Chapter 1

One of the things that the army has taught me is to wake up to really loud noises. So when my alarm clock went off, my eye shot open and my hand almost automatically reached for the snooze button on the still-blaring alarm clock.

In the moment of silence that followed, I looked at the ceiling. The dark empty space in between me and the ceiling almost fogging up my view.

I am Jonathan Mayer, 27 years old, a 2nd. Lieutenant of the Army reserves. Though I have served on full-time duty and have been deployed to Afghanistan on two combat tours as a private. Nothing crazy happened, got in a few firefights here and there, seen some of my buddies get hit but thank the taxpayers for our up-armor I've never seen one of them die. After I finished my contract I used my GI bill to get a bachelor's degree in technology and applied for an officer's position in the army reserves.

I like the soldier's life, but it's not really my passion. You see, I also have a job as a programmer in a company that makes games, now THAT is my passion. But why serve and then apply to be a reservist you ask? I love my country and I want to serve it and that's it.

I got up and made myself some tea, unlike most grunts I don't do coffee and opt for tea instead. After I poured myself a cup of freshly boiled tea I sat down on my couch and turned on my small television to watch the news, planning to pass the early morning hours with it.

"...Chinese pressure on the US trade continues to..."

I hit the next channel, hoping for a better and less depressing news.

"...The polish still stands strong in the light of the failed EU unification...

I hit next again.

"...Oil prices continue to skyrocket after..."

I give up.

As I was turning off the TV, my phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out to see a message from the captain.

"Report to Irwin ASAP and tell Rodriguez to not forget his ID again." The message reads, making me chuckle on the last part.

I forwarded the first part of the message to my Sergeants who will forward it to everyone else in their squads and added the last part to the message for Rodriguez's Sergeant.

"I wonder why would they make us report this early in the morning." I thought as I sent a text to my boss- who also happens to be a veteran. About me getting called on duty. Then I got the keys to my car, locked my house and drove to Fort Irwin.

When I arrived I headed to the briefing room and saw that I was the last officer to arrive. Making my way quickly to the nearest free seat, I sat down and waited for the captain to arrive. Fort Irwin is a training center. It houses the 11th ACR that serves at the OPFOR in the NTC and a reserve company of combat infantry and engineers. When the captain arrived, all of the lieutenants stood up and saluted him.

"At ease." He Saluted back and looked around the room. "All the officers are here? Good, let's get started."

He turned on the projector and my first thought was: "Oh my god did someone get a prostitute pregnant again?"

But to my surprise the presentation on the whiteboard says something else.

"THE SPECIAL EXPEDITION FORCE"

The captain took the podium and started the briefing.

Captain Antony Barber is a veteran of the campaigns against ISIS who decided to become a reservist after he EAS'd. He had good relations with all his subordinates and is not uptight like other Senior officers.

"What I'm about to tell you all never leaves this base and will never be spoken to anyone else but your men." He warned before switching the presentation to the next slide.

It was a picture of... something? That was in a desert and glowed brightly.

The captain pointed his laser to the picture in circled the beam around the bright glowing thingy.

"This is a portal. Opened by accidentally by some government egghead two days ago at the Nevada Desert."

The lieutenants in the room processed the information they just got and one raised his hand.

"Sir, how do we know it's a portal?"

The captain nodded and replied. "Well apparently someone on site decided it was smart to go through the portal- which was unknown at the time, on the account of 'being able to smell green grass.' Which I'll be honest with you, the way he said it make it seem he smelt grass." The officers laughed at the joke about marijuana. "He was also the first person to step into that portal and later reported seeing a green grassy field before going back through." Another lieutenant then raised his hand and the captain nodded at him.

"Sir, have we sent anyone else through?" The lieutenant asked.

"Yes, reconnaissance and survey teams have been dispatched through and they have determined the environment on the other side as 'earth-like'."

No more questions sprang up so the captain continued.

"The brass has decided to form up a new battalion sized unit from the army reserves and elements from the11th ACR into the new 'The Special Expedition Force' to go through the portal and establish a presence on the other side. And we are a part of it."

A piece of paper made it's way to me, apparently it was being passed on. He took his and gave the stack to the officer beside him.

"Printed there is the composition of the SEF. Familiarize yourself with it and the call-signs of each platoon. We have been ordered to rally at NTTR where the portal is, brief your men in their bunks, dismissed." The captain adjourned the meeting and the officers stood up to go to their respective platoon bunks.

I was having a bit of a hard time processing the information while making my way to the platoon bunk. Portals? And they're getting sent through it? I hoped to a god I don't believe in that the brass knows what they're doing.

He reached the door to the bunk and opened it, his platoon were all inside and readying themselves and their equipment.

"Attention!" I ordered.

My men-and some women, immediately went to the front of their respective bunks with their bunk mates at stood at attention.

I looked around and nodded with approval to how quick they all reacted. We might be reservists, but we can't be sloppy.

"At ease soldiers, gather around."

My platoon immediately complied and gathered in-front of me as I started by briefing.

"All of you might have been talking about if we are about to get into active duty, and I am here to say that yes, we are getting called into active duty as part of a newly formed battalion."

I gave the platoon time to talk among themselves before continuing. "None of the things that I'm about to say is going to leave this unit, hear me?"

I get a chorus of 'Yes sir's' in response.

"Good, there has been a portal opened up in the Nevada desert and we are going to be sent through as part of the Special Expeditionary Force to go through the other side and secure it. We are rallying to the NTTR ASAP so get your asses to the transports outside, now!"

Me and my platoon headed to the trucks outside and mounted up, and after I saw the one's who were riding with me a smile formed in my face.

"Well, well, well, it's nice to see you two again." I said and extended a hand to the two men in-front of me.

"You too sir, it's kinda hard to believe we're getting called into active duty into some sort of situation straight out of some fantasy stuff." Sgt.Nick Freeman said as he shook my hand.

"I hear that. Rodriguez is so hyped up for this shit that I had to order him to stop talking about his weird ass fetishes or else if he gets a boot in his ass." Sgt. Louis Anderson said, making me crack a smile.

"It's not a fetish, It's called anime sir!" Spc.Ferdinand Rodriguez shouted from the rear of the truck.

"I call it what I want Rodriguez so shut your trap!" Anderson replied.

Me, Freeman and Anderson both graduated from the same batch in boot camp and served together till we EAS'd. Us three are good friends and It was a real swell surprise to see us three assigned to the same reserve company.

Nick is a 28 year old black-American who hailed from Detroit when we enlisted but moved to his wife's state, California, after marrying her.

Louis joined the army when he was older, as such he is now a 30 year old sergeant and the most senior of us three in terms of age. He's a Cali native like me.

"So Nick, how's the wife?" I asked to strike up a conversation with an old friend.

"She's pregnant, doctor says I'm going to have a daughter." He smiled.

The guys in the truck cheered and even the driver gave his congratulations to the soon-to-be-father.

Then I turned to Louis. "What about you grandpa, when are you gonna marry?"

He rolled his eyes. "Told ya I'm not interested in that. And besides, this is my wife." He said while holding up his M4A1.

"Preach it sarge." A soldier remarked.

He gave a thumbs up to him and then looked back at me. "Besides, I can ask you the same."

"I haven't found anyone yet." I shrugged in reply, though honestly I just didn't want to have a serious commitment like marriage till I'm sure I'm ready.

The next few hours in the truck was spent talking about our lives, our previous deployment to Afghanistan and the current mission. They were of course, curious about this whole portal thing but I told them that even I don't have much info about the thing besides that we are getting deployed.

When we arrived at the NTTC we all dismounted and headed to the designated rally area where the rest of the regiment is. Apparently the entire area around the portal has been fortified and constant air patrol has been set to keep prying eyes away.

As I walked into an open area which has been filled with concrete with my platoon, we saw a large vertically elliptical object which was glowing- it was the portal.

We formed up with the rest of the company and then the CO of the entire operation stepped up into the stage.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen." The late-middle age man greeted.

"Good evening Sir!" The battalion responded.

"I am lieutenant Colonel Richard Vandegrift and today you have all been called on to do something that you did not expect. Today we are to cross a portal into what could only be another world, We have not seen any hostiles in the immediate area but we are not taking any chances. We are to establish a presence on the other side to secure uncle Sam's borders. I wish you all good luck and godspeed."

The Colonel stepped out of the stage and was replaced by the captain.

"Battalion, mount up! Operation Mystery is a go! The captain announced and then stepping out off the stage and joining his respective company.

I mounted up in an M2 BFV with Nick and some of his squad. The ramp closed up and the darkness consumed us, then the lights turned on. I breathed in, this was going to be my second deployment after Afghanistan and I wondered what would happen and wondered about the other side.

"What could be out there?" I private asked seemingly reading everyone's mind.

"Well, I would bet there's a tree there." Another private replied.

"Thanks captain obvious."

"I, for one think there will be some sort of kingdom on the other side and we will be the bringer of FREEDOM[TM] to their feudal asses." Rodriguez- wait, what?

"Rodriguez? Holy shit man I didn't notice your dumb ass climbing in here."

The specialist laughed. "I'm secretly a ninja sir!"

"And also tries to secretly watch weird ass porn." Nick said gaining an 'ohhhhh' from the rest of the passengers.

The banter continued as we drove closer and closer to the portal. While I was enjoying the company and jokes of the soldiers, we eventually made our way through to the other side.