Cyberpunk: Spartan Walker

Chapter 116 Flood Demon ([-])

Adrenaline was still rushing through her veins, and scenes of the battle still flashed through her mind.McKay found it difficult to sleep.She kept tossing and turning, staring straight at the ceiling, and finally fell asleep around 0430.

At 0730, McKay, who had only slept for three hours, stopped in the temporary army canteen and ordered a cup of instant coffee.Then he climbed up a blood-stained staircase and reached the top of the mountain.The wreckage of the Pelican troop carrier that was hijacked last night has been cleaned up, leaving only a large piece of charred metal, marking the place where flaming fuel once flowed.

McKay stood still and observed the scene, wondering what happened to the human pilot on the C217, and then continued on his way.The entire surface of the Halo was declared a war zone, meaning rank-and-file soldiers did not have to salute their superior officers to avoid exposing them to enemy sniper fire.But there are always other ways to show respect, and McKay was greeted by all the Marines along the way as she passed the landing platform and out to the distant battlefield.

McKay answered them one by one and moved on.That's what she's going to do, with a cup of coffee in hand, patrolling the defense lines that are scarred by plasma.This can restore team morale.

She drank the last bit of coffee in her cup and walked away.Covenant prisoners, chained together by their ankles, were busy digging two graves.One was for their fallen comrades; the other was dug for human soldiers.The sight before me was shocking: rows of tightly wrapped corpses.What are these sacrifices for?
For the sake of the Earth, she told herself, for the billions of lives on Earth not to be slaughtered by the Covenant.

There was still much to do - and the morning passed quickly.Major Silva got up promptly at 1300 hours to take up his post and sent an errand boy to find McKay.McKay walked into Silva's office and saw him sitting behind a makeshift desk, working on his computer.He glanced up at the lieutenant and pointed to the chair that had been unloaded from the lifeboat. "Relax, Lieutenant. Job well done. I should have taken more naps! How are you feeling?"

McKay sank into the chair, adjusted to a comfortable position, and shrugged. "I'm tired, sir, but otherwise okay."

“That’s good,” Silva said, touching the tips of his hands to form a sharp angle, “because there’s still a lot of work to do. We have to keep everyone winding up—including ourselves, of course.”

"Yes, sir."

"Oh," Silva continued, "I know you are very busy, but did you take the time to read the report Wellesley submitted?"

McKay had a small, powerful wireless computer that had been snatched back from the Pillar of Autumn, just like the one lying on Silva's desk.She hasn't even turned it on yet. "I'm afraid not, sir. I'm sorry."

Silva nodded. "Well, based on the intelligence provided by the routine mission briefing, our artificial intelligence friends concluded that this raid was both expected and unexpected."

McKay's eyebrows rose. "this means……"

"This means that behind the surface attack, the Covenant is hoping they will find something, or someone in particular, here."

"Captain Keyes?"

"No," Silva replied, "Wellesley doesn't think so, and I don't think so either. They sent a team of elite warriors to secretly infiltrate and successfully infiltrated into the lower floors of the building. They killed everyone they encountered along the way. The enemies arrived, or they thought they had killed them all. Because one technical soldier pretended to be dead, and another was just knocked unconscious. The two of them were in different rooms, but their descriptions were the same. Once they entered the room and took control, A member of the elite warrior commando team - a beast in black combat armor - will appear briefly. In a reasonably human accent, he asks both men the same question: 'Those two wearing special armor? Where are the humans?'"

"They're looking for the Master Chief and Colonel Price," McKay said thoughtfully. "That's right."

"So, where are they both now?"

"That's a really good question." Silva replied, "One followed Case into the swamp, and then disappeared. The other's artificial intelligence suddenly went crazy after attacking the control room, and tried his best to let him go. The Chief went to find them and he soon lost contact."

"You mean they're all dead?" McKay asked.

"I don't know," Silva replied sternly. "Even if they are really dead, I don't think it is anything earth-shattering. In fact, I suspect these two guys are just trying to escape."

With two bosses again absent, Silva returned to power.McKay understands Silva's frustration.The Spartans were an asset, at least as long as they were here.But now, they are starting to become a burden without knowing whether they are alive or dead.Especially since countless soldiers in Silva's army have died in battle, just to protect two people who were not at the scene at all.

Yes, McKay understands Silva's frustration, but he doesn't sympathize with him.Because it was in this room that she saw the unusually white skin of the Master Chief who had stayed in the armor for too long.His eyes were filled with—what, pain?torment?Some kind of wary distrust?
And what was hidden behind the tone of the Spartan colonel's loud reprimand to Silva - anger?sad?Or is he helpless that he can't save Pao Ze?

McKay isn't sure.But whatever it is, it is definitely not selfishness, disobedience, or greed for personal honor.McKay could read the truth in their eyes.Not only because she is a battle-hardened warrior, but also because she is a woman. There are some things that Silva will never be able to match.But saying this wouldn't do any good right now, so she didn't mention it.

Her voice was calm. "So, what's our next move?"

Silva smiled, "The current situation is normal: we are isolated and may be surrounded -"

There was a sudden knock on the door, and a Marine stood panting at the door. It took him a while to calm down under Silva's comfort. "Sir, there are some 'things' you need to see."

Silva and McKay looked at each other, then followed him out of the office and took the elevator to the underground morgue.

Due to the lack of necessary refrigeration facilities for preservation, the body lying on the metal table had already begun to decompose.When Silva entered the makeshift morgue, the overpowering stench forced him to breathe through his mouth.

He looked at Second Lieutenant Orles, who was standing nearby with a pale face, and said, "Lieutenant, what the hell are these?"

Olles suppressed a rising feeling of nausea and began to report to Silva what they encountered during their daily patrols.

(End of this chapter)