Cyberpunk: Spartan Walker

Polaski carefully flew the troop carrier over and crashed vertically into the flickering dark purple gravity beam. As soon as they entered the area, the spacecraft jumped suddenly, then accelerated, lurching left and right into the hole drilled through the solid rock.

The dim and mottled sunlight above was blocked, and the troop transport became dim. Only the faint blue light emitted from the interior of the elevator could be seen.

We don't even have room to turn around here, Polaski whispered.

Lieutenant McKay climbed forward, General Whitcomb, sir, I understand we can get in - if the hole leads somewhere - but there's still a part of your plan that's unclear. What will happen when we get out? , sir?

The general stared at McKay with his cold eyes. I've planned it all. Just fire, follow my orders, and don't think too much. Do you understand?

McKay gritted his teeth and looked extremely dissatisfied. Yes, sir.

Polaski stared intently at the walls of the tunnel whizzing by. The short-range sensor detected a signal point. She said, It seems that we are almost at the bottom of the cave. At the current speed, the estimated arrival time is sixty seconds later.

The general leaned closer to the sergeant and whispered: We will be fiercely attacked when we get down below, and you must fight back redoubled; then you cover Anton and see if he can determine where your Spartans are. I guess they It’s already on the ground.”

Before the chief could answer, the general walked up to Rebecca and picked up an assault rifle and two high-explosive pistols, and put a plasma grenade and a fragmentation grenade on his belt.

Rebecca stared at him suspiciously, wondering whether he could go into battle at such an old age and was still a general who often sat in a command position.

Whitcomb just glanced at her. My bones are still strong.

Thirty seconds! Polaski yelled. She killed the engines, and the troopship glided in the gravity beam on its own inertia. There's something down there, she said. Is it sunlight?

The troop transport appeared in a huge room - three kilometers in diameter, circular in shape, surrounded by more than a dozen corridors from top to bottom. Overhead, a holographic sun and more than a dozen satellites rotate on the circular ceiling. Except for the holes drilled by the Covenant troops, the holographic projection was perfect.

The general's dark eyes scanned the huge room intently. He saw a Covenant force gathered on the floor near one side of the room.

There, he pointed, I estimate there are about a hundred enemy soldiers: a few elite warriors and gnolls, mostly Grunts. It looks like they are clearing the entrance to a cave and are not ready to go together. .very good.

Polaski, land us half a kilometer away from them, and then you fly up again. I want you to get back into the hole as soon as possible and plug it. I don't want to leave our back door open.

Yes, sir, Polaski replied.

General Whitcomb said to Lee again: You and Lieutenant McKay are our rearguard, son. Stay here to protect the ship and Polaski. Sorry.

Yes, sir! Li replied. Rebecca noticed that there was a hint of bitterness in his words. He undoubtedly believed that he had been assigned a task that was beyond his power.

Rebecca quickly concluded what these Spartans had in common - each of them was brainless and rushed to do suicide missions that others avoided.

Honestly, she was happy to see every Spartan looking down on death - except Tommy.

Their troop transport gradually descended to one meter away from the blue floor, and then the hatches on both sides opened. The Chief jumped out first, followed closely by Anton, Lieutenant Haverson and Locklear. Jumping out of the hatch on the other side were the General, Sergeant Johnson, Grace, Rebecca and the rest of the Helltroopers.

The troop transport immediately flew up into the hole in the ceiling to ensure that it would not be hit by stray bullets on the ground.

Everybody move! the general shouted. He pointed at Grace and Rebecca, You two, use long-range weapons and fire. The others rush over and take them out.

The general had planned carefully and did not risk the troopship - their only means of escape - getting too close to the enemy. Their presence would take the Covenant forces by surprise, as they never expected to be attacked in their military heartland.

But how long will this advantage last? How long until the cruisers blow their troopships to smithereens? Their most dangerous enemy is not the Covenant forces, but time.

Rebecca stopped, raised the fuel cannon at a 45-degree angle, and launched the first round of attack.

The alien weapon hissed and spit out a ball of dazzling energy. The energy group carried sparks and drew an arc across a distance of half a kilometer. After hitting the target, a green flash exploded. The pieces of limbs of the Grunts and Gnolls immediately flew into the air.

Grace fired two rockets and then dropped the spent rocket launcher on the ground. The two rockets hit a group of elite warriors who a second ago were directing the clearing of the cave. After the two explosions, clouds of dust, flames and smoke rose up from that end of the room, obscuring the view. The Chief motioned for the group to disperse and move forward slowly.

The dust was flying in front, and the looming Grunts and Gnolls screamed in panic. They fired in the air in panic, shot at their own people, and shot at all moving objects.

Keep moving forward, the Master Chief ordered. Get over there before they know what kind of attack they are being attacked.

Anton stopped and knelt beside a pair of footprints that dug into the floor. Kelly was here, he reported over the comm channel.

The Master Chief opened the red team's communication channel, Kelly? Fred? Joshua? Spartans, confirm receipt of the signal.

The only answer he got was static.

The Master Chief was now a hundred meters away from the dazed Covenant construction team. A deflected plasma energy beam flew out of the smoke-filled and rubble-strewn area, landed a few meters away from the Master Chief, and exploded. The sergeant took up his automatic rifle and fired wildly at it, hoping to suppress the enemy without a chance to fight back.

Rebecca paused, swore and pulled the trigger of the fuel cannon again. The second burst of ray energy flew overhead with a dazzling light, hit the far wall and exploded.

In the strong light, the Master Chief saw twelve Jackals on guard. They lined up along the wall, their energy shields overlapping each other to form a dense square array. Behind them, five elite warriors pulled the triggers of their plasma rifles.

Get down, he shouted, diving to one side.