USCM Files: "The Visitation"
Prologue
.o.o.o.
Lieutenant Colonel Braggs reviews the crew manifesto
. . . Chief Warrant Officer Robert Alexanders
. . . Sergeant Artorus McNealand
. . . Medical Officer Helena Nath
. . . Corporal Howard Jericho
. . . Corporal Ruth Ferity
. . . Private Clarence Hathaway
. . . Private Janis Snyder
. . . Private Philip DeStephano
. . . W-Y Agent H. P. Dothan
. . . Civilian Attaché Dr. Robert Vaschinski
Eight soldiers, one Company Man, and a civilian. He leaned back in thought, going over the recent events in his mind.
A small research vessel had crashed on a low class planet along the fringe of the galaxies under protection by the Federation Charter. A distress call was picked up shortly after this occurred, but transmission ceased almost immediately after it began.
Under normal circumstances, a rescue ship would be sent in to pick up any survivors, but the planet that the ship had become stranded on was strictly off limits by outside influences because of numerous shady declarations by the high-ups.
However, it would be acceptable to send in a small force of USCM operatives to rescue them. The Company had insisted that a civilian advisor accompany them on the mission- for reason that were to remain unknown to all unnecessary parties.
"A lode of rubbish!" Braggs exclaimed. "How can they expect up to properly carry out the mission if we are kept in the dark about it?" He asked to no one in particular.
He looked off to the side. "Typical Bureaucratic Tactics by the Company!" He fumed.
.o.o.o.
Well, that was a bit of a preview of the upcoming story featuring Artorus. It'll be rather different from this one, and I'm going to try and take it in a bit of a different direction. Also, that little tidbit will probably change a bit in the final version.
This one will be more about atmosphere and suspense- and it may actually only need a PG rating, but we'll see. Anyway, thanks for the ungoing support for the current story.
Bojack727
.o.o.o.
THE WOLF SOLDIER
Phase 2: "The Betrayal"
Chapter 24
.o.o.o.
The increasing amount of danger that Artorus was faced with was badly hindering him being able to get back to the others. For one thing, there were the soldiers, but then there were also these new things- these Super Aliens!
He readjusted his duffel bag and continued on his way.
.o.o.o.
The soldiers in the warehouse continued communication with the patrols. One of them sat before the display.
"All members of Red Team have been terminated." He began. "Gray Team has been destroyed as well." He finished.
"Green Team is pursuing the Wolf." Another Trooper added.
"I don't like this; I'm going to recall the two other remaining teams back here." The first Trooper remarked.
"But Abel is out there, recalling them would leave him defenseless." The other replied.
"He knew the risk he was taking on when he did that, now call them back."
"This is Black Team, calling from the HQ, please respond, Blue and White Teams."
The first Trooper turned to look at him. "Well, are thy answering?"
"Blue Team is currently investigating the attack on Red Team, but- wait something's happening, they're under attack now!"
They watched as all of the Blue Team members' readings suddenly began to Vanish. "They all dead."
The First Trooper began to speak rapidly into his communicator. "Listen, White Team, return to base immediately, something's happened to Blue! Do you read me?"
"Yes sir."
"Good, return here and take up defensive positions around the entryway to command, we've suffered too many casualties to continue to the sweep."
.o.o.o.
Green Team managed to open the 2nd blast door that Artorus had set. They entered the hall and looked around, but he was no where to be seen.
One of them looked up at the ceiling when something caught his eye. "What the fuck?" He remarked as he looked up at the exposed sprinkler valve.
Another one looked over one side of the hall and noticed a panel had been removed. He pushed it away and looked in to see a strange canister feeding directly into the extinguisher system pipelines. "What the hell?"
He then noticed a timer, which clicked and showed a "0:00" on its display.
Just then, noxious liquids began descending from the valve in the ceiling.
The Team leader looked around. "It's some kind of gas, but can't get through out masks." He told the men.
But one of the other Troopers looked down and noticed that the liquid was bubbling. "Sir, something wrong here."
.o.o.o.
Artorus was walking away when he heard the blast. "Enhanced liquid chlorine, extremely toxic, but even more dangerous when mixed with pure nitroglycerin and put in contact with air." He though to himself.
It was something that Swanson had mentioned one time a few years back.
Artorus smiled and went on his way
.o.o.o.
The Silver beast slowly moved through the halls, another one behind it.
"Hello."
It swung its elongated head just in time to be struck by a bottle full of clear liquid with a burning rag stuffed into it. The beast caught on fire and stumbled back. The flames spread over it rapidly and set its entire body ablaze.
The other creature turned to try and attack the stranger. But a similar object collided with it.
Artorus stepped forward. "It's an old trick I learned from a friend of mine." He said with a smile. He then pulled out a small flame thrower that he had taken from the lab and began to further the fire that engulfed the two beasts.
After a while, they fell to the ground and became still, their body melting from the fire and their own acidic blood. By this point, Artorus had already stepped around them and was safely on the other end of the hall.
"Lets see, if the lay out of the complex was correct, then their were 10 chamber for these things." He explained. "There can't be more than seven of them left." He concluded.
He kneeled down and removed the extra grenades from a corpse near him and made his way towards where the others would be.
End of Chapter 24-
.o.o.o.
This chapter was a bit odd, but things will probably pick back up in the next chapter. I hope you all enjoyed the small preview of the next story.
Later!
Bojack727