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Leading into Something Bigger Part One
Posted By: Jones Marshall<rjnash@optusnet.com.au>
Date: 8 November 2006, 12:36 am


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2nd Lieutenant John Black looked down the sights of his M6D and emptied about three rounds into the red bulls-eyes in the center of the target, the chamber sliding back with each shot and the muzzle flash shining off of the silver metal of the gun.

'That's some great shooting, Lieutenant Black,' came Colonel George Backwater's voice from somewhere behind him. 'You ought to make a career out of it.'

John slid his visual interface back into his helmet and turned around. The Colonel stood in his medal-decorated green uniform, his pipe in his mouth and a faint puff of smoke coming out of it and disappearing as it went further away. His moustache bristled in the breeze which wafted in from the doorway off to the right of the firing range.

The evening sky was above them, the sun setting off in the east (or was it west? John couldn't tell) and providing a red sky to accompany the coming of the night.
The Colonel's moustache bristled again.

'Could you stop bristling your moustache? You're freaking me out,' John said, holstering his pistol.

'Whatever. Anyway, you ought to be in those shooting competitions they have back on Earth. You could win money,' the Colonel continued.

'I doubt that let someone in with a military background,' John replied, taking out a bottle of water and unscrewing the top. He gulped some of it down and then placed the lid back on.

'John,' the Colonel said, his voice changing from one of being impressed to one of seriousness, 'Do you know why I came here?'

'No, I have no idea,' John said, realizing that he didn't know why the Colonel was here and not doing paper-work in his office.

'I have been told to find men for a special mission. Young, handsome, strong men like you.'

'Why young, handsome, strong men?'

'That's what that idiot Captain Turnwell told me.'

'Isn't he the going to be Captain of that new ship, the…'

'Winter Sunshine. Yes, he is. The ship with the new and improved slip-space drives that can just about beat any Covenant ship in the galaxy.'

'I heard he's a hero.'

'He's won medals, yes, but that don't make him a hero. Hell, I've won medals just by standing around and doing nothing.'

The Colonel pointed to a medal with a gold band and shaped in a circle with a small picture on it.

'Three years longs service,' the Colonel said grinning. He pointed to the next one. 'Six years long service.' Then he pointed to the next one. 'Twelve years long service. You don't need to be any battles to win those.'

John sat down on a chair by the firing booth.

'Come on, get to the point,' John said impatiently. He had to report back to his platoon in an hour, and it took him half an hour to get to where his platoon was stationed.

'John, I think you're good enough for the mission I'm about to tell you about. It's a classified mission that no one outside of this firing range can know about.'

The Colonel looked around. The janitor was standing near the door, using a mop to wipe up what looked like vomit from the tiles.

'You there, could you leave?' The Colonel asked.

The janitor stopped and looked at him. He had a scruffy beard and seemed to be chewing on gum.

'What?' He asked, putting away his mop.

'Could you leave?'

'Why?'

'I have to tell this man about something top secret. I need you to leave.'

'Whatever you say,' the janitor said, walking out of the firing range.

The Colonel turned back to John.

'John, have you heard of Nazis?' The Colonel asked, leaning forward towards John.

'Yes, vaguely. The ones that started World War Two?'

'Which was over five hundred years ago. Anyway, are you aware that since the time those fascist bastards back in the early years of the UNSC got beaten off, Nazism has started becoming more powerful?'

'I wasn't aware of that, no.'

'Well, we have just discovered that the Nazis are planning to steal relics from the Palace of Versailles. Not just any ordinary relics, for one, there's the Spear of Destiny.'

'What's that?'

'It's the Spear that pierced the side of Christ when he was crucified which killed him. The Nazis are planning to take that.'

'And you obviously want me to stop it from happening?'

'Damn right, Lieutenant. Damn right. We should meet tomorrow and talk about this some more.'






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