The Einstein-Rosen Incident

Andrew woke up. Rather, he was shocked awake by the loud klaxon, slightly muffled by the pod door. He opened his eyes to have them blinded in a yellow burst of light, and he blinked in an attempt to clear his watering eyes. He felt himself choking on fluids in his throat, unable to breathe. He struggled to push the door open, feeling his muscles refuse to cooperate.

“Cryo-pods opening.”

He fell to his knees on the ground, vomiting the thick goo from his airway and heard his squad mates do the same around him. For some reason, he was always in the worst condition after a session of cryo-sleep.

“Andrew, you okay?” Andrew found himself feeling like he was drowning, unable to respond to the worried question of a friend. Skylar always noticed, she was always put in the pod next to his. “Are you alright?”

People were starting to get up and suit up, trying to get out of the area before an enemy could pinpoint their location and attack while they were vulnerable. All Andrew could do was rest his head on the cool floor and try to breathe. Everyone was putting on their armor with energy, except him.

“Andrew, let’s go!” Another squad mate this time, helping him get up. By now some people were already fully suited, weapon in their hands. Slowly Andrew began to rise, and forced himself to grab pieces of armor and put them on with a click. Slowly but surely.

“Beta Kill Squad, ten minutes to rendezvous point!” Commands were being issued this helmet, and they hadn’t even been awake for five minutes? That’s not good, Andrew thought.

“Copy! Thomas, get us there,” a girl shouted.

“Distance is quarter mile, double time!”

Andrew started running, pulling the charging handle of his rifle back at the same time. He raised his weapon and moved carefully. Past the gunmetal blast doors was a world where he would introduced to harsh combat. As he walked past the concrete to grass wet with dew, he was only met by his squad moving away. Already members of the squad of eight were at the tree line, fifty feet away. All he did now was focus on running, and when he reached there he could hear his own struggled breaths in the helmet.

“Let’s move,” commanded the soldier, and the squad sank into the shadows of night.

______________________________________________

The explosion nearly deafened him, only five meters away. Sharp rustles of leaves and grass told him that shots were directed in their direction, and he directed his fire into the general direction. He was hoping he wasn’t shooting at a squadmate, as they had been split up in the confusion.

“Move up, we need to take this hill!”

“Contact left, I need assistance!”

Andrew found he had a clear shot at the target, a silhouette in the darkness. He directed the reticle of the EOTech and fired. The figure fell back, a burst of red sprouting from their chest. The squad was pushing hard, intent on reaching that point as fast as they could. Shots flew out from everywhere, but they ran and tried not to trip. Andrew was blinded by an eruption of dirt ahead as an explosion went off. He tried not to think about what would have happened had he been a faster runner, and jumped over the crater.

The three of them took cover in a trench and prepared themselves to make the rest of the way. The enemy must’ve thought they were gone, because no grenade landed in their laps. They took some time to catch their breaths, and to strategize the next step of the fight.

“RV in thirty seconds! Ready?” Skylar asked, probably with a grin. “First time we’ve not lost anyone!”

Well, we’re still not done here. Better not celebrate just yet. “Ready.”

They scrambled out, ducking their heads. Nobody seemed to notice them in the confusion of the battle, and the made it to the end of the tree line without contact. The team of three couldn’t see much, only the glow of the bunker. The glow meant safety and a successful mission. He could sprint that distance, easily.

“Let’s move, Beta Squad. It’s safe,” said a voice over the channel. Andrew wasn't sure who said that, but he was pretty sure that it wasn't safe. Who would leave the bunker completely unprotected?

Something’s wrong.

“Run on my mark.” Andrew was nervous now.

This isn't right.

“Mark!”

Blasting out of the bushes, Andrew was running now. From his peripheral vision he could see several other members of the squad, sprinting at full speed. They were all out and running when someone realized what was wrong, but everyone was already charging full speed towards the danger.

Guns began to deliver automatic fire into the line with brilliant flashes of light, blinding Andrew. He saw several silhouetted forms fall around him, slumping to the ground. He felt something strike his chest, and he felt himself trip over a body. He found himself stumbling, and he dropped his rifle, his armor feeling like it was ten times heavier. Collapsing face first onto the ground, he realized he had been shot. Shouts were cut off as his communications system was shut off, leaving him with only muffled sounds of light machine gun fire. He closed his eyes, waiting for it to be over.

“Exercise complete. Beta Kill Squad casualty count: Eight.”

Andrew laughed, turning himself over. He got up and went over to pick up his paintball marker, brushing off some grass.

“Ah, shut up, Andrew.” Skylar appeared over him and helped him up “I was wrong, you were right. I can’t be right all the time.” She took off her helmet, revealing a pleasant grin.

“Good work, Cadets! You managed to get yourselves killed in within ten seconds of each other,” the instructor announced “I hope you weren't expecting a transport back. Start running.”

______________________________________________

Andrew thought he felt sore the first day, but it never gets better. Running three miles in a suit of armor was tiring, even if he had been doing it quite often. Taking a shower and lying down felt heavenly, and he recounted the day's events.

That night he was smiling, he didn't know why, but he was unusually happy. He had friends to help cover his back, and he felt like nothing could go wrong in life. The World was at peace for one of the first time, due to the promising thought of faster than light travel tantalizingly close. What could go wrong? He thought as he closed his eyes.

“Automated message: Impact in two minutes thirty seconds.”

Wait, what? Andrew tried to rise from his bed, but none of his muscles were responding. Andrew began to panic, struggling to fight the invisible bonds. He felt as if he was buried alive, he couldn't feel his limbs. He could feel his bed violently shaking, as if the world around him was experiencing an earthquake.

“Automated message: Recalculating. Impact in one minute. Deploying high speed chute.”

What’s going on?  Andrew opened his eyes in time to see a dark, cloudy sky and a dark forest rushing up to meet him. Several other pods could be seen glowing hot in the distance, leaving almost unnoticeable trails in the air.

“Automated message: Impact in thirty seconds.”

I’m dropping, aren't I? No, this can’t be right! There’s no war! He shut his eyes, not believing it.

“Automated message: Ten seconds. Brace for impact.”

I don’t want to do this.

WHUMP

The impact shook Andrew to the bone, the momentum causing him to black out for a second. He could hear muffled thumping as other pods landed somewhere around him. His armor helped cradle his head, and kept him from taking too much shock on this joints.

Not this.

A solid beep went off, and the pod door was blasted off by some strategically placed shaped charges. He grabbed his rifle from the slot beside him and began to sweep the area. Seeing it was safe, he took of his helmet and began to vomit on the ground.

At least I'm not being shot at.

“Beta Squad, we have all twenty-four boots on the ground! Linking communications with other squads. Over.”

“This is Squad Alpha. Setting up a rendezvous now. Coordinates set on HUDs, ready!”

Putting on his helmet, a light green target icon was displayed against the darkness along with a distance marker. About a kilometer; let’s do this. Andrew thought as he grabbed another ALICE pack and secured it to his back as he began his trek into the darkness. He was holding onto the dim hope that this was some crazy training exercise, but he knew it wasn’t likely. With my luck, every animal here will want to kill us.

"This is Alpha Squad Leader. We've been been dropped on an unidentified planet. Awaiting Central Command. Best of luck.”

______________________________________________

“Where are we?” Andrew heard Skylar ask impatiently.

The squads were established in a small sheltered clearing in the middle of the seemingly endless forest. Andrew himself had been assigned to guard the camp, and he was walking around the edge of the clearing, looking into the dark night. Skylar was sitting in a group along with the squad leaders and other soldiers around a portable light, helmets off.

“We don’t know yet, because Central Command hasn’t contacted us,” said the leader of Beta Squad.

“Has this ever happened before?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“Damn.”

Andrew walked away from the group to peer into the forest. So far no one had encountered a hostile threat, or anything that may prove to be a problem. It was as if they were on an unpopulated area of Earth. Maybe we are on Earth. Well, if that was true, they would be found soon enough. A platoon of soldiers usually don’t go missing without someone noticing.

He glanced around. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood, despite no one having an idea of what to do. What was the objective? It’s not like there’s anything to fight, it’s all just birds and squirr—   Wait, add fireflies to that list.

He stared at them, peacefully blinking in the darkness. It seemed like the longer they’ve been here, the more like Earth this place became to them. The place had a stunning amount of similarities to their home planet; it was only defined by subtle differences like the lack of human civilization

Wait a second. Fireflies usually move around, rather than remain in a certain place don’t they? They seemed like lights in the distance...

“Hey! Hey, I think I’ve foun— gah!”

They lights suddenly grew larger and pounded on him, knocking him back.

“Contact, west side!”

The animal was latched onto his left arm, relentlessly shaking and trying to pull him into the bushes. Several others ran from the bushes father to his left at the others, only to be dispatched by rifle rounds. The gunshots sounded unnaturally loud in the previously serene environment.

The animal was foaming at the mouth, trying to maul Andrew anyway he could. Andrew grabbed the knife on his chest plate and plunged it into the scruff of the violently attacking form, only to find it not as effective as he had hoped. He tried again, ramming it surprisingly easily into the skull of the animal. This time it dropped, and seemed to shrink down into a shape smaller than what it had been. The others were taken care of, and Andrew was the only one that had trouble disabling the attackers.

Getting up, Andrew brushed off his armor and readjusted the sling on his rifle to a comfortable position. The animal, despite it’s vicious attacks had only scuffed the dark metal of his armor.

“What were those?” Thomas asked, wide-eyed.

The Squad Leader of Charlie bent down to examine the curious remains. “I don’t know.”

“They seemed canine in nature, but had reflective eyes like a feline,” Andrew offered.

“So we’re likely not Earth?”

“Probably not,” Andrew said with some regret.

The man brushed his hand on his helmet, and Andrew heard him speak through his communications system.  “All units are recommended to proceed with any further actions with caution; hostiles have been spotted and engaged. Don’t go out alone.” He turned back to Andrew and put a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve had a rough day; go get some rest.”

“Thank you.”

______________________________________________

As Andrew forced himself to relax, he couldn’t help but think about everything that happened. It wasn’t everyday you’re literally dropped onto an unknown planet with no outside communication. He tried not to think about what would happen if they weren’t rescued by humanity. Not exactly reassuring, the thought of the same people day after day. Well, maybe we’ll die before we get to that.

Andrew closed his eyes, and slept.