UNSCDF2 Chapter 19- Secrets and Feelings

Kandahar Air Base, Kandahar, Afghanistan

Fire Team Kilo’s Camp

April 18, 2001

1545 Local Time

            “Wake up sir.” a Prviate named Timmins shook Zyrok.

            “What? Huh?” Zyrok groggily said.

            “Jackal Squadron managed to successfully pull off a rescue mission.” Timmins replied excitedly.

            “Rescue mission?” Zyrok rubbed his eyes.

            “Frederick went to intercept a prisoner transport and saved three marines.” Timmins answered.

            “What? Under whose authorization?” Zyrok got out of his bed.

            “Frederick, sir. Why?” Timmins had a confused face.

            “I have doubts.” Zyrok replied.

            “Why?” Timmins scratched his head.

            “Where are they now?” Zyrok walked to the door.

            “Mess Hall, sir.” Timmins followed closely.

            “Forester?” Zyrok asked.

            “Her team is still out sir.” Timmins answered.    

            “Alright, contact Forester and tell her to head back. I’ll go to the Mess Hall to take a look.” Zyrok commanded.

            “Understood sir.” Timmins saluted and ran off.

            Zyrok paced himself quickly to the Mess Hall and saw Jackal Squadron talk to three marines sitting on a couch.

            “Officer on deck!” Williams shouted.

            Everyone stopped talking and turned their heads towards Zyrok.

            “At ease. Frederick where are you?” Zyrok scanned the crowd.

            “Here sir.” Frederick stood up from her seat behind Green.

            “Please see me.” Zyrok eyed the marines sitting on the couch and then walked out of the room.

            Frederick looked around and saw the marines staring at her. She nodded to Williams before walking out to see Zyrok. Zyrok stood a couple meters away from the Mess Hall entrance with a serious face.

            “You okay Zyrok?” Frederick asked.

            “We need to talk…in my office.” Zyrok looked around.

            Zyrok led Frederick to his office and pointed at a chair for Frederick to sit. After Frederick sat down, Zyrok looked out the door and then closed it shut.

            “Zyrok, do you mind telling me what’s going on?” Frederick looked at Zyrok with concerned eyes.

            “What was that?” Zyrok waved his hand out the door.

            “What?” Frederick asked.

            “The marines.” Zyrok answered briskly.

            “Our squad rescued them a few hours ago.” Frederick answered.

            “I know that. Who authorized it?” Zyrok demanded.

            “Sir, I did.” Frederick answered.

            “Why did you do it?” Zyrok questioned.

            “Zyrok, Forester was out and you were in the medical room. I assessed the risks and acted on behalf of the UNSC’s interests. Is something wrong?” Frederick asked.

            “Remember the talk we had yesterday?” Zyrok asked.

            “Yes, but those are still our men. The UNSC. We can’t let them be in the hands of terrorists.” Frederick explained herself.

            “I understand, but why are the Russians letting them live? They must have a bargaining chip.” Zyrok challenged.

            “With all due respect Zyrok, I think you’re over thinking it.” Frederick countered politely.

            “We better be cautious.” Zyrok warned.

            “Zyrok, I take full responsibility for my actions.” Frederick replied.

            “I hope you are right Lieutenant. Our long range communications are down and if a situation arises, we may be in trouble.” Zyrok theorized.

            “Trust me Zyrok.” Frederick looked into Zyrok’s eyes.

            “Oh, I trust you alright, no question about it. The question is…can we trust them?” Zyrok stared back into Frederick’s eyes.

            “Thank you Zyrok. I guess we’ll find out, but we will be ready.” Frederick thanked.

            “I plan to have zero casualties after the mission is over. Then again, it’s impossible. This is war.” Zyrok sighed.

            “Zyrok, you’re really a different officer.” Frederick complimented.

            “Thanks.” Zyrok blushed.

            “I thought I was going to be in trouble for what I did, but you were understanding.” Frederick replied.

            “What’s done is done, you can’t change the past, but you can shape the future.” Zyrok spoke.

            “This is what I mean.” Frederick pointed at Zyrok and laughed.

            “Haha. Hey Frederick, mind if I ask you a question that might be somewhat out of the blue?” Zyrok laughed nervously.

            “Shoot.” Frederick nodded.

            “Back in Australia or the USA, how’s Sarah doing?” Zyrok asked softly.

            “Oh, she’s doing well. She’s actually a police officer. Lance Corporal, I think.” Frederick replied with a soft smile.

            “Is she happy?” Zyrok asked.

            “Yes she is. Still thinking about her Charlie?” Frederick asked.

            “All the time…all the time.” Zyrok took out the photo of Sarah from her chest pocket.

            “She must really mean something.” Frederick guessed.

            “Everything I’ve got.” Zyrok nodded.

            “I’m sure she’s proud to have you by her side.” Frederick assured Zyrok with a warm smile.

            “I hope so…” Zyrok looked at the picture and placed it back into his chest pocket.

            “Keeping it close to your heart, I see.” Frederick pointed.

            “Oh, yeah. All the time.” Zyrok patted his chest.

            “That’s sweet of you.” Frederick laughed lightly.

            “What about you Frederick?” Zyrok asked.

            “Jenny. You can call me Jenny, Charlie.” Frederick corrected.

            “Jenny, do you have a special someone?” Zyrok asked.

            “Umm...I used to…” Frederick stared blankly at the wall.

            “Please continue, I’m not going to judge.” Zyrok assured.

            “Well, there was a guy who I thought was the person I would marry. I later found out that he was cheating on me and I was hurt real bad.” Frederick closed her eyes.

            “It’s alright, you can trust me.” Zyrok assured.

            “I don’t know Charlie, I don’t feel comfortable talking about it.” Frederick looked away.

            “It’s fine, I’m not going to pressure you into doing things you aren’t comfortable.” Zyrok spoke softly.

            “I’m sorry, I just don’t want to be hurt again.” Frederick looked down at the ground.

            “Don’t be sorry. You did nothing wrong. My doors are open anytime if you want to talk.” Zyrok smiled.

            “Thanks Charlie, you are very understanding.” Frederick gave her appreciation.

            A knock on the door interrupted Zyrok’s train of thought.

            “Yes?” Zyrok called out.

            “Sir, it’s Timmins. Forester is back, do you need to see her?” Timmins replied.

            “Yes please.” Zyrok replied back and looked at Frederick.      

            “I’ll see you later Zyrok.” Frederick stood up.

            “Yeah, we sure will.” Zyrok laughed.

            Zyrok watched as Frederick opened the door and walked out.

            “Ma’am.” Timmins greeted Frederick with a crisp salute.

            “Timmins.” Frederick saluted back.

            “Timmins, tell Forester to come see me here.” Zyrok ordered.

            “Yes sir.” Timmins nodded and walked off.

            Zyrok looked at his desk and frowned. Like most UNSC officers’ desks, they usually have a portrait of their family or children, but Zyrok’s desk was empty. On his desk were only a mug, a datapad, some folders, and his computer. The only photo he could put on his desk was Sarah, but he didn’t want it leaving his side so he always kept it close to his heart. No matter how dark Zyrok’s past was and how much he got hurt, Zyrok still continued to be loyal and faithful. He had a rough idea of what Frederick went through, but until she gave the details, Zyrok wasn’t really sure of Frederick’s feelings. At least she opened up a little bit and Zyrok was beginning to know the real Frederick behind the uniform. On the other hand, Forester seemed quite reserved. She almost never talked about herself and is a work-oriented person. Maybe the years serving in High Command turned humans into machines. Machines that acted in the best interested of the UNSC without feeling or emotion. Just as Zyrok was thinking of Forester, Forester stood at the door.

            “Zyrok?” Forester quietly knocked on the door.

            “Come on in and close the door behind you.” Zyrok greeted.

            Forester walked in and gently closed the door.

            “What have you heard so far?” Zyrok asked.

           “Timmins brought me up to speed on my way here. Other than that, I heard you have concerns?” Forester explained.

            “Ok, let me make it as concise as possible.” Zyrok replied.

            “Go on.” Forester urged.

            “Well, yesterday you voiced your uncertainties with the hostages and the Russians. Now that they are here and we don’t have time to investigate, we must keep our eyes open.” Zyrok spoke his mind.

            “I agree, has Frederick been notified?” Forester asked.

            “Yes, she has.” Zyrok nodded.

            “Alright, I’ll go inform Sears and his men.” Forester stood up and walked to the door.

            Before Zyrok could ask other things on his mind, Forester opened the door and looked at her watch.

            “I’ll catch you later.” Forester bid her farewell.

            “Yeah…bye.” Zyrok scratched his head and watched Forester walk down the hallway.

            Zyrok laughed quietly about his previous thoughts about Forester. She hadn’t changed one bit at all. She was still the hard worker and mission-oriented girl. If Zyrok wanted to find out more about her, he would have to do a lot more digging. In the meantime, he would have plenty of time to know all the marines that he would be working with during his stay in Afghanistan especially the rescued marines.

UNSCDF Chapter 20- Thoughts, Feelings, and Emotions

Richmond, British Columbia, Canada

UNSC Richmond Outpost

July 25, 1999

1130 Local Time

            Charlie walked out of Cole’s office and looked at his watch. He needed a break from thinking about his first mission and decided to eat lunch early. Charlie entered the cafeteria and noticed Mary sweeping the floor.

            “Hi Mary.” Charlie called out.

            “Oh, hello Zyrok.” Mary waved.

            “You busy?” Charlie looked at the broom Mary was holding.

            “Not really, I start work in half an hour.” Mary replied.

            “Can we talk about…?” Charlie’s voice trailed off.

            “What happened two days ago?” Mary asked.

            “Yeah, that.” Charlie said uneasily.

            “Sure, grab a seat. I’ll put this broom away.” Mary pointed at a nearby table.

            Charlie grabbed a seat and saw Mary hurry into the kitchen. He was getting anxious as to how Mary would react when they discuss that night. After a few minutes, Mary walked out the kitchen with two plates of sandwiches.

            “Here, thought we could both have lunch.” Mary smiled and placed a plate in front of Charlie.

            “Thank you.” Charlie smiled and graciously accepted the food.

            “Not a problem. Where do you want to start?” Mary glanced at Charlie.

            “Well, I just wanted to see how you were feeling after that night. I felt so bad.” Charlie spoke his mind as he took a bite of his sandwich.

            “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had a girlfriend.” Mary looked at Charlie and then grabbed her sandwich.

            “Oh, I don’t have a girlfriend. She’s a girl who has been there for me so much and left an imprint in my life.” Charlie explained.

            “So a friend who is a girl? So a girl friend.” Mary played around with the words.

            “You could say that.” Charlie laughed.

            “I don’t understand…” Mary paused in thought.

            “Understand what?” Charlie stopped eating and looked at Mary.

            “You’re not taken, but…” Mary wondered.

            “Look Mary, I like you as well, but I have feelings for this girl.” Charlie put down his sandwich and looked into Mary’s eyes.

            “Is it someone here?” Mary looked at the other female marines eating at the other tables.

            “No, she’s not here. She’s somewhere in Australia.” Charlie sighed.

            “Woah. That’s very far.” Mary looked surprised.

            “Yes it is.” Charlie nodded in agreement.

            “Are you sure she’s still alive out there?” Mary questioned.

            “I’m not sure, but I have faith in her.” Charlie said with optimism.

            “If she’s alive, how do you plan to find her?” Mary asked.

            “To be honest, I don’t have any idea for that. I enlisted into the UNSC in hopes of improving my chances her.” Charlie answered.

            “Wow.” Mary ate her sandwich.

            “Wow what?” Charlie was confused.

        “I can tell that she means a lot to you from what I’ve just heard from you.” Mary clarified her comment.

       “Yeah, she means the world to me.” Charlie took a deep breath and pictured Sarah’s face in his mind.

         “Well, she’s one lucky girl. You really are different from the other guys I’ve met.” Mary wiped her face with a napkin.

            “Thanks.” Charlie finished his sandwich and wiped his face.

            “You are so loyal and faithful.” Mary commented.

            “Why do you say that?” Charlie glazed at Mary.

            “Well, you’re not taken yet you chose to stay true to her even though you’re just friends. We would have probably slept together that night and became closer, but you followed your heart.” Mary gave her reasons.

            “I see.” Charlie rubbed his chin.

            “Most guys won’t do what you did.” Mary smiled and finished her sandwich.

            “In my mind, I feel like cheating.” Charlie replied shyly.

            “But it’s not.” Mary assured.

            “I know, but that’s how I feel.” Charlie spoke out his feelings.

          “You’re unique Zyrok. I’ve got to head back to work. I’ll talk to you soon.” Mary looked at the clock on the wall and got up.

            “Yeah, for sure. Thanks for the meal.” Charlie smiled and pointed to this plate.

            “Anytime.” Mary grinned and walked away.

            Charlie got up and walked out the cafeteria as a group of marines entered for lunch. He saw Casey talking to a young marine in his early twenties with a mustache.

            “Hey Zyrok, I want you to meet Corporal Mike Stewart. He’s our pilot from now on.” Casey introduced the marine to him.

            “Lieutenant Zyrok, Corporal Stewart at your service.” Stewart saluted.

            “Nice to meet you Corporal.” Charlie saluted back.

            “I was telling Stewart how I had to fly a Falcon with no experience.” Casey chuckled.

            “He’s not bad.” Charlie laughed.

            “I’ve been trained in most air assets, sir.” Stewart replied.

            “That’s good to hear. Oh, by the way, there’s no need to address sir to me.” Charlie smiled.

            “Understood, sir…I mean…understood.” Stewart grinned and nodded his head.

            “Zyrok, I told Cole we could either get a pilot or train us to fly. It looks like he gave us a pilot which is better because I really hate flying.” Casey patted Stewart’s back.

        “Alright, good to hear. I’ve got some business to attend to. I’ll let you gentlemen acquaint each other.” Charlie laughed.

            “Alright Zyrok. Let’s go Stewart.” Casey waved and walked with Stewart to line up for food.

            Charlie left the cafeteria and went to his office. He sat in his seat for a good ten minutes doing nothing and decided to download the chat program he used to talk to Sarah. He downloaded the program and installed it.

            “Here it goes.” Charlie took a deep breath and opened the program.

            Suddenly an error message popped up saying that the server was offline and all network based channels were now used by the UNSC.

            “No…” Charlie thought about the slim chances of meeting Sarah.

            Charlie frantically flipped through his desk for a contact list Cole gave him when he first signed his paperwork to join the UNSC. He opened up the book and skimmed the list of departments and numbers.

            “UNSC Communications.” Charlie read it out loud “There’s still a way of finding Sarah.”

            Charlie placed the book into his pocket and walked out of his office. Just as Charlie was about to head over to the Communications Department, Cole walked over and handed him a folder.

            “New mission. Get your team ready in one hour at the briefing room.”

            “Yes sir.” Charlie nodded and watched as Cole walked away.

           Charlie sighed as he looked at the folder and skimmed the documents. He looked at his watch and was disappointed. The Communications Department had to wait. He had a mission to do.

            “Finding Sarah is getting harder and harder.” Charlie thought and headed off to find his marines.

Chapter 20- The Taste of Defeat

             Ever felt something so close to your grasp, but you can’t reach it? I have, many times. One of them is for a girl I liked which I will describe later on in the chapters. A brief background about this girl was that she was the one who inspired me to continue writing my stories. The one who gave me care and attention followed by kindness and understanding.

            One day during our gaming group, I decided to ask the question to her. Whether she likes me or not. Over the days as I wrote my stories, she supported me every step of the way. I started to grow feelings for her as I saw something so beautiful in her. Even though we are on the opposite side of the world, I would like to know if I could potentially role play date her in our online gaming.

            The time came and I asked her the question. Very straightforward and very honest. This was my first time asking a girl that I liked. I believe it should be a straight and clear question in order to get a truthful answer. She said she liked me as a friend without doubt, but a relationship was something she wouldn’t like. She replied a no and I respected her decision. Still unsure of the current relationship we had as friends, I wanted to know if we would still be friends after that conversation. She replied yes and I was very grateful that our friendship was still intact. She means a lot to me because she’s one of those people who comes into your life and leaves a footprint in your heart. I never really knew her real name, just the gaming name. A name is a name and I will never forget this special girl. That is a promise I have made.

            After the chat was over, I was getting very emotional. I cried silently as I reflected on the conversation that I had. As you can assume, I had my body armor off when I had the conversation. So any shots that I take will hurt a lot. I wonder if I should put my armor back on, but then I decided to leave it off. I want to be the real me. After some tears, I looked at the positive. I still have her as a friend. I can still talk to her and see her daily on the gaming chat. For that, I am grateful. I closed my eyes and went to sleep feeling that there was still goodness in the world. That there was still hope after I’ve been turned down.