The Pelican Bond
Posted By: Mauricio Flores<pinkandmelon@yahoo.com>
Date: 29 November 2003, 4:01 AM
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The Pelican Bond
The air is hot but I am cold. The sun is out but I see only darkness. In all my life I don't think I can remember seeing such a beautiful ocean, its a shame every inch of this god damn place is dangerous. The only good thing about being in my boots right now is the ride, I always enjoyed riding on the pelicans. It sways gently from right to left like a cradle. It will go up and down just as sweetly. I can see I'm not the only worried one here.
Private First Class Jenkins sits staring at the floor probably praying. He is a good guy I met back on the Pillar of Autumn and he's a hell of a card player. He wiped the table clean with the entire squad. I don't know him closely enough to give his eulogy, but I know him enough to know he's got my back. "Why are you praying Jenkins?" If anyone should be scared its those damn covenant!" "I'm not praying, I'm making sure my boots are tied right. I don't want them to come off while we're in the shit." Replied PFC Jenkins in the usual smart-ass tone that everyone had come to expect. "Haha" that son of a bitch always has a good joke up his sleeve.
"What are you doing Perez!? Telling another one of your descriptive sex stories!?" I asked him knowing the truth. "Yeah, this story is my favorite, it's the one about your mother." Perez's response was quick and humorous. "You're an asshole Perez but that's why I love ya." Lance Corporal Perez is a short little guy of Mexican decent with a lot of heart. He often writes to his family even though there is no way of getting those letters to them. I know it helps and I would write to my family too but my family is already here with these guys. Perez can never stop talking, he's always got great stories to tell and he is good at turning frowns into even bigger frowns.
"Blackley how is our radio looking? Is everything functional?" I asked in a rhetorical manner. "Yes sir and I think that with a few minor adjustments we can get cable on this thing!" "Heh, good job Blackley. Make the smut channels a priority!" "Aye Sir!" Corporal Blackley is a very close friend of mine, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here. This guy didn't save my life or anything he convinced me to join the corps with him. He is also the reason I got promoted to Sergeant. After Staff Sergeant Johnson's leg was blown off, Blackley got him to an evac point. Johnson couldn't remember a thing so Blackley told him I got him out. Blackley explained to me later that he couldn't be in charge of the squad, he said he couldn't handle all the pressure. I don't know what made him think I could do it. The men have learned to look up to me and I've learned to lead us.
The Spartan is the last of his kind. Some sort of super badass human which we all know very little about. I've seen him in action and I thank God everyday he's on our side. We refer to him as the Master Chief. He is about 8 feet tall and wears armor that is very different to ours. It covers his entire body and is olive toned. You can see a few cracks in his suit and some of the paint has started to chip where he's been shot. He never talks much unless he is giving orders or asking about or current condition. His only companion now is the Artificial Intelligence he carries in his head. Cortana is her name and she gives us orders too. I never thought I would be taking orders from a computer. Luckily she has a damn sexy voice and more sense of humor than the Master Chief does.
I always wonder what we would all be doing if it wasn't for this fucking war. We have often talked about being back home and what things were like before the covenant struck. Its a good way to raise moral and remember why we're here. Its also a way to have good dreams. Dreams are another thing I seem to focus on more these days. My dream was to become a writer after I served my four. And now here I am into my 6th year rolling with the punches. Some of the guys will talk about the dreams they had the night before. All dreams of family and being home without a worry. I just pray for a good sex dream with that cute little officer, man she must have had the sweetest looking..
"Five minutes till touch down! The LZ is gonna be hot!" "Oh shit, I'm on and its time to break a leg. "Alright men! Listen up I want you all to do a quick rifle check, make sure that shit won't freeze out there. Your rifle should already be on full but if your ammo counter reads under 20 then reload! Check your secondary weapons and make sure that those are loaded. Your helmet should be fastened and secured, your chest plates should also be on real nice and tight. Our hour of darkness has arrived! This is the big game and we don't get a half time!"
I don't know what will happen to us. I don't know how many of us here will make it back to base. But even if we do survive, there is an even bigger issue of how we're going to get off this ring world. Beautiful, mysterious but most of all dangerous. All I do know for sure is that we wont have to see them find earth and destroy it.
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