Halo: Predator Lost ch-15 Politics and insanity
Reach, Castle base Colonel Ackerson's office.
Built out of a used-up Titanium mine Castle base was in many ways the Cheyanne mountain complex of the UNSC. Unlike its ancient Earth counterpart, however, Castle base could take a direct hit from an eighty megaton bomb and has been heavily reinforced with concrete and titanium armor. All the while situated two thousand meters underground. The facility is vast containing offices for both ONI and Fleetcom, training areas, research labs, medical bays, armories, hangers, and enough stored supplies to last two years in the event of disasters or Winter Contingency.
All that said it also contained some of the most hated officers in all of the UNSC and where the visitors from the lowly colony of Algolis were to meet and convince a certain man that their goals were just as important.
Ackerson's office spoke of a proud man. Where other offices had the same dull grey concrete walls. Ackerson's had instead been furnished with fake wooden panels across all four walls. The desk appeared to be made of oak or walnut-type wood with a shine like that of a brand new car. Across the various shelves were old books and models of varus UNSC ships and vehicles. In many ways, it was quite homey, then again it wasn't often the Army had anyone in the higher echelons of ONI.
As Young, Mayweather, Owen, and Tucker entered, it was like entering a new world as it was the one office that contrasted to all other offices they've been to.
"Shocked right, don't be afraid to take it all in, I get looks like that a lot since my office is the only one that doesn't look like the inside of a warship." Gesturing with his hand to the four members from Algolis to sit in the chairs." Now then, I guess I should be thanking you for saving more of my men. Operation Prometheus was a total success at the cost of all involved. None the less command has agreed to accelerate the next batch of Spartan IIIs.
Now then let us get down to business. Right now ONI is trying to find a proper use for you outside of just weapons RnD. For targeting Covenant behind their lines we have the head hunters. A couple of modified frigates are already being used to tailgate Covie ships to find more potential targets. Thanks to the subspace comms your Alien friends provided and we improved. It has made recon far easier.
Given the ever-increasing number of nuclear weapons, you're now making, it makes us ponder as to what you have in mind commander." If Halsey was ice then Ackerson was the sun. The man's eyes burned with someone who judged your every move and should the wrong move be made then you were very dead.
"Colonel, we want to do more than just recon or weapons development. You see once completed our Frigate will be unique and as such will allow us to not only scope out covenant movements but also find their worlds and their colonies. Since we can't risk targeting Covenant on isolated planets without the fear of killing our own people. I propose a more brutal concept." Bringing his hands together Young looked into Ackerson's eyes and attempted to appeal to his ego.
"What your suggesting Commander would be considered a war crime by every means we know of. ONI is willing to push many things but what your implying would result in a firing squad"
" What am I implying Colonel?"
Ackerson reaches under a table and pressed a blue button, the door was sealed, and all recording devices turned off. "Now that we have some privacy, I am going to guess your intention is to target Covenant forces on planets we are fighting on and nuke them along with our own people yes?" Such thought was insane, even by ONI standards and usually, the UNSC heavily restricted such desperate measures.
"Tactical nukes Colonel, and know we would do our best to avoid civilian casualties and maximizing Covenant ones. We'd also like to turn the tables on the Covenant by trying to find the coordinates of their homeworld and bring the fight to them. In many ways, this will allow us to test all the new developments we've been working on. In short, we don't want any particular mission, we want free reign to do whatever we want.
Think about it Colonel, complete and total deniability in the name of survival, our Frigate was already considered a write-off and wouldn't be the first ship to supposedly go missing. Thanks to revolutionary communications you can let us know what not to target or even who to save. But one thing is for certain, the Covenant will learn to fear us in their nightmares. Since I do believe even as we speak my ODSTs and your Spartan threes are being dehumanized on an entirely sadistic level.
The Covenant only knows us by our bullets and bombs but imagine the level of confusion when they see skinned bodies of their troops hanging from ruins and trees. Or see skulls missing from some of their leaders. That is the kind of mission we bring to ONI, the kind that will not only bring total destruction but total fear to our enemies. Not just to the Covenant but to the insurrection or anyone else that gets in our way."
The Venom from Young's voice was enough to scare everyone else except Ackerson. In fact, it would be fair to say that Colonel Stein himself would be pleased
With a smile on his face, Ackerson was intrigued by a man who presented such a bold and rather disturbing proposition. The shocked looks on the others only confirmed that this wasn't planned. "So Commander you wish to bring the Spirit of Vengence upon the enemy and are willing to risk your very humanity to do it. I've not met a man with the same fire in their eyes since well our local instructors come to mind." Pressing the button again to reactivate the recording devices. "Commander, consider your mission authorized, code name Gespanst Jeager, or Ghost Hunter program. Dismissed!
After the group left his office Ackerson couldn't help but scowl and smile a little bit, knowing that the bastards of Algolis set themselves up for a devastating catch 22. If not with the UNSC then with ONI.
On their way back to New Alexandria space sport the lowest ranking person in the group couldn't help but ask. " Sir were you serious about what you just said because if so then we risk a lot with that course of action."
"Indeed I did specialist, I've spent a lot of time going through the culture data our friends gave us and I'm now convinced that we have a shot at causing fear to the enemy by mimicking the customs of a different race. Doctor Tucker here can also verify that our group, pound for kilo will be packing a larger number of weapons on them. Already the new SPI Mark two Predator variants are being equipped with weaponized wrist gauntlets and retractable shoulder hardpoints.
The choice to be part of my crew is still yours but I can already guess those Predators are itching for mass mayhem" Before he could finish his talk his come system beeped. " Hello, yes sir, understood sire" Click. " One hundred insurrectionists are coming with us.
"May we asked why sir?" Owen asked already thinking of what they were for.
"ONI has decided that these people are going to be executed but by our hands, they are going to be given arms and we are going to hunt them for training"Young finished.
Sarah felt like she was about to puke and could already feel herself changing colors. Mike rubbed her back soothingly but even he was having trouble keeping his lunch in.
"Guess we'll now find out what they think of us," Akima said with trepidation.
Algolis: First Sergeant Thompson along with fifty others were going through what could only amount to be the worst week of their lives or as many would call it, Satans domain of pain and misery.
Upon hearing about it from Scythe the most sadistic alien in the history of aliens. Thompson along with all the men he picked and the spartan threes was to undergo psychological testing of a new variety. So for the last seven days in total isolation, they've been hearing and seeing nothing but an early twentieth-century song called I love you, you love me.
Rumors were just one day of this drove an ONI agent to insanity and it's been several. For fear of suicide, the room they were in was padded and all weapons stripped. behind the clear padded walls were screens of a purple dinosaur only substituted with an Elite and instead of kids it was grunts, Jackels, and all many of Covie lowlives.
The song haunted our dreams. On occasion, at random intervals, it would stop for a random number of seconds giving us some reprieve only to start up again.
Some in the group had already started to lose it by singing and dancing with the song only to get knocked out by the others. Our irritation levels were reaching new highs as theories abounded as to whether this was some form of demented brainwashing or a new form of punishment.
On the sixth day, our violent levels were reaching the breaking point and it took everything I had to keep the peace. The padded walls became our punching bags. the supersoldiers even taught us a few tricks. On the Seventh, we started chanting a new substitute for the song.
"I hate you, you hate me, you wiped out my colony, with a great big gun, and a nuke from me to you, won't you say you fear me too. Chorus,
I hate you, you hate me, we're best enemies as enemies should be, with a great big gun, and a nuke from me to you, how about we rip your skulls from you."
Finally, the song stopped and the doors opened one would think our torture was over but there was one last test. They flooded the room with purple-painted fluffy rabbits. We finally had something to vent our anger and sanity on and for the next few minutes, all we saw was purple.
Watching from the lab Dr. Emily, Colonel Stein, Scyth, and Winter watched as seven days of continuous torture led up to this. "Permission to leave the room sir asked a technician"
Raising an eyebrow, at this Stein contemplated saying yes but instead simply shook his head and the tech just grumbled a bit bringing a garbage can next to him. Less than a minute later the sound and putrid smell of vomiting occurred from other stations. Dr. Emily herself was turning green, whether it was from the test or the growing smell of vomit in the room no one knew but one thing that everyone did know and notice was Scythes reaction.
One could see and hear the distinct clicking purring, and some type of odd bark coming from him. His legs were shaking indicating he was having a hard time standing, since his mask was off one could see how rapidly his mandibles and jaws were moving. Winter by contrast was hidden under his armor so no one could see what he was doing.
The cause of all this was obvious
On the screens and audio was bar none the most inhuman thing anyone had ever seen and appear to come straight out of a horror movie. Like a wave of carnal death, the poor bunnies screamed as they were literally torn apart, crushed, and disemboweled. Within five minutes, guts, bones, heads, limbs, and muscle tissue coated the entire room. Thankfully no one had bothered to eat them, then again some men showed blood on their teeth so odds are something may have happened.
Hitting the intercom system Colonel Stein spoke. "Well done everyone! You've completed a test no one has ever done before. Head back to the barracks, get cleaned up, then take the week off or not, your choice but you will be monitored on the off chance some of you do something stupid." Taking his finger off the intercom Stein then activates his earpiece. " I need a biohazard team in full gear to isolation room three and a psychologist for our boys from it. Just in case someone has truly lost it."
"Right away sir"
"Doctor, mind joining me for a walk?"
"Oookay." Emily said skeptically
Walking through one of the many corridors, They made it outside, taking a deep breath, it was clear rain was coming but was still a good ways off. "So Doctor, how close are you on our side project, you've had the better part of a year to work on it, so I'm guessing you've made progress yes?"
"Yes Colonel, my technicians and I have finally created a serum based on the compounds used to create the spartan threes that shouldn't kill them"
Colonel Stein couldn't help but feel a but incoming.
"But, we've run into a major setback or two."
"I'm listening doctor."
" Well, the first and likely hardest one is adapting the Mijolinre armor to them. Reach is sending everything we need but the issue is we need to examine Winters armor. I say this because his armor may in fact through chance be compatible with said upgrades and if true then with his help a more identical one can be made for Scythe.
The second issue is the serum was designed for still growing individuals, so there is no way to know even with blood samples what it will do to them. What we do know for certain is it won't kill them." Dr. Emily finished awaiting the Colonel's thoughts.
The second part was more risk than not but the first part was going to be an issue.
Of the two, Winter while smart and extremely helpful, didn't want anyone to poke around his stuff and he generally wore it constantly and even rigged his quarters with his own form of a lethal security system.
sigh, " They are already suspicious of the Spartan threes, and recently he completed construction and testing of a duplicate form of his munitions. So it stands to reason, we may have to inform them of the Spartan program. Perhaps that way, they'll be able to share critical aspects of their technology so that we may in turn help them. Doctors have multiple vials be produced for the Frigates medical facilities and be sure to train your protege on their implementation.
If we tell these Predators about the Spartan program and they agree to further technology trade. Then they will be a walking Cole protocol waiting to happen."
"Very well Colonel, I'll also recommend that the procedure only be done if needed. I'll take my leave now. Enjoy the sunset." Emily walks back inside.
With the sun coming down, Stein couldn't help but admire the bright reds and oranges along with tints of blue.
Follows 35, friends 30. Come on guys or girls review.
Thank you guest for the short but still review, review.
Now then, here's hoping I got Ackerson's character right.
Thank you all that read this and as always, thank you and please review, good, bad, insane, you get the idea for I need ideas.