SIERRA ALPHA PRIME: KNOCKING ON FORBIDDEN DOORS (BOOK 2)

CHAPTER 2

9 am Martian time; General Jackson is on a shuttle heading towards the Solis Planum region on Mars. Located was the military biodome region. The shuttle docked in the docking bay area, which was also the transport armory. General Orlando left the transport ship and told them to keep the shuttle powered and ready for take-off.

General Jackson exited the ship with a solarium tablet in his hand. Jackson looked on the tablet at all the training exercises of the day. Jackson looked for a particular name. Once he found the name, he looked for it. General made his way to the 7th division soldiers preparing military training in zero gravity combat.

Jackson found the soldier he was looking for. He was a Lt. Colonel and was preparing to lead the division of soldiers on a training exercise to the Lunae Planum region. The Lt. Colonel noticed General Jackson.

"General on deck," the Lt. Colonel yelled. All the troops, including Lt. Colonel, salute Jackson.

"At ease, soldiers," General Jackson.

"Long time no see sir; what is it that we are owed this sir."

"Lt.Colonel Mason James, you are assigned for a mission to Sierra Alpha Prime. You will be coming with me and boarding the Ragnarok. As of now, you are relieved of training duties, effective immediately. Follow me."

Mason was excited to go to Sierra Alpha Prime finally. The last time he heard of the planet was when the Oldumare was destroyed. After Joilee was reported K.I.A. during the journey to the planet, he decided to give his all to become the best E.G.C. soldier; hoping that he could go to Sierra Alpha Prime to bring home, Joilee's remains. However, all hopes were lost when the government decided to discontinue the mission for colonization; and deemed it to be dangerous in fear of a hostile alien race.

After years of debate amongst the council, the mission of Sierra Alpha Primes was reestablished. After Joilee's Palmer logs were recovered by a deep space communication satellite. It has stored all of Joilee's data logs. Upon review of the logs, the council was convinced that the colonization of Sierra Alpha Prime was worth the effort. When Mason heard that the first military base was established on the planet, Mason had all hopes of retrieving his sister's body.

Lt. Colonel Mason James followed Orlando to his shuttle. Once Mason and Jackson were on board, the shuttle took off; and made its way to a military transport ship. The ship's destination was the Oasis. Jackson, Mason, and other military scientists were assigned to Sierra Alpha Prime within a year.

With faster-built light wave engines, the journey took two years. Mason was one of the personnel put in an induced coma in sleep stasis. General Jackson was one of the few that stayed awake during the two-year journey. When Mason was revived and went through the protocols for memory recovery, he was cleared for duty. At this point, the Ragnorok was six months away. The Ragnorok docked at the Hermes communication space station outpost to drop supplies. A skeleton crew of 100 personnel operated the station. However, 200 operating droids made up for the manpower.

After dropping off supplies, the Ragnorok continued its way to the Sierra Alpha Prime. During this time, General Orlando briefed his crew on Sierra Alpha Prime. After the briefing was over, Orlando ordered Mason to his office. Once inside, Orlando pulled out a cantine.

"Have a seat Mason," Orlando demanded. Mason did what he asked. He sat in the cold hard metal seat bolted to the floor.

"Have you ever had sake wine?"

"No, sir! Where edit you get sake wine! Alcohol is hard to come by."

"From the Citizen Division. A couple of years ago on Earth, I and a platoon of troops raided an illegal distillery in the Tokyo City biodome. While no one was looking, I grabbed a few cantinas. Even though non-military people have some trouble making sons of bitches, they sure are some intuitive bastards." Orlando replied.

Orlando poured sake into two metal cups. He slid on over to Mason.

"Sir, I am not supposed to drink; the council...."

"The council is not here, and I say it is okay. Go on!"

Mason takes a sip; he starts to cough from the high proof content of alcohol.

"That feels like fire!"

"Yeah, it is. I only drink this stuff to celebrate or deliver some bad news."

"Is this about Joilee!"

"It is!"

"If the bad news is that they found her body, we can celebrate as I can finally lay her to rest.

"Mason Joilee is alive!"

Mason was shocked to hear. Questions flooded his mind.

"Sir... How! She survived for forty years."

"Yes!" Orlando presses a holographic button on his desk. It displays Joilee attacking the military unit at the pyramid structure."

"How can this be? She looks younger than both of us."

"The egg heads in the Applied Science division believed that time passes slower within this solar system.

"We need to bring Joilee in for debriefing."

"Many soldiers tried, but they were met with hostility with the natives she had been staying with.

"My sister has been living with Aliens."

"Yes, they are a very primitive civilization."

"If they are primitive, what shot down the Ragnarok?"

"It was some energy that was left active. We relocated the energy source; however, everyone tried to deactivate it the first time, but Joilee and the natives protected it. That is why you and I were assigned for this mission. Maybe seeing familiar faces, we can create some diplomacy."

"Why would my sister attack us? She truly believed in the values of the Earth Conglomerate."

"I got this ass whole Brigadier Major that keeps antagonizing the native. That is why I am on the way to taking command of the military colony. Hopefully, you and I can convince her to come for a debriefing."

"This is a lot to swallow, sir."

"I understand. It's like pulling off a scab to an old wound. Meanwhile, you are relieved of duty so you can process this information. You're dismissed."

Mason went back to his quarters to surge of mixed emotions. For many years believing that his sister was dead; now he must deal with the knowledge that his sibling has not had human contact for forty years. "Why didn't the council send a rescue ship? They should have sent a rescue ship," Mason yelled as he banged his fist against the walls of his quarters. Mason felt a slight sense of resentment towards the council. For years the Earth Martian council had many decisions he did not agree with. He thought it was all for the greater good of mankind. However, thinking about his sister being left behind and written off as an expendable person. Needless to say, Mason understood if he was going to get his sister back, he needed to play by the council's ruling.