Asteroid Blues

OOC: Instead of the Asteroid Blues scenarios we were playing Firefight as per ITS to practice for an upcoming tourney

**********

Senior Commissioner Scherbina watched silently as a procession of stretchers bearing the casualties of the latest engagement made its way past him. In the harsh white light of a Novvy Bangkok tunnel, the wounded looked just like the dead, alike in seeming austere and ghostly. He turned back to the conversation at hand when Captain Bryukhanov spoke

"Major Legasov, I understand you've been saying dangerous things."

"Very dangerous things. Apparently our troops fired on allied ALEPH forces. Please, tell me how such a failure of communication happens." His colleague Captain Fomin replied in support.

"I'm not prepared to explain it at this time." Comrade Major Legasov of the S2 branch replied with a flicker of a scowl.

"As I presumed, he has no answer. Disgraceful, really, to spread disinformation at a time like this."

Scherbina had enough of the bickering. The lighting cast him in stark relief, making him seem like some sort of otherworldly judge.

"Why did I see military remotes with signs of battle damage on the roofs?" That made Bryukhanov turn to Fomin for support.

"Fomin, why did the Senior Commissioner see damaged combat remotes on the roof?"

"Remotes? That's not possible. Perhaps you saw material for building fortified outposts."

"Now there you made a mistake, because I may not know much about remotes, but I have a lot of experience with fortifications."

"Comrade Commissioner, I assure you-"

"I understand. You think Legasov is wrong. So try and prove it..."

**********

A short but heavy bark was heard in the distance, followed by a low whistling as a single round flew narrowly overhead. Clearly a warning shot. Any silence after that was quickly drowned out by the a loud and prolonged mechanical screech, a crowd suppressant that under the circumstances doubled as a clear message.

"-Leytenant Dyatlov? Leytenant Dyatlov?"

"What the hell just happened?"

"We're taking fire from troops that aren't supposed to be here. Looks like ALEPH." Akimov, the ad hoc second in command replied.

"Why are there robots in our sector? How the hell did your Streloks and Toptunov fuck this reconnaissance job up?"

"Comrade Dyatlov, I'm not sure this is our sec-"

"Enough. Everybody stay calm. We have our orders. Clear out the malfunctioning remotes."

"Malfunctioning? They're servants of ALEPH." Dyatlov glared at him frostily

"I know what I'm looking at. I've been doing this job while you were still suckling on your mother's teat. Now shut the fuck up and get to work"

The crack and roar of an incendiary rocket leaving the tube signalled the start of the whole debacle. In response a series of heavy impacts struck the rooftop above them, bringing down a trickle of fine debris on them. Despite the noise, the thud of bodies hitting the floor was still audible.

"Perevozchenko and Proskuryakov are down!"

"Must have cooked with the backblast, bloody idiots. Just light burns."

"They were shot, they're bleeding out."

"You're confused, civilian remotes can't shoot back. Somebody call the fire brigade."

"Dogalev is gone. I saw him run off, looked right into their lines-" One of the Streloks said while panting.

"Did you deal with the robots or not?" Dyatlov cut in.

"Infiltrator! Spotted an infiltrator."

"Comrade, that's impossible." To that there was no reply, only the sound of choking, retching and another collapse.

"He's delusional, get him out of here."

The hammering of automatic weapons fire, occasionally interspersed with lower caliber reports, filled the air. Dyatlov barely twitched as he waited silently for further reports

"Ignatenko went down."

"He'll be fine, I've seen worse. Akimov, how much longer does our timetable afford us?"

"Three to six minutes."

"Three to six. Not great, not terrible. Call in the veterans. We need lines of movement through this sector, that is all that matters."

"Lieutenant Dyatlov? I'm seeing a lot more remotes, and they're armed."

"You didn't see weapons. YOU DIDN'T! Because they're not there." Dyatlov's outburst was followed by a deep breath that could be heard even over the radio.

"Sitnikov. You're an old hand, so am I. Please tell me how do civilian remotes shoot back. Not breakdown, but gunfire."

"...I can't."

"You go then."

"What?"

"Get up onto that vantage point, and report back what you see."

"No. No, I don't think that's a good idea."

"That's an order, Sitnikov."

**********

They were all silent as the playback of all available combat log footage came to an end. Commissioner Scherbina was the first to act when he turned to one of the waiting guards with the blue armbands.

"Please escort Comrades Bryukhanov and Fomin to the Xaraks General Headquarters. You're excused. Thank you for your service."

"Dyatlov was in charge. It was Dyatlov! He went off reservation!" Fomin shouted to Scherbina as the MPs took him by the arm and hauled him off. The words slid off the Commissioner's back like water

"Tell me how could such a fuck up happen."

Legasov sighed audibly and pinched his forehead. Scherbina wasn't going to like what he was going to hear.