Synth War Reversed!

"Insertion unit, ten minutes before drop on LZ. Command states the LZ is cold." The chopper pilot yelled over the deafening thump of the rotors. Our commanding officer Jintu turned from the pilot and yelled over the rotors.

"Command has received intelligence from two informants that a small squad of Synths have found the Eye of Ligion just outside the DMZ. Our job is to intercept and seize." The thump of the rotors died away in my mind as he continued to speak. "Intelligence believes there are only eight Synths..." "Only eight! One Synth can take out an entire platoon" interrupted sergeant Rugeria as he slammed his head back into the head restraint and clutching his Shocker. "If they role in one nano-grenade we are ...." "Enough Rugeria!" Jintu barked back. "Our electrostatic suits are more equipped this time to handle that. Now we will be landing cold, but we stay low. We let the Synths come to us. Once we have the Eye, we radio our helo and we're gone." Jintu opened his shirt pocket pulled out a map. "We will be landing in a field six miles from the DMZ. I want standard formation behind this tree line. Catz, I want you and Siemons to take sniper point here and here. Catz you'll take first shot when they are open in the field. Everyone else you know the drill." "Six minutes" yelled the co-pilot.

I have engaged the Synths only three times and have only been with this team during the last operation. I guess that's why I get the duty as comm grunt. This war with the Synths has been a long a bloody battle. Many people believe it wrong for us to destroy the mistake we created.

Before this endless war began humanity was on the brink of dying from out of control virus named T9. As soon as a vaccine was found the virus, the virus would mutate. Over 4 billion people would die in eighteen months before the Synth drug was found. It's not really a drug, but a small nanorobot that hunts down viruses and destroys them.

The first version of the Synth was very successful in ridding the body of all viruses. It wasn't just a cure for the T9 virus, it was a cure for humanity of all diseases. Everyone on the planet was asked to vaccinate themselves. Those that weren't were considered unclean. All newborn babies were mandated by world federal law to be vaccinated. Just a few years later the second generation of Synth vaccine was released. Unlike the first gen Synth, this generation had a protocol to repair damaged cells. It didn't take long before people realized that this new generation of Synth actually made people younger and stronger. What they and the Synth creators didn't know was the Synth wasn't repairing damaged cells, it was replacing damaged cells with itself. The second gen Synth could self replicate at any time. So anytime one cell died a Synth cell took its place. Slowly over several years human flesh was replaced with synthetic flash. Both looked the same, felt the same, and even smelled the same. It wasn't until you looked under a micronscope could you tell the difference. Brains were slowly enhanced to have immeasurable computational potential, yet the Synth hosts, as they were to be called, never felt as though they changed.

A full Synth acted and behaved as the host. But by the time this was realized over half of the earths population had already taken the drug. It has been estimated that over 30% of the world population has taken the second gen Synth drug and of the remaining population was either gen 1 Synth or unclean. War broke out after many of the second gen Synths decided that all first gen and uncleans must be vaccinated. However many resisted in fear of becoming a something other than human.

The helo swooped over the dense trees and an open field popped into view. The co-pilot gave the signal for us to ready for landing. As the helo hovered over the grass waves of insects scattered into the air. As quickly as the helo got low our group disembarked our flying life raft. The whine of the turbine engines roared up as the helo lifted and banked overhead out of view over the tree line. Two bird chirps was the signal and we made a dash to the tree line.

Once at the tree line I turned around to see my team members getting into position. I was with Jintu as his radio operator. "Get command on the line and inform them of our position" Jintu said never looking at me as he gave hand signals to other team members. "This is field reporter Sean Gilmont calling CNN, CNN do you read?" Though our communication was suppose to be secure, we still masked ourselves as war reporters. "This is CNN headquarters, we read you" The signal was barely audible. The tree line we were in was situated behind a mountain that was blocking most of the signal and satellite communication was forbidden.

"I'm at the embassy now waiting on the representatives." A green light came up on the comm device noting message was received, no further information is needed. The heat from the sun was immense and the humidity almost unbearable. I could feel the sweat running down my back as I crouched down behind a bunker.

We were only fifty miles from New Houston, Texas use to be. New Houston might have changed, but the August sun never does. My heart had settled down by now and I could hear the distance sounds of CO2 and semi-auto fire in the distance. Jintu leaned over "heck of a fire fight over there."

A soft bird chirp drifted in with the dry summer breeze. Jintu responded with a reply call. That was the signal that movement has been spotted. Jintu leaned out to see Siemons' hand signal that two Synths are at the far edge of the field in the tree line. I dared not move, but my legs started to cramp squatting behind this bunker. The two synth soldiers slowly emerged from the tree line keeping a low defensive posture.

The lead of the two raised a monocular and scanned the open field. I just hoped all our team members were patient as a hunter waiting for the prey to open themselves into the field. The lead Synth opened his shirt pocket and slipped in his monocular. He raised his left hand while keeping his right hand on his marker. Five more Synths emerged in a box pattern. There were two Synths in the front and two guarding synths in the back. All four surrounding a synth caring the Eye. The eye must weight about fifty pounds as the Synth's marker was shouldered and you could see him straining under the weight.

"How much further to command ops?" The synth dropped the Eye to the ground. "It feels like I have been carrying this for miles." Now the Synth was kneeling by the Eye catching his breath. "Listen James, all we have to do is get it over the ridge line and down the creek bed. We are all tired form lugging that thing. Here I'll take it and you take point." Catz peering down a slight knoll in the tree line has a bead on the Synth carrying the Eye. The group is in the middle of the field and they have stopped for something. He moves the scope to find the point man away from his position walking back to the carrier. The point man raises goes to shoulder his marker. At that second Catz knew that with all the prey in the open and with two with shouldered weapons, this was the time. A soft thumb sounded from Catz sniper Phantom.

"Next time you carry the ...." The point man’s eyes grew large as he felt the sting under his left shoulder blade. He knew he was eliminated.

The two rear Synths dove for cover in the grass. The Synth carrying the Eye was hit in the side of the head by Rugeria before he realized his teammate was hit. The other point man threw a nano-grenade at Rugeria's position. The nanos would disperse in a 20 foot diameter from the grenade. Rugeria held his position knowing the nano-grenade wouldn't penetrate his electrostatic suit. The two front guards went prone and laid into Catz and Siemon's position.

The high end electros kicked and rained paint into Siemon's unprotected perch. Siemons was out. Catz slowly retreated back under the undergrowth to get another shot. Jintu and I started moving forward as the action started a little further back than anticipated. The front point man engaged Rugeria. The two rear guards hastily retreated into the tree line and started to circle around to flank Rugeria. As they rounded the tree line they could see the back of Rugeria as he engage their fellow Synth. Slowly they approached together daring not to make a sound. The trip wire has a strength of 20 lb per square foot. Strong, but still thin enough not to be noticed. The line was placed six inches off the ground. High enough to be effective and not be seen at the same time. The grenades rested quietly until the pin gentle slipped from it's position.

Two grenades exploded in a bright yellow rain eliminating both Synth players to Rugeria's rear. Rugeria looking to his rear to see both Synth players covered in paint. The point man took this opportunity and rushed into to bunker Rugeria. As Rugeria turned he saw the Synth almost on top of him. Triggers were pulled and the roar of semi-auto fire erupted. The Synth took three hits to the chest and Rugeria took two in the leg. Jintu couldn't see anymore Synths and told me to call in the helo.

I stopped and knelled to make the comm uplink. Jintu slowly approached the Eye never seeing the two remaining Synth hiding in the tall grass. One Snyth popped up and ripped three rounding into Jintu's vest. Catz took the target and placed a shoot square in the middle of the Synth's back. The remaining Synth let into his eMag towards Catz. I was Catz'z only hope. I raised my PGP and slowly angled my way towards the back of the Synth. He repositioned himself to a closer bunker and had Catz pinned. I moved into position to get a good shot in his back. Catz in a bold move raised up to auto trigger the Synth. But it was to late the Synth had better cover and Catz was sent packing. The Synth soldier stood up, as I did to, and he turned looking right at me. I was merely twenty yards away with a straight shot. With a thump sound my PGP marked him square in the chest. By now I barely noticed how swallow my breathing was. The heat was unbearable. "This is field reporter Sean Gilmont calling CNN, CNN do you read?"

"We read you."

"I'm requesting a taxi for one."

"Negative. All taxis have been grounded. Make move to Castle Rock."

There is no way I can move the Eye by myself in this heat. I looked over my shoulder to see yet another Synth starting to pick up the Eye. With what strength I could muster I raised my PGP and asked the Synth to surrender. He spun around hands raised.

"I'm a resistance fighter don't shoot!"

"Your armband tells me other wise."

"Hold on and look." The Synth slowly turned over his armband to show resistance color.

"I'm an infiltrator. A first gen Synth."

I have heard of first gen Synths helping the resistance. They can infiltrate Synth compounds, but they can't eliminate anyone inside Synth territory.

"This is good now you can help me carry the Eye back to the command." I was starting to get my hopes up that this operation wasn't a failure.

"Carry it!"

"Yes, command says all helos have been knocked out of commission."

The infiltrator looked down at the ground.

"We'll never make it. Synth is sending in more reinforcements. The Eye will turn the tide of the war and they will do everything to get it. Here is a plan, I help you get into Synth command. They have a trans portal you can use to get the Eye back."

"What's your angle?"

"The Eye is my ticket passed the guards to download Synth wireless protocols inside central command. We can then use this protocol to decrypt Synth transmissions." I ripped off my arm band and let it fall to the ground. I snapped my PGP into its holster and picked up the Eye. With a grunt in my voice, "what are we waiting for?" Once at the river bed not far from the tree line we met up with Synth re-enforcements. They offered many times to carry the eye for me, but I politely replied that I carried it all this way then I'll finish the job. The Synth cheered as they saw the Eye being taken closer and closer to their command center. The infiltrator never left my side. He was my guiding angle as I felt I was being lead deeper into hell. We were stopped short by the elite Synth guards.

"Where's your arms band?"

I quickly looked for my armband use to be and made a movement to look around as if it must have just fallen off. "Dunno." The informant piped in. "Listen he must have lost in in the brush while carrying the Eye. The Eye contains a fragile tachnometer inside it. If he drops it then the Eye is worthless. And to bypass those resistance fighters we had to go through some thick brush." The guards looked at the informant's arm band. "Alright. However if you want to enter the complex you must plug your barrel on your Impulse." The guard handed the informant a special barrel plug that signified he wasn't armed, but not eliminated. I picked up the Eye and started uphill to the command center. The informant whispered, "I'm glad they didn't see your PGP. Let me carry the Eye, when I drop it you start firing."

"What about all that stuff you said about being fragile?"

"Eh, what do they know."

It was a good two minute hike up the trail before we got to the command center. The command center was all but deserted. Only two armed engineers remained. "I'm here to deliver the Eye to the Synth Marshall."

"There all gone" replied one of the engineers. They are engaging the resistance in a frontal assault. We need to portal the eye to a safer place. So place the Eye in the portal." The informant raised his back to lift the Eye higher. That was the signal to get ready. As the Eye feel to the ground I upholstered my PGP and shot the first engineer in the foot. The sound of the Eye hitting the floor masked the sound of the shot. The other engineer turned and saw the mark on his buddy. "Shoot him" yelled the informant as he pointed to the other engineer. Something was wrong either time was running slow or my PGP was jammed. The remaining engineer grabbed an air horn and sounded the distress call. I got the PGP pumped back again and shot the last engineer in the leg. "We got to hurry now" said the informant in a rush looking for the mini-cds. I turned and informed the ref we were portaling to the resistance command center. With new strength I picked up the Eye and placed in into the portal. The sounds of paint rained down on the complex.

"Hurry up!"

"I found them!" He raised a pair of mini-cds he found on the open table. We both stepped on the portal and signaled the ref we were ready for a portal jump.

"Commander! We are getting an incoming portal signal. One human and one Synth." "Go to red alert!" yelled the commanding guard. Six guards surrounded the portal poised to fire as soon as the doors opened. I stumbled through. "Don't shoot don't shoot! We have the eye!" Two guards came up to carry the Eye away.

The informant walked over to the commanding officer. "Here are the Synth wireless protocols too." The commanding officer replied, "it's time we change the tide of this war."