Escaping the Infestation by Halochief89
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Infiltration of the Infestation
Date: 12 December 2007, 5:31 am
Prologue: November 30th 2553
UNSC AI Gluttony signed on//
UNSC AI Gluttony opened file/Gamma 2
UNSC AI Gluttony searches…. File/Beacons
UNSC AI Gluttony search unsuccessful
UNSC AI Gluttony enters communications…
Gluttony 11/30/53:
Computer do you know the whereabouts for SPARTAN Team Gamma 2?
Computer 11/30/53:
Negative last known location on the surface of Arctic IV sector 33
Gluttony 11/30/53:
Do you have any hypothesis on why all 13 spartan's lost connection with STARCOM?
Computer 11/30/53:
All registered Spartans are KIA otherwise marked MIA
Gluttony 11/30/53:
I know that I'm asking you why their beacons were instantly shutdown. Out of range that is impossible on Arctic IV as the planet is fully covered by STARCOM reception.
Computer 11/30/53:
I go by my code so I 100 suspect they are KIA
Gluttony 11/30/53:
HOW DARE YOU, YOU INFERIOR MIND!
UNSC AI Gluttony signed off.
Chapter 1: 12/1/53
Unknown Location//Sector 33//Planet Arctic IV
The surroundings in the tunnels was grotesque the flood had consumed the core of the planet with tunnels reaching 430 miles in with every inch of the walls crawling with the things. Yawning within the cavern about 126 miles deep was SPARTAN Team Gamma 2. All of them were knocked out cold including some marines and an elite. 089 awoke with the taste of tar and blood inside his mouth. With pain sweltering through every inch on his body. He couldn't get up it felt like gravity was turned on high. As he could hardly lift his arm. But he did so anyways with the feeling of a thousand shards of glass speed up his arm. When he was at last on his elbows he looked around the cavity. His HUD system wasn't functioning at all some glitches and sparks nothing more. The flavor of blood in his mouth grew even more when tried to sit up. The team was unconscious like he was. He took his helmet off, trying to wipe the sweat off the heat from the room roasted his armor to the point of some extent burning his brow. He inspected the helmet and all was well except for a small number of blood spots. His eye sight became blurry and his surroundings seemed to turn green as his depth perception went beyond as a hollow sinister voice crept into his head. " I have brought all of you here to serve me to save your kind and all rest from your forefathers' creation" the voice grumbled. "For you are the only one to save this planet and it's surroundings. Like water I am I can swim through any crevice or fissure, so do not tempt to leave the catacombs of us!" His vision returned to standards as now the elite of the group awoke. He seemed to go through what 089 did as he struggled to get up. 089 remembered the elite's name was Rysp' Arculee or Arcul. Arculee saw the Spartan as they both stood up. For a while the two had a still minute to study their location. The voice's laugh could be heard but it was muffled by the walls covered in disgusting skin. 089 walked over to the other Spartans to awaken and lend a hand up. As the group slowly and painfully returned to their consciousness. SPARTAN-015 took his helmet off to spit, it came out blood. But his spit was instantly consumed and turned into flood tissue. He put his helmet back on and knocked on it a few times to see if the HUD system would appear which was no dice. Flood gurgled their war cry through the core of Arctic IV. The only thing that was actually working for the team was Thermo Nocturnal Vision. As Arculee had his own version of the device. The wall started to create tentacles everywhere as they reached for the 14 organisms. 089 swiped at them with his tactical combat knife gouging some of them. The worm like structures began to spurt out their fluid with strong force like a hose.
Gluttony appeared on the hologram terminal with frustration in his eyes. He then stared into Vice Admiral Ustice's eyes and began to explain. "The dating on the computer limited me to one option in which why SPARTAN Team Gamma 2 has gone MIA." Ustice moved closer to Gluttony "What? What is it?" Gluttony raised his hand up to his transparent temple. "That all of them are dead…. Killed in action sir." Ustice got out of his seat and pulverized his desk. "That damn thing doesn't even know what the NOVA bomb is" Ustice replied with a smirk. He picked up his coffee and began to sip to test the temperature. Gluttony moves to speak but refrains. Crew member walk to their seats for diagnostics of the UNSC Eagle. Ustice slowly walked to the main bridge window and viewed upon the war dome that was once Arctic IV. The planet was surrounded by covenant and UNSC warships but the battlefield held more forces ever in combat the UNSC had ever seen. Sooner or later the forces against the UNSC and Covenant separatists would fall and then all they would have to worry about would be the flood. Which was growing every millisecond. Although the flood was belated by 2 side orders of C7 planted bombs they are now growing again to return to the surface and take the planet and use it as it's homeworld for future invasions of other planets.
Infiltration of the Infestation Prt2
Date: 6 June 2008, 10:12 pm
Infiltration
By: Gary Cogdill aka: Halochief89
Chapter 2: 12/1/53
Unknown Location//Sector 33//Planet Arctic IV
The team fought off the never ending force of vein like creatures as the cut and slit them. To them it seemed like an eternity of combating and they were stressed that their blades had become dull. Soon they reached a new tunnel the cavern was filled with wall forms or the UNSC terms for them poppers, pimples, and lazy carriers. They knew that if they would step on one that it would pop and release their infection forms upon the group. Realizing that he had a lighter SPARTAN-231 took it out and notified the leader of it's presence 089 nodded and told him to throw it, considering that the ails and other materials all of the room were flammable. Adam lobbed it in the room as the wall forms screamed in pain as the fire consumed them and their offspring they were caressing inside of them.
It took a good 18 to 20 minutes before the fire died out the room was stained in the smell of burnt tar and rotten eggs. The group went through the room to find a hall that hadn't been covered by the flood but was forerunner architecture. The team savored the every second within the clean passageway. Arculee prayed as they went through. The door opened as flood tendrils released the door. The next room had shown the convergence on the hall as a blend between forerunner floors against flood growing over that. Brittany took a knee and looked at the edge of the flood graphing as small legs crawled over the silver like floor. Noticing she was behind the convoy Brittany got back up and caught up behind them. New forms of flood that seemed non deadly as it slithered by the group. As a window on the side of the room showed some organisms that showed a really close resemblance to the infection forms but were 3 times smaller. As a enormous form in the back was silhouetted the creature and a moan like a whale but had skips in it's call like any other organism infected by the flood. The team shivered the thought of facing that creature. Crazy enough the continuing halls were leading the team down instead of up. The room up ahead held screams of terror from human voices. The team sprinted to the door. The door must have malfunctioned as it was opening slowly. "Alright on three we all kick the door open!" 089 said as he looked back to the group. They counted and shoved the door open. As this room seemed to be a infecting room as about 45 marines were being held to be infected. The group stood before the breeding ground for the flood's combat forms. The marines reached for the Spartans to save them but there was nothing they could do. Once a infection form penetrates your spine they're your life support and if you don't take them off the person becomes consumed and is the flood. The screams tore into Josh's mind as he turned and ran over to the nearest soldier in dire need. The infection form fought back as it whipped him with it's legs. Josh latched on to the infection form and squeezed it until it popped. The marine started to have a mal seizure as he foamed at the mouth and drowned in his own spit. Josh gently snapped his neck to end his suffering. Josh wiped the spit off his visor and looked at the rest of the marines. "We need to get out of here before they turn into enemies" Josh said as he stood up. Realizing next to the marines were weapons Arculee grunted and pointed. Gary noticed and ran over to one with a MA5C assault rifle. "There is no ammo but these will do better for physical defense grab some" as he magnetized it to his back. Arculee clenched a primitive human weapon as he checked it over and sniffed it. "The flood must have an armory room with all the ammo somewhere, somewhere close to here for the combat forms to acquire them." Linnea said as she pointed down the hallway out of the room. As they left the room the men's screams transformed into flood war cries.
The tunnels seemed barren for a long time as HUD system placed it had been 2 hours since they had awakened. The only signs of life were the heavy breathing of Arculee and the blood curdling cries from the flood. The place started to seem like a maze. Their motion sensors showed red movement all the time whether it being above or below them.
After endless halls the team took a break at a intersection between 3 pathways one of them being where they came from. They checked their equipment and HUD system and tried many times with STARCOM but only received messages of doubt…. static. "Alright which pathway should we take?" Alex asked as he placed his helmet back upon his head. They all simultaneously looked at Gary. "Gary went on one knee and started to think. "Oh he is doing that thinking thing again" Adam whispered. Gary pointed to the hall to the right of them. As they walked through the door they found another breeding room but of pure forms. The infection form latched itself on the floor and started to suck up mass into it. As other infection forms were almost the size of a car. One being the size of a car imploded on itself and after the dust settled came out to be a stalker form as it galloped out of the room. They then entered as they tried to sneak by the infection forms that were growing. Gary did hand signals that allegedly wanted the team to exit before him. They did as Gary left as well but when he turned around a human skull drooped from the ceiling in front of his face. It had tendrils holding it tight. Gary just pushed it away as he followed his team.
Yet another forerunner door was unharmed by the flood as they walked up to it. Looking inside strange unknown flood forms were placing grenades into skin pockets. The forms were like scurrying bugs as they quickly went from skin to grenade, skin to grenade. The door was jammed as usual but nothing would stop 089 from getting those grenades. As he signaled again for his friends to all help squeeze open the door. The door screeched as it went across it's slider. Arculee was the first to enter as he stepped on the little creatures. He ripped open the skin to find the grenades were being swallowed by the floor so he quickly pulled what he could as the Spartans came in to help. After opening over 20 or so flaps the team had about 15 grenades, plasma and fragmentation. "BINGO now we have some fire power!" Alex exclaimed as he pumped his arm. They left the room as they continued forward.
Once again Gary looked on his HUD to see that about 5 hours had gone by and they had only traveled three miles up. He looked back upon the team as they conversed with themselves. Gary sighed and turned his head back. He could tell the team was exhausted from trying to think themselves through the caverns. The room up ahead was different as the flood's physiology of the walls to the floor had changed. The walls were covered with what seemed to be eyes that the infection forms have. The floor was covered in tentacles that had grass formations. "This area must be colder then the previous" Sane said as he gouged one of the eyes on the wall. Well that didn't matter because Gary knew that the gravemind was toying with him and that he'd been watching them from the beginning.
Infiltration of the Infestation Prt3
Date: 6 June 2008, 10:14 pm
Infiltration
By: Gary Cogdill aka: Halochief89
Chapter 3: 12/1/53
Onboard UNSC Halycon class Eagle orbiting Arctic IV
Gluttony couldn't think his frustration disabled him to do so. He appeared back on the holoprojector. He turned to the door as security cameras showed that Admiral Garrison was entering the bridge. Ustice saluted and walked over to Garrison. "Gluttony has told me that he can't recover the location of Gamma 2 only that their last location was in sector 33." Ustice implied. "They were 34 meters away from the ground battle and then suddenly their beacons went red and then disappeared." Gluttony continued as he turned to Garrison. Garrison didn't say anything he just had a dim dark look to his face as he frowned upon Arctic IV and the space battle converging around it between the UNSC, The Covenant and Arctic IV's sentinel force. As they float far away from the planet the ship shook radically. "We have slip space rupture about 300 clicks from us!" Gluttony said as he stumbled on the holoprojector. Garrison stood up sucked in air and instantly looked at Gluttony with anger. "Is it friendly or opfor!" Gluttony scrambled to get a reading. It was indeed friendly and was from the same battle group that Eagle was from. The 2 ships appeared beside Eagle it was the Raptor and the Hawk they had returned with reinforcements for the UNSC.
Unknown Location//Sector 33//Planet Arctic IV
12/1/53:
The team looked around the cavity another time around as Sane researched the walls of the place to really see if they were eyes. More flood cries drifted through as the tunnel to exit the room almost seemed vertical. This was the first sign of hope in hours for them. The team climbed up the steep passage as infection forms traveled through. Arculee sneered as he couldn't climb with his hands. Gary and Linnea helped him as they both used their hands as a step for him to jump and climb on to a ledge. The slithering flood form appeared once again before the team as it leaned to visualize the organism in front of it. The underbelly was covered in very small tentacles like a millipede. The form flew on its way as it grumbled. Arculee kicked it as it lost grip and fell on its back and couldn't turn over. Making Arculee laugh and then get back to climbing.
After they finally reached the top of the climb they looked down to see human combat forms searching the area. Though the creatures did not look above them. The tunnel ahead was blocked by an enormous creature that was hunched over like a gorilla of some sort. But was infected as well by skin pigments and the arms being extremely large. Gary crept closer to it as it spat out infection forms. By then everyone knew it was a tank pure form. It turned around as Gary was about to lunge, swinging with tremendous force 089 flew black collapsing into the team. It stuck out its right hand and spoke words from the gravemind itself. "Heed my words sons of my enemies I do not seek to hurt you nor let you go for it is conceived that you must.." The form collapsed as a figure from behind pulled it's hand out of the beast. It was Arculee as he roared victory over it. "Why the hell did you do that!" SPARTAN-023 asked. "We already knew what the parasite was going to say that you must die" Arculee answered. They all agreed and moved on.
The team was starting to become annoyed seeing yellow squeezed flesh all around then every second. As they continued Gary heard a click as if a gun had been loaded so he suddenly stopped as did the team. The door to the right of them grotesquely opened as the walls were packed with plasma batteries to battle rifle ammo. There was one dead human combat form corpse it the room. "It must have realized it couldn't use a weapon since his arms are missing so the infection form must have launched itself out of the chest." Sane said as he ripped MA5C magazines from the wall. Gary found a BR55HB rifle in the wall also and pulled it out. Everyone was gathering ammo they needed as more pure forms rushed into the room. The team instantly aimed their loaded and deadly rifles at the creatures. One of the stalker forms instantly started to transform into a tank form as it's two legs slid up the torso and turned into arms and new legs sprouted from the abdomen. It spat out infection forms as it grumbled and slammed it's hammer like arms together. That implied to the team that it wanted to fight as Arculee pulled out an energy sword that was floating in the mucus. It flickered and then fully turned on as the bright light lit up the room. Alex pumped the M90 shotgun he wielded and charged with full force and shoved the barrel into the face of the disgusting foe. It screamed as the slug went off and blew off the head. The slime landed on the stalker form beside it as the form started to wart up and turn into the ranger form. Crystals grew out of the back as they popped one by one out of it and hit Arculee. Both Alex and his elite friend ran at the disfigured sniper. Arculee sliced the back off of the creature and Alex shot it in the face as it fell over as withered away.
The team continued to gather all the ammo and finished. Now protected Gary had time to check the HUD again. About 9 hours and 8 miles up from previous checkpoint marker. STARCOM even though on only blew static into Gary's ear. Gary signaled the team to rest as this room was the safest. Arculee sat up against the wall and punched it and closed his eyes. The Spartans lay up against each other in a circle just in case the walls would form yet again to attack them.
Major Bricks entered the lunch room of the Eagle to converse with his team. Darling would probably do his dumbass jokes again. And Jenk would always never speak but complain about the air, food, surroundings, his life before entering the UNSC. Those two stood out from the rest. Even though Bricks was ordered to know every single member of his team he could care less for the rest. Darling was his joker of the group and Jenk was the whiner or complainer. Which entertained him during mission and sort.
Infiltration of the Infestation Prt4
Date: 6 June 2008, 10:15 pm
Infiltration
By: Gary Cogdill aka: Halochief89
Chapter 4: 12/2/53
Onboard UNSC Halcyon class Eagle orbiting Arctic IV
Bricks looked at the two Jenks and Darling were just eating their meal as were the others. Bricks was waiting for one or the other to start a conversation but nobody did. The ODSTs entered the dining hall as they were in a storm of conversations. Some were even wearing their helmets. Seemed they just got back from the surface of Arctic IV. Bricks got up and walked over to the leading lieutenant. The soldier saluted " As you were" Bricks said calmly. The man turn to pick up his food as he rubbed his leg with an ice pack. His face was covered in blood and yellow fluid. Bricks sat down with the ODSTs and lean forward. "So how is the battle so far?" Bricks asked as he took a bite out of his corn bread. The trooper lean back and answered "Unbelievably cold sir" Bricks already knew that for heaven's sake the damn colony's name is Arctic IV. "No I mean is it as bad as the first battle for Earth?" Bricks replied taking yet another bite of his bread. "Almost 5 times that sir" he continued "The snow storm is so bad both us and the covenant are blind we're just shooting where ever a plasma bolt flies by. As well some horrifying creature is down there eating us or something" The lieutenant said as he leaned forward. "I lost half of my regiment out there to that thing" the two then went into a dead silence other than the other ODSTs talking the two were in dead silence.
Bricks stood up and left his tray as other others grabbed for his food. He needed to get down there for himself. Also to see if Gamma 2 was still alive and in action on the surface. He went into the armory and snatched a M90 shotgun it already had a tread of slugs attached to it. Bricks entered the code to enter the bridge as crew members walked by him staring at him as he did not to them. Admiral Garrison got out of his seat and Bricks went into the saluting position. Garrison waved his hand down as Bricks lowered his left hand. "Admiral Garrison, Me and chalk company are offering ourselves to enter Arctic IV's battlefield to kick some covenant ass sir!" Bricks shouted. Vice Admiral Ustice got out of his seat and went up to Bricks. " Sergeant Major Bricks do you know what you're doing!" Ustice spat into Brick's face. "Sir yes sir a suicide mission HOMERUN!" Bricks answered back. "Well then you guys get your equipment on and then report to pelican pilot Jumper he'll get you to where you wanna go" Ustice said as he quickly saluted and returned to his post.
On the surface of Arctic IV//Sector 56
Hayab was shivering cold he scolded the brutes for sending his troops as a recon team to recover a fallen Chieftain's helmet. Hayab's troops complained and whined as they slowly walked through blazing blizzard. Armed with a needler Hayab had the best arsenal then his troops who were equipped with plasma pistols only. And only his demolitionists carried fuel rod cannons which were in effective in extreme cold conditions. As they reached the resting point of the fallen brute chieftain they noticed a silhouette it was the chieftain's but it was disfigured. Hayab ran quickly to the figure with childish breaths. His hammer lay on the ground covered in unknown liquid. One of Hayab's crew ran in a fury. "You get back here crazy coward it's only an ally." The other followed the straggler as Hayab approached the hunched brute. " Sir we came to get you back" Hayab said. But the figure did nothing. In the thick wind walls of snow echoes of grunts being slaughtered rang in Hayab's ear. "Oh no" The brute turned as the creature was one with the parasite. It clenched Hayab in it's hands and started to squeeze as it screamed the horrible blood war cry. Hayab's head exploded as methane gas stained the air. The flood had reached the surface. The loyalists held their positions as the flood sprang towards them. Hunters ripped through hordes of infected. As brutes did the same. Knowing of defeat sprang through their mind as more and more infection forms shot right into the chests of allies. One brute Gendar was a minor domo who was wielding a brute spiker as he backed up with the rest of the pack the he picked up a fallen brother's spiker and started to shoot violently at never ending river of flood. But more combat forms fell to his trigger happy finger as spikes launched into their bellies, hearts and minds like a knife through butter they were slashed to bits.
Then pure forms came as they broke through the line like a breaking ball through bricks as tank forms clashed with the Lekgolo(hunters) the loud bashes of their armor absorbed the putrid sound of the flood's flesh being pulverized like fresh meat. But the tank forms outnumbered the hunter 7 to 1 and battered the mechs to death. Gendar became worried as fellow brutes sprang back up shooting their weapons themselves. Their spikes broke his power armor as it popped off like a grunt's methane tank would. Then out of the corner of his eye tentacles lashed out at him and broke his arms and legs as they threw him over the battlefield and into a small cave in the glacier. As he whelped and swelled up in pain infection forms scurried to his position racing to their new host they pushed each other around as finally one leaped and attached itself on to his chest. A syringe like probe came out as it slammed it into his chest ripping his heart and breaking his ribs into millions of pieces. It soon dug itself into his chest as bulbous like wart grew on every in of his body. Gendar couldn't feel anything but he saw as his bottom jaw dislocated and fell to the bottom of his chest and the infection form pushed it's way into his mouth moving like a fish. He wanted to scream, cry like he did when he was an infant but it was too late Gendar watched as his body got up reached for a spiker and ran to the battle his eye sight blurred as a deep voice echoed " Sleep sleep…" what was once Gendar's body was now a reanimated corpse of the flood as it leaped into the air and hit the chieftain. Angered and unknown of who it was the chieftain swung his hammer annihilating his enemy's body not knowing it was his own brother.
Infiltration of the Infestation Prt5
Date: 19 June 2008, 4:17 am
Infiltration
By: Gary Cogdill aka: Halochief89
Chapter 5: 12/2/53
Unknown Location//Sector 33//Planet Arctic IV
089 awoke with a feeling of nausea the stench of the flood stained his visor. Realizing the past few hours we quickly lifted his battle rifle and swung it across the room to see if any enemies had entered. None as he looked at his friends sleep. Arculee was on his side with his sword by his mandibles.
Gary got up and walked to the door which they entered the room. Nothing but dust and echoes. Though very strange electronical sounds came through the flood infested walls. Proving they were still forerunner emplacement.
Gary lifted the battle rifle to check the ammo. The current clip had 36 rounds and he had 4 more mags with him. He looked at his armor it was severely damaged and burned from a giant indent in his chest plate the shape of the letter w. His visor clicked on and off for minutes as it tried to readjust the flashlights connected to it. J awoke with energy as he jumped up and walked toward Gary.
Turning around Gary began to snap his fingers but the jell layer around his skins was so liquid like it didn't snap. Turning his distress beacon on created a loud awakening for the team as they all jumped.
Arculee awoke because of their screams and grumbled. They all got in line to receive the next objective which they should have already known.
"Alright team check your equipment and lock and load because were sprinting as long as we can through this hell hole" Gary said as he swung his battle rifle to his shoulder. Everyone did as clicks of their guns received new ammo. They all gave thumbs up and they sprung out of the room running 2 km/h as they smashed through infection forms.
The gravemind was surprised and intrigued at the same time he thought the group would jog through his palace of horror and disfigurement. Gamma 2 let loose the ammo of war as their rounds broke the sound barrier and made cracks and snaps. Combat forms fell as they struggled to capture their enemies. Shreds of flood pelt filtered the air as the team laid waste to every single room they ran into.
The team was getting through the flood like there was no tomorrow as they ripped through the force. Creating tactics for every form. Tank forms, distract it and then Arculee will suprise attack with a sword into it. Stalker forms just received ammo into them until they collapsed, and ranger forms received plasma grenades and sniper rounds from Joshua. By the time they slowed down they had went through 5 rooms and killed over 128 flood forms.
Unknown Location//Sector 33//Planet Arctic IV
The gravemind laughed knowing that they had been exhausted from the combat that seemed too quick for words. The foul gargantuan turned and lifted a tentacle which was wielding the shield world's monitor. The robotic orb glowed red as it was in distress and was afraid.
He flickered rings of light on his sides and his eye was trying to look at the surroundings but couldn't. The tomb the gravemind was settled in was filled with poisonous gases and fumes enough to make a brute collapse in pain in agony. The monitor began to speak with an accent and robotic synthesizer like voice.
"Inferi Revividus why do you wish to hold me in contempt? I myself can't harm you in anyway only leave scratches and scars." Gravemind grumbled as his enormous gaping mouth moved. "Why would you want to escape? creation of my enemy for my children would likely destroy you then let you sputter? I on the other hand would keep you here from any sort of harm" It echoed.
"You are my vessel of knowledge." As the gravemind spoke infection forms crawled through his teeth which were made of skulls of humans, elites and brutes alike.
"I'am 25743 Infinite Fervor! Monitor of this installation I was never meant to contain the flood but to save my creators" Fervor said as he sparked. "Then why do you sick your soldiers of metal upon me?" Gravemind said as he pulled away from his miniature friend. "YOU! YOU KNOW!" Fervor asked with fear and awe as he sputtered.
Gravemind came closer to the monitor "I know everything that goes on this planet and soon once I commandeer one of the battleships I will consume the entire GALAXY! For like water I am, I am never ending I will consume anything within my path!" Gravemind screamed as he began to slowly chuckle.
Fervor looked around feverishly as he tried escaping the gravemind's grasp. Seeing as he collected everything from the little spark he crushed him as Fervor screamed.
On the surface of Arctic IV//Sector 56
The battle was nearly entire slaughter as what was left of Resirus's regiment was entirely consumed. Resirus sneered as he was in orbit above Arctic IV watching the battle. He walked towards the Prophet of Angst. "My lord my entire battalion was decimated by this parasite! what must I do to join them in death?" The prophet moaned as he floated over to Resirus. Instantly Resirus knelt before his prophet.
"You will go down there yourself ship master and fight the flood by yourself with YOURSELF!" The prophet declared. "As you wish Prophet, I will gladly do in honor of the Covenant and the forerunner." Resirus retreated to a drop pod in the nearest docking bay and launched himself towards the planet. Feeling guilty he clasped his detached turret as the pod finally landed with a loud thud.
Resirus slowly exited the pod grunt with every turn he took in caution. He slowly tip toed every minute to await his assailants. But minutes gone by and nothing only snow touched the tip of his nostrils as he snorted the frozen water like a fountain. In the distance the flood cried in recognition of winning the battle. Resirus howled to acknowledge the flood of his wear bouts as he charged his turret.
The shadows of the flood in the snow came closer and closer. They leaped for him with arms held high to clobber him. Resirus unloaded his plasma upon his destroyed troops. They collapsed at his feet as more and more flood rushed to him.
3 hours later...
Resirus had slaughtered the enemy exhausted, his body heat kept him warm from the freezing temperature. As he crept towards a dead brute's corpse he realized that they were his spec ops brutes invisible to the naked eye. And their bodies were only half infected. Confused he lifted the brute and looked around the body. Plasma wounds burnt the abdomen of the brute. He lifted his hammer off his back as elites came out of their camouflage. And swung out their swords they roared at Resirus, as did Resirus to them.
Then the commanding officer uncloaked as he wore a new helmet design for his forbidden foe. He was a spec ops commander as he wore a cape and dual wielded two swords. He began to speak as his vocals came out of a vent on the sides of his mask. " Resirus good friend we meet again, but this time on two different sides of the battlefield for you believe the prophets' lies."
"Lisudee it's you why did you betray the covenant and join forces with the filthy humans!" Resirus said as he shook his fist. Lisudee walked close to Resirus so close their heads meet parallel. With a long pause Lisudee rammed his sword into the stomach of the brute shipmaster and said "Because they are honorable and you are fools"
Infiltration of the Infestation Prt6
Date: 26 June 2008, 11:16 pm
Infiltration
By: Gary Cogdill aka: Halochief89
Chapter 6: 12/2/53
Unknown Location//Sector 33//Planet Arctic IV
Pain began to set into the groups' legs the feeling of burning in their knees was so bad that even Arculee fell to his knees to rest. Gary began a body count of the group, all were here as clear slime oozed from the ceiling. The corridor in front of them went up with stair case like figure.
"Great that's all we fricking need! more stairs!" J said as he face palmed his visor. Gary motioned to settle down as he pointed his gun towards the stairs. With every painful step he got closer and closer to the entrance. Another snake like form crawled by them and spat at Gary, drenching him in yellowish goo. Wiping it off, Gary swung the slime off his hand and continued upward.
The stairs had windows like before with the giant creature they had seen in the other room. But this time it was much closer and more visible with it's features showed a giant squidlike form mixed with a whale. The gaping mouth was starting to transform into hungry arms. The creature's previous eyes were now in the form of an infection form's sensors.
It slowly swam closer and closer to the window as Gary slowly waved the team to fall back. With another swing the creature broke the glass as tainted water filled the room the Spartans were in. The room flooded quickly as the force even knocked the Spartans off their feet.
Slamming them up against the wall and into each other. The current was not their biggest problem, the infected creature waited for the current to calm down as the room was filled to a brim. The team were swimming as the creature reached for them with its tentacles.
The Spartans tried to fight back but their rounds floated in water and didn't do anything to the creature.
The creature pulled all of them into the larger tank it was swimming in as it was full once more. As the team all grouped together in the water. Arculee had managed to escape by running up the corridor where the water hadn't reached.
The creature pushed itself through the window and into the tank with its prey. The team swam away breaking apart so the creature wouldn't grab all of them all at once. It chased Josh as he swam the fastest he could. The suits made the team constantly sink to the bottom. With the fear there could be more of the same creature below they continued to try to keep afloat. The oxygen tank was running out as Josh kept on swimming.
The creature reached and snatched him. And it threw Josh into a wall. Josh sank unconscious as the team looked in horror. Through the murky water they saw Josh was snatched by a unknown flood form as it swam deep into the abyss. The teams new primary objective wasn't leaving the tunnels but to save one of their own.
On the surface of Arctic IV//Sector 56
Lisudee walked with his troops as they told him the diagnostics of the present time, whereabouts, mission and other concerning follies of this extremely cold planet. Lisudee walked around the battlefield and looked at the corpses of brutes, jackals, grunts, drones, and hunters that were slaughtered by the flood.
For some reason the extreme cold froze the flood's hide after they were killed so they broke on impact. High in the mountains one of Lisudee's snipers turned on their channel. "Commander we have located an entrance to the installation patching the coordinates in now" The sniper's gruff voice sounded off. Lisudee turned to his men and unsheathed his energy swords.
"Men this is it, we have found the entrance to this installation where one of our own, our second in command Rysp' Arculee disappeared. We must locate and save Arculee if he's still alive." With a howl the elite ran to the new coordinates.
The hole was immense as the inside was covered in flood skin and organs. The skin was trying to spread itself onto the snow. As they looked down combat forms of humans and brutes ran by. But Lisudee ordered a riflemen to shoot at them in the chest. The carbines went off as green tracers flew into the chest of the creatures.
They let go of the ledge and tumbled down to the depth of the tunnel. Lisudee was first to jump as he ripped flood skin off the wall while sliding down. The wall screamed like it was alive. Lisudee stabbed it with annoyance. The team followed his movements and everyone was down there even the snipers.
In a delta formation the sangheili team walked towards a gaping room that traveled very far with remnants of a covenant CCS Cruiser's halls. "This must have been Respective Inquiry's hull I heard this brute cruiser was shot down by UNSC ships about a month ago." One of the elites said.
"Then this is the reason why the flood reached this planet." Lisudee said. They continued through the lobby with rotting corpses of grunts stained the room with an added bonus of their ruptured methane tanks the ghastly smell was horrible. One minor elite vomited as he could not bare the smell.
He placed his gas mask around his mandibles to handle the stench. Soon they reach the hall's entrance door from the bridge. But instead of a floor to the bridge a gaping hole lead the way to unknown horrors of the flood no human or sangheili had ever seen or lived through.
Lisudee ran through every probability through his mind most ending up in death or assimilation into the flood. He wouldn't leave a kin behind as he leaped down into the hole. The soldiers hesitated for a couple of seconds then followed with roars of combat echoes.
Within UNSC planet Artic IV's atmosphere in a drop pod
The major had a cigar in his mouth as the rough ride down was almost to a closing end. The cold surpassed the heat in the pod as snow entered through the creases in the break door. With a giant thud the drop pod landed and Bricks slammed his head into the ceiling and began to curse and mumble in anger and annoyance. "God damn piece of crap never will get used to the thing."
He brushed off snow from his armor as he took the cigar out of his teeth and stepped on it. The marines were running to his position and a few ODSTs as well. "Major Bricks sir the dropping point is about 4 clicks north sir." One of the ODSTs said. Bricks grinned and slipped on his balaclava covering his face from the cold.
He looked around as the planet's 80 days of night period had begun. But the sky was lit up from the space battle between the UNSC cruisers and Covenant Loyalist ships. He slipped the battle rifle off his back and began to jog to the location Gamma 2's signal disappeared. "You don't think they went rampant sir?" Darling asked with a shiver. "No I know these Spartans they're true to the core more then any marines or ODSTs I know for sure." Bricks said as he looked at the men.
"Sir we have elite footprints they look fresh as well" Jenks said with his accent. "Probably dead by now, by the looks of it these guys have went into this flood spore hole." Bricks said. "Yeah and by the looks of it our Spartans did as well" the ODST officer said.
The officer jumped down to the closest ledge and signaled for the rest to follow. The men were frozen stiff when a flood war cry echoed out of the hole the marines screamed and ran away. "You assholes get your asses back here!" But no use they were gone except for Jenks and Darling.
As their silhouettes disappeared into the long night fog but soon their screams of fear changed to screams of pain. "FLOOD!!!" an ODST screamed. "Not again!" the officer said in annoyance as he jumped back up.As he was climbing up a stalker form snatched him, he screamed as Bricks looked on as the 2nd in command was dragged away.
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