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Marooned Chapter 13
Posted By: Steve Ollett<sollett@clydematerials.co.uk>
Date: 16 February 2004, 12:19 PM
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MAROONED CHAPTER 13
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: After a short break, and the 'underwhelming acclaim' ;-) received after my last piece 'A Resurrection of Death', the Marooned series continues...
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1602HRS 08-OCT-2552 (MILITARY CALENDAR)
SECOND PLANET OF ACKWAZE SYSTEM.
UNDERGROUND FACILITY, EXACT LOCATION: UNKNOWN
"Looks like we're walking from here on in, just like Guerra and his men." said Corporal Stocks as he jumped down from the passenger seat of one of the two Warthogs. His combat boots made a deep resonating 'clang' as they made contact with the floor.
Drawing his sidearm from it's holster, John Stocks disengaged the weapons' safety as he slowly walked towards Guerra's abandoned Warthog. Holding the M6D automatic pistol up close to his face, whilst closing one eye as he looked along the sight, he finally reached the all-terrain vehicle.
"Clear." Stocks announced as he lowered his weapon.
"All right." said Ryan as he climbed out of his Warthog, "Everyone one out!"
Ryan stood and surveyed his surroundings.
The hall that they were in was roughly fifty metres long, and approximately eight or ten metres high - he could'nt tell for sure due to the dim lighting emitted from several small lights that were equally spaced along the centreline of the hall's ceiling. The ceiling formed and upside down 'V' shape, giving the hall the shape of a long triangular prism.
The walls/ceiling that tapered away from the lights above them, looked like they were composed of precision machined metal slabs, each slab containing strange symmetrical inscriptions. Certain sections of the wall were backlit by a deep red glow which pulsed at the same rate as the icons that were cut out of the rock face on the surface marking the entrance to the facility.
The floor was similar to the tapered walls of the room, again consisting of huge metal slabs, measuring approximately a metre and a half across each slabs' diagonal.
"They must have had one hell of an interior designer!" said Private Garrett, who had squat down on the floor, and was running his fingers over the inscriptions cut into the metal slabs. He was obviously intrigued by the quality of the workmanship, "These inscriptions - It looks almost like it was acid etched or something."
"Impossible." snapped Zoran, "The level of detail is too great, and the workmanship is too precise. I would say that each piece was precision machined, or maybe laser cut."
"Yeah, whatever." Garrett replied as he stood up again.
"What a tailpipe!" O'Shea whispered towards Garrett.
"I heard that!" laughed Garrett in reply.
"You guys gonna' let me in on the joke?" asked Ryan as he walked towards the sniggering pair that was Garrett and O'Shea.
"I think you're already aquainted," laughed O'Shea, "It's stood wearing a white lab-coat over there."
"Oh, I see." said Ryan, "Any success in contacting Guerra?"
"Nothing." replied Garrett, "Not even static. Something in here is suppressing the radio signals. A fibre-optic cable would probably be the only way to run a signal in here."
"Shit." Ryan said, whilst wiping his face with his hands, "So you're saying that we don't even have comms ability between us?"
"Afraid so, sir" Garrett replied.
"Okay then. We'll have to rely on hand signals then. But if you can get a signal let me know. Keep your eyes open then." Ryan answered.
Shouldering his MA5B Assault Rifle, Ryan added, "Use your Infra-Red, those stealth-camo Elites could be in here with us!".
Walking over to Stocks, Ryan spoke. "What's up John?"
Stocks continued to stare towards the triangular door set into the end of the hall.
"John?" Ryan repeated.
"Sorry. Ryan," Stocks replied, "I just got a bad feeling that's all. It's gonna get nasty in there and not all of us are gonna get out alive."
"Hey, let's take it one step at a time," Ryan replied as he gave Stocks a hefty slap on the back, "and make sure we all watch each other backs and we'll be okay."
1625HRS 08-OCT-2552 (MILITARY CALENDAR)
SECOND PLANET OF ACKWAZE SYSTEM.
UNDERGROUND FACILITY, EXACT LOCATION: UNKNOWN
"Alright people!" Ryan announced, "As we're not coming back this way, we should load up with all of the equipment we can. Zoran, Karen, stay close - things could get hairy in there!"
Minutes later the group left their two Warthogs behind, and passing the abandoned Warthog of Guerra, they approached a triangular door at the end of the hall.
"Okay! Abandon all hope all ye who enter here!" said Stocks forcing a smile as he stepped forwards as the triangular door silently slid open.
John Stocks stepped into a small, narrow corridor that sloped away infront of him. A series of lights set into the ceiling blinked in the electrical equivelant of a 'Mexican-Wave' into the distance. The walls formed a typical rectangular cross-section to the corridor, lined with plain blue-grey walls.
The end of the corridor lay roughly about 30 metres away with no obvious exits visible.
"I can't see any doors!" Stocks exclaimed.
"It can't be a dead end." Ryan replied, "If it was, we'd have seen some evidence of Guerra's team."
"What? Like bodies?" Stocks replied in a dead-pan voice.
"Not funny." Ryan replied. "Maybe it's a T-Junction or a ninety-degree turn at the end, but we can't see from here?"
Ryan and Stocks slowly walked forwards, side by side, Stocks peering into the scope of his sniper rifle whilst Ryan shouldered his assault rifle.
Zoran, Karen, and Private Collins followed, with Private O'Shea and Garrett bringing up the rear.
Approaching the end of the corridor's straight, Ryan realised that there was a turn ahead.
Creeping up to the corner, Ryan slung his rifle over his right shoulder, and fished out of a pocket on his jacket a small angled mirror on the end of a stick that bore a striking resemblance to an old-style dentist's inspection mirror.
"You still got that old thing?" Stocks asked as Ryan slowly moved the mirror towards the corner. "You see anything?"
"Hang on a sec..." Ryan replied as he adjusted the angle of the mirror. "Nope. All clear."
Folding the mirror back on its' hinge against the thin shaft of the handle, Ryan stuffed the simple device back inside his jacket.
Turning back to face Stocks, and the rest of the group that stood waiting silently, Ryan spoke. "All clear ahead. So far. The corridor goes level from here and leads to what looks like a large room at the end."
The team continued onwards towards the room at the end of the corridor.
As they approached the end of the corridor, Ryan motioned the group to halt, whilst he and Stocks continued onwards, entering the room.
Several large cubeoid objects lay scattered before them in a random placement. Beyond them were more of these crate-like objects stacked in varying heights. The room was obviously some kind of a storage area. The room's ceiling was not visible, but four shafts of light beamed down to illuminate the floor of the room.
"Two Elites on Infra-Red." Whispered Ryan, "Non-stealth flavour. Standard two man patrol pattern around the pile of containers in the room's centre." Turning to face Corporal Stocks, Ryan added "Exits?"
"I see two exits..." said Stocks, as his face glowed a pale green in the light of his sniper rifle scope. "...on this level, and two above on the walkway."
"Tangos?" Asked Ryan.
"Apart from the two Elites you marked? Hang on a sec..." Stocks replied, as he studied the room through the green screen of the rifles' night vision scope. "I make out two blue wrist shield Jackals at the far exit, nothing at the exit to the left..."
Aiming his rifle aloft, Stocks continued to sweep the room. "The walkway runs from one doorway on the left wall and across the wall on far end of the room and back on the right wall towards the second exit up on the walkway..."
"Covenant?" Ryan whispered.
"Six Grunts," Stocks began, "two on the walkway by the first door, two by the second exit, and two on the far wall."
"How the hell did Guerra get past these guys?" Ryan said quietly as he looked around the room. "which exit did he take?"
"Damned if I know," Whispered Stocks, "I reckon that they must have beefed up their presence here as I make out a big patch of Covie blood by the left exit... and, errr... Careful! We've got empty shotgun shells here. Looks like someone saw some action!"
Shifting his weight onto his left leg as he crouched on the floor his left hand touched something wet. "Urgh. What's this?" Ryan asked.
"Looks like blood!" Stocks replied, peering closer at the dark substance on Ryan's hand now raised hand. "Definately human." he added as Ryan wiped his hand on left leg of his combat trousers.
"They took some heat alright!" Ryan answered, now noticing the pock-marked wall behind them where it had taken a barrage of plasma fire.
"Can you see where the trail of blood goes?" Stocks hissed as he again watched the enemy.
"Hang on... Looks like it's towards the left exit." said Ryan beckoning toward the doorway, "I can't see if it goes all the way though, it's too dark and it's there's no trail showing on Infra-Red."
"Must have been some time ago then, if they've had chance to remove the body." said Stocks, "But not that long of course as the blood is still wet."
Lowering his rifle, Stocks turned to Face Ryan, who was crouched beside him. "Now what? I don't think we can sneak by this lot. There's too many of them, plus they have an aerial advantage. Who do we take out first?"
"Maybe the Elites," Ryan answered, "They're the ones with the real tactical ability, but maybe a diversion would be better..."
"What are you thinking of?" Stocks asked.
Ryan grinned as he produced three Covenant plasma grenades from a small kit bag attached to his belt. "Let's see how my aim has improved since I gave up playing cricket..."
Turning around whilst still crouched, Ryan signalled to O'Shea that they were about engage the enemy.
Waiting until the moment that both Elites were facing away from their position Ryan primed and threw the plasma grenades.
The first grenade tagged a Grunt that had been stood stationary on the Walkway at the far end of the room. As the grenade hit, it yelped in alarm and changed towards the other Grunt. The resulting detonation took out both Covenant, their small bodies propelled over the walkway and down to the crates below.
The second grenade hit one of the the Elites on it's left leg as they both charged towards the back wall of the room to investigate the demise of the two unfortunate Grunts, whilst the third grenade fell short of the second Elite.
The sight of the first Elite frantically trying to shake off the plasma grenade whilst crying out in anguish in a bizarre, almost cossack-style dance would have been hilarious if Stocks hadn't been aiming for the second Elite's skull.
The grenade detonated, blowing the Elite's leg clear off, whilst it was bodily thrown like a rag doll into a stack of containers, three tiers high which promptly collapsed ontop of the body.
The second Elite's armour flared angrily in a bright yellow hue as it dived for cover as the blast took it's shield's charge out.
As the third grenade exploded harmlessly out of range of any Covenant, the room became alive with the blind firing of the Covenant who couldn't locate the position of their attackers.
Stocks tore his eyes away from the light-amplifying screen of his rifles' scope as the third grenade exploded. He had lost his aim when the second Elite had dived for cover, and lost the target altogether when the third grenade had detonated.
Scanning the room for the Elite, Stocks finally spotted it crouching behind a crate, waiting for it's shield's to recharge. He promptly dispatched the Elite to it's maker, courtesy of a well placed head-shot.
Ryan stood up to have a better aim. A three round burst took off the arm of a Needler wielding Grunt on the left walkway, but it was too late. A stream of pink-purple shards snaked towards his position as the two Jackals at the end of the room trained their fire on Ryan's positon.
He ducked behind the crates just in time as the Needler shards ricocheted above him with the weird sound of a rubber-soled training shoe, skidding on a wooden gym floor.
"We're pinned down here!" Ryan yelled as Stocks, who was trying to get a shot in between bursts of Covenant plasma fire.
"No shit!" Stocks replied, "How many left?"
Ryan peered over the top of the crate that provided their forward cover between the incoming fire, noticing that the two Jackals had now split up and were moving towards them down separate sides of the room.
"One on the left walkway, two on the right, and the bastard Jackals are trying to flank us!" Ryan shouted, and turning around, he was greeted by O'Shea and Garrett charging into the room, both screaming at the top of their lungs, their MA5B Assault rifles on full automatic fire.
On full auto, the kickback of the MA5B has considerably reduced accuracy over medium to long range distances, but certainly gets the enemy's attention.
In a hail of 7.62mm death, the last Grunt on the left walkway tumbled backwards, the glowing bright blue grenade that it was about to throw, setting off a chain reaction of explosions as other grenades dropped by already-dead-Needler-wielding-Grunt exploded.
The Jackals swung their attention towards their two new enemies, crouching behind their shields whilst rapid firing two streams of green plasma from their pistols.
O'Shea yanked the Yank behind a nearby crate just in time.
"Thanks Sean, that was close!" said Garrett gratefully as both men took refuge behind the crate infront of them which hissed and bubbled with each plasma bolt it received.
"You owe me one now!" smiled O'Shea as he reloaded his assault rifle, "but I'd settle for a pint of Guiness when we're off-duty. I can't drink that weak stuff that you Americans call beer!"
"Weak beer?" Garrett laughed, "Hey, at least I don't have to wait about ten minutes for the barman to pour your stuff. I'd be on my third one by the time you get yours! Beer is Beer, man."
"Alright. If you say so." O'Shea replied as he fired a quick burst around the corner of the crate.
Garrett and O'Shea's diversion was enough for Stocks to take out another Grunt on the upper right walkway. It would have two with one shot if it wasn't for the other Grunt stumbling over at the last moment.
Seizing the opportunity, Ryan darted towards the cover of another crate in the confusion, taking out the last Grunt on the overhead walkway whilst onroute.
Pausing to reload the MA5B behind his new cover, Ryan peered around the crate
and spied the two remaining Covenant Jackals who had Garrett and O'Shea pinned down.
Taking on of his M9 HE-DP fragmentation grenades, Ryan pulled the pin and cast it along the floor with an under-arm throw.
The grenade finally came to rest between the two Jackals who simulatenously squaked in alarm as they noticed the weapon moments before the explosion splattered their remains on the inside of their wrist shields.
Seconds later, as the dust settled, Ryan yelled. "Everyone okay?"
Stocks, Garrett and O'Shea all emerged from their separate cover positions.
Surprisingly no one was hurt.
"Grab whatever useful weapons you can carry, and let's go!" said Ryan, with a sense of urgency in his voice. "Stocks, check out the left exit. Garrett and O'Shea, cover the entrance we came in through whilst I'll watch the far exit. Signal Collins to move up with Karen and Zoran."
After policing the dead Covenants weapons, the men moved to cover their designated target positions, whilst Zoran moved towards the left exit followed by Karen and Collins bringing up the rear.
"Contact!" Ryan yelled as four Grunts ran into the room from the far doorway, their plasma pistols held ready.
Firing a three round burst from his assault rifle, Ryan took one of the Grunts out, whilst the one stood immediately next to his fallen comrade launched a bright blue orb into the air.
Weapons fire from Garrett and O'Shea took out two of the other Grunts, whilst the grenade-tossing Grunt span on it's heels and attempted to make a run for it's life.
"Grenade!" roared Collins as he watched the blue fizzing ball arc towards them and land before Zoran.
Instead of diving for cover, the scientist charged towards the grenade, swinging his leg as if he was taking a free kick.
"Zoran! NO!" Ryan yelled as the scientist's shoe made contact with the grenade.
Zoran screamed a horrible peculiar scream as he realised the greande had not been kicked away but was, infact, stuck to his shoe.
The resulting explosion showered a red mist of blood over Collins and Karen who had dived for cover nearby.
"Fucking Idiot" Ryan said to Stocks as both men jogged over to COllins and Karen who lay a short distance away from the scientist's remains.
"Yeah, even if he hadn't read the intel on Covie grenades," Stocks replied, "for someone who was supposed to be a bloody genius, that was really fucking stupid!"
"You guys okay? No injuries?" Ryan asked when he arrived at the pair laying in a sea of blood and body parts.
"Yeah, I-I just need to get cleaned up." said Collins trying not to retch at the sight of the remains, whilst getting to his feet.
Karen was sobbing uncontrollably, her face was covered with Zoran's blood. She now sat cross legged sobbing whilst looking backwards and forwards in turn at both of her bloody hands.
As Ryan helped Karen to her feet, she grabbed hold of him and sobbed into his chest.
"John, what about the last Grunt?" Ryan asked turning to face the Corporal.
"Got away in the confusion, even though it took a round through one of it's legs!" Stocks replied.
"They'll be back with more." Ryan said coldly, "We've gotta put in some distance between them and us."
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