Part 2, continued: The Oracle
I woke up because somebody was talking.
Not loud. Just a couple of voices somewhere to my left. Whispering.
I kept my eyes closed for a second, hoping they’d shut up.
They didn’t.
“That’s not right.”
It was Corporal Reyes. He had the watch.
“What isn’t?”
Collins.
I opened one eye.
Reyes was sitting against the wall about ten feet away, wearing the Oracle. That’s what we called the observation helmet. I don’t remember what the official name was. Something with about twelve words in it.
The thing cost more than everything I owned, including my truck, and it had a habit of telling you things you already knew.
It could show you the feeds from our cameras, the night-vision picture, ranges, bearings, all kinds of electronic warnings. If you saw something worth shooting at, it could give you the information to pass along to whoever had the guns or drones.
It recorded everything, too. Supposedly, if we had a good connection, the people back at headquarters could watch what we were seeing.
We only had one. Recon got the expensive toys.
Reyes was looking toward the beach, though I knew he wasn’t necessarily seeing what was in front of him. The Oracle could put a camera picture right in his field of view, and he could switch between feeds without moving his head.
“What have you got?” Collins asked.
“Camera Four’s blank.”
“Blank how?”
“Nothing. Just the beach.”
“That’s what it’s supposed to show.”
“Yeah, except Five’s showing movement.”
I sat up a little. My watch said it was 0430.
“Movement where?” Collins asked.
“Down by that maintenance building. Couple hundred meters past the seawall.”
“How many?”
“Can’t tell. Thermal’s not showing anything.”
“Switch back to Four.”
Reyes moved his hand against the side of the helmet.
“Still nothing.”
“Three?”
“Nothing.”
“Five?”
“Movement. Same place.”
Collins was quiet for a moment.
“That’s interesting.”
I remember thinking that was a strange thing to say.
When Collins said something was interesting, it usually meant the rest of us were about to have a very bad day.
“Oracle says it’s probably vegetation,” Reyes said.
“There’s no vegetation there.”
“Tell the Oracle.”
Collins gave a little laugh.
“What’s your confidence?”
“Low. Keeps changing its mind.”
“That’s because it’s looking at the wrong thing.”
Reyes turned his head toward Collins.
“What am I supposed to be looking at?”
“The cameras that aren’t seeing anything.”
Nobody said anything for a moment.
Then Reyes asked, “You seeing something we aren’t, Sergeant?”
“Maybe.”
I looked toward the seawall.
It was still dark. The beach was quiet. I couldn’t see anything moving.
Reyes started switching between his feeds again.
“Well, whatever it is, the Oracle doesn’t like it.”
“What’s it saying?”
“Got an electronic warning. Some kind of electronic network out there. Doesn’t recognize it.”
“Where?”
“Can’t give me a bearing. Just says it’s close.”
Collins sat up straighter.
“How close?”
“Doesn’t say.”
“That’s helpful.”
“Hey, don’t blame me. I’m just wearing the stupid thing.”
Then Reyes stopped moving.
“Hang on.”
“What?”
“Laser warning. Laser rangefinder.”
That woke me up properly.
“From where?” Collins asked.
“Don’t know. It flashed and disappeared.”
Collins closed his eyes.
“Don’t move.”
Reyes froze.
I looked toward Nelson, who was asleep a few feet away.
“Doc,” I whispered.
He stirred.
“Doc.”
“What?”
“Something’s going on.”
Nelson sat up and looked at Collins.
Collins hadn’t moved.
His eyes were closed, and his fingers were twitching against his knees.
After a few seconds, he spoke.
“Reyes.”
“Yeah?”
“Take the helmet off.”
Reyes hesitated.
“What?”
“Take it off. Now.”
Reyes pulled the Oracle from his head.
Collins opened his eyes.
“Put it on the ground beside you.”
Reyes did.
“Now move away from it.”
I remember thinking Collins was being a little dramatic.
Then something struck the helmet.
There wasn’t much of a sound. Just a sharp crack, like somebody snapping a dry stick.
The Oracle jumped against the concrete.
A little puff of smoke came out of the side.
Nobody moved.
Reyes stared at the thing.
“Jesus Christ.”
Collins was already on his feet.
“Lieutenant,” he said quietly. “We’ve got company.”
The Sergeant Major interrupted me there.
“Pasquale, are you telling me Sergeant Collins knew that helmet was about to be hit?”
“Yes, Sergeant Major.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did he explain?”
“No, Sergeant Major.”
“What did he say?”
I thought about that for a moment.
“He told Reyes he was lucky.”
“Anything else?”
“Yeah.”
“What?”
“He said they were getting better.”
“Who was getting better?”
“That’s what Reyes asked him.”
“And?”
“Collins said, ‘The other guys.'”
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