The General: World War III Chapter 3: Taking Arms, a halo fanfic

June 11th, 25527:20 AM

"Get up, already." I head someone saying. My eyes remained closed but I coming to reality. My body started shaking and I opened my eyes to find one of the guards in my face shaking me. "About time, god, took me eight minutes to finally get you up." he said laughing a bit. I sat up and reached up to rub my eyes. My hands came in contact with my visor. I had forgoten I slept in my armor and I wasn't used to doing so. I looked around, Steve and Dave where gone. "You are out of time from dropping in and for that night." said the guard. "You can continue sleeping for the next six hours on your time for today." he stated. "No thanks... im good." I replied yawning. "Alright." said the guard. He turned and started walking off to his post. I looked over at him. "Wait." I said. He stopped and turned toward me. "Do you know where the two people who where with me are?" I asked. "Yeah, they'are above you playing cards last I saw. I belive there still there." "Thanks." I replied and stood up as he walked back to the wall opening.

I streached out my arms and legs and removed my helmet. I whiped the crust that was in my eyes and looked around. I walked out holding my helmet. A cold breaze hit me and went down my armor, chilling me to the bone. I jumped back in. The guards looked at me and laughed alittle. I put my helmet on and stepped out. "To cold for ya here?" asked the guard to my right. I looked over at him. He was diffrent from everyone I seen here. He was a normal marine. He didn't wear the mechinized armor we did, or the other guard to my left. His face and hands was exposed and he wore normal bullet proof armor and a light helmet. "I'll get used to it." I replied and walked out. He chuckled a bit more.

I headed to the upper section to where the guard said Steve and Dave may be. The ground was still mushy with snow and slick, but the snowfall had finally stopped. I got there and was able to spot them easily. Steve wasn't wearing his helmet and was locked in a game of checkers rather than cards with steve and another man on the floor. "Hey your up." said Dave looking across at me as I approched. Dave and the other man turned a bit and looked at me. "Hey" said Dave. I nodded at him. "Hey there." said the other man. I made out his insignia on the sholder of his armor. "Andy correct?" I asked. "Dead on." he said and turned back to the game. "Unlike our intelligence staff." he stated, laughing a bit at his own joke.

I glanced down at their game. It was diffrent. There where the common red and black pieces, but Andy was using rocks. "What are you guys playing?" I asked curiously. "Its a three way." Andy said. "Everyone for themeselfs. We just used small rocks for extra pieces." I smirked a bit about the way they where playing and sat on the ground by them watching them play. Andy came out as the winner. We then decided to play a game of cards. We decided to play war, we thought it seemed appropriate seeing as we were soldiers and all.

Andy was about to win when we heard a females voice come over the loud speakers. "Fith squad please report to the front gate, again, fifith squad report to the front gate." I looked over at Steve then Dave.

"Ah, must be time for your briefing." Andy said. "You all better get going." We said goodbye to him and walked off to the gates, talking a bit about Andy and what we thought of him as we went. We made our way to the gates and found about seven others from our squad there. Our CO was there also. We waited as the others came up. We did a role call and everyone was accounted for. "Alright, this way." said our CO.

We walked out of the camp and off toward a cave. He told us to wait outside and come in as our names where called. "Jason Hegemann!" a voice in the cave called out. The soldier in his red armor stepped up and went in. He then came back out with a ammo and gun holster belt around his waste and a BR55 in hands. "Must just be just issueing weapons to us." said Dave. Another name was called and another person in red armor stepped in and came out with a BR55. "I think they're doing basic infantry first." added Steve. After awhile all basic infantry where called in and had come out, except for one.

"Steven Cruise and Jake Eversworth!" came the voice. I was wondering why two names where called. Steve in his brown armor and the man in his red armor stepped forth and went in. They where in there a bit longer than everyone else. They finally emerged.

The person named Jake had a tripod in his hands and ammo hanging around his neck, Steve had a M41 Mobile Machine Gun in his hands. Steve and Jake shook hands and said something to eachother. Jake went one way to his friends and Steve came to us. "Who is that?" Dave asked. "Jack Eversworth, my gunners mate."
Steve glanced over his turret. "The M41." he said. "Just as I figured. Its the same as the stationary emplacements on the wall." "Thomas Steel!" came the call of my name. I looked at Steve and Dave and then made my way in.
The cave had a small metal pole running along the top of it. Lights came out here and there that light up the cave. I made my way further up and found my C.O. and another man. "Thomas Steel?" asked my C.O. "Yes, sir!" I said and snapped to attention. "Your a good soldier." he said. I looked at him a bit sceptical, denying that he would call me a good soldier just for coming in. "Your the only one thats snapped to attention." he said. "Thank you, sir!" I replied. "Thomas Steel is a member of a buddy team, the buddy team leader correct?" ask the other man. "Yes." said my C.O.
The man went into another section of the cave and came out with a MA5B Assault Rifle and gave it to me. He went back in and came out with a ammo and gun holster belt that already had ammo and a side arm attached in it. He again stepped back in and came out with two M9 HE-DP Fragmenation Gernades and handed them to me. I attached them to my my belt.

Someone else then stepped out from the other section of the cave. I glanced at his hands ands my eyes got wide. He was carrying a T72-HE Nuclear Gernade. He handed it to the man and went back in. "Almost forgot to give you this." said the man and handed it to me. He put it in my hands and I still dropped it, causing me to jump back. The man and my C.O. didn't even flinch. They giggled a bit at me. "As though that little hop back would have done anything to help you." said the man and picked it up. He attached it to my belt himself. "Don't worry." he said, "It won't go off unless you remove the safty cap and hit the switch." "Of course." I replied nervously, looking down at it on my belt. "You may go." said my C.O. I turned and started to walk out a bit uneasy.

I made my out. The others spotted the nuclear gernade and began to step back away from me, as though I where some reject psycho. I made my way to Dave and Steve. They too stepped back a bit. "Don't worry." I announced outloud to everyone, "It will only go off if I remove the safty cap and flip the swich." trying to look impressive. Still they kept their distance. Someone started to approach me. I looked at his insignia, it was the warhawk. He got beside me and keeled down, looking at the gernade. "Oh man, do you know how many people you could send to oblivion with that thing!" he said excited. "You lucky dog, I wish I had one to play with!" He flicked the thing then stood up and walked off back to the others.

"Weirdo." my brother said quietly. We sat around for a minute. "David Steel!" called the voice. We looked over at David and he looked at the cave. "Well, i'll be back." he said and headed off into the cave. He emeraged abit later with a S2 AM Sniper Rifle. I had forgot he had scored with the best marksmenship durring basics. It wasn't much supprise to see him issued with a sniper. He came out and back to us, our CO came out seconds later with a MA5B in his hands and his own ammo and gun holster as well. He to had a nuclear gernade on his belt. We where the only ones. He glanced around at us for a moment, looking at everyone as they talked and joked around. "Fall in!" he yelled and we all formed up in a two row column behind him. We marched out back into the camp but turned left when we entered, away from the quarters. We stopped in a open area. "At ease." the CO. announced.Most sat down or took a knee. We remained standing.

"I am Ryan Smith" he announced, "I am your new CO." he paused. "... I am now to discuss why we are here." he gazed around at us. "Who here has heard of the meteor strike that happened here twenty years ago?" he asked. Nobody raised their hand. "I never heard of this." I wispered to my brother and friend. "Me either." Steve replied. We looked in interest at Ryan. "Seeing as none of you know. In 2532, before a few of you where even born, the people living here started having problems. Most had started to become crazy and where getting an unsusual sickness. They began to riot all over the place. The EWCU Russian division was sent in under the command of a american named Max to restore control. After awhile he started sending reports back that his troops where becoming ill with this bug or virus. EWCU command sent in two more military divisions, the French and Chinese." he paused. "...A week after they arrived, the meteor hit Antarctica. Since then, we have not heard of or seen them. We believe they may all be dead. After that, we, the American division decided to step in for the WWMF. That was when Fort Containment was established."

This thought flew though my head. I now knew somewhat why we where here. Ryan continued, "Our main mission here is basicly for eyes. Strangely, after the meteor hit, there has been a massive shield of emp in the atmosphere blocking view of satellite detecting over all of Antarctica and a bit more offland over the ocean. Its also caused strange weather patterns over Canada. Why way out there, we don't know."

So that was our purpose here, to find any remains of the EWCU in any form. I thought this over a bit. "Thats about all I can say for now. Our company, the 15th Airborne is designated as a recon team for now. Thats probaly what we'll be doing for awhile." he paused and looked over us and stood up. "Questions?"

"Yeah." said a soldier, we all looked at him. "Its been twenty years, surely we would of found them if they where here by now right?' We glanced back at Ryan. "Maybe. Command has been taking it slow. The general searches are limited, hes taking it slow around areas where people where reported with the strange virus or whatever." he paused again. "Any other questions?" he asked, no one asked anything. "Thats all then. You all may continue on with your day." He walked off. Everyone began talking about what could be going on, about the meteor and the disappearence of the EWCU divisons. I stood there thinking about the virus.
What were its symptoms, was there a cure, was it known to be around this part of Antarctica. I stood there thinking about it. I figured everything was safe seeing as how we weren't given any shots, it must not be known in this area. "This is insaine." said Steve. "To think a meteor hit here and it was never on the news or anything.

What he said hit me like a gernade in my face. Something was wrong, it didn't add up. The voice came over the speakers again, "Eleventh squad, please report to the front gate." I turned and started to head off toward the encampment deep in thought, Steve and Dave started to follow. I would think about this for the next few days.