The Peninsula
Sigma Octanus IV
October 10, 2558
Carly Odgers' orders had been very specific to Desmond when she had left the Peninsula to head back to Florida. The virus release was to have zero delay.
The time was now. After this, humanity would be forever changed. Of course, wars would happen because of confusion of what had been done, but then they would realize that it was merely a necessity so that the change could be more stable.
Everything he dreamed of and worked so hard to accomplish was all worth it. This was his defining moment.
He strode into the broadcasting room. A technician with a bandaged arm was at the console connected to the transmitter. The injury came from his attempt to hit the Blades with his assault rifle while they tried to escape.
"Final calibrations complete." The man said turning around when he heard Desmond approach. "Everything's good."
"Send it."
He looked surprised at Odgers' simple request. "We aren't scheduled for another hour sir."
"Can you do it?"
"Yes." He turned back and began typing away, jargon scrolling across the holographic displays in jargon that was impossible for Desmond to follow.
"Power source is green, all receivers green. It will just be a moment Mr. Odgers."
Although the purple Covenant ship was far too away for UNSC sensors, the crew onboard were already preparing for their moment.
The blue planet was about the size of a grapefruit in the display. The computers and systems calibrated the exact precise time the Atrocious Wrath would be launched.
Once the signal received matched the firing configuration, the warhead ejected from the vessel's ventral side in the soundless vacuum of space. The compressors blasted the bomb out of its launcher and activated its fuel supply, streaking across space as it homed in on its target.
No sooner had the launch been confirmed by the sangheili crew, they wasted no time in taking their leave. The shipmaster, an elder from one of the Talam states ordered an immediate departure.
As the warhead sped planetside, the Covenant warship blinked into slipspace for the journey back home.
The bomb began to glow a dull red as it began its burn down into Sigma Octanus IV's atmosphere. It then changed to a yellow and finally a blinding white. The heat buildup was immense, but nowhere to match the counter alloy that shielded the warhead's entry.
Back in the transmitter room, a smile began to curl on Odgers' lips.
Two guards were out on patrol where the Blades had come earlier. They sensed something and gazed up towards the heavens. What first looked like a huge bright sun quickly multiplied in size and intensity until it seemed to cover the entire sky. Mild unease quickly developed into panic, but there was no time to even think about escape. Human instincts were no match for the weapon of mass destruction.
The warhead hit the Peninsula a half mile away from the transmitter room, turning a combination of kinetic and energy stored in the center into a massive explosion that vaporized the Societea-held base out of existence. Any life form outside the structures was instantly carbonized and then their ashes crumbled a nanosecond later. There was no sense in preparing for an apocalyptic event as everything was just utterly destroyed in the blink of an eye. The freighter with the virus containers was still docked and it was thrown about in the impact and then consumed into nothing by the fire following.
The shock from the impact added with the extreme temperature of the warhead sent the sea around it to a heat that would instantly melt flesh off of bone. Tidal waves surged out in an enormous growing circle that seemed to curl forever. It let out a thunderous roar, coming straight from hell. The destructive wave wouldn't last, as friction would eventually reduce it to less than a ripple. For the time being, the wave would be the second-most destructive force on the planet within five minutes.
Ruby Liberate, South China Sea, Earth
Verdoorn instantly knew that something had happened when he tried to reach Desmond Odgers and got nothing. There wasn't even a holding for the answer.
He knew that those responsible were affiliated with the two he had captured and now part of the plan was in ruins, unless he could manually do it himself.
That or he could escape, kill the two and leave when the ship made its scheduled stop in Japan.
They would be waiting for him.
Whoever sent the two to stop him most likely had reinforcements to meet him wherever he went. Slipping through could work, but it was risky. Maybe the lifeboats would do, as south of the Japan islands there were plenty of places to hide until he planned his next move.
One of his two henchmen, Brandt was outside the bridge when he approached.
"Go to the virus container and manually release it." Verdoorn flatly stated.
"Something wrong?" The Dutchman was always annoyed at Brandt's questioning.
"No, just go do it." Verdoorn pulled out a silenced pistol. "Find Lewis and get back up here. We're leaving."
"What's going on?"
"Trust me. As soon as we reach Japan, we're going to be arrested."
One of the officers suddenly shouted, "What the hell does he think he is doing?"
Adrenaline began to course through his veins, "Stay with me." He and Brandt jogged to the control center. The sight before them bewildered their eyes.
A massive starship was headed straight towards them at a blinding speed. With no lights on and just the rising moon to shed any glow made it look like a ghost ship.
Just when it seemed intent to slice the floating resort in half, the ship sharply veered up, passing only a hundred feet above the bow. Her engines rumbled loudly and Verdoorn would have been impressed if he had not been so angry.
He always knew that the mysterious reports of a vessel resembling a UNSC frigate was involved ever since the Rayson kid had slipped out of his grasp and it was no coincidence that it was here. Instincts of a cornered rat took over and he knew instantly that they were here for him.
Verdoorn keyed his radio, "Lewis, this is Verdoorn. Lockdown the virus release area and lock yourself inside, kill all that resist. Nobody leaves or enters."
Lewis never questioned orders, "Locking and nobody in or out."
He turned to Brandt, "Find six or seven women and get back here ASAP." Before a question could be asked, he added, "The plan is in ruins. Desmond Odgers is dead and those responsible are on that ship."
Brandt hurried off.
Alec turned back to the bridge and knocked sharply. Through the window he saw an officer walk over.
As soon as he heard the door unlock, he gave it a savage kick, nearly tearing it off its hinges. The crewman stumbled back from the shock before he put a bullet through his eye.
He dispatched the rest of the stunned crew before they could react. Looking back up, he was surprised this ghost vessel was easily keeping pace to their starboard side. It was hanging a bit back, possibly leery of any surprise moves.
There came two shots from behind him and high pitched screams followed. Brandt had returned with six women in front of him, all huddled in terror.
"Get inside now!" Verdoorn shouted, firing another shot from his own gun into the sky.
Aegis was in the armory when he got the report of shots being fired onboard. He never expected something like that, because no crew would ever jeopardize their passengers. The only logic was that Verdoorn had hijacked the resort and most likely compromised Leah and Luke.
"He's got human shields all around the bridge. We can't risk a shot with all of those folks."
Vaal was at the command seat when one of the cameras caught his attention. The floating resort suddenly began to accelerate and slowly turn, heading straight for the Ballista.
The sangheili gasped, "Helm, cut all power now!"
"Cutting power!" Danny shouted, yanking a multitude of throttles. Within milliseconds, the thrusters propelling the vessel forward cut off, only letting inertia carry it forward. The water vehicle cut in front, its highest point missing the ventral side of the Ballista by less than a hundred feet.
"He's playing dirty." Someone muttered.
"So can we." Vaal responded, "Weapons. Give them a blast from our Death Machine, in front if you please and helm keep us paced, but not in front. I want them to believe we will be unable to catch up."
Up in the port side of the frigate, a hole slammed open, allowing the four barreled gatling gun to emerge. It spun at a rate too fast for the eye to follow and let out just a quick squirt. A stream of fire passed over the Ruby Liberate just ten feet in front before splashing into the water behind.
The resort immediately veered away.
"That rattled his cage." Danny smirked.
He kept the Ballista about a hundred feet off the other vessel as they continued their standoff.
Aegis and three ODSTs were just outside the open hangar looking down at the ship underneath. She was positioned dangerously close below and it was too low for orbital insertion pods. Same thing for pelicans or hornets. He also had no idea if Verdoorn had SAM capabilities. That left the last thing and probably the most thrilling.
Once he got thumbs up from his three comrades and confirmation to go from Vaal, he stepped off the side and fell straight down.
Although not as comfortable as MJOLNIR armor, the ODST battle harness that he wore still did a good job at protecting him from the chill of their descent. Straightening out, he went down feet first and marked the front deck as their LZ on his HUD. Three acknowledgement lights blinked in response.
No gunshots came upwards or anyone coming to see the commotion. So far so good.
His jetpack triggered and he began to slow down when he was ninety feet up. While descending, he saw a window that was on the ceiling to people below.
"Rendezvous on me."
With enough kinetic energy, his jetpack cut out and he fell straight down. The glass on top shattered from the force and he exploded from on top.
He ended up hitting the floor with a thud, having to forcibly exhale to prevent getting wind knocked out of him. Shards of glass rained down, but his armor easily shrugged them off. His team had been separated from him, but they all knew their drill of what to do.
Passengers were milling around in a chaotic environment, but it wasn't completely mass panic. A man was leaning against a wall to his left being attended to by another man and a woman. His debut to the ship came as a complete surprise as suddenly he heard screaming again.
Aegis unfolded the stock off his M7 caseless SMG and raised it in a nonthreatening demeanor. "Ladies and gentlemen, the ship has been hijacked. Please return to your cabins immediately so a UNSC task force can end the threat."
The crowd looked at him bewildered for a second until he saw a civilian man step forward. He seemed to have some authority, but still had a trace of fear at the much larger hulk in all-black armor. Aegis saw the nervousness and depolarized his visor to help.
"I'm Calvin Haymaker, second assistant engineer. What can I do to help?"
"Get everyone back to their rooms and tell me the quickest way to the fuel tanks and bridge."
"How bad is it?" Haymaker asked.
Aegis cocked an eyebrow, "Ever heard of a good hijacking?"
"Sorry. Stupid question."
"Relax."
Haymaker nodded and gave him directions as well as a card pass to access both areas. Trip thanked him and took off at a brisk jog.
"Hamed, open the valve to the primary fuel lines and the emergency dumps to the bridges on my command. I'm sending you the waypoint now."
"Sure thing. What do you have in mind?" the Qatari ODST asked.
Aegis patted his secondary weapon; an old six-shooting revolver. "Trust me. I know."
Another ODST came on the line, "We have a wounded hostile. Says his name is Lewis. He told us Verdoorn and another one of his baddies is holed up inside the bridge."
"Roger that." Come to my waypoint. Trip paused for a second when he heard panicked voices behind a door. He activated his laser sight on his gun and slowly approached.
He knocked on the door, "Open up! This is the police!"
Someone had creaked it apart and peered out, a single eye widening in horror at his appearance.
"Calm down." Aegis lowered his weapon. "I'm here to stop him. Can I speak to the captain?"
The woman came around the corner. Judging by her uniform and insignia, she must have been the second officer. "Yes." She spoke in a panicked voice, but it had calmness trying to surface. "I'm Jamie Larson. Second officer."
"Let's talk inside." Aegis gestured to the cabin she had been hiding in and shut the door after following.
Jamie settled down next to a dozen other people in the cabin, two other officers and the remainder as passengers. "The captain and first officer are dead. The butcher has human shields at the bridge and one in the laundry or engine room."
"Our team has him now."
The two ODSTs minus Hamed had entered the room, their laser sights crisscrossing the room. Aegis held up a hand and the weapons were lowered.
"It's okay." He turned back to Jamie, "Now can I have a diagram of the bridge?"
Once she gave him the general layout, he relayed it back to his team and had a plan devised of breaching within thirty seconds.
"Okay. Jamie, thank you for your help. Stay in the cabin until we deem it safe."
Aegis and the two ODSTs behind him jogged straight up to the bridge.
"Breach charge." He set up the explosives himself and set the timer for twenty seconds.
Drew was listening, "Ten seconds."
At zero, the explosives thundered down the hallway as the thick metal door to the bridge was blown off. Aegis and his men stepped through, painting the entire room with the red laser lines.
"GET DOWN NOW!" They repeated.
Trip saw a large man, which he already knew was Alec Verdoorn. He had reacted much faster than what he expected. As the dot was pegged to his chest, he already had one of the women in front him and a pistol to her ear.
"Take another step and I kill her!" He snarled. Next to him, his partner had a pistol to a young man's ear.
He was taken aback. Both hostages weren't total strangers. Verdoorn must have known about the stowaways because he was using Leah Roush as his shield and Brandt had Luke.
He didn't move, "Drop it Verdoorn! It's over."
The Dutchman snickered, "It's over for her if you move." To prove his point, he shoved the barrel harder into her ear. Leah's face told him she was fighting the pain, but a cry still escaped her lips.
"Drop your weapon or she dies."
"Kill her." Aegis' anger began to spike again, "You'll follow second later."
"I'm already dead. What matter does it make? It would be a shame to see her life taken needlessly? You have five seconds!"
Leah looked over at him for support, "Shoot him already!"
Aegis looked down, he had been defeated and he couldn't risk having one of his best killed because of it. "I'm sorry." The look on her face completely crushed his soul. He turned back to the ODSTs. "Put them down."
The duo slowly placed them to the floor.
Verdoorn pulled his pistol away and put it to her left thigh, "Smart move."
In one motion, he pulled the trigger. The bullet tore straight through her pant leg and spewed blood. Her face contorted to shock and she began to fall. In the meantime, Verdoorn shot the hinge of the bridge glass and kicked it open, hauling himself over the side.
Aegis rushed forward as one of the ODSTs aimed downwards at Brandt's feet. He fired a single shot, wounding the henchman and causing him to flinch. Luke used the opportunity to escape while the second ODST fired four more rounds into Brandt's chest cavity, finishing him off.
"Take care of Leah!" He snapped at them once he got to the window, "I'm going after Verdoorn!"
With that he jumped out of the bridge and looked around. The Dutchman was attempting to escape via lifeboat. Aegis dropped down another level and gave chase.
As fast as he was, it wasn't enough to prevent him from lowering the lifeboat. It began to drift away and Verdoorn had an oar in his hand, paddling away as fast as possible. He gave Aegis a taunting wave and that was enough for the Commander. He had wounded Leah, made his best friend spent a few days at Hell's gate and now he was slipping through his grasp again.
He fired a few bullets from his weapon, but already Verdoorn was well out of range. He stood up in the raft's center and returned fire with his own pistol. At this distance, his weapon was just as inaccurate. Aegis heard pings as the rounds impacted the metal railing. No good. Plan B it was.
"Hamed?"
An instant later, the fuel dump suddenly squirted out of the side, at such a high pressure that it arced fairly far. Verdoorn was showered in clear liquid and it drenched his coat as well as the life raft plus the water around him. Aegis watched him look around in confusion. When he looked back up at the Commander standing on the railing, his confusion turned into fear.
The killer was always at the opposite end of the spectrum, but now the emotion began to flood his own blood and it definitely wasn't a pleasant feeling.
Aegis had the revolver pointed straight at him.
He pulled the trigger.
The flare gun spat out a brilliant green colored bolt that arced perfectly into the sky.
Verdoorn realized too late that this was Aegis' plan all along.
"NO!"
The flare hit the tip of the raft and instantly ignited the fuel covered area. The fire glowed bright orange as it spread across the entire area in less than a second. Jumping into the ocean nearby would do little to aid him. Nevertheless, he was stunned from it and he collapsed, thrashing in an agonizing scream, already feeling all the pain he had caused to countless people already multiplied tenfold.
Aegis knew that he had seconds left to live and even if he did survive; he would be horribly disfigured beyond recognition and never again cause harm to another being.
He coldly slipped the revolver back into his holster. No remorse was felt after this kill.
"Drew?"
"I'm here."
"Ship secure. Luke and Leah have been located. She suffered a wound to her leg, but it's surviveable."
"And Verdoorn?"
"Dead."
"Good. We should've hosed him with the minigun."
"Nah. His death was the way it should have been dealt."
"Drew? This is Luke."
Drew chuckled, "How are you doing son? Oh? Somebody wants to talk to you."
"Luke! You're okay!" Danny Tyler sounded excited.
"Yes. I found it out!"
"What the virus? Oh yeah, the laundry."
Back at the bridge, Luke sank down. He had been beat. "Yeah."
"They decide to release it on ships because there is only a small amount of medical personnel onboard. Do it in a city and the victims can be quarantined quickly."
"About the virus." Aegis interrupted, "Is it secure?"
"Vaal just sent a disposal team now."
"So what've you been doing all this time?" Danny asked.
"Uh."
"Well I already activated the device that saved everyone from the Societea."
Luke Riley lost. His knowledge was going to be his ticket to impress Haley Liston and he had no heart to tell her that the competitor for her affections was the real hero. That pretty much topped everything to impress any girl.
Wow, that's a lot of action condensed all into one page! Stay tuned for the epilogue, which is almost completed and I'm working on it as much spare time as I can. Once again, your patience is much appreciated.
Thanks for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.