Author's Note: Well guys, this is it. The last chapter of the story. I really hope you've enjoyed so far, and I hope you like this one as well. Please let me know what you think! And be sure to go on to the Closing Author's Note when you're done.
Thanks so much for reading! :D
P.S. Chapter title comes from the song of the same name by Sevendust. I'd recommend giving it a listen as it goes well with this chappy.
Chapter Fifty-Three: Got A Feeling
1523 Hours, February 9, 2558. Qamar Island Ruins, Planet Khan. "The Discovery," Outer Colonies. Day Fifty-One of the New Age of Warfare
"Wow. Would you get a load of this."
Standing silently by with my DMR held loosely in my hands, I watched as Navy Lieutenant Caleb Lloyd surveyed our surroundings by the entrance to the ruins. Behind us, almost two platoons of Marines were making their way around the objective area, making sure everything was shipshape - and that there were no more surprises ready to be sprung upon us from the ancient locale. Further beyond that, the rest of the 8th Engineer Battalion was cautiously but quickly heading our way as well. So far, so good, I thought. Which was the complete opposite of what I'd been feeling several minutes ago in the midst of the skirmish.
"So?" I asked the spook then, taking care that my rifle's barrel was pointed low towards the ground while I shuffled my feet in the dirt. "What's your expert opinion here, Cal? Have you seen anything like this before?"
I couldn't help but feel like my heart dropped when the lieutenant shook his head.
"No, ma'am. I've analyzed some of ONI's reports on other sites like this that the UNSC has found before, but I've never seen this." He indicated the cooling fragments of metal around us that used to be the drones, then the awkward new gun in his hands. "And you say this AI thing just...vanished after you killed it?"
"Yeah. Pretty much. You want to see my helmet feed?"
"Eventually, yes, ma'am. But not now." He gave me a look. "Based on what we found here, I think you should make a copy of it and upload it to the Affair, ma'am. HighCom needs to see this. I'd package up the gun we've got here, too."
"That important, huh?"
"Absolutely, Major," Lloyd replied with conviction. "Everything here tells me these weren't just security drones, ma'am. They're neither UNSC nor ex-Covie tech. This is brand-new shit."
Just like I thought. Somehow, though, the confirmation didn't sit well with me.
After allowing the spook another few minutes to look over the debris, I got his attention again and motioned him a little further back from the others so we could briefly speak.
"Well, Lieutenant, obviously I'm a bit out of my element here," I said to him once we were out of earshot. Slinging my DMR and putting my hands on my hips, I added, "I'm open to suggestions on how to proceed if you have any."
He thought for just a moment before replying. "I still think we need to go through the ruins, ma'am. Especially in light of what was just found outside. To be honest, all this is as fresh to me as it is to you, Major."
I smiled wryly. "That's what I was afraid of."
"What are your orders then, ma'am?"
"I need to get a hold of my husband first, see if anything's cropped up on the aerial recon. If nothing has, I'm going to pick a team and station the rest of the 8th Engineers here, just outside the entrance, to keep things secure while we're inside."
"You're going in, too?"
"Yup. And so are you, Cal. Come on."
Only once we got back to the others did I open up the COM channel to Willis.
"Talon, it's Cooper."
"This is Talon, Major. Calling for a sitrep?"
"Yeah. How's the island looking from up there?"
"Well, I've got Victor up above the 904th right now, ready for support in case something comes up that way," Willis responded. "Thankfully it's been quiet there so far."
"Good thinking. And Kilo's run?"
"We just flew over the ruins twice now, Coop. We got nothing."
"So that means whatever we've got is underneath us," I mused aloud.
"What's that?"
"Don't worry about it, Will. Just keep up your surveillance of the ruins. I should stay in radio contact even from inside, so let me know the instant you see something crop up. Got it?"
"I will." There was a moment's pause, then, "Natalie, if you're going in there, promise me you'll be very careful."
"Always am, honey. Cooper out."
I hated keeping Willis in the dark, but there was so much going on now that nobody seemed to understand, so I figured my attempts at an explanation wouldn't do anything but make him worry. Before we could get to the comprehension part, we had to find out what was actually happening here...and what exactly it was that we were facing.
To that end, I glanced over at Staff Sergeant Porter as I stepped past him.
"Staff, gear up and get your squad ready to go. We'll be heading in in five, just as soon as our perimeter is established."
Porter nodded to me sharply in acknowledgment. "Yes, ma'am."
"Lloyd?"
"Major?"
"You, too, Lieutenant. Get ready."
"On it, ma'am."
As the squad of Marines and the spook began to prepare to enter the ruins, I walked several feet ahead and stopped by the wreckage of the 'Hog, where the bodies of the three Marines slain by the new AI enemy still lay sprawled in their seats. Having moved up now with the rest of the engineers, Corpsman Michael Reynolds half-stood, half-crouched beside the vehicle, busily collecting dogtags and placing them in the breast pocket of his uniform.
"Doc? You almost finished there?"
He seemed startled by my voice at first, but then he turned around to face me. "Yes, ma'am. I just...well, there wasn't anything left to treat on them, so I'm grabbing their tags."
I stepped up closer to place my hand on his shoulder as I released a sigh. "I know. I'm sorry you had to deal with more of this today. And I wish I could tell you that this was it, but..."
"I understand, Major. Job's not over yet."
"Nope. Sadly, it's not." I took a deep breath. "I want you to come along with us into the ruins, Reynolds. Just in case."
"Of course, ma'am. I'll be ready."
I nodded. "Good. We move out in a few minutes."
After that was done, I finally hit the COM again and opened a general channel. "Marines, this is Major Cooper. We've encountered some very light resistance near the ruins, but it seems we're treading new territory here. The hostiles we fought were neither Storm, nor human, nor Flood. So to everyone, I say this: watch your six, and don't hesitate to shoot anything that doesn't come up as friendly on your HUDs. We don't know what we're dealing with yet, but we're looking to remedy that shortly.
"Captain Warfield, I want the 904th to hold right where it's at. We still need that fallback position ready to go in case we need it. Captain Harris, you have the 8th Engineers while I venture inside the ruins with our team. Make sure a secure perimeter is established and maintained around the site while we're inside. If anything happens out here, I want to be notified immediately. Is that clear, Captains?"
"Yes, ma'am!" the pair said in unison.
"Okay. Beyond that, you know you have some vehicle and armor support, and both Victor and Kilo Squadrons are on-station for help. If shit hits the fan hard, don't hesitate to use 'em. Cooper out."
As soon as the connection cut, I turned and brought my gun closer to my middle, preparing to go back to where my Marines, ONI operative, and medic stood waiting to go inside the ruins. Instead, I stopped in my tracks as a familiar face stood before me now.
Dressed in dirt- and blood-covered fatigues like the rest of the Marines, Matthew Hawk grinned at me. "Hi, Nat."
"Hey, kiddo," I replied, a little astonished. Then I got a better look at him. "Jesus, Matt. Are you okay?"
His grin faded slowly from his face. "I'm fine, Natalie. Blood's not mine. How's my big brother?"
"I just talked to him. He's circling up above us right now with his squadron. How...how did you get groundside?"
"Snuck aboard one of the Pelicans. It wasn't too hard. I've done it before."
"Why am I not surprised?" I blew out a breath and gave him a sidelong glance, faintly amused. "Your brother's going to kill me when he finds out you're down here. You know he wanted you to stay aboard the Affair. Knowing Will, he'll think I had a part in this, and there goes all our progress."
"Oh, don't worry about it. If he comes to hear about it I'll set him straight." He gripped his MA5D tighter. "Just didn't want to miss out on the fun."
"Well, you're lucky to be alive after what we faced, kid. What do you need?"
"I wanted to go into the ruins with you guys."
At that, I snorted instantly. "Right. No. That's final, Matt, and you already know why."
"Come on, please? I can help, Nat. You know I can."
"You can help me by staying alive and out of trouble while we're in there, so I don't have to worry about being served with divorce papers along with possibly getting killed."
Matthew made a face. "Natalie, you know my brother would never do that to you."
"No, but I don't doubt it may have crossed his mind in the heat of the moment. Those are the kinds of things I'd like to avoid going forward."
My brother-in-law's face went from a wince to a smirk in less than a second. I had to admit I was impressed. "I bet you don't have anyone on your team right now who's a Khan native, though."
I frowned. "Nice try, kiddo, but technically you're not one, either."
"Maybe not, but I've spent the majority of my life here. This is where I grew up. Got anybody else who can say the same?"
The sigh that escaped me was a purposefully loud one. "No."
"So let me tag along. It'll give you guys an edge."
"Like it did with the rebs?"
"This is different. I promise. I'm better at fighting now, more experienced. I won't be a burden."
I took a look at his bright brown eyes imploring me to let him in on the action, and refrained from snorting again. "A couple fights do not a veteran make, kid." Then I shifted. "But you're right. We've got no locals on the team right now. It may or may not help, but considering we have no clue what's happening at the moment, it couldn't hurt." I wagged a finger at him. "Just make sure you run it by your brother first. I won't okay this without his blessing. I like being married to my husband."
Matthew rolled his eyes at me. "Fine."
"If he says yes, you know where to meet us. And don't try to lie to me to weasel your way in. I'll be monitoring the channel in the background."
"You can do that?"
This time, it was me who grinned. "I'm a major, kiddo. It comes in handy sometimes."
Ten minutes later our team set off - a bit behind schedule, but nothing we couldn't make up for later. One of Porter's Marines was up at point with the staff sergeant right behind him, then me, then Lieutenant Lloyd, then Willis's younger brother and Reynolds. The rest of the squad brought up the rear.
As we stepped carefully through the threshold, I wondered what my brother-in-law had said to convince Willis to let him accompany us inside. I'd kept a sharp ear on the conversation as promised, waiting for my husband to say no and for Matthew to emphatically interpret that as a yes to me, but something must have finally struck a chord with Willis. He'd eventually acquiesced without a major argument on Matthew's part. I wondered if it meant that Willis was finally coming to terms with the fact that his baby brother was a little boy no longer, and could now handle himself on his own and make his own choices. I was proud of my husband for that, but even more, I was glad because it meant that we'd have a lot less friction between us on this subject in the future.
So long as a future was actually in the cards - for any of us. Seeing what we'd faced today, and still not having a damn idea what it'd been, I had my doubts.
"So, Matt, tell me," I said while we continued to walk through the rubble. "You think you'll formally enlist in the Marines when we get home?"
My brother-in-law smiled. "Heck yes. I like this a lot better than being with the rebs."
"Yeah...I wouldn't advertise that if I were you."
Matthew's voice went sheepish. "Oh. Right. Well, you think they'd take me?"
I shrugged. "You've already got some training and experience under your belt. And it's not like we've got people lining up at the door anymore for enlistment. I'm sure you could waggle your way into a PFC rank off the bat."
"What's that?"
"Pretty much the bottom rung. But everybody's gotta start somewhere. Most Marines are privates through training. You'd already have a leg up on them."
He thought a moment, then asked, "You think my big brother would go for it?"
"Maybe he won't, but I think he understands now that you're more or less grown up. He might not be happy about it, but I don't think he'd try to stop you if that's what you really wanted to do."
"I do, Nat," he said firmly then. "I really do."
"Then get after your dreams, kid." I smirked faintly beneath my helmet. "But we gotta make sure we survive this first."
"Heh. 'Kay."
We all kept our weapons trained ahead and to the side of us, turning on our flashlight attachments once the insides started getting too dark for us to see. I briefly helped Matthew with his, then continued to scan the narrow hall for signs of activity. There were none so far.
It didn't take us long to come to a set of terribly old stairs on the brink of collapse. They were clearly in rough shape, but when Porter and the Marine up front tested them with their boots, they found it held their weight. Gingerly, they descended, and the rest of us followed them down.
I immediately found it strange that the air wasn't humid and damp in the chamber below. I'd been underground before, in bunkers, Flood hideouts, and Covie outposts. This, once again, felt different. Despite the ruins' obvious age, the air didn't feel stagnant or stuffy. It just felt...there.
The chamber we were in was large, as the stairs had gone down a long way before we'd touched level ground again. When I glanced up, I could barely see the ceiling from the floor, even with the enhanced vision in my HUD. I realized almost right away that I should've ordered a bigger team of Marines in here. A lot bigger.
I keyed my COM. "This is Major Cooper, inside the structure. We need - "
I paused as I spoke. Something was wrong. My helmet's radio wasn't working anymore. Lifting my faceplate, I turned to Staff Sergeant Porter in front of me.
"Staff? Is your COM working?"
"No, ma'am. Just tried it myself. COM's down in here."
"Fuck." I turned to one of the Marines behind us. "Corporal, get back up top, on the double. Tell them Major Cooper gave you orders to get another platoon of men down here. Now."
"Yes, ma'am!"
I didn't envy the Marine the task of going back up all those stairs, but we all had our part to play. While I heard him begin to dash up the stairs behind us, I turned back to face the humungous underground chamber we were in and slowly started to walk around.
Then I instantly froze in place and brought my gun up when the previously pitch-black space was brilliantly lit by tens of lights.
"Where the hell did that come from?" I shouted.
"I don't know, ma'am! Place is secure," Porter announced. "I don't see any hostiles on our scanners."
"Check again!"
"On it!"
"Marines, spread out, in twos! But don't get too far ahead of one another! I don't want to lose anybody in this place, and that'd be pretty damn easy given the size."
Acknowledgment lights winked green across my HUD, and we kept looking for the source of the lights...and who'd just activated them. After several long minutes of searching, however, nothing substantial was found.
I had a choice now. I could either end the search now in fear of an attack, or I could have us keep going in spite of all the weird shit going on. The decision was tough, but in the end I figured we couldn't afford to ignore this place any longer.
"Let's continue checking out the chamber, Marines. Keep your eyes peeled for movement and your ears alert for sounds. Other than that, we need to see what we've got down here."
Now that the area was lit, that was admittedly a lot easier to do. Our helmets' systems and weapon lamps could only get us so far; this was what we'd truly needed to get a good look around.
The first thing I noticed about the place was that walls surrounded us on all sides. The chamber was circular. It was also enormous in scale, but I found that I could see across it, which meant it wasn't nearly as massive as I'd initially thought. There didn't seem to be any obvious points of exit around besides the stairs, but of course that didn't mean there weren't any doors built into the wall itself. That was something we'd have to search for more carefully once we had more Marines down here.
For now, I turned to Lieutenant Caleb Lloyd and got his take on it.
"Well? Anything seem familiar to you, Cal?"
Surprising me, the spook shook his head. "No, ma'am. Not yet. I mean, I've read some intel reports about places like this, but - "
The lieutenant stopped suddenly and, eyes going wide, jogged straight for the nearest wall. I went after him, gun up just in case since I wasn't sure what had disrupted his thought, but then I relaxed as I realized he just wanted a closer look at the ancient partition.
"I told you there'd be something under the island," Lloyd breathed.
I snorted. "No. You said there may or may not be. I was the one who figured this all along."
"I meant I told you there could possibly be a chamber here, Major. And look. Check out these markings."
When I stepped in closer, I finally saw what he was talking about - what had made him so excited to come see. There were symbols on parts of the wall. Glowing symbols.
"What the hell are these?"
"I don't know, ma'am. I - " His face screwed up in thought. "Wait. No. I think I've seen something like this before."
"Well, now's the time, Lieutenant."
But the ONI operative only whispered, "Oh, wow. Now we know how the Storm were getting so many troops on the mainland. Holy shit."
"How?"
"I've seen pictures of this stuff in ONI files, ma'am. I'd just forgotten about it for a sec. They're rare finds, but now that I think about it, the UNSC discovered something similar on a world called Trevelyan – formerly known as Onyx. It's an ONI research facility now, highly classified. I shouldn't even be mentioning it to you, but I think you need to know this. There were ruins much like these on the surface, and it was discovered that they held portals to other worlds across the galaxy inside them." He snorted. "Only problem was, nobody knew where they went. If a person went through, they could end up damn near anywhere." Then he suddenly turned and gave me a look. "You were searching for an answer as to how the Storm kept multiplying in number while we fought them, Major. Can you think of a better way to get reinforcements in right under the enemy's nose?"
I stood in utter amazement at everything as I stared and slowly took in his words. "No, Lieutenant. I can't." It was my turn to look at him then. "I also can't think of a better reason to come running to the mainland, either. Is this where you think our new mechanical friends came from, too?"
"Could be, ma'am. But that I can't say for sure."
After another extended moment of awestruck oogling, I finally made my decision. "You were right, Cal. We've got to get these images up to the Affair. Send them to HighCom. They need to know what we found here."
The other thing I suddenly realized was that the possibility of going home soon - so likely just hours before - was now very remote. More than what we'd just found, my heart wrenched in my chest at the thought. Willis and I had been separated from our kids for almost four months now. Most days I'd only been able to get through it because I knew we didn't have much of our mission here on Khan left to complete, that we'd get to see the three of them shortly. Now, all of a sudden I knew with certainty that that wasn't the case. We'd be on Khan for a lot longer now. The USNC wasn't just going to let something like this go.
"Ma'am?"
Lieutenant Lloyd's voice broke me out of my thoughts, and I swallowed on the lump in my throat.
"I'm okay, Cal. I just - "
That's when we all brought our guard up again at the noise. Every single one of us searched the chamber walls, but we couldn't find anything that might've made the sound. Then I glanced over at the spook. He was holding his battle rifle with white knuckles.
"Shit. Major, I think they're coming back."
THE END
