The Slipspace Juncture

Chapter 4 - To Places Unknown

[PFC Rex POV]

Blindly stumbling through the dark, hand stretched out for support against the large metal shipping containers on my left. I try my best to follow the path clearly marked out for me by the colored boxes on both sides of me, my legs feel like jello and I desperately fight the urge to buckle and collapse under the weight of both my gear and myself.

'Just get out of the open, you can worry about the pain later,' Is all I can think to myself.

Coming to a stop in front of the container I deemed any search party would find least suspicious, I quickly grab the two handles on the right door and attempt to lift them. No dice. Looking around more properly this time I spot the small padlock preventing me from reaching relative safety. Raising my SAW, I bring the butt of my gun down hard on the defenseless padlock, shearing off whatever internals were holding it together before scooping the remains up and flinging it off into the night so as not to draw attention.

The door quickly pops open and I practically fall inside, shutting it behind me, darkness swallowing me in the process. Letting myself just collapse on my back in the dark I take a minute to rest, my short shallow breathing fills the empty space and acts as a reminder that I am well and truly not okay after that blast. With a groan I slowly lift my hand up to my headset before keying the comms. "Guys, I'm not dead and I've managed to hide in a storage container. Where are you boys? We can try to meet up." I mumble through the mic of my helmet. "Rex, we've withdrawn from the AO, and any rendezvous point will be too hot for us to safely pick you up. You're going to need to lay low for a bit and find a safe extraction point... godspeed." comes back Pvt Sellick. Flicking off my comms I mutter a long string of curses under my breath as I feel my chances to survive this night getting slimmer by the minute. With a quick breath I try to recapture my rapidly thinning veil of professionalism. I flick my comms back on, , "Roger that... over and out," before shutting off my radio with a click. Now my situation has been officially updated from not okay, to completely screwed.

Rolling onto my side, my body starts to ache. Despite having done so 4 times already, I search my body for any wounds from that blast. Apart from the numerous small cuts and bruises, None. But it definitely doesn't feel like it.

I feel extremely nauseous, and my organs feel like they're napalm sloshing around inside of me. Chunks of shrapnel have left scrapes and marks in my armor, but thankfully haven't pierced my BDU. With the door shut, I feel confident enough to turn on my flashlight. With a click, the sudden white flash half blinds me as my eyes slowly adjust to the new light level as I sweep my gaze over the not so pleasant sight of the cargo container.. I see chains bolted into a heavy looking metal box, with blood and fecal stains splattered around said chains, the mere sight causing my face to scrunch in disgust.

Slowly I shuffle over to the left, where a relatively clean looking side of the container is. With great effort, I push my back up against the wall, my armor plating emitting a soft scraping sound as I force myself into a sitting position. I let out a quiet groan and think to myself, 'How the fuck did I get here? How did I go from getting shot at by the covenant halfway across the galaxy from home, to being blown up by whatever the hell these things are in wherever the hell this place is?' My mental tirade comes to an end as I accept the reality that this has really just not been my week..

or month...

or year...

Reaching my hand inside my uniform, feeling around for the small, heart-shaped blue locket around my neck, my fingers quickly find the smooth metal shell they are looking for. I let out a sigh. I know I'm going to need help. Real, professional help, but I'm not going to find it here. So to get help I need to get out, and to get out I'm going to need to survive, and to survive I need to stay hidden and last the night. Knowing I'll have to stay here in this container, I decide to try to create as much distance from the door as possible, as to give myself time to respond to any threats. Begrudgingly, I push myself upright and start heading over to the metal box.