Life On Helghan
Right then chapter 8, I'm managing but I won't be able to give any time estimates on new chapters for the next month, it's gonna take longer than 2 weeks so I guess the best thing you can do is keep checking and hope to see something new, if I can I'll try to start on a new chapter 2 days after I upload the old 1, that's the minimum I'm gonna wait to allow reviews and criticisms on the old chapter. But I'm gonna make a personal promise, even if you don't see anything new from me for a month this story WILL continue because I am enjoying this SO much, so if I haven't got time to write this month then rest assured chapter 9 WILL be up in May. So let's begin.
Chapter 8.
We eventually arrived at the mess hall and I grabbed Cadaver Beetle and the captain got his Spider and we sat down to eat.
"So captain what do you reckon to Alpha Squad?"
"I do think they're dangerous, Natko might seem like an idiot and Garza a brainy bloke but it's how they fight that matters, if the rest of the squad make it here I doubt they'll be our prisoners for long."
With that we got back to our meals in silence, after finishing we went to the armoury and collected our StA52 assault rifles, I wished we'd been allowed to take the arc rifles but they were still experimental and way too big for extended use by a normal man.
We had no idea what to do so we went back to the lab to await a messenger from Radec, after arriving we had a chance to look around further and so we checked the experiments, I was curious about this green petrusite so I went over to the scientist who seemed to be working on it and asked about it.
"We've already managed to use ordinary petrusite as a weapon so chairman Stahl wanted to try an experiment of adding high amounts of radiation to ordinary petrusite, the results so far have been completely unexpected, firstly the radiation increases the charge of a piece of petrusite tenfold, secondly the energy from it has kinetic force, it doesn't seem to be an electrical phenomenon anymore, I think after careful studies and considering the odd colouration of the energy, I believe we've actually managed to produce the weaponized version of plasma, so as you can imagine we're very excited about this weapon which I've nicknamed the 'Plasma Launcher' for now, and we're all hoping that our tests keep exceeding our expectations, the only problem is building a weapon that can house irradiated petrusite safely without melting and can expel it without exploding, it's going to be a challenge but I believe we can do it."
"Wow, I was amazed by the frigging Arc Rifle and already you're working on this?"
"Well as you probably noticed when testing it that it's not really a conventional design, it's far too big for a man to use effectively for an extended period of time, we've tried multiple experiments to decrease the size but unfortunately it's just too unstable, whereas the weapon we're hoping to build will expel this plasma in charged form rather than a continuos stream of arcs like the VC5 so in theory it should be possible to build a weapon small enough to be man-portable, but there are still tests to run on this stuff before we can even begin to think about a weapon, it's a slow process but hopefully it'll be rewarding, anyway I've enjoyed chatting but I must get back to my duties."
"Oh of course, sorry if I took distracted you."
"Not a problem."
He turned back to his desk and I left him to work, I went to find the captain who was admiring a VC5 in a weapon rack.
"So what do you reckon to the VC5 then sir?"
I was surprised at what I'd said, it had been ages since I'd addressed the captain as a superior, it made us both uncomfortable.
"Well master sergeant, I don't like the design, it's far too big for a..."
Honestly I tuned out, I'd heard the scientist say the same thing before plus I'd already thought of it, but he got my attention when he said.
"Whoa, look at that bloke, he's fucking huge!"
I saw the guy, he really was big, he came over to us slowly, each footstep creating a low dull thud when it hit the floor.
"Excuse me guys."
We stepped out of the way and he picked up the rifle, he then went over to a couple of scientists who seemed to be expecting him, there was a large drum on his back and they pulled several wires out of it and connected each one to ports in the rifle, I guessed these guys were special units and about the only troops who could carry the rifle as a standard issue weapon.
After all the wires were connected he thanked them and walked out, the captain just went "Ooooooohhhh, yeah fair enough." We'd both got it, as he was leaving a soldier came in past him and called out for us, we went over to him.
"I am required to escort you both to Colonel Radec immediately, please follow me."
He led us through the refinery and eventually we got to another office belonging to the colonel, the escort left us and I knocked.
"Come in."
The colonel was sat marking papers, he looked up to us after finishing filling out the sheet he had in front of him.
"I want you two to go and interrogate the prisoners in bloc C97, I need to finish these papers before I can go anywhere, if they don't talk at least try to soften their tongues, then bring them to bloc T698, I'll be awaiting you both or you and the prisoners there, dismissed."
We turned and left, following the signs we eventually got to the prisoner holding and interrogation areas.
"Right Lente you deal with the scientist, I'll get Natko and Garza."
"Yes sir." I said, jokingly this time.
I went into the woman's cell and sat down at her table.
"Please join me."
She just stood staring.
"Either you join me or I shoot you."
She sat down.
"Good, OK now what do you know about Red Dust?"
She said nothing.
"(sigh) Look I don't want to hurt you, I know that sounds like a lie to you coming from a Helghast but I honestly don't, but I will if you don't say something."
She still stared at me in silence.
"All right then."
I got up, stood behind her then pulled the chair out from under her quickly causing her to fall to the floor, she grunted in pain then went silent again. I began rifle-butting her in the knees and shins, I wasn't enjoying this in the slightest but I knew if I wanted to live the colonel would've expected her to be at least hurt, I made sure it wouldn't do any permanent or disabling damage, but I think I did a pretty good acting job.
"Feel like taling yet?"
"FUCK OFF YOU BASTARD!"
I'd had enough I couldn't bring myself to hit her again, it was too difficult so I picked her up and sat her on the chair and knelt down so I was at eye level.
"Look I'm not enjoying this and I can't do it anymore so either you tell me the nuclear codes and I try to get you released, or you don't tell me and I go outside and wait for the captain to finish with the other two then we take all three of you to Colonel Radec, your choice."
She again said nothing so I sighed and turned to leave the cell, outside I could see the captain working over Garza in his cell. I watched for a few minutes until he came out to me.
"You get anything?"
"No but there was another prisoner in Natko's cell, you?"
"Not a thing."
"We'd best get them all to Colonel Radec."
We went to the area warden and requested a few extra hands to help with escorting then It was just a case of getting them to Radec.
We arrived at a large shaft with an elevator in the centre and walkways leading up, with Radec in the centre, we took them over to him.
"Well done men, I assume you did your best to loosen their tongues, you're both back on duty as my personal guard starting now."
"Yes sir."
We both moved to stand behind him.
"Now you four, kneel."
The soldiers put them on their knees.
"Now I want the nuclear codes."
They all knelt there in silence so he killed the extra soldier who had been in Natko's cell, then the woman said something.
"I don't know anything."
"You're wasting my time, do you understand why I'm here?"
Garza also said something, albeit a poor joke.
"I guess your mom got drunk with the guys one night and..."
"You! Are next. Unless she gives me the nuclear codes."
Natko told her to give him nothing and he whacked him over the head.
He stood in silence for a few seconds, during which I thought I heard voices. I remained alert.
Eventually she talked.
"Only the fleet commander has access to the launch codes."
"Can you reprogram the warheads?"
"Even if I could, I wouldn't."
"Is that your final word?"
She said nothing, he motioned to a soldier and he put his gun to Garza's head.
Suddenly Rico charged in shouting and firing wildly, I immediately opened fire back while the colonel pressed the button on the elevator, as we started rising I saw the soldier who had been threatening Garza get hit, his gun went off and shot three rounds into him.
When the elevator stopped Radec went down the corridor and out to a landing pad with a dropship, before boarding he gathered the men around the area.
"When they get up here kill them, I have no further use for them and they are a threat so do not try to capture them, just kill them."
We boarded the dropship and the pilot asked him where we're going.
"Back to my academy."
The door closed just as I saw Sevchenko coming out to the pad.
OK the interrogation is over, chapter 9 will have the fleet attack in, do me a favour if you play KZ2 while waiting for chapter 9, if you're watching the interrogation scene, try to imagine the soldiers who leave with Radec on the elevator are Hakha and Lente, anyway hope you enjoyed it and leave me a review.