Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Sprinkles on a Soup Sandwich (Read 380 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Sprinkles on a Soup Sandwich

[ LCpl Hirek tr’Aimne | Bravo Base | Gila DN6 | Imperium Frontier Space ]ATTN: @Hans Applegate

Their small base in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere on an alien planet only the bureaucrats gave a shit about was a tiny oasis in a rugged and inhospitable wilderness. The sky overhead was a mesmerizing hue of deep purple, and the thick atmosphere carried a pungent scent that stung the nostrils. Like the explosive farts a grunt gave after eating too many MREs in the field.

The base was constructed of the toughest metal and concrete, with a few tents scattered around the periphery. A high fence, fortified with razor wire, encircled the entire compound, and towering watchtowers manned by heavily armed soldiers stood sentinel regularly. This was the backup in case their shield went FUBAR, and considering the size and number of the foe they often met in the field, it would do fuck all, and they were all dead at that point anyway.

The base's interior was a beehive of activity, with scientists in white lab coats darting about, analyzing samples of the planet's exotic flora and fauna for who gave a fuck reasons. Engineers worked industriously to maintain and repair the base's equipment, which was a stretch to state but at least they always looked busy. The soldiers patrolled the perimeter incessantly, their eyes trained on the horizon, scanning for any signs of danger. And there was plenty, and not all of it from outside either. There was always some imbecile looking for action of the wrong kind who needed putting down on the inside, and the fucking "Bugs" were always lurking on the outside.

At the core of the base was the command center, where the base commander and her team monitored the planet's activity and communicated with the fleet orbiting above. The walls of the command center were not walls at all, but interactive intricate maps and detailed charts, and a constant hum of activity filled the room. It was the most fortified position and the only part of the base with booster rockets strapped to its underside. If a FUBAR situation truly happened, then at the press of a button, the command center and higher-ups could get the fuck out of dodge while the rest were left as Bug fodder.

Despite the unrelenting vigilance, the base was not immune to the perils of this alien world. Bizarre and menacing creatures lurked in the shadows, the soldiers called the Bugs but the scientists had some other longer stupider name for them but no one gave a shit about it The weather could transform into a violent maelstrom without warning, and the rain was like an ex-girlfriend, sometimes sweet and sometimes bitter, and always with a subtle undertone of acid. Yet, those stationed there were trained to adapt and overcome any obstacle, and they remained forever watchful in their mission to explore and safeguard this "enigmatic new world" (i.e., they got paid well and had fucking awesome perks when on shore leave, so it seemed worth the suck).

Hirek stood half-naked in the middle of a circle of chanting soldiers, still rubbing the sleepies from his eyes. His bunkmate, the fluidic bastard Knox, had hauled his ass out of bed despite Hirek's best efforts to stay in it, and now the remains of his mattress were discarded somewhere behind him in the rapid, undesired evacuation of their bunkhouse. Chow time was not a luxurious affair by any means but a necessary affair nonetheless. A small group of button-pushers ancy for a fight had intercepted their trajectory to the mess hall. And a flock of violence groupies had quickly fallen in after the first squaring-off took place, one hulking asshat facing Knox and the other Hirek.

“You’re a dildo sheath,” the hulking man who desired to be Hirek's opponent spat a thick glob of goo on the ground near Hirek's feet.

Hirek lowered his arms, lips pulled back in a lazy smile. One of the suns was already halfway across the sky, with the second a quarter behind it. They had a good six hours more before their unit was expected to back out on patrol, which was probably why handsome as a cow's backside Dumbfuck had decided to pick a fight. Despite his size, his unit had been assigned only button-pushing tasks on this deployment. Hirek couldn't fault the man for wanting to pick a fight; he probably would, too, if the roles were reversed.

"I have to test it so your mom is fully satisfied." Hirek retorted.

Dumbfuck's face turned red with anger. He suddenly lunged at Hirek with a powerful roundhouse strike using his right arm. Hirek was quick to react and dodged the attack by sidestepping and ducking under Dumbfuck's arm. He then swiftly spun around, leaving Dumbfuck surprised at their sudden change of positions. Dumbfuck stopped in his tracks, looking at Hirek in amazement.

Now Hirek was closer to the mess halls, and he could easily walk away, more interested in having food than dealing with Dumbfuck's stupidity. However, Dumbfuck panicked and attacked Hirek again with the same move, swinging his right arm. Hirek likewise sidestepped and ducked, and they were back to where they'd started. But Dumbfuck was breathing a little heavier than Hirek.

"Aren't you tired of looking like a dumbfuck, Dumbfuck?" Hirek asked.

He came at Hirek again without hesitation. He attempted the same move as before. This time, however, Hirek responded by crashing his elbow into Dumbfuck's side as he spun under his arm. Dumbfuck bounced off Hirek's locked knees and immediately came back at him. Hirek dodged away again and felt a breeze as Dumbfuck's giant fist passed just an inch above his head.

"Knox," Hirek called over his shoulder to his bunkmate, "next time, let's just order in, okay?"

Hirek's felt looser now, like he was warming up whereas Dumbfuck stood across from him, panting heavily. It was clear to Hirek that Dumbfuck was a poor fighter, lacking in skill and finesse. While many assume that bigger guys are formidable fighters, their size can often impede them. More often than not, their intimidating presence is enough to prevent fights from even beginning, and when they do fight, they often rely on their bulk alone to win. As a result, they don't develop the skills or fitness required to be an agile and effective fighter.

Unlike a gym, the streets require an urgent, anxious, breathless, tight-throat, high-speed, high-adrenaline kind of fitness that can only be gained through experience. Hirek hadn't exactly grown up on the streets, but he'd certainly had to wrangle his way out of more than a few challenging situations on account of sexual misunderstandings (he hadn't known they were married, dating, etc.)

Hirek blew Dumbfuck a kiss.

Dumbfuck lunged at him like a pile driver. Hirek swiftly dodged to the left and hit him with an elbow to the face, but Dumbfuck countered with a left hook that knocked Hirek sideways as if he weighed nothing. Hirek went down on one knee but immediately got back up, just in time to avoid Dumfuck's next crazy lunge. Dumbfuck's fist missed Hirek's gut by a mere quarter-inch, and the wild momentum of the punch caused him to move past Hirek, lowering his head. Hirek took advantage of this and threw a left hook with all his might, connecting with Dumbfuck’s ear. Dumbfuck staggered back, and Hirek followed up with a massive right to his jaw. Hirek danced back and took a breather, assessing the damage he had inflicted.

No damage.

Hirek had hit Dumbfuck four times, and it was like he hadn’t hit him at all. The two elbows had been solid smashes, and the two punches had been as hard as anything Hirek had ever thrown. There was blood on Dumbfuck's upper lip from the second elbow, but there was absolutely nothing else wrong with him. Theoretically, Dumbfuck should have been unconscious. Or in a coma. It was probably sixty years since Hirek ever had to hit a guy more than four times. But Dumbfuck showed no pain. No concern. He wasn’t unconscious. He wasn’t in a coma. He was dancing around and smiling again. He was relaxed. Moving easy. Huge. Impregnable. There was no way to hurt him.

Hirek inwardly groaned as he realized his chances were slim to none. Dumfuck returned the look and understood exactly what was going through Hirek's mind. He grinned even wider, shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, hunched his shoulders low, and extended his hands like claws. Dumbfuck stamped his feet, first left, then right, left, right, as if he was pawing the ground, ready to attack and rip Hirek apart. The smile on his face turned into a frighteningly wide grin of satisfaction.

He came straight at Hirek, who dodged right. However, Dumbfuck was expecting this move and landed a powerful left hook in the center of Hirek's chest. The impact was so intense that it felt like being hit by a 400-pound weight-lifter moving at 6 miles an hour. Hirek's sternum seemed to crack, and he feared his heart would stop from the shock. Hirek's body was lifted off the ground by the impact and he landed on his back.

Hirek was then faced with a life-or-death decision. Though his body convulsed with pain, he chose to live and got back on his feet by rolling over and pushing himself up. He dodged a potentially fatal punch as he stood, jumping back and sideways. Although he knew he couldn't keep this up for much longer, Hirek hoped Knox was faring fucks better than he was.

Re: Sprinkles on a Soup Sandwich

Reply #1 –
[ LCpl Knox | Bravo Base | Gila DN6 | Imperium Frontier Space ]ATTN: @Ellen Fitz

Knox simply wanted to get some food. His sleepy-head friend had been slightly troublesome to rouse from his bunk, as usual. What was not usual was getting punched in the face on the way to the chow hall, again, and again, and again. Hell, even just one punch in the face was out of the ordinary. Knox usually liked out-of-the-ordinary but -smack- today he was wanting more routine and less punching in the face.

Ok, enough is enough. Knox dodged the next punch and leaned forward wrapping his arms around his assailant. The large man flailed a little at the aggressive hug and attempted to wriggle free. Knox stood up straight and arched his back lifting the man off his feet. Quickly a haill of blows rained down on the back of Knox’s head, but he didn’t care. It was all going to be over soon. He kept leaning back further and further until he did a rapid back bend and slammed his unwilling hugee into the ground face first.

With a groan Knox rolled out from under the big dude who was no longer wanting a fight and also groaning. They parted ways, both done with fighting. Knox stood up with some effort and wobbled slightly as he rose to his feet and dusted off his uniform. Time to go eat.

But, wait, there’s more! Knox realized that Hirek was not done with his fight. Smack. He just got hit again. Wow. He might could use some help. Smack. Ok, so Hirek was not good at fighting when he as still half asleep. Smack. Damn. He needed some backup. Knox rolled his eyes and walked up behind the massive individual beating up Knox’s friend. He jumped on his back and quickly put him in a rear naked choke. And it the fight became a rodeo.

The gathered crowd cheered as the hulking pugilist turned, swung, and bucked at his rider. Hirek stood there less than helpful, yet no longer getting punched. For some reason that ungrateful son of a bitch wasn’t even cheering as Knox rode this new mount. But the man seemed sufficiently tired from his bout with Hirek and in need of more cardio and less protein powder. His resistance rapidly waned until he dropped to his knees and then fell face first on the ground ending the fight. Knox let go of his choke hold and stood, looking a Hirek.

“Now are you awake enough to go get some chow without making anymore friends along the way?” Knox asked his buddy.

Re: Sprinkles on a Soup Sandwich

Reply #2 –
[ Lnc Cpl Hirk tr’Aimne | Bravo Base | Gila DN6 | Imperium Frontier Space ] ATTN: @Hans Applegate

Hirek spit out a mouthful of green blood. “At least my friends are prettier than your girlfriends, Knox.”

No longer privy to a fight, the crowd reluctantly dissipated, allowing the pair a clear path to the mess hall. Hirek laughed to himself when he noticed the line to get into the “service” hall was longer than the mess hall. It wasn’t surprising that most of the men during their off time would rather have a fuck than a tray full of subpar food, especially when they could get a hypospray with essential nutrients just before their mission deployment that kept them from feeling hungry for the duration of their missions.

“Do you have enough merits for a ‘service’ session?” Hirek tossed the question to Knox as they stepped forward in the mess hall line. “I bartered mine to a dope on a rope. Really didn’t want to take that fire watch.” Hirek gave a nonchalant shrug. “Not my fault things went fugazi during that watch and the dope and that whole section of the wall got blasted because the red team in labcoats fucking around with the new tech. I got my merits back, but I’m thankful I kept my skin.”

With trays laden with sustenance that barely passed as food, the pair grabbed the first unoccupied slots available at a nearby long table. With so many missions running simultaneously, some to get tech and fodder for the lab coats, some to merely maintain a presence on the planet, some to further their “borders” on the planet, and some to do fuck all that Hirek knew, the mess hall was always buzzing with activity as the servicemen came and went as they were able.

“Cross told me they found signs of another group on their last exploratory patrol,” Hirek spoke under his breath. He doubted there were many at this point who hadn’t heard the rumors, but since it wasn’t an official report yet, they’d likely lose merits if they were caught discussing it openly. “Lines up with what you saw last time we were out there. Now the question is whether or not they’re friendlies. What’d you want to bet that’s what we’re going to be sent out to find out on our next mission?”

Re: Sprinkles on a Soup Sandwich

Reply #3 –
[ LCpl Knox | Bravo Base | Gila DN6 | Imperium Frontier Space ]ATTN: @Ellen Fitz


“Yeah I have enough for a session with the sex bots,” Knox said between mouthfuls of nutrients. It was an insult to food to call what he was eating food. “But with bad food and hypo spray and field rations being available, the service center is getting so much more use than was planned for.” He finished chewing and then leaned forward. This usually meant that a rumor was about to be told. “In fact I hear that moral is so low and lines are so long for the service area the ‘lady upstairs’ has put in an urgent requisition for more of those bots. That is what the new building is they are building behind the armory. Looks like they finished it yesterday.” Knox looked both ways and straightened up. “Who knows? It may help. Everyone does seem eager to fight each other as much as the bugs and you have to wait so fucking long to have sloppy seconds of used silicon pussy.”

There was some commotion from the chow line. Two men were fighting over someone cutting in front of the other in line. It didn’t make sense to Knox. Why fight for shitty, not quite food, 30 seconds faster? But, he realized it was not the food. It was the disrespect. And everyone was already on edge. This planet-side deployment was turning out to be not what had been expected by anyone. The command staff included apparently.

“Yeah so, my plan is to use the merits for a service session when those new bots are delivered.” Knox scooped up another spoon full of slop and paused. “The building is done and we are expecting a logistics run sometime in the next 8 to 10 hours. I bet tomorrow morning when we are back we can empty our balls into brand-new sex bots with that new silicon smell, with no waiting in line.” Knox took another bite and smiled at his friend after sharing his plan. Then that smile quickly faded when the taste of the food registered.

“Pivot!” They both looked up to see their Lt. round the corner and make a beeline towards them. “I hear you two gentlemen were fighting this morning.” Lt. Sobel smiled that smile that meant he was about to give out punishment that was usually unmerited. “Since you two are so eager to fight you are assigned to point duty. Our next patrol leaves in 10 minutes. Be at the gear locker ready to draw extra ammo and grenades in 5 minutes. See you gentlemen on the tarmac.”

“Extra ammo and grenades?” Knox said as the Lt left. “I guess he didn’t have time to check our merits and take those or give us extra duty. So he just settled for putting us on point duty so we find the bugs first.” Knox stood up. “Let’s get going! I want those extra grenades. If he suggests we get those, then I want lots of them for whatever he thinks we are likely to find.”

Re: Sprinkles on a Soup Sandwich

Reply #4 –
[ Lnc Cpl Hirk tr’Aimne | Bravo Base | Gila DN6 | Imperium Frontier Space ]ATTN: @Hans Applegate

Hirek followed Knox from the mess hall, chewing on the remainder of what the higher-ups tried to pass off as jerky of some sort. While he certainly had fantasies of showing bits and pieces of Knox inside Sobel to make the Lt squirm, Hirek kept these thoughts to himself as they crossed the compound to kit out for the mission.

“Hey guys! I’m going with you!” The chipper voice of one of the last people Hirek expected called out a greeting as they entered.

Hirek stopped in the doorway, his body jolting slightly when another team member walked into his back. He exchanged a look with Knox before moving further into the gear room. If Lt. Enyd Madsen was coming with them on this mission then he could discern a few things: 1. This mission would not be dealing with only bugs, 2. This mission was fucked. He’d been on only one mission with the chaos-magnet, manic pixie interspecies specialist before this, and it was by sheer luck that he’d survived.

Of the various lt’s on the base, Madsen was ok, except for her penchant to go off the grid without warning, wander into danger in an effort to accomplish a mission, and seemed to have a target on her back for whatever deity controlled chaos. She was good-looking enough, but Hirek got the feeling that her head was often too far up in the clouds to recognize when someone wanted to fuck her. Not that he’d ever offered.

“Did Sobel brief you on our mission?” Madsen shimmied up to Hirek’s side as he began pulling the gear from the shelves he’d been assigned.

“No, he did not ma’am. Knox and I were assigned point duty with extra ammo and grenades. That’s all we know.”

“Oh,” Madsen frowned and began chewing on her lower lip, brows furrowed in thought. “Well, I don’t want to spoil his ‘fun’ in letting you know in the official briefing but,” she eyed the extra gear Hirek was strapping to his body, “I personally don’t appreciate so much obvious firepower for a potential first contact scenario. This calls for delicacy.” She lifted up her shirt for Hirek to spy an assortment of bladed paraphernalia neatly strapped to her torso.

Hirek smiled, “I’ll be as delicate as a porcelain maker with my grenades, ma’am, don’t you worry."

Madsen gave a wincing smile before returning to her own kitting out. Their group, a patrol of six men plus Madsen, was on the tarmac waiting for Sobel moments later.
 

Re: Sprinkles on a Soup Sandwich

Reply #5 –
[ LCpl Knox | Bravo Base | Gila DN6 | Imperium Frontier Space ]ATTN: @Ellen Fitz


Knox heard the conversation Hirek was having with Lt. Madsen. He knew they were in for absolute chaos. Seeing her blades, Knox shivered. He had no intention of getting close enough to bugs for using a blade if he could help it. He decided to grab just a few more grenades. Also as an afterthought he picked up an extra bandoleer of ammo for is bead rifle. The extra 1,500 metallic ceramic beads might be useful if the grenades ran out.
Jogging to catch up to the group Knox admired Lt. Madsen’s fine ass. Yep! Ladies should always go first. What a view. He was looking forward to having his way with one of the new sex bots when he got back. Not that fucking a real girl was not fun and all, but bots were much less problematic out of the bedroom. Actually there were no problems out of the bedroom with a bot since he didn’t ever see one when he wasn’t fucking it. Real women felt better. But real women came with lots of issues he didn’t want to deal with while on a deployment. So he decided he would just be a window shopper for now.

Joining the other’s on the tarmac, Knox shoved a 300 round magazine into his bead rifle and dropped the remaining 1,200 rounds of that bandoleer into his small assault pack with the other full Bandoleer and 15 extra grenades. He had 5 grenades and a bead pistol on his chest armor and battle belt.

Knox took one look back at Lt. Madsen as Lt. Sobel was walking up and whispered under his breath. “You think we stand a chance with Mr. Paperwork and Ms. Crazy coming along on the same mission?”
Knox straightened up as Lt. Sobel arrived. He quickly glanced at the other six men and noted what equipment they had opted for. Sniper rifles! The other guys all had sniper rifles! What the actual fuck was going on?? Sniper rifles for 6 guys was unheard of. Then one Lt. who happened to know what was happening had blades! Knox hated to be the last to know things. Especially if those things were actively trying to kill him.

 
Simple Audio Video Embedder