Chapter 28
The Goliath settled in a huge crater, sending up a cloud of red dust. Storme made his final inspection.
'Right, you scrunts. You know why we are here. We have the element of surprise on our side, plus superior fire-power. I'm not expecting any resistance, but if we do, we'll deal with it. We are travelling at night over unknown terrain. Polaski. You'll drive Battle Buggy One. I'll be up front with you. Use lights until the last twenty miles. Slow right down at that point. We do not want to be trying to dig the beast out of a ravine. Got that, Polaski?'
'Yessir, Commander.'
'Pascalli. You'll drive Battle Buggy Two. Pratt. You be his eyes when the lights go out.'
'Yessir.'
'Get strapped in. And I don't mean tomorrow. MOVE!'
The battle buggies were all pressure sealed units, sixteen wheels, laser cannons mounted fore and aft, capable of travelling at ninety miles per hour, carrying nine fully armed troopers plus the drivers. Even being sealed, Storme made his men suit up. The terrain was too treacherous to take chances with.
Storme got in his seat next to the driver. He pressed the button on his radio.
'Tanner. Open the door.'
The entire back of the Goliath opened up to the Martian night sky.
'Bye, bye, shit head,' said Tanner.
'Later, Tanner. MOVE!'
The Battle Buggies rolled forwards, and there in front of them was the mighty Olympus Mons, the biggest mountain in the solar system. Rolling steadily along at forty miles per hour, both Polaski and Storme looked out for natural hazards. The buggies were tough and tested, but the Martian landscape was a mishmash of craters and ravines. The many sandstorms could easily fill a ravine, making them undetectable until it was too late. Only fools and men on a mission, like the uncompromising Commander Storme, would even contemplate driving two hundred miles at night. And only men whipped into shape by a leader like Storme would be crazy enough to follow him.