Beyond the Horizon: New Dawn

21) Anthony

Anthony squatted down next to Mila and took a look at the abandoned dome colony in front of them. He could see the hospital at the center of the colony as he went over the plan in his head for the tenth time. There was a half finished apartment building near the facility that their two snipers would use to provide overwatch. Anthony would then lead his strike team into the hospital to get Beta. Her exact location was unknown but Taz, a UN surveillance specialist, would search for her via drone when they reached the apartment.

Steam began to form as the ground beneath them began to sizzle. The heat being given off by the UN sentinels proved to be too much for the frozen Titan floor to sustain. It was starting to melt which meant that they had to move. "Matt," Mila called over the comms. "Seeing everything alright?"

"I'm seeing what you're seeing, mate," he answered. "Visibility's shite down there isn't it?"

"You've got no idea. Can barely see the colony and it's not too far ahead."

"If you need anything just let me know. Good luck, mates."

"We'll see you soon, Matt," Anthony responded. He switched his communications channel to the one the UN sentinels were using. He turned back to them and gestured towards the colony. "On me."

Anthony and Mila lead the group of UN sentinels carefully towards the colony. Anthony struggled to keep his balance as they walked. The gravity was lighter than that of Luna which meant there was not much that was keeping him to the ground. Each step he took had to be diligent and delicate to ensure he did not apply too much force which would result in him bouncing off the moon's surface. It frustrated him that so much effort had to be put into walking. He thought about Captain Boyd and Adah being on Earth and dealing with normal gravity. He would give up anything to switch spots with them.

Anthony surveyed the area as they entered the dome colony. It was akin to a vacant lot with rundown buildings with some being half constructed. There were pastures of dead soil that were now frozen over due to the extreme cold. The only pristine aspect of the abandoned colony left was the dome itself.

The group eyed the abandoned buildings as they passed them. One of the sentinels commented on the silence of the area. Mila gave him a snarky reply, asking him what he expected from a place that was abandoned. Anthony decided to intervene by telling them to stop talking and to instead keep their eyes open. He wanted to be able to hear his surroundings clearly so that he could trace any noises that occurred. For now, the only thing he heard was his own breathing and the Titan ground crunching beneath him.

They arrived at the apartment and Anthony ordered their two snipers, Rodney and Cloud, to set up shop. They nodded and entered the apartment. Anthony then turned to Taz who was setting up his drone. As the dark blue drone buzzed off the ground, Taz's eyes turned gray. It was a sign that he was now seeing through the lens of his drone. Anthony backed away from him and returned to Mila. He did not want to disturb him by asking him what he saw. He would wait for Taz to report when he was finished scouting the hospital.

"Wonders of the neuralink right?" Mila asked rhetorically as she watched Taz control his drone with his mind.

Anthony nodded. "It's efficient."

"I'll say. You think they know we're here right?"

"Yea. Probably waiting for us inside."

"What do you think this is about?"

Anthony took some time to think. He understood what she meant. The importance of Beta could not have been just about BlackDiamond. "Not sure. But, if BlackDiamond's tech is as sophisticated as the intel predicts it to be..."