The Colony Read Free

length of the sniper rifle which he pressed his eye to.
    “ Alright, keep moving up,” Jack said, motioning Wesley to the front. “I'll be right behind you. Renaldo, cover our six.”
    “ You got it boss.” the sniper replied, turning to use his thermal on their backside.
    “ Up ahead. I can see a large door.” Wesley said, his two machetes strapped down to his thighs as he held a semi-automatic rifle in hand.
    “ That's the spot. Should be where our beacon is, along with the rest of the team,” Jack said, rain showering down around them in the deserted gravel lot of the colony. “Let's check on these people, tell them to answer their damn radio and then get the hell out of here.”
    “ There's no power.” Wesley said, the group reaching the large door, which was nearly nine-feet in height.
    “ What?” Jack replied.
    “ I mean on the door. There's no power. I got the Earth Defense override code right here, but without power I can't punch the damn thing in.” Wesley replied, his voice barely able to penetrate the thundering sound of rainfall.
    “ Ah shit,” Jack replied, just as tired of the falling water as those in his group. “Try knocking, but do it loudly. Let them know you're an Earth Defense soldier.”
    Rather than reply, Wesley began to hammer the flesh of his fist into the thick steel of the door, casting a deep and throaty echo for several hundred yards.
    “Got something!” Renaldo said, kneeling as he began to watch the thermal scope with intensity.
    “ What is it?” Jack asked.
    “ I dunno LT, but it was moving quickly.”
    “ Bronson's group?”
    “ No. I only saw one heat signature, and it was hauling ass.”
    “ Keep your eye to the scope,” Jack said, turning to Wesley, who continued his loud knock onto the door.
    “ This is Lieutenant Jack Strong of the Earth Defense Marine Core. I am hereby instructing you to open the door, otherwise we'll have no choice but to cut through it.”
    Several latches began to unbolt, each of them done so with caution by someone on the building's interior.
    “I guess I should have threatened them with a cutting torch that we don't have.” Wesley commented, smiling at his XO.
    “ Just ready your rifle and make sure it stays that way, at least until we find out what in the hell is going on.” Jack replied, prompting the soldier to shoulder his rifle at the ready.
    “ Identify yourself!” Renaldo yelled, trying to keep the heat signature in his scope.
    Both Jack and Wesley turned, realized their sniper had indeed seen something caution-worthy. But, moments after, the steel door began to creak open.
    “Get inside.” Jack ordered, both of the soldiers under his command doing just that.
     
    A frightened man backed away just a bit, noticeably malnourished.
    “ I'm sorry,” Jack said, slowly pushing the rifle of Wesley away from the man's face. “We're Earth Defense Marines.”
    “ You...you shouldn't be here.” the strange man replied in a shaky voice.
    “ Again, we're Earth Defense Marines. Your colony hasn't answered any communication for at least two weeks. It's standard procedure to deploy a group of marines to check on you, and, well, we're that group.” Jack said, looking around the room, seeming nothing more than a dusty warehouse.
    “ Where is everyone else?” Wesley asked, lowering his rifle, though hesitant at first.
    “ Dead, mostly. A few of us were able to fall back here and hold position. But going outside of that door is suicide.” the man answered.
    “ Dead?” Jacked asked, offering his full attention.
    “ That's right. It's all on record, but you need to come this way. Quickly.”
    “ You statement sounds military?” Jack asked.
    “ I'm a retired general,” the man admitted. “Please, this way.” he added, leading the three soldiers to the rear of the building.
    “ Anything on thermal?” Jack asked.
    “ No, steel is too thick.” Renaldo replied.
    “ Stop,” Jack said, halting everyone. “Listen, I've got