Combat Simulations

Posted on Mon Aug 19th, 2019 @ 4:28am by Lieutenant Aleksander Voroshilov

Mission: War and Peacekeeping
Location: Bogata, Colombia (Holodeck)

Aleksi set the folder on the table, rubbing his temples as he leaned back and watched the slow rotation of the ceiling fan. Spending a minute in that position, his mind focused on how much his shirt was sticking to him. Letting out a long breath, he went to grab his cup of coffee, only a few degrees hotter than the temperature he was sitting in. It was the sound of automatic fire that froze him, hand slowly moving to his pistol.

As the footsteps got closer he slowly dropped under the desk, flicking the safety off. Slowing his breathing, just as he had been taught, he waited for the gunmen to come closer. No point going out with guns blazing, one pistol versus an unknown number of rifles, he’d simply get himself killed. No, this fight was going to take a bit of stealth and tactical thinking. Hearing the door knob turning, he moved to face the door, aiming the muzzle through the desk.

Through the gap on the desk he could see two pairs of boots, roaming the small office. Aiming roughly at the intruder on the left, he fired. Three bullets cut through the wood, dropping the first man. Before the other shooter could react another three bullets cut through the desk. Scrambling from under the furniture he put two more rounds into each body, brown blood pooling on the dirty wooden floor.

Feeding a fresh magazine into the pistol, he slowly approached one of the bodies. Muzzle at the door, he knelt down to retrieve a discarded rifle. Wrapping his hands around the forend of the Galil, he holseterd his SIG. Checking to see if there was a round chambered he fished two more magazines from the dead man before approaching the open door.

He was distinctly aware that his heart rate had increased, going from condition yellow to condition red. At this point he’d be relying as much as he could on muscle memory. Shouldering the rifle he peered in the direction of the distant firing, then the other side. The hall was clear, now all he had to do was retrieve the station chief and get the hell out of dodge. Dropping his weapon to the low ready he rushed to the nearest stairwell, eyes constantly scanning for danger.

A flicker of movement brought the rifle up, a woman he did not recognize exiting a room up ahead. Sub-machine gun in her hand, a finger curled around the trigger of his rifle. She looked at him and moved to raise her hand, two bullets cutting her down before she could raise it. Rifle still up he moved swiftly to the stairs, sweeping the way down before heading up. The chief would likely be in her safe room at this point, waiting for extraction. All he could hope for was the Delta guys attached to them weren’t caught in a firefight.

Turning the corner he was met with a fusillade of bullets, forcing him to take cover as wood fragments showered him. No indirect weapons at his disposal he had to think of something. Looking at the room across the way he caught sight of a large window. A plan coming to mind he flicked the giggle switch to full auto and hit his attackers with the old Somali Blindfire. Magazine empty he dashed across the hall leapt into the office.

Drawing his pistol he held the sights at the door for what he felt was an eternity before he realized they seemed just as happy to wait him out as he was to shit himself in that room. Tucking the pistol away, he reloaded the rifle and quietly stepped through the window out onto the slight ledge. Taking in a deep breath, he swung the rifle behind his back and shimmied towards the next room, cursing his decision the entire time. A single misstep, one of the assholes inside realizing he hadn’t come out, he was royally fucked.

He was now dripping with sweat, his breathing more deliberate. He was nearing the top range of condition red and, if he failed to do anything about it, would quickly find himself in condition black. His SA would go to shit, his reaction time would plummet, he’d get himself killed. Closing his eyes he took in a he took in a long breath, four seconds, held it for another four, then slowly released it. He did this a few more times, his body seeming to react positively as his heart rate dropped. Opening his eyes he pushed forward, confident that at least if he was killed he’d be at his peak.

Peering into the chief’s office he could see three of the attackers inside, two of them working the lock into her office while the third provided overwatch. It seemed all he had to do was get through the closed window, gun down three people, then counter the inevitable assault. Easy enough if you were a Klingon hopped up on a combination of amphetamines and cocaine, unfortunately he was simply a mortal man with nothing going through his veins but adrenaline and hate. It would have to do.

Before he could think of some suicidal plan the guns echoed once more, on his current level. The boys from Delta have arrived. Deciding to take advantage of distraction he pulled out his knife, forcing the window open. Slipping inside he saw the third gunman had gone to join the commotion. Silently approaching the man nearest to him he jammed the knife between the vertebrae of his neck, met only with a sharp gasp of air as Aleksi gave the blade a sharp twist.

Unfortunately the other attacker had not been as distracted as he had initially thought. He attempted to grab his rifle but Aleksi was on him quickly, sans knife. It would be a brutal hand to hand melee, one that he would have to win. Pushing the attacker against the door he laid in with a few sharp jabs and a knee to the solar plexus before he was driven back against the table, another swing putting him on the floor. Watching the man approach him, he swept the attackers legs, dropping him as well. Aleksi was nothing if not a dirty fighter.

Scrambling on top of the attacker he took a few swings before wrapping his fingers around his throat, squeezing the life out of the man. Within moments he was bucked off, the tables quickly turned as he was struggling to keep the attacker’s hands off him. Breathing deep he decided to let it happen, and soon the scaly fingers were around his neck. As his vision closed in there was a sharp report, the grip around his neck loosening. Taking a few haggard breaths he pushed the man off him with his left hand, the right holding his smoking pistol.

Shakily he stood up, half heartedly aiming towards the door. Seeing no one coming he put two more rounds into the attacker before moving to the safe room door. Leaning against it, noting the weld marks and the unused plastique, he yanked a key off his neck and turned it. Holstering his pistol, he opened the door to see a very vexed woman on the other side. An awkward smile crossed his face, “The cavalry has arrived.”

“I’m hoping it’s not just you,” The woman walked by him as if he had just interrupted her tea time. Turning around four men were coming in, they would be their escort out of this hellhole. Wiping the sweat from his brow he saw one of the younger men approach him with a smile, as if he was the only one there.

“Computer, freeze program,” The younger man shouted, putting their surroundings into an awkward standstill. Dropping the CAR-15 to his side he offered his hand to Aleksi, “You did good work out there brother.”

“I had some help,” Aleski chuckled, taking the offered hand as he motioned to the men with his head. As much of a rush the fight had been, it was the feedback afterwards that he enjoyed the most about this particular program, “I don’t think I was as quiet as I could have been in that last bit and after that last scrap I lost nearly all SA.”

“Don’t sweat it, you’re improving. Seems that time on the frontier helped turn you into a real fighter,” Taking a seat on the desk, the younger man motioned to an empty chair. Watching as Aleksi took it he continued, “You could have been quicker taking down that fighter prior to going up but really I don’t have many complaints. Actually, that maneuver of popping into the office was brilliant. What would you have done if we hadn’t shown up when we did?”

“I’m...I’m not entirely sure,” This wasn’t the Aleksi people normally saw, but it was one that he needed to let loose every now and again. Closing his eyes he tried to dig back and think, “Open up the window the same way I did, and take out the door guard first then probably spray into the two men trying to break into the safe room. Stealth wouldn’t be the priority.”

The younger man shook his head, “That would clear out that room, but it would bring in the rest of them with you down to a single rifle mag and two for the pistol. Not an impossible fight, but an improbable win. Think through it again, we’ll revisit it the next time we play,” He laughed, deciding he had lectured long enough, “How are things going with you? Make any friends yet? Any enemies?”

“Things are going as well as you would expect. Few people trust me, to be expected, but I think they’re coming around. An interesting powderkeg of a situation, two delegations at each other’s throats, murder, intrigue. No enemies that I know of,” Aleksi sighed a little, a short chuckle escaping following, “I have a date tonight, lovely woman. I think you’d like her. I’m going to train her on how to kick my ass.”

“Oh?” A look of curiosity crossed the younger man’s face, moving to sit right across from him, “What’s she like? More importantly, how long until she gets any sense and leaves?” It was a joke between them, most women Aleksi wouldn’t be around long enough for the question to matter. For the rare ones he chose to stick around they usually left once they found out how truly dark he was.

“She’s gorgeous, beautiful rainbow hair and those eyes, you’ll never want to break from them. Smart and about ten times more interesting than anyone else on this bird. She can see right through my bullshit too, one of the few people I’ve met who can, that may be the reason I’ve fallen for her. She makes me work for it,” He smirked at the man, “Don’t go telling anyone I said that, you know I have a reputation to uphold.”

“Of course, Aleksi the Vagabond,” Looking at his watch, the younger man laughed as he stood up, “Well, if you have a date we need to get you out of here. You look like a sweaty bag of dicks,” He offered his hand to Aleksi, “And we can’t have you looking like that can we.”

“No sir,” Taking the hand he stood up and immediately hugged the younger man, “Take care Vas. I’ll see you soon.”

Sergeant Vasily Vorshilov III, older brother of Lieutenant Aleksander Voroshilov, returned the embrace, “You too brother,” Slapping the officer’s back he let go and smiled, “Don’t fuck this up, after all the shit you’ve been through some stability will be nice,” Turning the door he walked up, kicking one of the dead attackers, “Didn’t realize the FARC had started hiring exclusively Cardassians.”

Aleksi watched as the man left the room, ending the program once he was out of sight. A smile was on his face, a chat with his brother usually did that. He was just the way he remembered him on his last bit of leave before returning to the front, bright and hopeful, all the things Aleksi wasn’t. He would die three months later.

Looking down at his shirt, blood stains having magically disappeared but the sweat still there and still sticky, he decided what he needed was a long shower and a nap. Taking a deep breath he let it out sharply, exiting the holodeck with a smile on his face ready to take on whatever fresh hell the universe planned on throwing at him.