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Instalation Zero Six-Chapter Two: Scouts
Posted By: Samslink14<Samslink14@AOL.com>
Date: 18 August 2006, 5:55 am
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"Hey Sarge! The LT just got some new plans in from the Victor! She wants to meet and discuss them with you ASAP!" The Private shouted to his superior officer from far afield. Sergeant Jared Conner turned towards him, armor glinting in the sunlight.
"All right! Tell her that I'll be right there!" He then turned to the armory officer standing next to him. "I only wanted to try it on. Can I get this armor off fast?"
The officer chuckled. "Sorry Sir. It'll take a couple minutes. Looks like you'll be wearing it to that discussion. Just be sure to bring it back."
Conner scowled. "What's the use of armor if you can't put it on fast enough to protect yourself in a surprise attack?" The officer chuckled again.
"You could just never take it off."
"Oh, shut up." The Sergeant said in a weak verbal defense. He set off for Beta base headquarters at a brisk jog. He was grateful that the armor wasn't that heavy. It didn't take long for him to make it there, but even so, by the time he arrived; two other officers were already present, studying holograms and blueprints. One of them turned toward him, a pretty female in a deep green uniform. She had long blond hair, light gray eyes, slim figure, and a firmly clenched jaw.
"Well Sergeant, took you long enough."
"Yeah Lieutenant, nice to see you too." She gave him a second look, eyes dropping slightly, then back up.
"What's with the armor?"
"You caught me testing some stuff at the Armory." She nodded slightly, then jerked her head towards the blueprints, turning toward them as Sarge walked forward to join her.
"Well, the flyboys up there want some more outposts and bases down here. They aren't expecting any attacks, but they want to know more about this place."
"More bases?" said Conner in surprise. His eyebrows lifted half an inch. "I would have thought that what we have here is more than enough." The El Tee smiled.
"Yeah, me too. Actually, the orders come from the Captain himself, and apparently he wants to establish large research here. I think he's hoping to find something useful for the war." She pulled a hologram projector towards her from across a table and erased the image of a satellite, replacing it with a large, pyramid-like structure lined with rooms, going down slowing in a spiral, therefore using up nearly every inch of space there was, compacting the entire building to a few square miles, where as spread out the base would probably stretch for dozens of miles. "Here's one of the outposts. He wants this one mostly underground, about an eighth of the whole ring away." Conner took a look and allowed his eyes to widen.
"That's one big project. Not only is the actual base quite big, but the whole underground part. However, that would make it good military storage and an excellent research facility. Being below the ground might tell us a lot." Lieutenant Hannah Jackson was not a regular nonsense woman, and knew when to be serious. Right now she was serious.
"That's not half of it Sarge. Check it out." She turned to another portable hologram projector on another table a few feet away. Slender fingers lightly touching a few buttons on the bottom, she brought up an image of the ring, replacing the base plans that had been there a few seconds ago. "Here's the entire ring itself," She said. "and here are all the bases in the places the flyboys want them within the next two weeks." Several dots began to appear all over the gigantic construct. Once again, Sergeant Conner's eyes widened. When the dots finally stopped appearing, he guessed at least sixteen different locations. He counted the same number.
"We're going to have to get a lot more supplies and troops than what we have here at Beta base." He said seriously, turning to look her in the eye.
"Yeah, I told the Captain that, and he said that that went without saying. Told me he was sending down some more resources. A lot more."
"No, Lieutenant, you need to understand. I know that the Victor is one of the biggest ships in the entire Human fleet, but this is crazy. We won't be able to leave too many troops sitting around in the cryo tubes upstairs. It'll be hard enough to construct them, but nearly impossible to finish all of these bases in just a week."
Hannah shook her head. "No Sargeant, YOU need to understand. The Captain wants this done badly, to begin research as soon as possible. He is sending almost half of the entire ship's personnel to join us immediately."
Conner nearly choked. Half of the whole damn personnel? Their ship was one of the biggest in the fleet. Thousands upon thousands of Marines were coming to help. The Captain was waking almost everyone up from cryo-sleep. "We'll still have to work hard." He managed to say. The LT nodded.
"I know, but they are coming down within the next eight hours. We've been ordered to start construction on all of these sites immediately after receiving the support, so we've got to work fast with what we have to make sure that all of those sites are safe. I've already split our forces into seventeen groups, fourty-four people here, and twenty-two for each site. That puts us at two Pelicans per site as well, plus Warthogs for recon. Be warned that we will be severely weakened here at Beta base. If an attack is imminent, we have to pull all forces back here immediately."
Sarge nodded. "Well, at least we have the Scorpions here still, right? They won't be worth crap for recon, not to mention a pain in the ass to transport, so they'll be staying here, and they've got to count for something. If an attack is made too quickly for the rest of our forces to get back here, unless on a large scale, we should be able to hold here until they can arrive. We won't have air support, but we can sure as hell give any attackers some artillery." Jackson nodded, her eyes gleaming. She knew it was true, but she didn't exactly want to risk it. If they were attacked during this time, it would result in heavy casualties. Since it was the only option though, she would have to live with it.
"Alright Sergeant Conner, lets deploy."
"Yeah, but one more thing."
"What's the big deal? Why all this speed? I mean, we're at war, sure, but let's face the facts: we don't know anything about this ring-world. Why is the Captain trying to find info on it? Why not just get back to Reach and let the Admirals figure out what to do with it?"
Lieutenant Jackson frowned and put her hands on her hips. "Well to tell the truth Sergeant, I've been wondering the same thing. So has the entire ship's personnel for that matter. There are whispers, people are making stories from it. Some are saying that Earth is gone, and that's why no one has seen it in so long. They say that there is no home to return to. Now they say that Reach is gone too, glassed, like all the other planets the Humans have lost. The Marines think that the higher ranks are keeping the info from troops to keep moral from dropping."
"You think that there's truth to it? I mean, Earth being gone is ridiculous, and so is the idea about Reach, but what if it was found? Attacked? They would of course call for support, but we were in a tight spot back with those Covenant cruisers. What if the Captain couldn't make it to Reach because of the cruisers? And now Reach is heavily damaged?"
Jackson shook her. "I don't know Conner, but whatever happened happened for a reason. I wish I knew what is going on in the Captain's mind right now, but that is unfortunately not an option. Right now we need to focus on the task at hand. Let's secure those sites." Conner nodded reluctantly. He wasn't questioning authority, but he simply wondered what the hell was going on. He pushed his logic aside and picked up a comlink to begin announcing orders for individual teams. Thinking was not what he was paid for.
***
Captain Ferald leaned over a display in the Victor'sbridge. "How are our plans going Tremaine? Have our people on the ground received the schematics yet?" Ferald inquired. The comet-like AI bobbed slightly.
"Yes Captain. They have received the plans and already begun to send out recon to make sure its safe out there. They've been weakened, but there shouldn't be any threat in the area. The transports carrying troops to the Ring have just begun launching from the Victor's different launching bays. Sections C, E, and H are in use, and all other launching bays will also be in use just following. The first of the Pelican's and assault boats should be arriving on the ring shortly. About five more hours, and they'll be ready to build, if they work as quickly as we hope." Captain Hermin Ferald silently praised the efficiency of his own men. Not even he had expected to start things this fast.
He had woken up from an undisturbed sleep forty minutes ago, feeling better. He reassumed command, giving the Major a break. Gene, the second, lower class AI had finished his task with Beta base and other locations and had returned to the Helljumpers turf. Now that the first supplies of Beta base had been established, Tremaine could handle everything. She had questioned the Captain, informing him that if he launched the Helljumpers then the bases could be finished a lot sooner, but he wanted to keep them in reserve, so that he could use them as a fast support method should an attack be made on the ground.
"And the satellites, what about them? Nearing completion?"
"Yes Sir. Two are already in orbit and a third was launched a few minutes ago. The fourth is on its way to the launching bay, and the fifth is still in the workshop. Some problem with the communication system. It will soon be ready, and since you wanted it held in reserve, it will soon be ready to launch any time you want Sir."
"Outstanding." He replied. Since Captain Ferald expected to stay for at least several weeks with large research, he had the mind to launch some of the satellites he had on board, so they wouldn't be totally dependant on the Victor itself for space research. As another precaution, he had also custom outfitted the satellites with several missile pods, ready to fire on targets in space or even on the ground if need be.
No one really knew how long they were going to stay, and all looked towards the two AI's and the Captain for knowledge. Not even the Captain himself was dead-set on a time that they were going to leave here, but if things went well and they found some thing useful here, they might stay a while. The troops had already started to guess that with all of the artillery that was being put on the ring. Even if they didn't find anything useful on this ring, unlikely, since it was artificial and therefore had a purpose, then they would have a powerful military position here, and the Victor could head back to Reach with its knowledge.
The Covenant had found Reach, that was for certain, and that meant that they would not stop until it was destroyed. Reach, with all of its firepower, might be able to withstand the first one or two attacks made on it. But eventually it would wear down. The Covenant certainly had plenty of ships to toss their way.
But this ring was perfect for another shipyard. Captain Ferald imagined ships under construction in the center, large parts for them built on different sides before being launched to the center, received by freighters and fused to new ships. It would speed up the building process by a lot, and another amazingly powerful military occupation like Reach would stretch human survival quite far. And luckily since the Ring was so multi-environmental, it would also make the best of training facilities for new Marines and maybe even Spartans. It was an insane idea, but still very possible. Within two weeks the bases would be established and fully operational, and then the Victor would jump to slipspace and hopefully get the UNSC interested. Ferald had no doubt that it would catch their attention and they would definitely want it.
Now that things were running smoothly for a minute, Ferald pondered a question that he had had for a long time. How had the Covenant found Reach? With the way things were going in the war, he hoped things went as well as he planned. If so, the length of the existence of the Humans would be greatly extended. Soon they would head back to Reach and contact the survivors of what he assumed would be a massive attack. He only hoped the survivors would be able to do what he hoped for.
***
Lance Corporal Levi Carson set his helmet lightly on his head and clicked on its video camera. This was just basic recon, but the superiors still wanted to have a couple recordings to study later in case they saw anything of interest. He was hella confused, like everyone else. No one really knew what was going on, but apparently the Captain had big plans.
He was a part of Jackson's detachment, fourth squad's sniper. He'd always loved being a sharp shooter. It gave him a sense of exhilaration and power being able to take down enemy from far away while they couldn't touch him.
"Carson!" Lieutenant Jackson yelled at him from the seat across from him. "Wake up jack ass! We're almost to the scouting point!" Levi stirred, snapping his head up.
"Yes ma'am! Awake ma'am!" The Lance Corporal looked to his left and saw the ground flying by below them start to slow as the Pelican began to prepare to unload its troops. A female voice came from the speaker above his head.
"It looks clear, I'm bringin' us down! You should be right on top of the construction site!" The ground slowed to a stop and began to come closer. It was green, with a lot of foliage around. That might complicate things for the builders of the base, as the uprooting of trees in the area would have to commence before construction could begin on the structure.
The Pelican came to an altitude of roughly fifteen feet and released the magnetic locks on the Warthog it was carrying. Even before the all-terrain vehicle had stopped its movement from its fall, the Pelican was lowering farther to unload its Marines a few meters away. "Touchdown!" the speaker sounded again.
Since Carson was on the farthest seat outside, he was on point when the Marines jumped out. He rose with speed, leaping a few feet out, and landing with a crouch. His assault rifle came up, sweeping the area for a full second, then he stood and jogged forward a few yards, giving the others room to exit the dropship. After the last Marine's feet hit the ground, the Pelican rose high above the ground, fired its thrusters, and flew out of sight.
Levi finished his visual sweep of the area and turned his head to the LT. "All clear!" he said.
The woman nodded. "All right Marines, set up a parameter! Ford, man the LAAG on the Warthog! Carson, you're shotgun. We may need that sniper scope. I'm driving. Engage orders!" Instantly the Marines moved to their tasks.
The Lance Corporal leaped into the passenger seat and saw that third squad was now unloading as well a few meters away, their Warthog already deployed. He un-slung the S2 sniper rifle and clamped it in between his legs butt down. Jackson stepped up to the driver's seat, starting the engine with a comforting roar. She slammed the accelerator to the floor, causing the Warthog's tires to spin for a flash before getting a grip on the dirt, sending the vehicle forward with a jerk. Levi looked at Jackson in time to see a smile appear on her lips. She was just enjoying her job, like any of them, but he couldn't keep a single thought from entering his head. Woman drivers.
***
The assault boat doors opened, spilling several Marines onto the ground, assault rifles scanning the area. Since most of the troops stationed at Beta Base came down via assault boats, there weren't near enough Pelicans to transport troops to the construction points. Therefore, some of the assault boats themselves were dispatched to transport Marines to the construction sites. The problem was that they couldn't carry Warthogs, which meant that the transports themselves were going to have to stay and do the wide recon, using up more fuel than necessary. Since the recon by the assault boats had to be done from the air, they were assigned to the more flat areas with less foliage.
Lieutenant Tony Salvador was one of the unlucky Marines assigned to those areas. No foliage meant no shade, and most likely a desert. He was right. It was a desert. And it was hot. Hot enough to remind him of Mexico. Home. Salvador instantly brought himself back to where he was. "Marines! Set up a parameter! Nelson, take Creigor and make a two hundred meter sweep of the area!" he shouted to his team.
"Yes Sir! Creigor! Take my right!" the two Marines trotted off. Salvador ordered his team to fan out and sweep the immediate area while they waited for the short recon to establish. As soon as the duo returned, the Marines made a large perimeter around the future construction site of the base while they waited for aerial recon come in. It was only a matter of time before they would have the whole area secured and ready for construction.
Nevertheless, the LT was taking no chances. A few quick trenches were dug, not big enough to bother the actual construction of the base, but enough to offer his men at least some sort of protection. There was no cover here whatsoever. "At least this particular site will make a good air base," Salvador thought. "Though it might be vulnerable to a swift surprise attack." He would have to mention that to the constructors when he was being relieved. Recon returned and reported a negative. "Nothing happinin' out there LT." Nelson said.
"Good." Replied the lieutenant. "Take the spot in between Hutch and Charlie. Creigor, move to the outside with him!" Within a few minutes the assault boats returned and also reported a negative, although the pilot mentioned that the assault boats weren't exactly designed for recon. The boat headed back to beta base and left the Marines sweating in the hot sun. Despite the heat, the squad would have to stay there for several hours to guard the site until construction and relief arrived. It was going to be a very long day.
***
Tremaine's flaming comet form floated above the Victor's far left projector. The combination of orange, maroon and crimson light up a full meter around her, increasing the appearance of fire. This AI had always been very useful, from this battle to the next, keeping the Captain's expectations up. She had never let them down.
It had been six hours since construction had began on the first of sixteen carefully designed bases. The Marines had been digging constantly for Charlie base, the one that was far underground, while an airbase was being constructed in a small desert, designated Bravo. There were three main jungles on the ring which spread for several square kilometers each. He was placing a small base in the largest one, naming it Echo. It was a good location. Small roadways were being cut for Warthogs and Scorpions and the top of the base was flat, being good installments for airpower. Another base, Sparta, was being created at the "south" end of the ring, where most of the snow was. Many more bases were already under construction, and within fifteen minutes the last four would be under production as well. Soon they would be ready.
***
Miles underneath the Marines treading feet, tan flesh moved slightly. A mass of bodies, endlessly circling each other, were impatient. A steady drone of buzzing sounds filled the air of the small room in which the monstrosities were contained. They could feel the humans above them. They could feel the voices, the movement, the life, unsuspecting and slowly drawing ever closer to them. They wanted out. They had waited many a millennia to escape, and yet still they must wait. Humans, men and woman of the UNSC, drew closer, oblivious to what lay in store for them. Still the bodies of dead flesh waited. Hungry.
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