Life As A Marine
Posted By: MJOLNIR wearer<S2AMman@yahoo.com>
Date: 19 May 2004, 3:15 AM
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July 23, 2547
Bravo Sector
UNSC Held Space
21:00 hours
The wailing of an alarm snapped Pvt. Manuel Martinez out of his dream. The red rotating light near the door washed across his vision, momentarily blinding him. He stumbled out of bed and pulled on some combat clothes. He was closing the last clasp on his boots when the door to his room swung open.
"Covie ships have exited slipstream space!" Pvt. James O'Conner called. "Everybody up to the armory on the double!"
A resounding rumble shook the deck as the engines wound up to full combat speed. Martinez scrambled out of his room and hurried up to the armory. The doors hissed open and he ran inside. He grabbed an MA5B assualt rifle and a few extra clips with one hand as he slammed an M6D pistol into his holster with the other.
The rest of his squad joined him, and the large room was filled with the multiple clicks and clacks of bolts being cycled, clips slammed home, and the rattle of battle armor. Martinez slapped his helmet on, and buckled the chin strap.
"Martinez, Manuel, Private, UNSC." He said into the boom mike.
Slid across the small HUD square dangling from hus helmet. Information scrolled across and a small diagram of the ship appeared in the lower left hand corner.
He slapped a clip into the reciever and hustled out of the armory. He was rounding a corner when a massive explosion tore the ship open, three quarters of the way down the hall. He felt himself being picked up and funneled towards the newly made hole.
A blast door hissed shut and he fell hard to the deck. He slid ten meters and hit the door hard as it began it's double seal, a massive steel door closing over the window covered blast door. Martinez could see the white speckled blackness of space, then the doors slammed shut. A small arrow pointed left, a dot lighting up on the ship diagram on his HUD. He looked left to see a small mantinence door soundlessly open. He ran inside, and followed the diagram to an exit point beyond the hull breach. Two marines snapped their rifles up as the doors hissed open but lowered them when Martinez stumbled out.
One marine motioned and all three of them ran through the halls. The second marine reached the corner first and peeked around.
He never saw it coming.
A plasma bolt blew half his face off and popped his helmet free of his head. The Grunt shreaked in surprise as Martinez swung around the corner on his knees. The assualt rifle barked and the Grunt toppled to the ground. The first marine nodded and slipped the aliens pistol into his chest armor.
They ran around another corner to find an alien drop-pod lodged in a lifeboat bay. The lifeboat itself was nowhere to be seen. Two Elites gargled and fired at the humans.
The first marine flew backwards as a plasma bolt slammed into his chest. Martinez watched as a massive green ball punched through the marines chest plate. The bolt hit an Elite in the head. The shields absorbed some of the blast but the plasma bolt burned into the aliens head until only a stump was left. The body toppled over as the other Elite stood staring at the body of his partner in shock. He looked up, and Martinez blew HIS head off with a burst of 7.62mm ammo.
Martinez looked back to find the other marine haul himself into a sitting position and reach into the hole in his chest. He removed a charred weapon and Martinez realized the stolen plasma pistol had taken a hit, slagged the power cell, and discharged all the power into a single, enormous, package of whup-ass.
The other marine looked up at Martinez as the marine lowered a hand to help him up.
Suddenly, the marine started and muttered a single word.
"Transmit." he said, looking up at Martinez.
The word "Huh?" was still making it's way from Martinez's brain to his mouth when the HUD panel flashed and an image from the downed marines helmet-cam jiggled into focus. Three Grunts and a Jackal were slinking up on the two humans from behind.
Martinez smiled and reached down, as if to grab the downed marine by the elbow, and in one smooth motion, grabbed one of the marines frag grenades and rolled left.
The pin flew free and the grenade sailed into the Covie formation. Martinez flung himself over his downed comrade and, felt the shudder, and heard the BANG! of the frag going off.
The marine pushed against Martinez and he attempted to stand. Before he could get up on one foot however, an explosion of pain flared through his body and he felt the cool deck of the ship against his cheek.
He thought he heard a cry like, "medic!" But wasn't sure.
A marine ran up and Martinez heard him yell, "Shrapnal in deep! I need some help over here!"
Then he blacked out.
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