United States Government Intranet
I'm out of my meeting. And I have important information for the British Army in Victoria.
It is safe to assume that the area surrounding the shard and the Duke of Cavendish's residence is considered hostile.
There is a full report on a collective entity called the Parasites, something that Theresis is employing on the field and are currently capable of wrecking serious havoc on your forces if you are not careful. We do not have enough information on them yet, but do not engage them if you want to stay alive out there.
I also have a much more in-depth report that I will send, once the Local office in County Hillock starts bringing those things over.
- Dr. Kal'tsit
Project Lightning is almost there, we actually expect it to start entering wide-spread in mid January of next year.
- American Secretary of Defense
How's our operators doing on Earth?
- The Doctor of Rhodes Island
They should be on the outskirts of New Orleans. They're going to spend the next day there. The day after, they'll head to a Government-requisitioned ranch in Texas.
- American Secretary of State
Alrighty, by the way, thank you for the assistance in the quarry operation.
I do have a request, may we have some of Team RAINBOW come over and assist in some training of operators? Ms. Dobermann is on earth and we need somebody with good experience to train our operators.
- The Doctor of Rhodes Island
We'll take care of it, I'll have some folks from RAINBOW head over to make up for that deficit.
- American Secretary of State
"Corrupted hell"
3:11 PM
"...wow this place is worse than I thought." Commented the RWS operator. The gun was swinging around as the driver began to move into the district. The T-90 was in the back of the convoy, the Kord RWS looking around. The tank gun itself stayed in parade rest. The streets of Chernobog was something these soldiers never expected to see.
Driving up the ramps and up the loads that led into the now-silenced nomadic city, it was a strange thing to see it all before them. Their vehicles leveled out after climbing up into the city, and they were appalled at the sight they saw.
Giant Originium clusters near the catastrophe zone, destroyed skyscrapers and buildings.
Bodies of all sorts began to line the streets. Ursus Royal Guards, Reunion bodies, previous RI Operators, and civilians.
A lot of civilians.
That was disgusting and it made one of the tankers climb out of the tank to puke, violently.
Outside, the streets had this sort of uneasy, but light fog, not enough to really blind the UAV or the soldiers themselves, but it was enough to cover some of the ground and any view forward was going to need a little assistance with
Solnishko shuddered, unnerved, but staying strong. "Who the hell was behind all of this...?" The Tigers began to go forward. The UAV above assisting in searching, while also keeping those JAGMs ready. The BTR-82A got behind the T-90M. Slowly, the 3 Tigrs began to go along the road, the RWS Kords watching out for anything.
Using whatever maps that Rhodes Island sent them, the UAV began to head in the direction of the Peterheim Middle School.
The Operator was cross referencing position with whatever maps that he was given. Given that he now has a picture of what the top bit of the school and its surrounding area looks like, he began to automate the UAV by inputting a picture and requesting the UAV start searching and marking the complex.
After a few minutes, the beacon went up. And he got back on the mic, "Komi-1 subdivision 1, the marker should now be visible on your goggles. That is the school itself."
"Copy that," Solnishko reports, gesturing towards the driver. He turned on something, and now his side of the windshield was seeing the beacon. Picking up the pace, the car began to lead the other 2 Tigrs, barreling towards the school.
One of the LAT soldiers in the vehicle looked out, wincing and sucking in teeth, "Blyat..." the RWS operator turned around and looked at her. "What is it comrade?"
"There's kids." The Driver only picked up the pace, the captain looking outside for herself and seeing the bodies of kids, some of them looked rather well off;
the others did not look the same.
"I gotta give it to some of them," the RWS operator spoke, the Medic spinning around to look at him, "Whoever did this, was not discriminating between anybody here."
Some of the people in the vehicle got a good chuckle out of the rather cynical humor.
The captain silenced everybody, "Let us not disrespect them," she puts her hands together and began to say a silent prayer.
Soon, after driving through the rubble-corpse filled streets, the vehicle stopped before a gate. The Tigrs parked somewhere close by. Grabbing her AK-74, the Captain opens her door, "Everybody but the RWS operators, out." Immediate compliance with the order followed. The infantry looked at the captain and awaited.
Clearing her throat, and taking a drink, Solnishko looks at them all, "Get the silencers out of the crate in the back," she sets her flash back down and looks at the dead bodies of what may have been students at this school. A rifleman nods, going back there, popping the latches and opening the lid.
A rifleman takes a silencer and starts screwing it onto the end of his AK-74, "What is point?" He questions the captain who was busy getting her own silencer applied to her barrel. She looks at him, explaining, "We must stay silent, I do not know if others are here, and if anybody else who used to be here is still alive and..." she gestures, "Sane."
Understanding, the soldiers began to get their silencers, and put them on. Once that was accomplished, Solnishko gestured, "I need 4 of you, with me," 4 from the group of infantry split and went to her, "I want 6 of you to stay here and defend the vehicles," 6 saluted in volunteer, "Good, now for the rest of you..."
She starts going up to the gate, its state alone only telling of whatever horrors they were going to find in this school, "Follow me, lets get whoever is alive out of here."
Within one of the closets that were in one piece and untouched by the horror of the school, there flickered a little lamp resting on a desk.
The shelves were mostly empty, and whatever containers that still resided mostly held some school supplies. This storage room was of decent size, and it had some cots and mattresses all within. On one of the cots, there laid a person. Sickly and deliberately keeping herself close to the lamp. She had yellow hair, what looks like a candy-decorated hairpin, and was dressed in a little schoolgirl's uniform, covered by a big jacket.
She was also covered in a blanket, keeping her warm.
Gummy was her name, and she tried to keep herself within a peaceful state of sleep. She didn't look good, she looked very ill in fact. And judging by the contortions on her face.
Her sleep was but anything peaceful.
She was not awake to hear the opening of the school gate.
The BTR-82A and the T-90M was moving in a pair. T-90M had parked somewhere and the crew had the BTR-82A move forward, playing as a scout for the armored vehicle. There was a few infantry onboard the BTR-82A, most consisting of riflemen, but there was RPG-27s sitting in the back of the BTR-82A, waiting to be used.
"This place is dreary is it not?" The BTR Gunner commented, swinging the turret around, scanning. The TC next to him was looking out of a remote camera. The area looked like a very old Russian city. There was a few Russian Empire-like educationist and aesthetics, and it was carried into the civilians that were dead.
The BTR drove over the smashed remains of a vehicle, lucky that it did not catch on any debris. They soon saw the remains of several Reunion soldiers, a lot of them looking strange and with absolutely massive Originium crystals sticking out of them. There was also what looks like a dead Rhodes Island operator.
From their uniform, and their blade, they looked like a run of the mill Reserve operator. Possibly a Melee unit.
The BTR slowly began to drive by them, the Gunner looking forward and towards what looks like some abandoned Ursus APCs, with dead soldiers all around it to boot.
The BTR-82A drove pass what looked like a seriously impaled reunion defender, none of the crew finding it rather remarkable.
The gunner was still facing the gun forward, when, he began to hear heavy footsteps, "TC?" The tank commander stopped looking at his screen and turned to his gunner. His face contorted in confusion, "What?"
"Have we dismounted any infantry?" The TC scowled at the question, looking behind him. The 4 Riflemen onboard looked at her in confusion, the TC turning back to the gunner and raising an eyebrow in confusion and alarm.
"No?" He responded, feeling uneasy as the gunner looked away from her screen and turned to him, "Then who the blyat am I hearing-?" She was cut when the vehicle was rocked from the right side. The infantry panicking, "Who the Blyat?!"
Quickly, the TC turned his camera around, looking at the defender, only to freeze with terror seeing the very impaled defender, that they thought was dead, against the side of the APC, rocking it violently. The TC let out a string of curses in alarm, "-Blyat! Zombies!" The Camera focused on the face of the defender, behind the ballistic like glass, and only saw its eyes glow an orange, that he, within his body, knew that there was something horribly, horribly wrong.
The gunner got back on her screen, the TC making the gun snap to where he was looking, "Use APCR! Too close for HE-I!" He ordered, the gunner pressing a button, switching the belt to the AP-belt and squeezing the triggers. The 30mm gun began to fire off, the monster backing off of the vehicle, howling unholily in pain. The Driver stepped on the base, driving the BTR forward.
The T-90M was moving again, hearing the Autocannon fire. "What is going on over there comrades?!"
The gunner watched the creature stagger, pressing another button and switching to the HE-I belt when she stopped, "Captain..."
The TC looks at her, "What-?"
"Is that bastard regenerating?!" She cried, the Captain looking for himself. Sure enough, under any penetrated bits of armor that had went into the flesh, was showing the skin and body regenerate rapidly, with what looks like Originium crystals taking place for the exposed flesh's skin.
No more time to talk, the TC got his communicator and got on the line to the tank, "Load your explosive! Turn that abomination into paste!"
In the T-90M, the sound of the auto loader roared to life, a High Explosive - FS round entering the breach. The BTR was now on its explosive belt, and was laying the fire into the defender, which roared loudly and was getting its tactical shield up to try and mitigate the damage.
The BTR was beginning to drive, still shooting off the Autocannon, which the gunner supplemented with firing of the coaxial machine gun. Just as the defender got himself up, he was put down by the Autocannon fire.
The T-90M gunner screamed for the BTR, "Get to cover!"
The drive of the BTR complied, only confirmed by the TC relaying that order to him as well. Rounding a corner, the APC disappeared from sight. The Sound of a 125mm gun roared. The High Explosive round flew right at the defender, a very large explosion following afterwards.
The defender was turned to bits, skin, flesh, originium and all. "That bastard is definitely dead for now..."
"Thank you," the BTR TC replied, sighing in relief.
"Did you hear that...?" Somebody out of a group of 4 Ursine commented. All 4 of them bore emblems of the Ursus Student Self-Governing group. Their clothing didn't look in the best condition, with one of them even having blood stains over a very white coat.
They were in the remains of a market that still had whatever canned food and very shelf stable food. Gummy was not there to assist them, due to her being sick and going through really bad episodes. It was sort of good for her anyways, did not want to activate any traumatic episodes while in a place that isn't really safe.
As wrong as they knew it was, as bad as it is, with the city pretty much abandoned by the Ursus Government. There was barely anybody alive to care, and plus these abandoned stores was one of the few things left with supplies. Best of they don't go to waste when survivors can use them.
The person that commented about hearing something was looking through whatever medicine was left in first aid kits and shelves in a little medicine corner. Everybody else stopped when the sounds in question began to more clearly hit them.
The sound of a heavy explosion and rapid distant explosions forced them to stop their scavenging. The lead of the group, an ursine named Zima, looked outside. Her expression turned worried, especially since the explosions was in the direction somewhere close to the school.
She looked at everybody, "Pack everything up," she gets her weapon, in anticipation. The other 3 began to quickly close up their bags, the girl handling medicine closing up her bag after grabbing whatever was left.
Zima looked at the rest of the girls and nodded, "Let's go." With that order, the group of 4 exited the store and ran back, speeding in the direction of the school.
"That's T-90's gun..." one of the riflemen guarding the Tigrs commented, "What the hell?"
The captain and her unit, heard the gun fire, and looked upwards. Grabbing her communicator, Solnishko opens up, "Tank, what was that about?"
"Captain, we better hurry, it looks like the Dead doesn't stay down for long here..." the TC of the vehicle replied. Hearing that in this freak show of a disaster site was not exactly good for the Russians. The UAV Operator soon joined the radio chatter, his voice breaking through.
"Standby, we have watched that little fight, and we are now setting this drone to identify targets that look similar, large growths of Originium, Reunion clothing..." the operator trailed off, "Stay safe out there, get those students out, and then exfil when you can."
"Understood..." the captain mutters, looking at everybody while simultaneously setting down her communicator. Making a gesture, she asks for the rifleman to get in front of her. "Let's go, breach and clear this place..." she looks up, the faint little smoke trail still up, "There is somebody here..."
The leader rifleman got to the door of the school, and slowly, he began to open in, his AK-74 on and helmet mounted flashlight on. The captain followed behind, joined by a medic, and 2 more riflemen. Inside, the school didn't look any better. There was ruined and banged up lockers, some jewelry hanging about these lockers too. Bits of the walls were collapsed.
"Sheesh, this place is a mess," the medic commented, holding his AK-74 and scanning around. The Captain noticed a stairwell, and looked at a nearby graphic, some infantry coming in and slowly beginning a breach and clear. While she was interpreting the graphic, a few infantry began to check a classroom.
A rifleman peaked in and sucked in his teeth, "This classroom is a mess..." the desks were turned over, some of them broken by by whats like the remains of fighting. There didn't seem to be any sign of bodies. But there was plenty of blood that did signify that at some point, there was people here.
Gulping, the Russian soldier pokes out of the room and looks back outside, "Wonder why all of the bodies are out there?"
"Rally on me," Solnishko calls, the 3 riflemen and medic going back on her, looking at the graphic and judging from the outside alone, this school was 2 floors tall. It was big for a middle school, but judging from some empty vehicles outside, this school may have served another purpose or was handling more people. Pointing up the stairs, she gave an order, "Start going up to the top floor, the source of the smoke trail must be up there." Nodding, the rifleman took front and began to slowly go up, aiming his rifle.
The solid floor made their boots sound a bit more heavy, and any non-careful footsteps a bit more pronounced.
Soon, they reached the top floor, the Rifleman looking left, and the Captain looking right. The little group was now fully at the top of the stairs. Squads downstairs were going on a quick sweep and clear, checking every room, and every classroom.
"This place is freaky," the medic comments. Stepping forward, the Captain was about to move down the hall, when the rifleman made a sort of calling noise, blowing air through his teeth.
"Captain, one of the doors have light." Solnishko swung around, everybody else of the group stopping and following the rifleman as he slowly inched towards the door. He got on the opposite side, joined by another rifleman. The Medic stayed by the captain as she was getting ready. The other rifleman stood in the middle of the 4 and had his gun facing the door.
The medic looked on the door, it looked like a standard door that typically led to a supply closet. But on it, there was that symbol again. The USSG symbol.
This must be them, or at least some of them. Solnishko nodded at the rifleman, the door handle closest to the captain herself than him. A reassuring nod came from him, and the others in the group. She reached out with her hand, and began to open it, keeping her finger on the trigger pointed outward.
With a light turn of the handle, she slowly opened it, a very soft creaking heard. She peaked in first with the medic. She began to take in the immediate state of the supply closet.
It was much more different than the rest of the school. It was in a much better, maintained shape, there was supply shelves, albeit a bit empty, and there was a bunch of mattresses on the floor.
Opening the door more, the captain peaked her head in and gasped softly. Tugging her, the medic looked at her captain, "What is it?" saying nothing, Solnishko further entered the room. The Medic followed behind, and she felt her jaw drop at what she saw.
It was a little Ursine girl, who was covered in blankets on a little cot. There was a desk that had a lamp flickering softly, yet it was pretty strong considering its light reached the doorway. On the opposite side, there was another Cot, and quite a few more, implying that this closet is the acting safe house for the students.
The riflemen came in, and they softened at the sight of her, just like how the captain and medic did as well.
"Oh its just a kid..." the rifleman that led them up the stairs commented, lowering his fabric mask and going over to her. The captain began to head over to her as well, and moved to sit on the cot opposite of the yellow haired Ursine. Setting her AK-74 down against the wall, she turned off her light and took off her glove.
The medic looked at her, "Captain, what are you..." she was shushed by the same rifleman, his eyes furrowed in worry.
"Poor girl looks sick..." the captain, gently, placed her hand on the forehead of the girl, recoiling it back.
"She's warm... seriously warm," she turns to the medic, "Can you-" the Medic was ready to listen to her orders, when the girl's eyelids tightened, and she began to let out a whimpering sound. That was a sound that made their hearts wrench a little at the sound, the ursine's breathing picking up and she began to yell, thrashing about.
The medic knew exactly what was going on, "Shit! She has PTSD!" Her blankets began to get loosened and one of the rifleman was about to go over. She stopped him immediately, "Don't try and wake her up-" the rifleman turned to her, a little aghast.
"What do you expect us to sit here and-" the medic silenced him immediately, pinching his ear.
"Don't you know protocol with PTSD patients? Don't wake them up!" the rifleman sighed, looking back at the girl.
The other 4 Russians turned to her as she began to squirm much more violently, causing the 3rd Rifleman to wince, "Damn, just what has she gone through for her to be like that?" The Captain just kept watch on the little girl, observing how she just began to devolve and calm down. Her breathing was still heavy, but it was clear that this little episode was brief.
She finally fully calmed down, when the Russian soldiers began to sit down on whatever chairs or cots there was. The medic got the change to go over to her. Kneeling in front of the sleeping girl, she took her own glove off, while slinging her AK-74U over her shoulder. She began to gently touch her forehead herself, murmuring to herself, "Her temperature does not feel good..."
The Captain got her communicator up and quietly spoke, "Got one, ursine girl, yellow hair, pale skin, looks like she's in bad shape. Just had what looks like a PTSD-Nightmare," she lets go of the button for a second, pressing it again, "Can I get some one to start bringing up some medical kits and a few heavy jackets?"
"Yes, Ma'am," somebody replied, "I'll also grab another blanket too, if that would help."
"That would be much appreciated," she thanked him, and put her communicator down. The medic had stepped away for a second, getting her tablet out and trying to open up her medical applications.
The captain heard the girl make a noise, and she looked back. 2 of the other riflemen had moved outside the room to guard it, while the other stood by the supply shelves and was looking them over, trying to see the contents of what was on the shelves and whatever containers there were.
Slowly, the girl's eyes began to open, squinting a little at the lamp light. The bags under her eyes became a bit more pronounced as she moved a little closer to the lamp.
Her eyes looked around, "Sonya...? Natalya...? Hey... Rosalind..? You guys back..?" the girl asked, hoarsely, looking around, her eyelids slowly opened while her hands reached for the blankets more and pulled them closer, "Anna...? You have the medicine... right?"
The blankets shifted silently, all of the Russians freezing, the captain's gaze softening as much as possible, as the girl's eyes fully opened to look around.
Her eyes rested on Solnishko, who had her helmet off and was looking at the girl with warm, caring eyes. This was an ability that she had grown to have. Working a bit in humanitarian work, she knows that looking warm and capable of helping a person often makes it easier for people to accept help from strange people.
The girl showed a little panic, but she calmed, eyes just looking at her confused. "You're not Zima..." she muttered, the captain going down to the girl and kneeling beside her cot. She registered the fact that she changes names, probably a code name knowing this world.
Regardless, she was going to help this little girl.
"No, I am not," she answered, "But I am here to help you." She goes into her vest and began to dig around, opening each pocket. The little girl raised an eyebrow. She was in a very vulnerable position, and wasn't exactly immediately trusting. But in her tired, weary state, opened her mouth to question, "Who..."
The captain produced a little package. She knows that for a sick person, this stuff is not a good idea. But for now, maybe something like this would be an absolute mood booster. "You shall know in due time."
The girl looked at the thing she was holding, "Is that... medicine?" Solnishko looks back down on the package. Chuckling, she shakes her head no.
"Nyet, but it will make you feel better." She gently opens the package, a sweet smell hitting the captain, not so much the girl as she seems a bit sick by the looks of it.
Bringing the package up to her, the girl takes it, and slowly has a hand from under her blankets come out. Slowly, she picked out a piece of what was a piece of a gummy bear, and brought it to her mouth. Breathing softly, the girl placed the candy in her mouth.
The sight was somewhat adorable, but the Captain couldn't help herself but smile when the girl froze. A bit of tears began to gather in her eyes, what she was thinking was unknown to the Russian captain. The little girl began to smile a little brightly, the illness that she has been feeling was temporarily ignored as she began to pic out more of the candy and eat at a slightly more rapid pace.
The Medic had gotten what she needed ready, but she looked at the girl who was beginning to smile brightly with a beam of joy. For now, she set her tablet done and kit down.
She knows a many who had gone through that feeling. When you've been through so much shit, that if you receive something about going through that hell like it was a blessing from the lord, you are going to enjoy and revel in every bit of it while it lasts.
The package was about halfway done, when the captain figures she has enough energy to properly speak, "So little one," she asks gently, looking at her, "What's your name?" Or codename, whatever works.
"Gum-" she swallows, sounding a bit better, Solnishko smiled at the fact, "Gummy," she beamed a little smile, "You can call me Gummy." She sniffled, wiping her eyes, still enjoying the taste of candy.
Processed American candy or not, it was still candy.
The captain gave her a reassuring smile, "Well, Gummy," the Medic came over, a borscht MRE made for her.
The medic sat down on the bed across, sitting next to Solnishko, and held up the bag as well as a plastic spoon, "I've got some nice warm food for you. It is good, it will help you recover." Gummy sets the package down, being reminded of her actual hunger. She sits up, the medic smiles as she ushers it forward, "Go on, eat."
A little nervous, she grabs the bag, smelling it.
Finding it devoid of what may be anything problematic, she grabs the spoon, and slowly begins to eat. A soft sigh of relief coming from her, gulping the Ukrainian stew. The medic chuckles, "It's good, da?"
Nodding rapidly, Gummy began to slowly eat more, "I-it is!" she exclaims, the rifleman at the back of the room chuckling, "Thank you so much!"
The medic giggled watching her, noting all of her motions and movements.
At the rate she was eating, the Medic began to think there was a bit of a chance of malnutrition.
But she will worry about that later. It's good that she was eating slowly.
Her stomach won't react negatively at the rate she was eating.
"So," Gummy began, looking at the Captain, "Who are you with? You," she slowly starts sipping down more stew, "...certainly are not the Ursus Military, right?"
The captain rubbed the back of her head, smiling, "Well... It is a very long story, da comrades?" The Rifleman nodded, and the medic next to her responded with a polite, "Yes, yes it is."
The captain stopped laughing, hearing her communicator chirp again. She sighs, going over to squeeze the button, "What is it, overwatch?" Gummy stopped her eating and looked at her curiously.
"Ground team," The UAV operator came over the communicator, "I've got eyes on personnel approaching the school from the eastern direction. Break, all 4 looks to have the Ursus Student-Self Government emblem on them, be careful."
The radio stopped, the captain letting out an exasperated sigh. "Oh no..." she let out, sounding a bit more tired.
Gummy only tilted her head, which the medic found cute.
"Who are they?!" One of the aforementioned personnel, mentioned by the UAV operator, questioned, looking at the 3 Tigrs chilling outside the gate.
Zima looked more worriedly at the school. Istina, the one with the medicine bag, looked forward at the vehicles and what was on top. "I do not recognize them... they do not belong to the Ursus army."
The girl with the coat that seemed to have a bit of blood caked on stayed behind Zima, her weapon at the ready. Rosa, had set the bag of food down and was ready to go. "Just tell us when leader, and we can start leaving..." she trailed off, noticing something.
There was a 4th girl, Leto, who had her fists ready for a fight. Zima however, looked very alarmed. Her alarm was caused Rosa to trail off, before being finally shaken that she responded. "What is it? What's wrong?"
She was staring into the top floor window, towards a door that was slightly ajar, next to the stairwell.
The Storage Closet.
There was 2 Russian Riflemen standing outside the door, and there seemed to be movement inside. Somebody walking across the room.
The glass wasn't tinted for the record, and by the vehicles that didn't seem to belong here, Zima came to an answer that was absolutely horrifying for her.
"They're in where Lada is being held-!" she whisper shouted, watching as a Russian soldier began to come out with a little box, running along.
"What?!" Rosa spoke quietly, yet with equal amounts of terror and anger. Her concern for their sickly, traumatized member spiked drastically hearing those words, which was reverberated throughout to the other 2.
She peaks over, seeing for herself. "Oh that ain't happening!" Her spear-like weapon ready as she began to run. Istina groaned, getting up with Rosa and Leto. The latter of the 2 was raring to go, and they were already moving.
Istina meanwhile, groaned, slapping her hand against her face.
"Can anything be normal around these parts, for ONCE?!"