Melbourne awoke on a virtual cot in a large tent with about thirty bunks. In the center of this command post were laptops and other strategic equipment designed for use on the battlefield.
"Captain Acliate, sir!" exclaimed a Lieutenant, running up to him and saluting. "We are surrounded by Astromans! They have infiltrated the colony SA-42 and are approaching the bluff we are on! We need orders for our platoons! The tower view computer is right there!"
"The Battle of SA-42." thought Melbourne. "That was a famous battle in the middle of the Astroman War and is widely considered its turning point. During the Battle of Alpha-Simata, the Martian Republic was barely prepared for the outbreaks of Astroman Rebels. This was the point where Martian forces concentrated themselves and started taking back the mining colonies that had dissented into a confederacy."
Melbourne was led to a PC that showed camera footage of enemy forces surrounding a small plateau where the forces he was in command of were becoming besieged.
"Sir, we have ten minutes before reinforcements will arrive!" said the Lieutenant. "We have three infantry platoons at our disposal, each consisting of two squads. We also have four artillery units. You can use this terminal to command the squads wherever you think is best."
[Forces:
Command Posts: 1
Squads: 6
Artillery: 4
Miniguns: 8]
The miniguns were all manual stationary defense turrets set up evenly on the east and west sides of the plateau for infantry to utilize in command post defense.
Melbourne saw another computer that gave him virtual command of different squads. Each squad leader would be delegated to defend or attack whatever area Melbourne decided. They would be responsible for the squad tactics he had used in the last training scenario and he would be responsible for their exact deployment.
[New Mission: Defend the Command Post
*You are under siege and have been given command of six squads. Use them wisely to survive until reinforcements arrive
*Reward: +10 XP, +1 Intelligence]
Melbourne looked at the aclito mission reward with a brief smile before getting to work.
The squad command laptop had a touch screen he could use to drag blue figures to various points on a topographical map representing the virtual world he had now been placed in.
Melbourne looked back at the camera and used the remote servo controller to scan the battlefield from a realistic perspective. He noticed the Martian soldiers standing in the position that the squad command interface showed. The terrain was largely terraformed along a very specific axis of a hollowed-out rotating asteroid habitat set to produce artificial gravity equivalent to Martian gravity so that Martian citizens would feel normal. The "roof", or interior, of the hollowed out colony was about 20 meters above the heads of the soldiers. Ladders into mining shafts filled the horizon, implying ongoing mining work towards the core of the asteroid.
Melbourne swiftly scanned the plateau for all entry points that foot soldiers could enter upon and the areas where the squads were. He found the highest concentration of enemies to be approaching from the west, so he assigned four squads to cover the west side and two squads to defend the east side.
He began by spreading out the squads evenly to begin suppressive fire at the enemies.
Melbourne guided the artillery to cover all four corners of the tent, capable of launching missiles at enemies from every direction.
Finally, the first waves of enemies appeared on the squad command screen as red figures approaching swiftly. The sound of gunfire could be heard outside on both sides as the platoons ducked behind steel pillboxes and began firing miniguns from holes in the barriers.
Waves upon waves of enemies began falling as Melbourne watched the scene unfold from computer screens inside a tent.
It felt awkward to not join the fray after having fought space pirates, Jovian marines and virtual rebels. However, Melbourne understood that a commander's job was to remain at the best vantage point from which he could give directions to all his men, so alas, he had to stay in the tent.
The "game" had transformed from an FPS to an RTS with first person mechanics inside a tent. Melbourne had to frequently redirect squads to alternating piers of the plateau to deal with troopers gradually approaching from different angles. Artillery shots were directed in all directions by Melbourne himself to coordinates on the map where particularly high concentrations of enemies congregated.
After ten minutes were finally up, several bombers came flying from both sides to rain fire down on the besiegers. Not far behind them were transport shuttles that had been brought inside the hollowed asteroid from outside to land reinforcements. Four shuttles landed on the plateau and released eight squads of five infantry before the pilots took off.
[Forces:
Command Posts: 1
Squads: 12
Artillery: 4
Miniguns: 5]
Two squads and three miniguns had been lost in the fight.
"You still alive, Captain Acliate?" asked a voice from Melbourne's watch.
"Yes sir!" exclaimed Melbourne.
"Good, cause we're in a bind here. We've got enemies pouring in from the docking port ten kilometers east of your location and we need your Company to join Beta Company in taking that foothold back!"
"Sounds like a plan!" said Melbourne.
"I've got a squad of bullforts coming your way from the western docking port. You're going to have to use one as your temporary mobile command post while in transit. They'll serve as your vehicles as well."
Melbourne looked to the horizon and saw the beauties racing in. Bullforts were special tanks that were designed to be as fast as race cars. They could drive across the land at speeds reaching 500 km/hr and had a sleek design. They also had the capacity to transport two entire squads of infantry each just like a standard military transport shuttle.
Melbourne spoke into a microphone that transmitted to every soldier in his Company.
"Attention Charlie Company, we are under orders to travel to the docking port east of here on bullforts that are approaching the plateau now! Good job standing your ground here against the enemy! You all fought bravely and I am proud of every one of you! Keep your head up, however! The Battle of Colony SA-42 is not over yet! We have a long, hard battle ahead of us!"
Cheers erupted outside the command post, Melbourne's speech giving the simulated soldiers a decent morale boost.
Melbourne had his nearest subordinates help him pack up his belongings and move into one of the ten bullforts that had arrived.
Melbourne sat with the pilot in one of the bullforts as it continued to race across the interior surface of the asteroid towards an imposing spire in the east that indicated their target destination, the docking hub that was under rebel occupation being used to feed in enemy reinforcements.
"Alright, men, get ready for a bumpy ride!" exclaimed Melbourne over the bullfort intercoms as he saw more waves of enemy Astroman troopers riding gunbikes towards them. "Pilots and turret operators, get ready to open fire on those bogeys!"