Diary of the ODST
#3 of Halo Chronicles
Author's Note: the yiff scene isn't particularly long in this part of the story, so bear with it for part two. Main reason I broke it up in two parts is that I have a crappy internet connection and anything longer than twenty pages is a bitch to upload. The usual warning about certain scenes, harsh language, yadda yadda. Part two will be up, probably end of summer, maybe sooner, maybe later.
"What drives a person to join the ODST? Is it their unshakable conviction to serve and protect their species and family? Is it a form of self indulgence? Do they think they have to prove something? Maybe they have nothing else to do. Drop out of school, have little skills and want to make something out of themselves?
"Or maybe they join to find something. Are they in search of themselves? Camaraderie? Do they crave wealth or glory? Or maybe they are looking to find a forbidden love among the stars. Perhaps they seek a Romeo and Juliet story? Or maybe, we don't actually know what we join for, and fate throws something unexpected in our lap.
"I joined with one, seemingly morbid reason. To kick some ass. What fate has in store for me, I believe, will no doubt be something completely unexpected.
"Dear diary, this is the first entry in this little leather bound log-book the ODST issued me. If I pass away in service to the UNSC, I hope these pages survive, so everyone will know what I died for. What I signed my life away for... what I felt the unshakable conviction to fight for..."
- Diary of an ODST
// Terali, Luscious system, 17th December 2555, 1534 hours
A very light flurry of snow fell into the canyon, dappling the few bits of foliage and drifting on a breeze that brought a chill to the already cold air. The wind picked up for a second, tossing up a flurry of snow, hiding the convoy for a brief second. Private Gareth MacMillan, aged twenty Earth years, otherwise known as 'Gaz' to those who knew him, cursed loudly, breaking the point of his pencil against the diary page as the Warthog bounced over the bumpy track. Lifting the third pencil he had broken this week to his helmet's faceplate he let out a long sigh and tossed it over his shoulder, hitting the Helljumper seated behind him in the head with it. Closing his diary he stowed it safely in a chest pocket of his brand new arctic camouflage uniform. The ODST armour fitted him as if a tailor had made it specifically for him, and could protect him from a straight plasma bolt. Something that would have probably saved a lot of marines a few years ago before the war against the Covenant ended.
Being the battalion's marksman he sat with his new scoped BR55HB SR battle rifle across his front with the strap strung around his neck and a full clip loaded in the receiver. Everybody else in the battalion carried either an M60 combat shotgun or an MA5C IWCS assault rifle, but wore the same hardened uniform with a helmet sporting a silver tinted face shield.
The lead M831 'troop-hog' rocked, bouncing over the rough terrain as the convoy of four Troop Carrier Variant Warthog LRVs followed the narrow rocky path that skirted the shadowy edges of 'Sidewinder Canyon'. The dull, spiny leaves on the trees twitched and the unusually glossy alien grass swayed in the rushing wind that blew about their position, kicking up more fallen snow.
Beside him, and in the other Warthogs sat the rest of 213th Orbital Drop Shock Trooper Battalion, nicknamed 'Rangers', a battalion of soldiers fresh out of boot trained by the last surviving members of some grandfather ODST chalk that called themselves the 'Wolf Pack.'
Their first tour of duty would be a take and hold op, here on the frozen planet Terali in the Luscious system. The planet had been home to a parasitic infestation known as the Flood for months now. On the other end of this winding gorge, as well as other locations across the planet, the United Nations Space Command had set up a stronghold in archaic fortresses and supplied troops and equipment for one single reason.
Terali was already home to a class 5 sentient race. In their conquest to consume all the life in the galaxy, the Flood sleeper cell let loose a spore that landed on the planet and ejected its lethal contents that wiped most of the locals out... until the UNSC kicked in and started re-locating refugees into human controlled fortresses where they could be protected until the quarantine was lifted.
Their mission was simple. Link up with 3rd Battalion UNSC Marines at the fortress designated 'Haven' and protect the refugees at all costs.
The passengers' heads bobbed as the lead Warthog nosed into a dip and crackled loudly through a stream covered in a thin layer of ice. Icy cold water splashed up from under the run flat tires as the driver revved the engine so the vehicle could pull out of the ditch. Gaz tightened his grip on an overhead handhold and looked back to see Warthogs two three and four go through the same painstaking process of crossing the stream without getting stuck.
Beside Gaz, at the very back of the troop-hog, sat his close friend, Private Griggs, who grunted and shook his head, looking around the frozen wonderland that surrounded them. "Man, if you ask me," the Helljumper said in a colonist-born accent. "This mission is a load of Bravo Sierra."
"How so?" Gaz asked in his Earthling British accent.
"We're trained to fight Covenant sleeper cells and Insurrectionists, not to protect a bunch of wimpy aliens from a space-zombie freakshow with a taste for taking over sentient beings, right?" Griggs reasoned.
"I think this mission is very important." Gaz contradicted. "These people are the first friendly aliens we have ever run into. I mean, since we met the Covenant, and we all know how that turned out."
"I wasn't trained to do diplomacy." The colonist private rolled his eyes. "I was trained to fight. Were you trained to fight, Gaz?"
Gaz chuckled. "I think I was trained for multiple situations. Besides. We're the baddest of the badass. In about a weeks time the UNSC fly-boys are gonna glass the quarantine zones and this infection will be over before you even miss out on unpacking presents back on Centauri."
"Ooh-rah to that, bro." Griggs chuckled.
"Hey, Rangers, did I just hear an ooh-rah from that direction?" a woman's voice said cheerfully over the open band radio frequency.
"You sure as hell did, Haven." An Australian accent belonging to the marine sitting shotgun in Warthog one said over the radio.
"Good thing you boys are in good spirits! You got nothing but cold beds, frozen meals and bland drinks waiting for you here." The woman's voice replied.
"Cold beds, frozen meals, bland drinks and kicking Flood ass, you mean." Gaz corrected, clicking his radio.
"I hear that!" the voice of Corporal Jones said from Warthog three.
"Ooh-rah!" all the marines in Warthog two and four chanted in unison.
Gaz couldn't help but grin beneath his helmet, slouching slightly as Haven glode into view. It was a reasonably sized citadel built into the gorge wall, surrounded by a high, thick, un-scalable wall with only one gate that remained raised. From the angle they approached, Gaz spotted sentries patrolling the wall, and saw they had set up chain guns every eight meters. Any attacking force would be turned to fleshy confetti before they even reached the gate set into the wall on the far left of the wall close to the gorge edge.
"IFF confirmed." A male voice crackled through the headset of every soldier in the Warthogs sloshing through the mud to approach the gate. "Welcome to 'Haven' boys and girls. We are lowering the gate now."
Gaz watched as the red lights lining the sides of the tall gate turned to green, and under the metallic grind of internal cogs and wheels, the obstruction slowly started a smooth descent into the ground. Before long, the gate retracted completely into the frozen earth and left nothing but a slight speed bump in their way. The Warthogs only sat idle for a short second, waiting for the gate to retract before going on their way again. One by one the jeeps of 213th Battalion filed into the citadel, squeezing through the narrow opening in the perimeter wall. As soon as Warthog four was inside the gate came to life again and rose up, locking in place.
The courtyard in the heart of Haven was littered with three Mongoose ATVs, a single Scorpion tank, a pair of Warthogs fitted with LAAG chain guns and countless supply crates with weapons, ammo, explosives and survival supplies. A pair of regular arctic camo clad marines were on equipment detail, there were six patrolling the perimeter, and Gaz imagined the rest of 3rd Battalion had other jobs to do further in the citadel.
One by one the Warthogs parked beside the other vehicles and the marines disembarked. Gaz walked alongside Griggs as the battalion formed a line in front of their welcoming committee, a single marine whose IFF read as Sergeant Major Coarse.
The Rangers' commanding officer walked along the line of men and women before removing his helmet and grinning at their clean, speedy disembarkation from their vehicles. They fell into formation quickly and flawlessly, standing to attention before Major Coarse. Tucking his helmet under one arm he walked over to the major and saluted.
"Staff Sergeant McKay, 213th Rangers, reporting for duty, sir!"
The sergeant major returned the salute, stepped past the staff sergeant and looked along the line of twenty fresh marines, his head swivelling from left to right to scan the IFF readings from each of the new recruits. His uniform was basically the same as that of the Helljumpers with a few fundamental changes. His helmet didn't have a full face shield, but only his mouth and chin was visible under the golden visor that slid down over his eyes. Whereas the ODST had a patch on their shoulder depicting a golden comet tearing across a night sky, the major had a different patch on his shoulder, depicting the standard UNSC insigne with the words Semper Fidelis printed under it.
Slowly the sergeant major removed his helmet, revealing his face. He had pale skin, creases and scars across his face and a shaved head. His pale blue eyes looked like they could stop a plasma bolt in its tracks.
"Right!" the sergeant major said out loud, his voice extremely hoarse as if he'd been smoking and shouting all his life. "Listen up ladies and gentlemen! Just so we understand each other, I don't like the ODST. You're a bunch of trigger happy cowboys. I voiced my concern to highcomm about sending you into a diplomatically fragile situation, but as usual they ignored me. The lot of you look like you're about twelve years old, so I'm going to put this plain and simple. I only have one rule. You fuck up, I fuck you up! Do you get me?"
"Sir, yes sir!" the members of 213th battalion barked as one their voices carrying through the frozen canyon.
The sergeant major glanced back at sergeant McKay, who gave a slow nod. Coarse stepped down and let McKay move his people out. "All of you have one hour to find a bunk and unpack your things before you report to the common area for orientation."
The marines scattered as Coarse called out for two individuals. "Privates MacMillan and Griggs, stand fast!"
Gaz and Griggs froze mid step and faced the Sergeant Major, snapping to attention. "Sir!" they barked together.
"At ease." Coarse said moving closer. "I read both of your files and must say I'm impressed. I'll need corporals, and I'm considering you two. Report to the firing range in five. I'd like to see what you boys are capable of."
"Sir, yes sir!" the two privates saluted.
"Dismissed." Coarse nodded and watched them scatter to get their ALICE packs and find a bunk.
Gaz could hardly believe it. Corporal? Him? Perhaps coming to this alien frozen wasteland in the Christmas month had been a good thing.
// Terali, Luscious system, 17h December 2555, 1545 hours
Built into the gorge wall behind the citadel's perimeter fortifications was a honeycomb of ancient tunnels and rooms converted into barracks, armouries, labs and facilities to make refugees' and marines' stay that bit more comfortable.
And speaking of refugees, Gaz had still not seen any. Just some non-combat human staff wandering about the intricate innards of this archaic structure. Hell, he hadn't even seen an alien cockroach yet. The private didn't think too much of it as he fired down the makeshift range at the paper silhouette thirty yards away.
His battle rifle released the last burst, causing the paper to flutter and shred. Confetti drizzled to the ground as the centre of the target's torso was shredded to reveal a large hole. Despite that, the silhouette slid forward in a mechanical whir.
"Sidearm!" Coarse shouted.
Gaz reacted without thinking, the movements coming to him as natural as breathing. He dropped the rifle in its sling and tugged loose his sidearm. The firing range was silent for only two seconds as the target halted ten feet away.
His pistol barked three times, and each successive shot put a neat hole in the silhouette's head. The page fluttered before settling to reveal his hits.
The Sergeant Major clicked his stopwatch as Gaz re-holstered his pistol. Coarse shook his head and sighed. "One point thirty four seconds."
"Hell yeah!" Griggs raised his hand for a high-five...
"He cannot high-five you, marine, for Private MacMillan is now dead!" the Sergeant Major snapped, before glaring back at Gaz who looked taken aback. "It takes a Flood Infection form one second to take you over. It takes a Combat form less than that to tear you apart. It takes a Tank form ten milliseconds to crush every bone in your body."
There was a moment of silence, broken by the quartermaster moving an ammo crate in the background. When the loud scraping noise ended, Griggs leaned against a wall and shook his head, arms folded across his broad chest. "With respect sir," he began. "Gaz did pump something like thirty-nine rounds into it."
"And I don't care how many neat holes you blow in them, MacMillan." Coarse continued. "You could pop a hundred into them and they'll still be deadly." He then looked at the other ODST private. "Griggs. You're up. Lets see if you put your wretched kind to shame. Private MacMillan, report to the infirmary."
Gaz almost didn't hear him, lost in his own thoughts. His shots had been spot on for killing a Flood combat form. His switching time had been damn fast. What was wrong with the major? Was this some new way of fucking up new recruits? Some kind of weird way of making it hard for the little guy? Or was it something personal? Did he like getting recruits psyched up about something then beat them down? The major already admitted to not liking Helljumpers very much. Maybe he was doing this to attempt to make the battalion's stay harder.
"Why?" Gaz asked.
"What was that?" Coarse snapped.
"I mean... yes, sir." Gaz said, gritting his teeth and moving past the Sergeant Major.
Already he was seeing his chances of becoming a corporal fly away faster than a Mongoose on nitro. Morally beaten and broken, the private left the armoury and followed the hall to the infirmary for reasons he didn't know nor care about.
He almost missed the staff sergeant as he approached a large crate with rations in his arms. "Yo, corporal!" sergeant McKay said in a usual upbeat tone.
Gaz shook his head before saluting. "It's still private, sir."
"Well don't get down." McKay said, stopping. "The major is just fucking around with you. He does it to all the ODST. I'll talk to him. You'll make corporal yet."
Gaz felt a grin flicker his lips again. "Thanks sir."
McKay looked down at the rifle slung across the private's back. "That safety on?"
Gaz smiled behind his visor and held up his right hand, imitating a trigger pull with his index finger. "This is my safety, sir."
McKay laughed as he kept walking. "Oh yeah?" he held out his foot as he trotted away. "Well this is my boot, son. And it will fit up your ass with the proper amount of force."
Feeling somewhat cheered up by his upbeat CO, Gaz shook his head and kept walking. Passing two marines and a medic on the way he finally reached the door to the med-bay.
The door swished open, disappearing into the floor and Gaz stepped over the threshold before it shut behind him again. The first thing that hit him was the sterile smell that he hated about infirmaries and hospitals. The next thing that caught his attention was a Flood Infection form hovering in the corner of his eye...
It takes a Flood infection form one second to take you over...
"Holy shit!" Gaz jumped back, tugged loose his sidearm and slammed his back into the nearest wall, scrolling his sights onto the small squid like sack bobbing peacefully in a green tinted jar.
Its feelers were slack and there was a long incision running along the top of its body, revealing the delicate and grotesquely simple innards of the parasitic creature. The jar stood on a shelf above a desk on which several reports and a microscope sat.
"Whoa, wait!" A figure on the far side of the room shouted, jumping up from her seat behind her desk. She moved forward, her hands held out. "It's already dead!"
The medical officer's voice sounded somewhat startled and shaky as the Helljumper slowly lowered his gun. Gaz turned his head and stared at her. She wasn't human, but humanoid none the less. The Telari doctor had the appearance of an anthropomorphic arctic fox. She wore a crimson and grey uniform that hugged her slender body, following every delicate curve and angle of her figure and had perfectly groomed silvery white hair that fell to her shoulders, curling slightly at the ends. Her fur glistened in the artificial light of the infirmary and Gaz felt as though her pale blue eyes pierced right through his visor.
"Sorry." The private said, absentmindedly twirling the pistol on his index finger. "I, uh... sorry." He took one last glance at the Flood specimen kept for study and stuffed the pistol back into its holster.
"Is there something I can help you with?" the fox asked suddenly impatient, staring at the ODST private with some confusion. "Or did you just drop by to shoot up my specimens?"
"No need to get smart." Gaz assured apologetically as he pressed his chin against his chest and pulled loose his helmet. Tucking the head-gear under one arm he looked up into her eyes again. "Sergeant Major Coarse sent me for something."
She seemed to be staring at him now... either that or she was studying him. Her head pivoted slightly as she scanned him from head to foot.
After a while the Helljumper couldn't take it anymore. "There something wrong, doc?" he asked blankly.
An odd grin flicked onto the fox's narrow muzzle as she shook her head, muttering something that wasn't English under her breath. "No. Sorry. It's nothing... the Sergeant Major sent you?" she moved to her desk and leaned over the surface to get at the drawers behind it.
"That's right." Gaz curiously watched her tail swish around. "If you don't mind me asking, how'd you learn to speak English?" it felt like a dumb question, but seemed relevant at the time.
"UNSC taught me. I'm a fast learner." The fox replied absent mindedly.
Her tail suddenly lifted and Gaz came to the horrible realization he was looking directly at her ass. Swallowing hard at the incredible view he got, the private quickly snapped his gaze upwards again. The doctor looked over her shoulder before straightening up again and turning to face him.
"There something wrong, private?" the doctor asked almost teasingly, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"No, ma'am!" Gaz quickly answered in an official tone. "Nothing... so, why am I here?"
The fox pointed to a stool beside her desk. "Take a seat and roll up your sleeve." She said, tearing the protective wrapping off a syringe she held. "All the personnel on this base have to be chipped, in case we lose you in the quarantine zone."
"Oh, wonderful." Gaz grinned as he pulled off his gloves and dropped them on the ground beside his helmet. "So then you'll be able to find me before the Flood."
The doctor shrugged. "Or at least retrieve your Flood infected body for study."
Gaz froze halfway through rolling up his sleeve and let his jaw drop slightly, staring at the doctor as she looked up. "Okay... lets hope you're not called on to motivate the troops."
The doctor rolled her eyes and shoved the private into his seat. "I'm Carla by the way." She introduced as she swabbed the skin on his right upper arm. "Carla Whyte."
"Gareth." Gaz paused to grit his teeth as the good doctor jabbed the needle into his arm. Clearing his throat to cover the grunt of pain he continued. "Private Gareth MacMillan. My friends call me Gaz."
"So nobody calls you Gaz." Carla retorted cleverly.
"Oh, ha, ha." Gaz said sarcastically as the doctor withdrew the syringe. "Aren't we funny?"
Carla grinned. "Sorry, I couldn't resist." She tossed the syringe into a box designated 'medical garbage' and rolled Gaz's sleeve down. "Alright, Gaz. Now wherever you go we can find you... on the planet that is."
"Wonderful. All that and no lollipop." Gaz smiled as he stood up and retrieved his gloves and helmet. "So, doc. I just have to know. Are you civilian or military?"
"Temporarily enrolled into the UNSC as Chief Medical Officer for Haven." Carla said proudly. "Mainly because of my studies on the Flood before the UNSC came here. Why?"
"Chief Medical Officer." Gaz replied somewhat blankly. "I guess I ought to call you 'ma'am', and salute you in the hall."
Carla thought about this, and then smiled at him. "Yeah. I suppose you'd have to."
"And I'd probably have to follow orders too." Gaz thought out loud, scratching the back of his head, unsure why he had even thought it.
He suddenly noticed Carla was moving closer. "Yeah. You would." Her head cocked sideways slightly as Gaz felt her body brush the front of his uniform. "Do you have a problem following my orders, private?"
"Uhm... no ma'am." Gaz said somewhat startled. "Order me to jump, I ask how high. Order me to kiss a Flood, I ask which cheek."
"Would you kiss anyone I ordered you to?" she asked suddenly, her voice soft and framed with seduction.
Gaz swallowed and tried to think of something original to say. Something clever and from the heart... All that came to mind was: "Well, unless the person was a superior officer. Then it would go against military regulations regarding fraternizing and I'd be forced to decline and relieve you of your command."
Carla chuckled and stepped back. Gaz silently let out a breath. "Badass, cute and clever. You'll go far." She said with a tone Gaz assumed was sarcastic.
"Thanks, doc... I guess." Gaz scratched his head before replacing his helmet. "I'm gonna stow my gear... uhm... see you around, ma'am." He gave a half-assed salute and backed out of the infirmary.
Carla folded her arms across her chest, grinning and leaning against her desk, watching the private leave. "Yeah... see you around."
// Terali, Luscious system, 18th December 2555, 1012 hours
The morning came with a flurry of snowfall. Crystalline white flakes drizzled from the sky, coating over the slush within Haven's perimeter. Most of the soldiers from the Rangers sat around a steel container in which a wood fire blazed. They warmed their hands by it, talking among themselves and having an overall laugh. Some of them were reading mail from home on personal data pads, others were singing Christmas carols. One week to go until the whole unwrapping of presents fiasco. Somehow Gaz was glad he wasn't on earth. At least here he didn't have to put up with the commercialisation of the ancient Christian holiday... or pagan holiday... or excuse for old men to put on red suits and have children on their laps. Whatever the hell Christmas was, he was glad he didn't have to be on Earth to celebrate it. Of course that meant he wasn't with his family, carving that full turkey roast... but hey. Compromise.
Sighing, Gaz pulled off his helmet and enjoyed the cool breeze on his face. A single flake of cold snow fell on his nose, and he reached up to brush it off when he got an odd feeling. Opening his eyes he jolted, almost stepping back and tumbling over the low battlements that lined the high protective wall of Haven. He was standing nose to nose with that Terali doctor, Carla.
"Bloody hell!" he cried, dropping his helmet at his feet and windmilling his arms for balance.
She laughed and caught him by the sleeve so he wouldn't tumble backwards. "Easy, Gaz. Don't want you falling down there with that guy running around down there." She stepped past him and leaned on one of the higher battlements looking down the wall at a figure stumbling around outside the walls.
The doctor was wearing a thick woollen coat, possibly native to this planet over her uniform and a pair of woollen gloves. She had a similar scarf wrapped around her throat and tied neatly on her front. She smiled at Gaz and nodded down at the figure below.
The private looked at it and immediately knew it was a Flood. Just remembering what form it was proved to be tricky.
"Can you tell me what that is, private?" Carla asked observing the creature as it shambled around in a pattern as if searching for something in the snow.
"No, I don't think so." Gaz said shouldering his rifle. "But I have seen one before on a vid-disk. These guys make an explosion if you hit 'em just right. It's pretty cool." He levelled his rifle and angled his head behind the scope. "Wanna see?"
Carla quickly grabbed the rifle and pushed it down. "What? No. Leave it alone. It's only looking for food. Watch."
Gaz gave the doctor a funny look. "Looking for food? Aren't we its food?" he looked down at the Flood form again. It did seem to look for something, but wasn't very successful in finding.
"Not exactly. Once the Flood have a host they look for calcium." Carla explained, her tone sounding like that of a teacher talking to her favourite pupil. "They could do without it, but they can't evolve unless they get it."
Gaz was momentarily distracted to give his fellows behind him the finger as they shouted stuff up at him like, 'Hey, Gaz! Who's your girlfriend?' and 'Plant a wet one on her, mate!'
"Wait, evolve?" Gaz asked, tuning back in as Carla giggled at one particular comment thrown by Private Griggs. "How so?"
"Well, the Flood starts as an infection." Carla explained patiently and with a smile. Gaz could tell she was very proud of her studies. "They grab a host and go into combat form. While defending the Flood hive, it stocks up calcium from other beings or from the surrounding area. When it builds up enough it morphs into the carrier form." She jerked her index finger in the direction of ugly shambling around below. "Pop them and they scatter more infection forms, which repeat the cycle and multiply numbers. But the Flood acts under a hive mind. Should the hive decide it doesn't need to multiply anymore, the carrier forms will stock up more calcium and evolve into a pure form. This form can change between three different forms depending on the situation. The stationary gunner, the fast and agile stalker, or the near invulnerable tank form. And that boys and girls is the wonder of Flood reproduction."
"What? No sex?" Gaz asked boldly.
Carla laughed. "Nope. No sex."
"Bummer." Gaz replied with mock disappointment.
She grinned at him and noticed a funny look.
They stared at each other for a while before Gaz slowly shook his head. "You've taken this thing very seriously haven't you, doc?"
Carla nodded. "My studies saved a lot of lives among my people. You see the refugees here?" she nodded towards one of the four doors leading to the inner areas of Haven where Terali refugees took shelter. "A lot of them thought the Flood were a sentient race, like you humans. They wanted to start negotiating. If I hadn't filed my reports all of them would have been dead or infected before the UNSC had shown up."
"Congratulations. Oh, hold on a sec. Can't be a hero without a medal. Hang on." Gaz said as he started rummaging around in some of the pouches in his uniform before retrieving a copper star roughly sawn and beaten out of a sheet of tin, hanging from a yellow piece of ribbon. "I bestow upon you, the MacMillan medal of honour." He laughed pinning the makeshift medal to Carla's scarf. She smiled widely, chuckling as she lifted it in one hand and looked at it. "Its not an official medal of honour, but the next best thing. My little brother made it for me in school before I shipped out."
"Oh, I couldn't keep this." Carla said as she tried to remove it.
"No, no, it's fine." Gaz said. "There's more where that came from. He wrote a letter saying he's working on a lieutenant's badge now." He grinned. "He's a bit of an artist."
Carla smiled, still looking down at the roughly made medal, leaning against one of the battlements. Gaz leaned beside her and kept his eye on the Flood carrier which was slowly shambling further and further away.
"You have family back on your home planet?" Carla said softly.
Gaz grinned, nodding slightly. "Mom. Dad. Older sister and a younger brother."
Carla waited for more, but none came. "Wife?"
Gaz frowned and looked at her to see if she was serious. "Huh? Uh... no. No wife."
"Sorry. I didn't mean to invade." Carla apologised sensing it was an awkward question.
"No, its okay." Gaz said watching the fox as she gazed off into the distance, the wind playing with her hair. "How about you? There a mister Whyte among the refugees?"
The Terali doctor gave a half grin as a small black box on her belt suddenly beeped and buzzed loudly. "That's me." She said, pressing the button on her buzzer. "I'd better get back to the infirmary. Sounds like someone needs me."
"Sure." Gaz snapped into a formal salute and grinned. "Was nice talking to you, ma'am."
Carla smiled and returned the salute. "And you, private." She paused and grinned oddly at him. "Why don't you come by my quarters tonight if you want to talk some more?"
Gaz was taken by surprise with that one. All he managed to force out of his throat was the word, "Sure." Staring at her as she turned and walked away.
She glanced over her shoulder just once before descending the ramp leading down off the perimeter wall and to one of the doors leading to the Haven interior. Leaning over one of the battlements, Gaz gazed off through the empty gorge, looking for any other Flood that may have been foraging.
Meanwhile, Griggs crept up and leaned against the battlement where Carla had been a minute ago, grinning sheepishly behind his helmet's visor. It took a while for Gaz to realise he was there, then even longer to figure out what the hell he wanted.
"Is this going to ruin my day?" Gaz asked suddenly.
Griggs slowly nodded. "Oh, hell yeah."
// Terali, Luscious system, 18th December 2555, 2301 hours
Gaz couldn't sleep. Lights out had been several hours ago, and while his brothers in arms had all drifted off into the world of sleep, Gaz remained in the conscious world. He still sat propped up against his pillow, writing in his diary under the thin beam of light projected by his helmet mounted torch.
'Doctor Whyte then told me to meet her in her private quarters tonight if I wanted to talk some more.' He wrote, pausing to re-read the sentence. What did it mean?
Was she serious? Maybe some kind of odd Terali expression? Was she sitting up right now waiting for him to show up at her door? Or was she sleeping like everyone else and he wasn't on her mind in any way whatsoever.
'Diary, I think I may be falling for Doctor Whyte. Funny, I know, since she's an alien... but... I dunno. Maybe the cold is getting to me. Maybe the fear of sharing a planet with the Flood is getting me to snap. Maybe I'm going crazy.' But somehow Gaz thought it wouldn't be so easy.
Gaz turned off his helmet's torch, placed it beside the bed and threw off his covers. Twisting out of the bed he looked over at the next single bunk where Griggs had crashed. The dark skinned private kicked in his sleep, muttering something under his breath, smiling and chuckling.
"Ugh." Gaz muttered under his breath. "Gimme a break." With a sigh Gaz pulled on a t-shirt and his pants, pulled on a pair of boots and left the barracks.
He walked for ten minutes, just wandering the halls of Haven. First he passed the kitchen and waved 'hi' to one of the night-watch fixing some sandwiches for the guys outside keeping watch. Then he moved on, passing the firing range where the quartermaster was up late cleaning rifles.
"Doesn't anyone sleep around here?" Gaz asked out loud, much to the quartermaster's amusement.
They talked for about twenty minutes about nothing. The quartermaster turned out to be from England as well, and had a wife and kid waiting for him. His son turned out to be quite like Gaz's little brother, as in wanted to grow up to be a soldier.
Gaz soon left the quartermaster to his peace and strolled past the med-bay. Pausing to stare at the blank door, he contemplated whether or not to go in. On the one hand the doc may be in and could subscribe something to help him sleep. On the other hand, he couldn't really look at Flood specimens at this hour of night. With a sigh he moved on down the cool hallway, navigating through the dim light, one hand running along the wall beside him. He met one other person, one of the night-watchmen patrolling the corridor, who laughed and made an identical comment as Gaz had made to the quartermaster earlier.
And then he finally got to where he figured he'd inevitably end up. Alone in the dim hazard lights staring at the door to Carla's private quarters. Part of him curious wanted to knock and find out for sure what exactly she wanted from him. Part of him just wanted to go back to bed.
With a sigh, Gaz hung his head and raised his hand, knocking gently on the door. He promised himself if there was no answer he'd just slink off and go back to his bunk... but no such luck.
He heard footsteps on the other side. He couldn't have woken her up. He hardly even knocked. So that meant she must have been awake already.
The door slid away into the floor revealing an arctic fox, her hair tied back and clad only in a light gauzy, practically transparent t-shirt that ended just below her hips. She smiled and giggled as Gaz quickly looked away and covered his eyes with one hand blushing.
"Oh, God, I'm sorry ma'am. I really shouldn't have..." he didn't get to finish.
"Come in private." She said with some amusement. "And yes, that was an order."
With a sigh Gaz kept his gaze in the other direction and stepped past the threshold.
The doc's room was pretty nice. Double bed, closet, desk and chair. All the modern conveniences. She even had an electric heater in one corner. All the marines had in their sleeping area was a smelly old gas heater you had to turn off overnight so not to asphyxiate all the soldiers. So in comparison to the rest of the base, it was actually warm in here.
"So, Gaz." Carla said, pulling a dressing gown off a nearby hook and slipping into it, tying the front with a ribbon. That made Gaz feel a little more comfortable, but only a little since the dressing gown wasn't that much longer than her t-shirt. "What brings you here at this hour of night?"
"Eh..." Gaz paused. "Couldn't sleep. I figured you could prescribe me something."
Carla shook her head. "Sorry, private. No sleeping pills. Sergeant major's orders."
Gaz let out a laugh. "Huh. Typical. Well, sorry to have bothered you, ma'am..." he moved to leave but Carla held out a hand to stop him.
"Wait. I can't sleep either." She admitted. "You want to talk a while?" she asked, pointing to the foot of her bed and sitting on the mattress.
As much as Gaz didn't want to sit around, he did have a question or two. And he did like talking to Carla. She was smart. Clever... pretty. He shook off the last thought and sat down. "Sure. That'd be nice." He looked around the room setting himself on the foot of her bed. "Haven's pretty huge. Who built it?"
"Our military." Carla said, grinning. "Decades ago in a war that divided out people."
Gaz nodded. "We've had a few of those... well, we still do."
The conversation quickly moved on. Gaz learned about the Telari complex schooling system. Carla learned how Gaz managed to survive highschool. She even chuckled at his story of how he joined the Marine Corps. Apparently he got lost on his way to college, stopped for directions and ended up wanting to be a marine.
And then just like that the conversation turned as Carla asked him about his first mate, by which he figured she meant girlfriend.
Gaz chuckled, rubbing his neck and looking away. "You know, it's late. I'd hate to keep you up any longer ma'am." He stopped as he felt the mattress under him bounce slightly.
Perched on the edge of the bed, Carla smoothly slid closer, wrapping one hand around the human's back. He felt her every movement as she leaned closer, her hot breath brushing his lips.
"Please." She whispered. "Call me Carla..." she paused and gazed into his eyes, seeing some surprise and contemplation. "What's wrong?"
Gaz wasn't sure what to say as he swallowed hard. Should he say something sweet and poetic, or just come up with some kind of kinky comment? In the end he managed to just tell her what was on his mind. "Just thinking." He said softly as their heads slowly moved closer to each other. "Wondering if... I... should..." he fell silent as her warm moist lips pressed against his.
Gaz's hand came up and stroked her soft fur as they kissed, wrestling their tongues over each other. Their eyes were shut as they enjoyed each others' taste and scent. She was soft and warm in his arms as she pressed her body against his.
She felt, tasted and smelt just like an angel ought too. And as she let her gown fall to the ground he saw she looked like one too. Long slender legs. Soft pert breasts. Lovely soft fur. As she wrapped one of her legs around his waist and pulled him in tighter, Gaz couldn't help feel like he was in heaven.
// Terali, Luscious system, 19th December 2555, 0721 hours
Griggs yawned loudly, walking up to where Gaz stood on the perimeter wall in full uniform. Griggs was still straightening his combat vest and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He hadn't even had breakfast yet. Gaz on the other hand stood tall, his rifle slung on his back and helmet tucked under one arm, smiling out to the small rising sun as little flakes of ice showered into the canyon in the distance, glittering under the orange sky.
"What are you doing up so early?" Griggs asked, yawning again.
"Waving Carla off." Gaz replied in a happy, upbeat tone. "She's gone with a couple of Terali scientists to check the specimen collection traps they set."
"Its Carla now is it?" Griggs asked tucking away his helmet and running a hand over his bald head. "First name basis? Did you two have sex or something?"
Gaz's smile faded as he snapped his head around to look at the other private. They stared at each other for a long time before Griggs burst out laughing and clapped Gaz on the back.
"Shit, man. You had me worried there for a second." Griggs laughed leading the way down to the mess hall.
Together they entered the mess just as breakfast was being served. It was packed, the line of humans and Telari stretching all the way out the door. Sighing the privates found a pair of seats next to each other and waited for the queue to move on a bit. No sooner had they made themselves comfortable, Staff Sergeant McKay sat down opposite them and slapped his hands down on their table.
"Gentlemen!" he called out loudly with a smile on his face. "This is one of the most painful fucking experiences of my life." Lifting his hands he left behind two corporal badges. "Congratulations. You are now corporals. Don't make me regret fighting for this."
Griggs and Gaz both burst out laughing. "Excellent!" Griggs exclaimed picking up his badge. "Congratulations, corporal!" he said to Gaz.
"And to you, corporal." Gaz laughed back, pinning the badge to his collar.
They both stood up and nodded. "See you in the breakfast line corporal." Griggs said smiling.
"After you, corporal."
"Why thank you, corporal."
"You're welcome corporal."
"Cut that shit out!" McKay yelled after them. "I swear to God those boys 'll be the death of me." He chuckled shaking his head.
Breakfast passed smoothly and the two newly appointed corporals went about their duties, taking a stock-list of their rations, ammo and explosives. Lunchtime came and went, and Gaz was expecting Carla back any minute now.
He wanted to go out and meet her, since they had the rest of the day off, but Griggs insisted on a sparring session. He hadn't had any time to hone his hand to hand combat skills since they left boot. Nobody wanted to spar with him since it was like trying to fight a brick wall.
Several ass kickings on both sides later, both Gaz and Griggs were too sore to continue and decided to go for a walk.
Walking out into the courtyard he looked around, seeing a mixture of ODST and marines rushing about and a group of officers gathered around a radio set on a nearby ammo crate. The three ATVs Carla and two other Telari scientists had taken on their trip were still missing and there were double patrols on the perimeter wall. Sensing something was horribly wrong, Gaz ran over to the group around the radio, Griggs following closely.
Major Coarse barked an order and turned, leaving the group by the radio. Gaz slid to a halt beside Staff Sergeant McKay leaning against a nearby ammo crate.
"What's going on sir?" Gaz asked.
"We got a radio feed from doctor Whyte." The sergeant explained sombrely, arms folded across his chest. "Flood ambushed them. Sergeant major believes if the Flood set up an ambush they're smart enough to set a trap with Whyte as bait."
"Oh, God." Gaz whirled around and ran after the sergeant major, ignoring McKay as he called him back. "Sir! Sergeant major!"
Coarse didn't stop, striding across the courtyard to a doorway leading to his private office. "What is it corporal?" the major snapped.
"We have to send search and rescue." Gaz said. "I volunteer to lead some Rangers..."
"Forget about it, MacMillan." Coarse snapped. "I'm going to order a glassing of the immediate area."
Gaz jumped in front of the sergeant major, forcing him to stop. "That's bullshit, sir!" he burst out. "If the doctor is still alive we should at least attempt to rescue her! She's been chipped like the rest of us. I can find her!"
"Get out of my way, corporal." The sergeant major growled, ignoring everything Gaz was saying.
"No, sir! I will not until you sanction me a search and rescue mission!" Gaz shouted back.
"You are walking a very thin line, corporal!" Coarse shouted. "You are taking this too personally! Now stand down!"
"Damn right I'm taking it personally!" Gaz cried out, grabbing the sergeant major by the collar and hooking his heel into the back of the major's knee.
Tackling the sergeant major, the corporal pinned him against a nearby ammo crate and tugged loose his pistol, aiming it at the nearest marine. Marines under Coarse's command sprang into action, drawing and cocking weapons, aiming them at the corporal. At the same time ODST leapt to their corporal's aid. There were dull thuds as some of the ODST tackled marines, incapacitating them and training weapons at the regular marines holding the corporal at gunpoint. Griggs elbowed a nearby man in the face, pinned him to the ground with one knee and aimed his sidearm at the same marine Gaz aimed at.
Everyone was quiet. There were at least fifteen guns raised in the courtyard, each and every one of them aimed at another human being.
"Rangers leave nobody behind." Gaz hissed, reciting one of Staff Sergeant McKay's most valuable lessons.
"I'm going to count to five, corporal." The sergeant major said venomously.
"Well I'm going to count to three." Gaz interrupted, turning the pistol on the major's head.
Again, just the sound of the wind blowing over Haven. Then footsteps as Staff Sergeant McKay waded through the forest of raised guns and halted by Gaz's side.
"I think you should do it, sir." The sergeant said. "Quitting really isn't an option for Corporal MacMillan. And just for the record... his are bigger."
Coarse thought for a long time, watching a line of sweat trickle down the side of the corporal's face.
"Go on, corporal." Coarse spat suddenly. "You really think you got a pair? Pull the God-damned trigger."
Gaz's eyes widened. Could he do it? Could he pull the trigger right now and take another human being's life? He'd been trained to kill without mercy or regret. But this was a fellow soldier. A man who was supposed to be on his side. A man he was supposed to trust with his life. The same man who was allowing the woman he loved die...
// Terali, Luscious system, 19th December 2555, [Time Unknown]
The world span around Carla's head. She felt sick, like she had been punched right in the stomach. Her head throbbed painfully too, like several volcanoes had erupted inside her skull. Her eyes were itchy, and when she moved her hands to scratch she realised she couldn't move. Slowly tugging at her hands she heard something squelch and a wet suction keep her arms and legs secure in place.
Slowly she managed to open her eyes, taking in the blurry images flickering across her vision. Slowly the picture focused and she realised she was looking down at herself. Her woollen coat was damp, splattered with poor Doctor Durange's blood. Slowly looking up slightly, she saw the glistening wet walls of her bottomless prison. She looked over her shoulder, seeing her arms and legs were partially buried and held securely into the organic wall of the cavern. This cavern like countless others across Terali were referred to as Flood dens. Warm, musty lairs where the parasite brought extra calcium deposits to create a hatchery of new infection forms. It was in these dens she had speculated a Gravemind was being built. A central hive mind for the Flood. A dangerous creature of colossal size with a sentient mind capable of intelligently directing its parasitic armies.
Set against the wall beside her, the ceiling above and the uneven walls all around were pulsating sacks containing Flood infection forms. She was being held right in the middle of the hatchery. Breathing rapidly now her predicament was fully known, Carla cried out, hoping someone was nearby while she tugged desperately trying to free her limbs from the moist organic walls.
"Hello?" she called. "Is someone there? Please! Please, someone help me! HELP ME!!!" her voice carried through the countless caverns, echoing through the numerous halls and pathways spreading out from her position. They continued on for miles and miles, and her voice couldn't reach any of them. Nobody replied. Nobody could hear her, hidden deep within the Flood hive.
Sobbing, defeated, Carla shut her eyes and hung her head. She didn't want to die. Not like this. She wanted to see her parents again... Gareth... they had shared one night. Only one night. And now she'd never see him again. It wasn't fair. How could this happen?
She suddenly regretted ever beginning her study on the Flood. She didn't care how her study had saved lives. She was about to lose her life to these stupid things. She wished that these things had never landed on this planet. That way the UNSC wouldn't have come along. That way she would never have met Gareth and not have to go through this pain.
"No! Stupid girl." Carla cursed herself. "Stop it. He's coming for you. They'll search for you." She had sent the message before the combat forms dragged her off. She was chipped. The marines could find her. "Gareth loves you, you stupid bitch. Focus. He'll come for you. No matter what, he'll come for you. Just stay awake." Opening her eyes and blinking away tears she looked up and scanned her eyes over the various openings and crevices. "He'll come for you..." she whispered.
Any minute she would see humans with guns crawling through any of these openings. She waited... she didn't see or hear anyone...
Then a rumble. It was like the walls were talking. The air wavered before her eyes as a deep hum drilled through her ear canals. She gritted her teeth painfully for a while before the rumble lessened and eased off. What had it been though? Bombing run to clear combat forms so marines could rescue her?
No. This was something else. Something more terrifying.
Carla's eyes widened as a pair of mottled tentacles rose up from the darkness below her, and edged closer.
"What?" she whispered.
A loud deep voice rumbled in reply. It was as if the walls themselves spoke. Countless voices brought together into one rumbling tone that echoed through her prison. "I am the monument of all your sins."
Carla stared as the tentacles curled closer. One gently touched the side of her face, slithering and wrapping around her neck. The other touched the inside of her thigh and slowly stroked higher and higher, causing Carla to struggle and squirm.
"You are the one," the mysterious voice bellowed. "The captor of my sons. The punisher of my daughters. And why? Because you do not understand. You do not understand what we are and are afraid. You are afraid of perfection. You are scared of order. Frightened of the peace everlasting we bring. There shall be no more pain, no more fear, no more sadness, no more hate. Only harmony, everything sentient joined together in one marvellous existence. But you. You have attempted to destroy us. You have studied how to eradicate us. And for that, you will be punished. You will watch as we consume this planet. Join everything that was once loose and attach them together. We will be one with this world, and then when perfection is achieved, we will move on. But you will not be part of the marvel. You will scream in pain. You will squirm in fright. You will sob and cry. You will hate us. Then you will be no more... no one will come for you. Your hope is pitiful and worthless. You will die..."
The tentacles slithered from Carla's body and disappeared with the mysterious voice, leaving her all alone again. Alone to cry and sob. Alone to wonder if anyone was coming for her at all...
To be concluded
Final Note:
There were some comments by some folks who read the first draft that I deleted and lost the comment from, and I'd like to take the time now to address them.
Vipera was hoping for some more Elite action. Don't worry, the next Halo story, progress on which has already begun, will have Elites again. Just for this one I wanted to try something different. An attempt that actually hit a lot more failures than you'll hear me admit.
S3cshun8 said the yiff scene was 99% ripped from Contact Harvest. Not true. It was 100% ripped from Contact Harvest. I was out of ideas, and was hoping that section from the Halo novel would be a foundation for me to build up on. Since that wasn't the case I decided to remove the yiff scene from this part.
Roughlandin posted this comment: "Wow! I have been waiting for AGES! to hear somebody use that Transformers quote." So have I, which was why I 'borrowed' it.
And I promise I'll cut back on using quotes from the games. I'm beginning to realise how annoying it must be. =)