From the 50 men in the Battalion Security Platoon, Ryan selected 10 Phasewalkers, all of whom were Special Forces major. All of them knew the danger ahead of them, but not a single one of them backed off.

They expected this when they elected to stay with the Phasewalker Corps. Danger was no excuse to betray their promises.

Ryan and the others started checking their weapons. M2010 sniper rifle. M4A1. APC9K SMG. Glock 19. Army knife. Shredder grenades. Incendiary grenades. Stun grenades. Suddenly, another figure walked up to him and started getting armed up.

Ryan turned around and glanced at Eric.

“What are you doing here?”

“Colonel Hunter ordered me to join the vanguard, Battalion Commissar sir.” Eric replied with his typical snarkiness. “You know, I didn't become the Colonel’s assistant/bodyguard by being a terrible fighter. I can help.”

“It is not your physical capabilities that concern me. It’s your mental fortitude.”

Ryan really didn't like Eric, and there was a reason for it. The two were practically polar opposites. Ryan valued order. Eric preferred freedom. As far as Ryan could see, a perfect soldier should be quiet, precise, and obedient. Whether or not they agreed with the orders they were given, it was their duty to carry them out even if they were wrong.

If a soldier was ordered to execute a defenseless civilian, he could have questions or even complaints after, but at the moment, his duty preceded whatever concern or moral he had.

This was anything but what Eric believed in.

Challenged by Ryan, Eric grinned. “I assure you I am stronger than you give me credits for. Plus, what can I do but fight to the end? Surrender? I doubt the Mutants are taking prisoners. Flee? I’ll either be gunned down by your fellow Commissars on the spot or face a trial back on Earth.” He quietly loaded a magazine into his SMG. “My family needs the money, so I’ll fight for our cause, at least for now.”

Ryan nodded quietly before proceeding with his preparations. Soon, the squad of 12 was ready. They departed from the Phasewalker defensive position and started encroaching at the gate of the base.

All the Phasewalkers were carrying radios so if they couldn’t make it out of the camp, their message still had a chance of doing so.

Mission above anything else.

The squad quickly advanced across the gate. Ryan glanced into one of the sentry posts. There were spots of blood, but other than that, nothing. As they moved deeper into the camp, Eric suddenly quietly said something to Ryan.

“If I die, don’t retrieve my helmet cam.”

“Why not?” Ryan was obviously caught by surprise. Most of the Phasewalkers would be more than glad to have their names and their heroic sacrifices recorded in the Hall of the Martyrs for countless others to adore.

If they had to go down screaming, then their screams might as well be heard.

“Simple.” Eric glanced at the side with his rifle raised. “I don’t want my death to be another tool of propaganda for Section X.”

“Tool of propaganda?” Ryan frowned in disagreement. He had a lot to say, but now was neither the place nor the time. “Fine. I don’t agree with what you’re saying, but I respect your decision. If you die, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you.”

The squad of Phasewalkers kept on moving. The first building they came across was a warehouse with a “restricted area” sign on the door. Two Phasewalkers moved to pull the door open as the others stood at caution, ready to open fire on anything hostile that might emerge.

The lights in the warehouse must’ve been turned off, but as the Phasewalkers raised their flashlights, they realized the warehouse was stacked with all sorts of vehicles. The giant sixteen-wheeled tanks that the vanguard under Hemley encountered were lined up across half the warehouse. Ryan counted at least eight of them. On the other side were a type of armored ground transport that Ryan didn't recognize.

“Sir,” One of the Phasewalkers reported. “there’s nothing here. No bodies. Nothing!” There was a hint of fear in his voice, and Ryan knew why.

“Whatever took out this camp didn't even give the soldiers the chance to activate their armors.” Ryan realized. “Trooper, report back to the Colonel via radio. Prepare to proceed.”

The vanguard kept on marching. They came across two more warehouses, one filled with Gauss weapons and another stacked with food. Again, not a single soldier or body was spotted.

“Well, at least the reward is worth the risk. It will be a shame if we went through all this effort, only to have nothing to show for it.” Eric was one of the few that managed to see the good side.

“Sir, the barracks are also empty. We saw some drops of blood, but nothing else.”

Ryan walked into one of the barracks and turned to a line of beds that were lined up against the wall. Despite the layers of dust, he still noticed the beds were completely messed up and unorganized. It was as if all the soldiers posted here just disappeared in their sleep.

Spots of blood were here and there.

“Sir?” One trooper asked as Ryan retreated out of the barrack. “Do we report back to the Colonel?”

“No. We keep advancing.” Ryan turned and pointed at the building at the center of the camp. He spoke with hardly any doubt or hesitation. “There. We can’t bring the Battalion in until we make sure there is no danger lurking in the shadows.”

The Phasewalkers gulped. The expedition forces departed from Fortress Alpha in the morning. Now, it was noon. The blazing sun turned the entire camp into a barbeque set. The heat on their bodies only enhanced the fear and restlessness in the heart of the Phasewalkers.

“So we are the minesweepers.” The Phasewalker that first asked the question didn't comply at once, as Ryan expected. “If there is a mine buried on the road, then it’s better to have it blow up on us than on the main forces, right?”

“Yes.”

One word. Yes. Simple as that.

The Phasewalker looked around once again. All the tales he was told about this place suddenly jumped into his mind, amplified by what he just witnessed. 8,000 local soldiers disappeared without putting up any sign of resistance. Multiple groups of locals disappeared in the same way. What if the same happened to him? He still had a great life before him! He had $12,000 in his bank account! He still had a girlfriend. He didn't want to die…

Suddenly, he tossed his M4A1 on the ground.

“Sorry, sir, but court-martial me if you want. I am not going in there.”

Ryan could feel a surge of fury rising from the bottom of his heart. “You signed a contract. You made a deal.” He spoke in a cold voice. “Pick up your weapon now and I will forget this ever happened.”

“I will give back the money I was paid if that’s what it takes.” But the Phasewalker was persistent. “It’s not worth it.”

The scene was suddenly silent as all the eyes were trained on Ryan. Everyone was wondering how Ryan would react. He would probably have the Phasewalker arrested, disarmed, and returned to the rest of the forces right? No doubt the deserter would be brought back to Earth and be tried there.

“In that case, I understand.”

Ryan nodded slowly before pulling out his Glock 19 and raising it to the man’s head.

“In the name of treason,” Ryan said, to the horror of the man and all those standing around. “you are sentenced to death.”

A single gunshot echoed through the empty field.

The Phasewalker collapsed with a hole in his forehead.

Ryan slowly turned to the other Phasewalkers, all of whom were terrified to the core by what just happened. They expected a lot of causes of death, but death by Ryan wasn’t one of them.

“Whether we like it or not, right now, we are the champions of Earth. Our victory or defeat is directly related to the life or death of our world. Our families. Our friends. Our culture. When there is so much at stake...” The Battalion Commissar suddenly snapped to Eric. “Lieutenant Hemingway!”

“Yes!” Eric was slightly taken back.

“What did I tell you, back at Eagle’s Nest in front of Colonel Hunter’s office? When the fate of the world is at stake...”

Eric froze for a moment before coming up with a response.

“When the fate of the world is at stake, no treachery is too small…”

The remaining Phasewalkers looked at each other and saw matching horror. Ryan just shot one of his own people, for god’s sake! Who does that? When someone threatens to quit, you don’t shoot him! You either let him go or detain him! Even if his crimes deserve the punishment of death, it should be after a fair trial! This was 2020! What type of sick psycho would execute their own people just like that?

Perhaps this was the first time the true meaning of Commissars was demonstrated. Their primary goal was to motivate the troops to fight by nicer means. Speak encouraging words. Chant glorious cries. But when all those failed, perhaps the way of the gun was the next best choice.

Was it cruel? Of course. What Ryan did here would be in itself a crime back on Earth, but the background was as important as always. Compared to potentially losing the future of Earth, the life or death of one man was practically irrelevant. At least that was how Battalion Commissar Ryan Carlson saw it.

“In that case,” Ryan quietly brought his pistol back into its holster. “let’s proceed.”

As the Phasewalkers continued to move, Eric glanced at the bleeding corpse on the ground that was, two minutes ago, a comrade. Suddenly, he had a brilliant joke about the Soviet Union. Then again, the body on the ground suggested that giving voice to that joke might be the last mistake he would ever make.

Taking a deep breath, Eric followed the rest of the Phasewalkers toward the main structure.

---

When the Phasewalkers pushed the building’s door open, they were welcomed by a blow of cool fresh air.

“That’s weird.” Eric commented quietly as he gave a small shiver. All the Phasewalker vanguards have been marching below the blazing sun for a while. They were sweating like hell. “The air conditioning is still on. That means...the locals here may still be alive!”

“Perhaps.” Ryan turned to two Phasewalkers. “Hold this position. If we don’t report back in ten minutes, return to Colonel Hunter and inform her of what happened. In fact, keep your radios on.”

This way, if they died, at least the Phasewalkers outside would be warned by their dying screams.

“Yes sir.”

The other nine Phasewalkers proceeded to walk into the building. There was a large platform at the entrance with all sorts of tables and walls, but just like the other structures inside the fort, it was empty as well. Ryan and the others were making their way across the platform when they suddenly heard a clicking sound. All of them immediately snapped around with their weapons raised.

“Identify yourself!” Ryan demanded. His M4A1 held steadily in his hands. His right index finger exerted some pressure on the trigger. One wrong move and he would open fire without hesitation.

Out of the darkness, a figure slowly walked forward. It was someone in a strange black suit. Several pieces of metal protective pads covered his chest, knees, and arms. His hands were covered by a layer of black gloves. His helmet was black as well, with a layer of glass shield covering his face from the outside world.

This was a living, walking UEC Trooper!

Throughout the weeks the Phasewalkers have entered this world, they haven’t been sitting back and doing nothing. Aside from security purposes, another reason for the Phasewalkers to secure the area surrounding Fortress Alpha was to gather information. Deployed troops returned with books and images gathered from local households and stores, which were in a surprisingly large number given how advanced this society was. These resources were transferred back to Earth and analyzed.

As far as Section X analysts could see, the advancement of technology in World Alpha has revolutionized all categories of the military. Ignoring the Navy and the Air Force, even the gadgets of the Army became more advanced than anything Earth could muster.

The super-tank Ryan and the others saw in the warehouse was a medium-sized tank called Predator II. It was one of the most common hardwares in the UEC Army, distributed to almost every unit. Yet what was truly impressive was that the UEC was able to equip every single one of their combatants with Gauss rifles and Armors.

Guardian IV Armor. According to a military magazine, the armor could stop the rounds of most small caliber gauss weapons. Even better. Guardian IV wasn’t one of the chunky armors like Archon I that made the user over 2.5 meters high. It was no more than a small layer over the wearer and could be put on and taken off with ease, both in and out of combat. Its hindrance to the speed and agility of its wearers was insignificant. For this reason, it was given to almost every UEC combatant.

Right now, the mysterious UEC trooper the Phasewalkers were confronting was wearing a Guardian IV Armor. Thankfully, he was unarmed as far as Ryan could tell.

Ryan silently gestured for his comrades to slightly lower their weapons. He doubted the M4A1s could do much against the armor. He wasn’t afraid of a fight, but he just wanted to see what was going on before taking part in an unnecessary firefight.

“Welcome…” The trooper said quietly, his mask unseen under the glass face shield. “Please, we have been expecting you for a long time.”

The Phasewalkers looked at each other in confusion. What? Expecting them for a long time? This was a military base! If some random local wandered into Fortress Alpha, armed to the teeth, the Phasewalkers would be sounding every alarm available! And what did he mean he has been expecting them?

All the Phasewalkers felt even more chills down their spines, and only some of that was because of the air conditioning.

Ryan was the first to react. “Expecting us?”

“Yes…” The trooper turned around. “we were told there would be guests visiting us for a tour. Please, follow me...” He started walking down the dark halls.

“Sir,” Eric leaned forward, his tone a lot more serious than before. “I sense a trap.”

“I know, and it probably is a trap.” Ryan’s expression darkened. “But if we need more information, we need to play along. Follow him but keep your eyes open. If anything goes wrong, shoot to kill! Also, report this back.”

The Phasewalkers nodded in acknowledgment before moving to follow the UEC trooper into the hallway, where horrors that only god knew awaited them.