- POMC S117 Owns
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- Honorable Member
Well I'm bringing it on!
Chapter 12 - Systems Critical!
Rolek charged into the raging fire, forgetting the fact that the heat was almost unendurable to most organic sapients.
Quickly, he fired a few shots into the swirling inferno before diving over the bubbling carcass of a drop pod.
Barely, he could just make out the rough silhouette of an ODST following him through the fire.
With the adrenaline pumping and circulating around his nervous system, pacifying any pain he would feel, he spotted a rectangular hole that had ripped open even further by the unforeseen combustion of the pod.
A large, jagged scar ran across it, branching of towards the half-crumpled wall.
"Team, listen up!" He bellowed, only now noticing the crippling agony that the fire was carrying through his body, penetrating his armour and slowly crisping his skin.
Being Harvest born and bred, he hadn't exactly gained an immunity from searing heat. That was one of the few implications of living on an Agri-world, you didn't really get a natural shield against the elements, unless of course you inhabited a log cabin in the polar extremes, or a tree-house at the equator.
"We're going down town!" He jumped down the whole and landed athletically on his feet, hoping his team would understand and follow suit.
As if it was distant, Rolek could hear the greedy crackling of the blaze as it feasted and devoured a lovely meal of purple metal.
The tainting, black smoke was had a less pronounced population down here, thought Rolek, as he gazed down the corridor that was a complex warren of tunnels and passageways, an excellent advantage point.
As Rolek, gun trained directly in front of him, journeyed forwards into the unknown blackness that was the ship, he became aware that the ship was stationary and the klaxon, that was beeping violently moments ago, had halted.
His senses also informed him that the only source of light emitting near him was the faint glow of the orange fire seeping into the corridor and his torch.
"Squad." He whispered, his breath freezing in the air. "This ship's not moving."
"What?" Questioned the Sergeant, testing for radio interference.
"Sir," Interrupted the AI, unaware that the squad could be walking to their deaths. "This ship has no energy source leading to anywhere other than the life support systems. All systems critical."
Rolek felt a lump slide down his throat. How were they going to explode engines that weren't even working?
He shrugged his trepidation away and continued, he would think about that later.
Gradually, as he journeyed further through the perplexing network of dark passages, he became accustomed to the lack of light, and was just able to make out the narrow floor in front of him.
As his senses sharpened, he was made aware of a dull thudding shaking the ship. "Hey... Lucy. What is that?"
"I am detecting a strange disturbance in this corridor." Said Lucy, a tinge of emotion in her voice.
Rolek had given up trying to move and listen at the same time and was now crouching down, clutching his weapon close to himself as if it was some sort of guardian-like teddy bear.
"It's getting closer... Lucy, your functions are supposed to give us some sort of battle awareness. What is happening?" Whispered the Corporal, breath crystallizing in the freezing, sub-zero air.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
"Captain Rolek... I would advise you and your squad to flee. It would appear that the floor panels are falling at a rate of 19mph, and the panels will fall at this destination in... 30 seconds." She announced in her conventional, toneless way.
Rolek didn't point out that she had just conveyed the information that could lead to their deaths in a drone, instead he chose to start sprinting as fast as he ever had done.
Without his marine training and the drugs injected into him to allow him heightened battle awareness, Rolek could run approximately 12mph, with them he could run 18mph. It would be a close one...
In the distance, illuminated by an earthly incandescence, Rolek could vaguely see a door that was open, with sparks showering from it. Could he make it through?
"Squad! Just keep running! We're almost there!" Yelled Rolek encouragingly, sweat rolling down his helmeted face.
"Cap'n!" Shouted one of the members. "I can't!"
Rolek dared to turn around and spotted the Sergeant hobbling along, blood streaming down his leg. It was obviously apparent that he wasn't going to make it, however, Rolek still decided to applaud him.
"Don't worry about your leg! You've done extremely well so far! Our escape route is right in front of us!" Nevertheless, his bellows fell on deaf ears as his soldiers were swiftly "eaten" by the gap created by the falling panels.
Just as the panel that he was standing on fell into oblivion, Rolek jumped up into the air, not knowing what he was doing, and grabbed onto a pole. He hung there, relieved that he had managed to survive, saddened that his team had died, or so he thought...
Corporal Harris, who was partially submerged in an unknown, blue fluid that vaguely smelt of toothpaste, groaned. He looked up and around, trying to find his bearings. In the distance, he could see the Sergeant, who was also in the fluid, do the same.
"Sergeant, over here!" He called, attempting to swim over to his squad mate.
The Sergeant heard a quiet voice and rotated his body to face the Corporal, who was plastered in the thick liquid. "Harris, you're alive. I thought that we would die, it seems we were saved by this goo." He spat some of the blue substance that was as thick as treacle.
Harris, who's eyesight was obscured by the paste, managed to reach the shallow part of the "lake" and began to wade over to Sergeant Connell. "What is this?"
His question was answered by a klaxon blaring loudly. The two soldiers looked up, and to their dismay, there was a huge, steaming pot being lowered down from the sky. "What on Harvest is that?"
Connell knew what it was. It was the ships fuel, and it would burn! "Run!" He bellowed.
Harris didn't need to be told twice, as soon as the fuel being carried by the steel container was about to unleash it's contents, he was out of the "lagoon". "Dammit! The doors locked. We'll be boiled alive!" He exclaimed, sweat pouring down his face.
"Don't worry!" Assured the Sergeant, taking some mechanical equipment from his belt. "I'll get us out!"
For a few minutes, he tried to open the control panel, splicing through the metal with a small blowtorch designed for precision. Eventually, he managed to open it.
Sweat streamed from his forehead. "How near is the fuel?"
"Sir, it's coming quite fast! It's melting the metal. It's like this is happening on purpose! Someone knows we're here."
The Sergeant stuffed the blowtorch back into his back and withdrew some pliers. "Is that so."
"It must be." He called, backing away from the bubbling liquid.
"I just need to adjust the heat." Muttered Connell, twisting a dial on the blowtorch. The flame, a a stream of orange, turned blue and the door flew open. "Quick! Get in before it closes."
The Corporal didn't need to be told twice. He wheeled around and sprinted through the door, just as the boiling substance melted the section of the floor that he was landing on.
"That was close." He breathed as the door shut slowly.
The two soldiers walked in companionable silence until the Sergeant noticed something. "The light's are on. I thought that the ship was dead." Then an awful realisation struck him. He looked at his UNSC watch. "We've only got a few minutes to get off of the ship! We'll have to meet up with the Captain and escape!"
"What if we don't find him?"
"We'll have to leave him."
*
Meanwhile, Rolek had managed to get through the door. He too, noticed that the lights were functional and not broken. It was odd. He attempted to reload his Assault Rifle, however, it was out of ammo. He scolded himself for not being selective with his shots as he reloaded his pistol.
He sneaked through the passageways, always checking his motion censors. Suddenly, he heard a disturbance. He whipped around and fired a shot into a fleshy target. He moved over to inspect. It was a dead grunt. At first, he believed that he had killed it, however, on later inspection it appeared to have suffered plasma burns.
"A deserter." He whispered.
Then an Elite, wielding a fully-charged Plasma Rifle, rolled from it's cover.
"Human scum! Prepare to die!" It threatened as three team-mates crept behind him.
A burst of plasma hit some exposed wiring above Rolek and there was a huge explosion that sent the soldier cartwheeling into the wall. He groaned and jumped to his feet, firing some rounds at the aliens.
The bullets bounced off of the armour and punctured the wall. The leader threw back his head an laughed, before letting loose with another, ruthless barrage.
Rolek wrenched a grenade from his belt. Praying, he pulled the pin and tossed it. He covered his ears as blue, luminescent blood plastered the purple walls. He looked down the corridor. The Elites were dead.
[Edited on 08.13.2011 2:46 PM PDT]