Unit 15 - First chapter: Dropoff day
A truck goes through a snowy forest, quite a bumpy ride.
Four people are inside the back.
All are dressed in the same attire: facemask, steel helm with a chinstrap, thick winter fitted coat, leather gloves, warm pants, and leather high boots.
The helmet, mask, gloves, and boots are black.
The coat and pants are ash brown.
Three of them are sitting on seats attached to the side walls, and the fourth is kneeling before a pile of supplies.
——
"Equipment, check. Food… check. Tents, che-"
A hand grabbed his shoulder, ripping him from his trance
"Korse, we have everything. Trust me"
Slowly he exhaled, stood up, and turned around.
"I appreciate it Ilsha but I am the lead here and you shouldn't be the one worrying yourself."
Ilsha: "I know, but you should not push yourself too much. We are a team and we should share the work."
Out of the little happy moment, a voice of their third comrade ripped them out.
"Are we REALLY going to be in this UNBEARABLE cold for 15 days!? I haven't even left this truck and want to go home."
Another voice joins in, this time a calm one.
"Garet you have 3 jackets on, shut up."
Garet: "It's easy to say something like that when you have one that is warmer."
"Yeah yeah say what you want.
During their talk, Ilsha turns her attention toward them as she sits back in her seat.
Ilsha: "Both of you!"
She sounds quite angry as she raises her voice at them but Korse grabs her shoulder and speaks.
"No, I've got this, sit down, please.
And she does, and then he speaks instead.
"Garet, Harran shut the fuck up."
He did not raise his voice at all, sounding calm and strong.
Harran looked up at him and spread his arms.
"Hey, the fuck did I do?"
He said, clearly annoyed.
Korse as he sits down next to Ilsha:
"You are talking to him and obviously trying to start something, shush."
"What a family?"
"Do us both a favor and be quiet."
- Korse said as he stared at the truck floor, holding his head up with his right hand.
Ilsha: "Are you always like this, Harran? Oh long trip this will be."
- Muttering under her breath.
Meanwhile, Garet was shaking from the cold, wearing 4 heavy jackets and looking like an oversized egg.
Like so, the truck continued in awkward silence created by Harran.
—————————
After a few minutes, the truck stopped. Garet almost fell off his seat because he was unbalanced from wearing so much and, therefore, unable to keep himself balanced.
Harran wasted no time, kicked the door open, and immediately rushed out… except he was blinded by the sudden light of the outside world, he did not notice the almost 1-meter high fall and dived face first into the snow, thankfully there was enough of it to keep him safe.
The point of arrival is an open field, quite a big one, surrounded by a forest from the north, south, and west.
For a few moments, Harran stayed there motionless in the pose as he fell.
Then Ilsha landed by his side, just more safely. She gently pulled him out of the snow pile and sat him with his back against the truck.
Almost like a mother caring for her child.
Right after that Garet wobbled himself out and with Ilsha's help got down.
Korse took some stuff out with him unlike anyone else, two tents, one under each arm.
From the truck's cabin, specifically, the co-driver's side jumped out a topless man with only white fur pants. His hair was snow white, his eyes ice blue, and his muscles were rivaling those of a god.
Garet stares at him for a few moments before he can make out a few words from his mouth which was frozen shut.
"WHAT?! WHAT THE F-FUCK?!"
"HOW'S HE N-NOT DEAD! HOW'S HE NOT-"
Korse put his hand over Garet's mouth to shut him up, and it worked.
"Garet, that is a Siberan, they live in this cold normally."
Garet: "S-savages."
Korse: "Savages or not he is stronger than you, me, and Harran together. Try not to overheat his engine."
The Siberan approaches Korse, towering over both him and Garet.
"Hello, I Zurn, nice meeting you, leader."
He said while offering Korse a handshake.
Korse did accept it and almost had his hand crushed by Zurn's grip strength.
"Who- o- whoa le-let go it hurts it hurts!"
"Loosen it a little you brute."
——————————————————
The team loads out the stuff from two trucks, the one they were in and a supply truck in front of it.
Zurn like the strong guy he is, makes the task much easier by being able to haul what Harran and Korse could together.
As soon as the last haul is done the doors close quickly and the trucks set in motion.
Harran stands there covered in snow the tires spat on him when the vehicle started.
"Wait so they're just leaving like that?"
Korse: "Of course, what do you expect?"
"I thought they would like… you know, stay here with us maybe?"
"You are from the scout regiment, are you not?"
"In the scout regiment, we have less stuff, smaller vehicles and they stay with us 'cause the driver is one of us."
"Oh well, but these drivers are not with us."
- puts a hand on Harran's shoulder as the trucks disappear among the trees
"Sucks ass"
——————————————————
After around an hour and a half the camp was assembled.
7 tents in a circle, connected with tarp squares in a way to close gaps between the tents and make at least some kind of a wall with one entrance.
Each tent looks like a small cabin, and all are dark green.
There is a stove in the middle of the circle instead of the usual campfire.
Harran: "Okay so we got a damn load of snow EVERYWHERE around us and command issues us GREEN tents… GREEN for fuck sake.
Korse: "What seems to be the problem now?"
"Well, camouflage? Duh. Where's it at?"
"We need no camouflage, this place is so far from any Siberan village that nobody will wander here."
"What about the… yo what's that?"
- he points behind Korse
Korse turns around and sees a big black twisted tree, with no leaves, no needles, only bare branches.
Both of them approach the weird tree.
"Hey, Harran."
"Yeah?"
"You are a scout so… you got the thing in your eye?"
"Thing in the eye?"
"Yes, the… you know, the thing that tells you what you're looking at."
"Identify… yeah sure, doesn't work that simple buddy."
"How come?"
"I need to know at least something, and I know I am not a botanist. Tho I can tell that it has uh… uhhhhh… it's tall 10 meters or so, still might be wrong tho, it's not 100% accurate."
"Absolutely useful."
"…fuck off Korse"
They talk more about the tree but it turned into a discussion about tomorrow's tasks.
-
Meanwhile, Ilsha is in her tent arranging the place in case someone has a medical emergency, for that reason she has an extra camping cot in there. Essentially a bed on tiny legs not more comfortable than a wooden table, still better than the ground though.
Her tent can quickly be turned into a medical room for 2 patients in times of need.
She puts her helmet on the table, unlike the helmets of others, hers is white, with a light blue cross on top of it.
She makes sure everything is in order and everything has its place.
Garet is in his tent, already sleeping with an extra blanket, Zurn gave him his own.
As for Zurn… Zurn went for a walk, somewhere, alone.
——————
As the sky darkens, Harran and Korse return to the camp, they took on a little side quest and got wood from the nearby forest, to fuel the stove.
Ilsha was waiting for them, food supplies ready to start cooking… or rather only warmed up for all they have is instant soup, but it tastes better when they pretend it was freshly cooked by a friend instead of admitting it's been sealed in the can for the last 3 weeks, straight from the factory.
——
While Ilsha was -cooking-, the guys got into the tent where they slapped a foldable table and called it a canteen.
Korse has an empty seat on his right.
On his left around the corner sits Zurn, facing the tent entrance across the table.
His neighbor is Harran with Garet by his side.
They lay their helmets on the table by their left sides. Then they take off their masks.
Korse, Harran, and Garret next.
Harran: "Damn, seeing your ugly face Garer for the first time, feels nice tho."
Garet: "As if you were to speak."
Korse: "Can we have dinner with no arguments, please? Thank you."
Korse's face is rather young-looking, probably hit 30 recently, young and strong-looking. His hair is light brown and cut short.
Harran, probably a little over 20 maybe just a little younger than Korse, his hair raven black, also cut short.
As for Garet, he looks pushing 50, his face rather chubby, with minor scars all over it, one right under his left eye. Hair, grey, same cut as the other two.
Korse: "Tomorrow we start with the tasks the high command gave me, also according to the protocol, someone is required to stay up on night watch duty."
Harran: "Give me 3 cups of coffee and I'll do it."
- No hesitation in his voice
Garet: "I am going to sleep right after this."
Ilsha walks through the entrance with a metal tray, 4 cans of soup, and a big chunk of meat.
She puts it on the table, gives everyone soup and to herself, Zurn takes the meat by himself with his bare hands.
Nobody starts eating except Zurn.
Ilsha removes her mask and reveals her face, also young-looking, similar in age to Harran.
She has long blonde hair.
Korse and Harran are staring at her as she sits down, utterly mesmerized by her looks.
They all put their elbows on the table and clasp their hands together, then begin to pray silently.
By the time everyone starts to eat, Zurn is done so he walks out.
The whole room is silent for the dinner as it begins.
——
Zurn enters his tent, inside is nothing more than a rug on the floor and some kind of a makeshift backpack.
He lies down on the rug, facing up, he falls asleep in seconds
-
Korse went to the middle tent, looking at the supplies.
Harran: "Yo, what're ye doin over here?"
Korse: "Management."
"Management? For what, there's nobody to steal our stuff here."
"Harran I meant like rationing, making sure we really have what we were supposed to re- …why are you here and not keeping watch?"
"I dunno I got bored."
"Get your ass out or I will tell high command about-"
Before Korse finished he just heard the tent door slap shut.
He returns his attention to supplies again.
Korse finds a tenshot.
(revolver with extra steps)
"And I thought they packed nothing like this for us."
- He said to himself, before stuffing it in his right boot.
A little later he found a knife and shoved it into his other boot.
-
Garet is in his own tent, with a camping cot just like Ilsha's, a table, and a chair.
Around the whole room are scattered various things, tools, a knife, and a box in which the tools belong.
It is like a workshop… a messy one.
He's sitting on a chair, heater on the table and his hands are digging through the machinery.
"T-this slopply piece of s-scrap."
"WORK!"
Then he proceeds to hit the heater's insides with a little hammer.
Next thing he hears are the sounds of what can easily be described as a car turning on its engine.
Slowly he stands up, pats himself on the back, and announces to himself.
"Garet! You have outdone yourself once more! Your wife is happy to have a man like you!"
His praise is cut short and replaced with tears as he puts the heater next to the bed and lies down to sleep.
-
Harran is outside in the cold, walking around the camp with a stick in his hand.
A stick he snatched from the forest he took a little trip into for a stick like that.
He's waving with it all around the place, as if he had a sword in his hand.
"Haha! Ho! Your tyranny is over, King!"
"Prepare to die for I have come to avenge the people of…"
Suddenly, he stops, not moving even a little.
He heard a faint whisper behind him.
With slight hesitation, he swung the stick behind himself.
But he's alone.
Only the slight wind is blowing lightly around him.
Nervous, he retreats closer to the camp entrance, looking in every direction cautiously.