» Mon Sep 20, 2010 7:50 pm {Prologue}-Date:July 17-Time9:23 PM-A remote area in the Middle East. Since the beginning of the Resource Wars earlier this year, the entire Middle East is merely considered "Enemy Territory" rather than a collection of individual countries.
"Poseidon, this is call-sign Crius. Optimum drop location ETA within fifteen minutes, drop or pass?" There was an edge to my voice that hadnt been there an hour ago, when we had first left the Rig. Piloting a http://www10.plala.or.jp/strgzr/aircraft/oh1/ohx_02.jpg Recon helicopter in the middle of the night at an altitude at which you cant see sh!t on the ground, waiting to drop into what may be an Insurgent base may be thrilling for a while, but after three passes over the perfect drop sight, it just gets boring.
Next to me, some nameless Poseidon pilot was taking power nap. The plan was supposed to be rock-solid, pass the controls over to him, and paratroop in along with the rest of my strike team at a location about twenty minutes by foot away from the base. If the technitians would get off their asses and get us the prototypes of those handheld cloaking devices that the military was working on, we could drop right into the camp itself.
"Crius, you are clear for jump." The posiedon-employeed radio operator finally confirmed from back on the rig. Finally, I could do what I did best. It took me about five minutes to switch control of the Recon Helicopter over to the secondary pilot, another five minutes to get all of my gear secure and to check my 'chute. Finally, I loaded my weapon, a german-made http://www.combatsportsupply.com/ProductImages/classicarmy/MP5SD6.jpg,fresh off the lines. There were a few perks of working for a miltimillion dollar corporation-they buy you whatever the hell you say you need, no questions asked.
I removed the chopper headset and switched on the earbud-mouthpiece setup in my helmet, sending out a single word to the members of my task force, the go-word for this mission. "Kronos." I muttered with Finality, and popped the pilot compartment of the OH-1 and dived, spread-eagled, from the small helocopter, almost feeling the scything blades of the propeller above my head. It was an idiodic, flash move, and was entirely unnecisary, but whatever the hell. I guess it was being Ex-army, but I was out to break every rule in those [censored] US Army handbooks, even the ones that actually made sense.
After three minutes of free-fall, I began to see the lights from the camp 300 feet below and 500 feet to my left. I had purposely missed the predetermined landing area for one closer to the target to save myself some footwork, and to get a better look at the camps layout before I lost my vantage point. It was definitely occupied, housing at least a hundred people, eisily, and it was definitely terrorist, housing a pair of old russian BMP Armored Personell Carriers, and even an archaic soviet tank. More armor than we had expected, but that was all Ares job.
Once I had reached the minimum safe parachute deployment distance, I waited another fifteen seconds before deploying my chute. It was a rough landing, and I hadnt been spotted. Looking up, I could see three other members of my team, while about fifty feet further away, another four-man squad was dropping down. Five minutes leter the final six-man fireteam dropped down. That made fourteen of us.
Now, the fun would start.
(If you haven't already guessed, these guys are ex-military spec-ops. forces that got bought out by poseidon. Next chapter, you'll meet the team and see a damn lot more action. Please R&R.)
