Project Phoenix: The Rise

Chapter 15 - the day laughter died

Sergeant Eddy "Chuckles" Grace was a legend among the soldiers in his Battery. Respected by both his men and officers, Chuckles was known for his sense of humour and his unwavering professionalism. He was a born warrior, forged in battle, with a sharp intellect and the ability to thrive under pressure. As a non-commissioned officer, he was admired for his planning skills and situational awareness, always keeping a cool head even in the midst of enemy fire.

But beyond his dedication to the Army, Chuckles was a family man. His wife and kids always came first, and he treated every soldier in his troop as if they were part of his own family. He made it his mission to ensure that every single one of them returned home safely from their deployments. Little did he know that fate had something else in store for him.

Chuckles was no stranger to the streets of the mainland, having served on a previous tour dealing with civil unrest and riots. But this time, the gangs had morphed into well-armed, organized militias, backed by veterans from around the world. They had become an insurgency force, fighting against a struggling state. The enemy was no longer easily identifiable; they blended into the streets and estates, striking at any time and then disappearing.

That night, Chuckles and his unit, Romeo 20 Echo, were assigned to man a permanent vehicle checkpoint outside BBC Radio Sheffield. As part of Operation Ring of Steel, checkpoints were set up at key locations throughout Sheffield, including media stations that had become targets of the freedom fighters. The people saw these stations as sources of fake news, and violence had already claimed the life of a veteran radio presenter months earlier.

It was 2 am, and the night was oppressive with mist and drizzle. The stench of rotting garbage hung in the air, making the atmosphere even more unsettling. Time seemed to slow down as the hours passed, with only occasional sounds breaking the silence.

"Hello Zero, this is Romeo 20 Echo, radio check over," Chuckles radioed in, his voice cutting through the stillness. After what felt like an eternity, a tired voice crackled through his earpiece, "Romeo 20 Echo, this is Zero. Radio check okay." The response came from the operations centre, confirming that their communication was functioning.

Chuckles turned to his men in the MRAP, a heavy armoured vehicle, and chuckled. "Alright, lads, isn't this just dandy? Only another 45 minutes, and we can call it a night," he said, reaching into the cab to retrieve his flask of over-stewed tea.

Little did they know, the calm before the storm was just the beginning of a night that would test their mettle and push them to their limits. The fate of Sergeant Eddy "Chuckles" Grace and his men hung in the balance as they braced themselves for the chaos that was about to unfold.

Before Sergeant Eddy "Chuckles" Grace could reach for his dented green flask, a sudden burst of activity on his helmet's heads-up display caught his attention. The advanced MK12 combat helmet, equipped with cutting-edge technology, gave British soldiers an edge in the battlefield. Its "eyes over the horizon" feature allowed for early threat detection, enhancing situational awareness for ground teams. The helmet's artificial intelligence program, known as the AI, prioritized and linked targets to a swarm, which would then track, terminate, or record them.

In this instance, a lone car had been flagged as a track target due to its matching VRN and description to a stolen vehicle. Although the drone that spotted it couldn't identify the occupants clearly, the car was deemed suspicious. As the car turned towards the position of Romeo Two Zero Echo, Chuckles and his team took their rehearsed positions. Chuckles banged on the side of the MRAP to wake up Officer Gilbert, the police officer assigned to their unit for the night.

Gil stumbled out of the rear crew doors, still half-asleep and shivering in the cold. "What's going on, brother?" he asked Chuckles, wiping sleet from his eyes. Chuckles pointed towards the approaching car, which had slowed down and was making its way towards them. "Looks like a routine stop and search," Chuckles replied, eyeing the vehicle.