Ch 18
Six followed Carolina's footsteps and found her looking at the power generator to the windmill.
"Carolina, I doubt we'll find anything here. Besides, Maine went rogue, had no contact with command after the crash." Six said.
"The meta was attempting to transfer energy from these turbines into his suit. It was the only way he could keep his equipment running." Wash added, approaching the two.
"Damn it." Carolina muttered, walking away.
"It wasn't your fault." Wash said.
"But the director did plan for this. He had back-ups for every situation." Six said.
"Hell, he may have had all this… planned out for us." Carolina said, moving her arms wide open.
"And if not, he forgot to add in a few variables in account." She continued.
"And what about now? The whole world thinks you and six are dead." Wash said.
"Spartans never die." Six muttered.
"You think he knows you two are coming for him?" Wash asked.
"I do. And for once, I look forward to proving him right." Carolina said.
"The director was always hard on you." Wash said.
"He was hard on all of us." Carolina corrected.
"You're right. But you have to admit, he was pretty hard on himself." Wash said.
"Bow chika WOAH!" Tucker shouted, ducking as Six fired a shot from his covenant storm rifle. The plasma melted thru the door frame, and Tucker looked with amazement and worry.
"Leave. Now." Six said, slinging the plasma rifle and unslinging his DMR.
"Take it easy, Six. We just wanted information." Church said, appearing next to Tucker.
"Look, if you three are planning on dragging us around wherever you want, the least you could do is fill us in." Church said.
"I could fill her in." Tucker said, when Carolina fired next, causing Tucker to duck.
"You and your squads are on a need to know basis. Right now, you don't need to know." Carolina said.
"Really? You're worse than Tex." Church said; Carolina fired right thru the hologram, growling at them to leave.
"Carolina, you have to calm down." Wash said.
"Don't tell me how to lead my squad, Washington." Carolina said.
"I remember saving you and the other freelancer's asses, because you wanted to be competitive. Hell, it seems that you've gotten worse." Six said, walking out of the room.
Six and Wash approached Red team, talking about the situation.
"We've been meaning to talk to you about Carolina." Grif said.
"About what?" Wash asked.
"This whole finding the director thing." Grif said.
"I'm going to tell you guys something right now, just so you know. I've no interest in killing the director. I'm thru with all that." Six said.
"Yes, I agree with him." Grif said.
"So you're going to abandon the mission." Grif said.
"Red team never abandons the mission! We'll just go on an alternate mission. With less risk." Sarge said.
"Less risk?" Wash asked.
"Securing the front lines at red base." Sarge said.
"Going home is less risky? On what scale?" Wash asked.
"Well, we haven't been there in ages, who knows what kind of people have moved in on our territory?" Sarge pointed out.
"I guess you're right." Wash slyly said.
"What?" Sarge asked.
"Well, you are wanted criminals of the UNSC. I wouldn't be surprised if they were setting up an ambush for you right now." Wash continued.
Red team was silent, until sarge spoke.
"What?" He asked.
"I suppose I can't stop you. Anyway, I'm going to find Carolina. Good luck." Wash said.
"On second thought, you could probably use the extra help!" Sarge exclaimed.
"I'm staying with red team for the moment." Six said to himself, a humorous grin on his face.
After half an hour of doing nothing, Wash came and told them to mount up. Two days of driving followed, and they arrived at a place filled with nothing but sand. Carolina, Wash, and Six headed into the dunes to find CT.
"Here she is." Wash said, pulling the helmet out of the sand.
"I've no idea how she got out here." He continued.
"That's because she didn't." Carolina said.
"How could it have happened?" Wash asked.
"I know how. Me and Tex had CT and the inni leader pinned inside the main room. A fight broke out, and the two escaped. Tex threw an ax at CT, got her right in the chest." Carolina said.
"She died on the way here, and the innie leader took her spot." Six finished.
"So that's what happened to her armor." Wash said.
"Apparently. We never did complete our objective." Carolina said.
"But why come out here?" Six asked.
Carolina crouched and dug thru the sand, finding a freelancer data pad.
"I have a feeling this will be the answer." She said, looking at it.
"You think she'll find what she's looking for?" Wash asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Six answered.
The trio headed back to the sim troopers, watching them doing nothing but talk.
"Tucker, bring Church over here. I have a few questions to ask him." Carolina said, heading to an elephant vehicle. Carolina plugged in the data pad into one of the computers, and Wash tried to run it.
"Any luck?" Carolina asked.
"I think so." He responded.
The monitor turned on, and showed a freelancer monitor, along with other pieces of data.
"What do you need church for?" Tucker asks.
"I just told you." Carolina fumed.
"I know, but you can talk to me instead." Tucker said.
"Why the fuck would she want to talk a womanizing jackass like you?" Six retorted.
"We're a perfect match. We're both good looking badass rebel loners, and we've got the same colored armor." Tucker reasoned.
"Tucker, just focus on the mission, if you're capable of doing such a thing." Six replied.
"I remember that." Tucker said, looking at the monitor on the screen.
"You recognize this?" Wash asked.
"Yeah. It was a pain in the ass. Church lost a lot of weight." Tucker said.
"What?" Carolina asked.
"Caboose transferred epsilon from the memory unit into that thing a long time ago." Tucker said.
"I'm surprised you remember." Six sarcastically replied.
"Where is it now?" Carolina asked.
"Caboose, tell her where it is." Tucker said.
"We left it on the floor. Church no longer needed it." Caboose said.
"How could you leave an ancient alien artifact, on the floor of a warehouse?" Carolina asked, anger in her voice.
The data pad then shut off, the file corrupted beyond repair.
"That's not good." Wash said, grabbing her attention.
"Fuck! I can't believe we came all this way for nothing." Carolina said, then walked away.
"You guys are not making my life easy right now." Wash said.
"Do we ever?" Tucker asked.
"Good point." Wash replied.