"HAKKET"
An ear ringing voice rang through the hanger bay.
Boarded the MK-70 model B, busy doing maintainence check on shock absorbers in hanger bay Trip realis ed the source of unexpected storm by just hearing the thunder. Surprised they weren't resting while this late.
"Mister Wolvson It's 3 am of 27th July and how may I help you?"(Trip)
Greeting back Curtz , Trip didn't tried to be woodpecker this time or rather not anymore before being sent in a canyon full of walking piranha's.
Curtz opened the engine of the vehicle passing Trip , who was underneath it.
Slapping the engine multiple times Curtz continued blowing out his lungs.
"UNSCA's restricted beautyyyyyy ! Just Looks at its military exclusive bodey. Ye know those gluten pisser at Clitadel will never get load of her."
Trip not playing into game of landmines continued his own work.
"One ride and she makes yer mind go crazy, bals all weak GHUEHAHAHA"
The frantic display left Trip puzzled for a while. When the vehicle shook trip realised Curtz just climbed over.
"Hacket this is Martin. I don't see Curtz around here is he with you." (Martin)
Before Trip could reply the loud laughter and banging noises gave the answer away.
"Got that. Contain him until I get there !"(Martin)
Trip always thought silence and peace were uncomfortable. But now he realised the consequences of denying his introvert side.
"Why she so stout...... rather low and lookkke now she is all dirty and you too Hakket. Lemee wash you and hr face."
When he realised that Curtz is drunk and climbed on the vehicle, that Trip was doing maintainence check on he quickly slided out from underneath it.
Coming out from underneath with the roller stretcher Trip saw Ariel entering.
The good thing Trip witnessed after looking right was Ariel entering. Now that Ariel came to handle situation which he deemed uncontrollable by him and one which really needs some depressurising he felt peace.
The bad thing Trip witnessed afterwards on looking up was that, Curtz was at top of the vehicle all naked.....
"Hakket why ya still wearing the helmet ?!"(Curtz)
Ready to car wash.... with having not a care in the world about being electric baton'ed from back.
Trip quickly slided down beneath vehicle.
Flicking the shock absorbers of the vehicle back up
He rocked half of the hanger bay.
Sent dozens of military grade equipment on tour.
Flew a naked body across the hanger bay into wall.
Face planted his combat tech support that came to help.
All in all Trip thought he least saved a tunnel way that night. Still he couldn't check the mounted gun at all.
"We had two team members in single night breaking UNSCA law. One getting a demotion at that."
Martine looked over the hanger bay and back to Trip , with his hands behind back
"Do I see a third one ?"(Martin)
Hearing Martin call out, Tripford opened his mouth but couldn't find words to say
"I am waiting for the explanation on how containment became explosion."(Martin)
"I knowingly picked the non lethal solution still I apologise. Sir. You will have it soon"(Trip)
Taking a pen and paper out of his pouch Trip took a sit on the foldable chair
"Don't have time, clean this up for god's sake and meet me outside Hacket."(Martin)
As leaving without Combat gear was against rules Trip equiping his LD-IX armour went outside of the Gunship. Upon exiting the Gunship Trip saw a small pond on right, there was a bonfire as well little far away. Where Trip recognised a familiar back warming himself beside it while eating his rations. Trip approached bonfire intending to greet him.
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"Good call Hacket."
Trip got called out before he could greet this lone Englishman. Trip felt little relaxed yet surprised by the friendly tone , that carried some heavy accents he thought. Trip asked him.
"Alright Mr.Wolvson?"(Trip)
Trip said to Jeff who was stuffing his mouth non stop.
"I don't waste me mind on a brother-in-arms mate. Though this cool attitude with that uncaring tone or personality. Hats off to that if you can keep it up."
Trip took a seat on the fallen white tree beside Jeff. Taking off his helmet he enjoyed the scenery, through barely vague to be seen due to the darkness or yet to be accumsted to the night well past mid, still he pictured it.
White barks stretching around him and miles on a beautiful canyon that was actually in front of him, trees sometimes short yet at times tall. A canyon full of snow-white tress.
Seeing Trip keeping him company, Jeff tossed his food packet in bag and chugged some water down from his water sack.
"Thanks for asking chum..... I am fine....... Question is, is everyone now ?"(Jeff)
Trip tried to continue the flow.
"Everyone seems out of touch."(Trip)
Jeff said with mocking tone although couldn't hide the dissatisfaction.
"Aren't you the sharpest one aye? Decades together those Two brown hunks and except an Asian girl then there is that cun'tsin of mine sneaking that hard hitter in his Mini. All a shattered pieces of mirror."(Jeff)
Trip kept his silence realising that pursuing the topic at hand any further is bad.
Still Jeff continued the flow.
"What are you upto then Hacket ?"(Jeff)
"Colonel said he had to talk, called me out"(Trip)
Jeff remembered Martin walking off in woods. He sighed and whispered but the wind still carried it to Trip.
"We just might be running out of soldiers."(Jeff)
Jeff sounded melancholic.
Grasping more or less what Martin wanted to discuss he wondered about Conner.
"Where is Conner ? Couldn't catch him at all."(Trip)
"Cleaning up mess and handling some higher ups."(Jeff)
"What did go down ?"(Trip)
Jeff patting on Trip's shoulder continued, although he sounded angry, a quite different side of him Trip witnessed, since joining this team.
"Ariel dug up too much ,probably found everyones grave and at that came clean about it.Conner said me to keep quiet and hell with that."(Jeff)
As the lasting silence continued Trip went over various things in his own head. Before he could lay them out. Jeff got up. Pulling out his data pod he bumped it on one on Trip's hand.
"Well that's it Hacket , there is somewhere you need to be. Here have this."(Jeff)
Trip got up as well checking out what Jeff just gave him at the ever dying out bonfire. Truning on the feature he just obtained his Data pod showed up red dots scattered through out the pulsing map.
While Trip checked the new feature he was handed out, Jeff proceeded to board the ship. Trip got called out again.
Jeff shouted with his lungs out prompting Trip to wonder if some things run in blood.
"Know what Hacket ? it was assuring to have you in company, you got great charisma with those blue eyes and Brown hair. Chicks dig that lad ! not that attitude !"(Jeff)
With laughter eeriely ringing over all of the wood Jeff left with his flashy accent.
Trip walked around the woods with his eyes on the Data pod. Alot of dots were grouped in one place while one dot was away alone. Striding towards it in cold woods Trip heard constant striking of an object in distance. He thought to himself this is quite the atmosphere.
Martin standing in the white woods was chopping a tree. He held a big axe albeit it wasn't big for him.
Approaching Martin's back Trip came to stop when he stepped on a metal.
"Kept me watin' Hacket. Although Wonderful night ain't it."
Through Martin started conversation, he was still chopping the tall tree.
"If not for this god awful landscape ! I say feels right outta a horror piece."
Trip bent down and picked it up. After inspecting it he found out it was an authorisation card key.
Trip thought he packed some height by being over 6ft. But when facing the back of this Optio class combat medic he doubted that.
"Where you never know when you will get latched on by some wandered away shit"
Martin sounded desperate while at that being in these ominous white woods that stretched miles anew and high.
It dangled without leaves in this Grand of Canyons, in this world. Piecing together the conversation with Jeff, Trip could feel the crumbling.
"Sir, if-"
Trip tried to close distance but Martin started chopping the tree with more strength, enough that the tree was cracking by the force than the wooden axe.
"Our predecessor fought with their own abominations , ones with huggin' arseholes to headless crawlers. Seeing their photos, damn they were pretty horseshit than their knockoffs."(Martin)
The tree Martine cracked off fell down with loud noise. Trip kept his silence, staring at the man who just cracked the wooden axe as well.
Martin turned back throwing the axe away. He said,
"I won't beat around the bush Hacket."(Martin)
Trip decided to leave this Lieutenant Colonel to his own flow.
"While you were resting, what we found with the 6 hour thermal recon of the Grand Canyon. To put it short.......
There is an army of white masses marching some mile away from here, towards Navajo desert son and you don't wanna know how big a Screep can be."(Martin)
Met with no questions Martin proceeded to sit on the log , he pondered and admired about how Conners words always strike the home.
"All the Base Diné channels are sending static back and the Base will likely undergo Containment Protocol soon......
The UNSCA might evacuate the base but by the Citadel orders we have been forbidden to go back for aiding evacuation in pretense of jeopardising our recon ops."(Martin)
Trip understood finding a weapon vault that might have some unstable technology buried due to shortcomings of that time, was important.
"Countless lives are going to be lost Tripford. You have been told all that got whistleblowed."(Martin)
But was it really important enough than a whole Base undergoing Containment Protocol taking whoever unfortunate enough to remain back ? Trip came out of his whirling thoughts with loud dragging sound.
Trip looked behind and saw Martin moving the log by latched rope to his stomach and nails on the log.
Martin continued on his tracks and said to trip.
"Another thing Hacket, I seem to have lost my override key. Since you are on the night watch put in a request for its retrieval on Ship comms, for this second-in-command will ya ?" (Martin)
Trip under the starless night sky and woods singing with cold winds , contemplated on course of action.