M1T13

[Nick]

2179 AD 25th August
Location: CSC Sector, Crysalis, Camp Castaway

23.05 hours local time

The welding, or cutting, of the steel grating took just a few minutes. The Marines were on the edge as the blue light flickered like a strobe that said "shoot me" over the surrounding terrain. But no one shot at them, appearantly busy shooting each other inside the city no one thought anyone would be so stupid, or brave, as to enter the city from outside.

The marines just barely fit into the cramped ventilation shaft, their shoulder armours scraping against the filthy walls every now and then. Everything in there was covered in a fine lay of black dust, that smeared onto anything it touched like charcoal. The air was warm and humid, but fresh. Somewhere in front of them a fan was driving large quantities of air towards their faces, it felt good to get out of the freezing outside for a bit.

The last marine entered the ventilation shaft just as the first reached the end. A large fan, perhaps 1.5 meters across, rotated in front of them. The Marines quickly killed it by tugging one of the power cables lose and passed through it. A smell of chloride struck against them and the air seemed even more humid here. The Marines quickly jumped out and landed on slippery cheramic plating. They were in some kind of pool house in front of them a large pool took up the main part of the room. All lights were out so the Marines took a chance and lit their own. The beams from their lights swept back and forth like pillars in the steamy air. Collins saw something near him in the water and put his light on it. A black, bloated carcass floated near the edge of the square pool, face down. Further out other black shapes could also be seen bobbing in the warm water.

The sound from the gunfight outside sounded muffled, but shadows and shapes could be seen running past the rectangular windows high on the sides of the walls. There were two doors on the right side and one large door on the far short side of the room. Over the right hand side doors it said "Men" and "Women" respectively. The far side door had a green emergency exit sign weakly glowing in the mist.

>

[Apachetear]

"3rd, split into 2 teams and search this room as quietly as possible!"

Jacob didn't like it...too dark...looking at the bloated body in the pool, he absent mindedly nudged it with his foot...sending it floating away. The stench of death was tangible in this place.

"LT, what do you reckon? Work our way up to the top of the house, or find the lightswitch?"

[S. Collins]

Blazing sparks scattered through the heavy humid air brushing over the grey and black painted chestplate of Collins' armor as he cut his platoon a small entrance into the building. He was the first to step out of the dusty vent. He extinguished the torch and packed the tool back into his M3 Utility Holdall. He raised his pulserifle against his shoulder and flipped on the shoulder lamp. The first thing the pillar of light hit was a bloated corpse in the water, making Collins cringe. He gulped heavily and now notices the stentch of death mixed with the spicy atrifical smell of chlorine. The marine's training kept the upper hand though and made Sean move on towards the large door on the left. He positioned himself on the right flank of the door, kneeling down and waiting for his fellow marines to crawl out of the vents. He didn't say a word... overhearing the dull gunfire outside.


(roll for awareness)

[Dugan]

Simoivc clambered into the room through the air vent the putrid smell of decay causing him to gag when he entered the pool room. As the marines shone their shoulder lamps around images of death were visible everywhere most of the dead appeared to be civilians, innocent victims to the slaughter. This place normally would be filled with laughter now only the silence death brings hung in the air. Simovic tried to put these thoughts out of his head. "Ok 2nd Squad I want you to seal up the entrance. 1st Squad I'm going to be leading you on a sweep of the building so get your shit ready. Patch see if you can get your motion tracker to work in here".



"Jones we're ready to move on your mark"

[Quinn]

Simoivc clambered into the room through the air vent the putrid smell of decay causing him to gag when he entered the pool room. As the marines shone their shoulder lamps around images of death were visible everywhere most of the dead appeared to be civilians, innocent victims to the slaughter. This place normally would be filled with laughter now only the silence death brings hung in the air. Simovic tried to put these thoughts out of his head. "Ok 2nd Squad I want you to seal up the entrance. 1st Squad I'm going to be leading you on a sweep of the building so get your shit ready. Patch see if you can get your motion tracker to work in here".



"Jones we're ready to move on your mark"

"Sarge, if we seal up the entrance here with the welders, we'll let everybody inside the mansion know we're coming." Quinn said carefully, knowing that if the sergeant didn't like his tone, he'd be in deep shit. "And there might be Tangos inside the building. But I think Collins and I could rig up some booby traps inside the vent to make sure no one follows us..."



The medic looked at the bodies in the pool with obvious distaste, and his medical training flashed to drowning. Drowning is death as caused by suffocation when a liquid causes interruption of the body's absorption of oxygen from the air leading to asphyxia. The primary cause of death is hypoxia and acidosis leading to cardiac arrest.

But Quinn also knew what drowning felt like, not through personal experience though. And the thought of his lungs burning as though they had nitric acid swabbed all over them didn't sound like the way he'd want to go out.

[Dugan]

"Sarge, if we seal up the entrance here with the welders, we'll let everybody inside the mansion know we're coming." Quinn said carefully, knowing that if the sergeant didn't like his tone, he'd be in deep shit. "And there might be Tangos inside the building. But I think Collins and I could rig up some booby traps inside the vent to make sure no one follows us..."

"I mean the entrance we just cut into the building, we're going to be sweeping through the rest of the building soon and I don't want anyone else creeping up behind us".

[Quinn]

"Sarge, if we seal up the entrance here with the welders, we'll let everybody inside the mansion know we're coming." Quinn said carefully, knowing that if the sergeant didn't like his tone, he'd be in deep shit. "And there might be Tangos inside the building. But I think Collins and I could rig up some booby traps inside the vent to make sure no one follows us..."

"I mean the entrance we just cut into the building, we're going to be sweeping through the rest of the building soon and I don't want anyone else creeping up behind us".

"Aye aye Sarge, I just meant the light would be seen by everyone inside the mansion." Quinn mentally kicked himself that he didn't clarify what he meant. "I'm sure Collins and I could think up some other way to seal this up, but I think he forgot his modeling glue back at base."

[Dugan]

"Aye aye Sarge, I just meant the light would be seen by everyone inside the mansion." Quinn mentally kicked himself that he didn't clarify what he meant. "I'm sure Collins and I could think up some other way to seal this up, but I think he forgot his modeling glue back at base."

"Well I think they would have heard us by by now as we've already used the welders to gain access. It's your choice Quinn you can either go help 2nd Squad secure the hole or do a spot of pool cleaning"



Simovic motioned towards the pool as a particularly bloated maggot infested corpse bobbed passed.

[Quinn]

"I'll get the hole closed immediately Sarge." Quinn said quickly, tapping Collins on the shoulder and hustling over to the entrance hole.

[S. Collins]

While Sean waited next to the door he heard the whispered discussion between Quinn and Dugan. He shook his head and wondered what the hell was wrong with Quinn today. Did he forget he was a marine afterall? Putting it simple that meant to shut up and do what your superior tells you to do. Following that guideline Collins stood up and followed Quinn to the vent. As the last marine exited the dusty vent Collins reached insinde and gripped the piece of sheet metal that he cut out of the vent and placed aside. The easiest way would be to just pin the piece of metal back in place. "Quinn... hold this. I'll spotweld it on." Sean had no doubt about being the most qualified technician in the platoon and prefered to take over all technical related tasks himself. He opened his M3 Utility Holdall and drawed his portable welder that he lit up with only a few handholds. He would start closing the vent as soon Quinn was ready to assist him.



(roll for welding operations (solid spotwelding))

[pants]

"Copy that Sergeant Honeysett," replied Private Mongo after he heard the order to sweep the room.

"Hey Roberts, Ishizawa you guys want to take the right hand side?  Corporal Silvanus and I will go left.  Don't forget to keep an eye on the pool.  Some of those bodies may not be all the way dead." said Octavius over third squads frequency.

With that the wiry marine signalled to his squad leader to lead the way around the left hand side of the pool towards the large door on the short side.

[exowolf]

Listening to all that is going on Windrider just hangs tight and follows the orders.  He tightens up his straps and double checks his equpiment to make sure everything is in order.

He nods to the orders to sweep and just awaits the next step...quietly poised...waiting to pounce.

[Dirk Pitt]

Dirk finished his cigaret and crushed out under his foot. Lighting another he walked to the command center on the APC and sat down. Looking at all the moniters we watched as the platoon moved into the building. The heart rates were good and the cams showed the inside in darkened tones.

Looking back at his men. "Smoke em if you got em 4th. I'll keep an eye on the kiddos. And Monks, keep an eye on the motion trackers. I dont want anyone kocking on the door. I'll do the same." He said as he watched


(Roll for observation of platoon's moniters and motion tracker)

[Apachetear]

"Hey Roberts, Ishizawa you guys want to take the right hand side?  Corporal Silvanus and I will go left.  Don't forget to keep an eye on the pool.  Some of those bodies may not be all the way dead." said Octavius over third squads frequency.

Thinking about the idea that some of these might not be dead, Jacob frowned.

"To be honest, alive they'll slow us up - I'm all for straight execution, but I know it'll be shouted down...ask the LT what's to be done IF there are survivors"

Jacob loked at the welders...suddenly it began to dawn on him that they'd be trapped in here with the enemy.

Shivering violently he took his helmet off and ran his hand through his hair. he took a cigarette and let it dangle from the corner of his mouth before rubbing his eyes.

muttering under his breath his eyes darted from side to side, frenetically searching for enemies and a way out of here...

[Quinn]

While Sean waited next to the door he heard the whispered discussion between Quinn and Dugan. He shook his head and wondered what the hell was wrong with Quinn today. Did he forget he was a marine afterall? Putting it simple that meant to shut up and do what your superior tells you to do. Following that guideline Collins stood up and followed Quinn to the vent. As the last marine exited the dusty vent Collins reached insinde and gripped the piece of sheet metal that he cut out of the vent and placed aside. The easiest way would be to just pin the piece of metal back in place. "Quinn... hold this. I'll spotweld it on." Sean had no doubt about being the most qualified technician in the platoon and prefered to take over all technical related tasks himself. He opened his M3 Utility Holdall and drawed his portable welder that he lit up with only a few handholds. He would start closing the vent as soon Quinn was ready to assist him.



(roll for welding operations (solid spotwelding))

Quinn held the metal in place while Collins put it back into place with the welder. With the bright blue flickering light of the welder, his natural instinct was to get away from the spot that screamed sniper bait. He could only hope that if any snipers were around, that first, third and fourth squads would spot them in time. Collins could tell that he was very uneasy.

"Let's get this back on quickly, alright?" he suggested to Sean.