- soulguard
- |
- Exalted Mythic Member
Stage 2: Guns, grenades, sharp sticks… a shiny crystal thing
PCI Industries Repair Center
10:23 October 20, 2552
New Mombasa, Kenya
The weapons locker door opened and Rose appeared from inside. It wasn’t the best dressing room, but it was sufficient. Dressed in black fatigues and battle armor, Rose continued to dry her eyes as the soldiers and guards around her patiently waited for the battle to come to them. The ODST modified battle armor was clunky and Rose was having a hard time adjusting it properly. She had spent the past ten minutes fighting with the belts and straps while she was in the weapons closet. She had thought about letting Eric help her dress into the armor, but chose to wing it on her own. Rose scanned the room with her eyes and tried to find Eric, but she couldn’t find him.
“Is he in the lab?” Rose questioned to herself. A marine dressed in grey fatigues approached her and began to grip several of her belts; tightening them. Rose felt a little concerned, she had no idea as to who the man was, but it soon dawned on her. “Eric?”
Rose had never seen Eric in his fatigues, and he didn’t look like his normal casual self. Eric now appeared massive in build and strength. His shoulders seemed to expand with every breath, and his face displayed no emotion.
“How’s that?” Eric asked as he adjusted one last clamp on the armor. Strangely, Rose felt comfortable. The suit seemed to hug her every curve and the armor was lighter then she thought.
“It’s okay.” Rose softly stated. “Why is my suit different then yours?”
“I’m a marine.” Eric stated. “You’re a civilian. I have to maintain the uniform of my regiment, but you don’t. The ODST armor is made of a denser material, which can absorb more plasma fire. It’s heavier then mine but you won’t be facing direct combat; if I can help it.”
“LT, incoming info on the box!” Wesley yelled across the desk. “Topside reports that it’s getting heavy up there!”
“Roger that Private!” Eric responded. “Rose, stay near the Lab no matter what happens from this point on. If I tell you to close the door, get in the lab and seal it. Lock yourself in and hide. I’m not going to lie to you… they are going to get down here. We weren’t ready for a head on assault. Just do like I told you; point the gun, squeeze the trigger, and stay low. We’ll do the rest.” Eric walked away from Rose and double timed it to the security desk
Rose wished that Eric would have given her some comforting words, but what he said was the truth. The covenant would come and they would kill them all. So many other worlds had fallen to the ruthless aliens and now it was Earth’s time to die. She walked to the lab door and sat down just inside the threshold. She loaded the BR55 rifle with a clip and slapped it in tight. She pressed the clip-release and the ammo fell out and into her hand. She then slapped the clip back into the rifle and repeated the steps. Over and over again she repeated what Eric had taught her, and she wasn’t going to stop until the battle started or the gun broke. She wasn’t ready to die. A tear began to swell in her eyes but she forced it back.
“Say again Sergeant…” Eric shouted into the microphone.
“Damn it Raynord, you haven’t lost your hearing yet.” Sergeant Johnson shouted over the channel. “You must be putting up one hell of fight over there, the covenant just dropped off a Scarab and it’s making its way across town toward you! Commander Keys has me airlifting artillery and babysitting the air-boys. I just left the Master Chief and Cortana at the Bridge to try and slow that damned Scarab down. Once I’m done babysitting, me and my boys will come and set up a blockade at the city water center. It’s about two blocks from your location, but that Scarab has to go through there to get to you. But be advised, that Carrier above you is carrying a Prophet, so there’s no telling what they’re planning.”
“A Prophet?” Eric questioned.
“Stop repeating me.” Johnson retorted. “So why in the hell is your building so important?”
“Can’t say Sergeant.” Eric replied cautiously. “Just know that it is important that we hold our ground.”
“Roger that Lieutenant, ONI never shares anything.” Johnson chuckled.
“Give them hell, Sergeant.” Eric replied with a chuckle. The channel went quiet and things became even more complicated knowing that a Prophet was on board the Covenant Carrier. Something wasn’t felling right about this and Eric felt a cold shiver tingle up his spine.
“What now, Sir?” Wesley asked. The marines all turned and looked to Eric, waiting for a response.
“The covenant is pulling back!” The shout cut across the security desk speaker and the marines nearly broke into cheers. “Their forces are pulling out of the building… think… we…” The video feed and the sound became choppy, and eventually faded.
“Damn!” Eric muttered. He knew his senses were correct. The prophet sent out a Scarab to draw away most of the fighting. Eric had already figured out the covenants tactics. The Scarab tank was only a diversion, in order to draw away most of the Marine support troops that were inbound. That Prophet was trying to buy himself some time. It had worked flawlessly. The covenant had just pulverized the building with plasma fire from the Carrier. Communications were down and there was no way to alert Sergeant Johnson that the tank was merely a decoy. What looked like a retreat was simply the covenant’s way of clearing space. The underground facility began to rumble and soon the lights cut out. An explosive groan of metal and rock began to echo throughout the darkened facility. Marines lost their balance and stumbled loosely about the room. Eric staggered in the dark toward the Lab door and reached out until he found Rose.
“Eric!” Rose shouted into the dark.
“Hang on!” Eric replied. The emergency lights turned on but the room continued to shake. For two minutes it didn’t stop but suddenly everything became calm.
“What the hell was that?” A marine shouted in the dust filled front hallway. The emergency lights created an eerie atmosphere as silhouettes of Marines walked about assisting each other to their feet.
“Wesley report?” Eric shouted. He stood to his feet and walked to the lab door, leaving Rose cowering in a corner. He verified that the lab’s thick Titanium-A doors were still functioning and continued walking to the front.
“All heads still attached, sir.” Wesley sharply replied. “What was that?”
“A bad sign.” Eric mumbled. “It’s about to get hot in here. Lock and load marines!” The marines all hustled to their positions and loaded their weapons. The grind of metal against metal echoed throughout the rooms and the front hall. Two .30 caliber GP turrets were stationed at the security desk, ready to lay waste to anything that came into the elevator hallway.
“I’ve got multiple targets!” Wesley shouted to the marines as he looked over the security stations motion tracker. “Their coming down the elevator shaft… they’re freaking floating down!” The marines began to mumble as nerves began to become tense.
“A gravity lift?” A marine muttered. “We’re so screwed.”
“I didn’t give you permission to cry, marine.” Eric shouted. He looked over his shoulder and stared at Rose. She was doing exactly as he told her; lying prone on the ground, her gun aimed and ready while still sitting inside the lab door, nearly thirty feet behind the marines.
“Torches on the door!” A marine shouted as sparks began spitting from the elevator door. The sparks stopped and the marines hunkered down, as they all took aim at the singed metal doors of the elevator. There was a loud thud on the, followed by another and another.
“Nobody’s home, you bastards!” Wesley shouted. The elevator doors finally gave and the shiny blue armor of a Hunter barreled into the hallway. The massive hulk created a ghostly shape in the dimly lit corridor, as it barely was able to walk down the hall.
“Mow the field!” Eric shouted. A roar of shells filled the tunnel as the Marines let loose with everything they had. The Hunter ducked behind his shield and raised his cannon. Eric new the bullets from their guns wouldn’t be enough but one of the .30 cal shells managed to find a soft spot in the Hunters defense. The Hunter roared in pain as the hot lead pierced his mid section and exploded out of its back. The creature lowered its guard, making itself an easy target. The marines quickly brought down the massive beast. Another hunter quickly stepped into view but his weapon was already hot and primed to fire.
“Damn it!” Eric thought to himself. He dropped to a knee and ripped a grenade from his belt. He then smoothly popped the pin and tossed it down the hall. It detonated in front of the Hunter and the beast reared back, stunned. “Lay into that hunter!” The .30 cal turned and spewed lead into the soft tissue of the Hunter, dropping it to the ground with a massive thud. But the battle wasn’t over. Plasma bursts began erupting from the purple light of the elevator shaft, as Jackals lead Grunts and Elites into the hallway. The Jackal’s shields were slowly fading from the constant fire of the marines, but when one Jackal was killed another quickly stepped into its position. Marines tossed grenades down the hall and were rewarded with a satisfying thud, as Jackals shrieked in pain. But the all too familiar flare of plasma grenades began darting the hallway toward the encamped marines.