Be Careful What You Wish For

[exetus]

Be Careful What You Wish For

It's the cold on my face that has woken me up. I look around, but it's still dark. I'm a little groggy, and I don't feel like waking up, so I think I'll just close my eyes again and wait for Reveille. Better get all the sleep that I can... old Planz told me that back on Lagman IV. Ishum, get every ounce of sleep you can now, cuz when the :cuss hits the fan, you'll never know when you're gonna get to lay your head down again. Be rested and be ready! Catnap if you gotta when we stop. A coupla winks here n' there can be the difference 'tween life or death out there, boy! As I roll over, I remember the old man fondly... he'd been the best sniper in the platoon and I had learned a lot from him. He left me his journal after he'd been shot and lay dying on Everinox IV; it was full of notes he'd taken over the years and I read it every night... seems he's still teaching me things. He even has notes about a Space Marine! One of the Emperor's own angels! I'd love to see one someday. Ugh, no fond memories... sleep!

I close my eyes once more and take a deep breath, pulling my blanket over my head to exhale the heat under the covers, but I'm too late; the lights flicker on and the ceremonial band kicks it into gear, blasting the division's battle hymn across the speakers of the bay. They're really into it today and it's ridiculously loud. I hate the band; I don't hate it because of the music or what they represent, but I hate it because the bastards wake me up almost every day and I love to sleep. Feth. I better get up before Master Sergeant Drenthe starts making his rounds.

I flip the blanket and my sheet down and am met by two things; a bay full of newly-roused soldiers and the cold of our compartment that slaps me like a pretty lass I've insulted on shore leave. The light isn't too pleasant either... fluorescent panels provide a harsh light that reminds me of how unnatural the place I'm in actually is. The extremely cold floor doesn't help me forget, either. Nor do the reinforced metal arches that soar over my head for that matter. The air always has a metallic taste, mixed with lubricants that I find myself getting accustomed to, much to my dismay. I miss the open skies of Trinota. It's a thought I have every time I remember how the air tastes manufactured. But that's just the start of things; what really gets me is the fact that something this big even exists in the first place.

As confined as this vessel sometimes makes me feel, it's scary how large it actually is. It's something I realize as I look around the hygiene block for my compartment. There are four companies here, but everyone has their own stall. Sink space to conduct the rest of our hygiene isn't quite as generous, but being able to wait under the hot water makes up for it. But it's never more evident than when we're on exercises... they say we're confined to a small portion of the vessel, but in our war simulations, I have yet to see a ceiling or even far walls. We fight in various environments and if I didn't know better, I'd tell someone we were on a planet. Anyhow... guess I should shave close this morning so I won't have to for a couple of days.

We're never in a hurry in the mornings; Reveille is early enough to afford us about forty-five minutes between wake-up and first muster. As I let the water cascade down upon me, I hear Gretz and Urquhart talking about some female from Attack Company and smile; beat them to it last week. The thought is a little too pleasant, however, so I think more about what's in store for today's training when there is a sudden shudder and groan that reverberates through the hull and the lights flicker for a few moments.

The conversations stop. We look around. Nothing happens so the conversations kick up again just in time for a violent lurch to throw many of us to the ground, the clatter of hygiene kits and the cries of shock and pain suddenly erupting.

The alarm claxons suddenly pierce the chaos and the lights switch from their sickly white fluorescent color to a bright red. "ALL HANDS TO COMBAT STATIONS! PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE DEPLOYMENT! I REPEAT, ALL HANDS TO COMBAT STATIONS! PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE DEPLOYMENT!"

It takes a moment to sink in, but when it does, I shoot to my feet and promptly crash back down as I slip on the slick surface of the shower stall. "FOR FETH'S SAKE!" I scramble back up in time to join the mad rush back to our berthing compartment and my bunk, throwing open the doors to my wall locker and quickly pulling on my blast breeches.

They're made of a soft fabric woven with ballistic alloys to protect the groin and lower abdomen. Then it's my upper liner, a light waffle fabric that acts as an insulator and padding beneath my overgarments. I lean against the wall and pull on my socks with their frictionless gel inserts before pulling on my lower waffle leggings and then my jump pants. They're a bit stiff, but that's because they are made of individual ceramic carapace pieces that fit together exactly; putting them on is a bit annoying, but once you're wearing them, they are extremely comfortable and very flexible. They also provide protection against light fragmentation and are airtight. My boots finish the lower ensemble.

The upper shell is a lot easier to put on as it is a double-layered item that affixes at the sides and has an electronic seal that locks around me, completing the link with the pants. Affixed to the back is a generator that my drop partner, Krensky, secures and then turns on; the light flow of cool air indicates that the system is working correctly. After I ensure Krensky is also ok, I grab the last pieces, the carapace armor that affixes to the chest, upper arms, bottom of my forearms, thighs and shins, slapping them into place. I grab my helmet as I hear Master Sergeant Drenthe going at it and affix it to my belt before grabbing my las carbine and form up with the rest of my company.

The klaxon has turned off and the lights are no longer flashing, but have remained a steady red. When did that happen? No matter. I also realize that I'm no longer cold. Drenthe is yelling again, but it's not at anyone in particular, just to get us going. He's like that; an extremely loud individual. His volume knob has two settings, Whisper and Wake the Dead!... they're turning over in their graves right now as the company gets the blowdryer treatment.

"WHAT A SORRY SACK OF ORK-:cuss I'VE GOT HERE! FOUR MINUTES!?!?! IT TOOK YOU ALMOST FOUR MINUTES FROM ALREADY BEING AWAKE TO READY TO GO!??! I KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON LATER YOU LOT! OH WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LOTS OF FUN!" Drenthe shut up as the company commander and commissar made their entrance and he pivoted, snapping a parade-ground-worthy salute in the quickest change of demeanor I've ever seen. "Captain Lundquist! All Crusader Company present or accounted for!"

I'm not sure I've ever known Captain Lundquist to raise his voice except if he's calling on a vox and there's a lot of ambient noise around. I've damn sure never heard him yelling or screaming and it looks like that trend is set to continue. He does look excited, though! He looks at the commissar and nods, returns the salute and smiles at us. "On swords of flame!"

"WHERE CRUSADERS DARE!!!!" Man, that never fails to put a smile on my face and pride in my heart!

"Sergeant Drenthe, get them to the drop ships!"

Without another word, the captain and commissar spin about and disappear through the bay doors. Drenthe has an eager look on his face as he spins about. "COMPANY! RIGHT FACE! FORWARD MARCH!" We're beginning to move, which is awesome! Finally some action! I hope I get to see a Space Marine! Ol' Planz said they were so inspiring! "DOUBLE TIME! MARCH!" We're running now and it feels good to have my legs pumping as we head towards the embarkation zone. Did the lights just flicker again?

We pass into a massive hallway that is the same one that leads to the training bays and I see other companies emerging from their berthing areas or already ahead of us. The red lighting is everywhere and this ship looks sinister with all of the shadows... the stains of lubricants, oils and ungents look like blood on the floor and walls and it's creeping me out a little. My heart's beating faster and it's not just the physical exertion. I focus on Krensky's back and it helps a little... there's nothing creepy about that.

We're making a right turn into the embarkation area and the red lights give way to the fluorescent ones again and I can see the Valkyrie drop ships lined up neatly with crews crawling all over them. In here, only indication we have of anything amiss are the flashing lights against the walls and armsmen who are actually armed on the gantries. Drenthe is running us over to a grouping of Valkyries where the commander is standing and talking to some pilots. I can't see the commissar anywhere.

"COMPANY! HALT! RIGHT FACE! YOUR DROP SHIPS HAVE BEEN DOWNLINKED TO YOUR NAV SYSTEMS! HELMETS ON!" I unclip my helmet from my belt and pull it over my head, immediately greeted by the rush of cool air cycling though my suit that now has nowhere to exit. As I click the helmet a fraction to the left, the leads lock into place and my visor heads-up display flickers. I smash my head to the left onto Krensky's helmet and it lights up. Silly machine spirits. "FALL OUT BY PLATOON TO YOUR SHIPS!"

My visor drops a neat reticle onto my dropship and I take two steps when there's another heavy lurch, much harder than the one earlier and we're thrown off of our feet. I go sprawling and see people all over the embarkation bay doing the same, armsmen tumbling from gantries, technicians thrown from the tops of the Valkyries. The lights flicker alarmingly again and the klaxons resume, adding their annoying clamor to the chaos that has erupted. I'm scrambling to my feet and retrieving my las carbine when a new sound makes its way through the din. Gunfire!

I look towards the sound and realize that it's coming from the entrance to the embarkation area, but I can't see anything other than bodies. Wait... are they coming or going? What's? Both!?!? I can see an officer standing up on something and he's shouting but I can't hear him. It looks like half of the soldiers are trying to push into the embarkation bay and others are trying to turn around under the officer's orders. And then I hear the chatter of a heavy bolter... that sound is unmistakable. The officer is still yelling and waving a chainsword now and it seems to be having an effect as more troops are rallying to him and turning around and they're all leaving the bay and the doors are closing behind them. They're closing slowly, but closing they are.

"ISHUM!" I snap out of my stare and look to my left to see Krensky gesturing to me. "ISHUM! GET THE FETH ON! WE'RE LEAVING!" I shake my head and turn around, reaching out to grab Krensky's hand when a massive explosion echoes through the embarkation area and throws me to the ground. DAMMIT!!! I really wish that would stop happening! Feth, my back hurts...

I push myself off of the deck and look back at the source and the bay doors are a mess! What the hell just happened? I'm trying to get back to my feet when I see a flood of guardsmen push back through the door. But they don't look right... they're panicking!?!?! Trying to turn them around is the officer, being carried along by the press of bodies. He's striking with the pommel of his chainsword, but nobody seems to give a crap. He looks like he's about to strike one of them and...

Wait... where'd he go? What just happened to the officer? He was right... oh Feth... I'm going to be sick. The press of bodies melts away as guardsmen scramble left and right and what's left of the officer hits the deck. I say what's left, because it's not much... his lower torso is spilling its entire contents out on the deck. And it's not alone. Guardsmen are literally exploding in front of my eyes... even a heavy stubber doesn't do that!

I can't move... I can't move and my right leg is really warm! Did I just piss on myself? Get it together, Ishum! Get it together... you need to move, buddy! Thanks brain, but... uhh... no. Ishum, whatever is coming through that door is bad. You're not going to like it. MOVE YOUR ASS!!!

FETH!!! My ears are ringing along with the rest of my head and there's Captain Lundquist in front of me, holding on to my armor and shaking me, his hand recoiling for another blow. He's screaming, but I can hardly hear him; I think my audio might have a short.

Wait... WHAT!?!? He's screaming!!! Captain Lundquist never screams! EVER! "SERGEANT ISHUM, YOU GET OFF OF THIS FETHING EMBARKATION DECK RIGHT NOW! GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I TURN MY FOOT SIDEWAYS AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS! GO! GO! GO!" Ok, now I'm scared and my head hurts again because he just hit me as I stumble from his grasp. I reel backwards and I feel hands grab me and pull me up and into the Valkyrie.

I'm still looking out of the troop door at the captain as he starts to run towards his drop ship, my legs dangling. The Valkyrie pivots and the launch doors are open... I really wish they weren't. There is wreckage everywhere. There's some massive vessel very close to ours and it's broken in half... are those bodies? All of them? I think I'm going to be sick again...

"..T PLANETSIDE! DEPLOY! DEPLOY! GET OFF OF THIS SHIP!" My audio feed is back and there is the captain and he's made it to his Valkyrie. He's climbing in and... no... wait... he's pointing! What is he...? I crane my neck to look and my jaw drops and now my left leg is as warm as the right... that's a missile...


To be continued?