UNSCDF Chapter 9- Sacrifices and Promises

Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, USA

Omega Squad’s Camp

March 20, 2001

1830 Local Time

            Taylor fired his USP at the nearby zombies and ran towards Casey’s team that was firing at the rear of the horde. To his surprise, he saw Forester and her team fighting alongside Casey.

           “This is out.” Forester dropped an empty HK69 onto the ground and then slung over her M16 and fired.

            “Where’s the rest?” Casey shouted to Taylor and fired his Washington 870 into the crowd.

            The grenade explosion had taken out a majority of the horde and the marines had enough firepower to hold the line.

            “Stewart didn’t make it and I’ve lost Zyrok.” Taylor scanned the battlefield.

           “First, let’s kill them all and then we look for Zyrok.” Casey commanded as he put fresh shells into his shotgun.

            “Lieutenant Forester, where’s the others?” Casey looked at Mitchell.

            “Stokes and his team didn’t make it either. They got wiped before we even saw the massive zombie they described.” Forester shook her head with sadness.

            “I’m sorry to hear that.” Casey walked forward to the horde as he continued to fire.

            “I’m just glad we can assist here.” Forester reloaded her M16.

          One by one, the zombies began to fall as the marines advanced forward bringing down a rain of bullets. Within five minutes, the ground was filled with dead corpses.

            “Whew! That was close.” Hawkes looked at the field of corpses.

            “Spread out and find Zyrok.” Casey ordered as he reloaded his shotgun.

            “Do an ammo count.” Forester dropped her empty M16 onto the ground.

            “Twenty rounds left ma’am.” Mitchell replied.

            “Three clips here.” Milo checked his pockets.

            “I’m down to my last clip.” Tyler pulled his magazine out from his SA80.

            “Four rounds left in this USP.” Taylor studied at the USP Zyrok lent him.

            “Ten shells plus another four in my gun makes fourteen left for me.” Casey looked at his ammo belt.

            “One and a half clip for me LT.” Hawkes responded.

            “Seven rounds left for my M16 ma’am.” Stevens checked his gun.

          “Hawkes and Stevens, check the perimeter near the forest. Mitchell and Tyler, check and see if there is an armory nearby here. The rest of you just search this big field of corpses.” Forester directed.

            “Roger that.” Hawkes waved Stevens to follow him to the forest.

            “You got it ma’am.” Mitchell replied and ran off with Tyler.

            “Zyrok?” Taylor yelled out loud across the battlefield, but got no response.

            Forester looked at the trees in the forest shaking followed by a series of automatic guns firing.

            “Hawkes and Stevens.” Forester thought.

         “Lieutenant, this is Stevens. Run and hide. The massive zombie…argh.” Stevens spoke on the RaidCall and was cut off.

            “Come in Stevens. Come in Hawkes.” Forester shouted on the RaidCall, but got no response.

            Forester looked as suddenly a massive muscular zombie and spiky zombie ran out of the forest.

            “Positions everyone!” Forester shouted at the marines beside her.

            “Holy…what the hell…” Taylor ran to take cover.

            “Mitchell, how are you doing with that armory search?” Forester spoke on the RaidCall.

           “We’re here, but there is not much weapons or ammo. It’s just a couple of Lock 17s and grenade ammo.” Mitchell replied with disappointment.

            “Grenades…” Forester looked as Milo fired his gun at the massive zombie. “Get them all Mitchell.”

            “Copy, anything else?” Mitchell offered.

          “Small arms are not going to be effective. We’re going to need a little more firepower if we are to even make that massive zombie bleed.” Forester replied.

            “Roger, we’ll scavenge whatever we can find.” Mitchell replied.

            The zombie approached Milo and swung at him. Milo rolled to the side and nearly dodged the deadly swing. Forester fired her SIC Apollo in attempt to distract the zombie away from Milo.

            “I’m out.” Taylor held up his empty USP.

            Forester looked down the field and saw Mitchell and Taylor running together. She pointed at the direction of the zombie and waved them to go around.

            “Casey, make some noise and distract the zombie.” Forester shouted.

            “On it.” Casey fired his shotgun at the zombie.

            The zombie turned away from Milo and ran towards Casey.

            “Oh shit.” Casey fired and ran backwards.

            Mitchell and Taylor approached Forester with a belt of grenades and two M16s.

            “Milo, find the HK69 I dropped nearby you.” Forester took the grenades.

            “Got it.” Milo dropped to the ground and started searching.

          “Give one M16 to Taylor and leave me the other one. Now go and assist Casey.” Forester slid her pistol into her holster as she looked at Casey running from the zombie.

         Mitchell handed Forester a M16 and then ran off with Tyler chasing the zombie. Suddenly, the zombie turned around and started to engage Mitchell and Tyler. Mitchell fired three rounds into its chest, but did no damage.

            “The spikes are thick and blocking it!” Mitchell shouted in frustration.

            Tyler sprayed his SA80 at the zombie’s feet trying to reduce its speed. The zombie leapt at Tyler and crushed him to bits with its foot.

            “Man down!” Mitchell yelled.

            “Milo, where’s that launcher?” Forester shouted as she looked at a terrified Mitchell.

            “Still searching. Too many bodies here.” Milo shouted.

            Forester ran with her M16 and laid a light cover fire for Mitchell to take cover. Casey was on the rear of the zombie reloading his shotgun as he took of his helmet. The zombie lost Mitchell as he took for cover and saw Milo in the field searching through the corpses.

            “Milo, watch out!” Casey shouted.

            The zombie charged at Milo and took a swing at him. Milo crouched and avoided the hit.

            “Found it!” Milo shouted as he spotted the HK69 lying next to the zombie’s feet.

            Milo lunged forward towards the zombies and picked it up.

            “Take it!” Milo threw the launcher towards Forester.

            The zombie saw Milo at his feet and took a step forward.

            “For the UNSC!” Milo watched as the zombie planted his foot on him and crushed him to death.

            Forester loaded the grenade into the launcher and fired. The grenade missed the zombie by a couple of meters and flung dirt everywhere. Forester reloaded and fired again. This time the grenade hit its arm and blew off some of its spikes. The zombie was now furious as it sprinted at Forester and knocked her over. Mitchell ran out from his cover and fired at the zombie’s injured arm. The zombie turned around to Mitchell and ran at him. Mitchell ran past an unconscious Forester and picked up her launcher and her grenades.

            “This is how it has to be.” Mitchell spoke to Forester and saluted.

            Mitchell fired his gun again to lure the zombie to the center of the battlefield. The zombie approached Mitchell and roared. Mitchell threw the grenade belt onto the zombie’s spikes and charged. The belt got hooked onto one of its spikes on its chest and Mitchell ran underneath the zombie. Mitchell fired the launcher towards the belt and got consumed by a massive explosion.

            “Mitchell!” Forester stood up and shouted as the flames engulfed Mitchell.

            The zombie went up in flames and had serious damage to its torso.

         “What in the world…” Casey ran beside Forester and Taylor as they watched the zombie still standing with flames all over its body.

            “Fire! Give it all you got.” Forester shouted and fired at the burning zombie.

            The zombie roared and charged towards the marines. Suddenly, a troop transport Warthog sped out in front of Forester and rammed into the burning zombie.

            “Run!” the driver shouted and ran out of the vehicle followed by another marine from the back seat.

          The zombie collapsed and fell to the ground. Forester, Casey, and Taylor watched as the two marines ran towards them.

            “Take cover!” the driver yelled.

            Suddenly, the Warthog exploded and blew the zombie to pieces.

            “Hoorah. We did it Brooks.” the marine high-fived the driver.

            “We sure did Powell.” Brooks smiled with relief.

            “Wow.” Forester stood motionless looking at the smoke.

            “That’s for taking out my Pelican.” Brooks shouted at the dead burning zombie.

            “That you Brooks?” Casey asked.

            “Yeah, it’s me. Boy am I glad to see you guys.” Brooks patted Casey.

            “Who’s this?” Forester looked at Powell.

            “That’s Powell from Omega Squad ma’am.” Brooks introduced.

            “Omega? I believe you are the last survivor.” Forester commented.

            “Yeah. Where’s the rest of your team?” Powell asked.

            “We are all that’s left. We’re just missing Lieutenant Zyrok.” Forester looked at the battlefield.

            “Well, let’s go find him. You found me and I’d expect to do the same.” Powell offered help.

            “Let’s retrace steps here.” Forester suggested.

            “Good idea.” Casey agreed.

            “Taylor, when was the last time you saw Zyrok.” Forester questioned.

            “Near that tent. I remember him flying across my face.” Taylor pointed at a large ripped tent.

            “He flew?” Forester widened her eyes.

            “Yeah, one of the specials got him.” Taylor walked towards the tent.

            “Let’s hope we at least find him.” Forester walked alongside Taylor.

            “He could have been flung to nearby tents.” Brooks pointed at some tents laying flat on the ground.

            “Spread out and check.” Forester directed.

            “Got it.” Powell replied.

            Forester walked to a collapsed tent and lifted the tarp. To her surprise she saw a bloody Zyrok with a cracked helmet.

            “Found him!” Forester shouted out loud.

            Taylor ran beside Forester as she crouched in front of Zyrok.

            “Medic! I need some meds.” Forester slowly removed Zyrok’s helmet and checked his pulse.

            Casey ran and knelt beside Forester as she placed her hand at Zyrok’s gash on his chest to slow the bleeding. Casey took out bandages and applied it to Zyrok’s wounds.

            “Zyrok, can you hear me?” Forester spoke softly at Zyrok, but got no response.

            “Give him a dose of morphine.” Forester told Casey.

            “Got it, one dose coming up.” Casey reached into his backpack and pulled out a morphine needle.

            Casey took the safety cap off and tested the needle. Then he injected the needle into Zyrok’s left arm. Forester took off her helmet and laid it beside her knee.

            “Zyrok, wake up. Don’t die on us.” Forester continued to speak softly.

            “Let’s call for a medevac.” Casey suggested.

            “Good idea, call it in.” Forester agreed.

            “There should be one Pelican docked at Extraction Point Bravo.” Brooks chimed in. “Our Pelican got destroyed by that beast.”

            “Extraction Point Bravo…that’s near the plants. It’s going to be a while.” Casey commented.

            “Call it in.” Forester spoke as she tended Zyrok’s wounds.

            “I’m on it.” Casey replied swiftly.

          “This is Echo Squad requesting immediate medevac at Omega Squad’s Camp, anyone copy?” Casey spoke on the RaidCall.

          “Echo Squad, this is Hotel 22. We read you, we’re at LZ Bravo over.” a man replied on the RaidCall.

            “Hotel 22, you have direct orders from Lieutenant Forester to commence medevac at Omega Squad’s Camp, how copy?” Casey commanded.

            “Solid copy Echo Squad, we’re lifting off. ETA fifteen minutes over.” the man spoke back.

            “Copy 22, Echo out.” Casey turned to look at Forester.

            “Fifteen minutes.” Casey spoke to Forester.

            “Understood.” Forester looked at Zyrok’s eyelids which seemed to be in its dream state.

*          *          *

Charlie sat on his computer chatting with a girl. In the background, gunshots fired in the background as zombies pounded on his door.

          “Sarah, the zombies are infiltrating the city.” Charlie typed and looked at the profile picture of a beautiful Australian girl smiling.

            “So is Australia. We are starting evacuation now.” Sarah typed back.

            “Look, I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again here.” Charlie typed with a sad face.

            “I don’t know, perhaps this may be the last time we’ll see each other.” Sarah replied.

         “Look, I promise I’ll find you one day. I’ll come to Australia to find you if it needs be.” Charlie promised.

            “The soldiers are here now and I have to go now.” Sarah typed back.

            “I’ll enlist in the UNSC and work my way up and find you.” Charlie typed frantically.

            “I know you will.” Sarah responded.

            “I love you.” Charlie typed his thought out.

            “I know...” Sarah replied and went into offline.

            Charlie felt tears in his eyes as he never felt so lost in his life. The girl he cared so dearly for was now gone and perhaps he will never see her. He printed the photo of Sarah and put it into his wallet. He was determined to find Sarah and finally meet her in person. He looked at the UNSC recruitment poster on his desk and walked away from this computer.

            “Time to join the UNSC and find Sarah.” Charlie told himself.

           

*          *          *

Zyrok knew he was on the verge of dying as pain spread throughout his body.

“Wake up! Wake up!” a gentle female voice spoke into his ear.

“Sarah?” Zyrok opened his heavy eyelids and saw a feminine silhouette in front of him.

Zyrok willed his mind to ignore the pain and to conquer death as he told himself that he needed to find Sarah. Zyrok slowly felt awake as he saw the silhouette becoming clearer. It was Forester crouching in front of him calling him back to the world. Zyrok felt a new sense of strength as he felt the promise he made to Sarah a long time ago. He will live to see her.