UNSCDF Chapter 38- Angel From Above

Roosevelt National Forest, Colorado, USA

Old Radar Station

March 26, 2001

1920 Local Time

            Zyrok hung on the wall with his left arm being tugged upwards and his legs dragged downwards. Zyrok swung his right arm into a crevice and attempted to pull himself up. He looked upwards and saw a Pelican block the sunlight.

            “Don’t move!” Taylor took out his Lock 17 and pointed at Zyrok.

            Zyrok saw the pistol pointed at him and closed his eyes. Bang. Bang. Bang. Zyrok could hear the bullets whiz past his ear. Taylor took out a few zombies grabbing his legs and aimed again. Zyrok could feel himself move upwards as Taylor took out a few more zombies. Taylor slid his empty pistol into his holster and assisted Pruett. Zyrok watched as he reached the edge and a sea of hands reached towards him and pulled him onto the roof. Zyrok lay flat on the roof in exhaustion as he saw the Pelican slowly descend next to the roof edge.

            “We’re safe sir. We did it.” Nevarez patted Zyrok.

            “Uh huh.” Zyrok moaned in pain.

            “Let’s get him on board.” Casey pointed as the Pelican hovered over the edge.

            Nevarez, Casey, and Pruett lifted Zyrok off the ground and ferried him to fully loaded Pelican. There were piles of wooden crates occupying many seats.

            “Find whatever seats you can get.” the pilot called from the cockpit.

            Casey pointed at a seat beside the cockpit door and watched Nevarez and Pruett strap Zyrok to his seat. Taylor and Schmidt squeezed between a seat while Pruett headed into the cockpit. Casey and Nevarez grabbed a medic kit from under a seat and began to administer Zyrok’s wounds.

            “Good to go?” the pilot called.

            “Yeah, let’s get out of here.” Casey shouted as he pulled out a roll of bandages.

            “Lance Corporal Pruett.” Pruett offered his hand to a young man with stubble.

            “Lance Corporal Foo.” the young man shook Pruett’s hand.

            “Let’s lift off.” Foo shouted to the back and flipped a switch.

         The Pelican lifted into the sky as the zombies swarmed frantically under it. Pruett grabbed a seat beside Foo and looked out the window.

            “That’s quite a horde you got.” Foo looked at the horde below them.

            “Yeah, I’m glad we’re safe now.” Pruett took a breath of relief.

            Casey sprayed a bottle of antiseptic spray onto Zyrok’s back. Zyrok groaned in pain and clenched his hands. Nevarez took out a morphine needle and injected the dose into Zyrok’s arm.

            “This will make it better.” Nevarez smiled.

            “I’m cold.” Zyrok shivered.

            “You are either in shock or your adrenaline rush is over.” Casey examined Zyrok’s bloody back.

            “Have my jacket.” Nevarez took off his jacket and placed it over Zyrok.

            “I feel like I’m dying.” Zyrok shivered.

            “No your not. You’ve just lost a lot of blood.” Casey looked at the blood stained seat.

            “How’s Zyrok doing?” Pruett stood at the cockpit door.

            “Not too well. We need to get him to the nearest medical facility.” Casey stared at a dizzy Zyrok.

            “Closest one is at Layton, Utah. That’s the one Forester is at.” Pruett answered.

            “How long?” Casey looked at Pruett with concerned eyes.

            “I’d say a few hours tops considering it’s carrying a full load.” Pruett looked at the crates.

            “Ask the pilot to head there.” Casey ordered.

            “Yes sir.” Pruett acknowledged and went inside the cockpit to inform Foo.

            “Hang in there Captain.” Nevarez gently nudged Zyrok.

            Zyrok continued to shiver as he sat on his seat. He could feel himself breathing shallowly as his head spun. He looked at his men standing beside him and he could not make out who was who. His vision was blurred and he could feel himself lean forward. There was no strength in him to cling on to his seat. Luckily, Zyrok was strapped to his seat so he didn’t fall off. The morphine was kicking into his system and his back no longer throbbed with excruciating pain. Zyrok was fatigued and dizzy. He felt his eyelids become heavy and vision darkening. Before he knew it, Zyrok was laying unconscious on his seat.

Layton, Utah, USA

UNSC Layton Outpost

March 26, 1999

2200 Local Time

            “How’s he doing doctor?” Casey stood outside the door which Zyrok was undergoing an operation.

            “Moderate lacerations to the back and his right hand. He should be fine in a few days after a blood transfusion.” the doctor replied as he watched Casey stare outside the window.

            “Yeah, he’s lost a lot of blood.” Casey looked at he doctor.

            “I’m surprised that he hasn’t got himself infected from contact.” the doctor pulled out a notepad.

         “Oh, he’s got nanites in him. It was one of the perks given to him by High Command.” Casey responded with a smile.           

            “Then he’ll need his dose of Nerotonin-2.” the doctor jotted down some notes.

            “He hasn’t been administered yet?” Casey asked.

            “Well, we didn’t know he had nanites.” the doctor put his notepad away.

            “Oh.” Casey shrugged.

        “Well, I’ve got to inform the others and get him a dosage.” the doctor replied and walked into the room.

        Casey decided to see how Forester was doing and figured it might be a while for the operation to finish. Casey walked down a hallway and saw Pruett sitting beside Forester. Forester sat upright on her hospital bed with a heart monitor beeping beside her.

            “Hi Casey.” Forester greeted.

            “Hello Forester, how are you doing?” Casey looked at Forester and then Pruett.

            “I’ll go for a break.” Pruett stood up and walked out the door.

         “I’m fine. Doctor says I can be out after two more days. I heard about Zyrok. Any updates?” Forester worried.

            “Zyrok’s currently undergoing an operation. He seems to be doing fine.” Casey assured.

            “He’ll pull through. I know he will.” Forester smiled with optimism.

            “He always does.” Casey laughed.

            “How was the mission?” Forester asked.

          “Mission is complete. Other than a close encounter with a massive tentacle boss and crash landing the Pelican, we’re fine. Just fine…” Casey laughed lightheartedly.

            “New zombies…I wonder what else is out there after the radiation.” Forester wondered.

            “I don’t want to find out. We need out rest.” Casey shrugged.

            “Yeah and our CO is injured.” Forester pointed out.

        “We should be able to take our time off. After all, we got the DNA samples.” Casey sat beside Forester.

            “Well, I’m going to get some rest.” Forester closed her eyes.

            “I’ll sit here and rest too if you don’t mind.” Casey sat comfortably and closed his eyes.

            “Sure, I don’t mind.” Forester grinned.

            “I’m sure by the time I’m awake, Zyrok would be out in general care.” Casey laughed and listened as the heart monitor steadily beeped in the background as Forester fell asleep.