- soulguard
- |
- Exalted Mythic Member
“I’ll deal with this. You begin powering up the slip space engine, before… no, Justin!” Siren watched as Justin 14 took aim with his battle rifle and sent several rounds into Sammy’s back. Sammy fell face first against the wall and crumbled to the ground.
“Excellent. That reclaimer was most efficient, the threat has been neutralized…” But before the Keeper could praise the creatures death, he watched as Justin approached Sammy’s slowly altering form.
- - - - - - - -
Justin held his rifle at the ready, softly mourning that he had to kill his long time friend. He cursed loudly in frustration as he noticed that she wasn’t bleeding. He grabbed Sammy’s shoulder and turned her over. Her eyes gazed at him directly and Justin jumped back in shock.
“13! Why… what happened? The Cure…”
Sammy gargled, “… get away.” Sammy stood to her feet, without the need of any assistance. The craving within her system, the DNA mutation filling her every pore, was pushing her to feed and grow.
“13…”
“Rrrr uunn… Just... in…” Sammy leapt into the air with an explosive force and Justin fired his rifle as he backed away. Sammy landed behind him and with a back hand she knocked Justin from his feet. Her speed was tremendous and much faster then the Justin’s black op speed could react to. He slammed against the wall and dropped his riffle; in slide across the floor beyond his reach. Justin pulled up his battle knife in a dazed fit of confusion, but before he could defend himself, Sammy had gripped his left arm and ripped it from his socket. Blood splattered across the floor as Justin ignored the pain.
“Sammy!” Justin shouted, filled with rage and sadness as he lunged toward Sammy’s flood infested form. His combat knife struck her arm, splitting up the length of her forearm, but Sammy’s free arm gripped Justin’s neck. Blood began to pour down her fingers as she embedded her fingers deeper into his flesh. Gargled air escaped Justin’s throat as he drowned on the blood that raced into his lungs.
“No!” Sammy screamed as she fought against her body. She suddenly whipped her hand away from Justin’s neck, but in doing so she tore his head from his torso. She turned, sobbing uncontrollably, and walked through the door to the Ancient city. She dropped Justin’s head, but something was telling her not to leave the body. She didn’t want to see it, but the urge to feed on his remains grew beyond control.
Sammy stopped, her bare feet in the grassy soil, and watched as tentacles erupted from the wound along her arm. They reached out grabbed Justin’s remains, and began to feed.
- - - - - - - - -
“This creature has no infection form. This data is not present. What form of flood is this?” The Keeper questioned.
Siren, sobbing uncontrollably at the site she had just witnessed calmed herself, “I should have locked that door when I had the chance. Damn it. I have to compose myself. That creature is the same thing that we destroyed on the elite planet.”
“I see. The frail reclaimer, Doctor Catherine Halsey, is calling it the Gravemind Strand. The prophet has just informed her of it. How can I defend against a creature that I am not informed of?”
“The same way you fight any form of flood. You kill it. Keeper, you find a way to stop that thing from reaching the Ancient City, I will get the black ops and the Elite warriors here as fast as I can.”
“I see that you have also prepared to take the seed ship closer to the ark. That is a most delightful idea.”
“The ark? Is it near Earth?”
“Earth? That data is not present. But according to communications sent from the Ark, your stellar navigation coordinates will put us very close. The closer we are to the ark the better the chances of the flood not affecting this Seed ship. That is, if we can eliminate this new flood threat. Until that creature is destroyed, I can not allow the Seed ship to travel. There is enough collective species data here to give the flood a near endless food supply. The entire universe could be infected; but I must admit I do wish to study this creature more thoroughly.”
“That will not happen.” Siren scuffed at the thought.
The Keeper chuckled softly, “Of course not. I will be forced to destroy the ship if that happens. It was most wise to repair you. I will begin to replicate more constructors to assist in stopping this creature.” The Keeper vanished into a thin stream of data as Siren turned her attention back to locating Melanie and the Black Ops.
- - - - - - - -
Melanie lead the pack, as Roy and Mathew sprinted behind. From one corridor to another they didn’t hesitate to turn corners in full stride. Ahead of them was the central gravity lift chamber and from here they could venture to any portion of the ship; including the Ancient City eighty decks below. It would take nearly ten minutes to reach the city but that gave them plenty of time formulate a plan, however they didn’t know what they would be facing. They stepped into the gravity lift and began their long descent to the next connecting level.
“Chief, do you copy?” Melanie waited for a response but none came. “Damn it. Why tell us this and then cut out on us?”
“Maybe something happened.” Mathew returned.
“Perhaps she’s already there, she is faster than us.” Roy also commented.
“Doubt it. The chief was in the cell ward with that prophet thing when I last saw her. Most likely she was still there.”
A static burst cut across the com, “Your right, Mel. I cut the com channel for now. From here on out, you’ll be taking my orders; at least until 19 is on his feet.”
“Siren?” Melanie questioned in a harsh tone. She was angry, and with reason. Siren had again called her ‘Mel’, a term used only by her older sister. “Never call me that again!”
“Fine, be stubborn. However, don’t call me Siren while I’m calling the shots. You will address me as 04. Understood?”
Melanie looked to Mathew and Roy as they returned the blank gaze, “Are you fu(%ing nuts?” Melanie’s anger was well beyond control. “You have no goddamn right to say that, you computerized bitc#!
“Stow that talk 05! For now, I have to assume command of the black ops.”
“The hell you are! This is my squad until 19 is up and battle ready.
“We don’t stand a chance unless we hit this creature hard, and with only three black ops I see no way to kill it. We will need the Spartan on this. I’m watching it, I see how it moves and reacts. I can get us through this, but in order to do so I need to be a part of this squad. The only way you’ll trust my commands is if you know who I am.”
Roy gritted his teeth and shouted, “I don’t give a damn who you are. Stop fu(%ing around with us!”
“Damn it. Mel, it’s me… don’t make me say it.” Siren stated softly. She had to give up her secret, even though she knew it would cause them anguish. She had to tell them who she was or they would never fully trust her orders. To the black ops, the name Siren was nothing but the mission AI, but the name Kim was something totally different.
The trio of black ops gazed at each other as they landed on a connecting deck to the Ancient City. They had two more gravity lift rides ahead of them, but they couldn’t find the urge to push on.
“Stop being so stubborn, Mel. I earned the right to lead the black ops and I need you to trust me. I… I can’t watch any more of us die.”
“Kim?” Melanie gasped. “Siren don’t do this, don’t you use her name like this.”
“Doctor Smith gave me another chance, Mel. She gave me a chance to watch after you, Eric and the squad. I took that chance.” Siren reached out in her mind, accessing the holographic grid network that the Keeper used to display himself. She altered the image quality and her image appeared at the opposite end of the corridor from where the black ops were standing; beyond their view. She didn’t want them to see her because she knew that it would only add to their confusion. But she wanted, in some way, to see them with her own eyes. She looked at them, standing together, but made sure they didn’t see her. She was no longer the image of Siren and her long flowing blond hair. She was now Kim; her white-toned athletic form and brown regulation length hair all wrapped in the all black ODST upgraded battle armor.
Through the black op com channel she continued, “We can’t dwell on it now. Call me 04 or Siren until this operation is over. Don’t use my birth name, it wouldn’t be the same. I have her mind, her memories, her concern, but I’m not totally the woman you all loved. But no matter, I’m going to make sure you all get through this. I’m going to contact the chief, we’ll need her help here.”
Melanie reached into her heart and felt the ache building within her. Kim was back, in some form, like a ghost from the grave. She was overwhelmed with joy and sadness. She pressed hard against her chest hoping to dull away the joy and heartache swelling within.
“What are we up against?” Roy and Mathew jogged to the next gravity lift and jumped inside; Melanie followed closely behind.
[Edited on 10/28/2005]