Natural Selection: The 11th Hour
Ryan
Join Date: 2003-01-07 Member: 11969Members
Join Date: 2003-01-07 Member: 11969Members
<div class="IPBDescription">My second NS fanfic</div> Hi, this is the start of my second ns fanfic. My first fic, Covert Oral: The Kharra War (a fic written for fellow members of my old ns clan) was very popular, and i hope you get some joy from reading this fic as well. It centers around a group of five marines who recently joined the Fronteirsmen, and must soon come to face the kharra in a war that grows more hopeless every day. Plot twists, Anti-TSA factions and good ol kharra blasting should keep it fresh (i hope). The story is divided into 6 "parts" each focusing around a major event or battle. Read on, and please post construcive critisism! Thanks! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Natural Selection: The 11th Hour
Part 1: The Bast Incident
Prolouge:
It has been 2 years since the day Humanity made first contact with an alien species. The Kharra. For so long, it had appeared that we were truly alone in the universe. With phase gate technology, Mankind spread throughout the galaxy. In the Aridane Arm however, the Kharra were discovered. They quickly began to infest everything in the arm, taking over ships and space stations as quickly as possible. The costs were in the trillions of dollars, as well as over a million lives. All the existing militaries had a shot at stopping the threat. United America, The NFO and a score of smaller cargo companies tried and failed.
Ships full of dead marines soon became a common sight in the Arm. The armies were inexperienced, and the response time was so low (mostly due to sides bickering over phase use) that by the time the troops reached infested areas, the infestation was already out of control. Hence, the frontiersmen were created, governed by the TSA. A state of the art military force, that does whatever they can, despite being 10 times smaller and with a far smaller budget then the armies of those they have to protect. There the only ones who can stop the alien threat. And things haven?t been going well. Its been nearly 6 months, and TSA forces all over the Arm are being murdered and defeated. The war is still young, yet the Kharra will likely emerge victorious. A small group of new recruits will soon enter the battle, and realize what it means to be a solider and fight for your race. It?s the only hope we have left.
Natural Selection: The 11th Hour
Part 1: The Bast Incident
Prolouge:
It has been 2 years since the day Humanity made first contact with an alien species. The Kharra. For so long, it had appeared that we were truly alone in the universe. With phase gate technology, Mankind spread throughout the galaxy. In the Aridane Arm however, the Kharra were discovered. They quickly began to infest everything in the arm, taking over ships and space stations as quickly as possible. The costs were in the trillions of dollars, as well as over a million lives. All the existing militaries had a shot at stopping the threat. United America, The NFO and a score of smaller cargo companies tried and failed.
Ships full of dead marines soon became a common sight in the Arm. The armies were inexperienced, and the response time was so low (mostly due to sides bickering over phase use) that by the time the troops reached infested areas, the infestation was already out of control. Hence, the frontiersmen were created, governed by the TSA. A state of the art military force, that does whatever they can, despite being 10 times smaller and with a far smaller budget then the armies of those they have to protect. There the only ones who can stop the alien threat. And things haven?t been going well. Its been nearly 6 months, and TSA forces all over the Arm are being murdered and defeated. The war is still young, yet the Kharra will likely emerge victorious. A small group of new recruits will soon enter the battle, and realize what it means to be a solider and fight for your race. It?s the only hope we have left.
Comments
Chapter One: The Secret
“Run! We have to get word to the command that the kharaa have- ARGH!” screamed a desperate marine to his comrade, twisting in agony as a sharp claw punctured his chest, sending his dead body falling to the ground. His comrade turned and ran, faster and faster. He had to get word to the TSA what the kharaa were planning. Something terrible that would happen, something that would surely spell doom for humanity and complete victory for the kharaa. He ran quickly and swiftly, leaping over dead bodies and mangled turrets that littered the floor of the ship. The escape pod was ahead, If only he could make it….. But it was too late. He felt the burn of acid hit his back, and he fell to the floor, looking up in fear as the alien stood poised, ready to finish him off. Acting quickly, the marine dived away from the alien’s swipe and fired his Light Machine gun full auto into its chest. The fade screamed in terror as it died, falling over in a heap of green blood. The marine however, felt a strong burn in his chest, and looked down to see a single claw sticking through his chest. His last dizzying thought was “The 11th hour..” as his world turned to black.
“Zeta Team come in! Zeta Team please Respond! This is the TSA Foxfire! What is your status? Zeta Team please Respond!” Screamed the communications officer aboard the TSA foxfire, the largest ship under TSA command. A team had just been sent aboard the UAS Orion to investigate reports of a Kharra infestation aboard the ship.
Commander Ford listened to all this with worry. He was a tall man, well into his 60’s. He was well built, with a gruff face, with gray and balding hair. Underneath the exterior however, a hint of kindness and compassion was clearly visible.
“Replay the last Transmission” he said quickly, worry sounding in his voice.
“This is Zeta Team! We are under heavy attack! You have to let the TSA know that the Kharra have- ARGHHH!” screamed a desperate marine, as the sound of gunfire echoed in the background
“Alright, there dead- no denying it. Destroy the Orion.” Said commander Ford wearily. The Foxfire’s large forward guns fired a salvo of hot plasma at the small ship, easily destroying it in a huge ball of burning metal. Commander Ford had seen this sight many times. No matter how sneaky they were, they were always out manned and out gunned by the Kharra forces.
“Continue on patrol, I need to retire, as well as alert the families of those killed today. Make funeral preparations immediately.” Said commander ford, retiring to his room. He sounded weary and tired, and suddenly his eyes seemed so much older. Usually they sparked, as if constantly laughing at some hilarious joke. But now they were dead and empty. He always thought the TSA would win. He could not get it through his head that all humanity had done- the Great Wall of China, the Mona Lisa, Elipson IV space station, colonization of many galaxies might be destroyed. He slumped in his seat, and faced his monitor which was blinking to inform him of an incoming message.
“Put it through” he said softly, and a furious face filled his screen
“DON’T TELL ME IVE LOST ANOTHER SHIP TO YOUR FOOLHARDINESS! I have had it with losing ship after ship to you TSA scum- ive lost trillions of dollars, and its your damned fault. If you simply let UA security forces deal with it, we wouldn’t have this problem, but no-o, you had to lose all my ships. I swear it wont be long before the charter is removed and you TSA types are thrown out on your **** and let us handle the problem! I have the power, and military force to wipe your little TSA from existence!” Screamed President George Sears of United America, the largest Trans-System government. His furious ranting was routine, and it was him that instituted severe drops in funds to the TSA in the years before the war, and had it not been for the constellation, he very well may have crushed the TSA then. But he hadn’t, and the charter to create the frontiersmen went through, and he was doing all he could to wipe the TSA from existence.
“I don’t have time for your ****. If I remember, you couldn’t stop the Kharra either, so now we have to clean up your mess. Good Day.” Said Commander Ford calmly, shutting off the communications. “If only we could win just one battle…..” was his last though as he drifted into an uneasy sleep.
And I think that '“If only we could win just one battle…..” was his last though as he drifted into an uneasy sleep.' should be seperate to the others.
Chapter Two: The Formation of the Team
Ryan stared at the cold, dark gray ceiling above him. He was slowly counting the rusty metal support beams in a failed attempt at some sleep. He had scarcely felt so excited in his life- here he was, his first day in the Frontiersmen. For two years he had waited to be here, and his day had finally come. Tomorrow he would be assigned a squad, his “family” in the TSA. Then the two month long training would begin.
“Trans System Postal Service” muttered Clay in his sleep. Clay was another of the recruits joining today, and slept in the bunk above Ryan.
Ryan flexed his muscles, and realized how out of shape he had become in the last few years. It would take one hell of a training to get him back into shape. He couldn’t help but think about all the terrible stories he had heard, stories that made you instantly want to vomit at the mere thought, and would make turn almost anyone away from military service in any form, let alone the elite Frontiersmen. But he couldn’t let that bother him now, all he had to do was get to sleep…..
“….Yet another Frontiersmen failure in the Aridane Arm. Marines aboard the Flagship Foxfire attempted to stop kharaa forces from taking the UAS Orion. All marines involved were killed in the incident. This is only the most recent in a wave of failures that is causing the Trans Govs to further question the ability of the Frontiersmen to stop the Kharaa threat. President Sears of United America has vowed to remove the charter at all cost. The future however, is still very much up in the air. Reporting from the CNN studios on Daltron 7, I’m Melinda Moore.”
“Stupid newscasters! They are so biased against the TSA.” Said one recruit angrily.
“I know! Why the heck is UA complaining? When they tried to stop the kharaa, they did even worse then we are!” said another, pounding his fist on the table.
Ryan rubbed his eyes and looked around. A group of recruits was sitting around the tiny TV screen, watching the news. Other recruits were, like him, just now waking up. Suddenly, an announcement came over the loudspeaker.
“All new recruits please report to training field 5 for squad assignment.”
“No breakfast! What the heck is this?” said one recruit angrily, and the rest of the room shouted in agreement.
“You’ll get your food after squad assignments, so get moving recruit!” screamed the officer in charge, and the recruits scrambled to get ready. Within 10 minutes, they were lined up, awaiting their assignments. Ryan could hardly contain his excitement, despite having only had 4 hours of sleep the previous night. A large, dark skinned man stepped onto the platform over looking the field. He was tall and muscular, with a large salt and pepper mustache. His uniform brightly displayed a green glowing Frontiersmen logo, symbolizing his rank as Captain. Different colors were used for officers when not in the field. He began to speak
“Alright recruits, today is your first day of training, and im going to assign you to your squads. When your name is called, please step forward” he said in his raspy voice.
One hour later, all of the other recruits were gone. Only Ryan, 5 other recruits and the Captain remained. Ryan’s feet were sore from standing, and he didn’t like the fact that he hadn’t been chosen. Was there something wrong with him? Would he be sent back home to watch as the kharaa slowly took over the galaxy?
“Alright, Im sure your all wondering why you weren’t chosen. We have had a serious shortage of staff available, and instead of increasing squad size and lowering the quality of training, I decided to instruct a squad myself, and that would be you guys.”
Ryan looked around. There were his friends Clay and Jeff, whom came from his home town- he had known both of them since childhood. On one side was another marine whom he did not know- his uniform said “Andrew” on it. Behind him was quite possibly the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Another woman stood in front of him. So this was his squad.
“Alright, Im guessing you guys are hungry, so head to the mess hall, grab some porf, and head to the armory in 40 minutes. Ill be waiting for you there.” Said the captain, smiling.
“Porf? What the heck is that?” muttered Andrew, shaking his head.
In case your wondering, youll get to meet the rest of Ryan's team in more detail in the coming chapter. Its just too late for me to write anymore tonight.
Ryan and his squad hurried along to the mess hall.
“I hope they have halfway decent food here. I’ve heard some bad stories about the food the TSA gives ya.” Remarked one of the two women. Her name read “Jackie”
“I just wanna know what this Porf stuff is” said Andrew
The marines entered the mess hall, where most of the other recruits were eating. The squad got in line to receive their “porf”, a muddy yellow looking substance that looked awful and tasted worse. The team sat down at an empty table, and began to get to know one another better.
“Wow, who would have thought all 3 of us would be in the same squad?” remarked Clay.
“Hmm? Do a few of you know each other or something?” said Kara, the other woman on the squad.
“Clay, Jeff and I know each other from home.” Said Ryan.
“Wow that’s really-“ began kara
“WOAH! This stuff is terrible! Where in the settled galaxies did they come up with this crap!” said Andrew, with a huge mouthful of porf.
“Damned Budget cuts” said Jeff angrily.
The team got along great, and soon they were reporting for duty at the armory.
“Alright team! How’d ya like the porf?
“Ugh..” muttered Andrew
“Yea, it tastes terrible, but that stuff will pump you up like you wouldn’t believe. In any case, Its time to choose what weapons you will be using. Each squad has one Grenade Launcher, One Heavy Machine Gun, One shotgun, and three light machineguns, one of whom will serve as commander. Ryan and Kara, you will be the scouts, using LMG’s for quick movement and fire support. Jackie will serve as commander, with a LMG for fire support if needed. Clay will use the Shotgun, Andrew with the HMG, and Jeff with the grenade launcher. Now lets get started......"
Chapter 3: The Two Surviors
Ryan slowly opened his eyes, a wave of panic hitting him suddenly. Something was terribly wrong, but he didn?t know why. He sat up, and a wave of fear trickled over his back. It was pitch black in the room, and he groped for his flashlight. Upon switching it on, an unbelievable sight greeted him. The barracks was mess, and blood littered the floor. Marines lay still in their bunks, dead.
?Holy?? muttered Ryan as he reached under his pillow and pulled out his loaded pistol. A skulk lay dead, still biting into a marine. Ryan shone his flashlight on the dead marine, and to his horror saw it was Andrew.
?No?..It cant be?..they cant all be dead?.? Said Ryan, still unbelieving of the horrible sight he was seeing. 30 marines, all dead in their sleep. Only a few seemed to have woken up in time to attempt to fight. Ryan was on the verge of tears, but he realized that crying would only spell his death too. Ryan, still in his sleeping clothes, slowly opened the door and into the large hallway that connected to every part of the massive training facility. Several guards on the night shift were laying on the ground, their eyes wide open with fear, fingers on the triggers of their weapons. Ryan was more scared then he had ever been. Every step seemed to crush him into the ground. He was completely alone, in an infested base, armed with a pistol and 6 bullets, without armor of any sort.
What a way to start a marine career.
Kara walked through the empty mess hall, the only room in the base that seemed undisturbed. Huge vats of porf lay still cooking, without so much as spilling a drop. It was scary, and she had no idea what to do. So far, she hadn?t seen anyone else alive.
?How can I be the only one alive? Why are there no kharaa? What the hell is going on here?? she thought. A million questions filled her mind, but not enough to override her fear. If only there was someone else alive here?..
Ryan opened the door into the mess hall, entering the room with the utmost caution. As he walked along the rows of empty tables, he got the feeling of being watched.
Kara suddenly saw a figure moving towards her, and instantly thought of a fade. She gulped and aimed her pistol, preparing to fire
Ryan suddenly caught a flash of brown hair in his flashlight, and called out
?Is someone there??
?Ryan?? said Kara happily. Finally another marine!
?Kara! Thank god! I thought you were dead! What in the hell is going on here??
?I have no idea. Just the dead bodies. In any case I?m glad to find someone else alive here whom I know and trust.?
?Im very hap-? began Ryan, but he suddenly raised his pistol and fired two shots upward. A dead skulk came falling from the ceiling.
?Did you just kill that skulk?? asked Kara fearfully. It was the first kharra she had really seen.
?Yea? said Ryan, somewhat shakily. It was his first real kill as well.
?Uh oh, I think we got some more company!? cried Kara, kicking over a mess table in time to block an acid rocket from hitting her. A fade ran in, accompanied by several skulks. Ryan and Kara instantly opened fire, but their ammo was so low they soon were met with loud clicks as acid rockets exploded around them
?We have to get to the armory!? shouted Ryan, taking Kara and running for the door. The fade, seeing his pray getting away, blinked directly across the room, to where it was actually in front of them, while the skulks closed in behind them.
?So this is it? thought Kara ?Hell, I didn?t want to live forever anyway.?
Ryan, reacting quickly, found a chair, then picked it up like a shield. He grabbed Kara, and they ran for the armory. The fade swung angrily at them with its sharp claws, but surprisingly the chair held, and the two made it out of the room.
“RUN!” cried Ryan, breaking into a sprint towards the armory, whilst the aliens closed in behind him. He made it there, and grabbed a Heavy Machine Gun. He instantly opened fire on the aliens, and in no time they were dead.
“Kara!” cried Ryan, running towards her. She was sprawled on the ground, seemingly dead.
“No….no…there dead…come on Kara please wake up!” said Ryan desperately. He was not ready to be alone again. Not after all this. Her eyes slowly opened, and he could see the pain in them.
“My……leg…” she murmured.
Ryan looked down, and saw a pool of blood around her leg. There was a huge gash in the side, it was enough to make him want to throw up. But he couldn’t know. He could not fail her. He ripped a bit of cloth off his sleve, and wrapped it around the wound. The bleeding seemed to stop, but she was still very weak. Suddenly he heard it.
Thump
Thump
Thump
Thump
Thump
“Oh god no…” said Ryan. An onos, the worst alien of them all, capable of devouring entire marines in a single bite. They could rip you apart with their horns, or stop you with a stomp that rendered even the best marine immobile for around 5 seconds. Ryan loaded a fresh clip into his gun and prepared to face his doom.
“Come get some you ****” he muttered.
The onos rounded the corner, and Ryan opened fire. He was angry. He wanted to crush the onos, the whole kharra race, but this stupid HMG wouldn’t allow him to do it. The onos came charging at him, and just as the onos would hit him, Ryan leaped into the air, his Jetpack hissing as he flew ontop of the onos, pouring lead into its skull. The onos roared and flung Ryan off, and then charged. The ono's horn buried itself into Ryan just as the beast died.
“Excellent job! Absolutely incredible! Your one of the highest ranking teams we have ever had!”
“WHA!” screamed Ryan, bolting straight up. He was in a room, on a small cot. Several training instructors were standing around, looking at screens, smiling.
His captain was looking at him, talking. Next to him on a separate cot, Kara awoke, with a cry of “What the HELL?” She felt her leg, realizing there was no more cut.
“Yes, what you just went through is a training simulation designed to test how you work in an unexpected situation. This was the only way we can institute a real sense of urgency without actually going on the field. In most Sims, you know its not real. Henceforth, we take all new recruits through this. Your squad members have already been through it, and they also scored well. Though I found clay had stumbled into my quarters, and promptly drank all my coke, and a skulk nailed him from behind. Ah well. As I was saying, you were lucky to find each other. Many groups don’t. You were wise to head for the armory, and Ryan you performed excellently with the chair and in aiding Kara’s wounds, even though you have virtually no medical training.”
“So….this was all a simulation?” said Ryan, his voice shaking
“Yes. Im sorry we had to put you through this, but it was the only way. You may return to your quarters now. We gave you an injection to help you sleep, since you obviously are quite shaken up by your experience. As they left, the captain said”
”Those two are gonna make a difference in this war. I can feel it.”
It was desperate times, and even the best would generally get slaugtered like nothing else, at least thats what i got from your story..alot of grimness.
maybe end something like this
"the Kaharra war is far from over, everday brings more death, but hopefully with an elite fighting force with good solders liike ryan and Kara blah blah blah blah blah."
Somethin like that, but more kool. -they probably said your line about the green dude in halo cuz he was freaking kool. Ryan+Kara less kool, more kool if they kill more stuff thou'............hmmmmm if you can get it so that ryan does kill the onos but he dies in the process that would be more kool.
by the way TRIPLE UBER DOUBLE POINTS FOR THE <span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:blue'>+++++++++</span></span>
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it was funny and gave a nice charactiristic about him
sorry if i ramble too much
Edit: chapter 4 Ryan vs the Onos has been changed. At first the onos just killed Ryan and he woke up.