Chapter 3
Daniel
Day 2, 02:22:97
Dominion Ghost Daniel Torrovois
124th Marine Regiment
Onboard the Corrina
I stare out one of the windows onboard the Corrina, in what seems like some kind of meeting area for the marines. The area is dotted with tables and chairs surround them, which seems like they are large enough for the marines. However, I am alone at the moment. Just the way I like it. Silence is wonderful when you want to be alone. Gives me time to think, especially when you can't sleep. I stare at the large red planet, Mar Sara, as we pass by. I never liked Mar Sara, the history in it is nice but they planet itself isn't that great.
I hear a light noise from behind me, like someone, or something, is trying to sneak up on me. My instincts kick in and I spin around to see who is watching me. To my surprise, it's Nova. I wonder why she is awake. She is still in her Ghost suit, but so am I. However, she looks more innocent now. She has her left arm clutching her right and her eyes focused on me. I know she isn't as innocent as she looks now; she is still a Ghost.
"You're still awake?" she said with a concerned look.
I turn back toward the window and continue looking toward the planet Mar Sara. "I was about to ask the same thing to you, but you did ask first, so I will answer first. I couldn't sleep for the longest time. So, I decided to walk around the ship. I think I walked around for a good 30 minutes before finding…" I wave my hand indicating the meeting area. "this place. I haven't been here too long. So, what about you?"
I glance over my shoulder to see her move toward me. She stands next to me, staring out the window with me. "Same reason you are here."
I smirk and turn my head back toward the blackened space. As I do, I see a figure that looks familiar. He has long black hair, grey shirt with blood streaks running down it and black pants. His hair covers his face so I can't see his it. The last thing I notice is the knife in his hand. He is clutching it tight and the hand that it's in is shaking severely.
Wait, I remember this memory. How? I was "mind wiped" by the Dominion. I shouldn't be remembering my past. Suddenly, the figure lunges toward me. My instincts kicked in again and I jump back attempting to dodge the knife. However, the knife still seemed have struck me. I look down at it, as he stares at me through his long hair. The pain you made me suffer through, all you have put me through, I will put you through. I will make you suffer for the rest of your life if I have too!
I close my eyes trying to force the image from my mind. Go away, you're not here! You're dead! Maybe this is a dream. It has to be, but it's not. I open my eyes and the image is gone, instead it is replaced with Nova, who is staring at me with worried eyes. I look at her, almost panting.
"Daniel, are you…ok?" she says
I shake my head. "No, I…. I don't think I am. Nova, I…" I stop and shake my head again. "I saw something, an image of a man. I remember that man. From my past, but I can't remember his name."
She looks at me, confused. She must be thinking that I am going insane, which might be possible. "I think you need to get some rest."
"No" I snap. "I am fine, just…." However, I think she might be right. Maybe I am just seeing things due to me being extremely tired. I drop my head in my hand and stand there. I try to regain my composure, but I can't. It seems almost impossible to do so. I feel a something touch my shoulder. I lift my head from my hands to see Nova's hand is there. I shake it off and walk away from her. She doesn't say anything or attempt to stop me. So I continue to walk on toward my assigned room and decide to get some rest.
I am walking through a dense jungle, my canister rifle in my hands and a few other Ghosts a few feet ahead of me. They didn't have their cloaking active, which means we were not near our objective. The trees around me are different from most I have seen, but it is like that on most other planets. They have some distinct plant/animal on their surface. Some of these critters scurry over my feet and around me, like they don't notice me. We keep walking in the same direction for at least what seems to be a few yards. Suddenly, one of the Ghosts stops, making us all stop. I didn't know why till I notice the rumbling of the ground. I didn't know if this place had frequent earthquakes, so this might be normal. The Ghosts begin searching for something, frantic to find it, but what? Then, gun fire starts, but I can't move to see what they are firing at. I am stuck, unable to do anything but observe what's going on. Zerg then start leaping in from between the trees, surround us like we are prey. Screams are the next thing I hear. The sound of the Ghosts being ripped to pieces and there screams as they die. I am still unable to move, but they haven't noticed me still. That invisibility was short lived when a Hydralisk's head snaps in my direction. It starts slithering toward me, jaws open and his hissing growing louder as he gets closer to me. I am still unable to move, unable to attack or doing anything to defend myself. It's as if my body is locked up in some sort of panic state. It towers over me now, mouth open as it screeches at me. I have to do something anything to survive, but instead I collapse to the ground. I am on my knees almost as if I was praying to some god to save me. However, I begin to feel a strange sense of power inside me. It makes me feel like I can take on the whole Dominion army. Though, at the same time I still feel weak and frightened. The Hydralisk now lunges toward me, it leads with its claws and its mouth open ready to rip me limb from limb. Panic and fear now overwhelm me and I erupt.
I wake up almost literally jumping out of the bed I was sleeping on. My breathing is heavy and there is sweat running down my forehead. I look around the room. Everything is normal. No jungle, trees, native animals or Zerg. I sigh with relief. I noticed that I changed out of my Ghost suit, which I don't remember doing. I guess I must have blacked out before I reached my assigned room. I find my suit near the front of the bed. I haven't checked the time yet either, but it's probably close to the time we need to drop on Mar Sara. I stumble out of the bed and begin putting on the suit. Once I get the suit on, I grab my rifle that I happened to put near the door. That wasn't smart, but I shouldn't have to worry about being attacked on a Dominion ship, right? The door opens up to one of the Ghosts. I jump a little. Damn he scared me real bad. Wasn't expecting him.
"Well, you seem know when people are coming." He says with his slight sarcastic attitude.
"Yeah, I wish I knew you were coming." I say under my breath.
He signals me to follow, and I do. I walk about a few steps behind him down these narrow halls. I wonder who designed this ship. Whoever did, they must have been insane. I finally catch up to him, but I have to stay behind him or we would be a little too close for comfort in these hallways.
"I have a bad feeling about this mission." He blurts randomly. Or maybe it wasn't him blurting, maybe he wanted to discuss the mission with me.
"Why do you say this?" I say just to see what he means.
"The colonel seemed like he was holding something back, information that would be useful to us. I never trusted him in the first place."
We finally reach the other Ghosts. They seemed geared up and ready to go, just as I am. I glance over at Nova. She seems to have a sense of urgency and readiness to her, now. We get the order to get into the pods and prepare for the drop.
The pod rumbles slightly as it soars through the atmosphere of Mar Sara. I have to readjust myself at least several times. Damn drop pod seats are not that comfortable. I close my eyes and wait for the pod to land on the surface. It feels like eternity until we land. A display shows the signal that the drop pod will disintegrate in approximately 15 seconds. I kick the pod door open and bolt a few yards away from the pod and wait to regroup with the rest of my "team". I turn back around to watch the pod disintegrate. Then, I look around, trying to see where the other Ghosts are, but they seem to be nowhere in sight. Now, I search frantically, my eyes darting from one spot to the other. I begin to raise my right hand to my ear to turn on the comms, when I see Nova running toward me.
"Have you seen the others? I haven't attempted to look for them." She says, now walking toward me. Her eyes scan the area around me. "And it seems you haven't found them yet either."
"Nice to see you too, Nova" I say sarcastically.
She rolls her eyes at me. "Come on now, we need too…." She stops and looks around for a second. Suddenly she bolts right past me; a trail of red dust passes me. Where is she going? I run after her to see where she is going, but it's difficult to see on Mar Sara. The red dust makes visibility on this planet very low. Another reason why I don't like this planet.
I try to speed up to catch up to her, but she seems to be doing the same. I get closer and closer, but when I do she seems speed up so I can't get close enough to stop her. We run in the same direction for about 2 to 3 kilos until I lose her. I stop in my tracks and begin to look around. Where could she have gone? That's when I see it.
A build stand about 100 yards ahead of me. The styling of the building shows it's a refinery, probably vespene refinery. She has to be in there, it's the only building with in a 2 kilo radius. I make a mad dash for the entrance of the refinery. When I reach the entrance, the doors seem rusted and inactive. Well, I thought they were inactive, but they seem to open when I got close enough to them. I walk into the building, and raise my canister rifle to ready myself if there are UED's in here. I walk slowly around the refinery, checking every corner, shaded area, etc. The walls in here are rusted to the point to where they might just collapse on their own. There is absolute silence in the air and it is kind of worrying me. Where is Nova? She has to be in here.
I hear the faint steps from behind me and I instinctively turn around and check what was behind me. Nothing. The faint steps have disappeared now, which worries me. I turn back around and continue on. The second I turn around, I feel a sharp pain in my left shoulder and then I get shoved forward. I regain my balance as fast as I can and turn back around to see who attacked me. Again, no one is there. Another sharp pain sears across the right side of my face. Where is he? He can't be cloaked can he? UED's shouldn't have that kind of technology. I ready myself for another attack. If he was smart, which he seems to know what he is doing, he would attack from behind. Aim for a kill shot on the back of my neck. I wait for few seconds, trying to establish the time he might attack. Then, I do a low sweep kick to knock his feet out from under him. I hear the reassuring thud of him hitting the floor.
I aim my canister rifle at the spot where he should be. His cloak deactivates and he lays there holding his head. I put my finger over the trigger, tightening my finger around it. I am just about to fire a bullet into his head, when I feel tremendous pressure on the back of my neck and I pass out.
Thank you all who read this series. I have enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it. I apologies again if this chapter seems to lack a little. This time it was not school work. It was my procrastination that kicked in. I have a bad habit of doing that. Anyway, please feel free to leave any review, good or bad, I read them all. I would also appreciate the help to enhance the quality of my writing/the use of the StarCraft lore.