Lucy was cold, cold and in complete darkness, her body was asleep, heart slowed to the point of death, blood moving so slow she couldn't function, her mind was unconscious yet awake, it was like a light sleep, not deep enough to go REM sleep though, she remembered the term of Sleep Paralysis because she couldn't move a muscle absolutely how hard she tried.
The term slipped from her mind like water slipping through her fingers, forgot it like it never came to mind in the first place.
She could hear occasional thunk of boots treading on the floor outside of her pod. Where was she again? Why can't I move?
Her mind was awake, not enough to think coherent thoughts, only abstract ideas that came and leave like the wind.
Something pierced Lucy in the small of her back and she was gripped by a primal fear, trying but her body failed to move, she felt herself spuming but not moving like it her lithe form should.
Her body wasn't responding.
Lucy felt the needle, she remembered she hated needles with a passion. And with the thought, the little metal needle injected a liquid into her and she felt it force its way into her veins and she became lighted headed, weightless. Numb and powerful.
Sensing this, she struggled. After a few but intense moments, she felt a ungodly fire begin to settle in her muscles and in her bones as she fought the paralysis that gripped her.
She felt her ligaments twitch and she tried to squeal in delight but all that came out was a purr, emanated from deep within her chest.
Suddenly Lucy heard a hissing noise, like that of a cornered animal and bright light assaulted her as she forced her heavy lidded eyes open with a great amount of effort, she tried to move but her muscles turned into gelatin and she crumpled forward towards a cold floors embrace.
Lucy just managed to see the ground coming in hot as it approached her face at a rapid pace, when suddenly she felt hands dart out and grab her and pull her into the owner's firm embrace.
The corporal tried to breathe but was immediately assaulted by mucus and other phlegm in her lungs from the Cryo Sleep, the hands bent her forward and tapped her back as she puked violently, trying to spit the nasty stuff out of her system, revulsion from the bile in her mouth.
She spewed the last bit of the green congealed liquid onto the ground as she took a sharp inhale, air filling her lungs and the tightness that wounded around tight within her chest evaporating quickly.
Holy shit, I hate that
"Breathe, breathe Corporal, that's it. Good girl… " said a male voice she didn't recognize.
Turning her head around slightly and saw a stranger, a rather hansom stranger at that. She felt wary, no man just helped for nothing, what does he want?
Then it hit when she glanced down, she's half naked!
Letting out a eep of surprise she dislodged herself from his grasp and sprang to her locker, for her clothes.
As Lucy put on her Marine fatigues she noticed the other passengers getting out of Cryo Sleep, groups of the them, all waking up for the first time in days. Many of them were on their knees, coughing or sitting, trying to work their gelatin bodies properly.
Days of no movement tends make you weak, you need time to recuperate.
Lucy was looking around when she looked at the stranger, he was staring at everyone. Grayish brown military cropped hair, strong features, a set of hard brown eyes and pursed lips, jutting cheek bones and a defined jawline.
She studied the man with an inquisitive glare. Until she noticed his rank: Lieutenant General.
Panic gripped Lucy as she snapped to attention by pure instinct. Not wanting extra duties or punishment. She looked at his face and realized who this Lieutenant General was: Lieutenant General Cooper! He was known for winning and participating in countless battles! He fought in Reach, he got out of course, The Battle of Sigma Octanus IV, Harvest, Earth.
It was rumored he was friends Preston Cole before he died.
Oh dear, this is the definition embarrassment! I'm a mess!
He looked at her while in his own Fatigues, which was a lot more stylish than hers, perks of being famous and all. His eyes held something, but she couldn't place it.
"At ease Corporal," he stated. A smile on his aged face.
"Y-yes sir," She stammered. Her face blushing as she relaxed by putting her arms down at her sides, she quickly avoided his gaze by looking down.
The other Marines were watching her and the Lieutenant General's conversation by now and she wanted to cower in a corner. Her uniform was rumpled and undone, she didn't get time to look nice!
Why was he signaling her out? It was either going to make her look contemptuous or she his 'favorite' which by all means would outcast her from making it within the other Marines.
She looked up at the General and met his steel gaze. "Permission to finish dressing, sir," she asked meekly under his iron gaze.
He smiled again and looked around at all of the marines standing at attention, everyone done from with the withdrawals of Cryo Sleep.
"AT EASE MARINES!" he bellowed.
Everyone relaxed from their prostate position, some smiled as they realised his known mannerisms for acting mean then causal. some knew the General, he always had people he knew and trusted on his operations.
He didn't know her… or trust her.
"DEBRIEF AT 1600!"
And with that he smiled at his men, turned on his heel and strode out with his air of confidence.
She looked around and caught the looks of some of men, some had questionable looks towards her, she was one of only a few greenhorns on the UNSC Ace of Spades.
Turing around she reopened her locked by the Cryo Pod and gently putting on her black socks on along with her special VZG7 Armored Boots.
She smiled as she cradled a boot in front of her silently, smiling at it as warmness flooded her system as she gazed lovingly at them, memories creating a warm soft blanket for her to float away on.
She forgot about the marines filing out of the Cryo room, undoubtedly going to the mess hall. Some gave her weird looks as she stared at the boot.
She thought about what made them special to her, it was that they had Sangheili armor on them, they were a gift given from a Elite named Sise'Tabod during the Great Schism.
Her very first alien friend!
Their friendship began when she peppered a brute captain square in the face with her MA5 Assault Rifle as it bore downed upon the Elite Major from behind, she killed it and the orange alien laughed and flanked her side as they fought on through the endless hordes of alien foes.
They were in Voi together as they fought along with Chief through the ruined city, She remembered blasting away at everything big and ugly with Chief and Sise while feeling like a complete and utter badass of the galaxy.
Her and Sise had to evacuate the city, away from the Flood but she couldn't contact her regiment. So she tagged along with the scaly fellow like a lost puppy,
She recalled how Sise saved her from Rtas as he Glassed that side of the continent, she recalled him yanking her away into a Phantom as the Flood closed in. She shuddered violently at the thought.
After the battle, he personally sought her out while aboard one of their ships and to her surprise, He felt so indebted to her, he gave her pieces of his armor around his mandibles. Which, ironically, only fit her Combat Boots.
She remembered fighting the flood and the Covenant Loyalists alongside the big predator that easily towered of her in the battles of the Ark and Voi, they stuck with each other's side until they were separated, duties outweighed budding friendships.
She remarked how he always avoided personal conversations, which were few. They held a strict battlefield etiquette, you're going to die in the next fight, so don't get close. It hurt Lucy, he seemed very interesting.
Sise was always nice but held tradition rather strongly, all honor and protectiveness over her. "Because you are a woman, thus in need of protecting," he always said in a matter of fact tone.
She only smiled. "uh huh, or you just don't want to be close to me."
He would always rebuke with. "It is tradition woman!"
The memories of Sise were washed away as she felt a firm hand in her shoulder, who is it now?
She looked behind and saw a fiery red headed girl. "Yes?" she said, not seeing her rank.
The woman looked at Lucy. "Is that how they taught Leathernecks to talk to their superiors?" she asked politely. Lucy noticed her rank: Sergeant Major.
Lucy squeaked and whipped around, saluting. Her still boots cradled in the nook of her other arm.
Lucy was dying on the inside, first the General, then a sergeant. Everything was falling apart, she would be hated and seen as non-trust worthy, ruining all chance to be accepted as a crew member and be set on the bottom of the pecking order.
"s-sorry ma'am…" she said as she blushed hotly.
The girl smiled and laughed. "At ease corporal," she said. Lucy immediately began to like the Sergeant as she let her arms go back to holding the boots, not only did she not get mad but she laughed!
"My name is Deborah Gannett, your new on this ship, I can tell," She said nicely. Holding out a hand to Lucy.
"How can you tell?" she asked.
"Because you stick out like a sore thumb."
Lucy shoot her hand and smiled. "Oh, well, I'm Lucy Ayala and you're the first person to talk to me, seems no one here likes a greenhorn," she said but finished it meekly.
Deborah frowned but nodded. "We've all been through a lot on this ship, to many died." Deborah looked down and smiled. "Don't worry, show them you're not worthless and they'll grow on you," she said to Lucy happily.
Lucy drew back, it was the first time she had encouraging words in a long while and she quickly smiled. "Thanks Deborah."
Lucy studied her new found friends face, she had a beautiful face, tight features that were almost fox like, dull brown eyes and a happy smile on her like that looked permanent.
"It's no worry greenhorn, were in the same boat, so might as well like everyone… I don't want to be straight forward but… you are very beautiful… I'm surprised you're not popular already," she said.
Lucy didn't know how to respond, but yes, she is beautiful… and she absolutely loathes it. She found it hard to trust men and they were always after her affections. What with her big green doe eyes, blackish kinky hair and voluptuous lips, her feminine but prominent cheeks and chin all supported a very 'sexy' appearance, people said she could look like a startled doe, she didn't think so.
It was a curse.
The Sergeant glanced at the boots and her eyes widened in shock. "That's Sangheili Major armor… how did you get your hands on a set Mandible guards!?"
"S-Sise gave them to me," she said, caught off guard with the new line of questioning.
A confused expression settled over Deborah's features. "Who?" she asked.
She lifted the boot. "Sise'Tabod, I saved his life from a Brute, he was a Sangheili Major, he gave me his mandible guards as repayment for saving his hide," she said proudly. "and we ended up fighting through Voi together with the Chief and then to the Ark… but during it… we all evacuated and we were separated. I haven't heard from him since."
Deborah stared wide eyed. "Wow, you fought through both? You're very lucky you know that? And Chief? What was he like?" she asked, suddenly excitedly.
She started to put on her boots, tightening them snuggly around her legs. "very stoic," she said silently.
"And your Elite friend?"
Lucy frowned. "We... didn't get to know each other… he said, he was… protecting me… we never talked personally, considering we could've died at any moment…so we didn't do it," she said with sadness pouring out in torrents.
"He saved me so many times."
Deborah grunted. "Don't worry Greenhorn, you'll meet your eight-foot-tall crush again," he giggled out. Causing Lucy to blush crazily, embarrassed as hell.
Deborah smiled, apparently ignoring her embarrassment and asked. "You hungry, Greenhorn?"
Lucy's face lit up and she nodded quickly. "Yes please," she said, all in an unintentionally cute voice.
Deborah laughed at her eagerness and turned on her heel, striding with a purpose as she motioned Lucy to follow and she did, stepping in line with Deborah as she strode to the Cryo room door. It slid open with a hiss, the door opened they strode out to satisfy their ravenous hunger.