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Shadows of Archon II (part 5) - Big Trouble
Posted By: Wado<wyamauchi@msn.com>
Date: 25 August 2002, 7:08 am
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"Get moving you damned human slaves!" shouts the leader of the masked white apes. The slower humans are prodded along by the butts of plasma tipped spears.
The white ape leader turns and kneels, his face covered with an oversized wooden mask; the face of a Covenant Elite painted on it. He says "Oh great chosen one, a storm approaches, these slaves move too slowly, the Spirit City is still half a day away."
The mighty Elite looks at the poor human slaves. There are approximately twenty of them dressed in nothing but the tattered remains of UNSC uniforms. They are under nourished, beaten, and with the look of hopelessness on their faces. To the rear of the group, four sturdy white apes carry the devil creature; a Nomdian female securely strapped down by hands and feet to a six-meter long log.
The Elite looks back at the white ape leader and says, "We take cover in those caves over there, until the storm passes."
In the caves, the mighty Elite stares into the darkness. How did all of this come about? The Elite reflects on the previous day's chaos.
[Fade back in time.]
------------------------------------------------
Big Trouble
The group is surrounded by the glowing green orbs. In the light of the orbs can be seen the outlines of mechanical creations resembling giant scorpions. The green orbs are the illumination from plasma cannons mounted on their stingers. Amongst all of the creations, there is no sign of the Nomdian female called the Grace.
Commander Thom shouts, "My Grace there is no need for violence, we can take you to the flux key. You don't think we are stupid enough to have it with us do you?"
As Thom speaks, John uses his Elite armor shell to cloak in the darkness. Let the Grace speak, give away her position, then she is burnt toast. John scans the area carefully, paying special attention to the center of the enormous chamber.
In the center of the chamber, Gunter the hunter guards the Lady's back. The Lady's Nomdian energy shield radiates in a purple glow, lightning sparks between her facial tentacles. They stand only 10 meters from the portal -- a dark circular ring about 12 meters in circumference.
John hears Cortana speaking quietly over the comm, "Chief, the creatures are not tied into the main security system. They have an auxiliary control override straight ahead of you. Noc if you can reach that control panel, I believe I can use your enhanced comm link to access their command circuits."
Noc moves towards cover silently, if only he can get to that control panel, maybe he and Cortana can deactivate these mechanical monsters. Ever so slowly he crouches beside a row of crates. Inch by inch he moves. But his shoulder rubs too close to one of the crates tipping over a metal tool. The tool teeters on the edge of the crate. It leans back and forth and begins to rotate. As Noc reaches to catch it, it slides down, spinning in slow motion towards the ground. Clink, clink it goes.
Boom! Plasma cannons fire, all hell breaks lose.
Three plasma bolts fly over Thom's head, pulling the air away from him like flying vacuums. Thom rolls behind the engine block of a damaged Terran vehicle left here from some previous battle.
One bolt explodes on Gunter; he lets out a cry of pain as he grabs a large I-beam from the rubble beneath him. Swat, he bats another bolt out of the air. Like the great Bambino he hits a line drive that blows the head off one of the mechanical creatures. Home run!
John's cloaking shield seems no defense against these creatures. From close range one of them tracks him and opens up with mini-guns mounted on its arms. Two hundred rounds per second rip John's shields down. He falls back blasting away at the closest gun. The mini-gun explodes from the shots momentarily causing the creature to lose tracking with its other mini-gun. The tracer rounds burn like a laser beam just missing John's head.
With shields down, John back flips through the air away from the shots while still firing until his rifle overheats. Fiery red lines dance around him, a musical of death crescending with exploding green balls.
The flaming green bolts fly without abandonment. Their explosions burn the air leaving a temporary void -- the after sound a whistle blown in reverse.
Boom! Suck... Another explosion nails Gunter. The great hunter goes down. Small embers, still burning with green fire, rise from around the body.
No creature targets the Lady who appears to be engaged with an invisible foe. She rolls around with purple lightning shooting from her mouth. A high pitched screeching sound shatters nearby objects.
The Lady screams in pain as the flux key is loosed from her grip. It flies toward the portal as if guided on unseen wings.
There is a momentary break in the action, Noc dives to the control panel and inserts his comm on its data receptacle. Cortana goes to work. In a hustle, he moves to take cover again behind the crates. This time he falls flat on his face, tripping over the lifeless body of Convenstein. There before him is his lifetime idol, dead with his brain sucked out by the Grace. Noc dares to touch the greatness. Sadness fills his heart; tears fill his eyes. Why is life so cruel?
Zap! An electric pulse burns through Noc's armor straight into his body. Noc's body twitches on the ground as if his heart is in fibutation.
"Noc!" Thom yells as he rolls out from cover with energy sword in hand. He then turns sideways as two plasma bolts fly passed him. One bolt missing just in front of his chest, the other missing just behind his back. Two spins later the great hero has sliced through the neck of one of the creatures.
A poetic end to the horrid creation. Its head slides to the ground as its decapitated body continues to fight without control. Its mini-guns fire wildly taking out the legs of another of its kind.
John sees that Thom has got the attention of most of the creatures. Time to give him some cover fire. "Hurry up Cortana," he says over his comm as he throws plasma grenades at several of the creatures. Then he spots the flux key flying through the air towards the portal.
The flux key darts to the portal and inserts into a slot. It turns once. Inside the portal ring multi-colored energy begins to swirl. The key is pulled out of the slot.
Ba ba ba ba ba ba! John charges the flux key, shooting right near it. The outline of the Grace can be seen. John drops his plasma rifle and hits the figure right smack in the chest. In his fist is a live plasma grenade. He lets go and the figure staggers back; purple energy flickers from its body, the glow of the grenade burning brightly in the middle. The flux key falls nicely into John's hand as he squeezes and rotates the figure's wrist down and back. He then spins around the figure striking it in the back of the head with his elbow. The figure stumbles forward. John instinctively kicks it in the rear, propelling it forward away from the portal.
Boom! The plasma grenade goes off. The figure flies back over John and into the mystical energies of the portal.
All the scorpion creatures stop. Their arms hanging limp at their sides.
"Good work Cortana," John says.
Cortana replies, "I did nothing Chief. The control circuits are too complex. Interesting, I'm picking up another control signal."
Up from the dead is Noc. The grunt stands proud as his face transforms from the mild mannered officer to an insane genius. Noc yells, "I am the great Covenstein!"
Before anyone can stop him, Noc then runs into the portal followed by a dozen of the remaining scorpion creatures. The creatures pay no attention to John as they run by him, almost trampling him with their massive bodies.
Cortana speaks, "Chief, the Covenant have deactivated the main security systems. I recommend we get a move on."
Over his comm Johns says, "Thom grab Gunter, I'll get the Lady, we need to get out of here now."
At that moment three Elites dart in from the connecting tunnel on ghost reconnaissance vehicles. Close behind them a banshee ground assault vehicle thrusts in, followed by dozens more ghosts. From farther away, the communications from approaching troops is picked up by Cortana. She says, "Chief the portal is our only way out, there are hundreds of troops arriving."
John grabs the Lady and runs to the portal where he waits for Thom. John says, "I sure hope the Lady is right about these portals... Get a move on Thom you've got ghosts approaching."
Thom jumps into the wrecked vehicle near him. "I heard these Terran warthogs can run on anything." Varrrrummmmm, the warthog starts up on the first try. It's only got two wheels left but that's enough, riding on its rims it moves forward. Thom jumps out and with a big push of strength, he heaves Gunter into the back.
Shots fire at Thom as he hops back into the driver's seat. The warthog doesn't move; the engine is dead. Vrrumpt, pit, pit, vrrumpt. It won't start.
The ghosts have Thom surrounded, the banshee approaches fast. It flies right over Thom and heads to the portal. Its fuel rod cannon charging up to fire.
"Forget me John, take the Lady and get out of here!" Thom shouts over the comm.
John dives carrying the unconscious Lady through the portal just as a green explosion blasts behind him.
John doesn't remember much of the trip, his mind not yet accepting what lies beyond the portal. He wakes in a pile of mud at the foot of another portal.
He is surrounded by large white-haired apes who wear the faces of Elites. They wield plasma tipped spears and metal chest plates. John stands up, still in his disguise as an Elite. All the apes lie prone on the ground except one that kneels. The one says, "Mighty chosen one, we the portal guard, your loyal servants, have been awaiting for your return."
The rest of the story moves quickly. The Lady is badly hurt so John instructs the portal guard to bring healing solutions for her. To his surprise, the healing solutions are brought by humans. They are slaves to the white apes.
The Lady is what the white apes, a.k.a. Jukans, call a devil creature. According to their highest laws she must be brought to the Spirit City immediately. John has no choice in the matter, but he does insist that all the slaves accompany them on the trip. Better then to make an escape with the humans while on the road.
They head out immediately. The group consists of just nine of the portal guards, twenty slaves bound together by heavy chains, John and the Lady. They march all night stopping only a few times for rest and nourishment.
As the sun comes up, the leader of the Jukan portal guards named Garridor comes forward to John and says, "Oh great chosen one, a storm approaches, these slaves move too slowly, the Spirit City is still half a day away."
John instructs them to take cover in nearby caves. Thus we have gone full circle in our thoughts. John looks into the darkness caused by the storm. He must figure out what to do. He and Cortana plan silently over the comm.
-- Next, the Chosen Ones --
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