Technology Collides
Posted By: Drew Pazz (Anrkey)<an_r_key@hotmail.com>
Date: 14 March 2001, 12:52 AM
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The new cyborg assigned to the Iron Wolves' Encampment's unemotional voice sounded over Sgt. McNeal's radio headset, "Hostiles spotted 2 clicks from my location." McNeal quickly alerted his men to get the Warthog.
Pvt. Bates pulled in front of the Sergeant slamming on the brakes with a cloud of dust whirling around McNeal's boots. McNeal took shotgun as he raised himself into the ATV with Pvt. Kim having already gotten into the back and grabbed a hold of the machine gun handles with a delightful smirk on his face. "He always had a thing for big guns." Thought McNeal as they sped away from their camp.
The Warthog climbed over one last hill as McNeal spotted the cyborg standing upright and looking straight at them as they arrived. Bates pulled up next to the cyborg and McNeal stepped out from the jeep and looked at it awaiting further information.
"Two Covenant scouts are patrolling the northern side of the bunker and I've spotted a few cyclers frequenting the area." Reported the cyborg with his familiar tone.
McNeal reached into the jeep and pulled out a pair of binoculars, he cautiously walked up the hill. Going prone at the top, he looked into the binoculars towards the location of the bunker and adjusted the zoom to see properly. He noticed the two guards seem to be slouching and appeared bored. He couldn't help hold back a smile at the thought of how quickly he was going to brighten up their day.
As he reached the bottom of the hill, his men looked at him curiously awaiting orders. "Bates, take Kim and ease around the hill. Be ready to pick me and Mr.Cyborg up at my command." Ordered McNeal knowing his men wouldn't approve.
"Yes Sir!" his men replied followed by a groan of disagreement thinking they wouldn't see any action today.
McNeal knew the cyborg technology was a lot more fit for combat than any body armor his troops were assigned. After being on this planet for such a long time, McNeal saw too many young men die because HQ didn't want to put cyborgs at risk, but he forced himself to never send any of his men to their deaths. He despised the cyborg with envy as they swiftly darted toward the bunker. HQ ordered the Iron Wolves to recover more Covenant technology to be researched on. So his squad had been searching for a covenant armory to recover undamaged weaponry from for months now and his men were eager for action.
The extremely accurate rifle fire from McNeal and the cyborg, easily took down the Covenant troopers. Using a frequently used military attack maneuver, they scanned the area around the bunker for any more hostiles. They then proceeded to search the bunker for their objective. To McNeal's relief, he found exactly the technology his squad was assigned to locate. With that, he motioned for the cyborg to carry the cargo out of the bunker.
As McNeal cautiously exited the bunker he caught a glimpse of a hover cycle flying overhead. "Just our luck." McNeal angrily thought just as he radioed Bates for retrieval.
The cyborg quickly opened fire on the scout after he finished dragging the last amount of the weaponry from the bunker. Just as quickly, two more scouts appeared in the sky spraying plasma fire down towards the bunker. Bates arrived just in time for McNeal to hold his fire and throw their objective on board the Warthog. Kim was happily shouting curses at the scouts and unleashing bullet after bullet from the mounted machine gun. McNeal was unclear who shot down the first cycler, but he saw out of the corner of his eye, it light up, then explode.
Laying down covering fire as he boarded the ATV, McNeal quickly ordered the cyborg to hop on. The cyborg held his position still unloading clip after clip into the hover cycles. "What are you doing? Get on!" screamed the Sergeant as Bates turned the jeep around to retreat.
"Go, I can handle them myself." Ringed the cyborg's voice in McNeal's helmet. Hesitant, McNeal motioned for Bates to go. Kim never seemed to stop firing the machine gun all the way down the slope and as the Warthog headed over the next hill.
Bates stopped the jeep in order to wait for the cyborg in safety. McNeal watched another scout get blasted out of the sky, but just then a huge blast of plasma curved towards the cyborg nearly hitting him straight on. What seemed to be a Covenant Hover Tank, steadily moved towards the bunker. The cyborg didn't stand a chance, he was barely able to fire one last round into the tank before it fired again and the cyborg seemed to have been blasted into oblivion.
The cyborg's sacrifice made the mission initially a success for the Iron Wolves, but unable to forget his memory of the brave cyborg, McNeal had a whole new respect for them and he couldn't help but think, not only did he send one of his men to their deaths, but he left him to die.
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