The Will To Live✔️

Chapter 27: A Shift In Objective

                                                           PART THREE
                                                           –Necrology–

Greg was having a very difficult time believing his eyes.

As he stared up at the mountain path that would ultimately take them up past several switchbacks to a pair of huge titanium walls, he had genuinely thought that something would go wrong on their journey to the Regional Headquarters of the UNSC. Not just one thing, but a dozen somethings. He thought the Warthog would break down, that a huge blizzard would roll in, immobilizing them, that they would be attacked by the Flood, or the wildlife, or a horrific combination of both. Or one of several other potential setbacks, hazards, or emergencies would assail them. And while the trip was far from perfect, here they were.

The local forces had indeed finally organized and mobilized, he had seen. There were several checkpoints along the main road, built into abandoned gas stations, small settlements, and other buildings that served as bastions against the cold and the Flood. And they had passed dozens of vehicles, moving vehicles, not derelict ones, on the way. Four times they'd stopped to assist someone, once when a vehicle had flipped due to ice, twice to help combat the Flood, and once to help with a search and rescue.

But nothing had really gone seriously wrong. No one was injured, they still had a good stock of supplies, the Carrier Warthog was still in good condition. Honestly, Greg was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. He half expected to roll up to the base and find it on fire and overrun by hostiles. But he'd already confirmed his approach over the radio, and they told him someone would meet him at the front gate, and that he and his squad were expected. Whoever it was sounded competent and sure of themselves, at least.

All in all, the trip had taken about four hours. It had given him some time to reflect. Or, at least, that's what he liked to think it was. Really, he was swishing his insecurities around in his head like blood in his mouth if he had nowhere to spit it out. Was he crazy for seeking a relationship with Izzy? How sustainable was this? Were they right for each other? Obviously in some ways, but maybe not so much in others. How was she handling this? She was clearly reluctant to even call this a relationship, and he still respected that, but...

Things would, in some ways, be easier when they were out of this situation. They would have more time to actually confront and sort out their feelings. Or maybe that would actually be a lot harder. Maybe now was the easy part, because there was no time to think about things. This was part of the reason he was so bad at relationships. He was prone to overthinking things. In a way, this was why he preferred survival situations and combat and objectives more. His mind could make sense of them in a way it could make sense of nothing else.

He could actually do this stuff. Even if it was life-threatening and insane.

Izzy shifted in the passenger's seat beside him. He thought she'd fallen asleep there near the end, and he didn't blame her. The past hour and a half had just been driving. But now they were here. He drove them up the switchbacks, passing by a few more Warthogs on the way up, and finally came to a stop before the big gates that served as entryway into the Headquarters. There were heavily fortified guard posts on top of the huge titanium walls and to either side of the gates, with full-on LAAG turrets attached with huge stores of ammo and lots of guards.

He imagined they were taking no chances.

"Identify yourself," a Marine said as he walked up to the side of the Warthog after Greg had rolled to a stop.

"Corporal Greg Walker," Greg said, and the others provided their name and rank in turn. The man consulted a datapad, then told them to wait and turned away. He was decked out in white snow camo, his face hidden behind a dark visor. He talked quietly into a radio, then turned back towards them. "Okay, go inside, find a parking spot and park, then head inside the main base. Someone will meet you by the front entrance."