Planet Sera
Day 29
The week following the Lambent attack had been a long and rather smelly one. The bodies were either burned or tossed overboard and those that perished during the fight were given their final rights before being committed to the sea. What next of kin they had were notified and their names written down in the log. Nearly half of Omega squad, the team that had been assisting the civilians down in the hold and keeping back the tide of Lambent before Baird had managed to get the bulkhead doors in place, were killed. The remaining members, the ones not in the infirmary, were in the process of being reassigned to other units.
It had taken a good few days' worth of washing before they managed to purge that abhorrent stench the Lambent emitted upon death from the Sovereign's deck but it was done. Once the last of the Lambent had been kicked off and the damage to the engines mostly repaired, the warship was soon able to begin running again. Auri fell in with Delta as they went about their daily tasks. She was beginning to feel less of an outsider, and moreover a prisoner, as the days went on. There was still that undertone of tension, more from Michaelson, Marcus and Dom at times. A few of the civilians, some of the ones she'd help protect, were a bit friendlier to her.
While she still hated having a babysitter every day, at least Auri now wasn't being confined to her borrowed quarters. The captain was still more than a bit suspicious with Baird's work in the engine room but, from what the Spartan had overheard, the head engineer Yancey hadn't reported anything amiss so the matter was dropped for now.
The Four's AI had been busy analyzing the data Baird had given her on both the Locust and the Lambent as she'd already finished pouring over the data cache she'd pulled from the Forerunner facility back on Requiem so long ago. Auri still had a hard time believing that she'd arrived on Sera only a few weeks ago and they were still no closer to coming up with a way to get her back home. To be fair they had been busy and the level of technology the COG currently employed was not up to snuff as of yet. Auri had been chafing at the bit on that front. If she could at least get a message out to her team and let them know she was still alive, that would tide her over. Until they could successfully recreate the portal system that sent her here in the first place, that is. Thing is that they didn't have access to a COMM buoy paired with a functional quantum entanglement network.
She did her best to not get so hung up on that thought and kept herself busy most days. Nighttime was when the worst of those fears threatened to overwhelm her. The first couple times that happened, she'd quickly left whatever section of bunks she'd been sharing at the time, that night with Anya, in search of some fresh air. The other soldier had been out taking care of some last minute task, Auri couldn't remember what nor did she care. The Spartan leaned her forearms against the cold safety railing that ran the length of the corridor facing the ocean and focused on her breathing. She didn't think to grab a jacket and, by the time she'd run out, she didn't feel like heading back inside. At least not right away.
The chill breeze cut right through her borrowed COG emblazoned shirt and pants but it gave her something to think about other than the anxiety that had been plaguing her moments before.
Auri had been so lost in thought that she hadn't picked up on a pair of boots approaching her until the owner was right next to her. A man's voice jolted her from her stupor and the commander jerked back in surprise, a hand going to the nonexistent sidearm at her hip. Her fingers clutched at empty air when her brain finally registered Baird standing in front of her with his hands up, palms facing her, and a concerned expression on his face.
"Whoa, hey," he said before lowering his arms. "Sorry. I thought you heard me."
Auri shook her head, more so at herself than in response to the Gear's words. "No. It's-it's fine. Sorry. I've just got a lot on my mind right now." She ran a hand over her face then through her hair, working through a couple of knots in the process. She stretched her arms out in front of her and grasped the metal. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Baird lean his hip against the rail and tilt his head to the side.
"You… wanna talk about it?" he asked, arching his brows. Auri's mouth pulled into a line before she shook her head a second time, this time as a response.
"Maybe… next time? I just came out here to distract myself," she replied, gesturing with one hand towards the ocean.
"Well, if you're interested, me, Cole and a couple other guys have got a card game going on downstairs," the tech suggested. "Completely up to you. You wouldn't have to play. It's not a requirement. I'd understand if you didn't want to be around anyone. Just, ah, don't-"
"Wander off?" Auri supplied, casting a glance back at the blond. She watched as the corner of his mouth quirked upward.
"Oh, so she thinks she's funny, huh?" Baird's smile broadened before dropping a moment later. "But seriously. You don't wanna go below deck, that's fine. But just hear me out here. I don't think you should be alone out here with just your thoughts, yeah?" The Spartan studied him for a few seconds before her silence prompted him to ask, "What?"
Without missing a beat, Auri asked, nodding her chin at him, "What's the catch?"
Baird looked around before settling his gaze back on the other soldier, shrugging his shoulders as he looked a little puzzled. "Catch? There's no catch. Why would you think there's a catch?" His eyes narrowed a fraction at her as the corner of the Spartan's mouth turned up a little. "Oh, you're fucking with me. Nice. Real nice," Baird replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You know you're a peach. Right?"
Auri's smile widened further and she let out a short laugh. That tight feeling in her chest was beginning to fade as the Gear motioned to her to follow him back down the hall and below deck. "Just come down for, like, a half hour or somethin'. Tops. If you're still not feeling up to being around people, you can bounce," Baird offered as he reached the top of the nearby stairwell. "I'll let Anya know where you are if you're wantin' to come down." He turned back to watch Auri rest one hand on top of the safety railing looking out at the water around them before nodding to herself and joined him.
The pair walked on in companionable silence and before long they neared a hatch door that was open just enough to let the sea breeze in. Laughter and cursing drifted out over to Auri as they drew closer. Sitting inside were five men and two women sprawled out on the spare beds or in chairs. It looked like they were playing some version of Texas Hold 'Em or something, Auri couldn't tell. She'd never been much of a card player. The only person out of the group the Four recognized was Cole who looked up at the two with a broad smile.
"Now I see where you went off to, Baird," the big man said with a laugh, nodding at Auri. "Was beginnin' to wonder if I scared you off." At that, Baird rolled his eyes then gestured for Auri to walk inside.
"Just for the record, he was not scarin' me off or anything," Baird said in a stage whisper to Auri as one of the Gears moved to a space on a bed, leaving their seat for her.
"Uh huh," Cole replied and cocked his head to the side. "How much money you down right now, Damon?" His teammate shot Cole a scowl as he gathered up his cards from where they sat on his chair.
"That is none of your damned business, you cheat," Baird countered, thrusting a finger at him.
"Ah shit!" the Gear closest to Cole exclaimed, clapping the former Thrashball player on the shoulder as the others around them echoed his sentiments.
"Damon Baird, you did not just accuse good 'ol' Augustus Cole of being a cheat, now, did ya?" asked a woman who had stretched herself out on a bed across from Auri, cards in one hand facing downward so as to not give anything away. Her brown jumpsuit was pulled down to her waist with the arms wrapped about her middle. Underneath it, she'd worn a weathered t-shirt with her name stenciled on the right breast.
YANCEY it read.
The woman also spoke to Baird with such familiarity that it left Auri feeling a bit odd. She couldn't be jealous now, could she? It didn't make any sense. The Spartan mentally shook herself, snapping back to reality in time to hear Baird trading insults with another Gear.
"Lord give me strength," laughed a man to Auri's right. The Spartan glanced over to him and caught the man shaking his head with a weary smile on his face. He had dark skin, close cropped hair, kind eyes and looked to be in his late forties. He also had his left arm in a sling. He caught Auri's gaze when it dropped to his injury and he balanced his cards on one knee. "These boys'll be at it for a while. Think they forgot the whole reason why they're arguin' in the first place." Recognition soon lit up his face when he got a good look at the Four.
"Oh, so you're the one I gotta thank for helping plug up that bulkhead door a couple weeks back. Craig Haverson, at your service." The Gear offered his right hand to her and Auri shook it firmly before introducing herself. "Don't think we ever got a chance to get acquainted or let me thank you." The Four's brows furrowed together and just as she was about to voice the question, Haverson explained. "I was, technically, the second-in-command on Omega squad. Me, Harvey'n Ava owe you and those Delta boys and girls for getting our hides outta the fire."
"No thanks needed," Auri replied before her expression fell a little. "I'm sorry we weren't quick enough for the rest of your team."
Haverson gave her a sad smile, patting her gently on the shoulder. "Don't sweat it. Those damned Glowies hit us with our pants down around our ankles. I know Nikita would be thanking you herself for getting to us when you did if it were possible. Same with the civvies. If it wasn't for that genius of a jackass over there," Haverson nodded at Baird, "and you helping plug up that damned hole the Lambent made, a whole lot more people would've died."
"Of course. I wasn't going to not do something about it. That's just not in my blood."
Haverson opened his mouth to reply when the back and forth between Baird, Yancey and a Gear with the name KENSINGTON stenciled across his chest plate picked up. He gave the trio a hard look before raising his voice. "Hey now! Settle down, folks. We all just gonna forget our card game here?" He eyed each person in turn as they quieted and got back in their seats. "That's more like it. Now, Miss Rachel, were you wanting to be dealt in or are you just spectatin' this round?" The older man turned to look over at her.
Auri shook her head, smiling faintly. "Maybe not this time. I just wanted to come down here and watch if that's alright."
"Perfectly fine with the Cole-train, baby," came Cole as he leaned his chair back on two legs, metal scraping softly against the ground.
"Maybe you can keep an eye on a certain someone over here," Baird grumbled as he finally settled in, hooking a thumb over at his teammate. "See if he really is cheating. I know he is."
"Nah, man, you're just a crappy card player." Cole grinned, both eyebrows rising up in amusement.
Auri couldn't tell if that look of offense on the blond's face was fake or real. All the same, she smothered her laughter with a quick cough, catching the attention of both Haverson and Yancey who smiled in response.
"Low blow, man. Low fuckin' blow," Baird replied, leaning forward in his chair.
"I can see your cards," Cole helpfully pointed out moments before the game started up again.
"Motherfu-!" Baird nearly yelled in exasperation when Haverson spoke up then, cutting off his curse.
"Damon, not in front of the ladies, please," Haverson scolded him, shaking his head in a disappointed manner. Baird mumbled an apology, the tips of his ears turning a faint red as he returned his attention to the cards in front of him. From there the game continued on, with only minor griping from Damon.
Before she knew it, two hours had passed the group by. The air drifting in had grown colder as the night wore on and more than a couple players were yawning widely. Finally, Yancey called it, earning half hearted grumblings from the others.
"You wanna keep playin', go for it," the engineer said as she swung her legs over the side of the bed to get up and plopped her cards down on the small pile in the middle of them. "I'm beat." Yancey then took a look at the clock on the wall and groaned. "Fuck. I didn't realize what time it was. I gotta go; got an early morning tomorrow." She helped gather up trash with the rest of them and tossed it in a bin just outside the door before taking off for her own bunk. The remaining members slowly filtered out, tiredly searching for the way back to their beds as Cole stacked the cards and put them back in the box on the table. Kensington bid the others good night as he and his teammate shut the door behind them and went to bed.
"Hah ha! I do believe you owe the Cole-train an additional fifty bucks, baby," Cole announced as he, Auri and Baird began making their way back. The ex-athlete nudged Baird in the shoulder while they walked. Baird seemed to stifle a groan before waving his friend off.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll get it to you tomorrow," Baird replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets. The big man let out a short laugh before turning to Auri.
"So, do you believe all the rumors and them callin' me a cheat?" Cole asked her in a playful tone. "Or am I one of the best dang card players you ever met?" The Spartan chuckled softly and shrugged her shoulders.
"I didn't really see anything that remotely looked like cheating, so…" She caught sight of Baird looking over at her in her peripherals.
"You didn't see anything? You're a sniper, right? Aren't you supposed to be able to see shit?" Baird asked in disbelief.
The Spartan proceeded to hold her hands up, palms facing the man, and shook her head all the while fighting a smile. Baird rolled his eyes to high heaven and grumbled most of the way back. With Auri dropped off now, the two men carried on to their own bunks, enjoying the relative peace and quiet that enveloped the ship.
"So…" Cole began. Baird was already partially on guard as his friend's seemingly casual tone.
"Yeah?" Baird asked, shooting the other Gear a quizzical look.
"You and Miss Commander, huh?" A grin spread across Cole's face, something Baird could easily see out of the corner of his eyes.
"What about it?"
"Nothin' much." Cole stuffed his hands in his pants' pockets as he walked. "Just been noticin' you and her have been spending a lot of time together."
"What?!" Baird blanched before regaining his composure. "Okay, so what? I'm just trying to come up with a way to get her back home. She did suggest that her AI could help detect any weird energy spikes in the area if more of those Promethean things pop through or if another portal shows up. That'd be mighty convenient." He paused for a moment before catching sight of Cole looking at him. He shoved his friend in the shoulder in an attempt to knock Cole off balance and to wipe away that shit eating grin on his face. Baird barely managed to nudge the man; Cole let out a bark of laughter in response. "Well, she's also been swinging by for, like, minor history lessons or whatever you wanna call 'em. Wanted to know more about Sera and the Locust. Lambent, too, what little we have on them."
"She knows she could get that info just about anywhere, right?" Amusement was just leaking out of Cole's voice, much to Baird's delight.
"I know that. And I'm sure she does, too," Baird shot back, glowering at Cole.
"What about Sam? I thought you were…?"
"Look, man, I don't know." Baird sighed explosively before casting a look out across the water. "Sam's great. I like her…"
"I'm hearin' a 'but' coming along." Cole cocked his head to the side and arched an eyebrow.
"Nothing. No 'buts'. Nothing. Just… nothing." Baird replied, note of finality coloring his tone, and waved his teammate off before adding under his breath, "Not like it'd work out anyway."
"What was that?" Cole asked, studying his friend for a moment.
"I'm heading to bed," the blond said slowly, making sure to enunciate his words. "I'll see you in the morning." Cole obviously didn't believe him but dropped the matter for now. Baird was clearly conflicted and he tended to get a bit grumpy when he was like that. The two parted ways for the night, heading off to their respective bunks. Once collapsing in bed, Damon laid on top of the sheets for a few moments, letting his thoughts bounce around inside his head, most of them about their resident commander and some about Samantha Byrne. It'd been quite obvious that, in the months before the Spartan showed up, he had taken a liking to Sam. The woman was wickedly smart and had a great sense of humor. He'd been trying to work up the courage to broker a proper conversation with the lady but he clammed up most times and fumbled the rest.
Not that he didn't get that way around Auri. It just didn't seem to happen as often or as badly. Perhaps it was because she wasn't part of the COG. She was only here temporarily. She was never going to be a permanent addition to Delta, much to Hoffman's dismay. Had that man been around when the Spartan had shown up, he'd probably would have tried to forcefully enlist the woman. Telling her the Gears would provide assistance only after she helped them or some bullshit like that. To be fair, however, she was doing that to an extent. Of her own volition. Mostly. She was still confined to the ship Michaelson wasn't sending her out on missions or helping them establish trades with the Stranded on shore. Yet.
There was a strong likelihood that was going to change. Call it a hunch. The Spartan was no doubt getting antsy and Michaelson, more than likely, was irritated that babysitting duty had lasted so long. If Baird was a betting man, and he was only on good days, he figured they'd get word by the end of this week if she was to join them out in the field.
Sure enough, in five days' time, part of Delta plus one unlikely addition got the green light. Had Baird placed any money with Cole on that little bet, he might've gotten most of his money back.
—
Auri had been in her borrowed room in the process of disassembling her long range rifle when Cole had come by. It was hard to believe how much time had passed but she now got a routine established which helped put her mind to ease somewhat. That little poker game she'd joined a few nights previous had become something of a habit now. If she wasn't out on deck, Baird or Haverson, or Yancey at one point, went off in search of the Spartan and they all holed up in someone's room for a few hours. Auri hadn't realized how much she needed this sort of interaction. They never expected her to play and she was quite content just watching the other Gears bicker back and forth or taunt one another.
By the third game, she'd started to pick up on little tells that indicated whether or not the person playing had a decent hand. Haverson would lean forward a fraction and rest his good elbow on one knee while gently tapping a rhythm-less beat with his boot. Kensington would start to fidget in place and glance up at his colleagues to gauge their reactions. Baird would shuffle his cards around and cover the bottom half of his face with a hand, feigning agitation. Cole leaned back in his seat with an easy grin on his face, directing most of his attention to Baird in an attempt to goad the man just a bit. And Dom, when he joined in. would get quiet right quick.
The only one Auri couldn't get a solid bead on was the engineer. That woman hardly gave anything away. Maybe it was that slight narrowing of her eyes but Auri only caught that subtle shift in Yancey's expression maybe twice since joining.
Auri figured that within the next day or two she'd end up joining in and try her hand though chances were she would be terrible. No matter, name of the game was to have fun and hopefully she wouldn't lose too much money. Well, whatever physical cash the Gears loaned her, that is. As she wiped down her rifle, she decided that tonight was going to be the night she'd throw her lot in with the rest of them when Cole popped his head in past the door.
"Ah, there you are!"
Auri glanced up at him and, just before she could voice a question, Cole continued. "Marcus wants you up top in twenty by the Ravens. Suit up, too."
"Wait, are we-? Am I heading out with someone?" the Spartan asked, brows furrowing together as she balanced her gun on her knees.
"Looks like it. I dunno what you guys'll be doing just yet though."
She blinked in surprise. How did Marcus manage to get her clearance to go out in the field? "Ah, all right. Let the sergeant know I'll be up." Cole nodded once before leaving the door frame, shutting it closed behind him. Noesis' avatar appeared above the Spartan's helmet which was set on top of the desk across from her.
"I know I don't have to say it but I'm a bit surprised at the change in heart from the captain," the AI said as Auri quickly reassembled her sniper rifle, something she could do with her eyes shut.
"Either it was the captain's call or Anya and Fenix did or said something to convince him," the Four replied as she set aside the rifle and shed her COG issued clothes in favor of her bio-layer. Noesis glanced away to give Auri some semblance of privacy. Under-suit tugged into place, she began to work on her armor and, before too long, the Spartan was geared up and kitted out with only three minutes to spare. She scooped up her helmet and Noesis quickly vanished into the headpiece as Auri left her bunk behind.
When she reached the Ravens' landing pads at the far end of the ship, Baird, Dom and Anya were already there speaking with Marcus. Dom was the first to catch sight of the commander, and nodded his head in greeting. Auri jogged over to join them as Marcus turned to her, a grim look on his face. Then again, Auri couldn't recall the last time, or first, she'd seen the man really smile.
"Glad you could make it," Fenix rumbled out. He crossed his arms over his chest as he addressed the rest of the group. "While the captain is still a bit wary of our new friend here, thus far she's proven herself to be reliable and trustworthy where it counts. Her actions a few weeks back with the Lambent further cemented that fact enough to where Michaelson is allowing her out in the field provided members of Delta go with her." Marcus glanced at the Spartan briefly before looking to the others once more.
"Mission'll be a simple one. Word came down the wire that there's potentially some good salvage out in one of the cities along the shoreline. Anya found that it wasn't as affected by the Locust or Lambent like the rest before Jacinto's sinking. That may have changed."
"Given the possibility of the Locust presence, it might have kept some of the Stranded out," Anya carried on. "Granted, that doesn't always keep out the most persistent of individuals but there's still a good chance there's an undisturbed cache of supplies that we could use. Depending on what's in there, we could use it to barter with some of small shack towns the Stranded have set up. I'll be marking the location on a map as well as coordinates to a weapons supply cache. There might be nothing there but it won't hurt to check it out."
"Dom, I'm sending you and Baird along with the commander to check it out," Fenix continued. "If you end up running into Stranded, they tend to do better speaking with you." Rather than Baird. The words went unspoken but it seemed to be a universal understanding amongst the group. Baird rolled his eyes in response.
"Fine. Dom can play diplomat with those bunch of asshats. If that weapons cache is locked, I'll crack it open. I'll need to grab my tools before we leave," Baird said, annoyance leaking into his voice.
"It shouldn't take you guys longer than three days to get everything together. If it takes longer or if the Locust presence is bigger than expected, mark the area and we'll send in additional reinforcements," Anya added. "Just keep me posted if it ends up taking you longer, alright? Oh!" She fished around in her pocket for a second before pulling out a small dime sized device and held it out to Auri. "Commander, this is for you. It's a COMM piece synced to the team's channel. Just in case your suit can't link up to it. I know you were able to initially but it doesn't hurt to have a backup."
Auri took the device from Anya's palm and fit into her left ear. It'd been a minute since she'd had to use an earpiece but she'd get used to it. "Thanks, Anya," she said with a small smile. Anya nodded back.
"Alright," Marcus cut in, "You have your assignment. A Raven'll fly you all out in ten minutes. Anya, you have that map?"
"Already gave it to Dom," the other woman answered.
"Then I'll see you all in a few days. Commander, you got my permission to knock some sense into Baird if he starts mouthing off to some Stranded out there."
"Hey! Nine times outta ten, those jackasses are the ones who start it!" the mechanic shot back. Auri managed to keep her face composed as she inclined her head towards the sergeant. The corner of the grizzled man's face curled upward but it might've been a muscle twitch. At least, in a way, it seemed like she was now part of the group.
"You've gotta be fuckin' kidding me," Baird muttered as he turned to make for his bunk. Anya barely managed to keep from laughing but there was a smile on her face. Dom joined Baird below deck and Anya was soon walking off toward Navigation. Just before Marcus took his leave of the deck, Auri pursed her lips and strode up to Fenix.
"Sergeant, hold up a minute," she said before glancing around. There were a few other personnel around and civvies were out tending to the gardens a couple hundred meters away from them.
"Yeah, what is it?" Marcus arched an eyebrow up slightly as he turned around his heel to face her.
Auri opened her mouth before snapping it shut as she tried to come up with the right words. He waited patiently for her to assemble her thoughts. "Alright," the Spartan finally said, letting out a breath. "I know Cole seems to trust me, same with Dom for the most part, and Baird, Anya, and everyone. At least, to some degree or another. If it were me sending a soldier out into the field that wasn't part of my organization, I'd still be a bit wary. Especially as a squad leader." She paused a moment, looking out at the water around them before returning her attention back to Marcus who was watching her intently. Something in his gaze softened a fraction but, when Auri blinked, it was gone just as quickly as it appeared.
"Commander, I'll be frank with you," Marcus replied. Something inside her tensed at his words, expecting the worst. "I'll trust you until you give me a reason not to. Until then, do your job. Watch my brothers' backs and they'll watch yours. Sound good?"
A faint smile tugged at her mouth. The tension and dread coiled in her belly eased up. It wasn't completely gone but it did feel like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. "I will. Thank you."
Marcus nodded once to her and went to turn to leave but stopped in his tracks. "And word to the wise, most of those Stranded out there are harmless. All bark and no bite, if you catch my drift. Most of them, anyway. There are always a few, though, with itchy trigger fingers. Keep your head down. I don't like working with 'em but it's a necessity. The fewer we have to shoot the better."
"Solid copy. We'll keep you and Anya posted."
—-
Twenty minutes later found the trio of soldiers on a Raven heading out fast to the shoreline. Once over the landing zone, and after making sure it was clear, Dom, Baird and Auri hooked onto the ropes and descended to the ground. As soon as they began making their way out of the LZ, the Raven pulled back, the sounds of the rotary blades drifting away the further it went. Before too long, all that could be heard was the wind blowing through the buildings.
"So, according to Anya's map, the place we're looking for is a big 'ol' warehouse located somewhere just behind the shoreline. It's maybe five miles or so from where we are right now," Dom announced, his Lance held loosely in his hands. "Soon we get in and make sure no one's home, secure whatever pallets we can and haul 'em outside. Raven'll take care of the rest. We get all that loaded up and then move onto the weapons cache. That sound good with you all?"
Baird lifted a shoulder up in a shrug as they walked. "You're the one with the map. Lead the way." Auri pulled up the rear, her Assault Rifle in hand. She looked about the place, studying the different areas one could use as a sniper's nest. Her motion tracker hadn't picked up any movement other than their own for now. She hoped it'd stay that way. Every so often, Baird and Dom would engage in quiet conversation as they made their way through the dead city.
Occasionally, the trio would come across the corpse of a human picked clean. Bloody footprints belonging to Wretches littered the area around it. Given the dried blood turned brown, it definitely wasn't a recent kill. Auri's mind flashed back to her first encounter with the little bastards and she shuddered. They were relatively easy to kill but could quickly overwhelm you with their vast numbers. Staying alive while in the process of being eaten by a multitude of those things was not how she fancied going. They moved on from the old bones, glancing periodically into a few blown out storefronts in search of leftover ammo and what not.
"Anyone else get the feeling we're being watched?" Dom murmured as they crossed through another intersection, his head on a swivel.
"Damn it, man, don't say that crap," Baird replied in a harsh whisper. "You're gonna end up jinxing us!"
"Don't tell me you seriously believe in that stuff."
"Not… entirely," Baird hedged. "It's just… too fuckin' cliché to say here. Now you've got me friggin' paranoid."
"I'm not picking anything up on radar," Auri said, pitching her voice just so the other two could hear her. "But, I know what you mean, Dom. It feels like there's eyes on us and I can't tell from where. Let's just double time it to the warehouse, get what we need and get out."
"Won't get any argument from me, ma'am," Dom replied, voice tense. He consulted a map of the general area briefly. "Uh, it looks like we're maybe a mile or two out and, well, crap. That street's completely blocked off." Sure enough, the road to their right, which would've given them a straight shot to place, had multiple buildings collapsed into the middle, debris piled up thirty feet high in some places. "O-kay. Let's go down to this next intersection and see if we can't loop back around. Otherwise, we'll need to move further up or find a building we can safely cut through to the other side."
"I doubt any of these places could be safe or stable," Baird muttered, picking up his pace to fall in with his teammate. Auri soon followed suit. It took them several minutes of searching before they finally stumbled across an old furniture store they could actually use as a shortcut. Mindful of the state the place was in, the soldiers moved as quickly as they could allow themselves to. It seemed no one had been in here for ages given the layers of dust and grime covering the floor and furniture. Cobwebs littered the corners of the ceiling and broken glass had been spilled everywhere, crunching loudly underfoot.
Every little noise above the wind set Auri's teeth on edge. She half expected Wretches to drop onto them from above or Locust to come barreling out or ambush them in the street. Seemed like she wasn't the only one. The other two looked like they were jumping at the creaking floorboards and Dom cursed under his breath when he sent an old tin can rolling across the room by accident. Once he got himself under control, he murmured an apology to the others. They soon reached the back door, which had been knocked wide open by some heavy mass given how dented it was, and they each breathed a quiet sigh of relief that they were outside at last. Up ahead, in the distance, they could see the warehouse. From the looks of it, the roof had partially caved in and at least one of the walls had been knocked out given the massive hole and the bricks scattered out around the area.
"We'll check out that side first and if we can't find a way inside, let's try to swing around to the front," Dom said, wiping the sweat from his brow using an old rag he procured from a pocket before stuffing it back inside. "If we can't use the front, maybe we can get in through the loading bay." Baird and Auri fell in with him as they stuck to the shadows, moving fast down the street. The sun was still high in the cloudless sky. Hopefully moving these pallets wouldn't take them till sundown. The Gears had told her what took place at night in the cities. A flock of creatures called the Krill came out from deep underground and flooded the night sky. From what they'd told her, Krill sounded like piranhas with wings. They could rip apart a man's body, armor and all, within seconds unless you were around a reliable light source.
Dom had told her about a time when he and the other Gears used a vehicle that had reconfigured light into a weapon to be used against the Krill. It was rather effective but could overheat easily. Given how Jacinto's sinking had flooded the tunnels below Sera's surface, most of the Krill population took up residence in some of the remaining skyscrapers or caves on the outskirts of town. Given the level of threat the Krill still posed to the Gears, Michaelson didn't usually approve of overnight missions. But seeing that supplies and ammo were lower than he would've liked, Delta was given the green light. Despite nightfall still being a ways off, the soldiers didn't loiter around. None of them knew how long it'd take for them to clear out most of the warehouse, locate the supplies and then secure the pallets for sendoff.
The trio reached the wall that had faced them from the street before long. Sure enough, more debris and boxes blocked their entry. Auri had attempted to shove an arm through to shift what she could and make a hole big enough to squeeze herself into to no avail. That left the front, the far side of the warehouse and the docking bay at the back. If those proved useless, they'd have to try the roof, assuming they could get up there. Dom had them split up and take a side as going as a group would take more time. Time they didn't necessarily have.
Dom and Auri rounded one side, Auri making for the far side of the complex as Dom tried the entrance. That left Baird to scour the loading bay. Each soldier went about their tasks, still keeping a sharp eye out on the surrounding area. As Auri left Dom at the front door, her gaze flicked over the dark windows looking out at her as she walked. She repressed another shudder that threatened to run down her spine at the sight and walked quickly to the far end of the building. There was a rusted metal stairwell that led up to a door that, if she had to wager a guess, would place it on the second floor. There wasn't a keypad next to the knob but it was locked from the other side. Still, before she tried anything, she opened up the TEAMCOMM.
"Baird, you think there's a chance this place has power running through it? Maybe a generator powering the alarms?" she asked as she set her AR on its mag-mount.
"Um, I mean, maybe? But this place is pretty old from the looks of it. Any generators left inside either ran out of juice or were looted," Baird responded. "Why? D'you find a keypad or somethin'?"
"No. There's a set of stairs leading up to a door on the far side. I just figured I'd ask you before trying anything."
"Gimme a sec and I'll join you," came Dom. "Front door's a bust anyway." Moments later, Auri could hear footsteps closing in on her location. Looking over her shoulder, she could see Dom jogging over to the stairwell and met up with her. The Spartan wrapped one hand around the door knob and braced herself.
"Just get ready to move quickly if an alarm starts blaring," she said over their COMMs so Baird, too, would have a heads up. At Dom's nod, Auri pulled back and rammed her shoulder into the metal door. It took two more good tries before it finally caved in, jiggling violently on its hinges. There was now a massive dent the size of the Spartan's shoulder in it. Dom flowed through, looking left and right as he stepped inside. Auri followed right on his heels, kicking the door closed with her foot as she entered. There was no alarm and no lights flickering on once the pair moved a few more feet in. Just like with the furniture store, at least within the immediate vicinity, it didn't look disturbed. Shelves had been knocked over and ceiling panels had long since fallen out above them. Shafts of light wormed their way inside using the cracks in the rooftop.
"Alright, Baird, we're in," Dom said, keeping his voice lowered. Even though no one had been through in quite some time didn't mean they had to announce their presence. "How's the docking bay looking?"
"Eh, not bad," came the other Gear. They could hear his footsteps echoing softly in the background as he walked. "There was a bay at the far end that was opened and already I'm seeing a couple pallets of sealed food stacked a few feet away from me. I'm gonna check to see if I can push up one of the doors and get the ramp down. It'll make getting this shit outta here a bit easier."
"Copy that. You good by yourself right now or do you need one of us over there with you?"
"Nah, man. I'm good. Go check the place out. I'll give you a holler if I hear anything spooky or somethin'." The channel shut off then leaving Dom and Auri in relative silence. Luckily for the both of them, military hand signals seemed to be a universal thing so they were able to communicate effectively with one another without having to speak. They spread out across the first floor, seeing how the second was mostly made up of catwalks that ran the length of the room, and stayed within earshot and eyesight about as well as they could.
Old papers were scattered haphazardly all around them, along with broken mugs and stained safety vests, as if the original workers had left here in a rush. Considering this all had been here since before E-Day, when the world turned upside down for the denizens of Sera, the workers were more than likely running for their lives. Sure enough, a few meters in, Auri spied a massive Emergence Hole. A large shelving unit had tumbled head first into the center of it and was partially submerged. The hole had been plugged up for some time now. Unless the Locust had really good mining equipment, there'd be no chance in hell they'd use this entrance anytime soon.
To Auri's left, she watched Dom carefully ease his way into an office to pilfer the place. He stepped back out a few minutes later and flashed her a keycard he'd found before stowing it. It could come in handy later but given the lack of power throughout the warehouse, that chance was very slim to none. After completing their circuit of the area and finding not much else, the two made their way back over to the loading bay by following the signs pointing off in the general direction. It didn't take them long to pick up on Baird's quiet muttering as he bustled about the area. He paused just long enough to look up from a weathered desk, with what appeared to be blueprints and invoices on its surface, to make sure enemies weren't approaching before returning to his findings.
"Find anything good?" Auri asked him, peering over the desk herself.
"Mostly invoices from old orders. If I'm reading this right, they received a shipment of MREs a few years back," he replied, tapping a faded paper. "'Another couple invoices over here say there's an order of weapons and ammo. I checked that pallet of food and it's one of three MRE pallets. Ammo and the other crap's gotta be nearby." He tossed the one invoice he'd been looking at back onto the desk as he looked between the two. "Let's try and get this stuff wrapped and stacked together best we can before moving it outside for the Raven. There might be some shrink wrap in one of the offices."
"Alright then. Let's grab and go," Dom replied, securing his Lancer on his back. "We checked out most of the first floor and I don't think anyone's been here since before E-Day. Least not as far as I could tell."
"Then all the spoils go to us and all that," Baird said, brushing his hands together to get rid of some of the dust that accumulated on his palms. They located the second pallet of food but the third had already been ripped into and the packages torn open and strewn all over the ground. It took a bit of effort to push them back toward the docking bay but they managed, securing a few crates of ammo and a few guns in the process. Once done, Auri rummaged around a few of the offices before picking up a bit of shrink wrap that had lodged under a desk as well as a few ties to use. The three of them worked fast, making sure that, when the Raven got here and went to hook onto their load, nothing would shift out of place or come loose.
It took about an hour before everything was finally ready to go. Dom put the call in and a Raven was soon dispatched to their location. With a bit of time to kill, the soldiers poked around a bit more but there wasn't much else to see save for rusting forklifts, old lunches and broken computers. It was quiet and boring but Auri wasn't complaining too much given their overall circumstances. Minutes later, static crackled over their COMMs as the Raven pilot hailed them.
"This is KR Two-Three to Delta ground team. I'm two minutes out from your location, over."
"I hear you, Two-Three," came Dom as he neared the broken door bay to peer outside. "We're towards the back of the warehouse by the loading bay. Secured a couple pallets of food and ammo. Over."
"Glad to hear it. All right. I'm coming up on the warehouse now. Step outside with supplies and I'll lower the hook. Over."
"Copy that." During all this , Baird had found a pair of bolt cutters toward the back of the warehouse and clipped the two locks holding one of the bay doors in place. He shoved the sectional door upward and it rolled back along the tracks in the ceiling with a loud rattle that echoed throughout the area. He found a ramp below the bay door and hopped down to pull the thing and get it all set up for Auri and Dom. The pair began the slow process of heaving the combined pallets down the ramp carefully with Baird guiding as best he could. Already they could hear that familiar staccato beat of helicopter blades nearing them. KR Two-Three had arrived.
The Raven's hydraulic side door opened up and the pilot lowered the pallet hook along with a section of tarp with heavy metal rings on each corner. The trio heaved their newly acquired supply cache onto the tarp and it took some finagling before they finally were able to hook everything up for transport. Dom gave Two-Three a thumb's up and the rope began to retract in the belly of the Raven.
"Delta, letting you all know I'm starting to see some smoke due East. Not too sure what the source is but figured y'all should be aware. Could be Stranded or it could be something else," the pilot announced.
"Thanks for the head's up," Dom replied. "This area's been pretty quiet. Nothing's really disturbed the warehouse far as we could see but-" A sudden rumble interrupted him as it broke through the ground. Out of nowhere, a Stalk, bigger than the ones that hit the Sovereign, sprouted through the asphalt. It narrowly missed the Raven which had to lurch sharply to avoid getting struck. Almost immediately, the Stalk shuddered and spat out Lambent. They made a beeline right toward the soldiers who brought their weapons up to bear and fired. The pilot was cursing over the COMM as he regained control of his craft and secured the payload beneath the Raven.
"Oh, yeah. Everything's been real quiet over here. Way to fucking jinx us, Dom!" Baird yelled over the sound of gunfire.
"Just shut up and shoot, alright?" Dom snapped back, anger coloring his voice. He dropped the empty mag from his Lancer and slammed a fresh one home before kicking back one Glowie that got too close for comfort. He then flipped the switch on for the chainsaw attachment on the underside of his lancer and hit another Glowie in the chest with it. A bit of distance had grown between the two Gears and the Spartan. Her attention had been both on making sure none of the Lambent swarmed her and didn't try spewing their deadly acid all over her companions that she didn't see a trio of Lambent coming up on her flank.
"Commander, behind yo-!" Noesis called out to her but it was too late. The bigger out of the three leapt onto her back, causing the woman to curse in surprise, while the other two gripped her arms, sending her AR flying from her hand. The Spartan was knocked off balance and hit the dirt. The one who spider monkeyed her was busy hammering the back of her helmet in an attempt to break the seal. There was softer, fresher meat just beneath the armored shell encasing it.
Panic shot through Auri, overpowering the anger that had welled up inside her at the beginning of the attack. She struggled to shake free at least one of her arms to try and lash out at the creatures but they were doing a damned good job at keeping her pinned.
"Fuck! Get off! Get the fuck. Off. Of. Me!" she cried out over their COMM channel, her voice cracking. "Baird, fucking-! Christ, get off!" All of this had taken place within a matter of seconds but it felt painfully longer.
Baird's head snapped to the left upon hearing the Four's cry for help. He hardly had time to swear before he got into motion, already firing off short controlled bursts at the one at her back then the one holding down her right arm. One of the Lambent, Auri couldn't tell which, bellowed out a roar, and she felt its weight disappear. Her left arm was clear finally and she threw back her elbow as hard as she could, but given the awkward angle, she couldn't get much momentum until Baird shoved the big fucker off her back.
Once the extra weight left her, and thanks to Baird, she wrenched her other arm free. Running on pure instinct and adrenaline, her hand shot down to her pistol and it was out in front of her within a second. She squeezed the trigger, aiming for center mass. The Lambent on her right staggered backward before imploding. Baird had already taken care of the other two and hauled the Spartan to her feet as they both jumped back into the fray. When there was a temporary break in the fight, she'd managed to scoop up her discarded rifle.
They were starting to keep the Lambent at bay and, once he had gotten the Raven turned around, even got a bit of air support from the chain guns well above them. The higher caliber weapons made quick work of their enemies but the Lambent weren't quite done with them yet. Another Stalk pushed through to the surface some meters away but they couldn't get a good look given the amount of dust and debris kicked up by the chain guns.
Whatever it was, it was big and pissed. Out of nowhere slabs of what the Gears had called Imulsion came flying through the air, forcing the soldiers to jump clear. When the mortars slammed into the ground, they detonated upon impact spewing out acid everywhere. More followed suit as the Lambent thing lumbered closer. One projectile was aimed right at Baird and would've slathered the man in Imulsion had the Spartan not tackled him out of the way. Another wave of bombs came their way, forcing the pair to retreat into the warehouse and cutting them off from Dom.
"Damn it, I can't get a clear shot!" Auri swore. She couldn't even pause long enough to train her sights on the damned thing as it kept lobbing projectiles at them. "Two-Three, can you-?"
"Negative, negative," the pilot replied. "It's kicking up too much dust. Damn it, c'mon!"
"Watch out!" came Dom's voice over the COMMs just in time for another series of bombs headed their way. Needing no further encouragement, Auri shoved Baird behind her and back into the warehouse before leaping on top of the Gear, taking the brunt of the damage. The projectiles collided into the side of the building and part of the roof, further caving it in. Chunks of brick slammed on top of the Spartan, chipping away at her shields. It stopped just long enough for her to carefully glance around.
Bits of wood and chunks of cement were still settling around her when a groan sounded off below her.
"You're… crushing me," Baird wheezed out. She was still laying on top of him.
"Crap. Give… give me a second." Gritting her teeth, Auri slowly pulled one arm out then the other and planted them on either side of Baird before pushing up. The pile of debris shifted around them as she moved upward, larger bits were sent tumbling to the ground. It took her a moment before Baird was able to wiggle himself out from under her and onto all fours to catch his breath before getting to his feet. He walked over to the pile Auri was still partially under and helped shift the heavier chunks off her legs to free her.
Auri shook her head and wiped her visor somewhat clear of dust with one hand as she got up. "You okay?" she asked the Gear who had rested his hands on his hips. A fine layer of dust had coated his hair and arms. Baird gave her a quick nod as he turned his attention back to what was left of the docking bay. The entire front end was smashed in. There'd be no going out that way.
"Hey, Dom, you still with us?" Baird asked, thumbing on his earpiece. A few tense seconds passed with no answer. Auri and Baird exchanged looks with one another, almost fearing the worst, when the COMM channel crackled to life. Dom was in the middle of coughing before he was finally able to speak.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm still here. Fuck me. When you guys disappeared, that bastard turned on me. I had to haul ass across the way as it was spewing those bombs my way," Dom explained. "It collapsed most of the damned second story on top of my head."
"Fucking ditto. The whole loading bay's completely caved in. There's no way we're getting out this way."
"Great. Alright. Uh, well, I can still hear that thing outside so it may take me a minute to get around it and get to you guys without being seen. I am not tangoing with this prick by myself. Once we regroup, we better get clear of this area. Gunfire may have called a lot of unwelcome attention."
"Yeah, I was thinkin' the same thing. Okay." Baird took in a breath and exhaled through his nose before continuing. "Me'n Auri'll start making our way towards the front of the warehouse and meet you outside."
The channel closed off and Auri could see Baird in her peripherals turn toward her. She'd been in the process of regaining her composure as the two Gears talked. Her heart was hammering hard against her chest, the memory of those monstrosities attacking her the way they did brought a lot of unwanted memories to the surface; stuff she'd rather not revisit. Baird broke the silence first.
"So, you good to get going? Suit wasn't damaged when the wall came down, was it?" he asked her. Auri looked over her shoulder at him and shook her head.
"No," she answered, then cleared her throat, thumbing on her helmet's external speakers. "No, I'm good. Let's just go." She looked him fully in the face. Her visor could hide her expression but not the tone of her voice. "Baird, I'm fine. You heard Dom. We don't have time to waste. Let's go." Without waiting for the Gear to join her, Auri began making her way towards the front of the complex, examining her gear as she walked. At the back of her mind, she could feel her construct's watchful presence and picked up on her concern. "We'll talk later," Auri muttered, using their private channel. "Just… not now." The sound of footsteps rapidly approaching her. Baird was finally catching up.
"Hey, you don't have to storm off like that," the Gear said once he fell in with her.
"I wasn't storming off," Auri replied in an even tone, switching back to her helmet speakers. "All that noise may've called in the Locust. We've got to put some distance between us and this warehouse and the only way we can do that is if we leave now. The Raven already secured our payload so we're fine to move onto that weapons cache."
"Gee, no shit, smartass." She looked over in time to see him roll his eyes and she quietly scoffed. "Look, something happened back there before that thing collapsed the wall."
"Yeah. I got jumped by Lambent because I wasn't watching my flank. I should've known better than to have let that happen."
"Not what I was referring to. Okay, well, partly that. But-"
Auri quickly cut him off with a wave of her hand as she stopped in her tracks. "If you're going to be so insistent on this, fine." Baird stopped with her, his mouth opening briefly before shutting close with an audible click. "All I'm going to say is that those things brought up… a lot of bad memories," she continued, her voice low. "People close to me lost their lives, violently. All of that crap. It was my fault that they died and those Lambent resembled something… similar to what had attacked us months ago." She breathed in slowly before letting it out. "We're all dealing with our own ghosts. I'm still learning how to live with mine. So, let's just move on and get out of here, okay?"
She knew that if she lingered on this topic for much longer, she'd risk losing it in front of the man. This was neither the time nor the place and, luckily, Baird seemed to drop the matter for now. He nodded once and gave her a quiet "Okay" before they continued on to the exit. They were soon outside in the bright sunshine and went around the facility in search of Dom. That Lambent could be heard off in the distance followed by the familiar sounds of gunfire from Locust-grade weapons. That definitely wasn't a good sign. Auri located Dom on her HUD via the waypoint she tagged him with several weeks back. As soon as they regrouped they began pushing onward toward that cache of weapons Anya had mentioned.
KR Two-Three had safely returned to base with their newly acquired cargo in the process of being offloaded, much to their relief. Their trek ended up taking them a bit longer and, by the time they reached the halfway point, the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. It was time to set up camp and get a fire going if necessary before nightfall completely enveloped the city. As the other two men hung back, the commander scouted ahead in search of some place stable and out of the way. She found an old two story home with a basement they could use. She tagged the location and jogged back to walk the pair over. They barricaded the entrances and most of the windows were already boarded up, blocking out most of the night sky. Further perusal revealed the home had a cold storage room off of the basement. Inside, someone had stockpiled some ammo and rations that the trio quickly made use of.
From there, they barricaded the door to storage and set up a bunch of glass bottles in the corner should they fall asleep and someone were to walk in on them. A couple cots lined one side of the room and, while they were a bit dusty and moth-eaten, they were relatively clean. Beneath the covers of one was a small stuffed doll. A child must've hidden it here and left before they could recover it. There was no blood on the floors or walls let alone any remains so maybe the family had gotten out safely. Maybe. Auri didn't want to think of the alternative. Each soldier claimed a cot and Dom divvied out their nighttime rations. Auri ate her MRE mechanically, not really tasting the food, bland as it was, and downed her water before leaning her head back against the cold concrete behind her.
Their trek over here had done her some good, allowing her to work off that excess energy leftover from that adrenaline rush in the middle of the fight. It'd take her a while to get some sleep so she took up first watch that night hoping it'd tire her out eventually. The other two Gears settled, Baird taking the second shift and Dom would take care of the rest of the watch till dawn. Soon enough, someone's soft snores, Dom's she guessed, broke the silence minutes later. She could hear the house settling in around them as night fell. If she listened hard enough, Auri could've sworn she'd heard the fluttering of multiple pairs of wings outside but it could've been nothing. All the same, she was grateful they'd found this little hidey hole.
The hours ticked by very slowly but so far it had all been quiet. The Locust luckily hadn't seen where they were headed off to and the house looked to be already raided, save for the goodies in the basement. It was a lucky find. Four and half hours later, she switched out with Baird, giving him a quick rundown, before laying down on her cot. She'd bunched most of the blankets up in the pillowcase for some added cushion and shut her eyes.
She slept poorly that night and, come daybreak, she was already up with Dom. After a cold bite to eat that didn't do much to better her mood, the trio removed their barricade and makeshift alarm by the door and set off for the weapons cache. The sun was just barely creeping over the horizon and a fine layer of fog had drifted in off the ocean, giving the city a cold, bleak appearance.
"Wait, hold up," Dom hissed as they were about to round a street corner. He held out an arm to stop the other two. Before either of them could voice their thoughts, Dom put a finger up to his lips signaling them to remain quiet and listen. Moments later that sound of rushing water Auri had heard a few minutes ago had grown louder and louder as the source drew closer. Dom had stopped them just in time to watch a roiling, churning mass of dark shapes dart out in an almost frantic motion through the air above them.
Krill.
Auri tensed but didn't dare draw her weapons as the mass of creatures flew past them, paying the soldiers seemingly no mind at all as they quickly darted into the safety of a nearby skyscraper. They made it just before the light of the rising sun could affect them. One by one, Auri, Dom and Baird collectively let out their held breaths as the danger passed them by.
"That was… way too damned close," Baird muttered under his breath. Dom echoed the sentiment and motioned them forward, keeping a sharp eye on the sky above them but they didn't encounter any more flocks of Krill as they pushed further into the city. As they left the shoreline behind them, the houses and buildings grew more dilapidated and decayed the farther they went. Rotting support beams had finally caved in under the weight of collapsed roofs, windows had been completely blown out, their glass long since ground into dust. Here and there were small mementoes of people fleeing the scene. Shoes, some open suitcases with a few pieces of clothes still in them, a child's pacifier. Occasionally there were patches of dried up blood and bones bleached white by the sun but they weren't all too commonplace, yet.
It felt, to Auri at least, that they were walking through a tomb, a massive grave. Cole had briefly told her about the city centers that had taken direct hits from the Hammer of Dawn satellites in orbit around the planet. Given how few of the satellites were left and the state of the global network, tapping into them now had proven to be a bit more difficult than it was nearly two years ago. The cities had been totally devastated and wrecked beyond recognition but that wasn't the worst part. Shells of the inhabitants had been left behind, totally undisturbed as far as Cole could remember. Auri wasn't a stranger to complete planet wide destruction but Covenant glassings only leveled the area and left nothing behind but glass. To be able to walk through and encounter these empty shells of people… It was horrific to even think about. They didn't dwell on the topic for much longer after that.
The trio only stopped twice on their way to the cache. Once for a quick bite to eat, another to relieve themselves and step out of the sun for a moment. Baird had taken a look at the map and was able to confirm they were roughly a mile out from where Anya figured the COG supplies were stashed. It was, she guessed, in an old bank vault and that was one of the main reasons why Baird had been assigned to join them. If he couldn't force open the lock, there was always the more explosive route.
Their journey had made them nearly cross paths with a Locust patrol or two but, thanks to Auri's motion tracker, they were able to carefully slip by the, with the Locust none the wiser. Seemed like they were also scoping places out and scavenging what was left over. From what Delta told her, the Locust population had been wrecked by Jacinto's sinking. Their warrens were completely flooded and many of them had died in the process. They'd also been dealing with a growing contingent of Lambent so they were forced to fight on two different fronts, weakening them further. Delta had also brought up the Locust's de facto leader, Queen Myrrah.
The woman was surprisingly human and Marcus and Dom had come across a handful of old documents about her in a facility called New Hope up on Mount Kadar. Their findings were more than a little disturbing as were the denizens of New Hope. They were dubbed the Sires and were originally miners afflicted with an Imulsion sickness called Rustlung. The children of those unfortunate miners suffered from deformities as well. The head scientist, Dr. Niles Samson, was tasked to form a cure for the disease, as Delta found out, but the doctor saw something he could capitalize on. He had also uploaded his consciousness into the facility's network, turning himself into an artificial intelligence of a sort, but he inevitably grew insane as the years went on.
And, thus, the Sires were born.
It was also discovered that Myrrah came from the facility as a child and was surprisingly immune to Rustlung but, from what the Gears could piece together, she couldn't escape from Niles' manipulation and greed. There wasn't much on her correlation to the Locust but Dom and Marcus didn't have much time to explore by the end of it with the Sires being unleashed on them on their way out.
This planet seemed to be just as messed up as a few of the other places the Spartan had been on. Before much longer, they finally arrived at the bank. The storefront had nearly fallen completely inward and almost barred them from the door. Auri helped shift a large piece of concrete up and out of the way, holding it up long enough for the Gears to pass by before dropping the slab behind her when it was her turn. Sunlight filtered in from the breaks in the wood, lighting up the dust motes that danced around in the air. There were a few sets of tracks littering the floorboards belonging to the Locust but, if Dom had to guess, they were old. Why they were searching here was anyone's guess. Baird attempted a joke about the Locust needing to pull out a few loans here but it fell flat.
"Maybe they were looking for the weapons cache," the Four ventured as they pushed on to the back.
"How would they have known to look here?" Dom asked her to which she gave him a shrug.
"It's just a guess. Maybe they figured banks are, or were, where you keep valuable things securely stored away. You mentioned that Myrrah woman's human so she'd know. In turn, the Locust would have at least a basic understanding. Or maybe I'm just talking out my ass. What other use would a bank vault have if no additional money's being printed and locked away?"
"Well, we'll know soon enough if it's been messed with," Baird said. "We should be nearing the bank vault… Aha, yep. Here we are." A grin crossed the mechanic's face at the sight of the massive door. Several layers of dirt and dust covered the large handle in the middle and it looked like the hinges on one side were already rusting. Dom slung his Lancer onto his back and Baird followed suit as the two men approached the door.
As Dom stepped forward to get a better look, he stumbled half a step, arms jerking out reflexively to keep his balance. Auri watched as he glanced back down at the floor, unsure of what tripped him when an alarm began blaring throughout the area.
There was no time to ascertain who had set up the tripwire. That wailing was going to bring in damn near anything within a five mile radius and these soldiers were right in the middle of it all.
