We waited. We sat in the Pelican, and we waited. Our squad had left to perform an operation. All we were told is that it was Classified. James Hansley was the other marine’s name. We always, and I mean always, got guard duty. So for now it was just James, the pilot, and me. By the way, my name is Lindsey. Michael Lindsey.
We were sitting there, just waiting. This was how I got to know James. We were always just sitting there. But this time was different.
We were cleaning our rifles as always, (which were never dirty, since we never fired them) when we heard one of the our squamates on TEAMCOM. It started with static, and then slowly tuned.
“Hey James, get over here. Bring a camera.” He said. James was about to reply, when another squad member shouted,
“No, belay that! Get outta here! Tell ONI the mission failed!”.
“Huh,” I grunted. “Sounds like a gag.”
James replied, “Maybe, but we should stay here just in case.”
So, we waited. About an hour went by. We finished our rifles and moved on to cleaning shotguns. We were nearly done, when we heard scraping on the hull. I walked over to the rear bulkhead, and flipped the switch to the outdoor intercom.
“Hey, is that you guys? Are you there?”
Nothing but grumbling. Now I started to get concerned. Our squad was the only known people in the sector. Nothing but our team should be out there.
“Hello? Ha-Ha. Very funny. Now let’s go. Please?”
Nothing. Very strange. James must have thought the same, because he donned his helmet, and picked up a CQS48 Bulldog Shotgun. He checked the chamber, and walked over to the bulkhead.
“Wh-whats out there?” I wondered fearfully.
“I’m going out. I’m gonna look for them. I’m gonna find out.” He said.
He slapped the button to open the bay door, and I watched him walk down it to the sandbag-barbwire barricade. He looked around, and yelled
“Oh, thank goodness, we- Oh gosh! Michael! Shut the door! Shut the door!”
He ran up the ramp and slid into the troop bay.
“Tell the pilot to take off now! I mean now!”
“What about the other-“
“Forget about them! We need to leave! What’s out there Is not the others! Get moving!”
“But-“
“Did you hear me?”
“Okay, yes!”
I ran to the cockpit.
“Get this bird in the air!” I ordered the pilot.
“Yessir”
As the engines warmed up, I walked in to the troop bay. James was sitting there, on on his crash seat.
“What happened? Who was out there? What about the others?” I asked.
”The Flood.” He whispered.
“What? What’s that?”
“The Flood.”
The End
Inspired by The Mona Lisa Halo short story.
We were sitting there, just waiting. This was how I got to know James. We were always just sitting there. But this time was different.
We were cleaning our rifles as always, (which were never dirty, since we never fired them) when we heard one of the our squamates on TEAMCOM. It started with static, and then slowly tuned.
“Hey James, get over here. Bring a camera.” He said. James was about to reply, when another squad member shouted,
“No, belay that! Get outta here! Tell ONI the mission failed!”.
“Huh,” I grunted. “Sounds like a gag.”
James replied, “Maybe, but we should stay here just in case.”
So, we waited. About an hour went by. We finished our rifles and moved on to cleaning shotguns. We were nearly done, when we heard scraping on the hull. I walked over to the rear bulkhead, and flipped the switch to the outdoor intercom.
“Hey, is that you guys? Are you there?”
Nothing but grumbling. Now I started to get concerned. Our squad was the only known people in the sector. Nothing but our team should be out there.
“Hello? Ha-Ha. Very funny. Now let’s go. Please?”
Nothing. Very strange. James must have thought the same, because he donned his helmet, and picked up a CQS48 Bulldog Shotgun. He checked the chamber, and walked over to the bulkhead.
“Wh-whats out there?” I wondered fearfully.
“I’m going out. I’m gonna look for them. I’m gonna find out.” He said.
He slapped the button to open the bay door, and I watched him walk down it to the sandbag-barbwire barricade. He looked around, and yelled
“Oh, thank goodness, we- Oh gosh! Michael! Shut the door! Shut the door!”
He ran up the ramp and slid into the troop bay.
“Tell the pilot to take off now! I mean now!”
“What about the other-“
“Forget about them! We need to leave! What’s out there Is not the others! Get moving!”
“But-“
“Did you hear me?”
“Okay, yes!”
I ran to the cockpit.
“Get this bird in the air!” I ordered the pilot.
“Yessir”
As the engines warmed up, I walked in to the troop bay. James was sitting there, on on his crash seat.
“What happened? Who was out there? What about the others?” I asked.
”The Flood.” He whispered.
“What? What’s that?”
“The Flood.”
The End
Inspired by The Mona Lisa Halo short story.