Recovered special operation log "Under Darkness"
Classification: Level 1 – High Command Access
Source: Comm logs
Codename: Enemy
Recovery Site:[REDACTED]
[Transcript Begins]
[Sound of heavy aircraft landing. Engines winding down.]
Squad Leader: Operation "Under Darkness" is a go. Remember, "Nightout" is one hour. Get in, recover any valuable intel, and get out. Regroup at this point in ETA 50 minutes for evac. Any team not present will be given an additional five minutes before being declared martyr. Any questions?
All voices: Negative, Sir.
Squad Leader: Good. Team Beta, with me. Nion, you're in charge of Team Alpha. Secure the first floor and lock down the evac point. Intel markers suggest there are data caches on that level. Recover what you can. My unit will proceed underground to acquire primary objectives and initiate sabotage. Remember, thirteen million lives are buying us this window. Failure is not an option.
Nion: [short laugh] You worry too much, commander. We'll succeed, that much is certain. Team Alpha, check comms. Move out.
[Boots on concrete. Weapons checked. Radio static.]
ETA +20 minutes
[Sound of heavy gunfire. Explosions. Ricochets striking reinforced metal.]
Nion: Contact! DAS unit! Hector—anti-armor! I'll distract it! Luiv, Senri, cover me!
Hector: Copy! Don't die on me!
[Running. Heavy breathing. Gunfire exchange. A sharp whine builds.]
Nion: Hector, NOW!
[Deafening detonation. EMP charge discharges. Screech of metal tearing. A massive crash follows.]
Nion: [coughing] …Fucking hell. I thought that we already cut the connection of this Machine nodes. Why are the DAS still active?
Luiv: Unknown. But it won't be the last. We should contact Squad Leader—request immediate evac. We've already secured some useful data from the first floor.
[Static surge. Comms distortion.]
Squad Leader: Team Alpha! Do you copy… Copy… We… new… don… engage… meet… 3rd… 20…
Nion: That sounded like trouble. Senri—go to the evac point and call the bird. Me along with Luiv and Hector will go down and regroup with the Squad Leader. Here—take the datapads. If we're not back, just go. No need to wait, understood?
Senri: I… okay. But you better come back soon. You and Hector still owe me a round of beers, you know.
Hector: [laughing] Don't worry. As long as I'm alive, I'll pay my debt. Can't say the same for these two, though…
Luiv: Who are you talking about? According to my memory, I was the one who paid last time. You only know how to drink, Hector.
Nion: [chuckling] That's true. Hector, you owe Mr. Smile the most. If you don't come back, he's going to harass poor little Senri here.
Hector: Oh, so now you're both teaming up on old me, huh? Kids these days…
[Small group laughter. Sound of weapons reloaded.]
Nion: Don't worry, Senri. We'll be back. I'll drag this drunk back to pay his tab myself.
Luiv: Damn right. I refuse to die in this ditch. At least let me go out surrounded by handsome men.
Hector: Hey! You calling us ugly?!
Luiv: Yes, although there are some redeemable qualities, but overall, yes, you're unattractive, Hector.
Nion: Haha, ok, now let's start moving. I need a count mag.
Hector: 5 mag of anti-amour, 3 EMP bomb, 2 grenades. And 20 rifle mags.
Luiv: For other equipment, I still have some morphine and 2 vials of nanobots. And some spare breach charges.
Nion: Ok, let's go!
Senri: Good luck… May the goddess bless you.
[Radio static, boots moving out.]
ETA +15 minutes
[Running. Footsteps slow. Soldiers panting.]
Squad Leader: Hold. This spot's got cover, catch your breath. Squad, report.
Terda: We've lost visual on the new unit, sir. And John's arm is still stabilizing.
[Heavy breathing. Low grunt.]
John: Goddamn it… The thing took my arm clean off. I didn't even see it swing.
Terda: Taka, thoughts? You've seen anything like that before?
Taka: Negative. Closest comparison is a DAS, but this one's bipedal, walks like a MAU. Difference is, MAUs go down to standard rifles. This one… rounds didn't penetrate. Hell, didn't even ricochet. Looked like they were stopped mid-air, like… by a barrier.
John: Great. So now the bastards are running magic shields, isn't that great.[heavy panting]
Taka: Not magic. It is more likely some kind of force-field system. But here's the catch: in theory, a barrier like that should burn enormous power every time it blocks a round. We dumped five mags of 7.62 into it, and it didn't falter. That means either they've cracked compact generators… or they're carrying mobile batteries the size of tanks.
Squad Leader: Hm. That would explain why it didn't press us hard. Barrier's probably draining and needs to cycle. If we follow the logic.
Terda: If that's true, we could burn it down. Six, maybe seven anti-armor hits should overload it.
John: You're forgetting something, speed. That thing moved faster than a MAU. Terda won't get a second shot off before it's on top of him.
Squad leader: Our best bet right now is to regroup with Beta team and set up a kill zone with 8 people. We should be able to kill it clean. John, status?
John: Arm's dead weight, but sensation's coming back. Give me five minutes, and I'll move it again. But it won't be pretty.
Taka: You're lucky I grabbed it when we ran. And got the nanobots in time. Without that, you'd be bleeding out right now.
John: [short laugh, pained] Thanks. Can't hug my kid with one arm, can I?
Terda:[exhale] Forget hugging. I'd kill for a woman to comfort me right now.
John: Heh. Guess we've got the same idea, Terda.
Squad leader: Enough chatter. Rest's over. We move. The entrance is ahead, Beta should be there. Let's go.
[Sound of weapon checked. Footsteps resume]
ETA +12 minutes
[Boots crunching on debris. Voices in hushed tones.]
Terda: Contact movement ahead.
Nion: Hold your fire! It's Alpha. Lower your muzzles.
Squad Leader: I see that you made it. Status?
Nion: First floor secured. Data caches recovered, but resistance was heavier than expected, we encountered a DAS unit. And Senri's holding the evac point with the intel. What about you?
Squad Leader: Engaged a new Machine unit. Unknown designation. Bipedal, shielded. John's injured. But we have managed to secure intel of a new type material and a list of coordinates belong to command centers and machine nodes.
Hector: We encountered the new unit that you mention, but it was observing us and not attacking. We rigged an EMP trap to cover our retreat. It should have lost our trail already.
Taka: Weird that it didn't attack you, it should have more than enough power to take one or two of you down. Maybe our theories about the force field were true after all. Captain?
Squad leader: I wonder about that, or is it setting up to gather information about how we operate and our tactics? This is a new unit after all, we can't eliminate the possibility that it has above grade 2 AI.
Luiv: [muttering] Perfect. We're lab rats now.
Nion: Doesn't matter. Whatever it was, it's not invincible. If your information is true, we can overload the force field. Our squad have spotted a perfect kill zone when going down here. It provide enough cover and only 2 access points are possible.
[Metallic echo reverberates faintly through the corridor. Soldiers fall silent.]
Terda: …Tell me that's not footsteps.
Squad leader: Nion, go ahead and setup the killzone. My team will be the bait. Tedra, go with them. I need you to setup the gun. And Luiv cover us.
All voices: Sir, yes, sir!
[sound of running, Gunfire bursts in the distance]
[radio static surges.]
ETA +10 minutes
[Low rumble of engines spooling up.]
Crew: Evac bird standing by, madam. Ready to lift on your command.
Senri: Not yet. They're not here.
Crew: Copy. But "Nightout" is almost spent. We can hold three more minutes, no longer.
Senri: …I understand.
Senri: [soft, trembling voice] Please… come back already. You promised me, haven't you?
[Sudden commotion, boots pounding against metal flooring. Heavy, ragged breathing.]
Crew: Contact! Two friendlies, spec-ops! Get a medic here!
Senri: Luiv! Taka! Gods, you made it! Are you hurt?
Luiv: [gasping, collapsing into a crouch] Heh… let's just say I've had better nights.
Taka: [strained, voice cracking] Legs are shot. I won't be running again anytime soon.
Senri: Thank the goddess you're alive. But, what happened? What is that thing? And… where's the rest of the squad?
[Silence. Engines hum louder.]
Luiv: I'm sorry Senri… The rest of the squad is declared martyr now….
Taka: They sacrificed themselves for this thing here. It is a new enemy type. It has new technology, which, if Command managed to reverse engineer, it will help with our war effort
[Silent]
Senri: I understand… Take off.
Crew: Affirmative! You two get that thing on here, we're leaving.
Luiv: [softly] I'll tell you everything… on the way.
Senri: [voice breaking, almost whispering] Yes… [low, trembling] …you liar.
[Engines roar, sound of air breaking as the evac bird lifts away.]
[Transcript Ends.]
Archivist's Note
This log represents the final verified transmission of Operation Under Darkness, executed by a special operation team codename "Nix."
Team Alpha – First Floor / Evac Point Securing Unit
Lt. Nion Varrek – Alpha Team Leader (KIA)
Cpl. Hector Duran – Anti-Armor Specialist (KIA)
Sgt. Luiv Marren – Field Engineer / Demo Specialist (Survivor)
Pvt. Senri Hale – Comms & Evac Liaison (Survivor)
Team Beta – Underground Assault / Sabotage Unit
Capt. [REDACTED] – Squad Leader, Operation Commander (KIA)
Sgt. Terda Malek – Heavy Weapons / Support Gunner (KIA)
Cpl. John Kessler – Rifleman, Secondary Marksman (KIA)
Warrant Officer Taka Shuren – Combat Medic / Recon (Survivor – severely injured)
Casualties Sustained: 5 KIA, 3 Survivors.
Mission Outcome: Partial Success. Data secured and extracted.
Strategic Assets Recovered:
Prototype Force Field technology
Cold Fusion Mini-Reactor schematics
Koronium Batteries (portable energy cells)
Koronium refinement and application schematics
Strategic locations of enemy bases
The sacrifices of Lt. Varrek, and all fallen operatives are recognized under the Order of the Silver Flame. Their actions have ensured the preservation of knowledge critical to the survival of humanity.