The Quicksand Singularity ArQive: Array.init:0

A0T4.2 The Ëchüha Incident (Parts 2+3)

"Joxa-5, what's going on up there?" Hvórþ said into his wicomm, as the drop ship righted itself and began accelerating upward again.

"Demon Alpha, LZ is a no-go," Atzumi, Kija's co-pilot, commed in, "platform partially collapsed under us. Prepare for airborne descent at two-five-zero metres elevation and relay ready signal."

"Roger that," Hvórþ replied, picking himself off the floor. "Looks like it's Jumping Djinni, boys!"

Reaching into an overhead bin, Hvórþ grabbed a backpack-mounted jumpjet attachment. Kàng, Hvórþ's designated jump partner, turned and Hvórþ secured the device onto his backpack. Three strong tugs to confirm it was secure and Hvórþ signalled Kàng. He turned around and waited as Kàng strapped a set of jumpjets onto his backpack. He felt three tugs and turned back around to attach Ichika's jumpjets. Once everyone was on their feet, facing forward, Hvórþ strode to the back of the hold where the lever to open the loading ramp was mounted. Nodding to each of member of his squad, he placed one hand on the lever.

"Demon Alpha, we are on station for aerial drop, releasing safety lock on your signal," Kija commed in.

"Twelve hours," Hvórþ barked, muting his wicomm, "once we're down there, we're lone wolves. You see anything, you call it. Mirage, ghost, the apparition of your favourite whore in Fucktown! There is no such thing as a crywolf on this operation! Our primary objective is to exfil safely with as much intel on the situation as possible! In twelve hours if I don't see every last one of your fugly mugs on this drop ship, I will come back here, raise your worthless arse from the dead, and kill you again! You ladies understand that!?"

"Yes, Commander!" the squad barked in unison.

"Good, then let's raise some hell!" Hvórþ bellowed, unmuting his wicomm, "Pilot, this is Demon Alpha. Djinni are ready to jump. Repeat, Djinni ready to jump."

"Copy, Demon Alpha. Djinni ready to jump. Disengaging airlock safety."

The light above the loading ramp changed from red to green and Hvórþ pulled the lever. An alarm blared as a series of mechanical clunks, clangs, and hisses issued from the loading ramp, before its heavy hydraulic arms began to lower the ramp.

A low, mechanical drone hummed from the arms as they pushed the armoured ramp forward. The ramp locked into place, and a crack of light widened from the top of the ramp as the arms pivoted downward.

Hvórþ let his weapon hang by its sling. With his free hand, he signalled the jump elevation before closing his fist. Thecrack of light widened from the slowly opening doors bringing a cloud of dust billowing into the hold. Once the ramp had lowered completely, Hvórþ pushed the lever fully up, locking in pilot control. With his free hand, he counted down three, before giving the sign to jump.

One by one, Hvórþ's men filed out of the drop ship, giving just enough time for the solider they followed to clear the landing zone.

"Pilot, Dropkick Demon is away," Hvórþ said over comms, once Kàng had jumped. "Repeat, Dropkick Demon is away."

"Copy, Demon Alpha. Bus is RTB in twelve, with or without you."

"A-firm, Joxa-5," Hvórþ repeated. "Twelve hours. Demon Alpha out."

Hvórþ took his weapon in hand and charged out of the hatch, jumping off in a pencil dive. Almost immediately his jumpjets activated, jerking his backpack's straps painfully into his armpits. He lost visual almost immediately after, as he entered a huge cloud of dust kicked up by the others. The jets brought him down gently on a loose pile of rubble, kicking up even more dust. As it settled, Hvórþ readied his weapon again, and engaged his V-Mesh recording system. Once cleared, and he could see his surroundings, the unsettling feeling he'd had the whole way down from orbit went from a seven to an eleven.