Wow, the imagination never seems to end!
Here's Chapter 9 to all you wonderful people, and I hope you're ready for some good old fashion plans-always-go-wrong action!
Chapter 9
North rubbed the barrel of his sniper rifle again with his hand as he rocked back and forth in the seat of 479r's Pelican. South, York, Wyoming, Maine, and Texas all sat around him. None of them said much, and 479r would occasionally shout back to them if they were alright. No one was really in the mood for speaking as they flew into the turbulent atmosphere of Tri-Virgo.
Tri-Virgo was not a pretty place. The lunar satellite orbiting an inhospitable ocean planet was the opposite of its larger neighbor: completely dry except for one large oasis, and an endless desert around it. A few large cities had cropped up around the oasis, with minimal agriculture and a large glass industry supporting the colony's stagnant economy. Poverty was rampant, and the UNSC had larger concerns than the quiet Tri-Virgo colony… making it a perfect breeding ground for Insurrectionist movements.
The plan for the mission was simple. Team A (South, Wyoming, and York) would sneak into one of the supply warehouses known for having a direct connection to the main Insurrectionist headquarters, hitch a ride on a supply vehicle, and shut down the defenses from the inside. Team B (North, Texas, and Maine) would follow in the Pelican and be ready to drop in when all hell broke loose. They would have the comm.-links online in case back-up was needed, and they could call in the other Freelancers at a moment's notice. At times like this, though, North wished that he could have them all here right now. Carolina, who always knew what she wanted to do…Wash, who was always asking questions…the silent Virginia…Delaware. His heart skipped a beat when he thought of the woman that he had grown fond of (don't be ridiculous, he wouldn't admit that he had fallen in love with her).
"North, I'm a little bit…frightened," Theta whispered, appearing on North's shoulder in a small puff of sparks.
"Why? What's there to be scared of, Theta?" North asked his charge with concern.
"I don't know. I remember, before I met you, that I met with CT once. She came into my room one day and saw me at the computer. She said things to me."
"What sorts of things, Theta?" North's interest had been piqued.
"Not very nice things. Like how the Project would pay for…something…and how we AIs would be the first to go. She frightens me, North."
North was silent for a few moments. If his helmet had been off, his face would have been green with ill-concealed sickness and doubt. "Everything will be okay, Theta. "
"Yeah, don't worry, Theta!" York called over encouragingly. "We'll make sure that nothing bad happens to you, or to any AI."
"Really? You'll protect me?" Theta asked in a timid voice. One could hear the faintest traces of a sniffle if they listened hard enough.
"Sure thing, kid," Texas said, holding out her hand so that Theta came up close to her face. Wyoming laughed at the adorable sight, and South snorted in disgust at all of the attention that the little AI was receiving.
"Okay, we're here!" 479r shouted back to them, and the gangway fell open to let in a blast of hot air. The seat restraints clicked open.
"Remember the plan!" North shouted over the rushing air. "Team B, contact us the moment that security is down or if the mission's been scrapped. Synch?"
"Synch!" York's, South's, and Wyoming's voices called back.
"Set your clocks and check your six. GO!" he shouted, and the three jumped out of the Pelican and into some alien scrub brush along the edge of a railroad track, while the Pelican peeled off for recon of the surrounding area. North checked his motion trackers as Team A's heat signatures lit up green, and they dashed towards the concrete bunker with South at point.
"North, we've got four convoys coming in from the south on the main highway," Texas reported, looking out the window. "They're taking the dirt road to the base."
"Alright, our time could come at any minute. Tex, you keep an eye on those trucks. Maine, I need you and Sigma front and center."
The white soldier came up behind North with a hiss, and Sigma appeared in the air. "How may we assist you, Agent North?" the AI asked in his creepily calm voice.
"Maine, it'll be yours and Sigma's job to take out most of the Innies when we get in there. I need you to check Tex's and my six while we go grab CT and the leader. Any questions?"
"Just one. Do there need to be any survivors?"
North's stomach jolted at the question. He really would rather have said that there needed to be survivors. But the Insurrectionists were traitors, terrorists, monsters. They needed to be taken care of as quickly as possible.
"Just kill them quickly. Don't draw it out," he consented, and Maine purred at the thought, cracking his knuckles.
"NORTH! WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM!" Texas shouted suddenly, and he ran over to where she was looking, while 479r came around for a better look. A bullet train had come up alongside the bunker, and gunfire was being exchanged. A huge number of rebel troops had poured out of the cars of the train and were firing on the cornered Freelances. With the four convoy trucks coming up behind, Team A would be obliterated in a manner of seconds.
"479r, fire on those trucks!" North shouted. The pilot tweaked a lever above her head and pushed a button. Two heat-seeking missiles sped out in front of the Pelican and connected with the two lead vehicles, which burst into flames. The third truck crashed into the flaming wreckage, while the fourth squealed as it veered hard left to avoid crashing. It was better than nothing, though.
"North, we're getting our asses handed to us down here!" South's voice blared through his earpiece.
"Can you see CT and the leader at all?" he barked at her.
"They just boarded the train, and it's headed out now. We need back-up here! Both Wyoming and York are injured, and I can't hold these clowns off all on my own!"
"Alright, I'm sending down Maine to help you. I'm calling in back-up for you guys. Tex and I have a train to catch," he responded, nerves as hard as steel.
There came a pause. "…copy that. Standby for drop off."
"Alright, Maine, you're up!" North shouted, and the gangway dropped open again. Without a word, Maine took a running start and, Brute Shot at the ready, jumped into the middle of the fire fight. "479r, I need you to get Texas and I down as close as you can to that train, then go back for the others. I'm calling in back-up from the Mother of Invention."
"Copy that, North. Hold on, it's going to be rough going in!" she shouted back, and the Pelican took a lurching jump as it caught up to the sleek silver train speeding along the tracks.
"Calling in Mother of Invention. This is Agent North Dakota, requesting that Team C be deployed immediately to Agent South Dakota's position."
"Affirmative, Agent North Dakota. Agents Washington, Carolina, and Virginia will be en route momentarily."
"Thanks, FILSS. Texas and I are pursuing the objectives. We'll keep you posted."
"Affirmative," the AI said sweetly before signing off.
"You ready for this, North?" Texas asked, grabbing his arm. He primed his sniper rifle.
"No, but we don't have much of a choice, do we?" he asked her. "Failure's not an option."
"Well, we might as well get off now; I see a few bogies heading in," Texas shouted as the gangway opened once more, and the roar of three new Pelicans could be heard approaching.
"On my mark!" North shouted, and Theta appeared on his shoulder. Omega appeared on Texas' shoulder, staring straight ahead.
"THREE!"
The Pelicans were coming in fast.
"TWO!"
Theta grabbed Omega's hand in fright.
"ONE!"
Texas primed her assault rifle in determination.
And they made the jump.
"Longsword has deployed from the main entry bay, Director," FILSS reported on the Command Deck.
"Good. Hopefully we can piece this mission together from what's left," the Director grumbled, making his way over to the table and observing the many vital signs in the vicinity of the bunker and quickly leaving on the train. The heat from Tri-Virgo's desert was wreaking havoc with the sensors, so the lights were constantly flashing.
"Director, there are a recorded four life signals onboard the Longsword," the Counselor said after examining a warning message on his data pad.
"Including the pilot of the ship, Counselor?" the Director asked.
"Agent Virginia is piloting the Longsword, sir."
"…DAMNIT!" the Director cursed as he realized who the stowaway was.
"Kilt, you know we're gonna get in trouble for this," a man whined as he followed the gang leader through the hallway towards the Recovery Bay.
"Shut up, Mike. We're just paying the bitch a visit for sending us to the brig. No harm, no foul," the red-head sneered as the quickly approached the doors. Without waiting for approval, he slammed them open.
"Yo, Doc! Where's the wench that sent me to the brig?" Kilt demanded imperiously, while nurses and other medics rushed around him to get out of the way. Julius, who had been previously looking for something, looked up at the maintenance fellow.
"Funny; I think he's right beside you," the older man growled, gesturing to Mike rudely. Kilt sneered.
"Very funny, old man. Where's the Freelancer agent?"
"I don't know. And even if I knew, I'm not so much of an idiot as to tell you," Julius snarled at the offender, and Kilt took a step back.
"Well, she's here, right?"
"No, she's not, you idiot. She's just up and vanished!" Julius yelled. "And I think I know where she bloody well went to!"
IAOC URGENT MESSAGE
TO: OPERATOR CODENAME BLACK PHOENIX
WARNING! INSURRECTIONIST TECHNOLOGY FROM TERRA- BETA DETECTED ON UNSC LUNAR COLONY TRI-VIRGO. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MAGNETIC DISRUPTOR STOLEN FROM IAOC LABORATORY. TO ALL PERSONNEL IN POSSESSION OF AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION!
SENDER: OPERATOR CODENAME BLUE ANDROMEDA
ORIGIN DATA IN PROCESS OF DELETION…
24% complete…59% complete…100% complete
DELETION COMPLETE.
Quick and fast-paced. Just like this week's FANTASTIC episode of Red vs Blue.
I want to give a huge shout out to the crew at Rooster Teeth for their absolutely ingenious creation. They have truly revolutionized internet entertainment forever. Their work is fantastic. Another shout out to all you readers out there, and all the reviews that you guys send me. I love hearing how I can make this story better, and your reviews are constantly giving me ideas to shape the plot and the timeline of the story.
You guys keep up the good work, and I'll keep up mine.
Sincerely yours,
anna1795