Ch. 4
Auri and her squad quickly made their way towards the engine room. Using the map that the Librarian provided them Auri was able to find shortcuts and small passageways that made getting to their objective, and avoiding the Flood, easier.
"We're almost there," Auri whispered after consulting the map once again. The engine room was down another staircase followed by a long open hallway that left them with limited cover. There were few doors down there but Auri doubted they would be unlocked.
"Anything on radar?" Auri asked Drinj.
"Nothing to report, ma'am."
"And the pelican, Kent?"
"She's still good-" Kent swore as he pulled up a live feed from one of the pelican's front cameras. The parasite had found their bird. The Flood were attempting to bring the vehicle online, quickly bypassing any security measures that Kent set in place.
"Dammit all!" he swore again. The Lieutenant looked at his XO.
"Do it," Auri ordered. Kent took out the detonator that would destroy his bird, their only ride out of there, and triggered it. The camera feeds instantly shut off.
"What the hell was that for?!" Drinj demanded.
"We cannot allow the Flood to leave this area," Auri replied firmly.
"We just lost our only ride out of here and evac's almost an hour away from here, if we're lucky."
"What do you want me to do, Drinj? Let the Flood leave so that it could spread to the rest of Requiem?! I can't do that."
"Why is the Flood even here at all?" Daniels asked, "This is supposed to be a shield world, right?"
"I think the Forerunners might have been trying to study it and the Flood came close to getting out. The Forerunners sealed off this area, shut it down and placed the Flood in isolation so that they'll go dormant for awhile and starve since they're cut off from their food source," Kent supplied.
"There must have only been a few individuals left here before our scientists went and woke up the Flood," Auri replied.
"If they had to placate the Flood... I don't even want to know what they used to feed them," Daniels muttered.
"Feeding the Flood most likely increased the risk of outbreak," Drinj grumbled.
"Look," Auri said, "I know you're not happy with the situation we've been placed in but we have a job that needs finishing. Corcova is standing by, waiting for us to set the charges. The longer we stand here, the more danger she and the rest her squad are placed in. Let's move."
The other Spartans reluctantly left the room they had entered and headed down the staircase. When they reached the hallway, Auri held up her hand. The others stopped and crouched down where they stood.
"What is it?" Kent whispered.
"Something's not right here," Auri replied softly.
"Tell something I don't know," Drinj muttered. Auri snapped her head back around and slashed her hand across her neck, ordering him to keep quiet. Drinj nodded once and returned to looking around the hallway.
"Did you hear something?" Kent asked.
"Yes. I don't know what it was but we are definitely not alone," Auri responded. Suddenly, a clattering noise a few feet behind the Spartans sounded. Daniels and Drinj spun around, guns at the ready.
"Commander, I think we've overstayed our welcome," Daniels said.
"Agreed. Move!" Auri hissed and took off down the hallway with the others close behind her.
They were halfway down the hall when one of the supposedly locked doors flew off its hinges and into the Spartans' path. Auri tumbled over it, followed closely by Kent and Daniels. Drinj sidestepped it and was almost clear of the door when something green and grey grabbed the Spartan's left leg and yanked him out of the air. Drinj barely had time to scream as he smacked the ground and was dragged into the room; his shields flared and were nearly drained.
"HELP!" he yelled when he managed to fill his lungs with air and fired his assault rifle. Auri, Kent, and Daniels skidded to a halt and scrambled back to their downed teammate. Daniels put on a burst of speed and sprinted into the room. He barreled into the closest Flood and fired in short bursts. By the time Auri and Kent entered the room, Daniels had already taken down two Flood and was grappling with the one the grabbed Drinj.
Kent brought up his pistol and fired over Daniels' shoulder, hitting the Flood once in the head and twice in collar bone. It staggered backward giving Daniels time to grab the Flood by the arm and slammed his fist into its chest. He found the infection form that had taken up residence within its host's chest cavity and squeezed it. He was rewarded with a satisfying pop! as the infection form imploded. Bits of its tissue scattered to the ground as the combat form collapsed. Daniels shook his hand and wiped whatever gore he could off his armor.
Auri and Kent stomped on the chests of the remaining Flood corpses, ensuring the improbability of them reanimating. Auri swiveled her head around and spotted Drinj laying on the ground, one hand covering a dent in his armor. Drinj used his other hand to take off his helmet and met hir XO's gaze. The Commander's chest tightened painfully.
Please tell me the armor held. Pleasepleaseplease-
Drinj coughed and spat up a bit of blood.
"You don't so well there, buddy," Daniels said as kneeled down to examine his teammate's injuries.
"I've felt better," Drinj replied and coughed again. It sounded worse this time. The Lieutenant twisted his body away from the other Spartans and coughed violently into the crook of his arm. Auri spotted a larger pool of blood and spit somewhat hidden beneath Drinj's shadow when he came up. His face was losing its color.
"Daniels, do you still have that med kit?" Auri asked. Daniels nodded once and opened up his pack to take out the kit. "Alright," Auri said and kneeled down to face Drinj, "Drinj, we'll seal you up and get you ground side as soon as we blow the generators. You just have to stay with us."
"Don't think I'll... be able to manage... that, Commander," Drinj replied with a weak smile. Kent turned head around to look at his teammate. Daniels froze with the biofoam in one hand.
"What're you saying?" Daniels asked warily.
"The damned parasites knocked down my shields and already punctured my suit's biolayer by the time you guys got here. Had you gotten in... about five seconds later, it might've... tapped my spinal cord and I would've been gone by now. But they know how to get the job done. The virus... is in my system as we speak," Drinj explained wearily.
Auri swore and paced the room for a few seconds. Daniels refused to meet his teammate's eyes. The sudden click of a readied gun echoed in the small room. Auri and Daniels looked up to see Kent pointing his pistol at Drinj's head.
"What do you think you are doing?" Auri demanded.
"Commander, Drinj is infected with the Flood virus. We both know what the Flood will do if they get a hold of his body," Kent said as he adjusted his grip on the gun.
"They won't get my body," Drinj replied before Auri voiced her protests. "Our suits can be converted into bombs, remember? The Spartan II suits had that program built into them so that if a Spartan went down in a field full of covies, the bomb would be activated and the covies wouldn't be able to access any of our tech." The Commander moved to her belt, removed her pistol from its holster and handed it butt first to Drinj. The Spartan shook his head.
"I've got mine," he said, gesturing with his DMR, "Pistol's on my belt. You're gonna need all the firepower to get out of here." Auri nodded once, her face grim behind her visor. She stood.
"Sure you don't need anything else?" asked Daniels.
"Could use a couple hundred shiva nukes, a beer and a way off this godforsaken planet, but that would probably be too much for me to ask," Drinj replied, laughing softly.
Daniels' shoulders dropped slightly. Kent lowered his aim on Drinj and holstered his weapon.
"We'll do what we can," Kent said.
"Blow 'em to hell, Commander," Drinj said.
"Gladly." Auri saluted her comrade and swallowed around the lump in her throat as they left the room.
"Good luck," Drinj whispered as they left the room.
"What the hell?" Jennings yelped in shock.
"What's wrong-?" Corcova started to ask and checked her HUD. Drinj's bio signs flat lined. She felt her blood run cold.
She opened a secure channel to her commander as everyone else set up a perimeter around the terminal.
"Commander! Where's Drinj?" Corcova asked as soon as Auri answered the line.
"Drinj is dead," Auri replied in monotone, "Flood... got to him." Corcova swore expressively in Russian.
Corcova took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before replying. "I'm sorry, Commander."
"So am I. Are you still by the terminal?"
"Ready... and waiting, ma'am."
"Good. We've just reached the generator room. Drinj's suit is... set to blow in about twenty five- now twenty three- minutes."
"Copy that, ma'am. Jennings will begin the data purge." Corcova signalled to the tech specialist to work her magic. Jennings entered in the override codes and began extracting data and transferring it over to a data chip that was inserted into the system.
"Alright. We'll set the charges now. Kent had to detonate the pelican when the Flood found it. We couldn't risk them getting out of the facility and spread to the rest of Requiem. Daniels is trying to open a secure channel to HQ to see if we can get a lift. Get ready to run. The charges, coupled with the generators, won't give us much time to double back. Check your escape routes, watch your backs. Flood's not gonna be overly thrilled getting fried."
"Aye aye, ma'am. Jennings is nearly done pulling the data. We're just about done here."
"Copy that. We'll see you on the other side."
"See you then." Corcova closed the channel and looked over at Jennings. The corporal nodded. She was done.
"Let's get a move on people," Corcova announced and turned around. Shenway, Kerin and Hannly were sweeping the area.
"Something wrong?" Corcova asked.
"Thought we heard something, ma'am," Hannly replied not taking her eyes one dark corner of the room.
"Here we go again," Jennings muttered and tucked the data chip into one her armor's pockets.
"I've got movement!" hissed Kerin.
"Where?" Corcova whispered, instantly gesturing to Jennings to move closer.
"Damn it," Kerin murmured, "Lost it."
"No, you didn't," Shenway said, turning her flashlights on. The white light pierced the shadows as she swiveled her head back and forth, checking behind the equipment in the room. "I just saw it," she murmured to herself. She gently pulled back a panel.
"Aha!" She sounded triumphant. Her arm lashed out and quickly withdrew. In her hands was an infection form that had been skirting their radars, playing a deadly game of hide and seek with the Spartans.
"Gotcha, ya little bastard!" she said grinning behind her helmet. The infection form gave a tiny squeak as the Spartan tightened her grip on it. "Oh, cry me a river. Mommy and Daddy can't hear you." She taunted the little thing.
A flash of red showed up Hannly's radar.
"Uh, I think Mummy and Daddy have come back for their kid," she said turning on her own lights, "Shenway, you might want to finish up."
"You're such a party pooper. I was having fun," Shenway replied and gave the infection form one last tight squeeze before it popped. The Spartan wiped her hands and picked up her weapon.
"You are so going to get sued for that," Hannly muttered.
"And that's why I never let you around my kids," Kerin whispered as he looked around.
"You have kids?" Shenway asked as she rejoined her team.
"No. If I did, you're not babysitting," Kerin replied.
"Quiet!" Corcova ordered as Shenway snorted. Jennings was more or less in the middle of the small circle the other Spartans formed around.
"No matter what happens, this data has to get out," Corcova murmured to her team, "The Flood can't get it." Green acknowledgement lights winked once in her HUD.
Corcova gestured for her team to start moving out of the immediate area. They turned off their flashlights and activated the night vision feature on their HUDs. The light in front of each Spartan turned a filmy green.
Another flash of red skirted the edges of their radars. Corcova gestured again and the Spartans picked up their pace as they each received a countdown timer from Auri. The charges were set. Below the timer was Drinj's suit timer. They had about fifteen minutes before that blew. A red dot ran a little close to the Spartans. Corcova saw a green arm lash out at her visor. She ducked and slammed the butt of her rifle into its chest. The infection form within gave under the impact. The Spartans separately engaged the combat forms that threw themselves at their bullets. Anger and frustration shot through Hannly as she watched a previously "dead" combat form rise up again with a new infection form. It was hard to focus on the little bastards when you have the hosts attacking you at the same time. She slammed her gun down hard in the nearest Flood body. She repeated the action two more times before it was knocked out of her hands.
Hannly looked up to see a lone combat form staring her down. It ran at her after meeting the Spartan's gaze. Hannly stepped into an easy fighting position and was prepared to knock it down when it suddenly leapt twenty feet into the air. Hannly spun around and saw that it was going for Jennings.
They know, Hannly thought and hurried to save her teammate from impending death.