III Welcome to Sanity

David entered the military corridor and stated his rank and code number to the 2 light marines guarding the entrance. Light marines were, well, the name states it all, they had lighter armour then your normal standard infantry, and were armed with an mm-22 standard military defence pistol, the same model that David held close to his heart for getting out of sticky situations!

"Sergeant David Omega Weanks, 5th class artillery division, code number 3897." he was cut off by a very rude marine who just said "Yeah, yeah, I get it ok, you can go".

David looked at the stocky guard in a strange manner and continued on to the front desk. For a large ship, they sure don't keep very tight security he thought to himself either that or they train crappy marines! He entered further down the corridor and took in a sad view. 2 military personnel in front and 3 behind who were speed walking. Was this it, was this all hat was left out of the whole regiment that was sent down there, only this much survived!? Well David was obviously very lucky, the brave souls, they died for their planet, braver then he was, he ran like a frantic dog to the nearest fire hydrant! Well all of these men would turn into very well respected and honourable veterans, veterans that would be scared for life, as with him too! Ever since David departed he was questioning his honour and loyalty to the confederacy, and was questioning if he was even what you could call a man at all!

He was at the end of the aqwardly long corridor and was the last to reach the front desk as he made his way up to a very bored very old looking woman. He showed her his card and she gave him clearance and a 'warm welcome'

"Welcome to the Ss. Anibus" she stated.

Now he remembered, he knew this station faintly but he did know it at that, it fought in the war with the sons of Korhal and deployed the winning fleet of 30 battle cruisers into glorious victory. And man was he proud to be walking down the halls of such a historical and honourable ship! He was still taking in what had happened to him when suddenly a very stalky marine with piercing eyes and slightly high pitched voice ran up to him and asked "hey man, could you give us a hand transporting this kid to the med center?" he asked as a proud and important look washed over his face like a mask.

"Um, where is he?" asked David.

"He's in the evac hall, 3rd quarter, it's extra credit come on hurry!" he explained to the dazed and zoned out sergeant. He quickly and expectedly grabbed David's arm to bring him to the area. He flashed a look at David's name tag while he was running. O CRAP he thought to himself, he noticed the sergeant on top of the name and immediately stopped dead in his tracks, offering a snappy salute at the higher ranking officer.

"SORRY SIR, I DIDN'T NOTICE YOUR RANK SIR!" he firmly yelled out, David totally forgot just before he blurted out the last sir in his sentence, he was still suffering from shock.

"Oh, my rank, that's ok boy, I don't think in this situation rank is of any importance here" he explained even though he was just too ashamed at himself to be giving orders.

The confused (but straight) marine replied "It's just that, I didn't notice you without your helmet on sir!" he yelled out again this time in a more relieved state of mind and voice.

"That's quite alright, at ease private" he explained "now where you from boy?" he asked.

"Antiga 4 sir" he stated in a confused voice "um I just arrived here, I don't understand sir, what situation sir?" he asked.

"Oh my god you didn't know, unfortunately we just tried to cl." suddenly the statement came too far from the truth for David to realize, his eyes went cold and blank as he just realized that Antiga 4 was the planet they had just cleared for infestation! How could this boy not have any news of it, even though he just arrived you'd think some one would give word to him!

"Uh, sir, you ok sir?" asked the now totally confused marine standing in an un-orderly fashion.

"Um, um NOTHING, come now, let's get to that casualty, he is in dire straits" he explained "on the double private move, move, move!" he yelled in the now fearful privates ear, feeling sorrow and regret for what he had just done.

They ran promptly, almost to the area were David had first entered and saw 2 medics standing beside a stretcher, with life support, 1 male, 1 female (woosy guy).

"Finally private, you're here" the man asked in a firm state, they each grabbed on to one side of the stretcher, the medics working the life support, David working whatever he could do as they began to run quickly down the halls.

"What took you guys so long?" asked the female medic.

"Nothing ma'am" explained the marine "we were just fraternizing" he said "I see he has poisoning, coming from his pelvis, no doubt from one of those spines" he said as the other medic looked at him with a questioning face.

"And 3rd degree burns on his shoulder, left arm, and back" the woman said "we need to get a neural read out, as well as blood stability, and tissue samples" she explained as she looked down at the poor soul.

"We'll also need a cast, get him an emp point 3 and prosphate hyglorysal on entry" he explained as David was flushed with confusion.

They had reached the turbo lift as the wheels on the stretcher screeched to a halt "thank you private, we'll take it from here" they explained as they ascended the turbo lift going up to the med lab.

David looked at the marine, they could both see each other's faces almost breaking with laughter, but they knew they had to stop, seeing the kid like that wasn't a laughing matter.

"Well private, as you were" ordered David, the snappy marine quickly forming into a flashy attention posture.

"Yes sir, thank you sir" yelled out the marine as he walked off down the hall.

David turned around and walked leisurely down the other way, he was heading towards his quarters, preparing for tomorrow. Tomorrow he would have to wake up bright and early and head off to command ops and see what the next chapter in his turbulent experience was! If his regiment was going to take him back, and if they were when would he leave? Or if he would temporarily attach to one of the regiments here on the Anibus! Either way, he was beat tired, and it was almost lights out in his quarters, 1 hour till!

He placed his feet on the ground about a foot away from the turbo lift down to his quarters. The motion sensors indicated his presence and flew open the door. This turbo lift was probably the best lift in the whole station, most anyone would enjoy it for the whole lift was one long and never ending glass tube that ran down the side of the station. It over looked the whole planet below, it was still glowing and radiating with beauty. The lift slid down the tube quietly and peacefully, David could make out the small moon orbiting the planet. This moon was fairly large and also very barren, mostly sand and rock, a desolate waist land made for no other reason than for harvesting what little minerals it had. David also heard rumors of an old penitentiary that was situated on the planet, it was placed on a huge cliff and was a very torturous and volatile place to be held in. They hadn't got it running in years, tens of years, most of the convicts were accused criminals from murder cases on Antiga 4, and that was pretty much all David knew about the moon.

David started wondering why the planet wasn't called Antiga prime itself, he was just wandering off into his own little world. David was still wandering for a few seconds until something caught his eye. Thousands of tiny little dots erecting from the planet's surface. He made his way to the edge of the lift and put his hands on the glass, trying to get a better look at what the things were. He focused hard on the tiny dots, his eyes were fixed on them. At first he thought they were yet more evacuating drop ships, probably from yet another unsuccessful battle down below. Yeah, that's all it is David thought to himself It's just those freekin drop ships David said as he leaned back on the opposite side of the tube. David desperately tried to keep his mind off of the subject, he was going crazy. But he just couldn't, what the hell are these things he thought as he focused as hard as he could.

He was really loosing his mind now, if these were drop ships, they were super charged, and gaining speed, fast! David looked closer and started to notice they had embodiments, they didn't even look steel at all, they looked almost, organic.

"Oh shit" whispered David to himself, smashing the button on the lift, a mere side effect of fear.

He saw the mellow aqua coloured sky turn blood red as millions of little flying beasts filled the space. He then heard and ear piercing siren go off with in the station saying the words he dreaded to hear.

"RED ALERT, BATTLE STATIONS, I REPEAT BATTLE STATIONS" It continued to sound on and on, he looked frantically around the tube for an emergency. thing to pull. But it was all for nothing, he immediately saw what looked like a missile or a speeding bullet. It was a small monster flying right into the ship, making a huge ball of green smog and flame, exploding on impact, it was a kamikaze armada!