Halo: The Cure

Whiskey - 6

You'd be surprised as to what kind of things you can see during war. I've seen more death in a few years than most people have seen in their entire lives. The Covenant have been relentless since the beginning of the war. I have been on several tours and at least fifty combat drops. But nothing was going to be like this is one.

"Captain Schmeltzer to the bridge, I repeat Captain Schmeltzer to the bridge" a male voice rang out over the intercom.

I sat up in my bunk and put a shirt on covering my dog tags and I hopped out of my bunk and marched off towards the bridge. I was greeted by several people as I walked by and all I did was salute back at them. On my shoulder was a flaming skull over a HEV (Human Entry Vehicle), yes I am an ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper), but we prefer Hell Jumpers. Today we were over the planet known as Halfax because some big shot doctor claims they have found a way to cure the Flood infection, which we all know is bullshit seeing as the Flood is some parasitic entity from space and not some disease.

I got to the bridge and was greeted by Commander Valkin, whom I saluted since this was his command post.  He saluted me back and gestured to the seat in front of him. I took my seat and he began to discuss the battle plan with me.

"So first we drop your team onto the planet near the objective, you'll escort the doctor and then you'll..." He explained until I cut him off

"Hold on a second....escort the doctor?" I asked

"Yes, she needs to verify the plant like substance and is the only one who really knows what it looks like" he explained.

"Wait...SHE?" i asked back at him

"Yes doctor Yurei Churchill, the botanist from Reach." he replied

"Sir I don't think you understand this, but not everyone can make the drop, in fact some people die of shock on the way down, and you're expecting me to not only trust this doctor to make it safely to the ground, but also that this doctor will not jeopardize my teams safety?"

"With all due respect Captain, there hasn't been any form of enemy activity on the planet in years so there's really nothing to worry about, drop in, get the plant, get out, very simple and i trust that you can have your team ready by 0400 to do that yes?" he ashed

"Yes sir, understood" I replied

"Good, dismissed" he said before saluting me. I saluted back and headed back to my teams quarters. On my way back to our quarters I was met by staff sergeant Briggs, my second in command.

"So how did it go?" he asked me

"Not well, we are escorting the doctor down to the planet in HEVs and then taking her to the plant."

"Well thats not so bad."

"You have till 0300 to sleep"

"Okay THAT is bad"

"Commanders orders, put up or shut up"

We both laughed as I patted his shoulder "lets go get the rest of them".

We walked together to our quarters and met the rest of Whiskey-6 aka W team. W3 is Heavy gunner Corporal Tyrone Anderson, a black man from southern Georgia, he carriers the M247H Heavy Machine gun, it takes up more room in his pod than he does...well that might be a lie. W4 is Lance Corporal Shino Ayu, an Asian boy from Northern Japan, he carries the M90 shotgun, super effective at close range, but needs someone watching his back. W5 is Private Carlos Sanchez, demolitions expert, He carries both the M41 Surface to surface rocket launcher and the BR55 service rifle, he once leveled an entire building with a rocket and 2 grenades, how much of that story is true I don't know but I wasn't there. Then there is W6, Private first class William Davis, the sniper, he once took the head off an elite from two miles out, and I DID see that one.

"Listen up people, get something in your fat ass stomachs and get back here for bed by 2100, we leave at 0300 for a 0400 drop, ya got me? We are escorting Doctor Churchill to the playing field and to the plant."

"Doctor Churchill, sounds like some pussy ass dude" W3 said

"Doctor Churchill is a woman Corporal" I replied to his comment.

"Ay mami" W5 laughed at his own joke.

"Yes very funny, she's the famous botanist who claims to have found a cure for the Flood parasite" I explained to them

"You mean THE Doctor Churchill...?" W6 asked me.

"A cure for the flood huh, wish we would've had that back during combat on Delta Halo" W4 said sadly. Lance Corporal Ayu lost his brother on the Instillation 005 mission to the Flood and he hasn't forgiven that space parasite since that day.

"Yes supposedly this plant not only cures things like polio and temporary paralysis, it also apparently can cure permanent paralysis because it attaches to the CNS (Central Nervous System) at the base of the skull and creates antibodies to cure diseases."

As I finished explaining, a woman walked in the door in full armor. I turned to face her and asked her nicely if she was lost.

"Is this Whiskey-6 barracks?" she asked gently.

"Why yes it is" W3 tried to be seductive.

I glared at him and he put his hands up in defense. 'Yes it is ma'am may I ask why?"

"I'm Doctor Churchill. Your escortee" She replied.

I was taken aback for a moment. I stepped outside for a moment and radioed the commander.

"Yes W1 what is it? Is something wrong?" he asked

"Oh no nothings wrong, except you didn't tell my that Churchill is a fucking SPARTAN!" I shouted at him.

"Yes, did you not read her dossier?"

"I did but the Spartan part must have been in the blacked out section where i didn't have access."

"Hmm...I'll have to check the ONI encryption on that one. Well in any case you can do this Captain, I believe in you."

I nodded to myself and walked back inside to she everyone laughing and getting along.

"Well who started the party without me?" I asked

"Dr. Churchill here was just talking about a grunts head spinning around when you snap its neck." W2 replied

"Oh yeah?" I asked back

"She also talked about how this plant cured her paralysis and that's why shes here, it's because she knows it works. They made her a Spartan after that." W5 replied.

"That right Spartan-742 Chief Yurei Churchill. That's me."

I smiled at her knowing she was going to be a good addition to Whiskey-6 "Well then, welcome to Whiskey Squad."

"Thank you Captain, I wont let you down." she replied.