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Marooned Chapter 6
Posted By: Steve Ollett<steve.ollett@clydematerials.co.uk>
Date: 26 November 2003, 3:36 PM
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M A R O O N E D
---------------
CHAPTER 6
0352HRS 08-OCT-2552 (MILITARY CALENDAR)
SECOND PLANET OF ACKWAZE SYSTEM.
MAKESHIFT CAMP, NEAR DROPSHIP LZ.
As outer airlock door silently slid open before Ryan, he grabbed the handles that ran down either side of the door and quickly pulled himself inside the octagonal cross sectioned chamber. He had to hold his arms out to prevent himself crashing into other door at the opposite end of the ten foot long airlock chamber. Turning around to face the outer door, his helmet visor was illuminated by a bright flash. Ryan tore his eyes away from the light as his visor automatically tinted to attempt to compensate. That explosion was close.
In the gloom of the airlock chamber, Ryan pushed off the inner airlock door towards the airlock control panel. He hit the large red button with a gloved fist. The airlock cycle began.
Red lights along the ceiling pulsed on and off as the outer door slowly closed. Ryan felt a slight thump as the door finally closed. Amber lights pulsed gently and vents near the ceiling and floor opened as jets of gas blasted into the chamber. The gravity plating in the chamber activated, increasing the g-rating slowly allowing Ryan to plant his feet safely on the deck plating.
Ryan glanced at the atmospheric pressure gauge, located on the wrist of his spacesuit. The reading held steady at 0.9 bar.
Reaching behind his head, Ryan broke the seal on his helmet, accompanied by a brief hiss of escaping air.
Removing his helmet, Ryan putt one arm through the now opened visor of the helmet, and with the other arm reached out to activate the inner airlock door...
Suddenly Ryan felt a blast of heat from behind together with a loud thud that characterized the impact of a Covenant plasma weapon. The peaceful calm of the airlock, complete with the low hum of the life-support systems was instantly transformed to that of a raging hurricane. The atmosphere of the airlock was being blown into space through a jagged hole the size of beach ball.
Ryan tried to grab hold anything to prevent him being blasted through the hole, but was carried backwards towards the outer door. Hitting his head against the wall, the last thing Ryan saw was a mist of red.
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"Wake up Ryan!" shouted a familiar voice.
Ryan opened his eyes to find Corporal Stocks crouched on the floor and leaning over, holding him by the lapels, and shaking him vigorously.
"Get the fuck off me, man." Ryan yelled.
"You got it" said Stocks, releasing him.
Ryan fell several inches back to the his roll-mat laid on the floor, whilst still laid within his sleeping bag.
"Where am I?" asked Ryan.
"Miserable ball of rock - millions of light years from anywhere. Babysitting scientists - one with loose bowels, and a host of aliens waiting to rip out throats out. That sound familiar?" Stocks replied sarcastically.
"Shit." Ryan said, rolling over in his sleeping bag.
"It sounded like you were having a nightmare." said Stocks. "You still getting them over the airlock accident you were in?"
"Yeah", groaned Ryan, "It always comes back to haunt me at the times when I have alot of stress to deal with in life."
"Come on. Let's grab a bite to eat." said Stocks.
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0447HRS 08-OCT-2552 (MILITARY CALENDAR)
SECOND PLANET OF ACKWAZE SYSTEM.
MAKESHIFT CAMP, NEAR DROPSHIP LZ.
"Sling me another can of beans, Murray." yelled O'Shea as he stirred the contents of the rectangular aluminum canteen with a metal spoon. Underneath it a small stove spluttered its' blue propane flame.
Seconds later a can sailed through the air in O'Shea's direction, silhouetted against the faint glow of blue light creeping over the horizon. Dawn was approaching fast.
"Thanks, mate." O'Shea said, catching the can in his right hand. "Can you check for a spare gas canister?"
"Hang on a minute." replied Murray from under the canopy of camouflage net hiding the Warthog. He rummaged among a sea of small crates hastily unpacked from the back of the all terrain reconnaissance vehicle.
"Oh, and don't throw the fucker this time!" O'Shea called out.
--------------
On the other side of the camp Ryan stood sipping coffee from a dented stainless steel cup. He stared out across the lakebed towards the dark mountains on the horizon, deep in thought. The vapour from the hot coffee swirled infront of his eyes in the cold early morning air. Next to him Private Garrett sat on the ground, busily tapping away on a small laptop computer.
"Okay Ryan" said Garrett as he continued to type, "I've got the terrain map of the LZ."
"Good." said Ryan, tuning back into reality. "We can plan our attack now. How long till sunrise?"
"Fifteen minutes" Garrett replied.
"Shit, I thought we had more time." Ryan answered.
Ryan turned around to retrieve his helmet from the Warthog that was parked nearby, and was greeted by Karen walking towards him. She wore a tight dark green t-shirt, her long dark hair flowing onto her shoulders, and her grey flight suit was unfastened, the top half being tied around her waist.
"Hi!" she beamed as she approached.
"Hi" Said Ryan, taking another sip of coffee. "You and Zoran sleep okay?" Ryan asked, his voice slightly tinged with disdain.
"What?" Karen replied with a look of horror on her face, "Me and Zoran? You've gotta be joking right?"
Ryan coughed nervously, "Er, maybe I could have phrased that better... I mean you guys aren't used to roughing it eh?"
Karen smiled back at him.
Ryan wondered if she had picked up on his veiled question about whether or not she was involved with Zoran.
As she brushed past Ryan, she locked eyes with him and purred, "You know I don't mind a bit of rough..."
Ryan stood speechless.
Karen looked out across the lakebed and shivered. and turned back towards Ryan, who was still holding the cup of coffee.
"Coffee! Great!" she said, and as she moved closer asked, "Do you mind if I have a sip?"
"Be my guest." Ryan replied as he handed her the steaming cup.
Ryan watched as she took the cup in two hands and took a mouthful.
"Mmmmmm" Karen said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, "I needed something hot to warm me up this morning. Thanks."
Karen placed one hand inside the hip pocket of her flight suit and produced a hair bobble. With the other hand she offered the cup back to Ryan.
In a swift movement she took the bobble and reached up with both hands behind her head to fasten her hair in ponytail.
As she carried out the action, Ryan couldn't help but notice that Karen wasn't wearing a bra - she obviously didn't need one - her erect nipples showing through her tight t-shirt.
For a second time since their first meeting Ryan began to feel uncomfortable. He tried to look away, but his eyes kept lingering on her chest.
"I can see you're busy," said Karen, glancing at Garrett who was also pretending not to notice her chest, "I'll, er, give the guys a hand with breakfast shall I?" With that she slinked off under the camoflage net canopy.
Ryan waited until Karen was out of earshot. "Fuck me!" he said putting his hands up on the back of his head and stretching.
"I reckon that she had the same thing on her mind." laughed Garrett, "Couldn't have been more obvious if she'd have gotten them out for you!" Garrett continued typing for a few seconds and them paused. "Murray's gonna be well pissed off now he's not in the running!"
"Not a fucking word Travis! To anyone, especially Stocks!" Ryan said sternly. "If he finds out, every fucker and his dog will know!"
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0458HRS 08-OCT-2552 (MILITARY CALENDAR)
SECOND PLANET OF ACKWAZE SYSTEM.
MAKESHIFT CAMP, NEAR DROPSHIP LZ.
Ryan stood infront of his team, which sat quietly beneath the camoflage net canopy.
"Alright people" Ryan announced, "The plan is We hit them hard and fast. I'll break out the second S2 AM. Stocks and I will try to take out the Elite as the main target, and mop up as many Grunts as we can before they scatter."
Turning to face Sean O'Shea and Steve Murray, Ryan continued, "You guys man the Warthog. Take it around the rim of the LZ, and down the scree onto the lakebed. Pick off or run down any of the little bastards that try to make it into the canyons to the north."
The two men nodded in affirmation.
Ryan turned to Private Garrett, "Travis, I'm sorry but you get babysitting duty. Whilst you are doing that I need you to get your equipment set up and monitor for any local Covenant radio chatter - see if your box of tricks can decipher anything."
"I'm good, but not that good!" Garrett replied, whilst fiddling with a small rectangular object that was attached to a chain around his neck, that was alongside his dog-tags. "I can monitor and record any transmissions, but I'll need to use an AI to make any sense of what's going on, and we're not exactly tripping up over the hardware necessary to facilitate the use of one right now!"
"Noted." said Ryan, "Do what you can. I want to know in good time whether or not that dropship is on it's way back here with re-inforcements."
"What about us?" asked Karen hopefully.
"Sit tight until we secure the LZ." Ryan replied.
Turning back towards the rest of his team, Ryan concluded, "Is almost sunrise. Let's bag ourselves some Covenant scum!"
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