1 The lost city of the ancients


The lost city of the ancients was always a myth as far as Rick was concerned, his father told him stories of a lost city with great and powerful beings that had the strength of a thousand men, the speed of a car, stood fifteen feet tall and had skin like steel, and had weapons that could bring an entire building crashing down in seconds, the inhabitants of the lost island only known today as the bronze ancients, they would protect their city with a never before seen ferocity.


One account tells of a search party that went out to discover new land, in their travels they had realised that there was something jamming there equipment, they got lost and stumbled on the ancient lost city. They had setup camp for the night, they were just about to fall asleep when out of nowhere a bright light appeared not far from their camp, they went to investigate the strange light source on arrival, and it looked like some kind of portal. Then all of a sudden a huge bronze being with glowing blue eyes appeared from the light, out of pure shock members of the search party opened fire on the giant.


One of the other members ran and hid as fast as he could, he was telling himself I’m just here to gather intelligence, there were loud bursts and cracks from gun fire and deafening explosions from grenades. The man could even make out the sound of a father knights sword hitting armour, after a few minutes when the dust settled only the huge bronze being remained standing, not a single scratch on its armour, but the heap of corpses and destroyed equipment piled around it was a terrifying sight, then the bronze being vanished as quickly as it appeared.


Rick would always ask his father about these stories and where they came from, his fathers reply was, "my father told me son, and I'm sure his father told him, it's just an old story made to scare people son, nothing to worry about". But that was a long time ago now, Rick's father was a military man and Rick knew he would follow in his fathers footsteps, Rick grew to join the Panoceania military force fusilier captain Rick.F.Johnson, now grown and with children of his own to share his fathers stories with. Rick found it strange his fathers stories were of ancient and powerful beings with skin like steel, every time he looked at a TAG he could not help but wonder if this is where the design for the TAGS came from.


The stories his father had told him where actually quite common among the Panoceania people, some stories much more terrible then others, mainly told by military families in Panoceania, it was another typical day for captain Rick and his ten man group during the neo colonial wars, they were sent to deploy in Flamia island a newly discovered island that held great strategic value for Panoceania on Planet Paradiso. Planet Paradiso was known for having ancient aliens’ ruins and artefacts discovered on it, these artefacts and ruins would lead to the discovery of the combined army in the Zulu zone.


On their way to the island in there superior class fighter dropship they heard a whistling sound, then all of a sudden the pilot yelled over the comm's system " PROJECTILE INCOMING, TAKING EVASIVE ACTION". Rick could see the fear in his men’s eyes, he yelled out “HOLD ON BOY'S IT'S ABOUT TO GET BUMPY", then all of a sudden a missile impacted the front of the dropship leaving burnt and twisted metal where the cockpit used to be, bringing it plummeting out of sky over the water south east of the orbital tracking station on Flamia Island. The dropship was spiralling towards the water, Rick took a great big breath of air just before the dropship hit the water, he struggled to see through the fast moving white water but knew he had to get out fast, but had to grab the quick deployable boat first (QDB) otherwise he and his men would be left to the mercy of the twenty feet marsh sharks that were common in these waters, so he grabbed the QDB and headed straight for the surface and activated the QBD.


Within seconds he had a seventeen foot boat, he climbed on board as quick as he could and looked frantically for signs of his men, he could already see six of them headed right for the QDB he yelled out to the closest fusilier "HAVE YOU SEEN THE FOUR OTHERS”, the fusilier replied as he climbed aboard QDB " three of them were hit in the explosion sir". By this stage the six men had made it aboard, then Rick seen the seventh come up and take a huge gasp of air, it was fusilier Marcus a close friend of Rick's he was thrown from the dropship, he was about two hundred metres away, Rick yelled out "HOLD ON FUSILIER WERE ON OUR WAY!” Now fifty metres away he could see the relief on Marcus’s face now, but that look of relief turned to shock and fear, the other fusilier's yelled "MARSH SHARK!” Then before Rick could blink Marcus was gone and the ocean water red with the blood of his friend, Rick turned to his six remaining men and assured them that everything would be ok, "we just have to get to Flamia " he said, he looked over at corporal Dean "any idea were in the world we are”? Corporal Dean replied "working on it sir, I’ve never seen anything like it sir, something seems to be messing up our tracking and locating systems sir, maybe the water has affected our equipment sir". Rick replied " bring it here corporal, I’ll take a look". Dean took the device over to him, Rick looked at it he could not believe what he was seeing, it was like the jamming signals his father had told him in the stories, and he asked “how about communications corporal Jack?" Jack replied with a similar answer to Deans, "no sir, just a strange static sir".


Rick wondered to himself if the sound he would hear would sound anything like his father described to him, "patch me in corporal" and it's was a noise he feared a long drawn out white noise, he had never heard it before but this sound matches the stories. Rick had to tell himself that it was just a made up story just to scare people and travellers, Rick said to his men "ok boys we've crashed in the no fly zone, were on our own now, we need to head Norwest, unless anybody else has any better suggestions”, he paused and looked around and thought to himself shti I can't see any land, surely we hadn't gone this far out to sea yet. And the truth was that he and his men had no idea where they were they only had a rough idea which direction they came from as the dropship was spinning so violently out of control, they all lost sense of direction. Then he looked off into the vast waters he could barely make it out, but off in the distance he could see what looked like an island, he said "there men that's the closest land, we head there and try to establish communications". It looked like it would take all of the QDB'S fuel to get there but it was there only hope.


When they finally reached the island it was much larger then it seemed from a distance, it was covered in dense jungle but had sand everywhere, it was very strange, he said to his men "ok men, we don't know what's on this island, secure a one kilometre perimeter, we setup here tonight and I want it to be safe, stay in comm's contact, you see anything report to me immediately, you three go left, you three go right, I’ll go up the middle". The jungle was so thick in parts Rick could hardly move through the trees and twisted vines, Rick stepping ever so carefully remembering the stories his father had told him of the animals and plant life on the island, he thought could it be possible that the stories of the ancient lost city were true! No, that would be insanity, his thoughts interrupted by comm's chatter in his ear, it's was corporal Dean he sounded terrified, "sir it's corporal Dean, cadet John was dragged away by a large snake like creature we thought it was a log and went to step over it then it moved, it turned and grabbed John sir, we opened fire but it was too quick, it grabbed him and dragged him off into the jungle". Rick asked Dean if he had a description of the animal “yes sir about thirty paces long, a pitch black head and eyes that looked like chrome".


Rick was shocked, he realised at this time that the stories he father had told him were all true that was the description of the mirror eyed python, "ok Dean, regroup on my position keep an eye out, move as quick, quiet and carefully as possible, I’ll try and get in touch with Charlie squad, Alpha out", "copy that sir, Bravo out". Rick tried to contact Charlie squad “this is Alpha, Charlie do you copy, come in Charlie"? Rick feared the worst when he couldn't reach Charlie squad, then he heard a familiar voice in his ear piece it was Adam from Charlie squad, he breathed a sigh of relief, "Alpha this is Charlie, we have found a path that leads to some ruins, want us to check it out”? Rick replied "no Charlie fall back and regroup on me", "ok Alpha, Charlie out". An hour had passed and the sun was starting to go down Rick could hear strange animal noises all around him, he started to worry that he wouldn't make it back to see his family, then he heard another noise behind him, as fast as lightening he spun around combi rifle drawn and ready. It was Dean and Colin from bravo squad, he lowered his combi rifle, "anything to report corporal" "no sir, we have not seen anything else", "ok corporal, we will head to Charlie squad to regroup". "Charlie squad this is Alpha, I have linked up with Bravo squad and were on our way to you, Alpha out", "copy that Alpha, we will sit tight, Charlie out".


As they made their way through the dense jungle Dean brought up the animal he and Adam had seen that took John, “sir it looked like a mirror eyed python from the stories, do you think that this is where the lost city of the ancients is captain”? Rick replied "I sure hope not corporal but the more I see and hear it sure is starting to feel like it is, the jamming signals messing with our equipment had that white noise on it and now the mirror eyed python, you know the stories corporal, so keep an eye out". Dean and Colin were quiet until they rendezvoused with Charlie squad, Rick knew they had to establish communications back to the Panoceania military base and the only way to do it was to reach the top of the island and try to get some type of signal. “Ok men it’s starting to get dark, we need to setup camp, and did anybody see a defendable position in their travels”? Adam stood up and said "yes sir, those ruins looked like a good place to defend", “ok we need to get there, and how far away are they soldier”? “About two hours north of our position sir, Adam replied. “Ok men lets head there from here on out we stick together, I’ll lead follow me, we move now”!


As they moved closer to where Adam found the ruins Rick could hear the men talking behind him, he heard Dean and Colin telling the others of the mirror eyed python and how it got John. Jack was also telling them about the white noise in the gear, the men started to sound worried and asked Rick what he thought, his reply, "if this is the island of the lost city of the ancients you know what to expect, keep an eye on your six". Now with the men on high alert they stepped through the dense jungle carefully making their way to the ruins, just on dark they had finally made it to the ruins, they were now close enough to see the strange markings on them, and nobody could make any sense of them. They found a decent defendable area that also had shelter, "we setup here boys and head up the mountain in the morning, we will take turns on watch, two men at a time Dean and I will go first, get some rest guys your gonna need it.


While on watch Dean and Rick shared the stories they were told growing up about the bronze ancients that protect the city that was said to be on top of the island about how they could only imagine it would look. A giant in bronze armour so thick that not even a anti material missile would leave a mark, and the strength to knock over huge trees planted firmly in the ground and so quick that nothing stood a chance at getting away from them, and weapons made from long forgotten materials and ancient methods, swords capable of cutting through concrete columns in a single swipe without dulling the blade, there blades said to be finer than that of the Yu Jing Shikami no better sword has been seen.


At the end of their watch they went to sleep after waking the other two fusiliers for their turn on watch. The next morning Rick woke up surprised that the night went fine, he actually expected the worst for him and his men that night, "ok men we head for the top of the mountain we need to reach it before night fall, you don't want to spend another night stuck in this god forsaken place, lets move out". As Rick and his men made their way through the jungle heading towards the base of the mountain they would hear a strange growling sound every now and then, Rick was one tough guy but even this sound brought shivers down his spine. Rick finally turned around to his men, he could see the terrified look on their faces, and he knew he had to keep his men calm, “we are not far from the base of the mountain now men let’s keeping moving". He looked at Nathan from Charlie squad "soldier you take point".


Awhile later they had made good progress only about fifteen minutes from the base of the mountain, they had already been pushing through dense jungle now for several hours, Rick had moved to the back of the group to keep an eye out for his men. The growling noises they were hearing kept getting closer during their trek through jungle, Rick could not help himself, he told his men to form up, he knew he would sound crazy but had to say something, it was his job to keep his men safe.


“We are all hearing the same noises men that can only mean one thing from the stories, that it's a doom hound”. These words brought a shocked looked to his men's faces, corporal Dean said that he had heard these noises just after they lost cadet John on their way to Rick and again last night. Rick looked at Dean, “why didn't you say something sooner soldier”? “I didn't think that’s what it could be” Dean replied. Rick turned to the rest of his men, “we need to setup a trap or ambush fast”! Nathan replied, “There is a clearing just up ahead that I could see sir”, “ok we need to move fast”. Rick turned to Colin, “do you still have those mines soldier”? “Yes sir five” replied Colin, “ok we will leave our scent and tracks through the middle of the clearing and scatter the five mines”. They headed towards the clearing with great speed, when they reached the clearing Rick looked at corporal Dean, quick corporal give me your jacket "the beast is following your scent, I'm going to wrap one of the mines in your jacket".


Only a couple of minutes had past and Rick and his men managed to get all five mines armed and in the ground, Rick looked at his men "ok men we need to get to the base of that mountain as quick as possible lets move right now"! They moved as quickly as possible not questioning his decision to stick around and see the fireworks, the growling louder now than ever before, Rick knew that the doom hound would only be about two hundred meters away. They could finally see the base of the mountain, and this really concerned Rick he hadn't the explosion yet, “ok men we need to start climbing and fast, we just have to get to the top of that ledge”. Rick looked up, he could see a ledge just past the canopy of the jungle about forty meters up, nearly a sheer cliff face, “move men now”! They started to climb, about half way to the ledge Rick heard the sound he had been waiting for, the detonation of the mines, he laughed with relief "haha you hear that Boys that’s the sound of sweet success". They continued climbing until they reached the top, once everybody made it to the top Rick could see a steep climb ahead through the jungle now and that it was not as dense as what they had been through below and then just another climb similar to what they had just done, thank fukc for that this looks like easy going from here, trying to encourage his men to push on he then spotted a tree like the one his father had mention in his stories, it was white with bright red and blue flowers. Rick walked towards it with his men, “look at this guys this might just save our butt's from more hostile contact”. It was a lotus ochre, said to hide your scent from anything according to the stories.


Rick and his men grabbed the flowers from the trees and used them by squeezing the nectar of the plant out and rubbing it on their armour, Rick and his men then continued further through the jungle the ground all sand making it hard to walk, by this stage it was just after midday they had made it about half way, when they heard a familiar growling sound, Rick turned to his men, "looks like we're not in the clear just yet guy's". It even sounded like the exact same one, Rick thought to himself wondering how it could have gotten past the mines, “men we need to hustle we are about one kilometre from the next ridge”, Rick and his men moved with great haste, the growling noise now just on their rear. Rick spoke to his men through there comm link's "we need to setup a defensive position fast, there is a few downed trees just ahead to the right lock and load fusiliers were in for a fight”! Rick and his men running towards the two fallen trees leaping over them then crouching into cover behind them, "make no mistake you've all heard the stories, you know what where in for, take positions and prepare to be engaged"! The growling had gotten so close, "only fifty metres now men"! Then Rick heard cadet Nathan's voice through the comm link, all of the other fusiliers ducked down into cover to listen in on the cadets words, "s... s... sir it's hear I just seen", before cadet Nathan could finish Rick replied quietly, " quiet cadet are you trying to get us all killed"? The men sat there in complete silence waiting for whatever was about to unfold, they could hear the loud growl of the beast, it must be only a few metres away now Rick thought to himself with all of the men looking at him waiting for his signal to unleash combi rifle fire upon the beast, it was getting closer they could here its foot step's and the dreaded beast sniffing through the air. Rick was just about to yell out to his men when he heard the beasts footsteps starting to move away from them, he was just as shocked as the other men, the lotus ochre's nectar had actually worked the beast had lost their scent all of the fusiliers staring at each other in disbelief, the footsteps of the beast grew quieter and the growling softer until there was dead silence, Rick spoke to his men over the comm link, "ok men we push forward, we need to reach the peak by sun down".


Rick and his men stood up and climbed back over the tree, they could see the foot prints the doom hound had left in the sand slightly larger than their own, Rick couldn't help but notice that the tracks lead in the direction that they were heading, "ok fusiliers we move carefully, just in case this thing decides to double back". They pushed on, about three hundred meters from the base of the next cliff still following the tracks of the doom hound, they all could see a bright flash of light, Rick and all of the fusiliers paused, Colin asked "do you think it's a bronze ancient"? Rick replying "anything is possible now". While the other fusiliers just stood still shocked, Rick and is men heard a noise that came from the base of the cliff a terrible howl so loud it almost made their ears bleed, followed by a yelp equally as loud as the howl, the fusilier all grasping at their ears to cover them, it was a sound that none of would ever forget it would haunt them in their sleep.


A few minutes later there was another bright flash, this time Rick notice that there was actually two flashes one at the base of the cliff and one top of it, Rick wondered if this was the portals that were in the stories, reluctant to head in that direction, Rick knew they had no choice, there was still no communication with the Panoceania military base, "ok fusiliers we stick to the plan, get to the top and get out of this place"!