more men." Our general responds. Keeping it short. No doubt angry. Unfortunately, it is our job. And as mercenaries, we can't fail a job. A mercenary's reputation is what makes the difference being paid and not being paid.
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