Project Venom #Watty's2016

Rescue Plans

I've had a lot on my mind at once. I think everyone has. Maybe it was a bunch of stuff you wanted to cram into one hour of time on Minecraft or Fallout 4, maybe it was too many movies and all the time in the world, but your popcorn supply wouldn't last so you'd scrape the back of the junk food cupboard for the can of pringles you know you bought last week. Maybe it was a day at the strip and all you can think about is "damn I hope my tires hold out". I've also had time pass by way slower than it should. Every Christmas eve for example. Let me tell you that when I stepped onto that Electric helo for the ride home, I wished that the only thing I had to worry about was if my tires would hold up. My brain was assaulting me with questions I couldn't even begin to answer "where did Black River take Mercury and Trace? What were they planing to do with them? Would I ever see my friend again? Would we beable to find them before Black River tortured them to death?" And since they kept playing in my head like a bad record, the 16 hour fly home, without the whine of a supercharged Turboshaft engine to listen to proved to be the longest 16 hours of my life. Electric motors are already quiet, even when you have eight of them, now add in a silence from your friends because everyone is certain a piece of the team has just been murdered when there was nothing you could do to save them and you'll get an idea of what the inside of the Chinook was like the fly home. If only I hadn't been worried about that stupid Dhskia, but then again, if I hadn't gone after it, Tristan might have been found and killed, so no matter what I had done, I would have lost a friend.

When we got back to Area 29, the sky was dark and threatening. There was lightning flashing and the wind was blowing hard, very hard. I could see Luke and Conner hurrying to finish a repair on the Semi Trailer before the rain came down. The Prof and Morningstar were waiting for us on the strip, the Prof's blazing red 2002 Honda Integra Type R, slammed on coil-overs, BBS wheels and with Origin body work was also with them, driverside open, the car idling with Morningstar's Veyron beside it, they must have just gotten back from picking it up. Morningstar looked like he'd been beaten to hell from the drive.

"I know it's probably pointless", he said, "but is my son with you?"

I shook my head, "no...fuck if I hadn't gone after that AA...."

"Don't give me that bullshit solider", Morningstar said, "you did what you had to do and it looks like you saved someone else in the process, what's your name solider?"

"Private E3 Tristan Hungate Sir", Tristan said standing at attention.

"At ease son", Morningstar said, "you'll find that this base is quite a relaxed facility. Where's the rest of the unit?"

"KIA", Tristan sighed, "they were killed when our Osprey came under fire from the AA emplacement."

"Where were you stationed at?", Morningstar asked, "I'll call your base CO and let him know I got ya."

"Firebase Echo in Iraq", Tristan said, "by the way, my leg is busted pretty badly, where's your infirmary?"

"Ace will show you", Morningstar said.

"Hey Morningstar", I said, "how are we going to find Mercury and Trace?"

"I've got an idea about that", Morningstar said, "go back to the barracks, get changed, cleaned up, what ever it is you gotta do and then come to the lounge where we usually eat breakfast, we'll talk there."

I nodded, "come on Taro, I'll show you the infirmary."

Tristan and I walked from the landing pad to the infirmary while the others went back to the barracks. When we walked inside the dome, I saw my buddies face turn to shock.

"Wow", He whistled looking around.

"Really something isn't it?", I asked, "this could withstand a nuclear blast right outside the front door. Were in a 4 billion dollar rebar and concrete lead lined sphere."