Project Egon - Chapter 2
Posted By: Richard Watson<sabre834@hotmail.com>
Date: 25 April 2004, 10:10 AM
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Chapter 2 - Life After Dark
Several Hours passed and nightfall slowly started to creep in. Alpha team's moral had started to fade along with the remaining energy and stamina that remained. They had walked about 20 miles inland from the Drop Zone but had little or no success in finding the Covenant Base. In fact, the only signs of Covenant forces were several small patrols around the hillsides.
As the team climbed to the top of yet another rocky hillside, they saw the towering buildings of the covenant base. A sigh of relief came over the group as they looked over the impressive structures, but that was only short lived once they realised what was still to come.
The base was comprised of one huge concrete building, which had two large pointed towers, one twice the height of the other that shadowed the rest of the base. In front of this was a large square courtyard, containing several parked Banshees. And finally another rectangular bunker like building to the east of the Main structure
"Ok, you lot. Set up camp for the night. It's getting too dark to make a successful infiltration now." - said the Cornel as he slung his backpack to the ground.
"Cornel, look over there." Said the Master Chief as he pointed to the distant ridge out in front of them.
Higgins picked up the sonic scope and zoomed in on the area, which the Master Chief pointed at. He could see the darkened outline of several figures, and a faint glow from a fire of some sort. He also noticed a large vehicle close by.
"Sir, I think it maybe covenant. I can't be too sure," remarked Hays
"Give me that!" shout the Cornel as he snatched the scope from Higgins
"We all know how poor you powers of observation are Private"
Hays did a quick sweep over the same area and said "That's Bravo team you idiot!"
Suddenly the Cornels communicator buzzed into life.
"Alpha team. Alpha team. This is Bravo team, do you read us over?" buzzed Gulf
"Roger Bravo team, you're coming in loud and clear. Glad you managed to find your way here."
"Roger Alpha team, It was piece of cake. We were starting to wonder what had happened to you"
"Has there been much Covenant activity since you got here?"
"There's been minimal activity over the past few hours."
"Very good Sergeant. Set up camp for the night and maintain radio silence. We're going to attempt an assault in the morning. Over and Out."
"Roger that. Over and out" replied Gulf and then the radio when into the usual static noise.
Later that night the Master Chief was sat next to the campfire, carving out a figure of a human female into a lump of wood he found near by. He paused for a moment to admire his work when Cornel Hays walks up behind him.
"Who's the lady Chief?" kindly asked Hays
"Lady? What lady?" replied M.C as he chucked the wood figure into the fire.
"Don't think I'm stupid. Who was the lady you were carving?"
"Oh. Nobody."
A long pause fell over the campfire.
"So what is it like without Cortana?"
"Well, it's nice to have a bit of privacy for once. But..."
"But?"
"But I do miss her analysing and constant criticisms."
Cornel Hays walked over and sat down on a nearby rock.
"Don't worry, our technicians should have her up and running by the time we complete this mission."
"That may be so. But I can't help but feel responsible for what happened to her in the first place."
"Ah, quit your belly aching. I don't want to hear you wallowing in your own self-pitty! This is a war and mistakes are made. Christ we're only human. Well, you're genetically enhanced but you know what I mean."
The Master Chief nodded, turned back and gazed at the fire again. The Cornel got up and went to check on the other troops, which caused another wave of silence to fall over the camp. The Master Chief suddenly plunged his hand into the fire and pulled out his carving, which had become severely charred. After a short while of admiring and cleaning it up, he moved the rock the Cornel sat on closer and propped the figure up, and went on to cleaning his weapons.
The next morning the teams were bright, energetic and ready for action. The Master Chief was surprised how effective a good sleep had been on the team. But no time was to be wasted. The team stowed away the unnecessary camp equipment and carried only guns, ammunition and any other important equipment available.
The Cornel and the Master chief crept to the edge of the hill and used the sonic scope to scan the current ground movement in the base. There seemed to have been a radical change in Covenant movement since the previous evening. Now the base had a Wrath parked in the central courtyard, three newly arrived ghosts, and all the Banshees had flown of during the night. Also there had been a large increase in infinity movement around the complex.
"Hmm. I'm not too sure about this. There's been too big a change in such a short space of time. Something must have caught their attention." Explained the Master Chief
"I agree, but orders are order. The mission goes ahead. Anyway it's nothing we can't handle." Replied Hays confidently reaching for his communicator.
"Alpha team to Bravo team. Are you all suited up and ready to go?"
"We sure are sir. Let's go fry us some bugs!" responded Gulf
"Very well. Move the Hog and your sniper into a good position, so that you can cover the whole complex. Then wait for my signal."
"Yes sir" said Gulf followed by the buzz of the radio
"Ok everyone. Target mostly the infantry because they will give us the most problems. Stevenson, you take out the Wrath with your launcher and then, if all goes according to plan, we will all regroup at the entrance of the main building." Ordered the Master Chief
"Sir, Yes Sir" responded the group.
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