A Ghost Story - Starcraft FanFic

Chapter 4

Sharon was running out of time. 

Shortly after heading out to get into position for the tactical strike things went sideways. Two Observers split off and moved in a determined fashion in what she would have sworn were search patterns that overlapped a prime position for optimal weapons deployment. On top of that, a mixed squad of 6 Zerglings and 4 Hydralisks started a patrol on her back trail, effectively cutting off her egress back to the LZ.

"What a soldier wouldn't give now for some bug repellent. Damn bugs are everywhere." Sharon said with a grimace.

She knew that under normal conditions she wouldn't need shadows with fully functional cloaking abilities, but the tactics and abilities displayed by the Zerg caused some primal part her mind to pick a path through the deepest shadows projected by various crags and overhanging rock. But even if she could wrap the shadows around herself, it would be worth zero if she was spotted by an Overlord.

Sharon toyed with the idea of requesting some kind of diversionary feint that would give her the opening to call in the Tactical Strike, but immediately dismissed it. Firstly, she had her pride, she was a Ghost after all. One of the few who gleefully dance over the kind of paths that would make angels piss themselves. And if the guys from the barracks heard, they wouldn't let her forget she was afraid of a few bugs. Thirdly, if RC Fisher had the manpower for such an offensive he wouldn't need her.

Her suit registered her case of cold feet and dumped such a large dose of stimulants into her system that caused her hands to momentarily convulsed on the grips of her C-10 Canister rifle.

Despite being practically surrounded by enemies, Sharon's mind flashed back to her training. The medical technicians and scientists weren't needlessly cruel, but only just. After all such cruelty would only be counterproductive and inefficient, and High Command didn't want that. But despite the decades of usefulness of Ghost units High Command didn't wants another Kerrigan. 

Every potential candidate for Ghost training was rigorously screened and re-screened and only then was a sense of total loyalty to Terran Command instilled with a universe of drugs. She remembered some med-techs joking about the high amounts of drugs in a Ghost's body changed the soldier's blood from red to the colours of the Terran flag.

Sharon shook herself back to the present. Although she had suffered with a lifetime of drugs in her system, sudden max doses like the one she just endured always threatened to overwhelm her body. Her disagreeable onboard AI informed her that the 100 second countdown til missile readiness had begun. 

Sharon made a note of the thinly veiled tone of glee from the AI as it also informed her that she had over 400 metres to optimal weapon deployment. Sharon contented herself with the thought of having the AI reprogrammed with a more agreeable personality, knowing that thoughts of reprogramming the offending technician with a dull spoon would be registered by her armour.

Abandoning the shadows Sharon sprinted across the uneven ground. Her training wouldn't allow her to misstep, so she didn't have to worry about a twisted ankle. The floating blimps crossing over the ridge she needed to be on were still an issue. Shooting at the Zerg Overlords would be just as foolhardy as de-cloaking in the middle of the Zerg infestation, and would render her just as dead.

Fifty seconds and twice as many metres away from her objective, Sharon was prepared to die for the cause. The Ghost operative realised that there was a ten second opening in the Overlords' patrol pattern that would allow her to target and call for weapon deployment. Two seconds after calling for the nuke, however, the Overlords would detect her and the Bugs would take grim satisfaction in ripping her to shreds.

Despite her impending demise Sharon realised that her only two regrets were that she would be unable to tell that chain-smoking Firebat if roasted Zerg did indeed smell like turkey, and that she wouldn't be able to express in the strongest possible terms to the recruitment officers the need to change their recruitment vids.