Setting
Kyle and Ramirez are in a wide metal hallway. It is currently completely dark. The ceiling is around three stories high. On each end of the hallway is a large wide door that is impossible to open.
Normal sized doors line the hallway. Each door has a small window and a panel on the side. Touching any of the panels will illuminate it revealing two buttons that will allow you to open and close these doors. Once a panel is illuminated it will also illuminate the immediate area, although it will not allow you to see the entire hallway all at once nor will it allow you to see through the windows. After a few seconds the panel will automatically turn off leaving the hallway dark again.
The gravity of this place feels different. You weigh roughly 3/4 of what you would normally weigh.
If you allow your eyes to adjust for a few minutes you may notice a small amount of light coming through one of the windows. (Storage A) If you look through this window you will see an empty room with the far wall missing. Beyond the missing wall you will see only stars. The door to this room is impossible to open.
There is a life support device near the ceiling but it may be impossible to see and even more impossible to get to.
The rest of the night it was fighting, early into the morning it was fighting. Ramirez had distinguished his marines, taking two casualties the whole night: Harris, a marine from Porter's fire team, and the poor sap who'd taken the mortar, who later turned out to be Ken Brose, an older marine who'd recently been transferred into Ramirez's platoon. But the fighting wasn't done yet, all his marines ended up pulling back into a defensive, they were all cut off from the rest of the battalion, and it looked like there would be more casualties.
Ramirez looked at Kurt, who shared a look. But instead of despair, it was a looked of hope. Ramirez took that to heart, "all right marines, I want every man that isn't dead on two legs up and unloading on those fucks!" Kurt handed him a radio, "it's the colonel sir!" Ramirez grabbed the radio, "Sir we are in the shit and we need a door to walk out of quick!" The colonels voice was calm and smooth, "we are aware of your situation son, we've managed to deploy a force recon unit in your area and they en route now. semper fi and be ready, we're going to pull you out of there soon."
The rest of the battle was hazy, all Ramirez remember was looking up at the force recon unit, all they'd sent was a fire team. A fire team, Ramirez was going to have to educate that colonel about the difference between a full unit and a lone fire team. But that fire team had done its job, they opened a hole in the Taji's offense and made their way to Ramirez's position. Ramirez remembered looking up and recognizing the face of the fire team leader. It was Blackstone, he'd actually done it. Ramirez remembered watching Blackstone leave his unit to go try for Force Recon, he remembered everyone doubting, laughing, and ridiculing him as he left. Now he was here, saving all their sorry asses Ramirez laughed to himself. His last thought was, this kid deserves a medal, and a drink.
Ramirez found himself back in the dark room, he shouted out to Blackstone, "It's good to hear your voice marine, don't lose your cool in here, I'm gonna need you if we're gonna get outta here. Oorah." He muttered to himself "oohrah" before beginning to think of an escape route.
The ever present sand and heat swirled around them as 1st section laughed with the response only Force Recon could.After all they had nothing to prove to anyone and could indulge in referring to each other as recruits. For every shaven head in the command tent of Rouge Company had survived their share of combat tours and had proven themselves in the forge of war. As proved by their presence here.
" Alright my damsels in distress the real reason we've gathered here today is that there is a distinct lack of knights in shining armour.So.it looks like we got to rescue our own fine behinds. The Guildmaster has gotten word from the street that there is a meeting of high level command personal to take place at a little known safehouse about two kilometers from the city limits of Falllugiah. Guildmaster wants us to recon this meeting out. Our mission is two fold, primarily we want to find out what,where,when,who,and why. Secondly we are to capture any and all personal and relevant intel so that Command can get a better picture of just what the fuck these jihad ticks are planning. We move out in an hour so grab your make up kits and tampons."
Arriving at the safehouse 1st section had met only token resistance and had rounded up every last person wearing a uniform or carrying a weapon. All and all it had been too easy in Kyle's mind,hell he hadn't even pulled the trigger on the rifle he was carrying. Then again Force Recon was a recon unit and blood wasn't the only way to get things done. A motto this believer in God wholeheartedly agreed with.
" Yes sir, I understand sir. Yeah I can spare a couple of guys we are all done here a skeleton guard will be enough to see our prisoners back to Questioner. Yes sir yesterday it is." Lt.Danek spoke taking to a superior over the radio."Blackstone front and centre Marine."
"Sir. "Kyle replied as he ran over to his CO as his name was called, his rifle slung on his back in it's soft carrying case.
" A Colonel just informed me we got a Marine unit taking heavy fire from a numerical superior force. We are talking mortar fire and heavy weapons. I want you to take Sanders, Ruiz, Davidson, and Richards and see what you can do about punching a hole to get them out of that clusterfuck you got me Corporal."
"Yes Sir. " Kyle replied with a salute before wheeling about to collect the aforementioned fellow Force Recon members. Twenty minutes later a chopper had landed and Kyle's fire team took off.If the thought that there was only five of them bothered them it didn't show. Force Recon was used to being outnumbered. And these five weren't chosen at random. This fire team had shown competence in the being outnumbered business above and beyond even the high standards of Force Recon.
The chopper touched down some thirty three minutes later just outside what was quite the raging battle."Well lets go kick some camel jockey ass boys. Sanders right, Ruiz left, Davidson and Richards take centre, I'll cover you.Move out and keep low."
That was all the direction these highly trained and experienced Marines need as they slowly made their way over. Carefully taking advantage of their position to the rear of the enemy they landed several unopposed kills before the Iraqi soldiers even knew they were there. Each pull of their triggers resulting in an Iraqi death it was not long till they had made a sizeable dent in the population of their enemies. Instead of the steady rush Kyle and his fire team charged across the no man's land separating Marine from Iraqi Military turning back so often to return fire and leave an other corpse behind them. His rifle dry Kyle switched to the H&K mp5 he preferred over a pistol.
In the end though devoid of his rifle or not Kyle was pleasantly surprised to realize it was his old Sergeant he was pulling out of the fire.He then remembered the jokes when a position in Force Recon was offered him, though he was like any true believer willing to turn the cheek.
The past they shared had obviously help Ramirez believe in who Kyle was and that was a good thing. Now if I could only find some damn pants and a light switch I'd be in business the Apache thought to himself with a small and tired sigh. The flow of air hadn't ceased in the least and that humming above his head was beginning to annoy him as the dark made it impossible to see exactly what it was. He just hoped it wasn't a hornets nest as he hated anything with a stinger.
" Oorah." Was the only reply he gave to Ramirez's words before he drummed lightly on the wall he was leaning against.
There had to be a way to open these damn side doors Kyle thought as he straightened from his leaning position and turned around to once more run hands that knew the exact trigger weight of a rifle along the walls . The jarhead felt a slightly recessed panel next to the side door he had been leaning against. Somewhat hesitant to push into it as he had no idea what would happen the MARSOC member reminded himself there was no reward without risk.
A moment later light of a dim variety bathed his immediate area and the Marine Corporal felt like dancing. The light revealed a grey and slightly chilled portion of a largely metal hallway before fading away.
" Oh no you don't, The Good Lord said let there be light." Kyle muttered to himself before pressing the panel again and having the same result. " Oh honestly what third world sweatshop did this messed up switch come from."
So engrossed was the sniper in the examination of both the switch and his thoughts he only acknowledged the tap on his shoulder with a nod and a muttered " Thank God indeed, his mercies know no bounds. " As Ramirez walked to the limits of what the light revealed.
As for Kyle he split his time between studying the simple pictures underneath the gibberish characters on the switch and creating fog pictures on a small window he happened to notice the second time he pushed the switch. The light was not bright enough to shine through and reveal the interior but the potential of something different then grey and bare walls was enough to spur him on. The jarhead looked closer on the panel in the moments of light his latest push had earned him. The panel was clearly divided into two sections slightly more recessed then the centre section he'd been hitting.
Kyle's emerging revelation was disturbed by the Sergeant's request for help and the Corporal felt a brief moment of annoyance with Ramirez that was quickly ignored. Such thoughts ill befitted not only a Christian but also a MARSOC member.
" Just a sec Sir I think I found a way to open this damn door I've been sitting in front of. "He answered,technically it could be constrained as disobedience but Kyle had heard the story of Ramirez's discharge. Though some habits died hard and having served in his unit this Apache had a hard time envisioning the Sergeant as anything but.
Turning back to panel the mission comes first attitude of MARSOC gave the Marine the necessary motivation to take the risk inherent in pushing unknown buttons. Tapping the panel's left half the sniper was rewarded with a silent hiss as the door slid open to reveal a darkened area roughly twenty square feet though the lack of light beyond what the panel shed made it hard to be sure.
" If your lucky one day the face of the enemy may appear in your scope. " He said with a crooked smile, a inside joke amongst scout snipers.
Rising to a standing position Kyle flashed Ramirez a thumbs up before creeping into the room's depths. His outstretched hands meet resistance about halfway. Running his hands along its contours the sniper came to the conclusion it was a crate of some kind of metal. Feeling for a latch or something similar his hands found another panel. Unable to make it out he decided it was worth the risk,after all what did they have to lose?A silent hiss later he was digging through the contents. Questing hands first found a cylinder of some kind. Tapping it against the crate the greatest gift of God bathed the area in front of him.
" Blessed Archangels in Heaven." He cried out in joy as the light showed no sign of disappearing..Aiming it at the crate he found more flashlights of a peculiar build like the one he held. In addition another welcome sight greeted his eyes."Get your ass in here Sir. "This added as he struggled into what appeared to be the NOMEX flight suits worn by fliers. More were stuffed into the crate though Kyle was far more interested in zipping up the front of his. It was a bit bulky on his leanly built frame though as if sized for larger individuals and curiously had multiple pockets affixed to the back.A rather odd place for extra storage but the Marine wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
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