Corporal Barnes and Corporal Smith; A Marine's tale part 2
Posted By: Zak<hardy10091965@aol.com>
Date: 4 June 2004, 4:46 PM
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Barnes was awakened by a loud whooshing sound. His vision was blurred by the sudden overflow of light. He heard the lifeboat's landing gear hit the ground and the intercom on the lifeboat blared:"We have landed on Heta VII, prepare to pile out." Barnes and the other marines unstrapped themselves and the pressure door on the back end of the lifeboat hissed open. Barnes walked over to Corporal Smith's medical bed and was relieved at what he saw.
The gaping hole in Smith's stomach was sewed and patched up and he was given painkillers to ease the pain. He was smiling up at Barnes. "How you doing, Smith?" Barnes asked. "Pretty good now that the bleeding stopped." He answered. "Your friend here was lucky, Corporal Barnes." The medic chimed in. "Thanks doc." Barnes said. "He's okay now but he needs a few more hours in the base's infirmary to rest." A few marines dressed in medical suits rolled Kyle to the infirmary on a medical bed. "Were not gettin' any younger out here, Barnes!" A high ranking officer yelled from outside. Barnes quickly ran out of the lifeboat to meet a soldier he had heard rumors about. It was Colonel Rodriguez. A highly decorated soldier from the Battle Of The Wildflower. "Yes sir!" Said Barnes as he saluted. "Your needed in the auditorium on the double." "Yes sir!" Barnes obediently said again. Barnes dared not ask Rodriguez where the auditorium was.
As Barnes headed in through the main access door, two marines came by him arguing about who was the better sniper. Barnes stifled a laugh. What appeared to be a base map caught his eye. Barnes walked over to it and figured out where the auditorium was. Walk down the hall and take a left, it's the first door on the right. As Barnes walked down the bright, bustling hallway, he tried to squeeze the thought of what had happened back at the Leviathan out of his mind. "And why do they want me at the auditorium?" Barnes said to himself. "What have I done?" As he turned a left he walked into the doorway into the auditorium. The auditorium was bustling with movement. "Ah, there's the man of the hour!" The officer at the podium said as he pointed to the back of the auditorium. Everything got quiet. "Come on down, son!" The officer said again. As Barnes walked down to the stage, sweat beaded on his neck, he was a little shy. When he made it up to the officer, the officer said over the microphone,"You have done a great thing, son!" The officer said,"Today, you are being recognized for not only bravely making it out of the Leviathan, but for heroicly rescuing and saving one of our own, give this man a hand!" The crowd roared with applause and hoops and hollers of happiness and approval. "And for such feats, we are presenting upon you the Distinguished Service Cross of the UNSC." The crowd again roared. A tear of joy rolled down Barnes's cheek. "Thank you, sir!" Barnes said with joy. It was the only award he had got all his life.
As Barnes walked out of the auditorium, marines slapped him on the back and gave him shouts of approval. But his happiness was immediately stopped as he walked out of the auditorium. He heard and saw a marine telling what looked like the commander of the base something horrible. "Sir, our scanners have picked up Covenant ground forces converging on our position!" The marine had said. "WHAT!?!" The Commander yelled. "GET OUR FORCES OUT THERE AND DEFEND THE PERIMETER!" "GET A MAN ON EVERY AUTOMATED DEFENSE AROUND THIS COLONY!" "WE CAN'T LET THE COVENANT OBTAIN THE INTEL IN THIS BASE, IT'LL RUIN THE UNSC'S USEFULLNESS IN THIS WAR!" The Commander finished. "Yes sir!" The marine said. Just then every alarm in the base was blaring. And the Intercoms were saying:"Every available force needs to be outside and armed defending the base perimeter within 2 minutes! Covenant attack imminent!" Every single marine around was grabbing a gun and adding to the utter chaos. As soon as Barnes heard those words he ran up to a glass case, punched through it, and grabbed the MA5B that was inside. He then rounded a corner and ran otside. He ducked behind a waist high wall just as blue and green plasma fire flew past. The fire hit a new Private just accepted into the UNSC. Three other marines were beside him firing. As soon as there was a pause in the firing, Barnes raised up and unloaded into the advancing covenant forces. He took down 7 grunts, 2 Elites, and 1 jackal. He continued pushing them back until he heard a loud explosion. He looked up and saw a green fuel rod cannon blast blow apart an upper platform that killed 5 marines. One of the dead marine's M6D's fell from above. Barnes grabbed it and looked through it's 2x zoom. He aimed until he was sure he was going to hit the Hunter's weak orange spot. He pulled the trigger and the Hunter's waist exploded in an orange blast. This made practically every grunt cower and start running back. "Nice shot!" One of the marines beside him said. But then the marine's face of approval turned into a face of horror. He pointed behind Barnes and froze. Barnes flashed around and was greeted by the smack of an Elite. Barnes hit the wall and the elite ripped his cross of of his neck. Then the elite started running toward a Covenant Dropship that had just landed. Barnes wasn't going to let that happen, so he shook off the pain and started running after the elite. The Covenant started firing at Barnes, but they all missed.
"Barnes, come back!" He heard Corporal Smith say behind him. But he was not going to stop, he was going to get his cross back. He looked down at the ammo counter on his MA5B, it was empty, his kind of luck. So he dropped it and started running faster. Just then the Elite jumped into one of the dropship's hatches, then the hatch started closing. Barnes didn't care, he jumped up and grabbed the edge of the closing hatch and pulled himself up just in time. He was in a very small personnel hatch. The elite was nowhere to be found.....
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