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Memories of a Dying Soldier - Chapter Three
Posted By: Spartan Elessar<spartan_elessar@yahoo.com>
Date: 27 March 2006, 3:03 pm
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Chapter 3:
"We are not gonna survive this!"
January 5, 2535
An uncharted area
Planet Jericho VII
Five marines stood in the cave staring at their fallen brother. Uncertainty ran through Logan's mind. Will his fate end up like this marine? He thought – not today. He threw the empty clip out and refitted it with a new one. A pale 'Click' sound echoed into the cave as the new clip entered the rifle. His assault rifle monitor read "60" and a small arrow on the screen pointed downwards.
"Alright, lets find that entrance of the tunnel and enter it," said Jen in a low voice. Others nodded and looked down at the floor. The base was rocky and dark, gave an unnatural reflection to their lights.
"I found it," called out a marine. He was pointing his rifle at his foot and stepped back. The others stood around it. A small opening was covered by a four foot metal, laid at the far end of the cave. Two marines knelt down and carried the metal away from its place, when the other three covered their backs.
The metal gave a slight 'Screech' noise as it scratched the floor. Lights penetrated the opening and revealed a seven feet drop into the floor. Jen pointed his first two fingers to his eye and to the opening. Logan knelt and took out his fiber-optic probe. He snaked one end of his probe into the hole and connected the other end to his data pad. Darkness covered it, visibility was zero.
Jen knelt opposite to him and pointed his rifle into the hole. His torch light entered the tunnel and gave a small visual reading in Logan's pad.
"The tunnel is high enough to walk straight and it goes deep inside," reported Logan as he put his probe back inside his pocket.
"Then lets get inside and find what the covenants have in stock," said Jen. Before he could give orders, huge hoof sounds came through the tunnel. It gained speed as it came near the opening. The marines stood up in unison and pointed their rifle at the hole on sheer reflex. The sound of hoof was muffled into a confused barks and high-pitch squeals.
"What the…" started a marine but before he could finish his sentence, shards of purple needles exited out of the hole and penetrated his chest. It exploded after a split second causing the marine to fall backwards in a shock. He died before his head hit the floor.
"FALL BACK!" shouted Jen. Logan took out a grenade, threw it inside the hole and ran back with the remaining marines. The detonation shook the ground beneath their boots. The muffled barks and squeals seized for a second. Jen and his remaining team stood outside the cave, pointing their rifles inside the cave, at the hole to be precise.
Sloppy - that was a clear sloppiness; Jen thought and cursed himself for being so stupid. He bit his teethes harder and gripped his rifle even harder. Nothing came out of the tunnel; Jen pointed Logan and pointed back into the cave.
Logan shouldered his rifle and moved towards the hole slowly – one step at a time. A drop of sweat dripped from his forehead. Man, it's hot in here, he thought. His eyes took a second to adjust to the darkness inside the cave as he stepped in. He crouched and went near the hole. He stayed away from his team's cross fire, just in case they have to open up.
"I am not going to die," he whispered and looked into the tunnel. The same whitish glue blood was spilled all over the place. He strained a look into the tunnel's deep body.
"Son of…"
A blue plasma grenade came flying out of the tunnel. Logan ducked just in time to send the grenade flying above his head. He jumped away from the hole and laid flat on his belly as the grenade detonated. His ear rang loudly and deafened him temporarily to the firefight. He looked up and saw three grunts, four jackals and two elites jumping out of the hole. "What!" he exclaimed and struggled to get up.
"LAY DOWN LOGAN," Jen's voice rang inside his head. It sounded so distant to him. He stopped struggling and laid flat on his belly, closing his eyes as bullets passed over his head.
The grunts got the first fresh hit from Marines. Those tiny monsters flipped backward and laid dead. Jackals ran away from the hole and stationed themselves into a semi circle covering their bigger allies, Elites.
Marine's bullets hit the jackal's shield harmlessly. "WE NEED TO FLANK THEM," shouted Jen from outside the cave. Logan pulled his rifle closer to him as he laid there 'acting dead'. The jackals and Elites didn't even bother to see him, their filthy eyes were searching for the other marines, who took cover behind a rock outside the cave and poured their bullets inside.
Logan swiftly spun around from his prone position and shot at the jackals, which were exposing their sides to him. They stood on a semi straight line, so when he shot -his bullets traveled all the way from the first jackal to the last. After ten seconds of continuous assault, the jackals fell down dead. The surprised Elites spun around towards Logan and aimed their plasma rifles towards him. However, they were too late – Jen and his men entered the cave and emptied their clips on the unprotected aliens.
Elites' shield shimmered for a split second and gave away too soon. Dark blue blood sprayed all over the walls as the last remaining elite fell down.
Logan jumped up and ran out to join his remaining team. Only four more marines were left – Jen Fell, Logan Kelso, Ken Shun and Ray Reno - depressing!
"Let's fall back to our LZ and call for re-enforcement. We need back-up in order to enter that hole. Come on, let's move," ordered Jen.
Others ran away from the cave and ran towards their LZ. It was a long way back, the sun started to sink into the horizon. They entered the forest and ran with out looking back.
"Sir, do youwant me to call in the Omega team?" Ray asked who currently had the radio system. "No, they would have evacuated a long time ago. However, contact the other base and call for re-enforcement for us," he said back.
Ray tried his radio, but it was hard to operate in motion. Therefore, he called the team to a halt. "Alright, try now," said Jen as he bent over to gain his breath. Logan and Ken stood facing opposite direction covering Ray and Jen's backs.
Ray took few minutes to find a frequency and call for help. His eyes betrayed frustration and anger when he received static as an answer. "Try again," said Jen and he obeyed.
A fear took hold Logan's mind. They were surrounded by a thick green forest; the ground was rough and hard. The breeze was warm and mild. However, something else disturbed him. He felt like someone watching them silently. He turned from tree to tree with his rifle at ready. The leaves made soft noises as the wind brushed them, alerting Logan every second. His head still ached from the detonation of the grenade. He took his left hand and ran his hair over his forehead. He took a moment to examine his hand, the pale skin was covered with dark blood and his suit was covered with those grunt's slimly blood. It reflected light as if it was made out of radium.
His thought was intermitted when Ray cursed loudly who received no reply.
"Try again," said Jen who was irritated by Ray's attitude and to the fact they are sitting here like ducks.
"I AM TRYING," yelled back Ray.
"Watch your bloody attitude marine," warned Jen
Both marines stood their face-to-face glowing at each other. "Cut it out," called Ken and Logan nodded in agreement.
"Ray, just shut your mouth and try that radio," said Logan turning around. But he got an explosion as a reply. A plasma grenade blew right beside Ken and threw Logan and Jen five yards away from the explosion. Ken took the heavy hit and fell down in a shock. Ray ran and took a tree's bark as a cover. Jen and Logan composed themselves and hid behind a rock.
"Where the hell did it come from?" shouted Ray from his hiding place, which was behind Logan and Kelso.
"I don't know. You keep trying that radio -now," Jen shouted back and got an anguish smirk as a reply.
Logan, who crouched behind a four feet tall rock, peeked out and saw ahead of him. Sounds of hoofs came towards them. Even though he couldn't see them, he knew there were outnumbered at least by four to one.
"What do we do now?" he asked Jen, who looked back gravely and shook his head.
"We have no way out. If we run blindly they will track us down and kill us and if we stay here and show some resistance we might stay alive a bit longer, at least till the re-enforcement arrives," said Jen. Logan took a moment to analysis the situation and Jen's suggestion. "Lets show some UNSC Hard-core marine's power," said Logan with a faint smile.
"We are gonna cover your butt from here Ray. Keep trying that radio," shouted Jen and looked up from the rock.
The sound of Covenant ground force grew higher and higher every few seconds. The ground shook beneath their legs. Logan and Jen looked confused by a loud roar that approachedthem. Logan strained a look and saw a huge covenant tank, also called as Wraith, hovering towards him accompanied by grunts, jackals, Elites and Damn it, Hunters. If that Wraithfired, they will be vaporized along with this rock and become a history - thought Logan.
"Shit," he whispered
"What?" Jen asked puzzled
"We are so dead," Logan replied.
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