Fate Conquers All : A Continued Journey
Posted By: LoneRanger 2.5<stlovell@eritter.net>
Date: 24 September 2005, 2:52 am
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0256 Hours, September 21, 2552 {Military Calendar}
UNSC Thermopylae, En Route To Covenant Home World
The Thermopylae was holding up exceptionally well under the circumstances. Everyone aboard was in shock due to the sudden appearance of a Covenant warship. Those things can do some serious damage when you're not prepared. O'Dell found that out the hard way. Unfortunately, they managed to get a few hits on them and nearly destroyed the MAC cannon. But, the Thermopylae recovered and managed to destroy the ship. O'Dell was still in amazement at how they had pulled off the feat that they did. He knew now that he had perfectly picked his crew. No one else but Jacob Keyes' crew could've done it.
But then he realized the downside to the battle. It wasn't even thirty minutes into the flight and they had already come face to face with death. He also wondered how a Covenant ship could've been that close.
I can't help but feel sorry for those living on Sigma Octanus. They must've been glassed. 17 million people, probably gone. I'm going to have to search when I make it back here. If I make back. Maybe there's a chance that… His thoughts were interrupted by the yell of a crewman.
"Sir, there's something showing up on the radar. You better take a look at it."
"I don't see anything." He knew what King was about to say.
"Hold on a second… Right there!"
On the radar a large object could be seen. It only appeared every two or three passes, so it was hard to make out the form of the object. The captain looked out of the large window in front of the navigators. There wasn't anything there. All that was visible was a red colored gas giant and a moon. In the distance another galaxy was visible. But nothing else.
I wonder if there are some human-held stars in there? He wondered.
"Sir, it's still there. It doesn't seem to be closer. In fact, it looks like it's getting farther and farther away. I guess that captain doesn't want to have to go down with the ship."
"Shhh. Listen to that."
"Sorry sir, but I don't here anything."
"Just listen."
It sounded like someone scratching their fingernails on a chalkboard. The rest of the crewmen and those on the ship heard it now too. Some covered their ears while others got down on their knees, formed a pyramid with their hands, and began to pray.
"Everyone, cover your ears!" he ordered.
Lieutenant King ran over and told the captain to come with him. As he was heading to the station, there were some camera stations on. Se looked at them, stared rather, as he saw soldiers take their own lives, others trying to stop them, but all were in utter shock and confusion. It was hard to look at and he knew it was even harder to live through. Feeling sorry for them was an understatement. The bridge wasn't getting nearly as much of the sound as the other parts of the ship. He silently prayed to god for their sanity to stay intact.
It felt like it had been a lifetime from the time it took to reach a station only halfway across the bridge.
"Sir, look at the screen!" On the screen was a message. It wasn't in English. That was obvious.
"What do you think it is?"
"It's not a roach problem, but there is something strange about it." O'Dell said sarcastically.
"What do you mean?"
"Athieus, can you decipher this for us?"
"Of course captain, this is my specialty."
As Athieus said this, the ship was rocked by an explosion. His image flickered and he went off-line. Something, had just "killed" their only source of intelligence. And the trapped Marines in all parts of the ship only hope. There was no form of communication to ONI now. And no way of completing their mission. All they could hope to do was escape space's own Bermuda Triangle. "Prepare a slip space jump." O'Dell ordered to anyone listening.
"Sir, our engine's are out. That explosion must have been EMP or something." the navigator commented.
They were stuck. The ship was drifting now, it was pronounced dead by one crewman. "I pronounce this ship dead as of…" he checked the clock, "o-three-twelve hours." O'Dell ordered he stop and shut up immediately. Morale was already low enough in his words.
All of a sudden he saw a shimmer out of the corner of his eye. Everyone else did to apparently. Because he witnessed all hands on the bridge looking out of the forward screen. The object was ring shaped and blue orbs of light were seen coming from it's surface. Could that of been the cause of all this chaos. One of the beams headed toward the bridge. He ordered them to double-time it to safety. He made sure they were all off and then left himself. Just as he got to the room in front of the bridge he heard an explosion, felt a warm sensation on his back, and fell to the floor unconscious.
One of the navigators noticed that he wasn't with the others and went back looking for him. He came upon him and checked his pulse. He was shocked to learn O'Dell was still alive.
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