0355 HRS, September 21th, 2028.
Albert barely had a sleep due to the circumstances they were in right now. They found out that Atlas was not the only military force summoned in this world but also part of the United States Armed Forces.
The men were still taking in the situation very well but who knew when they were going to feel homesick? They have to recuperate soon.
Fortunately, they have two months worth of fuel and food, and if they ran out of that valuable supplies, he could simply purchase them from his system.
For now, he was outside the Command Center Building, looking at the two MH-53M Pave Low IV helicopters that would take them to the village. It was early in the morning so everyone was feeling light-headed.
"Sir!" Ward approached him, he was holding two mugs of coffee. "Eight Atlas soldiers are armed and ready."
He handed one mug to Albert.
"The Marines?" Albert asked as he grabbed the mug Ward was offering.
"They are also prepped and waiting near the birds," Ward replied, taking a sip of his coffee. "Claes has his men running last-minute gear checks.
Albert nodded slowly, taking a long drink from the steaming mug.
"I thought this would just be a dream, where when we wake up, we will find ourselves in Afghanistan. But yeah, this is our reality now."
He rose to his feet and checked his gear as well. The standard weapons of every Atlas was the FN SCAR-L chambered in 5.56 NATO, fitted with EOTech holographic sights, PEQ-15 IR designators, and suppressors. Each man carried six loaded magazines, and a sidearm of Glock 19.
Albert slung the rifle across his chest and glanced toward the flight line. . The two MH-53M Pave Low IV helicopters sat side-by-side, their matte-black fuselages glinting faintly under the sodium lights. Crew chiefs moved around them, checking fuel lines and engine diagnostics. A faint metallic whine filled the air as the APU units came online.
He adjusted his earpiece. "Command, this is Atlas Actual. Status on airframes?"
Keller's voice came through.
"Both Pave Lows green, Commander. Avionics checked, comms linked with Predator One. Route data uploaded to pilots' HUDs. The weather is clear."
"Good." Albert turned to Ward. "Let's move out."
He moved with the same economical stride he used on a hundred deployments. Ward matched him, coffee mug gone, replaced by the small checklist clipped to his forearm.
Around them the base breathed in prep: techs finishing last-minute inspections, crew chiefs shouting terse confirmations.
Albert boarded the helicopter through the ramp located at the rear along with Ward and eight Atlas soldiers. The callsign of the helicopter they occupied was Eagle 1. Eagle 2 was for the Marines who were also loading through the ramp.
They sat on their respective seats and began strapping in.
Ward slid into the seat beside Albert, checking his comms gear and glancing at the men opposite them, eight Atlas operators, their faces unreadable behind NVG mounts and balaclavas.
"Eagle One to Command, preflight complete. Engines green. Requesting clearance for takeoff," came the pilot's voice over the intercom, crisp but calm.
"Command here," Keller replied through the headset. "You're clear for departure. Predator One has visual and will maintain overwatch along your route. No contacts on radar or thermal."
Albert gave a short nod, though Keller couldn't see it. "Roger that, Command. Eagle One and Two departing now."
The pilot acknowledged. "Copy, Actual. Lifting off in ten."
The sound built fast—the whine of the turbines climbing to a roar, the whump-whump of the massive rotor blades cutting through the pre-dawn air. The deck vibrated beneath them as the bird rose, a tremor that crawled up their legs and into their bones.
Through the side viewport, Albert caught sight of Eagle 2 lifting in tandem, its landing lights flicking briefly across the tarmac before both aircraft banked northwest. Below them, the base shrank into a cluster of lights swallowed by fog.
Albert peered through the small window beside him. Beneath them sprawled an endless ocean of green, rolling forests, rivers like silver veins under the moonlight. The sky was beginning to pale in the east, streaks of gold hinting at dawn.
Thirty minutes later. They arrived at the LZ.
The treeline broke open into a narrow meadow the Predator had marked. an almost circular patch of grass hemmed in by standing oaks and birches. Morning mist still curled low over the ground, beads of dew clinging to the hems of boots as the ramp dropped and men streamed into the cold. The Pave Lows settled with a final shudder, rotors beating a steady wind that slapped leaves and tossed loose dirt into the air. Engines idled; the birds were alive and ready.
Albert moved off the ramp first, rifle across his chest but not raised, footing deliberate on the soft soil. Behind him, Ward shepherded his element into formation. Alpha and Bravo slotted into two tight columns, spacing close enough to maintain mutual support but loose enough to move without tripping over one another.
Major Claes's Marines disembarked from Eagle Two a heartbeat later and fell into a rear security posture, scanning the tree line with steely eyes.
"Okay, we are going to walk from here to the village," Albert said over to the group. "We'll arrive there within an hour. Let's go!"
The two teams acknowledged with a unified nod. Boots crunched softly against the wet grass as they began to move, the formation spreading into two staggered columns, Atlas on point, the Marines covering the rear.
The sun was rising, faint orange light spilling through the trees and illuminating the fog that still clung to the ground. Dew glistened on the leaves, dripping onto their helmets as they passed under low-hanging branches.
They pressed forward. The terrain gradually shifted from dense woodland to open patches of rolling terrain. Shafts of sunlight pierced the canopy, scattering across their uniforms in flickering bands. Birds flitted overhead, scattering at the faint mechanical click of safeties being rechecked.
Half an hour passed before Ward, glancing at his wrist-mounted display, murmured, "We're getting close. One klick out."
The forest began to thin as they moved closer to the village. And another twenty minutes later, they finally arrived by the treeline near the village.
Albert looked through his binoculars and peered through it. There, he saw the village.
"All units, this is Atlas Actual, we have reached the village. Now, let's make an introduction."