The Virus Part 7
Posted By: monitor101<wasup1989@hotmail.com>
Date: 26 August 2003, 5:16 PM
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The truth
(UNSC cruiser Gladiator preparing to enter Slipstream space, New Bisson system, New Bisson 11, 01012 hours,2550)
The UNSC cruiser Gladiator was one of the few cruisers the UNSC FLEETCOM had at their disposal, therefore making a very vital asset in the war against the Covenant. The Marathon-class cruiser slowly made its way out system for a Slipstream FTL jump to Reach.
Sergeant Holmes sat in his HEPA suit surrounded by the six remaining men of his platoon. He looked around at the bubble coverings that surrounded the entire shuttle bay. People in HEPA suits walked back and forth carrying equipment and containers. The ONI spooks had sent 50 people from their Biological weapons Division in under and hour, Holmes could not believe it. He wanted to go home back on Reach and not stay here a prisoner surrounded by ONI freaks in damn space suits armed with M6D pistols.
"Wilkes hey Wilkes," he nudged at Corporal Wilkes who sat next to him. "We gotta get the hell out of here before we get to Reach they said Taylor was dead right he died from the virus right."
"Yah so what do you mean?" Wilkes asked puzzled.
"What I mean is they set it I know they did. Taylor didn't die from a virus he may have been infected because he made skin-to-skin contact with Hennings (the first man infected in Holmes platoon) and the doctor said that you can get infected by doing that so he had to have had the virus in him but it didn't take full effect so he had to be still alive. You saw him when they took him away right?"
"Yah he didn't look hot or anything he looked perfectly normal not one damn thing wrong with him," Wilkes whispered.
"Exactly he was fine and then when they took him to get a blood test he started to show signs of infection. And they said they took him to get a blood test and then they come back ten minutes later and say he's dead. It wouldn't take that long to get a blood test they killed him," Holmes said.
"Yah you know how ONI is paranoid when it comes to their black ops especially when it comes to viruses I'm pretty sure. They go at any lengths to cover up their work," Wilkes said.
"Right spread the word we're gonna get the hell outta here. We're gonna escape in a Pelican or a Longsword everyone except Johnson the bastard is ONI I swear. He had that so call experimental grenade and instead of an explosion vapor stuff came out that was the virus airborne and all the covies it enveloped were infected," Holmes spat.
"Yah and he knew to contact ONI Bio Division when we were in that Pelican that backstabbing son of a bitch," Wilkes whispered bitterly.
A hiss of static signified that the ship's main intercom was in use. Captain Dallas's voice boomed through the bays overhead speakers. "All crew this is the captain sensors show inbound Covenant ship. All crew report to battle stations and remaining crew prepare for impact. Inbound Covenant pulse lasers." The collision alarm sounded and a crying siren filled the shuttle bay.
Suddenly the Gladiator shook as plasma impacted. The captain's voice rang out on the intercom. "Reactor engineers report to primary reactor station C main reactor overloaded."
Holmes hit the ground as another set of plasma torpedoes hit. He sat up and looked around. The 50 ONI spooks were scattered around the shuttle bay. They were holding on to support beams and others were holding their equipment down. Dr. Webber and Dr. Brooks were sitting on the ground holding onto support beams. Holmes looked at the guards surrounding them. One of them had their M6D pistol holster in the back of their HEPA belt and the guards back was facing them. Holmes seized the opportunity and jumped forward. He grabbed the M6D and yanked it out of its holster.
The guard turned around and saw this he yelled "hey" and leaped forwards letting go of the beam as more plasma impacted. The ship shook and the guard slid on the plastic covering the floor past Holmes.
"We're getting the hell outta here!" he said to his troop as they rose. The 50 ONI people saw this and 12 of them armed with pistols pulled them out and opened fire.
Holmes ducked as bullets shot passed and he drew the pistol and pumped a round into a guard's leg. One of Holmes's men named PVT. Maddox tackled one guard and was covered by at least 14 people who jumped on top of him.
"STOP restrain them now!" Webber screamed.
The lights dimmed as the Gladiator shot one of its two twin MAC guns. Holmes took this for granted ant emptied the clip into 11 guard's legs. He ran ahead closely followed by his six remaining men, three of whom had commandeered weapons including an MA5B assault rifle.
Holmes didn't look back; he jumped for the open pressure door which led out of the shuttle bay and into a corridor. He hit the ground as bullets snapped past overhead. He started crawling forwards when all of a sudden a brilliant, bright green light filled the shuttle bay as plasma torpedoes smacked into it. The massive wall of Titanium-A armor was quickly melted away revealing space.
The plasma dissipated and the vacuum of space sucked out all loose objects in the bay. The 50 ONI spooks and remaining personnel were hanging on for dear life as the vacuum easily sucked out Pelican's and Longsword fighters. Several people were sucked out into the endless void of space as well. Suddenly the pressure doors began to close.
Holmes was holding onto the pressure door as it began to seal. He mustered up all of his strength and began to pull himself into the hallway before the door sealed shut. Suddenly the cruiser shook violently as more plasma impacted and the ship began to tilt sideways so that space was under him. Holmes held on with all of his strength and pulled himself up. If it wasn't for the HEPA suit he would have been subject to decompression of space. But the filter on his waist sucked in space and pumped it into the suit. Holmes couldn't hold on as he became light headed and dizzy. He could feel people crawling over him and someone said his name and hands grabbed his.
Holmes jumped he was alive. He shook away the light headedness and the blur in his vision. He looked around to see five of his men and 12 ONI spooks. They had managed to get into the hallway before the pressure door had shut. Wilkes and Maddox held two MA5B's pointed at the 12 ONI people. Among them were Brooks and Webber. Johnson sat against a bulkhead with a pistol pointed at his head.
"What the hell happened?" Holmes looked at Corporal Street one of his men.
"We managed to get out in time before the doors closed. The plasma melted right through the battle armor. We don't know how many people got out in time. We guess about 35 died. You were hanging onto the door and you were like a bridge so the 17 of us climbed over you and got you out. You were out for about thirty minutes. The destroyer Constellation and frigate Palermo came and so did two other covie ships. Two ships were destroyed but the other one that hit us escaped. Right now we're docked with the repair station Nova," Street said.
"Damn well we gotta get leave now but first I want the truth," Holmes took a pistol from Street and aimed it at Webber.
"What was the grenade that Johnson used and where did Johnson transfer from to my unit I know for a fact it wasn't North Block?" Holmes demanded.
"How should I know I'm just a doc-Holmes put a round into his leg. Webber screamed in pain and fell to the ground.
"Don't play games with me" Holmes yelled.
"Okay ok he works for ONI. We needed to...fi...find the right opportunity to test it so we had him transferred to your unit to test out......a...an experimental grena-Holmes shot a round passed his head. Webber yelped and ducked.
"I've heard that lame cover up before and I am damn tired of it what the hell was in that grenade?" Holmes was on the edge.
"It was the virus that's why you probably saw a vapor like...mist," Webber said. "Twenty years ago ONI biological weapons division genetically engineered a super-virus. They first tested it twenty years ago in the Deforma rover valley on New Bisson 2," Webber held his leg in pain as blood flowed from the wound.
"So was that story you told me and the Captain a lie?" Holmes asked pissed.
"No...no that was entirely the truth except for the virus being naturally made. We and ONR (Office of Naval Research) genetically engineered the virus by combining the bacteria and Ebola to make Ebola X."
"So it was one big test and that's why Johnson new to call ONI and that's how Johnson said it was an experimental grenade that's the cover up. We got caught in the middle of your little experiment and we were acceptable losses to keep this little lab experiment under wraps. Isn't that right whatever it takes to keep the secrecy," Holmes face was turning red.
"AND YOU KILLED TWO OF MY MEN!" Holmes yelled at the top of his lungs. He squeezed the trigger and another round went into Webber's shoulder.
Webber yelled in pain and rolled around on the floor in a pool of blood that had collected around him.
"STOP IT NOW!" Brooks demanded as he stood up. Wilkes whacked him in the side of the head with his MA5B. Brooks slumped to the ground unconscious.
Holmes reached down and yanked Webber's hood and face mask off. He tore off his own and was about to put a round into Webber's head when Street restrained him.
"Sarge just forget it okay. Sure he made that virus that killed Taylor and Hennings but that doesn't mean that you have to kill him. Those two bullets can be for them but right now we have to escape."
Holmes eased back a little and looked at Webber. The man was unconscious. There was blood slowly streaming from his shoulder and leg. A pool had formed around him. His mouth was dripping with blood. His eyes were tightly shut. The man was no threat. He handed the gun to Street who put it in his belt.
"That's not all at 01100 hours tomorrow on Zeta Doradus 3. ONI is going to plan a ground engagement with the Covenant. When the battle has progressed they are going to unleash a new updated version of the virus onto Humans and Covenant alike to test it out. Acceptable losses right," Johnson said.
"Your serious?" Holmes asked.
"Dead serious and these people are probably going to tell since they over heard," Johnson said
Holmes looked at the 12 ONI spooks who were bunched up against the pressure door. "Well if anyone tells they're dead," Holmes doubted this would do much but it was worth a try.
"The guy in charge of letting out the virus his name is-before Johnson could finish this an ONI spook ran forward, knocked Wilkes and Maddox off their feet and pushed Street to the ground and yanked his pistol from his belt. Holmes grabbed the man's arms but he pushed Holmes aside and pointed the pistol at Johnson and pulled the trigger. Two rounds slammed into his chest spraying geysers of blood into the air. Holmes face was sprayed with blood.
Wilkes jumped to his feet and pulled the MA5B's trigger. A barrage of eight rounds hammered the man's chest. He dropped the pistol and slumped to the deck in pool of blood that formed around him.
Holmes kneeled next to Johnson who was on the verge of death. "What's his name?" Holmes asked.
"Hisssss...na....name is Sar...Sergeant....Ar...go...Argos Sergeant Argos," Johnson gasped as he struggled to stay conscious and to stay alive.
"Sergeant Argos that's his name," Holmes said.
Johnson gave a faint nod and coughed up blood. He looked down at the two bullet pocks in his chest and the river of blood streaming from them. His body went limp and lay still.
"C'mon lets get out of here," Holmes said to his five remaining men. They all left the scene as a security force ran past them.
The five of them ran to shuttle bay three and boarded a Longsword. With Holmes at the controls they left the Gladiator and docked with the Constellation.
To Be Continued...
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