Combined Service Marines: Terra Incognita

By Jorge Perez-Jara

The discovery of a dwindling alien population living on the lunar surface was a great surprise to the governments of Earth and the CSM. A year has gone by and once again the CSM has been called back to the Moon, but this time they must work with their newly found allies in investigating some of the satellite’s mysteries. The discovery of the alien race who call themselves the Harra’shhh’an on the lunar surface was an eye opening experience to humanity. It once and for all settled the human question, are we alone? Not only is humanity not alone, but they are about to discover that there is an intelligence which watches them closely and threatens their very existence.
The Moon is not what it appears to be and the CSM must discover its true secret if humanity is to survive and prosper. But what they find threatens to turn all that mankind thought he knew about their satellite upside down. Humanity has already come to grips with the fact that they were not the first dominant species to have evolved on the planet, but this new discovery has even greater consequences. Now the CSM must reach into the Moon’s depths and face this enemy on its very own turf. Will the Marines have what it takes to save humanity or are they destined to suffer the same fate as their allies? No one knows the answer, but the CSM will answer the call.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jorge Perez-Jara
• Release date: Dec 19, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301728817

Jorge Perez-Jara

Jorge L. Perez-Jara graduated from Mesa High School in Mesa, Arizona in 1986. After graduation, he attended Arizona State University and joined the United States Air Force shortly afterwards. He is a military Veteran who served during the 1990-91’ Gulf War “Desert Shield/Desert Storm” in the Middle East. He has traveled to many parts of the world, while he served in the U.S. Air Force and has experienced and done many things. While he served on Active Duty, he had the opportunity to interact with different people and cultures. He was Honorably Discharged and now enjoys spending his time writing and researching ancient cultures. His writings consist of personal experiences as well as Science Fiction.

Book preview

Combined Service Marines

Terra Incognita

By

Jorge L. Perez-Jara

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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PUBLISHED BY:

Jorge L. Perez-Jara on Smashwords

Combined Service Marines

Terra Incognita

Copyright © 2012 by Jorge L. Perez-Jara

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

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Combined Service Marines

Terra Incognita

Other Books By Jorge L. Perez-Jara

The Alien Series:

An Alien Encounter

An Alien Presence

An Alien War

The CSM Series:

Combined Service Marines Lunar Cache

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

Chapter 1

Friday, 5 April, 2027

Firing Range

Camp Pendleton, California

0830 -8 hrs UTC

The morning air was crisp and cool as the Marines laid prone in their firing positions, but First Lieutenant Reese Fuller, USMC, Combined Service Marines, didn’t care for it. It had been just over a year since he and his Marine Recon Unit had crash landed in Chiapas, Mexico, while attempting to take control of an alien spaceship they had discovered on the Moon. The ship had been commandeered by a small group of alien beings called the Fra’shhha who were attempting to kill off the human presence on Earth by releasing toxic gases into the atmosphere. During that mission he had injured his right arm and ever since it ached, whenever it was cold out. The doctors had told him that he had made a full recovery and that his arm was completely healed, but he had his doubts concerning their diagnosis. It was mornings like these that reinforced his skepticism about his arm’s prognosis and that of modern medicine.

Lieutenant Fuller, called out Gunnery Sergeant Antonio Palacios, USMC, CSM, as he inspected the alien weapon in one of the Marines hand. This is all complete horseshit, sir, the whole lot of it!

What’s horseshit about it, Gunny? Reese questioned as he walked over to his senior Non-Commissioned Officer and one of the best he had ever seen.

Gunnery Sergeant Palacios had been his NCO, when they were on the Moon and he had also been with him when they had crash landed in Mexico. Palacios had also sustained some injuries like himself, but they had not been that extensive and within days he had been released from the hospital. And unlike him, Reese also had the pain of remembering that he had lost two of his men that fateful day. That was something they had told him would go away with time also, but he didn’t want it too. It wasn’t that he wanted to punish himself with their memory, but he had concluded that he owed them that much at the very least.

I’m talking about these wet-behind the ears Boots they gave us, sir. Palacios pointed at the two Marines lying prone on the ground next to his feet. They had recently been through Marine basic training and upon completing it had immediately been attached to the CSM as their first assignment. They had been ordered to report directly to the CSM Detachment even though they had no other experiences in their short military careers and that didn’t sit well with Palacios. "They’re just too green to be assigned to us, Lieutenant. Hell, they just came out of Boot where they are accustom to shooting at stationary targets. Shit, how do they expect these Grunts to qualify with alien tech without prior experience with anything else? This is just a bunch of horseshit. But, hey, let’s not forget, they also want them to be able to hit something, while operating in a vacuum.

I don’t know who gave the order to have these Grunts assigned to Recon, sir, but it’s got to be some Lifer stuck behind some desk somewhere. I just can’t see any squared away Marine thinking Grunt-shit like these two can handle what we do and the type of weapons we carry. I think someone must’ve really screwed the pooch on this one, sir.

Damn, Gunny, tell me how you really feel, Reese said as he joked with him. I’ll remember to write that down on my next report, Gunny, he said and smiled. Don’t worry, with enough practice, we’ll make heart-breakers and life-takers out of them.

If you say so, sir, Palacios said as he shook his head in dismay. But I really didn’t plan on being out here all night with these dumbshits trying to teach them how to shot straight. It’s fuckin’ cold out here and my manhood is starting to shrivel.

It ain’t that bad, Gunny, said Private First Class Jason Lowe with a boyish smile. He was attempting to defend his fellow Marines, even if they were new to the team. I mean, hell, I use to be that way, when I first was assigned here as well. Besides, at least they’re shooting in the same direction. Ain’t that what really counts, sir?

Fuck you, Lowe, said Private Nathan Feder one of the new recruits as he smiled and made an obscene gesture.

Yeah, but you’re still that way, Lowe, said Palacios as he smiled at Feder’s remark. You may not be green anymore, but you’re still a pain-in-my-ass, Grunt-shit.

You’re just sweet-talking me now, Gunny, Lowe replied with an even bigger smile as he fiddled with his rifle.

Yeah, you’re going to be saying that, when I put my boot in your ass, dumbshit. Palacios pretended to kick in his direction. If I hit Lowe here, sir, he addressed Reese. Can we chalk it up as a Range injury?

Duly noted, Gunny, replied Reese as he took the alien weapon from Palacios’ hand. He studied it for a moment, then flipped it over and made certain that it had a full magazine. I don’t know how the aliens put this weapon together, Gunny, but damn can they do the job when need be.

They had had a firsthand experience of its deadly fire and accuracy, when they had been on the Moon.

Oh, the rifle is fine, sir, Palacios said as he grabbed it and gave it back to the Marine at their feet. The man did a quick inspection of it, placed himself in a prone position once again, and began to fire at the target 2,000 meters in front of them. "It ain’t the weapon that I’m worried about, sir, it’s these kids they expect us to train in using them.

They’re fresh out of Boot and all they ever fired were the M360 rifle, but now they expect us to hand them an alien weapon, which few have ever handled, and make them expert marksmen? That ain’t going to work, sir. I mean, give me enough time with them and I’ll make killers out of them, no problem there. But I can’t get them up to snuff in two weeks, while they also have to go through space training. That just ain’t going to work, sir. We need more time to get them up to speed.

Reese knew Palacios was right, but he had been left without much of a choice in the matter. When they had crash landed down in Mexico, two of his men had died on impact and they had to be replaced. He had hoped that he would have had some kind of input concerning their replacements, but he was not given the chance. Major General Bradley Anders, USMC, CSM Detachment Commander, had been the one who had handpicked anyone and everyone that applied to the CSM. He was the one that had the final say as to who joined the elite Unit, since it was the only one of its kind. And since that was so, he had been given a freehand as to how, where, and who trained with them.

Reese watched as the Marines continued with their training, firing, and handling of the alien weapons, which they had been issued with Gunny Palacios screaming over them. Hey, Gunny, maybe, if you didn’t yell so much, they could hit something? he said.

Nah, that ain’t it, sir, Palacios answered him. "It’s the Corps, sir. They’re just too soft with all these new recruits. They pamper them too much. Hell, if you ask me, they coddle them so much during Boot nowadays that they expect a life of privilege. And that ain’t how a Marine is supposed to be trained, if they want them to be part of Mother Green’s killing machine. Nah, sir, what we need is men that can’t wait to get some and ask for seconds once they do, but it ain’t like that anymore.

Nowadays, we have to give them space, lookout for them, and pamper their asses like their mamas did. We can’t hit them, push them, or give them a little incentive to push themselves harder. Shit, they’re so use to their electronic gadgets that they would die if they didn’t get their fix. We’re just training a bunch of whiny-ass nerds with mommy issues nowadays, sir.

Be that as it may, Gunny, but this is what we were given, so we have to make due. Besides, if you recall, most of the equipment we use nowadays is highly advanced and jam-packed with electronics. So, I think, all this new knowledge this new kind of Marine has will come in handy.

Yeah, I guess so, sir, Palacios said as he began to walk away shaking his head in disbelief. He watched as one of the new recruits fired his rifle and completely missed the target. The shot had hit two meters to the target’s right and dirt had been thrown into the air by the power of the blast. Damn, they must be scraping the bottom of the barrel nowadays, he mumbled to himself.

Reese merely continued to shake his head also as he returned his attention to the men. He knew Palacios had a point, since he was an experienced NCO and he knew what to look for in any Marine. And if they didn’t meet Palacios’ standards, he would drill them until they did or he would have them transferred out to another Unit. Anyone applying to the CSM had only a couple of weeks to qualify or they were quickly sent packing. It didn’t matter if they were handpicked, they either performed or were quickly dismissed.

While Reese walked up and down the firing line, he noticed that a helicopter was quickly approaching their position. When it was over the open grass area next to them, it began to descend. As it did so, he squint his eyes and attempted to see who was onboard. But it was difficult for him to make out much detail concerning those onboard, since the rotors began to kick-up dust and debris into the air. He attempted to shield his eyes with one hand, while still keeping his sight on the helicopter, but it was futile. There was too much debris swirling around in the air and it stung his eyes, which made it hard for him to see.

Once the helicopter was on the ground, two high ranking officers emerged from it and began to walk toward him. One of them, he recognized instantly, while the other was unknown to him. The one he did not recognize was wearing an Air Force uniform with a patch that identified him as belonging to the 16th Space Control Squadron out of Colorado Springs, Colorado, which was part of the United States Air Force 21st Space Wing.

Reese lowered his hand and proceeded to make his way toward them. General Anders, he said as they came close. I wasn’t expecting you, sir. If I had known you were coming, I would’ve had the men ready for inspection.

Yeah, I bet ya weren’t, said Anders in a thick southern accent as he returned Reese’s salute. But I ain’t here for any inspection, Lieutenant, said Anders with a brief smile. He stared at Reese for a moment with a cigar clamped between his teeth and said. How’s the arm coming along, son?

General Anders had visited Reese, when they had extracted him from the alien spaceship’s wreckage, so he had firsthand knowledge of his previous injuries.

Fine, sir, Reese lied as he rotated his shoulder. I just can’t wait to get back to doing some real work, sir. I mean, I know we Marines go where they tell us to go and all that, but even I get the itch sometimes, sir.

I’m glad to hear that, Lieutenant, because as I’ve said before, I have no need for broke dicks in any of my Units, said Anders with a smile. He was referring to people that were on medical leave and the few that used it to get out of doing their normal duties. Anyways, ya may have ya’re wish sooner than ya think, said Anders as he offered him a strained smile and then glanced at the Air Force officer standing next to him. I don’t believe ya’ve met Colonel Klein here before?

No, sir, I haven’t had the pleasure, Reese replied as he saluted.

Lieutenant. That was the only thing Klein said as he returned the salute.

Anyways, Anders said. He’s our new Intel Officer and I thought ya two ought to meet. He noted that they just stared at each other in silence, so he moved on. Point is, son, we have a situation on our hands and ya’re one of only a handful of people that has any experience in dealing with that type of shit.

Reese stared at him for a moment and said. It has something to do with the Moon, right, sir?

Yeah, it’s the Moon alright, replied Anders. We need to talk, so please join us for a spell will ya.

Do I have a choice, sir?

Of course, you do, said Klein as they began to walk toward the awaiting helicopter. He rubbed his chin as they walked as if he was thinking about something. When they were next to the helicopter, he said. I need volunteers, Fuller, not Officers that question every assignment they get. So…if you don’t think you can help me out, then just say so and we’ll find someone that can.

That’ll be enough of that shit, Colonel, said Anders in a raised voice. I like ya to know that the Lieutenant here has more experience and courage than most men. I don’t mind telling ya, I’ve seen him operate and he’s a real go-getter, ya hear me?

Yes, sir, I didn’t mean any disrespect by my statement. It’s just…well, if he has doubts, we can always find someone else.

Anders stared at Klein for a moment with a chiseled expression on his face. When he thought he had gotten his point across, he turned and said. Reese, like I said, do ya mind joining us? I would like to give ya more to chew on than the regular BS everyone is hearing.

Reese merely nodded his head and boarded the helicopter. He had known that his experience in dealing with the aliens on the Moon would come back to haunt him someday, but he had not expected it to come this soon. It had merely been a year since he had slammed into the Mexican desert in Chiapas and even a shorter time since they had been attempting to back-engineer the alien ship there, therefore, he didn’t know what they could have possibly discovered to have approached him so soon. Or in what way he could help.

Reese knew that the only way he was going to find the answers to his questions was by listening to what the General had to say, but he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like it. Hell, he thought, I don’t even like the idea of returning to the damn Moon, much less pulling duty there. But he trusted Anders and his judgment, and that was good enough for any Marine.

Chapter 2

Site 23, Tyuratam, Russia

Baikonur Cosmodrome

Kazakhstan

0900 +5 hrs UTC

The day had started as any other day within the Russian Red Army, but Colonel Michail Kutuzov, Russian Space Forces, was in a dark mood. He knew it wasn’t anyone’s fault, but his own for his current disposition. After all, he had been the one who had been asking for this assignment ever since their return from the lunar surface and he had been the one who had been responsible for submitting his request almost weekly to get it. But now that he had gotten his wish and had been assigned to it, he was beginning to regret his decision. There’s such a thing as getting what one deserves, Michail Kutuzov, he told himself, but what you have gotten yourself into is beyond reason. Not only had they ordered him to take command of the Russian Space Forces once more, but they had also ordered him to return to the lunar surface. That he had not anticipated, when he had asked for the assignment. And to make matters worse, they had also expected him to gather his gear and report immediately. I have a private life as well, damn it! He didn’t know if he could just uproot himself from his present life and leave everything behind without so much as leaving a note to anyone. But he had no one in his frantic life, so there was no one to leave anything too.

Kutuzov had requested to remain in command of the country’s Space Forces, when he had returned from the Moon. But his request had fallen on deaf ears and he had been assigned to a Spetsnaz Unit instead. But after numerous requests and strategically placed calls to those within the Kremlin, the Russian High Command had finally conceded. He knew the position would give him a major boost in attaining rank within the Red Army, but he had never really expected to go into space again. After all, they had completed their mission on the Moon with the assistance of the Americans and the Chinese. Also with some help from the alien Harra’shhh’an lizards that they had befriended there, so there was no need for him to return. They had even retrieved an ancient spacecraft that had been abandoned there for millennia. What more do they what from me, he asked himself? He merely shook his head in frustration as there was no plausible answer that he could think of to his question.

After a moment of reflection upon his misfortune, Kutuzov looked up and silently watched as Colonel General Alexander Vasilievich, Russian Space Forces Commander, approached him. Vasilievich had been there, on the lunar surface, when the assault on the alien Moon base had taken place, therefore, he knew what he had been through as well as his men. Although, from what he could see in the General’s eyes, Kutuzov knew there was a purpose for him to be here. He knew that the General had hardly left his office since they had returned to Earth, but here he was now and he was curious as to why?

Kutuzov cursed under his breath as countless possibilities crossed his mind and began to walk toward Vasilievich. When he was within a few feet away, he stopped, clicked his heels together, and offered a crisp salute. Comrade General, he said in a friendly, but guarded tone. What brings you out here on this cool spring day?

Vasilievich returned the salute and sighed silently to himself. You can dispense with the formalities, Comrade Colonel, for I would assume I am here for the same reason you are, he replied. I was also summoned to this meeting with hardly any notice and very few details as well. I assume you are in the same position as myself, da?

I see, said Kutuzov as he thought about that for a moment. He knew why he had