Below is the second place entry for the inaugural Science Fiction Writing Competition held by the Strategic Studies team. You can learn more about the competition, and the winners here.
Trolljegeren
By Ramon Jeriel Sawit
Dec 4, 2030 - Svalbard, Norway
It was a cold day in Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park. "Day" was a misnomer, it was almost noon but it was dark. There wouldn't be daylight for weeks.
Lucas and his 4-man team just left their snowmobiles as they began to trek toward the Troll hot springs. They carried their packs, slung their rifles, and huddled quickly to check the map together. They checked their GPS coordinates and confirmed their location via the digital map on the screen incorporated on the sleeve of his jacket. He pulled the hood of his cloak over his helmet to stay warmer. His goggles featured augmented reality (AR) technology overlaying data with his normal vision, ammo count, body temperature, and directions to the objective.
Everything in his kit was "smart" to a degree, providing data to the powerful computer integrated into his field jacket. When he is within network coverage, a networked Artificial Intelligence can help sort and analyze the data to assist his work. By work, this is everything from filling up reports to shooting a bullet into someone's left eyeball 2 kilometers down range. This beautiful "morning", his gear is getting additional input from the NATO RQ-4 Global Hawk Information, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance drone incidentally passing through overhead. The data indicate nothing of interest in a 10km radius around him.
They were on a wild goose chase, as far as he was concerned. A random report trickled down to the Ministry of Defence about someone from Ny-Ålesund suffering a nervous breakdown due to seeing trolls. 20 years ago, this incident would have been brushed off as flights of fancy or substance-induced hallucination. The report he read included the data from the researcher's gear. He did appear to see something, his heart rate and the speed at which he ran back to his snowmobile could have been a world record for a 65-year-old. His medical results showed no alcohol or drugs in his system, the man lived and ate clean. What brought them here was the fact that the data was corrupted or damaged ... as if it was jammed or subject to some digital attack. It was some stroke of luck that the old man was wearing an antique smartwatch that he didn't bother to link to his gear. The file explained that it was a gift from his daughter when she got her first paycheck. Maybe, the fact that this old man was a veteran and the second-ranking scientist in the Ny-Ålesund station made it more compelling.
"Weapons check." bellowed a giant bearded man. Ulf was like a Viking poster brought to life, tall, broad, and very dependable in a fight. He was too tall for Forsvarets Spesialkommando but here he was, months from retirement. He was a good friend to all and was sent on this mission as a farewell gift.
"Do we really need to bring a Carl Gustav each?" Asked Jakob, their marksman.
"No, I bring Javelin." Guffawed Ulf, while patting the tube behind him.
"We are troll-hunting boys. You can't expect rifle rounds to take it down right?" Liam chimed in; their communications and drone expert. His backpack incorporated their drone launcher.
"Enough chatter gentlemen. This is still a recon mission." Lucas glanced at their snowmobiles and chuckled. "Force recon mission. We have Ulf!"
His team cheered. Ulf raised his Minimi above his head singlehandedly.
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Lucas frowned as his vision randomly flickered. It was the eight time his vision reverted to the natural twilight instead of the composite night vision and infrared that allowed him to walk as if he was in daylight. He saw Jakob use his palm to bang his goggles and shake his head as if it would fix the problem. Liam kept mumbling as he and his AI worked out if they were being jammed or if someone was subtly hacking their gear. Ulf has turned off the AR on his goggles out of frustration saying the malfunctions are bad distractions.
They were about a kilometer away from "Troll Spring" one of a handful of hot water springs in Haakon VII Land and where the troll was allegedly encountered. Jakob handed Lucas his anti-tank weapon and moved to an elevated buff. The rest of the team approached the terraced mountainside, home to several hot water pools.
"We are being watched." growled Ulf.
"Last update from the Global Hawk is the same, there is nothing here." Replied Lucas carefully. "Or nothing visible from on high." He added but not before tapping Liam on the arm.
As if on cue, two objects popped from Liam's backpack began to buzz, and flew towards the hot spring. The three continued forward until they were almost at the foot of the springs.
"Jakob, are you seeing what we are seeing?" Liam asked his friend irritably.
"Negative, scope is clear". Jakob answered over the radio. "I just see you three." His voice garbled by some interference.
Lucas and his men very carefully backed away. In the middle pool was a hulking creature. The recon drones can’t see the "troll", Liam theorizing maybe the creature's temperature matched that of the pool's. They were all surprised when they saw it was easily twice the height of Ulf when it stood up, stretched itself and walked away from the pool it was lounging. The troll went out of the pool and seemed to be rummaging when it stood up it had two long spears in hand.
One spear was driven point first into the ground. The other was swiftly hurled towards Lucas and his men.
Several things happened at once. Twilight was replaced by brightness as a flare flew high into the sky and dangled by a parachute. The spear tore into Liam's backpack but not before a hunter-seeker drone ejected and flew towards his attacker. The flash of the flare or a stroke of luck spared Liam, the spear thrown with preternatural accuracy. Liam visually guided his drone towards the troll using the screen on his wrist as a controller. The semi-autonomous drone cannot locate a target, further frustrating its controller.
Lucas and Ulf dispersed and looked for cover. Lucas watched with disbelief as the hunter-seeker zipped towards the troll only to be swatted by the spear into the thermal pool. Ulf was growling, his free hand hitting the screen on his wrist.
"Javelin cannot see jötunn." Ulf complained as he gestured incredulously towards Lucas.
Lucas was firing at the troll with his C8 rifle. He heard Ulf, paused, and reached for Carl Gustav on his back.
Two cracks broke the night. The troll's right shoulder moved back as if in recoil, then its head snapped back. The troll righted itself and threw the spear far into the darkness. There was one more crack and the troll snapped back again.
Lucas saw Jakob's indicator flash red on his visor. "Boss, that thing got me, I'm losing a lot of blood ... Sorry." Jackob's voice weakly cracked into his ear. Lucas tried to get his teammate to continue talking on the radio, but there was only silence. He saw the troll pick up a wicked-looking axe.
"Let's take it down and get Jakob." Lucas said in a steely voice.
His teammates voiced their acknowledgment. The light of the flare faded and a second one took its place.
"Ulf, distract it. Liam let's hit it with the AT". Lucas said as he unslung Jakob's Carl Gustav from his pack.
Ulf's Minimi started its staccato bursts. The giant was fast approaching, its mouth open and a sound like rocks falling down a mountain came out. It was less than a hundred meters away.
THUMP! Liam's Carl Gustav fired an 84mm round and slammed into the giant. The troll reeled as if hit by a giant fist but the rocket did not detonate. They looked in horror as the troll stopped, pulled the round out, and threw it behind him. The round exploded.
The troll opened its mouth again and seemed to laugh. Lucas fired at the ground near the troll's feet and the explosion engulfed the troll. When the smoke cleared the troll's legs and torso looked ravaged by shrapnel but no blood or guts was spilling out. The troll looked at Lucas menacingly with its remaining eye and began to charge.
Lucas brought up his C8 rifle and tried to get as many rounds as he could into the creature's ugly face. The monster raised its axe over its head as it ran towards Lucas with malice aforethought.
The troll suddenly lurched to a side and staggered, its momentum faltering. Ulf has slammed into the monster buying Lucas some time to escape. As the troll regained its balance the loud familiar crack of a Barret M82 rang out. One of the creature's knees explodes. Ulf unloaded the remaining rounds of his machine gun on the troll’s uninjured knee, nearly shooting it off. The troll collapsed face down and stopped moving. Lucas unslung the last Carl Gustav.
Ulf shook his head and motioned his teammates to move back. Ulf took the axe from his pack and hurled it at the prone troll's head. It didn't move. Ulf walked briskly away, slowly gaining speed.
"ULF!" Lucas and Liam shouted as the creature lifted its head and scampered towards their teammate. Ulf slid to a stop and took a knee. A Javelin missile popped out of the launcher away from Ulf, then ignited its rocket motor when it was a few meters into the air. The creature's roaring cut off as the missile stuck the axe embedded on the creature's head. The troll’s upper body was just gone, only its ruined legs remained.
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"What was that?" Jakob asked jogging towards his teammates.
"I thought you were dead," Lucas said slowly "We can't raise you on the radio."
"Radio's dead. Our gear is either cooked or being hacked." Jakob explained. "I went closer since the .50 did no damage at range. I am also not a ghost." he hastily added.
The flare had run down by the time Jakob stopped talking. When they turned towards the fallen troll to look at it closer, it was gone. They all turned their torches on and looked for tracks but found none. They exchanged glances and agreed to leave. On their way back they realized none of them could accurately describe the creature other than its bulk, vaguely humanoid form, and the general wrongness of it being there. All their data either captured nothing or have been corrupted.
Epilogue: Jan 25, 2031 - Camp Rena, Norway
Ulf celebrates his 60th birthday and last day in the military service. Lucas presents Ulf with an axe with "Trolljegeren" engraved on the blade.
On their return, their gear was confiscated and they spent weeks in debriefing. Shortly before Christmas, they were sworn into secrecy. The Spitsbergen Affair is now locked behind the highest security clearance.
In 2031, there were increasing sightings of giants, elves, and faeries in the Scandinavian countryside.
