“And to think that you were going to do this without me Eddy!”

Edward sighed. He was regretting his decision to call David deeply already as while he was nice to have a drink with and a good 2IC, he wasn’t the sort of man who he thought could console him very well if he was dying. Hell, he’d probably make the situation worse.

But there wasn’t any way he was getting him away from a spot of combat, given how much David had been complaining after he got into the tank and ended up in a battle. Whenever they’d been alone it had just been constant question of “When will you let me have some fun too?” from him.

So hence, both of them were donning NBC gear with a set of marines to get ready to go into the breach. With the breach in question being a metal door in the very lowest level of the palace, from which various nasty things like chlorine gas emanated from.

And it was the most likely place that the gas masked “underlings” that provided the kingdom with all of their advanced tech all this time would be. So it was vital to explore the place and make contact with, or put down, the bloody mole-men that somehow lived down there.

And Edward was fucking terrified. One rip in the NBC suit he was putting on or a failed filter could potentially kill him, and kill him easily. Leaving him dying while he literally coughed his lungs out as they filled with blood in a deep, dark, hole. Which he’d argue would be a bit worse than the slightly faster death of asphyxiating in space.

Be he needed to prove himself one way or another, and this was a rather sure-fire way to do so. If a bit stupid.

So here he was, yanking the suit over him and putting on a gas mask as an NBC technician looked over the seals and fitting of it. So at least he was in capable hands, especially with the accompanying Blacksuits.

But again, David.

“You look ready then! Did you bring that rusty AK with you then or a proper gun?”

Edward lugged his R-10 over his shoulder before then unholstering his EMG-08 coilgun pistol, “I have two proper guns, both from Harley who I’m pretty sure prefers me over you.”

Even through the mask, Edward could tell David’s jaw had slacked open, “Spoilt cunt.”

He laughed, “You should have asked for it before he gave it to me.”

“And I didn’t know he was giving out free sci-fi guns!”

“Well, I’m sure you can put in an order for one of these things when we are finished here then.”

“Alright, fine…”

Edward sighed, getting back to bracing himself for the potential danger that sat ahead.

And it was not much longer until everyone was ready, and it was then time to open the door and move into the dark underground void.

The smell of the place seemed to permeate through the mask, which sounded bad to Edward, but the support team had assured him it was mostly just the smell of the mask itself. Which wasn’t the most reassuring sentence he had heard.

Though there wasn’t any backing out now as they started to delve into the depths, a communications line being strung behind one of the marines as they walked. The tunnels that they were now in were too deep for proper radio communications between them and the people up top, hence the wire.

And the tunnel itself was rather interesting, if rather spooky given the context.

It seemed like an old catacomb mixed with a mine shaft. Little cubbies were cut into the rough walls and corridors snaking off everywhere in a maze-like structure that was only navigable via some quick surveys with ground penetrating RADAR.

It was also pitch black and damp, with the only way to see being through their night vision goggles. Which meant that hopefully all of the underground people trying to attack them would have a hard time figuring out where they actually were. Though a little ambient light was needed and created by some IR lamps on their rifles. Which would give their position away if the enemy did somehow have some IR or image intensifying NVGs.

But still they were trying to be as covert as possible. Taking every step carefully and peeking around every corner as they snaked their way to what seemed to be an underground lair.

Though it wasn’t going to be an especially short trip, and he wasn’t going to have much time for sightseeing or observing the little patterns carved onto the wall either.

“You’ve got any idea on what these bastards might have?” David asked, looking over to Edward as he walked, “Hidden traps, machine-gun turrets, some sort of James Bond like weapon?”

“I don’t think so… I’m more worried about someone popping out from around a corner and shooting at us…”

“Ah, just like everyone else has being doing during this campaign?”

“Exactly like that. There isn’t any other way for them to win. Though, I wouldn’t count some traps out of the possibilities. Maybe some trip wires with rifles linked up to them or some hand grenades…”

“The classics?”

“The classics…”

They continued on for a little longer without talking, their boots echoing down the multiple halls.

David continued to look at Edward, “I know you’re thinking about something, I can tell, even with all of that gear on.”

“I’m thinking about begin things which you wouldn’t be interested in…”

“I think you’re thinking about how on earth they’re down here.”

Silence.

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

“You are.”

“So, how are you thinking they’re down here with an entire factory then?”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Well… They would have come with some drills for deep rock mining and excavation given how this world would have originally not be fully earth like yet, so they’d need shelters. And there was the possibility they’d need to protect against some serious radiation. So that’s why they’d have the drills.”

“And the first people that came here drilled these tunnels and they got hand mined out a little into their rough shape that they are today?”

“I don’t think it was the first lot who did this.”

“Oh?” David asked, eyebrow raised, “Why?”

“Because the first lot that came here would have probably been some of the garden ships that got sent back further than the rest. Seeding the planet with earth plants and fauna and having no proper colonising kit, leading them to turn into the tribes that cover the planet and the ones that got subjugated on this continent into the peasantry. Well, also on some bits of the other ones with king-“

“Now, now, clam down, get back on topic.”

Edward sighed, “Right, okay. So it was the second group with the prophet. And while they would have made some initial efforts to properly colonise. At some point it breaks down and the prophet takes over the shop. But before then some sort of underground hab is made, prophet takes over, a load of people who don’t like him go underground here, maybe get some extra dirt and rock shovelled over them and shit. But they are needed for their technical expertise, so they keep some contact but are mostly shunned, until now.”

David slowly started to nod, “I kind of think I follow with that, so I will just take it that you have the best theory on it.”

“Well, no experts in this have come along yet, so I’ve just used some of my hobbyist skills to make a theory in my head in a few days that may be completely wrong.”

“Figures. You’ve never been that great at guessing things.”

“And that’s just you lying…”

“And it’s just me getting a friendly jab in, don’t worry about it.”

Edward sighed again, shaking his head a little.

But still they kept moving along. The group of marines, officers, and Blacksuits creeping down the tunnel.

“Stop.”

The slow thumping of feet stopped, the column’s lead marine holding their hand up and looking down. Their eyes focusing on a slim wire that was barely visible.

“Alright!” Edward called out, “Can the EOD guy come up, we’ve got a job for you.”

A general groan echoed along the group, as a guy in medium power armour walked up. His specialised downsized hands allowing him to still use his delicate tools while he was in it as he got to work on disarming the trap.

All the while, everyone else was keeping a look out, just in case it could be an ambush…

Again, it’d be improbable… But still far too possible, especially with all of junctions and passageways that surrounded them.

It was all too nerve wracking.

But the tension was broken.

In the bad, but expected way.

As the cavern lit up and a barrage of fire was laid into the EOD guy and a regular marine, with the marine being quickly cut down by it.

“Get down!”

A Blacksuit charged in front of Edward, spraying a hail of rounds into a passageway, lighting up the cloaked and masked assailants as they were turned into colanders.

Edward whipped his head around, stepping backwards as the Blacksuit sprayed more and more rounds into various cubbies and corridors. And as he turned his head, he came face to face with an underground man in their leather suit.

He whipped his rifle up, trying to fire first at the thing as it did the same.

His mind running fast, he did the only thing he thought to do.

He leapt forwards, bashing into the thing as they both tumbled to the ground, grunting and bruised as they were left dazed for a moment.

But the adrenaline in Edward’s system was still running.

His rifle was not at his side anymore, nor was the other man’s rifle as they were still reeling from the impact.

So, his hand whipped to his belt, ripping out the turned on coilgun as he blasted several rounds at the thing.

The first two missed, but the third made an impact onto their arm.

Edward bolted up, staring into the eye pieces in the man’s mask as he saw a glint of their human eyes as he kept his pistol aimed at them. He saw the man’s panicked and pained eyes as he started to splutter, their suit breached.

“Are you alright sir!?” A Blacksuit barked, rushing over to Edward as they looked him all over.

“Yeah… I think so… Any breaches in my suit?”

“No. But have you broken anything sir? We are calling down medivac now if you need to pull back. All threats have been neutralised.”

“No…” He mumbled, “I’m alright… Is David-“

“The lieutenant commander is fine and has said he will continue on-”

David chuckled, walking up behind the blacksuit with a small splatter of blood on their mask, “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine! Now lance corporal, go back to securing the perimeter while I deal with the admiral.”

“Sir.” They nodded, moving forwards as David got closer.

“Edward, you got a nice and up-close kill, nice. I only managed to get one as well.”

“Don’t you feel anything?”

David paused, looking into Edward’s eyes, “A little. I just don’t dwell on it, you know that, and you should do the same, now come on.”

“I don’t think I’m doing another thing like this again.”

“That fair enough, but are you staying? I’ll stick by you mate and make sure you don’t get nearly shot in the back like there.”

“…”

“Ed?”

“Yeah,” He sniffed, “I’ll keep going with you. I need to see what’s down there.”

“Don’t care about the medal stuff anymore?”

“I don’t want to comment on that.”

“Sure…”

They waited there for a while longer. A few minutes passing before a team got down with several new squads of marines and the extra medics who dragged the injured and the dying out. The new squads fanning out to cover the rest of the tunnels as they were left to continue forwards with their main route. Now guarded against ambushes like they should have ensured before rather than just going with a single group as they rushed into it.

Luckily it wasn’t Edwards fault but still. He could had said something, but he was far too eager to just get in and ignored the blunder…

At least David was being a lot better at consoling him that he expected in this situation…

So deeper and deeper they delved as everything started to level out and the walls of stone started to grow smoother and rounder.

Until they eventually encountered an old, slightly rusty, large airlock.

“Blacksuits, investigate it.”

“Yes sir.”

To Edward it seemed like it could be another trap. An airlock that could have been salvaged from the cargo bay of a ship and rigged to vent all the air to create a vacuum. Something only the Blacksuits could withstand in their customised heavy suits.

But as they walked in and activated it, nothing seemed to go wrong at all. No reports came back of dropping air pressure. Nothing other than a “All clear, airlock has cycled.” From their leader.

Slowly they stepped in, guns lowered before disappearing from sight from the small port hole in the door.

The wait continued, with no other responses coming for a while until-

“Sir, you’ll want to come in.”

Edward glanced to David who returned a nod, the two walking forwards with some marines to the airlock.

They closed it, cycled it, and then walked out. All into a dirty, but clearly space-age interior space that had been kept together by duct tape and dreams. Monitors that were black and lifeless, cracked air vents and medieval bowls mixed with modern mess tins.

And in the middle of the entrance room was a set of kneeling underground people in their suits, surrounded with a field of people without them on. All regular, if rather inbred and slightly mutated people, but people non the less.

But all of those other ones were dead. Lying lifeless on the floor, a box of pills and some broken glasses scattered around telling the rest of the story.

The lead one looked up to the group, “I am Alpha. I am one of the few that did not panic when we heard the reports of you coming with your armoured troops. You may have expected more of us. But we did not think you would spare us. So, us twenty give ourselves up to you and our ailing home. All if you do not shoot us, you great and mighty ones that the ones up top know as Ifcan. Representatives of the IFC.”

“W-Wha.. Why did you…”

“While we easily deduced that you were not the people know as the Chinese or the Russians, many of us still thought you would kill us. They marched out to try and stop you, but as it failed, they brought the news back. Many of us wanted to fight you believing you did not have good intentions but knew it was hopeless when they turned up…”

Alpha pointed to the Blacksuits as they looked between each other.

“So, they made their way out of this world on their own terms. In a slightly more peaceful way. I hope you can forgive them and let us praise the next morning. We only cooperated with your enemy as we needed more supplies, and there was a chance they may win and treat us fairer. For we did not know what you might have done.”

“I…” Edward stood, his mind swimming, “I accept your surrender… And your people… The funeral…”

“We will deal with it if you allow us.”

“You… Do it… Do you have a chair?”