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UNSC First Contact (1/2)
Posted By: Mark Lieberg<malieberg@msn.com>
Date: 18 March 2005, 7:44 AM


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AN: I know MCC that you might have objections once again about AN's but hey. OK anyways, before I submit my other story ending the Frozenburg Series. These Two Chapters I cooked up in two weeks. I hope there good. And this is only Chapter one. ONly two parts though.

Hope you like the story line, this story actually caught me offgaurd when there was a totally different plot, but This will do, and Ill find out someway to make that new Race enter the story line. Thanks for reading. LIEBERG

****

0023 Hours, October 10, 2552 (Military Calendar)
UNSC First Contact, Patrol in the Wearen System,
Near Wearen IV.





      Captain Darrel Shavings slept in his bed thinking about his past. He dreamt of fighting a Jackal, holding its Plasma Pistol high, he discharged the over heated weapon. He, with the swift of his leg, tripped the Jackal, and smacked its face, breaking its jaw. The Bird-like Creature laid dead. He stood up. Covered in Purple blood. It stained his uniform. Then, as he looked up, he saw an Elite. Standing there. It was breathing heavily.

       "Get away!" Darrel yelled in real life as he shifted uneasily on his bed. "Get away!" The Elite in his dream, however, didn't go away. It walked forward, and with a swift of its arm, a Plasma Blade ignited as the Captain stared at the Alien Creature. The Alien kept walking towards the Captain. Darrel kept on thinking, what should he do? What could he do? There was nothing he can do but try to outrun the Alien.

      As he started to walk back he tripped over rubble and fell on his bottom. He blinked twice as the Elite over him, got close and looked at the Human. It then opened its mouth to say something. Darrel then notice the surrounding area turned into a metal box. They were transported somewhere else. He didn't know where, but only that the Elite was still in front of him. It spoke some language that the Captain couldn't understand. He didn't know what it was. What was it saying? Then, as the Elite looked at its translation software, he pressed the red button. "Your Destruction is the Will of the Gods. And we are their Instrument!" Then the Elite raised its right arm, then with a swift push, it─

       "Captain! Captain!" The Computer AI 'Reagan' yelled as Darrel threw himself up staring at the closed door. He looked around to see the Computer AI looking at him with its light Green eyes, and then looked at the direction the Captain was looking at. "What are you looking at sir?" The AI asked.

       "Nothing, what is it?" Darrel said, as he stood up, still horrified by what the Covenant would have done to him. He placed his hands on his face, and lowered them a little to look around the room. Before the AI could speak, the Captain got up, and walked across his room. He turned towards the door leading into the bathroom. It was dark, then he tapped the light switch and lights illuminated the room. He looked down at the sink, then at the window. He saw an Elite with the Energy Sword from his dream behind him. It was breathing heavily, and then the Captain became scared again.

      He turned around to see it with his real eyes, but instead, he saw only a panel. He was becoming delusional. He had to check with the doctor. Darrel turned around facing the sink; then again he saw an image. He jumped as the AI figure, 'Reagan' stood there looking at him. His pressed dark Navy Blue suit suited the AI's figure well. But just standing there made the Captain jump again. He closed his eyes, and then breathed slowly.

      "Something's wrong." Reagan said as he examined the Captain. He took out his Artificial Notebook, from his pocket, and took out a pen. He flipped a page, and looked at the Captain. "Tell me what's wrong." Reagan said as he ordered an artificial chair to appear under him as he sat down. Glasses appeared on the AI's face, and he looked at the Captain. "Why are you distressed?"

      Darrel just stared at the AI. He knew he was trying to find out what he dreamt about, but he knew he wouldn't even let an AI get to know what was wrong with him. "I don't need to tell you. I'm just tired. You do know its Zero twenty-three hours in the morning." The AI, looked down on his pad, and wrote down some stuff that the Captain couldn't begin to think of what he wrote down. Reagan shifted his glasses, and looked up at the Captain. Still in the Bathroom, the Captain continued to stare at the AI. A picture of the Elite, covered in its new Dark Black covered Armor with its Energy Sword ignited, filled his mind. He tried to think of something else.

       "Yes, I do know the current time. However, you do not look to well. Ever since the battle at Virginia VII, you have been distracted." Reagan responded, as Darrel continued to think. He remembered what had happen at Virginia VII. One billion people had suffered the consequence of one selfish Captain. That single man, Captain Renold Fathom, had decided that a well thought out plan of letting the Covenant Carrier fly down to the surface of the planet and letting it supply its forces down to the surface was wise. Once it was at the Surface, they would launch Five Shiva Nuclear Warheads towards the ship. His plan didn't go so well when just before the Shiva's reached their target, the Covenant Carrier moved position quickly that the Warheads lost track, and ignited Three Major Cities, and small towns.

      In the waist of the Cities, and the Warheads, he then ordered three Frigates in his battle group to move in and attack. They were lost, with over three thousand Marines, and Navy personnel. The rest of the battle Group, including him, attacked the Covenant Carrier. But just before losing the battle, the Covenant carrier managed to land its Command Staff on the Planet. The UNSC ships destroyed the Carrier, but didn't kill the entire Covenant that were onboard it. His own ship, the First Contact, moved in and the Captain fought with his Marine group in the 34th Division, Charlie Company. Half of the Platoon was lost due to Motor Fire from Wraith Tanks, and Plasma explosions.

      Darrel had been captured while unconscious before getting rescued by three dozen-Farmers, and twelve Marines. He awarded them with the Men of Valor Medallion, but he still had images appear in his mind. He then, focused on where he was now. After the last thought of looking at the AI, he remembered the Black Elite standing behind him again. He thought it was actually behind him as he felt a cold chill go down his spleen. He turned quickly; grabbing his Combat Knife he had stored in the drawer under the sink, and spun again to face the Alien Elite. He again, only saw a panel box. Darrel turned around placing back his knife in the drawer, and looked at the AI.

       "You need to see the Doctor." Reagan repeated, as the Captain didn't like the AI standing there, watching him every single time as he wrote his artificial thoughts about his observation of the Captain. Darrel pressed the pedal on the bottom, and the sink poured water down. He scooped a hand full of water and washed his face. He grabbed the towel to his right, and dried his face. After placing the towel back, he looked at the mirror. There he was, his reflection. In his Navy uniform, it was dark, and black. Instead of the gray color of the uniform, purple blood stained the leather, with bits of small pieces of bone splattered over his face, and chest. He shook his head.

       "I don't need to see the Doctor Reagan!" The Captain shouted out loud as, he fainted and fell on the ground.

      Reagan, after watching the Captain faint, accessed the intercom and spoke to the Doctor, "Doctor, the Captain has fainted, please report to his quarters." The AI knew operating procedure, if the Captain became unsuitable for duty for a limited amount of time, the next high-ranking officer would take command for the time being. As the AI stood there, watching the Captain lay on the ground, the door opened as the Doctor with two other Marines entered. Daniel ran into the Bathroom as he saw the Captain, curled into a ball, unmoving. He gestured the Marines to come in, and he knelt next to him.

       "What happened?" Doctor Daniels asked as he placed two fingers on Darrel's throat to check if he was breathing. There was a steady pulse, and his face was pale, like he was losing blood, or had suffered from an extreme time in the cold. He examined the Captain before he instructed the Marines to pick him up, and follow him.

       "We were talking about why he was becoming drowsy. He has headaches, and other symptoms." Reagan replied truthfully as he continued to watch the Marines place a stretcher under the Captain. They secured strap, and lifted his body, and walked out of the room. Daniel, after watching his men move the Captain, and head to the Medical Lounge, he turned and faced Reagan.

       "Did you write down the symptoms? And do you have a hypothesis for his behavior?" Daniel knew how the AI was always curious, since he became active; he had always enjoyed researching mystery books. The Artificial Intelligence character lit for a few seconds, and then accessed a computer terminal towards the back of the room, away from the Bathroom. Daniel motioned forward, and sat down on the leather chair. It was quite comfortable.

       "Those are everything I had jotted down before he fell and fainted. However, my main hypothesis was that he dreamt of something horrifying, he thought he saw them in his actually life, instead of in his dreams." Reagan looked at the Computer Terminal, and back towards the Doctor. He was reading everything the AI had transferred into the computer. The Doctor read each paragraph twice. Roughly short, only four paragraphs, he turned and placed his hand on the top part of the chair, and looked at the AI to his right.

       "That was quite interesting Reagan. And you suspect it was from the interrogation from Virginia VII? You should be a novelist of a short story." Reagan lit green as he nodded, with his eyes closed. The Doctor stood up and placed the chair back under the Computer and turned off the power. "Please meet me at the Medical Lounge. You can help me find out what's really, wrong with him." The AI smiled, and disappeared as Daniel walked out of the door.

--------

      The Marines carrying their Captain placed him on the metal table that stretched up to eight feet. They just stood there waiting for the Doctor to get here. As they waited, they sat down and looked at each other. "What do you think is wrong with him?" Walter asked Steven as he shrugged. Steven turned his head and looked back at his Captain.

       "I just sure as hell he's going to be fine." He then stood up, and left as Daniel entered the Medical Lounge. He noticed the Corporal, Corporal Walter Ray, sitting there watching him check the Captain. The Marine watching, Daniel had annoyed him so the Doctor ordered him to leave. The Marine did so, and walked out as the door closed. Reagan then appeared on the table to the left side of the Captains body.

       "You check the pulse yet?" Regan watched Daniel check it as he nodded it was good, nice and steady. Reagan, with his quickness of an electronic brain, he obtained data prior to the time period from here, and since the attack of Virginia VII. As the AI observed the file, and reread it, he gathered some ideas and placed them on the Computer screen just behind the Doctor. Daniel noticed them, but continued to focus on the Captain.

       "Reagan, do you know where I keep the special combat sickness pills? I seemed to have forgotten about where I had last left them." Reagan quickly scanned the area, and found them on the bottom drawer lower left behind Daniel. As he reached down, Reagan saw the Captain stand up, and turn, placing his legs over the edge, and letting them hang.

       "Captain?" Darrel looked at the AI, surprised at where he was now at, seeing the Doctor quickly turning with his needle on the table, he stood up leaving the bed he was laying on.

       "Daniels. I'm awake." The Captain said as the Doctor continued to kneel staring at the Captain. The Doctor, who rarely got surprised, was speechless. The awareness of the Captain awake from a ten-minute unconsciousness was horrifying. It almost gave him his own heart attack, but Daniel knew how to deal with that. He continued to stare as the Captain jumped to his feet and walked towards the Doctor. Daniel was still motionless, "Daniels...I'm awake. You here me?"

      Daniel heard the words come from the Captain himself. Then, he stood up, as Darrel smiled. "Yes Captain. I heard, maybe you sit down until I finish checking you?" He ordered as Darrel did so, considering Medical Officers had some authority over higher command staff, which unusually ticked Darrel off. As he sat on the medical bed, the Doctor pulled out a small flashlight, and checked Darrel's eyes.

      This also, made the Captain impatient. "Doctor, if there is no questions, or signs of defects on me, can I go to bed? Anyways...how did I get here?" Darrel was confused as in the last fifteen minutes; he had forgotten what had happen, about everything. He looked around, seeing some tables, with lights above them, and medical tubes, and canisters in the storage lockers.

       "What's the last thing you remember Captain? What was the last, clearest thing you remember?" Daniel was now worried about the Captain. He never acted like this in the past five years; he never acted like this before in his life. Instead, the Captain closed his eyes, and thought. He remembered some things in his life. The Rank Insignia of Captain from Admiral Wallace, the Battle of Reach, the Covenant, then he remembered. He remembered he had gone to bed late at night, and dreamt of something.

      Yes, it was perfect now...he had dreamt about the...no, he thought as he struggled to stay still. He was starting to heat up. He had remembered about the Black Elite with the Energy Sword ready to cut him, but he didn't know if that happened or if it was a real dream. He opened his mouth to find him speaking out what he had though just now, "I remember me getting my Insignia of the Rank of Captain from Admiral Wallace, the Battle of Reach, the Covenant, and me going to bed last night, and I had dreamt about something. Something, horrible."

      Reagan looked puzzled, the Doctor had finally gotten the Captain to talk about his dream, now, and he was going to continue recording this information. The Captain looked sideways, and saw Reagan light above the desktop towards his far left. Daniel was standing there, watching. "What was horrible Captain? Darrel, what did you see?" This puzzled the Captain. He had just remembered a second ago, but then he had forgotten what he had remembered. He was mad, and scared, he didn't know what to do. He forgot that he was a Captain for a half minute, and was silent.

       "Captain," Reagan had begun as Darrel spoke. He sighed before opening his mouth and then looked at Daniel.

       "I saw a Covenant...a Black Elite, those Special Op Elites the Covenant send against the Spartans. One of them had an intensified blade, almost the color of a morning sky that was bright blue. But the energy it had power of was horribly strong. It was like slipping a knife into hot butter," Darrel began thinking. He remembered the dream, and continued talking, frightfully. "It spoke to me, in some kind of language I couldn't understand, a language I translate. But, it spoke in Human Tongue. As if it had learned from somewhere."

      Darrel remembered and repeated those words in his mind, Your destruction is the Will of the Gods, and We...are their Instrument. He repeated him in his mind, forgetting to tell both Reagan, and Daniel what the Elite in the Black armor had said to Darrel. He looked up after Daniel placed a hand on the Captains shoulder. "What did the Elite say Darrel?"

       "Your destruction is the Will of the Gods, and we...are their Instrument. It said those words exactly the way I said it. With its deep dark, haunting voice," The Captain looked up again to see the Elite, drenched in Human blood. There was a Human hand on the ground, and the Elite had its Sword ignited. It had, in the Captains thought, rolled a head towards Darrel. He panicked. As Darrel jumped up, standing on the medical bed, Daniel looked confusingly at the Captain.

       "Sir! What are you doing!" Daniel asked as he looked at the scared, and panicked Captain. He had never seen him act like that before. As he saw the Captain, trying to cover his face he saw the Elite, open its mandibles showing the razor sharp teeth it had had, and raised, with its left arm, a Covenant Carbine. It aimed it at the Captains head as he imagined it pointed a laser at his forehead. He was about to cry. A tear went down as the Doctor yelled again, "Darrel! Listen to me! Its fake! Don't look at it, look at me! It will go away. You can fight it!" That thought of the Doctors imagined the Captain held a Pistol; an M6D with an unmagnified scope.

       "Get away!" Darrel yelled to the back wall as Reagan turned looking at the same direction only seeing a Light pole stand there. The Captain still held his Pistol in his hand, and looked at the Doctor, then back at the Elite. The Elite was walking forward now, its energy sword in the right arm, and the Carbine in the next. It was walking towards the Doctor, with its mouth open it snarled at the Captain as it walked forward. "Go away!" Darrel yelled again.

      The Doctor just watched the Captains eyes move, and then his eyes looked at his eyes. Daniel knew the Elite was behind him, so, playing with the imagination, he stepped back, and hid behind a desk. "Captain! Shoot it! Shoot it!" Daniel yelled playing along, hoping that Darrel would shot his imaginary pistol at the creature, and kill it so the dream that blended in with reality, ended.

      Darrel focused on the Elite turning towards the hidden Doctor. It turned its long head at the Captain and showed its teeth again as blood dripped from its mouth...Human Blood. The Captain fired his weapon. Five rounds hit the Shields, and they flickered, and then faded. The Sixth shot struck the Elite in its chest, causing it to bleed. As the bullet entered the body of the Elite, it clutched its chest. Painfully, it, with great force, stuck its hand inside its wound, and pulled the bullet out. The Captain became more horrified by this change, and emptied the clip on the beast.

      It stood there, motionless with blood oozing out of its body from six other holes. There was a puddle just about the size of a gallon jug. Daniel stepped away from the corner as Darrel lowered his imaginary weapon, and released his grip. The Captain heard the hard clash as the weapon collided with the deck. As Daniel looked at the floor, the Elite that was shot, fell, and its sword deactivated. The Carbine in its left hand dropped to the ground, and then the Elite that once haunted the Captain for a night, vanished.
      Reagan continued to examine the Captain carefully, noting every detail that he could think of what the Captain had. The only conclusion to his hypothesis was that he was delusional, but not anymore. He felt a sigh of relief as Darrel knelt down and jumped to the floor. "Thanks Daniel." Darrel said as he still had a straight face, a face that clearly read he had killed a living being, although it was imaginary, the creature seemed as real as the Doctor.

       "Sir, I'm glad your dream it over." Daniel said as he smiled walking away from his cover, and walked towards the Captain. He saw Darrel look down at the ground, so Daniel decided to do the same. So he looked down, and imagined the dead body of the Covenant Soldier. "I will get a clean up crew to clean the mess Captain." Darrel lied to keep the Captains thought focused on something else. Darrel continued to look down, and then stared at the hovering light ahead. The light flashed above his head as he walked towards the door, and to his room leaving the Doctor and the AI to get left in the Medical Lounge.





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