Chapter 4: The Worst News
One week laterThe Red Moon soldiers were jarred awake by the grating noise of engines, drills, everything outside. A number of Marines looked out the window.
"Ugh, Cavalry." Check moaned while rubbing his eyes.
The Marines decided that since they were all up, they might as well suit up.
Jeri ran across the sandy base ground as tanks, vultures, and all kinds of war vehicles scurried around. She had been up for a while trying to get parts for the factory.
Jeri ran up to the Supply Depot where a number of soldiers had been forced to sleep, right as Check was walking out. Why does that keep happening?
She skidded to a stop.
"Check! I need to talk to you,"
"Aren't you working?"
Jeri pulled out a radio. Said something to her supervisor about how she had been working with heavy machinery for a few hours and hadn't yet had breakfast. After a few minutes she finally got her Supervisor to let her go. Moron, he actually thinks they eat breakfast here?
"We're going to the cafeteria, let's go."
The door to the cafeteria opened. Check tapped on the vending machine in the right spot and a can fell out, he had found out how to do that so he didn't have to pay, it's not like anyone would question him he's a bloody Ghost. Check got another one for Jeri. People weren't supposed to be in here unless they were consuming something. The two walked up to a table and sat down.
"You may speak" Check said jokingly while opening the can.
Jeri did the same thing. Excluding the talking part of coarse.
"When Diesel came back from being locked in the storage shaft, he wouldn't talk to me, and against regulations he had a really long shower, then washed all his clothes…twice. He even shaved his head obsessively for a few days."
As Jeri spoke Check became more and more tense.
One week agoDiesel stood in a dark room. A slug like creature moved over his massive red and yellow boots. It was about seven inches long, and it was definitely what was leaving the tracks on the ground.
Present day
"He finally started talking to me again. But he would never tell me what was bothering him. He mostly slept during the day, and night, unless he was called for work. But let's face it. Diesel could tear any one of those UED fucks in half, so they're not really one to boss him around."
Check gave her a suggestive look, reminding her of what he was.
"Shut up,"
Diesel tried to look around the room. It was too dark, he thought he knew what he saw but couldn't be sure. The slug thing had vanished, and he didn't want to follow it. The Firebat decided it would be best to just get the serial number and get out.Diesel lay in his cot. He rubbed the back of his neck; it was all red and was getting really sore. He wasn't as tired as he had been since the incident. He thought that maybe it was psychosomatic. The fear of being down there had made him think that maybe he inhaled something, he didn't know. Diesel decided to actually get up and start working. It would take his mind off it.
Check was scared to death. The symptoms Jeri described were an exact match, tiredness, paranoia, red mark on the back of the neck, insomnia after extreme fatigue.
Check rubbed his head.
"Jeri, please excuse my asking but it's important. Since he came back, have you two?"
Jeri stared at him, confused.
"We're you planning on finishing that sentence?"
"Ugh, Jeri, have you had sex with Diesel since he came back,"
Jeri was a bit upset by his asking. But he knew more about this kind of situation than anyone else here did here. Not that she knew what was happening yet. But Check seemed to know.
"No, no I haven't" She lied. She didn't know why.
Check looked relived. Thus making Jeri worried.
"Find out what was in there when Diesel went down, then come back to me."
Check began to get up.
"And stay busy, for Christ's sake stay busy and away from Diesel."
Jeri was about to ask why, but Check raised his index finger to stop her. He looked damned serious. Jeri was afraid that the only reason she and Diesel weren't dead right now was because they were both friends with Check, well, Diesel more or less. Normally when a Ghost is worried about something, people start dying. Check walked away, as Jeri realized here mistake at lying.
"He's a telepath…" she thought to herself.
