Ad Astra - The Alagore War

AA V1 Alagore, Chapter 4

"Actual, this is First Lieutenant Martin, we have engaged hostile forces. They are within the compound, I repeat, they are within the compound. They are occupying third and fourth floors. I do not know what they are engaging us with, but it is nothing like I have ever seen before. Setting up contaminate perimeter now."

March, 2nd, 2048 (Military Calendar)

NASA-USSF Research Laboratory

Fort Raymond, Colorado, United States

*****

Seeing the ceiling lights on, Comanche slowly moved through the facility's hallways. Besides the raging battle outside, everything seemed calm, as if nothing had happened. Some knocked-over tables and shelving were like a large group had come through. Outside that, everything looked normal.

However, Captain Ryder was cautious to advance too quickly after their engagement on the roof. Whatever hit the bottom of the helicopter defied any conventional wisdom. That was on top of the fact that nothing about this operation made sense.

"Where is everyone?" Gonzales asked. "I was expecting bodies."

"It looks like everything went down after everyone went home," King said. "Whatever they are doing here, they waited for the nonessential to go home."

"Expect for the senior staff," Ryder said. "That means something was happening here that required the upper echelons of our military, political, and scientific leadership. Stay sharp; you don't want to kill someone we are supposed to save."

The team moved through the tight hallway of the research facility. The sound of weapons fire could be heard from the outside engagement and the other Minutemen team, Ghost; however, Commanche hadn't run into contact with the enemy yet. Whoever was on the roof wanted to retreat quickly, not even bothering to set up a defensive line on the top floor.

When Comanche reached an intersection, they found a man on the floor, leaning against the wall. The team medic, Marcos Gonzales, rushed over and confirmed that he was dead.

"How did he die?" King asked.

"The upper part of his uniform is burnt to hell," Gonzales said.

"From that flamethrower that attacked us?" Higgins asked.

"I don't think so," Gonzales said. "That would engulf his entire body. This was direct and focused."

"Check this out," Ford said.

Ryder noticed small holes in the wall. Some had objects inside them. It's not a bullet, but with closer inspection, it looked like a flechette. What puzzled him was the other 'bullet' holes that burned around them but with nothing within them.

Ryder snapped his figures for one of his teammates to pick up the evidence while he went to the body. "What do you think?"

"No idea, sir," Gonzales said. "He was not killed by these. It seemed like the enemy was providing cover while they hit him with that focused flamethrower."

"Focused flamethrower?"

"I don't know a better word yet. But you know what else I noticed."

"What?"

"5.7mm casings but no P52."

Ryder looked around him and saw seven 5.7×28mm shells on the floor, but the medic was correct. The submachine gun was missing. One of the facility security could have taken the weapon; however, it was more likely that the enemy took it after killing him because they had yet to run into friendly people. Why, he had no idea.