Personal Log

Day: 374

Time: Approx. 7:11 AM

Exfiltrating Like a Land Slide

Holmes turned the corner hard, and didn't bother to stop as he ran and slammed his body into the emergency door leading into the motor pool. A small beeping alarm went off, but Holmes didn't care. Outside the door was a staircase that lead down into the motor pool where several crates and boxes still lay around. Holmes jumped over the arm rail and began looking around drastically for a vehicle that would work.

The Computer helped by turning on a section of lights above a jeep not too far away. Holmes hopped in and threw off his assault rifle and backpack into the side seat. The truck was littered with trash and spent casings and Holmes wondered if anyone ever thought of cleaning it up before leaving.

"Cut that light out," yelled Holmes, for the shadow above him kept him from seeing any of the ignition switches or anything.

He waited a few seconds, for his eyes to adjust, and he began to see the jeep's control board. As he fumbled around for control, the giant motor pool door began to open, casting the light of day into the motor pool. Holmes slunk down into the seat, trying to evade the light cast by the outside.

"Computer," whispered Holmes into his headset, "Be quiet. What's the big deal, huh? What's with the door?"

"This door is on it's own control circuit," said the Computer through the headset, "I can't access it without the code, which I donot have."

"Someone does," whispered Holmes as a few figures entered the motor pool, "Oh… crap."

The figures soon proved to be the Na'Vi. They seemed to be allowing their eyes to adjust as well. They looked around the room, a few with spears and one with a bow. Holmes tried to steady his breathing, to him it sounded like each breath was an explosion and would give him away in no time.

"Think… James… think," said Holmes to himself, "Computer, you got any ideas? Any at all?"

"A diversion?" suggested the Computer.

Before Holmes could answer, at the other end of the motor pool another jeep's car alarm went off, and the lights above it began to flicker. The Na'Vi turned their heads towards the source of the noise, and stealthily began approaching the jeep, leaving the door wide open and clear. Holmes smiled and sat more upright in the dark of the jeep.

"Perfect," he whispered, and he grasped tightly around the ignition started and gave it a sharp twist.

The jeep roared to life, rumbling beneath Holmes' body. Holmes slammed it into gear, and pushed down on the gas as hard as he could. The jeep's tires skidded only for a slight moment before gripping and lurching the jeep forward. Automatically the headlights switched on, illuminating what was left of the darkness in front of Holmes.

The Na'Vi swirled around in fear as the jeep shot forward and flew right past them and through the open door. Holmes ignored their yells as he drove the jeep right into the open ground. The sun was now full in the sky, and most of the morning mist gone. The sunlight hurt Holmes' eyes, but only for a moment as they adjusted. Holmes turned on the wheel to avoid one of those several crates that littered the front of the base and he continued through the compound.

"No what?" said Holmes, observing all the blue creatures running around the grounds, some avoiding him others running towards him.

"Check the GPS located on the GAV JL-723 dashboard," said the Computer over the headset, "Be fast, please, my censors indicate movement on your position."

On the GPS, the Computer had thrown up a small directional icon, showing a route right to the Sampson.

"There's got to be a quicker way, Computer," yelled Holmes as he dodged some of the creatures who had gotten too close or jumped in his way.

"You could head through the fence, here," said the Computer, changing the route.

"Let's do that," yelled Holmes, turning on the wheel hard.

Holmes sped through the compound dodging Pandorian creatures, trying to escape. He turned another corner, rounding another building, and gunned the engine towards the edge of the compound. Holmes' mouth dropped and he furrowed his brow.

"Dam it, Computer," yelled Holmes, "That's not a fence, that's another wall! It's the wall!"

"Fence… wall… they are both programmed as the same in this computer," said the Computer.

"Damn it, Computer," yelled Holmes, still speeding towards the wall.

He looked around, trying to look around for another exit. His eyes stopped on the jeep's gun turret. It gave him an idea, since the turret fired rockets instead of bullets. He smiled.

"Computer, you can activate car alarms," yelled Holmes, "Fire every shot this thing has on my mark."

"Lieutenant… I don't think I," started the Computer.

"Just do it," yelled Holmes, "Mark in 3…2…"

The jeep went ever faster towards the wall, and Holmes looked for what was the weakest area of the wall. Holmes waited, but he didn't lift his foot from the accelerator at all.

"Mark!" yelled Holmes, "Fire, fire now!"

The massive gun began firing off shots in rapid succession, and Holmes winced and covered his ear with one hand. The turret was not lifted up, and therefore fired right by his head. The shots went clean and true, slamming hard into the wall. Holmes saw them hit, but they didn't appear to be doing anything.

"Crap," whispered Holmes as the jeep closed the gap between its front bumper and the wall.

The last shot fired from the turret and Holmes could feel the heat from the blast as he closed his eyes and the jeep hit the wall. The force was enough to rattle the cage, and Holmes' body was thrust forward at the expense he was not wearing a seatbelt. But, the last blast and the jeep's momentum must have been enough, for the jeep continued through the wall, smashing it apart.

Holmes let up on the gas and allowed the jeep to fly through the air for a moment before crashing into the field on the other side and coming to an abrupt stop. Holmes sat, still, in a daze. The car still worked, rumbling silently to itself.

The world seemed to go more quiet around Holmes, only the purr of the engine and the sounds of Pandora to interrupt complete silence. Holmes examined the dust and debris on the jeep, and looked around at what he had accomplished.

The front end was pretty beat up, but it looked like it could've still been used. The headlights were out. Holmes turned to examine the wall; a clean hole could be seen in it. Holmes smiled slightly to himself.

"Oh, yeah," said Holmes, almost in a chuckle.

Holmes heard the sound of distant shouts and hoots from inside the compound, and he was brought back into reality. He sat up straight, and grasped the wheel once more. He carefully pressed the gas, testing the jeeps capabilities. The jeep moved forward, and began to maneuver across the land. So Holmes smiled and sped it up, aiming for what looked like a wildlife path going into the forest. Holmes stepped on it, and the engine revved.

Into the forest he went, bouncing over bumps and tree stumps and roots and dodging branches and trees. Holmes eyes were darting from side to side, looking for any sign of Pandorian wildlife in the jungle.

"Computer, can you start the Sampson like we did here?" yelled Holmes.

"Negative, I am pushing beyond my programming as is. I do not have a wireless hold on the Sampson," the Computer replied.

"Then prepare for a hot arrival!" yelled Holmes, but he knew there was little the computer could do now.

Holmes smashed through a low hanging branch, and turned to avoid hitting a tree. Holmes looked at the GPS imager and saw the distance between the jeep and the Sampson closing fast. Holmes smiled a cocky smile and nodded his head.

"I think we made-" started Holmes, but a giant arrow sinking into a tree in front of him cut him short.

Holmes turned around and looked behind him. Many Na'Vi were gaining on him. Some rode horse-like creatures but some just simply seemed to fly through the trees. Holmes allowed himself to cuss in anger and he returned his attention to where he was going.

He turned a moment too soon. The jeep slammed into a tree, and Holmes, again, was thrust against the steering wheel. The jeep shut off this time, and more silence was briefly in the air. Holmes looked around, and another arrow hit the ground not too far off. Holmes made a move to unbuckle himself, but he wore no buckle, then he grabbed his backpack and reached for his gun.

He noticed another weapon in the passenger side of the jeep; it was a hand grenade launcher. An older style, single fire grenade launcher. He smiled and grabbed it, along with the few grenades on the jeep's floor and on the seat. Holmes strapped on his pack and slung the ACR over his shoulder as he jumped from the jeep, being missed by another arrow.

This is bull!" yelled Holmes as he took off through the jungle, watching the closing threat as they closed the gap.

Holmes checked to see if there was a grenade in the launcher, then he aimed at the Na'Vi crowd coming closer. Before he fired, he thought a moment about the amount of grenades and stuff of the like. He instead, aimed slightly more upward and fired off a grenade round.

The round soared through the air and slammed into a very large tree branch. It exploded, severing the base of the branch and causing the large branch to crash through the jungle to the ground. It landed in a huge mess of broken sticks and burning leaves right in front of the Na'Vi party chasing him, and it obscured them from sight.

Holmes got up and took off running through the jungle, trying to load up another grenade shot while he tripped through the jungle. He looked up, and not too far off he could see the Sampson waiting where he had landed it. Holmes took off for it, trying his best to not trip and fall while running through the jungle.

When Holmes reached the Sampson, he jumped inside and through down his back and weapon, hopping into the pilot's seat and beginning startup programs. Holmes kept a weary eye in the jungle, seeing movement and commotion not too far off.

"Come on," said Holmes as the engines roared up, "Let's move it!"

Holmes slammed a lever down, jolting the chopper up into the air.

"Warning," cried the Sampson's sub-program, "Pre-mature liftoff, stalling likely. Please easy until the engines are ready to go."

"Shut up," said Holmes, "Got to get my tail out of here!"

Out of the jungle burst one of the blue Na'Vi, and they sprinted forward and pole-vaulted off their bow and into the air, grabbing hold of the Sampson's open-passenger bay. Holmes looked back, trying to see him, but he couldn't spot him. As Holmes continued to rise in the Sampson, another Na'Vi jumped from one of the higher-up branches and landed on the tail end of the Sampson, grasping tightly.

Holmes swore from under his breath as they broke the tree line. Holmes began turning the Sampson one way, then another, trying to shake off his two visitors, but they clung on with frightening intensity.

"Computer, we got some cling-ons!" Yelled Holmes.

"Shall I step on their fingers for you?"

Holmes continued to fly back and forth, trying to shake away his unwanted guests. They clung on with iron-like grip. The one clinging by the open passenger's door reached in and grabbed the frame to the chair and held on tight. Holmes looked around anxiously, sweat dripping down his face.

"Flares," yelled Holmes, "Fire the damn flares!"

At the tail end of the chopper, two openings opened and red flare began shooting out. The creature on the tail in closed its eyes and tried to hold on longer, and let out a howl. It wasn't too long after that it loosened its grip and was thrown from the Sampson, falling into the canopy of the jungle.

The other grasped even tighter trying its best to hold on. Holmes had to think fast, and he looked around the cabin for something that might help.

"I got nothin, Computer," he said, "I don't know!"

Holmes spotted a fire extinguisher, and he grabbed a hold of it and fumbled around with it. When he got a good hold of it, he pointed it at the hands of the Na'Vi trying to get through. He pressed, hard, spewing the extinguisher's contents out over the Na'Vi creature.

Holmes didn't know whether of not it would work, but he held it there, closing his eyes and trying to keep the extinguisher steady. To his relief, it was only a few more moments until the grip slowly loosed around the creatures hands, and soon they let go altogether, allowing the Na'Vi figure to fall back into the jungle canopy.

Holmes accelerated the motors and raised the altitude of the Sampson, heading back to Alpha. It was a few seconds before Holmes began having the Computer check sensors and scopes for any sign of Na'Vi movement below. When the Computer noted no activity of any sort, Holmes took a moment to start to loosed up, and he even smiled a little.

"Did you see that!" he smiled to himself, "That was… so cool!"

"What? Your tactics to infiltrate an empty, unlocked base? Your failed attempt at first contact with the native intelligent life? You're crude and… rather destructive escape? Oh, maybe the fact you could've killed yourself multiple times and wrecked our Sampson?"

"How about when I yelled 'flares', and then you shot all these flares off, and he was like 'aaaahhh!' like that guy from Star Wars!" said Holmes.

The Computer made a noise similar to sighing before saying, "I'll chart a route home, then?"

"Yes, please do," said Holmes, "Let's see what we've found."