Chapter 26: Survive, Evade, Escape...
Pandora's Box, Slipspace
Will and the rest of the Spartans walked down a dimly lit hallway to what appeared to be a single door. All around them were heavily armed Elites. Will filtered out the ambient noises and listened to the Elites' heartbeats and breathing patterns. As they reached the door they started to slow and calm.
"Hit the Elites to your sides and grab their Carbines, I'll get one of the ones behind me." He got two acknowledgment lights and waited till they were a little bit closer. He clicked his mic twice and lunged at the Elite to his left and slammed him into the wall. He quickly grabbed his Carbine and fired three shots into its gut. Blood splattered against the wall and on Will as he moved on to the next Elite. Within thirty seconds, all of the Elites had been killed or incapacitated.
"What should we do now?" asked Chris.
"I think we should get to the equipment point and hide out until the ship leaves slipspace," Will suggested. But before they could there was a jolt that rippled throughout the huge craft.
"They must have a second bridge somewhere inside the ship," Chris stated.
"We need to move, I have a hunch we just exited slipspace." The Spartans left the bridge and ran into Kat who had finished putting her armor back on.
"Come on, we need to move," Will ordered, "But how'd you get out?"
"Apparently they thought I was dead or something, this armor is really uncomfortable without out the back part of my under suit though," she replied, moving her shoulders back and forth. They arrived at the lift and activated it.
"Thanks God it's working," Chris commented. The lift dropped and they felt their stomachs rise a little bit.
"Crap, we've got planetary gravity, this isn't good," Linda stated. Will nodded and started to scan around them as the lift started to slow.
"To the right and down about a klick, haul ass people, we don't have time to be cautious." Will received three acknowledgement lights and the sprinted away at full speed. Corridors flashed past in a blur as they moved at top speed. An unlucky Grunt walked into Chris' way and he was promptly slammed into the nearest wall. Up ahead Will saw a UNSC tag appear on his HUD so he started to slow.
"Spartan Oh-Four-Three inbound, Private."
"Thank God you're coming, a lot of Covenant have been coming by here. I think they're getting off," Traufman said, relief in his voice was obvious.
"We're in front of the hatch now, hold your fire." Will opened the hatch and saw the marine lying against all of the ammo and equipment.
"Nice to see you again," he said.
"Good, but we need to move as much of this as possible," Will said with almost no emotion.
"I don't think I can, sir. My ribs are so stiff and feel like knives stabbing me whenever I breathe."
"We can't stay, the Covenant are evacuating the ship. We need to get off also." The marine turned his head but didn't say anything. Will had to make another hard decision.
"You stay here and if we're able to get back we'll come straight for you. Just keep that on and you can here everything that is going on," Will said, referring to his earpiece. The marine nodded and tried to help hand them their equipment. It took about five minutes to load up with as much as they could carry. Will carried a SPNKr attached to his back along with his SMGs on his thighs, a Magnum on his in thigh, and carrying his Battle Rifle. Chris was using a Battle Rifle, SMGs, and one of the Carbines they captured, as was Kat. Linda was using her sniper rifle, magnum and Battle Rifle.
"We can't take a gravity lift, nor get to the hangar. What should we do?" Will asked.
"What about those?" Kat asked. Will turned around and saw exactly what she was looking at.