Thawing out from being out in the freezing wilderness for nearly a week, Sigma tries to come to terms from recent revelations...
Chapter 37: The Best Laid Plans
"I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep, I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion."
~Alexander the Great~
Stirring from what seemed to be an eternity from a long incubation after roaming in the bitter Frost, Sven peeled open his parched eyelids. It took some time to adjust to the light that was illuminating the room, but eventually the pictures came into focus. He rummaged through his backlogged memory, trying to remember exactly where he was, but all he could recollect was the freezing cold that numbed his limbs. If his mind didn't remind him of the staggering cold he had to endure the night before, his body certainly did. Despite the rigidity in his neck, he carefully lifted his head from his pillow to look down. Noticing the blankets that laid over his feet, he subconsciously began to wiggle his toes. Holy crap…I can feel my toes; I still have my toes.
He then peered down over to the fingers on his right hand, watching his digits move, one after another. Got my toes, got my fingers…oh my God, my balls!
Sven frantically reached to quickly lift the blankets from his body but his arms began to ache in the process. Ugh, I moved them too fast, shit! He paused for a moment, allowing the throbbing to subside before attempting to remove the blanket from over his groin. He sat up to loosen himself from the hospital gown that was wrapped tightly around him. Struggling to untie the string that held his gown in place, he instead carefully pulled it up to his waist to reveal his flaccid but intact genitals…oh thank God, they're still there…wait…
A thought began to stir the moment he realized where he was. Feeling a slight tug coming from his male member, he noticed the catheter tube running from his urethra that trailed down to a urine bag that was hanging from his bed. It was then he gawked at a clump of wires tangled with his I.V. tube and cords that connected to the beeping electrocardiogram right next to his bed. He looked over to his left arm and attempted to disconnect the connector taped to his arm from the I.V. port. Struggling at first trying to remove the tape from his sensitive epidermis on his arm, he took a deep breath before ripping the tape off, yanking out a few arm hairs by the follicle in the process.
"Ahhh, fuck!" he grimaced shortly after his compulsive outburst. It was a few seconds before the stinging could subside, clinching his teeth until he could take a deep breathe to relieve brief, wrenching pain.
Despite the annoying throbbing he was enduring, he resumed to removing the I.V. needle from the port, freeing his arm from the connector. After dropping the needle to the wayside, he then slowly moved his arm down to carefully remove the catheter from his urethra, cringing slightly from the awkward sensation until he pulled it out completely. Letting out a sigh of relief, he took a moment to relax, feeling somewhat drained from just trying to sit up in his bed. Ugh, I feel weird, he groaned to himself, bringing his hand to his face to scratch the side of his jaw, coming to feel the wild whiskers that had overgrown on his face. Crap, I need to shave.
The week-long expedition nearly depleted him, both mentally and physically. Despite the lack of comforts often associated with hospitals, the pains were a welcomed break from the cold hell-hole he had to endure only ten hours earlier.
Savoring the moment as often as he could, he looked around the room to take notice of an empty hospital bed next to him with the sheets disheveled and the I.V. missing. Another bed was also empty with the I.V. cannula connector lying on the pillow and the sheets strewn on the floor. Whoa, we made it…we actually made it to the Block, he reiterated yet again.
It wasn't long before he could make out voices coming past the door to his room. Trying to make out the recent commotion that was coming from the hallway, it suddenly dawned on him,
…wait, where's Cole and Baird?
Walking as fast as he could on the icy cold, tile floor in his bare feet, wearing nothing but a hospital gown, Corporal Damon Baird staggered across the hospital hallway with a nurse frantically following behind him.
"Sir…Corporal…doctor's orders demands that you remain in bed!" she tried to restrain the defiant Corporal from exiting the premises, but Baird's determination was more resilient than her feeble attempt to persuade him otherwise.
"Screw that, I don't need any more rest," Baird growled, continuing to march over to the infirmary desk further down the hall in hopes to find his belongings somewhere in the locker storage area.
With Raven still separated from the others, he attempted to go see her shortly after he woke up that same morning, but for whatever reason her room was heavily guarded and no one was allowed inside, other than Colonel Hoffman, which consequently pissed Baird off to no end.
Brushing along the other nurses and patients that happened to be in his way, he meandered through the crowd, not the least bit conscientious about walking around in a partially opened gown, exposing the backside of his pale buttocks. The only thing that he did have was his COG tags and Raven's necklace, which surprised him that the hospital didn't confiscate that.
"C'mon, c'mon…move your ass, let's go!" Baird barked, pushing along before he finally reached the front desk to the infirmary.
"Soldier, you have not been released yet! You're not leaving…" the nurse that had been following him yelled from behind a crowd of patients and personnel.
"Watch me, sweetheart," he yelled back over his shoulder before redirecting his attention to the lady behind the desk.
"Corporal Baird, id number 638941. I need my armor and packs," he ordered.
"Do you have a release form, sir?" the woman asked rather callously.
"Ma'am, this is a matter concerning a crisis, stating code 163…"
"Sir, the Block is not under attack…"
"Well, DUH…not yet…and there won't be if you let me get my crap so I can go over to command…"
"Well then sir, you need to fill out the form…" she abruptly interrupted over his insistency.
"I don't have to time to be filling out some fucking form, just…"
"Sir, don't make me have to call security!"
"I am the security, goddamnit," Baird barked before he glanced over his shoulder to take notice of the other nurse making her way towards him.
"Sir, you get back to your room this instant!"
Suddenly a familiar voice is heard coming from the hallway as another patient is running amuck between the crowd of hospital personnel.
"Get outta my way…BAIRD…YOU THERE?"
Baird looked up over the cluster of people to find Cole moving from down the same hallway, holding his gown together with one hand and carrying his I.V. stand in the other, using it to shoo the security guards trying in vain to restrain him. The infirmary security was in no way a match for the professionally trained Thrashball player. The man had the force to plow through a full line-back formation, much less weasel his way through a couple of lightly armed security guards.
"HEY…COLE," Baird yelled, waving his hands until the nurse grabbed him by his arm while holding a syringe in her other hand.
"You're coming with me!"
"Like hell I am," Baird sneered before he managed to grab the syringe from her hand to jab it into the wall and then breaking the needle that was impaled into the sheetrock.
"Move…get the fuck outta my way," Cole bellowed, pushing through with a couple of security guards still trying to pitifully restrain the Cole Train.
Baird turned back over to the front desk to take notice that the desk lady was picking up the phone, most likely to call for additional security.
"Oh, fuck this," Baird impatiently growled. Almost immediately, he yanked off his gown in front of the desk lady. The woman gasped the moment her eyes caught sight of the Corporals' indiscretion, consequently dropping the phone to the floor. Baird grabbed a hold of his tags before he hopped over the desk onto the other side, not the least bit conscientious about being in the buff.
"Excuse me, ma'am," Baird scoffed as he pushed her to the side to reach down into the file cabinet to rummage through a series of patient locker assignments.
"Hey…I found where they're keeping your shit Cole," Baird yelled over his shoulder as he continued to look through the files until he found his, "…aha, there you are."
After yanking the file from the drawer, Baird looked up to notice Cole moving around to the side of the front desk,
"Man, we need to get movin' before they send the whole base after us," Cole conveniently mentioned. It was one thing when it came to dueling with the hospital guards, most of whom were newly-recruited civilians that hadn't seen battle, but having to combat a seasoned, hardened Gear, much less several of them, was an entirely different feat, and it was one neither Cole or Baird wanted to have to deal with, especially without their own armaments.
Turning his attention to Baird, Cole ended up getting full glimpse of Baird's lack of modesty,
"Shit, man, you naked, again?" Cole could only chuckle while Baird quickly grabbed a towel from a nurse' cart nearby, and wrapped it around his waist.
"There, is that better?" Baird negged.
The sound of the entry doors being kicked open could be heard from down the hall, startling the rest of the hospital staff. Cole and Baird peered over the crowd as a wave of Gears marched into the hospital.
"Oh, crap!" Baird blurted. Cole equally scoffed,
"Uh huh…that's what I'm talking about! "
"Cole…c'mon, this way!"
Baird pushed through a back door that lead into the storage area of the infirmary, with Cole following closely behind. As the door slammed behind them, Cole whipped around to wrap his massive hand around the door handle before ripping it off the frame and tossing it to the wayside.
"That should keep them busy for a little while," said Cole. The two marched over into another door that lead to a room filled with storage lockers. Shutting another door behind them, Baird quickly started to analyze the number sequences on the locker doors.
"Ok, this is section B…but we need to go to section K, so…" Baird moved further into the room, looking for their locker assignments. Cole followed close behind, looking out for a specific locker number.
"What's my number again?"
"You're K098…" Baird responded while trying to hold his towel in place that was wrapped around his waist, "…c'mon man! I need my clothes."
"What about Vinny's?"
"I couldn't find his…we need to get our shit and go! We don't have a lot of time," Baird hastily groaned, rummaging in the file, trying to find the key to his locker.
"Hey, I found it!" Baird announced, pulling out two keys, "…here…catch!"
Baird tossed a key to Cole,
"I think your locker is right there," he pointed over to his left. Cole moved around Baird to get a better look.
"Oh yea…I see it."
Fidgeting with the keyhole, Baird managed to get his open and started rummaging through his fatigues and ammo packs, cussing in between phrases.
"Fuck…where's my underwear?"
"Ah man, you going to wear your soiled underwear again?" Cole teasingly griped.
"Screw you, man," Baird bemoaned, knowing his underwear was probably pretty rancid after wearing it for a week.
"Nah, I take that back…they probably burned that sucker in the bio-hazard room, hehe," Cole had to laugh at Baird's disposition.
"C'mon…it's got to be here somewhere," Baird searched frantically until a loud thud was heard coming from the other room.
"Oh, shit," Cole blurted out, "…I think they managed to open the door."
Cole quickly put on his fatigues and then hastily put on his boots. Baird did the same before he continued searching for his journal pack.
"Shit, I can't find it!" he griped.
"Find what?"
"The pack I use to keep my journal in…I also kept Raven's journal in it too."
"Wait…it's the one with the map, right?"
As the noise from the other room became more audible, the two gathered their stuff and moved hastily towards the emergency exit.
"Yea, it is," Baird blurted out, staggering while carrying most of his packs in one arm, trying to unlock the bolt on the door with the other.
"C'mon, what the fuck?" Baird could be heard, fiddling with the door handle before pushing against the door with his hips to try and pry the stubborn thing open.
"C'mon, open up you piece of shit!" he growled in between hip thrusts, trying to unstick the latch.
Almost instantly the moment he slammed his hip against the door one last time, it finally whipped open, causing Baird to fall down on the icy cold floor. Cole peered out past the doorframe to notice a couple of Gears waiting just outside of the locker room.
"Oh, you got to be kiddin' me…" Cole began to rant until an acquainted voice rang out from behind the Gears,
"Damnit Baird, I told you to get some rest! That was an order, soldier, not a fucking request!"
"I don't need rest…sir!" Baird grumbled before he slowly looked up from the floor, somewhat still disorientated from hitting the cold floor and the sedative he received the night before. He could see Sergeant Fenix looking down at him with his arms crossed, scowling…shit, when is he NOT scowling at me? Asshole!
Marcus looked back up at Cole, whom was starting to back off from the door. They could hear the other security personnel make their way into the locker room from behind.
"With all due respect Marcus, command needs to let us in on all of dis," Cole tried to explain, "…there's a lot that we discovered out there that command doesn't know about."
"That's why I'm here, Gus," said Marcus as he raised his hand to the security personnel, signaling them to back off.
Baird could be heard groaning from the floor,
"Well then what the hell took you so long?" he griped as Marcus looked back down, giving Baird an amusing smirk,
"Cause' I wanted to see if you would actually run around the infirmary, bare ass!"
Inside an otherwise vacant meeting room, Hoffman sat in a chair waiting uncomplainingly while a less-than-amused Lieutenant Stroud continued to rummage through the database on a desktop computer, searching for what was left of Jacinto's archive. Anya had been looking through the archives for nearly an hour before she was able to make some leeway, hoping that the time she had already wasted looking through an obsolete desktop computer was worth the effort.
Meanwhile, Sergeant Mataki and a cordial Captain Miller waited along with Hoffman, noticing the noise of chatter coming from the hallway just outside the room. The three turned their attention to the door as the voices became more audible.
"Dreary me…I can hear that Blondie is alive and well," Bernie snorted at Baird's familiar ranting, followed by Marcus'. Miller chuckled at the Sergeant's comment while Marcus was the first to walk through the doorway, followed by Cole, Baird, and a somewhat, disorientated Sven Dunrich. With Marcus being the exception, the other three glared at the others with a blatantly awkward expression. The men of Sigma were already in freshly cleaned fatigues after a brief, lukewarm shower that didn't make the mood anymore compromising, but they were there, anticipating something, anything that could shed some light on what command intended to do concerning the events of late.
"Gentlemen…attention," Hoffman barked as the room quickly went silent with the officers standing in formation with something of a salute, with the exception of Baird, whom sloppily raised his hand before letting out a groaning sigh. Only Marcus was annoyed by Baird's lack of regard.
"At ease, men…" Hoffman huffed before freeing his men from the formalities, "…and before I even begin, will you please, Corporal, get that piece of shit to stabilize?"
Hoffman pointed to the monitor screen that was blinking on and off between modes. Without hesitation, Baird casually took off his glove to bang the side of the monitor with his fist, resulting in the screen switching back to "on" mode, permanently. By now, Baird's reputation as an expert mechanic had preceded him wherever he went, even if it meant something quick and crude; he always got something to work, one way or another.
"Thank you," Hoffman groaned, but contended, "…now if you could, please sit there Corporal…there's something I want to show you boys."
Sighing, Baird took a seat in front of the monitor to adjust the pixels on the screen. Cole took a seat next to him while Sven looked over the two, next to Marcus.
"Lieutenant, can you pull up the information we looked up from earlier?" said Hoffman.
"It should already be up, Coronal…Corporal?"
"Ok…I see a medical journal on a computer screen, so what?" Baird began to scoff until Marcus flicked Baird in the back of his head with his heavy middle digit,
"Just read the article on the screen, dipshit," Marcus sneered.
"Alright, alright…geez…" Baird grumbled, rubbing the place on his head where Marcus struck him. Peering into the uploaded article that Anya managed to find, Baird quickly scanned the verbiage, noticing that it was a psychoanalysis profile of some of the soldiers stationed East on the Tyrus border six years earlier. He scanned down to take notice of an alarming inventory of a particular antidepressant that was issued on a trial-base for the Gears stationed there for a multitude of post-traumatic stress disorders.
"Son of a…" Baird could be heard mumbling while Cole peered over into the blurring print, but was able to decipher some the articles' findings.
"Exlin?" Cole blurted aloud, "…I heard on the vine that some of that shit was wacked, ya know…causing people to be unstable."
"Yea, it was initially taken off the pharmaceutical shelf as a defective product, when the medics noticed the risky side effects," Miller elaborated.
"Apparently, when times were getting hard, the medics started to ransack local pharmacies and most of it wasn't taken off the shelf quite yet," Hoffman replied.
"So what's this got to do with our present situation?" asked Marcus.
"Because according to this, the Gears that were prescribed this shit started to break down. This medication was a huge backfire to begin with, mixing the wrong neurotransmitters all at once…" Baird started to rant, "…and unfortunately, the leader of this militia, who took out over, God knows how many COG outposts and Gear squads, was a prime candidate for the pharmaceutical that was testing this crap. No wonder this guy is a loose cannon. What the hell were these people thinking?"
"…and this is the same asshole who took out Gamma, and probably all the other squads that are still unaccounted for," Cole added.
"But how can one Stranded manage to organize a militia of this caliber?" asked Anya, still somewhat beside herself that a Stranded could be the cause of the recent casualties.
"He was a Gear," Marcus replied, "…and according to the registry, he was a Sergeant stationed in Ephyra until shortly after E-day, where he and his men were relocated to the border...not too far from where the Hammer of Dawn was detonated."
"Sergeant Milliardo Morose," Hoffman continued solemnly as the name hung from the expression of dread that masked the old man's face, "…he a tough SOB, and a prickly one to boot! He managed to survive the Hammer Assault when he and his squadron were caught in the crossfire, trying to relocate personnel into the safe zone as ordered."
"How in the hell did he manage to do that?" Marcus grumbled, somewhat suspicious as to why.
"Like the Colonel said, he's a resilient soldier, but it wasn't without repercussions," Bernie added.
"Morose, along with several others after intense psychiatric evaluation, was deemed mentally unfit to be remitted and was relocated to the psychiatry ward for incarceration when he was attempting to stir up revolutionary ideas among COG personnel," Hoffman continued.
"I bet that really pissed him off," Marcus added, knowing full well the experience of being incarcerated, but a psycho ward, I bet that was even more insulting.
"He had since been relocated to several institutions, but ended up missing shortly after an attempted transfer when the Locusts attacked the facility," said Hoffman.
"...so you knew that he was running loose," Marcus sneered, annoyed that such an unstable psychotic was allowed to roam free.
"We had no idea if he was even alive...but at that point, he was the least of our concerns."
"Well, he's priority on our list now, especially if he's accumulated weapons and supplies" Marcus made a point to reiterate.
"...but what makes him even more dangerous is that he is familiar with Gear tactics, protocol, and is for the most part, bloody intelligent," Bernie added, "…the fact that he managed to tear down our defense posts one at a time without evidence, and then managed to block out our satellite grid from detecting their whereabouts should be proof enough."
"Yea, well, for someone who's supposed to be smart, he didn't count on the Feral, Granny," Baird butted in, "…and for the most part, Raven managed to keep us alive and away from the their scouts I might add, not to mention that she figured out that the whole damn mission was set-up!"
"Well as far as your little Birdie is concerned, apparently no one counted on her to be anywhere, much less the militia, or the Gears for that matter," Bernie retorted.
"What are you talking about?" Baird turned over to the Sergeant perplexed as to how Bernie came to know about their assigned Feral guide.
"Your Birdie friend managed to not only hack into the Jacinto mainframe, she managed to break down several archive firewalls, accessing all sorts of collected data concerning the Plantire compound, Hurl Dam, and other schematics of the entire valley, within a period of six months…more schematics than what our surveyors were able to put together in five years!"
"Well, shit…when was she going to tell us about all dis?" Cole griped.
"She probably didn't want to leak any of it out…no offense Cole, but you couldn't keep a secret if you were paid in rations, chicks and beer," Baird responded before he turned back to Bernie, "…and how'd the hell you know about Rav's infiltration?"
"She's got a juvie record concerning database infiltration in the system," Bernie confidently responded, much to Baird's goading, "…so to answer your question I know you're begging to ask, Blondie, she had a history, but her profile has since been listed under the missing person's obituaries years ago. The only time that security could recall a break-in from an outside source was just recently within the past five years, but we started to put the pieces together ever since your little Birdie suddenly showed up at the front door after thirteen years, marauding with a pack of malicious Feral!"
"Ok, so how in the hell did she manage to access CLASSIFIED COG materials, Granny?" Baird made a point to ask.
"Corporal, you're Feral guide is the least of our problems right now," Hoffman intervened, "…the information she was able to provide me is more than adequate to take care of this son of a bastard before it escalates further!"
"Whoa, wait , what? She gave you intel?" Baird tried not to look too surprised, but Bernie didn't hesitate to muse at her clever boy's restlessness,
"Bet you didn't know that, didya Blondie!"
"Oh, well gee, since I haven't had access to a computer all week because I was out in the wilderness, trying to focus on more important things, like STAYING ALIVE…and far as Raven is concerned, I haven't been able to get any more intel out of her because SOMEBODY had me sedated for rest of the day when I needed to access that very intel before Morose relocates his militia…which I'm willing to bet he's doing right now as we speak!"
"How do you figure that, Baird?" Marcus questioned.
"He now knows that we know, where they are located and amassing, and if he's as tactical as you say he is, then I'm willing to bet he probably expects us to launch a massive offensive while he and his militia are making preparations to counter strike…shit, I would."
"Baird's right…" Cole jumped in, "…and we're just sitting here wasting time while they're preparing their next move!"
"They also may have additional working vehicles and a shitload of weapons that they have taken from other Gear squadrons," Sven added.
"We need to act now before they get away again, or even worse, launch an attack against the Block!" said Baird.
"Which is why I had you three brought in here," said Colonel Hoffman, "…we have just received some crucial intel that will remedy the errors we made earlier."
"And how did you figure that, sir?" Baird scoffed. Shortly after Baird's coarse comment, Marcus pulled out a journal and slapped it on the desk next to the keyboard. Baird quickly noticed that it was Raven's and started to slump in his chair,
"Oh..." he mumbled.
"Did you really think McNight was the only one who caught on to the mutiny, D?" Captain Miller mused.
"Say what?" Baird responded with interest.
"The Feral have only recently engaged into a civil war," Miller continued, "…according to their Reverend Mother, Poroux, apparently the Feral are in dispute as to whether to side with the COG against the Locust uprising."
"Yea, well apparently, some of them sided with the Stranded militia," Baird sneered, "…and as a result, our objective was exposed and the mission was a near, epic fail!"
"Which is why arrangements are being made," said Miller.
"…and you three are going back out with Delta and Epsilon," Hoffman added before he proceeded to stand up from his chair, "…we're going to put an end to those sons of bitches once and for all, starting with a drop-off offensive."
"Wait, are we literally repeating what we did earlier? Who's backing us up?" Baird griped at the old Colonel's intuition.
Hoffman removed his hat to give the younger, antsy Baird a menacing glare, looking at him directly in the eye,
"That, son, is going to be my little surprise. In the meantime, I got something else for you in mind!"