Chapter 13
As I stepped out of the fighter jet, a loud buzzing sound filled the hanger. I looked over franticly. Matthew was jumping out of his jet and sprinted away, along with everyone else in thirty feet of it. I saw two women, running for their lives. THEY WON'T MAKE IT IN TIME! I dashed across the hanger; the women getting maybe three feet farther in the time it took me to cross the length between us. I jumped over the two women, and they fell down. I bared my arms in front of my face.
A deep rumbled filled the hanger and then it exploded; sending millions of tiny shards of metal and glass flying through the air. I held my ground and heard screams. But when it settled down, I moved my arms and looked at the wreckage.
The fighter jet ruined. Nothing remained where it had been landed other than a large scorch mark. Large multitude of metal plates had been shot across the hanger. I could see a man's hand stretching out for help from under what looked like part of the wing. I ran over to him, hearing the crunch of glass under my footsteps.
I attempted to lift up the wing. But it didn't work at first. I summoned up the strength and grunted as I lifted up the very heavy piece of metal. A man ran over and pulled out the man below. I quickly dropped it once the man was pulled out completely. "He's alive… oh thank god he's alive." The man exclaimed.
I nodded and ran back to where the two women I had shielded were. One was helping the other up. They were both scientists, one had brown hair, the other had red hair. The brown haired one was helping the red haired one up. "Are you two alright?" I asked as I neared.
"Yeah, thanks a million." The red haired one said.
"We would have been toast if it wasn't for you!" The brown haired one piped up.
"LIZ!" John yelled as he ran towards me, Matthew close behind. "You're alright!" He called out again. I nodded and took off my helmet.
I instantly looked at Matthew with a stern gaze. "What happened, why did it blow up?" I asked as calmly as I could. Matthew looked away from me. "Matthew… why did it blow up?"
"It's my fault… I didn't notice that the systems got damaged as we left the flag ship. Something hit the main engines, and after the change in atmospheric pressure, they couldn't bear the energy that ran through, so they overloaded and well… blew up." Matthew explained.
I walked over to the remaining pieces of the ship. I scavenged around in it, a bright glowing, but severely burnt, piece of metal caught my eye. I picked it up, it was heavy but a low hum came off from it.
I brought it over to the others. "That's part of the main battery. How isn't it… torn to pieces?" Matthew pointed out as I came over.
"I don't know, but let's bring it to the researchers nearby and get to debriefing." I said quickly. I led them to a band of researchers already looking over the wreckage. I gave it to one, and we started off.
Not maybe ten minutes later everyone was talking about the explosion and how it was my team, and how Samuel and Ricardo weren't back. But the rest of the team was. I held myself with as much courage as I could and felt John take my hand as we entered the debriefing room. I held Ricardo's helmet in my other hand.
We walked into a room fill with reports of other missions, the situation in the hanger, and us. A marine came up to us and saluted. "Spartan 297, 117, 188, you're missing 028 and 165." He stated. I swallowed hard and Dr. Halsey came into the room. John, Matthew and I saluted.
She walked over to us, a serious expression on her face. "Elizabeth, where is Samuel and Rica-" She broke off as I lifted Ricardo's helmet. She looked at it rather sadly and nodded. "I see… How did it happen?" She asked softly.
"It was my fault," I started and removed my helmet. I looked up and felt my curls fall around my head. "After we had reached the command control, Ricardo worked on getting the data out and finding anything else in it. John, Matthew and Samuel were holding off the door, I was busy figuring this out." I pulled the sword up and placed it on the table in front of me.
Dr. Halsey snatched it up and overlooked it, then ordered two men to take it to the research wing. I watched it go, with maybe a sense of longing. Then I continued after a deep breath. "Samuel was blindsided by an elite, zealot class. He stabbed him in the chest with one of those swords."
Dr. Halsey's face grew a bit small as she listened to what I said. "Then Ricardo recovered the data and also a heads up on a bombing, they plan on attacking Harvest soon. The data is in his helmet, stored safely." I handed his helmet to Dr. Halsey. She pulled out the data chip and looked at it, like a puzzle waiting to be solved.
Another researcher took the data chip while Dr. Halsey handed me Ricardo's helmet. I planned on making him a memorial, along with something of Samuel's, I only had to get something. Maybe Dr. Halsey figured I would, she had a certain look on her face.
"Then we started running out, had a few contacts. Nothing bad, but when we reached the hanger bay, the door was closing and we had about a minute left until we would all be dead." I continued my heart clenching as I thought about the final moments of Ricardo. "We were almost all the way out, when the doors shut on Ricardo halfway through. He ordered us to leave him, and to take him helmet with him." I had been looking straight ahead of myself. I tightened my arms and looked at Ricardo's helmet. The visor was broken down the middle; he must have gotten shot there pretty bad.
"He died a Spartan, along with Samuel. So I hope you find the memory of him sufficient to how he fought. He died proud and with a smile on his face." I said as I looked at them all strongly. I pushed off the table, realizing I had made a dent from where my hand had been on the table.
"Dismissed…" Dr. Halsey said and we backed out of the room. Before anyone could stop me, I ran to my room. Tears running down my face, and my helmet on my head, Ricardo's in my hand.
I walked into my room and locked it behind me. I took my helmet off and placed it on my dresser. I sat on my bed, tears falling from my face. "Come on Liz, you're a Spartan right? Then why can't you deal with death?" I asked myself, and picked up my pillow, I punched it across the room.
It landed with a light thud on the floor and I fell onto it, tears streaming down my cheeks. Sobs made my body convulse. I heard a light tapping sound on my door. I heard a soft voice call out to me. "Liz… Liz are you alright?" It asked, I couldn't tell who it was.
I rose and walked over to the door. I unlocked it, and opened it. James. I stepped back, what he is doing here! No no no, I can't… I can't… He looked at me softly, something about his comforting expression made me think of a puppy. "James…" I whispered, he slowly walked in and put his hand on my shoulder.
"Liz, I know about what happened with your comrades. I'm here for you if you need me. You know that right." The door shut behind him, and I felt suddenly helpless. I stepped back from him.
"James… I just can't. I feel like you're putting a lot of pressure on me. I simply can't do it ok. I can't deal with death, and I can't deal with my emotions, and I can't choose which one of you I love more." I said frantically, my body slowly growing colder.
Then there was another knock on the door. "Liz. Are you in there?" That was John. James sneered at the sound of his voice and looked at me; he knew what I was going to do. I moved to the door, but James got in my way.
"Get out of my way James." I said as calmly as I could. He advanced at me, keeping me from the door. "James… James get back…" I sternly said. He still came. "JAMES! I SAID GET BACK!" I yelled, and then the door flew open. John ran in and grabbed James by the back of his armor. He pulled him back. A fist made and eyes bearing holes through his gold visor.
"JOHN, NO!" I ordered and grabbed his fist. James sneered and shoved John's hand off and walked out of the room. John down at me, I shook my head. "No… don't do it…" I pleaded, knowing what he wants to do.
"Liz, are you alright?" He asked me, I looked away. When I looked back at him I had on the most convincing fake smile I could bring on my face at the moment.
"I'm fine, thanks for coming." I said and moved away from him. I picked up Ricardo's helmet and took a deep breath, "John, how do you deal with the death of a comrade?" I asked him plainly, my fingers remaining on his visor.
John came over to me, and removed his helmet. I watched his blue eyes for quite some time. He looked at me, having to look down due to my shortness in comparison to him. He stood 7'5 maybe I stood 6'4. He sighed and took Ricardo's helmet from me.
"I don't know, I haven't dealt with it that much, but I know I honor the fallen. I don't let their sacrifice go to waste, and I don't dawdle around on grief. It would be insulting to them, for them to dies like a Spartan, and we treat their memory like they were a civilian." He said and handed me back the helmet. I smiled at him, my tears stopped flowing. He was right…
I suddenly grabbed his face and brought him into a kiss, thankful for his kind words. He looked at me slyly. "Well now, what's gotten into you?" He mused.
"Hope."
